Bear with me over the next week or so.. we just officially closed on our first house and prob gunna be spending longgg hours painting and cleaning so if the updates are slow over the course of the week, that is why :)

Chapter 53

Carlisle flipped on the light and let Aro into the room unable to completely hide his unwillingness to do so.

"Where is your beautiful bride, Carlisle?" he asked with a smile.

"She's in the bathroom." He knew there was no sense in lying, for he strongly suspected Aro would request to read his thoughts regardless.

Aro looked around the room, "Second honeymoon?" The outward tone of his voice was joking, though Carlisle knew there were serious, less friendly undertones.

"What do I owe the pleasure of your company?" he asked, trying to be cordial.

"You've recently met the acquaintance of some new friends I've heard," he said calmly. A coldness began to develop in his voice.

"We've encountered others, yes."

Esme rejoined them in the room and Aro greeted her with a friendly smile, creating the same, almost fake enthusiastic tone, "Mrs. Cullen, how are you?"

She smiled, visibly nervous by his presence, "I'm fine, Aro. How are you?" Esme had never gotten used to being in the Volturi leader's company.

"I wish I could say lovely, though that would be a lie. Thank you for asking though, dear."

Esme and Carlisle exchanged a glance.

"Where was I?" Aro asked himself, then returned his gaze to meet Carlisle's, "Oh yes, your new friends?"

Carlisle had several people in mind; Micah and Helen; Kayla and Jeremy. "We encountered some unfortunate circumstances," he began, "A pair of vampires are dead because of their blatant attack on our family."

"Do tell," Aro said with a smile. For reasons he could not identify, he enjoyed tales of Carlisle's involvement in the demise of others.

Carlisle held out his hand and could tell his old friend was slightly disappointed, as he was looking forward to the details through Carlisle's verbal description. He had come there with a purpose, however, and decided not to wait any longer to know the truth.

Only a brief moment went by before Aro seemed to have encountered the information he was seeking, "I'm terribly sorry," he said looking toward Esme, then back to Carlisle.

"Thank you," Esme said, still looking edgy.

"It seems as though there was a great loss on our side, as well," Aro told them, "It happened more than a half a year ago, though we haven't felt the need to share."

Carlisle's posture straightened up and he seemed to have regained interest in the conversation, "What great loss?"

"A member of our coven had their life stolen from one that you've encountered." He looked at their faces, both of which seemed to be screaming with the question of 'who'? "Of course, I'd like to keep the secrecy of their identity out of respect," he told them.

Our of respect, or out of keeping secrecy for your advantage? Carlisle sarcastically wondered. "Of course," he replied aloud.

Esme nodded to mirror his verbal response.

"Thank you for your understand," Aro said, "Now, I've come here to ask for your aid in a stakeout in the rest of their coven."

"Who was responsible?" Carlisle asked.

"Jacqueline was her name?" Aro asked, "If I saw your thoughts correctly. Though I can see that her mate took the blame until she used her gifts on you, Carlisle."

"Jacqueline killed a member of your coven?" he asked.

"Indeed."

Esme looked surprised and kept glancing at Carlisle.

"Don't be frightened Mrs. Cullen," Aro assured her with a warm smile. He placed a hand lightly on her shoulder, "I am not here for trouble, and will be on my way shortly. I just need to know where the rest of their family resides."

"The rest of the family..." Carlisle immediately knew he was speaking of Micah and Helen. He knew he couldn't give away their location because Aro would surely be looking for vengeance on the wrong people, "Aro, the other two-"

"I need to speak with them and look into their minds, surely you understand," he went on. Though the statement was just that, a statement, it came out like an order.

Carlisle knew Aro wasn't asking, he was telling the to reveal the location of their new acquaintances and the pair that aided in saving his life. They were good people, though he knew Aro would not see it that way.

"They had nothing to do with whatever happened to your family," Carlisle explained, "You must have seen that in my thoughts. They had no idea that Jacqueline was the one who had the human-turning power."

"There had been rumors for some time about one who had a power such as hers. I intended to find her one day and invite her into my coven. Unfortunately, that day never came as we were attacked when unprovoked. Not only have we suffered a great loss, but I will not lie, our pride is at stake."

"She's dead," he explained.

"They're not."

"They had nothing to do with it." Carlisle remained calm, though Esme could see the anger rising in Aro's eyes. She slid closer to Carlisle, who linked his fingers with hers and kept her just slightly behind him.

Aro looked down at their subtle display of affection briefly, then looked back up to Carlisle, "They may have lead you to believe this, but let me see for myself."

Carlisle's face gave away his skepticism, "I can't justifiably put them in a dangerous position, Aro. They saved my life and I can promise, made no attempts at your life or the lives of you family members."

"If I gather the same information, I will leave them be, not to return. However, I have made this lengthy trip across the world to find them and find the truth."

"I can't." He shook his head.

Aro smiled and stepped forward, placing his hand on Carlisle's shoulder, "My friend, I will confront them regardless of your assistance, though I assure you it would be to the benefit of both of you to aid me in this quest."

"We're not sure where they are," Esme said, "They've moved around from place to place."

He continued to smile, "I understand. Maybe the last place then that you remember seeing them. I could see in your husband's adoring thoughts that he was quite worried that you and Alice had ventured into the woods to see them on your own." Aro turned to Carlisle, "Now, if they're as good as you claim, why the fear Carlisle?"

"It's just a natural thought when I'm away from Esme."

Aro smiled, "How sweet." He folded his hands together and sighed.

"Aro," Carlisle went on, "You've known me long enough to know that I wouldn't be defending someone if they were a danger."

"All I'm asking for is a chance to speak with them. I lost a member of my family." Aro shifted his eyes to Esme, "Surely, if you lost dear Esme you'd want to know why. Am I right?"

He cringed at the thought and his eyes nearly closed in a painful squint as a reaction.

"That's exactly how I imagined you would react," he said, "I will not lay a hand on their heads if I find out that they knew nothing of their friend Jacqueline's powers. If they did, however, I will do what I have to do."

Carlisle looked at Aro. As much as he deserved an explanation for his loss, he was positive that Micah and Helen knew nothing of it.

"If they did know of her powers ahead of time," Aro continued, "Then they are just as much of a liability to your family. It would then be their fault just as much as their dead friends for the loss of your unborn child, as well as the near death of you Carlisle."

His words burned Carlisle's eardrums and felt like a slap across the face. Esme's hand squeezed tighter around his and he reciprocated the motion.

"If their hands are clean of the attack, I will not harm them. You have my word."

Carlisle knew his 'word' was a very gray area. Aro often looked for loopholes to justify killing or destroying the lives of others. It wasn't something he was unaware of and so he decided that he would create terms for an agreement, for he knew Aro would, indeed, find Micah and Helen's location regardless of his involvement.

"Swear on the life of your daughter," Carlisle told him.

Aro's face straightened up and finally matched the pain that lingered on Carlisle's face from his several stabs for words.

"Swear on Luciana that you won't harm them when you find that their hand are truly clean," he repeated, "And I'll give you their location, at least where we saw them last." He turned and looked at Esme, who was almost shocked by his bold words.

Aro's shell-shocked face turned into a slow smile, that he attempted to use to shield what he was really feeling. "Very well. I do swear by the life of my daughter that I will not harm Micah, nor Helen, if they had nothing to do with the death of my family member."

Carlisle looked Aro in the eye until their stalemate finally ended after several long seconds. He turned and looked to Esme, more or less asking for her permission from the way he stared at her.

She swallowed hard before nodding and took a deep breath. Aro waited patiently, folding his hands neatly in front of him again.

Carlisle held his hand out, leaving Aro to return the handshake before he reluctantly filled him in on where Esme had visited with Micah and Helen. When the information was passed on, Aro nodded politely.

"Is it just you?" Carlisle asked.

"If Caius were here, you'd know it. I asked him to stay back because all Hell would have surely broken loose."

Esme hid her look of disappointment, hoping secretly that Caius may have been the one to go. At the same time, she scolded herself for the thought, though acknowledged the fact that he frightened her the most; perhaps even more than Aro.

"It's me, alone," Aro went on, "And I shall keep my promise. Not that I care what you think. I do undoubtedly value the life of Luciana." His eyes scanned the room and he looked back at Carlisle once more, "As you were."

In the blink of an eye, Aro was gone. Carlisle and Esme were left standing facing each other wondering if they had done the right thing. Esme immediately picked up her phone and called Alice.