Demetri and Felix would not leave for another few days. Something about sending another warning which would be the last. If things did not change abruptly, Aro would send them in. I was dying for my chance to try to get out of this place while Demetri was gone. Perhaps that was a bad choice of words, but either way, while he was here, his constant eye was on me.

It was no secret now. Aro knew that I knew about Demetri constantly tracking me. I had told him as such the night Demetri and I went to my grandparents' house, and playing the role of the perfect "lover" was beginning to irk me. Ever since I found out about Demetri and Felix potentially leaving, I upped the game even more. No matter how frustrated I got, I needed to bide my time carefully. Needless to say, the fact that they were not destined to leave for a few days turned out to be a good thing.

When I have cramps, they hurt. I woke up the next morning, curled into myself on the bed. My abdomen was in so much pain that I felt like I was going to vomit. I must have groaned or made some sort of noise that Aro easily heard because he was by my side in an instant. I had pushed the covers off of me, feeling extremely warm, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Is there anything I can do for you or get you, Lia?" Aro asked softly, pure concern in his voice. Of course, he would be able to tell what the problem was, but he was gentlemanly enough to not mention it.

"Drugs would be nice," I replied casually.

"Drugs?"

"Ibuprofen would be great right now. I'm sure Chelsea knows what it is."

Aro sighed. "I'm quite aware of what it is. I will speak with Caterina."

He then left the room, and I was by myself again. I stood up carefully and went to my bag where I had stuffed the tampons. I grabbed them and quickly took care of that aspect before coming back out into the bedroom, grabbing the blanket off of the bed, wrapping myself in it, and then stepping outside to Aro's main room. I found a spot on the loveseat and lied down, curled up inside the blanket. The hot and cold thing would get old quickly like it did every month.

The room was empty and quiet. As much as I loved the quiet which meant no Aro around to deceive, what I wanted more than anything right now was a distraction. It came in the form of Renata, and she entered the room as meekly as a mouse then sat down on the floor right in front of me.

"Aro said you weren't feeling so well and because you are in a weakened state, I should stay by your side until you are feeling better," Renata chirped. I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't. I simply lied there on the loveseat and smiled. She continued, "He's speaking with Caterina now about getting the medicine you require."

"Right. That's good. I should have thought to bring it myself, but when Demetri and I went back to my grandparents' house, it wasn't the first thing on my mind," I replied.

Renata nodded before leaning back and glancing up at the ceiling. "You should let Aro take care of you. He wants to so terribly. It has made him happy these past few days that you seem to be enjoying yourself here more. That's all he wants is your happiness and your love."

"I'm not denying him the right to take care of me, Renata. He's getting me medicine. I don't know. Getting to know everyone a bit better has helped. I still can't beat Demetri or Felix at chess. I essentially fail at it."

"Oh, don't say that. It takes time to learn!" Renata reprimanded gently.

I knew she was right, but I didn't plan on being here long enough to learn. I thought about Alec. I had yet to set up the movie night we had talked about, but I was beginning to think that now would be a perfect time for it. If Aro saw how well I was doing with the guard, then maybe, just maybe, I could earn a few more privileges and up my chances to get out of this place once Demetri and Felix had been sent away to deal with that exposure risk.

Aro returned with a bottle of pills and handed them to me along with a glass of water he must have retrieved from the kitchen downstairs. I quickly took two pills out of the container and swallowed them down. I handed the bottle back to Aro, and he sat it on his desk before coming back over to me.

Renata had stood back up by this time and was now waiting over by the door. Aro turned to her. "Thank you my dear for looking after Lia for me while I was away. If you wish, you may stay nearby." Having been given her orders, Renata slid out the door. Aro turned back to me. "I hope these pills will help. I hate to see you in pain like this."

I waved him off. "It'll pass. It always does." I had removed the blanket again and sat up, leaning against the back of the loveseat. "Aro?" I asked, and he hummed in response. "Alec and I had talked about it yesterday while you were speaking with Demetri and Felix."

"Ah, yes. The movie?"

I frowned. "Alec already asked you about it?"

"He did not ask, but he did tell me that the two of you had talked about having a movie night."

"Do you think… Would that be okay? We could use my laptop to stream the movie. Demetri said Heidi uses the internet to… you know," I replied slightly disgusted with the thought but trying not to show it.

Aro nodded. "Perhaps that is something we could do if you so desire it. I prefer live theater over film, but it shall not hurt to see how movies have changed since I last saw one."

Asking Aro to take me to a live show one day seemed out of the question, so I ignored the urge I had nagging at the back of my head to ask. Instead, I said, "How long has it been since you saw a movie? Was it a silent film?"

So that may have been slightly sarcastic on my part, but his answer was not. Aro seemed to think back to the last film he saw and said, "The last I saw in its entirety was silent, yes. It was right after filmmaking began to spread. I was fascinated by the new technology, and I found myself in the theater watching a picture move. However, Chelsea did bring a piece of technology to my attention some years ago and showed me a small piece of a film that was in color and people talked. I knew of this development, of course, but to see it in action…"

I smiled. He really was like a little kid sometimes, and I still wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "The Lord of the Rings movies are fairly long, so you'll have plenty of time to enjoy the technology while watching. The point though is to enjoy the story. It's great."

Another cramp hit, and I curled back up on the loveseat and cringed. What might be helpful was a hot water bottle. I doubt they had anything like that just lying around, so I didn't ask. Aro at least seemed interested in the movie night, so that was a good sign. I wondered what it would be like to have the guard and Aro and possibly Marcus and Caius all in the same room for at least three hours. Perhaps, we could start small, just Aro, the twins, Renata, and maybe Demetri, Felix, and Chelsea.

"Do you think that we could set it up for tonight?" I asked Aro hopefully. Not only would it start a course of action, but again, the distraction would be wonderful to take my mind off of these cramps. The good thing was that they tended to only last the first day, and then everything was great.

Aro seemed to be thinking about it, so he was quiet for a moment which made me a little nervous that he would say we should wait until a later time. I was happy when he didn't. "Of course. I will let Chelsea know of our plans so she can prepare the movie for us."

"Great! I was thinking, besides Alec, we could invite some of the other members of the guard. Jane would come with Alec I'd imagine, but Renata, Demetri, Felix, and Chelsea should join us as well. It'll be nice to spend some time with them all together, don't you think?"

His smile was wide, but it still didn't reach Aro's eyes. I wondered what he was thinking in that moment, and not for the first time, if he was able to read my mind. "Yes. I think it would be a marvelous idea. I am very happy that you have been enjoying your time with the guard and wish to spend more time with them. I hope, one day, you will desire the same of me."

My breath stopped for a second, and I wasn't sure how to reply to that. Wasn't I trying to show him that I wanted to, or was he referring to something else entirely? I bit my lip and looked down at my hands. "It's not really that. I've told you before that it takes time. It isn't something that happens over night or even within a month. I want to spend time with you tonight, but I also think the others might enjoy the movie, too." I stopped before continuing and took a deep breath. "We could even sit next to each other while watching. That's what people do. It's like...a date, I guess."

"A date?"

"Yes, um, courting?"

Aro furrowed his brow in thought before nodding slowly as he appeared to begin to understand. "I see. Humans are such fascinating creatures." I wanted to roll my eyes, but I forced myself not to. It was going to be a long day.

By that evening, I had taken four more tablets of ibuprofen. I know the bottle says to take only two and then six hours later to take another two, but let's be real here. A couple extra tablets isn't going to hurt me and those are only recommendations. It also says, "or as directed by a doctor." I didn't have a medical degree, but I knew my body well enough. Either way, the pain had diminished significantly since that morning, and I felt more like myself if not slightly lethargic.

Chelsea had let everyone know about the movie night. The only few who wouldn't be attending were Marcus, Caius, Santiago, Afton, Corin, and Heidi. I hoped they weren't offended by my not inviting them, but the smaller the group, the more at ease I would be. I did think about inviting Marcus, but if I invited him, I would almost be forced to invite Caius. I had no intention of being in the same room with again unless necessary.

It felt as if the only ones in the room who were truly excited about the movie were Alec and Aro. Jane stood off to the side while Alec thanked Aro for allowing the movie, and I watched her for a moment before her eyes met mine. I turned away quickly, but she was fast. I jumped as she appeared next to me

"Hello. We have not talked since we met some days ago." As before, she gave a small curtsy.

I smiled, still slightly nervous around this child that reminded me so much of Caius by the way her eyes scanned every inch of me sizing me up like I was a threat to her. "It's nice to see you again, Jane."

"Is it?" I nearly choked at her accusing tone, but before I could reply, she continued. "My brother speaks highly of you, and he is looking forward to seeing this movie you talked about. I am happy to see that you are at least attempting to take an interest in Aro finally. He waited such a long time for you to come here and stay. How you could reject him baffles me. You should feel honored to be his mate."

Seriously, who was this child? While I understood in a span of time, she had been around much longer than I had, the way she talked was as if she adored Aro, similar to Renata, but different at the same time. While Renata saw him as someone she needed to protect, albeit, a little too strongly sometimes, Jane seemed to see him as some sort of savior, her eyes almost reverent-like in the way she glanced at him as she spoke. After what Alec had told me about what happened before they were changed and Aro's part in that, it made sense she would look at him like that. Aro, however, was not saving me from anything, and I didn't ask for his attention.

To ease a disagreement that might likely occur, and to continue playing the role I was attempting to play and mostly doing a fairly good job at, I followed her gaze over to Aro and commented, "I do feel honored. Like I told him, it takes time for humans, but I am trying."

"Then why not ask him to change you, so you can be like us? It'll be easier then because you'll feel the mating bond."

That sounded wrong coming from her mouth, but I reminded myself just how long this little vampire had actually lived. "If I fall in love with him while human, won't that make the bond even stronger once I'm like you? Besides, I am hoping that I can figure out a way to ease the news better to my parents. There's a story there."

"Yes, I remember. I was there, too, when that happened. Your father seemed quite worried."

I thought back to that day when I was a young child, the day we had left Volterra for good and moved to the United States. She had been there. "My grandfather told me the stories, and after that day, I think my father may have… If I just disappear so soon after my grandparents were killed, they'll know something's up. I know Aro has his ways, but they're my parents…"

Jane made no reply, and instead looked up at Aro as he made his way to us with Alec. She went off with her brother then, and Aro and I were left alone in the middle of the room. "Demetri and Felix will be unable to join us. They are taking care of a matter nearby and will be back early in the morning."

I frowned, "Did something happen?"

"It is nothing for you to worry about. A simple meeting with another coven to solve a disagreement. It occurs commonly," Aro answered. "I believe everyone else is here. Shall we take a seat then?"

Chelsea had prepared the movie with a laptop of her own that I supposed she used for public matters with the humans in Volterra. Alec had suggested that we use the music room, as I began to call it, because it had more space available to bring in ample seating so I would be comfortable. I had to assume the seating was for me because looking around the room, Jane and Alec had made themselves comfortable on the floor, Renata stood close-by ready to spring into action, and Chelsea had her seat on one of the wooden benches along the wall near the piano. A small loveseat had been brought in, and Aro and I sat down there together.

Being in such close proximity had me on edge. Not that it was the first time we had been this close to each other, but there's a different feeling to it when the lights are off and a movie is playing, truly a date night. The only difference between our "date night" and others were that we had the two children in front of us, a security guard, and a chaperone all-in-one. My idea, and I was very much okay with that.

Chelsea started the movie, and as it played, there were a few times I would glance over at Aro. His eyes were brighter than usual, and perhaps it was the reflection of the light off the screen, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. I smiled, not meaning for him to see it, but he did because he's a vampire. Vampires tend to catch everything. Aro smiled back, and I did the one thing I had not planned on doing. I leaned into him.

My brain went on pause for a moment realizing what I was doing, but it was too late. If I leaned back now, it would upset him, and things were going well. Let him think that this is what I really want, but then again, isn't it? Doesn't a small part of me enjoy this right now? It does feel right, but no, no, no. First of all, Aro is a vampire. He kills people and drinks their blood. Okay, so that aside, I can't honestly hate him for that as much as I despise it. Secondly, he murdered my grandparents, or at least told someone else to do it. Third, he basically kidnapped me and is now holding me as a prisoner in this place, albeit a well spoiled prisoner in some regard, but still, a prisoner. But fourth, leaning against him like this is actually more comfortable than I thought it would be, and I do feel safe, and I do actually much of the time enjoy his company. I cringed inside, confusion boiling over again. When will this all stop, when I'm a vampire? I wasn't… I couldn't let that happen. I had to get out of here.

Aro, during this short inner monologue, had taken my hand and held it. I didn't move my hand because that was pretty normal, wasn't it? Two people watching a movie together, especially when on a "date" would hold hands. They were cold, but there was still something mesmerizing about them that I couldn't quite place.

I felt Aro tense beside me, his hand lightly squeezing mine, and I looked up at him trying to figure out what was wrong. He didn't look back at me, so I sighed and resigned myself to remaining against him and finishing out the rest of the movie. Alec wanted to watch the next one, apparently he had really liked this first one. Aro, however, said it was very late for me, and I needed to go to bed. I was feeling quite tired at this point, and I told Alec we could watch the second movie another time. That seemed to content him, and I could have sworn I saw Jane roll her eyes.

Aro and I went back to his quarters, and I left him to change and get ready for bed. I took two more ibuprofen with water from the sink so it would get me through the night, and by tomorrow, all remnants of cramps would be gone. To be honest, it was amazing how bad the cramps were for how light I was going this cycle. I knew stress affected the menstrual cycle, and I certainly wasn't complaining, but I decided to at least take note of it.

By the time I had changed and crawled into bed, Aro walked into the room and closed the door behind him. I glanced at him curiously trying to figure out his game, and he glided over to the bed, not the chair, and sat down on the edge of it so he was across from me. He proceeded to lie down next to me in the bed, and my heart pounded still wondering what he was doing. I didn't say anything, but he reached out and brushed my hair away from my eyes.

"You are so beautiful, mi amore." He said nothing else for a minute, just stared at me to where I had to look down to not feel so uncomfortable. "I only wish you were always so affectionate and meant it."

I looked back up at him. Why was he still lying down on the bed with me? "Something about being in the dark and having a movie playing. It's a common dating trope for movies, books, and television in the modern world. It's supposed to be romantic or something."

"I see. You did not find it romantic?"

"Did you?" I asked him back.

He hummed. "You are terribly conflicted. I am unable to find a thing romantic when one is fighting with themselves. You consistently fight me, like now, yet at times, you find solace and comfort in me as well, or am I wrong?"

"I'm not fighting anything right now."

"Yes, you are. I lie here beside you, and yet your eyes and body language scream at me to leave rather than drawing me in closer." He moved in more so we were almost touching. "I hear your heart pounding, yet I don't believe it is completely out of fear. How can I change your mind, mi amore? It has been over a month, and yet you have made such little progress. I might even say none at all. Stop fighting it."

I did not expect what happened next. Aro leaned in, and his lips landed on mine. It was quick. He didn't hold it out, but the spark that I felt between our mouths, the shock of electricity that zapped across my mouth, had me sitting up and pulling away to the other corner of the bed. Why did he do that?

"I apologize, Lia." Aro then sat up as well before standing and making his way back over to the bedroom door. "I did enjoy tonight. I hope you learn to accept the part of you that did as well." Then he was gone.

A/N: Quick update. I know it has been some time. I have been dedicating all of my time to working on my original YA Fantasy novel which can be found online. If you're interested in reading, let me know. If you like Game of Thrones, Throne of Glass, or The Dragon Prince, you'll probably enjoy this novel, too. Thank you all so much for your support throughout the years and sticking with me and these stories. Keep an eye out for an update to All of You as well as it will be coming soon.

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