(June 2010)
The rest of the month passed in a slow daze as everyone expected Aro to change his mind at the last moment. Especially since Alice saw him around the states briefing random nomads and small covens about the law. When Alice finally had a vision of Aro leaving the Continent everyone was able to relax again.
Bella made the decision to give Aro a chance to see if anything might come from it. Rosalie gave her a supportive smile while Emmett simply kept his mouth shut but his eyebrow kept twitching. He had ranted to the rest of the family must kept it to low grumbles when he was near Bella. He did not want her with anyone from the Volturi. Carlisle and Esme supported her and even answered some questions she had since she couldn't exactly ask her own parents. Alice and Jasper were positive in their support of her decision. Alice kept quiet on anything she saw of Bellas future. She would only say something if she was in danger. Jasper did not like the Volturi themselves but he supported her decision to give Aro a chance since as an empath he knew the pain one goes through without their mate and he was at least sure that Aro cared for her deeply. No one was going to ask Edward for his opinion. That was one member of the family no one wanted to involve.
(July 2010)
Bella had decided to bite the bullet and let her step siblings know that she would be starting to explore the possibility of a relationship with Aro. She did not want them to be blindsided by it and she wanted to do something to surprise Aro in September. She figured breaking the news to them would make things easier. It did not.
Seth was 18 now and a full adult in the eyes of the law but he decided to act like her father and try to forbid her relationship. Bella had not taken that well. Leah had to physically get between them and force them to cool off to avoid a fight or Seth phasing. By the end of the day they had come to the agreement that Seth couldn't forbid her to do a god damned thing and Bella agreed that she would keep them both updated on anything that happened. She found that Seth panicked at the thought of losing her. His mother had moved out of the Reservation years back to be with Charlie full time. It had been odd for hard for him to not see his mother as much as he used to. Leah had moved into her own place and was in a serious relationship of her own with a guy who was not her mate. He felt alone and did not want to lose her as well.
Leah had been a surprise to Bella when she didn't freak out on her. When she asked her new sister why that was Leah had given her a pained smile. 'You can't resist your mate forever.' She had told her with a depth of emotion she knew she still carried from her breakup with Sam. Leah spoke from experience. She told Bella that it would always plague her mind if she did not give him a proper chance and since she wasn't part of the tribe and he wasn't part of the Cullen's then they couldn't do anything about it if she eventually made her 'choice'. Seth had protested of course but Bella understood.
It only took two days for the rest of the pack to learn of her decision when Seth lost his focus and Jake, of all people, saw into his mind. They had been furious at the thought of her deciding to change and it had taken a pissed off Leah screaming obscenities at the boys to shut them up. Leah helped her tell them what she had decided and why. Most importantly she told them that she was staying human and was following her instinct on this. They couldn't put a worthy defense on going against ones instinct to be with their mates and Bella knew it. Both Sam and Jake had failed at it to their detriment.
Telling them that should things go well then she would no longer need to establish the meetings at the treaty line was another uphill fight. No one liked it but could see why they would become unnecessary especially if they decided to meet up on their own somewhere else. The pack did manage to get concessions out of Bella that they would be kept informed of her status through Seth and Leah. That way they were in the loop and if she needed them then they could be on standby to help.
It was better than she thought she could have gotten from them so she had agreed. It didn't matter that she was older than most of them, they wanted to be kept in the loop and would take a step back. It made her appreciate them for all of the things they had done for her.
One thing she did not appreciate though was the repeated attempts to set her up on blind dates. She had many 'accidental' meet ups with random guys from forks and la push that she had finally put her foot down and told the guys that if they didn't stop she would tell Sue. The attempts stopped after her threat.
(August 2010)
Rosalie had convinced Bella that they should move once more since they all felt a little cramped in the apartment they were currently all sharing. Bella had been hesitant at first since Rosalie wanted to buy a home they could all share. Rent was hard enough in Seattle but buying a home or condominium was insane. Rosalie simply pointed out that to them it wouldn't be much since they had accumulated a lot of wealth over the years. It took almost two weeks of nonstop 'convincing' for Bella to finally relent. Emmett had been very pleased since he wanted to keep Bella closer now that she had decided to give Aro a chance. Rosalie was doing it because she felt it was a good idea, it was a good investment since they could renovate the house and it helped put Emmett at ease.
So with a little digging and research they found a home outside of downtown Seattle. It was perfect since it would need some work and Emmett had been looking for a project. He wouldn't be able to use his full strength since they had close neighbors but he would do a lot of the work himself along with Rosalie, Carlisle and Esme. The thought of remodeling a home had sent Esme into a tizzy.
The house was quickly bought and work was being done by the end of the month. Contractors would be hired for some things but for the rest the family would help out when they could.
(September 2010) (Meeting)
The time had gone by at a crawls pace. It had been torturous for Aro to give his mate some space. The only thing that made things bearable was the knowledge that Bella would think about giving them a proper chance, as a couple. He had wanted to speak to her as soon as he could but he remembered Carlisle's words and restrained himself. He had sent her a gift earlier for her birthday and had been ecstatic to receive her happy reply. He had made sure to send her things from home that he had seen she liked. A few seeds of local herbs and flowers had been added when he saw them for sale.
Now he was finally landing in Seattle and would soon see her once more. The only difference this time was that he would be seeing her in Seattle itself. She had informed him a week before he was supposed to arrive that until further notice all of their meetings would take place in Seattle. Aro had been excited at the prospect of being near his mate without the stench of dog anywhere near her. He also took it as a good sign of faith to him on her part. It would be easier to simply take her away against her will now but he would not do so. He wanted something real.
Aro had their current secretary make reservations in Seattle for a hotel suite for the weekend for them all. He had no illusion to her going back to their hotel but he still ensured to get a good suite just in case. They would meet up at the hotel lobby and then from there they would go out together. His guard and the McCarty's (Emmett and Rosalie) would follow along at a distance. He had left Jane behind this time since he knew the girl was temperamental at best when it came to his situation. He appreciated her loyalty but wished he had turned her later in life.
(Time skip) (3rd person POV)
Aro had greeted Bella with a small bouquet of flowers once they met up at the hotel lobby. It had been a small arrangement of local flowers with a tasteful bow. It wasn't over the top or the usual red roses, it was perfect for her. Bella had loved them and thanked him as they decided to simply keep their meeting casual and talk first. So Aro took her to a nearby museum where they could walk and talk while also avoiding awkward pauses. They went into a modern art museum and spoke about what they were now.
Bella told Aro that she was willing to give them a chance and try to see if they could work as a couple. Aro was over the moon about it, the only down side was when she told him she still wished to be human. Years ago he would have fought her on her choice but now he knew that he would rather have her happy by his side for a few decades then not all. Aro told her he did not like it but respected her decision and still wanted to try. They decided to date exclusively at that point. This was mostly for Aros sake since he couldn't look at another woman after finding her. Bella said she wouldn't mind seeing him more often than every four months and to talk or text him more.
Aro was of course over the moon over this and decided that he would see about visiting every month or so for a weekend to take her out. Bella would agree to give Volterra another try during the winter to see him and if it went well then she would spend her vacations there as well. All of it was wonderful for Aro who felt that Bella was really trying to put in the effort of a real relationship with him. Although he was sure that there would be awkward moments or mishaps he was sure they would work through them together.
The guards listening in were also in a good mood at the prospect of their master and his mate being together permanently. They knew she did not want to change but anything could happen with time. She may change her mind and become one of them later.
(Plane ride home)
Aro had sequestered himself in the back of the plane in the private bedroom. He could not stop smiling and although he had been seen smiling before he knew this was a different type of smile. The visit had been the best he had ever had with Bella including the time she went to Italy. He spent three days in her company from morning to night. He explored the city with her and even found other places they could visit on his next trip. He was sure exploring the shops for furniture had been his most educational and favorite thing.
With the remodel of the new home Bella was decorating her room the way she liked and also giving her input on the rest of the house. They had talked about all manner of styles and themes for an entire day. He would be redecoration his suite of rooms in the castle as soon as he got home. He knew her favorite colors and what she liked to be surrounded with now. He was also thinking of having their human staff come in and put in a small food garden in one of his private gardens. Marcus and Caius had their own and maintained it to their mates desire while he had them maintained for aesthetic. He was sure even if none of them ever ate the food they could still sell it. It would look good for them to sell something in the local farmers market. Plus extra income was always good and the good publicity would help as well.
He would be sure to send Bella some audio books on learning Italian to help as well. He didn't mind translating for her but he was sure she did not like not understanding people around her. Plus it would also ensure to give her a subtle reminder that she was learning so she could visit him again.
None of that however could compare to his departure from her home. Bella had hesitantly hugged him goodbye. He knew it was mild and very platonic but it had been initiated by her and it was the first type of intimate contact between them. He was glad his heart no longer could beat otherwise he was sure she would have heard it. The car ride to the airport had been a daze. Nothing could bring him down from his high.
Bella went to bed that night with her stomach full of butterflies. It had been a long time since she had felt like this and it scared her. She did not want to get her heart broken once more. All of her worries simmered down though when she remembered Aros cologne when she had hugged him. He had been so close. Thoughts of sleeping with his shirt entered her mind causing her to blush profusely. She understood the scent thing now. Maybe one day she would ask him, for now she would simply dream about it.
From here we will be moving faster. I know how much you have all been waiting for this.
Aro and Bella are official.