Hello my dear readers!

So, here's another chap in this story. It's not long, and I apologise. I hope that I can get some writing tomorrow and finally post a longer chapter for you to enjoy.

Disclaimer; Mild lemons in this chapter.

Bella woke several times during the night, her heart hammering wildly. She apparently felt certain that Aro had left again, and it would take her a few seconds to realise that he was right beside her still. He soothed her gently, his cold fingers skimming her arm and neck, softly caressing her cheek until she drifted off again. He sensed she was dreaming of him again, her mouth uttering the most tempting of sounds. He had to steel himself not to get too tempted by her. She needed her sleep. Besides, she would probably not appreciate it as of right now.

Patience.

He had to gain her trust all over again before he could have her in that way. Even though she had hugged him, and allowed him to touch her, he felt certain that she was still on edge with him. He gave a soft sigh, shaking his head at himself. This was something Alice had not seen, not yet at least. As he sat there, the minutes trickling by, he realised that he had completely missed an important factor in Alice's visions. She had seen what would happen if he had stayed on a certain course. Now that he had taken a different path, forced by Bella, in his relationship with her, there might be some changes. Her visions were subjective after all. He would have to look into that.

He would also have to ask his young new mate about her conversation with Edward Cullen. Aro had sensed the young vampire, and knew that they had talked. He needed to know what about. He had arrived a moment too late, alerting Edward to his presence as Edward caught Aro's thoughts. The young man had hurried to get out of his way, and Aro was curious as to why that would be. Clearly he had been keen in avoiding that Aro read his mind.

Beside him Bella shifted, trying to get comfortable again. He watched her silently, waiting for her to settle down.

"Could you please lie down?" She asked drowsily, her eyes fluttering lightly. Aro obliged her, easily shifting his position, so she could lay with her head on his chest. She fell asleep again, sighing gently into his chest. He felt his heart constrict at the sensation, and he knew that he would do everything he could, to keep her with him.

An hour later she moaned in her sleep again, softly murmuring his name. She shifted closer to him, her right leg coming across his pelvis. He froze, as he registered her movement for the first time. He lay completely still to make sure he wasn't imagining things. No, it was indeed happening. She was gently grinding against him, her core coming into contact with his upper thigh, her breathing quickening at the contact.

Aro did not know what to make of it. Should he wake her? He decided to wait, see what would happen. She continued to rock against him, and then she began to tremble. His name fell from her lips, sighed out on the wave of a soft moan. Was she still sleeping? He thought so. It took her a few minutes, but eventually she shuddered gently against him, her hips undulating sensuously as she rode out her climax. He waited with bated breath, not daring to move. She settled down again, sleeping on as if nothing had happened. But something had certainly happened. His raging erection was testimony to that. It was pressing into her soft thigh rather insistently, and he had to rationalise himself into not just rolling her over and make her moan even harder for him. He sighed softly, trying to relax, as she slept on.

It was however a short relief, because a few minutes later she began to rock her hips again, moaning softly. Aro turned his eyes to the heavens as he realised this might very well be a long night. He wondered yet again if he should wake her, perhaps have her roll over. But he couldn't make himself do it. And so he lay, allowing her to find another release, her thigh trembling against his persistent erection, hoping against hope that this would be her last for the evening. It was not.

"How did you sleep?" Aro asked her once she began to stir sleepily in the early hours just before dawn.

"It was great, though I dreamed of you again," she yawned, rubbing her eyes.

"Yes, I know," he said, smiling softly.

She looked up at him, her brown eyes puzzled. He chuckled.

"You have been finding release in your sleep, my dear,"

"What?! Don't be ridiculous! I'm pretty sure I would have remembered that!" She said, stretching and yawning.

"It is the truth, Isabella. You have been using my leg to-" Seeing her cheeks growing hot, made him desist.

"It doesn't matter," he said, shrugging. She gave a nervous chuckle, and pushed herself into a sitting position. A soft gasp came from her as she suddenly cringed as she felt a gentle gush between her legs. She glanced at him, and saw a knowing smirk on his face.

"Is something the matter?" He asked innocently.

"No," she muttered, not in the least interested in discussing the matter with him.

"Bathroom," she added, and quietly left the room. Aro chuckled softly, and sat up, resting his back against the headboard. He heard her curse quietly and then the toilet flushed.

She entered her room, silently closing the door behind her, and went straight for her bed, intending to try and get some more sleep before school in just over two hours. She settled beneath the duvet without another word, and went still.

"Am I mistaken or did you have some homework, needing attending?" He said, frowning down at her still form.

A long silence greeted his question, and then a deep sigh.

"Fuck," she murmured.

"I'd forgotten about that," She added gloomily.

Then she pushed the cover aside, turned on the light, and rummaged for her bag, digging out the necessary equipment to do the work needed.

"Do you need my help?" Aro asked gently.

Bella glanced up and shrugged.

"Maybe," she said, smiling softly. She worked rather quietly, scripling in her notebook as she paged through her history book.

Aro, watched her silently. A sentence caught his gaze, and he chuckled. Bella looked up from her work.

"What?" She asked, quietly.

Aro smiled, and then pointed at a sentence in her book.

"Let them eat cake?"

Bella glanced down. The sentence was beneath a picture of a painting of Marie Antoinette.

"What about it?"

"Marie Antoinette did not say that," he said softly.

"But she's quoted widely for having said it," Bella said, frowning.

"Yes, I know. History is mistaken. Jean-Jacques Rousseau said that. He was a philosopher," Aro explained.

Bella pondered him for a long moment.

"It should have been corrected by now, but apparently not," He added, chuckling.

"Not that it makes a blind bit of difference, she is long dead," he mused.

"You knew her?" Bella asked, frowning.

"We met a few times. Red eyes suited her," he said, smirking.

Bella's jaw dropped.

"Maried Antoinette was a vampire?!" She asked, shocked.

"Indeed," Aro said.

Bella was silent for a long time, then she shrugged.

"I can't exactly add that in here, so I'll just go with what the book says,"

"That seems fair," he said, shrugging.

Bella soon finished her homework, and began to get ready. Aro watched her silently as she rummaged around for her things.

"Do you wish for my company again tonight?" He asked, getting up from the bed and stepping closer to her.

"Yes," she said, a little breathlessly.

"I don't know why I'm still having such vivid dreams of us," She said, glancing down at the floor.

"I'm afraid somethings wrong with me," she added softly.

Aro lifted his hand, and skimmed her jaw, to have her look up at him.

"Nothing is wrong with you, my dear. I am no expert, however I suspect that you will stop having these dreams, once our bond has been fully transformed," he said gently.

"Consummated," he added, seeing her bewildered face.

Her eyes went wide at that, and she blushed fiercely. He felt an urgent need to kiss her, but resisted it.

"I'm not ready for that," she said hastily.

"I understand." His words belied his inner turmoil.

He wondered if she would ever be ready. Not that he could blame her. She had been through a lot recently. She needed time. An awkward silence filled the room. She cleared her throat and turned slowly towards the door, hoisting her bag up onto her shoulder.

"I will be home from school just before 4," Bella said, looking back over her shoulder.

"Alright," Aro said.

"I will be here," he promised, giving her a soft smile, making her blush again.

She closed the door behind her, and Aro's smile deflated somewhat. He felt like she had taken his sanity with her.

Let me know what you think!

I will be editing a bit now, removing mistakes and such, so that I can live with myself again.

-Pancakes