In the end, to both Aro's surprise and lack of surprise, Aro found Marcus in the Academy.

As always, with Marcus, it was as if one was staring at a statue. The only thing that changed for him, between one place and the next, was the venue. Time no longer had any meaning for Marcus, it hadn't in over a thousand years.

Though he now sat upon a stool, rather than on a bench or in a chair, it was the same pose he took during his idle hours in the castle. His face, that same dull emptiness, a look which had lost even the ability to look concerned over its lack of movement.

It was not a corpse's face, not quite, but it was reminiscent of one. Marcus' was the face of someone who wasn't home.

Had this been an ordinary Tuesday, Marcus would certainly be in the right place at the right time. Which, of course, was certainly why Marcus was here in the first place rather than his usual haunts.

However, it was not an ordinary Tuesday. It was a Tuesday after which Bella Swan, the student Aro had never suspected nor even hoped for, had badly concussed herself. The current secretary, a lovely girl by the name of Francesca, had noted an email from the Dean in Marcus' university inbox relaying the severity of the girl's injury to him.

Hardly in mortal peril, but Bella would not be able to attend class for two weeks.

Aro had made mention of this on Monday but, apparently, Marcus had forgotten.

He didn't know why he was disappointed, after Didyme, Marcus' memory had become appalling. His mind was filled with a dense fog, crushed by apathy and grief, and even Aro had difficulty wading through it for relevant information. Marcus regularly forgot things in a way no vampire should, conversations, people, and certainly his schedule.

And yet, in these past few weeks—

Something had changed.

The fog hadn't lifted, per se, but Marcus' had found the smallest amount of will, the barest amount of energy, to begin to fight through it. And this was more than he had ever found in thousands of years, and all because of one, strange, foreign girl.

Who, of course, had to be granted the worst gift in the world.

Well, that was unfair. Under ordinary circumstances, Aro would be delighted. He was, in fact, delighted. You didn't see talent like that every century, and as a human no less, as a vampire she would undoubtedly be even more powerful if that bared comprehension.

Not to mention, while he had no immediate need of such a gift at the moment (the Volturi were the ones who used the gifts which Bella might nullify), there was always the haunting thought that, perhaps, another Jane and Alec might come along. And this time, it might not be Aro who got to them first.

In the long term, Bella's gift might very well prove necessary for the Volturi's survival. It certainly had potential, which was intriguing enough and more than enough of a reason to induct her into the guard on at least a trial basis. He'd done more for less, after all.

However, these were not ordinary circumstances.

Bella Swan was not simply a girl in Italy, studying abroad in Florence, with designs to soon return to America. She was Marcus' student, and the human who, beyond all comprehension, had sparked some hint of life back into him.

And that she was also a girl whose mind was utterly silent, even to him…

It was not fortuitous; this was not a girl he could afford to misunderstand. And as it was, she did baffle him.

Marcus had noticed and Aro had affirmed that the girl had no natural fear of vampires. Most humans instinctually recognized their threat but rationalized such fears away in this age without demons. Had Aro tried to engage them, even at a bus stop, they would do all but flee in terror to stop even simple small talk from proceeding.

The girl had certainly noticed his and Renata's appearance, that much seemed clear, but she was not made uncomfortable by it.

And then, of course, there was the previous week. On touching Marcus' hand Aro learned the problem which vexed him and vexed Aro in turn. The girl, out of nowhere, had decided to dedicate herself to Marcus' protection. Aro couldn't even imagine what had happened.

He and Renata had spoken with her, true, but they had been perfectly polite strangers. Perhaps they had looked reminiscent of Marcus, but beyond the odd coincidence, surely that was no need for such a strong reaction.

Frankly, Aro was at a loss.

He wanted to understand this girl, found that the usual methods would not suffice, was seriously considering (and all but decided upon) turning her simply for her gift and the Volturi itself, but also now taking into account Marcus.

Marcus, who in only a day of the girl's absence, looked as if he had regressed.

"Marcus," Aro said, clapping his hands together, "I'm afraid that Dear Bella cannot make it."

Marcus lifted his head to stare emptily at Aro, removing the aviators that Aro had gifted him.

"See, when she, ah, injured herself last week she sustained quite the concussion. The Dean wrote you an email that she will not be able to attend class for at least two weeks."

Marcus said nothing, gave no hint of comprehension, which was not all that unusual for Marcus.

And Aro knew how this conversation would end.

He would give up, take Marcus' hand into his own, and simply read his comprehension from that. Whether Marcus understood or not was almost irrelevant, it was all too likely he would forget tomorrow, or perhaps that he would forget he taught a lecture to Bella Swan altogether. Aro would lead him back to Volterra.

Tomorrow, he would either find Marcus here again or else sitting in the garden, staring into the endlessness that was his own existence.

And despite knowing this, despite railing against it internally, Aro sighed and did just as he predicted. He took Marcus' hand.

Comprehension was slow coming but come it did. Marcus was not surprised, Bella looked as if she had well and truly injured herself. (And Aro, privately, agreed and watched in the horror that Marcus lacked as this terribly fragile, young, girl injured herself over her own misplaced feet.)

He could not remember how long it took humans to recover from such injuries. He could not remember how long a fortnight was. Oh, fourteen days, but what were days? How did you count those? How did you remember to pay attention to and count just how many times the sun had risen and set?

He would have to use that desk calendar. If he remembered to use it, such things often slipped his mind.

Or, perhaps, he could simply show up anyway. Here or the castle made no difference, and Aro would certainly know where he was, and that way when Bella Swan did return he would not accidentally miss her arrival.

Marcus was pleased by this tentative plan, it seemed safest, accounting both for the unpredictability of the human dating system as well as his own tendencies.

And Aro—

Aro remembered the man who had married his sister so long ago. He wondered what that man would have made of Marcus, this being who went out of his way to account for his own overwhelming grief. A grief so powerful, that Marcus could not keep track of days, nor seasons, nor even years.

"It makes no difference to me," Aro assured him, "Just so long as I know where to find you, you gave us a little scare the other day."

Well, not truly, Demetri was on hand, Marcus was somewhere in Volterra, and alone as Marcus was no one would be there to take advantage of his distraction. And Marcus did not typically go looking for trouble.

Nonetheless, Aro had been… concerned, when Marcus had failed to arrive at the castle at his usual time.

Marcus said nothing, merely gave the smallest, slightest, nod.

"Yes, well then, no need to loiter here," Aro said, forcing a smile on his lips as he guided Marcus through the door.

Rather than the path Marcus took at night, after the sun had safely set, they made their way through the tunnels. Such useful things, things that, of course, had informed the placement of the academy in the first place. No need to create a building that could only be reached at night.

Soon enough they were back and Aro released Marcus. He watched with the same quiet unease he always did, as Marcus blinked, then shuffled off towards the gardens. Barring a meeting or a trial for which Aro would find him, Marcus would remain there until the next afternoon, at which point he would make his way to the Academy.

And something in Aro snapped.

This was untenable.

He had watched this tableau for a thousand years, he was the one who had painted it, and yet suddenly he could watch it no longer.

And he had only one, frail, hope that it might change.

He turned on his heel and made his way to find Caius. Caius was not as much of a creature of habit as Marcus', but he had his usual haunts. When the wars had ended, when the guard had grown and Jane and Alec had taken on their roles as the Volturi enforcers, as relative peace overcame a world that had forgotten demons, boredom had sunk its teeth into Caius.

This was a world without werewolves or Romanians, and it did not suit him.

As usual, Aro found him in the tower, indulging in Corin's influence the way humans did opium dens. He, Sulpicia, and Athenadora lounged drunkenly on Greecian stone benches, one of the few relics that had survived from the ancient world. They were lit by the glow of the thousands of candles adorning nearly every available surface, giving them each a softer and almost human look.

(Sulpicia and Athenadora had never seen the appeal in electric lighting or modern electricity. Sulpicia had thrown an utter fit when Aro had suggested wiring the tower. Aro had quickly realized that Sulpicia found electric lighting made her petrification utterly undeniable.

Naturally, neither had admitted this was the true reason, and to this day Sulpicia adamantly claimed that it was due to the fossil fuel humans used and degradation to the environment.)

Corin, as usual, sat happily in the middle of the three of them, reading through a pile of Tolstoy's works. She looked partway through War and Peace, if Aro was judging right, then Napoleon had just invaded Moscow.

At Aro's arrival she beamed at him, stood, closed the book, and offered a polite bow. She also shut off the effects of her gift, as she always did whenever Aro entered. Caius, Sulpicia, and Athenadora blinked at first in confusion, upon finding themselves in unbearable lucidity again, and then in annoyance as they realized the source of their sudden sobriety.

"I'm afraid I must borrow Caius," Aro said, doing his best to look chagrinned.

Athenadora glanced at her mate in confusion, "Is it sunrise already?"

Caius, at least, was with it enough to realize it hadn't been quite that long since he had chosen to indulge. Or, at least, he was choosing to be annoyed even had time slipped away from him, "What is it? Can't it wait?"

"Were you truly doing anything of great import?" Aro asked innocently, watching as Caius bristled.

Aro found it very telling that for all Marcus had become, for all that he had lost to pain and grief, he had never chosen to drown himself in Corin's abilities the way that Caius had.

However, Aro supposed that there were worse hobbies in the world, and if it kept Caius and the wives entertained and content then so be it.

"Is what you have to say of great import?" Caius asked, but standing up regardless, recognizing the need for work before indulgences. At Caius' movement both Sulpicia and Athenadora looked away from him and back to Corin, clearly eager for Aro and Caius to leave so that they might resume their activities.

Aro offered an apologetic nod as he and Caius made their way out the tower door. As soon as they were outside Caius fixed him with a look, "What is it?"

The way he looked, it was very clear that he thought Volterra was under siege, or else there was a trial which required his immediate attention. Because surely, anything less could have waited until sunrise when Aro typically met with both Caius and Marcus.

Aro sighed, "Nothing like that, however, there is a matter that I believe requires our attention. More, the sooner we account for it, the better."

Caius grunted in annoyance but didn't protest, this was good, it meant he was at least willing to listen. Of course, had he not been, he would have turned around and told Aro to wait until sunrise.

Aro waited to speak until they were seated in his study, Caius sprawling over the couch while Aro settled in the seat across from him.

"Have you been aware of Marcus' activities as of late?" Aro began.

Caius gave him a dull look, "Marcus has no activities, he stares at walls."

Aro held up a hand as he admitted, "While your observation is not unfounded, Brother, recently Marcus has gained a human art student. He has been spending several hours every weekday instructing her."

Caius looked extremely unimpressed, "A human art student? You mean those art courses you force him to teach?"

Aro sighed, "You know as well as I do that I hardly force anything upon Marcus, I merely… strongly suggested he pursue a hobby. Then signed him up through the university to teach an art course."

As Caius continued to look unimpressed Aro hastily added, "He could have said no anytime he wished."

Of course, both Caius and Aro knew that Marcus never would. Marcus no longer felt strongly enough to ever go out of his way to deny a request.

"Regardless, he has a student," Aro continued, "And I believe… I believe she may be able to help him."

Here, Aro got a reaction. In the early days, when Didyme was so recently gone, and Marcus had only just become a shell, Aro had often suggested ways that Marcus might come back to himself. First, there was Chelsea, then there was Corin, and then Aro's desperate, wishful, searching for signs of something in the man.

It never worked. Chelsea had encouraged him to remain in this world long after Didyme's departure, but she could not cure him, and neither could Corin's pleasant haze.

Aro had not suggested any hope for Marcus' recovery in centuries.

Caius, leaned forward, looking at Aro intently, then asked slowly, "So, he wants to turn and bed her?"

"No," Aro hastily interjected, "At least, I do not think so. Such an idea has not occurred to him at a conscious level."

Marcus didn't find Bella unattractive, but he didn't find her particularly attractive either. Such attributes no longer made themselves known to him, instead, he saw people only as they were. As light reflecting off the surface of solid beings, aesthetics were only a distant concept to him now.

"Then what does he want with her?" Caius asked, as if any other response than taking Bella Swan for a bride was inconceivable. To Caius, it undoubtedly was.

His courtship of Atheandora had not been a particularly drawn out or involved affair.

"He does not want her for anything, at least, not yet" Aro said, "For now, she is merely his student. However, in teaching her, in interacting with her and facing the obstacles that arise… He is responsive in a way I have never seen since—since Didyme. He is changing, he could come back."

Caius considered this with a frown. He then got to the heart of the matter, "You're suggesting we turn her, that we make her Marcus' pet."

Aro winced, "Pet is a strong word, no, more his—emotionally supportive companion. I imagine she might remain his art student, she certainly needs all the practice she can get."

Aro didn't believe anyone was truly untalented at art. With time and practice, with the right eye for detail, a person could progress well beyond stick figures. However, Bella was putting that belief to the test.

"Then turn her," Caius said simply, as if the answer were obvious.

Aro sighed, "I'm afraid it's not that simple."

Caius looked at him as if he'd struck his head, for surely, how could it not be so simple. Of course, Caius was a man who had claimed his wife by stealing another man's bride, throwing her over his shoulder, running, and then turning her.

Aro was amazed that had worked out so well for him.

"The girl has an extremely powerful gift," Aro said, "I cannot read her thoughts."

And hadn't that been strange? Almost unnerving, to touch another's hand and be met only with silence, as if no one was within her at all.

Caius' eyes boggled, he understood the implications of that, and what would happen under normal circumstances. "And you have not turned her because—"

"I did not test Renata's gift on her," Aro said, "We lacked the opportunity, however—Marcus' can see her bonds, but there is a chance that she will be immune to other gifts as well. She is immune to Demetri, he could not find her even through Marcus' association with her. If we turn her, and she is immune to Chelsea, then she will leave. We cannot hold her here against her will nor rely on artificially convincing her it is within her best interests."

He could tell Caius did not quite see the problem. He likely imagined Bella could be intimidated into compliance or else threatened into it. The girl had a father she loved dearly, a mother as well, and they could be held hostage for the rest of their human lives.

However, that would help neither the girl nor Marcus. Her mere presence wasn't enough, she had to—she had to remain as invested in Marcus as Aro himself was. As she, somehow, seemed to be in this very moment.

That could not change were this to succeed.

"Then what the hell are you suggesting?" Caius asked in exasperation.

Aro frowned, letting the thoughts he'd been mulling over formulate, "We shall have to do things the old-fashioned way. We shall have to—convince her that it is in her best interests to remain in Italy, to remain Marcus' art student, to cut all contact with her family and become a demon. We shall have to do things—slowly, and ensure she remains healthy and whole while doing so. When we offer to turn her, we should be reasonably sure that she will not only accept but that she will remain in Volterra."

She would have to become attached to more than simply Marcus, but others as well. The girl was desperately lonely, Marcus had seen that, and if she found good friends among the Volturi that could well be enough.

However, this was something that would span months, not days, and they could hardly out themselves for what they were before hand lest she run off into the night.

They would have to pull the greatest con Aro could imagine.

"We shall extend her study abroad program, offer the continuation of her courses in the castle itself—"

"Are you mad?" Caius balked, "A human walking around—"

"She shall have to know us, Caius, we cannot simply abscond with her in the night and turn her," Aro said in exasperation, "And we certainly can't start with the truth, she'll need—to be eased into it. To see us as people long before she knows us as vampires."

"This is ridiculous," Caius continued.

"I agree, but ridiculous times call for ridiculous measures, and we cannot afford to fail," Aro countered, "Marcus can continue her lessons, we get to know her, attach her to the Volturi, and when the time comes—"

"Turn her," Caius interjected, "This ridiculous scheme will backfire in your face and someone will eat the girl when she accidentally wanders into the dining room."

"Renata will watch her," Aro countered, "This is the safest place in the world for her."

Even safe from Bella herself, given her worrying coordination that Marcus' had witnessed over the past several weeks. Aro would have to look into her medical records, but he suspected Bella's concussion was not an unusual state of affairs for her.

"She'll never believe we're human," Caius continued, "The girl may be human, but she can't be that much of a fool—"

Aro waved his hand dismissively, "Carlisle does it—"

"Fuck Carlisle Cullen," Caius said, almost on instinct, as he usually did when Aro dropped his name in conversation.

And then Aro had the most brilliant idea. Perhaps, the most brilliant idea he had had in centuries. At the very idea of it, he felt something inside of him rise, filling him with newfound energy and strength.

"Then we ask the expert," he breathed in wonder.

Were Caius human, his face would have paled, and as it was without touching his hand Aro could see every thought racing through his mind. Caius' disapproval hardly mattered, he would agree, after all, when it came to this there was no one better.

Carlisle himself, surely, even all the way in America would agree.

"We must bring back Carlisle Cullen," Aro finished, unable to contain the grin spreading across his face.

Author's Note: This is a brilliant idea on Aro's part that cannot possibly go wrong.

Thanks to readers and reviewers, reviews are much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight