Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
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"You calling me crazy, mister?" Bella teased. She leaned forward, closer to Aro and Renata, so she was able to glimpse a ghost of a smile on his crimson lips.
"Merely that we, Renata and I, belong to the same category. For we too are full of surprises, young Isabella."
"So, what you really mean is 'We're all mad here'." Now that she was closer to them both in an enclosed space, Bella could sense their unique perfumes. Renata's smelled like raspberry flavoured cotton candy. It was a sweet but fruity scent that made her want to bask in it for hours on end. It was very pleasant. Like relaxing in front of the fireplace with her favourite book and her favourite dessert on a chilly evening. Aro's perfume, on the other hand, was even more captivating. He smelled like Japanese honeysuckle and cloves. Utterly mind-blowing. She wanted to take big gulps of air and get high on the sweet scent, but it'd be incredibly weird. If she did that. She had enough common sense to not act on this unforeseen compulsion. But a tiny little lungful wouldn't hurt anybody really, would it-
"If you want to look at it that way… I have absolutely no objections." He declared. "Renata, do you?"
"I've come to the realisation and the consequent acceptance that you are stark raving mad a long time ago, Aro," Renata answered completely automatically as she kept driving, not taking her eyes off the road; it left Bella with the impression that Renata has given much thought to the issue way before this conversation and voiced it as an obvious fact of life.
"However," traces of a wicked smirk appeared on her face as she found Bella's eyes in the mirror, "There is not a chance that my Uncle's crazy hasn't rubbed off on me. And… I feel like I should warn you Bella."
"I'm not gonna like this, am I."
"There is not a snowball's chance in hell that my Uncle's crazy will not rub off on you too, if it hasn't started already. By now, it's only a matter of… a few hours, I think."
"Renata, you say the sweetest things. Flattery will get you absolutely everywhere, darling."
And here they went and did that thing again, the very same one they've done a few times before, - in the airport, before catching a taxi and seamlessly pushing and pulling Bella in the car in two seconds flat, up in their hotel room half an hour ago and a few minutes earlier in the parking area, - where they both looked to one another, grinned and appeared to silently hold a whole conversation in a matter of a couple of seconds.
"You two are so- You know what? I accept your challenge." There's only so much crazy she was willing to go along with. She completely ignored the 'For now' that resonated in her mind and bore eerie resemblance to Aro's slightly accented, velvety voice.
"There's no challenge, dear. It has already begun." Which was completely not creepy. Nope.
"You know, you really do know how to be scary."
"Thank you, dear." Not creepy, at all. However…
"Do you offer lessons?"
"For you, dear?" Aro smirked. "I just might."
"Isabella." Aro started after they'd been driving in silence for what had felt like barely five minutes. They were (Renata) still manoeuvring through Seattle's pre-Christmas road rage traffic, "I was wondering-"
"Why do you call me Isabella? Nobody calls me that." Suddenly Bella came to the startling realisation that-, "How do you even know my full name? I never told you." She did not find it exactly weird, but it still made her pause.
"I… " Aro cleared his throat. Then he flipped his head back against the seat's side and looked at Bella with his face practically upside down, as much as his seat allowed. He looked- "Well, I might have, completely by accident, mind you, gotten a glimpse of your plane ticket, back there in that dreadful airport in San Francisco. I hope you don't mind." He kept looking at her with his upturned inky black eyes. "Do you? Mind?" Aro gave her an innocent smile. His straight blue black ponytail had fallen over the back of his seat, just an arm's reach away-
"Not really. I just prefer Bella. Usually." Her right hand brushed the end of the silky ponytail.
"I sense a 'but' there."
"But… if you really want to, you can call me Isabella. I don't mind." She had proceeded to card her fingers higher and higher up the long blue hair and then down again, letting the silky, honeysuckle smelling strands fall through her fingers. They were so soft-
Aro gave her a brilliant smile. "I'll keep that in mind, angel."
Bella pulled on a strand of his hair a tad more forcefully and was rewarded with a quiet laugh.
"Are you two done flirting?" Bella had honestly forgotten, for a minute, that there was another person in the car with her and Aro. How mortifying. Her cheeks started to burn, "I wasn't-, we weren't-. That's not what happe-"
"Renata, darling. We were just talking." Aro drawled with closed eyes.
"Right." The 'pull the other one' was heavily implied if not exactly said out loud.
"Where were we… Oh, yes. What are your thoughts on psychics, Isabella?" Her ministrations to his hair stilled, before starting anew a moment later.
"Psychics?" Bella laughed in surprise. "What brought this on?"
"I'll explain in a moment, but first – what do you think about them – psychics, seers, oracles, prophets, fortune tellers… whichever you prefer."
"You mean if I believe in them? If they can predict the future? That sort of thing?"
"Mhmm." he slowly nodded his head.
"I think I do… believe… some people can see some things… you know, things that have happened already or haven't happened yet. But I've never met one, or had my palms read." Bella wrapped the ponytail three times around her palm until it reached the tie in his hair and then let the midnight blue hair fall down in loose waves before it straightened again.
"I see. Only one more question, then I'll explain."
"Alright." This line of questioning was so very out of left field. Bella couldn't possibly guess at why he was asking these things to her, but there probably was a good reason behind it. However, Bella had come to the startling and even a little disturbing awareness of the fact that Aro could ask her practically anything, and she would happily spill, just because it was him asking in that silky, accented voice. A grave suspicion had started to form in her mind, back there at Four Seasons, that she was developing a massive, impossible crush at supersonic speeds on this amazing, funny, insanely hot (he'd looked spectacular in his black suit, but when she saw him this morning, he'd seemed so otherworldly beautiful in that white shirt and with his long dark blue hair all tied up, and his bottomless black eyes… She remembered thinking "No one should look this ethereal and still be considered human"; he'd looked mesmerising), older Italian stranger, who had fucking kids, and who was acting as if they had been friends for years, instead of few hours. It was just so easy to like him. And this fucking ridiculous crush could only spell trouble for her. Bella just knew it.
"What's your opinion on someone seeing specks of your future and telling you, or someone else whatever they saw. Anything they saw. About you."
"What kind of a question is that? That's awful. It'd be the same as my doctor spilling my medical history to my schoolmates or gossipy neighbours!" A large smile spread on his face as she expressed her righteous indignation.
"Exactly our thoughts, dear. Excellent! Now. Here comes the explanation – one of Carlisle's adopted daughters is a self-proclaimed seer. Believes she can see the future of those around her."
"Is she… delusional?"
"Well, I confess I have yet to meet her, so I cannot say for sure. However, all historical evidence points to her inexplicably knowing at least some things."
"What did… the girl see?"
"Her name is Alice Cullen, if you were wondering. And she had predicted, and told everyone beforehand, that Demetri, a cousin of ours, who also knows Carlisle form his time in Italy, where we met, had decided to come by the Cullens' house to catch up as he was in Boston on business at the time, a few years ago. The thing is, Demetri never warned Carlisle of his impromptu visit, and Carlisle should not have been any the wiser. But they all knew."
"Huh. That is strange."
"Tell me about it. And similar things have happened on several occasions following that first event."
"Okay. But why are you telling me this? Sounds like she really might have some powers then. Maybe." This girl, Alice, sounded a bit formidable but, frankly, also annoying, or was that just the impression she had adopted from Aro? She'd never even thought about the possibility of people being able to mess with her life (or future) in this way. Anyhow, she did not like it one bit. Bella did not want anyone, let alone some complete stranger to poke around in her future and spill the beans about her fate. No, thank you.
"As much as it pains me to admit, your assumption may very well be the correct one. And Renata and I, we're essentially doing the same thing Demetri did and some of our shared friends have done before us. But we," here he looked to the left where Renata was silently driving, but surely paying close attention to their occult conversation, "would really like to surprise Carlisle. And I fear, because of his… daughter, we won't be able to."
"Okay. I'm still following, but you can stop with the suspense, Aro. I'm hooked. Just tell me already."
"I have an idea, which might throw her off our scent, so to speak. Perhaps. Although, it's only a theory."
Renata turned her head to Aro and then to Bella, doing a double take when she saw Bella braiding Aro's hair. Bella was braiding Aro's hair. When did that happen? How did… And Aro was letting her. Alrightythen. Everything's chill. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nah-ah. Nope.
"As she does not know you-, Well. She does not exactly know know Renata and me either, but she knows of us. However, she does not know you, at all."
"Okay." Bella could feel a slight frown form on her face. "Go on."
"I have a theory that, if we changed our decision to visit Carlisle and his family, but instead, switched our intent to visit, say, your father and you, Bella, she would draw a blank."
"Ma-. Uncle. Aro. That's… a brilliant idea. A little mad," Renata threw a devilishly amused look to both of them, "I'll give you that, but it might actually work."
"What. What just happened. Did you just seriously invite yourselves over to Charlie's for Christmas?"
"No, Bella."
"Yes, Bella."
"Ah-hah." They were mental.
"It's not for real, angel. It's only pretend. Just until we get you home."
"Let me get this straight. You want to pretend you're going to mine's for Christmas instead of your friend Carlisle's?"
"Essentially, yes, but…Not exactly. We would, for now, in all seriousness, decide to go to your place, just until we reach your house and drop you off." Aro explained. Then he added-
"It would help solidify this decision, if you invited us to come to yours for the holidays."
"So… You want me to play pretend to invite you to Char-, my dad's house-"
"As honestly and sincerely as you can manage, yes. It would also help if you envisioned the event taking place."
"You mean, meeting Charlie and what, staying for Christmas dinner?"
"Hmmm. More or less. Yes. That should do it. Will you?" All that was missing was him batting his eyelashes at her.
"You guys are insane. I think I've never had the pleasure of meeting anyone like you before."
"Why thank you, Isabella." She couldn't help the genuine smile that had fought its way on her lips.
"Okay, okay. Fine. Jeez. I'll do it… I, Isabella Marie Swan, solemnly and from the very bottom of my heart, invite you, Renata Volturi, and you, Aro Volturi, to spend the Christmas holidays at my dad's house at 870 Sherriffs Hideaway, Forks, Washington."
"Thank you, Bella. We, Renata and I, graciously accept your generous offer."
"Honestly? It's the least I could do when you're taking me all the way to Forks in this fancy car… even if it's been touched by the devil."
Renata coughed.
Aro exhaled a heavy, theatrically suffering sigh.
"Nonsense, dear. We would have done it either way. Never doubt that."
"That's very kind of you. Thanks."
"Oh, no."
This prompted Aro to open his eyes (which had fallen shut from having his hair played with by Bella and thoroughly enjoying the process) and look at Renata, who was intensively checking the rear view mirror.
"I cannot believe this." Renata shook her head and sounded more than a little pissed off.
Bella had a pretty good hunch she knew exactly what had soured Renata's mood.
There had been this constant air of quiet joy about Renata, ever since that damned airport waiting room, now that she thought about it. At the moment, though, it had dimmed. Their car was rapidly losing speed and Bella turned to look through the back window and lo and behold, the blue lights of a police cruiser was on clear view some thirty metres behind them. Renata pulled over at the side of the road and the police car stopped about ten metre distance away from theirs.
Bella's "Not stating the obvious here, but what are the chances the police stopped us at random and not because of the Satanist plate number?" was met with dead silence. Her new friends seemed to not even be breathing, they were so still, like statues. Tough crowd.
Bella heard a click of a door opening and falling shut and she saw a tall police officer slowly walking to their car. He went past her window and stopped at Renata's, who rolled the window down.
"Hello, Officer." Bella couldn't see Renata's face, but there was not a trace of that exceptionally unwelcome twist of fate that had fallen over the car just a few moments ago.
"Licence and registration, please."
"Of course, sir. Just a moment." Renata swiftly retrieved the car's registration from the compartment between the front seats and her driver's licence from her wallet.
"Here you go." She extended both documents through the half open window.
The officer took his sweet time studying them. It was getting rather chilly in the car, not that it had been very warm in here to begin with…
"This vehicle is registered to Valerian Incorporated, Ms," he read from Renata's licence, "Volturi." He threw a superficial glance at Bella, then to Renata but his gaze slipped past both of them and landed on Aro, who kept looking straight ahead, and if she wouldn't have known better, he would appear completely uninterested in what was happening around him.
"That's correct." Bella could hear the perfectly sincere smile, and feel the angelic innocence Renata suddenly seemed to radiate all around her.
"Is there a problem, Officer?"
"No, Miss. You have a Merry Christmas, ladies." He gave the car's registration and Renata's licence back to her and raised his voice a bit higher so that it would carry further, "You too, Mr Volturi."
It was only because Aro turned his head to the officer, that Bella could now clearly see his expression, or rather the lack of any expression to be found on his face. The blank look Aro gave the poor officer was so black and empty, and soulless, that for a fraction of a moment he looked appropriately demonic. Everything the officer's jab was alluding to, and more. A second later, however, Bella had a hard time convincing herself that what she had witnessed had actually happened, because Aro had returned to looking out the window and emitting an air of complete indifference and boredom.
Renata was quick to close the window and get back on the road.
"That went well." Renata remarked with gloomy relief.
"Hmmm… It most certainly could have gone worse, dearest."
"I have a request to ask of you, Uncle."
Aro curiously tilted his head to the right, "And what would that be?"
"I want to be there when you deal with the… culprits." Renata's voice was full of malice and desire for a just payback.
Her wish seemed to amuse Aro greatly and he instantly flipped back to his hyper positive persona. Definitely bipolar.
"I wouldn't dream of robbing you of such glorious entertainment. I promise to make it exceptionally satisfying, you have nothing to worry about, darling. This has just become personal, after all." Bella had a feeling these were not empty promises but something very painful and very inevitable that was bound to happen to some naughty family member of theirs. Bella sure didn't want to be any of them, when Aro and Renata finally got their hands on the fuckers. But-
"As much as I love to hear you plotting homicide, with a witness present, could you turn the heat up, please? I'm freezing back here, guys."
"I'm so sorry, Bella!" Renata was quick to turn the heat up to seventy-five degrees.
"You should have said something sooner, angel." Did she just imagine slight traces of worry and concern in his voice? Or were they really there?
"I'll be fine. As soon as I can move my fingers again." Bella rubbed her icy hands together and tried to get them to warm faster by blowing hot breaths on them. She could even see her breath for a second before it disappeared, it was that cold. Jesus.
"How are you two not cold?" It was a bit odd. It couldn't possibly be more than forty-three degrees in here. And Aro had taken off his coat upon entering the car and Renata had done the same.
"We… have a very high tolerance for cold temperatures," was Aro's only explanation.
What? That's it? Seriously?
He turned to Bella with a small smile and an amused glint in his eyes, "Genetics."
They were nearing the Hood Canal Floating Bridge, every radio station was broadcasting only Christmas songs, 'Driving Home For Christmas' was quietly playing in the background and it could have been considered nearly suitable for the occasion, if only they were not going at exactly the speed of ten fucking miles per hour for the past ten minutes. Fucking boats.
In theory, it was understandable that boats (and other waterborne vessels) were granted priority over cars when a floating (and retractable) bridge happened to stand in their way. The harsh reality was that, if you were not the fucking individual operating said vessel and cursing all the fucking cars that were always in their way, you were one of the unlucky hundred (like Renata, Aro and Bella) or so people in the cars whose trips were halted just because of one sorry son of a bitch in a speedboat that used the law to take selfish and utterly unfair advantage over hundreds of other people in vehicles that just wanted to cross the bay. Which meant having to wait approximately half an hour for the bridge to be opened to car traffic.
They had been lucky, sort of. The bridge had already opened when they had reached its general proximity, but there was still a line of cars that had waited for said amount of time and most likely had been presented with a clear view of the damned boat, which were, by now, most probably, cursed six ways to Sunday by all those people in attendance to the spectacular live performance of full speed ahead injustice. And this was supposed to be the twenty-first century.
But despite this temporary setback, she had always liked crossing this bridge. The view of the water and the Olympic Peninsula was spectacular. Although, Bella couldn't remember ever having done so in winter. She always visited Charlie only in summers. It made her feel a little bad, suddenly. How many Christmases had her dad spent alone or at the station, working? Logically, there was no reason for her to feel guilt. Divorces sucked for everyone involved, and children were not miraculously unaffected by the subsequent consequences, just because they were children. If there even was anyone who should feel guilt, it definitely shouldn't be her.
"It's a right shame this baby has to suffer this kind of treatment. It was meant to fly free on a highway, not slide at a snail's pace among family vans and nondescript Ford Escorts!"
"Darling, I care not for the insentient piece of metal. It's just a car, for Fate's sake. It has no mind, no emotions. No thoughts. I, to the contrary, am susceptible to fits of murderous rage from time to time, you know."
"Aro! How can you say such things when she can hear you, the poor baby!"
"Renata. Darling. The car can hear me as much as any piece of rock can."
"Aro, Renata's right. You're being mean. 'Cause this really is a very nice car. Is it… Do all branches of Valerian Inc. offer their employees the latest sports cars in the market for personal use, by the looks of it?" This was potentially essential information, if Bella ever toughened up and chose to pursue a more scientific career path that included joining Valerian Inc. somewhere later in the equation.
"I… I haven't the foggiest." It seemed to physically pain Aro to admit his lack of knowledge.
Renata, on the other hand, was full on giggling. "You admitting to not knowing something, Ma- Uncle? Oh, this is officially the most fun I've had in the past decade and a half!" Aro threw Renata a dirty look. Bella seriously doubted this could indeed be the most fun Renata had since she was, like, ten, but… what did Bella know? "Bella, my Uncle's here a bit of a walking dictionary. Knows all manner of crazy things about practically everything, except if his company buys their employees the latest Maseratis under the label of 'travel expenses' every year, apparently."
"You know I care not about such trivial things as the types of cars they drive in. Why would I?"
"I saw the registry. They had eleven this year's Maserati Quattroportes purchased, for hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars each. Totalling to one point three seven five million dollars. And this is only the Seattle branch."
Were they for real?
Bella couldn't help but whistle, "You guys sure are generous with your employee perks." Hmm… Valerian Inc. Definitely subject to serious consideration as a potential future place of employment.
"You think so? I've never given much thought to the bonus system before."
"Undoubtedly. You're more interested in your Gem Collection than you ever were in your own company."
Aro snorted in the most regal way Bella'd ever heard a person do, and lifted his hands and started to study his perfect nails. On his right middle finger rested a ring with a large black diamond, shaped in a perfect triangle form. On his left hand though, there was an eternity ring with pink diamonds on his pinkie finger, as well as a much thicker vintage style platinum one, which was also embroidered with pink diamonds but in an intricate lace pattern. They looked distinctly feminine and Bella realised they must have belonged to his late wife. Her theory only grew in strength as her gaze fell to his ring finger where almost complete replicas, but in clear white diamonds, rested. She'd no idea how she'd not noticed them sooner, they were truly beautiful wedding bands, after all.
Evidently, his wife's passing had not been quite as far back in the past as he'd pretended in that damned airport.
"Well. I suppose, you are not entirely wrong." Aro admitted.
"I guess it's also good to know how much you don't care about your employees then…"
"Are you tempted to join Valerian Inc., Bella?" Renata teased good-naturedly.
"Actually, darling, just this morning Bella was telling me all about having considered interning for our lovely company a couple of years back." Aro's eyes were full of pure happiness, as he was looking at Bella, and she was hit by the thought that there hadn't been anyone who had looked at her with such genuine positivity, ever. Not her sort-of-friends back in Phoenix, not her teachers, not her sandbox friends in Forks, her parents being a close second, and she'd caught them at it only a few times.
It was crazy, how this last minute Christmas surprise homecoming to Forks was turning out. It has never been easy for her to make new friends, but with these two strangers (well, not so true anymore, was it?) unexpected companions of hers, it was so easy to be herself. She had this feeling as if she could talk to them about anything. Anything. And everything. And she would not find herself judged by them for it.
The unexplainable emotion made Bella feel a bit out of sorts because realistically? her reaction to them was in no way a rational one. However, she couldn't help the way she felt. Was this Stockholm syndrome, already setting in? Either way, she was screwed.
There was a silent question in Aro's eyes and Bella was momentarily overcome by a crystal clear understanding of what it was he was silently asking her. Bella found it to be sweetly considerate, that he wouldn't mention her condition to Renata before asking for Bella's consent first.
"Yeah. I told Aro this morning that I'd considered applying there after meeting a representative of Valerian Inc. at a hospital in Phoenix. I'd been invited by the hospital as a challenge to the young doctors there… Basically, I have this rare medical condition. All of my internal organs are in a mirror image to a regular person's. It's called-"
"Situs inversus," was Renata's instant response. She narrowed her unique aubergine coloured eyes a little and seemed to be concentrating, or listening to something. Wh- "Oh, indeed it is."
"Um… yeah."
"How very intriguing! I've only ever had two hu-"
"Renata." Aro effectively cut her off mid-word. What was she about to s-, "sometimes, my niece gets a bit carried away, but it does happen." Aro informed her in a smooth tone. Why-
"Say, Bella. Do you have a driver's licence?" Renata asked apropos of nothing. "You Americans get them quite early, definitely earlier than Europeans."
"Uh.. Yeah. I do. Got it last November."
"Oh, that is excellent! Do you want to drive for a bit?"
"What… Are you for real?!"
"Of course. I'll be happy to lend you the keys for a bit." Renata turned her head to look at Bella, for a quick moment, and smiled at her before returning to watch the road on the bridge. They were already halfway through crossing the bridge at a steady speed of forty miles per hour.
"You're seriously offering me to drive your hundred plus thousand dollar car?"
"Yes, Bella. Do you want to?"
"I've never driven a sports car before… I… Hell, yes! Of-fucking-course, I do!" She couldn't believe them. This was amazing.
"Then it is decided." Renata chimed. "I'll switch with you after we cross the bridge."
"You don't mind, do you, Aro?" Bella had to make sure. After all, he could be an unwitting victim to her questionable sports car driving skills. "I might kill us all. Just saying."
"We're very hard to kill." Because that was a completely normal thing to say.
"Aren't you even a little bit worried?" Actually, he just seemed to be greatly amused by the whole conversation, but she hadn't the slightest inkling why.
"Not at all, angel." Again, with that dismissive attitude. It was strange.
"Right. Okay then. I warned you. My conscience is clear."
Bella closed the door after getting in the car again and made herself comfortable in the driver's seat.
This was sooo amazing! Usually she was limited to Renée's ten year old Honda Civic. This was a definite upgrade.
Bella fastened her seatbelt and looked to her right to Aro (who had turned and folded one of his legs under the other on the seat so he was facing her directly) and Renata, who had leaned forward and rested her elbows on both Bella's and Aro's seats.
"Any last words?" She couldn't help asking. Renata shook her head. A clear 'no' from her.
Aro rolled his very black eyes, amused. "Drive, Isabella."
It was all the encouragement needed for Bella to hit the road.
The car was so easy to handle. It was a true pleasure being the one behind the wheel. And that sound!
"OMG! This is such a sweet ride!"
"I can't believe you actually let me drive this thing!"
"I love you guys! You're the best!"
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"…"
"…"
"… It is our pleasure, angel." Bella was looking at the road in front of her but could still hear the smirk in his reply. She'd clamped her jaw shut and regained a healthy amount of decorum after her initial word vomit of heartfelt gratitude, but she was just so excited! Nevertheless, she had a small smile on her face, which would not go away, no matter what.
"Well. In either case, I appreciate it."
"I'd advise not going over a hundred miles per hour, though. I think we would all rather not have a repeat of our recent brush with law enforcement."
"A hundred miles per hour, Renata?" She had a peculiar sense of humour. At least Bella hoped it was the case and that the older woman was joking. "You do know the speed limit here is sixty, don't you?"
"…Sixty?" She had not been joking. Lovely. "Why would anyone drive so slow on a highway?"
"Safety reasons, probably. Look," Bella pointed to a conveniently placed and very visible speed limit sign on the side of the road, "there's even a sign and everything."
"How… disappointing."
"Darling, might I remind you that we are not in any rush." But Renata still looked so very unhappy.
"How about a compromise, then? I think eighty miles per hour is a perfectly acceptable speed, taking into consideration the condition of the road, the weather, temperature, traffic intensity and the car's performance, don't you?"
"You seriously want me to break the law? My dad's a sheriff, Aro! Carlie'd kill me if he ever found out!"
"We won't tell if you won't, love."
"You're impossible." And she was blushing, again. Fantastic.
Charlie will never find out anyway. What possible harm could it be?
"Fine."
"YES!"
"If we get pulled over, I'm going to kill you both."
"You can try." Renata seemed as amused as her uncle. Bella was wondering if the rest of their family was as equally insane as this pair. She was eighty per cent convinced that yes they were, and ninety per cent convinced she did not want to find out anyhow.
"You are such bad influence."
Aro was full on beaming at her.
And Bella was going twenty miles over the speed limit. Although, the increase in speed was practically imperceptible in this car. Sweet.
"You are."
"Perhaps."
Aro was still looking at her, she could feel his eyes on her, studying her.
"Um… What is it that you guys do for a living? Or do you run your company full time?" She just had to divert his attention, somehow, before she started blushing for the twentieth time today.
"Hmmm. No, the company is generally run by the elected Chief Officers. It'd be too time consuming to do it all by ourselves."
"Oh."
"What do you think we do, Bella?"
"I don't know. That's why I'm asking. Just please, please, please don't say you're Italian mafia."
Bella could feel their entertainment flooding the car.
"… What made you come to such an… outrageous conclusion, Isabella?"
"Judging by what you've said so far? Let's see… You're from a big Italian family, aren't you? You're pretty chill about people wanting to kill you, and I didn't get the impression you were exactly joking, so… I'd bet attempts on your lives have been made in the past. Hmm… You have a very successful legal business, perhaps a cover to your more shady dealings, to throw the police off your trail. Oh, and you've discussed murdering someone for a prank they'd pulled on you just minutes ago."
Aro was listening with rapt attention while Renata had covered her mouth with both her hands.
"...An interesting theory. Anything to add?"
"You don't happen to own a cat, do you?"
Renata began chortling, "Oh, Sweet Circe. Uncle doesn't have any cats, but-"
"My daughter owns a couple of servals, yes." Servals? Weren't they basically just big wild cats anyway?
"Then it is another point in favour of my theory." This was fun. "Besides, both of you totally rocked that sleazy look back in the airport, dressed to the nines in your impeccable black suits."
"Good to know we at least make a striking first impression." Aro stated in mock-offence.
"Anyway, you definitely don't give off the vibe of being doctors. Like, at all. But you both knew of my condition. How come?"
"We have theoretical knowledge in medicine. Comes with owning a company which deals in medical research… among other things."
"Ah-huh."
"I can assure you that the Volturi family is not a criminal organisation, angel. Just the opposite, to be perfectly honest. It's all very tedious, I'm afraid. Mostly I manage the estate and deal with disputes. Sometimes, however, my days feel like a never-ending business meeting."
"Then meeting your friend for Christmas should cheer you up." Bella gave him a reassuring smile before focusing back on not driving off the road or hitting any unsuspecting Ford Escorts.
"Oh, I'm certain it will, but… " Bella looked to Aro and found him looking at her with such an undecipherable expression, she couldn't begin to guess what it possibly meant.
"But what?"
"Meeting you has been worth more than any cheer a surprise visit to Carlisle could ever bring." Aro said with absolute sincerity. There was no doubt that he was speaking directly from his heart.
She was at a loss for words. How could he just say things like that? What could have made him possibly think so? She was just a completely ordinary- and deeply touched, and-
"Oh… thank you. For what it's worth, I'm very glad I met you too, Aro. Both of you." And she was. Very much so.
A barely audible sound of something hitting the front windshield drew her attention to an egg sized whitish mess that had splashed on the middle of the windshield and was now spreading further up on the glass due to the speed of the vehicle.
"Did a fucking bird just-" Bella said but could barely believe her eyes. What were the odds? "- fucking shit on us?" By the sound of it, Renata was dying in the backseat.
Aro appeared to be frozen in his seat, his black eyes stunned, full of genuine, honest to God disbelief.
And Renata was still dying in the back.
Aro was the first one to recover from his shock. "This is never to leave this car, Renata, much less be recounted in the Castle, or to anyone. Ever. Not even to Heidi."
"I-… under- stand, Ma- Aro. " Renata had regained the ability of speech. Partially.
"Good. I'll have your head, otherwise."
Aro then turned to Bella with his dark, steely gaze that just dared her to disagree.
"My lips are sealed. I won't tell a soul. Promise." Aro seemed to weigh her candid promise for a few seconds and had, evidently, found it sufficient as his eyes returned to burning a hole in the windshield where the offending guano was still on clear view.
Must have been quite the bird.
"… It's only a few more miles until we reach Port Angeles. We can stop at a car wash there."
Her new friends made no objections to Bella's suggestion.
Okay, then.
.
Thank you for reading. ;)