Jane did not usually attend trials.
None of the guard usually attended trials. Sometimes, depending if there was a witness and that witness was gifted, Chelsea might attend. Or, if there was someone who needed to be found, then Demetri would attend. If they thought someone needed to be particularly intimidated, then Felix with his large height and girth was summoned to stand intimidatingly behind the throne. However, it wasn't something they usually did.
It especially wasn't something Jane or Alec usually did. They, according to Aro, had a bit of a reputation that sometimes made it difficult for witnesses to cooperate. No, Jane and Alec were only ever the aftermath, sent out when the decision (the negative decision) had been made.
However, Aro needed someone to fetch Caius and Marcus for this new trial, and Jane, being within hearing range, was called back into the room with Carlisle, Jasper, and Aro.
She made a point of nodding politely only to Jasper when she walked past them all.
To be honest, she wasn't quite sure how she felt about this.
Oh, she'd thought the Cullens were very rude, they had been the whole time she was here but Edward had been here and gone so fast she hadn't paid him much attention. Of course, he'd lost his head (to Marcus of all people), but Bella did smell delicious and if you didn't have good control and were also starving yourself then Jane couldn't exactly blame you for it. It had been bound to happen to somebody sooner or later.
It hadn't occurred to her that he'd go and make trouble after being sent home. Certainly, she and Alec had never thought to themselves "Well, we'll be seeing that one again very soon."
If it had to be anyone, Jane would have pegged the blonde woman for the troublemaker. She was openly disdainful of Volterra and everyone in it, and had that level of arrogance that Jane had seen so often lead to a vampire deciding the law did not concern them and the Volturi were lame anyway. Just the fact that she'd given Jane and Alec in their American high schooler outfits a disdainful look had spoken volumes. Most people, such as Rosalie's infinitely more polite brother Jasper, wouldn't dream of doing such a thing.
Of course, if the blonde figured out that Carlisle was sleeping with Aro in hallways before Jane had, then Jane supposed she really couldn't blame her. Jane was still reeling and probably would be until she was off duty and could talk to Alec and ask if he'd stumbled across the pair of them yet.
In retrospect, given the infamous Wall of Carlisle Cullen, it really wasn't all that shocking but still–ye gads, there were things Jane didn't want to see. And did they have to do it in the hallway? Couldn't they have found a perfectly respectable, private, room, away from everyone else?
Apparently not.
Jane was undecided on whether the fact that Carlisle was still in Aro's cloak, every so often throwing a glance down to make sure it was still in place, was a good thing because it punished him for having sex with her master in the hallway or a bad thing because it reminded Jane of the fact that he'd been having sex with her master in the hallway.
Aro, too, looked terribly awkward as the only Volturi not cloaked for this trial.
Caius, upon seeing Jasper and taking in his yellow eyes, took up his seat on the throne and noted to Aro, "Congratulations, the boy lasted a week."
Seemingly unable to help himself, he'd then looked to Carlisle, and said, "You know, I think Aro needs that cloak. Shouldn't you give it to him?"
Carlisle had only smiled thinly back and ignored him.
Jasper had watched the interaction with wide eyes and, to Jane's amusement, stepped closer to Carlisle. The poor guy looked like he wanted nothing more than to grab hold of Carlisle's arm, Renata style, and cling for dear life.
Marcus didn't say a word as he took his own seat, only turned his eyes to Aro, who with a sigh took his in turn. Of course, without the cloak–he really did look like he'd stolen someone else's throne.
Carlisle, who apparently had no shame, had the nerve to look amused at Aro's predicament.
"Alright," Caius said, "Why are we executing Edward?"
And just like that, every trace of amusement had vanished off of Carlisle's face.
"We're not," Aro sighed.
"Oh of course not," Caius said, rolling his eyes, "Alright Aro, tell us, why are we not executing Edward today?"
Aro motioned for Jasper to speak. "The floor is yours."
Jasper looked like he just might burst into flames with the force of his terror. Which was really pretty funny, because Jane had to say, he was one of the most intimidating looking vampires she'd ever seen. He was a lot smaller than Felix was, weaker too with the yellow eyes, but the scars everywhere gave him this impressively lethal look that told you he'd survived more than most.
Carlisle put a hand on Jasper's arm, and something seemed to pass between them.
Jasper drew in a deep breath, and then, with a voice that sounded like it took him some effort to keep even, began his story. "We were staying with friends of the coven in Denali, Eleazar who was once in your employ, lives there. As you know, Edward was sent home due to his lapse of control around Bella Swan. This caused him significant distress."
Jane wasn't gonna lie, she was relieved Jasper took this story from the full beginning. Alec would appreciate that, when she filled him in on this.
"Eleazar?" Caius asked, brow furrowed, then turned to Aro, "You mean that useless jackass?"
Jasper's eyes widened, and he spun to stare at Carlisle, who only cringed.
Aro groaned, "Yes, Caius, he lives in Alaska now and through the vampires that live there was introduced to Carlisle's diet. Which, before you ask, the coven there discovered on their own."
Caius laughed, "Oh, oh he would. Think mighty well of himself for it too, you must love that, don't you Carlisle?"
Carlisle only sighed. "I do believe we're here to talk about Edward."
"Right- right," Jasper said, and Jane really wished she knew why he had that look on his face, like a lot of things were suddenly making a lot of sense.
She hadn't… hated Eleazar, outright, that was a strong word. She hated the humans that had killed her and Alec with a fire that burned so bright, even after twelve hundred years she could never use the word "hate" for anything less than that.
But dear god, that man had been just about the most annoying in the world.
No one else had, in all twelve hundred years of Jane's life, patted her head and told her she was a delightful young girl, yes, charming, and then turned around and spoke with Aro about what a sad, sad, life she led by virtue of being twelve. Truly, Eleazar could only pity the girl.
And then his mate, Carmen, had come to visit and managed to be even worse with her insistence on showing the poor child some kindness in this sad existence of hers.
It was a good thing for Eleazar that Aro forbade Jane from torturing her fellow guards, was what Jane was saying.
Jasper, however, was continuing his story, "Edward–even before he came to Volterra, had not approved of your plan to pretend to be a human summer program. He has a very complicated relationship with vampirism and firmly believes that being human is an infinitely superior state of being. He wouldn't approve turning someone unless there was no other option and they were already on death's door. I say this so that you understand that what was happening here always deeply concerned him. Being sent home where he couldn't participate only served to make him feel–helpless to what was happening."
"One of Carlisle's acolytes is a loony. Who knew," Caius remarked dryly.
"You disapproved of it as well," Aro noted, looking somewhat annoyed.
"Yes, but I disapproved of it because you're fucking ridiculous. According to him, Edward disapproves of it because we should all frolic in the fields commiserating on how grand it would be to be human."
Jasper's eyes went very, very, wide at hearing Aro be called "fucking ridiculous" to his face.
Of course, normally Caius saved the insults for later, when they were behind closed doors. She supposed between Carlisle being Carlisle, and dressed in Aro's robes no less, and Jasper being a yellow-eyed groupie, Caius had decided this trial was an informal affair that served mostly to insult Carlisle.
From what he'd said, he'd already voted death for Edward no matter what Edward had done.
Frankly, Jane was surprised Aro even bothered to summon him. Marcus was the one who needed convincing, not Caius.
Jasper was quiet for a few seconds, not sure if he should continue talking or wait for a signal that he had permission to speak.
Carlisle gave him a nod, and Jane just had to say, dear god, no wonder Rosalie felt so confident around Aro.
Jane was really starting to wonder about those years Carlisle spent here in the 18th century, too. She'd thought Carlisle was just a very studious and intellectual friend of Aro's who liked the library, but now… well, now she was wondering if that hadn't been one great euphemism.
God, she just couldn't believe Aro.
Jasper started talking again. "I should also mention that Edward prides himself very much on his control. He had never slipped up before Bella. Everything about this situation threw him for a loop and so, when he got back, he couldn't simply shrug it off and move on with his life.
He then called Carlisle, to tell him he'd arrived in Denali and also to help him wrap his head around the situation. Unfortunately, for reasons that are–still unclear to me, when Edward called Carlisle was indisposed. It was very late in the evening in Italy by that time, but Carlisle claimed to be very deep in a discussion with Aro regarding laundry. This, naturally, was unnerving to Edward as Carlisle had never once shown any interest in laundry at home. He had Alice, my wife who can see the future, check to see what Carlisle was up to. She saw Aro in a bathrobe in what looked like a spa, scrubbing the tiles and bickering with Carlisle. Most notably, they were not doing laundry."
… Jane would have to tell Alec to avoid that bath until further notice.
Just–
Jesus Christ.
Jasper, however, apparently wasn't done yet, "Edward then called Esme, who turned out to be quite distraught, not just because Edward had been sent home but because Aro had appeared in a bathrobe at their door, claiming Carlisle had to go to the Roman baths right then and there, and that it was an emergency. He'd then said something in another language, Carlisle asked something about wounds, and they'd left Esme for several hours without another word."
Jane was openly gaping at Aro now.
And frankly, she wasn't siding with Edward, or anything, but–
Had this been her she would have been so upset. Scratch that, she'd walked in on it seconds ago, she knew for a fact that she was so upset.
Caius spared Aro a disgruntled look, "Aro, if you'd just announced to her 'I'm fucking your husband', like a reasonable person, think of all the trouble you could have saved us."
Aro dutifully ignored that and motioned for Jasper to continue.
"... Right," Jasper said, before he continued. "Between Bella, Carlisle's strange behavior, Esme's dismay, Edward's disapproval of this plan to begin with and–the trauma of having his head ripped off, Edward became deeply concerned over what was happening in Volterra and–concluded that Bella Swan was a means to an end and what Aro was truly after was his and Alice's gifts."
Caius burst out laughing.
"Caius, please," Aro said. "I'm so sorry about this, Jasper, ignore him. Please continue."
"No, no, Aro, because this at least would make sense," Caius said, "This assumes that you're not so pathetically needy that–"
"Caius!"
Caius, still sniggering, held his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "Can I at least point out that Edward's conspiracy theory about your twelve step plan to get your hands on him and Alice still makes more sense than the actual-"
"No, Caius, you cannot," Aro told him. "Stop talking."
Jasper paused for several seconds, clearly very uncertain of his footing and if this was even a trial at all, however, he continued, "Edward decided to–surreptitiously warn Bella about what was going to happen to her. He hoped that he could lure her out of the city and meet with her, proving that he could overcome his thirst and return to Volterra."
"Surreptitiously," Caius snorted.
Jasper ignored him. "I won't pretend to understand what Edward was thinking when he left her those messages, but–" he seemed to be gathering courage before he continued, "you did pardon him for that. As I understand it, that can't then be used against him later. I'm retelling this merely so that I can help you understand what was happening with Edward, and how it motivated him to do what he then did."
Aro nodded, and gave Jasper his most encouraging smile.
Jasper looked like he didn't know what to make of that, either.
"Regardless, as you know, he was quickly discovered and there was a trial in Volterra. Carlisle called to tell him that he had been pardoned by a very slim margin. Edward–understand he worships Carlisle, Carlisle is more than a father to him, and Carlisle had never talked to him the way he did in that phone call. As I understand it, Edward had once abandoned both Carlisle and the diet for years, ate alcoholics, drug addicts, murderers, and rapists until he couldn't stand it any longer. He came back and Carlisle said nothing about it."
That got none of the reactions Jane would have expected.
Carlisle, who she'd have thought would for sure look proud, or at least moved, looked deeply uncomfortable instead. More so than when everyone made fun of him for having sex with Aro.
Aro, for all that he put up a valiant fight not to burst out laughing, was clearly aching to do just that.
And Marcus, shockingly, Marcus of all people, exchanged a look with Aro that left Aro struggling even harder not to start laughing.
"In one phone call, Carlisle had said more harsh words than he'd ever said to Edward in a lifetime. In that same phone call, he then announced that Bella Swan suddenly had cancer, and that due to this he would be unable to return with the rest of his family, who due to the cancer he was urging to return far earlier than expected. Edward quickly realized that the cancer was a lie and that Carlisle intended not only to remain in Volterra and remove his family but do so covertly."
Jane opened her mouth to ask, but no, better not.
Bella had cancer now?
Jane wasn't exactly savvy when it came to modern names for human ailments, but she did know the cancer one. That one was deadly.
She stared at Carlisle in wonder.
All that, just to get to sleep with her master?
She had to wonder why he'd even left Volterra in the first place, if he craved sex with Aro that badly.
She also had to note, not for the first time, that this was one of the advantages, the only advantages, to being an eternal child that adults wouldn't ever understand. Perhaps she was missing out on the whole love and sex thing, she knew everyone around her certainly thought so, but…
She couldn't even begin to imagine losing her mind in such a way, so as to throw away everything and everyone dear to her just so that she could pursue a sexual relationship.
But then, she had decided early on that there was no point in contemplating such things. She was what she was, and that was all there was to it.
"This is where Eleazar becomes important. Edward reads minds, he knows how Carlisle feels about his family, about Edward himself. Despite knowing all that, Carlisle had been acting strangely ever since he'd received the invitation to Volterra and was now completely giving up on Bella Swan's human life, something Edward saw as being extremely out of character. Edward felt these were actions Carlisle would never take, yet he did, and–Eleazar decided at that moment to offer him comfort and his point of view."
"Now, Eleazar thinks that Carlisle isn't actually staying," Jasper noted, whether to prevent them from putting Eleazar on trial or just to explain things unclear, "He thinks that Carlisle is trying to stay but will soon enough be thrown out for being useless. He thinks Carlisle sent the family away out of shame and jealousy, because they would then see how useless Carlisle was in comparison to vampires boasting great gifts."
"Oh, well, you see, Carlisle isn't useless in bed, so– he stays." Caius quipped.
Carlisle smiled humorlessly at him. "You know, Caius, one of these days you're going to have to find some new material. Really, it's getting a bit repetitive."
"However," Jasper continued, clearing his throat to draw attention back to him, "While he said as much to Edward, and pointed out that all the gifted members of our coven were not, currently, in Volterra and those that were weren't worth much of Aro's time, he also started talking about his own time in Volterra and the various gifts the Volturi employ. Specifically, he brought up Chelsea who can forge and dismantle loyalties."
"Edward–decided that Chelsea was being used against Carlisle, likely had been since the 17th century. Carlisle was fully under their–your control and as such could no longer be trusted, soon, he imagined, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett would suffer similar fates. He imagined that, with the bulk of the coven in Volterra, he and Alice would be compelled to join the Volturi guard."
"I mean, that one would actually make sense," Caius commented. "I hate to say it, Aro, but you're not what I'd call a catch. Sulpicia isn't either."
Jane choked. "Excuse me?!"
All eyes in the room fell on her, having apparently forgotten she was even there.
She gave Aro an utterly betrayed look. "He doesn't mean…"
Aro shrunk a little in his chair.
Jane turned to Carlisle with an accusing finger, but no words came out.
Jasper apparently stopped for no one, not even Jane, and continued pointedly onwards, "While Edward was growing increasingly worried about the state of his family, as well as human Bella caught in the cross hairs, he asked Alice to look increasingly into their futures. Shortly after this, Alice had a vision concerning Carlisle and a dark haired woman. It became clear that Carlisle had chosen to have sex with this woman. Eleazar noted that, from Alice's description, the woman was very likely Sulpicia, Aro's wife."
Jasper's voice was so carefully neutral, so carefully void of any sense of emotion, or approval or disapproval, that Jane could only admire him.
Jane could… she could not have stayed as neutral.
Carlisle only flinched, and seemed to wish he could disappear inside that cloak.
"Edward, naturally horrified over what he already suspected regarding Chelsea, and over what Eleazar relayed regarding a vampire by the name of Corin, demanded Alice look into Esme's future. At near the same moment, Esme decided to have sex with Aro."
Jane made an involuntary, loud, noise, like a duck's squawking.
"Come again?" Caius asked.
Aro, at this point, was looking pointedly at the wall.
Jane was reeling.
Was that why she hadn't been seeing Esme at meals?
Oh, oh that was–
She wasn't sure what to make of any of this anymore, this was…
What?!
Caius and her were on the same page, because he was gaping at Aro. "I– what is wrong with you people? With all of you?"
To Jane's everlasting confusion, he directed this at Marcus as well. Marcus only shrugged.
"Let's move on, shall we?" Aro said quickly, still not looking at Caius.
Jasper dutifully continued, "Understand that Edward, given what he had been told and his own fears, saw this as defilement. I–make no claims myself as to what it truly is. He called Rosalie and Emmett, only to discover that they had in fact left Volterra and had been told by Esme that Carlisle and Esme's marriage was in great jeopardy. They refused to return at Edward's prompting and believed Alice's visions to be the result of fantasies on Aro and Sulpicia's parts. However, Edward decided that extreme action must be taken and his family saved at any cost."
"Oh, god," Carlisle muttered, clearly mortified beyond belief.
He should be, Jane thought dazedly.
"Eleazar warned Edward that the Volturi have no enemies, that Jane and Alec had effectively silenced all organized opposition. Alice warned Edward that on his own there was nothing he could do, any attempt on his own part to raid the city would be met with failure. If he even tried to return, thanks to his earlier banishment, he would face death. I told Edward that Alice and I would have no part in his further actions that–whatever was happening to the others, it was not our concern."
"All this happened in a week?" Jane asked in dazed amazement.
She knew she wasn't allowed to speak during trials, but…
What had even happened here?
Oh dear god, her and Alec had missed so much. All those hours spent doing meals, while everyone else was off in every direction doing– doing each other, apparently.
At this point, Jane had to wonder what had kept Renata and Bella from the meals that morning. Or maybe not, maybe she really didn't want to know.
She couldn't even.
"Edward then remembered that Amun, a friend of Carlisle's, had once been–in a coven that opposed Volterra. He decided to seek their aid in helping to rescue his family and, if possible, Bella Swan," Jasper sighed, seeming unable to contain it, "This was an unmitigated disaster. Amun very nearly decided to kill Edward, offered him no assistance, and called the Volturi to tell them that Edward was seeking paths for insurrection. However, unwittingly, he did provide Edward with whom to contact."
"I'm very excited for the part where young Jasper here explains why we shouldn't execute Edward. Frankly," Caius mused, "So far you've been every inch the witness coming here to give us a detailed account of why we should."
Jasper paused, seemed to internalize Caius' words, but nevertheless continued, "Edward then spent several days in search of the Romanians Vladimir and Stefan. He came across them and–they did hear him out. However, they quickly concluded that he was of little use to them."
"They might have killed him then, killed him or let him go, if they hadn't realized that the Carlisle Edward so badly wanted to save, was the very same as the Carlisle who had been Aro's… friend… in the 18th century. And now with a mate, who also had a place in Aro's bed."
"The fucking Romanians find out about you and Esme before I do?" Caius asked. "Why am I always the last to know?"
Aro dismissed this with an annoyed wave of his hand, as if this weren't his problem and Caius was being needlessly dramatic.
"They have decided to hold Edward hostage," Jasper said, "They hope that, in Aro's wish to please Carlisle, he will exchange Edward with a powerful member of his own guard which in turn might cripple the Volturi. When I left, they were debating over which guard member they should ask for. So far as I know, Edward is still alive."
Silence reigned for a moment.
Then, Caius burst out laughing.
He didn't even say anything, he just laughed.
Aro sighed. "Caius–"
"No, no, this is splendid! Please, one of Carlisle's brood comes all the way to Italy, not to ask for mercy for Edward or to tell his father to stop being such a goddamn whore or anything like that, no! No, he comes all this way to regale us with the tale of how the Edward problem has taken care of itself, he's going to get killed by the Romanians, and all we have to do is sit back, not hand over Jane and Alec, and this problem sorts itself out."
He continued laughing.
Aro grimaced.
Caius gave him an odd look, as if he wasn't sure whether to abruptly stop laughing or if this had become even funnier. "You're thinking Afton?"
"There is a decision to be made here, Caius," Aro said somberly.
"What decision?" Caius asked, "You heard the man, the decision is made for us. Vlad and Stefan have finally proved themselves useful. I almost want to give them a guard in reward. Again, my vote is Afton."
Aro only grimaced again. "Jasper came in the hopes that we would rescue Edward."
"Oh, no," Caius said, looking at Jasper in disgust and bemusement, "Gods, no, why would we ever do that?"
"He might escape," Marcus said.
They all turned to look at him, each of them equally surprised by his voice.
"This sort of thing has happened before. It is why our kind typically do not hold each other hostage, too many risks" Marcus continued, looking at none of them as he said it, "He very well might escape. They may become bored, realize his lack of value, and let him go, in the hopes that he'll make trouble for us and distract our attention."
Aro contemplated his words.
"Doesn't the guy believe he's the fastest speed demon there ever was?" Caius drawled. "Edward tries to escape, it's going to be him trying to outrun them. Not sure that would work."
"Stefan and Vladimir are five foot tall," Marcus retorted. "Short legs. And Edward does have a gift that could very well help him in this situation."
Aro looked as if he couldn't decide whether to be thrilled or terrified by Marcus joining the conversation.
Caius held up a hand, "Marcus, are you asking me to seriously consider how a fight between–two house cats would turn out?"
"Yes," Marcus replied.
Caius blew out, considering the matter, "I can't believe you're making me put my money on Vlad and Stefan. At least there's two of them and one of him."
"Except they never split up, they are very overconfident, and–" Marcus turned to Jasper. "How are they keeping him contained?"
"They've torn off his limbs," Jasper said, "They're storing them in various pits they've dug nearby."
"Then he can escape," Marcus sighed.
"Oh come on," Caius said, "They're going to get bored long before his limbs manage to dig their way back to him."
"I'm not talking probability, brother, but rather possibility," Marcus mused, with an air of finality.
Jane wasn't sure if she imagined it, but even as he froze again and retreated into the familiar shell known as Marcus, there was something shrewd, something contemplative, in his eyes.
Jane watched him in amazement.
She'd thought the plan was off, that since no one was doing meals, and she didn't hear anything else about this whole thing, that Aro had given up on rehabilitating Marcus, as he had each time before.
Now she wasn't so sure.
"Regardless, my vote is do nothing," Caius said turning to Aro, "They'll take care of the problem for us, for once in their useless lives, and if they don't then we kill him."
Aro let out a long sigh.
"Aro, you can't be serious," Caius said.
But it appeared Aro was, for a moment he closed his eyes, gathered his thoughts, then said, "I have always been in favor of keeping our most incompetent enemies alive. We kept Amun alive, and he has on occasion proven himself extremely useful. We kept Vladimir and Stefan alive, and they have served quite well as beacons for insurrectionists. Edward might very well be our next Vladimir and Stefan. Those who find the Romanians too crass, too old world, will find like-minded company in idealist, yellow-eyed, Edward who speaks of the great evils of the Volturi."
"Further," Aro added, "He will actively look for our enemies in a way that the others do not. On finding himself rescued from Vlad and Stefan's clutches, he will search the earth for dissidents and root them out with his gift. He will become our unwitting spy."
"Or he could change strategies, and break the law again, this time in a way we can't simply shove under the carpet with a "Carlisle will call him". What's keeping him from releasing a newborn in Volterra?"
"And if he does then that changes matters," Aro said, "For now, he's simply decided to talk with the wrong people, something that is in fact not against our laws."
"Further," Aro said, his eyes now moving to Carlisle, "Carlisle, if you'll remember, is doing us all a very large favor. He is extraordinarily useful and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. More, he is not effective at what he does if he is weakened and tormented by grief, in the employ of those who murdered his son."
Jasper frowned at that, and turned to look at Carlisle.
Yeah, Jane thought, ditto.
What the hell kind of favor was that?
Carlisle looked pointedly at the wall.
"We have shown lenience in the past in non-severe cases, and whatever else you argue, thus far Edward's actions have been non-severe. He has told the secret to a human already fully aware and destined to be turned. He has conspired with what remains of our enemies and has now gotten himself held hostage."
"Wait, wait. Fully aware?!" Jane yelled.
Aro froze, and then closed his eyes in dread.
"Master, I– are you serious?! When did this – Jasper said he called last week - have we been doing this whole thing for a week for no reason?!"
"No, Jane, your services were very useful and quite necessary. For reasons I can't get into while Bella became–was told, we could not let Carlisle's family in on the secret. While Bella was no longer your captive audience, they in fact were. And you did marvelously."
"The Cullens left a week ago. Esme hasn't been at meals," Jane noted.
Aro said nothing, but the look on his face said it all.
"You forgot me," Jane breathed.
"No," Aro said, then after a pause, "Jane, I am ever so sorry and believe me when I say that I will do anything in the world to make it up to you and Alec. Trust me when I say, and as you've heard, this week has been the most hectic and miserable of my life. I will take you to Disneyland in Paris."
Jane looked at Carlisle, in his black cloak, and then back at Aro.
A hectic week, he said.
She glared at the floor for a few seconds, aware of the room being utterly silent around her.
Finally, she said, "Japan. Two weeks. No budget restrictions, and we're in charge of the itinerary, not you. If we're called away on missions, then we get to come back and continue where we left off."
Aro nodded quickly. "Agreed without stipulations."
"And you have to tell Alec yourself," Jane continued.
Aro made a face, but nodded again.
"That's great," Caius said, clearly unconcerned by the fact that Jane had been lied to for an entire week, "But as far as your non-severity argument goes, that only applied when there was some use we could get out of them. You're suggesting we let Edward go off so he can inspire widespread revolt."
"Then we bring in Chelsea," Aro tried. "Force his loyalty, or at least his non-enmity, in exchange for the extraordinary loyalty Carlisle has shown us. I must remind you, we do depend on him." He gave Marcus a pointed look.
"Well then that defeats the entire fucking point," Caius scoffed, "If we bring in Chelsea, if she even works on him given he's made it his mission in life to despise Marcus, then he has to stay in Volterra and we have all the great usefulness of a man who can hear the thought of every human in a two-mile radius."
"And you're forgetting that we're not just voting live or die," Caius added when Aro opened his mouth, "This will require a rescue mission. We're going to have to send out members of our guard, in this time of bizarre and unprecedented crisis, to rescue Carlisle's limbless progeny who will then spit in our face and run off to make a newborn army and sack Disneyland in Paris."
"And as for Carlisle," Caius said, waving a dismissive hand at Carlisle, "I don't give a fuck if he's grateful, he should be grateful we're even letting him live for the crime of having spawned Edward in the first place!"
Aro only shook his head despairingly.
"I vote in favor," Marcus stated.
Everyone turned to look at him in disbelief.
"I vote in favor of a rescue, on account of the favor Carlisle is doing us all. My only condition is that I wish to accompany this mission."
If a human had poked Jane gently with a finger, they would have tipped her over.
For the first time since Aro first broached the plan of how he would rehabilitate Marcus with a human art student, Jane believed that things were changing.
There had been so many plans before, so many attempts, so many outrageous, clever, and eccentric schemes concocted by Aro in pursuit of saving Marcus from himself, that it had become Aro's own Sisyphus rock, one he would roll because he cared too much about Marcus not to try, but they all knew it would fall down eventually.
No, not even that - Aro never got the rock an inch up that mountain, and he never would.
Except, somehow, it seemed he had.
Jane stared at him in amazement.
For all those years, Marcus had only ever been a shell, a ghost that barely even felt like he was there. His being alive felt more like a cosmic mistake than it did anything else, like someone had killed Marcus long ago but then they forgot to burn his remains and pieced them together instead.
Seeing Marcus speak up, take initiative, volunteer to go out on a mission –
Jane was filled with the oddest form of excitement. Like a bulb she had found and planted without knowing what would bloom, without expecting it to bloom at all, and now she got to see what had laid within all along.
Bella Swan was somehow, after all these years, making Marcus a person again, and Jane would finally get to see who that was.
"Marcus–" Carlisle said, only to stop, as if not sure what to say.
"Goddamn you, Marcus, and your–your reason for doing this!" Caius spluttered helplessly, then he added, "I will find you another doctor!"
"You can't," Marcus said simply.
"Marcus," Aro said, "Not that I'm not–grateful you've taken my side, but–accompany them? I realize this is Vlad and Stefan and they're–no longer in their prime, but it is still a risk and Renata cannot afford to come with you right now–"
"Did they have guards?" Marcus asked Jasper.
Jasper shook his head, looking as if he'd just been hit over the head, "No, Alice only ever saw the pair of them."
"Then surely Jane will suffice," Marcus said. "The fools will think we're there to hand her over, too."
"I can make a point of looking very upset," Jane piped up, excited now to be going on a mission with Marcus.
"I still don't like it," Caius said, "Has it occurred to either of you how vulnerable this makes us look? If we go off rescuing Edward then others out there may assume they have leverage if they kidnap any one of Carlisle Cullen's progeny. And are we going to say yes every time this happens?"
"Then perhaps the Romanians have outlived their usefulness," Marcus noted.
"Well," Aro said after a long pause, "I suppose I can't argue with that."
"Right then," Aro continued after another pause, "I suppose I'll have to summon Demetri. He's in Indonesia at the moment, but he can be back tomorrow."
Jasper closed his eyes, looking as if he was resolving himself to something. After a beat Jane realized that he wasn't sure if Edward would still be alive by tomorrow. By the look on Carlisle's face, he was thinking the same thing.
Aro turned to Jasper, and seemed to realize something. His face fell, and he was grimacing once again.
By the look on Carlisle's face, he had realized the same thing.
"Ah, Jasper," Aro smiled. It looked distinctly forced. "You are, of course, welcome to stay here until this mission is concluded. Please, be my guest."
He sent Carlisle a look, an extremely pointed look.
More damningly yet, Carlisle was staring right back, and trying to communicate something with his facial expression as well.
Jane frowned.
An hour earlier she would have assumed Aro was upset about Jasper staying because he might kill Bella, but now…
There was something else.
As Carlisle wound his arm through Jasper's, smiled at him, and said, "It is good to see you, Jasper, and I'd love to give you a tour of the palace, if you want, of course. Though, if you don't mind that we stop by my room first…" he gestured towards his cloak with a wry smile and a what-can-you-do shrug.
It could not more clearly have been a performance, especially considering the son in mortal peril that they all knew Carlisle was an anxious wreck for.
Jasper seemed to realize as much as well, but he said nothing, allowing Carlisle to lead him from the room.
In the moment before he disappeared through the door, Jane caught a glimpse of sudden realization and horror on his face, and he stumbled a step.
Yes, Jasper Hale had just become a guest of the Volturi, and he could not have been more terrified about that.