The first thing Carlisle did before anything else was checking the bruising around my neck. He put gentle pressure on it to see if it was causing me any pain around where it radiated. The pain was mostly dull, the usual sort a person felt when they bumped into something. He said that was a good sign that no other damage had been done. After that, he looked down my throat, which was awkward since he didn't have any instruments, but being a vampire, he had no trouble seeing.

"Are you having any difficulties breathing?" Carlisle asked.

"Nope," I replied, shaking my head. "Like I told Aro, I'm not sick. I coughed one time, well a few times but at the same time, and he immediately thinks that something's wrong. If anything, I'm just dehydrated, as I told him."

He smiled. "That would be my guess."

When Carlisle sat back in the chair, I decided to ask, "So, I'd imagine you know Aro pretty well, right?"

"It's been centuries since I lived in Volterra, but we've stayed in contact over the years. We spent a lot of time together before I left."

"Aro told me you had a falling out a few years back."

"Yes," Carlisle replied with a nod. "Though I wish to still call him friend, there were reasons I left when I did. I had a reminder of those reasons the last time we met."

Somehow, I knew the reasons he was referring to. After what Aro had shown me with the rogue vampire, the way he spoke, and his actions at times, I could easily see how that might push Carlisle away, just as it had pushed me away. "I can tell that Aro's happy you're here. I also just want to say thank you for coming, even if he didn't tell you all the details."

"I didn't have much of a choice, but had I known, I would've chosen to come either way."

"The Volturi really have that sort of pull?" I said out loud, a rhetorical question. "Aro told me about his coven, and the history of it, as well as the history of the whole vampire world as he knows it. He really does have that much power, doesn't he?"

"The Volturi are like royalty in our world," Carlisle affirmed. "They're a very old coven and very well respected. As long as one abides by the law, they aren't a threat, but if one breaks it, they can be ruthless in their punishment."

I swallowed. "I know. Aro had me sit in on a trial once. He told me some of their methods." I shook my head and sighed. "How did I get so lucky to be stuck mated to the most powerful vampire in the world?"

Carlisle gave a soft chuckle. "The one thing I can say is that he is very passionate. If you allow him to, he can treat you well." He paused before continuing. "How long have you been here?"

"A little over a month, I think." I took a deep breath before asking, "Carlisle, do you think you could talk to Aro for me? The way he's talked about you, he values what you say. He said that you were the one who told him to try courting me, and he's trying, I guess. The thing is, he told me about Isabella, or you said she prefers Bella, about how he let her leave even though she knew about vampires and was still human. Aro won't even let me see my parents, and I haven't talked to my mom in weeks. She thinks I'm traveling."

"I'm not sure I could be of any help. Above all else, Aro enforces the law. I do think it would be beneficial for you to have contact with your parents, a sort of preparation before he turns you. Is that something that you desire, to become like us?"

"Whether I do or I don't, I'm not being given a choice. Aro's hoping that I warm up to the idea and choose myself, but he said he won't wait forever either."

The door to the library opened, and I thought perhaps that Aro and Esme had returned, but instead, Marcus entered the room. Carlisle looked over at him before standing, and the two actually embraced. It was one of the only times I had ever seen Marcus smile. Marcus took a chair and joined us in our little space.

"It is wonderful to see you here again, Carlisle. It has been too long."

"Yes, it has," Carlisle replied to him.

I suddenly remembered that Aro mentioned Marcus had studied with Carlisle while he lived with them, and I wondered about that. I never had the chance to ask Marcus if medicine was something he was interested in. The two of them continued to catch up, and I simply listened in. Carlisle spoke mostly about his work at the hospital, and the way Marcus listened, I gathered the medical field was something he had strong feelings about, or maybe he was more curious about how Carlisle could so easily abstain.

I was amazed by some of the things Carlisle shared about the patients he had treated. He had one which had been in an accident on an icy highway in Alaska. The man had come into the hospital covered in blood. Carlisle had been the one to treat him. Perhaps the 'vegetarian' diet made him strong in other ways that the Volturi would never be.

Marcus began asking Carlisle about advances in medicine with the use of technology, which drew my attention. The way Aro acted with my mobile phone made me think technology wasn't an innovation the Volturi were curious about. Chelsea had a laptop, which she used for her work, and Demetri knew how to use the mobile phone. He had been the one to shut it down before handing it to Aro. I really would have to introduce Aro to a few things if I was going to be stuck here for the rest of my existence.

I was pulled back into the conversation when Carlisle asked Marcus if Caius still kept his collection. I knew immediately what he was referring to, whether Carlisle realized I did or not. Before Marcus could even reply, I said, "If you mean his specimen collection, then yeah." When Carlisle gave me a concerned glance, I quickly added, "He had his door open."

"I heard about that," Marcus commented. "Aro said it upset you greatly."

"There's nothing wrong with studying tissue samples, but I don't approve of his methods of getting said samples. Dissecting people alive… that's sadistic and barbaric."

It was then that Carlisle turned back to Marcus and shook his head. "His ability to hate will always confound me."

When the library door opened again, Aro had returned with Esme, and Felix was following close behind. I guessed they had already returned from Bulgaria with their quarry. "Marcus," Aro began, "Caius is waiting for us in the council chamber." He then turned to me, "Lia, Felix will escort you back to our quarters for now."

My heart sank. I was enjoying the conversation with Carlisle, and I had yet to even speak to Esme. "I can't stay here?"

"No, my dear. It would be best if you went back down."

I sighed as I stood up and made my way to Felix. I really didn't want to spend another afternoon alone with nothing to do in his rooms, not when I was so intrigued by these two golden-eyed vampires. Were they going to be staying here as guests? How long did Carlisle plan to stay and help Emilio?

As I reached Aro, I took his hand in mine and met his eyes, telling him silently that I really wanted to talk more with Carlisle and Esme, and he nodded, seeming to understand. "Esme," he said, speaking to Carlisle's wife, "perhaps you might join Lia for a while and keep her company?"

Her smile was almost contagious. "I would love to."

"Excellent. Carlisle, I would entreat you to join us for this…meeting. It'll be like past times," Aro spoke to him next, and whether or not Carlisle was comfortable with what undoubtedly was an order, he obliged without even a hint of disapproval.

As we went our separate ways, I spotted Demetri escorting a man, another vampire, in the direction I knew the council chamber to be in. The newest vampire in the building must have caught my scent because he glanced back at me as they walked. They seemed to be in friendly conversation, he wasn't being escorted against his will, and I wondered if he was one of the witnesses Aro had mentioned the night when Felix and Demetri had to skip out on the movie. Aro called it a meeting, but I knew it would be a trial, and I wondered if he would bear witness as if in an actual court.

What worried me most about this vampire, however, was that I didn't spot hunger in his eyes. Hunger would have made sense if he smelled my blood, and I knew he could. The look of curiosity, on the other hand, which came through as a pointed glare stabbing through my stomach, sent up a nauseating feeling of needing to turn away or even run.

Once they had disappeared, and we had reached the elevator, I asked Felix, "Who was that with Demetri?"

"The head of the Bulgarian coven, Stoyan." Felix didn't volunteer any further information, so I chose not to ask anything else.

When we reached Aro's quarters, I let Esme inside first and then followed. Felix took off immediately after, probably needed for the trial, and I sighed before turning to Esme. "I despise this room. I've been stuck in here more often than not over the past month and a half. I'm sick of it."

"It could use a feminine touch," I heard Esme say.

I couldn't help myself, and I started laughing at such a simple comment. "Yeah, maybe, but it's very him."

I went to sit on the sofa. Esme joined me a moment later. Her soft and warm-colored eyes met mine, and I knew what was coming next. Carlisle had wondered, too. "Was it Aro?"

"It was an accident. He was trying to prove a point or something. I'm not so sure it worked. Flawed logic," I answered.

"Has he done anything since?"

I bit my lip. I wondered what Aro would say if he knew she was asking me these questions. Would he care? Shaking my head, I replied, "No. He's been okay, and it was just the once. I mean, he did practically dislocate my wrist after he first decided I wasn't leaving, but he used too much strength. Guess he still forgets how fragile humans are." I sighed. "He's really not horrible, just frustrating."

Wanting a change in subject, I moved on to Esme and Carlisle. The way they looked at each other, I could tell they would probably do anything for the other. "You know, Aro told me that I would really like Carlisle, that he was nothing like him. He seems so compassionate about what he does. Listening to him and Marcus talk earlier, I could tell." I paused and glanced back up at Esme. "How did you two meet?"

"The first time, I was sixteen, and I had broken my leg after falling out of a tree. Carlisle was on call, but he left soon after, traveling to another town. I didn't think I would ever see him again, but I never forgot his kindness and his strange golden eyes. I thought about him often." A fond expression came about her face, and I could tell she remembered something.

"Carlisle saved me from myself. It was ten years later when we met again after I had lost my son from lung fever. He was only two days old. I couldn't bear going on, and I walked right off of a cliff, hoping to escape the life I had been given. I was left for dead, but Carlisle, who happened to be in the area, remembered me from all those years before, and he changed me instead.

"He introduced me to the vegetarian lifestyle, but there were times, in the beginning, when the thirst would be too strong. I was terrified that he'd be upset that I had lost control, but Carlisle was always patient with me, a completely different experience than what I had known with my first husband while I was still human. His demeanor confounded me, but every time, it was the same. He would forgive. I couldn't not fall in love with him."

"It's no wonder Aro asked Carlisle for advice," I said. "We're almost complete opposites, Aro and me. We come from different times, think differently. It's almost cruel. He would've been better off with someone, with a mate, who understood him."

I shook my head with the slightest laugh. "I always told my mom that when I met someone, my husband would have to be okay with me calling some shots. I didn't want to play a subservient role. Aro, on the other hand, he's used to being obeyed, and I can see that when he's ruling, governing, or whatever you call it. I get it. He has a lot of responsibilities, and he's greatly respected from what I've seen. Even rulers of nations expect their orders and laws to be followed. But when it's all of the time… I just can't."

"I only know Aro through Carlisle, and this is the second time we've met. I don't have any special abilities like others do, but when we were walking through the gallery, Aro spoke highly of you. I think you surprise him more than he'd like to admit, and he's unsure of how to react," Esme told me. "Aro is very old, and one thing that I've noticed is that once someone is set in their ways, it's very hard for them to change. That doesn't mean they can't, but it takes more work."

"Carlisle suggested that he try courting me."

"How is that coming along?"

I hummed. "Aro took me to a garden that he said he had built for me, and he helped me cook dinner yesterday as well. Those things are nice, I guess, especially the garden. It's indoors, but it was nice to be back in nature again. Still, he has a long way to go and a lot to learn. The thing I want the most right now, he says I can't have because it goes against the law."

Esme was so easy to talk to, easier even than Carlisle. There was something that radiated about her that made her feel safe like I could tell her anything, and there was something about her that reminded me of my mother. A tear fell before I could stop it, and I brushed it away. "I would never say anything to anyone. I just want to see my parents again." The words barely made it out before the first sob hit my chest.

I felt Esme wrap her arms around me, and I cried. Whether she knew that I needed it or not, it helped. Esme was a woman, she was a mother, and she was separated from the Volturi. It was different talking to her than it ever would be to Chelsea, and while Sulpicia had insight on Aro that I should take advantage of again at some point, Esme had simply shown me understanding.

Chelsea tried to excuse Aro's behaviors, and Sulpicia said she wanted to be a friend but still defended his actions by saying it was best not to test Aro's patience. They were loyal to him. While I understood that Esme was loyal to Carlisle and Carlisle respected Aro, she wasn't bound to Aro either, like Chelsea and Sulpicia were. This left her actions uninfluenced. What she did and said, she meant, and it wasn't for Aro's benefit. It was for mine.

Eventually, the tears stopped, and I sat up, wiping my face. "I'm sorry. That kind of hit out of nowhere."

Esme smiled at me. "Don't apologize. Sometimes you need to cry. There's a lot that's happened, I'm sure. I can't imagine this being easy."

"My parents think I'm traveling Europe with a friend I made. If anything, they're going to start thinking the worst. I keep wondering how Aro's going to break the news. Maybe I'll be killed in some freak accident." I sighed, a small disbelieving laugh making its way through. "Maybe he's right. Maybe it is better this way. I just wanted to be able to say goodbye."

Suddenly I stood, wanting to get off of the topic as I felt another session of tears coming, and I went over to the antique radio, turning it on and setting the dial. There was no real reason for it besides the need for noise outside of my head. I turned back to Esme. "How long do you think you and Carlisle will stay?"

"I imagine that's up to Aro," she replied. She didn't seem perturbed by the thought at all.

"I was the one who asked Aro to contact Carlisle and see if he would come. Aro decided to turn my best friend. He had mentioned Carlisle before, so I knew he was a doctor. Emilio was studying to be one. I was hoping Carlisle could help, thinking maybe he could share some secret or something, but it sounds like it's dependent on something Aro probably won't allow. The whole drinking animal blood thing. But who knows? Maybe he'll surprise us."

Esme and I chatted for a while longer. The topic of conversation ended up switching to the art and architecture of the building. Esme apparently had degrees in art, architecture, and photography, and she was raving about the design and the gallery which Aro had shown her. I had to agree with her. The interior of the building itself, no matter which wing you were in, was beautiful.

At some point, I pulled out a board game, backgammon, that Demetri and I had played together some time back. We had left it on one of the shelves behind Aro's desk, and Aro had never said anything about it. Therefore, it never got moved. Honestly, I had forgotten all about it until I had gone to turn on the radio and saw it sitting there. Aro was taking his sweet time with the trial. He would probably speak with Stoyan afterward, since he was the Bulgarian coven leader, and perhaps Aro would catch up with Carlisle as well. Either way, I wasn't complaining. He could take as much time as he wanted. Esme's company was refreshing.

Eventually, Carlisle and Chelsea appeared at the door, and Carlisle wrapped Esme in his arms, kissing her softly. It made me happy to see them that way, so in love. I wondered if Aro and I would ever have something like that. With the rate at which things were going, I seriously doubted it.

Carlisle and Esme said their goodbyes to me and went off to another part of the building. Supposedly they were staying in a guest room for the night. Aro had taken Carlisle to see Emilio, and he mentioned that he would probably complete the change by the end of the next day. Remembering what Demetri had told me about the change, that it felt longer than it really was, I wondered just what was going through Emilio's mind at this time, if there were any thoughts at all.

Chelsea had brought her laptop with her and sat it on Aro's desk, facing out so I could see the screen. She beckoned me over, so I stood up and went to her. "Aro wanted you to pick a movie to watch tonight."

That was when I noticed the clock on the laptop screen. It was already 1700 hours. I had slept a lot later than I thought. It made sense. I had been up really early the morning before with Emilio, and then after all of the events that had happened, I probably needed the rest. "Okay. What's available?"

Chelsea scrolled through the list of movies, but knowing Aro was expecting to watch a romance, I had her click on that section of films and scroll through them. I finally found the movie that, in some ways, felt perfect for watching and settled on it. Chelsea gave me a strange look, and I only shrugged.

She waited with me, and I began to clean up the game, putting it back on the shelf where it would probably stay for another couple of weeks or so before I noticed it again. "What's Aro doing right now? Do you know when he'll be down?"

"It shouldn't be too long," Chelsea replied. "He was waiting on something."

I nodded. "Chelsea, were you at the trial?"

"I usually am."

"What happened? I saw Demetri with Stoyan, at least that's what Felix said his name was."

"Nothing unusual. Aro spoke with Stoyan, who apologized for his coven member's actions, and then the masters decided on the fate of the two who broke the law."

"Which was?" I asked carefully.

"I don't think I need to explain that," Chelsea stated, looking back at me. "You've viewed a trial before. You already know the answer. Although, after Aro and Stoyan spoke, Aro did give one a stay of execution."

I bit my lip. A stay of execution meant a delay in court orders in human terms, but what did it mean for vampires? It's not like they had an actual prison system, or did they? Even I had been locked in a cell overnight. "What does that mean in the vampire world?"

"It means that they're delaying their judgment on one of the vampires involved. Aro must have seen something when looking through his thoughts. It's rare, but it's happened before."

"Now, what happens?"

"He awaits another trial while the masters deliberate what to do. He'll be put further underground until the decision is made."

It would seem it was a prison system then, but one that was rarely used. Aro did say that a punishment sometimes decided on would be desiccation. The thought still disgusted me.

Not long after, the door opened again, and Aro glided into the room, holding something in his hands that smelled amazing. He set the carry out box on his desk before turning to Chelsea, kissing her quickly on the cheek like friends might do, and watching her leave. The radio was still on, and I saw him close his eyes momentarily as if he was picturing a symphony in his head. It was when he came over to me and held out his hand that I shrunk back into the sofa where I had seated myself again.

"I only wish to dance, my dear. This is a common behavior between lovers, is it not?" I coughed, choking from his blatant words spoken allowed again, and he frowned. "Carlisle informed me that you were well. I've never known him to be mistaken."

"He's not. I'm fine. You just startled me."

Aro hummed, his eyes intense, and I sighed, taking his hand. His face lit up. He truly was so much a child. I remembered then that he had my hand in his, and he could hear all of my thoughts, and when he chuckled, I had the urge to step on his foot for it. "Play nice, my love." It wasn't a warning, but a playful comment made, and when he picked me up and placed my feet on top of his, he said, "Besides, you would only hurt yourself. I'm quite indestructible."

I rolled my eyes. I wondered if this, too, had been a suggestion of Carlisle's. Even thinking about it, Aro didn't answer, but I had to admit, I was okay with it. I much preferred him this way, and his movements were insanely smooth. Then again, he was a vampire. I shouldn't have expected anything else.

When the piece ended, Aro released me with a broad grin on his face. "See? You enjoyed that." He went to turn the radio off and then walked to the sofa, which he picked up with ease and moved it to the middle of the floor.

"Can't you wear gloves or something?"

"Gloves?" he asked curiously.

"Over your hands, so I'm able to tell you what I'm thinking rather than you just stealing my thoughts from me."

"That is a difficult request, but perhaps, next time," he said, referring to the dancing I assumed. "I'm sure I could find something."

Aro gestured me over to the sofa, and I sat down where it was now seated in front of his desk, Chelsea's laptop in front of us. Aro grabbed the carry out box and handed it to me. When I opened it, I saw gnocchi with broccoli, tomatoes, and olives with a ricotta cheese sauce. Without even having to ask, I knew exactly where it came from based only on the way it had been presented. The owner had been a friend of the family for years. In a perfect little placement were utensils to eat with, and I picked up the fork and took a bite.

"Is it to your liking? I sent Caterina out tonight for your meal, so you could eat while we watched the movie together."

Dinner and a movie. Great. Wonder where he got that idea from. Needless to say, I was glad Aro wasn't having dinner with me. "Yeah. Riccardo is a good friend of my dad's. I'd recognize his prep anywhere."

"I'm glad to hear that." Aro glanced over at the laptop and said, "Seeing as I'm not sure how to use the computer, what movie did you decide for us to watch tonight?"

"If you hit the spacebar, the long rectangular key at the bottom of the keyboard, it should automatically start. Chelsea pulled it up already." Aro stood up to do so, and I continued, "I thought we could watch Titanic."

"The unsinkable ship that sank in 1912?"

"Yeah. You like historical things, and it's one of the greater romance movies of all time, according to some people. Fair warning though, it contains nudity."

When Aro turned back to me, the expression on his face was thoughtful. "That won't be a problem. I've seen my share of bodies over the years. Though I imagined such a thing would be problematic for you."

I shrugged. "It's just a movie." Before he could hit the spacebar, I added, "So, you've seen your share? Just how many women have you been within your 3000 years?"

"Is that jealousy being spoken?"

"No, I'm just curious."

"Then, you might be astonished to know that I have only been with one," Aro answered. "Festivals, on the other hand, contributed to the majority of my viewing."

I was shocked, but I also admired him for his commitment. It was a strange thought to me. "Only one person in 3000 years. Most men nowadays want as much as they can get from whomever they can get it from, at least that's been my knowledge."

"And yet you remain untouched, though barely."

I knew then that he was referring to Emilio, and I changed the trajectory. "I was too weird for anyone to approach. And for your information, you were the first person to ever see me without clothes, so your spoken jealousy is unwarranted."

He smirked at that, a satisfied look on his face. I chose to ignore it. "One day, I hope to see and do much more than just that."

I swallowed, and thankfully, instead of the conversation continuing, Aro pressed the spacebar, turned out the lamp lights in the room, and sat down next to me as Hymn to the Sea began to play.

A/N: There's a reason behind the Titanic choice. Can anyone guess what it is? I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Leave your reviews. It's selfish, but the reviews and all of you are one of the only reasons I'm getting through this right now. I'm struggling badly, but I'm trying because I have others that are depending on me to be strong for them. If I can at least know that I'm entertaining some people on here, then it's enough to keep me going another day. Love you all.