I Do Not Own Twilight

Bella logged into Polyglot and chewed on her bottom lip anxiously waiting for Aro's face to appear. She was tapping her fingers lightly on her mouse waiting. Once Aro appeared she smiled but the nervous feelings burst from her stomach. She knew she needed to tell Aro what happened but she was afraid he would be upset. She wasn't sure why though. She had only agreed to a date with Edward. It wasn't like Aro was interested in her and he was in Italy after all but still she was worried about telling him.

Aro smiled and his eyes melted as he looked at the screen to see his Isabella. "Cara mia, it is lovely to see you. I missed talking with you. I enjoy it so."

Bella blurted in one breath, "Edward asked if he could drive me to Seattle which is like a four-hour day trip because I told everyone that was why I wasn't going to the dance do you think this is a date?"

Aro frowned momentarily but quickly schooled his face into the mask of indifference he normally reserved for the throne room. He didn't like feeling upset about the girl's announcement but he was, "Yes, it is a date. If a gentleman offers to drive you anyplace four hours away you should consider it a date."

Bella's eyes grew wide and she felt like she might be sick. She wasn't sure if it was because she was going on a date, because the date was with Edward, or if the sick feeling was because she would have rather been going on a date with Aro. "I've never been on a date," she said flatly with no hint of enthusiasm.

Aro smiled weakly but it didn't light up his eyes, "Well the one piece of advice I can give you is to not act anything like the women in the rap music we have listened to and don't let him treat you in this manner either. You are a special, beautiful, intelligent, kind, thoughtful, magnificent, woman. He should treat you like the treasure you are." Aro sighed. He believed Bella was meant for someone else but to hear she was going to try to find someone else broke his unbeating heart. He wanted her for himself but he was too much of a gentleman to bring her into his world only to leave her.

"What did you do on dates when you were my age?" Bella asked wide-eyed.

Taking a deep breath and leaning back into his seat Aro folded his hands behind his head and thought. "We did not date the way people do now, Cara. We actually had our families arrange for someone to marry us and we met at the wedding."

Shocked Bella blurted, "Holy cow! What if the person was terrible?"

"I know, shocking isn't it. I was never interested in marriage so I left that life behind," Aro didn't explain he left the life behind because he got bit by a vampire. "The first person I dated, if you want to call it that, was Sulpicia, whom I later married."

"What was she like?"

"Oh, she was wonderful. She made me happy and I made her happy. We were content but that wasn't enough there was no passion or fire in our relationship. She didn't challenge my authority in her life but rather accepted my word a law. I thought this was wonderful at first but then I needed to be kept in check. She was also content to live her life the same way everyday while I want to keep learning and growing. I like to keep changing." He stopped in thought for a moment, "I can see now how we weren't enough for each other and I am not upset by this. I was very upset but now I see there is so much more out there for me." Aro sat back pondering what he had just revealed.

"Maybe you need to go on a date." Bella nodded sadly.

"What?" Aro gaped at her. She was always so surprising to him.

"Yes, I go to Seattle a week from Saturday. You should also go on a date on the same day and we can call each other to talk about it afterwards."

"I'm not sure that is a good idea."

Bella huffed, "It is a great idea. Then when we are nervous or having a miserable time you can say, 'I can't wait to tell Bella,' see it's brilliant." She smiled beaming at the idea.

Aro hesitated who could he possibly get to date him. He could ask Heidi or Jane. The thought of these two girls made him cringe. Jane was too young, more like a child. Heidi was too trashy for his taste. He wondered if maybe this was how he was supposed to meet his mate.

He sighed knowing if she was excited, he would do whatever she asked of him just to keep seeing her face light up the way it was, "Fine, I will attempt to find a date but if I cannot you must promise to not be upset. I would love to hear all about your date either way." Internally he knew he was more interested in making sure this Edward did nothing untoward to his Bella.

When he was finished with Bella, he found his brothers in the library. He sat down in an empty seat and called for Demetri. Demetri flew into the room seconds later. He smiled, "Demetri, I have been tasked with finding a date for a week from Saturday." At this announcement Caius and Marcus put down the books they were reading and stared open mouthed at Aro. He ignored their confused looks and continued, "I have been told my mate in out in the world and I feel compelled to go look in the North West portion of the United States. Can you see what vampires are in this area so I might whittle down who my mate could be."

Demetri's face remained stony. He thought this might be some type of test rather than a serious assignment. However, as soon as he glanced at his other masters, he realized this was something Aro was serious about. Demetri had assumed the lady Aro spoke with online was his mate judging by how serenely happy he was after he spoke with her. He bowed, "I will make a list master and then we can proceed."

Demetri left and came back within the hour. He had a very short list. The only unmated vampires in that entire region were the Denali sisters. Aro sighed upon hearing this, "Very well. I will call Eleazar for a visit then. The Denali coven is not our biggest fans. Still if one of them is my mate it will all work out."

Caius looked to Marcus, "Don't you have something to say about this date idea brother?"

Marcus's lips twitched into a wry grin and shook his head, "No I do not think I do, Caius. Aro will do what he will do," he said as his eyes twinkled with mirth.

Rolling his eyes at Marcus, Caius turned to Aro, "You cannot date a succubus. Besides it is just as likely your mate isn't a vampire yet at all. She is probably some beautiful young human who is eagerly waiting for you to make your move."

Marcus grunted and shot a look to Caius while Aro thought contemplatively about this. Aro sighed, "I do not believe my mate could be a human because I wouldn't have a pull to her unless I have met her. I do have a small pull in that direction."

"What if you met her but not in person. Don't you think you would feel something?" Caius scoffed annoyed that his normally intelligent brother was missing something so obvious.

Aro got up then to make his phone call to announce his visit to the Denali coven. He decided he wouldn't tell them his reason for visiting. He would just tell them he had other business he needed to attend to and wanted to stop by to visit Eleazar's coven. No sense in getting anyone's hopes up.

As soon as Aro left, Caius turned to Marcus in a rage. He was pacing the floor, "What was that brother?" He hissed. "We both know very well who is mate it so why leave him in the dark?"

Marcus's entire body was filled with a merriment Caius hadn't see in millennia, "Because brother it will be interesting to see what happens. Besides, this way Aro will be just a short run from Isabella. When he is this close to his mate surely, he will follow that pull and discover to his pleasant surprise who his beloved is. It is novel worthy really," he mused to himself.

Caius rolled his eyes and stomped off in a huff.