AN: I don't own bugger all.

This is the last chapter for 1667, December. Enjoy :)

SEALING THE DEAL

Felix walked behind Aro all the way back to their chambers. Aro could hear his boy sobbing quietly, but he refused to pay any attention to it. Basileus was paying a similar lack of care to Carlisle's mutterings but he had pushed his son ahead - he wanted Carlisle nowhere near Felix for a good long while.

"Go up. I won't be long," Aro told Felix tersely when they reached the south tower. The lack of affection from his father really stung but it was still preferable to being in the dungeon with Caius taunting him.

Aro waited for his boy to disappear up the stairs and for Carlisle to go into their father's chambers before he pulled Eleazar and Basileus aside.

"Do you think that will be enough?" he asked, looking rather pleased with himself.

Basileus laughed lightly. "Well, Felix looks scared to death and judging Carlisle's thoughts he has no intention of stepping out of line again."

Eleazar sighed in relief and literally collapsed into the wall. "Thank god!" he exclaimed. For the perpetual peacemaker, Carlisle's reign of troublemaking had worn heavily on Eleazar.

"Yes, we know how problematic this has been for you, brother," Aro said sarcastically.

"Hey, they are your sons, but we have all suffered!" Eleazar retorted, shoving Aro away. "And Carlisle lived in my quarters ... "

"For five minutes until you threw him out!" Aro wasn't letting that go.

Carlisle had been Eleazar's roommate for less than a week - he'd taken a veritable round of fucks for it, but Basileus eventually relented to Eleazar's complaining and took Carlisle back. He had only very recently been accepted back into Eleazar's chambers and since that was how Felix had gotten to his uncle to begin the whole debacle, Carlisle would be Basileus' guest again for the foreseeable future.

Basileus listened to his sons arguing back and forth for only another moment or two before his booming voice had them both ducking for cover.

"That enough!" he roared. "We have just got those two on the straight and narrow, I refuse to listen to your damn bickering now!" Basileus pushed his sons up the stairs. "I have to seal the deal with Carlisle. Aro, I expect you need to be doing the same with Felix, yes?"

Eleazar stifled his laughter as he went into his own quarters, relieved to only have himself and Carmen to worry about.

"Seal the deal ... " Aro said to himself as he ambled up the stairs. He could hear Sulpicia fussing over their eldest before he'd even opened the door.

"Was this really necessary?"

Aro bit his lip. He was not in the mood for a war with his wife right now, which was a shame as Sulpicia was going to rip his head off whether he retaliated or not!

"Look at what you have done to him!" she raged, pointing out the tearful teenager she was bandaging.

Aro gulped. He had purposefully avoided looking at Felix's whip wounds when they were down in the dungeons - 15 perfect slices were impressed upon his son's back, and though the bleeding had ceased, it looked painfully raw. He was sure they wouldn't scar though, Aro had made sure he didn't exert enough strength for that.

"Three times, Aro! Three times you hit him with that whip - it has five tails, for god sake! Why would you do that to our son?"

Aro flashed to his wife's side and took the bandage from her hands. "Because he broke into Marcus' chambers and stole his opium!" he shot back as he began winding the linen strip around his boy's body.

Sulpicia looked ready to spit fire! "Aro…"

"SULLY!" Aro stopped her tirade before it could begin. "This had to happen. You need to support me."

Sulpicia considered her husband's eyes ... they weren't as black as she had been expecting. You aren't angry, you are calm, why are you so calm? she wondered. As she watched Aro bandage their boy, she noted the care he took over the task. You are doing a better job than I was, Felix has barely winced since you took over. There must be more to all of this… Atia said taking Felix to the dungeons was for Carlisle's benefit. Perhaps Basileus ordered the whipping? Cruel, cruel man!

"Sully, you should check on the twins after what they witnessed in the great hall," Aro said pointedly, bringing Sulpicia from her wondering thoughts. "Take your time," Aro called after his mate as she unwillingly left him and Felix alone.

Sulpicia knew Aro would need to talk to their son and as she clasped her hands to her dead heart, she prayed that was all he would do.

Felix had hardly moved in his chair, he appeared to be frozen in Aro's presence. "You are restricted to this tower for three months, the same as Demetri. Understood?"

Felix flinched at Aro's stern tone. "Yes master," he replied with a shaky voice.

It was Aro's turn to flinch! Felix hadn't called him that in years and it hurt to hear it, although Aro chose not to correct him immediately. "All of this; climbing out of your window, breaking into Marcus' quarters, smoking opium ... was to put me in my place, was it?" Aro asked as he tied off the cloth at Felix's shoulder.

"No. I'm sorry," Felix replied quietly.

Aro couldn't see his face but he could tell from Felix's voice that he was crying.

"Yes it was - it's all here in your mind," Aro retorted, pulling his son's head back by his hair.

Standing over his boy and looking into his sad ruby eyes, Aro listened to Felix's memories to see what he'd made of being sent to the dungeons.

Disbelief ... that was your first thought, then fear - good to know Caius and Magnus can illicit that in you even if I cannot. Oh, you weren't scared of them. Losing us, all of us, your family. You were scared you'd lost your family ... that will never happen, my boy, but I must allow you to think you'd come close for a while or your suffering would have been for nothing.

When Aro let go of his son's hair, Felix sprung his head forward and started rubbing out the ache in his neck.

Taking a seat, Aro pulled Felix's chair around so they were face to face. Felix, however, kept his head down.

"Look at me," Aro said softly. Felix continued snivelling but refused to look up. "Look at me!" Aro commanded a second time. Felix heard the warning in his tone and after wiping his eyes a few times and realising his tears would only keep coming, he finally met Aro's eyes with his own.

"Do you want to be part of this family, Felix, or would you rather join the guard?"

That was it, full on waterworks. "Please don't throw me out! You can't, please!" Felix spluttered his rushed reply.

Aro sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, eying his boy sternly. "Of course I can," he scoffed, "but that doesn't answer my question. Do you want to be part of this family or not?"

Felix winced at his father's tone; he sounded so cold, so uncaring. "I do, yes. You know I do."

Aro shook his head. "You aren't acting like you do."

"I was pissed off, I was stupid," Felix explained. Even he would agree that it was a piss poor explanation.

"Every time you are pissed off with me you do something VERY stupid, and it's getting worse! Each time the tempo on your disastrous schemes steps up a notch. This cannot continue, Felix." Aro bit his lip, he didn't want to say too much. He didn't want to threaten too much either - he was running out of options to bring his boy to good sense.

Ha! He will never come to good sense, Aro corrected himself.

"I know being an immortal teenager is difficult, but being the parent of an immortal teenager isn't easy either! And I hate to tell you this son, but there will be plenty more times in our future where you are pissed off with me - just how far are you going to go in your mission to get back at me every time I do something you don't like?"

Felix slumped forward over the back rest of his chair and hung his head low.

"Look at me!" Aro roared as his son dropped eye contact again. "If I have to tell you again, you can expect a far more physical reminder!"

Felix took a sharp intake of breath. His back was still bloody ... I can't take anymore, he thought as he swore to himself to stare at Aro, regardless, for the rest of their not-so cosy conversation.

"I won't do anything like this again, not ever," Felix said solemnly.

"You say that every time," Aro said blankly.

Felix smirked to his father. "But I never do the same thing twice."

Aro stood up so fast that his chair flew out behind him and smashed into the wall. "Do you think this is funny?"

Oh fuck, he's going to kill me! Felix held an arm across his face, it was the only exposed part of him facing Aro.

"Get up, you can go back to Caius. Fuck Carlisle's promises! You are out of control and I am not wasting any more of my time on your irrational bullshit!" Aro looked furious and Felix was genuinely scared his father was, well, no longer his father.

"I'm not out of control, I won't fuck up again, I won't. I don't want to leave. You're my family, you can't just throw me out when you've had enough. Family doesn't work like that. You said so yourself. Please, Dad."

Aro narrowed his eyes. Why can't I keep control of my temper with this boy? Don't escalate the situation Aro, calm down for god sake!

Felix could see his father was wavering. "I will stay in the tower, three months you said, I will stay - make it longer if you'd like! I will show you I can follow orders, Dad."

Aro folded his arms. "And, if you don't?"

Felix sighed. "Then I will join the guard instead."

Aro scoffed. "If Magnus will have you, you mean. You don't have a glowing resume, son - you are a thief, Felix."

Felix made a guttural noise as though he had been kicked in the gut. It really hurt to hear Aro say that.

"Who knows what Marcus will have to say about this when he returns," Aro added, really twisting the knife.

"I will take whatever Marcus decides. I want to make this right ... if you will give me the chance to." Felix could hear Aro's low growl. He knew his father was deciding on his fate and the pressure of the shitty situation Felix had created now weighed heavily on the youth.

They both turned to see Sulpicia standing in the archway - she'd come to hear Aro's final decree, too.

Aro looked between his son and wife. Truthfully, he wanted to ease both of their suffering. He knew he shouldn't show any weakness in front of Felix but he would have to relent a little for Sully's sake. You are living on a knifes edge, son.

"My queen, our son needs some clothes," he called softly to Sulpicia, "will you find something suitable of mine for him, please?"

Sulpicia smiled to herself. I'm glad you are bringing some of my boy's suffering to an end.

Felix released his held breath and relaxed for the first time in many hours. Oh, thank the gods, he thought.

"Three months, Felix ... at least. I may decide to extend your restriction and you will take it without complaint."

Felix nodded with gusto to Aro's words, relief flooding his body.

"Marcus will be home in a week or two - you will be explaining and apologising to him ... along with whatever else he decides is necessary."

Felix continued to nod gratefully, though his stomach flipped over with the prospect of facing yet another master of the coven.

Sulpicia came back into the living chambers with a pile of Aro's clothes for her son. Aro noticed immediately that his dear wife had chosen some of his favourite items. "You know I still wear those," he said pointedly, clearly disapproving of her choices.

"Really? Oh, never mind," Sulpicia replied gracefully, feigning ignorance as she passed the bundle to her son.

Aro rolled his eyes but Felix was grateful to see his father allowed him to keep his mother's offerings. Perhaps he doesn't hate me, then, he wondered hopefully.

Sulpicia stroked her baby's tear stained cheeks and whispered to him, "you needn't worry, my darling, all will be well," before leaving his side and siting by the fire.

Felix longed to go and sit with her; he wanted to ask 'how?' and importantly, 'when?' but he knew better than to move before Aro released him.

Aro glanced at the oak, long case clock. It's late, he needs to sleep, he thought, deciding to wrap things up. He took the clothes from Felix and gestured for him to stand. "I would like these returned in the same condition in which you are receiving them, understood?" he asked as he flipped through the items making a mental note of what Felix was taking.

"Of course, thank you," Felix sensibly replied.

Aro heard his boy gulp before he spoke, much to his amusement. "So, I suggest you refrain from climbing any walls," Felix took a shaky breath in, "or rolling in the grass with random peasants." Aro finished with a wink.

Felix's eyes widened hearing him refer to his tussle with Heidi so casually, especially as she was the reason for the beginnings of this whole mess. Aro laughed lightly and passed his son his 'new' threads.

Felix managed to raise a slightly nervous smile.

"These will do you for a few weeks whilst the new uniforms are being made. Freyr will be taking everyone's measurements over the next few days."

Felix desperately wanted to know what uniform he was going to be in, he felt his fate was less than certain and wondered if Aro would start him at the bottom of the rung.

Aro knew what his boy would be thinking. He's suffered enough ... for now, he thought. "You are my son. I want you dressed as such, so you will require the gold embellishments on your clothes, yes?"

Felix looked to the floor as his grin spread from ear to ear. He didn't want Aro to think he wasn't taking things seriously enough. He couldn't speak, he didn't trust his voice. Instead he dropped the stack of clothes to the floor and threw his arms around his father, expressing his gratitude physically. He was overjoyed when Aro returned the embrace with as much force, feeling safe, if still well chastised, in his father's arms.

"Do not call me master, ever again," Aro whispered to his boy and kissed the top of his head when he felt his son nodding in grateful agreement.

"Can we talk now?" Sulpicia asked once she was sure Felix was in his room.

Aro sighed, he was exhausted. "I'm not arguing about all this with you, my queen," he eventually replied as he sank into the seat next to his wife.

"I have no desire to argue either, my love," she said genuinely. "I just want to know what happened after was I ordered to leave Basileus' chambers."

That sounded a little more abrasive, Aro thought doing a mental huff in protest. "It wasn't my idea to whip the pair of them, if that's what you want to know," he said, staring ahead. "Basileus called it, it was out of my hands."

Sulpicia raised an eyebrow to her husband. "It was very much in your hand, my love. But, nonetheless, I understand you had little choice."

Aro sighed deeply in reply. It pissed him off to no end when Basileus interfered in coven matters, unless he was giving Aro his undivided support, of course.

"Atia told me this whole thing with Felix and the dungeons was to stop Carlisle using our son for his own rebellions."

Aro nodded to his mate and noticed her expression - complete disbelief. "I know that face," he said. She looked so pissed off with him.

"You should! I wear it often," Sulpicia replied sternly.

Aro smirked. "Don't use your 'Atia voice' with me, I am not one of your children, my queen."

Sulpicia's face softened until she eventually laughed. "I do not have an 'Atia voice'!" she said, giving her husband a jab with her elbow for the perceived insult.

Aro nodded. "Sure you do," he replied, playfully winding her up, "but you have a heart - that is where you differ, my love."

Sulpicia whistled. "Those are brave words, my love. Your dear mother will read that in your

mind ... "

"I have no doubt about it, my queen," Aro replied with a sigh, "and she will certainly have something to say - that cantankerous old bitch lets nothing go!"

Sulpicia's eyes bulged at Aro's reckless words.

He saw, but waved away her concerns. "I can handle Atia, don't worry." He said it, but he didn't believe it. Aro knew he was on Atia's hit list - she wanted to stamp her authority all over him but he wasn't going down without a fight, that was for damn sure! Though Aro would never admit it, his rationalising when it came to matters with his parents was so very Felix-like.

A huge smile spread across Aro's face as he remembered something he wanted to share with Sulpicia. "I haven't had the chance to tell you, my queen, but guess who gave Carlisle the fuel for his emotional blackmailing of Basileus ... " Aro waited for Sulpicia to guess.

"Atia? No! Surely not?!"

Aro nodded gleefully. "Yes! During her little counselling sessions with Carlisle, she planted the seed that he was being such a prick because he was upset about Basileus killing the pastor - which was rubbish. He felt nothing at all until Atia gave him the idea and he has been using it against Basileus ever since."

He shouldn't have felt as good about his little discovery as he did, but Atia had been lording it over Aro and his brothers - the whole Volturi family, in fact, since her arrival in Volterra and it felt great to be able to throw something, anything, back in her face.

Sulpicia, too, felt the same sort of one-upmanship. Atia took every chance she could get to instruct the vampire queen on how to be a better mother and it was seriously pissing her off. The pair shared a giggle as Aro told his mate how Atia had flounced out of Basileus' chambers when he had told her of Carlisle's trickery.

"Will you tell Felix the truth, Aro?" Sully asked, pulling her mate from his thoughts. "Please," she added when Aro failed to respond immediately.

"I will," he finally agreed, "but he must believe it for a while yet, my queen. Otherwise it will have all been for nothing and frankly, I have run out of ideas for getting him back on the straight and narrow. Carlisle, too, for that matter."

Sulpicia smiled sadly to her husband. She wanted to go to her boy and tell him the whole thing was a charade, that he was their son and they would never send him away, no matter what he did. But she wouldn't go against Aro. "We can't keep Felix and Demetri cooped up in this tower for the next three months, my love."

Aro took his mate's hand in her own. "I agree with you there, but we will be going against Basileus if we let them out ... do you really want to do that?"

Sulpicia's thoughts answered far quicker and louder than she audibly voiced them. She literally screamed 'YES' inside her mind.

Aro smiled mischievously. "You know I cannot protect you from my father, my queen. If you choose to go against him, I have no idea what he will do in return." Aro meant it too, he had no frame of reference for how Basileus would react if Sulpicia were the one leading any defiance against him, simply because she had never gone against the almighty creator before.

"They are my children, Aro. As their mother I will answer to no one."

Sulpicia sounded resolute, but Aro had to wonder where this new confidence would lead his dear wife.

…

Basileus entered his own chambers and closed the door quietly behind him. He had heard Carlisle taking Atia's forceful dressing down without complaint before he'd opened the door, but now that he was in the room, she clearly expected him to take over. He threw them both when he simply took a seat and ignored the pair of them.

"Basileus, aren't you going to say anything?!" Atia implored, still feeling incensed that Aro was going to hand Carlisle a royal position after all he had done. You must do something! She spoke through her thoughts.

Basileus heard. "Why must I?" he asked aloud, appearing disinterested at best. "I do not need to hear his excuses or what he has to say for himself - his actions have already spoken the truth."

Carlisle groaned from his corner as though he had been sucker punched. He had stayed quiet whist Atia had taken her turn in telling him what a deceitful piece of scum he was. He deserved it, he knew that. But hearing his father talk so dispassionately about him, sounding so hollow ... it really hurt.

"Please, my lord, I know I have wronged you ... "

Basileus started laughing. "Wronged me?" he repeated. "Hmm, something like that." He laughed again.

Carlisle couldn't see what was so funny, although judging by his father's laugh he knew there wasn't a joke as such. That laugh sounds dangerous, he thought, not daring to move.

"I want to put things right, if I can," he said quietly. Silence. Carlisle looked between his two parental figures - Atia stood behind Basileus, vibrating with anger. Basileus, however, remained cool, relaxing easily into his chair. His eyes though ... they bored into his son as if accessing his very soul.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Carlisle pushed with a little annoyance to his tone.

"Oh, I have PLENTY to say to you!" Atia vented.

Basileus shushed his mate without taking his eyes off Carlisle. "My dear, would you be so kind as to find something suitable to bandage his back. Eleazar may have some supplies."

Atia huffed. "Of course," she replied tersely to her husband before turning on Carlisle. "I haven't finished with you," she spat.

Carlisle flinched. Other than their initial meeting, he had grown quite close to his mother figure and had become accustomed to having her on his side. That ship has sailed, he thought glumly. What was I thinking?

"That's what I would like to know, son." Basileus answered his boy's thoughts.

Carlisle gulped. "I'm sorry." It was the only thing he could think to say.

Basileus laughed again. The laughing was starting to piss Carlisle off! Basileus stood up and started wandering aimlessly around his living space. Every time he came close to Carlisle he noticed his boy pressing himself harder and harder into the wall.

"How many times have I told you how sorry I am for what happened in England?"

Carlisle gulped. "Quite a few, my lord."

Basileus mused for a moment, coming to a stop as he rapidly counted the times in his memory. "Twenty-six."

Carlisle winced.

"Twenty-six times you have lied to my face on that matter. Twenty-six times I asked for your forgiveness and you told me you could never forgive my actions." Coming face to face with his boy, Basileus loomed over Carlisle. "Twenty-six times. Two years."

Carlisle felt an oppressive feeling of foreboding come over him. He knew Basileus well enough in their few years together to know that he would use those numbers… somehow.

Basileus continued to stare his son down.

Carlisle wondered if he should say something, the silence was killing him. "I forgive you for killing the pastor," he ventured softly.

BIG mistake!

The small smile fell from Basileus' face to be replaced with the contorted features of pure rage. With a hand on each of his shoulders, Basileus forced Carlisle into the wall and showed no regrets for the gasping coming from his son, nor for the tears running down his cheeks. The pain from Carlisle's whip wounds was blinding.

"Don't you dare try and use that against me, not ever again!" Basileus ground out, only inches from his son's face.

Carlisle shook his head rapidly, as his voice was apparently frozen in fear.

"First thing tomorrow I am going to arrange a proper medical store in the castle, this is quite ridiculous!" Atia announced as she came through the door clutching a collection of linen strips she had managed to obtain from Eleazar.

She stopped in her tracks seeing Basileus holding Carlisle up the wall. "That's more like it," she said, pleased that her husband had taken some action in her absence.

Basileus immediately released Carlisle who gave a shaky sigh as he tried to regain his composure.

"He is not to leave our sight for the next three months," Basileus announced to his mate with jet black eyes.

"Three months?" Atia questioned the timescale - she would have imposed a far greater length.

Basileus nodded. "That's when Aro is filling our halls with outside covens! If at their time of arrival, Carlisle hasn't behaved impeccably, he will be in the dungeons for the duration of their visit."

Carlisle's head was doing somersaults hearing his father's decree. But he still hasn't forgiven me? Perhaps after the three months, he wondered.

"No," Basileus sneered, "I imagine it will be a good while longer than that." He watched as the words sunk into his boy's head. You have no idea how much you have hurt me, son.

"What can I do?" Carlisle asked, looking quite bereft.

Basileus shrugged. "You are a thief. You are a liar. You have lost my trust. How do you propose to make amends for all you have done?"

Carlisle stuttered, he couldn't come up with single reasonable suggestion and he daren't suggest more punishment as he would be recovering from his brother's discipline for a while yet!

"I am going out. I need to talk with Magnus ... " Basileus collected his cloak and swung the heavy garment around his shoulder. "He was acting very strange earlier and I want to know why."

Oh fuck!

Turning back to Carlisle, Basileus closed his eyes for a moment. "If he tells me anything new about your little escapades, I swear to the gods I will flay you!"

Carlisle's eyes were wide and desperate. "There's nothing else, nothing, my lord!"

Watching his son for a second, Basileus decided he was being truthful. That is certainly refreshing!

Scooping Atia into his arms and nuzzling into her neck, Basileus soaked up her scent, allowing it to heal the frazzled parts of his being.

"I can take him with me if you would prefer, my dear?" he offered, though he privately prayed for a break from family matters if only for an hour or two.

"Not at all. I have some things I would like to impress upon our youngest, too!" Atia returned resolute.

"Hmm," Basileus looked back to his boy. You are getting off too easily, perhaps I should help Atia's efforts? "Here," he said to his mate as he undid the buckle to his belt. Sliding the thick leather from around his waist, he folded it in two and passed it to his mate. "This may help with those things you would like to 'impress' upon him."

Atia raised an eyebrow, unsure how she felt about what Basileus was suggesting.

Carlisle stood dumbfounded. You cannot be serious, he thought, though he managed to stop himself from verbalizing his shock.

Basileus glared at his son, having caught his disbelief. "I am deadly serious, son. I expect you to be compliant to whatever Atia decides to do with you. Understood?" he asked in a deadly stern tone.

Carlisle continued to stare ahead, mouth gaping like a drowning fish. Atia had given him a few slaps since her arrival in Volterra ... but this? I can't submit to Atia belting me, I just can't!

His thoughts were more whiney than Carlisle would like to admit, but he should have been grateful to his inner monologue for reverting to an adolescent tone because it gave Basileus cause to stop and think!

Hmm, you will be compliant. You won't like it, but you won't put up too much of a fight, he surmised from his son's childlike mental tone and embarrassed posture. Still, I should be sure he understands my allegiance, I suppose.

"I asked if you understood?" Basileus' strong voice bounced around the room, shaking Carlisle from his silent temper tantrum. "Answer me!" Basileus enjoyed seeing his son flinch. Deceitful little bastard should be scared.

"Erm, yes, I suppose," Carlisle eventually replied.

It wasn't quite the response Basileus had been hoping for.

Seeing her mate about to bubble up into an eruption, Atia started moving Basileus to the door. "Everything will be fine, my dear. I could always punish him first and talk to him afterwards," she offered, pleased to hear the panicked and regretful words coming from Carlisle behind her.

Basileus allowed himself to be pushed out the door, but he offered a parting shot to his son before he left. "I dare you to cause me any more trouble, son. I dare you!" Basileus delivered his words venomously and his unspoken threat was crystal clear.

That was one challenge Carlisle wasn't going to accept! "I, I ... understand, my lord," he spluttered.

Atia shut the door and turned on her son as her husband vacated the space.

"I think it's time we talked, don't you?"

The sharp crack of Basileus' thick belt slapping against Atia's hand had every hair on Carlisle's body stand on end. Though he knew he had crossed his new mother is a heinous way, he had felt it was worth it at the time, especially when using Atia's kind counselling to emotionally blackmail his father had resulted in Basileus employing much calmer discipline techniques than Carlisle really deserved.

Now that he was confronted with the idea of Atia punishing him, he wasn't so sure it had been worth it after all ...