Chapter Eighteen: Meeting with Aro!
A/N: Here is the chapter I skipped to write the baseball chapter for Alice. Rather than fix the story and go back and change the meeting time, I am going to just be lazy and ignore the plot problem. I have faith that anyone reading this will just go with it? Now Alice...... I got a whole bunch of reviews for that last chapter and they were all positive! And I think you sent me a review from your profile, someone did who signed it Alice, and you mentioned it in another anon review, if not Please correct me! I do not want to write someone thank you and find out it is not the person who deserves the thanks! I have 4 stories going right now, so it may take me a while to get to your story idea, I like it, but I have already dug myself into a hole by starting 4 stories at once! And I am not going to do what some authors do which is to scrap a story because I got into a new one. On with the Aro Chapter From Bella POV!
Edward arrived at my room. I did not know what Aro wanted. I knew he wanted Edward in the guard, I hoped that he was not going to use me to get what he wanted. Sure it would be cool to have Edward in my world more completely but I did not want to force him into something he was dead set against out of my selfish need to spend every second of every day with him. Plus a part of me knew that our time apart with the painful longing to see his beautiful face, and look into his beautiful eyes made the time when we were together only that much sweeter.
"So, ready to go love" Edward asked in his perfect voice. "Yeah, let me grab my robe. Any Idea what he wants? Did you hear anything from anyone's thoughts?" I looked up at him hopefully. "No, what ever he wants it concerns just the two of us, and I have not been anywhere near Aro since he asked for us to meet with him together." My shoulders slumped. I had hoped to cheat, so I could brace myself if it was going to be what I feared. "OK, all ready!" I smiled as he took my hand and led me from my room.
After we rounded the corner from the group of the guard in the lobby, I spun Edward around and pressed him against the wall and kissed him. Once he got over the shock and begun kissing me back I broke the kiss. "RACE YA!" I took off. I had only a ten foot head start Edward was still faster, but it was only a hundred feet away. I hoped my little head start would be enough. I know cheating right? But what good is it being stronger than him if I can't take advantage once in a while?
He beat me...... Well, I knew it was a long shot. Next time I am going to get Jane to zap him..... Nice idea, but that would be mean. I guess I am going to just admit it. He is faster than me. Frustrating, he is better at everything than me. But for now, at least he is mine. Until him and his family leave to go on with their life wherever they were when this whole mess came up.
As I raised my hand to knock Aro beckoned "Come in Bella, Edward."
I walked in and Marcus was there sitting next to him on Aro's couch. Aro and Marcus rose, and Aro gestured for us to take the sofa across from them. Edward sat after I did then Aro and Marcus were seated again. I have noticed how civil they are, it didn't occur to me until now, how their manners are always so old fashioned. I appreciate it, it makes me feel special to be treated like a lady.
Aro started "I suppose you did not know why I invited you here?" Edward tensed. I knew it was going to be bad now.... Aro reached across and took my hand. I lowered my shield for him. "No my dear, nothing like that. Edward has just tensed because he felt what Marcus is seeing." It was then that I remembered Marcus' gift. He could see relationships. A rather benign power, but in this case I am sure he saw how obsessed with Edward I am. I would be blushing plaid right now if I were still human. As a matter of fact, I am not convinced that I wasn't......
"Edward, Bella? I see a problem here with you two. You are both laboring under a false assumption. Bella you think that Edward is going to leave you, and Edward, you think that your leaving Bella broke something in you relationship. You two are playing at your relationship. Alice came to us both and asked us to help. She saw Edward leaving next week, and You letting him Bella! So she has asked us to get involved, she said this is the only way to get you both reset!"
I looked at Edward then back at Aro "So you are saying that, wait I am confused what are you saying?"
Aro smiled, then said "You two, are so in love with each other that nothing else in your lives will have any meaning, no joy whatsoever unless and until you acknowledge it! Do you understand? YOU BOTH FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT EACH OTHER! Stop trying to make sense of it, and just go with it!"
Edward Laughed " I guess I let my angst get in the way of us Bella. And when you chose to join the guard, I thought it was because you hated me....." I said "NO! I just was scared, part of it was because I thought I really had no choice, part of it was because I needed to take the immediate chance, so I could be like you and stop you from letting me go. I needed to be prettier for you, to win you back. When Alice told me you lied about not wanting me. I don't know, I admit it. I love you Edward Cullen! I am yours now and forever! Please don't leave! Stay here in Volterra!
Aro interrupted "Bella, you have joined the guard, this is a serious commitment. But you labor under a false assumption. You are not bound to us, you may come and go whenever you wish. We do not require your presence. You can come and go as you wish. So if you wish to leave you may."
I was stunned. "I can go with Edward? No questions asked, no punishment no hard feelings?" Aro smiled "Of course! I wish you would stay, we all would. You have brought the guard together like never before in our history. But should you choose to leave us. I would hope you would do me one kindness?" I was shocked.... I did not consider this as a possibility at all. Jane, and Felix talk about being in the guard in terms of their hundreds of years here. "Sure, what do you want?" Aro smiled again even wider "Just that we are allowed to host your wedding here in our chapel." I looked stunned Edward looked down. "Bella, I have been carrying this around for some time, but I was afraid of what you would say...." He got down on one knee and produced a velvet covered ring box "Isabella Swan will you marry me!" Before I could reply I heard Alice and Jane in the hallway jumping up and down trying and failing to be quiet. They were eavesdropping! I raised my voice "OK ALICE, WHAT DO I SAY?!?" She said "OOPS! Busted!..... If you aren't a complete dum-dum you say YES!!!"
I turned to him and said simply and quietly "yes" Edward opened the ring box and slid the ring on my finger. It was a perfect fit....
"This ring was my mothers, it has been in my family for over a century. There has been noone, I could want to have it more, no-one who I ever even thought of having it before you. I will never make you sorry you said yes to me Bella, I swear with everything I am.
"You may as well come in Alice! Just don't break the door alright?" Aro called out. Alice and Jane burst into the room and we hugged and danced around I looked at Jane "Sorry, I know you and Felix were first, We will wait till after your ceremony to have ours." As Alice stared off into space, Jane thought for a second "Why not have a double ceremony?" I looked at Alice who snapped out of her vision. "It will be perfect! But oh, so much work! Two weddings in one! I don't know how but I will make it work somehow!" Jane and I looked at her at the same time and asked "What do you mean, it isn't your problem?" She looked at us like we were children. "OH come on now did you think you were going to throw a party and not let me plan everything?"
We all laughed at her. She was a force of nature before either of us could give her our blessing, she started dancing and jumping. "OH thank you guys! You won't regret it!" And she was out the door like a bullet.
Edward was standing there calmly "Is that OK with you?" He smiled, and said simply "I never bet against Alice. I learned that years ago. Plus she is right, with her visions, the wedding will be perfect. But from my view point of course, the only thing that matters, the only thing that makes it perfect is that it is me and you Bella, anything else is meaningless. But don't tell Alice I said that, she will dress me in a clown costume for the ceremony!
(OK, so a double wedding! Hope you like the idea. This is going to go a couple of chapters, and some decisions about their future plans, and then who knows?)