Just in case anyone wondered what happens when storm passes... for storms always leave traces... change things(that's why I love them). So again exploring our obsessive/destined/tragic lovers... Oh, how I love taking away from Aro his carefully built and mastered façade and reveal the very intense, emotional, obsessive being he actually is and how he fights that with reason most times... there's just so much contrast in his personality, that I wonder if he isn't slightly insane. Perhaps he is... I love him, nonetheless!

And Jane... on my dear, emotional Jane... my most treasured character of these books. I just love writting from her POV... emotional, dark, devoted, obsessive, the perfect, tragic heroine.

And a little motto, for it is what got me writting... one of the lines in the third act of Turandot.

Che è mai di me? Perduta! (Turandot-Giacomo Puccini, libretto by Giuseppe Adami e Renato Simoni)

It's quiet now... the storm ended leaving only the violent signs of its passing probably. A few broken tree branches, fallen leaves... water and the heavy, smell of grass and jasmine and lilac and roses...

Storms are so rare here... yet they always change the scenery... though their existence is short lived, it is intense, violent. Nothing is ever the same after a storm.

It is still dark.

I love darkness. Darkness is comforting, concealing, helpful. An ally!

And we need any ally we can get if any of this was ever to surface...

I lie in his arms, my head resting on his cold chest, unwilling to think of the consequences of our own personal emotional storm tonight. Not yet! Not just yet. But I know I have to... I know we both have to face this. Still we say nothing... we just lie here together... still blissful somewhat, still intoxicated with each other's scent.

Aro is probably still trying to sort through the insane train that my thoughts must've taken... it must've been a bit overwhelming... my thoughts invading his mind. It must've helped him let go of control.

It is terrifying now... a bit, the power we hold upon each other...

"What now? What comes of this?" I finally find my voice to ask out loud and I lift my head from his chest but my gaze falls on my left hand and his right one, entwined together, our fingers caught up in an absent, light dance of caresses.

"I don't know, Jane." His answer is a simple, honest statement, his voice, a sigh. Honest, frighteningly honest, as everything that occurred this night.

"Jane…" he speaks again, his voice still holding that worshiping hint that made my mind cloud and my whole being tremble. "Jane… I've already said it… I cannot bring myself to let go of you. I... I simply cannot be without you." He continues intensely, bringing his left hand to caress my face and make me look at him.

"Nor can I!"

"I know!"

Silence again. Heavy, insecure silence.

What of this? What of me? What of us? These questions keep running through my head, obsessively. Frighteningly. I feel suddenly insecure and lost… Good Lord… what of this? What of tomorrow?

His right hand ceases caressing my left one, catching it in a possessive grip instead, his other arm slides to my waist to hold it tightly.

I let a sigh escape my lips and hold onto him desperately, burying my face in his neck desperately.

Oh, but it's not of any help. It won't change things, make them easier, it won't help us escape our hopeless situation.

No! Not at all!

It's not even as comforting as we'd both probably hoped it would be, this desperate embrace.

Still we don't let go. Only because we know we'll have to eventually.

He'll have to go, return to being the leader of the Volturi… I'll have to return to being his guard… not his lover. His guard.

This is maddening! We've taken that one forbidden step that ruined any frail balance our relationship ever had.

We can no longer, hide, pretend, deny each other, deny the most simple of all truths. We're mates.

It's the only thing that makes sense. The only thing that should matter if we weren't who we were.

And I have no idea how to deal with it.

"We'll find a way, Jane, don't worry. We will!" he kisses the top of my head reassuringly and I don't know whom he's trying to convince of that, me, himself or perhaps both.

The first rays of dawn slightly creep through my narrow window, casting shadows on the wooden floor, bathing us in a reddish aura, making our porcelain, icy skin glitter lightly.

He's beautiful like this… thoughtful, a bittersweet smile playing upon his lips, eyes focused on me like I am most precious of all things.

His smile widens slightly at my thoughts.

"You are!" he whispers letting go of my hand and caressing my right temple and cheek bone lightly. "You are so beautiful…you're light..." he whispers in contemplation, almost absently, caught up in his thoughts. Oh, what I wouldn't give to read his mind just now.

"My mate. My love. My life." He murmurs intensely, burying his face in my shoulder, taking in my scent. "Jane, Jane, Jane, Jane…" Again whispering my name like it is his own personal prayer, as if he worships me.

"Because it's exactly how it is." He lifts my chin making me look in his eyes. "I worship you Jane! My angel, my goddess, my light." He whispers and kisses me lightly. I sigh and look away a bit embarrassed. How in the world can he say that? About me, the little witch girl?

"You're being ridiculous Aro." I whisper shaking my head but I am silenced with a soft kiss.

"I'm being honest, Jane! For the first time in millennia… I must look ridiculous though…" he sighs. "I know this is dangerous! I realize how weak it truly makes me… how vulnerable. If anyone would know..." he sighs again bitterly. He doesn't have to continue.

I know how love works for our kind, I know what mates mean to each other… I know that if anyone would want to ruin him it would be enough to destroy me. Mates depend on each other. It is not a choice, it is a fact and it terrifies me and him equally. Aro is not used to this kind of dependence. Nor am I, as a matter of fact but it's not like we can change anything.

We'd just have to keep up pretences and only trust each other, only believe in each other…

"Be vulnerable then! There's no one here to harm us, my love." I whisper soothingly. For a man who has be careful enough not to show any weakness in his two or three millennia on this Earth surrendering to a barely teenager witch girl must be terrifying to say the least.

"You knowing me all too well, that is terrifying!" he teases me, caressing my tousled hair.

"It's only fair! You hold every thought I've ever had." I tease back and he smiles.

"But not your emotions! I can't read them, I can't reason with them…not even with my own." he points out in obvious fascination.

"You don't read emotions Aro. You do not reason with them!" I say smiling. I would know of emotions, they rule my life.

But Aro… Good Lord. Trust Aro to try and think everything over.

"You just feel! There's no other way with emotion!" I add pressing a tender kiss on his neck.

"Hmm… perhaps you should teach me about that." He teases kissing me.

"I'm teaching you already!" I whisper lovingly. Yet I cannot bring myself to forget about the disastrous consequences that may have. We should be very careful, play safe. Oh but how could we? Playing safe would mean not being together, and that is simply beyond us. We'll just have to hide better than anyone, cheat, lie, mislead… lean only on each other… and it will hurt. It hurts already…

"No more reasoning, Jane. Thinking our way out of this will hurt. Perhaps we should rely on feeling…" he whispers kissing me again and I simply give in, unwilling to think anymore.

And the light of dawn creeps fully into my room, revealing, taking the protective, friendly shadows away, leaving no place to hide…

Yes, perhaps the only way out of this is feeling… to what… we don't know… and perhaps it's better this way.