Chapter Ten: This Feels A Little Too Far-Fetched Pt. 2
Alright guys, so here is my last chapter before school starts. Now, as much as I hate saying this, until further notice this story will be updated once a month. I know, I know, it's tragic.
Fantasy Writer: Sit back, relax, and watch. Oh, and here is your idea!
Alli. an: Thanks for your review!
princesspanana: You are never too involved, my friend!
Yolandah-da-Hedgehogu: Cliffys make the world go round!
Lulu Sackville: Thanks for your continued support!
Never give a sword to a man who can't dance - Confucius.
"You cannot be serious!" Helen said in shock, "you're making me choose between the two of you?!"
"I have no other alternative." Aro sighed, "besides, I am so curious to see who you pick." This wasn't fair! This wasn't even the teensiest bit fair! Aro was really going to put her in between them and have her decided who she loved more?
If she ever got the chance, she was going to kick him.
"Sis." Henry's small little voice appeared behind her, "are you going to leave?" She glared intensely at Aro, he was putting her into a position to where if she said no, then Aggie and Wesley would die. However, he was going to enjoy having her say yes, and hold over her that she was hurting her family. Either way it was a lose-lose situation, no matter how she looked at it.
Helen seriously wanted to kick him.
"This is your fault!" She screamed at him, "you set me up!"
"Any part of this situation is your own doing, my dear." Aro didn't even attempt to hide his satisfied smirk, "if you had just stayed put in my car and stopped being so stubborn, we would be in Volterra and they would have been spared. Remember Helen, their lives and blood are in your hands. Choose wisely, I do not mind any death, can the same be said from you?"
"Helen, you do not have to play his games!" Richard told her with a shaky voice. "You always have more options."
"Which are?" She asked even though she knew he couldn't answer. Richard began to speak, but their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Wesley and Aggie choking.
"You try my patience," Aro said darkly. "Make your choice."
It had come down to a decision now. Richard or Aro. 'Okay Hendricks, pros and cons! Both of them love you, pro. If you pick Richard, Wesley and Aggie die, con. If you pick Aro...well...he's a flight risk on that...con. Richard never meant to hurt you, pro, but he didn't ever address it, con. Aro has been everything you could ever ask for and more, pro. However, he lied to you about everything, plus he's a vampire. Two cons. Wait, this is ridiculous! I'm not going to make pros and cons on who I should pick! I'm not Aggie! Richard is my Dad, nothing can ever change that. But, Aro...I love him, I can't change that either. This isn't fair!'
She took big inhale of air, 'breathe, just breathe.' Helen slowly descended towards the barrier, she saw Aro's face light up with glee. He seemed proud that he had won, Helen would only give him that. He extended his arm in the same fashion when he asked to dance with her, Helen heard Richard begin to sob.
She glanced and his pale hand and swallowed. 'I'm counting on you, Ruby.'
Helen reached into her sweatpants' pocket and pulled out the golden charm bracelet that had been given to her all of two days ago, with one motion she moved her hand out of the barrier and tossed it into his palm, and watched his face fall.
"I'm sorry. I love you and I'll always love you, but I only get one father. No matter what you do, or say, or threaten, I'll always end up picking him." Helen felt her heart break in sync with Aro's.
His face erupted into the deepest form of loathing and cruelness that anyone had ever seen. Aro never waivered on a smile, and boy did he give the Joker a run for his money with that smile. Helen had been pulled back by Richard as soon as Aro made an attempt to grab her exposed hand. She noticed the guard beginning to make an attempt on Aggie and Wesley.
"LEAVE THEM!" Aro bellowed, and the four vampires flinched in fear. He clenched the bracelet with so much of his strength, that it was beginning to resemble dust. Dear god, what had she done? "Jane."
"Master?" Jane replied in her angelic voice.
"Begin with him," Aro pointed to Richard, his nasty smile never faltering. "I want to see him wriggle like the worm he is." Before anyone could wonder what someone as small-looking as Jane could do, her gaze shifted to him, and Richard collapsed to the ground with agonizing screams.
Helen ran to his aid and heard Aro laugh in happiness. "That's right, Richard Hendricks, down in the dirt where you belong!" Richard didn't even know what was going on, all he seemed to be able to do was scream and yell in terror. What was happening to him? He was fine before Jane had started...Jane!
"Stop it!" She pleaded to her, "please, please stop!" Jane made no acknowledgement towards Helen, but a cruel smile erupted on her face. The petite blonde kept focusing on Richard, which seemed strange. Wait! Maybe that was it! Jane could only do it towards people she was looking at!
Helen forced herself in between Richard and Jane, and felt the pure, white-hot, blinding pain. A thousand burning needles were stabbing her in the most painful way possible, enjoying her cries and tears. She didn't even care that her father had stopped screaming, Helen just wanted it to stop!
"STOP!" Aro's voice echoed through the forest, and the pain had ended no sooner. Helen felt Richard scoop her up in his arm, cradling her like she was a baby.
"What've you done to her?" Richard spat darkly. Helen slowly began to catch her breath, and noticed that Aro was getting as close as he could, what with the barrier being up. She saw the same look in his eyes that he had shown her when she had been assaulted.
"How could you be so stupid like that? Casting yourself between them, not caring what harm it would bring?" His voice was a gentle whisper, he seemed antsy to rip through the shield and be the one to hold her.
"He would've done it for me." Helen replied softly, "can you say the same?"
Aro's face swam in a mixture of guilt, sadness, and pain. Helen came to a painful realization and knew that he wouldn't do that for her. He valued his life more than he valued hers, no matter how much he claimed to love her.
"Of course I would." She saw right through his sweet smile, "you are my daughter."
"Love the hesitation." Richard sneered, "leave her alone. She's just a kid, she's already gone through enough."
"Which I could have easily prevented." Aro barked towards him, "you need to accept the knowledge that I might be more suitable for her!"
"I don't doubt that you would love her as much as you could." Helen felt a tear fall on her forehead, was Richard crying. He released Helen and sat her down on the soft grass. She watched him walk very, very close to the edge and press a finger to Aro's black cloak.
"But you will have her over my dead body."
Aro sighed, but smiled in assurance. "Very well, I'm flexible with that." He harshly yanked her father across from the safety zone, throwing him towards several nearby trees. Helen rose as fast as she could and noticed Sydney restraining Henry and Demetri restraining Wesley.
"I actually prefer this alternative, my good man." She heard Richard groan as he regained consciousness. "I did promise sweet Helen that she would be an orphan if she refused my demands. And I am nothing if not a man of my word."
Helen saw a flash of green light towards the guard, and she and everyone else saw Ruby knock them out like bowling pins. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"
"Drinking, sweetie. I'm bitter when I don't drink." Ruby said groggily and seemed to keep the guard frozen on the ground. Helen dashed toward Aro as he lazily approached Richard, relishing in his upcoming kill. Helen did the unthinkable and jumped on his back, locking her arms together around his neck and attempting to restrain him.
"My word! Helen!" Aro groaned in frustration as he tried to shake her off. "Let go!"
"Never!" She yelled back. As Aro shook her off, she noticed Henry run towards the outside, followed by Syd. Aggs was throwing rocks at the stumbling Felix and Demetri, and Wesley was holding Jane back, covering her eyes as she kicked and thrashed.
"Thank you, Rubes!"
Aro kept trying to throw her back, and noticed Richard slowly standing up. "Honey, hold him back. It's like that bull ride when you were seven!"
"Dad, no offense, but the bull was easier to ride!" She felt her grip slowly slipping, and Aro began to pry her fingers apart.
"This is not ladylike!" He hissed towards her, "you haven't the slightest idea who you're messing with!"
Richard walked towards them and punched Aro in the face with his left hand. Even Helen heard his hand crack, while Aro looked as though air blew against his skin. "Son of a bitch!" Richard clutched his now, probably fractured hand. "Get off of me!" Aro spat. "I could kill you with a flick of my wrist!"
"Maybe you should!" Helen shouted back.
"Maybe I will!" Aro tightly gripped her arms and flung her over his head. She hit the ground and did several somersaults before banging her head towards a tree, "ouch!" Helen grumbled as she felt her now throbbing forehead. She stumbled foreward towards an enraged Aro, who was advancing a fearful Richard. Helen began to fling her arms towards Aro as to punch him. He simply pressed a lazy finger to her forehead and restrained her. She punched his arm, and felt her own wrist crack. What was he made of marble?!
"Losing your nerve?" He snorted.
"I am a hundred ten pounds of pure, unadulterated nerve!" She corrected, clutching her wrist. Aro rolled his eyes in frustration and began to advance on Richard again, but Henry dashed in between them.
"You leave my Daddy alone!" Henry shouted, his little voice never sounded so strong. Helen turned around and saw Sydney being restrained by Demetri, who seemed very comfortable with holding her. "I'm sorry, Helen!" She shouted.
"So I am resorted to fighting against children?" Aro scoffed in a snobbish manner. "You're ten years old, Henry."
"I'm ten-and-a-half." Henry counteracted very bravely. Before Aro made an attempt to kill him, he chortled with amusement. Maybe Henry's short size and innocence made him think the situation was funny.
"Such a brave young one." Aro giggled, "defending a deadbeat father until the end." He advanced on Henry, placing his hand on the boy's head, tousling his brown curls. "However, it need not be this way, little one. Wouldn't you prefer to come with Helen and live in Volterra with us? You have your whole life to look at."
"You can't trick me! I already have everything I could want!" Henry said in a loud little tone.
"Is that so?" Aro teased, what was he up to? Helen didn't like that look he had.
"Yeah!" Henry assured angrily.
"I could give you a mother."
No one could say anything, not even Richard who looked utterly defeated. Henry's face fell into deep thought, he looked hopeful at the thought of a mother. An actual mother.
Damn Aro! Damn him to the deepest pits of hell where he belongs! How dare he use Henry's need for a maternal figure to his own advantage! That was the cruelest thing that anyone human or vampire could do!
"A Mommy?" Henry said quietly.
"Yes, dear boy, you can finally have a mother." Aro smiled in victory. "My wife, Sulpicia, she wants children with all of her heart. Sulpicia is already thrilled to be gaining a daughter, imagine her delight when she gains a son! And a little one at that!" Aro caressed Henry's cheek, the boy seemed under the same trance that Helen had been when they first met. "And me? Well I'll be a proper father to you, sweet boy. You will be the son I should have had, and Helen will be there with you."
"Henry, don't listen to him!" Richard cried out while Helen just cried. "He's lying, he's just trying to trick you!"
"I am prepared to give you what you always desired, my son." Helen cringed when he called Henry that, how dare he manipulate his emotions?!
"Do you really mean it?" Henry asked hopefully.
"I am nothing, if not a man of my word."
"What about Wesley?" Henry questioned softly. Aro looked to Wes who was still restraining Jane, studying him but not fondly.
"He is grown, my son, I do not think I could convince him." Aro replied kindly, "hell, It has taken me ages to convince your darling sister. However, maybe you could, but only if you accept my offer?"
"Helen," Henry spoke softly to his sister, Aro's hands were gently placed on his shoulders, lovingly petting them. "Let's go with Aro."
"You sick, manipulative bastard!" Richard shouted at the top of his lungs. Helen held him back before he got himself killed by Aro, but she really wanted to see him kill the douche pants. "You will not take my son, too!"
"Maybe you should've been a better Dad." Henry said bitterly. Richard froze in shock at his son's cruel words, no one expected this. "You never liked my science ideas, you said they were stupid and made me a geek! I'm sorry I'm not the son you wanted! I'm sorry I'm not Wesley! But you aren't the Dad I wanted." Henry smiled at Aro, making Helen gag when he returned it. "Now I have a new one."
"You listen here Aro!" Richard shouted, "you've know my daughter for two months, but for the past fifteen years I have fed her, clothed her, and protected her!"
"Protected her?" Aro laughed. "Where were you when she was attacked? Oh that's right, you were inside not listening to her scream. Had I not been there and killed the man, she would be dead."
"You killed that man?" Richard gasped in horror.
"A father would do anything to anything to protect his child. That piece of filth deserved to die, as did the many meals my family and I had for my remainder of time her. Tell me, sir, how many dead whores, addicts, and criminals were found again?" An unholy smile caressed his features.
"You're that menace that's been spiking the death toll! The murder has been so inconspicuous that no one even noticed, expect my girlfriend, gotta love the Homicide Public Defender's office."
"I do not deny anything, especially to my own children. Don't be shocked if that seems foreign to you."
"Henry!" Helen cried out to her brother, "he just lying to you! He'll kill you first chance he gets! Remember how he said he's a man of his word? Yeah, well tonight he told me that if I didn't comply, I would not only be an orphan, but an only child!"
"That was only to scare you, sweetheart." Aro laughed and dismissed it with a wave of his hand, "I never had any meaning behind it."
"Like hell you didn't!" Helen screamed back. "It's bad enough you've manipulated me for two months, but now you do it to him?! You know what, scratch what I said earlier! I don't love you Aro! Right now I hate you!"
Aro's eyes flashed with rage and he shoved Henry to the ground, who whimpered upon realizing the truth. He stormed towards Helen, who was being guarded by Richard. He shoved Richard aside and attempted to reach out a stroke her cheek, but she moved away, she never wanted him to touch her ever again.
"Why are you so stubborn?" He asked with soft rage.
"Leave me alone." She spat.
"You have left me no alternative, seeing as they are aware of the existence of vampires, these humans must be executed immediately." Helen tried to run to her father or friends, but Aro held her back, scooping her into his arms as she squirmed.
"No!" She shouted as Felix grabbed Ruby to prevent her from helping, "please! Please! Please! I'll do anything! I'll go with you!" Aro motioned for his guard to stop, "what was that?"
"I'll go with you." She repeated in defeat, "I'll be yours, I'll be your daughter," Helen sobbed. "Just please, please don't kill them!" He caressed her messy hair, and glanced down at her pitiful and pathetic appearance.
"I cannot ignore my laws, love. Surely you know that?" He wiped Helen's tears away, but before the guard made another go, Ruby shouted out. "Wait! Wait! I'll erase their memory!"
Helen and Aro turned to her, Ruby struggled to break free from Felix. "No one needs to die tonight, and I doubt she wants to see them murdered by you. I'll make them forget the truth and you leave with her, no death and no bloodshed."
"You are a witch?" Ruby nodded towards him, "my name is Ruby White. Lucius knows me, in fact I bet he never shuts up about me."
"You have no idea," Aro said annoyingly. "And the five of them will just not care that they're missing a few hours of memory?"
"I can create false ones."
"Very well," Aro sighed. "You have five minutes to pack a bag and say your farewells, Helen, and you'll thank me for being so lenient. Demetri, you and Felix will go on ahead and prepare our flight to Volterra. Jane, you will stay behind and make certain that Miss White fulfills her promise."
The rest of the guard began to follow orders, while Helen just stood there in disbelief.
"Do I need to pack it for you?" Aro said irritably, "go, before I change my mind!"
"Yes!" Helen scurried away, but Aro stopped her again.
"Yes what?" He wanted her to fulfill her own end of the bargain.
"Yes...Dad." He smiled in acknowledgement and patted her on the back, very pleased with himself.
Helen was ambushed by hugs from everyone as she ran up to her room. No one seemed to care if she packed anything up, no one seemed to care that Jane was there, monitoring them.
"Please don't do this!" Sydney screamed, "we can't let you ruin your life!"
"And I can't let you guys die." She replied softly.
"This isn't fair," Aggie muttered.
"Life isn't fair." Helen quickly shoved several books, her laptop, underwear, and iPod into a small backpack. As soon as she was about to zip up her bag, Sydney squealed and yanked a pink present out of her large purse.
"Aggie and I forgot to give this to you on Friday, so sorry by the way, so I might as well give it to you now." Helen quickly ripped the paper open to reveal a grey, leather journal. The phrase on the cover could not have meant more. Learn from yesterday, Live for today, Hope for tomorrow.
"You said you wanted to try keeping one." Aggie said softly.
"Thank you," she hugged them both and kissed their cheeks.
"Please don't forget us!" Sydney sobbed out.
"Never," Helen swore to her.
She finished gathering her things and saw her father and brothers, all beginning to cry. "Don't!" Helen was wrapped into a group hug by them, each of them holding tighter than first.
"You can't start drinking again, Dad." She told her father, "they need you now more than ever! Join AA and get some help."
"I will," he promised, "you deserve that much."
"I love you, Daddy." Helen choked out, "and you didn't fail me, I loved every minute living with you guys."
"I love you too." He firmly kissed her forehead. Wesley hugged his sister as tightly as possible, the bond between them was strong, just as Aro said it had. "This isn't goodbye." He whispered to her, "I'll see you again."
"I love you Wesley." That was all she could manage, it was too painful to make a promise she could never keep. "I love you too, Nell."
Helen turned to Henry, who was already soaking his face with tears. "I'm sorry I wasn't the best sister, I should've been nicer."
"Please come back, I love you Helen!" Henry cried out and was hugged and kissed by her. "I love you too, twerp." Everyone wrapped themselves around Helen again, aching that the moment they had dreaded most had come to pass.
"It's time." Jane said monotonously. Helen nodded towards her, put on her black Docs, and walked towards the door. She gave her bedroom one last look and descended down the stairs, hearing the echoes of mournful sobs from her old room.
When Helen walked back outside to an impatient and bored-looking Aro, she saw him leaning on his infamous black Ferrari parked on the grass. He lazily examined her bag, not caring if she packed a knife to try and kill him with.
"Is that everything? Because we are not coming back if you've forgotten something." He said irritably.
"I checked three times, unless anything sprouted wings and flew out, I have everything." She replied bitterly.
"You will have a pleasant attitude on our journey, or I might just change my mind." He warned with a cheerful grin.
"Fine." Helen forced a smile, very pissed off at him. "So are we just going to stand here re-enacting The little match girl, or are we going to leave?"
"Anxious to get to your real home?" He smirked.
"I figure that in the several hours it will take to get to this Volterra place, I will find a way to piss you off. So, I might as well get you a safe distance away from here, before you change your mind." Helen rolled her eyes and walked towards the car, she opened the door, threw her bag inside, and shut the door. Helen waited and waited, but Aro just stood there in the cold night.
"Are you coming?" She snapped.
"Perhaps if you begged me to take you home, I might," Helen could feel his smirk.
"Don't you ever get tired of playing these stupid games, they're disgusting!" Aro sighed at her with sadness, "darling when you are as old as I am, little games like these relieve the boredom."
"Aro, so help me God, I am not in the mood for this!"
He turned around and opened the door, glaring at her with malice. "Do you think I am? Do you think I enjoy seeing you like this? Why don't you stop thinking about yourself for a change?! Do you honestly believe that I wanted tonight to go like this? Do you?"
"No, if we'd done it your way, we'd be swimming in a blood bath." She replied cynically.
"You weren't supposed to stay inside, you stupid girl!" He sat down and began to start the car. "Helen, you were supposed to come out, and then your dumb little friends and family wouldn't have known anything, and they could at least remember their last night with you! I may be cruel, but I'm not that cruel! No matter how much I despise Richard Hendricks, I'd never wish upon him the terror of losing a child and knowing nothing about it!"
Helen felt a lump form in her throat.
"But no! You had to stay inside like a stubborn three year-old and passively let them find out! You know, maybe if you gave a damn about someone else for a change, you'd actually be happier in life!"
"Just shut up and drive the car!" Helen began to break out into tears, causing Aro to realize he pushed her to far. He slowly drove them back on the road and far, far away.
The drive towards the airport was a tremendous amount of awkward silence. The occasional conversation would occur, usually resulting in more silence.
"Do you want to listen to music?" Aro offered.
"No."
"Do you want me to turn the air down?" He offered again.
"No."
"Do you want to get food on the way there?" He was getting as annoyed as she was.
"No."
"Can I get more than a one-worded response from you?" Aro asked hopefully.
"No." She said even more bitterly.
"Do you want to kill me?" He tried.
"Very much." She assured.
"Look at that, we have reached two words." He smiled, making Helen roll her eyes. "Will you at least give me a sentence?"
"Can we get coffee before we get on the plane?" Helen said quietly.
"We have a reached a full sentence, now we can have an actual conversation. To answer your question, yes." He smiled happily and held her hand, either reading her mind or just being him.
"No, I'm reading your thoughts." He replied, sensing her question. Helen glared at him, rolling her eyes. "However, I am also trying to comfort you. I want to apologize for what I did earlier, I should not have pushed you that far, and I am sorry."
"Well, the sad part is you were mostly right. I am self-centered." She sighed.
"No you aren't, I was just upset, pissed off as you teenagers call it." Helen burst out into laughter when he tried to use modern dialogue, "I'm sorry that just sounds so wrong coming from you!"
"At least I made you smile." He teased.
Eventually, Aro drove the Ferrari into a hidden garage at Lambert International Airport. Due to the influx of traffic, by the time they reached an airport it was one in the morning due to traffic. Helen unconsciously yawned when she saw the clock, she really wanted that coffee right now.
"Don't worry, sweet girl. You can sleep on the plane, so relax as much as you want." Aro said serenely, noticing the bags under her eyes.
"I need caffeine." She grumbled tiredly.
"No you don't, it is far too early in the morn'. I am not having you stay up until dawn and have a restless sleep." He spoke to her in a parental voice.
"Fine." Helen was too tired to argue that he promised her coffee. She opened the car door and grabbed her bag, only once Helen began walking with him towards a large black jet with a Volturi crest on the tail, did the full reality of the situation set onto her.
She was leaving for real, she would never see any of her friends ever again. Helen would never see Ramona or spiteful Allie, or even Kathleen again. She wouldn't graduate high school or college, never go on that date with Des, or get married. Knowing Aro, he'd never let anyone else have her. She would never become a ballerina, never...never dance again.
Helen began to shake as the reality hit her, her breathing grew heavy. She tried to fight it, she would not have anymore meltdowns in front of him. Aro rushed to her aid and stroked her back in comfort.
"I'm alright." She assured, catching her breath. "I just need a minute."
"Take as many minutes as you need, my love." Aro cooed into her ear, "you've had a big day."
"Let's just go." She shrugged and began to walk towards the jet, starting the beginning of the end.
Helen didn't remember when she fell asleep on the bed that Aro had prepared for her. Golden sheets made of silk meant nothing to her, he could have given her an air mattress or the floor and she would've been comfortable.
The only thing she did remember was him holding her like a baby, like he really was her father. His hands continuously stroked her cheeks, his lips were whispering the sweetest of nothings into her ears, a few strands of his incredibly soft ebony locks tickled her cheek.
Helen never noticed how sweet he smelled, but he'd never held her so close before.
"Sleep my beautiful girl, and dream happy dreams." That was the last thing she heard before she blacked out, sleep finally taking over.
When Helen woke up, the outside appeared dark, just as she had fallen asleep. Had the engine not been roaring and her ears popping, she would've sworn they never left. She slowly rose from her silken sheets, still clad in her V-neck red shirt, purple tank top, and grey sweat pants. Her Doc Marten boots were discarded on the floor, along with her maroon hoodie jacket.
A grumbling emerged from her stomach and she warily walked towards the cabin door. Surprised to find it unlocked, she slowly opened it to discover Felix and Demetri laughing about something that was on a nearby television. The room was some sort of lounge with many black leather couches and chairs, a small dining table was next to a bookshelf and an even smaller kitchen.
"Oh look, sleeping beauty has awoken!" Demetri teased upon seeing Helen. She had never spoken much to the two of them, so she awkwardly waved her hand and said, "hi."
"Do you watch Weeds?" Felix asked, not looking up from the screen.
"Sometimes. I can only watch it on Netflix with Wesley, Henry's too young for it." Helen felt a small stab as she said their names. Had they forgotten about her yet? She really hoped that Ruby would put something temporary on them.
"I'd so do Nancy Botwin." Felix purred at the screen.
"You'd do that total bitch, Celia." Demetri rolled his eyes and walked over to the bookshelf, grabbing a battered looking copy of some old text. Helen slowly walked over to the couch, sitting on the arm rest, feeling very uncomfortable that she was alone in a room with two vampires she barely knew.
"Celia got pretty tolerable when she had cancer." Helen replied sheepishly.
"Her mother was a thousand times worse, but like mother, like daughter." Demetri said as he sat back down, crossing his legs and lazily reading his book. So Felix was the womanizer and Demetri was the snarky one.
"Is there any coffee?" Helen asked, trying to change the subject.
"Nope, Master Aro doesn't want you to have anything this late at night." Felix smiled at ger.
"What time is it? How long have I been asleep?" Helen felt a sudden feeling of panic in her gut.
"Around seven forty-five, you've been out for twelve hours. You make cute little snores by the way." Felix winked at her with a seductive glint in his eyes. Yeah, he was a womanizer.
"Oh, right. Italy is a few hours ahead of St. Louis, hey where is Aro?"
"His personal lounge. He wants you in there when you wake up," Demetri replied while still reading his book.
"I am awake." Helen replied with obvious tone.
"So go in his lounge," Demetri teased.
"And that is where?" Helen teased back.
"Come with me," she saw a wide grin erupt on Felix's face, before he stood up, Demetri shoved his book at him and sped over to Helen. "Um, I'll show her! You'll probably defile her so much that Aro wont even consider her a child anymore!"
"I'm offended by that!" Felix said in mock-hurt voice along with a smile.
"Uh-huh." Demetri rolled his eyes and pulled Helen along by the arm, her wool socks catching static against the floor. He lead her down a long hallway, making her wonder how big this jet was.
"Ignore him, he'll fornicate with anything that will stand still long enough." He warned her, "but other than that he's a pretty decent guy."
A thought occurred in Helen's head, "do you like Sydney?" Demetri stopped in his tracks, stunned by her sudden question. "She is sweet, and very nice to look at."
"It's yes or no, dude." She shrugged.
"I just found her attractive, I don't care about your former friend, and neither should you. We are your family and friends now, you don't need anybody else." Demetri spoke softly, "the sooner you accept that, life with us will get easier. Don't force Aro to resort to Chelsea to guarantee your love and care."
Chelsea? Who was this Chelsea chick? Did she make people love each other? This was so confusing.
"He's in here." Demetri released her arm and opened the door for her. "Master, your daughter has awoken."
Aro's private lounge was large and ornate, several bookshelves and couches furnished the room. A mahogany desk was loaded with neatly stacked paper and a silver laptop. The lighting was dim, almost like candles. Aro was sitting and looked up from a book called Staying Connected to Your Teenager: How to Keep Them Talking to You and Hear What They're Really Saying.
'Ugh, one of those stupid parenting books? He's gonna be that kind of Dad?!'
"How wonderful." Aro sang softly, not looking up from his book. "Leave us." Demetri nodded at his master and shut the door behind Helen, Aro sighed and closed his book in frustration.
"I understand nothing of this." He examined the cover, "I am half-way finished, and yet I am as close to understanding you as I was before."
"Parenting books suck." She explained with a shrug.
"Indeed they do. Well don't just stand there like Ruth Gordon with the Tanis root, come and give me a hug." Aro stood and smiled.
"Rosemary's Baby." Helen stated in understanding, at least he had good taste in pop culture.
"Yes dear?"
"Well that's a good movie." She smiled at him, walking closer.
"I saw a copy on your computer." He hacked into her laptop?! "I must admit, I never fancied you with an intrigue for the occult."
"I bet you also wondered why I have classical music for ballet as well as Thrift Shop by Macklemore." Helen replied snarkily, "I went into the occult a long time ago, behind the sweet smile," she pointed to her mouth. "Axe murderer."
"Oh yes!" He teased, "you are quite terrifying!"
"So you wanted to talk to me or something? Shoot," Helen shrugged.
"Before I shoot." He said with discomfort, "I want to know how you slept."
"Fine." She assured.
"Very well," He smiled. "We will be arriving shortly, and I am not presenting you to the family dressed like that." Aro wrinkled his nose at her casual clothes, she didn't blame him, compared to everyone on the plane she looked like white trash.
"Well unfortunately, the ninety-nine cent Armani & Chanel outlet hasn't been built in St. Louis yet." Helen replied dryly.
"Fortunately," he narrowed his eyes. "Your father has extra clothes available for you. All of the family wears designer originals by Dahlia Birelli."
"Wait, is she related to Maya Rickons-Birelli, the girl you had arrested? She mentioned that her mother designs clothes for an old family." That could not possibly be a coincidence.
"How else do you think I found you, darling?" Aro smirked in satisfaction. "Signorina Birelli had the roster for first-years at your precious little Academy." Helen felt a flustering in her stomach, so that was it, that was how her life ended. But why was Aro looking for her in the first place? Something about this didn't add up.
"Never mind that, you're here, that is what matters. Now go to the restroom and find a dress and shoes to wear. I'd recommend something warm, the temperature is around thirteen degrees Celsius."
Helen found a large selection of dresses in the closet of Aro's bathroom. She wanted something conservative, something that would make her unnoticeable. After rummahing through the closet, she found a dark grey wool dress that would match with some black tights, and black ballet flats. All through the selections, Aro's wardrobe, and the stuff the guard wore, dark colors were a recurring theme.
"Black suits you." She remembered him say that at the party, maybe black colors symbolized something in the vampire world.
Helen stepped out after examining herself in the mirror. She felt grungy and really wanted to take a shower or at least sponge herself off. Aro was waiting impatiently in the lounge and lighted up when he saw her in the dress.
"So pretty." He mused. The door opened up and Demetri appeared in the doorway, "we will be landing momentarily, Master."
Poor Helen! Till next time!