Twilight Imagines

Size doesn't matter, buddy part 9

Word count: 2353

"You see, Edward?" The strange vampire turned and smiled at Edward like a fond but scolding grandfather. "What did I tell you? Aren't you glad that I didn't give you what you wanted yesterday?" "Yes, Aro, I am," he agreed, tightening his arm around Bella's waist. "I love a happy ending." Aro sighed.
"They are so rare. But I want the whole story. How did this happen? Alice?" He turned to gaze at Alice with curious, misty eyes. "Your brother seemed to think you infallible, but apparently there was some mistake." "Oh, I'm far from infallible." She flashed a dazzling smile. She looked perfectly at ease, except that her hands were balled into tight little fists. Your eyes followed Aro's every move, wanting to protect your brother and sister at any cost. "As you can see today, I cause problems as often as I cure them."
"You're too modest," Aro chided. "I've seen some of your more amazing exploits, and I must admit I've never observed anything like your talent. And (Y/N)! Your strength and speed can measure to that of a newborn, years after your change! It is truly wonderful!" Alice flickered a glance at Edward and so did you. Aro did not miss it. "I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced properly at all, have we? It's just that I feel like I know you two already, and I tend get ahead of myself. Your brother introduced us yesterday, in a peculiar way. You see, I share some of your brother's talent, only I am limited in a way that he is not." Aro shook his head; his tone was envious. "And also exponentially more powerful," Edward added dryly. He looked at Alice as he swiftly explained. "Aro needs physical contact to hear your thoughts, but he hears much more than I do. You know I can only hear what's passing through your head in the moment. Aro hears every thought your mind has ever had." Alice raised her delicate eyebrows, and Edward inclined his head. You frowned, and made a mental note to never shake hands with this man.
Aro didn't miss that either. "But to be able to hear from a distance!" Aro sighed, gesturing toward the two of them, and the exchange that had just taken place. "That would be so convenient." Aro looked over your shoulders. All the other heads turned in the same direction, including Jane, Alec, and Demetri, who stood silently beside your group. But you already knew whom had just walked through those doors before turning your head. The luring smell was back and the pull towards the door grew stronger by the minute.
Felix was back, and behind him floated two more black-robed men. Both looked very much like Aro, one even had the same flowing black hair. The other had a shock of snow-white hair, the same shade as his face that brushed against his shoulders. Their faces had identical, paper-thin skin.
"Marcus, Caius, look!" Aro crooned. "Bella is alive after all, and Alice and (Y/N) are here with her! Isn't that wonderful?" Neither of the other two looked as if wonderful would be their first choice of words. The dark-haired man seemed utterly bored, like he'd seen too many millennia of Aro's enthusiasm. The other's face was sour under the snowy hair. Their lack of interest did not curb Aro's enjoyment.
"Let us have the story," Aro almost sang in his feathery voice. Felix retook his spot right behind you, almost closer than before. If you would lean back just a few inches your back would be touching his chest, and you were distracted by this.
The white-haired ancient vampire drifted away, gliding toward one of the wooden thrones. The other paused beside Aro, and he reached his hand out, at first you thought to take Aro's hand. But he just touched Aro's palm briefly and then dropped his hand to his side, which made you realise Marcus was letting Aro know his thoughts. Aro raised one black brow.
Edward snorted very quietly, Alice looked at him, curious while you tried to keep a neutral expression. Fearing if you would let any emotion show, the whole room would know how much of a distraction Felix was being at the moment, and therefore, showing a weak spot in your defence. "Thank you, Marcus," Aro said. "That's quite interesting." Marcus didn't look interested. He glided away from Aro to join Caius, seated against the wall. Two of the attending vampires followed silently behind him, bodyguards, like you'd thought before. You saw that the two women in the sundresses had gone to stand beside Caius in the same manner.
Aro was shaking his head. "Amazing,"' he said. "Absolutely amazing." Alice's expression was frustrated. Edward turned to her and explained again in a swift, low voice. "Marcus sees relationships. He's surprised by the intensity of ours." Aro smiled. "So convenient," he repeated to himself. Then he spoke to us. "It takes quite a bit to surprise Marcus, I can assure you." You looked at Marcus's dead face, and you could easily believe that.
"It's just so difficult to understand, even now," Aro mused, staring at Edward's arm wrapped around Bella. "How can you stand so close to her like that?" "It's not without effort," Edward answered calmly. "But still la tua cantante! What a waste!" Edward chuckled once without humour. "I look at it more as a price." Aro was sceptical. "A very high price." "Opportunity cost." Aro laughed. "If I hadn't smelled her through your memories, I wouldn't have believed the call of anyone's blood could be so strong. I've never felt anything like it myself. Most of us would trade much for such a gift, and yet you-" "Waste it," Edward finished, his voice sarcastic now. Aro laughed again. "Ah, how I miss my friend Carlisle! You remind me of him, only he was not so angry." In any other situation, you would have laughed at Aro's comment. But this wasn't the moment to let your guard down. "Carlisle outshines me in many other ways as well." Edward said, watching Aro's every move as well.
"I certainly never thought to see Carlisle bested for self-control of all things, but you put him to shame." "Hardly." Edward sounded impatient. As if he were tired of the preliminaries. "Edward, please. Don't test their patience any more than you possibly have done already." You thought in your mind, knowing if it came to a fight you would lose. Edward simply ignored you, but you knew he heard you as he relaxed a little bit.
"I am gratified by his success," Aro mused. "Your memories of him are quite a gift for me, though they astonish me exceedingly. I am surprised by how it, pleases me, his success in this unorthodox path he's chosen. I expected that he would waste, weaken with time. I'd scoffed at his plan to find others who would share his peculiar vision. Yet, somehow, I'm happy to be wrong." Edward didn't reply, and for that you were grateful, but it didn't make you calm down. "But your restraint!" Aro sighed, and continued the conversation while your thoughts were suddenly occupied. Felix's hand had moved forward slightly and softly stroked your arm, trying to calm down your defensive behaviour. He didn't want you to feel threatened, anyone else of your family, yes, but not you. No one in the room seemed to notice, not even Edward whose concentration was fully focused on Aro and Alice. You froze on the spot, not knowing how to respond, but slowly Felix's touch worked and you let down your defensive demeanour slightly. That was until your focus was pulled back towards the scene that played in front of you.
"Of course, how rude of me!" Aro exclaimed. "Bella," he addressed her directly now. "I'm fascinated that you are the one exception to Edward's impressive talent, so very interesting that such a thing should occur! And I was wondering, since our talents are similar in many ways, if you would be so kind as to allow me to try to see if you are an exception for me, as well?" Bella's eyes flashed up to Edward's face in terror. But you knew, despite Aro's overt politeness, she didn't had a choice. And it seemed she came to that conclusion as well.
She turned back to Aro and raised her hand slowly in front of her. It was trembling. He glided closer the look on his face was more confident than his words had been. Aro reached out, as if to shake her hand, and pressed his insubstantial-looking skin against hers and his filmy eyes smiled down at hers. Felix's hand travelled down your arm, towards your hand. Almost as if he wanted to take this moment of silence to test the waters and see how far he could go. You bit your lip lightly while trying to concentrate on Bella and Aro. Wondering if Bella was also immune to Aro's gift. You wanted to pull your hand away but his hand had already took a hold of yours and a small shiver ran through your body. It scared you and you pulled your hand out of his gentle grip, crossing your arms infront of your chest, trying to discourage him. You looked back towards Aro, wondering what his reaction might be to Bella and if he could read her thoughts or not. But you hoped, for her sake and the sake of your family, that he couldn't.
Aro's face altered as you watched. The confidence wavered and became first doubt, then incredulity before he calmed it into a friendly mask. "So very interesting," he said as he released Bella's hand and drifted back. You almost let out a sigh of relief. If Aro would think Bella had a potential gift, maybe he would let the four of you walk out alive.
Aro continued to drift away with a thoughtful expression. He was quiet for a moment, his eyes flickering between the four of you. Then, abruptly, he shook his head. "A first," he said to himself "I wonder if she is immune to our other talents, Jane, dear?" "No!" Edward snarled the word. Alice grabbed his arm with a restraining hand. He shook her off. So you quickly grabbed his other arm and held him tightly.
Little Jane smiled up happily at Aro. "Yes, Master?" Edward was truly snarling now, the sound ripping and tearing from him, glaring at Aro with baleful eyes, trying to free himself from your grip. The room had gone still, everyone watching him with amazed disbelief, as if he were committing some embarrassing social faux pas. You saw Felix frown slightly, seeing you struggle keeping your brother down and move a step forward, wanting to help you, protect you. Aro glanced at him once, and he froze in place, his face turning to a sulky expression. Then he spoke to Jane.
"I was wondering, my dear one, if Bella is immune to you." You could barely hear Aro over Edward's furious growls. He escaped your grip in the split second your attention was focused on Felix, moving to hide Bella from their view. Caius ghosted in your direction, with his entourage, to watch. Jane turned toward your group with a beatific smile. "Don't!" Alice cried as Edward launched himself at the little girl. You wanted to jump at Edward, to stop him, but Felix wrapped his arms around your waist, holding you close to him. But before anyone else could react, before anyone else could jump between them, before Aro's bodyguards could tense, Edward was on the ground.
No one had touched him, but he was on the stone floor writhing in obvious agony, while you stared in horror. Jane was smiling only at him now. Bella seemed to figure out what you and Alice had said about the Volturi's gifts and why Edward had thrown himself in her path before she could do that to Bella.
"Stop!" she shrieked, her voice echoing in the silence, jumping forward to put herself between them. But Alice threw her arms around her in an unbreakable grasp and ignored her struggles. No sound escaped Edward's lips as he cringed against the stones. You tried to free yourself from Felix's grip, but to no avail. "Calm down, mia cara." He whispered, his lips close to your ear.
"Jane," Aro recalled her in a tranquil voice. She looked up quickly, still smiling with pleasure, her eyes questioning. As soon as Jane looked away, Edward was still. Aro inclined his head toward Bella. Jane turned her smile in her direction. Bella didn't even meet her gaze. She watched Edward from the prison of Alice's arms, still struggling pointlessly. "He's fine," Alice whispered in a tight voice. As she spoke, he sat up, and then sprang lightly to his feet. His eyes met Bella's, and they were horror-struck. You quickly looked Jane, and she no longer smiled. She glared at Bella, her jaw clenched with the intensity of her focus. Bella shrank back, waiting for the pain. Nothing happened. Edward was by her side again. He touched Alice's arm, and she surrendered Bella to him. You relaxed slightly, and Felix's grip did so too, but he wouldn't unwrap his arms from your waist. Instead he gently pulled you closer to his chest. It was the only place he felt you were truly safe.
Aro started to laugh. "Ha, ha. ha," he chuckled. "This is wonderful!" Jane hissed in frustration, leaning forward like she was preparing to spring. "Don't be put out, dear one," Aro said in a comforting tone, placing a powder-light hand on her shoulder. "She confounds us all." Jane's upper lip curled back ever her teeth as she continued to glare at Bella. "Ha, ha, ha," Aro chortled again. "You're very brave, Edward, to endure in silence. I asked Jane to do that to me once, just out of curiosity." He shook his head in admiration. Edward glared, disgusted. "So what do we do with you now?" Aro sighed.