"Please, Carlisle? For the sake of an old friend?"

He let out a sigh. "Alright, Aro. But this isn't exactly my domain of expertise."

"Oh, fantastic!" Some of Aro's old enthusiasm was coming back.

Carlisle had his reservations, but Aro needed his help. He couldn't turn his back on him, even after what had happened that snowy New Years a while back.


The Next Day
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"Our talks will remain confidential, won't they?" Carlisle thought he detected a hint of nervousness in Aro's voice as he sat down. (Was that even possible? Usually, he was the picture of serenity.)

"Of course, if I'm acting as your doctor, you can trust that what you tell me will remain in strictest confidence."

"Mille grazie." His burgundy eyes radiated relief; he relaxed, running fingers through his uncombed medium-length black hair.

"And let me say," Carlisle added, "That I am glad that you would trust me, and I will try my best to help. Now what has been troubling you?"

"I just can't take it any more! I thought that having control over the vampire world would make me happy. And it did at first. It was great watching oh so high and mighty delegations from former elite vampire clans coming to bow and grovel. You should have seen them! This one day..." He paused a moment, with a contented grin on his face- pleasant memories flooding back as he spoke. "But enough with digressions; sometimes I just wonder if it was all really worth it."

"How so?"

Aro couldn't quite (or wasn't willing to) further elucidate what he meant at the moment, but Carlisle suspected he could maybe determine at least part of Aro's sadness.

"You must miss you sister a great deal."

"Thank you so much for bringing up that old hurt again." Aro responded, then glared in stoney silence.

"My apologies, Aro. I meant no offense. Please continue."

"Yes. Any way," he continued somewhat mollified, "So, lately, I've been "surfing the web" and some of the artwork and fanfiction I've seen has been quite disturbing."

"Really?"

"Yes. Extremely! Some "shippers" (that's what they call themselves) have depicted me and Jane as, well... as a couple. They even have a name for us: Jaro. I am married for crying out loud! And these shippers don't even seem to realize the fact for the most part. And some of them even imagine themselves in love with me. Not to mention that they're a bad influence on Marcus."

And yet he seems to actually like this attention because he hasn't sent a cease and desist order. Though he very well could have. Carlisle noted. He did not want to analyze his thoughts on what Aro had just recounted too much at present. Or ever really. It was too much.

"Aro, I believe I need a few moments break, if you don't mind."

"Of course. Please take all the time you need."

Carlisle made his way as fast as he decorously could out the door, down the hallway, and outside.

"Hmmm, I wonder what his problem is." Aro murmured to himself, now stretched out on the couch.

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"Now where were we?"

"Ah, yes. We were talking about relationships."