Jared Whitlock; Daughter of Jasper Hale

Chapter 75: Birthday Planning

We all sit tensely in silence, as Aro watches the card burn, it's bright pink colour turning black with ash, the patterns and drawings becoming disfigured as the fire engulfs it, Aro carefully holding it with the tips of his fingers, a hard expression on his face as he holds the last ever girls birthday card he'll give Lucifer.

He slaps the remainder of the card down onto the table, extinguishing the flames and closes his eyes, pressing his lips together briefly, as emotion racks his face. He sighs deeply and opens his eyes, smiling reassuringly at Lucifer who looks tense.

Aro's insane smile returns and he gives a little jump of excitement. "Now, party planning!" He rushes to the tail end of the room and rertieves plain squares of card and some fancy coloured pens. He pushes them towards Lucifer who frowns in confusion. Aro smiles at him. "I thought you'd like to decorate your own invitations." He explains brightly.

"Invitations?" Caius cuts in. Aro looks at him. "For the birthday party." He smiles. "Lucifer's birthday party." He adds, to Lucifer's delight. "I'll leave you to it." Marcus rises from the table and goes to leave. "See you, Uncle Marcus." Lucifer gives him a wave and Marcus vanishes in a second.

"Caius, you're a keen artist. Why don't you draw a basic design on the cards and Lucifer and Reeve will colour them or add anything extra?" Aro suggests enthusiastically. Caius sighs at him, giving him his usual death glare. "Must I?" He snarks. "I have better things to do than design invitations for a teenage gathering." He tuts.

Aro sighs at him. "Not a 'teenage gathering', brother, but a birthday party. It's not every day someone turns eighteen. This is the first time one of my children becomes an adult." Aro announces importantly. Caius rolls his eyes. He's such a sassy bitch. "Caius.." Aro warns in a parental tone.

Caius huffs like a teenager but turns to Lucifer and puts on a face of 'enthusiasm'. "What would you like me to draw?" He pulls out a sharpened pencil and a piece of card. Lucifer smiles with excitement.

"Uhm..how about 'Lucifer's Birthday Party' in fancy letters here, and then some ribbons drawn at the corners?" Lucifer suggests, pointing at different parts of the card. Caius nods agreement. "Alright. I think the colour scheme should be cream and blue. What do you think?" Caius pulls out two pens.

Lucifer smiles. "I like it. And then we'll have the details of the party in a block in the centre by here." He points. Caius nods again. "Good idea."

I stand and leave them to it, making my way to Aro. He looks up at me coming over and smiles. "Hello my love."
I dump myself on his lap without warning and his arms envelope me. "I want attention." I joke and he pulls me in closer.

"I need a cuddle." I add softly. His lips press against my cheek and he inhales deeply. "You smell sweet, Reeve. New perfume?" He asks. It's always Aro who notices things. Even the small things like perfume or a quick change of hairstyle. He's always complimentary.

"My beautiful," He whispers. "My sparkling gems. You, Lucifer and LeeRoy." He adds in my ear. I lean back into him, his arms are around my waist, holding me to him protectively. "How did I get so lucky having such beautiful children? Especially when I have taken so many lives and sinned so often?" He whispers quietly to me.

I turn to him in shock. Aro rarely turns all serious in front of anyone. He's usually a madman. A complete nutter. His face stays frozen in a thoughtful expression for another second or two before his eyes shine with excitement once again and he carefully lifts me off his lap.

"Let's see how the invitations are getting on." He steps over to the table to Caius and Lucifer. "We're almost ready to colour." Caius announces and I sit beside him and grab a blue pen. "Colour my name and the ribbons in the blue." Lucifer leans over me and points.
I nod. "Okay," I set to it, biting my lip with concentration, colouring very carefully inside each line and around every curve.

It takes me almost a full hour to colour the fifteen invitatons with the blue pen. Lucifer passes me the cream pen. "Do a border in cream please." He requests. When I finish that, he hands me a fancy black writing pen. "Go over the details of the party with this. In posh writing." He smirks and I slap his arm away.

"I'm concentrating, you dope." I laugh and then slowly apply looped handwriting onto the cards, making it look all sophisticated. Aro leans over me to peer at my progress and claps his hands. "Don't they look fabulous?" He smiles. He takes a card and reads it aloud.

"Lucifer's eighteenth birthday party, March 1st, at half past seven." He turns to me. "Half past seven? Do you think that's a reasonable time?" He checks quickly. "I think so." Caius nods. "Alright then. It's settled." Aro smiles. "Will Reeve and I travel to America for the party?"

"Come back with me on my flight next week." Lucifer suggests. Aro nods. "I'm a resourceful man, I'll find tickets. I'll be back soon." Aro leans over to kiss my hair then leaves the room.

By lunch, Aro's back, holding tickets triumphantly in his wallet and waves them for us to see. "Caius, you'll be coming along. And Marcus of course." He adds. Caius sighs. "I suppose I'll have to get a new suit."
"I'm going to wear my new birthday clothes. If I get some." Lucifer smiles.

"And you will, my darling. I'm sure of it." Aro smiles gently. "What about Sulpicia?" I pipe up. Aro glances at me. "What about her?" He asks.
"She might want to come to the party?" I mutter, crossing my fingers under the table in the hope she's too busy having her nails manicured or something. Ugh.

Aro looks severely disappointed. "Unforunately, Sulpicia is staying here."
YES!!!
I feign distress. "I really wanted her to come along." I lie, and Lucifer pinches my leg under the table, aware of my faking, which I try not to smirk at.

Aro sighs. "I don't think that is a bright idea; you know your mother doesn't think too highly of her."
"That's because Mom can sense a fake bitch when she sees one." I mutter under my breath.
"What was that?" Aro asks. "Nothing," Lucifer answers for me.

"My my, I can't wait for this party." He sends me signals with his eyes and I smirk.
Other than Lucifer, only Caius seemed to hear my comment on Sulpicia and smiles wickedly.

"I'm definately your uncle. My insulting comments are rubbing off on you." He smiles, rising from his seat. He turns back to us.
"It makes me proud. So proud."