Previously: James is back. Jacob and the managers got a note from the Phantom telling them to put Bella in the lead for tonight's show, so they decide to defy him and not follow any of his orders. Bella and Edward parted. Edward still hasn't told Bella about the whole Phantom of the Opera thing.

Music Note: On the extended soundtracks (which, if you're obsessed like me, I highly recommend) the end of this chapter is the beginning of Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh

The Music of the Night

Chapter 13

The Phantom of the Opera

When Edward left Bella's room, she was left at a loss for what to do next. It seemed almost rude to just go out and find someone when she was sure that they had been searching desperately for a day. Still …

Just as she was about to get up to go find someone, the door slammed open to reveal Esme. "Oh, Bella!" Esme exclaimed. She looked worn with emotion and she hurried to Bella's side to hug her. "I'm so glad you're back. He told me you were here."

They shared an intense look. "So it's true." Bella accused. "You did know."

Esme's eyes darted around the room as though looking for spies. "Yes, I know. But now isn't –"

Bella wasn't paying attention. "And Carlisle! Carlisle is … is …" her voice drew to a whisper, "They're vampires."

Esme hesitated for an instant and then nodded. Bella continued, loud again, "I have so many questions that I didn't get a chance to ask! And you and Carlisle …"

Esme took advantage of Bella's moment of silence to say, "I'll answer any questions that I can, Bella, but not right this moment. Everyone needs to know that you're back. You and Edward have caused quite an uproar."

Bella hearing her mother-figure say Edward's name was enough to shock her into silence. This really had been a deception that had gone on for years. She wondered if she ought to be angry at that, but she couldn't find it in herself to be mad at Esme.

"I'm going to find Rose and send her here. You should lie down." Esme said, when Bella didn't respond to her first comment.

Bella started at Esme's statement. "Rose!" She looked up at Esme, "What can I tell her?"

"Well, you already told her about your teacher, did you not?"

Bella nodded, hoping that it wasn't a bad thing. Esme continued, "Tell her what you will then, but bare in mind that she probably won't believe you if you tell her the truth. And you can't tell her about vampires. Humans aren't supposed to know."

Bella nodded again. She hadn't been planning on telling Rose about what Edward was anyway. Just knowing that her mysterious teacher had abducted her would be enough to make Rose want to send her to an insane asylum.

Esme gave her a last glance and then turned to the door. "I'm going to tell the managers and Rose, then. I'll be back as soon as I can be."

As she left, Bella frowned at something that was clutched in Esme's hand. It was a white envelope that looked oddly familiar, though she couldn't place where she had seen it before. She sat down on her bed, trying to make the connection, but it escaped her.

Deciding that it was a lost cause, she turned her thoughts to other things. Edward's music was ringing in her head, but Edward had given her explicit instructions not to sing, in case she was to sing tonight.

Edward had been certain that she would be singing in Il Muto, but Bella was more realistic. She was a good singer, she could admit that after the night before, but that wouldn't mean much to the managers, who weren't artists. To them, she was just a teenaged girl who had run away with no explanation. She wouldn't be surprised if they kicked her out.

She felt a flash of nerves at that thought, but she assuaged them with the thought that she could always go back to Edward if that happened. If they wouldn't let her sing here, there would be no reason to ever leave Edward's world of music below the opera house.

She smiled to herself and lay back on her bed. Forever with Edward. She could barely wrap her mind around the concept, but if Alice's whispers were anything to go by, she should think about it. Forever. She couldn't think about it now.

She glanced around her room to distract herself, but it was the same as ever except that the piles of flowers were gone. She was relieved since they had been exceedingly embarrassing. The vanishing of the flowers gave her a moment of worry though. Her eyes darted over to her desk and she was relieved to see that Edward's rose had been placed in a small vase of water. Probably Esme, no one else would understand the significance of that particular flower.

Then the door slammed open, interrupting her thoughts. Bella jumped up, hoping that the door hadn't collapsed from the strain. Behind the door stood Emmett, grinning broadly. He rushed up to Bella and hugged her with far too much force. "Emmett!" She struggled to get out through the lack of air in her lungs.

When he released her, she found that his huge body had been hiding her best friend. "Rose!" She cried. Rose pushed Emmett to the side and hugged Bella.

While still hugging, Rose whispered, "Oh god, Bella, we were so scared."

They released each other and Bella backed up a step, glancing from Rose to Emmett. "The two of you were scared together?" She asked, smirking ever so slightly.

Rose glared at the typical innuendo, but then burst into a smile and hugged Bella again. "Seriously Bella! We had no idea what had happened! It was so frightening. I didn't know if I would ever see you again."

Her voice had gone soft and earnest, so Bella dropped all thought of teasing. "I'm sorry Rose." For the first time, Bella was glad that she had left Edward's home earlier than she would have liked.

"What happened?" Emmett demanded, seeing that Rose was too overcome to ask any of the questions herself. Seemingly without thought for his actions, he placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.

Bella gave the gesture a pointed glance, but neither of her friends paid attention to it. Finally she gave up and sighed a tiny breath. "It's a long story. Rose, do you remember –"

But she was cut off, fortunately, before she could begin to come up with a partially true story to tell. The door opened, more calmly this time, to reveal Esme. She was no longer holding the envelope that had evoked such familiarity in Bella. She spared Rosalie and Emmett's embrace only a cursory glance that had Bella wondering what exactly had happened while she had been gone.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" Esme asked, as though it had been longer than a half hour or so since she had last seen her.

"Fine," Bella said. It was the absolute truth. Being with Edward made her feel alive and the feeling had yet to wear off. There was something about him, something about them together that made her blood sing in her veins.

Rose turned to her mother and said, "Bella was about to tell us where she's been, what happened to her."

Esme frowned and gave Bella a look that said, 'go with me.' "I'm not sure that Bella is completely coherent about all of that. If you ask me, I think she may have bumped her head while exploring the basements of the theaters."

Bella looked the woman she thought of as a mother and then at her two best friends. They wouldn't believe the truth, Bella knew that, but still. Lying felt like such a betrayal.

"That's right." She said, after a beat of silence. "I couldn't fall asleep the night after the premier, so I decided to go exploring. It was very early morning. I guess I fell down, because the next thing I remember is waking up this morning and coming back to my room where Esme found me. I didn't even know it had been a whole day."

Emmett looked scandalized that she had been lying somewhere in the theater injured this whole time, but Rose gave her a searching look for a moment. Bella tried to look honest. She had always been a bad liar. Luckily, Rose gave up her scrutiny after a moment.

"Bella, if you've been unconscious for a whole day, you need to be examined by a doctor! And you've got to be starving. Emmett and I will go get you something to eat and drink." Bella hadn't actually had breakfast since Edward's food stock had run out the day before. He didn't really understand how much food a human ate.

Esme nodded to Rose's outburst. "Of course. I'll go see if Carlisle can come here for a visit, Bella." Their eyes met again and Bella realized that Esme had been counting on Carlisle to verify the story.

All three of them left after hugging her repeatedly. When Rose hugged her again, Bella whispered, "What is going on with you and Emmett? I want the details later." When Rosalie, the infamous flirt, reacted only with a blush, Bella knew that something was definitely up.

Bella was about to lay back on her bed again, contemplating picking up a book to get her mind away from singing, when there was a knock on her door. She got up, curious. If it had been Esme, Rose, or Emmett, they would have just come in as they had before.

When she opened it, she experienced an odd feeling of déjà vu. "Jake!" She exclaimed.

Jacob looked relieved to see her standing there and pulled her into an embrace. "Bella," he sighed into her ear. "I've been going insane. We were all so worried." He pulled back, a strange look in his eyes this time. "What happened?"

Bella repeated the story that she had told Rose and Emmett. "I couldn't sleep, so I went down to the basements and I guess I tripped and fell. I don't remember anything after that until I woke up this morning still down there and I walked back to my room."

Jake still had the look in his eyes. As Bella looked more closely, it seemed to be partially fear for her and partially doubt. Well, at least some part of him believed her story. "Esme went to get a doctor." She continued.

That had been a good idea on Esme's part. Jacob relaxed just a bit at the mention of someone with authority to diagnose the situation. Then Jake was back in action again. "If you hit your head, Bella, you shouldn't be standing! Sit down, here." He pressed her down on her bed and then pulled over a chair so that he could sit opposite her.

He just examined her for a moment, as if wanting to continue interrogating her about her absence. He resisted the urge though and instead changed the subject. "You missed last night's premier of Il Muto. Jessica had to play the lead again. Quin and Embré had quite a job convincing her to come back, but they managed it."

Bella was interested in this story, so she nodded her head to encourage him to continue. "It wasn't nearly as good as your premier, but aside from Jessica it was alright. Jessica was awful. Completely over dramatic. But you don't want to hear about that! You need rest. Where is Esme with that doctor?"

It took another half hour before Esme returned with Carlisle in tow. By that time, Rose and Emmett had come back. Bella wished that Emmett and Jake would leave so that she could talk to Rose alone, but it wasn't to be. As it was, it wasn't nearly as awkward as she might have expected. Personable, humorous Emmett was up to carrying on a conversation with anyone.

Bella was still relieved when Carlisle entered the room though. That relief carried her for about 10 seconds before she remembered that he knew the whole story about the past day and that Edward was his son. She flushed from self-consciousness. What was he expecting from her, knowing what she was to Edward?

It was silly, she had known Carlisle for nearly a year, but everything seemed different now. They shared a long glance before Bella looked away at Esme. In that look she had noticed that his eyes were exactly the same as Edward's.

Carlisle's examination routine was very convincing. His concerned tone as she told her lie for the third time and he felt her head almost made her worried that she was injured and hadn't noticed it. That was until he started talking to their audience and winked at her when no one else was looking.

The wink was so unexpected that Bella wanted to burst out laughing. The handsome, vampire father of the love of her life had just winked at her. What crazy world had she been transported to in the past few moments?

"Well, she definitely hit her head hard about a day ago. I can imagine that she might have slipped off into a faint. The swelling looks like its dying down perfectly, though, and she should be good as new before we know it. I bet it feels like you never even fell, doesn't it Bella?"

Bella was half expecting another wink. "No, Dr. Cullen. I feel fine."

Jacob, surprisingly to Bella, was the first to speak. "What do you think of her performing in the opera tonight?"

Carlisle appraised Jacob and then looked back over at Bella. "If she feels up to it, I see no reason to stop her."

Even the formerly skeptical Rose looked reassured by Carlisle's calm, professional manner.

"Now I've really got to get back. It was nice to see you again Rose, Bella." He gave her another piercing, understanding glance and then walked out. Esme followed behind him. Rose averted her eyes from the door. However much she might like Dr. Cullen, she was never going to be comfortable with any of her mother's romances.

Jake was the first to break the silence after Esme and Carlisle left. "Bella, I think Quin and Embré were eventually going to come down here to tell you this, but they want you to play the pageboy in tonight's opera. Do you think you'll be up to it?"

Inside her mind, Bella was torn between happiness at being granted the role after everything that had happened and confusion at how wrong Edward had been. The pageboy in Il Muto was a silent role. She hadn't needed to save her voice at all! She attempted to silence part that was irritated at losing out on singing with Edward without any reason.

Rose sighed with relief, loudly. "Say you will, Bella! I had to play it yesterday and I absolutely abhor that role. No dancing and plenty of listening to Jessica squawk at you."

Bella laughed. "Since you make it sound so appealing, Rose." She teased, but then turned to Jake and said, "Of course I'm up to it. I feel fine." She felt a bit repetitive, but no one seemed to believe her when she said it, so repetition was necessary.

"Good!" Jake said, pleased. "Rehearsals begin in just an hour, so you should get down there. You know the part already, right? There are only seven hours until the show begins."

Bella nodded and Jake stood up. "I had better go then. See what Quin and Embré are up to. I'll see you soon Bella." Jake picked up her hand and kissed it. She remembered Edward performing the same gesture, but his cold lips had sent shockwaves of heat down her body. Jake's warm lips just felt like a comfort. Not bad, but not electric.

"Rosalie, Emmett." He nodded to the two and left the room, leaving Bella wondering about him. That kiss … Jake's feelings only made a complicated situation more tangled. She didn't want to hurt anyone, but there were so many things out of her control. So much for an easy 'Happily Ever After' once you meet your prince.

- - -

Six hours later, Bella was beginning to believe that she had spent all of yesterday unconscious from tripping. Her head was certainly pounding like she had. Or perhaps it was just Jessica's voice. Jessica began singing the same part over again and Bella winced. Yes, that was it.

Jessica had reached never-before-imagined heights of exaggeration in her vocal styling. Their conductor, Monsieur Claireau, was about to have a fit. "Jessica! Once again! Without the trills, please."

Jessica grumbled, but repeated the phrase again, as he had demanded. Bella sighed. At least that time had felt more like someone punching her head than a rock hitting it as the time before had felt like.

Bella wondered, trying to distract herself, if her time down with Edward had somehow enhanced her musical sense. Jessica was genuinely worse than before, but she had never felt such pain at bad music before. Perhaps that was the trade off. By experiencing music at such heights of joy in Edward's arms, she was more tortured by things that made a mockery of what music could be.

She could have continued thinking in this train for a while, but she was ripped back to the present by Rose's elbow hitting her ribs. "It's your part Bella!" She hissed. Bella looked around to find that her friend was right. She blushed and started acting out her silent role.

Then Jessica started singing again and Monsieur Claireau groaned. "It's hopeless." He muttered to himself. To the cast he said, "I think that's as good as we are going to get. Go get into your costumes, we have an hour until the performance begins. Jessica, a word."

Sitting with Rose, doing each other's hair and make-up, Bella felt like it was old times again. They laughed uproariously at what Monsieur Claireau was surely saying to Jessica and how little it would help, as they all well knew. There was nothing that would stop Jessica when she was determined to be overdramatic.

The hour flew by and soon they were both out on stage, preparing for the curtain to rise. This was a different feeling for Bella than the ecstasies of music that she had reached with Edward the night before. It was less intense, to be sure, but also utterly different. That had been personal, intimate. This was performance, playing to the audience. There was a different sort of rush to it.

As Bella performed her part flawlessly, she wondered about her future with Edward again. She pushed aside the lurking sense of foreboding that still filled her when she thought about things like that, the sense that had sprung on her that morning when Edward had left. If she could follow through on Alice's hints, if she became a vampire and had forever with Edward … a shiver of delight ran through her at the thought. It was a dream.

But would she lose this for that? Would she be able to perform on stage as a vampire? Probably not, or else Edward would be doing it. He was certainly good enough.

It doesn't matter, Bella thought, Being with him would be worth it.

Her thoughts didn't match the opera at all, but it was a thoughtless piece, so it didn't matter much. It was a comedy about a countess, Jessica, who was cheating on her husband with a pageboy. In order to sneak around the husband, the pageboy, Bella, had dressed as a maid and come to the countess's room.

This led to the silence on the pageboy's part, a man's voice would ruin the pretense. It wasn't that comedic operas were bad in general, but Bella just wasn't in the mood to play Jessica's lover today. Come to think of it, that wasn't exactly a part she would ever want to play.

She wondered if Edward was somewhere watching her. He hadn't told her explicitly about any secret passages besides those in the basements, but she guessed that he probably knew many. That made her wish that she was singing. She wanted to sing for him and here she was in this ridiculous, silent part. She was beginning to hate this stupid opera with a passion.

Bella glanced at the audience during one of Jessica's singing parts and found Jacob in box five. It was clear that the whole Phantom of the Opera legend was just that, a myth. They had always left that box empty when William Black had been manager of the Opera Populaire, but now it was filled three nights in a row and what retaliation had been visited on them? Why, as far as Bella knew there hadn't even been any more notes after that first one when the managers first came.

She almost laughed, remembering her fear when she was a child. She tried not to think about the still unsolved deaths, the other mysteries attributed to him. Silly, it all really was.

She was about to discover how wrong she was.

- - -

For the whole day, Quin and Embré had been nervous. They had stayed together, jumping at shadows and running away from the creaking floor. Words kept running through their minds. "A disaster beyond your imagination."

They had both tried to emulate Jake, who had been utterly unperturbed at their failure to follow instructions, but had mainly failed.

As the show drew nearer, their symptoms of pure fear grew worse. As the curtain rose and the first scene began, the two managers were on the verge of hiding their eyes and holding on to one another.

Nothing happened. The second scene also went by without a single incident. By this time, the managers were cracking smiles. How silly they had been. Jacob was right all along to force them to disobey the Opera Ghost. They didn't take orders! This was their opera house, by god!

Their only regret was that they wished that the Opera Ghost hadn't asked for Bella to sing the lead role. If he hadn't, they could have cast her their without worrying about making a point. Jessica was truly sounding atrocious today.

Still, with no incidents from him as they started the third scene, Quin and Embré were too happy to criticize with any severity.

They celebrated too soon.

- - -

"I've heard this youth has set my lady's heart aflame."

"His lordship sure would die of shock,
His lordship is a laughingstock"

"Should he suspect her, god protect her
Shame, shame, shame."

Bella felt like an idiot, flouncing around the stage pretending to be a pageboy pretending to be a maid. Usually she was able to lose herself in a part, no matter how ludicrous, but this time she was finding it impossible. She kept remembering scenes from the night before just as she was about to slip into character.

She watched Jessica and Michael act out the main scene. Discomfort was filling her, for some reason. The foreboding was back with a vengeance and it was making her want to go running back to Edward, to pull him to her and never let go.

In a few moments, she wished that she had given into the urge and run off stage while she had the chance.

A voice boomed through the opera house.

"Did I not instruct that box five was to be kept empty!"

Bella froze.

Her feet were locked to the floor and her thoughts had become instantly incoherent. The shock was too much. From a distant part of her mind she registered Rose's voice from backstage. "It's him! The Phantom of the Opera!"

"It's him." Bella breathed, barely aware she was speaking aloud.

Jessica snapped at her, "Your part is silent, little toad!" but she couldn't hear it. Bella was too busy trying to stop the ringing in her ears and understand what was happening. Edward, her Edward, was also the man who had terrorized, destroyed, and murdered for the past five years. Oh, god.

He was talking again, his perfect voice booming around the Opera Populaire in a mockery of the way it had sounded while singing to her the night before. "A toad, Madame? Perhaps it is you who are the toad."

Edward Cullen, her angel of music, was also the Phantom of the Opera.

A/N: Uh-oh! And the plot thickens! Thank you so much for the lovely reviews and look, here I am posting on time for once! As always, any comments are appreciated. I'm very grateful to all my readers for pulling themselves away from their DVD players and sparkly new Twilight DVDs long enough to read this. I know that I found it difficult. ;-) On a completely unrelated note, I just wanted to warn you all ... you're not going to like this next chapter. It will be up ... whenever I get time enough to post this week. Before Friday. Thanks for reading!

Next Time: Bella copes with her realization ... in ways that will probably be disliked by readers. ;-)