A/N: Thank you for the great reviews and sticking with me. Much love!

Thanks to my beautiful beta xrxdanixrx.

DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer owns all rights and property of Twiligh

Chapter 25

BPOV

Aro stared at me impassively as I professed to him, what he, almost certainly, already knew. There was no reason for me to keep the pretenses going. It wasn't like I was breaking my cover, because I wasn't undercover. He knew who I was, probably more than I wanted to realize. Everything was displayed out in front of him, and he was playing with a full deck of cards, while I had nothing but jokers. It was an odd feeling to know that I'd been set up. It was from the very moment I stepped onto his property, which was when I lost the game. Unknowingly, I'd fallen right into his trap. Now, I was just waiting for him to crush me.

The only thing that seemed not to make the inevitable so scary was the strong, warm arms that I had wrapped around me. Edward was there, and without even trying, he kept me safe. It was like nothing bad could happen to us. We were in our impenetrable bubble. The same one that had gotten us in trouble, in the not so distant past, was now acting as a barrier.

"That doesn't make any sense," Tanya whined.

"It does if you're a detective who works undercover," Aro said stoically.

So, there it was, he knew, but what now? If this was just a regular tête-à-tête between anyone else, this wouldn't be such an eye-opener. My undercover work would be a point of curiosity for conversation, but nothing to cause alarm. Did Aro know that? Did he realize that if he was to act out against me that he would be admitting his own guilt? He knew I was after him, that I had no doubt, but would he allow the Masens to see that side of him? I knew I would leave unharmed tonight, but tomorrow wasn't guaranteed to me.

I was the bug that Aro wanted squashed…

As we sat in silence, I watched Aro's body language, looking for clues of any distress. However, that was pointless, because he stood there completely composed. What was going on in that mind of his? Why was he going through all these charades?

Finally, after what seemed like eternity, I cleared my throat. "Yes, I am at Edward's school doing some undercover work. I wish I could share the details with you, but the case is still active, and I don't want to compromise anything," I spoke calmly.

"Oh, but you break your cover so you could date Edward," Tanya spat as she glared at Edward and me. "Either you're the worst detective in history or the worst liar."

I clenched my fists tightly as my body coiled to spring. The shit that came out of this woman's mouth was really pissing me off, and it was only a matter of time before I released some of my frustration upon her overdone face. Truth be told, I'd never hit a girl. I never had a reason to, because most women didn't know how to fight, and I could tell by just looking at Tanya that she'd never been in a fight her entire life.

So, kicking her ass into next Tuesday would be easy, but so fucking gratifying. The fact I hadn't choked the bitch out, showed great restraint on my part, but my self-control was dwindling, and her luck was running out.

"You know what, Tanya? I am so sick of you spouting off at the mouth about things you know nothing about. I mean, what are you even doing here?" Edward hissed furiously.

She looked at Edward like he had kicked her hard, and it made me smile. If I couldn't hurt her physically, I was glad to see that Edward had the power to wound her with his words. Perhaps, he was the only one who could do that, because I saw it in her eyes, she still loved him.

"Tanya, why don't you go downstairs for a while, my dear," Aro instructed, his voice was sickly sweet.

She narrowed her eyes at him like she was going to protest, but thought otherwise, as she stomped past us like a pouting child. We watched her as she descended the stairs, and I was grateful to have her ass gone. If Aro hadn't asked her to go downstairs, and she would've said more derogatory thing towards Edward and me, I would've attacked her…I think Aro knew that, as well.

Aro took a step towards us, shaking his head. "Se non era la figlia di mio fratello, lei sarebbe morta."

The Italian the rolled from Aro's tongue was mesmerizing, and I would've been entranced if it wasn't for one word he used…morta. Admittedly, my Italian wasn't the best, and I was a bit rusty, but I knew enough to know that morta translated into dead.

Suddenly, his Italian wasn't so enchanting and more like a warning.

Aro turned his attention back to us and sighed. "My sincerest apologizes, Edward, for not informing you or your parents of Tanya's stay here, but I'd assumed she would've been gone for the night, but of course, that girl never does what I expect."

Even though Aro sounded sincere, I knew otherwise. The way Tanya wasn't surprised to see us, and the fact that she knew the Masens were there. It all added up to one thing. It was a set up, and Aro fully attended on ambushing Edward and me with Tanya's presence tonight. His motivation was still unclear to me. It didn't seem like he wanted to cause a rift between us, but perhaps, make our night uncomfortable. If that was his goal, he succeeded. To think, I was going to lash out at Edward for not telling me about Tanya. It was nice to know that he was thrown off guard, as well. We were in this together, regardless of the circumstances. I wasn't alone in all this.

"Apology accepted, Aro, but I must admit that it would've been nice to have a warning. Tanya and I are not on the best of terms, and seeing her makes things unpleasant for Bella and me," Edward said curtly.

Aro chuckled. "Yes, I noticed the tension between you three, and once again, I apologize for her actions, but unfortunately, she does take after her mother…" Aro paused. His eyes looked past us and straight to the third door on the left. His eyes flashed to me. "So, Isabella, I hope tonight hasn't given you a bad impression of me. It seems that you're going to be a permanent fixture in Edward's life, therefore, making us family."

I grimaced at the word. How could he even entertain the thought of us being family? Was he trying to be ironic?

The smile on Aro's face said it all, and before I had a chance to react, he was walking towards Edward and me. It was obvious to me that Aro wanted into his office; the same one Edward and I were camped out in front of. I took Edward's hand and pulled him towards the stairs.

"Well, if you would excuse me, I have a few things to catch up on before Gloria serves dessert," Aro asserted as he slipped inside his office and disappeared.

Edward stared at the door, confused, and then his eyes shot to me. "That's not a bathroom, is it?"

"No, it's his office," I replied.

Edward narrowed is eyes slightly, and I tugged on his hand, leading him towards the stairs. The night was turning out to be shit, but I had a sick feeling it was going to get worse. In the back of my head, I was vaguely aware of Tanya downstairs with his parents. God only knew what she was telling them at the moment.

When we entered the dining room, it was all clear to that Tanya was running her mouth off. The looks on Beth and Edward's face were heartbreaking. They looked as though they had been lied to, and at some aspect, they have. Unfortunately, on top of everything that was going on around us, this was the last thing we needed. We took our seats quietly as we waited for the gauntlet to drop. Edward glared at Tanya as she wore a smug smile, apparently proud of herself.

Finally after a few minutes, Beth spoke up. "Tell me it's not true."

"What's not true?" Edward sighed with annoyance.

"Isabella," Beth called as she ignored Edward and turned her gaze to me. "Is she telling the truth?"

"Beth, in all honesty, I don't know what truth you want, because Tanya doesn't even know the truth," I answered as I rubbed my forehead.

"Well, why don't you tell Beth of how you two met. I know that much," Tanya challenged, smiling.

I was about to open my mouth, but Edward suddenly exploded. "Why are you guys even entertaining anything she says?"

"Edward," his dad said softly. "That's why we are asking you."

He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. I reached out and put my hand gently on his leg in an effort to calm him down. Tanya was crossing the line, but our reactions were fueling her even more. We were allowing her to win.

"Listen," I started. "We met at his school." I took a glance over at Edward. He nodded, urging me to continue, but I couldn't. "Let's just say we met under not so ideal circumstances."

"Oh, that's rich," Tanya laughed.

"This is so ridiculous," Edward said, tiredly. "Mom, Dad, believe what you want. I'm in love with Bella, and it really doesn't matter how we met."

Before I knew what was happening, Edward was standing up from the table.

"Eddie, don't leave," Beth pleaded.

He walked over to his mom and kissed her on her cheek. She hugged onto him tightly as he whispered something into her ear. She nodded as a small smile graced her lips.

Tanya saw that her plan to ruin us was failing considerably. The look on her face was comical as she folded her arms over her chest.

"You guys don't even care that your son started dating a girl who he thought was seventeen?" Tanya shrieked.

Edward pulled away from his mom and looked at Tanya sadly. "Please, stop this now. You're only embarrassing yourself."

"Oh really?" Tanya shot back.

"The one piece of information that you're missing from this elaborate story of yours, is that, my mom already informed me of Bella. She's been trying to set me up with her for the past year now. So, even though Bella entered my class as a student, I already knew who she was." he shrugged casually. "So, please, I beg of you—"

"Just shut up, Tanya," Beth interrupted, finishing Edward's sentence.

The tension in the room suddenly dissipated, and we all started laughing. Tanya on the other hand was not as amused as she ran out of the dining room, passing Aro on her way out. He looked at us with a curious expression.

"Hmm, did I miss something good?" he asked.

My laughing halted as I watched the snake slither into the room, taking Tanya's vacant seat. The man had this effect over me that caused all my muscles to tighten. It was like I was an animal ready to sprint at any sign of danger.

"Oh, your niece, she's still the same it seems," Edward's dad answered offhandedly.

"Ah, well, Marcus owes me." Aro chuckled.

"She says she's staying with you until the Paris job picks up again," Beth added.

"That child has no job in Paris," Aro said as he took a sip of his wine. "Marcus says that they fired her after finding out she was sleeping with the director. He practically begged me to take her in."

"Why couldn't Marcus take care of her?" Edward questioned.

Aro smiled. "Because Marcus hoped you would take her back. He always liked you." he looked over at me. "He'll be disappointed to know that you've found another."

He looked at me like I was supposed to apologize for meeting Edward. I was sick and I wanted to just leave. It was obvious I was unwelcome there…

"Well, no offense to Marcus, but I think our Edward did rather well," Edward's dad said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Edward's dad looked over at me, giving a warm and gentle smile. In that one sentence, he had managed to pacify all of my fears. It didn't matter if I was unwelcome in Aro's home, I was welcome in the Masens home, and that made all the difference to me.

The conversation waned as Edward and I made our exit. The Masens stayed behind and that shot fear into me. Would Aro hurt them? God, what would I do if he did? I tried to keep my fears hidden from them, not wanting to cause any suspicion. If they remained clueless, they would remain safe. I had to keep that hope or otherwise I would've handcuffed Aro right there on the spot.

That wouldn't solve a damn thing.

Tanya stayed upstairs as we left, never making another appearance. I was proud of myself for not putting my hands on her. My hands wanted to strangle her so badly, but I knew it would just end up getting me into trouble. If I was to assault her in anyway, she would most likely file charges against me. I would be fired from my job, and the bitch would sue the city.

I guess I would have to fantasize about it.

As soon as we were in the car, the silence between Edward and me became thick, it was a bit unnerving. Once we were on the freeway, Edward looked over at me with an intense look. He wanted answers from me. My actions tonight raised some flags for him, but now I didn't know if I could tell him the truth about Aro.

The cons outweighed the pros…

"Just ask," I said resignedly.

"Why were you in Aro's office?" Edward asked.

I took a glance at him and he was staring out the front windshield, his lips pressed into a tight line. It was something about the harsh tone in his voice. It broke me when I realized the hard, cold truth.

"Have you lost your trust in me?"I asked, my voice breaking with emotion.

He sighed. "You didn't answer my question. Why were you in his office?"

"Because those were the directions he gave me," I said truthfully.

Edward looked at me with disbelief, and once again, it was like someone took my heart and stomp on it. The scene was all too familiar to me. It was the look of distrust that all the men in my life had on their faces. It was the moment that they decided that I wasn't worth the trouble, and that was when things would go south. I used think it was the guys I dated, that they were the problem, but seeing it through Edward's hurt eyes, I realized I was the problem. It was always me. The difference this time was I wasn't going to survive if Edward walked away. He had captured my heart in such a short time. He managed to change me so much that it would be impossible to reverse the effects. Once he was gone, I wouldn't have the strength in me to love again, nor would I want to.

But of course, I couldn't tell him that, because when I was hurt, I tended to lash out in anger. This time was no different.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Edward? You're acting like I've betrayed you," I spat.

"Why can't you just answer the question, Bella? That's all I'm asking," Edward replied in a frustrated tone.

"I did answer your question. Those were the directions he gave me, almost like he wanted me to find his—" I stopped abruptly.

Everything just hit me. Aro did want me to find his office, because he knew exactly what I would do. He understood me better than I understood myself. He knew that my curiosity would lead me to his office, to his computer—fuck, he even spoon fed me the password. How could have I been so dense? He left me little breadcrumbs and I followed them exactly where he wanted me to. Why would he do that? How could've he known?

James…

That little fucker.

"Edward, I'm going to just lay it out for you," I said firmly.

"That's all I want, Bella," Edward said, glancing quickly at me.

"Okay, drive me to the station."

Edward never probed me for more information as he drove us to the station, and I wondered if that was because he believed wholeheartedly that I was going give him the answers he so desperately craved. However, he had no idea what he was asking. Everything he thought he knew was going to be shattered. If Edward's father knew Aro since college, then it was quite possible that Edward knew Aro his whole life, and I was hesitant to be the one to expose the bitter truth to him.

My opinion changed instantly, because the moment Edward pulled up to the station, he jumped out of the car like it was on fire. He came to my side of the door and held out his hand for me to grab. That simple gesture held so much, and I almost sobbed like a baby. The last thing I ever wanted was the man I loved to hate me. He had every right to distrust me, but I prayed he would listen and understand my reasons.

"Are you sure, baby? Are you sure you want to know?" I asked abruptly as we stood outside the narcotics department door.

He looked down at me, green eyes blazing with love and devotion. "I trust you."

Taking a deep breath, I squeezed his hand, and thrusted the door open. The office was filled with more people than I would have liked, but I knew I had to stay focused. No matter what happened now, I had one goal, and that was to show Edward the truth.

The truth was in a police file, a crime profile-Aro's profile. I kept a straight projector as I led him back towards the file room. He remained quiet as I watched him scope the office with curious eyes. We were halfway there when Rosalie intercepted our path.

Shit!

What was surprising, though, was that Rosalie's face looked concerned. Her brow was furrowed as she looked over my body quickly. I was stunned by her behavior.

"Swan, are you okay? I've been trying to call you since we disconnected. I would've sent back up, but we didn't know where you were," Rosalie rambled.

I grimaced when I remembered my phone vibrating in front of Aro, and the fact I scared Rose needlessly.

"I'm sorry, Agent Hale. I'm fine…in fact, I just came down here to show Edward some things, and then we will be leaving," I said as I started to side step her.

She narrowed her eyes at me as she stepped into my path again. "That's it? You're fine? That's all you've got to say to me?"

"Can we discuss this later?" I asked softly.

"Why?" she countered suspiciously.

"Because right now is not the time," I replied as I glanced in Edward's direction.

Rose followed my gaze. She looked at us as a whole, and suddenly her focus became crystal clear. When her concern for me was eased, she started to look at the bigger picture. That was not good, because I knew what was next.

"What are you doing here, Swan? Why is Edward here?"

I sighed. "I need five minutes in the conference room."

Her gaze became fiercer. She was smart. She knew exactly why Edward was there.

"No fucking way," Rosalie protested as she shook her head. "You're out of your mind, Swan, if you think I'm going to give you access to Aro's files."

"This concerns Edward now. He needs to know," I stated matter-of-factly.

"Why? What good would it come of him knowing?" she spat.

This conversation was getting us nowhere, and I was going to get those files. She was being the road block that I didn't need, but nothing she said was going to stop me. If she needed proof of my ball crushers' status, I was going to give it to her.

"Quite honestly, I don't need your permission," I said as I shoved past her.

If it wasn't for Edward slightly pulling me to a halt, I would've dragged him to the conference room. I looked back at him, and saw he had a look of apprehension on his face.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Bella, you're risking a lot right now. You need to listen to Rose," Edward informed me sadly.

Rose looked between us. She was as shocked as I was with Edward's hesitance.

"I'm not risking anything," I replied honestly.

"Baby, you are. Look, I want to know, especially if it involves my family being in danger, but not like this. Not with you going over so many people," he said as he pulled me closer to him.

How could I explain to him that it was okay, and that whatever consequences came with it, that I would take it gladly? That hiding the truth from him was far more hurtful to me than this job? I doubted he would listen. He was too worried about me. He loved me so much.

"Edward, I promise, okay? Nothing will happen with me, and if it does…so what?" I asked, shrugging.

He shook his head. "No, this job is your life. I can't let you throw it away."

"No, it was my life, but not now. You changed all that. Don't you see?" I asked, imploring him to understand.

"Fuck it," Rose huffed.

We both looked over at her confused. She threw up her hands, surrendering.

"Just go. Show him everything he needs to know, Swan," she urged.

I never needed Rosalie's blessing, but I think she realized that Edward did. It was the one thing I ever witnessed from her that was halfway decent. Well, I wasn't giving her enough credit. What she did was actually pretty fucking cool of her. However, I would never tell her that. Just like she would never tell me that she actually liked me. That at times, despite my many fuck ups, she was proud of me. It wasn't how we were wired, because when it came down to it, we were the same, too much of the same, and causing us to butt heads at every turn. We were two strong female power houses…fighting to take the lead.

"Thanks, Agent Hale," I said demurely.

She nodded marginally as she waved us forward. Now that I had complete clearance, I was going to show Edward everything. I just hoped he could handle it.

Entering the conference room, I had him take a seat as I shot out of the room and headed to Rosalie's office. She stood at the door with Aro's file in her hand, approaching her cautiously, I wondered if she changed her mind. The expression on her face was serene. I reached out to grab the file, but was meant with resistance. Rose was refusing to let it go.

I fucking knew it.

"Once he knows the truth, you guys can't go back," Rosalie cautioned.

"I know." I nodded.

"Do you?" she asked, doubtfully. "I won't deny this file from you, but do you realize what knowing will do to him? Are you willing to take that chance with him?"

I yanked the file from her, and sighed. "You have no idea what hiding this from him is doing to me."

She scoffed. "Of course, Swan, how naïve of me to actually think that this was about him."

She turned away from me, entering her office, and closed the door. The file that once was the answer to my sanity was now looking like a bad idea. Was she right, was I being selfish? God, when had I not been selfish? My track record was filled with my own self-centered needs. What good would come of Edward knowing the truth about Aro? There were times that I wished that I never knew that truth. He said he wanted to know the truth…was he strong enough?

My mind was all over the place, and I had no idea what I decided to do, until I was standing in front of Edward in the conference room, holding the file out to him. He took it hesitantly, never taking his eyes off mine. I sat down across from him.

"Okay, baby, remember, once you take the blue pill you can't go back," I warned.

He chuckled. "Are you saying that this file is like the matrix?"

"Sort of, not as dramatic as waking up in a pod, but it's an eye opener for sure," I answered with a shrug.

He nodded as he flipped the file open…I held my breath.

The truth was laid out before him, and I was wondering which one of us was going through the matrix. Edward flipped through the file, his face never giving away to any of his inner thoughts, and that was driving me crazy. I wasn't sure what I expected. Perhaps, it was a toss between him getting up and screaming at the top of his lungs or complete aloofness. One extreme to another, I was going out of my mind not knowing. It seemed like time stopped as he skimmed through Aro's record.

Finally he looked up at me, giving me a weak smile. "Is this accurate?"

"The FBI has been investigating him for a while now," I answered truthfully.

He let out a heavy sigh as he ran his hands through his hair. The room was eerily quiet, and that was when I regretted the whole thing. He never looked up at me as his shoulders slumped slightly. I was on my way to comfort him when his eyes shot up at me. The determination in his gaze was starling, and I cocked my head to the side questioningly.

"Baby?" I called, tentatively.

"We need to tell my father," he said suddenly.

"No, we can't. I shouldn't even have told you," I retorted, shaking my head.

He stood up from his chair and started to pace the room. "He needs to know who he's dealing with. We can't just leave him in the dark."

"Don't you understand? The fact that he doesn't know is what's keeping him safe. Aro is a dangerous man, Edward. I have just risked your life by showing you that file—" I gasped.

The weight of the situation came crashing down on me. The love of my life was in danger now. He knew too much now. Rosalie was right. There was no turning back. She wasn't talking about what the truth would do to his psyche, no, he was strong…too strong. He was a fighter, and would stand up to any injustice in life. Rose saw that…she fucking knew that. So, when she warned me about exposing the truth, she was giving me the chance to turn back, to stop the catastrophe before it happened. Edward knowing the truth was risking his life. In my selfish desire to ease my discomfort for having to lie to him, I had just signed his death certificate. I killed the man I loved.

What have I done?

A/N: The translation for 'Se non era la figlia di mio fratello, lei sarebbe morta' is: If it was not the daughter of my brother, she would die.

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