Disclaimer: All Twilight related material is the sole property of the original author.

A/N: Small note. This was supposed to be the last chapter for Mask'Charade. Technically it is, but it's very long and had to be split into parts. So, there will be two more parts, following this one. They are complete, and edited, and will post throughout the day. Thank you all. Foolforedward edits.

Mask'Charade Chapter 35, What the End Justifies

EPOV

I stand quietly in the corner of the softly lit room, feeling paralyzed by the sight of tubes, wires, and subtle beeps from monitors. I stare at her face. The purple marks and skin abrasions scattered across her delicate features bear testament to what she's endured.

I want nothing more than to touch her, to let her know that I'm here; but James' words keep rolling around in my head. Even though she looks so peaceful, and all I want is to tell her is how sorry I am and how much I love her, I can't take the risk. Knowing I'm here may cause Bella to react in a way that could be detrimental to her and the baby's health. So for now, it'll just have to be enough for me to be here with her like this. I pray that she feels my presence.

I know it won't be long before someone realizes that I'm not supposed to be here, and I'm asked to leave. If it's James, he will no doubt cause a scene, but I won't protest. Legally, I haven't the right, and it's frustrating to know that.

I may only just have realized my true feelings for Bella, but she's always loved me. She's always believed that we'd be together. She's carrying our child. All those things should be enough and warrant my presence at her side, but it's just my word against his. I could make a scene, and yell that she loves me and wants to be with me, that it's my baby; but it would only get me banned from them both. James is her husband, and until I can prove legally otherwise, he's being recognized as the father of my unborn child, and there's not a damned thing I can do about it.

Honestly, I can't worry about that right now. I'm sure these thoughts I'm having are coming from him, but I can't give in. I don't even want to think about Ned. If I do, he'll have the power. Instead, I desperately try and clear my mind and focus on Bella. I concentrate on her breathing and obsessively check the monitor, glancing back and forth between it and her. I'm far from being a medical expert, but I think I can understand the basics. She looks to be resting peacefully, and according to what the doctors have said, that can only be good for her and the baby. They have to be alright. No matter what I feel about her husband and this situation, everything I do has to be about the two most important people in my life.

I sit in the corner chair and continue to watch her intently until the door opens. Inwardly, I'm panicking, knowing that at any moment I'm going to be accosted for being in her room.

I say nothing as a nurse rolls in a machine. She's oblivious to my presence, and I'm having an internal battle about whether I should alert her or not. The last thing I want to do is startle her. I clear my throat softly.

"It's alright, I already know you're in here," she says, not turning to acknowledge me as she hooks up the machine, before turning her attention to Bella.

"Um…how…" I start, but don't know how to voice my question.

"Your friend, the petite brunette, acted a little oddly when she overheard me say that I was preparing to go into Mrs. Devereux's room. She started asking a lot of questions, until I finally I realized she was trying to stall me. Eventually she had to tell me the truth. You're the boyfriend."

She stuns me with her admission, and I frown. "She told you that?"

"No…" She replies, as she rolls up Bella's gown and sticks patches onto her abdomen. "I witnessed you and Mr. Devereux having a conversation a little while ago. Let's just say I put two and two together."

"You have one hell of an ability at solving equations if you came up with that just by seeing us talking."

She finishes her task and turns to me.

"The exchange was heated, and I overheard some bits and pieces."

My jaw clenches.

"Is this where you throw me out?"

She looks me over, studying me. For what, I haven't a clue.

"I'm not going to throw you out." She approaches me, and if possible lowers her tone even more. "Others might have their own agenda for being here, but it's obvious to me that you love her. It's clear something…more is going on than what the medical staff has been told, but that's not my concern. I only care about the patient."

"I'm not sure what you're insinuating." I frown in confusion.

"Let's just say, I'm familiar with one of the parties involved and leave it at that," she says, before returning to Bella's bedside and switching on the machine. It whirs to life, and she begins pushing certain buttons. She nods once she's found what she's looking for. I can't help wondering what she meant by her statement.

"I-is…." My voice catches in my throat. I swallow hard, before I force the words out. "Is she going to be alright?"

"She's lucky, that's for sure, but for the most part she's stable."

"I….they say she has to stay like this…." I motion to Bella's state.

"It's vital for her recovery as well as the baby's health."

"Strong as a horse," she whispers over her shoulder with a smile.

"What is that you just put on her?"

"It's a fetal monitor. We use it to check the baby's heartbeat and saturation levels."

My eyes widen, and my lips part.

"That's the baby's heart beating?" I ask, astonished.

"Yeah. Come closer. It's something you never get used to hearing, I promise you."

I smile hesitantly and get up from the chair. I slowly walk over to Bella's bedside to better listen. I can't help the smile that spreads across my face, nor can I believe what I'm hearing. My eyes stay transfixed on the monitor, even though I don't have a clue what I'm looking at.

"That's….that's amazing!" I whisper excitedly.

"Yes it is. Especially after everything she's endured. You have one tough little wrangler here."

"You know that the baby's mine?"

"I know a lot of things, and yes, that's one of them."

"You heard me and James arguing," I say, and she nods. "He can't know that I've been in here."

"Been where? I haven't seen anyone." She shrugs, feigning ignorance. "But you better leave before he does."

The way she refers to him, leads me to believe that she's more than just familiar with him.

"You know him, don't you?"

She glances at me, her expression turning indignant.

"I go on a break in five minutes. Buy me a cup of coffee, and I'll enlighten you."

She leaves, and I check my watch. I reach out and tenderly brush Bella's cheek with the back of my hand.

"I love you." I murmur, before leaving.

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She's already seated, sipping from a cup when I enter the diner.

"I obviously couldn't wait for you." She smiles, gesturing to her mug, as I slide into the booth.

"I apologize. I'll get the check. How do you know James?"

"Straight to the point, huh?"

"Forgive me if I'm being rude, but you asked me here for a reason."

"That I did." She exhales heavily. "James is having an affair with my sister Siobhan, or I should say was."

"His secretary? Okay. I'm aware of their relationship to a certain degree. What else?"

"I could lose my job for this." She murmurs to herself.

"Again forgive me, but you knew that the minute you asked me to meet with you."

"Well, that may be true, but as I see it, we both have something to lose."

I understand exactly what she's referring to.

"As you already know, I'm not a fan of James. What you tell me stays between us. I'll trust you'll do the same about my visiting Bella."

She contemplates briefly, then agrees.

"About six months ago, my sister contacted me for information about a procedure."

"What kind of procedure?" My brows knit in confusion.

She takes a breath, and exhales. "Vasectomy."

.

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.

Gwendolyn fills me in on all James' dirty laundry, and there's a lot. I guess it's true what they say about a woman scorned. It's clear he's rubbed Siobhan the wrong way. Add Nurse Gwendolyn to the equation, and James has got one hell of a problem on his hands.

Her revelation about the vasectomy was definitely enlightening, but with Bella being in the condition she's in, it's barely helpful. I can't do much until the baby stabilizes, and Bella can be brought out of the coma.

"How long?"

"It depends. Her injuries are serious, but far less severe than we originally thought. It could take days; weeks. It's a difficult situation. The longer she's stays in the coma, the better for the baby, but it increases her chances of cerebral damage."

"Cerebral damage?" I'm unable to hide my shock. "I thought you said her injuries weren't as severe?"

"Technically they're not, but there's an underlining factor that makes this more complex."

"The baby," I say matter-of-factly.

"Bella is stable, but the impact of the explosion caused trauma to the baby. She went into preterm labor on her way into the ER."

"Labor? But she's barely showing," I utter in shock.

"I know. She's just a little over four months along. I don't want to speak out of turn, because I'm not her doctor, but I'll tell you what they told James. In cases such as these, there's always a risk. The longer they have to keep her comatose, the greater the risk."

"What risk?"

She avoids my gaze, and I become worried.

"Gwendolyn, tell me. Worst case scenario."

"Memory loss."

"Christ."

"Personally, I've never witnessed anything like this before. It's like Bella and her baby need each other for both of them to come out of this unscathed…."

"Please…. I cannot deal with the double talk." I shake my head, becoming frustrated. "…just tell me plainly what that means for both of them."

"It means that if the doctors bring Bella out of the coma now, she will undoubtedly go into labor, and the baby's chances for survival are obviously not the best. On the other hand, if the doctors keep her under until the baby stabilizes and grows more, his chances will increase."

"But Bella's brain activity will decrease," I conclude, finally understanding. I bury my head in my hands.

"As I said, it's very complex."

"This-this can't be happening. It's all my fault." I mutter through my fingers.

"Hey…." She reaches across the table and covers my hand with hers. "They're both going to be fine. You have to believe that."

I acquiesce, as a thought enters my head.

"Um….I might be reading too much into….you said he?"

Her brows draw tightly together, puzzled by my question.

"Um….the baby….it's a boy?"

She squints as if trying to recall her previous words. Suddenly, it dawns on her, and her eyes widen.

"Oh….god…I-I didn't mean to…" She exhales heavily, shaking her head at the obvious mistake.

"It's alright. Don't…don't tell me. I wouldn't be able to keep it secret, and I wouldn't want to compromise your job any more than I already have. I really appreciate all you've done to help me."

She smiles. "You're welcome."

"Besides, I would rather Bella and I receive that news together."

Gwendolyn returns to the hospital, while I remain at the diner, still deep in thought. She promises to let me see Bella before completing her shift, but after that, I would have to get creative until she returns tomorrow.

Creative I would be.

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I wait in the hospital parking lot, until I see James' car pull off before I go in to visit Bella. I've followed this routine for the past three weeks and, ironically, it's worked. I'm sure he thinks I've just abandoned her and the baby, and he's patting himself on the back, thinking he made it happen. Thankfully, Bella has been recovering, and the baby is growing and getting stronger every day. Gwendolyn's been keeping me informed on Bella's condition even when it's difficult for me to visit. At times, unfortunately, it has been. Bella's parents have arrived and they're constantly at her side. I'm happy she has their support, especially with that worm of a husband of hers calling the shots, but it's also frustrating for me. Between James, Alice and their visits, coupled with ICU visiting hours, there hasn't been much time for me to sneak in.

I try to keep positive, knowing that this will all be over soon, but it's taking its toll on me. With every day that passes, I realize how much I love and need her; how I've taken that for granted. It's the hardest thing to sit with her and not be able to talk to her about our relationship and what we mean to each other. I laugh derisively at myself, knowing that piling all that on her wouldn't have the best effect on her progress. Let's face it, our entire relationship has been a whirlwind of events. We will most certainly have a story to tell our grandchildren one day.

I reach over into the glove compartment for my pills and swallow them with a huge gulp of water. My migraines have been more present these days, just as his voice has been. I'd been trying desperately to keep him locked away, but each day it becomes harder. Remarkably, I now understand why. He's concerned about her too.

It's taken some time, but I'm finally deciphering things. Doctor Aro has helped me make sense of it. I've continued seeing him since Bella's accident. He's been generous enough to extend his time in New York. It's been more than helpful, and I felt the least I could do was work on getting myself healthy, instead of sitting around going insane while waiting for her to wake up.

He thinks that he would be better for her, better than me. He's confident that he could handle James and make all of these problems disappear. Who knows? Maybe he's right about everything, but I'm not giving in or giving her up. Either of them.

I take another swallow of water, before leaving my car.

.

.

.

"How's your treatment going?" Alice asks, sorting through Bella's mail as we sit side by side on Bella's sofa.

I sigh softly. "It's been good. Keeping me from tearing my hair out."

She smiles at me. "It's been tough, not having her here, I know."

I scrub my hands over my face. "I miss her so much, Alice. If anyone had ever have told me it would be this hard…"

"I know." She says, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"So, her parents are okay with you handling her business?"

"Yeah, they were fine with it since they aren't too familiar with how Bella did things. It also gives them more time to…"

I nod, understanding.

She stops and turns to me. "Why haven't you told them yet, Edward?"

"Are you kidding me? They don't even know who I am, Alice. How would it look if I just waltzed up to them and said um…'nice to meet you. I'm the guy who imploded your daughter's marriage, and the father of your future bastard grandchild?"

She glares at me. "Of course, you wouldn't dare say it like that."

"I wouldn't, but that's how James would spin it. I can just imagine the filth that would spew from his mouth," I reply, getting up and pacing languidly.

"I would never let him get away with that, Edward. I'm just…I just feel that it would be so much better for you if you told them. Then you would be able to see her without having to sneak in."

"I can't go to Bella's parents with this grand story about how all this came about. James is her husband. They would have to believe him, even with you cheer leading for me on the sidelines. I'm nothing more than a name to them right now, just some man she went into business with."

"God, Edward. This is so…well, thank heavens we at least found out what actually caused the fire at the restaurant, or else he'd be blaming you for that as well."

"Yeah, thank goodness for that. You know, for the briefest moment, I actually thought he was responsible for it."

"James? Edward, that's insane. It's attempted murder for God's sake."

"I said brief. I realized that even he wouldn't hurt her like that. Strangely enough, in his warped little way, I believe he actually does love her, but he's desperate, because he knows he's lost her."

"True. Is Jacob doing any better?"

"He's beating himself up royally over it. Everyone understands it was just a terrible accident, but he's racked with guilt. He admitted to making her lunch that day and then forgetting to turn the pilot off before leaving."

"I feel terrible for him. He's such a nice guy. Hopefully, he can forgive himself and move past this ordeal; and you'll, hopefully, take my advice and sit down with Bella's parents."

"Were you not listening to me? I can't do that," I say, becoming agitated.

"All you need is me to be there with you for support, Edward."

"No, what I need is documented proof of that damned vasectomy procedure."

"Excuse me, what?"

My pacing stops when I realize I've voiced my private thoughts out loud. She's staring at me, waiting for an explanation, and I know it would be an insult to her intelligence to try and fabricate.

"Shit. Did I say vasectomy?" I run a hand through my hair frustratedly.

"You did, and you get points for the attempted backpedal. Now spill it." She stands to challenge me with hands perched on her hips.

"Okay fine, but don't ask me how or who, because I can't cannot give you that information. James had a vasectomy some time ago, which means there's no chance of him being the baby's father. Bella already confirmed that the baby is mine, but just the idea of him deceiving her like that…"

"That rat bastard! I will kill him!" She snaps, fury vibrating from her tiny frame.

"Believe me, it's taken everything in my power to not finish what I started in my office months ago. Once he's aware that I know about his little secret, I'm worried about what he'll do next. I can't take that chance, Alice. He may try and move her and the baby out of the country for all I know."

"You think he would do that?" She asks horrified.

"I believe he'd do anything if pushed. Think about it. He could make up his own version about the way Bella and I met, the restaurant, my illness; everything, leaving out his role in it."

"That conniving son of…."

"It's alright. James is living on borrowed time. Soon, Bella will be brought out of her coma, and he will no longer be able to hide from the truth."

"That time might be coming sooner than you think. Look at this."

She hands me a paper from the pile of mail she's sorted.

It doesn't take long for me to recognize what I'm reading. "Jesus, Alice. You're like a fucking good luck charm." I grab her by the shoulders and kiss her forehead, before darting out of the door.

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Weeks go by. I visit her. Tell her I love her. Kiss her now significant belly. It's my current routine. I also try and maintain my work schedule and continue my sessions with Doctor Aro. It's important that I don't stray from this routine for a number of reasons.

My sessions have been more revealing, and I'm starting to become knowledgeable about why Ned exists. It's not easy talking about him, my parents, or what happened on the day that tragically took them from me, but it's necessary if I want to heal.

"Firstly, how are Bella and the baby doing?" Dr. Aro asks.

"Better. Hopefully it won't be much longer until they're completely out of the woods."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that."

"What about you, how have things been since we've last talked?"

"Fine."

He smiles at me incredulously, but waits for me to offer more.

"I'm just…frustrated, that's all. I want to be with Bella and our son. They need me, and the more time passes, the more frustrated I become."

"Son?"

I blink at him and then a smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. "Yeah. It's a boy."

"Wow. That's amazing news. I take by that tiny beam that you're happy?"

"Of course. I mean, I would've been happy no matter what sex the baby is, but a boy? It's just….words can't express."

"I understand. So, does this mean that her doctors are confiding in you about Bella and the baby's condition now?"

"Um…not exactly."

"Her parents?"

"No."

He sits back in his chair, watching me carefully. "You still haven't spoken to them?"

"No," I say, aggravated.

"Alright. I'm not going to press; you'll do it when you're comfortable. Let's turn our attention to you. Ned-"

"I haven't heard his voice lately, but I still feel him. If that makes sense."

"It does. You will always feel him, Edward, even after both personalities have been integrated."

"You mean if."

"I mean when." He says more definitively. "Which brings me to something I've wanted to discuss with you. I'll be returning to California in a few days, and you've finally agreed to a formal treatment plan. It's going to be a little difficult to maintain that with me from such a distance."

"Wait, you're leaving?' I snap, bolting out of my chair.

"It's time, Edward. I have a practice and a life back in California. I've only stayed this long as a courtesy to you."

"So….what am I supposed to do? Ned is still present. I'm far from ready to be released from therapy sessions."

"I'm fully aware of that, and that's why I've taken the liberty of contacting a friend of mine. She's one of the best psychiatrists on the east coast. Her name's Doctor Jane Evans. She practices in both Philadelphia and New York, so it shouldn't be too difficult for-"

"Are you serious? I'm not about to start pouring out the details of my life to a complete stranger. It's taken me years to even confide in you," I yell.

"Edward, I can vouch for Doctor Evans. She's exc-"

"I don't give a shit. You're my doctor. I'm comfortable with you. What do we need to do to keep things the way they are?"

"Unfortunately, there's nothing that can be done. I have other patients that require my help back in California. I can't just abandon them."

"Fine. I'll double whatever they are paying you."

"Edward…"

"I'll pay triple…"

"It's not-"

"I will pay whatever you want for you to stay here in New York. Name your price."

He rises from his seat and approaches me, looking insulted.

"This is not about money, and you know it isn't."

"You're bailing on me."

"That's not what I'm doing, Edward. This was never going to be a permanent solution."

"I at least thought you'd be here until Ned was gone for good."

"That's not how it works, Edward. Ned is never going to leave for good. He will always be a part of you, and you will need to be under a doctor's care post integration. You need to understand that."

"I am learning to understand. It's all new to me. You were helping me understand all those things, and now you drop this anvil on my head."

"Edward, this doesn't have to be a catastrophe. Doctor Evans is more than capable of treating you. If you don't want to take my word for it, check her credentials. Meet with her. At least give her a chance."

He holds out a business card, and I glance at it.

"What if I decide she's not what I need?"

"Then I only see one other recourse. The question is, will you be able to leave Bella and your son?"

My cellphone rings. I prepare to cancel the call, until I recognize the number. It's Gwen.

"Excuse me. I have to take this," I alert Aro, and he steps out of the room, allowing me privacy.

"Gwen, hi."

My mouth falls open, before abruptly ending the call, and I bolt out of Aro's suite.