**Author's Note**

I just wanted to quickly interrupt the story to give a shout-out to my readers. Thank you all so much for adding my story to your favorites, and especially those of you leaving reviews. It always makes my day when I see a new review waiting for me :)

An extra loud shout-out goes to my awesome beta editor, foxotr, who has made my story so much better than what I could have accomplished on my own. Thank you for all the inspiration, and the encouragement.

A thank you to Tim Burton for creating Edward; I have used my creative license on him somewhat, and allowed his character to learn and grow, but he still belongs to Burton ;)

Chapter IX: Sentimental Heart

She glanced down at her camera's zoomed in display yet again. That is definitely a face. Even though the face looked pale and ghostly, she wasn't scared. She didn't know why, but she just couldn't feel afraid here.

She looked down, towards her feet, where a few weeds lay on the crooked stone path. She bent down and picked one up. It had not started to wilt at all. This was done recently, and not by any ghost. There is definitely someone here.

She glanced back up at the dinosaur topiary where she had heard the sound, and said, "Hello? Listen, I don't mean to bother you, but I know you're there. Please come out."

Time stood still. A shadow moved, then slowly started drifting closer. She held her breath as she watched the shadow start to look like a man. He stood next to the topiary, about ten feet away from her. He held his arms behind his back, and wore dark leather clothes with several buckles and straps. His uneven hair stuck up all over, and he had dark sad eyes. The only skin exposed was that of his face. He was so pale that his skin was almost luminous in the full moon's light. She could see a couple faint lines on his face that looked like scars.

Despite his strange appearance, she thought he was actually quite attractive. She wondered if this really was the one she had heard about; he didn't look like an invention or robotic at all. Maybe he was just some eccentric hermit that had lived here for a while. Hiding himself away from humanity; not wanting to be bothered.

"Hello," he said quietly. His voice was raspy like he had just woken up, or hadn't used it in a long time. He looked at her; the emotions of pain, hope, and wonder warring on his features.

She took a step closer, and asked, "Do you live here?"

"Yes." He looked guarded, and apprehensive.

"Did you do all of this?" She raised her hands and motioned around her.

"Yes."

"It's really amazing. I had almost thought that I stepped into a fairytale or something. It is so beautiful here. You're very talented."

"Thank you." The fear in his eyes was replaced by a look of relief.

"I'm sorry I trespassed, but I was told that no one lives here; and I was very curious about this place. If you would like me to leave, I would understand."

"Don't go," he said, his voice louder than before. His eyebrows furrowed together as he said, "Please. I haven't had company in so long."

She believed him; he looked so lonely as he said that, it made her heart ache. She walked a couple steps closer. "Alright, I'll stay." There was a flicker of a smile on his face. "But, if I stay... you will need to show me what you're hiding behind your back."

He frowned, moved his arms in front of himself, and held his hands up. Metal blades gleamed in the moonlight where his fingers should have been. He looked down at them with shame. She walked right up to him so she could closely inspect them.

She whispered, "So the legend is true." Relief washed through her; she had been so paranoid that it was Jack who she had been hearing, and seeing. This she could deal with. He intrigued her; she felt no danger. She lifted a hand, and inquisitively touched the dull side of one of the blades.

He asked with amazement, "You aren't afraid of me?"

"If you had wanted to hurt me, you could have done so by now."

"I would never hurt you."

She looked up at him with a smile. This close to him she saw all of the scars clearly. Her heart went out to him. How horrible it must be for him. If it were me I probably would have put an eye out by now. She wanted to help him; he seemed so nice and gentle, yet so sad. She also wanted to know more about him, but wasn't sure just how to ask. Saying something like 'so what exactly are you' would just be too rude.

He lowered his hands, moving his fingers and making snipping noises. She said, "So you're the one who's been haunting me." He looked at her questioningly. "You've come to my house before, haven't you? I've heard you."

He cast his eyes to the ground in embarrassment. "Yes." He paused, as if trying to think of what to say. "I apologize for my impropriety... I too was curious." He pointed a blade towards her house. She turned to look and could see the little colored lights twinkling through the trees.

"Yeah, I guess if I saw a swarm of otherworldly lightning bugs, I too would investigate. Well then...it's about time we met. My name is Victoria, but everyone calls me Vee."

"I am Edward." He had a genuine look of happiness and relief.

"I've heard about you from some of the people that live in town."

His smile dropped. "They like to talk," he sadly said.

She chuckled, "By talk you mean gossip? Yeah, they do. Don't worry," she said noticing the sorrow apparent on his face. "I don't listen to rumors...but the tales they tell are so old. You must have been here for a very long time."

"Yes, I have."

"And... why exactly... do you have scissors for hands?"

"Father was a great inventor. He decided to turn one of his robots into a person; but he never was able to finish me. He did make my hands, and he gave them to me as an early Christmas present...but he fell to the floor and never woke up. That was my first experience with death." He was clearly haunted by the memory.

She could hardly believe that it was really true. Robotics have come a long way, but they are no where near this advanced. He must be over a hundred years old, and he obviously has emotions. How is this even possible?

"Your father did an amazing job. He must have been very proud of you."

"Yes, he was." His eyes glazed. She figured he was thinking of his father, and how much he missed him.

"That must be nice...to have been so close, and have him be so proud. Edward...can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Whatever happened to the hands he made for you?"

"I accidentally destroyed them." He paused and then looked down the hill at the town's lights. "When I was down there, many people told me they knew a doctor who might be able to help me; but no one ever did."

"When did you go down there?"

"A long time ago," he whispered, still looking at the town. "The sun has risen and set thousands of times since then... I have not spoken since then."

His voice had lost the early morning raspy sound, revealing a soft voice. She liked the sound of it, and desperately wanted to know his story. She wasn't sure if he would talk about it, but asked anyways. "Can you tell me about it?"

He hesitantly said, "Yes." He paused for a minute, and then said, "It is a long story."

"I've got time," she said as she walked over to the stone steps of the castle. She sat down, took off her camera bag, and set it down next to her.

He followed her there and sat beside her. With a deep breath he began his story. "As they say in a child's storybook; once upon a time..."

He told her of a nice Avon lady who found him living by himself, and decided to take him home with her. He described how it felt to see the town below for the first time, and what it was like to be able to go into her home. When he got to the part about his first night sleeping there she interrupted him with her laughter.

"A waterbed? Why on earth would she have chosen that for you to sleep on?"

"I do not know... When her daughter, Kim, got home early from camping she saw me and screamed. I was so startled I sliced up the bed accidentally."

As he described how the water shot up in every direction, the look on his face was priceless. She could easily imagine how he must have reacted when the incident happened, and she couldn't control her laughter. She laughed so hard it was infectious. When they both settled down, he continued his story.

"And then Mr. Boggs poured me a glass of lemonade from a glass jar in the basement. I have never tasted anything like it. It made my throat and ears burn. He thought it would calm me down. It did not taste like lemons at all. It was awful." He frowned at the memory.

She giggled, suspicious that the 'lemonade' was really something like scotch. "Speaking of drinking, I've had a lot of coffee...so I'm going to need to go home-"

"You have to go away?" He looked disappointed.

"Well, I can come right back. It's just...I really need to go to the bathroom." She was embarrassed at having to spell it out, but he apparently didn't understand what coffee did to a bladder.

"You can use the lavatory inside."

She was shocked, and said, "There's working plumbing inside?"

"Yes, and electricity."

"But, how? I thought the inventor, your dad, passed away a hundred years ago."

"He did. His inventions still work. There is an underground river in this mountain. He tapped into it from the cellar, and used the running water for power. He also created a series of pipes to bring it throughout the manor."

"That's incredible." Green energy is all the rage now, but this guy was doing it a hundred years ago. No wonder he was so wealthy, and could afford a place like this.

Edward stood up, and walked up the steps. He pushed the door and held it open for her. She walked into a wide open space with a high ceiling and a curved stone staircase. At the base of the staircase she could just barely make out a cloaked figure shape that she guessed was some sort of statue.

Her observations were cut short when the door swung shut, and what little light that was coming through it was obliterated. She could see the moonlight in the windows, but everything in front of her was black. "Edward," she called out, alarmed at the loss of sight. "I can't see anything."

"I apologize that I can not turn on a light for you. They would see it, and come after me."

She reached a hand out, like a blind man, toward his voice. Her fingertips made contact with his chest, and he gasped. "Sorry," she mumbled. She figured he wasn't used to anyone touching him, but it couldn't be helped. "Will you lead me?" She trailed her fingers up finding his shoulder. She then stepped behind him and grabbed his other shoulder, mimicking the way little kids make a train.

As she grasped his shoulders, she wasn't surprised to feel the normal human-like flesh under the leather, not hard metal. She figured the clothes must protect his skin from the damaging effects of the blades.

He answered her question by walking, and leading her further into the darkness. It was so quiet inside she could hear their footsteps echo. "The acoustics in here must be amazing," she mused, wondering how her cello would sound in the room. He stopped abruptly and she walked right into him.

"Sorry," she said, again apologizing to him.

"Here it is. You can turn the light on in here, there are no windows."

There was a quiet humming sound, and then a tungsten light flickered, slowly getting brighter. She could now see him standing in front of her, and realized that she was still holding onto him. She dropped her hands, and thanked him. He nodded, and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

She looked around the room. The walls and floor were made out of the same type of stone that the rest of the castle was, and so was the sink basin. The faucet and fixtures were aged copper. She turned the handle on one, and sure enough, water came pouring out. She smiled with amazement, but lost the smile as soon as she glanced up. Her distorted reflection looked back at her through the old gilded mirror that hung on the wall. It was cracked in several places, like someone had smashed it with a fist. On either side of the mirror, the stone wall looked etched with long lines. She traced a finger over one of the lines. It just about broke her heart when she realized that Edward must have done this; that he hated himself, or his reflection so much.

She pulled herself away from the sad vision, and turned around to find what she had come here for. The toilet looked about right, but its tank was mounted to the wall above it, and a chain hung down from it. She pulled the chain and heard a rush of water as she watched the bowl fill. She bent down and wiped a thick layer of dust off the seat. Well, thank the stars for that. He isn't human enough to need to use this. She didn't even want to think about how he would manage if he had needed to.

A couple minutes later, she emerged into the darkness while drying off her hands on her pants. "I feel much better." She took a couple of blind steps. "Edward?"

"I am here."

She heard his voice inches away from her face. She raised her hand towards it, and it landed on his cheek. He took a deep shuddering breath. She wanted to hold him, and comfort him so much. This is crazy! How can I want to wrap my arms around him? I hardly know him, or what he even is.

She quickly cleared her head, and dropped her hand down to his shoulder. He turned, and lead her back outside. They walked to their previous seats, and sat down. She said, "Sorry for the interruption. Please continue your story."

She tried to contain herself from comments and questions, as he told the rest of his story. She couldn't help but hoot with laughter when she heard about the devil topiary he made in front of the window of the crazy religious lady. "That's too perfect," she laughed, wondering if the girl she interviewed was the granddaughter. She calmed herself, and let him finish.

As he told her the sad ending, she openly cried. His own eyes glistened at the memory. "She never came back after that. I have always thought of her, and hoped she would. Maybe she hated me for killing Jim. Maybe she moved far away. Maybe she died. I do not know what happened to her. If she ever found happiness."

With no hesitation, Victoria wrapped her arm around his back, and rested her hand on his shoulder. She rubbed the back of his neck with her thumb. "I'm so sorry, Edward."

She paused, and then decided he should know the truth. "Kim got married, and had children and grandchildren. She lived a good life, and was happy. She did think of you too. She always cared about you, and told your story to her granddaughter, Lydia. I know this because Lydia told me about it. She works with me." She paused again, not knowing what else to say.

"So, she has died? I thought it had been a very long time."

"Yes, I'm so sorry."

He bowed his head and shut his eyes. They sat like that for a couple minutes. She threw her other arm around his chest and gave him a quick hug. She pulled away from him and noticed how bright the sky was getting. She looked to the East and saw pink and orange colors on the horizon.

"I can't believe how late it is. I should go home."

"Will you come back to visit me?"

She smiled at him. "Most definitely." He smiled back at her.

She stood up and stretched. He also stood, and said, "Allow me to walk you home?"

She laughed, "How chivalrous. Yes, of course."

He led her to a much easier way to get over the wall. They climbed over it, and continued on. As they walked through the trees to her house, it all seemed very surreal to her. She wondered if maybe this was a very detailed dream.

When they reached the house she turned to him and thanked him. "You know, you can come visit me whenever you like. It's just me and my cat. Well, lately my boss, Vincent, has been coming by; but that is because he misses his wife's cooking. After this weekend he's going home, and then it will just be us." As if on cue, Poe jumped on the windowsill and looked through the glass. "That's Poe."

He looked at the cat and smiled, saying, "Like the poet?"

"Yes! You've read his work?"

He turned to look at her. "Yes, Father had a book of his poetry. I know them by heart."

"You will have to recite some for me sometime." He nodded, and shyly smiled at her.

She hated to have to end the evening; but seeing as how the sun was already doing that for her, she said, "Alright, I better go and get some sleep. Goodnight Edward."

His dark eyes locked with hers. "Sleep well, Vee."

She felt like she should hug him again; but gave him a smile and a wave instead, as she stepped into her house. He smiled back at her, turned around, and walked away. She watched him go. She liked him. It was crazy. It didn't matter how crazy it was. She really liked him. The smile lingered on her face as his image dissolved into the shadows. Maybe it was her that was crazy. Maybe she had finally cracked. Maybe this was all a dream.