Hello everyone. We are so terribly sorry that this chapter is late. There has been some trouble at my house. My 97 year old aunt died a few days ago and then violent storms came through, knocking out the power at my house for two days. So I couldn't get this typed. So the reason for the delay is my fault. I'm sorry.

-Ori

Alice twirled around Bella's room. Dancing, thinking - even singing! For Alice that was an oddity. She was always so hyperactive that she'd only have one thing on her mind at that one time. Bella didn't want to interrupt her wondrous thoughts - ones that made Alice's whole face sparkle with joy. Bella had to spoil it though; she had to ask a nagging question.

"Alice, you've told Rosalie and Emmett yet?" Bella inquired while watching her through the make-up mirror.

"No." Alice gulped, "you must not tell them, Bella!" Alice pleaded.

As if she needed to plead. Bella would do anything for Alice. Even if anything meant lying, she would do it. It was like when they were little, and Alice would lie for her if she did anything wrong, or if she'd cover for her if she had missed a practice. Alice always covered for her, and she'd do her best to do the same.

Bella sighed and looked over. "I just don't see why you don't want to. They loveJasper."

"That's the problem!"

"How is that a problem, Ali?" Bella asked, looking at her friend with a bewildered face.

"Because, if they love Jasper they'll rush us, Bella. I don't want to rush with Jasper; I want to harvest all the love we can until we're ready to tie the bundle together." Alice said, gripping air with her tiny fists.

Rosalie would possibly rush her, but Emmett... Bella couldn't see Emmett rushing his baby girl to marry so quickly. It was horrible for her to think so. After all, Emmett wasn't very trusting of any guy Alice had an interest in until Jasper. Whether that be the money he had, or just the manors he had. Bella wasn't sure, but she was sure Emmett wasn't ready to give away his little girl - no matter how inappropriate it was for Alice to not be wed still.

"Well, you've been engaged for one night, Alice. They've not figured it out yet... Does Jasper know you wish this to be kept secret?" Bella asked. Alice shook her head no, her face very scared.

"No! Bella I'd not thought of that! You don't think he'd ruin it, do you?" Alice inquired; Bella shrugged her shoulders and sighed.

"You've best catch him before he's going to your parents and asking for their blessing." Bella paused, "wait, Alice, you twit! Your parents already know!" Bella said laughing. Alice's face was horrified.

"Huh?!" Alice exclaimed.

"Jasper is a nice, southern, gentlemen. He'd never propose without asking for permission," Bella said, wanting to mentally slap herself.

"Oh no! They'll rush us, you'll see." Alice said, rubbing her smooth forehead from a crease that had now inhabited her forehead. "Great, now I've got worry lines!" Alice grumbled, pushing Bella away from her mirror and looked at her face.

"Ali, relax. I'm sure Rosalie and Emmett will understand your cautiousness." Bella said. Alice sighed and looked over at Bella. She just couldn't come up with words to describe how confusing this matter was.

"I want you to invite that Edward fellow to my wedding." Alice said, "his song was wonderful." Alice chirped and began humming 'Think of Me' in the soprano tone. Bella smiled.

"I hope he'll be able to make it, he's very busy." Bella said cleaning the dirt out from underneath her finger nails.

'Edward, come to a wedding. It's odd enough to see home outside of my room, or my palace. My dear Edward. Mine. My Angel of Music, my Phantom of the Opera. Mine, mine, mine!' Bella looked down, blushing at her thoughts.

"What are you blushing at?" Alice asked, her eyes narrowed, her eyebrows puckered into a scowl.

"Nothing," she said shrugging.

"Mmhmm, you're lying. Bella, if you wish to lie, do not cry to me when you've caught fire." Alice said, crossing her arms across her chest and put her lips into a full pout.

"Oh, stop, you'll give yourself a wrinkle." Bella said rolling her eyes. Alice's face became somber, and still.

"Isabella Marie Swan! That is not funny!" Alice said. Her face became furious, and angered at Bella's joke. Bella's eyes once again, unladylike rolling her eyes.

"Oh, calm yourself, Alice. I was blushing because of Edward. He's such a gentlemen." Bella explained. She wasn't lying. He was a gentlemen, and she was thinking of him. But she bushed because she kept staking claim on him, kept calling him hers, and nobody else's.

"Sure."

"Alice." Bella scolded. Alice stuck her tongue out at Bella and they began to dance around the rooms throwing Bella's pillows about the room. Jasper knocked on the door, unheard by the giggling girls, and as he opened the door he saw Bella make a face at Alice, her back to Jasper, and a pillow landed right in the middle of his face.

"Jasper!" The girl's cried in unison.

"I'm so sorry!" Alice said, having been the one who threw it.

"It's all right." Jasper said fixing his hair and standing up from being knocked over from the pillow.

"We were just kidding around, being girls, throwing pillows, I'm awfully sorry, Jasper." Bella said, brushing off feathers from his jacket.

"Quite all right, Bella, Alice." He said addressing them both. "I was hoping we'd be able to go to lunch today, Alice. I know it's a dreary day, and all." Jasper said looking down.

"Could Bella and Edward come?" Alice inquired, Jasper nodded his head and smiled.

"Of course, I'd love to speak with Edward, his voice would be wonderful for the Opera House. I do love Seth, but he's young, and could sway to bass." Jasper said. Bella stepped in quickly.

"I'm not so sure, Edward doesn't perform much. It was a special treat, for you." Bella said. Alice looked over and sighed, so did Jasper.

"I see, well invite him still. I'd love to know where he studied at - you can tell he's had lessons." Jasper said smiling. Bella nodded, and she rushed Alice and Jasper out of her room by telling them she needed to get ready for lunch. She lay on her bed, and called Edward.

"Edward." She called his name lightly, in a flash he was there.

"Hello, love."

"Would you like to come to lunch?" Bella asked. If there was any blood within Edward's body that wasn't deer or elk blood his face would surely be white and drained of color.

He couldn't eat. He couldn't go out in the sunlight, although it was a nice dreary day, so dark, so wet. He couldn't. He couldn't eat that disgusting stuff they called food; he could always say that he didn't like where they were eating. Something told him that Jasper was the type of person to get up and leave to take him some place he'd like. He could always just hide his food, humans couldn't register his fast movements, though Bella barely could.

"I am not hungry, Bella."

"You never are." she sighed. He looked down, ashamed, knowing that in a way, he always was hungry, rather thirsty.

'If only you knew, dear Bella. I am always hungry. I hunger for your blood, for your love. For you. I hunger every touch, every sound, everything you do. I suffer a hunger unbearable and so strong that I must control myself by swallowing the very venom that could end this life, and give you a new.'

Edward sighed, and looked down. "Do not expect me to eat, but I will come." Edward gave in. He had to - he loved Bella, and he wanted to make her happy. Her face melted into a smile, a smile that she could only give to Edward.

"Thank you, that is all I ask." Bella said. He lay beside her, draping his arm around her shoulders, and Bella cuddled into the cold that was his body.

"Edward..." Bella said, looking up through her brown, thick eyelashes. He glanced down and smiled.

"Yes, my love?"

"Why are you so cold?" Bella inquired. Edward's body stiffened, and she sighed. "You don't have to tell me." Bella decided not to push him into an answer.

"I want to tell you, dear Bella." He said looking down at her, her innocent face showing only hope, and love. "In due time." He mumbled. He had hoped it was too low for her to hear, but she caught it. Damn him and his lessons. He cursed himself for helping her hear outside the boundaries of men. She'd be an excellent hunter when he turned her…If he turned her.

A small part of him knew that he would turn her. That he'd make her his own – marry her, possibly take off the vampire mask. He'd love to show her his full face, but the curse that what his face held was impossible beauty. Beauty of a beast. A monster.

Quickly, Edward was pulled out of his thoughts by the warmth by his side disappearing, Bella going behind the rice paper wall to put on a decent gown.

"Do you know where we are going, love?" Edward asked. She popped her head out from the curtain and shrugged.

"I'm not sure, Edward. It's Alice's choice." Bella said smiling; Edward got up and touched his very full wallet. He hadn't really needed money from Jacob, or anybody. He had his trust fund his father set him up with, and although people believed him to be dead, he could get money out of it by commanding a human to do it for him. And really, what did a Vampire need? He had only one real need and that was blood.

"Ah, of course." He murmured. Alice was forever the drama queen. Took after Rosalie, she did. But she was kind and a mixture of Edward's brother indeed. Emmett was always full of life, always kind and smiling, his voice full of laughter and joking. He missed his brother, and visited him once a month. He hadn't seen him this month, but he'd make sure he would stop by. He needed to see his family again, including Alice, even his mother and father.

"You seem fond of them." Bella replied. His head shot up, an eyebrow cocked.

"Who?"

"Alice and Jasper." Bella clarified, walking out and turning her back for Edward to do up her corset.

'Careful, Edward. Not too hard, she's human.' Edward kept telling himself as he laced it up, pulling it tightly. Bella squeaked.

"I'm sorry, love, was that too hard?" Edward asked. She shook her head no.

"No, it's alright. So, do you like Alice and Jasper?"

"I suppose, they're very nice." Edward said. He hadn't had much human contact, other than Emmett every month, and Rosalie would speak to him sometimes when she'd dare venture to the catacombs which he called his domain, now Bella's palace.

Emmett and Rosalie knew little about Edward liking Bella. He had talked to Emmett about it, and Emmett seemed a small bit reluctant about it. He wasn't sure. He loved Bella like a daughter, ever since Charlie's heart attack, and he didn't want his little Bell hurt.

Rosalie wasn't very supportive; she always went to his age, and being a 'devil' as she so called it. She was very kind on the subject, though. She'd even bring him pints of animal blood from the butcher shop if he didn't feel like going out to feed. But she still despised what Edward was, still hated that he couldn't be happy. Although when Edward wasn't a monster, and they didn't get along, she was still very sympathetic towards him.

"That's good; I want you to like them. They're my family." Bella said, 'what I've left' she thought. Edward wanted to tell her that he was her family, that he was hers. He couldn't.

"I can tell." Edward said, making a tight pull on the corset to finish it off, getting another squeak from Bella's lips. "Sorry." He murmured.

"'S alright." Bella said as she turned around. Her gown was a bright moss green with gold trimming. Jasper had bought it for her for no apparent reason. It showed off her bust quite well. Edward was happy about that. The cut across her chest was a traditional square.

"You look breathtaking." Edward said. Bella blushed and went to the mirror to put her hair up but he took her hands away from her hair. "Leave it down," he murmured.

"That's hardly ladylike," she said in a slight scoff. Edward gave her a look that could only be described as disappointment. He didn't want her to question, he wanted her to listen.

"You look beautiful with your hair cascading down your back. I care not if it's ladylike for it to be that way in public Bella, you're beautiful." Edward said, he took hold of her chin and laid a small peck on her lips. His icy lips burning from feeling those fever-like lips on his.

"Even that part of you is cold." Bella admired as her small, slender finger tips went to his lips touching them lightly. He smiled a crooked smile and stepped away, swallowing the venom that had collected in his mouth. His lips being so close to her finger tips were simply mouthwatering.

Bella smiled unevenly. A knock interrupted them, and it opened to show Jasper with his hands held high, blocking any pillows that might be on the loose.

"Not to worry, no pillows running rampant." Bella assured. Edward laughed, reading Jasper's mind had caused him to see a pillow flying at his face, and a small amount of pain by the force of his little niece.

"Good, good. Ahh, Edward, good man." Jasper said, walking up to him, taking his cold hand into his warm hand. He didn't seem at all bothered by the cold.

"Nice to see you, Jasper." Edward greeted smiling. Jasper nodded.

"Same to you, I hope you don't mind Italian. Alice has chosen," Jasper explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I've agreed to come, but I've already eaten, business meeting went long, and I got something there. I do apologize." Edward said. Jasper sighed and nodded.

"Well a little brandy won't harm you." Jasper replied, slapping him on the back only to find his hand hurt, like hitting a marble post in the Opera House. He then became aware of Edward's mask.

"Edward..." Bella said looking up at him, noticing Jasper's face. Edward looked down. "Why are you wearing your mask?"

"Oh, come now, a little jesting never harmed anyone." Edward covered; Jasper laughed and nodded his head.

"Do you wish to scare the waiters?" Jasper asked, still laughing.

"Of course,"

"That is a good joke." Alice said giggling, her bright blue eyes showing approval. Bella sighed relief, but also a little disappointed that he wouldn't take off the mask.

- - - - - -

When they arrived at the restaurant, Edward and Jasper were arguing who would pay the bill. Edward ended up the winner and was able to pay the bill for everyone.

They went outside even thought it was nearly raining. Alice and Bella liked the wetness in the air; Jasper didn't mind it. Edward loved it.

Edward got strange, hostile looks from the waiters. Several wanted to take the mask off of him and demand to know what his problem was. But every time a waitress came over, he'd flash a wonderful smile that left them dazzled and unable to do a thing about it. Jasper got a good laugh out of his 'jesting' and didn't bother to make Edward take off the mask.

"Do tell me, what is it you do?" Jasper inquired.

"I am a composer. Not a very good one, but I am one." Edward lied. He was a wonderful composer, but if he had said that, Jasper would get suspicious, and Edward couldn't name any of his music without saying his real last name…Cullen.

"Ah, I see, well then, as soon as you have a good piece I'd love to hear it." Jasper said smiling. Edward nodded his head in agreement.

"I'd love to." Edward obliged.

Lunch carried on with Edward trying to take small sips of his brandy, and trying so hard not to make Jasper suspicious by telling him more about himself. For instance, he couldn't tell Jasper that his family owns the Opera House. Alice would make sure that he'd tell the truth because her family owned it since the beginning, until of course they lost their money.

"Have you any siblings?" Jasper inquired. Edward's head shot up. Of course he did, he had Emmett. But he couldn't very well say that, now could he?

"Yes, but he died when we were children." Edward said, of course he had to lie, if he didn't he'd be found out and Alice wouldn't be able to bear that her Uncle was a Vampire.

"Sorry to hear that, what was his name?"

"Anthony Masen." Edward replied, giving his fake brother his middle name as his first. Edward hated lying to these fine people, he hated how it felt. Bella knew that he was uncomfortable, but she could do nothing.

A few minutes went by and the sun began to creep out of the clouds.

"I'm sorry, but I've got to go, I've a meeting." Edward said, staring up at the clouds. "My lunch break is over." Edward said. Alice nodded and took his hand in hers, again icy. Alice's eyes narrowed.

"It was nice to see you, Mr. Masen. Please, do us an honor and come to our wedding." Alice pleaded.

"I'll see what I can do." Edward said, placing money down on the table, enough to cover everything, even the dress Alice was about to persuade Bella to buy. But Edward knew Bella had no money, so he handed her some as he had his wallet out.

"Thank you for your company, it was a refreshing change. As Alice said, we'd love for you to attend our wedding." Jasper replied, shaking Edward's icy hand, again, not at all surprised by the cold.

"Thank you for inviting me. I do believe I might. Good day, Isabella." Edward took Bella's hand and kissed it tenderly with his frigid lips. Then he kissed her cheeks. "I'll see you later." He whispered into her ear. Bella nodded and Edward walked away, careful to avoid the sunlight so he didn't sparkle.

Edward sighed and changed course as he was running. It was time to see Emmett and Rosalie.

He needed help. And fast.

Edward's relationship with Bella was quickly becoming more and more complicated. He still hadn't told her that he was a Vampire, and he didn't know what to do about the fact that he loved her. She had asked if they would marry someday, but the truth was that he didn't think that would be possible for them. What priest would preside over a wedding in which the groom wore a mask for the sacred ceremony? Of course he loved Bella – he would do anything for her. But he needed his brother and his sensible wife's advice. Maybe they could help him straighten out his convoluted thoughts.

Edward was once again inside the Opera House, feeling the familiarity of the building settle over him like a security blanket. There was a calming quality in being inside the place where he had spent most of his life.

His sensitive hearing picked up on the raised voices that were far away.

"Do you expect me to simply assume that this is just a coincidence?" an angry voice demanded. "How do you explain this?"

Edward quickly moved so that he was closer to the angry voice. Jacob was holding a file in his hand, waving it around as if he was going to hit someone over the head with it and hope they were knocked out cold. Rosalie stood, arms crossed, just a few feet from him. Emmett stood behind her, eyes narrowed with one arm protectively around his wife's waist.

"What are you talking about, Jacob?" Emmett said, trying to stay cool and logical.

"That Edward fellow has been around Bella more than I would like. I knew there was something strange about him! I found that there was an Edward that died years ago. His father ran this Opera House."

"And you mean to tell me that you think this man that was Bella's escort to the Spring Ball was the same man that died?" Rosalie asked, her voice insinuating that Jacob was on something.

"Don't you speak to me like that!" Jake hissed. "I'm not insane." He was beyond angry, he was murderously infuriated. He had been so sure that this Edward fellow was the same man. And he hated the fact that Bella seemed entranced by the man and not him, Jacob. He had never despised Rosalie more than he did right then. "How else do you explain that he always wears that mask, and that he's so damn quiet?" Jacob remembered how Edward had appeared behind him at the Ball when he was trying to kiss Bella. He had never even heard the man coming.

"I think you had better go cool down before you address my wife again, Mr. Black," Emmett said warningly.

Jacob glared at them once more before tucking the folder under his arm and walking quickly away, seething.

"What do you want, Edward?" Rosalie said impatiently.

Edward was impressed that she had heard him. But then again, Rosalie always managed to surprise him. He stepped out of the shadows, thankful that they were in a small corridor and not an open space.

"I need to talk to you two," he said lowly. "Maybe your bedroom would be a safer place."

Emmett nodded. When they were inside Emmett and Rosalie's bedroom, Edward turned to them both and took a deep breath. He didn't need to breathe but old habits die hard. It was also a very successful way to calm himself. He decided just to spit it out; he didn't know how else to begin.

"What did you want to tell us?" Emmett asked kindly.

"I love Bella," Edward began. "I love her so much that whenever we're apart, I feel as if there's a deep hole in my heart that grows larger every second I can't see her beautiful face. I know that Alice and Jasper are to be married soon. Bella has asked me if that would be possible for us, to be wed." He took another deep breath. It was difficult to arrange his words so that they made sense, so that his brother and sister-in-law could understand what he was saying. "I want to marry Bella. I want her to be my wife so that we can live together. But…please help me." It was the first time he had ever asked, rather begged, for help from anyone.

Rosalie stared at him for a hard moment, disapproving. "You know what you are, Edward. You know that a union between a Vampire and a human would never last. How do you intend to marry her if she is still mortal?"

"I was…I had intended to make her…immortal."

"Have you asked her?" Emmett asked, also disapproving. Emmett loved Bella like a daughter. He didn't want anything to happen to her. And nothing good could come of this unless Edward and she were equals. "Being a Vampire is not something that everyone would choose. It's a hard choice, Edward."

"Here is what I have to say," Rosalie said. "You had better be damn well sure of what Bella wants before you do anything. Honestly, I don't approve of any of this. You could hurt her, Edward, being what you are. But if she truly wants to be a Vampire, and if she truly wants to marry you, then I suppose you have your answer."

A small ray of hope lit inside Edward's dead heart. He would speak to Bella soon, tell her of his plans and hope that she agreed. He didn't want to think about what would happen if she refused him. His heart would shatter like the fragments of a broken mirror. And maybe, afterwards, he would remove his mask forever and feel the naked air on his cheek for the first time in years.

~ForbiddenWords & Ori~