Edward intended to talk to Bella at the first opportunity. Rosalie's words ran through his mind in a continuous loop. He hadn't even spoken to her about his intentions yet. He couldn't believe that he had been so negligent. But he was determined to speak to her soon.

But when he went into her dressing room, she wasn't there. Well, of course, she isn't here, he thought dryly. She's probably still with Alice and Jasper.

Meanwhile, Jacob was still seething. He was sure of his accusations and to hear Rosalie say he was insane had only infuriated him more. But how was it possible that the Edward that had died so long ago was the one that had interrupted Jake at the Spring Ball? That Edward, the dead one, would have been deceased for at least twenty years now. The Edward that he'd seen couldn't be any older than thirty. None of it made any sense. But maybe Bella knew more than she admitted. Jake began to walk quickly to her dressing room, heedless of all rules of etiquette that prohibited an un-chaperoned man in a ladies dressing room.

He was going to solve this mystery if it was the last thing he did.

Throwing open the door of Bella Swan's dressing room, he saw a tall masked man standing in the middle of her the room. Gasping faintly in shock, Jacob froze. The man with the pale mask was also still as marble. Their eyes locked, the look quickly turning from recognition to hatred. Neither man liked the other, neither enjoyed being in the same room as the other.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jake snapped.

"I could ask you the same question."

Edward's condescending tone was what infuriated Jake. He stood as tall as possible and glared at the white-masked man.

"I know your secret," Jacob hissed. "I know about how you died so long ago and yet here you are, alive."

Edward's eyes flashed. "No one will believe you." His voice was a low warning, a deadly viper lurking in the underbrush. "Besides, how is that even possible?"

He had found the weak point in Jacob's conviction. Jake didn't know how it was possible. Maybe he was insane.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But it's true. Whatever you are, you're not natural. What the hell are you anyway?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Edward was no longer trying to hide his secret, the truth. Nothing he could say would change Jacob's mind. But he hoped that no one would believe the russet-skinned man when he said that Edward was some kind of supernatural creature.

Watching that infuriating man, Jacob could no longer stand to see the white mask covering Edward's face. In one swift motion, he tore the mask from the Phantom's face.

And for the first time in decades, Edward's face was bare to human eyes.

Jake's eyes widened in shock and awe. Although he was not entranced as a woman would be, Jacob still knew that this man was abnormally beautiful. Every plane of the pale face was flawless – finely sculpted and yet inhumanly strong. Jacob's eyes went to Edward's and he was frightened by what he saw in those murderously angry eyes. All this took less than a moment.

With a savage growl, Edward pushed Jacob back into the wall so hard that the fragile china tea cup was knocked off the table beside him, shattering onto the floor. Then Edward's gloriously naked face was only inches from Jacob's, growling in anger.

"Never do that again," Edward commanded.

He ripped the mask out of Jacob's hand. Faster than any human could see, Edward put his mask onto his face once again, grateful for the familiar security it provided. Now he was once again hidden from the world, hidden from the eyes of mankind.

Jake was speechless, still reeling from the sight that his eyes had just beheld. If he had saw that face in a dream, he would have sworn it was an angel come to tell him that he was bound for Hell.

"Leave," the deadly Angel commanded, "before I really give you something to see. Go, damn it!"

Jacob obeyed, walking out of Bella's dressing room in a daze. Thought he still hated the man, he couldn't tell anyone about what he had discovered. It was as if a spell had been cast over him. Respect and awe. These were two new emotions that he now felt for this Edward.

And although his mind didn't fully understand, Jake knew that Edward was strong, powerful. Stronger than he could ever imagine. Power, knowledge, and passion – all of these embodied Edward. Jacob had been right and he didn't even know it.

Now, Bella was laughing and walking with Alice into the Opera House. She wore her new dress that Alice had insisted she buy. It was a midnight blue gown that was fit for both day and evening wear.

"I wish that Edward could have stayed longer," Alice said. "He's such a fascinating man to talk to."

"Yes, he is," Bella agreed. She remembered how he had run off just as the sun had begun to come out of the clouds. Slowly, she was figuring him out.

His skin was icy-cold. He had the voice of an angel. He fled from the sun and his strength was unparalleled. So many confusing things that didn't add up.

Then, the realization hit her full in the face and she stopped walking. Could it be possible? She had thought that creatures of the night were fictional, myths. No. It wasn't possible. Her Angel, her Edward, couldn't possibly be a…Vampire. Could he?

"Bella, what's wrong?" Alice asked, concerned.

The brunette shook her head. "Nothing. I'm fine, Ali. I just got dizzy for a moment."

Her friend looked at her suspiciously, unconvinced. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" Alice asked. She was worried about Bella. Her face had grown pale as a sheet, and she had frozen in her tracks.

But Bella turned back to Alice and she was normal once again. "Yes, I know. I was just startled," she lied.

"Well…alright."

Wanting to be alone to think over her revelation, Bella convinced Alice to let her return to her dressing room alone.

"I'll be fine, I promise," Bella said, turning to walk towards her room.

On the way, she tried to convince herself that she had finally gone mad. How could Edward be a Vampire? They weren't even real! It just couldn't be possible. But all the evidence pointed towards it. The supernatural was the only solution, whether it was logical or not.

When she opened the door of her dressing room, she half expected him to be there, waiting for her. But he was gone somewhere, and she was left with her troubling thoughts.

"Bella," someone whispered as she began to brush her hair.

She whirled around to see her Angel standing in the corner, facing her. His hands were clasped behind him, and his golden eyes seemed a combination of shame and anger.

"Edward." Her voice was full of happiness. The time away from him had been pure agony. Now her fingers hungered to touch his skin, to run over the smooth material of his mask. "I'm glad you're back."

He was silent, his eyes never wavering from hers, as if he was trying to communicate something crucial. "I have something to discuss with you," he finally said. He paused for a long moment.

She waited, wondering when he would continue.

"Yes?" she prompted.

He knew he would have to tell her eventually. She would have to know what he was – a monster, a Vampire – and hope that she would also want to become one. Edward wanted it more than anything.

He took a deep breath, focusing his thoughts so he could continue.

"Bella, this is going to be hard to tell you, but I must." Edward was trying to convince himself, along with Bella. As if Bella would need much convincing. Bella looked into his golden eyes that were full of worry, full of wonder. His mind began to meander away for a short period of time.

"Edward?" Bella asked. His head snapped up and looked at his beautiful Bella. He sighed, his fingers went to his mask. She stopped him. "You don't have to. I know you don't want to show me your true face. It does not matter how you look. Speak to me, Edward." Bella pleaded. She took his hand, laced his fingers with hers, and smiled.

"I...I wonder where to begin, where to start. Bella, I don't want you to think I'm a monster." Edward said. He sat down on the bed. If Vampires could shed tears, if he could whimper one single drop, he'd surely have the Hudson River by now.

"Just tell me, Edward, anything, anything. I'll accept it."

"I'm a monster... Bella." Edward said. She looked at him – he had just contradicted himself. He asked not to be thought of as a monster, and here he is proclaiming to be one. She was confused… even more, she was distraught.

"What are you?" Bella asked. She hadn't meant for it to slip out, she knew that this was the man she loved, if he was even a man. She loved him, no matter what, no matter if he was hideous underneath that stupid mask, even if he was gorgeous underneath it. Even if he had no skin, she didn't care. She loved him.

"A Vampire." Edward muttered. Bella's eyes stayed trained on his, never moving. She couldn't move them. They were paralyzed on the face that he had. Half beautiful, half white mask.

"You drink blood?"

"Animal." Edward said, looking away.

Bella shook her head, and Edward thought she was upset. He stood, but she shook him off. "Then how is it that you are a monster? I see no monster, Edward!"

"I've killed people before Bella!" Edward retorted, looking at her, his eyes becoming black. But Bella didn't care if those eyes were a warning. She walked up to him, touched his cheek and looked at his face; it was half white mask, half beautiful. She latched her fingers underneath the mask. Then Edward's hands went to her wrists, holding them harshly.

"Don't," hissed Edward, although he had almost pulled it off earlier. Bella ignored him and pulled on the mask. It wasn't hard for it to tug free from his face, and into her hand. The bone mask was hard, and it was large in her small, pale hands. She looked at the mask, in astonishment.

'Far too heavy for plastic, far too heavy for plaster, far too heavy for wood, of any type.' Edward knew the question coming, the question wasn't forming in her mind, it was far too late to pull back the mask – her face was in front of his.

"What's it made out of?" Her eyes darting down to the mask, her eyes were on him one second, and now, on the mask.

"Bone."

"Bone is not this heavy, Edward." Bella protested, Edward looked at her and sighed. He didn't want to tell her.

"Our bone is." Edward said, the way he said our made it click in her head, that he was actually dangerous, that he was a real, living, breathing, bloodsucking Vampire. And her face shot up to Edward's. Her mind couldn't register a thing.

"You're beautiful." Bella muttered. Edward searched her mind for any thought that could bring him back from that compliment, anything. He wasn't worthy of such pride for his monstrous looks. He didn't want her to like his high cheek bones, his flawless, smooth skin. He didn't want her mind to be on his thin lips, or his golden eyes. He didn't want her to notice how symmetrical his face was. He didn't want her to worship his body, like Tanya did. He did not want this.

"No, I'm a monster, Bella!" Edward said, he wanted to snatch up the mask, he wanted to put it back on, but it would do no good. If she were put under any spell as of now, the mask would do no good.

"Not many of us have choices, I didn't. My father, Carlisle Cullen - yes, Emmett is my brother, I am Alice's Uncle - used to own the Opera House. It was decades ago, only two, but still, decades. I should be in my thirties, I'm suck on eighteen." Edward muttered. He was jealous of Emmett, he had a wife and child, a wonderful child at that. So talented, so beautiful, so graceful.

"And?" Bella pressed to hear more of his story.

"I was sick, so sick. I had this flu that nobody could identify at the time, not until I died. It was the Spanish Influenza. I was so ill, I couldn't perform anything. My father thought I had just caught a cold, or perhaps pneumonia. Until I became so ill I couldn't speak properly. He tried everything in his power, and went almost completely broke doing so. I was beginning to die, slowly. I couldn't eat anything, I couldn't drink anything, I could barely breathe. My father took me to a doctor... A witch doctor that was really a Vampire. He paid him an obscene amount of money to change me..."

"So he did?"

"Yes, he did. It was three days of excruciating pain, pain I could barely handle. After three days, seventy-two hours of unbearable pain, I was up walking around. My eyes piercing red, my skin freezing to everybody's skin. Oh, I remember the day. It was the day my brother was about to marry Rosalie, when I became normal, to everyone. I wasn't aware, but I could bewitch people when I was human, but I was truly spell-binding to any woman who wasn't already in a relationship..."

"Hence the mask?" Bella asked.

"I didn't acquire that until later." Edward said, "but yes, hence the mask. I was becoming a star, once again, but my father became aware of the women falling in love with me through my performances, my father became scared, and hid my face, but not until a girl of sixteen, Tanya, saw my face and fell in love with me. That was it, I couldn't stand it. She became infatuated, and followed me to my domain, your palace." Edward paused, infuriated, his fists clenched and his form began to shake.

"I killed her on accident. I tried to push her away, she wandered down the catacombs, I had no choice, she was utterly insane! Laurent, a Vampire I was sure of it, was a tenor, as I was, he replaced me... He came around and found Tanya and me in a compromising position... I didn't know what to do, so I killed him...and carved my mask, from his bone.

"My father lost the Opera House, but gladly to a Co Producer, so it wasn't completely lost. Alice grew up, and she met me, twice. No, three times." Edward's eyes clouded over with thought. He looked at her and smiled. "I love her, so much, she doesn't think of me, at all, but I think of her... All the time." Edward said. His hands began to play with Bella's hair, his face dangerously close to her's.

"Why do you feel you're a monster?" Bella asked. Edward looked into Bella's eyes and sighed. He knew she'd find out eventually.

"I killed Victoria... I killed Tanya, I killed Laurent... I am a killing machine, Bella. I'm dangerous, I could easily kill you! You must grasp that!" Edward said in an exasperating voice, "your thoughts kill me, you think of me as a god, my face resembles one, but I assure you, dear Bella, I am not I am far from it," Edward chimed, his naturally smooth voice cracking, sounding harsh and colder than ever before.

"I don't care." Bella said, her chocolate eyes showing no harsh emotion, just love, compassion. But those were hardly emotions for Bella, it was just how she was, it was her.

"How can you not?!" Edward was fighting hard to keep venom from shooting out of his mouth. He swallowed it hard, and quickly wanted to bite her to stop her from thinking all the wonderful things she was.

"Will you change me?" Bella asked. Edward's eyes flashed up to look at her's. He looked into her eyes, and there was no fear, just curiosity. Edward's eyebrows furrowed and he looked at her with incredulous thoughts. "Please?" Bella asked, almost begging.

"You want to be like me?" Edward asked her, looking into her eyes. Bella's were filled with tears of joy, thinking of being with him for the rest of her life just made everything ten times better.

A knock interrupted Bella's answer.

"Bella, open up, it's me, Rosalie. I need to speak with you. It's about your father's house!" Bella's eyes snapped to the door that was opening, Edward was still standing there, and Rosalie's body was already half way through the door.

~ForbiddenWords & Ori~