Bella stood in place. She was scared. What could she do? Rosalie was already half way through the door. She looked at Edward for some type of advice. His face showed none.

"Bella," Edward whispered. He placed himself at her side in a flash. Bella's eyes darted toward the door that was now ajar with Rosalie's angel face looking at them.

"Edward," Rosalie addressed him formally, not curtsying, just addressing him.

"Rose." Edward said, also a formal tone.

"Do you two know each other?"

"Yes," Rosalie said. She looked down at her feet, and then into Bella's eyes, "he's my brother-in-law, Bella."

Bella looked as if she had just been slapped. Did everyone know Edward, and if so, why was she last to know him properly? Did Rosalie know that Edward was a Vampire? Did she know that Edward loved her? What did she know, and how much did she know – that was what Bella wanted to know.

Bella shook her head back and forth. "How long have you known that this has been going on?" Bella asked. Rosalie sighed.

"Not now Bella, there is something that you need to hear, it's about your father's property and belongings." Rosalie said. She directed her attention to Edward, who stood there, staring at her, reading her thoughts

'Go down stairs into Emmett's den. He needs to speak with you, and I do not want you listening in, this is none of your business, got it, Edward?' Rosalie thought.

Edward sighed and kissed Bella's temple. "I'll leave you ladies to speak." Edward said in a polite manner. He left the room, in his normal brooding way. He wanted to know what was so important of Rosalie to interrupt his time with Bella.

His time with Bella was precious and needed to be spent wisely, not talking to his brother whom he's already spoken to. What could Emmett possibly want that he would be able to help him with, or Emmett help him with? He had his mind full of clutter. Bella wanted to be like him, a monster, and yet, he wanted to hear Bella's sweet heartbeat, he wanted to smell her burning scent of her blood. He wanted her warm skin against his cold skin. But no, she wanted to be cold, she wanted to be heartless, she wanted to stop the flow of blood. She wanted what he never did. She wanted the immortality. Only to be with him, if the choice was death, or Jacob, she would choose death, he was sure of it. And that was the choice, him or Jacob, the same as death or Jacob.

Damn, Jacob, he had forgotten about him. Jacob saw his true face, and surely that was not good. He knew that soon Jacob would talk. He would expose him, and there would be a big hunt like there was back in the sixteenth century. He was sure of it. Jacob wasn't smart enough to keep his mouth shut, he wasn't that wise to keep his life. He was an idiot, and he had no reconciliation of self-preservation.

Edward was pulled out of his thoughts as Emmett grasped his hand, and pulled him into his den. Edward was slightly taken aback. Being in his own thoughts, he had not heard Emmett's loud, obnoxious ones.

"Thank god your here." Emmett said; he looked at Edward desperately.

"What is going on with Bella's house?"

"Never mind, never mind! Look at this!" Emmett shoved a flyer in his face that read 'PARIS OPERA HOUSE HAUNTED. STAY AWAY!'

Edward shook his head, "I'm sorry, brother." Edward said. Emmett sighed and shook his head.

"Why did you have to pretend to be a phantom, you're not dead, Edward."

"I am, you great buffoon!" Edward touched his chest and sighed, "There is no heart, and there is no pulse. I am dead." Edward said, looking down.

"But you are still solid! You can be sometimes unfathomable!" Emmett said, 'he is right', Edward thought, 'I am unbelievable.'

"I'll fix it, I promise. I will." Edward vowed. Edward shook his head, reading the jumble that was Emmett's thoughts. "That is not why you wanted to see me." Edward read in his mind. Emmett looked at Edward with eager eyes.

"Did she agree?"

"She asked." Edward nodded his head.

"Did you say yes?"

"I didn't get the chance, your wife interrupted." Edward grumbled. Emmett rolled his eyes, 'Edward is so melodramatic,' Emmett thought.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, I'm sure Rose'll talk her out of it." Emmett said. Edward growled lowly.

"Don't let her." Edward commanded.

Emmett shook his head in disagreement, "That is her choice, and it's Rose's to tell her." Emmett said.

"Tell her what!?"

"You know as well as I that Bella loves children. She wants children, Edward!"

"I cannot give her that!" Edward said. He threw his hands up in the air – he was helpless. "I am a monster brother." Edward said. He heard a light bell and looked over at the door. He swore he heard something, but there was nothing.

Little did he know his niece, Alice, was listening in.

"I've watched Bella grow up, I know she loves children, but if she chooses to be a Vampire, you must tell her, Edward." Emmett said, patting him on the hard shoulder. Edward nodded his head. "I love you, brother. We cannot keep this from Alice much longer."

Edward's head shot up. "You want us to tell her?" Edward asked. Behind the door Alice's hand went to her lips.

"Yes," Emmett said, nodding his head.

"What are we to say?"

What could he possibly say would make Alice understand why he loved Bella so much? He knew that it was slightly odd that he fell in love with his niece's best friend, that it might be improper.

"That you are her uncle, that you are a Vampire, and that you love Bella and she wants to become a Vampire." Emmett said. He smiled, showing his dimples.

"Oh, and that makes it sound so simple. It's not simple, brother!" Edward complained. Emmett shook his head.

"I know, but if I know my little, Alice, I know that she'll not ask questions." Edward shook his head at Emmett.

Edward knew that. He knew that Alice was wise. That she knew to keep quiet, that she knew to just take things as they came. She was just as understanding as her father, just as loving as her father, just as energetic as her father, and just as beautiful as her mother. She was also stubborn, very stubborn like her mother, which one day, would be a problem for him.

"Too dangerous." Edward said. He was way too cautious to let his family get anywhere near him. He did not want them to get hurt, especially little Alice. He loved Alice dearly, and he could not help but love her from the first time she was born. He sighed and thought of the little cute rosebud. She was so delicate; surely she couldn't endure this life.

"Get over it," Emmett said, "this is what needs to be done, you've waited too long to do this, this must happen now." Emmett said. Edward nodded his head.

"I'm sorry, I know I have. I will make good on my promise that I had made so many years ago." Edward said; Emmett nodded his head in agreement.

Behind the door, Alice furrowed her eyebrows, remembering a dream she had, had the night before.

Bella was standing in her room. Edward standing behind her, his reflection only showing an angel in the mirror.

"It's time, Bella." Edward said. Bella looked up at in through the mirror, her makeup shadow-like and her face showed no emotion. Her blush was gone, and her skin was pale.

"They want the eternal drink." Edward said quietly. Bella nodded her head and got up from her make up table.

"Come, come little Alice." Bella said smiling. Edward shook his head.

"No, no, her last. Emmett first." Edward said, pointing toward Emmett who stood up bravely.

Alice shook her head out of her dream, the eternal drink. What is that? she thought quietly. She felt her body shaking quietly. She needed Jasper, she need him fast.

Alice ran quietly through the halls and she looked up at Jasper, and hugged him tightly, Jasper, who was used to her affection took it as just affection. Not for being scared.

"I need to talk to you."

"What do you need to talk about?" he asked.

Unable to figure out a better way to phrase it, she decided to simply blurt it out. At least it would get everything out on the table at once. "Did you know that Edward was a Vampire?"

Jasper's eyes darkened slightly and the amused look left his face. "I had suspected as such. How do you know this?"

"I overheard Edward and Emmett talking," she explained. Her words began to flow so quickly that it sounded like one long run-on sentence. "And I heard them say that Bella wanted to be a Vampire! From what I could tell, Edward is the Phantom. And Edward is my uncle! Last night I had a dream that Edward and Bella wanted to give us this thing called the eternal drink. And now I find out that Edward is the Phantom and a Vampire. But when – "

Jasper placed a hand over her mouth to stop the flow of words. "One thing at a time, Alice," he said calmly. "You said that Edward was the Phantom, correct?"

"Yes." She focused on slowing her erratic breathing.

"Are you sure about this? The Phantom has killed many men before," he said disapprovingly.

"I know. So that means that Edward is a killer. He doesn't seem like one. And I thought that Vampires were supposed to be evil things that sucked everyone's blood."

"I don't think that Edward is that way anymore. If he is the Phantom, then he must have changed somehow over the course of these last few years." Jasper brushed back a lock of Alice's dark hair. "I have a strong feeling that Edward isn't evil, either. Especially if Emmett likes him."

"And what about Bella wanting to be a Vampire?" Alice asked. "What are we going to do about that?"

Jasper sighed. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yes, nothing. Why do you think that Bella would want to become a Vampire?"

Alice paused. She remembered the way Bella's face would light up whenever Edward was near. First at the Spring Ball, then when they had gone out to lunch. She had been suspicious of their connection since the first time she saw them together. Bella was like a sun of happiness whenever Edward was around. Of course. Why else would Bella want to become a Vampire other than that their relationship depended on it? If Bella remained a human, she would age and die while Edward stayed forever young. It was the only way.

"Because it's the only way they can stay together," she said, surprised by her own revelation.

"Exactly." Jasper couldn't help but wonder exactly how this whole Vampire deal worked. He knew from shaking Edward's hand that his skin was abnormally cold, and he was strong. He remembered the white mask that Edward always wore. Surely all Vampires didn't have to wear those masks. Not unless they had something to hide.

"Emmett said that Edward was going to have to tell me soon," Alice finished. "He said that it was time I knew."

Jasper held Alice in his arms, thankful for the small comfort that her small body provided. The shock of their discoveries seemed almost surreal. It would have been shock enough to find out that Edward was Alice's uncle, much less the Phantom of the Opera and a Vampire. So many secrets had been kept and were slowly beginning to unravel. Sooner or later, the truth always came out. It was only a matter of time.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bella's Room - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Rosalie walked to Bella's vanity table and sat down, preparing herself to tell Bella of the news. The table was covered by a white lace cloth, adorned with bottles of perfume that she rarely used and brushes and combs, even a few cosmetics that Alice had insisted upon. Rosalie crossed her legs and looked at the girl she had come to love as her daughter. Bella stood expectantly, still a little nervous.

"What did you want to say?" Bella asked, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"You are aware that your father died many years ago and that he left no will to properly distribute his belongings, correct?" Rosalie began.

"Yes, I am."

"Well, that has recently been confirmed as false. Your father did in fact leave a will, it just wasn't found until a few days ago." She paused, looking at the surprised brunette in front of her.

"Yes?" Bella said when Rosalie didn't continue.

"He has left all his belongings to his only daughter, you."

When Bella's father had died, she thought that he had simply forgotten about her. Because of the fact that he had no will, she was left with nothing to support herself with. Thankfully Rosalie and Emmett had taken her in. But even if she had inherited something from her father, she wouldn't get any of it until she was eighteen. None of her relatives had been willing to take in another child unless they came with an inheritance of their own to ease the burden of caring for children. Now, hearing that her father did indeed have a plan for her, she sighed with something akin to relief and surprise. For all these years she had thought her father had simply not cared enough to make a will.

"That means that, when you are a legal adult, you get everything that he owned," Rosalie continued. "Your father was just a musician, but, granted, a successful musician. Very few violinists achieve the fame and publicity that he did. Or the fortune." She smiled at Bella with genuine happiness. "You will be able to live comfortably on your father's inheritance for at least forty years without working a day in your life. You are very lucky."

Bella's hand went to her mouth in shock. Could it be true that her father was that rich?

Rosalie stood up and wrapped her arms around Bella's waist. "I hope you're not too overwhelmed," she laughed lightly. Bella giggled, unable to keep her bubbling emotions inside of her. Her father had cared enough to make a will.

"I'm just…surprised is all," Bella said.

Rosalie pulled away slightly so that she could look Bella in the eyes. "And now we need to talk about Edward." Immediately, Bella's face fell. She had known this was coming, and yet she wished it wouldn't. "How deeply involved are you two?"

"What do you mean?" Bella managed, hoping to sidestep this entire conversation.

"Do you love him?"

Bella blushed slightly. "Yes, I do."

"And do you want to become like him? A Vampire?"

The look in Rosalie's eyes was disapproving. But that didn't change Bella's answer. "Yes, I want to be like him."

"But why?" Rose sighed deeply, sitting back down at the chair that was placed just before the vanity table. "You have a life, you can have children and grow old with someone you love. Are you really ready to give all that up?"

Bella stood up straighter. "Yes, I am. Edward is immortal. The only way for us to be together is for me to become a Vampire too. I won't simply stand around, allowing myself to grow old while Edward stays the same age! Could you imagine it? I would be ninety years old while Edward stays in his twenties? No, I won't let that happen." She began to use her hands as she talked, her voice growing louder. "I won't give him up. He is my life, Rosalie and I can't live without him. The only logical way for us to be together is as Vampires."

Rosalie looked away, into her reflection. It pained her to hear Bella's words. She loved this girl as her daughter, and her Bella was, willing to throw away her life. "You love children, Bella," Rose began. "Don't try to deny it, I've seen you with them. Can you honestly tell me that you don't want children?"

Bella sighed. "Yes, I would like children. But if I had the choice of having children or having Edward, I know which one I would pick in a heartbeat. I don't think you really understand how much he means to me, Rosalie. I love him. So much…"

Rosalie turned back to Bella. Their eyes locked for a long moment as Rosalie tried to figure out a way to convince Bella to stay human. But she sighed, turning back to the mirror. It was obvious that she loved Edward. And whether he deserved it or not, Bella was willing to die for him, literally.

"I just hope you're sure about this."

"I am, Rosalie."

A small, reluctant smile spread over Rosalie's lips. "There's no way to convince you to stay human, is there?"

Bella smiled back. "Nope." Rose laughed and stood up to hold Bella's hands in her own.

"I want you to be happy, Bella, I really do. But the life of a Vampire is anything but happy. You will have to drink blood and hunt. You will never grow old and you can't go out into the sunlight in the city because someone will know exactly what you are. Everyone else will grow old and die around you while you continue living. An eternity of night and blood. Are you sure you want to become one?"

"I would rather die than be without Edward. And it would be a slow and painful death to grow older every day while he stayed young," Bella replied, hoping that Rosalie could understand. "Would you choose to waste away while Emmett stayed the same age? Or would you choose to become his equal and spend forever with him, even if it meant an eternity of night?"

Bella knew that she had finally got her point across.

Rose breathed in deeply. "It won't be an easy life, Bella." There was no true persuasiveness in her voice. She knew why Bella was choosing to become a Vampire and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"I know."

~ForbiddenWords & Oriana~