Jacob glared at the stacks of paper that were in his hands. The Opera House was losing money, and fast. The press was the problem. Newspapers were advertising that the Paris Opera House was haunted and to stay away.

If the financial problems persisted, Jacob and Jasper would be forced to close it down.

Growling in frustration, Jacob pushed his chair back from his desk and stood up. He had bigger problems than Bella and Edward. His business was slowly going bankrupt and Jasper didn't seem to care.

Pushing his office door open, he walked out, not caring that it slammed into the wall.

Suddenly he collided with a warm, soft body.

"Watch where you're going!" the girl hissed.

Not even so much as glancing at her, Jacob walked past.

"I guess that means you're too good to apologize," she called. "Arrogant."

He turned to confront her and stopped short. Jacob couldn't help the way his eyes ghosted over her face and body. She wasn't beautiful, but there was something about her that captured the eye – the inner fire of a strong spirit. Of course he didn't know it then, but he had just met the one woman who matched him in every possible way. She had long dark hair that was pulled up into a dancer's bun and her face was oval-shaped with smooth skin and dark eyes.

"Don't you talk?" she asked impatiently, tapping her ballet slipper as she waited for his answer.

"I apologize," Jacob said quickly. "I didn't mean to hurt you; I was just frustrated."

She raised one eyebrow. "Well, that doesn't mean that you can go slamming doors and shoving past people."

"I'm Jacob Black," he said, holding out his hand for her to shake.

"I know, I'm Leah Clearwater." She smirked, amused by his abrupt change in attitude.

And for the first time in Jacob's life, he wasn't thinking about what her lips would feel like against his or how well her breast would fit into his palm. Unsure of how to react to this woman that made his heart quicken and his tongue become tied, he tried to focus on what to say.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Clearwater," he said politely.

"Now that's much better, Mr. Black. Hopefully you've learned that slamming doors gets you nowhere. What were you upset about anyway?"

He sighed as he remembered his all-too-real problems that he still faced.

"You wouldn't understand anyway," he said, glancing at her leotard-clad body. "It's not very interesting."

"So what you're saying is that you think women can't understand business affairs?"

"Well…" he trailed off. "You're just a ballet dancer."

Her eyes ignited, indignant. "Ballet dancer or not, women are just as capable as men. You better learn that quickly before someone proves it to you." She cocked her hip, arching one eyebrow.

Jacob smirked. She was as fiery and as outspoken as him. "I have no doubt about that."

She waited for a moment longer before turning to leave. "I guess I'll say bye then." She started to walk down the hall, moving past Jacob.

"Wait," he said quickly, taking her upper arm in his hand. "Don't leave." For some irrational reason, he didn't want her to leave; There was a magnetic pull that seemed to originate somewhere inside her, making him drift closer towards her. "Don't leave," he repeated.

When Leah turned back, her eyes were serious as they stared into his. His hand tingled where he touched her bare skin.

"Yes?" She waited.

Glancing up at Leah, he wondered if it was wise to share the Opera House's financial problems with a ballet dancer. Hell, he didn't even know how to solve the problem, why not get a second opinion?

"Ever since those Newspapers have been issued, the Opera House has been losing money. The press is killing our profits and I don't know how to stop that."

"Have you thought about hosting another Ball to bring people in, or even cutting down on the price of tickets would be a good way to start. You could make it a 'one time only' discount," she suggested.

"Decreasing the price of admission will only make us lose more," he pointed out.

"But if you do that, then more people will be willing to come. You'll earn more."

He paused, simply staring into those dark eyes that shone with intelligence. How did a ballerina know so much about business?

"How do you know?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound rude.

"Well, obviously, Jacob, it's common sense." She winked teasingly at him and he couldn't help but smile even though she had just bettered him.

Jacob let his hand linger on her arm. Nervousness was a new emotion for him. Leah smiled and looked down at her arm where he touched her.

"Bye, Jacob," she said, once again forgoing all formality and calling him by his first name. She began to walk away.

"Perhaps you could help me with some of the other financial issues," he said slowly, surprised that he was even asking. Jacob Black always did things by himself – his way or no way.

Then why was he asking this girl that he had just met? He had a feeling that Leah would be the start of a lot of firsts for him.

"Of course," she replied, a slow smile tugging at her lips.

---------Meanwhile----With Bella & Edward-----------

"Bella, I'm not one hundred percent with this idea..." Edward said, his head looking up at the ceiling, his chest rising for another breath he didn't need.

Bella looked over at him and sighed, turning on her side to face him easier. He didn't look at her.

"You love me," Bella paused to sigh. "I love you, I want to be yours, forever." Bella's voice stayed steady, her heart was also in an even rhythm.

Edward pressed his ear up her heart and sighed with content. "How can you be so calm talking about something that is so drastic?" Edward asked to her chest as he heard the acceleration of her heart from his proximity.

Bella looked down at him. She loved him.

She couldn't help it, it was something that was of course, inevitable. He no longer wore the mask around her, but he did around others. Alice already knew, everybody knew. Including Jasper and Jacob. Alice was trying to convince her not to do it, but all Bella could say is "I love him". And it was true, she loved him, she wants to spend the rest of her life with him, and since he couldn't die, or get old, it was her time to become immortal, like him. Alice didn't understand, and Bella was sure, if she has to be faced with the challenge of becoming immortal or not, she'd choose it, for Jasper.

"Tell me about it." Bella said, kissing Edward's temple when he rose up from her chest. He smiled at her, his eyes gleaming in the moon light that cascaded through her window and drapes.

"You wont sleep..." Edward said quietly.

"Ever?"

"Ever. You don't need it." Edward said smiling.

"What else?"

"No going to the bathroom, needing food, needing water, you won't mind the weather so much, no matter how hot or cold." Edward began to ponder about his life, what he could tell Bella in order to make her want to say yes, however, a small part wanted her to say no.

"And?" Bella pressed.

"You don't have to breath, ever. You just breathe to have some sense of smell, to hunt," Edward said, smiling, showing his sharp teeth.

"We have venom in our teeth, well, coating our teeth." Edward finished. He was trying to scare her, and it wasn't working. She was just as interested as ever. He had to tell her about the no-children part. It was important.

"And?" Bella asked, she was impatient today.

"You can't have children, but you can make love. You just wont conceive." Edward said quietly. He looked up through his lashes in a shy manner, which was odd for Edward, nothing about Edward was ever shy before, even when he was human. He was always very verbose and extroverted. Bella smiled and laughed lightly to herself. She patted Edward's head which was under her heart again.

"Rose already told me that, it's alright." Bella said lightly. Edward's head shot up and looked at her with honest eyes.

"I can't give you what you desire most.. why would you want me?" Edward asked her. She looked angry then. She pushed him lightly to get off of her. He of course didn't budge, but he got the picture that she wanted him off.

"You are what I desire most. So what? I can't have children, if I honestly could before becoming a Vampire it'd be nothing short of a miracle." Bella said. Edward's head shot up, and Bella looked away quickly.

"What do you mean by that?" Edward asked, Bella shrugged, and he heard her sniffle - she was crying.

"My doctor, I got hurt when I was little, he said I may not be able to carry a child. Ever." Bella said. Her tears became less and she looked to Edward, who looked a little scared to say anything.

Edward quickly snapped out of his silence, "I'm so sorry, Bella." Edward said, looking at Bella, wanting to comfort her and console her.

"It's alright. I've grown used to the idea of a life with out a child of my own." Bella said, and the way she said that stuck out to Edward. Of course, adoption. He could have a child adopted, couldn't he? Of course, and when they come of age, he can turn her, to stay with them forever.

Bella snapped out of her sorrow story.

"What ever happened to your parents, Edward?" Bella asked. Edward looked up, amazed at the question.

"They're Vampires. My father wanted to be one, my mother wanted what ever my father did." Edward said, shaking his head and sighed. Bella looked over.

"You made them?" Bella half asked, half filled in. Edward shook his head no.

"No, they got that damned witch doctor, too. He was harsh with them, like me, only I couldn't really care then because I was too damned sick." Edward said. This topic angered him, and he hadn't talked to his parents in a while, not because it was what he wanted, but because he never saw them. His father was always out of town for business, he was a doctor now.

"I'm sorry." Bella said looking over at him. Edward shrugged his shoulders, trying to play brave, but Bella already saw his dry sob that he barely left audible to her ears.

A knock on the door interrupted them completely. Bella standing near the window, Edward sitting on the edge of her bed. Quicker than light Edward was at the door, answering it, he knew from the brain waves it was Alice and Jasper.

"Yes?" Edward asked his little niece.

"Hello, Edward. Bella, come here." Alice said. She pushed past Edward and walked next to Bella who was staring blankly at her.

"What is it, Alice?" Bella asked her smiling

"There's another ball." Jasper filled in, "Jacob said it'd increase business, and it'd help the down fall of money." Edward looked down, he was ashamed.

"I'm sorry, Jasper. I didn't mean to do such a thing to your Opera House. If anything it should bring a lot of business." Edward said shaking his head, none of this made any sense. Everyone came around after Tanya died, like they were attracted more.

"Oh, Edward! That is a wonderful idea!" Alice said smiling, Bella looked over, shocked. "I had a dream, last night, that Edward had a play that he'd present for the Opera House, for free!"

"Alice, I just thought of that, a second ago. Do you read minds, as well?" Edward asked. Alice shook her head no.

"No, I have visions when I sleep." Alice said looking down. The memories of what she was to become flooded her brain, and so was Jasper. Jasper was going to be a Vampire, and that didn't scare him, at all.

"She knows what is to become of us." Jasper said quietly. Edward's head snapped up and looked at Alice.

"You do?" Edward asked. Alice shook her head yes.

"Yes, I do. Even Jasper will become one." Alice answered, her head shot gravely down, her chin loosely pressing to almost her chest. Edward sighed. He wanted Alice to be pleased with such a thing, to live forever with the love of her life. However, he knew that Alice did enjoy children, but she never did fancy herself a mother.

"Does this displease you?" Edward asked. He didn't mean for it to sound so harsh, and the harshness got Jasper's attention.

"Yes, and no." Alice answered, her blue eyes staring up at Edward. Edward walked forward and caressed little Alice's cheek.

"Eyes like your father, like your grandfather.." Edward said, looking into the almost crystal blue eyes. He smiled.

"What color of eyes did you have?" Alice asked abruptly. Edward smiled and laughed.

"Green. Same as your grandmother, Esme." Edward said smiling at Alice. Alice smiled and nodded her head. Jasper looked down, he knew all about Vampires, all about the eyes, all about the cold skin, the real reason why they can't put themselves in sunlight. He knew of the fast speed, their incredible strength, almost everything about them, he knew.

"Will my eyes change that color, Edward?" Bella asked looking at his butterscotch eyes.

"No. They'll start out red. Eventually, whilst you drink animal blood, they'll turn to this color. It takes a series of months." Edward said looking down absent-mindedly to his palm.

"But they'll never be brown again?" Bella asked, Edward peered into her doe-like eyes and smiled weakly.

"Never." Bella looked down, and she wasn't quite sure of what to make of what Edward was telling her. He was telling her he could offer her no children, no real eye color, no identity, no real heat signature, nothing that was real. She still wanted to be with him. No matter what.

"When will you change me?" Bella asked. Edward looked over and sighed, forgetting Alice was in the room, she sensed it, and jumped in.

"It's already decided, Edward, you cannot change her mind." Alice said, her blue eyes looking up at Jasper's gray confederate eyes, his eyes were not so worrysome as hers were.

"So when?" Bella looked to Alice to answer that question. Alice shrugged.

"All I can tell you is that it's already decided... for all of us." Alice said, Bella looked at her and nodded her head, Edward looked down and sighed, he didn't want this, he didn't want to turn his whole entire family, but from what he saw in Alice's memory, they'll get turned a little after Bella did.

Bella is his first priority.

Always was.

Always has been.

Always will be.

~ForbiddenWords & Ori~