Truth Be Known

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

Buddha

EDWARD'S POV

When Bella disappeared before my eyes, I couldn't believe it. She disappeared. One minute she was there, the next she wasn't. Sure, I believed her when she told me she was a witch-wizard hybrid, but I couldn't wrap my head around her sudden disappearing act. Wait! She knew it was Alice calling. How was that possible?

My phone had stopped ringing in my… shock? Before I could even hit the speed dial for Alice, it came to life again.

"Uh, Alice, can you make this quick?" I asked.

"What are you about to do?" she countered.

"What do you mean 'what am I about to do?' Don't you know?" I questioned.

"No, I don't. Please tell me," she said, sounding worried beyond belief.

"Why don't you know? You should know."

"I wish I knew. All I'm getting is fuzzy images where you and Bella are concerned."

I was up and pacing the room again. Then Bella's words came back to me. Tell your family my secret. I trust them.

"Alice, is everyone there?" I asked. "There's something I need to discuss with the whole family."

"I can get them. Hold on… Okay, you're on speaker."

"What is it? Has something happened?" Esme asked, concern showing in her voice.

"I want to tell Bella what I am… what we all are," I announced.

Both Rose and Alice gasp.

I continued before either could say anything. "I want everyone's permission before I do as it affects us all."

"Why?" Rose asked. "Why would you do this to the family?"

I didn't answer this question. I wanted to know what the others thought first.

"You must have your reasons for wanting to tell her, and I won't stop you," Carlisle said.

"I quite agree with Carlisle, dear. This is your decision, and I think it's noble of you to ask us," Esme remarked.

I smiled. I could always count on Carlisle and Esme.

"I'm not going to stop you, bro, though like I Rose, I want to know why," Emmett said.

I knew that without a doubt Rose was giving him a death glare.

"Sorry, babe, it's Edward's choice, not ours," Emmett said.

"Alice, Jasper, what do you say?" I asked.

Jasper spoke up for him and Alice. "I won't tell you what to do or not to do, Edward, and neither will Alice."

"Thanks. I will be telling Bella soon. Carlisle was right in saying I have my reason. It's mainly because of what Bella told me and said I could share with all of you. First, she misses you, Alice, and I think it would be safe to say that she misses everyone."

I went to tell them what Bella had told me, nothing else. I hated keeping from them what else had transpired between us, but with Bella gone, I couldn't and wouldn't.

"Whoa, she's magical. How is that possible?" Alice asked.

"You called before I could ask her," I said with a laugh. "I've changed your ring tone after I got here, Alice, but Bella knew it was you calling."

"I see why you want to share with Bella our secret," Carlisle said.

"I don't want to hide who I'm from her anymore," I admitted.

"Tell her," Rose said, surprising me. "If she trusts us enough, then I should trust her."

"Thanks, Rose. I had best call Bella back from wherever she disappeared to."

"She what?" Emmett asked.

"Disappeared," I said slower. "Oh, Alice, before I end this call. Do you see any danger in our future?"

"Edward, I can't see anything. No, wait…"

She fell silent and no one else said anything.

"I do see something, but it's foggy. Danger is coming. I can't tell what or from whom."

"Jacob," I said. "Bella saw Jacob approaching me from behind with a knife."

"Wait! Where are you, currently?" Alice asked.

"In an underground safe room."

"And Bella?" Alice queried.

"She told me that she was going somewhere just as safe. Is there something I should know, Alice?"

"No… um… it's all hazy. Take care of her," she said, ending the call.

What in the world?

That was the third time she has hung up on me. She would pay for that, and I knew she wasn't telling me something, and if it wasn't for the distance, I would have seen what she had. Holding the stone between thumb and forefinger, I called for Bella and she reappeared.

BELLA'S POV

While I waited for Edward to summon me, I decided to check the prophecy.

Ah, Isabella. I could not be more than happy for you. The young man you love is the most important person that will come into your life, and he has been for some time, though he hasn't always. I bet you don't remember one the first time you met him. How about a little hint: Remember the woods.

I gasped as the memory of that confusing day played in my mind. Edward was the one who found me back then.

There will be others of importance that have—the young man's family—and have yet to come into your life.

Soon, three sisters, with very special abilities, much like your own, will visit you. You must say nothing for they must accuse you of being a witch, but there is no need to fear—this is not a time of witch trials—and they are witches too. They will accept you, all of you, and you will learn what they know of this prophecy.

You will also be visited by three young wizards and their teacher. Again, you must say nothing, for like the sisters, they must accuse of being a wizard. They, too, will accept you. From their teacher, you will learn what he knows of the prophecy.

Both the Wiccan and Wizard representatives will help you grow. Listen and learn from them.

I didn't have time to contemplate this added information, for not long after I had read the words, I was before Edward again.

"How did they take the news?" I asked as he continued staring at me. "Edward, you told your family, right?"

"How could you know?" he asked.

I smiled at him.

"I just know, and it's hard to explain."

"Great," he said. "Now, I can bet against Alice or you."

"What? Why wouldn't you bet against Alice?"

"Bella, sit down. It's my turn to tell you something," he said.

I sat on the bunk and patiently waited for him to speak again, the words of the prophecy swirling in my mind. "The young man you love is the most important person that has come into your life..."

Hold on!

The prophecy spoke of "love." I about fell off the bunk when I realized I was in love with Edward.A long forgotten memory surfaced—a talk Grandmother and I had years before she died.

"When you finally fall in love, it will be with a vampire," Grandmother said.

"A vampire? No way," I replied, shaking my head. "I know they exist, but I don't think I could ever love one."

"Isabella, we cannot chose who we love, love finds us."

Did that mean…

"I don't know how to say this," Edward said, drawing my attention back to him.

"It's best to just spit it out," I said.

He looked at me for a moment before looking down at the floor. He was so cute when he was nervous.

I stood went over to him, and lifted his chin until his eyes met mine. "Edward, whatever it is, you can tell me. You can trust me to keep whatever you say a secret," I said, smiling at him.

"Bella, my family and I…" he stopped.

"Yes," I said, encouragingly, still smiling.

EDWARD'S POV

"We…"

I took an unneeded breath, trying to look away. She wouldn't let me.

"We are vampires."

"I know," she responded.

My jaw dropped. How did she know?

"I only know because"—she swallowed—"I love you."

My brain was slow in processing what she just said.

"You knew and said…" I paused.

What did she say? She loves me.

"You love me?" I asked, feeling like an idiot.

"Yes, Edward. I love you."

"I love you, too, Isabella," I said, gathering her into my arms and spinning around. "But that doesn't explain how you knew what my family and I are."

"Edward," she started, pulling away slightly when her feet were back on the ground. "There's a prophecy about me. In this prophecy, it calls me a Bridge. While you were on the phone with your family, I went to a hidden library and the prophecy revealed more of itself to me. You called for me before I had time to figure out what it was telling me." She paused a brief moment. "I didn't realize what it was saying until you told me you wanted to tell me something. It was my grandmother who told me I would one day fall in love with a vampire"—she looked straight into my eyes—"and I fall in love with you the moment I saw you, two years ago, but I didn't realize I was until you said you had something to tell me."

Lifting my left hand, I stroked her right cheek with my knuckles, believing what she said. "What do we do now?" I asked, needing to know what she was thinking.

Bella blew out a breath. "I would like to keep our new-found love a secret from your family. I know that they will have questions for me, so it might be some time before we can tell them. Plus, it would pay Alice back for all the times she hung up on you."

"You know about that, too."

It was not a question, and Bella chuckled with me.

"It will confuse the heck out of her. She has been trying to get us together for some time. There was really no tradition of the lead singers having to sit next to each other. I saw Alice talking to Ms. Brandt and Angela," I said.

"Then stringing her along would be a great way to get back at her for that, too. Do you think you could pretend things did not go well after you told me?" she asked.

"I think I could pull it off," I said as Malcolm opened the door.

"Merry Christmas, Bella, Edward," he said. "The grounds have been searched, and Jacob wasn't found. Come now."

Malcolm left, leaving the door open.

"Bella, before we go," I said, pulling a box out of my pocket. "Merry Christmas."

I watched as she opened it. "Edward, I can't accept this. It must have cost a fortune."

"I didn't spend a dime on it. My mother would have wanted you to have it," he whispered.

"It's Esme's," she said, looking at me.

"No. Esme is my mother for all intends and purposes. My mother's name was Elizabeth, and she would have loved you as much I do. The anklet was also hers," I said, taking the necklace out and putting it around her neck.

"Thank you."

There were tears in her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away before raising her hand, a scroll landing there.

"Merry Christmas," she said, handing it to me. "It's the song I sang last night."