6 months later

The feeding tube was finally out. Bella was so proud of how far she'd come since being diagnosed with Anorexia and was grateful for how much the Cullen's had helped her.

There were now more good days than there were bad. Bella's physical health was finally stable; no more fainting or shakes or breathing problems. She had now reached a normal weight and had stayed there for a while. Her body was still adjusting to eating a higher amount of food which sometimes gave her stomach issues, but she was powering through; determined to recover and get better for herself and for those around her.

She knew recovery would be a lifelong commitment. Relapse was a normal part of recovery, but she knew she could overcome anything with her vampire family by her side.

Edward rolled over next to Bella on the bed and touched her face lightly; catching her attention. "What are you thinking about my love?"

Bella smiled back at him softly. "How far I've come. How excited I am to finally get on with my life again without the constant pain and worry."

"We are so proud of you, Bella." Edward murmured, planting a kiss gently on Bella's forehead.

Seconds later Alice came charging through the bedroom door erupting the peaceful quiet. "Come on Bella!" She was bouncing on her feet, talking so quickly Bella could barely catch up. "You're not even out of bed yet! Have you forgotten about today!"

Bella groaned, pushing herself to stand. Of course, she didn't forget about the weekend trip to one of the largest shopping malls. Alice and Rosalie really did love their fashion.

Bella got dressed quickly and then headed downstairs to be greeted by Esme in the living room. She'd placed some pancakes on the table in the dining room and encouraged Bella to sit. "I hope these are okay," Esme said, smiling approvingly at Bella. "It's really nice being able to learn different recipes."

Bella thanked Esme and slowly ate the pancakes. She still got anxious eating new foods, but she knew that food was fuel for energy and wasn't going to hurt her. She did manage to eat just over half the plate and Esme seemed satisfied with this.

The journey to the shopping mall was long. Bella fell asleep occasionally just to pass the time. She knew Alice was driving way over the speed limit but today she wasn't too bothered about that. It was a long drive and she just really wanted to get out of the car and stretch her legs.

It was a girl only weekend and Bella trailed behind Rose and Alice as they excitedly rushed around the shops in the mall. Esme had decided to come along for a change even though she wasn't a fan of shopping herself. She matched pace with Bella and talked quietly, occasionally laughing at Alice and Rose with how excited they were going into a new shop.

Bella and Esme sat down on a bench to wait for Alice and Rose. Esme had remembered Bella was human and needed to eat lunch, so they'd stopped at a coffee shop to get Bella a drink and a light snack.

"I'm so glad you're feeling better, Bella." Esme was always so gentle, so softly spoken that it always wanted to bring a tear to Bella's eyes. "You have honestly come so far and its lovely to see the improvement each day."

Bella took Esme's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, Esme. I do feel so much better. The last couple of months have been very hard but I want to recover for everyone around me and of course myself. It's not easy; I have to fight the voice in my head everyday and sometimes it seems to easy to fall back into my old ways. I'm worried that its going to be a constant in my head forever."

Esme nodded. "It probably will feel like that, but I hope that as the years go on it will become easier; more distant. We will always be here to look out for you."

"Bella!" Bella turned towards the voice. It was Rosalie; carrying a heap of shopping bags in her arms and waving excitedly at Bella.

Bella laughed and rolled her eyes at Esme who laughed too. "Yes Rose?"

"We have bought sooo much stuff! Alice assured me that you'll love it!" Rose came and sat with them at the coffee table. Bella didn't miss the quick look at the food and the smile that pursed on the corners of Rose's lips. Rose was proud of Bella for how far she'd come.

"Of course, she did." Bella grumbled. Alice always knew what Bella would love which made it even harder for Bella to say no to the shopping sprees.

The weekend passed slowly but Bella appreciated every second of it. Bella usually would've protested against a weekend shopping trip but lately she just wanted to appreciate all the simple things in life. She had grown so close to her vampire family and wanted to spend the good times with them.

A few months ago, Bella feared she was close to death and couldn't see a way out of the pain and the darkness she felt. It felt strange to her now that she was so contented and happy with life. It broke her heart to know how much pain she'd put everyone around her in by having to see her suffer.

It had been a trying time and one she couldn't have fought alone. How lucky she had been to avoid being a victim and a statistic to such a deadly disorder.

Bella's descent into the darkness – into the grips of Anorexia Nervosa was finally over. She looked over at her family in the hotel room, smiling softly at the sight of them. Alice was enthralled in a fashion magazine she'd picked up at the mall. Rose was sat next to her, talking to Emmett on the phone and Esme was in the little kitchen trying so hard to please Bella with dinner.

She was so thankful, so grateful for the people she had around her who had stopped at nothing to ensure that Bella was alive and well.

The battle was over, at least for now.