AN: I just finished the re-imagined Twilight book. I wasn't crazy about it, but I did like the part where he actually turns into a vampire - oops, maybe I should have put a spoiler warning? Either way, a lot of it is the same.

Do you guys realize this fic is at like 50k words? That's like a legit novel! I didn't think I would come this far with ATFL. We've got quite a few chapters left, but we're nearing the end.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Emmett's POV - The Human Vampire

I nearly cried out as my head throbbed. When was the last time my head hurt? I couldn't even remember… Actually, when was the last time I 'woke up'? I tried to open my eyes, but the light was nearly blinding, not helping my head at all.

"It's too bright." I could hear Alex's voice echo through the pain. Even though the volume hurt, I wanted to hear more. Her voice seemed lighter than usual – more… supernatural? It was weird, but it was the only word I could use to describe it.

"I'll get the lights." This time, it was Carlisle. "Emmett, can you hear us?"

"Yeah, kind of hard not to." I mumbled as I brought a hand to my face. Even though my eyes were closed, I could tell the light had dimmed considerably. Nearly sighing in relief, I slowly peeled my eyes open.

"Emmett…" Alex breathed, her eyes meeting mine. They were wide, and her mouth hung open. "Oh... wow…"

"What?" I asked, worried. Had something gone wrong? Carlisle rushed to her side, looking like a blur to me. Could I not keep up with his vampire speed anymore? Maybe this worked too well…

"Oh my…" Carlisle looked from me to his clipboard. He wrote silently for a minute, but didn't answer.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is wrong with me?" I hissed as I pulled myself into a sitting position. My body ached and felt weak.

"It's not really… wrong." Alex frowned, finally pulling her gaze from mine. She quickly moved to Carlisle's desk, returning with a polished silver letter opener. "Look at your eyes…"

I took the opener from her, turning it on its side to use the polished silver as a mirror. I nearly dropped it with a gasp as bright blue with honey rims looked back at me. My eyes… they were almost human. I looked back at them, but they were busy talking lowly. I couldn't make out every word – which just worried me more.

"This is fascinating." Carlisle smiled up at me. "You're taking it very well."

"How do you feel?" Alex's tone was stern, but I could see the worry in her eyes.

"Weak… and my stomach hurts." I groaned. Again, Carlisle wrote on his clipboard.

I carefully swung my legs over the side of the small bed, trying not to pull off any of the cords that were attached to me. Frowning, Alex watched me for a few minutes, tilting her head as if she were listening to something. Without a word, she reached over and grabbed half a sandwich off a nearby plate.

"Try this." She offered and held it out to me.

"No thanks." I shook my head. "I tried human food a few years ago… tastes like dirt!"

"Emmett, I suggest you try it." Carlisle said, not looking up from his paperwork. "For research of course."

"Of course." I mumbled and took the sandwich from Alex. Bringing it to my lips, I carefully took a bite. "Holy shit!" I looked from the sandwich to their smiling faces. "This is amazing!" I finished it in two bites. A thought struck me then. "How long should this last?"

"Oh, a few days." Carlisle answered, his eyes back to his paperwork. "It'll trickle out slowly.

"Yes!" I nearly jumped up and down. "Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I'm going to eat everything." Alex's musical laughter filled the room, immediately drawing my attention. "What are you laughing at?" I smiled, reaching out to pull her towards me. Her heat was overwhelming now.

"This is so weird." She mumbled as she placed her hands on either side of my face. She looked from one eye to the other. "They're almost the same color they were when you were human… and your cheeks have more color." She ran her thumbs over my skin, smiling lightly.

"Once you get some of your strength back, we'll run a few tests." Carlisle declared, quickly excusing himself from the room.

Alex's eyes never left mine. She didn't even acknowledge that he had said anything. "So… I look human?" I raised an eyebrow. It was like she was in a trance.

"More human, but not quite human." Her voice was low as she took a step closer. "Your heart is still." As if to reassure herself, she placed one hand over my bare chest.

"Do you like me better like this?" I couldn't help but feel a bit insecure. This was as close to the Emmett that she fell in love with that she was going to get. Her eyes immediately widened. She looked as if someone had slapped her.

"Emmett McCarty, don't you ever dare think that I love you less now just because you're a vampire. I might not like vampires, but you're you, no matter what!"

I smiled slowly, my hands pulling her even closer against me. She hadn't even realized what she said. It seemed like a pattern with us. I wasn't sure if it was her skin, my new human-like body, or just the emotion of it, but I suddenly felt warm… God, I was glad Edward wasn't around to read that thought. "You said you loved me…"

She shook her head. "Crap… Will we ever get this right?" She laughed lightly.

"Seems right to me." I cupped her face, bringing her lips to mine. The sensation of her lips on mine were different, but no less enjoyable. "I love you too, Doll."

"Okay Emmett, now that we know your sight and hearing have lessened, we need to test your speed." Carlisle stated, his trusty clipboard in hand. The wolf pack stood on one side of the yard while the rest of my family stood on the other. Some of them looked amused, but others looked bored.

"I'll race him." Nicolas smiled widely as he practically bounced up and down. Chase placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

"You're too fast."

"Chase is right." Carlisle nodded. "I would like to compare your speed to a wolf's, but Nicolas is faster than us at full strength. Matt, would you do the honors?"

The twin on the left nodded, pulling his shirt over his head. I quickly looked away. I didn't understand why they had to undress every time they shifted. Alice would gladly take them clothes shopping to replace the clothes they lost. I heard a deep growl before I was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a large spotted wolf.

"On the count of three." Carlisle pulled out a stop watch. I got into position, winking at Alex as I did so. "One… Two… Three." We were off.

I started off well, at least I was holding my own. When we crossed the river, Matt began pulling ahead. With a hiss, I tried to push my legs faster, but they refused. I didn't feel tired or anything, it was like I was running in mud. At the designated half-way point, Matt turned and headed back. He yipped as he passed me. With a curse, I reached the halfway point. By the time I made it back to the house, Matt was already redressing. I cursed again as Carlisle recorded the data on his clip board.

"Okay, Emmett. That was great.

Alex's POV

"Hey Bella." I smiled into the cellphone as I watched Emmett take off after Matt. I slowly stepped away from the others, knowing they would be able to hear Bella too. "Aren't you supposed to be having crazy endless sex?" I joked lightly.

"That's actually why I called…"

"I didn't know you felt that way, Bella." A smile pulled at my lips. "I can talk to Emmett, I'm sure he'd be okay with it."

She didn't laugh at my joke, instead she just sighed. "Edward won't have sex with me. We had sex once and when he saw how bruised I was, he freaked out."

I frowned over the commotion behind me as Emmett and Matt returned. "Just tell Edward not to be so hard on himself. Hell, even humans bruise each other during sex sometimes… When it's good."

She sighed again. "I'll try. Thanks, Alex."

"Hey, Bella!" I called before she could hang up.

"Yeah?"

"If all else fails, Alice packed you a lot of ammunition."

AN: Reviews are loved! Next chapter sneak peek:

'Meeting at the house. Everyone. Urgent.

-Carlisle'