Considering the fact that I'd just spent the last five minutes and in reality that's all it had been, being thrown around the room as Edward did his best to protect me, I hadn't felt one jot of pain, courtesy of my vampire skin. As Jasper's teeth sank into my neck I felt pain.

More pain that I'd ever felt.

It equalled the pain of my transformation it was that painful. For a fleeting second I knew how it felt to be the animals I hunted, how it must feel as my teeth sunk into their delicate flesh but now it was my flesh that was being ripped apart by a frenzied Jasper and he was not being merciful as I was when I hunted.

I did not cause unnecessary pain.

Nor was I an animal and I wouldn't let Jasper treat me that way. All these thoughts passed through my head in less than a second and I screamed, throwing my head forward while wrenching my body away from Jasper. I had help for Edward, having frozen for a split instant launched himself at Jasper and pulled him backwards instantaneously as I wrenched myself forward.

The result was that Jasper and Edward went flying backwards into the wall, causing parts of it to crumble into fine powder and I went soaring forwards, landing with a thump on the floor, gasping in shock.

The first thing I noticed as silence fell was the strange wet feeling on my neck. My hand subconsciously travelled to my neck and I gasped verbally as I discovered that my neck felt wet because it was wet.

A dark red liquid covered my hand as I withdrew it from my neck. I frowned as I smelt the stuff. Whatever it was it smelt totally unappealing and I wondered idly why it was dripping down my neck. I could feel it start to run now; not only drip and I heard several gasps from around the room.

I looked up and met Edward's golden eyes. He was sat on Jasper who was sprawled out on the floor, his eyes still unfocused but Edward's posture was tense and his jaw was clenched so tightly it looked like he might chew it off.

"Edward?" I question quietly, momentarily forgetting the red stuff dripping down my neck.

I hear a snarl and my eyes immediately travel from Edward's stunned face to the source of the sound. It came from Rosalie, who, strangely enough was being held back by a confused looking Alice and a shocked Carlisle. My eyes scanned over the room and I frowned. Every vampire was motionless, so motionless it looked like they weren't breathing.

"Everyone, leave the room now." Carlisle commands suddenly as my neck gives a particularly nasty throb.

Emmett, who had been just as tense as Edward and staring at me in the same way, needed no further instruction. He blurred over to the now insanely struggling Jasper, pushed Edward off him, slung Jasper over his shoulder and yanked Rosalie out of the room with his free hand without another glance at me.

Alice instantly backs away from me, hissing softly as she stands closer to Edward. Her golden eyes were wide and burning, the mirror image of Esme who had her hand pressed to her mouth. "Uh… is everyone okay?" I ask slowly.

"Esme, will you bring me some bandages for Bella please?" Carlisle asks quietly, his calmness at odds with the remaining vampires.

Esme looks apologetically at me before instantly blurring out of the room. I frown. "Bandages? Whatever for?" I question.

Carlisle blurs over to me holding his hand out warningly to Alice and Edward who are intently fixated on me.

No not me, I realise with a shiver.

On my neck.

"You're… well I don't know how to say this, but Bella… you're bleeding." Carlisle tells me hesitantly.

"I'm what?" I yell suddenly and I feel the hot stuff stream down my neck even faster.

"Don't move Bella! You're making it worse!" Carlisle scolds as Alice cries out.

"I'm sorry…but I can't stand it anymore." She hisses, her golden eyes burning intently before blurring out of the room.

I wanted to yell at Carlisle and ask him what the hell was happening but then my eyes locked with Edward's. He looked like a man in agony. His body was half-titled in my direction and he was so tense I knew he could attack at any second. I knew he was struggling against the call of my blood – his eyes were burning hot and frenzied.

Carlisle evidently noticed it too because he spoke softly. "Edward you should go. Find Jasper. I'm sure he's very upset with himself and won't listen to anyone but you right now."

Edward didn't move, his eyes still fixated on my bleeding neck. "Go, Edward." I urge, feeling a prickle of warning. "You don't have to put yourself through this."

Edward blinks suddenly, his expression one of confusion and then very quickly, disgust. "I'm so sorry." He whispers and then he's gone.

I turn to Carlisle, still in shock. "Well… I know how to clear out a room full of vampires at least."

Carlisle looks grim. "It's not a joke Bella. This is impossible." He studies my neck. "You shouldn't be able to bleed, you're a vampire. Yet your blood smells human."

"I have human blood?" I yelp.

"Can you not smell it?" Carlisle turns golden eyes to me. "It's the strongest human blood I've ever encountered. It has the strongest appeal I've ever known." He swallows. "If it weren't for my centuries of abstaining I wonder if I would have been able to resist the scent of your blood. The others did very well."

"Esme told me you have need of these bandages Carlisle? She couldn't face the thought of bringing them up here herself so I volunteered." I looked up to see Eleazar leaning casually against the doorframe, holding an armful of supplies.

"Thanks Eleazar." Carlisle says warily as Eleazar's eyes travel around the wrecked room and then with a gasp notice my bloodied neck. "Eleazar." Carlisle says warningly. "Do not enter this room. Her blood is strong."

Eleazar smiles and walks slowly into the room. "She has nothing to fear Carlisle. My age has allowed me to learn a great deal of self-control. The scent of human blood does not send me into a frenzy even if it appeals to me. I'm safe here, I promise."

I glance at Eleazar curiously and indeed he does not show any signs of discomfort. Carlisle relaxes. "Good, you can help me treat Bella. Take out the liquid stitches."

Eleazar rummages through the equipment he'd brought as he speaks, his voice full of curiosity. "How did this happen?" He asks softly.

"Jasper attacked Bella. When he bit her she bled." Carlisle says simply, grabbing what smelt like an antiseptic wipe.

Eleazar passes Carlisle a little box. "That's impossible." He says in a low voice. "Vampires can't bleed."

"It's a mystery to me too." Carlisle shrugs. "But right now I have a patient to treat."

"Of course." Eleazar says smoothly, ripping open a packet he was carrying.

Carlisle turns to me. "This may sting a little Bella." He says quietly, before placing the antiseptic wipe on my neck.

He was wrong.

It hurt like hell.

"Ow." I cry and Carlisle grimaces.

"I'm sorry." He mutters.

"Why… why aren't you attacking me?" I ask quickly, trying to take my mind off the pain shooting through my neck. "Not that I'm complaining of course but none of the others seemed to be able to cope with my blood."

Carlisle smiles softly at me. "I work with human blood Bella. I'm a doctor. It took me centuries to perfect my work but now that I have, the scent of human blood rarely bothers me."

I gasp. "You're a doctor?" How on earth had he managed to do that?

Carlisle grins. "Yes."

"That's absolutely…. Phenomenal." I gasp. "To put yourself through such temptation over and over again."

Carlisle smiles. "It's worth it especially when my… enhanced abilities allow me to save someone who would have otherwise been lost. It's very rewarding working at the hospital."

"You are the most incredible vampire I've had the privilege to meet Carlisle." Eleazar says suddenly. "Human blood doesn't affect me as much simply because of the amount of time I've been a vegetarian. Bella's blood is calling right now and it's extremely strong, but I can just about ignore it. However, I could not work in a hospital surrounded by human blood constantly. I just wouldn't be able to control myself."

Carlisle smiles in reply as he removes the wipe from my neck. "Right that's all the excess blood gone." He tells me.

"The blood that shouldn't even exist." I mutter sourly and Eleazar shoots me a grin.

"Time for the stitch…" Carlisle breaks off suddenly, staring at my neck. "Good god." He exclaims. "Your skin has just healed itself."

"What?" My voice shot up several octaves.

Eleazar looks at me, startled. "It's true Bella." He murmurs. "There's nothing there anymore. I can't smell anymore fresh blood."

"Your skin healed as I watched." Carlisle breathes in shock. "I've never seen anything like this. Ever."

"Me neither." Eleazar sounded awed. "What an amazing family you have Carlisle. I've never seen anything like you or Bella in my entire existence and I've seen a lot in my time."

"I'm … confused." That was the best word to describe my thoughts right now. How was this even possible?

Carlisle looks at me with concern. "We'll figure it out Bella, I promise. Whilst you remain with us, we'll find out how this is possible."

"I hate being different!" I scream suddenly. "Not only do I have a human scent but I have human blood too! I just want to fit in for once in my life!"

"Bella, you probably have a human scent because of your human blood." Carlisle says calmly before hesitating. "If it is okay with you may I take a sample of your blood so I can study its properties?"

"Yeah whatever." I mutter, throwing myself down on what was left of Edward's couch.

Edward said I wasn't a freak but it doesn't get any freakier than this.

I notice Carlisle grab something from his supplies lying on the floor and I shudder as I realise it's a needle. He notices. "You don't like needles?" He asks.

I take a deep breath. "I'm scared of them." I whisper, eyes fixated on the needle.

Eleazar laughs suddenly and I narrow my eyes at him. "Sorry." He grins. "But you have enough strength to knock seventy foot trees down and you're afraid of a tiny needle?"

Carlisle laughs too and I feel a slight poke in my neck. I instinctively turn to see Carlisle staring at my neck in shock. "Your skin is impenetrable. This needle won't go in."

Eleazar studies my neck from besides Carlisle. "So if your skin is as impenetrable as normal vampire skin…why did you bleed?"

"Eleazar look at her neck, where Jasper bit her." Carlisle says in a low voice.

There is a pause while Eleazar looks and then he gasps. "A scar?" My expression must have shown some of my irritation for Eleazar hurriedly continued. "Bella, you have a scar on your neck the same as Jasper's scars. The crescent moon of a vampire bite."

"Bella," Carlisle says suddenly, "I can use some samples of your blood from the fabric of your dress but firstly you must tell me if there is anything about you being a vampire that you have noticed doesn't happen with other vampires."

I glance down at my dress and am horrified to see it is no longer a pure clean white. Now it is covered in stiff dying blood. I looked like an extra in a horror zombie movie. I wrench my eyes away from it as any earlier conversation with Edward pops into my head.

I sigh. "Yes. There are a few things you need to know about my hunting habits and the little appeal blood has to me."