A/N: Yes, I know it's been a while since I posted. I'm so sorry. I've been dealing with a lot of drama around my house lately, but writing is never far from my mind. I really hope you like this one; it was inspired by an off hand thought I had yesterday...."What if Bella asked Edward to describe the taste of blood to her, what would he say?"

So...here you go...

Chapter 8

"Bella,' Carlisle said quietly after my mother had left, 'I think you, Edward and I need to discuss the matter at hand in my office as soon as possible – Aro will be expecting us within the week, and it takes a full three days for the change to occur." He said.

I nodded and Edward and I followed him up the stairs to his office.

We sat down in chairs opposite his desk; he sat behind it gingerly, not quite resting in it.

"Now, we need to decide on a time, place and who's going to…" Carlisle said, not finishing the last part of the sentence.

"What do you mean, who? Carlisle, You're the only one who could… have enough restraint." Edward said.

"Actually I was thinking you should do it and I would be there in case you… needed encouragement." He said.

"Are you out of your mind?" Edward exclaimed.

"Edward, I think it would be wrong to deprive you… it was you after all, who she sang to first…" Carlisle said.

Edward hung his head as he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

"If you think its best… I will try, but I would regret if..." Edward's voice cracked as if he could not bear to finish the thought.

Carlisle nodded and stood. Pacing behind his desk he began to speak, thoughtfully, calculatingly.

"Today or tomorrow would be the best time…as they say; there is no time like the present. Where would the two of you be the most comfortable?"

Edward looked thoughtfully, woefully at me. "If it must happen I would prefer you to be as comfortable as possible, even if only for a few moments." He looked quickly to Carlisle, "How quickly can we have a bed ordered? We can place it in my room, where I can watch over her until everything is complete… it's my fault after all… for everything."

"Of course,' Carlisle answered, it should take only a few hours, we could be ready in less than twenty-four hours… I'll get right on it and Esme will certainly want a hand in it as well… please, excuse me while I make the arrangements."

I turned to Edward during a rather awkward pause following Carlisle's absence. "Edward, what does it…taste like?"

His flawless brow furrowed slightly, though whether at the thought of describing blood-drinking to a human or at the unexpected question I do not know. He smiled uncomfortably…

"Animal blood or, uh…human?" he asked.

"Well, both, I suppose… I mean, I know what it tastes like to me…sort of an irony, metallic, salty, tangy mess… quite nasty in large amounts." I said.

His eyebrows raised at that last statement.

"Sports injury to the mouth… not recent, just… it's kind of a taste you don't forget." I laughed nervously.

"You're worried that that's what you're in for? A foul tasting diet for eternity, is that it?" He laughed.

I smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"Hmm, let me see if I can think of something from my human life to compare it to… the scent, or bouquet, as some like to think of it, is rather floral in most cases, though sometimes more like a spice or some aroma you would find pleasant in your human life. For example, yours is very like the scent of freesias and lavender, with just a hint of lilac as an undertone.

The taste is always different, just as the scents are… even identical twins are far apart in scent and flavor. Do you ever eat chocolates for Valentine's Day?"

I nodded.

"In each box, the aroma is very pleasant, but every chocolate, while retaining one similar note, obviously the chocolate, has a slightly different but always rather pleasing core… some might be coconut, others marzipan, others still, strawberry mousse… humans are like that. Sweet, satisfying…amazingly smooth, the blood coats your tongue and throat like thick, warm melted chocolate.

It's very addicting, actually." Now it was his turn to smile sheepishly; toward the end of his little speech he was quite charismatic.

I spoke up "…and animals?"

He frowned slightly… "To be perfectly honest, not quite as satisfying… not altogether bad, of course… I imagine it would be like growing up on the finest chocolate in the world and then having to switch to a sort of sugar-free, watered-down version of a cheap brand of chocolate."

"But…' he added quickly, 'if you were only given the later, I suppose you wouldn't know what you were missing and perhaps, be completely satisfied… Rosalie would be the best to ask; she has never tasted human blood… never had the desire for it at all… Carlisle, though having had tasted it, still has no desire for it." He finished awkwardly.

I had to laugh to myself, seeing this perfect vision of a man stumble and second guess his words. I knew he was only trying to make life as a vampire seem less horrible than he thought it was, though he guessed himself to be failing miserably.

"I'm sure if it tastes anything like chocolate I'll like it just fine, watered down or not… Yoohoo's were always my favorite drink…" I added to comfort him.

He smiled.

"I have a confession to make, Edward." I began.

"And, what is that, exactly?" he asked.

"I'm glad it will be you… it's hard to explain, but, if something goes wrong, I want it to be you my life-source will live in for eternity."

A strange expression mixed between amusement and horror crossed his perfect face. He opened his mouth to speak and then though better of it…

"I know it's a weird thing to think and even weirder to say, I just wanted you to know…" I said.

"It's a horrible thing to say…" he laughed, the first real smile I had ever seen cross his face.

I smiled, blushing fiercely. "I know… I just felt it needed to be expressed."

"Are you trying to say… you… feel… kindly towards me?" Edward asked.

"No. What I'm trying to say is that… if things go wrong… I want you to know… I love you…um and I mean… I think I'm in love with you… I have been since that first night in Greece… I feel so stupid actually voicing it…"

"Why would you ever feel stupid for voicing something like that?" Edward asked, the amusement gone from his face.

"Because look at you… and look at me… you're like a god…a beautiful, perfect, incredibly powerful being… I'm so much the opposite… it's like Beauty and the Beast…"

"Who exactly are you referring to as beast?" he asked, a hint of a smile showing once again around the creases of his eyes.

"Myself, obviously." I retorted just a bit too harshly… I didn't like being laughed at.

"I'm not poking fun, Bella, honestly… I've just always thought of you and I exactly the same way… only in reverse… I feel like the beast here, Bella. You wouldn't be in this situation if I hadn't so craved your blood."

"Edward, of course we would be; you and your family moved to Forks regardless of our meeting. Our paths would have crossed… just think of the mess we might have ended up in had we not met."

"Bella, how could it have possibly been any worse?" he asked seriously.

"Well, I don't know… what if we hadn't met until school? I'm your singer, right? You could have killed me there in front of everyone…" I joked.

"Of course not; I have much more restraint than that… I tracked you, remember?" he countered.

"Alright, well… I don't know… maybe a friend of yours would have come to visit and I would have been his singer too… what if you tried to save me by shipping me all over the country only to lose with him finding me first and chowing down on my blood leaving you with a guilt-ridden existence for all eternity?"

By now Edward was laughing hysterically. "Bella, you have such a wild imagination."

A/N: Just a quick note, this story will not be much longer; I really didn't expect it to go this far, but it will likely end with Bella's transformation. Yes, I know that there's that bit about visiting Aro and all, but honestly between this, 112 Masen Lane and my own book (Entitled: Darrington Manor) I just can't keep it all together. If anyone would like to do a sequel to this one, please feel free to and I will link it to this story, I just can't devote any more time to it all. Thanks to everyone who has been faithfully reading it, you guys are my inspiriation... I really mean that!