I don't own Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does. No copyright infringement intended. This is just for fun.

Chapter 18 – The Change

BPOV –

Each and every time Carlisle said the word 'bite' during his instructions, Edward flinched. This happened a total of 37 times that I was able to count. It was a very long half hour to say the least.

"Okay," Carlisle said, "I'll be right outside. Edward, say when you're finished and I'll return to administer the morphine."

Edward nodded and Carlisle stood. Before leaving the room he gave me a comforting hug and a reassuring smile.

After Carlisle quietly shut the door behind him, I turned to Edward, sulking on our bed. "Thank you Edward," I whispered into his ear. I knew this was going to be hard on him.

He kissed me briefly but then pulled back and placed his ear against my beating heart. I wrapped my arms tightly around him and felt him begin to sob. I held his head against my chest, both of us listening to the last beats of my heart.

With the lightest of pressure, Edward pushed me gently until I was lying horizontal on the bed. He kissed me again and moved slowly down to the nape of my neck. Between dry sobs he whispered "I'm so sorry… so sorry Bella," against my neck. I shook my head in response to his apology and in that same moment felt his teeth puncture my skin.

Outside of my control, I took a sharp intake of breath. My traitorous body deceived me and I leaned into him instead of away. His teeth sunk deeper into my flesh. I felt the pull of my blood throughout my entire body and heard him swallow once, twice, three times then abruptly he pulled away.

Edward kissed my open mouth before moving to the opposite side of my neck. As before, he whispered into my skin. I felt the sharp stab, heard my pained intake of breath and then felt the pull. One, two, three swallows and he released my neck.

I hadn't realized I had closed my eyes but when I felt Edwards's cool lips on my mouth again, I realized how tightly I was straining to keep them shut. Edward kissed both my eyes and moved down to my right arm. The sensations were blending. Pain, pull, swallow and release. Edward pressed his lips to mine once again. I felt my face contorted in pain and tried as I might to smooth it out. I felt his cool lips on my left arm before the pain, pull, swallow and release. The instant Edward's mouth was free of my skin for the fourth time he called loudly to Carlisle. Then he was by my side wiping blood from my fresh wounds and whispering "I love you," into my ear.

I saw Carlisle enter the room, reach for his bag and quickly lean over me. I didn't feel the needle but suddenly felt moving warmth throughout my veins. He stepped away from me then gathering a towel in his hand and applying the pressure where Edward bit my arms and neck. Carlisle cleaned and patched my wounds in silence.

None of us said a word in anticipation I'd imagine for the pain.

A deep calm washed over me then and I felt the morphine throughout my body. I took this as confirmation that the experiment was working. No fire, not yet. The relief combined with drug was pushing me toward unconsciousness. Through a tunnel it seemed, I heard Edwards's anxious but beautiful voice speak to Carlisle.

"Is the morphine working?"

I didn't hear a response and soon the room went black.

EPOV -

"I'm so sorry… so sorry Bella," I whispered into the delicate skin of her perfect neck that my razor teeth were about to stab. I felt her shake her head decided to take advantage of the gentle motion. I parted my lips and pierced with the tiniest of pressure. Warm delicious blood flooded my mouth. I felt the venom seeping out of my mouth, into her body. There is no word in any language to describe Bella's blood. The ache in my throat and the monster inside that I had ignored and smothered for so many years was screaming in delight. But I shouldn't think about that. Bella… Bella was the only thing I would think about.

As my teeth sank below the surface of her soft skin Bella inhaled sharply. Carlisle recommended three swallows then move on and I did as I was instructed. Each time I lifted my face, I saw the lines of pain sink deeper into hers. I saw her struggle to smooth out her expression no doubt so that she could hide her suffering from me. I kissed her only briefly between bites so the quicker Carlisle could return with the morphine.

Last swallow and I forced my mouth away from her open and inviting wound.

"Carlisle!" I called, unnecessarily loud.

I fitted myself next to every curve of Bella's body and whispered "I love you," in her ear. The scent of her fresh wounds combined with the taste of her warm blood was almost maddening. I tightened my grip around her, closed my eyes and pushed my face into her hair.

Carlisle was in the room within an instant, readying himself to inject Bella.

That was quicker then I expected.

I opened my eyes and watched as he injected the morphine into Bella's arm and moved to clean the fresh bites on her perfect skin.

These are clean bites Edward. Her blood loss is not excessive. You followed my instructions perfectly. We've done what we can.

I believe he meant this as a comfort but I flinched again. Was I supposed to respond? What on Earth could I have said? My pleasure?

"Is the morphine working?" I asked anxiously.

Carlisle was silent for a moment and I noticed Bella relax slightly in my arms.

"I think she's sleeping, is that good?" I asked, not giving him the chance to answer the first question.

Carlisle looked down at my wife, still in my arms, and to my dismay his face did not show the relief I wanted to see. "I'd imagine that's a good sign it's too early to tell."

I looked down into Bella's beautiful face and with all the internal strength I had, willed her to sleep throughout her change.

I held her for an unknown amount of time, feeling her body temperature lower ever so slightly with each passing minute. Her heartbeat on the other hand sped to a rate deadly to any human. It was the only thing I could hear, drowning out her breath and every other noise in the house. I concentrated on it, committing it's rhythm into my memory. Thump, thump, thump thump, thump, was the only sound in my head. That was, until she screamed.

BPOV –

Two Hours In

A sharp piercing sound stirred me from the darkness I was comfortable in. It hurt my ears and I hoped that Edward would make it stop, whatever it was. I felt oddly out of breath and prepared myself to take in air when I realized the sharp sound stopped and was replaced by heaving panting. My panting. Senses started to return and I felt my chest, heaving up and down faster then ever before. I felt my muscles spasm and tighten with every breath and lightly, I felt the cool lips at my ear whispering words intended to comfort me. More than anything though, I felt the fire. Every cell in my body burned and the flames were heating each other in a rapid increase throughout my veins. The high shriek started again as my back contorted unnaturally toward the ceilling. I knew part of me understood exactly what was happening but the pain was too overwhelming to think rationally.

"EDWARD!" I heard myself scream, "IT HURTS!"

"I'm right here. I know love, I know, I'm so sorry." And he was there. I tried to force myself to concentrate only on him and his arms that were holding me. Knowing he was there did nothing to alleviate the pain but I was glad in the fact that it wasn't the only thing I could feel. I could feel his body next to mine. His weight was a tiny comfort counterpart to the piercing hot pain coursing in my every inch of my body.

"I'm so sorry Bella," he said again and again. My entire body was trembling violently within his arms. Sometimes my teeth would hit each other and other times I'd feel my head bump up against Edwards chin so hard I expected a crack in my skull.

This phase however, didn't last nearly as long as I wanted it to.

Six Hours In

There was nothing but the pain and the shrieking. Not Edward, not his comforting words in my ear, not the thought of the outcome, nothing. I thought of nothing but the pain itself and anyway to make it stop. I was unaware who if anyone else was still in the room with me but I begged at the top of my lungs to whoever could hear for relief, unconsciousness, and even death, just to make the pain stop.

Please take just a second to review and let me know what you think!