A/N: Twilight & characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Undying thank you to babette for making sure I don't fail too hard with the science & to jilburfm for betaing!

I honestly try to respond to as many reviews as possible. I PROMISE you I read & love EACH and every one! So keep 'em coming!

(By the way - Nina reviewed this story for the Lazy yet Discerning Ficster! Check it out! discerningficster(dot)blogspot(dot)com)!

**

The Trial

Bella POV

"It's ready."

I slammed the phone back on the receiver, tossing an apologetic glance toward Charlie as I bolted to the door. "I have to go, Dad. I'll see you tomorrow," I tried to avoid the confrontation that was sure to follow by making an overly hasty departure, but was stopped by my father's body cutting through my path.

"I haven't seen you all week, Isabella. What's so important that can't wait for an hour?"

I could feel my fingers shaking as I racked my brain for a plausible excuse. I hated lying, and frankly, I wasn't ever very good at it. "I'm sorry," I began. "That was Alice – I told you we were planning on spending the day shopping and then having a girl night, didn't I?"

Charlie looked me up and down slowly. I had spent yesterday night at home, on the Cullen's request, to "give myself a break" and give my father some peace of mind. I wasn't staying away two nights in a row, though, so Alice fabricated a slumber party to free me. I was certain I had already explained this to Charlie.

"But we just started breakfast…" He looked resigned. I could see his determination weakening by the second. "I've hardly seen you all week."

"I know, Dad." I was buttering him up, I'll admit. He loved when I called him 'dad'. "But Esme was hoping for an early start on the shopping trip so we wouldn't have to be out too late. Can I get a rain check on the bacon? Please?"

He shrugged his shoulders, giving in. "I guess, Bella. Be careful tonight, don't give the Cullens any trouble, okay?"

I forced a smile, leaning in to kiss his cheek. My excessively gracious behavior was not unnoticed by my usually-distant father. "Bye Dad, love you."

He nodded, mumbling "love you, too," before I was completely out of earshot.

I rushed to my truck, eager to be back at the mansion.

On the road, I was able to clear my head a bit and really consider the implications of this afternoon's agenda.

Carlisle had a trial antidote ready. Carlisle wanted to try to heal my vampire. I couldn't contain my excitement at the prospect of finally getting some blood into him.

For the past three days I had thought about nothing else. I knew I was putting too much faith in science and doctors and labs, but I couldn't help but wonder if what Carlisle had come up with would work. I tried, as hard as I possibly could, to convince myself that it wouldn't. The Cullens were explaining this at any and every possible opportunity. They could all see my budding hope, the never-ending 'what ifs' that shone through my demeanor. And each and every one of them tried to persuade me not to put much stock in this first attempt.

And truthfully, even if it didn't work, it was progress. It was a step in the right direction, and these steps had been few and far between over the past few days.

After the night Carlisle explained what was preventing the vampire from eating, there was a palpable shift in the atmosphere. The mood became impassive, and I began biding time until Carlisle was able to produce some form of a cure.

I spent that night with my vampire, and the following two nights, as well, but we didn't progress much during that time. He would allow me to hold him, but I didn't push my luck. I slept in the basement with him, curled up against the wall with his head in my lap, merely trying to bring some light into his existence.

The growling only resurfaced during initial approaches and on the two instances that one of the others entered the basement. With the ray of hope that we had been provided that night, we made the mutual decision that, if possible, the others would keep their distance. That had proven impossible, though, and it was on those occasions that the insurmountable fear resurfaced.

On Wednesday night, I read to him. After he was cleaned and mostly dry, I allowed my mind to wander over my upcoming school work. I had read Chaucer before, but was in dire need of a refresher, so I brought down my copy of The Canterbury Tales and began losing myself in the verse. My vampire's head rest in my lap as I nonchalantly ran my fingers through his still-moist hair, his eyes unfocused but gazing at the pages before us. So I decided to read to him. When I was sick I enjoyed reading, and when I was unable to read as a child I enjoyed being read to. So once again, my irrationality won me over, and I began explaining the story, its history, and everything else I would need to know for my quiz. Then I flipped back to the beginning and began reading.

Thursday, after school, I had come straight over. The pretext of the presentation was still in full force, and, with said presentation being on Friday, I explained to Charlie that we needed the extra time to work on it. The night passed fairly uneventfully; my vampire remained in his barely-conscious state, I sat with him and offered what little comfort I could. Carlisle had been scarce, spending all of his time in the lab, in an effort to produce the antidote that would lead to my vampire's salvation. He would check in periodically, but mostly he kept his distance. I had fallen asleep downstairs again.

Yesterday was the worst. The four full days of absolute misery that I had witnessed first hand made me antsy. I needed Carlisle to come up with something, and I needed him to work more quickly than seemingly possible. My irritation with the speed at which things were being accomplished extended to the entire Cullen family, and it was for this reason that I was forced to sleep at home last night. I put up more of a fight than I knew I was capable of producing, but in the end, I was no match for the force of six vampires ganging up on me. They assured me that it would do both my mind and body some good to sleep in my own bed, or in any bed for that matter. Alice promised that I could spend the remainder of the weekend with them. I reluctantly obliged on the stipulation that I be contacted if anything whatsoever were to change in my absence.

I stayed as late as my body would allow, finally dragging myself up the stairs at midnight. Alice drove me home, claiming that I wasn't cut-out for driving. Begrudgingly, I took shotgun and had fallen asleep on the way home.

I awoke this morning feeling refreshed after pleasant dreams of my vampire. My dreams always made reality more bearable, as I was finally able to see the smile that I so longed for. They had, in their own right, given me some hope, and they didn't fail to restore any optimism that was lost during the days.

I rounded the bend to the mansion, my anticipation growing by the second. When I pulled into the driveway I was immediately met by a very stoic-looking Carlisle.

"Bella," he murmured, nodding his head infinitesimally in my direction. "How was your night?"

I couldn't hide the smile that crept into my features, but Carlisle's sullen demeanor certainly wasn't corresponding with my mood.

"Lonely," I responded, biting my bottom lip.

Carlisle chuckled softly, sighing audibly at my unexpected answer.

"We need to talk about a couple of things before we try this," he began. I nodded, expecting as much. "If this were to work – well, that would be incredibly lucky, Bella. I know the others have explained this to you, but truthfully, the likelihood of this being the answer is slim at best."

I nodded, acknowledging my comprehension.

"Does Alice see it working?" I asked.

"No. What Alice sees is… she doesn't see him taking the drug at all. And she sees that he remains unfed this evening. I believe that it's because his natural decision would be to refuse the antidote, but I can't be positive. The best way to find out is to test it, but she sees him putting up a good fight. And apparently, in her vision, he wins that fight. So we need to make sure that doesn't happen… which is where you come in."

"What can I do?"

"You're the only one he even remotely trusts, Bella. I'm hoping that you can coax him into taking it. If not, we can try to force him to take it –"

Visions of them holding my vampire on that table while forcing chemicals into his system immediately invaded my thoughts, bringing shudders up my spine. "That's not an option," I said flatly.

He smiled knowingly, nodding his head again. "I figured it would be like that. Then really our only hope is for you to encourage him to take it, but I don't imagine he'll make it easy on you. And even if he does, there's another problem we need to address before you head down there."

Would the problems never cease? "What is it?"

"If I'm right… about why he gagged at the smell of blood, then his aversion is a result of conditioning – meaning the problem isn't going to go away even if the antidote works. His body reacts involuntarily at the scent or taste of blood, which means that –"

"— that even if your cure works, he won't want to drink," I finished. Of course.

"Right. Which is a long-term issue we can deal with later, but the problem right now is getting him to try blood – to see if the antidote is functioning properly."

I took a deep, thoughtful breath, while I reflected on how the next few hours would play out. I hadn't really considered how to get him to drink the blood. I thought that maybe we would be able to get him to take the drug itself, but to try the blood afterward? It seemed like that would be the greater challenge of the two, and if the antidote didn't work, as it presumably wouldn't, how would we get him to take it again? And if the second trial didn't work, then what?

I started panicking then, realizing that there was no way to win in this situation. I would do everything in my power to make sure that he didn't end up strapped to a table with a tube down his throat, but if he wouldn't take the drugs willingly, would it be in my power to stop that? I felt a tear fall down my cheek at the image, and a fresh bout of determination to make the events of today go as planned.

"What can I do?" I asked again.

Carlisle sighed grimly. "I think you should just focus on getting him to take the antidote first. We'll have a couple hours to wait while the drug reacts with the inhibitor in his system. We'll try to figure something out during that time."

**

I stood in the living room, surrounded by concerned vampires, trying to focus my whole attention on what Carlisle was telling me.

"…it's dissolved in alcohol, which I imagine he'll eventually have to gag, but it's a relatively small amount, so it shouldn't be uncomfortable."

I kept nodding, my attention torn between my need to understand the instructions and my need to check on my vampire. I still hadn't seen him since last night and it was becoming increasingly important that I make sure he was still okay.

"What this drug will do, in essence, is counteract the drug that is already in his system. What he has in him now is preventing his stomach from absorbing blood, and so, if all goes well, the interaction between this compound and what's already inside of him will effectively allow his stomach to begin metabolizing blood again."

Science had never been my strong suit, so I couldn't entirely understand the processes that were being explained, but I trusted Carlisle to know what he was doing. So I nodded again.

He chuckled, handing me the vial.

I took it and turned, heading straight for the door. "Bella," Carlisle called after me. I turned my head in acknowledgment. "Good luck. And please, don't give up if this doesn't work."

I gave him a slight smile and closed the distance to the door.

Over the past few days I had perfected this journey. It wasn't scary or ominous anymore. That first glance at my vampire never failed to break my heart, but I was becoming more accustomed to how he would react, at least. He would growl for a minute after I reached the bottom step, but as soon as he would allow himself to inhale, the growling would stop.

This trip was no exception.

I forced myself to smile when his form came into focus, his blanket wrapped loosely around his back, as I had left it the previous night. His trembling was soft, barely visible, and lessened when I spoke. His empty eyes reflexively met mine, his cheek resting on his knees.

When I reached him, I set the little vial on the ground next to me, not wanting to push things too quickly.

"How are you?" I asked, stroking his cheek in the process. I was used to his reflexive flinch and no longer allowed it to deter me. My fingers lingered there, waiting out his brief anxiety attack. His eyes finally closed, his unconscious sign of encouragement, and I brushed his cheek and jaw gently.

"Carlisle was able to create some sort of antidote for the drugs that are in you," I said, settling myself in front of his curled body. My hand automatically found his forearm, and I began tracing the veins there, waiting for it to loosen up.

"He says it probably won't work… but that we need to try it out to see…"

His hand finally relaxed enough for me to slip mine underneath it, squeezing his fingers tightly in the process. He didn't squeeze back, but he didn't fight me. These baby steps were becoming more apparent during our time together, and with each small victory I was further persuaded that this was right.

I smiled and ran my other hand through his hair, still not quite used to the lack of tangles and dirt that had been a constant reminder of his past.

The familiar feeling at the pit of my stomach was steadily resurfacing with every passing second, but still, I had no idea where to start. No matter what, this experience wasn't going to be enjoyable for either of us; it was just a matter of when to begin. Did I want to get it over with now or did I want some time with him before I compromised his faith in me? Again.

"We just want to help you," I said. "This drug… that I have to ask you to take… I'm not sure if it'll feel good. And I'm not sure if it'll even help anything. But you have to try it… Everything… Everything we're doing is just to help you." I sighed then, searching those familiar blank eyes for any sign of recognition and knowing that I would come up empty.

"Can you understand me?" I asked. I'd asked this question a million times in passing, but never did I hope for an answer more than I hoped for one now. "I need to know… if you can understand me."

Our eyes continued their meaningless conversation, his dark and blank and mine pleading. He had no idea what I was saying. He couldn't understand me. It made each look and touch so much more important. If he couldn't understand that we only wanted to help him, then we were no better than them in his eyes. Would he even be able to find a difference if it came to force feeding him drugs and blood? Would he ever be able to forgive me for that?

I was acutely aware of the fact that any one of these actions could be the end. I was fairly confident that I would make it out alive, but I couldn't imagine my life ever returning to how it had been before I had met him. How would I go on, not knowing what became of him?

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts and allowing myself to come back to reality. This needs to be done. It was the undeniable truth. I thought back to the night Carlisle wanted to examine him. I had the same dilemma that night and, in that scenario, I let what I knew to be right win. This had to be no different.

I took another deep breath, begging him to cooperate, and picked up the vial. I allowed myself a moment to hope. To hope that this drug would work. To hope that he would be able to overcome his aversion to blood. To hope that feeding would heal him. To hope that he'd be a part of my life tomorrow. To hope that he wouldn't want to eat me. But above all, to hope that, when this drug failed, he would forgive me.

His disposition told me what his voice couldn't- that he had no idea what I was about to do.

I moved to lean against the wall behind him, pulling his hand with me, guiding his body to rest in my lap. I had held him like this countless times over the past week and he was mostly okay with it by now. He didn't even bother growling at the change anymore, instead he silently complied, his shaking only slightly increasing as his head came to rest on me.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the calm before the storm. I let my mind wander over how badly this would go, if he would run, if he would allow himself to scream, if he'd attack me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered into the air above his head, grazing his neck and exposed shoulder. I pulled the blanket up and wrapped it around him, hoping it would offer him some comfort.

I reached beside me and attempted to discreetly grasp the vial, pulling the stopper from the top and discarding it.

At the sound of the vial opening, my vampire's eyes widened in alarm. I saw his jaw begin shuddering and I knew I had to act more quickly. The longer I allowed the fear to build inside of him the worse his reaction would be.

"It's okay," I said, determined to complete my task.

I turned his head toward me, his body following automatically, and I reached for his hand. "We can't… we can't help you unless you let us." I stared at his eyes, begging him to let us. His trembling was growing violent and I knew that I only had a small window in which to act, so I brought the vial up to his mouth.

As I coaxed his taut lips open with my free hand, I could've sworn that I saw his head shake infinitesimally. I'm sure it was my imagination, but I couldn't help but wonder if he had just made an honest attempt to actually communicate with me.

I searched his eyes, looking for some sign that this was in fact the case, but all that was reflected in them was the sheer terror that he was surely experiencing. "It'll be okay," I repeated, an effort to convince us both. I could see the war going on inside of his head as I brought the little vial closer to his lips, tilting his head up so that gravity would assist me. I poured the contents into his mouth, clamping my hand over it to prevent him from releasing the drugs. It would be so easy for him to bite me now, my flesh just centimeters from his venom-coated teeth.

His body began fighting beneath the blanket, his panic-stricken eyes burning into mine, begging me to release him, but I mustered all of my strength to hold him as steady as possible.

"Please," I whispered, pleading. "Please swallow it."

His eyes never left mine as his body calmed down, resigned to the fact that he was cornered. I hated cornering him. I was now his captor, he my prisoner, and he had no way of escape. As we both came to realize this, my vampire broke my gaze, turning his head away from me and swallowing.

I let out a shaky breath, thankful and sorry at the same time, and tried to grab his attention once more. I let our fingers tangle together once more, and this time, he grasped them tightly.

His body shook and he refused to let our eyes meet, but he wasn't trying to escape my hold. We were both breathing heavily, both unsettled by the events but neither of us willing to break our trembling fingers from the other. I placed my other hand on top of our fists, my vain effort at reassurance, as I waited for him to calm. It took upwards of an hour, but eventually his shaking eased and he allowed himself to relax into my lap.

I knew it wasn't over yet, but at least it was a start. I couldn't imagine forcing him to drink blood after that, as it would surely be worse, so I pushed those images out of my head for the moment. I wanted to savor what time we had before the next daunting task presented itself. So I broke our grasp temporarily and laid myself down behind him, bringing the pillow under his head and resting mine on my hand. I draped my other arm protectively around his shoulder and pulled myself closer to his back as his body curled against mine.

**

Alice POV

"We'll bring Bella upstairs for a bit and force feed him," Carlisle said decisively.

We had been discussing how to get blood into his system for the past hour or so, and we were all basically in agreement; there were no options.

"With the way his aversion to blood works," Carlisle began, "the only way I can think to override the reflexive gagging is to bypass his senses altogether. It won't be pretty, but I can't see another way of even getting blood into his stomach…"

With the decision made, a very distinct future cleared up. One in which blood is forced into him. One in which blood is vomited. One in which his black eyes remain black, and his disposition is back to square one, except now, as Bella tries to approach him, his growling takes on a tone of aggression.

"It's not going to work," I said grumpily, looking as far away as his future would allow. As I said it, the future faded.

"Should we try to feed him just in case?"

"No," I answered. "It's futile. It doesn't work."

Carlisle nodded his head, mumbling his doctor jargon that no one could understand.

"Laymen's terms, Carlisle," Emmett said, frustrated with our lack of comprehension.

"I was afraid it wouldn't work. The sample I got last week was from his mouth, just traces of the drug in it, indicating that it was administered orally. What I created was a chemical that would bond with what's inside of him now, preventing it from re-bonding with the cells in his stomach," he began. I raised my eyebrows, waiting.

"I could see in the lab that the two drugs would interact properly, but I think that's actually the second half of the problem. Right now the inhibitor is bonded with his stomach cells. What I'll need to do first is find a way to break those bonds; then what we administered today will prevent the inhibitor from re-bonding to the cells in his stomach in the future. That'll allow his stomach to absorb blood once again.

I'll need a sample from inside of his stomach to bring into the lab, but I think I'll be able to use the traces found in the alcohol that he no doubt will gag later on…" Carlisle continued his scientific explanation, but I tuned him out, instead checking to see how the vampire was coping.

I smiled inwardly at the image of him and Bella downstairs, her arms wrapped loosely around him.

**

A/N: You guys still with me on the science? I swear if you're not, this is /not/ going to be a major plotline. So just TRY to bear with me and PM any specific questions. P.S. Alice, Emmett and Bella have no effing clue, either... so you're not alone!

And as always, review so I know you're still with me! :D