A/N – And now, Alice's POV (you didn't think I would miss her out did you? )
Chapter 66 – Transformation
Alice's POV
"You can save her Alice"
"You need to decide now, Alice"
"She wanted this"
"Do it Alice"
Voices, so many voices, rushing around my head, colliding with each other forcefully, making me wince as if I had been dealt a blow to my temples.
But only one mattered…
"Do it, I love you…"
Bella's voice, raspy, hoarse and quiet… but still Bella.
And that was all that mattered as my lips found her pulse point, grazing across her warm flesh.
All that mattered as my tongue reached out, hesitantly at first, and started to massage the skin.
All that mattered as my teeth found their prize, and gently bit down…
I can do this, I can save you Bella… please, god, forgive me for what I was about to do…please, understand… I can't let her die, not now… not ever… she is the only one with whom I have a strong and unbreakable affinity, if she ceases to exist then so do I… so will I…
"I don't… what is she… doing…"
Charlie.
Of course he was asking questions… his daughter had just been… shot… was bleeding… and here I was, biting on her neck…
But I need to do this, Charlie. It's the only way…
Because if I leave her, now… she will die. And I will die with her… I wasn't certain how. Perhaps I would find Reuben and kill him for what he had done… or perhaps he would prove too strong, and he would kill me… and then I would cease to exist… or perhaps I would exterminate him, and then myself… because I couldn't continue without her…
"Sam, Jake… please, take Charlie indoors…."
Carlisle… his voice sounded so… strained… and fatigued…
"Carlisle… I can't leave her, I won't leave her…."
Charlie, please… please go… I don't want you to see what I am doing… I don't want you to see her reaction to the venom, because there would be a response…
As my teeth grazed her skin, I felt myself shudder…
"Charlie, please… do this for Bella" Carlisle continued, as I heard footsteps move slowly away from me.
"Charlie, we need to let them save her"
And now Jake… who would have thought it, Jake… asking me to do what I was about to do…how he must love her too…
"You save her, Carlisle… save her" Charlie sobbed as the footsteps grew fainter.
Save her… is that what I was doing? I was turning her into a vampire… was that really saving her?
"Alice, you need to inject the venom, she's losing so much blood…" Carlisle continued.
Inject the venom… blood…
I saw the blood; I felt it, as my hand had pressed against her wound… it was still on my hand, now… coating my own skin, Bella's blood…
Time to bite her, Alice… it's what you've always wanted… and now, together, we will save her…
My mouth was twitching, as my fangs slowly pierced her neck…
Forgive me, Bella… I never told you… I never asked you… but I can't let you die, Forgive me for being so narcissistic, but I can't survive if you leave me…
"We're all here for you Alice" Jasper whispered, as I felt his hand on my back…
All here for you… but we weren't here for Bella… how could I have missed this? Why did Reuben shoot Bella? Why didn't I see it?
Because he's clever, the venom sang.
Because he didn't decide until the very last moment…
Because he thinks he has won…
But this is only the beginning… bite her, Alice… make her strong, make her expeditious…
Make her safe…
Blood.
I could taste it, now… warm and viscous as it coagulated against my tongue…I was shaking as my teeth sank lower into the fleshy pad of her neck…
"Bella" I mumbled against her skin, as the blood now coated my fangs…
"Easy, Alice" I could hear Carlisle whisper, as his hand appeared on my arm.
Deeper, and deeper… I was falling deeper into her, into her blood, as I started to suck, slow at first, savouring her taste, as the vital fluid that kept her alive ran along my throat, pushing itself deeper into me…
I wanted more…
Her taste… so ambrosial… more… you need more Alice…
My hand was now on her shoulder, as my other cupped the side of her face…
It's the only way to save her, Alice…
I swallowed, as Bella's blood started to mix in with my own venom, the poison clotting against its target…
My sweet, darling, Bella…I'm so sorry, so very sorry for the pain he caused you… for the pain I am about to cause you…
Someone was pulling at me…
"You need to stop now, Alice…"
Stop? How can you stop now? You've only just started, Alice…
My tongue continued to dart across the small incisions I had made, scooping at the droplets of blood that continued to escape. I could hear a growl escape my lips as they continued to draw at Bella's neck, my mouth now producing a small vacuum as my lips and tongue continued to suck…
"Alice, you need to stop, you're killing her"
Killing her…
Carlisle, his hands strong, were on my shoulders now… but I seemed to be stronger…
Just one more taste, Alice… one more small bite…
"Alice, you need to stop…" Jasper echoed Carlisle words as he placed his hands on my waist. Together the started to pull at me.
I need to release you now, Bella, or I'll kill you…
…. Release her, then… and save her… the venom sang, as it slowly dissipated…
I'm not all that bad, really…
Slowly, I lifted my head, Bella's blood still on my lips.
Jasper, still holding my waist, brought me into him as I leant against his sold form heavily…
"Bella" I whispered, as I looked down at her form, so still… and then…
Then it started, as I leant further into Jasper…
What have I done?
What have I done?
Bella screamed out, as her arms started to flail…
Carlisle leant over her, his hands clasping at her wrists.
"It's okay Bella, the pain won't last…."
Pain… pain that I had inflicted, pain that my venom had inflicted…
To save her, Alice…
Bella screamed out loud again as one of her hands escaped Carlisle's hold and rested on her neck… rested on the two tiny marks that I had left behind…
"Edward, help me hold her down" Carlisle shouted, as I reached out and held my hand against Edward.
"No… I did this… it should be me…" I whispered, as Jasper slowly released me.
"Alice, this is too much for you…" Esme started, before I turned my head sharply and looked at her.
"She needs me" I replied, as Esme slowly nodded.
I was beside Bella in moments, my hand reaching out for hers as she started to take in large gulps of air…
And then another scream, but this time more piercing than before… a scream filled with affliction, distress and agony… everything I had caused…
No… everything Reuben had caused…
"How long Carlisle? How long will she be in… pain" I whispered, as I brought her hand to my lips.
"A matter of moments, Alice… but we need to keep her still, if we can… and then we need to take her home, to our home… she'll need to recover, it will take days…"
Days… I shuddered.
"I… can't… it's burning… everywhere…." Bella mumbled, as she threw her head back and started to hyperventilate.
"Bella… its okay…." I whispered, as I ran a hand across my face…
Blood… Bella's blood, now on my knuckles as I had ran them across my lips…
Okay? How could everything be okay? Bella has been shot… and now, now she is in pain as the venom you injected slowly makes its way around her body, battering at her defences, shutting down each vital organ it finds…
Your venom will destroy her, Alice…it will saturate her, until she is no longer breathing, no longer alive, no longer human…
"What have I done Carlisle" I whispered, as Esme crouched down beside me.
"You've saved the one you love" she whispered, as she took my blood stained hand in hers.
"Esme, if the blood gets too much…." Carlisle continued, before Esme cut him off.
"I'm staying with my daughters" she replied, as Carlisle smiled.
"And I'm staying too" Rosalie spoke as I felt her crouch near me, concern etched across her fine cheekbones.
"I am here for you both" she continued, as she placed a pale hand on Bella's hair.
"Alice…." Bella whispered, as her head dropped to one side, her eyes now open.
"Alice you…."
I bit at my bottom lip sharply as Bella continued to struggle in our hold, her legs now jerking rapidly.
Alice, you bit me…
Alice, you caused me this pain…
Alice, you have turned me…
"Edward, Emmet" Carlisle almost hissed, as they both appeared to my other side and rested their hands on Bella's legs.
What have you done Alice?
Bella's eyes shut, and then opened again as her gaze rested on me…
"Alice, you saved me" she whispered, adding "thank you" before her whole body started to spasm…
Even in pain, she thanks you… how did you ever survive before without her Alice? How did you manage to get by each day alone, without her? Thank you, god, thank you for bringing her into my life… before her, I was alone… so alone… a gap even my family couldn't bridge, but now… now I am whole… now I even thank you, even believe in you…
She screamed again, as my hand held tightly onto hers, Esme squeezing my free hand in unison.
"It doesn't last long, my love… I swear" she whispered in my ear, as I tried to recall my own transformation…
I couldn't remember.
I couldn't remember when, or who, or why… I couldn't remember this pain.
I couldn't remember how I got through it…
I couldn't recall any of it…
Slowly Bella seemed to calm, as her eyes closed again, arms and legs finally resting.
"I love you Bella, and I promise the pain will subside" I whispered in her ear as I leant down and kissed her cheek softly.
And I promise I will hunt Reuben down…
And I will kill him.