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Chapter 47

Human Blood

Emmett

Bella was absolutely against the plan to tell Charlie she had died. So we had to come up with something else.

She felt she could just show herself to him as soon as she could resist humans and then just let him make his own assumptions. Jasper and Carlisle were not thrilled with the idea - because of the Volturi. But she couldn't be dissuaded, so we put off that discussion until later and told Charlie on the phone that her condition was improving.

We all practiced with her resisting thirst. She wasn't having as much success resisting her other urges. Since the others were also in the house, we continued to smash trees, glaciers and rock walls.

After three weeks, when she had no trouble standing thirstily by a bleeding bear, we thought it was time to let her near humans. Before the first encounter, she drank as much blood as she could so she wouldn't raid some village thirsty.

"Are you sure I can do it?", she asked us uncertainly.

None of our family was ever so well prepared for their first confrontation with humans. Of course she would make it.

"Sure, Belly ... And Jasper and I are there to stop you if anything happens," I said to get her to stop worrying.

Alice chuckled.

She had been like this all day, but didn't want to tell why.

We got closer to the small town, and all got a little nervous.

Bella held her breath for safety's sake.

We all smelled the blood, and Jasper and I held Bella tighter by her arms as we stood still.

"Bella, you need to breathe already," I said.

She looked a little uncertainly from me to Jasper and to Carlisle, who nodded at her. She closed her eyes and breathed in the air around us.

An eternal second passed, and we all looked at her tensely, ready to stop her as soon as she freaked out. But even after a second eternal second, nothing happened.

"Bella?"

She did not answer.

"Um ... Jasper, did you drug her or something?", I asked, confused.

"No, I feel confusion and ... um ...? Disgust ...?", he said confused.

"Bella, tell us what you think," I said.

"I ... I feel kind of ...," she said.

Alice chuckled again.

"It smells the same as when I was human, like salt and silver ... I don't know how I feel because I don't know how a vampire feels when they get sick ... But I guess that's how it feels," she stammered.

Alice laughed out loud.

"Bella is just still Bella. She gets sick when she smells human blood. What irony!"

She rolled on the ground and I and Jazz joined in her laughter as well.

That was just typical Bella. The only vampire in the world who felt sick at the smell of human blood.

Carlisle, of course, was most interested and wondered what the reason could be. She already didn't like the smell of blood as a human, and according to Carlisle's 'our traits are amplified as vampires'-theory, she liked it even less now.

This was just too weird. We all had to pull ourselves together not to suddenly attack and drink up a human, and Bella had to pull herself together so that the smell of humans didn't make her sick right away.

"Then the last three weeks of training weren't necessary at all?", she asked annoyed, because we all laughed at her.

Even Esmé chuckled a little.

"Yes … it is, it's always good to exercise restraint," said Carlisle, the only one who remained calm.

"That means we can go back to Forks? Or to Italy first?", Bella asked.

"Yes. I think we'll fly to Italy first thing tomorrow. Better not make Aro wait any longer than necessary," Carlisle said.

The rest of us slowly calmed down from the fit of laughter.

"Good, then we can go shopping. You really need some new clothes," Alice said, grabbing her by the arm and walking towards the small town.

"Don't you think blood red eyes might catch people's eyes?", Bella asked.

She was clearly looking for a way to prevent the shopping trip. But Alice was prepared, of course, and threw a small white box into Bella's hand.

"Contacts, my dearest sister," Alice said with a grin all over her face.

Jasper and I were about to turn and walk home when a small stone hit me in the head.

"Don't think you can just get away with it. Your supply of clothes is clearly depleted, too. Come on."

Bella

We said goodbye to Carlisle and Esmé, who were getting everything ready for the flight, and the four of us went into town.

I was glad that at least Emmett was there. The contact lenses felt weird, and I could feel my body fighting them off.

This whole human blood thing was really embarrassing. What kind of vampire was I that didn't like blood? Better said ... no human blood? Of course it was nice to walk through the crowds without the usual burning in my throat. In return, I had to control myself so that the smell didn't make me sick. Luckily, vampires couldn't pass out. Emmett would have laughed his ass off if I had fainted - as I did as a human - at the smell of blood. Now I just had this slight spinning in my head when the smell was too strong ... and the feeling that I was going to throw up. Fortunately, vampires don't really throw up.

The town was no bigger than Port Angeles. There were only two clothing stores, so the tour ended quickly. We all had new clothes for the flight, for Italy, and for Forks.

I had to admit that the new jeans definitely fit better, as my transformation gave me a little more femininity in all the right places. Not as curvy as Rose, but - well - a little bit more.

That evening Carlisle had everything organized. We were to fly tomorrow at eleven noon. Our suitcases were packed, and Alice put the travel clothes on our beds.

I went upstairs to Emmett's and my bedroom, undressed and laid on the bed ... in just my bra and panties.

Emmett walked in.

When he saw what mood I was in - the same as every night, of course - he took me and pulled me out the window far enough into the woods so the others wouldn't hear us.