I entered the kitchen and found everyone scattered around the area. Emmett, Jasper, and Alice were seated at the far end of the L-shaped couch. The boys were engrossed in the television mounted on the wall. Bella was positioned at the opposite far end, with an IV in her hand, receiving the fluids she needed. Jacob was a few cushions away from her. Edward occupied an armchair nearby, while Esme sat on the armrest and Rosalie stood close by.
Their eyes briefly locked on me, soft smiles touching their lips, but my main focus was on Bella, who looked unwell. All the life seemed to be draining from her. She offered me a thin smile; all she could muster with her lack of energy.

I made my way over to Emmett, who greeted me with a smile, his black eyes locking onto mine. It pained me to see him and the others so thirsty. Emmett shifted slightly to the left, making room for me beside him. I sat down, and while his attention returned to the game on the TV, my focus went back to Bella. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Emmett swallow; the dryness in his mouth was evident, and the lack of animal blood was taking its toll on him.

Bella pulled down the sleeve of her cardigan, as if shielding her skin from the open air. "Are you cold?" Edward quickly noticed; his face etched with concern for his wife. Bella swiftly nodded.

"I got it," Jacob replied promptly, moving up a few cushions to use his body heat to keep Bella warm. "Don't do that," he said, noticing Bella's loving smile directed at him.

"What?" she asked, confused by his comment.

"Smile like I'm your favourite person in the world," Jacob replied.

"You're one of them," Bella said gently, letting out a deep sigh. "It feels complete when you're here, Jake." Her words likely didn't go unnoticed by Edward, as she and Jake shared a unique bond.

Suddenly, Bella whimpered and leaned forward from the couch. Edward was quick to react, grabbing a nearby can and placing it in front of her. Everyone turned their attention to her as she dries heaved, nothing coming up. It was painful to watch her like this, and it killed me inside. I watched as Jake rubbed his hands on her back, comforting her as she breathed heavily.

"We need to find a way to get some food into her system," Esme said gently, looking over at Carlisle and the others. Bella leaned back onto the couch.
"If I could only see the fetus..." Alice began.

Rosalie cut her off softly. "The baby," she corrected.

"Maybe I could figure out what it wants," Alice concluded, though I knew she wouldn't be able to see it. A few moments of silence hung in the room. I glanced at Jake, noticing him staring off into space.

"I think you might be right," Edward interjected, having read Jacob's mind. Jake slowly turned his gaze to Edward. "Jacob just had an idea."
"It wasn't an idea; it was a snide comment," he replied, a hint of a smirk on his lips.

"What were you thinking?" Carlisle asked from Edward's right, his arms folded as he stared intently at Jacob.

"That it's probably just looking for someone to sink its teeth into," Jacob responded, his 'snide comment' directed at the group. The mention of blood seemed to create a tense atmosphere. I noticed Emmett swallow again, struggling to quench his thirst in the absence of animal blood.

Jake scoffed lightly, and I could see the wheels turning in Bella's mind as she realized what her baby truly needed. After all, it was a vampire. "He's thirsty," she said, turning her gaze to Edward.

"I know the feeling," Emmett's deep voice resonated through my ears as I turned toward him. His hands were clasped together, as he stared down at the floor.

"If it's craving something, it's not gonna want animal blood," Edward stated.

"I have some O-negative set aside for Bella," Carlisle stated, before walking away to retrieve the blood. I could sense the tension in the room, knowing that the presence of blood would put everyone on edge.

"Walk with me," Alice said to Jasper. I turned my head to see her pixie-like figure springing up from the couch, grasping Jasper's hand and leading him away.

I turned to face Emmett. Despite not having had a drop of human blood in decades, the temptation still lingered for him, and Jasper was also affected by the scent of it. Our eyes met, and I nodded at him, silently signalling that he should leave the room; he didn't need to witness this. Emmett unclasped his hands, clenched his fists, and rested them on his knees. He then stood up, as if the force of his clenched hands helped him rise. His suspenders hung loosely as I watched him walk out of the room.

My attention shifted to Carlisle as he carefully poured blood from a bag into a glass cup. I rose to my feet and moved closer, standing nearby to observe.
"Wait, wait, wait," Jacob said, his gaze fixed on the blood with visible revulsion. "You're actually going to make her drink that?" His voice was filled with disgust at the idea.

"It's the quickest way to test the theory," Carlisle explained, acknowledging that this was indeed the fastest method to determine if Jacob's offhand remark held any truth.

"Only if you're comfortable with it," Edward said, turning his attention to Bella.

"I'll try anything," Bella responded, her voice filled with desperation, reflecting the collective urgency to find a solution.

"Just hold on," Edward said, reaching for a nearby cup with a straw in it. He stood up and walked over to Carlisle.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Jacob muttered, sliding down the cushions and distancing himself from Bella as she prepared to drink the blood.

Seconds later, Edward returned, crouching down in front of Bella as she mustered her strength and sat up a little. "This might make it a bit easier for you," he said, his voice filled with concern and care. His thoughtfulness was evident in his gentle demeanour.

I watched as Jacob slid further down the couch, clearly unsettled by the sight. Stepping forward, I settled myself softly beside Bella. She turned her head towards me, and I offered her a reassuring smile. This could be the solution we desperately needed—the key to restoring her strength and ensuring she was strong enough to deliver her baby.

Bella shifted her focus back to the cup and hesitated for a moment, slowly raising the straw to her lips. It seemed she was initially reluctant to drink, grappling with the unsettling notion of a human consuming blood. All of us watched intently as she began to draw the contents into the straw. The clear straw revealed the dark blood rising and staining it, and soon, the liquid was in her mouth as she started to drink.

Once she took a substantial mouthful, she lowered the cup and swallowed. We all watched her with bated breath. "It tastes," she began, pausing briefly, "good." We all smiled with relief and joy as Bella managed to keep the blood down. For a moment, she scoffed in disbelief but then took a few more sips, visibly relieved to be ingesting something, anything.

Carlisle moved forward and settled himself on the couch beside her. Gently taking her hand, he began to check her pulse. Bella took another mouthful of the blood, and Carlisle's lips curled into a smile.

"Your pulse is already getting stronger," he announced, prompting a sigh of relief from me and a smile that spread across my face.

"It's working," Esme added, her voice filled with excitement at the visible improvement. I also noticed Rosalie's expression of relief, clearly pleased to see Bella growing stronger.

"This is wonderful," I said softly, my hand resting on her knee as I gave it a reassuring squeeze. A renewed sense of hope filled me, and I could see this moment turning the tide for us. It felt like it might be enough to keep her alive long enough to deliver her baby and be turned.

............................

The next day arrived, and Bella was noticeably stronger. She had regained much of her old self, and some of her previous features had returned. Although she still had a gaunt appearance, it was not as pronounced as before.

I was seated in my grandmother's kitchen, updating her on the latest developments. She was clearly pleased that we had found something that worked for Bella. Naturally, I was projecting myself astrally.

"Do you think she'll be strong enough?" I asked, my voice lingering in the air as my grandmother gave me a gentle, reassuring look.

"I can't say for certain, sweetheart," she replied, sensing my need for reassurance that everything would turn out okay. "But it's a positive sign that she's growing stronger," she concluded with a smile, which offered me a small but comforting sense of reassurance. "Do you need anything?" she asked, her eyes focusing intently on me. I responded with a gentle smile, reaching out to touch her hand reassuringly.

"I'm fine," I said with a smile. "I just want this all to be over, for Bella to be safe and her baby to be safe." My words came out quickly, driven by a deep desire for everything to return to normal.

"I'm sure it will," she said with a warm smile, gently squeezing my hand. "Now head back," she instructed with a firm tone. "Don't overextend yourself," she cautioned, reminding me that I couldn't maintain this form of astral projection for too long.

I nodded to her and withdrew my hand from hers. After giving a small nod and releasing the spell, I opened my eyes to find myself back in the library at the Cullen house. As I blinked to refocus on the room, my gaze landed on Emmett a few seats away, his eyes fixed on me with a warm, affectionate expression.

"Are you okay?" Emmett asked.

"Are you?" I countered, more concerned about how he was handling the situation from last night. "Last night, with the blood..." my words faltered as I mentally chastised myself for mentioning blood. I knew it was a sensitive topic here.

"I'm just thirsty, that's all," he replied, his gaze fixed on mine as my expression softened. "We haven't gone this long without feeding," he added. I stood up gracefully and walked around the table toward him, his eyes still locked on mine.

"I know," I said, finally standing next to him. I leaned against the table, letting the hard surface press against me as I tilted my head down to meet Emmett's gaze. "I hate seeing you like this," I murmured, gently cupping his cheek with my hand. Gazing into the deep, dark void of his eyes.

"You know, seeing you happy makes everything better," Emmett said softly, his eyes reflecting a mixture of affection and vulnerability. I smiled widely at him as he gently cupped my hand in his. "You're my anchor," he began, his voice steady and sincere. "When everything else feels overwhelming, you're the one who keeps me grounded." His words made my heart race, their impact deeply touching. "I don't know what I'd do without you,' he confessed, his gaze never wavering from mine.

"You'll never have to," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion as tears welled up in my eyes. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, pouring all my love and reassurance into the kiss.

In the back of my mind, I knew the truth of his words would one day come to pass. Someday, I will no longer be here. And he will grieve, but eventually, he will find a way to move on.

*******************