The long days (Esme/Open)

[Isabella Marie Cullen]

Bella lay on the couch of the Cullen house in the lounge room, having sent Edward off to hunt. She hated that she was hurting him, that seeing her as weak and pale and pregnant as she was made him hurt so much, wishing that she could just take away all of his pain, make everything better.

She winced when the baby started to move around, a little kick finding it's way as it tried to move inside her, to get comftable. "Shhhhh, calm down" she told it, rubbing her belly lightly "Please just settle down and go back to sleep" she asked, tired, wanting to get some sleep herself. She looked up and smiled however when she heard someone comming, knowing that Edward would have found someone and asked them to look over her while they went hunting. "Hi" she called out, too weak to move her head to sit up and turn around to see who it was.

[Esme Anne Cullen]

"Yes, of course Ill look after her. Now go hunt!"

Those were the words coming out of a motherly figure to so many children in the house hold. And now, officially to Bella, the women she promised that she would look after. Esme had wanted to talk to Bella anyway, not having spoken to her since she had found out she was pregnant, and even then she didnt talk about that! After all, Esme had believed that she wouldn't have wanted to talk about it! Having it be so stressful and all.

Esme walked towards her daughter in law, able to hear the conversation she was having with her unborn child. This brought back many painful memories of her own child, however she remembered that Bella didnt know anything about that, only Bree, Edward & Carlisle knew, and she wanted to keep it that way. Now, the pregnancy was about Bella, not about Esme. Not at all.

She smiled at Bella as she finally spoke to her. Esme shook her head, but it wasnt with out a smile on her face. "How are you feeling?" she asked, just smiling up at her daughter in law.

[Isabella Marie Cullen]

Bella smiled when she heard Esme's voice, moving herself so she was in a more socialbe possition, not wanting her to think that she was being rude and antisocial. "I'm fine, I think that baby kicked out another rib yesterday but it doesn't really matter, all Carlisle can do is give me drugs and I'm on as many pain killers as he can give me" she told her.

"I'm feeling as fine as I can, I'm just worried about Edward" Bella told her "I can see how much I'm hurting him" she told her sadly, not liking that she was hurting her husband, knowing that it was killing him to see her as weak and pale as she was. "I wish he didn't have to see it, I wish I was strong enough to tell him to go and do something else so he didn't have to but I need him"

[Esme Anne Cullen]

esme smiled at Bella before she moved to the arm of the chair furthest away from Bella and sat on it, just taking Bella in. She looked horrible, which hurt even Esme. Bella was officially her daughter-in-law, and it felt great to say that, but anything that she felt was almost killed by the look on Bella's frail face & body. She ran her fingers through her hair before she sighed and spoke again.

Esme sighed before she spoke. "Im sorry, Bella. But dont worry, everything will work out" she insisted and smiled at her before she ran her fingers through her hair. "He's in pain now, but once you have your child, he wont be able to stop smiling" she insisted and grinned again.

[Isabella Marie Cullen]

"I hope so" Bella sighed as Esme runned her fingers through Bella's hair, closing her eyes, feeling so weak "I hate seeing him in pain though" she told her "And I really don't want him to end up resenting the baby, because I know that he doesn't like him now because he doesn't like seeing me this way" Bella told her.

She just lay there with her eyes closed, breathing in and out, trying to keep it going in a steady pattern, hoping that she would fall asleep, knowing that her baby didn't sleep much and she needed to sleep too, though now she was too weak to fight against the baby, when he sleeped, all she could do was sleep then and wait out the rest

[Esme Anne Cullen]

Alice came rushing in with a bottle, and it wasnt clear either. There was a reason for that. She had come up with an idea, thinking about the vampire part of the baby. The thought just made her cringe of the child in her 'sisters' stomach killing her slowly by sucking her blood, for a lack of a better term. This had made Alice think of course, and that was why she was here.

"Bella! Drink this!" she said, knowing that Esme would have figured out what it was, and of course the look on her face proved it all. "Dont worry...I know what Im doing!" she insisted.

[Esme Anne Cullen]

Esme sighed as she looked at Bella and nodded her head before she smiled again. "Dont worry about Edward, he will love your child, no matter what. You'll get through this. I trust my husband, and he said that you'll be all right, because he told me you will be" Esme said and nodded her head again before she smiled.

Esme looked up as Alice entered, and the scent of blood came to Esme's nostrils. She cringed, not expecting it, especially as Alice just handed the bottle to Bella. She couldn't believe it. "Alice..." Esme said hesitantly, but as Alice shook her head and insisted that it would help, Esme sighed and nodded her head, giving in. Anything for her child.

[Isabella Marie Cullen]

"What is it?" Bella asked Alice, smelling the bottle. It smelt sweet and Bella creased her brow in confusion, having not smelt anything like it before. She took the bottle in her weak hands, knowing she would do anything if she though it was going to make Alice happy, and she proped herself up a bit and took a drink from it. She was suprised, it was like nothing she had ever tasted before, it was sweet, though she couldn't work out what it was.

It was only a few minutes before she had drained the bottle and Bella was finding that she was feeling a lot stronger. She looked at Alice in confusion, though she was smiling, and sat up, her hands on her largly swollen belly. "Alice, what was that?" Bella asked "I feel a hundred times better, I haven't sat up in weeks" she told her, wrapping her arms around her sister

[Esme Anne Cullen]

Alice smiled as she looked at Bella and nodded her head, as if to encourage her sister. Alice bit her lip as she just waited in anticipation for her sister in law to drink the blood. However, she smelled it first, and Alice knew that she had felt better from it by her vision. However, she just didnt want to get hers & Esme's hopes up. Hence why she hadnt called Edward, afraid he would tell them that it wouldn't work. She knew that Edward was trying his hardest to keep his wife innocent. However, Alice knew that soon enough it wouldn't happen.

Finally, Bela took the blood before she stood up and hugged her. "Here, have some more" she said, then looked over to Esme who was smiling,s till Alice knew it was more complicated than that. They would have to think about what would happen when Bella was changed, about the craving for blood could be stronger. Still, Alice leaned down and grabbed another bottle. "Come on, drink it right up!"

[Esme Anne Cullen]

Esme looked at Bella, just as nervous as her adoptive daughter was. All she wanted was to keep Bella away from harms away, as well as her other sons and daughters. She bit her lip before she ran her fingers through her hair. She wasnt sure what she was expecting! But sure enough, what she was HOPING FOR had come!

Her eyes widened and she just looked at Alice. She wasnt sure what to say, so instead she stayed silent! This was great! Brilliant infact! But at the same time, it was quite a worry to say the least.

What if Bella became addicted?

[Isabella Marie Cullen]

"What is it?" Bella asked alice, taking the new bottle from her and emptying it in next to no time, now feeling compleatly strong again, well, as strong as she could concidering she was pregnant with three broken ribs.

She sat back and hugged her sister. "Thanks alice" she thanked her "But please, tell me what it was?" she asked "I've never tasted anything like it before" she told her

[alice mary cullen]

Alice bit her lip as she looked at Bella and then shook her head. She looked up at Esme, and saw the look on her face before she shook her head and sighed. "Bella, darling...its blood" she said. Alice wasnt sure what her reaction would actually be. What could a human say to that? No one had ever really had blood. Sure, there were cannabels, but that was about it! And none of them found it 'sweet'.

Alice bit her lip again, holding out another cup. "Look, try some more, okay?" she asked and smiled at her.

[Isabella Marie Cullen]

Bella bit her lip and was shocked when Alice told her that it was blood, though it made sense. She hand her hands resting on her belly, knowing that she had to do it for her baby, her little nudger, and she needed to do it for Edward, she needed him to see that she wasn't going to die, she knew that seeing her so weak was scaring him. "Ok" she agreed, holding her hand out and drinking the next bottle, now finding it kind of freaky that it tasted nice.

"this doesn't count on my score" Bella told them, hugging her sister when she sat down next to her, so greatful that she was feeling so much better. "Thankyou Alice" she told her "Edward is going to feel so much better when he sees how much better i'm feeling"

[Esme Anne Cullen]

She smiled up at Bella, glad that she didnt hate her for bringing her blood. Looking down at her stomach, she couldn't help but smile. She knew that it was mean, but in a way she would be an aunty! An aunty of all things! She never thought it was going to be possible, so one look down at Bella's stomach, she knew everything would work out for the best, and as long as she knew that, she was going to be happy. Even if she was worried. Completely & utterly worried.

Alice bit her lip before she shook her head and sighed again. "Im glad youre feeling better, and Edward will too..." she said and smiled up at her again before she sighed and shook her head once more.

[Isabella Marie Cullen]

"Thankyou Alice" Bella thanked her sister "Edward is going to feel a hundred times better, he probably won't even fight with me about the baby anymore, you could have even saved the baby from Edward and my marriage" she thanked Alice, glad that she was keeping the baby healthy "I was just starving you, wasn't I baby?" she said to her belly.

She smiled for the first time in weeks, actuallly smiled, and ment it, so happy that she wasn't going to have to hurt Edward so much every time he looked at her anymore