Chapter 3

"What is wrong with you people?" Bella fussed at Alice in between bouts of retching. Alice was holding her hair back as they knelt together on the floor in the bathroom and I was leaned against the doorframe. Bella had eaten a fig for the third time and a vampire body cannot digest human food of that nature.

"Bella we've tried telling you; we're vampires and so are you now. We don't eat food like humans do," Alice said gently.

"Let's say I believed you for a second, because this is the longest nightmare I've ever had, what do you eat?"

"We suck the blood from animals and we're taking you out to teach you as soon as you're finished here," Alice said firmly. Bella was starting to test even Alice's patience with her refusal to believe her current state. A few minutes later when Bella was finished Alice and I led her outside and to the base of the forested hilltop that made up part of our island and which we kept stocked with game.

"Okay now keep up with us and follow our lead," I said and then we all began to run, first at a human pace and then faster and faster to ease Bella into the abilities of her new body. Finally we arrived at what Alice and I had been tracking all along. We explained the procedure to Bella but in the end it was sheer panic that caused her to kill the fox. One bite was all it took though for her vampire instincts to kick in; much to my relief. While Bella was feasting Alice and I made our own kills and joined her and this seemed to settle her.

"What else is different now that I'm changed," Bella asked a while later as we walked from the forested area and down onto the beach at a much more leisurely pace.

"Well your skin glistens for starters," I said gently and watched with fascination as she regarded her arms and then mine. The look on her face was one of admiration, the same as it had been the first time she had seen my skin. I longed for those days back. I longed for Bella to remember.

"My eyes are red," Bella added after a moment.

"That's only because you are a newborn," I said gently, "they'll turn back brown so long as you continue with animal blood."

"Do all real vampires drink animal blood?" she asked, "So human blood is something they make up in horror movies?"

"No…drinking animal blood is something that Carlisle came up with. For him the burden of human souls was too great with a traditional vampire diet so he made the choice to stick with animals and as each of us joined him we chose to make the same choice.

"I don't want to drink human blood either. I don't want to kill anyone." Bella said adamantly.

"I won't let you Bella," I said gently, "don't worry. We're your family now and we will protect you."

We had wandered into the wet sand now and each incoming wave lapped at our shins. The sand shifted a little and Bella became wobbly. She reached out and grabbed my hand to steady herself. In an instant I made sure that she was stable. She laughed lightly and her eyes sparkled as she looked at me. It was several long moments before she broke the connection and removed her hand from mine. I instantly felt bereft.

"I wish that I remembered you," she said gently, "any of you…"

"I hope that your memory will come back soon," I replied, "Carlisle said that there was a good chance."

We spent most of the rest of the afternoon just walking along the beach. She sounded just like herself. She talked of her time in Phoenix, her mom, Phil and Charlie. Everything in her life was there; everything was the same-except us. It was pleasurable and painful at the same time to listen to her stories.

"How did we meet?" she asked after we had been silent for a while. I had been admiring the myriad of colors that were glistening on her skin as the sun's rays were reflected. Now I had to think of the best answer to give her. Carlisle had called a family meeting that first night and had stressed the importance of not trying to fill in the blanks for Bella. He said the best way was for Bella to get them back all on her own. He said that if she didn't in a couple of months then we would re-evaluate the situation.

"At school," I said hoping that would satisfy her but knowing at the same time how stubborn my Bella can be. She responded by giving me a look that screamed 'no kidding'. "Has anything come back to you yet? Anything about your time in Forks?"

She was instantly frustrated, "No. Why can't you all just tell me?"

"It might mess with your memories coming back. You wouldn't know if the information belonged to you or if we had given it to you," I sighed.

"I hate this!" She growled and then left me in her wake as she hurried up the beach to the main living building. I echoed with my own softer growl and flopped down onto the sand watching as the waves rolled in and out around me.