Skin & Bones ↠ Jasper Hale ✓

04 | Finger-Lickin' Good

Enemy.

Rory didn't like referring to someone she still considered a friend an enemy. Although they didn't see each other often due to the stupid treaty, Rory had always viewed the werewolves as her friends. They saved her, after all. Well, to an extent.

Edward and Carlisle were doing as much research as they could, but all they could find were things related to demon children. It terrified everyone to think that Bella could give birth to the equivalent to Satan. Rory wanted to tell them everything she knew, but with what was at stake and how little it would help the situation, she felt it was pointless.

Since everyone was on house arrest, Rory had told Charlie she was going up to Seattle to visit Stella and Irene. Thankfully, he never asked twice about it.

Between Carlisle telling Bella that her baby wasn't compatible with her body and helping Bella live, Rory was surprised by her sister's stubbornness. You'd think after some point, Bella would just get up and scream, "I don't want this devil baby anymore! Take it out!"

Then again, Rory shouldn't have been all that surprised. If Bella wanted something, she'd hold onto it for dear life. Of course, Rory had always thought that figuratively rather than literally.

Seeing her sister's dying body gave Rory flashbacks to when she was struggling with her eating disorder. Sure, she struggled now, but she wasn't who she used to be anymore. Just the sight of her worried Rory, especially knowing that her sister could die any day now.

Everyone seemed to realize that they were starving ever since Emmett brought up the fact that they hadn't hunted in weeks. How much longer were they meant to go on? How were they supposed to take on a pack of vicious wolves at this rate?

Rory didn't know the answer to any of those questions. What she did know, however, was that she needed to remain strong.

One morning, Jasper approached Rory and asked, "How are you holding up so well? It's almost like you..."

Rory looked at him carefully, a bittersweet smile staining her face. "Like I've starved before?" She shrugged. "I can barely tolerate it now. It used to be a lot easier, that's for sure."

She looked back at Bella, who was getting evaluated by Carlisle yet again. "It's so weird seeing her like this. It's like we switched places," Rory said before she peered back at Jasper, his eyes black as night. She frowned. "I'm sorry."

Jasper furrowed his eyebrows together. "What are you sorry for?"

"It just hurts me seeing you like this," softly said Rory. "It hurts seeing any of you like this." She leaned into his chest. "I just wish Carlisle and Esme would let me help."

Jasper rubbed her back comfortingly. "It's okay," he whispered to her. "We're all gonna be fine."

Rory nodded. "I hope so," she replied. She sighed and pulled away from Jasper, taking his hand and leading him to the living room in hopes of distracting herself. Everyone seemed to be watching a football game to take their minds off of their reality, but it didn't do much.

Rory flinched listening to Bella whimper and gasp for breath. Esme, in particular, had grown more concerned than anyone in the room, as expected. "We need to find a way to get some food in her system," declared Esme.

Alice sighed. "If only I could see the fetus—"

"The baby," Rosalie and Rory corrected.

"—maybe I could figure out what it wants," finished Alice.

Rory was thankful that she wasn't the only one who was supportive of Bella, even if it meant seeing her sister die. She truly had no power over Bella's decisions. She was just going to have to support her regardless. Thankfully, she had Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Jasper by her side.

Edward's gaze fell on Jacob. "I think you might be right," Edward commented after a small moment of pondering to himself. "Jacob just had an idea."

Jacob snorted. "It wasn't an idea," he corrected. "It was a snide comment."

"What were you thinking?" curiously asked Carlisle with his arms crossed over his chest.

"That it's probably just looking for something to sink its teeth into," Jacob answered with a stupid smirk on his face.

Regardless, Rory let out a small chuckle at this. "Alright, that was kinda funny," she mentioned. Jacob smirked at Rory, to which she responded with, "Hey, I said kinda."

Bella furrowed her eyebrows together silently. "He's thirsty," Bella concluded.

"Or she," added Rory.

"I know the feeling," Emmett mumbled.

"If it's craving, it's not gonna want animal blood," Edward pointed out.

"I have some O-negative laid aside for Bella," Carlisle recalled before exiting the room to retrieve the baby's treat.

Rory's gaze fell on Jasper, noticing the look on his face. "Jazz," started Rory, refusing to leave her sister's side.

"Walk with me," Alice suggested to him, taking her best friend's hand and pulling him out of the room. Rory sent the psychic a nod of gratitude.

"Emmett," Rosalie said, bringing her husband's attention to her. "Go."

Obliging, Emmett rose to his feet and followed his adoptive siblings out of the room just as Carlisle returned with the blood, pouring it into a cup.

Rory scrunched up her nose unhappily. It was the first time she had quite clearly smelt exposed blood. She could feel her throat closing in on her. Swallowing hard, Rory kept her eyes away from the liquid.

"Rory?" Esme worriedly called.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," assured Rory, reaching up and pinching her nose, which really didn't do much. "I'm just starving."

Jacob scoffed. "I think that's the first time I've heard you say that in a while," he commented. Rory snorted at the dark joke. Jacob watched, his eyes widening as he watched Carlisle prepare the drink. "Wait, wait, wait. You're gonna make her drink that?"

"It's the fastest way to test the theory," elucidated Carlisle, causing Edward to mention to his wife, "Only if you're comfortable with it."

"I'll try anything," Bella stammered out. Edward stood up to retrieve the styrofoam cup and straw.

Jacob moved away from Bella. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Edward returned to his spot in front of Bella, a cup of blood in hand. "This might make it a little easier to take," he explained. He watched as his wife slowly sat up, taking the cup from him.

There was absolute silence as Bella paused, staring at the cup. Then, she proceeded to drink it as though it were any other beverage. Everyone, aside from Jacob, tensed at the sight of the human drinking the blood.

Bella removed the straw from her mouth, her lips stained with the liquid. She licked her lips before admitting, "Tastes good."

Rory's eyebrows shot upward at the thought of drinking blood as a human. Then, she remembered that the baby inside of Bella was technically a vampire to an extent. It made sense.

Carlisle kneeled down in front of Bella as she continued to drink the blood. He placed his hands on her wrist before revealing with a smile, "Your pulse is already getting stronger."

Rory sighed in relief. "I tried to tell you before, B," started Rory in an attempt to lighten the mood, "it's finger-lickin' good."

Revised: January 7th, 2020