Defined - Jacob Black {2}

Chapter 21: Deja Vu

5 weeks later...

Aria's POV

I was beginning to think that my life now revolved around how many times a day I would stare down into the bowl of a toilet filled with my blood infused vomit. I had grown used to the foul smell of half-digested blood mixed with the regular smell of puke but the sight of it still made my stomach churn... thus inducing a whole new wave of all day sickness. Calling it morning sickness was a cruel joke.

I was now just over nine weeks pregnant - technically still in my first trimester - but in reality I was nearly halfway through with Carlisle putting me at eighteen weeks vampire equivalent. I had grown significantly in the last five weeks. I was still craving blood, and hunting every opportunity I could, but the sickness was relentless. Carlisle tried to reassure me that it was normal for some women to experience sickness throughout the entirety of their pregnancy and I was just one of those unlucky few because the baby seemed fine and healthy.

I, on the other hand, was another story.

Up until about my seventh week everything was going amazingly; I was glowing, I was full of energy, I felt like I could leap into the air and touch the moon I was so happy, but now there was only one adjective that could perfectly describe me... drained. Yeah my hair looked glossy, and my boobs looked great, but I knew I looked tired.

I had decided to completely reinstate my shield now, the worried glances and thoughts were starting to remind me of when Bella first came back from Brazil with Edward but knew in myself that I wasn't that bad. I could still move, I was strong, I still went hunting for Christ's sake... Bella couldn't even stand. There was a few bruises that were taking a little longer to fade than what used to be normal but I accepted that as I was using most of my energy to create another human. I was just tired!

"Honey, everything okay in there?" Esme's sweet voice called through the door, almost a little timidly - my hormones now had a mind of their own...

Reluctantly I took one last glance as the red vomit and sighed. "Yup." I called over my shoulder shortly before rising up onto my knees to reach the handle to flush the toilet. "Just fed up." I clarified as I stood to my feet, walked slowly over to the sink, and grabbed my toothbrush and the toothpaste.

The door softly clicked open as Esme poked her head through the gap, her nose wrinkling slightly at the smell of blood and vomit. She found my eyes in the mirror's reflection and her face relaxed into a look of motherly sympathy. "Oh, sweetheart." She stepped into the room just as I began to brush my teeth to rid myself of the taste of my puke.

Her arm swept around my shoulder as she pulled me into a side hug. "I'm fine... just sleepy now." I admitted as I rested my head on her shoulder, lazily brushing the bristles across my teeth.

"Maybe you should take a nap, sweetie?" She asked me, brushing her hand over the back of my head and through my hair soothingly. "You went on a long hunt this morning, it's taken all the energy out of you. Especially with your condition and hardly being able to keep anything down."

I lifted my head off her shoulder and spat into the basin, I then proceeded to rinse my mouth out a few times with the water from the tap. It seemed the family were now voicing their concerns rather than keeping them hidden in their heads. I didn't need them to worry, I was fine. "I'm fine Esme, really." I smiled at her letting her know I was okay, I'd nap when I got home.

I gave her a kiss on the cheek and stepped around her as I walked back into my old bedroom and gathered up my bag and jacket. "Aria, I'm being serious now. Just rest for a bit, please." The worry and almost sternness in her voice caused me to falter in my steps. "You shouldn't go home in this state." For some reason that put my back up.