Bree Cullen

"Bree's not really given a chance. She wants to be good, but nobody gives her a chance. She doesn't know the rules, and so how can you follow rules that you don't know. So it's not her fault, but she gets punished anyway."

― Actress Jodelle Ferland on her character Bree

Author's note: This story is my attempt at a continuation of the Eclipse novella 'The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner', with the difference being that in my version she survives after Eclipse (obviously). I for one would have like to have seen how this young newborn vampire would have tried to build a new life for herself if she was given the chance. So let's see how it goes...

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Chapter 1 - Welcome

Bewildered. Amazed. Relieved.

None of these words were strong enough to encompass what I was feeling as I stood among those who just this morning I thought were my enemies. Esme stood behind me, her hands resting lightly on my shoulders. Before, I would have been on edge, if not outright terrified, to have someone at my back like that, but it was oddly reassuring to have her so near even with the confusion and uncertainty I still felt.

Before, when I'd made the effort to think through the haze of bloodlust, I'd worked out for myself that other vampires must stay hidden from humans, which means they must have places to go out of sight during the day. But I hadn't imagined a place like the house I stood in now. Most of the first floor was one big room, with glass doors taking up an entire wall. It was so light and open; there was an elegant feel to it. Everything in it was tasteful, expensive but not gaudy.

It certainly didn't look like a fitting haunt for monsters. But then again, these yellow-eyed vampires didn't seem like monsters at all. They were all relaxed around each other – nobody watching their back, nobody snarling or snapping at each other, or showing the slightest hint of fear or hostility. And this place they lived in, it looked like- like a home… a home for a family.

In the three months of my new life since I became a vampire, the places that I'd lived in were all basements, sealed up places underground. None of them could be called a home. And the ones I'd lived with were the farthest thing from a family you could imagine. It was a good day if someone didn't get a limb torn off, or worse.

There were very few good days.

But those days were past now. Anticipation hummed through me, though anticipation for what, I did not know. Maybe for something better? Anything different had to be better though, right? I couldn't imagine anything worse. But then again there was still so much that I did not know, about the world, about myself, about these strangers who'd spared my life and taken me in, even though I'd been created to kill them. All I knew was that I felt far safer and more accepted with the strange yellow-eyed coven than I ever had among the coven that I was born (or reborn) into. They had gone out on a dangerous limb, offering to take responsibility for me so that my life would be spared.

Their mind reader – I'd learned his name was Edward – was explaining to the rest now exactly why Jane and the other dark-cloaked Volturi had decided to let me live. "Aro's spoken about you before Carlisle, about the different life you follow. They're curious. They see her as an experiment," he nodded towards me, "to see what you would do with one who's been running wild for so long. How our life style would affect her."

"Aro always did like his experiments. He's always been curious…"

I listened to them while my eyes kept roving over everything around me and my mind kept spinning from everything that had happened in the last day, and how completely everything had changed for me…again.

From what I gathered, Aro was the leader of the Volturi, the vampire police, and he and Carlisle were old friends. If this Aro was anything like Jane and the other dark-cloaks, I had a hard time imagining that someone as kind as Carlisle called him friend.

I looked around at the seven yellow-eyed vampires, the Cullens. Esme had already told me everybody's names. Alice, the dark-haired pixy-like vampire, was sitting at the foot of the grand staircase with a far-away look in her eye; her gaze was unfocused like she was seeing something other than this room and the people around her. Emmett, the big brawny one was lounging on the couch with a big grin on his face. Rosalie, the tall blonde woman, was looking me over like she was studying me. Her face was closed off, but the look she gave me was almost…pitying I think. I looked away from her scrutiny.

There were traces of a human scent in the house as well, the scent of the girl who'd been with them in the clearing after the battle. My muscles tensed, my throat burned and venom pooled in my mouth at the memory of how close I'd been to the sweetest blood I'd ever smelled. Edward's friendly look turned to a glare – he'd seen the direction my thoughts were heading. Jasper hissed softly, and I wondered if he had some ability too to know what I was thinking or feeling. He'd been hovering near me this whole time, growling at me whenever the slightest impulse to act on my thirst came up before I was even consciously aware of it.

I didn't ask about the girl, Bella. I knew that they didn't want me near their pet human, and I didn't want to give them any reason to think that I would cause trouble. I was beginning to get a sense of how these older vampires viewed us – or just me, since all the others were dead. Newborn, they'd called me. Like a baby; or a small child that needed to be watched so that it wouldn't make a mess.

My full attention turned back to the conversation when Carlisle asked if anyone had a problem with me staying with them. Nobody had objected in front of the Volturi, but that might have been just them presenting a united front. Maybe now in the safety of their home someone would object to keeping me. I held my breath while I waited to hear their answers.

"Alice?"

As Carlisle called her name, she looked up from whatever trance she was in and smiled. "It's going to be fun having a new little sister," she said with certainty.

I started at the word sister. Is that what they were to each other – brothers and sisters? With what I knew of vampires, it was almost incomprehensible; A few hours ago, that concept would have seemed like an impossibility to me in the limited world that I knew.

But here, it seemed to fit. It felt…right.

"Jasper?"

"I thought I was done dealing with newborns when I left the south. But I suppose I could deal with one more," said Jasper. Strangely though, he no longer sounded hostile now that the danger of his coven being punished for keeping me seemed to have passed. And I think Alice voting in my favour might have softened him. In fact, it was- it almost sounded like he was teasing me.

"Emmett?"

"I say let her stay. Maybe she'll liven things up around here." Emmett laughed and winked at me. It looked like he'd enjoyed everything that had happened so far; the battle that had been so terrifying for me was little more than a game for him.

"Rosalie?"

Rosalie's cold look defrosted a little. She smiled slightly and nodded.

I let out a breath of relief that no one seemed to be against me. I had no idea what I'd do if I was sent away, alone; or if someone disagreed, if I would even be allowed to leave. They'd told the Volturi that they would be responsible for me. I know that Carlisle and Esme had been against killing me on the battlefield when they saw that I didn't want to fight. But Jasper had been ready to kill me, and I was pretty sure he still would if I was in any way a threat to his coven.

I looked over my shoulder at Esme. I was pretty sure that her vote was the one that really counted. Her and Carlisle.

"It's alright. You're safe now." I tensed a little as Esme put her arms around me, but then relaxed just as quickly. It was just a hug; I put my arms around her too, felling protected, safe like she said. It was the first friendly contact I'd had with another vampire since my new life began.

This felt like another new beginning.

Carlisle smiled warmly at me. "Welcome to the family Bree."

Family. That's what they were. Not a coven, a family. Brothers and sisters…a mother and father.

I had a family

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Author's note: Please comment and review. Let me know what you would like to see as Bree Cullen's story develops. All views and opinions are welcome :)

Thank you