A Message for Fred

edward'shappyending

AN: Having just finished The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, I felt compelled to write this small one-shot because I felt like the small connection that she had with Edward for the incredibly brief time they had together left a greater impression on him than Stephenie could do justice (she does after all have other books to write and other characters to focus on). The story is from Edward's point of view.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in the following story. They belong to a very talented woman who actually got her works published unlike me, who lets them sit on the laptop collecting digital dust… not to mention she actually finished writing the books.

Chapter One: Riley Park

I looked around the park from behind my dark sunglasses, worried that if he saw my eyes, he would attack or run. I didn't have time for either. I knew that he had left a trail here, I just didn't know where. I walked casually around the fountain, sniffing the air, not letting the couple that sat on a bench near me that I was anything but a stranger strolling through the garden. There was no vampire scent here, only human. I snuck through the darkness to a huge maple tree that offered plenty of shade during the day. At last, I found the sweet scent of my kind. After that, it was all too easy. I followed the scent through the park and then out to the streets of Vancouver. I was sure that he used his talent, whatever it was, to make the human's looked past him when he had passed through here earlier. I had to applaud his self-control. Most newborn vampires could not be around humans at all without feeding and Bree had said that Riley was the oldest of them and he was only just over a year.

I followed the scent out of the city streets of Vancouver and into Pacific Spirit Regional Park. The trees were dense and shut out some of the rain that had started to fall in torrents while I walked down the streets. I was soaked, but I didn't notice. I just had to convey a message to Fred and get back to Bella before she got back from Jacob's. I felt a knot in my chest at the thought. Would she come back from La Push to tell me that it was over? Would she choose him, he who could give her everything she deserved, over me, a monster who was lucky enough to even have ever been noticed by her? I was sure that I was her choice but that thought did not bring me any relief or joy. I knew that making her choose had no happy answer for her. She would get one of us and lose the other and from what I could understand, she would be torn apart by saying goodbye to either of us.

Chapter Two: Revulsion

I sped up as the scent grew fresher. I was sure that he was close when revulsion hit me. I felt nauseated, the same way as I had earlier when Jane had tried to torture Bella. My automatic response was to gag and back off until the feeling subsided but I realized that this must be Fred's special gift. I wondered briefly what he had been like in life to have a gift like this as a vampire. Ahead, through the darkness, I could see the large figure that must be him, sitting on a tree branch far above me. His thoughts were wary as he projected the repulsive force towards me.

"Fred? Are you Fred," I managed to ask in a choked voice. He was surprised that I could even stay around him let alone speak.

"Who's asking," he asked, curious but still keeping the same amount of repulsion directed at me.

"I have a message from Bree," I said, trying to be as composed as possible. As soon as I said Bree's name, the feeling let up a bit and I was able to breathe evenly and ignore the urge to gag. Trivially, I imagined what it would be like for Fred and Jasper to be in the same room together. Would Jasper be able to stand the feeling of disgust that Fred inflicted or would he be consumed by it and project it back on Fred?

"She was supposed to meet me here with Diego," he said warily. "Where is she?" He dropped down off the tree branch and landed in front of me. He was about Emmett's size, maybe a little smaller. He had curly blonde hair and intelligent, red eyes. I only had a little bit of understanding about his relationship with Bree but it seemed that in the short time they knew each other, they had become attached in a way that I was surprised they could feel in an environment of newborn vampires attacking one another and living like animals.

"She… she surrendered to my family when your former coven attacked my family. We vouched for her life with the Volturi but they ignored our pleas and… disposed of her. Some of her last thoughts were of you. I… I felt it necessary to come and tell you. She was worried about your new life and the world you are about to see. I felt… compelled to give you a heads up." His mouth turned down into a frown as I said this and I saw in his head the image of Bree, curled up behind his back, reading a book quietly, her furrowed slightly as she tried to fight off his gift. I saw from Fred's eyes, the image of Bree playing a card game with him while in the background, the newborns we'd fought today went through various fighting moves with Riley as their leader.

"Where is Diego," Fred asked finally, his voice somber.

"From what I could tell from Bree's thoughts, Riley killed him four days ago when he confronted him about the effects of sunlight on vampires. She was… distraught to say the least. "

"What happened to Riley? Did he run off with her," Fred asked with a shudder and I could see that Riley's stories and the memory of his transformation had made Victoria a formidable and horrific image in his mind.

"I killed Riley and Victoria –that was her name. The she created so many of you was to attack my family while she went after the human I love. I killed her mate recently when he tried to attack her also. She's been trying to get to Bella since then but hasn't been successful. She was hoping that my family would be so preoccupied -that I would be so preoccupied –that she would have the chance to slip through our lines and get to Bella. But I was with her and that plan didn't quite pan out," I said grimly. He nodded slowly, processing everything I had said.

"What did Bree say about me… before…" he didn't finish saying what he was thinking, but his imagined image of her dying played in his head, his meaning was perfectly clear.

"She thought you were smart and careful. She said you were talented. She regretted not being able to tell you more about the entire situation. She was worried about how you would fare in this world without anyone telling you the rules." He nodded. "That's why I'm here," I said quietly. "I just want to make sure that you know what you're getting yourself into."

"Thanks…" he waited for my name.

"I'm Edward Cullen," I said, sticking my hand out. He shook it and smiled.

"Fred Smith," he said. "Although everyone used to call me Freaky Fred," he said with a chuckle. I smiled. I spent the next three minutes telling him about the Volturi, vampire abilities and about some of the nomads that I knew that would befriend him. At the end, he thanked me and took off into the trees. I

Chapter Three: Indebted

I turned and ran back to Forks as fast as I could. Bree had been so brave. She knew she was going to die and she had helped my family, though we had essentially caused her nothing but pain and a drawn out death.

I knew I would always be in her debt, this strange young vampire.

Bree Tanner.

The End.