Disclaimer: These characters and the world of Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer, not me. Sadly. I just write the story and add a few original characters here and there.
A/N: This is my first Twilight fanfic, so please be kind! I had started reading theenvylover's story about Marcus, and thought I would take her up on her challenge to write about secondary characters. I wanted to give some depth to Tanya, and try to show her as an entire character, not just a jealous b trying to win Edward.
Chapter 1
It was only lunchtime on Monday, and I was already convinced it would be a long week. I had been feeling out-of-sorts since yesterday, as if something upsetting was going to happen. I shouldn't be upset - this was my favorite time of year! It was late June, and I was working with my sisters in the visitor's center at the Denali National Park visitor's center.
The Denali Visitor's Center was a popular place for tourists (we help them decide on trails), locals (good food in the cafeteria), and the ecology-minded (we work towards having a "green" building). It's a great place for people-watching, which our major pastime right now. My sisters and I are the perfect employees, even if the Visitor's center doesn't know the half of it. We've been through the park more than anyone, and have seen (and hunted) much of the wildlife. I can help people plan their hikes without thinking about it most of the time, but there's always someone or something new, so it's fun for now. We also entertain the male hikers - they tend to be drawn right to us. It's a gift.
I dragged through my day until lunchtime with my sisters. I listened to Kate and Irina chat about the cute guys who were hiking that day, but I was distracted. I thought of Alice Cullen, and her visions. What I would give to have her here! I know I don't have her gift for visions of the future, rather I can feel an emotion prior to an event. It's usually not very helpful. Kate noticed I wasn't talking, and looked at me quizzically.
"Your thoughts are confusing, Tanya. What are you thinking about?" Kate asked.
"I've been feeling unsettled - like a weight is about to land on me. It started yesterday. I was just thinking about the Cullens, and how I wish Alice was here to give me a vision of why I'm so upset." I replied.
"Aaaah" Irina said, with a sly smile. "You were thinking of the Cullens, eh? And not just of Alice, I bet!"
If I had been human, I would have blushed. My sisters enjoyed teasing me far too much about my crush on Edward Cullen. "Well, my thoughts might have strayed to Edward a bit, but really, I was thinking of Alice and her visions." I was wondering if that sounded defensive, but figured I could distract my sisters. At least I was telling the truth. Well, mostly.
I searched around the room, and sensed some strong emotions about to come from a booth across the cafeteria. Aha! Perfect distraction! "Oh, look!" I exclaimed, "That hockey goalie from the local High School you've liked, Kate - he's over there and his girlfriend is dumping him!" Take that! Feeling emotions before they happen can be useful! I had always thought that the mind reading, visions, and emotion management that were the Cullens' gifts were more useful than mine. It did come in handy sometimes, though.
"What?!" Kate exclaimed, then tried to focus on the minds near the tall, dark, and handsome Tim and his blonde girlfriend Jennifer. Kate had been longing for Tim for months, and it wasn't like her to long for someone - usually she had a line of boys who wanted her. We all did. But after a thousand years of men hanging on our every word, we were all becoming more interested in the chase.
Irina looked over at Tim and Jennifer across the cafeteria. She was focusing her attention over there, too. Phew! I thought, Now I can worry in peace.
Irina had driven us to work in her Ford Escape Hybrid, so I climbed into the back seat of the car at the end of the day, still preoccupied. Kate and Irina are still chattering about Tim as we drive home, and I'm pretending to listen. I've found that if Kate is focused on one conversation, she doesn't usually "hear" the thoughts around her. She can focus her "hearing" very well, but she usually doesn't "listen" if she's in the middle of a conversation she finds interesting.
I feel mopey as I walk back to the house. We have been in Denali for a while. While it's a pretty area, I'm beginning to tire of it. Unfortunately, no one else in the coven shares that feeling. I'm growing tired of the tedium of working and living someplace with so much snow. Even my job, which I have always loved, is becoming tiresome. While we don't need the money, I like to interact with people. It's a lot easier to find men if you are actually mixing with humans! There hadn't been anyone I was attracted to in a while, other than my unrequited crush on Edward Cullen, that is.
I walked to the end of the driveway after Irina had parked the SUV. The mailbox had its usual mix of bills, junk mail, magazines and - wait, this looks different! There was a beautiful envelope with all of our names on the front. I flipped it over, and saw that it came from the Cullens, down in Forks, Washington. Uh-oh, I thought as another wave of sadness washed over me as I held the envelope. I don't think this is going to make me happy.
I walked back to the house, and found my family sitting comfortably in the living room. Kate was holding court, telling our other coven members, Eleazar and Carmen, about the hockey player. She had already started planning how to catch him on the rebound. That girl works fast! The part of me that wasn't in a wash of sadness was very impressed.
"We got a card from the Cullens." I said, handing the envelope over to Eleazar. While my sisters and I are much older than Eleazar and Carmen, they appear older, so they act as our parents. Eleazar is a comforting soul, and it is easy to view him as a parent. He works as a psychologist in private practice, and uses both is mind reading abilities and his gentle nature to help unsettled souls. He was the right person to open this card that gave me such sadness.
"Ah, really?" said Eleazar, looking at me carefully. "And you feel sadness from it Tanya? Hmmm ..." I can't hide my feelings from him as well as I can from Kate. Darn.
"Yes. I've felt a weight for the past two days. It will be a relief at this point to find out the cause."
"Well then, lets not delay." Eleazar opened the envelope, and pulled out a beautiful ivory card, with sheets of vellum on either side and a gold ribbon across the top. Oh no, I thought. Oh no.
"This isn't sad news, it's wonderful news!" cooed Carmen, reading over Eleazar's shoulder. "Edward is finally marrying Bella! Carlisle has put in a note that says her Change will happen after the wedding. Oh, this invitation is lovely! I know that Alice must be planning the wedding, it will be gorgeous! I can't wait to send the RSVP card, I need to go call Esme! I know we couldn't help her out with Victoria, but she should have told me about this before! She must be so happy to have her family complete." At this point, she looked wistfully over at us - the three single sisters - and continued, "I hope I can send out something like this someday." Carmen sighed, and went into the study to use the phone.
I had already been sad due to my "gift". Hearing Carmen's opinions on our continued status as single women without a soul mate didn't help.
"Well, now." Eleazar said, in his calmest voice. "I can see why the sadness was coming, Tanya. I am very happy for the Cullens, but I'm sad for you. I wish things could have been different between you and Edward."
"Me too, Eleazar, Me too." I managed to say those words, then walk (not run! I did have some control over my emotions!) up the stairs to my room. I laid down on the red velvet chaise, and shook with tearless sobs .
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Please Review! You'll make my day so much brighter (and since it's rainy, that would be a Good Thing. I have chapter 2 ready to go, and I even have an outline for the other chapters!
