a/n Welcome to the first chapter of a story I'm actually trying something new with. I'm going to stick to my outline and see if it speeds up the project. My hypothesis is that it will. Characters who try to take on a mind of their own will be reeled back in and told their place. Hope you enjoy. There's not much Tanya and Mike out there, an idea I've toyed with for a while. Somebody else popped the Tanya/Mike cherry (if you haven't read Mike's Hike yet, you need to—it's the bomb diggity), and I don't feel as threatened now. I'm not the only one thinking dirty thoughts.

We begin in Forks in May 2012, 4 years after Breaking Dawn. Which isn't mine. None of the Twilight universe is. If it were mine, I would not be writing this story, working at Chili's, and barely making ends meet.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER 1—LIFE SUCKS

Just like every other day, the alarm went off at six in the morning. Just like every other day, Mike slammed his hand on the snooze button. Just like every other day, he slept for nine more minutes before waking up and starting the coffee pot on his way to shower. He drank his coffee, watched the news, until seven, when the other alarm went off.

It was just like every other day, he thought, while he poured coffee into another cup and took it back into the bedroom. He set it next to the alarm before turning and heading back to the living room. A few minutes later, his frizzy haired fiancée appeared in the doorway of the living room, a frown on her face.

"God, Mike, why the hell's the TV up so loud?"

Yep, just like every other day. No, "Good morning, baby, thanks for the coffee," no "I love you." Just her usual bitching. He wasn't sure why he'd asked her to marry him, but it made her happy. She bitched less when she was happy.

"Sorry, babe," he said, and just like every day, he bumped the volume down a notch to appease her. This made her happy, and she shut up. She shuffled into the kitchen, and he heard her making herself breakfast. Special K with blueberries, just like every other day.

Mike heaved a sigh and settled down deeper into the couch. He knew that he should be grateful, and he told himself so every day. He had an okay house, a good paying house with pretty good benefits, a family who loved him, and a fiancée who loved him. Yes, she could be a snob, and she stuck her nose in everybody's business, but she was a small town girl and it was what he expected of her. She was pretty, and alright in bed. A good settlement for him.

He felt a stab of jealousy when he glanced, like he did every day, to the mantle, where photos of their friends and family decorated the fireplace. One in particular always caught his eye.

It was after graduation, the night of the party at the Cullen house, a party which had become an urban legend in Forks. He had his arm wrapped around Jessica in the photo, and they were standing with their group of friends, including Edward and Bella. Everybody was smiling and happy, their futures wide open.

Ben and Angela had gotten married the summer after high school. It was the last time Mike had seen Bella. The Cullens left town the next day. Bella had seemed happy and healthy, and looked like maybe she'd gotten a little work done. Edward hadn't smiled at him once, but he didn't usually. They left before the reception, saying they had to get going. They'd moved to New Hampshire, and all but dropped off the face of the earth.

Almost everyone in the picture was gone now. Tyler had moved to Seattle for college and ended up staying. He worked as a graphic designer, dated everything hot with legs, smoked weed, and lived his life to the fullest. Lauren got married to some entrepreneur and lived life in the fast lane now, playing house in New York with her handsome husband and living the dream. Ben and Angela moved to Port Angeles, where Ben worked as a ferry driver. They had two kids already, and a third on the way. Eric had stayed in town, though, and worked in the local logging industry, dating some girl down in Hoquiam. Not that they ever hung out, really.

Mike spent most of his time at the store and at home. Jessica worked as a receptionist at the police department, a job she loved, because she was privy to a great deal of gossip. Gossip she thought he just had to know.

The phone rang, jerking Mike out of his daze. He glanced at the clock to see that it was a quarter of seven, and he frowned, wondering who would call this early. He lifted it from the receiver and put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Mike? It's Tammy, at the station." Tammy, the only person who liked gossip as much as Jessica. She made him want to set himself on fire and run screaming into a gas pump. "Is Jess around?"

"Yeah. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, Chief Swan called and he's not coming in today. He said Sue's really sick and he doesn't want to leave her on her own." He could hear her urge to gossip. "I want to see if Jess can come in early and help me out—I'm swamped."

"Sure, she's right here." Mike waved Jessica over, and frowning, she took the receive. "It's Tammy," he said quietly. "Sounds like you might have to head in early."

He tuned Jessica out while she talked on the phone, turning his attention to the news again. He had fifteen more minutes until he had to start getting dressed.

He was going to spend those fifteen minutes imagining a life he could never have.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

"Come on, kiddo." Jacob Black's voice interrupted her thoughts from the seat in front of her. "Get that stuff packed up. We're landing soon."

"Why didn't mom and dad come with us?" Renesmee's voice was inquisitive. "How come they drove down early?"

Jacob cleared his throat, clearly trying to come up with an answer that wouldn't involve forcing the sex speech on her at the tender age of four. "They just wanted a little vacation. You know your mom—she likes her peace and quiet."

"Oh." Renesmee put her book and iPod back into the little carry-on bag she had with her. "I can be quiet, though."

"I know, kid," Jacob said, smiling. "But sometimes parents just like to be by themselves for a little while. Don't ask why, 'cause I don't know."

Liar. It made Tanya smile a little.

"Why are we going back, anyway?" The girl never stopped asking questions. It was endearing, in a way. "We just saw grandpa last month."

Jacob glanced back at Tanya briefly before he answered. "Tanya's bored. We thought we'd show her what 'bored' really is." He winked at her, and she smiled a little.

For as much as she'd disliked Jacob Black when she first met him, she'd found him to be a good friend with a warm heart. He could have told Renesmee the full truth. The truth about Tanya's misery at being surrounded by so many happy couples, no matter where she went.

Edward, the mind reader, had offered her a little vacation. They would all head to Forks, far away from everyone else, and she would stay in the main house with Jacob and Renesmee, while Edward and Bella isolated themselves in their little cottage, just far enough from the house that she wouldn't hear their happy love making. She'd jumped on it.

That didn't make the truth any nicer, and she was grateful that Jacob had only told Renesmee a sliver of it.

The plane touched down, and it was cloudy outside, just as Alice had promised. Tanya reached for her carry-on and exited after Jacob and Renesmee. When they arrived at the baggage claim, Renesmee broke away to race into her father's arms. Edward straightened up from where he'd been leaning against a wall, beaming from ear to ear as his little girl chattered on about the plane ride, and how mature she was for being able to do it without her parents.

The moment made Tanya's heart wrench a little, and she turned away on the pretense of finding her luggage.

The ride home didn't help things much. The atmosphere of family in the car didn't often include Tanya. She saw Edward glance in the rearview mirror, frowning from behind his sunglasses. She knew the look. It was one she'd received often in previous months, since her funk had kicked off when Garrett and Kate had finally made it official, marrying at a courthouse in Anchorage.

I'm fine, she thought. Then, Well, not fine exactly, but I've been worse. Thanks for the "get out of jail free" card.

He smiled and turned his attention to the road again.

Bella was twisted around in her seat talking to her daughter. When the conversation seemed to be wrapping up, she turned her attention to Tanya. "So are you excited to see Forks?" she asked, grinning. "You're going to be bored out of your mind."

"That's what I've been told," Tanya said, leaning back a little. "It's got to be better than…" She trailed off and looked down at her folded hands. "Well, it'll be a nice change. Quieter, you know."

Renesmee looked back at Tanya. "Am I too loud?" she asked, looking worried.

Tanya laughed. "No, darling," she said, reaching forward to tousle her baby cousin's hair. "You're perfect. Your cousins on the other hand…"

"I know," Renesmee said, nodding seriously. "They are really loud sometimes. It's unreasonable."

Edward snorted, no doubt at his daughter calling her rowdy cousins "unreasonable" at age four. It was true, though. Garrett and Eleazar could give Emmett and Jasper a run for their money when they wanted. And when they were with their wives, things tended to get a little… raucous.

The only thing worse than hearing her sisters and their husbands really going at it like animals was hearing the quiet whispers, gasps, and moans that accompanied their love making. The sweet nothings, the quiet pleading, the words of love that she had never had anyone say to her, and mean it. To say I love you was a different thing than to feel I love you, and she knew it all too well.

She wanted it more than ever now, since she was the only single one in the family left. It was miserable, really. It was unbearable. And it was why she was escaping for a while.

When the big SUV pulled in to the garage of the big glass house at a little after nine in the morning, Tanya breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, some peace and quiet. The only thing better would be…

"Hey, isn't there a camping store in this town?" she asked suddenly.

"Newton's Olympic Outfitters," Bella said. "Why?"

Tanya shrugged. "I think it'd be fun to try camping."

Bella nodded and smiled sympathetically at her. "I think you'd like it. It's very quiet." She picked up her suitcase. "We're going to go dump our stuff at the cottage, then we're all going to Charlie's. You're welcome to come with."

Tanya knew what she meant. You're welcome to come with, but we'll understand if you don't want to. She forced a smile. "I think I'll just hang out here, if that's alright with you."

"That's fine," Bella said, and in a flash, she was off running to the cottage.

Two hours later, Tanya was bored out of her mind. They hadn't been kidding when they'd said there was nothing to do in Forks. Camping crossed her mind again, though, and thinking she might have a little fun and do some shopping, she headed out to the garage and started up Edward's old Volvo.

Newton's Olympic Outfitters couldn't be that hard to find.

a/n Okay. So far, so good. I haven't deviated from my outline yet.

Review and let me know what you think. This thing's going places.