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What if the Volturi hadn't killed Bree? How would life change for her, the Cullens, Bella, and everyone in between?

(picks up from chapter 25 in eclipse: mirror) Author's note: Starts out in chapter 25 of Eclipse, after Edward killed Victoria, and after the Volturi get to the scene once the whole battle is over. The Cullens are all gathered around to face Jane, Felix, and Demetri. So that means that the first part is from Bella's POV. Stephenie Meyer, of course, owns anything and everything Twilight. Don't sue me. I own the rest.

Jane turned to look at the newborn Bree again, her face completely bored. "Felix?" she drawled.

"Wait," Edward interjected.

Jane raised one eyebrow, but Edward was staring at Carlisle while he spoke in an urgent voice. "We could explain the rules to the young one. She doesn't seem unwilling to learn. She didn't know what she was doing."

"Of course," Carlisle answered. "We would certainly be prepared to take responsibility for Bree."

Jane's expression was torn between amusement and disbelief.

"We don't - well, wait. We have never been known for second chances - it hurts our reputation - but let me weigh the pros and cons." her face went blank for the shortest of moments, maybe thirty seconds. Although I knew that it was neither the time nor the place to do so, I felt a little corner of my brain note how much easier life would be when I could think that fast.

I really didn't know this Bree, and she seemed to want nothing more but to flee from Jane's wrath or kill me, but the way Edward seemed to have some compassion for her made me feel guilty for how she would most likely die. Like Jane said, they didn't give out second chances like the Cullens, and definitely didn't care about another brick-in-the-wall average vampire like Bree.

Unless...

"Hm," Jane almost mockingly mused, "I suppose I've reached my decision. You can keep the newborn. She seems not to be a threat, but if Eleazar finds her to be... useful, please do inform us. I know Aro would greatly enjoy a new addition, and she could also be a gift." Jane laughed grimly to herself, and though it was light and innocent-sounding on the surface, I could tell something dark was just below the surface of her words.

"You know how Aro prizes specialties," she finished.

"One last thing." This was what we had been waiting for. "Bella," she eyed me in the most uncomfortable and menacing way.

Edward practically growled, "Could you please not do that?"

"Just checking." Jane smiled conspiratorially. "As I was saying, Bella, I'm sure Caius will be so interested to hear that you're still human. Perhaps he'll decide to make a visit."

With that I was reminded of who Jane really agreed with when it came to the Volturi.

"The date is set," Alice told Jane, speaking for the first time. "Maybe we'll come see you in a few months."

Jane's face had slowly gone blank and bored, once again, and she shrugged indifferently. She didn't really even look at Alice, just listening and acting as if she were giving her a weather report. She looked at Carlisle. "It was nice to meet you, Carlisle - I'd thought Aro was exaggerating. Well, until we meet again... Come."

And then they went just as they had come, dark cloaks, thankfully, drifting away from us.

Then I saw Bree again. Her eyes were filled with about a million emotions, the strongest of them relief and crazed hunger. Obviously, being in such close proximity was going to be a difficulty. Hopefully, though, young Bree would prove to be an ally for us and living proof that the Cullens were strong, gracious, and ready to take on anything. First we just had to make sure she didn't kill me.

##

Bree Tanner

I kept analyzing the surfaces of my face. I was still just about three, maybe four months old, as my new self, that is.

As a human, or, I should say "the age I will forever be," is 15. So close to 16, though. I shouldn't have left home so early.

Wet. Warm. Delicious, warm, wet, comforting, everything I want, something I don't actually need, sweet, sustainability, never-ending, tempting. Ruinous. Immoral. Life. It was a heartbeat, an it wasn't too far away. Bella, the human girl that this coven had, more or less, adopted as their own, still hadn't been very close to me since that day in the clearing when my life almost ended. For good reason, too. I was coherent now, no thanks to brutal negative reinforcement and hardcore animal binging, but if anyone, much less her, came near me, I'd snap. That day still rang pure in my mind. The burning, the pain of everything.

We'd already tried my strength by driving near the town, but that went badly. We ended up needing a new car.

That was another thing that I didn't understand. I still had some humanity left in me, but I couldn't fathom why vampires, of all creatures, would want cars. We're fast enough to get pretty much anywhere at any time, and it's not like there wasn't more than enough to do besides drive. Instead of trying to understand cars or the Cullens' interest in them, I went back to looking at my face.

It was fascinating. I could practically feel the texture and silky smoothness of my skin. I wasn't trying to be vain, but I'd never experienced anything like it before. My eyes were the coolest. Not to say I didn't like the animal-eaters' eyes - the gold and yellow eyes were interesting, too - but the shade of red mine were just boggled my mind. Nothing had ever compared to this color of red. Not a sunset, sunrise, or even the blood of my previous victims. It was richer red than a flame, even, seeing as how the flame is more orange than red. They practically glowed. A small, quiet, partially shrouded part of my mind was horrified. That was the humanity. Rather than seeing fascination or interest at everything so new, it saw evil. Evil and deadly predator and deceitful monster and every other name for us. It sent thrills of self-loathing and disgust throughout my body. My mind was so capacious, though, that an insignificant corner was almost nothing compared to the humanity had only started making appearances in my mind since I stopped drinking human blood.

My extremely strong muscles, when not breaking something unintentionally, were really fun. I could feel so much energy, so much controlled and bottled-up power flowing through them that physical activity was never a chore. It was a hobby, an activity, and most of all, a distraction. Riley had never let us have as much freedom as the Cullens did. That pain, the one that showed up every time I thought of my days in the basement, in fear, in hiding and loneliness, shot through my mind and body. I missed Diego so much.

My name is Bree Tanner, and I am a vampire.