Stormy Skies

Chapter 1: New Beginning

A/N: I thought of this little plot bunny after reading The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. I felt that Bree got the short end of the stick when the Volturi killed her and thought she deserved better than that. So, I thought about what it would have been like if Bree had been spared and adopted by the Cullens. What would her life be like if she lived with them? What if she suddenly started having feelings for Edward? How would that change things for Bella? All of these questions will be addressed in this story. It's my first Twilight fic, and I hope that you enjoy it.

Summary: AU. Bree Tanner has now been adopted into the Cullen family and faces many new challenges ahead. When she starts to have feelings for Edward, things get even more complicated as Edward questions his relationship with Bella and whether he's doing the right thing by being with her.

Disclaimer: Bree Tanner and all other characters in the Twilight universe belong to Stephenie Meyer. I only own the plot and am making no money from it.

I stood there with a stunned look on my face as the Volturi granted the request of Carlisle Cullen. For a moment, I thought for sure I was going to be killed by them. I could see that the blonde girl, Jane, really wasn't happy with the decision that Aro made, but there was nothing she could do. She gave me a cold look as she and the others departed after wishing Carlisle good luck in trying to control me.

Carlisle turned to me and smiled warmly. "Well, Bree, welcome to our family," he said graciously. "As you know, my name is Carlisle. This is my wife Esme and our children: Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Edward. And this is Edward's girlfriend, Bella."

I looked at Bella, the bloodlust still coursing through me. Her scent was so intoxicating, and I wanted to grab her at that very moment. However, something in my mood shifted, and the temptation to kill faded a little. I was a bit confused as to how that was happening.

"What's going on?" I asked. "I had an urge to kill, and now I don't have it as much."

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, that's Jasper's doing," he said. "He can change the mood around him. It's one of his special gifts."

"Is he the only one who has it?" I asked.

"Yes, that particular gift is only his," Carlisle replied. "Alice has visions of the future, and Edward can read minds."

"Wow," I breathed. "Do you think I have a special gift?"

"It's possible you might," Carlisle mused. "Have you ever noticed yourself doing something you couldn't do in your human life?"

I tried to think back. "No, not really," I said. "But Fred could. He gave off this powerful odor, and everyone would usually leave him alone. I always stayed close to him so that others would stay away from me."

"Ah, I see," Carlisle said. "Was Fred one of the casualties of the war?"

I shook my head. "No, he left for Vancouver before Riley attacked," I answered. "He was the only true friend I had besides Diego." A pang shot through me at the mention of his name. I just couldn't believe that he was gone now. It didn't seem real that Riley would murder him so callously like that.

"Well, we will discuss more of this later," Carlisle decided. "For now, you need some nourishment as you're thirsty. Jasper will teach you how to hunt. We don't hunt for humans as we have learned to control that bloodlust. Jasper will teach you how to hunt for animals. The blood may taste differently, but it will quench your thirst. Edward, take Bella home. She will have to remain there until Bree can learn to control her thirst for humans. I know it sounds harsh, but I don't want to risk Bella right now."

"I understand, Carlisle," Edward replied. He took Bella's hand and led her away from us. She looked back at me with a look of fear on her face. I looked away because I wanted to make sure I didn't go after her right away. If I wanted to fit in with this family, I would have to do everything they did no matter how hard it was to do so.

"Come, Bree, I'll take you to hunt," Jasper said. The look he'd had on his face before had softened a bit. I could tell he was still reluctant to be doing this, but he knew it was what Carlisle wanted him to do. Jasper moved effortlessly through the forest, and I followed him easily.

"So, what do you remember of your human life?" Jasper asked me.

"Well, I was knocked around by my dad a lot," I answered. "That's why I ran away. I did whatever I could to survive. Then Riley came along and promised me a new life. He took me to the one who created me. I could tell she didn't like me, but she decided to use me anyway. I remember a bite on my neck and then burning pain. That was all I could think of as it happened."

"Did you know much about Victoria?"

"No, we never knew her name as I said before," I responded. "We only saw her when she created us, and that was it."

"Ah, I see," Jasper mused. Then he told me more about his own life and what had happened before he became a vampire. I was intrigued with his story and how he'd managed to survive all of that. It made me think of the Volturi and how they had come close to killing me. I shuddered at the thought until Jasper sent calming energy my way to shroud my fear.

"So, how are we going to do this?" I asked him.

He smiled. "Watch me first," he said. He pointed to a brook where some deer were drinking. "Do you see them?" he asked.

"Yeah, and I can hear their heartbeat and smell the blood," I replied. "It's different than human blood though. Not as intoxicating."

"Yes, it does take some getting used to," Jasper remarked. "Now, watch what I do." He crouched down, hesitated, and then sprang straight for the nearest deer. Before the deer could react, Jasper caught it in his grip and bit the neck. Blood spilled out of it as Jasper drank, making me even more thirsty than I was before. The other deer were frightened by Jasper's sudden attack and started to retreat. I crouched down and sprang at one that was closest to my spot. I managed to tackle it perfectly and bit into the neck. The blood I drank was definitely different, but it helped to quench my thirst.

"Well done," Jasper praised me. "You're a fast learner."

"Thanks," I replied. "I was thinking of going again. My thirst is better, but it hasn't quite been quenched yet."

"If you want to, you can," Jasper agreed. "Sometimes, it depends on the vampire and how much they can drink before the thirst is quenched. I suppose you and I can have one more hunt before calling it a day."

"Great," I said. "Where to?"

Jasper stopped for a moment to listen and smell the air. "I can sense two mountain lions going west," he said. "Let's head there."

I nodded and followed him. Soon, we spotted the two big cats who were loping at a leisurely pace. Jasper signaled to me to go up in the trees, and I followed him. We continued that way for a little bit until we were sure we could get the jump on the cats. At Jasper's next signal, we sprang from the trees, taking the cats by surprise. Jasper managed to bite his with very little fanfare, but my mountain lion tried to put up a fight. I could feel the claws scratching me but stood my ground and fought back until I bit into the neck. The blood felt so good going down my throat, and my thirst had dulled considerably.

"Very good, Bree," Jasper praised me again. "I think you're really starting to learn."

"Thanks," I said again. "So, are we done?"

"Yes, I think we should be done for now, unless you want to try again," Jasper replied.

"No, I'm good for now," I answered.

"All right, let's head home," he said.

As we went through the woods, Jasper asked me more about my life with Riley's coven and what it had been like. I answered as much as I could and told him a bit more about Diego and how he'd been my best friend. Jasper had a sympathetic look on his face, and I could tell he was sorry that I had had to deal with that. I wasn't ready for sympathy yet, and I told Jasper so. He seemed to understand and dropped the subject.

When we arrived at the Cullen home, I was impressed with it. I couldn't believe that the Cullens had such a magnificent home. We arrived inside and were greeted by Alice, who smiled at me warmly and kissed Jasper on the lips. I smiled back and just stood there, unsure as to what I was supposed to do.

"Have a seat," Alice offered as she gestured to a couch.

I did as she asked even though I was a bit reluctant about it. Alice sat next to me while Jasper sat in one of the recliners.

"So, how was the hunt?" Alice asked us.

"It was great," Jasper said. "Bree is a fast learner. She picked up on what I was doing and managed to do it herself on her first try."

"That's great!" exclaimed Alice. "How did it feel to drink animal blood?"

"The smell was different, but I really liked drinking it," I answered. "It tastes different than human blood, but it definitely helps the thirst."

"Yeah, it's always a relief when your thirst is quenched," Alice mused.

Then the blonde haired girl came in to see what we were doing. "How'd the newbie do?" she asked Jasper.

"Newbie?" I repeated. I had heard that name before. Diego had called me one soon after I met him. It took me by surprise to hear the blonde using it.

"It's Rose's pet term for newborn," Jasper explained. "Don't take it personally." He turned to Rose. "She did very well for her first real hunt. She just watched what I did and copied it perfectly."

"Wow, impressive," Rose remarked. "Maybe that's your special gift, Bree. You can mimic what others do by just watching them do it once. You must have been a pretty cool human."

"Yeah, maybe," I replied. "I don't remember much about my human life, but I guess that makes sense in a way. Do you have a special gift, Rose?"

"Yeah, her special gift is annoying the hell out of the rest of us," a voice said from the doorway. We turned to see the burly boy come into the room.

Rose hissed at him. "Real smooth, Emmett," she groaned.

Emmett smiled. "Well, it's true," he replied.

I laughed at their banter. It felt so good to be with vampires who understood me and who could help me. Maybe I could fit in with them. It would take some work, but I knew I could do it. Then something came to me. "Hey, I was wondering if you could explain to me something I discovered with Diego once," I began.

"What's that?" Emmett asked.

"Well, when Diego and I were out once, we discovered that our skin sparkles like diamonds," I told them. "Is that normal for us?"

"Yes, it is," Jasper replied. "That's why we can't be seen in sunlight and why we don't go to school on sunny days."

"You guys go to school?" I asked them.

"Yes, we try to keep up as much of a human façade as we can," Jasper answered. "It usually works well for us. You'll be able to go to school once you learn to control your thirst. It shouldn't be too hard for you."

"Yeah, I guess so," I muttered. I really wasn't looking forward to school at all, which was probably a product of my human life. It just didn't interest me at all, and I really didn't see the point of it. However, I decided I would try it and see what came of it. "So, what happens until then?"

"Carlisle and Esme will teach you at home," Jasper said. "We don't go to school anymore because we've all graduated. But don't worry I'm sure you'll do fine, Bree."

I nodded to show I was listening. Going to school was definitely going to be a challenge, but I would do my best to master it. I had to get rid of my thirst for humans if I wanted to fit in with the Cullen family. For now, the thirst was quenched, but I was afraid that one day, I would give in to my temptation and hunt a human. The thought of that human named Bella and her scent made me squirm a little. What if I couldn't control my thirst enough to satisfy the Cullens? Would they send me away to live on the streets again? I didn't want that and was determined to do all I could to master my hunger. It was the only way I was going to survive and live with a real family, something I hadn't known for a long time.

A/N: So, I've decided to end the chapter here. What did you think of it? Did you like it or hate it? I'd like to think that if Bree had a special gift like the others that it would be the ability to copy someone's action after watching them the first time. My guess is that Bree was a good student when she was a human and could pick up on stuff pretty quickly. It makes sense to me in a way. Feel free to leave a review after you've finished reading. Have a shelltastic day.