DISCLAIMER – The Twilight saga and all the characters mentioned in it are the undisputed property of Stephanie Myers. This story was written entirely for non-profit and the sheer love of the series and its memorable characters. Spoilers are included from pretty much included for every single book associated with Twilight. Proceed with caution if you haven't read everything, particularly The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.

I hope everyone enjoys reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Naturally, feedback is always appreciated but never demanded.

Also, be sure to check out my other fanfic Ashes through an Hourglass, gives Alec's side of the story along with original content featuring the Volturi. (It's sorta what Midnight Sun is to Twilight)

The (Not So) Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

By: Oy! Angelina

_Chapter 7_

Long Distance Charges May Apply

I was somewhere between my first black bear and second chamois when the haze of thirst cleared enough for me to appreciate the predicament I put myself in.

I kicked one of the Volturi's most dangerous members off a roof. Love or hate the Volturi, all vampires could agree on one thing about them – you don't provoke the Volturi unless you want to die. So, basically, I just sealed my own death warrant with a boot to Alec's backside. Hopefully my skin was as thick as my skull because Alec was going to take a chunk out of it once he caught up to me.

I continued draining wildlife and complaining to myself throughout my ascent along the Carpathian Mountain. Why was I compelled to sabotage my second life just when it was getting better? The only thing that upset me more than my low mortality rate as an immortal was how much of a disappointment I was to the Cullens. They vouched for me and I repaid their kindness with one screw up after another. My family already had enough problems with the Volturi without me bringing more to their doorstep.

Thinking of my family reminded me of the phone in my backpack. I was in the habit of shutting my cell off here and there to conserve the battery. The last time I checked it was before I climbed up the tower and something told me I missed a few phone calls since then. Still on the run, I found my cell inside my backpack and switched it on.

Alice, Esme, Carlisle and Emmett all called me at least once and I had a pretty good idea what they wanted to discuss. I also missed a call from Seth but that probably had nothing to do with my bad temper or my self-destructive tendencies. Heaving a sigh, I decided to check in with my family first and - because I was a total coward - I chose to call Carlisle.

"Bree," Carlisle answered on the first ring with a relieved sigh. "I'm glad to hear from you. Alice saw…"

"…You kick Alec off the Lutheran Cathedral tower," Alice finished for him from the background.

I should have figured it wouldn't matter which of the Cullens I called since I would just end up talking to all of them. Pretty much any phone conversation is on speaker-phone where vampires are concerned.

I swallowed hard as the wind and mist whipped past my face along the mountain tops. "Hi Alice, how was the wedding?"

"Don't you 'hi Alice, how was the wedding' me," Alice huffed. "Do you know how frustrating it is for me when you make a split-second decision like that? It's impossible for me to save you from yourself! You have got to be one of the most impulsive vampires I've met…"

"She is a newborn," Jasper said as if Alice needed to be reminded of the fact. "It's going to be a while before Bree;s instincts stop making half of her decisions for her."

"I know and it's not like I blame her for it but what happens when Bella becomes one of us, too? I'll drive myself mad trying to keep an eye on both of them," said Alice, her trilling voice strained.

"I'm sorry," I said. The weight of my guilt was so crushing I wished I was still able to cry just to relieve some of the pressure welling up inside me. "I try to behave myself but it's so hard sometimes. When I get thirsty or angry I just lose control. That's not an excuse, I know, but I swear I want to be better than that."

"It's alright. You have nothing to apologize for," Carlisle soothed me half a world away. "We all understand what being a newborn is like and know you're doing your best."

"Carlisle's right," Alice said in an apologetic tone. "Don't listen to me, okay? I'm just a little control-freak who gets grumpy when she can't fix a problem before it happens. Believe it or not we're very impressed of how you've handled yourself so far."

My mind flashed a replay of kicking Alec into the air and I laughed desperately. "You can't be serious. After what I did to Alec the Volturi will -"

"Bree," Carlisle cut me off gently. "I understand how upset and worried you are but I spent time amongst the Volturi and consider Aro one of my oldest friends. I won't deny that what you did to Alec was…inappropriate but it wasn't as though any damage was done. Alec might be annoyed with you but he has been around for centuries and knows that newborns aren't always capable of the most rational decisions."

It was hard to relax when my brief encounter with Alec made it seem unlikely that he was just dust himself off, go back to Italy and forget what I did. Maybe I didn't know Alec well but I knew enough to say he wasn't the most sympathetic, forgiving creature on the planet. He had absolutely no respect for the Cullens or their humane lifestyle, he spoke as if the Volturi were infallible when it came to preserving the peace and order of the vampire world and nearly everything he said had an apathetic or condescending quality. No, when Alec found me there would be hell to pay with interest.

"Alec should be happy you didn't rip an arm off," Emmett chimed in from the background, disrupting my foreboding thoughts. "If he has a right to be sore about anything it's getting beaten up by a girl."

"Emmett, that's not very helpful," Carlisle said wearily.

I groaned. Well, that explained Emmett's phone call earlier. I expected Alice, Esme and Carlisle to be some degree of worried about or disappointed in me but leave it to Emmett to whole-heartedly approve of me causing an international incident. Worst of all, he probably had the right of it.

"Bree?" Esme's beautiful voice sang into the receiver. "Honey, why don't you come home? There's no reason for you to be away anymore and we all miss you so much. I promise, none of us are mad at you."

"Ahem," Rosalie corrected. Even her sound of disgust sounded like a chorus of bells. "Am I the only one who's worried about giving the Volturi yet another excuse to destroy us?"

"Yes, it's just you, Rose," Emmett told his mate with far too much amusement. "Go ahead and bring them back here! I would love to see if these Volturi are as tough as they think they are."

"Oh Emmett, don't say that…" Esme gasped as Rosalie growled out: "You realize most people just ask for a keychain or tee shirt when they want a souvenir?"

Emmett laughed unabashedly at their duress. While he got a good chuckle, I was bouncing up and down the Carpathians creating dummy trails like a paranoid jackrabbit.

"The Volturi are not going to follow Bree home," Alice told everyone firmly.

I sighed in relief along with Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie while Emmett grumbled discontentedly. If Alice said the Volturi wouldn't follow me to home to Forks then it had to be true. As nice as it was to know I wasn't a dead(er) girl walking I was far from content with the situation. The whole reason for my trip was to warn Fred about the Volturi but now there was a good chance I might lead them right to him. Then again, if I didn't find Fred he would probably end up seeing the Volturi anyway.

Why did I have to kick up a hornet's nest between a rock and a hard place?

"Alice? Can you see any way I can reach Fred before he finds the Volturi?" I asked nervously.

There was a pause followed by a sigh from Alice. "I'm sorry, Bree; nothing is coming to me."

"How can that be?" I asked.

"I've never met Fred and it's really hard to look for someone when you don't know who you're looking for," said Alice unhappily. "Unless I get a random flash or you make a decision that could lead to your paths crossing, I'm afraid I won't be much help to you."

"Bree, I know you're worried about your friend but we're all worried about you," Esme spoke up again. "Please? Won't you come home?"

I shook my head even though Esme couldn't see it. "If something happened to Fred because I quit on him I would never forgive myself."

"But what if something happens to you?" Esme asked urgently.

"Your loyalty and concern is very admirable, Bree, but I honestly don't believe the Volturi would have any reason to cause Fred harm," said Carlisle earnestly. "From what you said about him Fred sounds like the sort of vampire they would appreciate having the chance to meet."

"That's what worries me," I said as an idea struck me. "Alice, you said you can't find Fred because you've never met him but you've met the Volturi. Can you see anything about them that involves Fred?"

"Hmm. Let me try…" Alice trailed off. This pause was longer than the last. I didn't know if that was a good sign or bad one. After what felt like an eternity in and of itself, Alice said: "…that's so odd. I'm not entirely sure but I wonder…maybe I have been seeing Fred after all but, for some reason, I keep glossing over his future."

"You mean like with the La Push pack?" Jasper asked, bewildered.

"Not exactly. I can't see the shape-shifters at all. Fred, on the other hand, is there but it's like he's in a blind-spot I didn't know I had with vampires," Alice said, sounding extremely frustrated with the prospect.

"It must be Fred's talent. I think it keeps throwing me off his scent, too," I said. As cool as Fred ability was it was protecting him a little too well for my liking. "Fred can repel even thoughts about him so you'll forget that he's even around. I wouldn't expect that to apply to seeing into his future as well but maybe because you're technically looking for Fred, his ability keeps you from noticing him."

"What a fascinating prospect," Carlisle marveled.

"And a real annoying one," Alice said, which I completely agreed with.

"Maybe this wouldn't be an issue if Fred knew Alice and didn't care that she was keeping an eye on him," I suggested.

"Until then, I'll just have to try and concentrate harder," Alice said stubbornly. "Hopefully now that I know why I keep overlooking Fred I'll be able to work past the interference. For the time being, though, I think the only way I'll find Fred's future is if it intersects with Bree's future since I see her clearly. Of course, there's always a chance that I might lose her future too, like with the shape-shifters. I guess I won't know until it happens."

This possibility didn't sit well with Esme at all. "Bree, I'm begging you: come home. It makes me too nervous to think of Alice losing sight of you completely. I promise we'll all help you look for Fred as soon as your back."

This was the third time Esme asked me to come home. It killed me to make her so distraught so I admitted defeat. "Alright, I'll come back as soon as I can. It'll be dawn soon and it looks like it's going to be a clear day but I'll be on the first flight after nightfall."

"I'm so glad to hear that," Esme nearly sobbed. "Call me when you know what flight you'll be on and when you land."

"I could tell you that myself, Esme," Alice said as though insulted. "In the meanwhile, you should keep your phone on, Bree. My visions won't be very useful if you need to check your voicemail to receive them."

"Don't worry; I'll keep it on," I told her. "I'll check in later and see you all in about a day."

The Cullens offered me an assortment of goodbyes before I hung up. I stopped running in circles up and down the rocky slopes of the Carpathians and headed in the direction of Cluj-Napoca, the informal capitol of Transylvania. I could lay low there until it was dark enough to take a plane out of the international airport close to the city. It would probably be less boring to just hang around outside but I didn't want Alec to stumble on whichever rock I hid myself under.

I spent the rest of my hurried trek wondering where Alec was. I used every trick I knew to throw him off my scent but – in the seventy-two times I glanced over my shoulder – I didn't spot Alec once. I considered the possible explanations for this. One – I was super-awesome at escaping vampires. Two – I wasn't super-awesome at escaping vampires but Alec was really terrible at tracking them. Three – Alec somehow figured out a way catch up to me without a direct pursuit and he was just biding his time while I unwittingly played right into his hands. Or four – Alec didn't bother chasing after me at all because he just didn't care enough to try.

It was weird but, for some reason, that last explanation bothered me even more than the chance I was walking into a trap. I tried to rationalize that feeling, telling myself that it was the unending suspense that troubled me, not Alec's indifference. It would be a good thing if Alec decided I wasn't worth getting upset over.

I entered Cluj-Napoca without issue and picked a hotel to spend the day in. I couldn't think of any other place that I would be able to spend the whole day in without drawing attention to myself so I decided to rent a hotel room, even though it felt like a total waste of money. The fact it was a five-star hotel didn't make me feel any less ridiculous since its swanky accommodations would be wasted on me. The sun was moments from rising, though, so I sucked it up since I didn't have time to find a budget motel.

With two flicks of my fingers, I popped a set of contacts onto my eyes and approached the check-in desk self-consciously. The Cullens were insanely wealthy but, after two months, I still wasn't used to "nice things". I spent all my human life and the first half of my second settling and scraping for whatever I could get so I definitely felt out of my element. The young woman covering the desk yawned discretely into her fist, which reminded me of the hour. I was used to staying up all night and only socialized with people who did the same.

I was almost at the front desk when the concierge stopped me. He was a reasonably attractive man in his late twenties who looked like he could smile his way through any situation. Unfortunately, even his finely honed professionalism couldn't mask how hard he was staring at me. This was the part where he figured out I was a fifteen year old girl with no parents, luggage or reservations and asked me politely to leave.

"Miss Tanner; I'm so happy you've arrived," the concierge greeted. His perfect English didn't shock me but the familiarity of his words did. "Your assistant explained the situation. I can only imagine how disoriented you must be but rest assured you will have nothing more to worry about during your stay."

"My assistant?" I repeated quizzically.

"Yes, I believe her name was Alice – you may call me Ionel, by the way," the concierge introduced himself with a bow of his head. "As I was saying, Alice told me of the misfortune you've suffered since departing Hollywood – your family and manager missing their flights, yours getting rerouted and delayed, not to mention the loss of your luggage. I hope this won't suffer too long a delay. Please take comfort in knowing that all your expenses have already been taken care of through your assistant so you needn't do anything but enjoy yourself during your stay."

Now it made sense. Probably the second I decided to go to Cluj-Napoca Alice saw I would end up coming to this hotel. I had the Cullens' magical black credit card but all the money in the world couldn't distract from the fact I was an unattended minor with just a backpack. The hotel probably would have figured I stole the card and called the police. At least Alice's diva sob story and reciting her own credit card number explained away any and all doubt.

"Yes, I'm pretty sick of traveling at this point," I said, not having to do a whole lot of acting to play the part Alice fitted me with.

Ionel took this as a hint to show me to my room. During the elevator ride he listed off all the features the hotel had to offer, such as a fitness center, spa and gourmet restaurant for both dining and room service. Apparently Alice had also taken the liberty of asking Ionel to arrange for several high-end boutiques in Cluj-Napoca to send over clothing and accessories to "replace what the airport lost". I had to roll my eyes. Probably the only thing that annoyed Alice more than me kicking Volturi or Fred blocking her ability was me wearing the same simple outfit I borrowed from Irina for several days in a row. Knowing my fashionista sister, I would end up coming home with ten suitcases full of new clothes as a subtle reminder that even alone and abroad Alice expected me to dress my best.

The room Ionel took me to was on the top floor of the hotel and the sight of it made my jaw dropped so hard I thought it would crack the marble tile. It was the kind of room hotels set aside in case world leaders, members of royalty and platinum recording artists felt like dropping in.

"Alice told you to give me this room?" I asked in disbelief. What did Alice think I was going to do with complimentary room-service, a king-sized feather bed, 1000-thread count sheets and a bathroom big enough to fit a swim team?

"Actually, took the liberty of upgrading your accommodations for no extra charge. These suites are rarely used and I thought you deserved a little comfort and could use some rest," Ionel said, giving me a long look again. "If you need anything else, I will personally see to it. Perhaps after you've refreshed I could introduce you to the city? Cluj-Napoca has a rich culture and amazing nightlife."

Ionel wore a blushing, hopeful expression. Vampire beauty always put humans in a fluster. Add on our pleasant voices and alluring scents and it becomes hard to blame a guy for trying, even if Ionel is almost twice my age I could fault him for stirring my thirst, though. My throat constricted at the sight of the blood warming his soft skin but my feast of indigenous creatures but it was probably in Ionel's best interest if he didn't hang around me too long.

"That sounds like it would be fun, Ionel, but I'll be flying out of the country tonight," I forced a smile and tried to seem at least somewhat disappointed.

"What about lunch then? I know all the best places to dine in this city, any cuisine you prefer," said Ionel, still optimistic. "I wouldn't be doing my job if I let you leave without experiencing something the city has to offer."

Ionel's persistence was starting to irk me. He was only acting this way because everything about me screamed "appealing" and I wasn't even as gorgeous as Rosalie. She could steal a vampire's breath away so I could only imagine what effect she would have on a guy like Ionel. It reminded me of how superficial humans could be. I got taken in by Riley's good looks and other appealing qualities and where did that lead me? Most humans who get taken in by a vampire don't become glittery statues, though. Most just get treated like a juice box and if Ionel didn't want to get punctured he needed to get moving.

"I would love to but I feel like I haven't slept in months. I think I need to rest up and relax before my flight," I said, motioning to the dark circles under my eyes.

"Of course, Miss Tanner; I completely understand. If you change your mind, though…" Ionel said, unable to keep a note of dejection out of his voice. He gave me one another long look that ended with him knitting his eyebrows. "How strange. In the lobby your eyes were a beautiful violet but up here they seem so much darker."

"It must be the lighting," I said, knowing full well that my hungry eyes were to blame.

I attempted to tip Ionel for his trouble but he wouldn't accept my money. He was probably still holding out hope I might change my mind. Even if I did, the daylight made it impossible for me to do much of anything other than close the curtains and keep to myself.

To distract myself from my thirst, I toured my lavish suite. The only thing more uncomfortable than my thirst was how I felt in my extravagant hotel room, even though Ionel's reaction indicated I was right at home amongst such beauty. It was hard to feel too flattered by the attention or impressed with myself since everyone I knew was some variation of attractive. None of us fawned over one another's appearances because eyes as sharp as ours made everything seem at least somewhat mesmerizing.

Still thinking with my stomach, I busied myself with anything that would suppress that ever-present thirst in the back of my throat and reminded myself that a human being was supposed to be renting the room. I ran the shower in the bathroom for a few minutes and left a few wet towels bunched on the counter and floors. After flushing a big wad of toilet paper I empted a couple cans of soda and bottled water into the sink then smeared a little toothpaste on the sink basin. I ruffled and littered the rest of my suite enough to make it seem used then flipped on the television just to have something to concentrate on other than the burning in my throat.

Eventually my priorities shifted from thirst to boredom once I realized I had hours to kill before nightfall. I never thought I would miss anything about my time with the other recruits for Riley's newborn army but at least I had books to read and the ever-present threat of total annihilation to keep things from getting too dull. More than anything I felt lonely. I never minded being on my own when my only other company was abusive parents or vampires but now that I had people in my life I actually liked being around I was really starting to miss them.

After booking a seven o'clock flight out of the country with a certain sense of relief I considered calling home again. Esme and Alice would probably talk to me for a while but I didn't want to pester them since I would be seeing them soon. Thinking of home did remind me that I owed a phone call to someone else I liked having in my life.

The phone picked up on the third ring. "Hello? Bree? When did you –"

Seth began yawning too loud to finish his sentence. I did the math quick and realized it was past two in the morning as far as Seth was concerned. I instantly felt bad for waking him up. "I'm sorry; I keep forgetting that not everyone's an insomniac like me."

"Nah, it's cool. I'm just psyched to hear from you," Seth assured me, sounding somewhat more alert now. "Besides it's not like I need a ton of sleep. I'm built tough too, Cheese."

"Did you just call me 'Cheese'?" I asked incredulously.

"Oh, that's you're new nickname that I made up. Hope you like it," said Seth blithely. "It's not all that clever, though, since you're named after a cheese."

"I don't spell my name B-R-I-E, Seth," I growled. "I veto the use of Cheese as a nickname and if you keep calling me by it I swear I'll put more holes in you than Swiss."

"Okay, fine," said Seth, sulking over my veto power. "How about 'Bumble Bree'? You know, 'cause you're always zipping around, smell like flowers and can sting if you want to."

That and I bumbled my way through nearly anything I tried to do. "I like that one better."

"I aim to please. Did you just get home now? Since I'm already up I could always run over and –"

"Er, I'm actually I'm not in Forks right now. Or the North American continent," I cut Seth off apologetically.

"But you –" Seth huffed over the receiver then continued in a whine. "You said you would be back in a week at most and it's been, like, two!"

"Try eight days," I said, smiling at the phone.

Seth paused long enough to count back. "Yeah, well…I can't help it if today felt like it went by super slow. Where are you, anyway?"

"Transylvania at the moment."

"Transylvania!" Seth cackled over the phone. "Oh, man, is it like Vampire Graceland over there?"

"Sorta," I said. While I was thinking about my brush with the Volturi Seth was probably talking about tee-shirts and souvenirs. "Right now I'm stranded in this hotel that is way too fancy for my tastes. It's like the honeymoon suite for Dracula and his brides."

"I need to start traveling with you. Oh, speaking of weddings, Bella and Edwards was pretty cool…except for the part where Jake almost killed the groom…again."

I snapped up from my reclined position. "What?"

"Relax! Nothing happened. Jake just freaked over the…um…consummating portion of the honeymoon."

"Well, they did get married," I knew Jacob had a thing for Bella but what did he think was going to happen? I didn't want to sound totally insensitive, though, since Seth looked up to Jacob. Fortunately a knock on my door spared me the effort of coming up with my own change of subject. "Hold on, I think that's the clothes Alice ordered for me."

"Clothes?" Seth echoed in bewilderment as I let the bellboy in.

The bellboy did a double-take when he saw me but, unlike Ionel, didn't have the nerve to flirt. Wordlessly, he rolled in one rack of dresses and another full of empty luggage with some incoherent mumbles explaining his presence. Once finished, the bellboy excused himself with more mumbling and left before I could offer him a tip.

On the other end of the phone Seth was snickering. I shushed him and rolled my eyes as I inspected the clothes. "Geez. It's all lace and silk. Where does Alice think I'm going to wear half this stuff? It's not like the woods have a dress code."

"If you're trying to hint that you want to be taken out on a date, I might be able to accommodate so long as you're willing to skip dinner."

"Wow. Way to see through my clever ruse," I said dryly. I spotted a pair of cargo pants and a periwinkle blouse with a frilly collar that almost qualified as casual. "Hold on, I'm going to change."

"And the seduction continues…" Seth chided despite the fact I was already finished switching outfits by the time he finished his sentence. "Can I ask what you're wearing?"

"I never knew you were so interested in designer women's clothing, Seth," I said cheerfully while walking over to the bed and flopping down. "You can see them when I get home tomorrow."

"Sweet! Should I sit on your porch like a good dog and await your arrival?" Seth asked.

"Shut-up, Seth!" I laughed at the phone. "Sam would kill you, you know that."

"Wow, guess you better get an early flight, huh?" said Seth innocently.

I shook my head against the pillow. "Why should I rush? You're already the Omega-Male so it's not like they can bust you down to something worse."

"Whatever, you're the Omega-Cullen," Seth said with a snort before launching into one of our favorite games. "You're such a runt you're not allowed to eat anything mentioned in the 'Old McDonald' song."

"You're such a runt the tallest tree you're allowed to mark your territory on is an acorn," I shot back.

"Yeah, you win this round…" Seth sighed, then perked up: "Don't get too cocky, though; I'll have a comeback waiting for when you get home. We can watch martial arts movies and play 'spot the stunt-double'. Or baseball! Edward told me that the Cullens like to have a game whenever there's a thunderstorm. I would be like the world's best outfielder."

"Does that mean we have to play with a tennis ball?" I wondered sweetly.

If Seth had a snappy comeback ready I missed it. A cotton-thick fog rolled over me until I was submerged in total nothingness. Each of my five senses was absent, leaving me numb and ignorant to everything happening around me. Either I was the first vampire to actually fall asleep or Alec finally caught up to me. My money was on the latter since what I was experiencing it lacked all relaxation I dimly recalled feeling when human.

It felt like I slipped into oblivion itself except for how alert my mind was. I couldn't feel my anxiety but that didn't stop my mind from thinking at a panicked pace. I was utterly unaware of what was happening to my body. I didn't know if I was sitting, standing, flailing or falling at the moment. Was it just a moment? Maybe hours had gone by, even days, and my churning thoughts couldn't tell the difference. What if I was being ripped apart and burned without the vaguest clue I was dying? Would I even realize my doomed fate or would I just cut out mid-thought as I plunged into true and absolute death?

It was disturbing to consider such possibilities but I was also powerless to change my situation. All I could do was wait to see if or when my stupor ended. I ticked off the seconds some grasp of time and hoped my mind was still reliable in that regard. I reached 10,643 when sensation began to prick at my body once more. It had been almost three hours since I started counting. Grimly, I waited for full control of my body to return so I could see what the damage was.

Within a second I was back to normal but it felt much longer since my senses returned one at a time. I notice the venom in my mouth first followed soon after by my hearing. The chirp of birds, rustle of leaves and moan of wind told me I was outside, which I immediately found unnerving since the last place I remembered being was in my hotel room. Worse, was the fact something was pinning me to the ground but the mystery of what was cleared up as soon as my sense of smell returned.

Alec.

I almost didn't want to see what came next. The colors and shapes bled back into my vision until I could focus on Alec's smug face hovering inches from mine as he used his body to keep mine pressed into the grass.

"You know, Bree…" Alec drawled out casually. "…imagine my disappointment when you decided to end our pleasant little chat on such a down note…"