DISCLAIMER – The Twilight saga and all the characters mentioned in it are the undisputed property of Stephanie Meyers. 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.

AUTHOR'S NOTE – Apologies to all my patient readers for having to wait on this next installment of Bree's tale. I assure you I'm not a sadist looking to build unnecessary suspense; I've just been more preoccupied than I was during the summer months and that's left me with little time or muse for Alec and Bree. Don't worry – I'm not abandoning either but updates may be slow to come in spots.

I hate to disappoint you all – truly – and you're all so very supportive. I just want to make sure that I reward your enthusiasm and loyalty with quality updates, not just dribble for the sake of posting. Hopefully you still think T(NS)SSLoBT is worth the wait after this update.

Much love, my passionate readers!

The (Not So) Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

By: Oy! Angelina

_Chapter 12_

Gravity Never Loses its Grip

"How long are you going to just sit there ignoring me?" Alec complained to my rigid back.

I allowed my moody silence to answer his question as I dangled my legs into the open air. I sat on a chunk of stone that wasn't large enough to serve as a diving board and overlooking a steep, unforgiving drop. Best of all there was no way it could support Alec's weight in addition to my own – I knew it, he knew it. Vampire math and physics skills were awesome like that. Of course if either of us did fall the worst that would end up happen would be us denting the scenery.

Alec didn't seem eager to push my buttons, though. Not with me sitting on a literal and figurative edge. Maybe it was out of consideration or maybe Alec had spent three and a half centuries carefully honing his survival instinct. Personally, I didn't care what his excuse was and – assuming he did volunteer some explanation – I wasn't likely to believe Alec, even with my uncanny ability to gage and express sincerity.

Alec was a conniving, selfish brat who was way too old to be teasing me and bullying Fred because… what was I saying? By now I should know better than to expect life to be the least bit fair. Alec didn't need a reason to mess with people; the Volturi never needed a reason to mess with people because there was nobody who could hold them accountable. The buck stopped with the Volturi elders and, in their eyes, a vampire like me was just a lowly peasant who should count my lucky stars if they considered me beneath contempt or feel profoundly honored if they took the least bit interest in me.

And Alec? He was just their dutiful minion. A happy little henchman who had free reign to do anything he wanted. Really, what options did I or anyone else have once Alec took an unhealthy interest in some random vampire? Not only was he exceptionally powerful but he represented the only governing body vampires recognized. Alec was in the perfect position to make up any rules he wanted and there wasn't a damn thing I could about it. Was I supposed to file a complaint with Volturi Vampire Resources? Right. I'm sure the rest of Alec's coven would jump straight to my defense, especially with Jane's brand of problem-solving skills.

Nope. I couldn't hold out hoping someone would save me. Right then all I wanted to do was go home to my family and never stray again but if Alec really was committed to stalking me around the world then I couldn't bring him straight to the Cullens' doorstep. They were already under enough scrutiny from the Volturi without me adding to their woes. And then there was Fred to think about. I couldn't just abandon him; not when I was the one who drew him straight into Alec's sights.

If I ever wanted to go home again, preferably with Fred in tow, I needed to get rid of Alec. Unfortunately, the only way to deal with a bully when you couldn't tattle on them was to either stand up to them and force the bully to find an easier target to torment or just not give them the satisfaction and ignore them until they lost interest and went away. Physically, I could probably pound Alec into chalk dust but that was a moot point so long as Alec could cut off my senses. My only hope was somehow boring Alec into submission but it was a dim hope at best. So far nothing I said or did discouraged Alec from keeping company with me so maybe if I said nothing or did nothing he would finally lose whatever bizarre interest he had in me.

"Come on, Bree. If you're that upset with me then how is giving me the silent treatment going to make things better?" Alec muttered with ample impatience and hint of desperation. Good. About time he shared some of the burden our quality time together caused. "Scream at me or attack me again, if you must, but you need to do something other than just sit there, staring out into space."

How long had that awkward pause between Alec's questions been? About five seconds? My new brain processed things so quickly I could become totally lost in my thoughts in the time it takes a human to sigh over theirs. Of course that means time was crawling by excruciatingly slow for Alec. Vampires could be patient creatures but it wasn't hard for us to become frustrated whenever the pace slowed.

A gust of wind tickled my toes while I stared over the dark, jagged peaks and shadow-cased valleys trailing all the way down to the summit of the Carpathian Mountains. The velvet darkness would have robbed the view from any human set of eyes but I missed nothing. It was the closest I've ever come to feeling on top of the world yet it was hard to enjoy when there were still things in my life hitting rock-bottom.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

"Have you heard the expression 'if you keep making that face it's going to freeze that way'? That's actually true if you're a vampire," Alec asked, changing up his pitch to give it a more conversational quality. Right. Like he was going to trick me into chit-chatting. When I remained unresponsive Alec pressed on with whatever point he wanted to illustrate. "If we stay in one position too long our flesh begins to petrify. Some of the oldest of our kind can't even pass for human because they've allowed themselves to become truly living statues. It happens whenever we become more fascinated by our own thoughts than whatever's transpiring around us. Aro, Marcus and Caius fell into this unfortunate habit. If you saw them you would understand why it's important for us to step outside our own heads once in a while."

"I can't sit here forever. What am I supposed to do about food? Hope mountain goats deliver?" I said waspishly. Great. The little jerk did trick me into answering him back. Whatever. Now that I already broke my vow of silence I may as well speak my mind. "Anyway, you don't have to keep making up reasons for me to go to Volterra to see your coven. You already tricked Fred into going there."

"I didn't 'trick' Fred into doing anything," Alec said indignantly. "Your friend wanted to visit my coven; all I did was offer him directions."

Even when he told the truth Alec still sounded like a liar. But what did I expect? He and his mental sister were the pride and joy of the Volturi and nobody got that kind of prestige without a certain level of depravity. Only a cold, calculating, self-centered person would turn my friendship with Fred into leverage so I would keep playing whatever twisted game Alec wanted to continue in Volterra.

"Drop the innocent act – you're way too wicked to sell it. You knew exactly what you were doing with Fred; otherwise, why mention it to me?" I spoke sharply, whipping my head around to glare at Alec. "I don't know why it's so important that I go back to Volterra with you but obviously you're willing to emotionally blackmail me into doing it. So congratulations, Alec – you win. You're getting exactly what you wanted."

The only thing I hated more than Alec for putting me in this position was knowing that I was going to hop, skip and jump through whatever hoops he wanted me to. I had to. What choice did I have? If Fred was in Volterra then that was where I needed to go.

Alec glanced off sullenly. "This isn't want I wanted."

"Well, sorry I can't be more ecstatic and grateful about being extorted," I said harshly before throwing his words back in his face. "'This isn't what I wanted'. Seriously, Alec; just how selfish are you? What about what I wanted? Or – more specific – didn't want? Since we met I made it clear I have trust issues with your coven and you haven't eased those concerns by following me around, kidnapping me from my hotel room and stranding me in Europe. Your sister tortured me, your coven is threatening to destroy mine – maybe you think it's all just some big misunderstanding that will clear up if I just meet the rest of your coven but I'm afraid if I go to Volterra it will be a one-way ticket."

"How do you mean 'one-way ticket'?" Alec wondered with a breath of anticipation.

I flashed him a disgruntled look. "As in I'll end up a smoldering pile of ash. What else could I mean? Did you think I would choose to stay in Volterra? I have a family, Alec! Even if for some insane reason I was invited to join to Volturi I wouldn't accept. Why would I want to be a soldier when I could be a daughter or sister? Maybe you're content to spending eternity carrying out execution orders but I'm not a killer. Or, at least, I don't want to be one and I'm trying hard not to."

Alec shifted his weight, signifying some form of emotional discomfort since the physical kind wasn't an issue for vampires. He could stand for hours on his feet or on his head and it wouldn't strain Alec one bit. So what was making him squirm inside? Maybe his conscience finally came out of retirement, assuming it still existed.

"And if you're thinking about using Fred; forgot it. He's not Volturi material either," I went on matter-of-factly. "He wanted to fight the Cullens even less than I did and left before me and the rest of Riley's army went to attack them."

Alec narrowed his eyes in displeasure. "I think you're a better friend to Fred than he was to you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I demanded in an icy hiss.

"If Fred was such a wonderful friend why hasn't he been looking for you as well?" Alec wondered contemptuously. "Better yet – why did Fred abandon you in the first place?"

I leapt to my bare feet, fists clasped tight to my sides so I wouldn't be as tempted to use them. Where did Alec get off questioning Fred's bravery or scruples? Not every vampire on the planet was just itching for a fight. Most of us were nice, normal people who didn't think about murder and property damage. Fred was being true to himself and he wasn't the type of person who picked fights for no good reason. The world would be a better place if more vampires knew how to walk away from a fight!

"Fred isn't a coward," I strained each word through my teeth slow and clear. "You have no idea what it was like being crammed up Victoria's sleeve with all those newborn vampires. We were terrified of her and Riley but didn't know how we would survive without them! Do you know how many of were brave enough to leave? Four! And I'm not even sure all of them actually got away! It's hard to walk away from the only life you know, no matter how much it sucks and how many people you hate in it! The last time I did it I was still alive and if I was braver, if I was a better friend, I would have convinced Fred and Diego to leave with me instead of us all sticking around long enough for Victoria to use us or kill us!"

Alec started at me for a heartbeat neither of us had then said: "I just realized what your problem is."

"Oh, please share!" I encouraged harshly.

Alec was unfazed by my sarcastic tone and answered seriously. "You have survivor's guilt. You believe that because you lived and Diego didn't that it somehow makes you responsible for his death. You didn't fail to save Diego, Bree; you just never had the chance."

My mouth fell open slightly as I gaped back at Alec. Suddenly, my venom felt too thick to swallow as my mind struggled for a response.

"That was just it, though. I never took a chance," I said like a quiet and bitter wind. "I just hid by Fred and let him protect me, I stayed behind like Diego asked – I let other people take the risk for me and I need to take responsibility for things that are my fault before Fred ends up like Diego."

With an aggravated growl, Alec threw his hands to the side of his head and gritted his teeth. For a second I thought he might actually tear out his hair but all he did was screw his face up into in frustration before releasing a loud groan.

"I don't know what's more infuriating about you – your penchant for martyrdom or your endless character assassination of the Volturi!" Alec cried finally. "It's positively maddening to listen to you berate yourself because of what you didn't do for Diego or what you're afraid you can't be for the Cullens! You need to stop worrying about other people and focus on yourself, Bree."

I glared at Alec like the jerk he was. I was pouring my heart out to him and he was worried about his coven's stupid image or my lacking self-esteem! What was the use in explaining why I felt so tortured over the loss of Diego or how it's compelled me to become so protective of Fred? People like Alec didn't understand friendship or love like I knew the words and didn't know why I bothered trying to make him understand.

"I'm sorry I can't be more selfish, Alec, but I don't have the luxury of being the epic vampire you are. We don't all get to be masters of the universe; some of us just feel lucky to have people care for a change! I've only been a vampire for six months, so I think I have room to improve and I'm going to have a hard time living with myself for the rest of eternity if I don't start showing a little backbone and looking after the people who mean something to me."

"There you go again! Despite your highly vocal and borderline paranoid prejudices against the Volturi, you're still willing to visit Volterra because Fred's there and you're worried he might fall prey to my sinister coven and our dubious ways even though you have no basis whatsoever to assume we would do him any harm," Alec said, crossly flipping his hand into the air. "Honestly, what kind of monsters do you think we are? Oh wait, I already know because you never miss an opportunity to point out how vile the Volturi are to the poor Cullen family and the whole of vampire civilization!"

"If you don't like the reputation the Volturi's made for itself then maybe you be less concerned with punishing vampires over every little thing," I said, glad Alec dropped the Mr. Nice Guy routine and reverted back to his true bratty self.

"The Cullens jeopardizing the existence of our entire species because they want to play house with humans and attend prom is hardly a 'little thing', Bree!" Alec shot back with more ferocity for the subject than he spoke with yet. "You have no inkling of what I or the Volturi do for vampires as a whole! We protect the secrecy of our kind, we keep them from descending upon humans like wolves upon sheep. You say we do it for the power or sadistic thrill but let me ask you this – who else is volunteering to keep our kind from tearing the world apart?"

I didn't have a good answer for that so I defaulted to: "Right, like you don't love your job."

"That's right, it's my job to protect vampires from themselves; my thankless chore!" Alec spat back sourly. "I'm selfish? Look at your family! The Cullens have a powerful mind reader, clairvoyant and empath yet they do nothing to prevent vampires from exposing our kind or even lift a finger to help humanity, which they claim to love so. They had an army of newborn vampires in the same state as them yet it didn't occur to them to intervene until the learned their pet human was in the crosshairs! Tell me, Bree; tell me how noble and altruistic your family is compared to my meddling, diabolical coven."

I didn't know what to say to that. Why didn't the Cullens try to stop Riley sooner? I know they hadn't realized Victoria was behind everything until it was almost too late but they had to have heard something about what me and the other newborns were doing in Seattle. Wouldn't it have been easy for Edward and Alice to track us down if they really wanted to? Couldn't Jasper have kept me and the other newborns calm long enough to explain a better way for us to live?

I tried coming up with an explanation to defend my family's inaction. It was hard, though, because I didn't understand it myself. Why did the Cullens do nothing?

"Maybe they just wanted to live their lives in peace," I said half to myself. "Just because they're able to do something doesn't automatically make it their responsibility to save the world."

"And why should that responsibility belong to me? Or Jane? Or the rest of the Volturi?" Alec wondered morosely. "Perhaps if there were more high-minded, talented vampires in the world being vigilant against the misdeeds of their own kind then there would be no need for the Volturi. Until that fateful day, it remains my honor – and it is an honor – to keep the peace long enough for vampires like you and the Cullens to work on your conspiracy theories and complain about how misunderstood you are."

"Hey! I haven't had centuries to work on myself – I'm sixteen! I'm supposed to be moody and whiny and think the world is against me!" I sputtered indignantly.

Alec rolled his eyes. "Okay and what's the rest of your centennial-old family's excuse?"

"What's your excuse for being so obnoxious?' I asked, ignoring how lame my own insult sounded. Grumbling, I waved my hands wildly. "Never mind! I don't care! I'm going to scrounge up something to eat then we can go to Volterra so I can get my friend, my luggage and the hell off this continent!"

"Are you really that thirsty?" Alec asked skeptically. "Your eyes aren't even black."

I jabbed my finger in the air accusingly. "Here's another thing about sixteen year old girls – we hate it when boys comment on how much we eat!"

"Very well! I apologize for my insensitivity!" Alec tossed his hands up in surrender. "What did you have a taste for?"

"Privacy," I told him flat out. The skeptical look returned to Alec's face, which I met with narrowed eyes. "What? You think I'm going to run away?"

"It's been known to happen in the past," said Alec.

"I would have stuck around last time if I knew you were keeping hostages," I glowered.

Alec sighed. "Bree, I told you –"

"Yeah, yeah – you did nothing wrong, Fred wanted to go, he's perfectly safe," I rambled off Alec's favorite excuses while waving my hand. "However you want to say it I'm still going to Volterra with you, I just…I just want some space. I need it after these last eighteen hours…"

"As you wish," Alec said softly. "I'll meet you down by the southern summit and leave a trail for you to follow once you've finished."

Without another word Alec hurried down a rocky slope and vanished from view. I stood in surprise of how easily Alec relented to leaving me alone. I figured we'd have another hour of arguing on our hands but he just gave up. Considering how persistent Alec was until this point I didn't know what to make of the shift in his behavior. Maybe he finally felt guilty over how much he's been hassling me. Or, maybe, I was meaner than I needed to be.

Damnit. We weren't supposed to talk about diets and covens.

With no triumph to savor I turned my attention to the peaks and trees, searching for any signs of life amidst them. I just needed a few minutes alone. Just some small distraction to make me think about something other than me, Alec, the Cullens and how I now felt like I didn't know any of us as well as I once thought.

I stepped off the ledge and immediately felt the embrace of the air rushing past me. I cut through the tissue thin clouds of precipitation and imagined I was flying instead of falling. Was there really much of a difference if you weren't afraid of hitting the ground? If there was I couldn't tell.

I almost felt free.

I almost felt alive.

I almost forgot I was just another chunk of stone.