The Not So Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

You would think that in a world of sparkling vampires, psychotic fans, crazzied shippers, and loads of perverse fetishism, the chances of finding that 10% within Twilight fandom is about on par with the chances of a time travel trip to stop a certain tyrannical historical figure who killed millions of Jews actually succeeding without monstrous side effects.

Fire up the Giga Flux Capacitor, because we got ourselves a winner!

The Not So Short Second Life of Bree Tanner and its companion, Ashes through an Hourglass (Oy Angelina), are the metaphorical jackpot for anyone looking for a Good Twilight fanfiction.

The story opens when Jane, the Walking Agony Beam, lets Bree live in a attempt to implicate the Cullens out of spite and in hope that Bree will attack Bella and give her an excuse to kill Bree anyway. It does not work. And from there the series spirals out relying on Rule of Fun, Rule of Cool, moments of heartbreak and fuzzy warmth, as well as generally well fleshed out characterization for everyone.

Its companion story expands on the Volturi with the ironically humorous Alec narrating the same story, but with much more insight on the other side of things.

There are some more... frustrating parts, such as the immediate outset for the first book and the first time Alec sees Bree, but the rest of the fic more than makes up for it. It almost seems to make it into a kind of Narm Charm.

With a combined total of over 700 positive reviews since starting in June 2010 The Not So Short Second Life of Bree Tanner and Ashes through an Hourglass are well-received by members of Twilight fandom who have a soft-spot for Bree, a morbid fascination with the Volturi and/or want a break from all the Edward/Bella/Jacob drama.

Both fics have received nominations in the Feb 2011 fanfic contest at The Vampies; a site devoted to showcasing quality fanfics based on the recommendations and votes of fans.

  • The (Not So) Short Second Life of Bree Tanner was nominated for Bloody Newborn (Best Characterization of a Newborn Vampire)
    • (Lost to Taste of Innocence by Nolebucgrl)
  • Ashes Through an Hourglass was nominated for Evil Always Wins...Because Good Is Dumb (Best Volturi/Nomad)
    • (Lost to Fallen Princess by Bforqueen)

Unfortunately, as it hasn't been updated since 2011, it's a Dead Fic now. =(

Tropes used in The Not So Short Second Life of Bree Tanner include:

Alec:So the boy's name was Seth, not that it mattered to me. Shallow graves didn't get markers, after all.

Jane: You never ask what I would do if anyone destroyed you.
Alec: That's because I always assumed you would find a nice hourglass for me.

  • Demoted to Extra: Bella and Edward's roles have been reduced to welcoming Bree into the family and Edward talking to Bree about the wedding. Justified as there are small hints that the events of Breaking Dawn are still taking place while Bree is off doing her own thing.
    • And it's not like anyone is complaining about it.
  • Dogged Nice Guy: Seth acts a lot like Jacob without the burning hate of vampires, perfect for rounding out the Vampire-Vampire-Werewolf love triangle.
  • Eats Babies: The coven Alec and Jane execute in "Precocious Prizes" are guilty of doing just this, but the Volturi are mad not so much because they did it as because they did not clean up after themselves.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Alec is shocked and offended by the suggestion that he might have molested Bree while she was incapacitated by his gift.

Bree: Okay, I'm sorry I implied that. Just because you're a remorseless killer, a stalker and a kidnapper doesn't mean you're also a sex offender.

  • Friendly Neighborhood Vampire: A work in progress.
    • Corin semi-qualifies. She works for the Volturi and drinks human blood but doesn't like making them suffer so much so she'll twist Alec's arm into using his talent to avoid causing her meal fear and pain.
  • Fully-Embraced Fiend: According to Bree, Alec is a "sweet sociopath"
  • Gilded Cage: AKA Volterra if Alec gets his way.
  • Hannibal Lecture: On multiple occasions Alec deconstructs the Cullens' value of human life and their desire to imitate it in ways that make them appear far less noble and benign than portrayed in the book series.
    • During a phone conversation with Alice Cullen, Alec offers a disturbingly alternate view of the Cullen family that depicts them as a cult pretending to be a family who's love and acceptance is entirely dependent on their members' obedience to their diet and human-friendly philosophies. He also accuses the Cullens of forcing their views onto Bree - an impressionable, newborn vampire - and pressuring her to conform to their lifestyle to the point of (unintentionally) physically and emotionally abusing her.
      • Possibly the most horrifying observation Alec makes of the Cullens is that their inaction against the growing newborn army during the events of Eclipse and singular desire to protect Bella Swan resulted in hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent humans (such as Bree herself) dying to build and sustain Victoria's newborn army, all so Bella could have a few extra months as a human being. Which certainly makes the Cullens sound like a bunch of selfish hypocrites when it comes to their criticism of other vampires lacking respect for human life.
    • Ironically, Alec's motivation for saying all this seems to be a genuine desire to alleviate Bree's physical and emotional anguish as well as bolster her self-esteem and independence as a vampire. Something the Cullens are, arguably, not doing despite their professed love.
  • Immortal Immaturity: Vampires have a tendency to act their physical age, though their actual age and personal experiences can curb these impulses and allow them to behave maturely.
    • Alec, for example, carries himself like an adult most of the time but has a few habits befitting a teenager such as: teasing people, taking himself too seriously, overreacting when frustrated, fantasizing about killing his problems away, acting out when he doesn't get his way, handling rejection poorly and stalking Bree around and spying on her, wanting to keep her all to himself and feeling easily jealous of and threatened by anyone he considers to be romantic competition
  • It Gets Easier: Alec is of the opinion Bree would be happier if she embraced what she was by consuming human blood rather than live up to the Cullens' expectations.
  • Lawful Evil: Volturi FTW, though they love their loopholes.
    • Alec often uses the Volturi's peace-keeping as a sanctioned excuse to eliminate potential problems, such as using the fact Fred was a member of the Seattle newborn army as an excuse to kill him, if necessary. Or that he gets a pass on plotting to murder Seth Clearwater because Alec originally assumes he's a human who knows about vampires only to later learn he is, in fact, a werewolf.
  • Legal Jailbait: Jane and Alec have been 14 for close to 350 years
    • Bree, conversely, is mental-minor for 2 more years since she's a 16 year old trapped in a 15 year old's body.
  • Little Miss Badass: Jane.
    • Though Bree has her moments.
  • Love Redeems: Bree is determined to follow the Cullens' good example by not drinking human blood even though she really craves it.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Alec prefers constructing elaborate roadrunner trap scenarios in order to spend time with Bree rather than simply going up and talking to her.
    • At one point Alec contacts Santiago to cut all phone communication off between Bree and the Cullens to hinder Alice's ability to warn Bree about any visions she might have pertaining to Alec's scheming. Worst yet. Alec encounters Fred and - upon uncovering his friendship with Bree - directs Fred to Volterra to hold him as a bargaining chip for Bree to spend time with him..
  • Meaningful Funeral: Bree holds one for Diego in the underwater cavern they once shared. She gives him a moment of silence for every moment she knew him. Intense sadness issues.
  • Murder the Hypotenuse: Alec by god, but then he is Affably Evil.

Alec: My mind flashed images of the ten most gruesome deaths I ever witnesses and I contemplated which one to replicate with this boy.

  • My Beloved Smother: Esme, dear lord. Granted, she generally keeps it down enough that it's more sweet and slightly humorous than stifling.
  • Noble Demon: Alec has one of the scariest reputations amongst vampires yet he can be down-right-decent to people like Corin, Bree, Jane and the driver Santiago hires for him without fully discarding his more devious qualities.
  • Not Growing Up Sucks: Alec has stated several times he is not thrilled to be in his early teens forever and Bree is gradually appreciating how frustrating it will become.
    • It hasn't been specified whether Jane is unhappy with being 14 forever.
  • Poisonous Friend: Alec is firmly of the belief that it is his duty to bring Bree back to the way of life that will make her happy, he naturally pays no mind to what she has to say on the matter.
  • Really Seven Hundred Years Old: Alec and Jane (or half that, anyway)
  • Rube Goldberg Hates Your Guts: Jane keeps trophies from all her kills in the form of Hour Glasses containing the victims' ashes.
  • Sarcastic Confession: Alec uses one on Corin when she wants to know why he's hanging out in Romania. She believes him.... because for some reason, despite knowing him, she doesn't believe that he's stalking and waiting to kidnap his Love Interest..
  • Schedule Slip
  • Sixth Ranger: Bree appears to be a fully fledged member of the Cullen Clan but has spent most of her time in the fic away from them thus far.
  • Stages of Monster Grief: Bree is stuck on Defiant(as in defying the vampire norm) while Alec is certain he can bring a full-on betrayal of humanity.
  • Stalking Is Love: Alec seems to think so, going to the vampire radar Demetri to lend him aid in tracking down Bree, however unlike Bella Bree openly calls him out on it after he kidnaps her.
  • Tall, Dark and Snarky: Alec, sans the tall part.
  • Tear Jerker: If you did not feel sad at Diego's funeral, then you have no soul.
  • The Atoner: Bree is trying to make up for, she believes, failing to save Diego. Even though it was not her fault.
  • Tsundere: Bree qualifies as a Type B since, generally, she's an affable, well-meaning girl when Alec isn't provoking a violent outburst.
  • Twincest: Jane is strongly implied to want this, to Alec's eternal dismay.
  • Vampire-Werewolf Love Triangle: It is pretty clearly being set up, with Alec-Bree-Seth.
    • If two of the three in the triangle are vampires dose it still count?
  • Vegetarian Vampire: She's working on it and falls off that wagon in "Alaska or Bust".
  • Walking the Earth: So far Bree has been to all over Washington, through Alaska, parts of Romania, and, if Alec gets his way, Italy soon as well.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Jane, she does not understand why she can’t be both a Serial Killer AND a Champion for her kind.
    • Alec wants to save Bree from the Cullens' emotional manipulation . . . by sending her friend to Volterra to use as leverage. Despite his claims of not being a hypocrite, unlike those damn Cullens, one has to wonder if he's really thought this through . . .
  • Wicked Cultured: The Volturi are famous and respected for this by other vampires, even the Cullens.
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