GuestEssay: Fandom's Red-Headed Step-Couples

The Red-Headed Step-Couples of Fandom.

Bethaboo

I’ve been involved in the fandom for pretty much exactly a year now, and in that year, I’ve met a lot of people involved in the community. Everyone has a story, short or long, of why they got involved in the fandom. This isn’t necessarily a scientific study, but I don’t remember a single story that didn’t involve Edward and Bella in some form.

Of course , sometimes it’s just Edward—because let’s face it, he’s a handsome fucker—but almost always it’s a squeeing girl confessing that she just had to “know” more. After the nightmare otherwise known as BD, it’s usually someone who wanted to fill in those damn fade-to-black scenes that SMeyer gifted us with.

Either way, it’s always about Edward and Bella. They’re like a mobius strip—it always comes back to them.

Or does it?

Unlike my first example, I’m going to get downright scientific here—or at least as scientific as a literature nerd gets. I did a random poll of the first three “Recently Updated” pages on Twilighted.net and placed every story into one of five categories. I shouldn’t have been surprised by the results. After all, it’s a genuinely acknowledged fact that everyone writes E/B. Still. . .the numbers just don’t lie:

• Bella and/or Edward with an OC: 2
• Bella/Edward in an alternative pairing (Jacob/Jasper/etc): 5
• Real Life (RPattz/Kellan/Jackson/KStew): 2
• Secondary Canon Pairing: 6
• Bella/Edward: 48

That’s over 76% stories that are exclusively Edward/Bella or promise to be E/B, eventually.

This article isn’t necessarily going to address both why we think it has to be all Edward and Bella, all the time. Instead I want to talk about a growing trend in the fandom that I hope will gain even more ground: secondary canon pairings that instead of being relegated to the background are the main focus of a story.

When I started talking to some friends about what I wanted to write about, quite a few of them were confused. I got a lot of recommendations for Carlisle/Bella or Jasper/Bella stories and even some Jasper/Edward stories. I had to stop and explain that I wasn’t referring to alternative non-canon pairings, but instead to the other Cullens.

The most common reaction I had to this was “I don’t read those stories—why would I? There’s no Edward and Bella.”

Yes, Edward and Bella are so interesting—I’ll admit that I read a lot of ExB myself and 90% of my stories are ExB—but just because ExB are the ultimate in awesome doesn’t mean that a Jasper/Alice story or a Rose/Emmett story can’t be just as great.

Yep, I’m here to tell you that it shouldn’t be about what the character’s name is—it should be all about strong writing and how good the story is. Because let’s face it, how many ExB stories have you read where the only resemblance that the stories’ characters had to the original Edward and Bella were the names and some physical characteristics? You’re not really reading about beloved characters at that point. You’re just hung up on a name (and maybe on the glory of RPattz’s jawline).

So why don’t we read secondary couples? My theory is this. Because SMeyer’s books are really about Edward and Bella, and the other characters got relegated to the background, it’s hard for us to break past the necessary stereotypical personalities she gave them. And because it’s difficult and requires an author to dig deeper into a character—while with Edward or Bella we still have the old standards to fall back on—I think most authors don’t even consider writing secondary couples as main couples.

Or is it possible that authors know what I found out after I started posting my Carlisle/Esme story—nobody reads anything that isn’t ExB so why bother writing it?

SO which came first? The chicken or the egg? It’s impossible to say, but it is true that there aren’t many good secondary couple stories out there. However, I’ve put together a list of stories where the authors bring the fuckawesome when it comes to the secondary Cullens.

First, Jasper and Alice. I find them an incredibly intriguing couple. He’s restrained and she’s not. This is a great example of “opposites attract,” but that’s not all of it. He’s incredibly loyal and sticks by her, no matter what, and this is an important trait to consider both in canon and AH stories. In addition, there’s a sense of fate that revolves around them that the other couples don’t have because of the single line that SMeyer gives us: “You’ve kept me waiting a long time.” Add to this the AH or canon repercussions of Alice’s ability, and there’s an interesting mix to work with.

• You’ve Kept Me Waiting by Mandi1:

  This is the story that helped me fall in love with Pre-Twilight, canon stories that give the backstory of the other Cullens. I ended up writing my own on Carlisle and Esme ultimately because of this story and the amazing job the author did in “filling in the holes” of Jasper and Alice’s history. I love what Mandi1 does with Jasper here. She demonstrates just how much Jasper gives up—willingly—to be with Alice forever. This sort of loyal self-sacrifice in the name of love is incredibly touching and helps us understand those glimpses in Twilight of how close the two of them truly are. This story isn’t just about love though. We learn more about Maria and about how Jasper and Alice managed to find the Cullens simply through her visions. If you’re looking for Canon Jasper/Alice, this story is not to be missed.



• A Girl Like You by Killerbunys:

  I read this story for the Eddies last year and I fell in love with it and proceeded to rec it to anyone who would listen. It’s an AH, modern day take on an exceptionally troubled Alice and Jasper. This story does a fantastic job of exploring the repercussions of what “being fated to be together” means when one half of the couple struggles with debilitating addiction. What I like best about this story is Jasper’s loyalty and how it wars with his self-preservation instinct. He desperately wants to save Alice, but sometimes she is just too much for him to handle. This story is as much about Alice’s journey through addiction as it is about Jasper discovering how far he is truly willing to go to save the woman he loves.

Rosalie and Emmett are so often seen as one-dimensional sex maniacs in stories where they are secondary couples. Honestly, every time I see this, I feel bad for them. I also feel bad whenever I see Rosalie primarily portrayed as a humorless icy bitch and Emmett as a stupid jokester who’s all brawn and no brains. Yes, I know, SMeyer is a lot to blame here for her own stereotypical characterization, but there is just so much more about these two.

• Vanity and Patience by achelle131:

  After falling in love with Mandi1’s Jasper/Alice origin story, I’ve been searching for others that really develop the love stories of the other Cullens. This is by far one of the best multi-chaptered Rose/Emmett origin story I’ve found. I really enjoyed the twist on newborn Emmett that achelle13 gives us—he truly cannot handle anything beyond bloodlust for a significant time period, and this forces Rosalie to learn to be patient while she deals with her love for him alone. Having Rosalie wrestle with this alone and how she changes because of it makes her character layered and complex, rather than her just being the icy bitch. I appreciate how the author has also built the unresolved sexual tension, rather than having Emmett and Rose jump immediately into a sexual relationship. The story isn’t complete yet, but I am really enjoying it so far and can’t wait to see where she takes it. Already we’ve had the addition of some original characters, and I’m excited to see the part they’re going to play in Rose and Em’s story.



• Indivisible by qjmom:

  No doubt about it, this is the epic Rosalie/Emmett AH story out there. And no, I’m not just talking about the length. From the first chapter, as Rose talks about her first anniversary preparations, we are pulled hard and fast into Rose and Emmett’s world. All the usual suspects are here, including a side pairing of Edward and Bella—who have their own issues to solve before committing to each other—but what really drives this story is the fundamental, no holds barred love that Rosalie and Emmett share. What makes all of this truly an achievement is that Emmett and Rose remained separated through much of the story, with only brief phone calls where they are actually able to talk to one another. And I have to give a big THANK YOU to qjmom for giving us Emmett the Navy SEAL. Phew. I think I may never look at Kellan the same way again.
  Blogger Note: This story is no longer available, but I would like to keep the recommendation in because I truly loved it and hopefully it will reposted someday.



• All the King’s Men by OliviaJane:

  I decided that since my original AH Emmett and Rosalie fic was removed, I would have to find another one that I liked. This however, was not an easy task. I searched and searched, and finally one of my wonderful reviewers, OliviaJane, reviewed my own story, Eve, and mentioned in response to my AN that she was writing an Emmett/Rosalie story. Immediately, I went to check it out and I was totally not disappointed. You feel for Rosalie right away. She’s been put in a terrible position by her family, and you see the strength that she has fortified herself with so she can get through this difficult time in her life, yet she folds like a house of cards in front of a sweet, lovable Emmett. This Emmett is hands down one of my favorites I’ve ever read. He’s absolutely precious, yet undeniably hot, and he loves kids. His interactions with the child in this story are not to be missed. OliviaJane has taken the best childish parts of canon Emmett’s personality and shown us what a great father he might have been. The best part is that for the first six chapters, it’s pretty much all Rosalie and Emmett—with a smattering of a loving Jasper, Rose’s brother, thrown in for good measure. And the scene with the car? I died, bbs. LITERALLY DIED. I love a good UST scene and this one does not disappoint. Rose’s vulnerability and Emmett’s determination to win her are so adorable that you want to hug everyone in sight after reading this.

Now I’m not going to deny that I’ve got a personal stake in Esme/Carlisle stories—as I write one of my own—so I am extra super picky at how this couple is treated in fiction. NO, Esme is not just a brainless housewife. NO, Carlisle is not just a convenient doctor. There, that’s out of the way. Seriously though, just as Jasper/Alice and Rosalie/Emmett can have deeper characterizations, so can Esme and Carlisle. They weren’t always parents people! Unfortunately, SMeyer gives us even less of them than the other couples, so it’s even tougher to deepen their characterization.

• Snapshots and When Children Are Away, Parents Will Play by Starshinedown:

  This isn’t a full-length story, like my other recommendations, but these are both worth reading. Starshinedown really nails Esme’s canon characterization and develops it from what SMeyer gives us in the original books, and in her series of one-shots, we see snapshots of what her life was like before Bella and Edward found each other. When Children Are Away, Parents Will Play is a fantastic example of a smutty one-shot with heart. We are able to see just how much Esme and Carlisle love and long for each other, despite having an entire family to care for. We see them put the kids first almost every time, so it’s fantastic to see them put themselves first in this story.

And last but not least, Jake and Nessie. Yes, I know. Nessie who? Breaking Dawn what? That book actually happened? Yes, bbs. It exists. It remains burned on my retinas. I can’t block it out like some of you are able to. But even if we as a collective fandom wish that BD was never written, there are still some great Jake/Nessie gems out there. You’ve just got to get past that pesky gag reflex—kidding, kidding.

• In Pursuit of Normalcy by KariAnn:

  This is the story that after four books by SMeyer and countless attempts by other authors, finally convinced me that there was something redeemable in Jake. I’ll admit it, I first started this story because the gorgeous banner caught my eye in Twilighted’s Recently Updated queue and I started reading even though it was a Jake/Nessie story. After one chapter, I was completely and totally hooked. This is a smart, witty, self-aware, mildly self-loathing (she is Edward’s daughter after all) Nessie and I love her. She wants to be independent and free and more than anything, fights against the implication of the imprinting and though she adores Jake, wants him to love her because he chooses to love her. This central dilemma I think really addresses why so many of us in the fandom were initially squicked out by Jake and Nessie. Not only did this boy imprint on a half-human, half-vampire baby, he did it mere weeks after insisting that the thing be eliminated because it was killing his precious Bella. Any female slightly less intelligent and slightly less aware would have just taken Jake’s love and lived peacefully forever. But this Nessie can’t do that—and so she runs away and fights the imprinting with everything she’s got. And believe me, she’s got some real strength and guts and balls to her. This is as much of a story of Nessie as it is a love story. I read it two weeks ago and I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind since. Truly amazing stuff and if you can find it in your heart to start a Jake/Nessie story, I promise you won’t regret it.



• Will You Be Ready When It Comes? by Hopeful Wager:

  Okay I would love to say that I was able to read this whole beast, but I will confess that while reading the first few chapters, there just wasn’t enough hours in the day to finish it. I can say that it is an excellent, very well-written portrayal of Jake and Nessie and really the whole Cullen family after BD, and while I’ve only read a few chapters, I am eager to finish it when I have more time.

I’m under no false impression that this blog is going to change anyone’s opinions in any serious way. Edward and Bella are the foundation of this fandom—they aren’t ever going to stop being the focus and I’m fine with that. I love them just as much as the next girl. But once in a while, it’s nice to change it up and get a little different view of the world. For any author that is considering writing a secondary couple as a main couple, I promise that while it might not be an enormously popular story, it’s definitely a niche that’s growing and will continue to do so as more authors contribute great, thought-provoking stories.

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Bethaboo, despite this article, is still a fervent ExB supporter--she is the creator of swimward, lunchward and rockward. Her own foray into the other Cullens is Eve, the Apple of My Eye, a pre-Twilight Esme/Carlisle story.