The ride home should have been quiet, if not for Bella, who practically bombarded Alex with questions about how he had managed to get close to the Cullens so quickly. Naturally, he couldn't tell her the truth—that he already knew who they really were, and that they knew exactly who he was. Bella would either faint or decide he had completely lost his mind. So the only advice he could give her was simple:

"Be yourself. And everything will work out."

Bella frowned. That wasn't the answer she had been hoping for. So Alex, if only to comfort her a little, began describing the personality of each member of the Cullen family. As soon as he started talking, Bella grew quiet and listened intently, trying to remember every detail.

By the time the car pulled up to the house, Bella looked as though she had no desire to get out at all.

"We'll have time to talk later," Alex said, rolling his eyes. "Right now, I'm going to change and see why your 'coffin on wheels' didn't start this morning."

Bella opened her mouth, ready to refuse. In her head, two voices were clearly at war: one whispered, Say yes, this way you'll learn more about the Cullens, while the other warned, Don't accept his kindness, he doesn't owe you anything. While she hesitated, Alex and Lucina had already gone inside, paying her no mind.

The first thing they saw in the living room was chaos near the couch—the "artistic legacy" of GIR, MIMI, and Stitch. Alex rubbed his eyes wearily, as if hoping the mess would disappear if he just stopped looking. But the disaster remained.

"Of course…" he muttered and snapped his fingers.

The trash burst into flames and vanished. Sighing with satisfaction, Alex headed to the fridge for something cold, while Lucina went upstairs to change. Taking a sip of lemonade, he snapped his fingers again—his clothes shifted into home attire: red plaid pants, a long black T-shirt, and on his head, a pink headband with bunny ears.

Lucina came downstairs a couple of minutes later in her own casual clothes, a gray headband with cat ears perched on her head. They looked at each other—and burst out laughing.

"It suits you," Lucina said, standing on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck. "A real cutie. Though pink doesn't exactly flatter you."

"You're just jealous you don't have one. Although I always knew you liked cat ears. Right, my kitty-wife?" Alex smirked, leaning closer.

"Jealous? Ha! What's yours is mine, what's mine is yours. If I want your pink headband—I'll take it." She quickly kissed him on the lips.

Alex smiled and pulled her close. But Lucina had other plans—she wanted to go through some unsolved police cases before Alice Cullen arrived at their place. She slipped out of his arms, kissed him again, and with a mischievous grin, grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge.

"Hopeless," Alex shook his head, pulling tools out of his inventory.

He went outside and headed straight for Bella's old pickup. By that time, Bella had already changed. When she noticed his ridiculous appearance with tools in hand, she quickly threw on a jacket and hurried out.

She stopped beside him, staring wide-eyed, but the words caught in her throat.

"Well, go on, spit it out," Alex said, lifting the hood without looking up.

"You look… cute. In that headband," Bella finally managed.

"Thanks," Alex smirked. "And here's some advice: stop worrying so much about what other people might say. Look at me—I wear what I want, and I don't give a damn about the neighbors. This is my life—why should I live by someone else's opinion?"

Bella shook her head in disbelief.

"Now I understand why your father insisted you spend more time with people your age."

Alex shrugged and buried himself in the chaos under the hood of Bella's old pickup. She stood nearby, peeking over his shoulder from time to time, though of course she didn't understand a single move he made. To keep her occupied and out of the way, Alex kept talking about the Cullen family—at least this way Bella would know what she might be dealing with once her conversations with Edward reached a new level.

Bella listened with clear interest, occasionally asking questions and even handing him tools when he asked for them. Alex sighed as he looked at the mess under the hood. Jacob's earlier work on the truck could only be described as "amateur patching." In fact, Alex even suspected Jacob had done it on purpose, half-heartedly, so that Bella would eventually come back to him for help. The thought made Alex smirk.

"Why are you smiling? Is it really that bad?" Bella asked nervously.

"No. It can be fixed—it'll just take about an hour," Alex said, shaking his head with a smile.

Bella let out a sigh of relief. For her, this pickup was more than just a car—the gift from Charlie mattered to her, even if her relationship with her father wasn't the easiest. Alex noticed the relief on her face and almost rolled his eyes; he understood all too well what Bella was going through. He wanted to pat her shoulder, but one look at his grimy hands made him think better of it.

The one thing that reassured him was knowing Bella wouldn't turn into a gloomy, depressed girl while Edward was off "breathing in Alaskan air." And who knew—maybe he'd return just when Bella's "those days" were over, in a couple of days. The thought nearly made Alex laugh out loud.

He kept working under the hood, chatting quietly with Bella, trying to draw her out of her usual shy shell. Suddenly, a sharp car horn broke the silence. Alex lifted his head and saw a yellow Porsche glide smoothly to the curb. Behind the wheel sat Alice, beaming and waving at him enthusiastically.

Alex couldn't help but smile back, raising his hand in return. Alice parked next to the Impala and hopped out, almost skipping as she ran toward them. She stretched her arms, clearly ready to hug Alex, but he raised a palm, pointing to his dirty clothes. Alice pouted but nodded, letting her eyes flick up and down over him.

Alex glanced at her too. Light jeans and a white blouse emphasized her figure and made her look even more radiant.

"Your outfit is just wonderful," Alice said with a thumbs-up. "I love it!"

"Yours looks good too," Alex replied with a slight smile. "Alice, meet Bella. I mentioned her earlier today. She's very… interested in your brother, Edward."

Bella's cheeks instantly flamed red. Lowering her eyes in embarrassment, she shot Alex an annoyed glance, but he only ignored her indifferently.

Alice, on the other hand, just smiled knowingly—her gift of foresight made such things far from surprising. She grabbed Bella's hands and shook them energetically.

"Very nice to meet you, Bella! I'm sure we'll become good friends. I know it. And if you want to know anything about Edward—ask me, I'll tell you everything!"

"N-nice to meet you… Alice," Bella muttered with a nervous smile, struggling to look calm. "And when… will your brother be back?"

"In a couple of days," Alice answered carefreely. "He urgently needed to visit some relatives. But don't worry, you'll see him again soon."

Bella only nodded, not knowing what else to say. For someone as reserved as she was, Alice's cheerfulness was a real trial. While Alex kept working on the pickup, the two girls were already chatting nearby—or rather, Alice was talking twenty words at a time, while Bella managed only one or two.

Alex smirked to himself: it seemed Alice could probably tell Bella more about Edward than Edward knew about himself. But at the same time, he liked how easily and naturally Alice fit into his circle. Her friendliness could melt even the ice in the hearts of the girls in his family. And sure, they sometimes teased Altsina, calling her "Madame Dracula," but unlike Alice, Altsina wasn't actually a vampire.

"Alice," Alex called, sticking his head out from under the hood. "Grab the jumper cables from my trunk."

"On it!" she chirped, almost skipping toward the Impala.

Alice easily opened Alex's trunk, pulled out the long jumper cables, flipped his hood open without needing any instructions, hooked one end to his car battery, and carried the other toward the pickup. Alex just smiled, watching her—Alice understood him without words.

By the time he connected the cables to Bella's battery, Alice was already settled in the Impala's driver's seat, revving the engine like a seasoned mechanic to feed power into the pickup. Alex wiped his hands on a rag and slid into the driver's seat of the old truck. He turned the key—and the engine roared to life. Well, not with its usual rattling and coughing, but much smoother and quieter.

Bella stared at him in disbelief, as if she couldn't accept it had been fixed so quickly.

"Perfect. Bella, your coffin on wheels will live a little longer," Alex grinned, stepping out of the cab. "As thanks, you can buy me a latte."

"Thanks, Alex…" Bella's voice was a little shy. "This was my dad's gift, he bought it especially for me. Wanted me to have a way to get to school… Who knew it would break down on the second day."

"The important thing is that your dad cares about you. Everything else is just details." Alex wiped his dirty hands with a towel and flashed a sly smile. "But I still insist: a latte and a pastry."

"Wait… at first it was just coffee. Where did the pastry come from?" Bella narrowed her eyes in surprise.

"That's my tip," he answered matter-of-factly. "Well, alright, see you tomorrow. Unless… you want to come over."

"No, thanks. I still have homework," Bella shook her head.

Alex shrugged and didn't push. He disconnected the cables, shut the pickup's hood, and packed everything back into the Impala's trunk. He and Alice said goodbye to Bella, who waved and disappeared inside the house.

Alice, meanwhile, was overjoyed and practically dragged Alex along, eager to get inside. He sighed—he knew full well that GIR, MIMI, and Stitch might react a bit too strongly to a new guest. The last thing he wanted was for the evening to turn into a vampire hunt.

They went in. Lucina was sitting at the table with a beer in her hand. Seeing Alice, she gave her a lazy wave. Alice beamed and waved back enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, GIR, MIMI, and Stitch—busy playing video games on the couch—noticed the newcomer. Their reaction was instant: dropping their controllers, they shuffled to the far side of the couch and fixed their eyes on Alice with suspicious glares, like three little sentries.

"They're so cute!" Alice exclaimed, eyes sparkling at the trio. "Adorable! Can I touch them?"

GIR, MIMI, and Stitch all reacted like shy kids, waving their paws as if to insist they were anything but "adorable." Alex and Lucina exchanged equally dry looks. Especially considering that the trio, if angered, could tear a demon apart with little effort.

"Allow me to introduce," Alex said, gesturing to the guest. "Alice Cullen. And yes, she's a vampire."

GIR, MIMI, and Stitch tilted their heads to the side simultaneously, like mirrors. For a few seconds, they studied Alice intently, then glanced at each other and started an animated discussion.

Alex just sighed heavily.

Moments later, GIR pulled a huge, battered book with golden letters on the cover from his bag: "A Guide to Monsters and How to Kill Them." Alex's eye started twitching, while Lucina could barely hold back her laughter.

GIR flipped through the pages, clearly searching for the word "vampire."

"What are they doing?" Alice whispered, pointing at the trio.

"Oh… you'll see soon enough," Alex replied with a heavy sigh.

When GIR finally found the page about vampires, the trio launched into a lively debate like a group of scholars. Stitch energetically poked at a picture of a vampire, then at Alice. MIMI, on the other hand, shook her head disapprovingly and smacked the page with her paw, indicating that Stitch was wrong. GIR stubbornly insisted on his version, arguing loudly with both of them.

Eventually, they lifted the book and stared at Alice in unison, comparing the picture to the real thing. They examined her carefully, glancing alternately between the illustration and her.

Alex rubbed his forehead wearily. The urge to light a cigarette was stronger than usual. Alice, although clearly not understanding what was going on, kept smiling—she seemed more amused than concerned.

Soon, the book was returned to the table, and the trio huddled together, whispering fiercely among themselves. Alex already knew how this would end—and sure enough: GIR pulled a wooden stake and hammer from his bag, Stitch held a crucifix, and MIMI solemnly raised a bottle of holy water.

"Alright, you three!" Alex's voice was firm. "Don't even think about doing what you're planning. Alice is our guest. She's not an enemy. She's nothing like the ones in your pictures. Look how cute she is! And besides, she glistens in the sun—she doesn't burn."

The trio looked disappointed, dropped their "vampire hunter gear" on the table, frowned, and folded their paws across their chests like children who'd had their toys taken away.

Meanwhile, Alice was beaming with happiness—Alex had called her cute.

To lighten the mood, Alex promised the trio that if real evil vampires appeared, they'd have plenty of hunting to do. Hearing this, GIR, MIMI, and Stitch immediately perked up, nodded their heads, and even jumped for joy. Then they ran to Alice, sniffed her from head to toe to remember her scent, and took turns hugging her legs.

Alice was deeply touched. She knelt down and hugged each of them tightly—GIR, MIMI, and of course Stitch, who turned out to be the most affectionate and even managed to say a few words.

Alex wasn't surprised. He had long known that the moment this trio suspected they were in front of a potential "new mom," they instantly turned into obedient, sweet little creatures. What was far more interesting, though, was where they even got that bestiary from—Alex had never seen them pull out that book before.

"They're so cute! I'd hug them all the time," Alice said, beaming.

"You think that now, until you see how they deal with their enemies," Lucina smirked. "By the way, I'm Lucina. Nice to meet you, Alice. This is my first time seeing a vampire."

"Likewise!" Alice nodded cheerfully. "Although… isn't Lady Dimitrescu a vampire?"

"Alcina? No," Alex interjected, pulling out ingredients for dinner. "The girls just like to call her 'Madame Dracula.' It's a joke, given her lineage."

"O-oh, I see…" Alice trailed off, then turned her gaze back to Lucina. "And what do you do? Alex said you were digging through police archives. What are you looking for?"

"Unsolved cases," Lucina replied calmly, turning her tablet toward Alice. "Disappearances, cursed houses, that sort of thing."

"Interesting!" Alice's eyes sparkled. "I can help. I'm a master at searching for clues."

Lucina raised an eyebrow skeptically, but seeing Alice's genuine enthusiasm, she decided not to object.

Alex smiled, noticing the girls starting to get along. At that moment, his shadow trembled, and Zhang Ya stepped out of it. This surprised Alex—she usually preferred to stay in the shadows.

Seeing the ghostly girl, Alice's eyes lit up even more. Zhang Ya immediately regretted showing herself: the hyperactive vampire bombarded her with a flurry of questions and excitement. True to herself, Zhang Ya stayed silent, only nodding occasionally. That was enough for Alice.

Lucina, resting her cheek on her hand, watched the scene with a smile. Even GIR, MIMI, and Stitch peeked out from behind the couch, observing Alice with interest.

"Alright, enough embarrassing Zhang Ya," Alex interrupted, placing a plate of small red spheres in front of Alice. "You better try these."

"How adorable!" Alice picked up one of the spheres. "What is it?"

"Blood candies made from dragon blood," Alex explained. "I know you can't eat ordinary food, so I made these just for you. Dragon blood is more nutritious than deer blood, which you normally survive on."

Alice looked at him.

"Wait… this isn't the blood of that dragon you killed while helping the dwarves reclaim their kingdom, is it?"

"Correct," Alex nodded, continuing to prepare dinner. "Smaug. I purified it—dragons served Morgoth, their blood is naturally poisonous. But now it's safe. Just don't eat too much, or you'll overdo it."

Alice popped one blood candy into her mouth—and her eyes immediately widened at the surprisingly intense taste of dragon blood.

Lucina watched her reaction with curiosity, but what really interested her was something else: whether Alice had seen anything more… spicy, concerning their family, in her visions. Upon hearing the question, the vampire eagerly began recounting everything she remembered.

As she talked with Lucina, Alice gradually moved on to stories about visions from Night City that had come to her back when Alex lived there. Lucina listened with fascination—after all, it was a perspective from an outsider, through the eyes of a seer. Even Alex found himself involuntarily engrossed. He was genuinely curious to understand exactly how Alice's abilities worked.

When she began talking about the earliest events, Alex and Lucina seemed to momentarily drift back in time: to their first meeting, to the day when she and Becca accompanied him on his first assignment. Memories of their first time working together surfaced so vividly, it felt as if it had happened yesterday.

"How long have you been having visions about Alex?" Lucina asked in passing. "Time is such a strange thing. And aside from him and his eccentric friend Yog, who regularly steals sweets from him, no one can really tell you anything."

"My first vision of Alex was about ten years ago," Alice said with a gentle smile. "Sometimes they came every day, sometimes only once a week. But thanks to them, I learned a lot… And I also wanted to ask you something, Lucina."

"Go ahead," she raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of blood existed in your world?" Alice asked thoughtfully. "For me, it's like a city of the future. I wonder if the blood there is normal… or not?"

"Synthetic," Lucina answered calmly. "In a world where almost everyone had implants, blood could also be replaced artificially. Although when it comes to the members of Maelstrom, I sometimes got the impression that motor oil ran through their veins. They were that obsessed with chrome. And considering those maniacs worshiped the Mechanical Man, there was no doubt at all."

Alex, placing a plate of dinner in front of Lucina, smirked.

"Ha, they really did look terrifying. With those metal inserts in their bodies, it reminded me of scenes from Terminator, when the skin peels off the machine's face."

"Exactly!" Alice perked up, nodding and popping another candy into her mouth. "Real-life nightmares."

"I won't argue with that," Lucina nodded. "Those were some true lunatics."

Alex smiled and shook his head, letting the conversation continue without interference. Meanwhile, he carried the plates of food over to GIR, MIMI, and Stitch. Their eyes were so hungry and simultaneously threatening that Alex realized: if he didn't feed the trio, they would go hunting for food themselves—and the whole city could end up in chaos.

As soon as the plates were on the table, the little creatures immediately pounced on the food, forgetting all manners. Alex just sighed and returned to the others.

They continued dinner while talking. Alex found himself thinking how incredibly cute Alice looked with her cheerful personality.

After the meal, he started doing the dishes, while Alice and Lucina once again delved into the police archives. Once he finished washing, Alex sat down between them, and the three of them continued going over the reports. Alex carefully searched for familiar details—one key word would be enough for him to piece everything together.

An hour later, Alice had comfortably settled on his lap with a satisfied expression—her little plan had clearly worked. Lucina noticed and looked at her with a teasing glance. It didn't surprise her—Alice wasn't the first girl to try "sneaking" close to Alex.

Alex, however, didn't mind. He figured there was no rush. If speed became necessary, he could simply delegate the task to GIR, MIMI, and Stitch. Those three could go through hundreds of cases in a single day and sort them by importance.

Eventually, Alex, Lucina, and Alice moved to the sofa in another room and continued reading the archives while lying down. Alex remained sandwiched between the two girls, who were engrossed in their conversation. Time quietly edged toward midnight, and Alice decided it was time to head home.

"Maybe you should stay the night? You're not sleeping anyway," Alex suggested, looking at her.

"Another time," Alice smiled. "Otherwise, I might not be able to resist and attack you in the night."

"Ha, you won't be the first," Lucina laughed. "Usually, it's Becca, Loki, Renka, and Juri. One more won't make a difference."

Alice laughed, and Alex just shook his head. He got up and escorted her to the exit.

Outside, he lit a cigarette while Alice held his arm as if she didn't want to leave. Alex watched the determined vampire and, against all odds, found it touching.

Finishing his smoke, he walked her to the Porsche.

"Here," he handed her a small bag through the window. "Share it with your family. Just don't eat it all yourself—don't be a little glutton."

"I'm not a glutton!" Alice protested, pouting. "I only ate… well, about ten. Maybe twenty. But definitely not more."

"As you say, my little pixie," Alex smirked and playfully flicked her nose. "And drive carefully. Even vampires get into accidents."

"See you tomorrow," Alice said, grabbing his collar, holding him in place, and locking eyes with him.

Alice smiled widely, grabbed Alex by the collar, and suddenly kissed him on the lips. Alex didn't resist—he returned the kiss. When she finally pulled away, she gently touched his lips again, this time on the cheek, and, satisfied, started the engine.

Alex stood watching until her car disappeared from view, his thoughts lingering on the kiss. He could compare Alice's cool lips to ice cream—a slight chill, tinged with warmth. But what struck him most was that her lips tasted like strawberry ice cream. Alex didn't know it wasn't accidental: Alice was well aware of his weakness for strawberries and had deliberately chosen a strawberry-flavored lipstick to make the impression even stronger.

In her Porsche, Alice drove away with a contented smile. The plan had worked. Humming a soft tune, she pulled another blood candy from the bag and popped it into her mouth. Her gaze fell on the lipstick peeking out of her bag, and her smile grew even wider. She knew she had done everything right: Alex loved strawberries.

Bobbing along to the music and almost dancing in her seat, Alice quickly made her way home. After parking the car in the garage, she practically skipped inside.

The living room radiated a cozy family atmosphere: Rosalie and Emmett sat hugging each other, Jasper and Jane were watching a movie, nestled in each other's arms. Carlisle and Esme were upstairs in the study.

"Look who's back!" Emmett drawled with exaggerated surprise. "And here I was thinking you'd spend the night at Alex's."

"Get lost, Emmett," Alice huffed, placing the small bag on the coffee table. "I came with a treat from Alex."

"A treat?" Rosalie raised an eyebrow. "What kind of gifts does your Demon King send us?"

"You'll never guess," Alice said with a wide smile. "They're blood candies made from dragon's blood. Alex said they're much more nutritious than the blood we usually settle for."

"You're joking, right?" Emmett's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Alex actually has dragon's blood? Where did he get it?!"

"He got it when he helped the dwarves reclaim their kingdom," Alice said with a mysterious smile. "So try some. I'll bring a little to Carlisle and Esme as well."

Emmett and Rosalie exchanged astonished looks, but each took a candy and immediately froze in surprise, savoring the unusual taste. Even Jasper and Jane, taking a break from the movie, decided to try one.

Meanwhile, Alice went upstairs and knocked on the study door.

"Come in, Alice," Carlisle's voice called.

She entered and handed over the small package.

"We've already heard what Alex sent," Carlisle said with a smile. "It's quite kind of him to share something so rare with our family."

"You should invite him over, Alice," Esme added softly. "I want to meet your chosen one myself. We've only heard about him and seen your paintings, but as a mother, I want to meet him personally."

"Absolutely," Alice beamed. "I think he'll even bring his pets. They're so adorable!"

"Those are the creatures you've been drawing?" Carlisle asked, taking the package from her.

"Yep, that's them!" Alice said excitedly. "In real life, they're even cuter—soft, friendly, and hilariously funny. Plus, very sociable."

Carlisle and Esme exchanged a glance and smiled. In their beloved daughter's eyes shone the happiness they had long wished for her. After chatting a little more about visiting Alex, Alice said a warm goodbye and went downstairs.

As soon as she reached the bottom, the rest of the family surrounded her—questions came one after another. Alice animatedly recounted her visit, her eyes sparkling, not missing a single detail. She shared her impressions with excitement, even talking about meeting GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, who had immediately decided to stage a "vampire hunt." The Cullens exchanged puzzled looks, but Alice just laughed and called the trio "the cutest creatures you could ever meet."

The next morning, Alex woke up with a strange sensation: his lips felt cold, and there was a distinct taste of strawberries in his mouth. As he opened his eyes slightly, he met a pair of bright yellow eyes. The owner of those eyes was sitting on his waist, her palms pressed against his chest.

It was Alice.

Alex blinked, unsure how she had ended up at his place or why she had decided to wake him in such a manner. Yet he could feel very clearly that her hands were shamelessly sliding across his chest.

"Good morning, Alice," he said hoarsely, trying to stay calm. "And what exactly are you doing?"

"Namiyo asked me to wake you up. So I did," Alice replied with a radiant smile.

"She asked you to wake me, not to grope me and suck the air out of me like some Dementor," Alex snorted, smirking at her.

"Well… maybe I got a little carried away," Alice admitted, clearly feeling no guilt. "And anyway, I'm not groping you, I… uh… am conducting an experiment. Yes, an experiment!"

Alex gave her a dry look, but she just smiled even wider, as if nothing had happened. Sighing, he decided this wasn't the worst way to wake up — he'd been awakened far more harshly before: with kicks or even bites to the face. Compared to that, Alice's method could almost be called peaceful.

As soon as he got up, Alice, unwilling to be left behind, wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, literally hanging on him. Yawning, Alex just shook his head and went downstairs with this "extra weight."

In the kitchen, he carefully unhooked the clingy vampire and seated her at the table. First, he leaned over to Lucina, who was enjoying her cup of coffee with her eyes closed, and kissed her. Then he kissed Namiyo, who smiled warmly in response and touched his cheek with her lips.

Alex took his usual spot and began his morning ritual — a brief meditation that helped suppress his thirst for destruction and the urge to knock someone out before school even started.

Namiyo was momentarily at a loss, unsure what to offer the vampire for breakfast. But Alex quickly relieved her of the responsibility — he placed a box of blood candies in front of Alice so she could join everyone for breakfast.

Alice, beaming, thanked him and immediately reached for the treats.

To be continued…

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