The next day Bella woke up in her bed with flushed cheeks — she had just had an embarrassingly vivid dream. Snapping her eyes open, she sat up, gasping with embarrassment: Edward had been in her dreams, and the images refused to fade. When Charlie walked into the room to wake his daughter, Bella hurriedly shoved him back out the door, desperate to keep him from noticing her state.

In the bathroom, Bella splashed her face several times with cold water. In the mirror, a girl with a guilty look and still-reddened cheeks stared back at her. "Pervert," she scolded herself silently, then immediately blamed Alex and Lucina for constantly showing off just how loving and close they were. That was what had planted such thoughts in her head in the first place.

After pulling herself together, Bella went downstairs and joined her father for breakfast. Charlie, already in his police uniform, was reading the morning paper. When he saw his daughter, he gave her a warm smile.

Bella sat at the table, lowering her gaze to hide her embarrassment.

"How's it going, Bells?" Charlie asked, deciding to start a conversation. "Getting used to school yet? It's tough to transfer in the middle of the year. Made any friends?"

"I guess so. I'm friends with our neighbors. They're… nice, they help me," Bella replied without looking up.

"Yeah, they made a good impression on me too. Especially Alexander," Charlie nodded. "Doesn't act like a teenager at all."

"Mmm, he helped me with the pickup yesterday," Bella added, deciding to keep the topic going.

"Something happened to the truck? You didn't get hurt, did you?" her father asked worriedly.

"It's fine. It just wouldn't start, and Alex fixed it right away," Bella answered with a soft smile.

Charlie let out a sigh of relief. Bella felt warmed by his concern — sometimes he seemed awkward and distant, but in moments like this she could clearly feel how much he cared. To lighten the mood, she told him about yesterday at school: how Alex had managed to make the social studies teacher quit and leave "to find himself."

Charlie nearly choked on his coffee.

"What?" he stared at his daughter. "Bells, is this some kind of joke?.. "

Seeing his confusion, Bella struggled to keep a straight face and recounted exactly how that class had gone. When she finished, Charlie just sat there with his mouth open, at a loss for words. Their new neighbors baffled him more and more. Still, he felt a sense of relief: his daughter was opening up and sharing her day with him, and that mattered.

After breakfast, they each went about their day: Charlie to the station, Bella to school. But as Bella was leaving the house, she tripped on the step and nearly fell, barely catching herself on the railing. Charlie immediately rushed toward her — but at that moment, applause broke out nearby.

They both turned and saw Alex, Lucina, and Alice.

"Nice save, Bella!" Alex called cheerfully. "For that railing-grab technique, I'm giving you a solid ten." He raised a sign with the number "10" on it.

Lucina quickly turned away, covering her mouth to keep from laughing. Alice, on the other hand, nodded seriously, as if confirming Alex's score. Bella just rolled her eyes, while Charlie looked utterly confused: he couldn't tell if this was some teenage way of showing friendship, or if he truly didn't understand the younger generation at all.

"Having fun, are you?" Bella snapped at Alex irritably.

"Just a little," he shrugged. "You don't see that every day. Anyway, see you at school, Bella."

They climbed into the Impala and drove off. Bella watched them go, unable to hide her mild irritation. What bothered her most was that Alice Cullen had been with Alex and Lucina. She noticed her yellow Porsche was nowhere in sight and decided she would ask Alex later at school why Alice had been with them.

At that moment, the Impala was already speeding down the road to school. Music was playing in the car, and Alex and Alice were humming along while Lucina fought against her morning drowsiness.

"Alice, how did you even end up with us?" Lucina turned toward her. "I thought you came in your car."

"I just ran over," Alice answered cheerfully. "It's really not that hard."

Lucina gave the ever-energetic Alice a tired, blank look and only shook her head. Alex, unlike her, wasn't surprised. He already knew that vampires like the Cullens could run at incredible speeds, so the fact that Alice had dashed to his place on foot instead of driving seemed perfectly logical.

Curious, Lucina wanted to learn more about vampire abilities. Alice gladly agreed to tell her. She began describing, one by one, the gifts each of her family members possessed.

"And why didn't your adoptive mother get any special ability?" Lucina couldn't help but ask when Esme's name came up.

"I don't know," Alice answered thoughtfully, but then smiled. "But Esme is special anyway. She became a real mother to us. She always supports us, gives advice, and cares for us as if we were truly her children. I'd even say she's the perfect mom."

"In that case, I think she'll get along easily with Namiyo and Gloria," Alex remarked in agreement.

Lucina nodded. In her imagination, she immediately pictured a gentle, caring woman, even if she had to be a "mother" to a family of vampires who played the role of teenagers and went to school.

Alex was becoming more and more eager to meet Esme and Carlisle in person. He even thought it might be fun to visit the Cullens together with Bella — that would definitely make for an interesting scene.

"Maybe you could come over sometime?" Alice suggested enthusiastically. "Esme really wants to meet you."

"Hmm… how about the weekend?" Alex considered. "Lucina and I were planning a trip to Port Angeles. We could stop by your place for a couple of hours. What do you think, Lucina?"

"I don't mind," she nodded. "I'm curious myself to see how modern vampires live. Alcina had a gloomy castle, but you — what, have coffins in the basement where you sleep?"

"Hey!" Alice exclaimed, glaring at them. "There are no coffins in our house! And besides — we don't even sleep!"

Alex and Lucina burst out laughing. With her furrowed brows and serious expression, Alice looked like an angry hamster, which only made them laugh harder.

Finally, Alex promised that they really would visit over the weekend. Alice lit up with joy so brightly that Alex instinctively glanced into the rearview mirror, half-thinking the sun had broken through the clouds and her skin had started to sparkle. But outside, the sky was still overcast. "Must've imagined it," he decided.

When they reached the school, Alex parked the Impala and stepped out, stretching with a satisfied yawn. But the moment Alice got out alongside him, she immediately drew attention from those around them. Looking around, Alex didn't see Bella's truck — she was supposed to be driving behind them, but still hadn't arrived. Shrugging, he spotted the other Cullens and waved to them as he walked over.

Lucina took his hand, and Alice, not wanting to be left behind, grabbed his other arm. A pleased smile lit up her face.

"Yo! How was my gift yesterday? Did you like it?" Alex asked as he came closer.

"Oh yeah, really tasty," Emmett smirked. "But why aren't you in your cute outfit?"

"What outfit?" Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Where's your pink headband with bunny ears?" Emmett grinned, clearly savoring the moment.

"Aaah, so that's what this is about!" Alex drawled with a sly smile. "You should've just said you wanted one yourself. Fine, here you go!"

He let go of Lucina's and Alice's hands, dug into his backpack, and a second later pulled out a pink headband with bunny ears. With a satisfied grin, Alex placed it right on Emmett's head.

Rosalie's eyes widened in shock: her beloved now looked like a bodybuilder Easter bunny. Jasper was barely holding back a laugh, Jane shook her head in weary disapproval, and Alice burst into loud laughter, pointing at Emmett with her finger.

Catching his reflection in the car window, Emmett straightened his shoulders and even struck a few poses. Then he turned to Rosalie with a wide grin.

"So, what do you think of my new style? I look even better now, don't I?"

"Yeah," she answered dryly. "Like an Easter bunny on steroids. Take it off right now and stop embarrassing yourself."

"Hey! I like it! Maybe this is my new role — the buff Easter bunny," Emmett declared with a grin, skillfully dodging her hands as she tried to snatch the headband away.

Rosalie's eye began to twitch in anger as she struggled in vain to pull the pink bunny ears off Emmett's head. Emmett, on the other hand, was having the time of his life, dodging her hands and laughing like a child.

Seeing how much fun he was having, Alex smirked, rummaged in his backpack again, and pulled out another headband — this time with blue ears. Without hesitation, he put it on his own head.

Alice's eyes went wide with delight. She began bouncing excitedly in place, demanding one for herself. Alex only chuckled and handed her a third headband. She immediately slipped it on and looked as happy as if she'd just received the world's finest piece of jewelry.

At that moment, Lucina felt like she had walked into a madhouse. When Alex offered her yet another headband, she silently turned away and gave him a cold, empty stare. Alex only shrugged and, smiling, turned toward Jasper — but was instantly stopped. Jane stepped in front of him like a shield, placing her fragile body protectively before Jasper and even hissing at Alex.

"Look! They've got bunny ears too! I'm not the only one!" Emmett exclaimed happily, still holding Rosalie's hands away from his head.

Rosalie cast a tired glance at Alex and Alice and muttered softly:

"You're all insane."

"No, we're not insane-peko. You're just too boring-peko," Alex said cheerfully. "Want one? I've got cat ears, fox ears, even deer antlers — I've got a whole set-peko!"

"Please, don't talk like that," Lucina groaned, closing her eyes.

"What's wrong-peko?" Alex, Alice, and Emmett asked in unison.

Lucina and Rosalie exchanged understanding looks — both had the same expression of weariness and mild despair in their eyes. Meanwhile, the trio of "bunnies" kept laughing and fooling around, drawing the attention of the entire parking lot.

At that moment, Bella's old pickup truck pulled into the school grounds. She stepped out — and froze, staring at the group. The sight of the "ear trio" completely threw her off balance, and Bella honestly had no idea how to react.

The bell rang. Students started heading to their classes, though their eyes stayed glued to Alex, Emmett, and Alice, who were still laughing. The Cullens made their way toward the school, and Alice hugged Alex tightly goodbye, reluctant to let him go. Rosalie made one last attempt to snatch the ears off Emmett, but he remained stubborn.

Alex and Lucina waited for Bella. She walked up to them in mild shock.

"Want one?" Alex asked with a smile, holding out another headband.

"No, thanks," Bella shook her head quickly. "I'm not nearly brave enough to wear that at school."

Alex shrugged and slipped the headband back into his backpack. Lucina, meanwhile, was trying to maintain her composure as she noticed Alex had decided to actually attend class while wearing the ears. Her only thought was: Looks like he's so bored, he'll do absolutely anything for entertainment.

During the first lesson, classmates kept sneaking glances at Alex. Even the teacher couldn't help but stare — though his eyes weren't on Alex himself, but on his ears.

The lessons dragged on boringly, but the breaks turned into a full-on show: Alex, Emmett, and Alice met in the hallways, adding "-peko" to every word. Even during gym class, Alex and Emmett refused to take off their headbands at the teacher's request, for which they were punished with laps around the track. But both ran with smiles on their faces, laughing loudly.

At lunch, Alex sat at a table with Lucina, Alice, and Bella. The girls kept exchanging glances, clearly wondering how long this "bunny circus" would last.

By the end of the day, when Bella and Lucina went to biology class, Alex headed to art with Alice. She decided to paint a picture — the two of them in a flower field, wearing bunny ears. Alex, out of boredom, drew Doomguy… also with ears. He even felt like sending the drawing to a friend to cheer him up.

Meanwhile, the girls remaining in Orario, observing everything through Navi, their fairy drone, unanimously decided: it was better for Alex to play the rabbit and come up with silly antics than for him to start a fight or, heaven forbid, attempt a bank robbery.

A few days passed, and finally, the weekend arrived. All this time, Alice had shown up at Alex's house every morning and evening. In the evenings, she spent time with Alex and Lucina, and in the mornings, she played the role of "alarm clock." Everyone knew perfectly well that Alice was just using the chance to mess with Alex before he was fully awake.

But on Saturday morning, she didn't show up. Alex and Lucina took the opportunity to sleep in. They had nowhere to be, and getting up with the first rays of sunlight wasn't necessary.

Waking up around ten, the first thing they did was take a bath. But the "morning bath" dragged on: Lucina settled on Alex's chest and dozed off right in the warm water. Alex nearly fell asleep too, if not for his phone, which kept vibrating nonstop with a flood of messages from Alice. In the end, he had to wake Lucina.

After the bath, the pair got dressed and went downstairs. Today, none of the girls came over, so Alex had to make breakfast himself. While he fussed in the kitchen, GIR, MIMI, and Stitch lounged peacefully on the couch, knocked out after another all-night gaming marathon. Watching them, Alex could only shake his head. Still, it was better that they played than ran around the house causing chaos.

Breakfast was ready. Alex placed a plate in front of Lucina, who, now fully awake, kissed him on the cheek. Alex just smiled in return, already mentally going over the day's plans. First, they would stop by the Cullens' house, then head to Port Angeles to walk around and check out some shops. He still hadn't given up the idea of building a gazebo in the yard and setting up a grill there.

While finishing his meal, he replied to Alice's messages. Lucina asked him,

"Do you even realize how her phone can handle that kind of pace?"

Alex just shrugged. The only explanation that came to mind: the Cullens were rich, and Alice had probably ordered a custom smartphone whose screen wouldn't crack under such abuse.

After breakfast, they got ready to leave. Alex glanced at the trio, who had just woken up and were already digging into the food.

"We won't be back until evening. Don't get into trouble. Food's in the fridge. If anything — call one of your moms to feed you," he said.

"Can we come with you? It's boring at home," muttered Stitch, gulping down cereal straight from the bowl.

"We're stopping by the Cullens first, then we've got a date and some shopping. If you want — come along and carry the bags," Alex raised an eyebrow.

Hearing the word "date," GIR, MIMI, and Stitch simultaneously made sour faces. They quickly finished breakfast and rushed back to the console. In their opinion, games were far more interesting than watching romance unfold. Lucina quietly chuckled, took Alex's hand, and he just rolled his eyes, fully aware of what the trio was thinking: "They really think I'm ignoring them."

They stepped outside and immediately saw Bella, Charlie, and two other men. One was in a wheelchair, the other looked to be Bella's age. Alex recognized them instantly: Billy Black and his son, Jacob. Bella waved briefly, Charlie nodded. Alex smiled and waved back, then got into the Impala with Lucina.

"New neighbors?" Billy asked, watching the car drive away.

"That's Alex and his fiancée, Lucina. They go to school with Bella. Just moved here recently," Charlie replied with a small smile.

Meanwhile, Alex and Lucina were already driving toward the Cullens' house. Alice had sent them the address beforehand. As they approached, Alex slowed down to take in the house. Huge windows, a light-colored facade, and a cozy feel — the home made an impression. Lucina especially liked the panoramic windows, seemingly made for enjoying the view.

Alice was already waiting for them outside. Dressed in black and wearing heels, she paced back and forth, bouncing with impatience. Seeing the car, she spread a wide smile and practically vibrated with excitement.

Alex had barely turned off the engine when the "hyperactive comet" flew at them. Alice immediately hugged Lucina, then jumped onto Alex, hanging around his neck. Lucina just gave a dry look, not even bothering to comment.

"It's only eleven in the morning, and you're already full of energy," Alex remarked, looking down at her.

"Actually, it's ten. And we haven't seen each other for a whole eleven hours!" Alice exclaimed. "That's six hundred sixty minutes. Or thirty-nine thousand six hundred seconds!"

"Alice, don't tell me you spent the whole night counting down the time until we met," Lucina muttered, raising an eyebrow.

Alice paused for a moment and shook her head. No, she hadn't spent the entire night staring at the clock — she glanced at the hands from time to time but spent most of the night drawing.

Alex smiled, ran his hand through Alice's hair, and then turned his gaze toward the house. He noticed Emmett peeking out the window with a thumbs-up. A moment later, a female hand grabbed Emmett by the ear and firmly dragged him back inside. Alex nearly burst out laughing.

Lucina noticed it too and just let out a heavy sigh. Over the past few days, she had already managed to find common ground with Rosalie. Their friendship had been helped by the fact that Alex and Emmett quickly got along with each other. When the husbands were friends, it was easier for the wives — though unlike Rosalie, who could rein Emmett in at the right moment, it was much harder for Lucina to keep Alex in check when he got bored.

Not wanting to delay meeting Carlisle and Esme, Alex headed toward the house, dragging Lucina along. Alice still clung to him, pressing her cheek to his chest.

As soon as they stepped inside, the first thing Alex heard was Rosalie's stern voice scolding Emmett for peeking. In response, he mumbled something quickly, defending himself that he had "just been looking." Alex stifled a laugh as he listened to their exchange.

Alice finally jumped off him and, grabbing both Alex and Lucina by the hands, pulled them into the living room, bouncing with every step. Along the way, they admired the interior: bright, spacious, and incredibly cozy.

In the living room, Alex saw Jasper and Jane sitting by the television. Carlisle was in an armchair, a book in his hands. At that moment, Esme came out of the kitchen wearing an apron, carrying a freshly baked pie.

Seeing the guests, Carlisle closed his book and rose with a smile:"Glad to finally meet you in person, Alex, Lucina. Until now, we've only heard about you from Alice."

"The pleasure is mine as well, sir," Alex replied, shaking the extended hand.

"Perhaps you've heard too much about us," Lucina remarked with a slight smile.

"That's true," Esme gently confirmed. "Alice hasn't stopped talking about you."

"Ha," Alex smirked, raising a finger. "Sometimes her words sound like the ramblings of a madwoman. But to accept the truth is to change your view on life itself."

"Don't even start," Lucina interrupted, intercepting his raised finger. "We came to visit, not to attend a lecture. And you haven't forgotten how your last one ended, have you?"

Esme and Carlisle exchanged understanding smiles; they had already heard the story from the kids — how after one of Alex's speeches, a teacher had decided to "go find themselves" and resigned. At that moment, Emmett burst out laughing and immediately got a sharp tap on the head.

Alex, looking at Carlisle and Esme, simply smiled. Esme was the embodiment of the ideal mother, and Carlisle the wise father, ready to support and listen.

"Would you like to try some pie?" Esme offered with a kind smile. "It's still hot."

"And it's filled with…?" Alex began, glancing at the baked treat.

"With strawberries, just the way you like it! I helped make it," Alice quickly added, shaking his hand with joy.

"Helped?" came a voice from behind — Emmett. "You burned two pies before Esme stepped in."

A sharp "smack" followed — another preventive measure from Rosalie.

Alex looked at Emmett, over whom Rosalie loomed, giving him a look that could pierce like daggers. He just shook his head and, together with Lucina, approached the table.

They sat down, and Esme immediately went to brew some coffee — thanks to Alice's chatter, the entire Cullen family already knew that Alex couldn't live without it.

The strawberry pie, made by Alice with Esme's help, turned out surprisingly well. Alex broke off a piece, tasted it, and nodded approvingly. Alice, sitting next to him, practically bounced in anticipation, waiting for his verdict.

Alex reached out and gently patted her on the head:"Great job."

Alice beamed with joy, while Carlisle watched the interaction with a gentle smile.

At that moment, Emmett appeared, looking as if he had been thoroughly scolded just five minutes ago.

"Chumba, how's it going?" Alex asked, trying not to laugh.

"All good, I'm used to it. One smack here, one there — doesn't make a difference," Emmett replied carefreely.

Alex laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. Emmett smiled in return… only to immediately get another tap on the head from Rosalie.

Alex glanced at her and barely restrained himself from commenting about "those days." But he couldn't stop the thought — and instantly got kicked in the legs from both sides: Lucina and Alice. He just smirked: women always sense when a man is thinking nonsense. Pretending nothing had happened, he returned to the pie.

Carlisle, sitting across from him, rested his elbows on the table and asked calmly:

"Alex, I wanted to clarify. Your arrival is connected to the work Alice mentioned?"

The room fell silent immediately. Alex carefully placed his fork on the plate and sighed. Avoiding the answer wasn't an option — the Cullens already knew far too much about him thanks to Alice's visions.

"That's correct," he said after a pause. "But there isn't much to discuss yet. We've been in this world only recently and haven't figured much out. All I can say is that this world is truly unique. Details… later. Time is needed."

"So, the end of the world isn't expected anytime soon," Emmett summarized, shrugging. "Well, that's good news at least."

Alex smirked:

"Don't dwell on that. Those I hunt are cowardly creatures. They hide out of fear of their creator and stay hidden until their part is played to the end. For them, it's like a movie where they are the directors and everyone else just actors. But when they realize they can't win, they always try to run."

"That's enough," Alice interjected decisively. "Come on, I'll show you my paintings!"

Alex and Lucina barely had time to react before Alice literally dragged them to her room. Alex managed to grab only a piece of strawberry pie — and could do nothing but sigh heavily: the Cullens already knew too much, and some things would have been better left unheard.

Opening the door, Alice pulled the guests inside. Alex and Lucina simultaneously widened their eyes. Her entire room was covered in paintings: walls, easels, even stands — everything was filled. But the most astonishing thing was that in every painting… Alex was depicted.

And the most remarkable part — many locations featured him. The Babylonian Tower in the center of Orario, the Arasaka Tower, the Afterlife Bar, the Megatower where he had lived with Gloria, Lucina, and Becca. The Valhalla Arena, and even the last world where he fought the Minister of Monoliths, and the snowy landscapes of Tau-Volantis.

Noticing their reactions in a hurry, Alice began putting the "unsuccessful" paintings into the cabinet, while Alex and Lucina examined the remaining ones.

"Look, Lucina!" Alex exclaimed. "This one's from when Kiwi and I sneaked into the Arasaka Tower… And this—my battle with Poseidon. Oh, and here I am against Wesker! Wow, Alice, you've painted so much!"

Lucina picked up one of the paintings:

"I found the one where you're surrounded by the police. Is this by any chance the mission you did with Kiwi, then tried to spy on a gang deal, and ended up surrounded by cops?"

Alice smiled:

"Mm, I painted a lot. But mostly the moments I thought were cool."

"I hope you didn't draw anything too bloody? There were quite a few of those moments," Lucina asked suspiciously.

"No, of course not! Mostly when Alex had already won," Alice replied sincerely.

Alex squinted and crossed his arms.

"And the cabinet?"

"There… only the unsuccessful ones," Alice muttered, looking away. "Too bad to throw away, so I keep them."

He exchanged a glance with Lucina. Understanding each other without words, Alex scooped Alice up in his arms while Lucina opened the cabinet. Alice's smile instantly turned into an expression of horror — she clearly didn't want this secret revealed this way.

Lucina pulled out the first painting and, looking at it, smirked knowingly. Alice wriggled in Alex's arms, dreaming of escaping to the forest or the ends of the earth.

Alex raised an eyebrow as Lucina turned the canvas toward him. When he saw the image, he froze. On the painting was himself — shirtless, holding Poseidon's trident, standing on the bow of an aircraft carrier.

The following paintings were in the same style: Alex without a shirt, his abs glistening as if coated in oil for a glossy photoshoot.

"Not bad… but why do my abs shine like someone polished them?" Alex asked dryly, glancing at Alice hiding in his arms.

"I like it. You look pretty hot in these paintings," Lucina said enthusiastically. "If you started selling these in Orario, the goddesses would snatch them up in a heartbeat."

"Don't even think about profiting off me," Alex gave her a blank look.

"Alice, can you give me a couple? Especially this one and this one," Lucina asked, selecting two paintings.

"You like them??" Alice looked at her shyly.

"Absolutely. The other girls at home will go crazy when they see them. But I get first pick!" Lucina said with a satisfied smile, holding the two paintings.

Alice beamed, jumped out of Alex's arms, and happily ran over to Lucina. The girls got engrossed in discussing the paintings of Alex flaunting his bare torso, while he remained standing with a stone face.

Loud laughter from Emmett came from behind the door. Alex slowly turned his head and met his smirk. But Emmett's joy didn't last long — Rosalie appeared immediately and dragged him down the stairs by the ear.

Alex just sighed. It was painfully obvious that the rest of the Cullens had also seen the "secret" paintings. And he didn't even know what to think about the situation now.

To be continued…

Early access to chapters on my patreon: p*treon.com/GreedHunter