Have a Little Faith

Chapter One: Addison & Adriano

A/N: As always, I don't own anything except my water bottle. :P

*16 ½ Years Ago*

"Hey, Addy, it's me, Mike, which isn't to say that you don't know who I am it's just- well, I'm making sure that you're sure that I am- I mean, that you know who it is, that's all. Not to say that you get calls from bunches of guys all the time, I just- well, I'm not trying to say that you don't get calls from bunches of guys- I mean, you can talk whoever you want, right?" Mike broke off suddenly, and sighed. He must have known he sounded completely ridiculous. Addison's eyebrows were traveling farther upwards as he went on with his spluttered nonsense. "Well, I just wanted to… to call, and see what you were up to, and everything. You know, Nat said you were with some older guy, and- and I just wanted to… well, I mean you haven't called me back and I must have left you a ton of messages... I'm getting worried, Addy, I wouldn't want anything bad-"

Addison deleted his message with a sharp, impatient jab.

"Hey, Addy, it's Nathalie. I was just speaking to Mike, and he's really wor-"

Addison deleted this message as well.

"Addison, it's Lizzy, and I was just wondering, like, where the hell have you been? We're all really worried-" Delete.

"Addy, it's Morgan, and where the hell are you these days? You're always with that guy-" Delete.

"Addison, it's Hannah-"

"Addison, it's me, Taylor, where are-"

"Addy, where are you-"

Delete. Delete. Delete.

Addison ran a hand through her hair as she did so. When all the messages were deleted, she went up to her bedroom. She paced in her agitation. Back and forth, back and forth, and with each step she thought of Adriano. The mysterious and incredibly, breathtakingly handsome Adriano who had swept her off her feet with a few simple words. He was so charming, yet so secretive…

A noise came from behind her and Addison jumped as she turned to face the door. She was about to say something when he was at her side. His eyes were a brilliant red, and almost half-crazed as he gazed down at her with a mixture of longing and… what else was there?

"Shh, Addison, shh…" He whispered as he bent down to kiss her throat… "Trust me, Addison; life will be better for you from now on. Trust me.

"I'm giving you the greatest gift the world has to offer you."

*Present Day*

Addison snapped out of her daydreams, the only type of dreams allotted to her. She was sitting in an old, vacated building. All around her were vampires. The number of newborn vampires was far greater then that of the mature ones. All of them were waiting… just waiting. Adriano was pacing before Addison, and the Russian Twins were attempting to keep the piece amidst the newborns with a truckload of terrified humans. Addison just tilted her head back and closed her eyes, wondering if there was anything to gain from this. Nataliya and Katya seemed to think there was. Adriano was dead certain that there was something to be gained from the battle they were about to fight, but Addison was not convinced. She wasn't even sure what this big threat was. She'd asked Adriano, and he'd snarled his answer.

"The oppressive, and the unjust Volturi, Addison, and they have escaped with this for far too long. That's who we're fighting."

"The Volturi are pretty much our government, Addison," Nataliya had explained, "They are vile and corrupt. It is our duty, for all vampires, to destroy them."

Katya had told her tales of the Volturi. How they had killed slaughtered poor children that had been blessed with immortality injudiciously. How they had slaughtered the vampires of the South for building armies to defend themselves and their families. How they had overthrown the fair and most just Romanians who had sought only to better the lives of vampires.

Addison didn't really understand why the duty to destroy this Volturi fell upon their shoulders. Why it just had to be them who annihilated them. Why couldn't it be someone else? After all, they sounded infallible. Not really a fight Addison was willing to get involved in.

Hours passed by, and then more time slipped through their fingers. Adriano and the Russian Twins passed the time by attempting to keep the peace between the savage newborns. When he wasn't needed, Adriano paced. While he did so, he muttered to himself.

"This is our time… This is for them… yes, this is our time…"

* * *

The next thing Addison knew, the Volturi were there. They stood before them in the clearing. Adriano and the Russian Twin's numbers outnumbered that of the Volturi, without doubt. But somehow, something told her that their numbers wouldn't stop the all powerful Volturi. Adriano was grinning an insane grin beside her. There was something like triumph on his handsome face, but past the insanity it was hard to be sure. The Volturi looked unsure of themselves as they gazed.

"Adriano, what is this?" One of the leaders said his face looking outraged. "And Katya and Nataliya, too!"

"This is your downfall, Aro," Adriano said, his insane grin taking over his entire face. "This is for all the innocents you've struck down."

"My down-?"

"Attack!" Nataliya yelled loudly.

Suddenly, all the newborns behind Addison rushed forward. They threw themselves on the guard in well under a second. Katya and Nataliya rushed one of the two smallest. Nataliya fell to the ground shrieking, but Katya knocked the small girl off her feet. Adriano rushed what appeared to be her twin. The newborns were attacking, and they appeared to be winning, at first. Many rushed at the leader, Aro, but all of them turned around instantly, heading in the other direction, their expressions befuddled. Addison didn't realize she was backing up at first. She was watching one of the newborns being torn to shreds by a hulking, menacing figure. Another of the guard was lighting a fire…

"Adriano!" Addison said in a whisper. Her mate had frozen, completely unaware. Addison could see the small boy… With a flash, Adriano had unfrozen, and the boy was falling over himself under Addison's spell. Whenever he got his footing he would fall again. Adriano took advantage of his weakness and dove at the boy. However as suddenly as he was distracted, the boy stood up straight. Confused, Adriano turned to look at Addison. She stood, brow furrowed at the edge of the battle. Just as he was about to run towards her, he froze again, unable to feel anything at all.

Addison's thoughts were in turmoil. Why was she really here again? What did she owe Adriano? Did her love for him mean that she had to die here for him, on this pointless suicide mission? What did she owe Katya or Nataliya? Adriano was the one who had known the Russian Twins half his life, not Addison. She had known the duo for all of three months. With that, Addison knew that all that was left for her was to run. As she turned to leave, a particularly big Volturi fighter was standing before her. He wore a menacing grin, as he crouched.

"Leaving us so soon?"

"Yes, I think so," Addison replied coolly.

"That's a shame, and the party's just getting started, too…"

"My loss, I suppose," Addison hissed just as the Guard member was about to dive at her, on of his comrades abandoned the newborn vampire he'd been fighting (who immediately ran fled from the battle that commenced before them) and jumped in his path sinking into a similar crouch.

"Santiago, what-?"

Santiago growled at Felix and dove at him.

"What the-?" Felix threw Santiago off of him. Within that instant, Santiago came to, confused. Felix looked up, and the girl had gone. "Fuck, why the fuck did you do that?"