AN: Hello! I know it's been a while, but I'm back!

I've realized recently that writing for others/deadlines puts a lot of pressure on me and I psych myself into not writing in the free moments where I could. However, my writing and experience writing is much more pleasant when I don't pressure myself with deadlines and the thought that people are waiting on me. So, I can't promise consistent updates; this year, my goal isn't to finish my stories but to write them as they come. This will make my stories feel less forced and hopefully more natural. I love what I've written across the fandoms so far, and I want to further the characters' alternative lives and see where they lead me.

I'll say this in my profile bio, too, but I'm going to be working on my stories in bits and pieces and not rush the flow of things. I also have another Twilight story in the works along with the ones I'm working on, but I won't post it until it's finished.

Important! I will be merging this story with one (unposted) titled Running Home to You. Both stories contain a similar plotline and character interactions. This won't change the initial direction of ADoDaD, but I will incorporate some original characters from RHTY so they can still be heard.

That being said, I appreciate each and every one of you who reads my story/stories and those who have held on this long. Thank you for still being here; it means so much to me.

Bella Swan

With my new unchecked flame-wielding abilities, I considered calling in sick for my first day of work.

I quickly realized the fallacies of that plan. If I didn't show up on the first day, I might as well begin the search for a new job. Also, I didn't have a phone to call in with, since I just destroyed mine.

At least I wouldn't have to worry about the Cullen's somehow tracing it. The thing didn't even exist anymore.

I was halfway down the hill when I remembered Jonas the bartender's comment about me having to waschen before I officially had the job. I turned and glared at the top of the hill for having the audacity to be so steep. Groaning, I began trudging my way upwards, remembering that a stream had been at the bottom on the other side.

I was near the barn I'd burned down when I heard the sounds of helicopter blades. My dark clothes made me stand out from the light green grass and there were no trees to duck behind. If it flew overhead and saw me simply chilling - pun very much intended - next to still-smoking rubble, I'd be in for a world of trouble.

So, I decided to run. One thing a person should know about me if it wasn't already obvious, is that I don't run. It's not that I refuse to, it's that I can't. My first step sent me tumbling down, rolling and hitting almost every rock that seemed to be uprooted. My fall only lasted a few seconds, which at least got me out of the helicopter pilot's visible range before it was too late.

That was the only upside. Every part of my body ached and burned. I'd hit my head on a large slate of rock on my second or third somersault, and now it pounded. If Carlisle were here, I'm sure he would've diagnosed me with a concussion on the spot.

A tendril of blood snaked down my forearm and my only mercy was the knowledge that the Cullens were nowhere nearby. Jasper attacked me because of a mere papercut, which made me wonder if the gash on my arm would have the same effect on them all.

The helicopter eventually landed at the top of the hill, and while its occupants disembarked, I darted behind a tree and tried to calm my racing heart. I couldn't control my sparks or fire or whatever it is, and I had a feeling my emotions only made it worse.

I plastered myself to that tree until the people, realizing nothing was salvageable, flew off. Sighing, I took a step forward and ignored the aching in my head and body.

Water gently moved down the stream. The sound of it soothed me. Wide and a few feet deep, I shrugged off my clothes, setting them on a patch of grass before slipping in. I only had one set of clothing, though they weren't the same ones from the airport. It seemed with each move I found a new set and discarded the old rags.

I ducked under and soon began waschen-ing, doing the best I could without soap. I rubbed at my arms and legs in an attempt to remove the layer of dirt caked onto my skin. Underwater, I scrubbed my head to try and clean my scalp. I ran my fingers through my ratty hair and detangled my curls.

My head popped through the surface. No one was around so I hopped out and laid on an area of tall grass. I easily sunk between the blades. If anyone were to walk by, they probably wouldn't see me unless they were actively searching.

The idea of laying here to dry unsettled me with that thought. There were people looking for me, whether I liked it or not. I was unsure about the Cullens and my friends from home, but I knew Victoria or her henchmen would be looking for me now.

Somehow, I knew that she had lost me. She only knew I called Renee because she was keeping tags on my phone's activity. That had to be why she gave me my phone before we parted. Another part of her game.

I scoffed in disgust.

I remembered I needed to make a plan to take her down. Before, my victory was impossible. Now, I had an advantage.

My impending occupation as a bartender hit me.

Which was more important? A plan or a job?

Whatever plan I came up with would more than likely be costly and simply robbing a bank would only cause more problems. I'd have to figure out how to disable cameras, their operating hours, and avoid getting caught.

Job it is.

But then, I thought, vaults were made with metal. Whatever kind of heat I could generate was more than enough to melt a metal vault. Robbing a bank would be faster, too.

To hell with it.

Sorry, Jonas, but I wanna see Victoria's end more than drunkards trying to grope me in a tavern.

Angela Weber

"No," the Major seethed. I waited for him to finish. "Absolutely not."

"Jasper."

"Alice and I barely made it out of there with our lives. And we're nearly indestructible."

"I hadn't noticed," I muttered sarcastically. He continued pacing. "Jasper," I repeated, and he finally stopped. "Bella wouldn't have broken any of these theorized rules unless she felt she had to. She called her mother because, somehow, she thought Renee could help."

Though he possessed an unnaturally quick mind, he was very slow on the uptake.

Emmett snorted. "She certainly can't help now."

I continued, "Right. But I'm thinking whatever answers Bella wanted from Renee weren't just stored in her mind. What if she wrote something down?"

I must've said the perfect thing because, all of a sudden, Jasper, Alice, and I were in Jacksonville.

In what felt like minutes but what was likely a couple hours, we were saddling up to Renee's house. Alice was warning me that it would be pretty gruesome inside when Jasper, whose arms held me, ground to a halt.

"Jasper?" Alice questioned. Then she sniffed and fell still.

The southerner's lip curled.

The front door opened.

"Greetings and salutations!" Her voice was surprisingly high and childlike. Victoria's wild red curls made her head seem like it was on fire in the sun. Unlike Alice and Jasper, who had stopped long enough to cover up, her skin sparkled brilliantly. She was ethereal and beautiful in a predatory way.

"Victoria," Jasper snarled.

"Jasper," she greeted. "Alice." Her tone notably became hostile. She turned to me and her face flickered in surprise. "I see you're collecting them now."

"What are you doing here?" Alice demanded.

The redhead flashed forward. Even though she wasn't looking at me, her close proximity made my heart pick up its pace.

"I know what you're looking for," she stage-whispered. "I've searched through that house top to bottom a dozen times. I've destroyed everything that would've helped you."

Jasper paused. "You know why she called Renee?"

Victoria scoffed. "Of course I do. I wouldn't be Game Master if I didn't know all of the working components."

"Why are you doing this to Bella?" I asked. "Why'd you make her run?"

Her startling red, glossy eyes shot to mine. "To teach the Cullen Coven a lesson in meddling. They may have the Volturi's acceptance, but they don't have their protection. I'm honestly surprised they haven't incurred another coven's or nomad's wrath by now." She surveyed me, her features softening into something almost kind. "You should get out now while you still can."

"Speak for yourself," I said, and her doll-like face dropped into a scowl. "You won't win."

On cue, Jasper and Alice grabbed each of her arms. Surprisingly, Victoria didn't struggle or break eye contact with me.

"I know, human. But it will be worth it to watch the Cullens' demise." She turned to Jasper, appraising the scars that were invisible to me. "I know you can and will kill me, but before you do, I suggest you listen to this."

Hesitantly, he said, "Say what you wish."

"The Game won't end with my death. I've put many things into motion, things you couldn't possibly comprehend. If you kill me now, every last one of my newborns has an order to deliver a message to the vultures. You couldn't kill them all before one fulfills their duty."

Vultures. That sounded like-

Alice gasped, and she dropped Victoria's arm like it was covered in poison. "You'd bring the Volturi down on us?"

Victoria grinned with every last glistening tooth. "I play to win, Mary Alice."

Four newborns emerged, two from the house, two from the trees. In a flash, they had us surrounded. Their eyes were on Victoria, but I noticed they flickered to me. I gulped, knowing just how badly each of them thirsted for my blood. I grudgingly gave silent thanks to Victoria for having enough control over them to keep them from immediately pouncing on me.

"I've picked up a few things from Maria, Major."

And now I was completely lost. But Jasper was still as a statue, stiller even. He'd have gone completely pale had he been human.

"You might want to let me go."

His face still an expression of shock, he released Victoria, whose grin widened. I blinked, and two of the newborns vanished. They took Alice with them.

Jasper snarled and lunged, only to be restrained by the remaining vampires who moved at Victoria's behest.

She stalked forward and gripped his chin roughly. "You may think you have an advantage, yet I know everything about your family as well as your efforts to find your human." She let her hand fall. "I'll be borrowing Mary Alice. She still has to pay for James. Don't worry, I'll bring her back to you. In one piece, though, that's to be determined. In the meantime, I'll give you a hint on where to find Bella."

"Why would you do that?" I questioned.

Her gaze darted to mine but didn't linger. Jasper was her main focus, and I was of little consequence.

"A bank in Switzerland has lost a considerable amount of money today," she said. "You'd do well to look into that."

Despite the extremely tense and dangerous atmosphere, Jasper and I looked at each other in confusion.

Victoria laughed. "Vladimir is dead."

I hadn't the faintest clue who that was, or how to follow this conversation, but Jasper did, it seemed. A look of bewilderment crossed his expression.

"Your human killed him." She laughed again, then spoke to the newborns. "Release him. I don't believe we'll have anything to worry about from the Cullens or their pets for a few weeks yet."

Before she disappeared, Victoria said, "You can expect Mary Alice back in a few days."

Bella Swan

Holy crow Holy crow Hol-y Crow.

I can't believe that worked. Or how easy!

Poor Charlie. If only the Chief of Forks Police could see his daughter now. I couldn't help but laugh at the situation.

I was sitting on the dirty compact ground of yet another abandoned barn, surrounded by tipped bags of Swiss currency. The bills spilled out and the breeze blew them about the space. I didn't even know how much I'd stolen. Hopefully a lot.

But I'd robbed a bank!

I can't believe I almost worked in a bar. It would've taken a considerable amount of time to get the money needed to take down Victoria. Instead, I'd gotten it in a day.

My mother's body probably wasn't even cold.

That thought made me stop. I had to remind myself that this was real life. If I hadn't had the ability to take out the cameras or melt the door, I never would have been able to accomplish a bank robbery, let alone get away with it.

If I were still human, I wouldn't have gotten this far. That vampire would have killed me, or worse, turned me so I would be his eternal slave. No, thank you.

Whoever or whatever was the cause for this change in me, I thanked it profusely.

A strong gust of wind blew through the barn. Another bag rustled as it toppled over.

Standing, I moved to prop it along with the other two against a wall.

The barn was sturdy. I didn't know how long ago it had been built. Other than a noticeable amount of large cracks and burned out lights, the structure was perfect. The door didn't want to shut all the way, though, which was annoying.

For a moment, I pictured using my newly acquired wealth to fix the place up. Buy better boards, patch the remaining holes, oil the hinges. New light fixtures would change the atmosphere entirely. A refurbished, built-in ladder would lead to a loft lined with walls of books.

That stupid bag slammed to the ground again, and the image dissipated. Robbing the bank put a target on my back and pointed to Switzerland.

I would have to move on, and soon.

How could I, though? Swiss francs weren't accepted in many places outside of the country. With this amount of money, going into a bank to exchange for Euros was too risky. Especially since one of their banks was missing a large sum of its holdings.

I couldn't stay, but I wasn't about to let this money go to waste. For now, I'd get as far away from the bank as I could while still remaining in the country. I would likely need several months to do the exchanges so as to not set off any alarms.

The picture of the perfect barn reappeared, and I shook my head, smiling lightly. That dream was impossible to achieve here. Perhaps, though, it would be possible elsewhere.

More images came to mind, unbidden. A house, a car, maybe even a dog. Time, stability. Hobbies. A life.

Dang.

Last time, running for my life didn't make me want to live it.

The smile fell and I frowned.

I only want it because I can't have it. That's the only possible explanation. If I could have it, like before, then I'd go right back to not wanting it.

Dusting off my jeans, I banished that train of thought and set about collecting the loose bills. After I'd gathered them all, I held over five thousand in my hand. I shoved the bills into my back pocket and approached the trio of bags. I tossed the backpack over my shoulders and picked up the two duffel bags.

I strolled out of the barn and didn't look back.

My first stop was a car dealership. I'd stashed the bags in the forest and hoped beyond hope they wouldn't be discovered while I was inside.

There was a bit of a language barrier, but once I expressed my desire for one vehicle in particular, I paid in cash and they handed me the keys.

And that was that.

I admired the car, surprised at my pride over it. The paper said it was a 2006 VW Passat. The car itself was small and seemed to me like something a grandparent would drive.

But the inside. Wooh. The inside was amazing. So much better than the Beast.

I retrieved my hidden bags and settled into my new car, which I'd already accidentally named Haven.

The second stop was to a phone store.

I don't know what possessed me to buy one, since I wouldn't be able to call anyone I knew, but I figured it might be nice to have one just in case.

The salesperson, who spoke English, quickly discovered I knew nothing about phones. He guided me to the section of the store that had the newer models. He roped me into buying the most expensive model in the store, and he wasn't subtle about it. I let him, though, because I didn't care about paying for things anymore.

I had money now, and the sooner I had a less-suspicious amount of it, the better.

So, I smiled, made my purchase, and shook hands with the salesperson.

My last stop of the day was a hair salon.

I hadn't forgotten that I was technically on the run. I knew my actions would not go unnoticed by my friends in the States.

I'd made sure not to show my face to the cameras, but they had still recorded the rest of me. If they realized it was me who had robbed the bank, I grinned at the thought of their reactions, they knew more about what I looked like.

Which meant it was time to change my hair again.

I walked into the small, empty salon, and the three hairdressers looked up at me with smiles, then regarded my frizzy fading hair with horror.

I told them what I wanted, and they eagerly descended on me like a flock of geese.

Angela Weber

The Cullens devolved into a state of uproar once we returned.

Jasper tossed me over his back and told me to call Carlisle. The doctor answered but couldn't hear me because of how fast Jasper was running.

He slowed down enough for Carlisle to get the gist of my message: Victoria took Alice. Come back now.

After that, he took the liberty of calling Edward. The vampire didn't want to stop searching, but after they argued for a few minutes, Edward agreed to return.

Any of Jasper's thoughts about the media had vanished during our run, but he remembered them once we were back in the state of Washington. When we were a little ways away, Emmett met us on a backwater road with his jeep.

We drove the rest of the way to my house, and the few reporters stationed outside were none the wiser. Thankfully, their number had dwindled to three as time wore on and the rest lost interest. Most of the town, at this point, decided that Bella was dead.

Inside, Jasper positioned himself in one of the dining room chairs and hadn't moved since. He became a statue, but I could tell his mind was working a mile a minute, trying to decipher all that had happened.

That left me to tell Esme and Emmett the bare bones of what Victoria had told us. I refrained from diving into the whole explanation until Edward, Carlisle, Rosalie, and the shifters arrived.

Esme sat next to Jasper, hoping her company could help calm him. She had detached herself from her own emotions about Alice's absence, on top of Bella's, so she wouldn't overwhelm him.

Emmett had no such consideration. He paced the room until I could almost see his footprints indented into the floor.

"Please, go outside," I said to him. "Rip out a tree or two."

He looked at me, then Esme and Jasper, and nodded. In an instant, he fled through the backdoor. I didn't hear any signs of destroyed nature, likely because the reporters were too close.

At least the emotional atmosphere died down with him gone. His stress, worry, anger, and frustration were something Jasper didn't need. And Emmett's emotions had made me more anxious, too, which the empath didn't need either.

The three of us sat in silence for an hour. Emmett returned after a while and he seemed visibly relaxed. I smiled at him gratefully and he returned it as he went to sit with Jasper.

While everyone worked on retaining their calm, I logged onto the computer. I searched up the robbery in Switzerland, which had already made headlines.

I scrolled and found one in English. I felt my eyes grow comically wide as I read.

In summary, an unidentified individual waited in the queue and, once it was their turn, held the clerk at gunpoint and demanded the money. All the article stated about the individual was that she was a woman in her mid twenties with dyed-red hair. She got away with close to three million swiss francs while somehow leaving the vault and camera in mangled ruins.

The writer had included a photo of one of the ruined security cameras.

It looked like it had melted, for lack of a better word. The camera seemed to have been wrapped around itself and cooled that way.

I frowned at the inconsistency in the story. It said she had held the clerk at gunpoint, yet the vault was destroyed. The clerk would've had to go to the vault if the woman wanted to keep her advantage.

At this point in my life, I knew not to trust the media. However, photo evidence was hard to deny.

The woman had gotten to the vault, I theorized. That meant she had gotten there in some other fashion.

A few minutes after I read the article, Carlisle and Rosalie came through the back. They seemed bedraggled, their perfect hair and clothes beyond saving.

Knowing Alice was gone made even Rosalie stop caring about her appearance.

They both immediately went to their spouses.

Emmett and Rosalie moved to the couch. They sat on the opposite end from Mike, who was napping.

After embracing his wife, Carlisle took Emmett's old spot next to Jasper.

The coven leader looked to me for an explanation of what happened, but I shook my head. "Edward and the wolves aren't back yet."

He took this in stride and allowed his focus to go solely to his son.

We didn't have to wait long until our number was completed.

My dining table wasn't enough to fit everyone, but in moments the vampires, wolves, and two humans were surrounding it.

All eyes were on me, so I began to recount what happened in Jacksonville. "When we got there, Alice and Jasper caught several scents. They belonged to numerous newborns as well as Victoria herself. She was inside, and she said she destroyed anything that would've helped us."

I heaved in a breath, having rehearsed this conversation several times in advance, knowing the Cullens wouldn't react well. "Victoria's smarter than any of us gave her credit. She called it her 'Game,' and she plays to win. She set up a failsafe, so in the moment of her death her newborns are to go to the Volturi. Victoria said she learned how to make a plan like this from a woman named Maria."

All of the Cullens' eyes landed on Jasper at this. Though I still felt confused as to the significance of this woman, I was glad they knew who she was. They would have a better grasp on Victoria's meaning, then.

I continued. "Victoria said she knows everything about your family. She took Alice because she knows that she's the one who delivered the final blow to James. She said we can expect her back in a few days." I intentionally left out the potentially not in one piece part.

Edward, having caught that thought, growled at the vile woman's plans.

The end of the story came through my lips just as quickly as it had happened. "She gave us a hint on where to find Bella. She said a bank in Switzerland was robbed. Victoria also told us Vladimir," I felt the name turn into a question, "is dead, and that Bella is the one who killed him."

The ensuing silence definitely came with a charged air of shock. The Cullens exchanged meaningful glances as they each tried to wrap their brains around this information. Meanwhile, myself, Mike, and the shifters were still clueless.

Edward clearly noticed our oblivious thoughts, but even he couldn't find the will to explain.

Carlisle also noticed and he was the only one who had the faculties to fill us in. "Maria is a woman from Jasper's past. She is the one who created him."

"Like, his mom?" Paul guffawed.

The doctor gazed at him patiently, and I wondered if Carlisle knew how much it irked the temperamental teen.

Paul was too annoyed to realize the true meaning on his own. So, I told him.

"Maria is the one who turned Jasper into a vampire."

He stared, gobsmacked for a moment, then snapped his jaw nodded.

I gestured for Carlisle to continue.

"Maria was involved in an ongoing war over territory in the south, and she had no qualms turning humans for her war," he explained. "Her newborns were just chess pieces to her, and if they were stolen, attacked, or knocked off the board, she didn't bat an eye."

"She was cruel, vindictive, and the most heartless being I ever met," Jasper added, breaking his hours-long silence. Everyone's attention landed on him. "If Victoria was telling the truth, then we are against something greater than we could have imagined."

"Why, Jasper? What could Victoria have learned that we can't fight?" Emmett asked.

The tired soldier's gaze was out of focus. It was the first time I had seen him so off-kiltered. "It's not what she's learned, but the mere fact that Maria doesn't teach anyone her ways. If the two of them know each other-" He abruptly cut off, hesitant to say more.

Edward, knowing his thoughts, finished for Jasper. "You think Maria training her means she knows you are a part of the coven Victoria wants to destroy. And she's helping her, backing her up, as a result." The mind reader paused. "You think Victoria took Alice for more than vengeance."

Jasper didn't nod, didn't need to explain his thoughts.

"So, it could've been Maria's plan, not Victoria's, to take Alice?" Rosalie inquired.

The two brothers engaged in a tense, silent conversation. They broke their eye contact with a synchronized nod.

The awful implications if this were true didn't need to be discussed. I didn't know Alice very well, but I knew that she was an energetic, loving, bright girl. I hated the image that came to mind of what a few days alone against several vampires, supposedly one of the worst their kind knew, would do to her.

My heart ached, and I couldn't suppress my emotions or thoughts for the sake of the gifted vampires in the room.

We stewed on this knowledge and thoughts of what kind of Alice would return, knowing there was nothing that could be done but to trust the madwoman's word. The atmosphere grew decidedly thick and nearly unbearable for several long, insufferable minutes.

Then, Seth asked, "Who's Vladimir?"

Some of the Cullens seemed confused, too, and I realized that Rosalie, Emmett, and Esme had no clue who Vladimir was.

Carlisle sighed. "Before the Volturi, there was another coven that was considered the most powerful among vampire kind. The Romanian coven lived openly, and ruled over both humans and vampires. Vladimir was one of the leaders of this coven, and once it was destroyed he and other member Stefan had a vendetta against the Volturi for their coven's destruction. In short, Vladimir is cunning, strong, and extremely old- one of the oldest of our kind."

Jacob smirked. "So, he's the real Dracula."

Emmett frowned at him before a light sparked in his eyes. "Right, cause Dracula lived in Transylvania, which is in Romania!"

Leah and I rolled our eyes at their interaction.

I resisted the urge to tell them that this Vladimir seemed like the type to have drained Bram Stoker's blood before speaking a word to him. That thought brought my mind back into focus.

"If he's so powerful, how could Bella have killed him?"

"I doubt she did," Edward said. "Most of what Victoria says is a lie."

Jasper grew tense. If Victoria lied about Bella killing Vladimir, she could've lied about bringing Alice back.

"I don't think she was lying," I told him.

Edward shook his head, and he was even wearing that half smile of his, as if the thought of Bella killing any vampire was ludicrous.

"She was telling the truth," Jasper said.

"And she said she knew everything about us. She likely knows about our gifts," Edward countered.

"So now you think she's telling the truth."

While they argued, both vampires had grown uncomfortably close to one another.

"Stop this!" Esme exclaimed, and they both looked at her. "Arguing over Victoria's claims serves no purpose. We will know regardless in a few days. In the meantime, resolve your issues so we can remain one unit. You are brothers, not enemies. Victoria and Maria are our enemies. You'd do well to remember that."

Though still incensed, they heeded her words and backed down.

"If," Jasper began, "and I mean if," he looked pointedly at Edward, "Bella killed Vladimir as Victoria said, then there's a chance she's already been turned."

The mind reader was already shaking his head. I found myself agreeing with him, remembering the necklace that they'd found in the airport bathroom.

Edward's attention shot to me.

"What do you mean?" he asked, addressing my thoughts.

Instead of explaining, I replayed my memory with Emmett when we talked about the necklace.

He frowned pensively in response.

The necklace had ended up on the coffee table in the living room instead of back on the board. Jasper and Alice bursting in had distracted me, so there it remained until Edward picked it up.

He examined the pendant just as Emmett had. Then, he put it back on its hook. "I think you're right, Angela." His half-smile reappeared, and I was glad to see it; he'd been tense for too long. "My Bella's never been normal by human standards."

Rosalie watched her brother warily. "What are you talking about?"

Edward held eye contact with me for another second before he looked at her, the faces around the room, and eventually settled it on his father. "There is sufficient evidence to suggest that my mate might not entirely be human."

16/17/18 - Written: 9/10/22-1/20/25

Posted - 1/20/25

:)

Alruix