What We Do etc: "The Fiendish Plot of (human) Laszlo and Nadja Cravensworth

"The Fiendish Plot of (human) Laszlo and Nadja Cravensworth"... Part IX

Hmmn... Wait.  Guillermo eyes her.

He hears the Slayer and Dracula redeemed are after him and he goes on the lam, not into some antique, if I know Master Laszlo.

"That might be a bit too..." Guillermo, noting expression on Nadja's face. She glares...

"I just mean if he had any warning all that was after him, he'd probably just leave ..."

"Abandoning me, my dear husband?" she frowns.

"Yeah, you're right, he's done it before." Offhand wave. "We need something more immediate, inescapable."

"We could trap him in a room, sealed off vampwise, so as he can't escape..." Guillermo suggests.

"Please...Laszlo has far too good a sense of self-preservation for that. Unless..." she gulps

"You mean...?"she eyes him, nervously.

"I think you might have to..." Guillermo nods. "And it would be to save him, sorta."

"Betray my own husband?" glare.

"Well, only his demonic essence...And you're saving his soul, sorta."shrugs.

"But he'd be so hurt..." sigh. "He likes you, couldn't you do it?"

"Really?" beam... "But...You just said..."

"I know but that was regards intimidation, maybe he'd trust you just enough...And while he's torturing or killing you..."

Guillermo eyes her.

"Ok, yeah... That would be wrong. Shit. Having a conscience and compassion for others again is bummer, sometimes..." sigh. "Plus it wouldn't get him to flee into whatever receptacle we find. All right, I guess I'll have to do it. He wouldn't trust anyone else so..." Shaking head, sadly.

"Probably not...Sorry..."

"Yeah...So tell me, Mr. Assistant Mass Murderer and Lurer of Innocents, how does one deal with the guilt of such betrayal?" angry look.

"That's not..."

"Not fair? Really? How many people's corpses did you cut up or dump in the ground or the local landfill? How many poor folks did you lure here for us to kill? And as you ought to remember, I'm a victim too." Nadja, coldly. "A victim you could have helped." Stern look.

"Staked?" he eyes her.

"Well, even that would have freed me...And the others. But you did nothing. You, a Van Helsing."

"I didn't know."

"You knew..." calming, nervous look about. "...you should not have helped us kill people at least." Harsh whisper.

"Fine. I suppose I deserved that." Guilermo, stiffly.

"Yeah, pal. You do."she eyes him. "Wanting to be a vampire, voluntarily...What kinds of weak-willed sicko are you? And you've known you were of the Van Helsing line for two years or so now? You should have been saving us, not helping add to our...!!" she eyes the stricken face.

"Sorry...Sorry..." she sighs.

"No, it's true..." he nods. "I guess in a way I'm worse than any of you..."

"Well..." she hesitates. "I mean Nandor-souled slaughtered mercilessly, though it was war, and during very slaughter/pillage acceptable times." Pause...Regarding him. "But why, kid? Why did you do it? You seem like such a nice kid...In pasty-faced, overweight loser way."

"Thanks, I guess..." shrug. "Look, I guess I never thought about...People always made me feel small, I guess I thought..."

"Even after you found you had a noble legacy? And some human superpower for good?" she stares.

"That kinda came late in the day. And I'd come to care about you guys. My perspective was off I guess."

"So said the Nazi guard at Buchenwald to the dying Anne Frank. Or so his vamp killer told me when she came to America after the war." Sternly. "Right up there with 'I vas only following orders!'"

"Sorry..." after long pause. "But you have much to answer for, kiddo." She shakes head. "Maybe I'm being a little the self-righteous but..."

"So my ancestor and Dr. Acura tell me." He sighs. "I know. I know I'm guilty. Of terrible things..."

"Well, at least you weren't really ready to be a killer vamp." Shrugging. "I suppose that's gotta count for something." She shrugs. "And I know you cared about us." Eyes his downcast face. "I'll put in a good word for you, if anyone will listen." Nodding at him. "I guess I understand how it is to feel powerless and want to change your fate."

"Thank you...I'm so sorry, sorry..." he bursts into tears, she hugging him.

,,,

Nandor in his crypt, ghost of Marwa with him...To camera.

"So, now we need to find Marwa a physical body. I suppose, given I am seeking Redemption it would not do to steal one even if we could."

No...Marwa shakes head. "Though, if we could...Well...I mean, maybe some unhappy, miserably depressed, suicidal volunteer. But they generally don't want to give up their bodies. And while they do wonderful things with diet, exercise, non-djinn plastic surgery, such bodes tend to be well, rather dogs. It's why they are suicidal and depressed."

"True enough..." Nandor nods thoughtfully.

"Though any port in a storm so long as my Nandor loves me." Beam at him. "But it's really tricky to find a sincere volunteer and not just someone a bit crazy. And that can really louse up a Redemption to take advantage like that." Marwa notes.

Right...Nandor sighs.

"Well, how did Mrs. Dracula manage it?" he eyes Marwa. "Surely if she can, you can. You've waited longer and never committed an evil act. They must allow points or something for that."

"Except that slave girl's decapitation but, in that time period..." Nandor shrugs at her look.

"Well, Elisabete had a vampire body to restore human..." Marwa notes.

Hmmn...Nandor ponders.

"Well, we do have two available..." he note, eyeing her. "Assuming I suppose it really would not do Redemptionwise to go out and just take some hot lady we both find attractive?" he asks, a bit hopefully.

"Sorry...No." Marwa shakes head.

"Right. This Redemption stuff is no walk in the burned, destroyed, devastated village." Nandor sighs. "But...Considering the two we do have available...."

"Mmmn...About that. First, there has to be a degree of voluntary acceptance for an exchange and a transfer object. Like Nadja's soul and her Doll?" Marwa, carefully.

"You know about that?" he eyes her.

"Nadja and I, the soul, have met, briefly. While we've both been hovering near."

"Really? Hovering near us, Laszlo and me? That's so sweet." He beams.

"Hey, we both came from times when marriage vows were taken seriously." Marwa, firmly. "Even with multiple wives. And she felt very guilty about her demon killing Laszlo. Though she truly loves him."

"Really? The soul? She's never seemed all that...Oh..." Nandor stares.

"Yeah...." Marwa nods. "She has had to be a bit deceptive. And that's number two. I can't take Nadja's vamp body...It's occupied."

...