What We Do In the Shadows: "Jen..."

What We Do In The Shadows: "Jen..." Part XXXIII...

"Yeah, we're good friends...She's the role model I always measure myself against at the office." Smile. "A great mentor...I've learned so much from her.  There and now, here." smile.

"And now, thanks to her, my life is complete. I'm the familiar of Master Nandor and all the things that used to worry me, work, lovelife, keeping up with the guys, impressing clients...I mean I always tried to keep it in perspective but now, I really see...Not important in the big scheme of things, you know?  I mean, of course, we want to keep the business goin' and do well, to the Master and Master Laszlo and Mistress Nadja's benefit but it's not the be all and end all it used to be, you know.  I'm at peace now, happy just to be doing all I can for the Master.  A little of Jen's cool, I guess..." engaging smile. "That's it really, she's always done what she had to and not sweated it, even before Master Laszlo took her. I owe her for giving me a little of that." Nod, smile. 

And just, the slightest, imperceptible, buried shaking...

"And now, there's Guillermo..." fond beam, rosy face. Wave of hand...

"I know...He's Chief Familiar and Master Nandor's first and, wow...Voluntary... But he really is the sweetest, bravest thing." Warm beam...

"I'm sure even if I weren't enthralled, I'd've fallen for him, if we could've met and I could've had the chance to really get to know him." Giggle. "He's so shy, but so kind and sweet. And you can just tell he's a fine guy. You know, he told me just now we should get to know each other first before I spent the night with him and he's right, I don't want to rush things." Solemn nod, eyes wide.

"Though I do want him to know while I could accept him wanting Phyllis or any of the other girls the Masters and Mistress take, too...I'm ready and determined to have him, if he'll let me...The whole nine yards. We could be very happy together, even a great vampire couple one day, when the Master no longer needs us to serve him...And frankly..." warm if slightly coy grin.

"I spoke to the Master about my feelings for Gui and he was just...Wonderful about it." ecstatic beam...  "He'd love to see us together. He'd even give me away, though it might be painful for him to attend the service...The religious stuff and all, you know? And he'd love some foster grandkids. I mean to be a granddad to, not to feast on. Though, naturally if the Master should ever...' depreciating spread of hands.  "But I don't think so, he's not the type to enjoy hurting Gui or making me feel a little bad or guilty. Oh, it would be so nice..." nod. "But of course, I want Gui to want this, too. I would never pressure him except to let him know, a certain Susan cares." Smile. "I think he likes me, though. But..." she raises book. "Work to do and I should get some rest tonight so I'll be up for my 9 am. And I want to check on Gui and leave him some notes I've taken before I head for bed..." smile. "Ok...Of course I did primp up a bit." Indicating nightgown with shy shrug, coy look. "Always a chance he'll change his mind about tonight...And never hurts to leave a good impression. Though I respect his wanting to be a decent guy, he's wonderful that way..." fond smile.

...

Over to Guillermo, nervously pacing his cell...

Romance not currently at the top of his list of concerns...

"Ok...Ok...So maybe the ghost of my very, very distant ancestor appeared to Jen and Eloise tonight." Slight gulp.

"I doubt he could've been killed at the Fieldersen estate, he must have died in Europe and everything I've read says he died a natural death. So why would he be here? And why appear to Jen and not me?" he pauses.

"Of course she is enthralled and he's said in the books and sources to have had a lot of sympathy for the enthralled, saved quite a few from their...Enthrallment...By killing..." gulp.

"Look, I like Jen and Susan and the others..." he eyes camera. "But it's not my...I mean I love Master Nandor, and Master Laszlo and Mistress Nadja are ok, most of the time. Master Nandor's been like a father...Well, a nice uncle who's Undead...To me.  They're all like family to me after ten years.  And the ladies don't seem unhappy even if their lives are forever changed and they'll likely be slaves till they die. I mean, as Masters and Mistresses, and employers in general, go, they could do a lot worse.' plaintive tone.   

"Jen really seems to feel her life has changed for the better...She's not doing  some things she didn't like to do and she's very content with her life now and still doing her other work and she'll even be spending more time with her family, soon. Yeah, she's good...As long as she doesn't have to kill her husband to protect Master Laszlo or he orders it on a whim, or has to offer her daughter as blood sacrifice in some orgy, I guess. But Master Laszlo and Mistress Nadja wouldn't do that...Probably..."

Sitting down in chair...

"And there's Susan...She's really nice. I don't know if I should let her starting thinking too much about me, though sure, she is nice and I like her." Sigh. "Not that Phyllis isn't nice...And very pretty, too." Waving hands.

"Oh, I really should try to stop thinking about all this. Wait till I see Auntie when I can and hear what she has to say. But why did Dr. Van Helsing come here, if his ghost really did? I mean he must know I'm not a vampire killer. Well, yeah..." he ponders.

"Technically I am, after the Baron and that other guy at the Vampiric Council. But I didn't mean to...I think."

He started at a knock on the door... "Grandfather?  Granduncle?  Plus how many?" tremulously...

"Gui? It's me, Susan. You ok? I didn't mean to wake you, I just wanted to check on you before I say good night to the Master and go to bed." Susan's voice at door. "Can you open up a moment?"

He nervously went to door, opening...To see Susan in nightgown and robe beaming at him, her long blonde hair hanging free.

"Hey..." warm smile. "I'm halfway through 'Dracula' already and I took some notes." She offers yellow legal pad. "Maybe tomorrow you can look em over and when I finish the book we can put our heads together?" cocking head at him.

"Sure...That would be great." nod

"Unless...You might care to put our heads together, tonight?" she gives coy grin, raising hand at his stunned look.

"Sorry, I don't mean to press it. I just want you to know I'm really crazy about you, Guillermo." She kisses him, full on lips, quickly parting and pulling back.

"Good night, darling...Boss." She grins, closing door, leaving him stunned and blinking...Holding her pad of notes in one hand.

He raises pad to view...One underlined line catching his eye...

"Harker's so like you, Gui...So brave. So noble. So loving..." Her note. He drops pad.

Help me...He hears a faint, pathetic scream, growing louder...

Help me!

Help me, my love!

Help us! Cries throughout the room... Help us, Guillermo! Help us, Van Helsing! Save us!

Putting hands over his ears... No!

NO!

"NO!" he cries, aloud now. "I can't! I can't!"

Suddenly realizing the cries he had been hearing were not just the mingled voices of the new familiars but the same lost cries the vampires had uttered when calling him after Baron Afanas' sizzling death...

"Guillermo!" a final cry. "Save us!"

He woke to find Colin Robinson eyeing him...

"Sorry, door was open and you were puttin' it out like a generator." smile.

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