Antonio sat at the table downstairs, watching Francis grumbling, scrubbing the ice container in the fridge.
"'Ave anything to say about the crime scene?"
"Si."
"Well?"
"Estaba sangriento."
"She was covered in a lot of blood; not all of it was 'er's, but I suspected as much."
"At least she tried not to snap. But..."
"Is something wrong?"
"Greta—Alice...she was a lot weaker than ___. But ___ couldn't stop her Venus flytrap from triggering."
"Seem familiar?" Francis quipped, and Antonio nodded sadly.
"She really is just like Gilbert, isn't she?"
"Very. Zhey did bond instantly."
"Do we have anything in common with her?"
"Hm...uh..."
They both racked their brains but hunched over, defeated.
"Eh, she can garden?"
"But she doesn't even like vegetables."
"Cierto...me doy por vencido."
"Already? I'm sure we can think of something to bond over once things calm down."
Antonio nodded hopefully.
"I also can't overlook the fact she followed Alice out there knowing it'd be a trap...she caught onto it so quickly and when we got there all the blood was dry which means it'd been some time before she came to us...which means it didn't take long at all to take Alice down..."
Francis nodded, believing the situation to be very strange.
"It's quiet up there. Think she fell asleep already?" Antonio commented after a lull in the conversation.
"She forgot to call a spa," Francis chuckled as he washed the dishes in the sink.
Antonio grinned, trying to remain positive in a grim situation.
"So, we need to talk about tomorrow, right? Gil too, but I don't want to disturb __."
Francis nodded, "he can just listen in; if 'e has any complaints, he can text zhem."
"Bueno. So first she goes to the spa, sí?"
"Sounds good."
"Then we give her the talk about vampirism. Or should we do that after?"
"Maybe first...I feel like we might scare 'er a bit, but she'll understand more what she's getting into. Besides, if she really goes through with zhis, zhen we best make sure she enjoys 'erself and forgets all her fear, which means afterward probably isn't an option, I'm sure she'll be too tired."
Antonio and Francis chuckled to themselves.
"Francis."
"Hm?"
"Is it weird I'm nervous too?"
"You're nervous? What of?"
"I just," he blushed and hugged one of the throw pillows on the couch he'd moved to. "I've been looking forward to this for so long...I'm always coming on to her; we all are, but as excited as I am that she brought it up..."
"She's doing it out of fear."
Antonio and Francis gave each other a knowing look; they were in agreement it didn't feel quite right.
"We shouldn't act reluctant around 'er. If we act excited and make sure everything goes smoothly, then I'm sure we can get her excited too."
"Sí but...Francis, I have never dreamed I see her so scared. She carried us up the stairs, she lunges at vampires, she faces her enemies head-on, she breaks desks in anger, and she endured a lot of pain, and—"
"She's terrified."
"Sí..."
They heard Gilbert replying to them, barely alive a whisker so as not to disturb my sleep.
"Vhatever she's scared of; it'll damn sure be more scared of us."
Antonio and Francis hummed in agreement.
"No more solving these issues in her own, vhat's vhat she has us for. If someone scares her ve do the fighting for her. She doesn't seem to mind vhat ve have done, but she's hysterical about vhat she has done."
"I agree, but if we really turn 'er tomorrow, she probably won't need 'elp fighting. She's already stronger zhan any human I've met in centuries."
"Ja. But no matter what. Ve're here for her anyway. Nothing she's done could scare us away if nothing I've done scared her away."
"Right. Tomorrow then. Make the preparations," Francis ordered, as the leader of their clan. Antonio and Gilbert silently agreed and went about their nights as I slept away my unbearable anxiety.