A/N: Hello, muffins! I'm back from the beach and horribly sunburnt! This is why I don't go outside... But anyways, an announcement! I have decided to add chapter titles! Uwaaa, that means I need to edit every chapter and think up a clever name. Oh well! Now, let's get into what you really came for: the story!
Sitting in the darkness by herself, Alcina reflected on her dream- no. Not a dream. A nightmare. Fighting to control her breathing, Alcina made herself calm down. Just a nightmare. Nothing more. They would never say that. Stop shaking. The Dimitrescu family does not show weakness. I am not scared of something my mind conjured up. She was not given to the Cadou. I did not kill her. Cassandra does not hate me. They don't hate me. I am not a monster. I am not a monster. I am not a monster. I… Am I a monster? No. Seline wouldn't love a monster. Right? To prove to herself that Seline was fine (and still cared about her), Alcina decided to go check on her. Based on the light slowly drifting through the hallway windows, it was about 9 in the morning. Bela was probably up and reading, Daniela could be awake, and Cassandra was definitely asleep. That girl couldn't wake up before 11 if her life depended on it. Lightly knocking on her door, Alcina could already tell that Seline felt better by the peppy way she answered. "Come in!" Alcina did as instructed and couldn't help but smile at the little girl. "Good morning, Seline. Are you feeling better?" The child nodded happily. "Yeah!" She started to frown as she recalled the events of last night. "I'm sorry for being sick, and I'm sorry for calling you…" Alcina stopped her right there. "Seline. Listen to me. This isn't a request anymore. What happens if you get sick again, and nobody's there to help? Or what if someone tries to hurt you? I'm not going to stand by and let you be alone anymore." Seline looked away. "I can't…" Alcina shook her head. "We can talk to the other people you work for. It wouldn't be a waste of money, and you wouldn't be a burden. Quite the opposite, in fact. The only thing really burdening me is worrying about if you're safe by yourself." Seline felt her resolve weakening. Nothing would make her happier than living with the Dimitrescu family. Still, she needed a little push, so Alcina gave it to her. "Seline Floarea, will you join the Dimitrescu family and be my daughter?" No matter how stubborn she might be, Seline was still a child, and a child's biggest desire is to be loved and have a loving home. "…Yes!" Suddenly, Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela burst into the room. They hadn't been asleep at all, merely waiting until they could eavesdrop. "Girls…" Alcina was too happy to scold them, and they were pretty happy as well. "Welcome to the family, Seline Dimitrescu!" The three hugged her, and while Cassandra would rather die than admit it, she might have been crying. Just a little. "Took you long enough to say yes." Eventually, Daniela tried to drag the girls down to the phone. "Let's call Uncle Karl, Auntie Donna, and Uncle Salvatore!" However, Seline still had one thing she had to do. She gave Alcina the biggest hug of all, and the vampire hugged her back. "Thank you, Mama!" Alcina smiled down at her fourth daughter. "No, thank you, Seline. You've made all of us so happy. Now, go tell 'Uncle Karl' the good news." Seline left to do just that, and Alcina took a moment to get her emotions under control. Happiness, anxiety, love, she cherished and feared each feeling that she allowed to escape her heart.
"So, Allie's adopting you?" Karl wasn't really surprised. Based on what Donna had told him of their phone call, Alcina was already rebelling against Miranda. Adopting Seline was just one more act of dissent. "Yup! And she said that means I can call you Uncle Karl!" The Metal Lord was silent for a moment. Had something actually reached his steel heart? "Y-yeah, you can. So, do you mind putting your mother on the phone for me?" Seline handed the phone to Cassandra, who handed it to Daniela, who handed it back to Seline, who handed it to Bela, who looked very confused. "Wha… What sort of crazy telephone game are you playing? You should've just given it to me in the first place!" Everyone else burst into giggles as Bela walked over to their mother. "Uncle Karl wishes to speak with you. Also, these people are crazy." Alcina crossed her eyes jokingly, feeling more silly than she ever had. "I already knew they were crazy. And you're crazy, too!" Bela tried not to laugh, and failed miserably. Seline noticed Alcina crossing her eyes, and tried to do that as well. "How do you do that, Mama?" At the sound of Karl laughing through the phone, Alcina remembered she was on a call. "Sorry, darling, I'll teach you later. I need to speak to your uncle. Why don't you ask Daniela to help you?" Seline nodded, and Alcina picked the phone up. "Sorry, Karl. What did you need to talk about with me?" She could hear her brother sigh. "Allie, was it really a good idea to adopt Seline? Don't get me wrong, that girl 100% deserves a good home, but how do you think Miranda will react?" Alcina put a hand to her forehead, a headache beginning to develop. Last night was exhausting, and today was going the same way. "I don't plan on telling her. Donna's already in on this, and I'll talk to Salvatore. There's nothing to worry about." That last part might have been Alcina reassuring herself, and both of them knew it. "Just… Stay safe, Allie. And keep Seline safe as well." Alcina smiled at her brother's concern, but couldn't help teasing him a bit. "What, is the great Karl Heisenberg actually concerned with someone other than himself?" Karl called her something that probably shouldn't be written, and hung up the phone. After taking a minute to stop laughing, Alcina dialed Moreau's number. "Hello? Salvatore?" She heard him throw up to the side, before picking up the receiver again. "Sorry about that. Hi Alcina! What're you calling for?" Alcina quickly filled him in. "…And remember, not a word to Mother Miranda. It's for Seline's safety." Salvatore was silent for a second, thinking about his loyalty to his mother. But what had she ever done for him besides making him into a monster? And Seline… She had given him a flower. She had called him 'handsome'. Nobody else had ever done that. "Alright, I won't say anything." Alcina sighed with relief, glad the final challenge was over. Now she could focus on bringing up her daughters. And speaking of which… "Well, Salvatore, I need to go. I just remembered what day it was." Without any further explanation, she hung up the phone and turned around. "Girls! Can you please see me in the library?" Alcina headed upstairs, where her four daughters were waiting. Cassandra looked nervous, while Bela looked excited. Hopefully Mother forgot about- "Girls, with all this excitement, I almost forgot that today was the first day of your schooling!" Everyone groaned dramatically, even Seline. However, she was only doing it because the other three did. "Stop looking so miserable. Daniela, go get the schoolbooks. Bela, can you find some that you think would be suitable for Seline? And Cassandra, stop trying to swarm away. You're not escaping this." Cassandra sighed and sank into a chair. Seline sat next to her and smiled. "I'm sure it won't be that bad, Cass!" However, Cassandra just glared. "It will be that bad. Trust me."