Even after four years, that perky voice was unmistakable.

It didn't make any sense for her to be here… yet…

"Daniela..?"

"Uh-huh!"

Ethan's gasp of incredulity was met by an oh-so-familiar giggling. Unable to believe his own ears, the man attempted to turn around, only for a pair of lithe yet strong hands to coil around chest. While Ethan had never seen Daniela's hands without her gloves before today, looking down upon her fingers, the man had to note that they looked exactly like he had imagined them to. Pale and long, but undeniably delicate and graceful, with cracked black polish covering her nails. Ethan couldn't help himself but tenderly put his right palm over her own. It felt warm and soft.

Soon enough however, Ethan had to relegate the sight of her delicate digits to the back of his mind - once he sensed hot breath upon his right earlobe, succeeded by a sensual whisper.

"I missed you, Ethie… Did you miss me?"

The way she pronounced his nickname sent shivers down his spine. A forbidden pleasure kind of shivers. Was this really happening, or was this all a mere dream… or a hallucination?

"I… did, too."

Whispering his answer, the man attempted to turn around once again and this time - succeeded - only for her to rotate around with him, giggling like a schoolgirl all the while.

"Aww, someone is dying to see me!"

Daniela's voice was so full of mirth that Ethan had to let out a joyous laughter of his own, genuinely amused by her childishly cute antics. Trying to turn just his head to catch at least a glimpse of her, Ethan was in for a tempered disappointment once more, as the unbelievably graceful girl easily anticipated his every move and maneuvered her lithe body around to avoid his line-of-sight.

"Come on, Daniela, let me get a look at you… I need to know that it's really you…"

For truth is, this would not have been the first auditory hallucination the father had experienced in the last years. He had to see her to believe this was not just some cruel trick of the mind…

"Nuh-huh! If you want to behold me in all my unearthly glory, you have to invoke me by my full name and title!" The peculiar demand was followed by a playful boop on Ethan's nose, courtesy of her left index finger.

Full name and title? That doesn't sound too hard - Daniela Dimitrescu, supposedly the daughter of a...countess, was it? That makes her a lady, I guess?

Letting out a chuckle at her endearing playfulness, Ethan gave it a try, "So… Lady Daniela Dimitrescu?"

A tender kiss to the back of his neck followed his apparently correct answer, making goosebumps appear on the man's skin. To Ethan, It was incredible how sweet and gentle this vampiric girl could be. Was she truly responsible for so much death and misery back in her castle? It baffled his mind...

Suddenly, however, giving Ethan no small amount of fright, her hands around his chest transformed into large blowflies - as presumably did the rest of her body, since the buzzing soon became deafening. While something told the father that the playful redhead meant no harm with this overwhelming display, the sheer resemblance between her swarm and one commanded by Marguerite or even Daniela's own sister - Cassandra, was enough to trigger a traumatic memory in Ethan's mind. One doesn't tend to forget the experience of being eaten alive by man-eating insects, after all.

Even though none of the swarming insects bit or actually physically inconvenienced him in any way, the father could not help but start panicking. With his breath hastening, pupils dilating and hands sweating, Ethan felt like any second now the ravenous swarm would attempt to devour him alive. At the familiar stimuli, the overly well-honed survival instincts were swift to awaken and fought against the rational part of Ethan's mind that screamed at him that if Daniela wanted to hurt him - she would've already done so.

Unable to suppress fight-or-flight instinct, Ethan started to frantically gaze around the kitchen, desperate to find a tool that could aid him against this unnatural swarm. Before the traumatized man could decide to splash at the insects with water or to try and create a fire from the oven, however, the swarm came together in the middle of the kitchen - assuming a humanoid silhouette and mere seconds later - turned into changed by time yet still unmistakable form of Daniela Dimitrescu.

Utterly oblivious to the nearly hysterical discomfort her guest experienced from the insectoid performance, the dramatic redhead coalesced in a pose of a theatrical bow, before introducing herself in a similar fashion.

"Honored guest, you call my name and here I am!"

With every single blowfly returning back to amalgamate with her flesh, nothing even remotely threatening remained within the kitchen, allowing Ethan's moldy heart to slowly return to its normal pace. And with the departure of fear, came the startling realization that the creature standing before him was breathtakingly alluring.

Daniela appeared even more visually stunning than he remembered her to be, but before the man could focus on her fair features, he couldn't help but note her outfit. Gone was the foreboding black robed dress with its long cloak and a hood, and in its place was… a form-fitting tee-shirt. A black t-shirt with 'Careful, I bite' in blood-red on it, to be precise. Below the shirt, the girl wore a pair of torn denim jeans and on her small feet she had simple white socks. In terms of her assortment of jewelry, Daniela was still equipped with the green-gemmed necklace, but lacked her other necklace with seemingly random stuff attached to it.

Beyond her outfit, however, the vampiric progeny appeared to be remarkably similar to how she looked four years ago - same deathly pale skin; same flower-motif forehead tattoo; same playful amber orbs, glinting at him with mischief; same ditzy, loveable smile - gracing her full, pink lips. Thankfully, no blood of the innocents marred her mouth and no drained mascara trickled down her eyes today; instead, just a careful touch of dark makeup added extra charm to her natural beauty.

Simply put, the woman was stunning in her casual beauty. Weirdly, however, the girl angled herself in such a way that only saw her front right side presented to him. Still, the sight of Daniela in the flesh, smiling that friendly grin at him, was enough to fully put the man at ease, once again.

Nevertheless, now that the fact of her presence was confirmed, Ethan's burning curiosity could not be contained.

"Dani… you're really here! But... how can you be here!?"

"Why, crossing Europe for my One True Love is but a trifle."

The man could not suppress a light blush that colored his cheeks at her overly-affectionate term of address for him, as well as from seeing her palm pressed upon her chest, further underlining her theatrical persona.

Before he could question her vague statement further, however, a familiar happy barking interrupted the duo. A second later and seemingly out of nowhere, Roxy rushed around the corner and jumped right into his waiting arms. The father was more than a little relieved to see the beloved family pet safe and unharmed.

"Roxy! There you are, girl!"

Seeing the beagle and its master - reunited - must have been extremely amusing for Daniela, since she burst into a giggling fit of her own, while noting how cute the dog was.

"Oh! Is this little cutie-pie yours, Ethie?"

Petting the family companion, Ethan nodded and elaborated, "We got Roxy when we moved to Valencia, two years ago. Rosie loves her. How did you keep her quiet all this time, though?"

Ethan was genuinely curious about that last part. Roxy, like all beagles, was quite vocal when confronted with strangers. The dog appeared happy and not hurt or muzzled.

Daniela merely let out a cute chuckle, before responding, "Oh, easy! For some reason, the Duke insisted on selling me some premier dog food! I thought it would be completely useless, but then this little thing runs into my house! And boy, did she enjoy the meal!"

Huh, the Duke? Somehow, I am not surprised that this guy is involved… Did he help Dani herself move here? Damn… he must have quite the reach if he can pull something like that off...

Having recalled the obese merchant, Ethan knew that he had to return back to his own house before Laura would start placing missing posters all over the neighborhod. She was a great babysitter and a kind girl, but she always tended to edge towards the cautious side - especially in cases where she was not warned in advance. One time she had called the police when Ethan was merely drinking some beer with a friend in a local pool bar, with his own phone turned off.

As if on cue, Ethan's phone started buzzing in the pocket of his jeans, causing the man to frown once he saw the identity of the caller.

"Do you mind if I bring Roxy back home and then we can… ahm... catch up?"

Ethan didn't miss how Daniela's eyes instantly hardened upon hearing the first part of his sentence, as if the very notion of parting ways with him hurt her immensely. Still, the second part must've been reassuring enough for her to immediately cheer up again and provide a vigorous nod.

"Sure thing, Ethie! I'll put on a kettle, meanwhile! Do you like tea? I've got the best Earl Grey you will ever taste!"

Giving the perky redhead an incredulous nod of consent, the father and his dog proceeded to depart her residence. Daniela herself remained rooted in her spot, though she did rotate her body around in a way that saw her angle relative to Ethan remain the same. As if she did not want him to see her left side, for some reason.

The next fifteen minutes were spent in a state of semi-dazed haze, with Ethan doing as he had promised, while coming to terms with the reality of Daniela's shocking presence. Somehow, against all odds and defying any common sense, the vicious countess' youngest daughter - a ditzy girl who could turn into a swarm of bugs at will and had a taste for man-blood, was apparently his neighbor now. And while there was a certain amount of understandable apprehension about being in immediate proximity with the seemingly unstable and very likely murderous vampire, Ethan would lie to himself if he didn't admit that he also sensed a peculiar excitement… as well as inexplicable joy about the chance to extend their brief acquaintance. He owed a lot to Daniela. His own life, as well as that of Rosie's, perhaps.

After returning Roxy and giving Laura and Rosie some half-assed excuse about meeting with a coworker, the man found himself back in the creepy-ass house - confronted by a cup of freshly-brewed Earl Grey tea, as well as the casserole which he had discovered earlier; with Daniela simply sitting across the table. Supporting her chin with both hands, the girl merely stared at him - barely blinking - as if he was the most incredible thing her eyes ever saw.

Glancing down at his unexpected meal - which Daniela insisted that she had baked just for him, Ethan felt his stomach rumbling. Unable to disregard his growing hunger and more importantly - not wishing to offend the hostess, the man dug in. The dish turned out to be quite mediocre, all in all, implying that Daniela's culinary skills were nothing to write home about. Yet even if the casserole was a bit overcooked and lacked the proper seasoning, the flavor of ground beef melded perfectly with pasta, allowing the man to enjoy the dish.

Not a word was exchanged for several minutes, with Ethan simply eating the dish and Daniela creepily staring into his mouth. Feeling like he had consumed enough of the casserole to satisfy his hostess and unable to handle the awkward situation any longer, the man paused in his meal and leveled an even glance towards Daniela.

Curiously, Daniela now sported a peculiar winter hat, even though it was almost 20C outside; yet she no longer attempted to hide the left side of her body from his scrutinizing gaze. In turn, with her head tilted sideway, the girl stared at him with bated breath, as if she awaited his verdict about her meal.

"I think I am stuffed! That was one amazing casserole, Dani!"

The truth was more along the lines of it was decent or it was okay, but seeing the instantaneous flare of joy in her expression was enough to justify the exaggeration for Ethan. Taking a sip from his cup of tea next and actually letting out a gasp of pleasure from its shockingly delectable taste, the man focused his gaze on her winter hat, next. It was as cute and pink as it was weather-inappropriate, eliciting no shortage of curiosity from him.

"So… what's with the hat?"

Ethan's lame attempt at a conversation-starter elicited an unwelcome response, with Daniela's previously mirthful orbs immediately averting themselves from his gaze in clear discomfort, making the man mentally curse at himself.

Great job making the unstable and potentially dangerously-insane girl uncomfortable with your first question, Ethan.

Nevertheless, dismissing his own concerns and inspecting the suddenly timid girl with interest, Ethan was swift to note the similarities in her current mannerisms to the motions he himself went through many times over the last years. The way she refused to meet his gaze and pulled on her hat even harder - desperate to conceal something.

Of course! How could I not notice it before...

Daniela's current chagrin was almost a perfect reflection of Ethan's own - whenever he would meet some new person he had tried to impress over the years. With that same self-conscious expression, Ethan would hide his disfigured hand behind his back, while cowering in shame from his own body's mutilated state. It would take more than one therapy session for the father to learn to embrace his own imperfect body. Something told him that, unlike him, Daniela lacked that same professional psychiatric help down there in Romania.

Emboldened by the realization of her plight, Ethan took another sip from his tea cup, while finding himself determined to provide an empathetic shoulder to lean on for the troubled redhead. Standing up from his seat, Ethan made his way around the table with cautious steps, not wanting to startle her. He then placed his three-fingered left hand right at the table next to the girl, making sure to have it within her line of sight.

Akin to a curious kitten, Daniela was swift to engulf his ravaged hand with both of her smaller palms, while mumbling out, "Oh, Ethie! You've suffered so much…"

Her instantaneous shift between self-deprecation and care about his own person was truly touching for Ethan, yet he had his fair share of therapy - she didn't. Placing his second palm on top of her incredibly soft hands, the man lightly cleared his throat to attract her attention.

"I did, but it's not about me, Dani." The girl only looks at him with a curious glint in her expressive eyes, not yet comprehending the issue. Establishing eye contact, Ethan continued speaking with an even, composed tone, "I won't judge you, Dani. You don't need to hide yourself from me."

The youngest Dimitrescu watched his expression carefully for any signs of dishonesty, yet was greeted with only a gentle, understanding smile. After a few moments, the girl was reassured that there were but two deeply wounded people in the room - two people who could relate to one another through their shared suffering.

"Promise you won't hate me?" Asked Daniela in a meek voice. The very notion appeared laughable to Ethan. How could he hate this girl - who had aided him in his biggest hour of need - just because of some physical disfigurement?

"I promise, Dani."

Again, the girl inspected his face carefully, before letting out an awkward chuckle, followed by a resigned sigh. Gently liberating her arms from his hands, Daniela slowly pulled her winter hat off her head...

…revealing something that tested Ethan's composure to its limit. It was a scar, alright - just like Ethan expected, yet the severity of it almost forced the man to gag right there and then. Fortunately, he was able to limit his initial reaction to just a light wince. Before inspecting the wound further, Ethan gave Daniela's hand a reassuring squeeze - something that she immediately returned.

Located on the top left part of Daniela's forehead, the deformed, blackish area in total was about the same size as her ear. The horrific scar itself consisted of two parts - the large, uneven but somewhat circular area at its center - appearing raw and unhealthy, with a clear and deep indentation; as well as four or five irregular fracture lines that snaked out from the center in multiple directions. The affected area of the scalp was cleanly shaven and moreover - it didn't even appear capable of growing hair in the first place. The skin right next to the injury and the tendrils seemed particularly bleak, almost dead, as if all life was sapped from it.

No weapon inflicting this scar, but a tentacled parasite that burrowed in and took roots. Recalling his venture into that cursed village, Ethan didn't have to wonder long about what was responsible for something like that. The Cadou. The so-called Gift. The one she probably never asked for.

Suppressing his shudder and shaking off his grim musings, Ethan was quick to note that the girl sat quietly, awaiting his verdict. Was she afraid that he would reject her because of her disfiguring scar? Ethan knew that he had to provide a reassurance to the contrary, and perhaps a verbal one would not do the trick. Recalling Mia's own treatment of his mutilated hand, the man felt a sudden inspiration - upon which he acted, perhaps too brashly.

A light gasp of shock left Daniela's mouth as Ethan's warm lips placed several tender kisses all around her horrific scar. The gasp followed a look of incredulity, directed his way, as the man took a step back - suddenly flushing red once he realized what exactly he had done.

Regardless of whether this was a kiss of comfort… he had still just kissed Daniela Dimitrescu… a beautiful, likely unmarried woman… while he himself had sex with his very own wife - just earlier today. While this kiss was not exactly something most would consider an infidelity, it was probably cutting it close. Clearing his throat in an awkward manner, the man retreated back to his seat, with wide amber eyes following his every motion.

Plopping into the comfortable chair, Ethan gazed back at the woman who was staring at him unabashedly, with a small but clearly joyous grin on her face. Suddenly, recalling his earlier query, the girl became animated once again.

"Oh, right! You were curious about how I got here? Believe it or not, it's rather simple, really..."

Daniela made a dramatic pause, but the answer was more or less obvious by now to Ethan, so he named the culprit himself.

"The Duke."

"The Duke." nodded Daniela, smiling at her paramour's intelligence. "He owns this house, but he'll let me rent it for as long as I want!"

Somehow, it was hardly surprising to Ethan, at this point. Out of all the monstrous critters and befuddling strangers the hardened survivor had met in Romania, the Duke had to take the cake (just the figurative one, though - the merchant really didn't need any more carbs in his diet) as the most mysterious and enigmatic one. The fact that the obese purveyor of curiosities apparently owned a piece of property right in Ethan's own neighborhood was therefore not even that shocking.

Still, even if the fat merchant was the one who had provided transportation, there were more questions to be asked, "But what about your mother? Your sisters..?"

Hearing that inquiry, Daniela immediately averted her eyes and started nibbling on her lower lip. The guilt was plain on her face, and Ethan could not help but make an educated guess, once again.

"Don't tell me you ran away from home..."

The girl said nothing, but started to wring her wrists. The tense silence continued for around ten seconds, before Ethan offered a simple, "Well?"

Accusingly, Daniela pointed a single delicate finger his way, while letting out an indignant rebuke, "You told me not to say it!"

Astounded, the man let out a huff, before shrugging his shoulders and taking a sip of his tea. "Won't they come looking for you..?"

Daniela sipped her own tea - which was apparently spiked by blood, if the coppery scent in the air was any indication - before offering a surprisingly lucid reassurance.

"No, no. You see, I timed my escape perfectly - it's still far too cold for my beloved siblings to go out on a hunt for their wayward little sister! And the Duke - in his infinite benevolence, blessed be his kind heart - will not return to the valley for a whole month, so they won't be able to track me through him…"

"For a month…" finished Ethan, even as cold sweat started to bead on his forehead. The very notion of Bela, or - god-forbid - Cassandra finding their way here was a nightmare waiting to happen. What would they do to him?

Forget me! What will they do to Mia and Rosie!? Fuck...

Seeing his pensive and worried expression, without warning, the redhead leapt from her seat and rushed to embrace Ethan in a firm yet tender embrace, while whispering right into his ear.

"Don't worry, Ethie! I will think of something until then! I swear it on my own life that I will never harm you, nor will harm befall you because of my actions! Bela will surely understand and Cassandra can be convinced..." Turning his head to gaze into her amber orbs, Ethan knew that she meant every word she spoke… which made her next revelation stun him all the harder.

"You are safe with me, my beloved - now and forevermore..."

The husband had no words to respond with, not with the fiery passion that burned in her eyes or the cold determination of her voice. Slowly standing up from his own seat, Ethan was not prepared for the feeling of her warm lips, pressing hard against his own.

The heavenly sensation of her passionate kiss, combined with the tightening hold of her arms around his back was enough to momentarily daze Ethan. Was his own chaste kiss enough to embolden her to reach this conclusion? Or was this her desire all along? Regardless, for just a few moments the husband's higher brain functions simply shut down and his hands found themselves coiling around her thin waist.

For several precious seconds Ethan experienced nothing but the sweet taste of her delectable lips, which today held a strong tang of bergamot, with just a tiny aftertaste of that unmistakable coppery scent of blood. Far from being overwhelming, the supposedly-repulsive flavor did nothing but add a certain exotic quality to the already otherworldly experience, making Ethan himself let out a moan of pleasure at this most welcome of contacts.

Nevertheless, as much as Ethan's lizard brain desired to return the affection in kind and, indeed, see the extent of where this intercourse could lead to, the responsible father and the faithful husband could simply not abide such an infidelity.

Forcefully breaking their embrace, Ethan was instantly confronted by the damning sight of hurt in her large, yellow eyes.

"What's wrong, Ethie? I want you… and I know that you want me…" Ethan could only curse his weak body for sending mixed signals to the receptive redhead. Of course he wanted her. How could he not - with her beautiful features, shockingly kind soul and self-sacrificial deeds. Still… he was a family man - surely she could relate to that?

Ethan took a step backwards, while slightly shaking his head. His mouth opened and closed - his voice betrayed him at this most crucial of moments. Daniela's expressive orbs widened even further and she made a step to close the distance, once again.

"Don't you love me..?"

The question was little more than a whisper, yet it conveyed that vast range of emotions Daniela possessed. Recalling the fragile mental state of the woman, Ethan knew that he had to tread carefully here, and not just because of potential bloody retribution the slighted redhead could choose to enact upon him. Even if they could never be together in a way she desired, Daniela was a precious person to Ethan in her own right, and he would hate to hurt her in any way.

Taking her smaller hands within his own and finally finding his lost voice, the man spoke softly, trying to diffuse the situation.

"I do love you, Daniela…" The girl's eyes immediately widened in unbridled joy and hope, but Ethan was not yet done, "...as a friend."

Ethan could swear a glass shattered somewhere. Perhaps that was not the best thing to say, after all.

The hope and joy in Daniela's large eyes were swift to morph into disbelieving resentment. Likewise, the tender entwinement of their hands suddenly became quite uncomfortable, as her grip tightened to a painful degree, with her sharp nails surely leaving a mark in his skin.

"A friend ?"

Ethan wasn't sure it was possible to put that much bitterness into a single word, yet Daniela was ever full of surprises. Moreover, she had more than mere words at her disposal - several large blowflies appeared seemingly out of nowhere - ejected from her skin, only to start angrily buzzing around the pair. For a second there, as the scorned woman's lips twisted into a vicious snarl, Ethan was afraid of her actually attacking him over what she surely perceived as an unforgivable rejection.

That particular fear was quickly dispelled, however, as the girl closed her eyes instead, and took a deep breath - clearly in an effort to calm herself down.

A couple of seconds of what appeared to Ethan as a mini-meditation of a sort and the painful grip on his hands relaxed into a bearable one, once again. Likewise, the vicious bugs melded back into her skin, allowing Ethan to take a breath he did not know he was holding. A heartbeat later and her amber orbs opened once again - only to narrow into a scrutinizing gaze that all but screamed the unvoiced question - why? Why would you betray me like this, when I came all the way out here - for YOU!

Ethan hesitated with his next words - the sheer intensity of her gaze was simply stunning at this moment. What could he even say to make this precarious situation any better? A couple of seconds of incredibly tense silence followed, only to be broken by Daniela herself, as she suddenly adopted an entirely different expression - one of hopeful realization.

"Ah… I am so silly! Of course you have found a woman in these long, cold years we have spent apart! How could you not - with these handsome looks of yours, Ethie?"

In turn, Ethan could only gape at another display of her violent mood swings. Half a minute ago she looked like she was on the verge of a murderous rampage, and now she was all sunshine and rainbows again, as she continued speaking - in an uncomfortably for Ethan - frenetic yet sensual voice.

"But whoever she is, how could she ever hope to love you as much as I do, Ethie? We are meant for each other, you see!? Accept me as your one true love and I will return your affections tenfold! I will cherish dear Rose as if she was my own child! We will be happy together… forever."

Upon hearing her passionate and more than a little unnerving speech, the puzzle clicked together in Ethan's head.

So the Duke told her that I live here and helped her escape her castle, but 'forgot' to mention that Mia turned out to be alive and well? Sounds just like that cryptic bastard's style. Jesus fucking Christ.

Nervously wetting his lips, Ethan could only hope that bursting her bubble would not result in a premature and likely painful end for him. Yet the husband knew that he owed her the truth - she deserved at least that much. Locking their gazes and squeezing her palms in a hopefully comforting gesture, the man prepared to deliver his world-shattering revelation.

"Dani…"

The girl returned his gentle squeeze and tilted her head sideways, eager to hear more. Swallowing in fright, Ethan obliged.

"Mia is alive and well. I am happily married to my wife of fourteen years, who also happens to be the mother of my four-year old child. I am sorry, but I cannot be what you desire me to be…"

The kaleidoscope of emotions that flared and fought for dominance in her expressive face and especially her large eyes - hurt, anger, resignation, acceptance, hatred and love - allowed Ethan to do nothing but wait for her final verdict with bated breath.

Author's Note:

Funny thing, this story was originally supposed to be a simple joyride for Dani/Ethie - unburdened by any heavy plot and therefore contrasting my other big story in progress. Apparently, I am not really capable of writing uncomplicated stuff, however, as now it is clear that 'Hello Neighbor!' gonna have a plot of its own :s

About the Dimitrescu Daughter's cadou scar (which all of them have at the upper left part of their foreheads) - which is understandably not a popular cosplayer/game modder feature - I will make it canon in all of my stories, but I will also provide (right in this story!) what I think is an interesting explanation about why it doesn't really appear in my other stories as a feature other characters remark on.

Anyway, hope that this story is still enjoyable despite the added drama and now I do have quite an interesting direction I want to take it in. And yes, its still Daniela/Ethan, despite the ending of this chapter.

As always, if you guys and gals have any suggestions, thoughts, ideas or critique - feel free to share it with me! Regardless of that, I wish you all a great weekend and to stay save out there! :)