Author's Note (recap):

Normally I am not a fan of leaving or reading author's notes at the beginning of a chapter, but I'll make an exception this time with a brief recap, due to the length of the hiatus this story had. I'll likely remove this note at some later point when it becomes redundant.

Ethan Winters performs a non-lethal run through a Castle Dimitrescu, earning himself a redheaded friend who provides him with respite and aid as he seeks to challenge Miranda. Successful, the man barely managed to cling to his life, but eventually escapes the cursed valley with both his child and wife in his arms. Four years later, Ethan Winters and his family live a life of peace in Valencia, Spain. Ethan works a rather ordinary job as a systems engineer, while Mia still frequently vanishes on her work trips, weeks at a time.

Suddenly, the mundane tedium of Ethan's life was shattered as a presence from his past confronted him in an abandoned house on his street, and everything changed. Daniela brings with her the chaos of uncertainty, but it is something Ethan secretly craved after all these peaceful years, and after introducing Daniela to Rose, the trio swiftly decide to embark for Bioparc Valencia - but not before Ethan agreed to check Dani's house in a bid to fix her temperature issues; even Valencian winter nights are quite chill for our resident bug-girl.

February 23th, 2025

Sunday; late morning

Just like he had promised, Ethan entered Daniela's not-so-humble abode with her issue in mind. He remembered just how vulnerable a Dimitrescu sibling was to chill, and even though those in Valencia never experienced true winter, it could get slightly chilly during the nights.

While Ethan wasn't exactly sure just what Daniela Dimitrescu was to him, one thing was certain in his mind - he cared about that dangerously unstable and potentially insane girl. He wanted for her to experience her stay as his temporary neighbor in comfort and warmth, and he was ready to take action to make that the case.

A treacherous little voice in the back of his head was swift to remind him that he didn't need to fix anything inside her house for that to happen - all he needed was to simply invite this enchanting creature to snuggle against him during the chilly nights… not like Mia was around to complain about that...

What the hell am I even thinking…

Shaking the errant thoughts away, Ethan suddenly became aware of the fact that the entrance hall appeared eerily empty, despite Daniela having been just a little ahead of him when they entered her house. He couldn't have possibly lost sight of her for more than a second as he made the turn that led him inside the dwelling… yet there was nobody else inside the entrance hall but himself.

Ethan stopped dead in his tracks, simply staring at the empty hall; his mind momentarily stunned by the sudden absence of the capricious redhead that was supposed to be mere steps away from him.

Warily glancing first to the right, then to the left, Ethan was left speechless as not a single sign pointed that anyone else was in the house with him. To his right were some empty stone flower pots, while to his left was a number of unmarked wooden crates. To his chagrin, Ethan immediately felt the unwelcome but very familiar urge to smash the objects apart in a bid to scavenge valuable ammo or meds that could be inside them.

The man licked his wet lips as the manifestation of his past trauma once again reared its ugly head. With some effort, Ethan managed to suppress his peculiar craving while mentally noting to focus on this issue during his next therapy session.

"Dani?" Ethan muttered, still glancing around as he made his first tentative steps inside her dwelling. There was no response, making Ethan repeat the call, louder, "Daniela?"

Ethan thought that he heard something akin to a disembodied muffled laughter, but it was quiet enough that he was not sure if it wasn't just his mind playing tricks on him. Wouldn't be the first time.

Not fully at ease, yet not tense enough, Ethan was not prepared when a sudden weight dropped down at him. "Gah!"

A pair of slender legs were now dangling off his shoulders and Ethan was swift to realize that a certain someone managed to mount him from above.

Daniela's joyous laughter pierced the silence of the house, but Ethan did not find the situation amusing whatsoever. The redhead was reasonably light for her height, and Ethan was certain that he would have no major issues carrying her around on his shoulders under ordinary conditions, yet this unexpected stunt was anything but ordinary.

His complete lack of preparation for this sudden extra weight, combined with the velocity of her descent unbalanced his center of mass to an unmanageable degree. Unable to resist the laws of physics, Ethan stumbled a couple of steps backwards before going down, hard.

In turn, Ethan's uninvited passenger let out a frightening shriek; as sudden as it came, the extra weight of her body vanished from his shoulders, though at that point he could not hope to right himself. The collision with the floor was but a moment away - not with the floor, Ethan's frantic mind instantaneously realized, but with heavy-looking flower pots that each looked solid enough to crack a skull.

Don't tell me I survived all that crap just to die from a stupid prank…

Like lightning, Ethan's morbid thought flashed through his brain, though, without any control over his body, which was at the mercy of cold gravity, useless thoughts were all Ethan could come up with.

Fully expecting the pain to come, Ethan was shocked when his calamitous descent was spontaneously stopped dead in its tracks by what felt like a blanket that evenly covered his back.

Except, Ethan never knew blankets to have every little bit of them to skitter around. The buzzing of flies suddenly became deafening, but Ethan still had trouble connecting the dots, not until the 'blanket' rotated itself in a way that saw Ethan slowly return back to his vertical position. From that definitely-not-a-blanket that buzzed behind his back came a pair of pale arms that swiftly came to cross themselves over his chest, securing him in place until he felt himself firm on his feet again.

The prank induced tragedy was averted, and Ethan realized that Daniela must have figured out that he was going down, and reacting with haste, assumed her swarm form and then used it to cushion his fall.

"Oh, God, I am so sorry, Ethan!" Daniela sounded beyond merely apologetic; notes of panic were obvious in her pitched voice. "It was just a prank…I just wanted us to share a laugh!"

Swatting her hands away, Ethan took a step forward before turning around to regard his attacker/savior. With a scowl on his face, Ethan expressed his anger freely. It might have been just a prank for her, but he had been just an extra second away from getting either seriously hurt or even killed outright. The thoughtless stunt ended well thanks to her quick reflexes and unnatural body, but that didn't mean that Ethan was about to immediately forgive her.

"Do you think this was funny? Do you see me laughing right now, Daniela?" Ethan spoke with faked calmness, though fury at her careless antics boiled just under the surface. There was not a speck of mirth on his face, allowing Daniela to grasp the severity of her misstep.

Daniela sucked the air through her teeth, before taking a step back from him; her eyes widened as she realized the gravity of the situation. "I am so sorry!" the vampire averted her eyes, with her next words shrouded in sadness, "Do you… hate me now?"

Ethan let out a long sigh, and with the hot air that was exhaled from his body, so was the embers of rage expunged. Even though he knew that he shouldn't have let her off the hook so easily, it was impossible to stay angry at this capricious vampire, not when she looked so small and hurt from her own very prank and its unintended result.

"I don't hate you, Daniela. Just don't do this again, alright?"

Ethan might have gone crazy, but for a second he could swear that her eyes flashed with brightened colors as she swiftly turned her head to gaze at him; her expression melting with gratitude and relief alike.

Again, before he could even blink, Daniela closed the distance with her arms wrapping themselves around his torso and her head burying itself in his neck. The woman sniffed. "I won't. I promise. I never wanted to hurt you, Ethan. You know that, right?"

Ethan half-heartedly patted her on the back. "I know that. But you still need to think about the potential consequences of your actions before you commit them, Daniela. I am not one of your sisters, I can't turn into a bunch of flies to avoid having my skull cracked open - just like the rest of the people out there."

"Cassandra was right," the woman sniffed louder, on the brink of tears, "I am so goddamn stupid…useless, brainless garbage!"

Ethan's lips tensed into a thin line. Even though she kind of deserved it this time, Ethan was not at all fond of her self-hating monologue. Seemingly at their own volition, his hands intensified their work on her back, now rubbing it with soothing circular motions. The man frowned as the first part of her sentence struck him particularly hard.

Cassandra - her sister - called her that way? No matter what the situation was, it can't be right to call your own sister 'garbage'... Ethan felt like beating the shit out of Cassandra all over again.

"It's alright, Dani… No harm done… you may have some issues, but I'll promise you that we will work through them, together." Ethan wasn't sure from whence such an earnest promise came, but he didn't regret letting it out.

Likewise, Daniela turned to stare at him, astonished. Her expressive amber orbs glinted with affection and earnest gratitude.

Of course, knowing Daniela, Ethan shouldn't have been surprised too much by her next gesture. He still couldn't suppress a shocked gasp as well as a slight shudder as her incredibly soft and warm palm came to gently caress his cheek.

"Oh, Ethan…" Daniela's voice was both dreamy and passionate as she whispered words of affection, "you're so forgiving… so kind… this is why…" Ethan would lie if he claimed that he didn't find the way she slowly whispered to him as alluring…

"...I love you."

…But far, far too straightforward.

"Don't say it like that, Dani…" He knew he probably sported a light blush after her sensual confession, especially since he still held her in his arms. A part of him - a part he did his best to banish in the recesses of his mind - never wanted to let her go.

Likely ignorant of his internal struggles, the vampiric girl just giggled, before snaking out of their hug and twirling around in place. "I am honest with my feelings. Are you?"

That sounded like a challenge Ethan just could be arsed to tackle at this instant. Instead, the man simply waved a hand at her puffy face and runny make-up.

"You should fix that if you still wanna come with us to Bioparc Valencia."

Yelping as if stung by a needle, Daniela dashed to the nearest mirror. Upon reaching it and inspecting her own reflection, she let out an exasperated sigh, "Oh, it's ruined… again!" Tears and heavy portions of makeup just don't make a good mix, but clearly Daniela was undaunted by the likely frequent need to reapply it, considering her volatile mood swings. "Just a minute!"

Daniela marched towards the bathroom, leaving Ethan alone for the moment. Deciding to check on her temperature problem meanwhile, Ethan called out to her, "mind if I check your bedroom to see why it is cold during the night?"

"Sure, go right ahead, Ethie! It's on the second floor! I trust you not to rummage through my underwear!" Daniela chirped back at him from the bathroom, making Ethan's blush develop even further. As if he ever would do something like that! Well… maybe he would've during his university years… Okay, he had actually done it once. He still lived with the shame of that moment.

Grumbling under his breath, Ethan proceeded towards the second floor's bedroom, while peering into a room to the side. There was no furniture there of any kind, but the sheer number of what looked like covered paintings was staggering. Considering that Daniela came here by herself and only very recently, it stood to reason that these items were here before her. Duke's property, in all likelihood.

Disregarding the curiosity for the moment, Ethan entered Daniela's bedroom. Barren and empty of decorations, the only signs of recent habitation was the unmade and very messy bed itself. The tangled sheets implied that redhead had not been having a restful slumber before deciding to pay him a late night visit. A luggage with Daniela's stuff was carelessly tossed to the side, while an open wardrobe sported a very modest selection of outfits. The nightstand next to her bed probably spoke the most about Daniela's character, as on its top were a number of personal items, which Ethan couldn't help but peer at.

A half-empty, ornate bottle of wine, which made a shudder pass through his spine as he remembered well stumbling upon a wine cellar filled to the brim with exactly the same overly decorated bottles. Sanguis Virginis - the wine made from the blood of innocent young women who had the misfortune to end in the Castle's mistress' callous care. Clearly, Daniela had grabbed a bottle or two for the road, and while Ethan's first instinct was to smash this atrocity against the wall, the man refrained from doing so by reminding himself that it would serve no real purpose beyond venting his frustration at the injustice committed under the Dimitrescu roof. It would not bring back the murdered maid, but it would most definitely make Daniela very upset. That was not something he wanted to achieve, so the man redirected his attention towards the other items.

A collection of peculiar jewelry that Ethan remembered to have adorned Daniela's graceful neck and lovely chest during their castle encounter lay next to the bottle. The miscellaneous articles of adornments were a strange bunch, but Ethan never had a chance to properly appreciate them until now - certainly not back then, when he had been fighting for his life against their owners. Out of them all, only the choker with a large emerald gem appeared objectively beautiful to Ethan, though it was clear that all of them had a certain sentimental value to Daniela herself - a fact Ethan would respect.

Finally, a simple silver locket somehow attracted Ethan's attention even more than the bottle of decadent wine or the strange jewelry.

As his healthy hand hovered over the locket, Ethan had to expend a formidable amount of willpower to restrain his natural curiosity, though that little innocuous-seeming object remained at the back of his mind even as explored the rest of the room, now fully committed to his original objective.

It was not hard to find the source of the chill Daniela complained about. The house appeared to seriously lack insulation, with the bedroom's window being a particularly egregious example. Even with the window closed, Ethan could feel several light flows of air, presumably coming from the cracks in its construction. During the night, when the temperature dropped down, it could likely get quite chilly inside the room, confirming Daniela's claims. While even the night temperature would probably not inconvenience a healthy human adult too much, a Dimitrescu sibling was another matter entirely, as Ethan could still easily recall how vulnerable their bodies were to the cold. What was a light chill to him could feel like freezing cold to Daniela.

Thankfully, the issue appeared simple to fix. While Ethan was not a renowned handyman, he knew enough about the house maintenance to be able to deal with the problem. Some rope caulk could be used to seal the gaps and cracks in the poorly-manufactured window, while simple and cheap bubble wrap would add proper insulation. Finally, as an extra measure, a portable heater could be placed close to the bed, which would allow Daniela to stay warm during her slumber.

While he did not have any of that stuff on hand, it was easy enough to buy in a nearby household store, and they could visit it right after their trip to the zoo.

His preliminary examination completed after mere five minutes and the solution seemingly found, Ethan found his attention fixating on the silver locket, once again. After his treks throughout the Bakers' estate and the Village of Shadows alike, Ethan had realized that he possessed a peculiar if uncanny trait to tell mundane objects apart from important ones. Back then when he was fighting for his life, that 'sixth sense' told him which piece of junk was potentially useful and which should be left alone.

Right now, that uncanny ability told him in no uncertain terms that the innocuous locket was something important, something that could let him learn more about his strange new neighbor and her motivations.

Ethan knew he was potentially betraying Daniela's trust, but he could not contain his burning curiosity, not when it was the force that got him through two separate hells in one piece telling him to investigate the locket further.

With slightly trembling fingers, Ethan gently took hold of the small silvery object before awkwardly fidgeting with it. After ten seconds of random manipulations, the lock on it clicked open.

Somehow Ethan expected a world-shattered revelation to be contained in this simple thing; his disappointment was palpable as he gazed on the contents themselves.

Hair?

Only two thin strands of hair were inside: a golden blonde one and a dark brown one; almost black.

After a moment of consideration, it became obvious to Ethan to whom the hair belonged. Considering their color, there were only two plausible candidates whose hair Daniela would keep inside her locket.

Her goddamn 'sisters'.

Ethan couldn't help but frown as he recalled the crazy bitches that had almost torn him to shreds when all he had wanted was to rescue his kidnapped baby girl. He had nothing but scorn for them, but it was clear that Daniela had more than a sliver of affection towards her vicious siblings - she wouldn't have kept their mementos so close to her bed, otherwise.

On its own volition, Ethan's index fingertip traced a steady pattern across the strands of hair; to the man's surprise, the darker strand was slightly wet.

For several seconds, Ethan's mind was a blank slate as he pondered upon just how a strand of hair inside of a locket could possibly get wet.

Then, he remembered Daniela and her frequent emotional mood swings, and suddenly he was able to vividly picture one possible scenario.

Daniela, weeping and shaking over this locket; tears flowing down her cheeks freely, with some of them falling down into the locket itself.

Ethan wasn't sure for how long he simply stood stock still while clutching the locket in his healthy hand; thinking. Even though he never fancied himself as a modern day Sherlock Holmes, gears were grinding in his head as Ethan pondered about the single threads that were given to him by chance, trying to weave them into a unified rational conclusion.

Daniela claimed that she had come here to be with him, that she was merely following her heart. But what if that was not an entirely truthful account of her adventure? What if there was another reason for her sudden arrival here… or, more precisely, her sudden departure from Castle Dimitrescu?

It was quite a logical leap to get from 'Cassandra was right about me' and 'slightly wet strand of brunette hair in a locket', but now Ethan felt like there was definitely more to Daniela's story than what she had told him.

Then again, all he had was some assumptions based on circumstantial evidence.

Clicking his tongue at his own presumptuousness, Ethan respectfully closed the locket and placed it right back to its spot…

…and not a second too soon, as he suddenly felt a new presence sharing the room with him.

Swiftly turning around to regard the person behind the presence, Ethan had to do a double take as his heart suddenly missed a beat.

Daniela was there - no real surprise here. Daniela's current state of undress, however, came as a staggering shock.

Other than her admittedly modest white undergarments, there was not a single article of clothing covering Daniela's hourglass body. Unable to control his primal instinct, Ethan's eyes roamed across their prize, from bottom to top.

No shoes covered her dainty feet, allowing Ethan to see the milky white of her toenails. No pants were there to conceal her attractive long legs or her pleasantly shapely hips. Likewise, her smooth, flat stomach or her narrow waistline were open to his hungry gaze, as were her toned arms. And even though her modest bra hid her alluring bosom, it did not fail to reveal the shape or the size of the tantalizing spheres, nor the way they held themselves with youthful firmness.

Some leftover moisture still clung to her pale body, implying that Daniela took a swift shower, but that did little to slow Ethan's increased heartbeat as he continued to regard the young-looking woman.

The next thought that blazed its way across Ethan's mind would've caused him to drop dead from embarrassment if it was ever vocalized. I wonder what's the color of her nipples? Are they big? Nah… probably small, given her overall build…

Of course, the man was swift to change the direction of his thoughts, though not without being horrified by his own salaciousness. What the hell are you even thinking about? Get your goddamn mind out of the gutter, for fuck's sake - you're a married man! With a kid, no less!

Having mentally chastised himself, Ethan finally had the common decency to turn his eyes upward, to meet her own. The light blush that colored her pale cheeks probably was mirrored by his face, and the man found some comfort from the fact that both of them found this situation somewhat awkward.

All the traces of her runny makeup were carefully washed away, finally allowing Ethan to gaze at Daniela's, unaltered by cosmetics, face. To his chagrin at this moment where his very willpower and common decency were being put to the harshest test, the man found the redhead to be just as beautiful. With her full pink lips and soft, attractive facial features, Daniela Dimitrescu certainly was blessed by Mother Nature.

If not for her deathly pale complexion and the hideous scar on the top left of her forehead, Ethan Winters would've been swift to declare her a perfect woman, as far as the looks were concerned anyway. That said, even her so-called 'flaws' somehow managed to make her appear even more attractive to him, as they marked her as something more than just a doll to stare at; she was a person, with her own lengthy story of suffering and tribulations. A fellow survivor… a soulmate.

Her eyes, however, with their unusual coloration of molten gold were her most striking feature.

These very eyes, as beautiful as they were fearsome, were now staring right into his own; a veritable mix of clashing emotions brewing in them.

Ethan could see the hint of suspicion in them, as her gaze swerved between himself and the nightstand behind him. She had clearly seen him interact with an item from her collection of precious personal property, and that made her somewhat anxious, though not enough to lash out.

Then there was an emotion all too familiar to Ethan - the joy of being appreciated as a woman - he saw it enough times on Mia's face to be able to tell that Daniela was not that different in that regard. She craved his attention, and was more than a little satisfied that he had obviously found her body as desirable.

Finally, there was a hint of shyness that appeared to grow with every passing moment, soon eclipsing both the suspicion and joy alike. Her whole posture tightened, her own eyes averted from his and it appeared that Daniela attempted to shrink under his unyielding gaze. It seemed that despite her flirtatious nature, Daniela's lack of personal familiarity with actually intimate moments led to a certain awkwardness.

Not wishing to inconvenience the surprisingly shy creature further, Ethan swiftly averted his own eyes as soon as he realized all that.

As soon as he did so, Daniela found the strength to speak up, though in a meek tone that Ethan struggled to hear.

"Do you… do you mind if I get dressed, Ethie?"

"Ahm…" Ethan was surprised by his own awkwardness, as he mumbled out a weak response. There was no mistaking that Daniela had an incredibly potent effect on both his body and mind alike. "Sure… let me get out of your way. I am all done here, so I'll just wait downstairs." Potent enough to send some extra blood circulating down towards his nether regions - a fact he dearly hoped she didn't notice.

Quickly marching past the tense redhead without sparing her another glance, Ethan proceeded to do just what he claimed. To his annoyance, which masked a certain sensation of forbidden glee, Ethan realized that Daniela's mental image would not be going anywhere. He'd have to get it out of his system, one way or another. Perhaps it would require multiple sessions to get it all out.

Trying to get the wildly inappropriate thoughts out of his head - at least for now - Ethan instead mused about Daniela's untold story, once again. If his assumptions were correct, then there was some serious trouble in that vampiric paradise, but somehow that notion did not bring him joy despite all the wrongs committed upon him by the savage Dimitrescu family.

Then again, assumptions; one could even say - baseless assumptions were all he had, and Ethan realized that it was pointless to speculate upon them further, not until he got more information on the subject, anyway.

Perhaps I could question Daniela herself, in a subtle way, naturally…

As he paced around the entrance hall, waiting for his peculiar companion, Ethan grew agitated with his errant thoughts, especially considering that Daniela did not appear to be in a hurry to rejoin him. He was never good at waiting.

Huffing in annoyance, Ethan glanced at his wristwatch.

11:55 a.m.

He was waiting for fifteen minutes already, and they had agreed to depart at 12:00 sharp; it would take five minutes alone just to get back to their Winters house and the car that was parked there.

"Women." Ethan never thought himself as a misogynist, but he did note several repeating patterns, which remained true with all his female acquaintances - including their tendency to take an unreasonable - from his perspective - time to prepare themselves. In a way it was comforting to know that Daniela shared that particular trait with them - it added a certain normalcy to the otherwise chaotic and nearly alien creature.

"Daniela? Are you coming or what?" He still felt a slight annoyance at her apparent tardiness, nevertheless.

"Coming!" came the vigorous yell from above, followed by loud stomping as Daniela hurried down.

As the redhead came down, Ethan breathed a sigh of relief at her choice of attire. The relief turned to a pleasant surprise, however, as he further took her frame in.

White sneakers, dark blue jeans and a slightly oversized hoodie covered her entire body, leaving little skin exposed. The hood mostly concealed her scar; but what truly shocked Ethan was the color of the little skin he could see. Instead of deathly pale he had grown used to, Ethan was treated to ordinary pink as he gazed at her exposed hands and face. There was no sign of her creepy forehead tattoo and her eyes appeared to be deep green in color, not amber.

Gaping like a fish, Ethan could not spot a single feature that betrayed her as anything but a perfectly ordinary, if exceedingly beautiful, human girl.

Beautiful was the operating word as Ethan took a moment to admire the tasteful amounts of makeup that were carefully applied over her face. Her natural pink glossy lipstick made her full lips even more kissable, while her long eyelashes were utterly enchanting with the gentle touch of black mascara. Even though he knew her green eyes to be fake, they seemed so natural that Ethan couldn't help but consider that once upon a time - before she was turned into whatever she was now - that was the true color of her eyes.

Positively starstruck as he stared at her gorgeous face, Ethan had to struggle to regain his senses in a timely fashion.

In turn, Daniela beamed at him with her pearly white teeth as she was far from blind to his stupor. "The Duke told me that these contact lenses and the special foundation make me indistinguishable from humans! Cunning, yes?"

"Cunning is a word for it, yes…" Ethan mumbled, unsure. Drop-dead gorgeous was another word Ethan had in mind. He didn't care that it was not a single word.

The starstruck man cleared his throat as he finally averted his eyes from her lovely visage, now focused on a small stack of books she held in her arms. "What's this?" Ethan inquired, casually pointing at the books.

Daniela beamed even harder, if that was possible. "It's for you!" Suddenly Ethan found the stack of books thrusted into his own arms, as Daniela chirped out, "I felt so bad for you, living without a library… without real books…" Both her pitying gaze and sad voice conveyed the sense that she judged his book-less existence as beyond pitiful and droll.

Clearly, her fascination with the E-Book reader he demonstrated earlier didn't last, but Ethan was actually familiar with some people just like that - preferring solid, hardcover books to their electronic counterparts. Therefore, he accepted the gesture without paying any mind to the slightly condescending tone Daniela used.

Regardless, the man felt like they had wasted enough time. "Thanks, I guess. Let's get going."

"Alright!" shouted the redhead with unbridled enthusiasm that put a smile on Ethan's face. Daniela's happy mood was truly infectious, and it was obvious how eager she was to spend some quality time with him and his daughter as they explored Bioparc Valencia.

Chuckling good-naturedly, the man proceeded to depart Daniela's residence, with the woman right on his heels as she made sure to lock her leased property.

On their short trek back, curious, Ethan took one of the books from the stack to inspect it. For some reason he assumed that it was some romantic novel, but its timeworn cover betrayed little of its contents.

Opening the book on a random page with a single hand, the man took a moment to simply stare at the unfamiliar letters that littered the pages.

"It's… in Russian?" Ethan mumbled, confused.

"Uh-huh! This is a masterpiece by Odessan authors Ilf and Petrov - 'The Twelve Chairs'. To truly enjoy this classical satirical comedy, one has to read it in its original language, silly Ethie! Translations just cannot do it justice, trust me on that!" Daniela spoke with such passion, that Ethan couldn't help but be taken by it, as well… though one issue remained.

"But… I don't know Russian."

Daniela batted her eyelashes at him, as her mouth opened cutely. "You don't?"

"Nope. Just English, Spanish, and a little Romanian here."

"Huh…" Daniela appeared to be genuinely surprised at Ethan's lack of linguistic knowledge, though a mischievous spark in her expressive eyes allowed Ethan to consider that he was being played. "That's alright! We can read it together then!"

Daniela cuddled closer to him, wrapping her hand around his arm.

Was this all just an elaborate plot to get him to read a book with her? Somehow that seemed within the realm of possibility, when it came to Daniela. But then again, what didn't with that capricious and chaotic girl? Regardless, Ethan found himself not minding it whatsoever.

"Sure. Sounds good to me." He wasn't lying. With Mia gone for weeks, he had little in the way of plans for his afterwork hours. Sure, he would interact with Rose, grab a beer with a couple of coworkers or just chill on his sofa in front of a TV, but these were activities he was doing all the time anyway. Daniela offered a change of pace from what became everyday routine, and Ethan sure as hell wouldn't mind sacrificing an hour of mindlessly staring at yet another football game for a chance to spend some time with her; just calmly reading a good book and genuinely enjoying themselves.

She pulled at his sleeve, making him stop for a moment. "You mean it?"

Turning around, Ethan took a moment to gaze at her. Awaiting his response, Daniela looked like an eager puppy; she could rival Rose herself with the amount of childlike innocence she displayed in that instance. Seeing her like this was both heartwarming, as well as a little unsettling for Ethan, considering just what kind of thoughts he harbored of late, especially after her underwear performance. Then again, he should probably get used to Daniela's duality by now. She could be cute in one moment, sexy in another. Cheerful now and then overwhelmed by sorrow. Kind today and vicious tomorrow. A capricious creature of chaos, yet one who drew Ethan in with seemingly every spoken word and every performed action. Her very presence was like a cure for the mundane tedium of his life, as well as one for his loneliness during the Mia-less weeks.

"Of course I do, Dani. How about tomorrow, after six?" There was no doubt in his tone, making Daniela gasp in delight as she clasped her hands together, before resolutely nodding her head. He wasn't exactly sure how precisely that reading session would unfold - would Daniela simply translate the text herself as she read it or did she have something else in mind? Even without that knowledge, however, Ethan was certain that it would not be a waste of time.

Her enthusiastic response sealed the deal for Ethan. "Splendid! A world of classical literature awaits, and I, Daniela Dimitrescu, shall be your lovely guide! No mere language barrier will stand in our way, not with me by your side!"

Letting out a chortle at her dramatic yet genuine flair, Ethan proceeded to walk down the path to his house; Daniela followed at his side, a wide and happy smile gracing her beautiful face.

About half-way there, Ethan recalled another point of curiosity he couldn't help but inquire about. "So, what's with all the canvas next to your bedroom?"

"Canvas?" Daniela appeared confused for a second before her green eyes glittered with recognition, "Ah, you mean the paintings?" Not waiting for his response, the redhead happily explained, "The Duke owns them - before he so generously lent me this house, he used it as a storehouse for them; trading rare pieces of art is part of his business, you see!"

"Aha." Ethan was not surprised in the least that the Duke turned out to be moonlighting as an art dealer, almost assuredly an underground one. That was one mystery solved, but now Ethan was actually interested in seeing the pieces that remained at Daniela's house. Maybe he'd ask her to show them to him after their reading session - surely the Duke wouldn't mind him simply looking at them, right? "Interesting…"

Daniela let out a pleased hum and snuggled even closer to Ethan as they walked, as if they were high school sweethearts. Her left arm wrapped around his back while her right palm pressed itself right over his own, as he carried her gifted books. Daniela's head, meanwhile, found a comfortable pillow in his shoulder.

The change was so sudden and brazen that for a second Ethan lost his capacity for speech, though to his credit he recovered swiftly. Before he could put some distance between them; or else tell Daniela to respect his private space, his treacherous nostrils caught the scent of her freshly-applied flowery perfume. It utterly sapped his admittedly limited will to put some space between them; the fact that the deserted street lacked any potential witnesses to him snuggling with some pretty young woman while his wife was on a work trip only served to embolden him further.

Therefore, instead of thinking of how to remove this sweet yet forbidden proximity between them, the man chose to enjoy it for the moment, while pondering on Daniela's sophistication. Ethan sure didn't expect someone who he assumed to be a medieval castle dweller to possess such glamorous perfume, or wear contact lenses and skin foundation. Even her urban outfit would allow her to easily meld into the crowd, betraying nothing of her sinister origins.

Ethan could only marvel at the amount of surprises Daniela seemed to have up her sleeve. True, some of them were not a pleasant kind; Ethan would not soon forget her thoughtless stunt that could've had dire consequences, but it truly felt to the man that the carefree joy Daniela brought into his life far outweighed the anxiety associated with uncertainty.

Still, as they approached the Winters house and a lone figure ran out to greet them, Ethan's apprehension about their inappropriate proximity swiftly increased to the point where he gently but firmly disentangled himself from the redhead, making her let out a sigh of disappointment.

If Rose saw something less than appropriate, however, she did not show it. Instead, her little cheeks were puffed up from the boredom of waiting for the adults, making her appear as a cute hamster.

Daniela gasped in delight at the child's amusing expression. "Oh my God, Rosie, could you possibly get any cuter?!"

Rose was less than amused herself, however. "Daddy, Dani - you were gone forever!" Just like her father, the daughter was not a fan of waiting around, though in her case that childish impatience was fully justified by her tender age. "I wanna see the lions!" Agitated, the child folded her arms under her chest and huffed. Both Ethan and Daniela could barely restrain themselves from cooing at Rose's cuteness.

"Sorry, sweetheart." Not wishing to upset his beloved child further, Ethan hurried back home, "let me just grab the keys and we can go right away, alright?"

"Yay!" Rose immediately cheered up by lightly jumping in place; with a similar gesture of happiness mirrored by Daniela.

Chuckling at their dual performance, Ethan entered the house. The keys to the car were right there on top of a drawer next to the entrance. Ethan grabbed the keys and whistled a happy tune, though as a responsible adult he did not vacate the house just yet - making sure that all members of their little family were doing just as well as him.

Roxy, their beloved family pet appeared to be deep in a peaceful slumber right on her favorite spot on their largest sofa; an empty dog bowl lying nearby. The beagle did not look like she would be missing her owners for the next three or so hours, but Ethan still gave her a tender scratch on her belly. The dog let out a low noise of contentment, as well as wagging her tail a little, but did not move from her spot.

Satisfied, Ethan was about to rejoin the girls waiting for him outside, but a sudden thought made him stop dead in his tracks for a moment.

Daniela pulled no punches in her preparation for this little trip to the zoo, so could he do anything but his best?

The answer was obvious - No.

Without thinking too much, Ethan stormed towards his bedroom, where he swiftly procured the bottle of his best cologne. Before he could spray it over himself, however, his mirror reflection once again caused him to freeze in thought. His current outfit - navy denim jeans and a simple black T-shirt - was perfectly acceptable for a casual Sunday outing, yet… he could do better. The sudden realization that he wanted to make the best possible impression on Daniela evoked a surge of conflicting emotions, but did not make him fight his desire.

Swiftly taking off the simple clothing and carelessly tossing it onto unmade bed, Ethan decided to put on a somewhat more catchy stuff - his rather expensive gray pants and a casual yet fashionable white shirt, both of which were bought only recently, with Mia assuring him that they looked just fabulous on him, emphasizing both his athletic body as well as handsome face. Dressed once again, Ethan couldn't help but smirk as he gazed at his own reflection. Well, this is one suave son-of-a-bitch, heh!

"Daddy!" yelled Rose from the outside, getting impatient with his tardiness. While normally a calm and composed child, Rose was not above becoming petulant when something she was promised was being delayed.

"Just a moment, honey!" responded Ethan, reaching for the cologne.

A modest application of the perfume completed his preparation, though the man suddenly frowned as he considered that he may have gone overboard. This was about the same he did for the romantic dinner with Mia, the other week. Some may think that he was going on a date with Daniela…

The man let out an awkward laugh, even as he straightened the scruff of his fashionable shirt.

A date? This is not a date - what a preposterous idea! Who the hell goes on a date to a glorified zoo, especially with your kid! I don't even have flowers!

"Totally not a date!" mumbled Ethan, not exactly sure who he was reassuring with that.

"Daddy!"

"Ethie!"

The girls outside yelled in unison, making Ethan produce a yell of his own.

"Coming!"

Huffing in a peculiar multifaceted anxiety, Ethan was nevertheless completely satisfied with his appearance, therefore he quickly went to rejoin Rose and Daniela, so that they could finally depart for Bioparc Valencia, muttering under his breath all the while.

"Totally not a date!"

Author's Note:

It sure took me a while to return to this story, and for that, I apologize!

From now on, I'll try to update this story at a faster pace, though with smaller chapters - writing 15k+ chapters is just too much of a tedium during the proofreading phase. I hope these smaller, 6-10k word chapters will be to your liking, as well.

As you can see from this chapter, I've decided to add a little inter-family drama as one of the reasons for Daniela's sudden resurgence in Ethan's life. I really feel like it would add some extra depth to this story, as well as a potentially entertaining subplot to explore for us all! :) I drew my inspiration for that decision from 'Fragmented Flies' - a wonderful story by Cr0ssb0w25 that depicts Cassandra's postmortem adventures in a strange alien world as she questions her own life-choices. I really recommend everyone to give it a chance, as the author is both talented and passionate about their craft; with plenty of awesome drawings as an extra motivation for you! :)

Finally, where I naturally have the idea of where I want this story to go and which subplots I am eager to explore, there are a couple of blanks that could be filled with certain episodes - if you guys have any interesting suggestions, or just want to see some particular scene, feel free to note it in the comments!

Thanks for reading and have a good one!