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

Summary: There are unexpected consequences when Laszlo seeks a new human familiar…

Part VII...

Near dawn, the community home hallway to Laszlo and Nadja's crypt…

Colin, creeping along in the dark…

"I need to do this carefully. They say it's only instinct when they attack me when I come by during the day or near to it but I suspect that's just an excuse for their wanting to kill me." he notes. "So I need to get to Nadja's resting place before she's in the coffin and able to claim it's defensive instinct...Which is quite strong in night walkers during the day."

"Colin Robinson..." stern voice from behind. "Halt!"

Colin sighs…

Should have put that boy in a coma…

Turning to face an annoyed Nandor, Guillermo just behind him…

"You drained my familiar...My servant...Despite my orders. And our need, especially now, for a functional human servant." glare. "I should destroy you...But what is your defense?"

"Well, Nandor...I only drained him some and it's my nature. But have you heard the news?"

"I shall require satisfaction...What news?" stares...

"Laszlo's found a new familiar...A very pretty one. It's sure to piss Nadja off..." nod.

"Really? That rascal Laszlo…" toothy grin. "When did this happen?"

"Master, you were going to take your just revenge..." Guillermo tries. "I think Colin just means that pretty real estate lady. I told you about her and that I thought Master Laszlo..."

"Not now, Guillermo. I will take the matter of the insult to me in your draining up at the next house meeting, I promise. Go rest now. Between your accident in Manhattan and this you must be a bit exhausted."

"Very much so, Master. And my injuries still cause me great pain… Thank you for..."

"Yes, yes...We'll get you some Tylenol later…"

Colin, to Nandor, all three walking back to Nandor's cell, Guillermo's being near ..."This last evening...She's the real estate agent Laszlo was bringing over to see the house. I guess he decided she was a better familiar."

"I thought I heard a strange voice not crying out for mercy for the love of God last night..." Nandor nods. "Pretty, you say?"

"She's very pretty, Master." Guillermo tries to reinsert himself…

"Quiet, Guillermo. Tell me more, Colin Robinson…I should be fully informed as the cryptmaster and champion leader here. Come to my crypt, it is nearing dawn."

"Oh, well...I had business with Nadja..."

"I insist. All regards my familiar will be forgiven..." gracious wave, Guillermo sighing… "And you may even drain me a little...A very little. As a token of my good will..."

"Fine..." shrug, following after Nandor.

"Really pretty, eh?" as they walk...

"If you care for blonde, lovely, tall...She's rather French..." Colin noted.

"Oh, my...French?" Nandor beams. Uh… "Tell me Nadja doesn't know?"

"Not yet..." Colin, thin smile.

"She spoke in French to Master Laszlo, Master. They were laughing about it." Guillermo tried.

"Yes...Lovely…Get yourself to bed, Guilermo. So, Colin Robinson, really pretty?"

"If you like that sort of thing..." Colin sighs.

….

Guillermo enroute to his cell, alone now...

"It was nice that he noticed I was still suffering. In some agony, really…" he raises his arm with cast. "But I did tell him already about Ms. Jennifer and Master Laszlo probably forming a master-familiar pair. That will be nice if it comes off. I can use the help. And she does seem very nice." beam.

"I can teach her a lot about being a familiar and if she's enthralled, I could suggest to Master Laszlo he make her heed my every word. Sometimes the less or non-enthralled ones, don't. And I end up doing their work too… But I sense she's not like that."

….

"Well, good night, darling...Pleasant daydreams..." Laszlo's voice from his closed casket told Nadja's closed coffin.

"It's rather nice when I get to put her to bed without aid of a familiar. I feel it brings us closer together." he spoke, lifting his lid barely open a crack. Opening a bit more and lifting head up, he looks over to Nadja/s coffin. "We'll talk more tomorrow."

Nandor's crypt…

"It's a bit lonely, though also a relief, when I don't have Guillermo fussing about before my day's rest. But the boy has had a busy week, with massive slow-healing injuries, and so much extra work. It will be good to have another, energetic for once, even if enthralled, familiar." nod to us as he sits upright in coffin.

"The lady sounds very charming and nice. I wonder if Laszlo would be amenable to a swap. He does seem to like or at least tolerate Guillermo..."

…..

Thursday night….

"So, yes, it's Thursday night..." Laszlo sighs. "Jen is due to start working here tomorrow by day if my buried commands hold and, yes, I still haven't quite worked up an appropriate approach to Nadja to introduce her as my new familiar. But, since she will also be our potential real estate agent, I think that could be a route for the two ladies to meet on safer ground and see if Jen's warm nature can win her over, or if Nadja snaps her neck and drinks her warm blood. In the meantime, during the day she'll be working with Gizmo...Oh, yes...Guillermo... And I could explain additional voices as extra temp help, helping the boy out. Who knows, perhaps, that could go on that way for decades. Though I was looking for to having Jen read to me in my crypt."

...

Colin in his room, Thursday night...

"I've decided to hold off on speaking to Nadja since Nandor pointed out how nice it would be to have a young and energetic familiar around and Guillermo seems somewhat livelier when talking about her, meaning he'll be a better feed." Pause... "Also Nandor threatened to remove my head from my shoulders if I prevent either the move or getting a young, pretty girl around here. And when it comes to that sort of thing past experience does support he would do that..."

Cut to shot of Nandor in 1877, tearing a perceived rival for a female vampire's attention in two, during a country festival. The victim, another energy vampire, who had been standing next to Colin, merely chatting to while feeding energy off, the vampiress, now spewing blood in every direction as the recently happy villagers flee in all directions, in fact saving most of their lives.

"...though at that time Nandor wasn't that familiar with energy vampires..." Colin notes. "And tended to be a bit less even tempered, which I think is one beneficial effect of my draining him daily. Also he mistook my wife Henrietta for a man. She was a rather large person, with a somewhat manish face, so it's an understandable mistake in the dark beyond the village bonfire."

….

Parking lot of Zeller Properties, Ginny Zeller, owner...Top real estate agency on Staten Island…

About eight pm...Evening…

Jennifer Steinecke emerging from the front door of the building, large folder in hand, talking to a large and attractive brunette standing in the doorway…

"I'm sure I can close with the Meisters by Monday, they just need assurances about the repairs to the heating system." she tells the woman. "I'll be sure and call him tomorrow, to confirm, and I'll get back to you, don't worry, Ginny, I've got this nailed."

"All right, but do whatever it takes, Jen. Go the distance." Ginny, warm smile, pats her arm., then peers out to see camera and documentary crew.

"Jesus..." gasping whisper.

"It's fine..." Jen tells her. "They work with the Cravensworth guy. It's some kind of documentary he's making, he's a writer or something, I told you."

"I don't want then filming here. People will talk." Ginny frowns. "It's too much like the local news team. Get them out of here!" she eyes Jen who sighs but smiles.

"Sure. Right away." Jen turns to go… "Guys!" she calls...As Ginny hurries down a couple of stairs to her, seizing her arm.

"Ginny?"

"Are you wearing a wire?!" intense hiss. "I've got nothing to hide..." she speaks aloud. "But I can't allow my people to be used like this." raising voice.

"Ginny, I'm clean, no wire." Jen notes, shaking head. "I'll tell them to go and not come back, they're just covering all of Mr. Cravensworth's life."

"Well that's narcissistic." Ginny stares over to the documentary crew. "Ok, but get them off my property now. And I want any film they took here."

"I'll speak to the..." Jen begins then hesitates… "What?" she blinks.

"Jen? Get them outta here..." Ginny hisses, then sees her pale face. "Are you ill again?"

"I'm...Ok...Sure...I'll speak to Mr. Cravensworth, I'm to see him tomorrow. Good night, Gin. Hey, fellas!" Jen calls to the crew, stepping quickly over to us.

"Ms. Zeller would really appreciate it if there was no more filming here? It gets the place a bad name, people think you're investigating us. Not that we have a thing to hide, here." warm smile. "You can speak with me over at that Starbucks, down the street?" she points, camera cutting out.

"It's so interesting what you're doing with all this filming..." Jen, now at the Starbucks' parking lot. "I'm so fascinated by Mr. Cravensworth, but I looked him up on the net and all I could find was his property title for his house with Mr. Nandor and his wife and a Mr. Robinson...And some interesting stuff about a Cravensworth family in England. I wonder if he is related to that family, the last of them died during a plague some people there claimed was caused by...No, no, no...I must never speak of this!" she turns stridently harsh, then calms.

"What were we talking about? Oh, yes, I'm coming to see Laszlo...Mr. Cravensworth and his family tomorrow. My appointment is at six but I'm going over at eight, in the morning..." she turns blank-faced. "I must not let anything keep me from my duties. Guillermo will instruct and assist me." then return to warm smile. "I've promised Laszlo...Mr. Cravensworth...Such a beautiful name, so Downton Abbey, right?...To win over his wife to our deal and Mr. Nandor as well. He said Mr. Robinson doesn't have a say. I think I can make Mrs. Cravensworth like me, do you know her well?" warm smile to us, slight movement offsetting her ample bosum under suit.