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

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

Part XLI…

The old residence, a bit later…

Nandor having urged that they try to move quickly on their idea given Van Helsing's closing in, Jen, Ginny, Erika, and a still rather feeble Jacqueline were rushing to set up a few implements suggested by Nandor and Laszlo for their counterstrategy…In the "fancy" room, at Nandor's suggestion, Laszlo and Nadja agreeing hurriedly.

Anything to try something that might possibly avert the wrath of the World's Most Famed Vampire Hunter…

Outside of Buffy Summers, Laszlo had felt gallantry required he point out, both in fictional character and She known to them as Cicely…

Especially considering Van Helsing was to most of the world likewise a fictional…Hmmn…

"You don't suppose she actually used the name Buffy in her modern reincarnation?" Nadja eyes him… "If the man Whedon was her nephew…But it's such a foolish name…"

"I have the copy of 'Dracula', Master…" Jen holds up book to Laszlo's view.

"Good, good…Put it on the table."

Nadja nervously eyeing the object wrapped in thick paper in Erika's hand…She and Ginny having gone hurriedly out to the nearest place available, a church four blocks away, to steal it and one other item deemed crucial…

"Do we really need that? Laszlo…?" she shuddered.

"It's just a church prayer book, Nadja. We were in a church recently, remember?"

"And almost dissolved/burned to death…"

"It's simply to help attract Van Helsing's spirit. He'd surely feel more comfortable with one around."

"Fine…Just…Keep it covered, girls." She nervously waves it off, Erika cautiously setting the wrapped missal down on table near center.

"And this…" Ginny nervously held something also wrapped thick. A cube-like box apparently wrapped up inside a thick cloth.

"Ah, perfect…You didn't have troubles taking it?" Nandor asked.

"It burned my hands a little…" Ginny notes, showing one hand slightly reddened on underpalm. "But it was easy to steal, they didn't lock the cupboard up."

"I'm so sorry, my dear…" Nandor, shaking head. "But I think it necessary. And please be very careful with it. It's very dangerous for us. Also it would be sacrilege to drop it."

"What is that? I feel sick just sensing it in the room. Laszlo…?"

"Just don't stare at it, dear…"

"I'm sorry, Mistress." Jen notes. "It was my suggestion from reading 'Dracula'."

"And a fine suggestion it was, Jennifer." Nandor nods, she beaming.

"What is it?" Nadja, keeping eyes averted from the package.

"Make sure you return it to the church afterwards, but leave it by the door if they're closed." Nandor commands.

"Yes, Master." Ginny nods.

"It's…A host…Well, The Host." Laszlo notes.

"What?!" Nadja, hastily turning away.

"Dr. Van Helsing used it to fight Dracula, according to the book it was his ultimate weapon." Jen, sighing. "I'm sorry, perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned it."

"No, no…We want to use every means at hand to reach the 'good' doctor." Nandor shakes head.

"Yes, it's just what we need. Just be very…Very…Careful with it." Laszlo, warily peering, then averting.

"And of course treat it with greatest respect." Nandor, firmly. "We may not be of the persuasion now…But one should show respect to all faiths. And I was Orthodox once, though ours was a bit different."

Ginny setting the wrapped cube, a box containing the cup containing the said Host, very carefully on table.

"Well, we'll either summon Van Helsing or be killed by the stuff we're using…" Nadja sighs.

"Now this really takes the cake…" Colin in beige sweater, seated at table, smiles at camera. "Vampires and their enthralled human minions performing a séance to summon a famed Vampire Hunter in order to ask him why he wants to haunt/hunt them?"

"Quiet, Colin Robinson…" Nandor frowns at him from his seat at cloth-covered table in the "fancy" room. "Please, all of you be seated…" he waves to the four human women and the other vampires.

"Virginia? Can we please cover those things more?" Nadja points to the implements on table.

"Yes, ma'am." Ginny throwing a blanket from cupboard over the center of the table.

"All right now…Please…We will have to extinguish most lights…Laszlo, Jennifer?" Laszlo moving to extinguish oil lamp on table, Jen to turn out the electric lights via the wall. "Could you please lower the camera lighting to the minimal intensity you can work with?" Nandor addresses the camera crew.

"Thank you so much…" as the lighting dims.

"I hope this works…" Erika, nervously from her seat by Nadja. "You've never tried this before, I mean for anyone, not just a Vampire Hunter?" she eyes Nandor to her left.

"Only a few times after my rising, to speak with my wives…The dead ones at the time. Though never with such powerful implements."

"Did it work?" Ginny to his left…

"I believe so but they were not anxious to speak to me…" sigh. "Though, through a servant girl, my wife Irani did tell me she resented my killing her uncle and aunt. The leaderess of the vampire harem, who turned me, told me I was being foolish and taken in by the girl, but I think she was jealous of my trying to reach my dearly departed after my living family had fled or died. I did hope that I might at least speak to a few of my children, but none came to me."

"Oh, my…Sorry…" Jen shakes head from her seat by Laszlo…

"Well, in the Unliving flesh or through the Ether, they were frightened of the old man…And I was a bit hard to deal with in my early Undead days."

A true maniac even two hundred years later when we met, Nadja nods.

"Are we gonna die now? I'm ready to die…" Jacqueline notes wanly.

"No, no, dear…That's not called for here." Laszlo, kindly. "Just everyone take hands…Oh, Jennifer, would you set that glass ball on the table, right in the center? Thank you so much, dear. Everyone take hands."

"Perhaps not you, Colin Robinson…" Nandor notes. "Your negative energy might put our guest off."

"So he's your 'guest' now? Whoa…" Colin grinned. "But, sure, no prob. Should I go, though I'd rather see this fiasco through, at least as an observer."

"Please…" Nandor, gracious nod. "Does everyone else have their partners' hands? Good…Bow heads and concentrate, please. Van Helsing…Van…Helsing…"

"I say, you might try Dr. Van Helsing or Abraham Van Helsing…" Laszlo suggests.

"Yes, polite to use his title…" Nandor nods. "Dr. Van Helsing?...Dr. Abraham…Van Helsing…" he intones.

"He can't kill us incorporeal…He can't kill us incorporeal…" Nadja repeats in whisper. "Oh, please lets get this over with and get those damned blessed things back where they belong?"

"Dr. Van Helsing…A word, if you please…" Nandor intones.

….

Aboard the flight to Mexico City…

Susan a bit anxious…

Peering over to the other side of the plane where Dr. Acura sat by the window with a middle-aged woman to his right…

"You ok?" Guillermo eyes her. "Have you flown before?"

"Oh, yeah…I'm fine. It's just…What did the doctor have to say to you?"

"Oh, just about knowing my aunt as a nurse and that, well, he wanted me to be prepared for the end."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Gui." She pats his hand.

"She's at peace, Roderigo says. I'm ok with it."

"No…Though that's good." Wan smile. "I'm sorry you're lying to me."

One hour later, the old residence…

"Well, this seems bust…" Nadja sighs. "Do we just sit here all night while Nandor moans name and the Ghost just laughs at us… Miss Jacqueline should go rest and Jennifer needs to go home and see the little one. And the other girls have had long day. And who knows what side effects those things on the table are having with us…"

"I'm fine…No problem…" Jacqueline, head swaying…

"I can give it a little more time, Mistress…" Jen assures her.

"We're fine, thanks Ma'am." Ginny notes, Erika nodding.

"Could we have quiet, please?" Nandor insists.

"We've had quiet for an hour, Nandor…" Nadja frowns.

"Now, lady wife…Please." Laszlo pleads. "We all promised to give this a fair try…"

Hmmn…He eyes the glass orb on table which now glowed brightly…

"Oh…OH…OHHH! Master! I don't feel so…" Jen rose, pulling from his and Erika's grip, standing erect suddenly. Looking round… "So…" she stood, eyeing the group calmly as they all stared back at her firm gaze and smile. "Herr Cravenswood und his lady Nadja…Und Lord Nandor, the surnamed Relentless." In thick Dutch accent. Her suit somehow opened a bit, revealing what would have been the Professor's manly chest but in her case…Her own rather nice set, just less than half revealed.

"Right…Don't mind me…I'm not even here. Or the right kind of vampire." Colin, a bit petulantly.

"Shh…Colin Robinson." Nandor hisses.

"Dr. Van Helsing, I presume." Laszlo eyes her. Nadja and the enthralled humans staring nervously.