Yay! Next chapter!
Thank you for your feedback. It makes me happy. :D
AuroreD: I like to think Wendy would be brazen, no matter what. :) And, no, she's not your average woman. ;)
Wendy was playing her guitar subconsciously while her mind wandered. Man, I have to get up early. Maybe that Hellboy guy was right. Maybe I am a nanny, since they expect me to take him all his meals. Oh, and I get to help fight monsters! Joy! This last bit she said aloud as well with just as much sarcasm. Well, at least there are all those books. And Abe and Johann seem smart, so it won't be all dull talk. A knock on the door caused her to hit a sour chord. She put the guitar down and opened the door.
"Guten Tag, Johann." He nodded at the 'Good day.'
"Du spielst Gitarre sehr gut.*"
"Danke. Was machst du?**"
"Checking on you."
"Aw, but I was enjoying using my skills!" She laughed a little, as did Johann. "Do you want to come in?"
"If you don't mind." Wendy closed the door behind him and moved the guitar and its case off the bed.
"Sorry I don't have any chairs yet." They sat down.
"It is fine. I have none either."
"Did you need to tell me something?"
"Nein. In truth, I heard you playing and stopped to see."
"Ah. I'm not very good playing in front of people."
"It sounded very good to me."
"Okay, then. Acoustic or electric?"
"Which were you playing earlier?"
"Acoustic."
"Then I would like to hear the electric." Wendy nodded and retrieved her soft case and amp from the corner. After she had hooked the black guitar to its matching amp, she checked her tuning.
"Any song in particular?"
"It doesn't matter to me. I just want to hear."
"How about 'Hier Kommt Alex'? Then I can play one of the acoustic songs I know."
"Whatever you want to do." Wendy smiled.
"Very rarely do I hear that." She heard Johann chuckle and took it as her cue to begin.
--
The next morning, when she heard her alarm, she jumped out of bed, thinking all the while that it was the red klaxons. After she finally realized there were no flashing red lights, she sat down on her bed and almost busted the alarm clock as she turned it off. I'm going to kill Manning, she thought. He had been the one to insist she use that alarm clock rather than the one she brought with her. In the rush of adrenaline that sound had caused, she was dressed and ready to go. Sighing, she decided to head on over to the kitchen and get her cart.
The cook was loading it up when she stepped into the kitchen. He smiled and continued his work.
"Finally, they've gotten a pretty face I can see every day," he said.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Anyone else who's had this job has been male. You must be special if they picked you. Are you strong?"
"Physically, or do you mean strong-willed?"
"Both."
"Well, I can tell you I'm strong-willed, for sure. I've never really tested my physical strength."
"This cart can get pretty heavy, but just you wait."
"Oh, I've been waiting a long time for an opportunity like this," she said with a hint of sarcasm.
"Tell the big lug it's only pancakes today. No bacon."
"All right." The cook finished putting the last pancakes into the huge bowls and Wendy pushed the cart out.
Luckily, there was a hallway from the kitchen to HB's room, so she didn't have to go through the library. She knocked on the huge metal door, but there was no answer. She knocked again.
"Hellboy, I've got breakfast," she said loudly. That got a response. There was shuffling behind the door before it opened. Liz, the one who answered, moved so Wendy could roll the cart in. "The cook said to tell you there's no bacon. Only pancakes today." He grunted acknowledgement from where he sat on the bed. He was shirtless again, a fact Wendy calmly ignored as she set the bowls beside the numerous television sets, all turned off. She had to disturb some sleeping cats to do so, but they jumped down and rubbed on her legs. When she had finished, she gently scooped one up, a white with black spots, and scratched its head as it purred loudly. "Let me guess. This one is named Domino?" she inquired.
"How'd you know?" Hellboy finally spoke.
"Lucky guess." She put Domino down and began to push the cart out.
"Have you given Abe his rotten eggs yet?" Wendy froze because she had not been told to do so.
"Not yet," she left as she said this.
--
The cart was back in the kitchen, waiting for lunch. After politely asking the whereabouts of the rotten eggs, Wendy headed to the library. The lights were dimmed, so she assumed Abe was still sleeping. Deciding to wait until he awoke, she quietly looked through a row of books while humming Beethoven's 'Für Elise.'
"What are you humming?" Wendy turned quickly, almost dropping the book in her hands, at the sound of Abe's voice.
"I didn't mean to wake you, Mr. Sapien." She returned the book to its shelf.
"I was awake. I just didn't turn the lights up."
"Want me to leave them dim?"
"No, you may turn them on if you want." She did, then retrieved the rotten eggs and a pair of tongs.
"How many do you want?"
"Two, please." Wendy placed them into the tube to send them into the water and put the rest away.
"I'm guessing these are for reading?" Wendy asked, indicating the four podiums. Abe nodded. "Anything you want to read this morning?"
"No, thank you, Agent Waterbanks." She nodded and went back to the rows of books. "Why are you so nervous?" Wendy almost asked how he knew, then remembered his 'psychic' powers.
"I don't know."
"You don't have to call me 'Mr.' I'm just Abe…or Blue."
"I'm Wendy."
"You don't enjoy that name very much, do you?"
"I wouldn't mind it if people didn't laugh." Abe nodded.
"Understandable." He cocked his head. "Do you mind if I ask how old you are?" When her confused gaze met his, he added, "You're blocking your mind again."
"Sorry. It's a habit." She turned to the bookshelf, but did a complete 180 when she heard splashing and mechanical noises. "Abraham? Where'd you go?"
"Give me a moment." He sounded hurt.
"Are you all right?" She saw him walk down the steps from the second level. "You can get out?" He nodded and held up some kind of device.
"As long as I have my refresher." He looked away, sighed, and turned his gaze back to Wendy. "Please don't call me Abraham."
"Does someone special call you that?" she kidded, but Abe remained serious.
"They did." Wendy immediately sobered.
"I'm sorry. I think I should just quit talking…"
"No, you're fine. You didn't know."
"About your earlier question… I'll be 25 in three months. I'll be 25, and I'm still—" She stopped and slapped herself in the forehead.
What's Wendy trying not to say?
What's Johann up to?
Find out soon...I think.
Please review, whether good or bad. Thanks!
*You play guitar very well.
**Thank you. What are you doing?