Part II: Bonded

Ethan let out a tired sigh.

Despite his best efforts to find rest, meaningful sleep seemed to have the full intent to continue eluding him tonight. Even the sleeping pills were of no use despite their powerful sedative effects - it was as if his entire body was certain that he had committed a great wrong and deserved no respite until he righted it.

It might have been right.

Regardless of that however, as Ethan's weary eyes checked his smartphone's watch and saw it showing that it was almost 4:00 a.m. right now, the man realized that perhaps a change in scenery could do him some good.

As a veteran insomniac, Ethan knew that sometimes one could not fall asleep no matter how hard one tried. In such cases it actually could make sense to try some other minor activity rather than continuing to force sleep that just wouldn't come.

In particular, Ethan valued the inner calm a simple short walk could provide during such episodes of sleeplessness.

Armed with that knowledge, Ethan stood up from his messy bed. After washing his face and relieving himself in the bathroom, the man quickly dressed up in a simple pair of jeans and a shirt.

The intangible feeling of dread that had accompanied him for the last week yet had been nothing but the background noise grew in intensity overnight, causing his hand to instinctively reach for his licensed firearm before he could leave his bedroom.

That strange sensation all but prickled at his skin; the fact that it became impossible to ignore after the catastrophe that his trip to the beach with Daniela ended up as only made him worry more. He had expected something bad to happen, and it did, but that his irrational mind still expected something even worse to occur made fresh beads of cold sweat appear on his forehead. What could possibly be worse than his falling out with Daniela?

He did not dare to even begin to guess, but Ethan couldn't help but prepare for trouble.

As he checked his pistol before concealing it inside the back pocket of his jeans, Ethan tried to rationalize his intangible worries by thinking that nobody knew which kind of scum could prowl around in the dead of night - even in their nice neighborhood of their peaceful city - he was just being reasonably cautious.

Having made his way through his house and satisfied to find all other occupants peacefully asleep, Ethan left its homey interior, though he did not forget to lock the door behind him.

He expected to feel better the moment he stepped outside and in some ways he did. Physically, the pleasantly chill night air did wonders for his feverish skin. Mentally, however, was a different story as not even the peaceful atmosphere of the quiet yet scenic neighborhood, bathed in gentle moonlight, was enough to soothe his frayed nerves.

Somehow, that inexplicable feeling of dread did not abate in the slightest; instead it only grew stronger with each passing moment. It long passed the point of being some subliminal presence and now it felt like an obsessive directive that he could not simply ignore.

A directive to do what? Ethan could not tell precisely, but the urge to do something relentlessly gnawed at the back of his mind.

A walk should do me some good. Not a soul in sight.

He looked to his left towards the scenic part of his neighborhood. Nearly full moon provided enough illumination for him to take in the view.

A beautiful collection of small villas, each with their own plot. Their similar, but not identical architecture and layout gave each dwelling a unique feel without allowing the neighborhood at large to descend into chaos. Well-maintained roads and plenty of greenery connected the separate plots into a single breathtaking whole.

Whenever he wanted to take a walk around his neighborhood, Ethan always went to the left, as that route was simply incomparable in both convenience as well as the sights he never grew bored with.

Driven by unfathomable craving, Ethan went to the right tonight - in the direction of Daniela's residence. Most villas in that part of the neighborhood were still empty or even under construction; some trees and bushes were yet to be planted and even the pedestrian walkways were incomplete in a couple of spots - there was honestly not that much to see there.

Ethan found himself not concerned with the lack of sights or conveniences as he followed his innermost voice. He had no idea what he was hoping to achieve by that, but for once he simply went with his gut feeling without questioning it. Nevertheless, the atmosphere of uncertainty soon became suffocating, causing him to nibble on his lip.

Moving through the crossroads in the middle of his neighborhood, Ethan spared a wary glance toward a squad car belonging to the local police. As it was parked and with its engine off, Ethan wasn't too surprised to see an officer catching a nap behind the wheel when he passed by it.

Normally Ethan would scoff at such idle cops who slept instead of dutifully making their rounds aimed at keeping the neighborhood safe, but today that eerily sense of unease caused him to be more ambivalent about it. Nevertheless, he dismissed the squad car from his thoughts as soon as it vanished from his view and continued on his way.

To his chagrin, the inexplicable dread just kept mounting. In the five minutes it took him to cross the neighborhood to Daniela's side he was all but gritting his teeth from that intangible feeling of wrongness. Even the air felt heavy as the low wind whistled around, all but whispering of dark portents to come.

That sensation was so awful that Ethan even thought he'd feel relieved once and if he finally confronted a physical manifestation of his intangible fears.

Instead, the man felt as if his heart leapt to his throat the moment he spotted an ominous black van parked next to Daniela's residence. It was exactly the kind he'd warn Rose to steer clear off. Though he had no time to dwell on it for long, Ethan had no idea just what kind of legitimate business could the vehicle's owners have with Daniela at this ungodly hour. Certainly nothing good came to his mind.

Despite originally lacking the conscious intent to approach Daniela's dwelling when he went on his walk, now Ethan accelerated his pace to close the distance towards it as fast as possible. His heartbeat quickened and his jittery hand was ready to reach for his handgun at a moment's notice. If there indeed were some strangers up to no good in Daniela's home, Ethan knew that he would make them regret their choice of a victim.

Nevertheless, Ethan still dared to entertain some foolish hope that maybe it were some friends of Daniela he never heard about. Of course, that silly illusion lasted only a dozen of seconds as he was soon close enough to clearly see the large glass wall of Daniela's kitchen completely shattered. With the moon now hiding behind the cover of clouds, it was hard to see the details but something large looked to be lying at the bottom of the broken barrier.

A body…? A corpse?!

Ethan's pupils dilated as adrenaline started to pump through his veins, immediately putting him into fight-or-flight mode.

Not waiting for any invitation and without any further thinking, Ethan dashed towards the house's entrance while retrieving his handgun. Not even the blood that pooled out from underneath the door caused him to pause in his frenetic advance. In a brash move that the man hadn't thought he would have to do ever again, he kicked the door open and took aim, ready for combat.

There was nobody to greet him. Nobody alive, that is.

Ethan couldn't help but freeze with his jaw slack for a second as he entered what could have been a scene from a horror movie.

The house's lights were off but multiple discarded flashlights still provided a measure of illumination, allowing Ethan to witness a bloodcurdling sight that would put even a steadfast heart to the test.

It immediately took him back to his days of desperate survival against monstrous foes; whether against insane Bakers or feral lycans, Ethan could never forget the savage violence committed against ordinary folk. The faces of sheriff Anderson and village girl Elena would forever remain with him, haunting his nightmares…

…But it was also precisely that harrowing experience that now allowed him to take in this gruesome sight without immediately puking his guts out, though that did not mean that his stress levels did not shoot through the roof.

"Holy fuck…"

Ethan was understandably distressed to discover the foyer to be a mess of blood and viscera. Two dead bodies lay sprawled on the floor, one close to the door and another a bit further in. To say that they've met a violent end would be an understatement of the century.

The corpse next to the entrance looked like it suffered a number of vicious stab wounds, though they looked to be minor inconveniences next to his utterly savaged throat. If Ethan found a body like that somewhere in the wild, he'd wager that a wolf or even a bear was responsible for such a ghastly wound.

Of course, the second victim had to take the cake in terms of sheer brutality that led to his demise. The vast majority of his head was pulverized into a gory mess, leaving only the jaw somewhat intact. This kind of trauma couldn't be delivered by anything except a relentless barrage of strikes with a heavy and blunt weapon. A bloodied and bent hat stand that lay discarded nearby was likely the tool in question. The nature of the extreme overkill spoke volumes about the attacker's delirious state of mind.

The staggering cruelty on display here swirled around in Ethan's mind, adding to his guesses about the vague motive of the double murder and the identity of the most likely perpetrator behind them. The maelstrom of thoughts was dazing. Partially in a bid to ground himself to reality rather than to dwell within baseless conjecture, Ethan knelt down to carefully pat over the first corpse.

It was still warm and rigor mortis had yet to set in. Somewhat knowledgeable in the subject of death, Ethan figured that this man must have been killed around an hour ago, two at most.

That grim act of investigating a dead body had a remarkably calming effect on Ethan, allowing him to focus on what was truly important to him. These men in the foyer were beyond help, but even regardless of that there could be only one soul here whose well-being was truly important to him.

"Daniela!?"

Disregarding his own safety, Ethan shouted loudly with notes of desperation being plain in his tone. If there were some hostile entity lurking around the darkened house, he was making himself an easy target by giving away his position like that, but all Ethan cared about was to hear her voice once again.

Nothing but silence responded to his cry.

"Where are you!?"

Ethan picked up a discarded flashlight without dropping his aim with the handgun, wary of any potential threat in addition to his desperation to witness the redhead safe and sound.

Hearing no reply, Ethan proceeded towards the scene of altercation that was visible from the outside - the kitchen. Some sort of regular, faint beeping was coming from his destination. He moved with quick steps, but he did not rush blindly as his sense of self-preservation would not allow him to.

The first thing he flashed his light across as he approached the kitchen almost made him gag.

It was yet another corpse of a man, dressed similar to the bodies in the foyer. A horrendous cut left a gaping hole in his stomach, with much of his intestines laying outside of their rightful place. The gory mess all around the man and the unnatural pose he froze in implied that he fruitlessly struggled to stuff his guts back in his final moments. Ethan could not even imagine the agony that person had been in prior to his death; regardless of what he had done in life, nobody deserves such a grisly end.

Ethan had to forcefully shake these grim musings off. He had to find Daniela, no matter how many dead bodies may lay in his way. Even if that would also put him in her crosshairs…

Entering the kitchen area properly, Ethan felt a sudden chill pricking at his skin. Somehow, in the house of the dead, this particular area stood out in the way it clawed at his soul.

The sensation of dread reached its crescendo, causing Ethan's heart to beat even faster. He couldn't help but flash his light to his right, from where the beeping he heard earlier was coming from. The source of the noise turned out to be the refrigerator, alerting its owner that its doors were left open - not that Ethan had more than a fraction of a second to register that irrelevant fact as something else next to the fridge became the absolute center of his attention once his flashlight illuminated it. Someone else.

It was a person, so curled up into a fetal position that for a second Ethan confused it with an inanimate object. But then, once he knew who he was looking at without a shadow of a doubt, a different kind of terror settled on his heart. It was the new shape of the intangible dread from before, but now it morphed into something all too real, becoming utterly unbearable. The only times he felt something similar was when he had thought that he had killed rampaging Mia himself when she had been controlled by Eveline, or when he had assumed that Chris had gunned her down, yet unaware that it had been just Miranda in disguise all along.

"No…"

Raw panic flooded his system, all but freezing him in place, likewise reminiscent of when he had just watched as Chris had executed who he had thought was his wife. Confronted with the inescapable mortality, even the bravest men and women blink.

The handgun and flashlight alike dropped to the floor from his slackened fingers. Their cluttering sound was lost amidst the deafening ringing in Ethan's ears. His brain simply refused to process the visual signals sent by his eyes. For several moments that seemed to drag for an eternity, Ethan struggled to take in the dire implications of what he was seeing.

It was not horror alone that all but paralyzed the man, as the crushing feeling of guilt made him desperate to wake up from this awful, horrible nightmare that simply could not be true.

Several seconds passed but the gut-wrenching sight did not go away no matter how hard he wished for it, nor did the stench of death vanish from the air. Ethan had no choice but to contend with the harsh reality.

Not that he'd immediately accept the worst possible outcome - not after everything he had seen. Bargaining with fate, Ethan experienced a sudden burst of frenetic energy as he knelt next to the curled frame of the woman that was so dear to him.

She showed no obvious signs of life so it was only natural to assume that she shared the fate of the three mutilated men who came to pay her a late-night visit, but Ethan would have none of it as he stared at Daniela's body, desperate for a miracle, or at least some kind of a hint.

Though she was covered in blood from head to toe, it did not look like she had sustained any notable wounds herself.

Moreover, by the very peculiar position she had assumed it was clear that whatever altercation had occurred between her and these men did not turn out to be lethal to her. Therefore, it had to be her choice to be here and now - maybe he was not too late to fix the biggest mistake of his life.

"You can't be dead, Dani… you can't be..." Ethan muttered darkly as he checked her for a pulse. He couldn't locate any. Moreover, the way her painfully cold skin felt both hard yet brittle almost caused him to lose hope there and then. Her lithe body appeared withered and lifeless.

Hot tears trickled down his cheeks, yet a sudden insight from the back of his mind reignited his willpower to rescue Daniela at all costs.

There was one peculiar trait each and every mold creature he had met shared - and he had encountered quite a few of those. All of them underwent a rapid crystallization process upon death - while Daniela's body was well underway towards that unenviable fate, she had to be still alive.

Desperate to believe that a spark of life still lingered in her mortal shell, Ethan leaned forward to angrily slam the fridge's doors shut. Immediately understanding that such a measure was insufficient, the man proceeded to wrap his arms around Daniela's still body with tender care.

Her bare back was so cold that it was almost painful to touch her, much less to hoist her up, but it was a discomfort that barely registered in Ethan's mind as he cautiously stood up with the vulnerable woman in his arms. She felt lighter than he remembered her, making an extra layer of morbid worry to manifest itself in his mind.

Am I too late, after all..?

With some struggle, Ethan shrugged the despair off and moved them towards the living room, where so many fond memories were created in such a short time. Was it too much to expect that special place to conjure the miracle of hope, as well?

Against all odds, Ethan felt that surge of hope the moment he stepped into the room where they shared so many simple yet heartfelt activities and found it unspoiled by the violence that painted the foyer and the kitchen crimson. It still looked as pristine as ever - the same cozy and warm environment in which they cuddled together while reading Daniela's chosen books.

Carefully placing Daniela on her favorite couch, Ethan proceeded to kneel before her still frame as he focused his senses wholly on detecting any kind of signs of life from her.

For several incredibly tense seconds there was nothing, almost plunging the man into the depths of despair. Ethan stared hopelessly at Daniela's deathly pale, unmoving face, begging her to make a sound or a motion.

And then, in the almost unnatural silence of the desolated household, Ethan was able to catch the faintest movement of her lips, accompanied by the slight gust of air escaping her mouth.

It was the proof he was looking for - Daniela still breathed - the spark of life within her had yet to be extinguished!

Ethan felt his heart soaring and more than a single tear of happiness trailed down from his eyes. Nevertheless, his joy at Daniela's survival was tempered by his caution concerning her precarious state.

He understood that just because she was alive now did not necessarily mean that she was entirely out of the woods just yet. It was clear to see that the prolonged exposure to cold inflicted notable harm to her vulnerable psychology.

It was still rather dark in the room, so Ethan forced himself to tear his gaze away from Daniela for the moment, Quickly moving towards the light switch, he flicked it on before returning to the redhead's side.

The additional illumination did no favor to Daniela's sickly complexion and Ethan had to suppress a gasp of terror as he beheld her body now that he could see it properly.

Despite feeling hard and brittle, her skin appeared to have become partially translucent, with blackish veins easily being visible underneath it. Moreover, thin but numerous cracks crisscrossed her body, as if she was an ice sculpture that was about to shatter.

For Ethan, it was plain to see that he had been just in the nick of time - an hour later of the freezer's biting chill and the fatal crystallization process might have been unavoidable.

But if I've been an hour earlier, could I have prevented this tragedy altogether..?

Ethan could not prevent a sob of grief from breaking through. More bitter tears spilt from his eyes at the pitiable state of the person he now knew he loved - and the role he played in pushing her towards it. He was not here when she needed him most. He had to help her now...

A small part of him spoke against that course of action, however, as it was appalled and repulsed by the utterly inhuman cruelty and excessive violence that these people had faced in their last moments. There could be nobody but Daniela who was responsible for it. A murderous creature capable of such gruesome brutality was exactly the kind of thing Ethan had tried to escape by settling in Spain.

That little aspect of the man treasured stability and safety, therefore it urged him to simply leave this house right this instant. He had no real need to tie his fate with that of Daniela, after all. He could just walk away and resume his peaceful life with his daughter and wife.

…

It was far too late for that, Ethan realized in an instant even as he brushed off these selfish musings of his. Like it or not, their fates were already entwined - they had been ever since their brief but monumental encounter four years ago. There was no way in hell he would be leaving Daniela now that she so desperately needed his help; but even beyond this gruesome predicament, he would not be leaving Daniela, period.

Though he came to terms with the grim fact that it had to be Daniela who had slain these men in such a savage and inhuman fashion, Ethan understood that the only thing he truly cared about in this moment was providing a lifeline to this vulnerable woman that apparently has had enough of this cruel world.

As he gazed upon her fading body, Daniela's safety and recovery became paramount in his mind, with everything else taking the back seat for now.

It was that resolve that prevented Ethan from breaking down in grief. Though bitter tears still trickled down his cheeks, they were left unattended as Ethan took a moment to carefully consider his next course of action.

Warming Daniela up was an obvious priority, so without thinking of anything else for a moment Ethan rushed to collect the various blankets the redhead had strewn around the living room. Her peculiar affinity for them certainly came in handy, since now Ethan was able to wrap her delicate body in warmth-preserving textiles without bothering to search for them.

It was unlikely to be enough, however. With her own body in such a weakened state, what she really needed was an extra source of warmth, not just a way to preserve what little she had left. The notion of preparing a warm bath immediately sprung to Ethan's mind next, though now that the majority of Daniela's fragile body was wrapped in blankets and concealed from his gaze, he was able to think a bit more clearly.

The man stood up from his kneeling position, nibbling on his lip as he stole a glance behind his shoulder. The air was rich with the pungent odor of death, coming from the foyer and the kitchen alike.

As he took a moment to fully appreciate the situation, one thing became obvious to Ethan.

We can't stay here…

To remain in this house of the dead was an immeasurable risk to them both, but especially to Daniela, considering her defenseless state. The threat could reemerge within a moment's notice, coming from several possible directions and from multiple potential parties to boot.

Ethan gulped in worry, struggling to recollect the appearance of the three men that were mutilated in the other parts of this house. Though he was not an expert at crime, Ethan had an inkling that the deceased trio were here with less than legal intent; moreover he was certain that they were more than common crooks.

And if that was the case, as his gut feeling told him, it was not unreasonable to assume that they had friends who were waiting for them to conclude their business in Daniela's residence. Now that the three men went off the grid, these friends might get concerned and be inclined to check up on them.

Somehow, that notion caused Ethan's blood to boil in his veins. Unconsciously, his fingers itched to grasp his handgun's grip. Comprehending and following that feeling, he swiftly went to recover his pistol from where he had discarded it in the kitchen.

He fancied himself a calm and stable individual during his daily life, but these situations where a threat to his loved ones reared its ugly head turned everything upside down, making nearly-forgotten viciousness of his own resurface.

If these supposed friends were to show their mugs around here and demonstrate the desire to harm Daniela in retaliation for their slain comrades, Ethan was absolutely certain of one thing.

He'd be damned if he let even one of these bastards put a hand on Daniela. Regardless of the consequences, Ethan found himself ready to callously gun down any and all threats to Daniela's tenuous grip on life.

As he checked on his firearm while returning to Daniela's side, Ethan's tense frame relaxed a little, though his expression shifted to relay his inner worries instead as he considered a different, but perhaps even more dire possibility.

These men - whoever they were - were not the only danger that prowled out there. Come to think of it, they were not even the biggest one, not by a long shot. Ethan felt cold sweat beading on his forehead once again as he recalled the way this house looked from the outside - clearly betraying a violent struggle that took place inside. A shattered glass wall with a corpse lying at its bottom. Blood, pooling out from the entrance door.

Any random passerby would be easily able to notice it; while there were few and far in between of those at 4:00 a.m., every further minute they spent in this house increased the chance that some insomniac or a drunkard would stumble down the street and cry wolf.

The image of the squad car from earlier tonight sprung to his mind, warning him of an even worse scenario. Armed cops could kick down the door at any moment, and then what?

Even if Ethan was cold-blooded enough in this moment to willingly open fire at innocent police officers just doing their job in defense of Daniela, he knew better than to believe in the possibility of them getting away with it.

"Fuck…" Ethan mumbled darkly as he chewed on his bottom lip while placing his handgun on the table next to Daniela's couch. It was clear to him that any potential confrontation that could occur would not end well for him, nor would it for Daniela. They needed to get out of here first. He could not help Daniela recover from her affliction if he was dead or arrested.

Turning his head to fully focus on Daniela's face once again, Ethan felt his heart tearing into two as he beheld her sorrowful expression. He had to take care of her, no matter what, but he needed a proper plan if he wanted for them to make it, so he started to pace around the room while doing his best to cook one up.

First, Ethan thought about simply carrying Daniela to his own house in his arms. He might be panting by the end of the trip, but it certainly was well within his capability to do so, considering the distance, her weight and his own endurance. He had to discard that idea, however, as the risk of being spotted by a random witness or a patrolling cop was simply too great. There would probably be very few things more suspicious than seeing a man carrying an unconscious woman bridal style in the dead of a night. He would only go on with this desperate plan if he could not think of something else.

The second notion was to sprint back to his house and then drive a car back here, so Daniela could be transported safely and inconspicuously.

No fucking way I am leaving her, not even for ten minutes.

Ethan's fist was clenched so hard it hurt, but the grim determination to protect Daniela was stronger than any pain. He will not be leaving her side, not until she has regained consciousness… and maybe not even after that, unless she'd shoo him away herself.

Still, that left no options that could lead them out of this conundrum in one piece, or maybe he just couldn't see them.

Feeling uncertainty and dread crippling his faculties with their overwhelming pressure, Ethan gazed at Daniela's still face. Her bluish lips were parted slightly, allowing trace amounts of air an opportunity to visit her barely-working lungs. She looked so vulnerable…

"Don't worry, Dani…" Ethan mouthed as he knelt next to the redhead, "I won't leave your side again; no matter what, I'll get you out of here." He gently stroked her blanket-covered head, his expression falling a little at her expected yet unfortunate lack of response. "Just hold on…"

His smartphone poked his legs in an unpleasant way as he shifted around to caress Daniela and a sudden inspiration struck him.

Despite the oppressive atmosphere and the scent of iron in the air, Ethan reminded himself that he was not in some isolated hellhole this time around. He had an option to call for help.

Ethan's hand shot to reach for his phone, as if it was a lifeline for both himself and for Daniela. Maybe it was. Nevertheless, as he grabbed it and unlocked the screen, his digits froze in indecision once again. Who could he truly trust in such a dire situation?

Mia was far away and could not help him now.

Chris was also on a mission god knows where, though his vast network of associates implied that he had the capability to assist him on a moment's notice, if he so desired. But could Ethan truly trust Daniela's fate to a cold-blooded monster-slayer like Chris? They were friends, that is true, but just how many of his principles did that stoic captain was willing to sacrifice for their friendship? Ethan found himself unwilling to test that, not until he ran out of all the options.

Perhaps he could ask his friend and colleague Antonio for help once again? Somehow, that notion rang a small alert bell in Ethan's mind. Sure, they had shared plenty of drinks together, closed several large projects working hand-in-hand and overall had a friendly rapport, but did that mean that Ethan actually trusted Antonio with something as important as Daniela's well-being? Come to think of it, he didn't even know all that much about the man's past, as Antonio had always been vague about it… Ethan could not genuinely respond to that self-made inquiry about trust with an affirmative…

But who did that leave? His other acquaintances in Valencia were all just that - acquaintances. Unless…

It was an idea as audacious as it was desperate, but it firmly took roots in Ethan's mind, nevertheless.

Laura!

Of all the people he could potentially call upon who were close enough to respond in a timely manner, it was this teenager that for whatever reason appeared least likely to fuck him over. Somehow, Ethan found himself able to trust this girl to be willing to assist him in this perilous situation without calling the cops on his ass or otherwise selling him out. The babysitter became the savior in his mind.

Wiping the remnants of wetness from his eyes with one careless brush of his jacket's sleeve, Ethan displayed his newfound determination by immediately dialing Laura's landline phone - knowing her, he figured out that her cellphone would likely be in 'no disturbance' mode at this hour.

Unsurprisingly, she did not pick up immediately. Moreover, it felt as if the rings were stretching into the infinity and Ethan couldn't help but grit his teeth in silent frustration.

Pick your goddamn phone already!

Ethan's relief was palpable once the call finally went through and Laura's groggy voice reached his ear.

"Ugh… Hola?" Fittingly, Laura sounded as if someone just woke her in the middle of the night.

For just a couple of seconds, Ethan's mouth was open, yet no words came through as he considered the best way to impress the urgency of this situation without causing the teenager to panic. Maybe he should've thought the conversation over in his mind before immediately dialing her.

"¿Sabes qué hora es?!" Laura yelled into the phone, unamused by what she probably considered to be a nasty prank call.

Ethan cleared his throat to garner her attention, lest she'd hang up on him, "Laura, it's me, Ethan."

A moment of dumbstruck silence followed.

"Señor Winters..?" She eventually responded in disbelief, before switching to English which they normally used when conversing with each other, "Why are you calling me this late..?" Confusion reigned supreme in her tone.

Ethan wetted his lips, knowing full well that he was about to ask her something that would take her far outside her ordinary duties of looking after Rose. He knew that he had to make an effort to keep the notes of distress that were tearing at his insides from being audible in his tone. Moreover, he suddenly recalled Chris' instructions about the need of being composed; laconic, direct and authoritative during a crisis.

"Look, Laura - there has been an emergency. I need you to get your dad's car to Daniela's house - as soon as possible."

It took more than a moment for Laura's sleep-addled brain to process that outrageous demand and Ethan found himself struggling to refrain from lashing out at her. Time was of the essence, but he knew that he could not afford to scare Laura off.

"Please. This is very important. I wouldn't have asked you otherwise."

Even Ethan himself was surprised at how calm yet firm his tone was right now - but that was exactly what was needed to convince Laura to do as told without asking any unnecessary questions.

He couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief at hearing her next words.

"Alright… let me just put my pants on…"

She hung up, but Ethan knew that Laura was not the kind of person who'd promise one thing only to change her mind the next moment. She would be here soon enough, but for the next five minutes or so he could do nothing but wait.

"Shit…"

The man cursed as he remembered something non-trivial that was nevertheless lost in the back of his mind due to his worry about Daniela's state.

The horribly mutilated corpses in the foyer.

He might be understandably prioritizing Daniela's well-being here, but that did not mean he had to completely neglect Laura's mental health. Seeing these violated, freshly-slain men could traumatize the teenager for life and Ethan would hate for that to happen. He quickly typed a text message to go along with his call.

'Don't come inside - just call me when you get here.'

He hoped that Laura would heed his warning; regardless, he could spare no further thought about the teenager for the moment. Placing his phone on the table next to his gun, Ethan stole another glance at Daniela's unmoving frame. It did not look like she got any better during his contemplation or the phone call, so he leaned down to touch her forehead.

It was so cold that Ethan let out a gasp.

"Don't give up now, Dani… just hold on…"

To Ethan's bloodshot eyes it felt as if Daniela was fading in this very moment.

He needed to buy her more time, so without thinking too much, he did the first thing that got into his mind.

Carefully shifting her blanket-covered frame on the large couch, Ethan wiggled his way into her personal space. With tender motions, he rearranged her covers in a way that saw them both wrapped in it before gently embracing her chilly body with his own arms and pressing both of their frames tightly to one another.

The transfer of cold from her body felt more than a little uncomfortable, but the idea that she could benefit - even a little - from his own body heat made Ethan utterly disregard any and all such inconveniences. He'd bear it a hundredfold for Daniela's sake, if he had to.

For several minutes they remained entwined like that, tangled up in a mess of blankets and with nothing but each other's face to look at.

Yet more tears began to well at Ethan's eyelids as he took in Daniela's deathly pale face, bluish lips, cracking skin and purple-blackish veins underneath. Ordinary, a somewhat stoic person, this experience now proved too much for his composure, causing him to openly sob and shudder, even as he tried to hold the redheaded woman all the tighter.

"Why would you do that, Dani…"

He did not refer to savage murders with his murmur, though in another situation it would've chilled him to the bone just as well. Instead, the man thought about what had to be her willful attempt to part with her own life.

What could drive a person to do something like that?

It had to be a kind of hopelessness that an average human would never ever experience in his or her life; an abyss of despair so dark that no hope of light ever reaches it. Ethan could not comprehend it, not really, but then who could without living through it themselves?

Even during the darkest chapters of his life, Ethan had a goal to fight for, and even if he didn't, he always had the opportunity to start anew. He had people who supported him and loved ones who relied on him.

But what did Daniela have?

A spiteful family she ran from. A world that rejected her. And a friend who scorned her feelings.

Ethan simply could not comprehend how the combined effects of all these bitter truths would feel like, but now he knew just how grossly he underestimated the depth of her despair. Daniela always tried to project a cheerful and lively front, but it only served to mask her crippling insecurities and vast sorrows… but he would've never even guessed that it would be enough for her to consider putting a decisive end to it all.

What was the last straw, Ethan wondered as he gazed at her closed eyelids. Was it the disastrous kiss at the Patacona beach? Or was it something these thugs had done to her before she dispatched them?

The man couldn't help but scoff as he realized how he tried to diffuse the responsibility for Daniela's despair. Regardless of how miserable Daniela's life had been, she could bear it as long as even a single ray of light remained - she was that strong.

He could've been that ray of light. He could've prevented this tragedy. Instead, he allowed his base nature and despicable indecision to engulf the redhead's world in sorrowful shadows.

He leaned forward to plant a gentle kiss on her chilled lips. "It's all my fault, Dani… I wish I could have given you what you wanted."

She did not respond, making Ethan himself taste the bitter despair that she must have lived with for so long. Only it had been so much worse for her.

He knew that he couldn't even imagine just how lonely she must have felt at the end. Just how soul-crushing could it feel to think that you've been forsaken by your family, hated by the world and abandoned by the one person you gifted your heart to?

Gazing at her through teary eyes, Ethan finally noticed a small silver locket hanging by a chain around Daniela's pale neck. He knew what was inside from his earlier snooping - mere locks of hair that likely belonged to her two sisters. It was yet another heartbreaking proof of just how much Daniela craved the affection and acceptance of those close to her, to the point where she couldn't even live without it.

Everything tonight could've been averted if only he had been able to convince Daniela that she was not forsaken. If only he was able to make her believe that she was loved - because she was - this disaster could've been avoided.

"I am so sorry, Dani. You trusted me… and I let you down…" He caressed her deadened cheek tenderly with his fingers as the deepest of remorse gnawed on his insides. "You are loved. Please, just come back…"

Ethan's plea was lost on her deaf ears, but deep inside the man was resolved to do everything in his power to make sure that Daniela would live another day; and then, he would show her the affection that she deserved, he would not hold his feelings any longer… he would prove to her that she was precious to him, whether if it required him to love her or to fight for her - he was stranger to neither of these, after all.

A faint sound of a stopping car, coming from outside, broke him out of his remorseful reverie. Ethan's whole body tensed as his earlier theories about the nature of the dead men came to the forefront of his mind. It could've been Laura, but just as well it could've been a bunch of armed thugs, eager to finish what their compatriots started.

He carefully glided out of his blanket-covered embrace with Daniela, conscious of not disturbing her seemingly-brittle body with his motions, his features hardened as he did so. His determination to protect this fragile woman manifested in the adrenaline that slowly but surely started to flood his veins once again. Ethan's breath quickening and his vision narrowed in anticipation of potential violence to come.

Standing up from the couch, Ethan reached for his gun, resolved to reap a bloody toll upon any of those who would come to do Daniela harm.

Before his steadfast fingers could reach the grip, however, his phone buzzed, immediately setting his frenetic mind at ease as he did not fail to spot the identity of the message sender.

Laura Serrano

'I am outside.'

Much like he himself had to be Daniela's sole remaining lifeline, Ethan's troubled and cornered mind couldn't help but see this lithe babysitter as a lifeline for both himself and the vulnerable redhead at his side. An ally in this new kind of a fight, where sides were so blurred that one couldn't even tell who were the monsters and who were the victims.

In a way it was easier to fight mindless mold monsters or feral lycans - the lines in the sand were drawn as clear as could be. Now, however, Ethan realized that he had to pick and choose his allies carefully, and his enemies could be anyone. Mistrust and paranoia were suddenly weighted against the overwhelming desire to protect Daniela.

As he went to sneak a peek through the window's curtain, he could only hope that his trust in Laura was not misplaced.

It was mostly dark outside, limiting visibility severely, but Ethan could still identify a new car with its headlights on - with a silhouette closely resembling that of a Dacia Sandero that was owned by the Serrano family.

Ethan heaved another sigh of relief, feeling some tension evaporating from his frame. The suffocating sensation of dread finally gave way to a tentative hope that they might yet all get through this in one piece, after all.

Making sure that there were no other unidentified vehicles outside - other than the dark van whose owners would never employ it again, Ethan went back to the living room and that spark of hope grew with every step he took. Despite their situation still being far from resolved and Daniela's state still perilous, Ethan dared to hope that everything could still turn out alright.

Nevertheless, as he picked and pocketed his phone and handgun alike, Ethan frowned as a fresh wave of dark musings came over him. He was not foolish enough to believe that everything would just blow over on its own.

Three people had been brutally murdered here, within walking distance to his own house. Crime scene investigators would probably be all over this place by dawn and it was unreasonable to expect that some fallout of this massacre would not reach him, considering how his own DNA was likely all over the house after his repeated and lengthy visits over the last two weeks. Even if he tried to do so, there was absolutely no way he could hope to remove all evidence of his stay here in the limited time-frame he had available before the cops would swarm this place…

It was a worrying train of thought, but Ethan tossed it aside as he focused on what was truly important to him right now - getting Daniela out of here and into the relative safety of his own house, where a bathtub full of warm water could hopefully resuscitate her.

The potential police investigation became a secondary concern once Ethan stood over Daniela's unmoving body once again. Carefully, the man removed some excess blankets that would hinder his attempts to transport her before wrapping one arm under her knees and another just below her shoulder blades.

With utmost care, Ethan lifted the unconscious woman that was so precious to his heart. He had no choice but to leave most of her personal belongings behind, but for now her own safety took absolute precedence. As he carried her through what was her home for the last two weeks, Ethan could only pray that his efforts would not be in vain and that Daniela would eventually wake up.

If she did, would they weather the storm that was gathering on the horizon? It was also a question that plagued his mind as he made his way outside, but he knew that he could not afford to dwell on it right now. He had to solve these dire issues one at a time if there was to be a chance for salvation to be found and right now his priority was clear: Daniela's well-being.

Leaving the house of the dead behind, Ethan felt his doubts receding. His unbreakable resolve got him through two life-changing events already. Given his history - and some would say luck - as long as he took things in stride and did his best, a positive outcome for all involved was not out of the question.

He had to believe that and not let gloomy doubts cloud his mind and cripple his body. Doubts and hopes alike finally gave way to purpose, undiluted by feelings or thoughts.

Ethan's face assumed a mask of resolve as he hardened his heart against any further hesitancy. As he carried Daniela's body to Serrano's car, Ethan's conviction was clear, even if his path was shrouded in uncertainty.

Just like he had once fought for his wife and for his child, Ethan found himself determined to fight for Daniela now. Come what may, he would be ready to face it on her behalf. Even in these dire times full of doubt, he would stay strong for her.

An ironclad conviction was born at that moment.

He would not let Daniela down again.

Author's Note:

I've decided not to leave you with that awful cliffhanger for too long, hence the quickened update here. Its a bit on a shorter side, but I think I'll actually switch to shorter but more frequent chapters again for now.

Anyway, welcome to the second part of this story, where Daniela and Ethan are no longer mere neighbors. It might be somewhat tenser overall going forward, but I assure you that there will be plenty of wholesome moments as well (as well as certain something extra passionate)

As always, you're all welcome to leave any kind of feedback, suggestions or thoughts in the comments and I'll be glad to provide a response! Thank you all for reading and hope that this was an enjoyable ride so far! :)