Daniela's groggy eyes cracked open as she slowly awoke from her deep, hopefully restorative, slumber. Though she experienced no need to hurry to wake up, awareness returned rather quickly to her this time. She still took a moment to make sure that her troubling memories were not a dream.

They weren't, her mind brusquely informed her, causing the redhead to let out a long, tired sigh.

Glancing around with her eyes alone, Daniela realized that she had likely slept all throughout the day as the sun's reflection bathed the room in soft honey colors, implying that the sunset was just around the corner. She still felt somewhat tired, nevertheless, so she didn't attempt to move her body straight away.

For whatever reason, her eyes found themselves glued to an inconspicuous little locket that rested upon the nightstand to her right. Of all the things that she took with her during her flight from Castle Dimitrescu, that silver locket was by far the most important. It was a priceless memento of a carefree time from long ago; a reminder of a period in which the three sisters showed their affection for one another freely.

Strangely, as Daniela focused her amber orbs upon the locket, she couldn't help but vividly imagine Cassandra's smiling face, bereft of malice that had become her hallmark in the last decades of their shared existence under the Castle's roof.

Some might consider Daniela a bit dull because of her playful demeanor, but she was aware of more things that she let on - including the complex and intricate web of interpersonal relationships between the ladies of Castle Dimitrescu and a surprisingly profound insight into what made each of them tick. Even more than that, Daniela's memory was quite solid when it came to events long past. She still remembered.

Though their formative years ended decades ago, Daniela still clung to the fading memory of how vastly different her brunette sibling had been.

There was always a spark of cruelty within her, perhaps even sadism, yet so was the capacity for affection and compassion. She was capable of love and of finding joy with the others - not just at their expense. Cassandra's multifaceted personality had been just like an uncut gem, and with the right approach it could've been polished into something beautiful, something whole.

A pity that her lapidarist was none other than Alcina Dimitrescu and she was only interested in qualities that would advance her own cause and breed unquestioning obedience as well as unhealthy dependence.

Comprehending it all on some base level, Daniela bore no ill will towards her abusive sibling. Cassandra might have been excessively cruel to her, yet Daniela did not blame her for that. How could she, when viciousness and brutality in Cassandra were qualities that were encouraged - nurtured even - by Alcina in a bid to raise an obedient enforcer of her will?

It has been so long since the sisters exchanged these lockets, loving smiles on their faces and warmth in their reanimated hearts. Then, years by years, decades by decades, they grew apart.

It was a point of sorrow for the redhead that she couldn't even easily recall just when was the last time when she and Cassandra shared a positive interaction, like sisters should.

Nevertheless, clinging to the memories of yore, Daniela found herself missing her sisters dearly, even the cruel brunette. More than that, she wished to go back in time, back to their formative years where Bela and Cassandra were shaped according to Mother's desires while Daniela herself was mostly left to her own devices as the youngest and most unreliable sibling. Things could've been so vastly different if she would've convinced them to run away together back then, to forsake that cursed valley and Miranda's cult; to just vanish into the wilderness and live their life as free beings, unchained from the cruel whims of the Lords. Just the three of them…

But then I wouldn't have met Ethan, would I? Would we have even survived in this cruel world by ourselves? Was I even coherent enough for a plot like that back then? I wonder…

Her daydreams about the days long gone and opportunities wasted lasted for several minutes. Eventually, Daniela made her peace with the immutable fact that she could not travel back in time, but could only look towards the future.

It was silly, but as she stared at her beloved locket, she couldn't let go of the hope that one day her sisters would share a warm embrace with her once again, with smiles of affection decorating their lovely faces. That they would all find true happiness that was for so long denied to them by their own mother and the vicious being that stood above them all. High Priestess Miranda, who shaped their entire existence according to her whims and who haunted their every waking moment even in death.

Letting out a wishful sigh, Daniela returned to the present, which naturally had its own challenges she needed to overcome.

The crushing exhaustion she had experienced this morning had mostly abated, though the redhead was still not exactly brimming with vigor. Nevertheless, tired of just laying around, Daniela attempted to move her body to get into a sitting position, but the instant spike of pain was the only reward for her efforts and it caused her to immediately cease her motions.

"Darn it all…" she hissed in dismay as a wave of sharp pain rippled all across her body.

Not willing to risk any rapid movements again, Daniela carefully pulled her right arm from under the blanket, before bringing it closer to her eyes so she could inspect it properly.

"Ugh…" Daniela grunted in annoyance as she beheld the hideous cracks in her skin. She knew that they criss-crossed most of her body and now it appeared that time alone was likely insufficient to heal them, as even a whole day of rest did nothing to provide respite from them.

Despite her long life, she was unfamiliar with this particular ailment, as she had never encountered it before, nor did her sisters to her knowledge. She could only assume that the painful and hideous fissures were the result of a prolonged exposure to bitter chill, a sign that she was a mere hairbreadth away from actually perishing to the cold.

That was just a guess, however. All Daniela really knew about them is that they hurt like a bitch and that her mobility was severely limited as a result. Moreover, due to certain peculiarities that connected a Dimitrescu daughter's human body to her swarm shape - of which she was aware - Daniela would do well to avoid transformation, or else risk exacerbating the cracks even further. She was effectively crippled and defenseless right now.

As things stood, she was pretty much at the mercy of the circumstances, and the redhead could only count her lucky stars that she happened to be in Ethan's warm bed instead of out there on the streets.

"Thank you, Ethan…"

Though Ethan was not in her immediate proximity, Daniela was not dissuaded from expressing her gratitude in a heartfelt manner while gazing at the bedroom's closed door.

Her moment of reflection was interrupted by a loud growl - coming from her own stomach, however. It did not take long for her to comprehend the depth of her hunger after that point.

"I am famished…" she mumbled to herself, feeling hungry enough to eat kilograms of meat. Preferably that of a youthful and healthy man-thing, with a generous portion of his still-warm blood to help wash the meat down.

A thin trail of saliva made its way down Daniela's chin as she vividly imagined herself gorging on such a glorious feast, though a distinctly different notion caused her to violently shake her head.

"No!" she yelled; the small but noticeable crack in her skin that went along her throat delivering her a dose of pure agony from the sudden motion. "Gah!"

The vision of crimson abated, dispelled by the combination of her emerging willpower to resist such monstrous desires and a spike of pain alike. As if to take its place, hot tears started to trickle down her cheeks. She was never good at dealing with pain, whether emotional or physical.

"It hurts so bad…"

Though Daniela wanted to break down and weep openly, the sound of approaching footsteps caused her to try and do her best to regain her composure. She did not want to worry Ethan with her shameful weakness any more than he already was.

Daniela blushed a little as she recalled Ethan's words about there being no need for her to hide her weakness in front of him, as he wasn't Mother. He wasn't going to shame her for daring to reveal her true feelings and emotions like Mother or to mock and belittle her like Cassandra.

The feeling of warmth spread across her chest as she recalled the understanding and compassion Ethan had shown her. It was more than her family ever did. It was all she ever wanted them to do.

Such a train of thought was bittersweet for too many reasons to properly process in this brief moment, but it still allowed her to regain a measure of composure.

And just in time, as in the next moment the door to the bedroom was softly pushed open and in came the owner of the house himself; an expression of gentle concern was etched into his fair facial features.

"Hey, Dani," he greeted her as he realized that she was awake.

Daniela's whole world suddenly appeared to her in brighter colors.

How could she possibly feel bad when confronted with such an irrefutable proof of the importance she had for others? The previous gloom, and even the pain of her current condition all dissipated in the face of Ethan Winters, gazing down at her with his loving eyes. It was strange, yet it almost felt like his very presence was enough to mute the discomfort of her situation.

"Hey hey," Daniela responded to his greeting with a measure of jovial playfulness, immediately causing a smile to appear on Ethan's face.

He took a step closer to the bed, inquiring, "how are you feeling?"

Daniela nibbled on her lip for a second. She did not want to worry him, yet she also knew that she would be doing her own body no favors by concealing the truth from the one person that was in a position to help her.

"I won't lie, Ethie - I've had better days…"

In terms of a purely physical state, that is… Daniela continued to herself after speaking, basking in the man's attention.

Moving to stand at her side, Ethan nodded sympathetically, "I bet." He then leaned down to place his palm on her forehead, likely checking for fever. That seemed like one thing neither had to worry about, since Ethan hummed in satisfaction and pulled his hand back. Daniela wished he didn't. She craved prolonged physical contact. She wanted him to hold her and to never let go.

"You must be starving…" Ethan correctly surmised without Daniela needing to spell it out herself. She still nodded and licked her lips to confirm his assumption, making the man let out a light chuckle and back off from the bed. Daniela considered making a grab for his hand, as she so loathed the idea of him departing so soon.

The man likely noticed the lines of worry that appeared on her fair face, as he promptly explained himself.

"Since you shouldn't move for now, Laura and Rose came up with a healthy meal that I can bring up here. Be right back."

"Mmkay," Daniela mumbled as she observed Ethan breaking into a flurry of activity on her behalf. She was sure that a thousand questions danced just on the tip of Ethan's tongue, yet the man gave full priority to her recovery - for the redhead this was an unprecedented display of affection and care another living being had for her.

Instead of pestering her with inquiries, Ethan helped to gently prop Daniela's head up on the pillow before placing a breakfast tray over her torso. Soon after, a number of delicious-looking items were brought to her in rapid succession as the man demonstrated both agility and speed in his remarkable display of care for her.

In turn, Daniela found herself experimenting a little with her weary body, with the result being the realization that as long as she moved her limbs slowly and avoided bending them too much, she could use her arms and legs without suffering any notable pain.

"What's that?" The redhead inquired as she inspected a large glass, filled with purplish, mushy substance.

Ethan scratched the back of his neck sheepishly before producing a somewhat subdued answer, "A smoothie. You'll like it. Rose thought of it."

As a famed meat connoisseur, Daniela's first instinct was to turn her nose up on this purely vegetarian concoction, yet she could not deny that its fragrance was a little alluring.

"Just try it, Dani," Ethan persisted, coming up to the bed to grab the glass and bring it closer to her parted lips, "You like strawberries, don't you? This has a lot of strawberries in it."

That was true, she was rather fond of all these juicy sweet berries that she never got a chance to taste back home, but which were suddenly available to her in this sunny land. "Okay!" she chirped happily, secretly enjoying the fact that Ethan went out of his way to treat her to a meal in bed.

Smirking at her sudden eagerness, Ethan carefully poured the smoothie into her mouth, occasionally stopping to allow her to swallow and make sure that she would not choke.

For Daniela it was a struggle not to. The drink proved to be shockingly delicious and she drank it greedily until there was not a drop left in the glass. The sweet taste of strawberries was accompanied by the savory onslaught of oranges and a more gentle hint of banana.

"How was it?" Ethan inquired with a cocky smirk on his face as he put the glass away. It was clear that the man already knew all he needed to know from the blissful expression Daniela undoubtedly wielded right now, yet he couldn't help but want to hear her say it herself.

Daniela would not give him the satisfaction that easily, "Hmmm…" she pretended to ponder on the taste of a while, "Okay…ish," only to underplay her appreciation of the fruit-berry smoothie; her lips taking the shape of a playful smirk of her own as her greedy tongue scoured the exterior of her mouth for any leftovers.

"Riiiight. Okay-ish," Ethan didn't buy any of it, obviously, but a small chuckle the both of them shared in the next moments spoke volume about how light the atmosphere suddenly got. It almost felt like Daniela did not commit gruesome violence before ultimately trying to part ways with her own life less than 24 hours ago.

Leaving her alone for a minute, Ethan returned back with a full bowl of steaming soup; the scent of chicken assailed her nostrils in a barrage of culinary onslaught, causing both them and her eyes to widen in frenzied anticipation.

The bowl was large, and the amount of chicken relative to actual soup in it was preposterous for anyone but her. Daniela's lips morphed into a smile as she considered just how well Ethan knew her preferences.

Sitting on a chair right next to the bed, Ethan placed the bowl on the tray before sparing Daniela a questioning glance.

Understanding what he was inquiring with his wordless question, Daniela remained still as a statue as she regarded him with a coy half-smile. The implications were clear.

Feed me!

Though she could've probably eaten herself with few issues as long as she was slow and steady, Daniela wanted to savor this situation for all it was worth.

In turn, Ethan appeared to have no problems with this outcome, as the man just hummed and grabbed a large metal spoon. Careful not to spill any soup or to drop any chicken bits, the man fed her spoon by spoon.

The combination of her starving stomach being filled, the delicious flavor of hot chicken teasing her taste buds and the gentle treatment Ethan was showing her made her toes curl in pleasure under the blanket.

"Mhmhm! Sho good!"

For a person who was basically crippled and who had been suffering in agony just minutes ago, she experienced a shocking amount of contentment right now.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, silly," Ethan chided her playfully, before bringing another spoonful to her waiting lips.

Naturally, as Daniela's unusual body required an increased amount of nutrition compared to that of an average human woman with her build - a fact that Ethan knew well - the process of regaining her lost energy through chicken soup was a rather lengthy one, with Ethan bringing her seconds, and then the thirds.

He did notice that she was approaching her satisfaction by the third bowl, so the man slowed his motions, allowing them to get words in and out in between the spoonfuls. It was this moment in which he could no longer contain his curiosity.

"So, who were these guys..?" He spoke softly, averting his eyes - appearing ashamed for ruining the peaceful and wholesome atmosphere.

Not that Daniela blamed him for that - instead, she could do nothing but praise him for his restraint so far. Moreover, she fully understood the importance of him possessing all the information she could share. Unfortunately, there was not that much of it.

Swallowing the latest spoonful, Daniela mused for a second, contemplating on how to best respond to the fateful question. Three lives had been snuffed out for good, and she didn't even truly know why herself. Why did they have to come to her house? Why wouldn't they listen and leave her alone when she asked them to go away?

"I wish I knew, Ethie…" she started softly, tears starting to brim at the corners of her eyes as she recalled that terrible confrontation with perfect clarity. It was far too recent to dwell on it without a spike of pain impaling itself through her heart, but she understood the importance of not withholding any important information.

She hasn't forgotten about the conversation in Italian she had managed to overhear before confronting them, however. "They spoke in Italian; I think they were after the Duke's painting," Daniela summarized in as few words as possible, having no wish to transport her mind back to that scene of slaughter for any longer than she had to. The inhuman brutality she had displayed when dispatching them was bone-chilling. The knowledge that such a brutal, murderous fiend was lurking within the confines of her own mind was terrifying beyond words.

Another spoonful of lukewarm soup with a bit of chicken in it froze in midair. Curious, Daniela glanced at Ethan's face, only to behold it being clutched in an expression of genuine surprise. It only lasted for a second or two, with the man regaining his composure, and continuing to feed her, but the moment stuck with her, nevertheless.

"Hmm…" Ethan grunted noncommittally, though his expression became a pensive one and the last bowl of soup was finished without any more exchange of words between the two.

That made Daniela wonder. Just how did these thugs know about the paintings? There was only one person she had shown them to, and he was sitting in the room with her.

As if on cue, the man stood up, bowl in hand, "Well, whatever. Let's just focus on getting you back to health for now."

There was something he wasn't saying - the way he avoided her eyes right now implied just that and Daniela was perspective enough to gather as much.

"I had Laura fetch something that should help heal your skin from the pharmacy earlier; now that you've eaten, let me go downstairs and grab it," Ethan spoke in a suspiciously neutral and subdued manner before marching out, leaving Daniela alone with her thoughts for now.

Not that she was leaping to any conclusions just yet. It was still a distinct possibility that it was the Duke himself who had somehow leaked the information about the paintings, or that one of his underlings did. Who knew just how loyal the men and women who served that mysterious merchant truly were, after all? True, Ethan had acted a little suspiciously just now, but he was the last person Daniela wanted to blame for that awful mess. He came back for her; he watched over her rest and now he was working hard to nurture her back to health, and with such delicate care that she lacked the words to describe it. He might have gone back on his kiss, but anyone could see that he truly cared about her.

No way it's Ethan's fault…

The seed of doubt remained in her mind, however, though Daniela would not let it ruin her evening. Instead, the woman chose to focus on the positive as she calmly awaited Ethan's return.

Ethan gnawed on his lower lip as he considered the implications of Daniela's words.

The three men he had found dead in Daniela's house apparently were Italian robbers who were after the Duke's paintings.

There was a connection here, one that he desperately did not want to see yet the one that was intrusively assembling itself at the back of his mind.

Shaking the odd feeling off for now, Ethan focused his attention on locating the medicine he had Laura purchase earlier. There would be a time for musings later, he told himself as he quickly found what he was looking for - a rather expensive ointment, made from a mix of rare herbs. These herbs had a proven medicinal value for humans, acting as a potent disinfectant in addition to stimulating cell growth, and even more importantly in this case - it had a far more drastic effect on the creatures of the Mold.

Therefore, just like with the powdered Green Herb that he had added to her bath earlier, so did Ethan hope to see a dramatic improvement from applying this night-miraculous mix of Red and Green Herbs to her cracked skin.

Of course, as his fingers played around with the vial, a different consideration finally visited his mind. Moving back to the bedroom, Ethan frowned once that realization struck him.

How exactly was he going to apply it? Sure, it was a straightforward enough process on paper - just squeeze out some gel and carefully rub it on Daniela's afflicted skin.

But just how could he accomplish that in a way that afforded Daniela at least a measure of privacy?

Surely he couldn't just march back in there and start fondling her naked, vulnerable body all over, could he?

Ethan nibbled on his lower lip as he considered his options for dealing with this peculiar conundrum.

There sure wasn't much on the table.

Laura had already gone ahead and went home, as she did indeed have a life beyond assisting him and Daniela with their insane bullshit.

Moving forward, for obvious reasons, Ethan couldn't just summon some local medical practitioner so that he or she would go treat Daniela in his stead.

Finally, as even slight movements pained Daniela greatly, nor could he tell her to just apply it herself.

There was little choice if he wanted to aid Daniela with her current condition. He had to do it himself, with his own two hands.

Of course, there was that primal part of him that saw absolutely nothing wrong with having his hands roaming all over her body. In fact, that aspect of Ethan was very much looking forward to it with lustful glee.

The more rational and tempered part of Ethan was quite reserved about having such unrestricted access to Daniela's body, however, especially considering his marital status and the redhead's own weakened state.

He was determined to provide relief to Daniela's ailing body, but just how he was going to go about it was important as well.

As he returned to the bedroom, medicine in hand, Ethan knew that he had to make at least some kind of a compromise in this matter, if not for Daniela's sake, than for his own mental benefit. A small bargain had to be given away; not necessarily a meaningful one.

Quickly, as not to waste time on something that had no direct impact on Daniela's health - that was his primary consideration at the moment, Ethan reached for his drawer, from which he immediately produced a pair of simple white briefs - something which he would normally not put on a girl, but for now it should do the trick in properly concealing her most private region without hindering the procedure nor inducing discomfort. He did not even consider rummaging through Mia's drawer for a more gender-appropriate set of underwear, for some reason.

Since Daniela herself was staring at him with curious eyes, Ethan had no choice but to mumble his request in a particularly sheepish tone, "Hey, do you mind if I put these on you?"

She giggled, amused at his choice of underwear for her. "Sure. I welcome anything that brings us closer together, my dearest Ethan."

It was a little awkward hearing Daniela revert to her overly flirty way already, but on another hand Ethan was immensely happy to witness her apparent mental recovery happen so quickly after their nightly ordeal. He couldn't bear to even think about the redhead returning to her suicidal moods again, and carefree joy was a solid defense against such creeping depression.

"Well, I guess you can't get much closer than this, then," he deadpanned as he carefully reached under the covers of the bed to locate her legs. Gently, as to not disturb her damaged skin, Ethan pulled the briefs all the way up her long legs and was satisfied to discover that they were not too oversized for her body. Nevertheless, that made him briskly consider that it would not do at all to dress her in his clothing, and especially not in Mia's, so he would have to go out and buy some stuff tomorrow, as Daniela's every possession outside of Romania was now in police's hands and out of his reach.

Done with her lower body, Ethan didn't think too hard about how he should protect her breasts from his manly gaze and decided that a simple way was the best, considering how some of the cracks could run around them as well, therefore he would have to access them eventually.

A small hand towel was swiftly procured, with Ethan wincing in slight awkwardness as he moved around the bed and then fidgeted under the blanket to cover Daniela's chest with it.

Clearing his throat and feeling a measure of heat creeping up to his cheeks, Ethan initiated the next stage of his amateurish treatment plan. "Do you mind if I pull the blanket now?" he inquired, unwilling to do anything that would cause surprise or distress to the bedridden woman.

"Mhm…uh-huh," Daniela mumbled in response, apparently not at all bothered by what was coming next. From the slight pink hue that appeared on her cheeks, maybe she was even looking forward to it.

Just like an ever-growing part of Ethan.

Feeling reverent as if he was some director of a famous exhibition who was about to unveil some great art before a grateful audience, Ethan took hold of the blanket covering Daniela's frame with utmost tenderness.

Slowly, almost tantalizingly so, the man pulled the cover off, revealing the beauty of her perfectly-proportionate body. He tried hard not to stare, yet Ethan was simply unable to prevent his gaze from lingering on Daniela's enchanting frame for a couple of seconds longer than was appropriate.

All too aware of his gaze roaming across her body, Daniela nibbled on her lip in mild embarrassment; her hands slowly moved to place themselves on top of the towel that was covering her breasts.

"Hideous, is it?"

Those were Daniela's words that reached his ears, yet their meaning eluded his confused mind for several moments - his brain simply struggled to associate the word hideous with what his eyes were seeing right now. A beat passed, then another and only then he finally understood what she was referring to - the spider web of faint cracks that criss-crossed her body.

Indeed, it was hardly a flattering sight, yet not even these vicious-seeming fissures all across her skin managed to siphon enough from her body for Ethan to consider it anything less than stellar. He wanted them gone, naturally, but only because they were bringing the woman herself so much discomfort, not due to any aesthetic issues.

It was honestly the same as with her forehead scar. Was it a flaw? Definitely. Was it something Ethan could not stand? Absolutely not. Therefore, much as what he did when he first saw her scar, Ethan thought of only one appropriate response to her ridiculous question.

He got down on his knees to get closer to her level and then, in a rather bold move, leaned forward and placed a single tender kiss on a particularly large fissure that was marring her forearm. The gesture was slight enough that it caused her no physical discomfort, yet strong enough that its meaning was absolutely clear.

Daniela was apparently at a loss for words, as she just stared at him with her expressive amber orbs, captivated by his unexpected antics.

"Let's get you all better, shall we?" Ethan mumbled softly as he got back up, deciding that it would probably be more efficient to proceed with order in mind, rather than randomly splotching the gel all over Daniela. Bottom to top seemed the rational way to go, or so he thought.

Moving around to stand at the foot of the bed, Ethan took a moment to regard Daniela's own lower limbs. Though they were proportional to her rather respectable height, they still conveyed a sense of delicacy so the man felt like he had to go about this business with particular tenderness.

In a way it was strange to treat a woman other than Mia in such an intimate setting, but for Ethan it was only natural to lend a hand to a person in need. Add to that the obvious mutual attraction the duo shared at this point and the end result was the almost complete lack of hesitation on Ethan's part now that he was finally at this juncture.

Doing his best to ignore any and all shaming whispers coming from the depth of his mind, Ethan focused on the task at hand.

To start, there was a large, painful-looking fissure that went all the way from the bottom of her left heel to the start of her toes. Even disregarding everything else, that singular crack would've likely caused her no shortage of discomfort and pain were she to try and stand right now, Ethan gathered.

Therefore, with careful yet confident motions, Ethan applied a respectable amount of ointment to his index and middle finger, so that he could rub it in around and on top of that pesky disfigurement.

As he started, the man did his best to avoid causing pain to her vulnerable skin, yet Daniela still let out a small wince the moment Ethan made contact with it, making the man speak a brisk but sincere apology and continuing his work with an even greater level of care.

Whether it was his efforts paying off or the ointment itself working incredibly swiftly, there were no further signs of discomfort from the redhead as Ethan concluded his work on her left sole. There were a couple of relatively minor cracks on the dorsum of her foot, as well as one that went around her ankle, but a quick application of the valuable medicinal ointment would hopefully make them a non-issue.

Apparently far from feeling the pain as Ethan repeated the procedure on her right foot - which lacked such pronounced cracks, Daniela received a measure of pleasure from Ethan's tender ministration, as murmurs of approval and contentment started escaping her mouth, becoming prominent when the man treated the cracks around the arches of her foot.

"Mhm… this feels good. Maybe I could persuade you to do a proper foot massage for me later, Ethie?" Daniela spoke sensually without even a hint of timidity that dominated her expression mere minutes ago now. She was clearly no longer doubting her own standing in Ethan's eyes, and that was all the encouragement she needed to switch to her flirty persona.

Though Ethan wanted to jokingly protest that he wasn't a masseur - even if he did provide a similar service to Mia a number of times during their marriage - his words died in his throat as Daniela immediately continued speaking after voicing her request, her tone shifting to a more husky one, making shivers of excitement run down Ethan's spine.

"I'd make it worth your while."

The man just grunted in a non-committal way, understanding that allowing his mind to wander that way would invoke nothing but lust and for now he was determined to remain professional about this whole affair…

He immediately understood how silly and untenable that notion was as he was finally finished with her feet and now was about to move his hands up her long, slender legs.

Even as he worked on areas just under her knees, it was a real struggle not to descend into that particular train of thought. He quickly realized that it helped to focus his attention entirely on the criss-crossing network of cracks and fissures, rather than on the lush expanse of delicate skin that hid just underneath it.

To his delight and chagrin alike, the pesky fractures around the upper parts of both of her legs were neither numerous nor particularly deep, allowing his gaze to properly appreciate the sheer perfection of her womanly hips. He could only be grateful that their current position precluded Daniela from witnessing his growing arousal at such a bountiful feast for his eyes and hands alike.

The guilt and the shame were quick to blossom in his chest as the realization of his troubling urges sunk in. Even setting his marriage to Mia aside - something he was unconsciously doing with increasing frequency lately - Ethan was here to ease Daniela's suffering, not to stare or grope at her body like a lustful sybarite.

Having mentally reaffirmed his purpose and resisted his primal desires, Ethan treated the few cracks around that area with particular reverence, unwilling to let his fingers roam across her flesh freely, yet perhaps it was that restraint that clued in the redhead about Ethan's current thought patterns.

"Like what you see, huh?"

The teasing tone of her playful voice almost made Ethan growl with need. The man's waning composure was not assisted by the fact that much of Daniela's skin was already almost as silky smooth as it had been before the incident. Ignoring it as well as Daniela's remark, the man proceeded with his task, once again demonstrating his notable willpower.

Blessedly, the closer he got to her groin, the thinner the network of cracks became, vanishing altogether around that particular spot, making Ethan breath a sigh of relief as he realized that he would not need to violate her most intimate of places in any way.

Moving on towards her midsection, Ethan was also pleased to see that not that many fissures demanded his attention there as well, though there were a couple rather major ones closer to her sides. Doing his best to pay as little mind as possible to the alluring smoothness of her abdomen, he dealt with the pesky cracks diligently, yet his fidgeting patient was apparently determined not to make this part of the procedure as smooth as it could've been with her surprisingly mirthful giggles that seemingly came out of nowhere.

"Ethan! That tickles!"

Smirking, the man made a mental note for future reference that it appeared that her midsection's sides were particularly ticklish. Once she was healthy again, the next time she would annoy him with her childish antics, he would know just the thing to do to retaliate.

Once he was done with her midsection, his eyes moved further up still, arriving at the area around her chest. To his scrutinizing gaze it seemed like there was almost no damage to her skin closer to her heart, so there was little to do but treat a few outliers. There was, however, a single slim line snaking straight in between her breasts, vanishing below the towel that covered them, only to appear again on the other side of it.

Ethan wetted his lips as he considered simply leaving this thin trail of damage alone for now, but Daniela must have caught his gaze as her pale palm slowly - as not to inflict pain on itself - moved from its spot atop the towel that covered her chest to lay itself on top of his own hand, only to give it a little nudge in the right direction.

The meaning behind that tender gesture was clear and Ethan was not going to go against Daniela's desires when it came to her well-being, so all he could do was nervously swallow and inch his hand closer.

"Why so shy, Ethie? You had already touched there once, remember?"

Her nonchalant remark stupefied the man for a moment, though he had no choice but to acknowledge it as factual. He remembered it well indeed, and his touch - even if it was not exactly voluntary - went beyond merely brushing against the inviting volley in between her fleshy mounds.

"Come on, Dani…" Ethan mouthed meekly, having nothing better to say. Nevertheless, he proceeded with the task at hand, if gingerly.

His fingers, soaked in reddish ointment, reached towards the start of the fissure in question.

The second Ethan's digits touched her skin so close to her bosom, a light shudder went all throughout Daniela's frame. With her face an inscrutable mask of peculiar neutrality, the redhead pulled a little on the blanket covering her chest, allowing Ethan's fingers further passage, as well as a peek at her assets.

Though they were not nearly as pronounced as those of some other women Ethan knew, they were nothing to scoff at either, especially in comparison to those of his own dear wife.

Cringing a little at that intrusive and unwelcome mental comparison, Ethan gingerly applied the gel to the start of the fissure before advancing further. Initially, he did his best to angle his hand in a way that would supposedly allow him to avoid skin contact with the tantalizing mounds themselves. However, he must've underestimated the size of her assets after all, as it proved impossible to maneuver his hand deeper into her cleavage without brushing against them.

Moreover, with the white blanket in the way and partially obstructing visibility, Ethan could not perform this 'treatment' with perfect precision. A soft gasp escaped Daniela's lips, alerting the man to the intimate nature of what he was doing right now, regardless of his intention.

If only Mia knew that he was touching another woman's breasts under their roof right now; their blissfully ignorant child sleeping in the very next room.

As his digits went a little deeper into her cleavage it became impossible to maneuver his hand without the swell of her breasts pressing on it from both sides. They were surprisingly firm while remaining soft and inviting, and that made it all the harder for the man to retain his concentration on the task at hand.

There was a drop of nervous sweat that dripped down his brow and Ethan realized that this was too much. Instead of going all the way through her cleavage with his fingers, he could've just approached it from both top and bottom, he figured out way too late, and that made him all the more embarrassed.

Suddenly filled with frenetic energy, Ethan finished this particular procedure with accelerated pace; his own heartbeat becoming prominent enough for him to sense it.

As he returned his hand to his side, Daniela appeared to be bemused at his swift retreat, though she quickly understood the reasoning for it after taking a glance at Ethan's face and the slight pink tint that intruded upon it. Her lips shifted into a cute pout first, then, two seconds later, into a teasing smirk.

Feeling rather awkward yet unfulfilled at the same time, Ethan stood up and took a step back, deciding to admire his handiwork so far as well to further investigate Daniela's peculiar condition now that he had a first-hand experience with it. Moreover, he really needed a time-out from physically interacting with the beautiful redhead.

First, he took a couple of seconds to simply mentally reset by taking a deep breath or two. Once he calmed down a little, he gazed at her body once more, but this time he did his best to focus on the unenviable condition that plagued her on this day. Effectively switching his mindset, it didn't take him long to realize that the pattern of cracks and fissures were not random or uniform, after all, and that it might have followed a certain kind of logic.

The overall picture was enough for him to make an educated guess, spurned mostly by his natural curiosity about something so unique. It seemed like the majority of fissures appeared over her limbs and sides, leaving the areas next to vital organs mostly untarnished. As it was a known fact that in a human, the blood circulation would prioritize organs over limbs in a time of need - perhaps Daniela was not that different in that regard as well, Ethan wagered.

"Seems like these cracks did not appear around the areas with the most blood flow."

It was not a particularly important observation, given that surely Daniela had no plans to freeze herself again, yet the redhead picked on it with giddy eagerness, nevertheless. She gave her own body as much of a look as she could muster considering her predicament and apparently was able to immediately pick up exactly on what Ethan meant.

"You think the warmth of my blood prevented them from forming too much on my torso?"

Ethan was a little surprised at how eager she appeared to delve into such a topic, as well as on how quickly she understood him. "I guess…" he replied while scratching the back of his head, feeling a bit silly after offering such a lackluster response. Biology was never really his forte, even if it did play an undeniably important part in his life.

"Hmm…" Daniela did not appear to be disappointed in him in the slightest, instead becoming notably chipper. "Bela would've known for sure! She loves investigating stuff like that."

Ethan could not fail to detect the hints of admiration that appeared in Daniela's tone as she recalled her elder sibling. In a way he was also glad to hear yet another affirmation that her murderous sisters were into more things than just sickles and blood, though in this particular case he couldn't help but wonder just from where Bela's apparent appreciation of biology and anatomy could stem from. He shuddered as his vivid imagination began its work. The blonde vampire's insane grin on her bloodied lips as she loomed over him with her sickle was etched into his memory, and it was doing her no favors in his mind, after all.

"Too bad she isn't here," the man offered half-heartedly, not immediately realizing that he was even somewhat genuine in his remark. In the very next second, however, his eyes widened as he comprehended the meaning behind his own statement. Not only did he grow comfortable enough around Daniela - a dangerous mutant who had no qualms about murdering humans in the most gruesome ways imaginable - but he also wasn't that opposed to the idea that her even more bloodthirsty siblings would eventually find their way here.

"Yeah…" Daniela agreed with a speck of remorse in her tone and in her case there was no duality in her response. It was obvious that she truly missed her sisters greatly.

Shuddering a little from the understandable fright of encountering these deadly witches again, Ethan decided to return to the matter at hand. That had to be enough of a break, Ethan figured before leaning forward to continue his ministrations of Daniela's damaged skin.

Nevertheless, as he treated the cracks on her slender arms, Ethan couldn't help but muse on his acceptance of the situation. Not so long ago, he was certain that he would give anything not to get roped into this biohazard business ever again, but now he wasn't even that belligerent about all that.

A couple of minutes passed, with Ethan taking his sweet time working over the expansive network of cracks all over her arms, diligently applying sufficient amount of ointment to each minor disfigurement.

Though Daniela would let out minor auditory cues in response to his touches now and then, she refrained from speaking further, as did Ethan himself. Curious about the sudden silence that settled over them, he spied a peek at Daniela's face.

She was relaxed, with her expressive eyes half-closed and a small smile playing on her full lips. Though she was looking forward and not at him, it did not take long for her to seemingly feel his gaze on her, as she soon inched her head in his direction, their eyes connecting. There was gratitude in them, as well as affection and Ethan immediately felt a peculiar buzz in his chest that effectively acted as an unspoken affirmation of his pledge to shelter and protect this strange woman - despite her monstrous deeds.

That, likely unhealthy, desire burned bright in his chest and he realized that he did not care in the slightest if she was seen as a monster in the eyes of the rest of the world or not.

These men she had murdered earlier had it coming by preying on who had probably seemed to them a lone and defenseless woman - Ethan wasn't about to shed any tears for such scum. As long as Daniela did not go out of her way to harm innocent people, Ethan knew that he would remain at her side in her quest to adapt to this unforgiving world. With that in mind, he continued with his treatment of her damaged body.

It took around ten minutes for Ethan to finish applying the ointment to the numerous cracks on her arms, with Daniela herself providing all the feedback he needed - she'd wince when he was being too rough or giggle when he poked around a ticklish spot or just hum as his fingers traced unnecessary patterns across her undamaged skin.

What remained unspoken yet was obvious to both of them was the fact that this whole process brought no shortage of solace to Ethan and Daniela alike. The comfort of a fellow living being sharing their warmth with her, in her most desperate hour, was a heartening experience for Daniela like no other. She knew it was a silly thought, but she almost felt like Ethan's loving attention was as curative to her as that silky smooth ointment he was applying all over her weary body.

In turn, Ethan found a strange kind of fulfillment in aiding a person in need. To him, it was akin to returning the favor for her unexpected kindness in Castle Dimitrescu that led to his salvation. But it was also more than a mere act of reciprocity. Far more.

Unbeknownst to them, the bonds that tied them grew in strength exponentially over this hour of physical and emotional connection. It was in this session of healing in which both Ethan's and Daniela's attraction to one another moved to another level. The future in which the other was not present became unthinkable to them. As Ethan gingerly tended to the rather small fissure that went along Daniela's graceful neck, he understood that there was no way back now. He had made his choices, and now he had to live with their consequences.

Once he was done with her limbs and her front, Ethan felt comfortable enough with the notion of helping Daniela turn around so he could get a look at her back. She had no issues with that, so Ethan was free to admire her gorgeous bared dorsum while applying generous portions of ointment to several cracks that marred its perfection. That part of the treatment proceeded smoothly and swiftly and soon Daniela was helped to rotate around again, only for her grateful eyes to gaze at him with undisguised affection - and he was only too happy to reciprocate in kind.

Seemingly finished with his improvised healing session, Ethan stood up to admire his work. The reddish-white ointment absorbed into skin only minutes after application, which was not that unusual, but its actual effects on her body was something else entirely.

Daniela might not have been restored to full health just yet, but the curative powers of the herb-derived medicine could not be denied. Inspecting her legs and feet once again, Ethan could easily tell that the fractures there had already started to shrink in size, with the skin around them losing the unhealthy-looking blackish tint it possessed before the procedure.

It was not unfathomable to presume that tomorrow she would be as good as new if this rate of progress would persevere throughout the night and Ethan couldn't be happier. Though it was often he would think of the Mold in a purely negative light, he could not deny the benefit that came from the accelerated healing it granted - and it was something that Daniela seemingly shared with him as well, though her own regenerative prowess was clearly on a notably slower side in comparison to his own freaky regeneration.

Suddenly, a rather dramatic yawn broke the perfect tranquility of this moment, making Ethan let out a chuckle in response.

Somewhat embarrassed, Daniela attempted to cover her mouth with her palm, "Ugh… all I do today is sleep and yet I am still tired! Can you believe it?"

"Of course. That's perfectly normal." Normal being a peculiar word to describe either of them notwithstanding, Ethan could totally share in her feeling. Periods of rapid regeneration were always accompanied by exhaustion in his case, with only the adrenaline of a fight having kept him awake during his bloody foray into Baker's estate or Miranda's volley. Human or not, the body used all the energy it could get to repair itself, leaving little left for actual daytime activities.

She yawned again, more at ease this time. "Hmm, then I'll just nap a little more if that's alright with you, Ethie…"

The clock on his wrist informed him that it was already past ten in the evening, so Ethan certainly had no objections.

"You do that, Dani," Ethan responded with softness in his voice, before standing up and gently covering her pale frame with the blanket. It felt like no sooner than he did so, she was already fast asleep - a very light snoring giving her state away.

Knowing that his own dreams were anything but peaceful during the times when his body was hurting, Ethan wished for Daniela's rest not to devolve into a ceaseless barrage of nightmares.

Though common sense dictated that he was done here and that he should be on his way to vacate the bedroom, Ethan found himself unable to do so right away - instead, the man leaned over the redhead once again, only to plant a soft kiss on her silky-smooth cheek.

It was an act that he did not put much thought into - something done reflexively - and that started to worry the man a little as soon as he comprehended it. Still, it looked to him that the corners of Daniela's mouth curled into a tiny smile, so he naturally did not feel too bad about that unsolicited little kiss as he finally vacated the bedroom and wondered about what he should do next.

Surprisingly, Ethan was not feeling particularly tired himself despite not catching that many hours of sleep either today or yesterday. Not yet willing to retire to bed, but with nobody else to spend time with, as Daniela and Rose were already sleeping and Laura having returned home, Ethan decided to simply tidy the house up a bit.

Of course, as he occupied himself with such innocuous activity, it was inevitable that the dark train of thought from earlier would return to the terminus of his mind.

Just how did these Italian-speaking thugs learn about the expensive paintings located in Daniela's residence?

As far as he knew, other than the Duke and his underlings, only Daniela and himself were aware of the valuable works of art that were stored in that bloodsoaked house.

He had no idea about just what kind of people worked for the Duke nowadays, so it was not unfathomable to imagine that one of them decided to betray him like this, yet…

Somehow, on a subconscious level perhaps, he was not satisfied with that simple and straightforward explanation. Something bothered him, so Ethan dug a little deeper, even as he cleaned some dust around the house with a simple wet rag.

Surely Daniela was not running her mouth around, not the least reason for why lay in the fact that she had nobody to run her mouth to. Other than him, the only person who had entered the Duke's house in the last two weeks was Laura, but Ethan was pretty sure that the babysitter had never seen these paintings, else she'd be running her own talkative mouth about them to him first thing.

It was strange, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he was looking in an entirely wrong direction about the identity of the culprit behind that potential leak of information that turned so very perilous.

Then it hit, so suddenly that he dropped the rag he was using to clean the table in the living room.

A sinking feeling that twisted his guts in a way that almost made him vomit right then and there.

Filled with that dark inspiration, Ethan forgot all about cleaning as he hurriedly grabbed his phone, then furiously worked to navigate its interface until he arrived at a specific conversation in the messenger app.

The conversation with his good friend and coworker Antonio, in which he shared a couple of photos of artworks that he took in Daniela's house. Antonio had asked him to send them over after he saw them on Ethan's own phone and the blonde man found no reason not to oblige. It seemed so harmless back then, yet now Ethan couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat that was starting to bead on his forehead.

His first instinct was to immediately dial the man and to confront him about his role in the incident, regardless of the absence of any hard evidence that pointed his way.

Suppressing it with some effort, Ethan simply froze at the spot as his mind struggled to process the many conflicting thoughts and emotions that were rampaging through his head.

It was another grim revelation that spurred him into further action as he carefully inspected the photos of the artworks that were saved on his phone. Scrolling through the image file's metadata, Ethan felt a creeping sense of dismay and confusion settling in.

He could not understand how it could be so, even as he stared at EXIF data that so treacherously and shamelessly revealed a dreaded set of GPS coordinates. He did not truly need to check them out to know the exact location they pointed towards, yet he still did, believing to the end that this was all just some terrible mistake.

After all, Ethan distinctly remembered disabling any and all location services in his phone immediately after buying it.

"What the fuck…"

Yet there it was, the proof of his negligence - GPS coordinates that pointed straight towards Daniela's residence, encoded into a photo that he so carelessly shared with who he thought was his friend, when in truth all he had known about Antonio's past was that the man had some kind of a shady history in Italy.

Italian 'friend' with a shady past. Italian-speaking robbers. A carelessly shared photo.

It all clicked together.

Fucking mafia!?

Though Ethan was still in the dark about most details surrounding this awful incident, somehow he had no doubts in his mind about just what exactly set it in motion.

Discarding the phone in dismay, Ethan felt impotent fury filling up his innards as his fists clenched in their understandable desire to punish everyone involved, including himself and his so-called friend.

"What the fuck!" Ethan all but yelled, momentarily unconcerned about potentially waking up any of the other occupants of the house that were sleeping peacefully. The rage within could not be contained, causing the man to smash his fist against the nearby wall.

The masonry was unimpressed with his efforts, rewarding him with naught but pain, but Ethan couldn't care less about any of that. All he wanted in that moment was to get to the bottom of this fucking mess, to understand why any of these awful things occurred and to make sure none of them would happen ever again.

With that in mind, he did not hesitate in grabbing his phone once again, marching outside the house and dialing Antonio himself.

Ethan wasn't sure what exactly he was going to say, or whether it was wise calling that treacherous man on the phone instead of barging into his flat, but he didn't get the chance to find out.

"El número que ha marcado se encuentra fuera de servicio." The clinical female voice of an automated message, followed by an uncompromising dial tone, did little beyond causing yet more distress to Ethan.

Not in service? What the fuck?

That was enough to dispel the remains of Ethan's doubts about Antonio's culpability. It was one thing to have your number unavailable, but to have it out of service was beyond suspicious, considering the circumstances.

"Jesus fucking Christ. Fucking Antonio!" Ethan stomped on the pavement, struggling to comprehend just why his life had to be such a fucking mess in its every goddamn aspect. Wasn't it enough that he was a moldy freak who survived not one but two deadly confrontations with insane groups of monsters. Wasn't it enough that he was now taking care of a murderous vampiric bug-girl? He also had to befriend some Italian mafiosi, didn't he? Of course he fucking did.

"Nothing is ever fucking easy, is it?" Ethan mumbled scornfully, before returning home and just barely being able to resist the impulse to slam the door shut with as much force as he could muster.

He had so many questions and there was seemingly nobody who could provide answers. Even if he were to go to his work tomorrow, something told him that he would not be running into Antonio there.

Ethan felt trapped and isolated, with seemingly nobody to rely on. The problems he faced started to seem insurmountable without outside help, yet was there anyone he could trust? Certainly not anyone in the government or even the local police. Could he truly entrust Daniela's safety to Chris, or even to Mia?

Though there was nobody but him on this floor in his house, the air started to grow thick with the palpable taint of mistrust and paranoia. The gloomy sensation of hopelessness and then despair were next to settle in.

The last 48 hours were a true roller-coaster that left the man depleted, both physically and mentally.

In a rather abrupt turn, Ethan suddenly felt weary to the point of collapsing straight on the floor. Confronted with problems too numerous and complex to solve, his brain simply shut down all higher functions. Trying to think of what he should do next and coming with a blank, Ethan stumbled towards the living room's couch with a zombie-like gait.

As he collapsed on the couch without bothering to turn off the lights, the accumulated exhaustion pressed down on him with the weight of an ocean, drowning him in darkness.

Ethan was out in an instant, his unruly mind mercifully too tired to even conjure some more nightmares to haunt his dreamscapes. Still, there was a peculiar ember of hope that not even the most crushing of slumbers could stifle. That strange - unreasonable even - belief that tomorrow would be better than today allowed the man to rest easy. The tender experience he had shared with Daniela earlier resurfaced in the deepest recesses of his slumbering mind, keeping the gloom away and filling him with solace instead.

A small smile that played on his lips would certainly confuse any theoretical observer, considering the fraught state the man had been in just before collapsing on the couch.

Where there is hope, there is way.

Author's Note:

I apologize for the extremely late update - there was a number of factors that contributed to the delay, not the least of which is my own struggle with this story and my indecision of where I want it to go. Admittedly, my other works were a little easier to write because from the start I had at least a general idea of how the plot will advance and what will happen eventually. This story is a bit different in that its honestly was more of a free-style that originally was intended to be very straightforward and lighthearted. Now, while I have the general gist of how I want the story to advance, I am still at a loss with how certain characters should make their appearance and what kind of influence should they have.

That said, the relationship between Ethan and Daniela will develop rapidly after this point. One thing I am certain about is that the moldy duo gonna take it to a more physical level soon enough - expect a moderately steamy scene in a couple of chapters. Anyway, thanks for reading! As always, any comments are very welcome and I wish all of you only the best!