After three hours of driving, the two arrive at Marie's family's home. Marie had shown Hellboy Polaroid pictures of the house, but seeing it in person was another thing.
Marie had told Hellboy about the house's history. It was built during America's Gilded Age and was home to a prominent family before they moved to the city after World War One. It went through several owners before Alastor Darkh bought it after marrying Marie's mother, Claudia. So they could raise a family.
The three-story house is a waterfront property with a forest. It sits on a few dozen acres of land and includes a small farm, a basement, a garden, and a view of the Adirondack Mountains nearby. In architecture, it resembles the Hatley Castle in Canada.
The black SUV parked under the covered porte-cochère of the grand home. Barely a second after exiting the car, Hellboy and Marie were greeted by her niece and nephew running out of the house with smiles.
"Aunt Marie!" The boy and girl happily exclaimed.
Marie gets on one knee and opens her arms for the children, "Joey! Arty! Liddy!"
The boy and girl throw themselves into their aunt's arms, nearly knocking her to the ground. Marie hugs her niece and nephew tightly before letting them go. Joseph is eight years old and was born on September 18th, 1995. Thomas is six and a half years old. He was born on July 9th, 1998, and adopted when he was a few months old. Their sister is five years old. She was born on August 2, 1999.
"I've missed you guys so much," Marie smiled.
"We missed you too, Aunt Marie," Joesph, Thomas, and Lydia told her in unison.
"Aunt Marie, can you read me Gargoyles Don't Drive School Buses tonight for my bedtime story?" Lydia asked.
"Of course," Marie happily replied.
"Tommy and I finished the two books you got us for Christmas," Joesph proudly informed his aunt.
"Already?"
"Yeah. We couldn't stop reading it. It was so cool. Could you get us Welcome to Camp Nightmare for next Christmas?" Thomas asked.
"If you're good," Marie responded.
Hellboy smiled at the touching moment between Marie and her nephews. The woman was great with children. Despite her tough exterior and choice of rock-style clothing, Marie was kind and caring. The half-demon man was so engrossed by his girlfriend that he failed to notice Marie's niece standing before him.
"Are you my aunt's boyfriend?"
Hellboy looks down at the little girl, clutching her textilе angel rag doll. The half-demon man is shocked that the child before him is not scared of his appearance. Since Hellboy has minimal experience with children, he is unsure how to interact with the girl, but he will try his best.
"Uh... yes, I'm her boyfriend. My name's Hellboy," The half-demon man responded.
"I'm Lydia," The little girl points to Helboy's right hand. "Why is your hand made out of stone?"
"So, I can beat up bad guys real bad."
"Cool," Lydia smiled.
Without hesitation, the little girl reaches and touches Hellboy's stone hand. Lydia looks at the hand with the type of fascination only a kid would have. Most people, even children, would look at the half-demon man and run away in fear. But she wasn't scared of Hellboy.
"Lydia. Thomas. Joesph. Don't overwhelm your aunt's friend. You might scare him off before we have a chance to meet him."
An authoritative but kind voice caught everyone's attention, and they looked at the front door to see the rest of the family coming out. The man leading the others is Alastor Darkh, Marie's father. Behind him is his wife Elizabeth, daughter Norah, and son-in-law Daniel.
The half-demon man nervously swallows. He was about to meet the father of the woman he loved. The man who could forbid him from ever seeing Marie again. Marie, standing beside Hellboy, notices his nervousness. The woman lovingly looks at the half-demon man before holding his hand to give him a boost of confidence.
"Ma petite," Alastor said as he wrapped his arms around his daughter, who returned the hug. The man tenderly kissed her cheek before ending the hug. "We're so happy to see you. How was your trip?"
"Peaceful," Marie replied. "I always enjoy watching the scenery change from the city to the country."
"Me too."
The father and daughter briefly hugged again before Alastor turned his attention to Hellboy. The nervousness returned in the half-demon man when he made eye contact with Alastor.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Hellboy. My daughter told us so much about you," Alastor extends his hand and shakes hands with Hellboy. The half-demon man keeps a firm grip during the handshake. Marie had told him that her father believed a limp handshake was for weak men.
"And don't worry, it was all good," Elizabeth added as she stood beside her husband before shaking hands with Hellboy. "I'm Elizabeth. Marie's stepmother. This is Marie's sister Nora and her husband Daniel."
As they were introduced to Hellboy, Nora and Daniel took turns to shake hands with the half-demon man.
"And you've already met the gremlins: Joseph, Thomas, and Lydia," Marie said as she gestured to the three children at their parents' side.
"Come on, you two take your bags up to your rooms to rest before dinner," Elizabeth told Hellboy and Marie.
The pair grabbed their duffle bags and followed the Darkh family inside their home. Hellboy was taken aback by the exquisite interior features of the mansion: oak and rosewood paneled rooms, a baronial fireplace, teak floors, and specially made lighting fixtures. The more Hellboy saw the house, the more impressed he was with it, considering where he lived.
The kids stayed close to Marie as everyone walked up the stairs. They asked her several questions about what happened between Christmas and now. The kids mostly asked about what missions Marie went on and what monsters she fought. And their aunt answered them to the best of her ability.
"Alright, kids. That's enough. Aunt Marie just got here, and you have the entire weekend to ask her questions," Nora told her children. "So, let's give her some time to rest after a long trip. Ok?"
"Ok," Thomas, Joseph, and Lydia answered.
"Thank you," Marie mouthed. Nora gives her sister a smile in response.
When the group reached the upstairs, the kids left Marie to be with their parents. After walking down the hallway, Elisabeth opened the door to a bedroom, and Hellboy could instantly tell this was Marie's old room. The bedroom was similar to her room at the B.P.R.D. and the old one at the church. But the difference was the rock band posters scattered throughout the walls, with one on the ceiling above the bed. It was a KISS poster.
"Home sweet home," Marie said, entering her room and placing the bag on the bed.
"It always feels like a step back in time when you walk into this room," Nora quipped as she and her children entered Marie's room.
"Now let's get you to your room, Hellboy," Elizabeth said.
"What?"
"Your room. It's just a few doors down."
Hellboy looked at Elizabeth like a deer caught in headlights. The half-demon man was under the assumption that he and his girlfriend would be sleeping in the same room. As she witnesses the scene, Marie realizes she forgot to mention the details about the sleeping arrangements to Hellboy. And her sleeping arrangement with Hellboy at the B.P.R.D. to her parents.
"Yes, your room. You didn't expect to be sleeping in the same bed with my daughter while unmarried, did you?" Alastor questioned with a raised brow.
"Oh, no. Sorry, I, uh, thought your wife said something else. I've had a little trouble w-with my hearing since Marie and I dealt with a Wendigo not too long ago," Hellboy lied, stuttering. "And when we fought this thing, it wouldn't stop screaming in my ears. I'm-m sorry."
"Alastor, don't scare the poor boy. I'm sure he's already on edge," Elizabeth playfully scolded her husband. "Please forgive him, Hellboy. I'm afraid having two daughters has made my husband overprotective."
"It's fine."
"Good," Alastor sternly said.
Hellboy could already tell he was on thin ice with Alastor. So he decided it was best to watch where he stepped, or Alastor would kick him out. The half-demon man wished his father was still alive so he could ask him for advice.
Elizabeth and Alastor led Hellboy down the hall to his room while Nora, Daniel, and the kids stayed behind with Marie in the room. The kids climbed into their aunt's bed and began jumping. But the parents ended the trio's jumping. Daniel took Joesph, Thomas, and Lydia out of the room, leaving Nora alone with her sister.
Marie sat on the alcove in her room, looking at the garden through the window, and started thinking of memories from her youth. Good and bad. She remembered the years in near seclusion spent in the house when her powers first manifested. Near seclusion meant Marie was alone in the house most of the time, but teachers and Professor Broom would visit. The teachers would be priests or nuns who Alastor knew and hired to help his daughter continue her education without fear of the Ghost Rider taking control. But Broom didn't have to worry about Zarathos harming him since they knew each other. During his visits, Broom would help navigate Marie through what she was going through to the best of his abilities. As for her family, Marie rarely allowed them to visit her because she was scared they would get hurt by her.
Nora noticed her sister was in a trace as she looked outside. The woman could tell something was weighing on Marie's mind. The younger sister walked over and sat beside the elder.
"You ok?" Nora inquired.
"Yeah," Marie responded, sighing. "I'm just hoping this weekend turns out well. I mean, I want everything to not be up shit's creek without a paddle. I'm scared Daddy's not going to like Hellboy."
"You're going through the same thing I did when I brought Danny home to meet Mom and Dad," Nora said, sympathizing with Marie. "You must really like Hellboy if you're this panicky."
"I do," She confessed. "Don't tell anyone this. Last year, when we were dealing with Rasputin, Hellboy was going to end the world for me."
"What?"
"Rasputin figured out how to remove Zarathos from me. And without her, I would die. The dickhead told Hellboy that if he brought the apocalypse, Zarathos and I would be reunited," Marie explained. "And the crazy son of a bitch agreed to do it."
"Aside from almost destroying the world, that's pretty romantic," Nora commented.
"Yeah," Marie agreed, softly smiling. "After we defeated Rasputin, Hellboy said my life was worth the world. At first, we hated each other. I thought he was an overgrown, pain-in-the-ass manchild. He still is one, but he's sorta grown on me."
"Do you think you'll marry him?" She asked.
"Maybe. It would be nice to have someone to spend eternity with."
Nora remembered when she worried her sister would be alone. But she wasn't the only one. Since learning of Marie's long life span, her family worries about who will be there for her when they are gone. It was a scary thought.
"Well, if Hellboy does propose, he'll be lucky to have you. Do you think he'll ask you to marry him this weekend?" Nora asked Marie.
"Nora, we've only been dating a few months," She responded. "I doubt Hellboy is thinking about marriage."
"You'd be surprised. Dad and your mom got engaged six months after dating and married six months later. Dad and my mom got engaged after a year and married five months later. Danny and I got engaged after almost a year and married seven months later. Sometimes, when you find the right person, it doesn't take long before you hear wedding bells," Nora stated.
Marie lets Nora's words sink in. Hellboy was unlike any man she met before, human or monster. Marie had given up hope of finding that special someone, but then she met Hellboy.