Vampire Heart 34

---

Scroll 35: The Clean-up
Dean stared at his wife who had said nothing the entire breakfast. “Honey, if you want to make things right, just go apologize to Naoko.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to start looking for them,” Nora sighed. Truthfully she had felt horrible when she calmed down after her and Naoko’s fight. She was rather quick to anger when the welfare of her children was at risk, though—like any mother is.
“Duh, the expert of vampires,” Yoshi said as if it were common sense.
“Yeah, Grandma Bonnie knows everything. And she might know where Naoko and Vicente got to,” Rakela added.
“That superstitious woman…” Nora shook her head.
“Might not be as superstitious as we initially thought,” Dean pointed out.
“You don’t think I was hard on her?” Nora asked.
Dean looked thoughtful for a moment. He replayed the night his oldest daughter left home with a man she barely knew who claimed to be a vampire. Finally, after a few moments of utter silence, Dean shook his head. “No, you and Naoko are both stubborn and were angry. You both said and did some things you’d regret, and did so without thinking.”
“Yeah mom,” Yoshi agreed.
“Dad’s right. Go talk to her. Maybe you’ll see what we all see?” Rakela said confidently.
"Vampire Proofing..." Naoko muttered as she skimmed through a book. "Is it like child proofing?"
Vicente looked thoughtful for a moment, "I guess, kids that feed on humans' blood."
"That doesn't gross you out?" Nora asked Naoko.
"No, I've seen Vicente feed," Naoko replied. "It's nature."
"By the way, I told the school that you're being home schooled and I'm waiting for your schedule to be approved," Nora explained.
"Thanks, mom," Naoko replied.
"How much did that blade hurt?" Nora asked.
"It's nothing. I was in protect mode. I only felt the poison. I didn't feel the stab wound until after I returned to normal," Vicente replied.
"I see we missed some fun..." Claude muttered as he stepped through the door.
"Just an evil vamp," Vicente replied.
"We should really clean up the glass. And I had a feeling that buying windows was a good idea."
"Apparently," Vicente shrugged.
Dameon entered the house just before Jaden. They both glanced over at the glass and turned to Vicente. Jaden spoke fist, "Sorry we weren't here for the fun."
"I never needed either of you. You just wanted to help," Vicente shrugged.
"We missed you, too," Dameon replied sarcastically.
"Got another scar?" Jaden asked.
"Most likely," Vicente replied. "Rapist, Jaden, clean up the glass. I don't know how any of us would react if Naoko or Nora were cut."
"Alright," Jaden replied as he entered the kitchen.
"R-rapist?" Nora stammered.
"Not really," Naoko replied. "He's an incubus."
"Oh..." Nora stared at Vicente in confusion.
"I do have a name," Dameon hissed before he walked into the kitchen.
"If it makes you feel better, I'll give everybody else a nickname too..." Vicente offered.
"You do have a sharp tongue," Nora muttered.
Vicente grinned sheepishly, "That's just to counteract the raw sex appeal."
Naoko mussed his hair and sighed, "You are one of a kind."
"I'm your kind," Vicente replied coyly.
Naoko kissed his forehead gently, "You're only saying that because you're my pet."
"I thought you wanted to vampire proof the house?" Nora asked.
Vicente snapped his fingers, "that's what we needed to research. Thank you," Vicente said before he hurried into the kitchen.
"Is he one of them narcissistic good looking boys?" Nora asked.
"No," Naoko shook her head. "He just knows that almost every girl tells him that he's attractive. Oh, and he was changed into a vampire for his good looks. That probably has more to do with the conceited remarks."
"He certainly wasn't turned for his manners," Nora hissed.
Naoko laughed, "He's only polite when it comes to me. And Rakela and Yoshi. Sometimes Claude and Jaden. Never Dameon."
"Rakela and Yoshi miss you. So does your father," Nora whispered.
"I miss them too, but visiting would put everybody in peril," Naoko muttered.
"Claude might have one idea," Vicente said as he reentered the room.
"A clove of garlic, some holy items, sunlight and silver?" Nora guessed.
Vicente held up his wrist, revealing the black cloth that allows him to be present in sunlight, "I can stand the day, if you hadn't noticed. Garlic is one of my favorite spices, My jewelry is all silver and I am Christian," Vicente said simply.
"You're a Christian?" Nora asked.
"I hold their moral values to an extent. I don't think I have a soul any longer since the whole vampire thing set in, but I figure that morals do everybody good," Vicente shrugged.
"Back onto Claude's theory?" Naoko asked.
Vicente blushed, "Right. He thinks that vinegar will work. It's not an actual vampire bane, but gah..." Vicente shuddered, "It reeks." He instinctively pinched his nose shut.
"Enhanced senses have a downfall?" Naoko asked.
Vicente nodded, "Especially in public. I can smell everything on everybody."
"Ew..." Naoko and Nora chorused.
"You haven't the slightest..." Vicente replied, shuddering.
Jaden entered the room with a pail and began cleaning up the glass with his bare hands. "You could help..." Jaden muttered up to Vicente.
"I killed the vamp. I did my part. Along with that came a very painful poison with no smell," Vicente replied.
"At least help me take out the broken window, "Dameon muttered."
"I don't need your help lifting it," Vicente replied.
"Claude told me to simply take out the pegs for you, then replace the pegs when you set the new window into place," Dameon replied.
"Alright," Vicente stood and stretched before cracking his knuckles and proceeding outside. Vicente waited patiently as Dameon removed the fastens and removed the window with ease. He quickly placed the other window in the opening and held it steady for Dameon who was replacing the fastens.
Claude entered the room with a broom and dust pan. He carefully swept the remains of the latest vampire assailant and dumped them into the pail. He turned and glimpsed at the knife that was on the coffee table. "That's the knife?"
Naoko nodded, "Vicente and I think it was poisoned."
"Poisoned would be an improvement," Claude replied. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the knife, "That knife was cursed."

---

Vampire Heart 36