When Lili returned home after her 12 hour night shift, she set her stuff down and headed straight to the bathroom to thoroughly wash off any hospital germs she may have brought home. On the way to her own room, she passed Ludwig's. The door was shut, so she assumed he was still asleep; It was only about 7:30 in the morning.

She closed her bedroom door and pushed "shuffle" on her Spotify playlist. "Outta My Head" by Khalid and John Mayer happened to play. She threw off her dirty scrubs and took a nice hot shower--just what she needed to wind down after a long night at work. After getting nice and clean, she headed to the kitchen to fix herself something to eat.  

Out of the blue, she heard a scream come from upstairs. Fearing there was an attacker, she grabbed a knife from the kitchen and a small can of pepper spray from her purse. Heart pounding in her ears, she dashed up the stairs and forced Ludwig's bedroom door open. 

There was no intruder, and the room showed no signs of a struggle. But Ludwig kept screaming and crying for no apparent reason. A few stray strands of blue hair clinged to his forehead, moist with sweat. He kept on wailing as if she wasn't even there. It was a loud, heart-wrenching cry. 

She stood there helplessly, frozen with fear, concern and confusion. She'd never seen a grown man cry so much and perhaps that's why it was so disturbing. She had no idea what he was crying for or about. 

She tried to place a comforting hand on his shoulder and ask him what was wrong, but he viciously swiped at her. Luckily, she'd dodged in the nick of time. She'd have those sharp nails of his cut later. 

After she touched him, he seemed to look at her with recognition but he didn't say anything to her. He felt like he couldn't even breathe, much less talk. As he heaved and heaved and coughed through his tears, she coaxed, "Breathe, j-just breathe." 

She didn't know what to do. She'd never dealt with anything like this before. And it seemed as if he couldn't even tell her what was wrong. Much like...an infant. And Lili knew infants. She'd never tried to soothe an adult with such methods, but it couldn't hurt to try. 

"What happened in here?" Roy asked, appearing out of thin air.

"Where exactly have you been?" Lili demanded. 

"I've been out! I have a life too, you know. I don't just stay inside all the time." 

"Oh...um...right. Make yourself useful and go downstairs and make your brother a cup of hot cocoa. Use the almond milk, your brother's sensitive." Lili ordered. They'd managed to deduce that it was the dairy that upset his stomach and got him an official lactose intolerance diagnosis from a GP to confirm their findings. 

"Hey, Ludwig, it's okay, everything's fine." She whispered calmly as she sat down on the edge of his bed. He was still hyperventilating and crying but his anguish seemed less intense now that she was there. In an act of courage (or perhaps stupidity), she pulled him closer to her so that he could rest his head on her chest, as she would've done if he was a distressed baby. He didn't fight it. He didn't bother. This situation was already absolutely humiliating as it was, he doubted it could get any worse. 

Now that she was so close, she realized his body was shaking like a leaf. She ran her hand through his blue hair, despite it being sweaty and a tad bit gross. She rocked him ever so gently in silence. Gradually, his breathing slowed to normal levels and his trembling decreased in intensity. Practically against his will, he found comfort and peace in this position. He deeply inhaled her smell: a mix of her own natural scent and the odor of her lavender vanilla body wash. He purred softly, a method he'd picked up of self-soothing. 

"M'kay, I got the hot chocolate..."

At the sound of Roy's gentle voice, Ludwig quickly popped off of Lili and moved to the other edge of the bed. 

"...sorry it took so long. I kinda forgot how to use the microwave for a hot second and you never specified how much you wanted me to make, etcetera etcetera. Careful, it's hot. " He rambled, handing his brother the warm mug. 

He inhaled the warm aroma of the steamy, rich chocolate and the sweet marshmallows. Despite the warning, he hungrily took a quick sip. The hot drink warmed his insides and slowly snapped him back to reality. The wet feeling on his skin, the excruciating pain in his lungs, and the rancid stench burning in his nostrils were soon replaced by the smells, sights and sensation of the present. The safe present. Ludwig took a long sip of the hot chocolate. 

"What...happened?" Lili asked. 

"I-I...uh….I don't know. Just a little nightmare, I guess." He replied, his voice wavering slightly. 

Just a little nightmare, he says, Lili thought. Most people didn't wake up from their nightmares crying and screaming. It seemed very serious and frightening. She wanted to ask him about it. He could've been remembering his attack, how he'd ended up there in the first place. Although it seemed traumatic, she didn't want him to end up forgetting the attack forever. He needed to tell her what happened, whether it was some sort of accident or an attempted homicide, so that some sort of legal action could possibly be taken. Though it was obvious that he didn't want to.

She wandered over to the window and pushed the white curtains aside. "Hey, I know you probably don't wanna go back to sleep now so...how about we take a walk around the neighborhood? It's a beautiful sunny day." 

Ludwig wiped his sweaty forehead with his forearm. "Didn't you just get back from work?" 

"Yeah, what about it?" 

"I guess...nothing." He replied. 

They didn't bother wasting time changing out of their pajamas. Lili made herself a cup of cocoa and refilled Ludwig's per his request. They then put on their jackets and shoes and left the house. 

Lili's house was on the corner of the street, so they decided to walk across to the other side where Donkey Common park was located. 

"Why is this place called Donkey Common?" Ludwig asked judgmentally as they walked through the park. 

"I...have no idea." She replied truthfully. "But I promise there's no donkeys here...if you're afraid of them or something."

He gave her a questioning look but didn't respond. They passed the skate park and a large building practically made of glass. There were old, stone table tennis tables in the park as well. They passed through the park and walked across the street to another park that Lili called Parker's Piece. This park was much bigger and more open than Donkey Common. They walked along a red stone path until it converged with another. At the convergence, there were 3 large marble pillars, one of them having football engraved on it in different languages. 

They continued on the path until there was only one way. There was not much use in continuing from there, so Lili picked out a nice spot in the grass for them to sit down and drink their hot chocolate. As an extrovert, she felt like she needed to say something to him. To comfort him or coax him into telling her what happened. But she couldn't find the words and she thought it better to say nothing than say something mediocre or possibly triggering. 

After he guzzled down the last of his hot chocolate, Ludwig laid down in the warm grass, the sun beaming down on him. 

"Feelin' better?" Lili asked. 

"Yeah...I guess…" Ludwig yawned. 

"What happened back there?" She questioned. 

"I told you, it was just a little nightmare."

"I know what you told me. It just didn't seem like just a little nightmare."

"Well, that's what it was. It was no big deal so just don't worry about it--"

"But it was a big deal. I'm sorry, it's probably not my place to tell you what you should do and how you should live, but this is serious. You know, when I found you like that, I was really, really, really, scared. First, I thought there was an intruder and I thought they were killing you but then I found you like that and….I'd never seen you do anything like that before...have you ever done anything like that before?" 

"No. At least, not that I remember." He replied. Although it wasn't like it just happened out of nowhere. In the days prior, he'd been having...visions. Flashbacks, the articles on the internet called them. Though they were never as vivid nor as intense as the nightmare. They seemed to just come without cause or warning. He'd get all uncontrollably shaky and unable to articulate what was happening or what he was feeling. He was thankful Lili had never been around to see him being so pathetic during those times. The worst part was he couldn't even remember what he had been remembering. It frustrated him intensely. So much so, the staff at the School picked up on the fact that he was more angry, vicious and irritable during exercise sessions. 

"Have you considered going to therapy? I know it's not my place to tell you what to do but it just might help. Talking to a professional about how you feel can help you feel better." Lili suggested. 

"Why should I talk to a stranger about my problems and secrets? You can't trust anyone around here these days, Lilium. Not even the police." 

"But you can trust me...can't you?" Lili asked. 

"Yes." He lied.

"Well then you'd know I wouldn't be suggesting this if I didn't think it was the right thing to do." 

"It's easy for you to suggest something. You're not the one who has to go somewhere to lay all their business on the line just to be judged and shamed by someone who doesn't understand and could never hope to. It would just be a waste of time. You can't fix something that isn't broken."

"I get it, but while you're living in my house it isn't just about you! I don't want to be awoken by screaming and crying! I almost had a heart attack back there! Your nightmares don't just affect you, they affect everyone. And even so, don't you want to get better? I'm willing to support you but I don't…I don't want to have to see you like that anymore." Lili replied. 

"...I don't have time for this. You don't understand." He grumbled as he moved to stand up.

She grabbed his arm. "Then help me understand! Tell me what's wr--"

He pushed her off. Not too hard for there were witnesses around, but hard enough to knock her off her feet with an oof. He walked off angrily, taking the route from which they'd come. 

Lili groaned in anger and frustration. Why couldn't he see she was just trying to help him? She was trying not to lose her cool, but Ludwig wasn't making it any easier. She thought he might get lost on the way back, but they hadn't gone far and Roy would be back at the house to let him in. She stood back to her feet and brushed herself off. She picked up the mug Ludwig left behind and headed for home. 

She was just grateful she'd avoided getting scratched again. 

                                                  *****

Back at the house, the slight tension between Lili and Ludwig remained. She didn't really want to talk to anyone, so she took a nap in the privacy of her room. 

After she awoke, Roy tried to ask them about it, but neither party was really willing to discuss. However, Roy insisted to Lili that they had to talk it out. He'd decided to come to her because she was the less stubborn, more predictable party. This was true, but it was also a subtle attempt at flattery, of which Lili somewhat fell for. 

So, to get Ludwig to stay in one place while she talked to him, she offered to give him a much needed manicure to finally cut his long-ass nails. He'd never had a "manicure" before, but she said it wouldn't hurt and it might even feel nice so he went along with it. 

She had him wash his hands thoroughly to clean any dirt under his nails and to create a clean workspace. 

"These gross 'claws' of yours are a permanent subscription to virginity. They've. Got. To. Go." She said as she trimmed the whites of his nails with the nail clipper. "Women don't go for men with long nails. They'll think you're gay…well, unless you are....Are you gay?" 

"I don't care what 'women go for'. How will I protect myself without my claws?" 

She began to buff his nails. "You have your teeth. And your fists, and your legs. You'll live." 

She had him soak his nails in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. She then pushed his cuticles back before massaging hand cream into his hands. Ludwig squirmed in his seat uncomfortably. He despised the feeling of his hands being handled by someone else. 

Her massage, though disagreeable, triggered the involuntary extension of his claws. 

"I...didn't know you could do that." She said, disgusted and disturbed. 

"Neither did I." 

She sighed and began to cut the new section of nail. This time, his nails seemed harder and tougher and they required more force to be cut. 

"Look, I'm sorry for...what I said earlier. You're right. I don't understand...what ever it is I don't understand. And I'm almost certain I don't want to….what you were going through this morning looked very painful. I was...way out of line back there. It isn't my place to tell you what you should do with your life." Lili apologized. 

"You're right. You were out of line." 

That was the part where he was supposed to apologize for lashing out at her or pushing her down. But he did not, so she continued. 

"I may have been out of line, but I'm standing by what I said. Therapy helps. It wouldn't be so widespread if it didn't. Psychotherapists go to school for years to help people. They are required to practice confidentiality by law. Sure, not all therapists are great. Everyone has their own unique personality so it makes sense there'll be some that you just won't click with it. But when you find the right person...it can be great. Like a beautiful friendship. And you know what the best part is?" 

"No...what?" 

"That you don't have to do this on your own. We can look for a good therapist...together. I mean, I don't have to be in the room if you don't want me to be but...just know I'm here to help you any way I can." Lili promised with a smile.

But he did not return her smile. He only yanked his hand out of her ginger grasp. 

"What are you afraid of?" She blurted out.

"I'm not afraid of anything." He answered. She could tell he was trying to sound cool, calm, and collected but she sensed a subtle strain in his voice. 

"I'm done." He announced curtly before disappearing into the living room. 

She let him go without another word. She'd faced enough confrontation for one day.

                                                  ^^^^^

For the next 2 days, Ludwig didn't have any more nightmares. 

He didn't have any more nightmares because he hadn't gone to sleep since he'd had the first one. 

Secretly, he was too afraid he'd have the same nightmare again. He didn't want to relive such a vivid, traumatic experience again. He didn't want to feel so afraid and helpless and trapped. Though the images that would've haunted him in his sleep, still haunted him in his wake. It seemed as if he was having 5 flashbacks a day. He'd soon learned that the more he avoided people, the less often they occurred. 

He'd used the hunting exercises at the School's facility to blow off steam during the day. Graeme and the other scientists noticed he was even more irritable, and it put everyone on edge. An angry predator was a dangerous, unpredictable predator. They'd all seen what he did to those "sacrificial prisoners" during the hunting simulations. They'd all witnessed how he killed every last one of them with no hesitation. They'd all heard the crack of prisoners' necks as he delivered the killing bite. None of them wanted to find themselves in that position. 

He'd started drinking more coffee to fuel his all-nighters as well, even though Lili was audibly against it. But she let him do what he wanted to do. His arrogance and stubbornness frustrated her. Why should she care about him if he didn't? 

From the moment she left from work to the moment she returned, he had always been planted on the couch playing video games. On a rare occasion, he wouldn't be there because he'd got up to take a bathroom break or get some food. But other than that, he was either at the couch or the PC, Beethoven curled up beside him or in his lap. She supposed she was just grateful he hadn't turned back to weed, as far as she knew.

 One time, when she found him at the computer after she'd awoken from her after-work nap, she'd sat down next to him to watch him play his game. Lewdwig had been at the front playing Resident Evil 8 at the time, but he was frightened by Lili's oncoming approach and he pushed Kooky to the front instead. Kooky wasn't sure how Lewdwig would feel about him playing his game, but he had to keep playing so Lili wouldn't suspect anything. Eventually, she lost interest and wandered off because she couldn't even understand what was happening as the game was entirely in German. 

During that time, she'd seen him play all kinds of games: Psycho Break, Splatoon, the Sims, Resident Evil, Animal Crossing, Grand Theft Auto, Five Nights at Freddy's, and sometimes even Just Dance. She'd even secretly caught him playing a game called Catherine: Full Body on his Switch he'd magicked from home. The subtitles were in German but the audio was in Japanese, a language she happened to understand. She'd never suspected he would be into an erotic game like that, but then again, he was still a man; She didn't know why she was surprised.

She hadn't expected him to be into Animal Crossing or the Sims either but she'd seen him play those games too. She guessed he was just full of surprises. 

….At least it somewhat answered the gay question from earlier. She'd secretly taken note that he didn't answer it. 

She'd decided to sneak up on him and scare him. When she was unexpectedly successful, she ran away laughing. Kooky wished she hadn't done that. Lewdwig was so startled, he'd triggered a quick, involuntary switch that made his head hurt. After that, they agreed that Lewdwig would play his games at night when she wasn't there so he wouldn't have to get startled. 

One day, she'd sat next to him while he was playing a PC game on the computer. Beethoven took this opportunity to get off his bony lap and onto Lili's. His computer screen was practically completely dark. But as she focused on it, she could see a little red light and it seemed as if he was wearing some sort of mask in the game. There was some sort of unintelligible speech going on as well. And then suddenly there were loud machinery noises and they watched a dark figure scroll across the screen through the eye holes of the in-game mask. 

"What are you playing this time?" She whispered. He was focusing so intensely on the screen she felt like she had to. 

"FNAF: Sister Location." He whispered back, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"We kinda need to talk--"

"There is something very important that I've learned how to do over time, do you know what this is? How to pretend." A female's distant voice in the game said. "Do you ever play make believe? Pretend to be one way, when you are really the other? It's very important. Ballora never learns, but I do. They think there is something wrong on the inside. The only thing that matters is knowing. How. To. Pretend…."

There was then a loud, alarming buzzer noise. Something then happened to the figure, though Lili couldn't see exactly what because Ludwig's character was looking away from the figure. 

"I'll open the faceplates for you," The voice said, and the mask opened, "that way they can find you on the cameras. Now all you have to do is wait. I'd recommend that you keep the spring locks wound up. Your breathing and your heartbeat are causing them to come loose. You don't want them to get too loose, trust me." 

Ludwig then started clicking the locks rapidly to tighten them. Because the in-game voice stopped talking, she thought it was safe to continue speaking. 

"We need to talk. You haven't gone to sleep in 2 days. That's like 48 hours straight of being awake. Your caffeine intake has increased quite a bit in the last few days as well, which isn't a good thing by the way. I'm glad you're not falling back on weed, but playing tons of video games constantly isn't extremely healthy either. And you're playing horror games most of the time, won't that give you nightmares and scare you even more? Look, I don't want us to be mad at each other all the time anymore. I'm just worried about you, ok? Are you really okay? If you can look me in the eye and confidently say that you are, then I'll drop thi--"

Suddenly, a scary white face appeared on the screen. Lili screamed and even Ludwig jumped a bit. They were silent as the glitching Game Over screen appeared. Unexpectedly, she heard the sound of quiet sniffling. She already knew it was Ludwig and decided to only say something about it if he did first. She knew asking a crying person if they were crying was a bad move. They sat there for a while and didn't say anything. 

Until Ludwig finally said, "The monsters in these horror games aren't real. It's just a game that somebody thought up. I have nightmares about real monsters. And they are as real as if I was awake, experiencing it.….I don't want to have any more nightmares, Lilium. I'm afraid that if I go to sleep, they will come back again. And so...I don't know what to do." 

"Then why do you keep rejecting the idea of seeking help?" 

Ludwig laid his head down on the computer desk. "I...don’t know. Maybe it's because I've never sought help from a stranger before. That's just not how I was raised, I guess. I am expected to fend for myself and be self-sufficient." 

"Well, the definition of self-sufficient is subjective. You don't live in your own house, you don't ride around in your own car, sometimes you eat food someone else has prepared rather than making it yourself, sometimes you get meat from the local butcher rather than hunting it and preparing it yourself. By some peoples' standards you're already not self-sufficient. But this isn't a bad thing of course. We've evolved as a society so that people don't have to make their own clothes, hunt and prepare their own food, and heal their own wounds anymore. Your therapist wouldn't just be some stranger, they're professionally trained to help you with your problems. You don't have to do any of this alone. Like I said before, I'm still here to help you any way I can but I can't go to therapy for you. That's a big step you'll have to take all on your own. But I'll still be here to support you whenever I can." 

"O-ok. I suppose seeking professional help couldn't hurt too much." He finally agreed. 

Lili smiled. "Great. I can help you find a good therapist in the area in the morning. It's too late at the moment and I'll have to go to work soon. You should get a good night's rest." 

"But what about the nightmares?" Ludwig countered. 

"I think I," Roy appeared, startling everyone, "may have a solution for that." 

                                               ~~~~~

Everyone in the house gathered in Ludwig's room for bed-time. Lili was already in her scrubs and ready to head off to work as soon as this was over. 

Beethoven walked up on Ludwig's stomach for cuddles. He grabbed Beethoven and cradled the black ball of floof in his arms. Beethoven struggled out of his grasp and moved to freely occupy the space between his arm and his body instead.

"Are you ready?" Roy asked. 

"Yeah, I guess so." 

"Alrighty, here goes nothing." 

Roy concentrated the majority of his power to his left hand. Slowly but surely, unlike the rest of his figure, it became solid. Though it was still a ghostly white, he could now interact with things in the solid world. He placed his cold hand on his older brother's forehead. Ludwig began to feel calm and weightless. He yawned and shifted in bed in an attempt to find a more comfortable position. Gradually, his eye lids grew heavier and heavier until they shut. 

"What was that?" Lili asked after they exited the room and shut the door behind them.

"Pathokinesis. With his body no longer on the lookout for constant threats, he fell asleep in no time." 

"Will that stop him from having nightmares though?" 

"I'm not sure, but it should. And if it doesn't, I'll be here to lull him back to sleep again." 

"Cool…" Lili trailed off. She'd never really seen supernatural abilities like that up close before. "Thank you." 

"No problem," He smiled, "It's the least I can do." 

That day, Lili left for work with the peace of mind that Ludwig would be all taken care of. 

                                                  =======

The next day, Ludwig reported that he'd slept through the night with no nightmares to report of. Lili was relieved, but she made sure to remind him that just because Roy was present to stop the nightmares, that didn't mean he shouldn't seek professional help. 

Ludwig informed Graeme about his decision to start seeing a therapist and he unexpectedly agreed that it was a good idea. In reality, Graeme believed that if he went to therapy he'd get more of his memories back and he'd be able to give the school more information about his parents and how he became a vampire, both of which he reported no memory of. He even said the School would pay for it if the NHS or some other service didn't.

Lili and Ludwig spent time at the computers looking up information about therapists in the area, and what to expect when attending a session, and what to ask. Ludwig expressed that he didn't want a male therapist, but Lili convinced him that if it wouldn't trigger him, to keep an open mind. There were a lot of therapists in the area that had the potential to help so they had a hard time choosing. On the bright side, if one therapist didn't work out they'd have other options to try.

They settled on 3 and attended in person consultations with each of them. The best fit ended up being a male and though he was skeptical about it, he remembered to keep an open mind. 

They walked to his office for the first session. She opened the door for him and waited with him in the waiting room.  

"How are you feeling?" She asked him as they waited. 

"A little nervous." 

"Well, that's to be expected." She replied. 

"...Do you want me to hold your hand so you won't be as nervous?" She asked, half joking and half serious. 

He only shrugged, so she took his hand anyway. She thought he would recoil, but he didn't, although he secretly wanted to. 

"You have such skinny, piano fingers." She chuckled, running her thumb over the veins on the back of his hand. 

"Can you not do that rubbing thing? Just...put your hand on top of my hand." He complained. 

Eventually, the receptionist called his name and he went into the therapy room. When he returned after his session, he was surprised to see Lili still there. She was asleep, but she was still there nonetheless.

He shook her gently. "Oh, hey Ludwig. How'd it go?" She asked.

"I'll...tell you about it on the way back."