Following the bath Natalya takes an enormous amount of time to dry. Apparently being naked in the tub was one thing, being naked on her bed drying off is another thing. This leaves Natalya rolling and arching and bending like a kitten with a flea trying to dry off and not drench her bed.

It doesn't help with Angie watching and cackling.

"Oh shut up, as if you'd be having much more success," Natalya scoffs, half laughing at herself.

Angie crows, "At least I've got both hands!"

"Touche, ya porcelain nutcase."

In another room Donna is busy giggling. She loves the way Natalya interacts with Angie. She's the kindest of anyone by far. Her insults never fail to make Donna smile if not giggle like a schoolgirl.

Donna herself is debating getting ready for a bath. The last thing she wants is Natalya to walk in on her bathing. It's one of few times she takes her veil off.

"Donna!"

The heiress jumps. Struggling she has to hurry down the hall, still dressed in a towel and her veil.

"Yes?" Donna murmurs, unable to shout very well.

"Oh," Natalya can't help but stare. She forgets all semblance of what she was going to say.

"What?" Donna snaps.

"Oh, uh," Natalya struggles, "What do- What should I do-"

"Put your clothes on."

Natalya chuckles nervously, "You haven't given them back yet."

Donna's cheeks burn under the veil. She clears her throat, "Yes, I'll-I'll get them."

Of course Natalya's clothes are still being washed and dried and are soaking wet besides. So Donna finds some old clothes of her father's. A shirt and trousers with suspenders. As for her underthings, she found a pair of silk panties Alcina had given her as a cruel joke.

Once Donna has given Natalya the gloves she waits a moment to see if she can get them on. Of course the soldier proves to be as capable as ever. She sighs, "The workshop, needs cleaning. Do not lose, my, papers."

"Sure. Then I'll start on dinner."

"Don't talk to the maid."

Natalya shakes her head, "I won't, I promise."

As the sun sets Donna gets into the tub to relax and Natalya gets dressed to begin cooking. This first means cleaning the dishes from the previous night. Since she makes so many things in pots most times it needs to soak in order to get fully clean.

With one hand it takes some time. Natalya uses the wooden peg Donna has made in the meantime. It's surprisingly useful for forcing the utensils to the corner so she can scrub them.

As they do, the front door chimes. The elevator is coming up. Slowly.

Natalya frowns. The maids always come to the partially open, partially collapsed back door. The only ones who come through the front door are the other lords.

"It better not be that chain smoking piece of shit or I'll kick his ass into next week," Natalya grumbles, grabbing a meat tenderizer and leaning on the doorframe where her good arm is hidden.

As the doors open the person who comes crawling out is nothing short of Natalya's worst nightmare. She doesn't feel fear, she can't. But she can identify that she is in danger. It doesn't stop her from feeling protective over Donna, or anger.

Alcina straightens to her full height in the foyer, "D-" She doesn't fully finish before the familiar scent wafts across her senses between the damp and the parchment of Donna's many books. She freezes.

Natalya emerges to where she can see, scowling and trembling.

"Well, well, if it isn't my prey. You look surprisingly well-"

"Shut up," Natalya growls, "You're damn lucky I lost my gun or you'd be full of holes. Get out."

This only makes the countess smile wider. She sets the basket of food aside, "My my, so very brave. Fatally so."

"I'm not dead yet," Natalya's fingers close around the meat tenderizer. In one swift moment she turns and hurls it with all her strength. It strikes the countess in the face and falls to the floor. There's barely a blemish on Alcina's cheek but there is hell in her eyes.

To Alcina's delight and surprise Natalya stares back with steely resolve. Her unsheathes her claws with a toothy grin, "I'm quite glad you're alive, I do so hate when my prey is easy to catch." She slashes.

Donna hears Natalya's body impact the wall and wood splintering.

In advertently Alcina has thrown Natalya out of her reach. When she looks at her claws there is no blood and she frowns.

Natalya struggles and groans, "Shit!" The gears in both legs have been thrown out of delicate alignment. She's trapped. It's only because of the wooden rod on her left arm that she wasn't filleted again. Now she's struggling against the throbbing in the back of her head and her tunneling, foggy vision.

"There you are," Alcina purrs.

"Get, out!"

As Natalya fades out she remembers the crashing of the floor and Alcina vanishing, being dragged down. She remembers the unholy screeching. But last she remembers Donna grabbing and hugging her to her chest the same way she does Angie.

Slowly Donna wakes up. The front of her head is throbbing like the time she drank half a case of whiteclaw by herself. Her left shoulders is stiff and stings when she tries to move it and her whole body aches.

"Ow."

"Natalya," Donna is right there, hands gently pressing on her chest, "Don't-Don't move."

"She-"

"She's gone," Donna murmurs. She growls, "She's gone."

When Natalya is able to take full stock of the situation it's dark out and the smell of dinner is wafting up from the kitchen. The sting in her shoulder are stitches in regular thread with some steri strips to supplement holding together a laceration, no doubt from the countess' claws.

Instead of sitting up when Natalya shifts Donna pulls her head to her chest and clutches her close with surprising strength.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Donna murmurs, "I'm fine. Why-" She can't seem to finish.

"I passed out. No offense but I don't know how you'd fight her," Natalya murmurs, "How did you get rid of her?"

Donna lets Natalya sit back so she can sweep her hair away from her face. She says nothing and Natalya knows better.

"Sorry for interrupting your bath."

Donna scoffs. She slowly gathers Natalya close again, still shaking inside. She isn't sure what she's going to do. It's only a matter of time before Alcina goes whining to Miranda and this comes full circle to bite her.