ACT 6- It Takes Time, V.

[VEIN HADN'T LEFT THIS PLACE FOR NEAR 7 YEARS HE HAD NO FORM OF COAT, ONLY HIS MOTHERS SCARF WITH WAS A BURGUNDY COLOR. SO, BEFORE HE LEFT NOTICUS HAD LENT HIM A OLD JACKET OF HIS. BUT NOW HE CLIMBED OUT THE HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE AND SHIVERED AT THE SIGHT OF HIS OLD HOME.]

VEIN HELTZ- I'm… back.

[THE HOUSE HAS BEEN VACANT FOR YEARS, CLASSED AS A DEAD ZONE. VEIN STEPS TOWARDS THE DOOR AND TURNS THE KEY SLOWLY, DARING TO ENTER. HE HOLDS HIS BREATH AS HE OPENS IT SLIGHTLY ONLY TO FREEZE AS THE NOSTALGIA OF HIS SIBLINGS RUNNING TO GREET HIM FLASHES BEHIND HIS UNWILLING EYES. HE SHUTS THE DOOR BEFORE HE CAN EVEN SEE INSIDE AND TURNS STARTING TO LEAVE.]

(With the Wieraks)

[THEY ARE ALL AT A CENTER MARKET WITH LOTS OF STALLS AND A HUGE CHRISTMAS TREE IN THE CENTER OF IT ALL, THE DAY DIMMED ITS BEAUTY AS THE LIGHTS WHERE HARDER TO SEE. BELLA PULLS NOTICUS TO A STALL.]

BELLAVA WIERAK- Hey, look at this. Vein will love it. He's taken your old one, right? Think he'd appreciate owning his own jacket?

NOTICUS WIERAK- Oh yeah! But I think he'd prefer this one.

BELLAVA WIERAK- How do you know?

NOTICUS WIERAK- Cause it's his favorite color.

[BELLA SMILED AT NOTICUS BEFORE LOOKING TO HIS VIBRATING POCKET. NOTICUS PULLED OUT THE HANDI (phone) AND LOOKED AMAZED.]

BELLAVA WIERAK- It was very generous for the mayor to give us all one of those, I feel posh. Well, I will when I figure it out.

NOTICUS WIERAK- Oh, its Monty.

[NOTICUS PUTS THE PHONE TO HIS EAR AND GOES BACK AND FORTH BEFORE STOPPING AND LOOKING TO BELLA.]

NOTICUS WIERAK- Surprise, surprise he's trying to get to his desk again.

BELLAVA WIERAK- I'll see you at Mamar and Babar's

NOTICUS WIERAK- Okay, I was thinking on picking him up anyway. 

(With Monty)

[VEIN ROLLED HIS EYES AS MONTY STOOD BETWEEN HIM AND THE ELEVATOR.]

VEIN HELTZ- Dr. Kardo, I'd appreciate if you would move out of my way so I can go to my room.

MONTY KARDO- Come on, man. You know I can't do that. You are relieved of work for a month! I'd be home if I was-

[VEIN FROWNS WITH A ROUGH DISAPPROVAL AND MONTY BOWS HIS HEAD IS APOLOGY.]

MONTY KARDO- Listen. You may be my boss now, but I'm saying this as a friend. You aren't permitted to stay here anymore!

VEIN HELTZ- I'm the supervisor, I control the floor, so I go where I please! It's fine. I'll take the stairs.

[SUDDENLY A HEAVY HAND LANDS ON VEIN'S SHOULDER AND HE TURNS WITH A SCOWL BEFORE HIS EXPRESSION INCREASES IN DISTASTE AS HE REALIZES, HE CAN'T ESCAPE NOW.]

NOTICUS WIERAK- Thanks for stalling, Monty. Sick leg!

MONTY KARDO- Thanks man, I fear if I carried on, I'd have lost my job if not for you.

VEIN HELTZ- You snitched?! Can't wait to put you on a desk job.

MONTY KARDO- Neither can I. I'm sick of files.

NOTICUS WIERAK- Merry Christmas, Monty!

MONTY KARDO- You too, Nots!

[NOTICUS WATCHES AS MONTY WALKS OVER TO THE FRONT DESK TO DROP OFF SOME FILES. MAYA APPEARS AND HUGS HIM TIGHT BEFORE HOLDING A GIFT OUT TO HIM. FROM A FAR MAYA CLEARLY ASKS A QUESTION AND MONTY RUBS HIS NECK BEFORE WHAT COULD BE ASSUMED AS A GOOD ANSWER AS SHE JUMPS UP AND DOWN.]

VEIN HELTZ- So you got your goon to keep an eye out for me! Where were you?!

NOTICUS WIERAK- Last minute Christmas shopping. I'm glad you're here anyway. Cause It's not as far now. 

[NOTICUS SMILES AS HE GOES TO WALK BUT VEIN REFUSES.]

NOTICUS WIERAK- Listen, I have no problem forcibly escorting you.

[VEIN SCOWLS HARDER BEFORE FOLLOWING HIM. THEY BOTH GET INTO A CARRIAGE AND IT STARTS TROTTING ALONG EVENTUALLY VEIN LOOSENS UP WHEN HE NOTICES THE JOY SPREAD ACROSS THE STREETS, CAROLS ECHOING STREETS, CHILDREN PLAYING IN THE THIN LAYER OF SNOW ON GRASS. SOON THEY START MAKING THEIR WAY TO A MORE RURAL AREA AND NOTICUS SEEMS TO GET EXCITED AS HE TURNS TO TELL THEM TO STOP.]

VEIN HELTZ- Where are we?

BELLAVA WIERAK- VEIN! 

[BELLAVA APPEARS AND HUGS VEIN TIGHT.]

VEIN HELTZ- Bella? What are you doing here?

BELLAVA WIERAK- This is mine and Notty's home well. Notty has a flat closer into the town, but he spends holidays here.

[VEIN LOOKS TO NOTICUS WHO HAS NOW APPROACHED HIS GRAND PARENTS AND HOLDS THEM IN A LONG HUG. BOTH THE GRANDPARENTS THEN APPROACH VEIN BEFORE HUGGING HIM TOO.]

GRANDMOTHER WIERAK- Oh! You're the man who helped our dear, Notty. Thank you, VEIN HELTZ, we are very glad to have you this Christmas. Do you have any allergies?

VEIN HELTZ- Thank you, thank you, really. I don't have any allergies… wait! What?

GRANDFATHER WIERAK- We know your situation, boy. Noticus and Bella have both grown to like you very much, so we agreed to share our table and home with you, it's the least we could do.

VEIN HELTZ- I…

[SUDDENLY THEY ALL TURN TO SEE A CARRIAGE STOP AT THEIR HOUSE AGAIN. OUT CLIMBS SAVIUS AND LILY-BLU. LILY-BLU SCREAMS AS SHE RUNS TO NOTICUS WHO PICKS HER UP AND CHUCKS HER IN THE AIR.]

NOTICUS WIERAK- Hiya, blue jay. Gosh it's been a while.

SAVIUS KIRKMAN- It's been 5 hours since you came to the hospital to say hi to her.

 NOTICUS WIERAK- Too long!

 [HE JOKINGLY POUTS BEFORE TURNING TO VEIN WHO COMES OVER TO HUG LILY-BLU TOO.]

NOTICUS WIERAK- Lily-Blu is now officially under my care. She's a Wierak now. 

VEIN HELTZ- You're kidding! That's why your handwriting got better? You were scribbling your signature all over your papers. 

NOTICUS WIERAK- Yes, I was excited.

GRANDMOTHER WIERAK- Oh hello, do you want to come in for a warm coffee, dear?

SAVIUS KIRKMAN- Kind offer but I have my own family to get back to.

BELLAVA WIERAK- How's your injuries?

SAVIUS KIRKMAN- Soar, but I'm alive. Nothing gets better than that.

BELLAVA WIERAK- Well I hope you have a lovely Christmas, Savius.

SAVIUS KIRKMAN- You too, Bellava.

NOTICUS WIERAK- Thank you, Savius!

LILY-BLU- Thank you, Savius!!!

[SAVIUS FOLDS BACK INTO THE CARRIAGE AND IT TROTS AWAY. GRANDMOTHER WIERAK FINALLY PULLS THEM ALL BACK INTO THE HEAT OF THEIR HOME WHERE THEY NEARLY IMMEDIATELY BEGAN PREPARING.]

[LILY-BLU BEGAN TO PLAY WITH THE SMALL CARS THAT USED TO BE BELLA'S AND NOTICUS'S WHEN THEY WHERE YOUNG. BELLAVA HELPED GRAND FARTHER PUT THE LIGHTS ON THE TREE BEFORE ASKING NOTICUS TO PUT THE STAR ON TOP AS HE WAS THE TALLEST OUT THE BUNCH.]

[22:34PM…VEIN WAS WITH GRANDMOTHER WIERAK IN THE KITCHEN PUTTING FOOD AWAY READY FOR TOMORROWS CHRISTMAS DINNER.]

GRANDMOTHER WIERAK- I'm sorry to hear about your family, love.

VEIN HELTZ- It's okay. It was 8 years ago now. 

GRANDMOTHER WIERAK- Of course, but I see you are full of guilt. How come?

VEIN HELTZ- I. I have the key to my old home. It was given to me and everything inside it to me through my mothers will. So, it will be untouched. It will feel like nothing has changed.

[GRANDMOTHER WIERAK SIGHS AS SHE HANDS VEIN A CUP OF WARM HOT CHOCOLATE.]

VEIN HELTZ- But I know the truth. I'm the last Heltz that I know of. And it's my fault.

GRANDMOTHER WIERAK- You are scared you will go home and must face those suppressed emotions. That responsibility can make our Davie shiver at the thought. I see your worry.

VEIN HELTZ- I am grateful for your hospitality. I am!

GRANDMOTHER WIERAK- Don't thank me love. I'm not the one who made it happen. But you should know they don't need to be blood. Sometimes the feeling is enough to make you feel like a family.

[SHE LEAVES THE ROOM AND SHE PATS NOTICUS'S ARM. HE HAD CLEARLY BEEN STOOD THERE FOR A WHILE. NOTICUS WAITS UNTIL GRANDMOTHER WIERAK IS UPSTAIRS BEFORE SPEAKING.]

NOTICUS WIERAK- Wanna come admire this amazing tree?! Lily-blu added a little touch of her to it.

[THEY BOTH GO TO THE TREE AND ON THE BRANCHES IS A PICTURE WHICH WAS CLEARLY ALL O THEM TOGETHER NEXT TO THE CLINIC.] 

VEIN HELTZ- You saw the papers, right? Dr. Basil Life-Lock, member of the southern mob, dangerous creation burned and deemed too hellish for or peaceful lands. They called it a gun. 

NOTICUS WIERAK- He's also dead, we don't need to worry about him anymore. Your cure is curing and making people immune every day. The mob is beyond our hills, and I doubt they will dare step foot here again.

VEIN HELTZ- I wouldn't put it past them. If Life-Lock was only a lower rank of their highest. I bet they have worse. Something more horrific than that gun.

NOTICUS WIERAK- Maybe… but I don't see them at the moment. Do you?

[VEIN SIGHS AND NODS. HE STARES AT THE PICTURE AND FINALLY THE TREE.]

VEIN HELTZ- It's gorgeous. It's been a while since I could sleep and not worry about finding the cure.

NOTICUS WIERAK- Hey… V. Look up.

[VEIN LOOKS UP AND HIS EYES WIDEN, THERE IS MISSILE TOE ABOVE THEM.]