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Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Woe Be Upon You

Pov: Enid Sinclair

Marilyn Thornhill had been her undoing. That was what Dr. Fairburn told her when she sat with her clipboard on the other side of the bars.

“Not my undoing,” Enid muttered. “My master.”

Dr. Fairburn sighed, grabbing her pen and jotting down a few notes. It infuriated her.

“Stop doing that!” she snapped, her collar beeping, glowing red. She breathed a few times, calming herself. She didn’t want the sharp pain of the shock collar coursing through her frail body.

“Enid, please understand, I am only trying to help. These notes are to better understand what we need to do to make you feel better.”

“You need to leave me alone,” Enid said. “I’m not the person you think I am. I’m a Hyde. A monster.” She spat on the floor, her mouth twisted into a bitter grin. “My persona liked being around people. That wasn’t me.”

Dr. Fairburn looked up at this, meeting the Hyde’s eyes. “I know very well what you are, Mrs. Sinclair. But you are not the sum of your outcast abilities.” When Enid didn’t reply, it seemed to give her some courage. “Why don’t you tell me about that persona?”

Enid snarled. “People believed it. That was enough. My master needed someone nice, but clueless. I provided the necessary persona. A bubbly, obnoxious werewolf. That is all.”

“Got it. It was all a persona, a necessary mask.” Dr. Fairburn’s pen scribbled across the page once more. “What is your opinion on Wednesday Addams?”

Again, no reply. But as if to fill the suffocating silence, the shock collar beeped twice. 

Wednesday Addams

“Enid Sinclair, huh? She’s still in that asylum, Wednesday.” Bianca Barclay raised an eyebrow, her ice blue eyes heavy with suspicion. “I know you’re angry, but… let it go. She’s locked up.”

Wednesday’s glare could cut steel. “I hate Enid, but I would not waste time on betrayal. I simply believe she knows something that the therapists are not able to force out of her.”

Bianca smiled, cool and calculating. “And you think you’re a better interrogator? All of your effective methods are illegal.”

‘Someone’s gotta look after you.’

The raven’s eyes flicked to the window beyond her balcony. The glass was completely bare now, stripped of the ‘stained glass’ stickers that had once divided her room from Enid’s. She had torn them off in a frenzy after their fight.

‘I’m sorry, Wednesday.’

“Enid wasn’t just a Hyde. She murdered nineteen people in the span of months,” Wednesday said, her voice flat but edged with bitterness. “No one suspected her. A master manipulator, a master killer.”

‘I didn’t have to, because that’s what friends do!’

“She fooled all of us,” Bianca agreed. “And that. Includes. You.” She smiled again, spun around, and strode over to her siren friends.

‘You’re willing to do that… for me?’

Wednesday’s hands clenched at her sides, not in panic, but in irritation- at the memories, that could not be as easily chased away. The sentiment was absurd, and yet it lingered longer than it should have. 

It was a mask. A lie. The girl she thought she knew did not exist.

But it was seeping into her everyday life. The final showdown was not closure. It was a mystery, an oversight, taunting her. Endlessly.

Because the voice wasn’t foreign. It was Enid, the whisper of the betrayal she had left.

By letting the girl into her life, Wednesday had let people die.

An oversight. And the most dangerous one of them all.

-*oOo*-

It was easy to get into Willow Hill. Agnes DeMille was willing to sign any paperwork shoved into Wednesday’s face, and the sheriff felt obligated to let her. “I know she was your friend,” the sheriff said. “You must understand, she can be very manipulative.”

Wednesday promptly ignored her. She walked silently to Dr. Fairburn’s office, her arms staying firmly planted to her sides. When she stepped inside, the therapist smiled. “Hello, Wednesday Addams. I’ve heard much about you from Sheriff Santiago.”

Wednesday stared at her menacingly, but Dr. Fairburn didn’t seem fazed. “I understand you are here to see Enid Sinclair, our lovely Hyde.”

Wednesday’s dead eyes flickered with… something. Something she would never admit. “That is correct.”

Dr. Fairburn tilted her head to one side. “I believe you may be the shock she needs to begin her rehabilitation. Follow me, Wednesday.”

The two stepped out into the hallway and walked at a brisk pace along the rows of doors.

“Enid resides in a room meant for a schizophrenic werewolf,” Dr. Fairburn said, her voice far too chipper for the occasion. “It works just fine for a Hyde. However, despite our best efforts, she remains highly volatile, her personality swinging around more than a pendulum: violent, volatile, bitter, angry, the side that shows her Hyde; sunny, chipper, happy, the supposed mask she put up during her time at Nevermore; and lastly, the crumbling remains of a broken, sad girl who never meant any harm. We are not sure if she is bipolar, her Hyde is influencing her normal form, or Thornhill’s manipulation is showing its effects even now. We thought separation would weaken their bond, but…”

“It hasn’t worked,” Wednesday muttered, more of a statement than a question. “Yes, the bond between a Hyde and its master is quite unknown to the likes of normies.”

Dr. Fairburn didn’t answer, she simply opened the door to a security guard sitting, watching Enid through security cameras in her cell. A big red button was right next to him, and his fingers twitched over to it as the two entered.

“Wednesday Addams is here to visit.”

The man looked over at her, a grim smile twitching on his face. “Hey, Wednesday. I hear Enid has a past with you,” he drawled. “Good luck. Don’t fall for her tricks.”

“She will not try to trick me. Here, she is stripped bare of such illusions. I know now what I didn’t at Nevermore.” Wednesday stared at the door, no longer bothering to look at the man.

“Go on right ahead, doctor. Let her in,” the man said.

Dr. Fairburn entered in a code, then struggled to open the heavy door.

The cage met Wednesday face on; there was an area clearly for visitors, a cold metal area devoid of any happiness. Just as Wednesday liked it.

But beyond that area there were bars, and inside the cage Enid Sinclair was chained to a wall, her breathing loud and raspy. Her eyes were closed, her hair wild, untamed, the bright streaks of dye fading.

“Finally, a visitor,” Enid said dryly, opening her eyes. She pulled the chains down, tugging her hands, and despite the struggle rested them on her lap. “Oh. What a surprise. Howdy, Wednesday. I would say roomie, but you haven’t been sleeping in this cage! I can’t call you that anymore. I feel so betrayed.”

“I haven’t come for reminiscing or twisted sentiment, Sinclair. I require answers.” Her braids felt heavier than usual as they rested on her neck and back. The tight strands pulled at her forehead, making her feel constrained.

Enid probably felt considerably more constrained, though, because of the chains.

“Answers? You found me out. And my master.” Enid pursed her lips. “I miss you, Wednesday. I miss what we had.”

“What ‘we had’ was a lie. The only true relationship was purely through my work. I was a detective; you were the culprit. Slippery, deceiving, but the culprit nonetheless.”

“And Evelyn?” Enid questioned, her tone considerably lower than her previous words. Softer, almost. The same manipulation that Dr. Fairburn had promised. Wednesday’s eyebrows furrowed with confusion, the rare sign of emotion glaringly visible on her face.

Her eyes lowered; they began to redden traitorously. Wednesday hadn’t cried since Nero had died. But she was dangerously close to doing it again. “Viper de la Muerte solved the case. Evelyn was the killer.”

Enid laughed, like remembering the good old times when she, too, was a serial killer. “Makes sense. She was based off me, yeah.”

Wednesday exhaled softly. “What did Marilyn do to you?” she asked. “What did she say? How did she turn you from whatever girl you were to what you are now?”

The Hyde’s arms snapped back to the wall, no longer having the strength to pull them down. “Now you ask. You always cared, more than you would ever admit to anyone. Marilyn wasn’t just my master, Wednesday. She was the only person who showed me love. Not even you did that, even after you kissed me.”

Wednesday stiffened at the reminder. “I am going straight towards the point as to not waste my time. My questions are for research; Hydes are seldom studied.”

“There’s nothing straight about you,” Enid said, laughing softly at her own joke. “Don’t kid yourself, Wends. You’re curious whether the killings were my doing, or Thornhill’s.”

“You had a choice, a chance to redeem yourself. You have one now. Yet you are still the same sociopathic killer that you were when Thornhill found you,” Wednesday murmured

The collar around Enid’s neck beeped angrily, and the Hyde hissed. “Choice?” she laughed again, but more strained, forced, bitter. “Choice. You think it was all my choice. Funny.” She lunged forward suddenly, her werewolf fangs coming out as she strained against the chains, her face almost animalistic as she pressed it against the bars.

But Wednesday didn’t move a muscle.

“You know it, deep down, don’t you? I am Enid Sinclair. I was your roommate. I just happened to get picked up by some normie, my master, my mother, who I had to obey. Choice was never an element. I am a werewolf.” Enid’s claws slid out leisurely, almost lazily. “These would be hard to fake, wouldn’t they, Wednesday? I am a werewolf. I am a Hyde. I am what Marilyn Thornhill made of me.”

“And what did she make 0f you?” Wednesday questioned, stepping closer to the cage. Her eyes flickered to Enid’s ragged clothing,

Enid squeezed as close to Wednesday as she could get. “A monster,” she whispered, her breath hot on Wednesday’s neck. She backed up away from the bars, trembling a little. “She made me a monster. And that is all I am now.”

She could almost imagine Dr. Fairburn, outside, her pen scribbling faster and faster.

“I miss you,” Enid howled, screamed. Her heart collar beeped rapidly, and a shock coursed through her body. She screamed again, throwing her head back, shaking, crying, sobbing. But as the pain subsided, she looked Wednesday right in the eyes, her pained expression diluted by manipulation. “I miss you, Addams.”

Wednesday glared. “You have wasted my time.” Water spilled through her eyes, hanging at the edge, desperate to fall. She turned around so Enid could not see, and marched towards the doorway.

“I know you cared,” she heard Enid whisper as she exited. “If you want me to cooperate, bring me my usual hair dye? I miss the way you looked at my bright streaks.”

The door slammed shut behind her.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: Do I Woe You?

Enid Sinclair

She didn’t expect her dye request to be taken seriously; but the next day she was bent over a bucket of water, rubbing blue and red dye into her hair.

Wednesday hadn’t been the one to get it for her, though, much to Enid’s quiet disappointment. No, it was Dr. Fairburn who walked in, a tight smile on her face and materials in hand.

She worked the dye through her hair, the way she had done her first year at Nevermore. It had been her choice; one of the few things she did without her master breathing down her neck.

“Do you enjoy the dyed streaks?” Dr. Fairburn asked quietly, breaking the silence.

The dye splattered into the bucket and got on Enid’s hands. It was strange to see such color, even as the chains gripped her wrists and the dull gray of the cage surrounded her.

“Brings back memories,” Enid said, forcing a smile as she met Dr. Fairburn’s eyes. It was easy, so easy, to be fake. Marilyn, or, well, Laurel Gates, had given that to her.

She checked her reflection in the water. Her face was distorted, blurry, and her hair wet, a mop sticking to her skin.

But the dirt. The grime. She hadn’t taken a shower in god knows how long.

Dr. Fairburn gently cleared her throat. “Do you wish Wednesday were here?”

“In a cage, in chains?” Enid muttered. “That was what Thornhill always wanted, wasn’t it. For all outcasts dead or in chains. Finish what Crackstone started.”

Dr. Fairburn jotted something down, nodding along to what Enid was saying. Honestly, it was nice that someone, regardless of circumstance, listened to her so attentively. Thornhill was gone, and she thought she had lost that.

“That’s not what I mean, Mrs. Sinclair, and I think you know that. Do you wish Wednesday were here, sitting here on this chair, instead of mter wuee,” Rachael Fairburn said, a strange look on her face that Enid didn’t recognize.

Enid slumped against the wall, the bucket and dye forgotten. “I thought you listened. You heard me say it, didn’t you? Through the cameras, the microphones. I said I missed her. I said it. You heard it.”

Dr. Fairburn nodded slowly. “Yes, Enid, I heard. But… you must understand, I was unsure whether it was simply manipulation… or something else.”

“Wednesday was my friend,” Enid said instinctively, almost defensively. Then her eyes widened a little, and she curled closer into herself, facing the wall behind her. All she could hear was the incessant scribbling of pen against paper.

“I thought Wednesday might be friends with your mask,” Dr. Fairburn said softly, gently, like she didn’t want to disturb the progress she was making.

Enid was quiet for a long moment, debating whether to answer. It was only when she heard the creaking of Dr. Fairburn standing up, probably meaning to leave since the werewolf wasn’t cooperating, did she speak. “Maybe… maybe the mask was me… a little,” Enid admitted, her voice barely audible. “Just maybe, she was my friend.”

She could almost hear Dr. Fairburn smiling. “Thank you, Enid, for sharing.” She heard the door open, and the therapist walked out, retreating where the Hyde couldn’t get her.

-*oOo*-

Wednesday Addams

It had become apparent, once classes had restarted, that she was not the only one angered at Enid’s betrayal.

Yoko Tanaka, a vampire that had been at Nevermore for ten years, had been especially affected. Every time someone mentioned Enid, her fangs shot out like they did whenever she saw blood. There was a lust, there, for vengeance; but sadness, too, behind her dark sunglasses. Wednesday was smart enough to pick up on it, despite burrowing her own feelings so deep inside herself.

The pity hadn’t escaped Wednesday either. Much like with Yoko, many unsuspecting students approached her with empty apologies and lifeless words. They didn’t know Enid. They didn’t understand just how bitter Wednesday was.

Her oversight. Her mistake. The blood wasn’t hers, but it was splattered by her feet.

Her fault.

Wednesday glanced at Enid’s side of the room despite herself. She had thrown away all the stuffed animals last night, ignoring the burning rashes on her forearms.

Save for two.

They were a pair, but not a matching set. The first was bright, tie-dye, a unicorn with a stupid smile and a puffy tail. On its head, wrapped below, a tiny snood. Dark, all black, not matching the plushie at all.

And the second? A raven. A little smaller than the other, its tiny beak brushing the unicorn. The only dark thing in Enid’s hoard of a collection.

Then, of course, atop its head sat a snood. Pink and purple, totally ruining any chance the plush raven had at extravagance.

Wednesday looked back at her book. On each side of her room, there were mirrors of herself and the Hyde, the traitor- on Enid’s, the stuffed abominations.

And on hers, Viper de la Muerte, and Evelyn.

The traitor in her life had bled loathsomely into Viper’s.

There was a sudden knock on her door- she forced herself to breathe in before opening it.

“Xavier,” she said coldly.

The artist smiled nervously. “Hi, Wednesday. I thought you might… Want this?” He had something in his hands, something horridly pink.

“I am unable to dictate what on Earth is there, but it is something with pigment. I am allergic.” She glared at the rashes on her arms, then at Xavier. She hoped both would go away.

Xavier’s eyes darted left and right. “Uhm, okay. I just thought… Ajax thought you might…”

“Get to the point,” Wednesday snapped. “It is nearly my writing time.”

Xavier straightened. He opened his palm, holding out the object slowly, like he was afraid Wednesday would slap him. “It’s Enid. Ajax found it in her drawer when he searched it a week ago, remember? He took it, thinking the bracelet was meant for him, and thought he might keep it for himself. As a remembrance. Gorgons like that kind of stuff, I guess. But he finally got the courage to read whatever bull note she wrote to manipulate him, and, well…”

Wednesday looked at in horror. It was a necklace, all black, but the charm… It was pink. On it was an E.

“She was trying to give me an allergic reaction,” Wednesday deadpanned. “All part of her big plan. Murders and resurrections and rashes.”

“Well…” Xavier sighed, flipping around the charm. It was black leather on the other side, the side that would rest against Wednesday’s chest.

“Shame she intended for the respectable side to be unseen,” Wednesday scoffed, grabbing the necklace by the chain and throwing it onto Enid’s bed. She was reaching for the door when Xavier put his foot in front to stop her.

“Wait, Wednesday,” he said, a little desperately. He handed her the letter. It was already ripped, torn open. But the paper? Still inside. “That’s from Enid. And this?” He placed a ring inside her palm.

Silver. How awfully ironic. It would repel werewolves; repel Enid.

“This is from me. I figure you might want something to wear that’s not from a serial killer,” the boy said earnestly, giving Wednesday another of his pathetic looks. “Just for some, you know, variety.”

“I do not plan on ever wearing Enid’s necklace, nor do I plan on wearing your ring. Good day.” She pushed the door shut, abruptly turning away and settling on her chair, her hands lifting towards the typewriter.

But Wednesday couldn’t write. She couldn’t write, because she knew this scene was about Evelyn.

Evelyn. Enid.

‘You think it was my choice? Funny.’

So when Wednesday’s fingers typed out words, they came out treacherous.

The first sentence of the second book.

Viper De La Muerte sorrowfully stared out the window of her room, the ghost of Evelyn’s voice resting on her shoulders.

She grabbed the paper and ripped it away, throwing it in the trash. Behind her, Thing scuttled away nervously.

Wednesday decidedly turned to look at him. “Thing, I am returning to Willow Hill.” She beckoned to the hand. “You are seeing Enid with me.”

The hand backed away quickly. If he had eyes, they would be filled with fear. Traitor, he signed. When Wednesday didn’t budge, he continued. Angry. Afraid.

“Your feelings are beside the point,” Wednesday grumbled. “The visit is purely for research purposes. I am attempting to figure out the signs, and the ways of Hydes despite Enid being an unnatural one. The topic quite fascinates me. The relationship between Hyde and master is something I would enjoy being the first to study. Perhaps I can implement such a relationship into a future novel.” She grabbed the spare phone- Enid’s old phone- and texted Tyler. Pick me up. I am heading to Willow Hill.

The normie texted, again??

But she ignored the message and trudged out of Nevermore. Thing scuttled along, close behind her.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Woe Hurts

Wednesday Addams

Despite Thing’s reluctance at going to see Enid, he was quite riled up when they arrived at Willow Hill.

Tyler unbuckled his belt. “Can I go with you?” he asked hesitantly, his fingers twitching as he reached out towards Wednesday. “I figure you might need the support. And… well, I’m sure you’re here to research Hydes. I could help you? I didn’t know Enid like you did, but…”

Wednesday yanked her hand away before Tyler’s could brush it. “No. Me and Thing knew her; we can understand the deception and the Hyde underneath the werewolf skin. You are a normie. An Uber Driver.”

“Oh,” Tyler muttered, his curly hair quivering a little as he shook his head. “I kinda expected you thought so little of me, since you wouldn’t even take me to the Rave’n-”

“Correct. I took Enid.” Wednesday left the car. “At least the fact she’s a psycho killer makes her interesting. I can’t say the same for you.”

“Not even friends?” Tyler said dryly, but there was a glimmer of hope in his words.

Wednesday hesitated. “You’re better than Xavier.”

She pushed Thing out of the car and walked calmly to the guard. “Wednesday Addams,” she clarified.

“Let me guess, kid. Enid Sinclair?” He waited until Wednesday confirmed it, then chuckled. “Okay. I assume you have weapons on you?” Again, Wednesday confirmed what he already knew. “Well, better be glad the sheriff and Fairburn like you. Go on right ahead.

Wednesday nodded promptly, gesturing to Thing and stepping through the open gate. She made her way quickly to Fairburn’s office, knocking on the door and staring holes through it while waiting.

Wednesday wasn’t the patient type.

Fairburn opened the door after a long moment, her hair slightly more disheveled than usual. “Wednesday! What a pleasant surprise. Would it be safe to assume you are here to see Patient Sinclair?”

“That assumption would be correct,” Wednesday murmured, her voice softer than usual. “I brought Thing, a severed hand, and my notebooks for research.”

Fairburn winced. “Oh, honey, Enid hates when people write in notebooks in front of her.”

“Then she will have to make due,” the raven said coldly. “Lead the way.”

The therapist sighed, but obeyed. She motioned for Wednesday to follow her and opened a door, waving at the security guard and unlocking the iron cell door. “All yours,” she muttered as the outcast stepped through.

Wednesday noticed immediately that Enid was more colorful than the last time she had been there. Her hair was still a little wet, probably from the water dying her hair. The streaks were messier than at Nevermore, the pink and blue more scattered, blotchier.

But Wednesday’s breath still caught. There was a slight stutter in her voice when she spoke, a shock, a jolt, to see someone she recognized so awfully well in chains. This visit, it really got through to the raven who she was speaking to. “Enid.”

Behind her, Thing shuffled to hide in the shadows. He didn’t seem happy to see her.

Enid’s eyes were closed, a small smile on her face. A slight humming noise echoed around the room. “Hi, Wends. You’re back already?”

Wednesday opened the notebook, creasing the spine thoroughly. She clicked the pen on, the noise bouncing around the wall.

The Hyde’s eyes snapped open immediately. “And I see you’re studying me. Like everyone else is.” Her tone was bitter, and she stood up slowly, her muscles straining, her torn clothing hanging loosely around her neck.

Suddenly Wednesday could see the difference between the monster in front of her and the girl she thought she knew. Wednesday’s eyes shot to her arm; bloody. Five distinct marks. Claw marks.

Enid saw where she was looking, and shrugged. “I was itchy. And nervous. You have that effect on me.”

Wednesday eyed her, unsure of where to start. But she tried. “How much of it was a lie?”

The Hyde shivered, her wet hair slapping her in the neck. “Everything. But you know that, don’t you, Wednesday?”

The raven eyelids drooped; Wednesday didn’t blink. She never blinked.

Almost never blinked.

Because when she was nervous, really nervous, her eyes betrayed her. This was that sort of time; her eyes got stupidly watery and she had to blink to clear her vision. Consequently, some drops fell out, and she turned away. Crying twice in two days. She was pathetic, her hold slipping. She had to get a grasp of herself, and fast.

“Not in general. I mean what you told me.” Wednesday’s breathing became more erratic, worried. “What you told me that night.”

Enid stiffened, her hands curling into fists. “That, and our relationship… a lot of it was real. Marilyn told me to watch over you, to protect you, to befriend you… but she never asked for what we had, never wanted us to be together like that. We were meant to stay friendly, but that’s all. Friends.” Enid strained her chains, crawling on her hands and knees closer to the bars. “You were my escape. Marilyn put me in chains; so does Fairburn. But you… you were always mine.” Suddenly, the vulnerability drained from her face. She tilted her head, her blue eyes darkening. “Mine to manipulate. But you weren’t what I expected. No, you were cold, you didn’t fall for any of the ol’ tricks Marilyn taught me. I had to be… someone else. Someone I hadn’t been in a long time.” She straightened her back, running a hand through the dyed strands of hair. “Enid Sinclair.”

Wednesday was silent for a long moment, eyes straying to Thing. Enid finally caught her looking that way, and her eyes lit up a little when she saw the hand.

“Thing!” Enid called, reaching forward, her chipped nail polish scraping against the ground. She smiled, showing fangs, but not menacing or manipulative, the way she had carefully done with Wednesday. She seemed genuinely excited to see him.

But the moment passed. Enid wasn’t free to move to him, and Thing wasn’t exactly keen to, either.

“Traitor,” he signed slowly. “Traitor.”

Enid’s eyes were downcast. “I know. But it wasn’t my choice,” she said desperately. “It was Marilyn the whole time. I heard what she told Weems, I know what she told Weems! You heard it, you know it, you heard!” Her words turned into shrieks as a shock rocketed through her body. Her back arched and her claws sliced through the air. The collar beeped twice before going silent.

“Weems is dead, and you helped her killer,”  the raven snapped, her nose wrinkling the slightest bit. “I trusted you. And I admit, you played the part well. You know what makes my blackened heart laugh, Enid? Tyler and Xavier, the two suspects, the ones you hated, they were the ones that stayed beside me when it all went down.” Wednesday tilted her head, the ghost of a smile on her face. “I find it amusing every time the shock hits your body.”

Enid quieted, but the sound of her scratchy breathing filled the room. “My wolf came for you that night, Wednesday. It wanted to save you. But the Hyde… Marilyn’s command… it was stronger than me, stronger than my wolf. Stronger than everything I have. Yet it doesn’t matter, does it, Wends?” The collar beeped again, and Enid froze, waiting for her heartbeat to settle.

“You are not an animal in a zoo. You are a monster being contained,” Wednesday murmured. “Remember what you said to me that day?”

Thing scampered over to Wednesday, tapping her foot. In Morse Code he spelled out, It’s okay. Calm down, we can go home. At least remember, this is research, right?

Wednesday shot the hand a death glare, but absentmindedly jotted down a few notes.

“Course I do. I remember everything,” Enid emphasized. The Hyde coughed a few times, clawing weakly at her throat. “Can I have water?”

Wednesday stared at her with disdain. “Drink from your dye bucket, weakling.”

Enid’s hands ceased their movements. “So you really don’t care about me,” she whispered softly, her voice barely audible. “At least, not anymore. I wish I could stop being a monster; but Marilyn told me I was perfect. Her monster. I would kill anyone who got too close. Her order runs through my veins, my mind, even more so than the memories you left me with.”

Her pity tactics didn’t affect Wednesday, at least not visibly. She nodded, wrote, still remembers her master’s orders.

“Of course, the clinical diagnosis, the research. I don’t need a doctor’s note, you can stop trying to figure out what’s wrong with me! I could never go back to school anyhow.” The Hyde was breathing heavily, anger flashing in her eyes. Her fangs slipped through as she half-snarled her words.

Thing tapped the floor urgently, waiting for the tension to break and for both girls to look at him. ‘Why, Enid, would you want to go back to school’

Enid smiled wistfully. “It would be so normal, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s not an answer,” Wednesday pointed out, rather obviously. But Enid didn’t fold, because why would she? Wednesday didn’t have any real power over her. Only Thornhill did.

Lack of control was always Wednesday’s weak point, the thing that made her slip up. But the unquestionably loyal severed hand beneath her saved the day. He tapped, Snap out of it! Let’s just go? Which was enough for Wednesday to get her bearings. The raven took one last look at the Hyde, no, the wolf, and swung open the door.

“Don’t come begging if I don’t return. I know you probably have some excuse for wanting me around, and Fairburn will vouch for it. But you’re just a sad, pathetic puppy whose sense of self worth and happiness only comes from their master, who used them without ever caring for them, so that they could finally transform into something. And that something? It’s not a wolf. It could never be a wolf. You wish it was, and you wish I will come back. Thornhill never loved you, she used you.”

Wednesday had half a mind to slam the door after her bold statement for emphasis, but the other half, the winning half, had her traitorously look back to see Enid. It also, luckily, allowed Thing time to actually leave the cell before Wednesday closed it.

“Yeah, sure, Wends, I don’t know if you’re trying to insult me or just unknowingly talking facts. I already know who I am. I don’t need you to remind me.” Suddenly her voice softened, more slippery, slowly finding its way through the tiny cracks in Wednesday’s mask. “I need you for other things.”

Wednesday took in her facial expressions. “I’ll take note of that.”

Finally, finally, she closed the door.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: Woe Keeps Me Down

Enid Sinclair

There was something weird about being alone again.

Enid was used to it, now, knew the feeling of emptiness like the back of her chained hands. She knew Wednesday couldn’t stay, even if she wanted to, which she didn’t.

But as she raised her head, looking at the quiet emptiness of the cell, she saw something amazing.

Because Enid was face to face with Wednesday.

The world around her flickered- the weight around her waist eased- and when she blinked, the cell was gone.

She was back in the dorm room, their spiderweb window staring back at her like the memory she would never see again. Her side of the room was messy, trashed. And the other side, Wednesday’s, was neat, orderly, the sheets meticulously ironed and placed.

“Enid.”

The werewolf turned to the sound, yelping as her claws shot out. “Wednesday!” she breathed. “Wednesday…” all reason and memory left her brain, and suddenly she forgot about the chains, forgot about Laurel Gates, forgot about the Hyde within her. “You scared me a little.” She chuckled a little.

Wednesday had a strange expression on her face, almost dreamy, and her lips were curled just enough to give Enid a hint of her dimples. “It’s stormy outside,” she stated, making her way closer to Enid. She could almost feel Wednesday’s light, cold breath on her neck.

“Uhm, yeah? You like stormy, right?”

Wednesday’s head bobbed ever so slightly. When she looked up at Enid again, her eyes were a little red. “I thought about what you said. How I’m obsessed with the case and need to… what is the saying? Loosen up?”

The werewolf scratched the back of her neck, flustered. “I was just angry with you. I can’t imagine goth psychic Wednesday Addams ever loosening up.” There was some teasing in her voice, a great way to hide her nervousness.

Wednesday cocked her head to one side. “Hm.”

Enid’s breath hitched. Memories ran through her head; the Poe Cup, the bitterness in her voice when she caught her staring at Ajax. The sheer panic and sadness in her eyes when she left to Yoko’s room. The stutter in her voice, the way she blinked after Enid asked her to the Rave’N.

Wednesday didn’t do friends. But what about something else? What about…

The blonde’s eyes fluttered shut, and she leaned ever so closer, waiting, hoping, praying for Wednesday to close the gap between them.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Enid’s eyes began to water.

Then Wednesday leaned forward, and their lips brushed against each other. Enid smiled into the kiss, a rush of pride running through her.

Disaster struck.

Wednesday’s head snapped back, and Enid caught her, holding the smaller girl in her arms and brushing her bangs out of her eyes. Enid was no stranger to her roommate’s visions. The question burning her mind was not concerned with Wednesday’s safety. No, it wondered whether she was caught. Whether everything they had ever had would fall apart in that moment.

Then Wednesday opened her eyes. Enid bit her lip, drawing a little blood as her fangs half-shifted from fear.

Because what Enid saw in Wednesday, what little emotion she showed, had shifted from shock to pure anger.

The psychic pushed away from her, betrayal pouring out her reddened eyes, and she pushed open the door, running out into the night.

Enid snapped out of her stupor and went after her, careful to go at a pace that wouldn’t antagonize her, but allow her to keep an eye on Wednesday. “Wednesday,” she cried desperately. “Are you okay? What did you see?” She could see Wednesday’s braids disappearing at a corner. Where was she going? Did she see about Marilyn?

But no, Wednesday wouldn’t care that much. Wednesday wouldn’t… oh my god, Wednesday looked as if she was going to cry. The only person she trusted that much…

No. Denial washed away the mask in waves, and Enid knew. Wednesday had seen her monster. Her Hyde. Wednesday had seen the murders.

“Please,” Enid whispered, channeling some of her Hyde strength to her legs. She let out a brutal scream at the sudden pain, but she couldn’t transform, couldn’t reveal her identity to the whole school. “Wednesday, you can’t just run!”

The girl stopped, looking back at Enid, panic in her eyes. There were other students there. Her mouth opened restlessly, then closed; it was so un-Wednesday-like that Enid would’ve laughed if the circumstances were different.

There were some other students behind her, laughing and talking, and Enid realized: Wednesday knew they wouldn’t believe her. No one would.

Triumph rose in her, and she smiled, her lips pressed into a thin line. Wednesday grimaced at that, no doubt reminded of the kiss just moments ago.

“Wednesday, go back to sleep,” Enid begged, playing the role of ‘confused roommate’ to the students that surrounded them. She reached for Wednesday, her claws sheathed, seemingly forgetting the raven’s boundaries. Slowly the werewolf placed her hands on Wednesday’s shoulders and leaned in real close. In her ear she whispered, “no one will believe you” and backed away, her grim smile still plastered on her face.

Wednesday let out a sound that could almost be perceived as a growl, her lips peeled back to reveal her canines.

 But it wasn’t out of defiance. It was helplessness.

They had been roommates for a long time. Enid could tell when Wednesday was bothered by something. This time, it was glaringly obvious.

“I hater you,” Wednesday snapped. “I can’t believe I kissed you.”

Enid reeled back like she’d been struck. “Wends-” She reached instinctively, but the girl melted into the surroundings, and the chains and the emptiness were back.

Who was she kidding? She was a monster, a psychopath, an animal in chains. Not a wolf. A Hyde.

And then she blinked, and she was awake.

The chains were back, weighing her down, and she winced, pulling up her shirt to better cover herself.

And she came to terms with herself.

Wednesday was a void. A black void, a twisted soul. But not emotionless. Not careless. And where her darkness had been, the emptiness she had left behind was far, far worse.

She bit her lip a little, drawing blood.

All that time later, the ghost of Wednesday’s kiss still brushing against her lips.

A Hyde. A monster. A puppet. A killer. A sociopath. The villain.

Wednesday’s villain.

-*oOo*-

Wednesday Addams

Bianca had roped her into another hangout.

With Enid… confined… and a serial killer… Bianca had taken the role of her best friend. That meant maintaining what Bianca called a ‘healthy relationship.’ While Wednesday was very healthy, she wasn’t quite sure what it meant to maintain a friendship. It seemed pointless. If they were already… friends… what was the need to rub in Wednesday’s failure of staying reserved and stoic? She had already made a mistake of a friend, so she was understandably still wary of Bianca despite the girl saving her life from Crackstone.

“It’ll be something along your style, Addams,” Bianca had said.

Which was how she ended up sitting begrudgingly next to Bianca and Xavier while hanging out with them, Yoko, Tyler, Divina, and Kent. Tyler’s shift had just ended when they arrived, and he made Wednesday the only thing that was bitter enough for her: a quad over ice.

“Let’s talk about the reason we’re here. The elephant in the room, shall I say?” Yoko began. She was wearing her blackout sunglasses, but Wednesday could feel the vampire’s eyes on her. “Our former friend, Enid. I know you all have probably been thinking about her a lot. I have too, I must admit.”

Wednesday stiffened at the mention of the Hyde’s name. Now she understood why the meeting had been called, and why Bianca had claimed it would ‘be her style’.

“Has anyone visited her?” Bianca seemed focused on the raven as she said this, and Tyler’s eyes snapped to Wednesday as a blush filled his cheeks.

“I have,” Wednesday confirmed. “I have begun to research the effect Thornhill had on her, and whether her murderous actions were her own intent or due to devotion to her master. If it is the latter, then perhaps there is a way a new master can be put in Thornhill’s place.”

Divina sighed, shaking her head. Her teal eyes welled with tears, but they didn’t fall. “I’m gonna be honest, Addams, you knew Enid better than the rest of us, even only knowing her for a few months. But that’s not because you lived with her, it’s not because you were close. It’s because you saw her Hyde. You saw her true form, saw her master command her. She is a Hyde. She had a choice to redeem herself.”

Divina’s harsh words didn’t faze her, though. Wednesday looked at Yoko and Bianca, waiting for them to scold Divina for her words against their former friend.

But then she realized that they not only agreed, but supported it. Their faces showed it, glaringly obvious.

Only Tyler tried to comfort her, his hands twitching ever so slightly closer to hers on the table. “Well, it’ll be good to have someone like you researching that kinda topic. I don’t think many people have studied it?”

Wednesday’s head bobbed in agreement. Normally she would have a sharp remark on her tongue, despite the kindness behind Tyler’s words, but she wasn’t in the mood. It was sunny outside; how heinous. Although that wasn’t the only cause of Wednesday’s distress. “Psychology is fascinating. I want to see what drove the girl to insanity, and the girl that got left behind.” Her words were glazed with raw emotion, the kind that usually was kept behind a wall of contempt. But now the barest trace was brushed along ever word she seemed to utter. “You know what they say? Monsters aren’t born. They’re made.”

She calmly took a sip of her coffee, dulling over her worries with memories. Ones that reminded her of the brutality of the Hyde. But the question remained, and so did the wary looks of her so called friends.

Was there any way to see the person Enid was before Thornhill?

And, would they even recognize the girl underneath?

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: Woe is Orange

Enid Sinclair

Enid was no stranger to experimentation. She was, after all, Marilyn’s little experiment. But this? Caged, with no one to fill the affection that had disappeared with her innocence? It was worse. Worse than the way she had convulsed, the way she had screamed when Marilyn had injected her with that very first serum.

“Mommy loves you,” she had said, her words sickly sweet, burrowing their way into Enid’s subconscious, where they would remind her forever of what they had been.

Now she didn’t know who the woman had been talking about. Her, or her Hyde.

“Wednesday doesn’t care, love, she doesn’t understand you. I know it’s hard, I know it’s hard, baby. But don’t worry. I’m here for you. Mommy’s here for you.” Back then she didn’t understand why she felt this way. Why every time that… word… left Marilyn’s lips, that she winced. But she understood now. Her mom had never been there for her. There wasn’t a positive association with that word. So Enid hated every time she heard it, every time Marilyn reminded her of that word that was supposed to bring comfort.

The werewolf had dealt with it, because she hated it when Marilyn was angry at her. But now, with their distance, with no consequence for her misbehavior, she felt… freer. Like now she could think, could know, could learn, without the burning whisper of her master’s voice in the back of her head.

When Fairburn came, offering up group therapy once again, she felt the automatic ‘no’ on her tongue. But she shook her head firmly, shaking away the thoughts, and muttered quietly, “yeah sure. I’ll give it a go. I’m all for trying new things.”

The doctor’s eyes widened with horror, surprise, then settled with wary excitement and caution. “Okay. Feeling different today?”

Enid stared blankly at her chains. “Tired of this. Lonely. Doesn’t feel good.” Barely coherent, but it was enough. Fairburn smiled at her.

“Great! Remember, group therapy is a privilege, not a right. So please, for the love of god, don’t murder any nurses, therapists, or patients?” She glanced down at her clipboard. “Also, Wednesday is planning on visiting today. Would you want to see her before or after therapy? Or even… at the same time? The patients at this time’s therapy are all very interesting, and I would be willing to let Wednesday watch you if it would help you handle… everything.”

The werewolf cocked her head like an excited puppy. “I didn’t know I got a choice. But yeah, I’ll see her during therapy. I’m eager to start my rehable- rehibili- rehabilitatition? What’s the word?” She grinned innocently.

“Rehabilitation, sweetheart. Okay. Unfortunately, due to safety concerns, you must stay in chains for the duration of your group therapy. It’s not that we don’t trust you, uhm…”

Enid sighed. How is this woman a professional therapist? “You don’t trust me, ma’am. I’ve literally tried to kill you many times. Be so for real, doctor Fairburn.”

The woman’s eyes darted left and right, the slang throwing her off. “Okay. I’ll send over two boys will escort you out of here. Promise not to kill them?”

The blonde nodded. “I’ll sign a waiver,” she joked wryly.

True enough, two big men who looked about thirty walked into her cell a minute later. They were wearing what Enid believed to be bulletproof vests, which seemed kinda stupid, because where would Enid be getting a bullet? One, she couldn’t, and two, she didn’t really need one to kill anyhow.

“Hi,” she said awkwardly, waving as best she could with the weight of the chains. They didn’t seem very amused. And, being the asylum-hardened guards they were, they didn’t even wave back.

Annoyed, she automatically slipped into her best defense mechanism: the mask, the manipulation, the kind that Thornhill had taught her. “You guys look excited to see me. Letting me out already? Have I served my sentence? Oh wait.” She took a step closer, her collar beeping once. “I’m in here until my very last breath.” She breathed out, watching the gentle wisp of steam curl in the frigid air.

The men ignored her. One of them unlocked the door, and for the first time in a long while, someone was inside the cage with her.

But they weren’t here to give her a hug, to nurse her fragile body back to health. No, they grabbed her roughly, placing a second chain on each of her wrists and unlocking the original ones. For a second she sighed with relief, but as the brown haired man dropped her wrists, they clattered against the stone as she fell forward. They were heavy. Very heavy.

“Ow,” Enid complained, her face pressed against the floor. She struggled to her feet, her posture awful as her chained hands weighed her down. “This is cruel.”

The second man, the redhead, looked at her as if acknowledging the irony, but said nothing.

The chains were connected to a cart, and they wheeled it out of the cage like she was a dog on a leash. Suddenly she felt pity for all the pets out there.

It did feel nice, albeit a bit weird, to be out of the cage. And when the brown haired man unlocked the iron door, she caught sight of something she hadn’t seen since they shoved her in the cage.

A different room. For most it wouldn’t mean anything, but to her, the caged, the prisoner, the monster, it was everything. She breathed in the scent of febreeze and a sandwich, glaring a little at the man at the monitor, the one who handled her shock collar. He gave her a wave and a hardened gaze. “Miss Sinclair,” he murmured.

Enid snarled at him, but she was wheeled out of the room.

A hallway. This had windows. Her eyes snapped to one, looking at the world outside the asylum. Green.

With Wednesday as her only visitor and Fairburn only ever wearing muted colors, her glimpse of green was the first in months. Her eyes widened, and tears welled to fill the gaps. She wiped them away furiously, but some began to drip down her face.

Something in Fairburn’s expression seemed to soften. “There you are,” she whispered. “Isn’t this nice? Your cooperation means everything to us.”

Words. Always words, silky smooth, manipulative. She sounded much like Thornhill. Her view of the outdoors ruined by her mood, she scoffed. “Let’s just go.”

She was dragged to another room, one that was filled with rainbows and painted animals, which kind of reminded her of her dorm and her ‘mask’.

There were only six people already there; only three of them prisoners, which surprised her. She had expected more.

There was also a therapist, his sunny smile and lab coat staring Enid in the face. A guard, his hand settled on the pistol on his belt.

And then, the person Enid had expected to see, but not so soon. One she tried to keep her eyes off of, but was very much unable to.

Wednesday freaking Addams.

-*oOo*- [ugly chapter break lol]

Wednesday Addams

When one of the guards greeted her instead of Fairburn, she expected to be led to the girl’s cell, or maybe questioned. So when they showed her to a room full of color that would give her an allergic reaction and informed her she would be helping Enid through her first group therapy, she was understandably very confused.

But an Addams never stayed confused, so Wednesday simply accepted her fate. She had brought her pen and notebook, but Thing was busy getting pampered by Divina and Yoko, so he hadn’t come.

And then, moments later, her subject entered the room.

“Sinclair,” Wednesday greeted, her voice methodical and detached. At least, she hoped it sounded that way. “Good morning.”

Enid gave her a small smile. “Howdy, Wednesday.”

The voice tugged at her heart, waking it up from its slumber. But Wednesday pushed it back down, recognizing that it wasn’t really the Hyde trying to be nice. That it was manipulation, just like it always was.

One of the other patients made a small noise, overwhelmed at two new, intimidating looking people entering into their normal routine.

“Ah, yes, we should introduce ourselves!” the other therapist, (not Fairburn) said. He clapped his hands together, looking excited. “Folks, we have two new people.”

Wednesday resisted the urge to roll her eyes, meeting Enid’s gaze. For a moment they were roommates again, sharing a joke.

“I think he’s gay,” Enid mouthed, gesturing to the therapist.

Wednesday resisted the urge to smile. She turned to look at the therapist, clarifying, “I am not a patient. I am Patient Sinclair’s helper, here only to help prevent a murderous transformation.”

“Okay then,” the therapist said, a little nervously. “I am Dr. Kane, one of Willow Hill’s outcast employees. I’m an Empath. I can sense emotion, though not that clearly. It can get kinda confusing.” His eyes strayed to Enid and Wednesday. “A lot.” Dr. Kane cleared his throat. “Uhm, who would like to go next?”

Enid dragged herself and her cart near Wednesday, plopping herself down next to the girl. Wednesday sighed and sat down.

“I’ll go,” came the soft voice of a boy who didn’t seem like the type to go to an asylum. He had blue hair mixed with his own brown hair, and heterochromia. One of his eyes was a stunning blue, and the other olive green. “My name is Alun. I’m thirteen years old, almost fourteen? I’m a Healer, and I’m here because of depression and severe PTSD.” The boy shifted in his large brown shirt, and Wednesday caught sight of a long, ragged scar across his arm. He was the baby of the group.

A healer addicted to pain. How ironic, Wednesday thought. Alun reminded her a little of Pugsley, a little of Eugene, although younger, more fragile and tragic. He was the same age as Agnes, but the way he curled into himself made him seem smaller.

Alun looked at the girl next to him.

“I’m Kala,” the girl murmured. “I’m a Quaker. I’m here for causing an earthquake that toppled multiple buildings. I’m seventeen.” Her hair was a wavy dirty blonde color, and her eyes were amber.

The boy on the other side of Alun cleared his throat. He had a hand placed protectively on Alun’s knee, and his body half-covered the boy as if to protect him from Wednesday’s harsh gaze. “I’m West. I’m fourteen. I’m a Shielder. I’m here because I have anger issues.”

Hearing this, Alun tapped West’s knee. “You killed three people, West.”

The boy shrugged it off. “They were bullies. And it was an accident. I just meant to maim them. They were bullying him.” He gestured to the Healer.

Wednesday felt a small surge of respect for the kid. He was young, but he understood what it meant to protect.

“I hope you like this group,” Fairburn said. “They have all been through grooming and trauma from the adults in their life, but they’re healing. Some of them have dark pasts, like you, Enid. But they’re learning to move through it. And they’re young, like you.”

“Would you like to introduce yourself, Enid?” Dr. Kane urged.

Enid shuffled uneasily. “I’m Enid. I’m an artificial Hyde, but also a werewolf. I can’t shift into one, though.” Her voice caught, and she grabbed onto Wednesday’s arm for support.

Wednesday stiffened, but didn’t pull away. This was her job. She had to stay calm. She could remind Enid of her boundaries once they were back in the safety of the cell.

“I’m here because my master ordered me to kill… nineteen people? I think? I was a serial killer. But I got caught.”

Wednesday expected the others to look shocked, but they didn’t seem so. It was likely they had gotten a debriefing before meeting the Hyde.

“My name is Wednesday Addams,” the raven began. “I am not a patient here at Willow Hill. I am a psychic.”

“Good. Let’s begin,” Dr. Kane said, smiling stupidly. “We’ll start with this. How are we feeling today?”

Wednesday sighed a little, knowing they were in for a long ride.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: Woe Is How You Look At Me

Enid Sinclair

The questions blurred past her, but she didn’t reply to them. She let Kala, Alun, and West fill the silence that she refused to engage in. The words she didn’t release stayed tantalizing her on the tip of her tongue, burning, waiting. Waiting to be said.

It would be a confession. Admittance. Of what she wished she hadn’t lost.

She tried to imagine the reactions she would get.

She needed to be better. She looked outside the tiny window of the room, where she could see the sky. It was bright, the clouds parted to make way for the sun. When the night fell, the moon would be full.

How did Enid know that? She could feel it, deep inside, her wolf that had been so long dormant stirring a little like it always did. Always, teasing her.

She remembered what Wednesday had told her that second visit. “It’s not a wolf. It could never be a wolf. You wish it was.”

The psychic was right. She knew better than Enid did. She was smart. At this point, Enid should just give up her mind and do whatever Wednesday told her. That would be better. And easier. God, it’d be so much easier if she could just be good… Wednesday’s good little puppet.

She made a small whining noise at the thoughts, pulling away from her grip on Wednesday’s forearms. She had grabbed the raven on instinct, to calm her racing heart, to rid herself of her growing nerves.

Wednesday’s puppet. Thornhill’s puppet.

She was a Hyde, she needed a master. And Thornhill wasn’t there anymore. Where she would usually imagine the redhead, meticulously braided hair took its place.

A Hyde was nothing without their master. She was nothing. A killer. Scum. Imprisoned. Chained. Marilyn would hate to see her like this, and not out of pity. Out of anger. Anger at Enid’s failure.

She whined again, a shrill sound, her collar beeping once. This time Wednesday’s eyes snapped to her, something unreadable dwelling underneath her gaze. “Sinclair. That incessant noise is beginning to grate at my patience.”

Alun, poor boy, sniffled, wiping his eyes. “Enid, I might be able to help you.” His shaky hands reached for the werewolf, and they began to glow bright yellow.

“Ah! Get it away!” Enid shrieked, rocketing backwards and nearly tipping over the cart she was attached to.

Dr. Kane looked at her. “Enid, it’s okay. I understand that might’ve frightened you, but you have some cuts on your arm. Alun’s healing sense means he can feel your pain, and he wants to heal it. But Alun, kiddo, remember consent is key.”

Alun blinked away a few tears, nodding a little as he returned to his seat and West wrapped an arm  around his shoulders.

Enid glanced at him. This is my chance to be better. I can- a jolt of hope ran through her. Released on good behavior. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? To run her hands through the grass, to dance to some kpop song in front of the mirror, to move her hands without the weight of the chains; it seemed surreal, magical. She looked at her arm. The blood was crusted, dry, and a dull but sharp sting pulsed through it, strong enough to notice but practically background noise compared to her rollercoaster of emotions.

“You can heal me,” she murmured, reaching her arm toward Alun.

The boy nodded slowly, his dark blue and brown hair waving a little. He reached out to her, his hand placed carefully onto her wound, and slowly the skin melded together.

Half of Enid wanted to gag, maybe throw up, but the other half surged with Hyde; the gruesomeness awakened the part of her that was badly buried.

West pulled Alun back as the thirteen year old slumped to the ground.

“Thanks,” Enid murmured. Dr. Kane smiled at her, and Dr. Fairburn’s pen resumed its scribbling.

“Alright. Next question!” Kane said brightly, his golden eyes shining with pride. “If you could tell that person anything, anything at all, what would you say?”

“Who’s that person,” Kala put in, her voice guarded. It seemed more of a stalling method than an actual question. Rhetorical. Enid hated rhetorical.

Dr. Kane’s smile only widened. “Well, the beauty of it, Kala, is that it’s your choice. Everyone here probably has someone they wish they could apologize to, someone they maybe miss, or even resent. Think of that person, acknowledge how they make you feel, take a deep breath in, and feel free to share with the group. This is very much an optional question, as I’d like to remind you. But I strongly encourage sharing this. It’s an important one.”

Everyone responded to this one. The other kids’ answers mostly aligned with their personalities, but once they finished, everyone looked to Enid.

She tensed up a little, fidgeting with her hands as she moved instinctively closer to Wednesday. The raven spared her no mind, her eyes trained on the floor like she was trying to avoid something.

“Uhm.” There were two people she would want to tell, Marilyn, and, well, Wednesday. She had a choice to talk to Wednesday, right now if she wanted, but there was a very real chance she would never see Marilyn again.

But most of her yearned for Wednesday to understand, because the psychic practically taunted her throughout… whatever they were. Taunted her with care, with affection, with acknowledgement even. She never could truly understand what Wednesday was thinking. Never could.

So as she opened her mouth, and the words flowed out of her, they carried jagged edges and unsaid emotions, of duality, of not knowing. Enid wasn’t completely aware of what she was saying, nor did she know which words were for who, but they were there. Words.

“I miss you. I miss having what we had. I miss the way you looked at me, so much trust, and I thought it was love but I don’t know. I was so pathetic and I didn’t fight back, I was just a kid and I didn’t want it, I didn’t…” her breath dissolved into sobs, and she wiped away her tears furiously, but they came so fast that she barely had time. “I see you all the time, I wasn’t clueless, but I don’t know if you really cared…” Tears were blurring her vision, but sheer pride kept those few from shedding.

Wednesday seemed unaffected, but Enid couldn’t really tell, because her head was turned, she wasn’t with Enid, her eyes were on Dr. Fairburn and her stupid notes.

“You won’t even look at me,” she cried, falling over on her side. The collar beeped twice and a shock burst through her. She sobbed again, but didn’t scream. She just lay there, pathetic, useless, in a small puddle of her tears. “Why won’t you look at me!”

Her Hyde exploded, her hands morphing, turning peach, gray, back to peach.

Wednesday finally turned to her, her eyes calculating, annoyed. “You’re scaring the patients, Enid. Don’t be so dramatic.”

Enid quieted at the sound of her name leaving Wednesday’s lips. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, still shaking a little. “I’m sorry.”

The veins in Dr. Kane’s neck looked like they were about to pop. In a strained voice he muttered, “Okay. Lots of tension here. Not a great time to be an Empath.”

Alun giggled a little.

Kala glanced at him. “Kane, can I go back to my cell?”

Dr. Kane nodded. “Yes.” The girl blinked twice, raised her metal-gloved hands for a guard to grab her and escort her out the room.

Enid noticed this even in the fog that was her mind, that it seemed patients were permitted to leave the group ‘therapy’ at any time. “And Mrs. Sinclair, would you like to do the same?”

She looked to Wednesday, slowly finding the strength to sit up. “I don’t know. Is Wednesday gonna join me?” she let her voice fall into manipulation, slippery and calm. “She seems obsessed with me, I’m sure she’ll want to.” The werewolf gave the psychic a smile.

Wednesday stood up abruptly. “I will be leaving now,” she said. “Research must be done.” She looked at Enid, the barest trace of a smirk on her face that told Enid, That’s right. I know what you’re doing. I win.

Enid clawed weakly at the ground, falling over like a starved puppy. “I’ll stay here then,” she murmured, looking at Alun and West. The two boys looked slightly amused, especially the latter.

The raven didn’t reply as she adjusted her braids and walked calmly towards the door. Fairburn glanced at her, nodding. “Thanks for… helping?” The therapist tried.

Again, Wednesday was silent. Only after Dr. Kane waved to her and she was halfway through the doorway did she turn around.

“Enid?” she said sharply, the word said like a dagger meant to pierce the werewolf’s heart.

Her head bowed, she whispered, “Yeah?”

“It is fruitless for you to speak to me. The civilians you killed are the victims in this story.”

Enid made a strangled sound, her claws sheathing. Wednesday walked away, her boots pounding the ground, and she cried.

For Alun and West and Kala. For her parents. For her doctor. For her brothers. For the victims. For Wednesday.

For Weems. For Thornhill. For Ajax.

As the guards dragged her to her cell as she leaned against them, barely awake, as Alun called out a soft goodbye to her, she gave one last sob before collapsing.

For herself.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7: Woe Isn't Normal

Wednesday Addams

Wednesday wasn’t one to mope. In fact, if anyone were to suggest otherwise, she would likely find some exotic way to murder them. Because if she were to mope, one could infer that Wednesday cared about something.

How heinous.

Because Wednesday didn’t care about anything. Perhaps she felt the need to protect; for example, Pugsley and Eugene, whose weaknesses were demonstrated so boldly to the world. They needed her help.

She had thought the same of Enid, and as she fixed the collar of her black Nevermore uniform, she once again admired Enid’s ability to manipulate. Wednesday had been convinced.

It fascinated her more than she’d admit. She supposed it was through Marilyn’s teachings. The depth of the master’s bond with the Hyde seemed to be weakening with every visit.

Each of her questions came up unanswered, ending in question marks and empty lines. Wednesday hated that she no longer held power over the situation. But who was she kidding? Wednesday never joked. She knew she never truly had any power. Enid had had the girl wrapped around her finger.

So she slowly dipped her quill into her ink bottle and scratched a few lines onto her notebook.

Physical attachment while stressed.

Urge to confess.

She began the letter E, but the quill, almost as if it had a mind of its own, slipped out of her hand and lay there. A long line of ink trailed across the paper.

Her anger flared, but she forced herself to stay stoic as usual and snapped the notebook shut. The noise echoed around the dorm’s walls, and she looked to Enid’s side to make sure she didn’t notice.

But Enid wasn’t there. She would never be there again.

Wednesday’s stomach rose and fell with each breath, and her eyes fluttered shut for a half-second.

Even if Enid changed her ways, what good would it do? What would happen next? The asylum, the cage, in any form, it was a dead end. The Hyde’s fate was sealed the moment Wednesday caught her. Even if the Hyde inside her died, there was a very real chance that she would have to stay in the asylum anyhow. Maybe she’d just have slightly nicer accommodations.

Wednesday dug her fingernails into the wood, looking at Thing. The severed hand was practicing his dance moves to nonexistent music. “What do you suppose I do?” she said, a little defensively, but clear nonetheless.

The hand stopped dancing. “I’m assuming you’re not talking about school?” he signed warily after a moment.

Wednesday glared at him. “Of course not. Keep up.”

Thing nodded his… wrist… and signed, “About Enid, then. You have feelings for her.”

A crease formed between her eyebrows, and if looks could kill, Thing would be dead already. “I hate Enid. End of story. Unless you’d like another cut that’ll need to be stitched,” she threatened, her head tilted a little. Her eyes blazed with anger.

Thing stopped, pondering her threat while absentmindedly tapping the floor. “Hate is a feeling.” Then he immediately flinched back as Wednesday threw a dagger at him. It planted directly to the side of where he was just a moment before.

“That was a warning shot,” Wednesday uttered, her face dusted with the barest trace of pink. “Sign anything else and you’ll find one of your fingers chopped up and thrown in the trash.”

Thing bowed to her, showing his submission, but he didn’t let it go completely. “so… I thought you wanted help,” he signed cheekily.

Wednesday scowled. “Fine. Do your worst.”

Thing stretched his fingers, his stitches straining. “Well,” he began, in his mix between Morse Code and ASL. “You visit her a lot, right? I think it’s helping. Maybe eventually…” He stopped for a moment, his pointer restlessly tapping the ground in gibberish.

“Thing, the source of my apparent confusion is, even if Enid were to completely pivot her way of living, she would remain in the same cell she’s in. Even if I could rid her of the Hyde-” Wednesday’s voice abruptly finished, and she looked at an empty spot in her dorm.

Agnes’s irritating voice reached her ears, and Wednesday clenched her fists around one of her hidden knives.

“I could get the irritating pup out of her cell,” Agnes offered. “However, releasing her would seem… counterproductive.”

Wednesday didn’t answer, but her eyes were filled with annoyance. “Leave. And find some other soul to obsess over. I don’t need your help, I am perfectly capable of handling my business on my own.” She spat out the words with such visible emotion (although negative) that even Thing was shocked.

The redhead’s eyes widened and immediately welled with tears. Her body disappeared in an instant, and Wednesday’s door opened then shut, with it the sound of footsteps padding the floor slowly fading away.

“What,” Wednesday muttered, still on edge as her menacing gaze turned to Thing.

The hand signed, “You’re wondering what’s next, aren’t you? You know a lot about the legal system. Victim of circumstance. She’s a minor, groomed by an adult. If you could find enough about what Thornhill did to her…” The hand paused, waiting for Wednesday to connect the dots.

“I could get her out,” the raven mused. “If she proves fit, there is a way out. That is… comforting.”

She stood, her boot hitting the soft wooden floor. “I hate comfort.”

-*oOo*-

Enid Sinclair

It had been two whole days since Wednesday had last come to see her. And she was so. Freaking. Bored.

Like, what was she supposed to do? Currently, she was laying against the cold, hard concrete floor and wriggling a little like a worm. She had already made up five TikTok dances for various pop songs and performed them for Dr. Fairburn. She didn’t seem very excited about them.

That was when someone else entered the room. Not Wednesday. Not Fairburn. Not a guard. Not a nurse. Not a patient.

No, this boy certainly wasn’t any of those. He looked about Enid’s age, so sixteen, and his face was void of any stubble. Certainly not old or prepared enough to work in a psychiatric hospital, much less a Hyde.

“Hi,” he said awkwardly, his hand hesitantly lifted like he was deciding whether to wave or not. His voice was deep, a little rough, but still filled with a sort of innocence that none of the staff had.

Enid lifted her chained left hand. “Hi.” she paused, considering. “What are you doing, kid? Don’t you know I’ve killed stronger people than you?”

The boy didn’t seem fazed. Enid resisted the urge to scowl. Marilyn had taught her that those kind of sayings worked pretty well. Would she have to socialize? It was so tiring to keep up any kind of act at this point.

“They told me you’d say something like that,” the boy admitted, a blush coloring his freckled cheeks. He had brown hair and blue eyes that shined like sapphires. “I’m a volunteer.” He tugged at his scrubs like he wasn’t quite used to them yet. “I started talking to Alun earlier today, but he was really quiet, worried that West wouldn’t like it? I don’t know. The staff warned me, but I really wanted to say hi.” He smiled softly, testing the waters. “I don’t know. The adults in my life kinda suck. So, call me crazy, I get wanting to please them. I get wanting to do anything so maybe, just maybe, they would look at me and love would finally overpower the hate in them.”

Enid blinked. “You might be delusional, then. Volunteering to help a Hyde at your age?”

“Uh, you’re the same age as me,” he pointed out, some teasing in his voice. “I’m Leon. My job is to, uh, bring you food, maybe talk if you’re up to it. I can sing pretty well if that would help cheer you up.”

Enid slowly shook her head. “Well, Leon, I don’t think your singing would cheer me up. The reason I enjoy music so much is because of the beat. Though I do love a good girl singer.” She smiled, although unsure whether she did so to unsettle him or ease his worries. “Neither will you bringing me food. I don’t know what’s in that gray sludge they give me, but oh my god, it’s horrible.”

Leon shrugged. “That’s only for breakfast. But yeah, I’m glad I’m not eating that! No offense. Do you get many visitors?”

“No,” she whispered. “But my old roommate Wednesday comes to visit me a lot.”

“I heard about her,” Leon admitted. “I’m glad there’s someone you like that visits. Although, from what I’ve heard? Wednesday isn’t the best at feelings. The staff say she’s threatened to kill them. Honestly, with that kinda personality, she belongs here, not you. You seem pretty decent.”

Enid felt something stirring in the pit of her stomach. Her Hyde? No. This was just anger. “She’s just shy,” Enid snapped, her collar beeping once.

Leon flinched back. “Okay. Sorry. I got it,” he said, taking a step back and holding his hands up like he got caught by the police. “I thought she hated you. But I shouldn’t assume.”

When the werewolf spoke again, her voice was quieter. “We were friends. And she doesn’t hate me.”

Leon tugged at his scrubs again. “She put you in here,” he reminded her, but not unkindly.

Enid frowned at him. “No. I put myself in here, with my own actions. I killed nineteen people!” she yelled, throwing up her hands. “Leave me alone!” She was breathing heavily. Why had she exploded? She didn’t want any more shocks. She needed Wednesday to visit again. If the raven saw her like this, maybe she would give up. Maybe she would know that Enid was a lost cause. She had to control herself. Before her collar did it for her.

Leon shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I understand if you don’t want to see me again.” Seemed fine to Enid, but she couldn’t say that. Would that be mean? The boy would probably take it as mean.

So she said a quick “it’s okay” before turning around and facing the wall, burying her face into her knees.

“Thank you!” he exclaimed. “I’m gonna go now. See you later?” He got no reply from the annoyed werewolf, so he just shook his head a little and left.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8: How Dare Woe

Wednesday Addams

Two more days passed before Wednesday saw Enid’s face.

The Hyde’s face was dotted with grime and smeared with tears and sweat. Her hair was matted, and Wednesday could see how skinny she was as her shirt clung to her small frame. Quiet whimpers left her mouth, but her lips were peeled back like she was about to snarl. Her eyes were closed, her head rested against the wall and her hands quivering lightly as they were pinned to the wall by the chains.

Wednesday’s heart jump-started, tugging at its confinements, a feeling irregular to the ones she normally felt. When was the last time she had noticed it? Perhaps the Rave’n, her date with Enid, or with Tyler?

But this wasn’t attraction. This wasn’t attachment. No, this feeling clung like wet paper, flimsy but impossible to rid herself of. She despised it.

It stayed there for a time, watching Enid in her restless slumber, slowly cracking away chips of her armor.

What was she thinking? She felt like Pugsley. The boy was so sentimental.

Or, wait; this… feeling… was stranger than that. Perhaps her parents… with all their affection and unconditional love…

Wednesday nearly gagged. She was an Addams, meaning if she were to give her heart, it would be undying, unable to be suppressed. When she had inquired her father about this as a young girl, he had told her that she would simply know the feeling when, or rather if, she experienced it. So it couldn’t be that.

It twisted her gut until it was something recognizable, although dimly. Concern? That discomfort fit into its mold, yet it seemed incomplete, insufficient to describe the treacherous emotion that had consumed her.

Only the sound and sight of Enid stirring was enough to wake her from her thoughts, and she snapped into the uncaring self she’d been around Enid lately. “Sinclair,” she stated, her voice unwavering. But Wednesday couldn’t stop the way her eyes hovered over her body, searching for injury, checking for signs of disease.

Enid’s eyes blinked open, and as her eyes met Wednesday’s. She seemed drowsy, not completely there as a gentle, sleepy smile spread across her face. “Hey, stranger,” she whispered. “Missed you a lot.”

Wednesday stared at her, her unblinking eyes trailing across Enid’s face. “You’re feverish,” she decided, identifying the cause of the werewolf’s behavior.

The blonde yawned, her canines sharp, shifting a little. “I’m sick,” she confirmed, rubbing her eyes. “I don’t think you care, though.” Enid sneezed violently, and she wiped the snot from her nose onto her uniform.

“Minimal human contact, and you manage to catch an illness,” Wednesday noted. “How unfortunate.” Her voice was dry.

Enid tilted her head. “Mhm. Probably the food… one of the cooks got me sick?” She coughed into her elbow, polite as ever despite Wednesday and her being several feet apart.

Wednesday acknowledged this with a small nod.

“So, Wends, why are you here?” she asked, her voice a little hoarse. “You didn’t bring your notebook.”

The raven froze for a split second, caught off guard while simultaneously expecting the question. “What did Thornhill do? To you, I mean. To get you like this.”

Enid slumped, her posture awful. “Wednesday,” she whined, “I’m sick. Really?” She got no other response, so she just sighed. “Serums. So many. It started slowly, when I was thirteen. She promised me, it would help me transform. I didn’t know why, or how, but Esther- my mom- she threatened to pull me out. If I don’t transform. Conversion camps-” Tears streaked down her face, and she stopped for a second, her voice choked with emotion. “I didn’t really know Marilyn really well yet, but she was really nice. She made me feel so special. When someone bullied me, she would kiss the top of my head, and let me sleep in her arms. When I woke up, the bully would be suspended or something, but they never bothered me again. That was when I didn’t have a roommate, so I was alone most of my free time if not with Marilyn.

“Then, like I said, serums.” Her voice became more strained with each word, to the point where Wednesday wondered if it was all just sickness. “I didn’t think they did anything, but I would wake up covered in so much blood. And she was always there when I woke up, Wends. She would tell me that it was a semi-transformation, before a wolf. That I would just kill an animal she gave me. I’m not- I wasn’t- fully awake, in that form. Not back then.” Her claws scratched the concrete floor. “She said she could control me, I wouldn’t do anything bad. Then I started to remember. Remember the way they looked beneath me, blood spilling, gushing, from their wounds, and…” She blinked a few times, coughing up mucus before continuing.

“She found me there, crying, and I told her I knew everything. I am a killer. And she held me, told me she knew, she wanted to protect me, she had silver, and it hurt so bad-” Enid’s breath hitched, and her words came out faster, and she was sobbing as she did. “And she told me they deserved it, they needed to die, and I believed it, Wednesday I believed it!”

Wednesday stood calmly with her hands folded, rested in front of her stomach. She waited for the outburst to pass.

Finally Enid’s breathing returned to normal, luckily with no shocks. “I didn’t want to disappoint her. I thought they believed it. And I had to obey her, I didn’t really understand it but I had to. Then you came and investigated and kissed me and I freaked out. You were never supposed to know,” she whispered. “It wasn’t supposed to end this way.”

The raven didn’t answer for a long moment. “If it ended on Marilyn’s terms, I wouldn’t be alive,” she pointed out.

Enid bowed her head shamefully. “I didn’t know about Crackstone. I promise. I was trying to be good for Marilyn. I didn’t know she was trying to revive the random pilgrim guy. And I didn’t know she wanted to kill all outcasts.”

“Did she harm you physically when you tried to disobey?” Wednesday asked, practically ignoring what Enid had just said.

“Yeah. Silver, mostly. But it was just discipline! I tried to do bad things, I tried to disobey her. It wasn’t her fault,” Enid said quickly, hurriedly defending her master.

Wednesday snuck a look at Enid’s eyes. Blue. They looked so, so sad.

“You don’t truly believe that, do you,” Wednesday murmured. “Well, it doesn’t matter. Continue.”

Enid sighed. “She told me to befriend you, but under all circumstances, to not develop feelings. It didn’t work, clearly, but you know that already. I did like you.”

“I’m not here for sentiment. I’m here for research.”

Enid’s gaze flicked to Wednesday’s hands. “You didn’t bring your notebook.”

“That is beside the point. My memory is perfectly capable,” she covered, but Enid knew her well enough to detect the lie.

The Hyde forced her hands to her side. “It’s not just research anymore, right? Maybe I’m just kidding myself. But I don’t think I am? I mean, I’m probably crazy by now. But I know you, Wends.” She leaned a little closer. “Let me guess. If I ever am my… ‘normal self’ again, and I get told someone missed me? It would be Thing that missed me. You hide your feelings, whether it be behind lies or a severed hand. It doesn’t matter. Why can’t you let yourself feel?”

“Emotion equals weakness,” Wednesday said. “You let it consume you. Where did that get you?”

Enid scoffed. “But you feel too! I did like you. I spent so much time trying to make it obvious so that you would like me back!”

Wednesday’s hands tightened into fists, one of them around the silver dagger. “You have no idea what it means to be me. To be Wednesday Addams.”

“I’m in jail! I hate to break it to you, Wends, I have it way worse than you!” she threw up her hands. “Of course, your arrogance prevents you from seeing that. Or, wait, lemme guess, it’s the-”

“Consequence of your own actions,” Wednesday answered, already half way through the door.

Enid groaned. “Bye, Willa, see you again later.”

Wednesday stiffened at the unfamiliar nickname.

“I wish you knew the things I know, felt the things I feel, stayed in my shoes for a day.” Those were the words Wednesday heard before the metal door shut behind her.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9: Blue Shoe, Blue shoe, who am I? I’m you.

Enid woke up in the morning laying on something soft.

Wait, soft?

Nothing in her cage was soft. It was like the Lupin cages, except she stayed there all the time and didn’t have the option to bring anything to make it more cozy. She opened her eyes slowly, yawning. But it was wrong. It was all wrong.

Her jaw was tighter, her mouth smaller. She wiggled her fingers experimentally, the black nail polish staring her in the face like proof of her wrongness.

She yelped, squirming a little and falling off the bed with a loud thump. She stood up, brushed herself off.

She forced herself to stay calm, not wanting to set off the shock collar. But as she rubbed her neck, there was nothing there other than her skin.

“Oh god,” Enid murmured. She looked around. The place was familiar, despite the dream-like quality of her vision. This was her dorm.

She looked at the window. Spiderweb-like, although completely bare. And her side of the room… no, Wednesday's side of the room, it looked exactly the same as it had the last time Enid had seen it.

Her side was stripped bare of everything that made it lively, everything that had made it Enid’s. This is a dream, she told herself. Then she looked in the mirror and shrieked.

She fainted, Enid’s- no, Wednesday’s body crumpled on the floor.

-*oOo*-

Wednesday Addams

A dull ache pulsated through her body as Wednesday opened her eyes. A humming sound reached her ears, and she stared at her hands.

Why were they…

“Enid. Hello again.”

All of a sudden, Wednesday heard this awful, grating voice. She scowled, sat up and looked at him. The chains on her wrists rattled.

“It’s Leon again,” the boy offered, his blue eyes twinkling. “How are you doing?”

“Your voice has somehow become the worst part of this predicament,” Wednesday said dryly, examining the chains and her hands, then her clothing. It was Enid’s. Everything was wrong.

She felt bigger, but somehow weaker, like her entire body was weighing itself down. She was… Enid. She was in Enid’s body.

“It seems fate has played a nasty trick on us all,” she murmured, at a level she hoped only she could hear. She glared at the sky, angry at whatever had caused this to happen. Wednesday wasn’t gonna waste time on this stupid boy who seemed to care for Enid.

She needed to figure out what had happened.

 The curse. It had to be the curse, right? There was no other possibility. If so…

She had to see Enid. Or there was a very real chance that they would both fall dead within hours.

Wednesday tugged at the chains, tilting back her head and remembering how Enid had acted while distressed. She let out this strained yowl, forcing tears out of her eyes as she did so, pawing pathetically at the ground like a demented animal.

She waited with baited breath for anyone to come find her. It didn’t take long for Dr. Fairburn to enter the room, looking distressed with her clipboard in hand.

“What is it now, Mrs. Sinclair?” The therapist asked tiredly.

Wednesday stiffened, unsure how to react. She forced her claws out of her foreign hands, admiring them for a split second before throwing her body to the wall, scraping them with her sharp yet chipped claws.

“Enid-” Dr. Fairburn sighed, placing a careful smile on her face. “Enid, I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

Wednesday blinked, digging her claws into her thigh and showing the bloody fingernails to Dr. Fairburn. “Where’s Wednesday?” she cried. “I need- please- let me see Wednesday!”

“Addams is in class, Enid, I understand maybe you’d like to see her, but not right now honey,” The doctor assured her.

The werewolf huffed, glaring at her. She waited a few seconds for her therapist to fold, but it seemed Enid’s face wasn’t intimidating enough. So she looked away, pressing her face into the wall and hugging her knees in what she hoped was a very Enid- like way.

She let her face fall to the usual monotone now that Fairburn couldn’t see her, annoyed at the way she was forced to contort her face, and angry at the fact that Enid was likely in her body, and would do something similar.

When even ignoring her didn’t work, she turned around, screaming at the top of her lungs, pounding the floor with aching fists, heartbeat spiking enough that the collar beeped. “I swear, I’m gonna transform, I swear-” Wednesday calmed herself, not wanting to feel a shock, letting her heartbeat fall. This body was unfamiliar to her, so she didn’t have much control over it.

She clenched her hands into fists, recognizing the powerful force dwelling just under her skin. Saw it. Felt it.

Controlled it.

A roar erupted from her mouth, her bones cracking, expanding, her entire form rebuilding itself into something better. Something powerful.

All she saw was red.

In front of Fairburn, there was a whole Hyde.

A shock resonated through her bones, but Wednesday didn’t flinch. She was used to the pain. She flickered back to human just enough to scream, “Bring me Addams!” and went back to Hyde form.

Another wave of electricity rippled through her, and she winced, finally settling back into human form, feeling weak and useless, a waste of space really.

Fairburn swallowed hard, her calm persona disappearing, banging on the iron door, shouting, “Get Wednesday! Call Weems and get Wednesday over here!” She looked at Enid, panic in her eyes, her hands raised in clear surrender. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Calm down Enid, everything’s okay, Wednesday’s on her way and-!”

-*oOo*-

Enid Sinclair

She hummed happily, staring out the window of the car.

Enid was a free woman. It felt great, really.

Except… Weems was staring at her through the rearview mirror, her detective face on, scrutinizing her every move.

Enid gulped, adjusting her posture and fiddling with her braids so they lay a certain way. The principal had practically dragged her to the psychiatric hospital, claiming Enid was throwing a fit, but Enid was really quite calm.

She wondered what Wednesday was doing in her body. But she didn’t need to, because the car stopped, and she was staring the hospital right in the face, from the outside for once.

“C’mon in, hurry up please,” Weems urged, directing her. Her hand was placed firmly on Enid’s back, and they hurried through the gate with barely a glance at the guards.

They didn’t slow their pace until the reached the door that led to the Hyde Cage. The guard there nodded at Enid, but put up a hand to stop Weems from answering.

The tall principal stepped back, something unrecognizable wavering on her face.

“Come along,” Fairburn said, from the other side of the door, opening it and holding it for Enid to step in.

She stared at the girl on the other side of the bars, her stomach twisting with… something.

I mean, she knew it was Wednesday. But it still felt like her… just a little wrong. The way Wednesday carried herself was way different.

 She was panting heavily, sweat running down her face. “Enid.” She straightened immediately. “Hello.” Her voice was cordial.

Enid glanced back at Fairburn, but the door was closed. “They’re listening.” She murmured. “They’re always listening.”

Wednesday smiled, which was so unlike her but looked perfectly natural in Enid’s body. She was really playing the part.

“Well, Enid,” Enid spat, resisting the urge to grin. “Why have you thrown a fit to get me here? And what’s stopping me from just… you know, walking away?”

The meaning behind it was clear: Enid could just leave, leave Wednesday to serve her sentence until the end of time while she walked free.

Wednesday looked unfazed. “Our predicament is the product of the Addams family curse. If we are separated for too long, both of us will drop dead.”

Enid reeled back, her mind spinning. “Oh fck. How long?”

Wednesday pretended to think. “Two hours, I believe.”

Enid groaned. “Really? Whyyyyy… This is just mean. Tell me how we reverse this? Also, how the fck did this even happen?”

Wednesday’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “It’s complicated. The only way to reverse this… it seems we must know each other, and possibly forgive each other. Horrible, I know. One of the worst of the curses we could have picked up on.”

“There’s other curses-” Enid sighed, pressing a hand to her temple. “Alright. Sure. We can just play truth or… truth, I guess,” she offered.

“I hate it, but it might be necessary in order for me to leave her alive,” Wednesday pondered this. “Hmm. You go first.”’

“Okay. Um…” Enid tapped her nose. “Marilyn used to call her my mother, but I hated it, because my mother is… was… kinda mean to me, so like the word doesn’t make me think of good things.”

Wednesday stared at her. “Fine. I suppose it is my turn?” Enid nodded, and Wednesday gave her a death glare before opening her mouth. “I did… feel attracted to you.”

“I knew it!” Enid cried, pumping her fists. Wednesday’s gaze neared murderous and Enid chuckled nervously. “Alright. I’ll continue. I didn’t want to kill, not at first. It gave me this icky feeling. But I wanted so bad for Marilyn to keep liking me, and…” she made a face. “Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”

Wednesday’s eyes lowered the slightest bit. “I was researching to see if there were any technicalities to get you out of here.”

“Is there?” Enid wondered aloud. Wednesday shrugged. Honest-to-god shrugged. “Damn, okay. Wanna play two truths and a lie?”

Wednesday’s eyes could burn down a city. “No.”

“Cool! I’ll go first.” She flashed the girl a sickly sweet smile. “This is gonna be so much fun.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 10: I loved you, I’m sorry

Enid Sinclair

“I used to get bullied, I went to a werewolf conversion camp, and I set my brother on fire once,” Enid rattled off.

“The second is a lie. You told me about the other two already,” Wednesday pointed out.

“Ugh, you’re right. That’s no fun,” Enid whined. “It’s always better when you’re super confused.”

Wednesday did not look very impressed. “I… used to chase my brother around after dinner, calling him soft and weak every time he got his foot stuck in one of the bear traps,” her head bobbed, just barely, in amusement. “I sent piranhas after a boy named Dalton because he bullied my brother. He lost his testicles. And I began writing my novels before I spoke my first word.”

Enid blinked. “Um. They all sound very Wednesday, but I think the first one’s a lie? You told me about the testicle guy, and I feel ike the last one’s true.”

Wednesday nodded in confirmation. “Instead of soft and weak, I call him an emotion-riddled weakling. Because he always cries.”

“Poor Pugsley,” Enid laughed.

“You murdered and mutilated nineteen people. Pugsley simply needs to toughen up a little.”

Enid sobered with the reminder. “Yeah, but you don’t feel pain when you’re dead.”

“And they call me the psychopath,” Wednesday muttered. “I suppose this game is futile. We must, likely, forgive each other. Truly. In our… hearts.” Wednesday’s eyes drifted to her chest. “Shame I don’t have one.”

Enid grasped the area where she thought her heart was. “What is there to forgive? Wends, you didn’t really do anything.”

“I was the one who put you here,” Wednesday reminded her. “It could have been viewed as a sort of betrayal. Of course, that would be idiotic, as it is very much your fault, however, the feeling may be buried underneath the rest of your conflicted feelings. Also, who is Leon?”

“My boyfriend,” Enid joked. Wednesday looked appalled, and Enid slapped her knee, cracking up. “The look on your face! I’m taking that to my grave. Oh my god, Wednesday, are you really that jealous of him? Did he visit you? Leon’s just a volunteer, you know, please tell me you didn’t slaughter him verbally-”

“I did not,” Wednesday assured her. “Why you have even an ounce of care for that boy is beyond me, but I did not scare him to the point of no return.”

“Okay, thanks Wends,” Enid said, relaxing a little. “He’s my only entertainment when you’re gone.” She pouted a little. “But oh how the turns have tabled.”

“I believe the expression to be how the tables have turned, but I shall pay it no mind,” Wednesday announced. “I am simply confused by the will of the fates. How am I meant to forgive you if I am chained to this belief that killing is villainous? To go back on my beliefs, to forgive you, that would be unjust.”

“Imagine having to forgive a serial killer,” Enid taunted.

Wednesday crossed her arms like an angry child and turned away. “You are beyond help.” Her nose, her face was pressed against the wall. “Talk to me when you’ve had some sort of revelation.

Enid closed her eyes, nodding slowly, a breath escaping her mouth. “Okay,” she whispered, knowing she wouldn’t get a response. She sat down on the cold, concrete floor, the kind of floor that she was used to sitting on after spending so long cramped in her cell. She was out of it now. But she was still caged. Always, chained.

It felt strange to be in Wednesday’s body, strange to be without her Hyde and her wolf. She wondered if Wednesday could feel it inside her, if she could control it. Most likely she could. Wednesday was better than her in every way. Only in brute strength could Enid have a chance.

She felt awkward when she moved, too, like everything was a little too small. She was nearly accustomed to it, now, but the feeling made sense. Wednesday was what, 4’11? Truly a miniature human.

Did she hate Wednesday? No, not at all, she could never have brought herself to. So why would she need to forgive…?

Oh. There it was. That hate stirring in her mind. She was never sure what it was, that bitterness, that barely suppressed anger. And she didn’t know whose it was. Who had placed it there. Whether it was her own, or if it was Thornhill’s that had bled treacherously into her. That was always an issue. She didn’t know who her thoughts were from anymore. Every single word that crossed her mind, what if it wasn’t hers?

Was that a rational fear? It itched at her, it clawed at her.

But she was in Wednesday’s body. Was Marilyn’s bond still affecting her? God, was it affecting Wednesday? Enid hiccuped, burying her face into her knees and crying her heart out.

The tears wouldn’t come. She slapped her face, wanting to feel the relief of the angry water running down her, but they wouldn’t appear. Not even the satisfying burn of salt tears would be given to her.

She pressed her eye into her knee, sobbing as quietly as she could.

Enid heard Wednesday move, but she didn’t look up.

“I loved you,” Wednesday murmured, her voice soft, the memory of affection slipping into the air. The ghost of their kiss.

“I’m sorry,” Enid whispered.

“If I had stayed the same, if I had never trusted you, this wouldn’t have happened,” Wednesday continued. “You’d be dead. I would have stabbed you the moment I found out. I had a knife in my boot that day, Enid. But you caught me off guard. And… I couldn’t do it.” Something changed in her tone, so vulnerable, a tentative, nervous hand reaching out blindly in the dark.

“I’m sorry,” Enid repeated, but not mockingly. It was just for lack of a better phrase, for lack of a way to convey how she really felt, her words caught in her throat, sticking there on her tongue but refusing to leave. Words were hard. But this; this was a whole other level.

“I have a rivalry with the unjust. I have not let my emotions get in the way of my judgement. But it seems that like always, you have become a dangerous exception.” Bitterness rested on the tips of those words, coating the edges, turning them sharper than intended. “I care for the normies that were murdered, yet it feels worse. The betrayal. It has blades. Cutting every wall that has kept the dam from breaking. It seems, now, that there must be an escape for my tears.” Wednesday still wasn’t looking at her. Enid tried not to focus on that.

“I didn’t want to hurt you,” Enid murmured, her eyes trained on the floor like she was repeating from a dogma. But she really believed it. “I was doing my job. I’m Marilyn’s little monster. Her pet project. I didn’t want to hurt you. You have to believe me.” The words trailed off her mouth like smoke, and she breathed out slowly. “Please.” The word whisked away the fog, the smoke. Wednesday finally met her eyes.

“You were controlled,” Wednesday said slowly. “How am I meant to know, to judge you? I am clouded by feeling, not an issue I am accustomed to.”

Enid nodded. “I understand. I don’t- even have a-” her voice choked up, but she forced them out, “a reason to live. I just want to leave here, to rest, where no one can hate me, where I can rest… free from Marilyn.”

Wednesday’s eyes widened the slightest bit. “I… see.” Her eyes trailed down to Enid’s hands. Clawless. She couldn’t hurt herself so easily. “I am bleeding,” Wednesday pointed out, gesturing to Enid’s body. “Scarred, as well.”

Enid paused. “Yeah,” she muttered, shame clouding her vision.

“Enid?” The girl looked up upon hearing her name.

“Yeah?”

Wednesday’s voice quivered a little as she spoke. “Can I inform you of something?”

Enid nodded, holding her breath.

Wednesday strained against the chains, walking up to lean against the bars. She tilted her head, whispered in Enid’s ear.

Enid smiled softly, and whispered something back. Her pupils dilated, and she collapsed, everything fading to black.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: I will never fall in love

Wednesday Addams

The Addams family curse was many things, but mainly it was a punisher. Rubbing salt in the wound of unrequited love. No, rubbing thorns. Truly the most heinous joke fate ever played.

Because if any Addams was pitiful and emotional enough to fall in love, they gave their full heart, everything, their body, their mind, their construct. If their true love accepted them, no bodies needed to be buried.

But an Addams like Wednesday, who had fallen for someone out of reach, someone who could never love her back? They suffered a different kind of torture. The truly painful kind.

When Wednesday had attempted to be angry at her, the raven’s… love… had destroyed her. Put them in each other’s shoes far too literally.

Wednesday was a fan of torturous irony.

She was no longer a fan.

Her heart physically ached for Enid every waking moment, and every time she tried to hate her, the hate got buried and twisted and changed until it was something else completely. 

So now she was stuck. Stuck between her pitiful, weak yearning for Enid, and her own pride and morals.

Everything in her mind told her not to go, not to visit, but for the first time her heart spoke louder, tugging her ever so closer with every passing second.

It only took her a few hours to snap.

Her body trembled incessantly like she was having a seizure, and her head snapped up, her legs giving out underneath her as she entered a vision. But it was all wrong.

Nothing stayed; they were just scraps, pieces of a puzzle she would never solve.

She saw Enid’s baby blue eyes at the forefront, but they kept changing, shifting, until they were a predatory yellow. The color of a wolf. 

A howl sounded, and Wednesday ran through the snow, and suddenly she was back in the Gates mansion, and she heard a scream. Was this the past? The present? She whirled around, hoping for something good, something to calm her rising nerves.

But what stared back at her was animal, feral, devoid of the excitement and love that Enid bore. It was dangerous, stirring fear slowly in the pit of her stomach.

“The monster!” she heard a cry.

This isn’t real. This isn’t real. The words hammered into the walls of her mind, but they couldn’t be acknowledged, were never processed. Because Wednesday tore through the mansion, Enid’s name on her lips in an instant.

An arrow lodged itself in her shoulder and with a gasp of pain she grabbed at it, but her hand passed right through.

Another scream. “Wednesday, help me!”

She ran through the bushes, helpless, torn apart, and saw Enid on the ground, bleeding, her intestines spilled out on the floor but somehow she was still alive.

Wednesday dropped to her knees, the silver knife in her hands dropping to the ground with a quiet clunk. Enid’s eyes met hers, but they weren’t angry. Her words came out somewhere between a growl and a cry for help.

“Wednesday,” she choked out, tears running down her face, but they were all wrong. She squeezed her blue eyes shut, then opened them, and they were liquidy, all red, blood dripping down, leaking from her eyes. “Why won’t you look at me!” She lunged for Wednesday, her claws slipping out, and she let out an unearthly sound of rage.

The world spun around Wednesday, she stayed there on her knees, shock painting her horrified gaze, unwilling to move, not having the energy to fight, to leave, to survive, to live. If Enid wanted her dead, who was she not to obey?

Blood runs thicker than water, she thought hazily as Enid tore her apart, thought through the dizziness as she felt the red run down her body. She closed her eyes and awaited the nothingness and numbness of death, but she wouldn’t fall. Indescribable pain was ripping through her, but she was alive, miserable, pain, pain, pain, so much blood everywhere. All she could see was red.

Just as Death teased her, as the Grim Reaper prepared to bring down His scythe, she woke from her torture.

The vision as she knew it was whisked away, and she was simply in her bed, arms crossed over her chest like the dead, like Wednesday always slept. It was normal.

Her eyes crossed over the room, and she reached up to smooth her bangs. She must have been thrashing in her sleep.

In the past, when she was plagued by nightmares, Enid would have woken her up. She couldn’t anymore.

She adjusted the collar of her uniform. Thing was nowhere to be seen. Most likely he had gone off to Yoko’s room to get his nails painted. With Enid out… no, not out of the picture, just shoved into a cage, Yoko was his best option. His new buddy.

So she just stood up, a strange feeling overtaking her now that she was back in the correct body. Yesterday’s events taunted her quite a bit, something that felt like a thorn slowly pushing its way into her heart, staying there, poking her, prodding her, and infuriating her to no end.

What was she meant to do now that she knew she had fallen victim to the Addams curse? She supposed she could call her father, who had had the same fate; luckily for him, though, he had fallen for someone much more acceptable.

Chances were, Enid didn’t like girls. Right? Wednesday thought back to their many interactions, but she mostly zoned out on all of them, so…

There was matter of the kiss, but that was manipulation. It had to be. The only other explanation made no sense.

But Wednesday couldn’t be carried away with such things. She was free from classes as it was the weekend, but she had promised Eugene to help out around the Hummer’s shed. Despite the boy’s incompetence, he was a valuable friend and she would maintain the relationship so it would not rust.

She hadn’t helped out with the bees in a long time; she had been busy with, admittedly, Enid.

So she made her way to the Hummer’s shed. Eugene was already there, his curly hair sitting underneath his bee suit.

“Wednesday!” he greeted her enthusiastically, though Wednesday could see a hint of fear in his eyes. “I heard something happened… Yesterday you were kind of mean to me. You didn’t seem yourself, so I asked if you wanted to help tend to the bees, since that always calms me down, but you, uhm, I don’t want to repeat it, you know what you said.” Eugene swallowed, pink coloring his cheeks.

“Eugene, there is an incredibly long and complicated story behind what you have just stated, and I believe it is fit that you know the short version.” Wednesday paused for a split second. “I was possessed by an angry spirit. But no matter. I am fine now.” She put on an expression she hoped could convince Eugene that it was her now.

“Hmm. That does sound very Wednesday,” Eugene admitted. “Alright, ready for some harvesting?” He smiled, gesturing to Wednesday’s all black bee suit.

Wednesday enjoyed that Eugene didn’t question her further. “Yes, that sounds enjoyable.”

-*oOo*-

Enid Sinclair

Enid was beginning to get antsy.

Fairburn had grilled her hard about the body swap, which she had begrudgingly admitted to. Finally, finally, she was left alone.

Then Leon came.

He didn’t have much of his earlier confidence, and the cup of water that he held shook a little. His eyes were sunken and filled with bitterness, and he didn’t say a word and he roughly shoved the cup into her cage, nearly spilling all of it.

“Morning, Leon,” Enid chanted, forcing her usual cheerfulness in her voice. “Why are you so grim today? You remind me of my roommate.”

Leon  grunted. “Enid, I like you a lot. You know what it’s like to be controlled by an adult, to be labeled a monster. But what you said yesterday? I’m sorry, ‘Nid, I won’t bother you again if you hate me that much.”

“Leon-” She lunged forward, grabbing for his wrist, but of course he was on the other side of the bars so she could only watch as he got ready to leave. “Leon, ask doctor fairburn if you need, I was in a really bad spot and I’m super sorry!” Was that what the annoying boy wanted? An apology? Would that make Wednesday proud, make her think that Enid was a good person? She hoped it did.

Leon’s hands fell to his sides before he reached for the doorbell. “Like I said, I like you a lot. But you have to understand, there are consequences for your actions. I won’t forgive you that easily. I won’t be a pushover.”

“Fine,” Enid snapped, heat rising to her face at the rejection. She huffed loudly.

“Also, I was told to invite you to group therapy. If not, Dr. Kane will come to see you on your own. He believes he might be able to help you with his ability.”

Enid nodded slowly. “I don’t want group therapy. Wednesday’s not here,” she explained. 

Leon made a face. “Right,” he said. “I’ll tell them. Bye, Enid.” He waved cheekily before leaving. “They’ll be here in  few hours once group therapy endsss~”

When the door slammed shut, Enid curled into a little ball. Her eyes drooped a little and she blinked a few times before sleep washed over her.

“Wednesday, I love you, you’re my best friend, but really? I do love Ajax. Please don’t nailgun his heart? He just got stoned at the wrong time. It’s just a stupid mistake.”

Wednesday’s eyes were filled with malice. “An Addams never goes back on their word, and I have nails with his name on it,” she seethed.

Enid walked over to her, placing her hands on Wednesday’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, Wends, Ajax is a good guy. He may be a bit slow, but he’s a gorgon, so it’s… kinda not his fault.” She tried for a smile. “You trust me, right? If he ever does anything bad, I’ll just break up with him.”

“He already did something ‘bad’,” Wednesday grunted, lowkey sulking. She kicked the floor a few times.

“Are you jealous?” Enid teased, draping her arms around Wednesday’s back and leaning her head on the girl’s shoulder.

“No,” Wednesday grumbled, stiffening. She pulled away from Enid’s grasp.

“I think you are,” Enid taunted. “Don’t worry.” She leaned in, her breath hot against Wednesday’s cheek. The girl smelled of rain, of blood, but it was nice. Comforting. “I love you too, Wends.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 12: You Really Thought?

Enid Sinclair

The dreams plagued her for a while.

It was her subconscious taunting her, she assumed. Sometimes the dreams where things that had already happened. Sometimes they hadn’t.

The only common theme in the mess of dreams was Wednesday. She managed to appear in every single one, and centered in most. Again, taunting her. Dangling a dog treat in front of the wolf inside her.

She hated it. A lot. She had even requested sleeping pills from Fairburn, but was declined. She fell asleep easily, there was no reason to take them in her eyes.

Dr. Kane visited her. One particular time was different from the others; he came almost directly after she had woken  up from one of her dreams about Wednesday; one where they kissed, but when Wednesday realized she was the monster, Enid scratched and clawed at her, killing her.

Dr. Kane hummed thoughtfully as he entered, but the force of her emotion hit her like a truck.

“Oh, honey,” he murmured. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry.” His eyes were gentle as he reached through the bars, putting his fingers through. Risky and stupid. Typical of therapists.

“You’re lucky I don’t eat your big, meaty fingers. They look like sausages.” Enid snapped, with no patience for pretty much anyone at that point.

Dr. Kane luckily withdrew. “Sorry. But you don’t really believe that.” He winked. Stupid Empaths. “Are you okay, Enid? I can feel it in the air. You’re grieving. And there’s a wisp of affection all over you. Are you in love?” He sat down on the concrete floor, looking at her level. “Is it Leon? The boy’s pretty nice.”

“No,” Enid practically spat out the words. “Shut up and go away. Stop reading my feelings.”

“Well, I can’t stop,” Dr Kane admitted. “More of a curse, they say, than a power. It’s just my luck.”

Enid’s face softened the slightest bit, but her tone didn’t. “Go away.”

“I’m here to talk about those feelings, miss Sinclair, and hopefully in time I will be able to help you,” Kane assured her. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell whoever it is. Leon? Unless you like girls, that is.”

Enid froze with her mouth hanging open.

Kane smiled a little. “It’s okay, Enid. I get it. You could probably tell since you first saw me, but I’m gay too. If you like Wednesday, and you like girls, it’s okay. Internalized homophobia is torture- I get it. You’re not alone in this. If you don’t like Wednesday, that’s okay too! I’m here to support you.”

“I’m not…” Enid couldn’t bring herself to say the word, because she knew it would just give her away even further. She hated that part of her. What if her mom found out? What if Dr. Kane or Dr. Fairburn had already told Esther? “I’m not… that.” She swallowed hard, something uncomfortable twisting her heart, thorns, pain. She blinked away tears.

Dr. Kane nodded slowly. “Remember, I am an Empath. And I have a classic gaydar. But I won’t pressure you. I can be wrong too.” He eased away from the topic with a knowing smirk on his face that was probably meant to look kind.

“Thanks,” Enid grunted, shifting a little before finally settling down.

“Do you want to talk about those twisting feelings? I know they can kinda hurt on the inside. I can feel them, in fact,” Dr. Kane offered another stupid smile. “A lot of patients have similar experiences.”

Enid opened her mouth to decline, but she didn’t have the energy to fight him. And she might as well trauma dump. And well, neither Thornhill nor Wednesday was there with her. To  judge her.

“I don’t really know what it is,” she admitted, digging her claws as much as she could into the floor. “I guess I just… I don’t know, man, can’t you just like…” She breathed in, a puff of exasperation. “Tell me what it is? Isn’t that your whole thing?”

Dr. Kane shrugged. “Harder than it sounds. Like I said, it seems like grief, you’re grieving the loss of love.

“Dammit,” Enid hissed, hanging her head. “Fine. You got me. I really am in love with Leon.”

“No point lying, honey. I can feel the distrust and conniving boiling within you.” His face turned somewhat sympathetic. “I am sorry about Wednesday, and I’m sorry if your mother is homophobic.”

“I don’t like Wednesday,” Enid snapped. “Lay off me.”

Dr. Kane nodded. “Okay then. Let’s move on?”

Enid smiled gratefully, running a hand through her blonde hair.

-*oOo*-

Wednesday Addams

Principal Weems pulled her out of class the next day, and the girl didn’t need to ask whether it was about Enid or not. Because really, it always was.

“If you continue to pull me out of whatever session I have deigned to attend the moment I step inside, I will not have a full day of class this semester,” Wednesday accused as she sat in the passenger seat of Weems’ car.

“Hmm. And that would be such a shame, wouldn’t it?” Weems hummed. “And here I was thinking you enjoyed our outings.”

“The Hyde sours my mood quite a bit, and not in the enjoyable way,” Wednesday grumbled.

“Enid needs you, Wednesday. Unfortunately, her Hyde persona makes her quite colatile, and she needs something familiar, comforting, in order to cope. It is simple, and although you have made it clear many times that you do not feel anything for her, I firmly believe that you do, it is simply your stubborn quality that prevents you from acknowledging it.” Weems finished with a flair, a knowing smile on her face that made Wednesday want to claw it off.

“I have acknowledged how I feel, Principal. I would enjoy telling you, however I believe you would then find me another psychiatrist with how gruesome it is. Oh, here we are at Willow Hill. Horrible day to you.” She left immediately before the car even fully stopped, triggering the car alarm and making Weems curse out loud. She just continued through the opened gate with a small smirk curving onto the side of her face. The principal would surely attempt to  kill her later for that, but she didn’t mind.

Fairburn greeted the raven on the outside of Enid’s cage, her face tired. “Thank god Weems went and got you. Did she tell you what happened?”

“Weems informed me that my presence was requested at Willow Hill. Nothing more.”

“Oh.” Dr. Fairburn wrung out her hands. “The shock collar has broken. In her sleep, it hit the wall. It’s old, Wednesday, and we can’t fix it because she’ll kill us if we go inside.”

“So you want me to clean up the mess caused by your oversight of fragile technology,” Wednesday observed.

“Yep. I’m sorry, Wednesday, I really am. But Dr. Kane thinks only you have a chance; thinks that she’ll probably kiss you instead of kill you.”

Wednesday decided to ignore the statement, but she seethed on the inside. “Has she transformed?”

“No. Her heartbeat was rising in her sleep so we were planning on shocking her, but it didn’t work. And earlier, we tried again. Still broken. If she had figured it out, this place would not be standing any longer.”

Wednesday gave her a deadly look. “Fine. I will clean up your mess. What do you advise me to do?”

“Here,” Dr. Fairburn said distractedly, handing her a new collar. “We had this made.”

“Can’t you tranquilize her?”

“Yes. That’s what we need you to do. Get her close to the bars, then stab her with the syringe.” Dr. Fairburn answered, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. She presented a needle filled with some swirly white liquid. “This’ll knock her out immediately, and her Hyde won’t be able to fight it at all.”

Wednesday took it without saying anything, then entered the room. She nodded to the guard, who appeared somewhat stressed, before entering the room.

Enid was laying down on the ground, huffing and puffing like a dog, her tongue lolling out of her mouth as she did so.

“Wends!” She brightened immediately, her baby blue eyes shining like sapphires.

Wednesday sighed, hiding the syringe behind her back. “We have much to talk about,” she said, her voice strange with the acting. “Come closer to the bars?” She sounded awkward. Too awkward.

If Enid noticed, she didn’t point it out. “Okay” she murmured, dragging her chains forward.

“I have something shocking to tell you. Approach the bars even closer. I must admit-”

“You’re in love with me,” Enid interrupted. “That’s your big secret. You’re in love with me.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 13: Is this how it feels?

“You’re in love with me. That’s your big secret. You’re in love with me.”

She had to be lying. How could she know about the Curse? No, she had to be guessing. A shot in the dark to derail her.

Deny. Deny. The word pounded her chest, and in a single breath the words escaped her, cut at the edges, rougher, tainted by emotion.

“Where has that idea stemmed from? Insanity, it must be. You are in a psychiatric hospital after all. It seems they are rubbing off on you.”

“Hmm.” Enid laughed. “I was just joking. Nice to see you’re affected by it.”

“I was not. It was a simple acknowledgement of its stupidity, which I believe you can detect on your own.”

Enid backed up a few steps, away from where Wednesday’s hidden syringe could reach her. She had to- she must get inside the cage. It was the only way to guarantee its success.

“Guard?” She walked outside, her eyes trained on the middle aged man tasked with the shock collar that didn’t even work.

“I assume you need the key,” the man said tiredly. He placed it in her hands without a verbal fight. Curious.

“Correct.” She spun around without thanking him, stepping back closer to Enid, closing the metal door behind her.

“Hello again,” Enid mused, something behind her gaze.

“If I were to enter your desolate area, would you attack me?”

“Hmm.” Enid placed a hand on her chin, pretending to consider Wednesday’s question. “I would never hurt you, bestie.”

“That word is repulsive enough when it leaves someone else’s lips, much less yours,” Wednesday said almost defensively.

“I will not hurt you,” Enid repeated, this time seriously. “Are you gonna come inside?” There was softness in her voice, pleading. Begging.

“Perhaps,” she whispered, her voice leaving barely a trace despite there being no wind. She held the key out in front of her, dangling it there for a second, and slowly unlocked the cage.

Enid stiffened, her back arched like a startled cat, but she didn’t say anything. Didn’t dare break the silence that was only interrupted by the jangling of the keys.

“If you lay a hand on me, one filthy finger of yours, privileges will be lost,” Wednesday warned.

“There’s nothing for you to take away.”

There was some finality to that statement; Wednesday nearly shivered at its implications.

She entered the cage slowly, her shoulder pushing the door open so she could go inside. One hand held the syringe, and the other a silver dagger, enough to defend herself if needed.

“Enid,” Wednesday stepped over to her, her breath mingling with the Hyde’s at their sudden proximity.

“We meet again,” Enid said, giving her a toothy smile. “Howdy, roomie.”

Wednesday blinked slowly. She always did so when she was confused. “I in fact do have something important to tell you.”

“Mhm? And what’s that?”

Wednesday looked her dead in the eyes. “I admit it. I was attracted to you.” Her words shook a little. She had planned it all out. Everything was going as planned.

But a fire burned in her chest. Her lungs stopped working, forcing her to breathe double time. A tingling sensation, along with a hefty dose of panic, shot its way straight through her body, chilling her to the bone.

Enid’s eyes softened. “I know that already, Wends.” But her words weren’t sharp. They weren’t meant to puncture. Weren’t meant to leave a mark. They were simply placed there, hanging quietly in the air in a banner, a declaration, a statement.

Wednesday faltered again, her hand trembling around the syringe.

“You betrayed me,” she muttered. “An Addams never forgives a betrayal.”

Enid smiled suddenly, her tone sickly sweet, gone was the girl Wednesday thought she knew. In with the manipulation, in with the torture that twisted and pained her poor, cursed soul. It was gory enough without Enid’s darkness staining it.

“Victim of circumstance, τραγικός εραστής,” Enid murmured in response. “If that’s your secret, then I care not for what you’re doing here. Get out. You think you can hurt me, Wends? Thornhill already did the job for you.”

Wednesday backed away a step, the corner of her mouth curling into a small but unmistakable smile.

No, a smirk.

“Good to know, τέρας,” Wednesday replied, using the same language Enid had used against her. The girl’s eyes widened upon hearing that, but she didn’t get to reply-

Because Wednesday rushed towards her all too quickly as the realiaztion dawned in the Hyde’s eyes. The syringe was brought behind her back in a split second, only the werewolf’s keen senses able to track her movement.

I’m gonna die, Enid thought vaguely, as she saw whatever metal thing was quickly approaching her. She gave up, slumped forward into Wednesday’s arms as the needle entered her body. “Wednesday,” she slurred. “You’re being so mean you f-cking traitor I hate you so much…” She tried for a growl, but sleep was rapidly approaching her and her Hyde would not respond.

“You’re not one to talk,” Wednesday said calmly.

Enid’s eyes drooped. “Whadayu gonna do… to me?” she whispered. 

“You’ll see.” The raven pressed her lips against Enid’s ear, whispering, “tell me what Gates did to you when you wake.” before releasing her.

But Enid stumbled towards her even as the serum worked its way through her fatigued body, even as the world fought against her every step. It brought her closer to Wednesday, and really that was all that mattered.

“I love you Wednesday,” she said drunkenly. “I’ve told you that… already. You know. I’m a liar. I lie lots, don’t I?” A shallow chuckle reverberated from her chest. “I’m gonna… rest.” She flopped down onto Wednesday, who looked unimpressed.

Then Enid’s baby blue eyes met hers, loopy and unfocused, and slowly, the werewolf pressed her lips to hers.

And Enid ran her tongue across Wednesday’s lips.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14: Kiss

Enid Sinclair

There was a split second of denial before her heart exploded in euphoria.

And then: fvck. Fvck. fvckity fvck fvck fvck.

I just kissed Wednesday fvcking  Addams. Oh em gee, I’m so fvcked.

Again.

Her mind was a haze, a dizzying spiral of panic and pleasure.

She groaned against Wednesday’s mouth, running her tongue across the raven’s lips, all inhibitions melting away at the feeling.

Then her eyes drifted shut, and she slumped to the ground.

A few moments later.

Wednesday Addams

Disgusting.

Heinous.

Unexceptable.

She threw the wolf to the ground, not caring about the small whine that escaped the girl’s lips. Her mouth tasted awfully, like prison slop and blood. She spat on the ground, on Enid. They were practically one and the same.

A feeling shot through her at the sight, a small chill that was noticeable but not enough to make her shiver. A strange pain pulsed through her, once, twice. It felt… wonderful, but it hurt all the same. She paced the room, squeezing her legs together, unsure how to relieve it.

Then she had the mind to take the collar out her pocket and slowly unclip the werewolf’s collar using the key. She put the new one on, locking it onto the chain.

A stab of guilt hit her all at once, in the stomach, accompanied by a sort of fluttering motion, and she seethed uncomfortably. Enid had been, for lack of a better word, collared before; so why did this seem to affect Wednesday so much in this strange way?

Perhaps it was due to the fact that it was her doing? But that was stupid, it made no real difference to her or the Hyde beneath her.

What had Enid called her before the… Incident… that she refused to think about? Ah, yes. Traitor. It was ironic, funny even. For the traitor to call her one.

“Dr. Fairburn,” she muttered under her breath. “The guard.” She jolted suddenly, staring at the camera in the corner of the room. “The cameras.”

-*oOo*-

POV: ????

Dr. Fairburn entered the room with a creak sounding through the cell, its sound reverberating around the walls, breaking the silence in two. “Hello,” she said evenly.

“Hmm. You’re back. So my help is needed after all.”

“I admit it,” the therapist grunted.

“Bit late for that, isn’t it… doctor? Why don’t you go and use your little siren pet?”

“That boy? He is of no use to me.” Fairburn scoffed.

“Siren song doesn’t work, hmm? I should’ve expected that. Oh wait- I did.” The prisoner smirked. “It’s almost like I’m right all the time.”

“Don’t get a big head. You’re no charmer, not to me.”

“Correct. You’re diligent, straight as a circle, focused. My charms wouldn’t affect you.”

“Damn right. But it should work on Enid, should it not?”

“Yes. I need to see her. If my suspicions are correct, and they always are, then she will bend to my will in a second. Remind me of why you hate the other so much?”

“The other is expendable. She would break Enid, and we need her alive. We could control her the same way Thornhill did. We need her laws still in place. The other… she is necessary, helpful at times, in calming our Hyde. But she is undoing her. She is, in a way, Enid’s new master.”

“I thought that you might know better than to wage war on an Addams, Fairburn.” The prisoner’s laugh sent chills down Fairburn’s spine. “Remember how that went last time?”

“Do not bring him up, child, or you will wake up to your whole body on fire!” Fairburn shrieked. Clearly, the prisoner had hit a nerve.

“I am no child. Children are innocent. You believe me innocent?”

“Never,” Fairburn muttered.

“Hmm.” The prisoner’s hum was more appreciative, tinted with insanity at the edges.

“F-ck, well, I’ll bring you to her. Regular sessions, right?”

“Yes. That’s all I need. Give me time, clockmaker, and I will return a nice, lovely Hyde. She’ll obey you, be your nice little puppet for a while.” The prisoner laughed again, manically, the feeling of it rocking Fairburn to her very core. “Little werewolf pup, little Hyde puppet. Funny, isn’t it, doctor?”

“Sure, if that’s what you find amusing. But what if it’s true? And she’s a…”

“Then my plan will not work.” The prisoner grinned into the dark, the corners of lips twisting, changing into something of a smile. Now, with the way the mad person looked, no one could ever find the prisoner attractive. But the prisoner was very much capable of manipulation. Fairburn knew that well. “And you must try again with your sirens.” The prisoner ran a hand through greasy, messy hair that was so tangled Fairburn could barely believe it real and not a rat’s nest.

“You are our last chance and you know it, child. I will unchain you. You meet with Enid. After, you may go to Nevermore. Do your duty. And always…”

“Keep the mask,” the prisoner chanted. “Keep the mask.” The teenager’s voice dropped to a whisper. “They don’t suspect a thing. I’m just a normal student, aren’t I? Going to Nevermore, they think, hmm? Going to Nevermore when really, I am attending my master?”

“Yes, yes, it’s all very funny. Keep the mask.” Fairburn shook the keys, a small smile on her face. “Let me unlock you. Here.”

She reached forward, methodically opening the lock on the prisoner’s chains like she had done it a million times before. Because she had.

The prisoner stood up, stretching a few times with another disturbing smile. The insanity stirred in the mad person as the prisoner breathed out, a little pink stained on the sharp, tiny fangs. Blood? No, but Fairburn almost wished it was.

“I’m coming, Enid,” the former-prisoner whispered, a taunting, eerie, bloodcurdling echo accompanying it.

-*oOo*-

A few hours later…

Enid Sinclair

I love Wednesday Addams, she thought again as she stared at the wall. I love Wednesday Addams.

The werewolf shook her head, once, twice. Who is Wednesday Addams?

She blinked, shook her again, confusion surrounding her every movement. I love Wednesday Addams. The thought crept in again, the declaration of such clear love. It had stuck with her before, all throughout the meeting. And after, too, she heard it.

Wednesday Addams. She tried to pull up an image of what… she?... was. The image that crossed her mind was mostly just dark. Wings? Bird? Was Wednesday a bird?

No, because when she thought harder, feelings surfaced. Oh. Love. Makes sense.

She tried to remember.

Wednesday! God, how could I forget-

Who is Wednesday Addams?

Chapter Text

Chapter 15: Forget me

Wednesday Addams

Dr. Fairburn contacted her through Weems again. When the tall principal showed up at her door, she was already preparing to leave for Willow Hill. But Principal Weems’ message was certainly different.

“Dr. Fairburn would… like you to know that you should not visit Willow Hill again for the time being. That Miss Sinclair is unfortunately having a rough time, and she chose to not see you until she is stable.” Weems’ face was ghostly pale for no apparent reason. Perhaps she was scared for some random reason, but perhaps she was expecting fury from Wednesday.

“Where is she?” Wednesday demanded, forcing her voice even, but stepping forward with a menacing glare all the same. “Tell me, Principal, where is Enid Sinclair?”

“Willow Hill, of course.” Weems’ head was cocked to the side, color returning to her face. “I know it may be hard to believe through your arrogance, but some people need breaks from your daunting presence.”

“Thank you,” Wednesday said, but her teeth were gritted. “Your flattery is appreciated, but unnecessary.”

“Wednesday…” Weems’ voice softened. “I can tell you care about her. I always could. You’re not as good at hiding it as you think you are. So my opinion? Talk to your parents.”

Wednesday scoffed. “The fact that you suggest that proves how little you know me.”

“A crystal ball away no more,” Weems pointed out. “They’re just at Rotwood’s.”

“I preferred the crystal ball,” Wednesday shot back, shutting the door in the principal’s face.

“You can’t hide behind those walls forever, Miss Addams~” the woman called, before walking away.

Wednesday glared at the walls for a moment. Then her eyes trailed slowly to the drawer where she kept the crystal ball. She could still use it.

She looked at Thing; he was absentmindedly twisting his fingers in weird ways to messily paint his nails. He had, so far, only gotten his thumb done.

“I will aid you. This is pathetic.”

Thing looked up, wagging his stump. “Thank you. I know you miss her.”

“I don’t miss her. She slaughtered nineteen people. And additionally, I care not for people, especially her.”

“Not the Hyde. You miss her.” Thing dropped the nail polish brush, settling onto a dresser where Wednesday’s hands couldn’t reach. “The girl from the Poe cup. The girl at the mansion. The girl at the Rave’n. The girl on that night, watching a movie, in the golden light of the LEDs.”

“That girl does not exist.”

“A shame. She made you better.” Thing ducked to avoid the knife thrown at him, although it was an inch or two off anyhow. Wednesday wouldn’t truly hurt him, he knew, as the knife embedded itself into Enid’s bedpost with a thunk. “I hate her too. She’s a ******* traitor and a ****** with a ****** ****** complex and part of me- well the only part- wishes the ***** ***** ****** would just die. But that doesn’t change that I cared about her. She was my friend. And she was yours, too. Remember when…”

“Stop, or choose a finger and start to pray,” Wednesday commanded. Thing halted his signing immediately.

Then he got brave. “I still wonder if it was her. Or Thornhill. I know you have, too. Please, the Addams know well of the curse. If you are such in denial or the truth, then believe, they can tell you whether you are truly suffering from its effects.”

“I do not question that! I have already swapped bodies with her. That is sign enough. As much as I despise the thought, the Addams curse is inevitable.”

“Well, at least you figured it out before Pugsley. Your little brother finding his love before you?”

“Pugsley is under the same effects?” Wednesday’s eyes widened ever so slightly, and she hummed thoughtfully. “Although I usually avoid talking to him civilly, a visit would be beneficial.”

“I think so. Eugene is a handsome boy. For a dark, macabre family, there sure are a lot of rainbows.”

“I do not understand. I am allergic to color,” Wednesday pointed out. “Although, it is horribly ironic that two people I tolerate end up tied together.”

Thing danced a few times. “Gay. Gay. Homosexual. Gay.”

Wednesday’s eyes narrowed. “Hmm. Yes, that does sound true. Uncle Fester as well, is achillean. Yes, I see it now.”

Thing flexed and unflexed his fingers. “Yay.”

The ghost of a smile brushed across Wednesday’s face, but it disappeared in a split second. “I will talk to Pugsley.” She turned around abruptly, heading towards the door.

“Wait! He doesn’t know he’s under the curse yet and it's just a theory-” Thing was signing frantically, tapping the ground, but Wednesday had already left.

-*oOo*-

Enid Sinclair

“Hello, Enid, it’s nice to see you again.”

Enid smiled lazily, rubbing the sleep out her eyes and yawning widely. “You’re back.”

“Yes.”

Enid sat up, her chains clanking loudly as she became more aware of her surroundings. “You promised to tell me.”

“I already told you, it didn’t work.”

“Nice funny trick, erasing my memories.” Enid sneered. “It didn’t even work that well. I know who she is. I kissed her. I remember.”

“You betrayed her, Enid! She hates you more than anything in the world.”

“No she doesn’t,” Enid whispered, her eyes flickering with a thin veil of anger that hid shame. “It was never my fault.”

“Hmm. If that lets you sleep at night.”

“It does, thank you very much,” Enid snapped.

The person leaned forward. “I love you, Enid. I’m the only one who ever can. I understand how you feel.”

“F you,” the Hyde growled. “Thornhill loved me. Thornhill loved all of me. You just want my Hyde.”

Laughter shook Enid’s cage, manic laughter. “You really believe that? Wow. You’re dumber than I thought. Thornhill never cared about you, Enid! Never did, never was. It’s her fault you’re in here. Her fault that you’ll never see the light of day again.”

-*oOo*-

And so it begins…

The unraveling…

It was never meant to be seen…

Blood was everywhere.

The walls, the ceiling, the floor. Splattered and streaked with crimson.

Wake up, little raven,

Before the fire goes out.

Wednesday never made it to Pugsley’s dorm room.

Chapter Text

Chapter 16: What they can’t see

Wednesday Addams

Something was pressed to her nose. Chloroform? It was sweet, almost sickly so, yes, it had to be chloroform. She kicked out blindly, her eyes were stinging with pain, what had happened? Why was she seeing red?

She put her left hand to her aching forehead as she drew her knife with her right; a gash there, deep. Red in her eyes. Blood.

She had breathed in the chloroform already. It was too late. She was swaying on her feet, still blinded by the blood she was attempting to blink out of her eyes, the red running like tears down her face.

She sliced the air with her knife, feeling it graze something, someone. Her vision returned slowly, but she felt woozy. Chloroform and blood loss both was too much.

Wednesday, so weak already? They called you strong.

Go to sleep, demon.

She wasn’t entirely sure where the voice came from- the attacker, or her head. She dropped to her knees, groaning in a very un-Wednesday-like way, and her eyes slowly fluttered shut. Sleep, artificial sleep, took her quickly.

-*oOo*-

Yoko Tanaka

Yoko wasn’t entirely sure what she expected of her evening, but it certainly wasn’t Wednesday Addams slumped unconscious with two puncture marks in her neck and a giant gash on her forehead. See, being a vampire, Yoko was able to smell the blood the moment she left her dorm. She stood frozen for a moment, fighting back the urge to take the easy blood. The crimson stained the carpet around her.

“F-ck,” she muttered under her breath. “What happened, Karasu (カラス)?”

She adjusted her blackout glasses. “Karasu?”

There was no response from the psychic. Yoko cursed again, kneeling next to Wednesday and pressing her fingers against the younger girl’s neck. There was a pulse, steady and strong. Yoko sighed with relief.

“Okay, Karasu, hold on, okay? I’m taking you to the infirmary.”

Of course, Wednesday didn’t answer.

Yoko carried her all the way there, briskly, all the way to the infirmary. The nurses were not particularly busy, only treating a boy with a bloody nose.

“What happened to her?” One of the nurses cried, hurrying over to her.

“Vampire bite. And there’s a big cut on her forehead, I don’t know where it came from,” Yoko said quickly. “She’s unconscious, but alive.”

“Oh my god. Okay.” They rushed her onto a bed, wrapping her head in a bandage to stop the bleeding. “Keep pressure!” she called to another nurse.

He nodded, putting his hands on Wednesday’s forehead. The nurse looked to Yoko, noting her fangs. “The puncture wounds… Just making sure, it wasn’t you?”

“Of course not!” Yoko yelped, appalled.

“Get the werewolf,” he commanded one of the other helpers. “See if he can sniff out who did this to her.”

The woman nodded, hurrying herself in getting said werewolf.

“Why does she always seem to get herself into these kinds of messes?” Yoko whispered, gripping the white bar of the bed so tightly her skin turned white. Wednesday’s braids were messy. The vampire knew that Wednesday would hate to know they saw her like that.

“Right, she was the roommate of the Hyde, huh? And she fought Crackstone. Poor kid.” The boy hummed. He couldn’t have been older than seventeen. Not a nurse, then. But he was in scrubs. Yoko’s gaze trailed to his badge. Ah. So he was some kind of volunteer. What kind of outcast was he?

“Yes,” Yoko muttered.

“I’m sorry, was that insensitive? People always call me insensitive,” the boy chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. “A- anyways, um, where’d you find her? There’s probably people on the way to Ophelia Hall right now, because, well, that’s where she lives, right? And the vampires must be smelling it.” He sniffed the air. “AB negative. Should’ve known Wednesday Addams would have to one up us in blood type too.”

“You’re a vampire?” Yoko asked, checking the boy’s mouth for fangs she didn’t find. His canines were sharp, but not long enough. But he had to be a vampire, right? It was AB negative blood she was sensing.

“Half,” the boy corrected, smiling cheekily.

“I see. Well, yeah, she was just in the hallway. There was blood splattering the walls- it was just Wednesday’s. I didn’t hear much ruckus. The culprit was gone. There was something sweet, too, chloroform maybe.”

“Oh- oh.” The boy’s pupils dilated ever so slightly. “You hearing this, Mrs…?” He looked at the nurse.

“Yes. You’re doing a good job. I’ll report this to the sheriff, okay?”

“Mhm,” the boy hummed, looking down at the unconscious girl beneath her, then back to Yoko. “I heard you and that Enid girl were friends. I… I don’t know.”

Yoko looked at the ground. “Yeeep,” she smiled awkwardly, popping the ‘p’.

“Well, I don’t want to offend you. But I think this-” he gestured to Wednesday- “might be related. You know, just a thought.”

“She’s in a cage,” Yoko said through gritted teeth.

“Sorry, sorry!” the boy raised his hands up in surrender. “Alright, Addams, wake up,” he muttered, not looking at Yoko.

-*oOo*-

Meanwhile, Willow Hill

Enid Sinclair

The pain started in her forehead. Burning. Aching. Throbbing. She shrieked loudly, clawing weakly at her forehead with unsheathed claws, trying to find the source of such agony. Her Hyde screeched on the inside, her face graying, her eyes widening into circles, but the pain struck her again, and she screamed, turning back to human.

“Oh god! Someone help me!” She sobbed, there was another pain now, in the side of her neck, poking, piercing skin. But no blood. It wasn’t real. A phantom. An illusion. “Help! Please, someone…”

The pain faded at once, but the memory remained, angry, so painfully real although rationally it had to be fake.

Dr. Kane burst in a moment later, clutching his stomach with a pale look on his face. “Oh my god, Enid, are you okay?” he asked with genuine concern.

“I’m fine,” Enid muttered. “I just thought I felt something. It was a false alarm.”

Dr. Kane shook his head, gently stepping closer as if approaching a wild animal. “I could feel the pain from the other room, honey. Are you okay?”

“I-” she pressed a hand to her forehead. Enid closed her eyes, willing herself to stay calm. She could have restraint. She could show them she wasn’t feral, a wild animal. Maybe then Wednesday would finally visit her again. It felt like an eternity since she had done so.

Wednesday.

Her eyes snapped open, memories surfacing. The body swap. Yes. She had been in Wednesday’s body. This pain… wasn’t hers.

The memory of being in Wednesday’s body… the… the Addams curse. It left its remnants on her soul.

Wednesday.

Her Hyde- no, this was her Wolf- roared, igniting a fire in her chest.

“Fck! Fck, fck, Dr. Kane, let me out of here, she’s in danger!” Enid cried, running forward, hands gripping the bars. “Wednesday’s in danger!”

“Hey, Enid, it’s okay. Calm down, okay? Breathe in, breathe out, Wednesday is-”

“She got hurt! I can feel it, I can feel it-” Enid sobbed hysterically.

“God, this is making me so nauseous,” Dr. Kane mumbled, paling a little as Enid dropped to her knees, still sobbing. Each one shook her body, breaths spasming, tears like rain splattering the ground. “Hate being an Empath sometimes,” he whispered under his breath. Then he put on a forced smile. “Hey, honey, it’s okay. I’ll call Principal Weems, and she can check on Wednesday.”

The world was spinning. Something in Enid sighed, leaving her empty, a husk. “She’s- she’s unconscious!”

“Okay… I’ll tell Larissa, don’t you worry, pup.”

Enid shook her head, sweat flying. “No, please, let me see her.”

“Enid, you know I can’t do that,” Dr. Kane said calmly.

“Please!” Enid threw herself against the bars, her Hyde and her wolf both united, angry, bloodlusted, grieving. “Let me see her!” The shock from her collar rippled through her body, but it wasn’t enough. Her Hyde was at full force, combined with every other entity in her, and it was stronger than pain. Shock after shock coursing through her, the collar straining, the chains around her wrists nearly surrendering to her pure strength. “LET ME-”

With a resounding snap, the chain pulling her towards the wall snapped.

The bars of the cell pulled apart like taffy.

Chapter Text

Chapter 17: I'm crazy for you, you know that?

Omniscient narrator

By the time the cops arrived on the scene, Enid was gone.

Dr. Kane had four cuts down his chest, unconscious, teetering over the dangerous edge of death. They loaded him and five other poor souls into ambulances and drove like crazy to the nearest hospital.

Frankly, the cops weren’t actually sure what to do. They weren’t equipped to fight a Hyde, no matter how many guns they could point at her. Not in this state.

See, one of the guards had already fired at her, but bullets were like rubber, little toys bouncing off a thick hide. This wasn’t an angry Hyde. This was a beast. A creature so focused on…

On what? The police were trying to figure out. All they could find was the security footage of Enid desperate to find Wednesday.

Which meant, if the creature had some kind of rationale, she would be heading to Nevermore.

“Send all available troops to Nevermore!” Sheriff Santiago reported, turning to her partner.

“Copy. Do we engage?”

Sheriff Santiago sighed. “Give me a second,” she said into her radio. “Davis,” she said to her partner. “She didn’t kill the guards. Or Kane. She did one strike only, controlled. She wasn’t trying to cause chaos. Because every second is one away from Wednesday.”

“If we keep her away from Wednesday, if we try,” Davis’ eyes widened in understanding. “If we guard Wednesday, no one’s making it out alive.”

“Right. Sh!t. Okay. Uh, don’t engage.” She fumbled to report that to the radio. They seemed hesitant to obey, but they weren’t exactly lining up to fight Enid either. “She has to transform back eventually. Doesn’t she? And there’s no way she’d hurt Wednesday… Davis, you’re in charge. Tell them all that. Wait until she transforms back to help Wednesday, and then capture her, aight? I’ve- I’m going to Nevermore.” Santiago stumbled into her cop car and drove like a madman, tapping the wheel anxiously. “Oh sh!t. C’mon, please…”

She turned the sirens on, the speed limit irrelevant, nearly crashing into many trees before finally reaching the gate to Nevermore. Praying, begging, for everything to be okay.

But the Hyde was already there.

She wasn’t the first cop to arrive, and she sure wasn’t the last.

Some of the trees surrounding the area were torn off, cracked at the bottom like little twigs. The gate, too, was mangled, twisted, bent. Destroyed.

Santiago breathed out, trying to calm herself. “Fck.”

The Hyde was nowhere to be seen, but the trail of wreckage was undeniable, and police were pointing in its direction and heading there on foot.

She joined them, fear twisting angrily in her stomach like a reminder that she had no chance in facing such a beast in its purest form. They had no chance without the plan and they were beginning to realize that.

The infirmary. It was just west of their position. Wednesday would be there, surely, if what Enid had heard was true. Yes, the infirmary.

She called the rest of the police there. “Be quiet, too,” she reminded them. “But make yourself known.”

“That makes not much sense,” one of the rookies said.

“I don’t care,” Santiago grumbled. She signaled for them to follow. They were already nearing the infirmary, and they entered with the guns loaded, cocked, and held in front of them. They pointed it next to Wednesday’s bed, the nurses, the boy with the bleeding nose.

Enid wasn’t there. The infirmary nurses had their hands up, confused, pleading their innocence, they didn’t even know the Hyde was there.

“Sorry, sorry,” one of the rookies mumbled. “Um, false alarm.”

The grip on their guns eased.

Which is why it was hilarious timing when the Hyde herself burst in.

The door splintered in her wake, the walls crumbling at the places where she touched like they were made of chalk. Waving the dust out of the air, Yoko Tanaka stepped forward. “Enid…” she looked to everyone else, mouthing, run. “Enid, don’t do this. You’re in there, I know you are…”

Enid wasn’t even looking at her. She barrelled through the police, knocking over infirmary beds and slapping rifles out of hands. Then, while everyone swore and cursed and ran like their life depended on it, Sheriff Santiago laid bleeding on the ground where Enid had swatted her.

Yoko wasn’t backing down, though. She stood in front of Wednesday’s bed, fangs bared, preparing to strike or calm the Hyde down, whatever had a better chance of saving everyone.

That was her mistake. Enid zeroed in on the Addams’ sleeping form. The Hyde growled lowly, but it was slowly turning into something different, a kind of… whine?

She shoved Yoko aside, rubbing her deformed, wolf-hyde head against the stitches on her forehead.

Everyone who remained was holding their breath, waiting for something, anything to transpire.

Wednesday let out a shuddering breath, her eyelids fluttering. “Enid…” she whispered, whimpering a little and turning on the bed. “Enid, please…”

The wolf-hyde was shrinking by the second, gray lightening, turning back to familiar peach. Her eyes went from yellow to baby blue, and Enid collapsed on top of Wednesday, whose eyes shot open.

A sleepy smile settled on the raven’s face, and a hand reached up to brush Enid’s tangled, bloodstained hair. Then dark eyes dawned with realization.

“Enid,” Wednesday leaned in closer, but her movements were still dazed with sleep, shaking slightly like she was woozy. Playing dumb. It was the only way. “Enid, how are you here?”

The blonde girl stirred, mumbling incoherently. Then she shot up, claws up, growling deep in her throat, but she was human. Nothing against the guns now pointed at her. There was no winning this.

So she grabbed an unsuspecting nurse in a split second, backing against the wall as she held him in a chokehold, pressing razor-sharp claws to the boy’s throat. Three guns. Three guns pointed at her. They would be faster, but Enid had positioned him to cover most of her. “Don’t you dare touch her,” Enid choked out, tears blocking her words. “Don’t touch her. Who did this? Tell me, or I’ll kill him. I swear I’ll do it.”

“Enid,” Wednesday said, her voice a warning. “Enid… please.”

Enid’s eyes softened, but she hissed at her anyway. “Stay out of this, okay, Wends? I know you hate me, but please, they hurt you.” She looked again to the cops, roaring, “Who did this?”

“W- we don’t know,” one of the cops mumbled.

Wednesday held a throwing knife in her sleeve, slowly extracting it with one hand, holding the blade and clipping the edge of her finger on it. Pain sparked through her, but she kept calm. “Enid, please. Look at me.”

Enid looked to her for only a split second, but that was enough. A silver net was thrown over her, burning her exposed skin wherever it touched. Her claws went crazy, and she screeched, a sound of incredible pain. The nurse was dropped to the floor, and panicked blue eyes met Wednesday’s as the police approached her with handcuffs. Silver handcuffs.

Wednesday gripped the hilt of the knife. No. No. No.

Enid fought back, but weakly. The silver was making her pained and drowsy. She fell to the ground, but her eyes never left the raven.

Claws scrapped holes in the net, hit at loaded guns, but it wasn’t enough.

Backup was arriving, and Enid was already overwhelmed. Handcuffs were held around Enid’s wrists, about to be clipped on, and-

A blade sliced through the small crowd, hitting the man handling Enid. He hissed, grabbing his injured wrist, dropping the cuffs.

Everyone turned to the culprit. Because Wednesday Addams was standing, swaying a little on her feet, hand outstretched, still cut from when she had held it.

“Addams!” Santiago exclaimed, red spreading across her face in anger.

But Wednesday wasn’t looking at them. It was easy for someone to see that she didn’t care they were there. Didn’t care that they saw her. Because her eyes were focused on Enid like she was the only thing alive, the only thing that had ever mattered in the world.

Enid grimaced, holding her right palm where Wednesday had been cut, but she wasn’t stupid. She got up and ran away at top speed.

The policeman got to their senses and chased after her.

Chapter Text

Chapter 18: and everything falls apart.

Wednesday Addams

“You must understand. There is a kind of… curse.” Wednesday just hoped it would free her from any consequences.

“Wednesday Addams, I am quite aware of the Addams Curse! I roomed with Morticia, for goodness sake!” Weems cried, exasperated with the girl in front of her. Fck. So there was no twisting the curse.

Wednesday sat calmly in front of her, facing the daunting chair which sat a very angry principal. “If you truly did, you would understand the heinous emotion that overtook me during that interaction.”

“You were being irrational. Sinclair has murdered nineteen people. She is a serial killer and an untamed beast-”

“I advise you to choose your words more carefully, Principal Weems,” Wednesday snarked, her voice cold and sharp, like a steel blade. “I was acting perfectly rationally. Enid was being manipulated by Thornhill. She is a Hyde, she must obey her master-”

“Mrs. Addams, calm down!” Weems exclaimed, pounding a fist onto her wooden desk. “Whether Miss Sinclair is innocent or not is a matter that must be handled by the police. Not a sixteen year old aspiring detective! She is dangerous, with or without a master, and if she stays out in the wild people are gonna end up dead.” Weems stood up then, panting a little, out of breath from her outburst. “Wednesday, this isn’t about you and Enid Sinclair. This is about the innocents that will get caught in the crossfire.” Her face softened a little, and she sat down, trying to present herself more professionally.

“I saw Gomez fall for Morticia. I saw the way he looked at her, the way he does even now. Like she was his everything. Like he would kill for her. Die for her. Anything for her.” Weems’ eyes turned misty. “You are not the sort I imagined that happening to, but you are an Addams, as you like to say, but that also includes the way they love. I understand, to a point. You could not bear the thought of Enid hurting.”

“They had silver,” Wednesday insisted, her voice more vulnerable than it ever had been with others… others that weren’t Enid.

“I’m not doubting that, love. I know they did. I know it scared you. I know it hurt, maybe even physically, to see her, to sense her in pain. But we can’t let this go, either.”

“Then I’ll hunt her down.”

“I wish I could trust you to do that, Wednesday, since I know Miss Sinclair would never be able to hurt you, however I believe that even in a cold, black heart like yours-” Weems raised her eyebrows- “you wouldn’t be able to capture her. Not now, not ever.”

“You have no faith in me.”

“Tried that already, Miss Addams. You said, and I quote, ‘your faith is misplaced.’ So it’s your word against yours,” Weems smiled elegantly, although there was teasing behind it.

Wednesday hesitated for a split second before jumping right back in. “This is an entirely different matter. Even if I were to only act in Enid’s best interest, more blood on her hands isn’t going to aid her mental health. In fact, it may cause it to deteriorate even more. So it would be prudent that I help her become something that perhaps may not even need to be jailed or contained. But if that is not possible, it is quite easy to keep her in the Addams family dungeon.”

“You don’t seem to understand, Wednesday. The law needs justice, justice and time that Miss Sinclair hasn’t yet served.”

“And she never will. She’s in there for life, and she’s a minor, a victim of torture, and grooming, as well s<xual assvalt from a master she couldn’t help but obey.” Wednesday quirked an eyebrow. “Seems like justice is blind. She should have a different judge. Like someone who knows what she went through. Like me, for example.”

Weems scoffed. “How about no. Although they will need your help there, miss Addams, for you are the only one she will listen to. So once she is placed once again into custody, we may require your assistance with handling her therapy sessions and rehabilitation.”

“Let me help her,” Wednesday said forcefully, glaring with such malice that if looks could kill, Weems would be a smoking hole in the floor. Unfortunately for Wednesday, glares weren’t a working killing method.

“No. This matter is final. You are glad that nurse isn’t pressing charges. And neither are the police. You will have after school detention for the next month, and I will be calling your parents.”

Wednesday’s glare turned to a sweet, satisfied smirk, a hint of dimples showing. “They will fully be on my side. The things an Addams will do for the curse are unfathomable, sometimes unforgivable. I will also be conversing with my parents. I will now take my leave.”

“Addams, you will be showing up to-”

It was past saving, because Wednesday was already out the door.

-*oOo*-

Enid Sinclair

Oh how the mighty have fallen, the girl thought bitterly. Her grimy knees were pulled up real close, and she hugged them for warmth. Thin fabric covered her shivering body, and fresh clothes were underneath it. Reduced to hiding in caves, in holes. Hiding from the police when the lights went near her.

She was smart. Enid remembered one of Marylin’s hideouts. She took the blanket and the spare clothes from there, but there was no food. And it hurt, a little, to see the wall with the silver chains where she had been lashed, many times, with a whip. When she had been touched, everywhere, on her naked body. Everywhere where she had never been touched before. Everywhere she hated being touched.

It had felt a lot more natural then, when Marylin was still well and truly her master. Now the lines between master and abuser were blurring, although perhaps they had always overlapped.

Yes, that had to be true.

“I wish I could just die,” Enid said aloud.

She could still feel her.

No, not Marylin- Wednesday. She could feel Wednesday in her bones, with every step she took, with every vein in her body. Everything belonged to Wednesday. Enid was nothing.

She had been something else that fateful night, something better, something stronger, something that was enough. Enough to protect Wednesday from all harm. If she had simply stayed in that form, nothing bad would’ve happened.

It was a blend, a hybrid, she supposed. Her wolf and Hyde both pushing and straining at the edges of her frail human body until they merged.

Not they were, she noticed, separate beings. Though both chanted the same thing deep within her, a certain day of the week that she could not stop thinking of.

She scratched at the back of her neck. How could she relieve the quiet yet growing ache in her body? She could turn herself in.

No.

No, she couldn’t. That would doom her forever.

There was a void where something was missing. What was it?

Or… who?

Of course. It had to be Wednesday. Everything was Wednesday.

Enid buried her head in her knees and cried.

She knew what she had to do.

She could never endanger Wednesday, as much as it hurt to stay away.

She had to go away. Get as far as she could, away from Nevermore, away from Willow Hill, away from the girl she had grown to love. She had to leave it all behind.

She had to leave.

-*oOo^-

Wednesday Addams

Wednesday shut off the connection to the crystal ball, turning to Thing. “Get packed. We are finding Enid.” There was a glint in her eyes. “We’re tracking her wherever she goes. I will find her or die trying.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 19: I can piece you back together

It wasn’t long until the first report came in.

Wednesday had offered a sizable amount of money to whoever had a valid report, although it barely made a dent in her trust fund, especially since her parents had offered to pay for all the expenses. They understood that such distance from Enid could kill her. And although they said they could help, they knew Wednesday had to complete the journey alone.

Well, not completely alone.

The night she set off with a small backpack, she brought Thing and told no one.

In her backpack there was some food, water, and an array of weapons. They were to be used on humans or other outcasts, not Enid. Enid would go willingly. She had to. The Addams family curse was coursing through her body at that very moment, tugging the Hyde closer to Wednesday, even if she didn’t know what was happening.

It was a motel owner that reported something amiss. A strange woman, he had said, a bit dirty, passing his motel in the darkness of the night. Away from his motel, crossing a freeway without a care in the world, into the forest.

So Wednesday stole a motorcycle and headed towards Enid.

-*oOo*-

Enid Sinclair

“Enid, what the f*ck?? You can’t expect me to do this.” The boy’s voice crackled through the borrowed phone.

“Please,” the girl whispered hoarsely, tears slapping the screen of the phone. “Please, I know it’s bad. But I’m your sister. Please.”

Her brother sighed audibly, not answering for a second. “I love you, Enid, but I don’t even know who you are. Not anymore. And if I get caught, I’m dead.”

“William…” Enid hung her head. “I did bad things. I was under the control of a bad person.”

“I’m not five. I’m not stupid, either. I’ve seen the police reports.”

“I- I know. And I wish I could see you… you’ve probably grown so much.”

“Stop it!” William yelled into the phone. “Stop trying to be my sister again. Just- f*ck. I’ll- I’ll do it, alright?”

“Thank you,” Enid said, relieved, wiping a little sweat from her brow. “I- I do care about you, you know? I love you.”

“I don’t even know who you are,” the boy repeated. “Bye, ‘nid. Call me, kay?”

Enid whispered a confirmation before turning off the phone and handing it back to the old lady with a smile on her face. “Thank you so much,” she muttered before walking away.

There was so much dirt on her face. She had scrubbed off as much as she could with her sleeves, but she was stuck dirty. Even in the outskirts of a town, she stuck out like a sore thumb. But washing up meant revealing more of her face, and plus, there weren’t many places she could go.

But the dirt wasn’t the cause of Enid’s distress, nor was the idea of her being caught by the police. No, the reason Enid’s whole being was so shaken was the whole reason for her departure, the whole reason for living but the whole reason she wished for death.

Wednesday Addams. It was always Wednesday.

She found herself straying always west in her travels, and she made her way through forests and highways and small towns. Sometimes she stayed far away from the locals. Sometimes in the night she stole food.

But always west, like an invisible string, barely larger than a spider’s web, was drawing her ever closer to whatever was on the other side.

She was always hot.

It mattered not whether she was standing next to a fire or digging herself into a freezer, she was always sweating bullets and crying out of sheer fire in her body.

Every step she took east, away from whatever was drawing her, she got warmer. Like her body was punishing itself for its choice.

Which is why only a day after she had set off away from Nevermore, she sat on the ground, curled up into a little ball, and cried until she fell asleep.

Rest was merciful on her, dreamless, empty. No trace of the beautiful poison that was inflicted on her every waking moment. No trace of the atropa belladona that was Wednesday Addams.

How, how was it that Wednesday hated her for killing when Wednesday had allegedly killed two people? It had always confused her, but she wasn’t one to question her, especially not before she knew. That would’ve been stupid.

Perhaps she would find out soon. Perhaps she would never know.

But with William, her only younger brother, doing the job for her, she would have Wednesday off her trail, at least for a while. Hopefully.

Because more than anything, an Addams always protected one of their own. It was the way of the entire family.

And if a certain cousin were to fall in love with the Hyde’s younger brother, then it was likely Wednesday would have something to say about it.

-*oOo*-

Arcland Addams

Arc wasn’t one to meddle with what his older cousin did.

Wednesday was certainly an interesting character, although most Addams were, so it wasn’t particularly surprising.

But even more so, Arc’s immediate family liked meddling with Wednesday’s business even less.

While Wednesday treated Arc similarly to the way she treated Pugsley, albeit a little nicer, she treated his mother horribly. Which his father didn’t exactly appreciate.

Which is why, when his mother spontaneously offered to send Arc to Nevermore Academy, the same place Wednesday studied, he was definitely surprised.

Being only a freshman, his parents had decided to keep him at home for at least the first year of high school. It seemed that their view had changed, though.

“But I’m only thirteen,” he said when they first told him.

“But I’m gonna miss you guys,” he said when they told him to pack his stuff.

“But I’m an older brother now,” he said when they arrived at the airport.

Even as he stepped into the plane to New Jersey, he said under his breath, “But that’s where Wednesday Addams goes.”

His parents had, of course, bought out the row of first class seats for him to lounge with some privacy. If it wasn’t so last minute, they could’ve done more.

See, being a trust fund kid, Arc had some benefits. He had never touched an economy seat, nor taken the bus. But… compared to most of the Addams family, he was pretty… What was the word? Grounded.

The flight wasn’t too long, only around four hours. When he landed, he took his carry on and backpack and headed to the fancy car waiting for him.

See, Arc had never wanted to go to Nevermore, not while his cousin studied there. Though he loved Wednesday, the raven scared him to no end.

Which is why he was quite surprised, but not particularly disappointed, that Principal Weems told him she had run away.

“We will alert the local news that another Addams has come to Nevermore,” Weems said, “like many before him.” She gave Arc a sickly sweet smile. “People will want to hear family stories, especially to ease any stir after Wednesday was attacked.”

“Uhm… she got attacked? Can I get attacked? That’s kinda cool,” Arc mused. “As long as she didn’t die, of course, not from something so measly. Wends would hate that.”

“Er… yes, I believe Wednesday would hate that too,” Weems said, trying desperately to relate to the boy.  “Do you think that if Wednesday knows you are here, she’ll come back? Is there anything you can do to help her… encourage her to return?”

“Perhaps,” Arc said vaguely, a sh t-eating grin on his face. “And why should I help you?”

“For the good of…” Weems trailed off, knowing it was a losing argument. “You know, I have just the thing for you,” she murmured. “Come to my office, hmm?”

Arc’s smile didn’t falter. “Alright. But if you need my help, if you want it to work, the only thing we will need is me. And whoever my roommate turns out to be, I suppose.”

There was a glint in Principal Weems’ eyes. “I have just the idea.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 20: and I come crawling back every time

Enid Sinclair

It was colder when she woke up. Not by much, but the fire running through her veins had subsided, licking the edges of her sweaty, exhausted body instead of consuming it.

Werewolves run hot. She knew that. But this transcended that. She needed something cold, but ice didn’t work, neither did rubbing her face against the cold ground. So she was just kinda stuck, not to mention the fact she hadn’t eaten in a while and couldn’t exactly walk into a restaurant.

Her body felt foreign, detached, like it didn’t belong to her. (Random A/N: try being trans, Enid!) She wondered aimlessly where the feeling stemmed from.

Enid still remembered the feel of being Wednesday, when their souls had been swapped. It had been pleasantly cool, all the time, albeit a bit clammy.

Infinitely better than whatever the hell this was.

She sniffled, wiping snot running down the base of her nose. “Wednesday?” she whispered into the expanse of forest surrounding her, enveloping her on all sides.

None of the trees answered her.

“I miss you,” she whispered. “Please come back to me.”

She buried her face in her hands, knowing with all her heart, hurting with all her heart, that she had been the one who had run away. And that she was the reason they could never be normal. Not while the Hyde was inside her, not in this universe. Not when Thornhill’s mark lay heavy, stained onto her heart in everlasting ink.

Enid would be hunted until the moment she stopped breathing.

-*o0o*-

Wednesday Addams

It was easy to find Enid, considering the fact that the Addams curse was so deeply embedded into her that she was cold, dangerously, extremely cold. The raven had subjected herself to several cold plunges in her time, but never had it settled so deep within her very being.

It wasn’t merely a chill. It was piercing, every bit of her body slowly freezing.

But it was all in her head.

Wherever felt warmer, that was where Enid was. She had to follow the trail of light, of literal warmth. The only fire that could cure such disease.

Enid would, if she got too far away, slump unconscious, so it was only a matter of time before Wednesday could find her.

She carried Thing on her shoulder, having ditched the motorcycle and now needing to walk. The severed hand occasionally tapped in Morse Code. “What are you gonna do when you find her?” he had asked her that twice already. It was beginning to wear away at her thinned patience.

“Calm her down until her Hyde is silent. Then reason with her, whilst ensuring she stays completely in human form. If that is to fail, she will not harm me. I have faith in her wolf’s ability, and the strength of the Addams curse, to keep her in check.”

Thing scratched his pointer with his thumb. “Sounds foolproof.” Wednesday, despite having the emotional intelligence of a worm, had known Thing long enough to tell that he was being sarcastic.

“I have also brought an array of weapons, if that comforts you so,” Wednesday added. Thing quieted for a moment.

“It does, although I know you don’t leave anywhere without your weapons anyhow.”

“That is correct,” the psychic said, suppressing a shiver at the sudden chill.

Thing knew well that Wednesday was experiencing the cold; but he had no power to stop it and knew it was a sensitive subject, so he decided not to point out that he could still feel it.

“Enid’s on the move again?” Thing tapped, a little anxious.

Wednesday breathed in, tilting her nose ever so slightly towards the sky. “Yes, I believe so. We must hasten our pace.”

Thing nodded his severed stump.

They walked quicker, but didn’t run. No sense in wasting Wednesday’s energy while Enid was still so far away.

“Remember when you used to play music for Enid on your cello?” Thing asked.

“What is the purpose of reminding me of the fabricated past?” Wednesday snapped. Anger flared in the back of her carefully coordinated mask.

“She used to make you play girl in red. Do you think she knew, even then?” Thing slumped on her shoulder in the equivalent of a sigh. “I hate Enid, and I know you do. But you also love her, and frankly, I must learn to deal with that.”

Wednesday took a while to respond to that comment. “I suppose.”

-*o0o*-

Enid Sinclair

It didn’t take long for her to grow tired of walking again.

She didn’t miss the cell at Willow Hill, but she did miss the cold, concrete floors, as hard as they were. At least they were cold.

And, because there was no one to admit it too, she missed Wednesday terribly.

More specifically, her wolf missed her. Without Wednesday around, Enid had become restless, more wild, her inner creature angered and untamed.

Enid just needed to face the facts. She should just give up, give in, let her crimes be paid for. Lay down and wait for the cops or de ath to take her, whichever came first.

-*o0o*-

Wednesday Addams

She wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or concerned when she could tell Enid had stopped moving again, this time for a long while; over an hour.

It was daytime- in fact, the sun was at its highest point in the sky- so it would be stupid to sleep. Practically asking for capture.

But it allowed Wednesday time to catch up, and that she did. Within another few hours, the cold has subsided, and she could breathe regularly once again.

So she made her way through the mass of trees, heart pounding noisily in her chest, so out of tune from the careful control she had over her body. Thing stayed completely silent, having climbed into her bag with the knowledge that the Hyde was close.

The sun shined brightly on her eyes as she stepped ever closer, and she reached a hand up to shield herself. There was a small clearing of trees in front of her, peaceful, but with a cautionary aura to it. There was something off.

And there it was. In the center, a sleeping form, golden and splotchy blue and pink hair splayed out onto the dirt ground.

Wednesday muffled a gasp, and a slow, psychotic smile spread across her face and warmth poured like honey into her body.

“Enid.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 21: The candle has burned so low

Enid Sinclair

Enid wasn’t sure what surprised her the most when she awoke; that she was a pleasantly cool temperature, that Wednesday was there, or that she was smiling.

Wednesday Addams smiling. Dimples and all. Enid had seen Wednesday smile, what? Two times? But never this satisfied, never this warmly. Not for her. Not for a monster.

Then Wednesday noticed she was awake, and the smile slipped from her face immediately, and her eyes drifted slowly back to their default setting of extremely menacing.

“You came crawling back to me,” Enid drawled, sarcasm dripping from her words. “This time with a smile on your face.” She blinked the sleep out of her eyes, desperately keeping composure. She wasn’t glad to see her.

“I’m sure your life has been quite… hot and cold, shall I say? I suppose it has evened out since my arrival, though both of us would never deign to admit it in such a vulnerable way. No Hyde to greet me?”

“Would you like to meet her?” Enid snarked.

“You speak as though she is a different person. Is she?” Wednesday said carefully, seeming so f- king confident that Enid wanted to claw the raven’s face off. Why did she always have to be so sure of herself?

“Why don’t you tell me, Wednesday?” she said. Her words were challenging, but she knew she was just deflecting.

Wednesday took another step closer, pressing a pointer finger to Enid’s forehead. “Cold, isn’t it?”

Enid shivered under the contact, goosebumps prickling her skin. But she didn’t answer.

The psychic’s hand fell away to her sides, and Enid found herself missing the feeling, however unsettling it was. “The artificial temperature you have been subjected to is a result of a curse known as the Addams family curse, and it affects the recipient of the Addams’ love just as much as it does the Addams… although should the love not be reciprocated…” Wednesday turned away for a moment, her gaze falling on the trees as if she couldn’t bear to look at Enid any longer. “Well, that result does not matter. We shall leave it at the fact that there is an extremely real chance you will be lifted of this curse.”

“Oh,” Enid whispered. “Well, f* ck. I don’t know how I didn’t guess that. I’m stupid.”

“I agree with that statement,” Wednesday said, her voice dropping low as she locked eyes with the girl, all fear dissipating into the breeze. “Charging into my infirmary bed? What crossed your mind, Enid? And what kind of spirit did you make a deal with to escape your confinement?”

“Spirit? What?” Enid realized Wednesday must be joking. “I felt your pain,” she explained, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear and sitting up, her legs in criss-cross applesauce. “And I knew you were in trouble. And my Hyde, my wolf… they came out as one, as one creature… and they didn’t care about the electricity. The shocks meant nothing to them. Not when I still felt the sting of those two fangs in my neck and that gash on your forehead…”

Enid reached out closer to Wednesday’s cold, her fingers brushing against black stitches. She couldn’t resist feeling them. “They were so angry,” Enid admitted. “I just… I didn’t know… I’ve never been that strong before. I broke the chains from the wall and I ran like hell towards Nevermore. Then you woke up and the police were there and, well, you know the rest.” She hung her head, a little out of breath.

Wednesday sighed in a very Wednesday-like-way; a quick escape of breath, but still all stiff and tensed up, alert but apathetic at the same time. “I see. I suppose you will kill me now? You have the chance.”

“Wednesday, oh my god, did you not just listen to my whole spiel?” Enid threw up her hands. “Nothing’s changed, my goodness. Why do you always have to-” Enid pressed a hand to her temple. “Rawr. I’m gonna murder you.” Her voice was flat, and she held up her hands like a bear, but her claws didn’t show. “I’ve murdered nineteen people. What’s one more?”

“I remain unfazed,” Wednesday stated, her eyes half-lidded in apparent boredom.

Enid smiled, razor-sharp canines grazing her bottom lip. “I know I can make you hate me,” she said, her voice laced with teasing. She wrapped her arm against Wednesday’s shoulder and pressed the smaller girl’s head against her shoulder.

Wednesday squirmed and ended up kicking Enid in the face, somehow. Enid snarled instinctively, latching her mouth against Wednesday’s ear and nipping it, hard. Blood leaked from it into Enid’s mouth and Wednesday flinched in pain. “I’ll bite it off if you move,” Enid growled, her voice low.

Wednesday froze, pure malice and annoyance painted over her face.

Enid tilted her head a little to the sky, keeping her canines dangerously close to Wednesday’s face. Her ear hurt. Should Wednesday had moved, Enid wouldn’t have done anything, in fear of the equal pain she would have been subjected to in tandem. “I'm done hiding, now I'm shining, like I'm born to be~” she made her voice as loud and high pitched as she could, but not enough to deafen Wednesday.

Wednesday’s face contorted in horror.

“I’m just kidding,” Enid laughed, letting her go. “Can’t hurt you. Go on, arrest me, lovergirl.”

The Addams hesitated. “I am… not a lovergirl, as you call it.”

Enid tilted her head. “You can’t hurt me either, right? I assume it’s an Addams curse thing, because everything is. Well, I suppose that doesn’t stop you from arresting me.” She leaned closer, teasing. Wednesday stayed frustratingly still, her eyes flickering around Enid’s face. 

“I might as well experiment, a little? See whether you’re better than Ajax, hmm?” Enid whispered. A dreamy smile brushed against her face momentarily. “You’re so gonna kill me for this.”

Really annoying super essential switch to Wednesday Addams’ povvvv

Wednesday blinked, like she often did when uncomfortable. She wanted to move, her legs twitched with an urge to run, but the Addams curse tugged her otherwise, closer to the fire, closer to the very thing that fueled her steps, the very thing that fueled her lungs so that they would continue taking in oxygen. She was utterly helpless, stuck in place like a mannequin where Enid would do whatever she pleased, so long as the warmth still clutched her blackened heart.

“I…” Wednesday closed her eyes. She could smell Enid’s scent, even with her weak human senses. The Addams had had many interspecies couples, and that gave her the ability to detect werewolves’ scents.

She loathed the fact that it smelled quite pleasant, in reality. But not others. This was a trait unique to Enid.

In the past, during their interactions, the scent had been quite stale, ruled by a different one, that of her Hyde, which she had dealt with during Nevermore as well, and had believed to be Enid’s true smell. Sour.

But this drew her ever so slightly closer.

With her eyes still closed and the warmth brushing and igniting in her lips, she realized she had closed the miniscule distance between them.

She was kissing Enid.

It was not like the first time, rushed, unsure, sleepy, and half-loopy on sedatives. This was real. Tender. Theirs.

Pure emotion built up in her throat, clogging what could’ve been words, and Wednesday’s lips parted in surprise.

Enid adjusted against her, licking her lips even as they stayed pressed together, and smiled into the… the kiss.

Wednesday needed to escape this. The heat was so intense it had become suffocating. She was torn between pleasure and knowledge, that this was wrong and forbidden and she was Wednesday Addams and very much not meant to do this-

She was saved the effort.

Enid pulled away slowly, a gentle smile still there. Wednesday could barely remember the Hyde that had nearly killed her. It felt like so long ago, distant, unimportant.

“I love you,” Enid said, breathless.

Wednesday looked at her, terror slowly dawning on her. A knife slipped through her sleeve and into her hand in a split second, and she lunged forward, pressing the blade of it to Enid’s throat.

The Hyde froze.

“Why did you believe you could do that with no consequences? What gave you the right to do that?”

Enid fell back onto the ground, shaking her head. “Don’t tell me Wednesday Addams got scared of a little kiss,” Enid said, still with that smile. “C’mon, that was nice. Your lips are really soft.”

Wednesday scowled. “If I were able to kiII you, Enid, you would already be dead. However, that seems to be out of reach. But I would like you to know that I wish to.”

“Duly noted,” Enid murmured.

“You will be brought back to Nevermore,” Wednesday said decisively. “That is the only way we can keep you out of custody, and me out of scrutiny.”

Enid laughed, holding her stomach. Then she stopped, looked at Wednesday’s unimpressed gaze. “Huh. You’re not joking.” She sighed dramatically. “Well, I know why they call you a psycho now.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 22: Easier than we thought

Arcland Addams

In truth, now that he really considered it… he had no idea how to get Wednesday back.

See, he had done everything he could to get in the papers, and he had- his parents had called him an insurmountable amount of times, and his sisters had been chortling about it as well.

Now, he had also become quite occupied with his roommate, William Sinclair. The boy was sun blonde, and his eyes were a stunning ocean blue, but he was also kind of an idiot.

Arc was glad he wasn’t a psycho kiIIer, though. Another Sinclair turned traitor? How repetitive. Really horrible for life’s plot.

When Arc had brought up trying to bring back Wednesday, William got all quiet, shutting Arc off for a while, but it did make him real agreeable, so Arc wasn’t really complaining.

Agnes DeMille and Eugene Ottinger had also begun to aid him in his endeavors, although the latter was much more wary of the skirmishes the younger Addams enjoyed causing. Agnes was pleased to do whatever as long as it meant possibly getting the elder Addams to return, though she was becoming rather good friends with Arc additionally.

The boy sometimes wondered, though, whether Agnes was doing that to kiss up to his cousin.

On one of the quieter days, once classes were over, Arc went up to Weems’ office to report any findings.

“Wednesday hasn’t tried to contact me, or anyone in the family,” the black haired boy said, playing with his hands. His stomach twisted in guilt. “So… are you sure you don’t wanna send, like, more police officers after her? Or a couple of werewolves?”

“That would scare her deeper into the wilderness, I’m afraid,” Weems sighed, somehow doing so with the same elegance and poise she usually held herself to, although it had flickered in Wednesday’s absence.

“Well, I don’t know what we’re supposed to do at this point,” Arc mumbled, a little embarrassed.

He was saved an explanation by the bell, which came in the form of a slightly breathless teacher barging into the principal’s office.

Weems stood immediately, looking a little pissed at the interruption. “What is the meaning of this?” she asked, a small crease forming between her eyebrows.

“Wednesday,” the teacher said, breathing heavily. “She’s back.”

-*o0o*-

Like a few minutes earlier…

Wednesday Addams

It wasn’t difficult at all to sneak into Nevermore, as Enid had considerably improved since the last time they had snuck somewhere.

Well… it was very much possible Enid had been incompetent at the Gates mansion on purpose, to keep up her mask and not arouse suspicion.

Wednesday decided not to dwell on that, only leading Enid to Ophelia hall.

Both of them wore oversized gray hoodies, and jeans, the most basic of non-uniform clothing. With both their hoods pulled up in the fall cold, their hair pulled back into a messy bun so no one could see it, and tacky sunglasses over their eyes, they looked like nonchalant boys to people whose eyes bounced over them.

So they were able to reach Ophelia Hall. It was mostly deserted, because it was Jericho Day, but the people who hadn’t gone would likely be in their rooms and able to emerge at any time.

So Wednesday hurried into her room, glad when it was empty.

She locked the door behind them and looked at Enid with a slightly tilted head, taking off the annoying layer of disguise and waiting for the Hyde to do the same.

“You trashed my side of the room,” Enid said instead, her voice soft, vulnerable.

“I was angry,” Wednesday responded, her voice clipped, careful.

“Where am I meant to sleep?” Enid muttered, kicking the cracked bedpost.

“The closet. If Weems were to walk in, or my nosy cousin Arcland Addams, then the ruse would be up,” Wednesday clarified.

“Ughhhh,” Enid groaned, flopping onto her trashed bed. “Wait, Arcland… oh… so he’s actually here. God. I screwed up.”

“He is rooming with your brother William, is he not?” Wednesday asked.

“I don’t know,” Enid grumbled, pulling her old pillow and pressing it over her face.

“Were you too conversing and planning once you had escaped?” Wednesday asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

“No,” Enid snapped, suddenly defensive. “Leave William out of this, he didn’t do anything wrong, he’s just a little kid, I swear.” Her voice hinged on desperation and she sat up, eyes smudged with tears.

“No need to go on the defensive. William will not be harmed. Arcland will protect him if William is dear to him,” Wednesday answered, a little glumly. “That is the Addams way, at the very least to those who fall into its trap.”

“Oh,” Enid muttered, settling down a bit. “Can you… get Will to visit? I miss him a lot.”

“There is a high chance the boy would report you. Considering his age, if he is the same as Arcland, he is at the time where most non Addams would feel compelled to follow the rules, particularly the ones that adjoin to their moral compass. Should Will see you, the shock of the betrayal, the anger he must feel, would be amplified by the love he might have felt for you, not dulled.” Wednesday folded her arms, trying to signify the finality of her words.

“He won’t. Not Will. He, um, he visited me one time at Willow Hill,” Enid sighed, her mind flashing back to the memory. “He forgave me. See, I have a lot of older brothers. While Will could always transform just fine, being so much younger than the other guys made him left out from their more intense wrestling matches, and mom has always been partial to the older kids. So me and Will were always together. That only made mom angrier at him. So it was my fault.” Enid looked down, old guilt stirring in her stomach. She thought she had gotten over that. She only hoped Will had. “But I was always his favorite, even when he was just a little baby. I told him how masters worked, I told him some of the… things… Thornhill did to me and, yeah, he forgave me.”

Wednesday raised her eyebrows ever so slightly. “...Interesting.”

Enid swallowed hard. “Well, you go… announce your presence, I guess. They’re gonna freak, you know. Please don’t rat me out?”

“Enid, the effort to bring you and hide you here was great, I would not waste it for any reason.” Wednesday’s hands stayed glued to her sides, and her eyes had dropped low, never straying from the ground. “Stay here. I will converse with the principal and other… acquaintances, and then we can settle the various other issues.”