Chapter Text
It was only because William happened to glance out of a window as he passed.
He wasn’t even sure why – he’d been hurrying about all day, to and fro, and was still hurrying even though he was supposed to be celebrating and drinking nice wine. It was his wedding night after all.
But he passed a window and took a quick glance out into the darkness beyond.
And he stopped.
He’d almost continued on past. Almost. His feet had continued to carry him automatically, most definitely, but…
But.
He couldn’t explain it. The hairs on the back of his neck were prickling; he could suddenly hear his heartbeat, and there was something…
He backed up and looked outside again.
He swallowed as he confirmed, unmistakably, what he thought he’d just seen. Glimpsed, really.
He closed the curtains with a snap.
William stood there clutching the curtains closed, hoping it was a mixture of stress and the excitement of the day making him see strange things. He opened the curtains.
Yes, he confirmed faintly to himself. It was still there. Still a great, dark, hulking figure just standing there in the snow, looming half in and half out of the tree line. He could only see it by sheer virtue of a stray ray of the moon’s glow tinging its edges in silver light.
Whoever – whatever – it was, was just a shape. He was unable to make out any details from this distance but he stared aimlessly at it regardless. Unbidden, he imagined it was staring back.
He sharply re-closed the curtains. Shut his eyes.
Then he profoundly cursed Victor.
Because - and he could not fully explain this to anyone without sounding as insensible and delicate as he knew some of his guests already thought him to be - but he just had, just had this feeling. This bad feeling.
Logically, the knowledge that his brother had indeed created a monster, and William had seen that monster with his own two eyes, was simply playing on his mind. That he was only imagining that the snow dusted shape out there was his brother’s Thing because even dead it was always the elephant in the room with them all.
But really he could admit to himself that he just knew. He just knew.
And now? Now it was time to Manage the situation, William thought with a perverse sense of calm, and manage it very quickly.
He was good at managing things. That was what he did; looked logically at facts and numerical values. Sorted out what needed sorting out.
It was his wedding night. He had arranged it all so nicely. They’d picked a thousand petals.
So he took a deep breath, and lifted his head, and turned and walked away back down the corridor, at quite a pace.
First port of call: assure himself he was not merely delusional. It could all still yet be a whole lot of fuss over nothing.
He didn’t believe that. But there was nothing for it but to go outside and check.
Discreetly.
It was then that William ran into – almost literally – his brother, crossing the hall. Victor looked legitimately startled at his approach, which was somewhat understandable considering how briskly William had been walking. Victor opened his mouth to probably say something drawling and sardonic or even partially complimentary in a scathing sort of way and for once William did not have time for it.
So he cut Victor off before he could begin his first word and pasted on a smile, physically beginning to steer him towards the stairs and the guests downstairs with a hand on his elbow. “Victor. Have some champagne. Things’ll be along in a minute.”
The surprise of near colliding appeared to have worn away, as Victor was frowning and looked vaguely vexed, trying to shake William off without tripping down the stairs. “I was going to see Elizabeth!”
William paused for a half second as in a flash he thought back to the agonisingly frosty silence between the two of them and decided that it would have been a tremendously bad idea, and as usual did not say that because it would not have mattered anyway. If he had not just seen what he really hoped he hadn’t seen (but knew he had) outside the window he may have even just let the interaction happen. Elizabeth might have even slapped his dear brother. William did not even know what for or just what Victor planned to say but Elizabeth slapping him was a very high likelihood regardless.
So yes, William ignored that and kept his hand on Victors’ arm and continued to wrestle them both down the stairs as much as possible without actually wrestling them. “Maybe later,” he said chipperly.
He was perhaps a little less put together than he thought because instead of just tripping William with his cane and doing whatever the damn hell he wanted anyway Victor looked at least in part genuinely perplexed by William’s insistence.
“W-well it’s just that…” he glanced back up the stairs and William did not, still holding Victor’s elbow and steadily taking them both down, down, step by step by step “…what I had in mind to say was really rather meant to be said before the cere-”
“That’s lovely Victor,” William interrupted, because he had finally gotten them to the vicinity of some guests that he was sure they vaguely knew and therefore very quickly deposited Victor out of harm’s way amongst them before making a quick escape. He apologised silently as he sped away. To the guests. But hopefully Victor’s own mouth might keep him occupied for a minute. It usually did.
On the way past another window he took a quick peek through the curtain; felt a sickening lurch in his chest when he could no longer see The Shape, then after a frantic moment’s search just about spotted a moving black lump hiding behind the cover of a tree.
A lot nearer than before.
William did everything short of actually running along the halls.
His plan as such was regrettably weak, but it was to his credit built only on one simple fact: Something was Outside.
And he had never been superstitious, never believed in anything beyond the human business of, well, business, if he was entirely honest with himself – not even God, not truly. He was a humble and rational sort of gentleman that filed taxes and went to dinners and that was enough for him. Like it or not Victor and Elizabeth shared something William did not and that was a belief that the marvellous was possible. Of course, William had helped all he could with Victor’s ambitious endeavour but he hadn’t ever truly considered an outcome like that monster. It simply wasn’t possible.
Until it was.
And right now, as he sped past many a startled caterer down into the kitchens, he felt closer to believing in all the spiritual nonsense and the machinations of fate than ever before.
He had no idea if The Thing outside could eat – if it even was The Thing outside (it was) – but whilst he absolutely was not going out there unarmed what he really desired was as little Fuss as possible. The most ideal outcome was that the night continued uninterrupted, and stunted or not he figured aggressively waving weapons around at The Thing was not the best course of action if he wanted to keep it quiet. Every living thing understood when it was being threatened.
So instead he needed some sort of peace offering and the kitchens seemed the best bet. He vaguely recalled, from a mixture of Victor’s mad ramblings and from flicking through his notes, that it certainly had all the right parts to eat so – he may as well try. Through outrage he was anywhere near the serving quarters he told the serving staff to shut up and prepare him a big tray of fixings – all sorts, meats and delicate pastries and confectionary, yes all of it – as quickly as they could whilst, of course, being incredibly polite about it. He dodged yet more people somehow upset that he was in the bowels of his own house on the way back out, grabbing on a wild whim a spare blanket kept down there to keep the mouser warm in winter. Deepest apologies, Felix the cat.
William was not quite sure why he’d done that last. But it had been an impulse, an instinct, and instinct was all he had to work on.
Then he took a quick detour to retrieve a modest firearm from an out of the way hunting cabinet, placing it out of sight in the waistband of his very fine suit, collected his collection of things, and walked out wildly into the snow and the dark.
Admittedly this was where the plan fell short, but above all else his base instinct was just that he could not let it into the house. Not right now, not this evening. Tomorrow disaster could go on ahead. But not right now, when there were wedding guests.
It was terribly inconvenient.
William walked a little way out from the house until it was supposedly just him and himself out there in the scant light the illuminated estate was giving off. He was also shivering because yes he was still in his wedding attire and no that was not appropriate winter clothing. Holding a serving tray laden with food and with a ratty blanket slung over one arm, he was sure all the staff watching him from the doors to the house were busy muttering about how strange the entire Frankenstein retinue was by the second.
He was also terrified.
He swallowed and legitimately prayed to God for the first time since he was very little that this wasn’t all a colossally pointless exercise.
He could just be making a fool of himself. There was an explosion. He’d seen it. Victor had been thorough.
But…
Regrettably, he could not shake the Feeling - the air of Portent that swam around him if he wanted to be fanciful, and he was so rarely fanciful.
He shifted the tray to one hand so he had one spare to go for the gun.
Then he shakily inhaled and lifted his head. It was too dark to properly see anything in the gloomy edge of the woods, but he felt watched. Maybe akin to the way Elizabeth explained how she felt watched by God. An invisible, indeterminable power.
“I saw you,” he started, hoping his voice carried, “from the window.” He paused. “I don’t know if you can understand me, but you’re here,” – it had found them, found Victor anyway. Which bellied several degrees more intelligence than Victor had assured him it possessed. In other circumstances it might have been nice to see his brother proved wrong.
“I don’t know if you can understand me,” he repeated, still searching the tree line, “but if you can,” – what an idiotic thing to say – “these are for you.” He lifted the tray aloft a little, then set it down on the ground with the blanket. He stood back up and wrung his hands. It looked a lowly and pathetic offering, sitting there getting covered in snow. Oh dear.
But it was what he was working with. So William cleared his throat and lifted his chin and spoke confidently out into the darkness. “I can hazard a guess at why you are here,” Who you are here for went unsaid but was so very loud, “and I am here to ask you – please.” No, that wasn’t a question. “It’s my wedding night. We have guests,” he said helplessly, “and – please. Just – not tonight. If you – if you are out there, and you understand me to any degree, please do not show yourself for just one night longer.” His tone was a strange mix of pleading and a strategic address. He widened his arms. “We’re not going anywhere – you’ve found us.” And then, when silence continued to reign, he said, softer, “I have offered, you know - to call off the engagement, but Elizabeth insisted. And truthfully it would make me very happy.” Another pause, his ears straining for a response. “I’m told she looks very becoming.” He blushed, absurdly. “I don’t know of course, won’t know until the altar.”
What was he doing?!
Finally persuading himself to fall silent he stared at his shoes and then could do nothing but hope he had done...something...to avert potential disaster. It was still silent except for the drifting snow and the sound of his own breaths, and now he was not quite sure what else to do. At all costs he could not fetch Victor. And how would he explain this to any of the staff? What exactly would he say to look out for? To not let in? They were all already under orders not to let any foreign persons enter regardless, and-
He glanced back up from his musings and stopped.
Victor had never told him it could grow hair. It was such a strange thing to focus on and yet William did. It made it look indescribably more…like a person. That and the fact it was roughly clothed.
It had come out of the shadows. From the house it was probably still well hidden, but out here William could see it, just a little way away. And now they were just staring at each other, one of its eyes glinting.
It looked. So much more menacing than it had down in the cellars. He remembered it had been tall but…
What had William been thinking? It couldn’t be reasoned with. It had hunted them down. It wasn’t going to listen to him! It-
“MASTER FRANKENSTEIN!”
…It jumped.
At the screech of the appalled housekeeper, carrying to them from the door of the house, it jumped.
So did William, but seeing the Creature surprised too, the oddly youthful expression crossing its features, dissolved it momentarily into an uncommonly tall man in threadbare clothing out in the cold.
With a steadying breath William hurriedly waved in a manner he hoped conveyed I am fine please carry on and do not investigate! back at the house, then turned back to face the monster. He reassured himself of the weight of the gun. Then he pointed again at his meagre offerings on the ground and said “for you.” It blinked at him. “Eat,” said William, and then just in case mimed the action. “L-like this.”
It looked at him. William considered if he should go for the gun. Or maybe find something to trap it? But surely it would run awa-
“I…know how to eat,” it said in a startlingly low and grating voice.
(Oh, Christ. IT SAID).
William felt faint.
IT SAID.
“Right,” William said dazedly. Then realised that – holy God – this meant that, well it meant that it had understood his plea. William had asked, quite nicely he thought, and now the path of all their lives was in its hands.
Victor had never been particularly forthcoming about how exactly that fire started but it did not actually take the genius he thought he was to put two and two together about it. So with this knowledge in mind William was not so sure that, in its position, he himself would be so kind as to let them all – especially Victor – have tonight. But he was hoping that, like usual, his dear Elizabeth was right, and the monster was better than man.
“Wait until tomorrow,” he found himself saying, “there-there are stables, for shelter, if you wish? I’ll. I’ll come back. In the morning.”
It didn’t say anything, just carefully watched him. William genuinely didn’t know what else to say.
Then its eyes flicked behind him at the house and its face did something complicated, almost a softening that moved quickly into a curl of its lip. “Vic-tor?”
William glanced behind as well, couldn’t help it. “Is here, yes.” No point denying that really. “Also is not going anywhere. Hasn’t really gone anywhere in months, actually.”
“MASTER FRANKENSTEIN I WILL FETCH THE LADY ELIZABETH!”
William physically balked and quickly turned to gesture be right there! any second! with two hands this time, and when he turned back the terrifying beast’s whole being had softened, and it looked smaller. “El-iz-a-beth?”
“…Is quite well,” William said, voice hoarse. “Might kill me for staying out here and missing my own wedding.”
Why was he joking with it?! He had no idea. He was shivering.
The dark troubling eyes turned to his, for a long moment.
“Please,” William found himself saying, “I – I know that you have not been treated…well,” he said carefully, “believe me I, perhaps more than most, understand Victor’s…moods,” he finished generously. His teeth were beginning to clatter which maybe undermined the firming of his voice, but he forged on regardless. “However he is still for all his many faults my brother, and I cannot stand by and let you cause him harm,” he said, “if – if you have returned for vengeance, that is.”
It tilted its head at him, eerily slowly. “Ven-geance,” it repeated in an unreadable tone. William had no idea if that was an agreement or a question.
“Yes.”
It seemed to consider, its cruel face hard. “I…” it began jarringly, “ww-ish to…speak.”
“Speak?” William almost felt faint.
“Yessss. I have a re-quest.”
“Request?” William felt fainter. Then stupidly, “Victor is not usually so good with those.”
Why was he STILL joking with it?!
It didn’t respond and, shuddering, William forced himself to breathe. It was time to negotiate, then. And that he could do.
“Alright,” he said, “I can grant you that – an opportunity to ‘speak’, if you are sincere in your desire to talk and not to – well not to hurt any one of us. And if you may wait until tomorrow.”
Its eye glinted. “I do not wish to cause you harm,” it said finally, but it had a worrying slight inflection on the you that made William clarify-
“Nor Elizabeth?”
It shook its head. William swallowed. “Victor?”
It hesitated. And then William heard the sound of someone far off beginning to approach him, their footsteps quietly crunching in the snow, and he whipped around to hold out a hand and shout “No! No need to fetch me, please. I will be there momentarily.”
“But Sir-” he heard shouted back.
“Just a moment!” he repeated a little shrilly, then turned back. Wildly for a moment he thought The Thing had gone, but no – there it was, only retreated a little more into the shadow.
William was running out of time. “You understand why I need your word that you won’t harm him, yes? He is my responsibility.”
“And I was his,” it growled.
Yes: growled was the right word.
William couldn’t feel his toes. “Yes,” he said, “yes I know.” And right there in the snow – he really was beginning to agree, because undeniably this was intelligent conversation. Terrifying, but intelligent. It was a thing but not an animal. And he had no trouble envisioning that Victor would have treated it like one.
“I am…sorry,” he said haltingly, after a moment, “And I – I do wish to let you…speak.” He shifted as a particularly violent shudder ran through him and reflexively pulled his arms in to cross over his chest. Curiously the Creature didn’t appear affected by the temperature at all. “If I am to be frank with you then I should like to enjoy tonight, I shall like to marry Elizabeth and-” a thought occurred “– you ah, you know what ‘marr-'”
“Yes,” it interrupted with a nod, “a un-ion.” It took its hands and meshed them awkwardly together, threading its fingers almost delicately until they were joined.
“Um yes, exactly.” William nodded and vaguely wondered where on earth it had learned what marriage was, learned anything, “but it is also a celebration, a uh - a big party, and there are…people here. It is just not the time,” he finished, with the honest truth of it, “not tonight, do you understand?”
He met its uneven eyes again. “So,” he continued, “if you are…content, you may take shelter and erm, eat-” he gestured at the now snow covered plate, “and I will return tomorrow after all this is done, and we can…talk more. It is not like we-” one person in particular “–could move on from here without escaping your notice,” he added to sweeten the deal. Then, awkwardly, “I hope you understand why I cannot…invite you inside.”
Absurdly at that it looked…sad. It looked sad. “Yes,” it said. Sadly.
William was going a bit numb now. No doubt this Thing could overpower him if it wished to do so; his fingers were too cold to pull any trigger. “Do we have a deal?”
The Creature looked at him. Then looked longer at the house; the lights and movement and floating sounds of violin carrying on the wind from within, and then sat down cross-legged on the forest floor, presumably – to wait.
William waited. “We do?” he pressed.
“Y-you will come back? In the morning?”
And there - it sounded strangely childlike again. Worried that someone leaving its sight meant they were gone forever.
“I give you my word,” said William, and then, truthfully, “I do not wish to outrun you, and have you follow us eternally like a spectre.”
William liked to deal with things.
The Creature hummed, low. “Then I will wait.”
William nodded in acknowledgement. There was one more thing… “and you will not harm him? Victor?” he coaxed.
The Thing looked down into its lap. Its hands twisted in the rags over its knees.
“You understand why I need this assurance,” William said, but the Creature was already nodding, exhaling a deep huff.
“I will not hh-arm him.”
William finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had, simply, no choice but to hope. To trust the Creature.
He was choosing to trust the Creature. Lord help him.
“Thank you,” he said, and meant it.
He turned to walk away and paused, looking back. “Eat,” he said, and tried to make his voice kind, and then he turned and went back inside.
He couldn’t feel his feet.
The look on Victor’s face when he caught sight of him was so priceless, in any other circumstances it would have filled William with genuine mirth. “Why are you wet!”
“Hmm?”
“You’re dripping!” Victor hissed.
And now that he mentioned it yes, William was dripping a wet trail of melting snow over their nice newly polished floors. “Oh,” he said slowly.
“And you’re blue!” Victor took a step closer and put the back of his hand to William’s forehead, “And freezing! Dear god brother, were you out in the snow?!”
“Yes, I went for a walk,” William said a little dazedly, and again he would probably find all of Victor’s wide eyed and incredulous expressions a lot funnier if he wasn’t still coming down from the strange high of the encounter he was already beginning to doubt had happened.
“A walk,” Victor echoed with derision.
“Yes, I lost track of time,” he said, and could see Victor did not believe him, could see Victor knew he knew he did not believe him, but also saw under his scolding the etching of exhaustion in the tight lines by Victor’s eyes and the heavy set of his jaw. He was also holding the top of his cane with both hands. William was willing to place a rather substantial bet on the fact that his brother had not sat down and taken the weight off his leg in the time William had left him to his own devices. He barely succumbed to the necessities of his body when it was just the three of them, let alone amongst guests.
“I think it’s almost time for the ceremony,” William said, with no clue whether he was right, “I’ll go and er, alert the staff – you go and sit down Victor,” at that he caught the stubborn twitch of his brother's mouth that meant he probably would not, “I’ll be there in a moment.”
William didn’t wait for an answer. He just left, still dripping, to go change out of his beautifully ruined suit into something else, and to get married.
And then everything after that, he would deal with tomorrow.