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The sailboat rocks under Wednesday’s feet as she leaves the Captain’s cabin where Fester and Thing are standing at the helm, steering the vessel across the Atlantic. There’s a couple sailors, paid by Wednesday herself, handling the sails, but the night is clear, the wind is at their backs and the sea has been behaving—as if Mother Nature herself wants them to arrive at a safe port with the precious cargo they carry.
Enid is curled into a donut on the deck, the sea breeze making her fur flutter. Wednesday approaches and the wolf looks up without raising her head.
“We should be arriving at Cape May by tomorrow afternoon,” Wednesday announces.
Enid huffs. It sounds a bit petulant and the seer doesn’t know why.
“What?”
Enid looks down, scratching at the deck with her claws. Wednesday crouches down.
“I can’t understand you.”
Enid growls softly, scratches again.
Wednesday sighs. “I know you’re frustrated. But we can’t try to turn you back until we’re home.”
Enid whines.
“Father and Pugsley are working on something, but I’ll need to get some things myself when we’re back.” Wednesday looks into the horizon, into the vast and absolute darkness of the sea. “If there’s a way to turn you, my house is the place to do it.”
So focused she is looking at the far away stars that she doesn’t notice Enid moving and nudging her. Wednesday loses her balance easily in her crouched position, but she finds her fall cushioned by the wolf curling around her body.
“What are you doing?” She asks, finding herself at the center of the werewolf donut.
Enid grumbles, nuzzling her face into her side until she’s resting it on Wednesday’s lap. The seer’s hands remain suspended in the air for a moment, shocked and tense at the situation she found herself into.
She glances back at the Captain’s cabin, and the workers that are smoking by the railing. No one is paying them attention. Her hands lower slowly, one resting over Enid’s head and the other over her snout. Enid growls in satisfaction.
If anyone ever asked what Wednesday did next, not even the worst forms of torture would pull it out of her, but as she feels the warmth of the wolf around her and the rumbling purr under her hands, she relaxes back into Enid’s body. The tension that has been stiffening her muscles the past few days melts away in the embrace of the girl that used to make her want to pull her hair out. Her breath fogs as she lets out a long sigh, wondering how she got here.
They’re quiet for a beat, the rhythmic thrum of the waves lulling Enid to sleep. But Wednesday’s mind is awake, a question that’s been tormenting her like a thorn in her side pushing at the back of her teeth.
“Why did you run?” She finally asks. Enid blinks her big, round eyes open, tilting her head to stare at her questioningly. “After you dug me out of the grave that Isaac put me in.”
Enid whines low.
“I know, Agnes told me you said you couldn’t let me die. That’s not my question,” Wednesday says firmly. “Why did you run?”
Enid huffs, her eyes darting away. She looks upset, maybe even angry and embarrassed.
“Enid, look at me.” Wednesday holds a hand under the massive head, forcing her to look up. “I’ve dealt with monsters my whole life. You’re not one of them.”
Enid blinks, her eyes filling with emotion.
“I could’ve taken you to my house sooner. I could’ve found a solution for this. I could’ve saved you from the—the damned—“
Enid holds herself up with a claw, the other on Wednesday’s leg, nails digging into her pants. She huffs a warm breath on her face and licks a strip up her cheek.
Wednesday groans, her hand coming up to wipe Enid’s drool. “You need to stop doing that.”
The wolf whines and gives her another lick under her chin, followed by a boop of her snout.
Wednesday keeps wiping and pushing her face away. “I don’t know what that means, Enid.”
Enid whines, eyes roving over Wednesday’s face like there’s something, so much actually, that she’d like to communicate. But she can’t right now. With another huff, her head drops to Wednesday’s lap.
The seer sighs, wiping under her chin with the sleeve of her sweater. She pats Enid in the head, understanding at least her frustration.
“Maybe you thought you could hurt us…” she wonders out loud. “Me and Agnes. But that’s ridiculous because you’d just saved me. You were in full control.”
Knowing there’s no use in trying to explain any complex thought or feeling while in this form, Enid keeps her head in Wednesday’s lap. The rocking of the boat, the scratching of Wednesday's nails on her head and the sound of her voice calm her.
“Maybe you didn’t want us to see you like this,” Wednesday continues. “But that also doesn’t make sense because you’re a magnificent beast.”
Enid nuzzles her stomach in gratitude.
“Maybe…” Wednesday starts. Her head falls back against Enid’s back, gaze pointed at the stars as she voices another question that has been plaguing her. “You didn’t want to explain to me the reason why you’d give up your humanity for me. To save me.”
Enid stays very still. Wednesday’s breathing is calm, but the wolf can hear her heartbeat quicken.
“Why would you do that, Enid?” She almost whispers.
Of course there’s no response, but deep in her mind and even through the animalistic fog of the wolf, Enid knows why.
They fall asleep like that, sharing body heat under a blanket of stars.
When they wake up Fester tells them they should be seeing land soon.