Dr Kinbott was in her office when Ember entered it, even though it was night now. Ember had managed to get into Jericho without her crutch, and her leg was only slightly twinging.
"Ember? We don't have an appointment scheduled today," Kinbott said as the girl in red entered the office, very confused, as Ember rested her bag on one of the couches in her office, bringing the music box with LG on it out.
"I wanted to return something," she said, walking over to Kinbott, holding up the box and handing it to the therapist. "I found it in your old childhood room."
Kinbott took it and opened it, looking the little ballerina up and down.
"I know you're Laurel Gates, and you've come back to Jericho to seek your revenge," Ember said plainly, as Kinbott's eyes went wide. "And so did Mayor Walker, which is why you had to kill him."
Kinbott gave a wide mouthed scoff.
"I mean, who better to slide in and out of the hospital undetected than a therapist, under the guise of seeing her patient?" Ember asked rhetorically.
"You're not actually accusing me of murdering the mayor?" Kinbott leaned forward, her voice rising and falling.
"The roses you left in Eugene's room were your mistake," Ember ignored her and ploughed on, saying what she had been thinking about on her ride over to Jericho. "They're the same variety I found near your childhood bed."
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about," Kinbott said meaningfully, seeming very take aback.
"There's only one reason an overqualified psychiatrist like yourself would settle in the inconsequential backwater that is Jericho," Ember took a step forward, again, ignoring Kinbott. "It allowed you to search through the trouble, young minds of outcasts until you found one you could manipulate to exact your revenge."
A silence in which Kinbott pressed her lips together and shook her head. "You know what?" She finally said. "I don't have time to deal with your delusional fantasies. I have a patient emergency," she shoved the music box back into Ember's hand.
"Who?" Ember questioned, as Kinbott went over to grab her coat. "Xavier?"
The therapist stopped and turned round.
"I know all about the secret sessions you've been holding in your car," Ember knew she had the prey cornered now. "I also found the cave in the woods where you've been holding sessions to unlock his Hyde."
Kinbott took an angry step towards her. "You are so out of line-"
"Do you know how violently unpredictable a Hyde can be?" Ember asked, again, ignoring Kinbott. "Or was it your plan to have Xavier committed before he could turn on you too?"
"Ember, you need help," Kinbott said, digging her phone out her bag. "More help than I can give you."
"Who are you calling? Xavier?" Ember asked sarcastically. "Am I going to be dead by morning?"
"No, actually, I'm calling Judge Reynolds," Kinbott replied. "I'm going to recommend you stay in a juvenile psychiatric facility."
"Oh, please," Ember scoffed. "You and I both know I would be running that place in a week."
She rested the music box, which was still in her hands, on Kinbott's desk, holding her gaze with the therapist. "Time's up, Laurel."
She left the office.
She knew where she was going next.
She had the master. Now the Hyde.
But before she could even leave the building, she heard the scream.
❣︎❣︎❣︎
Ember had never, ever, ever, suspected that she would be sitting in a hospital waiting room beside Weems, but here she was.
Dr Kinbott had been a victim of the monster. Which confused Ember. She thought that the typical Hyde was loyal to its master.
Either way, she knew who she suspected to have done it.
Anyway, as soon as Sheriff Galpin walked into the waiting room from Kinbott's ward, both Ember and Weems stood up.
"She's gone," was his opening line, as he scratched at his stubble. Well, at least he spoke with some grief. "Dr Kinbott's dead."
Ember looked from Weems to the sheriff.
One suspect dead.
The other still alive.
And free.
Well, she was going to change that.
She had only three words before she walked out of the hospital.
"This ends now."
❣︎❣︎❣︎
When Xavier turned on the lights in his art shed that night, he realised he wasn't alone. Ember was there, staring at him with fire in her eyes, the knife that had stabbed Thing, though now cleaned, in her hand.
Xavier jumped at first, but then just scoffed. "You know what? You need to stay out of my space."
"You need to take your own advice," Ember retorted, flipping the knife around and stabbing it into the wooden table that was nearby, standing up. "You left that in my room. If I'm being subjective, you left it in Thing."
She stared up at him, their height difference becoming suddenly a lot more prominent.
"How long have you been seeing Kinbott?" She demanded, her gaze unwavering.
"Have you-?" Xavier gave a sarcastic and angry smile. "What am I saying? Of course you have! You've been stalking me, haven't you?"
He reached forward and took the knife out of the table, flipping it in his hands. " 'Cause I'm the villain in your fantasy."
He held the knife up, looking at it as he said. "My father thinks that my mental health is a PR problem he needs to manage," he began, still slowly turning the knife at his chest, but at Ember's eye level. "He wanted to keep his 'troubled son' out of the tabloids."
He leaned down, leering over Ember as he spoke in a low and threatening voice. "I wasn't in your room. Believe me, or don't believe me, I don't care."
He rolled his eyes as Ember walked past him, suddenly seeing a big canvas behind him, covered by a cloth.
"Your painting's been improving," Ember said. "I enjoy this one in particular," she tugged the cloth off the canvas, revealing a detailed picture of Kinbott; her eyes wide, her face slashed.
"Feels like you really lived it," Ember had no problem with displaying her suspicions now.
Xavier swayed on his feet. "What do you want?"
"If you were asking questions, this would be a conversation. And that's not what I intended," Ember spoke coldly. She turned around and looked in a box full of pens, paint brushes, and-
"What is Rowan's inhaler doing in your shed?"
Xavier gave Ember a look of disgust, but the one he gave the inhaler was almost like... genuine surprise.
Ember, meanwhile, ignored him just as she had done Kinbott, and found something else.
"Or Eugene's glasses?"
"Whoa, whoa," Xavier finally spoke, walking forwards to look at both the inhaler and glasses.
"Or these stalker images you took of me?" Ember asked. Obviously, the pictures that had been in the music box had been stolen in her room-ransack. Xavier had taken them, as they were just lying in his shed.
"N-n-no- I-" Xavier stepped forward, looking in shock at all the items.
"And don't forget your latest addition," Ember added, searching the last of the box. She pulled out a half-moon charm on a little chain. A half-moon necklace.
"Kinbott's necklace," Ember said malevolently.
"No! No! No!" Xavier snarled angrily, walking towards the objects on the table. "Somebody planted that stuff-"
"FREEZE!"
Ember had known telling Sheriff Galpin about Xavier was a dicey decision, but she had done it anyway. Xavier stopped in his tracks as the sheriff, flanked with two officers and with a gun in hand, barged into the shed.
"Drop the knife! Down on your knees!"
A very stunned Xavier put his hands up, letting the knife that stabbed Thing drop to the ground and he too, dropping to his knees as another officer entered the shed from behind.
"Cuff him," Sheriff Galpin ordered, as Xavier's eyes went wide and he shook his head. The sheriff was unconvinced, and all he did was click a bullet into the chamber.
"You have the right to remain silent-" he began.
"What?" Xavier spluttered.
"-Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law-"
Ember just watched on, looking unemotionally down upon the scene as Xavier looked at her, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging half open.
"You have the right to an attorney," the sheriff continued. "If you cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed for you.
"Appreciate the help, Addams," he finally said, cocking his head in Ember's direction.
Xavier looked between the sheriff and the girl. "You! You framed me!
"I'm being set up!" He yelled, as the officer that cuffed him led him out of the shed to a police car with red and blue lights on, flashing.
Then a blow.
"I should'a let Rowan kill you!"
Ember didn't flinch, but her insides did a flip.
Then she realised.
For the first time in her life, someone had liked her.
And she had just thrown it away.
❣︎❣︎❣︎
There was another surprise in store when Ember entered the dorm that night; Enid.
She was back, with all her stuff unpacked, a weirdly long pink jumper on, and a smile on her face. She was just fixing up her stash of cuddly toys and unpacking the last of her stuff when Ember walked in.
"Hey," she smiled slightly.
"You're back," Ember stated, stopping just shy of the non-existent line between their spaces; she had taken off the tape after Enid had left.
Enid sighed, turning round from fixing her lamp. "I'm gone for a few days, the place gets trashed, and Thing almost dies. Someone's gotta be there to look out for you guys," she explained.
"What happened to rooming with Yoko?" Ember interlinked her fingers.
"Yoko's great," Enid shrugged. "I just decided I needed a few more boundaries."
Ember nodded. "Like the brick wall I put up to shield myself from you?" She raised her eyebrows.
Enid giggled, turning round, this time, with tape.
"Don't," Ember said, stopping her from unraveling the roll.
Enid almost dropped it in surprise. "Don't tell me Ember Addams is mellowing out!"
"No one would ever tell you that," Ember assured her. "I'm just- evolving. To life here."
Enid smiled, putting the tape down on her bed. "Well, one inch of duct tape at a time."
Ember just frowned. "Why did you change your mind? I've never known anyone to leave me and come back."
Enid considered this. "Because we work," she answered, finally. "We shouldn't. But we do. It's like some sort of weird, friendship anomaly."
Ember frowned as Enid took a step forward. "Everything you said about me is true... but I don't apologise for it. Not anymore," she gave Ember a smile. "It's just who I am."
Ember gave her a look up and down. "Thing signed that he missed you."
Enid shook her head wordlessly, then she finally found her tongue. "I missed him too," she smiled.
Ember just pressed her lips together. It seemed this conversation was grinding to a halt.
"I'm- sorry about Xavier," Enid finally said, looking down.
"Don't be. I'm not," Ember replied. "He's a liar and a killer."
"But-" Enid sighed. "Ember, he liked you. Like, properly did. And even if he-"
"Even if he was a monster who killed without mercy?" Ember asked, her gaze wary but not cold. "Besides... there's nothing quite like the feeling of being proven right-"
"EMBER! Ember!"
Ember had never seen her cousin look so stressed. Yes, that was right. Wednesday had just burst into Ember and Enid's dorm, her eyes wide, her breath hitched and hyperventilating.
"Whoa, calm down, girl!" Enid said, as Wednesday ran to her cousin.
"Ember! Ember- it's not right- it wasn't Xavier-"
"Slow down, what are you talking about?" Ember asked sharply, as Wednesday took a breath, her eyes still wide, and explained.
"Tyler-" she gulped. "I went to the Weathervane and he kissed me- but when- when he did I- I had a vision- and it showed me- it showed me-"
But Ember was already touching her shoulder and seeing what she saw-
"ARRRRGGHH!"
"GRRRRR!"
Kinbott screaming... on the floor... her half-moon necklace dropping into a pool of blood...
The Hyde above her... snarling... slashing her face... her whimpering... lying in a pool of her own blood...
But... when the scene snapped back to the Hyde... it didn't show the monster... it showed Tyler... panting... covered in Kinbott's blood...
He was the Hyde-
"Ember?"
"I know what you saw," Ember's head snapped up and she looked straight at Wednesday. "I just saw it."
The two girls just looked at each other in terror.
Oh no... Ember thought, feeling wrong for the first time in her life. I accused Xavier... I sent him to jail... and all along... it wasn't him-
"So does anyone wanna tell me what's going on?" Enid interrupted the two cousins looking at each other.
Both Ember and Wednesday turned to her.
"Tyler is the Hyde."
Of course, this lead to a lot of stuttering and wailing from Enid. But Ember wasn't listening.
Of course the first boy Wednesday kisses is a psychotic, serial-killing monster.
She must have a type.