Summary:
Wednesday makes a special connection with a little girl that she babysits
It's not that Wednesday in any way appreciated the idea of working part time. It's just that electric chairs are not cheap, and even an Addams likes making their own money sometimes. Especially one as independent as Wednesday.
What's more, she has realized babysitting enables her to spread her life philosophies to the younger generations, making the world a little more tolerable, one child at a time.
This afternoon she has been called to a hideously mundane family home, and a blonde woman with a lot of make up answers the door, and looks at Wednesday like she is something unpleasant their pet dragged in.
"Listen, little, whatever you are, we don't wanna buy anything", she says.
"Good, because I'm not selling anything. I am, however, here to watch your daughter for the evening."
"Harry! Tell the little rat to come downstairs, the sitter's here!" she yells over her shoulder.
The woman lets her into the house, and she stands around in the hallway, waiting.
The child comes running down the stairs: a girl, around six years old, with long, brown hair. She stands at the bottom of the stairs, looking at Wednesday with curiosity but confusion.
Wednesday walks over to her.
"Hello. I will be your babysitter for the evening", she says.
The parents start grabbing their coats.
"Don't be afraid to punish her. She probably did something wrong, and if she says she didn't she is probably lying", the father says, and then the parents are out the door, without as much as a word to their child.
They stand there, Wednesday and the girl, looking at each other.
"I'm Matilda", the girl says.
Wednesday nods.
"I'm Wednesday."
Matilda giggles.
"Your name is not Wednesday!"
"It is. Wednesday Friday Addams."
Matilda bursts out laughing. Wednesday has no idea what she said that's so funny.
"So... What do you do during the day?" Wednesday asks.
"Well, I'm at school", Matilda starts.
"I'm sorry", Wednesday says.
Matilda rapidly shakes her head.
"No, I love school!"
Wednesday stares at her.
"My god, they brainwashed you good."
Matilda giggles again.
"I'm not brainwashed. I do really like school!"
Wednesday is still not convinced.
"Really? Do they teach you the history and methods of torture?"
Matilda shakes her head.
"Hmm. Close combat? Fencing?"
"No!"
"Then what does your school have that is so great?"
"Maths and reading! And miss Honey!" Matilda says.
Wednesday nods.
"I can relate to that. A person made my school time bearable as well", she says.
Matilda lights up.
"Do you wanna see my room?" she asks.
"Okay", Wednesday says.
It doesn't really interest her, but she has learned that children tend to bond with people by showing them what they like, so she lets Matilda take her by the hand and lead her up the stairs.
All the way up to the attic, to Wednesday's surprise.
Sure, she only has her own childhood room to compare to, but not even her family had their children staying in something that could be better described as a nook than a room, a small space with a bed cramped into it. A strikingly small spot, when you consider the size of the rest of the house.
Matilda seems perfectly content, however, sitting down on the bed and pulling out a stack of books from underneath it.
Four hours later, Matilda has read them through many of the books, Wednesday listening closely and with fascinating and only taking a break to cook dinner, pleasantly suprised at how Matilda did not shy away from trying the Addams family recipe.
They can hear the door unlocking from all the way to Matilda's small attic room, and Wednesday does not miss how the little girl flinches at the noise, going quiet in the middle of reading a word and looking up at the door to her room.
"What is it?" Wednesday asks.
Matilda shakes her head.
"Nothing."
"Stop lying", Wednesday says.
It's almost like Matilda is disappointed her parents are back home, but that's a reality that is too cruel even for Wednesday to enjoy thinking about.
They hear heavy steps on the staircase, and Wednesday can only watch as Matilda jumps up and starts shoving the books under the bed. The books are big and heavy, and she doesn't have time to put them all away before her father appears in the doorway.
Matilda is sitting halfway up from the bed, book in her arms, and once again Wednesday can only watch as mr Wormwood runs up to his daughter and rips the book from her hands, tearing several of the pages in the process.
"What do you think you are doing!?" he hollows at her.
Wednesday stands up from the bed.
"What do you think YOU are doing?" she asks the man, stepping closer, Matilda curling in on herself.
Mr Wormwood looks at Wednesday like she just spat at him.
"Stay out of this, little lady! Me disciplining my daughter is none of your business!"
Wednesday takes a breath.
"Well, since you employed me as Matilda's babysitter her safety is my responsibility, so maybe you could share what you feel you are disciplining her for", she says.
Mr Wormwood glares.
"Because the only thing Matilda has done wrong is maybe reading that book where the princess is saved from the dragon, but if you don't even allow her to read I am not suprised she does not have a great selection", Wednesday continues.
Scoffing, mr Wormwood grabs Matilda's arm and starts pulling her out the door and downstairs.
"Let me go! Wednesday!" Matilda screams.
Springing into action, Wednesday follows them out into the hallway. They are already halfway down the stairs, Matilda looking back at Wednesday desperately as she is roughly yanked along by her father.
Wednesday follows them down the stairs, her pace slow but her face murderous, and while Matilda is pulled into the living room Wednesday goes straight to the kitchen. Pulls open one of the top drawers and selects the biggest knife, pauses to just look at it before turning on her heels and heading out to the living room.
"-disgusting little shit!" mrs Wormwood is yelling in her daughter's face as Wednesday enters the room.
Wednesday raises the knife.
"Leave the girl alone", she says.
The girl's parents turn around, stunned at the sight of the knife, and Matilda uses this moment of distraction to run over to Wednesday, Wednesday shielding her from her parents as they start to come closer.
"Matilda, go upstairs", Wednesday tells her.
Matilda does. Wednesday weighs the knife in her hands as she approaches mr and mrs Wormwood.
"You're crazy!" mr Wormwood tells her.
"Thank you", Wednesday says.
"We're calling the police!" mrs Wormwood cries.
Wednesday sighs, like in deep thought, balancing the knife with the tip against the pad of her opposite thumb.
"You know, in our family dungeon we have a corner with especially nasty machines. I would sneak in there myself as a kid, but of course it was only reserved for true scums of the Earth, like child abusers...", she says as she moves closer to them.
Matilda flinches at the sound of footsteps.
"It's okay", Wednesday says.
Matilda relaxes.
"Where are my parents?" she asks as Wednesday enters her room, cleaning a knife with a towel as she does.
"They... Had to go an errand", Wednesday says.
Matilda scoots forward on the bed.
"Did you kill my parents?"
She almost sounds excited.
Rather than responding, Wednesday grabs a small backpack, tossing it on the bed.
"Pack your things", she says.
Enid steps into the hallway as she hears the front door open.
"Hey, cara mia, how was- what the hell?"
"Enid, this is Matilda Wormwood", Wednesday introduces her to the child that just stepped into their home.
Enid can only stare as the two enter.
"Or Matilda Addams, perhaps, now", Wednesday says, voice full of thought.
Enid finds her voice again:
"You kidnapped a child!?" she squeaks.
Sitting down on the floor, Matilda opens her backpack, pulling out a paper and waving it at Enid.
"Hey, I'm adopted!" she says.
Enid sighs.
"Wednesday, explanation, now", she whispers, grabbing her girlfriend's arm and pulling her aside.
"Her parents treated her horribly, mi amore. I could not possibly leave her there", Wednesday whispers.
Enid sighs again.
"For someone who claims to be a creature of darkness you are infuriatingly kind-hearted", she whispers.
"Do not call me that", Wednesday whispers, but it's said with love, leaning up and kissing her.
Wednesday leans into the kiss, until she sees something behind Enid that causes her to break the kiss in surprise. Enid spins around to see as well.
Matilda seems to be making some crayons fly up from her backpack with just the power of her mind.
"Look at that, love! Our child is gifted!" Wednesday says, proudly.
"I should not even be suprised anymore", Enid says, leaning her head on Wednesday's shoulder as they watch Matilda unpack her things.