Chapter Text
Isadora Capri has made some questionable decisions in her life, but this might be one of her worst yet.
Not worst, she corrects herself, trying to be optimistic as she glances beside her. Definitely not worst. Maybe best!
The kid sitting in the passenger seat of her car is a notorious murderer no more than sixteen. She’d found him standing by his parents’ twin graves, and she’d recognized him all in a rush. She knows a lot about Hydes, and she’s been tracking this one in particular ever since he broke out of Willow Hill.
When she heard of the Hyde murders in Jericho, she was curious, most definitely due to her own past with the creatures—as well as her top-secret sanctuary for them. It would seem this Hyde was just an ordinary kid, a rather sweet boy, really. Sure, his mother “died” when he was very young, and his father was a distant alcoholic who feared him more than he loved him, but in Capri’s experience that was much more ordinary than having a pair of loving parents. That was rare, especially among outcasts.
Tyler’s trouble began when Laurel Gates unlocked him, grooming him and keeping him in a cave in order to bend him to her sick will. He was locked up after the murders she made him commit, and he killed her at Willow Hill, but after he escaped he met his actually-not-dead mother Francoise Galpin. She turned out to be just as abusive as his previous master, but at the same time, she was the mother he’d been longing for his whole life. But the bruises on Tyler’s face tell an ugly story, and Capri suspects he’s been covering up similar parent-inflicted injuries since he was very young.
Apparently his mother and his deranged zombie uncle attempted to free him of his Hyde “curse”, though they were unsuccessful and both died in the process.
All of this brought him here, to the graveyard, to her car. To the mantra of positivity she’s running desperately through her head, hoping that this Hyde rescue mission will not be the one that finally kills her.
Tyler is staring into space, his eyes almost glassy—it’s clear he’s zoned out, completely indifferent to what’s happening. Capri doesn’t blame him for distrusting her—every adult in his life has hurt, groomed, and used him, after all—but it breaks her heart that he still got in her car. As if he’s just…accepting it.
Well, she wants him to learn that she really has no interest in controlling him. Frankly, she finds such abuse of free will disgusting, and she’s glad she’s the one who found him in that graveyard. If it had been Sheriff Santiago, or some other creep intent on using him, he’d probably be off to a place much worse than Willow Hill right now—one he’d likely never escape from.
Gosh, he’s just a kid, she finds herself thinking, casting another wary glance at him. If he killed me right now, I wouldn’t even blame him. Everyone who’s tried to “help” him has only ended up causing him harm.
Staying on the backroads to avoid cops, Capri alternates between focusing on the road and assessing her new companion. Gosh, he looks bad, severely malnourished and battered with dark circles under his eyes and ragged, dirty clothes. She remembers herself at sixteen, happy and thriving at Nevermore with parents who loved her, and feels a pang deep in her heart. No kid deserves to grow up like this.
He’s a murderer.
Not of his own free will. Besides, I know a lot of murderers. I can handle it.
Capri doesn’t think she’ll be able to get through to Tyler with words, not right now. But she can start by getting him something he needs. She veers off the backroads just slightly, keeping vigilant all the way, and flicks her turn signal towards a lone McDonald’s standing in the fog.
Tyler stiffens as they draw close to it, looking up at her with a flicker of fear in his eyes. “You turning me in at a McDonald’s?” he asks, and gosh, the dullness of his voice hurts her. He sounds so shell-shocked that it loops back around to emotionlessness, but there’s a slight tremor in his voice he’s clearly trying to hide.
“No, silly,” she says. “You’re starving. Turn around so they don’t see your face, okay?” She notices how he stiffens at the order and instantly feels awful. “Please. For your safety, so they don’t recognize you. I’m not just bossing you around for no reason.”
He seems to relax a little at this, and dutifully turns to face the passenger side window.
Capri pulls up to the menu board, ordering a coffee for herself. “What would you like?” she whispers, turning to Tyler.
He looks over his shoulder at her, a flash of confusion showing through the dull, empty mask of his expression. “You’re…asking me what I want?”
Gosh, her heart is actually going to break. That’ll be what kills her, she’s sure of it.
“Anything else, ma’am?” comes the tired, impatient voice of the unfortunate soul running the drive-through.
“Just a minute,” she tells them in her best assertive-teacher-voice. “You don’t have to choose, Tyler, but I wanted to ask for your input. It’s for you, after all. The food, I mean.”
He just stares at her, looking genuinely lost for words. “I-I don’t know,” he mumbles finally. “Whatever’s fine, I guess.” He turns hurriedly away from her, pulling his hood up over his head.
She orders him a Big Mac and fries, alongside a water. Everybody likes that, right? When she finally pulls up to the window, the employee behind it takes her payment and hands her order over so exhaustedly that she doubts they’d have noticed Tyler if he were facing them.
“Have a good day, ma’am,” they say dryly, and she drives away, turning off the main roads as quickly as she can.
“Here,” she says, taking her own coffee out of the bag and placing the rest on the center console. She doesn’t want to hand it to Tyler and freak him out by getting in his space.
For a while he just stares at the bag. His silent stillness is a little unnerving, but she certainly understands why he’s like this. She can’t even imagine going through half the stuff this kid’s been through—no wonder he’s acting like a gorgon stoned him.
Finally, a good ten minutes after she placed it between them, Tyler snatches up the bag and tears it open. She can’t hide a smile as he digs into the food. That’s definitely going to make him feel better, and give him some energy back.
They drive in silence, Capri sipping her coffee and Tyler slowly eating his burger. It’s a foggy day today, as it often is in Jericho, but they’re nearly at the next town over. It’ll clear up, and they’ll be able to see the mountains.
Capri’s hand itches to turn the knob on the stereo so she can sing along to her favorite tunes, but she definitely doesn’t want to freak Tyler out with loud music. So she enjoys the silence, thinking her own thoughts, mostly focused on checking every car that passes them for familiar faces or police symbols.
After a while, she senses Tyler’s wide gaze on her again. She waits patiently for him to speak up, rather than asking him to—the last thing this kid needs is any more orders, after all.
Finally he speaks. He’s playing with the empty burger wrapper in his hands, folding it in and out. His voice is choked and gravelly, as if he’s holding back tears. “Why are you doing this?”
Capri shrugs. “Because I care about kids,” she says, “and I care about Hydes. It’s kind of my whole job. Besides, I…I couldn’t just leave you there alone. I’ve never liked the idea of lone wolves. I think everyone deserves a pack.”
Tyler scoffs quietly, and that does sting a little, she admits. “I wonder what you’re going to make me do,” he says, staring down at his shoes. “Murder the ghosts of your past for you? Tear things apart for your own satisfaction?”
Capri sighs. “Tyler, I don’t want to control you. I think the way Hydes are treated is really shitty—I’m not gonna participate in it.”
The swear seems to catch his attention—she suspects he’s not used to hearing that language from adults. They’re usually too busy babying and coddling him. “How much do you know about—about my life? About what’s happened to me?”
“A bit,” she says. “I knew your mom in school, and I know what happened to her recently. I know about Laurel.” Her lip curls as she spits the name out. “I know about Wednesday.”
“Don’t talk about her,” Tyler snaps—it’s the most emotion she’s heard in his voice this entire time.
“Sorry,” says Capri. “If it makes you feel any better, she’s a sore subject for me too. Didn’t like my teaching very much.”
Tyler scoffs again. “You’re lucky that’s the worst you got from her.”
“It seems like I am,” says Capri, deciding to change the subject before she really upsets him. “Was the burger okay?”
“The—? Oh…oh, yeah, it was…fine, I guess,” Tyler mumbles. “Thanks for…actually getting me something I like.”
That last part is said so quietly Capri barely hears it, but she still counts it as a win. “No problem,” she says softly.
Tyler’s quiet for another long moment. She can hear the wrapper still crinkling in his hands. “Where are you taking me?”
Not “where are we going”. He still doesn’t feel like he has any control over his own life. Capri fights to smooth any pity out of her expression, knowing the kid will not appreciate it. “To my house,” she says. “I know, I’m sorry, that sounds super weird and creepy, it’s just the closest place that’s safe for you. I want to give you a chance to freshen up and rest before we meet the other Hydes. I’ll get you some clean clothes, too, okay?”
Tyler eyes her suspiciously. “You know I know exactly why you’re being so nice to me.”
Capri shakes her head. “No, you don’t,” she says. “And one day I’ll prove it. But I totally get why you don’t trust me right now. Hell, I wouldn’t if I were you. Every other adult in your life has been an abusive piece of shit. And I’m sorry for that.” She takes her eyes off the foggy road for a moment to look at him. “No kid should have to grow up the way you did.”
Tyler tugs his hoodie strings tight and hunches over, curling into himself. He doesn’t reply.
This is going to be harder than I thought, Capri thinks to herself, wincing. But I think I’m up for the challenge. I’ve done it before!
But no one I’ve helped has ever been this badly fucked up before.
She shakes herself. Come on, Isadora, think positive! They’re about half an hour from her house. When they get there, she’ll run the kid a bath and get a fire going in the fireplace. She really hopes he won’t mistake her kindness for some sort of fucked up bribery, but again, she wouldn’t blame him if he did.
She really, really hopes she can actually help this kid.
The rest of the drive is silent, and Capri pulls into her driveway and kills the engine, breathing a sigh of relief. They made it without anyone finding them, and Tyler should be safe here. Isadora Capri is a trusted and well-respected outcast—the cops would never suspect her or search her house without a very good reason.
She gets out of the car and walks around to open the door for Tyler, heading up the walkway to her home and fumbling for her keys. She lets him follow at his own pace, still not wanting to order him around.
She hears his soft footsteps behind her as she opens the door and smiles to herself, slipping inside and letting him follow. He shuts the door quietly behind him and looks around her cozy cabin living room, taking in the tall brick fireplace, the piano, the comfy couch and attached kitchen. The open floor plan has always worked well for her, and it will be good for Tyler not to feel closed in or trapped by walls.
She realizes he’s holding the empty McDonald’s bag, balled up in his fist, and watches as he walks slowly over to the trash can and throws it away. He’s limping slightly, and she hopes it’s just because he’s tired and weary from everything he’s had to do over the past few weeks, and not because he’s injured.
“I’ll run a bath for you, if that’s okay,” Capri says. “It’d probably feel nice, after everything.”
Tyler nods slowly, standing awkwardly near the center of the room.
“Feel free to take a seat,” Capri offers. “Or don’t. It’s up to you.” She leaves him standing there, although it makes her a little nervous to leave him alone.
Pushing her worries aside, she ducks into the bathroom in the hall and begins running a nice warm bath. She thinks about tossing in her favorite werewolf rubber ducky, but ultimately decides against it. She can’t resist adding a few drops of lavender bubble bath, though.
“It’s ready,” she calls softly, emerging from the hallway.
Tyler is still standing exactly where she left him, trembling slightly. “Are you…sure I can…” He gestures to the bathroom, looking almost bewildered.
“Of course! Do whatever you like! It’s for you, after all,” says Capri, striding over to the fireplace and beginning to stack it with logs. She’ll go out and get him some new clothes once he’s all settled in by the fire.
Tyler just stands and stares for a moment longer, then makes a mad dash for the bathroom, as if he’s afraid Capri will change her mind. She watches him go, sadly, thinking of her late father. He would have wanted to help this kid too, she’s sure of it.
It’s her job now to make sure he’s safe. No one else has been able to do it.
She hums to herself, fetching a box of matches from the kitchen junk drawer and lighting the fire. She grins, watching it blaze up merrily, instantly giving the living room a warm, cozy vibe. Perfect.
Singing softly to herself now, Capri bustles down the hallway to her bedroom, passing the closed bathroom door on her way. She hopes the bath is nice and refreshing for Tyler—she knows it always helps her relax after a hard day.
She ducks into her bedroom, at the very end of the hall, and gathers a blanket and several pillows in her arms. She brings them back to the living room and arranges them on the couch, hoping to make a sort of cozy bed for Tyler by the fire.
I must have finally gone crazy, she thinks to herself, looking over the setup. Here I am, making my house all cozy for a murderous teenager.
But somehow, inexplicably, this feels like the right thing to do. And so Capri does. She wants to do more, but at the same time, she doesn’t want it to seem like too much and end up raising Tyler’s suspicions higher.
She’s about to sit down and play the piano when she realizes that Tyler only has his old, dirty clothes to change into after his bath. Hurrying back down the hallway, she digs through her closet and finds an old hoodie and sweatpants that will probably fit him. She slips them through the gap in the bathroom door, thankful for the shower curtain, and scurries back to the living room.
There—now she’s thought of everything. She sits down at her piano and begins plucking out a few soft notes, listening to the sound of the bath water running. Finally, she hears it start to drain, and a few minutes later Tyler appears in the hallway, dressed in her old hoodie and sweats and looking much less dirt-smeared and bedraggled.
“Hey!” she says with a cheerful wave that she hopes isn’t too cheerful. She’s so paranoid about coming off as creepy that it’s probably making her creepier. “How are you feeling?”
Tyler blinks, taking a moment to process the question. She realizes it’s probably been a long time since someone asked him that and feels sad all over again.
“Um. Better,” he mumbles, ducking his head to avoid her gaze. He continues to stand there in the hall, wet hair dripping beads of water onto his bruised face.
“You wanna come sit by the fire?” Capri offers. “I made up the couch for you, if that’s okay. When’s the last time you slept…?”
Tyler stares at her again and shrugs. “Don’t remember,” he mumbles. “I think I was in my mom’s underground hideout. Last week.” He takes a few hesitant, shuffling steps towards the couch.
“Try and get some rest, then,” Capri says. “If you want! I’m just saying, it’ll make you feel even better.”
He stops halfway between the hall and the couch, looking at her with wide, intense eyes. “You know I could kill you right now.”
She doesn’t even flinch, not outwardly. “I know.”
“Why aren’t you scared of me?” Tyler practically whispers. “Why didn’t you chain me up the second we got in here?”
“I’m not in the habit of keeping chains in my house,” says Capri, plucking out a few more wayward notes on her piano. “And I’m not scared of you because I don’t think you want to hurt me.”
Tyler blinks slowly, searching her face. He shuffles a little closer, still favoring one leg. “I like it, you know. Killing. Hearing people scream.”
“That’s just what you want me to think,” says Capri, her fingers dancing softly across the keys. “You put walls up, try to scare people away from you so they won’t hurt you. You try to seem tough so they’ll stay away.”
For a split second she can see surprise on his face. Then it’s gone, replaced once more by dull indifference. He walks the rest of the way to the couch quietly, clambering onto it and sitting there stiffly.
“You’re not a monster, kid,” says Capri. “The monster lives in you, but it isn’t who you are. Just a part of you.”
Tyler stares down at his feet without a word. Capri watches from the corner of her eye as he slowly turns, lying down horizontally on the couch. Hesitantly, he tugs the blanket she provided over himself, resting his head on the pillow.
He’s wearing a hoodie, under a blanket, by the fireplace, Capri thinks with a fond smile. Just like my dad used to say—Hydes run freezing cold. Werewolves run warm.
She keeps playing, soft, meaningless notes, not really paying attention to what she’s doing. Letting the music guide her, like Wednesday refuses to do. She gets so lost in her thoughts and her playing that she doesn’t notice Tyler’s eyes falling shut, his breath evening out as he lies on her couch.
Even in sleep, the kid looks exhausted. His breaths are ragged and uneven, his face is twisted up with all the agony he refuses to show, and the circles under his eyes are dark as night.
“Drat,” whispers Capri, standing up. “I should’ve told you where I’m going before you fell asleep.”
She walks quietly into the kitchen and digs around in her junk drawer, yanking out a notepad and pen and scribbling a quick letter.
Tyler,
Just went into the next town to get you some fresh clothes. My phone is on me, so please feel free to use the landline and call if you need something.
Back soon!
Isadora
She leaves the letter on the floor beside the couch and grabs her purse, heading out and locking the door behind her.
She’s glad Tyler is getting some rest—goodness knows he needs it. Neither Laurel or his mother ever seemed to think about the fact that their precious little murder pet needed to sleep.
Baring her fangs at the thought, Capri gets into her car and starts the engine. She’ll make this quick, and be back before Tyler even wakes up.
Errands are boring, but she manages to find Tyler a few outfits, mostly hoodies because he seems to like them. She checks herself out to avoid being recognized—she has no energy for adoring fans right now—and leaves the store, mission successfully completed.
She checks her phone, but Tyler hasn’t called. He must still be asleep. She blasts her radio and sings along to songs from her younger days, driving home as fast as the speed limit will allow.
When she arrives, she practically skips up the steps, still humming to herself as she unlocks the door.
When she opens it, she comes face to face with a Hyde.
Don’t panic is her first thought, and she clings to it, looking calmly up into the creature’s wild eyes. She’s dealt with Hydes before—she knows exactly what to expect.
“Hey,” she says, managing somehow to keep her voice from wavering. “Everything okay?”
The Hyde stares at her, and she knows she can see Tyler somewhere in those eyes. He’s just a scared kid. “I’m back now, I didn’t leave you. Just got you some new stuff to wear, that’s all.”
The Hyde roars, and she can see straight past its teeth and down its dark throat. She faces it without flinching, only trembling on the inside.
“I’m not going to control you,” she says, as calmly as she can. “I’m not going to force you to change back. But would you mind letting me into the house so I can put this stuff away?”
For some reason, it’s this casual, conversational approach that seems to break something in Tyler’s Hyde. Eyes shining, it begins to shrink, and she watches as it leaves behind a boy, trembling and barely standing.
He teeters, and she drops her bags, rushing forward to catch him before he can fall. Her mind rushes with oh shit, I’ve overstepped but suddenly she feels an arm wrap shakily around her and squeeze.
A hug. He’s hugging her.
Feeling like she might cry with joy, Capri hugs him back, not too tightly so he can still escape anytime he wants to. He clings onto her for a long time, and she can hear muffled sobs and sniffles buried in her shoulder.
Finally he pulls away, stumbling back over to the couch and practically falling down on it. She notices that his blanket is torn, and one of the couch cushions is sliced open, but she doesn’t comment. The damage could have been much worse, after all.
She picks up the bags of clothes and finally shuts the door behind her, dumping the bags on the kitchen counter and hurrying into the living room.
“Are you all right?” she asks, sitting down in the armchair beside the couch.
Tyler is curled up in a ball, hugging the pillow she provided close to his chest. “You didn’t run,” he mumbles. “You didn’t even scream.”
She shrugs. “Like I’ve said. Experience. Besides, you won’t hurt me.”
“I should be angry at you for underestimating me,” Tyler growls.
“And yet you’re not,” Capri says gently. “Listen, Tyler, you’re okay. Whatever happened to make you transform, it’s okay. The only thing I’m worried about is you hurting yourself by transforming too much.”
“So you’re not gonna make me?” he practically whispers into the pillow.
She shakes her head. “Nope. Never.”
He stares at the fire, watching the flames lick the logs. “Sorry. I, um. I had a…dream.”
“That’s okay,” says Capri. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone like that. I guess I just wanted to make sure you’ve got clothes of your own to wear.” It sounds silly and inconsequential when she says it out loud.
“That’s nice,” Tyler mumbles. “I’m sorry for hugging you.”
“Don’t be!” says Capri. “I don’t mind.”
They sit in silence for a long time, each comprehending what just happened.
“That’s the first time I felt like I could really control it,” Tyler says quietly.
“That’s good!” says Capri. “Good to work on. Trust me, as a werewolf, I know it’s hard.”
“I’m gonna try to sleep again,” Tyler mumbles, still not meeting her eyes. “Is that…okay?”
“Of course,” says Capri, her heart melting in her chest like heated sugar. “Rest up as much as you need. I’m just gonna get some chores done around the house, but please feel free to call for me if you need me, okay?”
Tyler nods, near-imperceptibly, and Capri smiles.
This is going to work out okay for both of them, she’s sure of it.