I felt like Isabel West was an underdeveloped character for some reason, and to simply have her disappear after the wedding didn't feel right. Her complicated relationship with her son seems to run much deeper than him simply being born unplanned.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Lose Control

Isabel West had the nerve to visit her in the ER and ask for a "dinner date" to attempt to "patch it up". She just about lost control mentally and punched a wall despite being female; that vile, repulsive woman had the guts to come to her workplace and ask to forget about the wrong foot they got off on?! After Meg slapped her and made it clear she would murder her if she ever saw or heard from her again...!

"Please, I deserved it," Isabel had begged, having changed from the snarky person she'd been bold to show Meg on Saturday. "I don't tell anyone this often, but I'm a bitch. At least, that's how people see me even when they don't tell me directly."

Meg had her suspicions. What had just happened? Was it a major epiphany, or was the woman trying to lure her into a false sense of security? She couldn't go alone and asked Katherine to come with her since she knew Herbert's mother better than she did. Her sister could not refuse and complied. However, when they arrived, Isabel West was smiling at the sight of them, but the twins both watched her suspiciously, making her smile fade. "Girls, don't make this harder than it already is," she'd said.

"You insulted me and my family, as well as neglected and abused your son," Meg had sneered, "and you think I'll forgive you for that? It was your fault you couldn't keep your legs crossed in the first place. Herbert had nothing to do with that, so just because of that, it did not mean you should take it out on him." Her skin bubbled as though acid splashed over it. She had waited for Isabel West to give a comeback, but instead she got a shake of the head.

"No, I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't expect anything from you, but I really want you to understand, as strange as it is." Her attention then turned to Katherine. "No one really knows but my husband, so you'll know at last, too." She then surprised them both when she revealed her story to them the same way Katherine first told Meg so long ago of their parents.

Not unlike her own son, she didn't get along with her parents either, but she never knew why they'd abused her, and her husband Rick had been her savior, but the unexpected birth of their son had made things more complicated, but that was the most natural thing in the world. However, it didn't give her an excuse to treat her own child the way she did. Herbert was still her son, no matter what. Meg was slowly beginning to understand her after all, but her anger was still there, and anything can harden a girl's heart. She could have been a better mother, but never had it in her because her parents were bad examples.

However, by the time dinner was over and Meg was returning home, she began to think maybe after some time, she could begin to help Herbert and his parents...reconcile. As challenging as that was given how much her lover hated them both so much.

"Meg!"

"Crawford, Herbert!" she exclaimed when they surprised her from coming out of the kitchen. "What are you guys doing here so late? Actually, Crawford," she corrected. Then she saw the grim looks on their faces and got the tremors. "You guys..."

"We saw your father," Crawford said. "You'll never believe this, but Hill did more than simply examine him. He...lobotomized him."

~o~

The figure sat curled up on the sofa in between him and Crawford, shaken to her core at the revelation of what they discovered of her father when they entered through the cell door, which happened to be open, proving strange even to both of them. Why would Hill leave the door unlocked as well as Halsey out of the straightjacket, had been the first question. The door just had to be open, and guard let down as soon as you approached Halsey who was still curled up in the corner. But Hill doubted anyone might break into his office without him knowing, so it seemed.

Until both men knelt down before Halsey and Herbert made the bold move of putting his hand on the older man's shoulder, causing him to jerk up and shrink back into the corner, trying to get away from the man he remembered caused his death. A part of Herbert felt enthralled with the success of this man, and he would have had his chance with Erin McMichaels if she hadn't been so far out of the fresh zone as well as cremated for her daughter to take home; Katherine was the one to take her urn home. Her ashes were currently in a hand-painted china urn depicting a scenery from the Qing dynasty and mounted on ornate bronze.

"Oh, God, Herbert, look at this," Crawford had gasped, placing his hand on the reddening spot on the top right of Halsey's cranium. "Please tell me that's not a laser drill..."

Herbert had nodded, disappointing him utterly. Dr. Halsey had been lobotomized, alright. This was just as barbaric as the other criminal acts Hill was guilty of; he'd neurosurgically softened Halsey to prevent him from ever uttering a word to anyone about what happened to him. To prevent any way of releasing the truth that his daughter and her lover were responsible for what happened to him...and what happened to him was something Carl Hill was after. Hill had gone to extremes for this; he was much more sophisticated than Herbert thought before.

"He lobotomized Daddy..." Meg finally spoke, though her voice was devoid of any form of rationality. "...so he could control him in case he tried to breathe a word about what happened."

"So Hill could protect his discovery," Herbert agreed, taking her into his arms when she leaned into him. "Yes, very clever. But at least we're onto him now." He looked up and gave Crawford a secret smile, but his cousin didn't return it.

"Herbert, why are you smiling?"

He let his smile slip away. "Crawford, don't you see? This is perfect. We have enough dirt on him to proceed, but that begs the question about the re-agent." They had not recovered the vial and needles of the serum in his office, as expected, so that left his home in question. Which would be very difficult to get in. However, he said he wanted to work on the wedding day, and that meant him abandoning his bride for it. Now Herbert was getting the idea that perhaps the wedding day was the best day to act, instead of spoiling the fun so soon. Herbert, Crawford, and Katherine had been invited, and that made things even more tough. He would be watching the woman he loved walk down the aisle alone – her father would not be present to take her to her groom – to the man who was a pest in their lives.

But that day would also be his last, and Meg would be free of him as Herbert would be free to take back what was theirs.

~o~

"You couldn't wait until morning," Crawford said when they settled down in the living room. Meg had since gone to bed, and Herbert wanted them to wait until then so they could show their other finding to Katherine. He didn't want Meg to know, apparently, didn't want to scare her more than she was. He knew how Kathy would feel once she saw what Hill actually kept of his bride-to-be; it was worse than simply because it was her father's wishes.

He harbored an insane obsession for her.

"Oh, God, the sick..." Katherine's voice failed her when she looked over the pictures of her sister, the articles, but the hair most of all. "And on my sister." She huffed angrily and dropped it all onto the table in front of them and turned to face them both. "We really should include this among. The police will have to see that he's a psycho stalker..."

"But then they'll ask us why we were there besides simply knowing there was something suspicious," Crawford interrupted, knowing that even Bubba might not be able to protect them without risking his own job. "We had enough of them with Pretorius and can't have that here, remember? I've had more than enough therapy of insanity to last me a lifetime."

She gaped at him. "Excuse me, but then again you would never have had me there for you!" she scolded. "I helped you get your life back and put this behind you!"

How could he forget that? "You did," Crawford insisted, "but this time is different and you know it. You might be labeled an accomplice and lose everything you have, too. Should this get out of hand if Hill turns the tables against us." Which was highly possible now that he remembered Hill was a respected member of the science committee.

"Please, enough," Herbert interrupted, getting both their attentions back to him. "This is out of hand enough as it is, because Hill overpowered me when I should have killed him before. Just once in my life, I wanted to make an exception and murder someone like him and not regret it."

He was really angry, as Crawford had always seen him, but beneath that anger, he sensed something much deeper than that. Much deeper than harsh resentment for taking what Herbert loved the most besides Meg. Crawford still believed more than just blackmail occurred enough to make Herbert resort to extreme measures, but his cousin was keeping a secret from him that he'd been patiently waiting for long enough. Then Herbert looked at him as though reading his mind, whole face blazing besides his eyes. "You want to know what Hill did to me? Fine, you can stop pestering me about it in your head." He lowered his eyes to the floor but said nothing. His feelings were hurt, making Crawford feel bad once again. He reached out and put his arm around Herbert's shoulder, but the latter shrugged him off.

"Hill did what I should never have gone through. What no man should ever go through, and I was so afraid Meg wouldn't want me anymore, but she stayed with me. Hill held her in place and forced her to watch everything." He looked up at them both finally, and there was a robust incandescence even more powerful than any wildfire or natural eruption on the planet.

"He raped me."

~o~

Telling Crawford the truth had rendered him getting some power back. Herbert would not have cared whether or not Crawford was disgusted with him or not; he didn't need it. But then his cousin showed it: disgust. Not for him, but for Hill. And then he surprised him with the very words:

"He's dead then. For what he did to you, cousin." His hand was on Herbert's then, promising him that no more fights from now on. He regretted pushing him the way he did, but he was his family and promised long ago when they were children that he would never abandon him no matter what. "Starting now, I'll stop all of my objections," Crawford had said when he moved over and held his cousin close to him. "We'll bring Hill down soon enough." Then he'd looked over to his wife behind him when she laughed and joined them in a group hug.

"That's my boys," Katherine had said, sealing it all.

And now today was the day that came. Herbert hated today for very obvious reasons, but it was also the end of Hill today, no later. Meg might marry him and become Mrs. Carl Hill, but in the end she would end up a widow and free to be with Herbert. Herbert had to see Meg before the wedding, not care that she was getting her hair and makeup done, but that also meant her groom was forbidden to see her before the ceremony. Katherine was with him, in her new dress she bought for today. She looked really remarkable in layered, three-toned amethyst with her jewelry consisting of the pink oval sapphires with flashing round diamonds, enough to even make the Chinese Empress a green-eyed monster. She might as well make his mother envious if she were here right now.

"So, she still doesn't know about the file?" Herbert had to ask when they got off the elevator for the third level. He thought it best if Meg didn't know, for her own sake. Katherine shook her head and answered no. When they finally reached room 312, she knocked on the door and was answered by a muffled call on the other side.

He frowned at the golden taupe-washed walls and flooring, the crystal chandelier overhead lighting up with a touch of grandeur, but it was the bride herself in the middle of the room, finishing up by herself, who caught his attention. There she was in the big gown, though when she once looked at it as perfect on her body, now it was a suffocating chain link to the prison she found herself unsure of escaping now. Her hair was set with a short, two-layered veil of soft white tulle with no need for anymore embellishment. Around her neck was the blazing Ottoman jewel from Hill, heavy over her equally heavy heart; Herbert laughed to himself at the pun. Her hands held a bouquet of white roses and hydrangeas. She was...beautiful.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, shocked. "You're supposed to be downstairs with the other guests by now."

"I had to see you first," Herbert answered, moving over and taking her face into his hands, bringing it up for a kiss. He didn't care about anyone else walking in on them right now. Everything ended today and he knew it would be the two of them together without anymore troubles at all. "I came to tell you everything ends today."

She looked puzzled. He hadn't breathed a word to her lately of him and Hill returning back to the house, and little did Hill himself know his fate would be determined there. Just once, Herbert could imagine himself losing control there and enjoy it all like flowers blooming in the coming spring.

"Yeah, it all stops today, Meg," Katherine spoke as she came up to embrace her as soon as Herbert separated himself. "Everything will be over soon, and everyone goes home happy."

They left her alone without telling her more. Herbert didn't feel the need to elaborate, just leave her wondering what would happen now exactly. But what he would do would be the best wedding gift she would ever have received in her life.

The ceremony was overtly done as much as the reception party would be. And he was talking artificial white trees lining the aisle, the runner a shining white, and opulent crystal chandeliers overhead. It was like being in either a winter wonderland or a fairytale book. Herbert and Katherine joined Crawford on the right, the second to front, so Hill wouldn't be sneering at him the whole time. All he wanted was to see Meg's face as she took her vows to the man who would be gone soon enough. And then when the music finally started up, all rose for the entrance of the bride. Herbert's breath hitched when she glided down like an angel – no, not God's angel, but an angel of his heart – in soft gold to pop out from the purity of this room. But she was hardly pure than she was when she first met Herbert in what felt like an eternity ago.

The bride and groom did not join hands as Crawford and Katherine did, and the minister did not force them to, either. Nor did they write vows for themselves as the latter couple did. Meg's face was stoic the whole time, trying her hardest not to cry, even when she whispered, "I do." Her ring was joined with a plain, dainty golden band soon enough, and pronounced the wife of Dr. Carl Hill.

But not for long.

"You may kiss the bride."

Herbert gritted his teeth when Carl Hill pushed the veil up and took her face in his hands, leaning down and doing exactly the deed. The audience groaned in spite of themselves, making him smile and laugh. They didn't like it any more than he did. He looked to his side when Crawford covered his whole face to prevent his poor eyes from looking as well as gagging, and Katherine shook her head while covering her own eyes with one hand. Herbert could have sworn Crawford moaned through his hands, "Poor Meg." He couldn't have agreed more.

When the kiss broke, Meg had the look that told him secretly that she was trying not to vomit in front of all the guests. When that was over, she waved her bouquet in the air and followed her new "husband" down the aisle so they would part their separate ways before the reception, which wasn't for another two and a half hours. Preparations for cocktail hour was the excuse, but Carl Hill was known for "no questions asked" to anyone in Arkham. Herbert knew this was it. He turned to Crawford when he leaned in and whispered into his ear.

"I'll follow you guys and stick far behind so he doesn't see me, but enough for me to keep an eye on the both of you." He followed his wife after Herbert's silent nod of agreement. Then he looked back up and saw none other than Hill approaching with his famous smile in place.

"I suppose this isn't a bad time now, West, to depart these exhausting festivities and get to work now? This is going to be a glorious day to remember."

"Indeed," Herbert answered, thinking the exact opposite.

They were in his cramped little vehicle for the thirty minute drive back to the Halsey residence, but Herbert much preferred the tense silence in comparison to Hill's pathetic attempts to make friendly conversation. "You're not still angry with me, are you?" He wasn't referring to just taking the formula. Oh, he really wanted to go there and reopen the damage done.

"Don't pretend it didn't happen when it did," Herbert said with his chin raised, looking ahead instead of the man behind the wheel. The man who kissed his beloved. "Just drive and say no more until we get to the house."

He was glad Hill obeyed and said no more, but he was scowling the whole time as Herbert was doing. When they finally got to the house, Hill finally spoke to him. "Lead the way through the house, Mr. West. And I trust you won't run from me." He looked down at the older man's hands, where the familiar black bag was in his hands. His formula and notes that were of HIS hands and not the one holding it. Herbert scoffed and led the way in, unlocking the door and opening it to go inside first, closing it but not locking it, for Crawford to come in.

"This way," he said coldly as he marched in the direction of the basement, pulling the key from his pocket that he kept at all times. When he closed the door behind him as he did before, watching Hill descend the stairs and take in his surroundings, he felt his insides buzz with warmth. Revenge would have its day. He slowly crept down the stairs, seeing this as his opportunity to take Hill out now. But what could he use?

And then he saw it, as soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs and looked down to his right.

A shovel.

"You will be my assistant," Hill was saying as he got out the vials of the glowing green potion. "We will work closely together, and in a year or so, we will reveal my new serum to the world." By then, Herbert had cautiously picked up the shovel and raised it like a baseball bat, prepared to strike the ball. Oh, he could see it coming. He took a few more steps forward as Hill pulled out the black journal that Herbert had written with his own hands. "And by then, I will be famous!"

That last word struck Herbert's nerve the same time he swung the shovel with all his might, cracking against the back of Hill's skull hard. The doctor groaned in pain as he fell, clutching his head in pain and flinching. He didn't see it coming when Herbert brought the shovel down and stabbed him in the neck. Blood spurted out and hit his clothing, coming in thicker sprays with the next dig of metal into flesh, tendon and bone, severing nerves, arteries and veins in the process. With that third and final jab, he was close to removing the head altogether. Gore poured from Hill's mouth as his disarticulated neck bled heavily and dark violet-red onto the floor beneath him. His eyes were wide with the deepest horror, which was exactly how Herbert wanted to see his enemy.

"Plagiarist," he spat as he stomped his foot onto the shovel and finished the job off, removing Dr. Carl Hill's head from his body completely. The body twitched involuntarily for a few moments before losing control altogether and collapsing dead. Herbert glared down at it for a second before dropping the shovel and reaching down to grab the head by the hair, bringing it over to the tin dish laying on the table. He rested it sitting up, but the damn thing slid forward, too stubborn to comply. Frowning, Herbert wondered how to keep it up so he could stare at the face of the man who destroyed the life of the man who was like a father to him, blackmailed him with his life's work, tried taking away the woman he loved, and raped him here in this very room. Ahh, yes. Herbert could feel his body stirring with the pleasure that he got when he and Meg made love.

Then he saw the silver metal paper holder beside the tray. Picking it up, Herbert then lifted Hill's severed head up and placed the metal beneath it, jabbing the head over it and sitting back down, taking in the peaceful face. He relished every bit of it, admiring it on display like the Japanese did with the heads of their enemies.

Oh, that was it! It hit him with the speed and force of nature's tropical fury. He had a fresh body...a body with the head taken away...

"YES!" He reached down and picked up a vial and syringe. "Parts." He had never done separate parts before. Correction: whole parts. Perhaps he could take this opportunity to see if his long-neglected serum still had its effect...starting with the severed head and body of his adversary, Dr. Carl Hill.

Uh oh.