Nevermore Secrets- Revealed

by Darkfire Galaxy

The long-awaited spinoff to Nevermore Secrets. Upon escaping from the hospital the sisters were taken to, Ginger stumbles upon a community of travellers. But what awaits her?

Wednesday

Nevermore Secrets

Revealed

Author's Note: Here we go! Finally, the story I promised months ago is ready to upload and back by popular demand. This is an upgraded iteration of my first attempt. I was entirely unsatisfied with that one and so I decided to take the whole story back to formula. It's taken me ages to get it closer to my original intent for it and this is the result. I did have a moment of doubt where I debated if it had been too long since I uploaded my Nevermore Secrets stories. But you guys voted for me to upload the story. To anyone who's a newer reader of my stories, I recommend you check out the stories that came before in this arc first or you will not understand this one. For everyone else, this story fits into the timeline between Nevermore Secrets- Yoko and Nevermore Secrets- Enid. With that being said, I hope you enjoy this long-awaited spinoff and the conclusion to Ginger and Brigitte's story arc.

Memories were a precious thing. Some were amazing. Moments so blissful that the person they belonged to would have wished they could stay in the moment forever. But if they could, it wouldn't be a moment. It would lose its majesty. Its sweetness would turn to ash and give way to the bitterness of repetition or the stagnation of perpetuity. It was important they became memories so that life could go on. So that people could experience even more of such moments. So that the march of time was able to continue.

And with that, of course, came the other side of the coin. Memories that people hated. Ones that they would do anything to get rid of. Everybody had them. Nobody wanted them. But these were also just as important. The fact that they were memories meant their owner hadn't died from the experience. And whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Those experiences built character. They defined a person. And of course, they and their darkness made a person appreciate the good times more. In fact, a very famous artist by the name of Bob Ross could be directly quoted as saying:

"If you have light on light, you have nothing. If you have dark on dark, you basically have nothing. It's like in life- you've got to have a little sadness once in a while so you know when the good times come."

It was a statement that had been proven true of its own accord countless times throughout history and would continue to be proven true countless more times for centuries to come. It was just the way of life. And even though it could sometimes have a pretty ugly edge to it, that was just necessary to keep the balance. A balance that many people spent more time praising than cursing.

Never was this more true in living memory than the case of Ginger and Brigitte Fitzgerald. The sisters had grown up largely isolated from their peers and hadn't cared one bit. They'd stuck close to each other. Stayed together no matter what. Their bond- their love for one another- had kept them united through the harshest of times. Even when they were attacked by a mad werewolf and Ginger ended up getting turned.

The effort to keep Ginger's situation hidden from everyone coupled with the stress of family politics in their incredibly stagnant home lives had almost driven them apart. Things had looked up when a local drug dealer had helped them figure out that Monkshood could cure them. Unfortunately they'd found out how optimistic that was. It wasn't a cure. It just staved off the transformation for a bit. But it gave them a life. A life that had been rapidly deteriorating thanks to things they'd been forced to do to cover up Ginger's condition. And so when things came to a head, Brigitte had used Ginger's blood to turn herself and the two of them made a run for it. They'd left Bailey Downs. They'd left Canada as a whole. They'd followed the sound of howling from one pack to another, asking for directions on where displaced werewolves might be able to go. And in every instance, the answer had been the same.

The memories of their time leaving Canada and getting to Nevermore were as precious as they were ugly. They'd hitch-hiked, they'd begged and stolen to get food and they'd also used the time to experiment with the Monkshood and see what worked. And apart from some disasters on the Monkshood front, they'd loved every second of it. It had been the freedom that they'd always dreamed of. Free from their agonisingly restrained home lives, free from the expectations of anyone who knew them and free to be themselves. They didn't have to put up a front to anyone anymore. The only people they could ever let in were each other. And now each other was all they'd had.

Even upon their arrival at Nevermore, they'd stayed largely isolated. They'd returned to their room after class, never let anyone in for fear of them seeing the mini fridge and the Monkshood and never letting the others see them too often at any one time. Especially the other werewolves. Some of them had known something was off about them since the day they showed up. But they hadn't cared. They just got on with life and even had a degree of normality in their school work to keep them anchored. And Brigitte was very quick to restore her status as having skipped a grade. She'd even been on the brink of moving ahead of Ginger despite being almost a year younger.

One of their most cherished memories had been when they'd first started learning Outcast history. The teacher had let the students have their phones out in class and actively encouraged them to Google anything they were curious about while the lectures were ongoing. They'd been learning about the Harvest Festival and why masks had been banned there at the time. Ginger had never been the type to enjoy school, but she was loving every second of this class. Outcast History was a bloodbath! And for the first time, it made both the sisters proud of what they were. Especially when- during the class- Ginger had taken it upon herself to look up a list of how many massacres there had been since then. As soon as the result had come up, she'd instantly burst out laughing. It had drawn everyone's attention. Especially Brigitte's. It was such a rare sound for her sister to make. It was almost alarming.

"What is it?" she'd asked, prompting Ginger to hand her the phone. The instant she saw it, she knew her eyebrows had shot to her hairline. "No! No they did not...!"

"Would you care to share with the rest of the class?" the teacher had asked politely. At that, Brigitte had read it out clear enough for everyone to hear it.

"List of werewolf massacres: This list is incomplete. You can help by expanding it." At that, the rest of the lesson had been a lost cause. The werewolves had howled with laughter, as had a bunch of the other Outcasts. Others had face-palmed or just cringed intensely. But the sisters didn't care. It had been a moment the two of them had shared. A moment where they could be themselves and no one else minded. It had been the moment that they'd realised they were finally where they needed to be.

But just like all others, that moment had to end. It had to become a memory so that life could move on. But for them, that just meant their limited time among the other Outcasts was growing shorter with each passing day. The Monkshood bought them time, but it couldn't keep them safe forever. Eventually, the secret they kept caught up with them. When it did, it did so in spectacular fashion.

They'd known the consequences of their secret. They'd accepted them. They'd made peace with them a long time ago. And so as Brigitte opened her eyes for the first time since Wednesday Addams' failed attempt at helping them and realised where she was, she felt at peace. She had made every decision as best she could. She had kept herself and Ginger together. That was their only purpose in life. It always had been. They'd fulfilled it. And now Brigitte knew she didn't need to worry. She knew where she was. And she knew that Ginger was unlikely to leave her waiting.

"Brigitte Fitzgerald." The figure standing in front of her had no discernible face. He only appeared as a human form made entirely of light. "My brother and I heard the call of Wednesday Addams. Our word is our bond and our promise stands. Your sister's own time on the planet grows short. When she arrives, she will join you in my domain. Are you ready to go home?" He held his hand out. Brigitte made no move to take it.

"Not yet." At her reply, he dropped his hand to his side again. But even though he had no face, he didn't seem surprised.

"I suspected as such. You intend to wait for her and cross together, correct?"

"I know I died young." Brigitte said, letting out a breath. "But I don't care. Ginger was with me and that means I had everything I could ever need. I was happy. I was satisfied. And even in death... She is my purpose." The being in front of her stood there, somehow conveying a sense of satisfaction.

"Very well. I admire your answer. You may wait here for your sister. I shall remain as well. I shall see you through the gates together." As he spoke, relief washed over Brigitte. She knew Ginger wouldn't be far behind her. Secure in that knowledge, she sat down, crossed her legs and closed her eyes to wait.

For Ginger Fitzgerald, sleep was coming easier now. The cocktails of drugs the hospital kept her on were helping with the constant destructive urges caused by her wolf. She was being given Monkshood on regulated doses to keep it in check. And she knew Brigitte was being given the best possible care in the next room over. Her hospital room even had a TV, although that did precisely nothing towards taking her mind off things. All in all, it was far from perfect. But it was about as good as it could get without Brigitte next to her. And until she woke up, the best thing Ginger could do for her was hang on.

But it was Ginger herself who was woken up by a noise from the next room. Her eyes snapped open to the sound of droning, still audible through the wall thanks to her werewolf hearing. Droning that could only mean one thing. Her heart seizing in her chest, she ripped out her IV and jumped from the bed, moving to the door. Sure enough, that noise was definitely coming through the wall. Was this it? Had life finally decided on a path for them? She focused her hearing outside the room.

"She's coding! I need a crash cart!"

"No! Orders were clear. She's comatose and we have no idea if she's in there. If she codes, let her go."

"That means... I think Brigitte just died."

"That's it then. Patient name: Brigitte Fitzgerald. Confirmation of life extinct at thirteen twenty-three hours."

Ginger reeled back as though she'd been slapped. The formerly spacious room now felt half the size. Yet somehow, it felt emptier than ever knowing that her sister would never see the inside of it with her. That was it, then. It was finished. Brigitte was gone and she would be waiting for her now. And Ginger intended to see to it she wasn't waiting long. Moving over, she ripped the TV from the wall of the hospital room. With little effort at all, she flung it at the plate glass window. Those windows had been designed to withstand a tornado. They hadn't been withstand a werewolf throwing a TV at them.

Impressively, the glass held. But it didn't come through unscathed. There was definitely an impact point and a series of small cracks running across it now. The TV hit with an almighty crash and she knew they would have heard that. Shoulder forward, she charged straight at the window. Despite weighing virtually nothing, her physical strength was more than enough to get the job done. The glass exploded outward in a cascade of lethal glitter that rained down all thirty-something floors to street level. She stood in the frame, her skin naturally strong enough from the wolf inside that the soles of her bare feet weren't instantly shredded. It was almost a shame. One thing she remembered was Brigitte telling her how many arteries ended in the feet. And she could name all of them. That would have gotten her to limbo quicker than anything. But that was okay. She had bigger plans than that.

"Ginger!" she didn't turn at the voice behind her as she heard a frantic team of nurses burst into the room. "Ginger what are you doing?" She didn't answer. She only let herself drop. "No!" The scream was snatched away on the wind. She didn't blink as the ground rushed up to meet her. Even when her ears rang with the metallic crunch of the car roof she it or the shattering of glass as her inhumanly strong body crumpled the entire frame. There wasn't even enough left on impact to set the alarm off. Left of the car, that is. Ginger, on the other hand, sat up without so much as a broken bone. Okay, she'd been strong before as a werewolf, but this was something else!

"What?" She picked herself up, looking around and trying to shake off the shock of what had just happened. "What the hell?" In her head, she'd been trying to plan what to do when she got up and ran after she jumped. The werewolf that attacked her had been taken out easily enough by a landscaping business van. And yet the question of whether she'd survive the jump hadn't even been in her mind. She knew she would. But the notion of how far she'd just jumped suddenly caught up with her. She and Brigitte had learned pretty quickly what they could and couldn't do. And that wasn't on the list.

Then the answer hit her. When Wednesday Addams attempted to save them, she'd pumped them full of stuff that was never meant to enter the bloodstream. Since Brigitte had been the furthest into her transformation, it had basically destroyed her brain. But Ginger had made it out. She'd kept her lucidity the whole way through. Now she was apparently supercharged. Right when it was the last thing she wanted to be.

"God dammit!" she screamed into the air. "Fuck you, Wednesday Addams!" Instantly, she regretted those words. Wednesday had been trying to help. She'd meant every word when she'd thanked her for it back in the infirmary. She still meant it now. But still, there was no escaping the reality that this was inconvenient as hell.

With that in mind, she decided to put her mind to more important tasks. Like getting out of this ruined car. She never did get around to learning how to drive. Not that she needed to now. She was faster on foot than most street cars going flat out. Brigitte too. Although she'd been nothing compared to Ginger or the other werewolves of Nevermore. Even altered as they had been, the balance was still the same. Brigitte had still been more academic than athletic.

"Wha-?" She was snapped from her thoughts by a voice and looked over to see a shocked black guy standing on the corner with a foam neck brace on. "Is that my car? Ah, shit! My 2003!" She'd been seen! On rubbery legs, she got her shit together and broke into a run. She sprinted for the edge of the grounds, easily clearing the mesh fence in one jump. Okay, that wasn't too out of the ordinary for a werewolf. But she chose to put it from her mind for now. If she was going to honour the pack she and Brigitte made all those years ago, she needed to get away.

She didn't know how long she ran for. It was until she was out of breath, that much was for certain. Looking around, she found she'd made it to a camping ground that was... Well, it was somewhere. She knew Canada well enough, but she and Brigitte had just wondered blindly until they found Nevermore. They hadn't really stopped to take in anything on the way. She was paying the price for that now.

"Well..." Ginger muttered to herself as she stopped to catch her breath. "This is definitely a place that I've ended up. Now where the ever-loving hell am I?"

The campsite was a big open space, full of caravans and noise. She stood there, taking in the clamour of people that were in front of her. Many of them looked to be middle-aged with a few kids milling around here and there. They were setting up for what looked like a massive party and had barely noticed her arrival. Barely, that is, save for an inquisitive-looking young girl. She started pointing to the tree line, straight in Ginger's direction. In seconds, the whole camp was on alert. Someone quickly tied down a massive bunch of balloons as the adults started herding the kids inside. Ginger didn't blame them. She'd always been wary of anyone who wasn't her sister just by default. But it was clear that they saw some kind of danger from her. While they weren't wrong, she couldn't help but think they weren't seeing the right thing. And that was a worry. A worry that turned to alarm as a click from off to her right made her turn slowly.

"What are you here for, beast?" The man who spoke was an older man, about seventy with grey hair that was clearly receding and an obvious lack of trigger discipline. She could see the twitching of his finger and thanked anyone listening that the thing wasn't on a hair trigger. As much as she wanted a reunion with Brigitte, there was no guarantee that a blast from the over-under shotgun levelled at her chest would do the job. She had just survived a fall from nearly the top floor of a hospital after all. Not to mention the damage her blood could do. The amount of people who could be infected while cleaning it up... No, it was much safer to play this one slow. Fortunately, help was at hand.

"Oh for the love of god, put it down, Terrance!" an equally old woman snapped as she shakily descended the steps to her trailer. Ginger didn't dare move, as much as helping her might earn her some trust points. The better option was to stay where she was.

"She's a wolf, Jeanette!" the man said, a panicked note to his voice. Panic was the last thing Ginger needed in this situation. She flexed her fingers, feeling her palms begin to sweat and her muscles flex. The wolf was still there, albeit suppressed by the use of Monkshood IVs and sedation. It would only die if she did. That much had always been true. It would return in time. But right now she had more than enough to take out a seventy year-old man if need be.

"Terrance, I won't tell you a second time!" Jeanette said as she walked over and grabbed the muzzle of the shotgun in an incredibly ballsy display, pushing it away from the teen wolf.

"Look, I'm no threat to you." Ginger said, raising her hands slowly. "Not right now, anyway."

"I know, dear." Jeanette nodded as other people started making their way over and the kids started poking their heads out of the trailer doors. Clearly the shotgun had been more of a problem than she had. "I'm so sorry about him. He has dementia."

"And you let him carry a shotgun?" Ginger asked disbelievingly. "Damn! I heard Americans were crazy, but that just beats it all!" In response, Jeanette flicked the catch at the top of the grip. The barrels of the shotgun dropped down to reveal two empty chambers.

"Don't tell the kids." Jeanette whispered, flashing her a wink as Terrance quickly snapped it shut again. "So why are you here?" she asked as he moved off and went to go back inside. "From what you just said, I'm guessing you're not from around here?"

"Canada." Ginger told her. "Specifically from Bailey Downs in Ontario. We're sort of like American werewolves only we say sorry when we sink our fangs in. It comes out muffled, but we say it. Better question: how could he tell?"

"Probably because of the state you're in- looking like the wild girl of the mountains there." Another older woman piped up. "But that still doesn't tell us why you're here." Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd.

"I'm just passing through." Ginger told them. "Just trying to get back to Nevermore." That shut everyone up. She could see the silence pass over them like a physical force. "What?"

"Nevermore Academy in Vermont?" someone asked. It was a man from somewhere in the crowd. And something about the way he said it set her on edge.

"Why do you make it sound like I'm not in Vermont?" Ginger asked. Somehow, the uncertain silence seemed to intensify. Usually, Ginger would revel in being the cause of such tension. But not this time. This time it filled her with no end of worry.

"We'll talk about that after we get you into some clean clothes." Jeanette said as she turned and walked towards the crowd who parted like the red sea. Clearly she'd taken charge. "You're about the same size as Mina and we have a makeshift shower set up at the end of the camp. Mina?" At that, a girl who was only just younger than Ginger stepped froward from the rest of the group. "Okay birthday girl, I'm going to take the young lady here to the shower and I need you to get her some clean clothes. Whatever you have going spare, okay?" Mina nodded and hurried off. With that, Ginger fell into step behind Jeanette as she was led to the shower. She was still numb after the events of the last hour or so. Everything had moved way too fast for her to keep up with mentally. But from the looks some of the camp gave her as she walked past, she couldn't escape the creeping sense that she was being led to a firing squad.

The hot water cascading over her skin was heaven. It did wonders for soothing her muscles and she realised how tight she'd been wound. It wasn't surprising given what had just happened. And as her body relaxed, so too did her defences. It gave her mind the time to process everything. In that moment she was grateful for the shower water. It masked the tears running down her face. The two of them had always sworn they'd go together. All her life, she'd been determined to protect her sister from anything. Always sworn to defend her to her dying breath. United against life as they knew it. Together forever. But she'd lost her way. And she'd failed in that duty as a result.

Ginger stepped from the shower to see Mina standing there with a pile of clothes in her hands. As soon as she did, she saw Mina's eyes widen in shock. For a second she was confused. Then she realised what she must be seeing. The mad werewolf that had attacked her hadn't been gentle. Scars from bites and claw marks littered her body. Her right shoulder had the blemishes of ragged claw marks littering it. Her left side bore the puncture marks of its fangs where it had bitten into her side and lifted her off the ground with zero effort as she was left screaming into the empty night air. She was grateful the claw marks on her upper right thigh were mostly concealed and wasted no time in taking the clothes.

"Thanks." She gave a quick nod before turning to duck behind the curtain again.

"I hope the clothes are okay?" Mina said as Ginger pulled the curtain across and started to dress. There was a low-cut shirt, a skirt that was almost ankle-length, a pair of canvas shoes, a tank top and- of course- underwear.

"Yeah, they're fine." Ginger replied. "My sister and I used to wear stuff like this back home." It was true. Back home they'd just thrown on any combo of things that had gone reasonably well together. It hadn't been until they got to Nevermore that Enid showed them how to alternate styles for function as well as fashion depending on what they wanted to do. It was something they were already familiar with, but on a deeper level that came with being werewolves. Of course, she hadn't known the whole truth about them. What she'd taught them had been based on the assumption that they were able to transform.

"You have a sister?" Mina's voice took on an excited edge. "Where is she? Is she around?"

"She's dead." Ginger told her bluntly. "As of earlier today." Even from the other side of the curtain, Ginger felt the temperature drop several degrees.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." Ginger shrugged, trying to ignore the hot burning sensation that was now attacking her eyes. "She went well. If we ever get a choice, that's the way we should all go out. I'm sure I'll see her again soon enough. In the meantime, what's this I hear about it being your birthday?"

"Yeah, I'm turning sixteen." Mina told her. "Not exactly a momentous occasion, but for every birthday up to and including your twenty-first, the camp insists on throwing a party."

"Huh." Ginger muttered as she pulled the shirt on and wrapped the woollen shawl around her shoulders. Having finished dressing, she opened the curtain again and stepped out. "Maybe I could help in some way?" At that, Mina just shrugged.

"You'd have to talk to Jeanette. She's the one who knows what needs doing and who needs to do it." Ah, yes! And hadn't Jeanette promised to tell her where the hell she was? From everyone's reaction, she was a bit further afield than she'd initially thought. She'd been sedated for most of the time since leaving Nevermore as they tried to save her life while keeping the wolf under control. Clearly it had caused her to miss more than she'd thought. She was looking forward to getting some answers and getting herself caught up on things. And if there was one thing she'd learned throughout this whole sorry ordeal, it was that there was no time like the present.

The walk to Jeanette's trailer took only a few minutes. The camp was small and very low-profile. It made it easier not to draw unwanted attention. Something Ginger herself now realised that she and Brigitte could have done a lot better back in Bailey Downs. It was odd. Looking back, she definitely had regrets. Yet at the same time- if asked how she would live her life differently if she could have those times again- she wouldn't change a thing. The times she'd spent with Brigitte hadn't turned out perfectly for either of them. But they'd been theirs. They'd always been close. No one had ever disputed that. And god help anyone who'd ever tried to take issue with it.

Jeanette had seen them coming and opened the door before they even reached the trailer. She waved them inside and ushered Ginger to a small table where- as she'd promised- a map was laid out. Ginger stepped up to it and Jeanette took a breath before showing her just how lost she was.

"You say you were in Vermont?" she asked.

"Jericho, specifically." Ginger nodded. "Nevermore Academy. My god, those uniforms were hideous."

"Never seen them." Jeanette shrugged. "Anyway, you are now..." To Ginger's horror, the woman's finger started tracing its way across the entire US to eventually tap on the state of Washington. Her eyes widened in shock. She knew that a decent amount of time had probably passed while she was under constant sedation, but she'd never even considered the potential distance they might have moved her without her knowledge.

"I'm the other side of the fucking country!" She felt herself falling backwards heavily, unable to stop it. Her limbs refused to move and she had no way to catch herself.

Suddenly, her fall was broken. Without having to be asked, Mina had grabbed a chair and put it in place for her to fall into. She nodded in thanks and took some breaths, trying to steady herself. This had been a lot to process in a day and despite the neutral front she was an expert in putting up she hadn't even begun to process the loss of Brigitte. This was just another thing that could get to the back of the queue.

In that moment, her nose picked up on something. Mina had held something out to her that had a recognisable smell. She took the shot glass in her hand and downed it in one, the whiskey like fire on her tongue. It certainly helped to steady her head as she shook herself to try and restore some clarity of thought. A task that seemed to be getting harder. She wasn't sure if it was the shock or the fact that she didn't have access to her supply of Monkshood. How long had it been since she'd had a dose? Sedated as she was, she'd only been vaguely aware in the hospital and was way too out of it to log the schedule.

"Any chance of another, please?" she asked, holding up the shot glass again.

"One more." Jeanette nodded, a stern edge to her voice that was directed at Mina.

"Yeah, she's not going to allow you any more than that." Mina nodded. "Because for some reason, she wants you to have a steady hand when you're helping out."

"Oh, please." Ginger scoffed as Mina gave her a refill. "In Canada, Budweiser is considered a soda." As if to prove her point, she downed the second shot without so much as a blink. "But that doesn't answer the question of how I'm getting back to Nevermore."

"Tell you what, dear..." Jeanette said, taking the shot glass away and setting it by the sink. "You help us with the party tonight for Mina's birthday and we'll set a course for Vermont. You can ride with us until we hit the Vermont border. After that, you can make it back to Jericho on your own." Ginger considered it for a moment. This lady didn't know the danger she'd be putting everyone in with that proposition. Before coming to Nevermore, there was no way Ginger would have warned her. She'd have just butchered them all in her sleep, out of control as she was. But her time there had changed her. Dulled her animalistic edge. Brigitte had always been the voice of reason in her ear. Now it was like she was there again, hovering by her shoulder and pushing her to do the right thing.

"If I'm riding with you, there's something you should know." Ginger screwed her eyes shut and forced herself to make the admission. "My wolf is out of control. I use Monkshood to keep it in check. I don't know when my last dose was. I think I'm fine for tonight but I won't be for too long after." At that, a small smile crossed Jeanette's face. It hadn't been the reaction Ginger was expecting.

"Would this be the reason you showed up here in a hospital gown?" she asked. Ginger could only nod in response. "I'll let Annie know. She's our herbalist. I'm sure she'll have something she can prepare. In the meantime, how good are you with a knife?"

"I could bullseye you through a trailer window from a decent distance." Ginger shrugged, still bowled over by how easily this woman had just accepted what she'd been told. "Why?" At that, Jeanette burst out laughing as she turned to Mina.

"I like this one!" she said, gesturing to Ginger. "Okay, dear. You'll be on food prep. Others will handle the cooking, but we need vegetables washed, peeled and chopped. You do that and you can enjoy the party for the rest of the night. Not too hard, mind you. Be a bit careful of that wolf."

"Got it." Ginger nodded. "And in exchange, you get me to Vermont like you said?"

"That's the deal." Jeanette held out her hand. Ginger stood up and took it firmly.

"Your terms are fair. We have a truce."

"Excellent!" Jeanette beamed. "Mina, take the young lady outside and show her where she'll be working."

It was clear that the wolf was slowly but surely re-establishing itself. Ginger could hear the noise of idle chatter intensifying and she could smell the gas from the outdoor cooker as it was being lit. She was led to her workstation and wasted no time in washing the food before an array of knives was set out before her. She'd always been terrible with cooking, but a blade was definitely something she'd learned what she was doing with pretty quickly. As a result, she was cutting the carrots and cabbage like someone who'd done it professionally for years. Still, she remained glad that someone else was in charge of using the gas cooker. With this arrangement, the camp was much more likely to still be standing tomorrow.

"You're terrific at chopping!" one old lady remarked through a set of dentures that really didn't fit her very well. Ginger opened her mouth to reply but checked herself. The alcohol had made her brash in the trailer but not everyone would take a remark like that as well as Jeanette.

"Uh, thanks. My sister and I used to help Mom cook all the time. Brigitte was better at the actual cooking part, though." That wasn't technically a lie. Plus, it got the old lady making affectionate noises and saying something about young people having respect. Clearly she'd done something right.

She finished up her task pretty easily and went to find Mina. By this point, a few in the camp had brought out instruments and started playing music. She spotted the younger girl in the crowd as the first notes started to play.

"'Twas late '65 at the old Wallsea Yard

Where she was commissioned to haul the black tar.

We built the Northumbria there on the bar.

Roll Northumbria, roll."

"Ginger!" Mina raced over on unsteady legs and all but collapsed into the werewolf's arms. Ginger could smell the alcohol on her already.

"You're tipsy."

"Yeah!" Mina cheered holding up a bottle of Lagavulin Sixteen. "From sixteen onwards, your birthday is the only day of the year you're allowed to drink like an adult here until you're twenty-one. Most people don't even stay awake for their birthday toast! Come on! I'll say you're my plus one! Let's get shit-faced!" After the day she'd had, part of Ginger wanted to accept. She wanted to sit down with a bottle of something strong and neat and maybe a pack of smokes and just forget all the problems she was having. She hadn't actually had a cigarette since leaving Bailey Downs and she hadn't really missed it because Brigitte had been right there with her. They'd taken care of each other. Plus, they'd had much bigger issues than a nicotine fix.

But she couldn't risk it. These people had offered to help her. If the beast inside her got loose and broke its chains, none of them would be seeing the morning. The best thing they had in terms of defence was a demented man with an empty shotgun. Frustrating as it was, she would have to decline. The buzz from what she'd already had was definitely there, even though it didn't impact her coordination any. She dare not risk going any further.

"Knock yourself out." Ginger shrugged. "I'll keep an eye on you and make sure you stay safe or whatever."

"You're the best!" Mina's words were already starting to slur. Yep. This girl had no experience with alcohol. Ginger let out a breath as Mina took her by the arm and led her into a crowd of people, resigning herself to the fact that she was going to be dragged along throughout the entire party. Oh, well. She'd been to worse events. Usually ones concerning her family. By comparison to that, this would be a breath of fresh air.

As the night wore on, Ginger rapidly became amazed by the event these travellers were capable of putting on. It was like a mini town funfair. Some of them had even gone as far as setting up food and game stalls. The best ones were the hybrid stalls. You played the game and, if you won, you got food as a prize. Where had this idea been all her life? She and Brigitte had always had decent appetites. Those had massively increased after they'd become werewolves. But an idea like this...? Ginger would never have come up with that. And with her hands still being steady, she was able to win her and Mina a piece of fried chicken each.

The music and dancing were much more intense than she'd expected. Once 'Roll Northumbria' finished playing, they moved to a mix of faster and slower songs that Ginger had no idea how to dance to. Not helped by the fact she didn't really know how to dance in the first place. But the travellers certainly knew how.

When it came time to cut the cake, Ginger even got to help on account of the fact that Mina was nowhere near sober enough. She then ended up having to hold the other girl's hair back to avoid it getting caught in a sea of pink and white as Mina promptly vomited up the cake she'd just eaten. Ginger had made her stick to water for the rest of the night. She'd protested at first but eventually agreed that it was probably for the best.

That was when a man stepped up to the front of the group as several people started passing something out among the crowd. And as a share of it was placed in Ginger's hand, she started to realise what was going on. She also realised what the 'herbalist' in the camp did to keep herself entertained. The brownie sat in her hand, almost glaring up at her daringly. It was like it was trying to call her out for not having the guts. But it couldn't hide its secrets from her. Not with her wolf senses. And the concoction in that thing smelled like it was ready to pack the punch of pharmaceutical-grade MDMA in a quality that would rival the early 90s. She had used weed once back in Bailey Downs after a guy at school with three sisters advised her that it would be the best thing to take the edge off bad cramps. But this was leagues above anything she'd used with Jason and the local dealer, Sam, could only dream of making something this strong.

"What is up, party people?" Ginger looked up to see a Mexican guy with an especially thick accent holding the microphone. So much for low profile. If everyone did this in unison, this party was set to explode like a powder keg left next to a furnace. "We are gonna party until it's three in the morning and the Karens make the noise complaints!" That sent a cheer up from the crowd. But in spite of how strongly that brownie reeked of drugs, Ginger found herself sceptical. It was seven-twenty and they'd already done so much. This guy was calling three? Even with the power of Ecstasy, Ginger didn't think so.

"Are we really doing this?" she muttered, looking over to Mina. Unfortunately, Mina was a level of reckless that put Ginger herself to shame. Kind of ironic how she was finding the roles reversed.

"Fuck yes we're doing this!" Mina grinned, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. In fact, the anticipation was so great that she couldn't wait any longer. She took a bite and Ginger watched as the other girl's pupils instantly dilated to an almost alarming extent. She then instantly devoured the whole thing so quick that Ginger almost thought the cops were watching. "You want yours?" she asked, noting how Ginger hadn't touched hers yet. Ginger simply handed it over. The temptation had been there, but she would prefer that these people lived long enough to get her home. Plus, it was Mina's first year being old enough to do this on her birthday according to the camp's rules. She was looking to dance with the devil and she seemed determined to lead. And Ginger wasn't about to stop her. She couldn't. She knew she'd do the exact same thing in her position. Especially after her wolf first made itself known.

Mina was moving like a blur for the rest of the night. Her pupils were so blown that it wouldn't be unreasonable to think she could see through time. Ginger spent most of the time watching from the sidelines. Something about it made her feel compelled to watch over this girl to make sure she didn't get hurt. Probably her big sister instincts. Except she knew Brigitte had been much more capable of looking out for herself and keeping a level head than Mina was showing herself to be. Of course, there was no comparing the two. Not really. And for the first time, Ginger was rocked by the realisation that this was real. Brigitte truly was gone.

As the night wore on and the party wound down, Ginger was beyond exhausted. She waved off invitations of a bed for the night. She had no Monkshood and wouldn't until morning. Terrified of tearing someone apart in the night and knowing that werewolves scarcely felt the cold, she knew she would be fine roughing it on a bench. She did so, lying down on one of the seats and stretching out as she gazed up at the stars. After everything she'd done, her body felt battered and beaten like never before. But in a way that actually felt pleasant. Was this what it felt like to have actually enjoyed herself?

"B... If you could have seen me tonight..." Ginger couldn't remember the last time she was genuinely sad about something. Even after they'd fled Bailey Downs, she hadn't felt remorse, regret or loss. Quite the opposite, in fact. She'd hated the place and the people in it. Letting the house fill up with gas and lighting a match at Brigitte's suggestion had made her feel better than she ever remembered feeling. It felt like true freedom. And with the Monkshood to keep their wolves suppressed and their heads clear, they'd revelled in the sensation of feeling like their lives were their own for the first time. And at the memory of that, she felt a tear roll down her cheek. She made no move to wipe it away. She'd worked hard her whole life to cultivate her hard exterior. But Brigitte had been the only one to see the real her. She wasn't about do deny herself the right to shed tears at the memory of the only person she'd ever truly felt love for.

Ginger didn't know when she actually fell asleep. What she did know was that, judging by the position of the moon as per her wolf's inbuilt sense of time, the party must have gone on until about three twenty. Whoever that guy was, he'd been right. It had been an amazing time all round.

But what wasn't amazing was the thing that woke her up. It took a second for the snuffling noise and the low-pitched vocalisations to register with her, but when they did her eyes snapped open to the harsh glare of sunlight. She turned away quickly and instantly locked on to the thing making the noise through her blurred and tired eyes. And when her brain processed the information, that blurring and tiredness faded quick enough.

Parties were a pretty fun thing for most people. But there was a harsh lesson to be learned: Don't get so drunk on booze or blasted on whatever recreational narcotics were on offer that you forget to tidy up after yourself. Especially if you were partying outside. And especially if you were in a place that had bears. Food that was left out was like a magnet to them. And today was clearly no exception.

The bear that had been drawn in this time was a Grizzly. It was massive; easily the biggest one she'd ever seen. It was at least one and a half times the size of the werewolf that initially attacked her back in Canada- if not twice the size. And it was rooting around the outskirts of the party site. How did they even get that big? She truly had no idea. She couldn't see any tags so it probably hadn't escaped from somewhere. That was a shame. That meant there was less chance of it being friendly. A point she proved as she sat up and the bench creaked under her. The bear looked up and let out a low, aggressive huff. She knew the meaning behind it. If she didn't bother it then it wouldn't bother her. All she had to do was stay quiet and stay out of its way.

Ginger got up, taking a low stance as she crept to the side of the bench and started to move backwards slowly. If the bear wanted space, she was more than happy to give it. It saw what she was doing and resumed snuffling through the party scraps, clearly content to let her get out of the way and achieve a respectable distance. They had an understanding. They had a mutual respect. Because of that, an air of tenuous peace was able to settle over them.

That peace lasted all of twenty seconds. In that moment, Mina burst from the nearby trailer, darting forward before Ginger realised what was going on and sprinting to the trash can next to the bench Ginger had just been sleeping on. The sound of her feet crunching on the gravel got the bear's attention. The sound of her vomiting caused it to let out a furious roar.

"Oh, fuck." Ginger muttered, realising that there was no way back from this. She could hear movement and voices from the trailers as windows and doors began to open. But no one here stood a chance against a bear that size. Even if Terrance's shotgun was loaded and he was sound of mind enough to have some trigger discipline, the odds would not be in his favour. But it wasn't him that the bear's anger was directed towards. It was Mina. The young girl was totally defenceless as it started charging forward like a tank. She was still coming down after last night and she was doubled over with her head over the trash can. She was completely unable to move.

Before she knew what she was doing, Ginger had also broken into a sprint. She met the bear head-on, letting her wolf come forward to elongate her claws. Unlike the other werewolves, she had no way to retract them on command. Her only way after allowing them to come forward this fully would be to cut her fingers off and hope they grew back normal. But that was okay. She couldn't afford to let herself transform. And without being able to fully transform, she already knew the outcome of this fight. She understood that and accepted it.

"Ginger!" Mina screamed as the two collided. Ginger swung her fist upwards hard enough that it could put a hole through a brick wall. It didn't even crack the jawbone of the grizzly as her fist connected. This thing's bone density was off the chart! But the strike was at least strong enough to rattle its brains slightly and send it reeling back.

"Just go!" Ginger yelled back at the terrified girl behind her. In front of her, the bear reared up onto its hind legs before bringing its full weight crashing down at her. She reached up and curled her claws, sinking them into its pads as it descended while the strength of the mad wolf within kept its weight aloft.

That was when the bear lunged forward, sinking its fangs into her shoulder. She hissed in pain as she felt its teeth shred through muscle and splinter bone. And as it bit down, she saw a change come into its eyes. It was change she knew all too well: an inky darkness that seemed to creep in behind its already black pupils. The pupils themselves dilated in response to the invisible battle now being waged in the bear's body.

"You've tasted my blood." Ginger gasped through the pain as her left hand came up to gently rest on the side of the bear's face. She could feel the warmth of its fur as it gave a soft, almost regretful-sounding groan. "You've infected yourself. That means you can't leave here. I'm sorry." She didn't know what being turned like that might do to a bear. She seriously doubted that even Brigitte- with her vast knowledge of biology- would have the faintest clue. But it was too dangerous to find out.

Punching upwards again, she dislodged the bear's teeth from her shoulder as the wound left behind began a fountain of crimson. She ducked in, slamming the claws on her right hand up into the bear's ribcage, effortlessly splintering the ribs in her way as she gripped its heart. It reeled back in agony and tried to get away, but she was dragged with it. As she was pulled forwards, the bear gripped her in its paws, its own claws raking furiously across her stomach. Whatever she'd been supercharged with may have saved her from the blunt force trauma of jumping down from her hospital window, but it offered little defence against the power of a giant grizzly bear. Its claws easily eviscerated through vital tissues and organs; blood filling her throat and cascading from her mouth onto the creature's furry underbelly. But her grip didn't waver. And as she steeled her resolve and her grip, she crushed inwards. The bear spasmed mutely in her embrace and lay still. Her energy leaving her, Ginger flopped forward onto the bear's torso. Even the soft down of the bear's hide couldn't compare to Brigitte's embrace. But it was close enough that she could feel satisfied in these last moments.

"Ginger!" Mina screamed, rushing over. She stared dumbly, taking in the scene with a look of abject horror. One hand was half-lifted from the automatic impulse to do something to help. But it was frozen in place as she tried to work out exactly what it was she was supposed to do. In desperation, she turned to the camp behind her. Ginger could see that people were emerging from their trailers by the dozens and were all wearing expressions ranging from concern to horror. They knew that something serious had just happened. But from their distance, it was probably hard to make it out. "Medic!" Mina yelled. Her words seemed to spur them into action as some of them started to rush over.

"No!" Ginger said forcefully. The word caused a cough to erupt in her chest as a cloud of blood bloomed from her mouth. "They can't come in contact with my blood. If they do, they'll get infected. This curse only dies if you do. This was an eventuality. Nothing more." By this point, the group had reached them with Jeanette leading the charge. She'd clearly heard what Ginger had said and was now seeing for herself how bad the damage was. Ginger saw her face fall. She knew what that expression meant.

"Get her a blanket." Jeanette ordered. "Keep her comfy."

"I have everything I need." Ginger said, her voice weakening. "I'll be with Brigitte soon."

"Ginger..." Something about hearing Mina's voice crack like that made the dying werewolf feel awful. Steeling herself, she looked up and met her eyes with all the strength she could muster.

"Mina... When I was in Bailey Downs, I hated my life. The only thing that made it worth living was Brigitte. And from the moment I was infected, I was on the clock. You have what I never did: your whole life in front of you and the freedom to do with it as you will. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Only just keeping herself together, Mina managed to nod. "Good..." Ginger sighed, the last of her energy leaving her as her eyes drifted shut. "Now don't fuck it up..."

Ginger didn't know how long her eyes were shut for. She felt the icy chill settle over her as the sensation in her body vanished, taking the comfort of the bear's fur with it. As her lungs shut down, the inability to breathe made her chest grow tight. The constriction made her feel as though she was being crushed, pressing in with bone-shattering tightness. Suddenly, it released. As soon as it did, she felt like she was being propelled forward at light speed. The force of it felt ready to tear her body apart. And just when she thought she couldn't stand any more, it suddenly stopped altogether. Somehow, the stop was more jarring than the feeling itself. She was also shocked to see that her clothes were different. She was in a casual set of jeans and a hoodie with boots on her feet. An ensemble Enid had introduced her and Brigitte to shortly after their chaotic arrival. Something much more fitting for her. And much better than the previous ensemble so reminiscent of her old life that she'd found herself in only minutes before. But the most jarring thing of all was the voice that greeted her as she arrived. That beautiful voice that she'd missed so desperately.

"Ginger!" Ginger's eyes opened just in time to see Brigitte crash into her in the fiercest hug she'd ever felt, hitting with all the force and speed of a torpedo. A torpedo with soft brown hair and green eyes, but a torpedo none the less.

"I knew I'd find you again." Ginger buried her face in the crook of her sister's neck as Brigitte did the same. The warmth of each other's embrace was the thing they'd missed most dearly and now that they had each other back it was an effort to let go.

"If anything, I'm surprised it took you this long." Brigitte remarked cheekily, glancing sideways to meet Ginger's eye.

"Yeah, well you have to admit that going out fighting a bear is pretty awesome." Ginger shot back, shoving her playfully. "And here we both thought it would be a DIY job."

"I mean... It was Bailey Downs." Brigitte shrugged. "It was boring as shit. And was it me or did literally everything there seem to revolve around gardening? Are you seriously telling me that's what we had to look forward to?"

"I know, right?" Ginger laughed. That in itself stopped her cold. When was the last time she'd been able to laugh? Probably not since the Wikipedia incident in class. But when was the last time she'd done it before they left Ontario? She honestly couldn't remember. She'd laughed more in six months at Nevermore than she ever had at home. What a soul-sucking void Bailey Downs had been! But still, she couldn't fight back the tears as she breathed in, taking in every detail of Brigitte. Everything from her scent to the feel of her scrawny arms wrapped around her own athletic frame. "I'm sorry, B. It was my job to take care of you."

"We knew this was coming." Brigitte told her, looking up into Ginger's eyes to show her sincerity as her hand came up to rest on the side of Ginger's face. "We were supposed to take care of each other. And we did." At her words, Ginger felt a longing warmth blossom in her chest.

"Ginger and Brigitte Fitzgerald..." The girls looked over to see a figure that seemed to be made of light standing off to the side. As mad as Ginger was that the moment had been interrupted, she was also embarrassed that she hadn't realised they were in company.

"I'm sorry, who is this?" Ginger asked somewhat cautiously, looking to Brigitte. "Friend of yours?"

"He's that god Wednesday reached out to when we first died." Brigitte told her. "One of them, anyway. Meet the Lord of Light." Ah, so that explained it.

"The two of you are reunited at last." Light continued as though they hadn't spoken. "In life, your only purpose was each other. As promised, you shall continue to reside together. Are you ready to go home?"

"There's something I want to say first." Ginger told him. "Wednesday Addams and Enid Sinclair... Their feelings for each other are obvious. Whatever happens in the future, please see to it that- when their time comes- they get the same option as us. The option to reside in the same domain together, even at the cost of all else."

"You need not worry." Light assured her. "Their places are already set side for them. I think they will be happy with the arrangements."

"Good." Ginger nodded as tears sprang to her eyes again. "I'm glad." With that, she turned to Brigitte, pulling her into another hug. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too." Brigitte choked out as she buried her face in Ginger's hoodie and held on tight. "But don't worry. We'll never be apart again." That was music to Ginger's ears. With her arms still wrapped around Brigitte, she looked up to see a set of stairs that had appeared in front of them, leading upwards out of sight. She led them forwards, keeping her sister held close. They were finally reunited now. They'd been torn away from each other once. Both of them resolved in that moment that they would never let such a thing happen again.

"Come on then, B... Let's go find our paradise. Together."

Nevermore Academy

Two Days Later...

Trepidation was a thing felt by many. It was natural. Especially when facing the unknown. But if anyone accused Wednesday Addams of feeling it, that would be the last accusation they ever made. She was a creature that delighted in the dark, the gruesome and grim. She took joy in breaking people's hearts, minds and spirits. And yet there was one person in the world that she could never hurt. One person she could never bring herself to direct any malice towards. And here she was, at the door to her room, about to break news to her that would do just that.

When the tannoy had called her to Principal Deans' office, she knew it couldn't be anything good. He wasn't the type for fireside chats and it certainly wasn't to check up on how she and Enid were doing. Even though he had asked that initially. It made sense, she supposed. He would have had to check up on the welfare of his students, especially after yet another attack on the academy. And his alert to the board that the king basilisk could be taken off the extinct species list had not gone down well. The students were hearing the repercussions for at least a week after. Threats of funding cuts and so on. None of which they were likely to go through with.

Now, as Wednesday stood in front of her door, her hand on the knob to go in, she found her fingers trembling. Sharply, she pulled them back and began clenching and unclenching her fists. It was a crude but effective way to dispel tremors. Not that she usually got them. There had only been one other instance where such a thing had happened and that was after an accident when she was learning how to use the electric chair. Yet somehow, the task she had to perform now dwarfed that in importance.

Steeling herself, she pushed the door open and headed in. Enid was curled up in her world of colour, shivering in the foetal position among a stack of cuddly unicorns. Wednesday had to be very careful reaching in among them to gently shake her awake. When her eyes snapped open, it was with a bleary, disoriented look that only someone who was about to get sick had about them.

"Hey." Enid croaked, shoving some unicorns aside so Wednesday could sit down.

"Are you sure that's just a cold?" Wednesday asked, accepting her invitation. Enid just hummed nonchalantly and shuffled round slightly so her head rested against the side of Wednesday's thigh. Wednesday smirked and reached down, resting her hand on Enid's back. This was it. She hated to do it, especially when Enid was in such a fragile state. But if she didn't do it now, Enid would resent her for not telling saying something sooner. "Enid, I have something I need to tell you." Wednesday looked down to see Enid had her eyes closed. Clearly she was content and that only made Wednesday feel worse about what she was about to do. "Enid? Can you look at me, please?" Enid sluggishly opened her eyes again. Wednesday shifted her position, reaching down to hold her head and meet her gaze. "Enid... Principal Deans just got word from the hospital. Ginger and Brigitte didn't make it." That got Enid's attention. Her eyes refocused slightly and Wednesday saw them fill with tears.

"What?"

"I am sorry, Enid." Wednesday said, pulling her close. "Deans is going to make the announcement but he wanted me to tell you since you're not well enough to attend. They went out well, okay? Brigitte died in pursuit of her humanity and Ginger died in pursuit of Brigitte. When she found out Brigitte had died, she smashed her way out of the hospital. She was found a day later, locked in a death embrace with a bear." Enid threw her arms around Wednesday, her defences crumbling as she dissolved into a sobbing mess. Wednesday held her close, letting herself sink sideways to lie next to her in the sea of unicorns.

"Why is it that death is such a constant thing lately?" Enid asked. Wednesday wanted to tell her not to talk since speaking was clearly an effort for her right now. But she dismissed the idea. Enid needed to speak. Needed to let it out. "And why does it always find those who don't deserve it?"

"It doesn't." Wednesday promised. "You just mainly hear about those who don't deserve it because they're the ones who deserve to be remembered the most. Those who deserve it also deserve to be lost to the fog of uncharted history. Que nadie recuerde sus nombres." At that, Enid buried her face in Wednesday's shoulder and tightened her grip.

"Thank you, Wednesday."

"That's okay, Enid." Wednesday said as she eased the werewolf back down, resting her head on top of Enid's and resolving not to let go until she was at least somewhat okay again. Anything Enid needed over the next few days, Wednesday was here to provide. "That's perfectly okay."

Author's Note: Finally, this arc is officially concluded. Even now, I struggle to process the fact that something which started as a simple fan reference to a set of movies that offered one of the best takes on werewolves I'd seen was so loved by my readers that it became a significant part in the story arc of a major Wednesday project on my page. I realise that this was probably more of a bittersweet ending than some of you were expecting. Unfortunately, the source material that Ginger and Brigitte were originally from made it impossible for everyone to have a happy ending. My aim here was to give them a happier ending than they got in their own stories. And if anyone hasn't checked out the Ginger Snaps movies yet, I do recommend them.

Speaking of recommendations, I feel the need to give one out here. There was a Wednesday story that I spent a year avidly reading- checking out new chapters on the day one was uploaded pretty much every time- called The Passion of a Moment: Enid and Wednesday's Family and Legacy by an author called Fun But Shy Girl. I have given it a shout-out before that was well earned, but if anyone hasn't read it yet then I once again recommend it. The reason for this is because the author has teased another Wednesday-related project that will hopefully be coming soon. So definitely one to watch there. As before, I will also opt for full disclosure here: I have contributed material for The Passion of a Moment. I do not recommend it for this reason. I recommend it because the love and passion the author shows for this story is very clear. The material I contributed does not appear until after the main storyline. Any contributions by other authors are clearly marked.

Please feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think. Currently there are two major projects I am now focusing on after this. The names of them are Hunted and The Worst Kind Of Monster. I currently don't know which one might be coming next. It literally depends which one I finish first. Sample extracts for both can be found on a special previews chapter at the end of another story on my page called Guiding Light. Feel free to check them out if you are curious.