20 The Stranger

A deadbolt on the front door of Clark's house slid open. Kelly entered with a small tool in her hand, and then closed and bolted the door. Jack and Clark were on the inside waiting for her.

"No one's gettin' through that."

"Wow." Jack looked impressed. "When are you installing the torture chamber?"

"You like it?" Kelly stepped back and admired her handiwork. "I'll call it medieval-chic."

"I don't care what it looks like as long as it keeps Derek and his skeleton keys out." Clark

"This is pretty handy for a writer. Where'd you learn to do all this?" Jack wondered.

"I know how to keep safe from someone who's after you."

"Oh! I gotta get to work." Clark hurried to get ready.

"Uh, are you sure you're ready to go back?" Jack asked.

Clark chuckled. "After a stint behind bars, how tough can a room full of animals be? Besides, aren't you the one we need to be worried about?"

"Me. Why?"

"Well... you did threaten to take Hilary away from Derek." Kelly chimed in.

"Oh, that wasn't a threat. I'm hiring Ms. Wood to help build a case against him." Jack explained. Kelly and Clark shared a look. "He tried to have you framed for murder."

"But you do know what happens if you win?"

"Yeah."

"And you're ready? To be her dad?"

"Yeah."

Clark smiled.

"Code red. Code red." Hilary's voice came on the walkie-talkie.

"Hey, Hilary. What's going on?" Jack picked it up and answered.

"Meet me at Ellen's. It's an Operation Cobra emergency."

"I'm on my way." Jack left and started walking down the main street towards the Diner.

Kelly ran to catch up to him. "Jack, wait up."

"You heard the kid. Operation Cobra calls."

"I didn't think you believed any of that."

"Oh, I don't, but sometimes it's the only way to get through to Hilary."

"You know, a custody battle against Derek isn't going to accomplish anything." Jack chuckled in disbelief. "You need to look at the big picture. That's the only way you're gonna understand what you're up against. That's the only way you'll know how to beat Derek."

"Okay, new girl, how's that?" Jack asked.

"Come with me, and I'll show you."

They stopped walking. "And where exactly would we be going on this magical mystery tour?"

"If I told you, you would never come." Jack kept on walking. "Oh, come on. Take a leap of faith. You come with me, and I promise you, you'll find exactly what you're looking for."

"My kid needs me. I don't have time for faith." Jack continued on, leaving Kelly behind. He entered the Diner, where Hilary was seated at a booth with a cup of hot chocolate, a plate of food, and looking through her book. "Hey. What's the emergency?"

"Shh!" She spoke in a hushed whisper. "This is sensitive."

Jack sat down beside her. "If it's sensitive, why are we at Ellen's, out in the open?"

"I'm hungry. Who else knows that we hide the book at the Sheriff's station?"

"No one. Why?"

"Someone changed it. There's a new story in it."

"Why would someone add a new story?"

"To tell us something we need to know about the curse."

"And what would that be?"

"I don't know." Hilary shrugged. "Story isn't finished."

"Why would someone go to so much trouble to add a new story and then not bother finishing it?"

"That's what's weird. The story's Up. Everyone knows how that ends."

"Well, maybe that's why it was left out."

"Or maybe there's more to it."

"Hilary, you're gonna be late for school. Let's go."

---------

In her room at the inn, Kelly bounced a tennis ball against the wall. She then picked up the rotary phone on the desk and dialed a number. "Ms. Wood? We need to meet. It's about Jack. There's a... problem. Mm-hmm." Kelly hung up, put on a jacket, and prepared to leave, but grimaced in pain as she reached the door. She rolled up her sleeve to see her arm covered in feathers.

---------

Clark strolled by the school, where he watched children playing. He smiled, enjoying the happy atmosphere.

"Mr. Grimm." He turned to see Derek approach him. "I see you're back."

"Yes. Isn't it great? Everything worked out."

"Hilary forgot her lunch. Have you seen her?"

"I think she's with her father."

"Mr. Grimm, is there a problem?"

"Not anymore. But someone did go to a lot of trouble to make it look like I did something horrible. But they failed."

"Yes. Olga Sonork, who's safely incarcerated."

"If it was Olga."

"Well, ask your friend. She confessed."

"Of course she did."

"Are you insinuating something?"

"Yes, I am. But I forgive you. Even if you can't admit what you did, I forgive you anyway. Your life must be filled with such incredible loneliness if your only joy comes from destroying everyone else's happiness. It's so sad, Mayor Brodie, because despite what you think, it won't make you happy. It's only going to leave a giant hole in your heart." Clark pointed behind Derek and turned to leave. "There's Hilary now." Clark left as Hilary approached them.

"What are you doing here?"

Derek stopped staring after Clark and cleared his throat. "You forgot your lunch." He held it out for her.

"Thanks." Hilary took the lunchbox from him.

Derek brought her aside and they sat down on a bench. "Hilary, it's time for a change. I think it's time to transfer you to a new class with a new teacher."

"Why do you want me out of Miss Richards' class? Is it because you framed her man?"

"Hilary! Do you really think I'm capable of doing something so horrible?"

"Of course. You're Syndrome."

"Enough. Those stories are not real. Miss Richards should never have given you that book. She should be grateful I'm not trying to get her fired."

Hilary stood up. "Go ahead and try. It won't work. No matter what you do, you'll never defeat Mr. Incredible. Or Elastigirl. The curse will end. Good will win. And I'm not transferring classes." She walked away.

---------

Kelly entered Ms. Wood's shop, where she leaned on the counter while Ed fiddled with a balloon bouquet.

"Ah, Ms. Monal. I'll be with you in a moment. On second thought, tell me — as one admirer of decorations to another — what do you think of this lovely arrangement?" Ed turned around. He and Kelly silently stared at each other. "I'll take the silence as a yes, then."

"You know, I'm very busy right now. And uh, I'm just a one-man store. But, uh... I do have some strings that would match with these."

"I wouldn't ask for anything more."

Ed left with the bouquet and greeted Kelly on his way out. "Good day."

"H-how are you..." Kelly stuttered. Ed passed her and exited the shop.

"First time seeing old Fredricksen since you arrived at Pixfare?"

"I'm s-sorry?"

"You know, what surprises me is why a woman who claims to be at death's door can't even bring herself to say hello to her friend. What are you afraid of?"

"That's, uh... that's my business."

"Oh. Fair enough. Let's talk about ours. You claim to be the only person who can make Jack believe, that you could get him to do exactly what he was brought here to do, and yet, for a woman who's running out of time," Ms. Wood glanced down at Kelly's arm. "you don't seem to be in much of a hurry."

"It's not me slowing us down. It's him. All he can think about right now is getting custody of his kid."

"Looks like Sheriff Swan needs a course correction."

"He's coming to you for legal advice."

"And you want me to steer him toward you."

"I can get him there, to believe. Trust me."

Ms. Wood burst out laughing, then stopped and put up a hand. "I'm sorry. It's just knowing who you are and your nature, trust is a big ask. Fear not. A gentle nudge I shall provide." She exited through the curtains to the back of the shop.

---------

Later, Jack and Ms. Wood were talking in her shop.

"I have to save her. I have to get Hilary away from Derek."

"I must admit, your intentions are admirable. However, I won't be taking your case."

"What? You know what Derek did."

"Yes, but we can't prove it. And given the mayor's sway in this town, any proceedings against him would be long and drawn-out, and futile. The only certainty is Hilary would suffer." She gave him a grim look. "You can't do that to your girl."

"So we leave her in the same house with that sociopath?"

"I'm sorry, Sheriff. My mind's made up."

"Well, then change it. The only person I've seen go head-to-head with Derek and win is you."

"That's because I know how to pick my battles."

"Then pick this one."

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I'm simply not the woman to help you beat Mayor Brodie."

"No. You're not." Jack turned and stormed off, to which Ms. Wood smirked in satisfaction.

---------

Jack knocked on a guest room door at the inn.

"Jack." Kelly answered, sticking her head out.

"Hey." He pushed past him and entered the room.

"Take it easy. Is everything okay?"

"No. I'm just about out of options."

"Just about?"

"You told me to beat Derek, I had to see the big picture. Show it to me."

---------

Laura Reed left the school when she noticed Derek trying to fix his car and bump his head on the open hood. "Car trouble?" She asked, walking over to him.

Derek scoffed. "It won't start. A car full of groceries, and... well, it hasn't exactly been a banner day."

"Let's see." Laura Reed opened the front door and tried the ignition, but the car didn't start. She checked the dashboard. "Your battery's dead."

"What?"

"I don't have any jumper cables, but I can give you a ride home in my car."

"Oh, no, no. Thank you, but I couldn't impose."

"I insist, unless you wanna have a car full of melted Rocky Road."

"Sure."

--

The two walked through Derek's yard and up the walkway to his house, while Laura Reed helped carry the groceries.

"Thank you for being my hero."

"You're welcome."

"Hey, why don't you stay for dinner? I bought more than enough for me and Hilary, and..." Derek shrugged. "Well, I'm making lasagna."

"Oh, I--I shouldn't. It's getting late, and I've got to get up early tomorrow for work."

"Of course." Derek nodded. He unlocked the door and they entered the house. "Oh, you can just set the bags over there." He noticed a folded piece of paper on the table. 'Dad' was written on the front. He picked it up.

"What is it?" Laura Reed asked, curious.

<p data-adtags-visited="true">Derek pretended to read the note, but it was really a blank piece of paper. "Hilary. She's having dinner with Felix after her session instead of coming home."

"I'm sorry."

"Lately it seems like she'll do anything to avoid spending time with me. But I-I shouldn't be burdening you with my problems. You've already helped me more than enough for one day. Thank you." Derek turned away; feigning sadness while still holding the note.

Laura Reed began to leave, but then turned back. "You know what? I do love lasagna." Derek smiled.

<p data-adtags-visited="true">---------

Kelly took Jack on a motorcycle ride down the road just outside the town. They soon stopped at a stop sign.

"Kelly, are you gonna tell me where we're going and how it's gonna help me beat Derek?"

"We're going on a trip, Jack. So I can tell you somebody's story."

"Whose story?"

"Mine." They drove off past the 'Leaving Pixfare' sign.

---------

"How did you like it?" Derek asked as they finished dinner.

"Best lasagna I ever had. You really got a superpower for cooking. Here. Let me get the dishes." She offered.

"Oh, no, Laura Reed--"

"No, no, no, no. It's the least I can do." She stood up and picked up their plates.

"You saved me from having to call the tow truck today and now you're doing my dishes. Doesn't seem right."

Laura Reed brought the dishes into the kitchen and began washing them. "Please. The last couple weeks haven't exactly been easy for me, and you've been there the whole time."

"Well, I can't help it. I feel responsible for you. Ever since I... met you. It's amazing, isn't it? If I hadn't adopted Hilary, I wouldn't have come to the school."

"Yeah, it's... almost..." She looked at Derek. "...almost like the universe wanted us to meet." Derek stared at her and moved in for a kiss. Visibly startled, Laura Reed moved back. "Uh... I-I'm sorry. I-I hope you didn't get the wrong idea."

"No, I'm sorry, I just got caught up in the moment."

"You don't have to apologize. I just-- we... This is great like it is." They moved to the foyer, where Laura Reed put on her coat. "Thanks again for dinner."

Derek smiled and nodded. As she left the house, he downed a glass of wine. Once the door closed behind her, he threw it in frustration against a mirror, which shattered.

---------

On the outskirts of Pixfare, Kelly stopped the motorcycle on the side of a road near a diner. She and Jack dismounted.

"What is this?" Jack asked.

"Last I checked, it was a diner."

"No more screwing around. I'm not a character in one of your books. What are we doing here?"

"I think you know." Kelly took out an old newspaper article, which read: 'Young Girl Finds Baby on Side of Road'. "You've been here before. This is the diner you were brought to when you were found as a baby."

"So you found an article about me. So what? I thought this trip was supposed to be about you."

"It is. This is my story, and it's your story."

"And how is that?"

"That young girl who found you... that was me."

Jack backed away slowly.

---

Soon, Kelly led Jack on a short hike in the woods.

"Why are we in the woods?"

"All the answers you've been searching for are right where I found you."

"See? You're not that seven year old girl. I wasn't found in the woods. I was found on the side of a highway."

"Why do you think that? Because you read it in the newspaper? Did it ever occur that maybe that seven year old girl lied about where she found you?"

"No. But it occurs to me that you've been lying about everything, and I'm done listening." Jack started to leave.

"When I found you, you were wearing a red suit and a black mask." Kelly explained. Jack turned back. "That wasn't in the article, was it? How would I know that unless I was there?"

"Okay. Let's say you were that kid. Why lie about where you found me?"

"I lied to protect you."

"From what?"

Kelly jerked her thumb behind her. "That."

"A tree?" Jack scoffed in disbelief.

"You've read Hilary's book, right? You know about the curse, don't you? Your role in it? It's true, Jack. We both came into this world..." Kelly turned to examine the tree. "through this tree."

"You're asking me to believe that you're a Pixar character?"

"Kevin."

Jack then realized something. "You're the one who added the story to Hilary's book."

"I needed you to know the truth."

"The truth is you're out of your mind, and you're not even a very good liar. Why not write the end of that story?"

"Because this is the ending, and we're writing it right now."

"And how does this story end?"

"With you believing."

"Not gonna happen." Jack turned around to leave again.

Kelly looked scared for a moment. "Jack? Jack, wait." She tried to chase after him, but she soon stopped, groaning and clutching her arm.

Jack stopped and turned to face her. "What... is wrong... with your arm?"

"I failed."

"What are you talking about?"

"It doesn't matter. You don't believe."

"If you think that by making me feel sorry for you that something's going to change, you're wrong."

"I'm not screwing around here. Whatever you believe or don't, this is real, Jack. I'm sick."

"That's an understatement."

"You ever been to South America? It's beautiful. Amazing place. Full of pleasures. The perfect place to lose oneself. That's where I was when you decided to stay in Pixfare."

"How do you know when I decided to stay in Pixfare?"

"Because at 1:13 in the afternoon, I felt a shooting pain in my arm. That's 1:13 in the morning in Pixfare. Sound familiar? That's when time there started to move forward again. I was supposed to be there for you, and I wasn't. Because I was halfway around the world, I got a painful reminder of just how far I'd strayed." Kelly sat on a tree stump. "If that tree won't make you believe, maybe this will." She rolled up her sleeve to show him her feathered arm.

"How does that prove anything?" From Jack's perspective, her arm looked perfectly normal.

"Look."

"Kelly, I'm looking."

"You don't see it, do you?"

"See what?"

"Your denial is more powerful than I thought. It's preventing you from seeing the truth."

"Okay, one of us is losing it here, and it's not me."

"You don't want to believe. After everything you've seen, why can't you just do it?"

"Why is it so important to you that I do?"

"Because I, the town-- everyone needs you."

"I don't want them to need me."

"Well, that's too bad, because we all do."

"You're saying that I'm responsible for everyone's happiness? That's crazy! I didn't ask for that! I don't want it."

"Right now. A little while ago, you didn't want Hilary either, but then she came to you, and now you're fighting for her."

"For her! Because that's all I can handle right now. And I'm not even doing a good job at that! Now you're telling me I have to save everyone? That's beyond ridiculous. I don't want any of it."

"Well, that's too bad, Jack, because that doesn't change the truth. You're our only hope."

"Then you're all screwed." He walked away from her.

---------

After she got back to town, Kelly stopped by the balloon store. She watched as Ed tried to arrange the balloon bouquet that she and Ms. Wood discussed earlier.

"Darn. I'm all out of weights." Ed grumbled. "How am I going to make this stay down?"

"Here. Try these." Kelly tied the balloon strings around a couple tennis balls, making them sink to the floor.

Ed looked up at Kelly with a smile. She smiled as well. "Wow. Thank you. "

"I got the idea from a gift a friend gave me."

"They must be very proud."

"I don't know about that. I don't think I became the friend he wanted me to be."

"Well, have you tried to make it up to him?"

"I made him a promise... a long time ago. By the time I got around making good on it, I think it was too late."

"But you kept your promise. You realized your mistake, and you tried to fix it. That's important. If I had any friends, that would be enough for me."

Kelly looked at him, thoughtfully. He turned back to the counter. She looked around and noticed a scrapbook sitting on a shelf. "You look like you might be shorthanded."

"Hmm. I get by."

"How would you feel about... taking on an assistant?"

"I can't pay you."

"That's okay. I just like balloons."

Ed smiled and extended his hand to her. "Come on."

---------

Hilary was asleep in bed, next to her walkie-talkie.

With a burst of static, Jack's voice came through. "Code red. Code red. Hilary?"

Hilary woke up and responded. "Jack, what's wrong?"

"I need to talk to you."

"About Operation Cobra?"

"No. About us. Meet me downstairs."

Hilary got out of bed, grabbed her jacket, and snuck out of her room. She met Jack in his car parked outside of the house. She sat in the passenger seat, while he sat in the driver's. "If my dad sees me out here talking to you, he'll get really mad."

Jack thought for a moment, and then faced her. "Hilary, I need to ask you something very important. Do you want to get away from Derek? Do you want to come and live with me?"

"More than anything."

"Okay. Then buckle up. You ready?"

"Why? Where are we going?"

"We're leaving Pixfare." Jack started the car and the two of them drive off.