70. Chapter 69

Wynonna and Dolls head back to Tatenhill Farms and after checking that both Mama Olive and Hetty were not hanging around, Wynonna and Dolls started to search the outer parts of the Homestead. Once they were happy that they were alone, Dolls headed back over to the fence where Wynonna had shot and killed Herman, grabbing onto the top of the metal gate, “Alright he was running that way. It’s an open field. So, we would’ve seen him running for miles. Odd. (Dolls raises his arms out towards the open field past the gate) This is where you shot him. Exactly when I asked you not to. (Dolls turns to face Wynonna).”

Both Wynonna and Dolls look over the snow-covered field and start to scan the area, searching for exactly what Herman had been running towards. Dolls indicate that they should go and investigate the field, which started to prove to be rather difficult as the snow was rather thick and made each of their footsteps in the snow, that much harder.

Reaching midway within the field, Dolls stops and points down at something poking out of the snow, “Mm, hm. Look”.

Just sticking out of the snow was what looked like a lid to a cellar. In unison, the pair reach for their guns and pull them out of their holster’s and point them towards the lightly snow-covered cellar door. Moving in a stealth motion, Dolls approaches the cellar door with one hand holding his pistol, and with his free hand, he points to the ground. Wynonna and Dolls gingerly close in on the cellar door, where Dolls reached down and tried to open the door. Grunting loudly as he tries to lift the heavy door, “Jeez, OK.”

Wynonna takes one last look around before bending down to assist Dolls with the door, and once it was opened the brunette turned her head and covered her mouth. With her eyes scrunched up and her nose being blocked by her hand, Wynonna watches as Dolls picks up a piece of wood to prop up the lid to the cellar. Both look down and take in the awful sight of the cellar, the first thing that hits them was the smell.

Dolls his shirt up to cover his mouth and nose, hoping that it will limit his ability to breathe in the smell of rotting flesh, but it failed as his breathing senses were ambushed by the repulsive odor wafting up. The other thing that occurred to both Dolls and Wynonna was that the cellar appeared to be a makeshift underground bunker, as the cellar was decked out so that someone could stay down there. Dolls indicate that there was a ladder, which they both takedown to the cellar, Wynonna covers her face with her hand, “Jesus.”

Moving around the cellar Dolls and Wynonna takes in the furnishings within the room and the various pieces of human flesh being air-dried from the ceiling. “Whoa, Mummy.” Dolls use his torch to shine a light on the lounge chair that is positioned beside a side table and a footrest.

Placing her hand to rest on the back of the chair, Wynonna comments, “Or should I say ‘Mama’? Dolls, Mama Olive-Herman’s mother who owns the diner! There’s a picture on the wall of her sitting in this exact chair. What do you think she was doing down here? Hiding?”

Reaching down Dolls lifts an old-fashioned chain that is connected to an old-time handcuff. He followed the chain and found that it was attached to the base of the pole in the middle of the room. “Uh, I don’t think she had a choice.”

Turning around Wynonna hears above her head a growling sound, “Someone’s mad we broke in.”

“Just don’t get eaten.” Dolls smirks.

“Bite me. We need to find Alice and Nicolas. Maybe it’s the Wendigo.” Wynonna looks up at the open cellar door and sees a partially covered face staring back at her. Following Wynonna back up the ladder, Dolls chases after the person who is dressed in the same clothes as Herman on the day that he was killed. The three of them headed towards the tree line, Wynonna cries out, “Dolls, hurry up! You Ok?”

“I’m fine! I’m right behind you.”

The person that they were chasing releases a roar just as they all approached the tree line, where Wynonna catches up to the person. Meanwhile, Dolls was not that far behind Wynonna when from out of nowhere, he was attacked from the side and is dragged back towards the cellar.

Wynonna grunts as she finally grabs hold of the person, she had been chasing across the heavy snowfield and into the trees. She lands on top of the person’s back as Wynonna grunts, “No, you don’t! I saw your dead body fall into the snow. That happened right?”

The person clambers out from under the weight of Wynonna and tries to put some distance between themselves and the brunette, but Wynonna tightly grabs hold onto the collar of the person’s jacket. Flipping themselves and Wynonna over so that they both land on their back in the snow. “Ahh! Ugh!” Wynonna mutters as her back hits the coldness of the snow.

Scrambling to their feet, the person grabs Wynonna by the neck and throws the brunette around until Wynonna’s head hits the bottom of the tree. Shaking her head and getting to her feet, Wynonna moves so that she is facing the person, “Did you get thinner?” Wynonna then tackles the person and slams their back into the bark of a tree.

“Don’t tell me you’re a bulimic cannibal.” Wynonna grimaces just before the person flips the brunette once again hard against the snow, then tries to stomp onto Wynonna’s head. Wynonna quickly rolls over just in time and flicks the person’s footing from underneath them, “No! Ahh!” Causing the person to fall hard into the snow, where Wynonna can grab hold of them and slams them into a tree.

Raising her shoulder Wynonna slams her fist into the person’s left shoulder, “Raise the shoulder. Arrgh!” She then removes the heat from the person’s head and pulls down the scarf to reveal that the person was Hetty.

“Hetty? Where is my baby girl and nephew?”

“I didn’t have anything to do with it, I swear.” Hetty pants.

“Eating 20 people? What does Mama Olive think?” Wynonna forcefully says as they both hear a scream coming from beyond. Hetty turns her head over her shoulder and looks towards the house.

“What did you do with her?”

“It’s Mama. She got him. I’m sorry.”

“Got who?” Wynonna begins to worry that the scream may have been Alice.

“She’s hungry. Starving.” Hetty pants.

“Mama Olive, is the Wendigo?” Wynonna asks.

“Yeah.” Hetty responses.

“DOLLS! DOLLS.” (Wynonna looks around anxiously for Dolls).

Pushing Hetty back towards the house, Wynonna holds Peacemaker to the redhead’s lower back. “Move your ass. You better not be lying.”

“She’d take him to the cellar. I swear. I never liked you, you know?” Wynonna and Hetty reach the cellar door, just barely hidden by the snow.

“I have a gun at your back, you idiot!”

Hetty pleads, “I’ll make you a deal. Take Mama. She’s a cold, hard harpy.”

“Thought I had a bad childhood. Dolls!” Wynonna crouches down and tries to open the cellar door that was just barely hidden by the snow.

“Hermie made sure that no-one would ever be heard.”

Wynonna points Peacemaker at the cellar’s padlock and begins to shoot, but each time the bullet bounces off the lock. “Where’s the key?”

Hetty and Wynonna head back into Tate’s house and begin to look for the keys. Hetty rummages through the items around the house for the keys.

Meanwhile.Dolls lie on the floor of the cellar, wearing only his white long sleeve shirt. As he begins to stand up Dolls hears whimpering coming from a dark corner of the room. Moving towards the area of the room, Dolls just makes out the outline of two little bodies huddling and holding onto each other. Moving slowly towards the pups Dolls speaks softly, “It’s alright. Your safe now. We’re going to get out of here.” He releases his scent in the hope that it will comfort them.

“But the bad lady won’t let us.” Nicolas moves so that he could see Dolls. The little pup raises his hand and points to something behind Dolls. Dolls turn and come face to face with Mama Olive in her Wendigo form. “Wynonna!”

“She can’t hear you. Say your prayers, sweetheart.” Mama Olive reveals her fangs as she snarls at Dolls.

Dolls stand between the pups and Mama Olive; he needs to think fast if he and the pups are going to survive. Reaching for his pistol, Dolls finds that his holster and pistol are missing.

Mama Olive taunts Dolls, “I got a hollow place in my belly that needs to be filled.” Mama Olive lurches towards Dolls, who finds that the pups had changed into their wolf forms and standing on both sides of his legs.

Inside the house.Wynonna points Peacemaker at Hetty’s back. “Hurry up.”

“I’m trying,” Hetty says while rummages through items, looking for the keys.

“If you know where they are and you’re not telling me ….”

“I swear I don’t.” Hetty searches for the keys under items on the shelves in the front room. “Look, I need you to understand. See, we didn’t have a Daddy. Mama had some money, but she put it all into an old Hotel and Restaurant.”

With a grimacing look on her face, Wynonna says, “No more food talk.”

Cellar.Dolls try to bargain with Mama Olive, “Ms. Olive, you don’t have to live like this. We can take you somewhere where people understand what you are.”

“Now you think I’m some fragile old lady? (Mama Olive peers around the old TV) Back then, you lived and died by what the seasons gave you.” Springing forward, Mama Olive roars at Dolls.

Growling at the Wendigo, Nicolas and Alice stand with their hackles raised on the back of their necks. The pups were putting into practice some of the training that Nicole and Doc had taught them. Nicolas remembers the day when his Mummy showed him and Alberto how to plant his paws onto the ground, preventing him from being moved from his stance. Alice was thinking about how her Daddy told her that an enemy will always be fearful of a ferocious growl.

Inside the house.Hetty stops midway searching for the keys, “Winter fell, a year of blizzards worse than anybody had seen. Livestock died, deer vanished, the root cellar got emptied months before spring.”

“So, what, did you eat the hotel guests? (Wynonna stopped looking around for the keys as she contemplated her question and Hetty’s silence.) You did!”

Cellar.“Damn right I did, and I would do it again. (Mama Olive knocks over a dirty plate resting on the footrest.) Loved it.”

“You loved the taste didn’t you!” Dolls ask while waving his hands to the pups, indicating to back up behind him. Nicolas sees the signal and starts to back up behind Dolls, with Alice following in suit.

“Nothing else compared.” Mama Olive grinned.

Inside the house.Standing in front of a tall cabinet, Hetty opens a door and starts to move things around, “Got 'em.” Hetty turns around with a smile on her face as she holds up in the air a set of keys.

Cellar.Mama Olive crumples over in pain as she clutches her stomach, “Ahh! Oh, the hunger!” She releases a loud groan as her hunger pains become too much for her to ignore. “Oh, Herman he was such a good boy. He always brought his Mama dinner.”

Crouching down so that he could look Mama Olive in the eye Dolls says, “He won’t be bringing you anything anymore. He can’t help you. (Holding his arms out, trying to protect the pups that are standing behind him. They were still in wolf form with their hackles up, ready to pounce.) But I can, Ok?” Dolls move closer to Mama Olive.

By this stage, Mama Olive was standing clearly in the middle of the room with a clear path in which she could launch her attack on Dolls. “You are gonna be deeeee-licious!” Without blinking she ambushes Dolls and the pups.

Above the Cellar.Wynonna and Hetty stand next to the cellar, kneeling to open the lock, Hetty says, “Your friend is already dead and so are the pups.”

Spinning around to look directly at Hetty, “Wait, you mean you’ve known all along that my baby girl and nephew were down there with …...” Wynonna was so angry that she couldn’t bring herself to finish her sentence.

Hetty stands back, “She’s eaten and she’s stronger now. You open it, I don’t know what she’ll do.”

Wynonna points Peacemaker at Hetty and forces her to open the cellar door. “Shut up and just open the door.”

Cellar.Nicolas and Alice huddle and hold each other beside the fallen ladder on the floor. Dolls stand holding onto his right arm, blood seeps through his long sleeve shirt, and his breathing has become labored as he leans against the wooden beam. Mama Olive has moved to the opposite side of the room, with her back pressed against the wall.

“There’s something wrong with you. You’re spoiled!” Mama Olive spits out of her mouth, some of Dolls blood.

Picking up his jacket off the floor and pulls it on, Dolls checks the pups over and finds that they are unharmed, just frightened. “It’s all going to alright soon. Your Mama is up there trying to get to us.” Dolls then turn around to face Mama Olive, “Yeah, I’m an acquired taste.”

Now with the cellar door opened, Wynonna and Hetty peer down and see the two pups huddled together along with Dolls pressing his left hand to his right arm.

“Dolls, Alice and Nicolas. Are you all Ok?” Wynonna almost jumped down into the cellar, but she remembered that Hetty needed to be restrained. “Can you get the ladder up?”

Upon hearing her Mama’s voice, Alice looks up, “Mama.” Looking over at the ladder, Dolls asks the pups to change back into their human form, so that they could help him to lift the ladder. Moving the ladder with the help of the pups, Dolls was able to secure it, allowing Wynonna to climb down.

Hetty could see that Wynonna was about to descend the ladder, which meant that she could escape when the brunette had her back turned. “You can’t get both me and Mama.”

Turning around Wynonna says, “I like to think big. Toss me the cuffs.”

Dolls reach into his pocket and pull out a set of handcuffs, and then throws them up to Wynonna. Upon catching them, the brunette grabs hold of Hetty’s hands and cuffs one of her hands to the handle on the cellar door. Once that Hetty was safely secured, Dolls handed to Nicolas the keys to the SUV before the pups ascended the ladder and into Wynonna’s arms.

The reunion between mother, daughter, and nephew was short, as Wynonna told her daughter to take her cousin over to Uncle Dolls SUV and lock themselves inside, but first, the brunette held her daughter and nephew in a tight hug. Watching her daughter and nephew run across the snow-covered fields towards the SUV, Wynonna forced the joyful tears from falling her cheek. She was not going to give Hetty the satisfaction of seeing her cry, Wynonna was stronger than that, she was going to drag Hetty and Mama Olive’s ass all the way back to the BBD office, where Jeremy can perform tests on the pair.

With the knowledge that Hetty was safely handcuffed to the cellar door and unable to escape, Wynonna looks down at the ladder and sees that it was now lying on the floor of the cellar. Mama Olive had removed it in the hope of preventing Wynonna from climbing down and terminating her and rescuing Dolls in the process. Hetty turns and spits at Wynonna, “You know, everyone’s right about you. You are a bitch.”

Keeping her eyes locked on an injured Dolls, who was staring up at her from below, Wynonna says, “Yeah. A bitch with some hella sexy moves.” Without thinking any more about what she was to do, Wynonna jumped from the edge of the cellar opening and landed on her feet with her back to a now Mama Olive standing on the opposite side of the room. Lifting Peacemaker so that she could aim it directly at the Wendigo (Mama Olive), Wynonna turns with her long hair flicking over her shoulder, allowing her to have a direct view of Mama Olive in her true form.

Dolls by this time are leaning against the wooden beam, still clutching at his right arm, he tilts his head backward indicating that the Wendigo was behind him and that Wynonna should take aim at the creature.

Staring down the barrel of Peacemaker, Wynonna points it directly at the Wendigo, “Cool.”

Mama Olive, aka, the Wendigo snarls, “She was the one who wanted to take, kill and eat the pups. She wanted you to suffer, just like we suffered when you killed Herman. And now, I’m going to kill you.” As Peacemaker is pointed at Mama Olive, the older woman charges at Wynonna. Wynonna knew that maybe the best thing to do would be to harm Mama Olive so that she and Dolls can take her back to BBD and let them do some research on the creature. But now that she knew that the Wendigo’s had plans to kill and eat her baby girl and nephew, and this made her see red. At that moment Wynonna cocked Peacemaker, before pulling the trigger that released the bullet that killed the Wendigo on the spot.

Dolls make his way over to Mama Olive’s lifeless body laying on the floor, he checks for a pulse, Dolls makes note that Mama Olive had returned to her human form once she had died. Looking over at Wynonna, Dolls nods to indicate that the woman was dead. Wynonna looks at Dolls with a questionable stare, “You okay?”

Before Dolls can respond, they both are interrupted by wood being broken, causing Wynonna to look directly up at the opening above her. “Holy shit, she took the door.”

After getting the ladder back up into place, Wynonna races up the ladder rails to chase after Hetty across the snowfield.

Meanwhile, over at the SUV, Alice and Nicolas are working together, in trying to reach the door handles, which are only 5 and 6 years old proved to be rather difficult. Nicolas looked over his shoulder and saw the younger Redhaired woman heading their way. “Hurry up Alice. That woman’s coming.”

A memory came to Alice of a time when she helped her Daddy to work on an SUV. He taught her how to climb up on the footboard and then by holding onto the side mirror, she was able to lean over and pull on the handle. Without worrying about getting hurt, Alice climbed up and within minutes, the door to the SUV was opened and Nicolas was able to clamber up into the front seat. Nicolas then helped to pull his cousin into the seat, before the two of them shut the door, and then using the key, the pair locked the doors. Sitting in the front seats the pups watched as the woman changed into a younger-looking version of a Wendigo, causing Alice to become scared.

“Don’t worry, Uncle Dolls and Auntie Wyn are going to stop her. We are safe in here. Hold my hand, Alice.” Nicolas offers his hand for his cousin to hold as they watched Wynonna come out of the cellar and began to follow the younger Wendigo.

Hetty is finding that even though she was in her true form as a Wendigo, it was not assisting her with dragging the heavy wooden door that she was handcuffed to. Looking over her shoulder Hetty notices that Wynonna is not far behind her. The younger Wendigo releases a grunt.

Wynonna trudges through the thick snow as she stalks Hetty, “You almost had me, Hetty. One hell of a sob story.”

Hetty stops in her tracks and turns around to face Wynonna and pants, “It’s all true.”

“Except you left out the part about wanting to kill and eat my baby girl and nephew.” Stepping closer to Hetty, but far enough away to remain safe.

“Each time we lose a member of our group to one of your kind. Mama would get ravenous. And then murderous. (Pants) Killing the pups would have been the only way to stop her.”

Wynonna rolls her eyes, “You know that you’re sick.”

Revealing her long sharp claws, Hetty begins to lunge at Wynonna, but the brunette was able to move out of the way. Meanwhile, in the SUV, Alice and Nicolas have been watching their Mum and Aunt. “You can do it, Mummy,” Alice screams while Nicolas claps.

Hetty spits, “This won’t end until you end.”

Wynonna has had enough of battling these Wendigo’s, she raises Peacemaker and points it at the middle of Hetty’s forehead, “Funny, I feel the same way about you.” Peacemaker is cocked and within a second, a shot is fired and Hetty lays dead in the snow.

Slowly making his way up through the snow, Dolls zips up his jacket and groans as his right arm is hurting him. Reaching where Wynonna was standing, Dolls greets her, “Hey.”

“Hey.” Wynonna replies. Dolls give the brunette a side smile, “Good job. Earp.”

“I know.” Wynonna looks on as Dolls keeps walking towards the SUV.

“Okay, let's go grab my gun and get these two pups back home.”

“Coming, but wait what about the two dead (Wynonna points at Hetty and then back to the cellar)?”

“I’ll call Emily to come and take care of it, and while I’m doing that, you can go and give that baby girl and nephew of yours the biggest hug. I’ll also call Haught and get her and Waverly to come to the station.”

Wynonna didn’t need to be told twice, as she sprinted towards the SUV. As she approached the vehicle, the front doors fling open, and a redhead boy and the brunette girl jumped out and ran into her arms. All three didn’t want to let go, and for Wynonna to get the pups into the vehicle, she had to lift them in, and then she climbed into the back seat with them. Dolls had specially installed two child seats that morning just in case they were successful in rescuing the pups. Once the pups were strapped into the seats, Dolls started up the SUV and headed towards the station.

Along the way when Dolls had reception on his phone, he made the calls to Emily and made sure that she was able to head out to the Tatenhill Farm and collect the bodies of Mama Olive and Hetty.

Meanwhile.Nicole sat at the dinner table with her fourth cup of coffee in her hand, while she watched Waverly tried to act normal with their youngest pups. The girls were playing just in front of the coffee table and Waverly had a smile painted onto her face, a smile that Nicole has been seeing ever since their son had been taken. Waverly and Nicole have tried to keep things as normal as possible for the rest of their children, but once all the pups were asleep in their beds, was when the pair would crumble in each other’s arms.

Beside Nicole’s hand was her phone, an attachment that has become a regular fixture of her attire nowadays. Suddenly it rings and she sees the name of the caller, Dolls. With her heart in her throat, Nicole swipes and answers, “Dolls…. Bubba…… We’re on our way.” Dropping her phone, Nicole doesn’t have to move because Waverly heard the call and as soon as Nicole said Bubba, the brunette knew that Dolls had their son and niece.

“Baby, (Nicole breaks down and sobs).” Waverly takes Nicole’s head and pulls her into her chest, where they hold onto each other for a moment before she headed into Nicolas and Alberto’s room. There Waverly headed to the twin’s dresser and pulled out a drawer, looking down at the little shirts and pants, Waverly let herself cry tears of joy but also the tears that come from releasing grief. With trembling hands, she was able to collect Nicolas’ favorite clothes for him to wear home.

All the while Nicole was busy rearranging the living room so that she could bring all the children’s and her and Waverly’s blow-up mattresses in. Tonight, as a family they were going to sleep altogether, Nicole knew that they needed to be as close to their pups, even when they slept and this way, she could keep them all safe.

Once Waverly was finally ready to head into the station, her five-month pregnant belly was starting to make her waddle. Nicole had the girls buckled into their seats within Waverly’s vehicle, Waverly with tears in her eyes, “I don’t think I’m going to be able to believe it until he’s in my arms.”

“I know baby. We’ll go and get our baby boy and bring him home.” Nicole leans over the console and kisses her wife and then wipes away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. The drive into town was the longest for the pair, as they held hands and now and then, one of them would squeeze the other’s hand. Meanwhile, the twin girls in the backseat, giggled while playing with their bears.

Pulling into the station, Waverly didn’t wait for Nicole to kill the engine before she jumped out of the vehicle and raced in through the front doors of the Police station. Leaving Nicole to pick the girls up out of their seats and bring them inside, Waverly couldn’t wait till she held her son, because until he was in her arms it wouldn’t be real. Barging through the door of the BBD office, Waverly stopped in her tracks as she locked her eyes on her baby boy, sitting in one of the chairs, munching on a doughnut.

“Nicolas.” Waverly cried as she crouched down and took her son into her arms. Holding him tightly Waverly stood and spun him and her around. “Ma. I missed you.” Was all the little boy could get out before he began to cry into the crook of his Ma’s neck. Holding each other the pair stood in the middle of the BBD office, by this time Nicole had arrived and stood back to let Waverly and Nicolas have some time together.

Waverly sensed that her mate was in the room, she turned and whispered in her son’s ear, “Someone else has been waiting for you.” Nicolas turned his head and a smile beamed across his tear-stained face as he saw his Mummy. Stretching his arms out towards Nicole, the tall redhead hurried to embrace her wife and son. All the while Wynonna was watching her sister be reunited with her son, as her own daughter sat on Doc’s lap on the other side of the office. Knowing that her sister and best friend needed some time with their son, Wynonna called her nieces over to her and set them down on the playmat that constantly lived in the BBD office, and handed them a doughnut each to occupy them.

After receiving the all-clear from the doctor that Dolls had called to come and make sure that the pups had not been harmed in any way. Nicole took her now sugar-high baby girls and tried to buckle them into their car seats, while Nicolas held tightly onto his Ma’s hand as they walked out to Waverly’s vehicle. Tonight there was not going to be a night like another in the Earp-Haught household, Nicole promised Nicolas that they would have Chinese takeaway for dinner, and then as a family, they would all watch Nicolas’ favorite movie, “Toy Story”. Now that everyone was finally buckled in, Nicole drove to the School and Daycare to pick up early their other children.

Later when everyone had been changed and tucked into the make-shift beds on the living room floor, Waverly looked over at Nicole and smiled, because Nicolas had made his way into their bed and was tucked under Nicole’s arm. Waverly could now sleep knowing that her family was safe and sound.

Before leaving the station, Nicole invited Wynonna and Doc to bring their pups over for a sleepover in the Earp-Haught living room. Even though it was tight, they all made it work, and just like her cousin, Alice was tucked in between her Mummy and Daddy.