Partner in Crime (a Locke and Key GabexOC fanfic)

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WARNING:short, filler chapter that is kinda shit, and contains NO GABE, there will be a better one in a few days! Thanks!

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My hospital stay was surprisingly short, considering I was shot not once, but twice. When I first tried walking after my surgery, I had a horrible limp, and when my doctor broke the news that I may have it for the rest of my life, I was in tears. Gabe was supportive though, telling me he would still like me if I ended up walking like Tim Cratchet from A Christmas Carol, and yes, he did get a slap for that. Luckily, the limp cleared by the next day, and everyone told me it was a miracle, but I knew they were wrong. It was no miracle, it was a key.

I thought to myself, while eating hospital jello, what my dad meant about me learning more about the key when I'm ready. Maybe it was still in the stairs, or somewhere around the house? Then it donned on me- if dad came back to key house for me, maybe he paid a visit to Chamberlain in the ghost world. Smiling, I planned out my trip through the ghost door; I have to know what dad meant.

After we arrived home and became situated, I asked Bode to keep an eye on my body while I went in search for answers, and of course he agreed. As I stepped through the door, I was surprised that I could still feel the breeze as a ghost. I waived goodbye and made my way to the cemetery, but stopped when I heard Kinsey and Tyler arguing. I knew they couldn't hear me, but what they were bickering about seemed pretty important. As I hovered above Kinsey, Tyler announced that mom was drinking again, and I knew that he was right. Mom had been acting weird lately, and it just seemed so familiar, but I couldn't remember why. That was when it clicked- I had lived this before. Instead of listening to the rest of the conversation, I continued to the cemetery.

I hovered above the ground while reading the names on the tomb stones. "I was wondering when you would figure it out," chuckled someone behind me. An older man had appeared, and I knew.

"Chamberlain?" I asked. How did he know who I was?

"Yes, and Lennon, I presume? You must be here for the key." Of course he knew about that, if I played my cards right, he would tell me everything I needed to know.

"Correct. My father said I would get answers when I was ready; I'm ready now." I stated, standing my ground. I was tired of being second-guessed, it was time that I got what I want.

"As you are. Come sit, it's going to be a tricky one." I didn't like the sound of that.

Chamberlain sat me down on a bench, which I didn't even think was possible for a ghost to do. "When your father first came home, he visited this cemetery, looking for an answer to save his little girl, who was suffering from a chronic illness no one could solve. When the doctors told him you probably wouldn't live to see your first birthday, he knew he had to act. I had told him as a kid that there was a key that could heal, but it was dangerous. That key, you see, binds to someone- for life. The key takes on the personality of the person, it grows with them."

"Where do I come in?" I interrupted, wanting to know more.

"I'm getting there, inpatient girl." Chamberlain huffed, and then continued. "Like I said, it grows with you. I warned him that if he used it on you, there would be consequences. It can be a wonderful key. What that key did for you, it grants you to do for other people, more interesting, it allows you to give others life. The downside, once in another's hand, it can become deadly. Like life, there is also death. You control it. If someone else gets the key in their possession, it holds you: your thoughts, your emotions, your memories, all of it. If someone else uses it on you, they can bend your gift to their will." To say I was shocked was an understatement.

"But the key is lost inside me, how can anyone else use it, and how does the key even work?" My brain felt like it was going to explode, maybe I wasn't ready, maybe I should have just let it be.

"The keys not lost, it's simply being used. You think it, and that baby pops right out, try it when you get back in your body. As for how it works, as long as that key is in you, it activates. You might want to keep it on you in case of emergencies."

I wanted to say that I didn't want the key or the responsibility, but I had to admit to myself that it was all pretty awesome. I decided to head home to tell my siblings, so I said goodbye to Chamberlain and flew off. I was thinking about the key when I remembered something Chamberlain said: it brings life. Could I have saved my father?

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By the time I made my way back to the house, there were tears streaming down my face. I let out a sob and as I turned around the corner, I saw mom standing in front of what looked like my dad's broken ashes sprawled across the ground. Kinsey and Tyler seemed shocked, and mom numb. How long had I been gone? "Mom, I'll take care of it." Tyler breathed as my eyes stung from my swelling tears. I couldn't believe that she was capable of something like this. Just throwing so many years of hard work away, and for what? Just because she was having a hard time coping?

I stayed with Tyler trying to help him clean the mess up. I grabbed his hand. "I've got to tell you guys something." Before I could get it out, Kinsey walked in the room. She told us how she made a visit to see Erin Voss today, and how when she asked about Lucas, Erin pointed to a picture and said that was Dodge. "How? They're two different people, there is no way that's right. Maybe she got it wrong." I explained to Kinsey, while watching Tyler grab something from the floor

"Unless they're not." I looked again to Tyler, who was clutching a key, one we had never seen before.

"Did you find that in dad's ashes?" Tyler just nodded. "Holy shit." Well, I guess we all had news to share.

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The next day, we tried to sort out how Dodge and Lucas could be the same person, and I was still waiting to break the news about what I learned about my key. Tyler watched the memory of dad smashing Lucas's head in with a hammer, which made me shiver thinking about it. All of a sudden, Bode entered the room with the matchstick key, and I quickly shoved at Tyler's shoulder to give him the idea to hide the jar, but abode wasn't stupid, he knew we were hiding something.

"What's that?" Questioned bode with his eyebrow raising.

"Nothing." God Tyler, could you be anymore obvious?

"What's nothing behind your back?" He was way too smart to not know we were lying.

Bode stood his ground though, as he announced he was the reason we had the keys in the first place, and he was right. We brought him in the room to show him the jar.

"That's the guy that's staying at Ellie's house!"

"You've seen him before?" I asked, how long ago was this?

"You're saying you've seen Lucas?" Bode explained how Rufus said it was his cousin, but that he was weird. Rufus also seemed scared.

"That's because he's Dodge." Stated Kinsey, "they're the same person, or demon, or whatever. In Duncan's memory, he used a key that could change what he looked like."

"So if Dodge has that key...why would she use it to make herself look like our dad's 17-year-old dead best friend?"

"Guys, I know what my key does." I blurted, finally, it was out. "It heals, or it can kill." They stared at me. Maybe it was the wrong time to say this.

"Huh?"

"Long story short, as long as it's used, it can heal or injure, but whoever uses the key is the one who can control it," I rambled nervously.

"Who told you this?" Asked Tyler impatiently.

"Chamberlain."

"Fucking ghosts."

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I am SO SORRY about taking so long for this shit chapter, I had a violin recital this last week and I put all my time practicing that and just really wanted to get an update, even if it was just a filler. I will have a AMAZING chapter coming in a few short days, and I recognize this is an absolutely shit chapter, so thank you for bearing with me! Xoxo