A Monster Inside - Book of the Amulet - ITV's Jekyll and Hyde

25 - City of Roses

'Came to you with a broken faith/Gave me more than a hand to hold/Caught before I hit the ground/Tell me I'm safe, you've got me now//Would you take the wheel/If I lose control?/If I'm lying here/Will you take me home?//Could you take care of a broken soul?/Will you hold me now?/Oh, will you take me home?'
-Take Me Home

:/:

Three days later (Saturday)

"How can someone have so many clothes, but only in two colours?" Olalla commented, looking over to Maggie, who looked equally absent. The living room was brighter today; a result of a quick bout of Spring sunshine.

"Be nice" Maggie cooed a reply, and rubbed her eyes. It had been a long day. "She's probably nervous. Isn't everyone on their first date?"

"She had over a week to prepare; she now has two hours", Olalla retorted, then backtracked. "Anyway, I wasn't nervous".

"What happened to that date?"

"It went very well, thank you very much. He paid for dinner, I said I'd do it again sometime, and cut his throat the next day. I always thought the romance could last a bit longer, but who am I to say?"

"You killed him?"

"I've killed lots of people, he was a traitor and I wanted a bit of fun".

"Well, that makes it right", Maggie murmured under her breath, and Olalla turned towards her, with curious eyes.

"What was my grandfather like?"

"Really? We're doing this now?"

"What? I'm interested. And I don't think Miss. Green and Black is really rushing to show us her wardrobe". Maggie sighed for a moment, then turned towards her.

"What do you want to know?"

"Why'd you choose my grandfather?" she asked, noticing their black saloon car pull up outside. "I mean, you were the prettiest girl in London according to Garson, you could've had anyone. And you chose a monster".

"I didn't see a monster, Olalla. I saw a man broken in two, that didn't want to be put back together, a puzzle that didn't want to be solved. He was a mystery, he was... my mystery", Maggie started, drifting off slightly, then finding her feet again. "He was loathed by so many, and all he wanted was for someone to see past the monster. You Hydes, you shout at the world, causing chaos, when all you want is someone to notice".

"I've killed people, good and bad, I admit that. I've taken family away, I've put people sitting in their bloody high castles six feet under. But the one thing I didn't do was do it to be noticed. I did it because I thought it was right. It's been drummed into me for twenty years, I don't think I'm going to stop when someone suddenly decides that I'm worth something to them".

"And who ordered their deaths? Who said for you to murder your date the next day?" Olalla sighed, knowing her grandmother was right, but not prepared to verbally admit it.

"Dance", she answered finally. "It's always Dance".

"You really love him, don't you?"

"Don't start now, please", Olalla murmured, rubbing her eyes. "I've already had the whole speech from Lottie".

"Just saying".

"Just saying what?"

"I've done the whole charade, Olalla. Those times have passed, left, gone and poisoned themselves in their laboratory".

"If you could go back and change it all, would you?" Olalla asked finally, toying with the rings on her finger.

"Wouldn't change it for the world. Yeah, it was short, and it was sometimes far from sweet, but he gave me a family. I had your father, and now I have you. And your brother and sister".