✓ DEFENSIVE | Z. BERMAN

xi. THE TRUTH

OCTOBER 3rd, 1994
11:43 P.M.

Ziggy kept watch over the animalistic Sam who was still secured in their bathroom, the large kitchen knife held tightly in her palm. Her only focus is on keeping Y/N safe tonight.

After all, she still blames herself for what happened to her that night.

"Ziggy!"

The anxious call has Ziggy turning quickly towards the sound of her voice, worry and nerves taking over as she assumes the worst, but letting out a sharp exhale with a curse of "Oh, Jesus Christ!" when she sees it's only Deena and Josh having returned from their mission.

But that means that it didn't work. "Look at her!" Ziggy snaps, "I told you it wouldn't work! There's no ending it."

She then took note of the look on Y/N's face, on all of their faces.

The same look she saw on her face way back in 1978. Ziggy wanted nothing more in that moment to lock the two of them in their room and hold each other until the night is through, being able to keep Y/N safe from everything going to do her harm.

But, instead she hesitantly asked, "What is it?"

She sees Deena's eyes look between herself and Y/N with heartbreaking glances. "We need to talk."

Leading the pair to the room, Deena sat on the couch to explain as Ziggy stood with Y/N, their hands held tightly together.

"We don't have much time," Deena starts, "But I went back in time." She holds up her hands to silence the questions that the two women already started to voice, "I was Sarah Fier, and she was innocent. She isn't turning people in Shadyside into killers. She wasn't a witch!" Deena rushes to explain, "Solomon Goode — "

"Who?" Y/N cuts in at the familiar surname.

"Nick Goode's Pilgrim ancestor." Josh answers.

"He made a deal with the Devil," Deena starts again, her hands moving wildly as she speaks, "then framed Sarah to cover his own Puritan ass. The Goodes, they're trading us. People from Shadyside." She confesses, Y/N's eyes going wide along with Ziggy's, her hands and arms shaking as Deena continues, "Goode gives a name to the Devil, the Devil takes over that person. Then, that person kills and murders. And the Devil feeds on this blood of dead Shadysiders. And Goode gets what he wants."

Y/N's knees collapse to the floor, her other hand cover her mouth and Ziggy pulls her into her arms.

Deena watches the two with tears in her eyes as she continues, "He becomes Sheriff. His brother becomes Mayor. All of Sunnyvale gets better and better, and Shadyside doesn't. And the Goodes do it over and over, again and again. One Goode from every generation passing down the evil. First born to first born. Right to today. Right to Sheriff Nick Goode."

Ziggy tries to calm Y/N's breathing as she asks, "So Sarah Fier — "

"He framed her!" Josh exclaims.

"She's the only one who's ever figured out the truth..." Deena adds, "until us."

Y/N whimpered quietly and buried her head into the crook of Ziggy's neck, her thoughts running through her head.