03x04 - The Sisters Mills

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Sleepy Hollow: No, there's nothing in here that might explain why the shard's so important or who else might be involved.

More people are gonna come after this thing, Joe.

We got to get ahead of that by figuring out who they are.

I'm going to do it.

Do what?

Become a full citizen of this country.

Ichabod Crane, American. I like the sound of that.

At the Academy, we helped push each other, made each other better.

I'd like to try to find a way to keep that working for the both of us.

Betsy Ross? The flag woman?

Crane: Betsy... was a woman of many talents.

Abbie: Betsy and Crane kind of were a thing.

Crane: Pandora's box was said to contain all the evils in the world. Which begs the question, which one does she have in store for us next?

(girls giggling)

Are you using the purple?

Here.

Thank you.

(giggling)

Got ya! Come on. Lights out means lights out, okay?

Off you go.

Hey.

And... teeth brushed?

Now go to bed, okay?

(crickets chirping)

(creaking in hallway)

(growling)

(screaming)

(rapid g*nf*re on TV)

Abbie: Nice coaster.

Have you thought about opening it?

Your citizenship test is at the end of the month.

Lieutenant, if I have not yet belabored the point, allow me to endeavor.

I do not need to study history.

I lived it.

You know they're gonna test you on events that happened after 1781.

They offer you four options for every query.

Multiple choice.

It's practically a parlor game.

Hmm.

Okay. Pop quiz.

"On what date was the Declaration of Independence ratified?"

July the second, 1776.

(imitates horn blowing)

July Fourth.

You know, Independence Day.

Picnics, hot dogs, fireworks.

Land of the drunk and free.

Yes, I'm perfectly aware of the holiday.

'Tis a symbolic representation.

It need not be precise.

No, the historically accurate date is July the second.

I should know. I attended the second Continental Congress.

I don't doubt it, Crane.

But you're not being tested on what happened.

You are being tested on what is in Civics Today.

Oh. So 'tis not disgraceful enough that I must implore to become a citizen of the country I, in part, founded.

I must also learn by rote a compendium of solecisms masquerading as our nation's history?

Welcome to America.

Also, you got a text from Zoe.

Oh.

Ah, Miss Corinth has proofread my N400 form and says, 'tis good to go.

I must say, she has made navigating the choppy briny of citizenship a far more bearable undertaking.

At a rate of 20 texts a hour, I should hope that she's steering you in the right direction.

How do you know...?

We share a roof, Crane.

I know a lot of things I cannot unknow.

Oh, on the subject of invaluable communication, when, pray tell, did you intend to inform Miss Jenny that you located your father?

Hey.

Things I cannot unknow.

Well, it's complicated, Crane.

My dad has a whole other life now, a new family.

Jenny took it really hard when he left.

And she's in a good place now.

And I don't want to throw a wrench in that.

You will make the right decision at the right time, Lieutenant.

(phone ringing)

Hey, Joe. You find a name for the mystery girl who's trying to steal our shard?

Uh, well, your sister's asking around, but so far, no hits.

Actually, I'm, uh... I'm calling about something else.

Look, I was just first responder on a code three.

A little girl fell into a coma.

No one knows why, but... her sister claims that she saw a monster att*ck her.

What kind of monster?

Hi, sweetie.

It's a pretty doll.

It's my sister's.

Yeah.

It's awful what happened to her.

But you don't worry, sweetheart.

Your sister is going to be just fine.

Hi, Saffron.

I'm Abbie.

This is my sister, Jenny.

We wanted to talk to you about what you saw in your bedroom, if that's all right.

And we wanted to tell you that we think you're very brave for telling everyone what you saw.

I know how hard it is to open up about something when no one believes you.

Especially something scary like this.

And if you do want to talk about the monster you saw, we're here to listen.

Jenny: Well, she's still pretty traumatized, so there's not much to go on, but my gut tells me that she saw something.

Mine, too. But we need more information.

We must keep this incident contained.

If Pandora's behind it, as I fear, widespread panic is her desire.

(phone ringing)

Reynolds.

It's Abbie. I got a weird call last night involving a peeping Tom and some kids.

Probably nothing, but I said I'd check it out.

If you're looking for more work, Abbs, I've inherited quite a backlog.

Couple of hours, I promise.

Just check in with me later.

You got it, Danny. Thank you.

You two start in the girls' bedroom.

I shall try my luck with the young Miss Saffron.

(birds singing)

This reminds me of our room when we lived on Lindbrook.

But without the boat window.

Boat window?

Come on, you remember. The boat window.

I guess I was too young.

The circular window above my bed?

We used to pretend it was a porthole.

(laughs)

Imagine we were on a boat going somewhere else.

Somewhere far away I bet.

It was actually Dad's idea.

We used to pretend like we were going on an adventure together.

I think that he wanted us to know that there was a big world outside of Sleepy Hollow for us to explore and that we could leave if we wanted.

Well, he certainly took his own advice.

You ever think of Dad?

Pretty much never... which I'm confident is mutual.

People change.

Not people like that.

They just get better at hiding it.

Or they drink themselves to death.

(birds singing)

(knocking)

Have you seen my quarter?

I could have sworn I had a quarter.

(loudly): You appear to be a little hard of hearing.

Oh.

Oh!

Oh!

Little wonder.

You had a silver specie nestled in your ear!

It was your hand the whole time.

Right.

There once was a lady from Cork whose pa made a fortune in pork.

He bought for his daughter a tutor who taught her to balance green peas on her... Ouch!

Oh.

(laughing)

You have rather a sadistic sense of humor, don't you?

My dad thinks I'm making the monster up.

He's my dad.

He's supposed to believe me.

Perhaps if you drew for him what you saw, you might help him believe what he cannot see.

This is what she saw.

Saffron, who is this a drawing of?

The Tooth Fairy.

The Tooth Fairy.

Isn't she supposed to be some kind, sweet woman with a magic wand?

Many fairy tales are derived from darker origins.

Subsequently lost in translation.

I do not recall Disney's Cinderella featuring the wicked sisters cutting off their own feet.

So we know the PG version of the Tooth Fairy.

Now we got to figure out the real one.

I may have some insight on that matter.

The loss of a child's tooth.

I've seen it be harbinger to an identical tragedy.

One that nearly destroyed Betsy Ross.

Betsy's niece had succumbed to an unconscious state that no physician could diagnose.

A mysterious illness, affecting only the children of our township, from which no child was safe and there was no cure.

♪

Betsy was trying to stay strong for her nephew, her family, but she was absolutely distraught.

Briefly, I thought I might be the one to help her through this harrowing time, until I realized she called upon someone else.

Ichabod.

Mr. Revere.

Paul Revere.

Revere, a dentist as well as a silversmith, was making a house visit to Betsy's niece.

16 children in the area had d*ed following the same coma.

All, like Betsy's niece...

Trade you.

...right after the loss of a deciduous tooth.

Betsy?

You shouldn't be here.

(brief crackle)

I didn't know then that Revere was a soldier in the supernatural w*r against evil.

Shortly after his visit, Betsy's niece made a full recovery.

So Revere had a cure, or he might've k*lled the thing.

Precisely. Whichever the solution, it lay hidden in his dentistry bag.

It appears as though Revere used his orthodontics as a cover for his supernatural activities.

Mind you, having experienced his dental work firsthand, it makes infinitely more sense.

Crane hasn't been to a dentist since he's been here.

And that is no oversight.

My jaw aches just thinking of how Revere manhandled me.

You know, there have been a lot of improvements in the dental industry since the 18th century.

And I have no interest in any of them.

Okay, then I'm gonna try and find Paul Revere's not-dentist bag.

Ah. Here. "The Tooth Fairy Legend "and Origin of the Abyzou, an Assyrian demon that eats children's souls."

Abbie: "A child's open wound serves as a beacon for the Abyzou, allowing them to harvest the child's life force."

"A process which takes 48 hours to complete."

So Tessa has 36 hours left.

"The Abyzou were nocturnal, territorial predators that often steal their victim's teeth as trophies."

"While Abyzou are nearly impossible to defeat, their one weakness... is silver."

Of course.

Revere gave Betsy's nephew a silver dollar.

(snaps fingers) In fact, it soon became commonplace for parents to give their children dimes, silver dollars, reals when they lost a tooth, in lieu of the standard copper penny.

So Revere started using the silver coins to ward off the Abyzou.

And why is there no picture?

It says here the Abyzou was invisible.

Well, what about Saffron's drawing?

She saw a monster.

Crane: It could be both... if the creature is visible... but only to children.

Open up. Let's see how we're doing.

(soft gasp)

Pretty close.

Want me to pull it out?

Mm-mm.

(laughs softly)

Okay. Good night, pumpkin.

(low growling)

Mom! Mom!

What? What is it?

There's a monster in there!

I saw!

Honey, what are you talking about?

There's no such thing as monsters.

Here, I'll show you.

No! Don't!

No more scary movies, okay?

♪

(floor creaks quietly)

(growls)

(screaming)

(snarls)

(low growling)

What if we said it was an epidemic?

They could quarantine the kids.

An ordeal of that measure would involve incredible local, if not national, attention.

The exact kind of panic Pandora wishes to provoke.

Yeah, you're right.

Okay, let's think. What do we know about the Abyzou?

It is invisible to adults.

It preys on children who just lost a tooth.

It's territorial.

All the victims in the past lived within a small community, within a five-mile radius.

Okay. It looks like there's only one elementary school within ten miles of the Paynters.

We should go down there, suss out what children are close to losing a tooth.

How do we do that without raising suspicion?

I have an idea.

Students.

We have a very special surprise guest speaker today.

Please give a very warm welcome to Ichabod Crane, curator of the new Hudson Valley Historical Society.

Children: Hello, Ichabod Crane.

Thank you... for that... warm welcome.

It is most heartening to see how the educational system has evolved over the years, and all without the thr*at of the rod.

(chuckles): This is too good.

Now, if you'll allow me to start today by setting a few historical inaccuracies right about our first president, George Washington, a great man.

But who is not, in fact, the wealthiest man in America.

He did not farm his own hemp.

Although he did partake in laudanum tincture from time to time... but who didn't?

(teacher clears throat)

And he did not have wooden teeth.

Now... who can tell me who George Washington's dentist was?

Anyone.

Anyone.

No?

Has anyone heard of Paul Revere?

You.

Isn't that the guy who did the Midnight Ride?

Yes! The very same. Well done.

Now, an important question.

Which of you has ever lost a tooth?

Ah...

And which of you has a loose tooth right now?

(bell rings)

Teacher: Okay, kids, that's it for today. How about a nice round of applause for Mr. Ichabod Crane.

Is everything okay with that boy? Gregory?

Oh, he's just a little woozy.

Actually, he's very close to losing a tooth.

Maybe the assembly was a little much for him.

Oh.

(quietly): Thank you.

Jenny: Gregory.

Hey.

I want you to take this.

It'll protect you against the things that only you can see.

You understand?

(softly): Good.

That's who we need to watch tonight.

And Sarah Fogel. Do we have the location of Revere's bag?

Yes.

It's at the Colonial Raleigh Museum.

Abbie's throwing her FBI weight around trying to get it shipped to us overnight.

The silver coins are a good repellent, but we have to find a way to k*ll this thing.

If silver is the Abyzou's foible, perhaps a w*apon of that nature can deal a fatal blow.

No, sir, I am actually acutely aware of the fact that this is a delicate and valuable relic.

I have a feeling the Colonial Raleigh Museum is not impressed with Abbie's FBI status.

Abbie: I happen to have greater reverence for historical artifacts than you could ever imagine.

How now, my name is Ichabod Crane, curator of the soon to be Hudson Valley Historical Society and Armory.

How do you fare?

Superlative. You see, the reason for this summon in sooth is that this weekend is our grand opening, and we were so hoping, perhaps a little beetle-headely, that Paul Revere's dentistry bag could be the featured article in our premiere exhibition...

Forging the Forefathers: The Men Behind the Masters.

Blessed be your heart.

Yes, first thing on the morrow would be divine.

I can give you the address, if you have a quill.

Crane (over walkie-talkie): Lieutenant, any activity outside young Gregory's home?

Nope. All quiet on the Abyzou front. You?

Much the same.

(slurping loudly)

(slurping)

You know, you mainline a lot of sugar for a guy who won't get his teeth cleaned.

(phone chimes)

Joe: You're back in the saddle, huh?

Jenny finally set you up?

Beg your pardon?

Don't worry, I've been through it, too.

The Mills sisters are great at k*lling monsters, but their true passion lies in matchmaking.

Word to the wise... if they try to hook you up with Diane... run.

If you are referring to Miss Corinth, she is guiding me through the procurement of my citizenship.

She is a dragoman, an advisor, a-a tutor.

Nothing more.

Yes, I had a math tutor in high school... Fred.

We didn't text every two minutes.

And if we did, we wouldn't have used that little monkey emoji where he covers his eyes.

Mr. Corbin... in my experience, obfuscating a working relationship by indulging in auxiliary feelings can become rather... complicated.

I don't know.

Sounds like you're overthinking it.

As is my way.

I know, baby. I miss you, too.

Here.

Yep. Yeah.

Lisa...

Oh, it's just not that easy.

Please?

What? Hold on.

What is with you tonight?

I just want you to watch with me.

(sighs) All right, I'll make you a deal. You give me ten minutes to finish up my phone call, I will take you out for ice cream.

Does that sound fun?

Ten minutes, okay?

Babysitter: Yeah.

No. He's ridiculous.

(insects chittering)

Jen?

I have something I want to tell you, and I don't think you're gonna like it.

I found Dad.

(exhales, laughs)

Yeah, I knew something was up.

I found him five years ago.

He moved around a lot before he remarried.

Pamela. Stepson Walter.

Really sold them a bill of goods.

Five years?

I've been feeling guilty for not telling you for two months, and you've known for five years?

Oh, come on, what was I supposed to say?

The guy who wants nothing to do with us has a new address and family?

I thought it would upset you. I know how much you hate him.

I don't hate him. I'm trying to have an open mind.

You're the one who can't stop talking about how horrible he is.

Because that's what you've told me my whole life.

Come on!

He left when I was three... I barely even remember the guy.

I only hate him because you hate him.

You said he ruined our childhood.

(scoffs) You want to reconnect with that deadbeat?

Go ahead.

Just don't come crying to me when it turns out he's still a jerk.

(snarling)

(yelling)

It's go time.

(growling)

(hisses)

Hey. Where's the monster, Greg?

Show us.

There!

Jenny: Where?

Greg: To the left!

Where is it now?

Right!

Jenny: I can't see it.

(growling)

Greg: In front of you!

(hissing)

There it is!

Wow! Okay. Someone's excited for ice cream.

Let's go, you little monster.

Did you see that?

I got an idea.

(growling)

There!

Jenny?

(groans)

Abbie!

Abbie.

Abbie.

Abbie! Abbie.

Crane: She is strong, Miss Jenny.

The strongest person I've ever known in this or any other time.

Clearly, our limited knowledge of the Abyzou has led us astray.

Silver may repel the beast, but it by no means inflicts a mortal wound.

I should like to return to the Archives, examine the texts further.

There may be a detail we missed.

I'm gonna stick around here for a bit longer.

Of course.

Lieutenant?

Your duty in this battle is now to heal.

This is not your time, dear friend.

♪

What happened to your sister?

She got hurt.

The doctors told my parents they don't think my sister's gonna wake up.

I'm her big sister. I was supposed to protect her.

This is all my fault.

Hey.

You know, when Abbie and I were about your age, we got into this huge fight. (chuckles)

We didn't talk for a long, long time.

But now, whenever I think about Abbie, I never think about that fight.

I just think of the good times and all the ways she's been such a great sister.

That's how I think about her, and that's how Tessa thinks about you.

Because you're her big sister.

There's no one she loves more than you.

And nothing in the world... no monster, no evil... can ever change that.

You and I, we're gonna have many more happy years together with our sisters.

I promise.

Pandora: So many words and empty promises these adults of yours make.

Huh?

I don't even know how they keep it all straight, seeing as they don't believe you.

I believe you.

And if you've a mind to, I know what you can do to help make your sister all better.

Jenny: So, what do you we got?

Would you believe it? Actual dentistry tools.

They call to mind many a torturous memory but bring us no closer to defeating the Abyzou.

Oh, Revere and his secrets.

He was too clever by half.

Everything is masked by a cipher or a riddle, or buried beneath one of his banal colloquialisms.

"Nothing is as it seems."

"The forest for the trees."

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

"The sum of its parts."

These tools fit together.

They create a greater contraption.

Crane: Revere used these parts to build a w*apon, one that could defeat the Abyzou.

Dentist tools provided the perfect cover, but he needed something more: amm*nit*on.

Silver.

Not for filling teeth and not for k*lling the Abyzou.

Something else, then.

If only I knew what happened behind that door.

There was a flash of light.

Jenny: Silver nitrate.

An expl*sive chemical compound used in experiments with early flash photography.

So silver nitrate creates a flash of light.

And there are trace amounts of it in water, which would explain why Abbie and I briefly saw the Abyzou's form back at the Gonda house.

So silver exposes the Abyzou and leaves it vulnerable to att*ck.

It must have a weak point, a k*ll sh*t that you have to see.

That's how silver weakens it.

And that's how we k*ll it.

(humming a tune)

Hello, Sleepyhead.

What the hell are you doing here?

Shh.

There's no need for that.

There's no need for any of it.

But we fight and we fight and we fight, don't we?

And then we get hurt.

Poor thing.

As long as you keep attacking children...

I will keep fighting.

You're not like the others, are you?

And you don't crave mortality.

Not your own or your sister's or even your fellow Napalutu.

(echoing): Napalutu...

And yet you fight.

You fight like you have something to lose.

So what is it, my brave one?

What is the one pesky thing that you cannot accept to lose?

It can't be your mother.

We know what happened to her.

Then what about your father?

(monitor beeping faster)

Mm.

God spoke to my father.

Told him to b*at me.

Until I forgot all language.

When I tired of it... he sold me to sl*very, boasting of my prelapsarian innocence.

But then... when I learned how to speak again, I convinced my owner to feed my father to his lion.

And it was sadder than I expected.

But I suppose that's that parent-child bond.

Well... I do hope that you didn't grow too attached to those two little girls.

(girl giggles)

Such a tragedy.

(growling)

(girl screams)

♪

(screams)

(shrieks)

(growls)

Inside, now!

(growls)

Crane!

Crane!

The silver nitrate wore off.

I lost it.

(rattling)

(low, rumbling growl)

(twig snaps)

(slow growling)

(growling)

(rapid footsteps)

(growling)

(footsteps rustling)

(growling)

No!

(gurgling, growling)

Very good.

(heart monitor beeps steadily)

Oh, my God. Jessica.

Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

Hi, Mommy. Hi, Daddy.

Hi, Pumpkin.

(sniffling)

It worked, Crane.

You guys got there just in time.

She's fine.

Good.

And I am pleased you're back to your old form, Lieutenant.

Crane.

Regarding the other day.

I'm sorry for shutting you out.

I was so worried about my niece.

No, I congratulate you on her recovery.

But it seems it is I who should apologize.

I appear to have mistaken a certain intimacy between us based on our working partnership, and the amorous roles we oft inhabit.

I was wrong.

Mea culpa.

My expectations are adjusted.

My dear Crane, you overthink things.

You know that.

For once, would you just go with it?

Yes, I think you might be right.

Abbie: Crane.

Crane.

It's over.

How now? Yes.

The dentist. Uh, when he arrives, fetch my timber plank to put it in my teeth to bite for the pain.

It's over there.

(singsongy): By my codicil!

The dentist has come and gone.

The whole procedure is done.

And you passed with flying colors.

Ah.

This is extraordinary.

That's what I've been trying to tell you.

Marvels of modern dentistry.

Dentist said cut back on the gummy bears and come back in six months for a cleaning.

A... a gift.

Oh, thank you.

You've given me so much.

(whispers): I'm sorry.

She's given me so much joy.

The joy of dentistry.

You were having a pretty crazy dream, huh?

No. No...

No, I recall no visions.

(phone whooshes)

It's Zoe.

And as loopy as you are, unless it's an emergency, I suggest you wait to respond.

Obliged. You're right, as always.

Mm-hmm.

It's a selfie with a copy of Thomas Paine's Common Sense.

Thomas Paine.

Yeah. None of these texts have anything to do with your citizenship.

They're all very flirty.

You made a bit-moji?

I'm adorable.

Jenny: Abbie, got a name on our shard thief, or at least the one she's going by... Sophie Foster.

Not much out there, but a couple who heard about the job said Atticus Nevins was footing the bill.

I'm gonna dig into him, see what I can find.

Cool.

Hey, Abby.

I'm sorry.

I should have told you about Dad.

And me blaming my issues with him on you... that wasn't fair.

It's okay.

But I also know that no matter what... we're gonna be fine.

No fight is ever gonna keep us apart again.

So, what do you want to do?

You want to talk to him?

(sighs)

I do.

But then, I think about his, you know, new life, new family, his kid.

I don't want to screw that up for anyone.

Not even him.

Well, you know, we don't need to.

We got each other.

That's all that matters.

Mm.

Find anything?

Yes.

Though it is rather disconcerting.

The word Pandora spoke to you, "Napalutu" is Sumerian for "destroyers."

The very same word engraved on our prophesied tablet.

So this isn't the mythical Pandora of ancient Greek fame?

Pandora is an archetypal figure, present in a plethora of cultures.

It appears this one hails from Sumeria.

Which means that she's connected to the prophecy somehow?

One that says that we destroy the world.

Though I'm not sure that I buy some slip of the tongue from Pandora.

Crane: Well, erroneous message or not, what's in it for releasing evil upon Sleepy Hollow?

To test us, raise the level of fear?

But more importantly, Lieutenant, what if there is some truth to it?

What if we are the destroyers?