Chapter Text
It was a Saturday, Abby was sitting at the table eating her dinner. Mike sat down opposite her. Abby looked sad. “Are you O.K.?” Mike asked.
“I’m worried,” Abby answered.
“About what?”
“Vanessa.” Mike looked down at the table.
“Why?”
“We haven’t seen her in a few weeks. Not since her brother tried to kill us.”
“I told her to stay away from us.”
“Why?!!? She needs us! She said home was with us. She wants to have a normal life and we need to help her with that.”
“I don’t know. I--” But then someone knocked on the front door and Abby went to answer it.
“Vanessa?”
“Hi Abby,” Vanessa said, sounding a bit different. Abby then gave Vanessa a hug. After Abby invited her in, Vanessa shut the door behind her. Mike stood up.
“Vanessa, what are you doing here?” Mike asked.
Vanessa then did a Michael Myers head tilt and said “Vanessa’s not here.” Her eyes then changed to the Puppet’s.
“Shit.” Mike turned to face Abby. “Abby. Run.” Abby ran up the stairs.
“Don’t go far. I want you to see your brother’s guts spill all over the floor.” Abby slammed her bedroom door, but then saw something she could use to help. “You were mean to Vanessa and I don’t think that’s acceptable.”
“I didn’t mean it. I just-- I said it in the heat of the moment and I wish I could take it back.”
“That doesn’t matter anymore. Time to die.” A kitchen knife then appeared in her right hand. She charged at Mike and tackled him to the floor. She raised the knife and began to plunge it into his heart, but Mike grabbed hold of her wrists just before that happened.
“Vanessa! Please! Don’t do this!”
“She can’t hear you Mike. I’ve locked her inside a living nightmare. There’s only one way you’ll remove me from her and you won’t be able to do that.” The knife got closer.
“You want to bet?” A voice coming from behind them said. Mike and Puppet-controlled-Vanessa turned their heads and saw Abby standing in the doorway holding the music box.
“No!” Puppet-controlled Vanessa shouted. Abby played the music box and the Puppet left Vanessa. It crawled out of the front door and vanished into the night. Vanessa got off Mike, dropped the knife and scurried backwards until she was up against a wall.
“W-What-- What happened?” Vanessa asked, whilst panic breathing. Abby put the music box down and got down on her knees beside Vanessa.
“Vanessa?” Abby asked. Vanessa, still panic breathing, turned her head towards Abby and nodded. Abby then gave Vanessa a hug.
“What happened?” Vanessa asked again. Mike approached and sat down opposite Vanessa.
“What’s the last thing you remember?”
“Um… my brother ran off and the Toys were destroyed by Abby’s friends who then ascended into the afterlife.” Vanessa thought harder. “And you told me to--” Vanessa’s tone then changed from panicking to annoyed. “Stay away from you.” Mike didn’t say anything. “I’ll leave if you want. But let me tell you everything first. And I mean everything.” Mike nodded. They stood up and walked into the living room. Mike and Abby sat down on the sofa whilst Vanessa sat down on a chair opposite. “It started at the end of the 70s when my mother died. I was so young I can’t remember what she looked like. All I have is pictures in my house.”
“I’m sorry,” Abby said. Vanessa smiled slightly.
“It’s O.K. After that, he changed. He always said he cared about me, but I don’t think he ever did. I think I was just useful to him. He made three versions of Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy. One was those withered ones in the back room of the original place, the second were the toys and the final ones were your friends,” Vanessa said as she turned to face Abby. Afterwards, she looked back at Mike. “He also made this other one called ‘Circus Baby.’ He built it with the intention of murdering children. It almost succeeded once with this girl called Elizabeth, but she was able to escape. I didn’t know her personally. But after he failed, he never used it again after that. He just hid Circus Baby away in the basement until he could figure out what to do with her.”
“What about your brother?” Mike asked.
“He was always willing to be an obedient son. But then he left. He wanted to go and do his own thing. But then he came back and wanted to continue dad’s legacy.”
“Why didn’t you just escape when you had the chance?” Mike asked.
“For the same reason I did a lot of what I'd done: I was afraid. I just couldn’t escape, no matter how much I wanted to.” About half an hour later, Vanessa finished explaining everything. “And that’s it. I promise, that’s everything.” Mike and Abby looked at each other and then back at Vanessa. “I understand if you still want me to leave. I won’t come back if that’s what you want,” Vanessa said as she stood up. Mike also stood up. He walked towards Vanessa and gave her a hug. Abby got up and also hugged both of them.
“We don’t want you to go. We all clearly need each other to move forward. Let’s not disrupt that.” A tear started to emerge from Vanessa’s left eye.
“Thank you.” After separating, Vanessa added “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything.”
“It’s O.K. That wasn’t you trying to kill me. And for everything else… I forgive you.” More tears started to appear in Vanessa’s eyes.
“Thank you.” They all hugged again.
“Would you like to stay?” Mike asked.
“We’re going to watch a movie if you’d like to stay and watch.” “I’d love to.”
“Abby, it’s your turn to choose what movie to watch,” Mike said as he went over to look at their options whilst Abby and Vanessa sat down on the sofa.
“X-Men please.”
“O.K.” Mike put it on and sat down on the sofa. “I had a feeling she was going to pick this. She’s also been wanting to see the new Spider-Man movie.”
“I’m not surprised. It does look good.”
After the movie finished, Abby went to bed. “Thank you,” Vanessa said.
“What for?” Mike asked.
“Forgiving me.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I promise, I won’t intentionally keep anything from you again.”
“I won’t either. And I am so sorry for what I said to you.” Vanessa tilted her head a little bit. “I shouldn’t have said it. I was an idiot. I--”
“Mike,” Vanessa said, cutting him off. “It’s O.K. I understand. And I forgive you.” Mike nodded.
“Thank you. Your brother was wrong, you know. You’re not like your father.”
“I sometimes feel like I am. I feel like I’m cursed.”
“You’re not cursed. You’re flawed and broken. We all are. But you’re not cursed.”
“I appreciate that.” Mike nodded. “I should go. It’s getting late,” Vanessa said as she stood up.
“You don’t have to go. Would you like to stay? We have a guest room.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I’d like to.”
“O.K. then. Since you’re offering.” Mike then went upstairs and made the bed in the guest room for Vanessa.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Have a nice sleep.” Mike left the room and began to return to his own.
“Mike!” Vanessa called, causing Mike to return to the room. “Good night.” Mike smiled slightly.
“Good night Vanessa.” Mike then went to his room. Vanessa shut the door and got into bed. She fell asleep shortly afterwards.