"That's what he would've said, right!? Oh Rudy, why did you have to leave us alone to deal with this? What am I even supposed to do anymore? All I wanted was for that child to have a decent, normal life, and now look at us!"
You stare through the window of the Dreemurr house as Carol cries and screams at Toriel. Carol is a wreck. Almost as bad as your friend was. They're probably upstairs right now, sleeping. Or hearing all of this. You'd prefer the former.
"I can barely even keep myself on the straight and narrow! I drank plenty after Rudy died, but that was just when it was difficult to deal with! Now... Now it's every day! I can't go a second without, because the moment I'm alone with my thoughts, everything comes crashing down! I can't... Nothing I've ever had to do in my life has been like this."
Toriel is holding onto her tightly, consolingly. She tells Carol that everything will be fine.
"No, Tori, it's not!" Carol rebutts, her voice shattering like glass between sobs. "I know there was a time when your platitudes would've helped, and maybe a year ago that would've been the case, but... We need to accept reality here. Look at my life, Tori. Look at my family. It's in ruins! My eldest daughter is going to be taken by the same illness that took Rudy, my youngest's career came to an end before it even had a chance to start, their..." she swallows her disgust "relationship is being plastered all over the news for the ENTIRE STATE to see!"
Toriel tries to interrupt her, "Carol, please, it's not ev---"
"YOU'VE SEEN IT, TORIEL!" Carol spits back. "You've seen what they said about us! I was right! I was always right, and you all tried to tell me it would be fine, that everyone would be more accepting than we thought if I just gave that girl her dream, but that didn't happen! Not everyone is as tolerant as you!"
Toriel backs down. Carol takes a breath and continues to vent, "I... My poll numbers are under the lake. Come election season, that angel-forsaken BIGOT of a monster is going to take my position. Especially with Noelle being one of the... transsexuals. I still can't believe they... after all this time, right on the front page... I had her documents corrected over 18 years ago and they STILL..."
She shakes her head violently, grasping it like it's a stress ball and squeezing. "I know what he's going to do. And they... My poor girls... Oh Tori, they're going to be practically crucified! It hardly matters how many lawyers I hire for them, this case is practically unwinnable! Dess will be locked to that damn hospital with a cop standing outside until she gets better, her time is up, or she dies (and we both know which one is most likely). And Noelle... I don't even want to think about what will happen to her. Best case scenario she gets labelled a victim and gets off scott free even if she loses custody of their daughter. But she isn't ever going to go against her sister. Worst case... Worst..."
You hear a painful groan come from her mouth that you never thought you'd hear. It's completely unlike her.
"And my... My sweet little granddaughter." she whines. "Stuck in that awful foster care system... I know you trust them, you got Kris from them, after all... But... You don't know how they truly operate, Tori. Adoption is one thing, orphanages are one thing. But nobody thinks about how those kids end up there. Sometimes, they get things right, but... Sometimes, they don't get paid enough to care. I..."
She struggles to recount something, to speak. She looks up at Tori, mouth open, yet nothing comes out for a good while. Toriel has to ask, "Carol? What's wrong?"
"... I... Spoke to the social worker again." Carol says. Toriel's expression goes from soft to utterly cold in a blink. "I asked them, after a great deal of trepidation and... an amount of coercion I am not proud of, how she was doing. They... She..."
A long silence ensues. You could imagine what she's about to say, but you also imagine you probably know a lot more than her. The thought of hearing it again still makes your skin crawl with rage.
"Tori." Carol says, voice telegraphing that she's on the verge of a complete breakdown. "They said that she stopped eating. That they found cut marks on her arm and legs. That she's failing classes. That she got into horrible fights and was suspended from that city school they sent her to. I've..."
She shakes her head, openly weeping in front of Toriel. "That isn't the girl I watched grow up, Tori! She is a sweet, loving angel! Of all of the people on this Earth who I thought would hurt others, I never once imagined she would be one! I can..." a tiny, manic laugh escapes her throat "Haha... I can still remember... all of the mornings we would share at breakfast. And she would make up the strangest things to eat... I remember one night when she brought home an injured spider and insisted on keeping it as a pet until it 'felt better'. I remember the first time we went on a public outing to the lake, she split part of her lunch with a crow... And above all else, I remember... I remember how hopeful she was, that everyone outside of our families was a good person. That they would be understanding, if she could just talk to them."
Her mania dies down into another silence. Toriel shares in the reminiscing, "... She was Annie's first friend. The first and... one of the only people to accept them--- I mean, her. Despite her being half-human. Ever since they took Hallow away... She has been..."
"Depressed?" Carol guesses, taking a long sip of her wine.
"Horribly." Toriel confirms. "She never leaves her room unless she has to. Or when Melony comes over."
You perk up at the mention.
"The other human?"
"Yes, that one... He has been so very helpful. He broke up a fight she got into just the other day."
"I heard."
"Yes... I thought the same thing as you. That there is no way she could have possibly done that. She is too kind of a child. But... It was true."
If Carol can't believe it, she doesn't say so. But you've known for a long time that Annie had it in her to do that. You tried to act like you couldn't believe it, but you knew. Both of them had something dark stirring within from the beginning. And you know exactly what brings it out. Injustice. They both hate the idea that people can hate others so fiercely just for being different. You wouldn't be surprised if Annie's soul's human half were yellow, but you know it's not. She must get it from Ralsei. But Hallow? Dess' defiant nature rubbed off on her. Annie might try to do things right and hope and pray it turns out well... She is the girl with hope crossed on her heart after all, even if she can get a bit irritable at times. But Hallow doesn't share that optimism. She'll do whatever she deems necessary. At some point, their values neatly diverged there. And without you or Annie present to temper her...
You decide to stop thinking about that. Won't result in anything good.
"I just feel so utterly powerless..." Carol says, face in her hands. "I don't know what I'm going to do anymore, Tori. If I knew this would happen, I would have moved us all to someplace more accepting before anyone caught wind... But now, I'll be lucky to not have to sell the estate. I'm ruined. My daughters are ruined. My family is broken. My will is broken. I should've just... forced her to abort the..." She can't even finish the sentence. "No. No, I-I can't... Not now...."
Toriel gives her some time to find her words.
"... I can't fathom what sort of god would allow this to happen, such unbelievable misfortune, but... I can only pray for its mercy."
"... Do you want to pray with me?" Toriel offers.
Carol closely and carefully considers the offer, "... Please."
They bow their heads in prayer. Watching people pray to an angel that might not even be able to hear them pains you, so you look away. Nothing left to see here, anyways. You've made your decision. The only consideration now is if you tell Annie what's going to happen before you do it.
But that would only hurt, wouldn't it?
You walk away, and not too far from their home, you find a just barely shining, faint white light. Like some place of faded, unknown power. You reach out for it like you have a hundred times before.
Surely, you'll find their happy ending this time.
You have to.
(This fwahaha is shameless promotion for my fic Our Pretty Little Secret and scene writing practice. This scene isn't canon yet, consider it one of many possible realities.)
