A/N: The Papa Henry AU or a 'Good Route" involves Henry adopting his creation and taking him away from Drew Studios for good. First BatIM fanfiction to be posted here.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the concept.

30 years ago, he had been drafted. He had packed up most of his things, save for his old desk and a handful of ideas that would never see the light of day outside of a drawer. Any project of his that DID get to the final drawing board was quickly turned over to Joey and entrusted in his care-

"I trusted you with them, Joey…"

30 years later and here he was, in his old studio with the creations he had left behind. Everyone battered, bruised, covered in some variation of blood and ink just like the rest of the studio. The overwhelming smell of ink and images of what possibly went down here were enough to make Henry sick to his stomach.

"He tortured us… For 30 years." Bendy rasped, slinking slowly over to his creator and resting heavily against him.

"I know…" Henry sighed as he looked down at the little devil.

His ink was smudged over his eyes, but it was nothing a bit of liquid paper couldn't fix… Just a fresh new design and-

"It's going to take a lot to fix you all up…" The old creator slipped his arms gently around his creation and cradled him as he would his own child. "But that'll go beyond what I can do…"

"… Thanks for coming back, Henry." Fat, black drops of ink flowed down the toon's once white cheek.

"… I'm sorry for leaving you guys…" As the creator, he had always felt a connection to his ideas.

A type of responsibility for them and their well being. A responsibility to draw them all with lives he would want his own children- if he had any- to have. Never in a million years did he ever think he could screw that up. However, life happened and he was whisked away from his work for what he thought would be forever. Fighting in a war for all those years and then the aftermath of it all had been what prevented him from coming back to the studio, but he had always assumed that life for his Toons would hold still until he was ready to come back for them.

How wrong he was.

"30 years of this crap…" Bendy, his oldest Toon, sniffled.

They were in the room of the dreaded Ink Machine, Bendy curled up in Henry's lap like a sad puppy who just had the door slammed on its tail. It was the first time in years that Henry felt guilty for ink and paper. For entrusting Joey with something this important.

"I know, buddy…" He sighed, his arms cradling the devil closely.

It was like holding a baby more than a puppy. An independent, thinking baby that was acutely aware of itself and its surroundings. It would have startled Henry, but he had seen just about everything this night. Including things he never wanted to see again, and things he would never leave. That was for sure.

"You don't… He attacked my friends and he attacked me…" The little devil's horns pointed to the floor suddenly, expressing his sadness to the other.

"I'm… I'm sorry… I NEVER thought this would happen." Guilt over ink and paper was an understatement in every sense of the word.

These were beings he put out into the world, who he gave an identity too- Who he let Joey torment. The feeling in his chest resonated within him worse than any guilt he had ever felt. It was pure agony.

"I don't want an apology from you… This wasn't your idea for us… We know that." Bendy sighed, his nonexistent nose wiped on the back of his glove.

"You don't-" That same glove was waved in front of Henry, silencing him.

"We came from you, didn't we? We know that brain of yours isn't capable of thinking up a way to hurt us!" A sudden smile from Bendy appeared, but it only tore up Henry's heart all the more.

"Never! I would never hurt you guys!" He exclaimed, raising Bendy up so that they were eye level. "I love you guys!"

"L-Love us?" That smile went away, right quick. "We're just paper and ink, Henry."

"You all chased me down the hallways in pain, don't give me that bull." Henry said sternly. "That machine made you more than that…"

"Henry…?" Bendy asked.

"Yes?"

"…That machine didn't make us real. I think you just did."

"... Come on, Buddy... Lets go home."

Henry remembered that when he entered the studio, it was almost evening. Leaving with Bendy, he could tell that the morning sun was just about to rise.

"What time is it- Wait… What day is it even?" Henry huffed, dragging himself and the living Toon out the studio door.

"Well, most people go home on a Friday… So it's Friday, maybe…" Bendy joked tiredly, as he leaned on the human. "Too tired to really think on it.

"Yeah… Well, I'm tired too- Hopefully it hasn't been too long, Nakori would kill m- Fuck!"

In a sudden burst of energy, Henry lifted Bendy, ran to where his car was parked, and began to fumble for his keys. After a near heart attack, he found them in his pants pocket. Wasting no additional time, he all but tore the door open the moment it was unlocked and tossed Bendy into the passenger seat a little less than gentle.

"Geez, Henry! What's the rush!?"

"I didn't tell my wife I was visiting the studio! She's going to kill me if I show up DAYS later!" This was followed by Henry jumping into the driver seat and starting up the car.

"Wife!? Congrats, Hen! I didn't know you were married." Bendy didn't seem to realize the gravity of Henry's situation, but the ex-cartoonist was too tired to explain it now.

To say his wife looked furious was a complete understatement. Her hands seemed permanently pressed to her hips, and her thin eyes were full of fire and smoke. It almost amazed Henry how much scarier she was than the living Toons he had battled in the studio.

Then again, she did resemble a Toon now that he looked at her. She was on the short side. Rounded hips, pale skin, black hair- She could be an Alice Angel understudy with the right makeup-

"Henry Ross! Where have you been!?" She shrieked. "You drop off the face of the Earth for two days and now you have the nerve to just drop back on the face of the Earth!?"

"Kori-"

"Don't 'Kori' me! I am furious with you-" She fell silent, her gaze torn away from Henry in a mili-second.

He followed her gaze down to Bendy, who seemed to be studying the woman with the kindest expression. Henry could feel his sole sink, as he didn't feel quite prepared for the meeting that was about to happen.

"Henry! You didn't tell me she was a Toon!" The little demon exclaimed, as he grabbed the woman's hand and shook it. "And I already love her! She yells as you and it's funny as heck!"

"S-she's not- Bendy! Humans can have black hair too!" By then, the creators head was crammed by thoughts about all this.

"Bendy? Haven't heard that name in forever." Nakori scoffed, then plucked Bendy up like he weighed nothing. "Is this one from Drew Studios?"

"Sure am, ma'am!" Bendy giggled, hugging Nakori around the waist, his feet dangling at her knees.

"Yeah… It's a long story-" Henry began.

"What do we feed him?" She snapped.

"H-huh!?"

"It's been two days! I haven't cooked for anyone in that time and I'm sick of leftovers, so what am I feeding you two?" Brown eyes flickered. "Or does this one eat?"

"Got any bacon soup?" Little eyes widened as the demon chirped.

"No, but we have bacon and stock… Shouldn't be too hard to make…"

With that, the pair walked off towards the kitchen, leaving a stunned Henry in the living room.