Michael hesitates for a long moment. It's stupid, but something about the house just makes him nervous. But despite that, he knocks on the door and soon, his mother opens it, her smile wide and her hug tight.
"Oh, it's so good to see you again! We've really been missing you lately." She practically drags him into the house, her hands already moving to take off his scarf and coat, but he waves her away.
"Mom, come on! Are you really going to baby me the whole time I'm back for the holidays?" He asks, faking most of his frustration. He's missed them too.
"Well, I have to baby someone! Evan's too old for all that now and Elizabeth sure won't let me." She smiles and he shares it as he walks into the living room. Evan's there, playing some kind of video game. He does nod in Michael's direction, but then goes straight back to it. It's understandable, but still hurts a little. "We have the guest bedroom all set up for you, so you can put your bags there." Mother tells him and he just nods along.
They let Evan switch to Michael's room after he left for collage, which is fine. He doesn't need it and that old room was always too open for Evan's liking. He would always complain about having two doors and how someone could easily sneak in.
As Michael walks down the hall, he pauses at the pictures spread out across the wall. They're different from when he left. Well, most of them are different. The older ones are still up, the ones back before...Father died. Michael never liked those pictures, personally. He never felt happy when they were taken. There was always fighting before it. Father would yell at someone for messing up their outfit, or Evan would start crying for some reason. Michael didn't exactly help the process, but still.
Michael looks at the newest photo now and it's like day and night. Everyone's wearing genuine smiles, even Mother. Especially Mother. No one's dared to say it, but losing Father has changed her for the better. She's a free spirit now and does what she wants when she wants. If she's feeling pent up, she'll go on a hike. If she doesn't want to go that far, then she'll garden. They've been growing a cherry tree for the past three years and it's already starting to give quite a bit of fruit.
"My hair really sucks in that one." Michael jumps at the sudden voice, but he quickly recovers and scowls at Elizabeth's smug look. She did that on purpose.
Then, he looks back at the picture. "I don't think it's that bad." He says. It was a different time back then, where hairstyles tended to be on the puffier side, but that doesn't make it bad, really. Sure, Michael's gotten rid of his mullet, but he always thought that style fit him the best. Far better than his currently smooth hair does. He feels stuffy, like a business man.
Like Father.
Elizabeth snorts as she pushes past him to get to her room. "Sure, whatever. At least Mom's perm was starting to die down. That was really shitty."
"I will have you know that my perm got me three dates in a week!" Mom calls back and the two of them laugh. Elizabeth mutters something she'll really get in trouble for as she slips away, closing her door behind her. Michael just shakes his head. He did miss this, his family's dynamic. It's nice to be home, even if it's bloody cold and he's stuck with two moody teens and his mother's babying.
At least he's home.
Henry sits at his old desk, his eyes beginning to ache from staring at black letters on white paper all day. He really does love teaching robotics at the collage down town, but it comes with it's downsides.
He really is better suited to work with children.
"Dad! It's almost eight!" Charlie calls and Henry looks up suddenly. He smiles as his daughter walks in, her eyebrows raised accusingly. She's picked that up from her Aunt Jen.
He pretends to look at a watch he doesn't have. "Oh, I guess it is. It's a shame I can't grade papers anymore." Charlie rolls her eyes and helps him out of his chair. He winces at the cracks in his hips, but they go away quickly. He should start going to a physical therapist or something. He's not that old just yet. "Did you put the food in the car?" He asks as he grabs his coat, already preparing to face the chilling cold of the winter.
"I did and it'll freeze if you don't move any faster." She teases, leading the way out the front door and toward the car. It's Christmas Eve and Henry promised he'd spend the holiday at the Afton's this year. It's the first year everyone's finally back in town and they plan to celebrate it in full. Julia did promise that she has enough space for both of them, so long as Charlie doesn't mind sleeping in Elizabeth's room.
Henry starts the car and gets them headed toward the Afton home. It's not too far, just a twenty minute drive.
"Hey, Dad?" Charlie suddenly says and Henry turns down the music enough to listen. Her tone is enough to make him worry.
"What is it?" He asks, stealing a quick glance at her. She doesn't look upset or sad, which is wonderful, but she's contemplative. For Charlie, that could mean anything, really. She got his habit of living in her head.
Charlie pauses for a long moment, likely trying to find the right way to say whatever it is she wants to talk about. "You know when I got locked outside?" The question alone is enough to make Henry ache. He never really forgot that experience. It's not a year he likes to remember or even talk about, but he'll do this for Charlie. He nods. "I think I would've died without that animatronic."
Henry almost crashes into the car in front of him. He pushes the break quickly and they jolt forward. His heart is racing. They're at a red light, so he takes this chance to stare at her.
They haven't talked about that...thing. The animatronic he saw after finding her. The one that killed William.
"What do you mean?" He asks, careful to keep his voice open. If she senses how uncomfortable this is making him, then she'll move on. She'll stop the conversation and turn it into something light for his sake. He doesn't want that.
"It's not just the cold." She says, her eyes glossing over as she stares ahead. Henry has to look away to continue driving, but he still glances at her as often as he can. "...Someone came up to me that night. I think they were going to hurt me, but the animatronic scared them away."
"Who?" Henry asks, his heart starting to pick up already. He knew the situation was horrible, that no child should be locked outside in the rain. And when he saw that rotten suit -there was a body inside, he remembers checking. He thought he had just saved her in time, that a second later would've taken his daughter away.
Charlie doesn't look at him until they're almost at the Afton house. Then, she swallows. "I think it was your old business partner. Mr. Afton."
Henry parks a few houses away. He needs time to sort this out, because there's no way Charlie can know. No one knows but him. He's the one who inherited William's plans, along with the blueprints. The ones designed to kill people. He read the notes from his friend, each of them detailing just how badly he wanted Charlie dead. How jealous he was of Henry's wife. It was disgusting to read and he's long since burned it from his own immediate memory. He's tried shoving all of that away, only remembering the good things about William. But this changes things.
"Charlie, I'm sorry." He says, reaching over to hug her. She reaches back. It's awkward and hurts a little with how they're stretched, but it's still comforting. "I'm sorry you got locked outside, all alone. I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner." He's sorry he didn't know about William sooner. That he never found out what that dead thing really was.
"Let's...let's go to the Afton's now, okay?" Charlie says, her voice a little strained. Henry gives her a smile, hoping she knows he isn't upset. They start back down the road and park next to Julia's car. Tonight will be fun and maybe a little chaotic with so many teens in the house, but it's okay. At least they'll have the signature Emily smoked ham and potato casserole. It'll be something to balance out the British cuisine.
He's William again, but not the one from before. He's a better version, one that knows his own mistakes and has fixed them. He's whole now.
They stand in front of him, their souls now mended as they wait. His eyes fill with tears for what feels like the first time in his entire life. He falls to his knees and the children come running. Elizabeth gets there first, her small arms wrapping around him as best they can. He holds her tightly and kisses the top of her head. She smells like the cheap perfume he got her for a birthday once and that alone makes him laugh. It's his Elizabeth. The one he failed.
Evan's next, his even smaller arms surrounding them both. He's crying, but William would be a hypocrite to judge him for it. The boy begins to sob, a wide smile splitting over his face. Possibly the widest William has ever seen on him. "You came back!"
His wife is next and she holds them all tightly together. He kisses her cheek, and then her lips. She laughs through it all, her tone rich and happy. How long has it been since he last heart her laugh like this? Too long, he decides. He'll have to make up for it here.
Last is Michael, who stands several feet away. He's older, no more just a teen. He's an adult and there's betrayal in his eyes. William lets go of the others for a moment, giving Michael his full attention. They stand nearly at the same height and William hopes the boy didn't learn to hate that about himself. That he didn't hate everything they have in common.
"I'm sorry, Michael. Nothing I say can really do it justice." He's crying still, but not so much out of joy, but of guilt. He might've saved those lives, but he still hurt them in the first place. He still hurt his oldest son and there's no redemption for that. "I understand if you hate me. You have every right."
Michael's calm exterior melts away at the words. He lunges forward and William just barely manages to catch him in time. Michael hugs him tightly, his fingers pressing into the back of William's shirt. "I thought you would never change!" Michael buries his head into William's shoulder like the child he never got the chance to be. "I-I thought..."
"I'm sorry." William whispers it now. He repeats it over and over, meaning every single word. He doesn't deserve to be here, with his family again. He doesn't deserve to see them in the after life, to hold them like he's ached to. But now that he has it, he never wants to let go. Never wants to live a moment without them by his side.
The others join again and Michael lets them. In fact, he welcomes it as Evan holds his brother's torso. They become a tangle of arms and a mess of tears, but it's wonderful in a way William never knew it could be.
"I promise I'll never leave you again." He says, looking at each of them. He stops at Evan, his heart bursting with gratitude for his son. Without him, none of this could be possible. Without his mercy, William would never know this change. "I love you." He says and the smile he gets in return is radiating.
I started with just Michael's part and went spiraling! And this isn't as short as I thought it would be, but I doubt anyone has a problem with that. Now that it's over, I just want to thank everyone who's enjoyed this, because I sure enjoyed sharing it!