A week in the lap of luxury

by naybaybay

A story covering the missing scenes in the stage musical "Annie" between "NYC" and the next scene at the orphanage where Miss Hannigan is informed that Annie is going to be adopted. My take on all the new and exciting experiences Annie could have had during her very first week at the Warbucks mansion. Told from Annie's P.O.V.

9. A home for ever after

I awoke from a terrible nightmare.

Mr. and Mrs. Mudge had taken me to the country where the air was clear and fresh, but instead of a nice comfortable bed like the one I was currently sleeping in, they had thrown me into the pig pen where I had to sleep in the straw and the mud with the pigs.

Even when I woke up and realized it had all been a dream, my heart was clenched with fear and sadness. In the dream, I had felt so alone. More alone that I'd ever been in my entire life. At least at the orphanage, as miserable as it was, I had Molly and Tessie and Kate and July and Duffy, and even Pepper.

I sighed deeply. The room was still pitch black but there was no way I was going to get back to sleep now.

I got up and turned my bedroom light on. I sat at the end of my bed and looked at all my pretty new dresses and outfits hanging in the wardrobe. I decided that it would probably only make the Mudges feel bad if I took all of them with me, and besides, what good would all these beautiful outfits be on a farm anyhow? The gorgeous red and white dress I was already wearing was special though and I thought I should at least take that one, for special occasions - especially if Mr. Warbucks and Miss Grace came to visit me.

I gazed around my room - well, not my room, really, the room I'd been given to sleep in while I was here. After tonight, I supposed it would just be another one of the dozens of guest rooms at the Warbucks mansion.

I thought about going to live with the Mudges and wondered if I'd have my own room at our new house. Surely with the fifty thousand dollars Mr. Warbucks was giving them, they would at least be able to afford to buy a place with a room just for me. I pondered that Mr. Warbucks might have some conditions as to what they should do with the money, being that he was obviously very good with money himself and seeing that he cared for me so much…At least, I really hoped he still did, and would. He had liked me enough to want to adopt me after all. I could only hope that he wouldn't get too mad and sad after I left and not want to come visit me because it might be too upsetting.

I sighed a deep sigh as I lifted my new suitcase onto my bed and began to pack the few things I'd come to Mr. Warbucks' house with.

When that was done, I looked around the bedroom one last time. I had so many wonderful memories here, even though I'd only been here for just over a week. They were the happiest memories of my whole life. I'd felt so warm, so safe, so cared for each night when Mr. Warbucks and Miss Farrell had tucked me in and kissed and hugged me goodnight. I would treasure those precious moments with them forever.

I switched the light off and walked out into the hall. There were lights on downstairs so I knew there must have been people up. I glanced at the big clock at the end of the hallway and saw that it was only five forty-five in the morning. I shrugged and went downstairs anyway, feeling forlorn and resigned to my fate, trying with everything I had inside of me, to be brave and optimistic about my future and my life with the Mudges.

As I got to the bottom of the staircase, I could hear Mr. Warbucks speaking softly to Miss Grace who was standing toe-to-toe with him there in the middle of the foyer. "Thank you Grace. I could never have done any of this without you", I heard him whisper to her. Her tear-filled eyes flicked my way and she nodded her head in my direction, prompting him to turn around.

As I set my suitcase down on the bottom step, they walked over to me. "Merry Christmas Annie", Mr. Warbucks said, followed by the same sentiment from Miss Grace.

"Merry Christmas Mr. Warbucks and Miss Farrell", I replied with a small smile. I was wishful that we would still remain friends, but for now I felt as though it was proper to address them in a more formal manner, seeing as the occasion was a little somber.

"You're up early", Mr. Warbucks noted.

"Yes well, my folks are coming for me so I thought I'd just wait for 'em here. I…guess they'll be taking me out to the country", my breath caught a little in my throat as the image from my nightmare came flooding back to me.

I hoped upon all hope that Mr. Warbucks and Miss Grace would come and see me, or at least send Drake or another member of the staff to conduct a welfare check. I doubted they would just forget and stop caring about me the moment I left with the Mudges.

"Will you come and see me sometime?" I asked, desperately hoping they would say yes.

Mr. Warbucks smiled and nodded his head, "Yes Annie, we'll see you." Instantly, I felt a wave of calm wash over me.

"You're up early too", I observed. The two of them had been down here before I'd come down and it seemed they'd already been up for quite some time.

Mr. Warbucks and Miss Grace glanced at one another. "We've been up all night, dear. We've had quite the time of it. FBI men coming and going."

"Really?" I asked with intrigue.

Mr. Warbucks looked hesitant when he spoke next. "Um…I have something very difficult to tell you."

My heart sank with dread. I didn't know what he was going to say. For a moment I wondered if perhaps the Mudges had decided not to come for me after all.

I didn't know whether to feel angry, sad or pleased about that thought.

"Annie…early this morning, FBI director Hoover telephoned me with some uh, some very sad news."

I blinked up at him nervously, listening to what he had to say with bated breath. I glanced anxiously between him and Miss Grace as he continued.

"Through the paper and the handwriting in your note, he succeeded in tracing the identity of your parents."

I shook my head, unsure why he was telling me this when Mr. and Mrs. Mudge had already proven themselves to be my parents. "Yes, we already know that, Mr. and Mrs. Mudge", I said in a despondent tone of voice, still not feeling totally sure about them.

What Mr. Warbucks said next shook me.

He explained that the Mudges were actually not my parents. My real parents' names were David and Margaret Bennett.

My name…Was Annie Bennett.

For so many days, so many years I had waited and wanted to know that simple fact. A fact that almost every person in the world knew about themselves. Finally, I had a name, I had a proper identity.

"David and Margaret Bennett", I breathed their names like a prayer. My Dad and my Mom's names. "Well, where are they?"

I hadn't listened properly to what Mr. Warbucks had said when he'd said they were David and Margaret Bennett. If I had listened more carefully then what Miss Grace and Mr. Warbucks told me next may not have felt like such a punch in the gut. Then, again, I supposed I should have figured it out a long time ago.

David and Margaret Bennett, my parents, were dead.

Mr. Warbucks became choked up when he'd tried to tell me and Miss Grace, seeing his struggle, took over and broke the bad news to me herself.

"S-so I really am an orphan, like all the other kids", I stammered, still not truly believing it, even though I should have realized the truth many years ago. I felt like a fool. A sad, parent-less fool.

"Are you alright, Annie?" Miss Grace asked me gently, trying to console me.

I tried to come to terms with the news, tried to reason with it. But it just didn't make sense, and it didn't feel fair.

I took off running upstairs, not knowing what to do or where to go. I only knew my heart was broken and my only plan was to go and hide in a corner with all of my sadness and disappointment and shame and cry until I had no tears left.

But then, five words stopped me instantly in my step. "I love you, Annie Bennett."

I stood still for a moment, just breathing, just feeling the weight of those words I couldn't remember ever hearing before. I'm sure David and Margaret Bennett would have said those words to a two month old me when they had to leave me on the front step of the orphanage. I knew from my note that it had been their intention to return for me, but that sadly, fate had other ideas. I knew that they had meant those words when they'd undoubtedly said them to me, and I knew that Mr. Warbucks meant them now too.

I turned around to face him, this man who had completely changed my life and everything I knew about myself. I truly couldn't thank him enough for what he'd done, and what I said to him then felt like the easiest words I'd ever said to anyone. "I love you too."

I jogged back down the stairs and rushed straight into his arms, grabbing hold of him tightly. A bit of the pain of knowing my real parents were gone subsided as he held me gently and lovingly in his embrace.

The lingering question of where my parents were and when they would be coming back for me had been put to rest. I would learn to make peace with it, and while I did, I knew I had all the love and support in the world I needed to help me through.

There was however, another mystery left to be solved. The mystery of who in the heck the imposters calling themselves the Mudges truly were.

Miss Farrell, Mr. Warbucks and I talked among ourselves, trying to figure out how they might have acquired the information about me, my birth certificate and even more astoundingly, the missing piece of my locket.

Then, all of a sudden, it occurred to me. Miss Hannigan.

I knew Miss Hannigan had never really liked me very much but never did I think she would actually help criminals to kidnap me. Even with that much money at stake. She could be mean at times, but I just couldn't believe she would actually let me be put in that kind of danger.

Some of my questions were answered when just in that moment Drake brought Mr. Warbucks a note from the FBI informing us who the "Mudges" really were. He and Miss Farrell looked at it with interest and then called me over to show me.

"Ralph Mudge" was really Daniel Francis "Rooster" Hannigan. He was Miss Hannigan's brother!

And "Shirley Mudge" whose real name was Lily St Regis, was his gal. They both had other aliases too which probably meant they had been involved in criminal activities several times before now.

I knew Miss Hannigan had been complicit in the whole thing, but I also couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her too. If her brother was a criminal, then maybe she was scared of him. Maybe he'd threatened to do something terrible to her if she didn't go along with the plan.

By the time Drake announced the arrival of "Mr. and Mrs Mudge", I could feel my blood boiling. We all got ready to greet them and call them out for who they really were. A couple of no-good crooks.

"Mr. Mudge" greeted us in a shakily pathetic way, which I now knew was all an act.

"Hi…Mom. Hi…Dad." I greeted them with an edge to my voice as they walked in the door. .

They looked at me a little warily and I wondered if they could already tell that we knew something. Then, the precocious scoundrel tried to remind Mr. Warbucks about the check. Mr. Warbucks kept up the act and held out the check to him with a fake smile.

Suddenly there was a loud commotion behind me. A traumatic chill ran through me as I swore I heard Miss Hannigan's whistle. I looked around and to my absolute shock I saw Miss Hannigan herself rushing into the room, pushing her way past the staff who had tried to stop her from entering. I was even more bemused to see the kids from the orphanage there as well.

Miss Hannigan panted as she explained herself, having just run sixty blocks from the orphanage to come and stop her lowlife brother before he could take me. My eyes widened as she told the truth about his plan and I shuddered at the thought of it. I had to smile though when it was brave, sincere little Molly who stood up to the offenders and shouted that they weren't gonna let them take me. All the other kids joined in the raucous response too, as well as Miss Hannigan.

I was so touched and moved that all the kids would come all this way to make sure I was safe. I was equally mad and thankful to Miss Hannigan for her own actions. If it weren't for her, this scheme would have never come together in the first place, and I would have never been put in any kind of danger. Then again, if it weren't for her, I might not have been here anyway. She may not have been as kind and caring as Mr. Warbucks and Miss Grace, but she had looked out for me and given me a place to stay for all those years.

Mr. Warbucks thanked her for coming forward, informing her that he was already well aware of who "the Mudges" really were.

Just when I thought I couldn't be any more surprised, the President rolled into the room to expose the imposters. It was turning out to be the most incredible and bizarre Christmas I'd ever experienced! He confirmed the real identity of "the Mudges" and Mr. Warbucks asked him to direct his secret service men to arrest them both, which he did instantly. The woman who had posed as my Mother immediately started screeching that Miss Hannigan should be arrested too.

As one of the officers stepped forward to detain her as well, I stood in front of him and put my hand up to make him halt. I don't know exactly why I did it, why I felt the need to show Miss Hannigan any sort of compassion after all the torment she'd put me through in my life. The secrets, the lies she told me about my parents. I was more mad at her than I'd ever been at anyone.

However, she had come through for me right when it counted most. She may not have liked me but she wasn't going to let me be kidnapped, or killed. She wasn't like her brother, or his girlfriend, and I didn't think she deserved the same punishment as them either.

I decided that I could feel good about myself by being the bigger person between the two of us. By showing her the humanity that I'd only ever seen in small doses from her. I asked Mr. Warbucks if she really needed to be taken to prison too. She had realized her mistake and had tried to save my life, after all.

Mr. Warbucks conceded with me and directed the FBI men to take the other criminals away. Miss Hannigan ran to me and tried to hug me and I screamed. I might not have wanted her to go to prison, but it didn't mean I wanted her to smother me either!

Thankfully, Mr. Warbucks could see my distress and to the delight of the other kids, informed Miss Hannigan that she would no longer be able to work at the orphanage. Instead, suggesting she begin work as a laborer. After all the scrubbing and sweeping she'd made us kids do over the years, I couldn't help but smile a little at the thought of her doing some real hard work too.

For now though, she would be staying under the watchful eye of Mr. Warbucks' staff - thankfully, in a separate wing from where myself and the other kids were.

I turned around to celebrate with my friends. Miss Hannigan was gone! I knew my life was going to be a whole lot better, and now I had hope that all of theirs were too.

"Annie, we'd like to meet your friends", Mr. Warbucks told me pleasantly.

"Oh, OK", I smiled at him in surprise. Instantly, my spirit rose again at the thought that maybe he might let them all stay here too.

I introduced Miss Grace first and she greeted them all with her kind and gentle smile.

Next, I introduced President Roosevelt and laughed as Molly and some of the other girls waved to him in a formal way.

Then, when I went to introduce Mr. Warbucks, I paused for a second, searching my heart and realizing that even though he had everything in the world, there was one thing that he still wanted so much, and I was the only one who could give it to him. After all he'd given me, I felt honored to be able to. After all, it was the only thing I'd ever wanted too. He wasn't my real Father, and we both knew he never could be, but he would love me and take care of me for the rest of his life, just as a Father should. I knew in my heart that my Dad, David Bennett would be glad and grateful to him for being there for me, for being my "Daddy Warbucks".

He opened his arms to me with a big grin on his face to match mine as I addressed him with the new title and we hugged each other lovingly. I heard Miss Grace giggling with joy at us and when I pulled back from Mr. Warbucks and went over to hug my friends again, I could see her staring at him with an absolutely adoring expression.

When he announced to the kids that Miss Hannigan was gone for good and we wouldn't have to work any more, we all jumped for joy. When he said we wouldn't have to eat mush ever again, we cheered in celebration.

And when he turned around to face Miss Grace, telling us kids, and her, that for all of us, this Christmas was going to be the start of a wonderful new life, my eyes lit up as I watched him take her hands in his own and smile at her affectionately. I grinned as I realized that he was expressing his feelings for her for the first time in front of everyone. Both of them looked as though they were on cloud nine, and so totally in love with each other.

I was completely floored when Daddy Warbucks pointed across the foyer to where the good boy I had met just over a week ago was panting happily, a red bow around his neck like a leash. I gasped in shock and delight and ran over to hug my pal Sandy. I thanked Daddy Warbucks and came back to hug him again.

We all celebrated together, Daddy Warbucks, Miss Grace, all of the staff, the kids, and me. We danced and sang joyfully and opened our presents. Daddy Warbucks asked me if I would allow him to put my new locket around my neck and I agreed with an emotional smile. Miss Grace took my broken one off and put it inside the box the new one had come in for safe keeping. For me, it represented putting away the past, not to be forgotten, but to be treasured sacredly, making way for new adventures and for even more love and happy times.

As the other kids and I were given our Christmas gifts from the staff, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, Daddy Warbucks and Miss Grace walk over to the Christmas tree, hand in hand. There were a lot of people around me and my view was a bit obscured, but it looked as if he was giving her a small gift as well.

I smiled at them for a second before Molly caught my attention, wanting to show me her brand new teddy bear. A moment later, there were several cries of "oo-ooh" from the other girls and a few of the staff. I looked around at them inquisitively and noticed they were all staring over at Daddy Warbucks and Miss Grace. I turned to see what was causing them all to react and my mouth fell open in surprise to see the two of them locked in an embrace and kissing each other, right there in front of everyone!

I immediately jumped to my feet and clapped my hands. I was so excited and happy for them.

They broke apart and laughed at everyone's reaction. The staff were applauding them too. Especially Mrs. Pugh and Mrs. Greer who both looked practically giddy.

They looked over at me and Daddy Warbucks winked while Miss Grace held out her arm to me to come over and join their hug. I ran over to them quickly and hugged them both tightly. It was only then that I noticed the great big sparkling ring on Miss Grace's finger.

My eyes popped open and I stared at her finger, speechless.

"Annie…" I heard Daddy Warbucks say. I looked up to see him smiling down at me. "Grace and I have something we'd like to discuss with you."

"Yes?!" I probed, optimistically and enthusiastically.

"Tomorrow, I'll be asking Judge Brandeis to come to the house so that you can be legally adopted."

He glanced at Grace with a smile. "And well, Grace and I were wondering if before that ceremony occurs, you would mind if we asked the judge to conduct another ceremony…one to marry us."

"M-marry…you two?" I stammered, fairly sure of the answer, but wanting to hear them confirm it.

They both chuckled. "Yes, dear", Daddy Warbucks answered. "That way, when you are adopted, you can be adopted by both of us."

My lip trembled, and my eyes filled up with tears. Happy tears, of course. "So…you mean you…?" I looked at Miss Grace, unable to form the words. She knew what I was asking though. She nodded her head, tears filling her own eyes.

"Would you like that Annie?" She asked me emotionally.

"I would like that so much…Mama Warbucks?" The name felt so sweet on my lips, but I was unsure how she would feel about the moniker.

She nodded again and let out a laugh which was more of a sob, extending her arms out to me. I all but crashed into her and hugged her fiercely and gratefully.

"I love you", I choked out, my emotions getting the better of me.

"I love you too, baby", she whimpered against my hair.

"And I love you both", Daddy Warbucks told us sincerely as we separated again. He kissed Mama Warbucks on the side of her head and leaned down to do the same to me.

I had never felt so utterly happy.

I grinned up at the two of them as they stared at each other amorously, and then looked around the room at all the staff and at the kids who all looked so happy as well.

It might not have been quite the way I had ever expected it to happen, but finally I had found my family.

Finally, I was home.

The end.

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who has read this story. Special thanks to Markaleen for your wonderful support and friendship.

Peace and love,

Renee.