Tomorrow was the day that Snare would be put to good use. Springtrap hadn't seen the final product just yet, but Vanny wanted to keep it that way. He didn't need to see it until it was time to use it. Vanny had made it very clear that she wanted the reveal of the finished product to be a surprise, and who was William to deny her of that?
Vanny knew full well what the look on his face would be when he finally saw it, but she didn't know if she'd be able to see it. The plan was to head out in the morning to abduct Dunn, but Vanny was in no hurry to get to bed. It was late; around one in the morning, to be exact.
Springtrap was lazing around in the living room, watching some TV show that Vanny had absolutely no interest in. She was currently standing in the kitchen, shoving her face full of bagels and other junk food that she didn't need. The anger from earlier had dissolved into sadness, and with it, she had sought out comfort in garbage food. Usually, she would have worried about the potential weight gain that this little binge would cause, but she didn't this time around.
None of it mattered. None of this mattered.
The house was dark aside from the flickering from the TV, and Vanny felt horribly alone. Springtrap was right in the other room, and she could have gone to him for comfort, but she refused. She wanted to be alone, and she wanted to eat her feelings away.
But eventually, just like she always did, Vanny gave in to her feelings and crept back into the living room. She had wanted to curl up and snuggle with William, but when she peeked over the couch, she was met with the sight of an unconscious mess of fur.
Vanny smiled down at him fondly and walked silently around the couch. She lowered herself onto her knees in front of him and rested her cheek on his chest fur.
With a shaky, unsteady intake of air, Vanny slowly ran her fingers across the fur. She sucked in shaky breaths; doing her best to keep from crying. She was out of time; tomorrow was the deadline. Her options were to take action now or lose her chance forever.
Vanny snuggled on top of that rabbit as tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't dare let out a single noise, though. Springtrap would have heard her and woken up. If he were to wake up at that moment, Vanny was well aware that she wouldn't have the strength to look into his eyes and still go through with this. She was very hesitant as it was, and a more rational and logical side of her was screaming at her to back out. Vanny had already decided on this, though.
Her fate was sealed the moment that she had asked for William's paw in making that thing.
After clinging to Springtrap for over half an hour, Vanny somehow found it in herself to pull away. Her fingers lingered on his fur for a just moment longer, and then she was gone; slipping into the kitchen without another glance back. She was already wanting to give in and snuggle up to the rabbit to go to sleep. It wasn't time to sleep just yet, though.
Vanny made her way out onto the porch, then through the yard with slow steps. She was in no hurry. Her boots were still sitting inside by the door, waiting to be slipped on to collect more mud or crush the heads of the people that crossed Vanny.
She just wanted to feel the dew on her bare feet, though. It made her shiver, yet she smiled.
Vanny walked through the grass, dragging and kicking her feet as she went. She would miss the feeling of water on her bare skin and the way that the cold night air chilled her to the bone.
The moon was bright and full, and Vanny couldn't keep her eyes off of it.
It made everything in the yard seemingly glow, and Vanny had a clear view of everything surrounding her. There was no reason that she should feel sad, she kept telling herself, but the way her heart ached and felt heavy told her otherwise.
Everything would change tonight. Nothing would ever be the same, but that was okay.
She was going to be okay.
One of her cold hands found its way to rest on her stomach. She felt along it softly, rubbing it with one of her thumbs in a slow, soothing motion. The T-shirt she was wearing separated her fingers from her bare skin, and she felt overwhelming emptiness. Ever since she was a child, wild fantasies about raising a son or daughter filled her mind, yet that day never came.
There was never a ring on her finger or a dress that she wore while walking down an aisle.
When she had met William, she had expected nothing of the sort from him.
Her life had turned out nothing like she had ever expected it to, and she was thankful for that.
She wouldn't ever be a mother, but that was okay. She was okay.
William wouldn't have wanted another child, anyway, she told herself.
Mrs. Afton had filled that desire for him, so by the time Vanny came around, she was of no use. She felt a sudden, horrible sadness over the fact that she had never even brought up the notion of having children to William. She had chosen to stay silent, though. Vanny had been more than willing to keep her mouth shut and her desires to herself for fear of upsetting Will.
Despite all they had been through together, Vanny now felt like something was missing. She wasn't completely happy, yet she didn't know how to fill the void. William had always been a source of comfort; whenever she was in his arms she felt complete and safe. She felt whole. Lately, though, she didn't feel complete or safe.
Springtrap was fully capable of protecting her, yes, but even he couldn't protect her from mortality. The thought of mortality tormented her.
She was going to die, and the thought of not knowing when that time would come was horrifying. What if she died alone somewhere without William?
Meeting her end alone had always been one of the woman's greatest fears, ever since she was a child. Vanny's eyes drifted down to the grass under her feet. She watched the way that the dew glistened in the moonlight for a long moment before continuing on towards the shed.
There was no bounce in her step; there was no happiness to be seen on her face.
She was alone and she was petrified.
The shed door was pulled open slowly and Vanny stared inside at the suit.
A buck-toothed smile greeted her, grinning wide and showing off its many teeth. Big, red eyes stared her down with a blank expression and its small white pupils gazed off in odd directions at nothing in particular. Its white and brown fur glistened in the moonlight that was now pouring into the shed from the open door.
Vanny hesitated for a while, lingering at the door with one foot still outside. She eventually continued forward, and as her wet feet touched the cold concrete floor of the shed, she shivered. Floppy, pointed ears hung limp, and the suit was slouched over in silence.
Vanny eyed the rabbit in front of her as another ache filled her heart.
The glistening of a pink and purple vest nearby grabbed her attention, and with a small intake of breath, Vanny walked past the suit and over to the shelf where the vest had been placed.
The vest for her.
It was beautiful, but it was currently much too big for her to fit into.
Purple hearts were spread across the light pink of the fabric, and the entire thing sparkled. Vanny had always enjoyed shiny things.
The vest extended down into a cape in the back, reaching a little past the brown heart-shaped fur on its knees. The underside of it was a dark purple, which faintly glimmered as well. The sight of the cape made Vanny smile weakly, and she took it into her hands before turning back around to the rabbit. The suit was motionless and cooperative as she slid the vest onto it. She watched as it glistened in the natural light from the moon with pride. Once it was on the rabbit, Vanny took a slow step back to stare at the deathtrap before her. The sound of humming crickets filled the air, but otherwise, the night was dead silent.
Vanny stared at the suit in front of her, and it smiled at her, silently assuring her that everything would be okay. The woman leaned forward and stroked its cheek before placing that same hand on her own cheek. Her skin was warm and soft, and she was trading it for cold, smooth fur.
Green eyes would never again stare at William, and he'd be met by burning red and white in their place. Vanny hesitantly slipped the suit's head off and stared in at the spring locks that had already been pulled to the side for her; the same locks that were going to help her finally get some rest.
This was for William, she reminded herself. This was okay.
This was the only way that she could stay with him. This was the only way that she could cheat death; by running directly to it. Vanny glanced down at the rabbit mask in her hands. It was the same one she had worn for years, only now it had been modified to kill her.
With a deep breath, Vanny leaned down and pressed her forehead against her mask's.
The fur was soft, and it was freezing. Springtrap would never again feel the warmth of her skin or see the way that she bit her bottom lip while working on something. Wouldn't it be worth it to be able to have her by his side for eternity, though? It would just be the two of them forever, committing horrible atrocities and cheating death. The key to immortality was becoming a monster, it seemed, but that was fine. Vanny had already become a monster long ago.
Immortality was what Vanny was desperately trying to achieve, but whether or not this would actually work was yet to be seen. Even William wasn't sure exactly why he had been able to cling to his suit after death. The theory that he had thrown around about it being due to how traumatic dying inside a spring lock suit had been was all Vanny needed to go through with this. If there was even a mild chance that dying in such a gruesome way would be her ticket to spending the rest of forever with William, she was going to take it.
Doing it any other way simply wouldn't cut it, she feared. It had to be inside of this suit.
She was going to die inside of a deathtrap that she had manipulated William into making.
Vanny had lied to his face from the beginning. She had never intended this suit being used on anyone other than herself; that was why picturing anyone else inside of it felt so disgustingly wrong. Guilt now mixed with her overwhelming sadness. She had deceived Will without much of a second thought. What was done was done, though. Her coffin sat in front of her, eagerly awaiting holding her forever.
It had to be done tonight. Not only was tomorrow the day that they were supposed to kidnap Dunn and shove him into the suit, but Vanny knew if William saw the white and brown rabbit, everything would click into place. He would figure her out, and her chance would be lost forever. William had never been against murder, but letting someone he cared about die wasn't something he would let happen. Vanny sucked in one final breath of the fresh air before climbing inside of the suit. She was very careful not to nudge against the metal bits too much. If she were to set them off before she was completely inside… Well... she could only imagine the terrible ways she could butcher this. Being left alive but maimed was definitely a risk, but she was a little more concerned about losing her ticket to being an undead abomination.
Vanny hesitated before sliding all the way into the suit. She ran her fingers across the smooth, perfect skin on her arms. If she were in a position where surviving this was possible, she could only imagine her skin being littered with horrible, deep scars just like William had once sported.
The thought of William made her smile, and she slipped the rest of her body inside the suit.
Vanny wasted no time and slipped her head on. She looked down at the paws that would soon, hopefully, be her new hands. Purple claws peeked out of the fur; sharp and shiny weapons for her to hopefully use in the future.
This was for William. She was just going to go to sleep for a while, and then she'd wake up feeling much better. She would feel complete, and William would welcome her with open arms.
There was only one thing left to do, but whether she had the strength to do it or not, she wasn't sure. It had to be done, though. One way or another, Vanny was dying tonight.
Her gaze drifted away from the suit's paws and over to a bucket that she had placed on the work table where she had spent the last several days modifying what was now the body of the spring lock suit. The bucket itself was made of thin metal, and it had been filled to the brim with water. Vanny carefully walked over to the bucket with slow, precise steps. Even though causing a spring lock failure was her intent, she still found herself treading lightly on her feet; fearful of setting the locks off too early. Vanny stared at the water, then gently tapped the side of the bucket to watch the way it rippled. She remembered a simpler time when she would throw rocks into the creek near her childhood home with her cousins. She had no idea where they were now or how they were doing. They wanted nothing to do with her, though, so she couldn't be bothered to care too much. She had been shunned by her family long ago; what they thought of her didn't matter.
William loved her; he protected her and actually helped her up when she fell down.
Her family hadn't even batted an eye when she was struggling. Vanny knew who mattered more to her, and it definitely wasn't her blood. Vanny reached out and slowly grabbed onto the handles on the side of the bucket. It was a rather large bucket; It reminded Vanny of the kind she saw people bobbing for apples in at Halloween parties. It wasn't too big or too small, and it contained just enough water that she could both lift it and get the job done. She raised it up with a bit of a struggle and her arms trembled. Vanny stared down at the water in front of her. This was for William.
This was okay.
It took some effort, but Vanny managed to lift the bucket over her head. She sucked in a deep breath, then flipped it upside down. Vanny dropped the bucket onto the ground with a clang and stiffened when she felt the water soak through the suit and onto her skin. There was a snap, and then a horrible, searing pain overcame her entire body.
It felt like being stabbed everywhere all at once with sharp knives. Blood splattered onto the concrete around her as the spring locks did just as they were created to do. They snapped out of place and were sent directly into Vanny's body. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Her hands came up to hold at her throat through the suit out of instinct, but Vanny knew exactly what had happened. Her vocal cords had been severed.
Tears spilled down Vanny's face, though she couldn't tell what was blood and what wasn't anymore. Her legs gave out, and she smacked against the concrete floor as she fell over. The fall caused more springs to snap, and Vanny kicked and writhed on the floor as they impaled her. She was gasping and struggling to breathe, but barely any air was making it into her lungs. Blood was running down her throat, and it was making her choke and gasp more in panic, which in turn caused her to suck in more blood. Another serious of loud snaps sent more locks into her flesh, and everything went dark. Vanny gasped and trembled as her head throbbed. Something had pierced through her eyes. Everything seemed so distant and far too close at the same time. Her head was swimming and her heart was pounding. The chirping of the night time bugs outside of the shed was deafening, and she could hear her own blood dripping out into the puddles that had formed underneath her. Her throat felt horribly tight, yet she still fought to breathe despite wanting to die. Seconds felt like minutes, and Vanny was in hell.
Springtrap's ears perked up. His nose scrunched up, and he took in a deep breath.
He smelled something… familiar. The rabbit quickly pushed himself up to sit on the couch, and he looked around the empty living room. He tipped his head back and smelled the air.
It was blood. The smell was pouring in from outside. Inside the kitchen, the window above the sink had been left open to allow fresh air inside. The faint breeze was carrying the intoxicating scent directly to the beast inside. Springtrap stood to his feet and crept into the kitchen. Was there an injured animal outside? Curiosity pushed the rabbit forward, and he slid out onto the porch, making sure to quietly close the door behind him. If there was something injured, he didn't want to scare it off. Dew collected on his big, fuzzy feet as he walked through the grass, following the scent. It only took him a moment to realize that the source of the smell was directly in front of him….. The shed.
Springtrap's ears flattened and his heart- or whatever was currently the equivalent, sunk.
As fast as he possibly could, Springtrap bolted across the yard. He nearly lost his traction several times as his feet slid across the wet grass, but he made it to the open door without falling. His claws sunk into the old wooden door as he peered around and inside. There, on the floor, lay a familiar sight. A beautiful white and brown rabbit, only this time, the sight brought him only terror. There was blood everywhere. Vanny was barely moving, now. Only her fingers gripped and clawed at the floor under her. Then, it all clicked.
The suit wasn't for Dunn, and it never had been. He had built the suit for her.
Springtrap stumbled inside and fell to his knees in front of his world.
The only thing he cared about was now lying in front of him, clinging to her last moments of life. She was dying at the hands of something he had made, just like his son and daughter had before her. William leaned over Vanny and pulled her close to him, cradling her against his chest as he took her into his arms. His fur would be stained with her blood, but he didn't care.
She had worked so hard to clean him, and he was ruining that, too.
He ruined everything he touched.
"V-Vanny." He croaked out.
William held her in his arms as he shook like a leaf. He couldn't lose her, but he knew that there was no surviving this. He had gotten lucky, but Vanny had gone into this with the full intention of killing herself. He wasn't an idiot; he had just been too blind to put the pieces together before now. William gently held her cheek and stared into those artificial, burning red eyes.
"Vanessa," He hissed out in a shaky voice. "I- God, I.."
Words meant nothing to Vanny. They didn't make sense to her anymore, but she knew that she should have known what they meant. She couldn't see a thing, but she could hear a voice. She could feel herself being moved. The voice was William's. She wasn't alone.
For a moment, she couldn't grasp onto anything. Vanny had no idea where she was or what was going on, but she was well aware that she was dying. William was here, though.
William was right by her, and she wasn't going to die alone. Vanny relaxed, and with a small twitch, she stopped struggling. The woman went limp in William's arms before she could hear his broken pleas and repeated sobs of, "I love you,".
William sat in the shed, clutching Vanny against his chest in silence.
She was completely silent and still, and he knew that she was gone.
He couldn't physically cry in this body, but he felt as if he was. Every part of him hurt and his very being ached. He felt like he had died all over again, and he was holding the last thing that had ever mattered in his arms. He sat there for a while, just as quiet as Vanny. The shed reeked of blood and bile, and he despised the smell. This all felt like some kind of horrible nightmare, but William knew that it was real. Vanny was dead, and he was the cause. She had killed herself and it was entirely his fault. He had built this suit for her, and he had filled her head with promises of immortality that were never meant for her. There was no way of knowing if her soul would even linger like his had. William had no definite explanation as to why he hadn't simply ceased to exist or go to the place that he feared Vanny may now reside.
If she was truly gone, the deepest pits of hell would be welcoming her.
William didn't know what to expect after death; was it simply a void of nothing, or was the damnation that he feared real? He was petrified of the idea of simply ceasing to exist, but now he was hoping that there really was nothing after this world. Vanny didn't deserve that; not in his eyes.
There was complete silence in the shed as William cradled Vanny's cold body against his own. Hours had passed, and there hadn't been a single movement from her.
He hadn't moved an inch since she had stilled; he had simply sat with his back against the wall, cradling her against him. He was in shock; he couldn't properly think or react to any of this.
He was completely aware that Vanny was dead, but none of it felt real.
William had no idea how long he had actually been sitting there, but he didn't care.
He was going to sit here, and he was going to wait until Vanny woke up.
The lovely white fur of Vanny's suit had been stained with her blood, and the pretty, pink glistening vest had absorbed a decent amount of it as well. William was prepared to clean her, though, whether she woke up or not. She was going to be spotless of blood.
Eventually, he began to softly stroke the top of her head. The blood that had poured out from her eyes, nose, and mouth had already begun to dry, but he was in no hurry to rush inside and clean her. She needed to wake up… for him.
"I didn't think I'd ever see you again, you know…" He muttered to the dead. Vanny was silent as she waited for him to continue; never interrupting like the proper lady she was.
"I was so scared I'd spend eternity there," He continued as his claws slowly trailed down to stroke across her cheeks. "I was alone, even though I wasn't the only unfortunate fucker to still be kicking." William shifted a little so that he could better gaze into those lifeless, dull eyes.
"Part of me wanted to believe that you were happy and living with someone new, but that also made me upset." The golden rabbit pulled Vanny's body closer to him so that he could affectionately nuzzle his muzzle against her smaller, bloody one. "I never wanted anyone else to touch you, Vanessa. Because you're mine…" The bigger rabbit began to tremble, and he shook like a scared child as he held onto Vanny a little tighter. He was well aware that she couldn't hear him, but he continued speaking nonetheless.
"But you could have left me there. You could have forgotten about me and moved on… but you didn't." William stared down at the body in his arms. How many times had he been in this position; clinging to a loved one while they died because of him?
Vanny wasn't the first, but she would definitely be the last. There was no one else for him to lose. Elizabeth died at the hands of a mistake that he had made, and his youngest son had been crushed in the jaws of one of his first creations. Micheal was long gone; William didn't know where he was, but he hoped that his only remaining child was doing well.
After losing both of his siblings to his father's playthings, Micheal had wanted nothing to do with his father. William didn't blame him or stop him from leaving.
His wife, whom he had loved until the end, was taken by a horrible sickness.
That was the only death that had ever been out of his control.
Vanny, the newest victim of William's craft, was the only one who had willingly given themselves up to die. William had made this suit for her, and even though he hadn't made it for her, she was still dead because of him. He cradled the woman in his arms as he shivered; silently pleading with whatever was out there to let her return to him. She needed to wake up, and he needed to show her how much she meant to him. She had never asked much of him, and William hadn't given her the affection she deserved. Vanny had longed for a final dance with him so bad, and William now knew why she had been so hellbent on receiving said dance.
She wasn't sure if she would ever get one again.
"I'm sorry, Vanessa." He sobbed out, though his robotic body prevented tears from sliding down his now bloody face. Vanny didn't reply; she didn't even stir. William was coming to fear that she never would. As carefully as he could, William gently began petting Vanny's bloody cheeks.
It felt so wrong to be feeling fur instead of skin. Now he knew how she had felt upon finding him.
Vanny had never sought out another lover. She had never stopped looking for him, and she had never given hope that somehow, he was out there. William had repaid her with a slow, painful death. Would it be a pointless one?
Even though Vanny hadn't been anywhere close to expiring of age, thoughts of losing her one day had plagued him. He had never voiced these concerns to her, but now it was obvious that she had been tormented by those same fears. Mortality was the enemy of every living creature, only William had found a way to cheat it. As long as his mechanical body remained, so would he.
Vanny had traded away her humanity in an attempt to stay with him forever, yet he wasn't happy with her decision. How could he be happy when he had just held yet another woman he loved in his arms as she died? William had loved his wife, but he had come to love Vanny more, as wrong as it felt to admit it. Vanny was his world, and if she didn't wake up…
Springtrap twitched as he fought the urge to stand and walk out of that shed with Vanny in his arms. If that bastard cop hadn't harassed Vanny, she wouldn't have had a decent lie to feed him as an excuse for the creation of the suit. If she didn't wake up, and if she really was gone for good… He was going to burn Hurricane to the fucking ground.
That town had hated him, and it had shunned Vanny when she needed comfort the most.
Fuck Hurricane. Fuck Clay. Fuck Dunn. Fuck Hen-
William began shaking again as sadness overcame his hate.
He didn't hate Henry, but Henry hated him.
How was it so easy to ruin anything good in his life?
Something caught his attention, and William's gaze shifted down to stare at the rabbit in his arms. She was limp and motionless. Her eyes were still wide open as she stared at nothing.
William was completely quiet and still, watching her for a long moment. Another movement made him tense up. Her pupils moved ever so slightly to the side.
"Vanny-" He hissed out in a low, hopeful tone.
The white pupils drifted over to stare up at him. Her face was still stuck in a smile, but it was clear that she was conscious. With no hesitation, she was quickly pulled up against his chest in a bone-crushing hug. He nuzzled into her bloody neck, and he began to shake once again.
"Vanny- Vanny I…"
The white and brown rabbit slowly moved her arms up and weakly wrapped them around the bigger robot in front of her. Her movements were sluggish and stiff.
William knew that she hadn't fully realized how to operate this body yet, but she was alive… or… undead, rather.
"Will…" She whispered weakly. It sounded like she was tired. Having been through the exact same thing, William was aware that waking up inside of one of these things was horribly confusing and disorienting. It would take Vanny time to learn how to properly stay balanced and wiggle her ears and tail, but he was going to be there to help her every step of the way.
He was never leaving her again, and she was never leaving him.
"I'm here, Bunny. I'm here." William assured her in a soft, low voice.
Vanny was tired, and her body ached. It took her a moment to realize where she was and what she now was, but when it clicked, she clung to William even tighter. Her senses were heightened, and she was very aware of the blood coating her body… her new body.
She had done it…. They had done it.
"I'm sorry," Vanny managed to weakly whisper out. The larger rabbit shook his head and simply nuzzled into her neck with a small, weak whine.
"I thought you were gone." He admitted in an unstable, shaky voice.
Vanny tiredly closed her new eyes and leaned against the rabbit.
Her smile had fallen, and she was too weak to process much of how her new body felt.
It was certainly different, but she had been expecting that.
With a small whine, Vanny gently dug her claws into William's back. She didn't have much energy to speak, but she was here… William was holding her, and that was enough to keep her calm and content with her decision. Vanny's eyes fluttered open as William began to stand up. He still clutching onto her so that she wouldn't fall, and even though she was much heavier now in this robotic body, he still moved her with ease.
"Will?"
The golden rabbit didn't offer her a reply and instead began to carefully lower her down to her feet. Vanny's eyes widened in panic and she grasped at his shoulders and back; desperately trying to cling to him. Her entire body felt like jelly, and she couldn't even feel her lower half yet.
Her arms were weak and tingly as it was; there was no way that she would be standing on her own for quite a while.
"Will! Will, I can't-"
"I've got you, sweetheart. I'm not letting go." He cooed softly. Vanny tensed as her feet touched down on the cold concrete. She didn't dare look down at the pools of blood she knew for certain were still there. Her purple claws sunk into the fur on his back slightly; not enough to penetrate through him, but tight enough to latch onto him.
With a small sideways step, William began to slowly slip out of the shed. Vanny trembled as he held onto her; it reminded her of how shaky and tense she was when she had attempted to roller skate when she was a child. She couldn't walk or run at the moment; she was completely defenseless, but William was no threat to her.
"W-What are we doing?" Vanny asked softly. William gave her a pleased hum as they made their way out into the yard. The moon was still in the sky, but the night was growing old.
The sun was threatening to rise, and purple hues filled the horizon.
"We're dancing." William hummed with a soft look in his eyes, even though Vanny couldn't see it from how she was clinging to him. There was a new sensation that Vanny felt upon hearing those words, and it took her a moment to realize that it was an involuntary movement.
Her tail was wagging, slowly but surely. Vanny relaxed a little as William loosened his grip on her just a little more. He wasn't going to drop her, but he was encouraging her to try and stand on her own two feet. Vanny pulled away from his shoulder where she was nuzzled to shake her head and gaze into his eyes with a sympathetic look
"I thought you-" Before she could finish, he cut her off.
"I'm an idiot," He growled out. Despite his unstable emotions, it sounded just like William; there wasn't a hint of robotic distortion in his voice. He stared back into her searing red eyes with a small wince.
"I'm sorry It took this for me to give in." He apologized with a shameful lowering of his ear.
"You're a stubborn asshole, you know…" Vanny muttered half-heartedly.
"I'm aware." With a quick movement, William pulled Vanny against his chest and moved further into the yard. Vanny lowered her head to rest against his chest as they swayed through the wet grass without a care in the world.
The two swayed and danced in the calm twilight, clinging to each other in silence.
It didn't take long before Vanny had gained some semblance of control over her legs, and William didn't have to hold her up quite as much. When she began to lose her balance, William was there to catch her. He would always be there to catch her.
Despite the fact that she had lied to him, he forgave her. She had given up her humanity to be with him forever, and he would never be put through losing someone he cared about ever again.
As the sky brightened, their movements became more and more akin to actual dancing rather than simple swaying and dragging of limp feet. Vanny was taking steps on her own, and even though she was clinging to William the entire time, she was in heaven.
The rabbits moved and twirled through the yard as the sunlight began to peek over the treeline.
Birds had begun to sing, and the crickets were falling silent.
William leaned down so that their noses touched, and he nuzzled her with a loud purr.
Vanny's arms wrapped around his neck, and both of their tails wagged in unison like excited puppies. Vanny lifted her floppy ears up and gazed into those beautiful eyes in front of her. The sunlight made his fur glow, and Vanny noticed her own blood that had stained that same fur that she had worked so hard to scrub clean. She gave him a soft smile and caressed his cheek with one of her paws. The bigger rabbit leaned into the touch affectionately and rubbed his cheek against her palm. Vanny let out a pleased hum and leaned forward to press her forehead against his own. The smaller rabbit wore a gentle smile as she spoke.
"You need another bath."
William let out a low chuckle as he leaned into her touch just a little more.
"And so do you."