(I own nothing except plot.)
So what really did happen the night Trudy was murdered?
Trudy was sleepless and she went to check her emails. She was hoping for a certain email.
She heard soft tapping on her window and went to check. The window smashed and a shard or two of glass hit her.
She winced, pulling them free. Through the gap in the window, a cloaked person with Latex gloves on jumped in and grabbed her.
Trudy made a jump for it, straight onto her bed, which the cloaked person yanked her off.
The person swept her things off her desk, to scare her some more and she was trying futilely to grab her mobile.
When she did, she realised it'd been smashed.
Her computer was broken, too. The person pulled her wardrobe over, narrowly missing her, then they violently dragged her out.
They dragged her to an alley, her mouth covered so that she couldn't scream for help.
The person gagged her and threw her violently to the ground.
Winded, she started edging backwards. The person hit her head against the wall, hard enough to stop her, but not hard enough to knock her out.
They grabbed her legs, to prevent her running. The person was strong and lifted her easily. They smashed her violently against a skip, not caring one bit about what they were doing.
She whimpered in pain, gasping for air. She hated this person more than anyone else. Even Vera.
The person dropped her onto her back, hurting her some more.
Then they laughed at her. "You stupid woman, you should know better than to put up a fight. Shouldn't you?"
She groaned, hurting when she breathed.
"Well, Trudy, as much as people hate you, you've got to go, haven't you? I mean... I never touched you during the summer you were pregnant with that horrible baby. And you still have to tell Jasper. It's a shame. When he meets that disgusting child he made with you, he won't have you to explain it."
Trudy spoke through her gag "My child is a child of beauty and wonder, as warm as the sun she was born under. And you, you heartless piece of stone, deserve throwing off the highest cliff into the deepest ravine, head-first, for saying those cruel words about such an innocent and beautiful child."
"Hmm, I always perceived you as a kind person. Not someone who thought of murder." The person told her.
"I don't usually. Only when the person I am threatening is insulting my baby." Trudy snapped through the gag.
A flash of silver and a knife landed in the space between her ribs and her arm.
"You don't have fantastic aim, do you?" Trudy asked, amused.
"You aren't in much of a position to make comments like that when you are in danger of being killed at any moment." The person retorted.
And just to prove it, they stabbed her in the stomach. She gasped in pain, feeling weaker at the sight of the blood.
"Goodness me... I'm glad I'm not still pregnant." She gasped, flopping down in pain.
The person repeated the stabbing, before they punched her face in, hurting her more.
Trudy almost cried. She knew she wouldn't have much longer. She said "Well, as I'm going to die before I have any ability to tell someone, could you tell me your name?"
The person laughed. "Didn't you know my voice, Trudy?" The person threw back her hood and she revealed herself to be...
"Vera?" Trudy asked, completely amazed. "I never really thanked you for taking care of my precious, beautiful students. I'd have appreciated you not being horrid about my child, but I am grateful to you. Why did you do this?"
"Obvious, isn't it? I couldn't have someone perfect living in Anubis house, working so close to my Victor. I couldn't let someone perfect be happily married to the one she loves, with her baby there too. I couldn't have it if you had a child, I've seen you glowing when you looked at her. I hate seeing you happy."
"So you decided to kill me and make it all better? Think of how young my daughter is. She's only four months old. How would you feel if your mother was cruelly taken from you in cold blood by some woman who had never liked her? I mean, I'll die anyway, that's assured, but my baby? She's never met her daddy. Who knows what'll happen when she's left alone?"
Vera grinned. "Your brat'll die too. Bonus points. Besides, Jasper never truly loved you. He would have married you before he made you have his child if he loved you."
Trudy shrugged. "Say what you like, I'll believe what he told me and proved to me. I just hope my Jasper will find his baby before her first birthday."
Vera smiled and crouched on top of Trudy, then she gently cupped her face.
"Listen to me. That man never loved you. He doesn't want his brat. If he did, he would have stayed to see if you were pregnant, if you'd marry him and raise your kid with him." Vera told her, before she slapped both of Trudy's cheeks.
Trudy felt like crying. "I told him, before anything had ever happened between us, I always thought you seemed like a better girlfriend for him. I suppose you'd have enjoyed it, taking the man I loved from me. Why you couldn't just have had me live with the torture of seeing the man I love married to another woman, I don't know. But I'd be proud that he'd be happy. That's all I've ever wanted. For everyone. Even you."
Vera looked confused. "What?"
"I said I only ever want everyone in this world to be happy, smiling. I wanted to see world peace, no more arguments, or murder. It would have been lovely to roam free and see everyone in the world smiling happily. Never to see sadness or hurt. To fund research and beat cancer and other fatal illnesses. I wouldn't have minded if Jasper chose you over me. It'd have been fine. It would have made him happy."
Trudy looked distant and sad now. Vera felt the slightest bit of guilt at the sight of the disappointed woman.
She looked up at the blonde, her brown eyes warm and compassionate. "You may as well just do the job. I'm going anyway."
Vera left her. Trudy stood, pain shooting through every bone in her body. She staggered through the alley, looking for help. She screamed for someone to help her, before she fell to her knees and collapsed.
She crawled on, before she had to lie on her back again.
Ade Rutter went to her rescue and had her to a hospital. That's where she spoke her final words and died.
One year later, Jasper was watching Summer as she learned to walk. He was so proud of the tiny child. He felt a presence, cold, yet filled with warmth and happiness and pride.
He adored his daughter, often thinking she was a replica of her mother.
The tiny baby toddled closer to him before falling and scraping her face on the table.
Jasper picked up his sixteen month old daughter and kissed her until she felt better. The presence of the woman had told him what had happened to her that night and Vera had been arrested on the charge of murder.
The baby sat on her father's lap and said "Dada, why Mama never talk to us?"
Jasper winced, then replied "She's not really with us anymore, petal. She loves you very much and summer is her favourite season. Because you were born in summer and that's your name. She adores you, baby."
"Me know, Dada. Mama wuv you, too. She tell me evewy night. She say you'd a best man she ever met and you'd a best dada in world." Summer babbled.
Trudy nodded beside him and Jasper smiled. "Your mummy was a beautiful and precious woman, the best mother any sweet child like you could want. She spoiled you, forever giving you special treats."
"I see her bear Dada! She pwetty, wike you say! Me wuv Mama an Dada." The tiny baby cooed, before she jumped to the floor. "Me twy walk gen!"
She tried again, ending up falling and getting up again.
Jasper knew that he always would have the woman he truly loved there.