A/N: FINALLY, my goddamn night shift is over! It feels so good to actually have this rare and valuable thing called "free time" for once in my goddamn life. Now that I actually have time, I can actually carry out this tiny little thing in stories known as "plot progression." I know, right? What a concept.

I had to go back and fix a slight continuity error in the first chapter of the Fear Factory mini-arc, where Melody didn't know about Nightmare even though she already knew about his existence from an earlier chapter. I fixed the dialogue to reflect that Melody DOES in fact know about Nightmare, it's just that neither she nor the Schmidt family are understandably comfortable about talking about him, especially outside of a private setting, telepathy be damned.

I know a few readers have been wanting this kind of chapter for a while (particularly ThePencilDude) so I hope it was worth the wait.

Chapter 201 – A New Year's Surprise

Spirits within the Schmidt household were high (if one pardoned the pun) as December reached its end and the dawn of the new year drew ever closer. The ghost kids had, more out of a morbid curiosity than anything else, decided to try their hand at that God of War game that Nightmarionne had "entertained" them with while Mike had been battling William Afton within the depths of his mind. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on the perspective, Mike had reviewed the God of War games first and had quickly vetoed the ghost kids from playing the Greek saga, recognizing that they were inappropriate for his kids for multiple reasons. The Norse saga, on the other hand, was much more kid-friendly (at least relatively speaking), and Mike had no problem with the kids experiencing Kratos' adventures from that point in the timeline given that the man himself was much more mature and much less bloodthirsty than his younger counterpart.

Even if the combat was completely different from what Nightmarionne had shown them…and the Wulver kill in particular was something straight out of their worst nightmares.

This was where the ghost kids had been after playing the game for several days nonstop, getting their asses handed to them by the bonus superboss Sigrun for more than an hour, when the doorbell to the house suddenly range. "Uh…are we expecting someone?" Susie asked as she glanced at Jeremy, clearly confused.

Her brother shook his head. "Not that I know," the former Bonnie inhabitant replied. "Dad didn't mention anything about the Marshalls or Melody visiting today."

Gabe frowned. "Then it's probably someone we don't know and we should probably go invisible mode," he advised, "at least until we know who it is."

"I'll go let Dad know," Liz offered. She flew up to Mike's study, where her dad was already in the process of leaving the room. "Hey, Dad? Did you hear the doorbell?"

"I did," Mike confirmed with a puzzled frown. "And I have no idea who that could be. Especially when it's 10 PM, nobody ever comes to visit that late."

A disturbing thought suddenly appeared in Liz's mind. "Wait…could this be someone who's trying to attack you?" she voiced nervously.

Mike frowned. "Can't dismiss the possibility entirely, to be honest," he admitted. "Why don't you guys stay invisible and close by? If whoever it is at the door tries to attack me, then you can ambush them right back?"

"Got it," Liz affirmed. She flew down to the rest of her brothers and sisters, informing them of the plan. Once they realized that the person outside could potentially be a threat, they immediately dropped what they were doing and got into position as Mike climbed down the stairs and approached the door.

Mike warily peered through the door peephole to see who was outside…and he let out a gasp of disbelief. "What the fuck?" he mumbled.

"Dad?" Cassidy's worried voice telepathically entered his head. "What's wrong?"

"There's a ghost outside," Mike replied. "Not a demon or anything. Just a normal ghost of some woman out there."

"HUH?" This time, it was multiple ghosts who let out expressions of disbelief. "Another ghost? We haven't seen one of those in ages!" Fritz exclaimed.

"Do you recognize who it is?" Charlie asked.

Mike frowned. "No, I don't. You can never be too careful…but she doesn't seem like a major threat. But get ready once I open the door, just in case."

"Right!" Gabe agreed, and the ghosts flew silent as Mike cautiously opened the door. The ghost of the woman made no move to attack or any other sudden movements as Mike opened the door wider and wider, causing him to relax a little but not completely. Now that the door was open, Mike could get a clearer view of the woman. She was a tall woman with dirty blonde hair and piercing green eyes wearing a dark blue dress, with a pearl necklace wrapped around her neck. Mike still hadn't ever seen her, before.

"Hello?" Mike addressed her in a cordial but guarded tone. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Good evening," the woman greeted him. Her voice was quite and solemn, with a distinct British accent that reminded Mike a bit of Liz's when she had first arrived at his house. "I was sent by Heaven to visit your house and speak with you and your family for a few moments. May I come in?"

"…one second," Mike replied. He took out his phone and began typing a message to Nightmare. "Hey, Nightmare?" he texted, providing a brief description of the ghostly woman to him. "Did you send any of your demons to visit my house tonight?"

It only took a few seconds for Nightmare to reply. "HELL NO, SCHMIDT," he texted back. "HEAVEN MIGHT'VE TRUSTED ME AND MY LIEUTENANTS ENOUGH TO WANDER THE EARTH, BUT THAT SURE AS HELL DOESN'T APPLY TO THE REST OF MY FAMILY OR MOST DEMONS OF HELL IN GENERAL. AND NIGHTMARE CHICA DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT IN HER HUMAN FORM ANYWAY. WHOEVER THE HELL THAT IS, IT'S NOT ANY OF US."

"Not a Nightmare, then," Mike thought as he put his phone away. "You can come in, but no funny business," he warned. "We have ways of fighting back against supernatural enemies."

The woman smiled humorlessly as she floated into the house and Mike closed and locked the door behind her. "Oh, I'm well aware of that, Mr. Schmidt," she answered dryly. "Every kingdom of the afterlife knows how you thoroughly butchered my former husband…not that he didn't deserve the thorough humiliation and subsequent slaughter that you unleashed upon his soul."

It took a few seconds for Mike to process her words, but when the pieces clicked into place his jaw dropped open. "Wait…are you saying you're…?"

"My name is Clara Afton, Mr. Schmidt," Clara declared, her tone making it clear that she took no pleasure in that last name whatsoever. "In life, decades ago…I was William Afton's wife…and Elizabeth Afton's mother."

"WHAT?" All of the ghosts exclaimed, so shocked by this sudden introduction and revelation that they subconsciously released their invisibility, even the normally unflappable ones like Gabe and Charlie. "You're…you're…"

"My mother…" Liz finished, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared at Clara Afton in blank shock. "But…but…I don't remember you," she confessed, clearly distressed by this fact. "I feel like I should remember you…but I don't!"

Clara looked at her daughter and gave her a sad smile. "I wish I could say I was surprised, but that would be a lie," she lamented. "It's been several decades since the last time we've seen each other, Elizabeth. I passed a long, long time ago. My death happened even before yours at the hands of Circus Baby, or before my former husband revealed the sheer depths of his depravity. Back when we could have actually called ourselves a family," she chuckled humorlessly and with a hint of bitterness.

"Why don't we sit down?" Mike offered. "I think it'll be better for everyone if we settle down somewhere first to have this conversation instead of standing around awkwardly next to the front door."

Clara smiled at him. "That would be much appreciated, Mr. Schmidt," she gratefully replied. "Thank you."

Mike guided Clara and his kids over to his dining room, where each of them sat down on the chairs surrounding the large table. "Now that we've all gotten settled," Mike continued after they had all taken their seats, "I have to say, you being here has to be one of the biggest surprises I've come across over the past few years," he declared. "And this is coming from someone who's learned that the afterlife exists and has contact with a demon lord from Hell on a semi-regular basis over the past few years."

Clara shook her head. "To be quite honest with you, I was quite surprised when Heaven sent me down here today, rather than your own mother, Mr. Schmidt," she admitted. "I met her once, and she was quite the lovely woman. I suppose they decided that it was long past time for Elizabeth to reunite with the last missing member of her family, given that she has already reunited with her siblings." Nobody missed the fact that she hadn't bothered to mention her birth father as part of her family.

"My name is Liz," Liz interrupted her. The words were spoken politely, but with an edge in her voice. "I'm Liz Schmidt now. That's who I've been ever since I first came here, and that's who I'm always going to be."

The orange-haired ghost girl wasn't entirely sure what to make of Clara Afton. She seemed like a decent enough person, an impression supported by the fact that she had ended up in Heaven rather than Hell. And while she didn't have any strong reasons to accept Clara Afton as her mother, she didn't have any strong reasons not to accept her either. Well, apart from being absent for most of her life and afterlife, but Liz could hardly blame her for that given the strict regulations that God usually placed on souls passing on and staying in the afterlife.

Liz made a decision. "I can accept that you're my mother…as long as you can accept the fact that Mike Schmidt is my new father…and that all the ghosts you see here are the family that matters to me more than anyone else," she declared to Clara, her tone making it abundantly clear that she would tolerate no argument. "If you aren't okay with that, then I don't need you in my life."

Clara didn't seem at all surprised or offended by Liz's ultimatum. If anything, she seemed relieved more than anything else. Mike could tell that Clara had been afraid that Liz would straight-up reject her the way she had utterly rejected William Afton…a fear that appeared to have been unfounded so long as she gave the right answer.

"I don't have a problem with that…Liz," Clara replied, not showing any hesitation except for the new name that Liz had given herself. She sighed. "They've certainly been more of a family to you than I have…and the less said about…William…the better."

Liz nodded. "Good thing you didn't call him my dad…because there is no way in Hell William Afton will ever be my dad ever again."

"Why'd you even marry that guy to begin with?" Fritz suddenly blurted out, interrupting the quasi-tender moment between Liz and her mother. "The guy's a total jackass and a complete psychopath!"

"Fritz!" Charlie scolded. "Is this REALLY the right time?"

"Oh, come on!" Fritz shot back, completely unapologetic. "You know I have a point!"

"I do have to admit, your new brother isn't wrong to question why I ever married a man like William Afton in the first place, considering the monster that he turned out to be," she acknowledged with a sigh. "But you have to understand that when I first married him, he did not display any of that cruelty, arrogance, and monstrous bloodthirst that would later define his entire being."

"Oh?" Mike raised an eyebrow. "You mean there wasn't a time when William Afton was a raging, murderous, psychopathic piece of shit?" The irony in his voice was so thick that Nightmare could have sliced it with his claws. "Do tell."

"Even now, I can't say whether my husband really was a better man in the distant past, or if he was simply incredibly skilled at hiding the worst parts of his character behind a mask of sanity," Clara admitted. "But I was completely oblivious to the dark and terrible nature of the man who I married."

"What WAS he like to you back then, Mom?" Liz asked, curious to know despite himself. "Because he treated us like actual garbage. ALL of us."

"I know," Clara acknowledged with a scowl, "and had I known what he would have done in the future, I would have thrown his marriage proposal back in his face." She sighed. "But William showed none of that to me when we were married. He was…quite charming, to be honest, and he doted on me quite a lot. He would buy extravagant gifts for me to win my hand, and he promised me that I would want for nothing. I didn't have the best relationship with my parents back then, and William emphasized with that struggle. He told me he knew what it was like to have less-than-ideal parents, and he promised that he would be the only person in my life that I would ever need. It took a few months, but he won me over with his charisma and his promises." A faint smile appeared on Clara's face and her eyes glazed with a distant look, as though she were reminiscing of happier times.

"Funnily enough, I actually do think William was telling the truth, at least about the whole shitty parent part," Mike acknowledged, reflecting on the words that the manifestation of his darkness had thrown upon William in that one Ultimate Custom Night session before torturing him. "I wouldn't ask us how we know that, though, because I guarantee you won't like the answer."

"Did he actually keep those promises, though?" Gabe wondered. "Or was it all, as Dad would say, a bunch of bullshit?"

"He didn't abuse you, did he?" Charlie asked worriedly. "Given his extremely horrible track record with his children, I'd be REALLY afraid for anyone who's a part of his family."

"William didn't abuse me," Clara quickly reassured her. "I was never subjected to the same horrors that both you and my children were. And at first, William honestly did act like the loving husband like he promised that he would. I had no reason whatsoever to suspect that he was a violent and bloodthirsty psychopath." Her lips twisted into a frown. "But even though I couldn't fathom the depths of his darkness, there were some cracks that started to appear."

"What kind of cracks?" Susie asked.

"After a few months, William started becoming more…distant," Clara answered, her voice growing a bit heavier with the memory. "He started paying less attention to me, instead focusing more on the animatronics and the pizzeria that he was planning on creating alongside Henry. I didn't think anything of it at the time, as William had told me in advance of our wedding that he was getting close to finishing the creation of the pizzeria and that he would need to spend some time focusing all of his attention on it. But even after the pizzeria was opened and placed on stable ground, William continued to focus more of his attention on Fredbear's Family Diner, and less on me. I must admit, there were multiple moments in my life when I questioned whether or not I had actually made the right choice to marry William Afton."

"What do you mean by moments?" Cassidy wondered.

"More than a few times, we got into arguments over William's frequent prioritization of Fredbear's Family Diner over myself, his own wife," Clara explained. "Some of those arguments ended with William accusing me of being selfish and trying to hog his attention from his life's work while I would call him obsessed with that very work, although we would apologize to each other after a few days at most. Other times, our arguments would end rather agreeably, with us promising to spend more time with each other. He actually would live up to that promise for a few weeks, spending more time with me like he agreed, but eventually he would be drawn back to obsessing over Fredbear's Family Diner, and the cycle would begin again." She shook her head. "I can't say in good faith that I was straight-up neglected, though. William at the very least cared for my basic needs, even during our more tense moments."

Fritz snorted. "I'm just shocked that William Afton actually gave a shit about something that wasn't himself, Remnant, or murdering a bunch of kids," he deadpanned.

"I mean, the way he treated Mrs. Afton still isn't exactly amazing, but it's a hell of a lot better than how he treats literally ANYONE else," Jeremy agreed.

"How did he treat his kids back then?" Gabe asked. "Cause what WE saw was absolutely horrible."

Clara thought silently for a few seconds as she tried to come up with an answer. "To be honest…Gabe, I believe?" The former Freddy inhabitant nodded, slightly surprised that the Afton mother actually knew his name to begin with. "William's treatment of Michael and Elizabeth might not have been exemplary, but it wasn't outright abusive either. In fact, it was not all that different from how he treated me. Somewhat distant from them due to getting all caught up in his work, but he did seem to care about them from what I could tell, even if he paid a little more attention to Elizabeth than he did to Michael." Her face turned downcast and she sighed. "But I wasn't around to see how William to care of our children after Evan's birth…for the simple reason that I died giving birth to Evan."

Everyone gasped in horror, even Liz. "Oh my God…" Susie breathed.

"I'm so, so sorry to hear that," Cassidy murmured sympathetically.

"Fuck," Mike cursed, "I've seen and heard this story before. The mom dies giving birth to a kid, and the family blames the kid and treats them like shit all throughout their life because of it. Happens all the goddamn time in stories, and it's depressingly common in real life too."

"Is THAT why William Afton let Evan die after he got his head nearly bitten off by Fredbear?" Gabe couldn't help but wonder. "Because he blamed him for his mom dying?"

Fritz snorted. "Who the hell even knows," he retorted. "It's just as likely that William Afton simply didn't give enough of a shit to take care of Evan after he got part of his head nearly bitten off, and his mom dying didn't even matter. Hell, Evan even said as much when he showed up to save us from Nightmare Springtrap."

Clara sighed. "And that truly is the question, isn't it," she murmured. "Whether my former husband possessed even the faintest capability of decency and love when I first married him, and those slivers died along with the end of my life. Or whether he was always a monster from the start, and was simply extremely skilled at hiding it from me and our children until after my death."

Charlie shook her head. "Does it even matter in the current day?" The former Marionette had to ask. "Maybe William Afton did have SOME potential to be a functioning human being at one point in his life. But that potential, if it even existed to begin with, died a long, LONG time ago. William Afton as he exists now is a monster without any redeeming qualities, plain and simple. He not only continued to sink lower and lower into the depths of depravity, but he revels in being as cruel, as sadistic, and as petty as possible. I'm sorry to hammer in a harsh truth to you, but THAT'S who your husband has become…and who he will always be."

"I couldn't have said it better than Charlie," Mike agreed with a scowl. "The last time we saw William Afton personally, he was in a demonic form of the animatronic he'd turned into, going out of his way to be a vicious, violent bastard. He tried to attack my kids, he tried to attack YOUR kids when they showed up to protect us, and he tried to invade my mind just so he could attack my very soul and leave me a vegetable who'd take years to recover. There is no redemption for a bastard like him, not just because of how evil he is, but because he has NO desire to ever change or better himself like any of my kids have."

"I know," Clara admitted, her tone filled with what could only be described as resigned acceptance. "I know, and you're right. William became a monster, and deserves to suffer eternally for all the horrible crimes he's committed and the complete lack of remorse he's shown for them. Intellectually, I not only understand but agree with all of this." Her voice wavered slightly. "It's just that…even as I enjoy eternity in Heaven, I can't help but sometimes think about William being tortured in Hell. I know about Nightmare, and the sheer hatred the demon lord has for my husband. There are whispers, even in Heaven, that at times William's torments are so brutal, and his screams are so loud that all of Hell can hear them. And whenever I think about that…I can't help but feel so very sad at the fate that's fallen upon him. The idea of suffering horrific tortures for the rest of eternity, without any hope of rest or reprieve…despite everything, I lament the fate that's fallen upon him." She confessed.

"I don't," Mike replied bluntly. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Afton, but I don't have the same sympathy. Not after William Afton's done to my kids, and still tried to do to them and to me even after his death. He's getting what he deserved, as far as I'm concerned. And while I made a promise to myself and my kids that I'm not gonna go out of my way to make him suffer anymore, I'm not going to shed a single tear for him either."

The ghosts looked a bit more conflicted, however. Some of them, like Fritz, seemed to take the same stance as their father, looking completely unconcerned with the idea of William Afton suffering horrible damnation for all eternity. Others, like Charlie and Susie…while sympathy might've been too much of a stretch to describe their feelings, they at the very least looked noticeably uneasy as the full implications of what it meant to be eternally damned sank into their minds. Liz, notably, looked like she had absolutely no idea what to think…which given her extensive history with William Afton, was something that the others could easily understand. Nobody said a word, though, as they didn't want to accidentally cause an argument to break out against either Mrs. Afton or the rest of their family.

"I understand, Mr. Schmidt," Clara acknowledged after several seconds of silence. "And I would not ask you to change your perspective on my husband's torment. I am ready to admit that if I were in your shoes, I would very likely have a similar perspective to yours." She sighed. "I merely wished to share this with you, as I've had nobody I could really talk to about this outside for a very long time. Only Michael and Evan know the true depths of my thoughts on their father, and neither of them are keen on having this kind of discussion with me at length. Liz, at the very least, deserved to know that William Afton, monstrous as he is now, wasn't always like this."

"I actually don't mind you bringing this up," Mike replied thoughtfully. "It's thought-provoking stuff, if nothing else. The question of whether William Afton was always a sociopathic, bloodthirsty piece of shit from Day 1…or whether he could actually qualify as a human at some point, a long, long time ago. Maybe he did have some good qualities all the way back then, who can say?" He shook his head. "But as interesting as this question is, it doesn't really matter all that much now, does it?"

"Is it because Afton as he is now's a murderous bastard who's killed a whole bunch of kids and fucked up his own family?" Fritz asked dryly.

"Not even that," Mike responded in the negative, slightly surprising both his kids and Mrs. Afton. "It's because he completely shows no willingness to change or improve himself whatsoever. It's funny we were playing God of War just now, because Kratos actually provides a perfect example of what William Afton isn't." He gestured toward the currently off gaming console where they had been playing the first game of the Norse series only moments before. "Kratos might be one of the most badass warriors in the entire game, but towards the end of the Greek games he was a completely violent, selfish, cruel asshole completely consumed by his desire for vengeance against the Greek gods. And you can say what you want about the many crimes of William Afton, but Afton never literally ended the world because he was consumed by his flaws."

"Not yet, anyway," Charlie muttered under her breath. She still shuddered whenever she thought about the implications of what would happen if Remnant, the cornerstone of Afton's twisted research, ever became common knowledge, or worse, widely spread to the public. In that regard, Afton's extreme selfishness was ironically a blessing, as a person as self-obsessed as him would never share the secrets of immortality to his fellow man.

"But Kratos demonstrates the one quality that William Afton never will, and that's a willingness to change and better himself," Mike concluded. "It's a long and imperfect process, and in a lot of ways Kratos' character development and improvement doesn't quite kick in until Ragnarok. But seeing the world destroyed after he killed Zeus, Kratos realized just how much his vengeance cost him, and how empty it really was. He makes it clear in the Norse games that he regrets his mistakes and his flaws, and a lot of his character development in the Norse saga focuses around making sure that his son Atreus doesn't make the same mistakes that he does, that Atreus becomes a better man than Kratos had been." He scoffed. "Meanwhile, not only William Afton show NO desire to change or better himself whatsoever, but he tried to drag Liz down to the level of the same kind of monster he was. That's the reason why William Afton will never redeem himself," his face darkened, "and that's the reason why he'll never gain any sympathy from me."

"Dad said it perfectly!" Cassidy agreed with a scowl. "He's getting what he deserved!"

Clara bowed her head ever so slightly in acceptance. "I understand why you would feel this way about my husband, Mr. Schmidt. And I do want to emphasize that I do not for one second condone any of his behavior since my death. On a fundamental and intellectual level, I completely agree with everything you said. But I do have some small amount of pity for him if only because of what has befallen of him."

"I get why you feel that way, Mom," Liz commented. "And part of me really does hope that at some point, William Afton WAS a better person in the past. What you told me about him just now really isn't all that great, but it's still a thousand times better than what he became in the end." Her face took on a determined look and her voice noticeably hardened. "But my new family is what matters to me now. If he ever comes back, no matter how or why, I'll beat him down with my claw just like he deserves!"

Clara smiled at her daughter. "You've grown so much since you were freed from that mechanical abomination William created, Liz. For what little it's worth, I do feel proud of you, and I know your new family does too."

"Hell yeah we do!" Fritz cheered. "Liz's been great!"

"The family wouldn't be complete without her," Gabe fervently agreed. "I wouldn't trade her for anyone else."

Liz smiled over at her family, with faint tears in her eyes. "Thanks, guys…" she wiped them away as her smile grew further. "I don't know what I'd do without you either."

"Liz's broken clear of any loyalty she might've had towards William Afton in the past," Mike commented with a fond grin at Liz, "and that's only done good things for her especially once she showed up at my door. But here's my question for you, Mrs. Afton," his gaze shifted over to her mother, and his tone suddenly became much more businesslike. "Why ARE you actually here?"

"Hmm?" Clara looked up, mildly surprised by the sudden shift in Mike's tone.

"We've had quite a few ghosts and demons visit this house over the past few years," Mike elaborated. "Now, a few times, it's Nightmare's brother Nightmarionne showing up in my dreams for shits and giggles. But the vast majority of the time, whether it's Nightmare or a deceased family member of one of my kids, they never show up here solely for a social call. There's always a specific reason or purpose that they show up, usually to take care of some kind of important business. Both sides of the afterlife have made it clear abundantly that Heaven rarely ever allows supernatural interference in people's lives under normal circumstances. So as pleasant as your visit has been, Mrs. Afton, I highly doubt you showed up at my doorstep just to reconnect with Liz and talk about your shithead of a husband."

Clara chuckled. "They told me that you had a sharp mind and that not many things pass your notice, Mr. Schmidt," she commented dryly, "and they certainly were not wrong. You are correct, Mr. Schmidt. The main reason why I'm here is because I'm on official business from Heaven."

"This is about Glitchtrap, isn't it, mom?" Liz asked knowingly. "He's the problem we've gotta deal with now."

Clara smiled at her daughter. "Indeed, Liz," she confirmed. "Fazbear Entertainment's Mega Pizzaplex will be opening soon, and once it does, you and your family's final and greatest confrontation with Glitchtrap will not be far behind. Nightmare gave his report about Glitchtrap to Lord Consequences some time ago, and he to Heaven soon after that. Their reports made it abundantly clear that Glitchtrap is an abomination, a corrupted amalgamation of tainted soul and virus-like programming. He was able to corrupt his poor victim's being so thoroughly that his control over her is all but absolute, or at the very least her mind has been weakened so thoroughly that it will be practically impossible for her to break free without external assistance." Her gaze and voice hardened with determination as solid as steel. "I've been sent here to ensure that the same doesn't happen to you."

"Wait, you mean like Dad's Anathema Curse thing?" Jeremy asked.

"Not nearly as virulent as Nightmare's gift for your father," Clara answered with a slight frown, "but the fundamental principle is the same. Heaven has sent me to your home tonight so that it can channel power through me to bestow a divine blessing upon all of you. This blessing will ensure that Glitchtrap cannot touch you, and that you will be immune to his corruption," she explained. "You've already suffered enough at William's hands, and while you may face arduous trials to come, God has seen fit to ensure that at the very least you will be safe from the absolute worst-case scenario of Glitchtrap getting his claws on your spirits, infecting you and driving you to madness. Unless you refuse this blessing, neither He nor I will allow that to happen."

"Are you kidding?" Susie exclaimed. "Of course we're going to accept! I don't want to be corrupted by Glitchtrap!"

"We'd have to be complete morons to refuse," Gabe agreed.

"The more tools we can bring to our upcoming fight against Glitchtrap, the better," Charlie perfectly summarized what all of her siblings were thinking. "So how does this work?"

"Stand in front of me and I will place my hands on your shoulders," Clara instructed. "Heaven will channel its power through me to give you its blessing, and you will be protected from Glitchtrap from this point forward. But be warned," she added sternly, "this blessing will ONLY protect you from Glitchtrap himself. Do not expect it to be a magical solution to all your problems or any threats Glitchtrap sends at you indirectly, or you will be sorely disappointed."

The kids thought back to the injuries Toy Bonnie had inflicted on Mike so long ago, and how Nightmare's Anathema Curse had done absolutely nothing to protect their father from the rampaging animatronic. "We won't make that mistake," Jeremy promised.

Clara smiled. "Then come forward and let me give you Heaven's blessing," she invited.

The ghosts looked at each other uncertainly, wondering who should be the first to approach Clara. In the end, it was Liz who decided to take the first step and she floated towards her mother, stopping when she was right in front of her. Clara's smile widened ever so slightly as she realized that her daughter was the first out of the ghosts to choose to trust her, and she gently placed her hands on Liz's shoulder. Immediately, felt Liz a power flow from her mother to her spiritual body, a power that she instinctively knew was not something that Clara Afton would ever be capable of by herself. The energy that flowed from Clara's hands into her felt warm and comforting, yet powerful in a way that was vaguely similar to the energy coming from Mike's mother when she had healed her of her wounds from the battle against Nightmare Springtrap. For several seconds, Liz felt the power coming from her mother's hands course through her entire body, making her feel stronger and more vitalized in a subtle but still noticeable way. After several seconds, Clara withdrew her hands and the flow of power ceased. Liz could feel the divine energy given to her by her mother settle into her soul, and understood without knowing how that it was a new part of her that would last until the end of time.

"How're you feeling, Liz?" Mike asked with a touch of concern.

"I feel…good. Great, even," she replied with a giggle. "So that's what heavenly power feels like…"

"I'll go next!" Fritz volunteered. Liz moved to the side to give her brother a turn, and for the next few minutes, Clara would spend several seconds with each of the ghost kids, imbuing them with the same divine energy that she had given to Liz. Heavenly power that would ensure that, whatever happened in the future, they would be safe from the corruption of Glitchtrap's abominable essence. The procession reminded Mike a bit of a Paladin's "Lay on Hands" ability, a classic healing power associated with the champions of light and goodness from his tabletop games. Mike could only twitch his lips in amusement of what his old college friends would say if they ever learned that he had witnessed a "Lay on Hands'-esque event personally.

Once Clara withdrew her hands from Charlie, the last ghost to receive her gift, she got up from the chair. "I'm afraid I must be going now," she regretfully declared. "As you may have guess, my time on Earth is limited. Heaven may have been willing to grant me an extra few moments to speak about my husband, but now that my business is concluded I can already feel them calling me back to the afterlife."

"Thank you for taking the time to give us Heaven's blessing," Charlie replied appreciatively. "I hope we never have to come into direct contact with Glitchtrap, but if that situation ever does come up I'm grateful that we're protected from his corruption now."

"I was honestly worried that this kind of thing could possibly happen in the future," Mike admitted. "Knowing that they're protected like I am now is a huge load off my chest." He gave a nod of approval and respect towards Clara. "Thank you for taking the time to come here."

"It has been a pleasure to meet you and your family, Mr. Schmidt," Clara replied politely, "even if I do not believe our paths will cross again before you and your family finally pass on into the afterlife properly. I wish you good luck and success in your upcoming conflict against William, or rather that creature that a fragment of his soul has become."

Liz's mother got up from her chair, but a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Liz…if it's all right with you, would you mind if I give you one final hug?" She requested. "I know I haven't been present in your life for years because of my death, but I would dearly love to give my child just one final hug before we are forced to part ways. In remembrance of older and better times."

The words were spoken in a calm and collected tone, but everyone could see just how much Clara wanted to give her daughter this last hug. Liz glanced over at Mike, who merely nodded and tilted his head encouragingly towards Clara. That was all the assurance Liz seemingly needed, as she slowly approached Clara and the two Afton ghosts wrapped their arms around each other in a hug. Clara held on tightly to the daughter that she hadn't seen for decades, while Liz's grasp was much more tentative, demonstrating a lingering uncertainty over whether or not she fully accepted the woman (who after decades of separation was little better than a stranger) in front of her as her mother.

After a period of time that seemed to last both an eternity and no time at all, the two broke the hug and withdrew their arms from each other. "Thank you, Liz," Clara addressed her daughter, her voice filled with gratitude and relief. "I can return to Heaven knowing that my daughter is in good hands and that I've spent tonight well, in every way that matters."

Liz smiled back at her. "Have fun back in Heaven, mom," she replied. "If you see Mikey or Evan, tell them I said hi!"

"I will," Clara promised. Her entire body started to glow with a brilliant white light, causing everyone to shield their eyes. "I have one last warning from Heaven to you all before I depart," she suddenly remembered. "Do not depend too much upon your father for victory, children. For in your upcoming battle against Glitchtrap, he may not be able to help you as much as you would hope."

There was a flash that blinded them for a few seconds, and when the ghost kids looked back, the woman was gone. There was little doubt in anyone's mind that she had been brought back to Heaven, and that they wouldn't be seeing her again anytime soon.

"…well…" Jeremy finally broke the silence, "if you asked me a few hours ago how I'd be spending my night tonight, talking with Liz's mother wouldn't have been anywhere near the top 5 things on my list."

"I liked her, though," Susie commented. "She seemed nice enough. And I'm really glad to have that protection." She shuddered. "I don't want to know what would happen if Glitchtrap tried to infect my soul without it."

"What did Mom mean when she said that Dad wouldn't be able to help us as much as we'd like him to?" Liz asked with a hint of worry in her tone.

"Shoot, that's a good question," Gabe mumbled. "Dad's been a big reason why we've been able to help out against Fazbear Entertainment as much as we have."

"I don't know," Mike admitted. "But I'm even more glad that you have that holy protection against Glitchtrap now, because it sounds like you guys might be taking center stage in the fight against him soon."

"Is there any way for us to even prepare against that?" Charlie asked, addressing the elephant in the room. "We saw the basic building structure of the Pizzaplex, but who knows what it's gonna look like when it's finished?"

Mike stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That's still something I'm gonna have to figure out for later." He acknowledged, before suddenly grinning. "But hey, it's good to have some mysteries solved, right? I've been wondering in the back of my mind for the longest time what the hell happened to Mrs. Afton, where she fell into the history of the Afton family, and what she'd have thought about all of this."

"How the hell does any of that help us deal with Glitchtrap, though?" Fritz asked.

Mike shrugged. "It doesn't," he freely admitted. "But hey, it feels good to finally get answers to some questions for once."

/

A/N: A lot of people wanted me to write a chapter about William Afton's wife, so here you go. I chose her first name Clara based on the Vlad and Clara series in FNaF Sister Location, even though I'm not sure how much relevance that TV show actually has to the canonical lore. Besides, Clara sounds like a fancy British name, which fits with the British Afton family anyway, so there you go.

And hey, it turns out there actually WAS a time at one point in the distant past where William Afton wasn't a completely monstrous, violent, and sociopathic piece of shit. He actually DID seem to function as a human being (at least outwardly), and while he might not have been a great family man, it doesn't sound like he was a completely horrible one back then either. This all depends on whether you think he did have some humanizing qualities a long time ago, or if he was still a sociopath and just better at hiding it. And of course, all of this applies only to William Afton in the past. William Afton in the present is a monster through and through, suffering the eternal damnation that he rightfully deserves.

I wanted to paint a contrasting picture of William Afton from both Clara Afton and Mike Schmidt, while giving both perspectives proper respect and not labelling either one as fundamentally wrong (even though you can probably guess which perspective I lean towards). Whether you think one or both of them are right, and by how much, is entirely dependent on each individual reader.

And finally, Clara's given each of the ghost kids some divine protection against Glitchtrap. It obviously isn't going to be as powerful as Mike's Anathema Curse, so they're not going to get a free and instant win against Glitchtrap just by touching him and sending him into hideous agony like Mike did. But they can't be harmed or corrupted by Glitchtrap anymore either, so that worst-case scenario is now off the table.

Mike certainly has a bit of a challenge ahead of him, as he's gonna need to find a way to teach his kids how to deal with Glitchtrap without his (at the very least direct) involvement, if Clara's words are true (and let's be real, he has no real reason to doubt her and several to believe her). How he addresses this problem, though? That's for a different chapter.

Anyways, that's all I have for now. Hope you guys enjoyed my take on Clara Afton, a fundamentally decent person who still has some lingering care for William despite all the horrible shit he's done.