Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Vongrak.
Taylor POV.
I stopped in the dining room doorway and my gaze immediately went to… Annette. Her hair was easily recognizable; it was the same as mine when I let my braid down, though I couldn't help but notice how unkempt it was. She seemed to be glancing nervously from side to side as she squirmed uncomfortably. I could almost see myself, two years ago, squirming the same way in Winslow.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before finally entering the dining room. I wasn't wearing my mask, but I was still in my full costume, including my haori, which was easily recognizable and drew attention. I managed to ignore the stares of the other people and smiled nervously at a few who greeted me. Annette still hadn't noticed me; she was looking at another entrance.
I approached her and cleared my throat. Annette jumped and turned to look at me; her eyes widened as she recognized me, and she stood up abruptly.
"T- Taylor !" Annette exclaimed breathlessly. I looked at her closely. The first time I'd seen her in… almost two years. The last time I'd seen her in person had been at the airport, when she, Danny, and Zoe watched me board the plane to Japan. It felt like a lifetime. And… maybe it had been, after all, so much had happened in Japan.
Even so, I stared at her and couldn't help but compare her to the image I remembered. She had aged more than I expected in less than two years, or perhaps it was a combination of different things. She was thinner, much thinner than I remembered. My lanky figure I had inherited from Danny. Annette was thin, but not as thin as us, but now, she was approaching our figure, or even thinner.
Her fingers were barely skin over bone, and her cheeks were slightly sunken. She looked as if she hadn't slept in months; the dark circles under her eyes were terribly deep, eyes that looked utterly tired and exhausted, though now they seemed to hold a spark of something.
And that was just the first thing that was noticeable at first glance; there were small things here and there that also worsened the sight, like how I could see her lips were slightly dry and cut in some places and much more; basically, she had completely neglected herself.
"Let's go somewhere private," I said softly. Annette looked at me, surprised but hopeful. I closed my eyes before turning around and starting to walk away. I could see Annette out of the corner of my eye grab her things and immediately start following me.
I had to remind myself several times to slow down; my body felt like it was about to run and escape at any moment. I turned and walked through the corridors of the PRT headquarters to one of the interrogation rooms.
I opened the door and let Annette in. She looked all around her and seemed to realize the room's original use.
"We'll have some privacy here; no one will be using these rooms for the time being," I said gently, nodding to the chair at the side of the table. Annette nodded and placed her things on the table. One was a backpack, and the other a box wrapped carefully in cloth.
I sat down silently across from her, the table between us. We both remained silent. I could see Annette squirm and bite her lip uncertainly. I almost looked at her like a stranger. She had never had trouble with words. She was an English professor at the university; I had listened to her lectures, her speeches—the words came easily to her. Seeing her so…uncomfortable finding the words was almost disconcerting.
"I... made breakfast." Annette said loudly as she gripped the cloth-wrapped box tightly. I blinked as I watched her struggle with trembling fingers to untie the knots she'd made, only to fail several times before finally succeeding. I didn't intervene, I just... watched as she timidly unwrapped the cloth, revealing a bento box large enough for two people.
I blinked in confusion once more. The food… it was Japanese food, but it was obvious from a mile away that it had been made by someone who wasn't used to cooking Japanese food. After more than a year of eating Izumi's and Lunch Rush's food, it was easily visible.
Some parts were undercooked, burnt, or the presentation and arrangement of the food were flawed. It wasn't something I would have even noticed if Izumi hadn't casually mentioned it while cooking.
A traditional bento box followed the classic 4-3-2-1 rule: 4 parts rice, 3 parts protein, 2 parts vegetables, and 1 part pickles. Edible leaves or separators were also frequently used to keep the flavors separate and prevent spoilage. Visual presentation was also important; there was a whole culture and art behind these little food boxes.
The bento that Annette had shown definitely hadn't been made by someone who knew those little details, although it did seem like she had tried.
"And I prepared it," Annette said shyly. I blinked slowly again before looking at Annette and sighing wearily.
"Why are you here?" I asked wearily. Annette shuddered slightly and lowered her hands.
"To... to talk?" Annette said uncertainly.
"You've been coming around for the last three weeks, with a breakfast box, just... to talk?" I asked incredulously. Annette grimaced before looking down.
"I don't deserve anything more," she murmured softly. I grimaced.
"No one gets what they deserve." I recited immediately before making a face. "If that were the case, I wouldn't even be here talking to you; you wouldn't even deserve this conversation." I said dryly.
"I know," Annette said gently. "Even so, I wanted to try," she said, almost decisively.
"So we're back to square one. What do you want, Annette?" I asked wearily. She shuddered at the sound of my voice. I just narrowed my eyes. "I thought everything was clear. You didn't want anything to do with me. I learned from that and fulfilled your wishes. I didn't want anything to do with you," I said firmly. Annette shuddered even more.
"No, no, no." Annette shook her head several times, almost desperately. "Of course I wanted to be with you! You're my daughter! " Annette said quickly, and I glared at her.
"No, not anymore, my mother is a different person now." I said firmly. Annette froze and before she seemed to wither away.
"Iori Miyamura," Annette said bitterly, and I shivered slightly.
"Yes, Iori, my mother." I said firmly. Annette shuddered slightly. "Is there a problem?" I asked defensively. Annette looked down at the table and closed her eyes.
"No," she said tremulously. "None," she said, taking a deep breath, as if trying to hold back tears.
"Well, because she's MY mother," I said firmly. "She opened her home to me, let me live with her and Izumi when she found out about my situation, when I was alone in Japan, in a completely unfamiliar country, with no one to support me, after I was practically kicked out. And after that, she was there for me during the most important milestones of my life, just like a mother would be."
"She threw me a party for my 18th birthday and another when I got my GED. She got me my first job, was with me every step of the way, and taught me everything about her business. She taught me about taxes, taught me how to drive, and even offered to buy me a car, though I refused, and she still keeps trying. She taught me how to fix that damn coffee maker that broke down every month."
"I get involved in every decision about the house, even if it's something as trivial as repainting the living room. I even got involved when we tried to fix the washing machine for two hours only to end up completely soaked, and then Izumi came and fixed it in five minutes. She baked a cake to celebrate my getting into university. She's proud of me and loves me, and she tells me so every chance she gets, and I love her."
"SHE is MY mother." I said firmly, blinking rapidly as I tried to compose myself. I could see Annette tremble slightly.
"I know... I'm sorry," Annette stammered as she cried. "I'm so sorry," she moaned.
"No... just no." I closed my eyes tightly, trying to calm myself. "What do you want, Annette? I... Just what? You can't come now, not after everything that happened, and just say... I'm sorry. That doesn't solve anything," I said wearily. Annette trembled slightly; I could see her biting her lip hard.
"I know, I know, I know," Annette said, crying. "I... I just want to come back into your life, even though I know I don't deserve it," Annette said, trembling.
"Why?" I insisted again forcefully. "Why now? Is it because the truth about Emma has finally come out? Is that why she ran away ? Am I just a replacement? Since I'm their only remaining daughter, do they want me to come back so we can be a happy family again? " I hissed with disgust.
"NO!" Annette said immediately, almost indignantly. "How—Emma has nothing to do with this," Annette said immediately.
"I find it hard to believe, when two years ago they believed her about me and sent me to another country." I said coldly. Annette shuddered violently and closed her eyes, then after a few long seconds she opened them sadly.
"I'm divorcing your dad —Danny," Annette said firmly. My eyes widened.
"What?" I asked stupidly in shock.
"I'm getting a divorce from Danny," Annette repeated, her right hand moving to her left, which she now noticed didn't have a ring on it, although she could see the mark on her finger where it had been for years.
"Is it... because of Emma?" I asked in shock. Annette groaned.
"For the love of—Emma has nothing to do with this!" Annette exclaimed. "Why do you keep bringing her into this conversation?" she asked, almost annoyed.
"It's always about Emma!" I couldn't help but exclaim loudly, startling Annette. Then I took a deep breath to calm myself before sighing. "It was always about Emma, or maybe not, I don't really know," I said wearily. "It was always about you all, especially you, always believing her, as if Emma's truth, as if her words were worth more, carried more weight, than mine... as if I didn't matter." I closed my eyes to calm myself slightly; I was finding it difficult to effectively push my emotions toward my insects.
"I'm sorry, I... I have no excuse for it," Annette said, almost devastated. I glared at her.
"I didn't want any excuses." I blurted out, and Annette nodded.
"Do you think Emma didn't manipulate us?" Annette asked gently. I looked at her, surprised. "Emma... she knew how to manipulate her parents, Danny, and Zoe. She was always good with words in a social way, even with me, especially since none of us had any reason to doubt her."
"I saw how... you were withering away in Winslow, but I didn't know what to do. Emma told me everything was fine, and then she told Danny and Zoe, and even though I was still worried about you, Danny and Zoe convinced me, they repeated Emma's words until I was finally convinced."
"They were my husband, she was my sister, I loved Emma like a daughter, I had no reason to doubt them, to question their words. I... I'm so sorry," Annette said, crying her eyes out.
"I said I didn't want excuses." I snapped, but Annette just shook her head.
"They're not excuses, I know it wouldn't matter, nothing I said could matter or be enough to apologize for everything that happened to you. I... I guess I just wanted to explain things." Annette said softly as she wiped her tears with the sleeve of her coat while tapping her glasses a few times.
"And that doesn't change anything," I said as I clenched my hands tightly; I could feel my nails digging into my skin.
"It doesn't," Annette said gently. "Even so... I wanted to try, I wanted to try to move on and try... to come back into your life, in whatever way you want me to, I wanted to try... even if I knew it would be useless or you told me I couldn't see you." Annette said as she looked me straight in the face.
"And that's why you're getting a divorce?" I asked with a grimace. Annette stopped and looked at her hand once more.
"Yes," she said simply. "I started the process over a month ago, before you even arrived in Brockton Bay." She said, and my eyes widened slightly. "I... I love Danny and Zoe. I don't think I could ever stop loving them, but I know enough to know that I had to separate myself from them if I wanted to have a chance with you and... and especially for myself."
"Zoe, she... still believes in Emma, even now that she's escaped with Sophia and they've joined the League of Villains, or wherever Emma is. She blames you for that. Danny... he's going through a rough time, he's constantly depressed, and he still can't choose a side. He tries to stay neutral, but... there just isn't a neutral side anymore."
"So I'm getting a divorce from them. I... I have a small apartment near the university, I'm staying there," Annette said. I looked at her in surprise.
"That…" I said, surprised. I… really wasn't expecting that. "What are… your plans now? You know I won't be going back to Brockton Bay. These internships, while enjoyable, were mandatory. I still have to finish university and complete my military service, and after that, I'll continue to stay in Japan with my husband." I said without hesitation. "And even if I did go back to Brockton Bay, the chances of us having a relationship are practically nonexistent. I… I can't see you the same way anymore, whether it was your fault or not, I just… can't, and… I'm not going to apologize for that." I told Annette. She closed her eyes, to my surprise, in a resigned way, as if she had been expecting those words, but she simply nodded.
"I know, and I didn't expect you to. Even so… I wanted to try, I want to keep trying." Annette said, looking at me intently with determination before her gaze softened. "I know you won't come back, so… my plan was… if it's not too much trouble for you, to move to Japan." Annette said, almost as if asking for permission. My eyes widened.
"You want to move to Japan?" I asked incredulously. Annette nodded.
"If it's the only way to try and repair my relationship with you, I'll do it," she said gently. "I have... Japanese colleagues and students, they've been teaching me the language, customs, anything I can learn and understand better, to better understand you as the person you've become now, the woman you've become." Annette said with a small, trembling, almost tearful smile. "The excellent woman and heroine you've become, and that I missed seeing you grow up." Annette blinked rapidly as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Even if it means nothing to you, I'm really proud of the person you've become, Taylor," she said with a tearful smile.
"Fuck." I blurted out as tears streamed down my face. "Fuck, no! It's not fair, you can't—fuck." I kept crying, biting my lip. In that moment, I wished I had my mask. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, tapping my glasses.
"I'm sorry," she said tearfully.
"It's not fair, you can't do this." I said choked up while crying.
"I'm sorry," she repeated through her tears. We both stood there crying, trying to control our emotions. I managed to compose myself more quickly thanks to my insects. I took a deep breath to regain my composure.
I'd had a few therapy sessions with Hound Dog at UA, especially after I'd told Nezu and Aizawa everything; they both practically forced me to see him. He'd come out quite often, wondering what I would do with Annette and Danny if they ever apologized. I wanted nothing to do with them, while Hound Dog just told me to think it over calmly.
Annette… was/is my mother, a person puts their parents on a pedestal, as if they were trustworthy, as if they couldn't make mistakes, but… they are still human, humans who could completely ruin her.
I knew Emma's control and ability to manipulate both students and teachers, teenagers and adults alike, and Annette had simply been another one of Emma's victims. Did that absolve her? Not really, she was still my mother. Selfishly, I wanted her to believe I was above everyone else, even though that wasn't how things worked. But it explained a lot.
But… most importantly, she was trying… she had come to Protectorate headquarters every single day for the past three weeks, with breakfast ready at 6 a.m. when my shift ended.
She had been learning Japanese, about Japan, and wanted to move there, only in the faint hope that I might accept her anyway.
I was still upset with her, hurt, and somewhat angry, but she… was trying. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I didn't know if I would regret this, but… there was still a part of me that missed her. Even if we disregard the last… three years, Annette was my mother for more than ten years.
There were parts that Annette had molded in me that I still retained, because of my love for books, for reading; I had been influenced by her.
"Okay," I sighed and opened my eyes, looking at Annette, confused. "Okay," I sighed again.
" Okay?" Annette asked tremulously, almost hopeful but still not wanting to get her hopes up.
"I... I wouldn't mind if you moved to Japan. We can... talk once or twice a week when my schedule allows." I said slowly. Annette looked at me, confused, as if the words were unfamiliar to her. After a few long seconds, the words finally registered. An expression of pure hope and joy filled Annette's face.
"Seriously?" Annette asked tremulously. I nodded.
"I... I won't say everything is okay, it isn't, I still... feel a lot of things for you, and most of them aren't good, but... but we can... we can try." I said with a shaky sigh, and Annette nodded quickly.
"Yes, yes, yes... trying it, trying it sounds fantastic." Annette said shakily, clinging to the small yet enormous opportunity. I nodded.
"There's a lot to work out, a lot to... fix." I said honestly. "But... I'll try, I'm... willing to give you another chance, if I see that you're still the same-"
"I won't be" Annette said immediately, almost panicking. I sighed and nodded.
"I'll see for myself," I said gently before my gaze hardened. "And like I said, this doesn't mean we're okay, and above all, Iori will still be my mother." I said firmly. To my surprise, Annette's expression didn't change; she just nodded.
"Of course," she said cheerfully. I sighed, took the small notepad from my hip, and quickly typed in my contacts.
"This... is my new number and other ways to contact me, send me a message, I... won't ignore it." I told Annette, she grabbed the paper and held it tightly while nodding.
"I will." She promised, and I nodded.
"And... take better care of yourself, get some sleep, and go to therapy." I stammered quickly, Annette just smiled and nodded. "I... have to go to work." I finally said, and Annette nodded.
"I understand, hero stuff." Annette said as she stood up and grabbed her things, placing the bento on the table. "I made it for you, do... whatever you want with it." Annette said softly. I stood up and looked at her intently. Annette stared at me with such intensity, as if trying to memorize my figure. "Can I... can I hug you?" she murmured softly. I paused before nodding.
"Yes-" I didn't even finish when I felt Annette's arms wrap around me. I was taller than her, by almost a head, yet she hugged me tightly while trembling. I didn't return the hug; my hands stayed awkwardly at my sides. Luckily for me, she pulled away after a few moments with a sigh of disappointment.
"Thank you... for everything," Annette said softly. I simply nodded. "See you... see you another day." Annette said, clinging to those words tightly, as if they were an anchor. I nodded.
"See you, Annette... take care," I said gently. "Follow the insects, they'll lead you back the way you came," I said softly. She nodded as she left the room. When the door closed, I slumped back into the chair and groaned loudly.
Why did everything have to be so complicated? I groaned once more before noticing the still-open bento box on the table. I stared at it for a few long minutes and then sighed wearily. I reached for it, grabbed the disposable chopsticks lying in the corner, and started eating. I'm sure my patrol could wait another 10 minutes.
Author's Notes : Damn, I cried writing this, I hope you liked it, you bastards.
Now, seriously. There were two versions I wanted to write this in: the first, where it would end really badly for Annette and their relationship would become permanently irreparable; and this one. I tried writing this one first, and by the time I realized it, I had already written most of the chapter and I liked it enough to leave it.
And I wasn't lying when I said I cried while writing it, but to be honest, I end up crying over anything; I'm capable of crying every time I hear " It's Quiet Uptown " from HAMILTON, or Would you fall in love with me again from EPIC: The Musical, so yes, I'm easy to make cry, apparently it also happens with things I write.
I really hope you liked it.