Fanon:An Old Goth's Tale

An Old Goth's Tale is a fanfiction about the Goth family, but focused on Mortimer Goth, written by WayfinderOwl. The idea came to the author, when she couldn't sleep one night.

It follows the last few years of Mortimer Goth's life, while he watches his children grow and make their own way into the world, and himself come to terms with Bella's disappearance.

Chapter I: Alone By The Fire
"Love," the elderly Mortimer Goth told himself, as he swirled wine around in the glass he held, "is like a bottle of wine. One sip, and it is all you want to drink. After the whole bottle, it has ensnared your senses. Nothing makes sense any more."

Alone in the dark drawing room, only lit by the glow of the fireplace, Mortimer was left to his thoughts. Many thoughts swirled around in his mind, not unlike the wine in the glass.

Redundant, was a word that he often thought about. It fit him quite nicely. "Redundant," muttered Mortimer, as the wine the colour of blood slithered from the glass into his open mouth. His children no longer needed him. Cassandra was already grown up, and engaged to that Lothario boy. Alexander was already knowledgeable beyond his years, and out grew his dear old father many years ago.

Then there was Bella. Oh, sweet Bella. Beautiful and wonderful Bella. Where she went would remain a mystery. Why she left would be a mystery. Yet the word 'mystery' often sprung to mind when he thought of her. Mysterious and beautiful, was the olive skinned girl that he had known since he was depressed little boy living in Sunset Valley.

Time, it seemed, wasn't Mortimer's friend at all. He had so little of it left, yet since his retirement, it was all he had.

Listening to the bumps and thuds, that implied that Alexander had come home after an evening of stargazing in the part. Mortimer never did believe that excuse. A part of him hoped that his son was sneaking out to see a girl, but not the more obvious conclusion that Alexander was doing the homework of his classmates so they wouldn't beat him up.

Mortimer decided that he was just a reminiscing old fool, that had stayed up way too long. Just as he was about to ease himself out of the armchair, he heard someone come in. His heart skipped a beat. For a second, through the darkness, he thought he saw his beloved Bella, but it was his daughter Cassandra. She had let her hair down, while she prepared for bed. How much she looked like her mother.

"Wine again?" said Cassandra, giving him a disapproving glance. She lifted the half full - that was what she considered it rather than 'half empty'- bottle. "Oh, only half this time? Good to see that you're not planning on sleeping in your armchair tonight. You know what it does to your back."

"I know, I know," said Mortimer, moving his hand as if he was trying to brush away the nagging she had inflicted on him. Despite his moaning on about her nagging, and reminding her that he was in fact the parent, not her, he appreciated her concern.

Cassandra was right. He would be much better off going to sleep in his own bed, rather than staying in his armchair mentally torturing himself about things he couldn't change.

Sleep wouldn't come to him. Weary and alone, Mortimer stared through the darkness. The light of the moon and the stars shone through the gap in the curtains. He could see the portrait of Bella hanging above his bed.

"Good night, Bella," muttered Mortimer, as he closed his eyes.

He waited for sleep to come. His breathing became slower. Mortimer had drifted off to sleep, to be in a world of dreams where he wasn't so old, and Bella wasn't so mysteriously disappeared. He could be a grumpy Goth, living in an old house that time forgot, with his beautiful gothic wife.

Chapter II: Tear Stained Wedding Dress
As much as Mortimer disliked Don Lothario - dislike was too small of a word, down right hated would be more fitting - he didn't want to get in the way of his own daughter's happiness. No matter how excruciating it was to see her marry a man that wasn't good enough for her, he would just endure it. Cassandra knew what she wanted. If that meant her spending the rest of her life with a man that clearly didn't care for her as much as she did him, then there was was nothing Mortimer would do to stop it.

Mortimer paced the hallway, considering knocking on his daughter's bedroom door. For years he had kept Bella's wedding dress hidden away. Of course Bella would want her daughter to have it.

Gently tapping at her bedroom door, he wondered if it really was a good idea. Young people these days often wanted things that were new and cutting edge. But, that wasn't his daughter, he told himself.

"Come in," replied Cassandra.

Mortimer opened the door, carrying the box that contained the wedding dress that his own true love wore on her wedding day. "I have a gift for you -- well, consider it a gift from your mother."

Cassandra's eyes lit up, when she saw the beautiful white dress. It was perfect. For as far back as she could remember, she would always look at her parent's wedding photo and wish that she could one day get to wear a dress just like her mother's.

"Thank you..." Cassandra could feel her eyes filling with tears behind her glasses. Snatching a tissue from the box on her dressing table, she wiped away the tears. "Father, you are still going to give me away, aren't you?"

"Of course," said Mortimer. "Not even death could stop me from giving you away."

He was true to his word too. Mortimer would indeed give away his own daughter to that lowlife, and not let her see how much it pained him to do it.

Down in the garden, where Alexander was adding the finishing touches, like adding balloons, Don Lothario worried for a moment if he was doing the right thing. After all, there were so many women out there, and so little time.

"Hey, Dad," said Don, as soon as his soon-to-be father in law stepped out of the back door.

"Don't do that," said Mortimer, shooting the man before him a look of disgust. "And, to think that I'm stuck with a son-in-law like you for the rest of my life."

Already, Mortimer could see the cogs turning in Don's mind. At least, he hoped that he was imagining it. As soon as he met Don, Mortimer promised him, that if he ever hurt Cassandra, then he would be made to regret it one way or another.

The wedding of course was very small, with only a few guests. Just family, and Dina who had of course invited herself. If Mortimer had wanted this wedding to fail, he would have noticed the woman that professed to love him looking to Don with an eye that no guest should give the groom on his wedding day. But, of course he wanted the wedding go to plan.

Cassandra looked stunning in her mother's wedding dress. Never could a father be so proud of his daughter, than Mortimer was in that very moment. He lead his daughter down the aisle proudly.

It would have been a perfect wedding. There was just one thing missing; the groom. Mortimer's heart sank, at the thought that his own harsh words could have scared Don off. If he wasn't so worried about his own daughter, he would have noticed the guilty look on Dina Caliente's face.

"Alexander, you check the attic and the patio deck," said Mortimer. "Dina, go and check if his car is still parked out front. I'll search the house."

"Right away, father," said Alexander.

"Sure, Morty," said Dina. He hated it, when she called him that.

No matter how much Mortimer and Alexander searched the house, they were never going to find Don Lothario. In a moment of cold feet, he'd fled. Leaving behind a crying bride at the alter.

While Cassandra sat on one of the chairs for guests, she considered building a greenhouse exactly where she sat. Never again, did she want to look at this part of the garden and think of the wedding that could have been. Something caught her eye, that was caught in one of the flowers in the arch. It was a piece of paper, that had been rolled up, and held in place with the engagement ring that Cassandra had given Don. Only one sentence was on the piece of paper; "Cass, I couldn't do it."

In the drawing room that night, when everyone had given up looking, Cassandra showed the note to her father, brother and Dina.

"That good for nothing..." Mortimer cut himself short, because he could see the pain on his daughter's face.

Dina's thirst for gold inspired her. "We should go on the honeymoon!" Of course, she meant herself and Mortimer, where she would have him alone to convince him that Bella wasn't coming back, and she would always love him. The latter was a lie of course.

Mortimer shot her a rather surprised look. He misinterpreted what she said, though. "Yes... we can't get the deposit back. Why not go on vacation to Twikki Island?"

"Father, really? I've always wanted to explore the pirate ships," said Alexander, excitedly.

"Of course you can, my boy. Start packing your suitcases, children. The Goths are going to Twikki Island," Mortimer declared.

Cassandra looked to her father through the tears. It was great that her father was trying to cheer her up, but her heart wasn't ready to feel anything but pain right now. A happy thing like the holiday would just remind her how she was supposed to go there as Mrs Cassandra Lothario.