CW: Todd Howard, violence, drugs, drug use
Okay. I am willing to bet this has been discussed before. However, please refrain from jumping down my throat for this post. I will be blocking people who act like assholes, make no mistake. (long post good luck its basically a fic at this point)
Todd, as fucked up as he is, can still be a good father.
He shows us the beginning of this if you don't get the gun in Stormy Night (tragic that I can't threaten him and run, but DBH can only have so many different outcomes ig🤷🏽) and you walk near his area in Battle for Detroit.
In fact. It shows in his apology when he hurts Alice. He cries. CRIES. Because he knows his anger is unjustified. He lashes out at her because she's not who he wants her to be. His life isn't as it was. His wife leaving him was likely due to him using, and the fact that they had less and less money together. Addicts can and will lie to you about things just so they can continue to use drugs alcohol or otherwise.
Anyway, I'm willing to believe he started taking her money, too. Todd even briefly being remorseful is a sign that he understands his behaviour is fucked up.
It's the start of something new 🎶
I know he's abused Alice and Kara. Kara doesn't have to like Todd. Hell, I hc her as wishing she blew his brains with the gun she found in his bedside table, personally. But that's Alice first dad. She wants to be loved by him. It's all she's ever wanted.
Todd could make ammends... to actually try and be a better dad. After the Revolution happens, Alice asks Kara if they can call Todd. Kara, at first, rejects the idea completely. Why should Todd have a chance at redemption after threatening them with literal death. Luther convinces her eventually that if Todd is still awful, Alice needs to come to that conclusion herself. But you can't take away her desire to speak to her other dad.
So she compromises. Alice can send a message. Say whatever it is she wants to say, and Todd can't hurt her if he can't directly respond.
They ask Markus, who looks up his number in a registry for them, and he calls Todd to tell him his daughter hopes he is well and that you didn't get caught up in the fighting.
Todd didn't think he'd hear from her. He is shocked she'd consider herself his daughter after everything... she seemed like she had a better family now. Todd realises he's got to treat his daughter properly. Because he'd be lucky to ever have a chance at seeing his natal daughter ever again. This is a chance to fix his relationship with Alice. She must miss him even a little bit... right?
Imagine, if you will, Todd making actual attempts to go to rehab. Attempts to try and get a job again (which is really hard these days, but if Androids control Cyberlife... humans probably won't be trusted to work there for a very long time. Or ever again, tbh.) and androids will need working rights, same as humans. Companies will have to pull their finger out because they can't use slaves to do their work anymore. Things may be machine automated, but you still need someone to man them.... anyway. So, hopefully, that means Todd stands a chance at getting a job.
So as he tries to get better, not just for Alice, but eventually, he realises he wants to do it for himself. He's been misrable for so long... It's worth it to get better. It's worth it to try and build a new life and find worth in yourself again. As he develops, Maybe Alice Kara and Luther move back to Detroit. Alice misses Todd. Kara doesn't understand but she loves Alice and if she wants to see him, who is she to stop her. Maybe she'll hate him if she sees he'll never change.
Imagine how surprised they'd be. To see the house is a bit more fixed up. It's clean, even. They called ahead of time, and his number is in the registry after all. He made them android friendly food to eat. He actually made an attempt!
Of course, he's still going to slip up. Saying a scathing insult at Alice or Kara. (Never Luther because of misogyny and possible unrealised fear led by racism. It happens. He works on that, too. He has to if he wants to be around Luther and make this work.)
Kara is going to be pissed. Alice is going to be hurt. But recovery can look like a glass filling with water slowly. It can look like some of the water being poured out and being refilled and being poured out. It can even look like the slow emptying of the glass before it needs to be refilled once more. But eventually, it gets easier to keep those thoughts away. To be kind on purpose.
He makes an effort to spend time with just Luther and Alice, too. If Kara is at work, then that makes sense. Perhaps she doesn't trust Todd being alone with her baby girl. But it's okay because Todd wants to get to know them all more. He makes an effort to talk about life, and Luther, being the more generous one of the couple, is willing to hear it and talk too.
In fact Luther is probably the one that suggests Todd might be getting better to Kara. Who doesn't want to believe it because what if it's a lie? What if he relapses and decides he'd rather be miserable?
To which Luther says, and we should support him through that. People need help to change sometimes. And he started doing it alone at first. That's a green flag.
So they all try to be a family. Sort of. Todd is trying to be good. Most days, he's better. Sometimes, he has a bad day, and Alice blames herself. Most of the time, Todd knows to tell her it's not her fault he got mad. Kara sees it one time, and it shocks her to her core. He actually owns up to his behaviour now. Luther was right. Even on his bad days, he doesn't want his child to blame herself for anything an adult does ever again.
Eventually, Todd has improved enough to be at Kara and Luther's wedding.
He'd be happy to see her happy, that she found someone like he had once. Alice is excited she gets to be a flower girl and Todd is thrilled by her pure joy. Maybe one day he'll find love again. Maybe he will be able to find love and they can help each other stay afloat when their mental health spirals.
It's been a year since he's used too.
Just. The possibilities of Todd being a better father is a fantasy, but it can happen. I see it being real. People can learn how to not be abusive. They don't have to be forgiven, of course... but... if you want to let them in again, there's no harm in it. I am all for not talking to people if you don't want to, but that's not what this post is for.
I don't know. Sometimes, the 'abuser is evil and will never change' narrative does get dull. I like seeing the good in people. I personally hope the people who were unkind to me in my life get better, for their own sakes. Because as much as I despise them, they deserve to be better for themselves. Obviously, this depends on them actually wanting to change. If they dont then they can get fucked lmao
If people are willing to make other characters redeemable, I think Todd could be too.
