DISCLAIMER: Daria and all associated characters are owned by MTV. This is for entertainment purposes only. No money or other goods have exchanged hands for this.

All original characters created by Ognawk

THE GREAT AND THE GOOD
By Ognawk

Part 26 - The Truth Has Set Us Free

Cassidy was preparing her book bag for school. After the events of the last few days, she didn't want to see or think about Tom. Yet Tom was all she could think about. Why would he do this to me? He knows how I feel about him, yet he humiliates me in public by kissing her and saying he loves her. Maybe Jane's right. Maybe I do need to move on. But how? No-one else has ever been interested in me.

The radio in her bedroom was blaring and she found herself quietly singing along to one of her favourite songs.

How can I have got in so deep?
Why did I fall in love with you?

Downstairs, Cassidy's mother Melissa walked to the door and picked up some mail that had arrived surprisingly early. She was even more surprised when she noticed there was no address on the envelope, it just read "FAO: Melissa & Phillip" She went and put the envelope on the dining room table before shouting up to Cassidy.

"Cassidy? Are you nearly ready? I need to go soon."

"Coming Mom," Cassidy replied as she closed her book bag, switched the radio off and headed downstairs.

The car journey passed in silence for the most part. Melissa had made no mention of Cassidy's arrest. She was nervous and was fiddling with the clasp on her book bag. She then glanced at her mother.

"I'm surprised you're not giving me another lecture about what happened with Jane," Cassidy said.

Melissa looked out to the junction they were approaching to check for traffic before turning out. "What's the point? I've told you so many times to avoid her, and you don't listen. You keep finding her, you get into an argument, and things get physical. I'm clearly wasting my time. If you end up getting locked up for assault, that's your problem."

Cassidy looked out of the passenger window, the tone of her Mother's voice concerning her slightly.

"I'm done with her."

"I hope for your sake you are, Cassidy," Melissa replied as they pulled up outside Fielding and Cassidy got out of the car.

Ashley was driving the Sloane siblings to school. Along with their books, they'd brought the box that had arrived at their house recently. Tom was quizzing Ashley about the previous evening he spent at Daria's.

"Well, that kind of gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'Ice Cream Social'." Tom said with a smirk.

"What?" Ashley said, "We had some ice cream in her bedroom. All totally innocent, I can assure you."

"You two had the house to yourself and all you did was eat ice cream? A likely story!" Elsie responded with a smirk of her own.

"Et tu, Elsie?" Ashley said, "Besides, a gentleman never kisses and tells."

"So what's your excuse?" Tom said.

Ashley groaned as they reached the student parking area of Fielding. Elsie took the contents of the box, a set of black document folders, and divided them between the three of them. Tom looked a little uneasy as he took his share.

"What's the matter, Tom? Having second thoughts?" Elsie asked.

Tom stood still for a moment, and then looked at Elsie. "No, we've come too far now," he replied as the three of them made their way into the campus.

Cassidy was sat in the lunch room, picking at her food. She'd managed to go all morning without seeing Tom, and was grateful for that. She had no idea how she'd react when she saw him. I'd probably end up making a fool of myself, she thought as she took a drink from her water. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, by the arrival of the younger Sloane at her table.

"Good day, Cassidy, my old friend," Elsie said with an overly sweet smile on her face.

Cassidy glared at her. "What do you want, Sloane?"

"Such hostility," Elsie replied in mock surprise, "And I thought you wanted us to get along in front of young Thomas."

"I think you know damn well Tom and I are on the outs. So cut out the buddy buddy act, Elsie. It doesn't suit you."

"But we could be best friends, you and I. We could talk about boys and go to the park..."

Cassidy's glare become a scowl as she took her water and threw it at Elsie's face, soaking her. Cassidy got up from her seat.

"Go to Hell, Sloane!" she said as she stormed out of the lunch room, leaving Elsie with a smile on her wet face.

Cassidy made her way out of her final class of the day and headed straight for her locker. No sign of Tom today, thank goodness, she thought. As she walked around the corridors of Fielding to get out, she noticed something strange happening. Several of the students were giving her very strange looks. She'd gotten used to people not hanging around her for long, but she'd never felt like this before. As she made her way to the exit, she noticed some people were reading identical looking black document folders. She noticed some girls would look at her and suddenly pull their boyfriends a little closer to them.

Turning around a corner, Cassidy noticed some students in a group, seemingly gathered around it. Curious, she made her way through the crowd and got to the front, and noticed Elsie, Ashley and Tom all stood there, handing out the same black document folders she'd seen before. Tom noticed her and handed her one from the bottom of the pile.

"Tom? What is this?" she asked, staring at what she'd been given.

"Sorry, but I had to do it, Cassidy. You've got problems and you need help," he said as he went back to handing out the folders.

Feeling a little stung, Cassidy slowly walked over and sat at a nearby bench. She looked at the cover of the folder, which said in large black letters "THE TRUTH HAS SET US FREE". She had a sick feeling in her stomach as she opened the folder up and started looking at the contents. She was shocked at what she saw. It was her handwriting, pages of her own diary, with everything she'd written about her hatred of Jane, her plans to get together with Tom, her reactions to events of the time. There was even the photographic evidence of Jane kissing Ashley. Everything was there. To anyone who didn't know her, she looked like a crazy, obsessed girl who would stop at nothing to get the boy she wanted.

In distress, she fled to a nearby bathroom and looked in the mirror. She then removed her glasses and splashed some cold water in her face. This isn't happening, she told herself, he hasn't done this to me. He can't have! At that moment, Elaine Swinton walked into the bathroom and shot Cassidy a very evil look as she dried her face and replaced her glasses.

"Well well, if it isn't Fielding's resident crazy chick," Elaine said with a snort.

"Please, Elaine, I don't need this crap right now," Cassidy replied, "I'm ruined. No-one will go near me now."

"Like you were Little Miss Popular to begin with."

Cassidy ignored that comment and just looked sideways at Elaine, who looked like she'd suddenly realised something.

"Oh, by the way, I've seen the way you've been looking at my George," she said.

Cassidy looked stunned. "Excuse me? I've done no such thing."

Suddenly, Elaine slapped Cassidy in the face.

"Ow! What the hell, Elaine?"

"Don't confuse me with a moron, Hemming. I've seen the way you look at him. And let me tell you something," she said, a menacing look on her face, "If you even think of trying to get him away from me, a slap will be the least of your problems."

Cassidy looked at Elaine for a second before tearing up and running out of the bathroom.

Getting home after school, Cassidy wasted no time in immediately heading for her room. She threw her book bag on the floor and headed straight for the closet, fetching her diary out of its hiding place. She placed it on her desk, sat down and got a pen out of the tin. She started writing in the next empty page.

Today has been absolute hell. Just when I thought life couldn't get any worse, I find out

She suddenly stopped writing, then starting scrawling angrily all over the page. She then started ripping pages out of the diary and ripped those pages into little pieces, throwing them all over the floor. She then took the carcass of the diary and threw it against the bed, as it bounced off and landed on the floor. She started to cry and reached for a tissue. Then, she heard her mother from downstairs.

"Cassidy can you come down to the kitchen for a moment?"

Cassidy sighed, tried to compose herself and went downstairs, where she saw Melissa and Phillip sat at the kitchen table. As she approached, she noticed a horribly familiar looking folder in front of them. She stepped over to the table and sat down.

"We got this in the mail today," Melissa said, motioning to the folder, "And it looks like your handwriting."

Cassidy stared at her. "It's... my diary..." she mumbled.

"Phillip and I are quite concerned about your behaviour over the last few months, Cassidy," Melissa explained, "If this is your diary, then it makes things even worse."

Cassidy said nothing and just looked down, completely numb. Melissa handed her a pamphlet.

"We really want to help you, but there's only so much we can do. We think you might need someone with better credentials for handling this sort of thing."

Cassidy looked down at the pamphlet and was stunned at what she saw. "Quiet Ivy: Renewal and Rejuvenation for the Spirit and the Soul". She then looked at her mother.

"Did... did he put you up to this?" she said, motioning to Phillip.

"No, dear. We've had a discussion and we're both equally concerned," Melissa said, "We just want you to be happy, and this is the best chance to make that happen."

Cassidy just sat there, trying to comprehend the situation. "But... I'm..." she couldn't finish the sentence and broke down in tears. Melissa and Phillip quickly came around the table, Melissa putting her arm around her daughter.

"It'll be OK, Cassidy. You'll get better, I promise."

Tom, Jane, Ashley and Daria were all sat around a booth at Pizza King, sharing a large pie between them.

"That movie was weird," Daria said.

"Hey, nothing like a bursting eyeball to give you an appetite," Ashley said.

"I like the way this boy thinks," Jane said with a laugh.

Tom didn't respond to anything. He was sat there, looking a little lost in thought.

"Hey Tom, don't think too hard, it'll give you wrinkles," Ashley said with a grin.

Tom looked at Ashley. "I feel bad for Cassidy. Do you think it was a bit much?"

Ashley leaned back in contemplation. "If it gets Cassidy the help she needs, then I think the ends justify the means."

"I guess."
Jane put her arm around Tom. "Hey, if she sorts her issues out, I'm sure she'll be happy."

"I hope so," Tom said. Jane smiled, then started tapping her hand against the table and raised her drink cup in the air.

"OK, let's move onto more positive things. Fellow freaks and weirdos, I propose a toast! To pizza and strange movies!"

"And stranger boyfriends," Daria replied, smirking at Ashley as she raised her cup as well.

Tom and Ashley looked at each other, Ashley raising an eyebrow.

"Are we going to let them talk about us that way?" Tom asked.

Ashley thought about it, then grinned and raised his cup as well. "Absolutely!"

Tom chuckled, and raised his cup to join in the toast. "I thought so!"

THE END

This marks the end of The Great And The Good, for now at least. Thanks to everyone who has read the story and commented on it.

I already have future plans for other stories within this AU, including some Ashley/Daria stuff and a short fic explaining the deal that Cassidy had made with Alison. I will also likely write a full blown sequel to this story once I've got an idea where I want to go next.

Thank you!