Chapter Text
AN: The events of Ruin are not contingent to this story.
“N-nooo, don’t! Michael, pleeease!” Evan struggled against his older brother’s hold, crying in fear as his head was shoved dangerously close to one of the animatronics at the Fazbear Pizzeria. Michael wasn’t alone, as his friends were cheering him on, with one of them even helping hold the animatronics head open. It was supposed to be his special day. Why did Michael get to torment him, just because their guardian stepped away for a minute?
“Look at the big baby crying. It’s just a stupid machine.” One of the friends watching from the sidelines was the one to speak.
“Oh-no, it’s gonna get you~” A girl chimed in this time, talking in a mocking tone.
Evan was powerless to stop them as his head was shoved inside the mouth of the mascot. Tears welled up in his eyes, fearing the darkness that now enveloped him, and then to his horror, the friend holding the head of the animatronic let go.
“Noooo! D-don’t leave me in here!” The mouth closed around him and he tensed as the metal teeth lining the mouth of the animatronic pressed down against his cervical vertebrae. It wasn’t enough pressure to be life threatening but he was still completely terrified by the unnerving feeling of being bitten down on. With flailing arms, he tried to grab at the animatronics head, in a desperate attempt to lift it up enough to squeeze his head out. His tiny muscles could hardly take the weight, but he managed to wedge it open enough to start squeezing his head out of the gap.
A whirl of sound played behind the stage, signifying the start of one of the pre-programmed shows and Evan’s eyes widened in horror as he felt the animatronic he was presently in jerk to life, before a sickening crunch filled the room.
---
Freddy’s sensors booted back online and he lurched out of his charging pod, feeling panicked. “Gregory?” Freddy called out habitually. He had become so intertwined with the child’s life that all that mattered was their safety.
From down the hall, Freddy could discern rapid shuffling of feet before the door to his charging room swung open. “What’s wrong Freddy?” Gregory was at Freddy’s side in an instant, checking them over with concern.
The care Gregory provided them really touched home with Freddy but more importantly, they were safe. Freddy scooped Gregory up into his arms and hugged him close. A deep robotic sigh escaped his voicebox and he felt an invisible weight dragging him down, to which he slumped backwards, till Freddy was laying supine and Gregory was laying across their chest plate. Despite how weirdly exhausted Freddy felt, his arms stayed protectively wrapped around the small bundle lying with him.
Gregory was confused but the hug was soothing, and he suspected Freddy needed it. While he waited for his robotic father figure to gather their thoughts, he softly dragged his finger across the metallic chest plate, drawing arbitrary shapes, idly wondering what could have caused such a drastic reaction. Could robots have nightmares?
They stayed as they were for minutes on end, till it eventually started to tick into the hours. All the while, Freddy remained unresponsive but he still kept a firm hold on his adopted “son.” It was still late in the night, so by the time Freddy started to reanimate, Gregory had long fallen asleep in his arms. He was mostly roused from his meditative state by the morning light shining through the slits in the blinds.
“Oh- it’s morning already. Sorry Superstar, I didn’t mean to keep you like this all night long…” His apologetic sentence was met with silence. Freddy glanced down to see the tuff of Gregory’s hair. His head was lax, with small hands encircling his front. His legs were a little lopsided, nearly falling out of the embrace, if not for Freddy’s consistent grip. Right. Of course they’d fall asleep. Keeping a steady but gentle hold, Freddy got back to his feet and quietly made his way towards Gregory’s room to deposit them onto their bed.
Just as he was laying them back into the covers, Gregory shifted awake. “F-Freddy? Morning.” His voice was still thick with sleep but he sat up and stretched out his arms to shake off the drowsiness. A few pops of his spine had Freddy lurching forward to grab Gregory’s shoulders on either side, and he ran a quick scan. Gregory laughed at the reaction and placed a hand over Freddy’s, giving it a soothing squeeze. “I’m alright big guy! That’s just something humans do.”
“Oh- uh, right. Sorry there Superstar. That was very irresponsible of me to have you sleep in such an uncomfortable position last night.” Freddy’s voice was full of sincerity and apology, just as he always was. He was such a gentleman bear. Gregory snorted a short laugh and then rolled himself fully out of bed, before springing to his feet. “Don’t sweat it. I actually slept better than you think. Come on, Vanessa is probably up and about by now.” He had looked to the window for confirmation of time. The sun was alright up, so he should be too!
Fazbear wanted to argue how unhealthy it was for a growing boy to not get a rested nights sleep, but he kept that tidbit to himself, seeing how energized his young care was. He was weak to the child’s antics. A fond smile formed across his muzzle as he hurried after. ‘Always so full of life. Ahhh- he’d have made great friends with Evan.’ Freddy’s servos locked up and he froze in the middle of the hallway. ‘What did I just say? -E-ev-va-‘ Error- Error- His expression morphed into a look of horror as the reoccurrence of the dream last night flashed quickly within his mental imagine. A dream? Robots didn’t dream… They formulated ideas and created mental imagery (such as replaying recordings, formatting source code, ect), but it wasn’t quite the same as what humans experienced.
That’s because he wasn’t just a robo-t. -Error- Error- started to flash in his vision and he grabbed his head, feeling what could only be described as a headache. The wires behind his visor were starting to burn and he felt sparks from grinding gears at the back of his endo. Something was trying to break through. Or more like, a presence was felt within Freddy’s very existence. He wasn’t alone in this body. Or maybe he was this entity and this AI all at once? The conflicted feelings and a new rising emotion that he couldn’t quite discern, had Freddy clenching up his fights tightly, causing them to creak under the strain and he flipped a 180 to retreat back to his charging pod. He couldn’t let Gregory see him like this. That thought alone was what was giving him the power to even move.
His vision was a mess and he about crashed his way back into his room. He was stumbling around blind. He must have caused a ruckus because next thing he knew, Gregory had chased after him and he wasn’t alone. Vanessa, the co-caretaker of their little charge had followed after. She still had a spatula in her hand, suggesting she had been in the middle of preparing breakfast before the disturbance.
“Freddy?!” They both shouted his name in unison and looked him over in concern. A sheepish smile formed across his features. “Sorry Vanessa, Gregory. I appear to have not charged enough.” The lie honestly hurt. Freddy always had a strong moral compass and lying was a strict no-no. But he also knew he couldn’t get them involved in his predicament. Not till he had a handle on his own thought processes.
The pair shared a concerned look, but Gregory was the first to speak up. “Oh right- Freddy and I slept outside of our beds all night.” Thankfully, the nights session acted as a compelling cover story.
“Freddy! You know you need your charging station for your battery to last the day and why would you keep Gregory up with you all night? The boy needs his sleep!” Her scolding was honestly a blessing right now. It gave Freddy something to focus on.
“I am truly sorry Vanessa.” Just like always, he was very apologetic. It was hard to stay made at someone so pure and kindhearted. Her stern expression melted into a soft smile. “No- I should apologize as well. I know you wouldn’t intentionally do anything to harm Gregory. You’ve never done this before so you must have had your reasons.”
“Yea! Don’t get mad at Freddy! He had a nightmare last night!”
Color drained from Vanessa’s face and a look of concern and confusion crossed her features. Freddy’s jaw clacked shut and his eyes narrowed in on Vanessa’s expression. He was feeling panic. An emotion that felt so raw, so new and yet familiar. He wasn’t programmed to feel panic. And yet, he was definitely, most certainly going into panic mode. This was what he was trying to avoid. He didn’t want any more attention being drawn to himself.
“But Gregory… robots don’t dream… do they?” She directed the question towards Freddy, who merely attempted a deflective laugh. “Ha- Ha- of course not. I was merely just thinking through what-if scenarios. And I was relieved to know none of them happened.” His laugh had felt so forced, even to his own ears. An unimpressed frown graced her features but she looked down at their shared child and let out a long sigh. “Alright Gregory, let’s get you some breakfast and leave Freddy here to fully charge his battery.” Vanessa passed a quick glance towards the charging screen, spotting the percent charged. Her quick look didn’t go unnoticed by the bear but Vanessa didn’t say anything. She merely guided the little one out of the room. If Freddy had skin and organs, he’d have broken out into a cold sweat.
At least now he was alone. No doubt, he’d have to have a talk with Vanessa later. He was not excited. He’d need a reasonable answer, otherwise she’d become suspicious of him. Their relationship wasn’t what one would describe as close. The only thing keeping them together was their shared custody of Gregory. As far as legal papers were concerned, Vanessa was the sole guardian, but in Gregory’s eyes, they were both his parents.
Freddy wasn’t too sure on how much Vanessa knew, especially with how long her soul had been trapped within the arcade machine. He suspected she knew the root cause was Glitchtrap, but did she know they were a possessed animatronic? Would she suspect him for being the same? -Error- Ooooh no. That’s what he was, wasn’t he? A possessed animatronic. He knew things he shouldn’t know. It was still unclear as to who, or what was sharing his body, but his thoughts on glitchtrap were so certain and without question… almost like there was some bad blood there. This was all so confusing. Was he always housing a soul within his body? Or could his descent into the old Fredbear establishment have been the root cause? He could recall feeling emotions and memories that didn’t quite belong to him when he and Gregory first confronted Afton. -Error- -Error- Afton? Who was Afton? -Error- Freddy had never tried so hard to recall a memory.
His circuit boards were going to fry if he kept trying to push it. Instead of relying on glitchy memories, his best bet would be to search the internet. Closing his eyes, a projector illuminated the back of his eyelids and he connected himself online. He searched up the name Freddy Fazbear and Afton before a multitude of search results popped up. Most of the links were fan theories but one link in particular was a biography written about the Afton family, posted by someone named Jeremy. The name caused a sharp twinge in Freddy’s memory chip. Clearly, they were also related somehow. He scrolled through the post, reading memoirs concerning each member of the family, William, Melissa, Michael, Elzabeth and Evan. There that name was again. This wasn’t just a coincidence. He knew of the name Afton and Evan. They were indeed correlated.
So, Evan was the son of that thing he’d seen in the underground… then who was he? ‘Michael.’ The name crossed his mind, almost like someone was speaking to him. A tingly static coursed through his body, equivalent to a human getting the chills and he recognized that feeling. He was definitely remembering the feeling of being human. Freddy felt fear for the first time. It was so powerful and striking. Like a punch you’d receive from a grumpy Monty when he was having one of his angry fits. At the reminder of Monty, he considered the possibility that they were the same (a possessed animatronic). ‘No.’ There it was again, that second thought, like it was coming from someone else. ‘The rest moved on.’ The rest? Who was the rest? A response never came, but he just knew deep within that they meant the previous trapped souls had found peace. He wanted to feel relief knowing that but his fear was still potent and at the forefront of his mind. He wasn’t alone in his body… was he being overwritten, or replaced…?
‘No. I’ve been with you since the start.’ Since he was first commissioned? ‘No. From the start of Afton’s corruption.’ Was he referring to when Freddy glitched out on the stage? ‘Yes. My body was in disrepair. I needed a way to stop him.’ The strange glitches and his strong desire to protect Gregory were all starting to make a lot of sense. But it also saddened him. Were his desires not his own? ‘They are the same.’ What does that mean? Did they share the same thoughts and feelings? There wasn’t a reply, but he didn’t need one, he could feel what they were thinking. They gave Freddy the power to choose for themselves. They had been freed from their constraints, and able to act against Vanessa, without having to follow orders, or protocol. His actions were his own. And through Michael’s help, he was able to resist Afton’s attempts at controlling him.
A weight he hadn’t realized he’d been carrying unraveled from deep within his consciousness, taking his worries along with it. Freddy was still Freddy. But what about Michael? The threat had passed. Why was he still here? Was he trapped? ‘Yes.’ The answer was quaint and to his surprise, they were content. Did that mean they’d forever be sharing the same body? ‘I feel your unrest, friend. Worry not, I am merely a piece of who you are.’ What did it mean to be possessed with a spirit? ‘What is a soul? A ghostly apparition haunting your shell? Or am I merely memories of data I uploaded into your data banks? Can I even still call myself Michael? These questions need no answer. We are one now and Gregory is our priority.’ They were one entity. The answer was simple enough and with Freddy’s advanced AI, he was able to easily compartmentalize this new information. What might have been overwhelming for a human, was merely just data to be processed. One of the advantages of having an advanced computer built right into your processing core. However, there was one big difference he did take note of. He was becoming a lot more aware of human emotions. Each new memory he now had access too, gave him a speed run lesson on how humans actually felt. Perhaps these new experiences would make him a better guardian for Gregory.
Having this assurance, Freddy felt ready to leave his charging pod. He even devised a simple answer he could give Vanessa. He had received human memories. These memories have given him the ability to dream. His AI was learning.
…..
Exiting the pod, he calmed his mind and left the room for the second time that day. Down the hall, he could hear Vanessa and Gregory talking. Hearing their voices caused his insides to churn. His new understanding on emotions made him recognize what he was feeling as nervousness. He was also feeling mildly embarrassed for causing a scene.
How did humans deal with all these emotions? It was like a hurricane blowing through him. If he were capable of breathing, he’d have taken a deep breath.
As he made an appearance in the dining room, Gregory jumped up in excitement and rushed over to glomp his robo-dad in a tight hug. “Are you all charged for today?”
“Oof- yes. My batteries are at 100% compacity.” Strange. He made a noise unfamiliar to himself. The part that referred to itself as Michael seemed to have responded on reflex to the hug. He would need a bit more time to adjust to his newfound changes.
“Are you alright, Freddy?” Vanessa was looking at him with worry still prevalent.
“Not to worry, Vanessa. I am feeling much better!” Unlike this morning, he was back to being chipper.
She didn’t immediately pass it off, but at the very least, she could see he was being genuine. “I’m happy to hear it.”
“After I’ve finished eating, we should go check up on your friends. Vanessa and I have almost finished fixing them.” Hearing that his friends were nearly out of the workshop brought a surge of happiness to him, stronger than he’d ever experienced before. Perhaps that emotion hadn’t been programmed to its fullest before. Was it a fail safe to make sure the animatronics didn’t get to enveloped in emotion?
Whatever the case, he shoved that thought aside in favor of waiting out Gregory’s meal to then follow them into the garage.
His band members were still looking a little worse for wear, but at the very least, their main components have been fixed and the virus contaminating their data was flushed out. They were probably never going to be the same, but they’d at least be functioning.
“We wanted to make sure you were present when we booted them back online.” Gregory looked to Vanessa for permission.
“Not yet kiddo. Just for our own safety, I think we should chain them up.” The idea rubbed Freddy the wrong way and a low growl actually filtered through his voice box. The reaction puzzled him, but what was worse was seeing Vanessa grab Gregory and pull him away in fear, as if she was expecting Freddy was going to harm them in some way.
“Vanessa?” Gregory looked between them confused. “I’m alright. It’s just Freddy.”
“What was that Freddy?” Her voice quivered nervously, while her hold on Gregory remained firm. She was clearly still seeing nothing more than an animatronic that could turn on her at any time.
As upsetting as the idea was, he couldn’t blame her. Afton had really messed with her psychologically. She was putting on a brave face and trying to act like everything was okay, but with his new understanding provided by Michael, her fear was ingrained. She was suffering from PTSD and sadly she couldn’t turn to any therapist for help, for fear of getting sent off to the psychiatric help for deranged patients. Her experiences were of the supernatural. They’d never believe her and then there goes her custody of Gregory. Everything would fall apart and Gregory would be all alone again. He needed to console her before things got worse.
“I am terribly sorry Vanessa. That was inexcusable of me.” Her guarded expression remained unchanged. He needed to say more than just an apology. “I didn’t mean to sound threatening.” She flinched. Okay, bad choice of words. “The thought of chaining my friends down bothered me, more than it should have. Your safety is my top priority, so please, do what you must. If it would make you more comfortable, then I can leave.”
Gregory squirmed free from Vanessa and ran to Freddy, hooking his hands around their left arm and clutching it tightly. “Don’t go! We did all of this for you!” Freddy really didn’t want to leave, but he also needed to assess Vanessa’s mental state. How would she coop with four animatronics, when she was already so on guard with one?
A tense silence filled the room, with Freddy and Vanessa just staring each other down. He was waiting for her reply, while she was trying to get a read on his intentions. After a heavy sigh, her shoulders sagged in defeat and she left her protective corner. “Sorry, sorry… I’m just, a little on edge.”
“Nothing to be apologetic about. My actions were uncalled for.” He hoped he sounded sincere enough to soothe her over and it appeared to work. With no further commentary, the animatronics were chained up and the first to be tested was Chica, the softest of the bunch. Plugging in the faz-wrench, they booted her systems online.
There was a whirling of machines kicking online, and her body convulsed as static electricity zipped through her systems. Freddy looked on hopefully, while a gentle hand subconsciously landed on Gregory’s shoulder, ready to protect them should anything go wrong. After the voltage jolt, there was a suspenseful silence that follow, before the LEDs behind her eyes turned on and she sat up quickly. Freddy shifted a bit in-front of Gregory but he looked on with hopeful eyes.
“Wha- Where am I?” Her once beautiful face was sporting a terrible crack, starting at the side of her beak and running jagged to the back of her head. With a multitude of cracks splitting her chestplate. His other friends were in similar disrepair and in need of maintenance, but… they couldn’t return to the company for repairs. They’d be taken away and decommissioned for sure; which meant, they’d have to rely on Gregory and Vanessa to tend to their care moving forward. ‘Perhaps they could consult a welder?’ Freddy referenced his databanks to identify the term. A profession for shaping and reattaching metal. That was a good idea! They could always just take parts and pieces out to them gradually.
“Hey Chica.” Freddy’s voice cracked a bit as he tried to vocalize a solemn but relieved tone that the voice vox couldn’t quite match.
The chicken animatronic looked over at him in surprise and reached out for him, till she used up the slack in her chains and was stopped short. “Huh- what?”
Freddy’s maw grinded a bit, feeling guilty for the chains but he had to grin and bear it for now. He needed to remind himself, there were fleshy, soft humans in the room that could easily get hurt. It was only for now. “Sorry Chica. After the virus had affected everyone, Vanessa and Gregory did their best to rid you all of the bad malware. They worked their hardest to fix you, but I am afraid precautions still had to be made.”
Her confused look melted into one of understanding and sadness. “It’s alright Freddy.” She then turned to the other occupants in the room. “I am so terribly sorry for my behavior.”
Gregory stepped out from behind Freddy and smiled up at her with a proud and determined face. How could this child be so forgiving? Freddy's friends had tried to kill him but he didn’t seem to hold any grudge. “Don’t sweat it! That wasn’t your doing. It was that burnt, disfigured, bunny animatronic in the basement-”
“Glitchtrap.” Freddy corrected him. Vanessa and Gregory both looked at him confused. “Er- what I mean to say is, that is the name he is assigned within my database.” That was more of a white lie. It was the name Michael used to refer to them by, but it was also now recorded within his database as such.
“Right- so this Glitchtrap animatronic spread the virus that infected you all.”
“Oh dear… and are you sure the virus is gone?” Chica looked nervously down at Gregory for confirmation. Freddy smiled warmly. Seeing his friend back to her old self was a huge relief but more importantly, he was beaming inside with how proud he was. His little Gregory was quite the genius for such a young age.
“Yep! Vanessa,“ He looked to her and then back to Chica. “-and I worked really hard to make sure it was gone for good. It looked like quite a bit of the virus was actually from software the company used to create your Ai in the first place. Glitchtrap then uploaded data to complete the faulty program, which enabled him to manipulate you into doing what he wanted.” Freddy noticed a lack of bringing up Vanny but with Vanessa in the room, he could understand why Gregory might want to bury the hatchet and push the full blame onto the one who started it all. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Vanessa’s reaction, to which she shifted uncomfortably, with a bitter and sad tilt of her lip. She probably still felt like she needed to share the blame.
Some positivity was needed. “These two worked very hard. I am so proud of you both!” Freddy rested a hand on top of Gregory’s head and ruffled his hair. Gregory giggled and swatted at his hand, to which he released his hold and then turned to Vanessa. Her hands grabbed at the front of her shirt, crumpling it up slightly and she fixed him with an unreadable stare.
“Thank you.” He held his hand out. She stared at it in silence for a moment before she sighed and released her grip to extend her own hand to take his.
“Y-yea… no problem…” He wrapped his large pawed hand around hers, making sure his touch was light and nonthreatening before retracting his arm.
“OH MY GOODNESS!” Chica’s sudden shout caused everyone to flinch and look to her in alarm. Chica was looking over at Roxanne and Monty, just now noticing how badly damaged they both looked. Roxanne’s left arm and leg were missing it’s exo-plating, and her front chestplate was split in half. But Monty on the otherhand… was by far the worst off. Half of his upped jaw was ripped clean off, his arms were mostly striped down to his endo, his legs were… not on his body, and instead hanging from a hook on the ceiling and he had exposed wires everywhere.
“We- aren’t exactly equipped with the right tools to fix you all perfectly.” Vanessa walked closer to Chica, giving her an apologetic look. The bird looked over at her as she spoke and shook her head. “Don’t blame yourself. Without parts and service, there isn’t a whole lot that can be done.”
“We could always consult a welder?” At Freddy’s suggestion, Vanessa pulled out her phone and looked up welders in the area. Gregory walked over to her and tried getting on his tippytoes to see what she was looking at.
“Hm… there is a welder not far from here… but if they were to see you and report it…” She’d be facing a lawsuit for stollen property.
Of course, Freddy didn’t mean for them to go there in person. “I suggest sending in parts.”
Gregory looked between Vanessa and Freddy. “So, what- we slowly dismantle you, get the parts repaired and then replace them on your body?”
“That could work- but it might take some time… and they might become suspicious.” At least Vanessa was considering the idea. Being taken apart was always worrying but if it meant being whole again, he and his friends could make do. “If we are actually doing this, it might be best to wait on rebooting Roxy and Monty.”
“Awwww-“ Having to wait was a big let down for Gregory, same for Freddy but he was actually in agreeance with Vanessa. Roxanne really cared about her appearance and she’d be devastated to wake up to her body being in shambles. Monty had an anger problem. They’d probably blow a fuse and trash the place.
After all their talking amidst themselves, Chica finally spoke up again. “Does that mean I’ll be going back offline?” She looked disappointed and Freddy grabbed her hand, cupping it gently. He patted the back of it and looked to Vanessa for her decision. They were her guests after all.
She bit her bottom lip in consideration. “You aren’t nearly as damaged as the others. Your parts can wait, so I see no reason to shut you back down.” She just hoped she didn’t regret this in the end.
Chica’s eyes glowed brighter to convey her excitement and she squeezed Freddy’s hand, appreciating their support. Despite having been missing a beak post losing her voice box, they had actually managed to find a replacement from out of the ruined parts and service. They also still had Freddy’s old voice box, so they used it to give her back her voice. They would have given her back her old voice box but they wanted to avoid tampering with Freddy, given their limited resources. A mistake could cost them dearly. Chica had been by far the easiest to fix. However, the other two were going to take some time.
…………
The next few days were interesting, to say the least. At first Vanessa was wary of Chica. She was always keeping a close eye on them, making sure no signs of the glitchy virus remained and that they wouldn’t hurt Gregory, but they were robots designed to entertain children, so her contact with Gregory was always gentle and careful. Slowly, Vanessa grew less wary and within a few days, the two were invested in watching chick-flicks together. It started one night when Vanessa needed a de-stressor, so she poured herself a tall glass of wine and put on one of her favorite chickflicks. Chica had woken from her charging station by the sounds of the TV and wanted to investigate. Vanessa had seemed really perturbed as the animatronic emerged from the darkness, and Chica had to really console her before she was calm enough to have a normal conversation. Eventually that conversation led to talk of the film and then they ended up watching all of it together. Everything else was history. Movie nights became a tradition for them.
There was one thing Freddy started to notice, as he watched on from the sidelines. Chica’s AI seemed to be growing substantially since their time at the Pizza plex. She was becoming more aware and her display of emotions was beyond what they were programmed to feel. Was something else removed alongside the virus? This concerned Freddy but it would have to wait. She was showing no signs of being hostile and appeared to be settling in quite comfortably.
As Vanessa and Chica grew closer, Gregory and Freddy spent more time together, going over robotics and learning all they could on their functions. It was going to become very important for Gregory to be their main mechanic for the foreseeable future. Amidst all of this, their first few parts they’d sent out had been repaired. They decided to start with Roxanne’s repairs first. She would be easier to deal with than Monty, courtesy of Vanessa’s suggestion. No one could disagree. Freddy and Chica’s chest plates were also amidst the first batch of repaired parts. Reattaching them was as easy as hooking up a vacuum. Needless to say, it took seconds to do. During the couple of weeks they went without them, they used aprons and hoodies to cover their exposed endos.
Using what Knowledge Gregory had learned during the break, he and Freddy got started on replacing Roxanne’s parts. Thankfully it wasn’t as hard as they thought it would be. Her servos and wires were still intact, so it was just the shell that needed replacing. Her eyes were also still currently in Freddy but they had Freddy’s old eyes kept in storage, along with a few other knick-knacks they’d gathered during their last visit to the Pizza plex. The group considered what was best, and knowing what Roxy’s eyes were capable of, the decision was made to leave them in the care of Freddy, someone they trusted far more and used Freddy’s old eyes for Roxy. They just made one small change; they swapped out the blue LEDs for yellow ones to match her original aesthetic.
Next was the challenging part, fixing Monty. No one knew where to begin, other than sending out the broken shell and servos that needed fixing. They were going to have to figure out the wiring, otherwise Monty was just going to stay an upper torso. He’d be like a ravaging, rabies chihuahua if they did that…
Off the parts went, back to studying Gregory and Freddy went. And the girls worked together to clean up a new room, to prepare for the two soon to be roommates. They decided Freddy and Monty should share one room, while Chica and Roxy shared another. Gregory and Vanessa would get their own rooms. The house wasn’t exactly the biggest but it was bigger than your standard suburban home. It’s a four bedroom, two and a half bath farmhouse, with a downstairs lounge, laundry room and office. The property is owned by Vanessa’s grandparents, who moved out to stay in a retirement home and gave her permission to stay on the property. It is secluded in the woods, with 15 acres of land, a perfect place to hide 6 foot tall animatronics.
The weeks turned into months and by the midpoint of the year, they managed to fix Monty’s shell and restore most of his parts. All that remained was the daunting task of the disconnected wires. Freddy did have Gregory run a few sample tests on his own body but Freddy’s structure was different to Monty’s and without the testing feature of the parts and service, they were just going to have to hope and pray everything worked correctly. However, they did have a slight edge in this matter. Michael’s prior knowledge knew a fair bit about the internal structure of the robots and with Freddy’s photographic memory, what might have been impossible became a reality. Finally, after 7 months, Monty was looking almost as good as he did while under the care of Freddy Fazbear’s staff. And now it was the moment of truth… the time arrived for them to boot their systems online and reawaken them to the world.
Chica, Freddy and Gregory were excited, meanwhile, Vanessa was back to being a nervous wreck. She had finally found some peace of mind having two animatronics around. But these last two were “trouble children.” They had the most fluctuating behaviors and were very self-centered. It was like having two angry teens, only they were metal robots that could kill you in their fits. There weren’t any recorded cases on file, but whose to say it won’t still happen. Chica noticed Vanessa’s unrest and offered her an arm to hold. Vanessa latched on, finding comfort in her friend’s presence. There was at least one important fact that helped soothe her unrest. After all these months, Chica showed that Gregory and herself were successful with fixing their AI. Roxy and Monty would only be troubled teens, not troubled teens with a thirst for blood.
“Are you ready?” Gregory asked the group. He had put in the most work with their repairs over these past few months and he was hell-bent on being the one to officially reboot them.
Freddy settled a hand on their shoulder, and smiled down at them proudly. “Whenever you are ready Superstar.”
Gregory did one last check with Vanessa, who nodded her head. With all participants in agreement, he hopped up a stool for easier access and attached the fazwrench to her socket, powering her on. She jolted from the sudden electrical current before she sat up immediately. Her reboot was twice as fast as Chica’s.
“Freddy. Chica. Vanessa.” Then her eyes fell on Gregory. “-Gregory…” She growled his name low in her throat and Freddy immediately snatched Gregory around the middle, hoisting them away from the angry wolf. Gregory held onto Freddy’s arm and looked warily at Roxanne. He forgot she held grudges. Unlike Chica, Roxy was far more aware of what had been going on in the Pizza plex, despite being under Glitchtrap’s control.
“Roxanne-“ Freddy’s tone was stern and filled with a silent warning. She shifted her focus to her band leader and gave a disgruntled growl. “This brat your so keen on protecting nearly destroyed me!”
Vanessa stepped forward to be at Freddy’s side, making sure she was within Gregory’s reach. She had long since accepted Freddy as Gregory’s co-parent by this point and was no longer scared of him. “Do not refer to Gregory as a brat! He has worked hard these past few months to repair you.”
Her growl dipped lower and Chica fumbled for something to do. Stepping forward, she nosed her way to the front of the group and grabbed Roxy’s hand.
“It’s going to be okay, Roxy. You can trust Gregory. I’ve seen first hand how much care he’s taken with repairing all of us.” Roxy’s eyes met her own and they just stared at each other for a while, sharing a silent conversation. Chica’s resilience won out in the end and Roxy huffed, looking away from her gaze.
“Fine. I’ll trust your judgement Chica.” There was a pause before she added, “Freddy.”
“Thank you Roxy.” Freddy sighed in relief and set Gregory down beside Vanessa, who immediately settled hands on Gregory’s shoulders and squeezed them encouragingly. They were off to a semi-good start. Chica beamed at Roxy’s cooperation and helped her off the metal repair bench.
If you thought Roxy was difficult- oh boy, Monty was worse. He was a gator with a big personality and an even bigger temper. The question then remained; how much would he remember of his confrontation with Gregory?
“Perhaps I should be the one to reboot Monty.” At Freddy’s suggestion, Gregory looked ready to argue, but Vanessa pulled him back slightly by the shoulders.
“Freddy is right. Monty tends to act on his temper a lot more than Roxy-“ She heard the wolf growl at her from the insinuation. “-or the rest of the gang.” She decided she’d just sum it up, but she really did just mean Roxy. However, if it helped keep the peace, then she’d pretend like Freddy and Chica were part of the equation.
“Alright- fine.” Gregory was disappointed but he understood their point of view.
Freddy considered using chains this time and felt a stab of guilt at the idea. They hadn’t even brought it up when it came time to revive Roxy, showing just how much Vanessa had grown accustomed to them. So, for him to be the one to consider the idea, it made him feel like he was betraying their trust. It was just Monty. Monty was their friend. His temper never got in the way of his protocol, but maybe that was just it. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he considered the possibility that all of their protocols had been disabled. After observing Chica, her actions were without restraint. She could act, talk and move about freely. For Chica though, not having protocols wasn’t a need for concern. She was always very gentle and loving. But after activating Roxy, she was directing hostility at Gregory, despite not being affected by the virus. This was a need for concern.
His hesitance didn’t go unnoticed. He must have locked up for a lot longer than he thought because Chica was calling his name questioningly. “Freddy. What’s wrong?”
Snapping out of his funk, he flashed her a reassuring smile. “My apologies Chica. I was just running some thoughts through my head.”
“More like you were scared of activating Monty.” Roxy’s harsh quip had Chica shushing her. “Don’t be rude Roxy. Freddy is probably trying to discern everyone’s safety.”
“Safety from Monty? Look- he might have a bad temper but he’s not a rabid animal.” Her frustrations weren’t misguided and Freddy guiltily looked away. ‘What’s wrong with me?’ A mental image flashed briefly before his eyes, showing Evan getting chomped down on by another Freddy model. The image was upsetting and twisted his gut with the idea that something like that could happen to Gregory. ‘It won’t happen.’ ‘It could.’ -M ‘I won’t let it happen.’ Then his mind returned to silence.
Shoving down his inner turmoil, he walked around the room to where Monty lay dormant and slung an arm under their legs and neck before carrying them over to the now unoccupied repair table. He set them down gently before reaching out for the Faz wrench from Gregory. His adoptive son laid it into his waiting palm. “Thank you, Gregory.” With the tool now in hand, he plugged it into Monty’s waiting socket and powered them on. Their reaction was immediate. The gator lurched forward without a second delay, screaming and thrashed his arms and tail around, knocking over nearby tools, stools, cabinets and whatever else was in range. Their reaction was so instantaneous, it had Freddy reacting on impulse. His arms grabbed at Monty, in a desperate attempt to get them pinned down and under control. They were acting out in a blind rage, presumedly from the adrenaline they were under just before going out of commission. Vanessa grabbed at Gregory, in a desperate attempt to get them out of harms reach, but one tail whip was all it took to reach the child. Gregory barely had time to cover their head with his arms, before a slash cut across them both, splattering blood around him.
Freddy saw red for the first time in his life. He had just promised himself nothing would happen to Gregory and now his child was injured. He couldn’t see how badly they were hurt from his position but he was furious. “GET GREGORY OUT OF HERE!” His voicebox cracked under his fury and glitched static warped his words in a way that sent spiders crawling through your skin and caused the nearby animatronics to be stunned momentarily. His voice was unrecognizable even to himself. Vanessa didn’t have to be told twice as she scooped up Gregory and bolted inside. The paralysis didn’t last long as Chica and Roxy shook out of their stupor and lunged forward to help, but he shoved his foot back into them, knocking them away. “GET OUT!” He glared back at them both, not intending to direct his anger towards them, but it was hard to control his raging emotions while also keeping another powerful animatronic at bay. His family’s safety was his top priority. Roxy wanted to argue, but Chica was so scared, she grabbed at Roxy’s arms and pulled her away. In all her years working with the bear, Freddy never got mad. Seeing him like this was horrifying.
Fazbear listened intently for the sound of the door closing. As soon as he heard that click, he felt his anger calming, but he still had a problem in his hands. The gator grabbed at his forearm, wrenching it away from their chest, where he had planted it firmly to pin them down onto the table. His tail lashed at Freddy’s legs, attempting to knock them off balance. Freddy stomped a foot down over their tail, pinning it to the ground. Monty screamed out in anger and managed to free himself from the table, while his sharp claws swiped at Freddy’s chest and face. He couldn’t move to freely, or the tail would become a problem again, so he took the first blow to his arm, before he waited for the second strike. As the arm extended outwards, he deflected the blow by knocking it to the side, then he grabbed at their wrist before twisting it around and pinning it to the small of their back. The other hand took another swipe, which he knocked away and then swooped his arm around their neck, locking them in a choke hold. Monty was effectively pinned, save for one clawed hand that grabbed at the arm around their neck, scrapping and pulling at it to free themselves.
“Monty.” He tried calling their name, in the hopes of getting some semblance of recognition but they continued to growl and claw at him. “MONTY!” Freddy shouted their name louder and tightened his hold. The metal on metal creaked and threatened to bend under the force. It was then that Monty started to get their bearings.
“Fazhead?” It felt like an eternity since he’d last heard that insulting nickname and for once, he was happy to hear it.
“Have you calmed down now?” Freddy asked placidly. His hold remained firm but he wasn’t nearly as tense.
Monty snorted at the question. Did he even need to answer? He was obviously responding to them. “Where am I?”
“We are with Vanessa. She has graciously let us stay with her after the Pizza plex burnt down.”
The Pizza plex burnt down? Monty had no recollection of that happening. “How long have I been out of commission?”
“It has been several months. Exact time frame would be nine months, six days, 48 minutes and 33 seconds.”
Of course, the blockhead would keep an exact time frame saved to memory. Monty shifted in Freddy’s hold, just now becoming aware of how trapped he truly was. Damn. Was Freddy always this strong? Had he been holding back all this time? He was always choosing to use his stupid words over settling it like real men who used their fists. He just always thought they were weak and soft. But here he was, tail pinned under a heavy foot, an arm clenching down around his neck and his right arm was pinned behind his back. This position should have been upsetting but instead they were intrigued and excited.
“You mind lettin’ me go, Fazhead?” He sounded just as angry as he always did, except he was anything but angry.
Freddy released him as requested and looked his friend over to assess the damage. They’d just finished repairing him too… leave it to Monty to break stuff. As far as Freddy could discern, they were still in one piece and everything appeared to be in working order. Freddy on the other hand was going to need repairs- again. He’d taken most of the blow. GREGORY! That was right, Gregory had gotten hurt as well.
“I am happy you are back online friend but I must check on Gregory!” Freddy spun on his heel and hastily burst inside the house looking around frantically for his young care. “GREGORY?” Freddy called their name in desperation, to which he was relieved to hear a reply.
“I’m in the bathroom Freddy.”
The bear never ran so fast in his life as he trudged down the hallway and burst in the open bathroom door. Gregory was seated atop the toilet seat, while Vanessa knelt down in front of him, holding disinfectant and cotton balls. She was carefully dabbing it over the gash in his arms. He wasn’t still bleeding, so that was a good sign. He desperately wished to be right at Gregory’s side but the bathroom was too small to house them all, so he settled on running a thorough scan from his position in the doorway. No other wounds were detected, save for the cuts on his arms, which were thankfully not to deep.
Gregory was putting on a brave face, but his bottom lip was quivering, indicating he was in a lot of pain.
“How are you feeling?” Freddy asked after a few seconds of taking in the scene.
“It hurts a little bit but I’ll be alright. Vanessa doesn’t think it’s deep enough to need stitches.” Vanessa nodded her head in agreement as she pulled out gauze to wrap the wound.
There was the sound of heavy footfalls heading up the walkway, and Freddy turned to address them. Chica was still holding onto Roxy as they approached.
“Are you okay, Freddy?” Chica asked warily. Her nor Roxy had ever been shouted at or shoved by him before.
“My sincerest apologies Chica, Roxy.” He looked between them both, trying to gauge their expressions. Chica forced a smile, while Roxy huffed in annoyance but was avoiding his eyes. “I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.” He explained with a heavy heart.
“We know Freddy.” Chica’s chipper voice returned, signifying he was forgiven.
“Whatever.” Roxy acted as she always did, brushing everything off. That was as good as an apology accepted as he was ever going to get.
“Ahem.” Monty cleared his throat from at the end of the hall and the entire band turned to address him. The gator looked troubled as he knew he had caused quite a ruckus and actually hurt someone in the process. He tried to keep up a cold front but his swaying tail showed his unrest.
Chica didn’t even hesitate as she detached herself from Roxy, ran down the hall and threw her arms around him, squeezing his middle in a tight hug. “MONTY! I am so glad you are alright!” The gator tensed in her hold and she quickly released him. “Sorry Monty. I know you’re not big on physical touch. I am just so relieved you are up and working!”
“I hurt someone, didn’t I?” He asked cautiously. Chica looked back at Freddy, nervously awaiting his response.
Fazbear was back to his usual calm demeanor, not a shred of his previous anger to be seen. “Gregory will be just fine. Thankfully the cut wasn’t deep.” Hearing how calm he was soothed Chica’s worries and she brought a hand to her chest, a reflex she’d developed after watching how Vanessa reacted to a stressful situation that just unraveled.
“Gregory? Now why is tha’ name familiar?” Monty tilted his head slightly as he pondered the name. For some reason, it really made his oils boil.
Roxy laughed at the question and walked over to join Monty and Chica. “That’s because that is the brat that tried dismantling us.”
Chica looked disapprovingly at Roxy. “Roxy, we discussed this! Gregory did what he had to. Otherwise, we’d have-“ she lowered her voice for the last part of her sentence, “killed him.”
Monty clicked his tongue in distaste and folded his arms across his chest. “Oh- then I’m not apologetic.”
Freddy let slip a growl of disapproval and Monty shifted between his feet nervously. Was the bear always this intimidating? “Gregory went through a lot to repair you all.”
“I’m not sayin’ I’m not grateful. But the score has been settled. He took me apart an’ I left him with a little somethin’ to remember me by.” He licked his teeth with a sneer, staring back at Freddy challengingly.
Freddy huffed at the sizing-up display and choose to let it drop. He wasn’t playing Monty’s game, but he was going to chastise them. “Don’t let it happen again. We are lucky Gregory didn’t lose an arm. Unlike use, he can’t get a new one reattached.”
“What happened to you Freddy? You seem… different.” Roxy was eyeing him up and down. Monty was also curious to know. They did seem different.
“Different?” He was puzzled by what they meant. He was the same as he had always been. Well, except for the scuffle in the garage. That had definitely given them all a fright. “If you are referring to earlier, than- I do not know. Seeing Gregory get hurt must have triggered my protective protocol.” Except, their protocols were no longer working. He just didn’t know how else to describe it. ‘Protective instinct.’ -M Instinct was reserved for humans and animals to keep themselves and their little ones safe! ‘Welcome to the club.’ -M That was right, he was housing a human soul. If he had developed an instinct, then it wasn’t out of the question.
Chica must have some idea about their lack of protocols too because her expression turned contemplative and concerned.
By this point, Vanessa had finished patching up Gregory and the pair exited the bathroom. Monty took one look at the kid and immediately recognized them. “Hey you brat!” Freddy threw him a glare and he chuckled at the reaction. “Thanks for the repairs. But if you ever try dismantling me again-“
Freddy stepped between them and cleared his nonexistent throat. “Ahem- what he means to say is, let’s all try to get along and have no more incidents.”
Roxy snorted a laugh at the interference. “You’ve definitely changed Freddy. But I think I prefer you this way.”
His head tilted in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“You were always so proper before and you never stood up for yourself or others. It was quite disgusting.” Disgusting was a harsh word, but she was right to her own opinion. “Now you seem to have grown a backbone. About damn time too!” Despite how rude she was coming off, this was Roxy’s way of showing approval.
“Language.” He scolded her on reflex, earning another loud cackling of laughter. Freddy smirked in return, finding solace in the fact that everyone was here. (Well, mostly everyone) They were finally together again. “I am happy to have you all back.”
“Ahhh Freddy~ we are happy you brought us all back together, and in one piece.” Chica then leaned over to see Gregory around Freddy to address him. “And you too Gregory.” Monty and Roxy grunted in reply, but their tails swished, betraying their cold demeaner.
“I was happy to help!” Gregory was bursting at the seams with happiness. His family just grew in size and he couldn’t be happier.
“So, are we just going to live out here now? In the middle of nowhere?” Roxy had gotten a few glimpses of the outlining property from the windows. She couldn’t see much, but it appeared they were isolated.
Vanessa spoke up this time. “Unfortunately, there’s nowhere else I can keep you all. The Fazbear company was shut down and the site is to be demo’d shortly. Gregory and I scavenged what we could, but to return now would get us all caught.” She really wished they could have secured more parts but the risk was too high. “If they were to learn that you all had left the property and were still up and running, they’d fine me for stollen property and have you all dismantled for good.”
Monty snarled in anger and he slammed his tail down against the ground. “Then what are we even doin’ being brought back online? Our sole purpose was to please the fans. Do you expect me to put on a show for squirrels?!”
“Monty please.” Freddy tried to interject but Monty wasn’t having it. “Can it Freddy! I don’t want to hear it!”
“If I may…” Chica choose to speak up this time. Monty grew quiet, and focused his attention on her. “I’ve been living with Freddy, Gregory and Vanessa for some time and I quite like it here. Sure, it’s not the Pizza plex and we don’t have children to entertain any more, but there is still a lot of fun things to do.”
“Like what?” He grumbled out begrudgingly.
“Well for starters, Vanessa and I have a movie night every night. Or we take walks through the woods. There is a lot of beautiful nature on this property. Oh, and Gregory and I sometimes play board games.” Her pure, kindhearted nature was similar to Freddy’s but not in the way of being over bearing. It was the reason the gang was so soft towards her. Even Monty couldn’t get mad at her.
“Are we supposed to live as the humans do? Holdin’ hands and singin’ kumbaya?” The idea rubbed his scales the wrong way. He wasn’t a human and he didn’t want to try to be one either.
“What about my adoring fans? Performing is what I live for!” Roxy wasn’t taking the news any easier. Freddy hadn’t considered that they might not want to live a life outside of the Pizza plex. For Freddy, the decision had been surprisingly easy. Gregory’s care was his one concern and he prided himself on it. Perhaps they just needed something new to aspire towards.
“May I suggest friends?” They looked to him next, expecting another one of his disgustingly sweet motivational speeches but they’d put up with it regardless, as they’d always done in the past. “I believe the solution here is to find something new to pursue.”
“What are you suggestin’ Fazbear?” Monty grinded his teeth together. A habit he had when he was actively listening to Freddy and trying to process what they were saying. Although, it always seemed like it was physically painful for him to have to listen.
“Well- I focus my time talking care of Gregory.” Monty scoffed and Roxy rolled her eyes. “Chica likes movies.” The chicken nodded her head enthusiastically. “Surely if we can find something we like, then the same can be said for you?” For once, it wasn’t blind optimism. Freddy was leaving the question open ended. The ball was in their court. They had the freedom to choose. Now that Roxy really thought about it, she didn’t feel the restraints she had grown so accustomed to. Were her protocols disabled?
Roxy turned a blank stare on Gregory. “Hey little boy, come here.”
Gregory was confused by the sudden change in focus but walked over as requested. The call was so random that no one knew what to expect so they watched on quietly. Just as Gregory reached her, she held out an arm and then shoved it against their shoulder. Gregory blinked in surprise as he fell on his butt.
“ROXY!?” Chica grabbed her shoulder, tugging it lightly in her surprise. “What are you doing?”
Freddy was at Gregory’s side immediately, extending a hand out for them to take and he helped them back to their feet. “Roxy, that was uncalled for.”
She ignored them in favor of just smiling blissfully to herself. “Ha-hahaha! I can do whatever I want! My protocol wouldn’t have allowed me to do that before!” Vanessa didn’t like the sound of that. Had it been a mistake after all to bring back these two?
Freddy interjected her celebration with a firm voice. “There are still rules in this house!”
“Yea yea, whatever Freddy. I’m not planning on going wild, -yet… Hehe- but this does liberate my choices!” For her entire life, she was always doing someone else’s bidding. Sure, she loved playing her keytar, but there was so much more she wanted to do, but just couldn’t. They were built to entertain, not to be entertained. Hearing about how Chica could just watch movies without someone breathing down her neck, telling her what she should or shouldn’t do, it was like a chorus of angels had descended. She was so lost in thought; it hadn’t dawned on her just how impressive everything Chica said had been.
At this revelation, a smug and knowing smile split the crocodile’s face, almost like he’d had something brewing at the back of his mind for years but was unable to do anything about it till this new light had been revealed. “Full discloser, I’m not entirely on board yet. But this did give me a few ideas. Hey, woman!” The question was directed as Vanessa.
“Do not refer to Vanessa in such a disrespectful manner. We are her guests.” Freddy swore they were worse than children. Not even Gregory was out of hand like this.
Vanessa sighed and waved it off. “It’s okay Freddy.” He wanted to disagree but he respected her decision and let it go.
Monty was feeling rather empowered at this moment, from a multitude of factors. He was free, repaired, he got to experience some new and exciting possibilities… He could get used to this high! “I need my bass. It just feels wrong not to have one.”
“Actually Montgomery, all of our instruments have been recovered and are accounted for.” Freddy’s ears wiggled happily, feeling rather proud since he had been the one to sneak into the Pizzeria and retrieve them personally. Vanessa had scolded him that night, saying he could have blown their entire operation. He was left with no choice but to promise to never go back. He honored that promise, and instead used the time Vanessa and Gregory were away to clean and repair their prized possessions. They were being kept downstairs in the lounge, hanging from wall mounts.
The gator fixed Freddy with an unreadably stare. Freddy stared back silently, waiting for a reaction or response. “Well! Where are they then?” The gator broke eye contact first with a deep huff.
“Right. They are downstairs. Let me show you the way.” Freddy took the lead towards the front entrance of the house with Monty following a few paces behind. To the side of the front door was another door that Freddy opened, to reveal a staircase leading down. Monty didn’t say anything the entire time, till he was greeted with the wall of hanging instruments. His favorite bass looked glossy and clean. Something twinged inside his chest at the thought of how much care Freddy put into their prized possessions. He wouldn’t say gratitude, but it was definitely akin to it. “Thanks.” It was rare for the gator to say thanks for anything. Freddy’s smile widened even more. “Any time friend.”
The pleasantries were just getting awkward at this point. “Whatever.” He turned his back to Freddy and looked down at the bass now in his clutches. With a gentle claw, he stroked the smooth surface before attempt to play a few cords. It needed a bit of tuning, but other than that, it was perfect. “And what about-“ He never even finished his thought process as Freddy had picked up a bag lying behind the downstairs couch. The bag was lime green, with his silhouette printed on one side. It was his bass tuning bag. He was almost unnerved by how quickly Freddy knew what he was thinking.
“I’ve heard you play every day on stage. When you just strummed, I knew immediately it needed to be tuned.” The answer was so open and honest, it threw the gator for a loop. Freddy was definitely acting weird. Was he perhaps lonely without them all around? ‘No no, don’t go getting sentimental Montgomery Gator.’
“Stop bein’ creepy.” Those weren’t the words he wanted to say but he was feeling embarrassed and off beat. He definitely had a wire or two out of place. He’d check the kid’s handiwork later for himself.
“I take it you would like space. I shall leave you be then.” Monty stared after Freddy as they retreated back upstairs. Had Freddy always read him like an open book? Now alone to their own devices, Monty carried his bass over to the couch and sat down to tune it. While his hands worked, he considered all the possibilities that were now presented before him. There was one thing he’d always wanted to try but was unable to. He’d need time to prepare, so for now, he’d just find other things to do to occupy his time.
……..
Freddy returned upstairs to find Chica and Roxy absent. He could hear the TV on in the living room, so he followed his ears to find Vanessa on the couch, with Gregory sitting beside her.
“Where are Chica and Roxy?”
Vanessa paused whatever movie they’d just put in and turned to regard him. “Chica wanted to show Roxy the property. She figured since you and Monty were busy, they could go off alone for now.”
“I am not their parent. They can do as they please.”
Vanessa hummed in understanding. “Sure feels like you are.” She snickered lightly and Freddy brought up a hand to rub the side of his arm. “Am I really like that?”
Was he actually embarrassed? Perhaps she had gotten too comfortable around them to really notice, but the more she thought about it, didn’t they seem too human? “A bit. But not in a bad way. You just care.”
“I like Freddy just the way he is!” Gregory bounced up from the couch and ran over to give Freddy a hug.
Freddy patted the top of their head and then looked to the TV with interest. “What are you watching?”
Gregory turned back to the TV in question. “We were just about to put on a Disney movie. Vanessa thought it would be a good way to ‘unwind after such an eventful day.’ Her words, not mine.”
Vanessa chuckled and slouched back into the couch. “I don’t know about you but I’m exhausted. Both emotionally and physically.”
“I have read that a warm bath and hot chocolate can be soothing for the body.” ‘Or a tall glass of vodka.’ -M Freddy dismissed that thought. Gregory was underage and could not drink. ‘Not what I meant.’ -M Were they missing alcohol? There wasn’t a response but he could tell, that was indeed the case. Something about being wasted helped them relax. Since he was unable to eat or drink, he could not relate.
“Do you want to join us, Freddy?” Gregory asked hopefully.
Freddy looked to the TV in consideration before relenting. “Sure.” He wasn’t big on watching TV but he could use the distraction.