Never Doubt a Cupcake

Chica gazed forlornly at the heart-shaped tassels she was meant to be decorating the restaurant. Normally, the sight of them and the day they signalled would be enough to put a smile on her face and a song in her heart which she'd let her voice express while she went about her work. Sometimes a little dance if she felt like no one was watching.

This year, however, there was no quickening of her heart, no irresistible grin or fit of giggles. All that came out of her was a sigh as she unravelled the tassel to line the walls of the dining room. She would still do the decorations even if all it meant was that no one else would have to bother themselves with doing it and despite the mood she was in, she wasn't willing to break one of her yearly traditions.

She groaned while she fumbled with the tassels. They always got so tangled up while they were in storage and it looked especially bad this time. Untangling them was going to be grating to say the least. She saw movement next to her out of the corner of her eye and was pleasantly surprised to see who had joined her.

"Looks like ya need a lil' help navigatin' these treacherous tangles, lass," remarked Foxy.

"Oh. Um, don't worry Foxy, I'll be alright," she insisted.

"I don't doubt that but there's nothin' wrong with an extra hand. Anyone who's ever captained a vessel'll tell ya that," he said sagely.

"Well, when you put it like that." She smiled slightly. "Thank you, Foxy."

"No trouble, Chica." He set to work untangling his bit. "No help from Bonnie then?"

"Not around this time of year," she answered.

"Spendin' it as she always spends it, eh?" Foxy looked in the direction of her closet and barked a laugh. "Wouldn't expect any less. And Freddy's havin' a moment with our returnin' member?"

"They are," she affirmed.

"And Mike I believe is catchin' up on his sketchin'," concluded Foxy. "Good thing I was free ta help then, eh?"

"So it seems," she muttered, trying to ignore the twinge she felt at Mike's name.

"Aye." He was quiet for a moment before he asked, "How fares ye?"

"I'm… quite well thank you, Foxy." It wasn't a total lie. "How are you?"

"Fairly middlin', I'd say," he admitted. "Are ya sure everythin's alright, lass? Ye've been a lil' distant these past few days, 'specially considerin' what day it is tomorrah."

"I see," she murmured. "Is um, that so?"

She cursed herself mentally. Had it really been that noticeable?

"Seems ta be. 'Bout this time-a year, yer more excited than a pirate with a chest full-a booty and a bottle full-a rum, yet yer actin' more like one that's been stricken down with scurvy and left marooned," he remarked. "Ya sure there's nothin' wrong?"

"Quite sure, Foxy," she said quietly.

"I'm only askin' outta concern, I'm not bein' nosy," he added. He glanced up and down. "It's… it's not because it's me doin' the askin', is it?"

"Hm?" She looked up at him. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I just thought that… I understand if maybe yer still not wholly comfortable talkin' ta me about anythin' personal, after…" He shifted his gaze down to the hand he usually had his hook on.

Chica gasped when she caught his meaning. "No! No, no, no, no, Foxy! I-It's nothing to do with that, not at all!"

"Right, right," he said quickly. "Never mind, lass. Ferget I said that, just bein' daft."

"Oh, Foxy," she cooed gently. "You're not daft. It's sweet you're so concerned. But I'm f-fine. Really, I a-am."

"Yer sure?" She nodded. "Well, if ye insist, lass." He tugged sharply on the tassels. "Argh, blast these things! I've grappled with octopuses less tangled'n this!"

She couldn't resist a slight giggle. "I can imagine. These however are not octopuses, so please keep your temper and don't tear them up."

"Aye, I won't," he grumbled, trying to be more careful with sorting out the mess. She smiled faintly at him and did the same.

Foxy was right about what he'd said. Valentine's Day was one of her favourite holidays and it was one she liked to celebrate with as much joy and affection as possible. She heard all the cynical remarks uttered by parents that it was just a way for card companies to get more money, but she didn't care. A day to celebrate love was one she could get behind.

During the week leading up to Valentine's Day and on the day itself, everything she did would be in the spirit of the day. At night she would make heart shaped pizzas and cupcakes with pink frosting and edible love hearts. She was always the one who did the decorating in the restaurant during the days leading up to it, starting small but building it up bit by bit until it culminated at the very end. The games she played with the children were ones like being given two halves of a paper heart to find the matching pair or quizzing them on their knowledge of fictional character couples.

The adults weren't left out either. She would also be looking around for whoever she judged to be cute couples and giving them coupons for reduced pizza or free dessert picked at random from her special heart shaped box. After all, love was sudden and so were its rewards. These couples would mainly be parents since very few people would want to go to a children's restaurant for a romantic meal, but she was happy with it. And she would watch them from afar, daring to dream of the day she would share moments those couples did. Now though…

She was so lost in her thoughts she missed what Foxy telling her something.

"Sorry, Foxy I was miles away. What did you say?" she asked.

"Wish I coulda joined ye," he chuckled. "I was just thinkin' 'bout how unfortunate it is Bonnie is missin' out on helpin' us."

"I um, don't think that's how she'd see it," pointed out Chica.

"Perhaps but I'm not so sure meself. She always says how much she hates this time-a year, but I think she needs ta give it a proper chance instead-a just bein' cooped up in the closet," he said mischievously. "I really think she'd benefit more if she joined us properly, don't ye?"

"Foxy," she said cautiously, "what are you going to do?"

"Just what any good friend would," he said innocently. He walked over to the west hall. "Oh Bonnie lass!"

"Whatever it is, forget it!" she replied instantly, her voice muffled but still quite clear.

"Aw come on, lass, there's no need fer that!" he replied. "Chica and I are out here missin' yer company! Come on out and join us!"

"Make like a turkey and stuff it, peg leg!" she retorted.

"Well alright then! I suppose ya won't mind if Chica and I talk about that guitarist feller ye've expressed a great interest in!"

"What?!" There was a crash and a cry of pain that made Chica think Bonnie had suddenly stood up and banged her head on a shelf. "W-What the hell are you talking about? What guitarist?"

"Oh come on, ya must remember. Dave treated ya ta some-a his band's songs, somethin' ta do with guns and a kinda flower and I recall ya took a shine ta his style," he prompted casually. "Had long curly hair and he wore a top hat like Freddy and a set-a sunglasses too. He had an interestin' name too, somethin' ta do with cuttin'. Help me out here, Bonnie."

"I don't know what you're talking a-about!" she insisted loudly. "Shut your mouth and quit asking me dumb questions!"

Despite herself, Chica had to suppress a laugh imagining how flustered Bonnie must look right now. Foxy grinned at her reaction and pressed on.

"Cut? No, that wasn't it. Slice, I think. No, no, not quite but I reckon I'm close. It has a 'sl' sound. Slll… Slllaaaa… Chica, this ringin' any bells fer ye?" he asked.

"Hmm." She pressed a hand to her chin. "It might be. I think you're on the right lines, Foxy. Oh, I remember now! It was-"

"Cheeks, no!"

"Slash, wasn't it?"

Foxy snapped his fingers. "That's the one! Slash! From Guns N' Roses! Aye, I don't know how I managed ta ferget that. There was a time when barely a minute would go by without Bonnie bringin' him up in some way."

It seemed to have the desired effect. Mere seconds later, Chica heard the closet door open and Bonnie stalked into the dining area, her features set in a deadly glare.

"I didn't talk about him that much!" she defended.

"Oh, so ya do you remember him?" asked Foxy teasingly.

Her cheeks blushed a blue storm. "N-No! Yes! No, no! I dunno! Shut up!"

"It's all startin' ta come back now," he said reminiscently. "All yer talk about how great an artist he was, how big a presence he had on stage and in the songs, how his ability ta play was matched only by his and I quote, 'completely awesome dress sense'."

"I n-never said any of that!" she cried. "I swear, one more word-!"

"So, yer still standin' by that one time I found ye playin' guitar whilst wearin' one-a Freddy's hats was 'just fer a new look'?" he ventured.

"I-I was just…! You can't just…! I w-wasn't…!" she spluttered. Chica was trying her hardest to suppress her giggles, but they kept slipping out and Bonnie's face flushed all the more when they did. "Why, Cheeks? Why?"

"I'm sorry, Bonnie, it's just…" She paused to let out a couple of laughs. "It was rather adorable, really."

"No, no, no!" She rounded on Foxy. "You've turned her against me!"

"Now, now, don't ya go pinnin' anythin' on me or on this sweet child o' mine," he gestured to Chica. "Although I'd think ye'd know all about the sweet children ye'd want with Slash."

"O-Oh yeah? You mean uh, like that girl who kept coming here years ago?" she challenged.

Foxy's cocky expression faltered. "Eh?"

"Aw come on, you must know." Bonnie seemed to recover now she was gaining some traction. "She was a really nice girl and she really liked you. A lot."

Now Chica's laughter was set off anew at the memory of what Bonnie was referring to. Foxy whipped his head at her and his own blushed cheeks indicated he knew exactly what Bonnie was talking about too. The latter looked just as happy at the results as Foxy had been before.

"Dunno what the devil yer own about," Foxy dismissed shortly.

"You mean you don't remember?" she gasped. "And after all those notes she left you too? Foxy, for shame. Imagine how hurt she'd be if she knew. Don't you remember all the heart and soul she put into them? I sure do."

"Bonnie, don't ye dare…"

"You do remember then?" she grinned. "I dunno, I think your memory is still a little rusty. Maybe I should give it a little jog with some of the ones I can remember?"

"I'm warnin' ye, lass!"

"'Oh Captain Foxy,'" she cried in her girliest voice, "'you've got me hooked and your blade has pierced my heart! Come on and dig up my buried treasure for only you have the key! Board my vessel and together we'll raise your Jolly Rodger!'" She cackled evilly. "And I thought Freddy's puns were cringey, but you can't fault her for-"

She didn't get to finish for Foxy's idea of a witty retort was to dive at her in a bid to tackle her to the floor. Bonnie saw this coming and side-stepped it, then pounced at Foxy before he could recover himself. She swiftly bounded toward him, pinned him with her legs and grabbed his arm in a lock.

"Say uncle! Say it!" she demanded.

"In yer dreams, long ears!" She twisted more and he yowled in discomfort. "That… the best ye've… got!"

"Come on, peg leg! What do you think could get you outta this?" taunted Bonnie.

"How about a distraction?" a new voice suggested.

"Huh?" Bonnie turned to the source of the voice.

It was enough to make her lessen her grip on Foxy. He yanked his arm free, rolled underneath her and pushed her off. However, neither of them resumed their tussle when they saw who had spoken.

Golden was standing near the entrance to the backstage door. Since re-joining them, it was decided that she needed some sort of body so that it would be less strange than just addressing thin air. They'd let her occupy Arnie the endoskeleton in the backroom and had adorned him with the pieces of her old suit that Aaron had moved from the warehouse. There hadn't been any time to get it fixed yet, so it still looked as frayed as before.

It was like her presence had flicked some sort of switch. The atmosphere of camaraderie was dispelled by a thick, overlaying tension. Bonnie glared at her with a withering gaze. Foxy glanced warily from one to the other. Chica just tried to avoid looking at Golden altogether and tried to distract herself with putting up more decorations.

"Case and point," said Golden smartly. "You're welcome by the way, Foxy."

"Uh, aye. Thanks, Golden," he muttered.

"My pleasure," she returned.

"Yeah, that would be your sort of thing." The tone of Bonnie's voice matched her glare.

"I'm sorry, Bonnie," Golden replied with an edge in her calm voice. "What exactly would be my sort of thing?"

"A distraction. It's a sneaky kind of trick. Like I said, just your thing."

"Hmm, I see." Again, Golden's voice was still controlled. "Yes, I can see how informed your opinion is, since you're always so honest and upfront about everything."

Bonnie's fists clenched. "What the hell are you saying about me?"

"Easy now, lass," murmured Foxy.

"Whatever you may interpret," she returned. A tense silence fell for a few moments. "Do you need any help there, Chica?"

"H-Huh?" Chica whirled her head around in surprise at being addressed. "E-Excuse me?"

"It's just you look like you've got a fair bit to sort through." She was trying to sound friendly, but it came off as strangely stilted, not the usual self-assured tone she took. "I thought you may need some extra help.

"Um, n-no thank you," she said quickly and looked away.

"Chica, please, I only want to help." She held up her suited hands. "These aren't the most delicate or dextrous of extremities, but I'm sure I could manage something."

"U-Uh… well…"

"Hey, didn't you hear her?" Bonnie stepped between her and Golden. "She said she didn't want your help."

"I believe she can speak for herself easily enough, Bonnie," she replied testily.

"Yeah and she already did." Bonnie thrusted a finger at her. "She said she wanted you to back off, so back off."

"I don't need you to tell me what to do."

"Too bad, because I'm telling you!"

"And what exactly gives you authority?"

"You're gonna find out if you don't step away!" Bonnie's hands clenched again.

"Ah, I see. The most basic and simplest form. Just your thing."

"Now, that's enough," Foxy said, stepping between them both with added effort given to Bonnie. "Golden, stop it."

"Stop what? She's the one threatening to hit me," defended Golden.

"Get out of my way, Foxy," growled Bonnie. "One minute, that's all I need."

"See?" gestured Golden.

"Aye, because yer pushin' her ta," countered Foxy. "She wouldn't be doin' this if ye weren't tryin' ta get under her skin."

"As opposed to those times she's been so hospitable and welcoming?"

"Screw you!" snapped Bonnie.

"Them feelin's aren't unfounded," argued Foxy. "Ye've not really done much ta endear yerself considerin' what ye've done."

"Which coming from you means what?" she asked.

"Belay that!" bellowed Foxy.

Now she backed away. "Right, right, that was the wrong thing to say-"

"You're damn right it is!" Bonnie stepped around Foxy. "Who the hell do you think you are, throwing that in his face and lording it over him?!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that, it just slipped out," she insisted.

"What the hell gives you the right?! You think just because you've not taken a chunk out of someone, that makes you better?!"

"I didn't mean to say that, it was, I don't know, an automatic response."

"Oh, well that makes it all okay then! It's okay, Foxy! Golden didn't mean to remind you of the worst day of your life, it was just an accident!"

"I shouldn't have to explain myself to you, Bonnie!" she retorted. "How long did he have to wait before you spoke to him again? How long did you abandon him for?"

"Don't you even begin to compare what happened to you with what happened to Foxy!"

"Both-a ye, stop!" shouted Foxy. "This isn't makin' things better!"

"Oh come on, don't tell me you're seriously trying to defend what she just said!"

"I'm not, but this isn't helpin' matters!"

"Neither is she!"

Chica didn't want to hear any more of this. She hadn't finished decorating the dining area, but she didn't care. She just had to get away from this. She grabbed what she could, stuffed it back into the box and slipped away down the east hallway, hoping to decorate somewhere else that meant she wouldn't be in the same room as that.

Until she remembered where exactly her route was taking her. She froze and thought of doubling back, but it was too late. She was already in view of the window and the office occupant looked up from his drawing.

"Oh. Um… hey, Chica," Mike greeted awkwardly.

"H-Hello, Mike," she returned in a similar fashion.

"Hey," he repeated. The seconds of silence seemed to crawl by. "Um… a-another argument, huh?"

"Yes. It's… well…" She cast about for something, anything else to talk about and landed on his sketch book. "W-What are you working on?"

"Huh? Oh this? It's a uh… a-a commission someone wanted."

He held it up. It appeared to be a flying woman with long dark hair, dressed in some skin tight clothing, her hand clenched in a fist while something glowed from it. A star symbol was emblazoned on her chest.

"I see. What is it, exactly?" she asked.

"She's a um… I don't suppose you've ever heard of Green Lantern?" he ventured.

"N-No, sorry."

"Oh." Mike sounded disappointed. "I uh, don't think you'd get it then."

"R-Right. Sorry," she repeated.

"It's okay." He pursed his lips for a few moments, his eyes darting about in several directions. "You look uh… good. Great, I mean. Really uh, great."

"R-Really? Well…" Even though it was awkwardly given and she almost wished he hadn't, Chica still felt a little flustered from the compliment. "Th-Thank you, M-Mike."

"It's okay. I-I mean it, you uh, really do," he added.

"Thanks." Silence came again, though she could hear Freddy's raised voice down the hall. "I'm uh, going to… to decorate the kitchen," she said lamely. "Um… h-have a good night, Mike."

"Yeah. You too."

She shuffled back down the corridor to the closest thing she had to a sanctuary. Passing through the dining room, she saw that Freddy had ended the argument. Golden was stepping back into the backstage room with Freddy holding open the door. Bonnie glared at her passing and stalked off back to the cupboard. Foxy made to go after her, stopped, looked to Golden, then shook his head and returned to his Cove.

Chica felt a kind of relief the moment she was in the kitchen and the doors were shut. But it was still so much. Her mind weighed heavily and her feelings were overwhelming her. She needed to vent them, to get it all out.

She took her oven mittens and covered the camera with them, adding her apron for good measure. It was enough to muffle the microphone inside it, she'd discovered. Normally she wouldn't do this but right now, she needed some personal space and she didn't want Mike of all people listening in on it.

She took out her unique prop, a fake cupcake with pink icing and adorable blue eyes perched on top. Normally she would just carry it for effect, but she could also use it as a puppet in a very unique way. Thanks to her synthetic nature and a control interface on the plate she carried it on, she had the ability to transmit her voice through the cupcake as a form of technological ventriloquism. She didn't even have to move her lips, just point and think.

She would bring out Lil' Cupcake in case there was a child who needed a little cheering up and wanted a little friend to talk to. As strange as it might seem, she sometimes had need for him. Not often, but there were moments when she needed to think by herself and in a strange way, it helped. Just a way to get her thoughts and feelings out.

"Hello there, little friend. It's been a while. How've you been?" Lil' Cupcake gave her a blank stare and silence. "Same as always then. Me? Well, it's rather hard to say. A lot's been going on since we last spoke, to say the least. Foxy's doing much better. He really came through for us recently and I'm so proud of him. I've seen a side to Bonnie that I never even knew was there. You know how guarded she is when it comes to her emotions. I never imagined she would be…" She trailed off. "Freddy I think we've started to turn a corner with. I'll admit he's being slow at dropping his old habits, but they're the ones that die the hardest. He's trying, I think. It's too early to tell really, but I'll keep you updated. And Golden's back with us so… that's something

"But in all of this I still haven't really talked about me yet, have I?" She laughed a little, then sighed. "Well, normally I'd be feeling rather great around this time. My favourite day is only two days away but… I'm not really feeling it this year. I… I was silly again. I let my heart run away with my head. Now Mike and I we're… well, we… we're not going anywhere. We agreed we'd be friends but I have no idea what to say to him anymore. I don't know how to behave around him now. Where do we go from here? What do we have to build on? Can we… actually be friends? I hate to say this but… I don't know him as much as I might like to think I do. Were we ever really friends or w-was it just my crush? I don't know…

She clutched her face in her hands. "I want to be friends with him, I really do. But everything's just so awkward now. We can barely say two words to each other, let alone hold a conversation. Even worse, there's still tensions between Golden and everyone else too. It's Bonnie, really. She was never open to the idea of letting her back among us. I suppose I don't really blame her for thinking the way she does but it's not helping. She gets angry, Golden gets angry, Foxy gets angry because Golden's angry at Bonnie, Freddy gets angry and I'm just… I don't even know what to do. What can I do? I'm just… j-just plain, shy, stupid Chica. I-I can't take charge like Freddy o-or be match Foxy's spirit or be b-bold like Bonnie…

"Bonnie…" She laughed a little. "She said something to me a few days ago, you know. Sh-She told me that she was always jealous of me. C-Can you imagine? The most cocky, boastful person I know jealous of me. What's the world coming to? You think you know someone, then…" Her eyes wandered to the kitchen door. "Then again, that seems to put things into perspective for me. No one I know ever seems to be how I think they are a-and the way I hope things are… never seems to be the case. Sometimes, I wish things could just, I don't know, lock in place. Just take a moment when we're all happy exactly the way things are and then freeze it. Take that moment and keep it forever. Then things wouldn't have to change. We could all be happy… together…

She sighed. "But there I go again. Wishing for things I can never have." She felt her chest tighten and she clenched her fist. "It's not fair! I r-really hoped, this one time, th-that it would be different. Th-That Mike would be the one. We went out for dinner, h-he let me hold his arm, we ice skated… we kissed. It all seemed so perfect, like how I dreamed it would be." For a moment, she smiled at the feeling of happiness she'd felt in those memories. But mingled with her current emotions, it soon soured into bitterness. "But no… I got it wrong again. I always, always get it wrong! Every single time! I couldn't have what I wanted, even this one time! I don't get to perform without wearing that stupid suit! I don't get to find true love because I'm stuck in this stupid place! I don't get to be normal because I'm just a stupid synthetic! B-Bonnie told me something she envied me for was how much I care? Well, if it always hurts this much, I wish I didn't care! You hear me?! I wish I didn't care!"

She slammed her fist onto the counter. The tears she'd felt building during all of that began to trickle down her cheeks. For a few minutes, the only thoughts that were going through her head was why. Why did she do this? What was the point of it?

It was looking at Lil' Cupcake that reminded her. For the smiles and laughter of those children. For her band and her family who despite their shortcomings had never let her down. For the faint hope that, one day, she may not have to live like this ever again. Until and after that day, she had to be strong and be the best she could for everyone.

She looked up to see Lil' Cupcakes eyes on her. Could she be blamed for imagining that they almost looked reproachful of her?

"Y-You're right. I didn't really mean that. I was just… I'm sorry…" She wiped her eyes and took a couple of breaths. "I n-need to pull myself together. This is… this is being childish. Selfish. This isn't helping me and it isn't helping m-my friends. I need to do something, I know that. I-If I want to get better, I h-have to be the one to do it." She took a few moments to get control of herself and collect her thoughts. "Okay, I'm calm. C-Calm. Now, there has to be some way I can try to make things better, I just have to think about it." She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. "There has to be something. I only wish this didn't have to happen so close to Valentine's Day. A day when people are supposed to come together, out of love for… each other."

It hit her in that moment. A new revelation. "Of course! Why didn't I see this sooner?! It's so obvious! I don't have to be sad about Valentine's Day because that's how I can do it! I can do it!" She squealed with excitement. "Oh, this is perfect! Wait, what time is it?" She looked up at the clock. Four hours until they opened. "Oh my, that's not a lot of time. If I'm going to get started, it'll have to be now. Alright, alright, ingredient check. I should have everything…"

She did a quick scour of the kitchen for what she needed. She knew this kitchen like the back of her hand and thanks to her synthetic speed, she was able to move quickly to get what she needed. Cake mix, heart shaped sprinkles, icing, flour, toppings, knives, sauce. She separated pizza and cake ingredients on different counters so nothing would get mixed up. From the Valentine's Day box she brought out paper, pens, pencils and scissors, set them on an empty counter and looked around in satisfaction.

"Right, that's everything, don't you think?" she said in aside to Lil' Cupcake. "Although it is going to be a lot of work, even for me. I think I might need extra pairs of hands and I know just the people to ask." She trilled a couple of notes in newfound joy and turned to her little friend. "Thank you for listening, Lil' Cupcake. I feel better now and I'm sorry for, well, losing myself there. It's good to know I can count on you to help me, my trusty little treat."

She planted a kiss on the top of his head and imagined his eyes glint with gratitude before setting off to recruit her temporary assistants.

Hey there everybody! It's been a while, hasn't it? You all have no idea how much I missed writing these stories. This one had me tearing my hair out for a while of how it was going to pan out, but I've sorted it out with some help from a friend of mine. Thanks for putting up with my random messages, Chick.

Just like my last special, this'll be shorter than the main series instalments but that doesn't mean it'll be any less enriching. I hope. It's not all finished, but I only have two chapters to go. Don't expect daily updates for this thing but know that most of this has been written. I just want to draw this out because I'm cruel like that.

Anyway, hope you enjoy what I have in store. Also its my birthday. Yay.

Be strong, be swift, be just.