Awake and Alive

I don't own Five Nights at Freddy's. Scott Cawthon does.

Summary: Mike thought he understood everything going on at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, but, really, he has no idea. He never thought the animatronics might actually be capable of feelings, let alone have one of them actuallylove him. Enough to turn him into one of them, perhaps?

Notes: Takes place in an AU where the kids aren't in the suits and the animatronics are just sentient robotthings

Thank you to all those who favourited and alerted, and a special thanks to those who reviewed! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far!

The backstage room didn't have a clock, making it exceedingly difficult to tell what the time was. At least, he didn't think it had a clock. There was no obvious one and he was still too shocked and too scared to look around all the shelves of heads to find one. For now, he was contented to wait until something happened - preferably something that wasn't animatronic-related.

Too much had happened in however much time he'd been there. He'd been murdered, stuffed into a bear suit and met the very…things that had hunted him down like an animal and killed him. Oh, and he'd been resurrected. Was he resurrected? He couldn't remember. He didn't understand. He'd seen movies where characters died and came back as vengeful spirits. Watched them almost every night, straight after putting his mother to bed. He hadn't been able to since he took up the job as the pizzeria's night guard. In any case, was his own resurrection like those ones? Was there some kind of magic involved? Did he have to complete some task to be able to go to 'the beyond'? Was it, perhaps, kill - destroy the animatronics? He hoped so. He could certainly manage doing so. Then again, with the way Freddy could just pick him up like that, with no effort at all, it would probably be pretty tricky to subdue the bear alone. With the others involved, it would be even harder.

Everything he'd heard about this place - the missing children, the Bite of '87, all the dead people - somehow didn't measure up to actually knowing the animatronics were, he didn't know, alive. They'd talked and walked and acted like all were best buddies. It was just wrong.

Mike hugged his knees tighter. He hadn't moved from that position against the door all day. He'd considered going out when he heard people, to show them what the animatronics did to him and how he wanted a raise, if anything. But then he thought against it when he heard the children cheering as the animatronics sang. How would the children react if another Freddy - one covered in blood and piss and whatever else had come out of him last night - were to suddenly come out of the room by the stage, shouting that these things were monsters and should be destroyed immediately? They would be terrified, and he couldn't do that to them. No matter what he knew, Freddy Fazbear's Pizza was a safe haven for the children that came there. At least, it was in their minds, and he intended to keep it that way.

He'd never heard the animatronics sing before. Mike obviously always came at night, so he'd never seen the animatronics perform. Some of his fellow employees told him of a few things when he asked and some could be heard humming the songs they heard everyday. The songs were childish and silly and about things only toddlers would like, but Mike supposed they were alright. Considering this place was meant for children, they seemed perfect.

Now, there was no sound outside. The kids were gone, he couldn't hear his colleagues nor any footsteps. He was alone and, somewhere out there, were his murderers.

He honestly didn't know what time it was. The restaurant was obviously closed, but did that mean it was still night or early morning? Had his replacement already come and gone? He didn't know. None of the band had tried to get in, so - if the temporary night guard had already accomplished a shift - that meant they'd survived. Good. He was lonely, but not so much that he'd wish for another man's death. That was just wrong.

Mike stared at his new feet, just as he'd been doing all day. A Freddy suit. If there was any character he hadn't wanted to be, it was Freddy. Freddy was, by far, his least favourite. Son of a bitch was the hardest to keep away. The heck was his problem, anyway? Hopefully, that new night guard wouldn't -

He paused. Wait. The new night guard. Why hadn't he thought of it before?! The night guard - a person! Of course! If it was still night, like he was now hoping it was, he could get to the office and get the night guard to help him! He could tell him all that had happened and get his help!

Oh…but what if he thought he was just another Freddy? What then? He'd shut the door on him and the animatronics would be so confused on what he was doing…Oh, to hell with them! They would probably think he was trying to join in with their game. As for the night guard…well, if talking could shake Mike up so much, then the night guard would realise it was him. Besides, he'd heard his voice before. He'd recognise him, he was sure. It'd be fine.

Mike struggled to get to his feet. At first, he tried to climb up using the wall, but had slipped and fallen on Freddy's backside as he did. Eventually, after several attempts at this, he managed to get onto his knees and crawl to the table to use to get up. He ignored the spare Bonnie head on the table and got to his feet. Mike didn't bother brushing himself off after that. He simply turned to the door and took hold of the handle. For a moment, he paused to listen for the animatronics. When he heard no footsteps, Mike slowly opened the door, careful not to make it creak, then paused again.

No voices nor footsteps. They hadn't noticed.

Mike poked his head out for a look, almost getting it stuck in the doorway when he forgot about how big his head now was. It was still dark in the room, but he could see just fine, it seemed. Mike edged the door open and side-stepped out, shutting the door behind him in case anyone noticed he was gone and went to find him. Mike stood there, unmoving and temporarily unsure of what to do now. He didn't dare look at the stage in case they were there and simply hadn't noticed him, nor did he want to notice their absence and feel another rush of panic. He took a glance at Pirate's Cove. The curtain was closed. Foxy hadn't noticed.

Mike continued to stand there for a moment…then he bolted.

He ran right across the dining area, almost tripping over a couple of chairs on his way, and right into the west corridor. He didn't bothered looking back to check if the animatronics had noticed - he just ran. A couple of times, he stumbled on his new feet, but managed to pick up enough speed to get away from danger in record time. Soon enough, he was down the west corridor and spinning into the doorway of the office, "Night guard, listen, I'm not -" He froze.

No night guard. The tablet was sitting on the chair, the fan's blades were still spinning and the light was still buzzing. Mike's shoulders fell. It must've turned into early morning, then. He was aware that people actually didn't start coming in until after he left and the animatronics would simply return to the stage once they failed at their 'game'. So…what then? Where were the animatronics? Had they been on stage and he simply hadn't noticed? Were they somewhere in the restaurant? Had they noticed him gone and were on their way?

Only one way to find out.

Mike quickly got into the office and grabbed the tablet, beginning to flick through the cameras. He had to find them now. They had to be around here somewhere. He guessed Foxy was still in the cove, since the curtains were still shut, so he wouldn't be a problem. But what about -

A gasp made him jump so hard he dropped the tablet. He turned, only to see Chica looking at him from the window. Before he could think of running away, she rushed to the doorway and stepped in, "Endoskeleton! You came back out!"

Mike panicked and panicked hard. He ripped the fan from the desk, made sure the blades were still spinning, and held it out like a knife, "You stay the hell away from me!" He shouted without thinking about who he was speaking to.

Chica's smile dropped and she tilted her head, "Endoskeleton? What's wrong?"

"Bit feisty, this one."

Mike screamed and jumped again, his arms flailing, this time stumbling away to the corner of the room. Freddy Fazbear had slipped in unnoticed, just like the night he'd killed Mike, only this time he'd simply crossed his arms. Freddy and Chica watched him as he curled up into his ball, the fan still held out to protect him, although he'd accidentally ripped it out of its socket so the blades no longer spun.

Before Freddy or Chica could speak, Bonnie poked his head into the doorway, guitar slung over his shoulder. The tips of his ears bended, then stretched as he prepared himself to listen, "What's going on? I heard a scream!" Freddy jerked a thumb in Mike's direction and Bonnie looked over, then immediately smiled, his ears bouncing again, "Endoskeleton! Hi! Boy, I must seem rude now, huh? Oh! Wait, hang on!" He turned and leaned out of the doorway again, "FOXY!"

Seconds later, clanking was heard and Foxy almost crashed into Bonnie as he finished his usual sprint down the hall, "Aye, Bonnie! What be all the ruckus about?" Bonnie gestured to Mike and Foxy's eye patch flicked up, "Ahoy, me matey! Seems our new crew member finally decided t' join us on deck!" He walked forward on his old legs, waving his hook and offering Mike his one hand. Whether he wanted to help Mike up or he wanted a handshake was unknown, as Mike held up the fan as a shield from Foxy's touch, "No need to be so jittery, lad! Ol' Foxy wouldn't hurt a fly!"

"Aw," Bonnie muttered gently as he wandered over. Mike's attention immediately went to him; he was beginning to hyperventilate now, "it's okay, Endoskeleton. We won't hurt you - promise! We're nice people."

Mike stared at him, unsure of what to make of this. For one, he wanted to scoff at what Bonnie had said, but nothing would come out. Besides, they honestly weren't aware he was human, so…they actually did think they were nice people. They thought they had just helped a fellow entertainer get dressed.

God…what a load of freaking idiots.

"You've had a pretty rough night, huh? It's alright now. We'll help you out - that's what friends are for, after all! Now, just in case you don't know (and some don't, so it's okay)…" Bonnie started, then gestured to himself, "I'm Bonnie the Bunny." He took a moment to let Mike process that, then he gestured to Foxy, "This is Foxy the Pirate Fox."

"Ahoy, me matey!" Foxy repeated, waving his hook again.

"This is Freddy Fazbear." Freddy offered a little wave, regarding Mike with a half-lidded stare, "And this is Chi -"

"Chica the Chicken!" Chica burst out with suddenly, taking a couple of steps forward and smiling widely at Mike. The four males stared at her for a moment, then she looked at her fellow robots, "…What?!"

Bonnie turned back to Mike, who flinched and held his fan closer to himself, "Chica the Chicken." He finished awkwardly.

"…I…" Mike managed to get out, "I…I k-k-know…"

"Oh, good! Not everyone does, you know, and it makes everything so awkward!" Bonnie mused, a finger to his chin in thought, then he suddenly leaned down to Mike, who shielded himself some more. Bonnie's eyes practically sparkled, "So! What's your name, friend? I'm sure it isn't Endoskeleton!…Oh! But - if it is - no offence! It's a lovely name!"

"…Mike…"

"Mike…?"

"…Schmidt."

Bonnie's smile dropped and he leaned back, his finger back on his chin. His ears flexed themselves in his confusion, "'Mike Schmidt'? Well, that doesn't have alliteration at all!"

"Schmidt has an m in it." Freddy pointed out.

Bonnie's ears pointed skyward in realisation, then he turned to Freddy with a smile, "That it does! Great! Oh, um…" He turned back to Mike, "Are you sure it isn't 'Mike the Schmidt'?" Mike nodded, and Bonnie appeared confused again, "Oh…guess you're like Freddy, then, huh?!"

Mike stared at Bonnie with wide eyes, still shocked and unsure about this situation. "…You're talking…"

The purple bunny blinked, then chuckled, "Of course I'm talking! What else would I be doing? Oh…are you hard of hearing? I know sign language! Want me to do some sign language?"

"Uh…"

"He doesn't need sign language!" Chica exclaimed, "He's perfect!" Mike's eyes flashed to her and she offered him an overly-cheerful grin. He didn't know what to make of it.

"I think th' lad's still a bit spooked." Foxy pointed out.

"Aww, don't worry, Mike Schmidt." Bonnie said again with the most gentle tone he could, "We're all buddies here! No need to be scared…Here, lemme just…" He reached forward to take the fan from Mike, but Mike's grip was too tight. Bonnie relented and let him have it. "Alright, that's fine. No worries."

"W-What…Where's the night guard?" Mike asked.

Bonnie paused, then looked horribly confused, "Night guard? What night guard? We don't have a night guard."

"Uh…I mean…are there any other endoskeletons…?"

Bonnie gave a little bounce, "As a matter of fact, one was here only minutes ago!" Mike mentally cursed, Fuck. Just missed him… "We tried to tell him to get dressed, but he wouldn't open the doors for us. So rude…Then again, you did that too!" He pointed at Mike, then waved a hand, "But, don't worry, Mike Schmidt! We forgive you!"

Mike gave a slow nod. They were all so friendly toward him, it was like they hadn't tried to kill him previously. In fact, it almost made him forget. Almost.

Freddy himself was watching Chica. She continuously bounced on her heels, her grin never falling. The bear looked to Mike, who was still balled up in the corner of the room, then looked back to Chica. Honestly, he didn't see whatever she did. To him, Mike Schmidt was an odd little thing who was far too jumpy, but whatever. She didn't understand his affections either, so why bother try to learn the reason for hers? "Foxy," Freddy spoke up, catching the fox's attention, "don't you have…stuff to do?"

"Eh?" Foxy tilted his head, "What d' ye mean, lad?"

"You know…stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Yeah. Make sure the restaurant's all clean. That sort of…stuff."

"That be the janitor's job, lad."

"Well, we owe them." He cocked his head to the doorway, "Go on. Someone with your leg power would be good at it."

Foxy tilted his head again, unsure of what Freddy meant, then the bear glanced in Chica's direction, in Mike's, then back to Foxy's. Foxy looked to the two, then held up his hook in surrender, "Avast - o' course! Thank yer gears f' remindin' me, Fazbear, almost forgot!" Freddy nodded as a welcome, then Foxy turned back to Mike, "Well, lad, ol' Foxy's got to be venturin' off to his…stuff. I'll be sailin' yer way later, best be warned! An' remember, lad, yer always welcome back at Cap'n Foxy's Pirate Cove!" Mike gave no response, so Foxy simply left them alone. He disappeared through the doorway without another word.

Freddy then turned to Bonnie, who was fiddling with his fingers, "Foxy's got stuff to do? What stuff?"

"I dunno." Freddy shrugged like the conversation never happened, "Pirate stuff. You know."

"Oh…we should go help him!"

"Bonnie." The bunny turned to the bear, pausing his attempt at helping the fox, only for Freddy to cock his head toward the doorway.

Bonnie glanced over in that direction, then jumped, his ears shooting up again, "Oh! Of course!" His ears settled themselves as he turned back to Mike, "Well, Mike Schmidt, me and Freddy gotta get going! Don't worry - Chica doesn't bite none!" He offered a smile, then wriggled his fingers in a wave, "Bye, bye, friend!" With that, Freddy followed Bonnie out and the two disappeared down the hall. Mike couldn't hear them very well from there, but he heard just enough to know they were talking about him. Watching them go, it slowly dawned on him that he was now alone with one of them. Mike slowly turned his head back to Chica, who looked like she was going to explode with joy. He didn't know what was up with her, but she seemed the most excited to have him on the outside. After all, she'd practically pushed down the door when he was in the backstage room. Heavens knows why she was so happy to have him around. Then again…what had Foxy said about 'wooing' him…?

"Well, Mike Schmidt!" Chica exclaimed, "Just me and you now! So, what d'ya wanna do? Wanna head to the kitchen? Or we could play games! Do you like games, Mike Schmidt?" Mike didn't reply, only moved away from her even more, so her smile dropped, "Hey, what's the matter? I don't bite. Really!" She wrung her hands a little, "I…guess I've been coming off a little strongly…Really, Mike Schmidt, I'm just really happy you're here! I mean…I've been waiting a long time, y'know? I just…you know?"

Mike stared at her, unsure of what to do or say. Know? Know what? What had she been waiting for? He had no idea. It…didn't have anything to do with 'wooing' him, did it? Foxy was just kidding about that, right?

"Hey, I know!" Chica suddenly exclaimed, making Mike jump, "I'll give you a tour of the place! Yeah! You've always been hanging out in the office, I bet you've never seen the rest of the building, huh?"

Mike tensed immediately. He didn't want to be anywhere near these things, especially now, when he was trying to figure this all out. He opened his mouth, closed it, then said, "N-No, actually, I -"

"C'mon!" Chica reached forward and grabbed his right hand. Mike glanced down at her hand, tried to lift his left one to bring the fan down upon hers, but she was too quick and too strong. In absolutely no time at all, she dragged him up and pulled him outside the office, beginning to take off down the corridor. Mike gave a short scream as he was pulled along, but Chica either ignored it or didn't hear over her own voice, "This is the east hallway! I hang out down here - oh! But you knew that already, didn't you? You saw me all the time - at the window, remember?" She didn't wait for an answer, instead simply dragged him toward the restaurant's bathrooms to carry on the tour.

The tour was rather short itself so far; the restaurant was rather small and Chica didn't have much to say about each room she showed to him. Mike said next to nothing the entire time, only offering small grunts of acknowledgement each time she asked him a question. She hardly ever waited for answers anyway. Several times, Mike tried to slip away, but Chica's grip on his hand was strong. Come to think of it, she hadn't released his hand the entire time. Mike found the touch uncomfortable, but he had no choice but to tolerate it, even if he wanted her to release him and leave him alone. He wanted nothing to do with her, but she obviously wanted everything to do with him.

As Chica finished showing Mike the stage, bringing him up to circle it for a better look, Mike moved toward the backstage room. If he could get inside and barricade the door, then maybe he would finally get some time away from them all and Chica would get the message. He didn't want to be her friend or anything else she may have had in mind. In fact, he wanted nothing to do with any of them. They had killed him, for God's sake!

Mike was steps away from the door to the backstage room when Chica suddenly tugged on his hand, using her other to grab his arm and turn him away, "Oh, no, Mike Schmidt! We can't go in there!"

Mike looked to her, then finally managed to muster up his voice to speak, "…Uh…H-How come?"

"Freddy and Bonnie are having their time."

"…'Their time'…?"

"Uh-huh! Can't disturb their time!"

Mike stared at her blankly. He'd heard that phrase many times over his childhood, mainly because his mother made the mistake of picking teenaged babysitters. He had been forbidden from entering even his own bedroom because adults were having 'their time'. And if Chica was saying the same thing…Well…Bonnie and Freddy were adults, right…? Or…something like that…

Mike frowned confusedly and looked down to the area between his legs, then took a peek at Chica's. But…they don't even have junk…! So…how the hell are they…? And…why are they…?! "Y-You mean…they're a…thing…?"

Chica tilted her head, then realised his meaning, "Oh! Yeah! Didn't you know that, Mike Schmidt? You were messing with the cameras…"

Holy shit, they did this while I was WATCHING?!

"I mean…I would've thought you'd noticed something. Bonnie and Freddy have their time before and after hours!"

"You mean…they come here to…?" Mike started out, suddenly feeling sick. He'd been sitting in there all day; probably where they…DID STUFF.

"Yup!" Chica looked to the door, "Sure hope they hurry it up in there…"

Mike felt absolutely horrified. First of all, Bonnie and Freddy were a thing. Second of all, they had 'time' together! They were ROBOTS and they had TIME TOGETHER. What…? Mike looked to the door again, suddenly realising something.

Now, don't get him wrong, he wasn't hoping for anything, but…if they were doing 'stuff', wouldn't he hear something? That room wasn't sound-proof, surely they'd make some sort of noise… "Chica…" (He couldn't believe he'd referred to her by name) "By…'their time'…what exactly do you mean…?"

"Mike Schmidt!" Chica gasped, playfully slapping his chest. He winced at it; not because it hurt, but because she'd touched him, "You can't ask that!"

Mike frowned. Alright, this was getting confusing. He couldn't hear anything, so they couldn't possibly - then again, they could turn off their voice boxes, right? Did they have voice boxes? They could talk just fine, so they had something in there. At the same time…these were made for a children's restaurant. What reason would the inventor have for giving them…junk? That made no sense, unless the guy was really that sick. Mike glanced over his shoulder, then his frown deepened, "Hey…Chica?"

"Yes?"

"Let's go back to the office." He went to move on.

"The office?" Chica tugged him back, her brow furrowed, "Why, Mike Schmidt?"

"I…" He searched for an answer before realising he was still comically holding the fan, "…gotta put the fan back. Y'know. Before…people get here."

"Oh! Right! C'mon, then!" She took the lead once more, dragging him back to the office by his hand. As soon as they reached the doorway, Mike took the lead, which Chica gave a small squeal at. He ignored her and put down the fan in favour of picking up the tablet. Pressing one of Freddy's fingers to the square marked CAM 5, Mike narrowed his eyes, then ultimately paused.

It was a little difficult to tell in the darkness, but Bonnie and Freddy sat by the wall, their knees to their chests. They sat next to each other, knees touching. Bonnie's guitar was in his lap and Freddy's microphone was by his foot, his focus on the bunny beside him. With the thumb and index finger of his right hand, Freddy rubbed Bonnie's ear, making the appendage twitch lightly. Bonnie wasn't looking at him, though he began to lean against him.

Mike stared at the display in front of him. He couldn't freaking believe this. First of all, that the animatronics believed this was the height of romantic affection, and secondly…they could feel romantic affection! They were robots! Mike felt somewhat sick and pretty stupid as he looked at it. Holy crap…

"Whatcha watchin - Mike Schmidt!"

The tablet was suddenly snatched away from him. Mike whirled around to face the chicken animatronic, "Hey!"

"That's really, really personal, Mike Schmidt!" Chica exclaimed, "How could you?!"

"They're just sitting there!" Mike retorted, "It's hardly anything R-rated!"

"They're…" Chica took a cautious glance at the door, then whispered, "…cuddling…!"

"Freaking - so?!"

"So! So, that's really personal! If the kids saw this…" She shook her head, then looked to Mike, "You can't do that, Mike Schmidt, I'm sorry!"

Mike stared in disbelief. What was the big deal? Alright, he could understand Freddy and Bonnie wanted privacy, but what was with treating it so harshly? Why would kids care about a bunny and a bear having a cuddle? Mike looked her up and down, then paused. He'd given himself the answer earlier: they were built for a children's restaurant. Of course this would seem like a big deal. Kissing must be the most private thing in the world to them, then. And sex…sex was just non-existent. Makes sense, Mike thought, they don't even have junk.

Chica changed the camera without looking, then set the tablet down on the desk, "They…should be done soon…" Mike gave a grunt. "Then we can go in!"

The ex-security guard faltered, then looked to her, "W…What?"

"We can go in, Mike Schmidt." Chica smiled, "It's okay to be shy. I've never really done it either, but -"

"I…What?!" Mike took a step back.

Chica blinked, regarding him with confusion, "Mike Schmidt? What's wrong? I thought you'd be excited."

"I…"

"I mean, I don't see why you wouldn't be…You love me too, right?"

If he weren't already dead, Mike might've fainted on the spot. It was bad enough knowing the truth about Bonnie and Freddy, but…but what was Chica saying? He stared at her in disbelief. Love her too? The only way he could love her too was if…Oh, God…

Foxy hadn't been kidding.

Mike's eyes would've widened if they were still in his head. No wonder Chica had been showing up at the office more often. No wonder she'd spent more time at the office's window. She was there to see him, and not just as an attempt at stuffing him into a suit. He'd thought she was just getting impatient with his escaping death all the time, not that she…loved him. Mike suddenly felt sick. One of these things actually loved him. That just…it wasn't possible. She was a robot, not a human being. Just a sack of wires, metal beams and whatever else these things were made from. He was a real human being, with the blood and guts to prove it. This just…it was sick and wrong, even more so than a romance between two animatronics. And how was he supposed to deal with this now? What would happen to his previous plan of avoiding them? How could he carry that on when one of them loved him?

"Mike Schmidt? Are you okay? Did you know that I love you?"

Oh, God, don't say that. "Chica, I don't you think you understand what you just said to me." He said quickly, apparently forgetting who he was speaking to.

Chica looked confused, "Of course I do! Bonnie loves Freddy and Freddy loves Bonnie! Even Foxy loves someone!" Oh, God… "And I love you, Mike Schmidt! And you love me!"

"W-What…? I-I…"

"I mean, I know you do…" Chica suddenly looked bashful, "You always looked at me like that when I was at your window…and you always said hi to me…"

Mike's eyes would've widened even more if they could. Did she seriously take everything he did as flirting? Those glares he sent at her - she took those as him giving her…looks?! And saying hi, well…every time Mike came into work, he would tip his hat to each one and greet them. Chica was the first every time; Foxy was the last. It was meant as a sarcastic greeting if anything, but she obviously didn't take it that way. And almost every time Chica was at his window, he would exclaim a sarcastic "Hi, Chica!" before shutting the door in her face. It was either that or his classic glare.

Chica…honestly took those as signs of affection?

"Mike Schmidt?" Mike snapped out of his state of shock enough to look at her again. He felt even more sick doing so. "I…Are you okay?" She asked as she watched Mike put a hand on the desk to balance himself. This was just too much. Too much to handle. "Mike Schmidt, it's okay. You don't have to say anything - I already knew you did! If you're shy, then that's okay."

"I…I…"

"I mean, that's why we wanted you to get dressed so badly! You're not allowed to be naked around here! Now that you're not breaking the rules, we can be together!" She smiled at him sweetly, like this was the best plan ever, "You look a little better all dressed up, anyway. Sorry we had to put you in a Freddy suit, by the way. I know he's not much of a looker. But, hey, if we get another costume, we can just take you out and put you in there!"

Oh, God…He couldn't imagine the mess that would make. Mike stared at her in disbelief. This things must've really had the minds of children if Chica really believed that he liked her back just because of some staring and greetings. But he really couldn't quite focus on that right now, despite what a big shock it'd been. No, he was rather focused on the fact she still thought he was just 'dressed'. Mike's fists squeezed shut as all the anger and all the confusion and all the frustration building up over the last few days made his body burn. How could these things honestly try to rationalise what they had done, damn it?! Didn't they understand what they had done?!

Well. He was going to make them understand.

"Mike Schmidt?"

"Think I'm all dressed up, do you?" Mike growled out, making Chica lean back slightly. "Think I'm one of you, huh?! You honestly think I'm some freaking endoskeleton, don't you?!"

"W-Well…you are…"

"I'm NOT!" Mike exploded suddenly, making Chica jump, "I'm NOT one of YOU, you sick bastard! I'm a HUMAN BEING! Look what you DID TO ME!" He gestured to his new body, which Chica took a glance at. Surely, she'd noticed the blood or the distant rattling, or - hell! How had she not noticed his eyes were not in his head?! "You KILLED ME, FOR GOD'S SAKE! You and that FUCKING BEAR AND THE RABBIT AND THAT FOX! YOU KILLED ME! YOU'VE KILLED OTHER PEOPLE! PHONE GUY - YOU KILLED HIM TOO! YOU KILLED HIM AND YOU KILLED ME!"

Chica stared at him silently, shoulders tensed and eyes wide. She didn't have to have a human face to tell Mike she was frightened of him, but he found he didn't care. It was actually quite satisfying that he was frightening them for a change, rather than the other way around. "M-Mike Schmidt…?…Does this mean you don't love me too…?"

OH, FOR FUCK'S SAKE! Was she really only focused on that?! "OF COURSE I DON'T, YOU STUPID BITCH! YOU'RE A ROBOT AND I'M A HUMAN BEING!"

Silence quickly followed, as though Chica had forgotten how to speak. She stared at him, her brow furrowed and her eyes wide at his outburst. Or perhaps she was actually having a realisation. Who knows. Mike didn't, nor did he care at that point. He himself was trembling in his rage, a sense of relief coming out that he had finally managed to get all that out of him. And now what? What would happen? Chica looked like she wanted to say something, but simply didn't know how to get it out, and it took another glance at Mike's face to tell him he had broken the chicken's heart. Somewhere inside him, in that place that apparently didn't remember who he was speaking to, Mike felt…guilty. He straightened himself, took a small step back, and opened his mouth to try to say something. Soothe the pain, he supposed. Could they feel pain? Well, they felt love apparently, so they probably felt pain too.

Before either could, however, Foxy's voice rang out throughout the restaurant, "Avast, me fellow shipmates! The sun be up above our heads! Time t' get back t' places!" He came sprinting passed the doorway, making Mike jump, and dashed to Pirate Cove. In the distance, Mike heard the footsteps of Bonnie and Freddy heading up to the stage.

He looked to Chica hesitantly. The chicken's head was lowered as she fiddled with her fingers; her expression the very definition of heartbreak. Mike's own brow furrowed, but Chica only sighed sadly and turned to leave. Her steps were slow and she no longer had that bounce in her heels. Mike felt like he had to do something, but the side of him that was still angry called the other side a stupid idiot. Thus, he left her alone and instead headed back to the backstage area, grabbing the fan again on his way out (it was an impulse, he supposed). He couldn't hang out in the office anymore; not during the day, at least. The kids might see and he didn't want to scare them. Then again, that might be the one incident that would finally get this hellhole shut down. Hey, there was an idea…

…No. No, he couldn't. Not to the kids. That wouldn't be fair.

As Mike made it back to his little haven, he found himself glancing at the two already on stage. His stomach - or, you know, whatever - lurched a little as he saw Freddy and Bonnie intertwine their fingers, shut their eyes and rub their noses against each other's in a sickly sweet display of affection. Mike stared for a moment and Bonnie must've sensed he was there, for the rabbit opened one eye and suddenly separated himself from Freddy, looking embarrassed. Freddy opened his eyes, having not realised, and looked over at Mike, who took that moment to quickly turn back and open the door to the backstage area. As Chica went up to join her band mates, Mike disappeared into the room and shut the door behind him.

Bonnie offered Chica a hopeful thumbs up, to which she just sighed and shook her head. Bonnie's ears flopped over sadly at her answer, his brow furrowing, then he looked to Freddy, who had been watching the two over his shoulder. They shared a gaze for a moment, then Freddy turned back to the front. Bonnie gave a sigh, collecting his guitar from his back and positioning it as he usually did; Chica doing the same with her cupcake. Bonnie forced himself to look out to the front as well, completely missing Freddy's narrowed glare at the door to the backstage area.