A Party and a Surprise
Within a day, Freddy Fazbear's Pizza was decorated for Christmas. The front entrance was adorned with flashing fairy lights, as were the doorways around the restaurant. The reception desk had a small tree on the desk, a large one with presents under it in the corner and the receptionist, Susie, even wore a Santa hat.
Mike liked Susie. Ever since he'd started working at Freddy's and it had become clear he was there to stay, the other employees had started to warm to him. Susie was one of the first, a very bubbly and bright young woman with long brown hair and a cheery smile. She'd managed to catch Mike on his way in starting his shift and given him a hug and a 'welcome to the family!'
She waved to Mike when he walked into the restaurant.
"Hi Mike!" she greeted happily. "Little early for your shift, aren't you?"
"I hadn't noticed," he smiled. "Actually, I'm just here to see Mr Johnson. I need to talk to him about something."
"Hope it's nothing bad," she sang. "Ooh, go see the band while you're here! Everybody looks so adorable!"
"I'll have a look," he said. "Have a good day, Susie."
"You too, Bats and merry-not-quite-but-in-twenty-four-days-it-will-be-Christmas!" she wished.
"Back at you!" he called and walked into the main body of the restaurant.
The dining area looked just as festive. Two large trees shone with bright lights in the farthest corners. In place of the party hats for the kids were Santa hats and reindeer horns. The menus advertised special Christmas deals and Christmas themed birthday parties. The stage was hung with stars and candy canes. Foxy's stage had fairy lights on the port and tinsel on his ship.
Even the synths in their suits were dressed for the season. Freddy wore a big red coat, a big bushy white beard and a Santa hat in place of his top hat. Bonnie and Chica were dressed like elves with green tunics and matching ears. Foxy wore deer antlers and had a big shiny red nose. The four of them were off the stage and walking around for the party.
"Ho ho ho!" chortled Freddy. "Hey kids! Freddy Santa-bear is here and if you're all very good, he might just have a present for you!"
"And I've baked some special cookies for everyone and hidden them all around the restaurant," said Chica. "If you boys and girls can find them, you get to eat them."
"Anyone who wants their Christmas spirit to get funky, just come to me and I'll pump up the jam!" promised Bonnie, strumming her guitar.
"Aye an' we'll see how fast yer little legs are, me mateys an' see if ye can catch me!" laughed Foxy. "Succeed an' I migh' tell ya the story-a how I saved Christmas!"
"Yeah, right! And my guitar strings are made of liquorice!" dismissed Bonnie.
"Don't make me come over there an' give ye a red nose, lass!" threatened Foxy.
"Now, now, settle down you two," berated Chica gently. "We need to set a good example for everyone."
"Yeah! We can't have any fighting at Christmas," added Freddy. "This is a time of good will and joy."
"Okay, okay, we won't fight. Until everyone's gone." Mike could hear Bonnie's smirk under her suit.
The children laughed at the band's antics and hurried to play with them. Mike smiled too and slipped away upstairs so they could work. He went up to Mr Johnson's office, giving his secretary Mel a polite smile as he passed. She barely looked up from her work.
He knocked and waited until the jovial smile of the restaurant's manager met him.
"Mike, my lad! Good to see you! Come in, come in," he offered and let Mike take a seat. "Now, what can I do for you? All quiet on the western front, I hope?"
"Everything's fine with my shift, sir," assured Mike. "How are things here?"
"Banging, lad!" he replied. "Ever since Foxy became a hit again, we've started to pick ourselves up. There's still a bit to be done, but it looks like we can make some much needed renovations and repairs and our nights won't involve having to conserve power anymore."
"That's good news, sir," nodded Mike. "I'll still try to conserve power anyway."
"Every little helps. Thanks, lad." He sat back in his chair. "But I don't think you came here to discuss quarterly returns with me, would I be right?"
"Um, yes sir." Mike shifted in his seat. "I um… I had a request I wanted to make. About Freddy and the others."
"And that would be?"
"I um… I uh…" Mike took a deep breath. "I want to… to take them o-o-outside."
Mr Johnson regarded him for a long while. Mike could feel sweat beads trickle down the back of his neck and his leg twitched nervously.
"Outside?" he repeated. "As in outside the restaurant?"
"Y-Yes sir," nodded Mike.
"Hmm." He frowned and leaned forward. "And what's made you ask for this, Mike?"
"J-Just that it's Chr-Christmas, sir," he stammered. "I… I think they'd l-like the chance to see o-o-outside the restaurant, s-s-sir."
"I see." He stared right at Mike. "You know I don't keep them here because I want to. I keep them here because it's to keep them safe. Like their father wanted me to. It's for their own good."
"I-I know, sir," said Mike quickly. "B-B-But… with all due r-r-respect… didn't he want them t-t-to live l-like they were people? W-Wouldn't he have w-w-wanted them to h-have some… freedom?"
Again, Mr Johnson considered Mike's words carefully. Mike sat completely rigid in his seat, hoping that his boss would see his point. He was as fond of the synths as Mike was and Mike respected him greatly. As much as he wanted to do this for them, he wanted to get Mr Johnson's permission and not go behind his back.
Mike's hope sparked when he saw Mr Johnson smile and nod absently.
"You make a fair point, lad," he murmured. "He wouldn't have wanted them hidden away forever. Very well, Mike. If you want to take them out, you can."
Mike broke out in a grin. "Oh, thank you, sir!"
"But I'll have some conditions for this, lad," he added. "First of all, you need to stay with them at all times. Don't let them out of your sight, not for a second."
"Yes, sir. Of course," said Mike at once.
"Second, take steps to camouflage or hide their animal parts. Shouldn't be too hard, have them wear hats and coats. This time of year, it won't look too suspicious. I'll send someone out to buy some and have them ready for your shift tonight. Third, only have one at a time each night. I'll let you decide who, but I don't want too much attention drawn to this. And make sure they're back before your shift ends."
"Yes, sir," nodded Mike. "Anything else?"
"Not that I can think of, other than this." He smiled again. "Make sure you show them a good time, you hear?"
"I intend to, sir," said Mike sincerely. "Thank you, sir."
"My pleasure, lad. Now, you go home and get yourself some sleep. I have a feeling you'll be needing it tonight," he advised with a twinkle in his eye.
Mike got up to leave, waved a cheery goodbye to Susie on his way out and made his way home. He couldn't wait to tell them.
He arrived five minutes early for his shift. This wasn't anything unusual. He liked getting here early and so did the others. Once Mike locked the door, they were already climbing out of their suits while he made his way to his office.
When he arrived, he found it had been decorated too. Mistletoe wrapped in red bows hung from the door way and candy cane chains lined the ceiling. Along with those were some gift wrapped presents. They were coloured for each of the synths. Yellow for Chica, purple for Bonnie, brown for Freddy and red for Foxy. Mike could imagine the odd expression someone would have made if they'd been told who they were for.
He came back out to the dining room and was surprised to see that there was no sign of the synths. Their suits were empty, but their occupants were nowhere to be found. Foxy's curtains were shut and he could make out something rustling behind them. Mike immediately became wary. Were Bonnie and Foxy planning some kind of prank?
Though he wasn't sure what good it might do, he started to grab his torch. He almost dropped it when a deep laugh filled his ears.
"Ho ho ho!" The backstage door burst open and out came Freddy, still dressed as Santa. "Merry Christmas, Michael!"
From the kitchen emerged Chica, wearing a Christmas-themed version of her dress with red velvet and a white fluffy hemline. Foxy yanked away his curtains, wearing a hat adorned with tinsel and decorated with a smiley face and cross candy canes. He jumped when Bonnie slapped him on the back, coming from the supply closet and wearing a pair of stars on the ends of her ears.
"Seasons greetin's ta ya, laddie!" roared Foxy. "How do ye like me Christmas hat?"
"It's… festive," said Mike.
"And you look like a dork," sniggered Bonnie.
"Aye an' will ye be helpin' dear ol' Saint Nick this year, lil' elf?" retorted Foxy. "Shall I get ye one-a them hats wi' a lil' bell on the end fer ya ta- OOF!"
His teasing was brought to an end when Bonnie strode up and smacked him around the back of the head.
"Hey Foxy, look at that," said Bonnie in a falsely sweet voice. "It looks like everyone's gone and you know what that means."
She grabbed him in a headlock and rubbed her knuckles against his head while Foxy tried to wriggle free, to no avail. Until Freddy stepped between them and yanked them up by the scruffs of their necks.
"That's enough, you two," he chastised and dropped them unceremoniously. "Act your ages."
"Wha' age be tha' then?" asked Foxy. "If ye be talkin' in mental terms, I'd say we be behavin' appropriately."
"Yeah, it's cool, Fred," dismissed Bonnie. "We're only messing."
"Quite honestly, I sometimes get confused as to whom the real children here are," said Freddy, though it was with a smile.
Mike just watched on, until a polite coughing got his attention. Chica stood before him, shuffling nervously on her feet.
"Hey, Mike," she murmured. "Do you um, like my dress? I-I keep this one for the season and uh, thought I'd show you it."
"It's… really nice," replied Mike, feeling a blush. "You look um, lovely, Chica."
"Really?" She beamed. "Thank you, Mike. I'm glad you like it."
"Um, yeah. I do. Really."
An awkward silence fell for a few seconds until Foxy clapped him on the back.
"Righ' then, lad, I hope ye are ready fer an adventure, 'cause you'll be havin' one tonight!" he declared proudly.
Foxy wasn't joking. It turned out that along with their outfits, the synths had prepared something of a party for him. Their reasoning was they probably wouldn't see him at Christmas and wanted to celebrate it early. Mike certainly didn't object.
With the fact that power was no longer as limited, they played a round of their special game of trying to get into Mike's office. It ended with Foxy managing to sprint inside. However, this time it was with a twist. After they got in the first time, Bonnie marched him and jerked her thumb to the door.
"Alright Mikey, up and out. I'm taking control," she said.
"Um, what?"
"Isn't in obvious? I'm gonna be sitting in here and you're gonna take my place with this lot. And don't even think of touching my guitar, you hear?"
"Uh, I don't know," murmured Mike.
"Come on, lad! Where's yer sense of adventure?" asked Foxy. "Ain't ya wandered what it'd be like ta be on the other end?"
Mike couldn't deny that he was a little curious, so he followed the others out of the office and joined Chica and Freddy on stage while Foxy slipped back behind his curtain. The little light on the camera watching the stage told them Bonnie was watching them from it. He could just picture her reclining in his chair, lazily watching the screens.
When the camera beeped off, Mike made a move and dived behind the closest table. He peered up over the top, squinting to see in the dimly lit dining room. The camera beeped on and he ducked back under, faintly listening to it whirr.
A clatter nearby indicated Chica had tried to mirror him and had bumped into the table. He saw her fumble and murmur an apology. He took a chance and dashed to the backstage room, feeling like Solid Snake sneaking around Shadow Moses. An empty cardboard box to hide in wouldn't go amiss right now.
He crawled under the table, seeing the legs of Arnie the Endoskeleton dangling over the edge. He peeped out and made sure the camera saw him, then stood up for a bit. His plan was to make Bonnie feel like she knew where he was. They always had to freeze if they were in sight of a camera, except for Foxy when he sprinted.
He did so and waved up at it when it beeped on. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chica make for the bathrooms while Freddy watched from the stage, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He waited a few seconds until the camera went off again and hurried back into the dining area.
When he crouched behind the table, he glanced at Freddy, who gave him an approving nod. Mike heard the curtains of Pirate Cove rustle a bit and saw Foxy peering out. He winked at Mike and his eyes flickered to the west hall. Mike made a break for it and stood at the end. The office was directly ahead and the camera at the end of the hall had flicked on.
Mike stood stock still while it watched him. He looked at the supply closet door and saw it ajar. He tensed. The camera turned off. Mike dashed inside. Something metal rattled above him and he looked up just in time to see a bucket of water land on his head and get him soaking wet.
Bonnie's guffaws echoed down the hall. "Get my little present, Mikey?"
Mike could hear Foxy cackling too while he slowly pulled the bucket off his head. He simmered silently, thinking of how best to get his own back on Bonnie… until he heard her again.
"Aw, come on!" she cried. "When did you get here?!"
"When you were too busy watching poor Mike get soaked to pay me any attention," answered a triumphant Chica. "You should keep a better eye out, Bonnie."
Mike came out of the closet and found Bonnie looking very disgruntled and Chica with her hands on her hips. Despite being dripping wet, Mike smiled smugly at Bonnie who stuck her tongue out and folded her arms while grumbling.
They decided to call an end to the game there for now and Chica went for something to help Mike dry. Since there were no towels, she used one of her clean aprons which she didn't mind. She also went and placed a large pizza in the oven for them. They were all enjoying their feast together, laughing and joking all the while.
After drying off and feeling better about the prank after being well fed, Mike went to his office and got the presents he had stashed away for them.
"Here you are, guys." He handed them around. "These are yours."
"Why, Mike. This is very thoughtful of you," said Freddy. "Thank you for this."
"Yes, this is so nice of you. Aw!" Chica beamed while she opened her. "Oh, a new bobble hat and a red coat. Mike, these are wonderful!"
"Aye, a fine piece-a headwear be this!" declared Foxy, taking out his maroon waist-length coat and fedora hat. "It even fits over me ears."
"Yeah, this headband's nice and this jacket too," said Bonnie. "Thanks, Mikey. This is pretty cool."
"There's a reason for these," said Mike. ""You'll need them for where you're going."
"Goin'?" Freddy looked up from examining his new blazer and top hat. "I'm afraid I don't understand, son."
"Well, I talked with Mr Johnson," began Mike, his smile growing, "and he said that as long as we abide by certain rules, for four nights this week, I'll be taking you guys to see the town and anywhere else we have the time to visit."
The synths were stunned at this announcement. After a long moment, Foxy spoke up.
"Ya mean… we be… leavin' the restaurant?"
"One at a time across the four nights, yeah," explained Mike. "Mr Johnson said he doesn't want to be drawing too much attention."
"Yo-ho-ho an' a bottle-a rum!" cheered Foxy. "Now, there's a chance-a some real adventure if I ever did hear one!"
"Heck yeah it is!" agreed Bonnie. "This is gonna be so awesome!"
"Out there… in the world… with all of those people…" Chica looked as if she might faint. "Oh my goodness…"
"It's fine, Chica," comforted Mike. "You guys won't be on your own. Part of the rules is that I'm not allowed to leave you on your own."
"Take all the fun out of it," remarked Bonnie.
"So… you'll be with us?" asked Chica.
"Every step," answered Mike.
She smiled gratefully. "That makes me feel better. Thank you, Mike."
"Thank you from all of us," added Freddy. "This is a fine thing you're doin' for us, son."
"It's the least I can do," insisted Mike. "Now, who's going to be coming tomorrow?"
"Well then Mike, it's your decision," said Freddy. "Which of us gets to have their night out first?"
Last chance for suggestions regarding individual activities for the synths.