Three

She couldn't help but feel the guilt haunt her through the halls as she took the longer route back to her home stage, avoiding the cove for the night. The tools and tray were back where they belonged at the edge of the utility closet where the morning shift would find it and put it away, wondering where it had come from, but never quite caring enough to find out. That wasn't how she had wanted to end her visit.

For some reason, it never ended how she wished it would.

Foxy had been an adventurous soul in the early years of the establishment. A spitfire of daring wit. A pusher of boundaries. And under all his rough and gruff tack, the sympathetic, patient, protective, guardian of the children, the softer side he always saved for the audience of his crew. And as part of his private show, it was a side Chica had found charming about the creature who prided himself on such stereotyped hype. She had a small part, the cook of the Silver Hook who brought their trays in when it was her queue, but it gave her the ability to witness who he was with the children...a worry the other boys often had in the privacy of the after hours.

What kind of ruffian were they allowing to run amok with the children?

A tender hearted one, much to her surprise. A creature who had been programmed to be as entertaining as he was determined to win the hearts, minds, and trust of the children who came specifically for his special show. And as time went on, the children adored him. And as time went on, she could see why.

Yes, every show was similar in performance until his stories were updated every so often, but they were also very unique to the children who were with him at that time. He would learn their names, pick a first mate, interact on a one on one level...it made the entire adventure so customized, she couldn't imagine a child growing bored with him. He made them feel protected with his leadership role as captain, and they openly gave him command of each show. He loved the attention and each and every crew. He was the star of his show, and she couldn't imagine competing with him for the spotlight. It had never been her place to do so in either stage, but he always encouraged her to take more initiative in that aspect. Cook had more performance time than Chica the Chicken. He always threw a few questions her way. Spur of the moment things, but he wanted to make sure the children remembered. Remembered she was there. That she was important, too.

Sure Foxy had been many things. Hardheaded, stubborn, pigheaded at times. But in the end, he had always been her friend, and it hadn't required much else than her welcoming him to their world. Her mind could replay the moment over and over, and not once would it glitch in its frame rate. Bonnie had been petrified, horrified, and downright offended at the idea of a pirate fox of all creatures teaching lessons to the young'uns. Freddy had been cautious, but not rude or threatening. He simply tried to keep the peace. But it was she who had shaken off her jitters and marched right up to the beast, extending a wing out to the hand that seemed available.

And he had gripped it, a fully covered paw at the time, and lifted it up with a gentle bow of his head to her surprise, a soft smile curling. She had thought many things of foxes prior to him, but couldn't think of a thing to say when he asked, "How goes it, lass?"

She supposed back then she had appeared a timid thing.

That hadn't been it entirely.

He had just been so...so…

Different.

Yes, that was it. He had been so different, it had thrown her off. Thrown them all for a loop. It had been an odd placement, a pirate in a Midwestern setting, but here he was, and there they were, and it was all expected to work out fine. And oddly enough, to everyone's surprise, it had. He had his place in their home, and they had theirs, and as worlds apart as they were, it all seemed to function perfectly for the children in this world. A pirate with a ship in the middle of the west? Of course. Why not? He brought something new to the table.

He could be friends with the Fazbear Band and bring treasures and travel out and come back (at least in his programming, he did), perform and leap about the children and entertain them in a way that Freddy and his gang simply could not. The songs were different, the snacks were different, and even the room they watched the show in was different. The lights would set the mood, and the sound effects fit their location, and it took them far, far away from the little nook they would originally start out in, and he would always bring them back, safe and sound with stories to tell of their own.

And they loved him. He hadn't out famed Freddy, no. That would never happen. Freddy was their leader, their mascot, their anchor to this place. But Foxy was his own leader, the captain of the Pirate Cove. And yes, he was part of the Fazbear family by a long distance connection, but he was his own entity in his own world. His popularity rocketed with the older children, which did well for the business, and kept the generations around longer while their younger siblings were catered to by the band. He tightened the connection with their children more than they ever thought he would, and much to Bonnie's dismay, the pirate seemed to enjoy the job. To be the star of his own stage, and the center of his own world.

She waddled by the darkened kitchen, eyes shifting away as she passed by, finding no urge to spend her time in there tonight.

His pride had been smashed to bits over the years, and though she refused to acknowledge his current state, she was well aware that the others would not be so forgiving. It was a foolish blip of hope to try and coax him from his dark cave. He was a shadow of his former self, and though he had calmed some and blunted some of his sharpened edges, she quietly missed the fiery passion that had once burned within him. It was a fact she kept to herself, as it was a fairly unpopular thought among her peers…

Having him discover such a wish would do more damage than good. Perhaps he would feel less than himself for it. Perhaps the shame would dig deeper and he would refuse her visits. Yes, it crushed her joy to see him in such a withered form, but she would prefer a glimpse of the ol' fox in his neglected state than to not see him at all. She was his last resource to the outside world, but if he cut her off, he truly would shut down, permanently.

And what good would that be for the children?

They had loved him once, they would love him again.

Humans were just...busy things.

And she had been patient, truly she had. But how much longer were they going to wait before Pirate Cove was up and running again? They had been using the room as storage for years now, but what if the owners decided to simply scrap the entire set? To scrap…

She shook herself lightly, eyes leading her back to the main stage. She was being silly. They would never toss out the fourth of the Fazbear establishment. The potential was there to do great things with him. Busy folk. That's all it was. They'd get around to it, eventually. And until then, she would keep him as functioning as best she could. There was a strong soul trapped somewhere in that stubborn fox. It was something she could admire.

Brushing her wings along her sides, she shifted around the seats, listening as the camera in the corner picked up her movement, but froze once realizing it was only her. "S'ppose I should dock." she hummed to herself, waddling toward the stage, curtains open and displaying the other two members of the band. They were quiet, not unlike most nights. Freddy nodded toward her, adjusting the microphone in front of him lightly, ears twitching as she marched up the thick side stairs.

"Mornin' Miss Chica."

His voice smooth on its bass octave.

"G'mornin' Freddy. Bonnie." she greeted, noting the bunny off on the corner, seated on his favorite crate, a show prop made specifically for him and designed to hold his weight. His foot balanced along his knee, paws gripping his instrument in a casual stance and twisting the top tuning pegs in habit. The strings attached to his bass were for show, as the music came pre-programmed and prerecorded for a flawless performance. He simply had to know his cue, but old habits die hard. His paws maneuvered the bass as if he could professionally handle it, and in his mind, he probably did. It was for the best. If he truly believed it, so would the children.

"Got that new night guard tonight again."

His digits tapped along the strings in thought.

"Oh, I know. I ran into him. Gave him a 'lil fright. He wasn't expectin' it. Neither was I." she chuckled lightly, fumbling with a rogue feather.

Freddy's low laugh echoed in his throat, vibrating the floor a bit.

"So that's why he came back 'round this way instead'a full circle. Funny...I thought y'said y'were gunna prep the pantry for the mornin' shift. But, uh...if mem'ry serves, that's opposite o' the Pirate Cove." the bunny noted with a sour tone, eyes flicking up.

With a deep sigh, the large bear patted his chest, glancing at his bassist.

Not this again.

It never seemed to fail. Anything attached to that cove irritated the bunny something fearsome, but if he thought Chica was going to accept it sitting down, he had another thing coming to him. Had he learned nothing from their previous spats?

Her eyes clicked back toward the long eared mascot, lids lowered in a defiant huff, "Wull, I s'ppose I changed my plans. Didn't realize it was a crime t'visit an ol' friend for a few."

"Somethin' tells me your doin' more than just seein' his sore mug. Evidence don't lie, darlin', an' it's spotted on your bib." he added with a slight taunt, brushing off a speck of dust from the body of his bass, "Wastin' good oil on a busted up bot. I can't figure your reasonin'."

Lifting her bib to the side, she found his statement true, at least of the spotting.

Well, darn.

She had tried her hardest to be careful. Maybe when he filled his jaw? That could've done it. Oh well. It wasn't a terrible stain, and she had other bibs in the spare room. The staff would fix this up in no time during the open hours.

"First of all, you can mind your own, y'cranky ol' sore thumb. What I do on my free roam ain't none o'your concern. If I wanna check on stock, I'll do it. An' if I wanna pass a friendly greetin' t'Foxy," she emphasized bitterly, "then I will. An' furthermore, the oil I use is oil I collect over time from cans they gunna toss anyway, so it's spare an' free t'use as I feel right. It's attitude like that why he won't roam out here no more." she huffed, wings tucked close as she glanced out toward the tables, watching the darkness of the room very carefully grow to a brighter hue.

"Poor thing's been betrayed in his very own home, an' y'want me t'stand by an' ignore it. Y'call yourself a pacifist with talk like that. Y'ull lucky that boy ain't pass a fist your way in all this time, an' believe me, he'd be more than willin' with the ammo y'been tossin'. He knows y'been callin' him Snap-jaw, an' trust me, he ain't too keen on it. He might be tucked away back there, but he ain't deaf, and he don't forget."

Rubbing his ear awkwardly, Freddy debated if docking now would be his best option out of the conversation that was bound to pull him in.

"I always said it was a bad idea t'bring in such a no good brute t'be hangin' 'round children. You tell me what good lessons a pirate can teach a bunch o' innocent young'uns? We're out here bustin' it all day with morals o' sharin', carin', an' bein' good, an' trade 'em over to a connivin' fox who throws all that out the wind'a for lootin', swordplay, an' the like! Y'tell me, how in the hill is that is that a good role model? Boy belonged in some harbor fair, not here. I dunno what they were thinkin' when they brought him in." the bunny grunted, tucking the bass close.

"Maybe they were thinkin' we shouldn't be judged by our covers, Boniface. If there's one thing children know, it's instant judgment can be detrimental; an' y'right, we try our hardest t'let'em know that it's absolutely alright t'be yourself, because that's the only person y'ever should wanna be. That we can be friends with anybody, especially those who seem different, out o' place, an' curious. Maybe y'missed a few lessons of your own, but Foxy was never afraid t'be himself, and the children loved him for it. He excited 'em and entertained 'em in a way we never could. And it's...just not right how he's been left t'the side all these years."

Her angered tone simmered to a meek injury, wings lowering to rest along her middle.

"Y'ull never got t'see his shows...but he was different with 'em. Y'think him so savage...an' he just wanted t'share the fun. He listened to 'em...they were his crew. A captain's nothin' without his crew." she noted softly, gazing at the wooden planks at her feet.

A moment of silence passed as Bonnie took the time to stand to his feet, adjusting himself near his dock. With a light sigh, he glanced at her, leaning along the neck of his bass. "Chica...it's only a matter o' time before–"

Click!

His ears twitched as she stepped back into her dock, shutting down into stasis for the night. His lids capped in slight agitation, rocking the instrument back and forth. The conversation was done, whether he liked it or not. Rotating his neck, his eyes rolled toward the bear, the quiet soul for the night.

"Am I wrong for keepin' it honest? I mean what does she think is gunna happen to his broken down self after all this time? I haven't seen the fool in quite a while, but I can't imagine his state is anythin' presentable or fully functional. Especially not with that jaw o' his. It's been years, Freddy. When 'em folks suddenly remember...he'll be scrapped for sure." Bonnie reasoned, though his voice held more concern, a first for the night. "An' if he gets scrapped..." His eyes teetered toward the bird, "I can't imagine how she'll handle it."

Stepping back into his docking station, Freddy shook his head lightly.

"Enough of this for tonight. What's done is done, an' I respect her wishes to do what she wants concernin' it. Foxy is his own bot. Never was there a time he didn't do what he didn't want to do. He'll only see Chica. She was part of his show. He trusts her. If he wants to be comfortable in his retired days, that's fine by me. Like it or not, he is, an' always was, part of the Fazbear family. An' extended part...no less." the bear said quietly, glancing toward the yellow bird.

"...We just gotta take it a day at a time."

He paused a moment, glancing back toward the bunny.

"An' it wouldn't hurt for you t'be a little more sensitive on the matter...Y'know she's got a soft spot for him."

The bunny rolled his eyes, sliding into his dock, "Of course! Girl had no chance up against his devilish charm an' smooth talk. Got her in straight shambles an' he ain't even gone yet."

The bear couldn't help but slip a chuckle.

"Sounds like you're jealous."

Tilting his head, Bonnie settled, "Actually, Fred-bear, for once, I think I'm perfectly fine where I'm at."


Author's Note: I'm really glad I've been receiving positive reviews for this. It's always nice when something you do for fun is a bonus enjoyment for others. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I really do appreciate it.