WARNING: This chapter is rated T+ for Fritz's mouth.

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. Well, okay so THESE versions of the characters belong to me, but still.

Now, I'm sure at least some of you are familiar with the rumor that it's easier to study when it's a subject you like. For example, you could look over the same algebra problems fifty times and half a minute later still not be able to tell x-intercepts from algorithms or whatever, but if you're into English Literature you can memorize the first few passages of 'A Tale of Two Cities' after just barely glancing at the page.

Well, allow me to put those stories to rest-it's all a load of bologna. I wanted more than anything to find a way to get the dead kids' souls out of the animatronics, yet no matter how much I flipped through the pages of the spirit books I'd bought, none of it made any sense. But then again, NOTHING about my situation made any sense. Still though, I couldn't help but frown as I skimmed through the book for the hundredth thousandth time.

"There's gotta be something in here. Why can't I find it in any of these books? What's wrong with me?"

"For starters, you're talking in a library." I looked over my book, expecting to see a very angry librarian. Instead, I saw a man who looked like he'd just come back from fighting in some war or another. He was in about his late thirties or early forties, was a few inches taller than me, and obviously worked out. He had short cropped blond hair, peach skin, and blue eyes that, although they looked a bit fierce, still had some semblance of friendliness and light to them.

He looked kind of like a grown-up version of Bart Simpson…if he joined the Navy. The man looked at the title of the book I was reading.

"Exorcism and Spiritual Cleansing for Dummies?" He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "What happened, kid? Try to summon a demon for shits and giggles and now it won't leave your dorm or something?"

"Yes," I answered sarcastically. "He just lounges around all day and doesn't do laundry. It's a pain in the a-"

"SHHHH!" The librarian hissed in my ear rather harshly. The guy motioned for me to follow him outside, and I left the book behind as I walked behind him. It wasn't giving me anything useful anyway.

"So," the guy asked once we were outside, "What's a kid like you doing looking at occult stuff like that? There are better ways to freak out your parents, y'know."

"Why do you care?" I asked. The question came out sounding ruder than I expected, and the guy frowned at me.

"Just curious. Rude piece of shit. You teenagers act like you're all that, but you're really just overgrown brats trying to prove all big and tough. Kids! That's the reason I stopped working at Freddy's." I started to tell him to get off his high freaking horse when it was my generation that was paying for his one's retirement, but stopped myself.

"Freddy's? As in…Freddy Fazbear's?"

"Yeah. What's it to you?" Wasn't that just like an adult? Accusing you of doing something, then doing it themselves. Hypocrites.

"Nothing. It's just…I work there now."

"Huh." Small world. "So then, that book you were looking at just now…"

"You were a night guard too?" I asked, the wheels in my head starting to turn. "Who…?"

Suddenly, a taxi pulled up next to us.

"That's my ride." The man said. He pulled a card out from the pocket of his jeans and handed it to me. "Name's Jeremy Fitzgerald. Call me sometime, and we'll…discuss things."

He gave me a half-smile before disappearing into the cab.

What was that about? He was writing me off as a rude kid before I mentioned working at Freddy's as the night guard, AND he hinted knowing about the dead kids. Or, at the very least, he had some clue about…something.

Could he really know about Ian and the others?

I looked at the card with his number on it. Whoever this 'Jeremy Fitzgerald' was, I got the feeling we'd meet again. I pocketed his card and went back inside to continue looking at books.


A couple hours later, my worst fear came true. After the library, I had gotten the idea to stop by a costume store to buy a bear suit, to protect myself from the animatronics. Yes, I knew very well that they were possessed by the dead kids and that whole 'facial recognition' thing was a load of bunk, but maybe if the kids thought I was just another suit…well, it couldn't hurt. I was in my room pulling the suit on, when the door swung open.

"Hey Mike, have you seen my…?" Fritz's eyes fell on me, and she froze mid-sentence.

"I can assure you, there's a good reason for this…that I can't explain to you right now." I told her. Another long silence. "I swear, I'm not a furry." Fritz's eyes shifted to the side, and she slowly walked away, closing the door beside her. I sighed. I'd have to confront her at some point before I left for work. I wasn't sure if I'd last the night, even with Ian's help. Freddy/Travis had almost gotten me last night, and if I didn't make it out of this thing alive…well, I wanted to make sure Fritz's last memories of me were good ones. Yes we had our moments of bickering, but she was my sister. Also, she was nowhere NEAR as bad as our parents, if only because she actually stuck up for me once in a blue moon. I sighed heavily.

Y'know, being stuffed into a suit might not be so bad. Maybe if I end up haunting an animatronic like Ian and the others, I could learn more about how to help them, maybe convince Melody to let them go.

Only I would find a bright side to dying. Mike Schmidt, you're even more messed up in the head than your sister.

I pulled off the suit and walked down the hall, catching up with Fritz as she was about to go back into her own room.

"Hey, Fritz?" She paused as she was about to open the door, but didn't say anything. I took that as a sign to continue. "Um uh, I just wanted to tell you something. I um…" I gulped, then continued.

"I'm the reason Mr. Cheepers flew away." Whatever Fritz was expecting, it obviously wasn't that. She slowly, slowly turned around to stare at me, and I noticed that her eyebrows were already beginning to grow back.

"Yeah, I was trying to change his newspaper, so I opened his cage. He flew right out, and I'd also stupidly left the living room door open, so…"

"Mike, you're acting even weirder than usual." Fritz crossed her arms. But she didn't look angry, just confused. "First I walk in on you in a bear suit, and now you're apologizing to me about my parrot from when I was eleven. Not to mention all those weird books I found in your room about spirits and exorcisms and stuff."

"…what were you doing in my room? Looking at my stuff?" I tried to keep my voice as calm as possible, but my heart was pounding almost as hard as it had when I heard that ominous message on my very first night at Freddy's.

"I'll ask the questions here!" Now Fritz was beginning to sound like her old self, though there was still a note of concern in her voice. "Mike, just what is going on at your job?! Why have you been looking even paler than usual?! Why do you mutter in your sleep about 'saving them'?!"

I'd been talking in my sleep? Damn it. Damn it all to hell.

"What aren't you telling me?!" At this last question, Fritz got right up in my face. I forced myself to stay calm, though.

"Fritz," I started, "I'll admit it-over the few nights I've been working as a Fazbear's night guard, there's been a LOT going on. Too much to recount-and you probably wouldn't believe me even if I told you anyway."

"Mike,"

"And honestly, I don't know what will happen tonight. But I'm afraid I can't tell you what's going on. The less you know about what my job entails, the better."

"Mike-you're freaking me out."

I sounded like Ian back during the first night, I realized. He had been vague, given me his help, but refused to explain about himself and the other kids until I demanded him to on my second night. Now I was doing the same thing to my own sister. It was for her own good. Even on the slim chance that she believed me, I didn't want her doing something stupid and reckless, like applying for the night shift herself when I mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

"I-I'm sorry." I told Fritz quickly. "About all the times I've bugged you about anything. And I'm sorry I can't tell you more. Just…do me a favor, okay?"

"I'M NOT DOING YOU ANY FUCKING FAVORS!" Fritz punched the wall. "NOT UNTIL YOU STOP BEING SO DAMN CRYPTIC AND TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!"

From across the hall, Mom asked if we were okay, but I ignored her, looking at Fritz seriously.

"On the chance I don't come back after tonight…kick Dad's ass for me. If he asks why, tell him that it's for all the hell he rained on me over the years, all the times he made me feel like nothing." I turned my head and said, more to myself than to her. "Maybe in my next life I won't be such a disappointment."

"Mike…" My sister's voice was shaking. "What the fuck…" I couldn't stand to look at her. I walked back to my room for a nap, hoping against all hope that those wouldn't be the last words I said to her.

A/N: Yeah...this chapter was really short and random compared to the others. Sorry about that, guys ^^' Just think of it as the calm before the storm. And hey, you got to meet Jeremy! He'll play an important part in the story later, just grin and bear it. Next chapter things get really intense, so brace yourselves. And as always, review!

BTW-you may have noticed that I have a new cover image, courtesy of XXPay4XtraShippingsXX Thanks, Pay4Xtra!