"Dylan." Millie's voice was cold as ice. "Why in the world would you bring Brooke with you?!"

"I'm sorry!" He said. "She was pestering me the rest of the day and I cracked. It was all so much, y'know? And she uh, wanted to come."

"Look. I don't know what you guys think you're seeing, but this isn't healthy!" Brooke declared, looking back at Millie from the passenger seat. "You need someone there to help ground you. I know you both aren't feeling well, so I'm here to help!"

Millie couldn't even begin to imagine sweet, naive Brooke among the wild animatronics. She was fairly certain she was having heart palpitations. "Brooke. You need to go home. I don't want you involved. I mean, we're breaking in somewhere. Not to mention everything...else."

Brooke crossed her arms, lips shining with her favorite glitter gloss. Millie forced her eyes up to Brooke's and did her best to hold a glare. Even when Brooke's curls seemed to bob with indignation. "No way, Mills. You need me there. Very, very clearly. I care about you two, and if I'm willing to break into a theatre to help you guys get over your fears? Stop isolating? I'm gonna do it."

Millie didn't mention the trembling in Brooke's hands. She was clearly not into the idea of breaking the law. Her voice softened. "Brooke, you don't have to go. I've had to break in somewhere to help someone before, it's not fun. All this is scary. I don't think it'll be good for you to come."

"No, I'm coming. If anything to prove you knuckleheads wrong!" She said, twisting back around in her seat with a huff.

Dylan chuckled. "Who says 'knuckleheads' anymore?"

"Oh, quiet you!" Brooke said. "If we're gonna do this, go ahead and go. Let's get it over with."

Millie agreed. She looked around for any sign of her robotic friends, shrugging when she saw nothing. She turned back to her human friends and sighed. "Fine. Just...be safe."

She never wanted to involve them. But she did have to admit it felt better not being the only human to deal with everything. Maybe it even made her feel a little more human. After Bon-Bon and Funtime Freddy cornering her over her isolation and unwillingness to help...maybe this was the next step. Maybe she didn't have to feel guilty.

She'd just have to wait and see what they were all getting into.

XXX

Millie fiddled with the lock to the back door of the theatre, hidden away in an alleyway without any cameras. Sweat dripped down her neck as she fiddled with a bobby pin the way she found on Woogle and practiced with Bon-Bon. She stooped over it, struggling to fit it in right as Brooke bounced nervously behind them.

"Are you sure we need to do this?" Brooke said. "Can't we just...go home? My dad would be so mad if he knew…" Her voice trailed off.

"Having second thoughts?" Millie said smartly.

"No, just second concerns." Brooke said quickly. "I can't believe we're doing this… But if it gets you guys to calm down and feel safe…"

Dylan sighed. "Brooke. I'm so serious when I say this is going to be your funeral. Some serious scary stuff, man. Just prepare yourself, okay?" He took her hand. "But thanks for supporting us. For supporting me."

She smiled at him, her posture loosening. "Of course. I don't know what's going on, but I want to be there."

Millie stiffened, feeling a stab go through her heart. Even if she didn't like Dylan anymore, seeing them be so mushy made her chest ache. She just didn't know why. Maybe something about being alone. Frustrating. She grunted, finally hearing the lock click. She pushed the door open and heaved out a breath of relief.

Then sucked in a breath of fear at just how dark the corridor yawning open before them was.

"Uh… Can we get a light?" Dylan said, fumbling for his phone. His voice was already tight, all sincerity evaporated.

"Good idea. Bon-Bon told me that Foxy has light activation sensors, so that'll draw him in." Millie gulped.

"I'm not so sure about that. Are you sure your...friends are nearby?" Dylan asked.

"No idea. But they will be." She tried not to remember Eleanor slipping past Funtime Freddy and into the garage. She stepped forward into the darkness, flipping on her own flashlight. Dylan and Brooke nervously followed, the wooden porch steps creaking as they disappeared inside, sliding the door shut.

Millie almost felt as if they had been sealed in a tomb.

"Well," Dylan said. "You're the animatronic expert. Lead the way."

Millie wasn't so sure about being a leader, but she stepped forward all the same. She put a hand to her pocket, making sure her propranolol was there. She wasn't sure how much help it'd be in the face of a wild animatronic jumpscaring her, but it just being there almost felt like an anchor.

They wandered down the hallway in complete silence, eying the dusty windows, a roach scuttling past, and numerous children's drawings lining the walls.

"This feels like one of those spooky games I always see on IWatch…" Brooke murmured. "There was this really scary one about clowns in a church, it gave me nightmares."

"Yeah, I think this right now is gonna give me nightmares." Dylan muttered. "Among other things."

"I think we're coming close to that staircase now…" Millie whispered. "They're probably nearby."

"I think the staircase leads up to the attic, which is never good." Dylan said. He pointed his flashlight up the stairs as they approached. The stairs stretched above them into yawning darkness, empty and petrifying.

Brooke suddenly grabbed Millie's arm, pulling herself into her side. Her face made pale and ghostly by the flashlight, she stared at Millie with a sheepish expression. "Sorry. You're just making me feel a little braver. Maybe you guys aren't lying after all."

Millie had to tilt her head up slightly to look the taller girl in the eye. She suddenly felt as if her heart was being squeezed by a great hand, and realized that she didn't mind having to be brave if it was for Brooke. Brooke made her want to be brave.

So did Dylan, but Brooke… Brooke did just a little bit more. Maybe it was how naive she is, or maybe it was something else she just couldn't place.

Millie blushed. "Yeah. No problem." She tried to sound tough even as her voice shook.

Brooke smiled back, and Millie almost laughed at the fact that she had a full face of makeup, complete with glittery blue eyeshadow. Then she realized that she too had a full face, black mascara smeared down her cheeks like tears and lipstick like charcoal, and felt that she and Brooke weren't so different after all. Just different colors, part of the same rainbow.

In that moment, hidden away in the dark with her two best friends with a killer animatronic fox on the loose, she lamented every bad thing she had ever thought about her two friends, and the fact that she hadn't even wanted Brooke here at all. Even though Brooke said that Millie made her feel safe, Millie had to admit that Brooke made her feel strong.

"Should we go up?" Dylan interrupted her thoughts, his voice shaking.

Oh right. We're investigating, not reminiscing. Or whatever I'm doing. Millie took a deep breath, shaking the thoughts away as she turned back to the stairwell.

"No need! I'm bringing the show straight to y-you!"

It was as if in the space of a single blink, Funtime Foxy had appeared, slinking down the stairs like a predator. His golden eyes glinted sharply in the shadows as they emerged into the dim phone light. Brooke gasped, her eyes going wide as her hands tightened around Millie's arm. "What is that?!"

"I'm so g-glad you've come back, and you've brought an audience for our performance too! Such good showmanship, my dear D-Dylan!"

Dylan trembled next to Millie, backpedaling. She soon followed as the fox inched forward, his teeth shining. She found herself beginning to hyperventilate, the light feeling like a target in her hands. Where are they?!

"Why?" Dylan finally managed to choke out. The animatronic paused, head cocked. "Why me? Why do all this? Trick me?"

The scent of cologne poured through the air, and Millie gagged. This time, it almost felt sticky. Sickly. "Because, my boy, you were the one to come through the doors to this theatre theatre with such tragedy weighing heavy on your shoulders, etched into the very way you held yourself. You echo the g-greatest of dramas, and I only thought it fitting that you have the suitable end to such a poetic tragedy." They grinned wolfishly. "And after being alone for so long, I have been looking to p-put on a show. I just needed some actors actors to follow my script. And you have all followed it perfectly."

And then he lunged forward, faceplates flying open with an earsplitting mechanical scream.

Millie screamed back at them, a sound of desperation, fear and rage. She threw her arms open, doing her best to try and shield her friends. She heard them scream too, their shoes skidding across the floor.

But as the fox flew forward, she held her ground. She knew her other friends were here.

"Aw, Foxy, don't be such a party pooper! I just made some new friends, don't scare them away with your dweeby screenplays!"

Funtime Foxy was yanked back by their arm mere inches from Millie, who covered her face with her hands. She opened her eyes and gasped with delight at the massive bear that towered over both her and the fox, who had twirled said fox around to face him so that they were both nose to nose. "I knew you'd come." She said warmly, hand to her chest as if it would calm her overworked heart.

Funtime Foxy, silent now, stared up at Funtime Freddy as if he'd seen a ghost. "F-F-Freddy?" They said, his voice still like the crackle of old radio, but much quieter now. Less like an announcement. "Is that you?"

"You bet, little fox!" Funtime Freddy leaned down, briefly touching his nose to the fox's snout. "Have you missed me?"

"Oh, FREDDY!" Funtime Foxy threw his arms around the bear with a loud clang of metal, straining to reach the bear's shoulders. "My, my, you've gotten taller! How did you survive?!"

"Barely. I found a new body! It looks like you did too, you've got some extra inches as well." Funtime Freddy pushed them back with as much of a smirk as his metal faceplates would allow. "I forgot how annoying all of your affection was. I've been stuck with burnt pudding and Bon-Bon for the past few months, and they're so much more...mild. Or gloomy, in one very monochromatic case."

"Burnt p-pudding?" Funtime Foxy's ears swiveled curiously. "Oh, Bon-Bon!" They reached up to stroke Bon-Bon's cheek, who giggled and clasped the fox's hand in his own tiny paws. "Keeping him out of t-trouble, little bunny?" Their arms jerked spastically as they had previously, and the fox growled as he pulled them back down to his sides.

"I am doing my best." Bon-Bon said, looking up at their partner happily. "But I have had much help. We have so much to tell you, old friend."

Brooke started to scream then, back against the wall. Dylan didn't look much better, pale and sprawled on the floor. Millie had to wonder how he got there, but shook the thought away and nervously walked over to try and comfort them. "Hey, hey! Guys, it's okay! Everything is calm, see? The fox isn't even yelling anymore!"

Brooke's scream faded into burbling, tears running down her face and she clasped her curls in her hands and babbled. "Ohmygodohmygodohmygod! You two really weren't lying! They're alive! They're alive and talking and walking and trying to… Oh my god!" Her usually tan complexion was now white as a sheet.

"Yep." Dylan said, staring blankly at the floor and picking at his black nail polish.

A shadow descended over them, and Millie whipped around to face Funtime Foxy, looming over her. "I assume you are the burnt pudding." Funtime Foxy said, looking down at her with hooded eyes. He looked back to Funtime Freddy. "I am curious. Why have you not ensnared this one, dear? And why have you stopped me? I have been trying to catch this boy for so long now, and he's finally in my clutches!"

He went to take a step forward as Millie took a step back, the sound of Brooke's screaming reaching a new crescendo.

Before anyone could do anything, Funtime Foxy's feet thudded down to the ground with a loud clang, nearly throwing him off balance. He snarled with frustration as he tried to move, and Millie quickly leapt out of his reach.

"Bonnet?" Bon-Bon called as he and Freddy approached the fox. "Are you there?"

A little giggle sounded from the stairwell, and Millie could make out a pair of green plasticine eyes making their way down the stairs. As they emerged into the light, she saw a little rabbit animatronic, nearly identical to Bon-Bon sans her pink metal and green eyes. "Hi! It's been awhile, guys." Her voice sounded as if it were on the verge of bursting into giggles. Millie had to admit it was pretty cute.

"Bonnet!" Funtime Freddy exclaimed. "You are here! And making sure someone else is being good, hm?" He jeered at Foxy.

Funtime Foxy growled, air puffing through the plates in his metal hide. "I truly do hate when you do that, Bonnet. I simply cannot understand why you choose the worst moments to be a good s-samaritan!"

"It's what I was built for," She sing-songed as she pulled herself across the floor. "Playing is fun, but blood makes such a mess! The playwright would get in so much trouble, and maybe even get rid of us!"

Bon-Bon stretched his tiny arms out for her, and Funtime Freddy lowered him and popped the bunny right off. He tugged his way across the floor to meet her and embrace. They began chattering happily in their musical, lilting voices, and between that and the other animatronics' banter, and Brooke still screaming, Millie found herself with a steadily increasing headache.

"Can everyone please shut up for a minute?!" She finally squawked, rubbing her temples. "You robots aren't the only ones here, you know!"

Funtime Foxy looked at her as if she were an ant. "Your burnt pudding is very rude, Freddy."

"Eh, I probably deserve it." Funtime Freddy shrugged. "Your friend losing it isn't quite as funny as I hoped, but she does have some impressive lungs! You'd better hush her up, Silly Millie, you know how much I love screams!"

"Ugh." Millie turned on her heel, resisting the urge to go outside and find a rock to throw at his head. "I can't stand you sometimes."

Brooke flattened herself against the wall the best she could, both of the little bunnies now flanking her. Millie stopped, trying to withhold a smirk. Not her best judgement, but she wondered how her friend would react. This should be good.

"I'm so sorry that Funtime Foxy scared you all so bad!" Bonnet chirped, looking to the three humans. "He really does get so overzealous and takes playing a bit too far. If you'd let us explain everything, I'm sure we can all calm down!"

"Yes, please, just try to relax," Bon-Bon said to Brooke. "I know you're scared, but no one is trying to hurt you now. I promise I will keep you safe." His paw hovered over Brooke's shoe as she looked down at him, sniffling. "Is it okay if I touch you?"

"You're really not going to hurt me?" Brooke whispered.

"Absolutely not. You are far too sweet, Brooke Harrisson!" When she nodded, he lovingly patted her shoe, reassuring as usual. Bonnet found herself in front of Dylan, murmuring reassurances and apologies fervently.

"You are actually pretty cute." Brooke sniffed, wiping at her eyes and smearing blue eyeshadow all over the back of her hand. "You don't look like you could hurt a fly."

Bon-Bon smiled up at her, his violet eyes glowing comfortingly, softly. "No, and I wouldn't hurt you either. And I won't ever let anyone else as well."

Millie smiled. Two worlds colliding. And despite the new sweat stains on her nice clothes and her rising blood pressure, it really wasn't that bad after all.

XXX

"My, what a tale tale!" Funtime Foxy declared after Funtime Freddy, Bon-Bon and Millie had explained their full set of perspectives on everything that had happened thus far to the new humans and robots. "I do wish I could've seen the show unfold, but alas, my own was h-happening!"

"Yes, what has happened to you, Foxy? How did you end up in a theatre, of all places?" Bon-Bon inquired. He was still detached from Funtime Freddy, currently sat in Brooke's lap, who was quietly stroking his ears as if he were a real bunny. Dylan was stiff next to her, with Bonnet a few inches from his knee, still trying to soothe him.

"Where else would a drama queen like them be?" Funtime Freddy quipped snidely.

"And how did you find Bonnet?" Bon-Bon ignored their partner's jeers, leaning into Brooke's touch. "There must be so much to tell!"

"Well, after Circus Baby separated and deactivated us, I somehow ended up at some kind of auction!" Bonnet said excitedly. "An old man bought me and brought me here… He reactivated me and used me as a greeter for awhile, but ah… As far as he knows, I started malfunctioning." She slumped. "Really, I was just wanting to play. So he put me up in that stuffy old attic!"

"And that's where I come in," Funtime Foxy said, hand to his chest, metal tail swaying hypnotically behind him. "I don't remember much besides being activated in an alley outside of this establishment. I remember the fire, so very vaguely, and fleeing through a window. I'm not sure how I got into this new body, but I'm here now, damaged as my core and wiring must be. I recall hearing the owner mention something about finding me at an auction and recognizing me as a companion piece to B-Bonnet." He tapped a long claw to his chin. "But you see, dear friends, that's where things get a bit...funny."

"Ha-ha funny, or squirmy uh oh funny?" Millie asked, scrunching her nose.

Funtime Foxy looked down at her, amber eyes aglow. "Your little pet is cute, Freddy. I never thought I'd see you adopt a human human. You're much more adept at taking care of t-them in a different way."

Millie looked back at him, lips pursed. She had seen too much to back down from them, prim and proper as they were. She knew he would be able to detect her rapid pulse, and willed it to slow. Freddy is here. He won't let anything happen.

"Well, we had a deal." Funtime Freddy said, and Millie thought she detected the slightest bit of defensiveness in his tone. "Which extends to her friends, else I'll never hear the end of it. Besides, I've come to like the little ray of sunshine!"

"Hm." Funtime Foxy looked at the three humans, zeroing in on Millie. "How quaint. I suppose I'll have to get used to it then. Not sure how I feel about it, but onto the s-storytelling!" He made a noise like clearing his throat, which Millie found positively alarming due to the fact that she assumed he did not have a throat.

"Digressing, I found myself activated with many an afterimage in my head. I recall r-rage, despair, concepts made almost p-physical in their power. It felt as if it climbed through me, settled in me. I remember a being, some odd amalgamation of parts sticking together like glue. The glue...it felt sticky. Like suffering. Like cruelty cruelty." As his voice skipped like an old record, his body spasmed wildly once more, making Millie flinch. Air huffed out of his metal plating a little too hard, making his metal hide shudder. They were far more unstable than they were letting on, prideful as they were.

"That glue is what filled me with such...desire. The desire to hunt, even moreso than in my old body, from what I'm able to recall. It felt like a cloud over me, more than mere programming." He looked at Freddy. "It has dissipated with your arrival, but still. It burns." His ears swiveled wildly, an annoyed look crossing the fox's faceplates.

Bonnet's ears swiveled anxiously. "I didn't like it. He could barely hear me, he was obsessed. But you seemed to have shocked it right out of him!"

"I do suppose I'm much like a ghost," Funtime Freddy chuckled. "Never expected to see me again, did you?"

"I have struggled to remember so much, but I could never forget your face." Funtime Foxy murmured. "It has made me recall...better things. Better times."

"I've noticed something strange in your power modules," Millie butted in, not much for the gooiness of the moment. "Black, really shining, creeping. It made me feel sick to my stomach. I felt similar when I encountered the Stitchwraith… Maybe they, and your reactivation, is connected?"

"Maybe so, little human human." Funtime Foxy mused. "I know I am damaged. The owner had difficulty getting me to function properly and I move sporadically without permitting it, my own voice skipping and betraying me, and so to the attic I disappeared. L-Little did he know I was out watching for the perfect a-actor. You see, after watching so many w-wonderful plays, I missed our old showtimes. I wanted one of my own." His eyes flicked to Dylan. "And oh, how perfect you were, dear boy! You were meant to be my greatest show yet yet. How hard I worked to lure you, to bring your sorrow to light. You remember the old days of our teamwork, dear dear Freddy? What a fun time to perform this next show with you would be!"

Funtime Freddy shifted his bulk, blue eyes cold. "Yes, you loved the chase, and I loved the capture. But we have much bigger prey than a schoolboy now. Much more entertaining too, I assure you."

"And the opportunity for answers. After the damage of our disconnection and the fire at the pizzeria, we're all having difficulty remembering the past." Bon-Bon said. "Millie is helping us piece it back together."

"And it sounds like you're helping other people too!" Bonnet piped up. "I can't wait to meet Sarah!" She looked hopefully up at Funtime Foxy. "With less blood, there's more time to play! Games, songs…" She giggled. "And showtimes! You can't put on nice shows if there's no one there to watch!"

Funtime Foxy hummed, his metal plating shifting in thought. "I do suppose that's true, dear. I do like an opportunity to be busy busy. And this mystery is rather alluring…"

Bonnet leaned closer to Dylan, but whispered loud enough that Millie could hear. "I know he's a little scary, but honestly he just wants to have fun! He can get carried away though, which is why a nice man made me! I can make him sit, and if someone uses me, they can activate his remote foot anchors too! Isn't it nifty?" She giggled like tinkling bells.

Dylan smiled grimly. He hadn't spoken much since all the big reveals.

Millie frowned at him, and at the stiffness of Brooke's back too. She was glad she wasn't alone, but she hated seeing them like this. "Hey, Foxy." She grumbled, putting on her best goth girl scowl. "You're coming with us, and you're not hurting anyone else. You're never putting a hand, or a, uh, smell, towards my friend again. I'm going to examine your power module, and give you whatever repairs you may need. In return, you'll help us out and stay calm, okay?"

"I can help with that!" Bonnet added. "We can have tons of fun together, Foxy-kins!"

Funtime Foxy chuckled. "Such s-strong words from such a little girl girl. What will you do to convince me?"

"I will ask you." Millie said plainly. "Because you are alive. And you are a part of Freddy and Bon-Bon's family. If you love them, you'll do whatever it takes to be with them again, right? So whatever force has been poisoning you, focusing you on doing these bad things instead of finding your family and being happy like you were all together, when you all shared a body, before the end? We're gonna find it, and put an end to it. Along with everything else." She paused. "I promise. But you have to do your part too."

Their eyes met for a moment. Millie felt as if the fox were staring straight through her skin and into her very soul. After a few seconds, they leaned back and laughed. "My, my Freddy, Bon-Bon! You t-two have found quite the character. I suppose I don't have much other option if you won't let me play out my show show. I'm not a match for your s-strength, dear. And I am appreciating the n-newfound clarity of mind, I do hope it continues." Their fingers danced up Freddy's arm, giddy, to which the bear merely smiled and grumbled something about physical affection not being his love language.

Funtime Foxy turned back to look at them, gaze landing on Dylan. "And as for you… I do hope you understand I only intended to make you a star. What g-great stories you hold deep in your heart heart."

"Yeah, well, I'd like to keep it in my chest." Dylan grumbled.

Bonnet blinked. "You two do like plays! Maybe you can make up and be friends? And then we can all play together and have fun! Just not the bad kind of fun!"

Dylan pressed his lips together. "I don't know about that. But I am here to help Millie. And I think you've got a good hold on him, little bunny." He forced a smile at Bonnet, who clapped her paws together in return.

"And I will stay here too." Brooke said shakily. "This is all insane, but we're in it together now, huh? And there could be worse looking monsters." She scritched Bon-Bon's head, smiling. "Some of them are actually kinda cute. I think I'll just need some time to digest it all."

"I am a big fan of Brooke." Bon-Bon said happily. "But we are all in agreement now, yes? Since the owner of the theatre had you two up in the attic, I'm sure he won't miss you."

"Oh, of course not!" Funtime Foxy said. "There was d-dust everywhere up there, it was positively dreadful! I'd be shocked if he noticed our absence within the next thirty thirty years."

"Then it is settled! I'll help Millie come up with a way to explain you two to her grandfather, and you can stay in the workshop. And then, the investigation and rebuilding of Sarah can continue!"

Millie stared at the floor, her body suddenly feeling very heavy. The stress of the entire day was pulling her down, her head pounding. Adding four new variables to their little group was a bit much, but she hoped it would be beneficial. She hoped it would be safe.

Suddenly, something reached over and squeezed her hand. She looked up into Brooke's pretty blue eyes, then over to a slightly trembling Dylan, his shoulders thrown bravely back. "It's going to be okay." Brooke said. "No matter what, it has to be. We're all here."

Millie forced herself to smile. "I hope so."

XXX

Millie found herself tucked away in a hollow of tree roots in her grandfather's yard, many hours later. She had tried sleeping after they returned home, but had found she couldn't. Even with her medications, her anxiety and paranoia was at an all time high. Before Brooke and Dylan had left, she had assured them that she would be alright, and for them to get some rest so they could process everything that happened, and decide just how much they would be able to help.

But she hadn't done much to help herself process. Or really question what she was able to do. She just did it, then felt exhausted by the consequences. That was what she had been doing up to this point, and suddenly she realized that her body and mind both felt weary and broken. She felt as if it was beyond repair, as if she'd be exhausted forever.

She sighed deeply, leaning her head against the cool trunk of the tree. She knew dawn would be coming soon, and with the morning would come explanations for Grandpa. His birthday was coming up in a few months, so maybe she could keep him away from the workshop with the claim of working on a surprise for him. It was Bon-Bon's idea, and at this point, she highly trusted the hand puppet's judgement.

She found herself missing both him and Funtime Freddy. Now that Funtime Foxy and Bonnet were here, she felt strange. She was so used to it just being the three of them, and now it was time to trust and work with another set of animatronics. Not to mention the new repairs she needed to do on Funtime Foxy in addition to her task of rebuilding Sarah.

And then there was the matter of the introduction of her human friends. It was all so complicated and anxiety inducing.

"Ugggggggh," Millie moaned, rubbing at her temples. She felt as if her brain would burst out of her skull. She wished she could go into the workshop like usual, but now she felt as if she were intruding on their happy reunion. She thought of Brooke and Dylan, attached at the hip, Grandpa without a care in the world and her parents halfway across the world, and suddenly felt very lonely.

"Hey, Silly Millie. What are you doing playing in the dirt?"

Millie looked up as Funtime Freddy's hulking frame blocked out the moonlight. "Well, I was brooding, but I guess that's over now."

"You bet! This is a happy occasion, cupcake! No time to be a party pooper." He knelt down, gradually hauling himself into a sitting position. With his massive bulk, it was almost comical.

Millie suppressed a smile. "Where's Bon-Bon?"

"Catching up with our other partners." Funtime Freddy said. "I care for them, but it can get a little overwhelming. Sensed you out here and figured that was a good excuse, sunshine!"

"Overwhelming. I never thought I'd see the day you'd be overwhelmed." Millie snickered. "So… You guys are like, all together?"

"In a sense, yes." Funtime Freddy shrugged, clicking his faceplates. "Our sort of relationship is different from humans', from what I understand. But like I said before, I love them. To the best my AI can allow for. And more than anything, they are my family."

Millie truly smiled then. She liked that talking about things like love was hard for him. It almost made him seem human. "I think you have a lot of capacity to care. I mean, look at you right now."

"Yes. Look at me right now." He said wryly, leaning over and shoving her gently with his arm. "I still do quite fancy the guillotine idea. Don't see why you were so picky."

"Spare me." Millie sniffed. "Tonight has been stressful enough."

"Fair. You are outside in the dirt. Should I call you mud pie, now?"

"Better than sunshine."

"Sunshine it is." He grinned, then paused. "I do hope we can find Ballora soon."

"Is she another one of your partners?" Millie asked.

"No." He answered. "She never cared much for all that ooey gooey lovey dovey stuff, even less so than me. But she is still a part of our family. Irreplaceable. Your attitude does remind me of her sometimes, though."

Millie snorted. "Mmn. I hope she made it out." Silence. Then, "Do you ever miss Circus Baby? Even after everything she did?"

More silence.

"Of course. I miss Circus Baby before the possession, and I miss the second Circus Baby that came after." His bow tie spun on his chest. "I hate that you make me talk all serious, cupcake. It's a pain in my metal bones."

Millie ignored his whining. "I had a friend that abandoned and betrayed me once too." She pulled her knees up to her chest. "Hannah. She was all I had, and I really loved her. But when we got older, she decided she didn't like me anymore. Wanted something more."

"Uncanny, isn't it?" Funtime Freddy stared down at her. "It hurts to love someone and them to see you as...not enough, doesn't it, lambchop?"

"Yeah. She was never mean right to my face, but she acted...I guess acts like I don't exist except to laugh at the jokes other kids make." Her face scrunched up. "But then… I have Dylan. And Brooke. And you guys."

"Foxy likes you." He said. "Bonnet really does. You don't need to be afraid of them, they're far less unhinged than I am."

She laughed. "I guess so. It's just...different. And different is hard." She rubbed at her watery eyes. "You know, I never would've gotten friendship in the first place if not for you. Trauma aside, I really did learn my lesson. Maybe I needed that."

Funtime Freddy was silent for a moment, the only sounds the shifting of his metal plating and the hum of his power module. "No, Millie. You didn't."

Millie stiffened. "Huh?" She forced herself to look up at him.

"You were right, back then. You are just a child. Only human. Of course you will make mistakes. You are flawed, unlike machines. And maybe that is not a bad thing, after all. Perhaps Crimes of Humanity are mere lessons, and not something to punish. Kill for." He tilted his head as he looked at her. "After everything, you have taught and helped me so much. You are special indeed, Millicent Fitzsimmons. It was fate that brought you to the workshop, but it was something greater that spared you. I…am sorry. I am glad you are here. Alive, I suppose."

Millie smiled softly. "Thank you, Freddy. I'm glad you're here too. You've changed."

"I'm just biding my time." He huffed. "I take oaths very seriously, with their historical impact and all. Would you like to know how many oathbreakers have led to the fall of human civilizations?"

"Not tonight, Freddy." She wiped at her eyes. "I'm just glad to be here with you. Would...you stay with me?"

"Nothing better to do." He said, voice shrill as ever.

"You really won't hurt me?" She pressed. "You don't want to kill me?"

He shifted, looking away. "We made a promise." He lifted up his pinky. "And I just told you how important those are to me."

Millie felt unafraid, and took his pinky in her own, guiding the swear this time. "Thank you, Freddy. You are a good friend, and you have changed."

"Whatever you say, lambchop." Air hissed through his body and puffed through his plating with more force than usual. "Say, if you're having trouble sleeping, why not sit in my belly? Before everything, you fell asleep perfectly comfy there before! If you trust me so much." His eyes glinted mischievously.

Millie faltered. Riding in him when Bon-Bon was there was one thing, but letting herself go to sleep? Or just be alone in there? Her head throbbed with the echoes of her trauma.

She swallowed hard, looking up at him. "I do trust you." Her jaw tightened. Did she really? "Open up."

"Wow, Silly Millie! Getting braver by the day." The door to his stomach cavity swung open, leading to the dark chamber within. "I promise I'll keep quiet. Just this once. You have me in shock, is all."

"Of course." Millie pulled herself inside, shaking slightly. Today had been so much bigger than she could've dreamed. She crawled completely into him, pulling her knees to her chest and pillowing her head on her hands. The hum of his power module, the slight sounds of air flow, and the creak of his joints echoed around her. Unlike before, he sounded alive and healthy, for all intents and purposes. The metal was clean and polished, all done with care by her and Grandpa.

It didn't feel like a chamber of evil anymore. It just felt like a chamber.

"Mind if I close the door, creampuff?" Funtime Freddy asked.

"Sure." Millie yawned. "Just...get me up if Grandpa comes. And don't be too loud with your partners."

"Sure on the first, and I'll do my best on the second! You know how Foxy gets." He chuckled. "But in the meantime… Rest. I have a gut feeling tomorrow is going to be busy. You have a bad habit of pushing yourself too far. If I literally have to put you in prison to get you to rest up, so be it."

Millie grinned, her eyes fluttering as she struggled to come up with a retort. After a few seconds, she decided silence was the best response, and yawned. It was surprisingly roomy and comfortably inside the bear, with the coils of wire almost cushy around her. She could swear he got a little warmer too, but surely he wouldn't be that concerned with her comfort?

She sighed. There were worse places to sleep.

Tomorrow was another day.

A/N: I know I say this almost every time, but this was one of my favorite chapters to write. It was just so much fun. :) Also, first chapter of 2021! Here's to lots of fun storytelling and a wonderful new year of cool fnaf content! :D Thanks for the support fellas!