My darling friend Oliver helped me write this chapter.
From now on Oliver will be the one writing Sammy, his actions, personal feelings, ect. Everyone say hello to Oliver ^-^
Chapter 4: A Startled Beginning
Sammy was understandably afraid of being by himself. After what he witnessed happen to Elizabeth... Circus Baby had snapped her up like it was nothing... He was terrified, he didn't want to find Mr. Afton all by himself, he was scared to roam the halls without an adult. He didn't even know how to react to what he had witnessed.
The nice women carrying him in her arms as he sobs is quick to drop him off at the office. Concerned and wanting to drop him off to his 'father' as quickly as possible.
William frowns when the women drops him off and Sammy runs up to him, hugging him around the middle, "Samuel, what on earth happened?" He murmurs in concern, sensing the boy's fear.
The women smiles awkwardly, "He just ran up to me crying, he said something about Baby eating someone." she smile fades, twisting down in worry, "Will he be alright Mr...?"
"Afton." William answers with a smile, "I'm sure he'll be fine. And who might you be?"
"Nancy." She smiles back at him, aiming another concerned look down at Sammy, "I should go find my kids, I don't want to leave them unsupervised for too long. Take care alright?"
William nods and smiles as she exits the security office and hurry's back down the twisting halls. William frowns once she's gone, his eyes darkening, the false joy that were in them earlier fading now that he has no one to impress. He looks in concern down at the boy who had attached himself to William, expression softening, "Sammy, what on earth happened that shook you so badly?" he asks softly, pressing a comforting hand to the back of Sammy's neck.
The hardest thing for Sammy to process, which he still hadn't fully processed yet, was the fact he'd never be able to see Lizzy again. That along with the fact he blamed himself, he wasn't able to get help fast enough, she was eaten by Circus Baby and all he could do was scream and cry, frozen in fear. If only he could go back in time and protected her, if he could take her place he gladly would've in a heartbeat. Part of him wanted to believe that his dad could make everything better, but he knew there would be no saving her. The sickening sound of her body being crushed, the way the animatronic so hauntingly sang, Lizzy's screams. It was almost too much to bear as he gazed up into William's eyes, his own filled with pure fear. Even his father's comforting touch couldn't comfort him, he was sure that at this point nothing would be able to bring him comfort.
Trying to calm himself down enough to talk in coherent sentences, he took a few deep breaths. "Daddy, it's Lizzy! Baby ate her!" His bottom lip quivered, letting out a heartbreaking sob as tears rushed down his cheeks. He wondered if he hadn't left Elizabeth alone when he had if she'd still be alive right now, if there was anything he couldn't done differently.
His tears that rolled down his cheeks stained William's shirt, sobbing so violently his body was shaking. Even with how sensitive he was, he'd never cried like this before in his entire life. Now that he had explained himself he broke down, clinging onto his father the entire time. He wished this was one of his nightmares, that this was something he could wake up from, it didn't feel real. None of this felt real. Circus Baby cruelly took Lizzy away from him, away from the world and ate up her life. It wasn't fair, none of this was fair. Nobody would ever be able to see the beautiful bright light she brought to this world again, he'd never get to hug her again or play games with her. And it was all his fault. He couldn't save her.
William freezes once that single sentence comes out of Sammy's mouth, "Elizabeth-" he breaths out. His eyes widen and his hands shake. He holds Oliver gingerly in a hug as he attempts to piece together his emotions. What he felt... was rage, "I told her not to go near her-!" he hisses out before abruptly calmly and simply hugging Sammy closer to him, an attempt to comfort the poor child.
Sammy's sobs quieted down to soft whimpers when his father hissed those words, not expecting for him to be quite so angry.
Sammy buries his face into William's shirt as though to hide from the rest of the cruel world that took his sister away from him. Usually a hug was a comforting fix to any problem; a scraped knee, a bad dream, a scary thunder storm. But a simple hug wouldn't be enough to bring Lizzy back, a hug wouldn't help him forget the memory of what just happened. It was only a temporary comfort but still it was better than nothing, he hated the thought of being alone right now stuck with his own thoughts. Even after he was mostly done crying, his chest felt tight as though someone was squeezing his heart, crushing it with their fist and it was hard to breath, it was hard to think.
William however, William didn't show or think over his emotions quite so readily.
William... something in William broke. This was his fault. His dear daughter- his darling Elizabeth. Gone in an instant. And all because William was more interested in his experiments then his daughter's safety. This was his fault.
William takes a deep breath before gently pushing Sammy away from him, "Samuel, I need you to listen to me." he says softly, "You can't breath a word about this to anyone. Not even Henry, not Micheal. No one. Do you understand me?"
When he's gently pushed away, Sammy rubs away his tears staining his cheeks, taking a deep breath of his own. He hugged himself, missing the warmth and comfort that came from his father's arms, though he knew he couldn't actually just cling onto him all day. But the words that came from his dad surprised him more than anything: don't tell anyone. Why wasn't he allowed to tell? He didn't understand why this was meant to be kept a secret.
He understood crystal clear what his father was asking of him, he usually was a fairly well behaved child who always listened. How was he supposed to just keep this to himself? "I understand but-" He thought of asking the questions that were on his mind, but faltered because he didn't want to upset his father more, going quiet and simply nodding his head.
William seems satisfied with this, smiling slightly at him, "I'll go-" his smile falters, "I'll go take care this." his voice is cold once more. It's clear what happened to Elizabeth is affecting him, it's also clear that he's doing what he can to shut off those negative emotions however he can to avoid scaring Sammy further.
Sammy's tense shoulders relaxed, not even noticing how tense he was until his father offered him a slight smile. He tried to offer a reassuring smile but it was hard for the boy to fake his actual emotions. All it took was one look into his sad, fearful eyes to see.
He wondered how his father managed to stay so strong in front of him, how he could just shut off his negative emotions like a light switch. And yet despite everything, he seemed so calm, that he'd take care of everything. He felt safe in his father's presence, like nothing could hurt him if he was there to protect him. Sure, the boy was fairly independent for someone even of his age and was fairly happy in his own company but when after such a horrifying situation he just witnessed? It wasn't too surprising he wanted to cling onto his father and stick by his side.
He can't stand the thought of being alone right now though he can't imagine what must actually be going on his father's head at the moment. He wanted to comfort him just like he'd attempted to comfort him earlier, to hug his father and tell him he loved him very much and that they could get through this together. But he only stood there with a nearly blank expression, still trembling a bit and hugging himself for comfort.
Oblivious to Sammy's racing thoughts, William turns to the computer and turns on the announcement systems, "Everyone, there's been a Gas Leak. Please exit the building as calmly as possible." the words echo from the loud speakers throughout every room in the building. He lingers at the desk before pushing out of his chair and standing to his feet.
He lays a hand on Sammy's shoulder, "Stay here. I'll be back shortly. I don't want you going anywhere." he speaks up softly.
Being in a daze, Sammy lets out a squeak-like noise when he felt the hand on his shoulder, startled out of his train of thought and his heart raced at just the thought of being left alone. He nearly wanted to beg so he could come along with him but he didn't want to give his father more trouble so he nodded his head with a small 'mhm' sound. "I'll stay here, daddy." He reassured him softly, giving him a gentle yet quick hug and pulling back, hoping his anxiety over being left alone didn't show.
With that William leaves the room, leaving Sammy alone to his thoughts.
Being left alone to his own thoughts was nerve-racking, Sammy paced the room but stayed put just as William had told him to do. The thoughts were overwhelming, nearly suffocating the more he let them fester and considering he was alone, he allowed himself to curl up into a tiny ball on the floor, listening closely to the footsteps that passed by.
His heart felt like it would pound out of his chest with how hard it was racing, letting out a quiet sob and covering his face in his hands and allowing himself to break down yet again. With how much he'd cried that evening, his cheeks had become flushed, tears staining his face. He kept thinking about all the things he could've done to save Lizzy to prevent this disaster from happening.
Maybe it was best to keep this secret to himself, Sammy felt like it was his fault this happened anyways, there was no one else to blame for her death. Then again, he was conflicted in such a way that he felt like the truth should be told, for Lizzy's sake more than anything. But he would never go against his father's wishes, he was usually a very obedient and quiet child besides his crying.
He hugged his knees close to his chest, taking a few deep breaths. 'It's my fault this happened, it should've been me who died. Everyone would be so much happier without you anyways,' He thought as tears rushed fast down his face, covering his mouth to prevent himself from letting out a louder sob and alerting anyone passing by.
He genuinely felt hated by the world, even by his loved ones. He felt unwanted and it certainly wasn't intentional but considering he lived with the Afton's most of the time now, he felt like Henry didn't want him anymore. Like he was just garbage to throw away and dispose of and he felt even the Afton's who he accepted and loved fully as his family, even though they weren't related by blood, hated him too. He wasn't one of them, not really and nothing could change that. Michael didn't accept him, that was for sure, he didn't understand why.
William had left Sammy on his own, heading down the winding halls to turn up in the main stage room where Circus Baby was set up.
Winding through the rushing crowd heading towards the front door, William taps the shoulder of an employee who has been attempting to calm the chaos. He lightly tugs the employee out of the crowd and to a more isolated spot near the main stage, "Mr. Bennet, I need Circus Baby taken to the Maintenance room." he speaks up softly enough that no one else would overhear him.
The crowd was thinning out now, most of everyone having left the building already. Only a few stragglers remain but they are quickly rushed out of the building by what few employees haven't already left themselves.
Mr. Bennet frowns concernedly, "But sir, what about the gas leak?"
William waves away Bennet's concern, "It's no matter. Wheel Circus Baby to the Maintenance room and then make your way outside with the others. I've already called someone experienced to take care of the gas leak."
Despite Bennet's hesitance, he agrees, "What about the others?"
"Don't worry about them right now." William again disregards Bennet's questions, "If you need help wheeling Circus Baby to the Maintenance room ask one of the other employees. I have something I have to get done." he pats Bennet's shoulder before leaving the employee alone, heading over to where Henry, his dear dear partner, is waiting by the door.
"Goodness, William! I was worried, where's Sammy?" Henry questions, worry overtaking his expression. Of course Henry was worried about Sammy, Sammy was Henry's son by blood. Even if Sammy lived with William most of time and insisted to call William his father, the bond between a family by blood isn't easily broken.
William shakes his head, "He's probably still in the office. Where's Micheal?" he breaths out, sounding out of breath.
"Oh- he's outside. What about Elizabeth, is she with Sammy? I couldn't find her so I thought she'd be with you."
William's expression blanks, going neutral before abruptly turning panicked, "I- No. I thought she'd be with you. I hadn't seen her." he projects worry into his voice. Although he knew what had truly happened to his darling daughter, he would never admit it to his partner.
Henry didn't need to know just how dark William's mind went. He didn't need to know about William's experiments. Not now. He'd never approve.
William shakes his head again, "Henry, go outside and keep an eye on Micheal. I'll collect Sammy and send him out to you then I'll search for Elizabeth."
Henry nods, "Alright. I hope you find her."
"Me too." William says grimly as he watches Henry exit the building to meet back up with Micheal. Dark thoughts race through his mind, plans and ideas running through his head as he thinks fast to figure out a way to solve this issue. How could he possibly be able to dispose of his daughter's body? He could barely believe this even happened to her in the first place.
Perhaps it's cold of him, for it to be so easy for William to shut down his more negative emotions and to take care of problems so calculatingly. He was also manipulative. It was in his blood. And perhaps that manipulative and cold streak would've continued on through Elizabeth.
William knows it continued on through Micheal. Although he looked the other way, William could see that cruel, cold and manipulative streak running through his sons veins. The cruelness that he used against Sammy. William, in a sick twisted way, was almost proud of Micheal.
William shakes his head, shoving those thoughts away as he heads back to office.
Hearing footsteps coming in his direction, Sammy quickly regathered himself, taking a few deep breaths and pushing himself up from the floor, brushing himself off. He didn't have time to dwell on all of these negative thoughts, he had to be more like William, he wanted to be just as strong as him, just as intelligent. He wiped away the new tears that rushed down his cheek, sniffling and smiled weakly when his father entered the room hoping it wasn't too obvious he'd been crying more. It was hard to mask his emotions, not that it was healthy to hide them either but the boy was embarrassed over how sensitive he still was. Granted this was a situation where surely any child would've cried at such a sight, hell even most adults - he certainly wasn't overreacting.
Sammy was waiting in the room exactly as William told him to. Obedient, patient despite the ordeal he had went through. William smiles as he kneels down in front of Sammy and places a hand on his shoulder, "Samuel, Henry's waiting outside for you. Go find him and stick by his side, he'll keep you safe." he says gently before his expression turns stern, "Remember what we talked about? Not a word of this to anyone."
Sammy lowers his gaze slightly, focusing instead on his father's shirt rather than his eyes much different than his own. "Al-Alright...and yes, I remember. I won't tell anybody." He nodded to reaffirm he understood.
Sammy makes his way outside though he didn't dare raise his gaze towards Henry or anyone for that matter. In that moment he was certainly the world's most well behaved child, not saying a single word. His stomach was in knots from the guilt he felt inside. Though he hoped his quietness wouldn't be questioned, that it would just be seen as his usual behavior.
He could sense Michael's presence there too, but he usually avoided his attention in the first place. Even under normal circumstances he avoided making eye contact and would tense up when he even felt that Michael was gazing in his general direction.
Sammy loved his brother dearly, but he was sure that love wasn't returned, that he was absolutely despised just for breathing. He wondered if he had made the entire family uncomfortable and if the other's just pretended to make him more comfortable. Maybe he was some sort of bad luck, like black cats were seen as and that was why it felt like everyone wanted to get rid of him.
Sammy hated the cruel world he was put into, why couldn't it have been him? Nobody would've missed him, right? Sweet Elizabeth never did anything wrong, she was the only person who seemed to listen to his stories, who believed him.
His eyes began to water, tears threatening to start falling again. He just wanted somewhere, or even someone to feel like home to him. But in his eyes, he didn't deserve to want such things. He had to keep his calm as to not draw attention to himself, he didn't want to have to lie if he burst into tears now, he had to keep strong just like daddy was. His arms wrapped around himself, focusing on the ground as though it were the most interesting thing in the world instead of the melancholy thoughts or the guilt eating away at him inside.
At least he was safe, Henry would protect him if Circus Baby decided to eat him up too. After the things he saw today, he didn't want to take the chance of such a thing happening to him. While it seemed highly unlikely that the animatronic would come out here to personally eat him, it was still a possibility.
Henry places an arm around Sammy, worried, "You alright buddy?" he says softly, sensing the boy's unease.
Feeling the arm around his shoulder, he blinks away the tears starting to form in his eyes and forces a smile, nodding his head. "Yeah, I'll be alright..." He hated lying, feeling like a blade was twisting in his stomach in punishment for his dishonest words. It felt wrong to lie, something that he was always told not to do while growing up that it was better to be honest about everything. And yet here he was, lying through his teeth.
Sammy couldn't bring himself to look Henry in the eyes, that was probably the most telling thing about himself was his eyes. Just one look in the eyes and someone would be able to tell just how frightened and uneasy he felt alone, not including his nervous body language. If only he could tell them what he saw, if anyone else deserved to know it was certainly Michael at least. He was actually apart of the Afton family, but he supposed that William would eventually have to tell Michael himself. It wasn't his place to give Michael the news, besides he doubted his brother would believe him in the first place. The last thing he wanted to deal with right now was Michael's attitude or whatever he had going on.
Micheal scoffs, folding his arms, "Of course the twerp is alright! It's just a gas leak." he mutters, ignoring Sammy steadily.
Henry sighs, "Micheal... please don't make fun of him." he rubs his eyes tiredly, obviously upset with how Micheal's acting but knowing that no matter what he says Micheal's most likely not going to stop any time soon, "Oh, where is William." he murmurs under his breath, "I hope he's alright. I should probably go in to check on him. Micheal can you stay with Sammy?"
Micheal scoffs, "Sure, whatever."
Henry just shakes his head, "Keep an eye on him. I'm going to check on William." Henry says tiredly before making his way back through the crowd and into the building, leaving Sammy alone with Micheal.
Sammy tenses when Henry leaves him alone with Michael, keeping his distance. Maybe if he pretended to be a statue then Michael wouldn't notice he was there or forget he was there all together. With Henry gone, he certainly didn't feel as safe. He didn't feel like Michael would protect him from danger. If anything, he'd lead him to the danger or be the danger itself to worry about!
Still, he felt awful not telling Michael regardless if the older boy hated him or not but he wouldn't go against William's wishes. The air feels cold against his face still wet from tears, taking a deep breath of the fresh air and returning his focus on the ground. He wasn't sure what would be worse right now, being alone or being left with Michael, honestly at this point he'd just rather be alone even if the boy didn't utter a word in his direction.
Micheal seems to have much the same opinion at the moment, wanting nothing more then to just leave already, consequences and his promise to Henry to watch over him be damned.
Micheal looks over at Sammy, "You do whatever, I'm out of here." he pushes past Sammy and into the crowd.
Sammy is left alone with no one to watch him. Both of his fathers being inside the building and Micheal being too cranky to properly look after Sammy. The crowd too was beginning to thin, Micheal now no where to be found.
Sammy finally raises his gaze to look up at Michael, not too surprised by his words, that he'd just leave him alone like that. Besides, he thought that he was old and mature enough to watch over himself. He let out a small huff as Michael pushed past him and into the crowd, gazing into the direction he went but he seemed to disappear within the sea of people and it wasn't long before he was gone.
While Sammy didn't think he needed to be looked after with how independent he was becoming, it was still scary belong along right now. What if there were monsters out there? What if Baby was near and would eat him too and he just hadn't noticed?!
His heart began to race as his imagination went wild, whimpering softly and feeling his body began to tremble slightly. Perhaps the most scary thought that came to Sammy's young mind was what if both of his fathers ended up being eaten up by Circus Baby? What if Baby ate up his entire family for all that matter, leaving him with nobody? He felt like now his eyes would well up with tears again but it almost felt like he had no more tears left to cry, his eyes felt heavy and he felt exhausted, more than anything though he was terrified for his two fathers. He had to go save them! Even if he couldn't save Lizzy, he could be there to save his fathers if something bad happened and he'd make sure not to freeze like he had last time. He loved his family more than life itself, he didn't want anyone else to get hurt.
He didn't hesitate to run into the building, stumbling over himself and falling onto the cold checkered flooring with a grunt. With adrenaline rushing through his body, he didn't feel the pain at the moment as he got back up to his feet, trying to listen for signs of either of his fathers in the practically empty building. With his imagination and fear, every shadow seemed to be a scary monster lurking. Even if there were monsters there, he had to save his family. He wouldn't fail them this time.
Meanwhile, after Circus Baby was wheeled into the Maintenance room by young Mr. Bennet and carefully set up onto the conveyor belt. William stays watching the entire encounter with a critical eye, his expression cold and closed off.
"Erm, will that be all sir?" Bennet asks Mr. Afton as he rolls back down his sleeves, casting a wary look at the prone figure of Circus Baby. She always gave him the creeps, much too big, being tall enough to tower over even the tallest guys Bennet knows.
William nods, "Yes, that'll be all. You can take your leave, I wouldn't want you to harm yourself because of the fumes." William had remembered the excuse he had given the crowd to drive them out of the restaurant. Every mastermind must remember their excuses and their lies.
Bennet hesitates, "What about you?"
William waves away his concern, "Don't worry about me, what I do is none of your concern. Now please exit the building. I'll mail you your pay for the week."
Bennet hesitates before leaving the room, only looking back once before high-tailing it out of there.
William sighs tiredly, seemingly calm as he runs a hand through his hair. Then without warning he lashes out, striking his hand against a table and swiping metal parts and tools off of the table and onto the floor. They fit the floor with a loud CRASH.
William seethes, glaring down at the metal table he had struck before looking over at Circus Baby with cold eyes, "You did this." he breaths out, "I never should've made you."
Circus Baby's cold blue eyes don't show even a flicker of fear and it almost disappoints William. William grabs a tool from where he had earlier knocked them to the ground in his rage and in a more calmer state of mind begins to open up Baby's exterior.
The sight of his darling Elizabeth crushed within the animatronic's interior brings tears to William's eyes and putting his arms around his late daughter he removes her from the robot, cradling her in his arms, "...Elizabeth.. My sweet sweet Elizabeth." silent tears race down his cheeks, "What have I done?" he chokes on his words, shaky as he gazes down into his daughter's cold dead green eyes, once so bright now dull with death.
He did this. No. It wasn't him.
Wiliam's eyes alight with fury and he raises his eyes to meet Circus Baby's.
No, it wasn't his fault. It was hers. She was both the pistol and the trigger. All William did was provide her with the bullets.
William hears the door behind him open and he clutches his daughters body closer to him. He looks behind him, cheeks tear-stained as he stares at Henry who's eyes were wide and startled.
Henry see's the body and gasps, covering his mouth before rushing over to William's side, "What happened Will? How did this happen?"
Back with Sammy
"What happened Will? How did this happen?" Henry's voice echos from down the hall.
From where Sammy is he can hear Henry's panicked cry and the sobbing of William. Just down the hall is where the sound came from, the door was left open enough that Oliver could easily slip inside.
Sammy jumps when he hears the sound of the cry followed by William's sobs, it made his heart ache, it was nearly enough to make him cry himself all over again. He followed the sound of their voices, stopping outside of the slightly cracked door. There was a moment of hesitation, he didn't want to get in trouble and something inside of him was telling him he should be back outside even if Michael wasn't there to watch over him. However he ignored his gut feeling, figuring his body was small enough he could fit easily within the crack without the door letting out a creak and he'd have nothing to worry about, neither of them would even know he was there!
Quiet as a mouse, the boy slipped into the room as expected without any problems but he quickly regretted it. He had to cover his mouth to prevent himself from crying out at the gory sight of Elizabeth's body in William's arms, her face once full of life now lifeless, nearly as lifeless as the animatronics themselves. While he knew she was dead, he still hadn't necessarily fully accepted the fact, in the back of his mind he hoped that his father could fix everything, that he could save her. He felt nauseous the more he stared, forcing himself to look away from her. It was his fault that this happened, if only he had done something else, if only he could've protected her. Even if it was Baby who ultimately killed her, he had just froze there, watching.
Sammy quietly dropped to his knees into a crawl, hiding underneath the table and noticing the tools that littered the floor. Maybe it was impolite to eavesdrop on adult conversation, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Henry or William either, even if they weren't aware of his presence. His gaze landed on Circus Baby, his body tensing up as he focused on the animatronic, not even realizing it was in the room until now. A cold chill runs down his spine, listening closely to his father's but his eyes were locked on the animatronic.
Before Sammy's eyes he could see how the eyes of the animatronic were steadily changing color from a cyan blue hue to a vibrant green that nearly matched the eye color of Elizabeth when she was alive. Circus Baby remained prone, silent, yet it felt as if she was given new life. And yet, there was no reaction to the conversation happening in front of her.
"I-I didn't mean for this to happen- she wasn't supposed to... I told her... I told her to stay away..." William says softly, distant from himself as he continues to stare down at the body in his arms.
Henry's eyebrows furrow and he places a hand on William's shoulder, "Will- William! Calm down, please. What happened?"
William remains quiet for a moment before raising his eyes to meet Henry's and saying "I-It's all my fault Henry..."
There's a moment of horrified realization within Henry's expression, eyes widening, "William. What did you do?" he asks, surprisingly soft despite the horrified and startled tone. Henry's eyes dart down to the corpse held within William's arms before he forces his gaze back to meet William's.
There's silence for a moment before William speaks up, "It wasn't supposed to be her... I-I didn't... why couldn't she just stay away like I told her to?" William whispers, just loud enough that even Sammy from his place under the table can hear him. It was difficult, to see how William seemed to spiral now that Elizabeth's corpse was cradled in his arms. He went from cold to being in disbelief so easily, a torrent of emotion that was a bit too distant to feel real, even to William who had never felt an emotion quite so vividly before.
Even now, calculating thoughts circled through his head, disrupting the rare emotions he felt.
William's breathing stutters, his thoughts going back to the swirling mass of emotions that caught him in it's web. How was he supposed to feel in this situation? He'd never see Elizabeth again but maybe- maybe if he continues his experiments he could bring her out- maybe-
"William. Breath." Henry demands, carefully taking the body from William and placing it somewhere out of the way. He steps in front of William, placing his hands on William's shoulders in an attempt to ground him, "Calm down. Breath. Start from the beginning, what happened?" he asks gently, somehow the calm one of them two, pushing away his own emotional turmoil to deal with William's instead.
William snaps back to reality, "I programmed them to kill, Henry. To kidnap and kill children when they're in a room alone with one. I warned Elizabeth to stay away- I didn't want this. I just- it was only an experiment. To see if I could bring them to life. You have to understand, Henry. I- I didn't mean for it to be her." he explains, stumbling over his words. There was a distant look in his eyes even as he explained what he had done to Henry.
Henry lets of William, his hands raising to cover his mouth. He was horrified, "William- why on earth would you do that? You-your sick!" he accuses, running a hand through his hair as he begins to pace nervously, "I'm not going to tell anyone but this is... it's bad Will... we're- we'll need to hide her body somewhere. If someone finds it we could get sent to prison." he laughs nervously, a coping mechanism to deal with the stress, "We'll hide her body tonight, we'll need to get rid of all the evidence. We can use the gas leak as an excuse." it's a horrifying thought to Henry but... he could do this, for William.
As Circus Baby's eyes changed in color, all Sammy could do was stare in fear and a hint of amazement, how was that possible? It reminded him exactly of Elizabeth's eyes. An odd feeling washed over him the longer he stared, it felt surreal. Although the animatronic didn't make any moves, there was a newfound sense of life that he couldn't explain. He tore his eyes away from the robotic being however, it was starting to make him uneasy and not just because of his fear. Hearing William say it was his fault, the boy simply couldn't believe that to be true, still blaming himself for Lizzy's death. However as Sammy looks at Henry as Henry's expression morph from panic to horror, he can't help but feel confused. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind of his father's innocence and if anyone else had been talking to his dad, he would've darted out of his hiding spot and tried to defend him. His next words though made his blood run cold and his face paled in color, his eyes widening in disbelief as he listens to William's explanation. Sammy couldn't believe, no, he didn't want to believe that his father was intending on hurting someone, an innocent child all along. Ignorance was bliss, and it was something Sammy wished he still had about the situation. He was much too young to have this knowledge, let alone to see his sister killed and now to be staring at her corpse.
Sammy wanted to continue to view William as his hero, his role model, someone he looked up to and admired. Sammy wasn't sure how to feel now knowing this; angry, disappointed, disgusted, scared. His expression was similar to Henry at this moment, almost a mirror image, the emotion that overpowered the others was fear. He was frightened and it was etched all over his face, why would he ever do that?! If it were someone else calling William sick, he would've still defended him, nothing would change the love he held for him. But if his father was capable of doing such things, what else was he capable of?
While he didn't want neither of his parental figures in prison, he still feels like it's wrong for them to just hide the body like nothing ever happened, to lie.
Sammy prepared himself to speak, he knew he couldn't hide forever anyways, hugging his knees close to his chest. "Is that all really true, daddy?" He questioned, quiet and soft yet still loud enough to be heard.
Everything that was said by William explained why Sammy wasn't meant to tell anyone about what he saw, but he was still finding it hard to believe the words that were coming out of William's own mouth. To think he made something with the intention to kill, to kidnap. He had created essentially, in Sammy's eyes, monsters. He hesitates to crawl out of his spot from under the table even though he revealed he'd been listening in, his innocent green eyes peering up at the two of them.
This all felt like a horrible bad dream, a nightmare rather than his actual life he was living. His pupils had shrunk, making him appear much like a scared stray animal as he came out from underneath the table. He wished this could just be a dream or a big elaborate prank, that this was something they could all laugh about later and Lizzy would come running out of a hiding spot, hugging him and asking if he really fell for it.
"Pl-Please...tell me it isn't true!" Sammy was already having enough trouble processing Lizzy's death, but on top of that he had to just accept what his father did and not tell anybody? That death wasn't meant for Lizzy, but regardless it was meant for someone most likely another child just like him and Lizzy, it sickened him. His head throbs in pain, feeling a wave of emotions he wasn't even sure how to express but they were all negative. It's all too much for Oliver to deal with in the course of one day, too much that a child's ears shouldn't be hearing, that his eyes should never have witnessed.
"Sammy-" Henry gasps, spotting Sammy, "What are you doing here, I told you to stay outside!" he scolds the boy lightly, kneeling down in front of the boy, "Why aren't you with Micheal?" he kneels down to help Sammy out from underneath the table, swooping Sammy up into his arms with a worried frown. Henry's eyes dart over to Elizabeth's dead corpse, "You shouldn't have to see this." he deliberately ignores Sammy's question, much more worried about why Sammy's in the Maintenance room and not with Micheal, and of course about Sammy's mental and emotional well-being then he does about answering Sammy's questions.
There's a flicker of guilt in Sammy's eyes when he's scolded but it was the response he was expecting. He noticed there was an avoidance of his question being answered, only further confirming the truth but he didn't necessarily want verbal confirmation, he didn't want to bring it up again.
When the question of why he wasn't with Micheal was asked, Sammy was a little nervous to tell the truth of the situation, what if Michael got in trouble and then got mad at him for being a tattletale? Instead he'd avoid the actual question, answering in a different way that was still truthful but didn't involve Michael, "I was just scared, I'm sorry for not staying outside..." He mumbled softly as he's scooped up into Henry's arms.
Usually Sammy's much more obedient and well-behaved, but his fear had taken control. How could he just stand by when he's scared of his fathers being hurt and killed the same way Lizzy had been? He feels tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, threatening to fall as his own eyes dart over to Elizabeth's dead corpse. What if they got caught, what if someone took his fathers away from him? He couldn't stand the thought of not having either of them, he loved them both so dearly and he feels tears run down his cheeks. No matter how bad it felt lying or hiding what happened, that would be the worst thing that could happen to him is to lose more of his family. He'd keep this secret to the ends of the earth if it meant protecting them.
William's eyes grow cold for only a moment before his expression softens and he stands up, placing a hand on Henry's shoulder, "Henry, get Samuel out of the room, I'll... I'll take care of- you know. We can find a better placement for her tomorrow when Sammy's safely away."
Henry nods, placing Sammy back down and carefully positioning himself so that Elizabeth's body is out of Sammy's view, "Sammy, lets go back outside, William has a few things to finish up, alright?"
As Sammy gets set back down on the ground and placed where he can't look back at Elizabeth's corpse, he blankly stares towards the hallway and simply nods his head. He can't bring himself to speak or give much more of a reaction, feeling immense guilt for eavesdropping, for misbehaving, for just everything that happened today Not to mention the poor boy was exhausted. Sammy wonders if he's in trouble, he just wanted this nightmare of a day to be over with already, to pretend he hadn't heard what he had.
As Henry corrals Sammy out the room with soothing words barely hiding the panic hiding beneath, Sammy can see how William's expression closes off, neutral as he stares down at Elizabeth's body and then glances up at Circus Baby's newly green eyes.
The last thing Sammy see's before Henry closes the door, blocking the room and all that is in it from sight, is the sight of William picking up a hammer with cold eyes and raising his hand to swing at the animatronic.
Henry's comforting words barely register within Sammy's mind, his focus being on William as he takes his last few looks at the room behind him. Seeing how fast his expression changes to neutral is somewhat unsettling, that along with the last thing he sees of William before the door is closed is him lifting up a hammer, about to swing at the animatronic.
Averting his gaze back towards the direction they were going, his attention returns to Henry beside him as he's lead back outside. Even as much as he's trying to hide his panic, he could sense how anxious his father was, reaching out and taking his father's hand within his own. It was his turn to try to comfort Henry, he needed to be strong for him - or at least try to be. Giving his hand a gentle squeeze, he offers him a gentle yet weak smile that's somewhat forced. "Daddy, it's going to be okay. I promise, we're going to get through this!" Sammy exclaims, though his voice is laced with optimism and hope, he still feels as though his soul is crushed. Not only is he trying to reassure Henry but himself too. As they emerge outside, the air feels cold against his tear-stained cheeks but it's oddly refreshing. He closes his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath of fresh air feeling himself genuinely starting to calm down.
The nausea thankfully was going away too from the sight of Elizabeth's corpse and just how upset he was right now. He knew this night wasn't something he could just 'get over' necessarily, he knew it was something that would live with him probably for most of his life. But he hoped that things would at least get more manageable as time went on even though right now it felt like his whole world was destroyed and his heart ached.
Henry gives Sammy's hand a gentle squeeze back, "...I know we are." he sighs, forcing a smile to reassure Sammy that he's alright.
Sammy could tell when a smile was being faked most of the time, but he still felt reassured nonetheless and before he knows it they've found Micheal and they're in the car and he's watching the blur of buildings, trees, and other cars that pass by, Henry driving the both of them back to his place for the night.
"Now you two will have to share a room for the night. I don't think it'll be wise to leave you both alone at William's. He might be a while." Henry explains to them on the ride back.
Sammy feels exhausted, nearly falling asleep during the car ride. His eyelids feel heavy and he's dozing off in a daydream like state, sighing softly but what sparks his attention and snaps him back to reality was the mention of sharing his room for the night. He knows he can't necessarily protest without sounding rude, not that he wouldn't be more than willing to share his room with his brother. But with how cruel Michael's been lately, he certainly didn't want to spend any more time with him than usually. He wants to ask the older boy if he'd done something wrong to upset him, why he hated him so much and if he could fix it but he'd assume that conversation would be shut down real quick with Michael probably telling him to shut up.
"You mean that 'gas leak'?" Micheal asks, sitting up in his car seat in interest, "Whats up with that anyways?"
Sammy tenses up at the questions directed towards Henry about the 'gas leak', all he can think about at just the mention of the situation was the screams of Elizabeth, the sight of her corpse, the fact he'd never get to hear her laughter again or see her smile or the way her eyes lit up hearing one of his stories.
Henry visibly stiffens at Micheal's question, "William's getting some professionals to work on the problem. Tonight me and him will be moving some equipment out of the building. I... I think the grand opening for Circus Baby's Pizza World is going to take a bit longer then expected." it's clear he's nervous and stressed, this isn't something he wants to talk about. Henry glances back at Sammy who's sitting in the back seat, "Sammy, are you alright with Micheal sharing your room? I'll drag in a mattress and set it up on the floor by the bed. That way you both have your own space."
Sammy wants to cry again but stops himself, uncomfortably fidgeting in his seat as Henry comes up with the excuse. As Henry gazes back at him, he perks up though and forces himself to sit still. "Uh...y-yeah sure, as long as Michael's okay with it." He replies with a small smile though he hopes that both of them would just go straight to sleep if that was the case. He didn't understand why Micheal was so cruel when he was looked up to Michael nearly as much as his dad's. He thought he was one of the coolest people he'd ever met and yet Michael constantly gave him the cold shoulder. It broke his poor heart and he couldn't handle his cruelness, not after everything he's seen tonight.
They arrive home in record time and Henry sets up everything for Micheal to stay the night. Micheal, of course, is less then happy about sharing a room with who he considers his 'dorky non-brother', but for once tones down his more volatile teasing towards Sammy. It's surprising he hasn't exploded yet.
They settle in for the night, Henry tucking Sammy in before turning off the light and closing the door.
His dreams are dark, full of monstrous shapes brought to life by his imagination. What was once children tales of animal-like people and adventures are now monstrous creatures similar in looks to the animatronic characters Henry and William were designing, only with sharp teeth and claws. His dreams... turned into nightmares, the characters he once loved now on the hunt.