Hello everyone! Hopefully we can get back to the normal update schedule!

Once again thank you so much for all the support!

PK - SPRINGTRAP HUG MEH: Things are indeed getting spicy, and you may nickname Ashford that if you would like!

TU4QU0I53T4AN6L3: Yes, you could say slowly he is starting to get the picture, on some things he is intelligent, other times...well, yeah. And as for Ashford? Yes, Acid/Andrew is terrible, and that will be continually seen throughout this. As for Enix? He had good...intentions, but he had never truly faced up against them. We shall see how he fares hm?

Fantom Knight: It will more then likely be close. And yes, inside of golden freddy is three different minds trying to control one body.

SilentAmbiance: Ah, yes and there are more turns to come! I'm strangely glad for the both sad and happy standpoint! And thank you so much! That's very kind!

I own nothing but my characters.

Credit to Selkiesong for all her help on this story!

Chapter 43
Tedious Times

Leo watched Joey and Acid slip out of the door as he sat at the bar stool.

Scott was behind him, cooking something even though Leo said he wasn't hungry.

"Does Joey seem off to you?" He questioned and turned to look at the animatronic. Scott was stirring something in a pot.

"Hm? I suppose. Why do you ask?" He turned to look at Leo and the guard let out a breath spinning around in his seat till he faced him fully.

"I don't know...she just...doesn't seem all there." He looked back at the door that she and Acid left through, as if she would materialize and prove what he was saying.

"I heard that she gets sick a lot, perhaps she isn't feeling well." Scott supplied turning back to the oven before him. Leo pursed his lips and nodded.

"I suppose so." Then he looked down at his hands and let out a soft breath, fiddling with his fingers.

He didn't notice Scott coming over until he saw him before him.

The guard looked up at the tan bunny before him and raised an eyebrow in question. But Scott just dipped his head and lifted a ear like one would lift an eyebrow.

"Food is finished, I'll put it in the fridge for when you are hungry. Do you want to play a game?" He offered, and Leo blinked before giving a little shrug.

"Sure."

They ended up playing several different card games. They couldn't make heads or tails of the strange console machine attached to the tv. Scott said he would have to ask Acid when the man came over again.

Scott was evidently very good at cards, he won nearly all the games that they played, and Leo was only just able to get a few wins here and there.

It did take his mind off the chaos he had back at the pizzeria, his worries about whether or not he even had a home or friends there anymore.

It even took his mind off the nightmares.

Scott seemed to be enjoying himself as well, whenever he would win he would laugh in delight and pat Leo's head amused. That would make the guard huff a breath and look away irritated.

When Leo won, the bunny's ears would pull back and he would make a disgruntled noise of displeasure. That would make the guard grin smugly.

They played games for awhile, Leo lost track of time. It was nice...just to sit and not have to worry about things.

Yeah, there was issues he had to deal with, the bots back at the pizzeria, the sudden and intensely frightening nightmares. But it felt nice...safe with Scott being there with him.

It was strange, he felt so much safer around the tan bunny then he ever had around the other bots.

Though that was probably because...Scott had never hurt him.

The day went nice and smooth, and by time the sun set, they had run out of games to play and were absently watching a movie about...something.

Leo wasn't paying attention, exhaustion was hitting him hard, probably from the restless sleep the other night and the stress of everything that had happened. He kept nodding off in the middle of the movie...and before he knew it, his head finally dropped and he was out.

William was sitting back on the couch, and he wished he could say it was any more comfortable then anything else.

But he couldn't.

He couldn't feel a difference.

With a breath, he watched the movie before him, it was some cartoon movie about a dog...and an owner...and...whatever, he didn't particularly care.

However, with nothing else to do, he watched it, and didn't even notice Leo nodding off next to him until the guard's head landed on his chest piece.

Blinking, the animatronic man looked down at him, ears lifting in surprise. It was unsurprising really, what he was surprised about was how long he was able to stay up.

With a breath, he debated what to do, he could take him upstairs and then find something to do during the night, or he could wait a bit and finish the movie.

But with a quick glance at the sappy scene playing out before him, he made up his mind.

In a few easy moves, Springtrap had the guard scooped up in his arms and was heading for the stairs. The dreaded stairs. His joints always locked up when his knees were bent too far whilst climbing or descending the stairs.

With a breath, and his ears pulled back, the bunny man started for the first step but paused and caught his reflection in the mirror on the wall.

It was still strange sometimes, to not see himself gazing back. To see an animatronic, one that he had a hand in making. A creation of his that was now all he had left.

It was a strange feeling alright.

With a echoey breath, he headed up the stairs, taking each step with careful caution. The last thing he needed was to fall and injure Leo.

That would be...quite tedious to deal with.

Letting out another breath, he finally cleared the stairs, and headed down the hallway and toward Michael's old bedroom. It was the perfect one for Leo to be staying in, and Andrew was still occupying his own. So it was the best solution.

He highly doubted the guard would want to stay in Elizabeth's anyways.

Ducking down, he went inside the room and looked around briefly before placing Leo onto the bed. The man's brow furrowed at all the movement, but he was far too exhausted to wake up.

William paused, gazing over the guard. If Leo woke up now, he would probably be intimidated, Springtrap towered over him normally, and now with the man laying down instead of standing up. Well it was a intimidating difference.

His height was a interesting thing. One that William would certainly have to get used to. Honestly, he had hoped he would've been taller, built a bit stronger.

However, here he was.

The animatronic paused before slowly crouching down and watching the guard's chest rise and fall. Breathing...that was good. William had to make sure he stayed that way no matter what.

Slowly he lifted his hand and brushed away the hair from his face, before repositioning himself so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Slowly, he stroked the guard's hair, his eyes brightening in glow.

"You don't even realize how important you are…" He muttered, watching as Leo turned a bit more into his hand. The reaction was interesting, and it, along with other actions of the guard, often reminded William of things Michael or Elizabeth would do.

Like a child.

The man certainly looked like a child, if it wasn't for his always deeply set brows and circles under his eyes, Leo could probably be mistaken for a middle schooler or an early high schooler.

Sometimes William wondered if he would scream like a child as well.

The motion of stroking someone's hair felt familiar, and automatic motion soon took over.

Springtrap liked to watch the guard.

At least when he was asleep he didn't tense up and ask him what he was doing.

Springtrap liked to study his features.

The more William was around the guard...the more he realized how perfect Leo was. Perfect for his plans.

Did he enjoy their time playing games or their conversations?

Most certainly, and he would ensure that they got plenty more in the future.

He was like a child. Helpless to the monsters in his closet, unknowing of the monster in his room.

A soft chuckle escaped him, riviberating about the room in a ghostly echo.

"My boy...you don't know how grateful I am to you...you have no idea how important you are to me." His ears pulled back and he let out a soft breath a hand atop his head. "And...I won't ever...ever let anyone take you away from me."

"Father?"

The voice made him stiffen, his ears pulling back more. With a breath he turned to look at Andrew, who stood there, like the idiot he was.

"What do you want Andrew?" A mechanical growl slipped through, but the kid didn't seem fazed.

Well, kind of kid, he was older than Leo.

"Are you ready to start for the night?" He asked, holding a tablet before him. William gazed at him quietly before letting out a breath and getting up. Turning, he laid the blanket over Leo before going over to the man. Ducking down, he stopped mid-way through the doorway before turning to look at him, eyes narrowed.

"Did you give him the drug?" At his question, Andrew nodded, before tapping something on his tablet.

"Yep, I put it in the water he drank before he left. He will be high as a kite soon enough." He supplied with a smile. William, though permanently forced to grin, did not return one.

"Good." He went through the door and started heading down the hallway.

"...you treat that guard like he is your kid or something." Those words made William pause and look back at his crazed heir.

"And? So what if I do?" At his responsive question, Andrew looked up and over at him, brow furrowed.

"Why? What do you have planned for him? This just...seems like a lot father. Especially for some homeless druggie." He added the last part with a bit of venom. Springtrap turned himself around fully and crossed his arms over his chest.

"My reasons are my own. My plans are my own. If you chose to fight against me, or cause problems for my plans. I will not hesitate to kill you." He leaned in, ears drooping over his face and casting crisscross shadows over the rabbit face. "I owe you no grace, forgiveness or protection. Child...we don't even share blood anymore." He leaned back and spread his hands, "I'm not even human anymore." Then he dipped his head and gave a mechanical growl. "So stay out of my way." With that, he turned and headed down the hallway.

"...I did as you asked." The voice made him stop, the animatronic man sighed and looked back at him, Andrew was gripping the tablet in his hands trembling. His eyes on the floor. "I've...always done what you wanted...I've always...done everything to make you proud of me. I've done things I don't even know how to do! But I figure it out! I even put the thing in that stupid guard's head for you! Neurosurgery! But do you care!? Have you ever cared!?" The man lifted his head and pointed at him accusingly, "but oh ho! If I were Michael or Elizabeth it would be a different story wouldn't it!? ****it! If I even what that stupid drug addict it would be a different story huh?! WHY THE **** DO YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT HIM?!" He screamed, panting and heaving, eyes wide and crazed.

But William just gazed at him calmly, Andrew couldn't do anything to him even if he wanted to. "My reasons are my own."

He turned and came over, Andrew slowly looking up at him, brows furrowed low in defiance. After a moment, Springtrap placed a hand on his head.

"You want me to be proud of you? Then do as I say without question. I have plans Andrew. Plans you can't understand yet. But trust me when I say, it is for the good of everyone. Even you. If this works. This could completely change the nature of humanity. Do you understand why this is so important?" The man gazed up at him quietly before slowly nodding.

"Y...yeah..." he murmured, William moved his hand to hold the side of his son's face. Acid gazed up at him and sniffed. "B...but why...why him? Why can't you just use me instead?" The question was soft, almost pleading, an unusual tone from the man before him. But Springtrap tilted his head and sighed.

"Because I want to use him. Not you. I need your help. And you will understand one day. You have to trust me...son." At the last word his eyes widened and brightened. A smile split over his face and he nodded dutifully as William removed his hand.

"Of course! I understand, I'll get started for the night father." He backed up heading for his old room, smiled at William before scampering off.

Springtrap stood there watching him go with a shake of his head.

It was just too easy.

You wouldn't have incidents like that at all if you just treated him like your kid and not the dirt on our feet.

The snide voice slipped through his mind, and the animatronic bunny sighed hard before rolling his eyes.

"Do you just live to make comments like that?"

Well there isn't much else for me to do then huh? If you think this will all work out smoothly then you're wrong. Eventually they are going to come for him. Eventually he will figure this out. You will lose William.

If Springtrap could grin more, he would.

"Don't be so confident Bon, you said that back when I bloodied up your paws. You said that when I removed said blood stains. You never were able to stop me, or do anything. They have killed me, and I came back, they trapped me, and yet here I am. All of my plans eventually always pan out. It's just a matter of time." He turned and headed down the stairs only to freeze in place and jerk suddenly to the side, his hand colliding with the wall's corner causing drywall to fall onto the ground.

"Hello boys and girls! Welcome to Fredbear f...family din...d...di...di...die...die..." he broke off into a stutter and then jerked with a creak from the suit. "DINER!" The word escaped his maw and that's when the control was finally given back.

There was no need to heave for breath, but here William was, hunched over, leaning against the wall that he damaged. Raspy and mechanical breaths escaping his maw.

"Father!?" Andrew's voice rang out and William jerked around, eyes flashing in glow.

"Didn't I tell you to get to work!?" He demanded, and Andrew froze gazing at him a moment before looking to the side and nodding.

"Yeah...right. Sorry." Then he paused and looked up at him as William gazed at the ground trying to gather himself again. "Are...you alright?" The question was soft, but William growled all the same.

"I told you-"

"I know! I know! I just wanted to check. Okay? Is there something I can do to help you? It's Spring Bonnie isn't it? Do you want me to remove his chip? I have a spare nightmare suit. We can send him in as well." He offered, but after a moment, the deceased man shook his head.

"No. I hate him. He's pathetic, and stubborn." There were several beats of silence, "but. He is company." He slowly got up, gears and joints creaking and groaning. "I'll be rid of him soon enough anyways." Turning, he gazed at the man before him, "now, go get to work. We have waited long enough." Without another word, he headed downstairs, right ear twitching as he heard gears groaning and creaking from the closet to his right.

"This was such a genius idea Enix! Let's give them straight up permission to kill us!" The guard growled to himself as he bolted for the office. Ashford following close behind.

"In your defense, it didn't seem like they were going to give us much of a choice..." the shorter guard trailed behind him.

They both turned the corner into the office and let out a hard breath shutting both doors on either side. Enix collapsed back into the office chair letting it roll back a bit as he rubbed his face hard.

"I've done this before. It will be fine, we've just got to stay out of their paws." He muttered, and Ashford paused looking away from the cameras and to him.

"Do you have anything to defend yourself with?" He asked, and Enix paused and looked up at him, brows furrowed.

"We aren't going to hurt them Ash." He warned, and the auburn haired man sighed and looked away.

"They won't give us a choice Enix." But that's when the guard got to his feet suddenly, pushing back the chair abruptly as it hit the wall behind him.

Ashford jumped and looked at him wide eyed.

Enix didn't look happy.

Ashford couldn't help but swallow.

"No. There are kids in there. I'm not hurting any kid. No matter how angry they are." He remained resolute, and Ashford couldn't help but look over him before taking a breath.

"...I don't want to hurt kids either. I never did." At that Enix looked away, hands curling into fists. There were several ticks of silence, and Ashford shifted on his feet knowing what was coming.

"...did she cry? Did she ask you to take her back?" With that, the taller guard looked at him, eyes narrowing, "did. You. Hurt. Her?" The demanded question slipped from his lips and Ashford flinched before taking a deep breath and looking up at him.

"I don't know." That clearly wasn't what Enix wanted to hear. As suddenly Ashford was back against the closed door. Enix had a grip on Ashford's forearm and pressed it up against his chest pushing him against the door.

"What do you mean you don't know!?" He demanded, Ashford swallowed.

"I...I told you...I was confused...I was off my meds...I don't remember much..." he trailed, and Enix let out a huff.

"Fine." He let him go and took the tablet scrolling through it before opening up both doors.

Ashford gazed at him quietly before wetting his lips with a soft breath.

"You...don't actually believe me...do you?" His question was soft, and Enix sighed, pausing mid scroll though the cameras. The realizing it was clear, he opened up both doors to not waste power.

"On a basic sense, I do. But...you still took a kid Ash. I know...you were off your meds and such...but imagine how she felt? And she isn't even home with her family...if she is even still alive. If you aren't lying, and Acid took her, I would hate to think what that lunatic would want with a child. When he gets here, I'm going to ask him-"

"Um...you guys should probably be paying more attention..." the sudden voice made them both jump and look at the right door behind them. There stood Fred. Enix blinked at him and then down at the camera's before cursing profusely and scrambling for the door. He grabbed Fred's arm and yanked him inside before slamming the door shut behind him. There was a thud that followed and a enraged shriek came from behind it.

"...I...I assume you are a non-hostile?" Ashford stammered, staring up at the rosy cheeked bear before him.

Fred tilted his head and gazed down at him.

"Yes. Currently Jake is passive. He doesn't want to keep fighting." He paused and looked at the door. "I can't say the same for Sophie and Anne."

Enix was standing by the door waiting, eyes on the camera, as he watched Anne stomping away in the Chia. Letting out a breath, he opened up the door.

"What about Balloon Boy?" The nervous guard asked, fidgeting in place and keeping away from the bear.

"Er, we don't know if he even knows what's happening. He found a stash of...music boxes and has been ripping apart the machines to get to the batteries." At that Enix froze and looked over.

"Wait...what?" Then, without waiting for the bear to answer, he darted for the drawer and rummaged through it only to let out a hard curse rubbing his face harshly.

"Enix...hey, look, the music boxes are gone yeah, but the Puppet is still out of the count. We don't have to worry about him." Ashford offered, and Enix looked up at him before taking a deep breath and nodding.

"Yeah…yeah...of course." But they both turned to Fred when his eyebrows lifted in realization.

"Oh...right, that's what I wanted to come in here for." He turned to look at them. "They woke up Charlotte." Then he paused and mocked a breath, "and they told her that Leo let Scott out...and Scott took him...and that Ashford was here." He paused and rubbed the back of his head timidly. "...she wasn't happy."

Enix sighed deeply and closed his eyes tightly.

"***t."

Quite the situation everyone is in isn't it?

What did you think of the interactions between Leo and William? What of the argument between Andrew and William? Or the interaction between Enix and Ashford? Do you think the two of them will be able to fare well? Even up against Charlotte? What do you think William's plans are for Leo's?

I'd love to hear what you think!