Author's Note:

Time for Night 6 everyone! Hope you enjoy.

Unfortunately there's something unpleasant to address first. So PLEASE READ.

Plagiarism is a serious problem. I know some people don't think it's an issue because this is fanfiction. But the fact of the matter is this fanfiction has hours and days of effort poured into it. We've got hundreds of email threads on it. Multiple documents and a timeline. It's not easy. So when we see someone just outright copying it then it feels like our hard work has just been stolen so that someone else can reap the benefits without putting those hours of work in. It's a really sucky feeling. We've had a copy cat come to light recently so I thought I'd address it here. A copy cat is someone who uses our plot or characters, and sometimes entire pieces of word for word writing, without asking or crediting anything. They claim it all as their own. There is never a good reason for this. It's laziness. Now there are people who have asked us to write spoofs and out of canon one-shots. And we're fine with this because they respect us enough to ask permission and they credit the original story. Those people are fine. Its people who outright steal the work and claim the credit that is a problem. If you come across a story like this then we ask that you please either call them out or report them. And let us know about them. There's no excuse for plagiarism. It's theft, plain and simple.

On a more pleasant note, anyone entering the Discord server from now on gets a Funtime role! Yes this story is covering Sister Location. We'll get there, eventually. Thank you to all our Originals, Toys, Springtraps and Nightmares in the server that have stuck with us and our slightly sadistic ways :)

Chapter 122

FNAF 4 Night 6

How did this happen?

Her ears were ringing. Hedy leaned her head against the wall that had cracked against her skull as she and Ginny landed in some distant room, far away from Hedy's surveillance equipment.

"Ginny? How did you get out?"

She'd never been honestly afraid of the ghosts before. Not like this.

"You can't even look me in the eye."

"It's better this way." Ginny dropped Hedy's stolen headset to the ground, a few strands of hair attached from when the bear ripped it off Hedy.
"For who?" Hedy asked as Ginny stepped on the device, crushing it and any hope she had of calling for help.

She didn't expect an answer. And she didn't get one.

Night 5 actually went pretty well…. How did it go so badly so quickly?

"You know, I actually never thought you'd fall low enough to work with Michael."

That was the only explanation that made sense, unless one of the kids managed to build up enough pain tolerance to willingly break Goldy's poster out of the salt circle. Michael however, didn't mind hurting himself to get what he wanted, as shown by the torture he had put Spring through.

"You didn't give us a choice!" Well there was the confirmation.

"Don't blame this on me Ginny. Don't." Hedy's tone was chilling but still calm. Or at least she was able to fake calmness, "This has always been your choice. You weren't forced into anything. You've never been forced into it. You stopped being victims when you killed the first night guard." Her eyes were unfocused. Was she seeing double? Shit, did she have a concussion?

Was this week always doomed? Were they just being stupidly optimistic?

"The gang will be back together Wiggy."

There was a deep desperation in Ginny's voice as she shakily came closer. But there was a resolve in her eyes.

Hedy had nowhere to back up.

"And I'll never stop hating you for this," she hissed, looking Ginny in the red eyes as the ghost put Goldy's large hands on either side of Hedy's head. She did it gently, even as Hedy struggled and tried to push her away.

"Don't say that…" Ginny had to glance away guiltily.
"Why not? It's the truth."

"... you'll see it our way."
"I sincerely doubt that." Hedy said.

Her voice was breathy as she tried to fight, knowing Ginny was going to twist her head to the side any moment.

Were they just delaying the inevitable?

But that sharp pain then nothingness didn't come immediately, even as Hedy closed her eyes with gritted teeth. They were open again a moment later. No! She was going to make Ginny look her in the eye while she died! But...Ginny suddenly wasn't looking at her.

"What are you doing here?!"
"Thanks for leading me straight to her kid."

"You said we could have her!"

"I lied. Are you really surprised?"
Hedy felt a spiteful part of her thrill at the look of betrayal on Ginny's face as Michael moved swiftly, cut into the suit and left her in a circle of salt.

It felt only fair that she felt a portion of what she made Hedy feel.

How did Ruby enjoy this?

"Let's go find the others, Wiggy. Time for the finale."
He pushed her chair forward and out of the room, the scene a mockery of multiple times Spring had done the same. They both ignored Ginny's panicked sobs and screams.

She hated how helpless she felt, uselessly trying to stop her wheels.

She hated everything about this week.

Mike wasn't ashamed of the fact that he screamed like a girl when Foxy's claws barely missed his throat. He was barely holding the bot off by jamming the bat the Toys gave him into his upper jaw (and it was still super creepy that the fox had no lower jaw) and mentally begging time to speed up. He wasn't going to survive another two hours of this! Those red eyelights glaring at him from way too close were going to haunt his nightmares for weeks.

If he survived.

He yelped as he dived to the floor, barely dodging that wickedly sharp hook. As he scrambled up he got a glimpse of the room. It was complete chaos. The other possessed Originals were keeping the Toys busy, painfully so. The ghosts really didn't care how badly they damaged the bodies they stole as long as they got what they wanted. He was concerned that some of the bots might not even wake up after this night, some of the damage looked so bad. And he could see it distressed the Toys. They were trying to maintain the balance between keeping everyone safe and attempting to help the Originals. It was nearly impossible and he'd seen it take its toll on them mentally over the week.

It had taken its toll on everyone.

The Originals grew more depressed and dropped deeper into despair after every night. The Toys were being eaten up by guilt. Hedy was stretching herself too thin, trying to deal with the mental and physical trauma.

And Spring, gosh he'd never seen someone look so utterly hopeless.

On the other side of the room Puppet was facing Frederick with Jeremy. Mike's attention was yanked back to his own situation though when Felix managed to grab the back of his shirt and yanked him backwards, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"I think it's time we ended this." he snarled, holding Mike up off the ground.

Why had Hedy gone silent? They hadn't heard from her in a while. Mike's earpiece was full of static.

Teddy didn't know what to do. Everything was so much worse tonight. The kids were causing serious damage to the Originals and they just didn't seem to care. It made him sick to remember the days the Toys mocked them about their state of disrepair in the past.

Benji was absolutely the worst. Hedy had been coaxing Bonnie into repairs the most over the week. Frederick seemed more focused on being the strategist so Freddy was the least damaged. Goldy didn't have an endoskeleton to damage at least but he'd hardly seen the bear all week. They all heard her sobbing in her poster though. Felix had been especially cruel to Foxy, probably to take out his frustration on Ruby's favourite while Cheryl was just very reckless with Chica.

And the murderer...he took sadistic pleasure in hurting Spring and leaving him for Hedy to find.

Toby had really stepped up surprisingly since the start of this nightmare. He was often with Mangle during the day, trying to find the others and check on them. Chi was mostly sticking to Hedy like she was afraid the mechanic would disappear like Ruby did.

A week without the nightguard really made one appreciate what she did for the place.

Teddy was distracted from his thoughts as he had to dart forward to help Toby restrain Benji when he almost attacked Mangle from behind. He heard something snap and winced. He wished it was over. It had been going so well the previous night. What went wrong?

Why was Hedy quiet?

Hedy, please say something! We need you. The building. Something!

Everyone froze when they heard low laughter from the doorway. They all looked up and found Springtap standing behind Hedy's chair, one hand gripping her hair and pulling her head painfully back.

"Hedy!" Jeremy yelled in a panic.

The ghosts seemed confused for once, stalling in their attacking.

"What the-" Mike heard Felix mutter.

Michael smiled wide. "Oh, little Ginny did me a favour."

Hedy squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the pounding in her head. She'd hit her head hard when Ginny grabbed her and teleported out of her hiding spot. She couldn't really focus all that well at the moment. Which probably meant a concussion.

She knew almost everyone was there, just from her hearing. She had one hand behind her, struggling to get Michael to let go of her hair, and her other arm over her neck in an attempt to block Michael from whatever he was planning to do to her.

He pulled back harder and she gasped as her scalp burned, some of her hair ripping out at the roots with blood and making her eyes water.

"You cowardly-"

He tugged again and she cried out, vaguely hearing the others shout.

"Uh uh Wiggy. Behave," Michael purred, leaning down to speak next to her ear.

She cringed away in disgust. It was so hard to think. She had to do something. She felt the building on the edge of her consciousness, begging for instructions. But she couldn't fucking focus.

The Toys were terrified and panicking. Puppet had gone perfectly still.

Mike was still dangling from Felix's grip but the ghost seemed to have frozen as well. Along with the others. Actually it could be his imagination but was Benji looking panicked as well?

"Let her go!" Mangle snarled, looking furious and on the verge of pouncing.

Michael smiled at Mangle. "Pretty please?"

Mangle looked unsteady. She gritted her teeth. "Please."

Mike swallowed, hearing the broken desperation in the fox's voice. He tried to fight and get off Felix's grip with the hook in the corner of his vision but the ghost kept him lifted and didn't even spare him a glance.

Springtrap just chuckled. "Hey Puppet, what do you think? Should I strangle her or break her pretty neck? I didn't have time to grab something sharp. Dropped my knife earlier."

Marionette's stare burned. "Mother would be so proud of you," he spat.

Hedy felt Michael jerk a little as he sneered. But Puppet had distracted him for a few precious seconds.

"So proud. I'm sure she wouldn't have disowned such a cowardly failure of a son if she saw you now."

Hedy could hear Michael grind Spring's teeth. "Pair of mirror images, aren't we Mari Mari?" He nodded his chin at Puppet. "You don't get to call her that, freak."

He wrapped his free arm around Hedy's neck, easily pushing her own arm out of the way by gripping her wrist. She let go of her hair to claw at the arm, breathing growing frantic as he applied a little pressure.

"Having trouble breathing Wiggy?" Michael hissed as he kept eye contact with Puppet.

"How pathetic are you?"

"I almost think you're trying to goad me on!" But he hadn't done it yet. Come on, Puppet. Get angry. One more kid you couldn't save. "Don't even think about it, Jeremy," he said threateningly, seeing the man tense, presumably to run at him and not even noticing Fredrick anymore.

The man's eyes were wide with fear. That was something that added to the entertainment. The reaction. What would Jeremy even do seeing his baby sister killed right in front of him?

"I'm almost disappointed that Ruby isn't here," Michael mused. "Her reaction to finding you that last night was absolutely brilliant. Do you know how pale she went? I thought she was going to throw up right then and there. I don't think she's a fan of blood."

Mangle snarled wordlessly.

Hedy wheezed a little cough out as he pulled her just a little closer, her back pressed against Spring's chest. She tried to cuss him out but it was just a high pitched wheeze.

"Come on. Let's hear it. Beg me not to kill her," Michael told the room.

"You said-" Fredrick murmured.

"And you were dumb enough to believe me! Sure, the way things worked out, I'm not really getting the torture I wanted in. But I'll have all the time in the world in a bit. After all, she can't possess you forever, Mari. You got to let her out, eventually. And ghosts can touch each other if you didn't already know that from all the hints I've been dropping." He let go of Hedy's wrist to pet her hair mockingly.

"You're pathetic, Michael," Puppet said with an eerie calm. "It's almost laughable that you were only able to prey on children and a woman in a wheelchair. How on earth is any pride of yours still intact?"

"Oh, shut up."

"Never." That sounded like a promise.

Michael scoffed. "Careful. I'm getting bored." He narrowed his eyes. "Maybe I'll let her go if you beg Puppet. Whose pride is an issue now?"

Puppet made a movement that was almost a surrendering nod, with no hesitation. Of course he'd beg if it would really save her, but he knew it wouldn't. Like that mattered.

But Hedy suddenly kicked and choked out a noise, dragging in as much air as she could. It almost sounded like a strangled cry but the tone was strange and her eyes were wide.

Michael froze, sensing something. He glanced down at Hedy before his eyes darted to where she was looking, abruptly understanding that she was trying to shout in joy.

The front doors were wide open, letting the cold night air in. Ruby was leaning on the doorframe with one arm and she was swaying on her feet. Dressed in pajamas and looking like she was about to fall over, she didn't look all that intimidating.

Until you looked at her eyes.

Her green gaze was locked on Michael, burning with an ice-cold fury that had honestly terrified him last time he saw it, when she got her hands on him that last night.

"What," her voice was soft and a little raspy, "the fuck do you think you're doing?"

She took a step forward which took her over the threshold of the doorway and into the building. The effect was instantaneous. The ghosts were violently kicked out of their stolen bodies, leaving the bots to crumble to the floor. Ruby's gaze never left Michael though, even as Spring's hands let go of Hedy.

"You cowardly bastard," the teen hissed, ignoring the ghost kids who were glaring at her furiously for the moment as they stumbled back. Well, Felix anyway. Benji and Cheryl hadn't looked away from Hedy yet even as they tried to right themselves.

"Not looking so good there, little girl," Michael tried to hide his frustration and shock, mocking the teenager as he shakily stood up over Spring's body.

Ruby growled. "I have just had a crap week Michael. Do. Not. Push. Me," she snarled at him, fingers twitching like she wanted to strangle him. "I don't care what Timmy said. I'll find a way to kill a ghost!"

Michael stiffened up at the mention of that name but he actually took a step back when another ghost child appeared next to Ruby.

He was frowning at the teen.

"You're supposed to be resting Ruby," he murmured, ignoring Michael's and Puppet's shocked stares.

Ruby gritted her teeth. "Rest? When I find out that Michael has been up to his old tricks again? Along with the ghost brats?!"

She finally swung her attention off Michael who was staring at Timmy in shock. The kid just looked back calmly.

"I expected this from him!" Ruby yelled. "He's a psychopath and murderer. But for some crazy reason I expected better from you!"

She met Felix's angry gaze. "You satisfied? Would Michael have got his hands on Hedy if you'd left the bots alone?"

Cheryl flinched and Benji looked away.

"I just woke up from a coma to find Michael seconds from killing Hedy again." she looked at each of the ghost kids. "And I. Blame. You."

Jeremy shot Ruby a mixed-looking once over, relieved and worried at the same time, before bolting across the room to his sister.

Hedy was in a vicious coughing fit, gasping to get her breath back and fighting the lightheadedness that only made the concussion so much worse. She was going to puke...

Mike tried to heave Foxy's weight off his legs but couldn't budge the bot. So he was forced to settle for staring at the new person with Hedy's dry hacking making him tense. Ruby was shorter than he expected. He had listened to the rest of those tapes back at his apartment. He couldn't deny she certainly had a presence. But thank goodness, Michael didn't have Hedy anymore. Mike finally got a look at the "human" forms of the kid's ghosts and couldn't help being a little shocked.

Michael was much younger than he thought, but that was old news. The kids just...looked like little kids. Except their eyes. Their eyes were too old and too hateful... It was more depressing than scary, beside the pure hate that flashed through a few of the pairs.

Felix snapped out of his shock to let out a scream of rage. "AGH! You left! This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't made stupid deals!" A light flashed but didn't shatter.

Puppet glanced at it. So much of their energy was just abruptly siphoned out. He barely even noticed sinking into a chair, looking between Ruby and Timmy like he wasn't sure either were really there.

Damn Night Guard and her timing...He couldn't keep the nearly delirious thought from making him laugh out loud, but he muted himself.

Benji ran away, blinking out of view with a single long look at Hedy. He had a strange expression. Cheryl followed a moment later, leaving Fredrick a little shocked.

Felix was too heated to notice.

Ruby sneered at him. "Right. Blame me because you can't face the consequences of your actions. You're pathetic."

She turned away from him, apparently dismissing him from her mind.

She strode across the room, only keeping on her feet through sheer force of will. Timmy trailed behind her, eyes on the floor.

The night guard's eyes flicked around the room, her expression only growing more murderous the more damage she saw. Mike cowered under that look despite not having done anything wrong. She lingered for a moment on him, a slightly confused look to her eyes, before moving on.

"Fuck off," she snapped at Michael when she passed him.

She went straight over to Jeremy and Hedy, concern bleeding into her expression now.

"You-!" Felix was about to dip into a tirade but Fredrick grabbed his arm and the two disappeared.

Michael glowered at the back of Ruby's head. His form flickered a little, and he looked down in mild surprise, his posture faltering as the exhaustion of possession hit him like a truck. He disappeared, probably not having the strength to stay in a visible form. He was probably still there, but they couldn't hear or see him anymore.

Hedy distractedly glared at the space of air where he had vacuum of what little energy Michael had left felt like it might have been the building's doing. She tore her eyes away to look Ruby up and down, taking in her stance. Her open eyes. The strain in her shoulders and the bags under her eyes.

"Ruby..." Hedy rasped out, collapsing into another coughing fit. But she looked about to cry in relief. "You're...awake." More coughing.

"She is. You need water," Jeremy said. He touched the side of her head and she flinched away. "And ice."

"Concussion," Hedy murmured. "We match."

"Ruby, please. Sit down," Jeremy said, turning to the teen. It wasn't a request but there was still a desperate plea in his voice as his eyes darted to her, noticing the asphalt stained socks and her slight swaying.

Ruby cocked an eyebrow. "Of course I'm awake," she scoffed like it was an insult to suggest otherwise. Like it was inevitable that she'd be back.

But she sank down to the floor after a moment with far less grace than usual. They could see she was in pain from something from her pinched expression and tensed muscles.

She didn't flinch. She was too stubborn for that. But it was a near thing.

"Mike, can you get some wa-" Jeremy cut off as he looked up and realised where Mike was. They had gotten into the habit of either Mike or Jeremy getting something like water to avoid any bot shorting out, especially with all the wiring Hedy was working on after that really bad night with the sprinklers.

"And ice. Yeah. Uh. I'm a little stuck...One of the Toys, is going to need to get it. Carefully. A little help here would be...great too."

BB seemed more than grateful for something to do and ran to the kitchen, eyes trained on Ruby for as long as he could. He wanted to run over and hug her and literally the only reason why he didn't immediately was one: he was in shock, and two: she looked about to collapse. In a minute. In a minute. Hedy needed help. He could do that...

Hedy grabbed Ruby's shirt at her shoulder and gently pulled the teen into her arms. It was awkward in her chair, with her having to pull Ruby up a bit and her having to bend over as much as she could, but she was going to puke if she moved too much trying to get down to the floor.

"You have amazing timing, Ruby," she sobbed into Ruby's oily hair that hadn't been well washed in about a week, but she really couldn't care."Took you long enough."

Ruby blinked in surprise. She had a feeling that Timmy might have understated how bad things were here...

"I'm the night guard," she said easily. "I always come back." She paused. "Like the Terminator."

She let Hedy hug her though.

Hedy only let go when BB ran back in with water. Ruby glanced at him in confusion when he came closer. He was awfully quiet.

She narrowed her eyes suddenly and reached out to catch the bot's chin, gently coaxing his head up. When she saw his throat she froze, eyes wide.

"Who am I killing?" Her voice was still low but shaking with fury now.

BB jerked back, looking away and covering the "bandaged" wound with his free hand.

"He's already dead," Hedy pointed out, a shocking amount of hate in her weak and raspy voice. She carefully took the water and tried to swallow a sip. She started coughing again and nearly spat it out.

"Lotta focus on necks this week..." Mike said weakly from across the room.

Ruby eyed him suspiciously while Jeremy rubbed Hedy's back.

"And who are you?" She demanded.

Mr. Still Trapped under a robot?

Why was a short teenager so terrifying?

"..Mike?" he stammered.

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "Why are you here Mike?"

Oh yeah, her hackles were up. And she didn't even know he was her replacement yet...

Some deep instinct warned him to keep his mouth shut, but he nervously shoved it down. "Ummmm uh-"

"Mike don't," Hedy said.

"-Night guard?" he said before he could heed the warning.

The growl she let out made him look at Foxy automatically.

She scrambled to her feet, swaying again but clearly not caring.

"Ruby!" Timmy sounded alarmed.

"My job!"

Okay, Mike had a new nightmare...

The ghosts and Michael had nothing on this girl.

Oh, and he couldn't run. He started squirming in a panic, trying to get his pinned legs out from under Foxy.

He might have screamed a little.

Ruby growled again and took an unsteady step forward.

"My job and my bots," she snarled.

Okay, he could believe that she kept the manager in line now.

"Okay! Okay! Your job! I quit!" Mike shouted. " 't hurt me..."

Hedy groaned. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Trash ca-"

Puppet kicked one of the small trash cans near the wall over to Jeremy who handed it to Hedy as the concussion reared its ugly head and she puked.

"Ugh," she said weakly, leaning on the can and trying her best not to smell old rotting pizza, chewed gum, and the faint afterscent of diapers. "R-ruby, be nice," she pleaded, seconds before puking again. "He helped...a lot."

Jeremy rubbed her back comfortingly while Puppet looked like he might have grimaced if he could. The Toys did.

Ruby's eyes didn't move from Mike which was extremely unsettling.

"My job," she repeated. The building rumbled as if to agree with her so that she'd sit down again.

"It's your job!" Mike agreed wholeheartedly.

"Someone please help Mike," Hedy groaned.

Mike nodded frantically. He was starting to lose feeling in his foot.

"I got you," Mangle grunted. "Toby! Teddy! Help me." It wasn't a request.

"Right," Teddy said, snapping out of his staring at Ruby.

Jeremy had to jump up suddenly to catch Ruby when she swayed too far backwards. She shook him off irritably with a snapped "I'm fine!" But it was long enough for Jeremy to notice the fine tremour running through the teen.

"Like hell you are," Jeremy said softly.

She shot him a glare but something was off. More than her physical state. Ruby didn't shake when she was hurt.

Something else happened...

Wait. How did she get here? She couldn't have walked the entire way in her state.

Jeremy stared at her shoeless feet and looked her in the eye. "Ruby, when did you wake up?"

Ruby frowned, looking irritated. "About half an hour ago. Maybe forty five minutes."

Jeremy vaguely noticed some unconscious bots stirring ever so slightly. It still might take ages for them to wake up.

"You took a car here..." It wasn't a question.

Ruby flinched and everyone's attention was firmly back on them. The teen stayed quiet and that was an answer in itself.

Mangle grunted as she and Teddy lifted Foxy up just enough for Toby to grab Mike under the arms and pull him out from under the fox. "Ruby...what happened?" Mangle asked, lowering her voice and noticing the oddly panicked look in Hedy's eyes as she squeezed her hand like rubbing out pins and needles.

The teen refused to answer, not even looking at any of them. The haunted look in her eyes scared them though. Something more than just a coma happened.

Timmy broke the silence. "What happened is she jumped out a second-story window after a week-long coma," he stated dryly.

Ruby whirled around. "Snitch!" she accused. "Besides I didn't jump! I climbed down."

"You fell," Timmy corrected flatly.

"You did what?!" Hedy panicked, not even asking about Timmy just now. "Ruby!"

Ruby glared at Timmy and tried to wave Hedy's worries off. "I'm fine. I didn't break anything. I can handle much worse." She forced a smile for Hedy but...

That made Hedy pause, and her expression looked pained. She glanced at Ruby's hand then her own.

"Let's get everything straightened out and the Originals, Spring, and Goldy taken care of," Hedy said gently, giving Ruby an escape route for a moment and dropping the tone. "Then we can talk." She gingerly touched a spot on her head and winced.

"Hedy, you should go to the hospital and get that checked," Jeremy said.

"I will. I'm fine for now," Hedy answered. She sighed. "I'm going to get a call from Dr. Cecil in a bit, aren't I?" She eyed Ruby, but the reproachful gaze was weak. "I don't think she's going to be happy about you jumping from a two-story window right out of a fucking coma." Okay, she tried, but she really couldn't just let that go entirely.

Ruby shrugged. "At least I'm awake to climb out the window," she pointed out easily. "Now, what the hell happened to Foxy?!"

"I didn't do it!" Mike felt the frightened need to blurt out immediately, which earned him a couple strained chuckles and an eye roll from Puppet.

"The children, of course," Puppet said dryly and measured, watching Ruby carefully and cautiously. "None of them had the greatest mental stability this week, and it's arguable Felix was the worse. And possibly Fredrick." He paused, staring at Ruby. "Your timing is well apt, Night Guard. But the children took quite a lot of frustrations out on the Originals this week."

Ruby snarled, looking inclined to hunt them down. There was also a flicker of guilt in her eyes.

Jeremy had to catch her by the shoulder to stop her and he frowned when she flinched.

"Sit," he ordered.

She turned to glare at him but it didn't have the same impact as she swayed again.

"Make me," she snapped back.

He'd actually missed her stubborn, childish arguments…

Hedy backed up Jeremy. "Ruby for fuck's sake, sit." She groaned and rubbed her unfocused eyes. "Can...ugh my head...can someone please go get Goldy? She's in the..." Hedy vaguely gestured in some direction. "O-or find me a tablet so I can summon her. Michael attacked Ginny."

Puppet looked alarmed for a moment before his measured posture was back.

Goldy had never been physically hurt before, at least not after she became a half-ghost, as far as he knew. What was damage to her? Could Hedy even fix anything? Did she even feel anything without a wiring structure or endoskeleton?

Ruby growled but, alarming them even more, her legs buckled underneath her and she dropped to the floor again with a wince.

Chi volunteered to go, still watching Ruby with wide eyes.

Jeremy hadn't even been able to catch her that time. He just let her sit.

Mike stared at the teen who was suddenly down to his level. He hadn't gotten up yet, massaging the pins and needles out of his legs from Foxy pressing down on them. He was probably going to bruise...

She stared back at him and suddenly he understood how prey felt when it was being stalked.

Hedy was about to tell Ruby to stop scaring the poor man when Chi ran back in, looking a little flustered.

"She didn't respond, but I think she was waking up a little..." the chicken murmured, deciding not to mention how Goldy was trapped in a very messy salt circle, which Chi had broken before she left the bear. She wasn't strong enough to carry Goldy back by herself anyway. She was also disturbed to have found scuff marks and Hedy's smashed to bits headset that she had been using to communicate with them right next to where the now cracked tablet had been laying.

Hedy hadn't even told her where to look. That concussion must really have her out of it.

Chi just happened to find that room and Hedy's tablet. She had actually been looking for wherever Mike had dropped his tablet when he was running for his life.

Ruby's gaze zeroed in on the tablet.

"Who broke my tablet?!"

Hedy took it and started flipping through the cameras, wracking with coughs and fingers shaking a little as she continued to recover oxygen.

"I must have dropped it when Ginny teleported me," she said without looking up.

"How'd she get out of the poster?" Jeremy asked, irritation deepening his voice. "I put the salt around it."

"Michael got her out...I'm assuming," Hedy replied with the same even tone.

Ruby squinted at her suspiciously, mind making rapid connections.

"You're telling me. That those brats agreed to work WITH Michael?!" She demanded.

They really had missed that terrifying growl. It was still surreal to see her here though. To know that she was awake and fine.

For the most part.

Mangle snarled. "I'm actually surprised they were that stupid."

"Is that what happened?" Toby grunted as he strained to drag Bonnie into an upright position.

Hedy did glance at Ruby but kept her focus on the tablet. She decided to leave off telling Ruby about the kids actually trying to kill her for a while, at least until they got over the surreal shock of her actually being there.

Was it wrong that even not in top shape, the teenager's presence was like a security blanket? She could already see the difference in the Toys. They weren't as alert, more focused on each other and the Originals.

Was it fair to put that on Ruby?

The teen was watching them with sharp eyes as they moved the Originals together so that Hedy could check them over without needing to move much. She glanced up briefly to meet Hedy's gaze, quirking an eyebrow in question.

Hedy dropped her eyes back to the tablet.

She eventually caught a glimpse of Goldy's poster and the lights flickered a little as Goldy was pulled into the room against her will. The flickering only happened when she resisted.

The bear appeared and collapsed on the floor with a weak groan, barely half-awake and obviously not aware Ruby was there, much less anything else.

Even with her concussion, Hedy felt a flash of focused rage when she saw the slice in Goldy's suit across the back of her shoulder where Michael had stabbed at Ginny. There was a very dark empty space past the opening that she felt like it was wrong to see.

Despite clearly being in pain (for no clear reason) Ruby still moved fast. She planted herself in Goldy's lap so the bear couldn't teleport out.

The bear stared down at her in shock. Ruby stared back stubbornly.

"Do you think I can castrate a ghost? I can do it. I researched it before," she asked conversationally.

Goldy gently touched Ruby's head, squinting like she wasn't even sure the girl was there. A moment later she pulled her into a hug and sobbed, glancing around frantically to check on everyone else. She heaved a deep sob of relief seeing Hedy, Mike, Jeremy, and the Toys were okay, though the thin line of blood on Hedy's temple was worrying.

Ruby smothered a wince at the tight hug.

"I'm fine Goldy. It's okay, everyone's okay," she soothed, voice and expression softening.

It was a bit jarring for Mike to see her go from angry to soothing so quickly.

Hedy came over and touched Goldy's arm, eying the injury even as Jeremy tried to keep her from moving too much.

"Ruby's okay, Goldy. She's safe. We're safe." Hedy looked like she wanted to hug Ruby again and it was taking everything to let Goldy have her much-needed turn.

There was the sound of another very pained groan.

"Hedy-" Mangle warned.

"Coming." Within a minute Hedy was beside Freddy, worriedly glancing at Spring as she passed him.

Mike decided to keep his mouth shut for the time being. At least until something brushed up against his hand and he screamed.

The tiny kitten hissed and skittered away from him, sliding under a table looking betrayed.

When did she get in?!

Ruby gave Mike a very judging look.

"Who let Kitty in?" Puppet demanded, having been the one who put her out for her own safety at the start of the night, just as he had every night this week. He crouched under the table and deftly plucked up the temperamental cat by the scruff.

Sometimes she was sweet. Sometimes she was a little demon.

Puppet wordlessly deposited the cat on Spring's chest where she immediately calmed down and curled up, wiggling into a space under Spring's chin.

Several of the Toys and humans looked relieved. None of them could really keep Kitty safe from Michael each night and the best they could manage was to put her outside where she could run off and stay out of the way. Hedy wasn't even willing to put the cat in a kennel outside somewhere for fear Michael would find some way to reach Spring's cat.

Ruby and Kitty got into some kind of staring contest. They had a weird relationship. One filled with wariness and respect.

Ruby was definitely not a cat person. Even without her allergies she probably wouldn't be one.

She perked up when the other Originals started groaning as they came to as well. She squirmed out of Goldy's hug and darted over to Foxy, making Mike scoot back rapidly at the look she sent him.

"I am in need of a Foxy hug," she declared.

"'M I hallucinating?" Foxy mumbled as he cracked one eye open.

Ruby leaned over him. "Yes. This is all a hallucination sparked by Hedy giving you a program that simulates you getting high," she told him seriously.

Fuck, but they missed her.

Author's Note:
Hope you enjoyed! Please read the note at the top if you didn't already. It's important. Until next week!