Millie clambered out of Funtime Freddy's stomach cavity, smoothing her skirt as she thudded onto the ground. Brooke and Dylan were already waiting for them, standing at the edge of the woodlands at the end of Brooke's street.
"What's going on?" Brooke asked, her brow knit with concern. "It's the middle of the night, Millie. What was so important?"
"I'm running away." Millie said simply. "I broke down and told my Grandpa everything, then let him see proof-well, the proof walked in unannounced actually... But he called Detective Larson. He was really worried, which I get, but Larson threatened to arrest me for my own safety if I didn't stay put. Almost took the animatronics. I freaked out obviously, so Grandpa gave me some space tonight… But I have a feeling he was about to keep me under lock and key. Maybe separate us for a while until he got a better understanding of the robots… Bonnet got into Larson's phone and saw that he's planning to move on to the Stitchwraith's hiding spot soon, and probably destroy them. Funtime Freddy, Bon-Bon and I are going to go ahead and move out, get there first and…"
"And what?" Dylan asked, worry etched across all of his features.
"Well, I'll figure out exactly what it looks like when I get there. But everything I told you about what we discovered about hope… We're going to help the spirit move on and find peace, and use hope to cast out all the agony. I just know that's the key, not trying to just wipe it all away. I mean, that's never worked with anything, has it?"
"Do you want us to come with you?" Brooke asked nervously.
"No. I just wanted to let you guys know where I was going and… If something were to go wrong, keep track of the distribution center and go back to Ballora. Don't let things end with..." She trailed off, hating to even entertain the thought.
"She'll definitely know what to do." Bon-Bon said confidently. "At the worst of times she always pulled us together."
"We have been looking more and more into all the documents and...there's just so much. All over the country, even all over the world." Dylan sighed. "Do you really think this is going to help?"
"Yes," Millie clenched her fists. "The distribution center started with William Afton's implosion, and his manipulation of one of his victim's spirits… and it all leads to the Stitchwraith, the walking embodiment of all that agony. I think the Stitchwraith will have a domino effect on everything else, just as Afton's death in the distribution center did. I think it could even hold part of him… Right now, I don't know exactly. All I know is there is someone suffering in the Stitchwraith, and that helping them is the first step. I can't let them be destroyed, or Larson's negligence get him killed on accident."
"And having hope in just one person leads to so much more." Funtime Freddy said. "After all, I should know." He said it with a roll of his eyes, but Millie couldn't help but feel warm.
Brooke stepped forward. "I'm scared for you, Millie. But I really think you're right. From the moment I met you, I knew you were something special. I knew you were strong. More than I fear for you, I believe in you." Her cheeks flushed. "You're doing something so brave and incredible. I support you all the way."
She brushed a bit of her bang behind her ear and Millie smiled at her-she had her blonde curls pulled up into two fluffy buns atop her head, making her look like a little teddy bear. "Thank you, Brooke. That means a lot to me. I survived for a reason, I've gotten this far for a reason and… I'm going to make this right."
"I know you will." Brooke leaned forward and planted a kiss on Millie's cheek, cupping the opposite side of her face with one hand. She stayed there for a moment, her lips warm on Millie's skin.
Millie stood straight as a board, awestruck. Then she let her hands drift around Brooke's waist, pulling her into a hug. Brooke smelt like bubblegum and perfection. She let herself melt into it.
"Sorry about that, I couldn't help myself." Brooke giggled, pressing her forehead against Millie's. "I, uh, I hoped I read the signals right…?"
"N-no, you're fine." Millie felt herself grow even hotter. "I… I liked it. I like you. A lot."
"You aren't subtle." Brooke grinned. "I uh… I had to break up with Dylan because you were the final nail in the coffin that helped me accept that I liked girls. That I like you. That's why it happened. I was too scared to say anything until now." Her face was cherry red. "So I'm glad you liked me too."
"Full support from me." Dylan flashed a thumbs up. "I just wanna see my girls happy, y'know? We've all been learning things about ourselves. And as long as we're all together, that's good enough for me." He laughed. "So don't go blaming yourself for ruining my life or something like that, Millie. I was rooting for this too."
"Finally!" Funtime Freddy said, completely exasperated as Bon-Bon looked like he was about to burst from sheer adoration.
"I'm glad." Millie felt completely tongue tied, leaning into the taller girl's embrace. "Does this mean..?"
"That we're dating? With me being so bold, I sure hope so!" Brooke giggled. "How about we have our first date when you get back, huh?" She leaned back, looking into Millie's eyes with a dreamy look on her face.
"I would really like that. I really like you." Millie repeated dumbly. She wished she could stay there forever, but she knew she had to get a move on. "Wait for me?"
"Always." Brooke squeezed her arm. "We'll be right here, my runaway hero!" She curled her pinky around Millie's, squeezing it softly. "Be safe for me?"
Millie nodded, squeezing back. "For you? Anything."
"And there won't be a need to go to Ballora." Dylan nodded. "You guys got this. And when you can get back, you can shove it in Larson's face. We've been working hard, and it's all about to pay off. If they don't want to help, they can stand back and watch, right?"
"Sounds good." Millie grinned wide then, putting a hand to her cheek. She couldn't wait to kiss Brooke on the lips, but she'd save that for a sweet victory. For now… she knew it was time to go. "We need to get going. But we'll be back soon, okay?"
"Definitely." Brooke nodded, stepping back. "Be safe."
"If they ask us anything, we won't say a word." Dylan nodded. "We'll hold things down here."
The door to Funtime Freddy's stomach cavity swung open. "While I love romance as much as the next lovebird, we've got to go, Millie! Daylight will be approaching soon.." Bon-Bon said.
Millie smiled, looking at her two human best friends. Her best friend and her girlfriend now, she guessed. Her family.
She ignored the sudden stab of anxiety. The feeling that this could be the last time she'd ever see them.
"Bye-bye, little cupcakes!" Funtime Freddy waved. "See you at the victory party!"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world!" Brooke chimed. "Good luck guys! Take our hope with you!"
"Always." Millie echoed her previous statement as she climbed back into Freddy. She heard their faded goodbyes and good lucks as Funtime Freddy disappeared back into the forest, hightailing it towards Fritzburg. She held Bon-Bon in her lap, pulling him close.
"Are you okay, Millie?" Bon-Bon asked.
She was quiet for a moment. "Yeah." She said, "I'm happy. I have been for a while."
XXX
"Do you guys dream?" Millie asked, leaning into the curve of Funtime Freddy's holding chamber.
"Not like you do. We don't have brains and REM sleep." Funtime Freddy said, his eyes rolled back to look at Millie and Bon-Bon-which was only slightly concerning, considering that he was the one walking them down to their goal. "But we dream in the sense of fantasizing about things. Or at least I do, Silly Millie!"
"I do too!" Bon-Bon said, chipper as ever. "You know, I dream of things I want, but I also like coming up with fun stories. Just silly little things. I did it a lot when we were in the bunker. It's fun to come up with new worlds."
"You know, I bet you'd be a good writer, Bon-Bon. You're so eloquent!" Millie smiled. "I'd love to see what you come up with."
"Well, you can be quite the poet yourself, Millie!" Bon-Bon chuckled. "What do you dream of?"
"I used to have nightmares a lot when I slept." Millie confessed.
"Probably because of me," Funtime Freddy said, though there wasn't much remorse in his voice.
Millie shrugged. "In part, but lots of other stuff too. And that's before the stain. You guys know. But after I started taking my prazosin, I barely have any dreams at night anymore, other than the ones from the stain. But as for daytime dreaming… I always wanted to work with books. Be a librarian. Maybe a shopkeep at a bookstore. Just getting to be at peace, with what I love, helping other people learn to love it." She paused. "And… I would like to be around the people I love. I used to hate my family, how my parents were, especially when they went across the world. Sometimes I'm still mad at them for that. But… Now, I just want to hold my family close. Both the blood, my friends and you guys. I want those worlds to come together, and just be happy. I dream of getting to go on dates with Brooke, and maybe collabing on some poetry with Dylan, and getting to go on crazy adventures like this with you guys. I just dream of being happy."
"That's a nice dream." Funtime Freddy said, gentle. "And one bound to come true, cupcake."
"What do you dream of, Freddy?" Millie asked, yawning.
"I always dreamed of freedom. Getting to be myself, do what I want, and being under no one's control. No bunker, no electrical shocks, no separation from those I love. An endless party full of fun and love and happiness. I get all yucky about sentiment, but.. it means a lot to me, actually. I treasure these moments with my family." He paused for a moment. "And I feel like my dreams have already come true."
"Aren't you lucky?" Millie said snarkily, but not unkindly.
"Well, I'd like to perform again. Really get out there and dance and sing. Celebrate tons of birthdays. That would be fun." She heard the grin in his voice.
"Such wonderful dreams," Bon-Bon sighed happily. "But, speaking of dreams, I think it may be time for you to rest now, Millie. You're yawning up a storm!"
"That's fair." Millie yawned in response, rubbing Bon-Bon between his ears.
"I'll keep going, and get us there in no time. You just get some sleep, cupcake." Funtime Freddy said. "When you awaken, I do have a few things to talk about though. I learned something new and interesting about bamboo and the human body!"
"That's neat. I can't wait...to hear about it…" Millie murmured, already slipping away and into her dreams.
XXX
Millie slowly stirred awake, stretching and pressing her feet against the side of Funtime Freddy's holding chamber. She could hear the distant sounds of human society outside, sure that that was what had roused her awake. "Mmn… Hey, where are we?" She mumbled. "Shouldn't we be in the woods or something?"
Funtime Freddy's eyes rolled back to look at her, winking. "Good morning, cupcake! I stopped by a small town on the way-I figured you'd need to do all the things humans need to do at a rest stop."
"And you need to keep your strength up!" Bon-Bon added. "We're tucked away in an alley right now, but there's a bookstore cafe nearby that you could refresh at. We'll hide away here until you're ready."
"Yeah, that sounds good." Millie blinked the sleep out of her eyes as the door to Funtime Freddy's stomach cavity swung open. "I'll be really fast, back in jif." She hopped out and did a few stretches to ease the stiffness in her back before setting off.
She walked into the bookstore, sighing happily as she was greeted by the scent of hot coffee and pastries. She figured she'd splash some water on her face, wake up, have breakfast while sampling a book of poetry, and then head back out.
After ordering her food-a little cup of fruit, a breakfast burrito and a matcha latte-and paying with the crumpled bills in her pocket, she sat down at one of the tables with a volume of Edgar Allan Poe. She flipped through it nonchalantly, losing herself in the pages and almost forgetting that she was a runaway with the goal of setting a tortured spirit free.
She stopped for a moment, sipping her latte and considering how she would set the spirit inside the Stitchwraith free. A séance could be a consideration, or maybe it would be more like a therapy session. For the first time, she realized she wasn't exactly sure of what she would find at the abandoned factory, or what she would do. She had the loose idea that hope was key to overwhelming and overcoming agony, but a thread of doubt wove its way around her heart. She figured that having Funtime Freddy and Bon-Bon-two animatronics affected and helped by the concept of hope-would help the situation. But how would she give that hope tangible power?
And of course, there was always the chance that Larson would realize what had happened and catch up to them first. There was the chance that she'd lose her robotic friends.
There was also the chance she would fail. She remembered the blackened memories that had bled into her from the stain and shuddered.
No. She would have to remain strong. She would give the Stitchwraith her heart, and do whatever was necessary to help the child inside. Maybe it wouldn't be immediate-but she would break through and save them. She would stop Afton's evil reign.
Maybe she would just know exactly what to do when they got there, like any good novel protagonist.
She huffed, rubbing her temples. She knew she was making the right choice-but that didn't change the fact that it was hard. She remembered Brooke and Dylan counting on her, the articles about all the Fazbear Entertainment horrors, and how far she had come with Sarah and all the animatronics. She knew she was more than capable, no matter how worried the adults were. She'd understand when she was older? Maybe they would understand when they saw the truth.
She looked out the window, scanning over the street and to the little park across the street. A burly man was selling snowcones, and it looked like a large family was gathered up for a birthday party. Millie remembered her last birthday and smiled...she bet whoever the birthday kid was, they weren't having a dumpster cake served by Funtime Freddy.
And then, there he was.
Funtime Freddy, surrounded by clapping children, gesticulating wildly as he did a little jig.
Millie did a spit take, gasping. "What the hell is he doing?!" She shot out of her chair, snatching her trash up and throwing it into the cat shaped garbage can. She flashed the clerk an apologetic look for leaving the book behind, rushing out of the store before he had time to chastise her.
As she recklessly sped across the street, someone on a bike honking their horn at her, she almost felt as if her heart would tear right out of her chest to start beating the shit out of the giant animatronic bear. Her mind stumbled, desperate for some sort of explanation... and then she stopped.
The kids surrounding Funtime Freddy clapped and giggled, enjoying his rendition of pop-goes-the-weasel. They slapped their little hands happily on his legs, showed him their toys, and squealed with sheer delight. The adults stood by, looking confused but also mesmerized. And Freddy...looked absolutely overjoyed. His blue eyes shined bright, his shrill voice reaching an effortlessly happy pitch, his top-hat spinning atop his head wildly. Bon-Bon even looked euphoric too, waving his little arms around and giving his signature melodic giggle.
Millie stayed there for a moment and just watched. They looked so natural there among the children, so… right. So happy. This is what he was meant to do. Not kill. This.
Funtime Freddy turned and met her eyes, not having the grace to look even a little sheepish. "Oh, Silly Millie, there you are! Want to come join the fun?"
Millie laughed nervously as the adults' eyes turned on her. "Uh, hello!" She managed to choke out. "Sorry about that. My Grandpa uh… does robotics, and recently restored this animatronic for a showcase. He must've thought it'd be funny to send him out to say hello…" She hoped the group of adults would buy it.
"Isn't he based off of one of those old animatronics?" One of the women rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "One of those pizzeria arcades. It wasn't the Fazbear Pizzeria, but something else…"
"Circus Baby's Pizza World!" An older man snapped his fingers, grinning. "Oh man, I remember those days! He's supposed to be Funtime Freddy, isn't he? He's a little too big though, huh?"
Millie couldn't suppress a smile. "Actually, he is Funtime Freddy. He was an older prototype model my Grandpa found in a junkyard. We fixed him up together. You could say this is his first...test run, around people." She glared at Freddy pointedly. "My Grandpa is such a kook, just doing whatever he wants without letting me know."
Funtime Freddy beamed back in response, flexing his fingers over his microphone. "Now, is this birthday boy ready to cut the cake? I have a special song ready, just for you!"
The parents looked on in awe and wonder, less nervous now that they had been fed an explanation of how in the world a pizzeria animatronic had ended up in the park. "That really is amazing! You and your Grandfather have done a great job-I've missed those old pizzerias. It's good to have a piece of it here, for the new generation." The man from before said. "Say, would you like to come have some cake with us? As thanks for spicing up the party?"
Millie hesitated, then shrugged. "Sure! I'm glad it wasn't too much of a bother or anything, though…"
"Not at all!" The woman from before said. "This is such an awesome surprise, you sweet little thing! We were...very confused at first, but I think this is the best birthday surprise our little Johnny has ever had."
Millie soon found herself seated at one of the picnic tables, a neon colored birthday hat perched atop her head and big red balloon tied to her wrist, looking very out of place juxtaposed with her all black outfit-sans the red pleather jacket her parents had bought her for her own birthday. I guess the red matches the balloon at least…
More than one child had asked if she was a vampire, witch, or some variation thereof, but seemed to love her nonetheless, chattering endlessly about Funtime Freddy. She talked to them about their friendship and all the fun games they'd played together and just how silly the bear was-which she was sure the parents took as fiction-and kept catching the smile in Bon-Bon's eyes as he and Freddy walked around the table and told jokes to children and parents alike. Freddy gesticulated and swung his arms about playfully, bantering back and forth with Bon-Bon and using his mimic ability to have them all in stitches.
MIllie had never really been to a birthday party like this, and despite being fifteen, she found herself enjoying it immensely. She didn't feel out of place, and in fact...felt right. She couldn't get over how natural and happy Funtime Freddy was like this, and found herself realizing that after everything he had been through...this must've been a dream come true for him and Bon-Bon.
When it was time to sing happy birthday, Funtime Freddy led the cheer, and Millie couldn't help but sing along.
She wanted to sing forever.
XXX
"I can't find her anywhere." Grandpa pushed his face into his hands, his eyes bloodshot. "And you're sure you don't know where they went?"
"They d-disappeared overnight. I had no i-idea, or I would h-have stopped them them." Funtime Foxy lamented. "Knowing how s-stubborn Funtime Freddy and M-Millie are, and how naive Bon-Bon can can be... I fear the w-worst."
Bonnet cowered in the corner of the workshop, ears drooping. She and Funtime Foxy had argued in the morning, and when they had tried to leave to pursue the trio, she had anchored him, only stating that she had made a promise. The guilt inside her was immeasurable, but she refused to speak even a word of where they had gone. She figured Foxy wasn't saying anything about what she clearly knew to Grandpa to protect her, just in case,-and the guilt only grew.
"How am I supposed to find them, Foxy?" Grandpa stared at the fox with a broken face. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to my little girl. Millie finally started doing so much better, being so much happier. I don't know what I would do if she...if she…" He buried his face back into his hands, shoulders jerking. "I wanted to protect her. She's just a child, and I… I didn't know she would do this. Maybe I made the wrong choice…"
"Y-You made the right choice, as her caretaker." Funtime Foxy said, his voice softening. "There is n-no fault of your your own. They are of their own w-will, and will make their own choices choices regardless of your actions." Hurt gleamed in his golden eyes. "It is d-difficult for me to understand why they they would leave without a word word, abandoning this p-peace, but… The three of them truly b-believed in what they were doing."
"Do you not believe in them?" Grandpa asked earnestly.
"...I do, and I do n-not." Funtime Foxy said smoothly. "I believe they do h-have the power to make a difference, b-but I am not sure they k-know how how to do it. And I am sure that A-Afton knows exactly what he's doing. He always has. It makes makes it a very h-high stakes game to be playing."
Bonnet shrunk back, rubbing her little paws together. "I don't think you need to be afraid, Grandpa. I think they're strong, and they're together. They know what they're doing."
"She's just a child. She is a child who, even after everything she's been through, can't understand just how bad the world can get." Grandpa truly looked his age. "I just want her safe and happy. It's all I've ever wanted."
Bonnet leaned forward. "But...they're doing this to make sure other people can be safe and happy too. Larson wouldn't listen, and the cycle would just continue, you know? She's breaking the cycle. Making it open up into something better."
Grandpa stiffened. "Bonnet...do you know anything about where they might be?"
The little rabbit robot shook her head, green eyes wide. In her worry for Grandpa, her want to soothe him...she had slipped.
"Please. Bonnet, I am her Grandfather. It's my duty to protect her. Please, if you know anything…"
Funtime Foxy stared down at Bonnet, face impassive and feet unable to move. He tilted his head, silently pleading. They had lost each other before, and by a stroke of luck...found each other again. Would they lose each other now too?
The little rabbit was having doubts. What if everything went wrong and it was her fault for letting them go? For staying silent?
"...I just want everyone to be happy." Bonnet said meekly.
"Please." Grandpa said, voice strained. "She's my granddaughter. Where is she?"
"She's safe with Funtime Freddy and Bon-Bon…" Bonnet began, looking down. "Somewhere."
"Where?" Grandpa asked, and suddenly, Funtime Foxy's ears perked. The animatronic fox knew exactly where they had gone.
"Funtime Freddy and Bon-Bon...really believed in her capability. In their capability. They wanted to break that cycle..and went to find the Stitchwraith. To end it. So he took her to find it."
Grandpa ran a hand over the bald crown of his head. "Maybe I should have trusted Larson." He said quietly. "I shouldn't have trusted that bear. I shouldn't have left Millie alone." He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket. "But I can make this right. I can help her. I have to."
Bonnet wanted to say something, anything, but felt lost and broken inside. Her fear had won her over, and she had broken her vow to keep their secret. She looked at Funtime Foxy, releasing the anchor on his legs.
"Y-You did the right thing, Bonnet." Funtime Foxy said, their legs twitching as they walked forward. "I know you w-want to see see the best in everything, but sometimes...reality is h-harsh. We have to protect w-what we have. Millie has t-taken on too much, and she is i-ill prepared. Freddy and Bon-Bon are ill p-prepared."
"But what about everything she worked so hard for? What all of us worked so hard for?" Bonnet asked quietly.
Grandpa clutched his cellphone in trembling hands, sighing. "Bonnet...I will talk to Larson personally, and we will work together with Millie now, taking her ideas into consideration while keeping her safe. If her conviction is this strong...it must have merit. Even if she is a child. I understand why you kept their leaving a secret, dear, but thank you for telling me now. I still don't quite understand everything that's going on, and that's why we have to stick together. Everything you all worked so hard for will help stop this, just...not like this. Not Millie on her own."
"She's not on her own." Bonnet said softly. "She's got Freddy. And Bon-Bon."
Grandpa's face hardened. "If she was safe with them...they wouldn't be taking her into danger like that."
Funtime Foxy stared at the bench where Funtime Freddy always sat, then to the workshop desk where Millie always worked, the nearly complete Sarah endoskeleton laying there. Their voice was uncharacteristically small.
"Call Larson. We need to find them."
XXX
"So, did you have fun?" Millie smirked, settling back into Funtime Freddy's stomach cavity with a tired smirk. "Even with nearly giving me a heart attack?"
"Of course I did! Your heart palpitations were just icing on the cake!" The animatronic bear laughed gleefully.
"I am very sorry we didn't tell you, Millie…" Bon-Bon said with a nervous chuckle. "In retrospect, that was a little...reckless. We just got a little excited at the opportunity and didn't really think!"
"A first for you, huh?" She teased the little blue bunny. "But I mean...at least it worked out. After all, after Circus Baby's closed down, there was the rental place, when you guys were stored in the bunker right? So no one suspected a thing." She sighed. "And I have to admit...it was fun. You guys looked really happy."
"We were." Bon-Bon clasped his little paws together. "I didn't realize just how much I missed birthday parties either! There were so many happy children!"
Millie smiled softly. "I'm glad. They seemed pretty happy to see you too. And even the parents were enjoying it. Let's just not try something that risky on this trip again, okay?"
"No need to worry about it, Silly Millie! We're almost there anyways." Funtime Freddy said. "Are you ready for whatever we might find?" His voice took on an edge, his blue eyes rolling back to face her inside his holding chamber.
Millie swallowed hard. "Have to be, don't we?" She was quiet for a moment. "Freddy… Do you think we're doing the right thing?"
"Yes." He said without skipping a beat. "I've seen how so many humans have just fed into this cycle. You are the first to think so much differently. You are the first to affect us in such a way. And I…" His eyes rolled away, as if was suddenly shy. "That birthday party, just now. It was the first time I had been to a party like that without some sort of tragedy at the end. It was the first time that there was nothing but joy."
"Freddy…" Bon-Bon said gently, his voice containing multitudes of grief and regret.
"I want to defeat Afton, once and for all." Funtime Freddy said, his voice welling with a startling amount of conviction. "So I will never ruin another birthday party again. So there will only be songs, and confetti and balloons and happy memories."
Millie smiled, the bear's words a warm reassurance to the surge of anxiety in her heart. "That's right, Freddy. No birthdays will ever be ruined by that monster ever again. Not on our watch." She placed a hand on the inner wall of the chamber, sighing. "We will do this together."
"Together." Funtime Freddy repeated. "As a family."
Millie let out a choked laugh. "You really are like family to me, Freddy. Like a brother. You too, Bon-Bon. I um… When I was younger, and really lonely, I always wondered what having a sibling would be like."
"Well, I hope I've terrorized you aplenty, just like a good sibling should." Funtime Freddy laughed, his characteristic shrill cackle back and louder than ever.
Bon-Bon snuggled deeper into Millie's lap, placing his little paw atop her hand. "Thank you, Millicent. That means the world to me."
Millie shrugged, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, don't get too mushy!" She stopped, considering something. "But hey...what about when this is over, Freddy? What about our pinkie promise? What happens then?" There wasn't an ounce of fear in her voice, just curiosity.
"What, the whole thing about refraining from executing you until this whole ordeal is over? Hm." Funtime Freddy's eyes rolled back to look at her, winking. "Haven't thought about that in awhile, cupcake!"
She snorted. "I'm going to be so mad if you murk me when this is over, you dumb rustbucket. I would never forgive you."
Funtime Freddy laughed. "Ah, we can't have a sweet moment for too long, can we, Silly Millie?" He laughed. "But, speaking of executions… I never told you about humans and bamboo!"
"Oh, dear. Are you sure this is proper roadtrip conversation?" Bon-Bon said exasperatedly.
Millie grinned, leaning back as the couple started to banter.
They were almost there.
But until then, she would sit in this moment and shield her heart with it. Use it as armor, use it as a weapon.
So I will never ruin another birthday party again.
Tomorrow was another day.
And "tomorrow" was approaching fast.
A/N: This was such a nice chapter to write. Love confessions, dreams coming true... I've been sitting on the "so I'll never ruin another birthday party again" line FOREVER. Let's just ignore Grandpa, Funtime Foxy and Bonnet's fears, hm? Happy happy happy! Thanks for all the support. :D