Fritz looked up in shock when the door to his room suddenly opened. At the doorway stood Mike, smiling softly with a relieved look on his face.

"Figured you might be here," he said. Fritz felt his cheeks grow warm and he turned around, not wanting to look at Mike. The former guard sighed sadly and entered the room, closing the door behind him. He wordlessly sat down beside the young boy, who crossed his arms and looked away from him. He didn't want to admit it, but… he was embarrassed.

Earlier, they had been sitting in a loose circle and talking about their families. They started doing it because they wanted to make Susie feel better- she missed her mom so much that even they were beginning to hurt- but it started getting a bit… personal.

Their circle was where the kids had finally opened up about things they never thought of before. Susie absolutely loved her mom, but her dad used to hurt her on purpose… and multiple times a day. He would also hurt her mom.

Jeremy revealed that his mom and dad were always busy… they always had something better to do than spend time with him. He told them that he wasn't sure they even realized he was gone. Susie had given him a hug and assured him that his parents must have missed him very much.

Gabriel revealed that his mom was always mean. She used to drink something that made her angry really easily, and that his big brother would lock him in his room when she did that so that he would stay safe. Cassidy told them that she was adopted by Gabriel's mom, then confirmed that the woman wasn't as nice as she'd originally hoped. But at least they'd shared a really cool older brother.

Evan had asked to skip his turn. He pointed out that they'd met his dad and could probably guess what his childhood was like.

That brought the circle down to Fritz.

He shook his head now, determined not to tell Mike what happened. He was Foxy the Pirate Fox. He was a pirate. He was the strongest, bravest, most capable of the animatronics. He'd been possessing that stupid robot for over 30 years- he could handle a little emotion.

"If you're gonna ask what happened earlier, it's nothing," he said. His voice sounded loud and brash in the quiet room. "We were talking and I got a little upset. That's all."

He could handle this. He was fine. He'd dealt with worse.

"I got a little emotional," he said. He shook his head again, fighting the tears back. "It's fine."

His parents had been alright, maybe. Opposite to Jeremy's parents- his were never there. Fritz's parents were always around, always in his space. He could never get away from them. They always crowded him and treated him like he couldn't do anything for himself. It had been part of the reason he liked Foxy so much.

Foxy was a free spirit, able to go it alone. There was nothing he couldn't do, nothing holding him back. No parents to duct tape pillows all over his body.

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and shrugged it off. He didn't need it. He was fine.

There was a sad sigh from behind him.

"...Fritz, you can't keep this up," Mike said. "Something is clearly bothering you- "

"I told you, I'm fine," he bit out. He turned away from where Mike was sitting. "I can handle it."

"You don't have to be the tough guy," Mike told him gently. "You can be strong even when crying."

Fritz shook his head. He. Would. Not. Cry. Especially not in front of Mike. Mike was tough. He was really strong. You had to be strong if you were going to spend forty years trying to undo everything your dad did. Mike managed to do it… he was really, really strong. Fritz could be like him. He needed to be strong.

"I'm fine," he said. He needed to be like Mike. He needed to be Foxy. They were strong.

"...I used to cry a lot."

Fritz froze at that. His head turned slightly in the direction Mike's voice came from.

"What?"

"I used to cry a lot," Mike repeated. Fritz finally forced himself to fully face Mike. The former guard's eyes were trained on the bed, his arms crossed. His gaze was distant, lost in another time. His eyes were no longer bright blue- they were a dull purple. Fritz slowly and carefully shifted around so that he was facing Mike's direction.

"After Evan… well, after I…" he couldn't seem to keep speaking. He shook his head and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "I remember that I couldn't stop crying after that. Day after day, the whole day… all I could do was cry."

Fritz tilted his head to the side.

"You… cried?" he asked. Mike nodded once. Fritz looked down at the bed, a little bit of confusion settling into his brain. "But… you're so strong."

Mike smirked slightly, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Not really," he admitted. "Evan's the strong one… you guys are strong. I'm just kind of riding behind you all."

Fritz leaned closer to him, determination in his eyes. No, he wouldn't accept that.

"You're strong," he said. "You managed to save us and finally stop your dad! You survived a lot of nights and stayed on your mission for years without giving up!"

Mike chuckled slightly and shook his head.

"Doesn't mean I didn't break down every once in a while," he said. "Point is, you can still be strong, even when you're feeling weak."

He held his arms out. Fritz just stared at them. He thought hard about what Mike had said.

He wasn't always strong? But he always seemed so… together. Always seemed to know what to do, never seemed to back down or break. He slowly moved so that he was leaning against Mike's chest. Mike's arms wrapped around him. Fritz had to admit… it felt better.

"...I miss my parents," he admitted. "They always looked out for me… if I hadn't snuck out, I'd probably still be alive…"

Mike started rubbing small circles in his back. He didn't say anything, just sat there giving Fritz silent comfort. The boy finally couldn't hold back his tears anymore and began crying. Mike still didn't say anything, just pulled him closer.

Eventually, he started feeling better, but he didn't want to move. Mike didn't seem ready to move yet, either.

Fritz was alright with that. If this was what made him feel better, he was willing to let it happen. Just for a little bit.