Two weeks later –
"In spite of recent events, Fazbear Entertainment continues to uphold the motto for all fun and all ages. The Ferocious Four are very much excited for this next chapter of a new partnership." Gabe concludes at the end of a seemingly long and pointless monologue to further entice the agents.
"As are we. It has been two weeks too long," The amber-haired male gives several nods of approval whilst writing on his clipboard. He moves to stand before the four animatronics. "Metals Media has been working on this proposal when it was just an idea rooted in belief. Now, we are just two weeks away from sending you four off on your first international tour in Europe. Think of the people who have the honor to attend your show when they couldn't do so before."
"And an honor to be able to give that to them. Not to mention that traveling to a different country is an unavoidable cost –"
"There will be plenty of time to discuss royalties." He cuts off Gabe and motions to two servers to offer glasses of champagne to each human. "Let us work on a segment to get the word out on this partnership." He lifts his glass. "To The Ferocious Four!"
"To The Ferocious Four!"
"New fans to adore me every night!" Roxy's eyes sparkle as the humans partake in the bubbly beverage. She throws an arm around a grinning Tessa. "And it's all thanks to you Tessa!"
"Um, last time I checked, it's The Ferocious Four, not Tessa the Great." Tessa waves off the praise, "You guys were performing for years, you deserved this just as much as I do."
"I know that's right!"
"Right Freddy?" Tessa glances at a rather distracted Freddy.
Roxy notices it too. "Freddy?"
"Oh gee, what's on your mind now, fearless leader?" Monty asks bitterly, prompting the bear to look at his bandmates.
"Just the name of our band."
"What about it?!"
"It will take some getting used to." Freddy expresses with a shrug. It satisfies the gator and prompts an expression of embarrassment for always getting worked up on every little thing. He excuses himself, leaving the Atrium.
Tessa's following him. "You're still thinking about Chica, aren't you?" She confronts in an annoyed tone. When he doesn't respond, she sighs in aggravation. "Seriously Freddy? This is growing old. We are literally celebrating and you're moping over that crazy chicken killer? Can't you forget about her already?"
"It is not her that I am thinking about." Freddy starts. "Not entirely."
"Then spit it out! I want this to be over and done with! We should be out there celebrating, not cringing over the yesteryears."
"You do not understand Tessa. Chica and I have been friends for years. Granted, those last few weeks were not the most pleasurable. I do not know how to explain it, and it is bothering me."
"This sappy personality of yours," Tessa rolls her eyes. "She nearly killed a child and you're sympathizing with her?"
"I feel that there are some things that are not adding up. Now do you see the problem?"
"No, and I don't care."
Freddy ignores her statement. "I should have given her a chance to explain."
"She won't remember what happened, she'll lie to your face." He becomes guarded, supposedly irritating the tiger further.
"Tessa, you have no right to assume so about Chica. How would you know if she was lying or not, unless you care to explain something that I do not know?"
"Whatever, do what you want Freddy. Whatever clears that A.I. conscious of yours." He waits until she leaves, walking alongside the back halls. Freddy enters the daycare, viewing Sun dancing on a balcony and humming to himself.
"Freddy!" Sun spirals down. "Congratulations on your upcoming tour rockstar! The children are sure going to miss you but who could pass up Europe? That sounds like a wonderful planet –"
"Pardon my interruption, Sun, but I need to talk to Moon."
A sigh. "He's a bit moody. Something about that tiger gets him worked up. I don't blame him, I'm not so fond of her either. She threw me down a hole! It was so dark in there."
"Sun."
"Fine, fine, fine! Go turn off the power switch." Freddy does as he is told. The seconds after the daycare are lightless, Moon's hanging upside down, tilting his head. It's a good thing that Freddy is used to Sun and Moon's non changing expressions.
"Freddy?"
"I need you to do something. I need to know what happened to Gregory and I have this feeling that Chica was not responsible for what happened."
Moon hisses. "Traitor!"
"Moon, we cannot go around accusing without viable evidence." Freddy reprimands at first, but reconsiders. "She was acting defensive and strange, which makes me believe she is hiding something."
"Traaaaiiiittoooorrrrr!"
"We will need to gather video evidence. I'm sure Gabe has clips archived and prepared for deletion, including our memory backups."
Moon snickers, rubbing his hands together. "You can count on me. Let's terminate that traitor!"
"Thank you," Freddy leaves and Moon sticks to the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to access the office.
Neither of them notice Tessa glaring furiously from a distance.
"Let's see about that Freddy. I don't know how you would be able to live to ruin this." She reenters the Atrium, where she grabs Monty. "Excuse us, there's a bit of a situation in Monty Golf that's requiring Monty's strength."
Gabe gestures to the entrance. "Handle it."
The two animatronics don't speak until they're in Rockstar Row. "Why are we here? What happened to my golf course?"
"You can't take cues, you moron! Your golf course is fine."
"Then what's the big deal! I was amused at watching someone make a fool of herself because she got drunk too quickly."
"Freddy needs to go!"
"You said it ain't the time –"
"That time is now. He knows that he wants to know what I know and I'm not going to let him know!"
"Would you stop talking in riddles and calm down?"
"You calm down!" She snaps at him. "You go calm down when he wants to let a murderous chicken back in here!"
"What?" Monty's fuming.
"I should have known he wouldn't get over that chicken! Gah, what does he see in her anyway?"
"I don't understand why you are so worked up, this would be between Freddy and I."
"Put it this way Gator gills: I go down, so do you. we're both decommission bots and bolts if we don't get this situation under control. Or maybe you would rather play golf while Mr. Hippo takes your place in the upcoming shows."
He growls in anger before considering. "Fine."
"Quickly Monty, the sooner, the better. I'll keep my target on that Moon bot – he wants to pick a fight with me? I'll give him a fight."
The shades were closed keeping the room dark. Vanessa knew that she should open them and let in the sunlight so she could begin the day, but she didn't have the energy or willpower. She no longer wanted to spend the energy to begin a new day, a new mindset. She stares at the shades wondering if there is a way to disappear from the reality of the world.
The reality of her phone ringing constantly, as it had been for two weeks. Most of the calls had been from Gabe. Out of annoyance, she answers with a slight attitude. "Yes?"
"You were supposed to report today!"
She stares at the screen in disbelief. Really? He couldn't have started with 'Hi Vanessa, just checking in to see how you're doing? Are you okay coming into work today?' Although she'd been given a month off to heal, she had the urge to work, to distract herself. Sitting home and getting paid half a day's work didn't soothe the anxiety as she looked at recent bills, or when neighbors rang her doorbell to check in.
She had made it to work while it was still dark and was drinking a decaffeinated coffee. She had been ready to go; ignition off and keys in hand. She took one step between her car and the parking lot when waves of anxiety and flashes of blood ensured her into a breakdown, jumping back in the vehicle and driving recklessly. She made the mistake of telling Gabe that she wanted to come back – the same man who doesn't give it a second thought or asks her to reconsider. She's almost healed physically but mentally she has not.
"I understand your dilemma, but it happened while you were on company time. He is entitled to compensate you – both with time and money." The physiatrist had responded with concern to her desire to return to work so soon. "What he'd offered is unacceptable and you should consider legal action. Even if you want to work, I highly advise you to reconsider, you don't want to add more trauma than you already have." Obviously she didn't heed the advice with Gabe-micromanaging-Mercy blowing up her phone more than that guy she ghosted after a couple of dates.
"Unbelievable! This was the most important day in my life and you had the audacity to not show up to work? And without notice?" That was a lie, she knows that she messaged him on her way home and in the midst of her hysteria. He had responded with 'Whatever. Thanks for nothing.'
Six years of hard work and all he tends to point out are mistakes that most employers would glance over without write ups. She should have quit the day she had a breakdown over nearly losing Gregory, and he had the audacity to worry about how it would affect him.
"Oh Gabriel. I am so sorry that my incompetence has caused you grief time and time again."
"As you should be."
"At least allow me to make it up to you."
"How could your dimmed-witted mind possibly make anything up to me?"
"Like giving you a friendly reminder to start the hiring process, because I quit." She disconnects the call, blocking his number and erasing all traces of his existence from her phone. She had already saved enough evidence to take Gabe to court when she needed to. For now, she felt a wave of anxiety leaving her at peace, sinking underneath the covers.
A while later, the phone rings from an unknown number. She answered in the same peeved, more tiring tone. "Hello?"
"Hi Vanessa! This is Dr. Clara; we spoke a couple of days ago. I know I'm calling sooner than expected but I thought I'll give another ring to let you know how Gregory is doing."
"Oh my gosh! Is he okay?" She leaps out of bed, her feet caught in the sheets, she lands face first with a silent groan.
"Why, of course dear! No need to worry, his vitals are good." The tone in the doctor's next words has Vanessa imagining the woman grinning ear to ear. "And he's awake."
She rushes out the house in gym shorts and hoodie, the wind blowing against her legs and bringing goosebumps. She doesn't wait for the car to warm up and drives reasonably to the hospital, earning her looks from onlookers, mostly older women mentally scolding her. She doesn't care to wait long at reception, thankful that the staff had already pointed her in the direction. "Dr. Clara has already informed us of your arrival." They would say one after the other. And Vanessa doesn't make fully into another reception when the doctor greets her by the desk with a smile. "I'll take it from here," She motions to the nurses and leads the younger woman into a room.
"Gregory!" Vanessa rushes to him, propped up in bed and with a reasonable hug as tears fly. "You're awake!" He doesn't respond to her and she looks at him out of fear that she may be smothering his ability to breath. Instead, he's annoyed that she knocked a piece of muffin out of his hand, but he doesn't resist her embrace.
"Oh, come on! I was eating that!"
"Really? You had me worrying about you for weeks and you choose to be annoyed about food? How about a 'hi', you little gremlin!"
"Good to see you too Vanessa, but you owe me a muffin!"
The doctor chuckles. "He's been awake for 20 minutes and the first thing he asks for is food. Boys will be boys with their appetites." She rechecks vitals, shining a light in his eyes. "Everything is normal. He's aware of where he is and who you are and the situation, quite a rarity from someone in an induced coma. We like to keep him one more night for observation."
"Okay."
The doctor leaves them to attend other matters. Vanessa absentmindedly picks at a piece of plaster of his cast. She hadn't considered how he looked like a half-dressed mummy child who lost a battle with a lion while falling 33 feet. Maybe she did and chose not to, not with gauzes wrapped around his head, hiding his left eye in a sheltered area.
"All I can tell you is that a piece of the skull is crushing his brain. They will have to be replaced with a titanium plate… Please Vanessa, he's losing too much blood to consider other options." That night reminded her of the restraints she had been subject to when they came after her with report after report, not for her to give a decision, but to inform.
"We did the best we could. He's in a coma and the outcome is not plausible. We're looking at 20% chance. You should consider calling the local funeral home." She'd been allowed to leave the hospital on her own free will despite them wanting to keep her in an asylum from her breakdown. The speck of hope she had when she felt a pulse had been crushed with the neurosurgeon delivering the news. Crushed enough to generate dusts of anger as she attacked Chica the second time that same night.
She'd been sure the animatronic was done for the moment she delivered the blow to the head. It terrified her to have seen Chica at her house. And it angered her to want to know why Chica thought they could talk like old friends. She's never going to forgive her, not that the robot is active. She had to be done for. She wasn't going to forgive Gabe, not that she's afflicted with the PizzaPlex anymore. Her main concern is only Gregory and getting him as far away from this town.
A different sound on her phone pointed towards a received email. She opens it, skimming through the email:
The type of candidate I'm looking for! We can discuss salary and benefits upon your arrival. I'm confident that it will be triple the reward than with Fazbear Entertainment. See you Monday!
Sent from Luisa Jasper aka – Woman #1 from the shareholder meeting aka – her new boss. It is the perfect timing – she wasn't going to renew her lease at the end of the month and she will have money to move and get them by for a while. She catches Gregory peeking. "Do we have to leave?"
"We both need a new start and I just want to keep you safe."
"I can still visit Freddy?"
"Of course! I wouldn't do that to you." Vanessa took into account the child's close relationship with the animatronic bear. "It'll be a two-hour drive one way, and he's going on tour, but we can figure it out. It'll just be weird for me to relax in an environment when I'm used to working there."
He seemingly nods his head, accepting of the response, but she could tell that there's something else rattling his train of thoughts. Vanessa wanted to urge them out. "You want to talk about what happened?"
"No." Tears prick his eyes and he cries into her shoulder whilst she embraces and soothes him. Crying is not something she sees him do. She's grown used to Gregory being this independent, outspoken and determined person with his own thoughts and actions, especially when he made up his mind to do it. Moments like this remind her that she forgets that he is still a child. One who went through not one, but two traumatic events.
And the burden she had knowing that she could have prevented the second one. "I'm sorry kiddo. I should have listened and been more reasonable and patient." She hands him a tissue. "I was only looking out for everyone's safety and for yours. You understand that right?"
"I guess, but Vanessa, she was so close to getting better. I can't believe she risked it."
"It's okay, what matters is that you tried and for that, I'm proud of you." A sniffle is heard as Gregory gets the urge to cry. "It's okay. Chica is never going to hurt you again, not while there's breath in my body."
"Wait what?" His tears stopped. "She's gone?"
"Gregory, she wasn't herself. Or maybe she was, we'll never know. But I cannot trust her to be around you. Not after she hurt you."
"But, she wasn't the one who attacked me, she saved me."
