INFORMATION
Written by: Pinkpony4
Chapter Word Count: 5'455
Published on FanFiction: 4th of July, 2022
Published on AO3: 4th of July, 2022
Edited on: 5th of July, 2022

Chapter 2: Bittersweet Memories

The drive to Utah was going to be agonisingly long, just as he expected.

Last night had left him drained, and rationing his food didn't help. But, since he had another mouth to feed now, he could stand going hungry.

After he had gotten back to his car, he spent the rest of that morning sleeping, only starting the drive out as soon as the sun began to rise.

Geh Ge seemed to have had the same idea – the bub had knocked himself out before Michael had even made it back and, had so far, been unresponsive to anything and everything. He was breathing normally though, so Michael wasn't too worried.

Yet.

Michael turned off from the main road just at the edge of town at the last gas station for the next couple of miles. It was empty aside from one truck that was parked on the side of the road.

Hopping out of the car with Geh Ge in his arms, he covered the bub's nose to try and block the stench of fuel that seemed extra potent in this weather. Shivering, he pushed the pump in and waited, eyeing the price with annoyance. He had physical cash, but he didn't have a bank account. He'd never had one, actually, and if he was going to be serious about this, he'd need to get one.

The problem was how to go about getting one. He'd need to think about that.

The pump popped out when it was finished and Michael grimaced when he saw the total. Yes, he would definitely need to sort out the job situation as soon as possible.

Michael wanted to be quick – in and out – so as soon as he entered the building, he immediately scanned the area for anything out of the ordinary. A man was sitting at one of the small tables next to the tiny eatery and a woman was standing at the cash register. Both glanced at him when the door slammed shut behind him, but they quickly went back to what they were doing. So far, so good.

He was careful with what he picked out, making a point of keeping away from the bubble gum and cigarettes. The things he needed for Geh Ge came first, even if it meant he was going to go hungry. He'd eat when he got to Utah.

He hadn't expected there to be much when it came to the necessities needed for a baby, but what was available was the best he was going to get for now. The biggest thing he was worried about was the lack of a baby bottle. How exactly was he going to feed Geh Ge without one?

He'd figure that one out later, too. For now, though, the cashier was his current worry. She was scrolling on her phone and judging by the way her eyes moved, she was reading. He hoped there was nothing about a missing baby on the news. He'd definitely be a suspect.

At least, that's what he was telling himself. It was always better to practice caution in his book.

"Good morning," he greeted, doing his best to sound as pleasant as possible. He wasn't used to being around people nowadays.

"Mornin'," she returned, putting her phone away and sitting up to start scanning his things. "What station?"

"Three."

She glanced over and he wondered if the look on her face was amusement or contempt. "With the purple car?"

He nodded, shifting a bit. Was it because it was purple? Was it his appearance? He probably looked like a deadbeat single father to a stranger.

"Stop, stop… it's nothing," he thought, rocking Geh Ge. The bub was starting to stir and it wouldn't take long for him to start making noise.

Luckily for him, his mind was just making mountains out of molehills. She didn't mention anything or make any snide comments: instead, she just did her job, only looking up when Geh Ge started whimpering.

Just as she told him the total amount and he handed it over, Geh Ge, much to Michael's horror, started to cry.

Apologising to the cashier, he started to bounce the bub in his arms, gently shushing him. The poor kid had to be hungry. Who knew when the last time he'd been fed was.

She was definitely bothered by Geh Ge's shrieks, judging by the way she quickly shoved his things in a bag to usher him out. He complied happily, embarrassed when he saw the trucker giving him the same annoyed look.

For someone so small, Geh Ge sure had quite the pair of lungs.

-o0o-

So far, nothing had been said about the bub. All that was being played over the radio was the story covering the burning of Fazbear's Fright. Some locals had started creating theories of the fire being a message from the spirits of the missing children. Others had wondered if it was caused by the shambling creature they had seen moving around that night.

The shambling creature comment only made Michael happier he had booked it out as soon as the place went up in flames. This only furthered his plan to get out of the state as soon as possible.

Michael looked down at Geh Ge who was now sound asleep in his lap once more. He had fallen asleep not too long after Michael had worked out how to actually use the baby formula (and had finished freaking out after he read the warning that said if too much water was added, it could potentially cause a seizure), and had to remind himself on how to change a diaper again.

He had figured out how to make a make-shift bottle though. He just used an empty water bottle, punctured a small hole through the cap with his car keys, and fed Geh Ge that way. It was a little messy, but it worked. He just had to cover the hole when he shook the bottle up.

Of course, he didn't have a baby seat, so the safest option was his lap, but he made sure to drive carefully. Whenever he felt himself drifting off, he made sure to park on the side of the road and nap – he would not risk his life trying to drive back home.

If there was one thing that he was thankful for, it was this old, purple car his father had owned. Despite being just over half-a-century old, it had not broken down on him even once.

(Granted, he hated thinking about how he got it in the first place… He still remembered the stench that had struck him when he had entered the abandoned restaurant – the disgusting, yet unmistakable smell of death. Knowing he had boarded that monster inside of that room and 'stolen' its car. It was chilling, hearing it breathing – or at least, attempting to breathe.)

He hated stopping though. It was so cold when he did, but he couldn't leave the car on or he'd be wasting fuel and damaging the engine. The best he could do was to hold Geh Ge close, curl up into a ball in the back seat with the thick hospital blanket he had kept from…

Well, it was the best he could do.

It had taken him one day the first time he had left the state itself, but that was because he had been driving for his life that night. The paranoia that Ennard would be standing in front of his car when he woke up still hadn't left him, even after all these years.

"…maybe they'll try stuffing a metal skeleton into you… I wonder how that'd work…" the man on the phone had said. He snorted at the memory, even if it hurt to think about that man's fate.

He still wondered whether it had been a good idea to leave the entrance of the facility open for that amalgamation, but he really had no choice – little Lizzie was in there. He needed to free her… but not at the cost of his own life.

Maybe he could park, turn the car off, and sleep until midnight. He knew it was dangerous but he could speed for the rest of the night. Not many cars had passed compared to usual and he'd managed to cut his time in half the first time but… he hadn't had a baby back then.

No, he couldn't risk crashing, getting a fine, or getting arrested. Speeding was out of the question.

He sighed. Well, they'd get there when they'd get there.

-o0o-

Michael found himself having trouble keeping his eyes on the road. It had been thirty-five years since he had been in Hurricane, but it was just as red, flat, and empty as he remembered, even with the snow.

He slowed down to the town's (or city, as it was now populated enough to earn that title) speed limit as he moved further inward, but try as he might, he couldn't hide his curiosity. Sighing, he drove down the street he was looking for and turned the corner, finding the grey building looming next to the park.

It was more intact than what he had thought it would be. The shell of Fredbear's Family Diner still sat, but anything to do with it had been removed. The signs and decorations had long since been thrown away, and the paint was completely gone. He wondered why it hadn't been destroyed, but had instead been left to the mercy of the elements; it didn't make much sense by a business perspective.

But the Diner wasn't the only reason he had gone there. Down the road was his almost unrecognisable home.

It had been knocked down and renovated to keep its appearance up-to-date with the local homes, but a weathered 'FOR SALE' sign was buried in the ground at its front. If he hadn't known the address, he wouldn't have even recognised the place. Everything had been changed.

The fence was no longer the classic, eighty's-styled, white, picket fence. Instead, there was no fence at all aside from the brick walls that had been installed to border the park and neighbour's house. Even the park itself looked abandoned. The grass hadn't been mowed in a while and rust covered the chains that held the swing set up. The plastic slide had melted slightly and forgotten toys were tied to the ground by weeds. It was a sorry sight.

This house had happy memories tied to it, even if they were mostly suffocated by the bad. Thinking about it made his eyes sting.

Mummy was holding him, singing some sort of song and waltzing around the lounge room. His siblings were both asleep on the couch with The Aristocats still playing on the TV, though the volume had been turned down.

It was a while before the door opened and they both turned to see Daddy shutting the door behind him. He looked like a mess, but he smiled at them and kissed him and Mummy on the cheek before he was handed over. It was late, and it was around this time that they would cook. They always exchanged the house chores. Daddy had cooked last night, so now it was Mummy's turn. Daddy was kind of a neat-freak, though, so he always cleaned the house.

And now his Daddy was dancing around the room humming the same tune, though he was horribly off-key.

Michael shuddered at the memory. Ballora had been playing that exact same song on her music box. He knew it was a song his mother had made up, so hearing it coming from the animatronic was scary enough, but then he saw her in the shadows. She looked like his mother, or at least was based on her. The bun, the makeup, the soft voice…

That memory had been three years after his little siblings had joined them, and everything seemed okay. Nothing had changed – both of them seemed to be as caring as always. But a rift had started – one only Michael was semi-old enough to notice. Half-way through the next year their mother was gone, and their father was never the same. Or, maybe he had always been like that and Michael had simply idolized him so much that he had never noticed. Their mother must have realised one day, but she went missing after the divorce.

Michael knew what had happened. He tried not to think about it too much. Maybe he would never understand his family, even after all these years. His father was evil, regardless of what he used to be, and that was all that mattered.

And he was still out there. Even in the black and white photo, he could see the 'life' in that thing's eyes.

He started the car up and drove off. He still had another hour to go.

-o0o-

He took a turnoff down the highway that led into the shadow of the snowy mountains in the distance. The gravel road was unkempt and had rocks striking the windows, even when he slowed down.

The trees scattered around had died, and the snow was struggling to decide whether to freeze or melt. Some fog that had draped itself over the mountain made the dull lights coming from the car cast an eerie shadow over the land, but he ignored it all and continued up the road to the isolated building hiding in the trees.

He could take some solace in how broken-down the place was. It meant no one had dragged themselves to this forgotten ruin and had simply left it to rot.

The car slowed to a halt at the old driveway and the fog seemed to part, showing the house in all of its rotted glory. It was terrifying despite the way the sun shined through the trees and bathed the place in light as though it was something worth looking at.

"Hmmnn?"

Michael looked down as Geh Ge started to wake up now that the soft rumble of the car was gone. He let out a big yawn, taking in his surroundings as he wriggled around. Smiling, Michael scooped him up into his arms and (after making sure Geh Ge was bundled up) stepped out into the cold.

The place looked like something out of a horror movie. It was the type of building you would shout at the main characters for being stupid enough to investigate when it was clearly haunted.

"This'd better be worth it," he thought, checking the entrance.

The garage door was iced shut and one of the windows on the front porch had shattered from the cold. The wood was rotted and infested, with some pieces having fallen off and buried in the snow. The door was hanging open, barely holding onto the wall and the doorknob was scratched, with paint torn off its frame.

Perhaps someone had broken in and tried to rob the place. If they had, they wouldn't have found much. There wasn't anything of real value inside… at least, not anymore.

Crossing the threshold sent a shiver down his spine.

Everything was exactly where it had been when he had run away. It seemed that nothing but the elements had even touched it since then. Dust had settled on every surface, along with melting snow and small, dead branches from outside.

The lounge room's carpet was eaten and torn to show the cement flooring underneath, and the couch had fallen apart completely, leaving nothing but its wooden skeleton. The light bulbs had busted and the plastic ceiling fan was lying on the floor some distance away from where it had originally hung. The TV was the only thing in tack, but it definitely wouldn't turn on. The pipes were rusted through by the sounds of the chugging sink that spurted out a foul-smelling sludge when he turned it on, and the electrical wiring had been eaten away.

The kitchen wasn't much better. Dishes sat on their sides, waiting to be put away, and the cabinets were falling apart. It wouldn't hurt to check if anything was salvageable, though.

All of the cleaning supplies were still there but they were long-out-of-date. The pantry wasn't any better, because when he opened it, he recoiled at the sight of rat skeletons and mouldy food. Chips had been torn through by the animals, the pasta was far too stiff, and all of the spices looked to be hard as rock. He didn't dare touch the fridge – the smell wafting from it was a good enough answer to what state it was in. At the very least, the porcelain plates, glass bowls, cups, and cutlery were still intact.

Michael ducked back to his car and pulled out some folded cardboard boxes that were stashed in the boot. He knew the things could come in handy.

Geh Ge was quite interested in the building, eyes bright and alert to everything inside. He had stared intently at the off-white dishes, and cutlery that begged to be cleaned, but seemed to get distracted by something in the lounge room. When Michael had finished putting the kitchenware away, he turned to see what the bub was looking at, but he didn't see a thing. Odd.

He made a point of walking past the dining room with its five broken chairs, and sturdy, wooden table without a glance, doing the same for his little siblings' empty rooms. He just made a beeline for his own.

It was also left untouched, which was a surprise. He would have expected it to have been trashed in his father's rage, and the fact that it wasn't was far creepier than he would admit.

Some of his books were on the floor, stiff, soggy, and completely illegible. His blankets and curtains were frayed and torn from years of sunlight, and everything that had once sat on his dresser had been knocked over by the wind. Opening it, he was disgusted by the sight of dead maggots lying on his old clothes. He shoved it closed and turned back towards his bed, moving things around, but there was nothing that could be used. Nothing aside from what was hidden under his bed.

Ducking down, he ignored the animal skeletons and pulled out the stainless steel box that was padlocked shut. It wasn't meant to ever be opened again, but he had grown up now and he had someone else to think of. Hiding from his past was not going to help him grow into the person Geh Ge needed him to be.

He was relieved to find that the key hidden under his pillowcase was still there but it filled him with anxiety. Why hadn't his father torn this place apart?

The locks were difficult to undo with one hand, (because he refused to put Geh Ge on the ground, no matter how much he wiggled in his arms in an attempt to touch everything) and the grit that had slipped inside the keyholes didn't help, but he managed.

Opening it made him shudder.

The foxy mask stared back at him, still in perfect condition. It wasn't made out of simple plastic. No. Back then, these things were authentic and made with care – something that was expensive because of its long life. He had gotten the first version of it when Foxy was still nothing more than a concept and didn't even have an eye patch yet.

And it was all because he had told his father that Foxy was his favourite.

Beside it sat Evan's little, golden bear, with Elizabeth's favourite red bow tied around its neck to replace the purple one. The cameras and speaker inside had been removed as soon as he had gotten his hands on the thing, and it had stayed safe with him.

Ironic that he could take better care of a toy than his own little brother.

He pulled them out so he could access the books left behind. They were old notebooks that were filled with everything he had learned during his younger years. His father had insisted on him learning how to operate and even build those things – and Michael felt shame that at one point, he had wanted to be like that monster.

Frowning, he flicked through the pages. Most of it was done in pen, so the sketches of the endoskeletons, concept designs of the animatronics, and jotted down notes on their A.I and construction were still legible. His father had made sure Michael's handwriting had been neat and the instructions were detailed. It ended up being a blessing in disguise when he was sent to find Elizabeth.

Geh Ge stared at the golden plushie beside him. No doubt the bub wanted it, but he was as small as the toy itself. "When you're a little bigger, bub," he reassured.

He put the two books aside and carefully picked up the final two items at the bottom of the box. A photo frame kept the ancient memories perfectly intact so that its colour hadn't faded one bit, making the family of five as clear as a camera back then could.

It was the last photo of them all together. His mother was holding his little brother, and his father was holding his little sister, with Michael standing in between them. All of them were smiling and it sickened him. He hated the idea that they were once happy. It was easier to stomach everything if they had always hated each other.

The second one was even worse.

It had been taken two years after. Henry was there beside them with little Charlotte hugging Elizabeth tightly. Michael was holding his brother, and William was standing behind them. This time, his smile was small and it barely reached his eyes.

Those were the only photos he had personally. There were more in a photo album somewhere, but his father had had that last, so he didn't know where it would be.

Three smaller boxes sat neatly against the back and he instantly recognised them as music boxes. One played the Toreador March, another played his mother's old waltz song, and the other was one he had only ever known as 'Bonnie's Lullaby', though he was sure it was called something else.

He didn't dare play them. Two out of the three made him remember the cold, dark offices late in the night. Nights he didn't want to revisit but did anyway in his dreams. The only one he did like was Bonnie's Lullaby, even though he hated the animatronic itself.

Michael put everything away and scooped the box under his free arm and went outside to stash it inside the car. He may as well take it – it was the only good thing in there. Before he explored the attic though, he stopped by the kitchen and retrieved the box to set it on the floor behind the front seat.

Now there was only one last place to check.

It took Michael a couple of tries to reach the trapdoor and yank the rickety old ladder to the floor. The impact caused dust to kick up and make the both of them sneeze. He started to laugh at the startled look on Geh Ge's face before the dust started to make his eyes water in irritation.

"Shh… shhh, it's okay," Michael whispered, bouncing Geh Ge while he climbed into the attic.

A huge chunk of the roof was gone, letting the snow soak into the floor. Being careful of where he placed his footing, he held Geh Ge closer in an effort to calm the bub down. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything he could do about the dust to make him comfortable or to stop the irritation.

Michael quickly looked around, eager to get out of the attic as fast as possible. It didn't take him long to spot their old baby stuff. Rushing over, he opened the plastic lid of their old toy box and pulled out the first thing he saw: a baby rattle.

Waving it around, Michael was relieved when Geh Ge opened his eyes. His wailing died down at the sight of the loud, round thing, and instead was replaced with curious mumbles. Sniffling, he reached out for it but Michael didn't hand it over. It was far too filthy and Geh Ge would certainly try and put it in his mouth. The bub didn't seem to mind though, delighted by the colourful balls that flew around inside.

Michael let out a sigh of relief and checked him over to make sure there was nothing wrong. He had fed him before he left Hurricane, but he double-checked that there wasn't anything wrong aside from his sensitive skin being affected by the dust.

When he couldn't find anything, he lazily waved the rattle back and forth as he took the time to really look around. Despite the classic, creepy atmosphere the attic gave off, it wasn't the dark that scared him.

The question; "Why is this all still here?" did.

This place had been his parent's home before they bought one in town so his father could be closer to work and the three of them could go to school. Occasionally, they would come here for the holidays, but it was always just his mother that would take them. The holidays were always a busy time for the Diner.

Everything they didn't need was stored here, but when it was only Michael and his father left, many things had been sold. There was no reason to keep all of this old baby stuff, but here it was anyway.

Even after it had lost its usefulness it had been in good condition. It could have been sold to people who needed it, but for some reason, his father had kept it.

And he didn't know why.

What? Did he expect that they would get used again? That Michael would have children and he'd just hand it down? Most parents did that since it was so expensive to raise a child, but his father hadn't cared about him after the… accident. In fact, he had completely ignored him and had spent most of his time locked in the basement, working on those machines.

It wasn't always like that. After their mother left, he wouldn't interact with them unless they did first. The one, silent, rule between the three of them was that the only time they shouldn't bother their father was when he was working unless it was something important.

"Daddy, someone's outside," Elizabeth whispered from the entrance of the lounge room in the house beside the Diner.

Their father looked up from his newspaper and Evan turned away from the TV to stare at them with wide eyes.

"Who?" he asked.

Elizabeth's grip on Michael's hand tightened, and he squeezed it in reassurance. "A man. I saw him staring at me through my window." Her voice was wavering too much and his little brother grabbed onto their father's arm.

"He's been following us for a while," Michael said, holding eye contact with his father, even when he frowned. He was scary when those looks were directed at them.

"And why didn't you tell me sooner, Michael?"

He swallowed, palms starting to sweat. He was responsible for his siblings when they were out. "I thought he just lived nearby. But then he started hanging around school. He always ran away when you were coming home." He finally looked away. "I thought that if you were here, he wouldn't come any closer."

Back then, the existence of killers or kidnappers was something people didn't worry about. Kids were allowed to run wild because no one cared to watch their children. The concept of someone snatching your child away was ludicrous to many.

Without a word, their father folded his newspaper as he stood and made his way towards the lit fireplace. Michael felt uneasy when he pulled the fire poker from its holder, the end red from the flames.

He turned and made his way towards the door.

"Where are you going, Daddy?" Evan asked.

Their father turned around, and there was a smug smirk on his face. "I'm going to teach him why you should never mess with an Afton." Then he was walking outside and into the snow with bare feet.

They heard the man scream not long after and their father's shouts, making them run out onto the porch.

Their father was running down the street, chasing the man away with the fire poker in his hand and shouting frightening threats and promises of pain if he caught him anywhere near their home again.

When he came back, they cheered and hugged him. He had a smile on his face that Michael would later know to be one caused by the fear he had set in the stranger, rather than one of pride for protecting his children.

He had had to sit in front of the fireplace after that because his feet were cold, so Michael had cooked that night.

The stuff inside was unsalvageable. The wooden crib and the small mattress inside were worn just like everything else. The only things that were in some sort of good condition were the toys inside the toy box and the yellowed books stored away in a cupboard filled with board games.

Ironically, while most were children's stories, there was one about how to be a single parent. Judging by the spine, it had never been opened. Michael had a feeling that not only would everything in it be outdated, but it would also get social services called on him.

He unfolded the second cardboard box under his arm and tucked the books, chess set, and toys inside. It was difficult getting them down the ladder without putting Geh Ge down, but he managed by hoisting it up and carrying it on his shoulder. He put the box down next to kitchenware, rearranging it so nothing would jump around.

He did one more sweep of the house, finding some old family trinkets that were still intact inside his father's room. They were novelties, just like the car: his mother's pretty tea set with pink flowers delicately painted over it, some old jewellery, his father's wedding ring, and a… rosary? It must have been his mothers; there was no way in Hell his father was a Catholic. He also found three photo albums: one that was devoted to his mother, one to his father, and the last to them all. Michael wanted to leave it behind but…

He returned to the car and put those treasures away in the last box he had.

Looking down, he saw that Geh Ge had been watching him. When their eyes met, he gave him a big, toothless smile and giggled.

Michael smiled back and leaned against the car, taking his gloves off so he could brush his hand over Geh Ge's head. There was a fine layer of brown fuzz that was starting to grow.

The bub would need a bath, but the best Michael could clean him with was with the wet wipes he had bought from the station.

Sitting back inside the car and turning the heater on, he unravelled Geh Ge from his jumper and started giving him the best attempt at a 'bath' as he could. Geh Ge didn't seem to mind though, seeming to relax when it was rubbed over his face. Michael noticed the dust that had latched on and set it aside to use a new one.

Once he was as clean as he could get, Michael put Geh Ge's nappy back on and tucked him inside his jumper again. The bub cooed, his eyes beginning to droop.

"It's alright, Geh Ge. You get some sleep, alright?" he said, kissing his forehead just as he fell asleep.

Looking at the house one more time, he sat Geh Ge back on his lap and turned the car on properly. Buckling in his seatbelt, he turned the car around and drove as carefully as he could back down the mountain.

He let himself fall into his thoughts.

Geh Ge was a very cute name, but it wasn't an actual name. He would need a real one. He'd also need a place to stay – an actual home. It didn't have to be big, just enough for the two of them. And Michael would need a job, a bank account, a new license… He'd have to go back to the person he used to be. The thought of reverting back to his birth name was frightening, but he couldn't keep hiding from himself.

He would be better, for Geh Ge's sake.

TO BE CONTINUED…