Greeting: Hello, people. There is something important which I need to add to this story.
Looks like Freddy and friends have something to do after all. That will happen soon.
Today, Rachel and friends will take the stage. Enjoy, everyone!

( Nick and the animatronics. Under a siege)

Rachel felt as if her life was over. She had come to the main room with the kids and her friends.
The children were safe and stayed close to Ray and Bane. They could not believe that Pete was gone.
Doug had been really close to him, Doug had loved that silly pig.
Rachel could not help him and neither could Nick. Rachel was in shock and she wondered how much she could take before collapsing for good.
" Please be over. I don't want to go through anything like that ever again", she thought.
The girl who loved Rachel, was hugging her leg and listening to her whimper.
Rachel's mind had not been built to handle that much stress and shock. She had never been doing anything else than singing.
Rachel might collapse if anything like that happened.
Pete was gone for good and he was not coming back.

Rachel could almost hear his moaning as he was being dragged through the vents.
What were those things doing to him right then?
Rachel imagined that it was something very bad. Pete's death was not going to be painless and fast.

As Rachel let out a deep sigh, Nick wrapped his arm around her.
Nick bent closer to her ear.
" Be strong, my girl. The children need you more than ever. If you collapse now, we are as good as dead", he whispered into her ear.
Rachel glanced at him with tears in her eyes.
" I can't take this. Pete's dead and it's my fault. If I hadn't run to the basement, he would still be alive.
If I hadn't panicked and been paralysed by fear, he would still be with us", sobbed Rachel.
Nick was extremely worried about her, Rachel was turning dark.
" Those things have surrounded us, Rachel. The windows are strong but not even close to impenetrable. We need to get out of here as soon as possible.
But above all, the kids need to stay calm. They need you so pull yourself together", Nick looked into her eyes.

Rachel glanced at the windows and saw the creatures outside. They weren't attacking the windows but why would they.
The people had nowhere to run. Rachel glanced at the scared children and her friends.
" Okay, Nick. I'll stay strong for them", promised Rachel.
She gathered her strength and pulled herself together.
The girl, by her, grabbed her hand.
" Come, Rachel. My friends are scared and they need you", said the girl.
" They don't. I'm scaring them. I just told them about the true me and now everything's ruined. I was stupid and frail when sad.
I shouldn't have said it", Rachel regretted her big mouth.
" Come anyway. Come, my plush bunny", pleaded the girl.
The corners of Rachel's mouth rose a bit.
" I'll come, don't worry", she showed the girl a comforting smile.

She followed the little girl to a group of kids. Ray was with them too.
Rachel sat down and the kids looked at her. Those who had been in the basement, did not show fear for Rachel.
" Are you alright, girl?", asked Ray.
Rachel glanced at him.
" We can get through this together", Ray smiled at her.
Rachel felt better already. The kids, beside her, were hugging her sides.
She petted their heads comfortingly.
" He is right. Life is about not always being easy. We are in a new situation but we can make it", Rachel assured the children.
" But we are in danger, Rachel. I'm scared", said one boy.
Rachel was sure that the boy was not the only one.
He was right next to Ray. The raccoon hugged the boy.
" To be honest, we are always in danger. You can't help it so don't worry about the dangers", said Ray.
He was wise when he said that.
" Ray speaks truth. This building could collapse on us any second even without those creatures.
We are not scared of the building collapsing, are we?", Rachel looked at the kids.
" I guess not", said the boy.
Ray glanced at Rachel, they knew what to say. Rachel bent forward to get closer to the boy.
" Don't worry. There is a song about that. Don't worry, be happy. I bet the monsters wouldn't like you being happy.
If you are happy, then it's their time to be afraid", assured Rachel.
" But I don't think I have the strength to be happy", the boy had a problem.
Rachel had had the same problem just a few minutes before. She grabbed the boy's hand between her hands.
Rachel held his hand calmingly and spoke in a gentle tone.
" Well, I think you do. I believe you have the strength. I can see it in your eyes. You have the strength, little one. I know you do.
You all have the strength. The monsters are afraid of your courage", Rachel petted the boy's cheek.

The children had been listening to her and her speech gave them strength to be happier.
" None of you have nothing to be afraid of. As long as you are here, the light lives on inside all of us", Rachel told them.
Ray couldn't have said it in a better way. He was proud of Rachel.
She had said it perfectly and every word was true.
" The monsters will try to make us crumble. It is what they want", said Ray.
" But we will never give in. We will win", Rachel finished it.
The animatronics had given the kids more strength to be happy and not give up. The monsters could sense the light inside the children.
It was flowing through the animatronics and creating a shield around them.

One monster punched the hard window as hard as it could. The window showed no signs of weakening.
They had time, more than a day probably. Nick could take his time in making up a plan.
It needed to be safe for the kids.
They needed to get out of the pizzeria and slip past the creatures. The second part of the plan had to be their destination.
Nick wasn't stupid enough to think that they would be safe out there. They needed a place to head to.
Somewhere where kids could play and where it would be safe.
Nick was already thinking about possible places. The animatronics were dealing with the children and adults were surprisingly calm.
Nick had time to think.
Finding a safe place shouldn't have been too hard to find. Getting out of the pizzeria was the hard part.
So far, Nick had no idea of how they would do that. The monsters were made for tearing flesh and stopping any escapists.
Lynn's gun had few bullets left in it but they were good for nothing.
Nick had no proper weapons in the pizzeria but those wouldn't have been useful anyway.
Their pizzeria was like a castle, on a hill. They were under siege which would not end soon.
The monsters had all the time in the world, they would stay outside.
Plus, waiting was useless since the monsters would get in sooner or later, possibly sooner.
The vents had been heated up, which seemed to work for the time being.

The heater was not a heart, it didn't have the strength to work for years in a row.
That would fail eventually and death would claim its prize.
The windows were pretty much the same. They would break if the monsters were persistent, and they were.
The only question was which one would fail first. Nick's guess was the windows.
Then there was, of course, the one and only basement door.
They had sealed it and it would hold for some time but not for eternity. Unlike the other cases, Nick could do something about the door.
He ordered the staff to put stuff in front of it.
The door was meant to withstand impacts and not break.
With the help of some furniture, it would hold longer than the windows.
Hopefully at least!
Nick really hoped he hadn't missed anything important. There were three ways to die in Rachel and Doug's pizzeria.
None of which Nick wanted to experience. He had come so far in his life.
He had gone to college and set up his own restaurant. He had taken care of his beloved robots and loved them like a father.

Nick did not want to die like this. He hadn't even found a wife yet, he had to make it.
Nick made sure that his animatronics were fine. He was relieved to see Rachel smile at the kids.
" There you go, plush bunny. I knew you could turn that frown upside down", he thought when looking at Rachel.
Doug and Bane were fine despite Pete's death.
Ray could not be sad, he was optimistic. So they were fine, some more than others.
Doug was moving slower and Nick saw depression in his eyes. He had taken Pete's death really hard.

Doug could not bark when he was talking with a child, he only barked when he was happy.
He was still entertaining and hugging the children but he was not a happy puppy anymore. Doug could not tell the children about what had happened to Pete.
Not so far away, Rachel was doing her best to do just that.
It was not an easy topic to discuss. The kids had seen enough death and suffering for one day.
Then there were the monsters.
Rachel encouraged the kids not to look outside.

The day was eventually over and the night arrived.
The kids had to stay in the pizzeria for the night. It was darker than before but the monsters were still outside.
Rachel tried not to look at them either. It was beyond terrifying how they were just standing there, outside.
They were like mannequins, completely still. Their black eyes were creepy in the dark.
The light, shining through the pizzeria's windows, was shone upon the monsters at the front.
No light came out of their eyes so it looked like their eyes were missing.
Once Rachel glanced out the windows, Jason's face appeared in front of her.
It was just a memory, triggered by the sight, but it creeped her out. It had started to rain and the monsters were getting wet.
Still, Rachel could see no movement.
She knew they were alive and well but they looked dead. Water was dripping down their cheeks and it looked like tears.
To Rachel, it looked like a stream of blood, coming out of their eyes.
It was raining cats and dogs but the monsters' attention was not interrupted.
Rachel seriously tried not to look outside but she couldn't help it. She felt that the monsters could rush in any second.
Maybe the monsters could have come in if they had wanted to. Rachel wondered if they enjoyed, watching Rachel and her friends be afraid.
They weren't hitting the glass anymore, Rachel hadn't heard a thump in hours.
It was scary. Had the monsters given up?
Were they waiting for Rachel and her friends to go insane?
The monsters weren't even blinking, which was scary.

Rachel was standing in front of the monsters with only a hard window between them. The employees were putting the kids to sleep.
Unlike Freddy's, Rachel and Doug's was full of mattresses.
Nick had so many in the backstage. Pete had always wondered why they would ever need them.
" It's not like anyone would have to sleep in here", had Pete once said.
He had been so sure about it. Nick wasn't amused though, there was no one to chuckle at, not anymore.
He kept on working and would have accepted Rachel's help.
Nick saw that Rachel was not in the mood, he let her be.
Though, Rachel would have needed something else to think.
Bonnie's piece of advice would have been good for Rachel. It really was not good for her to stare into the darkness.
It was lurking into her soul and corrupting it.
Rachel couldn't feel it, she refused to look away.
She tried to see if any of the monsters would move in some form or fashion.
Their clothes were wet and their shoes were full of water.

It was dripping down their chins and it looked like saliva. To Rachel, it looked like the blood of their victims.
It was water but the light was dim. It could have been red.
She was staring into their eyes, terrified of what their next move would be.

Doug came to Rachel and placed his hand on her shoulder.
" Can you see Pete? Is he in there? Did they bring his corpse out of the vents?", asked Doug with his eyes full of tears.
Rachel's answer was cold.
" No, I can't. They have taken him away", answered Rachel with a sad voice.
Doug embraced his friend. Rachel did not look at him.
" Let's go to our stage. I need to nuzzle someone. It has been a horrible day", Doug begged of Rachel.
She had always been the best at nuzzling.
Doug had always loved Rachel's way of nuzzling him and giving him belly rubs.
Rachel glanced at him with a sad look on her face.
" I feel that they are going to come in and eat us all", explained Rachel.
Doug was helpless, he needed a friend.
" Please. I won't make it through the night if you don't come to me", he looked at her beggingly.

Rachel saw that Doug was not playing around when he claimed that. The dog was so sad and depressed. Rachel did not blame him.
The whole day had been a roller coaster of emotions.
Rachel petted the back of Doug's head. Her touch was gentle and calming.
" Okay, Doug. I'll share my strength with you. You don't have to be alone", she told her friend.
Doug looked beyond grateful. Rachel kissed him on the forehead, he was like a child.
Rachel could not repair Doug's broken heart and he couldn't fix hers.
Everyone was broken more or less and they had to deal with it.

Rachel and Doug passed some children and gave them good night's kisses. One kid had a bone plush and he gave it to Doug.
The dog thanked him in a sad tone.
Rachel and Doug went to their stage and through the curtains at the back.
They had a nice place in there.
Rachel and Doug went to their bed and cuddled one another. Bane had to spend his night alone, he missed Pete as much as Doug did.
Despite everything, Bane could feel that Pete was still with them. He went to sleep mode with a calm expression on his face.
Doug buried his face into Rachel's side and began to cry. He didn't have to hold it back, there were no kids around.
Rachel wished she could have let the pain come out. She was unable to cry like Doug. She was hurt as well but expressed it by letting out a sigh.
Doug's tears moistened the bone plush as well as Rachel's fur and the bed.
Rachel tucked her head under the blanket and closed her eyes.
" Safe dreams, my children. Safe dreams, Doug. Stay safe, all of you, out there", thought Rachel.
She finished it with an evening prayer and went to sleep mode. Rachel let the calming warmth take her away.

( The Raccoon's hut. Around the same time)

Ray had put his hat and bandana aside for the night. He was not sad like his friends.
He was worried about them though. Doug had been pretty depressed earlier.
Ray was less worried about the kids even though they were sensitive to death and danger.
He had done his best to keep the kids calm. He was not a real gunslinger but he was the best one they had.
Ray was lying down, staring at the ceiling.
He wondered if anyone was still alive out there. The rain kept on coming and the wind had gotten stronger.
The building would hold but would the minds of everyone inside it do the same?
Ray had checked on the children before going to bed. They had seemed safe, hiding underneath the blankets.
Ray was sure they could sleep. There was nothing to worry about.
" Sleep tight, kids. Sweet dreams", thought Ray.
He closed his eyes and let out a calm sigh.

As he was about to enter sleep mode, he heard something. Ray opened his eyes and glanced towards the hut entrance.
With his raccoon ears, Ray was able to hear tiny footsteps. Someone bare-footed was approaching.
It was tiny and light. Ray was not going to panic.
If it was a monster, he would fight. Ray doubted that though, it was not supernatural.
Just a tired girl, peeking around the last corner. Ray looked at her and smiled.
The girl had a raccoon plush tucked underneath her left arm.
" Hello, little one. What are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be in bed?", asked Ray, getting up from his resting place.
The girl came around the corner and walked towards Ray.
" I can't sleep. They are watching me", muttered the girl.
" Who are watching you? Come here", Ray gestured her to come closer by extending his arms.
The girl came to him and sat down on his lap. Ray embraced the girl slowly and looked at her.
" The things. I don't want to sleep right in front of the windows. The creatures are scary", answered the girl.
Ray understood that perfectly. Nick had switched off most lights in the main room.
That girl had been meant to sleep by the windows. There was not much space in Rachel and Doug's so some kids had to sleep close to the windows.
" They are, little one. I wouldn't sleep there either. You poor girl. You can sleep with me tonight", Ray comforted her.
The little one hugged him and felt relieved.
There was no way Ray could have sent her back. The girl was going to sleep with him.
There was not much light in the Raccoon's hut so the kid could easily sleep in there.
Ray lay down with the girl and gave her the blanket. The girl held onto her sweet plush just like Ray held onto her.
He left one light on so the girl wouldn't get scared.

Ray was meant to be a character for older kids but he could be cute as well.
" You have nothing to worry about when you are with me. I'll keep you safe, no matter what happens. You can just sleep and dream", promised Ray.
The child was completely protected by Ray's caring embrace.
If Springtrap had been there, he would have smiled at them.
Ray was good at adapting to a new situation. His tone was very calming and his grip was gentle.
He petted the girl's hair and her cheeks. Ray could feel the girl's heartbeat slow down.
He felt her muscles relax and her breathing get slow.
" Ray", whispered the girl.
" What, little one? Is this not comfortable?", asked Ray.
" No, it's not that. I just..wonder if we'll survive. I heard Nick and some people talk about that", answered the girl.
" Don't worry about any of it. Leave it to Nick, he knows what to do", comforted Ray.
" But what if the critters get into our pizzeria. What do we do then?", the girl asked Ray.

He could imagine the massacre which would follow.
What could the animatronics do if those things got in?
" I don't know, little one. I have no idea", was all that Ray could answer.
They both fell asleep while thinking about that. Ray wished someone would help them.
Would it be the children's fate to be killed in a massacre?
Ray couldn't think about it. They were just innocent kids after all.

Farewell: They are in a horrible situation. Let's hope they survive.
I hope you like this story so far. I enjoy writing it for you guys.
I wish you had fun, reading this chapter.
THE ONLY WAY TO LIVE IS TO WRITE.