Mable: Because I'm running late, I'll keep this short. Enjoy!

Almost Feels Like Home

Chapter Sixteen

Charlie woke to the sound of light knocking on the bedroom door. She was still groggy from the night before, after waking up at around midnight and being unable to sleep again. It felt like she had barely gotten any rest and she had trouble focusing as she turned her head towards the door. Marionette let himself in and looked to her attentively.

"We're going to be leaving soon," he warned. She sent a weary glance at the clock which revealed it was already ten o'clock. Maybe they had been waiting for her to get up and normally she would've, but this body dealt with lack of sleep worse than her original one.

"Okay." Charlie let her mask drop back into the pillow. "Be careful," she managed to warn before she started to drift off once more.

"We will and I won't! I left the numbers out and everything should be fine until we get back," Marionette encouraged before he slipped back out the door. Then, before the door closed, he said with a smile, "Pray for our souls."

Then the door was closed, and he was gone. Charlie couldn't even begin to think about being alone when she was this tired. She rolled over and pulled the blankets over her head to both block out the light and smother her bell. Within moments she was asleep again and stayed that way for some time. She wasn't sure how long she slept, but she was awoken by the distant sound of the phone ringing. The sun's angle had changed so she could only assume that at least an hour or two had passed. Slowly, she dragged herself upright, and contemplated if it was worth trying to shuffle out into the living room. With a tinny sigh, she climbed out of bed.

Yet the Security Puppet noticed something peculiar. It almost felt easier to get out of bed and, even though it was still a balancing act, the weight of her body seemed easier to manage. That alone was a relief. The phone had stopped ringing before she made it out to it, which was almost a relief. For almost two minutes before the phone began ringing again. She considered whether answering it would be a good idea or not.

"It could be Mari. I could see him getting frantic…But if it's someone else, how do I explain why I'm here? And why would Mari be calling so soon anyway?" It was clear that whoever was calling would continue until she answered, so she braced herself and reached for the phone. "Keep calm. They won't be able to tell anything from my voice alone." She grabbed her bell to keep it from ringing just in case and answered the phone with a soft, "Hello?"

"Oh. Hello, Charlie. I'm so glad you answered."

The soft, feminine voice was absolutely the last one that Charlie expected to hear on the phone. "…Baby?" She didn't even know the clown able to use the phone with her less than human hands. She was even more surprised that someone who was so abrasive before suddenly sounded much meeker over the line. Baby's voice was so hushed that it was almost hard to hear.

"It's me. I'm so glad you answered. I wanted to talk to you," Baby explained. "I've had some time to think about how things went when we met, and I think we got off on the wrong foot. I was very cold to you and I shouldn't have been. I let my frustrations with the Puppet cloud my judgement and said things I shouldn't have…" She hesitated a moment. "…I hope you will give me another chance… I don't get to meet many people in this warehouse."

This all continued to confuse and astound the Security Puppet. It was as though Baby was replaced with a completely different person, or as though she had different personalities entirely. She couldn't say that she was ready to trust any animatronic other than Marionette, especially not Baby. Even Foxy, who had been charming during their meeting, she had trouble feeling fully comfortable with. It was hard to imagine that the clown was suddenly so remorseful, but what she said almost made sense. Her abrasiveness was, perhaps, in response to Marionette. Perhaps she really was apologetic.

…Or, most likely, she realized after a few days that Charlie was the best chance she had to be social. Charlie kept her cards held close to her chest as she answered. "It was a strange situation, I guess… I just barged into your house uninvited," Charlie guessed. She tried to judge and say what sounded the most neutral. "I'm fine in starting over if it means us being civil."

"That's wonderful," Baby praised. Charlie went to continue but the clown beat her to it. "Fritz was saying that you're alone too. That the Puppet and his human puppeteer are leaving, and you'll be left all alone."

"Only until tomorrow. I can handle it," Charlie clarified. "I'm used to living alone."

"You should come here," Baby encouraged. "We could start over from the very beginning. I want to know everything about you, so that I can forget about our bad first impression. It would be just like a playdate!" The silence made Charlie's hesitance obvious. "Fritz would bring you here and then could take you home tonight. You wouldn't even have to stay after nightfall. Would you come?"

"I… I don't know…" In any other case, Charlie would've been more considerate of the idea. Ignoring the fact that she would be going out without her housemates, she would be going out in broad daylight to visit a clown who had gone from absolutely hating her to some form of unexpected remorse. She wasn't even certain if she wanted to battle her own body when she could be safe at home, numbing herself with video games and textbooks. Yet Baby still insisted.

"Please, Charlie? I promise it'll be more fun than before. It'll be just like a party! Except just the two of us and without cake, unless you bring one with you," Baby offered. She sounded like she would keep protesting. In a way, it reminded her of how Jessica used to try and coax her to go out and do something when she was too caught up in school. It was while comparing Baby to Jessica that Charlie knew she was stuck.

"…Alright, maybe I'll come over for a little bit, but I can't promise I'll be there long," Charlie agreed as she looked around for an excuse to come back. She then spotted Moppet drinking out of her water bowl. "I'll have to come back at dark to make sure the cat is fed."

"Wonderful. I'll be waiting for you," Baby said. Then the phone call abruptly ended, and the Security Puppet was left with what she had agreed to. Somehow, she already knew this would be a mistake. With a sigh, she wobbled over to Moppet and knelt to pet her, stalling the eventual call to Fritz. At least she had an excuse to come home.

If only she had an excuse to not go at all.

Yet Charlie kept her word and soon found herself in the back of Fritz' car. Fritz was nice enough; Charlie had met him before the Magictime Theater event happened and, while they weren't even acquaintances, he seemed trustworthy enough. His confusion at Charlie's request to go to the warehouse was telling. It almost backed Mike and Marionette's previous mentioning of Baby; she just wasn't pleasant to be around. That alone made her wonder if this was an elaborate trap. Not one of significant danger, but one where she'd walk into the warehouse and become Baby's verbal punching bag.

"Here we are," Fritz announced as he pulled up by the door. "The phone's in the office and you have my number. Just call me whenever you're ready to go… Unless you want me to stick around. I can." Honestly, Fritz intended to find something to do with Natalie and Jeremy. Him and Natalie had both agreed that Jeremy needed to get away from the animatronics for a few hours and taking him to get pawed on by Foxy wasn't good enough. If this disrupted the plans, then so be it.

"I think I'll be fine on my own. I'm not afraid of Baby," Charlie remarked. She meant it as a joke but wondered if that could be taken seriously. "I'll call when I'm ready to leave?"

"Sure, of course," he agreed. He got out to unlock the door and shielded her as she shuffled into the warehouse. "Have, uh… Fun. If Baby gets too intense, you know how to get ahold of me." As though Charlie wasn't already seeing red flags. The door was shut but not locked again. Which was fine as there was a bolt lock on the inside as well in case she needed to lock it. She considered doing so before deciding not to. The soft sound of small wheels on concrete alerted her to Baby approaching and she turned to the aisle. Within moments, Baby appeared from the semi-darkness. Her glowing, green eyes instantly locked onto the Security Puppet as the clown eagerly moved in.

"Charlie, you came," Baby greeted in the same soft tone as on the phone. "I'm so glad. I was afraid you changed your mind."

"It took Fritz a little while to pick me up and drop me off, but here I am," Charlie remarked nonchalantly. The clown was staring a bit too intensely. "Did you… Have an idea of what you wanted to do?"

"Yes. I want to show you something," Baby remarked. She reached out and took Charlie's arm before smoothly turning to head toward the aisles. Almost immediately the Security Puppet's balance was lost, and she stumbled forward, being forced to clutch Baby's arm to stop herself from fully hitting the ground. The clown looked down at her. "Oh… You can't walk still." Her tone was unreadable. "And you don't float."

"I don't know how Mari does that or I'd be trying that now," Charlie remarked with only the slightest tinge of annoyance. It almost sounded like Baby was returning to how she was before. "I can walk, I just can't walk fast… Yet."

"I shouldn't have gone dragging you off. I'm sorry," Baby said, returning to her sweeter voice once more. "You can hold on and I'll help you. It's not very far; just in that aisle over there. I already have the box out." She guided the newer animatronic along, coasting slower on her skates, and this time Charlie forced herself to speed up. The box in question was sitting out in the middle of aisle and as they approached she noticed posters and pieces. She focused in on the images and was almost surprised to see that they were of a clown female that resembled Baby.

"What are these?" Charlie asked as she knelt and pulled one of the posters out of the box. She looked at cartoonish female clown shown beaming on the poster with the words 'Circus Baby's Pizza World' presented over her. "This is you?" Charlie turned back, almost surprised, and looked over what she knew as Baby. She looked only slightly like the clown in the picture, missing the care and falling to pieces.

"It was, and that was my old pizzeria. It was only open for one day…" Baby revealed quietly. "I used to be a performer at parties. I would sing, I could dance, I could even make balloons. Have you seen an animatronic make balloons with just a touch of their finger? I was built to do that."

"Why?" Charlie inquired. Baby cocked her head and the striped one realized that she didn't understand the specific question. "Why was the pizzeria closed after only one day?"

"Why?" Baby repeated. It almost seemed like she wasn't anticipating the question. Her green eyes briefly flinched, then she answered. "Gas leaks."

"I can see why it was closed," Charlie remarked with a slight cringe. "That actually happens a lot at restaurants. They don't check the ovens and then they try to cook a bunch all at once and something goes. Septic tanks too. It's a nightmare." She knew she was trailing off into chatters and reigned herself in. "I'm kind of… Surprised you're showing me this? I didn't think… I mean, we just met."

"I know," Baby answered. "…But… I thought if I shared with you my past… You might tell me more about yours." There was the catch. "I'll be honest, Charlie, I want to know about your human life. I would be so happy if you could tell me." She perked almost excitedly and cocked her head. "Did you go to many parties? What about school? Did you have a car? You have to tell me how many kinds of cakes they sell out there."

So that was it. Baby invited Charlie over to learn more about her human life. The Security Puppet wasn't surprised and, if anything, seemed comforted by the fact that her ulterior motives were so innocent. Sure, talking about it would make her uncomfortable, but it was a somber sort of uncomfortable. There was no point in not reflecting on the good times, even if they were long gone.

"I think I can manage that," Charlie agreed. "But, wait… Weren't you a human, Baby? I just assumed that the animatronics who were alive were all humans once." Of course they were. That was what made the animatronics sentient.

"No," Baby instantly denied. She then slowly raised her claw, almost thoughtfully, and lightly flexed it. She watched it open and close before adding, "But I've gotten close to them…" Charlie didn't know what she was suggesting, but it made her uneasy. Thankfully, the clown perked again. "But I would rather hear about you. Will you tell me?"

Charlie didn't really want to say no. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

It took a surprising amount of time for Mike to find a part of the camping grounds that were entirely secluded. By avoiding the most popular areas he was finally able to find an area to put the tent. It wasn't too far from the car and it didn't take Marionette more than a few moments out in the open to effectively 'map' the area enough to teleport between the car and the tent. This meant that he would be secure if he was careful, which Marionette was, and which Mike was less concerned with.

"Alright, I can't hear anyone at all out here. It's just you and me," Mike assured as he set the cooler aside. He then grabbed for his camera. "Come out for a second so I can snap a couple of photos. I'm not going to be able to use this thing in the dark." The Puppet looked reasonably skeptical, seeing as though it was broad daylight and they weren't exactly hidden well. Mike playfully added, "Come on, I think you could use a little sun."

As much as Marionette wanted to protest, he couldn't help but be curious and started to slide out of the flap. He looked around carefully as he tentatively raised into the warmth of direct sunlight. He couldn't remember the last time he was comfortable enough to stand out in the open in the sun; it was soothing as it sunk into his black fabric. At first, he looked around in paranoia, but he then started to look with interest, taking in the nature that he hadn't seen in so long. Perhaps ever, as it wasn't as though he had gotten many chances as a child, what with his unique situation.

"It's beautiful," Marionette quietly praised. "Look at those mountains!" They would certainly be interesting to look at closer once it got nightfall and he was free to explore. Some of the waterways too, he supposed, and in the distance he could see part of one of the rivers. "You wouldn't think it would be so dry with water right there." He moved in a bit closer to see better and moved in beside one of the trees to somewhat shield himself. Even the rough bark was so curiously pleasant underneath his fingertips.

A clicking noise alerted him to Mike and the camera. He flinched lightly and looked back. "Was that me or the river?"

"You, but there was a weird film on the viewfinder, so I'm guessing it didn't come through." Mike circled around the Puppet, who turned to face him, leaning back against the tree. "Just relax, alright? Nobody's nearby." There was a pause. "You're not relaxing." Marionette finally moved forward from the tree with a smile and raised a single hand in a wave. He then held the pose, waiting for him to take the picture. "…You're still not relaxing."

"It'll go through, trust me," the animatronic insisted. He forced back any of his defenses long enough for his companion to get a focused photo. "What a shame that we won't get pictures of tonight! We'll be seeing so much… Perhaps a flashlight would work? Though that lighting, hmm…" He rubbed at the chin of his mask and looked towards the water, which was apparently enough to earn him another click of the camera. He chimed in amusement at it and glanced over. "Any ideas on which path you will be escorting out on tonight, Mr. Schmidt?"

"Not a clue, but I'm going to do some scouting a little later to check it out. It's as good a time as any to hike under the baking sun," Mike quipped. That being said, he was a little excited about going for a jog somewhere that wasn't down their street and around their house. "If I find something closed in and vacant then maybe we'll go check it out before dark. Not that we won't get plenty of time. Most of these are families with kids, so they're not going to trekking out late."

"Then if you put it that way… Yes," Marionette agreed. Mike's eyes flickered up from his camera. "If you're able to find a safe trail that's not in the open then yes, I'll come with you. If not, then we'll have to wait until nightfall." The human was positively beaming at this. Marionette wasn't sure what had Mike so willing to risk getting caught, unless the event at Magictime had simply taught him that nobody would ever catch them, which was a terribly risky state of mind. Still, the thought was tempting. He tapped his fingers on his mask thoughtfully. "…In fact, why don't I finish with the rest of setting up and you go look around."

"You're sure?" Mike asked in surprise. The Puppet nodded. "Alright, then I'm taking off and will be back whenever I find a trail that'll work. Be careful, don't talk to strangers. That includes anyone we know from work." This got a chuckling chime through the tent. The security guard didn't exactly want to leave him alone, but he did want to go ahead with the running and casing of the area. He willingly left their little campsite and began searching out one of the hiking trails.

What followed next was a series of repeated failures.

It didn't take long to find a less strenuous trails that he could run on. After the adrenaline high back at the theater, getting a runner's high was much less impactful, but he couldn't deny that it was a welcome change. It was only now that Mike really considered how much more he preferred the control of being able to choose when he felt the rush. This would be the perfect time to indulge as well and he could live with the heat of the sun if it meant releasing those sweet endorphins.

Of course, it was right at that point when Mike was stopped nearly dead in his tracks by what was effectively a blockade of people. People hiking, people taking photos, people crowding the trail, and people immediately shooting down his interest. He wasn't too surprised; an easy, short trail would surely be packed with hikers. Especially the families who couldn't risk the harsher trails. After taking a few pictures he moved on to search out a more difficult trail, which he found. It was less comfortable running on, broken up by steps, and equally filled with hikers. Less people, but still too many to even dare coming through with Marionette.

It was only once he was ankle deep in water, slogging through the middle of tight rocks that Mike finally found a path that wasn't completely overrun by people. This was the only one that had a decent chance of being usable, but even then, it seemed like a risk. It was only through this ordeal that he realized how many people were here and capable of seeing them. At least he was starting to cool down, but his runner's high was long gone. He almost considered turning around and heading back when he started to hear voices.

"Looks like we're doing everything at dark," Mike wearily imagined. It would be harder to trek in the dark, but at least Marionette would be safe and comfortable. He knew that he would be having a better time with the other here anyway, instead of just walking blindly. Less than impressed, he swallowed down any frustration and continued towards the voices. The path opened into a larger area and the river grew shallow enough that he was able to walk quicker. This was a relief as he intended to pass the other people and make his way down the rest of the trail. Then he would return to the tent to update Marionette on the situation.

Halfway past the group and a voice stopped him. "Excuse me, would you mind doing this for me?" At first Mike didn't realize that the question was for him and only looked over when a woman rushed up to his side. Before he could even respond, she was pushing a camera into his hands. She looked to be in her twenties, as did the group waiting all clustered together. A typical group of friends without cares, looking like they just came out of a clothing commercial.

"You've got to be kidding me." The urge to say it out loud was almost overwhelming. However, he bit down his thoughts and took the second camera. "Yeah, sure," he reluctantly agreed. He watched her rush over and fling herself into her gaggle of laughing friends. "Remember, you asked for this, Schmidt. You put camping into Mari's head," Mike mentally scolded as he clicked a few photos. Eventually the group broke up, chattering and crackling to themselves, and he was stuck standing there holding the camera. Seeing that they weren't making any attempt to come over, he spurned them on, "I get to take off with your camera now, right?"

The woman rushed back over, and her friends came to get back on the trail, which was now guiding back out of the water. He intended to hurry ahead and lose them as quickly as possible. "Thanks! At least I'm going to be in a couple of the pictures," she remarked as she took the camera. "So, you come down here often?"

"You mean to the park or on this path? Because neither," Mike explained quickly. "I've lived in the area for years, but I've never been out here."

"It's our first time too! We've pretty much walked all the trails already, except the really hard ones. You wouldn't believe how amazing these mountains are," the woman continued to gush. Mike turned to start leaving, hoping that he could dismissively escape the conversation. It only took a few moments before he realized that the group was somehow managing to keep up. The woman especially seemed interested in talking, "I'm Tiffany, that's Nathan, that's-." Mike hoped that they wouldn't be quizzing him, as he quickly lost any memory of their names. He supposed he could always talk his way out of it; if there was one thing he was good at, it was talking around things.

One of the other guys started walking in front of them, effectively blocking Mike's path. "There goes my chance at running off," he mentally lamented. He just found himself exasperated already but stayed civil. "I'm Mike," he greeted in a way that was only slightly curt. "Looks like a lot of people visiting."

"I know! You should've seen some of the roads driving down here. They were terrible!" the girl vented. Suddenly one of her friends, one of the men, popped up between them obnoxiously close for comfort.

"When we were down in the parking lot- parking area thing- some kid threw open his door and slammed it into ours. Like, this much of the paint's off the door." He punctuated the statement by showing a gap between his finger and thumb. A few inches wide and a few inches from Mike's face. "If they're going to have this many people parked then they ought to just put down a parking lot. We still had to shuttle up here anyway, so we didn't even need the car. And there's so many kids! Dude, this isn't kid friendly!"

"I think you're a little too old for 'Dude', Buddy." Mike smirked to himself. "I work at a family restaurant and my first weekend off involves me sharing a mountain with a couple dozen people and a couple hundred kids." Mike hoped they would pick up the hint and leave, but they didn't. So, he continued, "If I knew it was going to be this packed, I would've gone to Vegas. Sure, I would've lost a fortune, but at least I could've walked ten feet without a wall of people. Don't even think about going down that 'easy' trail down that way."

"What's your poison, slots or cards?" the girl chimed in playfully. "Or underground rooster fights behind the casinos?"

"I like to stick to my coin pushers. I like to count every single quarter I'm giving to the casino," Mike remarked with a small scoff. "In fact-." His continuation was cut off by the man walking ahead of them slipping on a rock step and landing heavily on his backside on the rocks. He slid down the path a little further, all while Mike stared down at him blankly.

"You see that?" the man beside him remarked. He pointed dramatically at the fallen one. "That is not kid friendly!"

"Watch that first step, it's a doozy!" one of the girls cracked in from behind.

"It's at moments like this that I ask myself what I'm doing with my life," Mike muttered. Obviously, he was heard, because the guy who was nearly climbing on him gave him an approving slap on the back, but again they seemed completely oblivious to what he was saying. They weren't going anywhere.

The continued trek down the path wasn't long and wasn't too eventful. The conversation got stuck on Vegas and continued looping around that one topic. Eventually arrived at the crux where Mike could return to his and Marionette's camp and separate himself from his newfound followers.

"Well, here's my turn," he said. He separated himself away from the others to visually make his intentions clear. "Maybe I'll see you around." Yet right as he planned to leave, freeing himself from them, he was met with protests.

"Aww, are you sure?" the girl asked. "Why don't you come with us? We're heading on one of the higher trails to dry off. There's a canyon view that's to die for."

"And a drop to die for too," said the clumsy man, who had made a hobby of coming down the canyon on his backside. "It'll be fun! Shouldn't take more than… Maybe thirty minutes. Depends on if we need a rescue crew to haul us out."

They looked at him so expectantly, as though they truly wanted Mike to join in and come prance around the trails with them. Mike stared at them with absolute confusion. These people didn't know him from a complete stranger on the side of the road, yet here they were trying to take him in like some sort of stray dog, making him into one of their group. Not to mention that they were as sheltered as it came, much too wholesome, brimming with some sort of suburbanite bubbliness that was foreign to someone like Mike himself. They were the type who should've been turned away by his cynicism.

…So, why didn't he immediately shoot down the offer? Here he was convincing himself that these were the clear definition of fair-weather acquaintances, and yet their offer was tempting. It was just a group of normal, young, foolish strangers who hadn't gone through anything like Freddy's, probably didn't know what it was like to live paycheck to paycheck and treating a hike in a canyon like it was some sort of big adventure. He had his own friends and he had his own life, and yet here he was, tempted to continue with it… Maybe Marionette wouldn't notice an extra thirty minutes.

"…Which way's this trail?"

Baby seemed insatiably curious. Charlie wasn't sure how long she had been there just talking and looking through things, but it seemed like it never ended. Especially when they hit this strange lull in the conversation where Baby couldn't stop talking about ice cream. That had certainly been odd, but not entirely unpleasant. Save a few strange repetitious phrases mentioning scooping ice cream that seemed either unsettling or suggestive. Charlie would rather not admit to either. It was this conversation that abruptly cut off by the clown's sudden proclamation.

"I do think you're a Funtime model. The Freddy and Foxy on that poster were also of the Funtime model," Baby explained. The posters weren't with them any longer as they had been left out in the box in the aisle. Instead, they were in the office, where Charlie had taken to the office chair. It was much easier to scoot around in it then to battle her legs any longer. "You can really tell. They don't have fabric exterior and usually have plates. Almost like I used to have, but… I was a different kind of animatronic on the inside." She hesitated for a moment and looked away. "…They were my friends… But they're gone now."

"I'm sorry. I know what it's like to lose people," Charlie sympathized.

"I miss them very much. They were my closest friends… There was another Funtime model too, but I haven't seen her in years…" Baby turned and languidly rolled along the floor. "I'm on my own…"

"Was it Bonnie or Chica?" Charlie asked. She could only assume it was one of them, being the staples of Freddy's. They seemed like the more appropriate characters for getting numerous forms. Though she supposed in retrospect that she did like the wobbly body she was in better than the clunky form of the Funtime Freddy or Funtime Foxy. They just looked heavy. Sure, she wouldn't walked better, but she could only guess that more human activities would be difficult, such as travelling.

"It was Funtime Chica… And I do know where she is…" Baby stiltedly said as she nudged the office chair to the side. She stopped in front of the desk and turned on the computer monitor. She used her good hand to maneuver the mouse and type and seemed rather dexterous in it. It wouldn't be surprising if the clown had been spending some time using the computer. Soon she pulled up a website. "There aren't many animatronic restaurants left here that began from Freddy's. Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, Circus Baby's Pizza World, Bonnie's Birthday Ballroom- all of them were closed… Except for one. Chica's Party World."

"There's still a Fazbear restaurant open?" Charlie asked in surprise. She scooted closer and leaned over the desk to peer at the screen. Baby looked down at her, seemingly pleased at her curiosity. Looking at the screen showed only a basic website with a pink background, a minimal map, and a small blurb punctuated with a tiny cartoon picture of a white and pink Chica. "I can't believe this…"

"Such an original name, isn't it?" Baby inquired. Her voice briefly betrayed a sourness at the name similarities. It was then covered with a neutral tone. "But it's a fitting name. It's not a pizzeria, it's a party room and party supply store, and it looks like she's the only animatronic there. The only remaining Funtime animatronic too… Except for maybe you." She then paused once more, one that was strictly for the illusion of somberness. "…I wish I could go see her. She's in a mall not too far from here, but nobody would take me willingly. I think it's clear that the others don't like me… But I suppose I deserve that. I haven't been kindly to them."

Charlie looked up at her but said nothing. She wasn't entirely sure what to say to this and wasn't sure if she could comfort the clown in any way. Before she could even try, those green eyes seemed to glow brighter as they stared down at her.

"Unless… We went together," Baby quietly pointed out. Charlie stared blankly but drew back slightly as though in confusion or surprise. "We could go together and see if, maybe… Funtime Chica is still awake and aware, like we are." She turned back to look at the hallway. Slowly, she glided over towards it, and stopped in the doorway of the office. "…I've lost everyone already. All of them were destroyed."

"I'm sorry," Charlie apologized again. "What happened to them?"

"…They were torn apart piece by piece," Baby explained. "There's none of them left anymore. But maybe Funtime Chica… Maybe she's still there. Maybe I have someone left."

"You're not serious, are you?" Charlie asked in befuddlement. "How are we supposed to get there? I can barely walk, and we'd be spotted on the side of the road even if I could. The map says that this place is miles away… And in a mall." She gave a tired exhale, but it came out as a soft ringing instead. "Baby, I'm sorry, but we couldn't do that. Unless, I don't know, maybe Fritz will take you someday? You could ask him."

"He never would. Besides, the only thing he has that wouldn't would be the van… And he left it outside. The keys are ever right in that desk drawer." She slowly spun to face the other female and raised a hand to her chest in an almost hopeful way. "You could drive it, couldn't you? We could leave once it got dark, drive there, and I could find us a way in. Perhaps Chica would even let us in herself!"

"Baby, do you hear yourself?" Charlie asked in disbelief. "If we got caught driving-."

"Then you pretend to be an empty animatronic in the back of the van and we wait until they leave to look for the 'driver'," Baby quickly shot down. It almost sounded like she had been thinking of this more than she had admitted to. "Getting there is really not a problem, neither is getting inside, so why shouldn't we? You've been human recently, so you should be able to still drive. Unless… Unless you rely on the Puppet and his human fully. Which would be a shame." She dropped her head and grabbed her arm with her good hand sadly. "…I just miss my life before I became this. Back when I was happy on stage with my friends… I want to go back."

Something about that comment hit home a little closer than Charlie wanted it to. Her resolve was starting to cave as her hands tightened in her lap.

"You could even wear your jacket hood to hide your head. Please?" Baby was nearly begging. "I don't feel… Complete. I need Funtime Chica to be complete."

Charlie knew it was a terrible idea, even as she stiffly nodded and gave some variation of, "We can try."

Baby helped Charlie out to the car- partially because Charlie was almost in shock at what she was agreeing to do. She climbed into the front seat, clutching the keys, and Baby let herself into the back. She waited a few moments before pulling her hood up and tucking her bell underneath it. With only a moment to brace herself, she turned the key in the ignition and the van sputtered to life. She still knew what she was doing, so maybe she could do this. Maybe she could give Baby the closure that she would never be able to get.

…This still felt like a mistake.

Mable: I think 'this still feels like a mistake' pretty much sums up most of Mike, Scott, and Charlie's decisions over the last few years. Let's hope these new friends- whether Mike or Charlie's- are more promising than one would first assume. Anyhoo, the next chapter will be posted next week. I hope you enjoyed!