Mable: Okay, so… Really rough week. I'd rather not go into the circumstances, but everything came to a standstill and that's why the chapter is so late. I won't delay it any further. Enjoy!
Almost Feels Like Home
Chapter Forty-Two
It turned out that the movies were a good idea. The theater in town was small, but opened at ten in the morning, meaning that the place was empty except for the staff. Alone in a dark theater with nothing between them except a bag of popcorn; it was the closest that Mike and Marionette had gotten to the stereotypical date. The movie was moderately better than the fair on television, a basic comedy, but the thrill of it was knowing that at any second they might've had the smallest chance of being caught. Probably a foolish risk considering that Mike had just been broadcasted over the air to who knows how many people.
Though as soon as the film was over, they mutually decided that the smartest thing was to head back home. If only to get through Foxy's blowup without him calling around. It was only after they drove away from the theater that Mike realized he had never turned his cellphone on that morning, which got an almost nervous chime out of the Puppet. As though he was already imagining the pirate blowing steam. In fact, he waited until Mike was opening the front door before teleporting inside. They entered almost at the same time, and Foxy was already waiting for them.
"'Bout time you two got back," the pirate muttered. He had his arms crossed and was giving them the most disgruntled look he could. From how he looked, they could've believed that he was standing there for hours, but it was more likely that he had just heard the car pull in. Though what was confusing was how suppressed he was. "Where'd ya go, the pizzeria?"
"Just around town. Nowhere too exciting," Marionette dismissed. He'd tell Foxy about the movie later, he knew that his brother already knew that he had went to the memorial but wouldn't clarify how far inside he went. "Is something wrong?"
"Nah, nothing's wrong," Foxy said with his right ear twitching like it did when something was wrong. "Just saw some o' that on TV is all. It ain't fun." That almost explained it. It would've made sense that he was upset about what Mike said on TV, but he wasn't acting like that was what was bothering him.
"Just checking… Where's Charlie?" Only now did the Puppet realize her disappearance. Foxy pointed his hook back at the couch.
As though summoned by the voices, Charlie straightened up on the couch so that she could be seen over it. "I'm here," she said. Her voice almost sounded weak. As soon as she wasn't looking, Mike and Marionette exchanged a look, then he looked to Foxy. He knew from the fox's gaze alone that he found the source of his distress. The striped one turned his attention fully to the other puppet and approached the couch.
"Afternoon, Charlie! I hope you slept well," Marionette greeted. His gaze fell to the photo album opened in her lap. "What are you up to?"
"Not much, really. Just looking at some of these old photos…" the Security Puppet tiredly answered. Her head was nearly hanging as she looked down at the rows of photos. They were mostly pictures of a younger her with other children playing or posing together. They were the same children, so it was clear that they were her friends. "I just got a little nostalgic," she added. There was an obvious somberness that he picked up on immediately. Before he could ask, Foxy took his shoulder.
"Lad, I was thinkin'. Why don't ya get that old, unholy Freddy game out? I ain't turnin' that game back on until I get this crick outta my wrist." Foxy punctuated the statement by rolling his hand. His wrist gave a light squeak of protest. "An' I be bored as sin. Go get it, wherever it is."
The Puppet was positively stunned by the suggestion. He was prepared to question it when Foxy gestured his gaze down towards the Security Puppet, as though signaling something about Charlie. Maybe he wanted to get her away from the photo album. Come to think of it, that might've been a good idea considering how somber she sounded. "That sounds like a great idea! I'll go get it. It's in my bedroom," Marionette simply answered before starting towards the hall.
Charlie noticed him leaving and her head snapped up to him. After a second of consideration, she set the photo album aside and stood to follow. "Wait. I'll come with you," she offered after him, hurrying to catch up in the hallway. They disappeared into the bedroom while Foxy watched from the couch. Mike came over to him and leaned against the back of it.
"That was probably a mistake. I don't know if you remember, but once you start one of those games it never ends," Mike pointed out. Foxy gave a slight shrug of his shoulders.
"That? Nah… Ya know what the real mistake was?" Suddenly, Foxy blindsided Mike by spinning around and jabbing him in the bicep with his hook. The security guard shirked back with a hiss as the pirate bellowed, "Letting ya get out the door when I knew you were gonna do something stupid!" He took another swing, just missing Mike who ducked out of the way."What the hell was that?! Why didn't ya just smack him across the face and demand a duel, ya bloody fish head?!" Refusing to let Mike get away, he grabbed him by the shoulder and pointed his hook at his chest. "As soon as ya hear anything 'bout Freddy's, ya walk out!"
"Yeah, because that's not suspicious," Mike retorted. Though he immediately backtracked once he considered his position. He raised a hand in defense and used the other to push down Foxy's hook. "Look, I know it was stupid, but I couldn't just stand there while Burke pretended like he was swooping in to save the day. Mari brought me up to speed on how great he really was during the Freddy investigation."
"What investigation? The whole lot of 'em gave up days after starting the case," Foxy muttered. He then gave an exhausted huff and released Mike from his hold. "A'right, Schmidt. This one time I'm letting ya off the hook… Literally." He lifted his hook and spun it around. "But only cause I got the look of that landlubber's face on tape." Mike covered his face with a low groan and regretted it all over again.
In the bedroom, Marionette quickly retrieved the boardgame while Charlie stood awkwardly beside him. She found questions that she wanted to ask but found unable to broach the subject, delaying until the Puppet rose from the floor with the box with a chime of, "Here it is! Let's go get this set up before Foxy comes to his senses."
"Good idea," Charlie agreed. He started to pass by when she finally made the decision to find her voice. "Wait, before we… Before we go out there. There's something I need to ask you." He turned to her attentively and she proceeded to freeze up. There was no easy way to ask what she wanted to. To blurt out something like "Why do I exist?" didn't even sound sane in her head. "I was just wondering, umm… If you ever thought about what we were going to doin the future… About me, I mean."
"…What?" Marionette tilted his head with a funny smile. "You mean where you would be staying?"
"No… Well yes, but not just that." Charlie fiddled with the strings on her jacket. "Do you think about what we're- what I'm going to do about… Me? My lifetime plans are pretty much not applicable anymore. I'm kind of just coasting?"
"I assumed that you would be staying here with us, of course! The rest of everything can come in time. Why worry about tomorrow when we have tonight?" Marionette offered with a reassuring smile. It was clear to see her distress and he hoped it would comfort her. He reached an arm around her and gave her a pat on the back. "Anything could happen! Prepare for the best and worst but expect things to not go according to plan."
"That would make a lot of sense in this context," Charlie agreed. She still had pressing questions, but his friendliness caused her to back off, unwilling to damper the night. She needed to go back to properly distracting herself. "Thanks. I guess I just needed to hear that." It wasn't entirely a stretching of the truth either. There was a comfort in knowing that Marionette and Mike wanted her there as much as she wanted to stay- and she did want to stay.
"Is there anything else bothering you? You can tell me if something's on your mind," Marionette coaxed further. She was almost tempted to do so but admitting her concerns wouldn't fix them. It would just worry him and throw a wrench in their plans for the night. She preferred a distraction right now, lest she lose her compositor again in an embarrassing display.
"I know… The game will help. Let's just do that and have a normal night. Mike probably needs it," Charlie said.
"Yes, and he also probably needs us to pull Foxy off him before he gouges his tongue out. Though I'm not hearing any smashing furniture, so he might still be holding his own," the Puppet quipped. He dropped his hand from her shoulder to her wrist and led her out like he was guiding a child.
Thankfully, Foxy and Mike weren't fighting. It had sounded like they were raising their voices earlier but must've straightened it out on their own. Which was for the best for the current circumstances, being Mike and Charlie being stressed and Marionette wanting to stay in a good mood.
The boardgame went about better than usual. Both Marionette and Foxy were putting on an especially bright front for Charlie, who they knew was still having a rough night. She could tell but thankfully Mike was acting entirely normal, much more distracted with his inability to get around the board to worry about anything else. He had gotten four 'go back' cards and made sure to announce it every time, much to everyone else's amusement. It almost seemed like the day was out of surprises.
But it wasn't, if the car pulling up in the driveway was any indication. By then it was evening and the boardgame had been long over. Foxy and Marionette were now talking over plans for the pizzeria at the dining room table. Foxy was tilted back in a seat rattling out ideas while Marionette scribbled down sketches and ideas into his sketchpad. Mike was starting dinner and chimed in every now or then, adding his own additions to the conversation. Charlie just sat between Foxy and the window and listened to the ideas with silent interest.
That was why she was the one who heard the car pulling up. Charlie peered out through the blinds and noticed the vehicle parking in the driveway behind Mike's car. "Someone just pulled up," she forewarned. Foxy and Marionette looked over abruptly in interest. "They turned their car off and are getting out. They're planning on staying."
"Is it a six-foot-tall curly haired detective with an arrest warrant in one hand and a noose in the other?" Mike asked tiredly. "And here he comes, right on schedule."
"No, actually. It's a woman," Charlie said. She leaned in to peer closer at the lady getting out of the car. She got a better look as she moved to the passenger's side to take a bag out of the seat. "Maybe in her forties, dark hair, looks a little short…"
"Mike," Marionette said as he abruptly turned to face the man. "It's your mom."
All at once, Foxy slammed down his chair and darted out of the room and down the hallway. A few seconds later there was a loud slam of his bedroom door.
"But he didn't even move when he thought it could've been the detective. Glad to see that Mom still strikes terror into all those in her path," Mike remarked. He then looked to Charlie. "She knows about Mari, so if you want to stick around then it won't be a problem. She'll love you. She pretty much loves anything she can throw gifts and homemade dinners at."
The offer was tempting at first. "Okay, if you don't think she'll be shocked by me being here." But as Charlie continued to think about it, peering out at the woman getting her things out of the car, anxiousness started to kick in. Something about being spotted by the woman and having to answer questions- and her seeing the Security Puppet move and act human- was slowly starting to unnerve her. She only became more uneasy as Marionette rose and headed to the door.
The moment she heard the lock unclick something triggered inside.
"Never mind," Charlie blurted out. She then stood from the table and dashed off after Foxy. Both of the others watched in surprise as she disappeared out of the room. They let the abruptness sink in a moment. Then Marionette turned to Mike.
"I didn't know she could run like that," he said. "She must've gotten practice spending time around Baby." He then proceeded to turn back towards the door and open it for Isabelle.
Charlie could hear the woman coming in from down the hallway. Marionette was chiming and trilling so much that it almost fully erased his voice and greeted her with a warm welcome. As he said, she seemed to know him and from greetings alone didn't sound any more dissuaded by him being an animatronic. Still, Charlie was reluctant to approach, and she didn't know why. She considered herself a social person, so it was odd that something inside was telling her to stay away.
What cinched it was the moment she heard, "I saw you on TV earlier!" That was the final nail in the coffin.
"Foxy?" the Security Puppet quietly called through the door. She started to slowly open it. "It's me. Can I come in?"
In a quick motion, she was pulled inside and the door was swung to a sliver, stopping on Foxy's hook. He slowly and carefully shut the door so that they wouldn't be heard. He then leaned against the door and crossed his arms.
"Looks like we be stuck here, Lass," Foxy mumbled to her as quietly. He rubbed a hand over his muzzle. "Iff'n I knew she was comin', I woulda drug the TV in here. Didn't even call." He gave a low groan and continued to lament.
"…It's going to be dark soon, so I don't think she's going to stay long," Charlie said and looked to the thickly covered window. Little light made it through the throw blanket that had been nailed up. "I think we can handle ourselves for a few minutes to give Mike some time with his mom." Foxy hummed and nodded. Even if he didn't want to be confined to this room he did sympathize. It wasn't like he wouldn't have put anything aside for his own mother. He could wait.
Isabelle stayed for two hours.
During that time the visit was pleasant. She only focused on Mike's television appearance for a short time, with an excited pride that seemed to entirely ignore the true repercussions of what he did. She just seemed so happy that he was back on television and that he had said made such a powerful speech. It became clear that she thought he had planned on al of that and he made no move to correct her. It slightly made him look better. Other than that, she helped make dinner, she handed out gifts, and she was as loving as ever. It was stress-free.
Until a few minutes before she left when Isabelle decided to randomly announce, "Becky's birthday's coming up in a few days." Mike knew the second that she said it that she was leading into something. There was no other reason to randomly drop the comment into the conversation.
"Whose Becky?" Marionette curiously asked with a tilt of his head.
"One of my little cousins. She's turning… What, three?" Mike asked.
"Five. She's growing up so fast! You wouldn't believe it, Mikey, she's just a little angel," Isabelle gushed. "Last year she spent her birthday in bed with the stomach flu, so this year everyone's pitching in to do something really special for her." She paused for a long moment as though waiting for something. When nobody took the bait, she added, "And since the restaurant's still closed, I was hoping maybe we could 'hire' Foxy's to come to the party. It would mean a lot to everyone."
"I don't know if that's a good idea," Mike tried to dismiss. "We'd have to take the van and drive all the way down there, and that would mean getting Foxy in and out of the van. Plus, Becky's pretty young. Chances are Foxy's going to be a little scary. Heck, I work with him most of the day, and I find him terrifying."
"Well I think it's a great idea!" Marionette volunteered much to Mike's chagrin. Unfortunately, the striped one seemed unconcerned about the risks of taking a job for close family. "Foxy and I are out of practice. We could use a party to stretch our performance muscles before the reopening."
"I thought we did have a party scheduled before then," Mike tried to excuse, knowing good and well that they didn't and hoping the Puppet didn't remember.
"Not to my knowledge, unless Fritz had something lined up," Marionette smoothly dismissed. Then he looked to Isabelle with an eager to please look. "I'll ask Foxy but I'm sure he'd say yes too, and if he doesn't then I would always be happy to perform alone. We'll even provide gifts. We can even give you the family discount." Mike had a sneaking suspicion that he was about to offer to perform for free. Isabelle beat him to it.
"No need! The money's already been set aside. Grace was considering a clown originally, but then she heard this awful story on the news about a crazed man dressed like a clown attacking people on the side of the road. You can't believe the stuff that happens in this country!"
Mike and Marionette exchanged a look; the former with a raised brow and the latter with amusement.
"But I really appreciate this from you both. The kids are going to love it, and I know Patrick was really excited to see you and Foxy in person," Isabelle insisted. Mike furrowed his brows as she stood to gather her things. Something about hearing his uncle's interest made him wonder if he knew more than he was supposed to. A look towards Marionette showed slight strain on his mask's smile. Concern, he was wondering about it to.
"Nah, Mom wouldn't do that," Mike finally decided. "Patrick's just interested in them because of their history. I'm reading too much into it."
"I should be going so I'm not on the road too late," Isabelle said. Mike turned to stand and she caught him off guard by swooping in to kiss him on the forehead. "Thank you for doing this for us. I'm so proud of you." She then moved to hug Marionette while her son was left wondering why she was praising him so much over agreeing to a single party. It was only as she was stepping out the door that he suddenly realized what was going on.
Without a word, he stood from the table, hustled over to the door, and called out, "Becky's not Isaac's kid, right?"
"Yes! Love you!"
"Good to know," Mike answered, trying his hardest not to make any comments while his mother could still hear them. Thankfully, she didn't notice the tense look on his face. "Drive safe, Mom. Love you." He shut the door quickly and let what just happened sink in. Then he began to slowly clap. "And just when I think I can't possibly talk myself into another disaster that happens. Twice in one day. I've really outdone myself."
"I doubt your uncle would make a scene at his own child's birthday party," Marionette assured as he watched the security guard start heading towards the hallway. He didn't answer him. "…Would he?"
"No. He'll make sure to pull me off to the side before he really starts going," Mike called back. He headed down to Foxy's room and knocked on the door. "Mom's gone." Within a few moments, Charlie and Foxy came out, with the pirate stretching stiffly and popping as he moved his joints.
"Blimey, I must be gettin' soft. Used to be able to stand fer hours fine an' now gettin' all rusty from a couple of hours holdin' a door shut," the pirate muttered out. He turned his head almost all the way around and cracked his neck.
"It's a good thing you did though. You know how Mom is: breaking down doors and tearing through houses," Mike said with no enthusiasm. He had used it all up during the visit. "Mom asked if you and Mari could perform at my cousin's birthday party- You're starting to weird me out with that. You look like you're going to break your neck."
At this, Foxy's head finally snapped ahead. "We got a gig?"
"Yeah, for my little cousin. Listen, you don't have to agree to this-."
"What good pirate would turn down a party?" Well, there went Mike's excuse to his mother that Foxy couldn't perform. Then again, even if the fox would've declined, it would've been harder detaching Marionette from it. "I'll do it. When's it?"
"A couple of days from now." Mike shook his head and started back down the hall. "I don't know how I keep doing this to myself. I roped myself into a family reunion- I'm really on a roll tonight!"
"Eh, stop bein' a drama queen. A couple a days be more then enough ta plan. Mari, get yer sketchbook back out! We're back on the clock!" Foxy yelled down the hall and into the kitchen. With that, suddenly he and Marionette had something to plan again, and Charlie knew she would return to listening in.
…Or maybe she could come up with an idea or two on her own. That didn't sound like too bad of an idea.
The day of the party, Mike, Marionette, and Foxy had to get up and ready at the crack of dawn. For some unknown reason, the party was going to be in the late morning, and that mixed with the drive and set-up time meant they had to get on the road early if they wanted everything to work out.
This time Charlie was ready. She had her alarm clock set and got up at the same time they did. Originally, the plan was just to see them off. Then she could use the rest of her time trying to figure a few things out. It was time that she sat down and really thought of what she was going to do. As it was, if something happened to Mike and Marionette, she would be homeless, and that co-dependence uneased her. However, something changed while watching them get ready and listening to Foxy and Marionette already going through the motions of preparation. Maybe she just didn't want to be alone, but she wanted to go too.
"Can I come with you? I won't take up much space," Charlie asked. Mike, who was trying to make breakfast out of a half a banana and a cup of coffee had just given a shrug and a 'sure'. Thus, she joined the party.
Fritz appeared shortly afterwards in the van and they loaded up before leaving. Jeremy, who was also coming along, drove in his own car. Which was the sane decision, as they wouldn't have fit anyone else comfortably in the van. As it was, Foxy was stretching out on his side and taking up as much room as he could to get comfortable. It was only once they were driving that Mike became awake enough to talk.
"How's everything going? You've been pretty quiet recently," Mike began, looking to Fritz in the driver's seat. "This isn't about that thing with Burke, right?"
"No. That's-… I'll admit, that was bad, but I've just been wrapped up in my own thing. Some house repairs, hanging out with Natalie, crunching numbers constantly; I'm pretty much up all night worrying about the pizzeria reopening," Fritz admitted like it was no big deal. Then he got an oddly hesitant look. "Uh… Has anyone heard from Baby?"
"That's what it is? You've been worried about Baby?" Fritz almost seemed to sink into his seat, as though ashamed by it. "I think she's still at Scott's. That would be my guess since Scott's not asked to borrow the van," the security guard said. He then through the mirror into the back. "Charlie, you've talked to her, right?" he asked.
"I did just the night before last. She's still over there," Charlie answered. Marionette and Foxy were listening in with equal curiosity, neither knowing that she had done so. "There's not really much to say. She sleeps during the day and is up at night. She sort of flip-flops between tolerating Ennard and getting annoyed by him, but they haven't killed each other yet. I don't think she knows where she's going next." She didn't vocalize it but inwardly added, "I know that feeling."
"Good. I was just…" Fritz trailed off a moment. "…I was a little harsh with Baby at the warehouse. I had to do it, she was acting crazy, but I could've… Probably been a little smarter with my words."
"Yeah, she probably hates you," Mike pointed out. Fritz sent him a frown. "Hey, considering the alternative I think being hated isn't the worst place you could be in."
"…No, I guess not," the technician admitted as he looked at the road again. "Still, Natalie was asking about her. She was upset with Baby too, but I didn't tell her the extent of everything that went down, so she still thinks Baby was just confused."
"That be one word fer it," Foxy scoffed under his breath. Marionette proceeded to nudge him lightly with his elbow. "'Bout time she got outta that warehouse. That place be more cursed than the set o' poltergeist and have more skeletons than Davy Jones' locker. Buried gold-." The striped one began to nudge him harder and faster, now with a more frantic look, and Foxy cut off. "Ya get what I mean."
"I think she likes Ennard more than she let's on," Charlie added. To Marionette's relief, she didn't take Foxy's comments as anything more than an off-handed joke, and thus didn't ask any further questions. "For starters, Baby pretty much acts like she hates everyone. She just seems too emotionally invested in him to outright hate him. Maybe there's a part of her that likes him but just doesn't want to admit to it."
"Yeah," Foxy agreed. He then nudged Marionette with a glint in his gaze. "I'd bet she don't like Ennard as much as the Phone does."
Mike and Fritz exchanged a slow look before turning on the radio and deciding to end the conversation there.
Eventually they arrived at Uncle Isaac and Aunt Grace's house where the party was going to take place. It was an unimpressively suburban styled home that looked like all the ones surrounding it. They pulled up into the driveway and prepared to get out and start setting up.
"By the way, keep an eye on Jeremy," Fritz randomly said before Mike could step out.
"Why? What's wrong with him?" the younger asked in confusion.
"Not sure. Maybe nothing, but he seemed a little off earlier. Could've just been tired," the technician dismissed with a shrug. He didn't seem too concerned by it. "It might just be me, which was why I wanted you to see what you thought."
That seemed to make enough sense. Mike kept it in mind as he climbed out of the van and moved to the back. He was opening the doors by time Jeremy 's car caught up and pulled up behind him. He was distracted with the animatronics inside and watched as Foxy shuffled to the back of the van. "Let's get you two into the back while the coast is clear," Mike guided as he pulled out and set up the puppet stand.
By time Foxy was standing outside the van, promptly lowering his head and looking like he was in a 'powered down' state, Jeremy finally walked up. "Hey," he quietly greeted. He took Foxy by the arm, placed a hand on his back, and made it look like he was steering the pirate around the vehicle and towards the back. The whole time his head was lowered just like Foxy's. Mike knew instantly that Fritz's suspicions had been right but returned to the task at hand as Marionette slid closer. The Puppet quickly wove his strings into the stand and finally exited the van.
Mike started to shut the back before hesitating when noticing Charlie. "Are you going to be okay back here?"
"Me? Sure," Charlie sounded surprised. "I can see some of the party from here, so I'm just going to do my own thing and keep an eye out." She got a smile and added, "I think I can handle it."
"Great! I can't say the same about what I'm about to walk into," Mike joked. He then closed the back and led the stand around the van and after Foxy, Jeremy, and Fritz, who was carrying the party favors and gifts.
As downtrodden as Jeremy seemed, he was immediately caught off-guard by the party that had been set up in the back. It wasn't the first time that they had performed at a house, but this was the most decadent of them. Most of the backyard was covered in stone, with matching stones stepping up to a wooden patio that led to a set of sliding glass doors on the back of the house. Only the furthest back corner of the yard had actual grass and it was currently covered up by a square shaped bounce castle. There was also a kiddie pool beside the patio that had been filled with plastic balls, like a ball pit.
Two foldable tables were pushed together and surrounded by folding chairs that had balloons tied to them. They had plastic, red tablecloths on them, but hadn't been set with anything else. A matching table without a tablecloth was against the patio right beside them and had a paper taped to it that said, "Leave gifts here." Probably set there so partygoers could drop off the presents as they walked in.
"Wow. They really went all out with this," Jeremy complimented as he looked around. "Where should I put you?"
"On the patio, Lad. Already looks like a stage," Foxy directed. Though he straightened and walked himself, with the 'guiding' looking less believable as he pulled Jeremy along with him. He leveled himself to be standing near the ball pit, assuming it would somewhat slow down the kids if they began to crowd. Then he turned his attention to the human. "What's wrong, Lad?" Foxy asked as he went as stiff as a board. "Somethin's up."
"Uh…" Jeremy looked back to see the others coming around the corner. He immediately decided against risking it. "I'll tell you later." Foxy understood and nodded, knowing they would have time on the drive home.
Meanwhile, Mike was bringing Marionette onto the patio. The man then looked over the backyard and whistled. "With all this, you'd think this was going to be a birthday she was going to remember. They should've saved the bells and whistles for a few more years."
The Puppet was a little more optimistic. "The reason kids don't remember all their birthdays is because they blend together. There's a good chance this will be remembered. Or that's what we were hired for. 'Foxy and friends make memories that last!' That's one of our slogans, isn't it?" Marionette asked with chime.
"I think that pretty much covers every slogan of every establishment. I think ours is something like, "Pizza, parties, and pirates: don't touch the fox"," Mike quipped back, rousing a light laugh out of Marionette. He then noticed movement through the sliding glass door. He lowered his head so that his speaking wouldn't be noticed. "Head's up, we've got company," he warned only moments before the sliding glass doors opened. He then got a forced smile and greeted, "Hey, Aunt Grace."
"Mike! I didn't think you'd get here just yet! Well, I guess since you don't have anywhere to be with the restaurant closed that it makes sense. Color me impressed!" Grace said it with honesty, even though her words could've been read the wrong way. Mike certainly read them the wrong way and just swallowed it down. Especially when he noticed the young girl wandering out behind her, wearing a puffy skirt and a plastic tiara. Both Foxy and Marionette noticed her too and perked. "The other children should be here pretty soon, so you can just start up your robots-."
"Shiver me timbers! Mari, I think that be the birthday girl!" Foxy suddenly exclaimed. It was so sudden that Grace jumped, and Becky stepped behind her legs shyly. "And she be royalty! Welcome to yer party, yer majesty!"
"Oh, uh… I didn't realize you turned them on yet…" Grace admitted awkwardly, and Mike gave a shrug.
"They've got a life of their own," he answered simply. "When does the party begin?"
"The children should be arriving in fifteen minutes. That should be enough time to set up, right?... Oh, what am I saying! You've already got your little bots set up. It's not like there's much more you have to do," she remarked. She then started to head back inside, taking Becky with her. "Would you guys like a drink?"
"Depends on what kind," Mike thought. "No, we're fine. Thank you." She shut the door behind her and head into the kitchen. Becky stayed at the glass door watching with her brothers, who both stood by the glass and watched as though they were already performing. He waved, they waved back, and he turned back to move the stand closer to Foxy.
It was about twenty minutes before the guests started to arrive- which Mike knew because he had checked twice. Once at his own curiosity and once at Fritz's request. Only once the first couple of children arrive did Grace let her children out into the backyard. The two brothers lost themselves in the party while the girl, Becky, was kept within Grace's reach. It almost felt like the party hadn't started by how the birthday girl herself wasn't engaged with it. At least Foxy and Marionette got a good reception, engaging with the children and waiting for the eventual cutting of the cake, when they stopped playing long enough to watch a performance.
It became clear to Mike, Jeremy, and Fritz that the three of them didn't all need to be there. Yet somehow Fritz and Jeremy had been so eager to come, which made it ironic that Mike was the one that had to be there. Jeremy was still uncomfortably silent but neither of the others had asked. They lost their opportunity once Uncle Isaac arrived. Judging on the time, it seemed like he was on a lunch break.
"Oh, here we go," Mike forewarned. "Watch this. Just watch what's about to happen." He kept his eyes trained as Isaac walked straight towards him. He thought he knew exactly what was coming.
And then Isaac put an arm around him and gave him a pat on the back. "Hey, Champ. Glad you could make it," he greeted in what sounded like a much too kindly tone. Mike's eyes popped open and he glanced back to Fritz and Jeremy. "I want to thank you for going all out with this. I know you probably had a hard time moving them all the way up here under short notice."
"No problem. That's what we signed up for," the security guard answered, completely confused in the change in behavior. "I'm glad to be here. Mom said Becky's last birthday didn't go well."
"We tried to do something small, but it wasn't the same. We're counting on this to make up for it." He patted his nephew on the shoulder. "I'm going to go see Becky and then I'll take a look at that fox of yours." Then he headed over towards the table. As soon as he was out of hearing range, Mike spun and turned towards the other two.
"What was that?" he whispered to them. "You saw that, what was that?"
"…Familial love?" Fritz guessed. A tiny, teasing smirk appeared. "I don't know what it was, but it was adorable."
"Don't even start with that. That was Isaac! That was the uncle whose made every visit a living nightmare, and he just acted like- He didn't act like family. That's for sure." Mike looked back with growing suspicion as he watched his uncle pick up his cousin. Good moods like this didn't seem natural, especially since nobody else would've heard him speaking to Mike. "I don't know, maybe he's angling for us to perform for free."
"Or maybe he's just trying to mend fences?" Fritz tried. Mike sent him an exasperated look. "…Okay, or better yet: maybe this party is as important as he says and doesn't want to make a scene in front of everyone." This sounded more believable. After all, there were a couple of parents at the party and the birthday girl was already a little less than appeased, so this might've all been to smooth things over.
"He probably wants something." Mike and Fritz were almost surprised by Jeremy's input with how quiet he was. "People don't just change. Especially if they're family, because then they don't have to change. They get a free pass to do whatever they want and only come with regrets when they want something," the security guard said with a shrug. "And who knows! This nice? Might be looking for something more than a torn-up bill. He might want a handout, or be planning to drop a bombshell, or is going to wait until the last minute of the party and then tell you how disappointed he is, because then you've given him all he wants."
Mike and Fritz just stared at him. All at once, Jeremy's coldness turned to a slight meekness. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'm just… Going to make sure the gift table's in order. Put Foxy and Mari's gifts on top…" He shuffled away quickly.
"Was that what you were talking about earlier or was that new?" Mike asked. Fritz looked just as befuddled as he did.
"I think I would've noticed if that happened earlier," Fritz pointed out. He then remembered Jeremy's relation with his own family, which his knew was strenuous but didn't know to what extent. "You don't think-."
He was cut off by an enormous crashing sound.
The party had been going well so far, save one small detail that was bothering both Foxy and Marionette; the birthday girl's absence. Both could see her stuck beside her mother beside the table, but it was less clear if she was being forced to stand there or was just too shy to approach. She was currently looking at the bounce house with the most wanting look either had seen, and both had seen children ogling cake and presents plenty of times. Foxy waited until the children didn't seem to be listening before hooking the Puppet's stand and wheeling him in.
"Which of us is gonna do it?" he hummed through low frequencies. His eye darted around to make sure nobody was paying too much attention.
"Do what?" Marionette asked hesitantly. Though he already knew what and was just hoping his sibling wasn't intending to risk anything.
"Go get her away from that table. Look at her! She be as sad as a piece o' soggy bread," Foxy insisted. Just seeing a child separated from the others watching them have fun without being able to have it herself was distressing. That wasn't what he was here to do; the whole point of them being here was to first and foremost make her happy. "I'm going over there."
"…I don't know if that's a good idea, Foxy. Maybe if we were in the pizzeria, but here?" Marionette tentatively answered. "We could scare her. We should just wait until she comes on her own."
"If we wait then she ain't goin' anywhere and the party be over," Foxy argued. "She'll remember the birthday party where she didn't have an ounce of fun cause she was stuck at the table. That's it, I'm goin'." He took a step towards the narrow set of stairs instead of crossing to the far side of the patio. Two steps spaced where three should've been and currently being used by a couple of kids who jumping off the patio into the ball pit. Foxy kept his eyes on the birthday girl and tried not looking lifelike as he moved in closer.
One of the children who had been jumping dashed up the steps and tried to duck around the pirate, only to accidently run into his hand. Thankfully not his hook or he would've been jabbed right in the head. "Watch yer head, Lad!" Foxy warned with a jolly chuckle as he moved to step aside.
And his foot kept falling.
Foxy didn't have much time to save himself. His body was still stiff and locked up, he was falling backwards, and even though Marionette tried to move in he couldn't stop the pirate. Foxy's arms reached out for anything, but there wasn't even a railing to stop him as he fell back and landed on the ball pit like a bag of wet cement. And he did indeed fall on not in as his limbs sprawled out, his legs were awkwardly cocked out, his head and neck were bent in, and the balls that weren't knocked out merely crushed underneath him. It was by sheer luck that the children were out of the way.
But that luck ran out on Marionette's side. As Foxy fell, his arm had missed Marionette but caught on the string attached to his arm, which was now weaved into the stand. The stand and puppet were promptly yanked down with him. The stand hit the ground, partially propped up by the patio, while the puppet landed heavily on the stone, just barely missing hitting his mask. In only a few seconds the performing animatronics went from delighting children to laying on the ground, unmoving, both in equal mortification and embarrassment.
Everyone was now staring, including Mike and Fritz.
Marionette proceeded to go completely limp while Foxy tried to lift himself out of the kiddie pool. "Of all the- bloody- for the love of-," the pirate muttered, repeatedly silencing the intense desire to swear like a sailor. He tried to right himself, only to find his one arm held back by Marionette's tightened wire and his body wedged in the too tiny pool. "Forget it," he finally muttered. He also went limp as he waited for an even more embarrassing and pitiful rescue attempt. It was just too awkward of an angle to right himself.
"Christ, here we go again!" Mike said through clenched teeth before running over. Jeremy saw the scene and followed, leaving behind Fritz who looked around and noticed that the party had come to a standstill. Everyone was staring; the kids, the adults, the actual family throwing the party. He doubted it could get worse than this.
Mike got to Marionette's side first and tried to lift his stand under the thought that it had just tipped over. This proved to be more difficult when he found the wire wrapped and tangled around Foxy's wrist.
"How did you two even do this?" he asked as he tried to untangle it while knelt beside the kiddie pool. Jeremy ran up at this time and Mike pointed him to Foxy. "Try to get him up. They're all wrapped up in each other."
"Got it. Alright, Captain. Let's just get you up," Jeremy coaxed as he crouched behind him. He started to slide him down to help him up, then got his hands under his back and lifted him a few inches.
It was then that Foxy heard some nearby voices. The children had been ushered back but the few parents, including Isaac, had come in closer to see what had happened. He could hear an unrecognizable woman's voice give a condescending, "How embarrassing!" Of course he had heard it and he fought the urge to cringe. Because it was mortifying to think that he fell like a mindless machine would've and now couldn't even struggle or else raise suspicion. He knew Jeremy heard it to. Jeremy heard him fall and now Jeremy heard the light mocking. He expected that maybe later Jeremy would nurse his wounded pride.
What he never expected was that Jeremy would drop him the few inches he lifted him, turn himself all the way around, and address the comment head on.
"We're handling heavy equipment in an uncontrolled environment. What do you expect?" Jeremy suddenly snapped at the woman. "But I'm sure someone wasting their day at someone else's kid's birthday party would be a great judge." It was as though Foxy was getting helped to his feet by Jekyll and or Hyde, and he stayed completely silent as Jeremy started to lift him again, now with a sour frown on his face. Mike looked just as startled by the outburst but was snapped into action when Jeremy snapped again. "Are we going to do something about this string? I can't get him up unless they're not together."
With Mike untangling them again and Jeremy going through emotional fits, Fritz was stuck staring at the party with an aghast look. Mike's aunt and uncle looked especially disturbed- more by the outburst than the fall- and them being the ones that hired them made it so much worse. This could lead to a further fight, to complaints, so a sliding slope of drama and negativity that he was exaggerating in his mind. With the children still not being entertained- and he didn't count Jeremy's behavior as being anything beyond unnerving- he knew that they needed a distraction.
It hit him quickly that there was only one possible option and he sprinted to the van.
Charlie hadn't been able to see what was happening beyond Mike and Jeremy running off, so when Fritz sprinted to the van, she knew something must've gone wrong. Within seconds he threw open the back doors of the van.
"Uh, hey!" Fritz greeted with a strained smile. "I know this is sudden, but I think I'm going to need your help."
Mable: I want to apologize in advance for any mistakes I didn't pick up. I have a suspicion that there's ones I haven't noticed. Hopefully the next week will be easier and I'll be able to update quicker. Again, sorry about the delay. I hope you enjoyed!