Mable: Here we are! To answer a question from a guest reviewer, the Handunit is not sentient, but the Candy Cadet… Well, the jury is still out on that one. XD Anyway, Enjoy!
Almost Feels Like Home
Chapter Seventy
For being an alleged ghost town and being out in the middle of nowhere, and difficult to find in the middle of the night, Silver Reef wasn't nearly as abandoned as Springtrap had suggested.
It was bad enough when they had to nearly drive through someone's yard to get to the main road leading back to the town, but it was even worse when they could see the lights from various houses dotting the distance. Instead of looking like a ghost town, it looked like they had driven into a budding development.
"I take back whatever I said about Springtrap being Michael. He has to be William because this is just some sort of sick joke," Mike sardonically remarked. "It would be one thing if it was enough houses that we wouldn't stand out. Someone's going to notice a random van with a fox painted on the side driving past their house at night."
"I'm turning around as soon as we hit another branching road… If we can even find our way out from here," Fritz mumbled as he squinted ahead. "You'd think with this being flatland that I could see these roads better. Everything's just blending in with the dirt."
"Then just turn around here. Nobody's watching. Or if anyone's watching then this isn't illegal," Jeremy said. He pointed past Fritz to a wider spot on the road. "There, where there aren't bushes."
"I can't. The van needs new tires and we can't risk a flat out here. Then we would really get people watching," the technician defended. He then perked as he noticed another fork in the road up ahead. "I'll just turn around up here and we'll head back. We'll find somewhere else." Jeremy was on board with this plan and Mike nearly was too, but then he remembered the bag that was still sitting in the back, stinking up the van, reddening his hands more with every passing second. He grew anxious and paranoid; they had to get rid of it.
"Forget it. We're already out here, just keep going," Mike persisted. Fritz looked prepared to question this decision when the younger pointed to the left road. "Go that way. All the houses are on the right, so maybe that's going to take us out to undeveloped land or something. Just anywhere where we can bury this thing." The technician nodded and turned to the left.
"What if Springtrap was right about there being bodies out here… Do you think any of them will be found if it gets built up more?" Jeremy tentatively asked. "Think about it: you've been waiting years to hear about a friend or family member who went missing and then they suddenly find their body while digging foundations for houses… And who knows how many bodies there could be."
"You know, you're not exactly helping," Fritz pointed out.
"Yeah, Jere, lighten up! It's not every day that you get to skirt the law… Well, not for us. You've got that criminal record and all," Mike quipped with an appearing smirk. Jeremy sent an unenthused look at him and the younger raised a brow. "Too soon?"
"Considering that we all might be going to jail tonight, yes," Fritz chimed in. He looked around before giving a low sigh, tightening his hands on the wheel, and coming to a decision. "I think we're away from most of the houses… We're going to have to just go ahead and do this." As much as the other two didn't want to, they reluctantly agreed with quiet mumblings. Taking a deep breath, Fritz drove about twenty feet more and pulled over on the side of the road.
Soon the three men were walking out into what just looked like desert. In the distance Mike could see what looked like an old west styled building with carts out front. Probably part of the display for the ghost town. They were there, but just far enough away that the likelihood of someone walking upon it would've been less likely. Above the stars lit the way for them, as none of them were confident enough to turn on a flashlight and risk being spotted wandering around.
They stopped behind a large boulder. Jeremy and Fritz took turns digging with the shovel while Mike stood guard and held the bag. It felt heavy even though it was nothing but a bag of wipes. Perhaps just an illusion because of what he knew was inside.
"This can't be right," he thought to himself. "But Michael was fine with it. Nobody's going to know about it if we're lucky, so why do I have to feel guilty? It's not like we're burying a real body." Even through his defenses he didn't feel right about this, but he knew they had to do it.
"We're ready," Fritz alerted, and Mike came over. He opened the bag and dumped the wipes into the hole then balled the plastic up and jammed it in his pocket.
"I'll get rid of this somewhere else. It has my fingertips all over it," Mike excused. Neither of the men disagreed, and Jeremy took a turn in burying the mass of evidence for a crime they didn't commit.
Everything was cryptically quiet once they got back in the van. Fritz silently drove ahead to try and find a road to turn around on, but instead ended up looping around and coming back near some of the houses. They just decided to continue as they were close to the highway. The whole time Mike watched out the window and stared at the passing houses in paranoia. Wondering if any of them would be watching. Until-.
"Hey, stop," Mike suddenly spoke up. Fritz hit the break so hard that Jeremy thumped against the back of his seat, then looked over with a wild look.
"What? What is it? Did you see someone?" the man asked in growing fear. "Is someone following us?"
"It's not that. It's that car over there." The security guard pointed at a house not too far away with an orange jeep sitting in the driveway. "I recognize that car."
"…Please don't tell me that's Burke's undercover car or something," Fritz muttered as he peered past his co-worker. "…No, it can't be. Nobody would ride is something that gaudy to look inconspicuous."
"Actually, it would be genius. Most undercover cop cars are either black and white and they're usually not jeeps," Jeremy pointed out from the back.
"Probably needs a jeep to drive out here… Mike, what are we doing? Why are we staring at this car?" Fritz asked as his exasperation started to catch up with him.
"I know that car," the youngest insisted. He tapped his fingers on the armrest for a moment before snapping them, the answer coming to him. "That's Charlie's aunt's car. I'd recognize it anywhere."
"Charlie's aunt? The one that went hysterical during the funeral? Are you sure?" Jeremy questioned. He squinted at the jeep. "It'd be hard to forget a van like that, but I don't know. We just stumbled upon her aunt's house while driving around… Whoa, look at that dent!"
"In the back-right bumper? Yeah, I noticed it when I saw it the last time…" Mike tapped his fingers again as he stared at the house. "…You know, part of me wants to go over and knock on her door. Looks like she's still awake so she might answer. Don't know what I'd say, but… I don't know. I'm considering it."
"…You do know you can't do that, right?" Fritz asked with dread. "Mike, if she told anyone she saw us out here-."
"I'm not going to do it. I'm just-… I don't know. I guess it just took me off guard." But it was more than that. It mixed with the actions they just committed were creeping up on Mike in an unexpected way. They left him feeling strange and displaced, thinking about death and mourning. "But I've got to call her sometime. Maybe she needs a friend. It's not like Burke's going to do it." Jeremy and Fritz exchanged a look that Mike noticed out of the corner of his eye. "Don't go getting that look. I'm fine, I'm just thinking out loud."
"I mean, you could. It might be nice to reach out to her after what she went through. She might need the support and- is that someone by the window?" Just as Fritz asked this, the blinds of the window rolled up revealing someone- probably Aunt Jen- looking out towards the road. "It's her! She's looking right at us!"
"Drive, now, go!" Mike commanded. Fritz started to slowly drive along the road. "A little faster than this?!"
"If I peel out it's going to look suspicious!"
"Fritz, you're going five miles an hour! She's going to think we're casing her house!"
"Guys, you can stop now. I don't think she can see us anymore," Jeremy intervened to break up the miniature fight. The two promptly fell quiet and went back to staring at the darkness for a few moments.
It was stifling when Mike's thoughts were still racing. Eventually he had to vent them. "It just seems too quick. Charlie, the missing kids, even the workers in Freddy's; they didn't walk into those buildings prepared for what was going to happen if they didn't walk out. I did, but that was only because I had a head's up waver to break the news."
"I know what you mean. Nobody wants to die like that, and it could happen to any of us. We could be alive and well and then just, poof, gone," Fritz said. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel either out of thoughtfulness or disturbance. "Sometimes I think about how I want to die. We're going to die anyway so I just think of what could be the best death I could have."
"You mean like suffocating in a vat of chocolate or dying in a blaze of glory that's remembered throughout history?" Mike asked a little more playfully. Fritz gave a partial snicker.
"No, I meant realistically. Like how I'm actually going to go. I think my perfect death would be to just go in my sleep. Maybe one-hundred-something years old and leaving behind a successful robotics company. Getting one last great day with Natalie and our kids and grandkids. That doesn't sound so bad. I think I could live with that. Or die with that, whichever."
"You never mentioned that you wanted kids," Jeremy said with surprise.
"Sure, why not? Someday we're probably all going to have kids, then-." Fritz then remembered who he was talking to. "…Well I'll have kids. Maybe two or three. We've talked about it but we're not there yet. We're not even married yet so don't expect Fritz junior to pop up next year. He glanced in the rearview mirror. "What about you Jeremy?"
"…Are you asking me how I want to die or if I'm going to have kids?"
"Death."
"Okay…" Jeremy seemed uneased by the aim of the conversation but went along with it. "I think… I'd like to be old and I'd like it to be painless… And I'd like to know that Foxy and dolls were all taken care of once I was gone. Maybe I could come back as a ghost and watch them?" Jeremy shivered a little. "I'm starting to get a little creeped out. Mike, you go."
"Eh, I don't know," Mike said with a noncommittal shrug. "Maybe I'll just skip that whole death thing and get Mari to throw me into an animatronic. One of us will have to stick around to run the business."
It was mostly a joke. He wasn't exactly thinking much of anything except that it was late at night and this whole trip had been a downer- and that whole 'death is so sudden' line of thought. Yet he received silence instead of amusement, and he looked back in time to see Fritz and Jeremy exchanging that look again. He sat upwards immediately.
"What was that? What did that look mean?" Mike called out as he looked between them. "Come on, it was just a joke. About ninety-five percent of what I say is cracks at my own expense."
"We weren't giving a look. We were just- I don't know. Thinking about it?" Jeremy tried to quietly defend them both. The younger man looked entirely unconvinced by this excuse. "I mean, was it a joke? If any of us decided to go with something like that, it seems like it would be you."
"And what does that mean?" Mike asked. His eyes narrowed as his voice filled with suspicion. "What, I'm the designated creep of the group? All three of us buried that pile of rags."
"You know that's not what he means," Fritz added in. "He just meant… I don't know, you're the one most open to this. Even with Jeremy's thing with Foxy, you're the one who gets close to the animatronics. You got close to Mari before any of us, you pretty much converted Ennard with Scott, you got Baby homed, you've got Springtrap talking- I don't have a clue how you managed to pull that off. It's just that… I never really thought about any of us willingly becoming animatronics. In our line of work it could happen."
"…My thing with Foxy?" Jeremy asked, now sounding a cross between mortified and offended.
"Then we'll think about it now. If you had the choice, would you do it?" Mike questioned. Fritz seemed hesitant. "This is a conversation we have to have, because we could die any day now and this is an option. We might not live to old age if Burke has anything to say about it, because he's going to drive one of us into the nuthouse."
"He can drop you and Jeremy off while he's driving me to the slammer," Fritz muttered. Then he gave a weary exhale. "Okay, okay. Uh… Maybe. If I died young and I needed to stick around for some reason, like if Natalie and I died at the same time and I needed to stick around for kids, then maybe I'd go through with it. Not if I'm ninety years old and completely exhausted." He turned down another bumpy road. "And if I had to choose a character, I think it'd be a Freddy. They're sturdy."
Mike felt his tension ease up a little. "Now we're getting somewhere. Was that so hard? Just a normal conversation about death." He leaned back in the seat again and drummed his fingers on his leg. "I guess if I had the choice, I'd go for a puppet body. Not just because of Mari but because the bodies work so well- Don't look at me like that, you know what I mean." Fritz silently smirked. "I wouldn't be carrying around two or three hundred pounds of extra weight. Seems like it would be easier to adjust."
"…Toy Bonnie didn't seem too bad," Jeremy quietly added. "I know he doesn't exist anymore, but he was pretty human shaped. I could see getting used to a body like that. Knowing my luck, I'd get stuck inside Plushtrap and spend the rest of my life too tiny to even reach doorknobs."
"Guys, I don't want to freak you both out, especially not when we're talking about death and all…" Fritz spoke up, his face looking grim. "…But do either of you see the highway?"
It took twenty minutes for the three to find their way back to the road and back to Hurricane. All three looked rougher than when they went in- perhaps even rougher when they dug the hole. Fritz drove Mike and Jeremy back to the house and after a moment of consideration, Jeremy decided to stick around to see the cartoon. The technician headed home and the two let themselves into the house.
Marionette heard them coming and paused the video before rising from the floor and facing the front door expectantly. He greeted Mike as he came through. "I was wondering when you were getting back. How did it go?" the puppet asked with a warm smile. It was always hard to lie to him when he was so welcoming. This time Mike found it nearly impossible.
"It went well enough, all things considered," the man began as he shut the door. He gave a brief glance to Jeremy, silently signaling what he was about to do, and the older didn't have enough time to consider stopping him before Mike turned back to the striped one and confessed. "So… You remember that bag we had after we cleaned out Springtrap?" The puppet nodded with slight hesitance. "We took it out and buried it in the desert."
"I see. That must have been uncomfortable for you…" Marionette empathized. He reached out for Mike's hand and gave it a sympathetic squeeze. "But it was for the best. We couldn't afford to have that much evidence sitting out in the open. Why don't you come sit down and try to get your mind off it?"
It was clear that Mike was positively dumbfounded. He couldn't believe how nonchalant Marionette was being about all of this. "…You're not upset? You're not even fazed at all. Mari, we dumped a body."
"Mike, you didn't dump a body," the puppet said with small smile of amusement. "You just disposed of some cleaning supplies. I'm sure Springtrap would rather not have the reminder."
"'Sides, wouldn't be the first time we got rid 'o evidence," Foxy casually added. A look of dread passed Marionette's face, like he had said something damning, and Mike got a questioning look. Apparently, the fox took the silence for doubt. "Didn't ya ever wonder what happened to them bodies?"
"You stuffed them into the suits to bring them to life. We know about that," Mike answered. Marionette was looking a little more anxious, which was catching his attention. "You mean other than that?"
"Wasn't just that. Ya think we woulda lasted as long with bodies all over the place? 'Fraid not, Lads. We used to take 'em and hide 'em where we could. Sometimes between the walls, or in a crawlspace or under the stage. Wherever nobody'd be lookin' fer 'em." He gave a light scoff. "Not that any of them layabouts were lookin' for the source 'o that bad smell."
"…What?" Mike was gob smacked. He looked to the puppet in disbelief and said puppet looked away with shame. "You were hiding bodies? I thought the whole goal was to have people find out about what was going on and stop it from happening. Marionette?"
"Nobody was going to find out, Mike. One of the owners was the one putting them there… We didn't want him to take them back," Marionette quietly defended. He looked uncomfortable; folding his arms behind him and repeatedly breaking eye contact. "There was still a chance that someday they would be found. If he took them then they were lost forever… But it was the wrong choice. That was probably what he wanted."
"And it don't matter no more," Foxy suddenly butted in. "That an' this are two different beasts. We ain't coverin' up no crime. Lettin' Michael walk around stinkin' of blood 'n guts be a crime of its own!"
"I'm just glad you're not mad! Geez, what a relief!" Jeremy exclaimed as he wiped the sweat off his brow. Unlike the very uncomfortable Mike and Marionette, shocked and shamed, he was completely unbothered by this news. As though it simply didn't apply to the present. "I wanted to tell you in the car, but I thought it would kill the mood. Or worse, that you'd want to come with me."
"I can be a bit stubborn," Foxy agreed with a chuckle. He patted the floor with a thump. "Get over here, Lad, there's somethin' I want to show ya! Just lemme rewind this real quick."
Jeremy obeyed eagerly and went to sit down, leaving the two still standing to continue doing so. It was an uneasy pause that the puppet broke with an off-tune sigh.
"This wasn't how I wanted to begin our night. What with the cartoon and everything…" Marionette looked to his companion again with a look of remorse. "I hope you don't think less of me."
"Actually, I'm more surprised at how long it took me to figure out that bodies disappeared. Guess that debunks Michael's theory that they're out in Silver Reef…" Mike noticed that look again and recovered quickly. This time it was he who reached out and took the puppet's wrist, bringing it out from behind him and rubbing his thumb over the back of his hand. "Foxy's right, it's not a big deal. You all were doing what you thought was best. And who knows, maybe it was. Fazbear Entertainment doesn't strike me as the honest type."
"That's true…" Marionette got a small and sheepish smile. "Let's start over? Come watch the show with us. There's a big surprise at the end and a good amount of irony that I don't think will be lost on you."
"Wouldn't miss it," Mike agreed with a smile. Marionette started to turn, but at the last moment he pulled him back. "We're talking about bodies anyway, right? It's as good a time as any." The striped one tilted his head and the human began to explain, "But before we do that, you know that- you remember that time we were talking about what would happen if I ended up dying?" The puppet got a startled look. "Not exactly that. It was after Charlie came home and you said that if I died you would put me in a suit."
"I remember that," Marionette agreed with unease. He thought this would still lead into the conversation about the hidden bodies. "Why were you thinking about that?"
"I guess it's hard not to think about things like that when you're doing what we did. We were stuck driving around for a while, so I had the time to think… And I thought about what you said." Mike considered letting it drop but seeing Marionette's concern, and remembering his dread from earlier, he went through with it. Just to get it over with and hopefully ease them both in the long term. "And I thought that I've gotten close to dying a few times since we've been together."
"More than a few, really," Marionette quietly agreed. "I think I know what you're saying, but if you died-."
"I'd want you to put me in an animatronic," Mike rushed out. The puppet did a double take and then blatantly stared, just as the security guard had a short while earlier. "I know this is a weird time to bring it up, but I don't want something happening and me not having a chance to choose."
"But- Mike… Are you sure? I know that Foxy and I look like we're well adapted to this, but that would be- I don't think you realize the weight of that!" Marionette was reeling as he pressed his free hand to his forehead. "Where did this come from all of a sudden?"
"…It isn't sudden. I think I've felt this way for a while now and just was ignoring it as long as I could," the man confessed somberly. He rubbed over Marionette's hand. "Just promise me that if anything happens to me, you'll try to do it. If it doesn't work, it's fine, it wasn't meant to be, but don't try to talk yourself out of trying. Because if I've got an option that gives us more time then I'm going to take it." He reached out to cup his companion's mask and traced around his cheek. "I know what I want."
"Mike… Yes, I promise. If that really is your wish," Marionette trilled as he pressed into his hand. He rested his hand on Mike's and slid in closer until they were only inches apart. For a moment all the worries and fears were gone, whether it be the fear that Mike would regret this or the fear that he would eventually lose him. He gave a look of complete adoration as he added in a hushed tone, "I'd do anything for you."
It was like a weight was taken off Mike's shoulders and he pulled Marionette in to press his lips to his thankfully. That was all he needed for now. That was enough to temporarily subdue any thoughts of his mortality. Even if it meant agreeing to become something inhuman in the long run.
When they drew back, Marionette was still warbling and Mike had had nearly forgotten about the morbid reveal from before. "What was that ironic surprise again?" Mike playfully asked.
The puppet regained a full smile and led him by the wrist. "All in good time. It won't be as special if I spoil it." He then began to lead the human over towards the couch, ready to return to his excitement from earlier now that Mike would see the cartoon. It all seemed well.
"I just agreed to become a robot when I die," Mike suddenly realized. That weighty feeling returned for a few moments before slipping back as he sat down on the couch alongside Marionette. He watched the puppet cross his legs and prop his head on his head, beaming with excitement even though he had already seen the show. He watched Mike with the same eagerness, looking perfectly happy. "…I can live with that."
He could live with a death like that.
It was just easier to give Baby a wide berth when she was as fidgety as this. She was clearly riled by the way she was skating around the room. She kept checking over everything in the house, fussily making sure it was all perfect, because she had convinced herself that tonight was different. Tonight wasn't just her and Charlie spending the night at the warehouse, it was two friends spending 'quality time' together. That's what normal girls did. That was a test she would have to pass if she was going to compete with Charlie's past friends.
All the while, Ennard watched her from the back of the armchair. Scott came out of the bathroom after an early shower and looked out from under a towel to see Baby pacing beside the front door. He blinked as he looked at her, then leaned a little closer to the male clown.
"Is she going to be alright? She looks a little… High strung," he whispered quietly enough that he hoped she couldn't hear. "I thought she was happy Charlie was coming?"
"Oh yeah, she's flat out glowing. She doesn't get this worked up unless it's something big," Ennard replied. Thankfully, he managed to keep his volume at a reasonably low level. "I don't really get it. It's not like we haven't had a puppet in the house before. They're kind of a staple."
"Well, I sort of get it. Think of it like when you went to visit Mike and Marionette for a couple of days. Just that you willingly went over there just because you wanted to," Scott rationalized. He smiled a little at Baby now, starting to convince himself with it too. "Just a couple of friends having a night in. We've had a few of those. I mean, I don't exactly consider us friends, but-." Scott wished he wouldn't have started that last comment because now he didn't know how to end it. "You- You know."
Thankfully, that wasn't what Ennard focused on. "Aww! Baby's first Slumber Party- That's cute!"
"I heard that," Baby spoke up as she turned towards the two. "And I am not worked up, I just know that if I don't make a good impression Charlie won't want to come back."
"You've already made a plenty good impression if she's come back this many times, ha ha!" the amalgam chimed up. "I think you're starting to rub off on her, and I know she's been rubbing off on you.~" The female huffed at that borderline smug tone of his.
"Try not to do that thing you do while she's here. That obnoxious Ennard thing, you know what it is."
"Oh, don't worry! I'll just save that for Scott here," Ennard quipped and reached out to pat Scott's back with a wink. The man was a little more sympathetic to her plight.
"We'll give you your space," Scott offered. Which meant he would distract Ennard so that he didn't get too invested, which she caught. "I'm taking the night off since the deadline got pushed back. Turns out all those errors I couldn't reprogram were too deep to code out. They're going to have to bring in a professional and if that doesn't work-."
Baby drifted off at Scott's explanation to Ennard and instead turned her focus back towards the front door. She heard a car coming closer and waited expectantly and wasn't disappointed when she heard it turn into the driveway.
"That's them," she interrupted. She rushed forward to draw back the curtain just a sliver and look out. "That woman's by the fence again. He can't bring Charlie in if that woman's by the fence again."
"She's, uh… She's just worried that I'm not getting out enough," Scott excused with a sheepish cough. "Which I appreciate the concern. It's nice to know she cares, but I'm not looking for another arranged date."
"She's trying that again?! Yeesh, that lady's gotta take a hint!" Ennard exclaimed with mild irritation. Though understated in comparison to Baby's reaction, Scott knew that he disliked her quite a bit more. Or at least disliked her efforts in playing matchmaker. The clown perked and turned towards Scott, "Hey, you know what? You oughta just tell her you're already shacking up with someone! It wouldn't be a lie and if she started asking questions you could just tell her all about the amazingly elusive Eggs Benedict."
Scott flushed at the thought. "I don't think that would go over very well…"
"Why? I hear Eggs is a great guy!" Ennard continued to joke. "He's attentive, he's driven, he is a great technician, and he works the night shift so he's never here!"
"Because then she wouldn't be standing at the fence, she'd be standing at the door with a crockpot dinner, trying to convince me to let her in so that she could meet him," Scott pointed out. He could very faintly see a tinge of dread in the clown's eyes. "She'd bring over another batch of her southwest style creamed corn."
"No. I'm still scraping pepper pieces off my wires. No," the amalgam firmly stated. Scott could only wish he was capable of the same amount of finality.
"She should mind her own business," Baby added in. Her green eyes refocused on Mike's car before noticing him getting out. "He's bringing her in anyways. She's coming inside." She turned back to the two with the slightest bit of panic. "Quick, act functional," she commanded to both. Which got a raised brow from Scott and a slight twitch from Ennard.
Mike brought Charlie into the house but didn't stay long. He told Scott something about waiting for Fritz or Jeremy to come by, but Baby wasn't paying much attention to the two talking. It didn't concern her and he left soon afterwards, leaving the Security Puppet with them. Charlie had obviously come prepared to stay as she had brought her bag and it looked filled from how she was lugging it.
"I wrote a list of things for us to do. Now that you're here we can start," Baby began. She then flickered her eyes over in Ennard and Scott's direction, as though trying to signal them to leave.
"Actually, before that-," Charlie interrupted. She knelt and unzipped her pack. "I have something I want to show you. Just give me a minute to find it."
With her doing that and Baby watching her, and both ready to get into their activities, Scott felt it was only fair to excuse him. "Ennard, you want to come into the dining room with me and play a game of Bridge?"
"Sure!... Juuust as soon as I see this thing Lottie brought," Ennard chirped. At least Scott had tried, Baby couldn't fault him for that.
Charlie pulled a VHS tape out of her bag and offered it to Baby. She took it in her hand and turned it over. "What is this?"
"It's a tape of your show, Baby's Circus. We got a tape from the studio doing Foxy's," Charlie explained.
"My show?" Baby asked with a confused tilt of her head. Then she suddenly straightened as she came to her own conclusion. "My… Show?... You don't mean my show… At my pizzeria?"
"No, your cartoon. There was a cartoon based off your pizzeria. Or a pilot, but that's still impressive considering the dozens of pizzeria chains that didn't even get that much," Charlie explained with a smile. "I guess that means you haven't seen it though, so what do you say? Want to watch yourself on the small screen?"
Baby was positively stunned- and somewhat relieved- but her reaction was overshadowed by Ennard's. "Baby had a cartoon?!" He sprinted around the couch and snatched it up before Baby could recover enough to grab it. "We've got to watch this! This is like a lost piece of Freddy history!"
"Ennard, before you throw that into the VCR-," Scott started as Ennard promptly shoved the tape in the VCR. He raised his voice enough to finally catch the clown's attention. "Maybe you should ask Baby if she wants to watch it since it's a tape about her?" Scott suggested. The amalgam stared like the thought never crossed his mind. His blue eyes flicked to Baby.
"Ha, guess that's fair. Whaddya say, Baby? It might be a lot of fun!" Baby only stayed silent because she knew if she gave a blunt 'no' that he would fight for it.
"He does have a point. It might be worth seeing the you that could've been if the show was picked up," Charlie offered. "Then whenever we watch the Foxy cartoon together, we can compare representations."
"Hey, yeah! That's a great idea! Come on, Babydoll, show off a little! You've got nothing to lose!" Ennard continued to encourage.
"Maybe my dignity," Baby muttered. She looked between the three; Ennard eager and pleading, Charlie curious and interested, and Scott… mostly indifferent, but probably just as wanting. They all expected this of her and normally she would've turn them down flat. Or normally she would turn others down, because now she happened to be surrounded by the three people with the most influence on her. "…Alright, fine. But you all remember that I was not connected to this cartoon at all. And that I only had my pizzeria for a short time, so there are no similarities."
"Of course not," Ennard said in what sounded like a patronizing tone. Baby almost withdrew her decision at that alone. "Come on! Let's get this show on the-…screen!" Unwilling to wait any longer, he started up the video. Scott settled into his armchair and Charlie on the couch, but Baby refused to sit down. Just standing there staring like she was preparing to watch a natural disaster.
The show opened with a colorfully extravagant title screen with gilded letters spelling out 'Baby's Circus World' with an equally circus themed music track backing it. The title then burst into a cluster of balloons and faded into a new scene. The camera panned down onto a rundown looking circus and onto a tall sign that, in contrast to the cartoon's name, read "Proofus' Prestigious Circus." A few of the letters were missing, and the first 'p' fell loose with a loud banging.
"This is your last chance, Repug! You either get me my cash or I'm shutting this place down! Probably doing this town a favor taking down this eyesore!" a grumpy, booming voice yelled. The camera moved to the front door of a small office where a heavily suited man stormed out. Between the high collar and the hat, it was impossible to see his face.
"N-Now let's be reasonable! A-All I need is a few more days!" a sniveling voice called from behind. Out from the office ran a tall and lanky man dressed in a lime green and black ringleader costume. He had a thin handlebar mustache and a large nose, which matched his oddly oversized hands. "The crowds are going to be in any day now! Y-Y-You'll get your money!"
"You see that I do," the suited man growled as he turned around and thrust a fat finger in the man's chest. "This is your last chance. I don't care how you get my moolah, you get it!" With that he turned around and stormed off. "Crowds coming in- that's a laugh!" As he stormed away, the ringleader dropped onto the stairs to his office and slumped.
"Gonna need something to bring the crowds in… I've got it! We'll do a big show and bring in a whole crowd at once!... But what kind of show's going to bring in the crowds?" The ringleader looked up at the wall beside him as the camera focused in on three separate posters; one of Ballora, one of Funtime Freddy, and one of Funtime Foxy. "What am I saying? These three clowns couldn't bring in a crowd if their lives depended on it! Or mine, ugh. I'm going to need a new act." He rubbed his pointed chin. "But where am I going to find a new performer…?"
The scene changed to a sunny day outside of a large theater in the city. The front sign read 'Auditions Today' and the camera panned inside to show the show stage and a cranky looking man sitting in a director's chair before it. He was glaring at the stage and tapping his pen on a clipboard covered in crossed out names.
"Terrible! Just awful! I haven't seen a performance that stiff since the backdrop fell down in the middle of 'My Fair Finland'!" the director scolded. As whoever was performing left the stage, he looked at his clipboard again. "Next!" There was the sound of footsteps but then he looked up to see nobody over his clipboard. "Next?!"
"Down here!"
The director lowered the clipboard further and there on the stage was none other than a small, little girl with orange pigtails and a red skirt. It was clearly supposed to be Baby.
"Ha! Someone took the name Baby a little too on the nose! She is tiny," Ennard chimed in, unable to hold back the reaction. "And I don't know whose voice that is, but it ain't yours!"
"That's not really surprising. Some of these cartoons weren't voiced by the same people who provided voices for the animatronics. If they even had them at all. Some of them had simulated voices instead of actual recordings, but I couldn't tell you which ones," Scott added in. He looked over to check Baby and noticed how intently she stared at the screen. Though it wasn't exactly from being enthralled.
"But aww, she's cute! She's like one of those little bitty Bidybab babies! Now that's a far stretch from the original Baby body, ain't it?" the clown teased as he sent Scott a sharp grin.
"You're making this worse," Baby sourly scolded. Her gaze fixated on the childlike depiction of her. It made her want to twist up and roll away.
"And what are you supposed to be?" the director asked as he adjusted his glasses.
"Gee, I don't know, but I think it's supposed to be a little girl, Genius," Ennard sassed the television.
"My name is Baby and I'm going to be a star!" the little girl introduced.
"We shall see about that," the director muttered as he sunk back in his seat. "Begin!" Baby began to tap her foot and sway her hips, and then proceeded to sing.
"Would you run across fields of green? Would you ride the rails and swim the seas? Would you travel the world just to come and see your baby?~" Baby sung, pressing a finger to her pink cheek and smiling cutely.
Baby was internally screaming. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so embarrassed. She glanced over towards Charlie and noticed a tiny smile, an amused smile, and Baby was mortified.
"A girl like me is one of a kind, so better be happy that you're mine! So, if you could why don't you make the time and come see your baby?~" She danced with the towering microphone pole that swayed over her. Her voice echoed and she winked at the director with her big, shiny, blue eyes. "Yes, your baby gets lonely, because you are her only. Like cheese and pepperoni, come together in matrimony.~" She began to skip across the stage, not noticing the microphone's wire wrapping around her feet. "So, maybe you could show me how much you- OH!"
Suddenly Baby stumbled and spun off the stage, knocking over the tiny table beside the director's chair and sending a cup of coffee onto his chest. He sprung up with a yelp and the front of his shirt was stained.
"Oh! I'm so sorry! Clumsy me!" Baby scolded herself as she stood. "Can I try again?! Do you need a napkin?! I can run over to the laundromat-!"
"I think you've done quite enough!" the director scolded. "Little Lady, you are simply too young and unexperienced to be on the big stage. If you want my advice, stick to Sunday school and preschool plays. Next!"
"But- But- But-!"
"I said, NEXT!"
Baby slumped dramatically and sulked towards the front door. She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout as she dragged her feet down the street.
"How am I supposed to be a big star if I can't even get a big role? Sunday school isn't going to make me a star," she whined. She looked like she was about to cry as she passed beside the alleyway outside of the theater. She didn't even notice the tall man stepping out of the alley behind her.
"That's not creepy at all," Scott playfully whispered to Ennard who tried to restrain giggles.
"Excuse me, little lady, but I have a proposition for you. Will you come with me? I can give you lots of candy."
Scott was regretting that joke now. Ennard wasn't trying hard enough to stifle his snickers and Baby was still stone faced.
"I'm sorry but I don't feel much like candy right now. I just blew my big audition," Baby lamented.
"Pshaw! I'll have you know that I saw that audition and I think you were magnificent! That stuffy, old coot just doesn't know what real talent is! I should know…" He offered his hand and a business card popped out of the end of his sleeve. Baby took it and read over it as he narrated. "I am Proofus Repug, the owner of Proofus' Prestigious Circus, and I make dreams come true!"
"Really?! You could make me a star?!" Baby excitedly asked. She then looked a little doubtful. "I don't know. A circus? I want to be on Broadway someday, not making animal balloons."
"It's much more than that, my dear! My circus has the finest cast of dancers, comedians, and singers this side of Broadway! Everyone's got to start somewhere, and stars don't rise if they begin at the top. Why don't you come by my circus and I'll give you a formal audition?" He was cut off by the girl jumping on him and crushing him in a hug, comically bending his thin body.
"Thank you, Mr. Proofus! Oh, I'm going to put on the best show ever!" she gushed as she hopped down. "Let me just go get some stuff and I'll be right back!" She hurried off down the street with a wave.
"Hurry back! You don't want to keep your future fans waiting!" the ringleader called back. Though once she was out of earshot, he rubbed his hands together with a cackle. "Oh ho ho! That little girl's gonna make me a big bundle of cash!"
"Huh… I know that guy's voice from somewhere. I just can't remember where," Ennard bluntly stated. Scott sobered up as the clown rubbed his mask thoughtfully. "Maybe it's one of the voices on the Handunit? That's got to be someone. I know that's someone."
"This is a nightmare," Baby said just as bluntly. "She is annoying and she looks like me. I'm embarrassed just to be seen as her."
"Baby, it's not that bad," Charlie tried to assure. "So, she doesn't act like you. It's like you said, she's not really connected to you. Or who knows, maybe you would've acted like her when you were little."
"Take that back."
"Or maybe not. The point is that you shouldn't feel embarrassed for something that just looks like you. Here, sit down." She patted the couch between her and Ennard. Baby was reluctant, because it would be harder to rush over and rip the tape out if anything got too mortifying. Once again, she caved into their demands and sat down. It couldn't last that much longer.
Except it did. It continued to drag on like it was purposefully mocking Baby. Ballora, Funtime Freddy, and Funtime Foxy were all introduced very briefly and, much to her chagrin, they were all in proper character with the only differences being their voices. Ennard even broke down in hysterical laughter at Funtime Freddy's 'nerdy' voice. Their roles were small, as the main plot was with the miniature Baby auditioning again and, again, managing to derail the entire thing.
"I'm sorry I almost ruined everything," Baby apologized as she kicked her foot. "I guess I got so wrapped up in making a big impression that I forgot to be careful… And that fireworks can start big fires."
"It wouldn't be the first time this guy's almost burned the place down!" Bon-Bon giggled as it pointed to Funtime Freddy.
"Hey! You said you'd stop telling people about that…" Freddy whispered back with shifty eyes.
"What Freddy and Bonnie are saying is that accidents happen. We're just glad you're alright," Ballora warmly assured as she daintily reached down to pat Baby's head. "You'll just need to be more careful next time."
"There's not going to be a next time! After this, Proofus is going to fire me for sure… He didn't even hire me yet!" Baby whimpered before beginning to cry and rub her eyes.
"Nonsense!" Funtime Foxy proudly proclaimed. "Proofus would be crazy to turn you away after a show like that! With a little practice, you might be the greatest performer this circus has ever seen!"
"What do you say, Baby? Will you stay?" Ballora asked sweetly as she leaned to Baby's height. The girl seemed to consider it.
"Well… Okay! After all, a star can't rise from the top!" Baby said. The others eagerly cheered her on and started to lead her back towards the circus tents.
The camera turned to show the dumpster nearby and a smoking Proofus climbing out. He had an old, splattered carton of spoiled milk on his head that he yanked off and tossed to the ground angrily.
"That girl's going to make a fool out of me!" he growled. He started to try and climb out of the dumpster. "But- oomph- if she brings in crowds… Maybe there's a way for me to get filthy rich and then dump her off on someone else! I could make a bundle selling her and then she wouldn't be my problem anymore!" He crackled evilly as he hopped down and began to limp back towards the circus.
It was then that the camera panned down to the milk carton that he had tossed aside. What he didn't notice and what the shot revealed was that there was a picture of none other than Baby on the container. Printed above and below the picture was 'Have you seen me?' and 'Missing'. The scene faded out to the credits.
As though the ordeal wasn't bad enough, with the credits came an arm around Baby's shoulders and Ennard leaning in much too close.
"Baby," Ennard began. "That… was… amazing."
Baby made a noise akin to a hiss and shoved him off her before standing from the couch. She skated across the room to the VCR and started grabbing into it, trying to get the tape out. For some reason it refused to come out, so she turned back to Scott. "How do you get this out?"
"Here, I'll do it," Scott offered. She started to fiddle with the VCR again, movements becoming more frantic and irritated. "Wait, wait, I'm getting it! I'll handle it, hold on." He just barely stopped her from destroying the electronic and shut the tape off. "It was a little bit… Well, it was the typical Freddy cartoon. They weren't ever the best thing out there."
"Are you kidding?! That was adorable!" Ennard gushed as he hurried over. He must've known what Baby was going to do, because a moment before she could snatch the tape out of Scott's hand with her claw the amalgam grabbed it instead. He quickly hid it behind his back to use himself as a shield. "Oh no, I'm not gonna let you do something we're going to regret later."
"Ennard, if you keep that accursed tape away from me then so help me I will reach through you to get it," Baby threatened with a hiss.
"Nooo. In front of Charlie? That would totally ruin the sleepover!" Ennard teased. "Was it really that bad? It was adorable!"
"That's easy for you to say. You weren't on it," Baby spat out. "But if you were, you would've been only slightly more irritating then you are right now."
"Okay, you two are getting- Stop." Scott managed to wedge himself in between them. "You two are getting way too excited. Look, let's just calm down. Ennard, give me the tape and I'll put it in my office."
"Aww, Scott," the amalgam lightly complained. Baby seemed much more vindicated.
"Nobody will ever be able to find it again once it gets in that office. It is almost as good as me destroying it myself." She drew herself away and wheeled over to the couch while Scott held out his hand. With a reluctant mutter, Ennard placed the tape into the man's hand.
"Ya do know I know my way around your office, right?" the clown asked. "I'll find a way back to it."
"If you do, I'll be impressed. Once I put something in there it's just a matter of time before it's swallowed by the void of paperwork," Scott admitted with a playful smile. Ennard still looked to be pouting. "Let's give the two of them a little space and go play some Bridge now. We can even get started on dinner if you've got any ideas."
The clown gave a warm chuckle. "I don't know if you want to give me that much power, Scottie." He followed the man to the office, briefly watching him put the tape on his desk, and then eagerly leading the way into the kitchen. "You gotta admit though, that Funtime Freddy voice was hilarious. He sounded like something that came out of a high school dramedy. I sound way better."
As their voices somewhat faded into the kitchen, Baby gave a disgruntled hum and fiddled in place. Charlie had largely stayed quiet during the dispute, but now she was beginning to see more self-conscious motions past Baby's outright annoyance. She tried to clear her throat, instead making a simple jingling noise.
"That might've not gone as well as I hoped… I'm sorry, Baby. I didn't mean to upset you, I just thought maybe it would make you happy to know that you were popular enough to get a show. I can see how it can be a little embarrassing, especially with the extra commentary," Charlie admitted. "If it makes it any better, I prefer the Baby I know to the one on the screen."
"Do you really mean that?" Baby asked. "Even with how cute and small she was? Like a living cupcake."
Charlie couldn't help but get a small smile at the clown's petulant mood. "I don't think a cupcake would be a good friend. It would be too hard to resist eating them." This seemed like a good time to see if she could work in a distraction. "I've taken up enough time with the tape. Why don't you choose what we do next? You said you had a plan."
"My choice? Whatever I want?" Charlie nodded. Baby considered this for a moment before making her decision. "…I want to hit you with a pillow."
"You mean like a pillow fight?" The puppet smiled a little wider, amused by the thought that the clown wanted to go ahead with something as innocently childish as the stereotypical sleepover staple. Especially after she reacted so negatively to how young she was portrayed as in the show.
"Something like that…" Baby turned to the couch and reached for it, bypassing the actual pillow and instead pulling off the entire cushion. "…Except that I will enjoy this much more."
In hindsight, Charlie should've known that Baby would hold a grudge.
Mable: And there we have it; in one evening, both Mike and Baby have borderline identity crisis-es that are somewhat eased by puppets. The lesson is that puppets always make things better. See you next week!