Mable: Here we are with the next chapter! Enjoy!

Almost Feels Like Home

Chapter Seventy-Nine

It had been an exhausting day. Springtrap couldn't remember the last time he had felt so weary, not counting when he had been injured and needed repairs. It made him feel human in some bizarre, masochistic way. He still felt uncomfortably hollow as he shut the door and went to sit down by the wall. He turned on the Handunit out of reflex and stared blankly as the screen flashed "Low Battery". Which it would've probably proclaimed loudly if not for being muted. He set it aside to conserve the battery until he could get back into the warehouse.

Now he was left with his thoughts and memories. He could still remember the night when Ben didn't come home, the days that followed, and each agonizing hour where he waited for someone to come through the door. Their lives had become so interwoven that Michael felt like a part of his own soul had been taken when Ben left. He had to find him, so he risked everything to look for him, and in return he received a single sentence about a body in the vents and a painful demonstration of what befell it.

The only thing that kept Springtrap going was the reminder that, as the sole survivor, he had to live on. Elsewise, Ben's death would've been in vain. That Ben was watching from the afterlife and expecting him to live. Except that wasn't true anymore. There wasn't a spirit looking over his shoulder or reaching out from inside the Handunit to assure him. There wasn't the slim chance that maybe it had been another technician and he had assumed the worst. No, because Ben was Ennard, and Springtrap had no doubt that he was Ennard. He just hadn't seen it until now.

A knock on the door dragged Springtrap out of his thoughts. His ear twitched but he didn't stand. "I know who it is and no, I do not feel like talking about what happened down there. Go back out with the others."

"I don't recall you bein' in charge," Foxy said as he boldly let himself into the room. He was, in fact, not who Springtrap was expecting. That was at least a little bit of a relief. Better dealing with him than Ennard, unless he too was going to ask intrusive questions. Knowing Foxy he probably would do so without even batting an eye. "Marion told me 'bout what happened down there. You okay?"

"I'll live. I would be more worried about Lizzie. Her arm didn't look set right," Springtrap said to try and deflect the attention.

"Yeah, well… Lizzie's a tough one. Ya shoulda seen her last time we were in a fire!... Never mind, you were there," Foxy said with a dismissive wave. He paused a moment before his yellow eye fell back onto Springtrap questioningly. There was a hesitant tone when he finally asked him, "Ya know ya coulda just gotten me to back ya up, right? I knew who ya were, Michael. I could've backed ya up and saved you the trip."

"I know, but Elizabeth would've never believed that, and neither would've Ennard."

"Oh yeah? Since when has Ennard's opinion ever been yer concern?"

"…I knew him before we became this," Springtrap admitted. "…I knew him very well."

Foxy made a hissing noise. "That'll take the wind outta yer sails. Guess that explains why ya tried to off him." Springtrap sent him a weak glare, to which the pirate chuckled. "I'm just yankin' yer chain! Yer lucky I ain't takin' shots at you fer becomin' a shut in." The amusement was brief as he leaned on the door with a sigh. "But I get that. There be nothin' harder than runnin' into a broken bot and realizin' ya knew 'em before."

"I don't even know what I feel…" Springtrap looked down at the Handunit again. "I hated Ennard for killing him, and now he is him and I almost killed him. What am I supposed to do with that?"

"Be thankful that Ennard's some sorta indestructible freak 'o nature?" Foxy offered. This didn't seem to lighten the mood. Not with how his older brother was staring down at the tool, looking distant. "I can leave ya be if ya really want to be alone. Just thought maybe ya didn't after all of that."

It was only then that Springtrap remembered what else he had seen down in Afton Robotics. Something related to his younger brother; the false rooms.

"Before you leave, there was something else… There was a room down there. It was designed to look like the house. Marion said that it was where… You had been kept?" Springtrap asked. The mood changed immediately as Foxy's eye widened and his patch slowly raised. "Tell me that isn't true. That he was mistaken," he added.

"Err… Nar, he ain't. He be right on point," Foxy answered awkwardly. He scratched his neck and looked uncomfortable at the conversation but didn't bow out. "T'was a long time ago. It ain't fresh; that wound's already scabbed over… Whaddya lookin' at me like that fer? I just told ya it wasn't a big deal!"

"Forgive me, Gabriel, but I think you being held down in a basement and murdered is a very big deal. And I… God, I wasn't there." It felt like a metal ball sinking into his non-existent belly. He dropped his head into his hand. "I should have known after Lizzie disappeared that something was wrong, but I was so stubborn, so caught up in avoiding Father that I just let it go…"

"That's enough of that!" Foxy sharply scolded. The change in tone was so sudden that it caught Springtrap off-guard. He raised his head and stared at the other like he had spontaneously began yelling with little provocation, which he had. The pirate pointed his hook at him. "Listen here: I wasted years feelin' sorry fer meself when I could've been there fer me friends an' family, and I ain't gonna sit here and watch ya do the same thing. Fact of the matter is that anyone who got close to Dad got killed."

There wasn't much use arguing with this. It seemed everyone who got within William's circle ended up dying in numerous 'freak accidents'. Even people vital to his means, such as Henry.

"I ain't gonna drag around those memories when I got a ship to run. I can't spend the rest of my life bellyaching over what happened to Gabe," Foxy proclaimed. "And whenever I start feelin' bad, I look into the mirror- metaphorically, 'course- and I don't see Gabe. I see Cap'n Foxy! Loved by children- and adults, iff'n ya get me drift- brave, adventurous, cunning, and I know it all be worth it. Cause in the end, I got somethin' that Purple Bloater's never gonna have: a successful business and a name worth leaving behind."

"Even if it isn't your own?" Springtrap asked.

"Don't see anyone else steppin' up to do it. After Freddy's, someone's gotta fix all those mistakes and this be how I do it," Foxy explained. He raised his patch long enough to wink and turned to the door. "Guess I'll be giving you two yer privacy. Don't keep sulkin', yeah?" He opened the door and headed out into the hall.

It was only then that Springtrap realized what he had said. "You two…?" He almost thought that Foxy was personifying the Handunit until he looked up in time to see Ennard slip in. "Oh… It's you."

"Heh, don't get too excited," Ennard lightly joked as he shut the door behind him. He then fell into an unusual silence, staring at the other animatronic.

Springtrap didn't even want to look at Ennard right now, and it wasn't out of disgust but instead the pain that would come of opening those old wounds. Especially now that he knew the clown couldn't handle it either. He gave an exhausted groan as he leaned back against the wall. "I thought you were going to work on Baby's arm."

"Can't. I don't have the parts I'm gonna need... Sooo, I thought since I almost got myself burned earlier, why not play with fire again and come poke the bunny?" Ennard answered. He sounded like he had his typical amused tone, but it was just a deception, as it dropped almost immediately after that. "I think we need to talk… I have a couple of questions."

"I don't think you can handle the answers," Springtrap said, though it hurt him to say it. Now it ached to be dismissive of Ennard, which would soon become a problem with how persistent the amalgam was. "Believe me, it is not worth it. I know about your life, Ennard. You have a loving home, you have Scott doting on you, and you have Baby. Why would you taint that?"

"Because apparently I'm not Ennard. Heck, as far as I know 'Ennard' is just another stupid pun I concocted when I ran out of egg jokes… I need more. You've got to tell me something about myself," Ennard continued to persist. He came closer and looked down at Springtrap with large, pleading eyes. He wouldn't be convinced by logic, the rabbit realized, and gave another groan as he caved.

"What do you want to know?" he tiredly asked.

"Now we're talking! Knew I'd wear you down eventually," Ennard said, returning to his earlier tone. He limped over and dropped onto the floor beside the other animatronic. Springtrap noticed how labored and careful his motions were and could tell it was from his burns.

"You shouldn't be moving around with injuries like yours. You may detach something," Springtrap warned. Ennard didn't seem concerned by it.

"I'm just gonna shed the burned ones anyway, and changing the topic's not going to work," he dismissed. "So, we established my name was Ben and that we were close. How close?"

"Very close," Springtrap said.

"Could've used a little more clarification than that, but okay. I'll live with that for now cause I've got to fit a lifetime into about an hour. Let's see…" Ennard paused to think for a moment. "How'd we meet?"

"…We went to the same college. You and I shared a class since we were both studying robotics." Springtrap wanted to end it there. More details would only make this worse… But he couldn't. The memories came back and he loyally recited them. "We both took late classes. It was usually dark after my last class, and one night I couldn't get my car to start. You must have seen me-," Or heard him swearing across the parking lot. "-and brought your car over to try and jump it. We worked on that junker for at least two hours."

"Yikes. Did we get it started?" Ennard asked. He really didn't remember anything; it made Springtrap's heart sink.

"No, we didn't. You gave me a ride and I had it towed… And you continued giving me rides once I had it junked. It would've cost more to fix than it was worth, and I had bigger problems to deal with. My scholarship paid for most of my education, but housing was becoming expensive. We decided that it would be easier to split the rent on an apartment. Which is what we did, and we lived in that apartment until we couldn't."

"That long? Then give me a quick once-over of this apartment," the clown requested. He watched Springtrap with a curious glint. "Two bedrooms, right?"

"No. We were sharing a bed," Springtrap flatly countered. "Yes, there were two bedrooms. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, a den, and a kitchen. We were on the second floor of a three-story building."

"No pets?"

"No. No pets…" Springtrap felt like he was talking to a stranger. It was gut-wrenching to go on. "Is that all?"

"What about family? Did I have a family?" Ennard asked. "Mom, Dad, brother, sister-?"

"No. From what I knew, you grew up in a foster home. You must have had some form of inheritance because you never seemed concerned about finances. At least, not until we moved in together."

"Oh… Guess that makes sense. Explains why I didn't remember anyone else…" Ennard seemed disappointed. He didn't sound depressed necessarily, just like his fun had been cut short. "Ha ha, but I guess that makes sense! Money goes quick when you're living off take-out every night. We could've opened a diner just reselling all the leftovers we had jamming up the fridge," he said off-handedly.

"That was because you always bought too much. You would always throw in an extra Lo Mein even when you had no intention of eating it."

"That's cause you used to get up in the middle of the night and eat. I'd have half a something sitting in the fridge and come out at two in the morning and find you eating it."

"Because I couldn't tell which were new or not. I was trying to clean out the older leftovers you had hoarded." It was then that Springtrap suddenly realized they were doing. He looked to the clown, startled at it and staring at him. "You… You can remember a pointless fight about nothing, but you can't even remember whether or not you had a family?"

"Ha, yeah! Ain't that just the cherry on top? Couldn't even remember my name, but I could remember that!" Ennard said playfully. He chuckled and this time it wasn't forced. "That and you having a serious grudge against the vacuum cleaner. What was up with that? You used to totally flip your lid about that!"

"I didn't 'flip my lid', I was just tired of being the only one who vacuumed. Especially when you had me vacuuming every other day." It all seemed so inconsequential now. Springtrap had barely remembered those trivial fights, only reminded by them being brought up, but here was Ennard dragging them out like they were precious memories. It was so confusing. "You lived off popcorn."

"I still do! Guess some habits are hard to kill!" Ennard gave another laugh, but now he was starting to grow tense. As much as he faked obliviousness, he must've known how difficult all of this was. Springtrap didn't get his confirmation until he added, "…I meant to come back, you know. I can't remember much but I remember it was supposed to be my last night. I think I went back to say goodbye to Baby… Ha, and then after my accident I was so busted up that I'd put Handy over there to shame! At least you got in your suit with your head together."

"I don't think I've had my head together for years now…" Springtrap admitted. The room grew increasingly quiet as the conversation dropped off. The rabbit staring at the floor and the clown staring at the ceiling, with neither attempting to continue the reminiscing. Not until the familiar regret started to sink back in. So much wasted time since the fire, since he could've first realized that Ennard wasn't who he thought he was. Springtrap finally broke the silence, "I missed you."

Ennard gave a quiet giggle. "I guess I must've missed you too if I couldn't forget you..."

Michael couldn't have ever forgotten Ben. Even sitting alongside remnants of him, he remembered everything about him, and he knew it was him. They were together again; that was all he ever wanted.

…

Michael had no idea what he was looking at when he opened the hood of the car. Largely because it was dark and he was frustrated, but also because there wasn't much to see. They only clue was that it faintly smelled like something was burning without being clear enough to tell where it was.

With a frustrated huff he stared blankly at the inside and mentally went through his list of quick fixes. Maybe just trying to turn it on again would work and save him the trouble. Maybe someone could try to jumpstart it, even if that noise before it died hadn't sounded like a battery issue. He was half-willing to cut his losses and try to walk home.

It was then that a car slowly pulled up beside his. At first, he assumed it was a nosey student coming to ogle at his misfortune, then realized it was something much worse once the window began to roll down.

"Looks like you're having some trouble there," Ben pointed out. Of course it would be Ben, the fortunate one, and the last person Michael wanted to see. Probably coming to show off that his much newer car was working fine. "What's wrong with it?" Or to point out the obvious and ask oblivious questions.

"If I knew what was wrong with it, I'd fix it myself," Michael shot back. Tonight couldn't possibly get any worse.

"I don't know about that. You don't strike me as the type to start taking out and replacing things on the spot," Ben said. There was smugness in his tone, but Michael ignored it as soon as he heard the other car shut off. "Here, let me look at it. I'm pretty good with these things."

"No, just go on home. I can handle it," Michael said, keeping his voice calm to try and dissuade him. The last thing he needed was to get upstaged out here when he already was in class and life. Except that Ben was still getting out of his car. "I mean it. It's under control."

"Did you call a tow truck or a mechanic to come out and look at it?"

"No?"

"Then it's not under control," Ben said, again, smugly. Or maybe this was his attempt at joking, but Michael viewed it as a personal attack against him. As he did his car breaking down tonight of all nights. The other came to stand beside him and stared into the darkness underneath the hood. "…Do you have a flashlight or anything?"

"Or nothing."

"Figures… Looks like we're going in completely blind." Ben tried to push the hood up more, if he could, to let more light in from the streetlight nearby. "By the way, the name's Ben."

"I know," Michael stiffly answered. He realized from the other's lack of a reaction that he probably knew he knew and was just offering it up to get the same in response. "Michael." Ben got a slight smile, but it seemed a little more genuine. "You really don't have to stay. The car's a lemon, I'm just going to end up calling a tow truck one way or another."

"I don't have anywhere else to go," he said with a shrug. "And misery loves company, right? Come on, we're wasting our time studying robots. The two of us should be able to get this thing started."

They didn't. In hindsight, Michael was glad they hadn't.

It was uncomfortable to sit and be tended to while so many little sets of eyes stared at her. Baby couldn't even say that she was unnerved, just further embarrassed. Now she was so battered that the Minireenas and Bidybabs were confident enough to stare unabashedly as she sat there with Charlie unwrapping her jacket from her arm. Baby couldn't even say she liked those dolls, even when they were working alongside her down in Afton Robotics. Not with how they stared and judged.

She tried to turn her attention to Charlie, who was carefully turning her arm over in her lap. It was still hurting, but unlike earlier Baby was able to mask the pain, as to not give the dolls anymore reason to stare.

"Alright, so I have good news and bad news," Charlie finally said. "The good news is that this is fixable. The bad news is that this is going to need to have welding work. So, this isn't something Ennard and I are going to be able to do down here. You're going to have to be careful with it until we can get you back home and get the tools."

"Joy," Baby said sourly. "Why not just take the claw off and spare me the deadweight?"

The Security Puppet got an amused smile. "Don't be overdramatic. Just imagine it like a broken arm, except instead of a cast for a few months you just need to keep it still for an afternoon."

"This day couldn't get any worse… Well… I suppose it could've been worse. Ennard could've burned himself to lifelessness instead of just singeing himself… What a terrible day." Baby couldn't hide the somberness in her voice and Charlie looked to her attentively as she noticed it. Taking it as a go ahead to continue, the clown did so. "It's not that I feel anything for my old band. I don't feel bad for what happened to them. They attacked us and called me scrap; they deserved to burn… But with them gone it changes things."

"Changes what?" Charlie asked. She had a feeling that Baby's protests were covering mourning that she refused to admit to. "Changes what you thought about them?"

"Changes what I thought about me. I used to perform with them. Seldom with the entire band, but frequently rented out, and I hated it. I hated being used like a wind-up toy. Like one of those dolls that opens its eyes and speaks when you lift it upright. I despised being their toy… But now with my band gone, I think I finally realize the truth. I'm never going to be on stage again. I will never perform for anyone again."

"Baby, don't say that," Charlie protested. She patted her arm. "There's always a chance that someday you might want to perform again. On your own terms."

"You don't understand. I want to perform, I just can't," Baby admitted. "Even if I wasn't broken- even if I didn't have this on my arm-." She shifted the claw carefully. "I would be too dangerous to be around people. Now I don't even have a band… Seeing what they've become only reminds me of what I've become. Or what I was, and am, and a singer was never one of those. No more bright lights and big dreams for Circus Baby."

There was something wrong if Baby was quoting the cartoon that she swore she loathed. She handed over the green jacket, which Charlie slipped back on as she considered what to say. She really didn't want to see Baby's mood bottom out after the stress of their ordeal, especially when she couldn't guarantee that it was over since they hadn't even seen the condition of their homes. She needed something else.

She wasn't sure where she got the idea from- maybe it was a built-in reflex- but while still holding the clown's claw securely to alleviate further pain, she began to lightly sing. "Don't put Baby in a corner, because she wants to come out and sing.~" Baby looked to her quickly in questioning. "Don't put Baby in a corner, just let her do her thing,~" Charlie continued with a smile. "Because when she sings, she's doing her best, and even when she isn't, she's better than the rest. So, don't put Baby in a corner. Put her on a stage instead!~"

Baby was still staring at her like she had begun speaking in tongues. Charlie had to explain herself. "That was just something I put together in my spare time. It's not finished yet, but it will be. I thought since you were coaching me and composing these songs for me that maybe I could return the favor, and maybe someday we could perform a duet together."

"You don't mean that," Baby said. "…Do you?"

"I do! Baby, you're not too far gone. Everything on the outside can be fixed, and any of the programming on the inside we can find a workaround for. If you're not safe around people, then you'll be safe on a stage, and you'll be fixed up enough that you'll look brand new. We have the time and the tools if you're willing to be patient a little longer," Charlie offered. "Don't give up on yourself or us just yet."

That warm and friendly smile was such a comfort for the clown. It made her feel hope, something she seldom felt. To think that Charlie would go out of her way to help Baby even after she risked herself numerous times to protect her. She wasn't even a fighter and she had fought for Baby. That warmth spread quickly over someone that had been cold for so long.

"I believe you… And I like your song. Please finish it," Baby quietly requested. Charlie didn't know if she meant on the spot or just in general, so she went with a mix of both.

"I have a little more done if you want to hear it, but it's very rough…" Her warning trailed off as she noticed the sound of hurried footsteps on the stairs in the next room. "I think I hear Scott and Fritz coming in."

Scott came bounding down the stairs so fast that it was a wonder he kept his footing. He met Natalie at the bottom, her calmness contrasting his franticness. "Where is- Where are they? Ennard and Baby?" he got out as he tried to catch his breath. "They're here, right? Not in the warehouse?"

"They're okay, Scott. Just try to calm down," Natalie said soothingly. She briefly glanced back at Fritz who was coming down the stairs behind him before continuing. "Baby injured her wrist, but she's okay. She's sitting with the others in the other room resting up. Ennard's in the back with Springtrap." His eyes popped open at this.

"Oh geez…" Scott mumbled under his breath. "How bad is it?"

"He's got a few burns, but he seems to be in good humor. He cracked a few jokes about it before he went back there."

"I have to go get him before- Burns?… I'll be right back" It was clear that he was getting only more concerned and he hurried off before she could further clarify. She now turned to Fritz.

"All the fun happens when you're not here to see it," she said with a small smile. "Maybe you should come take a look at Baby?"

"That and get my keys back," Fritz agreed, then followed her to the other room.

Meanwhile, Scott nearly sprinted into the back hall and fumbled around until he saw a light on in the back. "Ennard?!"

Inside the room, Ennard heard his voice, perked up, and pulled back onto his feet. He still struggled against his injuries and the stiffness resulting from them. Scott came barging in seconds later.

"Ennard, thank God," the man exclaimed as he rushed forward and pulled him into an embrace. It was a miracle to be holding him in his arms, to not have disaster strike, and he was inwardly continuing to thank everything that the amalgam got back alright. "You scared me to death! Where were you?! No, don't answer that, I already know where you were. Mike already told me." He drew back to continue when he noticed the injuries on the amalgam's arms and shoulders. He was aghast, "You really were burned…"

"Aww, not that bad. No worse than if I left the microwave on too long," Ennard excused. He hugged his human companion tightly and Scott returned it again, tentatively to avoid the spots that were damaged. He could see the soot dirtying the wires too, and the smell of it was overwhelming.

"Ennard, what were you thinking?! It's broad daylight, it's storming, you went and got yourself burned- How did you even get burned like this?!" Scott drew back to look at the damage. He could see where a couple of wires even melted together. "Please, please don't tell me someone did this to you. Please."

"Ha, no. I did this to myself, thank you very much! The only way I'm getting in an oven is because I want to, I'm just that kind of guy." Again, Ennard was covering, and he was clinging. He pulled Scott back against him and held on for dear life, pressing the mouth of his mask repeatedly against the top of the man's head. "Something, something, eggs over easy."

"Ennard, I'm not joking. Th-This is not a laughing matter. You left and you got yourself hurt. How many times have I said…?" Scott trailed off before pushing back again. This time he made sure to keep Ennard at arm's length, because he needed the amalgam to look at him and hear when he was saying. "You promised me you were going to stop doing things like this, and this time you got hurt- Some of these are fused. How are we even… Even going to fix that?"

Ennard hated seeing the disappointment on Scott's face. It twisted him up almost as bad as some of the horrors he had faced that night, making his injuries aching only more apparent.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just gonna strip 'em out and put some of my leftovers back in. It's an instant fix!..." But he could tell that this wasn't much of an assurance. "I'm sorry, Scott… I knew it was wrong, but I had to do it. I had to figure some things out and this was our only chance." It was clear that Scott was struggling with this. His hands were already shaking; he had probably been searching frantically to find him. Ennard knew he owed him more than half-truths. "And the truth is…I thought I was Michael."

"…What?" Scott asked in surprise. He glanced over at Springtrap, only now remembering that he was there. "You… You thought you were Michael? Why?"

"Because I remembered him. I could remember stuff about him that I couldn't even remember about myself, so I thought maybe I was him… Or- ha- better yet, maybe I just told myself I was him cause I wanted to be him! Ha ha, you know the glamor of being an Afton and all that jazz. You can guess how well that went." Ennard gave a quick, crackly laugh. He noticed how quickly Scott's expression changed from strained exasperation to a sad, regretful look.

"Is that why you've been acting… Different recently? Asking all those questions about the old business?" Again, remembering that Springtrap was in the room, Scott almost felt inappropriate bringing it up.

"That's right! I thought maybe I could jumpstart everything, but it turns out I was looking at it the wrong way, cause- Heh, you're not going to believe this- Michael and I used to be friends! He knew who I was." It was becoming apparent from his tone that he was becoming a bit more anxious, even if he buttered it up with that false cheer. "Ain't that something? I really was a technician down there. All that stuff I remembered, about the scooping and stuff… It was real." His wires were twitching. "That's why I remembered Michael."

"Really? That's amazing. That's… That's either got to be an amazing coincidence or a really bad run of luck. Uh..." Scott looked to Springtrap and noticed him watching. "I'm guessing the latter?"

Springtrap considered rolling his eyes except he couldn't be too sure it wouldn't set off his already tensed springlocks. The last thing he needed was a suit failure during Ennard's outpour of emotion. Especially since he was becoming increasingly aware of the circumstances between Scott and Ennard. It was hard not to see it.

"His name was Benedict Hansberry," Springtrap clarified.

"Yeah, that!" Ennard pointed to the rabbit eagerly. "And I didn't know the full name until right now! I was getting a lot of action out of that Eggs Benedict joke." By time he turned back to Scott, the man had his head down and was rubbing his face with one hand. He looked exhausted, and Ennard felt the dread come back. "Th-This is great, right? Proves I'm a real human, right? That's great! Celebration time!"

"But I haven't… Ennard, I've never thought you weren't a real human. Except maybe when you were telling me you weren't- I always believed you! You didn't have to go this far for that… Especially since Michael was, you know, already here."

Ennard winced back while Springtrap gave a partial nod to himself. Scott took a moment to consider what to say before reaching up with shaking hands and cupping the amalgam's mask. His touch was reassuring, even if it might've been meant to ground him so that he would pay closer attention.

"Don't- Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you found out who you were. Really glad, really, because I don't want you going through life not knowing who you were before… But it's not worth you dying over! If you got too overheated or whatever happened, then you could've- you would've just… I would've lost you. We would've lost you, and that's not worth anything. Okay? So, just… Next time you need to tell me before you run off."

"Sure thing, Scottie," Ennard promised. His voice filled with adoration and relief; he could handle this much. "But don't get too worried. I'm not planning on crawling into another furnace anytime soon." He instantly regretted that wording at the long silence that followed.

"…Furnace?" Scott quietly asked.

"…Some of Baby's old friends popped up and decided to make life a lot more difficult, so I Hansel and Gretel-ed them into a furnace. No big deal! I came out alright! Just a little burned around the edges."

Scott looked horrified, but thankfully Springtrap decided to again exert some amount of mercy. "What he did was foolish and reckless, but it saved Baby from a much worse fate. It was either her or them and they wouldn't willingly get into the oven without some form of bait," he said.

"I played the bait," Ennard proudly proclaimed with a wink.

"What we faced down there was nothing short of nightmarish," Springtrap admitted with a shake of his head. "In that sense, it lived up to any expectations."

Now Scott's features softened up. He was still reeling over the risk- along with the knowledge of a furnace that was big enough to fit animatronics inside- but Ennard did it to protect others. That was noble; he wouldn't expect anything less by now. Ennard was unpredictable to a fault, but he took care of those around him. At least, he took care of Scott.

He sighed and smiled a little. "Same old Ennard, always keeping me guessing. Always finding a new way to scare me," he said.

Ennard hugged him again and this time wasn't held back. It was only now that he realized exactly how much he could've lost. He had already lost one life and one identity and had barely scraped by enough to make a new one of both; he could've lost that to nearly identical circumstances. He ignored the pain in his wires and squeezed tighter.

"But you know this doesn't change what you did, right? I'm not just letting you off the hook for that. We're going to have to talk about this later. Once you're fixed," Scott added. That was going to be a long and somewhat intense talk that he wasn't wanting to have, but he knew they had to have it. Ennard nodded and nuzzled against him. "Alright… I-I love you."

It was seldom that he said that without being provoked by Ennard saying it first, or by the clown being in dire straits. It sent tremors down his wires of delight. "Love you too, Scott. Missed you with all I got."

They still stood there a little longer like that. Springtrap watched as they did, feeling something between awkwardness and emptiness. At least Ben was happy, even if he had to witness it as a third wheel.

"I- uh- We should probably check on Baby too. Natalie said she broke her arm?" Scott asked.

"Right, Baby! Yeah, I need to check on her. Funtime Foxy chewed her up pretty bad," Ennard agreed. He eagerly turned back towards Springtrap. "You coming, Michael?"

Springtrap was immediately reluctant. While things had changed for him, it still seemed safer and more comfortable to keep his distance. "It would be best if I didn't."

"Aww, come on. Don'tcha want to listen to us retell our glorious escape from ARI? Or how we drove in circles in broad daylight and nobody spotted us? Or, hey, the Chinese food thing."

"No," he said more firmly than he would've liked. He reined himself in quickly. "No, it would be better if I stayed here. I would be more comfortable where I am."

"Oh… Okay, suit yourself!" Ennard barely covered his disappointment and turned back to Scott. "Looks like it's just you and me! Let's go see her!"

The two headed out through the door with Scott leading the way. He needed to check on Baby, he needed to check on the cats, and he knew he needed to make an easier plan for moving them home. Depending on when they left there could be traffic in the streets, putting them at risk of being spotted. As it was, he didn't know how the burns would handle being rubbed against the inside of a coat.

He was drawn out of his thoughts when he noticed that Ennard was no longer following him. Scott looked back to find him standing only a few feet from the door and looking strangely distressed.

"Ennard?" Scott asked gently. "Is everything okay?"

"Uh… When… When I told you that me and Michael knew each other, it was a little more than just knowing each other. He was that guy I remembered living with. Remember that? We just had each other, no families or anything else. And hey, this is kind of funny; all this time Springtrap hated me was because he though I killed his bud, who was me! And all this time I thought I was him was cause I remembered him! Ain't that something? A comedy of errors! Gonna seem a lot funnier in a couple of days."

An uncomfortable chuckle was a giveaway that Ennard wasn't as amused as he seemed. His tone lowered along with his volume. "We were all we had. He was the only one who came looking for me and cared when I didn't come back. And I can't remember a lot of what it was like, but the funny thing is… I can't leave him. I can't just… Leave him back here. Alone. Again."

He sounded terribly depressed and that alone telegraphed to Scott how serious he was about this. Springtrap had already refused the first offer to come with them, and Scott was very aware of how stubborn he could be. Especially considering that it took bribes and threats to get him down here at all. He knew any further attempts would probably fail, but he knew he had to do something.

"…Wait here a minute. I'll be right back," Scott said. Ennard perked as he passed by and let himself back into the office. Springtrap was still sitting on the floor but was now slumped like he was trying to rest. "Michael?" The rabbit raised his head. "Hey… Why don't you come out here with us? It's probably not as quiet as you'd like, but its quieted down a lot since earlier. Everyone's settled in."

"I would rather not," Springtrap declined. There was that stubbornness. There was that voice that sounded uncomfortably like his father's but, thank goodness, wasn't. Scott wasn't willing to give up yet.

"I know. Trust me, I know that feeling. You just want to distance yourself and ride it out, but… We really want you out there with us." Springtrap still seemed hesitant but hadn't declined again. Scott took that as a good sign and pressed a little further. "I think… I think Ennard really wants you out there. And I know Mari and Foxy will, and probably Baby does too. And me too, you know."

Springtrap released a low groan of discontent and dropped his head forward. "I don't want to answer questions. I don't want to talk," he muttered. "And I don't want all of them staring at me."

"I know. Trust me, I know how that feels. I know it feels easier to just hole away and try to wait it out, but… There are some things you can't wait out. If you do, you just miss out on what time you have…" Scott gave a slow sigh. "And then you start to lose people. You look around and realize everyone moved on, and that makes you want to double down on pulling back, but it just makes it worse… I can't say it's going to be fun and I can't promise someone isn't going to stare or ask questions, but I think you should. Please."

It was hard to tell which way Springtrap was leaning at first. He just stared blankly with an unreadable expression. It wasn't until he shifted and began to stand up that Scott realized he had convinced him.

"Thank you, Michael," Scott said with a relieved tone and a warm smile.

"Don't thank me yet. I'm not making any promises to stay," Springtrap said.

Scott was thrilled, but he wondered if he needed to say more. He knew Michael and that Michael knew about his past, and connections with Freddy's and William. That seemed deserving of saying something. Except he lost his chance as the suit gestured for him to go out through the door. With a nod, the older man stepped back out into the hallway and mouthed a 'he's coming' to the amalgam waiting in the hall.

Ennard perked up immediately and stepped in to hook an arm around him. "You are amazing," he whispered to him. "Should've brought you down with us and you could've worked your magic on Fall-Apart Freddy."

"No, that's okay. It doesn't work on bears," Scott denied with a light chuckle that he stifled by time Springtrap stepped out. He looked at the two of them before passing by and heading down the hall, taking the initiative to lead. They followed behind him, neither doubting his threat to turn around and return to the room if it didn't work out. They would have to try and keep that from happening.

"Marion's asleep… It's 'bout time we did somethin' that been a long time comin'. I know we be family by blood, but we ain't been acting like it fer years."

It was hard enough to do this in a room full of people, but Foxy knew it had to be done. At least the others were paying more attention to Ennard's retelling of their earlier adventure than them. He was going into graphic detail too, which caused Scott to occasionally look paler and the others to occasionally break out in shocked exclamations. Even the Minireenas and Bidybabs were distracted, either because Ennard frightened them so much that they couldn't look away or because he was talking of their former home. Mike was listening too and holding Marionette who had fallen asleep against him.

This was the best time for Foxy to do this on his terms, so he turned back to his audience. This would be Springtrap, who he knew was liable to run at any minute, and Baby, who couldn't run because she couldn't move her injured arm. Charlie was also listening, but Foxy was fine with it. In his eyes she had earned a place as an adopted member of their family long ago. She too would have to face this.

"There's a lot 'o things I had to go through over the years to be a part of this family. Yer gonna have to make up for lost time, and I only see one way of doin' it…"

With that, Foxy turned and reached for something that he knew would instill fear into everyone that saw it; the folded-up Freddy Fazbear gameboard.

"Only one thing survived that house, and now we must make arr vows to keep livin'… By playin' this game." He was smirking to himself, and outright lying. He just wanted to subject them to the same boredom he had gone through many times in the past. "There ain't no two ways 'bout it."

"Is death an option?" Springtrap asked.

"I asked, and no. This game be the closest thing to the void 'o death we ever gonna see."

"I can't even move my arm, or I'll be in constant pain," Baby reminded.

"There be no excuses, Lass! We're gonna be a family again, and that means we're gonna have fun family game time just like Ma used ta have!" Foxy went to set the board down and staggered as he did so. That namedrop was unintentional; it might've been too far. Except that it seemed to have worked. There were no more disagreements after that point.

"Now iff'n there be no more arguments, grab yer man and let's get this over with."

Mable: Finally, a moment to breathe. Just long enough to get a rest before having to face the devastation left behind from the storm… Which will be due next week, as expected. XD I hope you enjoyed!