A/N: Uh, hello hello! Hey wow you made it uh good job good job! :3 welcome to the newest installment of this story and once again thank you for sticking with me even though this story is beginning to get very long. Now this chap is told again through the eyes of Jeremy. I know a lot of people are probably getting tired of this and are probably going 'yo Isiga when are we getting back to Freddy and co!?'
Patience my friends we will get back to the others I promise but these chapters told through the eyes of the full humans especially the Fitzgearald brothers are key to the whole story before the story you know, what happened to make this place so f'ed up in the first place. I ask that you please bare with these sort of hybrid free chapters for a little while. To me they are just as interesting anyway but I know a lot of people might not care about these characters or their stories much. I however do not like the "Good Guy Bad Guy" feel of any story as that is not how things are in real life everyone has a story which is why in chap 16 I gave you a good portion of Vincent's. There is no back story back story in this chap so no flashbacks (more of those next chap) but there is a lot of implied history and small details to help you better understand personality traits for our "Bad Guy."
Anyway! How are you guys? I don't feel like I actually ask that much. How is the story going to you? Do you still like it? Anything I can do to improve it? Or are you guys pretty cool with my writing style. Any couples you would like me to spotlight? I know I had someone remark about the lack of action between Foxy and Mangle a few chapters back but I'm unsure if you guys would like to see more of specific couples. Guys please if you want to see more of a couple leave me a comment! Example: Isiga, could you spotlight Mike x Jeremy? its that easy guys. I read and respond to every comment personally, no secretaries here! Every bit of input you have for me makes me feel more up for writing so if you could please maybe if you wanna. But anywho lets get this show on the roll! Crickie get the bags.
TW's (the bags!): Mentions of poor parenting, mentions of death, mentions of The Accident, mentions of human experimentation, mild making out and even milder teasing, mentions of mental illness, and finally mentions and vague descriptions of hallucinations
Enjoy ^^
Be Jeremy
You're back here again with him...thankfully they're letting Bernard and Angel rest but not Fredrick. You stand in the doorway as your brother talks to him in his dazed state. He looks dead if it weren't for the steady rise and fall of his chest you would swear he was as your brother flips through pictures and plays sounds. He's surprisingly soft with the young bear well as soft as one can be while fitting them with another mere thought of this was unheard of forever to your father when he was still around, not that that kept him from exploiting it, but there is one upside to his mental condition. The ideas are limitless and always flowing. He designed the Toy Box in a random burst of positive creativity you haven't seen from him in a long time. But usually his constant flow of ideas are never good ones. Brilliant yes you have to admit they are brilliant far beyond their time practically dipping into science fiction. He can fix a wide verity of illnesses with the use of animal DNA but of course that comes at a cost.
Fredrick's bear ears twitch as if to highlight the point of your thought. Its not like he chose this group for no reason...they were pregnancies that weren't going to go well. Pregnancies that would result in the death of the carried child if something wasn't done. For all intents and purposes he saved them. Unfortunately though to them death would be a welcomed thing compared to your father's work. You tense as he tests out a simple pop gun and you can see the change happen. The young teen growls ears pinned back, teeth bared, stance threatening but unlike all the other times he doesn't immediately lash out on the people around him just stares menacingly observing your brother for a while before he bows his head to him when he doesn't give the teen so much as an emotional inch. It seems it took your brother no time at all to iron out all the trigger issues the coats couldn't figure out themselves.
"Perfect."
He reaches out and ruffles the boy's hair for a sec before lowering his arm and snapping next to his leg. Fredrick obeys immediately standing right by his side like a police dog to their handler following him mere inches behind, just enough to show respect, as he moves forward towards his coats and you. He watches the teen through the corner of his eye he's not chained in anyway your brother must be confident now that he's decided to just take this task on himself. He gets right up on top of you all slowing his pace as he passes you watching him with caution as he turns him around and heads back to the other side of the room. Not a single problem.
"Now, how was this difficult for you people? He's very responsive to the program. He should have been the easy one."
He just about knocks his glasses off as he scrubs at his face out of frustration. He never did understand that not everybody is quite as smart or imaginative as he is. It tends to frustrate him.
"Whatever I will simply see to Freddy and Golden myself."
"Golden, sir? I thought the program was terminated."
You resist the urge to run out the door this guy must be new nobody speaks to your brother unless spoken to. Its sort of an unwritten rule really to keep any personality swings he may have at a minimum. The room is silent save for the click of dress shoes accompanied close behind by the dull sound of worn chucks as they approach you all again.
"Seeing as how you all failed to terminate the project when it was deemed a failure I have decided to pick it back up. I know Spring Trap is awake and I know Golden survived the suits. How? I myself am still very unsure but alas when you have intelligence like that do you let it go to waste?"
The coat gulps his whole body going stiff as a bored as your brother pretty much touches noses with him.
"No you don't. That should have been your answer. Get with the program or find yourself on the business end of one of my bears. Toy Freddy could use some practice so unless you want to be said practice I would think twice before you question me again is that understood."
Its not a question and he knows it too as he nods hard enough to where you swear you can hear his brain, or perhaps lack there of, rattle around. Vincent simply gives him a smile and a pat on the head before backing and straightening up to his full almost six foot height.
"All of you are dismissed. Except for you Jer, we should speak. For old time sake."
He smiles at you now and you swear for a moment you can see your real brother there again. The one who would have given his sight, hearing, one of each limb, and one of each repeated organ to keep your mother alive. The one who was forced into that suit and tortured by bullies daily. The one that was around before your father changed him. In single file order the coats leave with their clipboards and other utensils til its just you here with him. He eases Fredrick into the medical chair once more.
"Rest now little one you are doing very well I'm very proud of you. But tomorrow is another day of hard work and you need to be your very best so you need your rest. Sleep now."
As if on cue his eyes dim from their current red to their normal soft blue easing shut as he's covered with a thick blanket. In seconds he's limp with sleep and your brother turns back to you.
"I hear from Phone that Spring seems to enjoy helping in the pizzeria."
You gulp he wasn't supposed to know about Spring but you suppose you couldn't hide him forever. Your eyes scan him for any irritation but find none he doesn't seem angry at all with Spring's deceit.
"He enjoys being with his partner again."
His face contorts to one of contemplation you hope you aren't being too bold. You've forgotten just how dangerous he can be lately. He's just been off these last few weeks, you've witnessed more positive creativity coming from him he wants to give the restaurant a face lift renovate it all little by little, his office has gained some color he even hung up one of the promotional Celebrate posters from forever ago. You're not sure what's going on with him right now but you hope its a start, a step if you will, in a different direction. You hope you can get the old Vinc back in your lifetime and see him let go of your father's twisted expectations of his eldest son.
"We could fix Bon Bunny...Though I think a new name would be in order of we do that."
He taps his nose with his index finger a strange habit he's had sense you were children he would do it whenever the creative gears were turning on overdrive.
"Spring Bonnie, how about it? Keep up with the family themes among the characters I think its a swell idea yes yes put the old thing back in commission. It brings me great joy to see my Project Golden spark with happiness and productivity. Oh! We could give them their own historical stage! Jer, we could fashion an area in the pizzeria after the old diner and put them up in there perhaps even with some history boards and original design works! Its brilliant I tell you, brilliant! Thank you little brother you're a genius!"
He dives out the door with a chipper follow me tossed over his shoulder as he all but jogs to his office with you in tow. Phil jumps a good ten feet when he barrels through the door heading straight for behind the desk gently moving the shorter man a little so he doesn't run him over before diving into one of the lowest drawers still talking though he sounds like a parent in the Peanuts now.
"Vinc, I can't understand you with your head in the desk like that."
He freezes for a sec before popping out again with a pencil in his mouth and a huge, thick sketchbook in his arms. He moves the pencil to his ear and doesn't even bother to sit before throwing the book open.
"I still have sketches from the old place. They're...terrible to be generous but, I bet I could throw together a new stage area from them."
He trails off staring down at the book and loose sketches tapping his nose again but is otherwise just muttering ideas to himself letting the pencil glide over the paper giving you another chance to look around the room again. Its changed even more now. You're starting to get almost concerned. The wall the door is on bares a sketch and splotches of painted bright colors of a huge mural of what used to be the view from your room window. You gnaw on your lip looking over the giant lemon tree you both used to climb when father wasn't around its the only one in the picture as it was the only one around your house. Sketched lines swoop across the wall portraying the thick grass that was almost never cut as nobody had time to cut it and the mountains that peeked out over the horizon. It wasn't much of a view and the picture isn't done but it was a view none the less. Its sort of weird to see your brother drawing it though.
All of the other walls have received a soft barely visible shade of lavender and different, practically ancient now, promotional posters for Fred Bear and Friends' Family Diner as well as Freddy Fazbear's. He even spray painted the metal fan that cools the office, a deep purple of course its always purple with him, and found a couple old toys. Freddy, Chica, and Foxy are patched up and perched on top of the cabinet right next to the old fan. Bonnie's missing though, perhaps he's somewhere else he always was Vinc's favorite. But still...its weird, like really weird, to see any of them at all let alone to see three out of the four in that particular set. You raise an eyebrow to Phil who just shrugs in confusion mouthing an 'I don't know' to you with an apologetic look. It's suddenly silent though so you look back to the desk to see him asleep on it having taken a seat while you were gazing. Or perhaps he fainted, that happens on occasion. Next to you Phil chuckles trotting over to the cabinet and pulling out an old blanket to drape over his sleeping form before returning to you.
"I'm not a hundred percent sure what's going on with him to be honest...I just came in here one day and the place was a wreck. Paint buckets and brushes scattered about plastic covering the furniture him sitting at that wall drawing. He was so far gone he didn't even notice me come in. He was even in jeans and a worn out Bonnie shirt with his hair a mess. It was really strange even stranger when I came in last night to see him pulling those guys out of a really dusty box I sat with him while he patched them up. He was a bit upset that Bonnie's gone missing but I'm sure we'll find him sooner rather than later."
You just stare mouth agape at the information while he fidgets and adjusts his glasses.
"I'm just...taking what I can get, ya know? Take the good things while you can? Man...guess I am a big softy huh..."
He sighs fidgeting more with hem of his sleeve as he just kinda watches your brother. He never did seem particularly fearful of him more nervous than anything but he seems nervous around everyone and everything, its just a Phil thing, or perhaps its the rabbit DNA he was fitted with that didn't seem to truly affect him. You've long since accepted that you just will never quite understand their strange relationship.
"I think that its nice to have someone softer around really...he needs it. Plus, you're right this weird shift could be a good thing for him its always good when his hyperactive brain is focused on positive things."
He nods to you reaching out to carefully pull the sketchpad out from under Vincent's limp hand and head. He shifts a little mumbling something to the effect of 'no, let's make it red' before falling completely still again. He stares at the sketched picture of the old stage you remember much too well though without the pool of blood it does look much more kind.
"Wonder if he'll actually do it."
You look to Phil now. He looks dazed as he just continues to stare at the sketch obviously a long way from you. You place a hand on his shoulder making him jump but taking him out of his strange trance and drawing his brown eyes to you.
"S-sorry..."
"For what? I was just concerned about you. You got really quiet for a second there."
He chews on his lower lip looking back to the sketchpad in his hands seeming to contemplate before he turns the page to be greeted with a sketch of himself. You have to resist the urge to burst into laughter at the look on his face despite the fact that you're just as shocked to see his picture penned perfectly into the page. He blinks in surprise before slowly flipping back and setting the book down apparently stunned.
"Well...he does see you more than anyone else so it kinda makes sense that he'd choose to draw you."
He nods face dusted red as he turns to the door.
"I think...I'm gonna go back to my cameras...um, have a good night."
Before you can say anything he's out the door and long gone leaving you with a confused look. You shake the confusion cloud away deciding to just dismiss his random outburst at something so small and leave the room being sure to turn on the nightlight on the wall and turn out the actual lights on your way out. You're not even surprised when the ceiling lights up with a planetarium of the night sky as the door shuts behind you with a soft click.
It takes you no time to get back to the pizzeria with a very sleepy Fredrick. He blinks lethargically next to you in the car ears folded over expression blank as you just sit in the parking lot waiting for a car flipping a U-turn to pass before you get out with him. Its concerning how out of it he is. You reach over and shake his shoulder as the headlights pass you by and vanish into the night. He seems to sort of come back to you turning much too dilated and hazy blues to you without a single word, he just stares at you as if expecting a command.
"Um...well...shall we get out of here? I'm sure you want to sleep and I'm positive Mike doesn't want to crash with you guys."
He stares a moment longer before giving a slow nod and getting out of the car in a very robotic fashion. You follow him eventually getting in front of him as he slows to be a few steps, respectfully, behind you but he's still not speaking despite his lack of muzzle.
"You, uh, feeling alright, kiddo?"
He doesn't even seem to understand what you're saying just looking at you as you now stand at the glass door. Looking at him head on and so close you can see flecks of red in the whites and blues of his eyes shining through with the blue to illuminate the darkness you stand in. You sigh now, he hasn't completely come out of it no wonder he's not speaking. Silently you hope Bernard can remedy that as you open the door and wave your hand to tell him to go on in. He obeys without a word standing just inside until you come in and not moving until you're in front of him again guiding him to the stage. The trap door is already open so you just guide him right down the stairs to the others including Mike, Fritz, and Mark.
"Fredrick!"
You move aside to allow the charging bluenet ample room to tackle his partner who seems to fully come back at the sound of him. His legs wobble a bit making him widen his stance to keep from falling over and to allow him to catch the rabbit.
"Bernard?"
He looks around the room looking overly confused though he seems to lose his train of thought as his cheek is kissed. You stifle a chuckle as you watch them smiling softly as they rub noses affectionately. A pair of hands on your hips drags your mind away from them and a wider smile to your face as you feel his face bury into your neck.
"Did it go alright?"
You can only make him out over the chatter of your children because his lips are right against your ear making you shiver a little.
"It went fine, Mike...though...my brother is acting very strange."
You lift your arms a tick as he wraps his own completely around your waist pulling you back a little so your back is flush with his front.
"Strange how?"
You mentally curse him he can't just expect you to keep a train of thought holding you like this and breathing right in your ear.
"He's just being much more positive its weird. Even Phil is getting weirded out and he pretty much lives with him."
You can feel the muscles in his face move as he raises an eyebrow at your words lacing his fingers into yours when you rest them on top of his.
"Positive? He was working on Fredrick today how is that positive?"
"Not what I meant..I meant like after all of that was done. He tucked Fredrick into that medical chair with a big blanket said he was proud of him let him rest...he sounded almost endearing. But that's not it. He got all excited about Spring being awake and being with Goldie again. He wants to recommission the old Bon Bunny suit wants to rename him Spring Bonnie and give the golden duo their own nostalgic stage area fashioned after the original diner. He drug me to his office grinning like a kid the office my god, Mike, its lavender now there's posters everywhere and old toys."
You look to him nearly bumping noses with him in the process. He just stares eyes wide behind dark rims as his hold seems to tighten a little.
"Um, guys? If we're all leaving we better ship out its almost midnight."
You jump at the sound of Fritz's voice feeling a bit cold as Mike leaves your back standing at your side instead and holding your hand in a tight grip. He seems worried but still waves good bye to the others as you all ascend the stairs closing the trap door and heading out into the cool night. Its quiet Fritz and Mark remain silent seemingly not wanting to ask about the day's events just giving silent good byes as you get into your respective cars Mark driving one way while Fritz's car follows behind your own all the way to the Institute. You part ways as you always do at the main doors, as Fritz rooms on the other side of the building, your own door opening with ease under Mike's hand allowing the darkness of your "house" to greet you.
He flicks the lights and automatically pulls you close barely allowing the door to click shut behind you before he's kissing you. You squeak in surprise honestly not expecting it hardly managing to kiss him back before he's pulling away touching your nose with his own and just letting his eyes stare into your own.
"Sorry, missed you all day is all."
You just kinda blink at him for a second before you register what he said enough to offer him a smile letting him dip you and steal another. His hands support your back and hip carefully working his lips over your own lazily feeling no need to speed up or grow any more heated even as he untucks your uniform shirt and runs his fingers over your spine slow enough to be counting each individual disk and bone. It does make you shiver though. You straighten up and part from him long enough to shove him making him stumble back and land on your couch with an oof. He looks up at you a bit shocked til you straddle his lap and continue where you left off tangling your hands in his hair as he holds onto your waist. You pull away again after a while to breathe a line of saliva linking your lips as you both pant. He smiles at you kissing your chin then your nose before hiding in your neck.
You both just sit there a while til your legs start to fall asleep and you sadly need to stop petting his hair and stand up. He pouts at you but as you wobble he seems to understand why you stood up.
"Don't we still have a box or two we haven't looked through?"
He raises an eyebrow at you but nods anyway as he stands.
"Yeah, why?"
"I'm looking for something, care to help me?"
"Uh, sure."
He follows you to the spare room. Its just for storage really but there's a couple boxes from your childhood you never wanted to open again. You have a feeling what you're looking for is in one of them. You both set to work on the boxes that are still taped up not finding much more than some old sweaters in one of them prompting you to try the other. Mike pops it open with the old knife he used to keep handy in the security office all those years ago reaching in and pulling out exactly what you're looking for. He raises an eyebrow at the dirty and banged up Bonnie plush in his hands. He's got a couple rips and could defiantly use a bath before you return him to his owner who is confirmed by the elegantly written V on his tag.
"You found him, thanks love."
You take the rabbit from him gently as to not cause anymore damage.
"No problem."
He scratches the back of his head as you both leave the room heading back to the couch where you sit once more. He watches as you patch the rabbit sewing the purple fabric back up where age has torn it and re-securing his bow tie in no time flat before you run to throw him in the wash so you can return to your lover. You'll bring the bunny to his owner and friends in the morning. Perhaps you can leave this craziness behind. Perhaps having him back will remind Vincent of who he was before your father paired the power of god with his mental conditions to form the perfect murderer to do his dirty work. You take a detour to your room shucking your uniform off happily. You hate the uniform its stuffy and uncomfortable and much too hot. You stand there in your blue boxers for a sec contemplating weather or not you want to torment Mike. Yes, yes you do, of course you do. With a grin you pull out one of his shirts giving it a sniff that pulls a wide smile to your face before you pull it on. You're not sure why but wearing his clothes makes him absolutely lose it. He loves it. You have no clue why his clothes are three sizes too big for you easy he's just a good deal broader than you as well as taller. That being said they don't flatter your body at all they just kinda hang off of your shoulders boringly with the exception of the small patch of collar and shoulder that are exposed due to their size. You look at yourself in the mirror tugging the baggy garment down a little to better cover your lower half not that it matters. You let go of it and it returns to its original position grazing your mid thigh as you leave the room the padding of your feet loud and somewhat obnoxious on the hardwood being heard even over the soft sound of whatever Mike is watching on Netflix while he waits for you.
"Did you get lost on your way to the washer, lemon drop?"
His speech trails off as he turns to look at you. You chuckle blushing as his eyes flick over you.
"Just figured I'd get more comfortable."
His eyes follow you as you round the couch and perch yourself on his leg. You have to stifle a giggle at how he adjusts under you trying hard to just keep watching the cake show the girls put in your list of things for you to watch. He seems to be having a hard time especially when you move one of his hands to your exposed thigh encouraging him to pet as you continue to tease a little.
"Trying to start something darling?"
His words are slightly stiff aw you have him wound up. How cute. Too bad an insistent knocking on your front door grinds your moment to a halt and has you launching out of his lap and down the hall to your room. You can hear the door open and a surprised, 'Phil?' You quickly pull on PJ pants and your old Freddy slippers before darting out of the room to the door. Phil wouldn't show up unless something really bad was happening. The dark haired man stands there looking frantic as he waves his hands talking in a rush that you nor your boyfriend can understand.
"Phil."
Still talking.
"Phil."
...still talking.
"PHILIP!"
He sputters to a halt its not very often someone brings out his whole name.
"Thank you, now calmly tell me what's going on."
You place your hands on his shoulders as he fights the need to hyperventilate.
"I can't find him."
Your eyes go wide, that's not good.
"Where did you last see him?"
You have to find him. If he has a flip while he's alone or hallucinates too strongly it could spell trouble for anyone around him and himself.
"His office but he's not there anymore. His suit is hung up paints are scattered everywhere but there's no trace of him."
You don't need to hear anymore now you need to see. You're out the door dashing through the pristine halls of the Institute trying to get across the building as quickly as possible. The sounds of Mike and Phil's shoes on the tiles behind you bounce off the walls as you slide around turns to the elevator that will take you straight up to his office. You bounce on your toes as you wait for it. You hate the wait but its much faster than taking the stairs you know that. They catch up to you just as the device dings and the doors swing open. You ride it all the way up in silence save for the slightly heavy breathing. Yeah all of you are a little too old for sprinting like that. The doors swing open again and you take the very short trot to his office. The door is open which already raises a red flag but inside is a bit worse. Just as Phil said his suit is hung up on the cabinet and there are bottles of paint scattered about as if he tripped over a stack of them. Foxy, Chica, and Freddy are on the desk now all in an orderly row facing the knocked over office chair in front of the large window. You bite your lower lip as you move forward to investigate further. Sketches of a refurbished Bon Bunny suit and the old diner stage are scattered across the hard wood in brilliant colors which are fine but underneath are pictures you didn't want to see ever again in your life time. Sketches of your father holding the Foxy head he used to use to "play" with him before your mother passed, and sketches of something he used to fear to the point of vigilantly watching the house every night. The sketched replicas of each toy with far too many teeth and menacing eyes look even more terrifying than they did as a child. Every one is there, Freddy, the three Fredles, Fred Bear, Chica, Bonnie, Foxy, and the one extra that never seemed to fit. He called him Nightmare. He said he didn't need to breathe like the others that the only way you would know he was around was to simply see him and pray he didn't see you too.
"We need to find him. Now. He's having an attack he's gonna hurt someone or himself if we don't find him like yesterday."
They both pale looking to you for direction.
"Phil, can you try to find him on the cameras?"
He nods and all three of you are heading to his office now. A simple computer with a tablet sits with a red phone and recording equipment on the desk against a wall decorated with quite a few sketched and colored pictures probably from the one you're trying to find. His hands shake a bit as he changes over from the feed from the pizzeria to the one here in the institute. Three sets of eyes scan each picture for any trace of him. You can hear Phil start to breathe too fast again when you can't find him anywhere.
"He wouldn't...would he?"
He quickly changes the feed back to the pizzeria desperately looking for him there giving a sigh of relief when he's nowhere to be found there either.
"I must have missed him..."
You all look over the cameras in the building one more time starting to really freak out until you hear a clatter near one of the never used supply closets. You're jumping up noting the location and tearing down the hall to the elevator once more with them hot on your heels. You all take it down a few floors the doors opening to the hall of this floor that goes unused. Half the lights are out the other half are flickering and dim busted wheelchairs line one of the corridor walls and the windows are so frosted that not a single beam of moonlight illuminates the area. Its the only floor in the whole place that's like this. You have no idea why but Vinc absolutely hates this floor he always has likely always will. So...why is he here?
Mike is the first to start down the filthy hallway...he's also the only one who had enough sense to grab a flashlight on your way out. He holds it out in front of him shining the white light around the floor to make sure none of you trip over anything as you progress much slower than before ears alert in the event you hear him before you see him. You didn't see him on the camera only heard him over its speakers. That being said you only have a general idea of where he is.
"There's the supply closet."
Mike shines the light on the door of the closet before walking up to it with the two of you in tow.
"Maybe you should knock, love."
You nod if his attack is sever enough he may only recognize you not these two. You tentatively knock on the door hearing shifting behind it as you do so. He's in there.
"Vinc, its me. Come on bro they're not here. Wouldn't you feel better in a bright room?"
He says nothing not moving or anything. You bite your lip you're gonna need to take the different strategy it seems. The one you really don't like to use.
"Vinc, they're not here right now but they're coming. They like it here its dark like our house was but they won't like it anywhere else in the building they won't follow us if we leave. But we need to leave now..."
Still, only the still silence fills your ears, you try something else now.
"I found somebody for you wouldn't you like to see him? I know he was missing but Mike and I found him in our room. I fixed him up."
Its a few seconds before anything happens but you hear shifting around and soon the door cracks open just enough for him to look up at you from his huddled pose. He's holding a flashlight and wearing a purple sweater. He looks just as he did when you were children. You offer him your hand and a gentle smile that coaxes him out of hiding. He shakes flashing the light down the hall and jumping at something none of you see but he sure does and boy does he react. He yanks all three of you back into the closet slamming the door and holding it shut breathing heavily, breaking into a cold sweat leaving Phil and Mike overly confused and you with a knowing look.
"As soon as he passes we're gonna make a break for it, ok Vinc?"
You keep your voice a hushed whisper as to not disturb the imagined black bear. He nods to you shaking as he peeks out the door shining the light again. It takes a couple seconds of him looking around before he lets the door open.
"Q-quickly before he comes back."
He's got you by the arm hauling all of you out of the closet and barreling down the hall into the elevator. Mike slams a fist over the close doors button and you click the second floor one riding it down to the floor your apartment is on. You reach over and rub his back as he continues to shake a little.
"Shhh, its ok. They don't like the light remember. Especially Nightmare, he hates light you're safe."
He seems to calm down a bit though he's still pale and shivers every now and then even as you head down the brightly lit hall keeping flashlights on for extra measure. Mike pushes your door open and you tug both of them inside leaving them in the doorway as you run for the washer drier combo machine you have, Mike and you both are terrible at remembering to switch laundry over so you just got one of these problem solved. Bonnie is clean and dry as he was the day he got him forty-three years ago. You fluff his fur a little you used like half of your bottle of fabric softener on him so he's actually quite soft despite his age and ware. With a nod to nobody you run back to the doorway and your fidgeting brother.
"See, I told you we found him."
He looks genuinely surprised to see the rabbit taking him from you with more care than you've seen from him since his insanity caused him to take the lives of his children. He stares at the rabbit it looks so much smaller in the arms of his older self but just as in place. He almost looks whole again to you...perhaps...perhaps things can be different...maybe if you try...maybe if you're there for him this time.
"Things don't have to be this way anymore, Vinc...Come on, please, brother...you love this place. This pizzeria, these characters, they're real to you with minds and souls they always have been."
Wrong move Jer...His eyes turn venomous as he levels you with a glare.
"Why should I believe you? You think I'm just as crazy as everyone else! I'm not crazy Jer I know they were there! Those things that were attached to them...they weren't human. They would have hurt other people...They had to be stopped for the sake of the kids. They protect them now, Bonnie, Freddy, Chica, and Foxy. I gave them a chance to live again. Yet I'm the bad guy?"
You bite your lip...to this day he doesn't believe anyone who says the monsters attached to the children he slaughtered weren't real. They weren't there. But he saw them. To him he was saving those kids. Giving them new life in the characters they loved so much...In a way...a very twisted way, he isn't really a bad guy.
"My experiments not only save the sick, when they work I'll admit, but as soon as they're polished. Oh! As soon as they're done, Jer, they'll help and protect so many people. We can save people, Jer, and in the process give them a reason to hang onto life! Father...father would be proud of us now..."
You can feel the tears begin to start. Of course...this is about his approval...
"Vinc...father isn't here anymore. He died, don't you remember. Why do you want his approval anyway? He tormented you almost more than the bullies did with that Foxy head for years. Years and years on end before the accident."
"Don't you remind me of the accident! I know already ok! I'm broke I'm fucked up blah blah blah I know I have to look at the scars everyday!"
You move forward and wrap your arms around him you need to defuse this before he gets too angry.
"Vinc, I'm sorry I didn't mean to bring it up and it wasn't the point of my statement. Father was never any good to either of us so I'm confused as to why you want to carry on his work so badly, is all."
He's stiff as a bored in your arms for a while until he begins to shake hugging you back and hiding in your neck as you rub his back. He's always been a bit confused even with himself.
"We can restore the pizzeria, Vinc, we could be normal we could run this place and bring happiness to the kids. Don't you want that?"
He just remains silent though still stiff and seeming somewhat reluctant. You decide perhaps a low blow is in order.
"What would Elinor and Arthur want, Vinc?"
He goes rock still in your arms now and you swear he even stopped breathing.
"You know as well as I do they loved this place. Sure it was the old location but the building never did mean anything. Plus, they would love this place even more you designed it yourself. Its bigger its more colorful you brought back all of the characters not just the toys. You know how much Elinor loved Chica, how much Arthur loved Foxy, they'd be in the back room with you all the time saying hi to them despite being so torn up. What would they want, Vinc? What would your children think of this mess?"
You barely get the last words out as he shoves you away hazel eyes narrowed, ringed with red, and swollen as he storms out without a word Bonnie riding in the hood of his sweater the way he always did when you were kids. You all just stare in shock as he goes and you have a very bad feeling you fucked up big time.