A/N: This is the last actual chapter. After this, it will be only the epilogue left-and I'm confident in saying that when you're done reading that, you'll be BEGGING me for more. Fair warning, there's a character death in this one...though I don't think it's anyone you'll miss...

Disclaimer: All I own is a few secondary characters.

This is probably the part where you're expecting me to say that my life magically got a thousand times better after my misadventures at Freddy's. That is not what happened.

First of all, Fritz and I had to go to the police station for almost two hours for questioning. I guess it was inevitable. I mean, Fritz calls about a crazy guy with an ax, and once the police show up they find nobody but two teenagers who broke in and entered, and a bunch of chopped-up animatronic pieces? I'm not going to lie; I was scared that I was going to jail. I was able to keep myself from doing my usual laugh as they asked us question after question and took our fingerprints. God must've been on our side, however, because they didn't find our fingerprints on the ax and eventually let us go, deciding that we must've just been some stupid kids who broke in for the hell of it and the night guard tried to chase us out with an ax, flipping out and destroying the animatronic characters in the process. Of course, there was the question of where said current night guard was-good thing they didn't notice the fresh blood coming from the Spring Bonnie suit…

The cops let us go with a warning not to break in and enter again. Neither Fritz nor me had any arguments, and I evaded my mom's questions to go to my room and sleep for twelve hours.

My nap was unpleasantly interrupted about halfway through by my dad committing suicide.

I heard a loud 'bang' from downstairs and jolted awake. Confused and more than a bit scared, I went down the stairs nervously to see my dad lying on the floor with a gun in his mouth, blood pooling around his head.

The story, as my mom told it, was that shortly after me and Fritz had left, she finally got inspired to tell Dad off herself after nineteen years trapped in a loveless marriage with a violent, abusive piece of shit like him. She called Dad a horrible excuse for a father, husband, and human being (she also said something else about him, but since I know there are at least a few younger kids reading this, I'm not going to repeat it).

I guess the shock of having both his son and wife call him out in one night was too much for dad. Plus, with the realization that he ruined his own life by blaming me for everything instead of actually going out and making something of himself…yeah.

I know this might sound weird considering all the emotional and occasionally physical abuse he heaped on me over the years, but I felt guilty. I'd broken my dad, like he'd broken me. And he took his own life because of it. When I told this to my mom during Dad's funeral, she took me aside and hugged me, telling me that I had nothing to apologize for. I was a good son and a lovely person, and while the circumstances under which I was born weren't ideal, she NEVER regretted that I was. She ended by apologizing again for not sticking up for me, saying that she should've just taken me and Fritz and left the first day she saw Dad yelling at me.

That was one good thing that came from all of this-I started to develop a better relationship with Mom. In spite of everything, I learned that she really did care for and love me-she was just too scared of Dad to stick up for me. I couldn't hold that against her. Likewise, my relationship with Fritz slowly started to mend. The other day she took me up to her room and showed me the present she'd been meaning to give me on my tenth birthday all those years ago-a tiny plushie version of Foxy. Needless to say, it's my new favorite thing. We still snipe at each other sometimes-like I'll tease Fritz about her eyebrows, and she'll swear at me, but we're TRYING to be nicer to each other. You know what they say, old habits die hard. Plus, it WAS really nice of her to hold onto my gift for all those years, especially given what had happened...

I went back to Freddy's the next week-after all, I still had a job to do. I was finally able to confront Mr. Fazbirch about everything, and he admitted that he had been wrong to keep the restaurant going for as long as he did after people started dying. I talked him into staying overnight and helping me retrieve the kids' bodies from their animatronics, along with as many former night guards as we could find. If nothing else, I at least wanted to make sure they got proper burials. They deserved that. After saying goodbye to his niece, Fazbirch sighed that he needed to retire. For once, we had something we could agree on. Once my macabre task was done, I resigned from my position as night watchman. I had no reason to go back now-the kids' souls were free, and could rest in peace. Of course, that meant that I had no job now, no way to provide for myself. Which was how, two months later, I found myself at Summer's house, talking about the future.

"So, you're working with your mom at her bookstore now?" Summer asked, lifting a piece of beef to her mouth.

"Yeah." I answered around a mouthful of Chinese food. I swallowed, then said "It's just part-time, but it's something. Plus, if I don't get accepted back into college…"

"Don't say things like that." Summer put her hand over mine. "You've gotta have more faith in yourself, Mike. I mean, look at everything you've been through. And yet you're still here." She smiled at me, and despite myself, I felt my face get a little warmer.

Were we boyfriend and girlfriend now, you may be asking? The truth is, I don't even know. I mean yeah we'd gotten closer and started hanging out more, but we hadn't done the whole 'dinner and a movie' thing, or kissed (except for once or twice, when she'd kissed me on the cheek).

"Thanks, Summer." I said quietly.

"No problem." She said, smiling at me. "After all, you only sent out your application a couple weeks ago. Give it some time." She removed her hand, and I slurped down some more Chinese.

"Besides," Summer finished, "If you can survive working at Freddy's, I'm sure normal life won't be too hard for you." I stared at her.

"Wha…"

"You should go." She said. "It's getting pretty late. Don't want your mom and Fritz to worry now, do you?"

"…no." I slowly stood up, packaging the rest of my food and heading out the door. I had a feeling that Summer knew more than she was letting on. Then again, in my life, who didn't?

Plus, however she meant it, she wasn't wrong.

A/N: Okay, so I'd just like to take this moment to thank everyone who's read, faved, followed, and reviewed this story. I have had so much fun writing this, and it was partly because of you guys. Your kind words really inspired me, kept me going, and I'm honored that this seems to be my most popular story here-especially considering the hundreds of other FNAF fics out there. So thanks a lot guys, you're all awesome :) Stay tuned for the epilogue!