"I say we get lunch," Jason said after a while.
It had taken close to an hour to get Foxy to stop using his mouth to catch the Frisbee. After that, Jason and Molly teamed up to teach him some kid friendly jokes that he could use when interacting with customers.
"Where can we take the nut job?" Molly asked, nodding in Foxy's direction.
He was currently entertained by staring at a squirrel who was in a tree. The squirrel seemed truly confused as well as worried about the current situation he was in and kept chittering at Foxy. At one point it even threw an acorn at him in hopes that it would make him leave. However, the pirate stayed at the bottom of the tree, watching in interest.
"Seriously, what is wrong with him?" she asked.
"I think he needs some tweaking later… He's acting like a dog…" Jason shrugged, "Not a big deal. I can fix that within minutes tonight. But first, I really want lunch."
"Pizza sounds good. Hey, let's make pizza at my apartment! I've got most of the ingredients. I've been meaning to make pizza for a while now. I found a really good recipe online that I want to try. And yes, I'll put pepperoni on it for you," Molly said.
"Sure. But we need to get psycho butt."
"I wouldn't say psycho… Just… Yeah… Okay, psycho."
"The guy is staring at a squirrel in a tree. Psycho is definitely the correct term."
"Foxy!"
Startled, Foxy turned towards the pair.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Let's go. We're going to make pizza for lunch," Molly said.
"I've never been allowed to try the pizza…" Foxy said sadly.
"That's going to change today. Come on."
Molly headed for the truck and got in with Foxy and Jason beside her.
"I just need to stop to get some more tomatoes," she said while driving, "Jason, stay in the car with him."
"Not a problem," Jason agreed.
"But I want to go with you!" Foxy protested.
Molly glanced over at him, startled, "But I'll only be gone a minute. I just have to get some tomatoes and I'll be right back."
She parked her truck in front of a small market and got out of it, only to have Foxy scramble out after her.
"I'll be right back. Stay with Jason," instructed Molly.
Foxy let out a whine.
"You'll be fine with Jason. The sooner I can get in the store, the sooner I'll be back," Molly said.
Foxy began to pout, having quickly become attached to the security guard after all she had done. He appreciated her help, more than words could describe, with getting him back into working condition. No one had showed him as much compassion or care as she had and he felt there would never be a way he could repay her.
"I… Want to see how to interact with other adults," Foxy said quickly, "Please. I want to learn as much as I can."
Molly sighed in defeat and walked into the market with Foxy at her heels. Heading straight for the tomatoes, Molly had to grab Foxy and pull him along several times. He was interested in everything they passed and wanted to see what it was. First he stopped at the strawberries, then grapes, and eventually the oranges. He picked up one of the oranges and gave it a squeeze, curious about what it was. The juice squirted out and hit his face and got into his eyes, making them sting.
"Foxy, come on, you're killing me here. Let's go," Molly said, exasperated.
Foxy froze upon hearing her words.
"What is it?" Molly asked.
"K-Killing… I don't kill. I'm a good fox! I don't kill! I didn't mean to bite! I don't kill!" Foxy shouted, "I'm a good fox!"
He attracted stares from other people in the store and Molly grabbed his hand and pulled him away. The first quiet spot she found was the bathroom which she dragged him into, mentally thanking her luck that it was empty. She locked the door as Foxy began to cry loudly and shake.
"I'm good!" he said through his tears, "I don't kill! He killed! I only bit someone! I don't kill!"
"Foxy, Foxy! It's okay! It's an expression!" Molly said.
Foxy didn't seem to hear her, however, and continued to cry. Molly began to feel awkward, watching him. She'd never been one to comfort others who were upset or crying and always felt like running when she was around someone in such a state.
As Foxy continued to sob, Molly forced herself to hug him and try to sound as reassuring as possible.
"Come on, Foxy… It's alright… I know you're not a killer…" she whispered, "And I know you didn't mean to bite anyone… You malfunctioned… Come on… Stop crying…"
Foxy held her tightly, sobbing into her shoulder, thankfully keeping his hook away from her. Molly had always viewed him as brave and strong, but not once as being one to cry. As a child, Molly saw him as a warrior and fighter who would never shed a tear. It was unexpected and uncomfortable to her. Seeing him act this way was earth shattering to her inner child but she fought through the shock and awkward feeling and continued to comfort him as best she could.
"I didn't mean to bite!" Foxy said between sobs.
"I know, Foxy…" Molly whispered, patting his back.
"I'm sorry, Molly!"
"Foxy, you don't need to apologize to me."
"Yes, I do!"
"Why would you think that…?"
"D-Do you not remember?"
Molly stared at him, unsure of what he was talking about.
"I-I-I didn't mean to bite you!" Foxy cried.
"You… Bit me…?" Molly asked.
Foxy nodded, not looking at the blonde woman, still crying. He'd never forgiven himself for harming her, one of his most loyal fans throughout the years. It had been a mistake. He knew the initial bite was a malfunction in his programming but what set it off was a young girl who had been teasing him, calling him ugly, and pointing out his faults. Molly had come to his aid right as Foxy lunged towards the girl. Instead of clamping his jaw onto the girls head, he found Molly between his teeth. He knew that if he'd had a heart it would have broken at the time. Screams of fear echoed through his head every day and night, haunting him, never leaving him alone. When he saw Molly again, the guilt doubled and he was determined to stay hidden. With other guards he would check on them from time to time, unfortunately causing them heart attacks from fear, but with Molly, he was determined to stay hidden.
"But… Wouldn't I have a scar…?" Molly asked, "My head is fine."
"I know it was you, Molly… I heard what happened after. Some workers discussed it after they labeled me as out of order. You were in a coma for almost a year. The doctors did some kind of surgery to help get rid of the scar and replace the skin where I bit you, as well as fix your brain as best they could. You lost the memory of the bite due to basically denying it ever happened. But it did happen. I think of it every day and night," Foxy whispered, tears still running down his cheeks, "I'm sorry, Molly… I didn't mean to hurt you…"
