Chapter 13: Not our fault

Oh my god, I have not touched this in foreeeeeever. I'm really sorry for the wait guys. After chapter 12, I've been having writers block while also trying to sum up the story so things would be more clear. I've got most of it down and pat, but the pace will be a bit slow. Again sorry for the wait.

It isn't much, but I hope you enjoy it ^^

(Third person)

Foxy insisted on Catherine staying in Pirate Cove for the night to rest and that he'll watch over the others. Reluctant, but extremely tired and in pain, Catherine fell asleep. Foxy would check on the guard from time to time and would readjust her hoodie used as a blanket. He was happy to see Catherine resting. He has been noticing that she was developing faint bags under her eyes. He was checking on her when he heard Bonnie's voice.

"Foxy?" The pirate walked out of the curtains and hopped off the stage.

"Aye, it's good tah see ya better," Foxy said. Bonnie looked down and shuffled his weight on his feet.

"Me too…," he said. "I'm sorry about what I did." Foxy patted his shoulder and smiled.

"It be okay, mate. Anythin' Amber makes you do isn' yer fault."

"But I wasn't able to control her this time," Bonnie said. He looked at Foxy. "I almost killed her."

"I know, but I'm no' mad at ya." Bonnie hummed with uncertainty.

"How is she? Is she hurt?"

"No, she isn' hurt" Foxy answered. "There's a bruise on her head. She be fine, Bonnie." Bonnie was relieved, but guilt still showed on his face.

"Oh…Is she still sleeping?" Foxy nodded.

"Yes, but just let Cathy be. She needs the rest."

"Alright." A loud clang came from the kitchen, and both animatronics turned their head to the noise.

"Sorry!" Chica yelped from within the doors. Foxy chuckled.

"That lass, never away from that place." He turned to Bonnie. "How is she? Any better?" Bonnie nodded.

"Yeah. Her arm was fixed thanks to Freddy."

"That's good…" Foxy glanced at the curtains of Pirate Cove.

"I'll leave you be. I'm sure want to be alone right now," Bonnie said. Foxy gave a curt nod.

"Thank ye. I'd like tha' right now." Bonnie waved goodbye and left the fox alone. He sat on a chair he brought to the foot of the stage. He sighed and looked at his hook. He growled and quickly unscrewed the hook off his right forearm. He hated removing his hook. It's what made him what he was- a pirate of the seven seas. He would gesture actions with it as he told the kids stories of his days, though he knew perfectly well they never happened, but just seeing the fascination on their faces made him happy. Now, he sees it as a symbol of who he killed. Old blood had stained it along with rustic aging. Foxy set it aside on the floor and leaned back to look at the ceiling.

Chica was rocking back and forth in fetal position in the corner of the backstage room of the pizzeria. Her face and hands were covered in fresh blood, and Freddy was carefully cleaning her beak while Bonnie was consoling her.

"Chica, it's okay. It wasn't your fault," Bonnie said as he held the bird's shaking hand. Foxy just entered the room from disposing the corpse of the night guard through the dumpster shoot in the kitchen. He came in holding the spare empty head of Bonnie, which was covered in blood and brain matter on the inside. He placed it on the highest shelf of the room.

"I-I killed her," Chica stuttered. "I've never ki-killed anyone! N-Never!"

"It's okay, Chica," Freddy said in his deep western accent, which was normally calming but was only making Chica more panicked. He scrubbed some blood off of Chica's cheek until she stood up in a flash, making Freddy retract his arm quickly as he flinched.

"It's not okay, Freddy!" she yelled. "I killed someone, you guys!"

"But ye didn't kill her. Drew go' the best of ya. None of this," Foxy said pointing at the bloodied spare parts of the room that were used to crush the past night watchers to death, "is any of our faults." Chica looked at her hands.

"But I w-was always able to control him," Chica whimpered. Freddy lowered her hands with his and made her look at him.

"I'm sorry, Chica, I really am," Freddy said, "but the children are getting stronger, and we can't do much more to contain them." Chica closed her eyes tightly and sighed.

"Okay…" Freddy had her sit down on a table and continued to scrub the blood out of her feathers. The bear let Bonnie and Foxy continue roaming around the restaurant now that the situation has been handled. Bonnie went to the manager's office door and taped a sheet of paper with a red 'X' on it, which was a notice that the night guard was killed. Foxy went to his cove and took out a small plank of wood that was decorated with tally marks. He quickly carved another line on it with his hook and placed it back where he got it from.

"Tha' be seventeen," Foxy said quietly.

The manager entered the pizzeria around 8:00 in the morning. He was glad to see the animatronics were in their place. He would sometimes walk in to find at least one of them locked somewhere in the restaurant. The manager walked to his office and stopped to see the symbol on his door. "God dammit," he groaned and took down the symbol. He entered the office and took out the employee records from a filing cabinet. He opened the folder to the night guard that was just killed. He took out a stamp, dabbed it on a red ink pad, and quickly slammed the stamp on her record. The word 'DECEASED' was now sprawled across the picture of the dead guard. The manager would need to put up an ad ASAP.

Foxy leaned forward and groaned. His internal clock said it was close to six. He screwed his hook back on and got up to enter the curtain. Catherine had rolled from her original position from the middle of the stage to cradling the far wall with her hoodie close to her face. Foxy chuckled at her appearance and walked over to her. He knelt and gently shook her shoulder.

"Cathy?" he called out softly. Catherine pinched her eyes tighter as she made a child-like squeal. She yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Hey, Foxy," she said. "W-What time is it?" Foxy sat with crossed legs as he watched Catherine wake up more.

"Almost be 6 in the morn'," Foxy answered. "Ye can leave early if ye want. The longer ye are here, the more danger ye be in anyway..."

"No. I'll stay until my shift ends," Catherine shook her head. "I made a promise to stay." She held onto Foxy's hand, and he smiled. Catherine looked at the metal hand and rubbed it with her thumb. She squinted.

"Are ye okay?" Foxy asked.

"I'm fine, but I'm still wondering why you're in this state. The company just let you rot like this." Foxy sighed.

"Well, it wasn' the comp'ony's fault entirely. I tore the suit me'self out o' depression." Catherine widened her eyes a bit. What Foxy did was similar to a human cutting themselves. "I stopped doin' it, but…At least they didn' scrap me."

"Yeah, that was kind of them," Catherine smiled. A soft knocking was heard.

"Foxy? Is Cathy awake yet?" Chica's voice was heard. Catherine stood up and walked to the curtains.

"I'm awake," she answered for the fox. Foxy opened the curtains for Catherine. The light of the rising sun peered through the windows of the pizzeria. It was almost 6. Catherine climbed off the stage. The band was there- Bonnie, Chica, and Freddy. Bonnie approached.

"Hey," he said. Catherine stood for a bit until she stepped forward to hug him.

"Hey Bonnie," she said. "It's been so long…" The bunny smiled with relief and hugged Catherine gently.

"I'm so sorry," Bonnie said. "I wasn't able to control Amber this time…" Catherine squinted from confusion. She pulled back a bit to look at Bonnie.

"Amber?" she said. Bonnie let her go as Catherine looked at the other animatronics. "I heard that name last night. Who is she?"

"Um, she was one of the murder victims," Bonnie answered. Catherine's mind worked and recalled Amber's name in the last of children killed at the Lure. Freddy would have given more information, but the time was drawing close.

"Cathy," Freddy said, getting the girl's attention. "We would explain, but it's nearly six. We will explain everything when you come back."

"Um…you are coming back, right?" Chica asked with a pleaded look. Catherine looked at everyone else. They all had the same look as Chica.

"You'll be coming back tomorrow, right?" Chica asked little Cathering, who was riding on Foxy's shoulders.

"Of course," the young child squealed. They went to the entrance where her parents were waiting. Foxy gently placed her on the ground. She gave the band a last hug, giving Foxy the longest one as she rubbed his fur with her hand. "I promise I'll be back," Catherine said. She kissed Foxy's nose, and went off with her parents.

That was the day before the Bite. That was the last time she ever saw them.

"Of course I'll come back," Catherine said truthfully. "I want to help you guys. Not only that, you're my friends." She gave out a soft smile. It was the same smile she let out as a child, which was a faint image in the animatronics' memory.

"I know why I didn't come back when I was little, but that's no reason for everyone else to stop coming to this place. If they just learned to keep crimes in the past…" Catherine mumbled.

"That's very kind of you, Cathy," Freddy said. "When you come back, if anything goes awry, you can always leave. We want you to be safe." The girl nodded and gave the bear a hug. Everyone else joined into the group hug, making Catherine feel safe.

She watched everyone get back to their places before six. She stood there for a few minutes staring at the band. "I will come back," Catherine said. She slung her bag on her shoulders and walked out the building, making sure to lock the doors. As Catherine walked to her car, she saw Rutherford pull into the parking lot with his car. He parked next to Catherine and got out. He was happy to see her alive.

"Morning," he said.

"Morning," Catherine said plainly. When Rutherford noticed the bruise on her head, he let out a soft gasp.

"Are you okay?" he asked with more worry. Catherine nodded.

"Yeah."

"Did they attack you?"

"Um, sort of. Bonnie got me in the halls, but the others saved me." Rutherford just gave a curt nod.

"That's good," he smiled but then changed to a confused look. "W-Wait, in the halls? Why in there? Where were you?"

"Um, I was using the bathroom," Catherine fibbed, but her boss wasn't able to see her lie.

"Okay, well, try to be careful next time, alright?" Rutherford said, and Catherine nodded. They parted and Catherine drove home.

She will be coming back. No matter what.

Eh...no after comment.

Hope y'all liked it.

Kthxbai~