Author's Note:

Sorry this chapter was late! There were some unfortunate delays from life being difficult. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 150

Wish

Ruby saluted Hedy and darted off to divert the group.

"Was she being serious?" Marion asked nervously.

Hedy looked at him. "Was I being serious? Or Ruby? Because the answer to both is yes. Jerry, I'm serious. Strip."

Jerry laughed awkwardly. "Come on Hedy, you know you're not my type."

Hedy shuddered at Puppet's voice saying that but managed a sardonic smile. "Hurry up."

Jeremy moaned. "Okay, can you not say it like that? It's weird."

"You're a living stick that's probably killed people," Jess said dryly. "Weird is your concern?"

"Point taken," Jerry looked at Jess a bit alarmed at the sureness in her voice at that last part. "Hedy. How?"

"There's a little zipper in the back," Hedy said. "And also, I'm really not entirely sure if Puppet has killed anyone."

But there was a lot to say he had.

"Somehow that's way more worrying."

"Can we, you know, not mention killing?" Andrew asked a little plaintively, hugging Spring's arms around himself. If he was human at the moment he might have thrown up. He was desperately trying not to look at Michael.

It was a little surprising to realise how desensitised Hedy and Ruby had become to the killings.

Michael chuckled derisively.

"That asshole can just keep his mouth shut," Marion said, awkwardly sitting down.

"I didn't even say anything," Michael retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Can't you get rid of him?" Izzy asked quietly after realising that Hedy had to work where her would-be murderer was haunting.

"I could," Hedy said softly as she took a small screwdriver to Marion's foot. "But the kids he killed are here too And I'd rather he bother me than them right now if he's feeling like pushing it with both me and Ruby. Something tells me he's only being this bold because he has an audience for once."

"How can you even get rid of a ghost? And why were you talking like Ruby could do something about him earlier?" Henry asked, apparently getting his confidence to talk back now that Ruby was out.

"Because she and I can actually punch him in the face, but Ruby's the one with the physical ability to chase him down and break his ghost-legs with a baseball bat," Hedy said. "I'm a bit out of practice running after people."

"And breaking legs?" Harrison asked, moderately amused.

"No, I'm pretty good at that."

They...weren't sure if she was joking or not. They weren't sure of a lot of things now.

"And Ruby...does that often?" Izzy asked, clearly wondering why they'd want to spend any time around Michael.

"Yes. Isn't that right, Michael?"

Michael scowled at her and looked away. The fact that a teen could overpower him so easily still stung. A lot.

"Done with the foot," Hedy said. "No more squeaking. Yay! Marion, turn around. I gotta fix that ear."

"How long do I have to stand like this?" Jerry said. "I feel kinda...naked."

"You look naked. Geez, Puppet is freaky," Henry complained.

"Agreed," Izzy shuddered, glancing at Jerry and immediately looking away.

Puppet's insides resembled a scarecrow, wood and metal wire twisting around to make his frame. Two shining eyes were the only resemblance of a face on the wooden, wire ridden frame. That and a scuffed up speaker that made up his mouth, looking from a distance like a gaping maw with the blackness.

"What the heck is this?" Jerry said quietly as he moved his thin arm, watching little spools wind up thin cables to pull at his arm.

"The cables are like his muscles. Puppet is more mechanical than electronic," Hedy said, eyeing the body up and down. She frowned and Henry put a table between him and the mechanic. That wasn't a pleased frown.

"You frown a lot," Olivia said. "Your face might get stuck like that."

"Thank you. I've noticed. I've also noticed Puppet is...an idiot." She wanted to say something much worse. She ground her teeth and clenched her hand before huffing out a shaky breath. She gestured for Jerry to come closer then carefully pulled over and ushered him on the table next to Marion.

"Hi," Marion held out his hook.

"Hi," Jerry said, shaking the hook.

"You're cute," Hedy said dryly.

"Have you been..." Jess said, "Fixing the Puppet with duct tape?" That didn't sound like Hedy's standards.

Everyone jumped as Hedy slammed the handle of her screwdriver sharply on the table.

"No." She said it shortly, calm after a moment. But her hand still gripped the screwdriver as her eyes roved over the ratty duct tape and cracks in the endoskeleton wood.

Jerry wanted to swallow, his human mind confused by the tension in the mechanic's eyes. A moment later he realised there was nothing to be dry. He made a choking noise, instinctively looking for some wetness in a mouth that wasn't there. He clawed at the speaker for a moment.

Why did he feel like he was suffocating suddenly? He couldn't move. His chest wasn't moving. If his chest wasn't moving, then he can't be breathing right? Why couldn't he make it move?

"Hey," Hedy grabbed his hand and everything snapped back into focus.

"S-sorry," Jerry said. "I think…I think I just… I think I just had a little panic attack."

Henry looked up, shifting closer with a frown.

Hedy looked worried, the anger melting away. "What do you need?"

Jerry waved her off, ignoring some of the other concerned looks he was getting. "No, it was just for a second. I think… I think I put too much attention on-" He gestured at Puppet. "It's a freaky feeling...realizing I can't breathe. It freaked me out."

Hedy nodded.

Izzy put a hand over her chest. "I...I was trying not to think about it."

Hedy looked confused for a moment but just nodded. She was curious, but she wasn't about to ask Jerry to describe what that felt like.

But Jerry saw her questioning eyes. He shot Marion a look and the guy nodded with a noncommittal shrug, not moving off the table.

"You're wondering what it feels like?" Jerry asked.

"Yes, but I'd rather ask someone who's maybe not going to panic," Hedy said kindly. "Maybe when you're all calm and back in your human bodies.

Jerry waved her off and lowered his voice. "It's… weird," he whispered so the others wouldn't hear. "It's...well...have you ever tried to hold your breath?"

Hedy nodded.

"A-and you know when you hold too long, your whole body starts to spasm and you want to get air in your lungs so bad it hurts? I don't know about the others, but if I think...If I think about this too long, then I feel like I'm suffocating. A-and, it's like suffocation dragged out, except it's not painful and I don't need to breathe. But the fact is I can't just breathe in…" He tapped Puppet's chest. "And the fact that nothing moves. Puppet doesn't breathe but I... I think I want to. I'm not exactly a poet but if there was a way of feeling like you're dying and not dying at the same time, it would be being put in a body that thinks it needs to breathe but just...can't."

Hedy had an odd mix of feelings but only a few showed on her face. "That sounds horrifying." She wondered if the bots had these sensations. They wouldn't would they? Since breathing was not something that was natural to them, they wouldn't 'miss it' as animatronics. But they often made noises that imitated breaths, gasps, and other breathing. Were those just sounds they learned to imitate to communicate?

"Y-yeah. This is...an interesting experience, don't get me wrong," Jerry said, quickly while Marion had frozen a bit, realizing in Foxy's body what Jerry had described. It was very disturbing, not being able to breathe. He closed his eyes and focused on Jerry's words and the faint buzz of the light's above them.

Hedy looked apologetic, knowing what had triggered the initial panic. "Sorry I snapped. I'm not angry with you.

"I know," Jerry said immediately. He continued. "If it's all the same, I'd rather be distracted so I don't have to notice these weird things about being a robot." He looked pleading.

Even without Puppet having a mobile face, Hedy was always good at reading 'Puppet's' facial expressions.

Marion 'cleared his throat'. "So uh what's with all the duct tape?"

"Puppet doesn't let me work on him," Hedy said, pulling out a notepad and pencil. "And I'm still going to respect that and not do anything 'invasive.' But, I am going to do a diagnostic and see what the fucking prick is putting himself through."

"Why wouldn't they let you fix them? That's your job." Harrison frowned in confusion. No one had said anything while Jerry whispered to Hedy.

But whatever he said seemed to disturb Marion.

Hedy put down her notebook to squint at him a bit.

"You...mentioned you knew Michael."

"I-I knew of him..."

"Not my point," Hedy interrupted. "That means you had to be here at a time when the Originals were scrapped and the Toys first came."

Harrison flinched, which proved her point. Knowing that they were alive now...that made the entire thing a lot more horrifying.

"Scrapped?" Izzy squeaked.

"Scrapped. Broken down. Torn apart. Parts sold off or set aside for the Toys," Hedy said. "They were in pieces before the Toys had their turn being thrown away and the Originals were put back to work. I don't do work on anyone unless they agree to it. Foxy trusts me but he just has an intense fear of anyone poking and prodding at him while he's on a table so I'm hoping to get something done here while he doesn't have to worry about it. He'd prefer it that way."

Hedy tapped her fingernails on her armrest. "Puppet, however, has never given me permission. He doesn't trust anyone to help keep himself in shape. So I'm just looking at what's wrong and plan to keep an eye on him in case of an emergency." Her eyes slid to the duct tape in distaste. "Which might be soon."

Hedy used to come across as a bit stuck up, but all this insanity was putting her in a new light. It was really strange. It was obvious she cared very much for the bots, which should have been more clearly evident.

"You mean they were traumatised?" Jess asked softly. "And maintenance sets off their PTSD?"

"That's a great way to put it," Hedy said, slipping on her glasses to count the cables in Puppet's right arm as Jerry fidgeted it.

Harrison was quiet, probably thinking back on those memories with this new information in mind.

"They went through hell," he admitted after a moment.

Hedy didn't add anything to that as she documented everything she could see wrong with Puppet, taking a few minutes to check Marion's spine before she forgot.

She was almost done when everyone else got back.

Ruby looked gleeful while Jeremy looked ready to tear his hair out. Mike was just amused.

"Hedy!" Mangle shouted bouncing over happily and looking fairly unsteady. She was barefoot and had Izzy's shoes slung over her shoulder. "Hedyhedyhedyhedy. I'm verrrry drunk"

"I can smell that, Mags," Hedy said, leaning away from Mangle's breath as the fox in Izzy's body leaned very far into Hedy's personal space.

"But! But, I am still conscious. And I feel fine. I'm just very very happy. Another!"

"NO! No more," Jeremy said, as he supported Puppet. "We have no alcohol in the pizzeria. Puppet, come on, you can stand! I'm not carrying you."

Puppet didn't help at all, instead clinging tighter onto Jeremy with a whine about how everyone was too loud.

And Foxy...well he was living up to the pirate theme with those swear words. He seemed as happy and drunk as Mangle except while she was giddy-happy, he was swearing-and-talking-at-the-top-of-his-voice-happy.

Jeremy looked at Goldy pleadingly while Mike laughed.

Everyone else either looked tired, annoyed, or amused.

Freddy was definitely upset about Puppet, Mangle, and Foxy's states, but even he was struggling not to smirk at Puppet's behavior. He shook his head sharply and focused back on a stern look.

"Ruby, did you seriously get them drunk right before switching us off?"

"Tha lass d'no such thing!" Foxy proclaimed loudly, laughing. "AH make me own decisions, Other Lass." He came over and patted Hedy's head fondly, tangling her hair with a ruffle.

"Is that my name now?" Hedy asked.

Goldy snickered, even as her eyes flicked to Michael standing across the room, her good mood slightly ruined.

Michael was staring at all of them in shock with a slightly gaping expression. The ghost was pointing at each quietly and mumbling to himself, probably trying to work out who was who.

He didn't seem to be there to cause too much trouble, at least, and Hedy wasn't reacting badly. Unfortunately, that all meant two things. The employees probably knew more than they should by now, and Michael had probably been harassing them and Hedy for a while before getting knocked down a peg.

Ruby smiled sweetly at Hedy. "Puppet cried over the fact that the doughnuts had holes. I got it on camera again. I'm a good sister."

Puppet sobbed. "Where do the holes go? Why would you take that from them? It's their heart!"

"Alright, you're sitting down," Jeremy groaned, setting Puppet down in a chair. He glanced over at Jerry, a bit shocked to see Puppet's body out of his suit, and grimaced at the reminder that that jerk was actually the man before him crying. It was easier to forget they were animatronics while they wore human skin, but a quick glance was enough to uncomfortably remind him.

"Ugh," Toby complained. "What are you doing out of your...his...suit?" He made a face at Jerry, glancing at Puppet who didn't seem to care that his innards were on display.

"I couldn't get the other bots to drink," Ruby informed Hedy sadly, ignoring Toby. "But Goldy helped me spike Teddy's and Freddy's drinks so they're a bit tipsy. They caught on unfortunately."

Teddy glared at Ruby. Sure enough, he had a red tinge on his cheeks.

Freddy wasn't much better under Samual's scarves, which he still wore in place out of respect for the man.

The day shift, however, was trying to process the state of everything.

"Damnit, Puppet," Jerry muttered. "I have to deal with this later!" He frantically tried to tug Puppet's suit back on but the elbows weren't cooperating.

Goldy came over. "Hold on, let me help. You'll rip his suit."

Jerry winced gratefully, although still awkward.

Goldy easily threaded the arms into the suit and made sure the fingers were properly fitted before zipping up the back.

"Thanks," Jerry mumbled uncomfortably.

"Of course." Goldy glanced at the drunk Puppet. "You're probably lucky he's so plastered. I don't think he's noticed."

Izzy groaned as Mangle stumbled into a chair and giggled. "Drink water, Mangle," she pleaded.

Marion was the only one who seemed genuinely amused. He wondered just how much Foxy had embarrassed him, making a note to ask Jeremy which bars they went to so he knew which ones to avoid. Still, the pirate's laughing was infectious, as was Mangle's giggling.

And on top of that... they hadn't seen Ruby this happy before. She usually had her guard up when around them but she was more relaxed now as she laughed at the bots and Jeremy. If they didn't know better they'd think she'd had some alcohol herself…

"I still don't get why humans enjoy this," Chi complained, gesturing at Mangle in a bit of distaste.

"Because it feels funny, and niiice," Mangle snickered, poking Chi on the nose, then herself.

"It's freaky. Puppet's crying."

"He's not really. There aren't any tears," Mike pointed out, deciding to keep it to himself how concerning that actually was. It was almost as if Puppet just wasn't capable of really crying.

He was clearly upset and sad, but he was sniffly and whiny instead of a tear-streaked mess.

Mike actually found the idea a bit funny, in an ironic way, because of the tear streak markings on Puppet's animatronic face.

Admittedly, his eyes were watery. He definitely wasn't faking how upset he was, with a cracked voice and constantly like he was stuck in that half-second before tears fell, except they never did.

"I can't do anything right," Puppet said, lips wobbling.

"That is not what I meant!" Mike said. "Jeez, you have an entirely different personality when drunk."

"Wiggy, your husband is being rude," Puppet said sternly, but it still came out as a whine as he clung to Jeremy, the man still trying to pry him off.

Jeremy squinted at Puppet while some of the day shift snorted.

Hedy raised her eyebrows while Mike sighed. "Puppet. For the fourth time, Hedy and I aren't married."

"That's what you say," Puppet huffed. "Don't believe you."

Ruby was doubled over and was laughing so hard she was almost crying.

Hedy didn't look as impressed and Mike was avoiding Jeremy's stare.

"Even the Prize Corner Puppet ships them. I knew it," Marco laughed.

"This is so good. I forgive the building for causing this just because I get to watch this," Ruby snickered while Foxy and Mangle had a mild argument over Hedy and Mike's wedding. Then the teen smirked slowly before speaking to the intoxicated bots. "How do you know they didn't get married in secret?"

Puppet looked so betrayed it was adorable.

"Without us?!" Mangle snapped out of her argument with Foxy. They both looked equally betrayed as Puppet but more obviously horrified.

Hedy facepalmed while Mike looked at Ruby, slightly annoyed.

"Ruby..." Mike sighed, he didn't get to continue as Puppet quickly (unsteadily) stood up and fumbled a couple steps to grab his shoulders.

"How dare you..." Puppet said seriously. "I want to be a...a..." He genuinely struggled for the word. "Bridesmaid. Oh no, that's not...right. Word. Don't make fun of me. My words are missing. Vocabulary. I wanted to be a bridesmaid Mike! Hedy, you and your husband are so mean."

"You are really out of it, Mari," Hedy said.

Ruby had outright collapsed by now, leaning heavily against a table.

The others all looked both disturbed and annoyed.

"Puppet finally killed Ruby," Hedy said, an annoyed smile creeping up her face. She was struggling with whether she should laugh or be concerned about Puppet. He sounded like an emotional five-year-old. "But I don't think this is how he was hoping to. She's going to suffocate from laughing."

Puppet looked at Hedy, insulted. He almost pouted. "I don't want to kill her anymore," he whined. "Shhhhe's my girl. You're both my girls..."

Hedy blinked at his slightly slurred, and uncomfortably emotional, admission.

Foxy made a noise that took them a moment to realize was him drunkenly attempting to growl possessively.

Marion laughed at the attempt.

Puppet didn't even notice. He was looking at Hedy, still holding Mike, "Hedy, promise me I can be a bridesmaid."

Goldy cackled while Hedy pursed her lips trying not to crack up.

"I c-can't do that," Hedy stammered, trying to hold it together.

"Why?"

"The building's going to take it as a deal. And you're going to end up at mine and Mike's wedding very sober, in a dress, and very angry about it. You in a human female dress is the equivalent of a pissy wet cat."

"What is even happening?" Olivia whispered to no one in particular, snickering in confusion and amusement.

Ruby had progressed to laughing completely silently now, not even able to make a sound. Goldy looked kind of concerned but also very amused by the entire thing. Of course she would, she was as sadistic as Puppet and Ruby but just hid it better.

"I don't know Hedy, I think pink would suit him very well."

Ruby waved her hand frantically, silently begging them to stop.

"Black and white go with a lot of colours," Mike added. "Since those suit him, anything does."

"Don't encourage this," Hedy said, snorting. "Ruby for fuck's sakes breathe. It's not that funny."

"Eh," Mike disagreed.

"Okay it's hilarious," Hedy admitted, laughing at Puppet's attempt at glaring at her. She wasn't sure what for. "Ruby still needs to breathe."

"But I like pink..." Puppet whispered.

"You're making it worse, Mari!" Hedy moaned, as she covered her face while laughing. "You're going to regret all of this when you can think straight."

"You mean pink straight?" Mike winced. "Yikes, I heard myself. That was bad even for me."

"Miiike!" Mangle whined.

Puppet miraculously ignored Mike. "I can't think straight. Or squiggly. Or gay. Or...what are you Hedy? Are you a squiggle?"

Hedy blinked a bit amused and surprised he apparently knew. Strange. How did he?

"A squiggle!" Mike cracked up, completely missing the confused looks as everyone tried to figure out whatever was just exchanged.

Hedy rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Mari, every time you open your mouth—"

"Oh I know..." Puppet said with a sigh.

"Oh no, he's self aware," Harrison said with a wince.

"I think I'm sobering up," Puppet said, still sounding sad. "Can I have more?"

"More! More alcohol?" Jeremy's voice up in pitch.

"So I can blackout. So I don't remember this. I don't feel like I'm going to forget this. I would prefer to. I don't want to stay upset that you got married without telling me."

"That's your concern?" Mike asked. "Also, we aren't married yet, Puppet."

"No one needs to blackout. That's not healthy..." Jeremy added.

"Also, I know I'm probably embarrassing myself. But I think I had to be drunk to tell you what I wanted to do as a human. I didn't want to say. It would make everyone sad. I wasn't going to say but then we'd be stuck all switched up and everyone would be mad at me," Puppet was sniffling, but he sounded a bit clearer, if still speaking childishly.

"Since when do you care what we think?" Bonnie asked, confused.

"I always care."

There was an awkward silence broken by Mangle snorting doubtfully between her giggles.

"This is getting uncomfortable. Honest Puppet is freaky," Toby complained. "Go back to wanting to be a bridesmaid."

"That wasn't what I meant. I just can't think of the word," Puppet complained, attempting to sound stern to the Toy.

Foxy and Jeremy had managed to get Ruby upright and she'd at least calmed down to just giggles. Well, hiccups and giggles.

"This made...my day..." she wheezed while Foxy fussed over her, still just as protective even when drunk. "Is it...is it weird that I like him being honest?"

Jeremy frowned. "Why do I smell vodka on your breath?"

Ruby fell silent.

"No reason."

"I don't like me being honest," Puppet said. "And Ruby, you're underage! I didn't say anything at Hedy's birthday but-"

"Technically, Mangle is too," Hedy said. "She's fifteen, remember."

"Mangle!" Puppet wailed.

Mangle stuck her tongue out at all of them and giggled.

"You're all insane," Jess sighed.

Jeremy snorted.

Ruby waved them off. "It's not like it does anything. I've got a high tolerance. Still can't even get tipsy."

Jeremy still did not look pleased.

"Jeremy, you're not going to arrest Ruby," Hedy said.

"...No but..." He seemed frustrated.

"Does your liver not process it or something? That could be a medical issue," Marco said.

"If it didn't process, she'd be dead already," Olivia pointed out.

"Maybe a hypermetabolism," Jerry commented.

"Why the fuck are you guys discussing her possible medical freakiness?" Henry complained.

Ruby actually looked kind of interested though.

"Don't know why it doesn't affect me. Stole an entire crate of vodka bottles once and emptied them. Just got sick." She headed off Jeremy's incensed and panicked yelling by continuing. "I was eleven, suicidal and someone just told me people drink to forget."

She said it so simply, maybe not realizing how much that would disturb the day shift.

Foxy's giddiness seemed a bit dampened by her words and he quieted to sit next to Ruby.

"Hmm," Hedy hummed while Harrison and a couple of the day shift glared at her for being too calm about that. That much vodka could kill someone with alcohol poisoning! "Given how everyone is sobering, now might be a good time for you to tell us what you want to do, Mari. Since you seem to already know."

"It will make everyone sad."

"It's okay, Puppet," Goldy said, already having her suspicions.

Puppet hesitated, "I want to go to the cemetery..."

Timmy, who'd been there the whole time just watching the chaos, flinched. But he wasn't surprised.