Out of all the people that surrounded him, the one he understood the least, yet the one he reached out to the most, has always been his father.

Ever since coming to school, Charlie has been called a bright and hard-working child, always shining amidst his own class. Teachers would set him as an example for others, which is many reasons for his parents to be proud. He liked making them proud. Of course, it wasn't just for them; Charlie always worked to the highest of standards, but seeing smiles and nods of approval from them was more than enough to motivate him to try even harder. He loved the feeling of accomplishment, and they did too. Both mother and father were always supportive and did everything in their power to help him, even going so far as to put aside their own problems to focus on him. This was what led to that day…

It took months for Charlie to fully process. In his naivety, he thought he was ready for anything, yet seeing his dad, this kind, upbeat, lively man behave like a murderous animal that tried to tear an innocent apart with his own bare hands…He remembered looking into his father's eyes and seeing fear. Seeing shame and dread as he shook and looked over his bloodied victim. He remembered his mother's screams as she tried to pull him away, and he still continued to watch. Charlie knew that adults could get scared, too, but this was the first time he saw something so primal and horrifying with his own eyes. He had nothing to say to his father except for one question.

"Why?"

Now he knew that there was no answer to this, and that made it easier, a little…His father wasn't in control. Deep beneath this furious exterior, it was still the man Charlie knew and aspired towards. He forgave his father. The past was in the past. It took much longer for mother; no matter how much Charlie tried to convince her that father must have gotten better and that they should support him, she couldn't look past it. Not until they finally met at Elizabeth's birthday party and were able to finally talk without preconceptions. It got so much better since then. Charlie got his hopes up…And yet his father began to avoid them, stopped talking for weeks, and got consumed by his work. He must have been busy, as was his mother, but they needed more time together. He wanted to ask more about his father's days and how he felt…Charlie knew that he hated loneliness. And he hardly had anyone apart from them.

One day, father finally called and invited Charlie and his mother over, making the boy excited at the opportunity. There were so many questions to ask and so much news to share. And this time, his mother was finally just as eager to meet him.

Charlie spent their time on the road unusually excited, feeling the giddy joy in his stomach, the one he could usually contain behind his calm exterior, but not now. When they were finally at the door, there was no time to hesitate.

"Let's hope he isn't sleeping…" Lynda said with a faint tone of sarcasm, though Charlie could feel the smile that began to emerge on her face. He knew that his mother loved his father, and even after what he did, she knew that he wasn't at fault.

"I think he's awake…He'd never forget about us coming along." Charlie reassured his mother.

"I know, I know. Do you want to press the bell, by the way?"

"Yes." A smile emerged on the boy's face.

"I thought you would." Lynda reciprocated and grabbed her son, pulling him up to the rusty doorbell by the door. "God, you've grown heavy." She said in a joking manner before Charlie finally pressed the bell. An echo was heard from the other side, a ring fainter than the one Charles was used to in their home. Moments after mother put him down, the steps were heard from the other side. They were irregular and hasty as if someone was rushing towards the door in excitement.

"Oh, what a pleasant surprise!" The door opened, and Charlie could finally see his father once again. He was just as the boy remembered him before they separated. A man with a wide smile on his face who could barely hold his excitement, an excitement that could rival Charlie's.

"Dad!" The boy let it all out in a jolly shout.

"I've missed you, my boy…Come here, give your old man a hug!" Gron pulled his arms around, allowing his son to run into his arms before tightening them around him. This is what Charlie loved about his father and why he longed for him. While his mother could be warm and kind too, she has always preferred to maintain a stern and, at times, even controlling demeanor, while dad never feared letting his guard down, especially around his family. Moments after letting go, father looked up at mother, who looked at him with an awkward gaze of her running eyes. "Hello, my de…Lynda. Anything wrong?" He stood up and extended her a hand.

"No, not at all…" Lynda took a breath and shook his hand. "It's just a little surprising. You seem much better than last time.

"It's because I am better, and that's a wonderful thing! We wouldn't want to a reunion into a crying fest again, would we?" Gron said playfully.

"No, I suppose not."

"Come in. I have already prepared some tea and biscuits for you. It isn't plenty, but I tried to get as much as I could." Gron stood aside, welcoming his family inside.

Charlie was the first to run inside this cramp, ailing flat that he grew to love and adore because its keeper would be able to turn any setting into that of joy and fun. That's what the father always did for his clients. That's what he did for himself and his mother. Charlie took a seat at the table with Lynda beside him while Gron seamlessly slid into the one opposite to his son.

"There are chocolate ones, the classic, and some cream…Take anything you'd like." He pointed at the plate and the glasses of fresh black tea.

"Thank you, Gron." Lynda smiled for the first time and took some tea for herself. "So, I thought we'd get the sour subject out of the way first and…"

"Oh, no need. We can talk about it later, just know that everything is going alright, and it's only going to get better from now on!" Gron exclaimed, following this statement with a child-like giggle. After he bit a chocolate biscuit, Gron turned towards Charlie once again.

"Better tell me all about your time. I know your mother works very hard to earn as much as possible for both of you. I'm sure you do everything to make it easier for her…"

"I am." Charlie smiled with pride, watching his mother nod in approval.

"Our boy is a hero, Gron, and I'm not even exaggerating."

"It's alright, mum. I'd much rather do things myself and not disturb you."

"How is school going?" Gron continued with anticipation. "Any new achievements?"

"He did one of his class works for maths without a single mistake." Lynda smiled. "The best in his class."

"It was easy. The questions they gave us for revision were way harder!" Charlie exclaimed.

"That or you learned as efficiently as you could and made them feel easy." Gron commended him. "Much more likely to be the truth, I think."

"Thanks, dad, you've always believed in me," Charlie spoke with a mellowed-out voice. "We had some easy days since then. The teachers want to give us a break."

"What were you doing, then?"

"Playing games with my friends," Charlie said, making Gron look at him with a playful grin emerging on his face.

"Now that's a topic I'm an expert in. What kind of games? Tag, hide and seek, maybe football…"

"Yes, all of it, actually!" Charlie responded. "That and more, we also played soldiers a lot."

"Soldiers? Is that where you pretend to shoot?"

"Yeah, going up against the bad guys and all…It's fun! We've been running all around the yard."

"I almost forgot that you can have that much energy, Charlie…How about we try it out?" Gron swiftly stood up from his table, blocking the only window with his silhouette. His smile turned a little more ominous, though he clearly played it up. "I don't know how good your friends are at playing, but I am here to outdo every single one of them!"

"Gron, come on…" Mother shook her head. "Isn't that a little childish?"

"And? Those in touch with their inner child are often the happiest. Come on, Charlie, I'm your bad guy now, shoot at me, defend your life!"

"Come on, dad, you aren't a bad guy." Charlie shook his head playfully. "And I don't think you'd be very good at being one."

"You think so…" Father paused and chuckled. "You'd think so…Well, I can be very persuasive; you know that well."

"Gron." Mother spoke once again, interrupting the father with a stern voice. "I'm serious. Can we talk about your job before you go off and play anything that comes to your mind?" She pushed onward, making father sigh and sit down. Charlie wasn't entirely happy with this, but he knew she wanted to be certain that everything was alright.

"Okay…" Father looked up at her, speaking in a voice that brimmed with pure exhaustion. "I think we discussed it in detail already. It's all going…Well. Really well." Charlie could hear his father's voice breaking slightly as he said those words. It was difficult for him to talk of. "What do you want to know?"

"How are the last few days of yours going? When I called you, you'd been really tired…"

"And I told you that I know how to do my job and that it has nothing to do with it." Gron cut her off with unusual crudeness.

"And I'm not going to talk about that again. But you seem genuinely better, and you aren't…" Mother stuttered before taking a deep breath. She had to brace herself for the coming words. "And you are not faking it."

"Was that your first assumption?" Father shook his head with disappointment.

"I had a thought." The woman sighed. "Because I know you would fake it if you had to for us. To make this visit as sweet as possible…But you're not."

"Well, the answer is simple, really." Father shrugged before raising his eyes again. "Something got better, yes." He stated coldly. "And with good timing, as well. I'm glad that we can talk without focusing too much on the tiring aspects of my job. If only you would stop pushing it…"

"I want to help, and you know that. Something was eating you from the inside back then; I could see it…And I think it has to do with that place. I heard what happened to that kid. He disappeared in Fredbear's…" Charlie watched his father's expression change drastically as a frown emerged on his face.

"I didn't know someone went missing." The boy said cautiously.

"That place isn't good." Mother continued. "The unsafe suits, constant supervision I heard of, now this." Her voice shook as she grew more worried.

"Accidents…Happen. Police already came in to look for that kid, and they found nothing." Gron sighed. "It couldn't have happened at the restaurant; it doesn't have anything to do with it." He tried to sound certain, yet Charlie saw his father was in huge doubt about his own words. It was strange to hear them talk about Fredbear's in such a way. It wasn't too long ago they were all there for Elizabeth's birthday party, having one of the best days of this year. A company of friends, three of their beloved characters from the cartoon, and his father, always being there, making sure everyone remained fulfilled and had as much fun as possible. He wanted to believe that their reunion was a certainty, that his parents would reunite and move towards restoration, but now something blocked their way again.

"Is that why you came, Lynda? To interrogate me about my job?"

"No, I came because I don't want you to be alone in those times." Mother spoke persistently. "I won't force you to tell me if you don't want to, but I…I know how stubborn you are in trying to fight all of your demons alone. But you are not. You don't have to be." Finally, she spoke softly.

"I…" Father stuttered for a moment, but Charlie saw the familiar resignation in his face. It was hard to win an argument against the mother. "There is no need to go into details, but I can tell you why I felt like this, as long as you won't ask anything else about it. Alright?"

"Alright."

"Good…For the last few weeks, I was…Debating on whether I should do something very important for this job…Something that frightens me a little but will be worth it in the end."

"Is it about trying another of those suits for a raise?"

"Kind of…" Father spoke abruptly, picking his words out carefully. There was much he didn't want to tell. "It has been tiring work. I have to do it all throughout the day, especially in those suits…But I think I figured out how to balance it out."

"Balance it out?"

"Yes, exactly…I have a plan, a plan to do something to free up my time and help myself with…Everything, really. Job, the voices, paranoia, everything will get better when I do it. I know. It might take a few days, but I hope it won't be too long…And by the end of it, I will not conceal anything from you ever again, I swear."

"But what is it? What are you going to do?"

"Didn't I say that I don't want you asking anything else yet?"

"Yes, yes, it's…Alright. I won't pressure you." Mother finally submitted. "Just please, if anything arises, anything at all, remember that you can tell me."

"Thank you…But I am not defenseless against it, not anymore." Father reassured her before standing up and looking at Charlie with a smile. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Lynda, let boys be boys and play some of our favored games; I think we're boring Charlie with our long talks. Right?"

"Well…Yes, I'd rather have us play."

"Wonderful! Come along, my boy, teach me all about what kids play these days."

Yes, it would be for the best for all of them.

…

"Welcome, boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, to the land where imagination and dreams come to life! Please, stay in your seats, and enjoy the show!"

The deep voice of Freddy Fazbear echoed through the room where William had worked for weeks now, being able to progress unimaginably quickly with how much time he dedicated to his work. He would've been proud of any other circumstance, but now William had only regrets on his mind. It became harder to speak with his wife and children without being seen by them as aloof or odd, tired, and paranoid. Everyone in their house knew that he was losing sleep, yet when anyone asked William for reasons, he had to change the topic or decline it altogether. Refusing to spend time with his children in favor of either work or research, leaving Clara to look after them…This could not continue forever or even for long. Perhaps this was what made William so hyper-focused on creating more animatronics along with other engineers. Mechanical work was an easy way to take his mind away from the troubles, not to mention his persistent yet futile hope that when he finished his job as quickly as possible, he would finally get some free time. William realized that Alison would make full use of him being bound to the company by the contract, and will not allow William a break. And even if he will, the knowledge of the facility will still weigh on his mind. With how affairs were going now, he had little time for his own children, much less for checking in on his friend, the only person in his life who knew the truth and who he could trust. It was clear that Gron had his own set of issues he had to work through during their last meeting. Perhaps it was for the best not to disturb him.

And now, William finally had the creations rise before him. The glorious trio, the soul of the show, and the characters so many children have fallen in love with. A few young souls aspired to create a band and become famous in their homeland but eventually had to travel to the farthest reaches of the realm in search of the fountain of youth and to stop those who dared to threaten their friends. A captivating story with many characters, but those three were the only constant. The brown bear with a microphone in his hand and a black cylinder on top of his head, his close friend, a yellow chicken that always had a spare cupcake with her, and their newfound friend, a young guitarist rabbit colored in blue. It only made sense to have the three of them being worked on in tandem. The team wished to perfect all of them. William appreciated the help, but he disliked working with other engineers. They were all so happy, so fulfilled. None of them could've known about the facility, and this drove yet another wedge between them. Ah, the irony…Now his world was divided into people that were oblivious to what was going on at Fredbear's and people who knew and were thus potential enemies with him and Gron stuck in the middle. And now the news about a missing child…What if this stains the company's reputation? Many would make a decision to change their workplace, but he and Gron are bound by the contract.

But it was better not to think about this too much; otherwise, one could easily go insane. He had a job to do.

"Oh, how delighted I am to see our guests!" Chica's beak moved at William's command as she talked in an excited jolly voice. From what he knew, Alison got the voice actors from the show to record for the animatronics, making them all the more alike. "You must be hungry if you came to our place, but don't worry, we have everything you might need. Let's eat!"

"Good enough," William noted coldly before moving on to the last member of the band, Bonnie. His temperament was different from his two friends, with him being much more reserved and, at times, even shy. He could be a character that children would go to if they became too overwhelmed.

"Guests? Oh, I didn't see you there, but I'm glad you found time to come visit us. Would you…Would you like to hear my guitar? I've been practicing a lot lately…Oh, I'll gladly show you!"

He seemed welcoming. The animatronic waved to William at command and opened its mouth, allowing the engineer to breathe in relief. It seemed that for the moment, his work was done, and he could make his way home, once again late into the evening…It could've been worse. Those animatronics would be taken to the safe room soon. All he had to do now was to notify them that they were ready.

William made his way out of the room, thinking of going straight home, but something still held him back. This pesky feeling of blindly obliging and doing the work Alison wanted to do was a waste of his own time and energy. He always had to be in motion and always had to look for ways to gather new evidence for when he would reveal it. A day spent without any progress on that front was a day wasted.

When William passed by the ladder leading to the third floor, he couldn't help but pause and take a look at it. This was a restricted area, only those with Alison's clearance were allowed to enter it, and now it was clear why. William was there once, along with Gron, when they escaped from the underground facility. There was an elevator that led all the way down there at the top, and it wasn't for prying eyes to see it. From what he gathered, most workers did not care for it, never asking questions or bothering to think of what was up there. As long as they got their pay, there was no reason for them to care. William wished he could share the same ignorance. A part of him pushed him forward, making him take a step closer. If he got a thorough look at how that floor looked, there might have been clues to be found in there; at least a description of that place would be a fitting addition to his notebook.

But it was too dangerous. There were cameras there, and if they catch him, then Alison would be the first one to know…William couldn't spend a second in this building without a feeling that he was watched. A single suspicious step could be enough of a reason for him to worry. What if they see that he considered going up? What if Alison makes his men watch William even more? Making his short leash grow even shorter, slowly turning into a strangling rope entwined around his neck.

There was only one place William knew was without cameras by design, even hidden ones. The safe room of the restaurant suddenly came to the engineer's mind that a new delivery had arrived just a few hours ago, the same crates that had been transported below the surface before, but perhaps they were still stored in the safe room. It was worth checking it out.

And so William made his way to the safe room, traversing the emptied restaurant. A part of him was wondering if Gron would stay around here for a while longer, as he sometimes did, but there was no trace of his friend. William remembered just how drained Gron was the last time they met, making him realize how much he neglected his psychologically vulnerable friend in the face of this burden. They needed to have a talk about this once both have some free time, but William doubted it would happen anytime soon.

When the engineer entered the room, he immediately took note of how warm it felt, as if the energy from all the heaters had been transferred into a single spot while leaving the rest of the restaurant in the cold. The lone animatronic was standing by the wall to the opposite side of four crates that were delivered today, William's previous creation. He was surprised they still hadn't taken it to the facility, as if Alison hardly cared for it at all. William wondered if there was another reason for him demanding all of the new animatronics have a spring lock suit state…What if he wanted to use those for the experiments he conducted down below eventually? He'll know about it sooner or later.

Instead of checking Foxy, however, William walked to the tile set on one of the walls, the one he knew could be used as a code to unlock the passage to the elevator. He didn't think, not much at least, only remembering the code as it flashed in his mind.

395248

Repeating the same pattern he did on that day, sheer curiosity overtook William, even though he knew how unlikely he was to succeed. He wrote this code on the very day they descended underground and has learned it ever since, but he never got another opportunity to test it. Now, William finally had his chance.

A chance for failure. The tiles were pressed in the exact order, yet the wall did not budge, leaving no signs of movement whatsoever. The engineer let out a sigh of disappointment…It couldn't be that easy. Of course, Alison changed the code. There was no point trying any further, or he will eventually get caught. There wasn't much to see here except for the crates.

William walked towards the few that still remained in the room, trying his best to examine them. These shared the exact same design as the ones brought here in previous times of delivery, although there were noticeably fewer. William already knew how heavy they were after helping carry one of them, and Alison was insistent that those were metal parts…

The engineer approached one of them, trying to get a closer look. There were many metal parts Alison needed, and none of them were used for the animatronics William worked on. Was it the machine that rested beneath the ground? It could've been the new springlock suits that Alison would use to torture the prisoners, but the crates were a little too small to fit one into there. Perhaps those were the parts intended for the machinery that was connected to a mysterious golden animatronic they discovered…There were plenty of possibilities, but something didn't quite fit. There were a few small holes on each of them as if there was some need for light…Why? William approached one of them, trying to peer inside the hole. He just remembered that he had left his flashlight in the car, with a visible frown of disappointment emerging on his face. Returning to take it and then coming here again would be suspicious if the cameras by the restaurant's entrance were to catch him. There was nothing to see in those holes, as the insides were completely covered in darkness. William could swear he could see something underneath, something reminiscent of a grey stripe, perhaps of a color that resembled metal, though he couldn't be quite sure. The engineer leaned onto it to try and get a closer look. There was something inside, maybe parts, maybe something else…Those were the last thoughts William had before immediately recoiling from the crate, finding himself as far as the opposite wall; it took a few moments for him to realize what he had just heard from inside.

Breaths.