I do not own Freddy Fazbear or any other Five Nights at Freddy's characters, only my own original characters. Now please enjoy!

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"WELCOME TO FREDDY FAZBEAR'S MEGA PIZZAPLEX, WHERE THE FUN NEVER STOPS! PLEASE HAVE ANY PURSES, BACKPACKS, OR OTHER CARRY-ONS READY FOR INSPECTION BEFORE ENTERING THE PIZZAPLEX! WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!"

As the message over the speakers ended, young eyes looked around in amazement. Lights flashed bright neon colors all around them while upbeat music encircled the room. Excitement built in the young girl and grew more by the second as the stroller fully entered the mall-sized building.

Someone pushed her stroller through the entrance and passed the golden Freddy statue as they headed for the elevators. They pressed a button and rolled the stroller inside before the door closed; suddenly, a man cleared his voice behind her.

Immediately after, someone walked around and bent down to the little girl, causing her to squeal gleefully. A man with short but messy brown hair, brown eyes resembling hers, and a small scar on his cheek smiled back as she reached out. "Dadda," she cooed.

The man laughed. "Hey, bear," he said. "Are you excited for today?" He tickled her chin and chuckled when her tiny hand wrapped around his outstretched finger.

She babbled in response; he smirked. "I'll take that as a yes." Then he stood up and grabbed the stroller's handles. A moment later, the elevator dinged, and the door slid open. He pushed the stroller through and called out. "Let's go, Iza."

Gregory moved through the familiar halls of the pizzaplex; as he walked, children ran about while their parents struggled to keep up with them. The smell of pizza hung in the air as the friendly faces of the Glamrock band hung from the expansive walls.

He walked through several corridors before reaching the stage. Suddenly a surge of children ran through the main entrance just as Gregory pulled the stroller to the side. He chuckled at their excitement; the Glamrocks were on in twenty minutes.

After the stampede had passed, Gregory went the same direction but took a left turn away from the stage. Iza watched curiously as Gregory stopped at a large metal door and swiped a key card. An audible beep was heard as Gregory opened the door to the maintenance halls.

He pushed Iza through and then walked down the large hallway. Gregory's steps echoed against the cement floor as they passed several doors and many exposed pipes and wires protruding from the walls. Finally, after ten minutes, Gregory stopped; he swiped his card and then rolled the stroller inside.

Iza clapped her hands as she scanned the room. Dozens of screens hung from the walls while computers packed every corner. About fifteen people worked at the monitors and sipped their morning drinks, ready for the daily grind.

Gregory wheeled the stroller to the opposite end and positioned Iza in front of a large monitor. Iza looked around; smaller screens surrounded the large one, and each showed various parts of the pizzaplex.

Gregory walked to the side of the biggest screen and pressed a button, it turned on, and loud cheering blasted through the speakers, startling everyone in the room. Quickly muting the sound, Gregory saw his coworkers glaring at him. "Sorry, guys," he called out before everyone turned away.

Iza laughed and turned to the screen. It was a perfect view of the empty stage and the cheering crowd awaiting the show.

Gregory yawned and grabbed his coffee mug from home; he was about to sit when a man in a security guard uniform walked over. "Good morning, Mr. Anderson."

Cup in mouth, Gregory looked over and waved, then placed it down. "Hey, Officer Smith," Gregory said. "How are things?"

"Same old, getting ready for morning patrols." His eyes landed on the stroller, with Iza distracted by the TV. "See you brought the little one, special occasion?"

"Naw," Gregory responded. "Vanessa was busy today, so I had to bring her in."

Officer Smith chuckled. "Ah, Vanessa, one of the best guards we ever had, how is she?"

"Doing well," Gregory replied, then looked over to Iza, bouncing in her seat. His gaze rose, and he saw the screen. The stage was dimming, and the crowd went wild.

"Tell Vanessa the team says hello," Smith said before walking off.

Gregory waved goodbye and then faced the screen. Grabbing the remote, he raised the volume just enough for Iza to hear. An announcer addressed the crowd. "Ladies and Gentleman, please put your hands together for Freddy Fazbear and the Glamrocks!"

The crowd cheered as all the lights trained on the center stage. Suddenly the floor opened, and the Glamrocks emerged in a cloud of smoke. They all spread out and began to play their instruments while Freddy sang, jamming out and having fun.

Iza clapped and giggled as the familiar faces of the Glamrocks appeared. Gregory chuckled and turned to watch the show.

After a half-hour, the performance ended; Iza squealed happily and turned to her father. "Dadda!"

"You enjoy the show, Iza?" he asked and tousled her hair.

Iza blew a raspberry in response and earned a chuckle from her dad. Gregory smiled, then looked at his fazwatch: 9:32. "I've got time," he said before turning to Iza. "Bear, want to go see Freddy and the others?"

Iza's eyes lit up. "Feddy!" she cheered.

"Alright, just need to pack some things up, and we can go." He turned around and looked at his desk.

While waiting patiently, Iza's gaze wandered and landed on a table to her left. She looked closer and saw a little cubic gadget with a tube on top. Despite being strapped to the stroller, Iza grabbed the object and brought it close.

She turned over the metal cube, slapped it, then stuck it in her mouth. She sucked on the gadget before a little blue light and beeping emitted from the electronic. Hearing the noise, Gregory looked back and quickly grabbed the object from his daughter.

"Woah, Iza," he said, carefully removing it from her mouth and placing it in his bag. "Not a toy; here." Gregory handed Iza a little green teething ring, and she played with it.

Gregory slung the bag over his shoulders and pushed the stroller to the door, never noticing the tiny loading screen at one percent appearing on a nearby computer.

Together, Iza and Gregory exited the room and traversed the labyrinth of halls. They continued until Gregory came to another door leading to Rockstar Row.

As Iza entered the hall, she looked around. Bright colors decorated the space while display cases lined the walls and scattered around the floor along with pictures of the Glamrocks. Against the far wall were four large rooms, each with a unique color scheme and a large window at the front.

Gregory pushed the stroller toward the orange-colored room; the curtains were drawn and obstructed the view within. He walked to the door and punched in a code. Inside, Iza could hear several voices before the door slid open.

Immediately the voices went silent. Iza watched as she entered a room splashed with orange and covered in Freddy merch; she looked toward the center and laughed. "What's up, little guy?!" a Louisianan accented voice called.

Gregory smiled and looked at the familiar face of Monty; behind him were Roxy, Chica, and Freddy. "Hey guys," he said and parked the stroller.

Before anyone could respond, Iza squirmed impatiently in her seat. "Monny. Ica. Oxy. Feddy!" she called out and reached for the animatronics.

Chica's eyes sparkled. "Iza!" she squealed and ran up to the little girl. She shoved past the others who laughed. Then, kneeling down, Chica covered her beak gleefully. "Hi, darling!" Then she paused.

Chica looked over to Gregory and pointed. "Can I?" she asked.

Gregory nodded and watched as Chica unbuckled his daughter and removed her from the stroller. "Ready for take-off in three, two, one. Blast off!"

Chica thrust Iza into the air and sounded like a rocket; Iza screamed excitedly as Chica walked over to the others. Then, Chica moved about the room with Iza in hand and allowed Iza to playfully soar through the air. "Weeeeee!" Iza hollered as she moved.

Gregory laughed as Monty and Roxy joined the fun, his heart full of joy.

"Someone's a proud papa," a deep voice spoke.

Confused, Gregory glanced to his left and smiled. "Hey, Freddy." The animatronic bear chuckled and bent down, embracing Gregory.

After a few minutes, they let go. "Nice work out there today."

Freddy grinned. "Thank you, the new equipment we received works terrifically!" He turned to the others, still playing with Iza. "Did she enjoy the show?"

"Enjoy it? She practically toppled the stroller while dancing," Gregory said, a toothy grin plastered on his face. "I should let her watch it more."

"You didn't before?" Freddy joked and looked back. "Was Vanessa occupied today?"

"Hm?" Gregory looked up, then rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Oh yeah, she had a doctor's appointment."

"What's the plan for your cub over there then?" Freddy asked, pointing a blue claw at Iza.

"Drop her off with Sun before heading to work," he said. "But I wanted her to see you guys first."

"Well, I'm glad you did," Freddy grinned. "Haven't seen the little one during the day for a while; she's quite lively."

"I know," Gregory laughed. "Hopefully, the excitement tires her out, and she takes a nap at the daycare."

"How long are you staying with her tonight?"

Gregory scratched his chin. "Probably until I'm done or if Vanessa wants to come and get her." He looked up at Freddy. "Why? You guys want her to sleep over?"

Chica froze and snapped her head to Gregory. "OMG!" she yelled. "Can she?!"

Everyone burst into laughter; Gregory wiped a tear from his eye and calmed. "Sorry, Chica," he said. "Iza's too young. Plus, I would need permission from the CEO, and you know how he is."

Chica pouted and jumped when a voice spoke over an intercom. "Glamrocks, ten minutes."

They all groaned. "Killjoy," Roxy grumbled and glared at the speaker.

"Don't worry, guys," Gregory reassured. "There are only a few more shows, get through those, and you can play with Iza afterward."

The Glamrocks looked at each other and brightened. "Sounds like a plan!" Monty replied before heading to the door, with Roxy following suit. Chica said her farewells, buckled Iza into the stroller, then ran to catch up with the others; the door clicked shut behind them.

Freddy chuckled and stared at the door. "They sure do love her." He looked down at Gregory. "I bet they would keep her here if they could."

"I don't blame them," Gregory said. "Although they wouldn't be saying that if they had to change diapers at three a.m."

"Is Iza sleeping well?" Freddy asked.

"She is," Gregory said before yawning and rubbing his left eye.

Freddy tilted his head and looked closer at Gregory's face; he noticed the giant bags under his eyes. "Are you sleeping alright?"

Gregory paused, surprised at the question, and faced Freddy. "I'm fine, just a few long nights this week."

Freddy saw his smile falter and frowned. "Is there something wrong, Gregory?"

He opened his mouth to speak but quickly clamped it shut. Freddy sighed and kneeled to Gregory's eye level. "Are you thinking about her?"

Gregory scratched his hand and hid his face.

Freddy rested a hand on Gregory's shoulder. "I won't pry if you don't want to talk, but please know you aren't alone." He smiled softly as Gregory looked up. "I'm here if you need me, superstar."

Gregory glanced at him and sighed before embracing his father; Freddy wrapped his arms around Gregory. "I'm sorry, it's been difficult without her."

Surprised, Freddy opened his eyes and looked at the brown-haired man. He then deepened the hug and spoke quietly. "Never apologize for grieving a loved one; you are entitled to your feelings, but make sure you care for yourself."

A tear pricked at his eye. "Some days are harder than others," Gregory muttered. "Vanessa has been amazing with Iza and is a great maternal figure for her." His voice cracked. "But I wish Iza could have grown up knowing who her mom is."

His ears dropped, and Freddy hugged Gregory protectively. Despite being an adult, he still saw Gregory as his little superstar. "Iza may never meet her mother, but she'll always experience her greatness through her father's love for her mother."

Gregory opened his eyes and stared at him. "Freddy…"

Freddy slightly released the embrace and stared intently at Gregory. "You're an amazing father, Gregory. You're raising a child while dealing with loss yourself; it will be difficult," he said. "But know you're not alone; you have Vanessa, the others, and me. Never be ashamed to ask for help because there is true strength in knowing when you need support."

Gregory stared at Freddy and chuckled. "Only you know how to make someone feel better in under five minutes." He embraced Freddy again. "Thank you, Dad."

Freddy smiled and stroked his son's hair. "No problem, superstar." His voice became serious. "But, if you ever need help, please don't hesitate to ask."

"I won't." Gregory wiped his eyes. "Along with you all, I also have Iza's maternal side. Her grandparents are excited about when they can meet her."

"That's amazing!" Freddy laughed as he stood up. "You have the support you need, and Iza will grow up knowing both sides of her family."

"Glamrocks, two minutes!" the voice suddenly announced again.

Freddy looked up at the speaker and sighed. "Seems I'm needed elsewhere." He turned to Gregory. "Take care of yourself, and get some sleep tonight."

Gregory smiled. "I will."

"Good," Freddy responded and turned to Iza, who watched them the whole time. "And I'll see you later, Izzy."

He tickled her cheek with his claw, causing her to giggle. "Feddy!" Then she blew a raspberry.

Freddy chuckled and started to leave. "Good luck at work, and tell Sun hello for me!"

"Of course," Gregory replied. "Have fun!"

The two waved as Freddy left, and the door slid shut. Now alone, Gregory sighed deeply, rubbed his neck, and looked at his daughter. She stared up at him with bright eyes and gurgled. "Dadda."

Gregory grinned. "You're one happy baby, aren't ya?" he asked and stood up. "Now, let's get to the daycare."

After ensuring Iza's seatbelt was secure, Gregory grabbed the stroller and wheeled it out of the room. They made their way back through until they emerged from another door on the bottom floor of the daycare.

Looking into the colorful hallway, Gregory heard the muffled sounds of children from inside. He swiped a card and opened a french door painted to look like a castle door. Once inside, he walked through the play area and inhaled the smell of sweat and finger paint; he slightly grimaced at both.

As they walked, Gregory saw children ranging from six to ten years old running around or playing with the various toys the daycare had to offer; he kept going until coming to a desk where a man and woman sat typing away on the computer.

Hearing steps approaching, the woman looked up and smiled. "Mr. Anderson, hello."

Gregory returned the gesture. "Hey, Elena. Hey, Mark." He waved. "How's it going?"

"We're good," Mark responded. "Dropping Iza off?"

"Yeah, only for a few hours," Gregory said as he stopped and unstrapped Iza. "There's a chance Vanessa will pick her up before that, so I'm marking her down for today."

"No problem," Elena stated as she typed on a tablet before holding it and a pen out for Gregory. "All you need is to enter Vanessa's name here and sign to certify she's a registered adult to pick Iza up."

Gregory shifted Iza to one hand and grabbed the stylus with the other. After signing, Elena scanned the form and smiled. "Great, Mark will store your stroller, and you can follow me."

Elena set the tablet down and walked into the daycare. As he followed, Gregory spotted more children having fun and passing the time in whatever way they imagined. Eventually, they made it to the other end of the daycare, where several children around Iza's age and another man and woman sat listening to Sundrop read a story.

They waited until he finished before Elena called out. "Sun, look who's here."

Although he had a permanent smile, Sundrop looked over curiously; suddenly, he sprang up and spun his head seven hundred and twenty degrees. "GREGORY!" he exclaimed and bounded over. "AND IZA!"

While careful not to hurt Iza, Sun hugged Gregory cheerfully. "How are you?" he asked, voice lowered to not frighten the young girl.

"I'm well, Sun," Gregory said. "How goes it in the daycare?"

"Amazing!" He threw his hands up. "Especially now that Iza is here!"

Gregory laughed when his fazwatch suddenly beeped. Surprised, Gregory looked down and read the message. "Oh," he sighed. "I'm sorry, I have to go; I'm needed in parts and service."

"All good," Sun laughed.

Gregory grinned, then looked at Iza. "I'll see you later, bear!" He kissed her cheek. "Be good for Sun and Elena. I love you."

Iza giggled and clapped before Gregory handed her to Elena. He waved goodbye and headed for the exit. Once gone, Elena placed Iza down with the other children where the caretakers could watch her.

Two hours passed, and Iza played and laughed until she tuckered herself out; she and the other children went down for a nap. The lights were low but not off, allowing Sun to remain dominant.

After thirty minutes, Iza awoke. She looked around and saw everyone asleep while the adults tended to children away from her but were still visible.

Iza stared at the ceiling in the dim lighting, cooing at the glowing moon and stars. She chattered quietly and sucked on her hand, not a care in the world. "Iza."

She froze. Despite being a baby, she recognized her name and sat herself up.

"Iza."

She looked around again. Her babbling ceased as she tried to listen for the source. "Iza." Then her eyes landed on a single door that was not previously open. "Iza, come here," a voice called from outside.

Iza perked up; the voice was Gregory's. As Iza clapped and crawled toward the door, a smile crossed her tiny lips. "Come here, baby."

Her smile grew. "Dadda, dadda, dadda," she cheered quietly.

She happily crawled as the voice beckoned her further. "That's right, it's daddy." Each word produced another giggle. "Come here, baby, come to daddy."

As she closed the short distance to the door, Iza called out. "Dadda?" Then her exposed hands and knees left the soft feel of the carpet and touched the cold cement floor as she entered the maintenance hallways.

"Good baby, Come to daddy."

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Typing away on the computer, Gregory was in his office in parts and service. He mindlessly answered emails and sipped his coffee before returning to his latest project; he tapped the keyboard and hit enter.

Then Gregory grabbed his backpack and pulled out the device he had taken from Iza earlier. He hooked the machine to his monitor and pressed a few buttons. He held the device's tube to his finger and hit scan a moment later.

A blue light appeared but then turned red. Gregory looked surprised as he tried again; same result. "Strange," he muttered.

Suddenly a ding escaped his computer; it startled him as Gregory looked around for the noise. The dinging continued before Gregory saw a tab with a notification. Curious, he clicked the icon, and his eyes widened.

The new screen had a loading bar at one hundred percent and read: Scan and Upload Complete. Do you wish to Proceed with the PQCP?

Gregory blinked. "What?" He then grabbed the gadget and scanned his finger. The screen instantly changed with new text. Not Princess, Please Insert Correct Sample from Princess to Proceed.

He reread it several times. "Someone was already scanned as the princess?" he asked aloud. "Who?"

Gregory pressed a few buttons and waited, then his eyes nearly burst from their sockets. "Iza?"

Before he could think about it, the fazwatch began to ring. Shaking away his shock, he pressed the answer button. "Hello?"

"GREGORY!" a voice screamed through the speakers.

He nearly fell from the chair, startled, before composing himself. "Officer Smith?" Gregory questioned, confused. "What's—"

"The STAFF bots have gone insane!" he shrieked, his panic evident.

"Woah, calm down, Smith," Gregory responded cooly. "Tell me what happened."

"Help us!"

"Who's us?"

"Iza! They attacked her! The bots are chasing us!"

"WHAT?!" Gregory screeched and jumped from his chair. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

Despite his old age, Officer Smith sprinted through the maintenance halls while holding firmly onto Iza, adrenaline powering his body. Footsteps pounded against the floor but were drowned out by Iza's pained cries; her arm was deeply scratched and covered in blood.

"Gregory, press the button! The bots are after us! They're going to kill us; press it, please!"

Smith rounded a corner and kept going. The sudden change caused several bots to slam against the steel wall while others kept pursuing them. "Smith, where are you?" Gregory demanded through the fazwatch.

"I don't know!" Smith cried. "Press the button! They are going to kill us!"

Without a word, Gregory exited the call and raced through the fazwatch apps until he found the one he wanted. He opened it, and a large orange button appeared; Gregory slammed down on it. From the next room over, he could hear the sounds of animatronics shutting down.

Smith kept running, his lungs screamed, and his chest heaved, ready to give out. Suddenly an ear-piercing screech rang out. Then another, and another. Smith glanced over his shoulder and saw the STAFF bots dropping to the floor and skidding to a stop. Their eyes dimmed, and they deactivated.

He immediately stopped running, his body shook, and his heart raced. He stared distraughtly at the inactive bots while clinging tightly to the wailing eleven-month-old; then, his fazwatch rang.

Never taking his eyes off the scene, he answered the call. "Smith? Smith?!" Gregory's voice called out. "Are you two alright?!"

It took him a few moments to respond. "Y-yes, I'm-I'm alright," he said. Then he turned to Iza, and his training took over. "But Iza's bleeding heavily; call an ambulance!"

After the bots chasing Smith deactivated, the same thing happened across the pizzaplex. STAFF, map, mop, and any other variations ceased their jobs as their eyes dimmed. In the west arcade, DJ Music Man's white pupils disappeared, his arms lowered, and the music stopped.

Sundrop stood still while reading. And during the last show of the day, right as Freddy hit the final note, the Glamrocks went silent; their eyes darkened, and their bodies returned to a neutral position before completely deactivating.

A half-hour passed. Police and paramedics were called as more than a hundred people stood in the large parking lot. Outside, lights flashed, and sirens blared as people were escorted from the building.

Children cried as their parents failed to comfort them; police helped keep the pace, and first responders stood ready for any injured.

Nearby, Gregory cradled his sobbing daughter, her arm snuggly wrapped in bandages. Gregory faced a paramedic and Smith; he hugged Iza tightly and rubbed her back. "So all the animatronics have been deactivated?" he asked.

"Yes," Smith answered, shaken from the events. "My team reported all STAFF bots, the Glamrock band, DJ, daycare attendant, and other miscellaneous bots around the pizzaplex have been shut down."

"Good," Gregory breathed before his voice trailed off. "Good." He stared at the ground and shifted Iza to one hand; he rubbed his temple. "Please explain exactly what happened."

Smith took a deep breath and scratched his neck. "I was doing routine patrols in the halls near the daycare when I heard crying. I rushed over and saw Iza surrounded by at least fifteen STAFF bots."

He pointed at Iza's bandaged limb. "One must've slashed her right arm because she had three deep gouges in her skin." He shook away the gory memory. "Anyway, after I saw them, I used the stun feature on my fazwatch and grabbed Iza before it wore off. Then they chased us, and you know the rest."

Gregory stared blankly, then ran a hand through Iza's hair. "Do you have any idea what caused this?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure," he said hesitantly. "All I know is that their eyes weren't right."

"Their what?" Gregory asked, confused.

"Their eyes." He cracked his knuckles nervously. "These bots didn't have the trademark black and white eyes. Instead, they were glowing pure white. And I think one might've had glowing purple eyes."

Gregory's breath hitched.

Smith noticed his demeanor changed. "Mr. Anderson, are you alright?" he questioned, concerned.

Gregory snapped out of his trance and hugged Iza tighter; her cries now soft whimpers. "I'm fine." He rubbed his tired eyes and then turned to the paramedic waiting patiently. "Will my daughter be alright?"

"She will live," she responded. "However, due to her age, we want to bring her to the hospital to be safe. If you are finished, we can go."

"Gregory!" Everyone turned their heads to see someone pushing their way through the crowd. He raised a brow then his eyes widened. "Gregory!" they called again. Once they were close enough, he saw a blond older woman.

"Vanessa!" Gregory yelled, waving her over.

Vanessa saw his signal and rushed over, nearly tripping. "Are you okay? Is Iza okay? What the hell happened to her arm?!" Vanessa spied the bandages on her granddaughter.

"Mr. Anderson, we really need to go," the paramedic repeated.

Gregory looked between the three people before him and sighed. He handed his baby to Vanessa and faced the paramedic. "This is my mother, Vanessa Anderson; she can ride in the ambulance."

"Wait, what?" Vanessa asked, baffled.

"I need to figure some things out here," Gregory said. "Can you go with Iza to the hospital? I'll drive over when finished."

"Of course," Vanessa said as she cuddled Iza. "Let's go now."

The first responder nodded and led Vanessa away. Gregory watched until they left before turning to Smith. "As for this, I will stay here for the time being to help, but afterward, I'll be taking a week off to help Iza recover. Could you inform the scheduling manager for me?"

"Yes," Smith replied, then paused. "Is there anything else you want me to do?"

Gregory ran a tired hand through his hair and breathed. "Yes, effective immediately, I want a strict rule enforced by all security and maintenance staff of no children allowed in the back areas for any reason."

Smith nodded. "And the bots?"

"Place them in an isolated area for the time being."

"Understood," Smith said and looked at the chaotic scene. "Will Iza be alright?"

Gregory sighed. "You heard the paramedic; she'll be fine." He paused again. "However, after tonight and for a few other reasons, I don't want her coming back here."

Smith frowned. "That's unfortunate. The Glamrocks will miss her."

Gregory's brown eyes seemed to glaze over as he looked sullen. "No, they won't."

The security guard furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

Gregory hesitated and spoke guiltily. "The button that shut down all the animatronics was only a prototype." He scratched his hand. "It has bugs and is still in the testing stages. And I recently discovered that one significant glitch causes extensive and irreversible memory wipes from the server."

"Are you serious?"

Gregory closed his eyes. "During recent trials, all the bots on a smaller server had erased a month's worth of data. For some reason, the more bots connected to the server, the worse the memory wipes are."

"So while on the main server?"

"The entire place likely had at least a year's worth of memory deleted." Gregory tightly crossed his arms. "Including the Glamrocks."

Smith's eyes bulged. "Iza's not even a year old."

"Which means they likely won't know she exists." Gregory rubbed his temple. "This is my fault. I will fix the bugs for the emergency override, but for Iza's sake and safety, she should remain unknown to the Glamrocks."

Smith was confused when he mentioned Iza's safety, but another thought crossed his mind; he asked uneasily. "Will they remember Mia?"

Gregory felt small tears prick at his eyes. "They will, but they won't know she's gone."

"What if they ask?"

"I'll tell them we broke up, that she divorced me, and they'll never know we had a kid."

Seeing the change in his friend's emotion, Smith sighed sadly. "I'm sorry for all this," he said. "I don't understand why, but do whatever makes you comfortable. However, Gregory, I think you need a break."

Gregory looked up as Smith continued. "Go see your kid, then go home and sleep; you need it."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I think you're right."

"Good. I hope you get the rest you need and that Izabella fully recovers."

"Thank you, Officer Smith," Gregory said and gave a weak smile. "You're a good man." Gregory paused and rubbed his head. "I'm going now; I will see you in a week."

They said their goodbyes and parted ways; Gregory started walking to his car. As he moved, the world slowly became static and eventually fizzled out.

—

Brown eyes shot open, her vision blurry as Iza looked around, frazzled. Her mind was hysterical as she felt a splitting headache hit her, and ringing started in her ears.

Iza groaned and closed her eyes; dull pain shot through her body as she became more aware of her surroundings. Finally, not wanting to deal with the aches, Iza decided to fall asleep again. Just as she was about to try, someone called out. "Iza! Please wake up!"