Greg woke up wrapped tightly in a blanket that belongs to Venessa. Blurry eyed, the brown-haired boy sat up slightly and rubbed at his face. He looked around in the back of the car as the gray light of morning shown through the windows. Venessa was sleeping at the wheel with her seat leaned back as far as it will go. Her arms are crossed over her chest, and she has her knees braced against the steering wheel. Her blond hair, that's usually in a ponytail, was spilled over the top of the seat head like a little waterfall, tickling his exposed knees as he wriggled to sit up. Freddy's head started to whir to life with Greg's movement as he sat up, stretching, and yawning quietly.

Freddy's yellow eyes blinked and then looked up at Greg from the arm rest between the two front seats. Softly, Freddy asked, "How did you sleep, Superstar?"

"Better than before. Haven't slept in a car before… Or well, one I haven't snuck into at least."

Freddy's mechanical eye lids drooped over his eyes, along with his ears. His one red earing clinking a bit against the side of his head.

"I'm sorry you've been alone for so long."

Greg could only shrug. Then the boy took the blanket off himself completely and unlocked the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to pee. I'll be back."

Greg closed the car door quietly behind him before walking off the abandoned parking lot towards the only set of trees and bushes in the whole city. It was cold and misty out, in a refreshing way. When he finished going to the bathroom, he heard a branch snap. It could have been just a bird landing on a brittle branch, but Greg didn't think that, and ran back to the car. Yanking the car door open wide, he got in and then slammed it behind him once he had all of himself tucked inside.

Venessa's head jerked up at the sound of the car door slamming.

Freddy's eyes looked at the boy with concern. "Did something happen, Gregory?"

Greg didn't answer at first as he stared out the window and listened to Venessa yawn and Freddy's internal machinery work. He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, then turned to Freddy.

"Nothing. I was just being stupid."

"Stupid about what," Venessa asked as she pulled the lever on her chair and made it sit back upright.

Greg opened and closed his mouth as he thought, then he said, "It's nothing important. Don't worry about it."

Greg saw Freddy's worried disappointment on his face and Venessa only hummed an acknowledgement as she rubbed her eyes. Then she turned around to look at Greg.

"I have some clean clothes in my trunk. They're not in your size but it's better than… this," she waved her hand at him and then to herself as she is still wearing the white rabbit suit.

Freddy moved his eyes to look at Venessa. "Maybe it would be better to wait until you two have bathed. Wearing clean clothes when you yourself are not clean cannot be comfortable."

"Freddy... Where are we going to bathe?"

Freddy squinted at the floor as his ears drooped once again.

"What time is it?" Venessa asked.

Greg looked at his faz-watch and Freddy looked up as he went to see his internal clock, "6:30am," they both said at the same time.

She nodded. "Very good. I know a place besides the pizzaplex that has free showers." Venessa then moved Freddy's head into the front passenger seat and buckled him into place. As she did, she said, "Sit down and buckle up, Greg-y boy. I'll be driving soon."

Greg did as she said as he heard Freddy thank her for buckling him in. "Where are we going," Greg asked.

"To an indoor pool."

Venessa turned on her car and drove out of the parking lot. Greg picked at the frayed string of his jean shorts as he watched the world zip by. He half listened to what Venessa, and Freddy were talking about. His mind was mainly occupied with how long him and Freddy will be able last out in the world by themselves. Greg's mind also turned to how he was going to rebuild a body for Freddy when he felt the car stop. The brown-haired boy turned to look out the front window of the car to see a light blue and gray building before them. It was dingy looking in the way that it's just used a lot by the public and not from no care going into it.

"It looks gross."

Venessa shrugged, "It's a good place." She unbuckled and then reached for the backpack that was behind her chair on the car floor. Then she unbuckled Freddy's head and slipped him into the backpack and handed him over to Greg.

Greg asked, "Comfortable in there, Freddy?"

"I am fine, Superstar, thank you for asking."

Greg nodded as he slipped out the back of the car when Venessa unlocked the door. He stood behind the car with her as she gathered the clean clothes that they were going to wear and grabbed a plastic shopping bag full of soaps. Then she closed the trunk and pressed a button on her keys to lock the door.

"Alright, Greg-y boy, let's go." She led the way into the building.

The building wasn't much to look at. It had florescent lights in the ceiling that did their job, and the walls were a plain color of that same light blue and gray. The only thing making it look not abandoned was how clean the building looked and all the years of community memorabilia decorating the walls. Greg saw black and white photos of groups of young people. He saw trophies and ribbons. Then he saw more recent colored photos of much older people with younger people. He concluded that the building is very well lived in.

Venessa walked through the building with purpose, and she brought them to a pool. The air was moist and humid, and it felt nice as the chemical filled air brushed against his face. Venessa was heading for the girl's locker room, so Greg started to head for the boys, but then he was stopped by Venessa.

"Oh no, you and Freddy can come with me into the girl's room."

"But that's the girl's room," Greg whined, "and it's weird."

"It's safer if we stick together."

"I don't need protecting. I have Freddy."

"What is he going to be able to do?"

Greg looked down at Freddy in his backpack as the mechanical bear looked at him apologetically. Greg looked at Venessa as he gave her a hard scowl.

"I promise there are private showers. I promise I'm not going to do anything to you."

Greg scrutinized her, then he said, "I'm taking Freddy with me in the shower."

Venessa nodded then she continued to walk into the girl's locker room, only looking over her shoulder once to make sure he was following her. He was.

The locker room didn't look much different from the boy's locker room, from Greg's experience. What he can tell that is different is that there are no urinals and there are white metal boxes attached to the walls near the toilets. Venessa gave him the plastic bag full of soaps. Then she pointed around the corner of the walled off toilets and said, "The showers are that way." Then she made a bee line for the toilets.

Greg stood there for a moment, uncertain about the environment he was in.

"It's okay Gregory. Take your time." Freddy comforted.

"I'm fine Freddy. You worry too much," Greg stated as he stubbornly walked forward.

The brown-haired boy got into the only private shower and closed the curtain behind him. He liked how the plastic curtain had little Foxy and Chika heads decorating it. He hung up Freddy's backpack onto a hook that the shower had, then covered Freddy's head with the plastic bag.

"Sorry Freddy."

"I'm okay Superstar."

Greg took a deep breath, then he undressed and started the shower. It felt nice being able to get rid of all the muck and gunk he developed over the last few hours… and days. When he finished showering, he took a minute to just stand in the hot water and enjoy the feeling of it.

"Freddy," Greg whispered.

"Yes?" Greg saw that Freddy had his eyes closed. So the boy got a bit closer to the bear head.

"Do you really trust Venessa?"

Freddy was silent for a moment. Then he said, "Superstar. I do not trust her fully, but I am willing to let her earn my trust. How do you feel? She's the one that's been attacking you all night."

"That was Vanny though, wasn't it?"

Freddy's ears drooped in concentration as he frowned a little harder. "I can't say for sure. You know her more than I do, even if it's only by a few hours. I enjoy our conversations with each other, we talked a bit while you were asleep. She doesn't seem to know much about what happened to her, or if she does, she's repressing it for the time being. I don't think she is lying to me."

Greg hummed an acknowledgement.

"You're a child Gregory and I'm only a head. We need all the help we can get until I at least have a body."

"I'll get you a body soon, Freddy. I promise."

"I know, Superstar. Don't fret about it too much. Just enjoy your shower for now."

Two minutes later the novelty of standing in hot running water while doing nothing ran dry so he finally turned off the water. "Uhhh, Venessa?"

"I put the towel and your clothes next to the shower," her distant voice called.

Greg peaked out and saw a clean fluffy, hotel looking towel on top of a pile of clothes that were sitting on a lifejacket. Greg grabbed the stuff, then dried off and dressed himself. Then he grabbed his old clothes and Freddy before he rounded the corner and found Venessa sitting on one of the many benches that sit like an island around the many lockers. She was filling her nails.

"Have a nice shower?"

Greg nodded.

Venessa stood up and said, "That's good." As she walked past him with an arm load of her own clothes and a towel she added, "I brought some cleaning supplies for you to clean Freddy with while I get myself cleaned up. Don't go running off."

Greg didn't say that he wouldn't, but he did sit down where she had been and pulled Freddy out of the slightly damp backpack and uncovered him from the plastic bag.

Freddy opened his eyes and looked Greg up and down. "The yellow and blue of the Hawaiian shirt looks good on you."

Greg nodded and gave the mechanical orange bear a small thank you as he sat him down on the bench. The boy looked around for the cleaning supplies and found them under the bench. He then got to work on cleaning up Freddy. As the boy worked, he smiled at how Freddy seemed to growl appreciatively from his ears and head being polished.

Freddy went silent as the two of them heard the door to the girl's locker room open over the sound of the shower running. Then they heard squeaky wheels and someone whistling amicably. An old woman stepped into view as she pushed a laundry basket with her.

"Oh, hello. Is that a Freddy Faz-Bear replica?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Wow, did you make it yourself?"

"I did."

"Well, aren't you just a smart cookie," she cooed. Then she continued to whistle as she switched the old full laundry basket for the new empty one that she brought in. As she walked out with the full laundry basket, she said, "My granddaughter loves Freddy Faz-Bear too. Specifically, Bonnie. Have a good day young man." Her whistling faded away as she walked.

"What a sweet woman," Freddy commented. His ears wiggled as he smiled. "And what a good taste in animatronics her granddaughter has."

"I'm glad we weren't caught talking. I don't want any of the adults taking you…" Greg continued his cleaning, not finishing his sentence.

"I promise, Gregory. I'm not going anywhere. Okay?"

Greg looked him in the eye for a second before looking down to the ground. Then in a small voice he said, "Okay."

Venessa shortly joined them, wearing a well-worn blue sweater and jeans, and her blonde hair was back into a ponytail. The white rabbit suit was thrown away and Greg got to choose where they were going to eat for breakfast. He chose I-Hop.

The diner was filled with people, mostly full of families that are traveling somewhere else during the day. The air smelled humid and sweet, and the sun shined brightly on their table booth through the large window. Freddy's head made orange light shine on the ceiling as he sat on the table. Greg wanted to hide him in his backpack again, but Venessa said it's more suspicious to hide him than to let him out and that he can talk to him still if the bot is still connected to the faz-watch. Greg got orange juice, hashbrowns and strawberry pancakes. Venessa only got a cup of coffee and a plate of bacon.

Greg was eating greedily like it was the last meal he'll ever have when Venessa broke the silence since they got their food. "Do you have any family, Greg?"

The brown-haired boy squinted suspiciously at her as he chewed. He swallowed, then said, "Why do you want to know?"

She leaned back and brought her coffee to her lips, taking a small sip. "I see… So you are on your own."

Greg glared at her. "So what if I am. I've been doing just fine on my own so far."

"True… But would you rather have some more help?"

"From who? From you?" Greg scoffed. "Last I checked you've been nothing more than a…," Greg got quiet as a waiter walked by and he leaned in towards her to whisper, "You tried to kill me."

Venessa sat down her coffee with a sigh. "… I know… I don't expect you to trust me after what happened last night. But you need all the help you can get. Your dad," she pointedly looks at Freddy's head, "is unable to care for you like he wants, and you shouldn't be alone out there."

"You're just as homeless as I am." Greg felt his faz-watch buzz and he read Freddy's text saying, Gregory, don't be rude.

"I'm a homeless person with a car and I'm old enough to get a job. I'll be able to help take care of you until we get your dad's head back onto a strong set of shoulders."

Greg slumped back into his seat as he crossed his arms and looked out of the window with a pout. He admits to himself that it will be hard to take care of himself and of Freddy while trying to rebuild Freddy a new body. He side-eyes Venessa who is still leaned towards him and is slowly chewing on her bacon while reading the dessert menu on the table.

He sighed loudly then said, "Fine. I'll stay with you, but only until Freddy is better."

She nodded at him. "You have a deal." She stretched as she leaned back and rose her hands above her head. Greg heard her back crack as she relaxed again. "When you finish eating, we're going to the library. I need to find a new job."