I Don't Own Fnaf

Flashes of light, a kitchen, the sounds of talking in the distance, Sammy wasn't sure just why they were talking, he was too busy staring up and out the window, there were heavy and dark clouds... He just glared up at them, as if he tried hard enough they would just go away, but they didn't, stubborn things... Well, Sam could be stubborn too, as he just glared up harder at the dark sky, it was too early for rain, and it wasn't fair anyways, it was their birthday, it wasn't allowed to rain!

"Sam! Come on! You're going to be late for school if you keep sky gazing" He blinked, turning around to pout at his father, saying as he pointed out at the window and the clouds beyond it.

"It can't rain! I don't want it to" As if the world was trying to mock him, the sky rumbled in response and his father just laughed while he jumped, startled by the sudden angry sound of nature, saying as he moved over, crouching a bit to stare up at the dark sky with the kid.

"I'm sure it'll be done by the time the party comes up, now come on, if you're late then no cake" Sam gasped, unable to believe the cruelty of the man, before just huffing as he rushed around to hurry getting ready, he had helped make that cake with Mom! They had made the inside orange, his favorite color, and the frosting was green for Charlie's favorite. There was no way he wasn't going to get any of it, even if he knew his sister was going to try and take the biggest slice, like he was going to let that happen!

Even if he had to go to boring school first, that was fine!

...As long as it only rained during the boring school bits, he didn't want thunder for his birthday.

...

It was raining, and he hated it. Charlie in the other seat was just happily humming to herself, unaware, but that was whatever, she was too busy daydreaming about John or whatever it was that girls did. Dad tried to say something, but Sam just tuned him out. There wasn't anything he could say, this day was already the worst, he was turning eleven, he could ignore his dad if he wanted to!

At least, he had thought so until they had parked, and he was pulling himself out of the car with a huff, staring up at the blinking lights of Juniors, recently renamed Freddy's, already to wet for his liking as he rushed under the cover, upset they were here, having not notice the change in direction during the drive, to busy pouting. He wanted to go to the diner! They never went there anymore and no one would tell him why.

Complaining wouldn't do anything though, dad would just ignore him, so he was more than ready to ignore dad back, instead his arm got grabbed as he let out a small whine as he watched with an annoyed look as his dad reached down and wrapped that annoying bright green band around his wrist, his dad tightening the thing way to tight as he instantly moved to scratch at the band that was connecting to his skin, as his hand just got a light slap.

"No Sam, leave it" He just huffed, saying indignantly, as he turned and saw Charlie giving him a cheeky look, her own matching green band to his own already in place, she didn't complain about them, but Sam couldn't stand it, it just felt too clunky and it hurt his wrist.

"Why! I don't wanna!" His father frowned, not saying anything for a moment, as Sam just leaned back and looked away. He didn't like it when dad got silent, but he didn't want to! Why was that such a bad thing! They didn't have to wear bands back at the diner, just another reason why that place was better.

"Just do it Sammy, come on, we're here to have fun" He doubted that, he didn't know anyone in there, they were mostly Charlie's friends, Sam was always too shy to really be able to connect to anyone, and he didn't want to have Charlie's friends, they shared so much already, he wanted some of his own... Not that he was all that good at proving that by getting any, but the point was the same!

"I want a big cake slice then" His father just smiled, reaching up and ruffling his hair as he just pouted, but let it happen, as the man nodded, right... Maybe this wouldn't be that bad then.

"Sure bud, now get in there" He just nodded, following along behind Charlie who was already talking, excited.

"I wonder what presents we're going to get!" Sam just shrugged, he didn't know, he hadn't asked for anything recently, he wanted maybe a few books, he had gotten into reading recently... Maybe a new action figure? He had been talking a lot about the third and final Star Wars movie that had come out last year... At least he had, but he had watched that with Evan, and he hadn't seen his friend in months now, though he had no idea why, another thing no one would tell him the answer of.

"No answer is a boring one! Come on Sammy, what do you think?" He just shrugged again, he didn't know, nothing felt like a right answer, Charlie just huffed, looking around the show floor room of Juniors where they had ended up being, passing by the entrance and the massive prop present box that was sitting there, "Well if you don't want to talk, I'm going to go find my friends, let's meet up for the presents though" Sam just nodded, watching his lifeline to being here rush off, but that was fine, just because Sam felt a bit rotten didn't mean his sister should have to deal with having a bad birthday, that wasn't fair to her.

Still... He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now, he liked Juniors, he loved the animatronics, but they weren't on stage at the moment, and he wasn't sure what else there was to do, maybe go to the arcade corner? But there were a lot of older kids there, and without Charlie to act as a buffer he had no idea what he would do if anyone talked to him. Sam was horrible at knowing what to say, more often than not he just ended up standing there not saying anything and feeling like an idiot, and he didn't want to deal with that today either.

He still felt a bit like an idiot for just standing around, unsure of where to go, but at least he wasn't being talked to about things he had no idea about what to say to.

At least as he stood there unsure what he was doing, everyone else seemed to be having fun, he could hear the sounds of laughter that he was pretty sure was coming from his sister and her group of friends... It would be embarrassing, but Charlie wouldn't hold it against him if he went over there and tried to hang out. He didn't mind her friends, they just... weren't his, not really, they got along, but they weren't close like Charlie was with them.

John made his chest feel funny, and Jessica was just too intense for him, and the others all had their own things that made him just a bit too uncomfortable to hang around them, not like he felt all that comfortable around anyone else, but still... Better than nothing given it seemed like no one he wanted to be here, Evan, Michael, and Lizzy, weren't going to show up, he still wondered why they stopped coming around, he missed them, Evan and Lizzy were people he liked to think he really was friends with, and while Michael was to old to hang out with him, he still thought the older boy was really cool, not that he'd say it, Michael didn't need a bigger head.

Before he could lament more about how he wished the kids he actually liked had been here, an arm seemed to come from nowhere, wrapping around his shoulders and dragging him into a loose headlock that would have been playful in other situations, but just made Sam flail about a bit before a voice spoke up.

"Oh! Got some fight in you huh squirt? Hey, listen, I got an idea for a game, Tyler over there went ah round right, so you can do one as well" Sam continued to struggle a bit, looking around wildly before catching sight of who must have been Tyler, a kid around his age absolutely soaked and a bit miserable, giving Sam a look of commiseration, as the boy tried to stammer out something about not wanting to play any games before he felt himself practically pulled along anyways.

...

Tears were indistinguishable from the rain, it was pouring down so hard and Sam was so cold, the torrent coming down shouldn't have been there. Dad had promised it wouldn't rain for the party! It was so loud! Why did it have to be so loud! Every crack of thunder made something shake in his chest, his heart felt like it was aching with how hard it was thudding in his chest, and he just wanted to go back inside.

Why had he gone out here? Why had he let himself be talked into this? He was soaked, and scared, and it was so loud he couldn't even think! The doors wouldn't open, and the only light was the sign above him which did nothing along with the damn green bracelet.

He was crying more and more, pounding on the windows with hands too small to make much sound and legs too short to really pull himself up enough to be seen by anyone inside. He just wanted inside.

Had no one noticed that he was gone for too long? Was anyone looking? Why weren't they looking? It was his birthday, it was supposed to be a happy day, he was promised...

Sam was scared.

Jumping in terror at the sound of a roaring engine, just for a moment, as he twisted around, his back slamming against the wet wall of the diner as he was blinded by the sight of two beaming headlights as he let out a startled cry, blinking and looking away from the spots as the sound of a car door being opened and slammed shut filled the air as he slowly was able to get his sight back to see a figure standing next to a familiar dark purple car.

Relief, a burning sense of it that made him want to blabber about how horrible it had been, about how he didn't want to be here, about so many things, his words were a jumble in the base of his throat as he croaked out something as the figure approached. Massive and towering past any other person he had ever met, closer and closer, silently as he tried to speak.

He wanted to ask where the others were, wanted to break down a bit and tell the man that he was so happy that he was there, that he was glad that the Afton siblings were here for his birthday, the idea that today could turn around making him almost giddy and the relief was almost overwhelming...

Yet that relief turned cold, the terror rushing back within an instant as the looming figure, adorned in purple clothing and a security cap on his head, was finally close enough as the lights of the window above his head lit the man up... Showing a horrible, twisted expression of mollified wrath as the man stared down at him with that haunting expression, as he felt tears burn down from his eyes again, as he stumbled back, trying to say something, trying to understand why William looks so enraged, trying to understand what Sam had done or where the man's kids were...

As a pair of large hands shot down, and he screamed, just for a moment, before they closed tight around his neck as the sounds of roaring thunder echoed through the air as the gripped tightened, and tightened, and tighte-

*BOOOOM*

Darkness and pain was the last thing Sam remembered.

Mike had been silently freaking out, doing his best to not reveal the fact he was freaking out, and if he was being honest, he had thought he had been doing a pretty good job of it. Denying was easy, coming up with excuses about suspicious things he's done was literally a part of his daily life long before the Cove was a part of it, but then Charlie started going on about Mari, and Mike had begun to slip, protectiveness coming out and swaying his words after burning his control over the questions towards Evan, but at that point there was no point in keeping the lie up, what was the point in denying if she knew everything anyways?

It was no good acting like he didn't have the answers if she was so determined to find them, that she managed it without Mike ever even noticing, something he was kicking himself for violently in the back of his mind. So he went into it, better she knew so she didn't get herself into any more trouble, but then... But then that last part came, the words Charlie had said bouncing around in Mike's head, just for barely a moment, but the conviction she said it with crashing into Mike and like it had felt more and more recently, the confirmation snapped everything in place in his mind.

Mari was Samuel Emily.

Before he had time to even begin to address that and everything that came with that knowledge, the most pained sound he had ever heard from a very familiar music box rang out, muffled through the door, as the sound of a thud soon followed, as Charlie half jumped, looking around wildly for the sound, eyes wide and very clearly and uncertainty anxious, as Mike didn't think twice.

He had never heard Mar- Sam- Fuck it, his boyfriend, he never heard his boyfriend make that sound before.

Turning to the garage door where the sound had come from, he rushed over, pulling it open and watched with concern bleeding onto his face as the puppet's body slumped into the door frame as he quickly reached down and scooped the animatronic up before pulling him properly into the kitchen. Moving past Charlie who was still just staring before suddenly jumping into action, rushing with him, words spilling out as Mike moved over to the living room.

W-what! It- He-... Here?" Mike had no idea what the hell was happening, instead just moving and carefully laying the puppet down onto the couch, Mari wasn't responding, something was... No, this was fine, he was just... sleeping, Mike was pretty sure he knew what that looked like on the puppet at this point, even if the motionlessness was kind of scaring the crap out of him, this was... Fine.

"What's happening? Michael!" Mike just tuned her out, leaning down, studying the puppet's face... before taking a deep breath, he had to take control of the situation, he just... He was not ready for this to be happening alright! Taking another moment, he turned and said as firmly and with as much confidence as he could.

"Nothing! It's fine, this happened to my brother, he told me about it before, a long while back, something about being hit with memories, that probably happened, he probably just over heard us and it made him start remembering everything, it happened with my brother as well, just... not as sudden, but he's been remembering things slowly over the last few months so this was just... taking a sledge to the wall of memories"

"S-So I did that? W-wait, what is, why is he here! In the garage? Did you drive him here from the Diner?" Mike opened his mouth, before closing it, trying to figure out just what the hell to say before finally settling on-

"Yeah, who do you think Marion was? We've been rooming together"

"I-... You've been living with my brother?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing" Wait still she found out he was dating her brother. Not the time brain!

"I- He... I'm dealing with the fact that my brother is still alive and has been living with you for months now without you ever telling me!" Mike didn't take being accused of things lightly, he was sick of being blamed for things he had no control over, and most of his ability to keep his composure had died a quick death from having to lie his ass off in the last ten minutes and having his boyfriend collapse in front of him as he spun around, talking before he could even think of what he was saying.

"I didn't know! And what do you think that talk would have been like? Hey Charlie, my dead brother isn't actually dead, I know you have a dead sibling as well, and chances are he was around for a while but probably moved on after I murdered my father!" Charlie went suddenly white, and Mike was only just aware of the fact he practically roared that last part, but he-... His emotions were all over the place right now, and that clearly was not doing him any favors as he took a deep breath in to try and get some kind of control over himself as Charlie asked in faint horror.

"You... what?" Mike just sighed, looking away for a short moment before saying.

"He had a death receipt before '87, probably faked it because he was such a big suspect... But he was still there, pulling strings in the background, who do you think was responsible for the kids that went missing at the second Freddy's? I-... The last one, the third, I came back to find out myself, and... There was only one way to end this... He's gone now, and most of the souls that stuck around are at peace now... Some decided to stick around, my brother, Foxy, Toy Bonnie if you haven't figured that one out yet, and... Him. We met and he kind of just... never left" Charlie was silent for a long moment, before saying.

"But you believe me, you think it's Sam in there?"

"I-... We knew that we knew each other, before, but not much more... But you saying that... He sounds, well... His voice, I remember when I first met him I thought he sounded familiar, I just... didn't think too hard about it, but... Being honest, I thought Bonnie was Sam, the original one I mean" Mike hadn't put to much thought into who in his past was who, it made him depressed if he thought about it to long, but he had thought that one was fairly obvious, Sam had always been so... skittish around him, that Mike figured the kid just didn't like him, especially as he got meaner and meaner as the years went on, it had explained the original bunny's grudge against him.

...But apparently not.

"Why do you think he's Mari?"

"I-... I was the one who found Sammy, he was... wrapped up in the puppet outside in the rain" Mike felt something like lead set in his chest, even as he slowly nodded. That was something too concrete to try and think of an excuse or alternate reason for. He felt something sick pull up in his chest at the thought of Charlie having to see that, but it sealed the deal.

"Yeah... Yeah Mari told me something similar about his death... Look, are you alright? This is kind of a lot" Mike didn't want to focus on what was going on in his own head, so he tried to at least make sure Charlie's was alright.

"I-... I've had a while to think about this, it's... been hard to build up the courage to come here and I really... I wasn't expecting to find him here... I- I need time to think"

"You don't want to stay? He might be out for a while, we all were tired from the day, but... I have extra rooms if you want to be here when he gets up" Mike honestly didn't really want Charlie to stay, but the idea of kicking her out set to unwell with him to not at the very least offer, but that didn't change the fact that he was glad when Charlie quickly shook her head.

"No! No... I just... I need to think, and I'm... I'm not ready to talk to him again, it's been so long... What do I even say?"

"I'd recommend starting with hello" She gave him a dirty look before just sighing.

"I-... Thank you for being honest, just... I need a moment" Mike just nodded, and before long she was gone off into the night as the man himself just stared off at nothing for a long moment before slowly turning to look at the puppet, trying to... remember Sammy, it had been a long time, he hadn't been all that close to the kid, but he had... looked after... him... Oh, that was going to be something wasn't it? Mike let out a faint groan as he slowly slipped down into the small space left open on the couch, and just sighed again.

He had a lot of thinking he needed to do about just what the hell was going to happen next and how the hell he was going to manage it all.

At the very least they knew now, that was something at least, he knew how much the puppet had been worrying about who he was, and so at least now that wasn't holding itself over their heads anymore... Now they just had to deal with what came next from knowing.

God, could they have just one good day without something happening? That'd just be lovely.

Scott didn't think this was a good idea, his legs were shaking, and he should have asked someone to come with him, but he hadn't and now he was here, standing in front of the elevator down, as he just took a deep breath in, trying to gather the faint remains of courage that he was pretty sure he hadn't actually had in years now as he moved in and hit the button to send him down before he could think hard enough about it to be able to find a reason good enough to fight back the guilt that had gotten him out here in the first place.

Slowly wandering deeper, he felt his hands shake with old nerves for just a moment, as he pulled out his flashlight, his grip on it tight enough that the faint anxious tremors in his fingers that always haunted his movements seemed to still out into almost nothing in a way that Scott despised. He couldn't type at a computer without a dozen typos, but the second a flashlight was back in hand he didn't shake at all. Well, the tremors were on the inside now, as he moved carefully about, looking all over, unsure of just what he was doing, as he hesitantly called out.

"H-Hello? Ennard?" He had never tempted the monsters before, had been too scared to even make so much as a sound during his shifts that weren't captured on tape, the tapes made him brave though, so he recorded a few… A lot during his time, it helped keep his nerves, made him feel as if he wasn't alone, even he was, because he always was.

"W-Why do you call us that?" The glitched and almost distorted high pitched voice made Scott jump a bit as he spun around, half stumbling back as he watched with faint horror as his flashlight caught the perfect angle to watch the writhing wires move down and along one of the pipes on the ceiling that had been covering them before. Flashes of the Mangle hinting themselves at the corner of his eyes, he could practically hear the loud radio static in the back of his mind.

"A-a-are you not gonna answer? CaT Got YoUR ToNgUe?" The voice crackled and broke up even more as Scott felt every nerve ending in his body wanting to move to flee, but for some reason, he just opened his mouth, even though it was too dry to even think of forming words, as a faint pathetic sound escaped him as the wires just continued to watch, the body of which twisting around itself almost in a loop as they observed him.

The only reason Scott could find his voice, a long second after, stammering for a moment before stopping to collect himself and actually sound like an actual person was because Ennard wasn't moving closer.

"I-... I don't know... I- I guess because Mike told me that" Ennard flinched a bit at the sound of the man's name, hissing back.

"He would!- WHat a Mean JeRk!" The animatronic did that thing were it was like two different voices were overlapping over each other in a way that made Scott flinch, but he didn't move, whether it was out of some sense of need to defend the man or because he was to scared to move, he had no idea, even as he said back, a bit timidly.

"I- I mean, you did try to kill him" Ennard didn't seem to even notice, their body jerking a bit about that made no sense to the man, before suddenly with a burst of static Ennard belted out.

"W-Well I don't care! C-C-Call us something else!" Scott could only gulp in worry, as he said carefully.

"L-Like what?"

"Fo-Fr-Bello-r_at_as-nud-ka-u_" Scott flinched, as the noise of what sounded like way to many voices died down, as he spoke up softly.

"I- uh... I didn't really get that" Before he could wonder if he was suppose to have understood that, Scott was suddenly much to busy screaming as suddenly in a pouncing leap from the ceiling, Ennard had shot from the rafters right at him as he stumbled back, nearly falling on his back, as the wires almost seemingly bounced off the ground from where they landed, like a coiled spring rushing up right into the man's face, before stopping right before they made contact, as Scott felt his chest heaving and heart racing so hard it nearly felt like he was going to have a heart attack.

"Are you to take us away from here?" The voices had all combined into one distorted almost nightmarish harmony, as he only managed to stumble back, words spilling and tumbling from him in an even less understandable mess of sounds than what Ennard had just done, as he felt his back hit one of the walls, making him feel pinned as Ennard just slowly moved with him, keeping way to close, as those many eyes seemed to all shift and keep track of his ever movement in a way that made him feel so exposed that a whimper was finally the only sound his throat seemed capable of releasing.

This had been a mistake, and he wanted to leave.

He had turned and had started running before he knew what he was doing, the cracking of his flashlight hitting the ground from where he had turned to rush away, accidently dropping it seemingly acting like the que for the wires to give chase, the sounds of static coming from behind him as he rushed along, the scraping of wires writhing themselves against the floor for the animatronic to move made something scream in the back of his mind as he rushed towards the closest door he could find.

It just led into a hall as he rushed down the path, the walls becoming so familiar that it made something in his chest get squeezed, the checkered pattern was bleeding itself into his soul it felt like, it was getting harder to breath, but he kept running, before he finally tripped.

It felt like his body just gave out under him in an instant, as he flailed forwards, a shout of surprise then pain echoing from his voice off the long and twisting halls, as he rolled about for a moment, trying to get to his feet only to scream as he stumbled and pulled himself backwards as he stared up at the face of a white clown mask staring down at him.

The only thought in his head as memories of a certain brown bear leaning down over him, that feeling of an iron grip twisting into his arm as he was hauled off his fete, kicking and screaming, begging, as he was brought to the parts and service room. There was nothing to be stuffed into here, it would just be his body left, and Scott couldn't help but tense up and wait for it to happen, fighting hadn't worked last time, why would now be any different? At least he didn't have to watch, as he squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the pain.

...

Only it never came, the sound of metal creaking filled the air, but soon it was gone, as Scott still just sat there, to scared to move or even open his eyes, feeling like a child who could only feel safe as long as they didn't have to see the dark that the monsters hide themselves in.

But there were no monsters here, there never were any monsters, just... Just kids he and everyone else failed to help.

It was always the guilt that made him do things, this time was no different, as slowly he managed to crack his eyes open, and... He was alone... Enn-... The animatronic had left him alone... Was it a trick? Where they just waiting?

Did it matter?

Scott decided it didn't in the same time as he managed to pull himself up onto his feet, it really didn't, they were gone, and he needed to leave before they thought to stop him.

So he did so, rushing back, moving quickly as he could, his hands no longer steady but shaking like mad, as he made it back to the elevator where... Where his flashlight was resting on the ground, the front of it cracked from where it had hit the ground too hard, but there, waiting for him... Had... Had they moved it here for him? There was no other reason it would be here and not in the show room.

Scott felt a chill down his spine as he snatched the item up before rushing into his way of escape, hitting the button and sending himself to the surface before he could dare think about it more.

Bonnie heard the sounds of the metal door to the container he had take over as his own being knocked on before he realized the night guard was back, his head snapping back over, an annoyance filling his chest that he never was able to hear the man heading in his direction, he was quiet and it bugged the bunny. For that reason along he thought about telling the man to go away, but he didn't, instead just staring at the guard before looking away.

He never invited the man in, but the guard always took it as an invite when he didn't instantly tell the man to leave. He didn't get it, and frankly the man just... weird. He was a guard, Bonnie remembered him even back from Freddy's, but he didn't look purple enough anymore, the others still had smatterings of the colors over them, especially the big one, that one was so purple it was basically nauseating to be in the same building whenever the psycho visited his equally psycho brother. But this guard just... wasn't, it was weird, Bonnie didn't trust it.

So he might as well get this over with, the man never stuck around for long, and while Bonnie hardly had anything going on, he never did, that didn't mean he wanted to be bugged when he was doing his nothing.

"What do you want?" The guard paused, just for a moment, like this wasn't routine already, the man made a point about showing up recently, even more than the other one, the technician that had been working on Bonnie... Bonnie could admit he liked that one, at least he was quiet and was actually helpful.

"Nothing, just picking up Goldie for the day to start undressing the Cove and figured I'd stop by and see how you were doing" That sounded fake, why bother? Then again, why did this guy bother him at all? It didn't really make any sense to begin with, so maybe hw as a bit more inclined to accept the answer, as he said back.

"What's there to do? Can you just go already so I can use the tv without the damn bear knowing about it" Bonnie liked the tv, it was at least something that was interesting, though he didn't often risk actually going into the office, the bear always knew somehow he got angrier and angrier whenever it happened. And Bonnie might not care that much about the darn bear, he wasn't stupid, Golden Freddy wasn't someone who pushed the buttons... At least to much, he was soft nowadays, but that didn't mean Bonnie didn't remember the times where he wasn't. Even if he deserved to be messed with even more in Bonnie's opinion for being such a jerk.

The guard was silent for a long moment, Bonnie didn't really care about what, just wondering if he was going to leave already, and did his best to act like the thought wasn't as appealing as he wanted it to be. He wanted to be alone, was that so wrong?

"I mean, if you want, I could talk to the others, get you to start working at the Cove? It's something to do"

"Not in your wildest dreams, I'd rather die than work in another pizzeria" More like he'd die again, but he really didn't want to be at another pizzeria, who cared if he missed the few parts of being in one, the performing and the kids celebrating him like he was doing something actually valuable? Those places were prisons and he had no want to go back to it... Especially because a certain puppet would be there as well and he had no interest in seeing Marionette again any time soon, if the puppet wanted to just pretend he didn't exist, then he was more than fine with doing the same to him right back!

"If you say so mister Security Guard" The guard moved a bit, shifting about, before nodding, to himself given there wasn't anything else to nod at, the weirdo, before saying softly, "Alright, well, I'll be back in the evening if you want to talk about anything, or just think of anything you need. Alright Bonnie?" Bonnie didn't bother to give that an answer, instead just ignoring the man as he turned to leave and collect that psycho bear. Though before he fully left, he turned back one last time and asked.

"You know my name's Jeremy right?" Bonnie had heard that a few times, he hadn't really cared enough then to actually remember, he acted like he wasn't going to try to do that now, and said back blandly, trying to mess with the man enough to get him away.

"You know my name isn't actually Bonnie right?" The man paused, before just giving a slight nod.

"I know, Jeremiah" Bonnie pretended he didn't feel like a weight had been just dropped on his chest at the sound of that name, said so casually, and before he could try to think of some kind of response, the man was gone, as Bonnie just sat there, for a long moment, before huffing to himself. He liked Bonnie more, Jeremiah had only bad memories, at least Bonnie had a few that weren't.

...He'd have to tell Jeremy that or else the guard might start getting ideas about calling him by his old name.

Not that he really cared or anything.

Mike would be a liar to say he got much in the way of sleep, maybe a few hours if he was being generous with himself, but he was just too worried and way too filled with too many thoughts to really be able to force himself to get much in the way of rest. So when the next morning had come, the sun beginning to peek through the sky, he knew he probably wasn't going to be much in the way of help for cleaning up the Cove, honestly if nothing changed in the next few hours he might have to call Jeremy or Fritz and say he needed to take the day. They'd understand, they were way too willing to give Mike a break, and he knew they'd extend the same kindness to Mari... Sam...

Names had always been a point in Mike's life, he's gone through a few during his time being a criminal, then now with him actually changing his name, and with his brother and Foxy, but now it felt... Weird. What was he supposed to call Mari? It was the puppet's decision in the end, but given he didn't have that answer and probably wouldn't get it for a little while longer, and let it be said that had been a big issue for Mike trying to figure out what the hell he was thinking.

It was difficult, because on one hand, this changed nothing, but at the same time didn't it change everything? Mari wasn't just Mari anymore, and while Mike loved Marionette, he now had to deal with the fact that that also meant he loved Sam. That didn't seem difficult, but he knew Sam, had known the kid, maybe not perfectly, but well enough, and that was the issue, he knew the kid. Whenever he thought about Sam, that's who he imagined, there was a very sharp disconnect between Mari, the adult man in the body of a puppet, and Sam, the kid Michael literally had held in his arms when Sam was a baby. Them being the same person made it very difficult for the man to figure out just what the hell he was feeling.

Very nearly five years... It wasn't a big age difference, it really wasn't in the grand scheme of things, it was something that had never even thought to matter to Mike before now, they were both young adults and that's all that really mattered, but suddenly those four years and few months in change felt like... More, when it wasn't.

It wasn't some mind breaking thing, it didn't somehow change anything Mike felt for the puppet, but the disconnect there was just so great it was hard for his brain to bridge the gap, to make sense of it in a way that he could rationalize it all to himself. It was just... a mess, a complicated mess and he had no idea if he was thinking himself in circles over things that didn't matter or not yet because he was only able to think about all this with himself, and as Mari had pointed out in the past, Mike's head got a bit stupid when it was only him up there thinking about things like this.

The sleep deprived parts of his mind really weren't helping matters either. Mike had only just finished brewing a cup of coffee, knowing he would be needing the caffeine to get through the day, when the sound of a faint croaking chime came from the living room.

Mike didn't waste any time from turning and leaving his mug on the counter as he rushed back into the room, seeing Mari who was still on the couch, slowly trying to pull himself up.

"Hey! Hey, take it slow, you were out for a while" The puppet glanced up, a delighted chime coming at the sight of Mike as he just reached out a hand to the man, as Mike himself just let a small smile grow on his face as he reached down and held onto the offered hand of the puppet as he moved to sit down next to the now sitting Marionette.

"Hey... I was out?" Mike nodded, concern quickly crossing onto his features.

"Yeah, you just... passed out when Charlie was over, we were talking about stuff and you were listening in... Do you remember?" Mike wasn't sure he could handle it right now if he had to be the one who told Mari who he used to be, he would of course, the puppet deserved to know, needed to know, he had been wanting to find that answer for months now, but that didn't mean it was going to be easy. Thankfully someone must have figured Mike was deserving of some kind of break, as Mari slowly nodded.

"I- Yeah, some of it... She was talking about how she had figured out about us, the animatronics, she was talking about me and... When she was speaking, it was like this weight was on my head, the more she talked the harder it was to ignore... I didn't hear what she called me, but... But I remember now" It felt a bit like a betrayal in a way that Mike had no idea just why, but he forced his mouth to make the word anyways, as he asked hesitantly.

"Sam?" The puppet jerked a bit, faint dots of white appearing in the eyes of the mask, as he turned and stared at Mike, his eyes flickering over the other man's face, before moving his other hand, wrapping that one around their hands that were already linked.

"Hey Michael" Mike felt like something was burning in the back of his eyes, as he just managed to grin, saying with a forced casualness.

"Fancy seeing you here" That got a faint chime of amusement, as Mari continued to stare at him, before leaning in, laying his head against the crook of Mike's neck, as the puppet said carefully.

"Our life is really weird isn't it?" Mike couldn't help but let out a little laugh as he said, his free arm moving around to wrap around the puppet's shoulders.

"I used to babysit my ghost boyfriend, we passed weird a long time ago Sam" The name didn't feel right on Mike's lips, the puppet must have noticed, even as he leaned more heavily into Mike, he said back.

"Mari... I don't remember enough to be Sam... It doesn't feel right, not yet" Mike just hummed, grateful in a way that made him feel horribly selfish... Only for the puppet to mutter quietly, "I like being your Mari"

He was sure that meant more than it sounded like, knew there was importance there that he couldn't understand to the puppet, but it didn't really matter that he didn't fully get it, because the things it did to his heart made him feel like everything was alright, that everything would be alright. And he savored that feeling more than anything else after the night he had, grateful in ways that words couldn't express about how the puppet could solve Mike's stupid thoughts with just a few words.

Mike is such a softie... Anyways, I wanted to just jump straight into the drama, given I feel like there's been enough lead up at this point, but I decided to break it up just a bit before we get into the real good stuff with Mike and Mari... Or should I say Mike and Sam! Ahh... It's nice that it's finally freaking confirmed! Life it good.

The whole thing was kind of awkward to write out if I'm being honest, especially because Mike was just stuck with his thoughts for a while, and I think we all know how that man deals with stress and unknown, and that is by thinking the worst on every level possible. There also is a lot of weird stuff his brain focuses on during it as well, like the age thing, which... Going to be honest, man oh man, I fucked myself over on, I did the math wrong, like, half way through the story, and didn't realize the numbers didn't quite number right when I said Evan turned eighteen during the course of the story, and that has haunted me ever since, it's fine, I shifted the numbers around and made it work by fucking with a few birth months, but that took more effort than if I had just double checked my math way from the start... That's a weird rant, but one I've been having stored up for a while now I guess... Anyways, yeah, age is kind of weird, the relationship and childhood friendship is also kind of weird, and there's a whole lot to address just between the two main stars, not to mention literally everyone else. That'll be interesting to see huh?

Anyways, onto other not puppet related things, I figured I'd toss a few small other character interactions into the mix before focusing on the puppet's whole identity crisis for a few chapters, to given an idea of what the rest of everyone is doing in the meantime, and then next chapter we can really get into it! That'll be fun. The flashback is the same one Mari had a few chapters ago, if anyone noticed, just now it's with the proper name, and as well as a lot more detail about the rest of the day, not just his own murder, which is arguably better and worst. It's fun to give insight on the kid that the puppet used to be, we've only had that really with Evan so far, seeing how they used to be to who they are now, and seeing the things that are both similar and different is a really interesting and kind of challenging thing to balance, cause, like, I'm no where near close to who I was even five years ago, compared to when I was barely in my double digits that different only increases, so it's a weird line to walk, but I think it turned out alright. Got to finally have a scene with Henry of all people, he's been referenced a few times, obviously, but now he has had an actual line of flashback dialogue, which is neat... I wonder if that's enough to tag him? Anyways, I'm just rambling at this point, hope everyone's enjoying the story and all that, and in the mean time, See ya!