Mable: Enjoy!
Going Home in a Box
Chapter Eighty
Michael knew that Ben was a good friend.
But he didn't realize how good of a friend Scott was until he was woken by him getting off the bed and realized the man spent the night at his side. It took Michael a moment to piece it together, but once he did it was both endearing and embarrassing. Embarrassing that he had given them a reason to watch him, endearing that Scott had put aside everything to go through with it.
Michael had held a needless grudge against Scott for years because of his connections with his father. He had outgrown it after seeing Scott being so good to Ennard and Baby, but this was the moment when he realized that maybe he had been entirely in the wrong.
The man laid beside his moldy corpse just to keep him from feeling alone; he certainly felt like he owed him an apology. Though he stayed silent, not tipping off that he was awake.
Scott put on his prosthetic, stretched, and then quietly made his way out of the room. Michael peeked at him, unnoticed, and could see him stepping over and watching something on the floor before carefully shutting the door behind him. Once he was gone, Michael leaned a little further over the edge of the bed to look and caught sight of Ennard on the floor.
Michael laid back down on the bed for a little longer. This gave him a quiet moment to process the night before.
At the very least he was thinking a little more clearly. Just thinking back on what transpired the night before left him aghast. How he could be so desperate to do something like that? He remembered doing it, he remembered why he had done it, but he somehow felt detached from it now. Like he hadn't done it at all. Like it was something he merely thought of doing.
And yet the thought of being in this suit for the rest of his existence still turned his stomach. Or it would if he even had one. What a way to find out that there was simply no hope.
Michael wasn't sure how long he sat there stewing in his thoughts before he heard the squeaks and creak of Ennard sitting up. He promptly closed his eyes and pretended he was asleep, not ready to face him either.
He couldn't see what Ennard was doing, but he could hear him moving around. He could feel him watching. He could feel him laying a warm sweater over his upper half and carefully tucking it in as to not wake him.
Despite himself, Michael sighed at the touch and began to relax again. It had been a long time since he had gotten tucked in by someone, except for technically last night. To be treated so carefully and in such a human way. He hadn't realized how much he needed it, but now he hungered for it, though still dare not ask.
Ennard stayed with him a little longer, patting his head and waiting to see if he would wake up. Though also he might've known Michael was faking. If he did, he didn't say anything.
Eventually he stepped back and quietly stepped out of the bedroom with the same cautiousness that Scott showed, and pulled the door closed to a crack behind him.
This left Michael on his own again, but it was a more contented loneliness. Part of him might've been tempted to stay in this bed as long as he could, but eventually he dragged himself up and out of the human comfort. Its welcoming warmth calling to him even once he was freed from it. He folded up the sweater on the bed, a sign of his appreciation, and resisted the urge to hide and huddle again.
He must've done a number on himself last night because he felt sore and out of sorts all over. Like he was taking his first unsteady steps as he left the master bedroom and faced the aftereffects of his actions. Or intended to, but he entered the living room to find it empty. The kitchen light and standing lamp between the couch and armchair were on, but nobody was there.
It wasn't until he neared the office door that he heard Scott and Ennard's voices. He listened briefly to their whispering.
"-And I couldn't find her again."
"Good."
"Well, yeah, good, but also she's a menace and somebody's gotta do something!"
"Yes, but it doesn't have to be you. If you got caught alone with her…"
"Moon would've beat the holy heck out of her and then chewed me down to a nub."
"…Well, there's that. That's sort of the best-case scenario, really. But if you were alone with her and this, uh, other wire creature, who knows-."
Michael walked off at that point. He was impressed that Ennard kept his word to wait until morning to tell Scott what happened, but also terribly disappointed that he was still here when it happened.
With a sigh, he walked around the couch and sat down heavily, then reached for the remote. He briefly froze up as he caught sight of the tear on his arm- of course it would be that arm that he had to use. He picked up the remote and clicked the television on. A gameshow was on, and the volume wasn't too loud, so Michael set the remote aside and just zoned off into the mindless guessing of answers.
Or he did until the garage door clicked open. His ear slightly twitched but he didn't look back, instead sort of going stiff like that would save him from being noticed.
It did not. Baby rolled right around the couch and directly up to him.
"Good morning, Lizzie," Michael said. His voice wearier than he intended it to sound.
"A little too late to be a morning," Baby remarked. Not harshly, but matter-of-factly.
She sat down on the couch alongside him. He was surprised that the couch held their weight. He was even more surprised that the plates of her skirt had hinges to allow them to lift, so the skirt didn't dig into his side.
Her knees were together, and her claw and hand rested on them in her lap. It was a rather withdrawn posture for her. She was looking at him with glowing, probing eyes, and Springtrap knew there were questions there.
She knew she didn't have to ask them. She could just wait, and the answers would come, and that was more favorable than prying them out. So, finally, she looked to the TV as well, scoffing a few seconds later at a poor answer given by a contestant.
"Saffron," she scoffed.
"She's overthinking it," Michael agreed.
"I would say that that you're being very generous with that assumption."
Now it was Michael's turn to scoff, though more out of dry amusement. It was fleeting though, considering the situation. He watched the show as long as he could- for thirty seconds that dragged on like thirty minutes- and then caved.
He couldn't bear the silent tension any longer and had to break it. Because he knew she was waiting just like he was.
"…How much do you know about last night?" he dared to ask. His voice low and edged with shame.
"I know you tried to remove your suit," Baby answered.
Michael processed that for a moment before sighing and dropping his head into his hands.
"Don't blame Scott. He knows I don't take well to being left in the dark," Baby added.
"Yes, I know," Michael murmured. Scott didn't want to lie, Ennard didn't want to lie; nobody wanted to lie except him, and that was because he was ashamed. "It was nothing It was just a small lapse in judgement," he tried to brush off.
Baby almost snapped at him but caught herself. She reminded herself that he wasn't trying to be difficult, and he wasn't trying to deceive her. He was upset and confused.
"…Why did you do it?" she asked. Her voice sounding small even to her and not purposefully.
"Because I wanted out of it."
"But why would you think that would work?"
"I don't know."
There had to be a better answer than that, Baby was certain. A deeper reason, a reason that would explain such a risky decision, but whether Michael was holding out or simply didn't know what it was wasn't clear.
"Don't tell Gabe and Marion. Please," Michael half-begged.
"I won't… But someday you might need to," Baby reminded. "…But not now."
"I'll put it off as long as I have to. I won't be the thing that derails their business."
"You are more important than them feeling bad at work, and I say that knowing they would say the same," Baby remarked.
They sat in an eerie silence. Both looking away at something else in the room. Baby towards the table by the front door, Michael to the floor by Scott's chair, and neither anywhere near the TV.
This awkwardness was interrupted by the sound of scuttling across the carpet behind the couch and beside it. Michael watched as Bonnet's pink head peeked out from beside him.
"Hello, Bon-Bon," he greeted.
"Oh! You recognize me!" she squeaked excitedly.
"Yes, I do."
"My name's Bonnet. Oh, but I guess Ennie already told you," Bonnet introduced herself. She slid out a little further. "…I'm sorry I hid. Everybody's scary when you're as small as I am!"
"It's alright," Michael assured.
He was used to people being wary. At least Bonnet's reason was something much more innocuous.
"There's…" Bonnet trailed off at the squeak of a door and looked towards the office.
Michael very quickly switched his gaze over to the TV, catching Baby in the act of watching him out the corner of his eye. He glanced to her briefly in acknowledgment before resting his head on his hand, partially hiding his face.
Scott was coming out first and caught sight of Michael and stopped. Ennard was close behind and managed to spot Michael too before he could say anything. They both stood there silently for a moment, with Scott turning back questioningly, trying to silently ask how to go about this. Ennard took the plunge and put on a phony grin under his smiling mask.
"Hey, look who's up!" he said with much less volume than he usually had. He stepped forward and leaned on the back of the couch. Michael looked back over his shoulder, noticing that he wasn't wearing his jacket right now.
"Barely," Michael replied.
Ennard gave a good-natured chuckle and looked to the TV. He gave a sympathetic hiss.
"Gee, I wonder who's gonna win," he said.
"Not that woman wearing glasses. She's absolutely awful at this game," Baby added.
"She's not well versed in history either," Michael said, almost in her defense.
"Then why does she keep choosing it?"
Michael didn't have a good answer for that one.
The mood was still overwhelmingly uncomfortable. At least, it was for Michael. Having everyone circling him, knowing what he did, and he could so much as move without his springlocks telling on him.
"Heeeyyyy," Ennard began.
Michael did not like that nervous tone.
Though Ennard did not finish it. He tried to, lifting a finger and opening his mouth like he would continue, but faltering once, then twice. An almost defeated half-lidded look creeping into his eyes. He looked between Michael, the TV, and Baby who was now blatantly looking back at him with a subtle 'Go ahead and say it' vibe.
But he couldn't. He rubbed his neck wires, smoothed down the ones on his shoulder, and then turned to Scott with pleading eyes and a tight-teeth smile.
Scott blinked and vaguely gestured between the clown and the rabbit. Ennard looked a little more defeated but continued to silently beg, apologetically. Scott looked momentarily overwhelmed before blowing through his mouth and going ahead to take the plunge.
"Michael, uh… Would you like to talk about last night?"
"No."
Michael didn't even think about it. The response was all reflex.
"Okay! That's no problem. No pressure, you take all the time you need. But just know we're all here for you and if you do want to talk about it then we can," Scott said. His tone starting out with feigned optimism and slowly becoming more sincere the further along he got. In the end he was genuinely reaching out.
Once again, Scott was offering out a hand to him. And this was after the man gave him his bed.
"Yup!" Ennard agreed. Him too. They all were.
Michael wasn't surprised that they were being supportive and yet it felt so odd to be surrounded by the support. Not that he hadn't received support from his siblings or at Mike's, but this amount of attention- it was unfamiliar. It didn't feel natural. Part of him almost felt ashamed of seeking it, even if he didn't, like he had purposefully done all this for attention, which he didn't. He wanted to disappear into the background again.
…It felt so good to know they cared. He had known they cared, but now he knew they really did care. He might've felt singled out, but he didn't feel alone. Lord, how he needed this.
"I know… Thank you," Michael said quietly. After a moment of consideration he added, even quieter, "…Later. We can discuss it later… Maybe."
"That's great! And we've got your back no matter what- we'll be here!" Ennard assured him. Clearly acknowledging the step Michael was taking.
Michael had a habit of not committing to something unless he intended to do it- something that made Ennard inwardly cringe when thinking in the context of last night. Michael was leaving the door open and that was what mattered, that he wasn't shutting them out.
Ennard was so pleased that he hopped over the back of the couch and in between Michael and Baby. Or, at least, that was the intention. He more so hopped over directly atop them and then slid down in between once they moved apart enough to allow him to.
"Oh, for heaven's sake," Baby muttered and shoved Ennard off her, pushing him half onto Michael. The other clown merely giggled in response and threw his arms around both of them, resisting when Baby fussily tried to detach him and eventually gave up.
In contrast, Scott very politely picked up Cleo the Sphynx out of his armchair and sat down before setting her in his lap. She got up and walked around the chair, atop him no less, and stood on the armrest before hopping down and wandering off to the food bowl. Seeing her opening, Bonnet tapped Scott's legs and held her arms up, and he set her in his lap instead.
Everything seemed to ease up, but Michael was still a little on edge. He leaned on the armrest, closer to Scott and murmuring low.
"Have you… talked to anyone?"
"Just Mike. He called this morning, so I was called him back. All I told him was that you and Ennard had a long night and you decided to stay over."
"Technically not a lie!" Ennard chirped.
Technically it wasn't, but it was a stretch of the truth. Not that Michael felt too terribly awful about lying. In this case it was better if it didn't get out.
"If he calls back… Tell him that we'll be working on Charlie's project."
Ennard turned to him in surprise. "You sure you're up to that?"
"Yes. I need to get out of my head, and work does that. Trust me, it'll be good for me," Michael assured. "But once I wake up."
"Does that mean you're staying the night?" Scott half-asked and half-offered.
"…We'll see."
"I'm taking that as a yes!" Ennard proclaimed and rubbed his arm.
More like he was putting a yes in Michael's mouth. Which in this case was fine with Michael, as it took away the need for him to say it.
"No problem! I'll call him back a little later and bring him up to speed," Scott said. He had a subtle relieved smile.
Everyone was happy to have him there. Even Baby, who shortly after was huffing about her newest target, the trivia player who somehow slid her way into a very slim victory after someone else bet it all and lost everything.
Michael had made quite a few bad choices in the last few days, but he knew this wouldn't be one of them.
…
So, not only did Michael sneak off to the Pizzaplex, but he proceeded to not come home or call to report in either. Needless to say, Marionette was none-too-pleased with this development. However, a call with Scott around noon the day after quelled his concerns momentarily. Well, most of them.
While the answer given was more than satisfactory, Mike seemed to pick up on something that Scott hadn't said, and Marionette picked up on his suspicion secondhand. Marionette considered popping over to take a look for himself, but he was determined to not intrude. The last thing he wanted was to give Michael the impression that he couldn't leave without there being an uproar.
A while after Scott's call, Michael himself called and clarified things. He was tired, he had apparently had an encounter with the Glamrocks that was friendly but exhausting, and he had gotten back to Scott's late. Now he was just spending some time with Ennard. In fact, he explained, Ennard was the one who insisted he stayed over. Ennard, who was in background, chimed up to agree.
It all made perfect sense.
…But Marionette got off the phone with a worried frown. He knew something was up, but he couldn't be too sure that he wasn't overreacting. He voiced these concerns to Mike who assured him.
"You could just ask him about it. You're the last person he'd get mad at for asking. Or he'll tell us when he's ready. For now, he's where he wants to be. He's got Ennard, he's got Scott, and he'll have us whenever he wants us there. So, don't worry about it. Or don't worry yourself sick."
"I won't, I won't," Marionette assured. He sighed, "I think I'll wait then. I don't want to force him."
"Good call. He'll come back when he's ready."
"If you're sure…"
"Oh, I'm not."
That had gotten a smile out of Marionette.
Neither of them voiced it, but both had a suspicion that Michael might've seen something in the Pizzaplex. They were right, but it wasn't in any way they expected.
It had been a few days and Michael was still crashing over at Scott's. Nobody had returned to the Pizzaplex yet- well, except Natalie- and so nobody had anything to report about anything amiss. Assumedly, it was all fine.
Funny enough, but the one who noticed Michael's disappearance the most was Mike. He had gotten used to just dropping onto the couch or armchair and striking up a conversation whenever. Not that he couldn't talk to Marionette or Charlie or Jeremy, obviously, but Michael had his own perspectives and there were quite a few more anecdotes Mike hadn't used on him.
It was sort of lonely without him. Coming out to an empty couch- not counting Max as he was in the zone with the television- just felt weird. But he would take what he could get, and he dropped onto that couch and stretched out to take up as much space as he could, crossing his socked feet on the opposite armrest. The couch smelled a little stale, but Michael had created a remarkably comfortable groove.
Left his mark on the place, Mike thought with a half-chuckle.
He really hoped that Michael was just having a good time with Ennard and there wasn't any other reason he had left. The timing was very suspicious with it happening the night he went to the Pizzaplex, but maybe it was just the vessel to get the two together. At least, Mike really wanted that to be the case. He knew Marionette was worried and honestly, he was a little too, but also it was good to get him off this couch for a while.
Though a distraction for him soon came in the form of Jeremy stepping in front of the couch after having been on the phone in his bedroom for a while. Mike raised his brows curiously.
"So!" Jeremy began, smacking his hands together and rubbing them. "As of right now, today, I've got an apartment."
"Wait, really? You got the place?" Mike asked, sitting up on the couch in surprise. "Hey, that's great! When do you move in? Or when can you move in?" He corrected quickly, not wanting to pressure Jeremy when he knew he was nervous.
"Today!" Jeremy replied. His voice slightly catching as he continued, "Well, I mean. It's my apartment now. I could move in TODAY if I really wanted, but there's not really anything in there."
"That was fast."
"They must've gotten desperate or something," Jeremy excused.
But that wasn't entirely the truth. The truth was that Jeremy had been going through the motions of applying for the apartment and even paying for it without really thinking about or discussing them. He just didn't want to stress out, so he went through the motions, and now here he was with a new apartment paid for and nothing in it, and no plans on furniture to put in it.
"Guess so. So, I expect you out by noon or I'm going to have to charge you for an extra month," Mike said.
"For one day? That's highway robbery!"
"Yeah, but how else am I going to keep my beanie baby in beanie babies?"
Jeremy 'pfft'd him off and sat down beside him, with Mike sitting up to give him room.
"Guess you're going to have to start moonlighting again," Jeremy joked back. He then sighed and admitted, "I don't even know where to start."
"Relax. You don't have to rush into it."
"Mike, I'm currently renting the apartment. I think it's a little too late for that."
"I didn't move into this place the second I got it. I kept my old place and then just spent all my time screwing around here until I got around to moving my stuff over," Mike explained.
Jeremy did partially remember this one he brought it up. That memory alone took a little bit of the weight off.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"So, why not just do that? You've got a new apartment. That's great! We'll spend the next couple of weeks, couple of months putting stuff in it. You sleep here."
"That kind of feels like a waste of rent," Jeremy said. Though from his little smile he was clearly already onboard with the idea.
"Think about it as paying to keep people out of there. People rent storage lockers," Mike said. Then he snapped his fingers. "Hey, I have an idea. How about we go over and hang out at the apartment tonight? You, me, Fritz, Mari, Foxy- the whole gang. Go waste a perfectly good evening in an empty apartment to break it in."
"That's… not a bad idea really."
"Thanks. I got it from a sitcom," Mike admitted.
"It could help me get a little more used to the place. Maybe we could even take some of my stuff with us. I've still got those curtains we can put up… Let's do it! We'll call Fritz and head over there after dark."
"There we go! We'll make a night out of it," Mike agreed with a grin. Funny how spending a night in an empty apartment was suddenly a good time once they got a bunch of people involved.
"Let me go ask Charlie and Mari," Jeremy said. He then headed off to ask them if they wanted to join. Mike was pretty confident that they weren't going to turn him down.
He would call Fritz, he would be up to coming over. He probably wouldn't be able to stay all night, but then again likely neither would they.
Mike himself wasn't sure if he wanted to commit to sleeping on the floor, so likely they'd get back around midnight. Nothing too long, nothing too stressful for Jeremy, just breaking in the apartment. Sounded like a plan!
He sat there for a moment, thinking.
Then he got up and went straight for the phone. But it wasn't Fritz who he called first. It was Scott. He offered him the same invitation before asking for Michael. With only a short delay, he passed the phone on to Michael.
After a few seconds, Michael spoke.
"Hello."
It sounded like he had aged twenty years in three days. It nearly startled Mike, and that concern returned.
"You sound terrible," Mike said. Almost without thinking but that concern outweighed courtesy in this case. No wonder Marionette was worried.
"Thank you," Michael replied dryly. "What else?"
"Sorry, that came out wrong," Mike admitted. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "What I was actually calling about is that Jeremy got his new apartment and we're going to go over tonight and hang out. Him, me, Mari, Charlie, and probably Foxy. Want to come?"
"Me?" Michael seemed a little surprised. Then he asked quietly, suspiciously, "Why…?"
"Because Mari misses you and I thought, what the heck, I miss you too. In a weird, non-romantic way," Mike said attempting to lighten the mood.
"Thank you for clarifying." Michael paused for a long moment, considering it longer than Mike would've expected to. Then he sighed and quietly asked, "What about Ennard?"
"I only miss him when I'm throwing stuff at him."
"I meant inviting him." He knew Mike was being purposefully cheeky.
"Sure! I invited Scott too. And hell, ask Baby. Charlie's probably coming," he offered. He waited for a beat of silence before asking, "Does that mean you're in?"
"Yes," Michael said begrudgingly.
"Good! Mari will be glad to hear it," Mike said. Truthfully, he was too.
Mike was definitely the type who knew to stay out of other people's business and never did, but this time he at least had a reason beyond wanting to know what was up. Michael sounded like he hadn't slept in days. He probably had been hammering out the details of Charlie's upgrade with Ennard since he got there.
"I already gave Scott the directions so just show up sometime after dark and we'll be good to go."
"Alright… Until then."
Mike didn't miss the hesitation in his voice. "See you later." But he didn't probe. Not after that fantastic show of his hand right before.
But that was fine. The important part was getting him to check in with Marionette. He chose optimism- or perhaps ignorance- and assumed whatever it was would get ironed out with a night off.
Or at least he hoped so.
…
Jeremy's new apartment was a considerable upgrade from his old one, even with the slight increase in rent. It was the one he had checked out with Foxy- a living room in the front with stairs in the corner heading up to the second floor. With a landing up three steps, turning, and then continuing up. There was an open doorway into a short hallway that led to the dining room and kitchen in the back, with a bathroom seated between it and the living room.
As soon as they got there, Mike gave Marionette a tour of the upstairs. He had seen the place when Jeremy was browsing, but Marionette had not and he was eager to explore. There wasn't too much to show off though. No furniture for one, and upstairs there were simply two bedrooms- a guest and a master that were virtually the same size- and a bathroom between them. There was also a closet at the top of the stairs.
Mike and Marionette had currently wandered into the empty master bedroom. Mike was looking around with his hands in his pockets while Marionette was soon drawn to the window.
"Look at that view!" Marionette said.
Mike looked for himself and, admittedly, it was something. The window out of the master bedroom faced off behind the house and towards the railroad track, but there was a pretty good shot at the distant mountains.
Mike whistled. "Probably makes for a pretty good sunset," he said. If it wasn't overcast and a little too dark, they might've still seen the remains of one.
"I'm sure it does," Marionette agreed. He leaned back and called through his hand. "Foxy, come see the view!"
Soon afterwards they could hear the semi-clunking of Foxy's footsteps up the stairs. There was another hidden benefit; Foxy could get up these stairs without too much effort. They were a little shorter than he would've preferred, but he wasn't at a risk of teetering backwards if he paid attention. He came in and came up to the other window, ears lifting as he did.
"Huh. Didn't see that walkin' 'round outside," Foxy remarked. He sounded a little impressed as he looked out. "But thank the seas it ain't pointin' east."
"Oh yes, that would be awful," Marionette agreed. "And look at the little backyard!"
"Ain't much to look at, but the fence is high enough that the little ones can run around out there. At least, iff'n their careful of ye old neighbors. Whenever they show up."
That was a temporary highlight of the location too. The next apartment over was also for rent and hadn't been filled yet. Though Jeremy chose this one as it was on the end. Even then with how the fence and yard was set up, the only way they would be able to see was if they were on the second floor. They would just have to be careful. Maybe invest in an awning or a decent sized tent. With this place there was plenty of opportunities.
"Hey! Fritz is here!" Jeremy called from downstairs.
"I'm coming!" Mike called back.
"Didn't notice those tracks were this close…" Foxy mumbled. Him narrowing his eyes at the offending tracks while Mike walked out. "Gonna be a great view fer watchin' the train blazin' by."
"You say that like a joke, but I would love watching a train," Marionette said. Yet Foxy wasn't so on-board.
As Mike was coming down the stairs, he saw Jeremy opening the front door, then quickly stepping aside as a green and yellow blur under a tarp raced in. He could tell it was Ennard even before he pulled it off his head. Fritz was coming in backwards behind him, trying to squeeze around him and Jeremy while toting a couple of pizza boxes.
Once he noticed Mike he called, "Hey! Look what I found out in the parking lot!"
"Fritz, what gives? You were supposed to be bringing a pizza!" Mike said with fake aghast.
"I did! But I thought, hey, what's a party without a clown?"
"Ha! Oh Fritz, you've gotta pay extra for that!" Ennard cheekily chimed up.
He let Fritz get by, eyeing the box of pizza as he helped through another figure under a tarp. This time under one of Fritz's; Mike recognized it from use. He also recognized the lower half of Michael's body as he walked in.
Ennard disrobed his tarp, revealing a notable lump in his jacket, and tossed it back to Scott who was on his way in. It half made it, and he gave an amused little apology as he pulled it back off of Michael, who removed his own and began to fold it up in a bundle in his arms.
That was when Foxy and Marionette were making their way down the stairs and caught sight of their older brother.
"Oy, where've you been?" Foxy asked.
He was just playing around, that much was obvious, but Michael felt a rising panic at the thought that he might have to go ahead with explaining himself.
Thankfully, Ennard stepped in. Both figuratively and literally.
"Working on Charlie's upgrades! We got the parts a couple days ago and we've spent this whole time trying to put 'em back together, ha ha! Where is she anyway?"
"She heard you guys were coming and split," Mike remarked. "Nah, I'm just kidding. She got her friends to come over to the house to visit, so we cleared out fast, so we didn't scare them off."
"Aww, what a shame! Baby's gonna be disappointed."
"Baby's here too?" Marionette asked delightedly.
"Oh yeah! She's still out in the van."
"I'm about to go get her," Scott added from the door.
"Need any help?" Mike offered.
"No thanks. Baby sort of, uh… Baby would prefer as little help as possible, you know?"
They did know. Other than Marionette, every Afton in that room was the same way- and he didn't come out of a box like that.
"But you could run out to the van and grab the paper plates," Fritz offered, and made his way into the kitchen.
Mike gave Marionette a pat on the back and a, "I'll be right back," and went out to get them.
"Please tell me there is a couch or at least a reasonable sized bean bag hiding somewhere in this house," Michael remarked. He looked around at the empty living room, which was unfortunately smaller than Mike and Scott's.
"Nah, but that's what the carpet's for!" Foxy said with a hearty if exaggerated pirate laugh.
"Ennie, I'm sliding!" a tiny voice whispered out of Ennard's jacket. The lump on his chest slowly starting to slide down until it was caught by his gloved hand at his belly.
Marionette noticed and gave an inquisitive little chime.
Foxy noticed and immediately called him out. "Hey, Jere! Ennard brought his lil bunny with him."
Ennard's jaw clenched so hard that Michael was able to hear the click. Within seconds Jeremy, the serial adopter of small things, had taken the three or so steps to reach Ennard eager to see the bunny.
Ennard gave an awkward, strained laugh and brought Bonnet out from underneath his jacket and into the crook of his arm. Bonnet reacted to the sudden appearance of semi-strangers with a soft squeak. Though wasn't nearly as withdrawn and shy as she had been when Ennard brought her to Charlie's party.
Marionette swooped in with a friendly, "Well, hello there, little one!"
"Hi!" Bonnet replied. She recognized the Puppet from the party but still kept herself close to Ennard and guarded. He offered her a single finger and she stuck out her hand, and they gave a small little shake pressing them together.
But apparently Bonnet wasn't the only little friend who got invited to the party. Because while Ennard was standing there on guard, like someone was going to snatch his rabbit and take off with her- he was way more afraid that Jeremy was going to charm her into going with him- he spotted a tiny white head peeking up from behind Jeremy's shoulder. He didn't notice if she had been on his back the whole time or snuck and climbed up.
"Aww! Hey there, little dolly!" Ennard greeted.
The Minireena hissed back. Much to Jeremy's surprise.
"Daisy!" he exclaimed. It was the last thing he expected from his most docile doll. "Oh, come on, Daisy. You know Ennard."
The way that Daisy slinked down when Ennard looked at her made it clear that she was wary of him. Her hiss was a warning. He didn't take any offense all things considered.
"Watch out, Ennie! If they get in you, you won't get 'em out!" Bonnet warned.
"I can attest to that," Foxy scoffed, scratching his chin absentmindedly.
Mike held open the door as Scott went to help Baby in. Knowing that she wouldn't want attention on her until she was good and ready, Marionette decided to turn the conversation back to Michael, with a question he had been dying to ask.
"So, how was your trip to the Pizzaplex?" Marionette asked, clasping his hands, and tilting his head curiously.
"Yeah! I heard from Freddy that ya got ambushed outside'a the daycare," Foxy added.
Michael was immediately hit with dread.
"You've already spoken to Freddy?"
"Aye. He called me the day after ye went. Told me 'bout how ye met allll his bandmates and how I oughta bring ye back with me some night."
Michael silently processed what else Freddy could've said. Or what Freddy could've even knew. What Sun might've told him. What could've gotten around.
Once again, Ennard stepped in.
"I'll tell ya how it went!" he volunteered. He even switched Bonnet to his opposite arm so that Jeremy and Marionette could see her better, using her as his cute little decoy. "It went great! You'll never believe who I became buddies with? Glamrock Chica!"
"Oh, so did I!" Marionette replied with a chime. "I helped her out from under a bathroom door. You?"
"I crawled around in a maze for kids under five."
"I hit her with a golf club and now she hates me almost as much as Monty does," Mike chimed in. "I think I went the wrong way about this whole making friends business."
"Oh, don't be like that. You were protecting Gregory. Anyone would've done it," Marionette brushed off. "Did you see him, by the way?"
"No, but the rest of the band was around, so odds are that Freddy had him hidden," Michael explained. "We didn't see Natalie either."
"Well, she saw you. She caught you two going through to the daycare," Mike said. Jeremy agreeing with a, "Yup."
"I can't say I'm terribly surprised," Baby asked as she rolled up to them. Scott letting her go before heading into the kitchen at Fritz's beckoning. The two began to talk as Baby inserted herself into the conversation. "The ship sailed the moment you decided to party with the main talent."
"Ahoy, Baby! Welcome to the housewarming," Foxy greeted.
"I 'm sorry for not bringing a gift. It didn't even cross my mind until I saw the desolate living room," Baby said.
"You being here is enough of a gift for us," Marionette assured. He wrapped his arm around hers and laid his hand on hers.
If she was surprised by the motion, then she didn't show it. Only showing a slight hesitation before taking his welcoming hand in hers.
"I have to take what chances I can to get out," she said. Her eyes slightly down casted with disappointment. "I heard Charlie didn't come."
"I'm sorry," Marionette said apologetically.
"No, I'm fine. I want her to spend time with her friends. They may not be here forever, but I will be."
"Whew, that was a little dark," Jeremy said.
"I find it rather optimistic for me," Baby replied. There was a faint edge of amusement in her voice.
Deciding to change the dark subject matter while he could, Mike stood alongside Jeremy and turned to Ennard. "So, you met all of them?" he asked.
"Yup! Monty blindsided us on our way to the basement first off. Picked up on us being a couple of technicians and made it very, very clear that he 'has a history with Freddy's', if you get my meaning."
Mike found that very interesting. They all had a hunch that Monty was hiding something when it came to all that rights and union talk. Monty came off much more like a disgruntled employee than anyone else.
Now he had to decided whether or not to risk interrupting the family reunion to keep asking questions.
Fritz answered for him.
"Plates!"
"I've got 'em!" Mike called back. He pulled them out from under his arm. "I was wondering what this stack was under my arm."
"I'll take them in. I'm going to grab some pizza. Want any?" Jeremy offered, playing the role of good host. He took the plates in one hand and got Daisy off his back and toted her in the other arm.
"Not just yet, but thanks," Mike replied.
"YES!" Ennard enthused.
He decided to take that as a sign and hold off. He wasn't going to forget, but he didn't feel like risking what was currently a pleasant moment by prodding about the Pizzaplex. He could be patient and pull Ennard aside later.
Besides, he had noticed how quiet Michael had gotten after they started talking about the Pizzaplex. Maybe because he had been watching him a little more closely since he came in, but something was off.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Fritz was opening the pizzas. Scott instantly furrowed his brows at the one, which was topped with curled noodles and cheese.
"What kind of pizza is this?" Scott asks.
"Macaroni and cheese! It's a new recipe we're trying out. This one's just a normal meat lover's though," Fritz pointed out.
"Huh… Y'know, I'll try the macaroni. I'll try anything once."
"Good, because this thing's not hitting the menu until at least three people tell me they like it," he said.
Jeremy brought in and tore open the paper plates, handing one out to Scott and Fritz and taking one for himself.
Scott got a slice of the macaroni pizza and took a bite. He hummed thoughtfully as he processed the taste and texture. Then gave a decisive, "This'll sell." He grabbed a few more slices and piled them on the plate.
Fritz raised his brows. "You like it that much?"
Scott's mouth was still full, so Jeremy volunteered an, "Ennard." Scott nodded and took the plate out.
"I don't know if we should count Ennard as a teaser since he likes everything," Jeremy suggested.
"…Baby would give a blunt answer," Fritz suggested. His brow quirked again.
"Do you think you can get her to try it?"
"No, but that's what Ennard's here for." He got out another slice of each and piled it on a plate for Mike. "Oh hey, before I forget. If you need a couch, you can take mine."
"What? I can't take your couch!"
"I mean the upstairs couch. We barely use it! We mostly watch TV in the basement."
"Let me at least drop by the Scratch and Dent first," Jeremy said. His smile showing that he appreciated it, his amusement showing that he wasn't sure if it was necessary.
"That's fine but just know that Natalie agrees with me. So, if you can't find one, you can take mine. Or borrow it until you can get one."
"…Okay, borrowing it is another story," Jeremy said, tempted.
Fritz chuckled and thrust a plate of pizza into his free hand.
The evening continued mostly without a hitch.
There might've been some complaints about the lack of seating, but once everyone was on the floor- on tarps or the pillows they brought in from Scott's van- that became the last thing anyone was thinking about. The room of people broke into a couple of separated conversations that occasionally crossed into each other. It was relatively lively, and not just because a few choice fellows- Ennard and Foxy- were so boisterous.
Despite Jeremy's initial nervousness, the plan seemed to go off without a hitch. Foxy was entirely on-board with this new arrangement and even Daisy started to relax, though stayed seated in Jeremy's lap for most of the night.
Mike was laying on his side propped up on a pillow with Marionette leaning back against him. One of his arms resting on Mike like he was lounging back on a couch. Baby was trying to recline on the stairs with a folded-up tarp taking some of the edge off. Not that it did much. Not that stairs would bother her much with her thick plating.
Scott was sitting on the other side of Ennard. He frequently shifted and changed how he was sitting. For a while he had sat on the stairs but decided that he preferred the floor. Eventually managing to find a comfortable enough position leaning back on the wall with his legs stretched out and somewhat crossed. Ennard's hand went back and forth from resting on Scott's leg, fingers tapping, to gesturing expressively.
Everyone was talking and carrying on.
Everyone was having a good time.
Everyone except for Michael.
But it wasn't because of the crowded nature of the room or the many voices. In this case he might've been comfortable with it, as everyone currently in this room was on a comfort level with him. It wasn't feeling alone in a group of people.
It was holding a deadly secret that felt like it could slip out if he so much as opened his mouth. That was Michael was so quiet. Not just the shame of it, which yes, was still very much there, but that paranoia that it would somehow come forth. In front of everyone, all his siblings and their friends, giving him away.
What would they think if they found out what he did? Pity, likely. Embarrassment. Maybe some anger, demands to know why and him without a good excuse. It weighed heavy on his mind.
It didn't help when the conversation stumbled back to the Pizzaplex. Even if it was just Foxy going on about Freddy, it was a bitter reminder of a few nights ago. He took care to hide it, but he felt obvious, especially alongside Ennard.
"Speaking of Freddy and Friends! Foxy, I think you're gonna have a nice surprise when you go in next time," Ennard said slyly.
"What, Freddy make me a monument?" Foxy scoffed.
"No, Silly!" Ennard snickered. His eyes narrowed with amusement. "Because Freddy said he's gonna introduce ya to all his friends."
"…His bandmates?" Foxy asked.
"Yup!"
"Blow me down, he didn't tell me that!" Foxy got a look of sheer panic, punctuated with his eyepatch popping up.
Just the thought of being cornered by Freddy and his entire lot of high-tech rockstars was intimidating for even the boldest of pirates. Jeremy got an arm around his shoulders and gave him a little shake.
"It won't be that bad! You've got Freddy there, and you already met Roxy. And apparently Chica's a whole lot of fun if you get her on a good day," he encouraged.
"I must've caught her at the worst possible moment then," Baby remarked with a small scoff.
"She ain't who I'm worried about. I'm worried about… Meh, mostly Roxy," Foxy muttered. "Maybe ye old rabbit wench if she rolls on through."
"Yeah, about that…" Scott said with a sympathetic hiss. He paused on that a moment before deciding he needed to come clean. "They, uh, they ran into her while they were there. Y'know, Vanny."
There was some surprise, especially from Ennard who was gaping at Scott in disbelief. But that quickly turned to defeat, because as much as Ennard didn't want to bring it up, he knew that he had to. They were obligated to.
"Heh, yeaaah,"
"Wha- But- Why didn't ya say anything?! What happened?!" Foxy sputtered.
"We tried to scare her off and it backfired," Michael said lowly.
"Hey, whoa, it didn't backfire. We scared the hidey hades outta that rabbit chick! Sh-She just, heh, uh, she's squirreled away," Ennard explained. His anxiousness starting to creep out with his stutter.
Michael was aware that he could've let it drop there. It was enough of the truth to let it go, but like it or not he owed them the full truth. They needed to know what may happen if they were caught in that basement.
"But she wasn't the real problem…" He cryptically warned. He looked around between the many eyes of is onlookers. "That wirey… thing we saw in the basement- or that someone saw in the basement- that thing attacked me."
Mike audibly swore and sat up on his pillow in alert. Marionette sitting more upright and looking towards Mike as the man asked, "Did you get a good look at it?"
"I didn't. All I saw was its red eyes and static, and then nothing…"
Again, Michael had a chance to let it drop.
"…And then the old diner."
A strange mood fell over the room. One wary and nervous, especially when it came to Mike and Marionette, who Michael chose to turn his attention on. After all, they knew the implications of a hallucinated diner. Plus, they were sitting mostly in front of him.
"You saw the diner?" Marionette as quietly, fearfully.
Ennard was silent. The only person aware of parts of what Michael was about to say and he wouldn't dare interrupt him. Michael wondered if he knew that he hid details from him too. Well, they were coming out now. Michael couldn't stop himself.
"It looked very real, but it felt very… numb. Like a dream, but not exactly. Like if you were drugged perhaps. I was in the old diner and I was human again… I didn't see much of myself, but my God, it was an exact replica of what I remembered. My hands were the… the same hands I died with." Michael's voice caught briefly as he looked down at his hand and flexed his fingers. "It was so surreal. And yet it only lasted for minutes."
Everyone had some degree of shock and horror. Even Fritz who was shoveling in pizza and listening intensely. Because they were all reminded of an incident very similar to that.
"So, just to get this straight… You were in the old diner and you were a human," Mike laid out. "Were there like… locations bleeding together? Like you're in a hospital, then you're in an old Freddy's, and then somewhere else?"
"Yes."
"…You didn't by any chance happen to see that Red Lake, did you?"
"No, but good call on bringing it up, because Sun knows what it is," Michael said matter-of-factly.
"Hey, wait! You're right! When you said- We were telling Chica that Michael wasn't the Purple Guy and we mentioned the lake, and Sun acted like he'd heard of it before."
"And I know why. Because his friend told him, likely."
"You didn't mention a friend," Baby quietly probed.
"It didn't come up."
"Did you see him there?" Marionette asked, desperately, fearfully. "Was he there?"
Michael knew he wasn't asking about the friend. He was asking about their father. Yet while everything in the event reeked of his father's meddling, Michael couldn't say he ever felt like he was there, as strange as it was to say.
"No. It was not him. I'm sure of it… mostly. But there was someone there. It looked like Vanny, but it was dressed differently. No, first it was Spring Bonnie- This, this suit, but back from a decade ago," Michael explained, pointing to himself. "It was back in working order and it was dancing around mocking me and singing old songs from the diner and just… Yanking me around. One moment I'm in the diner, then I'm in a Freddy's, then I'm running around some van and Moon's there for whatever reason-."
Mike's face was slowly becoming more alarmed as he sat up straighter. Marionette's face slowly fell further along with his shoulders and drooping head.
"And finally, after all of this, Spring Bonnie yanks down a current and there appears… Not Vanny. It certainly looked like her, but it wore a jacket- like Peter Rabbit- and it had this large brown patch or smear around its eye. It comes up to me and grabs me, and I- and then…"
Michael's hands clenched as his glowing eyes darted around. So wrapped up in his story only to reach the end of the vivid hallucination. He dropped his arms and his head back against the wall with a clunk.
"And then it was over. I woke to Ennard finding me and was in and out of consciousness. Ben, you can tell them your half."
"G-Glad-Gladly!" Ennard briefly fumbled. He slapped his metaphorical mask on and turned back to the others. "I come in and Vanny's GONE, and I catch sight of wires wiggling off into a vent. This thing was trying to get INTO Michael!"
"Which means it was likely trying to possess me," Michael said dryly.
"I shock the thing and that makes it mad, and it just tears outta that! And I mean tears. I'm standing there holding a bunch of half-melted slimy ol' loose wires. So, I grab Michael and start carrying him out when Moon- who might I say, was pretty much no help until right then- helps me pick him up and we tote him up to Jake's room. So, once he's up, I head down with Moon and get the feet, come back up, grab Michael, and that's when we got blindsided by the whole cast of Freddy's Neon Circus."
"And that was what happened," Michael finished with a sigh.
"Oh wow…" Jeremy said. Unsure what else to say, staring wide-eyed by a very rigidly alert Foxy. "That's…"
"You didn't mention that either," Baby said quietly.
Neither Michael nor Ennard knew which detail she meant or who she was referring to, but it could've been both and all of them, and neither felt good about her somber tone.
"So, wait. Was it like…?" Mike began to ask something, but he couldn't pin down what to ask. Eventually he settled on, "Christ, that's… crazy. How are you holding up?"
"You checked him, right?" Fritz suddenly interjected, looking to Ennard.
"Oh yeah! He's okay. I checked- I poked through all his insides. No more wires, nope, he's good," Ennard assured. He was shaking very subtly. Scott patted his back to help calm him down, to some success.
"About as well as can be expected," Michael asked vaguely. He wouldn't make eye contact.
Marionette took notice and leaned over as though to insert himself back into Michael's vision, which he did.
"How are you feeling?" he asked. His soft voice filled with concern.
He knew already that something more was wrong, and Michael knew that no placation would satisfy him. Ennard could try to play it off- or perhaps he couldn't. A quick glance in his direction- away from the Puppet's attentive gaze- revealed that shaking. He wasn't handling this well either, because that night had been just as gutting and terrifying for him too.
It wasn't his responsibility to cover for Michael. It wasn't fair that he had been expecting him to.
It was had to lie to his siblings. Especially now, because though Marion was the one probing, Gabe and Lizzie were watching and listening. Lying to one was lying to them all, and changing the subject without lying would be near impossible.
Maybe he needed to just get it over with and tell them. Maybe he owed it to them.
Maybe he wanted to tell them.
Michael huffed and clasped a hand over his face as best he could. As though trying to hide behind it.
"I tried to pry my suit off with a screwdriver that night."
Marionette's eyes widened. "What?"
"What?" Foxy echoed. His significantly louder but not a shout.
"After we left the Pizzaplex." Michael couldn't stand to look at any of them, even out of the corner of his eyes, so he closed them. "I went back to the warehouse and I just… I had a lapse in judgement… And I took a screwdriver." He made the motions with his hands to demonstrate. "And jammed it into my arm and tried to pry myself open. It didn't work. Even if it would've, Ennard came in and stopped me. Sparing me from seriously injuring myself."
"A-Anytime!" Ennard assured. Him waiting for a signal, any sign of faltering, and then he would swoop in and begin to comfort like he did in the van.
Marionette was devastated.
"Why would… Why did you do that?" he asked softly.
"I just wanted out of this suit. It didn't matter what I had to do to get there," Michael insisted.
At the time it had felt like the soundest thing in the world. It had seemed so clear then and now he couldn't even trust his own judgement.
Michael finally stole a look at his siblings, seeing each one at a time. Marion sadness, Gabriel's shock, and Lizzie wasn't even able to look at him. She instead was eyeing the floor like when he had first told her the truth.
He owed them all the full truth. Part of him wanted to explain himself, to get this out to them, to get this weight off his chest. He was ready to shed this burden.
"The truth is, that I'm not… happy, like this. It's nothing any of you have done or haven't done. I know you've all been trying to help me, but there is no helping me when I look like this. This… This rotting husk. This corpse that I am constantly fighting. It's wearing me down. I am… deadlocked in this suit in every sense of the word. And after seeing that, seeing myself as I was before all of this… I snapped. I couldn't take it any longer. I just wanted out."
Michael's hands tightened and his voice lowered. "…But there's no way out."
"Oh, Michael…"
"B-Buddy-."
"I don't want to die, but being in this suit is not living," Michael said with finality.
Those words alone would've been enough to demonstrate the weight of the suit. Even as they ironically seemed to lighten Michael's load. They were bitter poison to speak, but it was a relief to get them out instead of hearing them inside.
Marionette gave a discordant little noise from his music box. His eyes beginning to well in purple tears.
"I didn't know you were hurting like this," he said. His voice hushed and cracked with a twang. It sounded like a sob. "Michael, I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. I did this to myself."
That did little to ease Marionette's concerns. He sat the slumped like a listless doll for a few long seconds before closing in and grabbing Michael in a tight hug.
By then Michael was expecting it. He closed his eyes and rested his hand on his younger brother's back. He was then blindsided from the side by another tight hug as Ennard joined in to also embrace him. Both of them holding onto him for dear life, as though they were still at risk of losing him.
Scott offered his support by leaning and reaching to put a hand on his shoulder, showing he was still there. After a moment of consideration, Baby got up and rolled over, laying her hand on Michael's head. It was the only place she could reach but it meant all the same. He could feel it, he could tell she was there.
He had never felt so equally embarrassed and relieved at the same time. The urge to cover this up was still there even now, but he couldn't find much of an urge to listen to the voice in the back of his head telling him how pathetic he might look. He needed it too much. He needed to know he wasn't alone, even if this suit was always between them.
Jeremy and Fritz didn't entirely know what to do or say. They were still reeling too- especially Foxy, who was still processing everything. His patch still lifted and his eyes lowering to the floor where he seemed to be lost in thought. Jeremy got his arm back around him to offer support. Daisy also seemed bothered, with her little hands resting on Jeremy's arm as she stood beside him.
Bonnet too also seemed uncertain what to do. She slid out of Ennard's lap when he turned to hug Michael and now stood there watching with her arms to her sides. Not really certain what to say or do.
Then there was Mike, who felt his heart pounding in his throat through the whole explanation and now sat there with a sour stomach and a dry mouth once it settled.
Because he had naively believed that getting Michael out of the warehouse and getting him around family, encouraging outlets and giving him projects to work on, that expanding his life would help pull him out of the pit he had sunken into. And only right now did Mike realize that it hadn't.
He had just been kidding himself when he thought Michael's cry for help had been answered just by putting him in a better situation. He had made it very clear that the isolation was only part of it. The source of his pain, both physical and mental, came directly from the suit.
Mike had been scared that Michael was going to do something drastic. It turned out that he had reason to be afraid. That was a hard thing to come to terms with.
He noticed Marionette turning his head away from Michael while still hugging him. At first Mike thought he was trying to signal him, but then he realized that he was just trying to keep his tears from getting on Michael.
Mike grabbed a napkin and went over to crouch beside him and gently wiped away his tears.
Marionette murmured a low, "Thank you."
"That's what I'm here for," Mike almost said. He didn't though, instead simply responding with a hummed 'mm-hm'. He didn't feel nearly as helpful as he usually did.
He stayed crouched there a moment considering what to say. There had to be something they could do. Other animatronics had swapped bodies, so why not Michael? Once he made his mind up, he turned towards him.
"Michael… Look, we'll- There's a way out of that suit. Henry had two bodies, Sunny and Jake switched bodies; if all of them found a way out, then we will find you a way out. There's a way," Mike swore.
Marionette looked a little more hopeful and dared to perk up.
"You're right... He's right, it is possible! Sunny and Jake were able to do it, why not you? All we need to do is figure out how…" He tapped his fingers thoughtfully on Michael's shoulder before lifting one with an idea. "They said they had a friend who helped them, so maybe if we could find him, or at least find out how he did it, then we might be able to get you out of this suit. For good," he said with equal determination.
Michael didn't even bat an eye. "Good luck with that one. That friend of theirs is the thing that attacked me in the basement."
Marionette stared at him for a long second. His pupils briefly alighting and the lowest hum of static raising in his chest before cutting off with a sigh. Instantly his whole body slouched in defeat.
"Of course he would be."
"Then forget him. We'll figure something else out. The point is, we know it can be done," Mike said. He looked to Michael, his fiery gusto faltering as he took in how… overwhelming exhausted he looked. "Just… don't… give up on us."
"…Thank you."
Michael highly doubted he could get out, but what he needed more than ever right now was hope. Mike was quite the opposite, feeling absolutely determined to see this through and somehow unyieldingly hopeless.
But if there was one thing Mike was good at, it was keeping his resolve against improbable odds. If there was a way out of this then he and Marionette were going to find it, likely with Charlie and Ennard playing back-up if need be.
Foxy was still silently listening from his seat when he suddenly gestured his hook towards Jeremy's plate, which was sitting on the floor on the other side of him. Jeremy, thinking Foxy was going to stress eat, quickly picked up the plate and offered it.
Instead, Foxy lightly swatted at the edge of the flimsy paper plate and knocked the slice off and onto his leg.
"Shoot! Here, I got that," Jeremy offered. Still thinking that it had been some weird little accident. As he was grabbing a napkin, Foxy hastily got to his feet.
"Nah, Lad, I've got it. Just gotta go wash it off. No big deal, just a lil spill," Foxy said in a very raced and hollow tone. He then gave a blunt, "Mari, come along" Then turned on his heel and strode off to the bathroom without another word, leaving Jeremy to lean over and watch him go. He looked back to Fritz who shared a look of agreement at how odd that display was.
They weren't the only ones who noticed either.
"Oh, that was incredibly subtle," Baby remarked.
A very unsubtle cry for help perhaps, both Mike and Marionette considered.
"I'll go help him," Marionette said. He pushed up and off Michael and Mike's shoulders and followed after the fox. The bathroom door could be heard clicking closed a few moments later.
Michael sighed and looked up to Baby. "Will you go check on him too? I'm in no position to get up."
"Yeah, and I'm not moving," Ennard added.
Normally Baby would've turned down being sent off to fetch someone, but not under these circumstances. Instead, she patted Michael's head and then wheeled her way off to her brothers.
Now seeing his opening, Fritz got up and came over.
"You said you started prying up the, uh… can I see it?" he asked with concern. Michael averted his gaze and offered up his arm. "Thanks. I just want to make sure everything's looking good."
Normally Ennard would've balked at the idea that Fritz felt the need to check something he already had, but like with Baby, this was a special case. He had no desire to intervene and just watched as Fritz and Mike checked the new wound. Giving Michael a few assuring rubs on the back as he could tell how self-conscious he was.
Meanwhile, Baby opened the bathroom door only to have it thump into Foxy. He moved aside with a mutter and allowed her to come in. She found both him and Marionette cleaning themselves with damp toilet paper. Foxy rubbing a little ball of it onto his shorts which was leaving little piece of wet paper stuck in its wake. Marionette trying to wipe away his tears and having pieces of paper stick to his eyes. Neither having much success.
"Did that come with the apartment?" Baby asked with mild disgust, shutting the door behind her.
"Why didn't you tell us?!" Foxy snapped as he rounded on her. He just barely managed to keep his voice low.
She wasn't surprised, not even flinching at the suddenness of it.
"Michael told me not to. It was his secret to share, not mine."
"It shouldn't have been a secret at all!"
"I agree," Baby admitted. "And I think the only reason I know is because Scott told me. Once he had, Michael couldn't keep it secret."
All at once that fuse fizzled out and Foxy dropped his arms just like Marionette had earlier. Utterly defeated, and with nowhere to vent. He turned to face the sink like he was going to keep cleaning himself but then just stared at it.
"I know. I wanted to get angry to, and part of me still is, but anger is not going to help. I realize that," Baby sympathized. She turned to look at herself in the mirror, her arms crossed uncomfortably.
Marionette at down on edge of bathtub, now dabbing eyes and picking off pieces of paper. Baby briefly looked over to him and then back to the mirror.
"Well, this brings back memories. You and I whispering and him crying," she said.
Foxy gave a hum of acknowledgement.
"…The truth is that I did try to convince Michael to tell you. I could have told you myself, but I was afraid of what may happen if he found out."
"You did the right thing," Foxy begrudgingly agreed.
"Did I?"
"Nothing else you could've done."
Marionette straightened up with a sigh. His hands gripped on his knees and his tears finally stifled.
"What's important is what we do now. Michael needs to know that he's not alone. That we're here for him," he said.
Foxy and Baby stood there momentarily considering this. Foxy suddenly had a thought and turned, squeezed past Baby, opened the door, and headed out.
"Gabe?" Marionette asked. He stood and headed to the door and looked out to catch sight of Foxy going into the living room.
He looked back to Baby questioningly and then turned to follow out the door. He got only halfway into the hall before a hand grabbed him and pulled him back in.
"Not yet you don't," she said.
She started grabbing- mostly shredding- a wad of toilet paper off the roll. Then she set it down on the counter, turned on the faucet to a small dribble, and then grabbed the wad of paper again and lightly wet it under the faucet.
Marionette watched her with a quizzical look until that dampened lump was brought up to his face. She began to dab at the drying smears of purple and the flecks of leftover paper, both of which started to come off under the careful patting down.
"This is driving me insane," Baby admitted.
Once the surprise wore off, Marionette smile finally returned. It only briefly threw off Baby's work, but she was able to make short work of the mess.
"There," she declared. She tossed the soggy paper into the empty trashcan. "Presentable."
"Thank you, Lizzie," Marion trilled.
"It's the least I can do," she simply said.
In this case, at least, she could do something. No matter how small.
In the meantime, Foxy headed into the living room. As he expected but hadn't hoped, everyone was still there, but he wasn't one to back down from a challenge.
He marched right up to Michael, who was currently being examined by Fritz, and promptly sat down in front of him. Michael had his head down but turned it enough to look at Foxy.
"I know what yer goin' through," Foxy said. He rubbed the heel of his palm into his leg anxiously but none of it showed in his voice. There was no turning back now. "Back at Freddy's I used to tear meself up."
Michael's eyes widened as he lifted his head.
"I used to tear me own suit up. Mostly with me hook. Towards the end it'd be to keep me outta service, but in the beginning… I don't know what I was wanting. Just out of it all," Foxy admitted.
Mike already knew. He couldn't remember when it was, but at some point, Foxy had thrown out that he used to break himself on purpose. Though at the time the context had felt different- he had done it to assert his own control. It was long before an incident like this that had him rethinking the comment. Fritz might've known too, or at least didn't seem shocked.
Nobody noticed how unsettled Scott looked from the confession.
"…That was why you were broken for so long," Michael realized.
"Aye. Out of service was my ticket outta the spotlight. One way of the other…"
"Does… Marion know?"
"Aye. He knows."
"Does Jeremy know?"
"….Bloody hell, I knew I was forgettin' something," Foxy muttered. He turned to look back towards Jeremy almost with dread.
Jeremy had a sad look but not a shocked one. "Yeah, you told me. You said it was just to get off stage though."
"That was most of it. Captain's honor, I just in a bad state fer the beginning," he swore. He turned back to Michael. "But, uh… I wanted ya to know that it wasn't just you. Yer not alone- You wouldn't be alone even if I hadn't, but in this case we're… in the same boat. If that's anything…"
"It is," Michael said.
He moved over beside Foxy, detaching himself from Ennard momentarily to sit alongside his brother, ignoring the weight of his cumbersome body. He glanced back at Marionette who was reentering the room with Baby behind him, then continued on with putting a weary arm around Foxy's shoulders.
He couldn't remember the last time he did this to Gabe. It could've been back when they were humans. In his foggy state he couldn't recall, and he didn't really want to think about it.
It was hard enough thinking about what Gabriel went through at that Freddy's. It wasn't a matter of comparison; they had fought two entirely different but equally monstrous beasts.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that alone," Michael murmured.
"I didn't. I had Marion and I had me friends," Gabriel said. "…Makes it harder that they ain't here anymore."
He wasn't vying for sympathy; he was offering a shred of his own regrets and remorse. It exposed those same wounds that Michael bared and for the first time in ages, he truly felt close to his brother. He held him securely.
Or he did up until Ennard scuttled over and grappled them both into an embrace. Silently, no exaggerated giggles or otherwise gushing, just an awkward but sincere hug.
Foxy was not taking that sitting down.
"Fer cryin' out loud! Didn't ya get enough huggin' with Freddy?" he fussed.
"Is Freddy a hugger?" Ennard asked with an edge of cheek.
"Ya know he is," he huffed.
Mike disguised a small exhale of relief of his own. Foxy really came in clutch. It wouldn't be the first time.
It was almost relieving to have this little bit of levity, for everyone involved. Jeremy smiled, as did Marionette with relief, and even Bonnet managed a quiet giggle.
And then Scott suddenly got up. Somewhat clumsily, but not because of his leg.
"I left something in the car. I'll, uh, I'll be right back," he excused and let himself out.
Mike noticed right away, and he was likely not the only one. Ennard would've picked up on it right away if he wasn't currently distracted clinging to a fox and a rabbit. Something was up.
Mike watched Scott head out the door before soft hands rested on his shoulders.
"You should go after him," Marionette quietly suggested.
Mike looked up at the Puppet leaning over him. "You noticed that too?"
Marionette gave a hum and nod of agreement. Mike patted one of his hands and pushed himself up off the floor. "I'll go see what's up."
By time Mike got outside, Scott had his driver's door open and was starting to get in. He couldn't tell if Scott was making an attempt to flee or not but more likely he was just escaping to his van. He noticed Mike coming out.
"Oh, hey."
"Hey," Mike returned. "Everything okay?"
"Uh, well…" Scott gave a sort of shrug. Then he gestured over towards the passenger side. "Why don't you just…?"
Mike nodded and got into the passenger's side, shutting the door behind him. Scott got in as well and for a second the two sat in silence. The only noticeable sound being from Scott rubbing his hands on his pants. Mike waited patiently until he was ready to talk, looking out the window in the meantime and watching a car drive past in the distance.
"Ennard's not coming out, is he?" Scott finally asked.
"He might, but he was sort of engaged when I left."
"Good. There's a lot of traffic. I don't want to risk someone spotting him," Scott said.
They sat there again for a few seconds. Before Mike could dare to ask, Scott took a deep breath and began.
"I just- I sort of had a moment back there."
"About Foxy?"
"Right."
Mike nodded and confessed, "I already knew… Though the story when I heard it was that it was just to get off stage. It made sense, but so does this."
"Mike, do you ever just… realize that the monsters who used to chase you around and try to kill you are really your friends and family?" Scott asked. "Like, somehow you separate them so much and then you remember and suddenly you're looking back on that time differently… And it's a wild ride."
To say Mike was taken off-guard by the question was an understatement, but in hindsight he should've expected it considering when he ran out. He thought on it a moment.
"Yeah, I've had that happen. Not recently, but back when I first met Mari and Foxy came into the picture. Foxy especially since he was the one always trying to kill me."
Scott gave a try chuckle. "Yeah… Y'know all that stuff they went through, it's weird to think we were there for it and that we were- well, not you, but some of us… Some of us were directly responsible for it. Like, we were putting them on stage, and we were cleaning up the backrooms and telling people to be quiet, y'know?"
And just like Michael, just like Foxy, Scott suddenly laid it all out in the open.
Mike immediately jumped to his defense.
"It's not your fault, Scott. We didn't know."
"No. I did know. I just didn't care. I cared more about my job than the people getting hurt by it. Not just the animatronics- take Fritz and Jeremy. Both of them worked under me. Heck, Mike, I did the paperwork for Jeremy's accident! I was the one covering up for the business then too! I…" Scott dropped his gesturing arm onto the window edge. "I mean, we all talk about how evil Freddy's is, but look at me. I managed there. I was the one pushing all those same things we get on Freddy's for. If you're looking for the face of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, here he is." He pointed at his face.
"Come on, you know it's a lot more complicated than that," Mike rationalized.
Scott's head slumped into his hand.
"You were just doing what you were told to do, just like they were. Foxy was banging down doors just because some mustard yellow bear was telling him we were murderers, meanwhile the murderer himself was telling you to clean up afterwards. Sure, there's some culpability, but, come on, you changed. I changed, they changed. The important thing is that it's over and we know the truth."
"That's sort of letting me off the hook," Scott said.
Mike didn't know what to say to that at first. He gave it a thought before adding, "Hey, that's Foxy's call. Not mine."
It took a second for Scott to get the pun, to which he got the slightest twitch of a smile. "Yeah, well. Maybe."
"I'm being serious here. Foxy, Mari, even Fritz and Jeremy, they've all let it go. You can't beat yourself up on their account. Not this long after the fact."
"I guess not…" Scott sighed. "But if I could do it over again, I'd do a lot of it differently."
"Hindsight's twenty-twenty. Believe me, I've had a lot of that tonight," Mike said, voice trailing off.
Scott gave him a questioning look. "Did… you know about Michael?"
"I knew he wasn't happy, but I thought all he needed… Hold on."
The sound of the Toreador March rung out from his pocket. He reached in and fished out his cellphone, thinking there was a possibility that it might be Marionette or someone else inside. He answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hello! This might be a little weird, but I heard that Michael was with you?" a slightly awkward voice said on the other side. Mike's brows shot up. "It's Jake, by the way."
A slow smile crept across Mike's face.
"I knew I recognized that voice from somewhere. Give me just a second." Mike covered the receiver and shot that grin at Scott. "It's just Jake calling for Michael."
Scott's brows also lifted.
"Sit tight. I'll be right back," Mike said. He got back out of the van and jogged inside.
He found everyone pretty much where he left them, save that Marionette and Baby were sitting down again and Jeremy had moved to Foxy's free side. Ennard was no longer clutching Foxy and Michael, but he was still crouched in front of them, a hand on each of their shoulders. Mike strode over and offered the cellphone to Michael.
Michael looked at the cellphone and up to him questioningly. "Who is it, Charlie?"
"Jake."
Michael narrowed his eyes downright suspiciously as he took the cellphone. He pressed it tight to the side of his head.
"Hello?"
"Oh, hey! Sorry to bother you. I didn't realize you were hanging out with friends, but I just wanted to check in since I haven't heard from you for a few days. I tried to call last night but you weren't home, sooo… That doesn't sound too stalkerish, right?"
He had been so convinced that Mike was making a poorly timed joke that he was actually taken aback to hear Jake's voice. Perhaps because he didn't really expect him to ever call. He recovered quickly.
"No, of course not. Sorry, I've been spending the last few nights with Ennard. It's a long story, I won't bore you with the details." Michael turned to the others and gave a brief, "I need to take this. I'll be back in little while."
He hastily got up from the floor, detaching himself from Ennard- and ignoring the look he was giving him- and made his way off into the hallway and into the kitchen.
"How are things holding up on your end?" he asked as his voice trailed off.
"Oh my God," Baby said. She snapped her head towards Ennard. "What did you do?"
"Me? Oh, I didn't do anything. Heh, it was all Jake's doing," Ennard said with an uncontrolled little cackle.
"Oh, bloody 'ell. Ya didn't," Foxy muttered.
"Jake did! He even asked for his phone number!"
Marionette gave an excited little ring.
"That is not how it happened," Baby said flatly, knowingly.
"Well, noooo- but close enough! Ha ha!" Ennard gave Mike's leg a nudge, knowing from his look that he would get it.
Mike did regain his grin as he turned on his heel and headed back to the front door. His silence saying enough. It would've been swallowed up by Ennard's following gushing anyways.
He started out the front door and almost walked into Scott who was coming on the step coming in.
"Whoa," he said.
"Sorry about that. You want to-?" Mike pointed to the van.
"No, I think I'm good. Thanks," Scott said. Mike wasn't totally convinced, but Scott rubbed at the back of his neck and the tender spots there and continued. "And I mean thanks. Thank you, Mike. I needed that."
"Anytime. I'm always just a phone call away," Mike said sincerely.
"And that goes two ways. If you ever need anyone to talk to. Y'know, other than Mari or somebody, I can always lend an ear."
Mike would be considering it. Especially after all that had happened tonight. There was plenty that Mike would've loved to unload, but right now he was feeling pretty alright. He stepped back in with Scott and hoped he really had helped. Even if he knew better than to trust in the significance of a single conversation.
But there was still more of the night to go. And if there was one thing he could take from tonight it was that sometimes it was best to live in the moment.