Grace

It only took us a few minutes to get back to my car, and while the boy was eager to hop into the back and get going, I had to stop him.

"You gotta ride up front with me kid." I instructed, opening the rear door and moving stray tools and parts from the seats. "Freddy needs to be in the back." I continued, moving out of his way once I was sure I'd cleared everything. "He'll need to keep his head down and stay out of sight until I say it's okay." From the trunk I retrieved a tarp, then I snapped my fingers at the bot to make sure I had his attention. "You still with us big guy? Did you get all that?"

Freddy approached the car and crouched down to, I assume, analyze the inside. "I believe I will fit, though it will be tight." He mused aloud, then climbing inside and folding himself in such a way that he could properly lay down. "This might damage your vehicle interior, I apologize in advance."

"Don't worry about it." I mumbled, tossing the tarp over him. "It's a beater anyway, not worth much. Now watch your legs." And with that I shoved the door shut behind him, jumping back into the driver seat and finally taking off.

"I was gonna bring you two back to the shop, but there'd probably be a ton of interruptions and we'd be better off without them." I said as we rode past my garage.

"Where are you taking us then?" The boy asked, turned in his seat so he could keep his eyes on me and the automaton.

"We're going to my place." Was my answer. "It's not too far. I've got everything we'll need in my basement and no one will bother us there."

The insanity of this situation finally hit me, and I couldn't help but let out a short chuckle. "You know, you guys are incredibly lucky to have found me first." I continued. "I used to work on machines like you all the time, though they were way less...agreeable." A quiet moment passed through the car. "You've heard of Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental right?"

In response to this Freddy spoke. "That is our sister branch. The purpose is different, but we share the same company." He paused. "Perhaps this is too convenient a coincidence..."

The boy took a moment to let the animatronic's words sink in. "So you've worked for them?" He asked, a tinge of worry entering his voice. "If you've worked for them then how are we supposed to trust you?"

Freddy whirred and shifted in the back seat, the sound of the tarp moving filled my ears. "I think you should pull over..." He insisted, though his mechanical voice faltered. I could see his arm reaching for the boy in my periphery. "Gregory-" Was the last thing he managed to say, before slumping heavily back down into the seat, shaking the entire car.

"So that's what your name is..." I mumbled aloud, turning to him to continue conversation, but he was preoccupied.

"No...no no no!" Gregory shook the arm of the robot in an attempt to rouse him, it's large hand still resting on the center console. When he realized it was no use, he returned his attention to me. The expression on his face was heartbreaking.

"Y-you better let us out right now!" He demanded, trying to sound tough even while holding back tears. "You can act like you never saw us just...just don't hurt us."

"I can't just leave you alone with a busted hunk of metal, where would you even go?" I retorted, though pulling off onto the side of the road and putting the car into park. Gregory shrunk against the door, feeling around for the handle and keeping his eyes locked on me.

"Wait for a second, please?" I asked, causing him to hesitate. "I don't want to hurt you or your friend, why would I do that?" I glanced into the back seat to see that Freddy had completely shut down, eyes no longer flashing, and mostly lidded. "Something happened to you at the PizzaPlex, am I right?"

Slowly, the boy responded with a nod. Still, he seemed ready to jump at a moments notice.

A slew of questions filled my mind, but I shook them off. "I won't press you for details because they don't matter. What matters is they never should have opened another location." I sighed, running a hand down my face. "Yes, I used to work for them. I would repair their animatronics after hours. Key words, used to. Past tense." A pause. "They canned me for some cheaper labor. The new mechanics got killed and the place shut down soon after."

Gregory didn't seem so sure, but he wasn't running off, and that's all I cared about.

"I understand why you'd be wary of me, but my loyalty to Fazbear Entertainment is slim to none." I continued. "Let me take you home. I'll charge Freddy's battery for you and you can leave right after, no questions asked."

His eyes pierced me with their intensity, and it appeared that he was trying to decide what to do.

"Just...trust me for now, and think on it while you wait. Whatever you choose, I won't stop you."

His gaze shifted off of me and back to his mechanical friend. When he finally gave me an answer, his voice wavered with emotion.

"Okay."