Grace

Gregory ended up taking his bath before eating, and I couldn't really blame him. To me, it looked like he hadn't been clean in quite some time. I threw his clothes in the wash and gave him an old pair of pajamas to wear in the meantime. I'd probably have to go shopping for him sometime soon.

"So...what did you end up doing?" The kid asked, hardly taking a second between bites of his orange chicken to speak. "To charge Freddy I mean."

He'd insisted on eating his dinner downstairs so he could be with the automaton. I felt uncomfortable sending him down alone, so they sat on one side of the room together, and I sat at my desk opposite them, monitoring.

"It is impolite to talk with your mouth full, Gregory." Informed Freddy. "Also, you could choke if you aren't careful." This expression of concern prompted an eye roll from the boy.

"I actually jumped him using that old car battery." I told him, gesturing to the now dead power cell next to the examination table. "It's not very efficient though, and I have a feeling that it isn't charging him all the way like it should..."

At this, Freddy jumped into the conversation. "It is a programmed safety feature." He explained helpfully. "Gregory was able to find some upgrades for me, but even with them, my battery will only hold a couple hours worth of power."

I nodded slowly as I considered this, tapping my fingers absently on the desktop. "So...I'll have to do it multiple times a day." I mused aloud. "At least until I get a better battery for him, or I can go under the hood and figure out how to remove the charging limit." Frustrated, I ran a hand down my face. "How much time do you have left?"

Both Gregory and I looked at the animatronic expectantly, putting him on the spot.

"I am currently down to two bars." Freddy said. "I have a total of seven, so what remains should last approximately thirty minutes."

I stood from my seat with a sigh, grabbing the jumper cables off my table. "I'll go ahead and hook you back up then." I muttered, retrieving another car battery from a pile of electronics on the floor. "Don't want you to die in the middle of maintenance."

Gregory spoke up now. "Wouldn't it be safer if he's turned off though?" He asked. "You won't have to worry about the safety protocols that way."

I hummed contemplatively, approaching to attach the cables to Freddy's ears. "That is true." I began, hooking the other end of the wires to the battery. "But how will I know he's working properly if he isn't awake?" Was my counter question. "If I do something wrong, the second I boot him he could jump up and take off my head." I couldn't help but laugh at this, if only to dispel the uneasy feeling from my mind. "I think we would all prefer that I stay in one piece."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room, save for the sound of the Minireenas climbing around on the shelves.

"Ahem, anyway!" I resumed, attempting to break the tension. "I'll need to know where your hard drive is. There might be a physical switch I can flip to turn off the power limit, but if not I'll need to take a look at your code fix it the hard way."

Freddy lifted his head, tapping just below his bowtie. "It is under this chest plate, behind my voicebox." As soon as he said this, his expression changed from helpful and attentive to distant and morose. Strangely drastic for his restricted robotic features.

"I can show you where it is." Gregory piped up, setting his now empty food tray to the side. "I've replaced it before."

That snapped the bot out of his temporary spell. "Actually, I think you should stay upstairs while Grace is working."

"What for?" Retorted the boy. "I've changed a lot of your parts already, I can help!"

Freddy patted him on the head. "I know you can, but I would rather you not endanger yourself now that you don't have to."

Gregory crossed his arms, obviously upset but showing understanding in his next words. "I guess..." He mumbled, deliberately avoiding eye contact.

The kids attitude didn't bother the animatronic in the slightest, his only response being: "Thank you for understanding."

"So we're all on the same page now right?" I questioned, walking over to the stairs. "Great, then...you come with me kiddo." I insisted. "I can put the tv on for you if you want, or if you're still tired you can sleep in the guest room."

Gregory sighed, grabbed his empty tray and begrudgingly follow me upstairs.