Aiden woke up stretching and yawning before sitting up. The human had managed to get a good night's sleep, which had become more common for the past three weeks. It had been a whole month since Aiden arrived at WoodsBurrow and was taken in by Sunshine and Dogday. While Aiden initially had difficulty adjusting to his new surroundings, he was doing much better now. His nightmares were becoming less frequent, letting Aiden get a good night's sleep more often. He still thought about what happened at the factory. The memories of what happened on that bloody day would stick with Aiden for the rest of his life, but he could deal with them better now.

Aiden pushed the blanket off him, moving his legs off the edge of the bed. After rubbing his eyes, Aiden looked down at his thigh, which was now missing the bandages he got from the hospital. Aiden went back to the hospital a week ago to have his bandages removed once he no longer had issues walking. Once the bandages were off, they revealed a large bite scar on his thigh. When Sunshine and Dogday saw it, they were disturbed by the sight. Sunshine asked him what animal had bitten him, but Aiden said he didn't know because it had run off before he could see it. It pained him for not being honest with her after how much she helped him, but he still wasn't sure if telling her the whole truth was a good idea.

Just as Aiden was about to get off the bed, there was a knock on the door. "Aiden, it's morning!" Dogday's unmistakable voice said.

Hearing his young pup friend, Aiden smiled, "I'm awake, Dogday. Give me a minute." Aiden got off the bed, opened the drawer next to his bed, and pulled out a pair of cargo pants to wear.

Two weeks ago, Sunshine took Aiden to the clothing store, knowing he required new clothes to replace the ones he had since leaving the hospital. Aiden doubted they would find anything that would fit him, but he was proven wrong. As it turned out, there were a number of adult inhabitants in this world that were roughly the same size as humans, though they were a minority in the world. The store clerk, a black mole, was 5'5, wore a button-up shirt himself, and happily greeted Aiden, saying it was nice to have another shorty in town. Aiden got a handful of shirts, pants, and even underwear that fit him just fine.

Once Aiden was properly clothed, he opened the door and saw Dogday waiting for him with a smile. "Morning, Aiden."

"Morning," Aiden responded with a smile of his own. "Is breakfast ready?"

"Yeah. My mom made hashbrowns and waffles today." Dogday said with a wag of his tail.

"Let's not keep her waiting," Dogday and Aiden went downstairs together as they usually did by this point.

Arriving at the kitchen, Aiden and Dogday were greeted by Sunshine, who had set their plates at their spots at the tables. "Good morning, Dogday, Aiden," she said warmly.

"Good morning," Aiden and Dogday said before taking their seats at the kitchen table. Just as Dogday said, Sunshine had prepared hashbrowns and buttered waffles. There were also glasses of milk and two jars of jelly to spread on the waffles. Just smelling it made Aiden's stomach grumble, and he imagined it was the same for Dogday, who had a stronger sense of smell. After giving their thanks to Sunshine, Aiden and Dogday started eating.

For several minutes, the human and two canines ate in peace. Aiden washed down his hashbrowns with some milk. Sunshine wiped her mouth with a napkin, setting it down before turning to Dogday, "Dogday, are you ready to go back to school?" Dogday was due to return to school in a few days on Monday.

Dogday stopped eating, looking dejected, "Yes, Mom." Dogday didn't like going to school. One reason was that he found it boring. Having to stay in a room for hours learning math and other subjects did not suit him well. Another reason was his lack of friends, which made him feel lonely, especially when other kids made fun of him.

Seeing her son sad, Sunshine reached over and put a hand on Dogday's head. "I know you don't like school, sweetie, but it's important for you to learn things before you grow up. You might even be able to make friends this year." Her attempt to cheer up her son had little effect, and Dogday remained downcast.

Aiden watched the exchange between mother and son quietly. Dogday told Aiden about his dislike of school, a feeling Aiden could relate to, given his own lonely childhood. What bothered Aiden the most was how Dogday was picked on by other kids. During his kid and teen years, Aiden was largely ignored by his peers. While this meant he avoided instances of bullying, it also left Aiden feeling like an outcast. Hearing Dogday's troubles made Aiden wish he could return to being a kid so the pup could have a friend with him at school. Sadly, those days were long past.

Since her attempt to cheer Dogday up didn't work, Sunshine tried another approach. "Would a trip to the park make you feel better?"

This time, Dogday had a more positive reaction. He lifted his head and gave his mother a small smile, saying, "Okay."

Sunshine turned to Aiden. "Aiden, could you take Dogday to the park later? I would go, but I need to do chores today."

"Sure," Aiden answered, happy to see Dogday cheer up.

As Aiden spread strawberry jelly on one of his large waffles, he couldn't help but think about his situation. Even after a month, he had difficulty believing how well things were going for him in WoodsBurrow. Back on earth, he was living in a crummy apartment, struggling to make ends meet, with his only friends being the Smiling Critters at the factory. Now, he was living in a comforting house with Sunshine and Dogday, eating delicious food regularly.

Aiden stopped spreading jelly on his waffle, staring blankly at his food with a distant look in his eyes. As much as he enjoyed his time with Sunshine and Dogday, he couldn't forget the Smiling Critters or what had happened to them. They were dead—they all were. Dogday, Hoppy, Chicken, Picky, Bobby, Bubba, Crafty. None of them made it out. They all died trying to save as many people as they could, including Aiden, and he wasn't able to help any of them. Not Dogday, not Chicken or Hoppy, none of them. And yet here he was in WoodsBurrow eating breakfast like usual. What did he do to deserve to be here? Why was he given a chance to live when everyone else didn't? The Smiling Critters didn't deserve what happened to them, and neither did the orphans, so why didn't any of them make it? It was wrong! It wasn't fair!

"Aiden?" Aiden snapped out of it when he felt Dogday's furry orange hand on his right arm. The young pup left his seat when he saw Aiden in distress, the human having taken on a severe expression like he'd seen something horrible.

"Aiden, what's wrong?" Sunshine asked from her seat, concern all over her face.

Aiden shook his head, set his waffle down, and took a deep breath. "It's nothing. I just... remembered something bad, is all."

"It must have been something awful."

'You have no idea.' Aiden looked down at Dogday, who still held his arm, looking very worried for the human. Seeing Dogday so upset hit Aiden like a punch to the gut. Dogday had been trying hard to make Aiden happy during his stay in their home, and now he just made Dogday sad. Recomposing himself, Aiden smiled, putting his left hand on Dogday's, assuring him, "I'm fine, Dogday. I didn't mean to worry you." That seemed to cheer Dogday up, the pup's smile returning before he took his hand off Aiden and returned to his seat. Sunshine continued watching Aiden for a few more moments before resuming eating.

The trio finished eating sometime later. Aiden helped Sunshine with the dishes while Dogday watched TV in the living room. Aiden was by the sink, running water over a plate as he cleaned it with a rag. Sunshine put some clean dishes in the cabinet, closed it, and then turned to Aiden. "Aiden," she said, getting the human's attention, "What was bothering you at the table?"

Aiden turned off the sink and set the plate down. "It was just a bad memory. There's nothing to be worried about."

Sunshine didn't accept that, making a frown. "I think it was more than that. Since Dogday and I found you, you've been hiding something. You haven't told us how you ended up in the woods or where you came from. I don't believe you are a danger, but whatever you're keeping from us profoundly impacted you, and Dogday and I are concerned about you. I believe you owe it to me, to be honest."

Aiden looked away from Sunshine, his shoulders slumped in defeat. She was right. He couldn't keep lying to her after the kindness she'd shown him for the past month. He owed it to her to tell her the whole truth. Aiden turned back to Sunshine, his face saddened. "Sunshine... how much craziness are you willing to believe?"

Sunshine tilted her head, mulling over the question, "From you, Aiden, I will believe just about anything."

Before Aiden could respond, Dogday walked into the kitchen and said, "Hey, Aiden, can we go to the park now?" Dogday looked up at Aiden with hope.

Aiden looked down at Dogday and then over to Sunshine, who, in turn, looked at Dogday. Her gaze returned to Aiden, telling him, "You can go, Aiden. We can talk after you get back."

Aiden nodded to her, turning his head to Dogday, telling him, "Sure, Dogday. Just give me a couple minutes to get ready."

"Okay!" Dogday left the kitchen, leaving Aiden and Sunshine alone again.

Aiden turned to Sunshine, "I'll tell you everything when I get back."

"I'll hold you to that."

With that, Aiden went to get ready. After brushing his teeth and getting his shoes from his room, Aiden went to the living room, where Dogday was waiting for him. "You ready?"

"Yeah!" Dogday said with his tail wagging.

They both exited the house, Aiden closing the door behind him. Before they went anywhere, Aiden asked Dogday, "Dogday, before we go to the park, can you take me to the spot in the woods where you found me?" Aiden hadn't been to that spot since Dogday found him, but it had been on his mind for a while.

"Uh, why?"

"I..." He wasn't sure what he might find if he went there. Closure? Answers to how he got there? He didn't know, but he wanted to go back there. "I need to see it again. I want to know if there's anything there."

Dogday seemed confused but complied, "Okay, follow me." Dogday led Aiden into the woods, trees soon surrounding them.

Dogday and Aiden said nothing for several minutes as the canine led the human back to where they first met. They soon reached the small clearing in the woods near the creek where Dogday found Aiden, the human, walking past his young friend as he looked around. Aiden didn't see anything unusual, just trees and foliage with the sound of the creek's flowing water in the background. Walking over to the creek, Aiden asked Dogday, "Dogday, did you see or hear anything strange out here when you found me?"

"No. I was just walking around when I found you. I didn't see or hear anything weird." Like Aiden, Dogday looked around, not seeing out of the ordinary. He stopped when he stepped on something. Reaching down, Dogday picked up a yellow and blue card off the grass. He held it in both hands, reading the words on one side, 'Playtime Co.' Dogday turned the card around, seeing a picture of Aiden at the top, his name beneath it, and an ID number. "Hey, Aiden, I found something." Aiden turned around, Dogday walking up to him, handing the human the card. "I found it on the grass."

Aiden took the card, immediately recognizing it as his employee ID card. He wondered what had happened to it. It must have slipped out of his pocket when he ended up here. Checking both sides, Aiden didn't see any damage or anything else that could have given him clues about his current situation. "Thanks, Dogday." Aiden slipped the card into his pocket. "Did you find anything else?"

"No, just that."

Aiden took one last look around, sighing deeply at the lack of answers. "Well, that's enough looking around. You ready to head to the park?"

"Yeah!" Aiden let Dogday lead the way again, and the two returned to WoodsBurrow. As they walked along the sidewalk, they passed other town residents, as they had done on previous trips through town. By now, Aiden had gotten used to being surrounded by large anthropomorphic creatures, though he had to admit he was missing human interaction. As much as he enjoyed Dogday and Sunshine's company, knowing he was the only human around put a damper on his spirit.

About half an hour later, Aiden and Dogday reached the park. People were already going about their day, including many children playing at the park playground. Dogday's tail started wagging, and the pup looked to Aiden for approval. "Go ahead, Dogday. I'll keep watch from here." Dogday headed towards the playground, becoming one of the many children running about. Aiden sat at a park bench, sitting back and observing the children from afar.

As time went on, Aiden got lost in his thoughts. He was trying to figure out how to explain things to Sunshine when he returned. There was quite a bit to go over. He'd have to explain what happened at the factory, as unpleasant as that would be. Then there was the Smiling Critters. If it hadn't been for them, the rampaging toys would have killed Aiden before he came to this world. Then there was Dogday. Did he have to know everything, too? The pup is too young to tell him all that.

Aiden pulled out his ID card, examining his picture before turning it around to see the company name on the back. 'Playtime Co.' Aiden looked at the name with apprehension, thinking about all the orphans at the factory, "Maybe we deserved it." He muttered to himself, slipping the card back in his pocket.

Time passed, and Aiden felt nature calling, grateful that there was a public restroom at the park's edge. Looking around, Aiden saw Dogday using one of the swingsets and approached him. Dogday swung back and forth on the swing, humming to himself as his floppy ears flew through the air. He saw Aiden approaching, slowing the swing down in time for the human's arrival. " Are you having fun, Dogday?"

Dogday nodded with a smile, "Yeah! I like going to the park!"

Aiden smiled in return, "Good. Listen, I have to go to the restroom. Don't go anywhere, and don't talk to any strangers. I don't want to explain to your mom that you got kidnapped. You got that?"

"Okay," Dogday replied with an affirmative nod, watching Aiden walk away. Dogday was happy Aiden was around. He looked weird, but he was a great friend. Dogday licked his lips; feeling thirsty, he spotted a water fountain a short distance away from the playground. Getting off the swing, the pupped hurried over to quench his thirst.

As Dogday drank from the fountain, he heard several footsteps approaching and then got pushed to the ground. Dogday landed on his side with an oomph, hearing laughter followed by, "Well, if it isn't the mutt!"

Dogday looked up, seeing a brown coyote with red eyes and two grey hyenas with bright green eyes beside him that he recognized. The coyote's name was Dusty, and the hyenas were Tooth and Chew, three jerks a bit older than him and wouldn't leave Dogday alone if they could help it. Dogday got off the ground, standing up before the trio of bullies. "What do you want Dusty?" Dogday asked with a frown, apprehension welling inside him.

"Oh, what? A coyote and his pals can't say hi to the mama's boy." Dusty said with smug confidence backed up by the hyena snickering of Tooth and Chew. "Where's your mommy? Did she decide she was bored with you and leave?"

Dogday growled in his throat, shooting back, "I'm not a mama's boy! And she's not bored with me!"

Dusty laughed, "Of course she is. She's stuck with you all day; she's bound to get sick of you."

"Yeah, you don't even have any friends." Tooth added, "That's why you always stay with her. Because no one else wants to put up with you."

"I definitely wouldn't," Chew stated.

"Remember that time Dogday fell into a mud puddle at school and splattered mud on everyone when he tried to shake it off." Dusty reminded, making both hyenas start laughing.

Dogday felt embarrassed. That was one memory he wished he could forget. He remembered how his classmates laughed at him and then got angry when he got mud on them. After that, the other kids started calling him Dirtday, mainly because his fur was stained brown. Sometimes, they even threw mud at him.

Holding his sun pendant, Dogday raised his head, countering, "I have a friend. He doesn't think I'm a mutt or dumb."

Dusty, Tooth, and Chew stopped laughing. "Who? You mean that freak you and your mom are letting stay at your house? Who would want to be friends with that guy? Oh, wait, you would! Because a freak is the only thing you could make friends with!" Dusty sneered.

Dogday openly growled, shoving Dusty for insulting Aiden. Tooth and Chew caught Dusty, keeping him from falling, the coyote snarling before shoving Dogday back, pushing him to the ground. Before he could get back up, Dusty, Tooth, and Chew started hitting him while he was on the ground. Dogday curled up, shielding his face while they kicked and punched him. Then Dusty grabbed his sun pendant and started yanking on it, "Let me take that! I want to put it on my wall!" Dogday wouldn't give it up, grabbing the pendant to pull it away from Rick, but then Tooth started pulling on his ears, making Dogday yelp in pain.

Just when it seemed like Dogday would lose, a voice called out, "Hey!" a second later, a rock hit Dusty in the back of his head, making him let the pendant go to rub it. The coyote and hyena bullies stopped their assault, giving Dogday respite. When he was sure it was over, Dogday looked to see a girl his age confronting Dusty. She was a rabbit with green fur, her hands, feet, and top ends of her tall ears being a darker shade. She had bright yellow eyes that seemed to glow fiercely, and as Dogday started to get up, he saw she was wearing a necklace with a yellow lightning bolt attached to it. "Who do you think you are!? Leave him alone!" the girl demanded.

"Get lost, girly!" Dusty said, getting in the rabbit's face with Tooth and Chew behind him. "We're just giving this mutt his just deserts!"

"Haven't you ever heard of a fair fight!" The rabbit said, not backing down. "What kind of tough guy needs two lackeys to help him!? And from where I'm standing, the only mutt here is you!"

Angered, Dusty tried to push her, but the green rabbit sidestepped the attempt. He tried to tackle her, but again, she sidestepped him, sticking her dark green foot out and tripping him. Seeing Dusty hit the ground, Tooth and Chew charged her, but she jumped over the two of them, getting several feet in the air before landing in front of Dogday. The orange dog watched in awe as the green rabbit landed before him, her expression turning concerned. "Are you okay?"

Dogday was too awe-struck by what he had just seen to respond. Before he could say anything, Dusty had gotten back up. "Hey!" he shouted. The rabbit turned around, frowning at the coyotes and hyenas. "You're gonna get it now!" Dusty charged again; this time, instead of dodging, she made a small jump, lifting her legs and planting her feet on Dusty's chest. She jumped off Dusty, using him as a springboard, the force pushing him backward into Tooth and Chew, knocking the three of them down.

The three bullies scrambled to get up, stopping when they saw the rabbit standing in front of Dogday with her hands on her hips. "You want some more?" she stomped her foot, making a thump sound.

"Let's get out of here!" Tooth ran off with Chew following.

His backup gone, Dusty stood where he was for a few seconds before saying, "This isn't over!" He then ran after Tooth and Chew.

With the bullies gone, the rabbit flicked her ears, saying, "Chumps." She turned to Dogday, her friendly demeanor returning, "Are you okay?"

Dogday snapped out of his stupor, smiling as he said, "Uh, yeah! Thanks for helping me!" He said this with the utmost gratitude.

"No problem. I have three older brothers I roughhouse with, so those guys were wimps. Slowpokes, too. My name's Hoppy. Hoppy Hopscotch."

"I'm Dogday." Dogday rubbed his ear, still feeling a tinge of pain from when it was pulled. His eyes traveled to the lightning bolt Hoppy wore. "Cool pendant."

"Thanks. I won it in a race. So, why were those guys hitting you?"

Dogday crossed his arms, frowning. "They're just jerks who won't leave me alone. They even tried to take my pendant."

"What!?" Hoppy got angry, "I should have given that coyote another kick for that!"

"Hoppy?" Hoppy and Dogday's conversation was interrupted by a new voice. Turning towards a nearby tree, Dogday saw a red bear stick her head out from behind the trunk. She had a black nose and chocolate brown eyes, with a pink shade of fur on her hands, feet, and belly. "Are they gone?" she asked in a soft, concerned voice.

"It's okay, Bobby. They're gone. I sent them running," Hoppy assured, prompting the bear to step out from behind the tree and approach.

When she got close, Dogday noticed the pink necklace with a big red heart hanging from it. Once she was within reach, Bobby lunged for Dogday, pulling him into a tight hug. "Thank goodness! I thought those bullies wouldn't stop!" caught off guard, Dogday couldn't respond before Bobby let go, smiling and telling him, "I'm Bobby Bearhug. It's nice to meet you."

"Uh, nice to meet you too. I'm Dogday."

"Bobby and I are neighbors," Hoppy explained. "Both our families moved into town recently. We came to the park to play, and that's when we saw you being attacked."

"Really?" Dogday's tail started wagging, "Do you want to play together?"

"Sure," Hoppy said.

"I'd love to," Bobby said.

Dogday felt the happiest he'd ever felt, unable to stop a smile from spreading. None of the other kids in town wanted to play with him before, let alone stand up for him. He just had to tell Aiden.

Aiden had just stepped out of the park restroom and went about looking for Dogday. He couldn't see Dogday in the playground but didn't have to look for long before the pup called out to him. "Hey, Aiden!" Aiden turned around to Dogday, running up to him with joy all over his face. "I made two friends!" He practically jumped when he said that.

"You did?" Aiden was curious to know who it could be, then noticed how roughed up Dogday looked. Concerned, Aiden knelt, holding Dogday by the shoulders, "Dogday, are you okay!? What happened to you!?"

"Oh, uh..." Dogday looked down, rubbing his ear, losing his previous cheery expression. "I got attacked by some bullies." Dogday looked back up at Aiden, his happiness returning. "But they helped me." Dogday pointed behind himself. Aiden looked over his head, stunned to see a green rabbit and red bear about Dogday's age. Aiden released Dogday's shoulders, standing up to better view the familiar arrivals.

"Hello, mister, I'm Bobby Bearhug," Bobby greeted politely, holding her hands behind her back.

Hoppy crossed her arms, "I'm Hoppy Hopscotch. Nice to meet you."

"Uh..." Aiden didn't say anything momentarily, processing the real Hoppy Hopscotch and Bobby Bearhug. Just like Dogday, they both looked just like their cartoon versions, except for Hoppy's bright yellow eyes and Bobby's chocolate brown ones. "Y-You two helped Dogay?"

"Yeah," Hoppy answered, "Some jerks were hitting him a few minutes ago, but I chased them off. They didn't even put up much of a fight. They were slow, too."

Hearing this reminded Aiden of toy Hoppy back at the factory when she bravely faced Catnap alone after KickinChicken went down. She gave her life, giving him and the other employees a chance to survive, and it seemed her real version wasn't much different.

"They hurt him pretty badly," Bobby walked over to Dogday, pulling him in for a hug, which Aiden thought was cute. "They pushed him to the ground and started kicking him. They even pulled his ear and tried to steal his pendant." Aiden then felt angry that someone would do that to Dogday for seemingly no reason.

Bobby's compassion was very reminiscent of toy Bobby. Whenever one of the Playcare orphans was feeling sad or depressed, Bobby was often the one to cheer them up, always giving out hugs to any child who needed one. Aiden got one when he opened a jammed door that kept a group of kids locked inside one of the rooms at Home Sweet Home. He thought for sure Bobby was going to suffocate him.

"Are you Okay, Dogday?" Aiden got on his knee again, wanting an honest answer.

Bobby let Dogday go. The pup grabbed his sun pendant and looked down at it, glad he didn't lose it. "Yeah. My ear still hurts, but I'm okay."

"Do you want to go home?"

"No!" Dogday said, taking Aiden aback by the seriousness of his tone. "No." He repeated more calmly. "Hoppy and Bobby said they wanted to play with me. Can I stay a little longer?" Dogday finished giving Aiden big green puppy dog eyes.

"Yeah, can he!?" Bobby said, wishing to play with Dogday.

"I want him to stay too." Hoppy walked up beside Dogday and Bobby, the three giving Aiden hopeful expressions.

Unable to resist, Aiden agreed, "Alright, you three, go have fun. I can watch from here."

"Thanks, Aiden!" Dogday said.

"Thank you." Bobby hugged Aiden, wrapping her arms around his waist. She was quite strong for her age.

"I'll keep an eye out for those jerks," Hoppy assured. "You wanna play tag? " she asked Dogday and Bobby.

"Okay," Dogday replied, "Who's it?"

"You are," Hobby touched Dogday's shoulder, "Tag, you're it!" She took off running, leaving Dogday in the dust.

"Hey!" Dogday turned to Bobby, touching her arm, "Tag, You're it!" Dogday ran off, leaving Bobby behind.

"Hey, wait!" Bobby took off after them, leaving Aiden to watch as three of the Smiling Critters played together.

For an hour or so, Aiden watched Dogday, Hoppy and Bobby have all the fun in the world. Dogday looked so happy as he ran around the park with his new friends, playing games and having fun on the playground. Aiden smiled, seeing them together the whole time, glad that Dogday had found two of his friends. Hoppy and Bobby certainly seemed to enjoy Dogday's company. They proved that Dogday wasn't the only Critter that existed here, and it made Aiden wonder where the rest of them were especially Catnap. Aiden's smile faltered, thinking back to the feline toy responsible for the deaths of the other Smiling Critters. Hoppy and Bobby were so similar to their toy counterparts that it made him concerned about how similar Catnap was to his.

Eventually, it was about time to head home. Aiden got off the park bench and headed over to get Dogday.

Dogday, Hoppy, and Bobby sat together under a tree. The three of them were tuckered out and simply talked. "So what is Aiden anyway?" Asked Hoppy, who sat next to Dogday. Neither she nor Bobby had seen Aiden's species before, and she was curious, to say the least.

"He's called a human," Dogday answered.

"Where did he come from?" Bobby asked, "I've never seen someone like him before."

Dogday hummed for a moment before saying, "I... don't know. I found him in the woods. His leg was hurt, so my mom carried him to the hospital. He's been staying in our house since he left."

"Really?" Hoppy said, "What about his family? Hasn't anyone been looking for him?"

Dogday began feeling sad, "He doesn't have a family."

"He doesn't..." Bobby said, also feeling sad at the idea.

"No." Dogday held his pendant, thinking about his dad. The only family he had left was his mom, and he couldn't fathom the thought of losing her and having no one. "But it's okay!" Dogday declared, "He has me and my mom, so he doesn't have to be alone!"

Hoppy and Bobby were both stunned by the sudden declaration. Before they could continue their conversation, the three of them noticed Aiden approaching. "Dogday, it's time to go home before it gets late."

"Okay," Dogday, Hoppy, and Bobby stood up. Dogday walked over to Aiden and turned toward his new friends. "So, can I see you again?" he asked, tapping two fingers together.

"Of course!" Bobby assured, giving Dogday a goodbye hug. "I had a lot of fun with you!"

"Yeah," Hoppy agreed, "We can play together some other time!"

As Bobby let Dogday go, he felt unbridled happiness, so much so that he pulled Bobby in for another hug and said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Bobby was surprised but returned the hug, always up for another.

Dogday let Bobby go, leaving with Aiden, having a new spring in his step. "So, did you have fun?"

"Yeah!" Dogday's tail wagged as he walked, "I like Hoppy and Bobby!"

"Good to hear." Aiden patted Dogday on the head, scratching him behind the ear. Dogday leaned his head into Aiden's hand, almost in a trance, enjoying the affection the human was giving him. When Aiden removed his hand, Dogday stopped walking briefly, shaking his head, making his ear flop about, and blinking several times as he snapped out of it. He resumed walking with Aiden, remaining beside him until they got home.

By the time they got back, it was midday. Upon entering the house, Dogday heard his mother in the kitchen, "Hey, mom!" Sunshine turned to see Aiden, and Dogday returned. Her son was thrilled: "I made two new friends at the park!"

"You did?" Despite his best efforts, Dogday had no friends prior to meeting Aiden. Hearing that he made two made two more made Sunshine incredibly happy for him. She got down on one knee, scooping Dogday up with both hands for a hug. "I'm so proud of you!" Sunshine stood back up, holding her son to her chest. Dogday returned the hug, nuzzling her neck.

Aiden felt warm fuzzies watching the mother-son moment. The five-foot size difference between the two didn't seem to matter, as they had no trouble embracing one another, Sunshine's hands alone able to cover Dogday's body. After a few moments, Sunshine pulled Dogday away from her, still holding him in her hands, and asked him, "So, who are your new friends?"

Dogday practically bounced in Sunshine's hand. "A green rabbit named Hoppy and a red bear named Bobby! They saved me from a group of bullies that were hitting me!"

"What!?" Sunshine looked over to Aiden, who had his hands up in submission.

"I was in the restroom when it happened. I didn't get out until it was over."

Sunshine ran her hand over Dogday's head, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Then we played together until Aiden said we had to go home. They even said we could play together again." Dogday finished.

Sunshine was relieved that her son was okay. "I'm happy for you, sweetheart. I told you you could make friends, and so did Aiden."

She set Dogday down, "Dinner isn't ready yet. Why don't you go to your room and relax until I call you."

"Okay." Dogday left the kitchen and went upstairs, leaving Aiden and Sunshine alone.

There was a moment of silence between Aiden and Sunshine before the human spoke up. "So, is it time for our talk?"

"I believe now is the best time. Would you like to sit?"

Aiden accepted the offer, sitting on one side of the kitchen table and Sunshine on the other. Aiden placed his hands on the table, interlocking his fingers as he recalled what happened that bloody day at the factory. "So, how much craziness are you willing to believe again?"

"Like I said, I will believe anything."

Aiden took a deep breath before beginning. For about an hour, Aiden explained his origins to Sunshine, how he wasn't born in this world, his time working at Playtime Co., and even talking about the Smiling Critters. Aiden talked about the Critters fondly, saying they were probably his first real friends and how they took care of the Playtime Orphans. Sunshine took particular interest in hearing about the Critters, especially regarding her son being a character for children to enjoy. Not to mention, he was supposed to have seven special friends.

Eventually, Aiden finally mentioned his last day at the factory, how the living toys the company created rose up and started killing everyone they could find. As expected, Sunshine looked horrified hearing about what happened, unable to imagine such senseless carnage. She was particularly distraught about what Aiden had to go through and the ultimate fates of the Smiling Critters, how they had all lost their lives trying to stop the madness. The retelling of past events ended when Aiden recalled how he was cornered by Catnap, about to be eviscerated, only to somehow end up in the woods where Dogday found him.

Upon finishing, Aiden slumped back in his chair with a grim expression. Sunshine sat in silence, processing what Aiden told her. The very idea of losing her son horrified her, even if it was another version of him. From what Aiden told her, the Dogday he knew did everything he could to save as many people as possible, something any mother could be proud of. "Aiden..." she spoke, "Was anyone else able to escape?"

"I honestly don't know. Dogday was the last person I saw alive; I'm sure he's dead by now. The only other ones I can think of are the orphans that Catnap put to sleep, but I have no idea what he was going to do to them." Aiden reached into his pocket and pulled out his employee ID card. "Before we went to the park, I asked Dogday to take me back to where he found me, and he found this." Aiden put the card on the table and slid it over to Sunshine. "It's my old employee ID card." The card was too small for Sunshine to pick up, so she used a finger to move it around on the table, examining it. "I thought I'd find a clue to how I got here, but that was all there was."

Sunshine examined the card curiously, taking note of Aiden's picture. Above the picture was the company name, and below it was his name. She returned the card to him, "And Dogday's new friends, are they the same as the ones you knew?"

"They certainly look the same; they even have the same pendants. Not only that but personality-wise, they're alike, too. Hoppy is energetic and mobile, and Bobby is a buddle of compassion with a love for hugs. They both have taken a shine to Dogday."

Sunshine smiled, happy her son had found friends his age. However, hearing Aiden's story soured this happiness. Seeing such slaughter would surely leave scars on anyone. Aiden's ability to carry on as well as he did despite the trauma he endured was miraculous. "I'm so sorry all that happened to you, Aiden. I wouldn't want anyone to go through that."

"You don't have to be. I was a part of Playtime Co. I knew something shady was going on, but I didn't do anything about it. What happened was probably a long time coming."

"That doesn't mean you deserve the same fate as those who meant harm to those children." Sunshine countered. "You cared about the orphans and even your friends, the Smiling Critters."

"Doesn't feel that way," Aiden muttered.

Sunshine sighed, not knowing how to alleviate Aiden's guilt about what happened. "Thank you for being honest with me, Aiden. I know it must have been hard to retell what happened."

"I'm surprised you're willing to believe it. I'd sooner think whoever told a story like that was lying or should be thrown into the loony bin."

"Remember what I told you on your first night with us? Dogday and I can tell when someone is a good person at heart. Well, I can also tell when someone is dishonest, so I could tell that you told no lies. You are a kind person, Aiden, regardless of the situation you ended up in. Don't forget that." With that, Sunshine stood out of her seat, "Now, why don't you go relax while I get dinner ready."

Aiden stood out of his seat as well. "Okay. And please don't tell Dogday. He's too young to hear about any of this."

"Of course," Sunshine assured.

Aiden left the kitchen and went upstairs to his room for some alone time. Passing by Dogday's room, he saw the pup inside jumping around and mimicking voices like he was recreating an action scene. "What are you so excited about?"

Dogday stopped what he was doing, turning to Aiden with his tail wagging. "I was thinking about how Hoppy saved me from Dusty, Tooth, and Chew!"

"Were they the ones that were bullying you?"

"Yeah! It was awesome! They couldn't touch her! Hoppy tripped Dusty, then jumped over Tooth and Chew and landed in front of me. Then when Dusty ran at her, she... she..." Dogday couldn't find the words to describe it, so he instead tried to reenact it. He jumped and tried to kick his legs out, but he hit the floor with a thump before he could do it.

"Jeez, Dogday!" Aiden walked over and helped the pup back to his feet. "Calm down."

"Ow," Dogday said, rubbing his head.

"Is everything okay up there?" Sunshine said from downstairs, having heard the thump Dogday made.

"It's okay!" Aiden called out, "Dogday just fell!"

"Be careful, Dogday!"

"I will, Mom!" Dogday responded.

"You really like Hoppy and Bobby that much, huh." Aiden chuckled, amused by Dogday's antics.

"Yeah! I can't wait to see them again! Can we go to the park tomorrow?"

"We're gonna have to have to ask your mom first, and don't forget you have school on Monday."

"Oh, yeah." The reminder of school dampened Dogday's mood.

Aiden put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't let it bother you. Believe me, you'll be done with school one day and have the rest of your life ahead of you. And maybe Hoppy and Bobby will be your new classmates." That cheered Dogday up, his tail wagging at the thought of seeing his new friends again. "Just take it easy, alright."

"Okay."

Aiden left Dogday's room and went into his own, taking off his shoes. He laid down on his oversized bed, thinking about today's event. Aiden felt relief having finally told Sunshine the truth about himself, even if he had to keep Dogday in the dark. The pup was too young for that anyway. On top of that, "Hoppy and Bobby are here." He chuckled, happy to have finally met them. He didn't think they would show up for a while, but they came. Judging by the sounds from Dogday's room, the pup was more excited than him. "Congrats on the friends, buddy." It also raised the question of where the rest of the Critters were, especially Catnap.

The memory of seeing Catnap for the first time still unnerved Aiden. Those cold white eyes that seemed to stare into your soul, the smile he had only added to his malicious image. While working at Playtime Co., Aiden never saw Catnap because Catnap was only allowed to wander around Playcare at night hours after Aiden's shift ended. The rest of the time, he was confined. Aiden asked the other Smiling Critters about him, but they all, except for Dogday, said something was off about Catnap. Hoppy said outright that she didn't trust him and warned Aiden to stay away from him. Dogday was the only one with anything nice to say, talking about Catnap like he was an old buddy.

Aiden was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of Sunshine calling from downstairs, "Aiden, Dogday, Dinner's ready!" Aiden checked the clock and saw that he had been in the room for a while, deciding to save his reminiscing for another time. He exited his room, Dogday doing the same, and they went downstairs together yet again.


Reviews

Guest: I wasn't planning on writing in the Frowning Critters. I didn't find out about them until after I started this story and I don't know how I would write them in as antagonists since they're suppose to the Smiling Critters' opposites, not technically evil versions. Hell to me, Catfeine seems like a cat caffine addicted version of Dogday.

BlackJackist00: Thank you for the compliment. I use Grammarly to weed out spelling errors and help make revisions to text.

Terius62: Considering the story around Poppy Playtime, I thought making Aiden an orphan would be most appropriate. I hope I don't disappoint.