Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Vanessa’s mind was spinning with thoughts as she drove to the Pizzaplex.  I have so much to do!

She had considered calling in, but this was news that Freddy and the others had to hear in person.  Besides, Vanessa needed all the money she could get with the new addition to her household coming soon.

Though it wasn’t likely that the animatronics knew anything about taking care of a kid full time , they knew a thing or two about interacting with them.  It was their job, after all.

She parked the old beater car, put on her hat, and headed towards the entrance.  She passed a few employees who had just finished their shifts before she got to the doors.  Vanessa spotted Freddy near the entrance, saying goodbye to the last few stragglers.  He always did that.

Vanessa let them exit and entered the building, locking the doors behind her and turning to see Freddy waiting anxiously.

“Hi Freddy.”

“Hello, Vanessa!”  He paused, glancing briefly to the side.  “Do you have any news about Gregory..?”

Vanessa chuckled.  “Straight to the point, huh?”

“I-I did not mean to be rude..!  My apologies, Vanessa!  How are y—”

“I’m joking with you, Fazbear.  Lighten up a little.”  Freddy lowered his ears, clearly embarrassed.  “But yes, I do have some news.”  He immediately brightened.  “Let me punch in while you get your friends.”

Freddy was already off running to Rockstar Row, and Vanessa noticed his little bear tail wiggling excitedly.

She pulled out her phone and brought up the work app, pressing the ‘Start Day’ button.  Then Vanessa went through the little gates and entered the lobby, sitting down by the giant Freddy statue and running her fingers through the pool of water as she waited.

Vanessa worried about how the animatronics would take the news.  Freddy would be ecstatic, but that was to be expected.  He was quick to forgive Vanessa, understanding at least a little of what she went through when Glitchtrap took over his mind.  

The others were harder to sway.  Chica was polite, but Vanessa could tell she still had some underlying resentment for her.  Roxanne was rude and mean, though she’d listen and talk, even if she was shooting death glares at the woman the entire time.

Monty was having the hardest time dealing with Vanessa, getting shouty and destructive if she hung around him too long.  To his credit though, he didn’t attack her .  He could’ve ripped her apart whenever he wanted to, so Vanessa figured it was a.. good sign that he was taking out his rage on their surroundings instead.

Vanessa heard some doors behind her open, and watched Sun cartwheel down the stairs to meet her, bells jingling.

“Friend Vanessa!  Freddy told us you had news about little Gregory!”

“Yep, just waiting for the others.”

They clapped their hands, bouncing up and down on their heels.  “Oh I do hope it’s good news!”

“Yeah, I do too.”

Sun began to tell her about all the kids that came into the Daycare earlier, and complained about a little girl who scattered Gummy Fazbears all over the play sets and ball pit.

“Oh, it was such a mess!   I was still finding them all when Freddy called us!”

“Why isn’t there a no food policy in there?”

“One of the very important rules is no food in the play area!   Oh, she was very naughty!   We can’t stand rulebreakers!”

Vanessa had to stifle a laugh at Sun’s dramatics just as the Glamrocks entered the lobby, pushing through the gates and crowding around her.

“What’s the news?!” Chica squawked, bringing her fists close to her chest and swishing her tail.

Everyone’s eyes were drilling holes into her, and Vanessa shrank back at the awkwardness.  I just need to get this over with.

Vanessa cleared her throat and stood up, trying to look—and feel—more confident.  “I just got approved to be a foster parent for Gregory,” she announced.

Freddy gasped, the ground shaking as he went up to her and clamped his paws down on her arms, pinning them to her sides.  His bright blue eyes searched her, and a small smile spread across his face. “Are you serious?” he asked, voice full of hope.

Vanessa gave him a wobbly smile in return, and couldn’t help the huff of a laugh that escaped her.  “Y-Yeah..!”

Freddy let go of her, taking a step back and bringing a paw to his forehead.  “I thought it was going to take months! ”

“Well, I mean, he’s been in the hospital for a month, and a medical care facility for another…  But yeah, we think they sped up the process because of the.. unusual circumstances. ”

Monty’s deep voice spoke up.  “Like the whole almost-bein’-murdered part?”

Vanessa chose to ignore the accusatory tone.  “Along with him having no home and no one knowing who the hell he is.”

“Poor sweetie still won’t answer anything, huh?” Chica asked, fidgeting with her fingers.

Roxy growled.  “That’s for the best.  Whatever bastards he lived with before clearly didn’t care for him.”

Freddy wiggled his ears, turning so he could see everyone.  “That is why we are here!” he said to his friends before giving Vanessa a grin.  “We will be the family that he deserves.”

We can try, at least.

“ Oh! ” Chica cried.  “We should try to make a little room for him here!   I know he’ll have one at your apartment, but he’ll need a place here for sleepovers! ”

“ Yeah! ” Monty shouted, making Vanessa’s ears ring.  “The little guy needs a room he can cool off in!”

Even Roxy was getting excited, her tail wagging.  “There are lots of storage spaces that are pretty useless.  We could use one of those, or find an unused security office.”  She glanced over at Vanessa.  “You know of any?”

Vanessa shook her head.  “Just.. the one.”

“I already destroyed that one!” Monty yelled, baring his teeth.

Freddy scratched the back of his head.  “It was quite the display.  We even blocked off the vent and brought down the catwalk…''  His eyes drifted down to the floor and his expression went blank, likely remembering things he would rather forget.

“Well, uh, thanks for getting rid of that place,” Vanessa replied, forcing away her own memories.

Chica gently placed a hand on Freddy’s arm, but beamed at Vanessa.  “We also heard the police finished their investigation, and your name’s been cleared.”

Roxy scoffed and crossed her arms.  “They were absolutely shit at their jobs for not figuring it out.  So damn gullible.  ‘Oh, robots can’t lie .  They’re not programmed to .’  Fucking idiots. ”

Fazbear Entertainment has had plenty of practice with these kinds of scandals .  “Thank you for covering for me.”

“We did it for Gregory.   Not you! ” Monty snapped.

Chica stomped a foot.  “We can’t keep blaming Vanessa!  She was just as trapped as Bonnie and Freddy were.  As we were!  One way or another, Glitchtrap controlled us.  We don’t blame Bonnie for what Glitchtrap made him do.  We don’t blame each other .  We shouldn’t blame Vanessa, either.”  She glanced over to the woman, still looking like she had reservations, but pushed them aside.  “Vanessa’s taking in Gregory so that he can have a nice home and so we can be his family .  We need to treat her better.”

One of Freddy’s paws was wavering over his chest, looking distressed.  Without a word he left the group, wandering into Glamrock Gifts for a moment alone.

He always seemed to struggle whenever Glitchtrap or Bonnie were mentioned.  Vanessa did too—at least the Glitchtrap part—but she was better at hiding it.

Roxy sighed, lowering her ears.  “Alright, well, let’s figure out where we can set up a room for the kid.”

Monty grunted in response while Chica nodded.  Sun—who Vanessa had almost forgotten was there—clapped and jumped up to join them.  The Daycare Attendant didn’t really have an emotional attachment to Gregory, but they were excited to join in on helping the child that would be staying over.

As they all began to leave, Chica glanced at Vanessa over her shoulder, looking over at Glamrock Gifts and back to her.  Vanessa nodded in understanding, earning a small, grateful smile before they left.

Vanessa slowly entered the gift shop, peering around until she spotted Freddy sitting on the stairs leading to the second floor.  In his paws was the little red heart box he always had with him.

She made her way over, plopping down beside him, though the bear gave her no notice.  She fidgeted with the cuffs of her uniform before finally cutting the silence.  “Any news on him..?”

Freddy flattened his ears.  “They will not repair him,” he scratched out.

“What?  Why not? ”

Freddy’s face contorted with a mixture of anger and sorrow.  “The company has decided he is not worth salvaging, ” he spat, as if the words were poison on his tongue.  “They said his chip was too damaged to even bother with.  That they do not want to waste money on a broken animatronic .  Especially one they had already phased out. ”  He tightened his grip on the box, gritting his teeth.

Vanessa twiddled her thumbs and looked down.  “It might just be that he wouldn’t be able to come back after all that damage—”

“He was there when Glitchtrap was defeated!” Freddy shouted, startling her.  “He was alive!   He could still think and feel and.. and…”  He trailed off, somehow looking exhausted.  He began again, his voice now painfully quiet.  “The only reason I got his chip back was because the janitorial staff found it and snuck it back to me before it could be destroyed…”

“That was nice of them,” Vanessa mumbled.

Freddy stared at the box for a moment.  “I do not know what I would have done if I lost him.  Again.  Forever.”  He carefully lifted the lid to look at Bonnie’s chip.  It was bad .  “It feels like I already have…”

“He’s not really.. dead though, right?”

Freddy shook his head.  “He is still in there.  Sleeping, I suppose.  But.. he will never wake up.  Not unless the company decides they want him back.”

Vanessa looked away.  If corporate wanted Bonnie back, they’d just make a brand new one.   A while ago, Vanessa would’ve said ‘problem solved’ to that, but she knew better now.

“What if.. you put his chip in with yours, again..?”

Freddy shut his eyes.  “Our chips were not made to share a body for long, like Sun and Moon.  The technicians have told me.. several times that it would tear apart our coding and kill us both within a year…  Too much strain on the systems, I suppose…”

“I’m sorry, Freddy.”  She didn’t know what else to say.

They sat in silence, both lost in thought for almost an hour after the talk.

Her back was starting to ache from her seat on the steps, and eventually Vanessa had to get up to stretch, her spine cracking.

Freddy gazed up at her, almost looking concerned under the emotional haze.  The bear took a breath, opening his hatch and putting Bonnie’s chip safely inside before getting to his feet and watching Vanessa closely.

“Is.. there anything I can do to help you prepare for Gregory’s arrival in your home..?”

Yes .  “No, that’s okay, Freddy.  I’m figuring it all out.”

The bear shifted anxiously.  “I would like to help.  Chica said it is good to.. distract myself when I am feeling down, and that it is not healthy to wallow all day and night.”  He paused.  “Roxanne suggested a long cry, and Monty told me to break something, but I have found that neither are very helpful for me…”

“Well, I could use your suggestions on my list of things I need to get for Gregory.  I’m not sure if I have everything, and I don’t really know if I can afford all of it right now…  So I guess I need to figure out the necessities and add anything I missed.”

Freddy nodded, looking eager to find something new to focus on and help Gregory at the same time.  “I do not know everything a child needs, but I will assist you however I can.”

“Great, give me a second.”  She pulled out her phone, and Freddy leaned over her shoulder to see.  “So I’ve got a room for him, and I managed to snag a bed and some sheets,” she began.  “I’ve got basics like toothbrushes, some hand me downs…  Oh, and I ordered some dishes and cups so he doesn’t have to use paper stuff like I have.”  She paused, flushing with embarrassment.

Freddy hummed.  “What are some items you are still looking for?”  Vanessa was grateful he made no comment on her less than luxurious living conditions.

“I need a warm blanket for him.  It’s getting damn cold and I can’t afford to turn the heat up very high.”  Maybe I’m not qualified for this at all.   “I also want to get him some more clothes and toys, but I don’t really know his size, and I hope my games and his plushies will keep him occupied at least for a little while.”

Freddy looked around and pulled out some blankets from one of the shelves.  “He can have some of these,” the bear said with a smile.

Vanessa snorted.  “No offense, but I don’t think I can afford Fazbear merch.”

He wiggled his ears.  “But you will have the employee discount.”  Vanessa opened her mouth to interrupt, but he continued.  “Since Gregory has not told us his birthday, there is no reason not to assume it is closeby, so we will give you a birthday discount…”

“Freddy—”

The bear went over to the counter, his eyes flashing briefly as he connected to the checkout computer.  “He also deserves VIP status for the night he went through, which will take thirty percent more off.  And you are recognized as a hero to the media, which I believe would qualify for another discount.”

Vanessa watched in awe as Freddy rattled off every excuse and discount he could, scanning four blankets, at least a dozen sweaters, hoodies, and tshirts,—Freddy said he looked like a small or medium—a winter coat, figurines, and a playground ball for good measure.

“Freddy, really, I don’t think I can—”

“With the discounts, the total would be thirty seven dollars and forty six cents,” he announced proudly, spinning the monitor around to show her.  Her jaw dropped in shock.  There was no way all that didn’t cost over two hundred dollars.  

Vanessa felt her eyes start to sting and water.  “Freddy.. This is too much…”

“Oh!  If it is still too expensive we can put some things back.”  He hummed.  “Or perhaps there are coupons to be found.  I can look through the system to see if there are any active at the moment.”  She sniffled and wiped her eyes, drawing Freddy’s attention.  “Officer Vanessa, are you alright?  I did not mean to upset you…”

“ God , Freddy, you didn’t upset me ,” she laughed weakly.  “It’s just—I—Thank you…”

Freddy wiggled his ears and smiled.  “I am always happy to help.”

Chapter Text

Gregory squirmed anxiously as the nurse wheeled him towards the front entrance.  He was finally going to get out of this stuffy building!  He was actually going to go somewhere he might eventually call home .

He squeezed his plushies.  It was kind of scary when he thought about it.  Moving in with Vanessa?   It sounded crazy!   But she’d been so kind to him in the hospital, even if he couldn’t remember half of her visits.

It was weird enough that the animatronics were so nice, but then having the lady who’d been mind-controlled to kill him be nice, too?   That was even weirder.

“Are you excited to go to your new home?” the nurse asked gently.  Gregory nodded, because when it came down to it, he really was eager to have a cozy place to live.  And the sooner he settled in, the sooner he’d get to see Freddy, Chica, Roxy, and Monty.

They rounded a corner, and Gregory spotted the tired looking woman.  Vanessa was wearing a big green winter coat, her face red from the cold outside.  Draped over her arm looked like a smaller coat.

Gregory nearly fell out of the wheelchair at the sight of her.  “Vanessa!”

She turned and gave him a wave when she spotted him, the nurse wheeling him closer.  “Hey, Gregory.  Ready to head home? ”  Gregory nodded enthusiastically.  “Great.  Switch stuff with me, will you?”  She took the plushies off his hands and gave him what she had.

Gregory’s eyes widened when he inspected the coat.  It was a Freddy-themed parka, bright orange with the lighter stomach and bright lightning bolt.  In the hood, he found a bright red and cyan hat and scarf to go with it, along with simple black gloves.

“Are these for me? ”

Vanessa snorted.  “Well they won’t fit me .  I knitted the scarf and hat, so let me know if there’s anything wrong with them so I can fix it when we get home.”

“They’re awesome! ”  He quickly pulled the coat on, followed by the scarf and hat.  He fumbled with the zipper, too excited to get a good grip.  Vanessa leaned down and zipped it up, giving him a little chuckle before returning his plushies into his arms.

“Before we send him off, there are a few things we need you to sign,” the nurse said, gesturing towards the front desk.

“Yeah, sure.”  The nurse led the way, and Vanessa took Gregory’s wheelchair and followed close behind.

While Vanessa and the nurses talked, Gregory was bouncing in his seat.  His fingers grasped the scarf around his neck, feeling the soft fabric and following the lines of yarn.

“Here are the instructions for his physical therapy stretches that he needs to do everyday.   If he doesn’t do them, his leg won’t get any better and he’ll be stuck with permanent damage.”

Vanessa winced.  “Yikes.”

“If he takes proper care of it, it won’t affect him more than a slight change in gait.”

Vanessa glanced back over at him.  “You hear that?  Stretches everyday.”

Gregory rolled his eyes.  “Yeah yeah, I got it.”  The doctors and nurses had already given him that speech a million times .

They talked a little more about his treatment and the monthly doctor check-ins, Vanessa signed the papers, and then everyone turned to him.

“I’ll go grab the car and bring it around,” Vanessa said with another smile, giving him a pat on the head before she left the building.

The nurse brought him to the entrance, and when an ugly old grey car pulled up, the nurse wheeled him out.

Gregory huddled into his coat against the bitter cold.

He heard Vanessa laugh at him as she opened the back door and helped him stand up.  He was careful to keep as much weight as he could off his injured leg as she helped him into the car.

“It’s damn cold! ”

“I’ll crank up the heat, don’t worry,” she assured him, shutting his door.  She thanked the nurse and went to the driver’s seat.  As promised, she turned up the heater all the way.  “All set?”

Gregory double checked that he had all his plushies before nodding and putting on his seatbelt.  “Uh huh.”

The car rumbled and jerked as she started it up and drove them out of the parking lot.  Vanessa flicked on the radio and Gregory watched the buildings and trees go by as they went.

Vanessa peeked at him in the rearview mirror.  “We’ll call your friends later.  How does that sound?”

Gregory beamed.  He couldn’t wait to talk to them again!  It had been over a week and he was going crazy!   “Can we?”

“I’ll send them a message to figure out when they’re free.  I think they’re still working.”

After a while, Vanessa pulled into a parking lot behind a small apartment building.  She shut off her car and leaned towards him.

“Is this where you live?”

“Yeah, it’s not much, but the neighborhood’s kind of safe and it’s close to work.”  She glanced at the building, then back to him.  “How far can you walk?”

Gregory put on a serious expression.  “I’m fine.  I don’t need help.”

She deadpanned.  “Yeah, okay, I’ll carry you.”

“I just said I’m fine! ”

“Well I don’t want you slipping on the ice and breaking your neck! ”

“I’m not stupid!   It’s not even icy out!  At least let me walk to the door! ”  Vanessa went around to his side.  Grumbling, he unbuckled his seatbelt and Vanessa helped him out.  To his surprise, she let him walk, though she stayed close and helped him along.

They got inside, and Gregory was panting heavily, leg aching.  Vanessa then picked him up and slowly climbed the stairs to the second floor where she set him back down again.

She searched her pockets until she found the keys.  “Welcome home, Gregory,” she said, swinging the door open and gesturing inside dramatically.

He shuffled in with a grin, examining every bit of the apartment from where he stood.

To his left was an old couch facing towards the door with a television against the wall.  The tiny living room seemed to double as a craft room, with bins lining the walls, yarn scattered about.

To the right was a tiny kitchen with fake wooden cabinets.  On the refrigerator, Gregory saw little magnets of the Glamrocks holding up pieces of paper.

Gregory hobbled over, taking one of the papers down.

Vanessa was putting her coat up on the rack and taking off her boots when she noticed him moving in.

“Hey, take off your shoes!  You’re getting sludge all over my floors!”  She came over and dragged a chair up to him.  Gregory sat down, still looking at the paper in his hands as Vanessa pulled off his shoes.

“Did the others make these?”

Vanessa tossed his shoes at the door.  “Yeah, they wanted you to have a little surprise.”  She got him out of his winter gear, walking back to the coat rack to put everything away.

Gregory smiled down at the paper.  The one he had was from Chica, done in pink glitter pen.  It was a cute drawing of her and Gregory, along with a fancy ‘Get well soon!’ written in the corner.

He reached for the others.

Monty’s—done in red-orange marker—was drawn with thick, sharp lines, but Gregory could still make out the gator and himself smiling together.  In all caps, he had written ‘ROCK AND ROLL!’.

Roxy’s was next.  Green marker and highlighter were used, showing him and her racing, ‘You’re the best!’ scrawled across the bottom.

Freddy’s was last, and it was real rough .  Apparently the bear was awful at drawing, but there were areas where it looked like he’d gotten some help.  It made sense; his paws were really big .  Amongst the scribbles of blue glitter pen, Gregory recognized Freddy and himself.  They looked so happy in the drawing.

What really got him was the message.  He hadn’t meant to, but he read it aloud, voice wobbling.  “We love you, Superstar…”

His eyes began to water and a hiccup escaped him, drawing Vanessa’s attention.  He tried to hide it, but it was too late.

But.. instead of being yelled at, he was pulled into a gentle hug.

“Did they get all mushy on you?”  She paused.  “Or is my apartment really that shitty?”  He let out a choked laugh as she leaned back.  “At least take a look at your room before you decide this place is a dump .”

Gregory nodded, wiping his eyes and nose before she helped him up and walked him slowly down the hall across from the front door.

There were four closed doors in the hall.  “Where do all these go..?”

She opened the first on the right.  “Here’s the bathroom.”  She shuffled them along a few steps, opening the one door on the left.  “This one’s my room, so if you need me while I’m sleeping, you can come right in.  This one,” she began, opening the little door in the far back wall, “is just a storage closet for towels and sheets.”

Gregory looked up at the last door on the right, eyes widening at the wooden sign with his name painted on, once again in Freddy’s red and cyan.  He peered at Vanessa who gave him a thumbs up before peeking inside.

Gregory gasped.  “This is mine.. ?”

“Yeah, sorry it’s kind of small.  I also didn’t want to decorate it too much because I don’t know what you like.”  In the far corner was a bed with dark blue sheets.  On top of them were four blankets laid out, one for each Glamrock.  “We weren’t sure which one you’d want, so we just grabbed all of them.  Besides, it’ll be nice to layer them all on top of each other on cold nights.”

There was a dresser with a mirror, a desk beside the head of his bed, a closet at its foot, and a bookshelf to the left of the door.  Above the bed was a little window.  Everything was a bit cramped and crowded.  It’s perfect!

Vanessa nudged him in, and he immediately collapsed onto the bed, his plushies scattering across it.  The blankets were all so soft .

He glanced back at the bookshelf and noticed figurines of his friends, too.  The shelves were filled with mostly random books that looked old and well-loved.  He’d never had his own books!

“I’ve got some old hand-me-downs in your dresser, though they might still be big on you.  They could work as pajamas, though.”  He grinned so hard at Vanessa that his cheeks started to hurt.

“This is amazing! ”

“Well damn, I was expecting some insults.”  Vanessa went to the closet and showed him the insides.  He crawled across the bed— his bed —to get a better look.  “We grabbed a few shirts from the Pizzaplex, but I’ll take you out to a thrift store so you can pick out your own stuff, too.”

“V-Vanessa.. this is so nice…”  He sniffled and wiped his eyes as more tears began to run down his cheeks.  He couldn’t help it.  Everything was so overwhelming and wonderful.  What did I do to deserve all this..?

The bed dipped as Vanessa sat down next to him and gave him a side hug.  “I’m really glad you like it, Gregory.”  She rested her head on top of his as he cried it out, rubbing his arm up and down.

When he calmed down a bit, he drew back.  “S-Sorry…”

“What?  For lying that you like the place?” she teased.  “Hey, I’ve got some ice cream waiting in the freezer for us.  You like ice cream, right?”

He gave her a shaky smile.  “Yeah.”

“Oh good.  For a moment I thought you were crazy. ”  Vanessa elbowed him and stood up.  “I’ll go get everything out.  Let me know if you need help with anything.”

She was about to leave the room when Gregory spoke up.  “Thank you, Vanessa…”

Her face softened.  “You don’t have to thank me for anything.  You saved me from him.”  She paused, looking at her feet.  “And now you gave me some sort of meaning.”  Vanessa sighed, shot him a warm smile, and turned down the hallway.

Gregory curled into a ball, pulling his blankets close and hugging himself tight.  This all felt too good to be true.

This was his room!   Everything in it belonged to him!   The bed was so warm and soft, his room so cozy and clean.

And Vanessa was insanely nice .  He had expected the act to drop once they left the hospital, but.. she hadn’t.  Did she actually like having him in her apartment?  She must have, or she wouldn’t have been so generous with everything.

I have a home…  I have the weirdest, best family ever, and we’re all safe…

Vanessa’s voice called from the kitchen.  “Gregory, I got all the toppings out!  I even found some rainbow sprinkles in the back!”

And now I’m getting ice cream .

He wasn’t sure he would ever get used to all this.  It would always feel special.

Chapter Text

Gregory was washing the second potato in the sink, eyeing Vanessa as she struggled to cut the first one.

He’d noticed pretty early on that there weren’t any real knives in the apartment.  All they had were rounded off dinner knives, which made things significantly difficult to cut.

Gregory didn’t mind, though.  After that night, he was grateful not to see any, and he knew they made Vanessa anxious too.  On particularly bad days, she’d bring out plastic utensils.

One of those bad days had been terrible timing.  Vanessa had gotten some pork on sale because they were about to go bad, so they had to eat it that night .  Cutting through was impossible , and Gregory gave up and resorted to picking it up in his hands and chowing down.  His ‘horrible manners’ certainly lightened the mood.

“Damn it,” Vanessa muttered, still trying to slice through the potato with the dull dinner knife.  She wanted to make a special meal for them that night, but she always seemed to forget about the cutting part of the preparation.

Gregory set the second potato down on the counter and sat down.  He dangled his legs, trying to think of what they could do.  “Hey Vanessa..?”

She set the knife down—something she always did before addressing him when she was eating or cooking—and turned her gaze towards him.  He could see the frustration in her frown and furrowed brows.  “Yeah?”

He unconsciously traced the little scars on his hand as he thought.  “What if we just make baked potatoes instead of cutting stuff?”  He looked up, trying to read her expression.  “Then it wouldn’t be so hard to make, right?”

She glanced back at the potatoes in defeat.  “That’d be a good move, wouldn’t it?”  Vanessa sighed.  “Okay smart guy, find a decent recipe on loaded baked potatoes for me.”  She tossed him her phone.  He fumbled, but managed to catch it before it could crash to the floor.

Gregory squinted, deciding to try a different source.  He got off the chair and shuffled over to the craft table where he’d left his Fazwatch.  He typed in a little message to Chica, asking her if she knew any good recipes, or employees who might know.

He knew the Glamrocks did their last performance at seven, so she had a good hour and a half to reply.

It certainly didn’t take that long, though.  Chica replied only four minutes later.  “Hi Gregory!”

“Hi Chica!  We’re making potatoes and we need some help.”

Vanessa walked over and leaned down to listen, her hair dangling over her shoulder.

“I’ve totally got you covered!” she chirped.  “I grabbed Mara from the Faz-Pad.  She knows all about making extra good baked potatoes!”

Mara gave them her recipe she makes at home, while Chica threw in her suggestions of things to add.

Gregory glanced up to see Vanessa furiously typing away on her phone to keep up.  She asked a few questions, and eventually they got it all sorted.

Vanessa and Gregory stuck their potatoes with their forks to get enough holes in.

“How’s everyone doing?” Gregory asked Chica while they cooked.

“Oh, we’re all okay!  It’s a little hard to get back into the groove of everything after that night, but we’re working on it!”

Gregory could relate far too easily, though with the addition of losing their friend Bonnie, he figured it was harder for them.

Vanessa spoke up.  “Are you guys playing any good music, tonight?”

“We always play good music!”  Chica paused before rattling off the list of songs for the night performance.  “We can give you a live performance through the Fazwatch if you want!  All we have to do is link up with it while we play.”

Gregory nodded eagerly.  “That’d be great!”

Vanessa and Gregory both startled when the oven beeped loudly.  He hated how his heart pounded at something so stupid .  The blaring alarm reminded him too much of the incident in the arcade.  The deafening music, running for their lives, the ground quaking, watching Monty get destroyed, cowering in a corner…  

Vanessa ran over to turn the alarm off and put their potatoes in the oven.

“Everything okay?” Chica asked, voice full of concern.  He felt Vanessa pick him up and plop him down on the couch.

“Yeah, just the alarm for the oven.  It’s a little too loud,” Vanessa explained.  She threw the Monty blanket around Gregory and gave him a pat on the head before sitting beside him and rubbing his back.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry, sweetie.”

“I’ll call you a little before the performance and let you know if he’s up to listening,” Vanessa said quietly.

“Sure, no problem.  Just feel better, okay, hun?”

Gregory nodded, and Vanessa replied for him.  “Thanks.  Take care, Chica.”  She slipped the Fazwatch out of his hand and disconnected them, setting it back down on the table.  He felt her eyes trained on him.  “Well, we’ve got a while until the potatoes are ready, so what do we want to do?”  She waited for an answer before continuing.  “We could watch a movie or play a game.”

“M’kay,” he mumbled, not really giving her a real answer.

Vanessa turned on the console, deciding to put on a peaceful game with soft music.  She put a controller in front of Gregory in case he wanted to join in as she began to build a little farm.

“I could really use a hand watering all this wheat,” she tried to coax, giving him a gentle nudge.  Gregory just watched and listened to the music, calming down.  

After a half an hour, he reached for the second controller and tentatively joined in.  His nerves calmed even faster with the distraction and fun, and he even got comfortable enough to start harvesting Vanessa’s crops and hiding them while she complained that they just weren’t growing.

His shenanigans were stopped when she watched his half of the screen to find where he was hoarding them all and stole the crops back.

She glanced over at the kitchen from where they sat.

“Are they almost done?” he asked quietly.

“Just a few more minutes.”  She looked down at him and gave him a reassuring smile.  “I’ll get there before the alarm starts, don’t worry.”  Vanessa got up and walked to the oven.  She peeked back at the tv screen and scowled.  “Hey!  I see you trapping me!”

Gregory snickered.  He watched Vanessa turn off the timer a minute early before looking inside at the potatoes.  She pulled them out and went back over the instructions.  She continued with the second part of the preparations before returning to his side.

“Is it almost ready?”

“Soon.”  She brought him into a side hug with a gentle squeeze.  It was nice.  “Are you feeling any better?”

“Yeah,” he answered.  He was still nervous, but he thought by bedtime he’d have no trouble falling asleep.  “Can we listen to them play, tonight?”

“Sure.  I’ll send them a message.”

The night continued calm and peaceful, with a little excitement from the performance and his friends saying hello.  Gregory ended up falling asleep on the couch without realizing it, but found himself waking up cozy and warm in his bed the next morning.

Chapter Text

Vanessa woke up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, heart pounding, head spinning.  She trembled as she stared into the darkness, waiting in delirious terror for Glitchtrap to slip out of the shadows and take her mind again.

His voice had echoed in her dreams, laughing and mocking her.  Threatening to take away her new peaceful life and hissing commands to kill the boy who had saved her life.  Who she was starting to find a family in.

“No.. no no no…” she whispered in a panic, clutching her head and squeezing her eyes shut.

He’s gone.. they killed him.

Her mind flashed back to when Vanny pulled Gregory away from safety with a knife pointed at his throat.

He’s not safe.  He can’t stay with me.  How do I know Vanny is gone, too?

Vanessa fumbled in the dark for the Fazwatch on her dresser.  She couldn’t tell anyone.  They were the only ones she could talk to.

She pressed the little tophat and struggled to get enough air.

“Hello, Vanessa!  It is very late for you to be calling.”  She couldn’t find the words to answer.  All she could do was try to get enough air in her lungs.  “Vanessa..?  Vanessa, are you and Gregory alright?!  Vanessa, please tell me what is happening..!”

“I—Gitchtrap—I—”

“Vanessa, take a deep breath…”  She struggled for a while to calm herself enough to stop gasping for breath.  Her heart still felt like it was trying to burst out of her chest.  “What is going on?” Freddy’s voice asked gently.

“I—I didn’t know who else to call…”

“That is alright.  I am not very busy, and I am always happy to help.”  He went quiet, waiting for her to tell him what happened.

She swallowed the bile that had risen to the back of her throat.  “I don’t think I’m safe for Gregory to be around,” she whispered.

There was a pause.  “Why is that..?”  He sounded nervous.

“I—I dreamed about Glitchtrap…  It felt so real this time!  What if he’s not really gone?  What if he’s come back for me?  God, Freddy, I don’t want to hurt Gregory again! ”

“I do not think you will hurt him, but if you are worried, perhaps you can set up a safe-word and a plan if you ever feel unsafe around him…”  Freddy’s voice rumbled softly.  “It will be alright.  Glitchtrap is gone.  Bonnie and I made sure of it.  All of us have been checking the network and our coding every night as an extra precaution.  There has been no sign of the Showtime Virus or Glitchtrap anywhere.”

“But I don’t have coding..!   How could he get inside my head if he was just a virus?   He was something more!   He made Vanny!   What if she’s still in my head? ”

Freddy hummed.  “When Princess Quest Three was beat, Vanny disappeared, correct?”

“Yes, but—”

“And when Gregory got Cassidy in my head, I suspect they were more than just a piece of code as well.”

“Freddy, what—”

“Vanny was a piece of Glitchtrap, and she is gone, too.  His link with you was broken when Cassidy was freed, and Cassidy made sure Glitchtrap would not return.”

Vanessa let out a sob.  “What if we missed something?”

“Then we will seek it out and make sure he is gone,” he reassured her.  “But do not panic.  He was not real.  This was just a very bad dream.  I have been asking some of the employees what they know about trauma, and it seems to be rather common for nightmares to become an issue.”

Vanessa wiped the hot tears from her cheek.  “Y—You’ve been researching trauma..?”

“Yes.  I want to make sure I am fully prepared to help Gregory if he is ever struggling with it.”  He paused, his voice quieter.  “I have also found that much of what I have researched is applicable to myself and the others…  I had not thought about applying this knowledge to you, but I hope I can provide you some support as well, though I am certainly no expert.”

Vanessa took a shaky breath and ran her fingers through her hair.  “So.. what do I do..?”

“You could talk about the events that upset you, or just about the dream,” he suggested slowly.  “I have also read that a good way to help with the nightmares is to rewrite them as something less scary.”

She didn’t want to think any more about Glitchtrap.  It was making her want to throw up.  “No,” she insisted quietly.

Freddy hummed thoughtfully.  “Perhaps we could just chat about pleasant things for now.”

“I don’t know what I should talk about,” she mumbled.  How could anything good come to mind when all she could think about was Glitchtrap?

“Gregory has told me that you like to play video games together.  Would that be a good place to start?”

“I guess so…”

They talked for hours; mostly about random little things that soothed her nerves and took her mind off Glitchtrap.  Freddy’s deep voice was grounding.  It was weird to think she was talking to a massive animatronic bear at three in the morning.  Because of a nightmare featuring a mass-murdering, mind-controlling rabbit.

Freddy kept rambling as she slowly drifted off to sleep.  Maybe things would actually be alright.

Gregory hid under his blankets, trying to block out the world around him.  He’d had another nightmare, and he wasn’t ready to face the day.  He couldn’t get the images out of his head, and he knew he’d crumble if he saw her.

He hugged his plushies tight to his chest, his fear growing as the sunlight brightened his room.  If he didn’t get up soon, Vanessa would wonder why.  He didn’t want her to come marching into his room, pull his blankets off him, and make him play out the day like everything was fine.  

But it was only a matter of time.

A gentle knock on his door sent shivers down his spine.  “Gregory?  It’s almost noon…  You okay?”  He curled into himself and squeezed his eyes shut, wishing she would leave.  He heard some scuffling on the other side of the door.  “Can I come in?”  Gregory involuntarily whimpered.  Vanessa paused.  “Is it a bad day..?” she asked hesitantly.

Yes , he wanted to reply, but just the thought of speaking filled him with dread.  Every bone in his body screamed at him to stay still, stay silent, and stay hidden.  He knew Vanessa wasn’t going to hurt him anymore, that Vanny was gone.  But logic didn’t always apply to fear.

He heard her footsteps leave the hall, and he let out a trembling breath.  Gregory wiped the tears off his cheeks and took a moment to calm himself.  It’s all over.  Vanny’s not gonna come back.  Vanessa’s nice now.

He almost peeked out of his covers when footsteps began closing in.  Gregory gasped and burrowed deeper into the blankets, as if fluffy cloth could prevent him from being found or protect him from a knife.  It was silly, but it was all he had.

There was a soft clunk in the hall, followed by the sound of paper being slid under the door.  Then the footsteps retreated.

Gregory wasn’t sure how long he waited, but eventually he poked his face out from the safety of the blankets, peering down at his door with suspicion.  Sure enough, there was a piece of paper sitting at his door.  

He cautiously slid out of bed, snagging the Chica blanket on top and wrapping it around himself as he approached.  Crouching down, he picked up the paper and read it.

There’s a box outside the door with some stuff to keep you entertained.  I’ll drop off dinner later tonight, but you won’t have to see me.  If you need anything, you can knock and slide some paper under the door, or send a message on your Fazwatch.  Take as much time as you need.

Setting it aside, Gregory slowly cracked open his door.  He stared out into the hall, eyes wide as he watched for any sign of movement.  The television was on; Vanessa was probably watching a show.

Turning his attention to the box in front of his door, Gregory saw a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of milk, along with the handheld gaming console, some paper, and crayons.  He quickly dragged the box inside and shut the door.

He leaned against his bed as he ate his brunch, trying to ignore the guilt churning his stomach.  Here Vanessa was doing all these nice things for him; taking him in, giving him a warm home with food and clean water.  Helping him with his physical therapy, working through the trauma, and sometimes just having fun.  She was turning his understanding of what homelife was on its head.

And here he was, hiding from her and too afraid to speak.  She probably thought he was ungrateful for everything.  But.. the note seemed to say otherwise.

Vanessa has had a few bad days before…  She’s been too anxious to make eye contact or carry a conversation, before.  She’d come out and help him with food and his exercises, but sometimes that was all she could do before retreating back to her room.

So, it was the same, right..?  But Gregory owed her so much.  It felt wrong to hide away.  It was okay for her to do that, but that’s because she was the one providing.  Adults always had way worse problems than kids, and it was his job to make her days better as thanks for all that she was giving up.

At least, that’s what he’d always been told by his.. previous family.  But Vanessa never seemed to follow the rules he’d lived by for so long…  So what was he supposed to do?  Was the note she’d given him a trick?  A test?  Or was it genuine, and that she actually wanted him to take time for himself to feel better?

Gregory was getting a headache trying to decipher the mess.

He grabbed the game console and began to play, getting lost in the adventures that helped calm him down.  At one point he left the game on for music while he drew pictures.

Eventually he had to sneak to the bathroom, but he didn’t see Vanessa, and managed to hurry back to his room without being detected.

He tried his best to follow the stretch routine for his leg, but it was a lot harder to do without Vanessa to help and make sure he was doing everything right.  He considered going out to ask her for assistance, but his fear immediately shot that idea down when memories of Vanny chasing him resurfaced. 

Gregory scrambled to his bed and buried himself under the blankets again, his ears listening for any little sound, heart pounding.  After a while, exhaustion took over, and he managed to get a nap into his day.

When Gregory woke up, it was almost six, and delicious smell was starting to waft into his room.  Gregory carefully crept to his door, wrapped again in his blanket.  He opened the door as quietly as he could manage, and was hit by the smell of herbs, spices, and tomato sauce.  He peered down the hall before tiptoeing towards the kitchen.

He pressed against the wall and chanced a look around the corner into the kitchen.  There was Vanessa, her back turned, standing over the stove.  Gregory watched her owlishly as she scooped the pasta into the two bowls on the counter.

She paused, and he sucked in a breath, worried that she’d noticed him.  But she took out her phone, scrolled a bit, and popped in her earbuds.  Then she grabbed her bowl and drink, slowly heading towards the couch.

Gregory scrambled back into the bathroom, watching her from behind the doorway as she laid down—her back to the kitchen—and began to eat.  Gregory slinked towards the kitchen, eyeing her anxiously.  She seemed to be watching something on her phone, and made no sign that she knew he was there.

He snatched his bowl and his cup of apple juice beside it.  Staring at Vanessa, he crept back into his room and shut the door before he began to eat his dinner.

When he finished, he put his dirty dishes in the hall with his drawing, along with a little ‘thank you’ note to Vanessa.

Tomorrow would be better, and maybe he’d be able to find a proper way to thank Vanessa for everything.

Chapter Text

Gregory peeled open his eyes, sunlight streaming in from his window.  He rolled out of bed without thinking, letting out a yelp when he hit the floor and jostled his leg.  Groaning, he glanced up at the clock on his desk.  It was a few minutes after ten.

He used his bed and desk to help him get up.  Then he grabbed the Roxy-themed blanket from his bed and wrapped it around his shoulders as he trudged lazily down the hall.

Vanessa was on the couch, watching tv, though her attention was drawn more to the yarn in her hands.  It was a common sight to wake up to, and Vanessa said the knitting calmed her anxiety.

Gregory flopped down beside her and stared at the screen.  Some talk show was on, but she took the remote and changed it to cartoons.

She snickered, pulling his sleepy gaze away from the television.  “Your hair looks ridiculous ,” she said with a grin.  “It’s sticking up all over the place!”

“Oh…”

Vanessa went back to knitting, but he felt her eyeing him.  “Did you stay up all night playing the old DS?”

Gregory pouted and refused to answer, making Vanessa laugh.

He watched the repetitive motions of weaving the yarn.  It was almost hypnotizing.

“What are you making?”

Vanessa shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I just grabbed some yarn and started knitting.  I might turn it into something or just take it apart.  Haven’t decided yet.”

“What have you made?”

She squinted down at him and Gregory immediately looked away.

Shit!  I asked too many questions and now she’s mad!

He nervously sat up and squirmed to the far end of the couch, trying not to irritate her any more than he already had.  He didn’t know why he kept letting his guard down and screwing up.  Gregory knew better than that!

And yet here he was, getting comfortable and forgetting how easily adults could turn around and snap.

But again, he was pleasantly surprised.  “Well, you know I make hats and scarves.  I made a sweater once, but that was earlier on when I didn’t really know what I was doing.  It completely fell apart after I threw it in the wash.”

He stared at her owlishly, building up enough courage to reply.  “That’s cool,” he mumbled.

“Yeah,” she agreed, brightening up.  “I’m trying to set up a little side shop online where I can sell stuff.  I could use the extra income.”

“I’m sorry!” Gregory blurted, Vanessa giving him an odd look.

“For.. what?”

“For wasting your money!  And for taking up space, and—”

Vanessa frowned and immediately interrupted him.  “Okay, stop right there.”  Gregory shut his mouth with a click of his teeth.  “You aren’t wasting my money.  I like having you here.  If I didn’t want you, I wouldn’t have taken you in the first place.  And the money?  Everyone struggles a little with money, and it’s not because of you. ”  She paused.  “Besides, once I start working again at the Pizzaplex, I’m getting a pay raise for all the ‘heroics’ I did.”

Gregory couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across his face.  They’d seen some news stations talk about the crazy night, but all of them had everything wrong .  Fazbear Entertainment ran with the story, boasting about how their advanced animatronics and highly skilled security guard were able to keep him perfectly safe.   With so much information being kept under wraps, people believed it all.

Vanessa elbowed him gently.  “So don’t worry about a thing, Gregory.  You’re good company.  Besides, I owe you.”  She grunted as she got off the couch and headed into the kitchen.  “What do you want for breakfast?  And no, I’m not making waffles again.”

Gregory grinned, remembering the horrible mess they made yesterday.  “Just cereal…”

“Good.  I’m not in the mood to cook anything.”  She gave him a joking look as she poured the cereal, bringing the bowl over to him on the couch.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

“Yeah yeah.”  Vanessa went back to knitting while he ate his breakfast and watched tv.

When he finished up, he peered back at her yarn.  An idea popped into his head.  “Hey Vanessa..?”

“Hm?”

“Can.. you show me how to do that?”

“What, knit?”

“Yeah,” he answered sheepishly.

Vanessa raised an eyebrow at him.  “You’re gonna look like an old lady , you know,” she teased.

Gregory wrinkled his nose at her.  “I don’t care!”

She laughed and ruffled his already unruly bedhead.  “Let me find another pair of needles and I’ll show you the ropes.”

Gregory beamed as she started searching through her bins.  He wanted to help her make stuff to sell.  He wasn’t any good at crafts—having hardly any experience with them—but if he could learn how to knit, he could help out.

He also had another motive for wanting to learn.  As much as Vanessa said he didn’t owe her anything, Gregory still wanted to find a way to thank her and the Glamrocks.  He hoped to make everyone some kind of gift, though he wasn’t quite sure what.

I’ll figure that out when I know how to make stuff.

Vanessa dropped the wooden knitting needles in his lap, along with a ball of navy blue yarn.

“Alright, buddy.  Let’s get started with the basics.”

Vanessa pulled into a parking spot as close to the building as she could get.  She and Gregory had been running errands all day.  They’d gone to a thrift store and grabbed a good collection of clothes for Gregory.  She wished she could afford better, but money was a little tight.

After that, they’d gotten groceries, and now they were at the craft store at Gregory’s request.

Vanessa got out and waited patiently for Gregory to follow.  She noticed him trying to hide a grimace as he shut his door.  She’d talked to him a couple times about getting something to help him walk, but every time he refused.  Vanessa had an itching suspicion that he was afraid it’d make him look weak.  She knew he’d lived on the streets for a few months before taking shelter in the Pizzaplex, and she knew he’d picked up bad habits and ideas from it.  That, along with his abusive past…  Of course he’d worry about being targeted because of his injury.

I’ll talk to Freddy about how to work through that with him.  I don’t want the poor kid to live his life in fear…

Vanessa glanced around, and an idea popped into her head.  “Hey, can you stay here for one sec?”

Gregory huffed.  “It’s cold out here!”

“I’ll be two seconds, don’t be dramatic.  We’ll get inside faster this way.”  He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, but didn’t protest anymore.

Vanessa jogged to the corral, grabbing a cart and pushing it back to Gregory who leaned against the car.

Gregory gave her a strange look.  “They have those inside.”

“Yeah, but this way you can ride in.”

“I’m not a baby!  I’m not sitting in the baby seat!”

“I was just gonna throw you in the basket,” Vanessa said with a shrug.

Gregory eyed it suspiciously.  “Why’re you doing this?”

“Because you’ve been walking all day and you need a break.  Besides, we’re not gonna fill the cart, and it’ll be fun.”

He frowned, weighing his options before giving in.  “Fine.”  Vanessa lifted him in, and he sat out front while Vanessa pushed the cart into the store.

“So what did you want to buy here?” Vanessa asked, glancing around at the signs.

“I kinda wanted to get more yarn,” he admitted quietly.  Vanessa couldn’t help the smirk spreading across her lips.  Since he started learning to knit, she’d found crayon drawings of blankets for all the Glamrocks on the coffee table.  She’d also stumbled upon plans of gifts for her, but she quickly ignored them when she realized what they were.

“Sure, no problem,” Vanessa replied to the boy, pushing them to the aisle.  “Do you know what colors and type of yarn you want?”

“I know the colors.”  He went quiet with a furrowed brow.  He probably hadn’t thought out the type of yarn.

Vanessa decided to make a suggestion based on what she’d seen in his plans.  “This yarn’s good.  I think you should go with this.”

Gregory nodded and began pointing out the colors he wanted to look at.  He was being extra picky, wanting to get them perfect.   At one point he asked if he could borrow Vanessa’s phone, and she feigned ignorance while he compared the colors to pictures of his friends.

Finally, they had all the colors Gregory needed for his project.  “Anything else you want?”

“Nope!”  Vanessa had to hold back a laugh at his giddiness. 

They waited in line to checkout, and Vanessa tried not to cringe at the disgruntled looks the cashier was throwing at them.  “Uhh, I think the cart ride is over,” Vanessa mumbled to Gregory.

He glanced around, spotting the angry cashier, and scrambled out with Vanessa’s help.  “Shit,” he muttered under his breath, keeping his eyes down.

Vanessa elbowed him gently.  “It’s not your fault.  Don’t feel bad; it was my idea.”

A few more people went by before they were called up, and Vanessa noticed Gregory was already having trouble.  He limped alongside her, grabbing the cart for help.  The cashier seemed to notice, and thankfully said nothing about the cart riding as they checked out.

They made it back to the car, throwing their bags in the trunk and returning the cart, before driving off.

“Hey Vanessa..?” Gregory called tentatively when they were about halfway home.

“Hm?”

“Um, do you think you could maybe help me with knitting some stuff..?”

Pride washed over her.  He felt comfortable enough to ask for help!  It might seem trivial to outside eyes, but it made Vanessa’s heart soar.  Gregory grew up thinking that asking for help made him a burden, but he was relearning how the world worked.  He could heal.  He could get better, and Vanessa would be there for him.

“Of course I’ll help,” she replied, trying to play it cool.  She didn’t want to scare him back by overreacting.  “What’s your plan?”

“I.. want to make blankets for the others,” he admitted quietly.  “But I don’t know where to start.”

“No problem.  Were you thinking big blankets, or more like a throw blanket?”

She saw Gregory cock an eyebrow in the mirror.  “A what?”

“They’re little ones that you can put on tables or couches for decoration,” she explained.

“Oh.”  He paused, likely debating it in his head.  “Maybe the little ones.  Yeah.”

“Those would look great in their greenrooms,” Vanessa hummed, noticing a smile creeping over the kid’s face.  “Do you know what you want them to look like?”

Gregory nodded enthusiastically.  “Yeah!  I drew them, but I’m not really good at drawing…  But I know what I want them to be.”

“You want to start working when we get home?”

He beamed.  “Can we?”

“I don’t see why not,” Vanessa said with a shrug.

Gregory bounced in his seat the rest of the ride home, too excited to start their project.  God, what a dork, Vanessa thought with a snort.  She was grateful she was able to bring at least a little joy to him after everything they’d both been through.  Things were really looking up since she took him in.  It was hard to imagine life without him now.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Gregory!” Vanessa called from the living room.  “I figured out the console and got the game up!”

Gregory grinned, forgetting his drawings on the floor and scrambling down the hall.  “You actually got it?!”

Vanessa leaned over the back of the couch, smirking as she offered a controller.  “What, did you have any doubt?”

“Uh, yeah.   You’ve been at it for four days, ” he pointed out, snatching the controller and plopping down beside her.

“I didn’t see you trying to fix it.”

“I don’t know anything about ancient technology. ”

“It’s only twelve years old!  The DS is even older, but you play that just fine.  And you had no problem helping the Glamrocks with emergency repairs.”

Gregory shrugged.  “I dunno what to tell you.”

Vanessa grinned and elbowed him before they began choosing their characters and race karts.  Gregory had to scrunch up the sleeves on his oversized hoodie.  It was a light pink hand-me-down from Vanessa; it still fit her, but she said it was a gift that just wasn’t her style.  He basically drowned in the thing, but it was comfy.   Gregory liked how warm and soft it was, and the color reminded him of Chica.

“Ready to get your ass kicked?” Vanessa teased while they waited for a track to be chosen at random.

Gregory wrinkled his nose at her.  “Let me know when you’re done talking to yourself.”

She let out a burst of laughter, giving him a playful push while the track loaded up.  “You better watch it.  I was known as the Drift Queen back in college.  I was that good. ”

“That must’ve been forever ago,” Gregory groaned, rolling his eyes.

“Literally only four years.”

“And that’s as long as you get before I dethrone you! ”

The race started and Gregory sped off, Vanessa close behind.  They zipped around, exchanging smack talk and throwing items at each other.  Vanessa made fun of him for leaning with the turns, and they shouted when they crashed into something or were sabotaged by the other.

Vanessa got out in front towards the end of the race.  Both of them went silent, too intent on the game to put any more energy into trash talk.  They leaned forward staring at the screen as they charged towards the finish line.

And then he got it.  A red shell.   Gregory cracked a menacing grin.  “ Eat shit, Nessa! ”  He threw the shell at her and crashed her cart.

“ No! ” she cried as Gregory flew past her and into the finish line, earning the first place prize.  “You sneaky little—!”

A knock on the door made them both jump.  They stared for a moment before another knock pulled them back to reality.  Vanessa got up and made her way to the door a few steps away.  She turned to stick her tongue out at him—which he immediately returned—before she opened up.

Gregory stiffened when he saw a woman in professional-style clothing, with a clipboard in her hands.  “Hi, are you Vanessa Aft—”

“Just Vanessa,” she interrupted quickly.  The woman gave her an odd look.  “I’m in the process of getting it changed…  You can just call me Vanessa…”

The woman blinked.  “Okay.  Well, I’m Lilien from the Department of Child Services.”  She showed her credentials for Vanessa to inspect.  When Vanessa decided it looked legit, the woman put out a hand that Vanessa politely shook.  “You probably know why I’m here.”

“Wellness check-in for Gregory, right?” Vanessa guessed.

Lilien nodded.  “It’s pretty routine for kids placed in new homes.”

Gregory squirmed anxiously from his seat on the couch.  It was also something that happened when complaints were made about suspected abuse, and he was no stranger to it…  Then he’d have to lie through his teeth to the social worker until they left, before getting screamed at and hit for the horrible mess he’d made.

Gregory had started skipping school after that…  The teachers were too nosey, and he couldn’t risk it.

The two began to approach him, popping his bubble.  Vanessa had grabbed a chair for Lilien from the kitchen and set it beside the coffee table.  Then she sat back down next to Gregory on the couch.

“Hi, Gregory.  Do you remember me?  I talked with you in the hospital a few times,” the woman said with a friendly smile.

Gregory ogled at her and wracked his mind, but he had no idea.  He’d talked to so many adults during that time, and he had been on pain medicine that made his head cloudy.  “Um…  Yeah…”

She chuckled.  “It’s okay if you don’t.  You had quite a lot thrown at you in the past few months, haven’t you?”  He replied with a shrug.  Lilien glanced over at the television.  “So, you two like playing videogames together?”  Gregory nodded silently.  “That sounds like fun.  What sort of games?”

Gregory kept his mouth shut for a little while before realizing this probably wasn’t the sort of question that would get anyone in trouble.  “Um, they’re kinda calming games.”  She cocked an eyebrow.  “I mean, not this one.  This is a racing one that we just got working.  But we usually play games where you can build and farm and explore and stuff…”

Lilien smiled.  “That’s nice.  What else do you do?”

Nervously, he glanced up at Vanessa.  She gave him a shrug.  “You can tell her stuff.  She’s here to help.”

Gregory fidgeted with his sleeves.  “Nessa taught me how to knit…”

“How do you like it?”

“I like the soft yarn, and I like moving the needles around to and stuff.”  He was beginning to brighten.  “I’m making blankets right now!  They’re gonna be super cool.”

Vanessa smirked.  “Yeah they are.”

“That’s a wonderful hobby to have, Gregory.  My grandfather used to knit, and he made all sorts of things.”  Lilien scribbled something on her clipboard.  He hated it.  “So, I think it’s time to do some one-on-one talks with each of you.  That just means I’ll ask you questions in private.  Is that okay?”  Vanessa nodded, and Gregory followed suit.  “Perfect.”  Lilien turned her gaze directly to him.  “Gregory, would you mind showing me your room?”

“Sure,” he mumbled, feeling anxious again.  He just kept thinking about the last time he’d had a run in with a social worker back in his old home…  

He led her down the hall and into his room.  Gregory sat on his bed while she looked around.

“Who are these characters?” she asked.  “They’re all over your room!  Why is that?” Lilien asked.

Gregory furrowed his brow.  She definitely knew who they were.  He hated these games.  “Freddy, Chica, Roxy, and Monty,” he replied with a bit of attitude.  “They’re my friends from the Pizzaplex.”

Lilien nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing in thought.  “Technology these days is pretty crazy.”  She paused.  “Is Vanessa your friend, too?”

“Yeah.”

“How do you feel living with her?”

Gregory tugged his sleeves and stood up.  “This is the best place I’ve ever lived!  Vanessa’s the nicest person ever, and I wanna stay here! ”  He clicked his teeth shut, eyes round.  He hadn’t meant to shout.

Lilien watched him for a moment.  “Gregory, are you scared of something happening?”

He trembled.  “I don’t want you to take me away.  I like it here.  I don’t wanna go back to—”  Again, Gregory snapped his mouth shut.  The more I tell them, the more they have to help them find my old family.  And of course they’d send me back to them if they ever found out.

“Gregory, I’m not here to take you away; I’m here to make sure you’re in a safe, clean, happy environment.”  Lilien paused.  “I think we got off on the wrong foot.  I don’t want you to think I’m your enemy.  Can we start over?”  Gregory eyed the room.  “We could talk about something less personal.  Maybe you could tell me about your knitting project.  Or the drawings on the floor.  Or the animatronic characters?”

How are those less personal? Gregory thought, holding back an eye roll.  Though, he supposed they weren’t topics that could get him taken away…  He decided to talk about what was right in front of them.

“I’m not really good at drawing.  I didn’t do it a lot before.”

“I think they’re very nice.  It’s you with those characters, right?”  He hated that she kept calling them ‘characters’.  They’re his friends.   His family.   “And here’s one of you with Vanessa.”

“Don’t tell her.  That one’s not done yet.”

Lilien nodded.  “My lips are sealed.”  She tilted her head.  “Why didn’t you draw much before living with Vanessa?”

Gregory huffed.  Right back to the personal stuff.  He fidgeted nervously.  “There was more important stuff to worry about,” he mumbled.  They thought I was a waste.  They didn’t care about me until I messed up or they needed someone to be mad at.

“I see,” Lilien said quietly.  “But since Vanessa took you in..?  What happened there?”

Gregory glanced around.  “She gave me some craft stuff,” he began.  “And she said I could do whatever I wanted with it, and if I needed anything to just ask.”  He pulled the hem of his hoodie.  “She doesn’t yell at me or get mad or anything like that.”

“She sounds like a good guardian.”  He nodded.  “Does she help with your physical therapy?”

He didn’t know she knew about that, but he supposed his limp would’ve tipped her off.  “Um, yeah.  I can’t really do the stretches on my own.  It’s really hard.  She helps me almost every day.”

Lilien hummed.  “ Almost every day?”

Gregory bit the inside of his cheek.  “Sometimes I have.. bad days. ”  She gave him a nod, urging him to continue.  He let out a sigh.  “I get scared about old stuff and just need to be alone.”

“I understand…  How does Vanessa react?”

“She gives me space, but she still makes food and makes sure I’m okay without stressing me out.  She has bad days, too, so she gets it.”

“Does she leave you alone when she has bad days?”

“She still makes sure I get my stretches done and that I have food and stuff.  And she tells me to let her know if I need any help or anything.”

Lilien smiled.  “That’s very nice of her to remember you even when she’s having a hard time.”  Gregory hummed in agreement.  “What do you think about the apartment?”

“I like it.  The roof isn’t leaky, it smells nice, the floor isn’t covered with crap, I can get food whenever I’m hungry, and it’s a million times better than a box!”

Lilien looked a bit concerned.  “Is that what things were like before you moved in with Vanessa?”  Gregory’s mood dropped and he went silent.  “..I’m sorry to hear that, Gregory.  That sounds very difficult.”

“Everything’s better here,” he mumbled.  “Please let me stay with Nessa.”

Lilien gave him a soft smile.  “It certainly sounds like a good place for you to live.  I just need to interview Vanessa and I’ll be out of your hair.”

Gregory blinked up at her.  “Really?”

“Mhm.  Why don’t you stay here?  We’ll call you out when we’re all done,” Lilien promised.

“Okay…”

Vanessa tried distracting herself with a bit of knitting.  She couldn’t say she wasn’t worried about the social worker interviews.  Money was tight, but Vanessa was doing everything to keep her home— their home—safe and comfortable.

But what if Lilien decided that sixty degrees was too cold?  What if she thought the food options weren’t good enough?  What if she thought Vanessa was mentally unfit?  Or that she wasn’t doing enough to help Gregory?

The shout from Gregory’s room made her anxiety grow, and she couldn’t stop worrying about it.  Have I failed?  Is he going back to the foster system?  Of course I want Gregory to have the best life he can have but.. I hoped I could give it to him.  Will I ever get to see him again if they take him away?  Would he be okay?

Minutes—that felt more like hours—passed, and eventually Lilien came back down the hall.

“I think I’m done interviewing Gregory, so I’d like to chat with you for a bit before I go,” Lilien said cheerfully.

Vanessa stood up.  “Sure.  Of course.”  They went to the small, circular dining table and sat down across from each other.

“It sounds like Gregory really likes it here,” she began.  “And he’s clearly very fond of you.”

Vanessa smiled weakly.  “Yeah, it goes both ways.”

“He also said some things about his past that were very concerning.  Do you know anything about his previous home?”

Vanessa shook her head.  “That’s one thing he won’t talk about.  All I know is that he had an abusive family and started living on the streets at some point.  I think he’s afraid of being sent back.”

“That’s something you can relate to, isn’t it?”  Vanessa stared down at her hands.  “You dropped out of college and left your family without so much of a goodbye, then changed your last name to make it more difficult for them to find you…”

“I think it’s within my rights to cut off abusive people in my life.”

“Is that why you decided to foster him?  You saw yourself in him?”

Vanessa grit her teeth.  “We went through hell that night.  Then I found out he had nowhere to go after everything that happened.  Taking him in was the right thing to do, and it was the best decision of my life. ”

Lilien smiled, and for once, it looked real; the smile reached her eyes.  “You really love him, don’t you?”

“I wouldn’t be trying to adopt him if I didn’t,” Vanessa sighed.

Scribbling something in her notes, Lilien changed the subject.  “He mentioned something about having ‘bad days’.  Based on his description, it sounds like he suffers from PTSD.”

“Yeah,” Vanessa answered.  “He also has some things that trigger panic attacks.  I’ve been doing research with.. a friend to make sure I can comfort him and work through the issues with him.”

“It also sounds like you may suffer from it as well..?”

Vanessa took a breath.  “Yeah…”  How could I not after everything..?

“Has Gregory gone to therapy?”

“We.. tried that, but the therapist said Gregory just glared at him the entire hour…”

“He seems to have trust issues,” Lilien commented.  “What about you?  Have you gone to a therapist since the incident?”

Vanessa’s eyes shifted to the side.  “I’ve never had much luck with therapists…”  Lilien’s brows lowered, so she hurried on.  “But I don’t let Gregory know that.  I try to encourage him to do it.  Just because I had bad experiences doesn’t mean he will.  But he’s.. stubborn.”

Lilien hummed.  “He needs someone in his life he can trust so he can eventually learn to trust others,” she theorized.  Vanessa’s heart dropped.  She doesn’t think I can be trusted…   But it turned out to be the opposite.  “Between you and me, he looks very happy and safe here.  I’ve seen dozens of foster families like this fall apart because it’s too much for the guardian, but you seem to be doing a wonderful job.”

Vanessa stared.  “Really..?”

“Yes, you’re a great foster parent for Gregory.  However, I do want to see the apartment at least four degrees warmer next time I visit, and I’d like to see Gregory going to therapy at some point.  Maybe he’d like to do sessions with you there, too.  It might make him more comfortable.”

Vanessa nodded.  “I’ll make it happen.”

“And before I go, do you have any plans for returning him to school?”

“Well,” Vanessa began.  “I thought it would be too stressful to just throw him in school halfway through the year, especially with all the changes in his life right now…”

“That makes sense,” Lilien agreed.

“I was thinking I’d enroll him for fall so he can start school with everyone else, and so he has time to heal and adjust.”

“That’s very reasonable.  Do you know what grade he’ll be put in?”

Vanessa ran a hand through her hair.  “Not yet.  It seems like he hasn’t gone to school in a while, so we’re not entirely sure what grade he’s in.  And even then, he’s probably behind, so I don’t want him to be thrown in where he’s completely lost.”  Vanessa looked up.  “I mean, don’t get me wrong.  He’s a really bright kid, but I don’t want him to have to play catchup.”

“Would you like my suggestion?” Lilien asked.  Vanessa nodded.  “He’s eight, right?”

“Eight and a half, ” Vanessa corrected, cracking a smile.  Gregory was very insistent about that.

Lilien stifled a chuckle.  “Eight and a half,” she agreed.  “So I imagine he’ll be nine by the start of fall.  I say put him a grade below what he’s ‘expected’ to be in.  He won’t have as much to catch up on, and he won’t be too much older than his classmates.  And a little review never hurt anyone.”

“Yeah.. that sounds right.  So, third grade?”

“Yes.  I’d, of course, talk to him about it first,” Lilien suggested.

“Sure.”  Vanessa thought back to something Freddy had said when they discussed the possibility of Gregory living with her.  “He deserves a say in what happens to him,” she murmured.

Lilien tilted her head.  “That’s a very healthy way to look at things.  Too many parents don’t think that way.”  Lilien stood up, looking bright.  “If you’d like, you can call Gregory out so I can say goodbye.  Then I’ll be off.”

Vanessa gave her a wobbly smile, standing beside her before calling Gregory.  He practically barreled down the hall, crashing into Vanessa and hugging her around the waist.  “Whoa, it’s okay, buddy,” Vanessa chuckled, hugging him back.

Lilien knelt down so she met Gregory’s eye level.  “You don’t have anything to worry about.  You and Vanessa seem just fine.”  She pulled out business cards and offered one to each of them.  “If either of you need anything, you can give me a call, alright?”

“Thank you, Lilien,” Vanessa said politely.

“I’ll leave you to the rest of your day.  Have a good one.”  Lilien left, and Vanessa shut the door behind her.

Gregory peered up at her.  “Are we gonna be okay..?  She’s not gonna take me, right?”

Vanessa crouched and wrapped him in a tighter hug than before.  “No way.  I’m never going to let that happen.  I promise.  We’re a family.”  She smirked.  “You’re stuck with me, buddy.”  Vanessa picked him up and playfully tossed him onto the couch, making him giggle.  “Now c’mon, I have to win my crown back!”

“You can try!” he snickered, grabbing his controller as she crashed into the couch beside him and took up her own.

“Trust me, you just got lucky.   There’s no way you can beat the Drift Queen more than once.”

“ Former Drift Queen,” Gregory corrected, beaming up at her.

“Ten rounds.  Whoever loses has to make dinner.”

“Deal!”

Vanessa ended up making dinner that night.

Chapter Text

Gregory was bouncing by the door in excitement, waiting impatiently for Vanessa to hurry up!

Throughout the week, they’d been slowly adjusting their sleep schedules until they switched to being night owls.  Vanessa was going back to work as the after-hours security guard again, and Gregory was thrilled to join her.

He hadn’t seen his friends in months , and he would finally get to see them again!

Vanessa came out of the bathroom, still fidgeting with her ponytail.  She was in her work uniform, something he wasn’t really used to.  Usually she just wore baggy hoodies and old t-shirts. 

Gregory was proudly wearing his checkered Pizzaplex sweater with all the Glamrocks featured on it.  Over the top, he wore his Freddy coat, along with the hat and scarf Vanessa made.

“You got the gifts?” she asked as she pulled on her own parka.

Gregory nodded eagerly, lifting the bag.  “Yup!”  He’d made them throw blankets in all their main colors.  They were rough around the edges, and he wasn’t really sure what they would do with them, but it was something .  Vanessa suggested that they could put them on their couches or use them as fancy table covers for their rooms.  “Let’s go! ”

“Well damn, aren’t you pushy?”

“We’re supposed to be there in twenty minutes! ”

“It takes five to get there, buddy.”

“But what if we run into a train? ”

“We don’t go by any train tracks.”  Gregory grit his teeth and grumbled, trying to find another excuse to leave early.  Vanessa sighed and went into the kitchen, grabbing an apple and tossing it at him.  “Okay, here’s the deal.  We’ll leave when you finish that.”

Gregory ate the apple in record time, tossing the core over his shoulder and grinning up at Vanessa.  “Can we go now?”

She rolled her eyes.  “Throw that away while I get the keys.”  Gregory stumbled to pick up the core, and zipped over to the kitchen.  “ Hey! ” Vanessa snapped, making him freeze.  “You know you’re not allowed to run yet!  Don’t screw up your leg!”  Gregory groaned, slowing his pace to a walk.

Vanessa grabbed the bag and opened the front door, holding it open for him before locking up.

Gregory hated how long it took to get down the stairs.  Even with Vanessa helping him along, he had to pause at every step and put his good leg forward.  “It’s gonna take an hour to get to the car,” he hissed.  “We should’ve left twenty minutes ago!”

“Oh, stop being so dramatic .  You’ve been talking to Monty and Roxy too much.”  He wrinkled his nose and stuck out his tongue, Vanessa mimicking him.

They got to the bottom and made it to the car, piling in and turning up the heat.

He couldn’t wait to see them all!  It had been way too long!

Gregory could just imagine the giant group hug.  He hadn’t even been able to say goodbye to Freddy when he last saw him, so he was especially happy to get a hug from him .

A big bear hug was just what he needed, and he could already imagine Freddy kneeling down with his arms outstretched to catch him.

The image in his head shifted to the bowling alley.  The dark room and neon lights casting strange colors on Freddy’s casing.  The wrong claws at the end of his open arms.  The look of hunger and growing impatience.  The slight tinge to his eyes that suddenly burst into a terrible purple as he lunged.

Glowing eyes staring at him in the dark.  Blue, purple, yellow, orange, red.

Claws ripping through his flesh.

A knife pointed at his throat.

A warped voice whispering about his death.

Running.  So much running.

Alarms blaring in his ears.

The ground quaking.

The sound of static everywhere .

Pounding, yelling, screeching.

Gregory could vaguely hear a voice calling out.  He was afraid to listen, but he tried to focus on it anyways.  It was beginning to sound like his name.

His other senses slowly began to return, too.  Something was on his shoulders, squeezing.  The feeling moved up to his face.  Maybe they were hands.

The darkness that crowded his vision was fading, bringing blurry color back to the world.

He was starting to make sense of things, now.  Vanessa.  She was calling his name and cupping his face.  She was right in front of him, looking panicked.

“ Gregory!   Can you hear me?  It’s okay, I’m here!  It’s not real, just come back.  You’re safe.  I’ve got you.”

He felt his breathing begin to calm down.  When had his heartbeat gotten so fast?  Why was it so hard to get air?

Gregory let Vanessa’s voice ground him and pull him from the horrible memories that had flooded in.

At some point he’d started sobbing, and Vanessa held him tight.  She moved him into the passenger seat and grasped his hand while she drove them back home.

Everything was a blur, and eventually he found himself bundled up on the couch, wrapped in all his blankets and laying against Vanessa.

She made gentle shushing sounds as she hugged him close, running fingers through his hair to soothe him.

“It’s over,” she murmured.  “You’re safe, now.  No one can hurt you.”  Fatigue was starting to take over, and he began to melt into Vanessa’s embrace.  “Do you want your plushies, or would they be too scary right now?”

Gregory glanced at the craft table and saw them all sitting there, just out of his reach.

“I wan’ ‘em,” he mumbled.  Vanessa leaned over, squashing Gregory a bit as she plucked them from the table and tucked them in beside him.  Gregory whimpered.

“Did you change your mind?” Vanessa asked gently.

He shook his head, burying half his face under his blankets.  “I.. wanted to see them so bad ,” he sniveled pitifully.

“I know.”

“It’s been almost three months .  I miss them so much! ”

Vanessa hugged him impossibly close.  “We can try again when you’re feeling up to it,” she reasoned.  “This is just a little setback.  It happens to everyone.”

“ I don’t want to be afraid of my friends! ” he wailed, turning over and sobbing into Vanessa’s uniform.

She shushed him again, running a hand up and down his back.  “You’re not afraid of them , you’re afraid of all that happened that night.  It might take a while to go back.  They’ll understand.”

It took longer than he’d hoped to calm down again, but when he did, he knew exactly what he wanted.

“I wanna talk to them,” he whispered, peering up at Vanessa.

She searched his face before nodding and pulling out the Fazwatch.  “If you ever get too anxious, let me know and we’ll end the call.”  She paused before repeating: “They’ll understand.”

Vanessa pressed the little top hat and let them connect to the animatronics.

“Gregory!  Vanessa!  It is a relief to hear back from you.  We have been so worried that something happened,” Freddy said through the Fazwatch.

“Ya get lost?”  That was Monty.

“Vanessa’s been a night guard for almost two years .  Of course she didn’t get lost! ” Roxy snapped, and they heard a clang followed by a yell from the gator.

“Everything okay over there?” Chica asked.

Gregory couldn’t help the little whimper that escaped him.  He felt so bad for not showing up.  

The line went quiet.  They must have heard him.

“Hi everyone,” Vanessa said quietly.  “We had a little scare tonight, so we couldn’t make it.”

“Oh, are you alright, sweetie?”

His breath hitched.  “I’m s-so sorry,” he blubbered, wiping his face and sniffing loudly.

“You do not need to apologize, Gregory,” Freddy rumbled.  “We are so proud of you, and you have been so brave. ”

“Yeah, take all the time you need, little guy!”

Roxy snorted.  “Not like we’re going anywhere.”

“Even if it takes you twenty years , we’ll be here for you!” Chica trilled.

“Maybe don’t take that long…”  There was another crash, followed by an even louder roar than last time.  “ Roxy stop hittin’ me! ”  Gregory could hear the wolf snickering behind him.

After everyone quieted down, there was a moment of silence before Freddy spoke up.  “Gregory, even if you are.. never comfortable coming back to the Pizzaplex, we will always support you and love you.  We would never blame you.”

Gregory’s vision was blurred by tears.  “ I want to see you all so much! ” he choked out.

“Just be patient with yourself, Superstar.  Healing takes time, and there is no rush.”

The reassurances helped, and exhaustion started to take over once again as his panic and guilt were washed away.  He drowsily said goodbye, and he was warmed by their wishes to feel better and to get some sleep.

He and Vanessa stayed bundled up on the couch together, watching tv and dozing off.

It was only when the morning sunlight came in through the window that Gregory realized they’d both fallen asleep at some point, surrounded by his friends’ plushies, and nestled under the soft blankets.

He’d go see his friends one day, but they were right.  He just needed a little more time.

Chapter Text

“You are home now, Superstar,” Freddy rumbled, holding him tight.  Gregory trembled, still overwhelmed.  He hadn’t seen his friends in months .  At least he’d been able to say goodbye to Chica, Roxy, and Monty.  But with Freddy, he hadn’t even been able to see him free of Glitchtrap before the ambulance whisked Gregory away.

Freddy gently rubbed circles in his back until he ran out of tears.  Gregory sagged against the bear, already exhausted.  With bleary eyes, Gregory glanced around and saw the other Glamrocks had crowded around them.

“Hey, don’t fall asleep yet, little guy!  We gotta celebrate!” Monty said with a grin, ruffling his hair.

Gregory slowly pulled back, but stayed in Freddy’s warm embrace.  Gregory wiped at the tears streaking his face while Freddy looked on with adoration.  “S-Sorry,” he hiccuped.

Freddy gave him a soft smile and pressed his muzzle into Gregory’s forehead.  “Do not apologize, Gregory…”  He chuckled.  “We are all overwhelmed.  I.. am so delighted that you have returned to us under better circumstances.”

“We have some special surprises just for you, sweetie!” Chica chirped.

Gregory turned his head to give her a wobbly smile.  “You guys are the best,” he breathed.

“Of course we are!” Roxy snorted.  “Come on, kid.  Let’s start the party.”

Freddy gave him a look, as if asking if he was ready.  Gregory nodded, and Freddy stood up, holding Gregory in his arms.  It was so nice to be held by the bear, again…  He’d missed it so much.  They headed towards the Daycare, everyone chattering while they walked.  He spotted Chica trying to start a conversation with Vanessa behind them.

“I know we have talked about it over the Fazwatch, but have you enjoyed staying with Vanessa?”

Gregory nodded.  “Yeah, she’s really nice.  We like to play video games a lot.”

Freddy wiggled his ears, and Gregory couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his lips.  “That is wonderful!  She has told me that you have begun to do arts and crafts with her as well!”

“Mhm.  She.. didn’t tell you what , right..?”

“No, she informed me that it was not for her to tell,” Freddy assured him.

They entered the Daycare, and headed left for the party rooms.  The music that played was silly and fun, making the mood lighten even more.

The sound of jingling caught Gregory’s attention before Sun burst from one of the party rooms.  “Friend Gregory!  You’re back!  We were so worried when you didn’t show up last week!  But you’re here now , so we can have fun fun fun!   We lifted your ban from the Daycare, so you can come by anytime you want! ”

“Uh.. thanks.”  Gregory wasn’t really sure how he felt about the Daycare Attendant, yet.  Sure, they were really helpful at the end of that night, but they were still kind of.. manic and scary.  He hoped that more time at the Pizzaplex would lessen his unease.

Everyone filed into the party room, Freddy and Gregory last.  Gregory gasped in surprise at the small cake in the middle of the table.  It was a simple, rounded cake with blue frosting covering it.  There were rainbow sprinkles all over, and puffy dots of frosting in all the Glamrocks’ colors around the edges.  There were also cute character candles of his friends.  And in the center, written in fancy gel icing, was ‘ Welcome Home, Gregory!’

Freddy set Gregory down in the seat at the head of the table, with everyone standing around and watching him.  Freddy brought up a paw, and one of his claws flicked into a lighter.  He carefully lit the candles before stepping back to beam at Gregory.

“Th-This is for me..? ”

“No, it’s for me, ” Roxy snarked.  “What other Gregory do we know?  Of course it’s for you!”  She grinned, crossing her arms and wagging her tail.

“Sorry it doesn’t look the best,” Chica apologized.  “We’re not the greatest at decorating cake, but it should taste good!  The staff liked the last test cake!”

“Freddy burnt the first one,” Monty whisper-yelled.  Gregory glanced at the bear, whose ears were low with embarrassment.

“Oh, that’s rich ,” Roxy growled.  “ You knocked the second one off the counter , Monty! ”

“ The third one turned to mush cuz you forgot one of the ingredients! ” Monty barked back.

“And then you and Chica decided to have a food fight in the kitchen! ” Roxy huffed.

Chica giggled, leaning down towards Gregory.  “We might’ve had some trouble the first couple times…”

Gregory snickered as Monty and Roxy quieted down.  This wasn’t the kind of arguing he was used to in family life…  This was playful, with no real bite behind the bickering.  He didn’t feel in danger when they squabbled.  It was a nice change of pace.

He looked up and saw Vanessa smiling down at him across the table.  She looked so happy…

Freddy placed a paw on one of Greogry’s shoulders, drawing his attention.  “When you blow out the candles, do not forget to make a wish!”

“And don’t tell us, or it won’t come true!” Chica chimed in.

Gregory took a deep breath.  I wish everything would stay like this forever.   He blew out the candles, and everyone erupted into cheers.  Freddy couldn’t resist pulling him into a hug again.

Vanessa cleared her throat.  “Hey, you’ve got some presents to give to your friends.  Why don’t you do that while Sun and I cut the cake.”

Gregory nodded, and the animatronics crowded around the gift table.  Gregory handed out the gift bags, his heart swelling at the gleeful expressions his friends wore when they saw what was inside.

“Gregory…  Did you make these?” Freddy breathed, pulling out the little throw blanket in his colors.

“Yeah, Vanessa showed me how to knit, so I wanted to make you all something nice.”

“That is amazing, Superstar!  These must have been so difficult to make!  You are very talented!”

Chica hugged the blanket tight.  “It’s so soft! ”

Roxy’s smile wobbled; she was too emotional to say anything.

“This’ll cover up some of the claw marks on my couch!” Monty grinned.

“There’s some more on the bottom of the bag,” Gregory pointed out.  Everyone dug deeper, finding the drawings he’d made of him holding hands with each of them.

Freddy put a trembling paw to his muzzle before he wrapped Gregory in a hug, followed immediately by everyone else.  “These are such wonderful gifts, Gregory…  Thank you, Superstar.”

“Cake’s ready!” Vanessa called, the Glamrocks slowly ushering Gregory back to his seat.  Gregory’s eyes widened when he saw that the middle of the cake was a light blue—much like Freddy’s blue—with white frosting in between.

“It's a blue velvet cake!” Chica informed him, her tail feathers ruffling.  “It’s like red velvet, but we thought this would look cooler! ”

Vanessa gave him a plate and a piece, passed one to Chica, and then took one for herself.  Everyone sat down while the three—who could eat—enjoyed the cake.

It tasted great!   He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had cake, but he was sure this was better than any other.  Everyone joked about their mouths turning blue, and Freddy wiped some frosting off Gregory’s cheek with a laugh.

When they finished eating, Vanessa and Sun offered to put the leftover cake away while the others showed Gregory the second surprise.  He had no idea what else they could possibly have planned.  This day—or.. technically night—was already perfect.  

Freddy let Gregory ride on his shoulders while they walked to Rockstar Row and through the rehearsal room.  They made their way into the staff tunnels behind it, and that was where they stopped.  Freddy set him down.

“We figured that if you were going to spend time here, you should have your own spot to rest,” Freddy rumbled, opening the first storage room in the hall.  He stepped back and gestured for Gregory to take a look.

He peered in and gaped at what met him.  They made him his own room in the Pizzaplex!  Around the entire room, string lights of all the Glamrocks lined the walls, their cute cartoon faces smiling.  To the left was a heavy duty shelving rack—originally for storing pallets—made into a sort of bunk bed, with the metal painted red and cyan.  The top shelf had a mattress, a pillow, blankets, plushies.  Tears threatened to spill down Gregory’s cheeks again, but he wiped them away before they could.

They then showed him the custom gifts they’d gotten for him.  Freddy gave him a golden Fazerblaster, painted with care to have Freddy’s lightning bolts and red accents.  Chica gave him a bouncy exercise ball, decorated with stickers and glitter all over.  Roxy handed him a racing helmet, made special with her colors and black starbursts.  Monty showed off a golf club, with glow in the dark markings that would look even better in Gator Golf.

“Y-You made all of this for me..?”

Freddy smiled.  “No one else. You mean everything to us, Superstar.  We love you.”

“Welcome to your second home!” Chica shouted, everyone jumping into a hug.

Gregory really hoped his wish would work.  He never wanted this to change…

Unless he made one little change by fulfilling a certain promise he’d made all those months ago…  Then everything would truly be perfect…