Work Text:
Catherine picks up the large blue battery.
“Alright… Just have to put the thing in the thing, and everything will be okay.” she says to herself. “Or at least a little better…”
“Okay, that should be enough power. Now take that huge battery to the gas production zone. So we can get out of here! It’s the door by the cable car you arrived on. Good luck!”
Ollie says over the phone.
Cathy sighs sadly. “Thanks Ollie…”
She didn’t like listening to Ollie… every time she heard his voice, it just reminded her of her own child that she lost so very long ago… Theo.
Even worse… she knew where her son was, but… it wasn’t him anymore.
And it probably hadn’t been for so long…
Ever since she found the files on experiment 1188, her whole world was crushed.
She’d come back to find out what happened to her adopted child… and she did exactly that.
So now Cathy could only hope she got out of here without encountering him again.
Because she knew if he did… he’d shred her into red ribbons.
She walks the long way back to the gas production zone, being as slow and quiet as possible, and spots the large blue battery slot at the right side of the room.
She walked over, setting the heavy battery down to catch her breath for a moment.
But before she could, the door opened…
And out came spilling the dreaded red mist.
Her eyes widened and her skin went cold, backing up as the large, lanky cat emerged from the door, its deep, gaping eyes full of hatred.
“Found…. You…”
It’s whispery, almost static-y voice said.
Cathy’s heart raced as she tried to run away but slipped, falling over and coughing as the cat got closer and closer to her, his footsteps pounding in her ears as she fruitlessly tried to scoot away, making little progress.
Cathy cries, desperately backing up as the giant feline gets closer to her.
“C-catnap please…” She says, tears spilling down her face.
She shakes her head. “No, that’s not who you are…”
Catnap growls as he gets closer
Cathy covers her face with her arms, before yelling at the top of her lungs,
“I’M SORRY THEODORE!”
The large cat suddenly freezes.
Cathy remains, waiting for her inevitable death.
But it never came…
Eventually, Cathy very slowly opens her eyes to find the large feline staring at her, bending down to be eye to eye.
Cathy looks deeply into his eyes, which were now lacking their circular pupils.
Then… he spoke.
His breathy, distorted voice whispered a single word.
“Mommy…?”
Cathy’s heart fills with a certain joy… a feeling she hadn’t had in well over 10 years.
She smiles in relief, happy tears filling her eyes.
She’s gotten through to him…
“Y-yes…” she says quietly, raising a hand to gently stroke one of the feline’s very large ears.
“I-it’s me, Kitten…”
Catnap, or, Theonap??? Began to whimper, kneeling down on the floor.
Cathy kneels down.
“My poor baby…” she says, hugging his head tightly. “I’ve missed you so much…”
Theo nuzzles into her, purring softly.
Cathy holds him closely. “H-how long have you… been suffering here…?”
Theo whimpers a bit. “I… Don’t… know…”
More tears roll down Cathy’s face as she keeps holding him, softly.
“I-I'm so sorry this happened to you…” She said, “You didn’t deserve any of this…”
Theo speaks again.
“Why did you… leave…?”
A wave of sadness washed over Cathy.
She closes her eyes. “I-I never wanted to leave you… I promise…”
Hot tears rolled down her face. “ I tried to stop those horrible monsters… but the higher ups fired me, and wouldn’t allow me back in the playcare… or even the factory…”
Theo nuzzles her stomach, purring louder.
Cathy cries into his lavender fur. “They said if I ever dared to come back… they’d do something horrible to you… so I didn’t…”
She opens her eyes, looking over him.
“But they did anyway… the bastards…”
Theo whimpers.
Cathy hugs his head close. “Shhh… it’s okay…” she says softly. “Mama’s here…”
She starts to sing softly.
“I see the moon, and the moon sees me…”
Theo purrs more.
Cathy continues to sing. “I Love the moon, and the moon loves me…”
She continues to sing to calm down her son, who kept purring and sweetly nuzzling into her.
Cathy savors every nanosecond of this moment, happy to finally have her sweet kitten back in her arms.
When Theo calmed down, he lifted his head up.
“What will you… do now…?”
Cathy thinks for a moment.
She still had to put the battery in, and then go back to Poppy once the gas was reversed.
But she couldn’t just leave her kit here now that she finally had him back.
She then comes up with an idea.
She gently puts her forehead against Theo’s.
“Come with me.” She says softly. “We can stop all of this.”
Theo looks down. “I… I can’t…” he whispers. “T-the prototype…”
He whimpers. “I’ve… done awful things… because of him…”
Cathy pets him gently. “I know…”
Theonap keeps whimpering. “Workers… Innocents…”
He sniffles.
“Dogday….no… Sam…”
He kneels down again.
“They’re all… gone… because of me…”
Cathy was silent for a moment, then gently started to pet him.
“Listen… Theo… everyone in this factory has blood on their hands…”
She remembers what happened to Huggy Wuggy and Mommy long legs…
“Even me…” she whispers.
She looks into Theo’s eyes. “But…” she says softly.
“Just because the past might be horrible, doesn’t mean the future has to be.”
She gives him a reassuring smile.
“We can work together… we can save everyone in this factory who’s still living…”
Theo whimpers. “But… I'm a monster…”
Cathay gently kisses his forehead.
“Even if you are, I will still take care of you.” she says. “I don’t care what happens. I don’t care who’s against it.”
She hugs him again.
“I promise that while I'm still alive, nobody will ever hurt you again.”
Theo couldn’t really move his gigantic mouth, but Cathy could tell he was smiling.
After thinking about it for a long time, Theo nodded.
“Okay… Mama…”
Cathy smiles brightly, hugging him. “Oh thank you, thank you baby!”
Theo purrs happily.
He then gets up, going over to the door and, somehow… brings Cathy the large battery, carrying it in his mouth.
“Thank you.” Cathy says, picking it up.
She then goes to put the battery in the slot, then goes to the big console in the center of the room, pressing the big reverse button.
It works.
The tubes of gas start moving the other direction, back into the big machine.
The two then watch the screen as the green bars empty and fill, until the one on the left was completely full.
Suddenly, the lights come on, causing Theo to hiss and cover his eyes.
Cathy looks worried. “A-are you okay?” she says.
Theo shakes his head, slowly uncovering his eyes.
“I-I feel weird…”
Cathy’s eyes widened.
His voice sounded… totally normal. Like a normal 17-year old would sound.
“Theo…?”
Cathy says.
He looks at her. “Mom…?”
She noticed his eyes were no longer white circles but white dots, exactly like the cartoon Catnap’s eyes.
“Y-your voice…” Cathy says, gently feeling his throat. “W-what happened…?”
Theo looks down at her hand. “My throat feels… clearer…” he says. “I… I can talk normally…?”
Cathy smiles, hugging him. “My kitten…” she says happily.
Theo hugs back with one arm. “Oh mom…” he says.
“Thank you for getting rid of that awful red mist…”
Cathy hums happily. “I’d do anything for you, my baby…”
She slowly pulls back.
“So, are you ready to go…?”
Theo nods. “Yes… ready as I'll ever be.”
All of a sudden, they hear a squeaking noise, looking down.
A mini Dogday with little pink ear bows was by Catnap’s leg.
“AH! PEST!” Cathy yells, quickly switching to the red flare gun hand.
Theo stops her. “Nononono mom! It’s okay!” he says, gently picking the mini up.
Cathy looks confused.
Theo laughs nervously.
“This is Mae,” he says, showing her the small plushie. “She was my friend back in the playcare…”
The little Dogday squeaks happily at her.
Cathy cautiously raises a hand to pet the small toy, surprised when the plushie nuzzles against her hand instead of biting it.
“Ehehe, nice puppy…” She giggles.
Mae licks her hand gently.
Cathy looks at her sadly.
“She’s just like you, huh…”
Theo nods. “Yes…”
Cathy looks into his eyes.
“I promise… I will get all of you out of here… or die trying.”
Theo nuzzles her head. “D-don’t say things like that…”
Cathy giggles, petting his head with her free hand. “I didn’t mean like that…”
Theo purrs a bit. “Good…”
He says, gently lifting Mae up and putting her on his back.
“Now…” Cathy says.
“Let’s go find the others.”