Chapter Text
Freddy beamed as he walked alongside his long-lost friends, a lightness in his step he hasn't felt in a long time making the forest floor below him feel like he was walking on air.
"How is it like living out here in the forest?" He asked, looking at Bonnie and Foxy, who were walking beside him.
Bonnie grinned brightly. "It's amazing! Very different from the Pizzaplex, I'll tell ya that much!"
"Aye!" Foxy agreed with his own happy smile. "Bit odd at first, but now... it feels like home."
Riley giggled from where she and Keet were walking with them. "You should've seen 'em when they first got here, Freddy!" She teased. "Ridiculously uncoordinated out here!"
"'Ey, watch yer mouth, Lass!" Foxy growled playfully.
"Make me, Pyrite." She taunted, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Right, that's it!" He suddenly pounced at her, scooping her up fast enough for her to only yelp. "Ye brat!" He nuzzled her affectionately aggressively, making her laugh.
"Foxy!" She protested, pushing his snout away in vain.
Keet growled, a playful glint in her green eyes as she bared her teeth at the fox who held her owner.
Foxy laughed as the raptor headbutted him enough to send him back a step, lifting his head from his playful assault to their human. "Okay, okay, Aye 'ear ya, Girly!" He scratched the reptile's chin with his hook, grinning at her pleased purr.
Bonnie rolled his eyes fondly, giving the three of them a playfully pointed look. "Come on, children, we got places to be!"
Foxy huffed, holding Riley with one arm as he caught up with the bunny and bear in three strides. "Yeah, okay, mister 'not-childish-at-all' bunny."
Keet chuffed in agreement, falling into step beside them.
"'Ey, someone's gotta be responsible around here!" Bonnie retorted lightheartedly with a swat to the fox's arm.
Riley smirked. "Uh-huh, and it's definitely you who's responsible."
He glared at her, unable to hide his amused grin. "Watch it, Shooting Star."
She simply giggled mischievously and wrapped her arms around Foxy's neck, completely relaxed as the fox carried her.
Freddy smiled warmly at them. He's missed their dynamics and antics so much.
He reached out a paw to pat Riley's head, freezing when a low growl made his gaze snap over, all of them stopping in their tracks.
Keet loomed over him, razor-sharp teeth bared down at him as her eyes bore into his warningly.
"Keet." Riley calmly reached her hand up to the raptor, palm open as she met her gaze steadily. "Easy." She glanced at Freddy. "Freddy, put your arm down nice and slow, please."
The bear nodded, wide eyes never leaving the reptile as he lowered his paw back to his side and instinctively took a step back.
"No sudden movements." Riley continued softly as Foxy carefully set her on her feet. "Just stay calm and let me take her for a minute to talk to her."
Keet growled lowly, narrowed eyes still dead set on Freddy as Riley gently pushed her to walk away.
"Keet, come with me." The teenager encouraged softly, watching her animatronic's every move carefully.
The raptor snarled, stretching her neck forward in a threatening gesture.
"Keet." Her growl lowered to a rumble at the firmness in Riley's voice. "Babes..." She finally looked down at her human. "Come on." She murmured.
She chuffed, shaking her head before lowering herself to let her girl climb onto her back.
Riley settled on her with a sigh, looking down at the others with a reassuring but apologetic smile. "We'll be right back."
Bonnie and Foxy gave a nod, Freddy still wide-eyed and stiff, even as Riley and Keet took off into the trees.
"Wh- what did I do wrong?" Freddy asked, staring in the direction they left, ears flat to his head.
Foxy turned to him with a sympathetic expression. "Not be yer fault, Captain..."
Bonnie nodded slowly. "Keet just..." He hesitated, before shrugging. "Has a hard time meeting new people."
Freddy let out a shaky breath he didn't know he was holding in. "W- will she be okay with Gregory?" He asked, his eyes darting between them. "I do not want to put him in danger if-"
"Gregory's gonna be fine." Bonnie cut him off gently before he could spiral. "Riley would never let her get out of hand, and neither would we."
"The lass be really good with 'er, Freddy." Foxy added. "Promise."
Freddy's shoulders slumped a bit at that, tension draining from his frame. "Okay... okay."
Bonnie put a paw on his shoulder in comfort, all of them falling into silence as they waited for the girls to return.
Riley watched as Keet came to a stop once they were deeper in the woods, the raptor stomping her clawed foot in annoyance.
"Keet..." She murmured, sliding off her back and moving to her side, waiting for her to look her in the eyes.
Keet grumbled lowly, reluctantly turning her head to look down at her.
"Honey Girl, what's going on?" The girl asked softly. "You're never this protective when it's anyone else."
She hissed in frustration, tail lashing as her claws flexed.
"Then what is it?" Riley gently pressed, brows furrowed with a frown on her lips.
The raptor snuffed with a slow shake of her head, looking away, unable to make eye contact anymore.
"Is it because he's a bear...?"
Her eyes went downcast and she let out a soft whine, all her growls and grumbles gone.
Riley made a soft noise of understanding and reached up to hug her head. The reptile went willingly, lowering her head to allow the girl to hold her.
"I know, Keet... I know." She whispered, stroking her soft leather skin and nuzzling her cheek. "It's okay... it's gonna be okay."
Keet whimpered, curving her neck around her girl as her tail curled to rest on her back.
"Oh, Babes..." Riley breathed, voice wavering a little.
She curled around her human further, both of them just holding each other, the breeze blowing through the trees and the birds chirping the only sounds around them.
"Listen, Baby." Riley whispered after a few minutes of quiet, opening her tearful eyes to look up at her friend, gently stroking her leathery snout. "I need you to do me a favor and give 'im a chance, okay?"
Keet opened her eyes, frowning with a whiney grumble.
"I know..." She gave her a squeeze with one arm. "I hear you. But I know Freddy, and he would never be a threat to us..." She assured gently, gazing into those green eyes that looked back at her uncertainly. "If you can't trust him, trust me. They need us, Sweetie... because sooner or later they'll be in big trouble when they're found."
The raptor exhaled a sigh, giving the smallest of nods with a look of 'fine but if something goes wrong...'.
Riley smiled and patted her snout gently. "You'll be the first to know, Babe."
Keet nuzzled her with a purr, getting her own in return, before she crouched low once more to let the girl on her again.
The teen climbed up and patted her powerful shoulder as she stood. "And besides, I think you'll like Freddy. He's the kindest bear you'll ever know."
The raptor just huffed in response, starting their run through the trees to meet back up with the others.
'We'll see.'
Freddy sighed as he scuffed his foot against the dirt, glancing over at his friends with low ears. "Are you sure they are alright...?"
Foxy looked up at him from where he was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. "They'll be fine, Captain." He assured softly with a slight nod. "Just need a little time t' talk is all."
"Yeah..." Bonnie chimed in in a gentle voice, leaning against the fox's tree. "It tends to be an issue for Keet to have to deal with new people being around Riley... she was built to protect the girl, and every new being or animal makes her cautious."
Foxy hummed quietly. "Aye. 'Twas hard fer us to get within ten feet o' the lass when we first got 'ere."
"It was like that for a while, too, before she eventually let us in and got used to us." Bonnie added. "So don't take it to heart, Fred." He smiled sadly. "She'll accept ya eventually."
"I am more worried about what she will do with Gregory..." Freddy mumbled with concern.
"Hard t' say, Lad." Foxy sighed softly. "She's been around other lil' mates before and let them in pretty quickly, but... guess it depends on how innocent she believes them t' be."
They all looked up at the sound of footsteps coming their way, spotting Keet coming to a slow with Riley riding on her back.
Riley frowned at Freddy once the stopped. "I'm sorry, Freddy." She apologized quietly but sincerely, patting Keet's side gently with a shake of her head. "She wasn't supposed to do that."
Freddy sighed, ears drooping as his eyes darted back and forth between the girl and the raptor warily. "It is alright... I am sorry I upset her."
The teen hopped off of Keet, shaking her head and walking over to him. "You did nothing wrong." She promised softly, stopping a few feet in front of him. "My dad, he... he built Keet to protect me when we had to leave you guys. She's just wary of new people who she thinks could hurt me."
"Riley..." Freddy murmured, kneeling down and holding out his paw, palm up, as he looked her in the eye. "I will never harm you, or anyone that you love." He vowed, glancing up at Keet, too. "You both have my word."
Riley looked at his large paw and slowly reached out to place her hand in it, causing him to look back down at her. "I know you won't, Boss Bear..." She whispered, sudden tears filling her eyes. "I trust you with my life."
He softened at her tears, gingerly closing her hand in his paw and gently tugging her forward into a warm hug. "I missed you very much, Little Star."
Bonnie and Foxy smiled at the tender scene, each putting a paw on Keet's shoulders when the raptor growled lowly. "Hush." Bonnie whispered, leaning his head against her side.
Keet forced herself to relax her posture at their silent reassuring touch, tail flicking irritably. One wrong move from the bear, and she'd strike.
Riley huffed a wet laugh, smiling against Freddy's fur and ignoring Keet's subtle warning stomp. "You remember your nickname for me..."
He gave her a squeeze with a soft smile. "Of course I do. Little Riley, running around the Pizzaplex like she owns the place... always wanting our attention, even when we were feeling upset."
She laughed weakly at that and released him to wipe her tears. "I was five, Freddy... was just tryin' t' make you feel better."
"And you did." He grinned, ears wiggling. "Your hugs always made us feel better and happier than anything else could."
She huffed, pouting playfully before grinning and throwing her arms around his neck. "I really missed you, too, Fredbear."
He hugged her back, tighter this time. "Eight very long years..." He murmured aloud, more to himself than anyone.
Riley giggled softly and pulled away, beaming through her tears as she put her hands on his shoulders. "Now, let's go get your boy before he thinks you fell off the face of the planet, yeah?"
Freddy's ears perked at that, standing as she walked around him and the others followed. "That is impossible. The earth is round and does not have a-"
"It's a figure of speech, Buddy!" Bonnie cackled, looking over his shoulder teasingly at him.
"Ah." Freddy nodded his head once. "Of course." He smiled at himself in amusement as he began to follow them.
He'd get the hang of this 'new world' eventually.