Chapter Text
“Gregory!” called a voice from another room, “Did you pack up all your things? The Feds are waiting outside!”
“On it, Vanessa!” yelled Gregory as he bolted to his feet.
The boy zipped open his Pizzaplex duffel bag and hastily shoved in as many of his belongings as he could. He started with his clothes (unfolded, of course), and then all the gadgets he stole from the Pizzaplex that fateful night. Freddy, the helpless head that he was, watched intently from Gregory’s nightstand as his superstar managed to fit everything he owned into one big bundle.
“Gregory,” said the head, “Are you sure you have everything?”
“Yeah.” Gregory replied as he picked Freddy up, “Thanks for looking out.” He took one last look at his room just to make sure, before hoisting the heavy duffel bag over his shoulder and making his way to the living room.
Meanwhile, Vanessa was getting finished neatly packing her suitcases with as many items as she could fit; her clothes, her Vanny outfit (which she still kept for some reason), some electronic gadgets, toiletries, and - most importantly - the outfits she and Gregory planned on wearing to the courtroom. She turned around as she heard Gregory’s footsteps get louder. The boy carried his overfull duffel bag over his shoulder and had Freddy’s head tucked underneath his arm. Freddy’s eyes lit up as he smiled at his old security guard.
“Put Freddy in the bag.” Vanessa commanded.
“But Vanessa!” Gregory protested, “It’s full!” He unzipped the duffel bag. A waterfall of unfolded shirts and socks spewed out. Vanessa sighed as she walked up and wrested Freddy’s head from Gregory. She looked into the bear’s big blue eyes, and then back at Gregory.
“If anyone sees you with Freddy out in the open,” Vanessa warned, “Fazbear Entertainment might find out, and you’ll end up in the S.T.A.F.F. bot that cleans the toilets!”
Gregory giggled at that idea. Vanessa couldn’t help but smirk as well.
“Oh, Vanessa!” Gregory jested, “You’re gonna be the toilet-cleaning bot. I’ll probably possess something cool, like Monty!”
“Don’t be upset if you end up in Chica!”
The two shared a belly-laugh at their morbid sense of humor as Vanessa tucked Freddy into one of her suitcases. Gregory zipped the duffel bag shut once more, and the three bid farewell to the drab and barren halls of their old Hurricane home. Outside, there stood a tall, muscle-bound gentleman wearing sleek, jet-black sunglasses, in front of a plain-looking black car. It looked like something out of a movie.
“Hello, hello!” spoke the man as he presented his badge, “You two must be the ones I’m looking for. Ready to move?”
Gregory and Vanessa sat in the back seat of the van. It had been hours since they left Hurricane. Gregory rested his head on Vanessa’s shoulder, his cheek nuzzling the rough fabric of her purple flannel. Despite everything that happened with her during his night at Freddy’s, he really liked his new guardian. Because she was only in her twenties, she was more in-touch with his interests. She played video games with him and understood every meme he showed her. Sure, she was strict and overprotective, but given the situation, who wouldn’t be? Besides, the “wizard” who previously watched over him never gave him clothes, shelter, or even ice cream.
Gregory’s gaze focused on the window. It looked the same outside as it did an hour ago - the Great Basin, far as the eye could see. Desert hills and badlands crawled across his vision as they had been doing for several hours. All that seemed to have changed was the position of the sun, and not by a lot. This monotony made the boy very, very tired.
“Gosh, it’s been a long trip!” yawned Gregory as he looked up to Vanessa, “Where do you think he’s taking us?”
The federal agent in the driver’s seat spoke up, “It’s a very remote town. Takes hours to drive to and from. It’s a place that Fazbear Entertainment wouldn’t even think to look. Trust me, you two’ll be safe there.”
The agent’s words filled Gregory with comfort. A cozy warmth welled up in his stomach, as if a torch had melted away his uncertainty. His eyes fluttered shut as he dozed off. But, in what felt like seconds, Vanessa nudged him awake.
“Hey, little guy,” Vanessa said, “You’ve been asleep for a few hours. We’re here.”
Gregory’s eyes widened as he perked up and looked out the car’s window. He was pleased and relieved to see that the desert outside his window had been usurped by a landscape of bright green grass and sun-kissed cottages. For a moment, he saw a tall, lanky man in a suit walking briskly down the sidewalk. He wanted to wave to the fellow, but then he noticed that his head looked far too large for his body. He turned to Vanessa.
“Did you see that guy?” he asked.
“What guy?” she replied.
Gregory turned around to face the window again, but the car had already passed by. The man in the suit was out of sight. The agent eventually parked by one of the many identical houses lining the street. He stepped out of the car and opened the door for Vanessa and Gregory.
“Here we are,” he exclaimed, “183 Starlight Avenue, Daycare, Utah!”
Gregory furled his eyebrows. Just the utterance of the word “Daycare” brought back memories of that crappy night at the Pizzaplex. He shuddered at the thought of that creepy control freak and his gremlin alter-ego, and wondered why anyone would name a town something like that. But, there was no time to stand idly and wonder.
“You go grab a suitcase.” Vanessa ordered as she smirked, “My arm’s still asleep because of you!”
Gregory nodded and did as he was told. He took his duffel bag, then walked around to the trunk of the car and grabbed the smaller suitcase. He could hear Freddy’s muffled voice muttering something about if they were there yet as he progressed towards the door, trailing closely behind Vanessa. The two were pleased to see that their new home was fully furnished, and a lot roomier than their apartment back in Hurricane. Vanessa dragged her suitcase to the middle of the living room and collapsed on the couch. Gregory plopped down next to her and pulled Freddy out. Before Freddy could say “Are we there yet?” again, his eyes lit up as he scanned his surroundings. They were, indeed, there, and what a wonderful there it was!
“Welcome to your new home, Freddy!” Gregory squealed.
“Gregory!” Freddy exclaimed, “I did not expect this house to be so large! Where did the government take us?”
“We’re in a town called Daycare.” said Vanessa as she unpacked her bags, “That’s all the man told us. It looks pretty nice, from what we’ve seen.”
Vanessa paused. As she took in her surroundings, an intense and sudden relief climbed up her body and squeezed her ribcage. After several years of torment and trauma, she finally reached the light at the end of what initially felt like an endless tunnel. She had a home, she had a friend, and she could leave Fazbear behind. Done were the days of abuse. Never again would she be hijacked and forced to kill for Fazbear Entertainment, and that made her happy. She wrapped her arm around Gregory and held him tight as tears welled up in her eyes.
“Oh, Gregory!” she cried, “We’re finally gonna live like normal people! No more hiding from Fazbear! I’m so, so grateful you saved me; I thought I’d never see a day like this!”
Gregory gently returned her hug and patted her on the back. He, too, was excited for what the future might hold. Then, the doorbell rang.
“Officer Vanessa! Gregory! The doorbell is ringing!” Freddy said.
“We know!” the two replied in tandem.
Gregory jumped up and bolted to the front door as if it was a race. Vanessa took his aptitude as an invitation to continue lazing on the comfy couch. Gregory swiftly opened the door, only to be greeted by the second-to-last thing he ever wanted to see again.
“HELLLLLLO, NEW NEIGHBOR!”
The thing standing before Gregory held its arms out, and then bowed, the bells on its wrists and shoes jingling with every move. It was none other than the Daycare Attendant; that freak of engineering Gregory met back at the Pizzaplex. The boy’s eye twitched. He refused to believe what he was seeing, for there was no possible way that robot could have followed him here, let alone escape the Pizzaplex.
“W-what are you doing here?” Gregory stuttered, “I thought you were supposed to be at the Pizzaplex.”
“The what? Oh, don’t be silly!” laughed the robot, “I should be asking you the same thing! What’s a HUMAN doing here in DAYCARE?”
Gregory couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Surely, he thought, it couldn’t be true. Alas, as his vision focused on the sidewalks beyond the robot in front of him, his pupils shrank, and his heart sank. Several daycare attendants walked the streets. A small Daycare Attendant with a propeller hat and overalls rode a bicycle down the road. It waved at that mysterious fellow Gregory saw earlier, who turned out to be a slightly-different-looking Daycare Attendant in a fancy suit. A couple walked by in the distance - a man and his pregnant…husband? Both were some variation of the Daycare Attendant. Much to his dismay, Gregory finally realized why the town was called Daycare. His jaw dropped to the ground, and he screamed so hard he fainted.