Work Text:
It was hard to believe that just a few months ago, the pizzeria was on the verge of bankruptcy. During that time, Freddy had nearly lost himself within the stressors that came along with the failing business.
But ever since Allie and Kazam had, quite frankly, crashed into his life, things had only been looking up. Of course, there were moments of trial along the way, but thanks to the support he received from his friends during those tough times, he pushed through it, and now things were only going up from here.
Business was booming! Sales were growing exponentially, they were able to afford new attractions to bring in customers- his dream was finally coming true. Freddy was sure that nothing would go wrong. How could it? Things were finally working out for him and his friends.
Now that he didn't have to worry about the state of the pizzeria, it opened up new opportunities to pursue some of his other goals- ones that he'd been putting off for way too long.
"Well, why are you askin' me?" Chica raised an eyebrow, rubbing her hands together to rid them of the extra flour that had gotten on them while she was making more pizza dough.
"I just thought- you're a girl, and she- she's a girl too..?" Freddy removed his top hat from his head to nervously twirl it in his hands before returning it to its original spot, instead resorting to a small shrug.
The bird animatronic exchanged a look with her cupcake companion before shaking her head with a small smile, walking over to the bear.
"Just be yourself, Freddy. I have no doubt that she'll say yes. You've just gotta go'on and..and rip the bandaid off-!" She offered with a slanted smile. She didn't believe she was the best person to ask about this type of stuff, but she still felt flattered to be entrusted with a matter so important.
Freddy gave a weak smile and nodded hesitantly, turning to exit the kitchen. He traveled into the main area, following the noises of muffled music and the laughter and screams of children. The sound made him smile a bit, but the nervousness inside his chest quickly put an end to his temporary moment of pleasure. He turned the corner, narrowly avoiding a kid who had ran past. The place was packed today. Lots of birthday parties, playdates, and all the like. He glanced around, trying to spot Circus Baby in the crowd. You would never find her in one place- she was always everywhere at once, trying to help out in whatever ways she could. She was always so..helpful. That was one of the things he loved most about her.
She'd been with him through the ups and downs of the pizzeria, always backing him in whatever decision he would make in a situation- whether it'd be dumb, or..dumb. But she also wasn't afraid to speak her mind when he couldn't use his.
Freddy shook his head, catching himself daydreaming.
His eyes flicked over to the prize counter, where she was competing with Foxy to win the favor of a kid trying to claim his prize. She looked up, turning her head slightly and catching his gaze. She flashed a small smile before returning her attention back to the kid, presenting him with a Circus Baby plush, in which he happily received. The kid hugged the plush, sliding his tickets forward as he skipped off happily. Foxy grumbled something, crossing his arms over his mechanical chest as he pressed something into her hands.
Freddy couldn't hear the conversation, but he saw the way she laughed with that bright smile as she jabbed Foxy's side playfully. The pirate animatronic rolled his eyes, before waving her off with a grumble and turning to attend to another waiting customer. Circus Baby shook her head, rolling her own eyes playfully before turning, leaning against the counter as Freddy finally worked up the courage to approach the counter.
He felt his circuits overheating from sheer nervousness, but tried pushing the feelings down as much as possible as she spoke. "Hey," she smiled, leaning against the counter as she planted her head in the palms of her hands.
Freddy smiled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously before wheezing out some sort of response. She raised an eyebrow at his unusual greeting, shifting the weight of her head from both hands to just one as the other pressed flat onto the surface of the glass prize case.
"You okay?" She asked with a small chuckle, tilting her head slightly to the side as she examined his stiff posture and nervous fidgeting. Freddy cleared his throat—or at least attempted to. "O-of course! Just- makin' sure everything is ship-shape!" he internally facepalmed as her face dropped a little with disappointment.
"Um, yeah, everything's fine," she shifted back to standing, awkwardly twisting one of the loose curls that brushed the back of her neck.
Freddy's fingers twitched at his sides, his mind scrambling for some coherent way to continue into what he actually wanted to ask. "Well, I-uh..." He trailed off. CB leaned in once more, looking up at him patiently. But suddenly her eyes trailed somewhere behind him as her expression fell. She stood up, averting her gaze in a disinterested manner as Allie and Kazam had approached, having just finished a magic show.
"Freddy! We've been looking everywhere for you!" Kazam grinned, resting a hand on Freddy's shoulder, intentionally oblivious to the tense air. Freddy blinked, glancing back at CB who had now busied herself with rearranging the prizes on the shelves. "Uh, yeah, I was just-"
Allie's eyes flicked between them, catching CB's stiff posture and the slight blush on Freddy's cheeks. "Nevermind that," she interrupted, her hand hiking up to his shoulder as she turned him, beginning to lead him away. "We've something to discuss with you," she smirked as Freddy glanced back at CB, who looked down with dejection. His ears drooped. Before he could mouth an apology, though, Kazam's hands gripped his head and turned him back around, facing him forward as they led Freddy away. CB picked up a discarded rag and began wiping at the glass case of the prize counter, looking up one more time as the magicians led him away. She saw as Allie looked back and locked eyes with her, narrowing her eyes and shooting her a smirk of superiority. CB's eyebrows furrowed. What was this all about?
The couple led him away from the prize counter and towards the side entrance of the stage, away from the chaos of the pizzeria. They let go of him, and he stumbled forward a little, turning to face them. He was a little upset- any other time he'd be happy to help them wit whatever he needed. But just this once..he needed to do something for his own sake, and he couldn't even do that.
The couple was intertwined with each other, as usual. You'd never find them apart. In a way, he..admired the relationship they had. It just made him want the same all the more with CB.
There was something..different about their demeanor, though. It was as if they had swapped personalities. Kazam, who was usually the upbeat and energetic one, seemed to be more relaxed, while Allie countered his demeanor, very giddy over something that seemed to be the upcoming topic of their conversation.
Kazam was the first to speak, his arm extending out and around his wife's waist. "Fredrick, we have something to tell you-"
But the poor man couldn't even finish his sentence fully before Allie cut him off with a blurt of her own.
"We're having a child!!" She exclaimed, squeezing her husband's hand, which was currently tangled against hers.
Freddy binked- that was quite the news, indeed. He loved children, and to think that in a few months time there would be an addition to the Fazbear crew (and most importantly, Allie and Kazam's lives), filled him with all sorts of joy. He figured it would happen eventually. Now that they were all in a good situation given how the business was blossoming, it was only a matter of time until they felt comfortable enough to add another life to the mix. Freddy paused for a moment, processing the bombshell before perking up. "Seriously?" One of his hands went up to press against his cheek. "Allie, Kazam! That's amazing!! I can't wait to-"
But he was cut off almost as abruptly as the news was delivered as a purple-gloved hand suddenly rushed towards him, shoving something into his face. The object pressed against his nose, prompting a soft 'honk' from it. Freddy blinked, his eyes refocusing on the item that had been held out for him to see. He squinted at the papers. Across the top in big, bold letters, it said 'CERTIFICATE OF ADOPTION'. Freddy briefly skimmed the document raising an eyebrow in both shock and confusion. Before he could even get a thought out though, the rubix cube-headed beings spoke up once more.
"It's you!" Kazam declared, slightly reeling the paper back as Allie's hand came forwards as well, and with a rotation of her wrist, an ink pen materialized in her fingers. She offered it to Freddy, speaking up once more. "Sign here, please!" She said with a small giggle.
Freddy looked between the two- forcing out a weak chuckle. He'd been told that he was gullible in the past, but these two were very good at acting. It was almost believable, had not it been for the absurdity of the request. "That's- That's a good one guys," He sputtered out, his hand coming up to nervously rub the artificial fur on the back of his head.
As if on cue, both magicians went uncharacteristically stoic, glancing at the other briefly, before their gazes settled on Freddy. "Quite the jokester you are, my bear," Kazam chuckled, his cubes momentarily shifting to form into an all-yellow faceplate as he released his hold on his wife, going over to Freddy and roughly ruffling his fur, causing his top hat to shift from it's usual place, slipping off of his head before Kazam caught it and returned it to Freddy's head with one swift motion. Freddy furrowed his eyebrows a little, fixing the hat back to its proper place after it had been reapplied. "I..don't understand," He proceeded cautiously. The two had never come off as..aggressive as they seemed in the moment. Freddy trusted them, but this was..odd. Even for them.
"Of course you don't," Freddy didn't miss that mumbled statement that came from Allie, who looked considerably more angry than her husband did. Before he could even question it, Kazam corrected her. "What you mean, sugarcube," he put emphasis on the 'mean', casting a warning glance towards his partner as she narrowed her eyes at him. He directed his attention back towards Freddy as he moved an arm around the bear's shoulders. "We've come so far in our little business affair from where we had started!" He began to walk with him down the hallway, as Allie begrudgingly trailed behind them.
Freddy's ears twitched at the phrasing of 'business affair'. That was odd wording for them to use—they'd never referred to their friendship in such a way before. Kazam continued on, seemingly oblivious to the bear's hesitation, "We've grown so close, and now, with this little..arrangement of ours, we'll be inseparable!" Freddy's footsteps faltered at the statement, but Kazam didn't seem to notice—or care—as he continued to pull him along.
Freddy glanced up at Kazam squirming slightly in his grip but ultimately following his lead. Kazam continued. "To be blunt, Freddy, what exactly have you given us in return?" They turned another corner, going deeper into the pizzeria, isolating themselves from the others.
"Well I- you've never-" Freddy trailed off. He'd been so caught up in the bliss of his booming business to realize that this wasn't just a free service, but rather a transaction. "Ahh, but it's all in the details. The fine print," The rubix cube held out his hands, swiping one hand over the other to make another piece of parchment appear- a contract.
The paper was filled with words- words that Freddy would admit hadn't seemed like much of an issue in his initial scan of the document. He had signed it in a bit of a spur-of-the-moment action, leaving little regard for the fine details of the contract. Before he could look closer, another swipe of the hand made the contract disappear.
"You really don't have a choice," Allie's voice sounded again as a pale yellow arm trekked up and around his other shoulder, sandwiching the bear between the two. A revelation crossed Freddy. He'd made a big mistake, and there was no apparent way out of it. "A deal's a deal, and your future is sealed." She added, removing her own top hat, shaking it a little until the adoption certificate fell from it. She returned the hat to her head, waving the document in front of Freddy's face once more.
He looked at the page hesitantly, as the couple released their hold on him, instead walking slightly in front of him and turning to face the bear. The paper fell into Freddy's hands, along with the pen from earlier. He let out a shaky breath, glancing up at the two, who were once again tangled against each other- Kazam's arms had found a new resting spot upon Allie's waist. Both caught his gaze, and urged him on with crooked smiles.
Freddy directed his attention back to the adoption certificate, already filled out with the necessary information except one space that was blank- where his signature needed to be placed. "Go on, love," Allie pressed impatiently, before she was stilled by the squeeze of her husbands hand on her hip. The bear hesitated-- this didn't feel right. None of it did.
He heard Baby's voice in the distance, probably looking for him after their conversation had been cut short. He turned his head towards the noise, but Kazam's voice stole his attention once more.
"You see Fredrick," Kazam remarked, leaning in closer as his cubes shifted to a red faceplate. "We've already invested so much in you. And frankly," his fingers tightened slightly around Allie's waist. "We'd hate to see our..investment go to waste."
Freddy blinked, feeling the thinly-masked threat in his voice. The pen trembled in his grip as he heard footsteps down the hall, as CB's voice grew louder as she approached. He swallowed hard, refocusing on the blank signature line on the paper. He sighed, shifting to prop the paper against his hand as he brought the pen to sign it. But before the ink transferred onto the paper, CB rounded the corner, her eyebrows furrowing when she saw Freddy cornered by the couple.
She narrowed her eyes in confusion, hesitantly stepping forward. "Freddy?" she asked, glancing between the three of them, her gaze sharpening as she took in his stiff posture and the threatening stances of the couple.
The moment she spoke, Allie and Kazam's expressions shifted into practiced smiles, but the tension didn't cease. Kazam leaned back, shoving freddy forward as he extended his arm over the bear's shoulder with fake enthusiasm. "Just finalizing some paperwork, dear! Nothing to fret over," he exclaimed, but his grip on Freddy tightened subtly, causing him to wince.
She narrowed her eyes even more, crossing her arms. "By cornering him in a hallway?" she challenged, her suspicion evident in her voice. Freddy looked between Allie and Kazam, noticing the slight twitch of Allie's eye. She continued, focusing her gaze on Freddy. "Freddy, are you okay?"
Freddy hesitated. He knew what Allie and Kazam were capable of, and didn't want t subject CB to that danger. He'd rather it be himself than any of his friends get hurt. He felt Kazam's fingers dig into his shoulder plating as a warning. "It's--" he started, his voice wavering. CB stepped forward before he could finish, snatching the document from his hands, skimming over the paper. "What is this?!" she scoffed, looking up at the two magicians.
Kazam sighed dramatically, as if dealing with a disobedient child. "Oh, why so theatrical, dear?" he mused, his cubes shifting to yellow as a mocking grin grew on his face. Allie, however, wasn't amused. She stepped forward, her hand extending towards CB to grab the paper back, causing the clown to take another step back, clutching the parchment to her chest.
"Now," Kazam murmured, grabbing a hold of his wife's wrist. "Hand over the paper, and we can forget that any of this happened!" CB's eyes flicked over to Freddy, who looked at her with a pleading look. "Just..give it back," he assured her nervously. "It'll be fine, trust me--"
This just caused her to clench the document tigheter, shaking her head. She felt no fear when it came to protecting the ones she loved. Freddy stood there frozen, once again looking up at Kazam as his expression shifted. "Very well, then," he said calmly. Finally he released his grip on his wife's wrist as she withdrew her wand, flicking it in CB's direction. Suddenly, CB felt an intense pain as she was lifted slightly in the air, her limbs locking up. The document slipped from her fingers, falling to the floor as she struggled against the invisible force holding her in place. The paper floated down into Allie's expectant hands as she turned back towards a horrified Freddy.
Freddy lunged forward instinctively, but Kazam caught him by the arm with ease. The bear's struggles were futile as the magician held him effortlessly with one hand, the other twirling his fingers in the air with a lazy flick.
The air crackled with static—CB's voice hitched in a strangled gasp as her limbs twisted unnaturally against the invisible grip. Freddy could see the panic in her eyes, the way her plating strained against forces no one else could see. A thin, jagged crack split across her cheek.
"Stop! What are you doing?! You're-- you're hurting her-!" he exclaimed, trying to break free of Kazam's grasp, but he just tightened his grip on Freddy's arm.
The magician tilted his head, his cubes shifting into a purple color as his grin widened unnaturally. "Hurt her?" he mused, his voice dripping with faux concern. "Oh Freddy, this is just a little... demonstration." Allie flicked her wand again as CB let out another screech of pain. "Of what happens when you don't honor your contracts."
Freddy let out a shaky breath, his knees buckling as Kazam tossed him onto the floor. Freddy lifted his head weakly, glancing up as dark purple shoes came into his line of vision, before a hand reached down and tilted his chin up. "You've one more chance," Kazam sneered, as Allie joined him, presenting Freddy with the papers once more.
Freddy lifted his hand shakily, taking the pen as his ears pinned against his head, glancing back at CB's struggling form before signing his name with a shaky hand. Kazam snatched the paper from his grasp, inspecting the signature before letting out a delighted laugh, clapping his hands together. "Perfect!" he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Allie, who grinned widely. She released CB with a rotation of her wand. Circus Baby fell forward to the ground, clutching her arm in which she landed on as Freddy scrambled over to her, helping her sit up.
Kazam folded the adoption certificate neatly before tucking it into his vest pocket, patting it affectionately. "Now, now," he began, his voice dripping with mock sympathy as he crouched down beside Freddy and CB. "No need to look so glum! This is cause for celebration!" He reached out to ruffle Freddy's fur again, but CB shoved his hand away, glaring up at him with her teeth bared. Kazam chuckled, withdrawing his hand with amusement as he stood back up.
Freddy's grip tightened around CB's shoulder, his eyes darting between the magicians and the hallway's exit. His mind raced— a realization dawning on him. What had he just agreed to? The contract, the adoption, CB's pain—none of it made sense.
Allie twirled her wand between her fingers, watching them with an almost bored expression. "You'll thank us later," she giggled, stepping back as her husband raised his own wand.
"Don't worry, young chaps," he looked down at them with a crazed expression, twirling his wand before directing it right at them.
"You won't remember a thing."