The Show Must Go On

I don't own Five Nights at Freddy's. Scott Cawthon does.

Summary: In a world where some humans are born with animal characteristics, only one restaurant stood based upon this new kind of human…well. Until the place across the street opened up.

Notes: humanised characters, swearing, some slight adult themes here and there.

…

Nobody even knew where it had come from. It'd been an epidemic, some had said. Contagious, painful; just plain wrong. Others had considered it some sort of miracle of sorts. They'd gotten it into their thick skulls that this was a gift from God, that God was fixing whatever damage had been done, caused by the human race itself. There had been protests on the treatment of such people - as there were with any type of person that others didn't understand - between those most scientific and those most religious. Science vs. God; the thinkers vs. the believers. Everyone in between - who didn't give a damn how it had started - just thought it was really fucking weird.

The 'epidemic' in question had started years and years ago, some time after the second World War. When babies were being born as quickly as daisies grew, one such child - found in a small cluster of houses in London - was born a little…different.

It hadn't been all that obvious straight from birth; it'd taken a month or two to really be noticed and, when it was, panic broke out. The little boy hadn't been born with any sort of disability at all, no, no. He'd been born…with dog ears. It had been bizarre, unheard of and generally fucked up. Rumours broke out, aliens were mentioned and bitch jokes were made. People blamed the bombs that had been dropped, saying the explosions must've screwed something up in the mother's blood or in her genes or whatever and that had led to this child having the ears of a dog. Some accused her of genuine bestiality before scientists stepped forward to say that wouldn't be possible. She was harassed, accused of obscene and morbid things, threatened; it only got worse as the child grew up. A tail soon came, then the child would sometimes act like the animal he had 'inherited' (there was no better word for it) his ears and tail from. He had a heightened sense of smell, his tail revealed his emotions more than his eyes did and he had a knack for catching anything thrown at him.

Tests were run, but no one could find a reason for this. Then another child had been born, this time with lizard scales on random patches of skin. Then another, with the bill of a duck. Then another and another and another and, soon, it seemed there was an army of people with animal qualities. No one could ever find the reason back then, only blamed it on whoever had been their enemy during the war or on some higher being.

Nowadays, nobody really gave a damn.

'Animas', as they had been scientifically called, blended in with society as easily as any other group of 'new' humans could. There was still prejudice toward them, as one would expect; jealousy at them for being able to do things normal humans couldn't (which, sometimes, wasn't even a good thing) and general curiosity on their biology and how they ran. In all cases, they functioned as any human would; they had a heart that beat in their chests, blood that ran through their veins, lungs that took in oxygen and passed out carbon dioxide; all the bits and pieces humans were made from.

Kids were especially fascinated with them, found them people to look up to, and that had inspired many to pursue careers linked to animas. Television shows were made, comics were drawn, schools mixing normal humans and animas were built and restaurants were opened. One such diner was made that welcomed people of any kind. Run by a bear and a rabbit, the diner had been a massive hit. The bear in question had no prejudice toward anyone and was an absolute delight toward those who stepped foot in his restaurant and his rabbit partner entertained the children with stories and jokes and his own musical talent. It had probably helped that they had apprentices (or so they were called) who were as old as the children who visited for a meal and a show; the bear's younger brother and the rabbit's little cousin. The restaurant had been a complete success, everyone in the area knew it.

Then, one day, the dream place fell apart. No article in any newspaper could give details, as none were given to the reporters and writers that slaved over the pages. There were rumours that the animas there had gone wild and some claimed to see their eyes turn black. That was another thing about these abnormal humans - black eyes meant they were out of control and dangerous. Most with those eyes were tasered immediately and put away until they were normal again (or as normal as animas could be, anyway). Whatever had happened at that restaurant didn't matter to some; the place was shut down and the animas who had run it, along with their little relatives, were gone. Children everywhere were heartbroken at the loss of their heroes and most today had only heard of that old place. Nobody had dared open another place like that; not one based off of animas.

Except one.

"Hey, everyone! Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza!"

After so many years - long enough for those little apprentices to grow into adults - a new restaurant had opened up. As of now, it had been open for about three years or so and it was loved.

"I'm Freddy Fazbear himself," the large man on the stage announced, his right hand grasping a microphone as he addressed the audience before him. His left hand took hold of the top hat on his head and whipped it off as he bowed, "and I thank you all for joining me and my friends here today! Speaking of which," Freddy placed his hat back on as he straightened up, then motioned to the two behind him, "let me introduced you all to them! This is my guitarist and my favourite rabbit ever, Bonnie!"

His introduction was met with the cheering of fans, some no older than six. Bonnie waved to them all with the hand that wasn't holding his precious guitar, "Hey, kids! I see some familiar faces here today!" There was a cheer of one particularly excited boy, making Freddy and Bonnie grin to each other.

Freddy then turned to the blonde young lady to his left, "An' here's the expert of all things delicious herself: Chica!"

"Hi, there, kids! Nice to see you all!" Chica called once her own fans had lowered the volume of their cheering. Balanced in her hand was a pink cupcake with googly eyes on the front and a single candle protruding from the top.

Freddy turned back to the crowd and gestured to the curtained area over on the right, "And how can my gang be complete without the best pirate on the seven seas - Foxy!"

"Ahoy, me lads and lasses!" Foxy called out, his left hand on his hip and he held up the hook that replaced his right hand. The cheers for him were quite possibly the loudest. "Nice ta see me crew is all fine an' well!"

"Now, kids, how about my pals and I perform a little song for you?!" Freddy called out. The cheers of agreement all four of his ears met were loud enough to hurt, but he didn't mind one bit. In fact, his smile only widened, "Alrighty, sounds like they want a song! Let's -"

"Now, hold on a sec there, Fazbear!" Bonnie interrupted. Freddy turned to him, bear ears wriggling slightly, "Haven't ya forgotten to mention the prizes for today?!"

At the mention of prizes, the kids all eagerly turned to the leader of the band to listen for more. Freddy slapped his forehead; all of the adults in the crowd could tell this was an act, but the kids couldn't and that was what was important here. "That I have! Thank you for the reminder, Bonnie! Kids, you know what today is, don't you?!"

"Sunday!" A little voice came from somewhere in the middle.

Freddy, Bonnie and Chica all chuckled, "That it is, Bear Cub, that it is! Buuuut, it's also Easter! An' do ya know what happens on Easter?!"

"Chocolate!" The voice popped up again.

Freddy laughed, a booming sound that should've frightened them but didn't. "Yup! See, my pals Bonnie and Chica - aka, Freddy Fazbear's official Easter bunny and his chick assistant - have hidden Easter eggs all over my restaurant! And each one -"

"Is chocolate!" Another voice piped up excitedly, quickly hushed by their mother.

Freddy, however, found no offence, "Close! Those eggs all have prizes inside! All you gotta do is find 'em! Think you can do that, kids?!"

"YEAH!" came the response.

"Great! Now, let's get to that song - and happy Easter, everyone!"

Freddy Fazbear's Pizza was, by far, one of the most successful restaurants anyone had seen in years. Those who remembered the old diner were sceptical at first, though the constant whining of their insistent children was enough to convince them to give it a chance - and, boy, were they glad they did. The entertainers of this place were all animas, of course, and the children all loved them. They were perfect carers too and parents alike could all count on them to watch their kids if a quick trip to the toilet or outside was needed. Freddy and his friends really were the friendliest people their customers had ever met. It helped that the pizza here was delicious too. Really, this was a safe haven for all children who came here and the parents couldn't be happier that such a place existed. None of the entertainers minded at all acting silly for the kids - they loved it, even!

Unbeknownst to the crowd, behind them was another anima. He wasn't an entertainer for the restaurant, nor was he a server or a cook. Regardless, he was an important part of the establishment - and he was staring into one of the security cameras above him. For several minutes, he stared straight into the lens, which wasn't difficult with his height, until he realised it wasn't being checked. His awkward smile fell into a disappointed frown, then he turned and walked down the corridor to his right, straight passed Pirate Cove. He was in no hurry to pass down the hall, his eyes on the camera that would give his position away. The little red light still didn't turn on. His frown deepened. Why were none of these turning on? Wasn't his friend playing his game with him today?

Finally, the blond reached the office. Here, Freddy's security guard watched the restaurant with a tablet for several hours everyday and he prided himself in making friends with the man…who wasn't in his chair. His eyes widened as he looked around, then he stepped in (having to duck his head as he did so). The security guard wasn't the only employee who was supposed to be working here, after all. The anima approached the other blond man in the room, who had his back to him. He tapped his shoulder, making the human spin around in his chair to face him, "Whoa! Goldie - hehe, you frightened me a little there!"

Goldie Fazbear regarded his other human friend with a worried look. This anima was Freddy's older brother, as close to him as any brothers could ever be. He was seven or eight feet tall and very strong; possibly the strongest person anyone here knew. His fairly muscular body - with its stern shoulders and its thin stomach area - was dressed up in a yellow suit identical to his younger brother's, with a dark blue bow tie and a matching top hat on his head. Under his hat was bright blond hair, short for the most part, not counting the one long piece that almost flopped over one eye. Yellow bear ears stuck up through the holes made in the brim of his hat. Unlike the entertainers, he didn't wear gloves, so his clawed fingers were visible, though no one who worked here feared them. Nor did they fear his black scleras, which circled the pinprick white fusions of his irises and pupils.

The man he was quite literally looking to for answers was a human dressed in the uniform of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza: purple shirt with black epaulettes attached to the shoulders, black tie, black slacks and shiny black shoes. His blond hair was cut short, barely even reaching his neck and parted in the middle to make two very short bangs that framed his forehead. Behind his rimless glasses were warm, green eyes that - while not necessarily young - were kind, serene and calm. A little taller than the average human man, Goldie still towered over him completely. "What's the matter, Goldie?" Goldie gestured to the chair in the middle of the office. The man turned to look at it, then his brow furrowed as he turned back to Goldie, "I'm sorry, Goldie. I don't know where he is." Goldie's bear ears lowered slightly. "But you're welcome to stay here if you want."

Goldie sighed through his nose and plopped down on the tiled floor, knees to his chest as he rested his back against the leather chair of his human friend. The man looked like he was going to say something else, then froze as one of the phones on his desk began ringing. "Sorry, Goldie - one second." He muttered to him as he picked up the receiver and spoke in a chipper tone, "Hello, hello! Freddy Fazbear's Pizza - what can I do ya for?!"

Outside, the song had long since ended, the applause had been given and it was time for the entertainers to roam. Bonnie was the first off of the stage. A tall man with curly hair that matched the fur on his rabbit ears, Bonnie was dressed all in purple of the same hue, with the exception of his waistcoat, which was just one or two shades brighter. The rabbit anima searched the crowd for someone to approach, his red guitar slung over his shoulder. His small tail wagged lightly in excitement as all four of his ears listened out for anyone who wanted his attention. Luckily for him, there was, and it was in the form of a little boy with a propeller hat. Bonnie grinned, revealing his buck teeth, and his magenta eyes lit up, "Hey, there! Whatcha got, buddy?" He crouched down for the boy, who was a regular at the restaurant and Bonnie's self-proclaimed biggest fan.

"Lookie, Bonnie! I found one! It was under that table!" He pointed in the direction of the egg's hiding place as his other hand held up the object.

"Wow! Good work, Samson!" Bonnie congratulated him, taking the egg in to one of his purple gloved hands, "Let's see what ya got, huh?" He took hold of the different halves of the egg and twisted until the top came off, then he tipped the little prize into his palm. "Well, lookit that! Ya got a lil' race car!"

"Wow - cool!" Samson exclaimed in delight as he took the small, red car from him and examined it. "Thanks, Bonnie!"

"Aw, it's no problem at all! You got a good eye, Samson! See if ya can find another, huh?"

"Got it!" Samson nodded, giving Bonnie a quick hug before he disappeared back into the crowd.

Across the restaurant, a small, chubby boy with blond hair was darting through the crowd, attempting to find his own role model. He too had found his own egg, which he cradled gently in his hands as he searched. He pushed passed a few people the best he could, apologising quickly, before his egg was suddenly snatched out of his hands. The poor kid skidded to a halt and whipped around to the older boy, who was now holding his egg in one hand, "H-Hey!" He exclaimed, mustering up all of his courage to do so.

"What?" The older boy snapped, making the younger one recoil in fright. The poor blond felt tears well up in his eyes. There had to be something he could do to get this kid to back off! That was his egg - he'd found it with his own two eyes! His bottom lip quivered as he tried to think of something to say -

"Hey, now!"

The little boy's spirits immediately lifted at that, and his own hero stepped into view. The shortest of the Fazbear gang and of Italian decent, Chica was not a force to be messed with. Her blond hair was styled into a bob cut, with three tufts sticking up at the top; the colour matching her outfit in the same manner as Bonnie's did. The top half of her dress was a little tight on her and was coloured white, decorated with sewn-on sprinkles of every colour; LET'S EAT printed on the front in bold text. The skirt of the dress was bright yellow and flowed to her knees; comfortable and airy. She was a chicken anima (no matter what others believed…), displayed by the beak that replaced her lips and the light yellow feathers scattered on little patches on her arms and legs. Chica could very confidently admit she was a little overweight and didn't particularly care what others thought; precisely why Freddy had hired her so quickly. The chicken anima walked over to the two boys, her yellow plimsolls making fast work across the tiled floor. "That just isn't right! You can't steal things, sweetie," she laid a palm out in front of the thief, a silent command for the egg to be given to her. The boy gulped nervously, then handed her the egg, "it's plain wrong." She turned to the original finder and held it out with a soft smile, "Here you go, kiddo! Good job on finding it!"

"Th-Thanks, Chica…" The little boy muttered as it was handed to him, his smile back on his face.

"No prob, Maxwell." Chica replied. Another regular at the restaurant, this little boy had taken a liken to Chica from day one. It had delighted her to know she was loved so much and she had taken it upon herself to care for him and watch out for him whenever he visited the establishment. She turned to the thief, who was suddenly very interested in his shoes, "Hey, don't look so sad, huh?" He looked up at her and she smiled at him kindly, then held out a gloved hand, "How 'bout I help ya find an egg? Does that sound good?"

The boy sniffled lightly, then hesitantly smiled, "Mm-hm…" He reached up with his grubby little hand and clutched hers.

Chica turned to Maxwell with the same smile, "You wanna come along too, Max?"

Maxwell glanced at his robber a little nervously, then looked up at his hero. Her eyes were warm and encouraging and Maxwell found himself smiling as he reached up and grasped her other hand, "Okay, Chica!"

Chica smiled at the both of them as she led them away in a random direction. Of course, she wouldn't tell them directly where the eggs were - that'd be cheating. She'd just…give them a little hint, that's all.

Over on the left side of the restaurant was a lovely little area known as Pirate Cove. It was, by far, the restaurant's most popular area, much to the (secret) chagrin of the other entertainers. The place may have been named after Freddy, but everyone knew who really ran the show around here: Foxy. Captain Foxy, actually. Looking at him, he resembled the pirates one would find in children's cartoons, from the tricorn hat all the way down to the thick leather boots. Under said hat was long red hair, scruffy and difficult to manage, though that just added to his character. As his name implied, Foxy was a fox anima, with ears peeking out of slits made in his hat and a tail poking out of the hole made in his trousers; almost completely concealed by his coat. A single, white glove on his left hand and a hook replacing his right, Foxy was the textbook definition of a pirate - and the kids loved him. Foxy's main role in the restaurant was to entertain the children with tales of his times on the seas, though he occasionally acted some of these out (with the help of Chica, Bonnie and Freddy, of course); much to the joy of every kid in the restaurant. Foxy prided himself in being so popular; he simply loved having his own little crew around!

In fact, here they were now.

"Foxy! Foxy! Foxy! Foxy!"

Fox ears twitching at the sound, Foxy whipped around to all of the kids that suddenly came running at him. Some of the little hands were clutching brightly coloured eggs, some were clutching the prizes they'd already gotten out of them.

"Look, Foxy!"

"Foxy, look what I got!"

"You wanna do this puzzle with me, Foxy?!"

"Foxy, I can't get my egg open…!"

"Foxy!"

"Foxy!"

"Foxy!"

"Woah, woah, me lads and lasses!" Foxy waved his hand at them to calm them; it did next to nothing. "Looks like me crew have been mighty busy findin' ol' Bonnie and Chica's treasure troves, eh?!" He crouched down to get a better view of the eggs and prizes brandished toward him, "Arr! What do we have here, then?"

"Foxy! Foxy!" a little voice called through the crowd and Foxy's smile widened into a toothy grin as a small girl burst through the crowd. She was dressed almost exactly like him, missing only the coat and the trousers (which she had replaced with a skirt), and had dark skin and brown hair. "Foxy, look! I found two already!"

"Aye! There be me lil' first mate! Doin' her ol' captain proud!" The little girl giggled and blushed at the compliments, making Foxy's yellow eye light up, "Now, let's see what we got 'ere…" He reached forward with his one hand and gently opened the egg for her, "Well, would ye look at tha'! Me little lass has 'erself a stash o' sweets!" He gently pulled the packet of multicoloured sweets out of the egg, to which the little girl grinned and offered her other egg. In that, figurines were found, each one depicting the animal each anima represented.

"Cool, cool, cool!" Foxy's first mate exclaimed, throwing her little arms around Foxy's neck in a hug, "Thanks, Foxy!"

Foxy smiled widely and returned her hug, "Ye be most welcome, Sarah, lil' lass."

Before Foxy could even let go of the girl, he was further bombarded by the rest of his crew. "Foxy, open this one too!"

"Foxy, I still can't open mine…!"

"Foxy, tell us a story!"

"Yeah, tell us one!"

"Please, Foxy?!"

Foxy chuckled as he tried to settle the kids around him. Who ever thought Pirate Cove would be so popular?!

…Why, the bear anima watching them did.

Freddy Fazbear himself was always last off of the stage. He liked giving his co-workers the time to interact with the kids before he did. After all, Foxy may have been the most popular, but he was still right up there on the favourite lists!

…Right?

Freddy laughed at the sight of his friend getting surrounded by kids as he stepped down from the stage. All around him, kids were fussing over random areas of the pizzeria, trying desperately to find the best eggs before others could. He watched as some found the stripy and spotted eggs Bonnie and Chica had hid around the place that morning; he watched as they ran over to their parents or his fellow entertainers to show the prizes they had gotten. If they weren't searching for eggs, they were eating the restaurant's yummy pizza or playing the arcade games. Freddy's smile only widened at every happy face he saw - as long as the children were happy, he was happy.

Freddy was a naturally jolly fellow to the kids who visited his restaurant. A bear anima, possibly the most famous of his kind, Freddy had his own pair of bear ears sticking up from the holes in the brim of his hat and a little tail that was relatively useless, but there all the same. He was the tallest of the entertainers - if only beating Bonnie and Foxy by a centimetre - and wide around the belly, though he found kids loved that about him. After all, who didn't love a fat guy with bear ears? His suit was the same colour as a bear's fur, with a light brown waistcoat and white shirt underneath. A black bow tie at his collar and shiny black shoes on his feet, Freddy looked quite the gentleman. His blue eyes searched the crowd of happy faces before he took a glance at the west hall. He knew his big brother must've disappeared into the office by now, having gotten no response from the cameras, and Freddy let out a little huff. If Goldie was fed up watching the dead cameras, that must've meant his security guard still hadn't shown up. Freddy shook his head lightly. That kid really needed to get his act together. He couldn't afford to have his employees be so unreliable! Then again, he really hated the thought of handing out a pink slip, so he supposed -

"FREDDY!"

Freddy turned quickly as a blur of pink and yellow came running at him. Grinning widely, he dropped to one knee and held out his arms, "Emily!" Just like that, the little girl in the pink dress was in his arms and hugging him tightly around the neck. Freddy hugged her as closely as he could without hurting her (bear animas were strong, after all!), then pulled back to grin at her, "Hey, Emily! Haven't seen you around for a while! How's school going?"

"It's okay." Emily wrung her hands, "Really boring, though!"

"Aw, well, if it gets you you're education, huh?" Freddy offered up, standing just as Emily's mother approached. Emily and her mother had been regulars to Freddy's ever since the place opened. As such, Freddy knew much about their lives and played almost a fatherly role to the little girl who loved him so. He'd known from day one that Emily's parents had divorced and the lowlife of a father had ditched them. Well, Freddy was more than willing to take that role instead. As far as he was concerned, every child that came to his restaurant was his cub.

"Hi, Freddy," Emily's mother smiled at him.

Freddy tipped his hat to her, revealing his neatly-combed brown hair, "Ma'am."

"Freddy, do that thing with your ears!" Emily requested excitedly, blond pigtails bouncing as she tugged on Freddy's trouser leg.

Freddy looked down at her, smiled, then removed his hat again, "Well, which pair do you mean, Emily?" He wriggled his human ears, "These ones? Or…" He wriggled his bear ears next, making her giggle, "these ones?" Emily jumped up and down on the balls of her feet, laughing loudly as Freddy alternated between which pair of ears he moved. Freddy grinned widely; nothing like making a kid laugh to cheer him up! He went back down to one knee, "Emily, you found any eggs yet?"

"Nope, not yet!" She patted her tummy, "I've been eating pizza!"

"Pepperoni again?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Well, that is our best. Recommended by Chica herself, so you know it's good!" Freddy exclaimed, "I'm pretty partial to honey pizza, though…"

"Ew! Freddy, that sounds gross!" Emily giggled.

"No, no, I swear, it's delicious!" Freddy grinned, baring his sharp canines. "Really sweet, y'know?"

Emily covered her mouth with her hands as she laughed, then she grabbed one of his hands, "C'mon, Freddy! Come eat with me! Pleeeaaase?"

"Oh - uh, I don't know." He looked to her mother, "As long as it's okay with your mom?"

"It's fine, Freddy." Emily's mother smiled at him gently. He really was such a sweet man.

"Well, you heard her, Bear Cub!" Freddy exclaimed, almost tripping over as Emily dragged him back to the table she had been sitting at previously.

Freddy Fazbear's Pizza really was the restaurant to beat. With its friendly animas, its delicious pizza and its genuinely safe feeling, it was on the favourite lists of children, parents and critics everywhere. Nobody had been sure about another anima-themed restaurant, much less three of the performers themselves, but Freddy had been confident. He'd learned everything about running a diner when he was a child, when he would watch his big brother up on stage and when he would interact with Goldie's fans. Nowadays, Goldie took a back seat to all of that. After all, those had been the good days - the days when Goldie could talk.

…

"Thanks for coming to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza! I'll see you all next time!" Freddy called out to the retreating families.

Closing time already - and what a day it had been! A completely successful Easter, if there ever was one! The entertainers waved to their fans, smiles on their faces and promises to play again soon on their lips as the children left. None of them could quite keep their lips from turning upwards. This really was the high life for them; they simply loved entertaining others. To be honest, Bonnie and Chica had needed a little bit of convincing before Freddy could get them up on stage for the first time, due to differing reasons. Foxy, on the other hand, had jumped right into the role; one could argue 'pirate' was the only format his mind knew how to fix itself into. Goldie did his best not to bother anyone and spent most of his time with his human friends in the office. Freddy had attempted to find some role for his brother to play, but Goldie would have none of it. His time as a diner owner and entertainer was over; it was Freddy's turn now.

As soon as the doors were shut and the Sorry, we're closed sign had been put up, the entertainers sighed in unison, allowing their bodies to relax. Bonnie stretched his arms up, "Wowee-zowee! What a day, huh, guys?!"

"Aye, lad." Foxy came out from behind his curtains, using his left hand to try and stretch his spine out, "Me back…lil' crew seemed mighty excited t'day!"

"Well, of course," Chica hopped down from the stage, "you know how much they love you, Foxy!"

"They don't love me, lass…"

"Yes, they do! You're the favourite - stop being modest!"

Bonnie grinned at the two, then turned to Freddy, only to pause at the bear's expression. His lips tightly held together and his brow furrowed, Freddy looked…ticked. "Freddy? What's wrong? Today was a success! You should be happy!"

"I am, Bonnie." Freddy insisted quietly, stepping down from the stage, "But I'd be a lot happier if my security guard had been doing his job…!" The bear anima disappeared down the west hall; the other three entertainers looked at each other worriedly.

They all loved their security guard, really they did. As soon as Freddy brought him back to the restaurant, they had all accepted him as part of the Fazbear crew - and not just because he was the first security guard they'd had in months that actually looked like he could do the job right. Until then, they had had their phone operator play the part of the guard. He was fine and all, but Freddy hadn't wanted to stress the poor guy out. Despite their attempts at friendship, however, their guard was still aggressive toward them. They chalked it down to nervousness at this new job and ignored it for the most part, though they really couldn't let it go that he hadn't been turning up to work on time lately. Naturally, worry dwelled in each of them, even though they didn't know him all that well, and they had the right mind to ask what was going on. Not even Goldie - the only one who had been able to make friends - could give answers. Freddy suspected he simply hadn't wanted to, though, in respect for his buddy. Freddy didn't know whether to be proud or insulted.

The bear anima stalked down the hall until he reached the left doorway of the office, then he poked his head in. "Scott?"

The man spun around in his chair, almost hitting Goldie in the face, "Hello, hello, Freddy!" He greeted his boss, "Nice work on today!"

"Thanks." Freddy passed off the compliment. He noticed the tablet in the blond's hand and frowned. "Still not here, huh?"

"No. I haven't even gotten a call."

Freddy huffed and shook his head. He gave both blonds a wave as he disappeared back into the darkness of the corridor. This really had to stop. He had hired a security guard for a reason, for God's sake! As he entered the dining area, rubbing his face with one palm, he was collected by the shoulders rather suddenly by Chica.

"Freddy."

"Chica."

"Bonnie's in the kitchen."

Freddy peeked at her from behind his fingers, "That's nice."

"Alone." She felt Freddy tense beneath her hands and rolled her eyes, "Oh, c'mon, Freddy! You've been putting this off for ages now - it's time to ask him!"

Freddy slowly uncovered his face and looked into Chica's eyes as he thought about it. He knew exactly what she was referring to.

Freddy and Bonnie had been together for about a year or so now, unbeknownst to many of the customers at the restaurant. In regards to some - ahem - prejudices of the parents, the two had elected to keeping it a secret from them; only the most observant ever spotted the attraction between the two. By all means, Freddy wouldn't deny it had anyone ever asked. Why should he? He wasn't ashamed to admit he loved another man, nor was he ashamed to admit that man had rabbit ears and a tail. Quite frankly, if they couldn't accept that, they could just get out of his restaurant.

In any case, Chica was right. The question Freddy had for Bonnie was of utmost important and he'd wanted to ask for ages now, but…it was hard, alright?! "Chica…"

"Oh, come on, Freddy! Foxy, get over here!"

The fox anima looked up from where he was cleaning his hook, "Aye?" Chica gestured for him to come over and, after placing his rag down on the treasure chest in the cove, he joined them.

"Freddy's being a coward."

"I'm not being a coward!" Freddy exclaimed.

"Aye, Fazbear…" Foxy sighed, "Bonnie loves ye, y'know."

"I do."

"So how can he say no?!" Chica added. Freddy looked away, his bear ears drooping. He could think of a few reasons…

"Fazbear, what be the harm in jus' asking the lad?" Foxy questioned gently.

"Mm…" Freddy didn't want to say it.

"Freddy, c'mon." Chica's tone was still firm, but she'd taken to being gentler now. "You encourage the kids who come to this restaurant to be brave and not to let fear stop 'em. So, what's stopping you?"

"The lass be right, Fazbear. Yer being sort of hypocritical at this point…"

Freddy bit his lip as he thought about it. Oh, he knew all of this! They didn't need to tell him! But…this was different. This wasn't like a trip to the dentist or telling his mother he'd spilt grape juice in the car! This was…this was…

…This wasn't actually all that different, was it? All of it was just fear and fear had to die sometime, right?

"C'mon, Freddy!" Chica moved around him and rubbed his shoulders in a way a coach would do for their best student, "You're gonna march right in there and you're gonna ask Bonnie! Aren't you?"

"I'll try…"

"No trying be necessary, Fazbear!" Foxy added, using his hook to lift Freddy's chin up. "Bonnie'll be ecstatic!"

"Now, answer me: who's the bear?!" Chica exclaimed.

"I'm the bear…"

"Louder! Who's the bear?!"

"I'm the bear."

"More feeling! Who's the bear?!"

"I'm the bear!"

"Who's the bear?!"

"I'm the bear!"

"WHO'S THE BEAR?!"

"I'M THE BEAR!"

Chica was downright screaming at this point, "WHO'S THE BEAR?!"

"I'M THE BEAR!" Freddy shouted right back, throwing his arms up in the air.

The kitchen door opened a little and Bonnie poked his head out, "Who's the bear?" He asked confusedly, brow raising.

Said bear anima spun around to him before Chica or Foxy could stop him, "I'M THE BE - eeerrrr…" Freddy slowly lowered his arms, smiling falling immediately. His cheeks flared up a bright red as he stared at his confused partner. "…I am."

Bonnie looked to each of them, then chuckled, "Geez, you guys are funny! I dunno what you're doing, but I like it!" He disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving the other three to bask in the awkward silence.

"…Well. Thanks, guys." Freddy grumbled as he turned back to them.

"Don't blame us! You got all pumped up!" Chica straightened his lapels and brushed off some pizza crumbs, "Now! You ready to change yours and Bonnie's lives for the better?!"

"…Yes. Yes, I am!" Freddy looked to her with a grin, his blue eyes lighting up. At least now he knew Bonnie was in a good mood! Yeah! This had to be the day! He spun on his heel and pushed the kitchen door open in a flurry, strutting his way inside.

It was a cramped little room with pristine, white worktops for the various chefs and workers Freddy had hired to make the children's meals. Pots and pans hung on the walls, awaiting use and shining under the bulbs above them. The very rabbit man Freddy was looking for was currently hunched over a foamy sink, up to his elbows in soapy water (he'd rolled his sleeves up, Freddy noticed). Bonnie didn't even notice Freddy standing there until he set another plate on the drying rack. His magenta eyes lit up and a smile was born on his lips, "Well, hey there, bear!"

Freddy immediately felt his cheeks heat up. He'd have to get Chica back for that one… "Uh - hi. Y-You washing up?"

"Yeah," Bonnie placed another plate on the rack, "figured I would. Let the guys have some extra time off."

He's so thoughtful…

Well. It was official. Whatever confidence Freddy had had upon entering the room was now gone. Just gone. Completely gone. Not even a trace.

Freddy became aware that he was staring and jolted into action, "Uh - here. Lemme help…" He grabbed a towel from the nearby shelf and picked up a plate, beginning to scrub it dry.

"D'aw, thanks, Freddy." Bonnie chirped as he went back to washing. The bear anima glanced at the rabbit anima out of the corner of his eye. Bonnie seemed so happily focused on washing the dishes, it was actually quite sweet that he took it upon himself to do someone else's job. Really, was there any wonder why Freddy liked him so much? "Long day today, huh?"

"Huh? What?"

"Long day." Bonnie looked to Freddy, "I was just saying it was a long day today, what with all the Easter egg hunts and everything. I did my best when I was hiding those things." He smiled happily, "I'm glad the kids found 'em okay. Didn't wanna make it too hard!"

"I - ahem - I think you did fine, Bonnie."

Bonnie's smile dropped, "Hey, are you okay? You're acting a lil' funny…"

Freddy scrubbed the plate harder, "What? No, I'm acting the same."

"No, you're not…If it's about the 'you're the bear' thing, that's okay. We all gotta get some motivation, right?"

Freddy's lips set into a thin line as he scrubbed quicker, "Mm-hm."

"I thought it was a lil' funny, s'all. But it's okay, Freddo! Like I said, all gotta get motivat - Freddy!"

Bonnie's tone alarmed him, though it was the clatter that made his heart leap. Freddy looked down at the plate he'd been drying - he'd successfully scrubbed it in half. One half was still grasped in his hand, while the other laid on the countertop before him. Freddy's brow furrowed as Bonnie huffed, "You bear animas and your weird strength…" He clicked his tongue and collected both halves of the plate, then tossed them into the nearby bin. "I swear, you and Goldie are gonna kill us one of these days. You know he broke Mike's chair the other day?"

"I thought it looked different." Freddy muttered thoughtfully.

"We managed to fix it, but Mike can't lean back in it anymore."

"I'll buy a new one next chance I get. Goldie's usually so careful…"

"Well, y'know what he's like around Mike." He chuckled as he returned to the sink, "I think ya got some competition, Freddy."

Freddy frowned and inwardly scoffed. Nobody was closer to Goldie than he was. They were brothers, after all. He picked up another plate and made the effort to go softer this time. All this talk about his own strength and his brother's relationships, he'd almost forgotten what he was here to do. Almost. "So…listen, Bonnie."

"Hm?"

"We've known each other for…a long time, haven't we?"

"Ever since we were kids!" Bonnie confirmed. He still remembered being introduced to the little bear anima by his cousin. How shy Freddy had been back then, hiding behind his big brother's legs and peeking out only when he was sure he wasn't being looked at. It was funny to think that that little boy had grown up into the man standing beside him.

"Right. Uh - and we've been through a lot together."

"Sure have."

"Yeah. And…we're…comfortable with each other."

That could've been worded better.

"Huh?" Bonnie raised a brow.

"Well, y'know. We're…we…We're in a relationship."

"Uh-huh."

"So we're comfortable with each other."

"Sure. Freddy, I'm not really catching what you're throwing at me…?"

Freddy bit his lip. C'mon, Fazbear! "Uh…look, I wanted to ask you something -" He froze when Bonnie placed a hand over his. The suds on Bonnie's skin didn't even bother him.

"Don't be nervous, Freddy." Bonnie said gently. He knew his bear; he could tell when he was nervous. "You can ask me anything, you know that."

Freddy looked Bonnie's face over. The look in his eyes was so sincere and gentle that Freddy found himself forgetting his words and slight upturn of his lips made the bear anima's heart beat faster and faster. Freddy gulped, feeling the tips of his ears beginning to burn (all four of them!). What was it he was asking again? "Uh…do you want to…?"

Bonnie tilted his head.

"Do you think…?"

Blink, blink went those big, magenta eyes.

"Would you like to…?"

Twitch, twitch went those purple bunny ears.

"…teach me how to play guitar?"

"Huh?" Bonnie leaned back, startled. That was what Freddy was trying to ask him?

"Uh - yeah. I've noticed lately that, uh, I should try learning how to play something. For the band, you know?" Freddy rambled, "So…think you could…?"

Bonnie stared at his partner for a second, then released his hand, "Sure, Freddy. I guess I could. Never taught anybody before, but…I'll take a whack at it."

"Really?! Thanks, Bonnie!" Freddy faked delight.

"You're welcome, Freddo." Bonnie grabbed the nearest towel to him and wiped his own hands dry, "Welp, dishes are done. Kids barely ate today, did ya notice? Too busy looking for those eggs!" He chuckled, then leaned up to Freddy and pecked his cheek. "I'll be heading home, then! See you tomorrow, huh, Freddy?"

"R-Right…"

"We'll sort out a time for those lessons too." The rabbit man gave Freddy a hug, which Freddy returned hesitantly. His face was the picture of shame over Bonnie's shoulder, until the guitarist broke the hug. He pecked Freddy's lips this time, then smiled, "G'night, Freddy!"

"Night…"

With that, Bonnie left the bear anima on his own to drown in his shame. Freddy waited until he was certain the door had shut behind the bunny before he whipped around to the fridge and continuously hit his head against the door. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could he be such a coward?! Freddy Fazbear - the Freddy Fazbear - had just chickened out on asking a simple question! A simple question! It was inconceivable that he was taking so long and…it was just so stupid! He was so stupid!

HOW HARD COULD IT BE TO ASK BONNIE TO MOVE IN WITH HIM?!

Freddy finally stopped his constant skull-thumping to sigh angrily. He raised his head, then jolted at the large dent made in the metal door. "Oh…oops…" He really did need to watch his strength around here…

With another sigh, Freddy turned and left the kitchen without drying the rest of the dishes. When he returned to the dining area, he paused when he found Bonnie hadn't left just yet. The rabbit anima was standing with their fellow entertainers over at the table farthest from the singer, where Goldie sat. Chica sat opposite the blond man, hands hovering over three red plastics cups, "Okay, Goldie." She waved something in his face that Freddy couldn't quite identify, though he had a good idea of what it was. "One more time. Keep your eyes on the prize."

Goldie nodded, giving Chica the permission she needed to get started. She lifted the middle cup, threw the prize under, then hastily started swapping the cups around in a random order. Goldie, Bonnie and Foxy all had their eyes trained on them, trying to keep sight of the winner, though it was tricky. The cups were mere blurs of red as Chica changed their positions; the curiosity made Freddy walk over to them. Chica let go of the cups when she was satisfied and certain she had mixed them up, then placed her own hands on the table. "You get that, Goldie?" He gave a slow nod. "Which cup?"

The entertainers all watched as Goldie's eyes looked over each cup as though he could see through them. One of his large hands lifted from the table, hovered in the air for a moment, then gently poked the left cup with one finger. Chica reached over, smirking in expectant triumph, and lifted the chosen cup. Ultimately, her smirk dropped and Goldie's own lips shot up into a pleased smile as he collected the small candy. Chica took a step back, inspected the cup, then looked to the older Fazbear as he unwrapped the caramel, "How're you doing that?!"

Bonnie chuckled on her right, wagging a finger at her as Goldie plopped the caramel onto his tongue and happily chewed on it. "You can't fool Goldie, Chica." Bonnie chided teasingly, "Everyone knows that."

"Aye, lass, the rabbit be right," Foxy added, picking the cups up and placing them back on the tray he was holding, "No use trying ta beat ol' Goldie at 'is own game."

Chica gave a small growl in her irritation and looked to Goldie, who offered her nothing but a cute smile. It softened Chica up enough that she smiled at the bear opposite her. "Alright, Goldie, you win…Good eye, I guess." Goldie gave her a thumbs up in thanks.

"You know he's not allowed caramel, right?" Freddy spoke up. The entertainers turned to him, "Makes him hyper."

"Yeah," Bonnie replied, moving around to stand behind the older Fazbear and pointing two index fingers at his face, "but look how happy he is! It's worth it."

"Not when you live above him." Freddy cast a glance at his big brother's face. "Or under him, for that matter. We already had to apologise to the lady living in the apartment below Goldie last week. Right, brother?" Goldie gave a sad nod.

"Gosh," Chica put her hands to her hips as she turned to the younger brother, "you're acting like you're the older brother here! Goldie," she turned back to the blond, "stand up to him!" Goldie stood up from his chair abruptly, almost knocking it over. Foxy and Bonnie hurried to secure it as Chica smiled awkwardly, "Not what that means…"

"I don't act like that!" Freddy looked to Goldie, "Goldie, do I act like that?!"

Goldie looked to him, then looked to Chica. Both were staring at him, determined frowns on their faces as they wished to prove their points to each other. They would only need his say, though he, quite frankly, didn't have one. Freddy's behaviour toward him didn't bother him in the slightest, but he couldn't say that. Chica looked so determined… Unsure of what to do, Goldie held up his hands and shook his head, taking a step back. He wanted no part of this.

"It's okay, Goldie. You can tell him how you feel." Chica said gently, then shot a cold look over her shoulder at Freddy, "Unlike some people around here."

Freddy felt his face heat up as his frown deepened. Bonnie raised a brow, "What's that mean?"

"Well, Bonnie," Chica started; Freddy silently pleaded she wouldn't say anything, "I could tell you, but it's kinda Freddy's role."

Bonnie looked to Freddy expectantly, "Freddy?"

"Uh - it's not important. A talk for another day." Freddy waved a hand dismissively. Bonnie opened his mouth to respond, though a new voice interrupted them.

"The hell's going on here?"

Goldie suddenly darted away in a blur of yellow and dark blue toward the source, while Freddy's frown almost turned into a scowl. The man in the doorway, dressed in the same uniform as their phone operator, gave a small smile at Goldie as the bear anima stopped in front of him. "Hey, big guy. You been eating caramel again?" Goldie nodded twice. "Damn. We're all in hell now, huh?"

Goldie practically vibrated on the spot (sugar had kicked in; they were all in for a treat…) and suddenly stuck his hands underneath the man's armpits, lifting him up into the air like a happy parent and their child, "Woah, shit! Goldie! Fucking hell! You're gonna break my spine one of these days - Jesus!"

Foxy and Bonnie cast worried looks at Freddy as the younger bear growled. The singer gave no warning before finding his feet and storming over to the human in his brother's hands. He heard Bonnie mutter his name warningly, but ignored him, "Mike Schmidt." He snapped angrily. Goldie gently put down the security guard.

Mike Schmidt had been hired by Freddy Fazbear almost a year ago on a whim. After all, Freddy had first met Mike when he was fresh out of prison and still pissed off that he'd been put in at all. Despite the aggressive behaviour Mike displayed, particularly when Freddy first spoke to him, the bear anima had had utter faith that this was the security guard he was looking for. A mean right hook, a tongue that could make a sailor cry and a look that told everyone to back off, Mike Schmidt was not one to be messed with - precisely what Freddy had wanted. What he hadn't wanted, however, was someone who barely turned up to work. Mike frowned at Freddy, blue eyes daring him to tell him off, and Freddy's own blue eyes hardened into a glare, "Where've you been?"

"Home." Mike said without hesitation.

"You're supposed to be here! It's why I hired you, Mike! Afternoons and nights - you're supposed to be here!"

"Oh, lay off!" Mike exclaimed, exasperated with this conversation already. "Why can't you be more like him?" He gestured to Goldie, "Doesn't speak."

"Don't joke about that!"

"Who's joking? I'd honestly love it if you were mute."

"Mike…" Bonnie muttered.

Freddy bared his sharp canines. He didn't like using his animal features to intimidate people, but - damn it, Mike was pushing it! "Mike, I don't want to do this, but if you're not on time tomorrow, then I'll -"

"What? Hand me a pink slip? Fuck off. You might be fat, Fazfuck, but you don't have the guts to fire someone." The brunet replied, jabbing a finger in the direction of Freddy's stomach almost mockingly. Freddy felt his bear ears droop. He was right there. He didn't like firing people; simply didn't like it. And Mike was so good at his job (when he was here, anyways)…it'd be a shame to let him go. Goldie liked him so much too.

With no response from Freddy, Mike was free to go. He went to walk around him when his hat was lifted from his head. Mike went to threaten whoever had taken it when a large hand was placing onto the top of his head, pressing his quiff down. Goldie patted Mike's head lightly, being extremely careful not to crush Mike's skull with his strength. That would suck. When he was finished with his patting, he lifted Mike's hat up and, while sticking his tongue out in concentration, gently settled it on the security guard's quiff. Mike stared at him, then chuckled and set his hat right. Goldie smiled in return, then put a finger up to halt Mike further. He dug a hand into his trouser pocket and brought out his fist, then opened it to show a collection of coins to Mike, who immediately frowned. "Goldie, no." Goldie's smile dropped and he held his hand out again; Mike's eyes flashed with anger, "No."

Freddy watched in silent bafflement as Goldie pouted, setting the coins back into his pocket. What on earth was his brother doing? Collecting coins now? Wouldn't surprise him.

Mike bypassed them, waving a hand in the direction of the entertainers as he did so. Chica was the only one who waved back, doing so enthusiastically. Perhaps too much; Foxy cast a strange look at her and she shrugged at him. Mike stalked down the left hallway and swung into the office. His co-worker looked up from where he was packing his cap into his satchel, "Hello, hello! There you are, Junior! Nice to see you!"

Mike opened his mouth to respond, only to freeze. Shit…what was this guy's name again…? Uh… "You too…" Think! Think! Think! Stephen? Nah, that's the guy at the station. Oh, crap, what is it?! "…Phone Guy…"

Green eyes blinked once in surprise, then lips upturned into a smile, "'Phone Guy'? Haha! I like that." 'Phone Guy' as he was now called - as far as Mike was concerned - picked the tablet up from his desk and handed it to Mike, "Here ya go! Kept an eye on things for you. Oh, and Goldie was looking for you."

"Yeah." Mike settled into his chair, taking the tablet from his colleague. What a weirdo; 'Phone Guy'. Pfft. "Just saw 'im."

"Alright, then." Phone Guy tucked his own chair in, then settled his satchel onto his shoulder, "Well, I better be going. I'll chat with you tomorrow. Goodnight!" He patted Mike's shoulder as he passed him, then offered a wave as he left.

Mike watched him go, then shook his head, "Weirdo…"

Outside, Freddy had taken to standing by the window. He very often did this, both before opening and after closing. He simply found it relaxing to stand by the window and watch the world go by. Considering Mike's attitude, he certainly did need to relax, though he unfortunately found that, no matter how much he stared at the abandoned building across the street, his irritation wouldn't go away. Freddy sighed, just as Bonnie walked to his side and hugged his arm sympathetically. Freddy looked to Bonnie, then smiled and placed a hand over his.

Behind them, Foxy twisted his hook until it popped off, then he reached deep into his red coat. After a moment of digging around, he pulled out a metal hand and twisted it into the place his hook had just been in. As it locked into place, the pieces all lined up like a jigsaw puzzle, metal clicked and slid together; Foxy rotated his wrist to check if it worked, then flexed his fingers. With that done, he shifted his arm out of his coat's sleeve, then rolled up the shirt's to reveal his right arm, the skin of which was paler than the rest of his body.

There was a good reason for that.

Without second thought, Foxy dug the fingertips of his left hand into his right bicep and ripped the skin off. It came away as easily as tearing paper; the rubber-like material breaking with little to no force. Foxy's prosthetic arm - fully operated; fluid movement - gleamed under the light of the room. Using his teeth, he took off the glove on his left hand, then ripped the skin off of that too. Only the hand was metallic on this limb.

"You shouldn't do that, y'know." Chica spoke up as she watched him, "Should preserve it. Fake skin doesn't grow on trees, y'know."

"Actually," Phone Guy spoke up as he entered the room, "one of the ingredients in Foxy's fake skin is sap, which is in trees. So…technically, it does." Chica frowned deeply at him; Phone Guy grinned sheepishly.

"Scott be right, lass." Foxy stretched his arm and rotated his wrist to check both were working properly, then he flexed his legs. He didn't bother putting fake skin on them; his boots covered them just fine. The customers didn't suspect a thing. Foxy's one eye looked to Phone Guy, "Ye be wanting a ride home, Scott?"

"No, no, Foxy, it's fine." Phone Guy waved a hand at his friend. The two had been best friends since high school; their bond hadn't changed a bit. "Car's out back."

"Ye never want to ride on m' ship…"

"You know I don't like motorcycles. They freak me out."

"Perfectly safe, Scott."

"I prefer vehicles with windows."

Foxy rolled his one eye, smiling all the same, and the two shared a friendly hug. Phone Guy broke the hug first, waving goodbye to each of them before leaving the building to get to his car. Bonnie pecked Freddy's cheek one more time before following Phone Guy out. Freddy watched him go, then went back to staring out of the window.

He really did need to do something about Mike. Freddy really didn't want to fire him; no way. He hated firing employees, especially those good at their jobs. Perhaps he could get Goldie to have a word with him. Mike seemed to listen to Goldie above him; he'd always liked Goldie better. Freddy had to ask his brother how he did it because, no matter what Freddy did, Mike never wanted to be friends with him. Never even smiled at him, except when Freddy had explained his job to him. Where was that Mike? That Mike had turned up on time everyday and hadn't given him lip. He'd ask Phone Guy too; just in case Mike mentioned anything. For now, Freddy would have to deal with the fact he was Mike's least favourite person in this restaurant. He'd also have to try and ignore those eyes staring at him from the abandoned building across the street because it was getting kind of creepy. Oh, and he'd also have to get over how cowardly he was with Bonnie because that was getting tiresome.

…Wait.

…Eyes?

Freddy snapped back to reality quick enough to spot a head ducking down from the window. The bear anima shook his head, rubbed his eyes then peered again. The eyes weren't there. He pressed himself to the window to try and see better in the darkness. No, still nothing.

"Fazbear? What ye be doin', lad?" Foxy spoke up upon noticing the bear.

"Did you see someone over there?" Freddy peeled himself off of the window and pointed to the place he'd seen the eyes.

Foxy shook his head as Chica joined them again, her bag strapped to her back, "That building's been abandoned since you bought this place, Freddy. No one's over there."

Freddy glanced over to the spot again as Goldie stepped to his side, "Did you see anything, brother?" Goldie shook his head.

"Yer probably tired, Fazbear."

"Foxy's right. Go home and get some rest."

Freddy watched the spot for a moment, anticipating the eyes' return, then sighed and rubbed his face. "…You're right. It's been a long day. Gotta be that." He nodded once, then cocked his head toward the doorway in a gesture for them to leave, as well as a sign for Goldie to follow. "C'mon, brother. Let's go."

…

The drive to the apartment building in which the brothers lived wasn't long, which was a relief for the elder Fazbear. As they had entered the car, Freddy had given his brother an awkward glance, then stated, "I'm gonna look into buying a new car. You know, one that you can fit in."

Goldie had nodded the best he could with his knees pressed to his chest like that, giving his brother a deadpanned thumbs up.

The old car was parked on the street outside and, after finally managing to pull Goldie out of the passenger seat, the brothers retreated inside. Despite what they had initially wanted, the brothers lived in separate apartments on two different floors. They had been lucky enough to get the two that were connected through ceiling and floor, thus they weren't too far. It'd all been much easier when they'd lived in the mansion they used to own, but being too reckless with their money had landed them in financial error. The mansion had had to be sold and the two were forced to move in here. Could be worse, they supposed. They could be living in cardboard boxes on the street (pfft. As if any box could house Goldie).

The siblings separated on the third floor, where Goldie's apartment was located. The brothers waved each other their goodnights and Goldie let himself into his home, with Freddy being left to ascend one more floor to his own apartment. In his tiredness, he'd almost tried to open the door with his car key, groaning when he realised his mistake and selecting the right key. The apartment itself wasn't that bad. A decent sized living room, complete with a sofa, a coffee table, a TV, a desk and several bookcases and shelves. Freddy took off his top hat and placed it on the coffee table, then settled himself at his desk. Reclining, he did what he always did at the end of the day: he reflected.

All in all, his restaurant was doing just fine. The kids loved it, as did the adults, and that was all that really mattered to Freddy. The fact that it was keeping him out of the financial dirt was a bonus. After all, this whole idea had stemmed off of the old diner his big brother had once owned. Freddy's lips fell at that thought.

He'd been but a child when Goldie had his own restaurant. A naïve little kid who had no idea what one little incident would do to him and his big brother. Freddy had chosen to let go of his memories of Bonnie's cousin; Goldie's ex-best friend. He'd barely liked the guy when he was a kid; there was always something off about him. Something about him that no children's entertainer should have. Freddy had often found himself hiding behind Goldie's legs whenever the older rabbit anima was too close for his liking. Goldie had always found it funny and would lift Freddy into his arms to try and encourage interaction; Freddy would merely hide his face in his brother's neck.

Come to think of it, Freddy hadn't seen him since…the incident.

He could hardly remember what happened. One moment, everything was fine and Freddy was helping Bonnie arrange decorations for a birthday party. The next, his big brother and Bonnie's cousin had black eyes and were collecting their respective relative to themselves, as though they had both threatened to harm them. Goldie would never harm anyone, Freddy knew. He wouldn't put it passed the rabbit anima, though. Freddy did, however, remember being scared of his brother in that moment; even more so when he was suddenly dropped and Goldie…attacked.

No, no, he hadn't. Bonnie's cousin had attacked first. Goldie was defending himself.

The memory was hazy then. He remembered Bonnie crying, he remembered hiding under a table with the boy and holding his hand to soothe him, he remembered gingerly calling out for his big brother for help because he was scared and he wanted his big brother. He remembered growling and roaring and scratching noises and howls of pain and chairs being thrown.

Then silence. Footsteps. Bonnie was suddenly grabbed from under the table, screaming as he was pulled out of their hiding place. Freddy had tried to rescue him, only to find it had been his cousin that had done so. The rabbit had growled at Freddy briefly, then left the restaurant without another word, taking little Bonnie with him.

Freddy had crawled out by then. Goldie had been slumped nearby, his eyes still black, blood on his suit and his hair messy and sweat-soaked. Despite his appearance, Freddy hadn't been afraid and he'd run into his arms without a second thought. He'd asked if he was still allowed to see Bonnie; Goldie hadn't answered. Because he couldn't.

Whatever that bastard had done was still unknown to Freddy. Goldie had been rendered been mute ever since; his voice was gone completely.

That had been when Freddy was seven; over twenty years had gone by and there was no hope of ever hearing his brother speak again nor seeing his normal eyes. Goldie was different, but he was still Freddy's big brother. They'd been side by side ever since Freddy had been born. There were no brothers closer than the Fazbear duo.

Freddy sighed as he came back to reality, rubbing his face again. He had to stop thinking about that time. It was over; his restaurant was booming with business, he had friends and his childhood crush was back with him; this time, he was reciprocating his feelings. Freddy let out an idle chuckle. He'd liked Bonnie ever since he first saw him; Bonnie had only seen Freddy as a pal back then. It wasn't until Freddy Fazbear's Pizza was up and running that the two had actually done anything about courting each other.

Ah. Good times.

Freddy's thoughts were broken when he heard four rhythmic thumps coming from his floor. Goldie was sending his message.

Goodnight, brother.

Freddy stomped his foot against the floor four times to send a message back, being careful not to break a hole in the floor (only made that mistake once).

Goodnight, brother.