Longer chapter ahead lol-
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The next morning dawned bright and early, and Charlie was disappointed to find her clothes had not properly dried. However, Michael's washer and dryer did appear to work, so she stuck her clothing in the dryer for a good ten minutes or so. When she pulled them out, they didn't feel wet in the least. Content, she returned to the guest bedroom to change. She hummed to herself as she yanked her shirt over her head. She hadn't seen Michael since last night, but she remembered him saying that he didn't often wake up early. It was currently 7 a.m.
As she left the guestroom, she threw his bedroom door a glance. It remained shut, and not a sound emanated from it. Shaking her head with a chuckle, she treaded to the living room where she sank onto the couch. The power was still out, so she couldn't watch television, nor could she see well in the dim light.
"Guess I could open a window." She got up and went to the windows. Once she drew back the curtains, she gazed out at the neighborhood. Everything looked positively soaked, from the puddles covering the ground, to the water dripping off every object she beheld. She shuddered, turning away from the scenery. She didn't like rain, hadn't since she was about eleven years old. She wasn't entirely sure why, but it left her with an uneasy feeling. The car following her in the storm last night certainly hadn't helped with the unknown dislike and fear. She returned to the couch, where she lounged, thinking to herself and chilling in boredom. She hoped Michael woke up soon, for she knew she could use the company.
He did, in fact, get up, but it was about an hour later when he did. She spotted him when he walked down the hall and past the living room. Promptly, she waved and called out 'good morning', but when that only got her a tired glare, she left him alone and went back to sitting in silent thought. She remembered him not being a morning person. Clearly, he needed a little time to wake up before he could properly interact with people.
Charlie sighed deeply, drumming her fingers on the armrest of the couch. She thought a morning and night at Michael's house would be fun, but right now, she only felt boredom. Seeing as there was nothing else to do, she began to roam the living room and examine the place. She hadn't taken it in much when she first arrived, but now that she did, it appeared to be quite a charming room with old wallpaper, a television set, decent pieces of furniture, a few photos of Michael and his siblings, and a sun-shaped clock above the TV. She smiled to herself as she examined two pictures on a nearby decorative table. One was of Evan sitting on a swing at a playground, gazing up at the sky with a content expression. As for the other photo, it held an image of Elizabeth hugging Michael tightly. In the picture, Michael looked quite angry by the prospect of being hugged by his little sister, but when Charlie looked closer, she could clearly see the laughter and happiness in his eyes.
With a wistful sigh, she turned back to the rest of the room. "Mike sure does have a nice place." She smiled to herself. She had honestly expected the entire house to be a mess, much like his bedroom when he was young. This was a clean and decent room though. However, she bet his bedroom still looked at least a little untidy.
Her thoughts on all this ended when the lights of the room flickered, and to her delight, turned on. "The power's back." She sent the lights a content look. Immediately, it faded when she realized what she had to do. Call her father. He was probably worried sick about her, knowing that she'd been walking home in the rain, and she couldn't stand the thought of the words the two exchanged last night. She wandered off to find Michael, in hopes that he would be there for her when she called, but when she heard the sound of the shower running, she knew that wasn't possible.
"Okay. I've got this," she whispered to herself as she lifted the phone from its place on the wall. After dialing the familiar number, she put the receiver to her ear and waited. It rang twice before Henry picked up.
"Hello?" he said, sounding rather anxious.
"Um...hi," she said. "Sorry about—"
"Charlie!" Henry cut in, his voice crackling over the phone. "Thank goodness you're alright! You had me worried sick!"
"Yeah, uh...sorry, Dad. I don't know what I was thinking last night." She sighed and leaned against the wall. "Actually, I guess I sort of do. I'm really sorry for yelling at you and freaking out like that, but I'm just really frustrated right now."
"I know, Charlotte." His voice grew softer, kinder even. "But it should be me apologizing, not you. Perhaps you acted a little drastic last night, but that's my fault. I know I've overprotective of you, and I am sorry for that. Truly, I am." Charlie blinked, listening as her father said, "I just love you so much, Charlie, and I have always been worried for you, worried that something might happen. I have my reasons for it, but that's not my point. My point is that it isn't fair to you. You are practically a grown woman now, and you deserve the right to make your own decisions. If you want me to help you work with animatronics, then I am more than happy to." He gave a soft, fond laugh. "I'm actually quite proud of you, you know. You're growing up into a gorgeous young woman, and I am honored that you're following in my footsteps."
Charlie smiled, a tear running down her cheek. "Thank you, Dad. That's really all I wanted to hear."
"Yes, well, I figured," Henry said. "I'm just an old idiot, forgot you weren't my little girl anymore."
"Oh, Dad, of course I am." She waved a hand. "I'll always be your daughter."
"Yes, you will," he said, sounding pleased. "Thanks for calling, Charlie, I got quite concerned when it started storming. Did you make it home alright?"
"Um...actually, I didn't." She twisted a strand of hair around her finger. "I forgot my keys at the pizzeria, so I couldn't exactly go back, but um...I ended up at Michael's house, because some creepy car was following me."
"A creepy car?" Immediately, Henry sounded both concerned and angry. "Did you see the license plate? Did you see who it was? What did the car look like? Why—"
"I didn't see anything," she quickly cut in, "but don't worry, Mike helped me. He was really nice last night, we had some tea and talked. He let me spend the night in his guestroom." She smiled to herself, her gaze shifting in the direction of Michael's room. "We're getting really close again, Dad. It's nice. I forgot how wonderful he is."
"Yes, I'm glad you two are getting to know each other again," said Henry. "I remember those days when you two were practically inseparable. Michael seems to have grown up into a fine young man, despite...well, you-know-what."
"Yeah." Her smiled broadened. "He has, hasn't he?" She cleared her throat. "Anyway, I better go. See you at the pizzeria?"
"Mhm," he said. "You and Michael should both stop by. The animatronics need some repairs and modifications, after all. You two can get in some practice. Sound good?"
She grinned. "That sounds great." They exchanged a few more words, then Charlie hung up, feeling like a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. That gone wildly better than she ever would have anticipated. With a content sigh, she turned, hoping soon Michael came out, so she could tell him the good news. Much to her delight, she spotted him exiting the bathroom and heading for his room, dressed in a black bathrobe and looking deep in thought.
"Mike!" She darted over. He stopped in his tracks and turned to her as she came to a halt in front of him. "You won't believe what just happened."
"Hmm?" He tilted his head.
"Well, since the power's back on, I called my dad," she said, "and we talked a little. Guess what?"
"What?" he asked.
"He's going to let me work on the animatronics with you and him," she said, beaming. "He even apologized for being so controlling and protective. Isn't that great? We can actually work together." She shrugged. "And who knows? Maybe I could even get a job at the rental service, then we'd really be teammates."
"That's great, Charlie." He returned the smile. "Told you Henry would come around eventually."
"Yeah, yeah." She waved off his words. "But that conversation went better than I ever hoped. Finally, all that mess is cleared up." She threw her arms around Michael and hugged him tightly. "I can't tell you how relieved I am."
He laughed and hugged her back. "I can only imagine. So, you planning on getting a job alongside me?"
"Yes, if you don't mind."
"I wouldn't mind at all."
"Great. Oh, and thanks for last night, by the way."
"Eh, it was no trouble." He shrugged.
She smiled, taking solace in the hug. They hadn't embraced like this since they were young, and she quite enjoyed it. Her smile faded, though, when a new realization struck. Michael had just been in the shower...and he was wearing a robe. She also realized her head was resting on his chest, which felt more muscular than she had expected. Adult Michael felt different than teenage him. With a small, panicked noise, she hastily moved away and glanced to the side. She hoped she wasn't blushing too hard, but judging by how hot her cheeks felt, she certainly was. Dumb idiot, she thought to herself. Why am I blushing? That's not right!
"Sorry, didn't mean to hug you for so long." She laughed, avoiding his gaze. "I know you're not always the most touchy-feely person ever."
"Nah, I didn't mind." He patted her shoulder. "Sorry it took so long for me to get up. I'm not a morning person."
"Oh, trust me, I know." She sent him an amused look, the blush fading from her face as she recovered from the awkward experience. "You even glared at me earlier." She shook her head at him, feigning disappointment.
"Ah, sorry." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "I'm not a very happy person when I first wake up."
"I already know that." She snickered.
"Anyways, I'm going to go get changed." He turned towards his room. "It'll only be a minute. When I'm finished, we can have breakfast."
"Great, I'm starving." She headed back into the living room. True to his word, Michael dressed quickly, then he cooked them some pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Charlie was greatly impressed by this. She had to say, spending a morning with Michael made her see just how much he'd grown up. He wasn't exactly the reckless teenager she once knew, and she rather liked how mature he'd become, even if he was still occasionally his angry and sarcastic self.
They ate a delightful breakfast, during which they chatted and studied. Charlie stayed longer than she meant to, all the way till lunch, which again, Michael cooked. She offered to help, but he assured her that he didn't mind. The lunch was just as good, if not better than their breakfast. Charlie was flabbergasted by how well Michael could cook, especially since in the past, he'd only warmed up cold pizza and such. Looked like Michael's bragging about his cooking hadn't been a lie, after all.
Charlie smiled at him from across the table as he talked about one of his horrible job experiences, relating the tale in an amusing and sarcastic fashion. She laughed along to it, still beaming. It astounded her that such a terrifying night could lead to something as great as this.
Huh, she thought. Michael really is something, isn't he?
**********
That afternoon, Michael drove Charlie to the pizzeria where they planned to meet up with Henry. Here, their training began. Michael wasn't sure how much of this knowledge on animatronics he would actually use at his new job, especially considering the fact that the performers of Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental seemed a bit different from the usual animatronics. Nevertheless, it proved to be a rather enjoyable experience, despite the fact it was work, and difficult at times. Michael seemed to have quite a knack for it, sharing the same mechanical genius as his father. Henry almost made this comparison while he watched Michael fix up Toy Freddy expertly, but he stopped himself in time. Even he knew how Michael felt towards William. To a certain degree, anyway.
"I'm almost done with Toy Chica!" Charlie called from across the parts and service room.
"Fantastic job." Henry sent her a proud look.
She smiled, then turned back to her work.
"Is this going better than you thought it would?" Michael asked.
"Oh, yes." Henry chuckled and nodded. "I was concerned we'd have a catastrophe on our hands, but you two are pure geniuses."
"Well, Charlie is after all your daughter, so of course she'd have to be a genius," Michael said.
"Laying it on a little thick, Mike!" Charlie called over.
"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes. Retrieving a wrench, he began to reinstall Toy Freddy's left arm. "Glad we were able to help you fix up these animatronics."
"Yes, we don't want them decommissioned so soon." Henry frowned. "The toys have been acting up a lot lately. I'm not entirely sure why. Part of it was the errors you and Charlie have been fixing, but other times—" he shook his head— "I have no idea. And we really need to fix up their facial scanners."
"I guess we could try and do that," Michael said. "The toy animatronics sure have been upgraded. Facial scanners? Security protocols? More technology than I'd ever imagined would be in these things." His eyes drifted over to the old animatronics—Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy, now all in disrepair. These were the animatronics he was more than familiar with, other than Fredbear and Spring Bonnie, but he didn't like to think of those two. He shuddered as he spotted Foxy sitting in the corner. Forcing off sour thoughts, he went back to his work. "By the way, why exactly do you all use the old animatronics for spare parts?"
"It was William's idea," Henry said. "Something about putting old things to good use, and it being a cheaper solution than buying all the parts new. I, personally, don't know how I feel about it. Especially since the old ones have a rather...pungent odor." He shuddered. "Not entirely sure why."
Michael paused, his eyes shifting between Henry and the animatronics. There was a rather horrified expression upon Henry's face and his gaze was still fixed on the original Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy. "Henry," Michael said, "is something wrong?"
"What? Hmm?" Henry tore his eyes away from them. "Oh, no, everything's fine. Got lost in thought is all. Almost finished up?"
"Yep." Michael tossed aside his wrench. "Just have to put the outer shell of Toy Freddy's arm back on."
"Perfect." Henry went across the room to Charlie. "And how are you coming along?"
"Same as Michael," she said. "Only it's Toy Chica's face, not her arm. I always thought the endoskeletons were sort of creepy." She slipped Toy Chica's head back on. "And this one's beak keeps coming off."
"Yes, I noticed that." Henry scratched his head. "Well, never mind that. As soon as you two are finished, come on out." He headed for the exit of the room. "William's bringing us some takeout for dinner."
Michael froze in the middle of what he was doing. "My father's coming?"
"Yes." Henry stopped in the doorway. He sent Michael a questioning look. To Michael's confusion, it also appeared vaguely concerned. "Is that alright? I heard you and William don't have the best relationship anymore, which is, um...quite a shame."
Michael gave a short, sarcastic laugh. "You could say that again." As soon as he said this, he inwardly kicked himself. He tried not to badmouth William around Henry. He knew the two were close friends, had been practically like brothers back when Michael was young. If Henry knew some of the things that William had done, well, it could hurt him. Henry was one of the few adults from Michael's childhood that he'd actually liked, even if he had never shown him that at the time. Henry was like an uncle. For now, William's actions would remain private information. Forcing a smile, Michael turned to Henry. "No, it's alright. We've just had a few arguments in the past. You know how it is."
Henry relaxed slightly. "Alright." He stepped out. "See you in the dining room."
"Okay!" Michael and Charlie called in unison.
As soon as the door swung shut, Charlie put down her tool and strolled over to Michael. "Okay, what's really up with you and William?"
Michael heaved a frustrated sigh. "I already told you. We just haven't had the best relationship. You know that, Charlie. You saw us interact in the past. I hated his guts, and he didn't like me too much either."
"Not buying it." Charlie leaned against his worktable. "Did anything else happen?"
Michael drew away from Toy Freddy, having finished his work. Meeting her gaze, he glared. "Like what?"
"I don't know." She shrugged. Concern slowly crept into her features. "He didn't abuse you, did he?"
He tensed at the sudden question, wondering where it even came from. "Maybe he did, maybe he didn't," he said, his voice tight and neutral. "Like I said, we hated each other."
Charlie frowned deeply, the concern only growing. "Why?"
"Ugh, I don't know." He rolled his eyes. "I don't really want to talk about this right now, okay?" His glare faded; he sent her another faked smile. "Let's just go keep having fun, alright? We can't be the awesome coworkers you said we'd be if you keep bothering me."
"I wasn't trying to bother you—" she straightened and smiled back— "but alright. If you don't want to talk about it, then I won't force you. I think we've had enough of deep talks recently, anyway."
"Oh, yes please." He exhaled with relief. "Now let's see if the food's here. I'm starving!"
"You and me both." Charlie headed for the door, Michael falling in-step beside her. They strolled to the dining area together, chatting happily. As they stepped in, she said, "You know, I'm starting to seriously consider getting a job alongside you at Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental. I doubt we would have the same shift, but hey, it seems like a fairly professional job."
"Hmm." Michael felt rather pleased at this idea. "Seriously, that could work. Then we'd be coworkers. I've told you, it would be nice."
"The famed technician duo!" She sent him an excited look.
He laughed, stopping beside one of the tables where Henry helped William set out the food.
"Hello, Michael. Hello, Charlie." William straightened, sending them a pleasant look. "Henry was just bragging about how well you're doing. Following in your father's footsteps ay, Michael?"
Michael gave a few unenthusiastic chuckles. "Apparently."
"A-parent-ly," Henry repeated. "Get it?"
"Not a dad joke." Charlie groaned in annoyance. They all laughed, then began retrieving their food. While they sat around the table, they talked normally. The conversation was light and cheery, despite William being there. Michael supposed he wasn't always an irritating and terrible person to be around. But still. He wished his father would leave soon.
"Oh, by the way," Charlie said about halfway through the meal, "Uncle William, I was wondering if I could get a job at Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental as well. Michael and I thought it'd be nice. We've been studying and training together, so it would make sense to become coworkers." She smiled. "Plus, we've grown quite close again. I bet you remember all those times I came over to your house, hm?"
"Ah, yes." William took a sip of his drink. "Well, we do have quite a few job openings. Technicians these days. Quitting left and right." He shook his head.
"Strange," Henry said. "The exact same thing has been happening to our nightguards. They just keep quitting, or even disappearing with only a note that they're quitting."
"Hmm, so it has," said William. "Anyhow, I suppose you could apply, Charlie. Michael starts up in about a week now. Being head of the company, I can get you in."
"Thanks." Charlie grinned. "And if you want to see my work, just ask my dad."
"Oh, don't worry, I already know you'll be good for the job." William waved a hand. He glanced down at his food, smiling rather smugly. "Just perfect." Michael frowned, his eyes shifting between him and Charlie. Something about William's tone of voice felt...off.
Michael swept the thought away as Charlie said, "But, uh...I mean, only if my father is alright with it." She looked at Henry expectantly.
He fidgeted with his fork, but smiled and nodded, despite his obvious anxiety over the notion. "If that's what you like, Charlie, you can go ahead and do it. I'll support you. Besides, starting off working for William does ease my nerves a little, knowing you'll be employed by someone we're close with."
Charlie beamed at him, then thanked William again, and the meal progressed normally. Michael briefly ignored the conversation, his thoughts drifting as he stared at William. His conversations with Charlie and Henry ran through his head, the ones about William. Yes, the two had hated each other—still did, but that wasn't it. It wasn't just hatred. In fact, for a long time in the past, Michael hadn't hated his father, and William mostly neglected and overlooked him. It was more than a distaste for each other. Michael sighed, fighting back the urge to glare. By now, he knew his father's mannerisms well, and he could tell that William had something up his sleeve. He wasn't sure what, but it had to be something.
William briefly glanced his way. After sending Michael a brief smirk, he returned his attention to Henry and Charlie. Michael blinked a few times, going over the rest of the day in his head.
Something's wrong, he thought. No, of course not. I'm being irrational. Father's just strange. He shrugged it off, stabbing the last bit of food with his fork. Before he even got to lift it, another voice entered his head...and it was not his own,
Something is wrong. You know it.
Michael dropped his fork in surprise.
The missing nightguards and technicians, the voice went on. William's strange job offer, the secrets of your sister's death, Henry's odd attitude, the stench of the animatronics. You know something isn't right.
Michael gulped hard, leaning forward. He resisted the urge to grip his head, in fear that the others would notice. He knew he was mentally unstable, but it hadn't been to this degree since the incident. Trying to brush it off, he reached to finish his food, but couldn't even bring himself to do that. What was this voice? Was he imagining it? No, it sounded so clear. It was a child's voice, but he didn't recognize it.
The voice came again. It's me.
"What?" Michael whispered. The others' conversation was now lost to him. His focus became entirely centered on this supposed hallucination, this mysterious child speaking to him. It was imaginary, it was all in his head. It had to be.
But...it didn't feel that way.
It's me, the child repeated. I'm here. Behind you.
His blood ran cold, and he choked on his breath. His stomach flip-flopping, he threw a glance over his shoulder. Behind him stood a dark hallway, though he didn't remember it being so dark before. In the shadows, he saw a shape slumped against the wall. He couldn't make it out well from where he sat, but it looked like an animatronic. A bear perhaps? Standing up from his chair, Michael took a step or two in that direction. The silhouette didn't move. He froze, the corridor still quite far from him. He would have kept going, had he not noticed the mysterious animatronic's color. Yellow.
Fredbear? he thought. No. It couldn't be! He clenched his fists as he felt that familiar, enclosing guilt tightening in his chest and building in his gut. With it, came overwhelming panic and confusion What's going on? Am I going insane? What's happening?!
In his head, he heard those same two words. It's me. This time, it wasn't the original child's voice. This was a different one...and Michael recognized it.
He nearly collapsed the moment the voice came. It didn't seem possible, yet he had heard it all the same.
It came again, repeating, It's me.
Michael staggered towards the animatronic, breathlessly calling out, "Evan?!"