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halogenrobotics · 9 months ago

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Birthday Burrow

This story was again not written by me, it was written by the amazing EclipsingJelly036. Please check out his amazing youtube channel to see some more of his amazing works of art!

https://www.youtube.com/@eclipsingjelly9572

TW: Nightmare and panic attack. If you would like to skip these parts, stop reading where the "XXX" appears and scroll down to where it appears again

Read on AO3!

The Pizzaplex’s Atrium was decorated with a horde of balloons canopying the ceiling, as the room’s wave of lights shone like lasers, piercing darkness midair. The floors were coated in confetti, upbeat music playing in the background. Vanessa strolled through the center holding a parcel in her hands, looking for the nearest route to the party room.

She passed a few mop bots cleaning outside the Atrium. Holograms of the star animatronics formed into shape on the show stage, as Vanessa exited the room. As she entered the lobby, her eyes gazed at how empty the place was, just like she had planned. Tonight was a special night. It had to be perfect.

Vanessa looked at her watch with concern, reminding herself that she was early. The party room’s door handle was soon in her reach. Shrugging off any hints of waiting, she entered, noticing a young boy in a party hat.

He was playing on his Fazwatch, too busy to notice Vanessa coming in. Typical. Vanessa smiled, thinking of something quick to say, as the young boy’s eyes narrowed on his watch’s screen. Vanessa took a deep breath and proceeded.

“Happy Birthday Gregory!” Vanessa put on the biggest smile you could ever see. This strength of joy captured Gregory the instant her voice reached his ears. He jolted up, half surprised and yet a smile broke on his face.

“Vanessa! You came!” The young birthday kid ran over and hugged Vanessa tightly, clearly happy to see her. Vanessa handed him the parcel after he finally let go. Gregory placed his present on the table, right next to the cake. Vanessa’s hand flew to her back pocket, remembering her cue.

Gregory planted ten candles into his delicious cake. The frosting cream thickness rests on the chocolate layers of goodness. Vanessa noticed two cherries plucked and placed beside the cake’s plate. Oh right, he hated those. Vanessa laughed in her head, finding this amusing.

But nothing could take her attention away by how overjoyed and excited Gregory was feeling. His eyes flexed on Vanessa with a mirroring smile. Vanessa was living in her moment. Gregory had trusted her after all that had happened, and now she was here, on his most important day.

She flicked her lighter on, and set the candles alight. The candles calmly spread into sparks.

“Whoa….” Gregory’s jaw dropped. He had been quite the brains with tech, but this was new to him. He had seen tons of kids get their birthdays celebrated like this, but these candles were something that felt fresh, perfect for his big day.

Vanessa lowered the lights of the room by placing her finger on a switch panel until the area was dark enough for the candles to appear like small fireworks. The blue and green neon lighting still showed, but it would have to do. Vanessa looked at the boy with caring eyes, and she started to sing Happy Birthday. Such a simple song that everyone knew by instinct, and yet, she could tell Gregory really treasured this moment. It had been so long, if not forever, since he last remembered a similar event such as this.

As Vanessa finished singing, she noticed the young boy giving her the same meaningful look when he watched the animatronics performing on stage. You did it! You’re his star! Vanessa cheered in her head.

“Make a wish, my little knight” Vanessa said tenderly, her voice reaching into the boy’s heart.

Gregory stared at the candles happily. I wonder, new fazwatch? An arcade machine? Butters? Vanessa giggled in her mind as she wondered where she got that last thought from. Gregory proceeded to say his wish.

“I wish…” Gregory’s pursed lips neared the candles as his eyes closed. “That this party would last forever.”

He blew the candles, Vanessa completely moved by his birthday wish. The room was now darkened. But Vanessa could still see the cake and the knife. She carefully reached for the knife and walked to the light's control switch. She flickered the brightness back on, but as she did, she felt an anchor’s weight in her head.

She could feel her head bent forward in a split second. As if something had snapped within.

“Mom, are you ok?” Greg had noticed something was off.

Vanessa pulled herself together, trying to forget the surge of what she just felt. Somehow Gregory’s words were trying to stay as the only reasoning on her mind. She slowly turned around. Gregory’s smile had been replaced by a curious, concerned expression. Vanessa sighed in relief, it was probably nothing. She took one step to the table. Her foot caused a split second blackout as it hit the floor. The lights went back on instantly. Vanessa nervously froze, slowly looking around. She could have sworn she saw it happen. Gregory didn’t seem to notice. The kid’s eyes fixated on Vanessa.

Come on, just cut the cake. Don’t mess this up! Vanessa blinked in her thoughts. She took another step. Nothing happened. She took two more steps. Still nothing.

“Is everything ok?” Gregory started to look worried.

Great, now look at what you did. Vanessa made it to the table to continue the party. “Yes Gregory, nothing could be better.”

As she held the knife just over the cake, she caught the glance of herself in the mirror wall of the party room. Everything looked normal. Gregory was still waiting for her to slice the cake.

“Here goes,” Vanessa resumed her joyful smile.

“Wait,” Gregory paused. Vanessa stood still. The birthday kid smirked and moved her knife over to where the cake had the most cream. “That’s better,” he grinned, licking his lips with delight.

Vanessa giggled. She sunk the knife deep into the cake. A wave of shock struck her head, as she stepped back in a rapid jolt. The feeling was so sudden, she nearly had struck herself with the knife. Her fingers were clutching on the knife as though her life depended on it. Her nerves clicked at the sudden emotional surge. Vanessa swore she could hear screaming in her head. A loud, sharp, piercing scream. Her hands held to the sides of her head as she tried to bear with the noise, the knife dangerously close to her cheek.

The screaming stopped. Vanessa flinched and shivered. What is going on?! Her nose caught the scent of a strong odor. Wait is that- The strong stench of blood was present. Vanessa noticed the knife she held had vanished from her grasp. Her fingers were drenched in what could only be fresh blood. Her uniform was also stained with crimson splats. Vanessa was horrified at the sudden change of the room. The balloons popped, the floors trashed, and the table was making her vision blur. The cake stood on the table perfectly, the knife already buried in. But wait, what was that red liquid dripping from the utensil’s handle?

Vanessa touched the handle, the same horrible smell reaching her nose again. The cake started to shift and warp. The illusion continued to unfold, as Vanessa gazed in fear. She was too afraid to blink or scream. The warping of the cake vanished. The delightful treat had been warped out of existence, with the real result now in view. The knife was still plunged in something. A child’s lifeless body!

Nothing prepared Vanessa for this sight. She let out a terrified scream, seeing Gregory face-planted on the table, blood leaking into a pool below. His party hat was still intact with the knife buried deep into his back.

A whisper among the scene grew into an evil undertone of a familiar voice. Vanessa could feel it crawling into her ears.

“Now his happy day can be forever——“ the voice of Vanny mocked her. “You did excellent!” Vanny said, her voice curling into a glitchy roar.

————————————————————-/

Vanessa shot straight out of bed, her eyes widened as she gasped. The view of everything she saw faded. The Pizzaplex, the blood, Gregory. All faded away in a flash of a second. She felt like she had been snatched from an awful reality and tossed back into her home. The screams were replaced by the cries of her alarm tab ringing.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! 6AM

Vaness dropped her heavy hand on the snooze option. She leaned back on her pillow and sighed. Her eyelids caved in, trying to relax her mind with blindness. Her hand rested on her forehead, as she slowly turned to face her alarm clock. She caught the blurry sight of a photo frame next to it. Vanessa yawned as her breathing resumed to normal. The picture grew sharper and clearer to make out. Vanessa paused, noticing it showed Gregory and her playing at an ice cream shack.

Vanessa let out a tired sigh of relief. “Just a dream…” She gazed at her blank white ceiling. It was time to start the day.

She slowly got up and went to the bathroom sink. The water tap ran as she lazily brushed her teeth, giving her reflection the rather bored stare. The mirror stared back as expected. Vanessa took a gulp from her rinse glass and spat into the sink. With a soft yawn, she stretched her hands in the air and walked slowly as if she was carrying a bag of bricks.

She reached the kitchen and turned on the stove. She got out two bowls, poured some cereal. Vanessa propped open the fridge door, sounding a clink of glass as it shook the whole containment. Her hands grabbed a few eggs, some bacon, and a jug of cold milk. Her head turned to see Gregory’s room door still closed. The dining table was littered with crayon drawings. Vanessa remembered last night that she and Gregory had played Pictionary. He eventually fell asleep and Vanessa had to be the one to carry him and place him in bed.

The popping sound of fried eggs threw Vanessa out of her thoughts, making her focus more on cooking rather than her daydreams. She quickly packed his lunch with a tupperware box, before wrapping it in a paper bag. Gregory was asleep longer than usual. Vanessa turned off the stove and walked back to her room to check the time. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to wake him up herself.

6:39pm. It read. I’ll give him five minutes. She told herself. Vanessa scrolled through her phone as she returned to the kitchen. She checked her messages. Nothing from Luis yet. You talked to him last evening, give him a break girl. She chuckled to herself, texting a “good morning”. Vanessa moved on to her phone’s calendar. There was a notice showing up.

Vanessa smiled as she checked it. “Oh! Gregory’s birthday is in a week” she told herself. She tipped the jug of milk into the two bowls. They grow up so fast. It felt like it was only days since she had taken the responsibility as his legal guard-

“Wait a minute…” Vanessa then came to a conclusion with her thoughts. Her arm felt stuck like stone, still pouring the milk. Gregory’s birthday is in a week! She checked her phone again. The calendar wasn’t lying. It really was a week! Oh no! I haven’t gotten him a gift! Vanessa’s eyes fell on her hand’s posture. She quickly lifted up the jug, the cereal bowl nearly overflowing with milk.

She felt the urge to double check her wardrobe, despite already knowing there was nothing in it for Gregory. Her instincts had simply taken over in response to the panic consuming her excitement. Gregory’s door flew open. Vanessa’s foot tripped at this instant, catching herself before she could fall by the kitchen counter.

“Good morning,” Gregory looked at her tiredly. Already dressed in his uniform, Gregory walked to the kitchen table, completely oblivious to Vanessa’s stammered position. Thinking fast, Vanessa slid the bowl closer to Gregory. “I made you breakfast.”

Instead, the young boy took the bowl that had less milk. Vanessa didn’t blame him. FazCrunch cereal always tasted better the more dry it was, at least that’s what Greg said. “Thanks mom,” Gregory chimed. He was starting to notice something about Vanessa. She looked like she was thinking hard. Gregory ate a spoonful of cereal before he spotted her holding her phone.

“Don’t tell me,” he guessed, munching his cereal. “You’re nervous because Luis hasn’t replied yet.”

"Uh…yeah…” Vanessa pulled herself together. It was part of the reason, though it wasn't completely right.

“Mom?” Gregory called out. Vanessa clicked back out of her thoughts. She really needed to stop doing that. “Yes yes, it’s hard to text him sometimes.” She sighed, continuing off topic. “Like, it feels like forever when he doesn’t text back.”

Gregory laughed as he shook his head. “He’ll reply I’m sure,” The kid finished his cereal. What was it with lovers always being so nervous around each other? Gregory just didn’t get it. Why be so afraid to even text if you already are close to that person?

Vanessa could hear the bus arriving outside. Before she could say a word, Gregory had already grabbed his backpack and tied his shoelaces. He was outside in seconds. Vanessa suddenly darted after him, he had forgotten his packed lunch.

Outside, Vanessa called out. “Wait Gregory! You forgot your lunch!” The bright yellow school vehicle had halted with an air’s hiss.

The bus doors swung open, Gregory had just enough time to look back and see Vanessa unzip his backpack and place his lunch inside.

“Almost forgot your lunch, sweetie,” Vanessa reassured as she zipped the bag up. A few kids on the bus planted their faces at the windows, amused at Gregory.

“Mom, you’re embarrassing me…” Gregory’s face turned a tint reddish. She definitely wasn’t gonna hug him now, she knew better than to do that in front of his friends.

“Have a great day at school Greg,” Vanessa gave him a rather awkward pat on the shoulder, trying not to shoot the kids on the bus a serious stare. Gregory returned her smile and waved goodbye as he boarded the bus.

The vehicle started to move as the doors closed. As the bus drove into the distance, Vanessa stood by the porch and waved. She was left to watch Gregory drift further and further away, until she couldn’t see him. Gregory was her son by heart. I need to get him a present. He’s counting on me. This will be the best birthday ever! Vanessa vowed in her warm heart.

A quick buzz in her hand drew her eyes back to her phone. A text reply from Luis had arrived at last. Her face beamed brightly. She tapped on her phone as she made her way back inside, excited and nervous as ever. For Gregory and Luis. This week was gonna be fun, she hoped.

——————————————————-

Vanessa sat on the couch with a clouded head. Her thumbs tapped a reply to Luis as she went on her usual routine of asking how he was. The replies she received were taking awhile, Luis was working on something at this time.

As she waited, her eyes dipped down, thinking what she could get him. It had to be special. It had to be something she hadn’t already given him. But what could that be?

The ideas that would usually pool out in Vanessa’s head had turned into a blank canvas. No matter how hard she thought, she wasn’t getting anywhere besides the casual gifts that anyone would get as a regular treat. Gregory’s birthday was more than that to her. He deserved the best, and only the best.

Her eyes fell on the crayon drawings Gregory had left behind again. This time she picked one of them up and inspected it closely. She felt like she was running around a maze with no prize. She needed a lead. A clue. Something that would point the way to help her decide.

The drawing was mainly scribbles adding up to the overall abstracted picture: A giant spaghetti of wires and metal having the head of a metalic bear fighting a space cadet. The next drawing showed him and Freddy on what appeared to be a rocket-shaped coaster. Vanessa looked in awe at the boy’s creativity. She took the next drawing, halting in her search. This last drawing had herself in it! She recognised the blonde hair and security uniform she wore. She was embracing Gregory in the drawing.

“Oh my…” Vanessa felt the warmth in her heart. She felt so touched by how Gregory saw her. She was his mom, sure. But this said it all the more with a deeper meaning. These drawings were a part of his life. And Gregory had placed her in it. Vanessa got up and folded the drawing. Somehow she felt she would need it to find the perfect present.

The door to Gregory’s room was wide open. She calmly walked inside, seeing the child’s decorative room. Most of the things here were space themed. Glowing stars on the walls, a rocket shaped bed, alien figures and space toy guns. There were also a ton of plushies from the Pizzaplex. Expired coupons, drawing notepads, Faz action figurines. “So he likes space and adventure,” Vanessa noted.

She finally caught the Pizzaplex poster hanging behind the door. Glamrock Freddy was shown handing out balloons and presents. This sparked an idea. The animatronics had spent around enough time with Gregory as she did. He visited them three times a week to hangout while she worked. They may have an idea of what to get him right?

She sat back on her couch and flipped her phone to the side. She was gonna do a video call. She had contacts with each of the animatronics personally. They all had devices in their personal rooms. She scrolled through her list of options. She tried reaching Glamrock Freddy. If anyone knew Gregory like the back of their hand, it was Freddy.

The call rang repeatedly. There was no answer. “Freddy must be on his routine shift,” Vanessa reasoned. She tried asking someone else. The screen flashed a green loading screen. Her call was answered. She heard a noise of wreckage as the screen came to show an alligator’s jaw with a smug voice answering. “Yo, wassup?” Monty answered, his claws pulling down his shades as he focussed on Vanessa.

“Hello Monty, “ Vanessa replied. “I was just checking to see if you had planned anything special for the weekend.”

“Heh, ain’t much going on for this punk,” Monty flexed his biceps, showing off his strength. His fists clenched with spiked knuckles.

Monty’s head turned around to peak as if he was making sure he was alone in the room. Vanessa looked in confusion. “Except for that lil guy’s birthday.” He muttered quietly.

“You knew?” Vanessa chirped, keeping her voice low as his. Monty rolled his eyes. “Of course, that lil guy had to enter his details to get the VIP Pass here in the Pizzaplex. Unfortunately, the others picked up on this too. It was my idea to get him a gift,” Monty bragged about his knowledge.

“Roxanne thinks she can get him a cooler gift than me,” He gritted his teeth, and laughed out loud. “She’s gonna lose big time!”

Monty flexed his muscles and grabbed a large present from off screen, placing it down for Vanessa to see. “Nothin gonna beat this!” He huffed, whatever that thing was, it made him exhaust his joints just to bring it into view. “A chainsaw always crashes down the party,” He bragged again.

Vanessa’s eyes widened. “A chainsaw?!”

Monty suddenly gulped, remembering who he was talking to. His tough voice now replaced with a defensive tone. Vanessa frowned. “It’s not what you think, I mean uh,” Monty grudged as he scratched his chin.

“He’s just a kid Monty!” Vanessa told with a worried voice, her face painted with concern.

“I know, I know,” Monty heaved his hands as he backed off. “I was just kidding,” he chuckled. “Like I would actually give him something twice his weight,” Monty’s tail jumped up and down, landing on the package. The hardware machine inside turned on and shredded the wrapping to bits. The chain saw halted with a sharp jolt as it dug into his tail.

“Whoops,” Monty’s glasses swapped up as Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “Hehe new plan.”

“Nothing sharp alright?” Vanessa frowned.

“You’re no fun,” Monty joked while giving her a rock and roll pose with his fingers. “But alright. I’m still gonna beat Roxanne anyways!” Monty roared in confidence.

“I heard that!” Yelled a female groan from outside Monty’s room.

Monty gulped again. “Gotta go bye!” He punched the end call button literally, and his voice disconnected. Vanessa was left at a static screen. She sighed and tried to dial Freddy again. But there was still no answer, much to her avail. She dialed the next contact on her list.

Her call was answered. “Oh hey Vanessa,” A wolf in a red crop top appeared on-screen, folding her arms and smirking. “Finally figured out it was your boy’s birthday?”

Vanessa nodded, feeling a little heavy. “I just can’t believe I didn’t notice until today. Would you be able to help suggest a gift I could get Gregory?”

Roxanne peeked at the cam, reading Vanessa’s face. She tapped her curled claws and pulled out a wrapped red gift. “I’ve hosted many VIP birthdays before, and all presents share one thing in common.”

Vanessa was about to ask before Roxanne continued. “They all have to be something the child can relate to. Something familiar but also something new. But the best presents always mean something special to both the giver and the receiver.”

“But-“ Vanessa was about to ask. Roxanne smirked. “If I told you exactly what gift you should get him, then it wouldn’t be “your” gift to him.”

“I guess you’re right…” Vanessa admitted, not feeling any better.

“You’ll figure it out I’m sure,” Roxanne smiled, hoping to see Vanessa’s face brighten. “Thanks Roxanne,” She replied.

“As for Monty, well-,” Roxanne placed her red present aside, and sprayed perfume on it to give an extra scent. “He's gonna lose ha!”

Roxanne placed her hands on the sides of hips and threw her hair back in the pose, saying her iconic line. “I’m the best!”

“Tell me that when you eat hot peppers when I win!” Monty yelled from afar.

“Shut up Monty!” Roxanne barked in a growl. Vanessa was confused but laughed a bit, it was just that amusing. She said bye to Roxanne and ended the call.

Freddy still wasn’t picking up. “Leave a message Superstar.” Vanessa looked blankly at her phone. Glamrock Chica’s name appeared as the final option. Vanessa was in such a mood she completely forgot about the animatronic that had the best ties with her. She dialed without another thought.

Glamrock Chica’s room was littered. Empty pizza boxes everywhere. Torn parcel wraps, popped balloons, splats of cheese stained the floor. It looked like the leftovers of 30 birthday parties. Vanessa heard a cluck, Chica’s head coming into view. She squawked as she was trying to stuff something inside a box. “Pizza!” She yelled.

“Um hey Chica?” Vanessa cracked a smile and waved. Glamrock Chica cocked her head, before springing up out of her squat.

“Vanessa! Hi bestie!!” Chica left behind whatever she was doing and raced to the front screen. “Sorry I didn’t notice you earlier. I was erm…busy,” Chica chuckled, wiping off her littered beak as she did a peace sign with her fingers.

“I just wanted to check if you could help me with something. You see, it’s Gregory’s birthday and-“ Chica cut her off. “You forgot?!”

Vanessa winced but nodded. Chica shook her head. “Haven’t you learned anything from the times we hung out?”

“Always eat pizza?” Vanessa quoted. Glamrock Chica shot back an annoyed yet admitting look. “Aside from that,” Chica chuckled, folding her arms. “I may not be the brightest, but I always remember the birthdays of everyone that’s close to me.”

Just then, a staff bot came in, holding a tray of fresh pizza. Chica’s jaw hung as her primitive instincts kicked in. “Pizza!!!!” She yelled, having her arms outstretched with grabby fingers. The staff bot dropped the tray and ran, leaving Chica to get her reward. Her beak pulled the food apart as Vanessa waited the right time to ask. “I still don’t know what to get him…”

“Get him pizza,” chirped Glamrock Chica, biting into her food again. Vanessa raised her eyebrow again, still unable to tell if she was joking after all these months. “You can’t be serious.”

“What?” Chica pecked and wiped her mouth. “No birthday is complete without food! A party needs a cake!”

“A cake?! Oh I didn’t think of that!” Vanessa added that to her list. Everyone was so focused on getting a gift that no one even brought up cake.

“Duh, sometimes I wonder how you got that security guard role,” Chica playfully joked around, tearing open a wrapped box and gobbled whatever was inside.

“Thanks Chica!” Vanessa said, cheering a bit, happy she had a clear goal for one of the things needed for the party.

Chica suddenly gulped, realizing she had cheese all over her beak as she held torn wrappers. “Oh no I did it again,” Chica squawked at herself with laughter.

Vanessa was about to ask what gift she should get. But she paused, perhaps remembering what Roxanne said. This was for her as Gregory’s mom to figure out. It wouldn't be special if Chica just gave her the answer.

The doors burst open, a jolly yet panicked figure stepped in. He wore jester boots, jingly bells, and a gold and red striped outfit. His face resembled the Sun. “Chica there you are!! The main stage is madness! Freddy needs your help to join him on his encore right this instant!” The Daycare Attendant brought the news.

Chica yawned and stuffed her face with another pizza. “Do I really have to?”

“You must hurry! Some of the kids started throwing pizza at-“ Sun the Daycare Attendant tried to explain.

“PIZZA!!!!” Chica flung out the door instantly, completely forgetting about the call and Sun. Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! Those words rung in her head in a loop.

Sun then noticed the room. “Oh no no!” He grabbed a broom and looked around the whole place. “What a mess! Clean up, clean up!”

Vanessa felt like saying hi, as Sun didn’t even notice the call was still streaming her face. But the constant stressed look in Sun’s face just told her now was not the time. She gave a silent wave at Sun, wishing him luck. The call ended.

Ok so we need a birthday cake, but…I still need to think of a gift……

She looked back at her text messages. She had missed a few replies from Luis. He was free now, asking if she wanted to go out somewhere. Vanessa wondered at her phone, but chose that it was now or never. She dialed Luis.

“Yo Ness, how are you?” answered Luis’ gentle tone.

“Luis oh thank God!” Vanessa sighed in relief. “I’m not doing too well. I just realized Gregory’s birthday is in a week. But I haven’t gotten the cake or a gift ready for him. I really need help to pick a present for him…”

“I see, maybe we could go to the mall this afternoon?,” Luis offered, hearing Vanessa’s sensitive voice. She needed him the most right now. How could he refuse? “I could pick you up around your house in half an hour!”

Vanessa felt her heavy breath speak tenderly. She always somehow did that by instinct everytime she felt bad. “That would be nice… but I don’t want to interrupt your plans.” Vanessa expressed her concerns, wanting to make sure she wasn’t bothering him.

“You don't need to worry about interrupting anything, Ness,” Luis confirmed with a caring smirk. “I’m not doing anything, so I'm free all day.” Luis heard Vanessa sigh happily on the other end of the phone. It made him happy whenever he could help his girlfriend. “I’ll be right over there.” Luis said.

——————————————————

Vanessa got what she needed ready, her wallet was packed in her handbag. She banded up her hair in a knot, checking her phone repeatedly. As she was dressed for the mall, topped in a leather jacket, she exited the door. A gust of fresh wind greeted her face. Luis’s car had pulled over by the walkway, sounding a friendly horn.

Vanessa reached her side of the car door and got in. She gave Luis a quick kiss on the cheek before putting on her seatbelt. Luis’ eyes beamed at his girlfriend, thinking just how lucky he was to have her.

“How was work?” Vanessa asked.

“Work was-good,” Luis nearly forgot everything that happened prior. Same response every time she kisses you. Luis’ admitted to himself. Why couldn’t he be more engaging, he wondered sometimes.

“Did you have lunch yet?” Luis continued, noticing there was something about Vanessa’s face that he wasn’t too sure. Her smile felt forced. Just a mask that hid her true emotions. He was on the money about that.

“Oh uh..” Vanessa had no time to think about lunch. She had been so preoccupied, it felt like time was flying faster than she could cooperate. “I had breakfast,” she replied in a folded tone.

“You must be hungry Ness,” Luis looked at her sweetly. Her eyes didn’t seem to hold that sparkle he was familiar with. She looked tired, beat up, thinking so hard on what to do next.

“I’ll be fine,” she said flatly. She was clearly upset about something. Maybe she didn’t get much good sleep? Luis decided to ask.

Touching his foot on the pedal, the car drove off towards the mall. At least he still remembered how to drive, Luis chuckled in his head.

“How was your morning?” He asked.

“Terrible…” Vanessa sunk into her chair.

“That bad, really?” Luis looked at her for a moment as he drove onwards.

“Everyone remembered to get him a gift. Everyone except me….” Vanessa hummed. “Like, I’m supposed to be the one responsible for Gregory. I’m his mom, and yet-“ Vanessa closed her eyes and sighed. “I should have remembered. All this is making me question myself if I’m just not good enough to be his caretaker.” Vanessa felt her eyes water, but she held back the tears.

“Oh Ness….” Luis let the brakes slow down the ride so he could talk to her without much distractions. It was a narrow straight road through the hillside to the mall. It wasn’t too busy on the streets. “It could happen to anyone. The best of us,” Luis tried.

“Even Chica remembered. Chica of all people!” Vanessa commented. This was just a low point that she felt was the deepest she could go.

Luis opened his mouth to object but then closed it, recalling Chica’s primitive mentality . “Ok yeah that’s really bad but … .you remembered now right? Isn’t this why we are here, driving to the mall? It’s one thing to forget, sure, but you didn’t just give up back then. The instant you found out, what did you do?”

“I…well,” Vanessa thought back to earlier. “I tried finding out what he may like, and I contacted his Glamrock friends for help.”

“That’s already more than determined of you,” Luis complimented. “That shows you want to make sure that Gregory will have a great birthday.”

Vanessa’s face lit up a bit as Luis continued. “And you still are making the effort, we are shopping for his cake and gift.” Luis added hope. “A week is longer than it sounds Ness-“

Luis slowed down the car and reversed parked into a corner. The mall peaked over them like a mountain, bright as glitter, and stairs leading to its wondrous entrance. It wasn’t the Pizzaplex, but it will have to do. Luis placed his hand on Vanessa’s. “And I’ll help you find the perfect gift, whatever it takes.”

Vanessa threw a hug to Luis, embracing him tightly. “Thank you Luis,” she whispered.

The couple got out of the car. Vanessa felt lighter. Talking to Luis in the long run always lifted the anchor off her shoulders. He was a good listener, and Vanessa loved that about him. The mall’s entrance doors spun like a carousel, lights flashing to lure curious eyes to its warm welcome. Any kid would drag their parents to enter such a marvelous location where it seemed it had everything.

“Ready to do some shopping?” Luis spoke in an excited tone, offering Vanessa his hand, as they stepped through the rotating doors.

“Let’s do this.” Vanessa nodded, now feeling confidence quench her dread. She took Luis’ hand and walked with him. I’ll make this the best birthday for you Greg. She promised.

The store was lit and packed with hundreds of people. Kids ran around excitedly, running to the hottest toy displays. Vanessa noticed there were quite a variety of families wherever she looked. It felt warm to see how happy everyone was, if this wasn’t a surprise, she would have brought Gregory too. That’s what Gregory felt like to her, he was part of her family.

Vanessa and Luis stopped by the bakery. The cakes on display made her tummy rumble. So sweet and tasty they looked, she could spend hours imagining herself eating everything.

“Does Gregory have a favorite flavor?” Luis asked.

“Hmm…” Vanessa recalled back as she hummed. She had mostly bought Gregory ice-cream popsicles of either caramel and chocolate. But which one did he say was his favorite?

“Strawberry?” Luis guessed, partly trying to spark something in Vanessa that might help her remember.

“That’s your favorite flavor,” Vanessa teased, nudging Luis with her elbow playfully. He laughed and nodded.

“Ah chocolate,” Vanessa remembered. “He loves chocolate a lot.”

She selected a cake that had suddenly arrived on scene. It was a milk chocolate layered cake with a hardened Freddy head chocolate shell on the top. It still had some decorations to make it suited for a party, but Vanessa felt like this was fate. This was the perfect cake right before her. She noted the additions she wanted.

“Would it be able to fit in your fridge?” Luis raised a question.

“I don’t think so,” Vanessa turned to Luis. “Gregory might also take a peak in the fridge if he gets hungry at night.”

Luis thought about it. “Hey Ness?”

“Ya?” Vanessa wondered what he would suggest next.

“I could take the cake to my house?” Luis offered. “Y’know keep it ready until the big day?”

“Oh Luis, that's a wonderful idea!” Vanessa lit, before she folded her arms playfully. “No sneaking bites from it, k?” She toyed in her cop voice.

“Would I get arrested?” Luis flirted back.

“I’ll shoot you,” Vanessa smirked jokingly.

“No promises,” Luis continued, receiving a sharp glare from his girlfriend. “I mean yes ‘officer’.” He gleefully replied, they both laughed. The cake’s decorations would be ready in half an hour. Vanessa had made sure she picked the extra frosting and lettering on the cake, followed by the spark candles. This left plenty of time to search for his gift.

The two continued deeper into the mall’s wide array of stores. Luis started to see coloured eggs and Lily flowers scaling the walls and floors of scenery. Kids were getting their faces painted, wearing bunny headbands and shaking egg-shaped maracas.

“I didn’t even know Easter was around the corner,” Luis commented.

Vanessa looked where he was looking. The theme really stuck to her mind. Easter was just days away. This mall was prepped up ahead of schedule, not wanting to miss out on the Easter Spirit. Vanessa was mixed in this instance, she felt joyed to see everyone having a good time, but there was uncertainty she felt within. Unease. But why?

“I never asked much about how things are between you and Gregory,” came Luis' voice. “How would you say you both get with each other? He’s not a handful right?”

“Well,” Vanessa thought back and smiled. “He’s the sweetest boy. He’s so smart too. Always planning his weekend. Gregory often draws me in his cute art pictures with Glamrock Freddy.”

“Aw that’s nice. So he’s used to you being his parent?” Luis implied.

“You could say that. He also dreams of joining me at work. Gregory wants to be just like me. He loves tech and games, so it’s not surprising why he admires my work as a fun job.” Vanessa flashed back.

“He sounds like he’ll have fun beta testing like you. Silver Parasol could always have talented gamers like him around,” Luis pointed out, putting his arm around Vanessa.

She leaned on his shoulder. “I wished they’d let us work the same work shifts…”

“Aw Ness, I wish that too,” Luis tried to think what it could be like. “We both would distract each other though,” He grinned sarcastically.

“Shut up,” Vanessa giggled, giving a friendly punch to Luis’ arm.

“Ow! Ness-“ Luis frowned tightly.

“Oh sorry! I didn’t mean-“ Vanessa swore she didn’t throw a hard punch. Luis was hurt?! How could she? Her terrified shock was suddenly cut off by Luis laughing at her. “Gotcha!” he said. Vanessa flushed her cheeks red at his antics.

“Luis, don't scare me like that!” She punched his shoulder again, harder this time. Luis shuffled and rubbed his arm. “Ok that one hurt a lil,” he chuckled. She rolled her eyes. “But would it really be good if he joined us at work when he grows up?”

“You said it yourself right? He’s good at games and enjoys it. Being good at something and loving it as your life makes it the dream job,” Luis paraphrased.

“It’s just, well,” Vanessa held her hands behind her back as she stretched, she often did this when she felt stressed about something. “I’m not too keen on letting him tryout for a job there..”

“Oh why not?” Luis asked. “The pay’s good too. The hours eh, manageable.”

“Whenever someone is doing good at their job there, they often get promoted to test the latest games. Gregory might do too well… and it won’t be long before they start to use him to test VR games as part of his work.” Vanessa explained in a voice that was growing softer, her arm holding her opposite elbow.

“What’s wrong with-“ Luis’ cut off his voice before he could finish, noticing Vanessa having herself in a stressful position. “Oh…right… you don’t want him around those types of games do you?”

“No…not after what happened to me,” Vanessa’s tone was hushed but audible enough to nearly sound pitiful. “I haven’t touched a VR game since the day I was freed.”

“What did it feel like…y’know, being controlled and all that?” Luis spoke calmly as he placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to piece together a part of her past that she didn’t talk much about in detail.

“It felt like I was locked in a box. Trapped in a room without a key…a burrow with no light. I felt lost and scared….” Vanessa’s face grew saddened. “I can’t go back to playing VR…I can’t let that happen to me or Gregory.”

Vanessa continued. “Whenever he asks me if he could play a VR game, I tell him no. I feel terrible whenever I do. I mean It’s not like he did anything wrong… ” She turned to Luis, looking him in the eyes. “That’s more to the reason why I have to make it up to him with this birthday present.”

Luis said nothing at first, taking in the amount of emotion Vanessa was putting into her whole plan for Gregory. Dammit Luis, you just had to ask her that…look now she’s clearly upset.. “Gregory is very lucky to have a caring mother like you. Never forget that,” Luis very much wanted to hug Vanessa. But he didn’t know if now was the right time.

“Do you think there could be a gift that Gregory would be happy with that isn’t a VR game?” She sniffed as she singled out those words.

“Hey, don’t give up hope,” Luis spoke in a warm voice. “This mall is huge, we just need to keep looking. Now you said Gregory liked games , right?”

Vanessa nodded. Luis followed up. “Then that’s where we should start searching. It doesn’t have to be a VR game. I just happen to know the best gaming stores around here. The mall doesn’t close until ten.”

Vanessa breathed and nodded again as she lifted her head. “You’re right. There’s still time.”

“More than enough,” Luis offered her his hand again. “We can circle back here to pick up the cake once we buy a gift.”

Vanessa’s face curved into a small smile, taking Luis’ hand.

——————————————————-

The games store had its neon lights on with the stock spread wide across the giant display cases and shelves stored inside. It wasn’t too busy as Luis remembered, but that would just make it easier to find what they were looking for. Whatever it was. Vanessa looked at the store’s name from outside. “This has to be the right place.” She whispered to herself.

“Damn it,” Luis nudged her, getting her attention to a promotion sign. 30% off all products. Final offer before closing today until next month! “Seems today is the last day this store’s gonna be open.”

Vanessa looked at her watch. “They close at 9pm. That leaves us 3 hours. Let’s split up. I’ll search from this aisle. You start searching from that side.” Vanessa pointed towards the opposite end. “We’ll cover more of the store faster this way.”

“On it,” Luis agreed.

Vanessa checked out the console aisle. Loads of controllers hung on display. Some were as old as the retro arcades while others seem to be crafted from a sci-fi world. A mix of old and new devices. This store had everything it seemed. She stepped into the first row that featured playable games. Gregory did have a console at home.

She looked under the Adventure and Space section. Her mind had to work harder to recall what games Gregory already had. He collected so many over the months that she started to worry if she accidentally got something he already had.

Freddy in Space VII, Carnival Quest, Into Madness, Help Wanted 2, Revenge of the Blob.

“He’s beaten all of these games…” Vanessa’s heart sank. There’s nothing new for his favorite theme. But maybe I could search other categories, I mean, he could love something new?

Vanessa strolled past the Space themed shelf, noticing the abundance of games under Fazbear Ent’s name. There were also Silver Parasol brands, but they were the needles in a haystack when it came to attention grabbing to the likes of Fazbear’s.

Vanessa reached the Collectibles category. Not surprisingly, she found that most of them had already been played by Gregory. Vanessa continued walking onwards. There was always something new in the world of gaming. She just needed to look in the right place.

She approached the Latest! aisle. This category was flashy, with marked prices at every turn. This was supposed to be the hottest sales in town, and the store was capitalizing on its promotions. Vanessa’s eyes lit and she smiled widely for the first time in this store. Gregory didn’t own a single game in this whole shelf.

Fnaf World The Return, Fruity Maze 3D, Playhunt, Terisma, Roxy Racers, Pizza Fest, Spend The Night-

Vanessa’s excitement disappeared with a crushing wave of realization. Just as rapidly as her hopes had soared, they plummeted faster than anticipated. All of these games…they were exclusive to the VR platforms…

Vanessa felt acid in her stomach. Why…why did it have to be like this…? Her hand reached out to one of the games, picking it up for a closer look. A fun experience for all families to enjoy! Her eyes folded in despair, remembering all those times she kept Gregory from playing VR. All of this to keep him safe. But who was she really keeping safe with this? Gregory or herself?

Vanessa could feel tears beginning to form from behind her sockets. She put back the game and walked away, wandering into the next category of games. She felt completely distraught.

The Joy of Creation, Cherophobia, Bunny Call360, CASE, Jnr’s, The Hare, Plushtrap Chaser, Eclipse Hunt, Nightmare Circus-

Vanessa blinked. She had wandered into the Horror category. She had never been a fan of it, but she never really feared it. But she couldn’t help but feel that something was making her uneasy. She continued to walk, trying to narrow her vision away from the parting shelves as she strolled. Her sight felt claustrophobic, the appearances of bunny mascot horror themed games coming into view the further down the aisle she walked. It made sense, Easter was only around the corner, so of course they would make horror games based around the holiday…

Vanessa halted in her tracks, some of the covers starting to take the shape of something familiar. Something she had burrowed in long ago. She was hallucinating, feeling ill. She wanted to walk away, but the further she went, the more Easter themed horror she came across. It felt like the eyes of the covers were staring at her. Why was she seeing red eyes?

Vanessa grimaced and sped up to reach the end of this “rabbit hole.” It felt twisted, a shoved reminder of something she wanted to forget. I need to breathe. Vanessa headed for the exit. She needed fresh air.

Vanessa made it out, feeling her vision grow heavy. It was at that moment she saw it.

Not too far across the lit hall, danced an animal mascot. Its white fluffy ears flopped and flipped as the figure took a bow and skidded to the nearest child. It held a basket of wrapped chocolate eggs, passing over one of the treats to a young boy. Another child noticed the mascot and ran towards it. The bunny suit waved flamboyantly, doing a few bendy movements. The choreography made it seem like the mascot had no bones, fluently synced like water. It handed a young girl another one of its eggs. Vanessa could only stare in horror as she imagined the bunny’s face staring straight back at her.

She was beginning to hallucinate again. Red eyes. Red glowing eyes pierced her heart as though they were daggers. It’s mouth now a toothy grin as it pulled its arm towards its mouth to a shushing gesture. Blood flashes.

Are you having fun yet?!

Vanessa couldn’t take it any longer. The weight of her exploding guilt now made her head feel heavy. A tear snaked down her cheek as she collapsed on the ground. The fall didn’t hurt as much as her thoughts. Her legs felt numb like jelly. She couldn’t muster the strength to help herself.

“Vanessa?” Luis called from afar, noticing her leave as the lobby door closed. Something was not right. She wouldn’t just leave like that.

Luis stacked whatever he had gathered behind and went after her. Hang on Vanessa. Whatever it is, I'm coming! Luis rushed, feeling he had to know what was up. He noticed merely the mascot smiling at him and waving flamboyantly. Oh no…I think I know what might have startled her!

“Vanessa,” Luis assisted his girlfriend by supporting her arm around his neck. “Are you hurt?” Vanessa remained silent, her face upset and wrecked with tears. A few people were starting to notice both of them on the floor. Luis quickly helped her up. “Vanessa, let's talk somewhere quieter, away from everyone.” Luis whispered.

The pair slowly got up and walked to the lobby doors, leaving the commotion they made a mystery to onlookers.

Luis and Vanessa found a quiet corner by the back stairway. The trail led on to the underground parking lot. Vanessa leaned against the rails as they stopped walking. Luis was more worried as she sobbed, her sleeves soaked with tears. “Vanessa, what’s making you feel like this?” Luis approached, taking out his handkerchief.

Vanessa shook her head and sniffed. Leaning further back with a loose grip on the rails. “It was that mascot wasn’t it,” Luis slowly put his words together. Vanessa responded with a brief nod. Luis had known she was never happy about what she did in the past. But he didn’t realize it broke her this badly. Until now.

As he tried to wipe her cheeks, Vanessa wrapped her arms around him tightly and cried again, Luis could feel his shoulder drenched. Her cheeks, which were usually warm, were just cold. “Vanessa…”

“I’m sorry Luis…” She spoke in a fragile voice. She loosened her hug on him, hearing Luis gasp very quietly in relief. “I just can’t leave it behind…”

“Leave what behind?” Luis placed his hand on her back to comfort her. Vanessa clinged onto his arm. She had a tough grip that felt like iron. Luis simply didn’t back down. Now wasn’t the time for him to act weak. He needed to help her, not make her panic more. He couldn’t imagine what was going through her mind.

Vanessa went back to her mutual silence. “Vanessa, whatever it is that’s hurting you….we can solve it….together…like we always have…”

She continued to remain silent for the time being. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Vanessa slowly looked up as the minute went by. “I feel like I shouldn’t involve you in this…” She told Luis blankly, the emptiness in her voice siphoning her dread. She had bottled this feeling up that she could no longer hide it again.

“Everyone is doing perfect without me. I just can’t seem to forget what happened all those months back. I’ve always tried to act like it’s been ok, but nothing really feels like that.” Vanessa sipped in another breath of air as she proceeded. “Thinking about you and Gregory helped me out many times before. But I keep circling back to the past. Our very own relationship somehow keeps making me think about the past.”

Luis held a thought about what she said. Vanessa wasn’t finished just yet. “Gregory was able to move on. He doesn’t see me as the monster I was. Even you didn’t hold on to that fact. But I did. And I feel like I’m holding both of you down from moving forward. It’s all my fault…” Vanessa’s eyes pooled out salty tears.

“But you didn’t kill those kids. It was that glitch. You told me yourself-“ Luis objected.

“I still was the vessel. I’m not a murderer, but that doesn’t mean I deserved what I have right now either. I feel like I don’t fit in, “ Vanessa cried, her blonde hair messed in shambles. “I feel there’s always something wrong with myself. When I was Gregory’s age, I never was brought up in a good family. I never had a proper childhood..and now it’s making me ask myself if I’m always the problem. Everything feels like it’s my fault.”

“But Ness,” Luis comforted, “It was you who started this little family. It was all you. After you were freed, you accepted my idea to get some coffee together, remember?”

“And?” Vanessa sniffed, wondering where Luis was going with this.

“And that only was possible because you said yes. You opened up to me about what happened to you. And then you felt you wanted to make it up to Gregory and adopted him. You, Ness, are the core of this family. You’ll always have a place in our hearts.” Luis spoke warmly. “You don’t have to feel bad about the past…”

“But it’s my past that made me like this…” Vanessa pointed out. “Now I realized why it was so hard for me to pick a gift for Gregory. It wasn’t because I couldn’t find what he wanted. It’s because I knew what he wanted deep down. But I buried that idea because I was afraid. I was afraid of his wish that reminded me of something from my past. I’ve been so selfish…”

“These things take time to heal Ness,” Luis gave her the biggest, warmest hug as he said this. “Tell me, before all this. Before the glitch and fear. What were you like?”

“Well…” Vanessa flashed back, trying to recall further past her dreaded experience. “I was all alone. No one to look after me. I was just out for number one.” The thought of Luis meeting her for the first time came to the picture in her head. “I don’t think I cared much about my colleagues back then…I had nothing to share with”

Vanessa sobbed. “I’m sorry…”

“Ness, don’t you feel like you’ve come a long way? Your past may have not been your proudest pet of your life, but, would you say you’ve changed?”

“I…well..I guess…” Vanessa replied halfheartedly, unsure what he was going to state next.

“You’re a mom to Gregory. Despite the stress the responsibility of his care would bring, you felt like he needed it. You put aside your goals and shared a life with him. And with me…” Luis brought it up. “You gave me a chance and allowed me to be part of your family. And how do we make you feel in return?”

“You make me feel…” Vanessa held her tongue before she spoke. She could only think of one answer. It was so obvious to her, that it came out smoothly. “Happy…you both make me feel happy..”

“And you deserve to be happy.” Luis boldly reminded Vanessa. “There’s nothing to be scared of. I’m here for you in your life. And so will Gregory. No matter how long it takes, we won’t leave you behind. That’s what makes us your family.”

Vanessa shed another tear along her cheek. But this wasn’t a tear of regret or sadness. She could feel that hint of hopeful joy sprout back up from inside. It was like Luis’ words had made her realize the very thing she was missing the whole time. Everyone knew the real her. Her true self would care for her family and would be loved by those she cherished. Somehow Vanessa no longer felt like the threat. Luis made his point clear. None of the good things she had right now would have happened had it not been for her selfless actions. Why be afraid of the past if her future was so much more?

Vanessa looked Luis in the eyes. “Thank you Luis..for reminding me.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The pair had a long evening. Luis and Vanessa were strapped in seat belts as he drove her home. Vanessa held Gregory’s gift in her arms, all nicely wrapped up. The cake was in the back, steadily secured.

I won’t be afraid of the past anymore. Vanessa thought as she stared out the car window. The woodland trees running by as the moon poked its face to join the clouds in the starry sky. Gregory, I love you my son. And I want you to be happy as you have made me. Vanessa’s fingers patted the wrapped gift. And I believe that you’re gonna love what we have for you. I know I’ve said many things about this before. But now it’s time for the future. You’re my future Gregory. And I want to be there with you every step of the way. I never got the wish to be happy in my childhood. So let me make yours come true…

Vanessa thought about how everything had unfolded as Luis drove into her neighborhood. Her worries had completely faded as of now. The excitement was all that was left in her heart.

Her house appeared in the view as Luis’ car slowed down. Her doorstep faced the driveway as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “I’ll take the cake to my house until the party as we agreed, right?” Luis double checked.

Vanessa nodded and smiled. She felt her hand reach out to grasp Luis’ arm. “Hey also..”

“Yeah?” Luis realized his eyes were locked deeply at his girlfriend’s line of sight. Something else was happening. Vanessa’s face was getting closer, Luis felt himself freeze. It took him completely by surprise. He felt Vanessa’s soft lips brush against his. The pair closed their eyes as they shared the kiss.

Vanessa slowly pulled away after a while. Her cheeks were gushing pink. There was nothing more to say. Words weren’t enough to beat the compassion she had just been shown. She slowly got out of the car, present tucked in her arm. Luis still felt speechless. No way! That was… wow! Was I dreaming?

Vanessa mirrored Luis’s gleeful smile and waved. Luis waved back, eventually driving off. He glanced back using his side mirror to see Vanessa enter her house. It’d been a long night.

Tomorrow is another day…

“I’ll see you again Ness,” Luis replied to himself as he safely drove home.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The alarm rang.

Vanessa slowly peaked at the greeting sunlight as her head sunk deeper into her pillow. She pressed the snooze button and slowly sloughed up. Today’s the big day!

It felt funny, to pretend like it was an ordinary morning when Gregory awoke. Same schedule as usual. He got ready for school and boarded the bus. Not suspecting anything. He doesn’t know- Vanessa giggled to herself, proud of how everything was coming together. She spent the whole afternoon texting Luis, making sure everything was in place. This feels new. There wasn’t a feeling of stress present. She no longer had a drive to achieve perfection. She knew that she was enough. No, more than enough. Gregory was going to enjoy this.

Soon enough as school ended, Luis picked up both Vanessa and Gregory. The child’s bored out face suddenly glowed with a cheered smile as he noticed that Luis was driving towards the Pizzaplex.

“Oh, are we gonna hang around the arcade?” Gregory asked, peaking his face at the window.

“Mhm, I think you deserve a well-earned treat for studying so hard.” Vanessa said with a merry voice. Gregory shot his arm in the air with energy. “Alright! Let’s go!” He exclaimed blissfully.

As Luis parked, Vanessa and Greg hopped out with Luis behind. Luis was about to open the trunk before his hand came to an abrupt stop. He turned to Vanessa, realizing Gregory was watching him.

Vanessa’s instincts clicked, she nudged Gregory playfully and took off. “Race you to the entrance!”

“Hey no fair!” Gregory raced after her. “Last one’s a lazy mop bot!”

Luis laughed softly and slowly popped the trunk open, taking the cake and gift with him. Now that he’s distracted, that’s my cue.

Gregory and Vanessa burst through the doors at full speed. Everyone else had already gathered at the lobby. Roxxanne and Monty continuously shot stares at each other, before they saw Gregory had entered the scene. He raced straight into a hug of Glamrock Freddy. “Back for more fun superstar?”

“I sure am!” Gregory punched the air again, clicking his heels. He caught a glimpse of Glamrock Chica wiping her stained beak as she yelled “Pizza!” repeatedly. The Daycare Attendant was following her lead, cleaning up torn wrapping paper and cheese stains after her. Sun cocked his head towards Gregory, reacting as fast as he could to dump the trash in the nearest bin. He awkwardly skipped to waving at Gregory, who waved back without suspicion.

“So which game are we gonna play first?” Gregory called out eagerly.

Roxanne was about to suggest something before Monty pushed her aside to interrupt. “Gator Creek!” He roared with pride.

“Gator Creek is for toddlers,” Roxanne mockingly objected. “Howl Mayhem is a good one if you want to show you’re the best,” she shrugged her hair and flexed her arm.

“How about we let Gregory pick?” Freddy suggested, pointing his finger as the idea sprung up his circuits. Gregory tapped his finger in his chin, wondering how he was gonna choose out of the hundreds of arcade games. Chica stumbled right back on the scene, fumbling as she squawked “Pizza!” again.

“Good idea,” Gregory remembered. “Let’s head to the Pizzam machine!” Gregory sprinted, leaving Roxanne and Monty speechless at Chica. “HOW?!!” They both asked, wondering why everyone listens to Chica.

It didn’t take long for Monty and Roxanne to go after Gregory. They didn’t want to miss competing again. Vanessa walked to Chica, noticing that she was in a dizzy stance.

“Pizza!” She squealed, almost as if she was resisting a powerful urge within her.

“Chica what happened?” Vanessa inspected her bestie, looking very worried. Chica’s eyes twitched heavily, her beak hung open and snapped shut.

“Chica couldn’t find much of a gift to get for Gregory,” Freddy explained. “So she tried wrapping the one she liked that she knew she could give him.”

“Pizza…” Chica interrupted weakly, placing her hand on Vanessa’s arm, resting on the floor as her eyes jiggled in her sockets.

“Unfortunately she kept ripping open her gifts of pizza due to her having quite an appetite. So she tried hiding tons of wrapped pizza from herself all around the Pizzaplex and attempted to stay on…diet,” Glamrock Freddy shook his head pitifully.

“Oh my, you must be starving,” Vanessa helped Chica up. She really was fighting off her instincts to not eat. But she could easily have snapped into full hungry mode at any moment. Vanessa walked her to the party room. “Freddy, help me keep Gregory occupied. Me and Chica will set up the surprise with Luis.”

“You can count on me Vanessa,” Freddy flashed a “rock and roll” hand gesture, before going after Gregory.

Chica weakly pointed towards a ticket booth. “I’ve hidden….. my last gift in there…. I need to stay away from it until the time is right…”

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” Vanessa hummed. “Don’t worry, we’ll get you fixed.”

“Wait for me! I want to help too!” Sun danced after them in an altered state.

“I have an idea,” Vanessa looked at Sun in relief.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Pizzam Machine spat out a stream of tickets as the bright words of “New Best'' flashed at the draw-dropped faces of Roxy and Monty. Gregory jumped up and down energetically. He basked in his victory as the name GGY took the top spot of the high score leaderboard.

“We uh,” Roxanne and Monty looked at the floor, swallowing their pride ever so bluntly. “We went easy on you,” they both commented in sync.

“Sure you did,” Gregory blew his hair and collected his winnings. “Now should we chill at the VIP Party Room?”

“NO!!!!” Roxy and Monty exclaimed, taking Gregory by surprise.

“Uh what I mean is-“ Roxy thought hard, scratching her paw against her chin.

“There’s so much else to do!” Monty raised his finger, nudging Roxanne.

“Right right,” Roxanne nudged back, giving an annoyed yet silent stare at Monty. “Freddy, what’s the latest addition to the Pizzaplex’s arcade?”

Glamrock Freddy stared blankly as his system searched for the latest intel. He then robotically stood tall and pointed his finger up before explaining. “The Fazer Blast has received numerous updates in the past week from-“ Freddy went on to ramble about every specific detail. Closing his eyes fashionably as he explained with a glamorous smile.

Gosh this is turning into a lecture….. Monty listened boredly to Freddy’s tutorial guide, realizing Roxy is already racing Gregory to the Fazer Blast. “Hey wait up!” Monty Gator took off.

“-coin consumables each sold separately , if you have a VIP voucher you may play modes like Zombie Mode and Frenzy, discounts apply-“ Freddy opened his eyes, finally realizing he was talking to no one. “Oh-“

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Luis stacked all the gifts by the other Glamrocks on the side table. The cake sat in the center. He noticed a scuffling voice as Glamrock Chica was helping herself to an endless supply of slushie in the next room. Sun was multitasking between hanging the decorations and mopping up excess slush leaks coming from the other room. He looked exhausted but determined to keep up with the max process.

Vanessa took another deep breath and blew the last balloon, tying its knot. Luis hung up a Happy Birthday banner and strung it to the corner poles of the room.

“Ok let’s see….balloons?” Vanessa eyed her list.

“Check,” Luis presented.

“Cake and presents?” She called out.

“Done.” Luis replied

“Food?” She asked, looking worried.

Both Luis and Ness turned to see the table of snacks and delicacies unspoiled and untouched, causing the pair to sigh in relief. Sun scrambled back to Glamrock Chica’s room as his jester heels clicked, causing him to fall over. Before Vanessa could react, Sun shot his hands straight in front of him to counter his fall, his palms cushioned the floor, tipping his entire body into a forward somersault. He spun flamboyantly in an almost similar fashion to a looney tune cartoon. Sun landed right back on his feet and proceeded to grab the mop before the mess would grow.

Glamrock Chica sat there under the slush machine, her beak widened to intake more fizzy liquids, causing it to spill on her room floor. Her eyes suggested she was lost in another world. Sun shook his head, once the machine runs out, it’s gonna be hopeless. Sun looked at the food table nervously as he mopped.

Vanessa heard her phone buzzing. She answered her call. “Freddy?” She could hear laser beam sound effects in the background.

“Gregory is about to head back once we finish this round. Is everything ready?” Freddy’s voice beeped in.

“Yes yes, the party is set,” Vanessa hushed in an affirming voice. “No more stalling. Thank you Freddy.”

The call ended quickly. Vanessa looked at the Daycare Attended working hard to clean up Chica’s leftover spillings. “Sun, are you able to keep this up until Gregory arrives?”

Sun spun and rotated his head like a wheel before nodding, keeping his ever stained smile. “Just a lil longer,” Luis encouraged, “You’re doing great!”

Vanessa shut the binders on the window panels to make sure no one could see what they were up to from outside. She and Luis prepped up confetti blasters and faced the doubled doors. Any moment right now, Gregory would be in for the big surprise!

Seconds ticked by, they could hear the slightest footsteps of a child sprint across the carpeted hall followed by multiple metallic foot stomps parading after.

“I win!” Gregory shouted at the top of his lungs as he burst through the double doors as sudden as a Jack-in-a-Box. He felt alive, springing forward as the champion of the race. His victory call was instantly interrupted.

Gregory was frozen with shock as his jaw started to hang open. The surprise wasted no time. Confetti shot out and fired at Gregory, flailing ribbons and puffs of coloured paper shards at his entrance. The balloons kissed the ceilings and dangled their tails over the tables. The cake was lit and sparkling with its candles.

“SURPRISE!” Everyone chanted.

“Whoa what?!” Gregory stood back at the sudden exclamation of the party. His eyes started to water as his smile grew. This scene he witnessed, there was something speaking to his heart. He felt just right at home and was touched emotionally. “You all planned this just for me?”

Vanessa started to clap in sync. The Glamrocks arrived behind. Sun recognised his cue and lowered the lights, making the candles more ambient. Chica kept herself from asking about eating some cake. Vanessa took a deep breath as did everyone. “Happy Birthday to you….”

Gregory felt his hand reach his heart. The others chimed in as they sang this lovely song. Gregory had never looked so happy. This felt new to his eyes, it promised him that his friends cared about him.

As the song ended, Vanessa softly placed a party hat on Gregory. “Make a wish,” she whispered.

Gregory sipped in the air and blew out the candles. “You are all my wish,” he replied sweetly. Everyone cheered in response.

Roxanne and Monty got into their cues, holding their gifts forwards. Chica stumbled out from the other room, holding her crumbled gift. The Daycare Attendant dusted her beak with a hope of polish before grabbing his own gift as he turned back on the lights. That was a close one… he thought to himself.

Freddy got his gift and Vanessa took her place in line behind him. Luis got out his camera and started taking pictures. Roxanne flushed her hair to sway from the side and knelt in front of Gregory. “Happy Birthday.”

Gregory opened her red parcel wrapped in purple ribbons. He pulled a hand mirror and some appliances for styling his hair. “With this you might even look cool as me,” Roxy joked playfully.

Gregory chuckled. “Thanks Roxy.”

Roxy smiled as she let out her most humble line. “You’re the best.”

Next, Monty stepped ahead and placed a large green box topped with a yellow bow. “Are you ready for this kid?”

“You bet!” Gregory pumped, unwrapping the gift to find two gator themed dumbbells. He picked one up and slowly lifted it.

“Remember kid, if you wanna be like me, take care of em biceps,” Monty flexed.

“Thanks I will,” Gregory flexed back, also putting down the dumbbell. It was heavier than it looked! Next came Sun, holding a very small dark blue parcel. Gregory unwrapped it to reveal a Moon shaped night light.

“Aw,” Vanessa warmly admired.

“To help you sleep better when the night turns the lights off,” Sun presented humbly.

“Thank you Sun,” Gregory appreciated, “I’ll be using this a lot!”

Chica shook as her turn came. Her beak twitched open. “Oh my, Chica what happened?” Gregory asked, looking worried.

“Nothin-“ Chica’s voice cut as she presented her gift in Gregory’s arms. “I got something for you.”

Gregory could smell something baked and delicious underneath. He opened his crumpled pink parcel to see a mass of cheese, tomato sauce, and crispy dough. “Lasagna?”

“P-pizza!” Chica chirped assuringly. “Do you like it?”

Gregory smiled back at Chica, seeing the effort she went through. “I love it,” Gregory patted Chica. “You know, it is more fun to share,” he handed her the box. Are you hungry?“

Chica nodded in delight, as Gregory let her devour the pizza mass as he watched in satisfaction. “Thanks Chica.”

Now it was Glamrock Freddy’s turn. It was smaller than the others. No larger than Greg’s doubled fist. It was bright orange, tied off neatly with a cyan bow. Gregory’s eyes fell on Freedy, who smiled in return. “Happy Birthday Superstar.”

Gregory lifted off the lid of the gift. Inside was a brand new faz watch. “Oh wow!”

Freddy pointed his finger up and explained the qualities of the watch as he slid his eyes closed in a humble fashion. “The faz watch is an upgraded version of the one you have. Aside from apps like games and learning tools, the faz watch is also connected to our systems. Which means you can finally contact us whenever you like.”

“Wait, really??! Anytime?” Gregory’s mouth spun into a gleeful smile. Freddy’s eyes shot open as he remembered. “Well except for school hours,” he let out a mechanical chuckle, scratching his ear with a tweak. Freddy felt something suddenly wrap around him. He looked down to see the young birthday boy giving him a big bear hug. Freddy calmly patted his mopped hair. “I promise I’ll call you guys everyday!” Gregory cheered.

Finally it was time for Vanessa’s present. She stood strong and firm, but remembered to smile as she gracefully approached Gregory. The parcel was pinkish white with red ribbons and a bow. As Gregory examined the parcel, he could feel its weight. Books?

Vanessa could see that Gregory was confused a bit. But as he slowly unwrapped, Gregory’s draw dropped hard. “Oh my-“

This present was the largest. But Gregory could never have predicted what he just got.

“A VR headset!!” Gregory exclaimed at the top of his lungs. “Wait, but didn’t you say-“

Vanessa nodded. “My fears kept me from letting us have fun. I always wanted to protect you from anything. It took me a while to see that.” Vanessa turned to Luis for a moment. “But I know now that no matter what happens, as long as we are together, nothing can hurt us. That’s why-“ Vanessa motioned Gregory to unwrap the present further, revealing that there were three headsets in that box. “I wanted us to play together. I knew you always wanted a VR headset. We can spend time on everything as a family.” Vanessa finished her words warmly.

Gregory started to wipe his eyes, he felt so touched by her words. Tears, but tears of joy, ran along his cheeks as he gave Vanessa the biggest hug ever. “Happy Birthday Gregory.”

“Thank you-“ Gregory sniffed and hugged harder. “Mom.” He finished.

“Aw.” Everyone smiled in awe. Vanessa could feel a release in her heart that she hadn’t felt for so long. She felt this was her new beginning. Luis, Gregory, and everyone present. This was her family now. And she would treasure them to her core. With only joy erupting out of her, the future had never been so bright as a lit torch, guiding her through her brand new life.

“So who wants cake?” Chica wiped her mouth. Everyone laughed in response, celebrating.

The End.

#fnaf vanessa #fnaf #fnaf gregory #fnaf vanny #luis cabrera #fnaf luis #fnaf security breach #fnaf sb #vanessa #fluff #fanfic #lunessa #luis x vanessa

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halogenrobotics · 2 years ago

Text

Cherophobia

Cherophobia: the fear of happiness. After the 3 star ending, Vanessa manages to get back to being more like her old self. But a chance encounter on a date with Luis might change all that.

I would like to say that I am not the one who wrote this story. I assisted in its creation but most of the credit goes to EclipsingJelly036. I am posting it on their behalf because they do not have any accounts on this site. Please go and check out his YouTube channel and show it some love!

Other places to read this

Fanfiction.net Wattpad AO3 Deviantart

The hallways were eerie…walls coated in stains…and the shadows gathered up at each corner…

Everything seemed to be faded. Metallic pipes crawled across the ceiling and branches out to different sections of the Pizzaplex’s loading dock. Vanessa was having a hard time eyeing her surroundings. The occasional red and purple static flashed with her vision. She was seeing things from electrical currents and sparks of light. Her sight was a warzone of glitchy lightning and zipping shadows. She could hear those voices. Those same voices telling her something. Over and over again. She couldn’t catch a break.

She caught her shadow as she skipped past another light cast. Bunny ears flopped from her head, a white sewn rabbit suit danced across the hallways. She felt her breath trapped in the mask she wore. She could sense she wasn’t herself, and yet she was still operating like this. It was like she knew she wasn’t in control and yet she had the conscience of knowing that….

Vanessa felt her mouth twist into a wicked smile. Something had sprinted across the far end. A short figure, she assumed. Her mind tried to fight it off. Why was she smiling? Why was she looking for him? Why was she in this suit?

Her heels continued skipping across the figure. He couldn’t have gotten far. She would find him. She knew this place like the back of her hand.

“Are you having fun yet?” She spoke in a distorted voice that would strike terror into the ears of any child.

That phrase somehow felt like it was meant for her. Someone was asking her that question through her own voice. But who?

Vanessa wanted to cry out for help, but she couldn’t force herself to stop. She continued skipping along the floor, unable to drop that gleeful forced smile spread along her face.

She reached a room, entering through the doorway. And there he was, the person she was looking for. Across the end of the room, sat a child. He was facing an arcade cabinet, desperately embracing the joystick controls like his life depended on it. He turned around to look at her, and Vanessa got a quick glimpse of horror shown by that child’s eyes.

“Game Over…Gregory…” she muttered, as she walked to the boy.

Gregory didn’t flee. He couldn’t. He was trapped. All he could do was play the arcade game. Vanessa’s hand was now inches away from grabbing his head. The screen flashed with the words “COMPLETED!!!” before the game configured it into “ERROR!”. Gregory froze. He had beaten it. Three golden stars appeared on the screen before the power cut out.

Suddenly Vanessa stopped dead in her tracks. Her vision went black. She stood still. The last thing she heard was the sound of a man’s distorted scream, it’s call left her. Her surroundings grew more quiet as the scream echoed away from her mind. She felt limp in the legs, crouching down before flailing her arm to grab on a desk. She almost fell, yet she remained conscious. Her hand willingly pulled off the rabbit mascot mask from her face, her eyes shut. She started to breathe the fresh air. Vanessa now felt that she had control over herself. Slowly she opened her eyes, only to see her vision had been returned to normal. She was free.

Several months later…

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Vanessa groaned sleepily as her hand slammed across her alarm clock. Her eyes peeked at the glaring red numbering of her wake up call.

6:00 AM

Vanessa rolled her eyes and got up slowly, yawning as she stretched her arms. Her hair was in a mess. She turned to the side of her bed and reached out for her phone.

“One unread text?” She stared, puzzled.

Unlocking her phone, she swiped until she found the message. “See you at 12, Ness” Vanessa blinked in confusion. She scrolled up a little further. Then she noted the time on her phone. It read 10:00 AM. Her alarm clock had messed up! Vanessa’s eyes shot wide open and she remembered. “Oh no! I’m going to be late!”

She quickly got out of her bed and rushed to the sink. She cleared her face, as she balanced the rush of dressing up while trying to look nice. This wasn’t a job she was preparing for. It was so much more. She glanced at her phone again. “I can make it! It’s not far from here.”

She brushed her teeth and hair before selecting something to wear. Her eyes fell on a black jacket to top it all off. “Oh gosh…I hope this will be enough..”

Her heart raced as she sprinted to get one last glance at the mirror before nodding to herself. Without another word, she exited her room. The living room was quiet. A piece of paper left for her by the exit door. Vanessa picked it up. It was a crayon drawing of Glamrock Freddy and a curly haired boy with the doodle of “See ya after school! -Gregory” sketched alongside.

Vanessa gave a warm smile as she pocketed the drawing and finally exited her apartment without another word.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////

So much time had passed since she had left the Pizzaplex. Months in fact. Gregory back then was just a child without parents. Vanessa worked as a VR beta tester before she found a security job waiting for her at Fazbear Ent.’s latest establishment. What happened in the past, she could barely think about without feeling uneasy. As crazy as her story was, she was mind controlled. Under the influence of what she could only describe as a virus. It had infected her, twisted her imagination and bent her will. This virus, this evil presence had corrupted her back in her VR testing job. She kept acting strange, sometimes a sweet bubbly worker, and other times an unstable mess with strange thoughts. Thoughts that told her to commit murder. It scared her, knowing she could just snap at any moment back into what she believed to be a monster.

Gregory was a target. The virus infection kept telling her to capture him. And she had to obey. There was no fighting what was already inside her head. Sometimes she lost track of what happened when the virus lessened its influence in her normal state. But those memories were more buried than faded. Waiting to be dug up again, she feared.

Then the unexpected happened. The little boy she was chasing had freed her. Somehow, through the means of beating an arcade game, she no longer felt the presence of the virus in her anymore. Gregory had done it. It was over. It took some time but it all started coming together. Seeing that Greg had nowhere else to go, she decided to take care of him. It was a rough start as Greg had to learn to trust her. Vanessa understood, she needed to earn this child’s heart. He had been all alone, with her trying to chase him down. But as the days turned into weeks, Greg now feels safe around her. It was the least she could do, to provide a home for him.

Gregory preferred to catch the bus to school by himself. That youthful independent nature of his, never slept. He would get ready early in the morning, prepare and eat breakfast, go to school, and then return by early evening. He was more organized than her. Heck, he could be taking care of her instead!

Vanessa giggled on that last thought as she drove her car towards the main town. That kid never ceases to put a smile on her face. Then again…there was always Luis.

Luis Cabrera had always been one of her greatest friends. They had known each other since middle school and their friendship had only gotten stronger as time had gone on. He had always been really kind and sweet to her, and this had continued even when they started working at the same company together. He’d always stop by to say "Hi!" and talk with her whenever she was free in her office. Always knowing the right time to give her a compliment. Even when she had been mind controlled, Luis showed concern by noticing her change of personality and offered to get her some coffee and talk with her. Yet the virus had made her brush him off, and treat him like he meant nothing to her.

Vanessa hit the brakes as the lights at the junction turned red. The car halted in response. Vanessa felt a slight jerk forward as kept that last thought to herself. She didn’t need to think about the corruption and the virus. Now was not the time. She concentrated her mind on Luis, the reason she was driving right now.

After she had been freed, Luis had been the first person she had reached out to. She needed someone to talk to. Luis had been surprised but grateful to hear from her again and the 2 had settled for a coffee. Vanessa was conflicted on whether or not to tell him about what had happened to her. Would he believe her? Would he think that she was crazy, that she had completely lost it? But when Luis asked her about it, hearing the genuine concern in his voice and seeing the same in his eyes, she couldn't hold it in. Vanessa had told him everything. At first, Luis thought she was talking about a movie or a play she had seen, but he quickly realized that wasn't the case. Maybe it was the tone of her voice, her need for a friend by her side, that led Luis to want to believe her. Maybe he knew she wasn’t the person to joke about stuff like this. He had still wanted to meet with this ‘Gregory’ and after doing so and hearing his side of the story, fully believed what Vanessa had told him.

Vanessa carefully parked her car by the side street and got out. She took one more glance at her side view mirror before locking her car. Pulling out her phone, she texted. “I’m on my way :)”. Vanessa eyed for the correct diner they agreed to meet at and started walking.

After that, she and Luis had spoken more frequently. They were getting coffee almost every day of the week. Vanessa had to admit to herself that being with Luis just sparked something inside of her. She enjoyed being around him. Luis was a really good listener, someone who she could share her troubles with. Eventually she had finally told him she liked him. Vanessa remembered seeing the excitement and joy on Luis’s face, he had wanted to say the same to her. It didn’t take too long for them to plan an actual date. They talked about it for some time, and yesterday, they finally made up their minds to have one. A real date.

Vanessa came across the restaurant’s sign. Thai Restaurant. Vanessa blinked and laughed in her mind. That was sure some “creativity” with whoever that came up with that name. Having some mild humor driven into her mind, she didn’t feel as anxious anymore. Vanessa pushed the door open and looked around the tables. Far at the end by the corner seats she saw Luis, glancing at his phone.

He sat there silently, having his glasses fixed on his screen. His tan skin and neat mousy brown hair made him noticeable, as Vanessa started to feel a bit awkward as she approached their table. Her mind flooded with a hundred greetings. But she couldn’t make out which one to speak. What should I say….? I dunno, maybe start with a compliment? The classic “Good Afternoon?”

Her mind raced as she realized she had said all of those before on their prior coffee talks. She needed something special. But what should she say? Luis looked up from his phone, catching Vanessa's eyes. They both locked a moment of uneasiness. Urgh, we’ve talked before many times already, why does it feel so different?

Luis’s eyes sparkled in awe. Vanessa was dressed in a jacket, coating around her short sleeved shirt, and wearing a miniskirt. He had seen her before in her casual outfit and her security uniform, but this was definitely a first. Luis felt he couldn’t break eye contact with this moment of beauty. Vanessa’s blonde hair wasn’t in her usual ponytail, it flowed loosely downwards along her shoulders. Rainbow streaks coloured notches along it. Luis felt like he was staring at an angel. Was this a dream?

“Hi Ness…” Luis spoke first, sounding both nervous yet overjoyed.

Oh damn, he spoke first! Vanessa thought hard. Well don’t just stare! Say something back to him!

“Hi…” Vanessa responded, stopping herself from giving a handshake. This was a date. And she had to understand that. Her shoulders rose up a tad bit, her cheeks warmed by her bright smile.

“You look stunning today,” Luis managed to say.

“Thanks….” Vanessa replied with a blush. “You look great too.”

Seriously? Was that the best you could come up with? Vanessa shut her annoying thoughts aside. Her brain can shut up for all she bothered. She didn’t have to be perfect. Luis loved her the way she was. Why try being perfect, when you’ve already made him happy by arriving on time?

Luis got up and Vanessa suddenly felt her arms spread open instinctively for a hug. Luis caught the scent of flowers as her hair brushed against him during their short embrace. They both sat down and looked at the menu.

“Do you want to get some Pad Thai to share?” Luis asked her. “It seems to be quite a popular choice.”

“Sure! That sounds like a good idea” Vanessa agreed.

As the waiter took their orders and kept the menu, Luis couldn’t help but feel that the atmosphere around them had changed. It was like the fact that they knew it was a date had made it a bit… different to say the least. Vanessa felt she should start first this time as the waiter left them alone.

“So….” Vanessa twiddled on her napkin, before looking back at Luis’s sweet eyes. “You told me about your new position at work yesterday. How’s that job working out for you?”

“Oh it’s,” Luis paused briefly, “going fine. I mean, well not exactly as easy as my last job.”

“Hmm?” Vanessa gazed. “Busy schedule?”

“You could say that,” Luis nodded, “The advertising department can get pretty hectic.”

“Do they give you any breaks, Luis?” Vanessa asks.

“They’d probably charge me if I ever took more than one coffee break,” Luis grinned. Vanessa cracked a giggle. “Something you would expect from any workplace associated with Fazbear Ent.”

“Tell me about it,” Vanessa rolled her eyes as the thought of the so-called “management policies” crossed her mind. “The people who run that company would sell their own parents if it meant cutting down on costs.”

“Haha, true true,” Luis laughed.

“Have your colleagues been nice to you?” Vanessa continued.

“They uh, we don’t really talk much since we’re always busy. Plus the manager made sure we have all of our coffee breaks alone. Said something about being a “cost effective” procedure.” Luis explained.

“What!? Luis that's awful,” Vanessa commented.

“Total baloney I know,” Luis shrugged. “But I’ll manage….”

Vanessa looked at him with concern. All this time before the date, Luis had always asked her how she’d felt. She’d open up, and Luis would help her with any lingering issues she was facing. That's how a lot of their conversations had gone most of the time.

Now, Vanessa wanted to try and help Luis more. It was her turn to listen. And maybe, she could make things seem brighter. Luis could sense that hint of concern in her facial expression.

“It does get a bit….lonely,” Luis admitted. “I barely had anyone to talk to that I knew apart from you.”

“How long has this been going on?” Vanessa leaned forward, paying full attention.

“Months,” Luis’s head tilted down, not sure what else to say. “I haven’t really made any new friends. I guess I've felt …hated…”

“Hated?” Vanessa was shocked. How could anyone hate Luis? He was always so nice.

“Well, I also thought….” Luis didn’t know how to put his words in a sentence. Vanessa felt the need to speak instantly. “You can tell me Luis,” she whispered.

“So um, do you remember what happened at work months ago?” Luis recalled. Vanessa hesitated for a second before quickly nodding in agreement. “Well, when you stopped talking to me all of a sudden, I kinda thought you were trying to tell me something. I thought I had done something to upset you…” Luis paused before continuing. “I assumed I made a mistake and you didn’t want to be friends with me anymore. Or you were having some personal issues and I didn't want to accidentally offend you. So I just… I tried to respect your implied wishes and let you be…”

Vanessa’s eyes widened. “What? Why would you think that?” She questioned, saddened that she felt that this was allowed to happen to someone like Luis.

“But now I feel really bad doing that. If I had known what was really going on, I would have done something differently…” Luis commented, leaving no stone of emotion unturned. “I understand that it’s not your fault.”

“Oh Luis….” Vanessa placed her hands on Luis’. He felt that cold feeling of rejection leave him. Her warm hands gave off a comforting feel of love. Luis’ hand unfolded as they both looked at each other with affection. Whatever holding hands was supposed to achieve, it was working. “I’m sorry if I made you feel that I was pushing you away. You really mean everything to me. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Luis felt those lovely words reach into his heart. His cheeks gave off a hint of red, as he noticed Vanessa blushing back at him. He couldn’t hide his emotions anymore. Vanessa leaned closer and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “I love you, Luis…” she said.

The waiter returned to pour some fresh drinks on their table. Luis and Vanessa smiled at each other as the glasses of refreshments were placed. “Won’t be long,” the waiter promised before leaving again.

“Aw,” Luis stopped blushing. Their hands remained connected along the table. “They didn’t have chocolates.” He joked.

“Only you could think of chocolates at a time like this,” Vanessa laughed.

“Hey, what can I say? They’re my weakness.” Luis replied in a joking manner. The two of them chuckled lightly before they saw the waiter heading to their table.

“Oh it looks like our food has arrived,'' Luis said. The waiter had returned, carrying with him their order.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Mmm, this is quite tasty!” Vanessa remarked.

Thank goodness they didn’t order two separate meals. What they had ordered was too much for a single person to finish all by themselves. Vanessa and Luis shared their ordered meal together. This felt special and Vanessa felt she would remember this moment forever.

“Thanks for teaching me how to use chopsticks,” she winked.

“First time I actually got it right too,” Luis fiddled his utensils to pinch some noodles. That sparked an idea in Vanessa’s head.

“Hold on,” she told Luis as she gleefully got her phone out of her jacket and tapped on the camera. She held it from a side view to take a selfie. She opened her mouth with a smile as Luis held a pinch of noodles close to her mouth. She snapped a pic, and ate Luis’ offer. “Mmm thank you,” Vanessa was clearly enjoying herself. With a few taps on her phone’s screen, Luis got notified on his phone.

Luis swiped until he found the sent image. Him feeding Vanessa with chopsticks. How cute! He thought excitedly. “Guess this is payment for feeding you?” Luis flirted.

“What’s the matter, you wanted more?” Vanessa teased playfully.

The conversation moved on to how Vanessa thought of the Pizzaplex during her work shift there at that time. Of course she didn’t have many bright memories as a staff guard, but regardless of her experience there, she had to say the Pizzaplex was the dream jewel that any franchise would crave to have. A huge location would house huge attractions, and with them came huge visitors which generated more income to grow the foundation even bigger.

“How is that kid you’re taking care of Ness?” Luis decided to ask. “Gregory, was it?”

Vanessa nodded. “He’s at school right now and doing well. To be fair I think he has a higher chance of getting a job than me. Other than homework, he feels safe around me now that I am his legal guardian.”

“That’s great!” Luis happily followed on. “That kid does seem like a handful. I’m glad you're able to manage everything.”

“He's helped me a few times. I remember twice I had a really bad nightmare and he came up to my room and asked if everything was ok,” Vanessa recalled. “I also forget about some of the errands i have to do sometimes, but Greg always seems to remind me haha.”

“How nice of him,” Luis noted. “Have you been getting better sleep lately, Ness?”

“Hmm, I still have a few bad dreams occasionally here and there,” Vanessa replied while looking at Luis, lost in a thought of whether to compliment him or say again how much she loves him. “But it’s nothing too severe, just me being late for a few basic errands….and maybe being late to have a coffee with you…”

“Late or not, I’ll always wait all day for you,” Luis smirked.

“Oh stop making me feel bad,” Vanessa shyly replied in a sweet voice.

Soon the meal was finished. Luis was surprised at how much time had passed. It was almost 3. “Was the meal good?” Luis asked.

“Best food I’ve ever had,” Vanessa had her face brightened with joy. Her happiness was contagious, as Luis could feel a spark of passion between them. It was growing stronger. “We should do this again more often,” Vanessa suggested, her hand again holding onto Luis’s hand.

"How do you know if a boy wants to kiss you?" Vanessa thought to herself. "Is it something instinctual?"

“We should,” Luis replied to her. “I’m sure we’ll have so much fun together.”

Vanessa felt she would have given Luis a thank you kiss. But at the moment, something grabbed Vanessa’s attention from Luis.

Over at the far opposite end of the restaurant, was a couple with their child. Vanessa couldn’t help but notice how oddly familiar that child had looked. Where had she last seen a face like that? Her youth? Her work? Vanessa’s heart froze. The Pizzaplex. That child had a huge resemblance to someone she’d captured long ago, when she was controlled by the virus. This observation was starting to make her feel uneasy. She felt cold, as though a virtual tidal wave of regret started to fill her. Guilt, sadness, and depression had all started coming back to her. Why? Why now?

“Ness?” Luis realized that she was looking pale, like she had seen a ghost.

Vanessa couldn’t hear his voice. Just the sound of her own heartbeat beating slowly as all sounds in the world were muted. Vanessa felt the heaviness of guilt bring her head to gaze at herself holding Luis’s hands. Her hands. These held her focus. She felt a bulge swell in her throat to stop herself from sobbing. Her hands, they had taken the lives of innocent children. How many? Too many.

She remembered what happened to those who had been caught by her. She tried to shove the guilt back into her core, but it was too much. She knew what she had done. Those hands had done things that were unspeakably evil. How many families had been destroyed because of her…how many lives were touched by her actions….and now….those same hands wanted love…they held on to a caring man’s passion. But did they deserve it at all? After everything that had happened?

“Vanessa?” Luis looked at her, turned his head to look at what she was looking at before turning back to face her.

A tear escaped from Vanessa. She felt like she was barely holding it together. She brought herself to question. Did she really deserve a life where she could be loved? Did she really deserve Luis, Gregory and the others as a family?

“Vanessa?” Luis called out, touching her hand with concern. That warm feeling he felt from her hand earlier was void, replaced by a cold pulse.

Vanessa finally came back to her senses. Her head nearly jerked up. As if she was almost asleep in her own thoughts. “Oh…” she froze, realizing she had left him hanging. “Sorry….”

“Is everything ok?” Luis examined her with a sad look. He knew something was definitely up.

Vanessa didn’t know how to answer. She felt she should tell him. But was it worth bringing this up right now? Vanessa you didn’t mean to. You had no control over yourself. It wasn’t your fault that those kids… Vanessa shut her mind up again. She was left looking at Luis blankly before she quietly replied. “Yeah… I’m fine.” She felt another tear coming up, her hands quickly sprung to her cheeks to wipe her face. “This was nice Luis,” Vanessa said again. “It was a great date.”

Luis now was confused. She’s hiding something. He could tell a real smile from a fake one as of now. Vanessa’s smile was definitely forced. She was trying to mask her emotions. “I….I have to go now…” Vanessa said softly. “There’s something I have to take care of back home.”

Her voice sounded more calm as she finished towards that last sentence. “Maybe she needs some space to take all of this in. Maybe she thinks it’s happening too fast?” Luis thought. “Ok Ness, but are you sure you’re feeling ok?”

Vanessa nodded too easily. “Yes Luis. I’m really glad we did this…” She wanted to leave. She felt sadness crushing her heart but also trying to contain it from showing. She didn’t want to push Luis away. But she really needed time to herself too. “Thank you.”

“Anytime Ness,” Luis replied as they both stood up and gave a goodbye hug. “It’s all good.”

Luis brought out his wallet to pay for the meal. Vanessa felt that she should leave now. There was nothing more to say. She couldn’t make things better, but maybe she could stop things from getting worse. As she trailed off towards the restaurant’s entrance, Luis got one more glance at Vanessa. She exited the door without another gesture. He sighed a little before shrugging. “She needs time,” he told himself. After around 5 minutes he had paid for the meal and was starting to head for the entrance too when the waiter stopped him.

“Oh wait sir,” the waiter called. He was holding something in his hand. “You forgot your phone.”

Luis turned around. “Oh no, she must have left it.” Luis recognised that it was Vanessa’s. He thanked the waiter for telling him and decided to take it to her. But Vanessa was long gone. “She’s gonna be wondering where her phone is,” Luis thought again. It was then he decided, he would just go to her apartment and drop off her phone. With that, Luis got into his car and began driving.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Vanessa barged into her apartment, she shut the door behind her and collapsed on her couch. Her hand felt her forehead as she angrily threw a short fit. What were you doing!? You were having the peak moment of your life and you screwed it up!? Why!?

Vanessa let out a stream of cold tears. That memory of the child still was lingering in the back of her mind. She had done terrible things. Unspeakable of being forgiven. She didn’t feel well at all. Her mind was racing with guilt, drowning the love she experienced this evening. I ruined everything. What was stopping her from moving on in life with him? He wanted to be with her after all. At least it appeared that way.

Vanessa stopped crying for a moment. She thought about it over again. He knows everything that happened. She thought harder. And he hasn’t left you yet, so he has to at least want to try having a relationship with you, right?

Vanessa looked around. She was stressed and tearful. The agony was scratching hard against her feelings. It was emotional self-harm that was dragging to sink in the depths of sorrow. She began wandering around, trying to clear her head. Looking around, Vanessa noticed some clean laundry that she hadn't yet put away. So she decided to go ahead and take care of it to try and calm herself down.

She started putting away the clean clothes, going through the motions of hanging each piece in its respective place in her closet. It helped to distract herself from her intrusive thoughts. “Just calm down Vanessa.” As she kept reassuring herself, Vanessa’s hand happened to bump into something, it was a cardboard box, its top held closed by some packing tape. It was hidden on the floor of her closet, obscured from view by the hanging clothes. Vanessa looked at the box in confusion, she couldn’t remember why she had this thing. She pulled it out from where it sat and picked it up. Now where have I seen this before? She could feel that whatever was in the box was fairly heavy. Vanessa placed the box on her bed and, out of curiosity, decided to open it up. She quickly undid the tape on the top and looked in.

Vanessa felt everything stop, inside the box was her old VR headset. “No…it can’t be… ” She had thought she had lost the thing all those months ago, she had no idea it had just been sitting in her closet the whole time. Something else grabbed her attention, it was a small USB drive located next to the headset. It had a small label in marker on it that said “TAPES”

Suddenly, she remembered why this was here. She flashbacked to several months ago, she- no, VANNY, had saved the audio of the tapes, seemingly as a way to archive them.

Vanessa suddenly remembered some of the content of the “tapes” themselves, specifically the ones where they had said to not collect them. The memory was as clear as the day she had first heard those tapes. "finding them and reassembling them will also reassemble the very thing I’ve tried so desperately to destroy" And what had she done? She had collected them, assembling HIM.

Then more memories made themselves apparent of Vanny blaming her for everything, and the reasoning was sound. “You are the one who put him back together in the first place. So…”

“…It’s all your fault.” Vannys voice felt like it was right next to her. Vanessa gasped as her surroundings disappeared. She found herself in an alleyway of which she could see had a shadowy dead end. There she could see a pair of glowing purple eyes staring daggers at her. “ You put it back together.”

Vanessa noticed that the dirty ground was littered in broken tapes. “You did this!” She walked away from the alleyway and into the open street. She didn’t recognise the place she was in. Fog clouded the atmosphere and those staring eyes leaped out of the shadows. “Deep down you wanted this to happen.”

“No I did not!” Vanessa screamed as she ran from the creature. It was a pale yellow mascot suit that looked like a bunny. It skipped after her, leaping gleefully as if it was enjoying her fear.

As Vanessa ran away, her thoughts never stopped pursuing her. You were warned not to! But you did anyway, you created the thing that corrupted you! This was your doing!

“Stop!” She cried, taking a quick turn into another alleyway. She stopped as she came across another wall. Another dead end! She tried leaping but it was too high to climb on the edge. She turned around, seeing that pale bunny mascot lurking in between the only way out of the alleyway. “Leave me alone!”

“Are you having fun yet?” The mascot crooked its head, as those all too familiar words escaped its mouth. Its voice, distorted and demonic sounding. Vanessa could only stare in horror as the mascot looked closer and closer. Each step it took was making her heart drum faster.

In no time, it was within a yard of her reach. It offered her its pawed hand. “You enjoyed it, didn't you?” It said with a glitched laugh.

Vanessa tucked her head down with her hands covering her ears and closing her eyes. “This isn’t real!”

The mascot crooked its head again. “But what you did was!” It laughed loudly. Vanessa heard its voice vanish. She slowly opened her eyes again. The alleyway was gone. She was now in the Pizzaplex’s abandoned car park construction. Only a few lamp lights to shine the way. Vanessa could see shattered glass all over the floor. She suddenly spotted a large broken mirror facing her, making sure Vanessa got a good glimpse of herself. She wasn’t in her date clothes. She was suited in a white bunny costume. Her hands were now pawed fingers. Her face was masked by a rabbit face with red eyes. Her reflection suddenly waved at her and gave a shushing gesture.

Vanessa turned to run but stepped on a dark puddle of liquid. It was black, almost dark red. She raised her foot, seeing the liquid she touched was appearing bloody red on her white costume. Crimson smears started to appear on her hands and arms, and the torso of her costume. Her horrified face turned into a tearful broken mix of shock. There were more dragged blood marks all over the car park, barely noticeable in the dim light.

The lights brightened. Vanessa gasped and cried, her hand covering her mouth. The lights revealed nine children leaning against the wall on their backs. Their heads were nodded down, lifeless, black blood streaming from their eyes and mouths. They laid there in a pool of blood and agony. The wall behind them had a message written in what looked like red graffiti.

“THIS MAKES YOU A MONSTER!”

Instantly, Vanessa was hit by memories of every one of the murders she had done as Vanny. All of them flew into her mind from the buried past, starting with how she cornered them, making them suffer and scaring them. She remembered again how the virus within her made sure the death wasn’t painless. It wanted to feel their pain, and it wanted her to feel it too. She saw herself over and over again. Repeatedly using the knife she held.

Before she delivered the final killing blow to her victims, the virus would taunt her by forcing her to remove her bunny mask and stare straight into their crying eyes closely. They would always let out a final scream as she plunged the dagger into their souls.

Vanessa snapped herself back into reality at that instant. She looked around, haunted and terrified. She was back in her apartment’s room. Right where she was this entire time. Those hallucinations had weakened her mental state. Out of the corner of her mind, she heard a final breath of words. They weren’t clear, scrambled like a jigsaw. But she knew what it said. “You’re the monster. And monsters…”

Vanessa looked at her uncovered hands at this point. “Don’t deserve to be happy…”

Vanessa knelt, her legs sunk to the floor as those words crushed her within. She cried it out, sobbing as she felt the agonizing guilt of what she had done. It hurt so much, To carry the burden of being the cause of death of those children. To know that she would never deserve to be happy, after all she had done.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Luis parked his car outside Vanessa’s apartment, getting out with a worried expression engraved on his face. He gave the apartment a glare, before walking inside the building. Luis spots Vanessa’s door, and as he walks nearer, the sound of sobbing was audible in this silent place. Luis didn’t even have to press his ear against the door. He could definitely hear someone crying there. He had heard it a couple of times before. It belonged to Vanessa. He knew. “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea,” he said to himself.

Luis, feeling hesitant, looks back at Vanessa’s phone, tucked in his pocket. “Well it would be rude to keep something that doesn’t belong to me.” Luis awkwardly raised his hand and started giving a gentle set of knocks on the door. “Vanessa?”

No answer. All he could hear was just crying. It was getting fainter however. “Maybe I should…” Luis’s hand touched the door handle. “No, I shouldn't disturb her.” He argued with himself. “But…what if she needs help?”

Luis felt his grip on the door handle growing stronger. “She always needed me when she cried. I have to do this. Whatever the reason…I have to be there for her.”

He twisted the knob, and to his surprise, it was unlocked. “Ness?” He called out gently. The crying got to the point where you could barely hear anything. Luis stepped inside, cautiously walking in a way not to scare Vanessa off guard. Her bedroom door was left wide open. And he could see that she was knelt on the carpeted floor, hands covering her eyes, head bowed, tears flowing across her cheeks.

Luis didn’t know what to do. Should he make his presence known? He had a feeling Vanessa hadn’t seen or heard him at all. He took a deep breath, keeping his distance as a single word left his mouth. “Ness?”

She wiped her tears, thinking she was hearing those “voices” in her head. Maybe she had gotten to a point where she was thinking of Luis to try and calm herself down. “But, I don’t deserve him'” She thought to herself, the pain of regret and guilt still present.

“Vanessa…” Luis called out, a bit louder but still gentle. Vanessa heard it this time as a real voice. She raised her head and turned towards Luis’s direction. She didn’t say anything. Her eyes filled with tears continued to flow, and she went back to holding her face in her hands, palming all the tears that streamed along her cheeks. Luis approached Vanessa slowly, unsure of what to say. His mind was blank, taken aback by Vanessa’s state and he didn’t want to make the situation worse.

Luis crouched down beside Vanessa. Her face hidden by her hands as she knelt. Luis gently wrapped his arms around his dear loved one. The embrace was soft and long, Vanessa’s mind felt a wave of comfort. She felt as though the agony was being driven away to a temporary halt. She wanted this, but at the same time, she felt as though she shouldn’t have this. Her arms instinctively gave Luis a deep hug. For a moment they just sat there, eyes closed, not letting each other go.

Luis waited as Vanessa’s tears dried. Putting his hand on her shoulder, Vanessa’s eyes met Luis’s. “Would you like to tell me about it?” He asked, reassuringly. Vanessa, not answering immediately, gave it some thought. After some time, she slowly nodded.

She started to talk to her dear Luis, just like back when she first opened up. She never left anything out of the picture this time. The guilt that haunted her was about to reach Luis’s ears. Vanessa told him how she felt ever since she left the restaurant. She continued to tell him her thoughts on herself. Luis listened with a sad yet understanding expression, taking in everything she said.

Vanessa held her breathe as she was nearly finished explaining. “And that’s what makes me…” Vanessa coughed on a sob. “A monster…”

“Ness…” Luis started while looking at her reassuringly. “You’re not a monster. It’s not like you were in control of yourself when it took over you. That doesn’t make it your fault.”

"I was warned, and I didn't listen. if only I had paid more attention to those fucking tapes" Vanessa cried, sounding angry. She quickly softened her tone, not wanting to scare Luis away. “It was me who let that virus in. I’ve suffered the consequences of that mistake. That one mistake I made was indirectly responsible for the deaths of so many. If I had just listened…I could have stopped all of this.”

“The tapes?” Luis asked, with Vanessa returning him another silent nod. Luis thought for a moment, unsure if he could find a way to justify her actions. "Do you think it would be possible for me to listen to them?"

“I don’t know...” Vanessa’s eyes landed on the packaged box she discovered earlier. She crept slowly to it and opened for a second look. Luis looked inside. “Is that your old headset?” He asked.

“Yes…” Vanessa reached in the box and pulled out an old USB, marked “TAPES.” She stared at it, rotating it with her fingers. “Actually, it could be possible… assuming I archived the Tapes… back then…”

“We can try…” Luis looked over to her desk, eyeing her computer. “If you’re ok with that?”

Vanessa sighed. She was ready to say no, but she couldn’t. She could see that Luis was trying to help her. How could she reject someone that was trying their hardest to prove her innocence? “Ok…let’s see if it still works.” she replied after a while.

Luis helped her boot up her computer and inserted the USB inside the drive slot. The screen didn’t appear glitchy, much to the couple’s relief. Vanessa seemed nervous to move her mouse to start playing the tapes’ audio.

As they listened, Luis held Vanessa’s hand. She was looking terrified and regretful. The first tape was about to finish, as Vanessa’s palm squeezed Luis’s hand due to the stress of listening to the audio. Luis looked at Vanessa, trying to see if she still wanted to continue. Vanessa gestured for him to continue, still holding his hand tight.

Luis played the audio of the second and third tape. Mentions of a “character” stalking the person who recorded the tapes. By the time they played the ninth tape, Vanessa was looking sick. The tape was mentioning the assumed death of a Vr tester. Luis could feel the intense stress building up in Vanessa.

He calmly drew Vanessa into a side hug with his arm. Vanessa shut her eyes as she shook, her head resting on Luis. They sat quietly on the floor as the twelfth tape played. Vanessa appeared to stop vibrating. Her heartbeat was getting slower, more relaxed, Luis could feel. As the sixteenth tape played, they both listened closely. More mentions of the virus and how it wants to escape by taking control of someone. A host. The last tape finished, ending with the blacking of the screen.

Vanessa felt the need to speak up. “I…I told you…” She fumbled with her words, trying to hold herself together. “I let it happen. I started all this. It should have been obvious to me that it was a trap.”

Luis chose the time to correct what he heard. It was now or never. “Ness…it really isn’t obvious…” Vanessa stared at Luis, puzzled by what he just said. He continued. “Those tape warnings sound like the average spooky messages we would find in a horror video game.”

“So?” Vanessa countered. “How does that prove that I’m not guilty of what I did?”

“Vanessa, anyone would think those tapes are just scary additions to make the game more spooky. They can easily be mistaken. It wasn’t that clear that it was trying to warn you,” Luis started again. I wouldn't even have taken the messages seriously unless I knew what was going on.”

“I still was an idiot to let all this happen,” Vanessa started sobbing. “It’s still my fault. I don’t deserve you…”

“Ness, look at me…” Luis told her. Vanessa looked straight at him obediently, more tears filling her eyes. “It isn’t your fault. The point of all this is that you were tricked. You didn’t deliberately ignore the instructions of someone. You didn’t know it was trying to warn you from a real danger. You couldn’t have possibly known the threat was actually real!”

Vanessa swallowed her sobs. Her gaze was still fixed on her boyfriend. Hints of “he’s right” and “that’s true” flew about in the thoughts of her mind. Luis proceeded. “You were just going along with what you thought was a gameplay mechanic.”

“You probably thought the virus was like a secret boss or something. That wouldn't trigger any red flags” Luis could only guess that Vanessa was now fighting in her mind. There was a storm raging in her head. She was arguing against her own thoughts. The clash of whether she was innocent or a monster.

Luis added on as he placed both of his hands on her shoulders. “Ness…you’re a good person. No…” he paused, “...you’re more than that to me. You can’t blame yourself for what happened. Here me out, it wasn’t your fault. You do deserve me. I…”

“I love you Vanessa….” Luis cried. “You’re not a monster. You hold a place deep in my heart. You deserve to be happy. And if being with me makes you happy, don’t force yourself to feel guilty. I’ll be with you. I promise.”

Vanessa, hearing all this, felt the rush of the storm in her head cease. She felt as though she had survived. Everything Luis said was running in her head by now. She tried finding a way to find guilt. Something she could connect herself into believing. But this time, there was nothing bad she could think of. Luis had proven his point. “This had to be my fault…” Vanessa thought harder.

Nothing. She couldn’t believe the reason she had given herself as to why she was guilty anymore. This whole time after she had been freed, she had managed to find happiness in the new family she had formed with her savior, Gregory. But she had denied herself this one thing, because she didn’t think that she deserved it. Luis had given her hope and love, all to prove that she really did deserve to be loved like this. It was time to let the past die and try to move on.

Vanessa, drying her tears, leaned forward to give Luis a big bear hug. She grew a smile, finally happy to be released from this guilt. Luis and her sat there as the comfort grew. Her heart felt Luis’ care and love all over again.

“Luis…thank you…” she whispered sweetly.

“I love you…” Luis said it again, this time in the most heartfelt voice she could ever hear.

“I love you too…” she replied at last.

It was all gone. The guilt, the self blame, the sadness, had vanished. Replaced with comfort, kindness, and most of all, the love surrounding her and Luis. This was her happiest moment. This memory, she would remember forever. She was truly free, having someone to share her future with, and even a little family to go along with it.

❤️THE END❤️

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