Chapter Text
Jeremy Fitzgerald was warm.
Warmer than he expected, warmer than he wanted to be, but he felt loved and very safe as he stirred, looking up sharply at a worn brown kitchen table to see his mother sitting across from him with the saddest sweetest smile on her face. He coughed, making a face before he stared at her and reached for her, “...Mommy!”
No words. Just warmth. Just love as he threw himself around the table and wrapped his arms around her to squeeze her softness and smell that same patchouli scented shampoo she’d loved. Pain came back to him like a pinch, a reminder this wasn’t some sweet safe dream, and he withdrew.
“Mommy…”
“I know baby I know.”
“Mommy, daddy hurt me.” He was small again with his toys in the mud, “Mommy, daddy hurt me really really badly.” he wiped a hand over his eyes and hugged her again, “He made me do things.” he let out a strangled sob and buried his face in her shoulder, “He hurt me really bad and he hurt my friends…”
“Oh sweetheart I know.” She held him and hummed Janis Joplin in his ear, stroking his curls, “My baby, my sweet little baby, my darling baby. I am so proud of you. I am so, so proud of you.” She kissed each of his cheeks, “My jeremy bearmy. My Jerebear.” she wiped his tears, crying her own, “My Jeremy jellybean.”
He stared at the table again. They were in the house, father blessedly absent. It was warm and he knew if he left the kitchen and went into deeper into the house he would not be able to come back. He knew if he left out the back door…
“Baby listen to me. Someone wants to talk to you okay?” she held him, “You gotta be brave baby bear but they wanted you to do them a favor. My good sweet boy. Can you do that kiddo?” she chuckled, “I wanted you to stop reading comic books and here you are living them.” she ruffled his hair, “I didn’t want you to stop reading comic books.” She glanced at the back door, “...You can come in now.”
“Mom where are we?” His desire for warmth and love was fading, “What is this place? Is this heaven? What is-”
“It is…a space in between.” a warm voice that sounded like molasses filled the house, “Humans go and humans understand and we who sing to the moon remember when we all came from this place and opened doors out into the wide world.”
Jeremy blinked.
The woman wore flannel, dark blue flannel. Her long brown hair was done up in a braid that cascaded down her shoulder. She wore jeans - she looked like a cowboy. It was cliche, it was stupid, but she had the most beautiful golden dog eyes he’d ever seen. They were dog eyes. wolf eyes.”
“You…You’re Charlie’s mom.”
The woman’s smile was bright, “You said he was bright.” Suzanne took another seat at the table, “May I sit?”
Jeremy snuggled into his mother, “...Why are you here? Why are you in this strange space between?”
“C.S. Lewis called it a wood between the worlds. Some places imagine doors. Some places imagine back spaces where people walk in fear. I came through a forest as is right and good because I am of the forest.” she shook her hair out, “When wolves die, we sing to the moon. Our songs live forever. Humans know this too. For between the worlds are forests and doors and hallways and backrooms. Between the worlds are thoughts and dreams and pens and paper. All of it, all that moves it, is music.”
“That’s why I like you.” Cat Fitzgerald grinned, “You get it.”
Suzanne smiled, and her smile faded into sadness as she studied Jeremy, “Sweet boy, my baby puppy did something for you. Something that saved your life, something that will save Michael, something that will keep you with us, but it means that you are no longer walking the human path, and you will listen to the music.”
He remembered pain to his shoulder. That pinch of reality.
“...she bit me-”
Cat Fitzgerald squeezed her son’s hand so hard he had to withdraw them, “Mom! Ow!”
“Sorry, sorry just. I’m sorry…I-”
“It’s not so bad. Listening to the music. It’s harder than being born with a singing voice, but it’s not so bad learning how.” Suzanne reached across the table and Jeremy frowned as she took Cat’s hand in hers, “I found your mom because I stay with my puppy and my love. I do not leave them. I never have and I never will until the song ends and the pages close.”
“You talk really funny.” Jeremy blinked, “Like The Lord of the Rings.”
She snorted, “Henry was the reader.”
“It’s a great book.” She shook her head, “Listen. You are singing now. I need you to sing strong okay? But you won’t be able to see your mom again for a long, long time baby so I hoped that she could talk you into helping my family…into helping Mike…”
“Not see her again?”
“You will.” Cat muttered, “Baby-”
“Werewolves live a very long time Jeremy.” Suzanne Emily folded her hands and stared him down, “A very very long time. But it’s not forever.”
Something occurred to him in his mother’s arms. He felt cold coil in his chest, “But I can’t be with Mike forever. Because Mike will never die.”
The two women exchanged glances.
“...No.” Suzanne murmured, “Michael Afton will never die.”
Something about the last two words made Jeremy shiver as he nodded, “I mean I don’t have a choice right? I can’t-” he stared at the living room, “Mom I want to go listen to music with you.”
“Baby you’re going to bring back all kinds of music for me when you come back.” She hugged him, “And I’m gonna save all your comic books.” she smirked, “And you are going to mess your room up so much. Fuck your dad.”
Fuck your dad.
“...Dad-”
“Put him out of your mind.” Suzanne spoke with history in her voice, “Not every villain comes back.”
He felt Andrew Fitzgerald vanish as he breathed slowly, looking back at the door, “...So I gotta go back to keep Mike from doing something stupid?”
“I’d like you to go back so you can ride rides and play games.” Suzanne murmured, “Will and Hen throw a hell of a Halloween carnival.” she grinned, “It’s almost Halloween.” her features darkened, “I’d like you to go back so you and Mike can go swim in your silly pool. A little Hurricane Utah treasure.” She inhaled, “I’d like you to see the world. The vampires came into being because they could not let it go, and we came into being to tell it’s stories.”
“Charlie’s awesome.” he looked at them, “And Will and Henry are awesome. Clara’s gonna have a baby…”
Suzanne looked so sad then he clutched his mother, “...I can’t ask you to do anything for anyone besides Mike. I know he’s the one you care for.” She sighed, “But please watch out for Will and Clara.” she looked at hear hands, “Will is a good vampire. He’d be a terrible human being I think but he’s a good vampire who wants to be a good man. The problem is that he is a vampire. They couldn’t let it go and this is the tragedy. For life to matter, all things must die.”
She wiped a hand over her face, “Please. Please find pity for him and Clara.” she murmured, “Please. For Elizabeth and the baby. For Mike most of all.”
Cold coiled in his chest and he nodded. Swallowing, he looked back at the door, “Not Henry and Charlie?”
“Henry knows better than to screw up anything.” she looked wistful, “I will see my love again. And we will sing.”
He stared, “...Will you sing with my mom? Will you stay? Please, please make sure she’s okay.” he sniffed, “Please make sure she’s not lonely.”
Suzanne squeezed his mother’s hand and smiled, “You are my son, by bite yet not blood. I am honor bound, to keep an eye on your mama.”
“You guys talk like people in fantasy books.” his mother was crying again, “It’s gonna get old.”
She looked at Jeremy and he wrapped his arms around her again, “Mom…”
“Don’t look back baby. Dance on out that door Bearmy.” She smiled, “I love you.”
Sunshine filtered through the world around him and there was nothing more. There was only the door between the worlds. He could smell the trees and the earth and the flowers as he opened the old wooden door and out into the light.
—------------------
St. George Utah.
6 days post battle of dolphin lane.
William Afton did not pray.
He remembered churches. He remembered preachers who preached peace yet stole and took from those who needed the most. He remembered tapestries and tithing and priests who beat him because listening to their prayers made him scream.
Or did he.
His mind was on what Henry had said earlier but only for a moment. Elizabeth’s prone body, light pulsing streaks of violet beneath her skin made him sick. He hadn’t had time to process what Henry had said and looking at Michael…
Michael was holding his sister’s hand. This hospital belonged to the St. George community, and he regretted keeping his family apart from them for so long. They had a wing of the place, they could sleep here and alternate their time between Jeremy’s room and Elizabeths. He should go and do something else.
He should.
But Michael would rise and bring him blood and he would drink it if only because if he didn’t drink the wounds on his body would ache. He gulped down the stuff to try and make himself feel full as his mind whirled and tried to sort out things. What Henry had said. Did I forget it? He was having a hard time recalling things but that wasn’t anything bad. That wasn’t wrong.
Elizabeth’s blanket was pink with little elephants. It had been her baby blanket. He’d tucked it around her shoulders to stroke her red gold hair as they fed her blood in an IV. He kissed her fingers. He hummed some old celtic lullaby, and tried to convince himself that he had remembered it from his childhood. He ignored Michael most of the time, stroking Elizabeth’s hair, “Baby girl. Daddy’s darling baby girl. I love you. Please sweetheart. Please wake up for daddy.”
When he was human. When he was a man. Not something on the verge of becoming a monster, not how the police had found him terrified claiming explosion, blood all over his clothes…
He looked up to see that his son had been replaced by a pre-teen, younger than Michael- in a short sleeved collared shirt and black jeans. Her long black hair was held to the side in a side ponytail. She sat calmly, folding her hands on the bed before tilting her head at him.
“Willem.”
“It’s William now.” He didn’t take his eyes from his daughter’s face, “Cassandra.”
“I haven’t been called that since the fall of Rome.” she sat, stroking Elizabeth’s fingers, “She’s beautiful. I haven’t seen her since-”
“You’ve never seen her.” William kept his eyes closed, “You saw Michael briefly. Unless you’ve come with a cure for her Cassidy I beg of you please leave me be.” He pressed his head to his daughter’s baby blanket, “Please.”
“It’s not something that needs to be cured. Your daughter reanimated one of your automations with what I think is natural witch ability.” she raised a hand to Elizabeth’s hair and he hissed. She withdrew her hand, “Anyone can be a witch. It just means she’ll need special instruction and now that you are here, and you are out of that shithole town, you don’t have to worry about that.”
He grimaced, “Yes.”
“You have two vampire children Willem - William.” she put a hand on his and he flinched it away, “And a third on the way. They need to be around their own kind.”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not.”
“...Cassandra, is there something wrong with vampires? I heard that…the older we get the less we retain our humanity.” he stared at Elizabeth and smoothed her hair, “That we can’t escape our fate to become what appears to be our natural demonic selves.” his voice was soft, “That if Michael and Elizabeth don’t feed, don’t give into our darkness, our natural role…”
She sat back, “Who told you that?”
Henry. The werewolf was next door, surrounded by his new makeshift family. The boy he took form Michael, Michael would be forced to watch Jeremy die. He would be forced to see the boy end but no matter what….
“I have long suspected.”
She raised an eyebrow before looking away from him out the window. Night was blazing, neon filling the sky around them. She tilted her head and shook it, her hair brushing her face, “...It is not entirely true. I know about your father-”
He froze, squeezing his daughter’s hand hard.
“You did the right thing in that. However …no one has ever existed long enough to test that theory. I am so far the oldest of our kind since your father is no longer among us.” Her voice was soft, “So I cannot say. And I would be very very interested in knowing just what has occurred.”
He said nothing. It was on the tip of his tongue to name Henry, to find out if the Vampire leader could find out more from him but he remembered being there when Henry married Suzy. When Charlie was born. He pushed his hands to his face and kissed his daughter’s fingers, “...It is something I suspected.”
“...Then I shall push my considerable resources to this.” she paused, “In the meantime, William, you are among family. You are among friends. Your children can go to school, and you can leave that tiny one horse town behind and drive back if you need it.” she smiled, “You are welcome, William Afton. You are home.”
He knelt, pushing his forehead to Elizabeth’s. The vampire leader rose, studying him dispassionately before she moved to leave.
“When I was born, mortals believed that I was cursed with the gift of prophecy.” she studied him, “Because of my own abilities. Your Elizabeth will be fine William.” she studied him, “It is love that brings such gifts out of people. Just love her as much as you love your children.”
He said nothing. She was halfway out the door before he turned to her one final time, “...If we do forget, if our humanity is gone at a certain age, I’ve damned my children into being monsters.” His voice was soft, “I’ve destroyed them. By giving them life I’ve destroyed them. I thought I was giving gifts I thought I was protecting them and if this is true…”
“We will investigate this.” She studied him, “And I would talk to whoever told you about this and find out specifically what they meant. And what they think would help because it wouldn’t just affect you, it would affect all of us.”
The pre-teen turned and left him alone. He turned back to Elizabeth, tucking her into her blanket tighter as she breathed, kissing each one of her fingers.
—-------------
Jeremy smells different. Mike was still getting used to that, still riding the high of his abilities. He wondered if he was a full vampire now, he felt bloated - sated and full - as he held the boy he liked and tried to reconcile the idea that someone who loved him would eventually die. There might be a cure, there might be a means to help him…
Charlie was half curled on the bed, “...Do you want me to keep saying I’m sorry Mikey?” she whimpered, “I can. I just didn’t want him to die.”
Mike said nothing. He continued to stroke Jeremy’s curls.
“I’m not mad at you Charlie.”
How could he be mad at his best friend? His accidental sister? She had his fox toy.” he frowned, “I don’t know how I feel. I don’t want this.” he rubbed at his jaw, “I don’t want any of this, I just want him to be okay.”
“It’ll take some time.”
Michael looked up to see his Uncle standing in the doorway with Detective Burke by his side. The detective looked healthier at least, he looked bolder - but his gaze never left Henry Emily.
It was disconcerting.
“Dad?”
“He’s with your sister.” Henry nodded, “I think she’ll make a full recovery son. I just saw Cassandra go in.”
“Cassandra?” Mike raised an eyebrow. Burke also raised an eyebrow at him.
“Cassidy.” Henry shrugged, “Cassandra is what she used to call herself in Greece.” Burke snorted, sticking his hands in his pockets.
“So she’s Greek.”
“She’s from Troy actually.” Henry’s features were deadpan, “She’s a witch, crushed with the gift of prophecy. Or she was. Most witches are so-called “supernatural” creatures.”
Supernatural creatures. That’s what he was and that’s what Jeremy was too. The tow haired boy stirred under his touch, “Cassandra from Troy.”
“I read that book in school.” Jeremy’s voice was a whisper, “I liked it. Is this the face that launched a thousand ships…”
He coughed hard and Mike pushed his lips to his unintentionally, “You’re burning up.” he stroked a hand through his hair, “Holy shit.”
“I’m starving.” he winced, looking at the family. Mike pressed a kiss to his brow and Jeremy grinned, “Do you have any food?” Jeremy was surrounded by warmth and smiling faces. He grinned weakly at Charlie and Henry before smiling, “Mrs. Afton!”
“It’s Clara darling.” Clara looked a little pale but no worse for wear. She moved forward to hug and kiss him. Mike frowned, “Are you going to burn up? You’re boiling.”
“What do you want slugger?” Burke grinned, “I’ll go out and get you food.” The cop’s grin was tentative as he looked to Henry and Clara, “Burgers? Fries?”
“Both? All of it?”
“She’s awake.”
An orderly burst into the room, “I-Mr. Fitzgerald Mr. Emily - I- Folks-” the orderly was a young born vampire, long dark black hair stuck out in all directions, “Mr. Afton said to come get you Mrs. Afton-”
“Mike? Can you stay with -”
“Go dude.” Jeremy squeezed Michael Afton’s hands and grinned, “I’ll be right here when you get back baby.” He leaned against his fingers and Mike was on his feet, bolting back down the hallway.
Elizabeth’s hair was matted with sweat, clinging to her father. The little girl had wrapped her pink blanket around her hands and jammed an end of it into her mouth looking pitiful and forlorn. William was holding her, humming and crooning as he stroked his fingers through her hair. When he saw Michael the older boy found himself being drawn into his father’s embrace. William Afton pressed a kiss to his son’s forehead. Mike felt himself being pulled into his father and mother’s embrace, holding his sister who was breathing like a shallow bird.
“Dad are you crying?”
His father’s grip only tightened. The only thing that would have made it better, Michael thought, is if Jeremy and Uncle Henry were there. The place stank of hospital chemicals but his sister smelled warm and soft and alive and wrapped in his father and mother all he could do was hold them as tightly as he could.
His father let him go a moment later. The older vampire wrapped his arms around Elizabeth again before looking up at Michael, “Michael-”
“Let me- Let me near my daughter Will.” Clara was wiping her eyes, “Darling. My darling.”
“Mommy.” Elizabeth’s voice was kitten soft, “Mommy please.”
Michael rose, helping his father stand up.
“Must look a bloody mess.” He muttered, “I haven’t showered in days.” he wiped his face, “Michael I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I - I didn’t do better protecting you.” He shook, “Or Jeremy. The boy…”
“He’s fine.” Mike smiled, “Uncle Henry is with him.”
His father stiffened.
“Good. All to the good.” He smiled. Michael wiped sweat from his face and shook his head at him, “Dad…”
“Nothing. It’s all right son. Nothing important.” He gestured, “Let’s go back to him. We can tell them all the good news.” he hugged him, “Tell Henry the good news and make sure everyone knows…”
“Jeremy woke up too. He smells different. He’s a werewolf now and says he’s starving it’s funny.” he snorted, “I must sound stupid but he- I’m just really glad he’s here dad.” he wiped his head, “Is this because we’re supposed to be together…”
“He’s a werewolf.” William Afton’s voice cut deep, “He’s a damn werewolf. He’s going to die Michael.” he grimaces, “I don’t know when, but he will. That little girl ruined your chance at…” he pushed his lips together, “Just…Just go son.” he put a hand on his shoulder, “Go back to him.”
He wrapped his arms around himself.
Michael left him reluctantly. His father waved weakly, pacing back and forth in a circle with his arms around his chest. They had been through hell. They should be together.
He wanted Jeremy though. His father’s horrors forgotten, he ran his way through the ward back to Jeremy’s room.
He found the young werewolf sitting up in bed with a larger bearded man in a labcoat checking a circular bitemark on his shoulder, “You’re gonna be fine son.” he smiled, “Healing nicely. We’ll get you on a special diet and have you taken care of son.” He patted him on the shoulder, “And you young lady.” he patted Charlotte on the head, “Be careful who and what you bite hmn?”
She sat before wrapping an arm around Jeremy’s shoulders. The two were curled together and Mike felt a spring of bile curl in his chest. He glanced back down the hallway, towards where his family rested. He tried to fill his mind with positivity, that this would be fine. Everything would turn out okay.
As if she’d read his mind Charlie gestured. He moved to the bed and let himself be wrapped in Jeremy and Charlie’s mutual embrace, feeling loved.
—-----------------
Henry Emily found William Afton staring out the window after the man had finally slept.
“Clara’s with Lizzie.” he was staring out at the warm desert night, “She’s having nightmares. Terrible terrible nightmares. And I can’t do anything about it.”
“That’s parenting.” Henry sat beside him, “Talk to me.”
“...Before the Fitzgeralds came down on us.” William stared at him, “You said I might not remember things well.” he stared, “I’ve been thinking about that. Truth be told I’ve been thinking about it for years.” He shook himself, a sudden spasm, before looking at him, “Saving photographs - until they were all destroyed when the Fitzgeralds blew up my damn house.”
He chuckled, “Is it true.”
Henry frowned, “Will…”
“Fucking answer me.” He growled, “Don’t lie, just this once. Don’t you fucking lie.” The vampire looked positively feral. He hissed at him, sleeves rolling down to expose the dark black and purple scars across his wrists, “Don’t lie!”
“If I lied, I did it because I cared.” Henry growled. He rumbled in his chest as he sat across from him, “I don’t know the details of it. Will, I really don’t. It’s just stories I’ve heard. And if that’s the case, the way to fix it is to stay close to us. To me. I'm not going to let you become a monster. I’m not going to let anything happen to you or the kids.”
“Did this just occur to you now? With that fucking priest!?” William hissed again. He held his fist up to his mouth and bit, blood running down his fingers, “Or have you always known? How can I believe you?”
“Will.”
“If I had known that do you think I would have had children? Do you think I wouldn’t have done - something or tried-” he waved a hand off, his blood running down his knuckles, “Just leave me alone. I have to think.”
“Will.”
“Leave me alone!” he moved to shove him away, “...Just. Go. Henry go.” he waved him off, “Please-”
“No.” he moved to grab his arm, “No. Will, if you’re-”
“Let go!”
“If you’re turning into a monster and you need people to help you remember That’s why I’m here.” he moved to grab at him, “That’s why I’m here Will. I’m here, to help you remember and to help you and Clara, to help you and Michael, and Elizabeth, and the baby-”
At the word baby Will screamed. He grew himself into Henry’s arms and began to sob. Henry wrapped his arms around him and pushed his head into his chest. He let him rock against him.
“...Henry I can’t forgive you for this.” He stared, “You didn’t tell me that, now my kids are dealing with this, and Charlie stole Jeremy…”
Henry let him go. The vampire pulled back reluctantly, “...Without Charlie Jeremy would be dead.”
“He’s going to die anyway.”
“Would you have him stuck? Michael is going to stop aging. I know what she did and I’m sorry but it was a once in a lifetime moment. And we’ll work it out. Because we’re a family Will.”
William Afton said nothing before lowering his head.
“He’s going to get his heart broken.”
“...I- he might anyway. Will you can’t just steal things for your son. He’s not your thing, he’s a living breathing being and Michael can make his own decisions.”
He sighed, “Look, we’re together. We’ll heal. Just in time for the baby okay?”
“The baby isn’t even more than just - a slight - a creature. It’s still a little thing.” he shook himself, “Just a little thing.” he leaned against the window, “If something happens to my children Henry, there is no saving you.” he glared, “None of you.”
Henry stared.
“I understand you’re angry.”
“No I don’t think you do.” he snarled, “...I was tortured and…and…” he curled in on himself, “How much is me and how much is things my mind made up?” William Afton put a hand on his head, “Am I me? Am I still me? Will I still be me? I-I-”
“Look. Just -” he paused, “Come here.” Henry gestured, “Come here Will. We’ll figure this out. I promise.”
He tugged him forward, “I love you. You know that right? Right?”
He did not feel William nod.
He would regret that later.
—-------------------------------
The house was two stories tall in a nice section of town. The Aftons held each other, studying the lawn.
“Will! You grabbed my garden gnome.”
“It’s not specifically your garden gnome darling.” he smiled, “But it’s close, my love.” Clara Afton moved to pick up the creature and hug it to her chest. William smiled. Elizabeth was bouncing, hale and hardy. Mike dropped his duffle bag and grinned back at Charlie and Jeremy.
“...Where’s your guys’s house?”
“Down the street.” She gestured, “This knucklehead grabbed a good room.” she shoved Jeremy playfully, “you two be nice.”
“Ugh.” Jeremy Fitzgerald-Emily shook his head, “Un-Da-Henry…”
“Just Henry, son.” Henry Emily put a hand on Jeremy, “It’s gonna be you and Charlie in the house.” Henry met his business partner’s gaze, “I’ll be keeping the house in Hurricane and driving back and forth.”
“I’ll watch your girl Hen.” William clapped him on the back, “Don’t worry. She’ll be fine.”
“Dad we’ll be good.” Charlie grinned, “Trust me.”
“Good schooling.” Henry hugged his daughter, “I’ll see you in a few days.” He grinned, “Open up the restaurant, make sure the diner hasn’t burned down and grab a few things okay?” a cold wind blew across the street and he winked, “Behave you two. Someone has to manage that town. Burke’s got his hands full but he’ll also be coming to stay with us a bit. You know that right guys? So don’t spend all your money ordering fucking pizza.”
“We’ll be taking care of them Henry-” Clara let out a shriek, giggling as her husband wrapped his arms around her and lifted her into his arms, “William!”
“Darling!” he kissed her, “I love you buckets.”
“Daddy!” Elizabeth rolled her eyes, “You two are gross.”
“Grossly, in love.” he grinned, “Onward and upward Aftons. Emilys.” There was an edge to his movements, “Onward to our new lives. Fredbear’s remains open and Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria will become our new project. Happy Halloween friends.”
A warm smell of a campfire filled the air, the werewolves and vampires smiling at each other. Jeremy padded over to Michael and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. The young werewolf kissed his cheek, “...Soooo. I’m moving in next door.”
“Yeah you are.” he grinned, “What’s up?”
“...The house Charlie and I are living in has a pool.” he grinned, “And I’m gonna build a coral reef for you Mike.”
The young vampire turned. He brushed dark brown hair out of his eyes, “...Seriously?”
“Henry brought a bunch of tools for the restaurant over.” Jeremy grinned, “I’m teaching myself stagecraft. Or set design. Or just how to build shit because I really want to give you a place where we can swim.”
“You want that?”
“I want to give you the world.” he paused, “And I promise I don’t smell like wet dog now.” he ruffled his hair and kissed his cheek, “...Was that okay?”
“...I think if I weren’t undead my cheeks would be pink you know. Or red.” Mike grinned, “I mean…I-”
“I love you Michael Afton.” Jeremy leaned against his shoulder, “I don’t know what that looks like, but I want to find out.”
The two of them smiled.
—------
“Detective Burke.”
Cold wind blew out of the desert. The Fredbear’s Family Diner Halloween carnival was filled with pumpkins and classic cat designs. Children in costumes scampered about, stalls selling cotton candy and supplies and pizza dotted the area amid a spread of hay. A few rides rolled past, people shrieking on the tilt-a-whirl.
Clay Burke was happy in this tiny town. Even if he drove the two hours to St. George to get to Henry, to learn how to manage his nose, his strength, his speed. To be able to turn into a massive fucking wolf to remove the ache in his shoulder.
He had no reason to want to deal with the vampire standing watching the crowd. His nose wrinkled, “...Tell me again why I’m agreeing to help you.” He muttered, “Your son killed my son.”
“The opportunity to bring him back.” William Afton’s voice was smooth as silk, “You’ve seen what magic is capable of. You’ve seen what the science can create and if you help me, in dealing with Henry…”
Henry. Henry. His pack leader. He tugged at his tie. Fuck.
“If he knew what I intended to attempt.” William Afton looked haunted, “...He would stop us. And there would be no way for Carlton to return to the land of the living. And you want that yes?” he gestured, “So you can attempt to take your revenge on me?”
“I think I know you better than you think.” Clay snorted, “You’d never let me hurt Michael.”
“So you can have your son back then. “He gestured, “And what you do then is your business.”
It felt like he was prepared for anything, and Clay suppressed a shiver. Something had changed in the businessman, standing up straight and studying the people of the town moving about like ants, like insects, “Do I have your word? You’ve seen what I’m capable of. What my daughter is capable of.”
“...If you can bring Carlton back…”
“If we work together Detective.” William Afton sounded pained, “I think there’s no limit to who we can bring back.”
He dragged his hands over his face, “...So. Tell me.” little children were running back and forth, their costumes bright and shining.
Burke felt sick, angry, and Hungry most of all.
“Which one do you want?”