Chapter Text
Jack Kennedy didn’t fully understand what was happening to them. He fulfilled his promise; he saved the children; he saved his family, he even saved his old boss.
He saved his Dave. He said his goodbyes. Why couldn’t he just die?
Some part of him wanted to blame Harry, Jake, and Roger; his three past managers. He wanted to blame them for dragging him out of the fire, worrying over him. Some part of him wanted to blame them for not letting him die. But that would just be cruel of him, wouldn’t it? He begged to be saved; it’s what caused him to have this curse immortal life in the first place. Jack couldn’t blame the phone men even if he wanted to. It would be selfish. They cared about him. Who knew Roger forgot to give his keys back.
The past few months had been quiet, only changed by the weather outside turning colder, as winter had slowly taken a hold. Jack kept inside his home, only leaving to go meet with the three phone men. It was boring, but their body wouldn’t die.
You won’t die; you are not finished yet.
Jack couldn’t recognize the voice; it didn’t sound like anything or anyone that he had ever met. It sounded more powerful than what the real Fredbear was. Some part of his mind decided it was better not to question this new voice.
The tv flickered with some mindless advertisement that was showing during the middle of the night, something about Tupperware. They really weren’t paying attention. He let out a sigh, before turning off the tv. The house turned quiet, as he made sure the home was locked up. If it had been a few months ago he wouldn’t have bothered with checking the locks; Dave always found a way in if the man really wanted to. Dave was gone now, and his body in that old moldy rabbit suit was buried six feet under the ground. Jack knew the Aubergine Man couldn’t come back.
But he always did come back.
Jack locked the front door before starting up the stairs to his bedroom. Stepping up the final step into the hallway he noticed the door at the other end of the always was cracked open. He tilts his head, knowing that it’s been closed since the day he came home after the fire. Slowly he walks down the hall, walking his office. The door’s hinges whine in protest as he pushes it open and his eyes cast over the room. His eyes focus on the old arcade machine that sits by the back wall. Its screen was casting a low light in the dark room, casting shadows on the tools and desk that sat in the room. Jack swore that the arcade had shut down and wouldn’t turn back on after that day. It was the reason he closed his office door in the first place.
Slowly, Jack stepped inside. His eyes still focused on the arcade in front of them. They wondered why it powered back on. He tried to figure out what was showing, but he couldn’t figure out what was through the static of the screen. He puts a hand on the screen, closing his eyes and focusing his conscious into the cabinet. They felt their mind live their body, and entered the machine.
It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the flipside. The room he entered wasn’t what Jack was expecting; rather than opening his eyes to a Freddy’s location he found himself at the doorstep of what seemed to be a home in the middle of a wooden area. It looked small but well kept on the outside, other than the leaves that were in the yard. Looking around he saw a tire swing that was hanging off the tree in the front yard; it looked almost brand new as if it had just been put up.
Jack didn’t recognize this home.
He shook his head, before turning back to the front door. He pulses a second before knocking on the door. He heard a crash inside, like a glass plate had been dropped by someone. He heard the shuffling of feet and footsteps against wooden floorboards with a quiet. “Wait a minute!” from the other side.
He knew that New York accent. He knew that voice. But that was impossible, he had seen Dave pass through the white light into the afterlife with Blackjack in his arms. Before Jack could have a second thought the door opened, his eyes met almost grey looking eyes that stared back at him, as if he had been caught off guard by Jack’s arrival.
“…Jack?”
“…Dave…?” Jack tilts his head, before his body is crushed into a hug by the other man. Jack froze up, his body tensing at the other man touch. He felt warm, not the coldness of another corpse. He felt the man un-hug him, but grabbed his shoulders.
“Old Sport! God, it’s so good to see you, Sportsy!”
Jack looked up to meet the man’s eyes again, noticing some major changes. The Aubergine Man looked different; for starters his body wasn’t aubergine anymore. He looked almost sunburnt. His spine didn’t look as curved anymore, as he stood with good posture. His hair was in a small ponytail; it was aubergine colored, but Jack could see black in his roots. His skin wasn’t rotten and decaying.
Dave looked alive.
He looked human.
“Dave, what-“ Jack’s mind couldn’t comprehend the man standing before him. Before Jack could ask a question the aubergine hair man pulled him inside the house and he was engulfed into another bone crushing hug.
“I’d knew you come back, you always do!” Dave picks up Jack within the hug and spins him. It causes Jack to blush and fight back to get down.
“Dave, please put me down!”
“Sportsy! I-“
“Dave, Stop spinning me! Put me down!” The shorter man protests again. He sees the frown that crosses Dave’s face before setting Jack back on his feet. Jack takes a step back, brushing himself off and getting the wrinkles out of his shirt before looking back to Dave. “Dave, why are you here? I thought you went with Blackjack.”
“I did.” Dave admits. “I wasn’t happy, I…” The aubergine hair man sighs, before turning and starting to walk. “it’s better if you come sit with me.” Jack tilts his head before following Dave into a small dining room.
The table itself was littered with stacks of papers and only had a small clear space. Jack guessed it was so Dave could eat in that spot. Dave clears a small space on the table across from him, before moving the chair out for the orange man to sit. Jack raises an eyebrow before taking the seat. Dave nods before moving to sit in the chair across from where Jack was. It’s quiet between the two men, and Dave plays with a black ring on his left middle finger.
“Dave.” Jack notices how the man meets his eyes nervously. “Why aren’t you still in the afterlife?”
Dave breaks eye contact with Jack. “I felt guilt.” The aubergine hair man mumbles just loud enough for Jack to understand him. “Little did I know having a complete and whole soul would make me actually feel guilty for my actions.”
Jack looks confused for a second, before shifting in the chair. “You feel guilt for your actions?”
“Funny; ain’t it?" The once purple man mumbles. “The kiddie strangler feels guilty for the lives he ended. For all the blood that has been on his hands. You can laugh Jack, God knows I would if I was in your shoes.”
“No; no Dave. I’m not gonna laugh. Hell, I….“ Jack trails off before shaking his head, clearing that thought. “What brought you back to the flipside? this, this is the flipside right?”
Dave gives a small sharp nod. “Yep. I flickered out of the afterlife and ended in this weird red tinted flipside with a pond and an odd figure. They said the children who visited them called them Old Man Consequences. They felt way more powerful then the Real Fredbear ever could be. They said they could sent me here, as it wasn’t safe for them to send me to reality. Something about my body being trapped in my creation.”
“Dave, your body was trapped in the spring bonnie suit remember? Your body is six feet under the ground. You’re physically gone.”
“I remember.” Dave gives a small nod. “I remember the fire. Wait how are you still alive? I thought your body burned inside the building.”
“It doesn’t matter right now.” Jack states, they notice how Dave gives them a look that they ignore. “Anyways.”
“…right, old Sport. Anyways he said you could help me with my guilt as apparently there is still things that can be helped in reality. My memories are still somewhat fuzzy on some things; having your soul literally split in half does that apparently.”
Jack nods. “I understand, I think I do anyways.” Jack thinks. “Well, I know the children are all free and Fazbear entertainment is no longer a thing. I still own the rights to the franchise.”
“…Afton robotics is probably still in business.” Dave states, looking to Jack.
“Yes, but they don’t make robots anymore.” Jack pulses, thinking back to when his employee Walt died in the springlock suit and how surprised Harry had been when Jack refused to send his body to the factory and instead they buried his body. “They were still making phone guys; Fuck they’re still selling phone guys.”
“Bingo, old sport. Taking down Afton Robotics will be a great first step.”
“Dave, I don’t know if I own the rights to Afton Robotics, nor do I know how to get those rights or who would have it.” He watched as Dave waved his hands.
“Nonsense, Old sport. It is in your name if anything happened to me. So, you do have the rights to Afton Robotics.”
“What!?”
“It’s, uh, something I did as Davetrap, apparently. The paperwork should be in your office; in the box on the floor by the arcade cabinet. I’m uh, sorry for always breaking and entering by the way.”
“…Huh. Good to know. So would that be a good start?”
“Of course! I’d ask your phonies if they can tell you about the factory. I can’t say I’ve been there since the early 2000s.” Dave watches as Jack stands up.
“Sorry Dave. I hate to cut our meeting short but I would like to get back to reality before the sun rises.”
“O-Oh.” Jack can hear the disappointment in Dave’s voice. “You promise to come back, right old sport?”
“Of course Davey.” Jack gives a soft smile to aubergine hair man who gives a slight small smile back to the orange man. “You’re the aubergine to my tangerine, remember?”
The man smiles for Jack starts towards the door, the taller man follows him like a sad puppy. “Please don’t get into trouble with some higher up being while I’m gone.” Jack opens the door before stepping out. He glances back at the aubergine hair man who stands right in the front doorway, but doesn’t dare step outside. “I love you, Dave.”
“I-I love you too, Jack.”
And with that, Jack closes his eyes as his mind gains consciousness back into reality, leaving the aubergine hair man on the flipside by himself.