Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

POV-Mumbo

Years ago, when I was around 4 My friend Grian appeared at my house.

I heard a knock at the door, and I answered it. I opened the door and standing there was Grian.

“HEY MUMBO!” Grian was exited.

“Hey Grian.”

“I AM GOING TO JAPAN!” Grian sounded so excited about going.

“Ok I hope you have fun and bring me something.”

“Don’t worry I will.” and just like that he left

He was gone for I think 3 months. I missed him then one day... I opened the door and there he was on the doorstep about to knock. I hugged Grian I was so happy to see him again.

“Hey Mumbo, can I stay with you for a while?” he asked me he was sad I could tell it in his voice at that moment.

I let go of him. “I will need to ask my parents.”

“Oh ok.”

I ran to my mum to ask her about Grian staying with us.

“MUM MUM MUM!!!”

“Yes?” she said with her caring robotic voice.

“You remember my friend Grian?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Can he stay for a while?” I asked her wanting her to say that he could.

“Of course, if it will make you happy.” She said and I got so excited about that. Grian would be staying with us for a while I feel like I should have asked how long he would be staying for.

It had been 9 years and Grian was still staying with us. My parents started to call him baby bird after a year of him living with us.

“Hey mumbo I am going for a beach day... you can’t come.” Grian said to me

“Um why can’t I go with you? Why are you going to the beach? It’s raining cats and dogs out there.” I asked him

“Well, I am going to Japan, and I only have one ticket.” I hoped he wasn’t going to be gone for as long as he was the last time he went.

“Did you tell my parents?”

“Yeah, I did I’m not stupid Mumbo.” He was he was definitely stupid and still is.

“Surrrrre.” I figured out that he was stupid a long time ago.

Grian left that day was boring. I was watching TV and then Grian texted me it was a picture of a sandcastle he built. It was a pretty nice one Grian has always been good at building. I went to bed at around 11pm.

In the morning, I looked over to Grian’s side of the room and there was Grian in his bed sleeping. I went downstairs and my mum was making pancakes for Grian and I.

“Good morning son.” My dad said to me. He was also a robot like my mum, I don’t know where or what happened to my birth parents. I can only remember my robot parents as my only parents.

“Good morning dad.”

“Can you wake up Baby Bird?”

“Um sure.” I went back up to Grian and I’s room to wake him up.

I started to shake Grian to wake him.

“Stoppppppp.” He sounded very tired. I stopped shaking him.

 “It’s time for breakfast get up.”

Grian sits up. “Ok I am going down soon.”

“Ok then my mum is making pancakes”

“PANCAKES! YAY!” Grian gets off the bed

I walk down the stairs to the table. I was on my phone while I was waiting for Grian to get down the stairs. It had been 5 minutes and Grian had just entered the room and stat down next to me. My mum came in and gave us our pancakes on mine I put on Red-stone dust and jam Grian put just syrup on his. I liked having Grian stay with us, but I was confused why he had been staying for that long?

“Hey Grian, I am just wondering why have you been staying her for like 9 years?” I asked him.

“Oh um...” He seemed like he didn’t want to say why and just as I was going to say he didn’t answer the question... “My parent's kind of abandoned me in Japan when we visited when I was 7.” He said and that was defiantly not what I was expecting him to say I don’t know what I expected him to say but it wasn’t that.

“Um... well... I wasn’t expecting anything like that.”

“Um what were you expecting me to say?”

“I... don’t know.”

Grian just started to eat and so did I. After we finished eating Grian said...

“Um I am going back to Japan I want to spend Halloween with some of friends there.”

“Oh... ok then have fun.” I honestly didn’t want him to go, he just got back and now he is leaving again.

He went upstairs to pack and after a bit he was saying bye to my parents and me.

“Bye I hope you will have fun Baby Bird.” my dad said.

“Goodbye Baby Bird stay safe.” My mother told Grian

“I will” Grian said to them. I didn’t want him to leave again, he just came back last night and now he is going back. “Um I’ll be back in a day or so.”

“Ok Grian please text me if something bad happens while you are gone.” I told him hopping he would listen to me for once in our life.

“Finnnne.” he said. “Nothing bad will even happen I think you are just being paranoid Mumbo.” I wish he was right about that. “I am not even going for long nothing bad will happen in a day.”

“Grian you never know what will happen.” I had a bad feeling about him going back for some reason.

“Now I know you are being paranoid” Grian was trying to convince me that I was being paranoid, but it was not working.

“No, I am not!” I defended myself.

“Agree to disagree Mumbo.”

“Fine.”

As Grian was just about to leave the room I said.

“Make sure you have money with you, you never know when you are going to need it.”

“Yep, I already did check that.” Grian responded.

And just like that he was gone again with more stuff than last time.

I sat on the couch and watched something so the time would pass faster.

Chapter Text

I didn’t do much in the time Grian was gone. Days trued into weeks that turned into months.

It was Christmas and I hadn't even got a single text from Grian or even a call. This was my first Christmas without Grian in 9 years.

“Mumbo come here it is time for presents.” My mum said.

I walked to the living room where the Christmas tree was. I looked at the presents under the tree there was some presents with my name and the others had Grian’s, but he wasn’t there he had been gone for like 2 months now.

“Um you know Grian is not back yet?” I asked my mum. She was the one who did the presents most years because my dad only gave us tools for making machines.

“Yes, but Baby Bird might be back soon.” My mother said and she did have a point he could be back soon.

I sat down on the floor. This was reminding me of before Grian moved in. I opened the presents I mostly got tools for machines. My dad was explaining to me what they did.

“It’s quite simple really.” He said to me. He always said that after he explained something really complicated.

“Wow thanks dad.” I said. I did listen to him and what he said has help me with my Redstone.

It felt weird with Grian not being there. I checked my phone to see if Grian had text me or called... there was nothing Grian hadn’t contacted me at all. ‘What happened to if something did happen?  was he ok? WAS HE DEAD!?’ I thought.

“Son it is time for breakfast.” my mum said.

“Coming Mum.” I entered the kitchen and sat down at the table. My mum made the best tea I have ever had. Then...

 I got a notification from Grian.

Pesky Bird: MERRY CHRISTMAS MUMBO!!!

I smiled he was alive he was ok. ‘HE IS ALIVE!!!’ I thought.

Mumbo: Merry Christmas Grian. hope you get home soon and safe

Pesky bird: I don’t think I will be back soon I will try though

Mumbo: Why won’t you be back soon?

Pesky bird: I am pretty busy with things here in Japan

Pesky bird sent an attachment

It was a photo of him in a police uniform with 2 other people who I could only assume was his friends assume.

Mumbo: HOW DID YOU GET THAT JOB!?

Pesky bird: Are you saying that I would not be a good police officer?

Mumbo: yes. WHO WOULD HIRE YOU AS THAT!?

Pesky bird: (:

Mumbo: are those 2 your friends?

Pesky bird: yeah! that is Sam and Taurtis!

Mumbo: I am glad you are having fun

I look up from my phone and started t0 drink my tea. I was a bit sad that Grian was going to be gone for so much longer.

“Um Grian is going to be gone for longer.” I told my parents.

“Oh, I hope Baby Bird will be safe.” My mum said

“Same.” I wanted him to be safe but knowing him he would get in all kinds of trouble. “I hope he will text me more.” I said that but I knew he would not. I wanted to see him in person, but I knew that I couldn't he was in Japan, and I didn’t have enough money to go at the time.

I texted Grian.

Mumbo: Hey, can you text me more please I want to know that you are safe

There I was waiting for a response. After a while I got up and sat on the couch, I didn’t know what to watch most of the shows I wanted to watch I couldn’t because I was watching them with Grian. I finally decided what to watch it was a documentary about Redstone. It was quite interesting I still like to watch it from time to time and other ones about Redstone.

I waited and waited for Grian too text me, but he never did. I missed him I felt like my parents did to, but I couldn’t really tell they always had a straight face well they are robots after all. Did they have emotions back then? Do they have them now? All I know is that they acted like Grian was as much their kid as I was.

Chapter Text

“Mum?”

“Yes Mumbo?” My mum said.

“Do you have any way of making sure Grian is ok?”

“I am sorry I do not have anything like that in my programming.” My mum sounded almost sad? That was new for her... it was new to if either one did. But I thought I was just imagining it.

“oh” I was a bit upset about that and that Grian hasn’t answered my texts or calls. I missed him so much he was like a brother to me. “Does dad have anything like that in his programming?”

“No, he doesn’t I’m sorry son.” she sounded sorry it was the first time I heard her with an emotion in the way she was speaking...well properly if I was wrong about me just imagining her sounding sad.

I had been hours since that conversion. I was sitting on the couch next to my dad.

“Mumbo you miss him don’t you.” My dad sounded caring? How? How was this happening?

“Miss who?” I honestly didn’t know what he was talking about.

“The baby bird.”

“Oh... yeah I do miss him... he hasn’t been responding to my texts... or answering my calls” I wanted to know if he was ok. “I am worried about him...”

“Yeah, I miss him as well as your mother.”

I checked my phone but there were no texts or missed calls from Grian.

‘What is he doing? Is he ok!? Is he hurt!? Hopefully he isn’t hurt...’

It had been another week and Grian still hasn’t seen my texts or anything. I was losing hope that he was ok. It had been months since I’ve heard from him.

My parents are becoming more human? That is the beast way I can describe it they have been sounding less robotic... they have emotions now I didn’t know if they did before but now it is clear that they do. Their voices are sounding more like human voices by each passing day.

I finished making a mechanical door that worked. I ran to my dad

“DAD, I DID SOMETHING!”

“What did you do Mumbo?” my father said

“Follow me!” I ran outside to the back garden. “I MADE THIS!” I flipped a lever, the door opened.

“Wow! I am so proud of you!” He has said that to me before, he never sounded like he meant it, but he did sound like he did mean it this time... for the first time.

“Thank you, dad!” I am so happy he actually sounds proud of me!

‘Could he do this before? Is this a new thing? I didn’t do anything to their code did they do that to themselves? Can they change their own code? Is that posable? ‘

“Dad how are you doing this?” I asked. He looks confused?

“What do you mean Mumbo?”

‘HOW WAS HE DOING THIS!? HE COULDN NOT DO THIS BEFORE I AM SURE OF THAT!’

“You sound more human! How? Could you do this before? Is this a new thing? Did you do something to mum and your code? Did she? Can you even do that?”

“Um... calm down son. I don’t know what you are talking about your mother and my code hasn’t been changed.”

‘It hasn’t? THEN HOW ARE THEY ACTING MORE LIKE HUMANS!?’

I take a deep breath. Then check my phone to see if Grian has texted and nothing...

‘Is he ok? IS HE DEAD!? No, he isn’t I am thinking crazy. But it is possible... No don’t think like that he is not dead!’

I walk inside then sit on the couch next to my mother.

‘How is this happing? Why do they have emotions now? I mean I am not complaining it’s great that they do but it is different... verry different but nice. Maybe one day we will pass as a normal family. Well, we can’t fully they don’t really look human so we couldn’t pass as one in looks unless I make them new bodies, but I do not think I am capable of making that it is advanced, and I cannot really do stuff that advanced yet.’

“Mumbo you will need to go back to school soon.” my mum said

“I can learn everything I need to know here!”

“Yes, but you need human interactions for your mental health.”

“I know… what if I join some clubs will that be enough for you to let me not go to school?”

“I am sorry no Mumbo.” She sounds sorry.

‘HOW ARE THEY DOING THIS!? THEY SHOULD’NT BE ABLE TO! I mean I’m not complaining but it’s kind of weird.’

“I don’t want to go to school mum.”

“It is mandatory that you get your education.”

“Ok mother...” I really don’t want to go.

Chapter Text

Pov: Grian

‘I wonder how Mumbo is? I bet he hasn’t gone through as much as I have! ... I should not be proud of that.’

“Gri-on why are you just standing there? We need to get to school right Taurtis.” Sam said

“Yep, we do need to!” Taurtis agreed with him. “Or we could just skip.”

“No, we are not skipping school Taurtis!”

“Why not Sam? Honestly, I think it is a good idea.”

“It is not!” Sam and Taurtis started to fight about if we were going to school or not.

Sam and I were already wearing the uniform. I took my phone out my pocket and saw that I had a lot, and I mean a lot of missed calls and unread messages from Mumbo. I just got my phone charged so I couldn't answer my phone or text him.

“Let’s just go before we are late.” I sighed. “I would like to agree with you Taurtis but I can’t Sam is actually right.”

“What do you mean actually!? I am always right!!!” Sam sounded so convinced with that statement which was completely wrong. Stabbing Taurtis wasn’t right nether was making me dress up as him.

“Sure, you are.” I rolled my eyes then put on my glasses that were on the table.

“I AM!!!”

“No, you are not.”

“Name one time I was wrong!” He sounded like he knew I wouldn’t say anything “See you can’t!”

“No, I was just thinking what time I should say.” I smiled. “Oh, wait I got one! You made me dress up as Taurtis after you stabbed him.”

Sam looked confused. “I didn’t do that Gri-on... I don’t know what you are talking about?” He did know I know he did.

“Oh, you told me about that.” Taurtis said. He remembered getting stabbed that one Halloween night after he said something about Yuki when she was Sam’s girlfriend before she died. I still don’t really care that she did.

We were going to school, and I got a call from Mumbo.

“Hey Gri-on who is calling you?” Sam asked me.

“An old friend from when I lived in Britain.” I didn’t know if I should answer or not.

“You going to answer it? The ringing is getting annoying.” Sam said I could already tell he was getting annoyed. I was afraid of what would happen if he got too annoyed... knowing what happened last time... when I was forced to pretend to be Taurtis.

“Um yeah I will” I answered the phone. “Hey Mumbo.”

“GRIAN WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?” Mumbo yelled at me through the phone.

“Japan. Like I said I would be.”

“YOU HAVE BEEN GONE FOR MONTHS! YOU SAID YOU WERE JUST GOING TO GO FOR HALLOWEEN!”

“Oh yeah, I did say that. Well first of all calm down and second somethings came up and I can’t really go back to Britain right now.” I tried to explain why I had to stay without exposing what happened before we were put under witness protection.

“Where are you in Japan? You can at least tell me that.”

“Oh, I’m in Tokyo right now.” I told Mumbo hopping that he wouldn’t ask why I was there.

“Oh ok. I need to go now.” Mumbo told me.

“Ok bye Mumbo.” He hung up and just like that I was back to the reality of my situation.

I was stuck in Japan with a clone and a psycho bunny. They were talking while we walk to school but for some reason, I felt like the 3rd weel in this friendship. I missed my friends from Britain like Mumbo, Jimmy, Lizzy and Joel. Recently I heard that Lizzy would be in Tokyo soon, so I had something to look forward to now. I would get to see Lizzy she was one of my childhood friends that I have known for the majority of my life. Her parents were a business partner of mine, so we met pretty young I think I was around 3 years old.

“Gri-on are you just going to stand out there or come inside?”

“Um yeah, I’m coming. I was just kinda lost in thought.” I walked inside.

I missed my home in Britain even though it technically wasn’t mine. I didn’t know how long I would be stuck in Japan.

 ‘I could be here for my entire rest of my life...’ I used to think but honestly there was a possibility that would’ve happened. I really didn’t know if I would ever see my friends from home ever again other than Lizzy.

‘What would my parents think of how I’ve turned out? Would they be proud? No, they would be disappointed like they were when I tried to do anything that would make them happy with me...’ they never were proud of me in the past. I was starting to believe was the reason they got divorced...

I couldn’t get it out my head. Mumbo has been trying to contact me and for some reason I didn’t get the messages I looked at my phone and tried to scroll up to see the past messages but the only thing I could see was our messages from Christmas. Nothing else not even stuff from before I got to Japan.

‘Did Sam do this!?’ I thought, ‘Would it be something he’d do? Did he do it when he made me be taurtis?’

Chapter Text

Grian POV:

Everything keeps on getting weirder than before. I just want to leave and go back to Britain, but I can not with being under witness protection.

‘What would happen if I tried to escape?’ I thought but knew that it would never work... Sam would find me...he’ll find me... hurt me more than before...

The basement was my safe space where I could just be me, I guess...well it was the safest place for me to go... I just want to go home...I want to be free again...

“Gree-on where are you!?” Sam yells.

‘I don’t wanna go to go to him...’

“Grian!!!” Taurtis yells!

Taurtis... of course I want to go to him... But Sam... he’ll be there too... but Taurtis...I need to stay with him.

I walk up the stairs and too the living room where Sam, Taurtis and Dom were sitting on the couch.

“Join us Grian!” Taurtis says with a smile. He looks so happy I cannot say no.

“Fine.” I sit on the arm of the couch at the opposite side as Sam sadly Taurtis was sitting next to Sam...

‘How does Taurtis trust him!? HIM OF ALL PEOPLE!!’

“What even is this show? It is boring!” Dom says and he was right. I didn’t even know.

“It’s about rabbits Dom!” Sam sounded annoyed and it was great.

“Well rabbits are boring just like you!”

“I am not boring! I am the funniest here!" Sam was mad now.

 this is more entertaining than this stupid nature documentary!

“FIGHT!” Taurtis shouts and I can’t help but admire him! His confidence how he can just act like this to Sam and not be afraid of the consequences of it! I wish I could do that... I wish I could be more like him sometimes.

More like him but not him.. I have been through that enough.

I not only admire how Taurtis acts with Sam but also his carefree attitude like nothing that can happen will be much effect to him.