Author's Note: Hello, everyone! And here it is! The final chapter! This chapter is like an epilogue and shows what happened after everything gets fixed. It's shorter, but I hope you enjoy!
Three years later…
Henry stepped into Henry and Joey Studios with the biggest grin on his face, Bendy, Boris, and Alice following and splitting up as Henry looked around. His blue eyes were bright as he stepped into the main room, seeing that the studio was already bustling. "Good morning, everyone!"
The people turned and waved and smiled, some still looking a little sleepy.
"Good morning, Mr. Stein!"
"Morning, Henry!"
"Heya, Mr. Stein!"
Henry made his way into the art department, seeing many of the animators already getting to work. He shouted into the room, "Morning, everyone! We're still ahead of the deadline, so don't stress too much today! You guys are doing great!"
Applause and cheers came from the employees, praise to their new boss. Henry then made his way through the main room, seeing Bendy and Alice already working on some papers on a nearby table. Boris was heading towards the room with the Ink Machine with Thomas Connor leading him. The former animator headed to the employee pub, taking the steps down and greeting the employees as they said their good mornings to him.
Henry made his way to the coffee maker and poured himself a cup. A white gloved hand landed on his shoulder. A chuckle came from behind him.
"And how are we today, my little sheep?"
He turned to see Sammy Lawrence dressed in his usual outfit, save for his new white gloves. They matched those of all the employees who had been affected by the ink. Sammy's orange and purple eyes were full of genuine happiness.
Henry smiled and replied, "I'm doing well, 'prophet Lawrence.' And you?"
"I'm doing well. Would you like something to eat? Wally brought a cake and we're sharing it now."
A hand was held up a polite manner. "Thank you, but Linda already made me breakfast. Besides, I need to go see Joey here in a few minutes."
"Alright. I'll be sure to save you a piece," Sammy stated with a wink.
Henry nodded and made his way out of the pub and down the halls. Three small shapes ran by his feet and he nearly tripped. "Whoa! Barley, Charley, Edgar, slow down! Made sure you guys don't trip someone!" The Butcher gang looked back at him, muttering small apologies before being on their way again.
"Hey, Henry! Good morning!"
Henry turned to see Susie and Mrs. Pendle-Connor waving to him, papers in hand. He waved back and asked, "How are you guys?"
"Good! Can't wait to see how the next cartoon comes out!"
The former animator then made his way down a few of the halls, waving to his friends and coworkers. Norman was already in the projector booth of the music department and had the projector going. Wally was cleaning up a bit before the band came in, and he actually had his keys on his side.
"Hey, Henry, catch!"
Henry turned and a Bendy plushie landed in his arms as he looked to see who had thrown it. Shawn was smiling widely with a paintbrush in one hand. "Mornin', Henry! How does that one look?"
The former animator looked over the toy. "It looks good, Shawn! You really do wonders with a paintbrush." He tossed it back to the head of the toy factory and started making his way down the hall again. As he headed to the elevator, he spotted Allison and Tom talking, Allison seeming a little more chipper than usual. That was a good sign to Henry, as after the Ink Machine Incident, she was very hesitant and worried about all the big changes. When the couple saw Henry, they waved and said their good mornings and he greeted them, asking how their night had been.
When their chat was over, he entered the elevator and set it to head to the floor with administration offices. The ride wasn't very long and when he arrived, Henry waved to the girl at the reception desk and made his way down the halls, passing by Grant and asking how he was doing. Grant seemed well with Betty helping him and the finances were doing much better. And Grant seemed much better himself.
Henry finally made his way to Joey's office, seeing that the door was open. He peeked inside and saw his friend with a pencil in hand, scribbling something down on some papers. "Knock, knock," Henry spoke as he knocked on the door.
Joey looked up from his papers, his expression turning to a happier one. "Henry, my friend! Good morning!"
"Morning, Joey! You wanted to see me?"
"Yes! Would you mind shutting the door, please?"
Henry did as he was asked and turned to his friend, who rose from his seat and walked over to him. He took a hold of one of Henry's hands and looked up at him with a soft expression. "Henry, do you know how long it's been since the Ink Machine Incident?"
Henry took a moment to think. "I think… two years."
"Three. Today marks the third year since the incident; three years since you freed us all." He smiled and let out a soft chuckle. "Henry, I know I said this already, but, I need to thank you once more. You really did save my life and the lives of everyone in the studio."
"Joey, it's no trouble. You're my best friend and I know that saving you was the right thing to do. You may have done some things that weren't the best, but you've turned a new leaf and become a better man now. And honestly, I can say I'm proud of you for all you've done to change yourself and this place."
"Thank you, Henry. I know you say it's no trouble, but I just can't express how grateful I am for you. You've done so much in the past few years for me, for us, and for everyone in this world. Had it not been for you, who knows what I would have done to this studio, much less the world. You saved us all, Henry. You're an angel, and you stopped me from doing horrible things. You really are a savior and under your care, this place is flourishing. I just can't thank you enough for changing me and changing this place. Soon, we'll have the studio to its former glory."
Henry couldn't help but smile, and he wiped the tears forming in Joey's eyes. He could see that Joey really was grateful for everything he had done. "I think so too."
Joey grinned again, before walking back to his desk and picking up his papers. "Well, I need to head to Grant's office. Gotta get these papers to him."
"How about I go with you? I'd like to spend a little time with you today."
A nod was given and the two men were off. They put their hands on each other's shoulders and laughed as they talked.
Henry couldn't help but feel a sense of peace as he followed Joey. All those years ago, when the studio was founded, he never would have imagined it would be as big as it got. If you had told him 30 years ago that he would in this studio after the war, going on a journey to save his best friend and the whole studio, he would have told you that you were crazy. But he had lived it and been through it, and honestly? Henry could say that he was happy it happened.
Had he not followed through with that letter, he had no idea what would have happened to everyone here, much less the city and beyond. He was glad everything could be peaceful again. Henry knew that his life would never really be "normal" again, but he could say he was perfectly happy with that. He wouldn't trade this life for anything. He knew there would be challenges ahead but he was more than ready to face whatever the world would throw at them.
Henry Stein was happy, happier than anyone in the world. And he knew there were great things waiting for him in this life.
Author's Note: And so it ends.
Thank you to all of you who joined me on this journey with this story! It was so much fun to watch the game's lore expand and add to my AU and still keep it as my own. Thank you all who have left comments and enjoyed this story. I'm so happy to finish it and I hope you enjoyed my take on the BATIM story.
Thank you for joining me, and have a wonderful day or night! :D