Gosh, I really, really need to focus on other stuff besides Lord of the Flies, but this was therapy writing at its finest. Basically started it in a bout of anger, so I couldn't have done anything else anyway (although then I had to finish it once I calmed down and yeah). I also kind of got attached to ghost-Simon from my last oneshot, so yeah. Even still, I hope you all like it.

Watching Over You

It was incredibly lonely.

Now, he'd never needed too much attention from others, that was true. Most of the time, he actually preferred to be by himself. Others were always judging him. They tended to think he was batty or queer or things like that. Not that they didn't have reason to, but even still, he preferred to be alone because of it.

But this? This was too much. Yes, he could still technically be around others, but it wasn't the same. They didn't notice him.

Not that they noticed him much beforehand either, of course.

Simon sighed, letting his head rest on his arms, his back up against the wall of the ship as he sat. Ralph was sitting next to him, not that the blonde was aware of such a thing. He was leaning up against the wall of the ship as well, staring off at nothing as if someone had simply flipped a switch in his mind, turning it off.

"See? I said you'd get back all right," the younger boy whispered, but Ralph didn't so much as twitch to show that he heard. Simon put his head back down, feeling the boat rocking back and forth on the waves.

Maybe he should have left with Piggy. As bad as he felt about what had happened to the other boy, he couldn't have helped but be a bit happy when he'd appeared, able to actually see and talk to him. The chubby boy had left soon after though, saying that he wanted to get as far from this island as he possibly could. He said he'd be watching to make sure Ralph was okay though and the twins as well.

He told Simon that he should come with him, that he had been batty to have waited this long already.

Simon didn't want to leave yet though. Yes, he could have watched all of them from where Piggy was right now, and be around people who would actually acknowledge the fact that he existed and all of that, but he just didn't want to leave. If he left, then he wouldn't be able to come back, and he just… he just didn't want to leave everyone yet.

Once they got back to the mainland. As soon as he knew everyone was going to be okay, he would be able to leave them. He just didn't want to go and then have something happen…

Not that he would be able to do anything if something did happen, of course. He hadn't been able to help with Piggy, just stand there and watch along with everyone else. Even when he'd been alive, he hadn't been able to do anything, not even stop his own death. He hadn't been able to warn them about the beast, the beast that wasn't anything but their own fears and paranoia, or help Ralph keep order, or anything.

He hadn't even been able to do something as simple as help Ralph get the shelters up right, so what could he possibly do now?

The ship lurched violently, rocking Ralph and causing him to hit his head on the wall with a loud bang. It seemed to bring the blonde back to reality though, his glazed over eyes focusing again as he started rubbing the back of his head.

Simon almost wished he would start talking to himself, so that he could pretend he was talking to him instead, but he didn't. Instead, the sound of footsteps started echoing down the hall, startling both of them and causing Ralph to back up against the hard metal wall as far as he could; as if he was afraid whoever was coming was going to attack him.

Simon certainly didn't blame him for that, after everything he'd been through.

It wasn't any of the other children though, but one of the men, dressed up in his navy uniform and quickly catching sight of the young boy curled up in the hall. Simon caught a flash of irritation pass over his face as he started over to Ralph, glad that the other boy hadn't seen.

After everything that had happened, how could these adults just blow them all off as a bunch of rowdy, annoying kids? They'd explained what happened, that they had seen two other children die on that island, but no one seemed to take it too seriously.

Children were resilient. In a few weeks, they would start forgetting about what had happened. Maybe a few of them would require a bit of therapy, but within a year, surely they'd be right again. Just child's play that had gone a bit too far, that was all the island had been. There was nothing to really be worried about.

"What are you doing out here alone? You should be with the other children," the officer said, and Simon watched as Ralph pitifully shook his head, not looking the man in the eyes. He was so different now. Nothing like the bright, confident boy Simon had seen on that first day, so very sure that they were going to get rescued, because his father was in the navy.

Curled up in the shadows like this, looking like any sudden movement or loud noise would send him running for his life, he reminded Simon of a mouse.

"I can't," Ralph whispered after a moment, earning a sigh from the older man.

"And why's that?" he asked, causing Simon to frown in a combination of irritation and disbelief. Why couldn't anyone understand? Of course Ralph couldn't be with the others. Sam and Eric, maybe, but everyone else? To be in the same room as Jack and Roger? Were they insane?

"They'll hurt me…. They'll hunt me again," the blonde practically squeaked out, as if just saying those words were going to make those hunters burst into the hallway. They didn't, of course, only causing the officer to run a hand through his hair as he started speaking again.

"No one's going to hurt you, you're safe now. Let's get back to the others and we'll forget the whole thing, alright?" he asked, causing a chill to run up Simon's spine with those words. Ralph started shaking his head violently, curling up even tighter onto himself. A flash of anger crossed the man's face, and he started over to where Ralph sat.

Simon instantly stepped in front of him in an attempt to block his path, not thinking about his current state. He didn't stop in the slightest, walking right through the young boy and bending over, grabbing Ralph by the arm and yanking him to his feet.

A yelp of fear and pain shot out of the blonde, and Simon ran over to the two.

"Stop it! Let go of him! He doesn't want to go back with the others! Let him go!" the black haired boy yelled, attempting to pull the man's away from Ralph. Instead, his hands passed right through his arm, neither one aware that a single sound had been uttered and Ralph even stumbling through half of him and he was pulled along.

It wasn't long before they reached where everyone else from the island was being held, and the man opened the door, pushing Ralph roughly back inside. Simon glared at him when he shut the door before he was able to go through, but the man wasn't any the wiser.

Simon quickly turned his attention away from him, walking through the metal door without any problem. Ralph was still standing on the other side, scanning the area as though he was a mouse trapped in a room full of hungry cats.

It was clear though, after initially looking up to see what was going on, that the majority of the boys quickly averted their attention. There was a deep shame in most of them, who moved away from Ralph as though he had the plague.

Jack was probably the worst, looking absolutely terrified once the blonde had come back into the room. It wasn't the same kind of fear as Ralph's though. It was like when a child is caught doing something they know is bad, only a thousand times worse.

After a moment though, the twins made their way over to Ralph, barely managing to ignore the few stares they received as they walked across the room.

"Ralph, you can-"

"Come over here with us-"

"If you want to, that is," the two said, and hesitantly Ralph nodded, following Sam and Eric over to the corner they had previously been in. A wide circle seemed to form around the three, which they all seemed to be thankful for. Simon sat down next to Ralph again, even the twins giving him a bit of space.

Slowly, noise started filling the room again as the boys began to talk, mostly quietly to each other, and in small groups. Jack was in the corner opposite them, the only other boys with him now Roger. Neither seemed to be talking to each other though.

Simon turned his attention back to the three he was sitting with now. They were quiet as well, although Sam and Eric kept stealing glances over at Ralph, as if wanting to speak but not sure what to say.

All three boys still showed marks of their stay on the island, even though they'd been washed and given fresh clothes. No one's hair had been cut yet, for one thing, but the main things that really stuck out were the cuts and bruises. Ralph still had the remains of a black eye, numerous scratches and even a few burns from running through the forest that final day.

Sam and Eric both looked similar, although it was clear that many of their cuts and half-healed gashes weren't made by accident.

It was no wonder neither boy would go anywhere near Roger anymore.

There wasn't enough space on the cruiser for any of the boys to get their own rooms or beds during the night, but the men had passed out blankets and pillows. Simon didn't need to sleep, so he stayed up every night, watching as Ralph tried his best to as well, before eventually passing out sometime in the early morning from the fatigue. The twins weren't much better, although they tended to collapse from what Simon could guess was around two or three in the morning.

After a few days, it was clear that they were getting close to land. Simon would only really leave Ralph's side in order to listen in on the adults to figure out what was going on.

They were going to the United States, since Britain was in ruins now. That wasn't what worried Simon though, since that's what they'd been doing when all of this had started. He couldn't quite remember where they were heading beforehand, it could have been America, but they'd been evacuating all the same.

No, what worried him was that the officers said that none of the boys would be able to return to their families. They'd done searches, after finding out as much information from all of the boys as they could, but the majority of their families had been killed in the bombing. The ones who weren't dead were either unable to be found or in no position to be able to take their children back.

They'd found out that Ralph's father had been killed in the war, only a few days after their own plane had crashed.

When they informed the boys of this, there hadn't been as much immediate crying as Simon would have thought there'd have been. Yes, most of the littluns cried, but even some of them had sort of simply listened in confusion, not quite taking the information in at first. The others boys were mostly eerily silent, although later Simon saw most of them trying to hold back tears and ultimately failing.

In fact, the only one who he hadn't seen crying eventually was Roger. Even Jack had, shuddering in his corner, Roger sitting between the redhead and everyone else, as if making sure to both keep him as hidden as he could and so that no one would attempt to bother him while he mourned.

The next day they hit land. The boys were quickly ushered off the boat, Simon following right along, staying as close to Ralph as he could.

He should leave now. He said that he would leave once they reached the mainland and he knew that everyone was going to be okay. They were in America now. The navy officers would find places for them to stay, where they would be safe. He could leave any time he wanted to.

He couldn't bring himself to right at that moment though. Just figure out where Ralph would be, make sure that the people he ended up with were more understanding to his situation than the officers had been.

The boys were led onto a bus, which took them to a large building. Simon followed as they were all brought inside and made to wait in a room.

Much like back on the boat, everyone quickly clumped into little groups. Most of the choir boys staying together, the littluns in their own area. Jack and Roger, making sure to stay as far away from Ralph and Sam n' Eric as possible, the latter three the same.

After a while, a man came into the room, explaining that they would be taken out as the families that had volunteered to take them in arrived. Most of the boys were unresponsive to this announcement, but a few nodded their heads and such to let the man know they had heard.

Simon was surprised how fast people started coming, but he guessed they did have all that time they were on the boat to find families to take them in. The man had said that it could take a few days for everyone to get picked up though, so it was still surprising when the first boy, Harold, who Simon still remembered from the choir, was taken away not even an hour later.

Slowly but surely the room began to empty. Simon watched the people coming in, the man from earlier leading them over to a boy seemingly at random and taking them away. Sam and Eric would look up, but back down again whenever they realized it wasn't for them, while Ralph didn't bother looking around at all.

He didn't pay attention until a certain couple came in. Originally they were simply like everyone else, until they were led into the corner where Jack and Roger were. The man calmly explained that they would be taking Jack home with them, and the redhead stood up obediently. Despite everything Jack had done back on the island though, no one had paid this too much mind. The idea that everyone was leaving had sunk in already, so this was no surprise.

That was until Roger reached up and grabbed the thin boy by the wrist, yanking him back down to the ground and practically growling up at the three adults as they watched in shock.

Jack immediately pulled away from the other boy, his face red, although Simon couldn't tell if it was from anger or embarrassment.

"Stop it, Roger!" the redhead yelled as he quickly scrambled back to his feet. Roger didn't say anything, instead simply staring at Jack for a moment, before turning away to face the corner again. The man in charge of everything sighed after a moment, before apologizing to the couple and putting a hand on Jack's shoulder, leading him out of the room.

No one came for the rest of that day, although it had started to get rather late, so Simon wasn't very surprised. The remaining boys were fed dinner, and Sam and Eric had started whispering to each other as they ate. Ralph didn't attempt to join in on the conversation, barely eating a few bites of his food before pushing it away.

Once again Ralph attempted to stay up that night. The twins did as well, but ended up passing out much earlier than they had on the boat. Simon leaned up against the blonde, his head resting on his shoulder in the best attempt he could get at comfort with how he was now. Sure, Ralph wasn't aware of it at all, but at least he could try.

It didn't occur to him that normally, he would have fallen right through the boy. He was just thankful that this time at the very least, he hadn't.

The first person taken away the next day was Roger. He hadn't paid anyone any mind at all after Jack had left, barely even taking any notice when they told him he was leaving.

Simon was starting to get used to the boys leaving now, so it wasn't until later that day did he really take notice of it again.

The man had led a couple over to the three boys in the corner. Looking them over, Simon decided that they seemed like nice enough people. He wouldn't be upset if Ralph or Sam and Eric ended up going with them.

That wasn't what the man told them though. They were just taking Sam. Not Samneric. Neither of the two seemed to notice this at first though, Eric standing up along with his brother.

"I'm sorry, which one is Samuel again?" the man asked, looking the two over.

"I'm Sam," the twin said, still not appearing to realize what was going on. Simon watched as the man nodded, noticing that everyone who was left had their eyes glued onto the brothers, most of them having put together what was going on. Even Ralph was watching them, his eyes widened in shock.

"Ah yes, well then, you can sit back down for now, I'm sure your new guardians will be arriving soon," he said, turning towards Eric. The reality of the situation hit both boys at the same time, both gapping in disbelief for a moment before finding their voice.

"B-but-"

"You can't!"

They protested, Sam quickly grabbing onto Eric as if afraid they would drag him away if he didn't fast enough. The man in charge sighed, clearly seeing that this would be much harder than it had been to get Jack away from Roger, or any of the other boys.

"We can't take both of them," the man from the couple said, his wife quickly agreeing.

"We're not leaving-"

"Without each other!" the twins yelled, sounding absolutely horrified by the thought. And of course they were. They were Samneric; they couldn't right do anything without the other. That was the way things were supposed to be. How could anyone even think to split them up, especially like this?

They ended up having to bring another adult in to hold Eric back while they dragged Sam out, both kicking and screaming the entire time. The rest of the boys watched in shock, although none of them doing anything to try to help the two brothers. What could they do though? The adults weren't letting Sam and Eric stay together, so if they tried to fight like them, they would just get held back like Eric was being right now. Not even Ralph moved to help at all, instead just watching the whole scene in a shocked silence, looking absolutely terrified.

Once Sam was gone and the man holding Eric left, the younger of the two twins collapsed back down to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Most of those left immediately turned away from him, although for the first time since they'd left the island Simon saw Ralph actually reach out to interact with someone else first, instead of them coming up to him. He placed his hand on the young boy's back, rubbing it in circles in a feeble attempt at comfort.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" he kept repeating, in a whisper that was just barely audible. Eric didn't make any move to show that he noticed either of these things, instead just continuing to cry until he eventually passed out from exhaustion a few hours later.

Thankfully, no one else came until after Eric had fallen asleep, and even then they'd just taken one of the littluns that were left. Looking around now, there were just three littluns left (Simon tried to remember their names, but he could only place two of them as who he was pretty sure a boy named Johnny, and that one who had always been saying his address, Percival Wemys Madison), Maurice, Bill, Eric and Ralph.

Twenty minutes later Bill had been taken as well, although only Maurice seemed to take any notice.

After that they were fed lunch. Ralph actually made to wake up Eric, who took a single bite of his food before pushing it away, mumbling something about how he wasn't hungry.

Simon was starting to get a bit worried now. What if no one came to take Ralph? Then what would they do with him?

Two hours later however, the man came back into the room once again, leading an older couple over to where Ralph and Eric still sat. He started speaking to Ralph, saying basically the same thing he said every other time he'd come into the room, at these people or person were/was going to take him home with them.

Ralph nodded ever so slightly, slowly pushing himself up to his feet. Before he was able to start walking away though, Eric had grabbed onto the end of his shirt.

"Please don't go too. Don't want to be alone…" the young boy pleaded. Simon found himself feeling absolutely horrible for him. Neither of the twins had probably spent even a day apart from each other, and now they would have no idea how long they would be apart, possibly years and Ralph was leaving him too.

Simon briefly considered staying with Eric at that moment, instead of following Ralph. He certainly seemed like he might need it more, but it wasn't like there was actually anything he could do. Eric would never even know he was there if he stayed, and if he didn't follow Ralph now, he might never be able to find him again.

He wasn't sure why he was so determined to keep tabs on Ralph, but he was. It was just… back on the island Ralph had been nice to him, even if he still thought he was a bit strange. He was kind and this… something like this shouldn't have happened to someone like him. He didn't deserve what he'd been through, and mainly, Simon just liked Ralph. He couldn't explain it, but he did. A lot.

Ralph was looking down at the younger boy now, uncertainty clear on his face. Quickly glancing around the room, the blonde actually locked eyes with Maurice, the only bigun still left. The former choir boy softly smiled at him, and Simon remembered how he had always been rather nice. He would goof off during practice and make everyone laugh (as much as Jack had hated that) and before the big split on the island had been amiable with Ralph.

He wasn't the blood thirsty type, not at all. Why had he joined the hunters? It was… it was a shame, since Ralph really shouldn't have to be afraid of him as well.

The blonde had turned away from Maurice now, kneeling in front of Eric so that he was level with him.

"I'm sorry. Go stay with Maurice for now, I'm sure someone will come to take you soon," he said quietly. The adults were watching the children impatiently, but Simon was just glad that they weren't trying to hurry them up any. He guessed the man in charge was hoping that Ralph could handle Eric on his own, so that they wouldn't need to pull in someone else again to take care of things again.

"B-but Sam…" Eric whimpered, looking near tears once again. Ralph just nodded, and for a few seconds he didn't look like the horrified, trapped mouse that Simon was starting to grow used to. It wasn't quite like how he'd been before himself or even Piggy had died, but there was still a tiny spark there.

It seemed having to help someone else had forced the blonde to compose himself again, even if just a tiny bit.

"I know. I promise it'll be okay though, now go over with Maurice, alright?" he said, and reluctantly Eric nodded, standing up as well and walking the small distance to sit down next to the older boy. Ralph turned back over to the adults, the man who worked there sighing in obvious relief before starting to lead the three out.

Simon quickly followed, taking one glance back over to the children left in the room. The three littluns left were being quiet, still watching the ones leaving the room. Eric was sitting motionless, not appearing to be listening to Maurice at all as he rambled on about some random thing, obviously just trying to get the younger boy's mind off of what was going on.

A small sense of relief made its way through Simon though. At the very least, they could trust Maurice to take care of Eric for just a little bit longer. Hopefully he would be okay after that, but for the moment, Simon didn't need to worry.

It occurred to the black haired boy once he climbed next to Ralph in the back seat of their older couple's car that this was also when he'd said he'd be leaving everyone to go up to where Piggy and all that was.

Despite this, Simon decided to not go right at that moment. After all, what were a few more days? Just to make sure that Ralph really was going to be okay, and that he would be able to adjust back well and the people understood that what he went through hadn't been nothing.

Those 'few days' ended up turning into another two weeks. The couple really did seem nice, but most of the time Ralph would just hole himself up in his room, only coming out to eat and things like that. They didn't seem to quite understand what was wrong with him, but they didn't appear incredibly motivated to do anything about this either.

Ralph was in his new room at this very moment, flipping through a book but not actually appearing like he was reading it. Simon sighed softly as he stared out the window. They had ended up staying in the same city as where they'd landed, which he guessed was good thing. He doubted Ralph would have liked to travel too far, especially if it ended up requiring going on a plane.

He had to admit though; Ralph didn't appear like he was getting any worse, at the least. Maybe it was time for him to go. After all, what he was doing was probably more than just a little strange. Practically stalking a boy who he'd only known when alive for about a month.

He couldn't help it though, he cared about Ralph. He just wanted to make sure that he was happy, even if that meant that he couldn't actually interact with anyone while he was doing such a thing, and even if he wasn't actually able to do anything to influence whether or not he was happy.

Before he was able to decide though, someone walking outside caught his eye. His breath hitched (he didn't actually need to breath, but it was more an instinct thing) and he leaned as far as he could out the window.

The window was closed, but that wasn't really a problem to him.

"Ralph! It's Sam! Or, um, Eric, I can't tell, but it's one of them!" he said excitedly, turning towards the blonde boy. Ralph hadn't moved an inch though, not hearing him just like he hadn't been able to any other time.

"Oh, Ralph," he muttered, wishing that there was some way, any way that he could get him over to the window. He didn't end up looking though, and it wasn't very long before the young twin was out of sight once again. Simon slumped over on the windowsill, not able to do anything but wish he could do something.

If he could just do something then it would be okay. But he couldn't.

It wasn't until a month after Ralph had moved into his new house did he and the twin (who turned out to be Eric) actually crossed paths. Ralph was still incredibly quiet, and almost all Eric talked about was trying to find Sam, but at least it was something to get him out of his room.

The twin had told them (well, he was only talking to Ralph, but Simon had been listening) that after they left two of the littluns had been taken before he did. It was just Maurice and one other littlun, although he couldn't remember which, left by that point, and he had no idea what happened to them.

Simon slowly stopped spending almost all of his time watching after Ralph, instead sometimes following Eric home, or just looking around the town by himself. The majority of his time was still spent with the blonde though. It just felt the most right.

He kept telling himself that he was going to leave someday, but as time went on that seemed to become less and less important. He was getting used to the silence. Sometimes Ralph or Eric talked to themselves and it was almost like they were talking to him.

Ralph didn't mention him much, but he did have nightmares at times. And sometimes in those nightmares, he would say his name. That was probably worse than Ralph not mentioning him at all, though.

After a few months, Ralph had gone back to school, but even there he wouldn't interact with anyone beyond what was absolutely necessary. Eric went to the same school, but they were in different grades, so the blonde didn't get to see him much at all during the day. The routine seemed to distract him though, and it gave him something to do other than just sit in his room and sometimes talk to Eric.

After two years, Simon started to notice that he wasn't growing.

Well, of course he wasn't, he was dead and everything. It just hadn't been something he thought about, until one day when he noticed just how much taller Ralph was now. He still looked similar in build as when Simon had first met him, although more filled out. He also made sure to keep his hair short all the time, not letting it get anywhere near the length it had been on the island.

Eric had gotten older as well, many of his childlike features wearing away, although nowhere near completely gone. That huge smile that he'd shared with his twin was almost never seen anymore though.

He was still looking for Sam too, and still nowhere closer to finding him than he had been when they were first torn apart.

Simon wondered what all the others looked like now. Sam was easy to imagine, probably just the spitting image of Eric, after all. Everyone else was less so. Whenever he thought about them, they were cemented in his mind as the same age as when he'd last seen them.

Just like he was.

It happened about a year and a half after that. Ralph was in his second year of highschool, while Eric was just starting out as a freshman. Simon couldn't actually do any of the work, but he liked to go with them and listen in anyway, in an attempt to at least try to learn. The American schooling system was certainly a lot different from what he'd been used to when alive, but after so long now he'd gotten used to it.

It was early winter, but despite the cold starting to seep in the two older boys hadn't gone directly home after school, stopping by a local park instead. Simon had tagged along with them like he normally did, but wasn't really paying them too much mind. He decided to try to amuse himself by following around some of the ducks that hadn't left the pond yet while Ralph and Eric sat on a bench and talked.

Whenever he would touch one, they would fluff up their feathers and even sometimes move away from him. It was nice to know that something could still feel he was there, even if it was just a couple of ducks.

"I miss him," the black haired boy overheard Eric say quietly. There wasn't any need for the teen to explain who 'him' was, and Ralph nodded slightly, watching a duck as it ruffled up when Simon petted its back.

"I know. I'm sure we'll find him someday," Ralph said, to which Eric quickly agreed.

"Of course, I mean, I'm sure he's looking just as much as we are, but it's still… sorry, this is all I ever talk about, it must be annoying," he muttered. Ralph shook his head though, not appearing like he minded very much at all.

"He's your brother and it's been over three years now, of course you'll talk about him. It's fine," the blonde insisted.

Someone had walked by the edge of the pond where Simon was with their dog, the energetic thing quickly chasing away all of the ducks, making them scurry into the water. Simon waited for a few moments after the dog was gone, to see if they would come back. The water was cold after all, but for some reason or another they seemed like they were going to stay where they were. A bit disappointed, the boy turned back around to start heading to where Ralph and Eric still were.

"Thanks. You're… you're a good friend," Eric mumbled, his face red from the cold as he blew on his hands in an attempt to warm them slightly. Ralph smiled at the younger teen, something that was slowly starting to happen more often. Simon would say that he was just starting to smile more often in general, but the only person he really ever talked to who made him smile was Eric anyway, so it was a bit of both, he guessed.

"No problem, you are too," Ralph said simply.

And then Eric kissed him.

It was practically nothing, really. Barely a second long peck on the lips, hardly even enough time for Ralph to realize what was happening, let alone react. Eric's eyes were the size of dinner plates when he pulled back though, as if he was just as shocked about what had happened as anyone else. Ralph didn't do anything, just staring at the other boy as if he had absolutely no idea what was going on, which truthfully, he probably didn't.

"I-I- Sorry! I shouldn't have- I don't know- I just, I'm sorry!" Eric blurted out, unable it seemed to finish any of his sentences.

"It's okay," Ralph said, still sounding rather confused about the whole thing. Eric quickly shook his head, not daring to look Ralph in the eyes, his face red from much more than just the cold, Simon could tell that now.

"No- I shouldn't have- I'm-"

"It's okay," the blond repeated, cutting him off before he could say another word. He didn't sound quite as confused anymore, and Eric very hesitantly looked back up at him.

"Um, a-are you sure?" he asked, and Ralph nodded. He certainly didn't look like it had really bothered him any.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. It just… surprised me," the blonde said, the sudden relief practically oozing out of Eric at those words. Ralph smiled at him again, Eric starting to mess with the sleeve of his coat, both looking rather unsure about what had just happened, but neither particularly upset with the outcome.

Simon spun on his heels, head down as he quickly made his way out of the park. A million strange thoughts and emotions that he didn't understand were mushing around inside of him, causing his eyes to sting slightly, as if he was going to start crying for some reason.

He shouldn't have stayed this long. He should have left a long time ago, maybe even have gone off with Piggy, or at the very least once Eric had appeared again. What he was doing wasn't right. He should just leave now and… and…

And why was he so upset?

He shouldn't be, after all. Ralph didn't even know he existed. Literally! He had no idea that he was ever there. He had no clue that Simon had stayed with him for the past three years now, because he was worried about him. No idea that Simon had isolated himself from any and all contact just so he could make sure he was okay.

To Ralph, Simon was just that batty little boy who'd died on the island a few years ago. The island that he was slowly but surely getting over, so that he could finally move on with his life.

Why had he done that? Why had he put himself through so much just for Ralph and why was this so hard?

Because he liked Ralph. It was that simple, really. He liked Ralph. But not like… boys weren't supposed to like other boys like that.

Of course, that didn't really seem to be a problem right now with Ralph and Eric.

But even if he did like Ralph that way, none of it mattered. None of it mattered because Ralph would never be able to talk to or see him again or anything. It didn't matter because he was dead.

He was dead, but he couldn't… three years and he still hadn't been able to accept it. Instead he just desperately clung on to any sort of remnant from when he was alive, desperately following Ralph around as though if he did it long enough then one day the blonde would be able to see him again and everything would be okay.

Simon didn't go back to Ralph's house that night. He didn't need to sleep anyway, so he just wondered around the town. It wasn't dangerous for him after all. No one could see him or touch him or anything, and even if they could it didn't matter. He was already dead, what else could they possibly do to him?

I should leave. I need to leave.

Those two sentences kept replaying in his head over and over again, but he couldn't bring himself to. Not yet.

Tomorrow. He would tomorrow. Ralph was clearly getting over everything that had happened. He was adjusting back to normal, civilized life, not looking like a skittish little mouse about to run at every sound. That was so good, and Simon truly was happy about that.

He knew Sam and Eric would end up finding each other again someday, too. He didn't think anything would be able to keep those two away from each other forever, after all.

Despite the jealousy he was currently feeling towards Eric (horrible, horrible jealousy that he absolutely hated. He didn't want to be jealous of Eric. He thought of Eric as his friend) he hoped that the time when they found each other would be soon. He shouldn't have been separated from his family for so long.

He just needed to say goodbye to Ralph first. Even though he wouldn't be able to hear him, he still wanted to be able to. Sure, he would still be able to watch him from up in heaven, but it just felt different somehow. He would be able to check on how everyone else was too, since he wouldn't have to know where they were to be able to see them. That would be good. Good to finally get them out of his versions of them locked in time from the island in his mind.

Once morning came Simon started back over to Ralph's house. It was a Saturday, so he wouldn't have school. When he made his way up to the blonde's room, he was still asleep, curled up on his bed.

When he was like this, you couldn't even tell that everything on the island had ever happened. That was the way it should be.

"Um, Ralph?" Simon said quietly. The blond didn't stir at all, not that Simon had been expecting him to. Maybe it was better talking to him while he was asleep, since at least then it seemed normal when he didn't respond. Plus, it would have been strange and awkward if he was trying to say goodbye to Ralph while he just went around doing his normal routine.

Yes, talking to him in his sleep was much better.

"I just, I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure you would be okay after the island, but I really shouldn't have stayed for as long as I did. I wanted to say goodbye before I left though, so… goodbye…" he said softly.

Okay, he could leave now. He could leave now, and everything would be fine. Ralph would never… he'd never notice a difference at all. What was probably the biggest decision Simon had made in who knows how long, and Ralph couldn't even be able to care one way or the other!

He knew Ralph had never known he was there, but it wasn't until that exact moment did the boy realize just how awful that truly felt.

Tears started leaking past his eyes; the more he attempted to stop them the more that came. Soon, he was sitting on the floor next to Ralph's bed, his head leaning on his knees as he sobbed quietly.

After a bit he could hear Ralph starting to move around, waking up slowly. He quickly started wiping away the tears, even though it wasn't like Ralph would ever notice he was there.

He needed to go now. Before he ended up changing his mind.

He could feel a warmth starting to grow inside of him, slowly spreading outward. He remembered something similar happening to Piggy oh so long ago now. A soft light began enveloping him, and Simon couldn't help but smile at the content feeling that began to engulf him.

Ralph had woken up now, pushing himself into a sitting position and rubbing his face sleepily. When he turned to get out of bed, the blonde was instantly frozen in fear and shock. Sitting on his floor, glowing like an angel was a boy. A boy he immediately recognized.

"Simon?" he gasped out, quickly catching the other's attention. Simon instantly forced himself to smile, despite the film of tears that had formed over his eyes. Of course he could see him now, right as he was leaving.

There were a million things he wanted to say to him, but he didn't have time for that. He could feel himself fading away fast, so he just said one thing.

Maybe it was selfish of him, but he just wanted Ralph to know what he'd been doing all this time. And what he was going to keep doing, even if it was a bit differently now.

"I've been watching over you. Making sure you were safe," he said softly. Ralph's eyes widened ever more than they already were, watching the young boy in shock and wonder.

"What?" he managed to get out, and Simon just smiled even wider. He was going now, not much time at all.

"I'll always watch after you. I said you'd get back all right, after all," he said, barely managing to keep himself from choking out another sob. He forced himself to keep smiling as he quickly disappeared from that world forever.

"Wait! Simon, wait!" Ralph yelled, tumbling out of his bed, although by now the young boy was already gone. All he could do was stare at the spot where he'd appeared, before very slowly forcing himself to climb to his feet.

"Simon?" he called uncertainly, but there wasn't any answer.

Ralph walked down the cold winter street later that afternoon. His mind was still a swirling mix of confusing emotions from that morning. He knew he hadn't been dreaming, so it had to have been… a hallucination or something. But why now? He'd been getting so much better over the years…

"Ralph!" the blonde boy jumped in surprise at the sound of Eric calling his name, nearly running into him and knocking him to the ground right afterwards. Before Ralph was able to ask what was going on, he started speaking at nearly a mile a minute.

"Ralph! I found him! I found him! I finally got a hold of some documents from when we first came back and I found him! He lives in Maine and it's only a six hour drive from here and I can see him again, I can see Sam again!" he nearly shouted, bouncing up in down in his spot as if he couldn't bear to not be moving. Ralph instantly started smiling at the news.

"That's great Eric! I told you that you'd see him again someday," he said happily, Eric quickly nodding his head in agreement.

"I know! I just can't believe it actually happened and I can't wait to see him again and- hey, are you okay? You look like you've been crying or something," Eric quickly cut himself off; taking notice of the other boy for the first time since he'd arrived. Ralph was actually surprised that he did at all, with how excited he was.

He started to shake his head, to tell him that it was nothing, but stopped, instead shrugging before trying to explain.

"I'm fine, I just, something weird happened this morning. I thought I saw Simon," he said, Eric's eyes widening in shock.

"Simon? As in Simon, Simon? I mean, I'm sure it was just someone who looked like him was all," he said, but Ralph started shaking his head.

"No, it had to have been a hallucination or something. It was in my room, and he said… that he was watching over me and stuff, and that he knew I would get back all right," he mumbled. Slowly Eric started to nod, taking it all in.

"Maybe… maybe he was watching over us. He might have been the one to help me find Sam," he said, a joking tone to his voice, even though they both knew it wasn't quite a joke. Either way though, Ralph forced himself to chuckled before nodding slightly.

"Heh, yeah, maybe he was," he said. The two boys started walking, Eric hesitantly reaching out and grabbing Ralph's hand. The older boy still wasn't quite used to this, but… it was nice. Eric was nice, and he liked being around him. He was one of the only people he liked being around anymore.

"Hey Ralph?" Eric asked, leaning his head on Ralph's shoulder as they walked.

"Yeah."

"You just got your driver's license, right?" he asked, and Ralph nodded, not having a hard time guessing where this conversation was going to lead.

"Yep, last month. Why?" He asked back anyway.

"Can you take me to Maine? To see Sam?" he asked, and Ralph chuckled, squeezing the younger boy's hand a bit tighter before nodding.

"Of course."

Oh gosh, this turned out way longer than I ever expected it would. And I made myself sad, too. Also, what the hell, I don't write shipping! Why did I write shipping? And what even is RalphxEric? How did that happen? I don't know anymore! I don't write anything, I just let my hands run over the keyboard and magically something appears!

Um, but yeah, thanks for reading, and please review. I read reviews in order to feel joy in this world.