(Timmy's PoV)

It had been several weeks since he had promised Vicki that he'd never leave her either. He had meant it, he really loved Vicki as strange as it might sound. School would start again soon, and he was supposed to go home... maybe his parents would let him stay here with Vicki, they sure as hell didn't want him around. They would be free do to what they pleased, as long as they provided for him like they were supposed to. Of course they had been paying Vicki during the time he spent here, and they helped a lot. He had been doing odd jobs during the summer to help out as well, to make sure that Vicki had to babysit less... whenever she babysat she returned in a foul mood. And he knew that Vicki didn't want to be bitter and mean, that it was just the luck of the draw, and she ended up with a crappy hand.

Being out in public together was weird... well not weird for them. Just the people that came up to them were weird. Like his former friends, Chester and AJ. They had come up to him and Vicki while they were sitting in the Dimmsdale mall's food court eating dinner, just before the mall closed. When AJ had distracted Vicki, who was been doing a bad job of acting mean, when Chester came up behind him, telling him it was safe to run now... Chester had looked confused when Timmy, just stared at him as if he was insane.

"I came here with Vicki... on purpose." Timmy said, he hadn't even thought about what they'd think... he assumed he would have thought the same thing if one of them were at the mall with Vicki. "Me and Vicki are well... you know."

That realization really shocked the boy, and AJ too he obviously overheard them talking, Well Timmy wasn't really trying to be secretive about it. Him and Vicki were dating, it didn't seem like a big issue to him, but it might seem strange to others. Like he had thought before, it would have been strange to him if one of his friends had started dating Vicki.

"How could you... date... HER!?" Chester asked a little too loudly, and AJ tried to quiet him but failed. Vicki had opened her mouth to say something, but Timmy interrupted her.

"Because I can date who I want to. Maybe..." he couldn't say she was nice... that might make babysitting hard for her if word got out. "Maybe I like her just the way she is."

"Sorry Timmy, sorry... Vicki." AJ said while covering his friends mouth, dragging him away. Timmy caught part of the conversation before they were out of earshot. "Are you nuts? Your going to insult Vicki... the VICKI... are you stupid?"

"But Timmy..."

"He made a choice, if he's happy fine... but don't go signing my death certificate with yours."

Vicki just stared at her place for a bit, he'd give anything to know what was going through her mind as she picked at her food. They had been having a wonderful time together, they usually did whenever they went anywhere. That was still new to him, he had gotten used to being in love with his enemy, but the way people looked at them... mainly Vicki. He couldn't believe that he had once looked at her in the same way whenever she was in a public place. He felt ashamed of how he had treated her... he didn't even know her past, but that wasn't a excuse... of course she had tormented him. But she had never physically hurt him, not on purpose anyways.

"You know that'll happen more the longer we are together..." she sounded sad... and her voice cracked a bit.

"I don't care, let them think what they want Vicki. They don't matter to me... they were my friends yes. But if they can't be happy that I found someone... THE someone to be with and be happy with, then I don't need them." Timmy reached over and grabbed her hand, he should have been too young to understand these emotions... then again he was too young to have slept in the same bed as a girl three years older than him, and to have been kissing her. He really didn't care. "Besides who else is there for me... That Trixie bitch? Her insane friend? Or, no offense, but your creepy sister? Besides, I want to be with you... I want to stay with you even when school starts."

"I think your parents will be expe-" she started, and was interrupted.

"I don't care what they want, and whatever they want it usually has nothing to do with me. Never has." He looked at their trays, and cleared off the table, both were done even if neither of them admitted it. They started back to her car, when he took her hand. It startled her, as more people stopped and looked at them.

"People are looking."

"Screw them."

Out in the car Vicki and Timmy had just gotten in, and put on their seat belts, she looked over at him, and again he wondered what was going through her mind. But his mind drifted to just how she looked. She had put her hair up in that side pony tail again... he didn't like that. He reached up and pulled the hair band out of her hair, and watched as he hair fell around her face and across her shoulders. She knew that he liked her hair to be loose, and she blushed. She obviously didn't mind how he felt about her. He leaned over kissing her cheek, then her lips... then kissed her passionately.

"You're so beautiful Vicki." Honestly she was, she was more beautiful than he ever imagined Trixie was, and he felt stupid for never realizing it. Despite him liking Trixie before, he had always had a fondness for redheads, and while they were not common, he didn't believe that he had never really noticed her pink eyes.

(Vicki's PoV)

She liked how Timmy made her feel. When his former friends came to 'rescue' him from her, it had hurt her inside... thought she knew why they did it, she had made their lived horrible too. So she didn't hold it against them for thinking that she was keeping Timmy hostage. But she didn't expect Timmy to respond like he did, she expected him to play it off. Like he had to be with her, she didn't expect him to defend her. It was kind of nice, made her feel warm inside. As she had many times before, she took a moment to thank who ever was watching out for her, for having her suggest Timmy come to stay with her that day.

As they sat in the car it was obvious, he cared about her. He was tender with her. And he didn't pressure her to do things with him, like she would have expected of a thirteen year old boy. All hormones and no brains, that wasn't Timmy. Given the chance, she was sure he'd jump at it... but he wasn't going to push. It was obvious how he felt, when he reached up and let her hair down. He had mentioned often he liked how her hair framed her face. He started kissing her cheek, then her lips, he mind melted as he kissed her passionately... honestly that night he promised he'd never leave her... after kissing her they way he did, even if he pressured her for something, she would have given it up. Something about his kisses, and his touch made her melt... it was addicting.

"You're so beautiful Vicki." Simple words, but they meant the world to her. She had only started to come out of her safety bubble, but he made it so much easier to remain out of it. He never said or did anything that made her feel unsafe. The boy was actually flattering, he was a big self-esteem booster, which is just what she needed. Having always been second to her younger sister, she didn't have much self-esteem. Timmy more than made up for what she was missing. Too bad she couldn't see what he saw.

"No I'm not..." she did truly wish she saw in the mirror, what Timmy saw. Maybe then she'd feel better about herself, she wouldn't have to be so angry and mean. If people truly saw a beautiful girl, then why do they treat me so badly... Because you're always so mean and grouchy, her mind told her. Maybe if you were nicer, they would be too.

"Yes you are," there was a hint of something in his voice she couldn't quite make out. She decided that it would be best not to argue until they were back home... sadly she knew what once she got home, she wouldn't even remember there was anything to argue about... so he'd win be default. The smug grin on his face told her that he knew this too. "Anything else before we head home?"

There were a few things that she had wanted to do... they left the mall so quickly that she hadn't even remembered why they had gone there so late in the evening. Not that she told Timmy why they needed to go out, she already had him way too interested in being around her... not that she complained. Just even though... she preferred to shop for her underwear alone. She'd send him to the game store, maybe he'd be distracted enough. "Yeah, I forgot I had some things to get in the mall... with those two coming over... well I forgot. Why don't you head over to look at some games, and I'll come find you when I'm done?"

He seemed to think for just a moment, he preferred to spend every moment near her, she wasn't sure why... but the temptation of games seemed to have won over, it would do them both some good for a little quiet time... not that they got on each others nerves. That amazed her, she expected some sort of arguments, or something given their history, but they both seemed to have done a great job of pushing all that behind them for something each wanted more, companionship. "Alright."

She had left Timmy, at the game store and made her way to the clothing store. She wondered if she had friends, what would they have thought about how she felt about Timmy. Honestly there wasn't that much of an age difference, but the fact that she used to be his babysitter would have been a issue, or so she thought. She had taken a moment to wonder what her parents would have said, if they would be encouraging, or if they'd be damning... if they had cared at all. All of this complicated emotions building inside her, yet no release. No way to find out if any of it was wrong or right. No adult figures she knew cared enough about her to be honest... and most of the people her own age were afraid of her.

Besides, she thought to herself, school would be starting again soon. She was sure that Timmy's parents wouldn't relent in him staying with her. Maybe they would... she didn't know, they were not very attentive parents. She was there most of the last few years of Timmy's life, almost every night now that she thought about it. But if they didn't let him stay, she would have to prepare to be alone again. She had gotten used to him being with her, something she didn't think could happen. But it had. If he left, of course she'd still be able to see him, but it wouldn't be the same. What if he stopped needing her like she needed him? What if...

She couldn't let herself think about those things... not now. If Timmy was going to have to go home, she wouldn't ruin her time with him thinking about 'what if's'. She tried on a couple items, until she found the sizes she needed, her bust had slightly grown, as did her hips, since her old underwear had become uncomfortable she decided it was time to replace them. She eyed some of the lacier items before going to the counter. Who would see them anyways, she said to herself as she shrugged, and passed them by. She selected a couple pairs of pants and shirts and made her way to the counter, paid for her items, and went to go searching for Timmy.

He wasn't in the game store where she had left him... he did lose interest in things quickly. She wandered around, pushing the idea of him losing interest in her quickly as she looked for him. It didn't take as long to find him as she thought. With a three story mall, she could spend hours looking for him, having just missed him. But there he was... walking past a few stores, followed by Chester and AJ. She ducked into the closest store without being seen.

"Seriously? Of all the girls... and I use that term lightly, Vicki?" AJ said, obviously they didn't know she was right inside a store near them and could hear them.

"Dude! Man she's Evil... don't you remember? Or did she like wipe your mind or something." Chester said, sounding dramatic.

"Look. Guys... Don't talk about her like that. There is more to Vicki than you know..." Timmy sounded slightly angry, a tone she hadn't heard from him since that night he lost it at his house.

"Look man, like Chester said she's Evil!" She heard a thud, then Chester saying something about let him go.

"I told you," Timmy's voice sounded barely restrained, it was soft and yet menacing at the same time, "Don't talk about her like that. Now... apologize."

"I'm sorry Timmy... just let me go." AJ forced out each word, Vicki could only imagine what was happening just around the corner. And she didn't want to know... has him being around her this long effected him, has he started picking up traits from her? Then his voice sounded more clear. "Maybe you two were meant for each other... what happened to you Timmy?"

"I found what I was looking for, and no one's taking it from me." He walked past the store she was in, she waited there a moment... wondering if the other two would say anything else. But when nothing else was said she walked out, they were gone...

She found Timmy back at the game store, he smiled and greeted her as she walked in. Said that there wasn't anything too interesting here, and asked if she was ready to go. He didn't seem as if he'd just been in an argument. He never said anything about him and the other two boys, not even when she brought them up again. As she drove home, she was worried what would happen, if his parents made him return home... what kinda of reaction was waiting just below the surface?