Author's Note: Jimmy Neutron is not mine. I'd say more, but I'm tired of a certain lunatroid flaming me whenever she can.

Chapter Nine: Girl Interrupted

Cindy tumbled, head over heels, into the abyss. Heart in his throat, Jimmy lunged, but ere he reached her, a bizarre sensation rocked him. It confused his surroundings, blurred Flippy, and her body vanished from the ravine. His fear evaporated; an invisible force who could only be Cindy had embraced and kissed him. Befuddled, the world tore apart at the seams- how could she be dead if she kissed him so passionately?

Before he awoke, he capitulated to it. Cindy…


Eyelids fluttered and she opened hers; it'd worked, but what would his reaction be? Rising reluctantly, she caressed his face. I don't care what you think you've done or who you think you've hurt. I love you and I always will.

Jimmy smiled gingerly, but only briefly. Snapping to full attention, he pushed her away and glared, abruptly aware of what had transpired. Slamming his palms on the nearby table, he stared out the window into the darkness. Rubbing his eyes, he scoffed at his foolishness. She folded her arms across her chest and restrained her rising temper. Why couldn't he ever thank her for helping him? Why did he have to push her aside? Didn't he understand she wanted to help?

"I rescued you from your inner demons, Sleeping Beauty, and you still think you can handle them on your own?" she snapped, sitting on his bed. Jimmy said nothing, shoulders hunched and head low. She studied his frame and the solo picture decorating the room. At least he hadn't deigned to paint the entire room black, add black drapes, and sulk in his misery. However, the silence was deafening. He hadn't said a word to her awake since their last conversation in the real Retroville. He finally turned; eyes pain filled, he hesitated to approach her.

"I shouldn't have brought you here," he murmured, shaking his head sadly. "I thought you were safer with me…"

She scoffed, patting the bedspread. Jimmy shook his head, yet moments later, joined her. Nonetheless, he sat on the furthest edge. She wished she understood him half as well as she had before the accident. Now volumes of unspoken, indiscernible distance lay between the two. Badly she wanted to bridge the gap, but if he didn't toss her a rope, she'd pitch headfirst into the void.

"I think it's the other way around," she replied, lips twisting into a smile. Shaking his head once more, he hugged his knees to his chest. Tentatively, she crawled across to his side. She didn't touch him, but she was close enough to hug him. He lifted his head to peer curiously at her and the mental guards she'd sensed previously he'd rolled back. She wasn't sure if it was because he trusted her or because he wanted to so badly; he'd forced himself into it.

"Cindy…" he whispered and cautiously nudged her hand with his. Smiling serenely, she wrapped her hand about his and squeezed. Her emerald eyes locked onto his cerulean ones and depths of understanding and compassion revealed themselves to him. They said if he needed someone to run to, she would never turn him asunder.

"Yes?" she replied softly, inclining her head towards him. He leaned forward and…

Ring! Startling both, the alarm clock trilled shrilly and Cindy stared, astonished to discover it was nine thirty a.m., but the sky resembled the middle of night. Frowning, he leapt to his feet and peered out the window. Not only hadn't the 'sun' risen, but there were no signs it would. Cindy glanced at him quizzically, but he was already dragging her down the stairs and out the door. Goddard followed suit, scanning the perimeter.

Bemused, she gawked at their surroundings, but how he distinguished one shadow from another was beyond her. They arrived at the hover car, where he guided into a seat, and hastily ascended. Not until they entered the middle of town did he finally acknowledge her questions. Meanwhile, she shuddered, unnerved by the silence and her prickling skin. Uncomfortable, she eased closer to him.

"The power supply is routed through a universal switch and several smaller ones within town," he spoke, navigating through the streets by headlights affixed to the front.

"According to my settings, the sun ought to have risen two and a half hours previously, an approximation to the actual sunrise in Retroville. Not only has this failed to occur, but the sky retains its early morning state," he explained.

"So? Your universe isn't on schedule. What's the big deal?" she replied and he glanced at her gravely. Gripping her by the shoulders fiercely, his eyes bore into hers.

"The 'big deal' is we're not alone."


Flippy observed Jimmy and his semi official girlfriend languidly; he leaned back in a fold up chair and smiled inhumanly. Behind him, the portal glowed, illuminating the dim room and its surroundings. Breaking into his control had proven no mean feat, but he'd eventually cracked it. Eventually, he'd circumvented the security all together by finding the corresponding place in the real Retroville and setting his portal so he'd be inside. Once this was accomplished, he'd manually switched off the sun and any corresponding electricity (he retained the cameras because Jimmy's antics amused him greatly). Now all he had to do was sit and wait for his bait to work.

The boy had certainly gotten cocky, hadn't he? Already he had lost whatever impeded progress in his relationship with Cindy and they grew closer. If anything, his imminent threat brought them together. They hadn't kissed yet, which he'd definitely do everything in his power to prevent. It irked him, though, that they were on the verge of becoming more than a sniping duo, but a bonafide couple. Jimmy shouldn't have allies, especially not someone who loved him dearly. Why should he be permitted to experience happiness?

He wasn't luring Jimmy into a showdown. For now, he'd be content to play cat and mouse and tug at his emotions. The instant he left Cindy alone and ran to shield her, he'd destroy their budding romance and her life. Later, he'd relish his renewed tears and hopelessness.

"Say 'goodbye, love, goodbye'."


"I suppose Goddard informed you about the nightmares?" Jimmy inquired, searching for a landmark he was unable to locate. They rounded a corner sharply; the headlights sputtered. They'd never been particularly strong, but she didn't relish the thought of wandering around in the dark on the lookout for a phantom from Jimmy's recent past.

She nodded, then, remembering he couldn't see her because his eyes were focused ahead, affirmed it aloud.

"He…" he trailed off, trying to word it so she didn't think him insane. Swallowing hard, he landed just as the lights flickered once more and died. Cindy shivered, rubbing her hands along her goosepimpled arms. Goddard provided sufficient illumination, but hardly relieved the apprehension amongst the humans.

She wrapped an arm about his shoulders to coax him; a weak smile tugged at his lips, but before she could identify it, it vanished. Goddard landed beside them and immediately scanned the area to discern their surroundings and how much they had left to go. Another feeble smile from Jimmy- he'd acted of his own accord, freeing his master to explain the situation. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the shadows pool around a streetlamp Goddard had overridden.

"After he killed my father," he started again, and she scrunched closer, laying her head on his shoulder. His heart rate tripled and he took comfort in her proximity.

Why did I think it better to alienate and ostracize her? She actually acts like she cares…and she smells so nice…

"After my father's death," he said, deciding to rephrase himself. "I lost track of Flippy. I dropped my guard….and because of that, he escaped my notice. You know about the nightmares, but the crux of the matter is he's actually here. He followed me into my Retroville to bait me by threatening my mother. I arrived at my house to verify her safety, but he'd switched targets to you."

Cindy's eyes widened as she pieced two and two together. Her arm on his shoulder pressed him painfully and he yelped, disengaging her. Whether it was fear for her life or his, he could not tell. She rose to her feet, glanced around surreptitiously, and peered into the darkness beyond Goddard's lamp. Silence fell and she folded her arms across her chest.

"You're telling me that a dummy wants to kill me," she snapped and thought, It sounds like the plotline of a bad science fiction horror flick.

Out of context, the line might be amusing. Then again, out of context, unaware of Jimmy's scientific prowess, it'd be impossible in anywhere but a bad sci fi flick. However, he had the propensity to make the impossible not only possible, but highly likely. Sometimes the result proved humorous, but other times, it was disastrous. Nonetheless, she didn't wish herself out of his life. She wouldn't leave him, regardless of the danger.

Unaware of her inner dialogue, Jimmy nodded mutely. In the pale illumination, the lines under his eyes gave his face a haunted look. Perhaps that wasn't too far from the truth- daily he endured the torments and repercussions of his actions. The ghosts and figments of the past chased him endlessly. The knowledge and anguish flickered in his iridescent blue eyes and she longed to fling her arms around him. Only after the accident had he become so vulnerable, his pride an agent in his symbolic destruction.

He must have expected her to tear into him, but she refused. Silence gathered like the shadows and, to create sound, anything to shatter the implication they were the only two people alive, she scoffed her toe on the pavement. Goddard walked straight ahead and they followed suit; Jimmy clearly glancing at her and awaiting castigation. Wisely, she kept any inappropriate thoughts to herself; the poor boy's own mind had betrayed him. She didn't need to add to his woes by berating him.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this," he murmured finally, expression dark and brooding. Goddard plodded on, ignoring his master and their conversation. Part him acknowledged their discourse, but unless it proved crucial or intriguing, he chose to continue his duties. Their feet and metal paws echoed on the desolate street.

Smirking, she playfully punched him on the arm and he yelped, residual anger and a smidge of terror flashing. She suppressed a grin- the longer she accompanied him, the closer he approached normalcy. She only wished those bouts lashed longer than a few seconds. The real Jimmy was still there, she knew it. She just had to be patient and support him.

"If I didn't want to be a part of your life, Neutron, I would have stopped inserting myself into your 'adventures' and pursing you long ago. Do you hear me complaining that your psychotic experiment is hunting me down?" she teased and he flushed, fidgeting. Grabbing his hand, she squeezed it affectionately and released it quickly.

Softly, she added, "Jimmy, I opted to drive you crazy. I tried to chase you into this world in the first place. This is as much my fault as it is yours and if you think you're accepting all the blame again, then your head's as empty as that dummy's. I'm sticking by you whether you like it or not."

To her surprise and pleasure, he smiled faintly. The first genuine smile she'd witnessed in months and warmth blossomed in her chest. Smiling in return, she grabbed his hand and held it within her own. The contact lasted a moment, but when she pulled away, he tightened the connection. Her heart raced and she shivered delightedly. He gazed into her eyes and both temporarily forgot their location, the imminent danger looming ahead, and the reasons for their current state. A giddy whirl swept through them and he yearned to grin like an idiot.

"Cindy?" he whispered.

"Yeah?' she replied, blissfully unaware of Flippy's intentions elsewhere.

"Thanks."

"You realize, Neutron, that now that I'm here, you're never evading me again," she cajoled and the smile transformed into a grin. His eyes met hers and she melted; why had she never noticed before how beautiful they were in the moonlight? A softer blue, like a robin's egg, and they drew her in like magnets. Fleetingly, they simply peered at each other.

Gently, tentatively, he brushed her hair with his fingertips and she rewarded him by pulling him closer. Shutting her eyes, she focused on the feel of his body against hers and his heartbeat pulsating. His arms wrapped possessively around her waist and she smiled, pecking him on the cheek. She sensed rather than saw him turn his head to kiss her on the lips and shifted her own in that direction…her heart skipped a beat…

The streetlamps abruptly lightened and, moment ruined thanks to Flippy, Jimmy released her and darted, remembering his objective. Cindy muttered darkly under her breath- this was the second time the infernal dummy had interrupted a kiss.

"I'm killing that thing myself," she muttered.