Disclaimer: I don't own Jimmy Neutron.

That night...

After Macy had gone to sleep, Cindy went to the bathroom to freshen up before going to bed. She went inside and positioned herself in front of the sink and mirror. The sound of waterdrops from the shower aggresively falling went to a sudden stop. The man behind the shower curtain tousled his hair and roughly pulled the translucent plastic curtain to the side.

"What are you doing here?" Jimmy shot Cindy a calculating, distrustful look.

"I'm gonna brush my teeth, obviously." Cindy replied without looking at the man wrapped in dripping water. She proceeded to covering her own toothbrush with the red mint toothpaste.

"Can't you see, sweetie? I kind of need some privacy here, ONLY KIND OF, KIND OF CINDY, KIND OF," Jimmy was obviously mocking Cindy, much to her chagrin. He pursed his lips as an attempt to keep his cool.

Cindy put down the toothpaste and toothbrush she was holding and faced the brunet. She returned the mockery he threw at her, "HONEY, our privacy is ALMOST the same as our own company! Besides, what even is there to hide?" Cindy smiled knowingly. "I've already seen your...everything!" Cindy simpered. Jimmy, who was covering his own "manliness" noticed the lass's eyes were travelling to his bottom.

"Hey, hey hey! No peeking, okay?!"

"But you know," Cindy folded her lips and raised her eyebrows, as if searching for the right words to describe, "I'm actually surprised that it's still..." Cindy started to nod to herself, "pretty robust and lengthy, hmmm," She continued to tease him as if evaluating his manliness.

"CAN YOU STOP?! I'LL REALLY-"

"What? What? What are you gonna do to me? Huh? What?" Cindy neared her face to him as if daring him to do anything at all.

"I'll really!" Jimmy pulled her waist to him and glared daggers at her. Her half ponytail swayed in graceful motion, as if continuing to mock him in the process. Cindy could not react and only managed to widen her eyes, she was more than sure she caught Jimmy looking at her quivering lips, she almost, ALMOST imagined him nearing his face to her...Suddenly, she felt something flaccid against her upper thigh and before anything else could happen, she pushed him and yelled.

"Get off of me! You're dripping wet!"

"Ouch! That hurt! Come back here! Vortex!"

Cindy left the bathroom in a hurry, leaving the poor brunet who fell on the wet bathroom floor.

In a different bathroom just oustide the couple's bedroom, Cindy quickly locked the door and threw up all that she could, she vomited and puked on the toilet, whilst trying too hard not to be loud so as not to attract any unwanted attention. Cindy breathed heavily and tried to catch her breath. She placed her palm on her stomach and carressed it. "When will this end?"

Afterwards, she washed her face and even scrubbed her lip area just to eliminate the stench of nauseating undigested food puke covered in blood.

When she finally went out, Jimmy was there to question her.

"Did you just...vomit?"

"Yeah, I'm done, let's go to bed. I'm sleepy." Cindy walked past him and wiped the remaining waterdrops off her mouth.

Jimmy pulled her back to face him. He cornered her against the bathroom door. Cindy thanked the gods her nervousness was (hopefully) unbeknownst to Jimmy.

"Are you sick? Or perhaps not feeling well?"

Cindy slightly widened her eyes in unintended surprise. "What?" She managed to fake a genuine sounding laugh. "What makes you think THAT? No! I just kind of ate something bad, or maybe indigestion, I don't know. But you're just overreacting."

She pushed her way to enter their bedroom, sighing a relief.

"Okay..." Jimmy was not completely convinced with the blonde's amswer, though.

Cindy pulled her cotton pyjama bottom before positioning herself comfortably on the left side of the bed.

"By the way, Macy's school has an upcoming family day event. Obviously, by the name itself, it's something that requires even a makeshift dad to be present. Please don't ditch her like what you do to some people." Cindy spoke with a derisive tone

Jimmy stopped fixing his own comforter. "Why are you bringing that up again?"

Cindy lifted her piercing green eyes from the book she was reading. She smiled innocently, "Umm did I say anything?"

Jimmy just rolled his eyes and quietly lied down on his coir mattress on the floor. "As if!" He grumbled to himself.

"It's a fake union! I'm telling you it is!"

The next morning in the automotive center, it was an unusual and unpleasant setting. Adam was holding a nearly drunk Belle to keep her standing steadily. She couldn't on her own feet.

"Did you just drink alcohol early in the morning? What has gotten into you? Belle you stink!" Adam screeched and used his remaining free hand to cover his nose.

"Fake marriage! Jimmy's in a fake marriage! I have to save him from that undeserving woman!" Her cheeks continued to grow red and her eyes found it hard to stay open.

"Can you keep quiet?" Adam covered Belle's mouth who was also already nauseaous.

She harshly pulled the lad's hand away, "Adam! Why are you doing this to me? Get off or I'll m-ff!"

Suddenly, somebody on the phone entered the room. "Well yes, that is technically true but on the other hand, we also need to develop more innovative test procedures for the new model to ensure engine competence. And please also don't forget to list down the vehicle behaviour, its components, mechanics, and engine, that we could and should anticipate in the vehicular development manufacturing stage. I think that will be all for now, okay, thanks, bye." He put down the phone.

"What's going on here?" All Jimmy was able to inhale was the nauseating stench of alcohol and pieces of barbecue flavoured chips and crisps scattered on the room's floor.

"I don't know with this crazy woman, James, she just showed up to work like this! She kept on sputtering nonsense stuff like you entered a fake union with a woman you don't seem to know blah blah, I completely have no idea what she's talking about!".

"Belle!" Jimmy called out while maintaining a distance from the lady.

Belle who was already about to fall asleep, after seeing Jimmy, her face brightened and she straightened herself up.

"Are you...hahaha!...here to see me?"

"Of course I have to be here, I have to work! Belle why are you like this?" Jimmy turned around to get some lemon tea from the pantry cabinet for her.

"Belle! Wo-oh no! Jimmy! She fell!"

After a few hours...

Sheen had once again showed up in his friend's workplace without prior notice during the busiest hour.

"Sheen why of all the time that you can go here, you chose this hour? You know I'm very busy!"

"I love the food here! Isn't it nice to work here? You get free food! Hey, do you still have some of those lychee coffee jelly? You mind giving me some?"

"Tell me, what did you want to see me here for?" The brunet kept on checking his watch while Sheen continued to seem indifferent.

"Oh yeah, I just wanted to invite you and Cindy to my ventriloquy show later in the nearby comedy bar."

"Yeah, we'll be there of course."

"Thanks Jim. I've already reserved a table for us four already! Too bad Carl can't come."

"Well you know he always can't come, he's busy doing who knows what. Where were you for the past few years? I'm sure we'll get to see him one of these days..." Jimmy finished his coffee and threw the paper cup in the trash bin sitting next to him.

"Yeah I hope so..."

"Say Jimmy, speaking of red-heads, where's the girl who always chases you whenever I'm here? Like the slim, a little older than you one? I think her name's Bett-Belle! Where is she?"

Jimmy sighed, he was tired from dealing with that single woman for the day. "Why do you even want to know?"

"Did something happen?" Sheen asked, concerned.

"I asked Adam to bring her home first, she seemed to be a little bit...unstable so I had to send her home."

"That's funny, I always thought she really was whenever I saw her here, oh well! Thanks for the coffee Jim! Guess I'll see ya later."

Comedy Bar

"Cindy! Jimmy! Here!" Libby stood up from her seat to welcome the two.

"The show's starting in a bit so the lights are already out, I hope you guys don't mind!" They sat down around the table and Libby took a sip from her iced lemonade.

"Here's the menu, order anything you want, it's on us!" Libby grabbed the menu book and handed it to Cindy and Jimmy.

"Thanks! But it's fine! We can pay for ours, Libs," Cindy smiled and took the menu.

Libby watched the stage light up as the hosts of the night started walking up to the stage.

"What do you want to eat?" Jimmy asked Cindy a bit loudly, there was a lot of howling and crowd cheering from around them.

"Anything, I'm not really hungry." Cindy showed no appetite and was quite uninterested in the food that was pictured on the menu, for Jimmy though, it all looked appetizing.

"Come on Cindy, you haven't been eating properly for how long now..." Jimmy was a bit worried about Cindy's health at this point, she had no appetite at all and all she consumes (possibly) all day during the past few days is water and sometimes, apple juice. And the fact that she just ejected food matter twice in a week didn't help in Jimmy's growing concern (or suspicion?) for the lass.

"Just order what you want, I'll just get from that."

"Sure?"

"Shh! Sheen's starting!" Cindy used her index finger to hush Jimmy while not looking away from the stage. He couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"Okay."

Jimmy called a waiter and placed his order. He then shifted his gaze to his friend who was already performing on stage. During their elementary and middle school days, whenever someone laughed involving Sheen, it was always at him, and not because of him. Now, Jimmy felt happy and satisfied for his friend, he was no longer being made fun of, instead, he's the one who makes fun of people now...or is it his dummy? Well, it doesn't really matter now, as long as he can make people happy, which has been, according to Libby, his "longtime dream".

"Hey girl," Libby spoke to Cindy while maintaining her gaze at the stage.

"Yeah?"

"You seem to be losing weight, you're a lot thinner than when I last saw you. Are you under stress?" Libby asked.

"I'm not! I'm just not eating much these days."

"But you're okay. Right?" Libby glanced at Cindy who was intently looking back at her.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Cindy couldn't brush off the growing weight on her chest, one, because she was lying to her only girl friend, and second, she knew her symptoms were starting to show and her overall physical figure was starting to change, and it's becoming noticeable for the people around her, she laughed a bit instead.

Libby faced Cindy. "Promise me that if ever something happens, like anything in like anytime, you're gonna IMMEDIATELY call me or contact me in anyway."

"You're just being para-"

"Promise me!"

"I promise!"

"Good. Now enjoy the show!"

"Of course I will."

"Guys, I'm just going to the comfort room, be right back." They heard Jimmy say and walk away.

"Uhh Libby, can I ask you something?" Cindy made sure Jimmy was far away from them before she hesitantly spoke.

"Sure, girl, anything."

"How did you know that the "love of your life" was already...Sheen when the two of you are so different and seem to be far from each other?"

"Well, you just feel it. There comes a point in your life wherein you're like, 'I want to spend the rest of my life with this person.' Something like that. Why?" Libby took a sip from her lemonade and faced her best friend, she felt that this conversation would be a little longer than expected.

"Nothing, I think I'm just constantly amazed by how you and Sheen are so happily...married. Well are you happy?" Cindy asked...just to make sure.

"Heck yes I am! I'm having the time of my life with Sheen! I'm happiest whenever I'm eith him!"

"I can see that, but, didn't you guys break up before? What's up with that?"

"Oh yeah, that time was sooo dark for us two, especially for our relationship, but you know, past is past. You gotta move on, accept the imperfections of the love of your life and carry on. If you have to live the rest of your life with that person, you have to be ready to accept everything and anything that is... you know? Him. You can't say you love a person if what you only love about them is their uniqueness, their appearance, or their intelligence, or wealth. If it only involves the good parts, then that's not love, that's something else."

"But didn't that breakup hurt you so bad?"

"Yeah it did, it most definitely did. But loving another is supposed to hurt so your love can be worth everything, you wouldn't easily allow yourself to lose the person you love if you were hurt for or because of them. Mind you, I'm not saying be hurt BY them, but be hurt FOR them, for me that's real love, Cinds."

"But isn't that stupidity? Getting hurt for someone else's sake? It's like jumping a bullet when you can hit a bullet with another! Cu'z you know, you're unhappy, doesn't that mean no love?" Cindy exclaimed.

"Well, look at it like this, if the person has the power to make you feel unhappy, or worried or anything, then that only means that person has an effect on you, and he can occupy your mind, why? Because you feel strong emotions for them. Get it? We're like doing circular reasoning here Cindy!"

"I'm sorry! But it's just that I thought imperfections can flaw or cause severe damage to a relationship."

"Not if you treat them as the "special quirks" of yours! Meaning, your respective imperfections can be the things that can define your relationship and you can even use them to build a stronger bond! Because with imperfections, you'll have to make sacrifices, the both of you. That right there, is love, darling. So can we stop talking about this and watch the show?"

"Hey guys! What'd I miss?"

"Your dear wife here has been ask- Ouch! Cindy! What did you do that for?!" Cindy pinched Libby for almost tattle telling.

"Why on earth would you tell him what we just talked about?!" Cindy mouthed. She glared at Libby.

Libby just rolled her eyes in reply. "Okay fine, me no tell, I get it. But girl I just wanted to tell ya that if you think someone is not worthy of your love, then that only means you don't love that person hard enough. But if you use other people for your own selfishness and use love as an excuse, then you're absolutely not worthy of that person WHO'S WILLING TO BE USED BY YOU's love."

Cindy thought about this. Was she using anyone to love another?

Hey guys! I'm sorry for the late-but-not-too-late update. Here's chapter 11! It's super late at night so I guess I'll just have to check the grammar and sentence construction tomorrow... Thanks for all the support though I know I'm not a really skilled writer! Hahah anyway, of course reviews and criticism are welcomed as always. And just want to tell y'all that judging from my writing style, outline and stuff, this story might reach until chapter 25-30. We'll be together for a while friends! I also wanted to tell you guys that I can't write a chapter in more than one seating, I think that's the reason why I take long because I need a lot of hours just to write a single chapter and I want to finish it in one seating or max. is two. Thought I just had to share that, I hope that helps to make the story sound more flowy though! I think that's all for now!