I would've liked to see these two interact more. So, here we are.

I imagine them to be about 18 in this, but it's open to interpretation. Enjoy! I don't own Jimmy.

The morning is bright and clear, an antithesis for her gloomy and grey mood. Cindy is in the Neutron's driveway, trying not to look at the suitcase sitting in the back seat of the hovercar.

"This is the last of it," Jimmy says as he arrives next to her with a briefcase and backpack. They are so full that they aren't properly closed.

"I think you forgot the kitchen sink," she teases.

"You never know when inspiration will strike!" Jimmy argues.

"Why didn't you use your Hypercube?" she asks.

"It's on the fritz again," he sighs.

"Neutron, you are something else."

He turns toward her, his eyes glittering with familiar mirth and a smile tugging at his lips. For a moment, she's caught like an insect in the web of unsaid things.

Then Goddard yips playfully at her ankles. As she bends down to pat his head, she feels a strange mixture of regret and thankfulness. "It was nice to see you again, boy."

"I'm beginning to suspect you'll miss him more than me," Jimmy laughs.

"He is cuter than you," she quips back, and when he raises an eyebrow, she turns away.

Jimmy's parents are coming up behind them. Judy is carrying a ziplock bag of goodies, and Hugh has a thermos of coffee. Cindy smiles at their thoughtfulness.

"Call us when you get there, dear," Judy says.

Jimmy nods. "I will."

"We love you, Jimbo," Hugh adds.

Jimmy hugs his parents, and then he turns to her. He tilts his head in an unspoken question, and she nods. They step forward into a warm and comforting embrace. Without thinking, she leans her face into his shoulder and breathes him in. Her heart is a butterfly with crystalline wings in her chest. When he steps away, the memory of him clings to her. He gives them all a warm smile as he steps up into his hovercar. The engine roars to life, and he waves.

She watches him float down the driveway and the road until he's no more than a speck on the horizon, and then he's gone. She can feel tears pricking at her eyes, but she won't let them fall.

"Do you remember the first time I met you?" Judy unexpectedly asks at her side. She'd forgotten that the older woman was even there.

Cindy doesn't understand why she's asking, but she answers. "You came to my house looking for directions."

"I don't think I ever told you how much you reminded me of Jimmy. I knew you would get along well." Cindy opens her mouth to retort, but Judy holds up a hand. "You had a turbulent relationship, yet over the years, you always helped him when he needed you. Why?"

"I think you know the answer," Cindy answers with a blush.

"Are you certain?" Judy asks without a trace of unkindness or skepticism. It's an honest question.

A long moment passes in which Judy looks at her, and she looks at Judy. Cindy feels the truth on her tongue, waiting to be released. "Yes."

"Have you told him?"

Cindy sighs, "it's complicated."

Judy laughs, and the sound is warm and lovely. "When I first met you, you were a precocious young girl, intelligent, but you had some sharp edges. I didn't think much of you. But eventually, I saw that you were other things too. Ambitious and capable. Brave and loyal. You cared about my son and encouraged him when I could not. You tried to remind him to eat and sleep. I try not to meddle, but you should tell him, Cindy."

"I don't know if I have the strength," Cindy admits, and she hates the way her voice shakes.

"Love is worth a moment of vulnerability," with those final words, Judy heads back into the house.

Cindy watches her go, utterly bewildered.

-x-