By the end of the night, Dani had been saved, he had a new best friend in Allison, he had lost a few years off his life expectancy, and they now had a cat. A talking, immortal cat that was once a boy. All in all, he had no regrets about lighting that candle. Max thought that maybe living in Salem wouldn't be so bad after all. The insurance even ended up covering the damages from the 'prank' that destroyed part of his room. Their parents weren't exactly ecstatic about the 'stray' cat they had brought home, but after seeing how much he meant to Dani (and Max), they were quick to accept Binx as part of the family.

"Max, are you still awake?" Binx asked quietly, squeezing through the crack of his bedroom door and the door frame. Max remained laying on his side, spooning one of his many pillows as he watched the black cat come to a stop beside his bed.

"Yeah, what's up?" he replied softly, glancing at his alarm clock. It was now 3 am, and even days after Halloween, he still had problems sleeping. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Dani getting taken, Billy cutting open the stitches on his mouth, Binx getting ran over, the Sanderson sisters burning-

"Do you mind if I sleep in here for tonight? As much as I adore Dani, I am still a teenage boy and would prefer to not sleep among bright pink bunny rabbits," the hesitant tone quickly turned to disgust at the thought of fluffy stuffed toys. Max chuckled at the facial expression the cat somehow managed to make.

"Not at all dude! There's a blanket over on the-" he was cut off as Binx jumped up onto the bed, settling on the pillow that Max was currently holding. "-Or you can just sleep on my bed with me."

"Why aren't you sleeping, Max?" Binx's voice rang out a while later. Max looked to see that it was now 4 am. He sighed, hiding his face in his pillow.

"I'm trying to, but some fuzz ball keeps talking," he muttered. He opens his eyes when a paw swats at his nose. Binx is inches from his face, staring at him intensely, whiskers twitching.

"Fine, you don't have to tell me. But you need to sleep. You look as bad as Billy." How a cat managed to be so sassy, he didn't know. He snorted, reaching up to push the cat away from his face. Binx hissed but didn't resist as he was pushed back down the pillow to his previous position. Thoughtlessly, Max felt the cat's fur, realizing that he had never actually pet the other. To his surprise, the feline let him, even beginning to purr. Max continued to pet the other, not even noticing when the purring soothed him to sleep.

After that, it became their routine. When Max went to bed, so did Binx. Dani thought it was hilarious, insisted that they invited her to their 'sleepovers' sometime. Even Allison thought it was cute. They woke up one morning to Allison and Dani looking at them from the doorway, giggling turning into full blown laughter when Max, in his scrambling, pushed his pillow and therefore Binx, off the bed. The feline refused to sleep with him for a few nights after that, only returning when Max nearly fell down the stairs in his sleep deprived state. The cat never let him pet him any other time, insisting that he was still a human inside and it was degrading to be treated like a pet.

Fall turned into winter and Max realized that he hated the cold. While the snow and ice was beautiful to look at from inside his warm home, it was awful when he had to leave. Walking through the two feet deep snow in the cemetery to get to school was hell. Dani and Allison, the freaks that they were, loved it. He was dragged outside needlessly time and time again; for snow ball fights, sledding, snow angels, ice skating, etc. His only solstice was that Binx was forced to come along too, the cat bundled up in ridiculous sweaters and booties. His glare promised many scratches if Max dared laughed.

Allison would sleep over some of those times. Wrapped up in one of his many blankets, she would fall asleep on the couch as they would watch a movie, surrounded by empty mugs that once contained hot chocolate. Max can't help but slide a pillow under her head and be thankful for having a best friend like her. He's horrified sometimes when he remembers how he once wanted to date her, how he would look at her 'yabbos' more than he would look her in the eyes. They had kissed a few times before deciding together that they just didn't feel that way about each other anymore, that they were better as friends than a couple. He grunted as he made to get up, stretching his limbs and trying to restore blood flow to his foot that had fallen asleep.

"She will make you a good wife someday, Max," Binx's voice sounded from behind him. He jumped, startled by the other's presence. He turned to face his friend, wondering why the other sounded so bitter. And then he remembered, Thackery was stuck for the rest of his immortal life in the form of a cat. He would never get married or have a family, and one day he would watch as Max, Dani, and Allison grew old. He would watch as they died.

"Nah, it isn't like that- we aren't-"

"You don't have to lie to me, Max," the cat chides gently, somehow both sad and angry.

"We're like family, Thackery. We love each other, but not like that," Allison suddenly adds in. Max doesn't recognize the look on her face as she looks between Binx and him, but it seems to be something like melancholy. He wonders what she sees.

"I see, I'm sorry for the misunderstanding and for waking you," Binx nods in apology before hopping off the chair he was perched on and scurrying up the stairs, presumably to Max's room for bed.

"I don't know what has gotten into him, sorry for waking you up." He scratches the back of his head, eyes still on the staircase.

"You should talk to him. Sometimes we all forget that inside, he is still a teenager just like us. A person with emotions and thoughts and dreams, feelings," she stresses the last word and Max wishes he got what she was implying. Uncomfortable with where this was going, he heads for the stairs as Allison begins to make herself a nest on the couch.

"Sweet dreams, Max. See you guys in the morning," she calls out as he ascends. Binx is already on his designated pillow when Max makes it to his room, seemingly waiting for him. He groans as he falls back onto the bed, chuckling when Binx bounces with the movement of the mattress. In retaliation for disturbing him, the feline proceeds to jump onto Max's chest and lay there, a smug look on his little furry face. Max doesn't want to admit how there is a warmth that seems to be radiating inside him, how content and relaxed he feels when its just him and Thackery. Whether they are laying there in silence, talking all night, lounging on the couch, riding around on Max's bike, or sneaking Binx into school with him, they always have a good time together. And he doesn't want to ruin this moment, but he knew that Allison was right, that he needed to talk to the other.

"A-Are you okay, Thackery? Tonight you were...weird." He cringes at how untactful his question was, but it is too late now to do anything other than charge ahead. He can feel the other tense on his chest, can see the fur on his back standing up straight. Those yellow eyes were now wide open and looking into his own as if searching for something.

"Before I answer that, I have some questions of my own, Max." How did Max become the one being interrogated? He nodded, determined to see where this was going. He wondered what Allison seemed to know that he didn't.

"I am a teenage boy, yes?"

"Of course!"

"And we spend a lot of time together, yes?"

"Well, yes, but I don't understand-"

"Shut up Max!" There were claws lodged in his shirt now, tips pressed against his skin.

"What does it mean in this day and age when two boys spend all their time together? What does it mean when we sleep together, when I lay on top of you like this? What does that mean to me, to you, Max?" Oh. OH. He hadn't been aware that Binx had actually been listening to him when he was talking about how now it was more acceptable to be homosexual and bisexual, especially back home in LA. And he was ashamed that he had fallen into the habit of thinking of the other as a cat instead of as a human, as a pet instead of a friend. It's no surprise that he had completely missed the message before this eye opening conversation.

"So tonight, you weren't just sad that you are stuck like this forever?" he asked slowly, just needing the confirmation.

"No. I was prepared to lose you the day I met you, Max. The moment I agreed to come live here, I decided that it would be worth it. That living this brief time with you and Dani would be worth the pain later; when you guys grow up, move on, have families, die. I had to believe that. But then the longer I spent here, the more time I spent with you...I didn't know it was going to happen. So no, I wasn't just sad. I was jealous of Allison, Max. Even knowing now that you two aren't romantically involved, I'm still jealous. She has a body that has held you, that has kissed you. She isn't stuck as a cat. She isn't stuck as your damn pet!" Claws were now digging rather painfully into his chest, and he could feel drops of blood slowly making their way down his sides. But he didn't try to dislodge the other. Thackery was important to him, and, even if Max didn't know quite how he felt about the other yet, he had to let the cursed boy speak about how he had been feeling all these months. Reaching up slowly, as to make his intentions known, he placed his hand on the back of the cat's neck and moved his thumb in soothing circles. They lay there in silence, and, slowly but surely, the claws in his skin retracted.

"You are bleeding." Max shushed the other gently, never ceasing his soothing movement. He did his best to not pet so much as stroke, tried to treat the other as a human like he should've been doing from the very start. But it was hard, trying to equate this creature with a human boy.

"Max, you never answered my question." Thackery sounded lost, hurt. And Max hated that it was him that made the other feel this way.

"I honestly don't think I can right now. There's a lot I have to think about before I can give you an answer."

"I understand. But please do try not to take forever." And with that, they drifted off to sleep, emotional exhaustion taking its toll.

"Allison, I think I'm going to do something really stupid," he began the minute he came to a stop by her locker.

"Oh hi Max, yeah, I'm having a great day, thanks for asking," she teased, continuing to load her backpack with the textbooks needed to complete her homework. However, when Max didn't respond, she looked up. Her friend's jaw was clenched, and he wouldn't make eye contact with her.

"Max, what's wrong?"

"I need the book." Without even asking why he needed it, or even what book he was talking about, she agreed. Max is sure she knew this was coming at some point, that he would try and reverse Binx's curse. And that's how they spent their afternoon breaking back into the witches' house and stealing the spell book. Deciding to keep the book at Allison's to prevent the cat's inevitable freak out, they began their trek to her house. They quickly made their way to her room as to avoid any questions from her parents, making sure to grab some salt and some candles on the way up as a precaution. After what happened last time they opened the book, they wanted to be prepared. As Max lit the candles, Allison set up a ring of salt.

"I take it you had that conversation with Thackery?" Blushing, he nodded in response.

"How did you know?"

"When I saw the way you two slept together. I've never seen that cat so peaceful, never heard him purr like that. And everything else just suddenly made sense. Do you know that he has never let me pet him or hold him or anything?" She smiled sadly before continuing, "How do you feel about him?"

"I don't know. I know I care about him, but I don't think I'll know exactly how I feel about him until I see him in person."

"Understandable, its hard to imagine having a cat for a boyfriend." Max punched her in the arm lightly as she began to laugh. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, knowing that his best friend was okay with him potentially dating a cat. Everything about this situation was so wrong. Binx was a 300 year-old boy cursed forever to be a cat. And Max was just, well, Max.

"No matter what happens, even if we can't help him, even if you don't feel the same way; he will never leave you," Allison said earnestly, grabbing onto his hand that was wearily approaching the book, holding it for a moment with both of her hands before letting go. He discretely wiped away the moisture that had gathered in his eyes at that, not even knowing that he needed to hear that until it was said. With Binx in mind, he hesitantly placed his hand on the book. For a moment, nothing happened. A shiver went up his spine as the texture of dried human skin registered, and he was reminded why he never wanted to be near this book again. But then the eye on the book opened, looking around frantically before settling on him. He jerked his hand back the moment the eye opened, feeling like he just got shocked.

"Oh shit," he muttered, seemingly out of reflex, as the eye continued to stare at him. He glanced up to see Allison looking paler than before, a horrified look on her face as she gazed down at the book. He tried to remember what Winfred said when she would talk to the book, but there was no special phrases or chants that stuck out.

"I need a way to remove a curse from someone," he stated hesitantly, meeting the eye. It took a second but then suddenly the book flew open, pages turning rapidly by an unseen force before coming to a halt. As the pages settled, he read the name of the page aloud.

"Potion to reverse a curse."

As it turns out, finding the ingredients for a potion was a pain in the ass.

"Where the hell would I find the whisker of a werewolf?" he all but yelled, leaning back in his chair. Allison and him had decided to write down the information from the book after it opened, thinking it better to use the book the least amount possible. Now they sat in her bedroom nearly a week later, still not finished collecting the necessary ingredients. Or even interpreting what the ingredients meant.

"Calm down, Max. Why are you in such a hurry? He's been a cat for centuries, a few more days won't hurt," Allison reasoned, leaning back in her own chair as well, grateful for the chance to take a break.

"Binx has been avoiding me since that night, and I hate feeling like I've hurt him. And I haven't been sleeping well, because I can't sleep without him." Man did he sound pathetic. While at first he was unsure about he felt about the cursed boy, now he knew for sure. This time apart from the other, this amount of much he missed him, confirmed that he was indeed in love with his cat.

"Have you tried talking to him?" When there was no reply, she continued. "Max, I know how much you care about him. Talk to him, tell him how you feel. I know its weird and feels wrong because he is still a cat, but you need to get it out there. So what if you can't date him yet, at least you can still be connected on an emotional level."

"What am I supposed to say?! Hey there dude, you know how you spilled your heart to me awhile ago? Turns out I love you too, but I get creeped out looking at you," he scoffed, rubbing his eyes. Why did things have to be so complicated? Why couldn't Thackery just be a normal boy that he had met upon moving here?

"Quit being such a dweeb, he cares about you too. He'll understand, but he deserves to know that you've figured out how you feel."

"Why do you always have to be right?"

"Because I'm awesome."

"Can we talk or something?" Trying to be in the same room as Binx for longer than 5 seconds had proven difficult the entire day, leaving him to corner the cat in the living room as the other was getting settled in the chair he had claimed as his own for sleeping. The black ball of fluff was clearly tense, moments from bolting. Those eyes were locked on his, pupils narrowing to slits. Finally the other got up, still tense, and made for the stairs. They made their way into Max's room, the teen shutting the door behind him. As he did so, he could see Dani sticking her head out of her room, and he shook his head to indicate that they shouldn't be bothered.

"Please, say something," he muttered after a few tense moments of silence. He couldn't bring himself to make eye contact, and he knew he needed to say something but he wasn't really equipped for this kind of thing.

"What do you want me to say, Max? You are the one that wanted us to talk," the black cat deadpanned, and it only made Max feel worse about the entire thing. Thackery didn't even seem mad, just resigned, which was heartbreaking and apparently the motivation he needed to force the words in his head out.

"I'm sorry, okay! I know that I didn't give you the response you wanted the last time we talked, and I know that things have been awkward between us since then. But I miss you; I miss sleeping with you, and I miss talking to you, and I miss-" It seemed like to much to say the final part, so instead his words ended with a horrible choking sound. However, it must've been enough to make Binx take pity on him.

"Let's go to bed, we can talk in the morning."

"That sounds good to me."

"I'm sorry that I basically ran away with my tail between my legs before. But I've been thinking about what you asked me and about what you said, and I-" he took a deep breath, preparing himself for the moment that would make or break them, "And I think I feel the same way about you that you feel about me. But then every time I open my eyes, its always a cat staring back at me, not you. And I don't know if I can get over that anytime soon, Thackery." So it turns out that he really couldn't wait until morning to have this conversation, mainly because he had been too nervous to sleep. Thankfully, Binx seemed to have been having the same issue, so after a few tense hours of both of them pretending to sleep, Max finally manned up.

"I don't know what to say to that, Max, other than I understand," the other boy said gently, though not without a sadness tinting his words.

"Then I hope you'll also understand why I openedthebookandfoundawaytoliftyourcurse," he rushed, finally getting everything out into the open.

"I'm sorry, can you say that again but slower? Because it sounded like you said that you opened the witches' spell book and then proceeded to actually use it, which no intelligent, sane, reasonable human being would ever do," at Max's sheepish expression, he continued, "You stupid boy. As if lighting the candle wasn't enough-"

"This is the only way I know how to be with you, Thackery. And you know what, it was worth it, lighting that candle. Yes, the Sanderson sisters were terrifying and we almost died, but I got to meet you. And whatever happens with the book will be worth it, even if its just a chance, a possibility to turn you back into a human," Max asserted, cutting off the other's rant. And he was proud of himself for sounding so confident in his half-baked plan, because he was really a nervous wreck about the whole thing.

"You're going to go through with this no matter what I say, aren't you?" the cat muttered affectionately, making Max smile cheekily. Thackery sighed indulgently before continuing, "Then you may as well let me help, no one knows the book better than I do."

"Okay, since Max is the only one that can use the book, it will have to be him that makes the potion. I think that when you drank the potion, it imbibed you with some of the Sanderson sisters' magic, awakening your own dormant magic abilities." Thackery sounded so knowledgeable in a way that Max didn't know could even be attractive, the other's accent almost distracting him from the actual words being said.

"Are you saying that I'm a witch now?" he asked slowly, looking for confirmation.

"Wizard or warlock would be the technical term. They're rarer than witches, but I've seen a few come by the house and marvel at the book, though it never awakened for any of them."

"Does this mean I have to worship Satan or something?"

"You didn't do any research into this at all, did you? Magic can come from anywhere. Yes, it can come from an exchange with Satan like with the Sanderson sisters. But there's also those that use nature as their source, that connect to a particular element and can use that energy. You can channel energy from your ancestors or from other witches if they allow it. In dire cases, you can even use the energy from your own soul, but I wouldn't recommend that unless you want to significantly shorten your life span," Binx explained, and it made sense to Max's limited knowledge of magic. After seeing that he was following along, the black cat continued.

"This is an advanced potion, so I would recommend that we start with something easier, like a simple spell. This will teach you how to control your magic, and we can find out your source for it as well. If you had to pick an element, what would it be?"

"Probably fire, I guess," he said after a moment, thinking of the moment that started all of this; lighting a candle.

"Okay, we can trying scrying then. Look into the candle flame and try to get it to show you something." There was something about the way the cat had phrased it that stood out to Max, that instead of pushing his will on the flame, he could instead ask it. And something about that just felt right to him, like it was natural. It was hard to explain how he knew what to do, but it was like the flame was dancing for him, eager to fulfill a task. He imagined himself reaching out a hand to the flickering light, and it reaching out for him in return. The dancing flame seemed to almost pause before it took a shape of a human, the features becoming more defined the longer he looked, the more he concentrated. The orange of the fire morphed until the image seemed like he was looking at a TV screen, colors bright and almost over exaggerated.

"I see a boy, but he looks a little older than me. He has longer light brown hair, fair skin, and grey eyes. He's wearing a billowy white shirt, kind of like a pirate, with worn brown pants." The boy was playing with a little girl that looked to be Dani's age, swinging her around with ease. It seemed so warm and so personal that it made him slightly uncomfortable, looking into someone's life like this.

"Max, what you thinking about right before the image appeared?" Thackery asked calmly, but there was a gleam in his eye that made Max feel uncertain.

"Umm, well, you," he admitted awkwardly, looking away in his embarrassment.

"That's what I used to look like before I was cursed," the other explained, and it made Max freeze for a moment. Even now he could recall the boy's smile, the way his eyes squinted when he laughed. It seemed so obvious now that it was Thackery, meaning the little girl was his sister. Max carefully decided to keep the full scene to himself.

"Oh, wow. I thought something about him felt familiar. But that's what you'll look like when we break the curse?"

"Of course. I think that's enough for today, we don't want to overexert your magic so soon," the cat decided, already heading out of the room before Max could reply. And there was something tense about his tone that made him nervous. Could the other tell that he was holding something back? Or had Max done something wrong by looking at Thackery? He quickly got up and followed after the cat, having to jog to catch up.

"Hey, are you okay, you left kinda abruptly back there?" he asked when he had finally got the other's attention.

"How did you feel about the way I looked? You said you wouldn't know how you felt about me until you could see what I really looked like, and, well, now you have and I would like an answer," the cat bit out. There was something demanding and defensive about his tone, and Max realized what this was about.

"Oh, wow, um," he paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing, "I thought you looked like your voice would match your body. Like, you looked mature, but then you had a softer face with piercing eyes. And your hair was longer, and the way the sun was hitting it made it look like gold. You looked like Thackery, if that makes any sense at all."

"Yes, but how does that translate to how you feel about me?" the cat stressed, and Max was still so bad with this. He didn't know how to talk about his feelings like this, he had barely come to terms with his newfound sexuality, let alone how to articulate it. But Thackery had been alive for so long that he didn't waste any time, didn't pull any punches.

"You looked like someone I want to kiss, like someone I want to spend all my time with, like someone I want to wake up next to," the word vomit left his mouth, until he could manage to stop himself. His face felt hot, and he's sure that he looked like a tomato at the current moment.

"I suppose I can accept that answer," the cat teased, chuckling at the affronted look that Max gave him. They continued onward, bickering along the way.

"Now's the moment of truth," he muttered, lightly the final candle. It was the beginning of summer now, the training of Max's magic and the gathering of the ingredients having taken them all Spring. But he had to admit, it was probably better to do it this way, transform Thackery in the summer, giving them some time before school started in August to set up a life for him. There had been some dark moments, seeking out some sketchy individuals to create an identity for someone who's name had long been lost to time, but it would be worth it when Thackery could live in this time.

It hadn't taken much to convince his parents to accept fostering a 'foreign exchange student', though it had taken quite a bit of lying as to why Thackery would be with them until he graduated high school. After a sob story about how the other was an orphan who was looking for a new start (which was more of a half-truth than a boldfaced lie), his parents had relented, with the added bonus of being sworn to never ask about his previous home life. He was thankful that Allison had spilled the beans to Dani about their plan, as her assistance was invaluable in convincing his parents.

"Ready whenever you are, Max," Allison confirmed, having looked over the arrangements at least 10 times before they started.

"All good over here," Dani seconded, standing watch. They had decided to perform the spell in the Sanderson sisters' house turned museum, as it had been the easiest location to hide the ingredients they had slowly been accumulating. It was also the only place with a actual witch's cauldron, which they needed for the potion making.

"I'll see you soon, Max," Binx promised, clearly nervous at how wrong this could go but having faith in Max's abilities nonetheless. And Max could only nod, unable to express how much he needed this to work. It had been a tense Spring, developing an emotional relationship with someone who he couldn't be with. There had been times when Max couldn't do it, couldn't stand listen to the voice of his beloved coming from a cat, where it had made him so disgusted in himself that he had shut himself off from everyone else. Thankfully Thackery hadn't been offended, merely took the time and effort to soothe his boyfriend's frazzled nerves. And that had been another new development, referring to each other as boyfriends. That had set off another round of self-destructive behaviors, but Max had been holding onto the hope that soon he could really be with the other in every way. And now the time was finally here.

The spell itself wasn't difficult; however, they had made modifications to the spell from the book. Max's magic came from Nature, rather than from a deity, so the wording had to be changed slightly. And they had been unable to find some ingredients, with one or two of the herbs used in the spell having gone extinct from whenever the book was written, instead substituting in other plants with similar properties. They had researched so many different types of magic and had incorporated elements from multiple sources into one. Western magic with elements of old alchemy and Eastern Asian influences, coming together to form something new. But hey, if this worked, he could make some serious bank selling this potion to others in need of undoing a curse, which was a surprisingly large market.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming his mind and his nerves before reaching out, feeling the answering response when the logs beneath the cauldron lit, the new flames calling out, eager to breathe magic into the world. He opened his eyes and began. He added ingredients in the right order and in the right amounts, he chanted the right phrases at the right times, he stirred when needed, and he let the magic guide his every move just like they had practiced. Everything fell away aside from the traces of magic, his own magic bright and vibrant against the residue of the past dark magic worked here, cleaning and cleansing every inch of the house. He could feel the magic in the book recoil from the light, but it was forced to answer his call, going dormant. He could feel the angry tangles of magic that made up Binx's curse, like a knot that was too stubborn to be undone. Instead of trying to force it, he simply let it be as he continued the spell. He had no idea how long the process it took, had no idea how many ingredients had been added or how many verses had been voiced, but he knew when it was done.

When he finally allowed the real world to fade back in, he was surprised to see that Allison and Dani were staring at him with something akin to awe. His eyes found Thackery's, and something in him grew warm at the pride that he found staring back at him.

"I think it's ready," he said, shocked when his voice came out hoarse. Allison was quick to hand him a water bottle. Realizing how hot it had gotten in the hut, he quickly reached out and put the flame to sleep. Max, with shaking hands, ladled some of the potion into a bowl. It swirled with magic, churning even without a heat source. There was a calming blue glow that seemed to promise healing, and Max felt his heart soar at his achievement. He placed the bowl in front of the cursed boy, backing away but continuing to watch intently. The black cat took a deep breath before stepping forward, tentatively licking at the potion. He continued until the bowl was empty, and they all waited in the tense and anticipatory silence for something, anything to happen. Just as the cat was about to open his mouth to say something, there was a sickening crack that filled the silence, the cat lurching alarmingly. Max rushed forward, hands hovering over the transforming body, wishing he could help somehow but unable to do anything now. The magic had to run its coarse now that it had been put in motion, and all they could do was hope. The cracking and lurching continued, small groans turning into screams as bones shifted and grew, as fur fell out in clumps and fresh pink took its place. Ears relocated, teeth dulled into molars, and still the screaming didn't stop.

Max isn't sure what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn't this. He felt like he was going to be sick, and he didn't even realize that he was screaming along with Thackery, tears flowing down his face as he watched his beloved suffer. He only cried harder when the screams stopped, indicating either the other had passed out or died. There were hands on his shoulders, but he shook them off with force. He didn't even notice when his magic lashed out, throwing Allison and Dani back. It seemed like hours later when there was a fully formed human being before him, curled up into a fetal position on the dirty wooden floors. He was relieved to see the naked body taking in labored breaths, and he quickly grabbed the blanket they had set aside just for this. He threw it over the boy, running his hands over the smooth skin, through golden locks.

"Thackery?" he whispered, hopeful and urgent. The boys eyes weakly tried to open, only to shut with a wince as the bright light assaulted them. Max reached out, dimming all the excited flames to calming flickers, the fire whispering now rather than cheering. The boy tried again, this time managing to squint. His head lolled as he started to uncurl under the blanket, eyes searching until he found Max's.

"Hey Max," the boy croaked, trying for a smile but only managing a grimace. But Max didn't care, beaming and laying down to mirror Thackery, shuffling over until their hands were joined and his forehead was pressed against the other's.

"Hey Thackery," he answered, receiving an amused snort in response.

"Binx?" he heard Dani coo from somewhere behind him, and he realized that Allison and her were standing feet away, attempting to look at the stranger despite at the way he was hidden partially by Max's body.

"Yeah, its me, Dani," the boy called out, voice stronger than before as he recuperated, accent much clearer this time. And it was Thackery's voice, Thackery's accent coming from this boy that made Max sniffle. A hand escaped from his grasp and cupped his exposed cheek, a thumb gently wiping away any tears that had escaped.

"Come on now, Max, it wasn't that bad," he teased, eyes fully open now that he had adjusted to the low lighting, "Can we get off the floor now? And can I have some pants?"