Disclaimer: I do not own Rugrats and all that blah

Help Me Feel Again

Chapter 2

Didi Pickles headed towards the stairs. She had just finished making breakfast and was about to call her son and his friend down. She approached the door. She heard no movement and suspected the boys to be being lazy and sleeping in. That or they had stayed up late.

Or it could have just been Tommy. Tommy had lost sleep ever since the death of his little brother. Tommy had taken it harder than anyone else it seemed. His mother had worried for the longest time. She had often found her son sitting on the front porch in the middle of the night in a daze once even crying. She had once said something to her son when she found him on the porch he had looked at her and then stood, went inside the house, and into his room without a single word.

Tommy wasn't trying to be hateful or hurtful. He loved his mother. She was one of the few reasons why he hadn't killed himself. It was just that he knew that if he had stuck around Dill would be the main topic of the conversation and he hadn't wanted to speak of it. Tommy had had a lack of sleep, eating, and actual living. He had seemed to be able to survive on the little sleep he got. His grades had not suffered except an influx of F's right after the initial shock but had then returned to normal. His lack of eating though had turned him rather thin. As for actually living he spent most of his time walking around the town, working out at the gym, or sitting in his room listening to Linkin Park and the like or drawing.

Didi had watched her son as carefully as he would allow. Because he was either gone or locked himself in his room she didn't have a lot of time to watch him. She had actually seen him without his shirt on once and had been horrified to find that her once well feed boy had turned into a boy that looked like he was starving. Well sort of. You could just barely start to see his ribs. She had demanded several times that he see a counselor but he had refused. She had said that she wanted him to go and he had said that he wouldn't. You can't really force him to go. She had begged him many a time to at least eat more. He had complained that he wasn't hungry. He always found it saddening when he had to fight with his mother so he left the house.

She had complained to his father but her complaints seem to fall on deaf ears. Since Dill's death Stu had changed. He and Tommy often had fights. Stu seemed to believe that because of Tommy he was driving the family apart. He didn't blame Tommy for Dill's death. No, but he had seemed to think that Tommy's further emotional problems was causing the family to tear like paper. Stu had accused Tommy of drugs in which Tommy had not replied just shook his head and left yet again. The Pickles household seemed to be falling apart.

Didi came from her thoughts back to the task at hand of getting the boys up. She knocked lightly but found no reply so she opened the door and peered in.

"TOMMY!" She shrieked just like she often had when he was but a baby. Tommy and Chuckie were lying in each other's arms on his bed. Both boys stirred and looked at her. Then Tommy realized who was staring at him and jerked into a sitting position.

"Oh shit mom." He said his eyes wide. Didi was too bewildered by the sight to be upset with his speech.

Stu had run up the stairs to see why his wife had yelled. He stared in shock at the sight of his boy and another in the same bed.

"Mom I can explain." Tommy said. "Really I can."

"I sure as hell hope you can." said Stu.

"Stu!" Didi said perplexed by one his bad language and two the way he had spoken to their son. "I think I need to speak with our son Stu. We'll be down in a minute." She said entering the room.

"But."Stu began.

"No buts." Didi said and slammed the door in his face. Stu looked defeated went back to the kitchen and ate his breakfast. Didi turned to her son and his well I think it's safe to call him boyfriend. "Okay now I would like you to calmly explain this too me."

Chuckie had moved to a sitting position at some point and looked to see if Tommy had an answer because he sure didn't.

"Well." Tommy spoke and stopped. He raised a leg to an upside down V position causing the edge of the blanket to reveal a bare leg. Didi assuming the worst since she had not seen the black boxers just a bare chest and leg had an intake of breath. "It's not what you think mom." He said realizing what his mother was thinking. He grabbed the blanket and pulled it down to see the boxers. Didi let go of the breath.

"Mom um to put it simply and without a lot of stuttering Chuckie and I are gay and have a relationship."

"Since when?" She asked approaching the chair to sit down.

"Since some time last night." Chuckie answered.

"It just kind of happened mom. I know it must be weird for you. You're used to seeing us and thinking best friends not couple." Tommy said.

"Well I think this is something you should tell Chas." Didi said looking at Chuckie. He nodded. He didn't believe his parents would be very upset with his decision. He had never heard of them being against bi or homosexuals. Course they were people who walked the streets of the world not their son.

"What's dad going to say?" Tommy asked.

"You let me take care of your father." Didi said. "Well I think we better have some breakfast it's getting cold." She said with a smile. The three left. When there Didi saw that Stu had already retreated to his basement workshop.

Didi sat at the table and ate with the two boys and was amazed at the change she saw in Tommy. His eyes seem to sparkle again. He had a genuine smile on his face. All because of Chuckie. Maybe this was for the best. Tommy finally seemed to have something to live for. She was kind of stunned when they gave each other a quick kiss. She fell from her daze and then returned to her plate.

Could this relationship be the answers to all their problems? If Tommy returned to something that might be close to normal then Didi would be normal and Stu in turn would also be normal. She didn't know. Maybe Chuckie could even get Tommy to speak of his problems. She sure hoped so. But maybe there was hope for their family yet.

"How well do you think your parents will take the news?" Tommy asked.

"I'm hoping as well as your mother took it." Chuckie said with a small smile. "I'm pretty sure they will. I don't see why they wouldn't but it will make it a lot easier if you'll come with me Tommy."

"Of course I will." Tommy said.

They finished breakfast and Tommy and Chuckie went back upstairs. She placed her plate in the sink and then went to the basement to find her husband fully dressed and busy on something or other.

"Stu I need to talk to you." She said. He looked up at her.

"What is it Didi?" He asked his wife.

"It seems that our son and Chuckie have a relationship."

"What and he hasn't told us?" Stu began.

"Well they just started it last night. But I think this might be something good. I watched Tommy this morning over breakfast. He looked happy Stu. For the first time in a full year my boy looked happy. He looked like he was actually alive. He ate more this morning than he has in the last year. Stu my boy might actually be alive again." She said.

Stu sat in contemplation. "Maybe you're right," was all he had to say before returning to the work he was doing.

"Does noon sound like a good time?" Tommy asked Chuckie.

"It's as good as any. Tommy thanks for coming with me." Chuckie said.

"How could I say no to a cute face like that?" Tommy asked with a smile. Tommy stood up and went to his closet. He removed from it a silver mini stereo and a CD case. "Want to listen to some music?"

Chuckie shrugged. Tommy handed him the CD case "Pick something out." and started to hook the stereo up into a socket in the wall. Chuckie went through it but found nothing familiar.

"Have you even listened to any of this?" Tommy asked. When his boyfriend shook his head he stared wide-eyed. "Man are you missing out." He took the CD case pulled out a Linkin Park CD and placed it into the stereo. He picked out a number and pressed play.

Chuckie suddenly found a new genre of music. The music pounded against his ears. It thrummed and hummed. It was nothing like he had heard before. He often stuck classical music into his CD player. He sat there listening to the words some of hate some of revulsion and some of pain. He loved it. "Thank you Tommy. You have made me truly happy." Tommy laughed at Chuckie's joke. Chuckie noticed something on the desk. "What's that?" He asked Tommy.

Tommy made his way over to the spiral. "See for yourself." said Tommy. He handed him the book. Chuckie flipped through the pages. It was filled to the brim with drawing of himself, Dill, and all their friends. Drawings of scenery, and flowers, and some rather dark looking pictures. There was one of the grim reaper standing over Dill's body. The artwork was wonderful and rather realistic but some of the things draw in the spiral well it gave Chuckie chills.

"I know some of it is rather...well it makes me look like a frickin' crazy or something but it's really just an outlet. I'm not crazy or anything it's just I hate to talk about Dill and his death so I draw it and other things I'm feeling." Tommy said quietly.

"I don't think you're crazy you've just had a lot to deal with." Chuckie told him. "I think if something like that happened to Kimi I'd probably be drawing things like this too. Even if you were crazy I would still want to be with you."

Tommy smiled. 'Chuckie you are god sent.'

Well peoples there's another chapter. Hoped you liked. Course seeing as I'm getting very few reviews I guess not many people do. All well I don't really care I just like writing it. Anyways I know this is pretty short but well it's 4:14 and I'm saving Chuckie's announcement speech for the next chappie. That'll be one hell of an announcement. Well do a girl a favor and R/R pretty pretty please with sugar and sprinkles on top. Oh and flames again shall be laughed at and deleted. Love ya,

Screamarie.