Too Human to Be Divine

by BlackTon618

With the return of her enemies, who had joined hands to bring her down, Jenny's past actions are caught up with her, and she is in a new challenge to set things straight again, all while learning to appreciate a certain friend she thought was burdening. Meanwhile, Sheldon is trying to correct his mistakes and prove his worth, even if he can't come to appreciate it himself.

37. Together, through thick and thin

Notes: One year ago on this exact day, I posted the first chapter of this fic, and today, we close this journey.

It was fun and challenging, and I learned a few things while writing this, like how to spell some words correctly with autocorrect lol. Thanks everyone who stuck around for the whole journey, I hope this last chapter is satisfying and worth the amount of angst this thing had.

Oh, and before I forgot, I didn't expect you guys to hate Gerlad this much, wow, I am speechless. At the end of the day he's just a plot device character but I am glad he was 'well-received' lmao.

Enjoy :)

---

It was the day every teenager waited for.

The day when all the hard work got rewarded. The day some faces would be seen for the last time, but one would still smile and congratulate them for their achievements. When the beloved classrooms, halls, fields, and cafeteria got bade goodbye. When there was an ending made for a new beginning.

The graduation day!

As always, Jenny missed most of it.

The ceremony started more than an hour ago, and Jenny was just on her way from outer space after having tracked down a meteor and destroyed it. Without even remembering to disinfect herself from possible outer space germs, she arrived at the hall where the graduation ceremony was held, breaking the sound barrier all the way from the exosphere to the surface of the earth. By the time her feet touched the ground — or rather, destroyed it — she was glowing a hot orange hue. She couldn't even wait for her metallic skin to cool down, and rushed into the hall after quickly putting on her gown and mortar board hat.

A few faces turned to see the loud newcomer, split between her fellow students who were made to sit on the right side of the theater hall, while their friends and families were on the left. She stood on her toes to see where she was supposed to sit. By some weird miracle and her ability to memorize lessons better than her human peers, she ended up as an honor student, so her seat was placed all the way to the front.

She awkwardly walked to her seat, passing row after row of students. Since the ceremony had already begun, most of them had been called to receive their diplomas, and only a few remained before honor students would be called.

She smiled when she spotted Brad in the middle seat, looking at her and excitedly pointing to his diploma.

Then she found an empty seat next to Sheldon, and the moment she sat down, his face brightened into a huge smile and he reached for her hand

-"Careful, Sheldon, I'm hot."

-"You're telling me…" he said, heart-eyed and not noticing the smell of toasting fabric as the black gown she had heated to a point it shouldn't have. He flinched and retracted his hand once he touched hers, then blew on it as he tried to suppress the tears that welled in his eyes.

-"I told you so," she mumbled, craning her neck to see who else was present. She could see Melody and Ms. Wakeman in a far row, sitting next to her sister, Wisteria, and her anthropomorphic son, Glenn. For once, the XJ sisters were activated, based on Jenny's request that they should be present during her graduation. They filled a row on their own. XJ-4 waved a tentacle arm when she spotted Jenny staring at them. A few rows behind, she spotted Brad's parents along with Tuck, who was standing on the chair so he could see better. No sight of Sheldon's father, however, but he looked like he didn't care. He looked happy, even, smiling, and patiently waiting for his turn.

Names were being called in alphabetical order before the principal announced he would call for honor students to receive their diplomas and honor sashes. Excitement filled Jenny, and her attention was solely dedicated to the stage after each familiar face of discriminated against nerds stood to take what they suffered for. It should feel strange for her to be seated along with the school's most notorious nerds, but events turned, and she was even dating one of them.

Then, after seventeen minutes and thirteen seconds that seemed like forever, Sheldon's name was called. He smiled at her before standing with the most pride Jenny had ever seen in a human being, then he walked confidently to the stage, chest pushed forward in contrast to his usually slumping, bad posture. Then, once he stepped on stage, he tripped over his untied shoelaces, causing almost everyone in the hall to laugh loudly or snicker silently at him.

The principal shook his head in disappointment and handed the diploma and honor sash to the boy, who somehow still looked as proud and happy as before the fall. Then he called for the next, and the next… and then Jennifer Wakeman — the last by alphabetical order — was called.

Then there were speeches from the principal, some teachers, and the two highest-ranking students, but they all ended quickly, and then they all stood.

She stood in the middle of the stage, her well-deserved diploma in her hand, and a sash around her shoulder that spelled with a beautiful font the words 'Honor' and 'Tremorton High'. Jenny was rarely ever the center of attention like she desired, but she was now, to her family in the crowd, waving, her mother proudly taking picture after picture of her standing amongst the smartest students in the school, the two brothers she considered her best friends cheering and clapping, and her boyfriend, who threw himself at her for a hug, then stood next to her for pictures to be taken.

And then everyone threw their hats in the air, bedding goodbye to their beloved school.

---

The rest of the day consisted of an outdoor party in honor of the recently graduated kids and the reunion of the family. Wisteria insisted they should all enjoy the warm weather outside, and Brad's family decided to join in for a traditional barbecue party in Ms. Wakeman's backyard.

Jenny didn't remember being so happy.

There her sisters were surrounding her and Melody as they happily chatted in the corner, sharing oil and computer chips. Her mother and aunt were sitting at a garden table and discussing something that almost sounded like an argument before they were joined by their neighbor. She was of average height and had sharp facial features that reminded Jenny of Brad's. Once she joined the two sisters, they stopped arguing.

The three boys, however, were surrounding Glenn as he showed them all the cool tricks he could do, varying from hosting living beings in his body to growing viny plants. The two brothers were amused, while Sheldon looked like he had a hard time understanding the science behind the anthropomorphic boy or the strange powers his mother possessed.

-"A little help here with the plates, boys," Brad's father called out from next to the grill, a spatula in his hand. He wore the traditional 'dad in a barbecue party' outfit comprising a plain shirt, sunglasses, shorts, and white Nike shoes.

-"Rock paper scissors?" Brad suggested to his brother.

-"No way Brad, you're older, you go!" Tuck refused, crossing his arms.

-"I'll go!" Glenn suggested with a smile.

Sheldon, who was closely yet fearfully inspecting the bee nest under Glen's arm, jumped and said: "no! you're a guest, I'll go."

He found the living ecosystem for a boy to be interesting, but he couldn't risk him causing cross-contamination with the food. Thus, he walked to the grill with a large empty plate for the freshly cooked meat to be placed on. The pleasant smell of charcoal smoke and grilled food immediately filled his nose, along with the warmth the flames emitted.

Brad's father, James, was a tall middle-aged man with Tuck's round facial features who was already developing a beer belly but still happily chugged from the ice-cold bottle in his hand. He looked at the empty plate Sheldon brought and shook his head. "Won't do, kid. The patties should be directly placed on the bread to absorb the juices, understand?"

Sheldon didn't respond, not having expected to receive a lesson in cooking. He was about to go fetch the bread when Brad walked over with it.

-"Uh, that's more like it," James said, scooping the freshly grilled, cheese-covered patties from the grill and placing them on the bread. He glanced in his wife's direction and chuckled. "Look at your mom," he told Brad, watching the woman try to follow Wisteria's yoga instructions but failing miserably as she fell down with a lighthearted laugh.

-"Thanks for the party Dad," Brad said. "It's nice having everyone around."

The man took another swig and scooped some more sausage into the hot dog buns. "Ah, don't mention it. I wouldn't wanna miss this," he commented with a laugh, watching the strange robot sisters and the plant boy and his free-spirited mother. "Dr. Wakeman has a strange lifestyle and family, but she's a nice neighbor."

It was the family that lived next door to the infamous scientist. They occasionally heard random startling explosions or witnessed the strange six-and-a-half-foot robot going in and out of the house and hanging out with their two sons. Sheldon reached the simple conclusion that they were open-minded and kind-hearted. After all, they approved of their son dating a robot, even if she looked convincingly human. It made him feel jealous and out of place, but it also proved that there were as many understanding people in the world as their close-minded counterparts.

-"Cool, hot dogs!" Tuck exclaimed as he picked two and ran to the outdoor table to put condiments on one of them, offering the other to Glenn, who refused because he didn't consume human food.

-"Mind taking the rest to the ladies' table?" James requested, placing a fresh batch of meat on the grill.

-"On it," Brad said, leaving Sheldon alone with the man.

He felt awkward, and in an attempt to politely excuse himself, he blurted: "nice grilling skills, James! I mean, thanks for the tip, bye!" He then hurried to catch up with Brad, leaving the man wondering why his son only befriended strange people before shrugging and returning his attention to cooking.

---

-"Thank you. Aren't you a gentleman," Wisteria said when Brad placed the plate of cooked food on the table. She taped her hands together to wipe them from the dirt that stuck into them when she was practicing her impossible-looking yoga poses but grimaced at the sight of meat. "I'll stick to the food I packed."

-"Oh, I didn't know you were vegan," Brad's mother commented. "I should have made more side dishes."

-"It's okay dear, I just think that instead of slaughtering animals, we should appreciate their beauty and diversity," she lectured. "Animals are friends, not food. What's the difference between puppies and cows?"

Sheldon paused mid-chewing as if considering her words before swallowing and putting down his sandwich. Brad somehow remained unphased as he swallowed his hot dog with a chug of soda.

-"We've already talked about this," Ms. Wakeman retorted, getting ready for another argument. "Let the kids enjoy their graduation party without your useless lessons about veganism!"

-"Useless!? don't you know how beneficial the vegan diet is? They would be far healthier without this greasy processed meat!"

The argument went on, as always, leaving everyone around the sisters wondering how they could be so drastically different from each other. Jenny for once didn't care to break the fight, still overjoyed to have the company of her sisters. She walked over to where Sheldon was and said: "sisters, I'd like for you to meet Sheldon, my boyfriend."

He looked up to meet the female robots' curious gaze. He already knew who was who from how much Jenny recounted to him.

XJ-4 was the octopus-shaped robot who briefly dusted him off with a small cleaning tool before moving on to collect any visible dirt in the backyard with a simple: "nice to meet you." While holding a small egg-shaped robot in one tentacle-like arm.

There were another two small robots, one that kept hiccuping and burning everything in her way while the other couldn't walk without disassembling.

-"Nice to meet you too," he mumbled, staring at the bulky XJ-8 that cast a huge shadow over him. Her rigid scowl almost frightened him. "Hi?"

-"Hi!" XJ-5 answered instead, hovering over him with what he could only guess was curiosity on her almost inexpressive face. "How did you meet Jenny? What are your hobbies? Can you really sing and pick her up with one arm like she told us her future boyfriend is going to be?"

-"Wha!?" he asked in confusion, unable to follow up before XJ-8 picked him up by his arm and closely analyzed him.

-"That would be physically impossible given his small body proportions," she said in her electronic voice that lacked all emotions. "Therefore, Jenny was lying."

Jenny lowered her sister's arm, helping Sheldon back to the ground. "I wasn't lying, XJ-8, I just changed my mind."

-"Of course, mom's favorite gets to have a human boyfriend before any of us!" XJ-6 complained as she walked in circles around the two, suspiciously eying Sheldon, then she placed her lone arm on her hip and scoffed: "is that all of him?"

-"Quite it, XJ-6, you know mom loves all of us!" Jenny defended.

Then XJ-7 slumped form approached. "Why would she ever?"

-"Girls, girls, girls, my sweet nieces," Wisteria interrupted with a sweet smile. "No need for all of this negative energy, besides, Noreen has an announcement to make!" she added, smirking at her sister, who gulped and looked unusually uneasy.

All eyes turned to stare at the doctor, and the backyard suddenly became quiet. Even Tuck and Glenn, who were playing football together, stopped to listen to the announcement, which didn't help Ms. Wakeman's odd nervousness.

-"Well, I…" she cleared her throat. "I was planning to make this announcement later after the girls are…—" she paused, clearing her throat once more and fixing her glasses. "Wisteria insisted they should know as well."

XJ-6 suspension grew as she squinted her eyes. "What was she planning to hide from us?"

-"So, without so many introductions," she continued, appearing to have gathered her usual self-confidence. "I'd like to announce that we have a new member to this family!"

The group of robots all collectively gasped, except for Melody, who was only curiously listening. Her eyes widened when Ms. Wakeman locked eye contact with her, and she didn't believe her ears when she heard her add: "welcome to the family dear." Then she handed her a stack of papers that everyone recognized for adoption.

Brad's mother was the first to react by clapping her hands, then she was soon joined by the rest of the guests. "Congratulations!" she said.

-"I… I don't know what to say," Melody mumbled before a smile found its way to her face as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Thank you."

She was then thrown by a hug from Jenny, welcoming her with open arms. "Welcome new sister!" she said, soon joined by the rest of the XJ units, who were all giddy, except for XJ-6, who turned to face her mother with a scowl.

-"So you just bury us in the basement and go decide on adopting other robots instead!?"

Ms. Wakeman let out a sigh and shook her head. "This is what I was afraid of," she commented to herself. "I already told you, XJ-6, it's for your own good!"

-"How is being always deactivated any good!?" she argued back.

-"We've already talked about this. Go enjoy the rest of your time here," she dismissed, returning to her seat as XJ-6 grumbled something and rejoined the rest of her sisters. Then everyone returned to their activities.

Ms. Wakeman noted the smug look her sister gave her. "Is that what you wanted?"

-"Well, I just don't think it's fair for them to stay there forever."

-"It's for their safety. XJ-9 is the most human out of all of them and still struggles with fitting in. They can't join society with the state they are in," she responded, her voice holding a worried hint to it. "But you are right, they deserved to know."

Then they sat in brief silence, each returning to their meal before they both noted that Sheldon didn't participate with the rest of the teenagers in their games. He merely sat close by, appearing to be deep in thought.

-"Is everything okay?"

He glanced at her with a surprised expression. "Yeah, yeah, everything's okay." He then remained silent before adding: "I was just wondering why you would adopt Melody. She's almost eighteen."

-"It's not about age—"

-"It's about belonging with someone," Wisteria stole the rest of the sentence from her sister. The latter shot her with a glare. "Everyone wants to belong, and she was probably feeling out of place without a proper family. Just ask yourself how you would feel without one."

-"Oh, I guess you are right," he agreed in a small voice, his eyes following a bug that crawled the table leg. He lifted his head once more when he heard Wisteria gasp something that sounded like: "oh! Poor boy," as she leaned over Ms. Wakeman. He guessed she might have whispered something to her, given the reaction.

She awkwardly apologized: "oh, and I heard you are my niece's boyfriend? Welcome to the family as well, dear."

He gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

Then he returned to stare absentmindedly at the bug, wondering why those words meant nothing to him. He wasn't alone anymore; he was surrounded by more people than he could ever hope for, mismatched and odd but still somehow fitted with each other like a jigsaw puzzle of unconventionally shaped pieces, just like himself, but loneliness was more than just solitude. Even if he fitted in the puzzle, even if he shared the laughs and memories, he still felt completely alone, a prisoner to his own doubts, because he was still unable to reach out.

-"Oh, I just remembered," Ms. Wakeman suddenly said. "The aid tool for your hand is done!"

Sheldon's eyes lit up in excitement. "Really!? Can I have it now?"

-"Of course, come inside." She gestured with her head toward the backdoor, and Sheldon practically jumped excitedly as he followed her.

---

Jenny tossed the frisbee to her cousin, who failed to catch it for the fifth time. It was still enjoyable, however, and it made her wish the day just lasted longer. All the good things would end, eventually. The sky turned an orange hue, Brad's parents were collecting their garden chairs and grilling materials with the help of XJ-4, and Wisteria was growing a strange shelter for her and Glenn to spend the night.

-"Jenny!" She heard Sheldon call as he ran toward her, then, with the most excited grin she had seen on his face in weeks, he lifted his right hand, encased in a thin, tight-fitting fingerless glove of delicate, red-colored metal instead of the old cast. It stretched from the middle of his forearm to the third set of joints of his fingers. "Look!" he exclaimed, closing and opening his hands multiple times with so much glee on his face. "I can move it now. I can now cook and do the dishes and bathe myself and write and sew and tie my shoes and invent like before!"

-"That's great!" she exclaimed, returning his contagious smile. "I'm so happy that it went back to normal!"

The smile then wavered. "Well, not really," he said, and only then did Jenny notice how shaky his hand still was. "I still won't ever get the stability or range of movement as before, and it's still numb. I can't feel anything with it."

Jenny's grin got replaced with a sympathetic one. "You know, during my last fight with Vexus, I burned all the nerves on my left hand, and I don't feel it anymore." She then placed that hand against his before interlocking their fingers and giving it a light squeeze. "We match."

Sheldon smiled and squeezed back, feeling content with the small gesture.

At least he fitted with the rest of the puzzle, thanks to her.

---

-"I don't think I wanna go to college."

The five kids walked in the park, between colorful tents, food carts, and carnival game stands. The stars illuminated the night, along with the artificial lights of the carnival, flashing and colorful, but nothing like the occasional explosion of fireworks in the sky.

-"Why?" Jenny asked with a raised eyebrow at Brad. She sipped a bottle of her favorite brand of oil, while her other hand was pushed into her jacket's pocket. They were all dressed in light clothes, except for Sheldon with his long-sleeved shirt and jeans. The most notable outfit was Tuck's flag T-shirt with the words: 'Proud to be American' printed on it.

-"I am not so fond of the idea of studying," Brad stated simply after having swallowed another bite of his corn dog. "You should know that by now." He shrugged. "I barely survived high school. Besides, I have other plans!"

-"Oh no," Jenny rolled her eyes. "Not you too!"

-"Huh!?"

-"Sheldon has been filling my head all week long with his weird 'million dollar project ideas'."

Sheldon, who was holding her arm as he walked alongside her, yelled: "but you said they were good!"

Jenny glanced at him with an apologetic smile. He looked a lot happier and more relaxed compared to before, even though he still sometimes overreacted in response to sudden loud noises or what she recently came to learn about; things that reminded him of the incident with Vexus, like high heels and alarm noises. He smiled and talked more often, too, and Jenny dared to think that all the signs that worried her were a thing of the past, and that she had saved him from his loneliness and issues, as she was supposed to, as a hero, as his close friend, and as his lover.

-"No, not like that," Brad responded, smirking and running a hand through his spiked red hair. Jenny could swear she saw a glint glister on his teeth. "I am going to become an influencer!"

They all stared at him blankly, coming to a stop next to a carousel ride. Melody merely shrugged and smiled, having already heard her boyfriend's plans.

-"Think about it. I got the looks. I live in the most interesting city in all of America and I have amazing kick-ass friends! All the content there is for content creation!"

-"Good idea Brad," Tuck said sarcastically. "But I don't see where the 'interesting' part in Tremorton is."

-"Pshh, have you forgotten about the centipede that tried to eat our cinema last night? Reaction videos of that would get millions of views in a few hours!"

-"I think they would be a lot more interested in seeing Jenny fight," Sheldon teased, looking at the mentioned girl with a grin. She only stared back at him, knowing fully well nobody cared to see her fight but him and the two brothers.

Brad, still in the same fit of excitement, walked over and threw an arm around Sheldon's shoulder. "That's where you, my dear Shel, will come to the play."

He blinked in confusion.

-"You'll help me create a battle suit, like Ironman's!" he exclaimed, then wiped his fingernail on the fabric of his shirt — with an eagle on it — then blew on them. "I'll be the cool hero on camera and collect sponsors' money!"

Jenny facepalmed. Melody only giggled and shrugged. They both knew heroism wasn't a profitable, or a rose-filled, career.

-"Oh! Oh!" Tuck bounced on his heels. "Can you build one for me, too?"

Sheldon placed an index between his teeth. "Uh…"

-"Pleaaaase!" He sniffed and pouted. "I won't be so reckless this time."

Since the day he received his aid tool and gained some mobility, he spent most of his time in Ms. Wakeman's workshop, learning from her, helping her around with her projects, and developing projects of his own or for Jenny. Adding more projects for the brothers would mean he would fill his time more, but he enjoyed being busy. Working meant no time or effort to think, and his already dwindling health was a small price to pay to not listen to his own sick head.

-"Sure!"

Jenny immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him toward her. "Oh no, you don't!"

-"Why!?" both brothers said in unison.

-"Because he's mine!" she said, and if she had a tongue, she would stick it out at them as she dragged him away alongside her. "We'll go for the big ride."

Sheldon smiled and blushed at the word 'mine'.

Tuck stepped in front of her. "I wanna go on the big ride too!"

-"I mean that ride, Tuck." she pointed to the giant wheel at the center of the carnival, smirking when she saw the color drain from the child's face. She then waved at Brad and Melody. "Bye, happy independence day!"

They bade goodbye, and Jenny turned to Sheldon and held his arm. "Let's go, the view would be so great from up there!"

They walked in pleasant silence to their destination, passing by other people who held flags, street food, and prizes in their hands. Sheldon's eyes followed a girl hugging a ridiculously large teddy bear as she walked alongside who he supposed was her boyfriend. He then craned his neck, searching for the game with those kinds of prizes and… aha! He gasped and pulled on Jenny's hand to go, but she remained planted in her place, confusion drawn on her face. She still let him lead the way, however, waiting to find out what he wanted.

-"Wait here, I'll win you something!" he announced, cracking his neck, then his fingers, then he stretched his arms forward, and placed a few bills on the counter. The owner handed him three baseballs. There was a single target in the back of the little tent, and he was confident he could hit it. He glanced at the prizes, and there was this large, white, fluffy teddy bear that was just the perfect gift for Jenny. He held the ball in his right hand with trembling fingers that steadied after a few seconds, then, while sticking his tongue in concentration and squinting his eyes, he swung his arm and threw the ball.

It hit its target right in the middle, thanks to his perfect aim.

He smiled proudly. "I'll take the one in—"

The man behind the counter cleared his throat loudly, catching the teen's attention, and pointing at the target that was still planted in its place.

-"What!?"

-"It's okay Sheldon, you still have two tries left," Jenny said with a small smile.

Sheldon frowned and stared at the man suspiciously, before throwing the second ball without even breaking eye contact, and again, hitting his target with ease, but it didn't fall. It baffled him.

-"Let me try instead."

-"No! I wanna do this!" he insisted, trying once again and failing. He frowned deeply and hunched his shoulders, then aggressively slammed more money on the counter and wasted the other three attempts.

He wanted to pay for another try, but a taller teen pushed him away to stand on his spot. "Move it, noodle-arms."

The guy paid, threw the first ball, and missed. The second was a better aim but still missed. The third landed with too much force but didn't move its target.

-"Is this thing rigged, old man!?"

The man only smirked. "You're just not throwing hard enough."

Out of spite, the teen tried to pay for another round, but Jenny stepped instead, paid, took a ball, and pushed it into her arm that turned into a gun. She aimed at it with the scope close to her eyes. Then fired, blowing the target into pieces and blowing a hole through the tent. She then smiled proudly as her arm went back to normal. "Is this hard enough for you?"

Both the man behind the counter and the teen stared at Jenny with their jaws dropped, while Sheldon only smiled proudly and exclaimed with a laugh: " hah! That's my girl, suckers!"

-"Which one did you want?" Jenny asked him, looking at the prizes.

-"Awe…" He deflated, pouting. "I wanted to win one for you and ask you the same thing."

-"That's so sweet! But you pick!"

He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, smiling and mumbling: "you're sweeter." Then he frowned and crossed his arms. "But you won it, so you pick!"

-"I won it for you."

-"But you're the one keeping it!"

-"Just pick one and leave already!" the owner yelled, still angry over his damaged property. "Damn teens and robots these days…"

---

The ferris wheel moved slowly, and they were almost at the top. The breeze turned into crisp wind, and Jenny clutched at the varsity jacket she brought that day with Melody and couldn't be seen without it since she liked the feeling of fabric on her shell. The small cart had two long leather seats on each side and was circled by a safety fence. The two teens sat on one of the two chairs, and Sheldon decided to choose safety for once and wore the seat belt, along with the white Teddy bear by his side.

-"Woah! Check out the view!" Sheldon exclaimed after unbuckling the seatbelt to stand. "I think I can see your house from here!"

He took a few pictures of the view, a habit Jenny noticed he practiced more often than before. He would film every place they visited and activity they did, as if afraid that if the memories weren't documented, they would vanish forever. She thought nothing of it, and smiled when he turned around to take more pictures of her.

She stood up as well and leaned on the rim. "You can see the whole city. There's the school." She pointed at the building where she met various people and built so many memories and experiences, both pleasant and tormenting. "I miss it."

-"It hasn't even been a month yet," Sheldon stated in a voice devoid of emotions as if he had already emotionally detached himself from the place. He squinted his eyes and leaned over the rim, trying to spot the building. "Besides, college is waiting," he added with a smile as he glanced at Jenny. "Aren't you excited?"

-"I am…" she mumbled, resting her head on her palm. "But I'm gonna miss Tremorton," she added, her eyes scanning the sea of houses and buildings with the street lights and car beams glowing like fireflies in a grass field. The fireworks above them cracked, casting a momentary glow on the night sky.

-"You can always visit," Sheldon said, leaning his head toward her with a playful smile. "Traveling across the country is like a walk in the park to you."

Jenny hummed. She had always been a sheltered girl, excited to live her life as she freely desired, hoping to explore the world beyond what her mother reluctantly allowed, but when the moment came, she felt a certain fear of the unknown seep into her courageous heart.

-"It's me who'll have to say goodbye to this place," Sheldon continued in an almost inaudible tone.

She glanced at him with knotted eyebrows. "What?"

-"Dad said he wants to sell the house after summer's over."

She felt even more confused than before. "Why?"

Sheldon shrugged and gave no response. Then his face brightened. "Look! We are at the very top!" Then he ran to the leather seats to stand on them, bringing the camera to his eye. "I'll take a picture of you while we're here."

Suddenly, the cart they were in shook violently, then came to an abrupt stop, making Sheldon lose his balance and almost fall if it weren't for Jenny extending a snake-like arm and wrapping it around him, then pulling him toward her.

-"Can you be more careless?" Jenny asked with a disapproving scowl, letting go of him.

-"Sorry," he said with a sheepish smile. Then stared at the metallic frame above their heads before walking to the rim and glancing down. "Why did we stop?" he asked. "Do you think it's a technical issue?"

Jenny leaned on the metallic frame of the cart and rested her elbows over the edge. "Do you want to go fix it for them?" she teased.

-"No?" he genuinely responded because he didn't catch the playful hint in her voice. "Do you want to go heroing and help everyone to the ground?"

She laughed and shook her head. "Let them figure it out themselves." The smile then fell when she added: "you know, you can still visit here with me."

Sheldon remained silent. It was so obvious, so simple, but he still obliterated it because his mind convinced him that dating Jenny wasn't something that would ever last because the scars he hid under long clothes were too disgusting to look at. She was bound to find out and leave him, and he wasn't ready for it. So, in the meantime, he would only build as many memories with her as possible to comfort himself.

-"Brad and Melody are staying here," she continued, staring at a fire shot in the sky that shattered into colorful fireworks. "I'll miss them, and Tuck, and mom, but we'll always visit them at every chance, right?"

He hesitated, but still forced a smile. "Right."

Another round of fireworks exploded in the sky, but Jenny didn't look at it. She instead glanced at her companion, who was staring down at the people trying to fix the issue with the wheel. His hand tugged and twirled at a strand of black hair, as the night's breeze ruffled it with each blow.

-"I like your hair," she said, brushing some of the long bangs away from his face.

He immediately covered his head with his arms. "I am not letting you touch it again!" he yelled, shrinking back when she extended a hand toward him. "You almost burned it last time!"

-"But I was trying to give you curls!"

-"Stay away from it or I'll shave it off!" he threatened, but his threats were empty because Jenny liking his hair was enough for him to never consider cutting it short. He still took a couple of steps back for dramatic effect, though.

-"You won't dare!" she challenged, pulling his arms away from his head, and by doing so she forced him into the seat and on his back.

She loomed over him, pining his hands above his head and half-climbing onto the seat as well. All Sheldon could do was stare at her, helplessly trying to move his arms or shuffle away but couldn't. "Uh… Jenny?" he said, feeling his face heat because of the position he found himself in. "W-what are you doing?"

She held both wrists with one hand, and with the other she lifted the fabric of his shirt, sliding her hand up his stomach, fingertips crawling upward before she pressed her cold hand on his warm chest. He stiffened and cringed before letting out a small yelp in protest. "Agh! Too cold!"

-"Promise you won't shave it and I'll let go."

He was still at a momentary loss for words as he just stared at her with a long: "uh…"

She tapped her fingers faster on the ribs as if silently threatening to start tickling him. He immediately yelled: "I promise! I promise!"

-"Good boy," she said, letting go but still planted her elbow by his side, preventing him from getting up.

-"Good what—"

She pressed a kiss on his lips, silencing him. He squirmed a little before giving in, letting her hand wander on his skin, her light touch teasing and almost burning despite how cold her fingertips were. He placed his hands on either side of her face, slipping his tongue past her lips in a desperate attempt to gain some control, but she didn't let him, breaking the kiss, perhaps in fear of shocking him again. She instead moved to leave a trail of little pecks all over his freckles before sliding down to his neck...

-"Ahm…" a loud clearing of a throat pulled them both out of their heaven. "It's time to leave," said the old man operating the Ferris wheel, looking tired yet amused with the scene.

Jenny turned into a deep shade of blue, while Sheldon's soul left his body. He felt her body weight lift from on top of him as she just bolted up, leaving a trail of smoke and a stunned Sheldon behind who was too embarrassed to even move.

-"Move it, kid," the man ordered.

Sheldon immediately stood, wrapped his arms around the teddy bear Jenny forgot to take home, and ran away, knowing he had just unlocked a memory to cringe at every night before sleeping.

---

10: 23 PM, July 4th;

The video recording started, and the image of a smiling teenager sitting on his desk chair appeared. He was in his messy bedroom, a half-eaten yaourt cup sitting beside the mouse.

-"Today was nice," he said with a smile. "I spent the whole independence day with Jenny and the rest. We went to the fair and took pictures… played games…I even tried some of the food," he listed, propping a leg up the chair to sit more comfortably. "It certainly was better than last year." He frowned softly and mumbled: "some old man threw a hotdog at me and told me to go back to my country."

He fell silent for several seconds, using the chair's wheels to rock himself back and forward. Then he ate a few more spoonfuls of yaourt before continuing: "I gained half a pound this week." He shrugged. "It's not much but I'm happy with that, gaining weight is harder than I imagined." Putting the cup down, he added with a small smile: "oh, and today marks ten days since the last time I cut. I think avoiding spending time with my thoughts is helping, but I feel really tired all the time."

He didn't add a word, and after a few seconds, the video ended.

.

.

.

09: 56 PM, July 7th,

The video started with Sheldon on his bed, laying on his stomach beside the laptop that judging by the angle, was half closed.

-"I'm tired, but I want to record this," he mumbled, almost sleepy. "Today marks a two-week streak," he added, signing the number two with his fingers. "I was at Nora's, and she brought some research papers and parts of…" he trailed off, and a long moment of silence passed. "She's dead, I know it. Everyone's been telling me that and today I've seen actual proof of it." He repeatedly drummed his fingers on the laptop. "Nora wanted me to help her with the research but I…" He let out a shaky sigh. "I felt too sick and scared to even think about it, so I just spent the whole day working on a new gamma-ray deflector for Jenny. I should get over this… but… I don't want to break my streak because of it."

His hand moved to close the laptop, mumbling: "I hope I don't get nightmares tonight, too."

.

.

.

8:05 AM, July 13th,

Sheldon stood in front of the camera, eyes bloodshot and his hair ruffled in all directions. The unbuttoned pajama shirt he wore and his grumpy face proved he had just woken up.

-"Jenny stole another shirt!" he half-yelled, rubbing his tired eyes. "She never returns them! What am I supposed to wear!?" He then dramatically threw his arms up. "Why are girls — Wait… is this what it means to be in a relationship?" he asked himself before smiling and lightly hitting his forehead. "I'm so stupid, that's just what girlfriends do, and she's… my girlfriend…" he added the last part with a high-pitched, wavering voice as if he had suddenly been teleported to the land of dreams and fairy tales.

The video then ended.

.

.

.

6: 34 PM, July 22nd,

This time, the video started in the kitchen. Sheldon was eating a takeout sandwich of what looked like an odd combination of anchovies, peanut butter, and pickles. He spoke between bites. "I weighed myself today again and… I'm back at one hundred and six pounds." He knotted his eyebrows in confusion. "I somehow lost weight? I don't understand…" he fell silent, then shrugged. "I guess Nora is right. I'm overworking myself too much."

Several minutes passed as he just ate. The house was quiet, proving he was the only one there.

-"Dad is less often here, which makes sneaking in and out to see Jenny easier. He said he might leave for work for a few weeks soon… like he always does... He still checks everything I do, though." He frowned, scrunching the sandwich wrapper into a ball before throwing it into the bin. He then sighed and added: "I have basically zero freedom, but Brad said it's just tough love… I want to think he does love me… but… I'm not sure."

He buried his face between folded arms, then said in a quiet voice: "I wish I just had a normal relationship with my parents. I hate how dad treats me, but I still miss him when he's not around… I really miss mom, too, but I know she hates me."

A long silence passed before he lifted his head again. "I also had another panic attack this Saturday, but I don't remember why. I hate them. They leave me so drained."

He stood and left the camera view before coming back with a glass of water, his right hand trembling slightly before stabilizing. "I didn't record this week because things felt difficult again, and the streak got harder to keep." He took a small sip of water. "I got accepted into the same university as Jenny. I even got a scholarship," he announced, but his tone and facial expression held no excitement to it. "I suppose I should be happy, but I'm just not…"

He rubbed his arm as if to comfort himself. "Maybe I'm too broken to function normally… Maybe…—" he sighed — "I'm just scared of the future… I…" He slammed his hands on his forehead and shook his head, unable to keep talking, then closed the laptop.

.

.

.

11: 32 AM, July 23rd,

It was the recording from the next day. Sheldon was still wearing the same clothes from the last day's recording, but he was in his room. His eyes were tired and bloodshot, and his hair was ruffled.

-"I feel so sick, and I have this horrible headache," he groaned, rubbing his head. Then he picked something from the floor to show to the camera. It was a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniel's. "I shouldn't have begun with this, but I didn't expect it to be this bad." He stuck his tongue out in disgust. "Brad made drinking look fun, and I heard it make the pain go away. That was clearly a lie. I passed out too quickly and… I don't remember, but I think I threw up." He remained silent, staring at the bottle, then murmured: "I just didn't want to think about cutting."

Then he sighed and stood up, mumbling: "I should return this before dad notices it's missing," before turning the recording off.

.

.

.

11: 02 PM, July 29th,

-"Nora definitely is something!" said Sheldon once the recording started. "She said I'm lacking 'some fundamentals', and she made me sit in this simulated classroom with a blackboard and explained things to me that I already know!" He crossed his arms, an annoyed scowl on his face, but then he relaxed, dropping his arms. "Jenny said that's how she used to homeschool her." Then he let out a small laugh. "Oh, and I started helping Nora around with her research on V—," He gulped, but still smiled and continued: "Vexus, the spacetime wrap technology she had is quite interesting and…"

The rest of the video lasted almost half an hour of Sheldon just explaining things Ms. Wakeman taught him to particularly no one but himself, as well as adding his own notes and observations about the topic. He looked passionate and happy, but Gerald kept fast-forwarding the video till it ended, and a new one started.

Sheldon mainly talked about things that bothered him, like his nightmares or intrusive thoughts. His moods fluctuated from ecstatic happiness to sometimes him just starting a recording, only to abandon it without a word.

Gerald didn't know how to feel about these videos. Through a lucky coincidence, Sheldon forgot to turn off his laptop before leaving the house. Out of curiosity, and his worry about what the boy could be doing, Gerald took the golden opportunity and checked the search history — barely anything worth mentioning — as well as watched the videos and saw all the pictures Sheldon took of prom, the graduation party, random dates with his robot girlfriend… etc.

The honest confessions Sheldon made to no one but himself were concerning, but he also openly talked about doing things he knew were forbidden, and Gerald felt too tired of the responsibility to deal with any of it.

The sound of a thick book hitting the floor echoed, and he glanced at the door. There Sheldon stood, eyes wide with a mixture of betrayal, worry, and shock painted behind his expression.

For several tense seconds, neither spoke a word. Gerald then stood with a sigh and walked to the door. Sheldon didn't move to let him out, staring at him with a disturbed look that silently demanded an explanation or an apology that won't fix the broken trust, as fragile as it already was.

-"You need serious help," Gerald mumbled, his voice devoid of any emotions. "I wanted to help you as I see fit, but you don't listen." He sighed and forced his way through the door by pushing Sheldon to the side. "I'll pay for therapy if you want. That's all I can do for you."

Sheldon stared after him, then back at the still-open laptop. He quietly closed the door to his bedroom, then the device, silently wondering if he would ever dare open it again as he slowly processed how his privacy was completely stolen once again, and let the image of his father's disappointed, disgusted glare burn forever into his memory.

That day, the streak broke.

---

Summer was going great for Jenny, a lot of picnics thanks to the perfect weather, gaming with Brad and the rest, movie dates with her boyfriend, going on shopping sprees with Melody, or fighting crime alongside her, even crime rates seemed to subside as if villains and monsters decided to take a vacation, too. Only a few weeks left before she would leave for college, and her days couldn't be happier or more relaxed.

Not today, however, as Jenny found herself just throwing the last invading alien back to outer space, then she tapped her hands together to clear them from the dust that clung to them, congratulating herself for a job well done before the screen in her chest popped out.

-"XJ-9, what's taking you too long!?"

Jenny put on a half-lidded look. "Since when was saving the earth from alien invasion a five minutes' work?"

-"This is no tone to speak with your mother, young lady!" Ms. Wakeman scolded, and Jenny rolled her eyes. "Come home. I have something important to tell you."

-"Can't you just tell me now?" she asked, but the screen already retracted back to her chest. The latter's left plate fell down like a broken door, making Jenny realize how damaged some of her parts were. She scowled and grumbled: "stupid aliens."

When she reached the house, she found her mother — who no longer needed crutches — dressed in outside clothes that differed from her normal lab coat and packing a small travel case. Jenny's eyes immediately widened, and a huge grin appeared on her face. "You're going somewhere!?"

-"Oh, look at the state you are in," Ms. Wakeman commented, judging her daughter's appearance. She shook her head and responded: "yes, I was called to a scientists' meeting in the next city and I'll be out for two days. Can you not destroy the house by then?"

Jenny, unable to contain her excitement, bounced on her feet and exclaimed: "I'll have the whole house to myself!? I mean—" she straightened her pose and steadied her tone into something more mature — "don't worry mom, the house is in safe hands."

-"I'm sure it is," Ms. Wakeman mumbled sarcastically before adding: "there is oil and fuel in the cupboard, and I've left some chores written on the fridge. Make sure you finish them before I'm back." She zipped the case, and Jenny immediately took it from her hand, intending to carry it to the car for her. They walked to the garage as she continued talking: "Sheldon is in my workshop. Please make him leave and tell him to take the day off. I still don't trust him around my—"

-"Yes, yes, mom, I get it," Jenny cut her, threw the suitcase inside the car, and helped the woman into the driver's seat. "Have a sciency meeting! I'll miss you. Bye!" Then she disappeared back into the house.

-"Oh jobs! Today and tomorrow are gonna be so perfect!" she announced to herself as she ran down the stairs to her mother's workshop. "No one to tell me what to do for a whole two days!"

She stepped into the lab, quickly scanning for her prodigy boyfriend, and aha! There he was, hunched over something on the worktable. He wore a white, long-sleeved shirt, protective goggles, and thick gloves, appearing to be concentrated entirely on his work. Too focused that he didn't hear her walk up to him.

-"Sheldon!"

Sheldon yelped and jumped in surprise, dropping the blowtorch he was using. "Jenny, what the heck!?"

-"Sorry," she said in a much quieter tone. She took the torch from his hand when he bent down to pick it up. "Mom said you should take the day off."

-"I know, but I don't want to," he refused, snatching the torch back and resuming his work.

Jenny dragged a nearby chair and sat on it, idly watching the boy work for a few seconds before saying: "mom left for a meeting and we have the whole house for ourselves. Do you want to throw a party? I'll call Brad and—" She paused when he didn't show a single sign that he had even heard her. She frowned and groaned loudly. "I don't understand why you like working so much. You look like mom."

He put the torch down and lifted the goggles to his forehead to examine the two thin pieces he had just fused together, seemingly ignoring Jenny. Her frown deepened, staring at his still unsteady hand, the red marks the goggles left around his eyes from being worn too long, and the awkward way he sat hunched. She wanted to force him to stop. He spent every day working for long hours and only spent time with her and the others on the weekends because Ms. Wakeman told him he couldn't come on them. It would have been alright, except for the fact that it was slowly destroying him, resulting in him getting tired easily and more often, to the point he fainted twice in the past month during their dates.

-"Mom said I have to make you leave the lab, so that's an order."

He finally made eye contact, grimacing when he saw the dents on her torso. "Why?"

-"You need time off."

-"I don't," he stated plainly. "I need to fix this," He pointed at the damaged plate on her chest.

She opened her mouth to retort, but he was already dragging her by her hand toward a clean work table.

-"Lie down, it'll be quick," he requested with a smile.

Jenny sat on the table, and with an index and a thumb, she lifted his chin toward her. "I'm so lucky. I have the sweetest, most adorable repair-boyfriend in the world!"

-"Eh…" He blinked a few times, blushing. "No… it's… my pleasure to help the most cutest girl in the world — No! The universe! Wait—" He shook his head and put on a serious face. "No cute talk during work!" he said, pushing her so she would lie down. "This is a professional setting."

-"My professional Shelbaby."

-"Jennyyyy," he whined, his blush deepening. "We'll get no work done like this."

She giggled, folded her hands behind her head, and closed her eyes. "Wake me up when you're done."

Several minutes of silence passed, during which Jenny heard tools clickings and Sheldon walking from beside her and back. She could feel his hands and the tools when they touched her body, unscrewing bolts and changing damaged parts. Then she heard him whisper: "Jenny, you're still awake?"

She cracked an eye open: "are you done?"

-"Almost…" he said, tightening the screws back into place before moving to yet another piece that needed repairing. "Can you keep talking as I work? I feel lonely."

Jenny sat up straight, letting her feet dangle from the table. "I'm here with you. Why would you feel lonely?"

-"Sorry, that was a weird thing to say," he mumbled, his attention going back to the wires he needed to change.

Looking down at herself, Jenny decided she was done getting repaired, and that everything was operational enough for her to postpone getting her bolts screwed tighter. She hopped off the table, closed her chest plate, and said: "alright, you're done."

-"I'm not, I still have to—"

She held his hand and led him upstairs, despite his initial protests, by trying to keep his feet planted in their spot. "Come on, it's time for you to take a break."

-"Why?"

-"Because you overwork yourself so much!" she responded. "Just look at you!"

-"But I didn't even get to finish your repair."

-"I'm fine, Sheldon," she said, letting go of his hand once they reached the living room. "But you're not. You need some rest."

He opened his mouth to protest but gave up. He let his body collapse onto the sofa and mumbled: "maybe you're right."

-"How about we get snacks, cuddle, and watch something…" She sat down next to him, pulling him closer and resting her chin on his shoulder. "We can play games or do whatever you want. What do you say?"

-"Okay…" he said, smiling weakly. "Dad isn't here anymore, so I can stay the night."

Jenny pulled away from the hug to look at him better. "Is this why you've been down these past few days?"

-"Pff, no…" he chuckled. "It's just… it's… There are other things in my mind right now."

Jenny raised a questioning eyebrow, pressing him to talk more, but he merely smiled and tried to wrap his arms around her to snuggle his way into a comforting hug and out of the confronting questions. She once again pushed him lightly, asking: "what things?"

-"Things that are… not… important," he mumbled, shrinking back into his seat and picking up the remote control that was resting on the small coffee table. "You shouldn't worry," he added, turning the TV on so the distraction would be enough for them both to forget about it.

She hummed, resting her head on her palm before straightening her back again, looking at him. "Sheldon?"

-"Hm?"

-"You know I love you, right?"

The tv's sound faded into the background. Sheldon blinked in confusion and responded: "yeah, I know." He then smiled. "I love you, too."

Jenny took the remote from his hand, turning the tv off. Once again stealing his escape options and cornering him for answers. "And you know that I hate to see you upset."

He gulped and shifted uncomfortably, but didn't speak.

-"I know there is something bothering you for a long time, and I was waiting for you to tell me but you—… Do you not trust me?"

-"Of course I trust you!" he said instantly.

-"Then why do you hide things from me?" she asked, sounding hurt. "I'm keeping my part of the promise, but you're not keeping yours!"

How could they both forget the promises they made a few months ago in the same spot they were currently sitting at, the day they promised each other a new start devoid of lies and mistreatment?

He still lied. He still hid secrets.

The silence stretched, seconds turned to minutes, and Sheldon just stared at his lap, weighing his options and collecting courage. He then took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and clenched and unclenched his hands before saying: "can we go upstairs? I… I don't want Melody to accidentally walk on us."

Jenny blinked in confusion.

-"I want to show you something," he explained, and with a nervous laugh, he added: "it's not another character impression. I promise."

---

-"Alright," Jenny said once Sheldon closed the door to her bedroom, still wondering what was the reason behind all the caution. "What is it?"

Sheldon pressed his back against the metallic door, staring down at the floor before basically tearing himself from his spot. He took a couple of steps forward, rubbed his arm nervously, and sighed. "It's… quite hard to explain, but… you deserve to know about it, anyway."

He then took off his shirt and threw it to the floor.

At first glance, Jenny didn't know what to look at. He looked like a skeleton dressed in pasty skin, but she already knew that and knew he was trying to gain weight. Then her eyes caught a glimpse of the discolored lines on both of his arms, recognizing them as scars; meticulously placed next to each other, as if their creator was counting the remaining days of his prison sentence on his skin.

-"There are more… on my legs… but… Haha, you don't really need to see those too," he said, never lifting his eyes off the floor. He anxiously rubbed his arm and shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking like he just wanted to curl on himself but fought the urge to. "I know I'm… I'm too disgusting to look at."

Jenny turned his wrists up to have a better look, glancing from his arms to his face and back with confusion drawn on her face. Some of the scars looked recent, barely healed, even. "Sheldon… who… what happened? How'd you get those!?" she asked, holding tightly on his wrist and sounding angry and almost terrified for his sake.

She once swore to never let anyone hurt him again, and if there was a single person on the face of earth brave enough to abuse him in this horrible way, then they were as good as disintegrated particles.

-"I did it," he admitted, briefly making eye contact before dropping his gaze again. "I cut myself."

She let go, sounding baffled when she whispered: "why? I… I don't understand."

-"I don't understand, either," he said truthfully. "It just… makes me feel better, less angry, and in control." He shrugged. "I don't know how to explain it, I do it when I'm upset… or mad at myself, or feeling hopeless and overwhelmed." He wrapped his arms around his chest, as if trying to hide but kept talking anyway: "I also hit myself, and pull on my hair, and pick on my skin… I—I dunno why… but it—... I feel like I deserve it."

Maybe Jenny's advanced auditory units were faulty. Maybe the dream chip was malfunctioning and active during daytime again.

They beat all the villains, endured all the hurtful treatment from their peers, and survived so many hardships, so… what else was there left to beat? Who could she crumble into pieces for hurting her dear beloved, when the beloved himself was his own tormentor?

There she was all over again, weak and helpless and unable to save him, as she had always been.

-"I don't know what you think of me right now," Sheldon spoke again when the silence grew painful to him. "B-but… please… I am not crazy, I really am not."

Then Jenny held a tight grip on his shoulders, yelling: "how could you do that!?"

Sheldon flinched and tried to back away, but couldn't because her hold was too strong and she started to violently shake him

-"Why would you ever think of hurting yourself like this!? Have you lost your mind!? I've been dead worried about what's upsetting you and instead of talking it out like a normal person would, you cut and hit yourself!? Why after everything you… you… Agh!"

She kept shaking and yelling at him, her hold tight enough to bruise and the movement disoriented him. He couldn't get her to stop so he just raised his arms up, hunching his shoulders and bowing his head in a protective manner, almost expecting her to hit him. He didn't believe she would, but years of experiencing abuse in the same way forced his body into a flight or fight position.

-"Why couldn't you just stop for a moment and ask yourself—"

-"Awe! Please, Jenny, I'm sorry, let go!"

Jenny gasped when she saw his reaction and let go of him so suddenly, and with his efforts to back away, he ended up losing balance and stumbling backward, his back and head hitting the cold metallic door. He held his head in pain, bringing his knees up to his chest and shrinking on himself against the door.

There were red marks on his shoulders where Jenny's hands had been, and it filled her with so much guilt that she just wanted to scream at herself for it, or punch something, or both. Besides, he was obviously fearful of what she would think of him, and her reaction was far from understanding or supportive.

But he was destroying himself, and he could've also gone too far and accidentally end his life. She didn't know how to voice her worry and anger for his sake otherwise. She didn't know at who to direct it, or how she could reverse the unreversible.

She knelt beside him with an apologetic, regretful expression on her face. "I'm so sorry, Sheldon. I dunno what I was thinking, I was mad and — of course not at you and… are you hurt?"

-"No," he mumbled, shaking his head and lowering his arms. "I'm sorry, too." He looked at her with a pleading face, tears shimmering in his eyes. "Please don't leave me."

-"What!?" she blurted. "Why would I? Why are you even apologizing!?"

-"Because you're right, I should've been stronger than this, I'm sorry." He lowered his gaze again, wrapping his arms around his chest. "But this is exactly why I keep doing it. I'm weak, and I hate myself so much for it, a-and I—... I don't think I deserve you and I know you will leave when you realize how much of a handful I am."

Jenny was still unable to understand. After all, how could she just accept that someone would be so hateful toward themselves that they frequently cause deliberate harm to their body? Maybe he was the only person in existance who would accept his pent-up anger, or maybe it was all the mistreatment he suffered throughout his life manifesting in a mirrored behavoir. Years of accumulated abuse that weren't easy to erase in the couple of months she spent trying to mend him.

But she still wanted to keep trying, no matter how much more effort, or how much longer it took.

-"I won't leave you, okay," she assured, shuffling closer. "I'm not mad at you, and I don't think you're crazy."

Her words unexpectedly had the opposite desired effect. He pressed his lips tightly and blinked several times, trying to suppress tears. He responded: "I know I got you now. I'm not alone anymore s-so… so I should be fine…" He frowned, and his voice shifted to an angry tone. "I should be better, but I'm just not and it makes me feel so sick and hopeless and broken… like a malfunctioning machine that can never be repaired so it should just be shut down forever!"

-"Do you really believe that?" she asked, eyes wide. "That you should be 'shut down'? Did you forget you almost—"

-"No, I didn't, and that's why I didn't want you to know!" he yelled, hands curling on the carpeted floor. "It makes me feel so guilty because I keep causing you so many problems."

Then it clicked. For the boy who needed to make so much effort to make others like him and be useful and of need, to accept that he wasn't completely worthless, it wasn't an option to ask for help, because it would require an effort to tolerate him, an effort for the love he never received unconditionally.

-"I'm trying to stop, okay? I really am," he continued, and by that point, he was shaking, clearly trying not to show more vulnerability but couldn't. "I'm trying to force myself to like me. I avoid spending time alone so I wouldn't think about hurting myself, but it's… useless… I still get the urge to—… I feel so on edge all the time." He moved his hands around to explain himself, occasionally wiping his eyes and sniffing so the tears wouldn't slip. "Little things that shouldn't upset me make me feel like I don't want to exist anymore, and I end up cutting to shut my head off." He took a few shaky breaths before adding: "I feel like I am stuck in a circle, but I can't break it because it's moving with enough speed and momentum to keep me trapped forever."

Jenny wanted to hold him close, tight enough to stop the tears that her hands itched to wipe, and to tell him he wasn't a handful, or weak, or malfunctioning, or whatever lies he convinced himself. She didn't, because she wanted him to let out everything that ate him from the inside first.

-"You're doing enough for me already, and I feel like a burden because I c-can't return the favor and it's all g-going in vain be-because I still feel so alone." His voice, as much as he tried to keep it steady, cracked, and it was the final push to make him break down sobbing. "I'm so sorry I'm like this — I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

He kept repeating like a broken record until he couldn't speak anymore, so he just sobbed silently. Jenny still didn't offer comfort or move any closer to him, because even despite everything, he still didn't reach out.

But he knew that to break the momentum of the circle he was stuck at, he needed external force to disrupt it, and he wouldn't get that force without asking for it first, and for that, he took a deep breath and looked up at Jenny's face. It held a sad frown, and he hated to see that expression, but he liked to think she felt the same toward him.

-"I need…" he whispered almost inaudibly before rephrasing louder: "help me."

She extended her hands toward his face to wipe the tears and brush away his bangs. Her palms felt cool on his heated skin, comforting, even, and he placed his hands on top of hers.

-"You are not alone, Sheldon," she said softly. "I'm here with you. I wanna be here with you through everything and anything until you're over this, okay? With every step in the way."

-"Really?" he asked, voice small and almost like a whisper. "You don't find me disgusting, or crazy?"

-"Of course not," she assured, her hands sliding down from his face to hold his hands. She ran her fingers over the unsightly scars and added: "I still love you as much as ever."

Sheldon took a few seconds to process what he had just heard. What benefit was there behind loving him in the state he was in? But then again, he would do the same and more for her if the roles were reversed, because love was more than just cuddling and kissing and offering gifts and sometimes giving your life up to the other during a terrorist invasion. Love was supporting each other through thick and thin. Love was accepting the other with all of their ugly and hurtful sides.

He threw his arms around her, holding on so tightly because he had just felt the crushing weight that suffocated him lift off his chest. "I'm sorry I kept this hidden from you."

-"It's okay," she assured, hugging back. "Sorry for getting mad at you. Are you sure you're not hurt?"

He hummed in confirmation.

She gently combed her fingers through his hair and murmured: "you're not weak, okay? We'll go through this."

He nodded, but after a few seconds, he pulled away and said: "I'm scared, Jenny. What if I don't? What if-f I…" He gulped but didn't continue.

-"You will," she assured once again. "How about we tell mom? She's smart and will know—"

-"No!" he yelled suddenly, but then lowered his voice. "I don't want to end up in a mental hospital. I hate hospitals. I don't want to be locked up."

Jenny blinked in confusion. "Okay, no hospitals, but I still think you should talk to her."

He gulped, closed his eyes, and nodded a few times. "Okay, okay, I will."

A few seconds of silence passed between the two because Jenny was still thinking of what to say next. Sheldon was the first to break it, however. "I promise I won't ever do it again, no matter how hard it gets."

-"I told you promises are pointless," Jenny pointed out. "How about… instead of fighting it alone, you tell me about what's causing it, and we solve it together."

He nodded again. "I've been calling Brad sometimes when I get the urge, but we just play games till I forget about it." He then smiled weakly. "You guys are so great. I can't ask for better friends."

Jenny smiled as well. "And I can't ask for a better boyfriend."

Sheldon sighed in relief and wiped the remnants of tears from his eyes. "Thanks, Jenny, I really feel better now." He stood up, walked to his discarded shirt, and then said with a laugh, "I think I should dress up now."

-"Aww, I was planning to steal that, too."

He looked at her with a cocked eyebrow once he wore his shirt back. "What do you do with my shirts, anyway?"

Jenny walked to her closet and took one of Sheldon's oversized plain shirts. She put it on, the fabric a little tight around her chest and hips, but it framed her torso nicely. "I wear them, duh!" She then did a half-spin. "Don't you think it looks cute on me?"

-"Uh…" He blushed, and it was all the answer she needed, but then he shook his head and said: "well I'll steal your… uh…" He walked to the closet as well, searching for something suitable before his eyes landed on the blue and white varsity jacket. "This!" he exclaimed, throwing it on and crossing his arms with a defiant smirk.

It was so large on his small, skinny frame, and the sleeves were too long that his fingertips were barely visible. It made Jenny laugh. "Awe, you can have it, Shelly."

-"Jenny!"

She sat down on her bed and continued laughing, knowing how much he hated pet names. The laugh died when he walked to her and held her hands. "Jenny?" he asked.

-"Hm?"

-"Thanks again, you are the best," he said, smiling, then awkwardly scratched his cheek. "C-can I kiss you?"

-"Sure."

His grin widened before he leaned down, locking his lips with hers. His hands found their way to her face before sliding down to her neck and then her shoulders as he felt her wrap her arms around him, pulling him closer. The kiss briefly broke when he suddenly found himself on her lap, but he ultimately didn't mind, melting as he drank from the fountain of sweet love once again.

Jenny, too, wanted to kiss him until it undoes all the pain, until it overpowers the bitter taste of doubts, until their past experiences are buried, and until they forget where they were, and who they were along with them. Her lips against his were silk soft, as if she was afraid that if she pressed harder, if she held him just a tad tighter, he would shatter more than he already was. She wasn't trusting, and no matter how much love and affection she poured into that kiss, it still wouldn't fix him. It would only give him comfort, prove to him he was wanted and loved, and for now, that was enough.

Sheldon pulled away but kept his arms around her. He rested his forehead on her shoulder and asked: "do you still wanna cuddle and watch TV?"

-"Hmm, sure, but let's get something to eat first."

And they did.

---

It was the last regular check-up Ms. Wakeman would do for her daughter this summer, and perhaps the last in a long time, because she would leave for college the very next day. She was confident that she had taught Sheldon well to take on that duty, but she still couldn't shake away the feeling of slight worry over her daughter's sake, and that she would deeply miss her.

She read the results of the scan, and everything was operating perfectly. It was expected, with the defeat of her biggest enemies, and the help she received from Melody in crime fighting, Jenny didn't have to be as busy as she used to be, but Ms. Wakeman still insisted she train and be as vigilant as ever, and Jenny didn't mind.

There was one thing, however, she wished they spent more time together.

The summer went by peacefully, between Jenny's missions, training, enjoying her time with her friends, and Ms. Wakeman's work and tutoring Sheldon, the two didn't get to spend time together. She understood why, however, Jenny was growing and discovering her own identity, and no matter how much she wanted to stand in her way and shelter her from the world, she knew she couldn't, so she could only stand on the side and watch.

-"All done," she said, stepping from beside the computer screen. "Everything operating at 100% capacity."

Jenny hopped off the worktable, pulling the wires attached to her body with the movement. "Thanks, mom, see you later!"

-"Wait right there, young lady!" she stopped her, wearing the 'stern mother' expression and placing her hands on her hips. "Where do you think you're going?"

Jenny slowed down and turned around, rolling her eyes. "I'm going out with my friends, mom. It's our last day together."

-"Did you pack everything you need? You will leave early tomorrow."

-"Yes, mom, I packed everything."

-"Even your high-voltage charger?"

Jenny rolled her eyes once again, then her pupils turned into loading circles before she responded. "Yes, everything. I checked from A to Z."

-"Did you check—"

-"Yes, mom!" she snapped. "Can I go now?"

-"Go where?" came Sheldon's voice from the door to the workshop when he stepped in.

-"To the park with Brad and Tuck," she responded with a confused look on her face. "Don't tell me you forgot."

He laughed apologetically. "Sorry, I kinda did. I've been wrecking my head, thinking how I could make the discs spin in my particles decelerator without it overheating."

Only a few weeks ago, Sheldon was what Ms. Wakeman could describe as a workaholic who only left the workshop to spend time with Jenny or when forced to do so. She recognized the new behavior pattern as another self-destructive coping mechanism, although less direct than the previous one. She wanted to advise him against it, but she couldn't because he didn't want to acknowledge the problem.

Until he did.

It was after she came back from her short trip that Sheldon came asking for help, and she tried to offer her best. She had a long talk with him, honest and empty of judgment. He talked about his intrusive thoughts, neglectful parents, negative experiences at school, disturbed self-image, and his attempts to fix it alone. She apologized for breaking his trust, and they agreed on a few changes that needed to be made.

-"How about you go out instead?" Ms. Wakeman responded. "It's your last summer's day. Don't waste it in my lab."

-"But I need to know before I leave!"

-"No buts!" she argued. "You know what I told you about overworking."

He gave her a pleading look. "I know it's unhealthy, but I—"

-"I'll help you with it later," she said, smiling so warmly that Jenny wondered if her mother now had favorites because she was never that soft with her. "And you know you are always welcome here."

He returned the smile. "Yes, thank you."

The word 'here,' didn't refer to the lab. They both knew it referred to the house and that he was always welcomed to visit as if it was his own. The changes they agreed upon were that he always reached out to her for help instead of bottling everything in, and to avoid spending time alone, as a result, he frequented her house more often for the rest of the summer, and he sometimes spent the night. She didn't mind if it helped him get over the unhealthy coping mechanisms.

It was better than returning to his empty house every day.

-"Come on!" Jenny said, pulling on Sheldon's arm. "We don't have the whole day."

-"Wait," Ms. Wakeman suddenly shouted, but then she shook her head. "It's nothing. Enjoy your day."

-"Bye, Nora!" Sheldon said before the two disappeared behind the door.

Ms. Wakeman smiled to herself and collected the tools she used for Jenny's checkup. She felt her eyes moisten, and she lifted her glasses to wipe them with the hem of her lab coat. Then, out of nowhere, Jenny came back and kissed her cheek with a simple. "Thanks, mom, see you later," before she flew back out again.

She felt so proud of her, and more than she ever wanted to admit, she would miss her deeply. Perhaps it would be so lonely without the loud, troublesome teenager in the house, but Jenny promised she would visit every now and then, and call often, and for now, that was enough for the elderly woman.

And perhaps it was time for her to work on improving the previous prototypes, perhaps for permanent activation, because she didn't want to be alone.

---

One of the many things Jenny would miss about Tremorton was its national parks and beautiful forests, but that was part of the experience of moving from a small town to perhaps getting lost in the urban jungles of metro cities instead. Today, however, she and her friends decided to spend their last summer day in a park just outside the city, between the tall trees, small animals that were prohibited to be fed but still snuck and stole human food, and the small lake that kids liked to swim in when the guards weren't looking.

-"Why do you even want to go!?" Tuck asked for what she counted as the fifty-second time in the past month. She glanced at him from her sitting spot on the dry, tall grass. He got a sudden growth spurt that summer, making him almost as tall as Ms. Wakeman, or perhaps even taller. "It's not like you should go to school anymore! Brad is staying, so why can't you!?"

-"I told you already, I want to have the experience," she responded. "Studying with the other grown-ups, partying all night…"

-"Doing long presentations without anyone spitting paper balls at me," Sheldon continued the sentence, smiling excitedly before he took another bite of Mezmer's greasy food they brought along with them for the picnic. Eating didn't feel like a chore anymore, and Sheldon didn't need to make a conscious effort into remembering and forcing himself to eat. He felt a lot more energetic and at ease, and he started to gain weight again.

Tuck crossed his arms. "Nerds." Then he stood up and picked up the football they brought along. "It's not like I'll miss you, anyway!" Then he stuck his tongue at them.

-"Hey, you'll still have me," Brad said without changing his laying spot on the grass as his eyes followed the clouds.

-"You're boring!"

-"Ouch."

-"We'll finish building the 'fastest racing mini car in the world' thing you wanted when I come back next vacation," Sheldon bargained, putting his sandwich aside and standing up so he could play catch with the younger boy. "It's not like we are leaving forever, right? Let's play—"

-"I don't care if you did!"

Brad sat up when he heard a ball getting kicked, and then the ball hitting something, then a thud. He spotted Sheldon laying on the grass with the football next to him and a red mark on his forehead. "Dude, I think you murdered him."

-"Cool! Now Jenny won't leave!"

-"In your dreams!" Jenny yelled, helping Sheldon to sit up, who was still seeing birds and stars swirling around his head. She wasn't mad about the younger boy's behavior. After all, it had been so long since the four of them got together and hung out. His older brother preferred to spend more time around Melody, or with people his age. Sheldon and she did the same, and perhaps he felt too lonely, witnessing his friends growing older and more distant toward him. All she could do was promise him nothing would ever change because she still loved his company as much as ever.

He threw the ball at her, but his face lost color when she smirked and held it in her hands, attempting to hit him with it.

-"An eye for an eye…"

-"No Jenny, have mercy!" Tuck yelled as he ran to hide behind Sheldon, making him laugh.

-"You know I'm gonna miss you, too, right?" he said with a sad smile. "But we'll always visit and make calls and I'll mail you things I make."

Tuck kicked the grass under his foot. "Okay, fine, you can go." Then he crossed his arms and lifted his chin proudly, looking at Jenny. "This city needs no heroes other than the unbeatable Tuck!"

-"Pff, sure."

He was about to retort when he noted that his brother had already stripped to his swimming trunks and was stretching his limbs, getting ready for a swim.

-"Oh boy! We're swimming now!" Tuch exclaimed, taking off his clothes.

-"Wait you guys, it's prohibited to swim," Sheldon said, pointing at the sign with the demonstrative drawing in red.

-"Pff, there isn't anyone to stop us," Brad dismissed with a relaxed demeanor. "And I don't follow stupid signs."

-"It's not stupid. Human bodies could introduce foreign objects and germs into the water, or the water might be unsanitary, or murky, or there could be undercurrents, or worse! Leeches and—"

-"Didn't your therapist tell you you shouldn't overthink?"

-"No, she didn't," he responded truthfully, missing the point of the question.

-"The last one to the water is a bed-wetter!" Tuck exclaimed before he ran to the small, wooden wharf and jumped into the pond with a loud splash.

Brad followed after, yelling: "not fair!"

Sheldon and Jenny walked in the wharf, and she could feel the old wood creek loudly under her feet. She looked right and left, making sure no guards were truly around, then said: "I thought you liked swimming."

-"I do," he responded, watching the two brothers splash water on each other. "Brad and I used to go to the public pool together before I…" he trailed, rubbing his arm. Jenny understood he was still insecure about his body, so she didn't pressure him. He still chuckled and added: "once he took me with him to go skinny dipping during the night and… there were other kids from school too, and I chickened out and didn't go."

-"Huh… What does 'skinny dipping' mean?" she asked, sitting at the edge and letting her feet touch the cool water.

-"It's… uh… swimming but for skinny people," he lied, sitting beside her.

She crossed her arms and frowned. "Why didn't he ask me to go? Does he think I'm not skinny enough!?"

Sheldon laughed. "Jenny, you can't swim."

-"Oh right, I forgot."

They sat in a comfortable, long silence, watching the two brothers swim a few meters away from shore where their feet could still touch the ground, occasionally craning their necks in search of the park's guards. There was a lone boat in the distance with a fisherman on it. Sheldon wanted to take a picture of it, only to realize that he had forgotten the camera for the first time this summer.

Perhaps he didn't need it as much anymore, since he wasn't a mere watcher from the side. Those were his friends who would never abandon him and accepted and loved him the way he was with no judgment; he believed so from the bottom of his heart. Thus, there was no use clinging to the idea that he was building memories for a gloomy future once they left him, because they wouldn't.

He would still go home and make his first journal entry in weeks, though.

-"Come on, man! The water is awesome!" Brad yelled.

-"No, I don't want to leave Jenny alone," he said, hugging her.

-"You're so sweet, Shelly," she said, pressing a quick kiss on his lips. "But I'll be fine."

Tuck swam to the wharf and swung his arms in the water to splash the two. "Eww, disgusting!"

-"Hey, Tuck, don't make me go down there!" Jenny threatened.

The sky turned into an orange hue that reflected on the water, except for the image of the few dispersed clouds that cast cool shadows over them. Perhaps it was too late for them to be swimming in an unsupervised lake, and perhaps too cold as well, but Sheldon didn't care. He stood up, kicked his shoes off, and stripped down to his boxers. Then he took several steps back before running and jumping into the water, yelling: "here comes the cannonball!"

Tuck splashed him with water once he swam back to the surface, and the three of them broke into what Jenny liked to call 'boys being boys' play, until they started attacking her as well, and she took revenge by turning her legs into fans to splash water on them in return.

It went on until the orange sky turned a red hue to announce a sweet goodbye with a promise of a return, and the two brothers left the water and put their clothes back on.

-"Aren't you guys coming?" Brad asked as he collected the few belongings that he brought along. "It's getting late."

-"No, I'm good!" Sheldon responded, idly floating on his back and staring at the sky with a content smile. He missed this forgotten hobby, and he couldn't believe he wasted the entire summer without it.

-"Well, see you guys tomorrow before you leave!"

-"Sure!" Jenny yelled back. "See you!" She waved, then turned to stare at her boyfriend. Her feet swung idly in the cool water, creating small waves that pushed away the yellowish leaves that fell into the water. It felt peaceful.

She looked up, and the sky was already darkening. There was a single star in the sky, the one she knew shone along its smaller companion, and she remembered an old myth that you could wish your heart's desires to the first star of the night.

And she did.

Her gaze lowered to fix on her companion, and she found him still staring at the sky. She liked to think he made the same wish, too.

It wasn't easy, loving someone who was so broken, but she didn't back down from a challenge. Even after he opened up to her, he still struggled with his self-image for so long, and it took a lot of support and understanding to mend him. She stayed during every mental breakdown, supported him through every panic attack, and every sleepless night, until the frequency of those dropped, and until they would become a forgotten, long-gone nightmare from the past.

But he was gradually getting better, not only because she was there for him, but because he was tough and strong-willed, and she, who possessed the strength of a million and seventy men, recognized that strength was more than just being able to lift buildings and toss them into the sky. Strength was overcoming doubts and challenges, no matter how hard, and he was good at that.

She smiled when he climbed out of the water to sit next to her, shuddering when the cool night air assaulted his wet skin.

-"Are you cold?"

-"V-v-very," he said, teeth chattering, but he still smiled and shifted closer to her. "But I d-don't m-mind."

She handed him his hoodie jacket, shirt, and pants. "At least put your clothes on."

He grimaced. "I want to dry up first," he said, pointing at his wet boxers but still accepting the jacket, putting it over his shoulders.

-"You'll catch a cold."

-"The common c-cold is caused by a virus, not being cold," he explained with a raised index. "So I'll b-be fine."

She hummed and pulled him closer, and he rested his head on her shoulder. His hair dripped on her shell, but she didn't mind. She didn't mind it either when she rested her head on his, feeling the wet strands tickle her cheek.

Then she felt him swiftly sneak his cold hand under hers, and she held it, squeezing gently and locking their fingers together.

The moon shone in the ink-black sky, reflecting on the lake along with the stars. Sheldon liked the reflection, and he looked down to meet his image. He was still getting used to looking at the scars on his skinny arms and legs without disgust. They were the remnants of surviving hardship, not a weakness; he reminded himself, smiling.

Jenny squeezed his hand once again. "Hey, Sheldon."

-"Hmm?"

-"I love you."

-"I know that," he said, smiling. "I love you too."

-"I want us to be together forever," she voiced her wish out loud.

-"Me too," he agreed, giving her a small kiss on the lips. "I'll figure something out. I wanna see how you'd be when you're 2000 years old, see if Vexus is right."

Jenny laughed. "I'd be an old ugly villain who's fed up with the human race."

-"No, you'd still be the sweetest girl to me," he replied, pressing another kiss, then a few soft ones on her cheek before sliding to her neck, making her giggle because it tickled.

-"Stop!" she yelled amidst the laughs, lightly pushing him away before wrapping her arms around him again and resting her head on his, enjoying the quiet solitude for a while longer.

Sheldon looked at their reflection once again, looking as content with each other's company as he had always dreamed them to be. This time he stared at the image with sympathy toward the person who looked back at him. He liked himself, and he liked himself more when he was with her, and he knew she felt the same.

He sighed in relief because he didn't feel alone anymore. Even though in the end, there was only him, and her, but they weren't alone anymore.

Because they had each other, through thick and thin, together, until the end.

---

Notes: That's it I guess :,)

I'll go sit in a corner to figure out what to do with my life now that this fic is over lmao.

Thanks again everyone for sticking around, I hope you guys enjoyed this, lemme know what you think of this chapter or the fic as a whole. Everything is welcome, questions, opinions, suggestions for future works, criticism, whatever you guys have, bring it to the table!