Disclaimer: I still do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.

After quite a hike, the two preteens breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the brink of the woods. "Best we hide out here for a while. The cops will find it pretty odd that there weren't bodies in the car," Jimmy said while slamming his walking stick ahead of him and shuffling along.

Cindy weakly nodded as she tightened her grip around his neck. Ten minutes later, Jimmy gently sat her down on a rock. He slung his backpack off his shoulder and placed it on the ground beside him. He pulled out his pen laser and held it in front of her face.

"What are you, what are you doing?" Cindy weakly asked.

"Just follow the pen, Cind. With your eyes," he told her while swinging it back and forth, and then away and to her face. He frowned a little as her pupils delayed a few seconds.

Jimmy put the laser back in his backpack and zipped it up. He gently parted the hair in front of her face and slowly felt her skull. "Pretty nice bruise," he mentioned while eyeing a large purplish bump.

"I'm fine, Jim," Cindy said while gently shoving him away.

Jimmy cocked an eyebrow at his new nickname. "You've got a grade one concussion, Cindy."

Cindy shook her head, but clutched her skull in pain. Jimmy sighed while shaking his head. He took off his new jacket and laid it on the ground. "Get some sleep." He grabbed her hand and laid her down on the jacket. She slowly closed her eyes and started to snore lightly.

Jimmy took the cell phone out of his pocket. He flipped it open and pressed some buttons. He smiled a little. "Broken," he said while tossing it into his backpack. Taking a quick glance at Cindy to be sure she was okay, he went off a little into the forest to find some firewood.

Cindy awoke several hours later to see Jimmy sitting in front of a fire, absent-mindedly peeling the bark off of a stick. He smiled a little as he saw her watching him.

"Good sleep?" he asked.

Cindy delicately nodded as he took a seat beside her. He rested his hands on his raised knees and stared straight ahead. Cindy look at him, intrigued now the fire illuminated half of his face.

"Are we crazy, Vortex?" he finally asked.

Cindy pushed herself off of his jacket and handed it to him. He tossed it over on top of his backpack. She took a seat next to him. "About what?"

Jimmy smiled a little. "This. This whole, adventure. We're running from your mom. We're running from the cops. We've got twenty bucks, a broken cell phone, a lighter, and a laser. We're going to have to steal to survive, and sooner or later we'll get caught. And then they'll find out who we are, contact our parents, and, well..." Jimmy's voice trailed off.

Cindy didn't quite know what to say. "We'll figure out something. We always do."

Jimmy laughed. "Yeah, well. This time it's a little different. We actually stole a car, Cindy. Two eleven year-olds stole a car. That's something you don't see every day."

"It had to be done, Jimmy. His car insurance will cover it."

"I don't care about the damn insurance, Cind! I'm not worried about that guy. Worst comes to worst, he'll ride the bus to work on Monday. What I'm saying is we're not in control. We've always had a plan. We've always had my inventions. We've got nothing and your mom's got everything."

"Since when is it we?" Cindy seriously asked.

Jimmy remained silent for a moment. "I helped you when I didn't have to, Cindy. And I'm not going to hold it over your head. I just want to know one thing. Just this once, tell me the truth." Jimmy turned to face her. "What was it that was in your pocket? The thing you dropped yesterday."

Cindy's expression fell. "I told you it's none of your business."

"Yeah, well that might have been true yesterday. But we're in this together now, like it or not. I think I have a right to know!" Jimmy said, his voice rising.

Cindy stood up, as did Jimmy. They stared each other in the eyes. For the first time, Cindy was the one that had to look up to see him. Jimmy didn't back down. "Tell me."

Cindy never lost her gaze. "No."

Jimmy reached for her pocket, but she grabbed his wrist and twisted it.

"Bitch!" Jimmy shouted as she let go of his wrist. He clutched it in pain as he stumbled backwards.

Jimmy's face fell a little as he got a look of Cindy's expression. Oh great, now she's pissed. Well screw her. Time I start standing up for myself. He looked at her hurt expression again and sighed. "I didn't mean to say that," he told her while taking a step forward.

Cindy, in one fluid motion, picked up a Jimmy's walking stick, spun around, and slammed him into a tree with it. She pushed the stick into his neck, pinning him there.

"Cute," Jimmy grumbled while struggling to take a breath.

Cindy scowled at him. "Don't you think for one second that we're equal. I never asked for you to come here, take my place as the best. And don't you dare think that I'm complimenting you, I'm smart enough to know you're brighter than me. But there is so much I can do that you can't, Neutron.

You helped me when you didn't have to? Fine, you're off the hook. Go back home and crawl to your mommy. I can take care of myself," she seethed.

Cindy shoved the stick a little deeper into his neck before releasing him. As Jimmy rubbed his bruised neck, Cindy turned around and started to walk off.

"You think you can do this without me?" Jimmy shouted. Cindy didn't answer. "Fine then! Good luck, Vortex!"

"You too, Spewtron!" she shouted without turning around.

Jimmy stared after her as she nearly left his sight. "Cindy!" he sadly shouted.

Cindy stopped and turned around. It was hard to tell from where he was standing, but he thought she might have been crying. "What?"

"It doesn't have to be this way."

Cindy stared at him again. "Yeah, it does," she said before turning back around and heading off.