Author's Note: I've got things planned out to chapter twenty-seven.

Disclaimer: I don't own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.

Cindy left the jeweler's shop, necklace and pearl in hand. She admired the sparkling gold band clutched in her hand. She smiled a little as she saw the white ball attached at the end. She unclipped it and placed it around her neck.

She jumped as she felt someone else's hands finish putting it on. "Well, I did work hard to get it for you, but it's not worth dying for," Jimmy whispered as he snapped the chain in place. Cindy eagerly turned around and smiled at him.

Jimmy smiled back. Before having time to say anything else, Cindy wrapped him in a giant embrace. She noticed that a tear was rolling down her cheek, but she didn't care. She buried her head into his shoulder. "How did you find me?"

Jimmy squeezed her a little tighter and smelled her hair. "Luck."

After what seemed an eternity spent in paradise, Cindy slowly pulled away from Jimmy. "So," he asked, "this is what we've been fighting about for days? The pearl I gave you?"

Cindy nodded as she grabbed his hand and started leading him down the street. "Ironic, isn't it?" she said while laughing a little. "The little devil brought us closer than ever, yet it nearly tore us apart."

"That's deep, Cind. You spend all night cracking that beautiful gem?"

Cindy turned towards him and smirked. "Well, uh," she struggled. For the first time ever, she couldn't come up with an insult.

Jimmy laughed and continued walking, intertwining their touching fingers. "So, where'd you spend the night?"

"Library bathroom. I hid in there while they locked up," Cindy embarrassingly told him. "You?"

"Outside a cardboard box with a hobo named Jim," Jimmy said, shaking his head at the disturbing memory. "He offered to let me inside with him, but the price was, uh, a little steep," Jimmy quietly said while quickly glancing at his crotch.

They walked in silence for a few minutes. "Cindy, we've got to, well, not do that anymore. We can't keep splitting up every twelve hours we have a fight. We gotta decide right now. We in this together or not?"

Cindy smiled a little. "In it from day one, Jimmy."

"Me too," he quickly replied.

After another few moments spent strolling along in silence, Cindy finally expressed her fear. "Jimmy?" she asked, barely speaking above a whisper.

Jimmy turned to face her. "What's wrong?"

Cindy released Jimmy's grip on her hand and nervously twiddled her hair. "Did you ever think, that, well...maybe we're not meant to be together?"

Jimmy's smile faded. "What do you mean?"

Cindy sighed. "Like, fate has us set as enemies."

Jimmy's eyes narrowed at the word fate. "Cindy, you know there's no such thing as fate."

Cindy groaned. "Can you put aside your scientific beliefs for one second and think about my question?" Cindy took a deep breath. "It seems like every time we get closer, something happens. Look, it's happening right now! You give me a pearl, and we get rescued and go back our normal lives. We go on an adventure together, we argue and split up. It's happening right now! We just got close again, and we're already arguing!

It's just that we always end up splitting up," she told him, defeated.

Jimmy looked into her emerald eyes. "You're seeing it wrong, Cindy. We don't always get together and split; we always split and get back together. We always end up with each other no matter what."

"You're a the 'glass is half-full' kind of guy, aren't you?" Cindy asked him.

Jimmy laughed. "Well, we're together right now, aren't we? And ultimately, Cindy, we control our own destinies. And it's about damn time I be honest with you. I want my destiny to be you. So it's up to you, Cind. Do you want to be with me?"

Cindy looked into his eyes. Behind his brave facade and touching speech, she could see despair and fear. Fear of being rejected again. Don't you dare mess this up. Steeling herself, she grabbed his cheeks and kissed him.

Two seconds later, they pulled apart. They leaned their heads together, noses touching. Staring into each other's eyes, they let out their breaths and their fears.

Cindy ran her hand down Jimmy's arm, and his body shook a little with delight. He grabbed her hand as it left his arm and began to retreat to her side. He pulled his body away a little and licked his lips.

"We, uh, better get going," he softly said with a smile. Cindy nodded, smiling as well. They looked away and slung their backpacks back over their shoulder. Glancing at each other once again, they smiled before grabbing the other's hand and heading off towards the horizon.