Author's Note: This chapter gives away what I wanted Marcy to accomplish. The reason I added her to the story was to renew Jimmy's belief in love once he lost it. To let him as well ad everyone else know that love is still out there and I think this chapter shows that. And that, was Marcy's purpose. Now enjoy this next chapter.

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Part 14: Hope Is Good

"I'm sorry for leaving like this," Marcy said as she said her good-byes. "I feel horrible, but my parents-"

"It's okay," Becca replied.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Jimmy added.

"We'll all miss you," Libby replied.

"What about your-?"

"I'm. . .not so sure about it anymore. But you know what, give me your address and phone number. Just in case."

Marcy nodded. "Okay." She pulled out a pen and paper from the hand bag Mr. Neutron handed her and scribbled across the blank piece of paper. She handed it to Libby and with a smile she took it and placed it in her pocket.

"Now," Libby went on. "You take care of this girl." She looked at Michael with a smile.

A wide grin formed across his face as he moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her hips, and placing his chin on her shoulder. "Oh, I will," he said as Marcy blushed.

Mrs. Neutron covered Becca's eyes. "Ma!" Rebecca yelled.

Marcy's blush deepened and she rolled her eyes. "Stop playing around, Michael," she said to which Michael laughed.

"Yes, ma'am," he said as he laced their hands together. He led her away, toward the car as he waved with her hands in his. "It was great meeting you all."

"It was great meeting you!" Becca called as she waved, pulling away from her mother.

Michael smiled and waved again. He opened the door for Marcy.

"They are so not like each other," Becca said.

"Opposites attract," Libby commented and Becca couldn't help but agree. She peered over toward Ben's house. She hoped to see him coming out of the house or maybe pop his head out the window or something. She really missed him, but she didn't know how to be around him anymore.

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As soon as the car was far from sight, everyone was back inside, standing around without a word to say.

Jimmy was the first to break the ice.

"I'm going to bed," he said.

"But your concussion!" Carl called.

"I don't have one," Jimmy said angrily as he walked up the stairs.

"I have to talk to you," Libby said, which made everyone silent and the air fill with negative energy. The sudden tension was thick and it left Jimmy and Libby both visibly uncomfortable and tense. "I just wanted to say that Sheen. . .was really defending you. He said he wasn't, but he was."

"Did you talk to him?" Jimmy turned, but Libby looked down.

"I tried," she said. "I was. . ." She cleared her throat, but she couldn't continue. Her tears began to fall as she covered her face with her hands. Carl came to her and wrapped his arms around her. He rubbed her back, trying to comfort her, but it only seemed to increase her tears. He looked to Jimmy for help, but Jimmy shook his head. He opened his mouth to speak, but looked away. There was nothing he could do for her. Not even his comfort could stop her tears, but he moved toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He gently pulled her away from Carl and made her face him.

"I don't know how this will all turn out," he said. "So I won't say that it'll be alright when I don't know it myself." Libby's head remained down as Carl held her shoulders from behind. "But I will say that I'm here for you. You have me and Carl and although, I don't think it's enough. . ." He was at a loss for words now. He shrugged and then he sighed. "I'm here for you, Libby. I will always be here for you no matter where I'll be in the future."

"Me too," Carl said, tears in his eyes. He nodded.

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Libby had left with Carl at her side and that was when Jimmy was thankful that he'd finally gotten his chance to sleep. Though when he made it to his room, he couldn't sleep and he wished that Libby and Carl would return.

He yawned for the tenth time. He was tired, but he just couldn't fall asleep. He knew his family had already gone to bed. The lights were all out and he could hear his father snoring.

He turned on his side and looked at the alarm clock on his night stand. It was 12:37 A.M. and he was still awake. With a sigh he tried to sleep again as he closed his eyes, but he thought of Cindy. A low growl emerged from his throat as he turned over on his back.

Reading that journal of her's had put his self-esteem down and it had made him angry. It had also made him lose his belief and hope in love, but after watching Marcy and receiving something from the one person she loved most was a wonderful moment that made Jimmy believe in love again, though he still didn't have hope for himself. He knew now for certain that love was out there and it came to those who deserved and cherished it.

There was a creaking from the door and then light footsteps. Goddard's tail began to wag and his breathing became a little heavy from the excitement.

"Shh!" his intruder hushed.

Jimmy's eyes opened and then he sat up only to find Becca frozen in her place, caught like a deer in the headlights.

"I don't have a concussion," he said, his voice gave away his annoyance.

She looked down, a little ashamed of herself.

"You can go to bed now," Jimmy said, urging his sister out of the room, but she wouldn't leave. She just stood there and looked up at him. "Becca, I told you-"

"It doesn't mean I'm gonna stop worrying," she said finally.

He rolled his eyes. "I thought you were too ashamed and too disappointed in me to be anything else," he said.

She looked down as she wrung her hands. "That doesn't mean that I'll stop loving you," she said. "And when you love someone, you worry about them even if you're ashamed of them and disappointed in them too."

Jimmy watched her as her chin lifted, her eyes meeting his again. "I'm confused right now," she said. "But I still love you. I still worry about you. Especially, when you get beat up!"

"Maybe you should really be worrying about yourself," he commented.

"What do you mean?" She looked at him, curiosity hinted in her eyes. Realization struck her quickly. "You heard me and mom talking before you left."

Jimmy didn't answer, he simply leaned back into his pillow.

"Well, we. . ."

"This isn't even the real story and look what happened."

Becca looked at him, confused. "The real story?" she asked. "That seemed pretty real to me."

"That was Cindy's side of the story," he said. "How valid could it be?"

Becca was stunned. "You're such a-"

"I didn't mean it in the way it sounded," he argued as he sat himself up again.

"Then how did you mean it?"

He sighed. "Look. Cindy-"

"There are always two sides to a story, Jimmy," Becca said. "So how do you know who's telling the truth and who isn't? How do you even know that either one of them are true?"

He looked at her for a moment, contemplating his answer. "I guess you really never know exactly what happened," he replied. "Unless there's someone else to tell the story. Or if you trust one of the people enough to believe them."

Becca didn't know how exactly to reply to this. She felt his eyes on her, piercing through her, accusing her of failing to trust him. "I. . .I gotta go to bed."

"Mmhmm."

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Sheen stood by his window. He didn't think he wanted to stay in Retroville for much longer. He looked at the clock. It was almost two in the morning. He sighed wondering if Libby had returned to wait outside his door. He almost smiled when he heard the knock at the door, but he didn't go to answer it.

"Sheen?" It wasn't Libby. "Are you awake?"

"Maybe," he whispered.

"I know you are," Jimmy said. "I couldn't sleep myself. . .I need to talk to you. It's important that we talk, so can you open the door?"

Sheen didn't reply and so with a sigh Jimmy began. "I know you're angry. I don't blame you. But Cindy got it all wrong. What she wrote in that journal and what you heard from Marcy aren't true. I don't know how she could've. . .

"Look, Sheen," he began again, "Libby and I were never together in high school. I would never do that to you or Cindy. I knew how you felt about her and I wasn't going to move in on your girl. Especially, knowing that you loved her and not when there was a girl I deeply cared for myself. Even if she. . .I just want you to believe me. Libby and I didn't have anything going on. I knew she was your girlfriend and I had a girlfriend. I wasn't going to-"

"People cheat, Jimmy," Sheen replied, surprisingly calm. "It can probably even be considered normal."

"But I'm not normal people!" Jimmy protested. "I'm me! I've always been above average, Sheen! I've never been normal! You should know that. You have been hanging around me since elementary school!"

Sheen remained quiet. He didn't have much to say after that and he looked toward the door. Somehow he expected the door to burst open and see Jimmy's angry face, but that didn't happen. The next thing he heard was fading footsteps and he realized that Jimmy was leaving, storming off.

Sheen made it to his door and opened it. Jimmy wasn't out there anymore. He stepped outside and almost tripped. He looked down to see Libby stir in her sleep. Sheen watched her for a moment, a sad smile on his face. With a sigh he knelt down beside her and carefully placed his arms underneath her and lifted her up off the floor. Her head fell against his chest as she snuggled close.

"Sheen. . ." she mumbled under her breath.

He hesitated, but he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I love you."

He walked into his room and gently lay her down on his bed. He put the covers over her and headed for his door. He looked at her one last time before he stepped out and closed the door behind him.

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When Libby awoke in the morning she looked about, wondering for only a moment where she was. But she recognized the room. She had been here before. When she and Sheen were talking, of course.

She looked around. "Sheen?" she called, hoping that he'd reply like he always did, but there was no reply. "Sheen?" She tossed the covers aside and then tossed her legs over the side of the bed. Her feet touched the floor and she walked around a little bit. "Sheen?"

The door opened and she rushed to it. She screamed when she came face to face with another man.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the young man said quickly. "I was simply bringing up your breakfast. Mr. Estevez said that you'd be-"

"Mr. Estevez?"

"Yes, he ordered this for you," the young man replied as he pulled in the cart. "Said you'd be hungry. Told us to give you whatever you'd like."

Her heart seemed to flutter and she hoped that maybe he'd forgiven her and was ready to talk again. "Did he say anything else?" she asked, hoping that maybe he had.

The young man shook his head. "No," he said. "That was all he said."

"And then what?"

The young man shrugged. "And he left." Libby sighed. "I'm sorry, ma'am."

She shook her head. "It's not your fault."

The young man walked out as he closed the door behind him and left Libby to eat her meal alone.

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One more day of this, Cindy thought. Just one more day.

She turned, ready to get the hell out. She had enough of these decorations and crap, but as she took her first step to freedom she bumped into someone. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Hm," the person scoffed as they walked away.

She lifted her head and scowled, but it fell away when she saw Jimmy. His back was turned to her now. You know, a voice inside her head said, if you hadn't have been so quick to accuse him back in high school, you'd still be with him now. How do you even know he really cheated on you?

Those conversation's were pretty convincing, she argued.

But Carl said it himself, 'It's not like Jimmy to cheat on someone.' And he loved you too much to hurt you that way.

Cindy sighed. Was it normal to be so torn about something that happened five years ago? She didn't think a normal person would dwell on the past, but unfortunately she was no normal person. She didn't have a normal life growing up because she knew Jimmy Neutron. She lived right across the street from the kid and he brought more trouble than any kid could ever possibly hope or even imagine to bring to a supposed average town.

She began her way outside again, but this time her delay was due to Betty.

"Can we talk?" she asked as Cindy faced her. "Woman to woman." She smiled lightly.

Cindy flashed her a fake smile. "Sure," she replied. Please let this be a quick conversation. "About what?"

"Can we maybe go somewhere?" she asked. "I think-"

"I'm fine right her," Cindy interrupted.

Betty looked at her for a moment and then nodded as she continued. "This is about you and Jimmy."

Cindy sighed, exasperated as she rolled her eyes.

"I know this is known of my business," Betty went on. "But Jimmy really-"

"Let me guess," Cindy replied. "Jimmy really loves me?"

Betty nodded.

"Did he say this to you?"

Again Betty nodded. "He loves you more than you could ever possibly know," she said genuinely. Her eyes held something that Cindy could not recognize, which both puzzled and surprised Cindy. "I know you don't want to hear this from me and you probably heard this a lot, but you should talk to him. He-"

Already Cindy began dismissing her again and walked away, but Betty followed.

"You'd know how he felt if you just talked to him," she argued. "He really cares and he's really hurt by what you did to-"

"What I did!" Cindy shouted as she turned.

"You treated him like nothing and-"

"I treated him pretty decent on our dates!" Cindy protested.

"Well, you payed no mind to his emotions and feelings," Betty countered a hint of anger in her voice and in her eyes. "You stomped on his heart and you couldn't have cared any less."

Cindy was stunned. Jimmy had really told her a lot then, a lot of his side of the story. "I-"

"You know what," Betty interrupted. "I don't even know why I'm trying to help you. You don't care about Jimmy, anyway. You didn't then and you don't now."

"That's not-" She stopped, realizing what she was about to say. What Betty was telling Cindy now was what Cindy had been telling everyone else all along.

"That's not what?" she asked. "That's not true?"

Cindy didn't reply.

"For someone who doesn't care for Jimmy, you really got hurt when he supposedly slept with your friend."

"Wouldn't you be!" Cindy shouted, her anger boiling again. "He was suppose to be with me!"

"If I cared about him, of course I'd be upset," she said. "But if I didn't care about him at all, like you, then I wouldn't be upset. Maybe, yeah, a little angry, but not upset. To the point where I'd abandon my family and friends as a way to spite him. And not upset to the point where five years later I still wouldn't be talking to him."

Cindy became uncomfortably quiet.

Betty shook her head as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You're ridiculous and you should be ashamed." And with that, she walked away.

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"So how have things been going?" Marie asked as they walked down the block together.

Becca shrugged. "Ben and I are still not talking as you all know."

Her friends nodded in response.

"Jimmy's been working with this Betty girl on the reunion decorations, dad's been working, and mom's still doing all the things she's always done at home and stuff. Goddard watches her now and then and that's it."

"How are you doing?" Marie asked.

Becca shrugged again. "I don't know. I'm still confused."

"That, I think is normal," Billy put in.

"Especially, with everything going on," Diana replied. "I'm confused about the whole thing myself."

"It is pretty confusing," Billy admitted.

Marie nodded. "Of course it is."

Becca looked down as she walked. She wondered if things would be any better than this. It felt like it wouldn't be. It seemed impossible to find a way to fix things up again. Carl had tried the previous day, but everything turned out much worse. Jimmy had obviously been in a fight and Becca knew it wasn't with Cindy. She doubted Cindy would ever punch Jimmy and she doubted Jimmy would continue letting her beat him senseless if she ever did. She knew the fight had been with Sheen. It had to have been with him, unless there was another person involved that she didn't know about. Though she would never know for certain until she asked, but she wouldn't. Jimmy seemed a little wrapped up with his own stuff and she didn't think it'd be appropriate to talk. It somehow didn't feel right to any more.

Though, not everything that happened the previous night had turned out bad. Marcy had gone home and although it seemed like something was missing at home, it was nice to know that she was happy. At least someone is, she thought as she looked back on the night before. A soft smile broke across her frowning face as she remembered how completely different they seemed to be and yet how they were happy together and just seemed more. . .complete that way. Marcy with her glasses and her librarian-like clothes and Michael with his total jock appearance, they seemed out of place somehow and yet so in tune with one another that it was just incredible. Jimmy and Cindy seemed to have more in common at first glance than Marcy and Michael and yet they were not happy together and Marcy and Michael were.

Thinking about Marcy's fortune made Becca hopeful. Marcy had, after all gotten her fairy tale ending, why couldn't she and her family have the same? Maybe it was possible that things would turn out for the better even if it didn't seemed that way. Marcy was a great example. She had come all the way to Retroville to escape her life at home where she felt she went unnoticed and her talents were unappreciated and even unrecognized. When she came here, she was at first lost and probably confused, but she knew what she wanted and she got her story and she was able to meet an entire family who took the time to notice her and appreciate her. Her real family was forced to see her for who she was and what her role was in their family. And finally, on the day she left for home, which had promised nothing but heartache, she got her fairy tale ending. The guy she had been crazy about since childhood confessed his love and that was when she knew she didn't go unrecognized and she was no longer invisible to the naked eye. She was finally complete and she was happy.

That had to mean something, Becca thought and she was positive that Marcy's happy ending had even struck Jimmy with a ray of hope. Something he had needed to revive his belief in a great romance, a blissful and joyous one.

"What's the smile for?" Diana asked.

Becca looked up, but she shook her head. "Nothing really."

"It didn't look like nothing to me," Billy replied, to which Diana agreed.

Marie titled her head as she looked at Becca. Becca turned to her and Marie smiled, so sweetly and so thoughtfully that Becca knew she secretly somehow knew something happened, something pleasant that gave her hope and joy.

Becca looked away. "Marcy went home yesterday."

"That doesn't sound like something happy," Diana retorted. "That sounds a little sad if you ask me. Especially, if you were close. Weren't you guys close?"

"I thought you were," Billy put in.

Becca nodded. "I guess you can say that."

"So then why would it be a happy thing that she left?" Billy asked.

"Because something beautiful happened before her departure," Marie replied, still looking at Becca with that same sweet, thoughtful smile.

Becca smiled softly and she nodded. "Marcy's parents sent someone to come get her. It just so happened to be an old friend of her's. Michael was his name."

"Yeah?" Diana asked, her interest rising.

Becca nodded. "Yeah," she said. "He's just the exact opposite of her. He's not soft spoken at all and he's definitely not shy either." Becca shrugged. "Well, she was in love with him and-"

Diana and Billy gasped.

Becca looked at them and smiled. "Yeah," she said again. "And she always thought that he was in love with her twin sister, Macy."

"Ooh," Billy and Diana replied.

Becca nodded. "But when he came to the house, he was happy to see her. And of course she was happy to see him. I mean, really happy. He asked her why she left and she explained about her family and how she loved someone but they didn't seem to love her back." Becca shrugged. "He told her that that guy was an idiot for not seeing how great she was. Little did he know th-"

"That he was talking about himself!" Diana and Billy exclaimed.

Diana laughed. "Idiot!"

Becca laughed. "Anyway, after that he confessed that he loved her and she confessed to him and, you know, it was-"

"Cliché," Marie finished sweetly for her and Becca nodded.

"But they shared an amazing kiss that made you hate them and love them at the same time," Becca replied. "It made you angry with them for having someone, but it gave you a warm feeling in your heart all at once."

Diana stared her face expression was one that Becca had never seen before and she was unsure of how to describe it. "I wish I was there," Diana said softly.

Billy nodded.

"It gave me hope," Becca said. "For me and Jimmy and everyone. It really did."

Marie placed an arm around Becca's shoulders. "Hope is good."