Disclaimer – I don't own Jimmy Neutron nor any other referenced media material.

Hands intertwined, Jimmy and Cindy were lying on their backs, gazing up at the stars. The freak storm had blown itself out and, in its stead, had left a clear night sky just like the one they'd seen before leaving Retroville. In fact, being on the island and away from civilization, they could see the sky with greater clarity than was ever possible at home. Jimmy and Cindy decided that this was the best way to spend their remaining time on the island. Jimmy set an alarm on his watch to remind them of their looming deadline. Checking the watch manually had been driving them mad.

"Well," Jimmy said with a sigh. He kept his gaze pinned skyward. "This is, without a doubt, the longest night I can ever remember."

"You said it Neutron," Cindy said. She sounded every bit as weary as Jimmy.

Jimmy smiled. He enjoyed the way it felt to have Cindy agree with him. To ensure himself that this wasn't a dream, and that he was in fact laying next to her, he gave her hand a squeeze. He liked the slim, soft quality of her fingers.

"Mmm, keep doing that, it feels good," Cindy mumbled, closing her eyes.

Jimmy was all too happy to oblige.

The pair laid like this for what seemed like a long time. While time had raced during the previous three hours, when they had been tramping around the island together, now that they had slowed down, time seemed to slow down as well. Both Jimmy and Cindy were grateful for this.

"I can't believe it's taken us all this time," Jimmy said. He felt a lump in his throat, that feeling of regret surfacing once again. "I've been such an idiot." Jimmy brought his head up, just so that he could slam it back down on the muddy sand.

"We've both been," Cindy insisted. Her twin emeralds glazed over. "Smartest two kids in class, but when it comes to love, we flunk out with flying colors."

Jimmy snickered. He then shook his head, unable to believe what had transpired in the past five hours. "All those years of sniping and degrading each other, or virtually ignoring one another. That's what's gone to waste Cindy." He folded one his hands behind his head. "Those little moments that you were talking about earlier? They weren't what were wasted. It was the time we devoted to arguments and ignorance."

Jimmy shook his head again. That lump in his throat refused to disappear. "The times we could have had together," he said wistfully. "The years."

"Can you imagine that?" Cindy said. "If we had the chance to do it all over again?"

Jimmy laughed. "Yeah, can you picture us as high school sweethearts?"

Cindy was cracking up herself. "Oh man. We would've broken up and gotten back together about twenty times."

"About thirty times."

Both Jimmy and Cindy thought this was very funny. They chuckled as they held onto each other's hands, wishing that this moment could last forever.

"We'd break up before literature," Cindy said.

"And get back together during chemistry," Jimmy finished.

The couple laughed even harder at this. Perhaps it wasn't quite as funny as they acted, but they needed some source of amusement. The dramatic turn-of-events the night had taken had made them giddy. It was a much-needed respite from what faced them in only a few short hours.

"Oh man," Cindy said, wiping an eye with her free hand. A grin was on her face. "Seriously though, do you think we would have made a good couple?"

"Absolutely," Jimmy chirped. "If we had gotten together back in ninth grade, we would have been one of those couples that everyone just associated with Retroville High. Even if we broke up everyday, we would have been one of those couples that were just…well, there. One of those that everyone knew."

Cindy sighed. Her spirits sank a little. "I guess it just wasn't meant to be." She turned her head to the side, feeling the squishy mud beneath her. She gazed out at the trees marking the beginning of the jungle. "Jimmy?" she said. "Why do you think it took us so long to admit our feelings for one another?"

She expected silence from Jimmy, like before when she had screamed questions at him, but she was surprised when the teen genius answered her almost immediately.

"I think you already know the answer to that one Cindy," Jimmy said. He craned his neck so he could stare at the blonde. He then returned his attention to the stars. "We didn't admit our feelings because we were scared." He let out a mirthless snort. "You hit the nail right on the head earlier tonight. We had all these feelings for each other and we were just too afraid of what would happen if we made them known. On that one at least, I'm guilty as charged."

Cindy gave Jimmy's hand a squeeze. "Then I'm your partner in crime," she said.

Jimmy sent the blonde a coy look. "That was pretty good. You should consider writing that one down."

Cindy giggled. "Thanks."

The couple went quiet. By now, they had said what needed to be said. Their feelings were out, and it happened to be mutual. Now, there was only one question remaining.

"So," Cindy said. "What do we do now?"

Jimmy didn't answer this question right away. The truth was, he didn't know what they were going to do now. He had an inkling of what was going to happen, but even of that, he was not quite sure anymore.

"I don't know Cindy," Jimmy said. "I just don't know."

Another silence ensued.

"You're still planning on leaving. Aren't you?"

Jimmy squeezed Cindy's hand hard and closed his eyes. He wished she hadn't asked that.

"I understand," she said simply. She was sad, but not broken-hearted. Cindy Vortex's will of iron had remained intact.

"How can you understand?" Jimmy replied. He wanted Cindy to understand, but at the same time, didn't wish for her to suffer the pain that came along with it. As a genius, Jimmy knew all-too-well the burden that knowledge could pose.

"I just do," Cindy said. "We all knew you were meant for bigger things than Retroville Jimmy. We knew it since the first day you got here. This is the chance for you to fulfill your destiny." Her voice lowered, and then she said: "To fulfill your dream."

"Dreams can come at a hefty price."

"Which is all the more why they're worth it. When something costs you, you appreciate it more."

Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. "Can't argue with social psychology."

"No you can't," Cindy said with a laugh. She became serious. Her voice lowered again. "Jimmy, there's something I just want to let you know. And that's…" She let out the deepest of sighs. "…No matter what, no matter what happens in the next five hours, or in the next five years, I just want you to know that–"

A loud rumbling sound interrupted Cindy. The sound had come from Jimmy's watch.

"Warning. Jimmy Neutron, this is your ten-minute warning. I repeat, this is your ten-minute warning. This is your ten minute warning."

Jimmy looked at Cindy. Cindy looked at Jimmy. Their hands were still intertwined, not wanting to heed the alarm, not wanting to heed the call of duty.

"Warning…Warning…Warning…Warning."

The little monkey was staring up at Jimmy and Cindy, as though it knew something was about to happen. The couple did not exactly know how to say goodbye to Paul, but in spite of this, they tried the best they could. Since most experiments equated rhesus monkey intelligence with that of a human toddler, they decided to treat Paul as such.

"Paul," Jimmy said. He and Cindy had brought Paul to the jungle's edge, where they thought Paul would be less likely to follow them. Presently, they were stooped down in front of him, so that they were roughly at eye-level.

"Jimmy and I have to go now," Cindy said. She spoke in what Jimmy thought was a very maternal voice. A smile flickered on the genius's features as he entertained the notion. He wondered how good of a mother Cindy Vortex would make.

Jimmy cut off his train of thought, focusing again on the task at hand. "Cindy's right Paul," he said. "Cindy and I have to go far away. And…we might not come back."

The little monkey simply stared at them. It was impossible to tell if their words were having any effect.

"We just wanted to tell you that we really enjoyed seeing you again, and spending time with you tonight," Cindy said.

"And that we're going to miss you a whole lot," Jimmy added. He shot a sidelong look at Cindy, who glanced back at him. They both nodded at each other, coming to a silent agreement. They had said all they could say.

"Goodbye Paul," Cindy said.

For the longest time, the little monkey stood completely still, gazing at the humans with its gleaming, yellow eyes. For a moment, Jimmy worried that Paul was completely oblivious to the situation, and that he wouldn't understand at all when he and Cindy tried to leave him. Perhaps it had been too ambitious, bidding farewell to their pet primate. Maybe, all they had done was confuse the animal.

Just as Jimmy was about to suggest that he and Cindy turn around, Paul chirped softly under his breath. He crawled over to Cindy, whom he had seemed to become especially fond of, and grabbed her hand. Hobbling, since it was difficult for him to walk on two legs, Paul moved toward Jimmy. Very carefully, Paul placed Cindy's hand over Jimmy's, so that the two were touching. The little monkey withdrew his own hand and stared at his two friends, as if he were seeking their approval. He backed up a couple of steps, stared at them one last time, and dashed off into the jungle.

Jimmy and Cindy stood rooted to the spot for a long while, minding their little friend. They then took one last visual inventory of the island and made their way back to the hover-car. Their fingers were still interlocked. It was only then, during his final sweep of the island, that Jimmy saw the old, faded message carved on the tree, its lines accentuated under the moonlight.

'J + C Forever.'

The return home proved to be a much quieter affair than the initial, outgoing ride. Since their time limit couldn't afford them any mishaps, Jimmy avoided using the autopilot and steered the hover-car manually. This made the environment even less conducive to talking, though neither had much to say in the first place. Both Jimmy and Cindy were trying to savor every last moment. Doing so required their full concentration.

As they flew by, Cindy was also trying to take into account the ocean surrounding them. She knew it was impossible, but a small part of her hoped she could remember the route by the waves. So that she could have one last thing to remember. One last part of her night with Jimmy that she could hold onto.

As for Jimmy, he kept seeing the message carved on the tree.

They landed quietly on the Neutrons' front lawn, next to the clubhouse. Jimmy climbed out of the hover-car first, and then went over to help Cindy. He took her by the hands and guided her out of the craft, until she had placed both feet securely on the grass. He gazed at her sneakers, finding that he could not take his eyes off of them. Cindy, it appeared, was having similar difficulty.

"I uh, have to close down the lab before I leave," Jimmy said. He still had his head down.

"I know," Cindy replied. "I overheard you earlier when you were talking to Goddard."

"Right," Jimmy said. He tottered on his feet a bit, mulling over his words. "You could come with me if you wanted to." He chewed his lip. "You know, to get one last look at the place. I figure it's been a while since you've seen it anyway."

Cindy didn't respond at right away, forcing Jimmy to look at her for the first time since exiting the hover-car. He felt his heart sink as he saw the blonde shaking her head.

"I can't," she said, reluctance in every syllable. Her eyes revealed the effort the phrase had cost. "If I go in there with you, I might not be able to drag myself out."

Jimmy was about to argue with her when he stopped himself. He wanted them to spend every last second together, but that was the thing. That was what he wanted. It was not what Cindy wanted. Their time on the island together, particularly their fateful shouting match, had taught him that part of every relationship was give and take.

"I understand," he said, repeating Cindy's own words back to her. "So…" he continued. The word had come out quieter than a whisper. "This is it."

"This is it," Cindy affirmed.

The two teens stared at the ground. It had become hard to look at each other again.

"Will I see you in the morning?" Jimmy asked.

Although Jimmy's actual departure from earth would be a private affair, he would exchange farewells with friends and family before heading to the launch site. He had explained this to Cindy earlier in the hover-car.

The blonde was quiet for a bit. Then she bridged the distance between her and Jimmy and threw her arms around him.

"Oh Jimmy I don't know!" she cried, burying her face into the side of his neck. "You just came back into my life, and now I'm going to have to lose you again. I'm all torn up inside; I don't know if I can take it."

"You can take anything Cindy," Jimmy said, stroking her along the back. "You're so strong, stronger than I'll ever be." He pulled back, so they could look at each other. "You're going to make it through this." He snorted. "I think I'm the one who should be worrying about himself. For so long, I was so sure about my decision, but now, my resolve's beginning to falter." He swallowed. "I'm not as sure as I once was."

Cindy tightened her grip around the genius. "Don't lose hope Jimmy." She looked at him, eyes full of emotion. "You're on the right path, I know it. The universe needs you." She shook him for emphasis. "If you turn your back, you'll always regret it. A thousand times more than any regret you have right now."

Jimmy inhaled deeply, wishing he could hold the aroma. The jasmine scent would be among the first memories to go. "Oh Vortex," he sighed. "Even now at the end…I still hate it when you're right."

They clung on to each other, neither wanting to let go. They knew that once they did, they were taking one step closer to a far more substantial separation.

They released one another. They waited, feeling the seconds tick by.

"If you can manage it," Jimmy said, head down, "I'd really like to see you one last time."

"I'll try my best," Cindy replied. It took all her strength to dam the tears.

"Goodbye Cindy," Jimmy said.

"Goodbye Jimmy," Cindy said.

"I'll never forget you."

Cindy sighed, a mere micrometer away from a sob. "Neither will I."

"...Goodbye."

"… ...Goodbye."

Jimmy turned around, toward the clubhouse entrance. He began heading for it. He stopped. He turned around again, discovering that Cindy was looking at him. The emotion welled in his chest.

"Goodbye!" he said almost desperately. Cindy folded her hands together.

"Goodbye!" she said even louder, eyes widening.

They stared at each other one last time. Blue against green. Green against blue. Then, for the final time, their heads went back down.

"Goodbye," Jimmy whispered, devoid of breath. Without another word, he turned on his heel and left.

"Goodbye," Cindy whispered back. She stopped trying to hold back the tears, since they had already escaped.

It was the longest elevator ride Jimmy could remember. He waited inside the metal chamber, feeling trapped by both the walls, and his emotions. When it finally ended, he exited through the double-doors and trudged over to his main computer workstation. Not too long ago, he had planned on doing a final tour of his lab, to soak up and remember as many of its details as he could. As it turned out, he simply walked past everything, missing the fact that most of his things had already been put away, until muscle memory guided him over to his chair. When he reached the chair however, Jimmy discovered that he was not the only individual inside the lab. This was contrary to what he had previously assumed.

Standing in front of Jimmy's chair, or sitting in front of it rather, was Jimmy's faithful companion, Goddard. The mechanical canine stared at his owner. Over the years, Jimmy thought he had reached the point where he could interpret Goddard's body language, but now, as he observed the robotic dog, he found that Goddard was nothing short of mysterious. While Jimmy had expected his pet to be upset at being left alone, he found Goddard's silent temperament puzzling.

"I'm sorry for forgetting you boy, I–"

Jimmy went silent. The first thing he realized was that his workstation had already been cleaned up, which he hadn't done himself. The second thing he realized was that there were dozens and dozens of thin, square-like objects littering the floor in front of Goddard. Jimmy had only to glance at them once to see that the objects were all clones. The emotion welled in his chest once more.

For those dozens and dozens of thin, square-like objects all bore the same image, or at least part of the same image. That image was Cindy Vortex. They were Cindy's fifth grade school picture, the one he had obtained numerous copies of and had used for testing his girl-eating plant. Goddard must have found them as he was cleaning up the lab for Jimmy. Every one of those pictures, symbolically, had its blonde-haired subject bitten out of the frame.

Jimmy gazed at his dog, finding Goddard's posture more mysterious than ever. Somehow, there seemed to be the faintest trace of understanding in those expressionless, luminous eyes.

"Oh Goddard," Jimmy said. He knelt in front of the dog, absently patting him on the head while picking up one of the ruined photos and studying it. "What am I going to do now?"

Cindy was so close to the stairs, she had almost thought she had gotten away with it. She hadn't made a single sound while she traveled from the front door, across the living room. When she reached the foot of the stairs, however, she found her mother waiting for her on the landing, arms crossed and eyes hard. It appeared that Cindy still had a thing or two to learn about stealth.

"Fortunately Cindy, I'm not as stupid as some mothers might have been, and I avoided calling the police to send out a search party." Sasha's eyes glinted in the darkness. Her voice lowered to a deadly tone. "Where on earth, have you been?"

In what was the only time she had defied her mother in recent years, Cindy stared right back at Sasha. The blonde knew she was supposed to lower her gaze and make all attempts at appearing contrite, but tonight, she simply wasn't having it.

"You have no idea," Cindy growled, sounding even deadlier than her mother.

In that moment, even the unshakable Sasha Vortex was moved by how those twin emeralds burned.

Although he had the time now, Jimmy found that he couldn't sleep. His lab had been cleaned and locked, his bag had been packed, and his alarm had been set. Yet despite the genius's best efforts, he could not rest for even a second.

Jimmy turned on his side, finding the urge once again overwhelming. He reached out his hand and tentatively pulled back the curtain, so he could stare at the Vortex house. As expected, the light in Cindy's window was off. Her bedroom, for all he could tell, was completely dark.

As he gazed at that window, unable to sleep at the end of the longest night of his life, Jimmy found it ironic that he was doing what he had been doing when the night had just begun.

AN: Hopefully this chapter didn't seem too fast-paced. I'm finding that I could easily extend this story at this point, but since the beginning and middle were of a certain length (and I'm not even sure if the middle was long enough), I want to prevent things from dragging out too much. Anyway, as always, thanks so much for reviewing guys. It really means the world. We're approaching the end, but the story isn't over just yet. There are still some major decisions to be made for our characters :)