Hey guys! Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm updating sooner this time probably because I'm so inspired because Am I pretty now?…has broken 100 reviews! So again I thank you so much for your feedback and I'll get on with the fic…

Chapter 5: Reflections and an epiphany

Jimmy

My head rang as I opened my eyes. There was a soft glow coming from above me and I tried to focus more. I soon realized I was in my lab lying on the couch and that the soft glow was the rehabilitation ray. Some how I got into my healing cubicle, but how? I sat up a little my whole body still aching slightly, and that's when I saw Cindy sitting outside the cubicle her elbow resting on her lap, her hand holding her head that kept falling to the side every once in awhile. Her hair fell over her face just barely hiding her cute button nose and rosy lips. Goddard was lying under her, plugged in and charging.

I stopped the healing cubicle and stepped out. I stumbled before I could get a real feeling of my feat and almost knocked a lab table over. I looked over to Cindy, her head tossing, but she slept on.

She must have been the one who brought me into the lab, figured out the healing cubicle, and then watched over me all night long.

I tucked a few strand of hair behind her ear.

Why would she do that for me? Why, even after she found out the truth about me…even after my Dad laid out for the world what a loser I was…she still did that for me…why? I don't deserve it…she must know that…or did she not hear my Dad, could it be possible she didn't hear, and only came to find me later?

"Jimmy?"

I stumbled back a bit when she opened her eyes, I, having been staring at her for the last five minutes…

"Jimmy, what are you doing up? You're hurt!"

"Cindy…why…did you help me?"

She stopped pushing me to the cubicle.

"I mean, after what you heard, what you saw, why would you help me?"

I turned around to face her, and realized she was facing the other way. I took her shoulders and turned her around. My heart started racing. I jumped back from her seeing something I had never, nor had I ever thought of seeing, tears rolling down Cindy Vortex's face.

"Jimmy…I…I…owed you, remember? That's all" She turned away from me again, her shoulders shaking as she brought her hands to her cheeks.

"I'm sorry." I felt my throat burn, I wanted to cry too.

"Jimmy, you idiot! Why are you sorry!" She screamed. "You didn't do anything wrong! You're always apologizing when it's not your fault!"

"What are you talking about? I do everything wrong! I made you cry! I'm not worth it. You didn't have to help me just because of that day! I got what was coming to me, and now you know the truth."

"What truth? That your father beats you? That's not your fault either, Jimmy, you have to stop blaming yourself! You don't deserve any of it!"

"What do you know? I do deserve it!" My throat burned and I could taste the familiar taste of metallic red liquid. Next thing I knew I was on the ground, Cindy calling my name from a dark abyss that seemed to swallow everything...swallowing my heart…my whole.

Cindy

He was out colder than a broken lamp again. I decided the best thing to do was put him back in that healing thing, with the help of Goddard of course, who I had figured out most have been doing on a nightly basis and then returning him to his bed through the secret passage he had taken me up that one time. Why hadn't I seen it before, Jimmy had always been so confident so egotistical, but then he seemed to slowly deteriorate from his big head, to his health, he was always out of school on sick days, or he'd come in with bruises and limping. He would say it was from his lab or that he got beat up by Butch. Hugh Neutron, the man who was always playing with his ducks, I always thought he was a little off his rocker, but this, I had never expected this from such a caring man, he was always very gentle and funny…what happened? What set him off? Jimmy had said that he couldn't find a cure for his mother…was that it? Jimmy's Dad wanted him to find a cure for Mrs. Neutron…and when Jimmy can't find a cure, he does that? I wiped my eyes and walked over to the glass cased Cubicle where Jimmy lie inside. His chest rose and fell steadily, only once or twice catching, letting back down in a sort of odd moan. I sat back down on the chair I had taken residence for the night, staring at him through the glass, I almost started crying again. I had been so selfish, I always thought of myself and no one else, if I had just stopped to think I could have figured this out sooner, maybe before Jimmy had lost all of his spirit, before he began thinking that it was entirely his fault, before…the second punch was thrown.

It was 5 o clock and Jimmy had yet to wake up again, which was probably best, he needed the rest. I had been thinking of something I might be able to do, something I could do for Jimmy. The police was out, Jimmy wouldn't stand for it, he never did like to call on the police or any kind of higher authority for help. Telling Mrs. Neutron was out because even if she didn't already know, that would cause her stress, and I'm sure Jimmy wouldn't want that…so what could I do? Then…it hit me, it was going to be just like old times…it would be…a rescue mission. First, to call Libby, Sheen, and Carl…

Hey Guys! So there it is chapter 5, I will be updating soon, I'm just really tired and I wanted to leave ya in suspense, ok so it just seemed like a good place to end the chapter, but I promise I won't be to long updating, you just have to inspire me with a lot of reviews, it worked this time didn't it? Why not try it again?

Review and make an author smile!