Chapter 45: Shattered.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Fosters.
AN: Somebody in the reviews asked whether Wally's romance would be a repeat of Jude and Connor's. As you will read in this chapter, no, it absolutely will not. Not even close. I seriously debated doing what I'm about to do. I tried many different things, but none of them worked as well as this, or yielded as many possibilities. Trigger warning for attempted suicide.
Connor's POV (Tuesday, January 13th, 2026):
A lot has happened since the day, one month ago, since Wally recorded his song.
Cold Embrace released its newest album. It debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, and sold 70,000 copies in its first week after release. None of us were very concerned that it didn't hit #1. It was still a top five album that would likely go gold by the end of next year, and we were proud of our work.
Tim and Wally had made two big decisions.
They decided in the end not to form their own band, instead opting for the occasional guest appearances on our albums. Wally's reasoning was that if they formed their own band, they would eternally be in our band's shadow and that would drive him insane, and he didn't want to compete with us. We understood.
Also, much to the surprise of me, Jude and almost everybody else... Wally and Tim made the mutual decision to end their relationship. It was the first time Jude and I have ever witnessed a breakup that hadn't ended in screaming and a knockdown drag out fight. They were sitting at the kitchen table having a very calm discussion about it.
"Mini-Flashback:
The two of them were sitting at the table doing their history homework. Tim kept twitching, and Wally was barely paying attention to it.
"Hey, Wally?" Tim asked.
"Yeah?" Wally responded.
"Can we have a serious discussion?" Tim asked.
"Of course, dude. What's up?" Wally asked.
"I think we should break up." Tim said.
Wally looked shocked for a second but quickly recovered.
"Okay." He said.
He went back to his homework. Tim looked at him, confused.
"That's it? No fight or anything?" He asked.
"Do you want me to fight with you?" Wally asked, with an inquisitive eyebrow raised.
"No, but... I figured you'd at least ask why." Tim said.
"I think I already do, but if you insist, go ahead and tell me why." Wally said casually.
"We're just too similar, and it doesn't feel as right as it did when it started." Tim started to say, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I do love you to death, but it's... it's kind of like..."
"Let me guess, it feels almost like you're dating your twin brother?" Wally finished for him.
"Um. Yeah. That's almost exactly what I was gonna say."
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking, and I get what you mean." Wally continued, "I do love you too... but it's not romantic. Not like I thought it was. It's almost familial. I think of you as my affectionate little brother, or twin."
"So... we're both in agreement. There's only one thing to do then, isn't there?" Tim said.
"Seems like it."
"We can still be friends though, right?" Tim asked, making sure.
"Of course, dummy!" Wally said with a smile, "I'm not even upset about it at all. Besides, you're nuts if you think you can get rid of me that easily."
They sat in silence for a minute.
"You know? That's probably the first breakup in your family that hasn't ended in a full out war." Tim pointed out.
Wally started laughing, and so did Jude and I from where we were eavesdropping.
End of Mini-Flashback
About three days after they officially broke up, Wally and Tim came to us and told us that there was this group of new kids who had moved to Anchor Beach, and they had made it their personal mission to make Wally and Tim's life a living hell. Apparently their parents were members of the Westborough Baptist Church, an organization that Jude and I thought had disintegrated years ago. The fact that it still existed in 2026. Four days after this initial discussion, we found out that it had dissolved into an all out war. Whenever we asked about it in front of Tim after that, Tim would turn white as a sheet. Tim seemed to be their main target, while Wally got caught in the crossfire.
Today was a Tuesday, and it had began just like any other. Wally was at home because he had been suspended for a whole week for fighting. We thought about grounding him, but since he was only defending himself and Tim, we figured we'd let him off with a warning to not get caught doing it again. Wally had caught the double meaning of what we said, and had responded only with a demonic smirk that promised mischief.
Today, was about to take a horrible turn.
"DADS!" Wally screamed.
Jude and I rose from our seats at the table in a flash and ran to our son's room. Luke was at school at the moment. I swung his bedroom door open to find him on the floor staring at his cell phone in terror, shock, disbelief, worry, and anguish. I got down on my knees in front of Wally and gently pulled the boy into a hug.
"Let me see it?" I asked, and Wally gently placed the phone into my waiting hand.
I looked at what was on the screen.
It was a text from Tim, and as I read the text aloud, my eyes widened with shock and disbelieving terror as my jaw graced the harsh carpeted floor with its presence as I read the text out loud.
"I've had it Wally. I can't take this anymore. They won't stop. I feel so bad because of them. I'm sorry. I luv u brother, but I'm done. Bye Wally. Tell your dads thank you for me. Tell my mom and dad I luv them. Goodbye."
I dropped the phone.
"Oh fuck." I whispered.
"No, this cannot be happening." Jude whispered aloud in a horror induce haze of confusion.
I began pacing the room. Then I turned back to Wally.
"How bad has it gotten Wally?"
"Bad. They're leaving crap on his Facebook now." He revealed.
"Bring up his page." I ordered.
Wally leapt to his feet and scrambled to his computer and opened up Tim's Facebook page. As I read the comments that had been posted my intense rage grew exponentially. The comments were things calling Tim "a worthless fag" and that he should "do the world a favor and die" because he was a "waste of space". I started to cry quietly, but the sobs were soon replaced by enraged growls of pure hatred and fury.
"Jude. Call his parents." I ordered, "Now. Tell them what's going on."
Jude did as I told him, and I turned back to Wally.
"Why didn't you tell us how bad it was getting?" I asked him gently.
"He told me he could handle it, Dad."
A minute later, Jude reentered the room.
"They didn't pick up the phone." He said, worried.
"We need to get to the school." I said firmly, "Now."
We all headed for Jude's Aston, Wally reaching it before we even walked out the front door.
"How did it get this far?" I wondered aloud as I got in the car, "Surely the staff would have done something. Surely Lena at least would have done something?"
"They would if they knew about it." Wally added from the back seat, "The teachers are clueless."
"But they caught you fighting..." Jude pointed out.
"They thought the fight was over something completely different that it actually was."
"Where do you think he went?" Jude asked, "Do you think he left the school, or..."
"Or is he doing what I almost did?" I asked aloud.
"What do you mean?" Jude asked.
"I'll bet you any money he's on the roof."
We sat in silence the rest of the way there, with Jude driving like an absolute maniac. We thundered into the parking lot of Anchor Beach.
"Let's go." Wally said, and we leapt from the vehicle as soon as it stopped. Together, we reached the stairwell that leads to the school roof. Wally flung the stairway door open and it hit the wall with such force that the little window cracked.
We reached the top, and flung the door to the roof open with a loud bang. Tim was at the edge, and as we watched, he climbed over the railing and was getting ready to jump.
"Oh my god…" Wally said, "Timmy, NO!"
He turned around to look at us. His eyes were red from the constant flow of tears that were streaking down his face.
"TIM, NO!" We all screamed in synchrony. Wally was fighting himself, trying desperately now to grow hysterical. Jude and I had to leap forward to stop Wally from lunging forward.
"Why are you here, Wally?" Tim asked, his voice broken, "I didn't want you to have to see this..."
"I got the text." Wally responded, his voice shaking, "Tim please don't do this..."
"I can't do it anymore, Wally." He responded tearfully, "I can't."
"Then transfer schools! Do home schooling!" Wally yelled frantically, "Please don't do this Tim, PLEASE! I NEED MY BROTHER!"
Tim stood there, both hands gripping the railing looking back and forth between us, and the ground behind him. Tim looked at Wally, and then back behind him, and then back to Wally one last time.
"I'm sorry, Wally."
Maintaining eye contact with Wally, Tim released the railing.
"NOOOO!" Wally screamed and ran forward and dove for the edge, hoping desperately to catch hold of Tim's wrist.
There was nothing he could do.
There was nothing any of us could do.
We were all too far away from him to grab him.
Wally laid at the edge, his hand still reached out, staring ahead at the ground below.
THUD.
Wally leapt to his feet and charged past us through the door to the staircase. Jude and I didn't think. We just ran after him.
We charged down the stairs to the ground floor, and ran full tilt out of the school.
Wally beat us there.
There was already a crowd gathered.
Wally slid to a stop next to Tim and dropped to his knees.
Tim was still alive, but barely.
"Tim... oh god. No. P-please god no..." Wally whimpered.
"W-w-wally..." Tim whimpered.
"Don't do this to me... p-p-please brother." Wally begged.
Tim's eyes flicked up to meet Wally's gaze. He raised his head slightly, gasping for breath.
"I-I... I. Love. You. Brother..." He gasped out.
His head fell back to the ground.
"noNoNONO!" Wally screamed frantically, shaking Tim's body, "TIM NO! NOOOOO!"
No response.
Wally started sobbing, and screaming as he pulled his best friend into his lap and clung to him. He placed his chin on the top of Tim's head and sobbed. He rocked back and forth, cradling Tim in his arms.
Jude and I stared at what we were seeing, unable to believe it. Horror was overtaking all of our senses. We both moved forward and gently pried Wally away from Tim.
"NO!" Wally screamed, "GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF ME! I CAN'T LEAVE HIM!"
"There's nothing you can do, Wally." I choked out through my own tears.
Wally's sobs consumed him as we lifted him to his feet. He reared hi head back and let loose a horrible scream.
He turned his head a fraction of an inch, and his eyes landed on something that made his sobs cease. They were replaced by a roar of rage as he charge away from us...
... Heading directly towards a small group of people.
"YOU DID THIS!" Wally screamed.
"Oh shit." Jude muttered as he and I moved forward quickly to intercept him.
"YOU DID THIS! YOU DID THIS TO HIM!" Wally screamed at them, "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS! MARK MY FUCKING WORDS!"
He lunged forward to attack them, but Jude and I caught him just an inch shy of making contact.
He fought against Jude and my grip, trying desperately to get at the small group as we dragged him away.
"I WILL KILL YOU! I SWEAR TO GOD IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO! I WILL FUCKING K-KILL Y-YOU ALL!" Wally screamed, his rage overcoming all reason as the ambulance arrived.
The paramedics leapt from the back of the ambulance and rushed to Tim's side. Wally went limp in our arms and started crying again.
"WE'VE GOT A PULSE!"
Our attention is immediately refocused on the paramedics.
"A pulse?" Wally croaked, rushing forward.
"It's weak, but it's still there. Your friend's not dead yet son." The first paramedic said.
"Can you save him?" Wally asked frantically.
"We'll try our best, kiddo. You can count on that." The second paramedic said to us, "CALL IT IN! HE'S GONNA NEED IMMEDIATE SURGERY ON ARRIVAL!"
"What hospital are you taking him to?" I asked.
"Sacred Cross." The paramedic responded.
"We'll follow you there." Jude said.
We all ran for the car, and as soon as the ambulance pulled out, we were right behind it.
I turned in my seat to look at Wally.
"Hang in there, bubby. There's still a chance. Tim's not dead yet." I told him.
Wally didn't respond.
He just stared straight ahead, a strange glint in his eyes as his crying ceased.
"He better be okay..." Wally whispered, his voice devoid of emotion.
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"If he dies... I'm gonna kill every single one of them."
His voice brokered no argument, and I fought with everything I had to keep my face neutral as I turned back to face forward.
I shared a look with Jude out of the corner of my eye, and he looked as horrified as I was...
... Because we both knew that Wally was being serious.
AN#2: And the next arc has begun. Chapters will be posted, hopefully, once a week. Read and leave a lot of reviews. Tell me what you think. Should I be cruel and kill Tim off, or should I save him? Tell me what you guys think.