A Safe Place II SBI (on hiatus)

Chapter 27: Value

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Back with Phil at the Cafe:

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"He named the cow Henry? Awww!" Bad chuckled out, still holding his hot choco in his hands as he spoke.

"Yeah. He takes him everywhere. Usually, when I run errands and take him with me to get some air, he takes Henry with him. So every time I come back from the store and to the car, Henry would always be in his embrace as he listened to music on his phone or was drawing until I came back," Phil could only dotefully smile at the memory. Henry was part of the family he could only guess. Plushie or not according to Tommy he was family.

"Honestly, Tommy gets attached to things too easily," Skeppy said, munching on his croissant. "Ya know, one time when he was around 9 or 10, he stayed in the kitchen with bad to help make cupcakes for a customer..." He took a big munch of his food before speaking, smiling as he talked. "But then he found a moth in the kitchen of the cafe and the second the thing landed on his hand on its own, Tommy kept the damn thing in a jar and named it Clemintine".

"Skeppy, Language!"

Phil just chuckled, watching Puffy's eyes glimmer at his words. "Oh my god! I remember that! It was sad what happened after though. Pour thing died the next day after Tommy sealed the cap on by accident. He was crying for days".

Bad nodded, a smile on his face as he recalled the old days. "He was so sad and asked if we could have a funeral for the moth so we did. He's still buried behind the cafe today in the jar".

Phil sipped some of his tea, smiling happily at the thought.

"Well boys,"  Puffy got up. "we should probably clean up and close the place. We've kept you for long enough".

With a couple of awws, Bad and Skeppy both got up, collecting the dishes and cups they had left on the table and started to bring them into the kitchen. Bad turned around, pushing his glasses back up and waiving to Phil. "It was nice to meet you, Mr. Watson!"

With a waive and Skeppy behind him sticking his tongue out, Puffy and Phil were left alone yet again, the kitchen sink turning on almost immediately. "Thank you for coming. Call me if you need anything alright? Don't hesitate to call if you need anything".

Phil could only nod. Of course, when Tommy had told them he had a social worker who Phil did not meet cause she didn't show up to the foster parenting meet-up when he came to pick up Tommy, Phil thought that it was due to not caring about the boy. He was honestly angry about the whole ordeal of Tommy being put in such horrid houses and not being taken out any sooner but upon listening to the woman and her stories about the blonde, he understood that Puffy loved this boy like her own son. She's cared for him since he was basically a toddler and is doing everything she possibly can to protect the boy through her legal power.

With a smile, Phil shook his head. "Of course, I'll also try to let Tommy visit the cafe more. I think he would love to come see his friends".

Puffy smiled but in seconds of silence, flattened all of a sudden, her eyes falling to the ground for a little as she opened and closed her mouth as if though she was trying to find out how to say something.

"P-Puffy?"

"T-Thank you...F-For being someone Tommy can actually rely on". Her voice was soft and quiet, tears prickling her eyes as she spoke. "I'm never able to act on my own actions when it comes to Tommy. It's always got to be part of the law or legal for custody purposes. It was so painful to see him having to suffer due to policies of foster caring days required and such. There were only so many days legally I could keep him with me when I took him out of an abusive home. I'm so happy he doesn't have to suffer anymore".

She truly loved Tommy was all Phil could think and feel from the sight of her tears to the smile on her face. All Phil could think about was how horrible it must have been to have to let a child that seemed to want to hide away from everything and never want to leave your side after witnessing something beyond traumatic and have to force him out to another home all because the foster system of their city were trying to save a buck or two in law sewings and to save their reputation.

God this system was so fucked, honestly. Phil couldn't see it any other way.

Phil quickly grabbed her hand, eyes determinedly staring into hers. "He's relied on you for almost all of his life. If any of us deserve a thank you, it's you. You've done so much for him. Thank you so much, Puffy".

Those words were enough for the tears to just stream down her face, a chuckle escaping her as she sniffled. "Thanks, Phil".

Puffy was the sole person in Tommy's life that has tried everything in her power to protect him and she needed to know how much Tommy must have relied on her, needed to know how much he loved her, and needed to know how much Tommy appreciates her, but before he could even open his mouth, his phone rang with the small guitar strumming as his ringtone. Looking down, it was Techno's phone number and in an instant, Phil's face paled slightly.

"Sorry, give me one second,"

For the 3 years Techno had lived with Phil, he knows that the kid never calls unless it's an emergency. The only times he had called Phil when he was out and left him alone was once when it was the first year of him living with Phil and when he left he started having an anxiety attack and he called. The last time was when the pinkette found Wilbur in the bathroom unconscious, a blade in hand and blood spilling to the ground all while Techno was hyperventilating and crying loudly through the phone.

The soft ringtone was cut off quickly, anxiety ripping out of Phil as he answered. "H-Hello?"

"...Phil, um...C-Can you umm, come home a little bit early?" For the first time in a while, Phil was hearing Techno's voice semi-high pitched through the phone.

"What's happened? Is everything alright?" Phil was quick to ask as panic was seeping into his heart in the seconds it took for Techno to answer back. There was a little bit of silence before Techno answered again.

"I-It's Tommy..."

Author's note:

Lol, had to leave it on a cliff hanger :3

Also, Holy crap thank you so much for 31K READS WTH!!!  Thank you all so much for the support and for reading :)

Anyway, hope you have a great day or night where ever you are. Stay safe!

Next chapter coming soon :3