Timekeeper

8. He's just going to leave?

Chris looked away and started for the door, not even bothering to tell me to follow. I did of course. I followed him all the way back to the living room. It was empty. No Patton... no cookies... no hot chocolate... 

"Chris, you need to send me back. I have stuff I have to do."He spun around faster then I had ever seen anyone move and he shoved me against the wall.

"You're seriously the worst fucking idiot I have ever met!" Ouch... I just stood there as he grabbed my tie and pulled me closer to him. "You so caught up in yourself and work that you sent two loving boys through emotional hell and you still only care about going back. Do you even want to know what your actions caused for Virgil? Do you even care?!"

"Of course I care. I have to go back so I can figure out how to fix this. Patton isn't the only one who feels things. He isn't the only one who cares for that boy like a son!" Chris let go of my tie suddenly and stumbled back.

"What?"

"I said I care for Virgil. I care for Roman. There both my family and I'll be damned if I let either of them think that my work is more important then they are." Chris just looked at the ground and started to shake. I took a step back, fearful of him lashing out again. He reached out, grabbing my arm and we were soon standing there outside Virgil's room. Chris said nothing as he walked right in. I looked around and noticed Roman's door was open. Curiosity got the better of me and I peeked through. 

Roman sat on his bed humming to a Christmas song that wasn't playing. There was a box on his desk all wrapped up and had a bow, but he made no effort to take it out of his room. By helping him fix the figurine, I had changed his future... but somehow it still seemed sad.... still seemed dark. Like the world had lost hope.

"What are you doing?!" I jumped as Chris yelled behind me. What happened to want to fix things with Virgil?"

"I don't want to fix things. I AM GOING TO FIX THINGS!" Chris narrowed his eyes and I sighed. "I wanted to see if anything had changed with Roman first. I wanted to know if anything I did actually mattered.

"And did it?"

"Well, we'll see when I'm done here, won't we?" I said as I left and walked through Virgil's room. I watched in horror as Virgil rushed about his room grabbing things from dressers and drawers, throwing them in a suitcase as he went. "What is he doing?"

"He's leaving." My heart sank as I watched him go through everything.

"Why?"

"I honestly don't know." I looked over at him with wide eyes that only got wider as tears started to fall from his eyes. "He hardly ever left his room after that day. He only ever came out to eat. He ignored Pattons knocks. He ignored your summons. He even ignored Thomas's call. He just stayed in his room until... this." I heard the suitcase close and lock just as a knock on the door rang out. 

I watched as Virgil looked back at the door and sighed. He opened the window and threw his suitcase down before closing it and heading for the door. He reached out to open it when a voice came through.

"Kiddo? Are you in there?" He froze and slowly put his hand down. "I know you're upset but it's Christmas. Please come out." He turned away and went back to the window, grabbing a heavier jacket before opening the window again. "Kiddo, please?"

"Sorry, Patton... I just can't deal with the fake shit anymore." I heard Virgil whisper before jumping out of the window and disappearing.  The knocking stopped and soon it was just silent. He left... He actually left. He just ran away.

"He's just going to leave?" Chris nodded and I felt as it started to hard to breathe. My heart started to race and my head started swimming. "T-This... This i-s... so n-not good."

"Don't worry. He left but he never severed his tie. Thomas is fine." 

"Who the fuck is thinking about Thomas right now VIRGIL JUST JUMPED OUT A FUCKING WINDOW!" I said as I ran over looking down the window to find him and his suitcase gone without a single trace. "Is he ok? Where did he go? Does he ever come back? Chris..." I pun around and froze at the sight of him. He was balling. He was breaking. "Chris?"

"I'm fine, kiddo... Let's just go. That's all that's there to see with him." Chris grabbed my arm before what he said even registered. He left me standing in my room, shocked and at a loss for words. I grabbed my keys and ran out of my door without even looking back. Work can wait. He cannot.