Come Back Home

Chapter 1

Light

Virgil hid his head in his hands as another round of yelling ensued downstairs. This had been happening a lot lately, and he didn't know why.

They were fighting. They hardly ever did this. They... Never did this. So why were they doing this now?

Virgil shut his eyes and tried to sleep through the yells. He didn't think he would be able to, but eventually, he did.

Virgil cracked open his eyes at the sound of more shouting. Couldn't they ever stop?

Virgil tried to block it out as he went downstairs, but as usual, the shouting turned, directed at him.

"Why are you here?" shouted Roman in an accusatory tone.

"I live here, Princey," replied Virgil sullenly. Why did they act like this?

Logan sighed, a mixture of anger and frustration. "Well, get what you need and get out!"

Virgil couldn't help it. A tear slipped down his face. He sniffed. "P.. Patton?"

"What?" Patton's tone was so hostile, Virgil instantly recoiled.

"N.. Nothing, Patton."

"Well, then just shut up!" Patton screamed.

Virgil ran from the room, tears streaming down.

Virgil listened to the shouting downstairs.

It's okay. Virgil told himself. They still love you.

But words weren't enough. This had been happening for weeks. It was getting unbearable.

He shut his bedroom door behind him.

He took a deep breath and tried to recollect his thoughts. Then he knew he had been right.

Deceit had been right.

They didn't love him. They weren't his family.
Family wouldn't do this.

He took another deep breath, looked around the room as a last goodbye, then sank down. He rose up again, into the gloom and darkness of the Dark Side's corner of Thomas' mind.

Dark

Deceit gasped. "Virgil? What are you doing here?"

Virgil turned to Deceit. He threw himself into Deceit's arms, and completely broke down in tears. "You.. Were right.." he choked out. "They- they hate me.." Virgil was racked with another wave of sobs.

Deceit hugged him, tight. "Don't worry," he said. "You'll always have a place here."

"Th- thanks Dee."
Virgil buried his face into Deceit's shoulder and sobbed, and as Deceit held him, a small yellow flash went unnoticed in the darkness.

Light

Roman shook his head. It felt fuzzy, like he'd been asleep for ages and was just waking up.

The others felt the same.

"What.. Happened?" asked Patton.

"I don't know, Pat," replied Roman. "Logan?"

"I do not know, you two. Wait- where's Virgil?" Logan whipped around, looking for Virgil.

"Calm down, Specs, he's probably just in his room, I'll get him." Roman made his way up the stairs, pausing midway to grasp the banister tightly as the world spun and swooped around him.

"Oh, Virgil!" Roman called. "Are you listening to that loud rock music again?"

Roman knocked, and then opened the door to Virgil's bedroom and looked around.

Empty.

Where was he?

"Virge's not here, you guys," said Roman, coming back down the stairs, trying to ignore the way the world was bending.

Patton and Logan were sitting on the couch, looking dizzy.

"Where d'you think he went?" Patton asked.

"I don't know.. My head hurts," replied Logan.

"Tell you what," said Patton. "I'll get us some food and we'll try and figure things out while our heads clear. We can't do anything for Virgil like this." And with that, Patton stood up and moved to the kitchen.

Unknown to them, at this moment, tears were streaming down their fellow Sides' face, while he stood, clutched in the arms of his brother.