Chapter 11
Jeremy felt... strange. That was the only way to describe it. He felt... empty. Incomplete. Something was missing from inside his chest, and he couldn’t place what. He knew it was important, though, because he remembered what Minnie felt. He felt complete and whole and happy to be alive. That’s what Jeremy was missing. Was it because Squip was gone? Did Squip really complete Jeremy that perfectly?
With a soft groan, Jeremy tried to open his eyes. They remained closed, as if they’d been glued shut, and the rest of his body wouldn’t respond either. All he could do was lie there and groan for now.
After however long of doing that, he registered fingers running through his hair. They felt cold. He was being held by a cold being too. Was it Brooke? Christine?
The arms around him were familiar. Too painfully familiar after a moment’s consideration. “Michael?” he managed to croak out, tears already building behind his closed eyes. Even if he couldn’t do anything else, he had asked. He knew Minnie had been with Michael, but he didn’t know if Michael was still there.
“Hey, Remy,” Michael said, but he sounded awful. The arms around him shifted and his tears were wiped away.
“I’ve missed you,” Jeremy whispered. “I’m sorry that Squip targeted you to get at me. I’m sorry you had to see everything I’ve been through.” He managed to pry open his eyes enough to actually look at Michael.
Michael was smiling down at him as they were snuggled on the couch. He looked so bad though. Even if he had his hair back, he looked pale, weak, and just plain sad. Despite that, he was smiling and still caring for Jeremy. “It’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself for this. None of us could control this,” he insisted. It seemed like he wanted to say more but he coughed, turning his head to the side.
Jeremy reached up and cupped Michael’s cheek with a shaking hand. “Hey, you don’t have to talk. It’s okay...” He took a breath. “I’m gonna be okay this time around, I think.” Jeremy glanced around, seeing that his family were milling around nearby, close enough to help if needed but clearly giving them space. “We’re gonna do better. And this time, at least we get a proper goodbye, yeah?”
Michael nodded as he leaned into Jeremy’s hand. He missed the heat Michael gave off. He missed his personal, portable radiator again, and he was still here.
Jeremy struggled to sit up properly. He was still in Michael’s lap but they were both upright. He wanted to do this right. “You know you need to move on, right?” he asked softly. “Since you died of a disease, you’ll go to an in between state while it heals up, then you’ll head to the netherworld properly. That could take years, especially for cancer. It means we might still get a chance to see each other again one day.”
Having the king of the netherworld in his head before was certainly proving useful. No, don’t think about that right now. Deal with that later, focus on Michael right now.
“I always promised myself if I saw you again, I’d tell you something very important,” Jeremy continued softly.
Michael nodded, focused only on Jeremy. He was still leaning into Jeremy’s hand, so he ended up nuzzling against it.
“I...” Jeremy took a shaky breath. “I...” He couldn’t say it. He wanted to, desperately so, but he was too scared. “Please tell me if you want me to stop.” Was what he said instead as he leaned closer and closer until there was barely millimetres between their lips. “Can I please?” Jeremy half begged.
Michael just nodded, closing the distance between the two of them with what seemed to be excitement. Excitement? Did that mean...?
It seemed to be the case. Michael reached a hand up, cupping Jeremy’s cheek. Even if his lips were cold, his hands were cold, everything was cold, the kiss was warm, comforting, and right. It was intimate and it felt like Jeremy gained something he never realized he had lost before. Something deep inside him, right in his chest, was where it needed to be.
It wasn’t the same as what Minnie had felt. This was different, somehow more. Like he had extended past where the limits of Jeremy was and into something new and uncharted.
When Jeremy pulled back, he didn’t feel any shame or nerves anymore. He knew he was right in a way that nothing else had been. “I love you,” he murmured, lips still brushing Michael’s from how close they were. “I’ve loved you for a long time and I’ve been too scared to tell you.”
“I love you too, Remy,” Michael whispered, even if his voice was rough. Every brush of their lips together was exhilarating. “So much.”
“Can I kiss you again?” Jeremy asked softly. This was their goodbye. He wanted to have these sweet memories instead of the pain he’d been through last time. He wanted Michael to feel just as loved as Jeremy himself was feeling right then.
Michael nodded, not going for the kiss this time. He waited patiently with his eyes shut.
Jeremy smiled wetly (he knew he’d be crying after this) before he leaned in and pressed their lips together. It was as sweet as last time, maybe even more so, since he knew Michael loved him too. At some level, they were meant to be together.
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Jeremy felt that warm, complete feeling in his chest suddenly snap tight. He gasped against Michael’s lips but didn’t pull back. Instead he kept kissing Michael with everything he had.
Michael. His Michael. The same Michael he fought so hard to be with. The same Michael he’s waited ten thousand years to find again.
Wait, what?
Michael pulled back from the kiss, looking Jeremy over for a second before he looked confused. “Remy?” he asked, brows furrowed. “You look different.”
Jeremy simply smiled at Michael. “Just trust me,” he whispered, ignoring the questions and whispers around him. “Everything is okay, just as it should be. Just kiss me one more time, then you’ll understand.” Jeremy wasn’t sure what Michael would understand, but he knew it would be true.
“But your hair ‘s white and you-“ Michael coughed almost violently into his elbow, off to the side.
Jeremy stroked Michael’s cheek with his thumb and leaned up, pressing a gentle kiss to Michael’s forehead. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m still your Jeremy and you’re still my Michael,” he murmured. “Forget anything else for right now, my love. Remember us. Remember who we are and come back to me. Kiss me and come back home.” Jeremy still wasn’t entirely sure what he was saying but he knew it was the right thing to say. He knew this was the most important thing he could be doing at all.
Something about Jeremy’s words seemed to capture Michael. Michael looked at Jeremy, his eyes wide and vacant but somehow knowing as he nodded and closed the distance between them to kiss.
Memories from another place, another time, exploded behind Jeremy’s eyes. He suddenly understood the words he’d said, and he knew exactly why he needed Michael to kiss him. The warmth he’d been harbouring in his own chest flowed through him and into Michael. He became more solid beneath Jeremy’s fingers, and the warmth which kept Jeremy feeling happy and safe sparked and reignited.
When Jeremy actually pulled back to look at Michael, his Michael, he couldn’t help but smile.
“And now, you’re home,” he whispered to the man he was holding so sweetly. Michael’s restarted heartbeat fluttered where Jeremy’s fingers brushed Michael’s neck. “Thank you for trusting me, my brave Bakunawa. You’ve done so well. You can rest now.”
Michael hummed, his eyes shut ever since they kissed. He leaned forward, head resting against Jeremy’s shoulder, and only fell asleep once he was snug and close.
“What is happening?”
Jeremy smiled up at Brooke. “He came home to me, like he always will,” he explained gently, “Like you ensured he would.” He beckoned her closer, resting their foreheads together for a moment and he affectionately cupped her cheek. He let the memories, the ones that wouldn’t linger longer than needed, flow over to Brooke. “Minnie’s last wish reached me, thanks to the power of Squip. So here I am, restoring everything to the way it should be.”
Brooke pulled back after Jeremy spoke, her eyes vacant but knowing as she nodded. “The spell worked like I made sure it would,” she muttered before looking at Michael.
“Brooke?” Christine asked, going over and fretting over her wife. “What’s going on?”
“It’s okay, Christine. I’m just restoring them. Brooke will be fine in a moment. And Michael needs the rest.”
“What are you talking about, Jerm?” As Marshal asked, he sat down by Jeremy, looking Brooke, Michael, and then Jeremy himself over.
Jeremy turned his attention to Marshal. “Michael is back again. Minnie’s last thoughts were a wish to bring him back, and his powers were strong enough to reach out and bring me here. Just temporarily, so Michael doesn’t have to suffer.” He reached out and took his brother’s hand (they were brothers here. Jeremy liked that fact) and squeezed it. “He’s home.” Jeremy guided Marshal’s hand over to Michael, letting him feel the warmth that he radiated once more, feel the solid heartbeat under his fingers.
Marshal’s eyes widened as he kept his fingers against Michael’s pulse-point. “He... He’s alive again?” He stared at Jeremy then. “Who are you?”
Jeremy smiled. “I’m Jeremy. I have always been Jeremy, and I always will be Jeremy.” He quirked an eyebrow. “I’m just... doubled up right now. With another me.”
“With another you?” his dad asked as he was now by their side. Brooke and Christine were on the other couch now, with Christine still fretting over her wife.
“Another me.” Jeremy nodded. “The Jeremy who is the Moon.” He glanced over to Brooke and Christine. “I think this proves the spell worked even better than we thought, Brookie. Well done, you’ve done amazingly.”
Brooke nodded before letting her wife go back to checking her over. Meanwhile, his dad and brother were staring still at Jeremy and Michael. “You... So, the other Jeremy with you is the Moon. But there’s only one Jeremy,” his dad said with a frown.
“Dad, I think I have an idea on what he means. Remember when we watched that animated Spider-Man movie and they talked about alternate realities? I think... Jeremy just confirmed that for us.”
“That’s right.” Jeremy nodded. “I like that movie.” He rolled his shoulders a little and cradled Michael’s sleeping form closer. “There are so many versions of all of us. And every single one of me has loved their version of Michael, in some way, shape or form. And thanks to a spell that Brooke did in my world, we’ll always find each other.”
“That’s... interesting,” his dad said, though he seemed to be processing all of this still. It made sense. This was a lot.
Jeremy reached out, offering his hand to his dad. “Here. Let me... let me show you.” He knew he could. This was all confusing even with the extra memories, but he knew he could demonstrate just a little. He could let them see the Moon’s world, where Marshal was the North Star. Where his dad was still human, but he was the father of the Moon. He was full of magic in his own way, as much as Jeremy was, just in a different way.
His dad didn’t hesitate as he took Jeremy’s extended hand. Jeremy let the memories flow, let the connection form for a moment. He gave his dad a peek at the world he had seen.
After a few seconds, his dad gasped. “This... Oh my god. This is a lot. In a good way, but it’s a lot. Can you make it stop?”
Jeremy smiled and let the memories stop. “That’s what I’m feeling right now. Minnie’s powers... they let us connect properly. And I used them along with my own to revive Michael.” He reached down and took Michael’s left hand, tracing the silvery star patterns which had appeared on his new form. “He’s as healthy as the Michael from the other world, which is to say, he’s in perfect health.”
“But you aren’t staying like this forever. You said Minnie’s powers and wish allowed you to be here,” Marshal said. “How much longer are you here for?”
“I don’t know.” Jeremy shrugged. “Not long, I’d expect. I don’t even know if I’ll remember this when it’s over. Like you said, dad, it’s really overwhelming. My brain might not be able to process it.”
His dad nodded while Marshal hummed. “Well, before that happens, is there anything else you need to tell us? Anything else we should know?”
“I...” Jeremy trailed off. There was something, but he didn’t know if it was actually anything. “There’s something coming,” he found himself saying. “I don’t know what, but I’ve got a bad feeling that something big is coming for me and Michael.”
“Something more than Squip?” Christine asked.
“Something more than this Squip,” Jeremy corrected gently. “Something much, much worse.” He shook his head. “I’ve been getting my friend to search for it, but all he sees is Michael and myself in danger. Except... Michael is the danger. But it’s not my Michael.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense, but just... look after me and look after Michael. That’s all that anyone can do right now.”
“Of course. We’ll do everything we can for you two,” Mr. Heere said with everyone agreeing, even Brooke. Her eyes weren’t vacant anymore, but she still seemed to understand what was happening.
Jeremy smiled. Then his gut shifted and he knew it was almost time. “Looks like I’m... vanishing now. I’m gonna split into the two of me again, so it’ll just be your Jeremy here once more.” The color which had been displaced while Jeremy became the Moon slowly started shimmering back into existence.
“We love you, Jeremy. Thank you so much, and thank you to Minnie, wherever he is,” Marshal said.
“Minnie is gone. When he was exorcised, he was split into me and Squip again.” Jeremy sighed, then he yawned. “I love you too. All of you. Here and everywhere else. I know that’s... certain.” Jeremy closed his eyes and nuzzled against Michael. “I dunno what’s gonna happen now. I’ve never merged with myself before.”
“No matter what happens to you, Private, we will be here for you,” his dad assured him, reaching down and running his fingers through his hair.
Jeremy smiled before everything flowed out of him. The past few minutes grew blurry, and memories he knew so solidly vanished from his mind.
He yawned and opened his eyes, his vision slightly blurry as he tried to refocus on reality. That had been so weird.
“Jerm?”
“Hey, Marsh,” Jeremy murmured. God, he was so tired, and Michael was so warm and solid in his arms. He felt his chest do weird flips, but he was too tired to really experience it properly. He knew that when he next woke up or he finally processed the fact that Michael was alive again, he’d be freaking out. For now, though, he was just happy to have him there.
“Hey. Do you want to just lie here and sleep with Michael?”
“Yes please.” Jeremy hummed. “I think he’s gonna sleep for a while... wake me up when he does please?”
“Of course.” Marshal grabbed a blanket and made sure it was spread over the two of them. “Now sleep. You deserve it.”
Jeremy woke up with a warm blanket over him and Michael curled up in his arms. It was perfect, even if his head was pounding a little from exhaus-
Wait.
Michael?
Jeremy opened his eyes and saw that, yes, it was Michael lying in his arms. He was warm and breathing and alive somehow. How was Michael alive? He started tearing up as he clung to his best friend.
Michael, somehow alive and with his full head of hair and hoodie, grumbled a little as he shifted in Jeremy’s arms. A bit of nonsense spouted from him, but it was Michael’s nonsense. Michael was here. How?
“Mikey?” Jeremy murmured, nuzzling against his shoulder. He thought as hard as he could, trying to recall how this miracle was possible.
Memories, so vague that they didn’t seem real, floated through Jeremy’s mind. Squip. Being Minnie. Kissing Michael. Being the Moon. Holy fuck, he was the Moon. Just, not here. Ugh, that didn’t make sense but it did. Either way, he just nuzzled against Michael once more, holding him tighter as he sorted through the impossible events of the past few days.
A grumble was all Jeremy got, but that was fine. He also got the weight of Michael, the warmth of him, his breath brushing against Jeremy’s face. Even if Michael, by all reason, should have been dead, he was here and alive and sleeping in Jeremy’s arms.
“You are so beautiful,” Jeremy murmured. “I love you so much.” He pressed a kiss to Michael’s temple before sitting back, just cradling his best friend. His living, amazing best friend.
After a few minutes, Michael started to stir. “Mm...” He nuzzled his head against Jeremy.
Jeremy reached up and started running his fingers through Michael’s hair just how he knew Michael liked. “Hey, Mikey,” Jeremy murmured, squeezing him gently. “Good morning.”
Michael leaned into the touch before slowly opening his eyes. “Remy?”
“Yeah, it’s me.” Jeremy smiled. “I’m here. How do you feel?” He didn’t stop his gentle touch, and he didn’t pull back in the slightest. Michael Orville Mell was alive and in Jeremy’s arms. There was no way Jeremy would let him leave again, especially now he knew what the Netherworld was like.
“I...” Michael reached up and rubbed his own chest. “It doesn’t hurt. Why doesn’t it hurt?” He looked at his arm and gasped. “I’m solid and warm.”
“You are.” Jeremy nodded. “You’re solid and warm and healthy and alive.” He squeezed Michael again. “You’re alive again, Mikey. The cancer is gone and you’re alive.”
“But how? I thought I was going to the Netherworld.”
Jeremy shook his head. “You got revived before you could. You’re alive, Mikey.” Jeremy carefully took Michael’s hand and pressed his fingers to his pulse point. “See? Your heart is beating again. And so is mine. We’re both here and alive.” Being alive had never felt so good.
His time as Minnie really gave Jeremy a perspective on how great it felt to live. Was he still suicidal? Unclear right now, but he knew he wanted to leave that part behind. Right now, he was just going to enjoy being alive.
“But... I was buried. I saw my own funeral,” Michael almost whispered as he stared up at Jeremy. “My body’s started decaying and stuff by this point. What...”
“You’ve got a new body.” Jeremy still wasn’t sure how that worked, he just knew it did. Maybe something to do with how Squip messed with Michael’s body in the first place. “It’s pretty much the same, just some tiny details different.”
“But... But I’ve been dead for months. I was in his pocket for months. How...” As he asked, Michael started to tear up.
“Magic,” Jeremy murmured. “Magic and Minnie and another dimension version of me.” He chuckled weakly. “I’m the fucking moon in some other world, apparently.”
“Wait, what?”
“There’s some weird magic going on and I don’t fully understand or remember it either,” Jeremy admitted. “I just know that we kissed and everything became way too much and then I was the moon and you were alive again. Then we woke up here.”
“Remy, please, this is too much at once,” Michael said as he patted Jeremy’s chest.
Jeremy nodded and just rested their foreheads together, not letting Michael go. “What can I do to help?”
“Just... I don’t know,” Michael whined. He was starting to hiccup and he closed his eyes.
Jeremy kept stroking Michael’s hair. “Just focus on me, Mikey. Focus on me. I’ve got you. You’re safe and healthy. Everything is okay now.”
Michael tried to speak but he only sobbed. He clung to Jeremy and just broke down crying as Jeremy kept him close. Jeremy let him cry, god knows he needed it. He just held onto his best friend and let him ride out this emotional rollercoaster.
Even after Michael finished crying his eyes out, he still whimpered and clung to Jeremy. “I... I’m alive?”
“Yes, you are.” Jeremy nodded. “You’re alive and you’re healthy. Your cancer is gone for good.”
“I... Okay.” He sniffled and cleared his throat before asking, “Where’re Ina and Mama?”
“Three hours away, as far as I know.” Jeremy murmured. “In their new apartment in New York. That is... if Dad or Marsh hasn’t called them. I don’t know how long we’ve been asleep for...”
“Can we call them?”
“Yeah.” Jeremy nodded. “I... I don’t have my phone right now. We can get up and get it and give them a call.”
“No need, Private.” Dad walked in, beaming. “I already called them. They should be here in about five minutes. I was just coming here to get you boys up.”
Michael lifted his head up a smidge to look at the man. “Thank you... Hi, Mr. Heere.”
Dad walked over and crouched down next to the couch, smiling up at Michael with tears in his eyes. “Hey there, kiddo. How’re you feeling?”
“Weird. Alive, I guess. ‘M not used to this,” he admitted as he rested his head against Jeremy’s chest. “It’s really weird.”
“I’ll bet.” Dad nodded. “But it’s good to have you back with us. I’ve missed you, son.”
“I’ve missed you too, Mr. Heere.”
The doorbell rang, interrupting the moment. “I’m gonna go get that. You two hang tight. I’ll send them in in a moment.” Dad left after that, heading out of the living room and to the door.
“Paul, what’s going on? Why did we have to come here in the middle of the night?” That was Mama’s voice. She sounded beyond tired.
“Just trust me, guys. This is worth the drive.” Dad sighed. “First, though, here. Let me take your coats and stuff.”
“Seriously, Paul, what’s going on? Is Jeremy alright?” Ina asked over the sound of fabric ruffling and shifting.
“He’s fine,” Dad assured them. “He’s actually better than ever. Just... I can’t explain, you just need to see for yourself.” He took a breath and Jeremy could imagine him bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Head into the living room. And just... keep an open mind, we’ll explain everything in a minute. As much as we can anyway.”
“It's almost two in the morning, Paul,” Ina said, but they walked in. The couple was in their pajamas, and they froze when they looked at Jeremy and Michael.
“Mama? Ina?”
“Baby?” Mama whispered.
“Hi Mama. Hi Ina.” Jeremy waved, a wobbly smile on his lips. “It’s really him. I promise.”
Mama took a hesitant step towards them both, her eyes never leaving Michael.
Michael sniffled and Ina bolted over. She kneeled down beside the couch, carefully checking Michael and his pulse. “Liz, come here.”
Michael leaned into her touch. Mama snapped out of her stupor and rushed over, kneeling next to Michael and reaching out. She checked Michael’s pulse and teared up. “Michael. Oh my baby.” She sobbed. Ina wasn’t doing much better.
The two women ended up hugging Michael, holding and cradling him close as they cried and fretted over him. Michael let himself be held as he started to cry again. “I missed y’two so much.”
“We’ve missed you too, baby,” Ina murmured, stroking Michael’s hair.
“But... how?” Mama whispered. “I saw your- I checked your vitals myself- I-“
“It’s crazy,” Michael said as he clung to his moms. “It’s a lot for me right now. Can we think ‘bout it later, please?”
“Of course, baby.” Ina nodded. “Whatever you want.”
“Paul, we’re staying over.” Mama said, standing up.
Dad nodded, grinning. “Marshal has already set up the guest room for you.”
“He’s... he’s all better now, Mama.” Jeremy murmured. “He’s... he’s not sick anymore. He’s all better.”
“It certainly seems that way,” Mama said, and Ina nodded.
“Are you alright, Jeremy?” Ina asked, looking at Jeremy while she held Michael in her arms.
“Yeah...” Jeremy sighed. “It’s just been a bit hectic.” Ina was still staring at him. “What’s up?”
“You have a white patch,” Ina said, shifting one hand to press it against Jeremy’s head. Well, a finger was there, and it went around some of his forehead and some of his hair on his head. It was maybe the size of the palm of his hand. “All here. Your hair and skin is white as... paper?”
“Vitiligo?” Jeremy wasn’t sure how he knew the word, but it just came to him as Ina traced the patch. It floated by like a memory from a dream. Like how the memories of the Moon Jeremy felt. “I... That must have appeared when Michael got revived. I- I didn’t even know about it.”
“I don’t know, but I noticed that and you just... You seem different since we last saw you a few weeks ago. Not in a bad way, but... different.”
“I feel different.” Jeremy nodded with a soft sigh. “I’m- I’ll be okay. I just have some things to sort through.” He looked and gave his dad a weak smile. “And I know I’ve got some people who are gonna help me out with that.”
His dad smiled back and nodded. “Well that’s good. I’m glad,” Ina said before she bent over and pressed a kiss to Jeremy’s forehead. Not against the spot she traced, but near it.
Jeremy closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. “You two should go to sleep. You haven’t started your new jobs yet, right?” He opened his eyes and looked at them. Mama and Ina both shook their heads. “Okay, good. You can stay for at least a few days. There’s so much to tell you about.”
“Oh, we’re going to do more than just that,” Mama promised. “I don’t want to leave Michael yet though.”
It hurt to offer this, he didn’t want to leave Michael’s side, but he couldn’t be selfish about this. Michael was safe and alive, that's what mattered. “Why don’t you three all go to the guest bedroom then. I know I’m still tired after everything, Mikey probably is too.”
Ina looked down at Michael, who had fallen asleep in her arms, before looking back at Jeremy. “Are you sure?”
Jeremy nodded. “He’s your son. I’m just happy he’s okay now.” He didn’t want to, but he also didn’t want to keep Mama and Ina from being with their son. Jeremy could manage for a few hours, at least. “I’m pretty sure Dad and Marshal are gonna wanna fuss over me anyway. A lot happened very quickly and we haven’t really had a chance to deal with any of it yet.”
Ina hesitated before nodding and kissing Jeremy’s forehead again. “If you need us, you know where we’ll be.”
“Thanks Ina.” Jeremy offered her a weak smile before he took a deep breath. He quickly kissed Michael’s temple before opening his arms properly and letting Mama and Ina take him properly.
Mama kissed Jeremy’s forehead before she and Ina carried Michael together upstairs.
Jeremy sagged in his seat. His dad was by his side in an instant, hovering right next to him with worry. Jeremy leaned against his dad, feeling Marshal somehow appear behind him and cuddle him close too.
This was going to be rough, but Jeremy knew things would be okay. He had a family again and a new desire to live now, not just survive. They had issues, but they’d work them out. And Michael was alive.
Even as the tears started to fall, Jeremy smiled. Michael was alive.