Bob's Other World (A Bob's Onslaught AU)

Chapter 11: "You're Still You."

"...You do?" Mrs Farley paused for a moment before staring at Bob with wide eyes.

He had said it. But he had to keep going for there was no turning back now.

Pausing every few sentences, he explained Ron's circumstances that led him to escape as accurately as he could. The memory of him yelling in anger and sadness came upon Bob again as he spoke, but he shook it off desperately.

"Would you...be able to bring him back...?"

"I can try..."

Bob offered to bring Ron's parents to his house and they agreed, obviously desperate to find their son.

Reaching home and asking them to stay in the living room, he went through the closet in his room and back to the world he came from. As he had hoped and expected, Ron was sitting down on the green grass, staring into nothing far beyond the field.

He turned around when he heard something approach him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I might...I might have told them you ran away..."

"WHY?"

Bob was taken aback but calmed down. "Everyone is looking for you. Your parents even brought the police into this. You see, everyone is worried. There are still people who care, alright? Heck, even Little Man kept on pestering me and asking where you were!"

A few days before, Little Man had been texting Bob many times on what even happened. Bob couldn't give a specific answer due to the promise he made, but felt awful since the two were so close.

"Ron, you may not feel good now, but there are people who still love you for who you are. You don't have to be what you define 'normal'. You're perfect just the way you are, always."

Ron, who had stood up, sank back down again, tears flowing from his eyes from the realisation. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

Bob pulled his friend into a hug and they stayed there for a few moments.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Ron looked up.

"You ready to go back?"

Ron nodded.

A bright light shone and the two found themselves back in Bob's room, back in their human versions.

They exited the room and Ron saw his parents sitting down wistfully. When they saw him walk up, they burst into tears and wrapped their arms around him tightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay!!"

"We missed you so much!"

Ron couldn't handle the joy and love he received and soon he started crying too.

"Thank you so much, Bob, for telling us where he was."

Bob smiled.

The next week, Ron came back to school. He was a bit scared, but he knew he had to go back.

Bob gave a smile as they went inside the school together, pass the gates and into the locker hallways.

Ron's old group of friends were there and when they saw Ron, they immediately went up to him.

"Hey, uh. We're sorry for treating you that way, we never knew how awful we were that it'd make you disappear from us. Can we be friends again?" One of them asked.

Ron turned to Bob before turning back. "It's alright. Bob is my real friend, since he stayed with me no matter what." With that, he walked off with him.

"Did it hurt to say that? I mean, you've known them for so long, longer than me," Bob said as they entered the classroom.

"Well, kinda. But honestly, I don't care," Ron beamed as he sat as his desk.

His classmates were also suddenly nice to him but he didn't take them by heart. Deep down, however, he knew it was okay now.

Everything was okay now.

After school, the two went to Ron's house.

"I got you something!" Bob passed Ron a package and when Ron opened it, he gasped. "Oh! A new pair of sunglasses!"

"Yeah, those jerks broke yours, so here's a new one. And check out what's in your living room!"

There lay a new skateboard, and his mother was there to pass it to him. Ron gasped in delight. "Why the sudden gifts??"

"To cheer you up silly!" Bob grinned.

That evening, Bob, Ron and Little Man went to the park to hang out.

"So glad you're finally back. Bob told me everything. You good now?

"Of course."

While Ron was showing off his skateboard skills on his new skateboard to Little Man, Bob stood away smiling.

At odd times, Ron would switch by accident, and so did Little Man, who found out that was possible. But they laughed it off.

Bob looked up.

"No matter which form you're in, you're still Ron.

"And nothing can change that.

"Nothing."

The End