News and Old Tales (Geronimo Stilton fanfiction)

14

Tears pooled in Taimana's eyes as she heard the name that she had not used in a long time slip from Geronimo's lips. It was at that moment that she realized that there was no use keeping pretenses up anymore, and she gave an almost imperceptible nod. She opened her mouth, ready to launch into a lengthy explanation, but she was interrupted by Rupert who jumped up from his lying position and nudged Geronimo's paw.

Geronimo, in turn, praised the pit bull in a soft voice, whereafter he sighed and shut his eyes for a few seconds, gathering his bearings.

"At the worst possible moment," he muttered. "I'm likely going to faint," he then turned to Thalia, who merely nodded silently with tears in her eyes.

All she wanted to do was to hold her little brother, just like she had done on that fateful night when she had left New Mouse City behind. She knew very well that he was remarkably brave and strong, but right at that moment, she only saw a little vulnerable mouselet in front of her eyes. She wanted to help him, to be there for him so badly, but she knew very well that it was all too late.

Geronimo took slow, deep, deliberate breaths as Rupert kept nudging, licking and nibbling his paw, his alerts becoming more and more insistent until the mouse finally lost consciousness. Benjamin curled up beside his uncle on the couch, gently squeezing his one paw that Rupert was not busy nuzzling.

"It's okay. This is normal for him. You might want to fetch a glass of water for when he wakes up, though," he explained, looking up at Thalia as he felt her gaze land upon him.

Thalia nodded and quickly left for the kitchen. As she came back with a glass of water in her paws, Geronimo was just coming to, blinking his eyes groggily.

"Thalia, Thalia," he muttered under his breath even before he had regained full consciousness.

Thalia swallowed hard to fight back her tears as she gently brushed her fingers against the back of Geronimo's paw.

"Yes, Geronimo, I'm here. It's me. I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Geronimo looked up at her with his eyelids fluttering, trying his best to make the world come into focus again. He soon felt Thalia pressing a glass into his paws, and he sipped at its contents gratefully.

"Are you okay?" Thalia croaked, her voice choked with emotion, and Geronimo nodded with a small smile after placing the glass down on the coffee table.

It was then that Thalia finally let the floodgates open, breaking down completely as she sobbed uncontrollably while burying her snout in her paws. She had let go of her grip on reality completely, succumbing to the guilt that had gnawed at her for decades. Only when she felt a paw coming to rest on her back did her breath hitch as she was too stunned to even continue crying for a second.

Geronimo had inched closer to her, and now, he had begun stroking her back tentatively. "I remember the night when you left so clearly," he murmured, "As if it was yesterday. I've kept the drawing you gave me, and I've taken your advice to heart. Though, I'm still afraid of everything, just like before. But I have always tried to take that leap of faith".

"I know, Geronimo, I know," Thalia sobbed as she looked up at the other mouse through her tears. "I know how fantastic you are – you and Thea both. I read The Rodent's Gazette, and I see everything you do. Working with investigative journalism with this many fears is no small feat. I'm so proud of you, though I doubt it matters much".

Geronimo tightened his grip around Thalia's shoulders as he replied: "Of course, it matters. When you left, you told me that I am your brother, and that I always will be. That still holds true."

Hearing Geronimo say those words in that soft, compassionate voice of this made Thalia sob even more violently. She had known that Geronimo was a kind mouse with a heart of gold and a fierce determination to always do what is right from the moment that she had met him, and what she had just heard him say only went to prove that he had not changed a bit. She finally let herself relax into her brother's embrace, holding onto him for dear life.