I sat down at the dining table with everyone, even Fred. The last couple of days I had been babied by him, and he still kept a close eye on me. Once I had gotten up, Fred practically locked me in my room like I had some kind of disease saying he would only let me out when I was feeling better. And for the next day or so I either got a proper meal, or a bowl of soup slid under the door. 'Fred, you better not be trying to make me HANGRY.'
Somehow in the time however I had managed to give Evie just enough power to go back home. She could come back with that same power too, she would just need to recharge a lot slower than before when she had a lot more power.
Nonetheless, I did need the extra rest. But it was almost as bad as being paralyzed because I was stuck in my room like I had just been grounded for something. But, finally, I was out and about. And my skin no longer felt like needles impaled it every time I touched something. That was surely a painful experience I never wanted to go through again.
Anyway, we were all seated to a late lunch. Everyone was eating steak and potatoes. And Teddy had insisted on eating an apple. I also made sure everyone had a few carrots, because why not?! 'Why are there so little vegetables in Minecraft?! These kids need their nutrition!' I thought quietly to myself with an unnoticeable grumble.
We were all eating when I heard a loud crunch of Teddy biting into his apple. I noticed he had been eating a little slower than usual. I didn't think much of it though, accept that he might be sick. But I had already scanned him for any health problems and he seemed perfectly fine.
"...-OOWWWWW!!! Teddy screamed. My head shot up in shock. As did everyone else'. When I eyed Teddy I saw him take his mouth off the apple. And there was blood dripping down his chin. In the apple was none other than a tooth, still lodged in the hard outer shell of the fruit.
"Oh my goodness, Teddy!" Madelyn squealed as she rushed over to help him. Everyone was panicking at that point. Fred teleported off to find medical supplies while Madelyn and Sebastian tried to stop the bleeding. I just stared at everyone in shock. I had no idea what to do. Madelyn looked over at me and with a demanding voice gave me an order or two. "Well don't just sit there! Help us!"
I quickly got up and tried to find a way I could help. I thought back to how I had handled lost teeth when I was younger. I remembered having been so scared the first few times, and this was probably Teddy's first missing tooth. Sebastian wasn't really helping, he was just panicking at the sight of the blood. And Madelyn was trying her best to calm the crying Teddy down. Finally, a little plan snapped into my head and I teleported to my emergency kit that no one but me knew about. Not even Fred. I don't really know why I never told anyone about it; I just never liked sharing my stuff.
I tore open the box, not caring that I had just broken the lock, and shoved my hand in search for some gauze. The moment my hand touched some I teleported back with them in my hand.
"Here Teddy. Bite on this and it will help stop the bleeding." I instructed the little boy as I held out the gauze to him. His hand shook as he took it. Not in fear, but just because he was so unsure what to do in a situation like that. And he put the gauze in his mouth carefully since it hurt quite a bit. After a moment, the blood stopped trickling out of Teddy's mouth. But he still looked pretty shaken by the event. And he couldn't speak, so he just motioned for me to come closer. I knelt down by his chair and guessed we would have to play some kind of charades game so I would know what he was trying to tell me.
But instead, the little boy just jumped onto me and hugged me tightly around my neck. I held him there gently with my arms as he continued on quietly crying. I looked over at Madelyn for help in some form but just saw her smiling at me and her little brother contently. I then mouthed to her: 'What do I do?'
'Just comfort him. Like you already are.' Madelyn mouthed back to me. I almost frowned since her advice wasn't at all helpful in my case, but I listened and just stayed there still like a statue. However eventually my knees told me that I needed to get up, so I stood as slowly as I could and sat down in the nearest chair. Madelyn sat in the chair Teddy had just been sitting in. And Sebastian sat across the table and continued eating.
'What now?' I mouthed to Madelyn. She giggled a little at me.
'Wait until he stops crying.' She answered.
'But he has already stopped.' I pointed out. Teddy had stopped making noise but was still sniffling.
'He is still stressed.' Madelyn said to me.
'So?' I asked.
'Is it really that hard to hold a kid?' Madelyn rolled her eyes and I looked for something to look at. But, it just wasn't my place to hold him. That was Madelyn or Sebastian's job, not mine. I just didn't know how to take it. I finally just hugged a little tighter and felt Teddy calm down a little. His shakey breathing was still audible though.
"It's alright Teddy. It is just a lost tooth. Another one will grow in it's place." I said as suiting as I could to the young boy.
"But my mouf hurts.." Teddy said as best he could with gauze in his mouth.
"Yeah, pain tends to happen.. But the good thing is that it always gets better.." I told him. Teddy nodded slightly and sniffled back tears.
"Hewobwine?" Teddy asked with a still recovering voice.
"Yes, Teddy?" I acknowledged.
"Can you be my new daddy?" He asked. My eyes widened and I looked to Madelyn and Sebastian for help. They looked surprised too, but not as much as I was.
'What do I do?' I mouthed to the two. Sebastian just shrugged and Madelyn looked like she was about to giggle again but forced herself not to. I had to come up with something. I didn't want to hurt Teddy but I knew I could never really take care of them like a father or a mother would. I was Herobrine after all.
"Uu, s- s- sure... But, maybe you can call me something like Padre or.. well I don't know.." I sighed.
"Papy?" Teddy asked.
"Huh?" I tilted my head a little.
"I wannu call you Papy instead of Hewobwine." Teddy said. "Hewobwine is a weiwd name anywas." Teddy said.
"..Oh, well, sure.. You can call me Papy." I smiled a little. 'That was just cute.'
"I wuv you Papy." Teddy said as he hugged me tighter. I just stared silently at nothing as those words sunk in. 'H- how?' Madelyn smiled at me and Teddy with some small tears in her eyes. Sebastian, like me, didn't know what to think. Finally, those words fully sunk in, and I could feel tears swell in my eyes. '...Maybe I can be loved...' I thought as a large tear fell down my cheek.
"...I- I wuv you too Teddy.." I smiled, hugging him tighter. My eyes closed tightly and tears streamed out. I felt so, happy. Heh. Happy Papy..
When I opened my eyes again, I felt somehow different. I felt much, better.
"Herobrine?" Madelyn looked at me with shock.
"What?" I asked with my face changing to worry since I saw the urgency in her eyes.
"Y- your e- eyes." She said.
"What with my eyes?" I wanted to look in a mirror but that meant Teddy would have to be pushed off of me. And I didn't want to do that to him.
"They- they're not glowing. They look, normal, with brown pupils." She said.
"Huh?!" I asked with disbelief. She just described how my eyes use to look. But, how?
"Wet me see!" Teddy exclaimed as he looked at my face. His eyes lit up a little when he saw the difference in them. "Papy! Youwr eyes!" He exclaimed.
"A- are they really different?" I looked over at Sebastian. He nodded with an emotionless face. It was so emotionless I wasn't sure if he was shocked, happy, angry, sad, mad, or anything really!
"Is that how your eyes were before you became evil?" He asked once his face changed from stone solid to questioning.
"Y- yea-h." I breathed with a little hint of joy. "But, I have no idea why they would go back to normal all of a sudden." I said.
"Ooh, I think I know!" Madelyn raised her hand up as if she were in class.
"Why Madelyn?" I asked her, smiling that she had just raised her hand to give input.
"I think you are cured!" She squealed.
"C- cured? From what?" I asked.
"Herobrine's curse! Duh!" She said. "That must mean you aren't Herobrine anymore!" Madelyn smiled.
"Bu- h- how?!" I asked.
"Magical hug!" Teddy joined in the conversation with his own theory. Then he hugged me again as tightly as he could, which wasn't really choking me or anything, but surprisingly tight.
"Might make a little sense, but not much." Sebastian chucked at his little brother.
"But wait, does that mean you don't have your powers anymore?" Madelyn asked. I smiled at her reassuringly.
"No, I would faint if I suddenly lost all or most of my power. I was born with them. It must just be that now I can.. control them differently?" My little speech ended as a question. 'What did change?' I wondered in my head.
Madelyn then smiled playfully at me and her siblings. "How about we all find out what changed, with a little game?" She asked us all. Sebastian's lips rose to the same smile as Madelyn's and Teddy turned to face her, just sitting on my lap. I looked at them all wondering what this game was. I guess I would have to find out.