The rest of the dinner went well. Connie didn't ask Nico many more questions, but Nico was able to answer the ones she did ask without giving anything away. When the monster from earlier that day came back Nico excused himself, carefully grabbing his sword. Toby watched him worriedly as Nico crossed to the door where the monster was standing. Nico and the monster glared at each other for a long minute before Nico turned and left the restaurant followed closely by the monster.
"Where is Nico going?" Connie asked Toby in confusion. "Who was that man who followed him?"
"That wasn't a man." Toby murmured sitting up straight in his chair and looking after Nico. He wanted to go with Nico, but he knew that he would be useless against that thing without the right weapon.
"What?" Connie asked her eyebrows drawn together in concern. Toby made himself look away from the door to smile at his mother.
"Don't worry about it mom, it's one of those 'what you don't know can't hurt you' things." Toby reassured her but she didn't look convinced.
"But you know so it could hurt you?" She asked staring hard at Toby. Toby avoided her eyes.
"But I can defend myself better than you can. Unless something has changed since the last time we met." Toby raised an eyebrow, his mother shook her head and sighed.
"I guess I missed my chance to watch you become an adult huh? You've become so mature." She commented smiling ruefully.
"Oh my god, if Masky was here he would be laughing so hard right now." Toby said laughing and explained when his mother looked confused. "I think Masky thinks of me as the little brother he never wanted. He and Hoody look after me most of the time. I mean it doesn't help that he's just too much fun to annoy." Connie laughed and shook her head at him. Toby smiled crookedly at her and then glanced at the door hoping Nico would be back soon.
"So you live with those people now? Masky and Hoody?" Connie asked looking down at her water and stirring the ice cubes around with her straw.
"Not just them. Nico lives with us too and L.J, Sally, BEN, E.J., Jeff, Jeff's dog Smile, and Slenderman who me, Masky and Hoody work for. It's great, we all take turns cooking and cleaning up and we all get along really well."
"So I guess you wouldn't want to come back to live with me again." She said still not looking up. Toby looked at her in shock.
"I can't mom. The only reason the police aren't after me anymore is because they think I'm dead. Slenderman and BEN have a way of working together to keep us safe I think if I left them I'd be found." Toby explained putting an arm around her because he could tell she was upset.
"I'm just a bit lonely is all sweetie, I'm sorry."
"No mom, don't be sorry." Toby said giving her a gentle squeeze. "I'll come visit you okay?"
"Okay." Connie said wiping away the beginnings of a tear and smiling at her son. "Please do. It's been awful not knowing how you were. I had a feeling you weren't actually dead but still." Toby winced, he could imagine how hard that had been on her.
"I'm sorry I would have tried to contact you sooner if I had known but.."
"I know. There was no way you could have known." Connie assured Toby who nodded.
Finally Nico came back sliding into his seat. There was a cut on his cheek that was bleeding sluggishly but he looked pleased enough with himself that it was obvious he had won. Toby smiled back at him but Connie looked a little worried again.
"Are you okay Nico?" She asked him gently. Once a mom always a mom, Toby smiled.
"Oh ya I'm fine, it only got one hit in." Nico said wiping the blood of his face with a grin. There was a light in his eyes that Toby was very familiar with. This must be why Nico didn't feel the need to kill humans at all. He had something else, Something more challenging. Toby grinned back at him basking in that light.
