Tommy sipped on the tea that Techno had made him, the drink warming him up in the process. Wilbur’s sat untouched, the man seeming to be distant as he looked around the small kitchen, as if trying to imagine a big scary warrior such as their brother living in a place like this. Tommy knew that Wilbur knew Techno did in fact live here, if him saying he knew everything was the truth. But still Tommy could tell the other was failing, brows creased together in question as he glanced around. Technoblade sat at the table too, dipping his tea bag in and out of the steaming water in the silence that engulfed them, obviously trying to ignore the fact a supposed to be very dead man was sitting to his right at the moment. Dove wasn’t in the house, it  was staying with the other wolves that stayed here with Techno, probably sleeping amongst them happily already. In desperatio nto break the tense silence, the teen began to speak.

“So, how are the preporations going?” Tommy asked the piglin hybrid, who in return snapped out of whatever thoughts that were going through his head at the moment to focus on the younger brother. 

“Dads been getting the supplies he needs for the machine, and other than that I only help out when he needs me too.” Tommy nodded, taking another sip from his tea. “What about your end?” 

“Just making that dog army and digging under L’manburg to place TNT. It’s not that hard of work, though sometimes I feel like I’ll be caught. But it hasn’t happened yet, so that's good.” Techno nodded at the blonds answer, taking a sip of his own drink. 

“Is that what you went to do when you sneaked off?” Tommy looked towards Wilbur, his puzzled face looking towards him as well. Tommy nodded as an answer though, making the brunette frown. “You should have told me, I would have helped you out.” 

“Well, you were still getting used to being alive, I didn’t want to just throw you into preparations right away.” Wilbur was silent at the avians explanation, finally taking a sip of the tea Techno had handed him ten minutes ago. “So when should Phil be back?” Techno perked up from that question, his eyes whipping away from the newly revived brother. 

“Not sure, soon though.” 

“Well until then we can look over the map again, and see how Wilbur can help us out.” Tommy grabbed the bag he had brought as he spoke, pulling the contents out as he passed them to the piglin hybrid. Technoblade took them, unrolling the plans as his eyes traced the lines and writing before him. “He could keep the others off of the machine with you, if you wanted. Philza is going to be in the sky and helping where its needed, and I’m on the ground, so it would be logical.” Technoblade nodded, looking towards the still quiet Wilbur who seemed to be too fixated on the table to listen to the other two. Both Techno and Tommy looked at one another before the teen reached out to shake the brunettes shoulder. Wilbur snapped out of it as soon as Tommy shook his shoulder, eyes blinking before looking between the two brothers. He smiled softly. 

“Sorry, I was just… thinking.” Tommy pulled away, smiling himself. 

“It’s ok, I’m sure you have a lot on your mind at the moment. But, we are descussing the plans right now.” Tommy explained. Wilbur sat up straighter. 

“Yea, right. Sorry.”  He looked towards the plans that Techno plopped infront of him, looking over the changes that the older brother had made to fit him in. It would be easier with four people destroying the country, even if Wilbur wasn’t all that great at fighting. He was a planner, making strategies to take down the enemies for the armies he controlled. Him fighting in battle wasn’t new, he did that a few times during the war for independance and even a little during the revolution, it was  just something the brunette wasn’t too familiar with anymore. He never did much of it to begin with. “I’m on the top? To make sure people don’t get on it?” Wilbur asked, head tilting as he looked over the plans he’s seen only twice now. Tommy nodded, leaning forwards to explain more of the plan further to the other. 

~ + ~

Eventually Philza was back and opening the door to the cabin, the other three quieting down as they waited for the fourth to enter the dining room. He did, walking in as he adjusted his green and white hat before pausing for a moment. He was staring at Wilbur, who was looking back with clouded eyes. It seemed that the sight before him finally processed in the mans head, his eyes growing wide and a gasp leaving his lips. He stumbled back, his wings flaring out as he stared at the revived man before him.

Tommy and Technoblade were quiet, neither of them having enough courage to speak up. Instead they ducked their heads, waiting to see what would happen and how soon one of them would have to interfere. “W-Wilbur?” He asked, finally calming down enough to change  his shocked expression to a more confused look. He glanced to Tommy and Techno as if waiting for one of them to explain what was happening and if this was a trick the two had pulled on him. 

“Yes, yes that’s me.” The brunette let a pain filled smile fall onto his lips, eyes finally breaking eye contact with his father. “Alive and…” Wilbur paused for a moment. “well.” Philza walked closer, his wings tucking behind him once more. 

“But… how?” Wilbur looked towards Tommy, who in return stared drinking his tea as if he wasn’t being stared at by three very intimidating figures. “Tommy?” He stopped, taking the cup away from his lips to make eye contact with the avian before him. He looked lost, glancing over towards the man he had killed still waiting for some type of explanation. The teen sat his cup of tea down, letting a heavy sigh escape his lungs in the process. 

“I revived him.” The room was silent, indicating they wanted him to keep going. The whole time Wilbur looked uncomfortable, probably wishing he was anywhere but where he was at the moment. Tommy looked away from his brother, continuing to explain. “Dream had a book, and so I revived him with it. Ghostbur wanted me to, and so I did.” 

“So Ghostbur is gone then?” Techno asked, brow raised as Philza finally took a seat. Wilbur moved away from the man, inching his seat as far and fast as he could from the man he would rather be trying to avoid. 

“Yes, he’s gone.” 

“And you reived him with a book that Dream had?” Philza asked, looking puzzled as he spoke the words. “Why in XD’s name would he give you a book like that? I thought he was still under the impression that you were dead, like the rest of the smp…” Most of the SMP had to know that Tommy was alive, or suspected anyways.

Tommy knew after his rescue mission that some people would probably start wondering if he was actually dead, yet they where used to seeing Tommy’s wings. He didn’t have those anymore, and along with this he tried to keep his hood up, so maybe they assumed a new player joined the server. He knew thet at least Tubbo and Quackity may know, since they seemed to recognize him. Back to the present Tommy decided to answer their questions. 

“Well, he didn’t.” Silence. 

“What do you mean.” Technoblade asked. Tommy quickly became nervous. 

“Well… I found it on his person… after I… killed… him.” He smiled, seeing the surprised and terrified looks show up on both Philza and Technoblade’s faces. Eventually Philza looked away from him, covering his face with his hands as if he was disappointed, Technoblade looking proud of the other. At least he was smiling, so at least he didn’t seem to be having a mental breakdown like Philza. But then again, he did just learn that Wilbur was revived and Tommy had killed Dream in the span of two minutes.  

“Well, that was unexpected.” Techno eventually chuckled out, looking towards a smiling Wilbur after his words. The brunette too was smiling, yet his eyes did glance over towards the avian next to him as well. 

“It’s not too surprising, is it?” Tommy muttered, brows creasing together. “He’s done so many wrong things, and not just to me. Someone needed to put him in his place, that just so happens to be limbo.” Tommy leaned back in his seat, watching the chuckle slip from Wilbur’s lips and the faint smile on Techno’s. Philza finally took his face out of his hands, looking towards him with a tired expression. 

“Still, you perma killed him?” Tommy nodded, taking another sip of his tea. 

“Yeah, he actually tried to attack me when I did. Bet he wishes he didn’t do that now.” The teen grumbles out, looking towrds the man with cold blue eyes. Philza only nodded, his expression still looking tired. 

“How did you even manage something like that?” The avian asked, still looking unsure. It was true, Tommy was usually seen as a weak teen, only relying on his smarts to keep him alive. It was worse in exile, seeing as he only grew weaker as the days passed. Tommy really wasn’t sure how he was able to kill Dream, and so he came up with the most logical reson he could come up with at that moment. 

“I don’t know, I think it was adrenaline that gave me enough strength to kill him- that and my anger. Probably both.” Tommy tried to change the topic after speaking thosewords, wanting to talk about anything else but about Dream at the moment. “But yes, I revived Wilbur using a book I found on Dream, and now he’s alive again.” Techno nodded, looking towards his twin with questioning eyes. 

“What was limbo like?” Philza’s head shot up at that, looking towards the pinkette. 

“Hey, limbo’s are personal! You can’t just ask a question like that.” The avian narrowed his eyes at Techno, who raised his hands up in surrender. 

“Sorry, sorry, I’m just curious is all.” Wilbur laughed, a genuine smile on his face as he did so. 

“It’s ok. I’m ok to talk about it.” The room went silent. “My limbo was a train station, and I wasn’t allowed to leave… trust me, I tried. No matter what way I went or how hard I tried I’d end up back where I started. It was really irritating.” Wilbur paused, brows creasing as if he was tryingto remember something. “I only tried to escape in the beginning though, after a few months I gave up and just accepted I wasn’t getting out. I did find a deck of cards though! So I at least had something to entertain myself with- anyways, not the point.” He cleared his throat, sitting up some in her seat. “It was really boring, is really what I’m trying to get at. And ten years stuck in the same train station is not fun. But I managed.” Tommy blinked at the last bit, head tilting in confusion. 

“Ten years?” Wilbur nodded in conformation. 

“Yeah, ten years.” Techno and Tommy shared a look, Phil looking between the two before glancing at his newly revived son. Wilbur must have finally picked up on their confusion, beginning to explain what he meant. “Time in limbo works differently, so while only a few years passed in here, ten years passed while I was in limbo.” Tommy digested that information before nodding his head. 

“So then, how old are you?” Techno asked, looking as if he was doing the math in his head. “Like, 36 now?” Wilbur paused, himself beginning to try and do the math in his head too. 

“Yes, I guess so. I still look as young as I did when I died though, I guess since I wasn’t aging in this world it didn’t transfer that part.” Philza looked towards Wilbur, his blue eyes looking clouded and unsure. 

“Can we… can we speak after this?” The father asked, Wilbur looking towards the man that had abandoned him and Tommy so long ago. Tommy could tell the other was struggling being in the same room as him, he’s not sure if Wilbur woud be able to make it through a conversation alone with the man as well. Even so, he smiled and nodded his head in answer before gulping down more of his drink. 

“I don’t think we need to talk about the plan anymore tonight, it’s pretty late and I’m sure you two are tired.” Wilbur and Tommy looked towards the standing Technoblade, who was grabbing their now empty cups before making his way to the kitchen sink. “We can talk more about it in the morning and fill dad in, but for now I think it would be best to take a break and get some sleep.” Tommy knew there was not going to be any changing Techno’s mind, so he only nodded in agreement. 

“Yeah, sure.” Wilbur says, standing up just as Phila does. 

“C’mon, we can go talk in the storage room.” The brunette took only look at Tommy, smiled, and then looked away to follow their father out of the dining room. Tommy turns to Techno, who is now staring at Tommy. 

“How’re you’re stitches holding up?” Tommy had almost forgotten he still had stitches, eyes lighting up once he did. 

“Well, I’m not sure. I haven’t touched them since the last time you changed them.” Techno hummed in recognition. 

“Well, they are definitely due for evaluation. We can stay in here and look at them, or do it in the living room. It’s up to you.” Tommy looked towards the entrance. 

“Living room, it’s more comfortable.” 

“Ok, I’ll go and get the med kit and meet you out there then.” Tommy nodded standing up and heading to the living room. 

~ + ~

Tommy doesn’t know how long he’s been sitting infront of the fire place, his eyes looking towards the storage room trap door and back to the fire constantly. Wilbur and Phizla still haven’t left the storage room, making the younger wonder what they were talking about. Eventually he was snapped out of his thought when he heard Techno leaving the upstairs, the piglin hybrid walking into the living room and sitting behind Tommy shortly after. The teen had already taken his shirt off, ready for when Techno came back to look at his healing wounds. After a few minutes of the olderb brother lookign them over, he spoke. “Seems they finally healed. They aren’t fully healed, but enough that you don’t need stitches anymore.” 

“Well that’s good to hear.” Techno hummed in agreement, opening his medical kit to begin the process of taking out the stitches. The room was silent as they did so, and Technoblade only paused when muffled yelling began to seep out ofthe trap door not too far away from them. Tommy’s eyes were fixed on it, wondering what was happening below them. 

“It’s weird seeing Wilbur here instead of Ghostbur.” Techno began, probably to try and distract him from the yelling they could hear. “Was very shocked when I saw him, didn’t recognize him as first.” 

“I should have warned you.” Techno huffs a laugh. 

“I don’t think anything would have prepared me for seeing Wilbur alive and walking, Toms. But, a warning would have been nice.” Tommy chuckles, a smile forming on his lips. “I didn’t even know Dream had a book that powerful to bring someone back to life.” 

“I don’t think anyone did, Technoblade.” 

“You’re probably right. Still, where would he have found a book like that though? I didn’t evne know one like that existed.” The pinkettes words made even Tommy begin to wonder, brows scrunching togther. 

“I’m not sure, all that we do know is that he had it and now he doesn’t.” Tommy curtly says, making the piglin hybrid huff a laugh. The two stopped when they heard the trap door to the storage room open, a annoyed and saddened Wilbur popping out first followed by a tried looking Phil. Wilbur looked towards Tommy and Techno and allowed his eyes to soften, they browns looking towards Techno’s hands as they took the no longer necessary stitches out. Philza, who seemed done with his broken family at the moment, simply walked towards the entrance to Technoblade’s house, grabbing his cloak before turning towards the pinkette and other avian that was watching him. He sighed, opening the door once his boots where on. 

“I’m gonna go and sleep, we can talk more in the morning.” With that he was gone, door shut quietly behind him. Techno sighed, going back to taking the stitches out as Wilbur walked over to the couch and plopped down with a tired look. It was silent for a long time before anyone spoke, who happened to be the quietest among them. 

“You two need to try give Phil a chance.” Tommy tensed at Technoblade’s words, ready to start arguing before he began to speak once again. “He’s trying, and it’s hard for him to do that when all you guys do is hold onto the past and push him away.” Wilbur chuckled, rolling his eyes at his twins words. 

“You don’t understand-” 

“I do understand, Wilbur Soot.” The two younger siblings were silent once again, allowing the man to keep talking. “You two aren’t trying, and your only hurting him. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that the past can’t just disappear it’ll always be there. But that doesn’t mean you can’t give him another chance, a chance to be there for you guys and build a relationship with you guys again. He wants to be there for you two, he feels horrible for what he’s done. He wants to try and make it right.” Tommy was silent, taking in the others words as he watched the fire before him. His fists balled up, tears threatening to escape his eyes. It seemed he was proned to cry now, almost as if it was some type of curse to show those around him he was weak and afraid. 

“Its hard though Techno, it’s hard to even look at him.” Wilbur choked out, making the teen turn to look at the middle child. He also looked on the verge of crying, fists balled as he stared at his twin. “He… he abandoned us! I was left to take care of Tommy when you guys left, I was a child!” Techno didn’t say anything, Wilbur’s sadness quickly turning to anger. “I was left alone! WE, were left alone while you guys went and did whatever they hell you did for the fucking twelve or so years you guys where gone!” Wilbur stood up, eyes ablaze with anger. He walked towards the ladder that led to the upstares, already climbing up to get away from the situation at hand. 

“Second door on the right.” Was all that Techno said, voice sounding calm and collected. Tommy wonders how he wasn’t angry as well, keeping his calm even though the brunette was yelling at him at such a volume. Once Wilbur was out of sight Techno sighed, seeming to slump in on himself. “He’s just angry, and for good reason.” Tommy decided to stay quiet, the room filling with silence as Techno finished up what he was doing. When he did Techno had shut the medic kit before letting Tommy stand, who slipped his shirt and cardigan back on as Techno dissapeared to put the medical kit away. When the older brother did show back up Tommy looked towards Techno, eyes red and puffy as if he was going to cry. Technoblade frowned, walking over to the other and hugged him close, the tears finally crawling down his face. 

“I… I don’t think I’m ready to forgive him yet, Techno. What he did, it h-hurt a lot, and did a lot of damage, not just to me but wilbur too. He broke the family, a-and I… I’m not ready to forgive him yet.” Techno was silent, rubbing the younger boys back (steering clear of the still healing wounds) as he cried. 

“It’s ok… Just, try. Don’t forgive him if your not ready, but just.. Just give him a chance.” Tommy was silent for a minute, a sniffle escaping him before he nidded in agreement. “C’mon, I think it’s time for bed.” With that Technoblade led the teen upstairs, both ready fro bed after such a chaotic day. 

It makes ne so sad that this book is almost over, I think this is my favorite one along with The Embrace of Vengeance. I only have a few more chapters planned out, and I've already began to work on the epilouge and I must say the ending may surprise some.... still sad this book is almost done...

I guess its a good thing I started working on book two then, right? :]