(A/N: double feature finale!!! Stay tuned for extras... and a sequel, coming soon.........)

Jeremy sat on his bed, fidgeting with the unopened can of Mountain Dew Red. Michael sat to his left with a hand on his knee. The Squip sat to his right, glitching occasionally out of nervousness.

Jeremy knew the feeling. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his racing heart.

Since he'd gotten the Squip back, all he wanted was to escape it. To be able to make his own choices again. To be free of the digital puppet strings that controlled him. And he'd tried to escape it, several times -- but now that he was so close... is this really what he wanted? One question echoed in his mind. Am I making the right choice?

He honestly hadn't felt lonely at all recently, and he was in a relationship with Michael -- so, in reality, the Squip did its job this time.

"Right," said the Squip. "I served my purpose, and now..." He sighed, shaking his head. "Now you don't need me anymore."

You're not going to try and stop me this time?

"Why would I? Like you said, I did my job. Your goals have more or less been reached, and seem to be sustainable." He gave a weak smile. "That's thanks to you, Jeremy. Your newfound stability is something you should be proud of."

Me? You did all the work.

The Squip looked away, seemingly ashamed. "I'm not the one who had to make all the right decisions while being constantly abused." He paused for a long moment. "I'm sorry."

You're a computer, Jeremy scoffed. You can't have emotions.

"I'm a super-computer, programmed with advanced artificial intelligence, and I know that abuse is something nobody should have to endure. My priority has always been your happiness, Jeremy -- it's my sole purpose to protect it, in fact. All those things you said to Michael yesterday... I had no idea you felt that way about me." The Squip finally looked him in the eye. "So, I'm sorry."

Jeremy hesitated a moment, skeptical, before replying. I'm sorry I have to get rid of you, then.

The Squip sighed, and nodded once, stiffly. "It's for the best." He extended a hand, which Jeremy shook. "It has been a pleasure, Jeremy Heere."

"Uh, Jer?" Michael cut in.

Jeremy snapped out of it and looked up at him. "Hmm? Oh, sorry, I was just talking to the Squip. Probably... looked weird..."

"What's he saying?"

"Um -- " He looked back to see the empty spot where the Squip had sat a moment ago, feeling a strange, hollow emotion that he had no name for. "Well, he's gone now, but he... he apologized."

Michael was taken aback. "Really? And then he left? He's just going to let you drink the stuff?"

Jeremy nodded. "I guess so. We shook hands and everything." He laid his head on Michael's shoulder and played with the strings of his hoodie. "Michael... I tried. I promise, I tried to drink it before, but I couldn't. He kept telling me that -- that you wouldn't like me anymore, without him. He said that he was the only way we could ever work out. It got in my head." Tears stung at the back of his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's okay, Jeremy," Michael soothed. "I told you I'm not mad anymore. It's not your fault, and even if it was I'd forgive you. You're my best friend -- my boyfriend, now, I think. I love you."

"I think 'boyfriend' sounds about right." Jeremy tilted his head to face Michael, who pressed a lingering kiss to his lips. He took the Mountain Dew Red from Jeremy and opened the can before handing it back.

"Hey." Michael made sure Jeremy was looking him right in the eye. "Everything he said about me not liking you was a lie. I love you for who you are, not for who he was trying to make you."

Tears streaked down Jeremy's face. He suddenly threw himself at Michael in a crushing hug, nearly upsetting the can of soda. "I love you too."

They stayed like this for a while, in each other's arms, until Jeremy finally relaxed his hold on Michael and accepted what he had to do.

Jeremy brought the can up to his lips, then stopped, recalling last time. "It... hurt, the first time." He shuddered as he remembered it. "A lot. Everyone was screaming, because -- because it felt like your brain was being pulled out through your nose like a mummy, and then later it was like... like you're missing a part of yourself."

Michael squeezed Jeremy's hand. "I'll tell you what," he proposed, "You drink that, and afterward we can do whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?"

"Yes sir," Michael nodded. "We can go play video games, or get ice cream, or make out, or anything else you can think of."

Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "My teenage-boy-brain can think of a lot of stuff, Michael."

"I know," Michael smirked. "That's why I said it."

Jeremy gave him a playful shove before the seriousness of the situation hit him once more. "If it's worse than last time, can you take me to the hospital?"

"Hey, I'm sure it won't be worse. If anything it probably won't be so bad because you know what to expect."

Jeremy's eyes were pleading. "Just in case?"

"Just in case, if it's worse, I will," Michael agreed, nodding reluctantly.

Jeremy smiled in gratitude. Michael handed him a pillow to bite on if necessary and rubbed his back gently. "You ready?"

He nodded. "Bottoms up," he joked, though his voice held no humor. Jeremy raised the Mountain Dew to his mouth once more and drank.

Jeremy managed to chug half the soda before the pain struck. He cried out, dropping the can as he felt a white-hot spear slicing between his eyes. His hands clamped over his temples to prevent his skull from exploding or combusting or shattering or something, clutching his head for dear life, just like Michael held onto him, because it was all he could do besides hope.

This time was still horrible, but easier. There was no screaming chaos around him, no Squip shouting at him, and no panic. Pain aside, it was an almost peaceful release. In fact, the pain began to fade a lot sooner than last time, which Jeremy was grateful for.

Next thing he knew, Michael was shaking him awake gently.

"Jeremy? Jeremy, are you okay? You passed out for a minute there."

"I..." Jeremy looked down at his shaking hands and blinked them into focus. "I'm... great." He smiled, surprising even himself. "Michael, he's gone, for good this time. He's gone and it's winter break and I'm in love with my best friend, why wouldn't I be great? I mean, how are you?"

"Me? You just -- I'm -- wait," Michael sputtered. "You're... in love with me?"

"Well, yeah," Jeremy said sheepishly.

Michael smiled down at the floor. "Oh."

"I didn't weird you out or any -- "

Michael cut him off with a passionate kiss, only pulling away once he absolutely needed to breathe. Jeremy was more important to him than air anyway.

He leaned his forehead against Jeremy's. "No, you did not weird me out, Jeremy Heere, because I'm in love with you too." He pulled back, blushing, hiding his face in his hands. "You're so pretty, and -- and your hair is super soft and it smells really nice, and your laugh is better than music and it's hella cute when you blush and it's even cuter when you blush because of me and the way you say my name drives me crazy and I could spend the rest of my life holding you in my arms and -- " He couldn't stop himself from laughing. "God, Jeremy, look what you do to me."

"Michael," said Jeremy, very seriously, "That was really gay."

Michael smacked him with a pillow. "I'm aware, you dickhead."

"Hey," Jeremy giggled. "Aren't we supposed to be doing whatever I want right now?"

"Alright, fine." Michael cleared his throat and continued in his best game show host impression. "You've just banished a super quantum unit intel processor from the inside of your brain, what are you going to do now?" He held an imaginary microphone out to Jeremy.

"I'm goin' to Michael's basement!" cried Jeremy, pumping his fist in the air.

Just then, Michael's phone rang. "Grab your coat and we'll head over in a minute." Jeremy hurried off to find the jacket while Michael answered. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end was rushed and breathless. "Hey, Michael, it's Brooke. I need a favor."

"Uh, sure," he agreed, skeptical. "What's up?"

"Do you have any of that red Mountain Dew left? It's kind of an emergency."

_____________

THE END