- Wilbur, where is Tommy?- Phil entered the living room, looking all around. He told Tommy to go to bed to warm up a little, but he wasn't there.- He’s neither in his room nor in the bathroom- 

- H̷e̶ ̶w̷e̵n̸t̸ ̷t̴o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̸a̶s̴e̷m̸e̵n̵t̶- Phil's heart skipped a beat, if it was beating in the first place, as Wilbur calmly announced, focused on tuning his guitar.

- You let him go to Techno?!

- H̵e̸'̴l̸l̵ ̶b̷e̷ ̷f̸i̶n̴e̷,̵ ̵h̷e̶'̶s̷ ̵g̶o̵t̶ ̷a̸ ̴s̴w̸o̴r̵d̶ ̷w̴i̸t̸h̵ ̶h̵i̵m̴-

- WHAT?!

Tommy was scared, he really was. But he couldn’t back down now. He needed to befriend Techno and bring his sword to the ground floor for Phil and Wilbur to reconnect with him. He wanted to bring their family together. He had to.

- Techno? Are you in here?- he whispered, slowly pointing around the corridor with his flashlight. There was no sign of any paranormal activity so he assumed that the fencer had to be either in his room or further into the basement. He didn’t want to move away from the safe door but he had to… He just breathed in and raised the end of his sword. Sure, he barely knew how to use it but it was better than nothing. Plus, Techno used to love swordplay so seeing another enthusiast might put him at ease? He didn’t try to kill mister Dream after all… But he tried to kill him before. This is going to be hard. He slowly moved forward, getting closer to his room. He entered carefully, next picking into it to check if something was going on. But it was quiet, so he figured out it was rather safe.

- Ỷ̸̢̹͍̱̗͕̀o̸̜̪̩̓͋̓͘͝͠͝u̴̢͎̝̦̯̪͈̕͘͜͝͠ ̸̡̮̯̓̆͛̋̄c̴̨̛͔̘̟̦̋͐̽͐̈̆a̶̡̡̬͖̝͌͑̀̀͠m̸̞͎̼̗̟̈́͒̈́̽͜͝ë̷̩͈͓̮̝̟̆͛̀̐ͅͅ ̷̨̪͍̭͕̝̄̏̎͛̅b̸͇̘̟̄͒̽̓͠ȁ̵̘͍͕̯͓̺̮͕͑̓c̸̮͍̯̤̞̊̆̍̾͛͜k̵̡͕̣̤͖̏͋̆͆̿͜͠ͅ-

The voice froze blood in his veins as the door closed after him. Shit, he wasn’t alone.

- Hey… Techno…- he barely choked out, feeling the atmosphere stiffen. The whole room went cold, air was hard to breath in, almost hurting his nose.

- Ţ̷̛̼̻͙̼̦̦͛́̌̇͠͝͝ͅe̸͈͛̊c̸͙̩̱̙̜̠͐̊̅̕h̴̪̺͐̒͛̽͘ǹ̵͚͉͚̥̌͒̍̐́̚͝ô̵̮̮̳̄̀̊̈̚̕…̴͎͖͕̱͍̬̂̃̈́̏ ̶̩̩̩͙̗̰͖͑̎̕͠ị̸̛̼̗͊s̵͖̫͓̓̂̑̃̂ ̵̛̤͙͎̉̿͒̈͊̏̔i̴̛̦̭̖̹̦͗̑̑̍̐̚t̶̛̖̯̐̐͊̈̎ ̵̥̠̣̍͛̓̈̒͜͠͝m̷̫̺̖͌̀̄̈̀͊͋̂ỳ̸͍͍̤̦̹̭̇̀͛͘ ̵̢̹͎̙̘̂̃͒͒̍̕͠n̶͙̦̦͐͛̂́̋͑̚a̵̧̜͒͆́͐̾̊̉͝m̴̼̖͈̺̰̜̥̒̀͆́̈e̶̯͚̬͚͙̥̐́͛́̐̌̍?̴̦̭̌̆̈́͂̓ ̷̧͙͖̔̈́̿̑̒͝Y̵̡̡͙͕̩̎́͑͊͌ọ̵̾͛u̵̫̘͗͂̀̇͑̚͠ ̵͓̺̳͎͐͑͝͝a̷̞͝ņ̷̨̖͕͎̩̒̈̀͜͝ḑ̷̟͉̩͌́͆̂͌ ̴̧̜̜̞͆͜͝t̴̨̜͙̥̻̱̰͖͒̈́͊̐̇h̶͍̀̍͆̀͐̋͑͝ą̸̙͈̝̟̣̫̚͜t̷̨̟̯͔͕̮̰̺̐́̾̏ ̵̨̮̖̼̲͛̏̍͊̒̈͝͝g̸̹̺͈̝̭̝̎̇̅̃́̈̃́r̴̹̦͚̈́́͋̔̽͊̋̅e̸̼̜͙̍́̍̕ě̸̡̯͔̪̩̑̀̃̽̒̑ṉ̵̛͙͊͌́̆̚ ̴̗̌̿͂̀͠m̶̡̳̙͙̝̼͕̓̄̂͆̈́̋̕a̷͍͈̖̼̘͈͋̓̊̉͆͗̿͊ͅn̴̮͔̹̫̘̼̾́̍͐̏̔̀̀ ̶̥͉̪̞͚̊͛̅̆͠͝ç̶̤̟̻̞͂a̷̻̯͙͂̒̊̾̊͑̄̕l̸̫̻͓̂͌̔̊̈̕͝l̶̛̩͕͚̜͈͕̆͂e̸̛̜͖͇̓͘d̵̨̜͉͖̘͋ ̵̡̦͎͔̖̠̊̔m̷̢͓̟͔̈̂̚e̴̲̤̔̀̄ ̵̯̪̓̉͘̚t̷͔̳́̓ḧ̵̢̛͖̜̭͕̲̳̋̂̽̉̆͝ͅȧ̷̹͎͂̐̊̈̚͘t̶̙̗͓̤̖̼̓̄…̵̢͇̪͒-

Oh, god, this was terrifying. Tommy was almost glad he couldn’t see the ghost, he would probably piss himself from fear. The tone of his voice was bad enough for him.

- Yes, yes, it is. At least it’s what you liked to be called!- he didn’t respond, but the atmosphere in the room seemed to relax. Tommy could breathe normally again. It wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. At least until now.

- W̷͚͎͆̚͜ḥ̸̮͙̓̒̽͑͘ä̴̫̪͖͇̠͉́͆̇̏t̷̢̟̻̪̤̖̺͙͛͌̈́̚ ̶̛̊̓̊̀̿͆͗͜a̵͎͉̜̠̪͈͆̒͌́̈́̀͘r̸͍̣̅̀́͒̊e̴̖͎̺̐ ̸̛̰̱͔̮̯̠̻̋͐͊̈́͒͌̎ÿ̴̬̼̙͙̖͉́̀̽͒̕ò̶̫̎̐̌̽̿̚ú̴̠̆̃̋̀̓ ̷̛̫͎́̽͛͝d̷̻̲̱͓̪̉ò̶̢̢̲̥͕̃͠ͅį̴̛̺̟͇͓̩̑͌̚n̸̼͚͈̠̲͚͍̓̽̎̽́̀͝g̶̡̮̠̜̍͂̏ ̸͓͕͍̝̱͆͋̃̀̃́̄h̸̢̭̺͚̽͐̏̈̒̊͝͝ě̴̯̤͓̲͉̺̰͍͆̚ř̴̨̘̄̒̊ę̷̰͖͍͔̦̈͛̾̈́̿̆́̈ͅ?̴̬̝̟̣̅̑

- I wanted to bring you back to your family- Techno went quiet again.

He was lost, utterly lost. He thought that the boy would want to steal his sword, but he came with his one instead. Why did he do that? Did he bring it to protect himself from Techno? He wasn't even properly wielding it… He adored his confidence nonetheless.

But this family… Did this boy know who his family was? Did he know who that man upstairs was? He had no idea what to think… Could he trust him?

- Your dad and brother miss you… they want to see you again- how could he know that the boy wasn’t lying? He could just try to trick him for Techno to spare him. But on the other hand he felt like the boy was saying the truth. He wanted to trust him, he really did. He wanted to know who he was before…. Before he became this. Who that Dream, George and Bad were. Who his family was. Suddenly the door flung open, revealing another young boy. What, they were multiplying?! First this brat, after him this green bastard and now him? Who else is going to come, president of America?!

- Tommy, what the fuck where you thinking! Coming down here alone?!- but then he noticed that that boy indeed brought someone else with him. He was standing right beside him, his wings spread in a protective manner. The man from upstairs.

- Techno…- he whispered, tears running down his cheeks. Techno was also crying. But why? What… happened? What was this feeling?! He didn’t like it, he wanted it gone! 

And then the man hugged him.

Sadness flooded him, years of loneliness washing away. He was with his dad again. He was here… to wake him up from the nightmare those past years were. Hugging him like when he was little, sitting in his bed sick. And he cried, looking for protection, completely lost and helpless.

- Oh, Techno…- Phil just didn't want to let go of him, not after he finally could touch him again.

Right after he discovered that Tommy was gone, he had no idea what to do. He was expecting the worst, even though he saw that before Dream had left the basement untouched. He was just so worried and could do nothing about it! The only person who could enter the basement was Tubbo and he left for shopping one and a half hours ago! This will not end well…

- I'm home!- the front doors suddenly opened.- Tommy, I found your favourite crisps! And… are you guys all right?- 

- YOU NEED TO HELP US!- he had no idea what kind of a miracle it was, but thank the god.

- Tommy did something stupid, didn't he?- he might have been done with it at first, but hearing what exactly happened the last time he went to the basement, a wave of horror went through him. But he knew what to do. He rushed to the library, passing through it and looking through the shelves. It had to be here, where else Phil would keep it?!

- Tubbo, what are you looking for?!

- Your hat, where do you have your hat?!-

- What do you need my hat for?- there was no time, he needed to go to the basement and get Tommy out NOW.

- I am not going there alone!- Tubbo turned his head towards him, trying to send a deadly glare. But not being able to see Phil, his gaze fixated on the wall behind him. Elder man could see fear in them, as well as worry and loss.- If I bring your hat with me, you should be able to come too!- that… he didn't think about that.

- It’s right here, Tubbo- Phil smiled faintly, giving the boy his hat. He feared what he might see down there, but right now his feelings didn't matter. He had to help the boys. Their safety is his priority. He just closed his eyes, accepting shock running down his spine, when Tubbo went down the stairs. He will help them. All of them.

But upon seeing his son once again, he couldn’t stay calm. The fear on his face, pain and surprise shattered his heart in split seconds. He didn’t care what he looked like. No, he couldn’t care less… He just wanted to hold him again, like when they were still alive. It was his son. He pulled him closer, capturing in a heartfelt hug, tears running down his cheeks and soaking into the feathers. Techno was sobbing too…

- It’s all right now, mate, I’ve got you- he whispered softly, stroking his hair. Techno didn’t respond, only hugged him tighter, burying his face in his clothes. Phil couldn’t help but smile, relief washing over him. It’s going to be fine… They will be fine. All five of them.

“Thank you, Kristin, for watching over us”

Tubbo and Tommy smiled, seeing in the mirror as Phil hugged his son. Maybe Techno wasn’t visible to them, but they knew he was there, hugging him back. It worked. They brought the family back together.

- I can't believe it worked…- Tommy let the air out with a loud sigh, worry leaving him for good. He was alive and Techno was at least tamed enough not to kill him. Or try to do so, as he hoped.

- You're stupid- Tubbo hit him, but smiled. Yeah, he was happy too. He couldn't wait to tell Wilbur about it, he will be so happy to see his brother again!

- I… wha… I'M NOT STUPID!- Tommy huffed, offended, but then both of them bursted out laughing. Yeah, it was risky, but worth a try. Not to mention that the blond will probably get grounded for disobeying Phil. He just wanted to do it as fast as he could…

- It's all nice, boys, but Tommy will really get sick if he doesn't get a fair rest. So off to the bed you go- friends didn't even realise when Phil turned towards them, arms crossed on his chest. Tommy winced, but then remembered another thing.

- Will you let me take your sword upstairs?- he turned towards the place where he assumed Techno was standing. Of course he was completely wrong, making the ghost chuckle faintly.- For you to visit us-

- I̵̢̤̝̲͔̰̜̞͊͑͝…̴̢͌̋̄̄͑̚ ̶̢̻̑̑̌̾͑ͅṭ̶̨̹̞̭̭́͛̓̑h̸̝̔̕a̸̬̪̗͈̳̱͒͘͜t̷͎̝̅͊̆̊̊͌͗̈́͘͘͝ ̶̛̜̯͈̥̰̟̣̤̜̀͐̓̀́̍̈̚͠w̴̱̱̍͑ͅo̴̮͖̔̏̏̓̾u̵͇̺̔͒͌̉͛͝l̷̨̡͈̰̲͖̹̣̯͚̏͒̏͊̅̈́̚ͅḑ̸̣̞̳̮̥̏ ̷̤̗͎̫̦͋̈́͑̽̂̏̎̾͝b̷̨̧͙̦̬̾̆̾̓̀ͅe̸͕͍̞̭͕͚̬̎̓ ̴̡̟͕͓͉̲͖̤̰͎͊͒̉͋̿͠͝ͅn̸̩͉̔̋ï̸͍͍̬̤̹͘͜ç̴̞̹̃̈́̀͂̽̽͘͝ͅȩ̶̥͕̑͜- 

Techno smiled slightly. Maybe… just maybe… this kid won't be so bad after all.

_____

EEEEEEEEEE

I’ll have to write Techno talking from now on…. It’s going to be a pain in the ass… I hate when the ghosts are talking… And we were doing so good with fixing up Wilbur's speech…

Ah, and don't worry about this weird posting schedule, I'm just getting ready for the exams, starting sewing and creating yet another SBI AU storyline, all at the same time. But not sure if I'm going to write that another one or my hopes of making it into a comic will let it die like the rest of my stories. For now I'm just making character designs.

Should redraw the ones for this story, but it's not like you'll want to see them anyway