Sunshine was finally able to convince her mother to see the doctor.

After that little experience the other day — yeah, no, she wasn't risking anything else happening. Sunshine didn't forget what the medium — god, the dead medium — had said earlier, either. And he was literally, like, deceased. Because of her house.

She felt terrible, but no one needed to know that.

Anyway, back to Mom. All the tests had came back as negative. Or... not positive..? Either way, Sunshine isn't buying it, because how would a doctor find out if someone's possessed?

But uh, yeah, her mother really isn't doing well. As literally all of her subscribers have seen. And that being said, Sunshine is wondering if she should do the sacrifice, like Creepy Lady suggested. Really, the only thing that could go wrong is that Sunshine dies or something but, then again, would it really be that terrible? Her life is just going downhill at this point, so it seems like a win-win situation.

Still... she's not sure. Like, she wants to. She does. But trusting Creepy Lady — ugh, Victoria, she'll never be able to remember that damn name — is hard. Trusting anyone is hard. Because if she's can't trust her own mother... why would she believe in anyone else?

As Sunshine explains this all to the camera she jumps at a sharp rap on the door. She raises a brow and stands slowly, stumbling over her words. She's not really expecting visitors.

God, if it's Victoria —

Sunshine gasps when she gets to the screen door. She grins like a little kid and jumps up and down, eyes wide. "Uncle Tommy!" Her voice raises in pitch and she feels her heart leap into her throat with excitement.

She was lying. This is someone she can trust.

"Hey, kiddo!" Uncle Tommy says, smirking as Sunshine opens the door. He has short brown hair and a round, plump face, and looks to be in his early 30s. He's wearing a green shirt and plaid blue shorts because why not? He has kind blue eyes and a smile that's always contagious, and is probably, like, 40% gay.

God, she missed him. So, so much.

"Hey, how are you?"

"Good, how're you doin'?"

"Good." She lies right through her teeth but ignores the pang, because Uncle Tommy is here, Uncle Tommy is here and it's going to be a good day, Sunshine just knows it.

Oh.

Right.

So, who is Uncle Tommy?

"Alright everybody on YouTube." Sunshine motions toward Uncle Tommy, who is current sitting on the couch beside her. "This is Uncle Tommy."

He waves. "Hello YouTube."

Sunshine squeals with happiness. "Isn't he exciting?" He laughs and she continues on. "So, I asked Uncle Tommy to come."

Yeah, okay, so she'd said she couldn't trust anyone, that was true. But seeing Uncle Tommy in person was different from writing him. Now she knew she wasn't alone. Now she knew that people were actually here for her... because she honestly hadn't been expecting Uncle Tommy to even come, and the fact that he had come, that he was here right now was just amazing to her.

Did she mention how much she loves him?

He looks at her and nods. "Yeah, you sent me an email."

"I did." She smiles and plays with her braided hair, having to do something with her jittery hands.

"And I showed up!"

"He showed up."

He laughs. "You seem surprised."

"I was a little bit actually," she admits with a chuckle. "I didn't actually think you would come."

"You didn't actually think I would come?"

"I don't know!" She can't stop the grin from lifting her cheeks because she realizes how stupid she'd sounded. Mental check to apologize to herself for her self torment. "I — I like — have you seen the stuff..?"

"Yeah, well, I mean I watch most of 'em, I didn't watch your vacation and..." He laughs again. "But, yeah, is your — is your mom really as bad as it seems?"

Sunshine's grin fades away and she becomes serious, the dread suddenly weighing heavy in her heart. "Worse, actually, than it seems on YouTube."

Uncle Tommy looks genuinely worried. "That's not good."

"Mm-mm." She shakes her head. "She uh... won't let me film a lot of it, which, y'know, I think is reasonable, but.. still."

He sighs. "So what's she — acting like?"

"She just kinda like zones out, and she like, is always tired and most of the time just kinda.." Sunshine trails off.

"That's out of character for her." Uncle Tommy furrows his brows.

"Yeah. It's — it's really concerning, but the doctor said that everything's fine or whatever, so." She pauses. "Oh! So we should probably tell them who you are, other than Uncle Tommy!" Sunshine motions toward the camera.

Good subject change, anyway.

He looks startled for a moment then beams. "Hi," he says, wheezing out a laugh.

"Who...?"

"Is not actually your uncle."

"No." Sunshine shakes her head and smiles. "Not at all."

"No, I grew up with her mom, actually, we've been friends forever and.." He looks at her. "Just been there since you were a wee little one."

"Wee little one, yes. And where are you from?" she asks knowingly.

"Uh, well, I'm originally from here but I've uh... been living in Sydney, Australia."

Sunshine waves her hands. "Ahh!!"

"It's awesome —"

"I'm kinda jealous."

"— so awesome."

"I am."

"Right, you're gonna have to come some time."

"I will have to —"

Sunshine's heart leaps in her throat when a loud clang jolts her from her enthusiasm. Uncle Tommy snaps his head to the side and the sound of banging metal echoes through the house, ringing in her ears.

"Uh." Sunshine doesn't know what to say. "What was that?" Stupid question, because she already knows the answer.

"It sounds like it's coming from the kitchen." Uncle Tommy stands up and Sunshine follows.

"Welcome to my haunted house." She grips the camera and follows Uncle Tommy, peering over his shoulder into the kitchen.

"Whoa." He stops dead in his tracks when he sees plates strewn all over the tile floor, pieces of white glass spinning over the slick ground.

"Okay." Sunshine grumbles and looks around.

"So, is it always this bad?"

"Uhhh.. no, I think it's just worse cause they don't like you."

Uncle Tommy looks at her.

Maybe she shouldn't have said that.
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So. Uncle Tommy is trying to talk to her mother, and it's really not going awesome.

"Remember when we went to the town fair and rode on the tilt-a-whirl after we had corn dogs and just.. got sick and.. hurled everywhere?" He laughs encouragingly as he sits beside Kat's outstretched legs, observing the blanket curled around her shivering body.

"Do you remember that Mom?" Sunshine looks at Kat but she doesn't even move. Her eyes are unblinking as she clasps her hand to her forehead, staring past Uncle Tommy and outside the window.

"Or... when we snuck out to the movies that night? We went and saw — oh, it was a horrible movie what was it — hmm..." Sunshine guesses he knows the name but is trying to get Kat to say something. He snaps when she makes no move to speak. "Flintstones... Movie! Remember, with Rosie O'Donnell in it, and.."

"Mom..?"

"Remember it, Kat?"

She tilts her head and stares at Uncle Tommy, then her dark eyes flicker to Sunshine. Those eyes scare her. "Do — do you remember it, Mom?"

Kat doesn't respond and goes back to absently staring over the backyard.

"And then — and then there was that time when we — you know, uh.. built that bridge? Terabithia?"

Sunshine tries to laugh to ease the grief tearing at both family members. "Haha, don't you remember Mom?"

"Come on, Kat.." Uncle Tommy looks at her pleadingly, but she only covers her eyes with the back of her hand.

"We were gonna go to dinner, Mom," Sunshine continues, glancing at Uncle Tommy. "Do you wanna — do you wanna come? Uncle Tommy came all the way here from.. Sydney, and he.."

"Seventeen hours on a plane," he confirms, trying to smile at his old friend.

Still, no reaction.

"He really just wants... dinner."

Uncle Tommy looks at Sunshine and shakes his head, frowning deeply. They step away from Kat and she can feel the tears burning at the back of her eyes. She hates this feeling — this helplessness, this heartbreak. She wants to claw the pain away, goddamnit.

But...

Maybe she can. Maybe there's a way to do that, the answer that's been sitting in front of her this entire time.

"I think... I'm gonna go find Victoria."

sorry for the wait but life's been busy owhateva anyway i'm back and ready for nolan

anyway YAY UNCLE TOMMY TO THE RESCUE!

oh also i update this on my ao3 first so go to my account painty if u wanna read quicker and check out my other angsty works that aren't on here :)