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It was a cloudy night and Robin couldn’t see any stars when he walked out of Button House, Thomas rambling excitedly behind him. The moon shone brightly over head, almost full and illuminating their way. Robin kept his gaze straight, too scared to look back at the Thomas or, worse, the others, in case his resolve completely left him. He didn’t have a choice in this but that didn't make it any easier.
Eventually, they made it round the side of the house, any from any prying eyes. Robin felt a tingle in his fingers and knew no one would hear them. This needed to be for Thomas and Thomas alone.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” Thomas said, glancing about. “I’d really like to get back to the celebrations.”
Robin almost flinched, reminded of what he was keeping Thomas from. Instead, he pointed to the woods, where a small light was forming. “There. For you.”
Thomas frowned at the light, squinting as if to see it better. “That light? What about it? I suspect someone from the village is just wandering through it’ll be gone soon.”
Robin shook his head. “For you. Time to move on.”
Thomas’ head whipped back to Robin, his mouth wide. “Move on? You mean… pass on to the over side?”
Robin nodded. Thomas was understanding quicker than most. “Won’t hurt. Just walk towards the light.”
Thomas’ head shook frantically. “No, I won’t. I’m not going, I can’t leave Alison and Mike after their fantastic news.”
Robin sighed. There was always someone to stay for, something to wait around for. He’d felt the rush through him that Thomas was ready to go when Alison had told him her news. Upon hearing that she was going to be a mother, Thomas had cheered and congratulated her, asking her to pass his joy to Mike in the same breath. It was that moment, with Thomas offhandedly acknowledging that Alison loved Mike and being happy for the both of them, that meant he was ready to move on. That meant he was no longer tethering himself to Alison Cooper and keeping himself in limbo.
“Light is here now, won’t come again.”
It was a lie. The light would come many times, every time Thomas made a breakthrough. But if he stayed, he might revert back and take hundreds of years to heal again. Robin had tried to help Humphrey move on three times and every time he had refused and the next day gone back to making jokes at his own expense instead of standing up for himself.
“That is unfair, sir!” Thomas yelled. Robin looked towards the house but no one would hear them. “One chance of moving on put in front of me without warning and I have to take it or linger here for eternity? Forever wondering if I made the right choice?”
He wouldn’t wonder because he wouldn’t remember but Robin didn’t tell him that.
“Light is here now. You stay if want, stay with me. Or go, be with family, with Isabelle.”
Thomas’ face fell and he looked back at the light, a dreadful longing in his eyes. The light was brighter now and Robin took that as a good sign. Thomas took a step forward then stopped, glancing back at the house.
“But I… I didn’t say goodbye.” He whispered. Robin place a hand on his shoulder.
“You be fine, see them again one day. But you can’t stop, must go now you’re going.”
“See them? Not you?”
Robin shook his head. “I stay to help them, to know when they need to go. I here first, I watch over all who come after.”
Thomas nodded sadly then, slowly as if he didn’t want to startle him, turned and hugged Robin. Robin held him tightly, hoping Thomas knew how much he was cared for and how much his family would miss him. Thomas hugged him back with the same desperation until Robin gently pushed him away.
“I look after them. You go now.”
Thomas nodded, turning and heading towards the light. Robin watched him go, determined to watch until he faded away. Even now, he could Thomas’ form flickering, the edges becoming hazy and washed into the light. Robin didn’t have to stay, to watch this part but he always felt someone needed to honour his friends final moments on Earth. He brought them to the light and then stood as their only mourner.
Once Thomas had gone, not looking back once, Robin looked up at the moon.
“Why him? Why now?”
The moon shone and he felt the answer in his bones. Because Thomas had found what he needed to find, love that was unconditional and affection that was unromantic. With that, the chains binding him were gone and he could move on.
“I know. But…he was happy.”
The response was obvious again. He moved on because he was happy. He would be even happier now.
“I could tell others.” Robin said, almost to himself. “Tell them how to be happy, help them to.”
A sharp pain shot through him and he grunted, falling to his knees. He nodded, he knew the rules. He couldn’t interfere with their afterlives, had to let them figure out what they needed all by themselves. He’d tried once, with Mary, to sit her down and explain why the witch trial was not her fault and how she didn’t deserve what was done to her. Mary had listened and almost seemed to believe him when the pain had shot through him and he found himself waking two days later. Mary hadn’t remembered a word he said.
“Thank you, Moonah. Please protect him.”
A warmth rushed over him and he stood, taking a moment to bask in the moon’s love and care for him. She punished him when he broke the rules, yes, but she had been there the whole time, kept him safe and warm. As he turned away, he heard several voices on the wind. A man and woman calling Thomas’ name, a lady greeting him adoringly, a group call talking over each other and introducing themselves as the ghosts of the land, as Robin’s lot. Thomas chattered back to all of them, his voice lighter than Robin had ever heard it.
When Robin stepped back into the house, the voices stopped. He sighed and went to where Alison was still surrounded by ghosts, arguing that they were not going to call their baby a long string of names so that everyone was included. They didn’t notice him walk in, just like they hadn’t noticed him walk out. Tomorrow, when the moon had set and the sun took over the watch of Button House, they would realise Thomas was gone. They would search for weeks, in hopes that he would appear and they would cry and cry and Robin would say nothing. Alison would name her son Tom and Robin would say nothing as the others tried not to break at the loss. He would just watch and wait until the time that each of them had that moment, small as it may, that meant they were ready to move on. Then he would help them go.
And he would stay.