A/N

This version was written in March of 2016, and published on New Year's Day of 2017, based on guest review by "Jenna Hall", as an answer to why Hobbes didn't save Calvin.

"...Hobbes?" No response. "Hobbes, it's me, Calvin. Remember?" Silence. "Hobbes..." he whispered, feeling a pain in his chest, choking him. "...say something. Anything...please wake up..."

But alas, the toy did nothing. Its blank button eyes only seemed to mock its long-lost owner. Screaming in rage, it seemed all at once his energy was depleted. Curling up into a ball, he didn't want to die, or even injure himself. All he wanted was sleep.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

"Hobbes?!" he sat upright. "Hobbes!" He went towards the wall to embrace the toy, but slipped on an old baby blanket that also happened to be in the box, and fell down. "...Hobbes? What's wrong?"

Silence.

"I didn't mean to! It's just...we both crashed, and...we both got hurt...worse than usual. The neighbors even had to call an ambulance, you might not remember that, but when I woke up again at the hospital, my parents said they gave you away...'for sanity's sake', they told me. I didn't even know you were up here until just now!"

Again, silence.

"Hobbes...come on, you know me. If I had a choice, I would've kept you! And if I knew where you were, I would've at least said 'hi' once in a while. We are friends. We always have been. Nothing can change that. Not even age. I promise." Hobbes still didn't turn. "...I haven't been in the woods since the accident. I bet at least part of it has changed..." taking a deep breath, he finished his question: "...do you want to go sledding with me? Just like old times?"

After Calvin put the rest of his suit back on, he stood in the only natural area left of their suburban neighborhood: the woods they used to go for rides in. As Hobbes was a stuffed toy, and couldn't really start the sled, Calvin did the favor as always, and leaping up in front once they began to pick up speed.

"Let's go exploring, Hobbes!" Calvin declared, his voice ringing cheerfully into the cold, black sky.

There was the sound of nothing except for the snow crunching beneath Calvin's feet. He held Hobbes in one hand, and the sled in the other.

"Funny thing about that…I think we've already talked about every corner of philosophy over the course of our friendship," he said out of nowhere. "It's hard to say something when you've already said everything."

A pause, then Calvin laughed softly.

"I don't think I can speak for all grown-ups…most seem to have happy, full lives, even if it's just routine. Wake up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, go to bed, rinse and repeat."

Another pause, Calvin laughed again, something sadder about it while he did.

"No…quite the opposite, really. What was being a grown-up like for me? Well, aside from fighting every childish urge I had in me, having an over-protective, somewhat controlling girlfriend, regularly getting locked up in mental institutions, and over-drugging myself with prescription medicines just to convince myself that none of the pain I'm feeling is real…it was all fine and dandy," he chuckled. "Oh! But do you want to know what the best part was? Feeling lonely. Not because you don't have anyone to talk to, but because you're surrounded by people all the time, but none of them understand how you really think or feel, no matter how hard you try to explain." It was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "Out of everyone I've spoken to over the years…I feel like you're the only one who actually gets me. Sometimes, I've even tried talking to you as if you were still there…but it just wasn't the same."

Silence.

"I guess that makes us even then: I didn't know you were trapped in the attic for a decade, and you didn't know my life had sucked without you." Calvin stated. "But, look, it's like I said earlier: I told you nothing would change our friendship. Nothing. Okay?" He held the little toy he loved so much closer to him. Calvin stood up straighter. "Hobbes, look! It's that hill we used to play on! Come on, last one there's a rotten tuna sandwich!"

He held the tiger behind him; it were as if he was leading it by the paw, but in his mind, the tiger was running behind him, trying to catch up.

And so they sledded up and down the hill. With each run, they would go further and faster. Though the more they went, the more Calvin would get more and more tired. For a moment, he stopped to look in the direction of the town.

"I think they're counting down..." he shivered.

A pause.

"It's New Year's Eve, you fuzzball!" he laughed. "We better make this one go super fast!"

Hurrying to the top of the hill, Calvin positioned himself. The second the fireworks went off, he went the furthest and the fastest he had gone since the beginning of the night, so much that he lost control and fell.

Calvin was nearly limp in the snow; he had landed on a pile of rocks. Just barely, he was able to pull himself off, and reach for the stuffed tiger on the sled. Something about the rocks brought comfort to him, so he went back to lay on them. With pale blue eyes glazed with quiet bliss, he looked down at himself: his skin had become a dark reddish-purple from being out in the cold for so long, and he noticed a small puddle of blood had formed by his head.

"No. I just want to lie here. With you," he whispered. His smile got wider.

Pause.

"But if I go back and they see you, things will only get worse. They'll take you away, maybe for real this time, lock me up again, and then I'll try to numb the pain with the drugs because they were the only thing that kept me as sane as someone like me could get…I can't go through that again, Hobbes. I'm usually the persistent type but…I've learned sometimes you just have to lie down and give up. Some battles you just can't win."

Another pause.

"You know, Hobbes, I haven't been this happy since the day before the accident we got into. I've been miserable without you." He pulled the little tiger closer to his chest.

"It's okay, buddy. I don't blame you." Calvin murmured, losing the strength to stay awake.

Barely conscious, he uttered his final words: "I know I've never said it enough, but I love you too, Hobbes. And wherever we end up, don't you ever forget it."

A/N

Oh god...I can't tell whether I made this funnier, or even more depressing. XD