A/N: This was originally just going to be a one-shot centering around Tia and Tony's absolutely beautiful sibling-ship, with which I am obsessed! XD This takes place just after the second movie credits roll, during which time Tia, Tony, and Uncle Bene are heading home to Witch Mountain. Thank you and enjoy!

A/N: This was inspired by a scene from a Witch Mountain story by 'kevin711haynes', which is 'Life on Witch Mountain', so all credit goes where it is deserved! I HIGHLY recommend that fanfiction to any hard-core Witch Mountain fans! It's AMAZING!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Witch Mountain or anything affiliated with it. Alexander Key, the original author of both books, and Walt Disney Pictures/Buena Vista Productions does, so go talk to them. (Sorry if I got the company names wrong.)

This is in Tia's point of view!

Stay

"Tony?" I dipped my head to peer into my brother's eyes; this wasn't the first time I'd called his name in the last minute, and my concern was growing.

He had acted normally for the majority of the ride home, occasionally staring off into space or pausing midsentence. After we'd returned to Witch Mountain from Los Angeles, though, and now during dinner, he had been completely silent. Uncle Bené was seated at the head of the table beside me, and I could sense his worry as well.

Tony snapped his head up immediately, obviously startled at finally realizing my voice after gazing blankly at nothing for several minutes, but that was not what had my focus: his eyes were bright with what I knew to be a fresh film of tears.

I adjusted my neck to a less potentially crick-causing position, my eyes softening and narrowing at the same time as I searched him in a way only I could. Unnervingly finding that he was blocking me, I reached under the table to grab the hand clenching around his knee, but he flinched away when there was only a hair's breadth between our appendages. I slowly took my hand back and cradled it in my lap with my other hand, slightly hurt by the action, but not daring to let such an emotion coat my face.

He tried to smile at me, though it was forced, tired and plagued. I opened my mouth to speak, but Tony abruptly stood, pushed in his chair, took his dishes from the table, and proceeded to wash them. After he finished, he dried his hands and walked toward us; all of this had been done in tense silence.

He looked to Uncle Bené, and I knew they were speaking telepathically; in the next second, Tony was by my side after bidding our only living relative goodnight.

He slowly bent down and kissed my cheek, as had been our goodnight tradition since living with Granny Malone; however, there was something different about this one. It went on longer than all of our other nightly farewells, which had taken up two seconds at most. This one lasted nearly five.

I raised an eyebrow as he left the room, but if he had noticed, he paid no mind. I turned back to my dinner, though Uncle Bené emanated the same confused anxiety I did at my older brother's peculiar behavior.

He wasn't answering my telepathy calls. I could hear him breathing, but I wanted to be sure.

Quietly and in a matter of seconds, I sneaked from my room to my brother's door down the hall, my yellow nightgown shuffling about my feet. I crept into Tony's room as silently as possible, being sure to close the door even quieter than I had my own, before moving to stand beside his bed.

My plan wasn't to awaken him, oh, no. Not after all he'd been through this past weekend, after everything that had made him as he was during dinner and once we'd arrived home. I just…needed to reassure myself that he was all right.

Closing my eyes, I listened. Tony's relaxed breathing and steady heartbeat filled my ears, and I was glad to match my own function patterns to his. The two tempos were in perfect synchronization now, and after a few more minutes, I opened my eyes. Smiling, I allowed myself to let out a scarcely audible sigh of relief, even to our people's ears. I was convinced now.

I swiveled on my feet in order to head for the door, but before I could finish my ninety-degree turn, a hand shot out from beneath Tony's covers and grasped my wrist. In reflex, I tensed and gasped, the hairs on my neck rising; even so, I instantaneously recognized the tender feelings resonating from the limb.

It was Tony.

I didn't hesitate before turning back around, but I was shocked to see his eyes open and fixed on me, badgered and weary though they were.

When living with Granny Malone, there had been times when Tony grabbed my hand as I passed by his bed in the middle of the night, but he had always been asleep, not recalling any such thing the following morning.

I gently reached over with my free hand and removed the limb encasing my wrist, instead gathering it into my hand and squeezing it. I smiled at him tiredly, though I wouldn't show him the true extent of my exhaustion. I wouldn't do that to him, not when he had so much on his plate already.

He returned the smile with the same enthusiasm I had shown, and I reached down to stroke my brother's hair. He closed his eyes at my touch, moving his face closer to my hand, and I let the light of a genuine smile shine through.

I was so happy to have him back. After frantically searching for and worrying about him over the course of three days, literally feeling as if I were gradually dying as the seconds without him ticked by, I couldn't properly express my elation at having him by my side again.

His wavering voice alarmed me, breaking the careful silence that had previously been established.

"Will you stay with me? Please?"

His eyes burned with intensity, and his hand gripped mine tighter. I swear I choked and let out a sob, tears welling in my eyes by the time the questions ended. He was worse than I'd thought; my initial diagnosis had been bad enough…

He knew I would never leave him, especially when he needed me as he did now, and yet…he was doubting me. He had never doubted me before… Then again, he had never sounded so broken, so very nearly defeated before either...

He needed me now more than he ever had in his life, we both knew that, and he'd always been the one looking out for me. I could finally repay him for all that he'd done and had yet to do.

'Yes.' I answered him telepathically; somehow, our words meant so much more that way.

Truly grinning for the first time since the weekend's horror had started, Tony hastily scooted over in his bed, pulling back the covers for me to climb in beside him. With his mind, he threw them back over and tucked me in as I exhaled in pleasure and sank into the fluffy confines of the mattress and blankets.

Settling down against the immensely comfortable bedding himself, he sighed in the moment's contentment before shifting to his side to face me, as I did him. Simply looking into each other's scarcely visible eyes through the darkness, we saw things we didn't think were possible.

Tony's eyes conveyed intensely swirling grief, self-doubt; pain. I never thought I'd see such things within him, but what scared me the most was at whom these crippling emotions were directed: him.

In my eyes, I could only imagine what he saw. Probably what I was feeling, which was helplessness, fear; pain. I knew he never wanted to see such horrible emotions rippling through me, for that was my older brother's way, but what stunned him the most was at whom my love, the dominating emotion, was directed: him.

His reaction surprised me then. He drew closer and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me almost desperately as he buried his face into my shoulder. His red, silk pajamas were cool on my cheeks, and I proceeded to embrace him with equal sentiment.

Snuggling into his chest, I became aware of just how relaxed I was in his arms, how safe I felt; I had never really noticed it before, but as I looked back, I realized it had always been this way. We had always felt safer in each other's arms, or at the very least, in a close proximity to one another, and tonight was no different.

I was brought from my thoughts in a hurry when I observed Tony's arms had tightened around me, and his breathing patterns had become quicker, deeper; it was unnatural, and it frightened me. The tortured sounds being muffled against my shoulder scared me even more, however, along with the warm, wet sensation seeping through my nightgown in the same spot.

Insight struck without warning, and I held him tighter, shutting my eyes as tears rapidly gathered in them.

Tony was crying.

I had been right in saying he needed me…

I just hadn't known how much.

A/N: Again, this is simply a story about the beautiful sibling relationship Tia and Tony share. Nothing more, nothing less.

Referring to my first Author's Note's initial sentence, I have an idea for a second (more) chapter(s), so please tell me whether or not I should continue! Thanks!