"I can't believe I did that. I should've just come back to my room and stayed there. Why am I so stupid? I-I can't do anything right?. The reaction the others had when they heard those words leave my stupid stupid mouth. I mean, I'm anxiety what did I expect? I am honestly trying to be nicer and help them. I aim to protect not harm. Why can't I do that? W-what is wrong with me?" Virgil ranted to his own reflection. His breath rapidly getting harder to catch. He was on a continuous cycle of self-depreciation, a cycle he could never quite get out of on his own. As he sat there, his head pressed between his knee's, shaking so violently that it was as if he was an earthquake that never ended, he stared at his reflection as it slowing transformed from Virgil to an old foe, Deceit...

"Oh come on Virgin, you know they don't respect you, you make them feel depressed and anxious, you don't belong with them, they are the positive sides, you are one of us Anxiety, come back to us, join me and the others, the ones Thomas doesn't want to believe exist, the rejects, cause that's what you are, that's what your always going to be..." Deceit chuckled.

"STOP...please?" Virgil shouted, his voice cracking as tears rolled down his face making his eyeshadow run everywhere.

"Kiddo? Are you okay son?" A welcoming voice said through his black and purple door. "It's only me, your good old Papa Patton, I heard you yelp from my room, just checking to make sure your fine and dandy buddy."

Patton. The father figure of the group. The moral compass of all of Thomas' sides. To Virgil, Patton was the closest thing he had to a friend, the only one who had never insulted him, his best friend, he supposed. Even though Virgil's head screamed for him to say, "No, I'm not okay, please please help me Pat. I-I need you." Instead his mouth translated that to, "I-I-I'm f-fine, I just stubbed my toe, that's all" sobbing as he said it.

"Oh my poor dark baby, look Virge, I know your lying to me, you said, 'Stop please', you wouldn't have said that if you had injured yourself. Please open up the door kiddo, we could build a snowman in Roman's room, it doesn't have to be a snowman?"

"I know you want to help me Patton, I just don't think you can, as much as I loved the little frozen quote there..."

"What frozen quote?" He very seriously for Patton interrupted.

"N-never mind okay, I can ha...hmm...handle this on my own bud." Said Virgil quietly as if not to draw attention from Roman and Logan all the while never taking his eyes off of Deceit.

"Look, I'm sorry but, you leave me no choice Virge, I'm coming in!" Declared Morality.

"W-wait no!"

But it was too late for that now, Patton had barged the door open and stood in the door frame as the youngest element of Thomas' personality sat there in a ball staring at the mirror that laid opposite him. Tears streaming down his face, his favourite headphones snapped in half next to him.

"Oh Virge, I am so so sorry. I didn't realise. Oh, you poor unfortunate soul."

"T-the little mer...maid?"

"I don't think now is the time to distract me with randomly suggesting Disney films that don't have anything to do with the situation son. I need to focus on you now Virgil." Patton firmly yet softly said.

As Patton was the eldest of the sides and the one with the most compassion and empathy, when Virgil got into a state of, well, extreme anxiousness and panic, he was the one who went out of his way to ensure that he felt safe and calm. He gently tapped Virgil on the shoulder and whispered softly his name in his ear redirecting his gaze from the mirror to his best friend. Pat could see the fear and panic in his eyes as clear as day now. He was lost in his eyes and shocked with what he saw. He had often helped Virgil through his attacks, but this was ...different. He had never seen him like this before. It was almost as if Virgil wasn't panicking about Thomas, it was about, himself. He screamed at his own reflection. For the first time since entering the room, Patton glanced at the mirror to see Virgil sat there crying, it was a perfect reflection, only it was wrong somehow, as he stared at it a sudden ripple spread across the looking glass making him jump.

"What! What is it? Patton! Why did you jump! W-why?"

"Nothing kiddo," replied the Dad figure, "Listen Virge, could you just look into the mirror one more time and tell me what exactly you see, I hate to put you in this position but in this case it's what needs to be done to help you, just trust in me kid."

"Okay, I trust you Pat but s-seriously what's with all the disney quotes." Sobbed Virgil.

"Just focus Virgil, my sweet innocent child, please just do it and remember, what ever you see, I'm right here next to."

Virgil struggled a worried smile, took a deep breath and looked into the mirror once more describing what he could see as Patton had asked him to.

"I-it's...Deceit, h-he's telling me I'm lying to myself by pretending to be a part of this family. He, he says, he says I belong with the...others Pat." Struggles Virgil, tears once again cascading down his face. "I can't, I can't, I won't go, please Patton don't send me back, I don't want to back to the other side!" He cried. "Please."

His head fell onto Morality's shoulder as he cried so hard it was silent. No noise escaped apart from the occasional whimper of Virgil trying to catch a breath. Patton wrapped his arms around and whispered in his ear, "Shhh, it's okay, I'm here, I'm right here, I promise I'm not going to leave you, he can't get to you, I will protect you."

He kept repeating these words and hugging Virgil tight until he drifted off into a deep sleep at which point he gently tucked him into bed and wiped away his tears. He decided that it was probably best for him to stay in case he woke up and so he sat there and watched him sleep. Patton couldn't get what Virgil had said about Deceit out of his head, how was it even possible for him to contact Virgil? Deceit was a trait that didn't have access to the mind palace because Thomas had banned him from doing so since he pretended to be Patton. Unless? No, maybe? It had occurred to him that he had never seen that mirror before and the design, it wasn't Virgil's style, instead of his typical black and purple theme, the mirror was black and yellow with a golden snake brooch. Morality urged to wake up Virgil and ask him where he got the mirror from but resisted as he needed rest after what he just went through.

A sudden wave of nervousness struck Thomas' heart in the heart and he realised why. He had been in Virgil's room for much too long, but what could he do? If he left he would be breaking his promise, but if he stayed he risked having an anxiety attack himself and in turn affecting Thomas. He stood up and started to pace the room trying to decide what to do until he clicked his fingers and sent both Virgil and himself to Thomas' living room.

"W-what?"

"Hush now Virgil, go back to sleep kiddo, I'm right here, I've not left you." Hushed Patton, waiting until he drifted back off to turn his attention to Thomas who sat there in shock at what he had just seen.

"Wha-what care to explain?" He stuttered.

"I think Deceit might be trying to sabotage Virgil, Thomas, I found him in a bad way, he was a mess, he sat there screaming at a mirror to stop. He told me it was Deceit saying that he doesn't belong with us and he belongs with the others." He explained. "But I, I just don't understand how Deceit got to him, he can't get into the mind palace."

"But, how could I have not known Virgil was having an attack, he's my anxiety, why didn't I feel it or even have an attack myself?"

"I don't know, I just don't know." Sighed Patton

"Are you okay Patton, you don't seem yourself."

"I'm fine, I'm just worried about kiddo over here." He gestured towards the frail sleeping Virgil who looked so peaceful yet troubled.

"It's not just that though Patton, you're being really serious and anxious, how long exactly were you in his room?"

"It doesn't matter now, I think you should call the others, maybe they can help? I'm running out of ideas to be perfectly honest with you."

This was when Thomas knew something was really wrong, Patton hadn't even attempted to make a dad joke, maybe it was just the tension of the situation, but it just felt wrong.

"Logan? Roman?" Thomas called.

Without a delay the two popped up in their usual positions, Logan in the door frame and Roman in front of the T.V. Before either of them could speak, Thomas shushed them and pointed to the sleeping figure draped in Patton's arms.

"Oh sweet mother of Julie Andrews. What happened here?"

Patton just put his head down and sighed. He just didn't know what had happened.