A/N - Okay...so to be honest, I had no intentions of continuing this story. But since I've had countless ideas swimming around in my head for a while, I decided I couldn't ignore them any longer, and may as well just write them out and post them for you. So here we are.
A big thanks to all of you dedicated readers for faving/following, not to mention your kind and encouraging reviews. I really didn't expect them, and I can't possibly begin to describe how much they mean to me. Really, you guys are awesome. :)
This is admittedly not my best work, but I'm hoping it'll get better as the story progresses so just bear with me. I've seriously considered tossing this chapter aside and writing a new one (no joke).
Either way, you've been waiting a good while, so thanks for your patience and read on ahead.
Feel free to tell me what you think.
Disclaimer: I don't own Unbreakable, Split, or Glass.
"She shouldn't be here," He told Patricia, shaking his head.
"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet," Patricia chastised, attempting to cross Kevin's arms, only to stop mid-way once she discovered the white T-shirt in her hands.
"What's this?" she looked down at the sheer top and recognized it as Casey's. "What have you done?" she accused him, eyes blazing with anger.
Dennis avoided the question, fearful of what he might accidentally say.
Patricia always knew how to break him down. How to get him to spill his guts.
But not this time, there was too much at stake.
She couldn't know what had happened. Couldn't know that he'd faltered.
"She ain't like the other two," he offered instead. "she's different."
"Dennis, of all people - "
" - She's got scars." he said, effectively stopping her, if only for a few moments. "Hasn't she suffered enough?"
Patricia grit her teeth.
"The Beast will be the judge of that. Now haven't you an appointment to attend?"
"Yes..." Dennis bowed his head solemnly.
"Good. Then we're done here."
Patricia finally stepped out of the Light, allowing Dennis full control over Kevin's body.
He exhaled a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
It wasn't that bad. Her chastising.
It could've been a lot worse.
And usually, it was.
Though he figured that with all the preparations she was making for the impending ritual that she probably had her hands full. So she didn't have time to reprimand him any further.
He was just glad she didn't inquire further about Casey's shirt, and why he had taken it.
He really didn't want to think any more about what he'd done.
If he had just known beforehand about her scars...he never would've taken her.
She wasn't supposed to be there.
She wasn't supposed to be in the car with the other two.
He didn't want to take her.
It just happened. He had no other choice.
And now Patricia was so infuriated with him that she didn't want to listen to reason.
She didn't want to accept the possibility of Casey not being a proper offering to The Beast.
She just wanted her gone.
Dead.
Disposed of.
It was for a greater cause, Dennis knew. But it still didn't quite sit well with him.
It seemed such an awful waste.
Having all these pretty, young girls being tossed aside while countless others awaited the same fate.
They'll never reach their full potential, that's what Patricia had told him.
If they weren't offered up to The Beast they'd never amount to anything worthwhile in their lives.
So why did it suddenly bother him so much about Casey?
Dennis thought this over as he shrugged out of Hedwig's tracksuit and put on his pants, tank, and gray button-up.
After he finished putting his belt through the loops on his pants waist, he picked Casey's T-shirt back up and carried it with him out into the hallway, locking the outer door behind him.
He added the shirt to his ever-growing pile of laundry in the other room, and managed to put a whole new load in the washer.
No surprise there with how many other alters' clothing were there. And with Casey's long supply of shirts the load had only grown.
Not that it bothered Dennis, he didn't mind washing her clothes.
It was nice to see clothes of a different size go into the wash for once, as opposed to the standard size that all of them had grown accustomed to; Kevin's body being the one that they all shared.
As dumb as it sounded, seeing another pair of clothes in the laundry, it actually felt like someone else was there; living with them.
Co-existing with them.
Dennis briefly daydreamed of a life where that would be something that another person would do by choice; wanting to stay with him and the other alters.
Maybe even having some sort of relationship.
But he shook that thought away just as quickly as it came.
Those girls - Casey - wasn't brought there to 'play house' with.
They were an offering.
They were meant to usher in a new era.
They were going to be part of something greater than themselves.
There wasn't time to dwell on possibilities or might-have-beens.
He had a job to do. Patricia was counting on him.
And all the others were counting on him too.
They needed him.
He just had to meet with Dr. Fletcher real quick and clear up what one of the others - probably Jade or Orwell - had done when they emailed her about an "emergency" some odd hours ago.
No big deal.
He went into the kitchen and grabbed his watch off the counter, wrapping it around his wrist in one swift motion.
If he left now he'd just make his appointment.