VI: Chapter Nine
Brian and Seabiscuit turned on Spooner Street and headed towards the Griffin house. "So this is what your house looked like?" Seabiscuit asked, for she had never seen or simply forgotten where Brian lived, "This is what it looked like" Brian answered, "But it isn't home. Not even close." Seabiscuit stared at Brian curiously, "What is home then?" Brian shrugged and gave the only answer he could, "Home...home to me is a fireplace, a couch, a dimly lit room and a nice wine. And you of course, couldn't forget the most important one." Seabiscuit rolled her eyes, for she knew that Brian was now sucking up to her, "Alright smartass that's great. Now do you have a plan or am I going to have to save your ass like last time?" Brian huffed, "Excuse me. I believe I saved your ass last time. More than once actually, so yeah...I think I win." Seabiscuit laughed sarcastically, "If by saving my ass you mean the shit poor anal you gave me last night then yeah, you saved it alright." Brian sighed; seriously hurt by her words, "Don't worry" Seabiscuit continued, "You'll get a second win."
Running up to the house, they looked in the living room, it was exactly how it was before. On the couch was Sheryl, who was dead. Stewie could be seen walking up the stairs and heading towards his room. Brian, seeing that the front door would be a death sentence, moved around to the backyard and tried the back doggie door, thankfully it was unlocked. Slipping in, Brian and Seabiscuit were standing in the laundry room, so apparently Stewie took the newest renovations into account. Brian knew that there was only one way to end this and so walked over to the kitchen and pulled and pulled out his key to the gun cabinet on the high shelf. Pulling out a shotgun, Brian made sure that it was loaded and began going through the motions, mentally. He was so lost in himself that he didn't hear the struggling behind him for Stewie had returned and was slowly choking Seabiscuit with his bare hands.
Brian turned around and was face to face with the barrel of a gun. "Hello Brian" Stewie said as Seabiscuit continued struggling, "are you afraid?" Brian nodded and pumped the shotgun in anticipation, "Yes" he answered, "I'm afraid. You're killing one of the last hopes for humanity Stewie. That and I happen to love her, so let her go." Stewie laughed, insulted with Brian's simplicity, "You'll have to do better than that Bri, much better." Brian shook his head in disagreement, "You have to die now Stewie. And I have to be the one to do it, to kill you." Brian was shaking, but he didn't care, he had prepared himself mentally, but physically he was in shambles. In his head, Stewie was already dead, but Brian knew that Stewie was very much alive. "Can you do it Brian?" Stewie said threateningly as he squeezed harder, causing Seabiscuit to slip into unconsciousness, but still Stewie held on to her throat, if he continued with his pressure, she would be dead in mere minutes. Brian then faced another problem, he was holding a shotgun and Stewie was using Seabiscuit as a human shield. He carefully looked around the room for a more suitable weapon but found none in the gun cabinet or the knife drawer and if he did there was no time, there was only one option.
Stewie could only smile as he realized that Brian noticed his current situation. "Shoot the hostage" Stewie declared as he lifted Seabiscuit higher off the ground. Without a second thought Brian fired and pumped the shotgun with his right hand and a cigarette with his left. Setting the shotgun down for a moment, Brian pulled out a lighter from his pocket and lit his cigarette. He then picked up the shotgun once again and faced a dead Seabiscuit. Stewie was gone. Brian walked over, took the cigarette out of his mouth and gently kissed Seabiscuit's cheek and closed her eyes, "I'm sorry" Brian whispered, " You rest easy, when the world explodes I'll think of you. I'll think of you and Peter and Lois and the kids, even Stewie. I'll look back on my life and say that I lived a good one. But it wouldn't be anything on my account."
There was only one place that Stewie could've gone. Running up to Stewie's room, Brian looked around and saw the time machine. On the machine was a note, "Back to where it all began." Brian saw that Stewie had left his return pad in his backpack, which meant that he knew that he was coming back, but he also knew that Brian wouldn't either. Stepping through, Brian punched in the date and disappeared.
March 25th, 2023
Brian appeared in Stewie's room, it was dark, for on this night the power had gone out and Peter was telling one of his famous stories. Stewie was in the corner of the room, he was holding an axe, "Remember this Brian?" Stewie asked, "Do you remember? This was the night that you decided to get rid of me. The night that you broke my heart you sick bastard!" Brian tried to remember the details of the night but most of it escaped him, especially the part that Stewie was referring to. He guessed that it didn't really matter, for now was the end of it. Brian raised the shotgun and fired; only grazing Stewie with a shot, most of the spray hitting Stewie's window and the lower part of the wall.
Brian stopped and listened to see if anyone from downstairs would notice. There was nothing but silence. Stewie used this opportunity to counterattack, no longer holding back. Brian ducked; barely missing the blade by centimeters, at the same time Brian pumped the shotgun and fired again, this time hitting Stewie's right leg. Stewie kicked Brian's legs out from underneath and was just about to deliver the killing blow when Lois came in, carrying her Stewie who was asleep in her arms. Brian and Stewie each took cover in opposite corners of the room; Brian's corner was the one closer to the door.
Seconds later Brian came in; he was carrying with him a note, Rupert and a chew toy. He looked at Lois, tears were in his eyes. "I know" Lois said as she gently rubbed Brian's muzzle, "It's okay. Just go." Brian shook his head and sighed deeply, "I can't leave. Not yet. I have to say goodbye Lois. Please, let me say goodbye." Lois nodded in understanding and let Brian have a few minutes alone with Stewie. Leaning in, Brian gently kissed Stewie's head and rubbed his still bald head and placed the things in his hands around the sleeping baby. "I won't be here when you wake up" Brian began, "But I want you to know something. You're my best friend...and I would never do anything to never to hurt you. But I have to go. I wish I could give you an explanation, but the note is the best that I could do. If come tomorrow you hate me or you wish I was dead, well I wouldn't blame you. If I were in your shoes I would want the exact same thing. I just hope if anything that you understand why I can't be here anymore. I don't even understand it myself, but I know that you would, because you're special like that."
The Stewie in the corner of the room only festered and waited for the right moment to make his move. Similarly, the Brian in the corner of the room raised his shotgun towards Stewie and waited. Brian slowly began to walk out of the room when Stewie woke up in his bed. "Where are you going Brian?" he asked sleepily, "Can I come with you?" Brian shook his head and turned around, "Not this time Stewie. I'm going to a place, a very special place. A farm out in the country, I'll have plenty of room to run around in, other dogs to be with and finally have some free time to start on my new book. I'll be sure to send you a copy." Stewie shook his head, "A farm?" It took him a few minutes to realize what was happening, "You're going to die aren't you? You're going to be euthanized aren't you?" Brian nodded slowly, "I'm sick Stewie" he answered, "Really, really sick. I don't have much time left." At that moment, the Stewie in the corner of the room threw his axe towards Brian, at the same time;fired his shotgun towards the Stewie in the bed.
Stewie missed his target, but Stewie's head exploded on contact. Almost immediately the future Stewie disappeared. The Brian over the bed simply looked on in shock and fear, but Brian quickly remedied this by firing three rounds into its head. The crisis now over, Brian looked around and couldn't help but cry, for he did save the world and himself from destruction but he had to kill the one person that he wanted to protect in order to see it done.
Brian dragged both bodies to the window and threw them out into the garbage can. It was over. Brian leaned out of the window and threw up, he then looked up towards the sky and spoke, "God what have I done? How did this happen?" Lois came in the room and turned on the light, the first thing she saw was Brian covered in blood and shaking, "Brian!" she cried as she ran over, "What happened? Where's Stewie?" Brian shook his head in disbelief, "I'm sorry Lois" he replied, "But he's dead. Stewie's fucking dead! I-I-I don't know what happened. But I had to...I had to kill him. He killed you, Peter, everyone really." Lois immediately grabbed the shotgun, pumped it once and fired it into Brian's stomach without saying a single word. Brian stared at Lois, his eyes begging for forgiveness as he collapsed on the floor dead before he hit the ground.
Lois threw the shotgun out of the window, picked up Brian's body, leaned out of the window and dropped it into the garbage can before walking out of the room feeling confident and her actions justified.
