Hey, lovelies! So, I'm back with another one here—Yay! So firstly, I had (slight) difficulty writing this chapter and making sure everything was as accurate as possible because I've never been to a therapist before so I'm not exactly sure what the experience is like. My apologies for any inaccuracies or things that are not proper protocol for a therapist/psychologist to do or say. What I came up with is based solely on personal research and (of course) movies/TV shows I've seen reflecting how a typical 'session' goes.

That's it for now I think. Apologies for any OOCness, grammatical errors, typos, etc.
Enjoy sweeties! Xx

IX.

"So first and foremost: how are you feeling today, Chase?"

"Great, actually. A lot better than I was a week ago, that's for sure."

"Oh? What happened a week ago?"

"My sisters went to some party a couple weeks back and my brothers and I went and spied on them. Eventually, they ended up finding out about it," the teenage genius shook his head, "To say they were pissed about it would be an understatement, doc."

The elder man nodded slightly, jotting down a few notes on his legal pad.

"They had a right to be Chase, don't you think? Their privacy was invaded — by their own family. That couldn't have been a good feeling for them experience."

"Yeah," Chase sighed. "I was only trying to look out for them."

"Why?"

Chase scoffed. "Because they're my sisters, that's why. I'm their brother. It's my job to protect them."

"From what, exactly?"

Chase paused for a moment before answering, "From getting hurt."

Dr. Kasaparian nods again, scribbling some more things down on his pad.

"Bree, she has a boyfriend, Kellan Fisher is the boy's name, correct?"

"Yes sir."

Dr. Kasparian nods. "How do you feel about her having a boyfriend?"

Chase's shoulders hitch up. "Like any brother would; I mean, I'm not particularly thrilled at the idea of some guy all over my sister, but, Kellan's a good guy and she seems happy and as long as he doesn't break her heart, I'm okay with it... for now, at least."

"What about Lyric?"

Chase frowns, "What about her?"

"Does she have a boyfriend?"

"No." Chase answers a bit too quickly, and a little too fiercely, Dr. Kasparian notes.

"Would it be a problem for you if Lyric had a boyfriend—"

"She doesn't have a boyfriend, Dr. Kasparian." Chase insists, through slightly gritted teeth.

He notes this.

"Yes, Chase, but hypothetically speaking, would you have a problem with the possibility?"

"I—" Chase closes his eyes, breathes, and answers, "yes."

"Why is that?"

"She's not ready."

"Fifteen is the age most girls her age start dating, Chase. It wouldn't be unusual if—"

"Doc, can we uh, can we change the subject?"

"Chase—"

"Dr. Kasparian, please," Chase seethed.

The elder man heaved a sigh, scribbling down some more notes before nodding.

"Very well..." The therapist peered at his longtime patient, observing the teen closely. He pondered on why the teen got so riled up, so... unhinged when they hadn't even covered the topics that could be potential triggers... unless of course, he had a new one. A thought came to him, "Why don't we discuss the type of relationship you have with your stepmother and stepsiblings, starting with Tasha."

"She's great, amazing actually. She's everything I expected out of a mother and more. Of course, when she's disciplines me she's not my favorite person. But I know, deep down, that she does it because she loves and cares about me. If she didn't, she wouldn't care how I turned out and would let me get away with everything because she doesn't give a crap, but she does and I love her for that, for not giving up on us, on me, even if we give her every reason under the sun to, she doesn't."

"She's the mother I've longed for since I was a kid. And I know. It sounds a bit nugatory, but I remember as a child I would get so jealous when I'd see other kids with their mothers, so angry and bitter. I didn't mean to, really. Don't get me wrong, Mr. Davenport was a great parent, a great father. He did the best he could do with him being sort of a single father raising three kids, but I guess I always wanted more from him, something, as a father he could never fulfill, but only a mother would have the ability to do."

Dr. Kasparian nods, "So, essentially, what you're saying is that Tasha fills that void, that sense of loneliness and incompleteness you've always felt as a child. She was that missing puzzle piece in your life."

"Exactly," Chase avers, "I don't remember much about my biological mother, but Tasha... she's the only mother I've ever known and I love her as if she was my own mother. Of course Mr. Davenport's had a few girlfriends in the past but," Chase shook his head, scoffing. "They never really cared about us. Only about what they could get out the relationship. We were just considered extra work in their little bargain. But Tasha wasn't like that at all. It was a little rocky at first, for the both of us in the beginning, but it only got better as time went on."

After a pause of Dr. Kasparian scribbling down again at his pad, he looks up at Chase, then asks, "Do you call her mom?"

Chase hesitates, "No. I—... I guess I don't want to make her uncomfortable. I mean, Adam and Bree do, I'm the only one who refers to her as Tasha. She's never mentioned anything to me about it, but I do sometimes get the sense that she wouldn't mind me calling her mom."

"She most likely doesn't want to pressure you or make you feel obligated to do so. She only cares about what's best for you and if you feel more comfortable calling her Tasha than she's happy either way as long as you're okay with it."

Chase mulls over this, but says nothing so Dr. Kasparian decides to proceed forward.

"Now, tell me Chase, what is your relationship like with your stepbrother, Leo?"

"He's my little brother. I love and care about him a lot, even if I sometimes neglect to show it, I do. I really do." He assures, then says, "He's always there when I need him, and he's always game for heart to heart's whenever I need them, too. He doesn't tease me like Adam and Bree and I know that, if anything ever goes down, he'll always have my back. He's also extremely loyal, too, and resilient and confident, very sure of himself." He chuckles a little, "I swear, the sky could be blue and he'd somehow be able to convince me otherwise, have me believing the sky's purple or yellow. That Leo, he's got the gift of gab I tell you."

"But he's my little brother and I love him, admire him, and want to protect him. He's a risk taker for sure and I guess that's why I worry about him a lot. I worry that someday that carefree behavior's gonna get him into an impenetrable amount of trouble that he might not be able to talk himself out of. Though, I don't like to think about that very possibility, the thought does cross my mind more often than I'd like."

Dr. Kasparian nods with a smile, adjusting the frames situated at the brim of his nose. "And Lyric? How is your relationship like with her?"

Dr. Kasaparian observes the slight change in the teen's demeanor, not necessarily abysmal or extremely distinct, but it was enough for the elder psychologist to take notice of almost immediately.

Chase chuckles before answering, "You know, it's funny. In the beginning, when we first met, we couldn't stand each other. We argued all the time. I admit though, when I first met her, she wasn't like most girls, or like Bree; the way I expected her to be. And that's why I pushed her away, I think, because she was far from the norm I had grown accustomed to. She was intelligent, confident, spunky, quick-witted—"

"You were intimidated by her."

"Yeah," Chase gives a snort. "I guess I was. Like I said, she wasn't like many girls. And I guess I didn't know how to handle that." He shrugs, "Things were pretty tense between us for a while until I um... Until I blacked out."

Dr. Kasparian's eyebrows knit together. "Blacked out? Do you mean—"

"Yeah," Chase finishes with a sigh. "Spike had shown up for the first time in months."

"Oh? Do you remember what could have possibly triggered Spike to take over?"

Chase shook his head. "No I—... I honestly don't remember much about what happened that night. One moment I was coming down the stairs for a study break and the next I had Lyric pinned against the refrigerator. It was odd, the expression on her face. I expected her to be terrified but instead she looked more concerned about me than scared out of her wits like she should've been considering the current predicament I had her in."

"I asked her what happened and she wouldn't tell me much, only that she had been talking on the phone and that I had came down the stairs, but paused on the last step and just stood there for the longest time. She said she had asked if I was okay but I didn't respond, only stared and didn't move. She said that she got up to leave to her room but I had blocked her path and snatched the phone away from her and went off on a tirade. She said that I would get angrier every time she called me Chase and I kept yelling at the top of my lungs that I wasn't Chase, but Spike. She wouldn't tell me how we ended up in the kitchen with me restraining her, but she did say that she was glad that I was okay and that even though we may argue sometimes, she still cared about me and that I was her brother now and the last thing she wanted was for something bad to happen to me."

"I was shocked, happy and relieved. I told her that I had felt the same, which I truly did. I apologized and pleaded with her to tell me everything that had happened, but she said it wasn't a big deal and that she just wanted to forget about it. Of course I wasn't okay with that but really, what choice did I have?" The teen exhales a breath and bits his lip. "We ended up watching a movie together and I guess we fell asleep since we were unceremoniously awakened by Adam, Bree and Leo. They were teasing us. I could tell Lyric was irritated, but more so because she was awakened from her comfortable slumber as was I." He chuckles. "The rest is pretty much history. We had gradually, albeit unexpectedly, gotten much closer since then. That was three years ago..." Chase sighs, "She's much more than just my sister, Dr. Kasparian. She's my best friend. She's the only one who truly understands me, or at least tries to understand me (with the exception of Leo of course). I'm not much of an open book to anyone, but with her, I am. She can always tell when something is bothering me, when I need to talk, or when I simply need a sounding board or a shoulder to cry on." Chase pauses for a moment, almost thoughtfully, before he speaks again. "She doesn't judge me and I appreciate that."

Dr. Kasparian nods with a small smile. "That's good to hear, Chase. You seem to have a good relationship with your stepsiblings, a healthy sibling bond with the two of them. Many teenagers your age struggle with the adjustment of having a new stepparent and stepsiblings, but that doesn't seem to be the case here, which is good. It's very refreshing to see, if I were to be completely honest."

"Yeah," Chase agrees. "I couldn't imagine my life without them."

Nodding, Dr. Kasaparian scribbles down a couple notes, then looks up at the teen. "Now, going back to that episode you had three years ago. You say that Lyric wouldn't tell you exactly what happened?"

Chase shook his head, visibly dejected. "No, not even to this day," He sighs. "Eventually, I stopped asking. I guess a part of me stopped wanting to know what actually happened that night. I don't know if I could handle knowing that I could have actually hurt her."

"You know it wasn't your fault—"

"You know, no matter how many times you, Mr. Davenport, or anyone else says that, I'll never be able to believe it."

Dr. Kasaparian sighed, removing his frames. "Chase, you're dealing with a mental illness that you have no control over, only as much control as you allow it to have over your life, remember? No one blames you. You're family loves you and cares about you. They know that you're trying, each and every day, to fight this."

Dr. Kasparian watches the young teen slowly nod and turn his gaze elsewhere. The elder psychologist could only hope the young man took heed to his words because it was the truth. Continuing on, he places his frames back onto his face and clears his throat a little. "So, Chase. Has there been any recent episodes as of late?"

Chase pales slightly, which doesn't go by unnoticed. "Y-Yes."

"What happened?" The doctor asked gently.

"...I seen everything. Everything that I thought I had forgotten or tried to forget. I saw my old home, my biological mother... I saw Spike for first time in three years."

"You saw Spike?"

Chase slowly nods, inhaling and exhaling as he began fidgeting. "Yes. He... He looked just like me. He looked like my twin. Except, it wasn't me. I know it wasn't. He just looked like me but I know it wasn't me. It was Spike, I swear."

"I believe you, Chase." This seems to ease some of the tension off the teen, but not completely. "Did you talk to him?"

"Yes, he—" Chase closes his eyes for brief second and the doctor could tell he was struggling. "It's okay, Chase, just breathe. Everything's fine."

Chase inhales and exhales once again. Then, after a few passing seconds, he nods and continues. "He wants full control over me, Dr. Kasparian. He says he wants to destroy my life and everyone in it."

"And what did you tell him?"

"I told him it wasn't happening. He will never be able to control me the way he wants to. He'll never have my life, not if I can help it."

"He's trying to see how far he can push you, Chase, but you have to remain strong. It won't be easy, but I know you can overcome this, overcome him. Remember what I told you, he's only as real as you allow him to be."

Chase nods. "I know. It's just... sometimes it's hard to remember that. Sometimes his voice can be so much louder and demanding."

"I know Chase, I know. But... do you trust me?"

Chase looks up at him, stares for a couple seconds, then nods. "Yes."

"Then you have to believe me, trust me, and listen to what I tell you because I'm only here to help you. I want you to get better and I know you have the potential to. You just need a strong, healthy push to get you going and I, your family, and all the people who love and care about you are going to be just that."

"We're not giving up on you, Chase. And if we are not willing to, then you shouldn't be either."

There was a pregnant silence that followed Dr. Kasparian's words and honestly, the doctor didn't know what to make of it until –

"...You're right, Dr. Kasparian... you're right. I just... needed to hear that."

Dr. Kasparian nods. "Any time Chase, any time." The doctor smiled, then, "So, how much, exactly, do you remember about your childhood?"

"I remember a few things. They come to me here and there, depending on a situation that may trigger a memory."

"Do you know what the triggers could be?"

"No," Chase sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "It could be anything, really."

"You said you were in your old home and you seen your biological mother?"

"Yeah... it was odd. I... I seen her and Bree, Adam, and me — as children. I even seen... him."

Dr. Kasparian frowns for a moment, confused, then it clicks. "Your biological father?"

"Yeah. I seen him in a picture with her, and three little children which I now realize was me, Bree and Adam as kids." He shakes his head. "I heard her voice and I knew it was her. I don't know how I just... I did. I followed the sound and there she was... in the flesh."

"Seeing her... how did that make you feel Chase?"

"Strange and yet... familiar. It's like she looked familiar, but... I felt... nothing." Chase looks up at elder man; a look of culpability in his eyes. "Am I wrong? For feeling nothing for her?"

Dr. Kasparian sighed, "You can't help how you feel, Chase. You were really young when she passed, possibly too young to have formed a motherly bond with her. What happened and how you feel isn't your fault."

Chase sighed. "I know, but... she's my mother. My biological mother, my blood, she gave birth to me and... and yet I don't feel anything. I feel indifferent about her. I don't hate her, but I don't love her, either." He paused for a moment. "...I hate myself for feeling that way Dr. Kasparian, but I do."

"...Does Mr. Davenport ever talk about her?"

"Sometimes, but only if we asked about her, which we did a lot when we were younger, but as we got older the questions weren't as frequent as they once were. Bree asked about her the most, for, well, obvious reasons. But when Tasha, Lyric, and Leo came into our lives, the questions ended altogether, only popping up every now and then."

Dr. Kasparian seems to mull over this for quite some time before prompting his next question. "What triggered this recent episode?"

Chase hesitated for a moment before answering, "...I had another fight with Angela."

Dr. Kasparian's eyebrows rose he looked up from his legal notepad to the teen. "Angela... you're girlfriend, correct?"

Chase nods.

"What was the fight about?"

Chase didn't immediately answer and there was a brief silence between the two, and Dr. Kasparian is set to ask Chase what was wrong, when –

"I think she's cheating on me, Dr. Kasparian."

Dr. Kasparian frowns. "What would make you think that, Chase?"

Chase exhales. "Whenever we're together, she's always on her phone, texting and smiling. I ask her who it is and she just dismisses me completely, claiming that it's her sister checking up on her or one of her friends," He shakes his head, running a hand over his face. "I know she's lying, Dr. Kasparian, and honestly, I don't even know why I stay with her. I love her and she's my first real girlfriend, but, my family doesn't like her at all."

"Bree couldn't stand her from the moment I brought Angela home for them to meet. She thinks Angela isn't good for me and is just using me," He continues. "Leo doesn't really like her either, though, he's not as a vocal about it as Bree. I'm not sure what Adam thinks about her since he pretty much steers clear of any of my relationships since that whole Danielle incident. Though, I'm pretty sure he feels the same way as Bree and Leo."

He then shrugs. "Lyric, on the other hand, has been the most supportive of our relationship. She even tried to get Bree to lighten up a little. But, if I were to be honest, I don't think Lyric is very fond of Angela, either. She's never told me that directly or did anything to Angela to make me believe so, it's just... There's a hesitance I pick up when it comes to Angie. She tries to hide it, but I can see it."

"Tasha is cordial to her, but I can tell she doesn't like her much, either. And Mr. Davenport, well, I honestly don't know where he stands on the matter."

Dr. Kasparian nods. "...Does that bother you at all?"

"What?"

"That your family dislikes Angela?"

Chase nods, "Yeah, it does. But I know they're just trying to look out for me and only want what's best for me, whether they choose to admit or not." He shrugs again. "What really baffles me is that Angela, out of all my siblings, dislikes Lyric the most. Even more so than Bree, who openly displays her strong dislike for her and our relationship."

Dr. Kasaparian nods, jotting down a few more notes before glancing down at his watch, emitting a sigh.

"Alright-y, Chase. That is all the time we have for today," he sets his notes aside, removing his frames. "You seem to be doing much better. I'm proud of you, but I still want you to continue taking your medication. You have to trust in me when I say they're good for you and will help aid you through the anxiety and depression, okay? I know it's hard, but you have try. For you and for your family."

Chase sighs, stands, then nods.

"Okay doc, I will try."

Dr. Kasparian smiles and stands as well, his arm outstretched towards the teen who smiles halfheartedly, and shakes his hand.

"I know you can do this, Chase. Don't give up."

Chase purses his lips and nods. "I won't."

"I'll see you next week, Chase."

Chase nods and reaches for his coat and keys, giving a brief wave before leaving the elder man's office. Dr. Kasparian sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose as he leans against the wooden desk he had just occupied for the past hour. He was exhausted and was beyond grateful that Chase had been his last patient for the day. The teen truly was doing much better, that is, compared to how he was a couple years ago. It seemed Donald Davenport finally tying the knot, in truth, had had a positive impact on the boy's life than Dr. Kasparian initially expected. The elder man had actually been worried and had his reservations about the sudden change in environment for Chase with everything that he already had going on. He was afraid it would be a crucial setback in all of the progress Chase had made, but, if truth be told, it did the complete opposite and Dr. Kasparian couldn't have been more delighted at the fact that he had been wrong.

Chase had seemed much more open in this past years' sessions and not to mention, much happier.

Dr. Kasparian grinned. Chase deserved to be happy, what with everything he's been through, he was glad to see that things were finally looking up for the young man.

Of course, there was still much more progress to be made, but for now, Chase seemed to be content with how things were and Dr. Kasparian could only hope things would stay this way for a long while.

The psychologist leans over the wooden desk, presses a button on the machine, and says, "Deloris, please have valet to pull my car out to the front, I'll be down there in the next ten minutes. I just have a few more things to go over before I leave for the day. It won't take long, though."

"Yes sir. I will inform one now." A female voice said through the speakers of the intercom, "Would you like me to send word to your wife of your impending arrival?"

"No, that's okay Deloris. I want to surprise her. She's been wanting to spend some quality time with me these past few months and now I finally have the extra time." The psychologist sniggered as he already began sifting through various loads of paperwork. "I can't wait to see the look on her face."

"Very well, sir."

"Thanks, Deloris."

"Your welcome, sir."

He continued to sift through some more paperwork that had accumulated from the day's activities. He put each written document containing each of his patient's information into a separate folder and into a file cabinet. It took him about ten minutes to get through everyone's.

He paused when he finally got to Chase's. His eyes skimmed the document for a moment.

Name: Chase Alexandar Davenport

Description of Patient: Diagnosed with Schizophrenia and Multiple Personality Disorder, or DID at the age of 8. Former Doctor believes it to be caused by traumatic events witnessed as a child.

Date of Birth: August 5th, 1999

Age: 16

Grade:12 (Advanced Placement)

Height: 5'4

Weight: 115lbs x 52.1631

Biological Parents: Douglas Davenport, Aira Dawson Davenport (deceased)

Legal Guardians: Donald Davenport (Uncle), Tasha Dooley Davenport (Stepmother)

Siblings: Adam Charles Davenport (Brother), Sabrena Aira Davenport (Sister), Lyonella Rosalina Dooley (Stepsister), Leonidas Francis Dooley (Stepbrother)

Medication Prescribed: Multiple antidepressants including; Clozapine, Geodon, Seroquel and Risperdal.

Dr. Kasparian sighs, staring at the sheet of paper for a moment before slipping it into the folder labeled: "Chase Alexandar Davenport" and into the file cabinet. He genuinely wanted to see Chase do better.

Of course, though, he wanted to see all his patients do better, but Chase especially. Dr. Kasparian, against all his teachings, had formed a personal bond with the teen. He wasn't sure if it was because Chase had been his patient for over three years now, or if it was because he had a son of his own that was the exact same age as Chase and every time he would see the teen, it would remind him of his own son, and how it could have easily been his son sitting before him instead.

It was probably both.

Chase was so young and had such potential to be so much more than his illness and Dr. Kasparian could only hope he was able to convince the boy of his full potential whenever he seen him. He had the rest of his life ahead of him and if he decided to give up now, there was no telling where he would end up by the age of twenty-five or thirty-five.

Dr. Kasparian shook his head as he locked the file cabinet, slipping the key into drawer of his wooden desk. He crossed the room and slipped on his coat.

He would do all he could to make sure Chase ended up living up to his full potential. Though, deep down, he knew that choice would ultimately have to be made by Chase himself.

Cutting off all the lights in the room and locking the door to his office, he sighs. He would make it a personal goal to make sure Chase Davenport succeeded or at least wouldn't turn out the way many other patients that had the same mental illness as he did had.

"Goodnight, Dr. Kasparian!" He could hear Deloris call.

"Goodnight, Deloris. Don't stay here too long, it's getting pretty late."

"I know," Deloris smiles, "I'll be fine, though. Nothing a couple cups of coffee won't be able to fix."

Dr. Kasparian laughed at this. "Right. Well, have a good weekend Deloris."

"You as well, sir."

Your thoughts are always welcome!