Chapter 7

As he did the dishes, every so often, Logan sent a glance over at where Virgil was working to scoop the leftover pasta into a bright red container. He had wanted to chat with the anxious side while they worked in the kitchen. He wanted to gauge how Virgil would react if he ended up finding out about the copy of himself in Romans realm.

"Do you think Roman is ok?"

Virgil's voice had shocked him out of his decisions on how to approach his inquiry. Logan raised his eyes from the sink where he was washing the dishes to see the anxious side staring down at the red container.

"I'm sure he's fine. We've all had days when we've gotten lost in our work just like Patton said." Logan gave a rather un-Logan-like shrug.

Virgil gave an unconvinced look apparently still concerned by just how unconcerned Logan was. He picked up the red container, put the lid on it and then set it in the fridge. A look in his eyes showed his indecision but also his doubts and concerns. It seemed as if he was still worried but wasn't sure if he was right to be so concerned. Virgil had always hated the word 'paranoid'.

"We'll look at this logically." Logan spoke up, catching the anxious side's attention. "Roman has never missed a movie night. I'm sure Patton has already gone to tell him about it and we'll be able to put this concern to rest when they return. But if Patton comes back alone or not at all, then we'll investigate more into this."

The anxious side nodded, giving Logan a grateful look. It was always helpful for the anxious side for Logan to bring in more logical thinking since it helped clear up his mind and calm his anxious creativity.

"That sounds good."

"For now, I suggest you let me finish up here and get ready for the movie night."

"You're sure? There's nothing else I can help you with?" Virgil asked, sounding as if he wasn't sure if he wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

"Well I do have some more notes I'd like for you to look through if you'd like. I left them on the coffee table." Logan suggested, turning back to the sink.

Virgil gave a nod, stepping out into the living room and spotting the neat pile of notes on the coffee table. He glanced toward the table where they had left Patton sitting to see that the chair was empty. Patton must've gone into Roman's room. The anxious side took a seat on the couch, picked up Logan's notes and found where they had left off. Putting in his headphones, Virgil let himself nod his head to the music as he looked over the sheets of paper and neat handwriting.

—

The sky was dark. Rain had started to fall and rumbles of thunder shook the ground.

How did they not expect this?

—

An hour and a half had already passed. Virgil couldn't help just how much more he had started glancing up at the clock.

"What do we do?" Virgil asked the logical side who sat beside him.

Neither of them had changed into their onesies that currently sat neatly folded on the armrests of the couch on either side. The anxious side had finished reading through about forty five minutes ago. Logan had been reading a book as Virgil started playing games on his phone after he finished looking through the notes while they waited for Patton and Romans return.

The anxious side had started glaring at the clock on the common room wall for the past half hour. His anxiety causing him to get impatient.

Logan reached up and adjusted his glasses.

"I assume Patton had decided to help Roman with his project." Logan suggested, looking over at the red, ornate door.

"Patton wouldn't be late. Not for movie night and Roman wouldn't miss it. Tonight was his turn to choose the movie." Virgil shook his head, more sure than he had been an hour and a half ago. "Something must've happened. Maybe we should go find out."

"I'm sure it's fine. But if it makes you feel better then I'll go in and retrieve them myself." Logan said as he stood. "You wait here and I'll return with them shortly. Since Roman is late, I think that it would be appropriate for you to choose the movie for tonight."

The anxious side frowned and glanced in the direction of the movie shelf. He looked back up at Logan with a storm of emotions in his eyes. Something in the logical sides eyes must've been enough to convince him because Virgil nodded and stood, walking over to the movie shelf and kneeling down to look through the movie.

"I'll wait forty five minutes and then I'm coming in after you." Virgil said, not looking at Logan but there was a tone of finality in his voice. "Something doesn't feel right and I know it."

Logan adjusted his tie, not deeming his words with a response because he knew Virgil didn't need one. He nodded, despite it being unseen, and turned to head toward the door. He reached forward and pushed open the door, stepping through.

The door shut rather loudly, as if someone or something slammed the door behind him.

The logical side glanced back at the door with a raised brow, taking a mental note of the hidden aggression, before he made his way through Roman's bedroom and through the door to Roman's realm.

As soon as he was fully able to process what he was looking at, Logan found himself wishing he hadn't come in alone before he was knocked out by a hard force against his head.