Ugly a Thirteen Ghosts fanfic by Sweetboxer
Sweetboxer: Hope you like the ending!
Thanks to: Rune-Spirit, PR1, and Nemanja for reviewing. A special thanks to IlOvEjOnNy for putting my story on their alert list. Thank you! Do me a favor and tell your friends to read my story!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN 13 GHOSTS!
Chapter 6: Sweet, Sweet Closure(For all you DennisKathy fans!)
By the time Dennis received the photos for the third time (two days later) he was beyond a wreck. Kathy had more cuts showing up each day and she was becoming even more unpredictable. And to prove that it was possible for things to be more screwed up than they already were, the photos Dennis received, that were confirmed by the manager of 1-hour photo to have been made from the film from the right camera, were of that same damned girl. Not Kathy, but somehow it all fit. Everything harmful or unusual that Kathy had done or said in the past month, especially the last three days had been nothing like her. Having been in supernatural situations several times in his life, Dennis knew that logic didn't always take front and center. He had a feeling there was a deeper, connected explanation for all these things.
What did he know so far? There was the obsession with her appearance, her weight… that random poetic phrase and those screaming fits. She'd sworn at Dennis and said she didn't care if he hit her anymore. Dennis never hit her. Nobody ever hit Kathy. She didn't have a single bruise, and he'd seen enough of her body to know that. Then there was Jason. Kathy never admitted to knowing anyone named Jason, and she didn't usually lie. Then there were the random accidents: The cuts and the broken mirror. And if the photos had anything to do with it, Dennis had a handful of shit to go through.
Dennis stared at the brown haired girl in the picture who was supposed to be Kathy. He stared at the photo; hoping to see something about the girl, remember something about her. Then it all came to him: The face belonged to Dana Newman, the Angry Princess of the Black Zodiac. Slowly it began to come into place. The cuts, the screaming, the self-obsession… Dana must have possessed Kathy back when all the ghosts were freed. She must have laid low before deciding to come out now, but to do what, exactly? Dennis didn't want to know; he really didn't care. He just wanted the old Kathy back.
He first told Arthur what he knew, and it soon came clear to him as well. They headed to the kids' room, and hopefully Kathy would be there. Nope, just Bobby and his toys.
"Bobby, where's Kathy?" Bobby looked up from his game boy.
"I think she went to take a bath."
"Bath…" It suddenly hit Dennis like a flying rock to the head, "Oh no… we might be too late!" he panicked, turning around and running for the bathroom. The psychic wrenched at the doorknob, but it refused to turn.
"Shit!" He motioned Arthur to stay back. Not having time to waste, Dennis rammed the door. Nothing. He stepped back two or three steps, paused, and ran at the door again, this time blowing it open with a loud crack.
The door blew open, sending a small insignificant splinter of wood that landed in her bathwater, sinking slowly. Dana turned her head at the slight distraction.
"Kathy!" he shouted.
Dana raised an eyebrow, "Who's Kathy? Is there something you're not telling me, Jason? I knew it! I fucking knew! I know exactly how you feel about me. You'd kill me if you could get away with it, right? WELL I'LL SAVE YOU THE FUCKING TROUBLE!" She lifted her knife out of the water and ran it across her arm.
'Great' Dennis thought, 'Kathy's been completely taken over! Now all I can do is appeal to Dana' he blanched, watching as she cut herself again.
"Dana! Stop it!"
"Oh, I'm sure you want to finish the job yourself," Dana snapped back, "but I'd rather it be me causing the pain for a change." Dennis wasn't stupid enough to try and grab the knife from her.
'What now?' he thought. The only thing he could think of that would change Dana's mind was Jason himself, and Dana conveniently thought Dennis was Jason. The only thing Dennis could do was talk her out of it by playing the part of some abusive boyfriend.
Dennis closed his eyes, breathing deeply before gasping out, "Dana, please! Don't kill yourself! Can't we work this out!"
Dana wasn't impressed, "Like the last time? Or how about the time before that? Do you realize how full of shit you are?"
Dennis replied using whatever he could remember from Dana's file, "Dana, I'm scum, and I don't deserve you. Maybe one day, you'll find someone who can treat you better. You deserve better, because you're beautiful, in every sense of the word. Remember that."
Dana was shocked, and slightly flattered, "You haven't called me beautiful since the first time we slept together." Dennis looked away, trying to act like he was talking to Kathy if she were in the same situation.
"Dana, I… don't want to keep hurting you. I think you need someone in your life with more respect for you. I… love you too much to risk… hurting you again. You deserve better than you've been getting. You'll be so much happier if you put down the knife and just leave me behind."
Dana felt tears, the knife falling out of her hands, her voice cracked and achy, her cuts actually starting to hurt, "Thanks, Jason. I love you too, but… you're right. We need to stop seeing each other. I don't know how to thank you. Thanks to you, I might be able to stop hating myself."
Dennis smiled warmly, "Well, I broke it; I fix it."
Dana laughed at that, and then suddenly realized she was fading from Kathy's body, crossing over to the other side. She was slowly grasping the reality of what was happening, so she asked one final favor of the man, who she still couldn't tell wasn't Jason.
"Can I have one kiss, before we leave each other forever?"
Dennis was kneeling in the tub and he nodded, hoping that Arthur wouldn't mind Dennis fulfilling Dana's request. He brought his lips to hers hesitantly before fully connecting in a kiss. Dana's kiss was similar to Kathy's, except very cold. It gave Dennis chills.
Dana arched her back as the body slowly started to fill with the warmth of life. She had felt love for the first time in years, and she finally had her priorities sorted, beauty being # 31147 on the list. She was fading faster now, almost completely gone.
Her lips began to warm up until they practically burned, causing Dennis to assume that Dana was gone. He slowly pulled away.
Unsure, he asked the young woman in his arms, "Kathy? Is Dana gone? Did I get rid of her?" Kathy stared back at up at him with a sly grin, breathing heavily.
"Wanna make sure?" She giggled, pulling him back in for another kiss.
Her lips muffled Dennis's response. He pulled away long enough to say, "Uhh...Kathy?" And pointed to the door, where Arthur stood, watching.
Kathy made a noise and let him go. The both of them stared at Arthur and struggled to find something to say. With much practice, Arthur had finally mastered the concept of "The Cool Dad", which consisted of staying out of the way unless it was necessary.
"Uh… I guess I'll just… go make dinner, right?" The two nodded, a bit out of beat with each other, as Arthur backed away smiling and trying not to laugh.
Kathy looked back at Dennis with a wild look in her eye, "Dennis? Do you remember the blackmail?"
Dennis furrowed his brow at the question, "The photo… with me and my underwear? Yeah, but- "
Kathy sounded witty, "Well after dinner, I feel like redeeming that favor you owe me." A naughty smile spread across her face.
Dennis matched her smile, and raised her one quick kiss, before climbing out of the bathtub. Slipping off his soaked clothing and putting on a towel, Dennis headed to the door.
"Actually, you cashed in on that favor when I kissed you on prom night, remember?" He stopped at the doorway. He turned at the waist to glimpse back at Kathy, the smirk still playing upon his lips, "So it's a good thing I'm not keeping score… isn't it?"
The End...I think
I am serious this time: I WILL need some new ideas if you readers want me to continue on with this story. Review or send me an email if you have an idea or a comment on the story.