Despite having a very supportive friend in Lucy Collins, it was becoming apparent how quickly Kevin was beginning to deteriorate.

Games of running around her apartment as superheroes with blankets tied around their necks would end abruptly when Kevin would bang into the wall or table on accident and hit one of the marks his mother had left there. The fresher the mark, the more it hurt, and sometimes he'd collapse crying. Lucy would try to comfort him of course, but there wasn't much she could do; he was absolutely not telling her about his mother. If Lucy found out that even the woman who gave birth to him thought he was one of God's mistakes, then she might start to believe it just like everyone else did. He didn't wanna loose her, she was his best friend.

He felt bad that he was becoming such a lousy playmate however. Their game never lasted long without him breaking down, and out in public he was finding himself staring a thousand yards away. He didn't get why the world was so bad. It could produce people like Lucy, so how come everyone else he'd come across was so….not her?

Lucy awoke to a knocking on her window. That was odd, usually she was the one knocking. Sitting up groggily, she kicked her way out of her sleeping bag and rubbed her eyes. Kevin was crouched on the fire escape with a large grin.

He jumped into the apartment the instant the window was open. "Hiya!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "My name's Hedwig! I have red thocks!"

Lucy blinked, half in morning daze, half in confusion. "Huh?"

"Kevin thaid you live down here." His eyes skimmed the area. "It's really empty, and it smells like old people. I got blue thocks too." He said all of this very fast.

"….H-How, how old are you Hedwig?" Lucy frowned.

"Duh." He rolled his eyes. "Nine, just like you silly. Kevin thaid you'd play with me. Will you play with me?"

Deciding to put aside her questions to ask Dennis later, Lucy forced a smile onto her face. "Sure. What do you wanna play?"

Hedwig was the exact opposite of Kevin. He was energetic, easily excitable, and couldn't seem to stop talking for a minute. He was beginning to tire Lucy out, and she was pretty sure it was only noon.

When she mentioned lunch, Hedwig nearly jumped up and down, insisting they go get hotdogs. Lucy had no idea where they were supposed to get those from, and was absolutely certain that Kevin had told her once that he thought hotdogs were disgusting.

"Hedwig, can you give the light to Dennis for a minute?" she asked the nearly vibrating child. "Just so I can tell him we're going out, see if he wants anything."

"Okay!" it was amazing how his expression went from overly eager to Dennis' signature stone.

"What exactly's going on?"

"The kid showed up last night." Dennis explained. "He's like a walking ball of sugar." Lucy rolled her eyes at that. "Kevin thought he'd be a good playmate for you; since he's been kinda off lately."

Her face dropped. "Well not that I don't like Hedwig, but Kevin should never think he needs to be replaced. He's my best friend."

"He knows that. He just wants you to be happy."

Lucy was beginning to notice she was seeing less and less of Kevin after that. Though she liked spending time with Dennis and Hedwig, she was worried over her friend retreating into his mind too much. She was also worried as to what could possibly be causing such a thing.

It was interesting though, to deal with two alters instead of one. While Lucy continued to age, Hedwig remained nine. He was very difficult to corral in school, and his overly innocent nature made him more of a target for bullies than Kevin had been. This often lead to him running crying into Lucy's arms, and becoming Velcro to her side whenever he had the light.

Lucy was ten when bullies started to get a lot worse. Instead of mean tricks and cruel words, physical force was now in play, and while Dennis was incredibly strong, Hedwig wasn't. It didn't help that classes split them up occasionally. There was something about not being in the presence of Kevin or one of his alters that made Lucy retreat back into the girl she had been before she met them; shy, quiet, and often not paying attention to the world around her.

Which was probably why she didn't know why the upperclassman holding her by her collar against the lockers was so mad at her.

Next thing Lucy knew, she was being shoved into her own locker, and the door was being shut, locking from the outside. Her chest instantly felt tight; this was a far smaller space than the closet. It was darker too.

'You'll stay in there until you learn!'

"Papa…." Lucy muttered. "No, Papa please. I promise I'll be good…" she pushed against the metal door, but it remained firmly in place. "Papa…? Papa…." She whimpered before she finally broke, flailing and pounding against every side of the locker. "Lemme out! Lemme out, I'm scared! Papa, please! Papa!"

Hedwig had gone looking for Lucy after their last period when she didn't meet him at the bus stop. She had probably stayed behind to talk to a teacher, or had been drawn into the art room again. Lucy loved art, and the endless possibilities in that room drew her in like a moth to a flame.

There was a banging sound coming from down the hall, and being the curious boy he was, he followed it.

"Papa!" someone was screaming "Papa!"

"Lucy?" Hedwig ran up to a locker to that was practically vibrating. There were dents on the door made by something on the inside. "Lucy!"

"Papa, please! Papa!" Lucy continued to scream, too hysterical to hear him.

Turning inward into his own head, Hedwig entered the room with chairs. "Mr. Dennith!" he shouted, running towards the older alter. "Mr. Dennith help! Lucy's in trouble!"

The shift on the face of the ten year old boy was almost immediate. It took Dennis half a second to figure out what was going on before he was prying the locker door off by its hinges, causing a delirious Lucy to fall into his arms.

"Hey, hey, Lu calm down." Dennis attempted to sooth, grabbing her arms when she kept trying to hit the door that was no longer there. She'd done some serious damage to her hands, and he could see bruises starting to form on her arms and legs as well. "You're safe now, you're safe. It's me, it's Dennis!"

"…Dennis…." Lucy said in a soft, shaky whisper.

"It's okay now. I've got you, I promise."

******
Both Lucy and Kevin did not go to school for the rest of the week. Lucy saw more of Kevin than she had in quite a while, even if it was just him holding her against him on the floor of her apartment. She needed him, so there he was.

Kevin wanted desperately to be able to say something reassuring, but all his words died on his tongue. What could he say? That things would get better? How? They were two unwanted children and the only person who'd ever given a damn about him was sitting right next to him and he couldn't even help her!

Every time he was in tears, his mother would give him a speech about God. Supposedly, if he prayed long and hard, God would give him salvation – though she didn't exactly know it was salvation from her he was looking for.

Perhaps it was a selfish wish. He had read multiple cases in the Bible where being kind to the people around you got you the greatest reward in the end. Selfishness was a sin, but he'd never really had anyone else to pray for.

Till he met Lucy. Sweet, brilliant, kind, funny, amazing Lucy Collins. If angels existed, she was one of them. She had been through so much pain however, yet she still managed to welcome him and the others into her life with open arms. Those brilliant green eyes had a light that he prayed would never fade. Those talented hands could pull off a million different projects that he prayed would get to be in a museum one day.

But most of all, and perhaps falling back into the selfish category, he prayed he would never lose her. She had only been around a few years, but he couldn't imagine his life without her.

She deserved better though. She deserved parents who loved her, an apartment with real furniture, and a best friend that didn't have a novel long list of issues for her to put up with.

He had faith in Lucy, but his faith in everything else was wearing. What was the point in routing for a losing team that doesn't even seem to try?

The window was already open when Lucy climbed up to it late one Sunday morning. She knew Kevin's mother dragged him to church with her every week, but he ought to be back by now.

What she did not expect, was to find the boy knelt beside his bed, hands folded. He appeared to muttering prayers under his breath.

"Hello?" Lucy called, uncertain who currently had the light.

He looked up and when he turned to face her Lucy saw a serene expression she had never seen on her friend's face before. "Hello dear." A British accent that was certainly new said kindly. "I was wondering when I would get to meet you."

"Er, sorry, but who are you?" she frowned.

"Oh! How rude of me!" standing up, the new personality walked up to the girl sitting in the window and held out a hand. "My name's Patricia."

"Lucy." She shook his – her – hand. This was different; all the other personalities in Kevin's body were boys. She hadn't been aware having a female one as well was even possible.

"Oh yes, I know all about you." Patricia smiled at her. "You've done so much for the boys, you've been more kind than anyone we've ever come across."

"Kevin's my best friend." Lucy said simply. "Dennis and Hedwig are a part of him, and that makes them my friends too. You as well, if you'd like."

Patricia clapped her hands together with a gleeful expression, as though that was exactly what she'd wanted to hear. "Absolutely! Oh, we're going to have such fun!"

Lucy had never had a female influence in her life. She had no memories of her mother, and no one had ever come around to fill the whole. Patricia seemed all too happy to however; gossiping about everything under the sun while she braided Lucy's hair. She wasn't aware that was a skill her friend had, but then again all the personalities had their own.

"You really are such a beautiful girl, Lucy." She said softly. "I imagine boys will be throwing themselves at your feet when you get older."

Lucy grimaced. Some of the kids in their class were beginning to start puberty, and suddenly who was dating who was a big deal. She'd never seen the appeal. "I think I'll stick to you guys."

A strange look overcame Patricia's face at that. "You mean that?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

"We aren't exactly the best of company…"

"Yes you are!" Lucy took Patricia's hands, making her look up at her. "Patricia, you and the boys are the most extraordinary people I've ever met! I wouldn't trade you for the world."

"You would be the first to think so…" she looked down bashfully. "Kevin has lost his faith in a lot of things you know; it's how I came to be. But he has such high faith in you. You may be the only thing left in the world that he truly believes in."

Lucy smiled, a little sadly. "It's hard to believe in something you can't see the proof of." Kevin's mother was very religious. He had been raised to believe in things like God, but had always found it extremely difficult; yet another reason he'd end up feeling worthless and ashamed.

"What do you believe in?" Patricia looked at her curiously.

Lucy looked up in thought for a second. "You." She decided. "You, and Kevin, and Dennis, and Hedwig. That's what I believe in."

While Lucy had been grateful for even one friend, having four was so much fun. It was interesting that, though they were all in the same body, it still felt like they were playing as a group.

She and Hedwig ended the night eating popcorn and watching a movie on the portable DVD player they'd brought down from Kevin's room. Their eyes were beginning to droop as the credits rolled, and Hedwig yawned as he curled into Lucy's side.

"'Night Luce." He said sleepily. "Love you."

Lucy's eyes snapped over to him and she suddenly felt very awake. "Yeah…I love you guys too…"