Pathetic.

"Go away," Chase whispered to himself.

Oh, sure thing. Ol' buddy, ol' pal. Oh wait. I can't I'm programmed in your chip.

"Be quiet," Chase hissed.

Why should I? You're the only one who can hear me? What are you going to do? Ignore me like you do my baby brother?

"He's not your baby brother," Chase said walking in front of a mirror. He paused not seeing his face, but Spike roguish glare. Chase opened his mouth to speak again, "He's mine."

Spike snorted in the reflection.

"Let's be honest with ourselves Chase. Leo's more my brother than he is yours."

Chase blinked seeing and hearing his reflection.

"You're not going crazy are you Chase? Maybe I should be the dominant personality. Maybe I should be the teacher. Maybe you should stay inside the head for a while."

Chase dropped his head. One would say he had a split personality. He liked to think of Spike as an inner demon.

"How can I be a demon when I'm a better brother than you are?" Spike questioned with a smug smile, "Face it Chase. You need me."

"I don't need you."

"Without me, Leo would've been alone and scared. And as much as it pains me, you are me. A little less awesome but still me."

"You're just an app."

"Am I? Am I really just an app? I think. I feel. I react. Maybe you're the app."

"Me?!"

"You're cold. You calculate. You respond logically. You act more like a machiene than I do. Maybe you're the program holding me back. What about that Chase?"

"You liar. I do feel-"

"And you hand the reins to me when you do. Listen, we are two in one body. And if you are going to keep ignoring me and my brother, I will fight you for this body."

"You can't fight me."

"Can't I chase?"

The room melted before Chase's eyes destroying everything but the mirror. The mirror elongated to be a little taller than Chase as Spike stepped out into the abyss they now shared. The glass then shattered, each shard depicting memories with him, Bree, Adam, and Leo. Spike only shown in memories with Leo. Chase only had Leo when he was with Adam and Bree.

"What's going on?" Chase questioned. A lazy smile came to Spike's face.

"Welcome to my part of the brain, Chasie," he snarled. From the inky blackness wood floor appeared beneath their feet. Green walls surrounded them on all sides, one polished wood door as the only exit. In the center was a rich blue couch with two throw pillows. One that said "Home is where the heart lies" and the other "The heart is lost again." Empty picture frames hung on the wall, occasionally holding a crude crayon, marker or paint drawing inside.

"Cozy," Chase muttered. Spike shrugged his shoulders.

"It was Leo's old living room."

"What?"

"He showed me the album. Did you know that his dad worked for the government? And that his parents were divorced because of constant secrets and lies? He hasn't seen his dad in seven years."

"He told you?" Chase asked feeling depressed.

"He was feeling rather chatty. He was excited when his dad sent him a letter. Not so much when others joked he made it up. He wasn't too chatty after that."

"So Mr. Dooley-"

"Fury. His last name was Fury."

"Fury? Leo Fury?"

"Yeah."

"So... Mr. Fury still contacts his son?"

"Whenever he can apparently. He's a busy man. And very secretive. Even Leo doesn't know exactly what he does."

"I see. And what does it have to do with this room?"

"It makes me feel calmer. And a little closer." he stated with a foreign sereness to his face that made him look more like Chase. The face vanished, as did the room in an instant.

"Remember nerd. I'm watching," Spike warned as he disappeared. Chase's eyes flew open. When did he close them? Turning his head he could see he was in his assigned pod, Leo standing right outside.

"Chase? You alright in there?" he asked. Chase stared over Leo for the first time in a long while. Noting small changes. He was standing straighter, yet still low as if weary of who was in control, not wanting to say the wrong name.

His face was full of concern, his eyes expressive of worry, hope and even grief. He had a small scar by his eyebrow, most likely gotten when the ceiling fell on his arm. A small piece of plaster cutting the delicate skin. His hands touched the glass that separated them. His palms and fingers were littered in small scars and calluses, no doubt from working with machinery in an attempt to impress Big D.

Each nic and burn coming from building something now gathering dust, being under appriciated for what it was. His mind niggled at the idea of Marcus being made by those same hands.

Perhaps something else Spike knew that Chase didn't. But he was willing to learn.

Opening the pod, Leo stepped back. Without staying a word Chase stepped out. He stared into Leo's eyes. Without warning, he wrapped his arms tightly around Leo. Tears threatening to slip out of his eyes. Whatever happened to the new goofy little brother he once had? When had he grown into his own, not man, but identity? Where had he been?

"Chase? As much as I like hugs, this is a little awkward," Leo joked. Chase would have let go, but a feeling in his heart told him just to squeeze tighter. Leo didn't say anything more as he wrapped his arms around Chase. Once Chase relaxed, Leo let go. Chase released him after a moment more.

"So, uh, you want to hang out?"

"Sure Chase. What did you have in mind?"

"Why don't you talk to me about your life before all this bionic stuff?"

Leo laughed.

"You don't want to hear about that."

"Sure I do Leo. I want to hear your story."

"It's not so much a story... But if you want to regale in my past epicness and bask in my awesome presence, than who am I to deny?" Leo smiled.

Chase chuckled as he followed Leo to his room, telling a story about how he was almost crowned king of the lions when he was three at the zoo. It wasn't much. But it was a start.

GAH! I wanted to do the Chase and Spike thing but couldn't think of how to end it. So... FLUFF. FLUFF I TELLS YOU. So yeah. Just because I wanted a Chase versus Spike moment.

As for a question I received in a review. These stories are loosely connected. The idea behind spreading and over protective big brother Spike are the running themes. I doubt that it will change. These stories are ideas. One in which people are to use and cultivate more beautiful stories. And since this was just a focus on Spike and Chase, I won't hound for reviews.

Though it is obligatory that I ask.

So, as always, please review.