Chapter 3: We All Scream

"Yes, I'll have two cones: one cotton candy with coconut flakes and one strawberry topped with graham cracker bits."

The child stood awkwardly behind the dog, head down, feet shuffling as Brian ordered his usual flavor of choice at their favorite ice cream parlor. He wasn't too concerned about ice cream, at the moment, anyway. His mind was still stuck back on the events that had gotten him here. Over the past few days, he had been trying to avoid Brian. For one, he didn't trust himself enough not to hurt the dog, though that concern had faded with a little time. Now, though, he just couldn't stand how much it hurt to be around him after what had happened.

After what he had done to him…

It had been over a week since Brian had slept with him, and still, there had been no acknowledgment of their night of passion from the canine. Instead, all he seemed to want to talk about was his latest floozy, and so far, Stewie had been able to keep from having to listen to much about that...bitch… He felt like he should be able to come up with a better word for her considering his vast vocabulary, but why bother?

It's not like his heart was in it at all. Not really.

...He hadn't been feeling much of anything while he was alone lately…

"Here you go, kid."

The boy jumped as he was shaken out of his reflections. He looked up at Brian.

"Hmmm…?"

The dog handed him his cone.

"Here. Go pick us out a table."

The baby took his cone and proceeded outside to one of their regular tables, a choice made more out of habit than anything. He took his seat, and while he waited for his...companion, his mind began to travel back in time, once more.

He thought that Brian was going to be out with whatsherface today. He thought he was free to roam the house without having to worry about Brian cornering him.

He wasn't that lucky.

No, that woman had apparently had something come up, and poor sad Brian had decided he was going to still get out of the house, so why not take his "little buddy" out for ice cream? That would be a swell time.

Stewie's grip on his cone tightened as he felt moisture in his eyes. He fought it down, though, tooth and nail. He was not going to break down here. No way in hell!

"She's just so amazing, Stewie! I've never been so happy!"

Brian hadn't waited two seconds after pulling out of the driveway before he started gushing about his new victim. ...Because that's what she was. Or was going to be. Just another notch on the mutt's bedpost. She didn't mean anything. Brian wasn't capable of caring enough for it to.

That's what Stewie kept telling himself at least. It was the only explanation that made sense to him. Surely only someone who wasn't capable of feeling and expressing genuine love could have done to him what the dog had.

...And still...Stewie hadn't interrupted him during the whole drive, hadn't had the heart to bring down Brian's good mood.

What a sucker he was.

How dare you… How dare you still make me care…

"Alriiiiight! Our table was free! Man, everything is just working out for me lately!"

Stewie began to shake slightly as Brian took a seat across from him. The infant had to fight to stabilize his ice cream cone and keep the sweet treat from plummeting to the cold, hard ground below.

It was hard.

It was even harder to muster up a grin as he replied to Brian.

"Yeah… I guess you got it...got it going on...right now…"

Brian began lapping at his ice cream as he simply nodded his head and hummed in agreement.

Stewie just stared at him. He was a master at masking his true emotions, but he knew he was doing a shit job of it right now. Why hadn't Brian said anything about it? Did he honestly think everything was ok, at the moment? Was he that callous?

Just more evidence to support his hypothesis he supposed…

Stewie went to take a lick of his own ice cream, but he felt his stomach start turning as soon as he gave the action a thought, causing him to stop. So...he just sat there, holding his already dripping cone as Brian smiled and dug into his flavorful scoop of cotton candy, not a care in the world.

Fuck you…

When Brian finally did stop with his gratuitous, almost obscene, display, it was only to continue raving about his latest conquest.

"I'm so glad I finally got some time with you. I've been wanting to tell you about Rachel since the first day I met her. You've seemed pretty busy, though. You must be working on something big, huh?"

It wasn't a question that was meant to be answered, a point made all the clearer as the dog flew right past it and continued talking about his own life.

"Anyway, she's perfect for me, Stewie! She just moved into town, so I get to be her guide to everything around here. God, she's so beautiful, too, and sweet."

He chuckled.

"Almost as sweet as this ice cream, and maaaaaaan…"

He whistled.

"Is she car-ra-aaaaazy in bed. Like, wow! Out of this world!"

Stewie gasped, that sick feeling in his stomach growing as he sunk down into his chair, ice cream continuing to drip down his now sticky fingers, body still vibrating as he tried so desperately to hold in all the emotions he was feeling in this moment.

Brian just continued.

"I'm thinking about inviting her over for dinner soon, maybe even tonight. I mean, if she's going to stick around, she might as well meet the family, right? Hey, maybe I'll text her now!"

He chuckled again, but stopped when he seemed to notice something. He pointed at Stewie's ice cream cone.

"Hey, you better eat that. Wouldn't want to waste my money, would you?"

A sniffle.

"No. Of course not…"

Stewie turned his head to look away, not wanting Brian to catch on that his mask was slipping.

"Guess I'm just not that hungry, right now…"

On the way home from the ice cream parlor, Stewie's stomach churned. He forced himself to eat his ice cream since Brian had this look on his face that made the boy almost timid to say he didn't feel like eating it. All smiles, all laughter from the dog while Stewie just sat in his car seat...gripping his stomach and begging himself to not throw up in Brian's car.

When they finally did make it home, Stewie was the first out and he raced inside the house. He went to the restroom upstairs and he forced himself to vomit everything he had eaten. The release was satisfying, the bitter taste grotesque. Some food just didn't taste the same coming back up. He fought back gags and sobs while his head split open with everything that Brian had said during their outing.

Why is he doing this to me…?

Flushing the toilet with everything he had thrown up, Stewie went to the sink to rinse his face. He cupped a small puddle of cool water and splashed his cheeks in hopes it would settle his nerves and the sheer dread he felt. The sensation of cold water meeting hot skin...he'd remember that, he was sure. He used his arm to rub his eyes and he trembled there for a brief moment at the sink before he took a deep and shuddered breath.

He looked at himself in the mirror.

What was there before him was a face he'd never seen before. It was as if the person staring back at him from the mirror was someone completely different. Sunken cheeks, emotionless eyes, pale, and sickly. This wasn't him...this wasn't Stewie.

He lifted his fingers to trace over the skin over his cheeks. He could feel his cheekbone and he traced the length, mesmerized by the curves. It wasn't until he heard Lois downstairs that he came back to reality; that woman's voice so...annoying that Stewie felt his stomach twist and turn once more. He then remembered what Brian had mentioned. Rachel was coming over for dinner.

Rachel...was coming over. She had accepted Brian's invitation while they were still at the ice cream parlor.

Stewie's shoulders sunk and he frowned, watching his image imitate him perfectly. He must have been in the restroom for a while because he was suddenly brought to when he heard Brian coming upstairs. The boy's eyes went wide and he jumped from the footstool so he could barricade the door.

No...not now.

He tightly shut his eyes, teeth clenching hard. He could handle Brian, but not right now. Right now his mind was vulnerable and fragile. He wasn't even too sure what was wrong with him at that moment. All he knew was that he couldn't stand the idea of facing Brian, speaking to Brian...pretending to Brian.

He waited...he waited there, body pinned on the bathroom door to keep it closed; he forgot he could lock it.

Though Brian never did come to the door. Instead the dog's voice was growing softer as he drifted further away. Stewie sighed, relieved. Though he wouldn't take any chances of being caught by the dog. He didn't want to be near him, he didn't want to talk to him, he wanted nothing to do with him. So he slowly opened the bathroom door, making sure that Brian wasn't coming back upstairs. His eyes met his bedroom...he was only a few feet away.

He made a run for it.

He ran to his room and closed the door behind him, locking it securely and he went to the corner of his room, grabbing Rupert where he sat there on his carpet and rocked himself. No words, no breathing, nothing. While he sat in the silence there, he took a moment to think about what would befall him once he met Rachel. What would he do? Would he...kill her? Would he find himself remarkably calm? Calm before the woman who came into his way and stole Brian from him?

"...Stole Brian…? He was never mine to begin with…" Stewie laughed to himself. He found it hysterical. "No...Brian was never mine...I was always his, but he was...never...mine. That's how he is, though...I can't really blame him, but...I hate him…" the boy shook his head and lifted a hand to press a palm against the corner of his eye.

"No...no, I love him. I truly believe I'll love him until the day I die…"

The boy leaned his head back against his wall and he allowed himself to close his eyes. He breathed...slowly...heavily. As doing so, he could vaguely hear the conversations going on downstairs, Brian laughing, Lois and Peter...Meg...Chris. All of them downstairs while Stewie was breaking apart in his bedroom.

Brian sounded so thrilled, he could practically taste it and it made Stewie sick to his stomach all over again. It also made him angry. He still didn't understand how Brian was capable of all this, acting as though he hadn't hurt a fly; such a wicked creature he was.

A hypocrite.

Evil.

Calculating.

A predator.

Stewie hissed and he opened his eyes, a boiling sensation growing in his stomach that travelled to his esophagus. It burned, whatever it was. Brian was killing him and he was doing it without even having to touch him.

"Stewie! Come downstairs, please! Rachel is here."

"..."

Stewie's hands formed into fists, but he stood up. It was almost mechanical how he went to his bedroom door and unlocked it. He swung the door open and let himself leave his bedroom, mental mind controlling physical body and movements. He wanted to see this girl. He wanted to lay his eyes upon this creature, this poor...creature.

Once he was downstairs, he was greeted by the blissful sound of Brian's voice, that song like voice that he always had whenever he was excited or so...happy, it bounced when he spoke. Then...that girl. Rachel.

And lord...was she a sight. Stewie actually found himself intimidated. For once, he was intimidated by a female that Brian brought home. At least with the ones previous to this one, they weren't the brightest; it made Stewie feel superior to be around them, to give them a taste of what he was like; how sophisticated he was, how brilliant he was. Now there was this girl, this beautiful...woman with the greenest eyes and brown hair that glistened; she was the very image of what a woman should look like.

Her slender build that curved in just the right places. Stewie almost threw up at the sight of her.

"Rachel, let me introduce you to Stewie."

Panic.

Brian was now taking Rachel by her hand and he led her to the boy where she smiled so big at him, he almost screamed. Nobody could be perfect, there had to be something wrong with her. Yet Stewie couldn't find a thing. Whatever hope he had by meeting this girl was gone in the blink of an eye and he was coming to realize just how far Brian was from him. One look at this woman...and Stewie knew...this was the one. He didn't need anyone to tell him, he knew it in his bones. This was going to be the girl that Brian would marry one day, and this time...it might actually stick...

"Stewie! I've heard so much about you." Rachel dropped to her knees before the boy, her smile growing. It ticked the boy off.

Get away from me.

"Hi…" was all Stewie could say. It was so sheepish. He heard her chuckle.

"You're so precious! When Brian was telling me about you, I knew I couldn't wait to finally meet you."

Shut up.

"...Nice to meet you, too…"

It was also the fact that she was on her knees, eye level to Stewie that really made him feel uncomfortable. He felt like her prey while she was stalking his every movement, his every thought. If he dared to move, she'd be there...and she'd pounce. She'd kill him.

Though he kept eye contact with her, wanting to prove that he wasn't afraid. Pretty soon, Brian was coming to her side and he reached to take her hand like he had before. She stood up to her feet and Brian pulled her close, smiling so gingerly...so lovingly, it made Stewie almost buckle to his knees.

Go to hell. Both of you.

"Alright, everyone! Dinner is ready!" Lois presented herself merrily while she came into the living room to retrieve Stewie. She lifted him up into her arms and the boy actually gripped her; he needed to hold onto something, but his eyes were on Brian and Rachel following behind. Brian must have said something because Rachel was blushing and shushing Brian…

Fuck you both.

Placing Stewie in his high chair, Lois was soon taking her seat at the kitchen table. Meg followed after, then Chris, and Peter. Brian pulled Rachel's chair out and she took a seat, thanking the dog for being such a gentleman.

Stewie rolled his eyes.

Taking a quick gander around him, he now realized just how extravagant everyone's plates were compared to his. Why that irked him, he wasn't too sure. Yet with his typical meal of oatmeal in front of him, he suddenly felt as if he were being mocked. Why, though? This wasn't anything new. He always had something different to eat every night, but tonight...no, no. He needed to keep what was his. He needed this bitch to know that he wasn't just a baby, he was something dangerous. He needed her to understand that she couldn't cross him like she was; she was marching on hostile territory.

"So please tell me, Rachel…" Lois began, much to Stewie's annoyance while he went to pick up his spoon. Though he didn't eat anything; he was far too nauseous to, "are you originally from here?"

Rachel gave Lois her undivided attention and shook her head before addressing Stewie's mother. It was like that for a while...Lois asking ridiculous questions while Peter chimed in with some stupid commentary, obviously trying to be a part of the family dinner. Chris and Meg seemed to be comfortable with Rachel, but Stewie hadn't said a thing. Rightfully so. He hadn't touched his food the entirety of the dinner. Rightfully so.

Then...something happened. While Stewie was tuning everyone out, he witnessed Brian's paw reach to take Rachel's hand. He saw him...squeeze her hand and he went pale. It was so simple, but the gesture was worth a thousand words. Brian never did that before with any of the other women he dated. He never looked so happy, he never looked so proud...Stewie saw love in his eyes, Stewie saw love when the dog took her hand.

His hand that was holding his spoon began to shake. He was shaking so much, he almost dropped his spoon, in fact. He couldn't stand this. It hurt too much.

Please stop. Don't touch her, Brian.

It only made matters worse when the girl returned the sweet gesture with her own squeeze. It sent Stewie in a whirlwind of many emotions, all death gripping.

No, you can't have him.

The laughter he heard around him was beginning to make him feel dizzy and all he wanted to do now was go back upstairs. All he could do in that moment was just stare at Brian and Rachel's intertwined hands, a sickening emotion taking him to a place he'd never been to before, but Brian put him there. He put him there without caring; he did it...and he was rewarding himself with this woman.

It was almost...as if...Brian were telling himself, "Good boy. Good...dog."

He was alone, and he was thankful.

As soon as Stewie had gotten the chance after dinner, he had bolted back up to his room, an action that probably would've given pause to anyone in the house who actually cared about him. Good thing there was no such person.

He was alone, now, and that's exactly what he wanted. He needed to be alone, needed to deal with these emotions where no one could pity him. Well...all except for one person.

He rushed over to his stuffed bear who was sitting in the far corner, taking a seat next to him before pulling him into his lap.

He squeezed Rupert, squeezed him for dear life as his body started to shake again.

He shut his eyes. He could still hear everyone downstairs, talking loudly and laughing, and the voice that stood out most from the cacophony of braying hyenas was that of Rachel's.

That damn beautiful woman.

He never had a chance…

Why would I even want a chance, now, though!

He growled, teeth clenching hard as he thought about how foolish he was to still be thinking such things. How could he still want Brian? How could he still want that...that monster!?

"Ahhhhhh!"

He screamed and squeezed Rupert tighter, not really caring all that much if it hurt his friend. He could feel his heart speeding up, too, and for a moment, he wondered just how bad all this must actually be for his health.

He's killing me. My god...he's going to kill me…

There were several shaky breaths before the child was able to get his breathing back under control. He started taking slow, deep breaths, trying his best to calm himself. He couldn't...he wouldn't allow that animal another victory. Not like this.

He was stronger than that.

He was better than that.

...right…?

...Maybe he could go somewhere.

It wasn't like him sneaking out of the house was an odd occurrence, and it wouldn't hurt to get away from everything. It might be good for him.

Really, though, the relief would only be temporary, and frankly, he still felt he had enough dignity to not wind up in some stranger's bed accepting a pity fuck.

That wasn't him.

Not yet.

Because he was genuinely worried that's what would happen if he did leave the house. Get a few drinks in him right now, and there was no telling what he would do…

So, what was there left to do than to just remain where he was wallowing in his pity.

Pathetic…

The tenseness in his body floated away, then, but it wasn't due to any kind of relief being felt. No. This feeling was much more like defeat...and acceptance.

He sighed, his grip on Rupert loosening a bit as tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

He fought them, though. It felt like all he was doing anymore was fighting them…

No...not now. ...Brian could come in here.

He swallowed a sob, inhaling sharply before exhaling slowly.

As ashamed as he was by his weakness for Brian, Stewie did feel somewhat proud of his ability to keep himself together. He hadn't broken once while he was downstairs with the family and Rachel. Not. Once. It had been torture, but he'd by some miracle been able to last through that agonizingly long dinner complete with plenty of nauseating public displays of affection between the dog and woman.

Everyone, even the strong ones, had their limit, though.

How much longer before he reached his…?

He opened his eyes, vision having gone blurry due to all the unshed tears still being held in the corners of his eyes.

The boy let go of Rupert and wiped his eyes, causing some of the moisture to fall and run down his cheeks.

This can't go on. What happened...happened. I can't go on like this. I have to find some way to be ok. I have to...move on.

His body shook again at the thought.

Move on…? From Brian…?

He was a super genius, but he still wasn't quite able to process that thought. Brian was his everything. Brian...was a part of him.

...His purpose.

He knew that was his only solution, though.

Stewie finished wiping his eyes before setting Rupert off to the side. He had just needed something to hold. He didn't want to talk, and he could tell that this was all making Rupert uncomfortable, anyway. He would be of no help.

That didn't matter, right now, though. Stewie had just come to a realization. He had to do something, something seemingly impossible, but he knew he still had to do it. It would be the most incredible thing he'd ever done if he somehow managed to accomplish it, but his sanity depended on it.

He had to figure this out.

He had to find some way to move on from Brian.

The following day, Brian decided he wanted to take Rachel out for an impromptu afternoon date. He figured there would be no harm in sharing his and Stewie's favorite ice cream parlor. After all...Rachel was family.

Brian grinned as he drove, music playing in his Prius while he hummed along. Rachel humming as well; it seemed even she had a taste for Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby; that only made Brian more crazy about her. Though even with the comfortable silence between the two, Brian could tell that Rachel was thinking about something.

The way her face just gazed on towards the small shops around Quahog, almost looking quizzical. Brian was growing to love that concentrated face, but his curiosity to know what she was thinking was getting the best of him. "What are you thinking about, baby?" He couldn't help but ask.

Rachel lifted her head so she could look to Brian, smiling a little. She shrugged, not really sure what she was thinking about herself. She just knew she had a lot on her mind in regards to...Stewie. Though she wasn't sure if it was in her place to pry and ask questions. "I'm just thinking about how lovely Lois is and Peter was so charming. Your family is really lovely, Brian. I can see why you love them so much."

Brian chuckled, a wave of relief washing over him.

Even he was a little concerned about how everyone would act around Rachel considering his many dates and how he had tried to establish a relationship with them. Though they would have needed to meet the 'family' so to speak. That was the ultimate test, it seemed. Meeting the Griffin family...and liking them all the same.

Lois was a decent woman, Brian always adored her...and Peter was a good man in his own right, but the only person that the dog wanted approval from was Stewie. If the boy didn't like or felt particularly iffy about a woman Brian brought home, the anxiety Stewie must have felt quickly became apparent to Brian and it made the dog feel the same amount of dread.

He could easily say that a lot of his failed relationships were because he listened to Stewie, but he couldn't deny that the boy knew what he was talking about sometimes. After all, Brian would look to Stewie for guidance because he just wasn't too sure of himself.

Stewie was confident, Stewie was everything Brian wanted to be.

Yet Stewie was Stewie and even he had his faults.

"I'm glad to hear you liked them all, Rachel. They are a good family. Maybe a little much, but they are decent people."

Rachel grew quiet then and she shifted a bit in her seat while Brian drove. Suddenly the atmosphere in the car drastically changed and Brian could feel it.

"Though...it seems you need to talk about something."

The dog felt himself growing concerned. He even frowned as he gave Rachel a side glance. The woman beside him was also frowning, but she seemed more hurt than concerned. Seeing her in such a state really drove Brian to feel sympathetic towards her. Perhaps he had pushed her a little too soon? Was meeting everyone a little too much?

"Are you okay?" Brian asked.

Rachel nodded softly and looked to Brian once more, smiling sweetly. "I'm alright, I just...I don't think Stewie liked me very much."

"..." Brian arched an eyebrow.

That was it?

That was what Rachel was moping about? Stewie? What?

He almost laughed.

"Don't think too much on it, babe. Stewie is just...he's a little rough around the edges." Brian couldn't quite put a finger on it. He understood Stewie better than anyone, but there were some things about the boy that were mysterious. The boy was a master of hiding emotions; it was almost scary.

Rachel quickly went to retort. "But...he looked uncomfortable, Brian. Is he normally like that?"

Brian grew quiet. The truth was...even he wasn't sure. The truth of the matter was...he hadn't taken notice to Stewie acting strange. To him, he was acting as he normally did. A bit reclusive and secretive. He was always like that around new people; especially women that Brian brought to the house.

But...there was something that was bothering him a bit. Stewie was always vocal during dinner events. He wouldn't shy away from his flamboyant personality traits for anything and yet the boy was so quiet last night. He hardly said a word during the entire dinner which was shocking.

Brian tried to laugh it off, but he couldn't deny he was starting to feel a bit...anxiety driven. Anything to do with Stewie and Brian was on edge. "Don't worry about it too much. He's just...he can be melodramatic sometimes. There's really nothing to worry about. He'll learn to love you."

Now pulling up to the ice cream parlor, Brian stepped out of his Prius once he turned it off. He made a quick run to open Rachel's door, being as charming as he possibly could for his girl. She smiled sweetly and even went to kiss his cheek.

Brian grinned and returned the kiss. Only he did so on her lips. Though it was a quick peck, it was still a kiss and Rachel seemed to beam in delight. They both headed inside, the rich aroma of frozen treats overwhelming their senses. Heading to the counter, Brian grinned at the clerk. He was smiling, but he was beginning to feel something quite horrendous now...something he hadn't felt since that night with Stewie. That night...they had…

...perhaps it was the anxiety or maybe it was something much more. All he knew was that...the boy was acting strange.

And he wasn't too sure how he was going to handle it, either.

Whatever...I can't be thinking too much about it now. I'll deal with it when the times comes.

He turned to Rachel and reached his paw out to take her hand into his own. "What would you like, babe?"

Rachel checked over all the flavors, taking a moment to think to herself. Everything sounded amazing, but she eventually decided on a scoop of amaretto ice cream with raspberries as her topping.

Brian nodded and pulled his wallet out, ready to take the orders.

"What can I get for you today, sir?"

"...Yeah...give me a scoop of cotton candy ice cream with coconut flakes and a scoop of strawberry ice cream with graham crackers bits, please."