Collect Chap. 7 - Skeptical Reuniting

You're Rose Lalonde, and you're a bit fed up.

You sit on the couch of the living room, foot shaking, finger tapping. You sit there and wait until the lock on the front door turns and the door opens, showing a tired looking Dirk.

"You look crabby," he snorts.

"You would be too. Your stupid boyfriend attempted to pound my skull in with a metal candle stand."

"He's not my--what? Where is he?"

"Probably upstairs where I left him unconscious."

"Jesus dick, Rose, what did you do to him?"

"Baseball bat to the head. He had it coming."

Dirk only groans before taking off up the stairs to the bedrooms where you left young English with a bleeding head. Turning back to the door, a smile breaks on your face when Roxy, John and someone who somehow looks like Dave comes in.

John hugs you first, clutching you extra tightly. He even kisses your cheek, telling you that you look great, and then Roxy is wrapping her arms around you.

"Heeey, Rosey!" she drones. "Looking real cute!"

"And you're looking quite sober," you chuckle.

Roxy just laughs, and you think of your mom for a bit.

"Where's Jake and Dirk?"

"Upstairs."

She gives you one more squeeze, then takes off up the stairs. You look at your ecto-brother you haven't greeted yet, but he's leaning back against the wall with his head down, hands over his ears.

"He was in the asylum," John says quietly.

"That's what Dirk said," you mutter. "How's he doing?"

"Better than when he was in the hospital. I think it's because he's around us. He needs things quiet, okay? Loudness freaks him out. He needs someone watching him all the time."

"Why is he like this?"

"All the extra Daves he made in the different timelines. They're all in his head, because it was the only place for them to go after we won the game. You'd think that he could control them because they are him, but they've all been through different things, so that makes each of those Daves a little different. So he's got thousands of different thoughts going on at once right now."

You look back at Dave. He's still keeping to himself. You try to approach him, and John doesn't stop you, and Dave only gives you attention by raising his eyes to meet yours.

"Hey," he says.

"Hi, Dave. You all right?"

"I'm all right."

"Good. You tired? Want to go lie down?"

"Do you have a white bathroom with a fan?" he asks.

"Um, yes. Upstairs."

He nods and gives you a small, careful hug. He even gives your hair a soft pet. "I missed you." Then he passes by and takes John's arm, pulling him with him up the stairs. You're left alone after, so you go upstairs too, turning into Dirk's bedroom where he's talking with Roxy. Jake is lying on the bed--still unconscious--while Dirk holds a bloody rag to the back of his head.

"You hit him hard, Rose," Dirk sighs.

"He's the one who tried to kill me," you defend simply.

"If he goes in a coma, I'll kill you."

"Oh, real scary threat from a Strider."

Roxy chuckles a bit, then gently runs a hand through Jake's hair. "Dirks says you found him in blood."

"Yes. With a body. He didn't want to discuss it, although I did press for it. I am determined to get to the bottom of this though and figure out what's wrong. Maybe a bug from the game, or more severe side affects than what we have, because no one can deny that they still get nightmares."

Dirk says nothing. Roxy shrugs. You all get nightmares. Even you, who should be able to psychologically analyze yourself to fitness gets nightmares where you wake up screaming with Lord English's eyes still flashing in the back of your head.

You look at Dirk, thinking about what he said on that first phone call a while back. "Do you really think it's him?" you ask.

"I believe it's Jake," he replies.

"Only him?"

He pauses. Shifts. Admits, "No."

"Can we fix something like that?"

"You're the shrink."

Roxy questions, "What are you two talking about?"

"We think it's Lord English," you say. "Using him as a vessel. Most likely reason as to why he tried to kill me, and to why he killed the ones before."

"You think he's killed more than the body you found him?"

"I could tell. He seems quite disturbed. Even the meer mention of death has him shuddering."

"The point is," Dirk says, "when will he wake up?"

"Perhaps tonight. Now what do you propose we do about keeping him locked up?"

"I'll watch him," Dirk offers.

"What if he hurts you?"

Dirk scoffs at that. "He couldn't kick my butt during the game in wrestling matches."

"Yes, but if he doesn't wake up as himself? You won't be fighting agaisnt Jake, you'll be fighting against our greatest enemy."

"We beat him once, we can do it again."

"We beat him with an army of ghosts. And we were all god tier."

Dirk is quiet. Roxy lays her head on his shoulder, and he wraps an arm around her. Then he asks, "Anything about Jade or Jane?"

"No," you say sadly. "But I'll keep looking."

"What if something is wrong with one of them?" Roxy proposes. "Like, what if one of them is distrubed like Dave?"

"Dave is the way he is because he was the time player. I wouldn't doubt that Aradia is having the same issues back on Alternia or something."

"Have you tried to contact them at all?" Dirk asks.

"I tried again today, but there was nothing."

"Well, Karkat first messaged John before the game to troll him. Try making another acount, but use John's old chumhandle. Maybe he'll contact you then."

"Or maybe he's been culled for his blood."

"So morbid, Rose."

"Only logic."

"Look, we had a long trip. Let's talk about the depressing stuff later, all right?"

"Right. I'll make something for dinner I suppose."

"I'll help soon," Roxy offers.

With a small nod, you back out of the room, leaving them to tend to Jake. You head for the bathroom instead, hearing that the fan is running, and by the dim light under the door you can tell that the master lights aren't on. Due to Dave's fear of loud noises, you don't knock. You just nudge it open very carefully and peek in.

Dave and John are lying in the bathtub together. Dave must have been on the verge of freaking out, because he's shaking right now, curled in against John's chest.

John raises his eyes, seeing you, and makes a weak smile. "Hi," he whispers.

"Hey. Everything okay?"

"Yes. He just needs to calm down. He'll be okay by supper."

"Should I leave?"

"I think he's better. You can sit down."

You do, carefully seating yourself on the tub edge. You look in at Dave, noticing how incredibly small he is, and then all the scratches on his arms and neck.

"The people in the hospital shouldn't have let him do this," you say. "They are to heal both the mind and body."

"Yeah, well they were a bunch of douche bags," John sighs. "I swear, every little thing he did they would strap him down in a chair for it. Even for just yelling. I bet the sick bastards enjoyed it. I mean, I know he wounded people, but they really weren't helping. Especially if he spent over six months there."

"Hurting people?"

"When they hurt him. Like, when they're too loud or being too rough. He hurts them. One time when I walked in, he had sliced someone face with a knife he stole off of someone."

You look at John nervously, and you can't help but reach in to lay a hand over his against Dave's back. You've just missed him a lot. He smiles lightly again, holding your hand, then sighs and brings Dave's head closer in against his chest when his shivering starts up again.

"John, I don't think you should be alone with him," you say quietly.

"He won't hurt me."

"He cut someone's face open."

"He was scared."

"And if you scare him?"

"He won't hurt me, Rose."

"You don't know that!"

"AAAAHH!" Dave covers his ears, letting out a pained groan. You scold yourself inside for having raised your voice, watching as John pulls him in, uncovering one of Dave's ears so that he can shush him. It works quicker than you expected, and Dave is calm again, but he keeps whining, "I won't hurt him, I won't hurt him, I wont, I would never, I would never hurt him, no. No, no, no, I won't, I promise I won't."

"Shh. I know. It's okay," John murmurs.

Gently, you stroke a hand over Dave's head, then get up and leave. Even if he is a bit... crazy, you trust Dave. He's never hurt you, and he kept you safe on the meteor all those years.

Roxy joins you in the kitchen later, like she said. It's calm talking to her, and easy, even if she is a little quirky. But you understand each other's humor, and you both remind the other of your moms, and that makes you smile more. Dirk eats his dinner upstairs, keeping an eye on Jake who hasn't woken yet. Dave and John come to dinner, but Dave never speaks, just keeping his headphones on to keep the noise out.

He stays after, though. You all hang out in the living room, talking about what you've all been doing. Dave sits on the floor near John's legs while John keeps petting his head, keeping him calm, which allows Dave to speak like his old self. He even smiles some.

You explain how you and Dirk found each other at an ice cream shop in Ohio. You were taking a break from shopping around bookstores, and he was just in there. Of course you stuck with him after that, and with his expert knowledge of technology, he made fake IDs. Gave you names, got money with some codes—something he refuses to share with you—and you both purchased a large Victorian home for you both to live in with enough room for everyone else once you found them.

And now you have six out of eight. You couldn't be happier. And you feel like either Jade or Jane might be very close by.




You’re Jake English, and your head hurts like hell.

Groaning, you touch the sore spot, only to find bandaging. You sit up at the same time, praying your dream didn’t come true. You had been over Rose’s bed. It was dark. You wanted to kill her. Oh God…

“Jake?”

With a slight gasp, you turn your gaze, seeing a blurry image. So you look for your glasses, finding them on the nightstand. After quickly slipping them on, you turn to your other side to find the source of the voice.

Dirk. You say it in your head, rather than aloud, just staring at him.

“Hey,” he says with a very soft chuckle.

“Hello,” you say by common reflex.

“You look like shit.”

You grin. “And you don’t.”

Still smiling, he embraces you, and you hold back as tightly as you can. You knew you were going to see him, but you can’t believe that it’s actually him. He even still smells like the old Dirk, and his voice sounds the same, and he feels a little thinner, but it’s still his body that you’re holding.

“I’ve missed you,” you say, your grin still plastered on.

“You’re telling me.” He untwines himself from you, easily taking his shades off. “But you don’t have to anymore if that’s what you’re worried about.”

You chuckle, unable to let go of some of his shirt. You don’t want him lose him. Not after all these months. “Dirk, I fucked up.”

“You didn’t do anything,” he assures you. “It’s not you.”

“Did I…? Rose…?”

“She’s fine, I promise. She wasn’t in the room. But she did whack you with a baseball bat.”

“I don’t blame her,” you sigh, touching the sore spot on your head again. “The last thing I need from her is an apology.”

“Glad you agree.”

“I didn’t hurt you, right?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Maybe… I shouldn’t stay? I should be in an asylum like Dave! I don’t want to hurt you guys. I don’t want to kill you  guys.”

“You won’t. I’ll watch you.”

“What if you can’t take me?”

“Ha! Jake, you humor me.”

You sigh, giving him a look. He sighs right after, moving from his chair and onto your bed instead. The way his arm rests around you is familiar, and you’re tempted to lean into it, and your stupid gaze is settling on his exposed neck, and holy shit, focus, English.

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” he says.

“And if I hurt you tonight?”

“I’ll hurt you back.”

“Fine.”

He stays by you all night. Neither of you ready for bed or say goodnight. You both end up just lying down, your head on his shoulder and his arm over your waist. His fingers draw circles and designs in your back when he thinks you’re sleeping.

God, it’s nice. You’ve missed him so much. All you can do is pray that you’ll stay yourself for the night.