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Monsters and Ladybugs - Ch 01

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Monsters and Ladybugs
By Kitteh and NeoFox
Rating: PG 13
Disclaimer: Smeets will eat our souls if we dare claim Invader Zim.  So yeah, Jhonen can keep his smeets of DOOM!  We just want to borrow Dib and Dwicky for a fic, so calm yourselves.
Summary: DADR.  Three years later Dwicky comes back to fix what he messed up. But the little boy he left behind is no longer the same energetic soul from before and now may just be too broken to reach.
Beta: Reaperofhate

Chapter 01

The Crazy House for boys had always housed the most insane minds around the city. It was where parents locked away the children who were no longer stable enough to think for themselves. Whenever one was committed to this certain building, there was a good chance the child would not come out for a long while. Only one soul had ever come out of The Crazy House as quick as he came in, but those days were no more.
Deep inside the building, on the lowest level, housed the most insane. Each room was bolted, and only few knew each code to get in. It was rare that even doctors came by to see the patients on this certain level, for fear of their manic behavior becoming too violent. The worst case of them all was on the furthest side of the room; a door to the very back. The patient who was behind the metal was usually quite silent, but for now the moment was different.

"He's going to kill you all!" The scream was heard from behind the locked door while the owner behind it tried to glare straight through the metal. There was an echo from the words and it had the small body of what was now a worn out and pasty Dib, shaking with manic laughter; a familiar sound that was laced with insanity. The sudden movement the shaking caused had him falling on his back, but the laughter never stopped, even as the straight jacket threatened to tighten with each noise and jerk. "He's going to kill you! All of you!" They would come. Someone would come and try to shut him up. It always happened. More pills and more shots, but he would continue to warn them. He would warn them until they all believed.

Ah yes, there they were, the careful foot steps of his silencers. One, two, three pairs of feet, truncating until there was only one that stopped in front of Dib's door.

There was muttering then, soft and decisive, one could only assumedly decipher it as 'This many more mil!', 'Up it this many G's!'. Whatever was spoken, the ending could clearly be heard as: 'Watch out for his big mouth, he bites'. There was an uneasy silence to that response.

But soon to follow was the musical sound of a code being pressed; the soft cryptic tune of beeping was changed after each visit. Some maddened music student had almost escaped learning the chord.

Immediately there was a buzz and the loud ‘clack!’ signaling thick locks giving and the metal door, with an angry groan, slid open.

It wasn't the usual doctor, with the thin lips, horribly long off-white teeth and loose latex gloves, brandishing his usual syringe of 'feel good', nor the large, burly, thick-necked nurse called Molly, who forced quiet-time pills down any orifice she could manage inside of Dib. No, this time it was something far more nostalgic that clacked their shoes into Dib's padded home. Unsure and disapproving glances had the small cell taken in, but something else fell on Dib, who was screaming something inane in the dead center of it all.

They gestured in some form of assured bravery for the door to be closed behind him, flinching when the final slam of metal came behind.

No rumbled tie this time, we wouldn't want anyone to fall and accidentally hang themselves; but every gesture, every pause and take of breath hadn't changed. But this time, this visit was his to make. "Dib?" they forced hesitation out of their voice. "Dib, can you hear me?" Text book, completely text book.

It wasn't the noises outside the room or even the slam of the door which got Dib's attention; he had actually gotten very used to those over the years. Instead, what had him sitting upright so quickly was the sound of a voice. No one had ever tried to speak to him in so long. The usual doctors and nurses who came with his medication just did their business and left. There were no visitors and he had accepted that. All he had come to hear was his own voice.

Just as quickly as Dib sat up, he had scurried back towards the farthest wall in the cell. His body was used to the straight jacket, so there was little to no struggling on his part while trying to hurry away. As soon as his back hit the wall, he huddled down and kept his eyes near the door, looking past the figures, never at them. "Get out of my head! I'm not crazy! He's going to do it! Stop telling me things!"

The figure at the door was startled at the outburst, watching Dib with wide eyes for a long moment, until the padded walls ate the echo of the boy's scream. They didn't near Dib, not a step closer did they move. No medicines, clip boards, pen, or note pad, no stack of inkblots that all looked like aliens of some sort accompanied them; just one stark man that kept respectfully on his side of the padded cell.

"Do you recognize me, Dib?" they continued on in that same calm, careful tone. "It's been a long while, so you might not remember me. But I've come to visit you today." They pressed their fingers together in front of themselves in a habitualyl serious gesture.

The silence that came over the small room was tense, and all that could be heard was Dib's harsh breathing. The boy's eyes darted around the room, as if trying to find an actual way to escape the figure that had invaded his personal domain. When nothing was of any help he started to jerk and twist around in the straight jacket, but nothing was of any use. "I know who you are." The words came out shaky and demented. "You're one of them; one of the ones that eat away at my mind. You're one of the reasons why they won't let me out of here." Slow quiet laughter started to form beneath his voice. "You've actually come to life. I knew you would one day."

There was the briefest of pauses as the other near the door let his hands fall gently at his sides; hidden disappointment, but he shouldn't have expected much else.

"I'm Mr. Dwicky." They forced a wide smile; a practiced smile that was learned years ago back when he was- "I was your old skool counselor, way back when." The man made his smile a little wider, a little more optimistic. "Do you remember? I've come to talk to you. Today."

The laughter slowly died away at those words. Dib's fearful expression softened somewhat, and, if one was to look hard enough, there could have been a bit of recognition in his eyes. Just as soon as any of it had passed, it was all gone just as quickly. "Liar." The word had come out harsh and whispered. "Liar, liar, liar." His whole body moved away from the floor as he struggled to stand. "He's gone. You're not him." With weak steps, he walked towards the man. His head stayed bowed the entire time, refusing to look at who he considered to be an imposter. "You've come to hurt me. Why do you want to hurt me?"

Dwicky straightened, but didn't step away as Dib teetered nearer. His eyes kept on the boy, never leaving although the other seemed damned if he were going to acknowledge him with a look.

The man's voice didn't falter, but fell quieter, falling to deep rooted sincerity, in hopes that Dib would at least understand the next words said. "I'm back now, Dib. It is me, I am Mr. Dwicky. I don't want to hurt you." The man's hands rose, though he would have liked to place them calmingly on Dib's shoulders. He knew better than to connect physically just yet. If anything, they stayed poised, to prove harmlessness. "I've never wanted to hurt you. I want to help you. I've come here to help you."

Dib continued to take uneasy steps towards the other until he suddenly stopped. His whole body swayed just a few inches from the man, and it seemed as if he were in danger of falling over. "Help me?" A small quiet giggle came from the boy's lips before he finally lifted his head to stare the other in the face. He leaned his whole body forward, having to stand on wobbly tip-toes to actually get face to face, not even that being enough. "You want to help me? Dwicky didn't want to help me. You're a liar." Another quiet laugh came from him before he backed off. "Liar, liar."

"I did. I really did." Dwicky answered quietly back, not about to speak loudly at Dib's close proximity. "And I still do. That's why I came back." He kept his eyes lowered on the boy, on his face. Something was missing, something Dwicky had to recall back from memories of an animated, hyper child who did everything for everyone but himself. Though it would explain why Dib was constantly squinting.

A hand finally settled on Dib's shoulder, the action obvious, like you would to a wild animal as to not startle it. It was just a touch enough to keep Dib from a new stagger so he wouldn't fall over in his animosity. "I came back for you," Dwicky spoke then, finishing quietly with the boy's name "Dib." There was a brief pause as Dwicky quickly forced himself to continue "To help you... get better."  

Dib's eyes went from the other's face to quickly land on the sudden hand that was on his own shoulder. Once again he found himself struggling with the straight jacket, but he gave up quicker than last time. His whole body slumped and he let his eyes fall from the hand to the floor. "Dwicky..." There had been no manic tone or laughter trailing with the name. It was just empty and hollow as it was said.

As soon as the name left his mouth though, Dib went rigid once again. He struggled to move the hand off of his shoulder and backed once again towards the wall. His eyes stayed glued on Dwicky, even as he started to mumble. "You know. You can tell them. You know everything. Then everyone can be okay again and I can stop him."

Careful fingers curled within themselves as soon as the touch of worn fabric left, the hand itself lowered but never truly returned back to the man's side. Something in Dwicky perked, it could be heard in the man's voice, it brightened. "Yes, Dwicky." Dib did remember, a sliver, a sliver was all that Dwicky needed right now.

"Stop who, Dib?" the man voiced, slowly shaking his head. "There's no one to stop. I know just as much as everyone else; just as much as you."

There was no piece of furniture, no bed, no luxury of any sort, save for worn out padding against the walls for one to bash their worries straight out of their skull. Otherwise Dwicky would have invited Dib to 'have a seat, and a nice chat' (a horrid counselor habit), but there was nothing but the scruffy, questionable looking floor. So the man took as pacifistic a step as he could towards Dib, stopping at one to see how the boy took an approach.

"Zim!" The name was shouted so loudly that it surely would have echoed outside the large metal door. Dib's wide gaze moved away from Dwicky, even as the man approached, just so he could look down at the floor and anything in between. "I have to stop Zim. I have to get out of here. I can't stay in here. Without me there to stop him, he'll do it." He suddenly moved his eyes back up to Dwicky, as if, just then, realizing that the other was walking towards him. He pushed back against the wall as best he could, while shaking his head. "Stay away from me."

The man stilled himself. He'd long stopped, but, now, even his breath halted for that moment, his thick brows furrowing. Like that, he stayed.

'Zim.' Zim, Zim, Zim. Dwicky knew the name well; how could he not when it had been that very same name that had been on the boy's tongue every sentence, every subject? It had been so cute and comical then, that obsessiveness; obsessive-compulsive disorder to cover up some sort of repressed childhood trauma, or perhaps hidden homosexual tension. But this wasn't some silly little play ground crush. Not anymore.

"Dib...” Dwicky strained the boy's name softly. "The world is fine. Earth is fine. It's been several years since you've played that silly game with... Zim." The other boy's name felt so foreign, awkward on Dwicky's tongue, but he said it as simply as he could. "Nothing has happened." He fanned out his hands loosely at his sides in gesture "As you can see, everyone is fine. Everything is perfectly normal." His hands lowered and so did his voice, so carefully "There's nothing to worry about anymore, Dib."

Dib's wide eyes slowly started to narrow. "Game..." His sudden fear of Dwicky seemed to be put on hold as he stared at the man with an intense gaze. "What game?" Instead of waiting for an answer, he went on, still struggling to press back against the wall, in case Dwicky decided to step forward again. "He's still out there. Nothing is normal in here. Nothing is normal at all. You remember right? You remember everything, right before they took you away." His struggling ceased after those few words, and he tried to huddle in on himself, but the jacket refused him the comfort. "He's going to kill you all, and it will be my fault. It's all going to be my fault. I have to get out; you have to let me out."

All that came of Dwicky was a slow shake of head, and a softer edge came to a usually wide pretentious smile. When he settled his eyes back on Dib, it was upon that once sharp jut of black hair that flagged the top of the boy's head, now as frayed as the boy's nerves were.

"You've gotten much taller since I've last seen you." Dwicky smiled a little more in his voice than on his mouth. "Always a person of great responsibility, even at a young age; always wanting to do so much for so many. I'm sure you've done a lot of great things. But... what about you, Dib?"  

"They won't let me go." Those were the only words that came from Dib for a long while after what Dwicky had asked. The boy's eyes had moved back down to stare at the padded floor, looking at each small tear that had been made in the fabric over the years. Slowly, one of his legs moved out away from his body. His feet wiggled inside the worn out sock that was on his foot, his boots having been taken away long ago as a precaution. None of the doctors wanted to be kicked upside the head during one of his fits.

"They talk to me." Dib continued to speak, even as he placed his foot on the floor and began to move his toes around in circles, "Voices in my head. They tell me that I failed. They tell me that it's all going to be over soon." His toes continued to move in small, uneven patterns against the padding. After a few seconds, he lifted his eyes to stare back at Dwicky with empty eyes. "I've done nothing great. Why do you think I'm here?"

Dwicky's gaze shifted closed, but never moved from Dib; he couldn't. "You're a good kid, Dib. I know you are." His vision followed from the boy's hollow expression to the buckles, straps to the sad worn sock and lonely toes that traced the tantrum beaten floor. When Dwicky's gaze was brought back, it was in a pang that he wish didn't show in but a subtle look. "That's why I came back to this town: to see you." Professionalism stole away the personal emotion welling somewhere, be it pity, or guilt, it had to be set aside; for now… for this. "Dib... I'd like to visit you more often; keep you company in this… freaky estate. Be your personal counciler." There was a pause as he pressed his fingertips together, nervous and hopeful at the same time. "I'd come to visit each day. We can talk about anything you'd like; anything that you want to get off your chest." A hand parted from the other, reaching subtly to Dib in a kind gesture. "I'm here to listen to you. I'm not going anywhere. Not this time, I promise." Dwicky smiled a little more, nodding dark stray hair onto his line of sight. "I'm here to stay."

Dib kept his eyes on Dwicky for a few moments longer, before he let them fall back down to his foot. His expression turned to confusion, as if he didn't remember even moving his leg out in the first place, and quickly pulled it back as close as he could. "You lied to me." Even as he spoke Dib kept his eyes down and his voice low. There was a faraway tone to his voice as he continued, "You said you believed me. You hurt me. Everyone wants to hurt me. I just want to help, but no one wants to listen." Once again Dib raised his head to look the other in the eyes, his head titling to the side as he studied the figure across from him. "You believe me now, right? Listening means you believe, right?"

"Listening means I believe in you, Dib." There was a gentle nod to match. "I lied because I believed in you; I wanted to help. I was there to hear the real problem. And I'm here now to hear it again. I'll listen to whatever it is that you want to say. I'm here to talk about your problems; about what hurts." Dwicky took another step towards Dib, hoping the order to 'stay back' was forgotten and discarded. "Anything; about your home, your family… about the fact," he stopped before he was too close, giving the fidgety boy room enough for personal space, and then some. "That must hurt;" a finger pointed to between Dib's eyes, "no glasses."

Dib made no move to press further against the wall. His only concern was the words which had come from Dwicky's mouth. "You said it again. You said you believe me." After a few seconds, the small trance was broken, and his attention was once again grabbed by the finger pointing towards his face. "Hurt?" He went cross eyed for a few seconds, trying to look down his own nose, but gave up trying to see and looked away to the side. "It doesn't hurt anymore. They hurt me a lot in here, anyway." A small grin came over his face, and it seemed as if he was talking more to himself than to Dwicky. "No, Dib, put the needle down! Don't bite the doctor, Dib! Stop being so unstable, Dib!"

"Hmm." Dwicky's finger pointed lower "That would explain the new jacket." A weak sort of grin spread on his face, in a strange way, because of Dib's. There was something relieving to see a smile on the other's face, no matter how twisted or demented; it was nice to know that he was still able to, for whatever reasoning.

Another step, another few measurements closed the gap, the calm look still kept on the man's face. "But I'll keep on saying it. If you give me a reason to, I'll believe in you." Dwicky stopped when he was close enough to speak softly, "I'll hear what no one else wants to hear."

Dib's head snapped back to look up at Dwicky, the sudden closeness causing him to be on alert. The grin that had been on his face disappeared immediately, and only a blank expression came over his face at the words the other spoke. For a long while, he continued to just sit near the wall, until he finally struggled to stand. His back slid across the wall as he gained some balance on his feet and wasn't in any danger of falling. With careful steps, he walked the last few steps up to Dwicky, and stopped only when he was right in front of the other. "If you believe… then the voices will leave. I don't want to hear them anymore…" He refused to look up, continuing to keep his head down the entire time. "Then everything can go back to normal. I want that. Please make them leave."

It was then, that a hand rested atop Dib's head, softly ruffling the dark greasy black hair. Fingers gently smoothed the frazzled hair back after kindly, gently thumbing down the thick lock of hair that always stood up. It, of course, immediately sprung back up.

"I'll make them leave." Dwicky spoke quietly and assuredly "I'll do everything I can," his hand kept on the boy's head, sagely, as if swearing to what he rested his palm upon, "to make things better." His hand fell away just enough to brush away the few temperamental strands of hair from the boy's forehead, that Dib didn't have his own privilege to brush away. "I'm here for you."
The soft touches easily had Dib flinching. His knees buckled just a bit as he tried to move his head away from the hand that rested on top of it. It was the small touches that bushed hair away from his face which had him stopping. He tried to stand straight once again, but this time he lifted his eyes up to stare up at Dwicky, allowing their eyes to meet. "They say you're lying. They tell me not to believe you; that you're just going to leave me again." His eyes quickly moved away to the side; towards the metal door behind Dwicky. "I think they're just afraid. Afraid that you're going to make them go away. They scream at me when the doctors come in and give me the pills. Now that you're here they're worse."
"I won't leave you. I'm not going anywhere." Either hand settled warmly on Dib's shoulder. "I promise." The hands gently squeezed assuredly on Dib's shoulders. "I'll stay here, and talk with you, for as long as you need me. We'll work through this, Dib." One hand relented to nudge the boy's head up with a knuckle under his chin. "Alright? We can do this. I believe you can do this." A warm smile greeted down at Dib optimistically.

Wide eyes met Dwicky once again as Dib stared up at him. All of the touching… it was too much. There wasn't supposed to be so much touching. So, with a strangled noise Dib quickly backed away from it all, until he was, once again, near the safety of the wall. He refused to look away from Dwicky the entire time though, and kept eye contact even as he huddled back down to the floor.

It was a few more moments until he spoke up in the cell, his voice small, and a bit scared. "I screwed up again. It's why I'm here. It's why I can't do anything anymore… I messed up so he threw me in here. Everyone is in danger… because I made a big mistake… and now my dad hates me even more."

Dwicky's hands had lowered back down to his sides. He didn't fidget. Instead, he slipped them into his pockets. "What did you do?" Sure he knew… he read Dib's file cover to cover, several times over, each second word met with 'delusional', 'schizophrenic', and to follow, each other word was that other boy's name; but Dwicky wanted to hear it from Dib's mouth. That was what was meant to be heard. “Tell me, Dib." Carefully, Dwicky squatted down, bringing himself to be on equal height with the boy, but never nearing, breeching that sanctuary of space Dib had animatedly jerked back into. "Tell me what happened to put you in here."

Dib watched the other carefully, listening to the words, but not answering right away. His eyes slowly moved back down to the floor after he was sure Dwicky wouldn't move another inch, scanning each little small mark that had ever been made in the padding. "All I've ever done is try to help." His voice started out distant as the words were said. "Every time something horrible happened, it was never my fault. I was just trying to save everyone. That day was no different from the rest." His eyes began to close halfway, as if he were about to fall asleep, as he was talking. "He was in my house. He had gotten in the lab somehow… We were fighting. I knocked over one of the inventions… I didn't mean to… I swear I didn't…!" His head jerked up and his eyes snapped back open, as his attention was once again on Dwicky. "I didn't mean to do it! I don't want to be in here!"

Dwicky gave a listening nod. He knew exactly who Dib spoke of. No one else came so obsessively over the boy's tongue so often; then, and now. But Dwicky regarded the boy with obvious listening intent. That's what Dib needed right now. "So, what happened next, Dib? What happened after you knocked over your dad's things?" He quietly coaxed the boy to continue on.

Dib's eyes fell away once more, back down to the safety of the floor. "It started to eat away at things. Whatever was in it started to eat away at everything around." His teeth went for the collar of the jacket, biting at the worn place in the fabric. It took a few moments for him to continue, only barely letting go of the material. "’You're an annoyance, Dib. What just happened never should have ever happened. If you were normal, then everything would be okay. I can't stand this anymore. My work is suffering because of you.’" Slowly, his eyes moved back to Dwicky once again, his expression hurt. "I remember all the words he said, see? Every single sentence. I watched him yell it all in my face."

Dwicky gave a small patient nod, assuring Dib, in that one simple gesture, that he wasn't making things up. "That must have made you feel horrible." He rested himself more comfortably on his feet, his legs growing cramped. In the end, he knelt on one leg and kept one foot on the floor, resting an arm on the propped up leg. "To have such things yelled at you by your dad. You look up to your father, don't you? You just want his attention and praise, right? But he's a very busy man, I hear."

Dib didn't even seem at all startled as Dwicky moved around; instead he just stared at the man for a few more moments, before looking down at the socks on his feet. "I wanted his attention most of all. He always works though. Never home… barely home. He didn't believe me when I tried to tell him what happened... When I tried to tell him the reason we were down there. He yelled at me while Zim was still there. He called them while Zim was still there. Zim watched them take me…" His eyes shut tightly at such a memory, and his whole body began to shake beneath the jacket. "Failure… My fault… All my fault… Such a failure."

"No." Dwicky shook his head as he continued to speak, quietly denying Dib's words, "No Dib, you aren't a failure. You aren't. This..-" he caught himself leaning forward, compulsively drawn, wanting to steady the shaking, but too afraid of losing what little ground he'd gotten to a silly thing like touch. "This isn't anyone's fault. You thought you were doing the right thing. But that was then. It's okay to let go of it; to let go of the hate… to let go of the fight…" An unsure hand rose, halting, before it actually touched… but something pushed it forward to rest, for just a moment, on Dib's shoulder, just a few seconds of assurance as he spoke. "To move on." Then it fell away, respecting that Dib couldn't exactly swat it away. "It's time to worry about you, Dib; the world can take care of itself."

"No, it can't." The words were harsh when they came from Dib's mouth. He didn't even jump at the touch to his shoulder, too deep into his own thoughts and ramblings to care about contact. "It needs me. No one knows what he's capable of. I can't keep sitting here while he keeps planning to destroy everything. Dad thinks I'm insane… I'm not insane... I'm really not... I can prove I'm not. If they would just listen to me... If they would just trust me..." His eyes slowly opened only halfway, but didn't focus on anything in particular, his body still just slightly shaking. "Why doesn't anyone want to see it? It's all so clear. Why am I the only one that can see?"

Fingers took either side of Dib's jaw, firmly, to turn the boy's attention back to the man before him. "Dib… Dib, listen to me." Dwicky started firmly, waiting until the boy's disorientated gaze fell on him, before he continued on in a quiet, but definite tone. "There's nothing to see. There is nothing to prove. Zim is not an alien. There are no such things as aliens. No one has found any proof; it's all propaganda, all of it… Lies; lies by the media." A small sort of sound left Dwicky, dashing a dream, making a perfect reality; it was hurtful, but he couldn't let it be known. Dwicky smiled weakly, his brows furrowed heavily. “The world has survived since before you and I were born. And it will keep on surviving, even after we die. You have to stop playing this destructive game… It isn't real; just like the voices. You have to stop if you want the voices to stop."

For a few seconds, Dib just stared up at Dwicky with a blank expression. The words the man said went through his head, and suddenly they clicked. "Liar..." The word was whispered, but then it was screamed. "Liar!" He struggled weakly, trying his best to get out of Dwicky's grasp and back to his sanctuary against the wall. "Stop lying to me! Stop doing it!" He pressed back as hard as he could, while keeping careful, wide eyes on the other. "You said you believed me! You said listening meant you believed me! Stop lying!"

Dwicky didn't want to let go. He wanted to grasp the front of the boy's straight jacket, and shake the common sense back into the boy; the roundabout conversation was exasperating and, most of all, disheartening. The other had been such an intelligent individual. It was horrific, this sight; just to see everything gone so horribly wrong.

But Dwicky relented his hold, letting Dib stay as closely pressed to the padded wall as he liked. It wouldn't keep him from speaking the written and rehearsed, social-norm-dictated common sense. "It's true, Dib. All of it. You know what I say is true, too." With a gentle sigh, Dwicky ran his hand through his hair, messing the already ragged condition of it just that much more. "And if you want to be normal, if you want to get out of here… you have to believe me." He pressed his lips together in a careful line, before he spoke on so very, very gently, "I would never lie to you."

"You lied to me that night." The words were once again distant as they came from Dib's mouth, his tantrum over, for the moment. His head bowed down once he was sure he was safe, and his eyes moved once more to the floor. "They took you away from me… you were supposed to be my partner. No one ever listened to me before. It's all I wanted, and you lied to me… then left me." A small, sad noise came from him. "It wasn't fair. You saw it all... You were supposed to help me tell everyone. They would all know, and everyone would be okay." He let his eyes trail back up, every bit of hurt from that memory clear on his face. "I want my camera back."

"I was humouring you." Dwicky's voice fell quiet, his wound from the tortured scene before him. "There are real problems in your life, not aliens." He sat up a little, rubbing the back of his neck, letting his gaze travel about the room; how unsavory, but assured no one wanted to be bothered being in the same room with the insane to clean up after, when it would most likely just happen again. "Besides, what happened that night, it was just a hoax. It wasn't real. I left for somewhere else a while. But… I'm back." He looked back to the boy, apologies in his gaze as his hand fell back to his side. "I'm back for good now. And I want to know you Dib. Not silly things about aliens, space ships, UFOs… but you… you, Dib." His head lowered closer to his chest, before raising with new optimistic energies. "You matter. I'll still be your partner… I'll make sure your voice is heard. But this time about who you are, how you feel, and what you need in life. I won't let you sink into this... hell." Dwicky loosely gestured to the surroundings with contempt.

"It's all I know." Dib's whole body tensed up at his own words, and, for a few seconds, he closed his eyes again. It took him a few moments to continue, his eyes barely opening to look back to the floor. "It's all I knew, and all I had. If I stop believing, I won't have anything, but everyone hates what I believe in. I've always liked strange things. Everything that was normal always bored me." He finally raised his eyes again, to make sure Dwicky was still listening; to make sure he was being heard. "It's why I didn't want to follow after Dad. Everything about the job is boring… I hate it… I can't do what I want, though, because then I'm even more of a disappointment. It's why I'm here, because I'm a disappointment." His teeth clamped around the collar of the jacket once more after the words, his eyes traveling to the side of the padded cell.

A small chuckle left Dwicky. He couldn't help it; relief was flooding over him, he had to make some sort of happy noise. It was probably ill-timed, but Dib was coming back, Dib was acting… like Dib!

"There is life beyond the belief of aliens, Dib." Dwicky couldn't help the new smile befalling him, he actually felt it now; it didn't need to be forced anymore. "I'm proof of that aren't I? I'm sure you'll find new and just as exciting interests. And, I'm sure you'll find an employment that will make your dad proud of you. There's a whole world out there, Dib. You just need to find yourself in it. Like," Dwicky leaned back and rubbed his goatee thoughtfully with the side of his finger, "what else do you like? What other things catch your fancy? Tell me about those." He ended his words with a grin.

Dib's eyes narrowed at the small noises Dwicky made. His teeth tugged harder on the straight jacket for a few more moments, until they finally let go, just so he could turn his gaze to the other. "Other things?" His expression turned confused, and, for awhile, he just stared. He suddenly looked completely lost, and began to huddle in on himself as best he could, once more. "I don't know what other things I like… I remember my room. All that I had in my room were pictures of aliens and other paranormal things. I can't even remember there ever being anything else." His wide eyes snapped back towards Dwicky. “I don't know. I don't..."

"It's alright. It's alright, Dib." Dwicky motioned for the boy not to worry, to not get excited. "Just, think of things you like; little things, and go from there. Like, being outside… Everyone likes doing things outdoors; sports… did you enjoy any particular sport? Soccer? Football?" He cleared his throat a moment, trying not to be amused. The idea of such a thin, high strung boy playing as a line backer wasn't exactly evident by the pasty colour of his skin. "Track and field?" Dwicky's gaze fell to the ceiling, trying to grasp at anything. "Gardening? Going to the beach? Golf?" He went back to rubbing his goatee as he settled his gaze back on the sallow boy; perhaps he was hitting left field with outdoors. Dwicky clicked his tongue, gaze flicking down to the horrible unflattering beige of the straight jacket. "Fashion?" Up he looked back at Dib's face; internally he flinched; now that was truly left field.

"Animals." The word came out quiet and timid from Dib's own mouth and, even after it was said, he quickly shook his head. "No, not animals, I hate animals. Bugs. I like bugs." He stopped speaking and just stared at Dwicky, watching to see if the man would laugh at him for what he said… if any sort of ridicule would come from the other across from him. When there was nothing, he kept on, still just as quiet. "I like to watch how they move. I like to watch how they crawl..." He tried to bury his face further inside the jacket as he went on, with more memories. "I used to have an ant farm when I was little, but my sister took it outside and… burned every single one of them. All because I took the batteries out of her game for a project I had to complete."

"There you go." Dwicky pointed out "What about being a bug scientist of some sort? Going around and discovering new bugs? Or… collecting bugs? That could make a good new hobby." He leaned back a moment "Ya know, I think I had one of those things: an ant farm. But I think I accidentally knocked it over, smashing dirt and ants all over my bedroom floor." He made a small, thoughtful hum. "The house had to be fumigated, much to my chagrin." Dwicky tapped his pointer fingers together, in a rather guilty fashion. "I would still find an ant, or two, in the sugar bowl." He chuckled gently.

Dib's head perked up a bit at Dwicky's words. For a few moments, he stared before moving, just a bit, away from the wall, and using his feet to slide him a few inches forward. Before he got too close, he immediately stopped and pulled his feet back, as if Dwicky would bite them off. "It seems boring, those jobs. I wouldn't want something that I like to become boring." His eyes went to the side of the cell once more, as he continued. "I miss sitting on my roof. There used to be fireflies outside; so many of them that I forgot what were actually stars. One time I actually caught one… I thought that when I opened my hands it would fly away, but it didn't. It just kept moving and walking." He looked at Dwicky out of the corner of his eye. "I pulled the light off, just to see what would happen. I wanted to see what it would do."

Dwicky opened his mouth but he closed it, considering Dib with a watchful sort of look. He kept as he was; a listening constant. "And, what happened Dib?" he quietly asked, his voice falling solemn.

A horrible grin came over Dib's face in that moment. "It was still moving. It was still okay, so I didn't stop. I pulled off everything else." His eyes moved back to the wall. "First the wings… then the legs, one by one. It struggled a lot, but I didn't stop. I wanted to see what happened to the very end. I pulled off the antennae, next. That's when it started to slow down. I watched it too. I placed what was left of it down on my roof and watched it." His eyes turned back to Dwicky once more, the grin that was on his face gone and replaced by a small frown. "It stopped moving. I did so much… just to make it stop moving."

Slowly, Dib struggled to move himself towards Dwicky. The jacket made it hard on him, but he was able to scoot forward a bit on his knees and with the help of his feet. He only stopped when he was face to face with the man, leaning forward just so he could invade the other's personal space; just like his own had been. "I didn't mean to make it stop. I just wanted to watch. I just wanted to see what would happen, I swear."

Dwicky softly exhaled; a heavy breath. "Dib…" he started, but there wasn't much more to be said, when it really was so obvious. "Dib…" A hand rose to draw just two fingers ever so lightly on the boy's unhealthily coloured cheeks; there were no tears to wipe away, but the expression on the boy's face had him doing it anyway. "Things are fragile. Bugs, animals, birds… even people." His hand fell away. "You pick someone apart enough, physically, verbally, they'll just stop too. Everyone has limits; that's why we're born with compassion."

At first, the touch was met with wide eyes, but, after a few seconds, Dib slowly relaxed instead of backing away, like usual. "No one I've known has had compassion… not towards me." His eyes fell halfway, but even then their focus stayed on the man in front of him. "I've been picked apart a lot, in every kind of way. It does hurt; all of it hurts. I want to make everyone proud, but that means being something I hate." He allowed his eyes to open back up, as his head tilted away from Dwicky's hand, his eyes intense as he studied the other. "You like what you do, right?"

Dwicky gave an easy nod. "Of course." He couldn't help knitting his hands together, resting one arm on his knee in automation, a work habit that just never went away. "I wanted to help kids like I was once who have a lot of aspiration but nowhere to put it; so they don't end up as lost with themselves as I was, putting all my belief into something that will never help me in my moment of need." He tweaked his lips before giving a slight chuckle. "So, I do have compassion for you Dib. I wouldn't be here if I didn't." Dwicky let out a slight amused sound. "I don't know if I'd recommend being a counselor. People can be weird, almost alien-like if you really want to get down to it. Ya know?"

"Alien..." The word fell easily from Dib's lips, and his eyes moved down to the floor between them after it was said. For a few moments, the word was mumbled under his breath as some form of mantra to himself. It took awhile until any real sentences came from him, and, even then, he refused to lift his head again. "Why me? If there are others you could help, then why do you need to see me so badly? They say I'm dangerous to anyone around me. You shouldn't be near me. They shouldn't have let you near me. I'm just going to fail you… like I did everyone else."

"Dib. Look." Dwicky loosely rested his hands out to gesture between them. "Look at this," he went on in a positive note, "We've been having a civil conversation for at least an hour now. That means something. It means a lot." Fingers slowly curled back towards his palm, and Dwicky looked down to them, opening and closing, finding the privileged action obscure when in the company of the restrained. "It means I can help you, Dib. I want to help you." He stopped, tucking his hands back as he realized it was probably rude to have them obviously about. Dwicky looked back at Dib. "I wanted to. I'll make up for leaving you. I won't fail you. Just like I know you won't fail me." He relinquished the serious mood with a cheerful smile. "Okay?"

Dib raised his head back up at the final words. His eyes moved around Dwicky's face before they settled on the man's eyes once more. "You won't fail me. Everything will be okay… the voices will leave, and everything will be okay. I'll be able to leave, because it will all be okay." Slowly, he nodded his head as if that would help him believe what he was saying out loud all the more easily. "I want that. I don't want anyone to hurt me anymore. I want out of here." For a few seconds, he struggled against the jacket, hating the fact, in that moment, that he was wearing it. Not being able to get out of it any time soon, he gave in, and looked up at the other with sad eyes, his teeth worrying at his bottom lip before he spoke again. "I really do want everything to be normal again, Dwicky..."

An assuring smile was offered. "I'm glad to hear that." The smile widened, trying to relay something genuine in it. Hope; that's what Dib needed again. Dwicky could only feel the relief in it. "It will be. Everything will be fine again. We'll work together on it." He nodded affirming it.

There was a slight digital lilt of numeric buttons being coded in, the clunk of locks, and, soon, the groan of a door, signaling that visiting hours were over.

Dib's head snapped towards the door. The calm gaze that had come over his face suddenly turned fearful, and he quickly backed away towards the wall, as close as he could, once again; away from the door that usually meant more horrible things instead of actual freedom. Once Dib was sure that he was safe enough, his eyes moved back to Dwicky, a pleading look inside them. A slight noise came from him, before he spoke up in barely a whisper. "Don't leave. You said you wouldn't leave… please don't lie again."

Dwicky knelt alone for a moment, his gaze never leaving Dib's. He couldn't snap it away from Dib's desperately wide, worried eyes; there hadn't been much change between the little Dib of three years ago, who ran around in a small black trench coat, and the one who shivered tightly against the wall in a straight jacket.

"C'mon, Dwicky." The thick necked orderly growled, keeping his eye on the well-known nuisance shuddering at the far end; had he had his way, Dib would have been muzzled, hog tied, and kept in a broom closet. "Let's get going."

Falteringly, Dwicky rose, his shirt staying rumpled. "I'm not lying Dib. I can't stay over night." He tried to keep his voice friendly and encouraging, "I'll be back tomorrow. I promise." He gestured a palm in the boy's direction, patting the air assuagingly when he knew the other wouldn't want to be touched now. "So… be a good boy, alright?"

Dib ignored the orderly completely, for once in his entire time staying in the cell, just so he could keep his eyes on Dwicky as the man stood. "Promise..." He echoed the word loudly so that it bounced off the walls before slowly nodding his head in understanding. "I'll be good. I'll be good because you'll come back. I promise I'll be good." He huddled closer to the wall and, finally, let his eyes travel to the other figure in the room. His voice changed drastically when he spoke up next time, his tone harsh and cruel as he stared straight at the orderly. "Go away. I didn't do anything, so go away."

It wasn't a kind look that came to Dib in return: sneering yellow teeth, with a scowl to match. "Yea, I'll be back to give ya yer meds. Then we'll see who’s fool'n who with this 'good boy' cr-"

"I'm coming, I'm coming… I'm going." Dwicky cut the other off, back pedaling a moment to keep his watch on Dib. He offered one last smile, though he wished it hadn't been so pained as well. "I'll see you tomorrow, Dib." He raised a hand to give a slight wave; it lingered in the air then lowered before he turned to walk out, pushing past the large orderly.

Dib's eyes immediately went back to Dwicky, and a sad expression replaced the hateful one that had been on his face. He watched the other leave out the door and struggled, once more, against the jacket, just to try and free an arm so that he could wave back; it's all he wanted to do. Dwicky was gone, though, and the fact had his whole body slumping over, giving up its fight against the jacket. He turned his eyes back to the orderly, before quickly turning away and leaning against the wall he huddled near.

The orderly cussed something fierce under his breath Dib's way, but he backed away so the thick metal door could shut loud and coldly, the locks clicking back in a mocking sort of laughter.

Then the pair of footsteps could be heard moving away, spats hesitant on the grungy tile of the lower levels. But it all eventually faded into the rest of the maddening sounds of the adolescent mental institution, which echoed only to dissolve.
Neo and I have a new Rp, that's right. Spooky isn't it? It's full of DADR goodness and none of you can resist that....DO NOT RESIST!
If the chapter gets cut off you can easily download it to desktop to read the rest, or please note me about which chapter it was. I don't wish for the comments to be spammed any longer.

*neofox = Dwicky
*Insanity-Icons = Dib

Beta = *ReaperofHate

We don't own any of these characters except for the evil extras...because we can.

~ Preview image belongs to *neofox and I do have permission to use it

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DawnieLeeLee's avatar
Omg.... I'm dying.... It's amazing... I want to cry. I couldn't get myself into brb suicide no matter how hard I tried, but this is so amazing I'm crying... ;-; thank you... It's beautiful 🖤