Dollhouse | scream series ²

The Big Day

Hearing a repeated tap on my door, I lifted my head off the pillow feeling drained, the last couple of days had been tough, especially with my trip through memory lane and seeing my aunt again.

The nightmares have been hitting me hard, all of them containing either my mom, Roman, or people now gone.

Another tap sounded out, and I realized it was someone knocking on my bedroom door. "Come in," I stated, knowing the only person it could be was my dad, Sidney had yet to call or even acknowledge my existence since being home.

"Good morning, Little Bird," my dad said as he let himself into the room and pressing a kiss to my head with a smile. "It's the big day," He announced happily as my eyes immediately moved to the packet suitcases sitting in the corner of my room.

"Yeah, the big day," I repeated, running my hands through my hair, tugging at the knots that got caught around my fingers "Can't wait" I muttered unsurely, half of me was genuinely excited at the prospect of doing something I enjoyed.

However, the nagging insecurities in the back of my head drowned all that passion out.

"- and hopefully you'll see more of your sister then I do" Dad joked as he opened my curtains with a flourish as I caught the last part of his one-sided conversation, so I wasn't the only one who hadn't seen or spoken to my sister lately.

"Does she even know I'm going to be at Windsor?" I questioned, watching him walking back towards the door as he prepared to leave.

"She knows you're home" He grimaced as if he thought I would be upset by my twin not contacting me after leaving an asylum, "but I haven't heard from her since so I haven't been able to tell her about you going to Windsor."

I tried to stop the malice filled grin from growing on my face, I honestly did, but I couldn't wait to see the look on my big sister's face when she sees me in person again "I can't wait to see her" I say to my dad who looks pleased with my words "I really can't."

"And I'm sure she'll be happy to see you too Little Bird" I almost scoff at my dad's cheerful words, I love the man I honestly do, but he really can't tell when a female is untruthful. How he couldn't see the distance between Sidney and I truly confused me.

"Get showered and dressed, I have a surprise for you," not the words I really wanted to hear, but I know my dad wouldn't say or do anything to upset me, so I nodded and began to do as he said.

Although taking a shower wasn't nearly as fun anymore now Sidney wasn't screaming from the cold water spraying her when I 'accidentally' used up all the hot or when I flushed the toilet, making her squeal from the sudden burst of scolding water.

Pulling open my closet, I eyed the now nearly empty space, most of my clothes were now tucked away in my suitcases. The other things that reminded me of bad times didn't get such a happy ending after I realized my favorite shirt I'd borrowed from Stu was missing.

Holding Stu's shirt in my hand I glanced around the mess in my room, I had managed to pull every item my sister hid in the closet back out, and now the once clean room was overfilled with things that only reminded me of that night.

The outfit I had worn that night, the stuffed toy that Billy had bought me, pictures of all of us together, clothes that I had borrowed from Casey, and never returned. It was all just lay there mocking me, trying to pull me back down.

Quickly placing it all into a trash bag, I took it outside as my dad called my name demanding to know what I was doing, but I ignored him in favor of unloading all the items on the ground in the backyard and soaking it in lighter fluid.

Striking a match I held it for a second as my dad shouted my name before I let it drop onto the pile of my belongings and watched it all burn slowly, I know it was time to let it all go but why did it hurt so much to see it all burning.

Maybe burning all my belongings wasn't the best way to show my dad I was trying to start fresh, I think he was ready to send me back to speak to Dr. Myers, but I convinced him that it was something I needed to do to get over everything.

Putting on the clothes I picked out I moved to my makeup, I had to make my reappearance into the world and also show Sidney that I was okay. I'm out of the hospital, and I am better than I was before, I was going to show her how unaffected by her betrayal I am...

I couldn't let her know that even after hours and hours of therapy, the mere thought of her sent my blood boiling. She promised me that she'd never leave me in that place alone, but after things got a little tough, she quickly broke that promise.

"Katherine" I heard my dad call up the stairs as I finished my makeup snorting at the use of my name, Dad had become accustomed to calling me nothing but Little Bird since I had been home. He only used my full name when he wanted my attention or to annoy me. "Come on, kiddo, your surprise is here."

I frowned wondering what that could be, I still wasn't big on surprises, but my curiosity was always the one thing that could get me into a lot of trouble. After all, curiosity could kill the Kat.

Grabbing my jacket, I pulled it on while dragging my suitcases behind me, letting them bang against each step of the staircase as I ran down them. "Careful!" my dad scolded as I gave him an apologetic grin until I heard a familiar voice.

Spinning around with a shocked face, I gasped "Dewey!" moving forward I wrapped my arms around his waist as he placed his around my back, the last time I had seen Dewey we were both on stretchers being taken away by paramedics.

It was nice seeing him again, especially since I had heard from my dad that after I was taken to Westin Hills, Gale Weathers had written a 'tell-all' book that portrayed Dewey in a bad light even after he'd been seriously injured trying to save us.

Fucking bitch.

Dewey gave me a broad smile as we both pulled away. "It's nice seeing you, Kat, you look..." I laughed at his stutter, knowing that Dewey wasn't that great with words, but I knew what he was getting at, but still, I had to mess with him.

"Not crazy?" I offered even though that was probably the last sentiment on the man's mind, though it was a reoccurring gesture of the people around town, it's like they were expecting me to walk around in a straitjacket.

My dad gave me a scolding look when Dewey froze with his eyes wide in surprise before he began to splutter, "No! No, I mean, you look great. Fresh. Like brand new," Dad put his hands on Dewey's shoulder, comfortingly stopping his desperate words.

"She knows what you were saying Dewey," My dad told him making Dewey sigh in relief as I walked over to the wall mirror and fixed my clothes "Although she has been fixated on the 'crazy' word" Dad whispered to Dewey as if he thought I wasn't listening.

"I'm still in the room" I called out with a small smile as I flipped my hair from the collar of my jacket, my dad still worried about everything I was doing and saying but I promised him that I would call Sue or Dr. Myers if anything was really getting to me.

That, however, didn't stop him from worrying, I guess he was just coming to terms with how to deal with me and my self-deprecating jokes.

"But not for long," Dad sighed, sounding upset, making me frown as I hugged him "It was nice having you back Little Bird, even if it was only for a week" he whispered in my ear as he squeezed me tight and I relished in the feeling.

"Same, dad," I replied with a nod as he let me go and picked up my suitcases following Dewey out to the car with me trailing behind them.

"Call me whenever you can," Dad asked as I opened the passenger door with a sad expression, this last week really had bonded the two of us more than the previous 19 years ever had, but I couldn't blame him for that, I could only try and fix it while I had the time.

"I will," I promised quietly as I pressed a small kiss to his cheek before climbing into the front of the car with a bundle of nerves settling in my stomach. There was no time to get ready for this new chapter in life, I was already living it.