doppelgänger --> there's never just one {sequel}

bex

^Bex's family -- Kitty, her sister, 20, Brendon, her twin brother, 17, her mother, Annabelle, her stepfather, Christian, and Sunny, her half-brother, 7 years old.

Bex had never really officially moved out of her mother's house before quickly moving in with Dennis following the day that her big sister, Kitty had run off to college. And the whole week ahead of time, up until the day before she had to go back that Saturday morning to pick up the last of her things, she'd been dreading returning to that house.

Ever since she was a little girl, one of her biggest wishes, and all she ever wanted to do, was to move out and get the hell away from her mother. All those years, she treated her daughter horribly, and her husband, too -- well, that was to say, her first husband. After Bex's father, as well as Kitty's and Brendon's too, her older brother and sister, left to join the military when they were all young, Annabelle would bring strange, unfamiliar men home, that none of the kids had ever seen before. And Bryan, their biological father, never returned.

Still today, Bex wasn't sure where her father was nor did she know him very well, or even if her was still alive or not. She was still mad at him for leaving his family behind, but the other part of her didn't blame him one bit for wanting to leave their mother, and she didn't really know the man or his intentions either. Annabelle was a cruel woman, almost like the evil stepmother on Cinderella.... minus the "step".

She'd seen pictures of her biological father before, but even though he had left, nevertheless she still grew up with a blessing of a good father figure in her life. His name was Christian, and he had married her mother around seven or eight years ago, in the beginning falling for her "charm" -- which later turned out to be fake, hiding her true self to lure him in. Now that it had been several years, Christian was aware of the way she treated her children and was sympathetic and caring towards them for that, and had overall taken an important role as the supportive father they never had in their lives. Bex loved him as her father, and she was close to him relationship-wise, but often he would be gone at work in the daytime, out providing and making money for the family, and of course, Bex didn't live there at that house any longer, but in the past, her stepfather and Kitty and Brendon were the ones who made it bearable for her.

Bex felt a little strange, she couldn't deny, as she stepped onto the porch and walked into the house just as if it were still her own, running up the stairs to her sister's bedroom. When she first went in, Kitty wasn't there, but after a few minutes of sitting and waiting, looking around at the bare, white walls from which all posters and other decorations had been stripped and taken off to college, Kitty appeared in the doorway, immediately running over to her sister and hugging her tight.

Bex gripped her tighter as they laughed and Kitty remarked, "We haven't seen each other in so long! It's been too long. I missed you so much!"

Bex simpered, pulling back to look at her sister with a smile just as wide. "I know, I missed you too. Maybe even more, actually," she said, making Kitty laugh a little as she let go of her, sitting on her bed and patting the open spot next to her on the mattress. "Here, have a seat, have a seat, Bex!"

In no time, they started conversating, Kitty about school and coming back for the summer, and Bex about how she'd been over the past several months.

"So, how's your little family been, sis? How's Dennis?" Kitty wondered curiously, smiling at Bex.

"Good.... why are you smiling like that? Do you know something I don't or anything like that, or --"

"No," Kitty laughed, shaking her head. "Just wondering how you guys are; how everything's been lately."

"Oh. Good," Bex answered, nodding. "Wolf's good, too. He's been talking a lot."

"Wow, he's growing up so fast," Kitty responded unbelievably, eyes wide.

There was a moment of quiet between the two of them while they both thought. Then, Bex peeked up, remembering something. "Oh, speaking of, that reminds me.... I need to tell you something."

Kitty raised her eyebrows, giving her sister an uncertain look. "What is it?" she asked slowly, "is it something bad?"

"Well.... no."

"What is that supposed to mean? Yes or no?!" Kitty demanded nervously.  

"No, no, it's not bad. But I haven't told Dennis yet, or anyone except for his mom...."

"Go on."

"Fine, okay, I'm working on it! Okay, like I said, Dennis doesn't know it yet, but about a week ago, I found out that I'm pregnant."

"Again?! Jeez, Bex...."

"Hey, it's been a little over a year! Give me some credit!"

"You're crazy. Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?"

Bex shook her head. "No. But I'm not ready for another baby yet anyway." She sighed, looking down as she pulled at a loose thread coming off the bedding she was sitting on top of. "I don't think I'm going to tell him."

"What do you mean? Of course you have to tell him! If you don't soon, he'll find out himself telling by the size of your stomach!"

"No, Kitty, that's not what I mean." Bex looked up at her again, meeting Kitty's eyes. "I mean.... I can't have this baby right now. I'm not prepared."

"Bex, you can't do that," Kitty said as she came to the realization of what Bex was trying to say.

"What do you mean, I can't? Who's going to stop me?"

"Bex, the thing that you want to just kill heartlessly, in you, is a human. A baby."

"It's not really even a baby yet. It hasn't been long enough to develop."

"But it's 'developing' quickly. Isn't that considered murder?!" she exclaimed, making quotes with her hands as she said the word "developing".

Bex stood up, fast, and quickly grew defensive. "How is it murder if the baby's not even technically living yet? And who's choice is it to make that decision or not? Because I'm pretty sure last time I checked, it wasn't yours!"

"Bexley Collette --"

"Don't call me that, Kitty!" Bex yelled, running towards the door. "If you don't agree with me, then fine. But it's not your baby, it's mine and Dennis's." She turned away, breathing hard; seething. "I'm getting my things and leaving. Goodbye, Kitty. It was so nice to see you again."

And just like that, like she said she would, she grabbed the last of her belongings and fled, set on her sudden decision and ready to follow through with it.

To prove it.

To prove her sister wrong.

And she did.

And the thing she didn't realize now, but would soon enough....

Was that she did it all so fast, without blinking an eye, without even thinking....

And she had done it all out of fear.

This was something she would never be able to forgive herself of.

It was all so hard and difficult, but she did it anyway.

And his response was by far the worst.