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

dani & dennis

"You'll be back before the baby gets here, right, E?" she asked him as she watched him tie the laces of his boots; part of his military uniform.

He looked her straight in the eyes with his hazel ones, nodding curtly. "Yeah, D. I'll be back in time."

*

The summer had come and gone, and how it was time to go back to school for everyone and adjust to a strict schedule once again.

But not for Dennis. He had gotten back from Warped Tour several weeks ago and had some of his own personal plans to make, and things to care for. His daughter, Mavis Anne Biersack, had arrived, and thank goodness it was legal for him not to go to school anymore.

What was constantly on his mind these days was money and finance, moving into his own home close by with his girlfriend, son and daughter, and marriage. He was nineteen and had experience, and in his mind, he was pretty sure he was about ready for all of those things and would be well off.

But his parents did not think the same thing.

His father, for example, recalled to Dennis that he was still a teenager and that he might still not be stable enough financially yet to buy and keep up with his own home; if he wanted it to be nice, he said.

And speaking of her, in the midst of his thinking, Bex came downstairs to where Dennis and Dani were sitting on the couch beside each other in the living room.

Dani looked over to Dennis, who was absentmindedly just staring blankly at the screen of his phone, making it totally obvious to Dani that something was on his mind that required him to do some intense thinking.

"Dennis," Dani said, making her brother jerk his head up and look at her in response.

"What?"

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes darting across his face.

"Your one lip ring is crooked."

"Okay? Your point?"

Dani reached for his face and tried to fix it and make it more even, and he tried to pull away, not thinking that her fingers were holding onto it, and he yelped, making Dani let go right away.

"Ow! Damn it, Dani, I told you it didn't matter!"

"You did not tell me that."

"Well, I was about to!"

"Ah, shut up, you two," Bex told Dennis and Dani, leaning over the back of the couch between the two of them. "You're just cranky because you're finished Warped Tour," she said, pointedly looking at Dennis, "and you're back to school and Ethan's gone," Bex remarked, looking directly at Dani.

Dennis let his head hang low, taking a sudden interest in his feet and the floor. His mouth was shut, and he didn't say a word.

Bex let out a breath, laying her head down on the back sofa cushion, gazing at Dennis. "You're quieter than usual, Dennis. Is there something you want to talk about?"

He turned his head towards her, smiling a little. "Not really. I'm just thinking."

"What do you mean by 'not really'?"

"Okay," she smiled, a glow in her eyes.

He inched forward and his lips met here, both of them still smiling a little.

Dennis let go after a few seconds, his eyes meeting hers, his face still just a couple of inches away from Bex's.

"That was a nice kiss," she told him. "Why don't you do it like that more often?"

He hesitated for a moment, mumbling, "Well, because.... we have kids now. And we don't have much time together anymore. I mean, by ourselves together."

"You're still not alone at the moment," Dani reminded loudly.

Dennis lifted his head to look at his sister. "Stay out of it, Dani." When he rested his head back down again, he muttered, "We all know you're sour because your baby daddy left."

"He didn't leave! He'll be back really soon, and before the baby is born! Mind your own, Dennis."

"Touché."

Dennis turned his gaze back to Bex, admiring her as he looked at her. "Hey, I've been thinking lately."

"Oh, so it's coming up now already."

"I just got paid for Warped over the summer, and I put almost all of it in my savings, except for the money for car insurance, and after I did that, I checked up on how much was in my balance. And, I have, like, a bunch now, so I was thinking about finally putting the expenses into something useful and worthwhile."

"Dennis, please don't say you're going to buy another truck."

"No, no, of course not." She gave him a doubtful look. "I want to buy that lot in the next neighborhood and build our perfect house there. Imagine that: a brand new home; our very own that we could raise our kids in and that we could design to fit us and our lives."

Bex smiled, kissing him. "Yes, I love that idea, babe. It'll be perfect."