You're Always You

Chapter Eleven

David Minett

David had never visited a penitentiary before, but it felt like, as he was heading in to visit his brother, the motions were...unsettlingly familiar. He needed no help with it, and just sort of...knew what to do without technically being able to recall.

He didn't like it. It implied he'd visited his brother here before.

He sat behind the glass, tapping his heel impatiently while waiting for Brett to be brought around. The blare of a magnetic doorlock opening up caught his attention, and he looked up to see Brett in a rather unbecoming prison uniform. Dave scowled, seeing the bruises and scars on his brother's face and hands, but was perhaps most startled by the sleeve tattoo on Brett's right arm.

David picked up the phone and waited for Brett to do the same, before speaking. "I leave you for ten minutes and this is what happens?"

"You left closer to ten years than ten minutes, don't you fucking dare."

Seeing Brett hardened like this, hardened by school difficulties David apparently hadn't been around to help with....It was painful. It filled Dave with guilt, despite the fact that he hadn't even made those decisions. This whole existence was the product of some...supernatural fuckbag dicking around with time, or...something.

It made him sigh. "...I know, kiddo," David said, shaking his head. "And I'm sorry. I didn't mean....I just....What happened, Brett?"

"Oh, as if you care."

"Brett, stop. Please."

The younger brother took a deep breath. "...You weren't around, David," Brett said, frowning. "It felt like...nobody was. I had to take care of myself, y'know?"

"Jesus, Brett," Dave muttered. "This....This isn't taking care of yourself. This is a corrections facility."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious."

"That's Sergeant Obvious to you," David barked before he could really stop himself. Jesus, he really had been in the military too long. He exhaled. "...I'm sorry," he said.

Brett sighed too. "Yeah...." he mumbled, looking away. "Me too. I, uh....I just....Nobody was around, Davie. I didn't have anywhere else to go."

So you resorted to being a little gangster chickenshit? Dave wanted to retort, but he kept that to himself. He was upset with Brett, but he wasn't here to start an argument, he was here to set things straight. "I know," he merely said. "And I'm sorry. I should've been here for you, Brett."

The two brothers took a beat to just...keep sighing.

"When do you get out, kid?" David questioned, bringing his gaze back up.

"Ahh," Brett muttered, sitting back somewhat. "Not for another fuckin' year."

....

"I'll....I'll talk to somebody," Dave murmured, nodding his head somewhat.

Brett raised a brow. "You can do that? Who?"

He didn't actually know, but considering he'd been in the Army seven years longer than he meant to be, David could only assume he'd picked up a connection or two. He was kind of banking on the creepy pseudo-memories of his to just...guide his fingers to a phone number.

"I'll figure it out," David said, not wanting either of them to worry about it right now. "Don't worry about it. You just....Don't be a little shit, alright? Good behavior?"

Brett nodded. "Yeah. Davie I'm a saint in the slammer. If, y'know, you take into account it's the slammer."

David snorted and shook his head. "Alright. I'll have somebody look you over. Maybe see if we can get that year knocked off. Okay?"

Brett blinked, then...smiled. "Guess being in the Army for eleven years pays off, huh?"

Eleven years.

Jesus.

"Don't get cocky," David warned. "I'll talk to you soon, alright?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

"You're my little brother, Brett. Always." A thought occurred to David, that he wanted to bring up before they were out of time. "Hey. Mom says you caught Monica at a club. What's that about?"

"Tch," Brett responded bitterly. "Why y'think I'm in here? Little while back, I found out Moni was stripping to make ends meet. Can you believe that shit? So I brought my boys over and tried to muscle her outta there, but...." He extended his free hand, gesturing at his situation as a whole. "So much for helping out family, amiright?"

David hummed. "I think I'll have a bit better luck, kiddo."

"What, 'cause you got the Stars 'n Stripes backing you?"

Maybe. "Because I don't punch first, ask later," Dave pointed out. "Just....Where's she working?"

—

The Twilight Alibi.

Because that wasn't shady as all fuck.

Thinking on it, no wonder this criminal version of Brett was there. Apparently it was good for an alibi.

Fuck's sake.

Just thinking about walking into a place like that made David feel...so dirty. And not even in a good way. And yet, here he was, planning to waltz right in later that night to attempt to talk some sense into his sister.

His baby sister.

His baby sister, dancing half naked on strangers.

Ugh.

David didn't blame Brett. It would be a struggle for Dave not to punch somebody too, he knew it.

So when night fell, he begrudgingly grabbed a jacket, a light one since it wasn't that cold out at all, and headed out again. This time looking for this...Twilight Alibi. He also made sure to bring his wallet, just in case he needed to pay somebody off for something.

He didn't know, but that didn't matter. Better to have something and not need it, than need to and not have it. If for nothing else, this was always true with cash.

Ugh, this sucked.

With the aid of his phone and Google, David eventually found the place, though he wasn't sure he'd have really needed the help, given the...nature of this place. The music, the lights, he could've sensed it from a block away. Sigh.

He was going to need a shower after this.

A shower and a parka.

Entering the establishment, David didn't even try to conceal his distaste. He didn't want to look interested, because then all these scantily clad women would be all up in his face and....

Shudder.

He was here for Monica.

That was it.

And, it was...frighteningly easy to find her, for practically the moment David entered, not having looked for more than a few minutes, he found twisting herself about a pole. The man made his way over and made sure to stand right in her sight, and when she met his gaze, her brown eyes filled with terror.

As they should.