Welcome to Gaia! ::

Danielle

"Thank you Chris." *Pats his hand.* "You always see the good in people. Even the Terror."


*Shakes her Head.*
"I-I just don't know what to believe anymore... I just hope I can work things out with Robert, maybe even catch The Terror and have a long talk with him as well..." *Frowns thinking of all the things to say.*

Well, we'll see what happens, Dani. Just know that Cassie and I will stand with you all the way.

*Dani smiled at Chris and they left Blackhawk's and headed back to the dorms. The chattered about classes and didn't notice the looks and whispers they were getting.*

Oh my god! Now he's with Dani!

Someone should stop him!

Donnie said he was gonna pound him!

*Chris and Dani parted ways and each went to their own dorm rooms.*

*Chris opened the door.*

Cassie.

*Chris smiled. He was happy to see her after all the weirdness he was getting today.*

Come on in. Jack's not here, thank God. I told Dani about the evidence. And..oh! I identified a suspect. Sergei Kravinoff. A merc and killer.

"What does it feel like when you have a psychopathic break?"

Hartley sat across from Dr. Quinzel, staring at a crack in the wall behind her, his favorite place to fix his stare when he was in her office.

"What do you think it feels like?"

"Are we going to have one of those sessions where you just take whatever I said and turn it into a question?"

"What do you think...session....question...okay, ya got me there, kiddo. A 'psychopathic break' isn't something ya define in a textbook. It's the point at which the human mind simply loses it's ability to define actions and events in the context of how the brain is designed to work."

"I have no idea what that means."

"You're the one who asked, kiddo. It is what it is. A break. Like a board being splintered."

Hartley shifted and recrossed his legs.

"I wasted the free pass you gave me on punching Billy Kaplan."

"Billy Penishands? Oh man, there's a kid I'd love to get on the couch. That kid's gotta be a bundle of neurosis."

Hartley grimaced.

"I think I'm starting to regret the way I treated him."

"Why, he magic you into a long walk off a short pier?"

"No, he....I think he's trying to be nice to me, or something. The last couple days have been really confusing. The rumors, and..."

Harleen shifted in her seat and leaned forward.

"Hartley, as you know, Mary Batson was suspended for her actions in spreading malicious information about you, Billy AND Teddy. We're fond of ya, kiddo, we don't want your life ruined by some loose lips!"

"I-I..." This subject wasn't getting easier for him to discuss. "I didn't really need the whole school to start buzzing about how I'm here, I'm queer, get used to it, or whatever, but then things snowballed. Badly."

"Go on."

"Wallace Wells-"

Dr. Quinzel smiled.

"ANOTHER one I'd like to get on the couch!"

"-so would I. I MEAN-" Hartley turned bright red. "I don't get how his mind works. He tried to reach out to me-I mean, literally-and you know I have this issue with being touched, and he REALLY misinterpreted it and, well, I think that might have been psychotic break time for me right there. I mean, everything at that point when I try to remember it becomes sort of this long-motion stretched out blur."

"Maybe less of a break, and more of a bend, Hartley. You're still here with us, aren't you? Not in a padded room and not back in the straightjacket. I mean, unless you want to! Ol' straighty is back there waiting for you if you want!"

Doctor Quinzell grinned at Hartley, who shoved his seat back a few steps.

"NO, thank you!"

Her expression became more serious.

"Hartley, I have some tests I'd like you to take that might help us both pinpoint the source of some of your problems. It's obvious that you're not very happy right now."

"That's an understatement."

"And what you told me about how you feel about your parents not being around for Thanksgiving says to me that you're at a very low point right now. I believe that the sooner we can get you evaluated and on a proper set of medication-"

"Whoah, nobody said anything about drugs."

"Medication, Hartley. To even out the peaks and the valleys you described to me. To make things more normal."

"More proof that I'm broken, huh? No way. I'm not taking any drugs."

The doctor sighed a bit.

"All right. It was just a suggestion."

"NO DRUGS."

"I said it's all right, Hartley. Let's call today finished and schedule for next week, okay?"

When Hartley walked away from the office, he fumed. There was no chance in hell he would ever agree to being drugged up to make him a more compliant little Rathaway.

With his meeting done, now he could concentrate on more important things. He headed back to the boy's dorm.

The morning had moved pretty smoothly after they'd parted ways with Hartley. He had gotten Wallace a black coffee, probably the best thing for a man who would wake up with a heavy duty hangover. He had enjoyed getting a drink with Billy. Finally, and very reluctantly, he had dropped Billy off at class. The rest of the day was spent with him doodling little ideas of what their costumes could look like. They would be such cool super heroes.

(He also drew a picture of Billy's little face, because he was just so cute and smiley. )

Finally, when classes were over, he returned to his dorm room, wondering if Wallace had gone anywhere, or if he was still a hungover mess.

*Chris hugs Cassie gratefully. He was lucky to have her.*

No. I was with Dani and Bart in Blackhawk's but no Hartley or Teddy. I think Bart has got a thing for Dani. He didn't like me talking to her. Heh.

"Magic club."

Teddy fished his key out of his pocket and popped it into the lock, twisting the key and undoing the door. "So...how're you? And who is this Achilles guy everyone mentions?"

"I'm okay. I just finished det-"

He'd already let it slip to Teddy. No reason to lie on top of that.

"Finished a session with Doctor Quinzel. And Achilles is that giant blonde guy on the football team. If you hear anything about him coming my way, let me know ahead of time so I can hide."