Having Chase living with them was . . . .. odd to say the least.

The father was both childish AND authoritative in his own right and sometimes it was downright WEIRD.

Plus sharing a room with him kind of felt uncomfortable to Dark. Not in a bad way but Chase had these moments where he'd just stare off into space. 

'Probably thinking about his kids' Dark knew that sounded mean but he didn't mean it like that. It was sad how Sean created him to be. Honestly Dark wasn't sure if Chase was created with that backstory or if he really did have children and got divorced. Based on Chase's videos that Sean had reenacted FOR him, he'd say it was real.

'And they say I'M the bad guy' he snuffed, 'Ego Creators can be so selfish . . Not that Mark and Sean are like that. They're nice people. It's just . . .'

Dark stopped thinking and turned his head towards Dark Chica who was still sleeping, sticking to him like glue. Meanwhile, Chase seemed to be sleeping as well.

'About damn time. I didn't think he'd ever shut up. Not that he's annoying. I have insomnia as it is, though . . . . . ..  but now I can't sleep AT ALL!'

After a few more minutes, Dark finally decided to get up, 'It's still late but maybe a glass of milk or tea will help me sleep'

Careful not to wake his fur-ball, he headed up the stairs and into the kitchen. It was eerie at night when he was all alone, silent as if he were in space. It seemed as if everyone else had finally fallen asleep, too.

Everyone except for him.

He tried not to think about it, though and took out a glass and opened the fridge to look for the milk.

He felt odd. As if he was being hit by a bought of nostalgia or Deja vu.

'There's the milk' he took it out and started to pour himself a glass.

When he was done with it, he put it back where he found it and closed the fridge door.

"DAMMIT, DON'T YOU SEE WHAT HE'S DONE TO YOU!?"

Dark flinched and gripped the counter. He looked around for the source of the voice but found there was no one around still.

'The hell was that?' Upon the silence, he was starting to think that maybe he just had an auditory hallucination. Maybe he was just too tired and stressed.

Slightly calming down, he turned around to take his glass of milk.

When he felt something against the back of his neck. Like someone was right behind him. Breathing down on him like a predator.

"He's ruined you. You could be so much better without him and you know that"

Dark grit his teeth and tensed his muscles. He whipped himself around to hit whoever was there.

But no one was.

'Dammit, what the hell!? That wasn't a hallucination. That was real! I know it!'

"Who's there!? Show yourself and stop your nonsense immediately!"

No one answered.

He growled to himself, "Wilford, I swear if that was you, we're gonna have a very serious discussion later"

Nothing.

Waving it off as just a stupid prank then, Dark finally took his glass and started to walk out of the kitchen.

He stopped mid-step, however, when he started getting a ringing in his ear. Dark move his jaw around and messed around with his ear to get it to stop but nothing worked.

'Dammit, what else can fucking go wrong tonight to mess with me?'

He heard a cry suddenly.

But not a human one. He heard it nearby in the direction he was going in, 'Is that .  . . coming from the basement?'

All his thoughts went to Dark Chica as the whining persisted. He didn't care about the milk glass anymore. He had left that in the kitchen while he ran back into the basement.

'I swear if Chase did anything to hurt her, I'll-'

He barged into the basement and ran down the stairs.

He was out of breathe but he could still kick someone's ass.

But it was the strangest thing.

Dark Chica was still asleep.

And so was Chase.

'Where was that crying and whining sound coming from then?' he wondered.

Upon hearing him running down the stairs, Dark Chica briefly woke up and as she saw him, her tail wagged lazily, making his shoulders drop and start to relax.

'Maybe it WAS just me hearing things? I'll talk to Dr. Iplier about it in the morning. Along with the nightmares.'

Forgetting about his milk, Dark laid back into the bed with his loveable sweetheart of a fur-baby. Dark Chica's warmth always helped. He was glad she could be in the house with him unlike at Raspy Hill in Mark's head.

He was just starting to fall asleep when that feeling hit him again.

It was as if someone was behind him.

Not taking any chances, Dark grabbed his cane and whipped it around him along with himself only for someone else to catch it!

It was too dark. He couldn't see exactly who it was that grabbed the cane. 

Dark shuddered, worried as to why Dark Chica wasn't stirred by what was happening.

"Who are you?" he tried to sound strong and angry.

The man who had the cane in his hand leaned forward so he could see him better. 

Dark's heart-rate spiked.

"Look what you did" the other man growled at him, " . . . . . . It's all your fault"

"Wh-what? What is? What- I don't-Who are-"

The man grabbed his throat to choke him and that's when Dark forced his eyes open with a shout.

"GAH!" 

Only to shout again seeing who was above him staring at him.

"THE HELL!? Chase, why are you staring at me like that?!"

Chase backed off and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Sorry dude. You were pretty out of it, though. I know a nightmare when I see one and you were straight up freaking out, bro."

Dark slowly relaxed again seeing the light coming from the basement window. It was morning. He relaxed even more as Dark Chica started licking his hand, "I'm okay, girl"

"You sure about that, dude? You were flailing a bit"

"I said I'm FINE" Dark spat. Admittedly he sounded a bit harsh but the nightmare was burned in his mind.

Chase put his hands up submissively to back off and Dark felt bad, "uH . .. Sorry. It's just . . . it felt so real"

The father nodded, "I get that. Sometimes I have those kinds of nightmares, too. No worries. But it was just a dream. Don't let it overtake you, man."

Dark nodded.

"It's about breakfast time . . you wanna go up and hang, dude? Maybe tell me about your dream? Or if you don't wanna tell ME that's totally fine. You should probs tell somebody about it, though"

He nodded again, "Right. Right, thanks. Yeah. . . I need coffee"

"I hear ya. I could go for some good tea, myself. Some o' that Lyons . . . . " Chase led the way but stopped, "Just one question though . . . . who's Damien?"

"  . . . . . ." Dark was caught off guard at that but before he could answer, Chase shrugged his shoulders.

"Never mind, man. You don't have to answer that. Dark Chica, ya coming?" he called for his dog.

Dark grunted, "Maybe that's not such a good ide-"

"Nonsense, man, she's fine. She listens to you, right?" the dog came over, wagging her tail at being called.

Dark didn't know what to say, really, watching as Chase walked the rest of the way up the stairs, Dark Chica at his heels.

'Yeah . . . she listens only to me. Right?'

He felt a little heartbroken but Dark knew better that Dark Chica just liked to be out and stretch her legs. Besides, she was different lately being around the other dogs and getting along with them so well. Perhaps it's just what she needed.

At the table, Dark sat in between Chase and Wilford. He wasn't hungry so he just sipped on some coffee with some vanilla flavorings and tons of sugar. He needed it after last night. 

He still wasn't sure what happened. Was it really just a nightmare or was somebody actually messing with him and THEN he fell asleep? His milk glass was gone from the table but before he could have gotten excited, he saw the same glass in the sink.

'Somebody must have put it up this morning'

Glancing over at Wilford who was nonchalantly throwing pieces of sausage to Dark Chica from a great distance, Dark nudged him.

Getting his attention, the pink man hummed but still gave his breakfast meat to the beast, "Yes? What is it, Darky?"

"Were you in the kitchen last night?"

"Where?"

"In the kitchen?"

"With Dina?!" Wilford gasped.

"What? No" Dark shook his head at him, "No, Wil. . . . Were YOU in the KITCHEN last night?"

"No, why you ask?"

" . . . . ." Dark didn't know if he should tell him, really, "I don't know. I just . . thought I saw someone last night is all. Thought it was you"

"Nnnnnnnnnope!" he grinned, "I was up in my room with Bimmy-boy playing with his toy microphone while he was sleeping"

"IT'S NOT A TOY!" Bim shouted but quickly looked away in embarrassment.

Dark nodded, "Okay" 

'Well that trail led to nothing'

Meanwhile, Chase was listening in on the conversation and nudged the 'evil' Iplier, "That what your nightmare was about last night, dude?" he was careful to whisper so no one else could hear.

"Uh-"

"NIGHTMARE?!" Wilford had exceptional hearing along with the ability to hear someone's thoughts, "Oh are you okay, Darkipoo!?"

"For the love of-yes, I'm FINE, Wil. It's nothing to worry about"

"Sorry" Chase looked as if he felt bad and Dark had to reassure him, too.

"It's fine, Brody. Wil can read minds so it's not a surprise he could hear you"

" . . .." Chase just stared at him somewhat in surprise as if he were processing that.

"Brody?"

The father tilted his head a bit and blinked, "It's nothing. Okay." he nodded and gave a short smile, "And call me Chase . . .. Darkipoo" he gave a sudden sly grin before quickly leaving the table.

Dark didn't run after him. He didn't see the point in threatening the guest.

Everyone had heard of Dark's nightmare within the hour.

They kept giving him strange looks. Especially Mark, Bob and Wade.

Of course they were polite. It was the other Ipliers that kept giving him shit. Ones like Yancy, Yandere and Bim, teasing him every so often.

Dark was starting to crack.

And now most of them were cooped up together in a studio space Mark had rented. It was time for a scene without Dark and while some of the others were doing their parts, Ethan came up to plop right next to him.

"Sup, man?"

"I swear, if you're hear to 'talk' to me about my nightmare, leave my sight this instant"

"Wowie, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the coffin"

"Fuck off"

Ethan just snickered, "Chase told me. Although he DID ask me not to tell you he told me. Oops"

Dark snorted, actually cracking a smile.

"Gotcha"

"Stop"

"You know you can talk to me, man. I know we haven't spent a LOT of time together but that week Mark was sick and you 'secretly' took over as Annus . . . I like to think we're friends, bud"

Dark thought about it. He already sort of told Chase. But he hadn't said anything about what actually happened. Was he ready to talk about it so soon, though?

"Thanks eef" Dark nodded to him with a small grin, "But I'm fine. Really. Just a nightmare that felt a bit too real is all. Very Lucid"

". . . . okay. If you say so. Just making sure, though. You can talk to me and-"

"YOU'LL NEVER BE THE SAME!"

Dark flinched  at the sudden familiar yell and looked around sharply.

"Whoa, Dark what's wrong?"

Heart racing, Dark squinted a bit at him, "You didn't hear that?"

"Hear what? The guys over there yelling at each other?"

Dark looked over to Wilford yelling at Google about the lighting.

'Was that what I heard?'

The room was dimly lit for the purpose of the shot. This one was all about Wilford and some of his background having to do on the train.

'I must have just heard them, I guess'

Suddenly Dark Chica's head perked up and she started to growl.

Worried, Dark looked down on her and tried to pat her head to calm her but that didn't matter.

The dark beast stood up, her haunches raised, growling. 

"Is she okay?" Ethan asked him.

Dark just looked over to where she was growling. 

In the shadows . . . . . . 

He could almost make out a dark figure. It was odd that no one else seemed to notice it. Ethan seemed intrigued but only because of the dog's attitude.

Dark stared over at the figure, the eyes glowing bright in the shadows.

"Look what you did. . . . . ."

Dark stood up and was about to confront the figure.

Only for all of the lights to suddenly turn on, wiping out the shadows from the room.

The figure was gone and Dark Chica stopped growling, looking just as confused as he did.

"Dark?"

Dark glanced to Ethan who seemed awfully concerned for him, "Are you okay?"

"I. . . "

"Dark?" Mark finally noticed the commotion and came over, "What's going on over here? You feel alright? I saw you just staring at the corner of the room like you were . . . scared or something" Mark looked like he couldn't even believe what he was saying as if Dark could NEVER get scared.

"I. . . ."

Dr. Iplier walked up as well, "What is it, Dark?"

" .  . . . . ." he swallowed and cleared his throat. Too many people were watching him. Waiting for him to speak. It made him feel even more awkward as if he were. . . crazy.

"I'm fine . . . I'm gonna. . ." he pet Dark Chica's pet and took her leash in hand, "I think I'm gonna go back to the manor for the day. I'm taking Dark Chica with me"

"O-okay" Mark stuttered, "Whatever you want, I guess. See you later"

Dark didn't respond, merely walking away with his dog.

Bob and Wade seemed concerned as well as Ethan and Amy.

And Chase just watched him go almost as if he somewhat knew what could be bothering him.

No one thought anything of it, of course. Chase WAS the one who told them all about Dark's nightmare.

Perhaps it was bothering him more than he liked to admit.

Also if anyone still has any questions for me for my Q&A book, feel free to ask in the comments of this chapter! I'll answer almost ANY question! Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter btw lol