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

dennis

In the morning, Dennis was better but still groggy-feeling, currently suffering from a rough hangover.

As he sat at the kitchen table, Dani, Sadie and Oliver all sitting there too, Scout was upstairs getting ready and Andy was in the kitchen at the island, trying to figure out what was wrong the big, heavy block that the knives sat in. After cursing at it and banging it on the tabletop several times, he slammed it down on the corner of the granite, a clear indication that he had given up on it and that he couldn't take it anymore.

Not two seconds later, the corner of the island top that he slammed the knife block on cracked and broke off the rest, falling on the floor, leaving them to stare in disbelief.

Andy looked up at them a moment later, asking, "What? I slammed it down on there hard."

"Obviously!" came Scout's voice from the bottom of the stairs. "What did you do to the counter, Andy?" She asked as she came over to inspect the scene. She pointed down to the floor where the knife block had fallen from Andy throwing it, the knives that were previously in it spread out across the floor. "And the kitchen knives?" she looked up at him, a questioning look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Queen, I didn't mean to," he apologized, staring at the mess as well. He looked back to her, saying, "But if it makes you feel any better, that lipstick color looks great on you."

Scout shot him a glare as she knelt down, starting to pick up the knives and crumbled granite that littered the floor. "That's great, Andy. Thank you for telling me that when it isn't my first priority at the moment."

Andy ground his teeth. "Okay. Sorry."

She stood up, setting everything on the counter and brushing off her hands. "No, it's my fault," she told him with an exasperated exhale. "I'm trying to rush to get ready this morning, and I'm treating you rudely because of it. I'm sorry, babe."

"Hey, that's okay. I get it," Andy responded, setting his hands on both sides of the curve of her neck, kissing her forehead lightly. "Everything's going to be fine. No stress."

"Thank you, Andy," she told him with an appreciative smile, grabbing his face without him expecting it and kissing his lips, several times before jogging over to the front door to grab her bag. Andy's expression remained stunned as Scout bid her goodbyes to everyone, calling, "I love you guys!" and walking out the door.

"Dad," Dennis said for the fourth time, Andy finally snapping out of it and looking at his son.

"What?"

"Jeez, I said your name like a hundred times," Dennis exaggerated, shaking his head. "Anyway --"

Andy help up a finger in the direction of Dennis, pausing. "Wait. I have to go. I have to be at the studio in ten minutes. Sorry, Dennis, if it's important just call me later and tell me on there," he said quickly, rushing up the stairs and almost tripping on his way up.

"Yeah, I should get going, too," Dani said suddenly and standing. "I'm meeting Ethan at the mall today."

"Yeah, me too," Sadie joined, standing. "I mean, I'm not meeting Ethan, obviously. Grayson, is what I meant to say."

"Oh. Okay," Dennis replied, his sisters gone in a flash, leaving him there with baby Oliver, who just looked at him and laughed for no reason. Dennis cracked the smallest smile at him, not in the mood for anything really funny that moment.

"Dad!" he called. "What are we supposed to do with Ollie?"

Andy came running down the flight of stairs, lifting the baby from his highchair and grabbing the diaper bag that sat behind the couch. "Taking him with me," he answered, slipping his boots on with everything still in his hands. He grabbed his keys, opening the front door and checking to make sure he didn't need anything else to take with him. He looked at Dennis, who was still sitting at the table, saying, "Alright, Tiger, I gotta go. I'll see you later. Call me or Mommy if you need anything."

"Really, Dad? Mommy?"

"Sorry, Mom. Call me or Mom if you need anything."

"Better. And yeah, got it."

"Good. Love you, see you later," Andy said, walking out the door.

"You too." As soon as the door shut, the house was quiet and Dennis was by himself. As the clock ticked, he glanced back at the sharp end of the granite island top that a piece had broken off of, and sighed. Only his father would make something happen like that.

Looking back and noticing that Dani ad left her dishes at the table, he gathered and carried them over to the sink, rinsing them off and setting it all in the dishwasher.

Before he finished, there was a series of sharp tapping on the front door, by whom Dennis hadn't a clue considering everyone had just left. He sighed, not even responding. He was busy. Whoever was outside the door could wait an extra minute or two.

Dennis shut the dishwasher, checking the counters for anything he missed that should've been put in to clean. When it turned out there wasn't, he set the dishwasher up to run, making sure to press all the right buttons before it started and was up and running, doing it's job.

He still wasn't completely finished and wasn't even standing up all the way straight when not even thirsty seconds later, the doorbell rang this time, and Dennis let out an annoyed, heavy breath and yelled, "I'll be there in a second!" trying to mask the frustration in his voice. He blew the section of hair hanging in his face away, finally standing and turning to go get the door, but he didn't get two steps away from where he sat previously before tripping over something heavy on the ground that was lying there in the middle of the floor, and slicing his cheek open on the sharp corner of the granite island top. He hit the ground, his elbow catching him but not holding him up for long. He tried to sit up a little, but only could lift his head for a number of seconds just to see what he had tripped on -- the infamous knife block that Andy had thrown on the floor only ten minutes before. The large heavy knife block, though, wasn't, surprisingly, his biggest concern, because what really caught his eye was the oozing blood covering the front of his shirt and dripping all across the floor.

Sure, he had felt the corner of the island slice his cheek from the corner of his mouth, but really all he felt now as he watched the blood drip all over the hardwood under him was a warm, almost burning sensation on the area that had been sliced open.

When he reached up and touched the corner of his mouth and his cheek, and pulled it away to look at it, slippery, sticky blood oozing down his fingers as he stared at them in disbelief.

Dennis sprinted over to the mirror closest to the kitchen, near the living room, trying his hardest not to get blood everywhere. When he looked at his reflection, he was expecting anything but to see the area on his face from the corner of his lips to most of his cheek split in two, the inside of his mouth quickly filling with blood as well.