Orphans Beloved: "The Attraction Curious…"
Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved and Sheldon Swifties bits in my Buffyverse and Sheldonverse, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.
Note-A grim secret revealed…
Disclaimer: No copy write infringement intended…
2013, Dyad Institute…
Office of Aldous Leekie….
"So you've decided to make an 'approach' to Mrs. Good Housekeeping." Rachel Duncan, slight frown, stated flatly, eyeing Leekie as he fiddled with some equipment on a table.
"Alison is self-aware, but she has a strong desire, given her family-centeredness, to have as normal, secure, and uncluttered a life as possible. I will offer her that."
"A fantasy…We certainly can't allow her to go unmonitored and unsupervised, Aldous."
"And we won't. She was suspicious of her husband but she seems convinced now that he isn't her monitor."
"And he is not…Not the proper field monitor. Merely our secondary…Aldous, she's guessed her true monitor, the senior operative."
"That is regrettable and I hate to lose the Norrises, they're excellent field people. But we do have others to monitor and Dr. Norris has been anxious to return to the lab. He is getting a bit weary of playing the neighborhood lothario/gym boy."
"Really?" Rachel, archly. "I'd gotten the impression the man was rather fond of his suburban harem."
"It had its compensations…But he's asked and I do hate to see his research talents wasted for too long, good as it's been to have a first-rate team in the field to coordinate things. But Aynsley can still handle supervision of the US monitors in the field."
"Our 'actress'…" disdainful sniff.
"She's done a fine job…"
"Until our Alison the little housewife saw right through her act." Steady look. "But it's your call."
"Thank you." Slight bow.
"You really think Hendrix will accept an agreement with us?"
"Alison is pragmatic, much like you. Put it down on paper, codified, she'll feel she's back in control."
"Indeed…" cold stare. "Meaning I'm as easily fooled as our little suburbanite?"
"Not at all. Though Alison is no fool, Rachel. She's quite a leader and is quite brilliant in managing her world, but for the turmoil Beth introduced to it."
"How nice that you have such a favorable opinion of her."
"I admire her for the same reasons I admire all of you."
"I see…" grim stare. "I suppose we are all, interchangeable."
"Don't be like that, Rachel." He sighed, moving to her, putting hands on her shoulders. "You are each unique and wonderful in your own ways. And for me, you are far more…You know that."
"Do I?" careful eyeing.
"Rachel." Wry smile. "Are you jealous of Alison?"
She pulled away from him, annoyed… "Hardly."
"She has things you want. A loving husband, children."
"All of which we provided…"
"Donnie fell in love with her honestly, you know that. He's no idea what LEDA is or what we're about."
"Yes…Sociological experiment." Roll of eyes. "Really, Aldous. Couldn't you have picked a better mate for one of us?"
"She loves him. He loves her. Heck, whatever you may think of them, I believe under the right circumstances they'd die for each other and their kids. What more could you want?"
"Me?" grim look. "I'd want nothing to do with such nonsense…"
Die for each other…Dear God.
"A fool like that. No donut left untouched." Sneer.
"Wish I had the confidence to let myself cut loose and enjoy life as Hendrix does sometimes. But anyway, what matters to Alison is that he adores her and he tries to be a better man for her, even if he fails occasionally. He only accepts the monitor role because he wants to impress her one day when the study's published. I may get annoyed with Donnie from time to time myself but as a surrogate father-in-law of sorts, I'm rather glad she picked him." Aldous, shrugging. "He's a great comfort to her. And a wonderful father to those kids."
"Yes, a large flabby pillow offering no opposition…" shrug.
Enfolded in those teddy bear arms…Cherished…Adored. Not because of the power she wields or the favors she can grant, outside, dear God, the sexual skills of an admittedly rather fit soccer mom, but because he loves her.
Wonderful father…Does he play in the leaves with them, tickling, like Father did in my tapes?
She blinked. "Well, just keep me informed as to progress with Alison. I will be dealing with Sarah directly given the problems we've had with her. And Cosima?..."
"I hope to persuade her without letting her know we know…She wants to study her biology and she is intrigued by neolution. But if that fails, there's always honesty. I'll tell her we know and we want to offer her a chance to work on LEDA and herself."
"Honesty…Highly overrated, Aldous."
"Probably…But it's a fall-back." Smile.
"And if she…Alison…If she tells Donnie…Hendrix…About your offer, about who and what she is? The oaf is sure to spill your beans, Aldous."
"She's afraid to bring that out…If she can avoid telling him, she will."
"But if she does?" sour look. "What if Hendrix finally puts 1+1 together in that feeble brain and tells her what he's been doing with you?"
"Then I deal with him and her…Honestly…To a certain limited extent."
"And if she leaves him as a result…?"
"Her choice, freely made…We have our senior people in place…We merely set up a new in-house monitor…We've had to, many times, with the others. And if he became some sort of foolish liability. There's always ways to deal with that." Calm stare that his rather death's head features somehow made a bit terrifying…Even for one as used to him as she.
Oh, but…She repressed the words before she could speak them.
Foolish…Foolish.
Who cares if Daniel or even Ferdinand must deal with that oaf…That lumpen dolt.
Who cares…But Alison, perhaps…Even if she learns what he's done.
Who cares…If we destroy his life and love and make him a traitor and liar to his wife even if he is not guilty? And if we…
"Of course if any such action needs to be considered and approved by more than one senior staff…" she eyed Aldous.
"I'll run it by you, of course." He nodded. "But I'm sure it won't come to that."
I could speak to Marion…Just soberly point out the foolishness of attracting attention by killing the little fellow. He has children. Alison would be upset, blame herself.
It couldn't be that hard to pressure him into silence, for Alison's sake.
He adores her, after all. He'd die for her.
Course…There is much of her in me…Aldous said so and who a better judge?
He might, given time and desperation…With Alison lost forever to him.
Come to love…Come to adore…Me…
The Rachel my father loved. The one who's so like the other. I could be that Rachel again, with him.
With him and our lovely children, far away from all this…Hideous, antiseptic…Brutally cold…
Safe with warm, cuddly Donnie…Who loves me and doesn't care about power or even about money.
Certainly not given his lifestyle…
"Rachel?" Aldous asked.
"Yes…Well, I must be on my way. Good to see you, Aldous."
…
2013…
Basement of the Hendrix home…
Day of the potluck from Hell…
"Donnie…" Sarah as Alison, headband firmly in place…Pulling cup of water back from his lips.
"While you're down here…" she observed the tape holding him bound to Alison's work chair… "I really want you to think about all we have here, with the kids…And the house. You don't wanna lose that…?" she shook head, he eyeing her silently, shaking head in agreement.
Poor ole sot…She thought…Involuntarily smiling at him as she replaced the face mask on his head and then the gag.
Nicest eyes, really.
A bit blustery with all that "get your crazy PMS shit in gear…" she frowned. But, he has been through a lot…Must be bewildering.
Kinda nice that he's not all "We're through, you crazy…" Must be a very patient type to put up with soccer mom psych out there, she glanced at the locked door to the room where Alison snored away on couch, dead to the world.
Course I'd have 'im walkin' off a few of those pounds. Though…She looked him over…Kinda big cuddly type. Must be nice to just snuggle up and not have it always a sex marathon.
And he obviously loves kids. Not to mention…She looked around. He's gotta be crazy about her to help her have all this. It's like a crafter's vision of Paradise in here.
If I were the home body, slump on the couch type every night with the kiddies and TV and pizza…I guess one could do worse.
God knows there's something to be said for a guy who doesn't need to spend hours every day in the gym looking at his reflection…
Kira would love a house like this…A real home, ya know? Of course she has that with S but it'll be time I set up for us.
Place like this…Nice neighborhood with kids. Maybe a bit more "urban".
And a sweet dad who just wants to love us…Take care of us…
It's easy to see Ally's crazy about him…Crazy with fear that he might not be what she thought he was…
But…Looks like he's in the clear.
My sweet brother-in-law…I actually think he'll cope.
Lucky girl…In some ways…That batshit crazy sister of mine.
I could almost wish…For Kira's sake. If I could ever meet a nice guy like this.
I've played the nice girl before…I can be nice, sorta. When time and things allow. And a little spice and experience is always nice. She eyed him, a bit regretfully.
Yeah, well…She sighed at Donnie's twisting form in the chair.
What ya gonna do?
Maybe I'd best put cushions round…He might go and fall over.
….
2013
Toronto…Huxley Station…
It was just meant to be a game…Another round of our little Patty Duke game, she said. We'd take a break from worrying about Dyad and clones and illness and it would be good for me, a chance to practice my shooting skills again at the gun range and in action with Art. I'd done well the other times, she said. My friend…My sister…My identical clone who's been plotting to steal my life and husband and family almost since she met me. Setting me up for six months, single-mindedly determined as only she can be to get what she wants in life. Couldn't help it, really. It's everything Beth ever wanted, in her private life. And even Cosima was half-joking that she couldn't help finding Donnie kinda sweet from his photos and the way I talked about him.
Even as she told us of the nightmare and the fiends swirling around us, I never suspected the true monster was the sister smiling at me.
And now that her career's soured with the Maggie Chen thing, betraying and using her partner to cover it up, and she suspects Paul, she's lost it completely. She'll be Alison Hendrix if it kills me or those I love.
And how can I even fight her? She'd kill me before I could get to Donnie or the kids, or kill them, she swears if I go to Art or anyone, including our creators.
Oh, God. She slept with Donnie…Twice…And he…Never…Even…
Donnie…Alison moaned, turning…And, in her Beth outfit seeing yet another identical copy of herself staring at her.
What, come to make sure I off myself, sister? She turned again slightly and walked into the oncoming train.
God, what is she wearing? Her last thought…
…