This is a little one-off I wrote in response to an IC challenge on the PPMB.

All recognizable characters are the intellectual property of Glenn Eichler and MTV/Viacom. This is fanfiction, no money is being made.

Stacy Morgendorffer

'Just do it! Come on! Knock you stupid... ' She raised her hand for the third time and tentatively knocked on the door. She was about to turn tail and run back downstairs when a voice from inside said. 'You have reached the gates of hell, if your sins are minor take a ticket and wait until your number is called, if major set fire to yourself right now to save time, if you're a lawyer come right in.'

After a few seconds that seemed like days the voice said. 'Come in Stacy.'

'Eeeep!'

'NOW!'

Still trembling she opened the door and slid into the room. Daria was seated at her computer with a document open on the screen, one of her stories more than likely. A slight rustle alerted her to the presence of Jane Lane sitting at Daria's desk working on a watercolor.

'Ohmigod! I'm sorry Jane I didn't realize you were here I didn't mean to interrupt I mean I didn't hear you talking so I thought Daria was alone I think it's great that you guys can be together like this and not talk or I mean you don't have to talk it's like you can communicate telepathically or something it's not like me and Quinn you know like we talk all the time even when there's nothing to say but we... '

'Stacy!'

'Eeeep!'

'Just breathe, Stacy, nice and steady, relax, that's it, relax... now... to what do we owe the honor of this visit?'

…

…

'Stacy, tell, me, what, you, want. I don't bite people... on Tuesdays.'

'But it's Wednesday! I mean...'

'Hmmm, so it is... and I could do with a snack, how about you Jane, you feeling peckish?'

Jane looked Stacy over. 'Nah, I don't like the minnows, I throw 'em back.'

'Me too, well Stacy, it's your lucky day, we're not gonna eat you which brings me back to my original question, what can I do for ya?' Stacy started to relax a bit when she noticed the hint of a smile on Daria's face and the cheeky grin on Jane's.

'I'm sorry... '

'Don't apologize, soldier, it's a sign o' weakness.'

'I'm sorry... I...'

'Gawd Stacy, you're too easy. Stop apologizing. Relax. Take a deep breath and tell me what's on your mind.'

Jane spoke up. 'Is it private Stacy? Do you want me to leave you and Daria alone?'

'No... Jane... not anything like that it's just I... I wanted to thank you... your Mom told me the decision was unanimous, that means you... you agreed to me coming to live here and I... thank you.'

'You're welcome Stacy, in every sense. I'm glad you're here... that is I'm not glad about what happened to your Mom of course but I'm glad you didn't end up in the foster system, I wouldn't even wish that on Hitler... or Sandi!' Stacy couldn't help but giggle at that. She realized that behind the banter the two older girls were regarding her with sympathy and kindness.

'Ehmm but if the adoption goes ahead I'll be a part of your family too, is that OK? I mean I don't want to take away from your... what you have... I mean... '

'Listen to me Stacy, You're Mom's insurance covers your college so you're not taking anything from that, at least a quarter of the frozen lasagne goes in the trash every day and more like three quarters of the kitchen sink stew so there's plenty of food. The only thing, and this is serious now, the only thing that really inconveniences me is the bathroom rota in the mornings and seeing as Quinn has volunteered to cut her time to less than an hour I won't end up with irritable bowel syndrome so we're good, OK?'

'But I'm taking up time with your folks and your sister, I don't want to... why is that funny, why are you laughing at me? Stop it please, please...'

'Stacy... oh Stacy... Jane, get up off the floor and stop giggling.' Daria ordered even though she was having difficulty holding in her own laughter. 'Stacy, how long have you lived here now? Six weeks after the funeral, then one week in the home then what? Four more weeks here?' Stacy nodded. 'Then explain how you could possibly be interfering with my quality time with my family?'

'You mean... it was always like this? I thought it was just because I'd disrupted your family.'

'No, sad to say it was always like this. I think you suspected I was Quinn's sister, right? Not the maid's babysitter's cousin who happened to live in the same house and had the same last name?'

'No, we, I... we always knew you were her sister... from that first assembly when you made that speech... we were just being polite to Quinn... Sandi had me keep track of all the different excuses Quinn made for you being in this house.'

'Do you have that list? I'd love to see it, actually I'd love to have it framed and hung on the wall.'

'Sure, but... you're not upset...?'

'Not any more. I admit it did hurt when I was younger. It was only after I came to Lawndale and recognized my true nature that I became OK with it.'

'Your... what?'

'Tell her Jane.'

'Meet Daria Morgendorffer, Mistress of the Universe... I'm just the sexy sidekick but I'm OK with it, Daria's promised me France when she takes over.'

Stacy couldn't help but smile now. She was finally starting to understand the humor. If you took away Quinn's childish denial and Sandi's ignorant prejudice these were two of the coolest girls she knew. She remembered all that fuss over Jane's poster and Daria was responsible for sorting out that Ultra-Cola advertising mess that gave Principal Li a nervous breakdown... Jodie Landon went around being a member of everything and getting elected but Daria got things done!

'Was there anything else on your mind, Stacy? Don't worry, this is a bit of an asylum but it is a family and you're welcome in it. I mean that, OK?'

'Thank you, Daria... But you and Quinn...?'

'Ah, you see the thing is... the thing is we never... that is I never... needed her... and she never needed me... if something happened to her though... if she needed me I like to think I would have been there for her and she... well let's say she surprised me. She went to bat for you and was there for you every step of the way over the last year. I honestly didn't think she had it in her. Who knew there was depth beneath all that shallowness. I'm proud of her.'

Stacy started to cry but Daria glanced at Jane who nodded, she had heard it too. Daria quietly rose and yanked open her door. Quinn fell in ear first and landed in a heap on the carpet.

Daria looked down at her smirking. 'Yes Quinn, you heard right. I'm proud of the way you looked after your friend since her Mom got sick, but I'll still kick your ass for eavesdropping.'

Quinn looked up at her sister, tears in her eyes. 'Do you mean it?' She pleaded.

'Yes, I mean it, I will kick your ass, now get up off my floor, you're making my room untidy.'

Quinn climbed to her feet then grabbed Daria in a hug. A moment later Stacy hugged both of them, sobbing incoherently. Grinning like a loon Jane dived on top knocking them all back to the carpet and started kissing Daria's head.

'Gah! Dammit! Get off me the lot of you! Lane! I'm.. no... no... stoppit!... noooooooo...' This last as all three girls started to tickle her mercilessly.

'Stacy Morgendorffer...' Stacy was thinking to herself as she helped torture her "sister". '… I could live with that...'