Orphans Beloved: "In Memorium…"

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.

Disclaimer: No copy write infringement intended…

"Allison?"

"Donnie…Nnnnht!"

"But…"

"Just keep quiet!" leads him across the rather drab cemetery, a spattering of light rain from the grey sky adding to the general dreariness.

You'd think with such a big corporation and with his rep, they'd splurge a little on the final rp, Allison shook head, dragging a reluctant Donnie by the hand.

"Ally…Why do we have to do this? What if we're caught?"

"No one knows Donnie…Unless…" she eyed him.

"Not a word…And I cleaned the car, just like Sarah told me, at that allnight do-it-yourself place."

"Thank God you didn't damage the car like Helena did Beth's. Unlike Beth, we don't have the sort of expensive insurance to replace bullet-shotout windows easily."

"So…Beth is the one who…?" Donnie, uncertain.

"Committed suicide, Sarah took her place. She's the one who made me self-aware. Try to focus a little, Donnie. And come on…" she adjusted her Audrey Hepburn black hat, pulling at her black gloves, smoothing the black dress.

"I don't like the idea of leaving Gemma and Oz with that Sarah and her brother…"

"Oh, it's fine…Well…Felix…Felix is a lovely person. He's had a harsh life but really…"

"I sense I'm lucky he's gay." Donnie, attempt at smile.

"You're lucky I didn't fall for Paul Dierden…Though, I knew…I sensed right away…He was not to be trusted completely."

"Ok…Paul?"

"Beth's monitor… 'Boyfriend'…But that was a lie…"

"oh…" small voice.

Sigh…As they tried to stroll casually, Ally nodding solemnly but pleasantly to the few passers-by or standers-at-graveside-by…

"I guess I see why you were so hurt…" cautious tone…

"Donnie…" shake of head. "Well, this is a process…And this is one step in the process."

"Right." Nervous glance round… "But, honey…Aren't we taking just a bit too much of a risk in this 'process'. If the Dyad people find us poking round here."

Shrug… "Well, then…We leer in triumph and spit on the grave…They'd surely buy that as a believable reaction to Dr. Leekie's sad demise. I'm still important to them and we have an agreement betwixt us."

Hmmn…He pondered.

Well…

So long as no one knows…I suppose…

Still…It's not right.

"Sooner or later…" he began. "I still think maybe…" he eyed her stare. "For you and the kids…Especially you..."

"We've already discussed this, Donnie." Stern look. "You are not breaking up our family to ease your conscience. Besides…You didn't know…And as you know, now…We both have things to regret."

"And we both got away with…" slight grin…

"Donnie!" glare. Eyeing him…

Slight grin… "Well…" Oh… "But listen, we never, ever…On our deathbeds even…"

"The kids? Ally? What are you thinking, never."

"Ok…Good…" pat. "Oh, look…There it is…"

He peered at the marker she pointed out… Aldous Leekie, birth and death dates on a sparse white marker…A bouquet of withered flowers with a Dyad Institute logo on the rather cheap plastic retainer.

"God…That's a little pathetic."

"He'll have his footnote in the science books…Mad doc who did terrible things. But no one will miss him, not even Rachel." She paused… "But Donald Hendrix is and will be loved." She kissed him.

"Ally…Oh…" he wept… "Thanks…."

"Thank you…" she smiled. "For giving me back the love of my life…And for getting this dork Leekie out of my and my sisters' hair. Ok…Go ahead."

"Right…" he paused, eyeing her. "What do I say?"

"Just whatever you feel…This is about healing, Donnie."

"Right. Healing…" Uh…He stared at the pitiful grave…

"Dr. Leekie…Uh…Donald Hendrix here. Ally too. Hello."

Pause… Hiss… "Is that…?"

"Donnie…Make your peace…It's important, honey…" she patted him.

"Yeah…But Ally…I did kill the guy."

"Accidently, right?"

"Yeah, sorta. I did kinda want him dead."

"Well, I wanted Ansley dead. With less good reason. "

"Oh, no…You thought she was your monitor and destroying us. I think you had just as good reason as me, honey."

"Thanks." Beam. "But, believe me, I would have wanted Dr. Leekie dead if I'd known just how evil he was toward us." Taking hand in hers, clutching firmly, kind nod. "Ok, now. This is part of the process of healing…You and us."

"From New Path?" he eyed her.

"I should have got something from it, it cost enough." She frowned. "But…Thanks for sending me, I guess. It was a good choice, for the kids' sakes."

"It was all my fault…Poisoning our marriage like that. You know, I don't want to apologize to this guy." He frowned at the grave. "Dr. Leekie, you're a son ofa bitch and I'm glad…You're dead." He finished at Ally's cautious look.

"Well…Expressing your anger is a part of the process…" she noted.

"Good. Cause now you should yell at me." He eyed her. "I was so stupid, Ally. I could have told you and got this out of our lives years ago. I thought it would make you proud in the end, me being part of a big study…And it did seem to help our marriage…Free advice from a sociologist and counselor. The rat…" glare at marker. "Ally, I'm so sorry…"

"Well…" Sigh… "To be honest, if he'd come to me about this for you, I'd probably have wanted to sign up myself. I'd've wanted to make you proud of me, too." Wry grin.

"I never need to be prouder of you than I always am…" he shook head. "And that is not from Dr. Leekie…"

Smile…Squeeze of gloved hand on his… "Ok…But Donnie, you see now that in the end all he did was paper over the problems…We kept dodging the issues and I was getting madder and madder deep down…Especially cause you were always offering such good support and I felt guilty. Then Beth told me what was going on and about the monitoring and I…" tearing… "I was so broken up by it…The idea that that was why you were so good at keeping me…"

"I know…" sigh… "Ok…I think I've got it. Could you stand right there?"

Hmmn? She moved.

"Dr. Leekie. Murder is wrong and I'm sorry I killed you but you deserved to be punished. You're an asshole and I'm glad there's no one who cares close to you as to whether you live or die…" he addressed the marker. "I mean to see, when we know Ally and the kids are safe, that your role in this night mare is told to the world and no one thinks of Aldous Leekie with anything but horror as the latest in the long line of Nazis and other sons of bitches tormenting innocent people. Screw you…" he unzipped fly and peed on the marker.

"Donnie?!"

"Just don't let anyone…" he hissed, zipping. Both looking round, carefully.

Well…She abandoned slight reproving look…Giving a very brief "thumbs-up" and smile to him.

"Now I feel the peace…" he nodded. "Thanks, sweetheart…Another great idea from the rock of our family."

"Thank you." Beam. "But you never again confront anyone from Dyad or the Proleithians…"

"Who?"

"Oh…Uh, they're religious nuts, out to kill us as abominations of God's work or something like that. I did tell you about our crazy clone sister…You remember? Donnie?" stern look…

"If you ever start talking with a Ukrainian or Russian accent, make sure the kids are ok, make some excuse, then get out of the house or car as fast as I can and call you or Sarah…."

"That's my honey." She kissed him. "Well…" she looked around. "That was real closure…Breakfast?"

"Sounds good."

Off to corner…Two pairs of eyes watching grimly.

"That fat guy peed on Uncle Aldous' grave, Emily." A woman in long coat, identical in appearance to Allison, excepting her lack of power bangs…I should get bangs, I like that look, she noted…Eyed her identical twin in identical coat. Both with hair tightly bunned and granny glasses perched, their dress rather conservative.

"I saw, Susan…I saw. And one of the field girls was with him…Watching."

"If the files from Uncle Aldous' office are right…That must be Allison Hendrix, the one with adopted kids and a husband. A big, dumb husband…" Dark look. "She needs to be punished, Em. Severely."

"First things first, though…That bitch Rachel and her boss." Emily glared.

"Absolutely, Em…" Susan nodded. "It's the least we can do for Unk." Tearing…