Seeing Clearly
By Erin Griffin
Fandom: Dollhouse
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Joss and Mutant Enemy owns the Dollhouse. I'm just playing with them for a little while.
Author's Note: Spoils some of the events of last night's episode (3/13/09).
Summary: Echo sees what may be going on between Sierra and Victor, and starts to understand the feeling of jealousy.
Claire asked after her eyesight a lot. Every time she was asked, Echo would tell her that she saw perfectly. She saw the man that she knew she could trust from the other side of the room. She also saw the man she must stay away form at all costs, and was glad he was on the other side of the room. She could see her friends long before they saw her. She liked her new eyesight, but she didn't remember what happened to get them this way. With the doctor asking if she was alright, Echo wondered if her eyes were meant to go bad.
As she walked towards her friends, she saw him, Victor looking at her friend Sierra. There was something about his look that seemed so familiar to her, so much like the way she herself felt when looking at her. Echo liked Sierra a lot. She liked her more than she liked anyone there. She trusted the doctor and the other, darker man, but she really liked Sierra. She wanted to be near her always, but not if Victor was also there. As she walked the other way, towards the showers, she thought about this. She wasn't sure she liked Victor anymore, but she couldn't give herself a reason. Just because he looks at her the same way she does is no way to not like your friends. Friends look out for each other, don't they?
As Echo thought about her feelings for Sierra and her new non feelings for Victor, she looked through the steam and saw the people who watched them. Did she notice them before? A few minutes of watching the ones who watch her, she felt another presence next to her. Sierra was there, and she gave her a smile. Echo couldn't help herself. She smiled back. She felt sometimes that she only wanted smiles from Sierra. Then she saw Victor there, also staring at Sierra, possibly hoping for a smile from her. Echo gave him a smile in greeting as she remembered she always did, but he didn't seem to see her. As she watched, Victor's lower half changed. He looked down and swallowed. He was guilty.
Echo was about to say something to him, but Sierra began to speak, her back to her. "I need to be clean, but I can't reach my back. Can you help me?" Sierra craned her neck to look back at Echo, and she knew she would never say no.
"Friends help each other," Echo replied, and she put soap on her hands. As she rubbed the soap on her hands and then placed them on Sierra's back, she felt something in her stomach, and wondered if her lower half would react as Victor's had if only they were the same. She didn't feel anymore bad feelings towards to Victor, as she watched her hands move over Sierra's back. She felt like smiling, as if she won a game.
"All clean. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Echo replied. She watched as Sierra rinsed the soap from her back, and it seemed silent.
"I feel tired. Time for bed," Sierra told them, and then walked away with a smile to both Echo and Victor.
"Goodnight," Victor said. His voice was strange. Quiet.
"Goodnight," Echo said a little louder. She turned to Victor, who glanced at her.
"I like her. More than anyone," Victor said
"I like her too," Echo replied, feeling like she hadn't won after all. She then walked away, grabbing her towel and getting dressed for bed. She saw even before Victor had even said anything how he felt for Sierra, and she didn't like it.