Characters: Liz Sherman / Adelle Dewitt
Fandom: Hellboy (Dollhouse Crossover)
Rating: PG (references to burnt corpses)
Word Count: 600
Prompts/Inspirations: My Immortal - Evanescence "There's just too much that time cannot erase"
AN: Liz goes to LA and talk to someplace called the Dollhouse, to run away from her life…for good. Might expand on this later. But so far it's just a one shot.
I don't like tea. I used to. There was a time in my life that a cup of tea would be a welcome comfort. Trevor loved tea. Loved….he's gone now. Dead. Its strange how I feel worse about his death than I do most of the others. I wasn't even there, but I feel like it's somehow...my fault. It's usually my fault when someone dies, why wouldn't it be this time?
"Please, drink the tea before it gets cold, Elizabeth." Her voice isn't particularly soothing. For someone who promises to make it all go away, you'd think she'd try to be a little more comforting. She sounds like when my mother used to scold my brother and me for running though the house. The house. That's cute. They call this place a Dollhouse.
"Don't like tea." I set the cup back down on the saucer and raise my eyes to her. "Can you help me or not?" I hate this pussyfooting around. I was told they could do it, and I want it done. Should be simple, right?
"We will help anyone who needs it, Elizabeth. That's the business we are in. We give people what they need. " She leans forwards a bit and actually smiles. I wouldn't have thought she had it in her. "I must admit, you are the first of your kind to come to us. It's quite a risk on your part, and ours." She looks right in my eyes, as if it will somehow make me tell her more about why I'm here. She said she didn't care, so I'm not telling. "Our programmer will be very interested in you, I'm sure."
"Programmer. Right. Whatever." This has got to be the most messed up idea on the planet, and I have seen so much messed up stuff. "Just as long as he can make it go away, I don't care what the risk is. I'll deal with it."
I can't take the nightmares anymore. I can't take the guilt and the looks I get when a new agent hears my 'story'. I…just can't do it anymore. I can't look in Red's eyes and not cry. I can't close my eyes and see those smoking bodies and hear the sizzle of flesh. I can't think about it anymore. It's this or…
She starts taking some papers out of her desk. Of course there will be paperwork. I'm actually surprised that it's such a small stack. "We want you to be aware of what you're agreeing to, but I promise you, we can make the memories go away. And when your contract is up…"
"Done deal." I've got the papers signed before she can even finish talking.
"Miss Sherman, I must insist that you at least read the…"
"Blank Slate. All gone. No…anything. I get it. I want it." I stand and cross my arms over my chest and raise an eyebrow. "So give it to me." I look down at her.
"Very well." She hands the papers to a woman with a nod and stands herself. "Let's get you prepped for the back up." She puts her hand on my shoulder and starts to push me out of the door of her office.
"Nothing worth backing up." I shrug as we step into the elevator. Why the hell would I want my life back? 5 years. 10 years. 50 years. It won't change what I am, what I did. Nothing can. No amount of time will make it go away.
This is the only thing that will.
