Dren

by PrettyPrettyShinyShiny

Elsa, despite her confidence, needed a familiar face. And if that face could help with this new problem then all the better for it. OC Dot, Elsa's second cousin. Canon typical death.

Disc.- I don't own Splice or anything that sounds like you know it! Like the mention of Pictionary.

This Story…- So Dot, Elsa's second cousin who had access to what Elsa needed, comes just after Dren's 'wings' but before magically, the makeup and seduction. Also, not even lying, I am absolute trash that didn't like Elsa or the ending which is why I wrote this. Dot was a character I came up with who I think wouldn't put up with Elsa's bull. Mentally anyways. She was also an attempt to be able to properly flesh out OCs.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Elsa? Elsa!" came the call and the two froze.

"Who is that?" Clive murmured, dark eyes cutting to the strawberry blonde. She bit her lip, glancing first at him then at the door. "Elsa! Did you invite her here? What were you thinking?!"

"She's not-" Elsa began with the intent of reassuring him but another call, this one louder, cut her off.

"Well. I suppose I'll just have to take all of these supplies back, since Elsa doesn't seem to be-"

"Dotty!" Elsa dove for the door, opening it quickly with a breathless smile. "Hey, I didn't know you were gonna be here so early!"

"Neither did I, trust me. You know how I am with road directions and it's a goddamn miracle I didn't crash. I hate driving- and I hope that tells you how much I deeply love and appreciate you Elsa, I really do." she grinned teasingly, though she looked worn from the trip. This was not unexpected. Then she was grabbed in a tight hug and Elsa sighed, still a little tense but happy enough that she made the trip alright. "It's been forever though. How have you been doing, aside from asking me to get all this…Stuff?"

"It's…Been hectic." she smiled, then jumped as Clive cleared his throat behind her. "Oh! Dotty, this is Clive. I've told you about him."

"Oh yeah! Hi there, I'm Dorea! But I mean, people tend to call me Dot or Dotty. It's nice to finally meet you." she smiled beneath her heavy coats, holding out a hand. Clive looked at it warily.

"Sure. Clive Nicoli." he shook her hand briefly, trying to convey the sense of 'get out' through hand contact alone. "Elsa didn't mention you."

"As much as I'd like to feel hurt, that's pretty understandable." she shrugged, completely ignoring any sort of hostility he may have been glaring at her. "The basics of it is I'm her second cousin and honestly, kind of a black sheep if you would." she waved a hand. "But enough about me, we can talk about that later! If you want your stuff, come 'n get it!"

xXx

"She's totally safe Clive, really! I wouldn't bring in someone I didn't absolutely trust."

"How the hell did she get all of that lab equipment Elsa? And what did black sheep mean, and why the hell didn't you, I don't know, warn me that we were gonna have another person here when we've already got to worry about Dren being-"

"She doesn't even need to know about Dren!"

"She damn well looked like she was planning an extended visit Elsa."

"Look, I- she's just a little bit- it's fine! I told you, she'll have no problems with Dren and she's not gonna do anything stupid, I swear!"

"Elsa, this is so stupidly dangerous! It was bad enough when Gavin was-"

"It won't be the same! It's not the same, I promise!"

Meanwhile in another room of the house, the young woman who'd arrived stripped from her heavy warm clothes, listening idly to the argument going on. Didn't they realize how thin these old walls were? She sighed to herself. Of course Elsa got it into her head about something or other. She always had been one who was too quick to attach herself to something that might hurt her, thinking all the while that it would never bite the hand that feeds and by the sounds of this…Dren? By the sounds of it, it was just another time her cousin put herself stupidly in danger. She loved her cousin really, but there was a reason she saw her so little. Oh sure, Dot might like to be as optimistic and cheerful as possible but that didn't mean she was necessarily an optimistic person. Not like Elsa was. Always so sure of herself, so sure she was right. It never failed to get under Dot's skin but she'd been told to watch over her so what could she do?

So she sighed again and put on a nice cozy sweater and some admittedly ratty sneakers, tugging her hat off for dyed dark purplish burgundy curls to bounce around her shoulders. She and Elsa had always been rather opposite- she was willowy and graceful with her golden hair and the peachy colored skin. Dot, by comparison, was a little shorter, a little more rounded with wide hips and her natural hair was a plain dark brown, skin pale and near-translucent (nurses tended to like her for that) with a yellow tinge from jaundice long since gone.

That wasn't the end of differences- Elsa was a model daughter, perfect grades, pretty smile and active social life, extracurricular activities and admittance to an impressive college. She also tended to be stuck in her views after she escaped her mother, and tended to shuck other's opinions to the wayside but people didn't really think of that too often in conjunction with her pretty cousin. Dot had been an awful student- she saw no use in schooling and had dropped out, going into the workforce immediately while Elsa was busy being a genetic engineer. And Dot was happy for her accomplishments really, don't get her wrong, as bitter as Dot might sometimes sound.

Dot just wasn't the schooling type; the learning disability might have played a hand in that. But while she was in school, she tended to just coast around, not many friends and certainly no activities. And definitely no colleges. But she had a living and had made enough over the course of the last few years that she could afford this little trip to Elsa. Honestly, Elsa didn't even think about what circumstance she might be leaving behind just to come out to the middle of nowhere with a bunch of things that, while easy enough to get (as long as one might know the right people) was still a hassle to bring down at all.

She didn't want to sound like the bitter woman, jealous of a successful female family member. It's just that when she compared situations, it always seemed to rub her the wrong way. Maybe it was all the comparisons growing up. She had more than a few mental scars from that. She shook her head tiredly. Now was not the time to get into all of that. Now was the time to make sure her cousin didn't bite off more than she could chew. Again.

So she made sure to make a little bit of a ruckus as she left the room she was guided to, cheerfully calling "I'll make dinner! Any suggestions?"

Twenty minutes later, she was sat at an awkwardly quiet table, Nicoli (he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, even if he was apparently letting Elsa push him around) glaring at Elsa and Elsa meekly avoiding his gaze. Psh, Elsa was anything but meek.

"So I would ask about what all the stuff is for but since I'm sure most of it would go over my head anyways I'll just tell you about where I got it since my supplier said it was important. Well, not tell you but I've got the papers about it all." she smiled brightly, leaning down to rustle into her ever apparent tote bag to pull out a neat slim binder. "Who am I passing this to first?"

"Hand it here, please." Nicoli said cordially and she smiled again, determined not to let the somber mood affect her, because then Elsa would just wind up feeling worse and there was no reason for that. So she handed it over and happily went back to her meal. Not even two minutes after though, the man was looking up at her incredulously. "How did you manage to get these? I mean these are- these are state of the art, advanced-"

"I worked a lot of factory and maintenance jobs," she shrugged, "You tend to rack up favors when you're fixing up important machines."

"Did you get these illegally?" he frowned carefully, looking back down at the papers.

"No. Technically those machines, the medicine I brought, the needles- none of it was actually made." she grinned again. "It can't be illegal to have when it doesn't exist."

"Black sheep huh?"

"I get that more for the curls than anything, I swear." she fluffed her hair playfully.

"So you can keep a secret then."

"Nobody asks the maintenance girl or the weird cousin."

He and Elsa shared a look, hers pleading and hopeful and his wary.

xXx

"Well. When I was called down, I didn't think you would have made an actual humanoid creature but that's pretty cool I guess."

"Pretty cool? She's an absolute miracle!" Elsa argued, smiling down at the picture of the thing in a dress.

"Pardon if I don't share your enthusiasm, I mean I'm sure it's an absolutely historical discovery and all and I won't tell a soul about it or tell you how to- raise it? But honestly, my moral chart is telling me this isn't a good idea."

She watched Nicoli mouth an aggravated 'thank you'. Ah, so of course it was Elsa pushing it. That girl never knew when to stop.

"How can it not? I mean this is an entirely new being, her intelligence and growth rate alone are astounding and the research that we can get is-"

"Wait, wait, so is it a research project or a pet thing? I'm really confused right now."

Elsa did have a habit of treating people and sometimes wild animals as pets. And it never did turn out well.

"And what's going on with the body? Like, I can see that maybe the tail is some sort of balance thing and the legs look like they're made for probably pouncing and all but what's the rest? Does it grow hair or fur, or like, scales or something?"

"Dren is a she, not an it Dot."

"Not a research project if it has a gender then, got it. So you said it was growing at high speed, so how long will it- she, sorry, she- live?"

"That's what we're going to find out."

"What if it manages to outlive you? And are you really gonna raise it in that barn? I mean, you said it was super aware and smart right? It's gonna notice that it's being confined into an area and just like any rebellious teen or restless animal, it's gonna want to explore the territory around it. Do you take her for walks?"

This particular subject made Nicoli wince. She wondered idly if it had already happened or not, that this Dren thing had tried to run off on them.

"She's not a dog!"

"She's not a human either but I never said walks as in leashing her, that was you assuming I meant something. Just going on a walk with her so she can see the area shouldn't be such a huge deal when you already made a decision to come way out here. There's nothing around for miles, Elsa. Nothing. Besides, how would you feel if you were cramped up in that barn all the time, being told you're not allowed out? She'll get stir-crazy Elsa, she'll get frustrated and that anger can morph into defensive or offensive reactions. She'll get curious and she'll want to see what's beyond the barn."

"That's- we'll deal with that when we come to it." she said stubbornly.

"Elsa. That's not how something like this works, you can't just wing this with some unknown creature with an accelerating intelligence and say 'well we'll get to that eventually but have no plan in place for it'. Do you have any idea how dangerous that sounds to me? Incredibly, Elsa. It sounds incredibly dangerous to me. What are you gonna do, lock her up in there and see how long it takes until she figures a way out? And if it's building emotional bonds, it's gonna be angry at you. You remember how you felt when your mom refused to let you visit? Try that with an apparently adolescent humanoid creature that can't properly communicate in words and has more than a few animal instincts." she said harshly.

"Thank you! At least someone has some sense." Nicoli breathed, running a hand through his hair. Elsa struggled to argue back but since this was some unknown and they didn't know what to expect, there wasn't much but to say that it might not go like that. But that sounded so flimsy she couldn't get the words out and right now, Clive and Dotty were ganging up on her.

"You're a scientist, Elsa. Use your brain, not your heart. I'm not saying you need to kill it or anything, just be aware that it- she, according to you, has an emotional range. It's growing and learning. You can either try to impede it and make it figure out ways to go around you, or you can help it along under a supervised eye."

The only way, Dot had learned very young, to go around attempts at emotional manipulation was strong unwavering words and not directly cutting to the heart of the matter but working ways around it so the manipulator wouldn't notice they were being manipulated into a certain headspace. Which was to say, manipulate the one trying to manipulate. Which only works well if you already know that person well enough but thankfully for her, she knew Elsa and her type very well.

Besides, Elsa trusted Dot fairly enough, apparently more than she trusted Nicoli. Poor man.

It was two days before they wanted to let her meet this Dren though. Plenty of pictures of what she was originally and how she was evolving though and that was interesting enough. Dot still wasn't sure if Elsa was more motherly feeling towards the girl or if she thought she was being motherly and was really treating her like a beloved pet. She was sure she would see.

xXx

"You seem to have a good head on your shoulders."

Funny, she had thought the same of him. Dot smiled at him, her default expression. Elsa looked pleased that they were sort of getting along.

"So…Why come down?"

"Elsa needed some things and I was able to provide. Besides, it's always nice seeing her."

No it wasn't. Elsa only ever called when she needed something.

"Dot's always been devoted to family." Elsa boasted and briefly, Dot wondered if she meant that she expected her to take to Dren.

"Yeah well, so has Gavin." he said stiffly and she glanced at him while Elsa got a dark look.

"Look," she began slowly before an argument would break out. "If one of you feel like her reaction to me could be adverse, I don't want to try to push it or agitate Dren. And I mean either of you, regardless of the other's opinion- you've both known her and studied her much longer than I've known about her. She doesn't know me, I'll be someone new and that might not be something she's ready for."

"…Everyone agreed she could have gone into psychology on Dot's side." Elsa smiled tentatively and Dot fought not to wince. There was a reason she took to learning about emotional responses, hows and whys and the like, associations, mental illnesses and complications. It wasn't to be a shrink. Her and Elsa never did have the same upbringing, even if Elsa liked to think her way of growing up was so awful. Dot would have loved to be away from everything on a farm with a reliable roof over her head and warmth even if she had to deal with a mentally unstable mother but she supposed it was just a matter of perspective. She brushed those thoughts aside. Nicoli looked between them, jaw clenching in indecision. Well that explains why Elsa had been getting away with Dren at least. He's a pushover. Elsa took priority. And that was why they had run from their company, abandoning their work force. Once again, it grated on how selfish Elsa could be.

But she loved her cousin. She loved her cousin and promised to look after her. And she was happy that Elsa had found a job that had challenged her and brought her to new, amazing findings. She was not happy that, as usual, Elsa got greedy when she wanted more and tossed aside anyone else's opinion, anyone else's meaning and worth and did what she wanted to with no thoughts about the consequences of her actions.

Elsa had always been reckless. Dot had not.

That was why she had more than enough tranquilizers hidden in her tote bag, not to mention a slim gun and ammo along with her grandmother's butterfly knife and a stun gun in her sleeve at all times. She twisted the ring on her middle finger in a classic show of anxiety before stopping herself. She'd managed to kick biting her nails but this particular habit still snuck up on her.

"We make damn sure she is secure before bringing in another person."

And Elsa lit up, beaming at him.

xXx

"Dren? We have a surprise for you." Elsa began gently, making her way into the barn. Nicoli gestured her in and Dot allowed it, turning curious eyes over and finding the humanoid thing quickly.

"It's freezing in here…Is she warm enough in that?" was the first thing out of Dot's mouth. Because it was an extremely valid concern- she'd had to deal with enough winters without heat to know that. "And is she out here alone?"

"She's a big girl Dot and we've made sure she's alright out here. Dren, this is Dot. She'll be staying here for a while."

"Hello Dren. I heard a lot about you but I doubt you know much about me yet." she smiled warmly at the thing. It seemed hesitant and glanced at Elsa for guidance but when Elsa encouraged her, Dren stepped closer. Dot made very sure to keep her smile and to keep in her fairly relaxed stance. Dren was observant- there was no need to showcase nervousness and weakness before her. "You're much prettier in person though." she offered teasingly and Dren made noises at that, chitters and little sounds, circling her and sniffing subtly. Dot was fairly sure she smelled wonderful thank you- ea du toilette made sure of that and the scent was slightly diluted by the layers she was wearing. "Does she only wear dresses?"

"What else would she wear?"

"Skirts and shirts maybe? Honestly Elsa, you used to hate wearing dresses when you were younger. I wonder if any of my stuff would fit her though…Would you like some new things to wear Dren?" she asked the girl directly. The girl perked up, chittering and clicking again. "Well I don't speak chitter-chitter-squeak but I'd be more than happy to share my wardrobe."

"She's fine with what she has." Elsa frowned, a familiar look sparking in her eye. Her mother used to say the same thing to Dot's own mother.

"Psh, some fun variation wouldn't hurt Elsa, calm down, it's not like I'm going to toss all of the dresses. How about I go get my bag of clothes now and we can play real dress up hm?" she smiled and Dren gave a charming smile back. "Oh! Look at what a pretty smile you have Dren." she praised and this had the desired effect of the girl warming up to her, as well as the offer of new things. Must get boring in this dusty old barn after all. "I'll be right back and we can get to know one another. You were right Elsa," she assuaged the blonde, because if she didn't Elsa would start plotting against her. "She's absolutely charming. Oh- Clive, would you mind helping me? I'm afraid I always get a little overzealous when I pack clothes."

"Sure. We'll be right back."

"I'll see you very soon Dren." she waved at the girl, who curiously copied the motion. As soon as they were in the house, Dot glanced at Clive. "She does seem incredibly smart. But I don't know if being here and in control of Dren is good for Elsa." she told him lowly and he glanced at her. "She's already acting a bit like her own mother."

"She…Doesn't talk about her mom."

"She didn't like Elsa going too far from her, very protective. Didn't like her having things that she thought were too flashy, thought it would make Elsa more aware of their situation, make her feel more isolated. Really, she just didn't want Elsa to leave her- Elsa did of course, otherwise she wouldn't be where she is."

And the blonde's mother wouldn't be dead, having died alone like she'd always feared. At least, she wouldn't have died like she did.

"Wow, that's…That's pretty harsh."

"But do you see similarities? I mean, I got this feeling when she was talking about Dren before but…She kind of acts like Dren is some beloved pet."

"That's what I thought too." he muttered as they made their way up the stairs. "The big one?"

"Yes please, thank you. I'm worried that she's going to somehow warp Dren's mindset. Dren is in a very malleable state right? Copying motions and learning things all the time and I'm afraid Elsa's entire demeanor is…Not a good thing. For either of them."

"I thought maybe I was overreacting when I was thinking about that. But that thing you said- being a scientist…"

"She's not acting like one. She's acting just like her own controlling mother and it's not going to end well for anyone if it keeps going like that. You know she had a psychotic break once?"

"What? No, this is news to me." he hissed.

"She's always been obsessed with having children y'know. Having her own and raising them. But with how she was raised…"

"Fuck."

"I think she's projecting her desires onto this. It's why she refuses to let go. And…I'm not going to say this is true exactly but that face…Looked awfully familiar didn't it? The eyes, the smile, the lip shape? You guys used human DNA right?"

"You…You don't think she…"

"She had a psychotic break over having children of her own to mold and shape in her own image Clive. You've been in more contact with her the past few years; you tell me."

"No," he breathed. "She wouldn't- wouldn't-"

"Do you know that? She's been pushing to keep Dren right?"

"…God, that's…"

"We better get back to the barn. And Clive? I only told you because I thought you might be able to use that information. Please don't let Elsa know I told you, but it's for her own good." she sighed, lugging along one of her bags. She knew Elsa. Selfish, greedy Elsa. And she was sure that she did something stupid again. Also- sharing this kind of information definitely endeared her to him, securing her spot here. She wouldn't say she was like Elsa exactly, but she knew how to get to a person.

As soon as they returned, Dren was leaping from the high ceiling down, curiously hovering around the bags Clive helped set down.

"Alright, sweetheart, let's see if you've got a bit of a fashionista in you."

"She tends to go into her tank; the clothes will get all wet." Elsa spoke up, arms crossed and foot tapping.

"I've got plenty of clothes and it's not like they won't dry." she waved off easily. "And in this case we have…" she opened it and flushed. "Oh, gosh. Well we've got sleepwear at least." she grinned sheepishly, pushing back her under things and pulling out too-big sleep shirts, fluffy pajama bottoms and the like. Dren felt the fabric curiously, trilling happily at how soft it was. "Oh, like that? Let's see…Ah-ha! These little throw blankets are the softest things, I swear. Want one? Or three?" she grinned, offering them to the girl that grabbed them happily, bundling them and nuzzling against her. "Soft fabrics are the best right? Can she wear pants you think? If they're loose enough I mean? Or maybe shorts? Loose sleep shorts? Or do you think that would hinder her tail?"

"I thought you said skirts."

"Well if she can be comfortable I don't see why she can't wear something else, Els. Do you see anything you think you'd like to try on Dren?" she turned back to the girl kindly. She was still cuddling the blankets she was given but immediately moved to rifle through her bag. "Oh- honey no, I don't know if you even wear underwear. Does she wear underwear?"

"Alright, I'll be in the house." Nicoli spoke up, leaving the barn.

"Pft. Typical man." Dot rolled her eyes before eyeing her cousin. "Have you been alright here, Els?" she asked softly.

"Yeah. Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You forget who you're talking to." she smiled wryly, pulling close another case to open for Dren. "I brought plenty of chocolate, wine and vodka for us. Can Dren have chocolate for that matter?"

"It shouldn't hurt her any. She likes sugar." Elsa smiled, a little calmer now than before.

"Well I mean, who doesn't right? Is she…Allowed in the house or should I bring it out here?"

"We're…Keeping her here for now. She likes the bigger space I think."

"Well, when she can climb like she does, I can see why. It is a tad plain though. Would you mind if I brought something in? Or maybe worked on the roof a little?"

"Do you even know how to fix a barn roof?"

"I can certainly do my best, Els. Oh! Do you like that shirt? Does she wear a bra?"

And so the afternoon went, Elsa unwinding a little with a familiar female presence and Dren happily trying on new clothes.

xXx

"I brought you chocolate, sweetheart." she called gently into the barn, locking the door again behind her, shivering beneath her blanket. Nicoli and Elsa were asleep, eased by alcohol and a slight easing of pressure when Dot promised to help look over Dren. "It really is cold out here…"

She felt movement in front of her in the dark.

"Dren do you know where the light switch is honey? I'm not too well acquainted yet." and then lights were being put on and she blinked a bit before grinning at Dren. "Thank you very much. I think someone deserves candy for that but I thought we could have a little sleep over. I just don't like the thought of you being all alone out here." she hummed. She followed Dren to a small loveseat, pooling her blanket around her and folding her legs. Dren looked on curiously. "Oh I know, I complain it's cold and then I go around in my underwear and outdoor slippers." she huffed a laugh. A cold finger poked at her skin and she felt goosebumps rise from the chill. "Oh! Those are moles there. They occur naturally on some skin tones. I've got plenty of them." she spread her arms to point out the small dots on her skin. "Most of the time they're pretty permanent but sometimes some just disappear. Something to do with the sun."

Dren cooed, her whole hand then pressing against the cushiness of her hip.

"Ah yes, you might not have seen this kind of body type before, since you and Elsa are both pretty willowy in form huh? I'm fuller and softer and all. These hips? People call them birthing hips you know, wide hips. It's not really true that wider hips make for birthing hips but if the pelvis is wider it makes it easier than someone with naturally slimmer hips like Elsa. In my side of the family births are pretty easy, and pretty speedy but on Elsa's side…Well, mostly her mom. There's a history of miscarriages…Oh. A miscarriage is when a pregnant woman, a woman who's going to have a child, it's when the baby dies before it can be born. I think…I think if Elsa ever got pregnant with a baby, offspring, that there's a chance it might not make it." she frowned. Stuff like that were things she was never really comfortable with and why she emphasized a little with Elsa's mom. Losing so many potential children and then having miraculous Elsa. Dot wanted children of her own someday. Not any time soon but still. It would be naturally easier on her body than on Elsa's. "I'd have an easier time…"

If she thought her cousin was in a safe headspace to have a child, she would have offered to be a surrogate mother in a heartbeat. But she didn't think Elsa was in that place. It might hurt her a little to give up a child for her cousin but if it would make Elsa healthy and happy, she would. She could always have more.

"I always wanted kids you know, just like Elsa. But Elsa is like her mom and that's…Not good for any children. She needs help but lord knows if anyone even brings her mom up she freaks out." she sighed, aggravated. "Oh, but you didn't hear this from me." she grinned at the curiously attentive Dren. "But enough of all that serious talk, let's eat some chocolate!"

xXx

"Did you stay with Dren in the barn?" Nicoli asked the next morning.

"Sure did. Best sleepover I've ever had with a humanoid girl who can't speak English." she smiled, moving sizzling pork bacon (she loved bacon) onto a plate. "How do you like your eggs, Dr. Nicoli?"

"Sunny, please. Coffee?"

"Already running. You two be going to your facility today?"

"Will you be alright here with Dren?"

"You've got cameras to watch over and I'm sure we'll manage to have a blast while you're gone." she grinned. "Elsa showering still?"

"Naturally."

"Does Dren take any baths or showers?"

"Elsa wipes her down sometimes."

"I'll be sure to try and clean her properly while you're gone then."

"…Dot."

"Yes, Clive?"

"I…I don't want to get awkward or anything but…Why did you really come down? I mean, to just up and leave everything when Elsa called?"

"…Before her mom died, she asked me to make sure Elsa was watched over. I tended to be a little more on the cautious side than Elsa and she knows we were closer than some of the other cousins. Elsa…She gets caught up in her own world sometimes, y'know? Well, she never wanted to come back here and she's always wanted a super modern looking place, all sleek and shiny and filled with technology. But now she's swept up with Dren." she told the man freely, ears keeping diligent attention and making sure her voice was low enough that even if the woman were standing outside of the kitchen door she wouldn't be heard. "Elsa…She's my favorite cousin and I love her dearly. But she's…She needs a guiding hand but she doesn't like the authority because of…Well." she waved a hand around to indicate. "Your eggs, sir."

"Thank you, Ms…Oh." he realized suddenly and she laughed.

"My full name is Dorea Mercy Rose." she told him. "It's pretty fanciful and whimsical right? Dorea Rose, Dotty Rose. Pretty sounding." she smiled faintly. "I always liked Elsa's name more." she said in normal tone. "Els-bells, that's what I used to call her, all the time. Her laugh always sounded like bells to me."

"Well dizzy Dotty, I've always liked your name. Sounds so regal. Doesn't fit you at all," Elsa teased as she came in, still braiding her hair.

"Dizzy Dotty. Haven't heard that in years." Dot sighed wistfully. "I get awful motion sickness, way too easily." she explained for Clive's sake and Elsa chuckled. "And for you, Dr. Kast, I've got you a nice filling breakfast that'll clog your arteries."

"You know me so well,"

"Naturally, hun." she kissed her cousin's temple fondly, having to go onto tippy-toes to manage it. "I hear you're heading back to work?"

"That's right. Dren's genes are the stuff of a biochemist's dreams." she grinned.

"And I've got both your numbers and the company number in case anything should even slightly, possibly go wrong." Dot said dutifully. "But I think we'll be fine. What should I make for dinner?"

"Something spicy." Clive tossed in and Dot grinned widely.

"You're gonna wish you didn't." Elsa warned. Clive cracked a grin.

"C'mon, it can't be so bad right?"

"Just you wait, Dr. Nicoli, just you wait. Now eat, before your food gets cold!"

xXx

"They have cameras set up so I can't take you outside," she whispered to Dren under the cover of a recently made fort. It was mostly made out of heavy sheets and posts and other old furniture that Dot had forcibly dragged into the barn. It had left her red faced and breathless but Dren seemed delighted at the cocoon of warmth. "I'm sure I can get them to ease up a little soon though and then we can have a picnic or something outside. Picnics are when a group of people eat together outside, usually on some sort of blanket." she told Dren who was laid out and using her full thighs as a pillow. "Sometimes they bring that food in a basket but more often than not, they have a cooler." she snagged another piece of pork bacon. Dren preferred hers more raw but that was fine. Maybe she could ask Elsa or Clive to set up traps then, get her fresh meat. Dren seemed like the kind to enjoy that. "Y'know, if I would have known about you beforehand, I would've brought picture books or something. Or Pictionary. Actually, maybe I can ask one of them to grab either." she hummed thoughtfully, stroking over Dren's soft head gently and occasionally giving a light scratch.

She cooed, pleased at the attention.

"And you know Elsa tries to say you don't eat meat?" she giggled when the girl grinned up at her, messy and bloody. "We'll get you all cleaned up then. With a real bath- it's why I dragged that tub looking barrel thing in. We use warm water for baths and I got bubbles for you too. There's scentless at least, because I use bodywash for a reason. I don't actually know if your smelling is enhanced but when I look at your tongue I get the feeling it is." and Dren stuck out her tongue. "Yes, that right there sweetheart. But anyways, meat is important to omnivores like ourselves. Omnivores eat both meat and vegetation. Herbivores only eat vegetation and carnivores only eat meat. And like I said; we're omnivores. Besides, it's important to have a wide palette, a wide range of likes for food. That green goop Elsa gives you might be full of all the important nutrients and proteins and whatever but it lacks any sort of good taste. I'll bet it tastes terrible right? You don't like the way your tongue feels it?"

Dren butted up against her in agreement.

"Which is why, as long as I'm around, I'll sneak you the good stuff. You'll need to eat that nasty goop, but I can give you treats for it. Like desserts kind of. Except I give you candy anyways. Elsa thinks I only gave those few chocolate bars but we aren't going to tell her any different right? Our little secret."

Bath time was…Informational. Dren seemed a little confused as to the purpose of it but seemed to enjoy the bubbles. And then when they got to Dren's letters, Dot huffed.

"Of course they wouldn't even try to teach you to write.", then dug through her tote bag to get a pad and a bright pink marker. She typically preferred green (it being her favorite color) but she grabbed this one so might as well. "Do you think you can mimic the letters?" Dot asked, sliding the paper and marker over after popping the cap off.

Dren, of course, did so with excellent skill even if she did hold the marker oddly. With only three fingers and a thumb, she supposed that was only to be expected.

"You're amazing Dren." Dot laughed in delight. "You can keep that note pad. In fact, let me grab some other markers for you."

And they spent hours like that, writing and Dot showed her own penmanship which Dren was able to flawlessly mimic. What letters Dot had already used anyways.

xXx

"Dren? No way." Dot frowned a few days later. "You think she has a crush? On Clive?"

"She's drawn pictures of him."

"Well, he's a man and we, us three, are clearly not." Dot shrugged. She'd come in to find Dren cowering with a cat in arms and Elsa looking like she was ready to spin out of control. She naturally intervened before things could get…Hectic. Now she had Elsa in the living room with her drinking wine, after assuring Dren in looks and hurried smiles that she would take care of it. "And anyways, I think having a pet would be good for her. Cats make good companions you know and it'll kill off any mice that try to scurry in there."

"She can't have-"

"Elsa, Elsa…You're worrying too much over this. She's a young woman-thing-whatever spliced creature. Let her have a pet, it's a new and novel experience. Besides, you can see how the bond between her and a domestic animal. That's pretty interesting isn't it?"

"And what about the Clive thing?"

"I still think it's probably just her recognizing that he's different from us. And you did say he was the one to calm her after the…Wing? Thing?"

"I…I guess."

"And here I thought scientists never just guessed." she teased and Elsa smiled reluctantly.

"Maybe I am overreacting a little bit."

"See, there we go! More wine I say!"

Later in the night, after Clive got home and they had dinner (this time made by Elsa), Dot went out to see Dren.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" she called, flipping on the lights. A whine had her following. The cat had made a nest for itself in her little sleep area and she was curled protectively around it. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I calmed her down. You can keep your new friend here if you want. Elsa and Clive will pick up proper kitty food when they come back from work tomorrow."

She made a trilling noise, looking at her shyly.

"Oh my, is someone wearing a little makeup? Do you like the makeup?" and she watched Dren reach for her notebook.

'UNSURE'

"Maybe…It's new and you're not used to the difference? Or you like it only sometimes?" she asked. "Do you want to take it off right now?" and Dren sat up quickly, her deliberate, bird-like movements a little bit endearing. Dot wouldn't lie, she'd quickly gotten attached to Dren. It didn't change that if needed, she would get rid of a threat if she became one. "Alright sweetheart, let's get that stuff off."

xXx

"Oh god, sweetheart, if I'd have known I never would have gone into town, I'm so sorry sweetheart, I'm so sorry, I'll never leave you again okay? I won't leave you alone. I promise and especially not alone with her. Okay? Okay sweetheart?" she mumbled shakily. "Oh, honey…" she breathed against the girl. Then she felt the anger again, strong and violent in her chest. Something didn't go Elsa's way. Something didn't go her way and she punished Dren for it. And she was so self-righteous for it. Dot wasn't sure when she fell asleep but she slept like the dead.

xXx

"Where the fuck have you two been?!" Dot snapped, furious, panicked and all the more shaky because of it.

"Whoa whoa, Dot take it easy, what-"

"No, don't you 'Dot' me, I've been trying and trying to call you and you never picked up and-" she hiccupped. "I don't know what's wrong with Dren!" she burst.

Later, with Dren shakily making weak breathing noises and tucked into her bed, Dot stared blankly. He'd said she was dying. Dying. Her eyes were red and puffy she was sure and the tear tracks must look awful. She ignored the awkward silence around them. Into the night, they were burying her. Dot stayed in the barn. When they tried to burn all of her things, she kept the notebook and markers, wouldn't let them near the huddle of blankets or their fort. When Elsa found drawings of them, or her and Dot…Dot didn't think she could have cried more but she was proven wrong and took hers. Dot stayed in the barn after hearing a car roll up. She wasn't in the mood to deal with…

Anything.

But a shriek after some shouting drew her upright.

xXx

"Dren?!" she burst from the barn, baggy sweater and thin leggings be damned.

"Dot! Stay back!" through blurry eyes, she saw Clive and Elsa along with another man.

"What? Where's Dren?! I heard her!"

A shriek and the third man was dragged off by something.

"Gavin!" Clive cried and then they were chasing. Dot cursed, running and stumbling after them, the cold not at all felt through the adrenaline that was coursing through her. Elsa was calling for Clive and when they caught up, she tried to warn him back and goddammit that might sound like it made sense but Dren-

"It's out there, we need to go back, we can't stay here- Clive! He's gone, he's gone," she repeated frantically and Dot breathed, trying to catch her breath in the cold and almost slipping into the creek.

"What- what-"

"Ginger," Elsa said, "It's the same thing that happened with-"

"What?" Dot was able to speak finally, raspy.

"They were- were our other experiments, the ones at the lab. Our female turned into…Into a male,"

"What? What does that-" she knew it was a simple explanation and it should be connecting in her head but it just…Wasn't. She was too ramped up, too cold, too shocked.

"We need to go, we need to get back," Elsa said.

"No, I'm not leaving without my brother," and Elsa tried to protest but he only shouted louder and it left them in a tug of war that had their light being thrown into the water. They froze. "We need it!"

"We need to go, just leave it!"

"No, we- almost got it," he grunted and Dot shivered, Elsa biting her lip. "I got-" and then he was forcibly dragged into the water, yanked into it and Dot fell flat on her ass, Elsa standing frozen above her.

"We need to go," Dot realized, eyes darting to her cousin as she finally realized they were in danger. "Elsa!" she hissed, shoving herself up and nearly throwing herself off balance. "We need to go!" she tugged but Elsa was crying for Clive and they both jumped when the man surfaced, gasping.

"Clive! Grab my hand, quick," Elsa breathed and Dot hurried to join her, hauling the man out and onto the ground, trying to get the water from his lungs and Elsa fussed but Dot froze.

Something was…Coming up from the water.

"Elsa." she whispered. "Elsa we need to…We need to go Elsa." And finally she looked up, seeing a male torso glide up. They watched the way something came from his back and he shifted. Elsa stood slowly, dragging Dot with her and glancing from Clive to Dren but Dot couldn't look away. That…No, not her Dren, Dren would never stare at them like they were…Something to be chased.

"Run," Elsa whispered and Dot turned her head only slightly. "Run, Dot, run!" and then she was being dragged but she heard the splash behind her and the shriek above her and stumbled along after her cousin. All of a sudden she didn't know where Elsa went and she fell, pulling herself up and looking around with wild eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the other woman. "Dot!"

Her head whipped to the side and she turned, ready to scuttle towards her but suddenly she was being dragged over and away by an iron grip and her throat was too tight to even scream and her eyes finally found a splash of red in Elsa's coat but then she was gone. She was dropped into a cubby like area and terrified, she froze. A swooping sound later and she was alone. She shuddered, breathing hard and eyes wide. She could feel forming bruises on her ankles and her body was locked up.

She couldn't say how long she waited there until she heard a scream that abruptly cut off and a shriek and she flinched back into the nest of dead leaves, shutting her eyes and hoping wildly this was a crazy, super realistic dream.

She fainted. She knew because when she woke, there was something breathing on her and she sure as hell knew it wasn't there before.

"D-Dren?" the name tumbled out and a noise, much deeper than the pretty trills or chitters, answered her. "Sweetheart? What…Where are the others?" she asked shakily. A low noise and a face pressing into her neck. "Honey?" she hesitantly wrapped her arms around slim shoulders. Dren made a noise not dissimilar to the coos she was used to, but it sounded so much more…Baritone and deep. "We should…We should get back. I didn't let anyone touch our fort, our notebook…The blankets." she shivered. She didn't know if she was actually talking or not or if it was all just incomprehensible mumbles.

But then she was being hauled up like she didn't weigh anything and in a blur of movement and sound they were forcing their way into the barn.

"They…They burned things when you…God, I thought you were dead Dren!" she choked, holding onto Dren tighter. Low noises, she assumed they were meant to soothe, ricocheted in- in his chest. She breathed in shakily. "God, we must be a mess…There's dirt and…And I don't know what." that was more directed to the suspicious stains and she shuddered. "We need baths. Or showers. No, showers. Showers are in the house." she laughed. "Sweetheart, I think I might be in some kind of shock. We can get warm showers in the house. Being warm- being warm helps shock? I think. I don't know. You're freezing, honey. You need to warm up too."

He followed docilely as she tugged him to the house, into it and up to the bathroom. She started the shower and listened to the curious noise Dren made.

"Showers…Are plumbing, just like toilets there. But showers are meant to clean and the water has pressure. Here, in you go," she encouraged and he made more of those too-deep Dren noises. "You don't have hair so we won't worry about shampoo." she gave a hysteric bubbling laugh.

She grabbed a rag and started cleaning a compliant Dren. The face was a little different, the body was a bit different but his wings went back in and it was still Dren. A three-fingered hand grabbed her wrist, pulling gently but insistently and she stared for a moment.

"Oh! Oh, right yes. I need a shower too." and mechanically, she undressed and Dren watched with sharply observant eyes before she climbed in, scrubbing herself down and then practically wrestling with her hair. "Towels, drying next."

They ended up sleeping the rest of the night naked since she couldn't get her fingers to cooperate enough to open one of her cases and slept under the heavy blankets together.

xXx

The next day she made breakfast. Then she managed to get Dren to show her where the others were. She had to burn them and then bury the bones deep in the woods.

She'd never had to dig a grave before. Moving the bodies was worse.

"Bodies automatically empty their bladders and bowels when they die." she told Dren absently where he watched from his perch on a tree. "They also stiffen up." she grunted. She didn't look at them as she piled them in a deep hole. "Six feet is a saying that that's how low down a dead body should be buried after death. Most agree that it's actually nine when in the woods. Keep from undesirable things digging it up."

She had to get him to pull the body from the tree.

Their wallets were gathered and she felt nothing in taking the money and burning the rest. They were dead. They didn't need money.

xXx

"I don't think they told anyone where they were going." she told Dren later where they cuddled in their fort. "And I don't think they changed the address. So we should…Be safe here for a little while. But not for forever. People will notice they're gone and they'll start looking. I didn't tell anyone where I would be. I only said I'd be on vacation. I can't go back there either. Where are we gonna go? We can't stay here forever. We'll take my van of course. Thank god it doesn't have windows on the side."

He shifted, affectionately butting against her and she resumed the stroking. She felt like she was mentally...Compromised. But those thoughts were neither here nor there and fleeting at best.

"We'll bring your cat too if you want. And the blankets after a quick wash. We'll need to find you clothes or a robe or something though. Clive should still have shirts here at least. We could make a new home. I have enough money to say that I found some place and that I'll move. Up in the mountains away from people. Just you and me and the cat. There will need to be a town somewhere or a store or something but that'll be no different than what I've done already. It'll…Just be me getting all the things now. I'll need to buy in bulk. Bulk stores shouldn't be that hard to find right?"

xXx

He'd instigated sex with her. His wings flared and he made more of those shuddery noises and keens and she wondered if she was a pedophile because of this. Well, that was probably the least of their problems right now.

xXx

She mentally apologized to Elsa's mom at least once a week. But this time Elsa got in too deep and now Dot was having to bear the responsibilities. She rubbed at her belly while Dren made curious, deep trills, pressing gently against it.

"A baby. We'll have a baby and we'll be a family."

She had the feeling it wouldn't be the first.

XXXXXXXXXX

I…Couldn't help myself. Watching this movie, I kind of hated Elsa. So this is just a short little thing and at the end, Elsa dies. And Dren lives- no idea how long that'll last but hey-ho, I feel better now.