Pretty Dollies: Our Girl

Part 4

Note: I've just been informed that this fic has been nominated for the Barefoot Awards.  I would like to take a moment to say WAHOO!!

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            "Can we not do this now?"

            "Fine…just forget it ever happened."

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            "Does it have to be now, couldn't it wait till evening?" Spike pleaded, holding a box of Wheat-a-bix and standing by the kitchen counter.  Dawn had carefully drawn the curtains so he could eat with them.

            "Spike, we're just going to buy her some normal clothes.  Nothing is going to happen," Buffy shook her head in disbelief.  He was such a mother hen.

            "I know, I just…I don't want to miss anything."

            "Jesus, Spike! You are an overprotective mother!  We'll only be gone a few hours!  Besides, I need to pick some stuff up for Will's birthday."

            "All the more reason I should come! I need to buy a present!"  Spike exclaimed, thrilled to have found a plausible excuse to tag along on the shopping expedition.

            "You're getting her a present?"

            "'Course I am! Can't let Red get a year older and not get anything from me."

            "You can shop by yourself Spike. You are not going.  It's a girls' afternoon out.  No undead daddies invited."  Buffy put her foot down (figuratively speaking) and Spike, to her utter shock, began to pout.

            "Make sure to keep her in the shade.  Maybe put some sunscreen on her."

            "I will."  The little half-vampire in question entered the kitchen wearing a pair of Buffy's shorts that reached her ankles and one of Dawn's old shirts that was horribly baggy.  Buffy seized her hand and led her out of the house.

            "Stick to greens and blues!  She's got a cool complexion!" Spike called after them, from the safety of the kitchen.

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            "Don't you look like such a little sweetheart!" A clerk cooed when Gwinnie emerged from the dressing room in a horrible orange and green sundress.

            "I don't care for this one."  She said quietly.  Dawn had gone to buy ice cream, and Buffy was finding more and more adorable children's clothes.  She had never really had the chance to buy them for Dawn, and in light of her dismal failure at relationships, she figured this was her chance.

            "Such a cutie!  Your mommy just has to see this one on you!"

            "I said I didn't care for it," Gwinnie growled icily.  The clerk's eyes widened considerably and nodded wordlessly.  The girl turned and reentered the dressing room and stripped out of the dress.  All these shop assistants…they never listened to what she told them.  She always had to resort to 'the voice'.  The dangerous voice she knew sent shivers down adult spines.  Matched with 'the look', she was unstoppable.  She learned 'the look' and 'the voice' from Daddy.  When Daddy used them, you knew someone was going to get hurt.  All "grown-ups" were startled to hear such dangerous sounds from a girl half their height, even if she was twice their age.  But they didn't know that part.  Oh well, you didn't live for eight decades and not pick up any nice tricks.  She reached towards the pink and purple overalls and rolled her eyes.

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            "What's wrong Xander?"  Anya sat down next to her fiancée on the big sofa in the front room of their apartment.

            "Nothing."

            "Don't lie to me, Xander.  You're quiet, you haven't made any bad jokes today and you don't want to have sex.  There is something wrong."  Xander smiled slightly and sighed.  That's my girl…he thought.  She always knew when something was up.

            "I kind of argued with Buffy."

            "Oh.  Is that all?"

            "What do you mean, 'is that all'? Buffy's one of my best friends.  Now I might have to start saying that in past tense."

            "Come on, Xander.  You and Buffy have had plenty of arguments.  You always apologize and you return to your natural state of friendship."

            "I don't know…she seemed pretty mad."

            "It'll be fine.  Well, as long as you didn't insult her judgment and intelligence by questioning her decision regarding Spike and the small partial human."  Xander moaned hopelessly and sunk his head into his hands, defeated for the moment.  Anya patted his head awkwardly.

            "Does this mean I should remove Buffy from the bridesmaid list?"

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            "I'm just going to run down to the Magic Box to pick up the sage, okay?" Tara leaned in and gave Willow a light kiss on the cheek before she left the house.  Willow smiled slightly and returned to her brushing of Guindeviere's hair.

            "It was wrong." The small girl said, without any introduction or segue.

            "I know." Willow answered subconsciously and sighed.

            "Then why did you do it?"
            "She was just so mad…I only wanted everything to be better between us.  No grumpy-ness or anything."

            "So you fiddled with her mind."

            "I didn't fiddle, I…tweaked."

            "You realize all you're doing is proving her point.  And she's only going to be madder when she does find out."
            "She won't find out." Willow said quickly.  The brush caught and Gwinnie squeaked in pain, "Sorry."

            "You're going to lose, you know."

            "Huh?" Willow snapped out of the subconscious trance she had put herself in through the rhythmic brushing.

            "You'll lose the 'most'."

            "I don't…what are you talking about?"

            "Mummy isn't the only one who can see more than now."

            "You get visions, just like," Willow's breath caught in her throat.  Gwinnie shook her head sadly.

            "No.  Not visions like Mummy.  Just flashes.  Snippets and pieces."

            "And I'm going to lose the most?  The most what?"
            "The 'most'.  Your 'most'.  Thank you."  She hopped off of the confused witch's lap and pranced off.  My 'most'?  Most scary? Most confusing? That would be Gwinnie.  Most important?  I…I'm going to lose my magic!?  That would be the 'most'.  Wait…'most'…it's not magic.  It's Tara.  I'm going to lose Tara.

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            The first time Drusilla had one of her "episodes" after acquiring her new dolly, the little girl who was not yet Guindeviere hid behind a curtain.  It was a few nights after she had left the cottage she grew up in.  Everything was blurry.  She remembered getting out of bed, and coming to the kitchen.  She remembered her parent's bodies.  But she was having difficulty remembering their faces.  She remembered the pretty lady who was there had talked to the mean-looking man behind her, then savagely bit her own lip open.  Then, the child remembered, she had been kissed, but the kiss had been filled with something both bitter and very sweet.

            "Where the bloody hell is that little bitch?" the man roared.  He flung back the curtain and grabbed her arm.  He yanked her up, and it hurt.  He dragged her over to where the woman was lying on the bed, shrieking and sobbing.

            "Drusilla, luv, lookie what I've brought.  It's your new little dolly, see?"  She could hear the tenderness and fear in his voice, even though she was mostly thinking about her arm.  His voice reminded her of the voice she had heard her father speak in before she had come to the kitchen.  She wasn't sure where all these connections and words were coming from…for some reason her mind was working faster than normal.  The woman raised her head weakly, and she could see she was very pretty.

            "Oh, dolly," she ran a hand along the little girl's cheek.  It was cold and somewhat clammy, and the girl shuddered, "You need a name, don't you dolly?  A name for dolly…I think I shall call you Guindeviere.  A pretty little birdie, hmm?"  She fell back, tired, and closed her eyes.  The man pulled Guindeviere away, but this time he was a little more gentle.

            "She named you.  Guess I have to feed you now, bloody waste of my time."  He growled, but Guindeviere could hear a hint of begrudged affection in his voice.

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            "Tara, I, I have to tell you something.  You might be mad at me for…well, forever, but I have to tell you.  You need to know…"

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Bum-buh-bum! R+R+R! And nominate me for more awards ^.^