Rating: Probably PG-13 for language I rarely do sex scenes
Genre: Humor/Angst/General Shonen-Ai (actually it's man love but I don't remember the term for that one)
Summary: This is a story I originally titled Stepford Elicoorians. I wrote this after watching The Stepford Wives and could not resist
Notes: Primary couple in this one is Cliff/Albel and if you are one of the many anal retentive video game fans that can not stand AU or any change in the story or characters that you do not personally approve. Bite me. Oh and don't read the story. But seriously bite me.
Oh and last thing, I accept all comments I don't believe that writers should shelter themselves from negativity espically if they plan on doing it for a living. All I ask is if you don't like the story. Don't just say crap like 'You suck, that was horrible, I hate you—etc. etc.' Give me reasons and what should be improved otherwise you're wasting my time.
Okay I'll shut up now.
"Albel? Albel? Bel? Yo Bel! Elicoor to Albel! See what I mean no response!"
Fayt sighed and waved a hand in front of Albel's blank face. " What happened? Where'd you find him?"
It'd been five years since the death of Luther and three since the group went their separate ways. He managed to keep contact with Maria , Mirage and Sophia via e-mail and 'reunion vacations'.
Every now and then he'd see a poster with Peppita on it or drop through Elicoor II to visit with Nel and Rodger.
But Cliff and Albel had just dropped off the face of the universe—literally. Not a peep hide nor hair of either of them had been heard or seen of them for three years.
Cliff just shook his head, " I don't know. We were just cruisin' through the MK2 galaxy and—"
"Wait you jumped galaxies?! How?"
"We went to Gemity hooked up with Flad—listened to some science babble about being permanently in molecular limbo because of exposure to Maria's radioactive waves of alteration or whatever—anyway we get around. But we ended up on some tiny planet in a secluded section of MK2. It looks a lot like Elicoor II—and well a lot of people look the same. It was almost like a mirror planet only--."
"A mirror planet? Like-"
"Just like Elicoor II okay? The trouble started when we met Albel's double—well not really his double just like you know Sophia and Ameena. He looked different, he was nice and had this smile—the people were happy to see him. His name was Woltar Vox, Anyway one thing lead to another and Albel tried to kill him. Problem was that Woltar was as damned handy with a sword as Bel here?"
Did you just call him Bel?" Fayt asked, lifting Albel's head from where it slumped onto his chest.
Cliff looked nervous for all of ten seconds then lied, "No. Anyway do you want the story or not?"
"I'm sorry please continue."
" So while they were fighting. I moved to intervene but his wife cut me off—and while I was trying to not-"
"Wait his wife?!"
"Yeah his wife Sarah looks just like Mirage, I almost had heart failures, thought both of them had given out on me at the same time. Anyway, she cut me off and by the time I'd recovered from the shock. Woltar and Albel had disappeared into the woods. I went in after them, but I was too late. Woltar was on the ground bleeding, and Albel was just sitting there staring at him."
" What'd you do?"
Cliff shook his head, and unconsciously shifted Albel closer to him. Fayt pretended he didn't notice.
"I freaked at first. I thought it was Albel laying there—then he looked up at me raised his real hand covered in blood and said my name. I grabbed him, and Woltar then hauled it outta there. I dropped Woltar in his wife's arms. She screamed and screamed—I don't know if he's dead. I just got us outta there. I thought he was just in shock you know and he'd come around with a 'fool or a maggot' something. He hasn't said a word since, he won't speak, he eats when I put food in his mouth, goes to the bathroom when I bring him there. Sleeps when I put him in bed. He's like a living doll."
Fayt nodded, and picked up a pen light to shine in Albel's eyes. His pupils dilated and expanded as was expected but he didn't so much as blink when he made a jabbing movement with it. "How long ago was this?"
Cliff shrugged, " I guess about two or three months. I've been to several galaxies already. Seen more specialist than I want to think about. Had Flad reboot him!"
"And he hasn't reacted at all?"
"To nothing—well I took him back to Elicoor II. The training facility and to see Woltar I thought it might help him. He started screaming and fighting like a cornered animal when Woltar came to talk to him. I had to hold him down to keep him from hurting himself. "
Fayt sighed, " I don't know what's wrong with him. It might be deep shock at best give him time and keep him stimulated he should come around again…"
"And at worst?"
"At worst he finally finished cracking. Complete and total mental meltdown—killing in essence himself—the self that he really wanted deep down might have just finished his decent into madness. Or completed his goal destruction of himself--."
Cliff shook his head, " So what you're saying—"
"I'm sorry—maybe you should think about committing him somewhere-"
Cliff smirked, " Just stick him in a cage somewhere like a broken animal to spend the rest of his days in medicated misery? No thanks. Thanks for your time Fayt—we'll see ya around."
Cliff rose stiffly from the chair and reached down to pull Albel to his feet.
"Wait…maybe there is something else." Fayt stood as well and left to the backroom of his office. A moment later he came back with a bottle of pills. "Try giving him one of these every day."
"What is it?"
"Well simply put it's a regulator, it'll balance out the chemicals in his brain—I thought he needed it from the moment we met him—but it has an alertness agent that will force him back into reality if he wants to be there or not."
"Like Prozac XXVII?"
"No. One of those makes Prozac look like a water pill. Give him one a day for a week, no matter how he protests or how emotional he gets. Just remember it's for his own good."
"And this will make him better?" Cliff asked warily.
"It will make him deal with the real world—that or he'll drive himself so deep into his own mind that he becomes a vegetable."
"Thanks."
Fayt nodded at his friend and lead them to the door.
"Hey uh-tell everybody we said hi huh?" Cliff smirked.
"Yeah I will—and uh Cliff. I'm happy for you guys, I hope he gets better."
Cliff looked surprised for a moment but smiled and lead a very docile Albel away.
"Come on Bel open up…" Cliff barely pulled his arm back in time to avoid Albel's clawed swipe.
"Leave. Me. Alone." The tone was ominous—dark and full of hatred. He was coming back!
"No can do. Now you can do it yourself or I can help it down? What'll it be?" Cliff extended the glass of water—and wasn't to surprised when it was knocked out of his hand and into the wall across the room. Nor was he surprised to have a half crazed claw wielding psycho pounce him.
A belly to belly suplex and klausian arm lock later had Cliff holding a dazed Albel's nose and forcing a pill down his throat with the other hand.
Fayt hadn't been kidding about that emotional thing…only emotional for Albel was more along the lines of unfocused and violent. He'd had to do go through this or a close equation of it every day for the past three weeks. "Want some water?"
"I want you to DIE!"
"I never thought I'd be happy to hear that again…"
His reply gave Albel pause, "Why are you doing this to me?"
Cliff laughed because for once he had no smartass comment to give. "Come on lets get some food in you huh? Sheesh you're barely shorter than I am but I've got a good 40lbs on you."
"That's because you're fat."
"Muscular, and it's because I eat and exercise. You on the other hand eat like a freakin' bird—and not even a normal bird. A bird with anorexia."
"Anawhat?"
"Nothing. Come on up with you."
Albel glared but took the extended hand, and the kiss on the neck that came with it.
5 months later
"Hey Fayt what's up?"
"How is our patient?"
Cliff shrugged and glanced over at Albel, he was sitting under a tree in the garden, his eyes closed—he sat so still that several animals had risked coming close to him. A squirrel had settled in his lap—his hair was for once out of their pigtails drying in the warm summer light that filtered through the trees. He was beautiful…Cliff wished he had a camera.
The squirrel nuzzled his finger letting him know of its presence…and Cliff was very thankful that he did not have a camera.
"WORM! What the hell—cute fuzzy big eyed animals?!! DIE ALL OF YOU DIE!!! AHHAHAHAHA!"
"Uh Fayt I'll get back to you okay?"
"What's going on?!"
"Nothing. Nothing….Bel—er babe put the squirrel down! Put it down now! I—oh damn I meant ALIVE and in one piece!"
"Oh my god!"
"You're still here?"
"Maybe we need to up his medication?"
"Actually I was thinking we need to down it—he doesn't space out anymore—maybe some mood alters?"
"He's killing woodland creatures!"
"Yeah—that's normal!"
"No it's not!"
"It's normal for Albel!"
"You said before that you just wanted him to be happy? Do you really think this is happy?"
Cliff looked out to where Albel was chasing down the last little bluejay that had rested on his head and slept.—He crushed it in his claw laughing happily as he did it.
"Well yeah…"
"But is it healthy? That's what you want for him right? To be happy and healthy right?"
"Yeah—but—"
"So what's a few adjustments to ensure that he moves closer to normal?"
"Fair enough."
"Great. I'm sending some new pills. You can chuck the old ones now, give him these three times a day for a week then once a day for a month after."
"Okay so how much do I owe you?"
"Nothing, anything to held an old friend…old friends."
Cliff glanced at the visiphone teleporter and several large bottles of pills that now sat on it.
"Good luck."
Cliff looked up to where Albel paced glaring around him for more animals to maim. "I'll need it."
The big move.
Albel sat quietly glaring out the windows of the 'car' at the rolling forest of scenery that they passed. He had a headache and he was tired! Cliff had decided they needed a change of pace—and he had decided earth was just that change that they needed. Not one of the major modern cities on earth, oh no. He thought that would be to drastic for such a delicate mental state as his own.
Some small-secluded town in what once was the S.U.A or whatever. He'd seen pictures of the place on the internet and decided it was perfect for them.
Albel didn't argue—Cliff had been on the verge of leaving him at that point and he saw no reason to make it worse.
Cliff was excited—he hadn't stopped babbling about how much he'd love it there—and how helpful it would be for him to be around good honest people.
Albel had snorted and put on a pair of the dark glasses Cliff had gotten for him. They made the world less bright and eased the pressure he felt behind his eyes.
Finally after what seemed an eternity Cliff pulled up before a huge white wroth iron gate a word was scralled across it in bright golden letters. A man in a white uniform opened the gates and urged them in.
"You must be the Fittrs? Welcome to Stepford."
Albel didn't bother to acknowledge the man that spoke.
Cliff thanked him and continued on—everywhere he looked was nothing but giant mansions and perfect lawns. Well dressed women in uncomfortable shoes and huge hats. Beautiful women—and not so handsome men…his warrior sense told him something was wrong.
Well what did you think?
Hm?
Oh yeah and don't forget anal retentive video game fans (men and women alike)bite me.