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 this is the end of the story. YAH! New record for me.
Thanks to everyone that has read and reviewed this seriously, and yes Puppetlord I was talking to you. I have my friend here now who keeps saying 'Dance my puppets dance ehehehe!' a thing that I finally got her to stop doing a month ago. --; That's okay though.
"Aya no last name listed. Cloud Strike aka Cloud Strife, Akane Saotome, Yuna no last name listed, Vincent Strokes aka Vincent Valentine, Lina Smith aka Lina Inverse—the list goes on and on. Duo Maxwell aka Duo Yuy aka Sam Riggs aka Franklin Mint…a mercenary he's got literally pages of aka's. All strong minded people that just suddenly lost contact with the outside world after marriage. Ground breaking doctors, weapons development, lawyers successful business moguls women and men alike that just disappeared." The black haired man laid a pile of photographs on the table before Cliff.
His gloved hands steady and quick as he spread them out. Cliff recognized every face—just not the expressions. Determined, hard angry…
"Albel called about three months ago—he was worried about some friends' he'd made here, asked me to do some checking for him." Mirage stood up and glared down at a numb Cliff. " I had no choice but to take the request seriously, Albel isn't one to ask for help lightly. So I did a little surface check on the friends he mentioned—and contacted a few people. Amon here has been searching for Robin for months now, and Akane's sisters have been doing the same."
"What has Ranma done to her? Is she like this?" Nabiki asked looking at Albel's glazed expression.
"Would anyone like some tea?" he asked politely, " I learned a new recipie for date bread yesterday and I'd love to make it for everyone."
"Spill it Cliff." Nel snapped from the corner of the room.
Maria stood guard at the other end, while Fayt tried to get Albel's wandering attention again. He found waving a brightly colored hankerchief in front of his eyes was the best method thus far.
"Ohh what a lovely shade of mauve. Cliffums may I paint the house this color?"
"Sure later though okay. Let Doctor Leingod get a look at you."
"Okay!"
Cliff looked around the room, outside of Amon and Nabiki there were at least five other people he did not know standing around. An older man with blond hair and pilot's goggles on his head, a younger man with kind brown eyes and tousled hair stood near him… "I didn't come here knowing about this—it just looked like a nice place."
"What happened? Start from the beginning." Nel ordered.
Cliff sat back and groaned, " It was about the third week we were here, I got invited to a 'meeting' they told me to leave Bel at home and just show up at 6:00. So that's what I did, only by the time I got to the club the guys had already been drinking for a while. I heard laughing and joking—then I saw these two guys in the main room everyone was kind of away from them—they seemed to be having a quiet argument. I recognized Bel's friend Duo but I'd never seen the person with him before—"
"This was the night Albel last saw Duo?"
"Yeah—I don't know what they gave him, but everyone was real surprised when he was able to make a bolt for the door—Albel caught him. He didn't know what was happening at the time, if he'd had a clue I'm sure Heero or anyone else in that room wouldn't be alive today. Mitch told me to get Bel out—so I did. I don't know what happened to Duo beyond that—I just saw the finished product. Heero was talking about having the full package done."
"Full package?" A blank eyed young man stepped out of the hall way his face half covered by a bang.
"Yeah the full package is when they completely replace the persons body with a robot."
"Duo's dead?!"
"Not technically his brain which is him is placed inside the body—Duo is alive."
" That's sick!" a young Chinese man came back into the room. " Do any of you have any honor at all? You claim to love these people yet you-"
" I did not do that. Don't lump me in with everyone else! The only thing mechanical on Albel is his left arm, and that was already mechanical when I met him."
"Yeah that and the seven pieces of highly expensive hardware wired into his brain." Fayt offered passing the machine over Albel's head once again.
Albel continued his conversation about making chocolate cherries with Sophia. To the most part Sophia seemed to be enjoying the conversation.
"And everything I've let you do to him Fayt? Is that any better?" Cliff snapped.
Fayt shook his head, "That was different."
"How?"
"Curing mental illness—"
"Is another form of control—shaping him into something that fits the standards of normal society. I just wanted him back! You wanted to change him!"
"He was crazy!"
"He was happy!"
"And you went through with it regardless—is that the excuse you're going to use? Do you think that's a good enough reason to turn him into everything he hates?" Fayt asked.
Albel looked at Cliff and noted the changes in his expression. " I'm afraid you all have to leave now." He said pleasantly. " I should be starting dinner soon...and I must prepare lunch."
Cliff ignored him. " Fine Fayt I take responsibility for this, but you're as much to blame as I am. No Bel I'm not upset at you why don't you go make everyone some cookies or something?"
Having a task seemed to settle him again, "Oatmeal?"
"Sure…"
(4 Hours later)
"These are damn good cookies." Cid offered from the couch across from Cliff—at that point he was the only one in the room willing to talk to him without condescension. Like if any of them had been in the same position—any of them would have chosen differently.
"Cliffums?"
Cliff smiled and Albel went back to serving coffee…he was as much a prisoner of the mind control as Albel was.
He laughed, he couldn't help it. Now that he thought about it, he was more trapped than Albel. His every move, his every thought, his every word was hung on and craved. Every second he was in Albel's presence now, was a second that his full and undivided attention and happiness needed to be focused on Albel.
"Okay plan of action, Amon did you find anything?"
Amon didn't bother to look up from the screen. " It looks like all of the Stepfords are hooked up to individual systems. And all of those individual systems are hooked up to a mainframe, I can't find the exact location of it-"
"It's in the men's club underground lab." Cliff offered. " It's where the wiring is done…"
"That's- "
"It's a very private and intimate thing between spouses. No one else is allowed in with you. Only club members can enter it anyway."
"Great so you're our way in." Mirage's voice was surprisingly clip.
" Not you Mirage, you're a woman they'd be alerted before you could do anything, it's going to have to be another guy."
"Fine then I'll be Mirage's hands and eyes." Amon looked up at the klausian woman, " Can you tell me what I need to do from here?"
"No problem."
"The problem is when exactly will we have the chance to get in there?" Maria this time nibbling on one of Albel's cookies. "These are good…"
"It's the nutmeg I put in. You know it wouldn't hurt you to learn a few cooking skills."
Maria snorted.
Albel tilted his head to the side and shrugged, " Oh well it was just a suggestion. Homely people should have some skills."
He was out of the room before Maria could finish her insulted choking. "They could turn him into Bobby Homemaker but couldn't fix that?"
Mirage sighed, " I think that was just the real Albel clawing his way to surface—back to business how are we going to get in."
"One week from today is—" Cliff paused when the doorbell rang—Albel wouldn't answer it unless he was told too…some things never changed. "I'll be right back."
"Where you expecting anyone?" Mirage's suspicious glare was hurtful but he chose to ignore it.
"No."
"Well hello Mister Fittr how're ya doing?" Mitch stepped inside without an invitiation Doreen or Candy whatever her name was came in a moment later carrying a large basket.
" Hello again Cliff! Where's Bel?"
"Candy? So good to see you what's that you got there? Oh dear I hope it's not my surprise!" Albel swept into the foyer from the kitchen a tray of homemade chocolate cherries in his hands.
"Surprise?" Cliff was wary until Candy pulled back the blanket covering the basket.
"Surprise!"
"Congratulations Fittr's it's a girl."
Candy's smile didn't falter even when Cliff landed face first on the floor. " Do you think it was too much at one time?"
"Cliff! What in the world is going on—what's that?" Mirage's voice went up an octave at the sight of the basket.
"Who are you?" Mitch asked, " I don't recall seeing you around here before. Are you new to stepford?"
"Just visiting. I'm—Clara Cliff's sister."
"Cliff didn't mention having a sister…"
"We had a disagreement about my life choices…and we're not as close as we used to be. He's not crazy about my fiancée---I think the last time we saw each other he said I was dead to him so uh—well we're trying to make it right now."
Albel just smiled, "That's good that you feel that way—though it might be easier if you stopped yelling at him and hitting him. I'll just take her now Candy! I'm sure Cliffums will be so pleased when he wakes up. Aren't you just the cutest?"
"Cliffum's is gonna be something. Pleased? Not too likely."
LET'S JUST END THIS ALREADY!
The annual Stepford ball was no less than spectacular. The fact that the decorations were planned and implemented by Marshin Stewart obsessed robots probably had a deciding hand in things.
Mirage had taken the liberty of reviving him the week before—lets leave it at a large vase of flowers had been a contributor. Now she strolled around the room on the arm of their new friend Amon(her impromtu fiancé) smiling and graceful as they briefly reviewed their plan of action.
Albel had been very reluctant to leave 'Abella' alone with anyone but Sophia—the girl took a great deal of pride in that for some reason.
"Oh Cliffy look at the decorations aren't they just—Duo! I love your hair." And just like that he was gone.
Cliff sighed and made his way to the bar—that seemed a good a place as any there was free booze and no robots.
"Hey Clive, how's married life?"
But there was an abundance of greasy unattractive stepford husbands. " It's Cliff actually Ralphie, and married life is great now…just great." If absolute misery was great.
"See I told ya it would be didn't I? We thought we were gonna lose ya for a minute there—when you started crying and all…"
Cliff snorted, very unwilling to remember his 'moment of weakness'. "Yeah hey what can ya do? Where's the wife?"
Ralphie gestured over a meaty shoulder towards a petite blond woman serving pigs in a blanket by the bar. "The same as always, listen don't tell anybody but uh—I had the same problem. Once we got down in the room, I almost didn't do it."
"Really?"
"Yeah really, I regretted it for about a week…felt guilty as hell you know?"
Cliff was only half listening, Mirage was in the far corner of the room half hidden by ballons talking to Mitch. Amon was no where to be seen.
"Ever want to take it all back?" Cliff asked.
Ralphie shrugged and looked at his wife again, " Sometimes I miss her laugh, or her real smile not that thousand watt imitation that never touches her eyes…yeah sometimes I regret it. But I know this is for the best."
Cliff laughed, " Give me the strongest thing you've got back there…and a large glass of it."
"Feelin' the shakes still?" Ralphie asked.
Cliff took his drink and downed it. "Yeah I guess I am—but it's too late to go back now right? Excuse me."
"Hey Cliff come on over and join us!" Youji was in really good spirits. Aya was happiest when Youji was happy. His smile, his eyes his—everything was oh so wonderful. Life was wonderful…except for when his stomach ached like this—it came on all of a sudden sometimes then just as suddenly it would go away again. "Babe! Yo babe!"
"Yes Youji darling?"
"Geez what planet are you on stupid? Get me a beer!"
"Yes darling." There was that ache again.
Aya ignored it and went to the refreshments table—he was most surprised when that ache shot out of his stomach and all the way to the top of his head. Just as suddenly as it happened it passed. Leaving him a little woozy and—wondering why he was wearing pink—at what seemed to be a party.
"Geez I swear Mitch needs to reboot him or something he gets slower every day. Aya!"
Aya blinked and looked up at the blond man yelling at him—Youji? What in the—and then seven years of his life came rushing back with the strength of a tidal wave.
"Aya is something wrong babe?"
" Oh. Youjims." The last part came out on a growl the likes of which made Youji's bowels constrict in reflex memory.
"Oh shit."
Doreen Miller was very upset, her work was perfect always without fail. Why were her creations failing?
Quickly she scanned the room for Mitch, he was nowhere to be found. Unfortunately Youji seemed to be in need of immediate assistance.
"Aya sweetie? I need your help making the lemonade!"
A very hostile growl was her only reply. She wasn't getting in the middle of that, Aya's file said. 'mood swings, and assassin' that was all she needed to know.
Doreen continued her search for Mitch carefully ignoring Ranma Saotome being bludgeoned with the very ice sculpture Akane had created.
In all the chaos and panic that was happening around her, she noticed one small thing that was out of place. Cliff Fittr sat calmly at the bar drinking one high ball after another like nothing at all out of the ordinary was going on. Albel was on the other side of the room straightening the flower arrangements on the buffet.
Then it occurred to her how doomed they all were when whatever bug got around to the KI2 carrier. Suddenly she wanted a drink herself… "Mitch! Mitch!"
Cliff sat at the bar as the room slowly turned to panic as one stepfordian after another came back to themselves…"Barkeep another one of these?"
"Cliff! Cliff? Why are you still sitting there? Find your mate man they're going nuts!"
Some panicked husband grabbed Cliff's shoulders on his way out the door. Strangely the doors slammed shut with ten-foot tall flames in front of them suddenly. "Hm. Looks like Robin's back. Refill."
"RANNNNNNNNNNNMMMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Cliff whistled, "Glad I'm not him—Albel's gonna be too pissed to draw this out. Refill."
Albel vaguely noticed the screaming and fighting going on around him. Duo had grabbed him a few minutes ago and had not stopped shaking him yet. It really made his head hurt. " I need to bring Cliffy some dinner."
"Fuck Cliff and his dinner!"
"That wasn't very nice Duo. You should really be bringing Heero something to eat as well I'm sure he's worked up an appitite all that pulling he's been doing on Claris's arm. It looks like she's trying to choke her husband I wonder why?"
" I've got something to bring to Heero alright but it's not food Albel snap out it! You hate pink—you hate people! You hate parties!"
Albel blinked, " Abella did the cutest thing this morning."
"YOU HATE BABIES!"
Albel opened his mouth to protest that he never hated babies—when the most blinding pain he'd ever experienced in his life swept his entire body. Then everything was confusion and bright light and noises for what seemed an eternity. Then….
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! WORMS! PIGS! SHIT OF TERMITES AND MAGGOTS! DIE ALL OF YOU DIIIIIIIIIIEEEE!"
"That would be for me." Cliff sighed and raised a hand for another drink, the bartender looked more than a little nervous but filled his glass again anyway. "Thanks man."
"CLIFF SHOW YOURSELF! CLIFFORD ELLISHIRE FITTR THE FIFTY THIRD!"
Oh his whole name, Albel was pissed alright. "Refill." After this drink he'd go and find Albel and—oh he found him. Goodie now he didn't have to move.
A growl and he found himself lifted into the air and slammed against the wall. " WORM! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't crush you like the invertebrate that you are?!"
"I love you."
Albel blinked and put him down. " Good enough."
"That's it?"
Albel tossed his head back and laughed, " It? No not by a long shot. I cannot be mad at you for doing exactly what I wanted you to do can I? If I had known how hard it would be—"
It was Cliff's turn to blink. "Wha—"
"Don't ask questions." With that he turned on his heel and waded into the chaos. "WORMS!"
" You are so freakin' lucky." Mirage sighed, as she lead Mitch over to the bar in an arm lock. "Albel sent us info he knew he was next, he had his doubts that you would do it. In his paranoid wisdom he came to a conclusion of what happened to people that backed out…stop struggling!" Mirage slammed Mitch against the bar then the wall.
"NO!"
Much to her surprise his head fell off and rolled across the room.
"Mitch! Oh Mitch!"
Doreen's wailing over the broken robot caught everyone's attention. Men and robots alike moved closer to bar—well the men that were still capable of walking.
" Well are you all happy now? Are you?!" the formerly sweet tones of Doreen were very different now—actually half crazy was pretty accurate. " I just wanted everything to be perfect! I wanted a perfect place where the strong were strong and the delicate…were delicate and cherished by the strong.
Albel snorted. " I am far from delicate."
Doreen laughed, " Honey with your bone structure? If it wasn't for that little anomolay in your genetic code you'd have spent your life sheltered and content with it."
" What did you do to us lady?" one of the women Cliff didn't know spoke up.
"I made you better. I took you away from the stress and bussle of everyday life and gave you a better life—a perfect body. The feeling of being protected and loved and cherished at all times! As you were meant to be—and all I asked in return was for you to make Stepford a wonderful place to live—and to be the first line of defense when I began my plan to take over the world.
"WHAT?!"
"But that was secondary my first priority was seeing you all happy."
"And the fact that we're weapons of mass destruction isn't as important right?"
" First off all of you are NOT weapons of mass destructions. Just Albel who was going to be my catalyst—er face of my rule of terror. Strike fear into the hearts of any who oppose me you know burn their homes, destroy their children. But still gets home in time to make sure that your laundry was clean and folded, and your dinner was cooked and waiting for you. But you had to destroy that didn't you? All my dreams and—"
"You're crazy lady."
Albel looked surprisingly disappointed, " Maybe it's not to late? Who wants to help Doreen destroy the world show of hands?"
A sprinkling of hands went up around the room. Albel's went down when Mirage hit him over the head with a rolled up newspaper.
4 MONTHS LATER…
" How is this fair?" Duo snapped. Albel, Robin, and Akane walked slowly in front of him. Yuna strolled at his side. " Akane got one. Robin got one. Yuna got one. Even ALBEL got one. Why do I have THREE?"
Albel shrugged and pulled the blanket back over Abella's chest. It'd been at least four weeks since the last time he'd tried getting rid of her. The first day they'd gone home he'd immediately called someone from child services to come get the noisy creature. On arrival it was discovered that the baby was actually an illegal experiment. Mirage had explained it to him as simply as she could that the baby was a in essence his and Cliff's baby.
At which time she offered to take her off of his hands in order to better study her. Cliff had adamantly refused saying something about this being his only chance to be a parent. Albel had left her on three different church doorsteps, two hospitals and one Kabalah center. Always she returned. He'd tried to feed her to Miffy—who just adored her.
Finally he'd thought to throw her off a bridge. He'd gone so far as to hold her up over the water—and when he was about to let go. She smiled at him at clapped her hands…he couldn't do it. He'd been pissed for a whole week. Now he was proud—all of the other's 'little clones' were loud and annoying in some way.
Abella was perfect, just like one of her parents.
"What is that? What did you just throw up—is that corn? When did you eat corn? You don't even have teeth yet?"
"So do you think they've suffered enough yet?" Yuna asked in a bid to change the subject.
Albel snorted. " I don't think so…a lot of the old heads have a lot to make them suffer for."
"That's true…Ranma! Did you finish the dishes?"
Akane's husband jumped about two feet in the air.
"Uh-uh no…"
"Then why are you outside?"
"Sheesh lighten up A-ka-NE I'm going I'm going!"
Akane smirked as her right arm, turned back into a right arm, " It's amazing how much easier they are when your right arm turns into a giant death ray. I should have been thanking Doreen. God rest her soul."
MEANWHILE……
"Psst…Youji. Youji do you know where the baby food isle is?"
"It's on the-"
The crackle of the loudspeaker and a sharp voice ordered, " Less talking more shopping!"
AND FOR THOSE WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED TO CLIFFY
Here's the short version:
"Cliff did you put up the curtains in Abella's room?"
"I'll do it tomorrow."
"Right. Did I have that option when you—"
"Okay! Okay I'll do it now."
"Cliff we're going to host Sophia's wedding."
"No."
"What?"
"I said anything you want perfect love of my life."
Crap ending? Yeah, I just don't feel funny --; sorry.