It Only Hurts When I Breathe

Plays With Dolls...?

-

"Oh God," he breathed, trying to cease his panting as he shoved himself further into the nook of the room. It hadn't been going as planned. Well, HE'D planned to stay home, but with promises of, "I know where she lives, I'll drop you off on the way back," in whatever way he wanted to say it, Numbuh One had convinced Wally to come.

Not that it mattered anyway. He wasn't doing anyone any good, just sitting around.

The S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R. he'd carried around (along with a couple of other things, which had been lost in chases) was grasped so tight in his fist that the fact that his palms were sweaty enough to slide on wood didn't have any effect on it.

This was just not right! TVs were made for watching, not fighting.

That's right, over the "break of teenage tyranny" wasn't so much that, as they'd found out, as a break to strengthen teenage tyranny.

And frankly, that sucked. More than anything had ever sucked to Wally in his life. Another TV was growling around the corner, barring it's teeth on the screen, leaving Wally with the vague feeling that he had to destroy himself, for all he loved TV, as he smashed the screen in with the all-too-high-tech-piece-of-wood. Since they'd arrived at the manor, they'd fought nothing but toys! When he'd said "dolls are only good when they fight," he'd been speaking metaphorically.

Well, not really, but he felt an immense need to defend himself and expel any self-doubt (no good thinking that he wasn't good at fighting, the only thing he was good at) with memories like that.

In fact, any memories. The word itself brought back images of...

He shuddered, allowing himself to believe that he hadn't just been thinking of wanting to turn thirteen.

When that happened, none of this would matter, right?

And he need'nt ever even know.

Biggest waste of time... If I ever gotta do that again...

They'd walked out of there, not with cake, but with tons of scratches, bruises, and nightmares for weeks.

Wally'd started to think all too often about how 86 was sooo far past not being worth it. But, on the way out, he decided that he at least deserved something for his troubles, and allowed Numbuh One to lead the way.

She looked small, like a child. Well, she was a child, but she looked like a much, much smaller child.

Flowing in too-big clothes, Rainbow Monkey dangling from her loose fist, eyes pink and face bearing red streaked of puff from tears. Just seemed wrong on Franny. He felt compelled to ask her, "what's wrong?" To console her. But refrained. Reputation.

Every day he hated the word more and more, because that had become all that mattered. Sometimes, he just felt like breaking down in front of everybody, let them all know the truth, that he wasn't just Numbuh Four, that he was becoming Wallabee Beetles once more. Save for his eleventh birthday coming up, he couldn't find a reason for this to happen.

That's what always filled his mind, until now. Somehow, 86 had put herself in his mind, shoving, compacting him to the tiniest corner of unused brain.

"What?" She screeched in that voice, the one that seemed to scare everyone. Wally kind of honored her. She was just so... Powerful, strong. But right now, she looked so small and weak.

It confused him.

Not her, he understood her, except right now, and he was thinking that maybe that was it... What made it so confusing. "You play with dolls?" He managed in his normal, unshaken voice, with a smirk.

Franny looked a little shocked and through the doll behind the doorframe. "So?"

He laughed a little, before turning serious and said, "I need to talk to you."

"So talk."

He squinted around her to the source of humming. He couldn't tell, but it seemed to be coming from a room that looked like the kitchen. "Can I... Come in?"

She grunted in consent, and backed away from the door. Wally stepped in carefully. It didn't feel like he thought her house should be... But he scolded himself, saying that he didn't know her.

He opened his mouth to say something, but she shushed him, and led him to where he suspected was her room.

Franny sat on her bed and motioned Wally to sit… At either a Rainbow Monkey tea table or a large Rainbow Monkey bean bag chair.

Flopping on the bean bag, he said, "it's about… You were at the, um, counseling place…"

She made a look like she wanted to tell him to get out, but she just said, "I've been having family problems."

Wally didn't need to say anything. She was already twelve, and who knew her birthday? It could be tomorrow, or, hell, for that matter, it could be today!

She seemed so interested in the KND, one wouldn't assume, but he been wondering for a while if she was preparing a daring escape. This had definitely been the best time of her life… Was she really ready to give that up?

"You… When's your birthday?" He ventured, somehow not feeling right, not even wanting to know.

She paused, mouth agape and drying. "Soon. Three-and-a-half months."

It hadn't been a long visit, nor a very pointed one in his memory.

Seems this whole day has been a waste of time… He thought on the way out. Down the stairs, the woman's humming, from the kitchen, had shifted to the living room.

She was a plump, middle aged woman. Probably around thirty, or late twenties.

The tune hadn't changed.

"Mum!" 86 yelled, embarrassed. The woman, Franny's mom, looked up and broke the tune. "Oh, sorry dear. Am I embarrassing you in front of your little boyfriend?"

The look on Franny's face was so priceless that Wally had to hold in laughter by wishing he'd brought a camera. Catching his eye, she glared her best 'laugh and you die' look.

Her mother chuckled and walked away.

At the door, her face dropped a little and tinted red. Apparently under her mother's influence, she said, "uhh, well, umm, thank you…"

Giving his cheek a peck, she ran upstairs to her room and slammed the door. Wally stood stunned in the open doorway.

His face tinted as well. He smiled lightly, knowing that tonight, for the for night since he could remember, he wouldn't be having nightmares.

…

(Thankies for the reviews! The whole "dolls are meant for fighting" thing was from C.A.T.S., for anyone who cares. Please review! And sooooooo sorry for the looooooooooooong update! I got it up, though! Finally.♥