A/N: Dedicated to Darren who convinced me to update once more. And to Heather for making me think of JTHM in Human Bio one day.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that are owned by Jhonen Vasquez. Because I'm not him, bless his soul. But I do own any characters you don't recognize, such as my original character.

Warning: Wow. I don't know. This contains violence and swearing… And probably some other things that I haven't thought of just yet.

'Why didn't you tell me your father was back in town?'

Danielle lifted her head from the book she was reading, sitting cross-legged on the ground in the bare living room. Rubbing her leg lightly, she shrugged, and continued reading. Johnny was standing in front of her, thin arms crossed in front of his chest, a scowl on his face.

'Did you even know?' he asked stiffly, not at all happy that the child hadn't responded. Danielle nodded silently, and flipped a page, apathetic to what could happen. Johnny gritted his teeth together, and stalked about the room, hands balled into fists by his sides.

'Goddamn it, Danielle, this is fucked up business! You're father…' Danielle lifted her head at this, and quirked an eyebrow. Johnny spun on his heel so he faced her, and pointed out the window, into the thick blackness of the night where a lone street light flickered on and off on the empty street. 'You're father… Who is he? Why is he here? You told me when you ended up under my care that you didn't know where he was. And here he is!'

Danielle gave another nod, and dog-eared a page in her book. Closing it with a dull "thunk", she set it down beside her, and pulled herself off the floor. Brushing off the back of her jeans, she placed her small hands into the confines of her pocket.

'I didn't know where he was, that was the truth.' She replied calmly, her voice thin and quiet, though confident in her words. Johnny just huffed, and placed leant against the windowsill. Danielle let out a soft sigh, and picked her book up. 'Like I said when we first met in the basement, my mother said my father was in Washington, which I know for a fact he was… I also told you I knew he was a wicked person. Which he is.'

Johnny let out a low 'mm-hmm', and nodded his head. Danielle, always more mature than her age let her seem, crossed the room, and set her book on a crate.

'He was in jail, or something similar. Mum never really said why, but I have a vague idea as to how he got in there.'

'And what would that be?'

Danielle lifted her head slightly, giving the man a side-ways glance.

'I promised my mother I wouldn't tell. And I said I only have a vague idea, not that I really know'

Johnny rolled his eyes, and stormed over to the girl. 'I've got a few things to tell you, okay? One, your mother is dead. Two, your father is out of jail for something you know he did. Three, I'm now your father figure so I demand you tell me… and how did your mother know you know if she never told you?'

Danielle flinched, her tiny features screwing up into one of mild distaste, and put an arm in front of her face.

'Because I saw him doing it' was all she said, before grabbing her book and walking off to her room.

You know why Danielle's father went to prison don't you?

Yes.

Gonna tell me?

No.

Aw, come on baby doll!

'Meat, shut up, Danielle's asleep!'

The plastic toy waddled towards the Barbie lay beside the sleeping girl, blanketed by a soft, pale hand.

'But it'd be helpful if I knew, wouldn't it? Then I could help Danielle. You know, so she wouldn't have to go to that purple-headed woman's house.'

Lola gave a sigh, and slowly pushed herself out from under Danielle's hand. She slowly tiptoed across the bed, and shimmied down a sheet, onto the ground.

'Where are you going?' Meat called, jumping off the mattress and landing on the wooden floor with a heavy "plonk".

'Shush!' Lola hissed, looking over her shoulder, her plastic joints squeaking. 'I'm going for a walk.'

Meat scurried over, and snorted. 'I'm coming too.'

'Fine, but you better be quiet.'

Lola hurried towards a mouse hole in a corner wall, and crawled through it. Her dress dragged on the ground, becoming dirty, to which she sighed, and smacked it. Meat followed her, and once both were through, Lola stood, her head grazing the beams between the walls.

'Look,' she started after a lengthy pause, 'Danielle knows why her father went to jail.'

'I picked that up,' Meat replied sarcastically. Lola shook her head, blonde hair flying everywhere.

'Have you seen that movie with that Renée Zellweger actress? Nurse Betty, I think it's called?'

'Yeah,' Meat replied with a nod, 'Load of bullshit. Saw it with Nny- he ended up throwing a knife at the TV. Took him a hell of a long time to steal a new one.'

'No doubt.' Lola replied with a faint smile, 'Well, you know how Renée starts to fall under the delusion that she had some romantic link with the TV fellow?'

'Yeah…'

'Something similar happened to Danielle.'

Meat gave Lola a disbelieving look and slowed his pace. 'She believes she's going to get hitched to Bugs Bunny?'

Lola stopped in her tracks and spun around. 'Huh? - No!' Placing her hands in the air, she shook her head firmly. 'She saw what her father did. However, she has gotten so mixed up between reality and fantasy, she isn't sure anymore. I can't tell if she truly believes her father did what he did, and she me be under the illusion it was all a dream, but she knows deep down, behind the façade he did something bad and consequently he got put in jail for it.'

'So… she's got some form of post-traumatic stress syndrome?'

'If you want to put it in such a term, yes.'

'Right, right…' Meat nodded, and leant against the inside of the wall. 'So what does Renée Zellweger got to do with all of this?'

Lola rolled her eyes, and turned, walking away from the burger toy. 'I was using it as an example.'

'Ah…' Meat followed with a sigh. 'She doesn't seem crazy though… Not Nurse Better crazy or Nny crazy, anyway.'

'She can hear us, isn't that crazy enough?'

'I didn't say she wasn't insane, even I would be a bit troubled if a seven-year-old went around killing people -'

'She killed a bird' Lola interrupted.

'- but she is crazy.'

Lola stopped a few seconds later, and crawled out through another mouse hole. Meat followed with a few 'um's and 'ah's. They were in the living room, and Lola traced her way to the worn couch. She leant against it, and sunk down to the ground.

'I don't want Danielle to go insane. You know that. I'm anxious with how much mental damage has happened already. She could become anything she wants, she has her whole life in front of her, and I don't want her to end up… well… like Johnny.'

Meat stared at the Barbie, and spoke, a hint of laughter surrounding each of his words.

'It's too late, baby doll, it's already happening.'

A/N: Dun dun DUN.