I do not own American Horror Story: Freak Show.

But I would like to have a little fun here.

A Winter in Wisconsin

The Warrior Princess and Her Knave of Hearts

With fantastic timing, the hide was cured just in time for him to offer his masterpiece to her on Christmas morning.

"Merry Christmas, Ma Petite!"

He tried not to look on too eagerly as she opened the box.

She peered at his present and then looked back up at him quizzically, her pretty dark eyes even brighter than usual. Jimmy resisted the urge to throw up.

She's either going to love it or hate my guts.

Then she reached out a tiny delicate hand and stroked the soft brown fur.

"What is it, Jimmy?"

He took it out of the box and held it up for her inspection.

"It's a fur coat!"

The empty furry face remained, as well as the arms and legs. The inside was dry and clean. Luckily, the salt he had diligently rubbed on it every few days had worked beautifully to cure the hide, leaving the inside dry and smooth.

She peered at it for several moments and Jimmy held his breath, anxiously awaiting her response.

Then a big, beautiful smile lit up her entire face and she giggled.

The sound was high pitched and full of joy. Jimmy felt his own face breaking into a relieved grin.

"It's beautiful!" she squeaked and turned around for him to put it on her shoulders.

He carefully draped it over her tiny shoulders and gently over her head. She grasped the sides to close the front and turned around.

The intake of breath signaled everyone in the room beholding Ma Petite in all her glory.

A miniature warrior princess, proudly wearing the pelt of the fearsome, vanquished beast.

The long ears draped down on either side of her tiny head like earmuffs and the arms and legs hung by her sides as if in warm embrace.

Her long black braid lay coiled down her front, nestled in the soft fur.

"Jimmy, it's so warm!" she sang shrilly, making his heart swell with pride and happiness.

And she shuffled forward to hug him, reaching her tiny arms up toward his neck as tight as the day he'd rescued her from her frozen tent.

"This is the most wonderful gift in all the world!"

He carefully hugged her tiny frame.

"I'm glad you like it," he murmured, grinning.

She kissed his cheek with a audible smack.

"I love it!"

Ma Petite let go of him then and began walking carefully around the table, showing off her fur coat. The others clapped appreciatively. Evie looked over and winked at him knowingly and Jimmy felt his face growing even warmer.

"Come, my dear, let's have a closer look," Elsa beckoned, reached out with her crone's hands.

Ma Petite hesitated for just the briefest of moments and then did as she was bade.

Elsa ran her hands lightly over the coat, stroking its soft fur. For some reason, Jimmy didn't really want her to.

"Ah, you're quite the craftsman, Jimmy. I find it fascinating that you took such time and effort on such a . . . small little trinket."

Oh, stuff it, you old broad. You're not ruining this moment.

Then Elsa's shark teeth shown in her cruel mouth and her eyes cut through him.

"I wonder, my boy, whenever you will find the time to make coats for those less . . . petitely natured amongst us . . ."

She trailed off, stroking the fur coat, glancing from Ma Petite to Jimmy and back again. Then her critical expression softened and she spoke more softly to her tiniest of freaks.

"How nice of Jimmy to take such good, gentle care of my sweet little princess, ja, Ma Petite?"

The little dusky woman glanced back at the craftsman himself with another sweet smile.

And nodded to Elsa Mars.

Ethel, the Bearded Lady, cornered her happy son later on that day in his trailer.

And he never saw it coming.

He should have.

His ma was a very direct woman.

"Jimmy, are you entertaining feelings for Ma Petite?"

Jimmy raised his eyebrows just a little at her cannonball of a statement. And tried not to drop the chicken head Meep had given him (and everyone else) for Christmas.

Thank you, Ma.

Then he shook his head, casually twirling the thin red ribbon the little weird guy had wrapped around the gory present.

"No."

Ethel Darling raised a doubting eyebrow at her lobster handed son.

"Jimmy?"

A grown, worldly man of the freak show circuit, Jimmy Darling still could not escape the soul-prying eyes of his whiskery mother.

He shrugged again, a little less confidently this time.

"I don't know, Ma. Maybe."

She sighed.

"Jimmy, I like her just as much as anybody here. But, son . . ."

She seemed to waver for just a moment, glancing around at his belongings as if arranging her words in her head before she set them free from her mouth.

". . . it just not . . . physically possible."

Jimmy, the freak who sometimes serviced the ladies of the town with his fused fingers at their secret parties, felt his face redden in embarrassment.

"Ma, jeez!"

She pursed her mouth and seemed to force herself to continue.

"Well, it's true!"

Jimmy grimaced.

"Ma, no! I know she's not . . . it's not like . . ."

He trailed off helplessly for a moment. He didn't want to think of Ma Petite that way.

She was different from the rest of them. She was innocent and untouched. Elsa'd always kept her away from the opium laced orgies to preserve her child-like demeanor and to keep her tiny body from getting hurt. Jimmy was glad of that. He didn't want the little Indian princess to see him like that. He didn't want to see her like that.

He also didn't want to discuss that with Ma, who wasn't a participant in the gatherings either. He opened and closed his mouth several times, like a fish tossed out of water.

Finally he found the only words he could. And he was just glad they were honest ones.

"She's just sweet, Ma. She's nice. I don't want to do anything, I just like how sweet she is."

Ma considered this, peering closely at her son, who had no choice but to wait her out. Finally she sighed and nodded in agreement.

"Okay, Jimmy. I know. It is a breath of fresh air sometimes, isn't it?"

Jimmy nodded self-consciously. Ma continued.

"Just be careful around Elsa. You know how she is. Like a kid who won't share her toys. She'll give you holy hell."

Jimmy nodded again, grateful to be done with the most embarrassing part of the conversation.

Ethel, the Bearded Lady, seemed satisfied with their understanding.

She smiled at him, patted his cheek, none too gently.

"You're a good boy, Jimmy. I love ya."

He smiled at her.

"Love you too, Ma."

She turned away and then glanced back with a shrewd smirk, raising a finger to point at him.

"And no flipper action either."

Jimmy sighed at her and refrained from rolling his dark eyes.

That again? Jeez, Ma, you catch me one time with Marie the Sword Swallower . . .

Mama Ethel cut her eyes once more at her beloved son and then left him to his thoughts.

Which were trying not to revolve around a certain sword swallower who swallowed more than swords.

Ah, man, it's too cold for this. I gotta go hunt something.

And so that's the full story of Ma Petite's rabbit coat that Jimmy referenced in 'Test of Strength'. Or my version anyway. And of course the avatar pic for the story you've been reading.

Not really sure where the second part of this chapter just went, but meh there it goes. ;)

Once again, I hope this doesn't come across as Jimmy being creepy about Ma Petite. It really isn't meant to.

Thanks to brigid1318, the1upguy, Jurana Keri, and The Cry-Wank Kid for most kindly reviewing.

Thanks as well to BunnyMermaid for adding your support to this story as well.