Author's Note: I love Seo despite her flaws. She's very brave, and determined, and stubborn.

By the way, I can't quite remember if this was exactly how the Toymakers' dolls worked in the series, but it's close enough. And even if it isn't, we haven't seen the Toymaker for a while, so I suspect that things might have changed.

Hope you guys are liking this story so far! I know I am.

Enjoy!

"Give him back."

Seo and Alison snapped their heads over, at the command. Seo hugging the doll of her father a little tighter to her chest, as the Celestial Toymaker appeared before them.

"Give him back so you can make him watch as your puppets harp on me about my father's so-called 'crimes'?" Seo asked. "Then turn the dimensional wall opaque for a bit so you can gloat at him, afterwards? Ride his guilt?" She shook her head. "Sorry. Not happening."

The Celestial Toymaker's voice and expression filled with deadly threat. "You broke the rules. Cheated. You don't want to see what I do to cheaters." He held out his hand. "Give him back, and maybe I'll overlook it."

"And what'll you do to us, if we don't?" said Alison. "Kill us both? Turn us into dolls? I don't think so. You brought us here to keep you amused. And we're not so amusing if we're dead."

"On the contrary," said the Celestial Toymaker. "I brought you here because I'm playing with my brand new Doctor doll. And it's terribly nice to watch him helpless while his friends are in peril."

"You can hear him, in there, can't you?" said Seo. "Read his mind. That's how you knew all about me."

"Naturally," said the Celestial Toymaker. "Not that he makes much sense, at the moment. Wood does so rot the brain. But the anger… the frustration… the hurt and loss and heartache… that's priceless."

"I don't…" Alison started.

"It's how we wound up calling Jack," said Seo. "My father must have done something clever. Telepathically. Twisted around the Principal Snyder doll, so he could trick the system."

"Using a back-door I've since closed," the Toymaker replied. "That won't happen again. From now on, it's just listening to him scream helplessly inside his own wooden little mind." He analyzed Alison, more closely. "He thought he lost you, once before, you know. And then… here you were! Transported to my realm. The relief and happiness he felt, when you arrived!" He shook his head. "Imagine what it'd do to him, watching me break you into a thousand tiny pieces."

Alison stepped back, a little. Less confident than she'd been, a moment ago.

The Celestial Toymaker advanced on Alison. "Oh, but you're more than just the Doctor's lost companion, aren't you?" he asked. Pointed at Seo. "You're her stability. You're the level-headed human friend, who is somehow able to inspire sanity in this terribly clever, psychopathically aggressive child manufactured for nothing but death and destruction. How would she ever cope without you?"

"I cope fine," said Seo, stepping in between the Celestial Toymaker and Alison. Her eyes leveled at him, dark and biting. "But you're right — Alison's my best friend. And if you touch her…" with a click of her fingers, "I'll never tell you where I've just hidden my father."

The Celestial Toymaker stared at Seo. Realizing that… with the click of her fingers… the Doctor doll had vanished.

"That's impossible," he said.

Seo quirked an eyebrow at him. "You're not the only one around here with multi-dimensional aspects," she said. "I can make things disappear, same as you. Disappear somewhere you'll never find them."

"I still have your aunt," the Toymaker reminded her. He stepped forwards. "Give me back the Doctor, and I'll return her to you. Just the way she was. Then grant you, her, and Alison your freedom to depart my realm, untouched."

Seo quirked an eyebrow at him.

"It's a generous offer," the Toymaker said. "One I don't make to many."

"And one that shows how desperate you are to always have the Doctor in your sight," Alison muttered.

The Celestial Toymaker ignored her. His eyes fixed firmly on Seo. "Return the Doctor. And I'll let you go."

Seo gave a smug grin, and shook her head.

"Oh, don't look so self-confident!" the Celestial Toymaker snapped. The realm growing stormy around him, as power gathered round his fingertips. "He is still trapped as a toy, even if you're the one hiding him instead of me. And still suffering just as much because of it." His voice lowered. "And I could torture you in a thousand ways to make you give him back."

Seo's self-confidence slipped a hair.

"I could kill your aunt, completely," the Toymaker growled. "Let you take her place amongst my collection, listen to your mind scream and go mad as I murder Alison in front of you. What do you think about that?"

Alison burst out laughing. "Well, it's your funeral, mate."

But Seo had gone very still.

She opened and closed her mouth a few times, her eyes wide, as she struggled to find something to say. Something to do. Her self-confidence fading fast.

The Toymaker crossed his arms, a small grin on his face, as he noted Seo's terror. "It's an interesting thing, being turned into a doll," he mused. "Most human minds can't really deal with it. Sort of blank out. But the Doctor's mind — and yours, of course — are complex enough to take in everything that's happening. Unable to think your way out of it, but still able to see, feel, be aware. A living hell, for all eternity." His eyes gleamed. "How would you like that?"

"I… I…" Seo stammered. Clutching Alison's hand, a little desperately. "I have to get out of here."

Alison clutched her hand back. "But what about…?"

"We have to get out of here, Alison!" Seo said, turning on her. "We have to get away! All of us! We have to run and run and never look back! He's going to kill us! Torture us both! We can't…!"

"Then give me back the Doctor!" the Toymaker demanded.

Seo froze, again. Her eyes falling on the Toymaker.

"I said," the Celestial Toymaker repeated, his voice growing colder, "give him back."

Seo swallowed, hard. Hands trembling.

And shook her head.

"Never."

"Come, now," the Toymaker coaxed her. "A young lady like you, with your whole life ahead of you — are you really going to throw it all away for the stodgy old father you barely know?"

Seo's breath came rapidly, in frantic pants.

"Always," she squeaked.

Alison looked between Seo, clearly freaking out, and the Celestial Toymaker, trying to dig into her terrors and fears. That was bad. The only way they'd get out of this, Alison knew, was if Seo were to think up a plan. And she couldn't do that while she was this terrified and panicked.

Someone around here had to play the self-confident hero.

So Alison stuffed all her fears and trepidation deep down inside of her, and stepped forwards. "Listen to me, Mr. Celestial Toymaker!" she snapped, jabbing a finger in his face. "Because I've been playing this game of yours for days, now. Hearing you put words into your dolls' mouths, making them all harp on the Doctor's guilt and harp on Seo's guilt and… and… you know what?" Her eyes flashed. "I say it's all rubbish!"

Brilliant. Alison could see, out of the corner of her eye, that Seo was calming down, already. Had already bent her face into a pensive frown, thinking up a plan.

Better keep the Toymaker distracted.

"Buffy and the Doctor are two of the most caring, responsible, brilliant people out there," said Alison. "They're not murderers. Not sadistic homicidal maniacs, randomly reigning down bouts of genocide on an unsuspecting universe! Or any of the other bits your little dolls kept saying. They love and care about people. And if Seo takes after them, at all, then… then… that makes her brilliant, too!"

The Celestial Toymaker gave a weary sigh. Brushing Alison off, as if she weren't even worth his time. And instead turning back to Seo. "So? What's it to be?"

But Seo had just worked out a plan. Alison could see it, in the spark that had lit up her eyes. She snapped her head up to meet the Celestial Toymaker's gaze.

"You're never going to release my father from your realm, are you?" she asked. "You'd rather make me a toy and never find out where I've hidden him, than risk him getting free, again."

"I have the bane of my existence finally trapped and helpless," said the Celestial Toymaker. "The Doctor. The one person in the universe who has managed to consistently trick me, trap me, isolate me, and impair me for millennia at a time!" He shook his head. "No. No, I'm never letting the Doctor go, little girl. Not for anyone or anything."

"But I'm still the only one who knows where he's hidden," said Seo. "And you'd rather keep him in your sight." She stepped forwards, her chin raised, her eyes proud. "So I'll play you for him."

The Celestial Toymaker hesitated.

"Not for his freedom, of course," said Seo. "I know you'll never give that up. I just want you to de-toy-ify him. Make him able to do all the racing-around-and-incessantly-chatting bits. He loves those."

"And that's all you want, if you win?" said the Celestial Toymaker. "Not your own liberty? Nothing for your friends? Just the restoration of the Doctor?"

"I…" Seo hesitated, for just a second, her fear shining through. Then stuffed it deep down inside herself. "I'm not leaving here without my father — alive and undollified. I can't… leave him to suffer here, alone."

"That sounds less like a threat, and more like an opportunity," mused the Toymaker.

"If you're never going to release him," Seo continued, "I suppose…" she sucked in a deep breath, "my friends and I will have to stay. Give him a bit of company."

"And become my playthings," said the Toymaker.

"If that's what it takes to make you turn him into a person, again," said Seo, "then yes. We will."

The Celestial Toymaker thought it over. "Yes," he decided. "Yes, I like it." He gestured at Seo. "Well… except that only your friends will be able to keep the Doctor company. After all. You'll be turned into a doll at the end of our next game, no matter what the outcome."

Seo's eyes went wide. "What?"

"Well, you have proved yourself a cheater," said the Celestial Toymaker. "And I can't abide a cheater."

Seo said nothing. Her hands shaking, a little, as she realized the full extent of what she was committing herself to.

"Which means, if you win our next game," said the Celestial Toymaker, "I'll change the Doctor back. Trap him here, with Alison. You'll wind up a toy forever. And the lovely Miss Dawn will be left to her fate."

"Seo!" Alison hissed.

"And if you lose," the Celestial Toymaker continued, "then you'll give back the Doctor from wherever you've hidden him. He'll remain wooden. As will you. Alison will be mine to dispose of however I wish, and…" He paused, musing it over. "I think I'll snatch up someone else you know. This… 'Captain Jack'. He interests me."

Seo tensed. "Jack..."

"Oh, yes — it'll be interesting playing with someone who can't die," the Celestial Toymaker decided. "He'll make a much better toy than a god-killer." He yawned. "Honestly… your novelty's nearly worn off."

Seo hesitated. For a long moment. Then… nodded. "I agree to the terms of the game."

Alison spun Seo around, hands on her shoulders, eyes thunderous. "What's gotten into you?" she hissed. "This isn't a plan! You've just doomed yourself to a perpetual living hell!"

"Oh, I daresay she believes the Doctor will get her out of it," said the Celestial Toymaker. He shook his head. "More fool her."

"Alison," said Seo, very softly. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

"No, you don't!" said Alison. "I know you! You're just making it up as you go along!"

"Well, yes," Seo admitted. "But I also know what I'm doing."

"Do you, now?" Alison challenged. "You really think the Toymaker's going to transform the Doctor back from wood? The Toymaker's just using this as a ploy to get you to reveal where the Doctor is! Moment you reveal that, all the rest of us are going to die."

Seo's eyes drifted back to the Celestial Toymaker. A small smile on her face. "She's right, of course. I am the only one who knows where the Doctor is. And the only way I'll be able to give him up… is by playing that next game."

She grabbed Alison by the wrist, then darted back to the snow globe.

"Which only happens," shouted Seo, "after I've finished this one!"

And they both jumped back into the fake Sunnydale. Seo yanking the iPhone off the dimensional wall and smashing it underfoot.

She then turned to her friend. An excited beam on her face.

"Guess what?" Seo told Alison. "I think our game has an ending, now!"