81/8 Instincts
A/N: Cindy thinks she might be paranoid but in fact, her instincts might be right on the money.
Instincts
By Demeter
"I was hoping I'd find you here." Behind his sunglasses, the man smiles as he introduces himself. "I'm Carl." He holds up a grocery bag. "I wanted to apologize for last time. I'm normally not that impetuous."
Cindy laughs despite herself. "You don't have to do that," she says. "I didn't pay attention either."
"Please accept it anyway."
How they get from the replaced groceries to outtake coffee on the same bench where she'd fleetingly spotted him before, Cindy isn't sure. But she's aware that she's lonely. The weekends with Lindsay are intense, but as for now it's all they have. She could certainly hang out with Jill and Claire more often, but somehow that only seems to make it worse, reminding her even more of the wrongness of their situation.
She is afraid that this case will drag on forever; there are over 40 different personalities that Alpha could slip into easily. How are they ever going to stop him?
Cindy feels like she's becoming paranoid - this man here, Carl, who seems harmless enough, seeking her apology for an accident he wasn't even to blame for - she can almost feel his gaze on her. Which is not possible.
She can't distrust anyone she meets, can she?
"Do you come here often?" he asks, and Cindy decides it's the moment to step on the brakes.
"I'm married," she says, adding with a hint of defensiveness, "To a woman."
"So you made it just in time. Prop 8 is a shame for our state."
"We didn't." Cindy sighs. "Vermont."
"That's a long distance to go for basic human rights," Carl acknowledges. "I'm married, too. She's got a strong sense of justice, too. Cindy... you have a kind voice."
She blushes with the unexpected praise. "Thanks." Taking a sip of her coffee quickly, Cindy almost burns her tongue.
"Can I see you?" The request startles here, once before and after she realizes what he means. Cindy is not comfortable being touched by strangers, but somehow, it seems rude to her to deny his wish. How much danger can he be anyway, a blind man?
Then again, she wouldn't have thought of scientists and an FBI agent tumbling her into her worst nightmare, but they did. Once upon a time she trusted easily, too easily maybe. Her beliefs have been shattered beyond recognition. Trust has become a challenge, at least outside the close-knit circle of her friends, outside the safe haven that her relationship with Lindsay is.
"Go ahead," Cindy says, challenging herself.
"Thank you."
He goes about it quickly, not lingering, for which she is very grateful. Like drawing lines on her face. Cindy shivers.
"You're beautiful, too," Carl says.
The spell breaks, Cindy jumps to her feet, muttering, "I'm sorry, I've got to go," and then she flees, once again futilely trying to shake the feeling of being watched.
Maybe it's all about what her instincts are trying to tell her.
Maybe two years after the Dollhouse, carrying the baby that she and Lindsay, that Lindsay wanted so badly, she is going crazy after all.
Instincts
By Demeter
"I was hoping I'd find you here." Behind his sunglasses, the man smiles as he introduces himself. "I'm Carl." He holds up a grocery bag. "I wanted to apologize for last time. I'm normally not that impetuous."
Cindy laughs despite herself. "You don't have to do that," she says. "I didn't pay attention either."
"Please accept it anyway."
How they get from the replaced groceries to outtake coffee on the same bench where she'd fleetingly spotted him before, Cindy isn't sure. But she's aware that she's lonely. The weekends with Lindsay are intense, but as for now it's all they have. She could certainly hang out with Jill and Claire more often, but somehow that only seems to make it worse, reminding her even more of the wrongness of their situation.
She is afraid that this case will drag on forever; there are over 40 different personalities that Alpha could slip into easily. How are they ever going to stop him?
Cindy feels like she's becoming paranoid - this man here, Carl, who seems harmless enough, seeking her apology for an accident he wasn't even to blame for - she can almost feel his gaze on her. Which is not possible.
She can't distrust anyone she meets, can she?
"Do you come here often?" he asks, and Cindy decides it's the moment to step on the brakes.
"I'm married," she says, adding with a hint of defensiveness, "To a woman."
"So you made it just in time. Prop 8 is a shame for our state."
"We didn't." Cindy sighs. "Vermont."
"That's a long distance to go for basic human rights," Carl acknowledges. "I'm married, too. She's got a strong sense of justice, too. Cindy... you have a kind voice."
She blushes with the unexpected praise. "Thanks." Taking a sip of her coffee quickly, Cindy almost burns her tongue.
"Can I see you?" The request startles here, once before and after she realizes what he means. Cindy is not comfortable being touched by strangers, but somehow, it seems rude to her to deny his wish. How much danger can he be anyway, a blind man?
Then again, she wouldn't have thought of scientists and an FBI agent tumbling her into her worst nightmare, but they did. Once upon a time she trusted easily, too easily maybe. Her beliefs have been shattered beyond recognition. Trust has become a challenge, at least outside the close-knit circle of her friends, outside the safe haven that her relationship with Lindsay is.
"Go ahead," Cindy says, challenging herself.
"Thank you."
He goes about it quickly, not lingering, for which she is very grateful. Like drawing lines on her face. Cindy shivers.
"You're beautiful, too," Carl says.
The spell breaks, Cindy jumps to her feet, muttering, "I'm sorry, I've got to go," and then she flees, once again futilely trying to shake the feeling of being watched.
Maybe it's all about what her instincts are trying to tell her.
Maybe two years after the Dollhouse, carrying the baby that she and Lindsay, that Lindsay wanted so badly, she is going crazy after all.