"the Dollhouse/Primeval fic" 1/1
Title: the Dollhouse/Primeval fic
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Helen Cutter, Adelle DeWitt, Topher, Boyd, Sierra and Victor and unnamed Dolls, Nick Cutter, and mention of the Cleaner.
Summary: Helen comes to the Dollhouse to make a deal.
Spoilers: Coda to _Spy in the house of love_ (Dollhouse), and 3.03 (Primeval).
Warnings: Imhotep and Lovecraft were right: death is not The End.
Disclaimer: None of these characters or settings are mine.
Quote: 'Some say the world will end in fire; Some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire.' -Robert Frost.
I had this idea shortly after ASITHOL and 3.03 aired...but I dawdled, and the tale shrank to this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In The Dollhouse:
Helen Cutter walked into the Dollhouse from a corridor that led nowhere but around in a loop. Victor and Sierra were the first to come upon her.
"Who are you?" Victor asked, standing between Helen and Sierra.
"My name is Helen."
"Who is he?" Sierra asked, looking at the laying-very-still man in Helen's arms.
"He's sleeping," Helen told him.
"Oh," Victor said. "We have to be quiet," he told Echo when she joined them. "He's sleeping."
"Sleep is important," Echo said.
"Very," Helen agreed, making her way to the stairs.
Topher was sitting on those stairs, reading to a Doll - the Doll had asked, and what was Topher going to say? Looking up when Helen stopped just short of the bottom step, "Um, hi," Topher said.
"He's sleeping," Sierra told Topher.
"Oh. Right," Topher said. "My bad," and mentally kicked himself, already imagining all the questions the Dolls would have about the phrase 'my bad'. "Who is he?" Topher asked Sierra.
"I don't know," Sierra said.
"I don't know," Victor said.
"He's my husband," Helen said.
"Riight," Topher said. "And you are?"
"Helen Cutter."
"Right, se, that's not ringing any bells for me. Want to try again?"
"Mr. Topher," said DeWitt, coming up on them, with Boyd right behind her and slightly to the right. "I see we have company."
"He's sleeping," Echo told her and Boyd.
"So I see," Adelle said, though she knew a dead body when she saw one. "The legendary Helen Cutter. Welcome to America."
"I'll feel welcome when my husband's mind is being downloaded."
"Ix-nay on the echnical-tay alk-tay," Topher said, watching the Dolls for signs of any confusion. Fortunately this was like water over their collective backs.
"You're both completely correct," DeWitt said. "Topher, we'll all talk in your office while you're getting everything ready for the process." Turning to face the Dolls, "We're going upstairs now."
"To put him to bed?" Victor asked.
"That's right."
"He needs to finish sleeping," Sierra said.
"Sleep is good," Echo agreed.
Adelle nodded, and the Dolls dispersed, going to various tables or activities throughout the Dollhouse.
Those in their right minds (with Nick) went upstairs and Boyd shut the door, locking it to keep inquisitive Dolls from wandering in.
"Legendary," Helen said, taking a seat once she'd set Nick down in the download chair. "I've been called many things over the course of my career and afterwards...but never legendary."
"I just have one question," Boyd says.
"By all means," Helen says while Topher's readying the machines.
"How did you get in here?"
In answer, Helen first smiles that clever and crafty smile that Nick would have recognized in a heartbeat. "What else can I say, but that they made time for me?"
"Who?" Boyd asks. "Who are they?"
Helen looks over at DeWitt. "Beyond his pay grade, I take it?"
Adelle looks at Boyd, as if to consider dismissing him and Topher from the room. Then she dismisses that thought. "The purpose of the Dollhouse is to facilitate them," Adelle said to Helen. "So it is rather surprising that they would allow you entry."
Helen shrugged. "I know more than most of when they come from."
"You mean where," Topher said absently.
"That would be silly. And unnecessary," when they come from a different point in Earth's history.
"Topher, you were here when Mrs. Cutter arrived, were you not?"
Topher had stopped what he was doing as soon as his name had been called - he'd learned long ago that, where Adelle DeWitt was concerned, there was no such thing as an idle question; and he wanted to be able to focus on whatever was asked. "Yeah," trying to hide his surprise that she'd ask a question like that, given the cameras everywhere. Trying and knowing he wouldn't succeed: DeWitt could read people better than he could program them.
"Was she alone?"
"Just her, the guy in her arms, and an audience of our Dolls watching her," Topher said.
"Interesting," Adelle said quietly. To Helen, "Whatever became of the army you escaped with?"
"Initially?" Helen asked. "Attrition and use. Recently, I fell afoul of Frost's desire."
"Yes, well they weren't made to be indistructable."
"Is this the same 'they'?" Boyd asked.
"It is not, Mr. Boyd," DeWitt said. "Mrs. Cutter escaped some time ago from our benefactors with an army of clones."
"A clone army?" Topher asked, unable to resist asking, even given who he was asking. "Really?"
"Sister technology to the imprinting process," Helen said. Like how Type O is a universal blood type, there are some people who clone easier than others...who can, with a little preparation, physically become someone else.
"So why should we help you, Helen Cutter?" DeWitt asked. "You are a thief, a trespasser, and no doubt Mr. Boyd here could find more crimes to affix to you if he tried."
Helen's answer was simple: "I've come to help. All I ask in return is my husband be returned to me." Take and make as many clones of Nick as you want. I only want one - the one with his mind downloaded in full.
"That's all?"
"Yes."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile:
Mellie opened the door. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"Is this Paul Ballard's residence?" asked the weather-beaten and dust-covered woman who'd been knocking.
"Paul!" Mellie said. "Come on in. We were just fixing dinner."
"Can I help you?" Paul asked the stranger.
"My name is Helen Cutter, and I need your help."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the end
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Helen Cutter, Adelle DeWitt, Topher, Boyd, Sierra and Victor and unnamed Dolls, Nick Cutter, and mention of the Cleaner.
Summary: Helen comes to the Dollhouse to make a deal.
Spoilers: Coda to _Spy in the house of love_ (Dollhouse), and 3.03 (Primeval).
Warnings: Imhotep and Lovecraft were right: death is not The End.
Disclaimer: None of these characters or settings are mine.
Quote: 'Some say the world will end in fire; Some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire.' -Robert Frost.
I had this idea shortly after ASITHOL and 3.03 aired...but I dawdled, and the tale shrank to this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In The Dollhouse:
Helen Cutter walked into the Dollhouse from a corridor that led nowhere but around in a loop. Victor and Sierra were the first to come upon her.
"Who are you?" Victor asked, standing between Helen and Sierra.
"My name is Helen."
"Who is he?" Sierra asked, looking at the laying-very-still man in Helen's arms.
"He's sleeping," Helen told him.
"Oh," Victor said. "We have to be quiet," he told Echo when she joined them. "He's sleeping."
"Sleep is important," Echo said.
"Very," Helen agreed, making her way to the stairs.
Topher was sitting on those stairs, reading to a Doll - the Doll had asked, and what was Topher going to say? Looking up when Helen stopped just short of the bottom step, "Um, hi," Topher said.
"He's sleeping," Sierra told Topher.
"Oh. Right," Topher said. "My bad," and mentally kicked himself, already imagining all the questions the Dolls would have about the phrase 'my bad'. "Who is he?" Topher asked Sierra.
"I don't know," Sierra said.
"I don't know," Victor said.
"He's my husband," Helen said.
"Riight," Topher said. "And you are?"
"Helen Cutter."
"Right, se, that's not ringing any bells for me. Want to try again?"
"Mr. Topher," said DeWitt, coming up on them, with Boyd right behind her and slightly to the right. "I see we have company."
"He's sleeping," Echo told her and Boyd.
"So I see," Adelle said, though she knew a dead body when she saw one. "The legendary Helen Cutter. Welcome to America."
"I'll feel welcome when my husband's mind is being downloaded."
"Ix-nay on the echnical-tay alk-tay," Topher said, watching the Dolls for signs of any confusion. Fortunately this was like water over their collective backs.
"You're both completely correct," DeWitt said. "Topher, we'll all talk in your office while you're getting everything ready for the process." Turning to face the Dolls, "We're going upstairs now."
"To put him to bed?" Victor asked.
"That's right."
"He needs to finish sleeping," Sierra said.
"Sleep is good," Echo agreed.
Adelle nodded, and the Dolls dispersed, going to various tables or activities throughout the Dollhouse.
Those in their right minds (with Nick) went upstairs and Boyd shut the door, locking it to keep inquisitive Dolls from wandering in.
"Legendary," Helen said, taking a seat once she'd set Nick down in the download chair. "I've been called many things over the course of my career and afterwards...but never legendary."
"I just have one question," Boyd says.
"By all means," Helen says while Topher's readying the machines.
"How did you get in here?"
In answer, Helen first smiles that clever and crafty smile that Nick would have recognized in a heartbeat. "What else can I say, but that they made time for me?"
"Who?" Boyd asks. "Who are they?"
Helen looks over at DeWitt. "Beyond his pay grade, I take it?"
Adelle looks at Boyd, as if to consider dismissing him and Topher from the room. Then she dismisses that thought. "The purpose of the Dollhouse is to facilitate them," Adelle said to Helen. "So it is rather surprising that they would allow you entry."
Helen shrugged. "I know more than most of when they come from."
"You mean where," Topher said absently.
"That would be silly. And unnecessary," when they come from a different point in Earth's history.
"Topher, you were here when Mrs. Cutter arrived, were you not?"
Topher had stopped what he was doing as soon as his name had been called - he'd learned long ago that, where Adelle DeWitt was concerned, there was no such thing as an idle question; and he wanted to be able to focus on whatever was asked. "Yeah," trying to hide his surprise that she'd ask a question like that, given the cameras everywhere. Trying and knowing he wouldn't succeed: DeWitt could read people better than he could program them.
"Was she alone?"
"Just her, the guy in her arms, and an audience of our Dolls watching her," Topher said.
"Interesting," Adelle said quietly. To Helen, "Whatever became of the army you escaped with?"
"Initially?" Helen asked. "Attrition and use. Recently, I fell afoul of Frost's desire."
"Yes, well they weren't made to be indistructable."
"Is this the same 'they'?" Boyd asked.
"It is not, Mr. Boyd," DeWitt said. "Mrs. Cutter escaped some time ago from our benefactors with an army of clones."
"A clone army?" Topher asked, unable to resist asking, even given who he was asking. "Really?"
"Sister technology to the imprinting process," Helen said. Like how Type O is a universal blood type, there are some people who clone easier than others...who can, with a little preparation, physically become someone else.
"So why should we help you, Helen Cutter?" DeWitt asked. "You are a thief, a trespasser, and no doubt Mr. Boyd here could find more crimes to affix to you if he tried."
Helen's answer was simple: "I've come to help. All I ask in return is my husband be returned to me." Take and make as many clones of Nick as you want. I only want one - the one with his mind downloaded in full.
"That's all?"
"Yes."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile:
Mellie opened the door. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"Is this Paul Ballard's residence?" asked the weather-beaten and dust-covered woman who'd been knocking.
"Paul!" Mellie said. "Come on in. We were just fixing dinner."
"Can I help you?" Paul asked the stranger.
"My name is Helen Cutter, and I need your help."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the end