Oh my twitchy witchy girl, I think you are so nice...

[curiously_cora]

Throughout Coraline's short life she had always been underestimated or overlooked. The Other Mother had thought it would be easy to sew buttons on her eyes, to kill her and to keep her forever. The Other Father had thought she wouldn't hurt him to escape. The Other Mister Bobo thought she could be seduced by the idea of being able to do anything

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[polly_okeefe]

I came directly from the kitchen with a container of sandwiches tucked under my arm, and a pitcher of iced tea. As I saw Coraline, I smiled and thought back to the time _I_ was twelve. How much simpler life was, back then. Before being kidnapped by international corporations, getting involved in South American politics, and the very, very confusing questions about sex.

Frankly, falling into a time gate and going 3000 years into the past was something of a return to simplicity.

But enough of that. I looked at Coraline and I could see bits of me in there. I hoped she could keep that spark as she grew up through the next five years.

But I suspected she would.

[curiously_cora]

"Hi Polly!" Coraline said bouncing off the bouncy castle. Well more like falling off it but Dick had taught her well and falling was followed by rolling and landing okay. Not like other times when falling led to cuts and scrapes and crying and visits to the the clinic. "We're planting a garden! Is that food? Yum! Thank you, you're the best! Did you see what Dean brought me? He brought me a whole bouncy castle which is so much cooler than a real castle. In a real castle they wont' let you touch anything or run or play in it but this one is bouncy!"

Coraline although now twelve years old and a mature almost woman. She was also quite definitely hyper.

[polly_okeefe]

I remember being twelve, but I don't remember being that hyper. Then again, I _do_ remember Mother collapsing onto a chair, exhausted, and I am beginning to understand the way she felt.

"Yes, I brought sandwiches," I said. "And the bouncy castle looks like fun." I looked around. "Are people here or am I early?"

[curiously_cora]

Coraline felt like she could possibly eat at least four of them. Well, at least when her tummy stopped feeling like a washing machine.

"Mmm Adam's here and Teal'c and Bridge and loads more," Coraline looked around for the sight of her other-not that other- father Cain but she couldn't see him. Frowning a little she shook her head before smiling brightly. He'd be here. She knew he would. "Are you expecting someone?"

[polly_okeefe]

I flushed slightly at the mention of Bridge, but I think I hid it. We'd arranged a date later that afternoon. "No, no one in particular," I replied. "I just wanted to be sure I was on time, that's all. Put me to work. How can I help?"

[curiously_cora]

"Well, we could plant some apple seeds. I love apples but we've got to make sure they're away from the hut or they'll put up roots." Coraline said looking around for her seeds and taking one of the makeshift packets with a picture of a bright red apple on it. "Mum hated gardening. Well, she hated mud which is stupid."

[polly_okeefe]

"Gardening sounds like fun," I said. Though it was an odd thing to do at a birthday party. "Kids get messy," I added. "People should get used to it. At least we can learn how to clean up after ourselves."

[curiously_cora]

"We always used to have garden parties. We had a picnic and the neighbours came and helped, we share a garden you see. And it is fun, I love it." Coraline said with a happy and almost proud smile. She liked making things grow. New things. They were like friends and Coraline hadn't had to many of them before she came to the island. People tended to think she was a little weird. "Mum always made me clean if I brought mud in. She'd make the face and then sigh and then use the tone and then Daddy would come and help."

[polly_okeefe]

I winced, though I found myself grinning. "Oh, believe me, I've been there. And mother-spit is supposedly the greatest anti-septic for washing your face out in public."

That was all I needed: to have my nineteen-year-old Mother clean off my face with a napkin and some of her spit. Then the weirdness would hit some sort of critical mass and explode.

...James