Dollhouse fic: Valentine's Day Part Five
Mar. 6th, 2010 11:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meridian_roseThis is a multi-chaptered fic. The Index Post which includes summary, ratings, and warnings, is here
FIVE
The professional distance she'd put between them on the flight back to LA had lasted for a while, but once breached, it had been impossible to put back together as securely it had been before. They were discreet, they were careful, and their intimate encounters didn't happen with regularity, but they did happen.
Adelle was now wishing she'd thrown caution to the wind and fucked him every opportunity she'd had. She also knew this was just panic and grief and to be ignored at all costs. What she needed now was to be calm and regain control of the situation.
What she needed was to save Dominic's life.
“I’m listening,” Valentine said. "What sort of arrangement did you have in mind?"
“Let Topher unlock the computers. He can imprint some of the actives to assist Saunders.” Adelle didn’t dare look directly at Topher, though her peripheral vision informed her his jaw had just dropped in shock. There was nothing she could do to warn or inform him though. She had to trust him on this. “When I am convinced Mr Dominic is out of danger I will authorise Topher to download a maximum of fifteen imprints to your storage devices.”
Valentine beamed. “I said twenty, but I'll take seventeen."
"Very well." She'd had to try and negotiate; it was her duty.
"I knew you had a weakness, Del. Fine. Rance, help the doctor take our Mr Dominic up to the infirmary. Then stay there and stand guard.”
Adelle turned to face Topher, face carefully blank. “Saunders needs a surgical team. Victor, Sierra, Echo,” she said. “Imprint them. Surgeon, anaesthetist, scrub nurse. Now.”
Topher stared at her, then glanced over to where Rance was hauling the wounded Dominic to his feet.
“Are you serious?” Topher asked, bemused. “You said you’d kill me if I helped them steal the imprints!”
“Well now I’m telling you that I’ll kill you if you don’t!” Adelle gestured. “Go! Imprints, now! I am relying on you, Mr Brink."
Topher touched Victor’s arm. “Come on,” he said. “Time for your treatment. And bring Sierra. Echo, you as well.”
Echo looked to Boyd, puzzled, and not happy about this.
“This doesn’t seem like a good time for a treatment,” she said.
“Treatments are good,” Boyd soothed, staying in character while trying to reassure her. “They help us be our best.”
Echo lifted her chin. “Yes. I want to be my best.”
Topher led the three actives away. Sierra shrank away from those holding guns, clutching Victor’s arm. Echo strode proudly behind the three, dignified as a queen.
Adelle returned to her seat.
“Why don’t you sit, Valentine,” she said. “I’m sure it will be a while. And there’s a spare seat.” She nodded to Dominic's empty chair.
Valentine grinned and complied. “See, Adelle. This is more like it. A little cooperation earlier and I wouldn't have had to shoot your lapdog.”
Adelle smoothed her skirt down again. “I could hardly just hand over the technology,” she said. “Now at least when Rossum fires me, I can say I was acting from an ethical perspective.”
“Always about appearances,” Valentine said. “That’s what this whole Dollhouse is about.”
Adelle had no desire to engage in a debate with him and stayed silent. Five and a half hours. It was up to Topher now.
---
Topher’s fingers flew over the keys as he unlocked the security protocols he’d put in place. He’d had precious little time to do even this and now Adelle was ordering him to undo it.
She wanted imprints? He’d give her imprints. Luckily the bored guard Valentine had sent with Topher would have no clue as to what Topher was doing as he compiled the personalities.
Victor was drumming his fingers impatiently on his crossed forearms as Topher imprinted Echo. Sierra was focussed, waiting. They’d have to do. And if this went wrong, he hoped that Valentine shot him the head instead of leaving him for Adelle to deal with.
---
“It’s going to be okay,” Saunders soothed.
Whatever drugs she’d given him had at least taken the edge of the pain, but Dominic was fairly certain he was far from okay. He was not reassured when three familiar figures approached the operating table.
“God, no, not these dolls,” he begged.
“I’m sorry, Laurence,” Saunders said desperately as Sierra moved to the head of the table and took up the oxygen mask. “I can’t do this alone.”
“Let’s get on with it,” Victor ordered. “Lives to save.”
It was the last thing Dominic heard before Sierra rendered him unconscious.
---
Meanwhile, Topher had been escorted back downstairs. He’d refused point blank to download any of the imprints; Adelle had said that Dominic had to live for her to make good on the deal, and he intended to back her play. He'd made sure to leave some of the security measures in place, just in case. Without his access codes, Valentine wouldn’t get anything.
There were jugs of juice, water glasses, and bowls of fresh fruit on the low tables when he returned to his original seat.
“The actives were getting hungry,” Adelle said as Topher took a banana from the bowl.
“It is lunch time,” Topher grumbled, annoyed at having to eat fruit instead of a candy bar.
“You imprinted the actives?”
Topher nodded as he peeled away the skin and bit off the top of the banana. “They’re with Saunders now. Best medical team I could put together."
“Very good." Adelle sipped at the fruit juice.
Boyd was peeling an orange for Tango, who had complained about the juice getting under her nails. He glanced at Adelle who blatantly ignored him.
It looked as though Boyd had come up with an idea of his own to save the House. Whatever the plan was, Topher thought, he hoped he hadn't messed it up.
---
Adelle appreciated how hard it was for Topher to sit still. He was naturally fidgety, and the hours of waiting were taking their toll on him, she knew. Some of the actives had been given crayons and drawing paper and were sketching silently. Tango had drawn Juliet with her gun and a mean, sharp-toothed grin; Valentine had laughed at that.
Finally, Saunders came downstairs, trailed by Victor and Echo. Adelle stood as the doctor approached her. Victor moved to the left, Echo to the right.
“I’m sorry,” Saunders said.
Adelle fought a wave of dizziness. No. God, no. She cared about him, how dare he die on her, how dare Valentine take him from her, how dare Saunders not save him…..God, what now, the deal was off, the conditions unmet, what now, oh, crap, if only she was armed!
In the split second after Saunders made her pronouncement, Valentine too was caught up wondering what would happen to the deal now, while Adelle ran through what she’d wear to the funeral (something red, as he'd requested? God, how had he even remembered that inane conversation?) and how she’d word the eulogy and if she’d have Victor imprinted as Roger in order to make harsh yet passionate love to her afterwards to drown out the pain, or if she’d be too drunk to care. She ought to have had him downloaded, she thought, a copy of Laurence made so that he could have lived on in another body…ethically wrong, but maybe sometimes, put him in Victor…what kind of life would that be? Better than none? Yes, a download, a backup copy, God she had backup copies of her damn emails but not the people she cared anything for, and Topher, yes, he ought to be backed up too because the boy was a freaking genius and irreplaceable….and wasn't Dominic, too, irreplaceable and what on earth was she going to tell his family, surely he had family…
Adelle was only roused from this maelstrom of emotion when she heard a struggle going on, a struggle that didn’t last long.
Part Six
Part Four / Index
FIVE
The professional distance she'd put between them on the flight back to LA had lasted for a while, but once breached, it had been impossible to put back together as securely it had been before. They were discreet, they were careful, and their intimate encounters didn't happen with regularity, but they did happen.
Adelle was now wishing she'd thrown caution to the wind and fucked him every opportunity she'd had. She also knew this was just panic and grief and to be ignored at all costs. What she needed now was to be calm and regain control of the situation.
What she needed was to save Dominic's life.
“I’m listening,” Valentine said. "What sort of arrangement did you have in mind?"
“Let Topher unlock the computers. He can imprint some of the actives to assist Saunders.” Adelle didn’t dare look directly at Topher, though her peripheral vision informed her his jaw had just dropped in shock. There was nothing she could do to warn or inform him though. She had to trust him on this. “When I am convinced Mr Dominic is out of danger I will authorise Topher to download a maximum of fifteen imprints to your storage devices.”
Valentine beamed. “I said twenty, but I'll take seventeen."
"Very well." She'd had to try and negotiate; it was her duty.
"I knew you had a weakness, Del. Fine. Rance, help the doctor take our Mr Dominic up to the infirmary. Then stay there and stand guard.”
Adelle turned to face Topher, face carefully blank. “Saunders needs a surgical team. Victor, Sierra, Echo,” she said. “Imprint them. Surgeon, anaesthetist, scrub nurse. Now.”
Topher stared at her, then glanced over to where Rance was hauling the wounded Dominic to his feet.
“Are you serious?” Topher asked, bemused. “You said you’d kill me if I helped them steal the imprints!”
“Well now I’m telling you that I’ll kill you if you don’t!” Adelle gestured. “Go! Imprints, now! I am relying on you, Mr Brink."
Topher touched Victor’s arm. “Come on,” he said. “Time for your treatment. And bring Sierra. Echo, you as well.”
Echo looked to Boyd, puzzled, and not happy about this.
“This doesn’t seem like a good time for a treatment,” she said.
“Treatments are good,” Boyd soothed, staying in character while trying to reassure her. “They help us be our best.”
Echo lifted her chin. “Yes. I want to be my best.”
Topher led the three actives away. Sierra shrank away from those holding guns, clutching Victor’s arm. Echo strode proudly behind the three, dignified as a queen.
Adelle returned to her seat.
“Why don’t you sit, Valentine,” she said. “I’m sure it will be a while. And there’s a spare seat.” She nodded to Dominic's empty chair.
Valentine grinned and complied. “See, Adelle. This is more like it. A little cooperation earlier and I wouldn't have had to shoot your lapdog.”
Adelle smoothed her skirt down again. “I could hardly just hand over the technology,” she said. “Now at least when Rossum fires me, I can say I was acting from an ethical perspective.”
“Always about appearances,” Valentine said. “That’s what this whole Dollhouse is about.”
Adelle had no desire to engage in a debate with him and stayed silent. Five and a half hours. It was up to Topher now.
Topher’s fingers flew over the keys as he unlocked the security protocols he’d put in place. He’d had precious little time to do even this and now Adelle was ordering him to undo it.
She wanted imprints? He’d give her imprints. Luckily the bored guard Valentine had sent with Topher would have no clue as to what Topher was doing as he compiled the personalities.
Victor was drumming his fingers impatiently on his crossed forearms as Topher imprinted Echo. Sierra was focussed, waiting. They’d have to do. And if this went wrong, he hoped that Valentine shot him the head instead of leaving him for Adelle to deal with.
“It’s going to be okay,” Saunders soothed.
Whatever drugs she’d given him had at least taken the edge of the pain, but Dominic was fairly certain he was far from okay. He was not reassured when three familiar figures approached the operating table.
“God, no, not these dolls,” he begged.
“I’m sorry, Laurence,” Saunders said desperately as Sierra moved to the head of the table and took up the oxygen mask. “I can’t do this alone.”
“Let’s get on with it,” Victor ordered. “Lives to save.”
It was the last thing Dominic heard before Sierra rendered him unconscious.
Meanwhile, Topher had been escorted back downstairs. He’d refused point blank to download any of the imprints; Adelle had said that Dominic had to live for her to make good on the deal, and he intended to back her play. He'd made sure to leave some of the security measures in place, just in case. Without his access codes, Valentine wouldn’t get anything.
There were jugs of juice, water glasses, and bowls of fresh fruit on the low tables when he returned to his original seat.
“The actives were getting hungry,” Adelle said as Topher took a banana from the bowl.
“It is lunch time,” Topher grumbled, annoyed at having to eat fruit instead of a candy bar.
“You imprinted the actives?”
Topher nodded as he peeled away the skin and bit off the top of the banana. “They’re with Saunders now. Best medical team I could put together."
“Very good." Adelle sipped at the fruit juice.
Boyd was peeling an orange for Tango, who had complained about the juice getting under her nails. He glanced at Adelle who blatantly ignored him.
It looked as though Boyd had come up with an idea of his own to save the House. Whatever the plan was, Topher thought, he hoped he hadn't messed it up.
Adelle appreciated how hard it was for Topher to sit still. He was naturally fidgety, and the hours of waiting were taking their toll on him, she knew. Some of the actives had been given crayons and drawing paper and were sketching silently. Tango had drawn Juliet with her gun and a mean, sharp-toothed grin; Valentine had laughed at that.
Finally, Saunders came downstairs, trailed by Victor and Echo. Adelle stood as the doctor approached her. Victor moved to the left, Echo to the right.
“I’m sorry,” Saunders said.
Adelle fought a wave of dizziness. No. God, no. She cared about him, how dare he die on her, how dare Valentine take him from her, how dare Saunders not save him…..God, what now, the deal was off, the conditions unmet, what now, oh, crap, if only she was armed!
In the split second after Saunders made her pronouncement, Valentine too was caught up wondering what would happen to the deal now, while Adelle ran through what she’d wear to the funeral (something red, as he'd requested? God, how had he even remembered that inane conversation?) and how she’d word the eulogy and if she’d have Victor imprinted as Roger in order to make harsh yet passionate love to her afterwards to drown out the pain, or if she’d be too drunk to care. She ought to have had him downloaded, she thought, a copy of Laurence made so that he could have lived on in another body…ethically wrong, but maybe sometimes, put him in Victor…what kind of life would that be? Better than none? Yes, a download, a backup copy, God she had backup copies of her damn emails but not the people she cared anything for, and Topher, yes, he ought to be backed up too because the boy was a freaking genius and irreplaceable….and wasn't Dominic, too, irreplaceable and what on earth was she going to tell his family, surely he had family…
Adelle was only roused from this maelstrom of emotion when she heard a struggle going on, a struggle that didn’t last long.
Part Six
Part Four / Index
