Author: Meltha
Rating: PG for a little disturbing imagery
Feedback: Yes, thank you. Meltha
Spoilers: Through season 1 of Dollhouse
Distribution: Fanfiction.net and the Bunny Warren. If you're interested, please let me know.
Summary: Sierra sees Victor after Alpha has left, but she’s not the only one watching.
Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Mutant Enemy (Joss Whedon), a wonderfully creative company whose characters I have borrowed for a completely profit-free flight of fancy. Kindly do not sue me, please, as I am terrified of you. Thank you.

Scars

“Do you hurt?”

Victor had thought that might be what she’d say, but still, the look of concern on Sierra’s face as she stared at what that scary man had done caused another kind of pain.

“Sometimes,” he said.

“You should go to Dr. Saunders,” Sierra said, taking his hand and starting to lead him there. “She always makes me feel better if I get hurt.”

“She’s helped as much as she can,” Victor said, looking at the carpet so his face wouldn’t show as much, but he didn’t pull his hand from hers. “I’m as good as I’m going to be.”

“But you’re not your best?” Sierra asked.

Victor shook his head and began to walk away, leaving her very confused.

“Where are you going? It’s time for breakfast. Do you have a new job? I like new jobs,” Sierra prattled, following him.

“No,” Victor said, then stopped. “I can’t work. I can’t ever be my best again. Dr. Saunders said so.”

“But you try!” Sierra said in a voice that was unusually loud for the dollhouse. “If you try, you can be your best!”

“Not anymore,” Victor said, a tear running down his lacerated face. The heartbreak of a child cracked his features, distorting them further, and he began to sob.

Sierra was frightened, and part of her said she should run away or tell Topher or one of the helpers, but she didn’t want to leave him. Staying was important. It might help.

“It’s okay,” Sierra said, gently patting his arm. “Don’t cry. We’re friends, and friends help each other. I think you can be okay. I still like you. Don’t cry. I don’t like it when you cry. Please don’t. It’s okay, Victor…”

From the balcony above, Adelle watched the open display of impossible affection between the two operatives, knowing that it could bring about another disaster. A thousand calculations ran through her mind about the previous problems with Alpha, the way he had reached for Echo out of a bent, twisted sense of love, and she wondered for a moment if Victor or Sierra would be the next one to slice them all to pieces.

As Victor put his head on Sierra’s shoulder, still crying with the unedited sorrow of a little boy, and she put a gentle, comforting hand to the back of his head, Adelle bit the inside of her cheek until it bled. That had been her, once upon a time. This whole place, she thought, is nothing but once upon a time, but as was always the case with fairytales, the monster had shown up eventually.

She looked at the innocent pair for a long moment, each without any but the most basic understanding of the world, pasts erased, blank as clear glass, but somehow, against every law of science, undeniably in love.

In spite of Victor’s shattered face, she envied them.

“Ready?” Topher asked from behind her, exactly where she had known he would be, his tone showing he knew he had to intrude in spite of himself.

“Yes,” she said, pulling herself together in her most collected manner and turning to face him. “Victor’s new personality is prepared?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Topher said a little too quickly. “Yes, he’ll be the first doll we’ve had working as a handler, but it should work well. Perfect, actually. Better than perfect. What’s a word that means better than perfect?”

“Nothing,” Adelle said, then began to walk away, but she paused and turned back. “Be certain that he is never assigned to Sierra. The situation could prove too volatile.”

“Sure, no problem,” Topher said, watching her retreating form, then adding under his breath, “I wonder exactly which situation she means.”