Doreen & Fred: WELCOMEBACKNOIHAVEN'THADCAFFIENEWHYDOYOUASK?

[x-squirrel.livejournal.com]

Fred sneaks up on Doreen, who has had one too many energy drinks...

Fred walked quickly through the hallways of the Mansion; quicker than he was used to, in fact. It wasn't that he was in a hurry, as much as it was he just...moved quicker since he'd left Muir. His thoughts seemed to be constantly straying back to his new condition, when he found himself alone. It was disconcerting, the turmoil he still felt over the whole experience. He was closer to normal, now; thinner, more handsome, less...mutated.

Why was it, then, he couldn't seem to enjoy this new dynamic?

Fred spotted Doreen. Or the back of Doreen's head, as it were. She seemed engrossed in the television, and hadn't heard Fred (perhaps because Fred didn't cause such a ruckus when he moved now). Seeing the perfect opportunity to both distract himself, Fred toed up behind Doreen as quietly as he could, grinning broadly as he did so...

Doreen was caught up in the TV, a Doctor Who marathon, and the smell of popcorn. The smell of people was all over the place. And she was caught up in the sound of the doctor and not being snuck up on. She even shushed Monkey Joe when he started squeaking excitedly and running around back and forth.

Didn’t he get it? This was important! This was Doctor Who!

Fred smiled, shark-like, as he maneuvered up behind Doreen's thick forest of brunette hair and, mere inches from her ear said, in his best impression of one of the Cybermen:

"Prepare for Deletion!"

Doreen dropped her popcorn, turned around and squealed. Fred was then promptly tackled, “You’re back! You’re okay! How are you?!? You’re back!”

Fred chuckled, managing to catch and hold Doreen in the air, despite his decreased mass and strength. hefting her high into the air by holding her by her sides, "Heh. I'd almost forgotten yah could ask so many questions and once, Doorbell. I'm, uh, back yeah. I'm fine and, uh, fine for the middle two. And, heh, yeah, still back. How've ya been, gal?"

“I’ve been okay. We went to home for the New Years,” Doreen said, “And I talked to my mom and when I’m old enough after my birthday I’m going to be a trainee! I mean, I still have to tell someone, but I made up my mind! And I have a comic book job now, did you know that? I don’t remember if you know that.”

Fred set Dori down, picking up the popcorn he'd been responsible for knocking over and handed a few of the savory morsels to Monkey Joe, hoping the squirrel remembered that he was one of the ones who brought tidings of Good Will and Snickers in the past, "Heard about the job from Jules. Good on yah, Doorbell!" Fred laughed and tussled Dori's hair, "Talk about your dream job, huh? Did you ever finish reading those comics I gave you?"

“Yeah, do you want them back?” Doreen asked, “I can give them back to you if you want and I need to get you a Christmas present,” she said, pausing to listen to Monkey Joe who had ran up her shoulder and leapt to Fred’s, “And something from Monkey Joe too. He wants to know what happened, I’ll try to explain to him later. I told him you were hibernating.”

"Not hibernating so hard I forgot our arrangement, my little rodent friend." Fred produced a handful of Snack Sized Snickers from the bowels of his jacket, "I keep you in chocolaty peanuts, and you keep jumping on Kyle's head and freaking him out. Deal?"

Doreen translated and Monkey Joe clicked and squeaked happy agreement, “He says he’d do it anyway, because Kyle’s funny. Kyle is funny, isn’t he?” she said, in kind of a dreamy way.

Fred quirked an eyebrow, "Kyle? Yeah,uh, he's pretty funny...I,uh, guess..." Honestly, Fred was a little lost as to Dori's meaning and, given the look on her face, was pretty sure he didn't want to know. "So why is it that Little Miss Awesome Job isn't working right now?"

“Because I have the day off,” she said, sticking her tongue out at him, “OOOOH, we should go out! Want to go out? We should totally go out.”

Fred smiled, and gave a small shrug, "Sure. I don't have anything going on big today, and it would be nice to drive my truck again. Uh, y'know. See if it still actually moves and all. What'd you feel like?"

“Oh! We should go see a movie!” Doreen said, jumping up, “Or go to the mall! Or do both! Doesn’t the mall have a movie theater?”

As he often did when hanging out with Dori, Fred simply blinked. He followed it up with a smile, however, "Dori, you haven't been drinking the caffeinated stuff again, have you?"

“I dunno. Maybe. I think so? It was in the fridge and I was thirsty, but I only had a little,” Doreen said.

"Well no more of that. You know too much makes you twitchy." Fred dug around for his keys, "Just a head's up, if you wanna go to the movies to see that sparkly vampire thing, then I'm waitin in the car."

“I hate Twilight. They’re the worst books ever and the movies are like emo wrapped in glitter,” Doreen said and then sighed. She liked caffeine. “I’ll miss you, Full Throttle.”

Fred glowed with pride. At least she had good taste in her fiction. "Tell yah what, Doorbell: just drink them when you're at work. That way ya got a lotta energy."

“Yes! Okay! Oh, what about when I study for tests? Can I have them when I study for tests?” Doreen asked.

"Little bit. Too much'll knock everything ya read right outta ya noggin." Fred poked Dori in the middle of her forehead, as if for emphasis.

“Okay, okay,” Doreen said, grabbing his arm. At least with the way Fred was she didn’t have to worry too much about cutting him accidentally, “Lessgo. Lessgo. Shopping! Because you still need a Christmas present and a movie because movies are awesome and I’ll show you where I work and we’ll have caramel corn!”