Chapter Four

The next two weeks flew by. Faith took the filled out applications for her, and Sabrina found herself not getting dressed and just hanging around the house, cleaning, making simple meals, and playing games with her temporary roommates in an easy rhythm. Kinsley worked on her computer each day, Faith went to "gigs" irregularly, and every so often she took Lila along with her. Those days were the strangest, essentially alone in the house and watching Kinsley's disturbingly massive library of movies and television shows. The sort of thing she never really allowed herself time to enjoy in the day-to-day struggle of survival.

It was almost alarmingly relaxing.

Sabrina was actually surprised when Kinsley asked her to go grocery shopping, providing her not with her own clothes, but with a lovely short dress - the sort that Lila would wear out.

"Do you know where my bag of clothes got off to?" She hadn't wanted to bother Kinsley with it, but holding the dress, she overcame her southern urge to avoid making a fuss. Dresses had never been her idea of enjoyable attire. The hair on her head was no longer short and stubbly, but unexpectedly soft when she ran a hand over it.

It was past time to shave it.

"Oh, Faith didn't tell you?" Kinsley looked uncomfortable, a frown darkening her usually happy expression. "We took your clothes off to the laundromat... but they lost the whole bag. They gave the load to the wrong customer or something. I'm sorry hun, I was hoping we would have gotten them back by now, but Lila doesn't mind loaning you some clothes."

Sabrina took the news surprisingly hard. The last of her possessions, gone. The one thing that was unmistakably hers. She felt suddenly vulnerable and held the dress close, shaking.

"It's okay, sugar. We can take you shopping and buy you a thing or two, or you can use your first paycheck to replenish your wardrobe."

"But nobody's called me back. Faith turned in all those applications, but I haven't gotten one single call. I've been here a week longer than I planned, and I'm starting to feel really guilty about it. I eat your food and- "

"And you're our friend. You clean up, you make food, you provide joy and companionship. Not a one of us is sad that you're here, Bree."

Bree. That nickname had been coming up more and more over the past week. Lila had switched to using it exclusively, but this was the first time it had come from Kinsley's lips.

"I just- "

"Shhh." Sabrina found herself with arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly to Kinsley's chest, a hand stroking her too-soft, too-long hair. "Everything's fine. We're glad you're here and you're certainly not the first person who stayed a little longer than they thought they would. Now go get dressed, we'll get cheeseburgers on the way back from the store."

The conversation ended as Kinsley gently pushed her toward Emmie's room before turning and walking away, calling to the other two dolls, asking if there was anything special they might want from the store. Sabrina stood in the hallway for a moment, looking at Kinsley's back, the blonde curls bouncing as she animatedly talked to the other two. Kinsley was in the most sedate clothing Sabrina had seen yet, a simple dark blue tunic top and blue jeans. The dress in her own hands was decidedly less casual, a sleeveless A-line with small flowers in blue and violet. A stark contrast to her preferred camo pants and tank tops.

Kinsley glanced back at her with a smile and a wave, shooing her off to Emmie's room to change.

She really wasn't being given a choice, and this wasn't the hill she wanted to die on.

The dress looked uncomfortable, and her unshaven armpits stood out displeasingly against the light fabric of the dress. A look in the mirror revealed her very butch hair and nipples obvious with the lack of a bra. Excepting her breasts, she looked very much the part of a rebellious tomboy being forced to wear a dress by her mother.

And she didn't like it.

"Kinsley," she called as she stepped from Emmie's room, closing the door behind her. "I need a bra, does anyone have one I can borrow?" Hers were B cups, Faith looked like she might have a similar fit. "Or can we pick one up while we're out?" A borrowed bra was never comfortable, they never fit right. She didn't need one a lot of the time, the benefit of having smaller breasts.

"That dress looks so good on you!" Lila gushed from her spot on the couch as Sabrina emerged into the living room. "I love it!"

Sabrina's cheeks felt hot. She found herself being guided to the couch and sat down next to Lila while Faith slipped her shoes on her feet - she hadn't even noticed the other woman.

"You don't want to borrow one, sugar. I'm sorry about your laundry bag, we'll get you one while we're out." Kinsley took Sabrina by the hand, leading her toward the front door.

"Wait! I need my wallet.. and... " Sabrina frowned as she realized that the dress had no pockets, no way to carry her rather masculine wallet - or her phone, for that matter.

"You don't need it, I'll buy you a bra - do you even have the cash for one right now?"

"I've got a twenty." Sabrina objected. "I can... "

"Hush, you might need that later. Come on, we'll only be a bit."

"You might want to take care of your armpits tonight though, hun. No offense." Faith looked even more mature than usual in her grunge-chic. The crimson-haired woman waved as Sabrina was tugged out the door, sputtering and stammering.

"Wait wait wait!" Sabrina dug her heels in as they stepped out onto the porch, the first time she had really been outside in over two weeks. "This is not okay. I'm not comfortable, I want- "

Her words ended abruptly at Kinsley's stern face.

"Tell me what you want, Bree. Tell me what demands you have."

"I just want some pants, some other clothes... "

"It hurts me that you're being this ungrateful. Do we ask too much of you?" Sabrina couldn't maintain eye contact at the shaming. She looked down at her ratty, worn sneakers. "It's just a quick trip to the store. You can stay here if you want."

"No, I'm sorry. It's... it's fine, it's fine. It's just a short trip. You're right."

"Thank you."

Sabrina followed to the car, her head hung and feeling quite terrible about herself. Kinsley is right. It's just a dress. It's just a short trip. It's fine, it doesn't matter.

The drive was silent, tense. Sabrina stared out the window, feeling worse than naked. She had no ID, wearing unfamiliar and unflattering clothes, and Kinsley was driving a little too fast for her comfort. Sabrina was extremely cautious when driving, getting pulled over was far too big a risk to be in a hurry anywhere.

"I'm sorry." Sabrina was still looking away from Kinsley as she spoke, her voice quiet. "I should have... " She trailed off, gripping the seat with her right hand tightly.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have gotten so upset, you didn't do anything wrong. I just want what's best for the people who come to us, and there have been a few that took advantage of us. You didn't deserve- " She stopped mid-sentence as the whoop of a siren came from behind, red and blue lights flashing. "Shit."

Sabrina panicked, tears coming to her eyes almost immediately. Terror filled her at the thought of being pulled away from her new friends, from her saviors. She had been trying so hard to get back on her feet, to overcome her past mistakes. And now it could all go up in a flash just because she had complained about a dress.

"I'll handle this, sugar. Just play along, okay?"

Sabrina could only nod. Kinsley rolled the window down and took a deep breath.

Just as the officer came into view at the driver's side window, Kinsley began to shout. "I told you that getting to that party wasn't worth it, you ungrateful child! You didn't even shave your filthy pits! Oh Lord, Robby is going to be so mad at me." Tears were rolling down Kinsley's cheeks as she seemingly began to hyperventilate. Shame flooded Sabrina, who began to cry as well.

"Ma'am, I need you to calm down. Do you know why I pulled you over?" The silver glasses reflected the two tear-stricken women, raw emotion above the stone-faced mouth of the officer. Square jawed and deep-voiced, he sounded like he was trying very hard to maintain his own composure.

"I'm so sorry, officer. We're late for her father's birthday party and I told her he'd understand if we were a little late... he's a good man, y'understand. He's a God-fearing man. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have been speeding. I just couldn't take her crying, and- "

Sabrina shrank into her seat, wrapping her arms around her stomach, trying to keep her tattoos hidden. It wouldn't help if her ink torpedoed Kinsley's ruse.

"Ma'am, calm down. You were doing 43 in a 35. I need you to slow it down, okay?" The officer looked deeply uncomfortable at the display, and Sabrina could read it on his face - he'd dealt with domestic issues with "God-fearing" aggressive husbands before. She stared in shock, her sobs overcoming her as fear gripped her heart tighter than she was squeezing her arms together. This could end well, but it could all still go sideways.

"Yes officer, I'm so sorry!"

"I'm going to let you off with a warning, but I need you to be more careful. Get your daughter to that party, but stay under the speed limit, y'hear?"

"I will officer, thank you sir. I'm so sorry. Thank you so much." As the officer turned and somewhat awkwardly walked away, Kinsley lowered her voice. "Bree, I swear, don't you dare tell your father about this, you got me? I love you so much, I love you."

The look in the other woman's eyes, a sharp stare, told Sabrina that she needed to respond.

"Yes, Mama."

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Shopping was awkward and Sabrina felt shaky after the adrenaline rush of the near-disaster. Kinsley insisted that she continue calling her "Mama" while they were out, just in case. Sabrina didn't really care for it. She was guided around the store, pulled by her hand, and generally treated like an unruly teenager. About halfway through the trip, Kinsley stopped suddenly in the middle of the Coke aisle and pulled Sabrina in quickly for a hug, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman and pressing the side of her head into her bosom.

"I was so scared I was going to lose you. That I was going to fail you. That a stupid fight would take you away from us. I'm supposed to be protecting you - please, Bree. Please, that was too close for me. Please don't fight me on the little stuff?"

Sabrina's emotions were a thunderstorm inside her, fear of losing her friends and her freedom, sadness, and shock that she was being blamed for all of this. This could have all been avoided if they'd just given me some pants... But that thought was banished by a hot tear falling on her cheek from above. She wrapped her arms around Kinsley as well.

"I'm sorry, I won't fight you on the little things." What choice did she have? Argue that it wasn't her fault and potentially get kicked out? It was obvious that Kinsley was convinced that she was in the right, and a dress wasn't worth facing the streets again, not after weeks of feeling so happy and secure in the Dollhouse.

She hoped things would return to normal soon.