DISCLAIMER: Joss is god. I think he was always so, but still, I love this show. Dollhouse belongs to him and Eliza Dushku.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: this story somewhat spoils last night's episode (6 March 09).
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Calm
By Erin Griffin
Echo waved when she saw Sierra wandering through their lunch room, looking lost. She smiled and set her tray down across from her and the new roommate. "I didn't know where to sit," Sierra offered. Echo nodded.
"I saw you running laps." she said. "You ran so much."
"I ran 12," Sierra told her. Echo's smile didn't waver.
"I only ran 10," she said in responce. She looked to their new roommate.
"I ran 15 yesterday," he added.
"You must run fast," Echo couldn't hide her admiration.
"It was hard. I did my best," he said.
"I try to do my best," Sierra said. She took a bite of salad as Echo nodded at her words.
"One must always do their best," Echo said with a nod. She got a smile in return. There was a silence as the three ate. A few minutes later, after he was finished with his meal, their new roommate stood up and walked away, leaving Sierra and Echo alone. Echo opened her mouth, but closed it again.
"Are you okay?"
"I... I like your voice." Echo felt her face grow warm. She was emberressed.
"A compliment. Thank you."
"It's like you could be mean to me, and your voice could still make me calm," Echo said softly, her confusion plain on her face. Sierra smiled, and found she could no longer look at Echo as her own face grew warm.
"Why would I want to be mean to you?" Sierra asked in an equally soft voice. Her brows showed her own confusion. Echo thought about this.
"I don't know." The silence grew between them as Echo let herself wonder after this, and Sierra finished her meal and stood up to leave.
She turned for a second and said, "Thank you for letting me sit with you."
"Any time." With that Sierra walked away, Echo's eyes watching her as she left.
The End