Disclaimer: I own the idea and Vinnie owns Molly, Chyna and the rest of them.
Distribution: Flights, WWF_DivaSlash.
Notes: More of Single... I don’t want to give anything away.
“You know, you should just go for it.”
“Easy for you to say, you already have a girl.”
“Well it didn’t happen overnight. We both had to work on it.”
“Work on it my ass. Stacey asked you out.”
“Exactly. She had to work up the nerves and the guts to ask me out. I’m sure the mere thought of it scared her shitless.”
Molly turned around and glared at Spike. The two of them had been hanging out together quiet a bit since Tori’s release. Unlike her cousins, Spike didn’t try to run her life. He just offered advice and, like now, made her laugh. And Lord, did she ever need to laugh. Her break-up with Tori, though a smart decision, had left her single and alone, only to realize that being coupled, even in a bad relationship, had certain advantages, like always having a shoulder to cry on, a shoulder of her very own, not the one she constantly borrowed from Stacey.
“Stop that,” Spike said, frowning at her, “you’ll get wrinkles.”
“Wrinkles?”
“Yes, and knowing you, it’ll end up being my fault.”
At Spike’s pitiful look, Molly burst out laughing. Once she’d smiled, he grinned confidently since her smile had been his initial goal.
“There she is,” the littlest Dudley hissed, pushing Molly forward.
Molly was unable to protest as she stumbled into Lillian and Chyna, her face coming within a few hairs of the Ninth Wonder’s bosom.
“Uh…”
“You all right?” Lillian asked, trying not to laugh at the embarrassment on the young blonde’s face.
“Nothing that killing Spike won’t fix.”
“All right.”
Smiling, both women started walking away. Grasping what little courage she had left, Molly coughed.
“Uh, can I talk to you?”
“Which one of us?” Chyna asked. “Or do you want to talk to both of us?”
“Actually, I wanted to talk to uh… Lillian?”
“I suppose that’s all right. But if I catch you with your hand up her skirt…”
“I-I-I’ll be careful.”
“All right then.”
With a rich laugh, Chyna left her lover to Molly’s nervous hands. Lillian smiled at the most adorable of the Holly cousins.
“What’s up?”
“You know how we’re going to read to kids in Washington next week?”
“Yeah?”
“I was thinking, if you don’t have plans for the rest of the week, we might take a day or two to go shopping.”
“Shopping?”
“Yeah. It’s just, I want to get a new look. I mean being Molly Holly is cool but I’m tired of looking like the virgin next door.”
“The virgin next door?” Lillian repeated, eyes wide.
“Come on Lillian… look at me.”
Lillian took her time and looked Molly up and down. Chyna had been right when she’d called Molly a hottie in disguise. She was a very beautiful girl.
“All right, I see your point. But Molly, your look is part of your charm. That innocence of yours is pretty attractive too.”
“Well I’ve had enough.”
Trish and Lita came out of a nearby dressing room, both of them talking and laughing. The envious look on Molly’s face made Lillian’s heart jump.
“I want to look like that!”
“I’m not going to help you become the second coming of Trish, or Lita, not that there’s anything wrong with that. But if you really want to remake yourself over, I’ll help you.”
“Thanks,” Molly said.
Molly watched Lillian walk to Chyna and sighed. Getting Lillian alone was one thing. Popping her big question would be another challenge.
“We have to work with your strengths,” Lillian told Molly as they ambled through Macy’s. “There’s a sexy Molly deep inside and she needs to come out and play.”
“I like the sound of that!”
“Good. Me too.”
Lillian sent Molly off to commandeer a large dressing room and started going through the racks. As she brought the cute blonde an armful of clothes, she caught her in her underwear and she smiled appreciatively. There was definitely a sexy girl under Molly’s girl-next-door freshness. Clad as she was in a blue chambray bra and panties set with a delicate white lace border, she looked like sin made cute.
“All right,” Lillian said, coming into the dressing room, “I have an idea but I’m going to need you to make a leap of faith.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Remember your little Mrs. Claus outfit last Christmas?”
“Yeah?”
“Think about it. You’ve got great legs.”
“Skirts and dresses then?”
“Dresses, skirts and breast-oriented tops.”
“Now that does sound good. But exactly what are breast-oriented tops?”
“Leave that to me.”
“Should I be scared?”
“Not yet. Now put this on,” Lillian said, handing Molly a tank top, a skirt and high boots. “I’ll be right back. I’ve got to get a camera.”
“A camera?” Molly squeaked.
But Lillian was already gone.
About five hours later, Molly sat at the small coffee table in the room Lillian shared with her. Spread out in front of her were pictures of her in all the outfits Lillian had picked out for her. The pictures had been a stroke of genius. After the fun shopping spree, Lillian had dropped off the films at a one-hour photo shop. While Molly was napping, the ring announcer/interviewer had scanned the pics onto a disk at Kinko’s and sent them to Stephanie’s email address.
“I like the red skirt with the tied-off white shirt,” Steph said over the speakerphone. “Looks like the good girl gone bad.”
“So it’s a keeper?”
“It’s definitely a keeper.”
“I like the cheerleader look too,” Lillian said. “It’s just so naughty!”
“It’s good but it doesn’t with the Mighty Molly persona. But I’ll keep in mind just in case.”
“Cool.”
“Molly,” Steph asked, “you’re not saying anything. It’s your look we’re redoing.”
“I’m just in shock.”
“That good or bad?”
“Good! I didn’t think it’d work out so well.”
“It did. Anyhow,” Lillian said, “bottom line is this: short flowing skirts with tied tops. It’s a dream cover for a superhero. No one would suspect Clark Kent of being Superman if he was in a biker gang.”
“And maybe we can get the Mighty Sexy Molly to corrupt the Hurricane.”
“Now you’re talking my language,” Molly said with a smile to Lillian.
“All right,” Stephanie said firmly, “I’ll let Dad, Shane and Helms in on the changes. We should be able to test responses on the weekend house shows.”
“Thanks again for this Stephanie,” Molly said.
“Thank Lillian. It’s her fashion sense, not mine.”
“I did, and will again. Thanks anyway.”
“No problem. I have to run.”
Steph hung up and Molly’s eyes remained resolutely fixed on the pictures of her. Lillian didn’t notice anything at first since she was busy putting the phone back in its place. Finally, she turned to the table and smiled at her friend.
“So, we have the whole night to ourselves. What do you want to do?”
“Uh… anything you want to do is fine with me.”
“Anything? What if I want to let you put your hand up my skirt just to see you explain how it got there to Chyna?”
“That’s fine,” Molly said listlessly.
“Ms. Holly,” Lillian laughed, “you’re not paying attention.”
“Uh?”
“What’s wrong?” Lillian asked her friend, sitting down next to her.
“My life?”
“Molly Holly!”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. Just tell me what’s wrong.”
“If you’re in love with Steph, why are you with Chy?”
“Well, that’s certainly direct. But how is any of this any of your business?”
“We’re friends.”
“Funny how you’re my only friend who asked.”
“I’m curious.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I just am.”
“You asked Chy?”
“NO!”
“Why not? She’s with me but still in love with you.”
Both Lillian and Molly realized the weight and importance of Lillian’s words at the same time.
“She is? You’re sure?”
“Quite. God, that’s doesn’t put me in the best light, does it? Going out with a woman who’s in love with another woman?”
“Still better off than me. I was in love with the devil.”
“Tori? Mostly, you were hoping for the best.”
“And missed.”
“We’re all entitled to our mistakes.”
“I ignored my gut instinct about Tori, went out with her and ended up having to suffer through her jealousy and paranoia only to end up emotionally drained and alone.”
“You don’t like to do things halfway?”
“I’m an overachiever.”
“You’re a better woman for it.”
“I don’t want to be a better woman for it.”
“What do you want?”
Molly almost started crying and answered by wringing her hands. Lillian’s concern grew by leaps and bounds. She leaned forward and covered both of Molly’s hands with hers.
“Talking about it will help, I promise.”
“There isn’t much talking to do. Just a question to ask.”
“Is it a hard question to ask?”
“The hardest.”
“God Molly, what’s this question?”
“How do you ask a couple to split up for you?”
“Excuse me?”
Lillian immediately thought of Spike’s new relationship with Stacey. The youngest Holly cousin had come to rely heavily on the littlest Dudley but Lillian would never have guessed the truth of Molly’s feelings.
“I honestly don’t think anyone can, in good conscience, ask anyone else to make that kind of sacrifice.”
“What if you know that one of the people involved just settled for the other in order not to be alone?”
“Molly, I can understand you might be jealous of Stacey and Spike but to suggest they’re not in love, that’s just cruel.”
“Cruel? Spike and Stacey? What are you talking about?”
“Your intention to break up Stacey and Spike.”
“Stacey and Spike?”
“Isn’t that who you’re talking about?”
“No! Lillian, I want you to leave Chyna, for me!” Molly finally exploded, eyes awash with tears.