Adult-FanFiction.org : Movies

Love Sick Fred	By : zombierose3 Category: 1 through F > Drop Dead Fred Views: 1293 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Drop Dead Fred and am making no profit/money off of this.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
**Disclaimer: I still don't own Fred and I certainly don't own the song "Little Bunny Foo Foo." (And since it's a song from a folklore and the writer of that is unknown, I can't credit them.) I only own the crazy OC's running amok in this chapter, or perhaps they own me?

Chapter Seven
Fred appeared in a ball of green light careening out of control, smacking against trees and ricocheting off walls. He was an unstoppable blur and only seemed to gain momentum with each crash, until finally colliding with the side of park statue. The slam triggered Fred to pop back into his human form and he fell with flailing arms and onto his back.
Lying there on the purple grass, Fred groaned and realized he was again in the world where all imaginary friends existed. His plan had worked, but as he remembered what he'd done to get here a pained sensation flooded his chest. He could still feel her against his lips and shuddered at the way it'd felt being torn away from her.
That kiss had been better than their first one and Fred couldn't believe the way her mouth had responded to his so filled with some sort of need he didn't quite understand. He closed his eyes and fought to steady his breath. He needed to get moving. The sooner he got his answers, the sooner he could know Lizzie would be alright and he could get back to work as Natalie's imaginary friend.
Fred stood and frowned, some part of him wanting to drag this out just so he might get a bit more time with Lizzie, but he had a Nat Brat to take care of and Lizzie had a life to live.
"Why do I have to be so bloody noble?" he muttered, beginning his trek for the city headquarters. If he'd had better control over his stolen powers he'd have teleported himself closer, but he supposed a bit of a walk would give him time to sort out what he was going to say. He just hoped they would be lenient and not too nosy.
Fred's eyes wandered around the city. Everything still looked as it always had – strange. The buildings didn't even look like buildings. They were oddly colored, twisted, and random. Some weren't even solid. A few of them were actually made out of clouds, others were made out of candy, some were castles constructed out of shoes, others were tree houses with snow globes or igloos atop them as the house, and one building was even a giant hollowed out doll's head. Fred remembered Namby Pampy had lived in a giant tea kettle with its own tutu, but unlike everyone else he was one of the few to never make his own home.
Fred had never really cared for this world, which didn't have a name because imaginary friends never bothered to worry about such details. For him, it was so boring when everyone around you could do the same tricks as you, which made Fred love being around humans so much more. There were so many more possibilities when only one person could see you and no one could fight back.
Murmurs and whispers suddenly filled the air and Fred took notice to the odd gazes he was drawing from nearby imaginary friends. It looked as though someone had photocopied an expression and glued it onto every one of their faces. All of them were terrified, and as he passed, more and more of them popped away to hide in their homes. This was definitely not like he remembered it.
Fred gulped and walked faster, glancing suspiciously at the reactions. What was wrong with them? He hurried up the steps to the giant ship, which served as the headquarters for imaginary friends, and ducked inside. A group of ten imaginary friends gasped at his arrival, stopping Fred in his tracks.
For a moment he expected the usual excited welcome, but it seemed all of them had taken on the same frightened stares as those outside. He shifted with unease.
"Uh, hello… I'm back," he said cracking a smile, but it died as he saw them all fidget and bunch together like a pack of scared animals. Not a one of them would make eye contact with him and Fred's anxiety escalated.
"What, can't say hello to ol' Drop Dead Fred?" He chuckled nervously, but one of the females whimpered and took off running from the room. The hall quickly echoed with her hysterical sobs and Fred shrank back, feeling a knot the size of his fist form inside his stomach.
His mouth twisted up in a nervous smile at the others. "Guess it was all too much for her?" Worry denoted on his face.
"Drop Dead Fred?" a voice deep called from behind him.
Fred turned around to find a large man, nearly twice the size as him, with what looked like a children's mobile protruding from the top of his scalp. Little pink and yellow bunny rabbits dangled off it and slowly circled in a near-hypnotizing display.
"Are you Drop Dead Fred?" the man repeated.
Fred blinked. "Of course I am." He couldn't stop looking at this man's headgear and all other concerns were momentarily forgotten. "You know, for such a big fellow, you have awfully strange taste in hats. Doesn't that thing ever make you sick with all that spinning?" He twirled his finger for emphasis and cocked his head.
The giant growled with displeasure and glared at Fred. "This is exactly what they warned me about with you."
"Who did? Your bunnies?" Fred leaned back in awe.
"No. This has nothing to with my bunnies." He grit his teeth in an attempt to control his temper.
Fred rolled his eyes. "Pffft. You sound in a mood."
"My shoe is bigger than you. I would shut up."
"Well please do because I'm starting to regret we ever talked."
"Silence!" the giant boomed. "I have a job to do here, you annoying little man."
Fred jumped, and took a quiet second look at the large man. He might have just made a huge mistake opening his mouth and he mentally begged that this man wasn't one of his bosses.
The giant sighed. "I'm here to tell you that you've been granted access to the room." He motioned with his eyes to the giant green door with gold trim.
Fred looked at the door and felt nothing but dread. "Through there? …But no imaginary friend's ever been invited in there."
"Guess you must've done something extra special, then," the giant answered with a mocking smirk. His mobile turned faster and began to play the tune of "Little Bunny Foo Foo." Fred's eyes widened and he suddenly didn't feel so well.
This meant they had been expecting him, whoever they were. No one went in there. What did they plan to do with him? How much did they know?
"I would hurry if I were you, little man," the giant added.
Fred gulped. His legs felt ready to give out on him, but he forced himself nearer to the door. Gasps from the formerly silent welcome committee erupted behind him. Fred turned to find them still huddled together and their gazes whipped away from his direction.
"What? Am I that ugly? Am I the village leper? What is it?" he cried in a release of panic.
The silent welcome committee only stepped away in unison, but the giant had more to say.
"Fred?" he asked.
"Yeah?"
"Good luck, little man." He smiled with genuine sympathy for him, and a sadness glinted his eyes.
Fred's gaze softened, but the sudden niceness told him the giant obviously knew something he didn't and that made his fears grow worse. He was definitely in trouble with whoever waited inside that room.
Nodding, he politely returned a nervous, yet thankful smile to the giant and looked up at the waiting door. Fred closed his eyes, and forced himself to lean into it. His body easily sifted through it like a spirit as he stepped through to the other side. Doors never physically opened in this world, there was no need. Their purpose was more decorative than anything. Fred was just grateful to see he still had the ability to use one.
"Ah, Drop Dead Fred," said a disembodied voice. "Having trouble we presume?"
In a blink, three beings popped before him inside the empty room, two male and one female. Fred had never seen them before and they were uncomfortably close as if to make up for lost time. He tried to back up, but found there wasn't much space, like the room had shrunk just to trap him.
"We see you got our invitation," spoke the taller man standing in the middle. He sipped a cup of tea. "I'm Yang, and this is Yin." He pointed to the much paler and darker haired woman to his right.
Fred eyed the two clearly Caucasian individuals before him and wrinkled his brow. "Like the symbol?
"Yes, and no," said Yang. "We hold no affiliation to it, only that our actions influence the destinies of imaginary friends and yadda yadda yadda."
"You're gods, then?" Fred asked, looking them over.
"No," said Yang. "We're completely independent from any and all other religions, myths, or whatever else there is. I can never keep up."
"Independent?" asked Fred, finding this man hard to follow.
"Yes," the three answered at once.
"Is that some sort of bullshit way of saying you didn't make the cut or something?" Fred exclaimed.
"I told you not to tell him all that. See, now he's upset," said the unidentified second man in the room. "Look, don't blame me," he told Fred, "It was his fault they rejected us." He pointed at Yang.
"379 times…" muttered Yin with a roll of her eyes.
"It's in the past," Yang insisted, lifting his teacup for a drink.
"The 379th happened yesterday," Yin shot out, bitterly.
"Still in the past," Yang replied matter-of-factly. "Now where were we? Oh yes, I'm Yang, she's Yin, and—"
"And those aren't even their real names," muttered the unnamed man.
"Well, we can't give him those, then he'll know too much and follow us everywhere," answered Yang.
"Fine. Then I want to be Bob," he argued.
Yin sighed. "Fine, then be Bob. I don't care."
Bob smiled.
"Are you serious?" Fred asked. These were the ones in charge of imaginary friends? They were more deranged than he was.
"Oh great!" Bob cried. "He's confused now and it's your fault. You see that daft look in his eyes?"
"Now, now," chided Yin with a playful smile on her face. "It's more fun that way, and thank you. You know I love the credit." She grinned, delightedly.
"Oh, this tea is so good. I must thank myself for pouring it," said Yang, sipping some more and smiling as he savored the taste.
"And why do you never share that with us?" asked Bob, crossing his arms, dejectedly. "You only ever talk about how amazing it is…"
"Will somebody please tell me what's going on?!" Fred shouted. "What in the hell did you rejects of ALL myth invite me in for? Do you even know what's happening to me?!"
The three rejected gods silenced. Yang glared at Fred and loudly slurped his tea.
"I want some answers!"
"We know," said Yin.
"You think you're sick," said Bob.
Fred blinked. So they did know something. Maybe he and Lizzie had some hope still after all. "Well, am I?" he asked.
"We cannot discern that until we learn some more of what's taking place," Yang answered. He took another slurp of his tea and smiled. "Oh, this is so delicious!"
That answer only managed to make Fred even more confused than he previously had been. "But… you knew I was coming. Isn't that why you sent the giant and his unwelcome committee for me?" He pointed back at the door.
"No," said Bob. "Do you think we watch everything you do?" He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "We have lives you know."
Fred grabbed his head and almost screamed, but he suddenly had an idea what they might be doing. They couldn't be that daft. This was some sort of a trap. They wanted him to admit things, and he really didn't feel like wasting time and getting himself in trouble when all he wanted to do was help Lizzie. He closed his eyes a moment and reminded himself he was doing this for her; he'd made her a promise.
Fred sighed and stomped the ground. "Fine. Something's been happening to me… and the girl I looked after before the friend I keep now."
"The one before?" interjected Yin, tilting her head. "You mean you remember her?"
Fred noticed the surprising level of interest in their gazes and panic rose within him. He suddenly realized they hadn't intentionally left him with his memories of Lizzie and he really hoped they wouldn't try to remedy that. "Entirely," he answered with hesitation.
All three of them tensed in surprise, and Yin shot a cold stare at her counterpart.
"Yang, did you forget to wipe his memory?"
"Of course not!" He waved his hand and materialized a floating open ledger, pointing to a recent entry. "See, look here. 'Cast magic to reset Drop Dead Fred's memories.'" The ledger disappeared and all of them turned their gazes back on Fred.
"The magic didn't work," Yin breathed, eyeing him carefully. "Fred, what sorts of things have been happening to you?"
Fred swore the room shrank once again, but he was glad there were no mentions of trying to recast the memory wipe spell. "I… Well…" Their gazes made things harder to come clean about. "Oh, come off it! You already know I think I'm sick!" he shouted.
Yin produced a wooden staff and rapped Fred on the head with it.
"Ow! Witch! What the hell?!" he cried, grabbing the top of his head and pulling back.
"Interesting. It hurts him," she pondered aloud.
"Interesting? Piss off!"
Yin smirked and raised the staff again. "Behave yourself, or I'll do worse!" Her eyes slanted in a threat, despite the smile on her lips.
"She means well," said Yang.
Yin giggled, but immediately returned her cold gaze at Fred as though the happier expression had never happened. Fred admitted he was a little creeped out by this one.
Yang sighed. "Yes, Fred, we know you've lost some of your powers. It shows."
"Shows?" he asked, glancing down at himself.
"He hasn't noticed?" whispered Bob to the others. "This is so fun. Can I tell him?"
"No, I won the straw grab," said Yang.
Fred didn't know if he was more frightened by the news he was about to receive or of these three beings who held his and Lizzie's fate in their hands.
"What haven't I noticed?" Fred asked, softly.
Yang's eyes shone with the sympathy he held for Fred. "The 'unwelcome committee,' as you put it, was afraid of you."
"Afraid of me? Why? I'm Drop Dead Fred, everyone loves me here."
"They were afraid of you because they couldn't quite see you."
"Can't see me?" Fred glanced down at himself again, then back to the three. "What the hell do you mean? I can see myself just fine!"
"Of course you can, but to the other imaginary friends you've gone somewhat see through." Yang sipped more of his tea and gave him an apologetic stare.
"I've gone what?"
"You've gone ghostly," said Yang.
"I'm disappearing?"
"No." Yang chuckled. "You're just sorta becoming a ghost to us."
"Then, I'm dying?"
"No, no," Yang assured with a smile, which faded as he slipped in his addition of, "not yet."
Fred's face visibly paled and he stumbled back. A sick feeling bubbled in the pit of his stomach, making him woozy.
Yin reached out and took Fred's hand, deciding she needed to explain this before the others made this any worse. They could be idiots sometimes and Yang was often forgetful of using the right words.
"Fred, you're not dying," she said. "You're just fading away from this world. You're not quite…" She paused not sure how to phrase this to him. Fred was very excitable and unpredictable. "You're not quite a full imaginary friend anymore."
"Then what am I?" Fred's eyes revealed his fear.
Yang spoke, "That's what we'd like to find out. You're not exactly one of us, but you've got properties of them."
"Them who?" asked Fred.
"Humans, Fred. Your being's somehow taken on mortal traits. Right now, you're somehow caught between both worlds, which is why you can still be here with us now."
Fred dropped to his knees, mouth agape. They couldn't be serious?
Yin tapped her fingers upon her staff. "Did something happen which might have caused this? Something you've done differently?"
Fred looked nervously up at them. "No!"
"Defensive. Interesting," Yin quipped.
"I knew I should have brewed more tea," said Yang.
Bob rolled his eyes and looked at Fred. "If you want any of us to help you, you need tell us the truth."
Fred lowered his gaze and fidgeted. If he'd had a pulse he was sure it would be racing at the moment. This was the part he'd been most afraid of revealing and he winced as he spoke, bracing for the worst.
"When I left Lizzie—"
"Who?" interrupted Bob.
"Snotface. You know, Elizabeth Cronin. The crazy grown up with the imaginary friend."
Yin smirked. "Ah yes, the one whose mother locked you up in that jack-in-the-box."
Fred sneered. "Yeah, her!" Of course they knew that part! His hand rested on his hip as he griped inwardly about the memory of that dreaded box. That spring clown had been no company.
"Well, get on with the rest," urged Bob.
Fred sighed. "When we said goodbye… I… I asked her to kiss me, and… she did." He grimaced, afraid to lift his eyes to face the others. Strangely they pulled into a huddle and began whispering amongst each other. Fred eavesdropped as best he could.
"He kissed her? I was sure he found that too disgusting to ever try."
"This is your fault."
"How is it my fault?"
"You created him in the first place and now he's defective."
"Oh shut up."
"What are we gonna do? This is just like Pantsless Francis…"
"And that one didn't end well."
"No, that was a tragedy."
Fred stood back up, and couldn't hold his patience any longer. "I can hear you, you know! What happened before? What tragedy?"
Yin reached out and smacked both Bob and Yang on the backs of their heads. "This is why we need a private conference room." Gathering her composure, she turned to Fred. "Pantless Francis was the only other imaginary friend to remain with an adult. He ended up falling in love with her and decided to kiss her. The action triggered his being to start giving up his powers, but… failed in making him human."
Yang cleared his throat, hoping to not get into what specifically happened to Francis. "What made you kiss her, Fred? You know that's forbidden between an imaginary friend and their human companion, that that's why we leave them before they're grown. Why'd you even stay to begin with?"
Fred's eyes widened and he didn't like the direction this way taking. What was going to happen to him? What exactly happened to this other imaginary friend? The word tragedy wouldn't leave his mind. "I…It was just a sweet goodbye, that's it, and I only stayed because I was kinda stuck with her after what happened! I didn't know she'd been grown up when I popped out of the box! I had no choice! I—"
Yin smacked him on the head again with her staff, effectively silencing Fred as he fell back on his heels. "You had a choice. You could've come back here and informed us of the matter and we would've separated you. What you've done now has only complicated the situation. No wonder the memory spell didn't work!"
Fred winced and balanced himself. "How would a kiss prevent a spell from working?"
"You love sick, idiot," Yin hissed.
"I am not!"
"Shut up!" she yelled back. "The only way that spell wouldn't work is if something was more powerful than it. You fell in love with this Lizzie, a very REAL emotion. Something that real can't be overturned by magic. That real feeling is what's changing your imaginary form!"
Fred almost fell over. Until now he hadn't realized what these feelings toward Lizzie had been. He did love her. He loved her more than anything, and the depth both overwhelmed and frightened him.
"Then what's gonna happen to me? Am I gonna end up like Pantless Francis?" he asked.
Yin's gaze softened. "If what you say is true of your symptoms, you've only a matter of time unless something alters your course."
"A matter of time before what?"
The three before him looked worriedly at one another before Yin chose to approach him. She was careful to make eye contact, her tone was nothing but serious.
"Fred if you don't resolve this you won't be connected to either world. You'll be exiled, alone and no one will be able to see or hear you."
Fred shook his head. "But, you said I'm part imaginary and human. How does that banish me from both worlds?"
It was Yin's turn to shake her head. "The more magic you lose, the less imaginary you'll be, which will bar you from this world. Nothing can exist here without magic."
"But won't my human traits leave me in the real world? Maybe even turn me human?" he asked with some desperate hope in his eyes. "I bet I'm better than whoever this Francis was."
Yang sighed sadly. "You won't exist there either because you won't be human enough to have a physical form. Your only connection to that world is your magic and whichever human you attach to, so without it you'll simply disappear, trapped in some isolated Limbo."
"But… Lizzie has my magic. She somehow got it after we kissed. How can I fade away if it's with her?"
All of them turned their heads in surprise.
"That never happened in the Francis case," Bob said.
"No, it didn't and it raises some possibilities," said Yin.
"Tell us, Fred," said Yang, "what's been happening with Lizzie?"
Fred felt some hope in hearing his situation might be a little different. "She's sick. I think. Her emotions somehow tap into my powers, so it's all random and unpredictable. She's teleported both herself and me, but it makes her weak."
"How?"
"She's lost consciousness." Fred lowered his eyes, guilt flooding him. His eyes threatened him with tears and he was completely unaware about what Yin, Yang, and Bob were doing.
The three reached out to Fred's mind with their own, searching for the rest of the details to fully understand all that had happened. They also used this moment to tap into Lizzie's consciousness for even more information. The link between them was excessively strong.
"Please, isn't there anything I can do for her?" Fred whispered, his body shaking.
The three of them smiled at what they found.
"This is certainly a very different case than Pantless Francis," Yang said.
"Then I can fix it?" asked Fred, standing up with renewed hope.
The others shared a look, somehow making a decision about Fred without needing to verbally confer.
"Maybe. Pantless Francis didn't have the love of his human, not like you do."
Fred almost fell over. "You mean, Snotface loves me?" A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.
"Who knew a Snotface could be that demented," quipped Bob.
"Piss off," said Fred, making a face at him. Bob made one back.
"Children, stop it!" chided Yin.
"Yes, not before tea time," added Yang.
"It's not tea time when you're the only one of us having tea!" shouted Bob.
Yin lifted her arms. "Enough of this!" Every one shut up. "Fred, Lizzie having your magic is what's pulling you to her. It's why she can still connect with you even though you're no longer her imaginary friend… and that might just be the cure for your sickness."
Fred perked up with interest. "How's that?"
"We'll get to that in a minute," said Yang. "I want him to apologize first." He pointed at Bob.
"What? Go fuck yourself, you tea cozy," Bob spat.
Yin growled. She decided to just ignore them and destroy all the tea later to end this eternal argument. "Fred, you will no longer be Natalie Bunce's imaginary friend. You will return to Elizabeth Cronin until this matter is resolved, or unresolved, whatever you choose."
While Fred surged with joy over the idea of returning to Lizzie, he wasn't too keen on leaving Natalie behind. "But, I promised Nat Brat I'd be there for her. She's not ready yet for me to leave her." He remembered his promise to her very clearly.
"Won't matter. She'll see you," said Yin, smiling.
"But you said I'm not to be her imaginary friend."
"No, but you'll see her."
Fred's eyes narrowed. "What exactly am I going back to do?"
- 6
- 7
- 8
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Love Sick Fred