Love Helps Life

Right All Along

Lou traveled around the dollhouse, feeling bad. Ox had tried to make things right, and Lou turned him away. 'Spoiled, selfish, rotten...' words echoed through his head, and none of them were good.

Winter had gone to school about an hour ago, after a little playtime, and before leaving, she told him something he would never forget:

"You know, Lou, I wish everyone could be like you. Nice and friendly and not afraid to be themselves."

Lou had always been afraid to be himself, but he didn't even know who he was before he met Winter.

That was why he turned Ox away. He still wasn't happy with himself.

"Lou?" He turned to face Twinkle, Will-bear and Cream. Twinkle put a paw on his shoulder. "Ox sounded sincere."

"I know, I know!" Lou stressed. "I just...I..." Will-bear puller Lou into his lap, and gave him a teddy bear hug. "What's the word, son?"

Lou sighed. "I like to wear girls clothes and play pretend and have tea parties and play princess."

"SO?"
"I'm a boy! Ox said he wanted to get to know the new Lou, but, if he see's the new Lou...what if he thinks I'm...I don't know, weird or something? What if he doesn't like me? And what if it's a trick?" He started to spiral. "What if they want more reasons to pick on me?" He still remembered Ox defending him, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. "They wouldn't want to see me." He slumped. It was probably to punish him for going through the portal. No way could they forget about the Old Lou.

Twinkle, feeling her friends' pain, hugged him gently. "Why don't you talk to them?" She asked.

"I'm worried that if I go back...I'll be stuck again."

"oh, I doubt that." Will-bear assured him. "And I bet their waiting for you in Imperfection right now."

Ox paced back and forth in his living room. He'd lost his patience with Lou, and with it, any chance he had of getting Lou's forgiveness. He just wasn't sure what to do anymore. Lou seemed scared to go back...

Scared, of course. Ox started down the stairs. Lou was scared of Matt and his friends. Lou was scared to come back and face them.

Ox opened his front door just in time to meet Uglydog. "Ox!" The stuffed canine cried. "You're never gonna believe this!" Uglydog didn't explain. He grabbed Ox's paw, and practically dragged him down the block. Ox stopped him, and tried to ask what was wrong, when he heard it. Srceams. Moxy and Mandy. Wage and Babo...and Lou.

Ox stormed down the sidewalk, knowing exactly what this was. Sure enough, Matt had Lou by the back of his dress...or, whatever was left of it. The dress had been torn up, and shreds littered the ground. Lou looked scared out of his mind, and the uglydolls were screaming at them to stop. Ox's eyes burned with anger, and he marched up to Matt. "This time, you've gone too far!" Matt ignored him, and turned to Abby. "Make sure everyone sees this." Abby nodded, laughing her head off. Matt's thugs grabbed Lou by the arms, and held him. Ox put his hands on his hips. "I mean it Matt."

"Why do you care?" Matt asked him, looking down his nose. "He was the worst to you." Lou lowered his head. Ox caught that out of the corner of his eye, and stood a little taller. "Matt, I'm counting to three. If you don't let him go, you'll be taking his place." Matt rolled his eyes. "Come one, he's wearing a dress! You gotta admit this is rich."

"One..." Matt didn't wait any longer. He turned to his friends, and signaled them to leave. They dropped Lou, and stalked off. Ox turned to Lou, sympathy etched in his features. Lou looked at them through his eyelashes. Then, without warning, he ran away. He ran through the streets, up the stairs and through the portal. Some of the dolls muttered something along the lines of 'crybaby,' whereas others decided to go somewhere else. The uglydolls stopped short in front of the portal...aside from Ox. Ox charged straight through.

Lou flung himself on one of the dollhouse beds, and cried. Twinkle rushed over. "Lou? What happened?" Lou didn't answer. He rolled over, and cried silently. He stayed like that for a long time, before he heard the door of the dollhouse open.

"Lou? Is everything okay?" Lou glanced over his shoulder. Ox stood in the doorway, sympathy clear in his features. Lou sighed and sat up, staring at the floor. "I'm sorry." Ox's eyes widened. "Sorry? You don't have to apologize for-!"

"Yes, I do! Quit rubbing it in!" Ox sat on the bed, and spoke gently. "I wasn't rubbing it in." Lou sighed. "I know."

"Now, what's all this business about being sorry?" Lou rubbed his temples, before flopping back onto the pillow. "For...everything. For being in Imperfection. I don't belong there." Ox blinked. He had no idea Lou's self-hate went that far. "Then...why'd you come back?"

"...to find you. How'd you get here?" Ox smiled. "My kid lives down the street." Lou nodded thoughtfully. Ox continued. "Lou, you don't need to be sorry. I'M sorry. I should've notice how things were going for you. I'm glad you have your kid and all, and I'm proud of you, but I don't want you being harassed every time you come back through the portal. And...I wanted you to have this." Lou was given the picture of him and Ox, all taped up. Ox smiled. "Not a day went by when I didn't miss you. I wanted to go back and see you, and I should have. I shouldn't have just left you all alone." Lou felt his eyes sting. "I'm sorry." he said again, his voice choked up. Ox's eyes widened in surprise. "No," he spoke  softly. "Don't be." He stood up, and let Lou cry against his shoulder. It seemed like even Lou didn't know why he felt this way. And Ox was going to help him. All the rabbit could comprehend was that his brother needed comforting.

Ox marched back out of the portal that evening, and told Moxy to spread the word about a town meeting. Once everyone was gathered, Ox took a microphone, and spoke. They'd never heard him so serious. "Listen, everyone. I know, not all of us are ready to forgive Lou. And I know you all know what I'm talking about." Ox eyed one doll in the crowd. "Matt, I'm about to tell you the honest truth. Lou is part of our community. He is a citizen just like you. And you didn't like it when he talked you down. Lou was right all along. We need to give him a second chance. And if you keep treating him like crud, especially when he's clearly learned his lesson, you're just as bad as he once was."