Title: A Parallel Universe - Meeting Lizzy

Author: Strella Smith

Pairings: Eventual Fred/Lizzy

Rating: G

Premise: What if Polly Cronin had not been able to shut Fred up in the jack-in-the-box? What if he had stayed with Lizzy all through the years? This story takes place in an alternate universe where this was the case and we see what ensues because of Fred's uninterrupted presence in Lizzy's life.

. . .

He would never forget the first time he saw her, a tiny little thing, scarcely more than a baby, shrouded in a curtain of long, silky black hair. She was his new assignment after four years with a rather unpleasant young boy. Clayton (the boy) had been a fitful, spoiled child, with little imagination. He needed Fred to help him break out of a listless shell created by a life too many toys and inattentive parents. He had been a challenge, oh yes indeed. Fred loved mayhem, adventure, anarchy, joy! Clayton loved quiet, sedation, order, and ease. In many ways they had been a poor match. They fought more than they played. But in the end, Fred saw that the the Powers-That-Be knew what they were doing. Fred had helped Clayton learn to communicate with his parents and live outside of his video games and television. They had parted friends, but not without a sigh of relief on both sides.

The moment he materialized into the pink bedroom, he saw instantly that his new little charge would be of a different ilk altogether. She was standing in front of a big, picture window overlooking the front yard, holding a baseball in one small hand. A few seconds after Fred appeared, she threw it with all her might. It smashed gloriously through the glass and sailed away into the afternoon air. Unaware of Fred's presence, the little girl snatched up a bundle of something and started to climb through the broken shards of the window.

"I do LOVE those breaky noises, don't you?" asked Fred pleasantly. The child spun around in shock. He was sure he must be quite an alarming sight for a little girl to see in her bedroom. A tall, lanky man dressed in a bright green, striped suit with red shoes and wild orange hair.

"Who are YOU?" she demanded, her big, brown eyes wide with amazement.

"Who am I? Well you may ask! My name is Fred. Drop Dead Fred! Imaginary friend extraordinaire!"

"A - a what kind of friend?" She couldn't have been more than four.

"Imaginary", repeated Fred good-naturedly. "But that doesn't matter. What's your name?"

"Elisabeth Cronin."

"Well Elisabeth Cronin, why are you breaking windows without inviting me to join you? I love breaking windows!"

"I-I'm running away from home!"

"Oh, is that so? And why are you doing that?"

"Because - because my mommy is so mean! She grounded me because I lost something, but I didn't mean to. I don't want to live here any more!"

"Well, where are you going to live?"

Indifferent shrug. "I don't care. Anywhere. Maybe the park down the street." She tilted her dark head to one side and eyed Fred curiously. "How did you get into my room?"

"Magic," said Fred carelessly. "Tell you what. Let's go to the park down the street and see if you like living there. If you don't, we can come back here and I'll help you get even with your mean mother! How does that sound?"

Elisabeth Cronin surveyed him thoughtfully. "Can you really do magic?"

"Can I!" Fred instantly disappeared into a sparkle of green smoke and reappeared on the other side of the room. Elisabeth clapped her hand to her mouth in delight. "You really can do magic!"

He smiled smugly. "Told you." He came closer to her and bent down so that he was eye-level with her. Up close he could see that her eyes were red and blotchy from crying. She was an adorable little thing, as delicate as a china doll. Fred felt a stab of sympathy go through his heart. Who on earth would make a child like this cry? "So do we have a deal?" he asked gently. "Shall we go to the park and see if it's any fun to live there?"

Elisabeth took a deep breath. "Deal!" she exclaimed.

"Alright!" grinned Fred. He held out his pinky and she shook it. "I'll go first." He swung one leg over the window sill and was about to climb out onto the roof when he turned back. "Oh, I forgot to give you something!"

"What?"

Fred dug his finger into his nose and wiped the contents all over Elisabeth's face. She stood there, stunned for a moment before she began to laugh. "Eeewwww!!! Gross!"

Fred laughed gleefully. "Come on Snotface!" he shouted. "Last one to the park's a smelly, rotten egg!"

They had a glorious time at the park. Little Elisabeth (or Snotface as he now preferred to call her) was the very antithesis of Clayton. She was bright, fun, good-natured and game for anything. When they had exhausted themselves on the playground equipment and tired of dropping acorns on people's heads from the boughs of an enormous oak tree, they sat in its shade and ate the goldfish and chocolate bars and juice boxes Elisabeth had packed in her bundle.

"I like living here with you, Fred!" Lizzy exclaimed happily. "Let's stay here forever!"

"Well," Fred noisily drained a juice box. "I like that idea. In fact I love that idea!"

"Let's do it then! We can sleep under the slide there, see? And we can play here everyday!"

"I like those ideas too," said Fred. "There's just one little problem with the plan."

"What's that?"

"We haven't got any more food." He showed her the empty sack. "See? We ate it all."

Lizzy's face fell. "Can't we get more?"

"We can. But we'll have to get it from your house."

"I don't want to go back home."

Fred scooted closer to her and gently put his arm around her shoulders. "Tell you what, Snotface. If you'll come back home with me, I'll help you plot the most beautiful prank to play on your mother. I mean, it will really knock her socks off. We can't stay here. We'll get too hungry. But we can still have all kinds of fun at your house. I'll stay as long as you like."

Lizzy's eyes lit up. "Really? For as long as I like? Forever?"

"Forever," declared Fred, little knowing what he was promising. "And we can play tricks on your mean mom everyday if we want!"

For a brief moment Lizzy looked overwhelmed with happiness. Then her face fell. "My mom won't ever let you stay."

"She won't have a choice," replied Fred smugly. "I'm Drop Dead Fred! I come and go as I please! Not even your mother can stop me!"

"Where will you sleep? Mommy will never give you a bed."

"Ha! Shows how much you know! I don't need beds! Heck! I don't even need sleep!" (this was not strictly true) "I'm a loner! A drifter! I can disappear into thin air if I need to! You still think your mother can stop me?"

"I guess not," said Lizzy.

"Look, don't worry about me, Snotface. I can handle your mother. We're going to have loads of fun together, you and I! And we'll make your mom pay for every mean thing she does to you! What d'you say?"

"Okay," said Lizzy beginning to smile again.

"Okay?"

"Okay!!"

Lizzy laughed for joy. Then she suddenly flung her arms around Fred's neck and hugged him fiercely. The gesture caught him off guard. He wasn't used to such flagrant displays of affection from Clayton. For a moment he hugged her back with delight. Then he howled in mock disgust. "Ugh! Snotface! Gross! Get off me! I don't let yucky, yucky girls touch me!" He began to tickle her. She screamed in delight and collapsed giggling onto the grass. "There!" gasped Fred, giving her one more tickle. "Let that be a lesson to you!"

"You're funny Fred!"

"Yeah, well you're a gross girl! Come on Snotface, let's go back and see what we can do about your mom!"

. . .

It was worse than he had expected. Children often exaggerated the cruelty of their parents, especially after having a fight with them, or being disciplined. He saw almost at once that this was not Lizzy's case. Her mother (whose name he later learned was Polly) was in a cold, towering rage when Lizzy came home. There was no sign of concern, Fred noted) that her child had been missing all afternoon, there was only fury that an expensive window had been broken and glass had gotten on the carpet.

"I just don't know what do with you!" Polly cried. "You're hopeless! Honestly, Elisabeth, I try and I try to teach you how to be a good little girl, and you simply won't learn!"

"I just didn't want to be grounded!" protested Lizzy, sitting unhappily in a straight-backed chair before her angry mother. The scene reminded Fred of an interrogation. "I wanted to go outside and play!"

"You were grounded for a very good reason!" Polly growled. "You lost my gold pendant, the one grandma gave me. I've told you and told you to be careful with my things, but you will not listen."

"I was just looking at it," muttered Lizzy, resentfully. "I didn't mean to loose it. I still don't know where it went."

"Don't argue with me! You have done more than your fair share of mischief today. You will go to bed with no supper. And you're sleeping in the room with me and your father tonight so we can make sure you won't sneak off anymore! Honestly, I might as well be running an insane asylum. The next thing I know, I'll have to put you in a straight jacket!"

Polly slammed angrily around the kitchen, trying to make dinner in the midst of her rage. Lizzy watched miserably from her seat. "Where were you all afternoon anyway?" Polly asked suspiciously.

"I went to the park with my friend."

Polly's head came up. "What friend?"

"His name is Drop Dead Fred. I met him this afternoon."

"Drop dead what? Where did you meet him? At the park?"

"No, in my bedroom. He's here now. He's standing right over there. See?"

Fred braced himself in the corner of the kitchen where he stood. Here it comes, he thought.

Polly looked over toward Fred, bewildered. "Elisabeth, what are you talking about? There's nobody there."

"Yes there is!" protested Lizzy. "He's standing right there. He's wearing a green suit. He has red hair. Can't you see him?"

Polly glared at her daughter. "Elisabeth, don't be ridiculous. You're just making things up now. You didn't meet some strange man in your bedroom and he's not standing in the kitchen."

"I'm not making things up! His name is Drop Dead Fred, and he's my friend. He can do magic!"

"Snotface, she can't see me," interjected Fred.

"What?"

Fred crossed his arms and sighed. "You're the only one who can see me."

"Why?"

"Because I'm imaginary. I'm your imaginary friend, remember? Imaginary means - means... well it means that I'm invisible to everyone but you."

Lizzy looked profoundly crestfallen. But she turned back to her mother. "Fred says you can't see him because he's imaginary," she explained.

"Oh, well that explains a lot," said Polly sarcastically. "Well you can say goodbye to your friend Fred because you are going up to your room to bed. That is, you are going up to our room to bed."

"Fred's coming with me," declared Lizzy firmly. "He's going to live with us now."

"Fine, whatever," snapped Polly. "Just go. I'm tired of your nonsense."

"May I take a picture book with me?" begged Lizzy.

"No, you certainly may not! You are in disgrace. You will lie in your bed and think about what you've done!"

Lizzy went sadly, humbly. Fred made a horrible face at Polly Cronin, even though he knew she couldn't see him, then followed Lizzy up the stairs.

"Boy, you weren't kidding when you said your mom was mean!" he remarked to Lizzy as the bedroom door swung shut behind them. "She's a real Mega-Beast!"

Lizzy nodded. "I'm always in trouble," she said sadly. "I don't try to be bad... it just seems to happen. I can never make Mommy happy."

Fred felt a jolt of sadness pierce his heart. There was a note of defeat in Lizzy's voice that alarmed him. In her eyes, he saw the merest suggestion of hopelessness, but it was enough. He had definitely arrived in the nick of time. This little girl's spirit was in jeopardy, the bright joyousness of her personality being threatened on a daily basis. Given no encouragement, no love of any sort, she would be crushed altogether eventually. Fred balled his fists in his pockets and steeled his jaw with determination. He would counter this. He would be the driving force that checked the flood of Polly's abuse. He would stand between her and Snotface if it killed him. It would be a clash of titanic proportions. Mentally, he rubbed his hands together in anticipation of it. This would be fun. Much more fun than Clayton. He sat down on the bed beside Lizzy.

"You're not bad, Snotface," he told her gently. "Don't you listen to her. If you can't make her happy, then don't even try. You just be yourself. You hear me? I think you're great! I had more fun with you this afternoon than I've had in a long time. We're going to have more fun too. I'm going to spend all night thinking up a plan to get even with her. You wanna help?"

Lizzy nodded.

"Great! Let's see now... what sorts of things does your mom hate?"

They had a magnificent evening, dreaming up all sorts of dreadful ways to wreak havoc on Polly. Fred was pleased to learn that she hated dirt, clutter or disorder of any kind. He specialized in creating all that. They came up with so many plans that they weren't sure which one to pick first. Eventually they settled on arranging a bucket of dirty water over the kitchen door so that it would upend itself when Polly opened it.

"It's a trick that's old as the hills," said Fred thoughtfully. "But I think it's quite appropriate in this situation. I'll fix it up tonight and make sure you're downstairs in time to see it happen. Ohh, this is going to be so much fun!!"

"Just make sure it doesn't fall on daddy," said Lizzy. "He's nice. I love daddy."

Fred eyed her pensively. "So your dad's alright then? Well, that's good. I'm glad there's somebody decent to you in this house." They were still talking when Polly and Lizzy's father, Nigel, came up to bed.

"You can sleep on the sofa, Elisabeth," said Polly coldly. "Your father and I are not going to give up our bed just because you won't stay in yours."

Nigel didn't say much, but he helped Lizzy make a little bed on the sofa out of sheets and blankets and pillows. Polly ignored them and focused on her nightly toilet.

"Goodnight, pumpkin," Nigel tucked his daughter into the makeshift bed and kissed her on the forehead. "Try not to break any more windows, eh? It only makes your mother mad."

"Goodnight, daddy," whispered Lizzy. Nigel smiled faintly and went to bed.

"Right," said Fred taking Nigel's seat beside Lizzy. "Tomorrow then, bright and early. Bucket of nasty water says hellooooo to the Mega-Beast's head! Ooooo it's gonna be beautiful!"

Lizzy giggled.

"Elisabeth, stop making noise and go to sleep!" came Polly's stern voice through the darkness.

"I'll go get it ready right now, Snotface! You go to sleep!"

"Goodnight, Fred!"

"Goodnight, Snotface!"

"Fred?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you've come to stay with us."

Fred smiled softly in the darkness. "Me too," he said simply.

"Goodnight Fred."

"Elisabeth! Who are you talking to over there?"

"Drop Dead Fred."

"Well, stop it and go to sleep or you'll be grounded again tomorrow!"

Lizzy sighed and cuddled into her sofa cushions. Fred squeezed her hand and vanished into his green sparkles. He definitely had his work cut out for him.

. . .

The prank was a glorious success. Of course it got Lizzy into more trouble, but it was absolutely worth it just to hear the Mega-Beast's screams of horror as the cold, dirty water cascaded over her perfect hair and clothes. Fred and Lizzy's sides ached from laughing over it for weeks to come. And there were more pranks after that. Fred was continually amazed at Lizzy's eagerness to play trick after trick on people they didn't like. The old days of having to coax and plead with stick-in-the-mud Clayton were a thing of the distant past. Nothing phased Lizzy. She was quite as ingenious as he at dreaming up new amusements. And she was always a good sport about the consequences.

Best of all, her spark of life seemed to be strengthening. With Fred's encouragement she stood up to her mother when she was unfair or verbally abusive. When things got too hard and Lizzy's valor seemed to be flagging, Fred was always there to act as cheerleader.

The clash between himself and Polly was as titanic as he had anticipated. It was amazing (he thought) how much conflict could go on between a live human being and an imaginary one, especially when the live one could neither see nor hear the imaginary one. Fred hated Polly like he had never hated anyone before. Everything about her grated against his nature. She was a neat-freak, a control-freak, a germ-o-phobe and a prude. Worst of all, she was relentlessly cold and unloving toward Lizzy. Lizzy had a naturally affectionate nature and she would try and try to show her mother love, to win her approval. But there was no room in Polly's perfect house for sloppily drawn crayon pictures that said "i lov you mommmy." Little bouquets of dandelions with dirt still clinging to them had no place on the spotless dining room table. And inappropriate questions such as "Mommy, why is that pigeon jumping on that other pigeon's back?" were met with either shocked silence or a sharp reprimand to "not ask filthy questions."

Fred lived to make Polly's life miserable. Lizzy had no qualms about talking about Fred as though he were a live person whom everyone could see and it gave him great pleasure to have as many of the disasters attributed to him as possible. Polly had not thought much of Elisabeth's imaginary friend at first, but as time went by she realized more and more just how much chaos this non-existent person caused in her life. She scolded, threatened and pleaded with Lizzy to "stop this Drop Dead Fred nonsense." Lizzy of course would no more "stop it" than she would go to the moon. Fred was the best thing that had ever happened to her and she would as soon tear out her own eyes than give him up.

As for Fred, he was happier than he could ever remember being. It wasn't just making the Mega-Beast miserable that brought him joy. It was Lizzy herself. Even when they weren't plotting mayhem on Polly, Fred loved being with her. He loved making up games for her, telling her stories, playing at the park with her. It gave him secret satisfaction when she ran to him for comfort and reassurance instead of her mother. He had never experienced such a close bond with a child in all his days of being Drop Dead Fred.

He knew he must be very careful about becoming too attached to her. The Powers-That-Be to whom he was required to report ever so often, strongly discouraged imaginary friends from becoming too emotionally involved with their charges. It wasn't healthy, they said, since the friend's time with the children was usually quite short. Most friends didn't stay more than four or five years at the most. Some only a few months. Their jobs were to create fun and joy for children who needed a little extra help coping with life. They also acted as guides and guardian angels of sorts. When the children had grown enough emotionally that they didn't need the imaginary friends any more, the friends were usually just forgotten or phased out gradually. Most of the time, the transition was quite painless for both parties. Imaginary friends tended to loose interest in children who were getting bored with them and they were almost always quite ready to move on to their next charge when the time came.

Fred knew that the time would come when he must leave Lizzy and the thought made him uncharacteristically sad. He doubted that he would ever again be friends with a child whom he liked quite so much. Still, he had a few years left with her. He was determined to make the most of them.