[It had to start somewhen, the crush I mean]

These days, whenever Marcella would take Raggedy Ann with her outside, Raggedy Ann would notice the new dolls children would play with. They looked like Babette the French doll, except smaller and less fancy-looking as they were made of plastic, yet no less charming. They all seemed to have their own occupation: one was a seamstress, one was a farmer, one was a teacher, and so on. But Marcella seemed particularly drawn to the one with messy (h/l) hair, the cherry picker. An adorable puffy dress with an apron around her waist and little walking boots. She was also holding a little basket full of plastic cherries.
"Her?" Marcella's friend (owning all the dolls) said and Marcella nodded. "She's the most boring one! She just picks cherries and cooks them for her and her friends."
"I don't think she's boring." she smiled as she gaze upon the doll. "She must be doing her best to grow and pick out the best cherries ever. I'm sure she's very dedicated to her work." she took the doll and stroked her hair. "Her hair is messy, and her clothes are dirty, it must be because she's too busy with work."
"She's just like this because I don't brush her hair and buy her new clothes like I do with the others." the little girl shrugged.
But Marcella ignored her friend and instead asked her if she could have it for today's playtime. Her friend accepted without much care, and Ann was excited to play with a new friend. The three of them played all afternoon and Raggedy Ann was quite sad when Marcella had to give the cherry picker back to her friend, but she hoped to see her again soon.

When Marcella went back home, she placed Raggedy Ann on her bed before going downstairs to her mother who prepared some snacks. After a short while, all the dolls in the nursery came to life and gathered around Ann, asking her how the outside world was today.
"Lovely! I've made a new friend!" she happily said as she climbed down the bed. "From what I understood, she's part of a new line of dolls, and they all have their own occupation. One is a seamstress, one is a farmer, one is a teacher, and so on."
The dolls looked at each-other, then back at her with curiosity.
"So what's the occupation of your new friend?" Raggedy Andy asked.
"Why she is a very pretty cherry picker."
"A cheery picker?" he waved his arm, now as disinterested as Marcella's friend. "How lame."
"Oh Andrew, you mustn't say that." she tapped his shoulder before turning towards Babette the French doll. "Matter of fact, she kind of looked like you Babette, except she was made of plastic."
"Oh my, now I wished I could've seen her."
"Marcella seemed to really like her, maybe she will join us soon."
"Ha! Please." Raggedy Andy put his hands on his hips. "Like we need another feeble doll around here."
"Everybody! Everybody!" Topsy called out as she looked out the window and unto the house's front yard. "Marcella's friend is here!"

The dolls suddenly hurried to the place where Marcella has left them, Raggedy Andy bumped into old Maxi and they both fell backwards, Andy's legs now over his head.
"Oh, wait!" Topsy raised a long index, still looking outside. "Marcella joined her, it doesn't look like they're planning on going inside."
The dolls collectively let out a sigh of relief, except Andy who groaned as he turned over with a frown, resting his chin on his hand while the other tapped the wooden floor in annoyance.
"What are they doing Jester?" Raggedy Ann asked.
"They're just talking...Talking...Oh! Her friend is giving her something, Marcella looks quite happy, she's jumping up and down while hugging her gift. And now she's hugging her friend."
Ann gasped.
"Do you think, could it be-?!"
"She's coming came inside! Quick, to your places!"
Once again, the dolls hurried back to the spot Marcella left them, this time Raggedy Andy was careful and dodged everyone so as to not bump into them.

Marcella soon entered the nursery with a happy smile. She was holding a new doll. Raggedy Ann instantly recognized her messy hair.
"Look everyone!" she showed her to the dolls. "This is (Y/n), my friend gave her to me since she didn't want her. Be nice to her will you?" she asked as she set the new doll on top of the drawer. "I'm going with my friend to thank her, we're gonna get ice cream!" and with a happy giggle, she left the room.
A moment passed to make sure she was gone before all the dolls came to like and eagerly gathered around the drawer. Well, except Raggedy Andy, who dragged his feet and stood beside his sister.
"(Y/n)?" Raggedy Ann called out. "(Y/n)~?"
A short while later, the new doll stood on the edge of the drawer and looked down. Her face lit up when she saw the dolls and started to climb down with little to no effort. Once she was low enough, she jumped to land safely on the floor. She curtsied.
"It's a pleasure meeting you all," she stood back up with a big toothy smile. "My name is (Y/n), I'm a cherry picker, I hope we can be friends!"
"I'm sure we will!" the other dolls replied as they all introduced themselves to her.
Meanwhile, Raggedy Andy was a bit perplexed by her. With her entrance, her clothes, the way she carried herself, why she wasn't like the feminine delicate Babette at all.

"I'm Raggedy Ann." said doll said before gesturing towards him. "And this is my brother Raggedy Andy."
Hearing his own name brought him out of his transe and he removed his hat as he curtsied.
"Pleasure meeting ya ma'am." he said as he stood back up and put his hat back on, tilting it forward.
(Y/n) chuckled.
"The pleasure's all mine."
"Your hair is quite the mess," he bluntly pointed out. "and your clothes are dirty too."
Raggedy Ann was about to stop him and apologize for his behavior, but (Y/n) still smiled.
"I know," she said, running a hand through her hair. "I'm so busy with work, I don't have time to take care of my hair or to get new clothes. Maybe Marcella can do that for me now."
"Work?" he tilted his head.
"M-hmm." she nodded. "Like I said, I'm a cherry picker. I work hard to pick out the best cherries so as to bake the most delicious things for my friends."
"Well I'm sorry to bring it to you, but the cherry tree from the garden still hasn't grown any cherries."
"That's alright, it is the beginning of autumn. I can wait until next summer." she placed her hands on her hips. "In the meantime, I'll have to prepare myself for the next harvest."
"By doing what?" Andy slowly asked, hesitant to show his curiosity.

"Well first and foremost, I could get myself a new basket, my previous owner lost mine today." she let her gaze wander around the room. "I also have to keep myself in shape by working out."
"Working out?!" he repeated, shocked but in a good way.
His suddenly loud question made her look directly at him. She smiled and nodded. Andy's smile grew wider until it slowly faded away. He grew skeptical of the new doll's claims, this was too good to be true.
"Yeah right." he pointed at her arms. "With your arms as thin as sticks, I bet you can't even do pushups."
"Granted I don't know what those are," she looked at her arms. "but I was made that way, I can't help it."
"Whatever." he coldly said before walking away.
(Y/n) tilted her head, confused of his sudden rude behavior.
"What's his deal?" she asked Raggedy Ann.
"Oh don't mind him dear. Andy is always wary of new toys, especially dolls." she patted her shoulder. "I assure you that he'll warm up to you eventually. Come now, I'll show you around the nursery and we show you the kind of games we play and we'll play together."
"Sounds fun, let's go!"

Raggedy Ann and (Y/n) spent some time together in the nursery, bonding and having a very pleasant conversation. They met up with the other toys and as (Y/n) was helping putting the different teams together for a game, Ann left to see her brother, sitting by himself.
"Andy, you should try and be more friendly to (Y/n)." she said, bending over to him with her hands on her knees. "She just got here. And she is a very lovely girl."
"Yeah, that's the problem." he grumbled, folding his arms. "Why would I wanna waste my time with a poser?"
"Why when you first laid eyes on her, you looked quite smitten." she said, trying not to giggle yet she still snickering. "Like you have a crush."
"A-a crush?! Yuck!" he suddenly looked at her, embarrassed but still trying to look tough. "That's a girls thing like with you and Babette! Not for a strong independent boy like myself!"
"Love is love dear, it's for everybody." she smiled softly.
"Don't make me laugh Annie! I'm no toy's toy! Especially dolls." he said that last sentence slowly.
"Oh Andrew, you're so stubborn." his sister sighed. "Well you're welcome to join us anytime, I'm sure you'd enjoy yourself."

He just huffed and looked away as she went back to play with the others. Once she left, Andy did look back, envying the way they had so much fun together, his gaze fell on (Y/n). He didn't realize he was staring until she looked at him. Their eyes met and Andy felt a cotton lump in his throat. She smiled and waved at him. He shook his head and turned his back on her, huffing again and folding his arms.