𝔾𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕞, ℂ𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕠𝕗 𝕃𝕚𝕖𝕤 | Ｅｄｗａｒｄ Ｎａｓｈｔｏｎ

Ｏｎｅ

8:50 PM                                                                                                                                                            one

  Alice didn't feel much welcomed back home. Except for Alfred who ensured she'd feel comfortable. Her brother, Bruce, didn't chat much, and home didn't feel like home. It was cold and tragically dark; something she wasn't used to at Saint Mary's. Still, the maids and cooks made a feast for the siblings.  Alfred sat across from her, and Bruce beside his sister. There were clearly empty seats at the table, seats in which their parents were to sit in. Alice missed her parents, and although she couldn't have a graphic memory of them anymore, she clinged to the locket which was once her mother's; containing a photo of her parents. She was only three and Bruce five when their parents were killed. She recalled her brother shielding her, hoping she hadn't seen the bloody massacre.  Alfred sent Alice away at the age of ten because she was too young to clearly understand it all, and later on, Bruce agreed it was the right decision; a right decision Alice had no say in. 

Bruce picked around his food, not consuming a single piece of the pasta. Alfred took account of this and disruptively coughed. Bruce continued gazing down at his plate, and Alice nudged him. Bruce didn't look at her, talk to her, or even hug her. Alice wanted nothing more than her brother's affection, and she didn't at least even receive that. At last,  he stood up, gathering his belongings. 

"I need to continue my work...thank you for tonight's dinner"

Alice looked at her brother in disgust. He didn't feel like a brother to her at all and she hoped he knew that.

"Master Bruce, I believe it's best to not work tonight. Especially because of your-- sister's arrival"

Alfred and  Bruce shared a quiet dispute.  The butler wouldn't be able to change Bruce's mind, and so Alice had to attempt for his stay; especially at how late the hour was. 

"Bruce don't go...Please"

Alice grabbed onto her brother's sleeve causing him to pull his arm back. His sister was hurt by this action, and all he could do was ignore the pain in her eyes. He didn't mean to make her upset, and she couldn't understand the cause of it all. Bruce didn't respond to her and walked out of the room, leaving his sister with a face full of tears. He didn't want to leave her, but what choice did he have. Tomorrow was Halloween and he had to protect this city, for Alice's sake.

 Alfred struggled to calm down the poor upset girl. Her temper was similar to her brother's, except she didn't throw much of a fit. Alice couldn't understand why Bruce was bothered by her, but maybe he despised her, she'd probably been the reason he couldn't protect their parents because his pathetic little sister was in the way. Alice always assumed that'd been the reason she was sent away because her brother hated everything about her, or at least that's what the nuns assumed in their quarters together. She thought maybe if she'd change he'd accept her back into their home, but he didn't, no, not until she turned twenty-five after she graduated college.

Alice stood up and thanked everyone for how well the food turned out. She was ever so grateful for the welcoming staff, and Alfred, who showed her to her room. She distinctly remembered how everything looked like as a kid, so she didn't struggle much to find her way. She thanked the butler and plopped herself on the bed. She glanced at her phone, and it was nearly ten at night. Alice became worried that her brother hadn't returned back home, and she fumbled through her contacts looking for his name. She thought it over and understood that if he didn't want to talk to her at home, then why would he want to talk to her through the phone.  Before  Alice could think any further, she was fast asleep.  

Authors Note: It's very difficult writing two stories at once and doing schoolwork at the same time. So I'm grateful for the patience 😅