When You Were Mine | Falice

Reunited

"He's wrong, sweetheart." Her mom tells her as she tells her parents everything Hal had said to her. "You would have been an amazing mom, you were already providing a great life for him before you went to that God awful place."

She thinks of the little nursery she had started for him, it wasn't much, just a crib and a few stuffed animals. "Oh no, the crib and everything it's-"

"We took care of it honey, don't worry. We didn't want you to be in more pain by seeing it." Her dad comforts her.

She's silent the rest of the way, silently crying in the backseat as she clutches the picture she took of Chic tight in her hand.

_____

"Alice honey, Fred's here." Her mom softly tells her from the doorway. "Do you want me tell him to come back later?"

She sniffles and sits up in her bed. She hasn't moved since she got home. "No, he can come up."

Her mom gives her a smile before walking back downstairs to send Fred up.

"Hey, Al." She runs to him as soon as we walks into her room, hugging him tight and bursting into tears. He holds her close as she cries, knowing she needs the comfort.

"They took him away."

"I know." He sighs and kisses the top of her head. "Bastards."

"Hal told me I was going to be a bad mother, that I wouldn't be able to provide for him and that he'd be better off with another family... and I fucking believed him. Now my baby is God only knows where." She sniffles and feels him tense as she tells him the story.

"Fucking bastard." He pulls away just enough to cup her face in his hands, taking a sharp inhale when he sees the slight bruise on her cheek. "Did he do this to you?" She nods. "He's a fucking asshole, never liked him." he sighs. "I hope you know that he's so wrong, Alice. You would've given that kid the best life, yeah so what if you didn't have a ton of money, you had so much love for him. That's what matters. Your past doesn't matter, where you live doesn't matter, none of it matters."

"But-"

"No buts. Stop doubting yourself, don't listen to that piece of shit. He's just pissed because Chic wasn't his."

"Oh God..." she steps away from him and gasps. "FP. How do I explain to him what I did?" He takes her by the shoulders and nudges her to sit on her bed, he joins her.

"You just have to tell him. He's going to be mad, I won't even lie to you, but he loves you more than anything in the world, I don't think he can ever stay mad at you."

"I don't think I can handle it. He's going to be heartbroken, he loved Chic so much. He didn't even get to meet him."

"You did what you believed was best for him at the time. He can't be mad at you for that."

"Okay." She takes a deep breath. "Tomorrow."

"Get the hell out of here!" She hears her dad yell from downstairs. Her and Fred share a glance and rush to see what the commotion is all about.

They see none other than Hal fucking Cooper standing in the doorway of her house, being betrayed by her parents. He looks over and sees her. "Alice! Please, I just want to talk!"

"Get the hell out, you've done enough." Fred yells at him.

"This doesn't concern you Andrews!"

Fred clenches his jaw and walks towards him. "When you start manipulating my best friend into thinking she's a bad mom and hitting her, it does concern me. Now I'm not going to say it again, get the hell out of here or I'll remove you myself."

Hal sighs and looks at her once more before turning and leaving as Alice breaks into tears yet again.