Complications // A Falice story

Chapter 69

"How are you?" FP asked Alice as he drove around. He knew it kind of calmed Alice down and it was only around nine pm.

"Nothing's changed since the last time you asked five minutes ago." Alice turned a little to look at FP and he gave her a nervous smile. "Let's go home FP." Alice knew what he was going. He wasn't only driving around for nothing, they were close to the cemetery Alice's daughters were buried.

"They're going to leave at some point." FP said talking about certain reporters or for instance any person with a camera that was there waiting to get a picture of Alice there.

"You're lucky I'm not still in the dress I wore for Jimmy's show." Alice said looking down at her sweatpants and the hoodie she stole from FP because all of a sudden after she and FP stepped behind the cameras she didn't like the change of clothes she had for herself and staying in the dress she was didn't sound at all appealing.

"You can talk to me about how you're feeling." FP knew that Alice knew that, but he still felt the need to say it to her because Alice didn't really talk to him about her daughters that day and it was an especially hard day for Alice.

"I actually can't." Alice looked seriously at FP who kept his eyes on the road as he made a turn. "I want to, but I can't find my words and when I do find them I can't get them out. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologise." FP placed his hand on Alice's thigh and gently squeezed it for support. "I remember when I taught them and you how to ride a bike."

"They loved that." Alice had a melancholic smile on her face as she let her head rest against her seat.

"You were so afraid of them falling and hurting themselves." FP said letting out a chuckle even though he was unsure if he should keep on talking about that or not. "But they were just fine, like they were born riding a bike."

"Hal was supposed to teach them that." Alice sounded angry as she said that and FP was surprised by the turn their conversation took.

"I just wanted-"

"I know." FP wanted to make Alice feel a little better, she loved that about him and it wasn't his fault that her mind went straight to Hal in that moment. "It is a beautiful memory I have of them and I love that you're a part of it, is just...it angers me so much. I hate him."

They stopped once for gas and they kept on driving around for another two hours until they thought no one was at the cemetery anymore and as much as Alice complained about them wasting them she was grateful that FP didn't listen to her and he just waiting for whoever was there to leave.

FP got out of the car and expected Alice to be out already but she was still in. He walked over to the side of the car that Alice was and opened the door. "Hey." FP crouched down so he could see Alice.

She was taking deep slow breaths as she looked forward at all the graveyards. Alice knew the directions to her daughters', she could get there with her eyes closed. The pain in her chest intensified and Alice moved her hand there as if it would help. "Alice, is everything ok?"

"Yes, is just hard." Alice whispered and looked at FP. He was worried about her and she could see in her eyes the fight he was having thinking that taking Alice there wasn't a good idea. "Let's go."

Alice had been there before, never with FP. Most of the times when she went she was alone, but she did bring Hermione a few times because Alice needed her friend and Hermione didn't mind at all being there for Alice. But this one particular time it was harder because it had been a year since it happened and everything came back to Alice.

As they walked between graveyards Alice replayed that day in her head involuntarily and it was like she was back there again. The fear in her daughters' eyes, the insanity in her brother's, all the blood on the floor, their blood then they had been taken away, but Alice didn't move. She couldn't do anything, she could barely think.

Alice gripped FP's arm tighter when they finally stopped walking. There it was, the gravestone, her daughters were buried there, together like they've always been.

FP watched Alice closely, he wasn't one hundred percent sure that Alice wouldn't collapse there because of all the emotional pain she was in at that specific time. The tears streaming down her face were breaking FP's heart. It was awful for FP and he though that it must've been at least ten times worse for Alice.

They just stood there in silence for a while and at some point FP thought that maybe Alice wanted to say something and she needed to be alone for that so he asked her if she wanted a minute, but Alice shook her head. Every time she had been here before Alice spoke, she told them everything, how much she loved them and missed them, how sorry she was that she couldn't help them. There was nothing left for her to say, just being there was enough for Alice.

Alice started shivering and FP wrapped his arms around her because he didn't have a jacket to give her. "Thank you for bringing me here." Alice told FP and as a response to what she said he placed a soft kiss behind her ear.