Alliance

Fight

~Chapter Eight~

The next morning Alex awoke to an empty bed, he arose and stretched his body grunting in response to his knotting muscles. Clumsily, he dragged his feet towards the restroom but was stopped by his cell phone going off. He looked at the screen and thought about answering it seeing that it was his mother on the other line. Finally, after the fifth ring he answered the call and took a seat on the corner of his bed.

"What's going on?" He said. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to rub down the knots on the back if his neck. He was in need of a new bed.

"Alex, please be a dear and go to the Elven's home and pick up Victoria, we need to go over some wedding arrangements."

Alex glanced at the clock and rolled his eyes. It was way to early to be knocking on her door.

"Mom it's seven thirty in the morning, who in the world wakes this early to do wedding arrangements? Besides she owns her own car, why have me pick her up." He pointed out, trying to sustain a yawn.

"I want you to personally go and pick her up, you need to start getting to know each other, will it kill you to try and...,"

"Alright, I'm going." He growled while pressing the end button to the call. The day was Sunday, the only day Victoria didn't open up shop. They had agreed last night to meet up at the bakery anyways, it was the only place in truth they both felt comfortable. He rose off the bed and quickly freshened up; he was quick to pull on some jeans and a shirt without sleeves he had personally altered himself to the hot weather. Lacing up his boots he tussled his hair and walked out of the apartment feeling suddenly relieved he didn't have to worry about kicking another girl out.

Maybe I should give that a rest, he thought as he slipped into his car.

He arrived at the Elven's in record time and knocked on their front door, he was greeted by Victoria's mother. Victoria had gotten every feature from her mother, the light brown hair, and the glossy brown eyes, except Victoria's mother was a lot older. He took a seat and drummed his fingers on the arm rest.

"She just woke up, but she'll be right down." Mrs. Elven said. He simply nodded and smiled politely at her. He could see how worn and tired she looked. Alex tried not to pay too much attention to the fact that Mrs. Elven's cancer was now slowly starting to deteriorate her features.

"Would you like to look at some pictures?' She asked.

"Sounds fun." He replied, with a crooked grin. He was trying to be nice and it surprised him. He guessed it could be because she was sick but he doubted it. Mrs. Elven looked like a real sweet woman.

She walked back into the living room with a large white album in her hands and took a seat next to him.

"There are some pictures of Vicky as a little girl," she said opening the album. He found himself leaning towards it captured by the beautiful pictures it contained. He stared down to one where she sat in a field filled with wild flowers, her light brown hair shinning from the reflection of the sun. He hated to admit just how damn adorable she looked in those big black squared glasses. Why is she so attached to them? He wondered. There was a few more of her and her grandfather in the bakery.

He felt a smile break his serious expression as he stared at one taken inside the Elven's bakery as well. She looked to be about five years old, her hair was braided with loose strands flowing out, the same glasses, but her face round and cheeks that any old lady couldn't deny wanting to pinch. She looked up at the camera, wearing a pair of black sweats and a dirty white shirt filled with doe, and on her nose was backing flower.

"This one was taken by her grandfather before he passed away; she always loved running around in the kitchen when he was at work." Mrs. Elven said. Alex smiled up at her and saw suddenly the pain it caused her to look at these photos.