New Beginnings

Under Pressure

The second Alice had awoken that morning, she knew she had to clear her mind of all negativity and ill thoughts, so naturally, the solution for her was girl talk over a coffee or tea with Hermione. And the second Betty and Polly headed off to school and Tyler had been taken to daycare, she had made her way to the Andrews, ready to talk Hermione's ear off and let off some steam.

"How are you doing?" Alice calmly asked as Hermione slides over a warm mug of coffee. She gracefully circled her fingers over the rim as steam danced out of it.

A distressed sigh escaped Hermione's mouth as she waited for the kettle to boil, truly mulling over Alice's question. "Honestly? I'm a mess." She revealed truthfully, pouring the warm liquid  down into the mugs.

The scent of the substance threw Alice back a little, but nonetheless, she inhaled it through and readied herself to take a sip before the wretched taste threw her off and she fiercely spat it back out.

"Is this decaf?" She questioned in mild disgust, diverting her gaze to Hermione.

"No, course not. Figured you needed something stronger." Hermione replied innocently as she enjoyed her cup.

"I said decaffeinated when you asked. Didn't you hear me?" Alice practically insulted with a discerning scoff, setting her eyes in a narrow glare as she glanced down at the unpleasant beverage.

"Sorry." Hermione practically hissed defensively, stunned by her best friends sudden unusual outburst.  I'll make you a tea instead."

Hermione's discontent struck a guilty chord within Alice, realising she had been quite snappy, and regardless of what she was going through, Hermione didn't deserve it.

"No, no." Alice spoke softly through slow breaths. I'm sorry for overreacting and being a bitch, I'm just- I've got a lot on my plate right now."

"Don't we all." Hermione calmly whispered as she rested the freshly made tea onto a coaster. "Don't worry about it."

The weeks had been troubling and traumatising for them all, and naturally emotions and feelings were out of control between them all, and Hermione understood how important it was for them all to be honest with one another, and bottling up feelings from their loved ones wasn't helping in the slightest.

"I know we said not to tell the kids-" Hermione recalled gently, clearing her throat to continue. "But this is just so-"

Hermione's concern filled imploring was interrupted as she heard a tear filled timid whimper escaped Alice's lips, followed by a breathy sniffle as the crystal clear tear drop fell down her porcelain cheek.

Hermione jumped into protective mode, her brows furrowing apprehensively as worry. "Alice? What's wrong?"

She harshly blinked back the tears in her ocean blues, exhaling a shaky breath as she prepared to drop her bombshell. "I'm- I'm pregnant."

"Oh my God." Hermione uttered in surprise, holding her hand to her chest as she processed the revelation. "It's FP's right?"

"Of course it's FP's." Alice answered in a shriek, feeling insulted. "Why would you ask me that?"

"I'm sorry, that came out wrong." Hermione backtracked embarrassingly, clenching her eyes shut tightly in humiliation.

A tense Alice stroked her trembling fingers through her messy dark locks before holding her head in her hands. "This is all I need right now." She cried out as her palm muffled her voice. On top of covering up a murder, the thought of bringing another child into the world was raising her stress levels to an all time high.

"What are you gonna do?" Hermione wondered cautiously, being weary of not overstepping or potentially saying the wrong thing.

It wasn't a question Alice was exactly prepared for however. She hadn't contemplated what her options were in full detail as of yet.

"I don't know, and I haven't told him yet either. How am I supposed to?"

"I know, given your complicated past with men, you'd be a little apprehensive to tell the Father." Hermione affirmed, looking Alice directly in the eye as she continued.

"If you're scared of how he'd react, you don't have to be."

Alice flickered her eyes upwards, staring Hermione down and looking at her attentively.

"FP is head over heels in love with you." Hermione cheerfully declared, forcing a hint of a smirk to appear on Alice's previously distressed features. "Remember when I thought Fred was doing the dirty on me?"

Alice pursed her lips as she recalled the whole hilarious debacle. "Yeah, you really made a mountain out of a molehill there."

"And you gave me this whole speech about how Fred would never even dream of it because he's a solid guy? Well now I'm gonna give you the same speech about FP. He'd never dream on bailing on you and the baby. He'd stick with you through thick and thin, just look at how great he is with Jughead and Jellybean. This would be amazing news for him."

Alice took into consideration everything Hermione was saying to her, and she was right. FP was a good and solid man and an even better Father. There wasn't a better man she could imagine raising a child with, but what it still came down to was, was she ready to have another child, regardless of who the Father was?

"There's no harm in telling him."

"I guess you're right. I've gotta rip the band off some time." Alice accepted as she quietly sipped on her tea.

•••

Alice had barely mustered up enough energy and drive to cover this late shift that was looming on her, but she had promised FP the week prior, and she had already missed enough work lately.

Just her luck, she had stumbled into the bar on game night. An evening of rowdy, entitled, overly aggressive sports obsessed men ranked up on beer was night her idea of the perfect shift, and even after months of working at the Wyrm, she hadn't gotten used to it.

The stench of sweat and booze already set her on a queasy path as she made her way behind the bar, the faint feeling of woozy and light headed ness already having a dominating effect over her body given her recent hormonal change.

The heat of the summer weather, insulation and tense pressure building up within her and rising to the surface of her skin forced her to grip the edge of the beer lever and take a deep, carefully calculated and intense breath. This was already proving to be her toughest pregnancy, and she was so early on.

She feels startled as a tender hand glides over the small of her back, and she settles as she immediately realises it's FP's.

"You scared me." She said delicately through a soft giggle, turning herself around in his arms and sliding her hands around his neck, just quietly and longingly gazing into his genuine and lust drawn eyes and basking in his expressions of devoted love and admiration he held for her.

His warming smile that danced over his chiselled features forced Alice to think back to what Hermione had told her earlier.

"Let's go up to your office."

FP pulled back a little, quirking his brow upwards as he gave her a suggestive yet questioning smirk. "In the middle of a shift?"

"No, not for that." She corrected. "I have something to tell you-"

"What is it?" He asks softly, stroking a strand of her hair out of her face.

"Well-"

"FP, they're fighting over pool again!" A frustrated yet concerned Toni exclaimed running to bar, immediately cutting Alice off.

"Hang on babe." FP instructed as he let go of her and moved from her grasp, attempting to leave and follow Toni out to the pool table to resolve whatever commotion was occurring, but a tight grip on hand by Alice immediately pulled him back.

"FP, I-, I really-" Alice stammered through shallow breaths, her free hand instinctively holding her abdomen as she struggled to focus and find the energy she needed to say what she had to say to him.

"Al?" He questioned firmly, his voice laced with concern as he observed her distant and withdrawn eyes fluttering so carelessly as she tried her hardest to stay on two feet, but unfortunately, the exhaustion got the best of her, and the next thing she knew, she was falling into FP's arms.