Speak To Me

Regrets and Failures

*Three Days Ago*

"Well, if it isn't Alice in Wonderland come to see me again." FP joked as he sat down across from her.

"Hm...you seem to be in a good mood." Alice replied as she fixed a button on her satin blue shirt.

"You wanna hear a little secret?" He leaned forward as if to whisper through the glass. "I may be getting outta here."

"Oh." She faked a smug smile. "Which officer of the law did you have to sleep with?" She asked with a laugh.

"Very funny, Ace." He looked around, making sure the other inmates near him were too busy with their visitors to hear him. "No. My hearing is tomorrow and my lawyer said the judge seems to be siding with me. Plus, I could be getting off on good behavior." He couldn't help but grin.

"Interesting." She squinted at him with a smirk. "When we were kids I remember you getting off on my BAD behavior."

"Sh-Shhh!" He giggled when she laughed at her inappropriate comment. "So, why are you here?"

"I, um..." She cleared her throat, changing her tone to set the right mood for the situation. She took in a deep breath, slowly letting it out before she spoke. "I called him again."

"And?" He sounded thrilled and excited.

Suddenly, he noticed the tears in her eyes and she put her free hand over her mouth. It was silent for a moment while she successfully fought back the tears and continued. "He said he doesn't want anything to do with us and not to call him again." She let out a light sob before clearing her throat again and forcing herself to remain stoic. 

FP's head fell and he closed his eyes with disappointment. When he lifted his head, he immediately felt butterflies at the sight of her so distraught. "I'm sorry, Alice."

She sniffled, keeping a straight face. "I'm sorry, too."

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*Present Day*

"Hi, um...Mrs. Cooper?" The stranger in the doorway put his hand on the back of his neck before he took the hanging cigarette out of his mouth.

Alice, speechless, stepped closer to Betty by the doorway, staring at the young man. She opened her mouth to respond, but struggled with what to say. Betty answered for her. "Yes, this is my mom. Mrs. Cooper. I'm Betty. Can we help you?" 

"What are you doing here?" Alice finally let out with a soft voice as she watched him put the cigarette in his shirt pocket before running his hand through his messy hair.

Betty looked to her mother beside her, still holding to the doorknob as she wondered what ran through her mother's mind. "Mom, who is this?" The young blonde's heart began to pound as she told herself she knew the answer to that question.

"Elizabeth..." Alice began, never taking her eyes off of him. "This...is...your brother." Still stunned, Alice felt her body growing warm and cold all at the same time. "This is Chic."

Polly had been slowly awaking from her short nap when she heard those words and she immediately sat up in the chair, looking to her mother and sister by the door. Before she stood, she turned to see her father carry Gemini over to the bassinet, placing her inside with her brother. Hal stepped up behind his wife, putting a hand on her lower back and she finally looked away from Chic, remembering her husband was not going to be happy about this. Polly joined all of the Coopers in front of the door. The moment she saw her long lost big brother, she couldn't help but smile.