A/N: This is a thread I did with Evethelombax204 (her RP blog is kittybax). It takes place when Alice has kids so that's that. (trigger warning for the sight and mentions of blood. Nothing major but better safe than sorry.)
[Edit: I edited a few things and I tried my best with some Maori words, but I'm no expert, so I apologize for any mistakes. ^^"]
***
Metropolis, Kerwan
____
Alice was just sitting in her large chair reading a magazine while watching her son, Leo, play a video game on their holovision. The game itself wasn't anything special; just a simple first person shooter that he had saved his entire allowance for. She snorted when she remembered how proud he was to present three months' worth of chores to Big Al in order to pay for it.
As he continued to smash buttons on his controller, a sad smile crept onto her face when memories of her other child flooded her mind. Genevieve would've saved her bolts for that new sketchbook she had been eying for months. Or maybe even some hair ribbons to accompany her new ivory and gold dress she had gotten for her birthday.
Imagine if she was still here...laughing and playing with her small family, being happy...as things should've been.
The grin evaporated as fast as it had appeared.
The sound of knocking shook her out of her thoughts. She abruptly stood up and opened the door. To her delight, it was her friend Eve and her kids: Shayden, Shyanne, and Paris.
It was about time.
Alice had invited them to spend the afternoon together and for Leo to have some fun with his closest friends. They both needed the time to distract themselves for a while.
"Oh hey! You finally showed up!" she exclaimed happily, a large smile plastered on her face.
"Hey sis!" Eve said, giving Alice a big hug. Alice staggered backwards from Eve's forceful embrace, but eventually wholeheartedly returned it.
As Alice welcomed them in, Paris and Shayden sat in the living room and played video games with Leo while Shyanne just stayed with her mother and "aunt."
"Paris has certainly grown up to be a beautiful woman, huh?" Alice quipped, earning a blush from the girl. Now, don't get her wrong: Alice adored Eve's twins, of course, but she had a deeper connection with Paris, despite the small number of times they've interacted.
In fact, Alice considered Paris as one of her own, and she always welcomed her to her home with open arms. When Eve had told her about Paris's upbringing with her biological parents, Alice wished she could bleach her brain and rip her ears off. But even with that, that didn't compare to the pain Paris had to endure during her childhood.
No child should have to suffer. Period.
The agonizing weight of guilt consumed her heart once again as she thought about Genevieve. About the whole situation. Then she had a brief moment of realization as she placed some grounds into the coffee maker.
'Oh I made her suffer...just like how the Meres did to Paris.'
'I'm a pathetic excuse of a mother.'
She tried to stop her downward spiral when she heard Eve pouring the fresh liquid into two mugs, with a few glasses of juice for the children.
As Eve helped Alice with putting snacks and coffee onto a tray, they both sat down on the sofa with Shyanne nestled in between them. For a while, they were just chatting about current events and the recent presidential election.
Such a shame that Qwark won once again, but that's not the point.
"Omg sis, it's been sooooo long since we've met like this! I'm so glad to see you again!" Eve was so happy to see her, she was pretty much bouncing in her seat.
Alice grinned at her friend's energy.
"It has been a while, hasn't it?"
It definitely felt good to chat with the one person she trusted, especially after all she's been through. In fact, she was finally forget the incident that haunted her for so long–
"How are things going with you and the kids?"
Oh.
Eve just had to go there.
Alice hesitantly took a small sip from her Qwark mug, the drink being hot enough that she recoiled from her tongue burning and coffee spilling from her mug onto the couch.
"Gah!" she gasped as some of the scalding liquid landed on her bare leg. "I should've seen that coming." Alice griped at the new stain seeping into the fabric, but she quickly brushed it off.
Once the pain died down, she sighed deeply before answering Eve's question.
Which was easier said than done.
"For the most part, it's been fine," she started, feeling her hands tremble ever so slightly and the grip tightening on the handle. Just breathe...it's just Eve! She won't judge! "Well, I mean, Leo's been healthy and that's all that matters. Life's been a bit hard since..."
Alice glanced warily at Shyanne, the poor girl staring in mild confusion at her sudden change in demeanor. Her large, innocent eyes tore her heart to shreds.
How could she break the news of the fate of her daughter to her only friend?
Genevieve's blank face flashed in front of Alice's eyes, nearly causing her to fall off the couch. It was a vision that she had tried to repress from her memories for so long, but watching Shyanne with direct eye contact immediately reminded her of how Genevieve looked at her before she–
"Actually, do you think we can talk about this in my room?" she suddenly whispered, her fur paling and ears drooping. She had to swallow the lump that formed in her throat to continue. "I don't think I can bear Shyanne's reaction about...Genevieve."
She suddenly lost her grip of the mug as it fell and shattered on the linoleum floor, the pieces of ceramic mimicking the feeling she had in her chest.
There goes another one.
Eve jumped in surprise but didn't hesitate to grab Alice's hand, leading her to her room. She clearly needed a moment to calm down, and her room seemed like the best bet.
"Mum, it's okay," Shyanne said, kneeling down to pick up the pieces. "I'll clean this up. I can stay and watch them." Eve smiled at her daughter and continued to usher Alice to her sanctuary. She knew Shyanne was the only one out of her own family that understood that Eve needed this time to discuss the matter in private.
————- ❈ ————-
(Alice's Room)
Eve closed and locked the door before comforting her sad friend. She couldn't stand seeing anyone, especially her best friend all torn up by the looks of it.
It took a little while for Alice to pull herself together enough to look up into Eve's hazel eyes, the imminent fear and sadness in them overwhelming her with guilt. She immediately looked away, the shame burning into her soul.
When Alice calmed down a bit, Eve had the urge to speak. She spoke softly, so as not to startle the other.
"Hey sis, what happened to Genevieve?" she quietly asked, placing a hand on Alice's arm, getting a few strangled sobs out of her as a response. Eve sighed as she tried again, this time her voice so quiet that her words would've gone unheard had Alice's ears not perked up.
"It's okay sis. I'm here for you. You can tell me."
Looking at her friend makes her want to cry, but Eve couldn't resist anymore as she shed a few tears of her own, knowing how she felt.
With Eve's soft words, and the agony of keeping her grief hidden for so long, Alice lost her composure. Hot tears trailed down her face, gasping sobs making her body shake so violently that she struggled to even make a comprehensible sentence. She grabbed her bed sheets tightly, her knuckles turning white.
"S-she's g-gone," was all she could make out through her heavy tears. She glanced at the framed picture on her nightstand of her little family vacation to Pokitaru when her kids were younger.
Gosh, they were so innocent back then.
She let go of the sheets just to try to forcefully rub the tears off her face. A crackly breath escape from her lips as she sniffed.
"Ratchet and I found her after she went missing a few years ago," she continued while subconsciously rubbing the jagged scar on her arm, "and when we were reunited, someone..."
Alice couldn't bear to even remember what had happened on that space station. That one moment...when her entire world ended.
"Someone shot her...in the shoulder...a-and she...she bled out and...she died in my arms." She wrapped her arms around herself in efforts to calm the shiver that went down her spine. Alice would never forget how gruesome her daughter's end was.
"Oh my god, Eve, there was so...so much blood...e-everywhere." Her hands started shaking uncontrollably as she wailed, "I don't think I've ever seen that much blood in my entire life!"
The memory of the bright red substance that flowed out of her dear Genevieve resurfaced, her crippling hemophobia immediately kicking into high gear.
Alice had now lost all remaining color in her face. In fact, her fur looked gray. She fell silent as the remaining tears plopped onto her lap, all of her limbs going numb.
Completely engulfed in conflicting emotions, her golden eyes rolled into the back of her head, her lifeless body flopping onto the mattress and thoroughly freaking her friend out.
"Alice... ALICE!!! SIS WAKE UP PLEASE?" Eve cried, violently shaking Alice's shoulders. When she didn't respond, Eve desperately called for help. All four children ran into the room when they heard the cry, with Leo the most affected by his mother's condition. This wasn't the first time he'd seen Alice unconscious, but every time has shaken him to his core, so it wasn't a sight he liked to see.
In an effort to help her, Eve instructed Paris to call an EMT and for the three younger kids to grab a small towel and douse it in cold water in the bathroom, to which Eve placed it on Alice's forehead. Once Alice was settled, Eve began checking for her pulse and breathing. Fortunately, she was still breathing in and out, but her breaths were shallow gasps and all of her color had faded.
Like she had been drained.
Eve called out once more and that's when she heard a door slam and footsteps running to Alice's room.
It was... Ratchet?!
He had just finished patrol when he got the urgent call from Paris, so when he rushed in to help with the situation, he was in shock at the scene in front of him.
"Ratchet, can you call the ambulance please?" Eve immediately interjected, not giving Ratchet an opportunity to ask any questions before struggling to lift Alice's limp body. "My friend's in danger and we need help ASAP!"
————- ❈ ————-
(Metropolis Hospital)
Everyone was waiting outside the ward where Alice was, in Room 134 on the 3rd floor. The doctor just came out and spoke to them about her current condition.
"The good news is Miss Aerolite is fine, but she appears to dehydrated. She needs rest. And lots of it." Eve and Ratchet exchanged worried glances, clearly surprised on how bad Alice's condition really was. How long had she been going on like this? "Over exercising is a common symptom of grief. Is there any trauma that Miss Aerolite might have endured that you know of?"
Eve quickly mentioned Genevieve, but she refrained from delving into any personal details. Alice can handle that when she was up for it.
"Overall, she is in good condition. Luckily Miss Chamber put her in a safe position for EMTs to assess her. Her vitals seem good and her fur is returning to its natural chestnut colour," the doctor explained, scribbling something on his clipboard. "You can see her right now if you want, but just don't make too much noise please."
And with that, he walked away, leaving the group immersed in their thoughts.
As they entered, Ratchet was just frustrated. He was so sick and tired of this constantly happening to his friend. "I knew she was hurtin', but I didn't think it was this bad," he growled, baring his teeth ever so slightly. He wasn't really angry at anyone in the room; he just wanted the person who caused this whole mess to rot in jail.
Something must've triggered Alice badly enough for her to go into shock.
"Whoever made her like this will pay."
Eve had to speak up and tell him that it wasn't anyone's fault before he went completely off the rails. She took a deep breath, feeling the intensity in her chest and butterflies in her stomach, her heart racing, not expecting what will happen next.
"Ummm... Ratchet... There's something you need to know, about what happened and why she's here. It's... be-c-cause of m-me." She was so anxious and scared to even know what he might say, so she had to turn away from his confused expression.
"Eve, what do you mean?" he tentatively asked, his tail swishing anxiously. "She's your best friend; it couldn't have been your fault. Besides, you know I wouldn't hurt you. You're our friend, too."
"Listen Ratchet: it was my fault. I brought my daughter Shyanne and she reminded her of Genevieve. Which she's... not... here..." She softly dragged the words and went completely silent.
Ratchet just froze. He didn't like talking about the death of his friend's daughter, since he was present for the incident (it got ugly), but he remained silent as Eve continued.
"Alice told me what... happened to her.... and I am so sorry..." Eve then put her head down and lowered her ears in respect, but at the same time, feeling the weight on her shoulders it made her uncomfortable.
***
The first thing Alice knows is that she's not dead.
Which is a relief to her, considering the circumstances.
She forced her sore eyes open and took into her surroundings. To her horror, the room looked eerily familiar.
Oh no.
She's in a large room with white walls and matching ivory tiles with a thick green curtain separating her from the other patients. The steady beat of the heart monitor was the only sound she could hear through her muffled senses.
Once the room stopped spinning, her amber eyes studied the plain hospital gown draped on her frail frame and the numerous tubes on her arms that were pumping fluid into her system.
What in the name of Orvus did she do this time?
Last thing she remembered, she was in her room talking about Genevieve with Eve, then her world suddenly tilted and went dark.
Sitting up and pulling her matted hair from the moist pillow, she brought her shaky hand to the bothersome damp stickiness on her cheek, not knowing if it was blood or tears.
Her fingers were coated in a clear liquid.
Tears then.
She heard sudden muffled voices next to her and in a panic, she turned sharply, accidentally hurting her neck. Her blurred vision made out two blond figures, one shorter than the other.
Alice blinked and the strangers in question started clearing up.
It looked like...Eve? And...Ratchet?
Where did he come from?
She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Sure enough, they were still there, talking quietly so as not to disturb her.
"...Eve?" she manages to choke out, still looking a bit dazed. "...W-what happened?"
Eve heard a familiar voice. She turned her head to where she heard that voice and noticed that Alice was awake.
"Sis, you're awake" she said softly, being careful to not to hurt her friend's ears and not to throw too much information at her because she looked exhausted. Eve sat on the edge of the bed that Alice was lying down on, carefully putting her hand on her forehead just to check her temperature.
It was alright, not too hot.
"Look sis," Eve sighed, nervously wringing her hands together. "What happened was you were talking to me about how you, Ratchet and the twins went for a vacation in Pokitaru, then all of a sudden Genevieve got shot and you held her in your arms and... you saw too much blood.... and then you fainted."
Alice's eyes widened to the size of saucers, throwing her face into her hands in embarrassment.
"Oh my gosh," she whispered, her voice muffled from her position. "Again?"
Eve looked at Ratchet, who nodded curtly, and then turned back to Alice, who was still absorbing the fact that she passed out for the umpteenth time this month.
"I was trying to call out for help since I was looking out for you when you were unconscious and that's when Ratchet came and called the ambulance. I couldn't just leave you on the bed cause what if you... y'know.... sis you made me panic but it's not your fault." Eve inched closer to Alice, taking her hand and gently squeezing it.
"For a mother to see that much blood of their child...I'm sorry sis...I'm just glad you're okay."
Eve planted a soft kiss on Alice's forehead, which earned her a soft grin.
Ratchet was about to leave until Eve's voice stopped him.
"Where do you think you're going?" she questioned. Ratchet jumped in surprise and slowly turned to face the women.
"Ummm.... I just thought you were having your moment and I don't want to... y'know.... disturb you so..." Ratchet spoke nervously, scratching behind his ear.
Alice gazed over her shoulder and gave Ratchet a reassuring smile. As he left the room, her bloodshot eyes fixed onto Eve's bright ones, full of relief and sorrow. A few stray tears pooled in her eyes as she lowered her gaze.
The fact that Eve was the one who got help made her heart feel all the more overwhelmingly loved. Not many people cared about her in general, let alone her own wellbeing.
But Eve had just proved to her that there were people that actually wanted her to be healthy...that actually wanted her to be happy.
And just like that, all of her worries...vanished.
She tried to get off the bed to embrace her friend, but all her remaining strength disappeared as her legs gave way, sending her onto her knees. Using her palms to push herself off the cold floor, she settled into a comfortable seated position.
"Thanks for everything, sis," she whispered, wrapping her arms around Eve's waist. More tears made their way down her cheeks as she tightened her grip. "For being there. For helping me. I-I'm sorry about...what I did."
She didn't mean to literally suffocate Eve, but her emotions made her the most vulnerable she'd ever been in a long time. Luckily, she had a bit more control over her sadness this time as she only let out soft gasping laughs. Only three words spilled from her mouth as she became tangled in plastic tubes.
"I miss her."
Eve just smiled as she comforted Alice with a warm embrace, tears trickling down onto her cheeks.
"I'm just glad you're okay sis," she repeated, the tears falling to the floor with a plop. "I didn't want anything bad to happen to you. Don't feel guilty 'cause of what happened. I would feel the same thing if someone I love goes missing."
Eve kneeled down so that she was on Alice's level, wrapping her arms around her as Alice breathed into the crook of her neck.
"But for a child to go missing... You being a single mom is really hard and I'll do whatever it takes to support you in any way sis. Three people is better than one - you, me and Ratchet."
Eve's thoughts came back when she was a young child; that day when her brother Jack left on her birthday. She didn't know if her feelings were comparable to the missing Genevieve, but she had to figure out where Genevieve had been held captive or else Alice would never find peace.
"Don't worry sis, we'll find Genevieve. I'm confident that we'll find her before it's too late."
Alice roughly shook her head side to side, tightening her grip on her. Eve suppressed the urge to gasp in pain at the sudden pressure, but she chose to ignore it to comfort Alice.
"No, Eve, you don't understand," she said, now crying hysterically. "She's dead. I held her dying body in my arms and I felt her last breath. There's no getting her back. It's already too late..."
Even though there was no way to get her daughter back, she felt as though she owed Eve more explanation as to where she last found Genevieve alive. Just for closure.
"When she disappeared, she was taken to an uncharted space station in the Shadow Sector," she explained, shakily wiping her eyes on her shoulder. "If it wasn't for the Nav-Unit I gave her, I wouldn't have even found her in the first place."
Eve was right; life as a single mother had taken its toll on her, and now Alice was suffering of the consequences. She definitely felt grateful of Eve's support for the remainder of her little family; she really needed it.
Once she calmed down a bit, she eased herself back into the bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she lost consciousness again. Grieving really drained her physically and mentally.
Eve just smiled down on Alice and gave her another soft gentle kiss on her forehead, with her hand on her head to position herself.
"We'll find Genevieve whether she's alive or not. Just rest, my friend, and I'll see you tomorrow."
°°°
(The Waiting Room)
Ratchet was just sitting there with Clank when Eve sat next to him. Ratchet looked surprised and shocked at the same time by her sudden presence, but Eve only gave him the Look™.
"Look Ratchet, I'm gonna go after Genevieve. You don't have to say anything if you hate me now, but this is my bestie's daughter and I want to help her in anyway I can. She said something about an uncharted space station in the Shadow Sector but I don't know anything about it. Just take care of her please and make sure she drinks plenty of water. I'm gonna take care of this myself."
Eve was gonna go ahead and risk her life to save her best friend's daughter, sacrificing herself to the elements for Alice. She was heading towards the exit when Ratchet stopped her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into his embrace. For a few minutes, he held her tightly, not letting her go.
"Be safe."
————- ❈ ————-
(The next day)
When Alice opened her eyes again, her friend was gone. At first she assumed that Eve had gone home, but her instincts told her that she probably did something less sensible.
She sighed as she pushed herself off the bed, ripping the IVs out of her arms. This time, she was more stable on her.
Why couldn't Eve understand that Genevieve was no longer here? That she was dead?
Sometimes, Alice just can't handle her friend's impulsivity and stupidity.
With a huff, she quickly changed into the clean clothes that were on the table next to her.
While she was standing in the semidarkness, she was contemplating on how she was going to scold Eve for her recklessness when her watch suddenly started beeping loudly and glowing a faint pulsating blue. Alice glanced at it confusingly as she unhooked it from her wrist.
It hasn't done that in years. And the last time it went off was because...
Wait.
Alice immediately pressed a button on the rim of the device, revealing the bright red dot located in the coordinates she dreaded to see. She couldn't help but gasp, dropping the watch in her surprise.
It couldn't be.
"Eve?" she whispered shakily, flipping the switch on her earpiece. "Eve! Do you copy?"
She bent down to pick up the now cracked gadget while restlessly tapping the communicator with her free hand.
"Come on. Answer the damn thing."
————- ❈ ————-
As Eve was looking around for a place to land, she knew there was no reception... no anything. She was trying to call Ratchet to see if Alice was okay, but all that came up through her nav-unit secretly on her belt was all static.
Eve only huffed and quickly landed in this unknown place.
She hopped out of her ship, taking baby steps at a time and scanning the area, which was really dark but she wasn't spooked by anything. Knowing she had been through this kind of stuff with her evil twin "Evie," she didn't really worry about it. She continued to search the place, becoming more aware of her surroundings until she found a building of some sort.
"A building? What the hell is a building doing in this forbidden world?"
Eve suddenly stopped in her footsteps, getting the chilling feeling of being watched from behind. She looked behind her, but no one was there. Just her ship about 50 steps away, give or take. She turned forward and continued walking.
***
(In the building)
The atmosphere was filled with this foul smell and its acidity stung her nose, but she was used to it due to her visit in Mars: Dessert City. Walking down a dark and creepy hallway, she noted the flickering lights, broken doors, shattered glass, decomposed bodies and blood splattered all over the wall and floor. Weird screams echoed all around her (that's what makes it spooky, right?)
In one of the rooms, she saw a white plastic curtain that was covering whatever was behind it. She went in with no hesitation, as her instincts told her hope was right behind those doors.
As she pushed the sheet back, she saw dozens tubes with sleeping young girls in them. Or maybe they're actually...
She gasps, stumbling back and believing that Genevieve was in one of the tubes. Eve looked everywhere but there was not a sign of her anywhere. She was about to leave the room when she heard heavy footsteps, getting progressively louder.
Eve quickly hid behind one of the tubes before they saw her.
As time passed, whoever it was eventually left, not noticing the blonde shebax.
Eve dodged a huge bullet.
Once the coast was clear, she quickly exited the room and searched some more. Thinking back of what Alice would think if she found out, that she travelled in this forbidden world alone, Eve knew she was kinda stupid and she would pay the price of that. But her instincts got the best of her (she thinks she can do everything on her own).
Alice and Ratchet would totally be mad at her, but she can't bear to see her bestie in so much pain after she lost her own daughter and witnessed her death with her own eyes.
She jumped when she heard her nav-unit beeping faintly, giving the area a little glow of blue. She knew it was her bestie trying to contact her, but the lack of reception made it near impossible to comprehend.
"Alice?! Is that you?!" The voice was so faint and it didn't help with all the static in the background.
"Eve! Do you copy?"
Not knowing where she was walking, Eve bumped into a metal door, hitting her head hard. She placed her hand on her head, trying to rub away the throbbing pain. She looked in through the little window on the door and saw a person on what looked like a hospital bed.
As she entered the room, no foul smells or blood were in her view. It was just a hygienic and clean white room. After seeing all the tools of some sort on a metal tray, she came across a bed with something (or someone) underneath covered by a blanket. She carefully pulled the white sheet, her expression was in surprise.
Right there, covered in tubes and a dirty breathing mask, was Alice's long lost daughter.
"Hi, Whaea Eve," Genevieve softly greeted, her eyes nearly swollen shut with grime. Then she noticed the horrified expression on Eve's face, and she added with, "Oh don't worry about all of this stuff; it's just protocol for my weekly experiments."
Now Eve was absolutely appalled. Say what now?
"Genevieve, why would they want to experiment on you?!" she whispered-screamed, glancing at the multiple wires that were keeping the young girl hostage.
"You still got a chance of living, just hang in there."
She heard someone coming, she was going to help Genevieve but didn't want to get caught, so she hid behind the big cabinet. She saw them injecting something into her fluid bag and pushing the bed that Genevieve was on into the hallway.
"Shit!"
There goes her only chance of saving her.
She clumsily followed them, trying to avoid getting busted. As she ran through the hallway, she noticed them walk into in a slaughter room?!
What. The. Hell?!
Eve had to do something before it was too late. It was a good thing that they left again, so it can give her time to save Genevieve.
————- ❈ ————-
Alice was barely able to hear Eve's staticky voice just before the line went dead.
And that was all she needed.
After being checked over and discharged from the hospital, she took a taxi back to her apartment. There, she found her son still playing hologames with Paris, Shayden, and Shyanne. Even though Eve had brought them to the hospital, she must have dropped them off here before she left.
Immediately, she began packing a bag of essentials. She didn't take the time to change into her pilot suit, hauling her belongings in only her bluish gray blouse and shorts. She didn't even bother to put shoes on, which could come and bite her in the long run.
At least she had the common sense to bring a decent weapon.
Because Paris was the eldest out of the four of them, Alice trusted her to keep an eye on everyone.
"Just call me if there are any problems," she said, giving Paris the spare communicator. "It's meant to work even without reception. If you try using the general phone, I probably won't answer."
Once she gave all of them a quick kiss on the head, she pulled out the device again (still broken and beeping) and hauled the luggage up the stairs to the terrace where her ship, Perihelion, was waiting.
This could get messy, quick. Eve was probably going to need all the help she can get.
°°°
It wasn't long before Alice spotted Eve's ship on the deteriorating landing pad. Carefully, she landed her own ship next to it and jumped out, Omniwrench in hand.
First thing that got her attention was the rundown building in front of her. And according to her Nav-Unit signature, Eve was deep inside.
"I never thought in a million years I would be back here."
Navigating through the maze of rotting walls, the energy waves became stronger. Along with it the stench.
It smelled like...death.
Just straight up death.
She wandered into the "hospital" wing of the place, knowing full well it was a far cry from that. From there, she heard the bustling of people walking and the screech of bed wheels. Hiding under the metal table, her ears picked up the quiet conversation that they were having.
"What did the boss say?" a distinctly deep voice asked.
"She says to just dispose of the rat and her mother will come." a shrill voice answered. "The fight ends here."
Alice's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to comprehend their words. Rat? Fight?
What did that even mean?
As soon as the strangers disappeared, leaving the bed behind, she heard someone else sneaking around, which she had to assume was Eve.
"Eve?" she called out in the now empty hallway. The figure that was lurking immediately froze up, not moving an inch. Alice couldn't help but smirk; she was 98% sure that she had just caught her friend in the act. "I know you're there."
Eve jumped in surprised; she knew who that voice was. She quickly turned around and there was Alice in the now empty hallway, the opposite of her. They both reunited with smiles on their faces.
"Alice!" Eve was surprised and shocked at the same time, but gave her a big hug, knowing she had some explaining to do. Eve was going to question her why she was here, but she'll be wasting time just worrying about that instead of planning to save Genevieve.
"Did you find anything?"
Eve shook the thought out and was happy to answer Alice's question.
"Well good news, sis: I just found Genevieve. She's that one over there", she said, pointing directly at the hospital bed, the third one on their left. "But we need to be aware of any of those strangers coming and going 'cause I nearly got caught by one of them, so we just need to keep our eyes and ears open."
Eve and Alice stared eye-to-eye, the shock glazing Alice's eyes to the point that Eve had to put her hands on both of her friend's arms and get her to focus her back on the present.
'This is no time to freeze up!' her thoughts screamed. 'Say something! Anything!'
"Alice?!"
"Yeah?" Alice numbly replied, her voice a murmur.
Eve sighed and continued. "If one of us don't get out of here alive, I'm making sure you and Genevieve survive. But... there will be a good chance of all three of us survive. I know we haven't got the time for this but, I know you, Ratchet and the kids need answers to why I left you and went off alone. I just... couldn't resist on seeing you like this, sis. I just want to save Genevieve - not because you didn't give me permission to, but because so you can be a happy family again. And because of my stupid brain always getting us in trouble."
To her dismay, Alice didn't even react to her lighthearted joke. But she continued talking anyway.
"That's why I came alone. I hope you can forgive me sis."
Eve guessed that she already wasted enough time. "But before you can forgive me," she started, pulling her taiaha out and getting into a defensive position, "are you ready to save Genevieve together, best friend?!"
Turning away from Eve's gaze, Alice glanced at the rusted bed, numerous emotions flowing through her brain.
The only thing she was thinking about was the fact that Genevieve was still alive. The proof of her child's fate was right in front of her, lying under the grimy white blanket.
The blanket that she had crocheted before her daughter disappeared.
She even saw the lump rise and fall ever so slightly, meaning the one she thought dead was still breathing. She was so shocked, she didn't even hear her friend's "cry" into battle.
"My baby's alive?" was all she uttered, not feeling Eve's grip on her arms. "I-I don't understand... I thought she – I mean – she bled out! I had her blood on my hands! I felt her body go cold! There's no way she would've – how did she survive?!"
The numbness quickly turned into anger.
Her grip tightened on her weapon as she bared her teeth, a low growl escaping from her throat. Her hand was now shaking violently, but this time it wasn't from hyperventilating.
For so long, she dealt with the loss of her daughter, struggled to comfort Genevieve's grieving twin, blocking out all memories from her mind, otherwise she would go into a frenzy of rage and despair.
All for what?
Nothing?
It got to the point where Alice didn't even remember being mad at Eve for her stupidity. All she cared about was saving her daughter and never coming back.
How dare these people put her family through this infernal suffering?
"Let's just go save my Gigi. I never want to see this place again."
Eve was just confused with how Alice froze and the sudden shift in her tone. She didn't know why she was suddenly acting like this. Maybe it was because she was shocked that she can finally reunite with her daughter who has been lost for so long, but she didn't want to mention it.
"Okay sis, let's go!" she cried, grabbing her taiaha and defending them just in case the strangers come in at the wrong time. Alice barely managed to rip the IV's out of Genevieve's body and grab her small body before being caught by the workers as they swiftly escaped the dilapidated building, dodging the strangers' attacks.
(Alice held Genevieve close while at the same time hitting them with her Omniwrench, and Eve with her taiaha).
Alice put Genevieve in her ship, and Eve jumped into hers and they both took off in a blink of an eye.
"We are never going back there again" she said to herself, even though she literally went there not knowing what she just witnessed until now.
The women and the child made it out in one piece, making sure they never have to experience that again. Through their brief journey, there was an awkward silence between their respective radio channels. Eve was shaken to her core and had sweaty hands, feeling stupid for nearly getting them killed just because of her.
All her emotions came back, and they really hit her hard.
"Oh no... not again," she whispered, feeling a breakdown incoming.
She quickly thought of something positive for now before she fell victim to an emotional spiral. So she thought of saving Alice's daughter together, which was a good thing. Although... What would the rest of them think?
As they returned to Metropolis City Hospital, they immediately took Genevieve in and the doctors did a few quick tests before settling her in room 245 on the 4th floor. Luckily, the girl was not in her mother's room, but the fact that she was forced to be hospitalized made both of them uneasy.
Everyone was sitting in the waiting room, till one of the doctors came, it was... Katy?! Eve knew who she was because of the yellow and pink flower in her brunette hair, but nonetheless, she was surprised to see her.
"Katy, is that you?!" she shouted, earning a smile from the white Lombax. "I didn't know you work here. "
"Hey, Eve," Katy greeted politely. "Yeah, me and my family travel everywhere, even here. So I'm just working for a little while."
"Is it okay to go and see Genevieve?"
"Yeah sure, go ahead."
They all entered the room, and before Katy left, she popped her head in to say one more thing.
"She's doing fine. She just needed a few tests and now she's healthy and clean. She just has a few scars on her body due to illegal experimentation. If you need anything, I'm always around, even if you want to sleep here, Alice, so you can be with your daughter. Okay, I have to check on the other patients, but I'll come back later."
In Genevieve's room, Alice sat down in the weathered chair next to the bed, putting her face in her hands.
She really didn't know how to feel at this moment. It was all too much at once.
On one hand, she was relieved that Eve had gone to the station and found the girl alive. On the other...what?
What the actual hell was happening?
She was shaken from her thoughts when she heard Genevieve's quiet voice.
"Hi, Mom."
It was the most beautiful thing Alice has heard in such a long time.
She jumped out of her seat and kneeled by the edge of the mattress, holding the young girl's hand as tightly as she could.
"Gigi! Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, hot tears pouring down her face. "Oh thank Orvus you're okay!"
Using her free arm, she hugged Genevieve with all her might, crying into her shoulder. The feeling of her daughter's small arms weakly wrapping around her neck was what made her completely break down.
For once, everything's going to be okay.
Sensing Eve's presence behind her, Alice turned around and looked at her friend with teary eyes.
"Thank you so much, sis. For bringing my family back together."
***
6770 words | edited: February 27, 2020