Fred wasn't sure he'd heard her right. He looked up, his expression slightly surprised, half-hopeful, tentative. "Anyone but me?" he repeated quietly, swallowing his fear and looking her in the eye. She had moved away from him a bit, and he suddenly craved her closeness. Unconsciously he leaned further across the counter. "I, erm ... I can't really imagine it either. Us not ending up together, I mean." His cheeks reddened a bit. "I mean, I just can't see myself with anyone else." He wanted so badly to reach out and touch her, but somehow, he couldn't bring himself too. There was a distance between them-- months and months of it. It was true that Fred couldn't imagine spending his life with anyone but Alice, but the pain of their break-up seemed to be sitting somewhere in his chest, weighing him down.