Alice Munroe (ex_barebones985) wrote in the_colony, @ 2010-01-08 22:06:00 |
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Entry tags: | ^ week 02, alice munroe, ~ series: nv meetups |
Week Two - Wednesday
Characters: Cody Davidson and Alice Munroe
Location: Alice's house.
Summary: Part 3/3. Alice returns home, and cries on Cody's shoulder. Clearly she's upset by more than just the injustice of it all.
Going by Cody's barely awake state of mind, Alice had been gone for hours. He had laid out on the couch on his back after being left alone, miserable and completely quiet. He had nobody to talk to -- no one that would respond anyway -- and so ranting didn't seem to make a lot of sense to him. He wasn't the type to continue to work himself up, fume, boil over. It just wasn't in his nature. Instead he found himself staring at the ceiling, his eyes blurring as he grew more and more tired. It was getting harder to stay away these days, or maybe it was his imagination. Maybe it was the stress... or maybe he was really depressed. Whatever the cause, Cody yawned and laid the back of his hand against his forehead, his arm propped against the back of the couch as he tried to find some kind of stillness in his mind. Within moments he had fallen asleep there, mouth slightly open as he lost himself to his exhaustion.
All the energy spent arguing with Jed had left Alice drained, but even then she found herself slamming the door as she entered her house. Everything had gone so horribly wrong, and it was her fault. She had been stupid to even try bringing them together. She couldn't blame Cody, not after taking the time to know him. Even if they hadn't had a week of her checking in on him daily, she genuinely believed that had she met Cody first -- before Jed -- that the outcome would have been the same.
Mostly, she just hated that she'd broken her own rules and talked with anyone altogether. Everything had been fine before she'd met Jed. Now everything was different. The women at the meetups had been eager to look for Jack, and probably wouldn't even notice if she was gone. It's better this way anyway, she told herself, feeling the tears welling up in her again as she found one of the larger pillows on her chair and brought it with her on the couch to hold on to. All she wanted to do was cry herself to sleep. She only hoped Cody would understand that she hadn't came straight over when she got home.
Cody stirred when he felt a vibration pass through the couch he was laid out on, sitting up as it echoed and then died out. It had to be Alice coming home. There was no other reason he could easily pinpoint. She had to be furious to have slammed her door so hard, and Cody wasn't sure whether or not he should bother her. He got up regardless, stepping over the dog in his way to go for his backpack. Quickly, he pulled out his pen and paper and turned to leave. "Stay," he said to Shep, and after making his way outside, Cody walked over to where Alice's townhouse was, the two buildings side by side.
He approached the door with a sigh, glanced at the windows and then over his shoulder, and then finally brought up a fist to knock twice. "Alice?" he called through the door. "It's me."
Alice sat up the moment she heard the knock, her heart leaping in her chest. She stopped in front of the mirror in the little hallway in an attempt to compose herself, wiping her face dry before she finally opened the door.
Cody offered Alice a half-smile, his own disappointment and frustrations seeping through into his expression as he looked her over. She had definitely taken the whole ordeal a lot more seriously than he'd thought she would. "Hey," he started, his tone quiet, "I didn't mean for all that..." He groaned quietly, touching his forehead and running his palm along toward the back of his head. "I'm sorry today didn't go the way you wanted, Alice."
Alice tried to smile, but her face refused to make the expression. Whatever fragile attempt at looking nonchalant crumbled, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks and her body curving inward as she broke down into sobs again. She wanted so hard to be strong, for her sake as well as his, but Jed had taken that away from her, too. She'd have to start all over again.
Blinking in mild stunned confusion, Cody stepped forward with his arms outstretched, fingers hovering a moment before settling on her shoulders. "Hey," he tried, his tone gentle. He didn't enjoy seeing others in pain, and for someone like Alice to be suffering... It wasn't exactly easy for him to stomach. "It's alright, Alice. I'm not upset. Some people get off on putting others down." Hopefully making the right move, Cody pulled her into a hug, his arms offering a strong and supportive comfort as they closed around her smaller body. She easily shifted to settle into his shape, one hand curling in the cloth of his shirt as she sobbed. Alice shook her head in protest but otherwise didn't say anything. It was all too new and fresh for her to even really process, but one thing stuck out in her mind.
"He used me!" she finally sobbed, knowing he couldn't hear her but too caught up in her own emotions. "He just u-used me for his-- his-- own damn goals."
Cody was glad that what he'd done was so easily accepted, closing his eyes most of the way to hold onto Alice for as long as she needed him. He wasn't going anywhere, not until she pulled back or signaled she wanted to be let go. Very gently, Cody rubbed a hand against her back, right in the middle of her spine to let her know he was there for her. He could feel her sobbing, feel the heavy breath and the way her body shook -- but for once he was glad he couldn't hear the pain in her voice. It was a slight mercy.
It was a good long while before Alice's sobs finally subsided enough that she could breathe again. She pulled back slowly, wiping her eyes with both hands, then gesturing to the couch after tossing her head back to the bathroom and pointing to her face. She wanted to clean up before she went into trying to explain everything that had happened.
Nodding a few times, Cody moved away to go sit on the couch, watching her over his shoulder as he walked. "Take your time," he told her, offering a tender smile before sinking into the cushions. He heaved a sigh and leaned back, laying his head on the back of the couch. More than anything, Cody just wanted for them to be okay again, for everything to settle down and smooth over. He appreciated Alice and everything she'd done for him; the last thing he wanted was to know that she was suffering, and for something that he'd potentially put into her lap.
Alice went to the half-bathroom on the first floor and washed her face with cold water, taking a few deep breaths to relax herself. When she felt that she was pulled together enough she moved back toward the living room again, pausing long enough in the kitchen to grab them both water before sitting across from him.
Cody lifted his head when he saw Alice pass through his vision, blinking a few times as she sat down. "How're you doing?" he asked, his brow curved slightly upward in mild concern. He knew she was unsettled by the earlier encounter, and unfortunately wasn't sure how to best handle it.
Alice found her rucksack, pulling out the whiteboard and writing everything down. It took her a few minutes, and at one point she had to stop and force herself to calm down again, but once she was done she passed it back to him. She plucked the bottle of water out from between her thighs and flipped up the tap, taking a deep pull from it.
I don't know what came over him. He isn't normally like this. He seems to have it in his head that you're a charity case, and that I only helped you out of humanity's sake. I got so angry at him that I wanted to shoot him. He obviously hasn't been around someone deaf before. Hell, neither have I, but at least I get having lost something. I told him I wasn't going to go with him to the meetups anymore and that he could do it by his own damn self, I don't care anymore. He can have three women fawning all over him, I don't care.Cody took the whiteboard and the bottled water she'd brought in for him, calmly setting the bottle beside him and the board in his lap. He opened the bottle as he began to read, his eyes scanning over the words, traveling back again and repeating the same lines. Finally he looked up, taking a drink before answering. "Sometimes people say things," he said, unable to believe he was even offering a slight defense in that other man's defense. "They say things they don't really mean... I'm not saying it was right." He shook his head, handing the board back across to her. "If it were right of him to do what he did, you and I wouldn't be sitting here right now. I wouldn't have left and we wouldn't still be talking about it... I guess I'm just saying that... under stress, things slip out. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt but -- well, in all honesty I'd like to deck him good and solid once, right in the face." He gestured to his cheek, tapping lightly. A soft laugh escaped him, and he shook his head calmly. "And really, if he has three women fawning on him, you gotta wonder." Cody was trying hard to be light-humored if he could, to try and make things easier on the both of them.
See you tomorrow.