The Art Of Us

16 • We're There With You

FP slowly made his way back into the Wyrm, feeling ashamed, confused and free all at the same time. His string to Gladys was cut, but he wondered at what cost. He sighed deeply, while leaning against the bar, pinching his nose in frustration.

"Are you okay, brother?" Fred dared to ask.

"No. I need a drink." He grumbled, walking behind the counter to get himself a scotch.

"Be careful with that." Fred warned him, knowing that he might drink more than he could handle.

"I just lost someone who controlled me and I am not looking for a replacement, thank you very much." FP snapped annoyed, but immediately regretted his words when he saw the hurt flash in his friend's eyes.

"Sorry, I am just on edge." He apologized.

"Is she going to leave you alone?" Fred wondered, hoping for FP that this was the end of it.

"No, definitely not. But I am not falling for her mind tricks again, so there's that." FP said, sighing a little. It was a step into the right direction.

His eyes fell on Alice, who stood a few feet away from him as if she was scared to come closer. He knew that he had lashed out on her, which wasn't fair.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have yelled. It's just that... when you asked me if there might have happened something that I wasn't okay with... it was the first time I realized what was going on. Ever since that moment, I've been so... mad. At her, at myself... Everything was so suddenly so clear. I liked things better when it was all so blurry." He confessed, with a crack in his voice.

"But if I don't open my eyes for what happened the past sixteen years, I won't be able to move on. For that to happen, I need to go through this reality. No matter how much it hurts." His eyes shimmered with tears, but as he looked at her he knew he would be fine.

"Come here." Alice gestured for him to come closer, as all she could give him was the comfort of a hug.

He accepted her embrace and pulled her close, and just like that it felt like time hadn't passed.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything, that wasn't my place." Alice said, feeling the need to apologize to him as well.

"It's okay. It felt nice to have someone stand up for me. Haven't felt what that is like in sixteen years." He gave her a soft smile.

"You can stay with me tonight, if you'd like? I don't like the idea of you being alone right now." Alice said sweetly, hoping that he'd be okay with that. She didn't want to leave him in Wyrm tonight, not when he was feeling like this.

"Yeah, I'd like that." He smiled. He did need to be around her, staying her all by himself would only make him spiral. With her, all that simply disappeared for the time being.

Fred walked over to the two and placed his hand on FP's shoulder.

"You're not alone, my friend. This fight against Gladys? We're in there with you." He promised.

"Thanks, Fred. Maybe I have a chance of winning with the two of you by my side." FP knew that it could turn out to be a nasty fight, but he trusted Fred and Alice enough to know that they would support him in everything.

**

Alice and FP made their way up the stairs towards her apartment, and as she looked for her keys, she remembered something important. Just before they were about to enter, she looked up at him.

"Before we go in... Charles is here. I know you haven't seen each other since..." Her sentence trailed of, afraid to say the words out loud and upset him even more.