When The Lights Go Down

Your Song

There's something eerie yet peaceful about being up before everyone else, and FP basks in the quietness that surrounds him as he heads down to the lobby.

He passes a few people on his way but for the most part the hotel is quiet, it's patrons still sleeping. So when he makes his way downstairs he doesn't expect anyone else to be around, and he especially doesn't expect to find that someone in the form of Alice.

"Hey, what are you doing up?" He asks, taking her attention away from the journal she was furiously scribbling in.

"Hey," She greets. "Could ask you the same thing?"

"It's just been an odd few days, I thought that a little time to myself was called for." He explains, taking residence in the chair next to hers.

"Guess I'm sort of ruining that huh?" She jokes but he immediately shakes his head.

"Not at all, I'm actually kind of glad you're here." He tells her and she blushes.

"You are?"

"Yeah, I mean like I said it's been a weird couple of days and I know you've kind of gotten the brunt of Gladys' bad side, which you didn't deserve. I guess I just wanted you to know it's nothing personal, she's just a little territorial I guess."

"Well you're her husband," Alice says, though the statement comes out as more of a question that otherwise. "It's only natural she'd be a little on edge, it's good you two seem to be working things out though. You must be happy about that."

He locks eyes with her and sighs. "Can I be honest? I don't think I am." The revelation takes her by surprise and he continues. "I mean, I love her, I'll always love her, but I'm not in love with her anymore. Does that make sense?"

"You had a life together, you have a daughter, it's only natural you'd still love her in some way. But she still hurt you so deeply, so it also makes sense that you don't love her in the romantic sense anymore." She explains better for him. "I get it."

"It just happened, and I don't know how to tell her that I don't want to give us another try without her thinking I used her. It's just so messy, why did I do this?" He sighs dramatically and slumps further into his seat.

"You got caught up in a memory, all of those emotions came flooding back, it's understandable." She tells him, reaching over and placing her hand on his shoulder. "Just explain to her that it wasn't anything vindictive, that you got caught up in the moment, she'll understand."

He laughs. "You really don't know, Gladys."

She shrugs. "But I know you, and you have a good heart. I know you wouldn't use her or purposely hurt her, she'll know that too."

He stares just a little too long at her, letting her words sink in, before finally pulling his gaze away. "Damn, it's not even seven in the morning and I've already brought the mood way down."

Alice chuckles sweetly. "You didn't."

"Hey," He begins, swiftly sitting up in his seat. "You mentioned there was some songs you wrote for me, can I see them?"

"Oh right!" She gasps, quickly opening her notebook and flipping through it until she finds the one she wants to show him. "This one I just sort of wrote it with your voice in mind, I tried singing it myself but it just doesn't fit as well as I think it would for you." She explains, passing the book to him.

He reads her pretty, loopy handwriting with excitement, the title; A Showman's Life, immediately drawing him in.

A showman's life is a smokey bar
And the fevered chase of a tiny star
It's a hotel room and a lonely wife
From what I've seen of a showman's life
Nobody told me about this part

They told me all about the pretty girls
And the wine and the money and the good times
There's no mention of all the wear and tear
On an old honky tonker's heart
Well I might have known it
But nobody told me about this part

A boy will dream, as children do
Of a Great White Way, until the dream comes true
And a phony smile in a colored light
Is all there is to a showman's life
Nobody told me about this part

They told me all about the pretty girls
And the wine and the money and the good times
There's no mention of all the wear and tear
On an old honky tonker's heart
Well I might have known it
But nobody told me about this part

He finishes reading the lyrics and then reads them all over again, completely entranced by it. "I love it." He admits.

"Really? Because you don't have to say that just because-"

"No, Alice, really. I love it. You really want me to sing this?" He's touched that she would want him to sing something so beautifully written, something that he's sure she could sell for big money.

"Absolutely. If you want to, that is."

"I would be honoured." He begins to flip through the next few pages before Alice can stop him and when she does finally realize what he's flipped onto she reaches for it. He holds it just out of arms length. "What's this one?" He wonders. "Smokin' Jacket? Consider me intrigued."

"FP!" She squirms in her seat and stretches across him to snatch the book from his hands. "That is not finished, and not for you."

He raises an eyebrow at her. "Is it about me?" He wonders.

"No, it's just a song I'm working on." She attempts, snapping the book closed.

He chuckles. "It's totally about me."

"You know, I had more songs in here for you, but I can just as easily toss them." She retorts and he chuckles again, holding his hands up in defence.

"Fine, fine. It's not about me." He raises an eyebrow at her. "However, if you ever do want to share it, I'm all ears."

She opens the book again, looking for one of the other songs she had for him. He watches her for a moment before speaking again. "Maybe one day I'll show you the songs I have for you."

"For me?" She beams.

"For you, for us, about you, about us." He nonchalantly drawls. "I've got it all."

She smirks. "You wrote a song about me."

"You wrote one about me." He fires back.

"Nooo," She teases. "You think I wrote one about you."

He smirks himself and leans back, whispering lowly. "You wrote a song about me."