Checkmate || OUAT Fanfic || DISCONTINUED

Chapter 24; Little Do You Know

"That's the power of people, I suppose

Every other thing in your life could be going on perfectly to plan

But if you are missing somebody,

It's hell."

~ Beau Taplin // H e l l

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Alice's P.O.V

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    I take a deep breath and hold it in for five seconds before breathing it out. I repeat those steps again. And again. And again. And again. Until I've finally calmed back down again. I exhale heavily before opening my eyes and leaning against the headrest.
    Why? Why did this have to happen to me? I just lost my baby boy, and knowing that he isn't the only one I've lost- Knowing that he isn't the only one is much worse.

    I feel like I've betrayed Peter. Like- Like I've abandoned him. I promised him I'd never forget about him or move on. But I did. I did just that and I even told him to leave me alone when all he's been doing is trying to get me to remember our past. Tears slide down my cheeks when I think about all the times I've pushed him away when he tried to contact me. All the times that I shouted at him and told him to leave me alone.

    The memories of all the times he visited me in my sleep flashes in my mind and I'm not fast enough to prevent them from replaying in my mind. The first memory that appears is a time Peter visited me in my dreams. It was the tenth time that he'd visited me that month, back when he thought that I'd get my memories back on my own.

    It was also around the time when I thought it was just a silly dream and that the boy who visited me was a figment of my imagination...

    "Alice," his face lights up when he sees me. "You're back."
    "I am," I reply lazily.
    "How- How are you?" he asks, a hopeful look on his face.
    "I still don't know who you are if that's what you're asking."
    The hopeful look disappears and is replaced with a crestfallen one. "Oh."
    "W-Well how are you?" He repeats, walking past the counter and making his way towards me.

    "How are our- y-your sons?"
    "They're good. The twins are enjoying school and I've been talking Cassie to my workplace when Tia isn't available to babysit."
    "How's-" he swallows as if what he's about to ask me physically hurts him. "How's Ray?"
    "He's great. We're going to be celebrating our one year anniversary soon."

    "That's- That's brilliant," he replies.
    The room slowly begins to fade and his smile drops.
    "You're waking up."
    "Seems like it," I reply, emotionless.
    "Will I see you again?" He asks.
    "I don't know," I reply. "You're the one who's haunting me in my sleep."
    He flashes me another pained look. "I wasn't aware that my presence was a nuisance to you."

    The memory fades before I manage to reply to him and another one immediately replaces it. This memory is a more recent one. I wasn't in a particularly good mood and Peter wasn't really helping. My heart aches when I recall the words I said to him that day...

    "Alice, it's me. Peter. Don't you remember me?" he asks, taking my hands in his when I don't reply.
   "I'm your soulmate," he continues. "We love each other. I was going to build a new home for us to raise our baby boy together. We were going to-"
   "Stop it!" I yell, snatching my hands away from him. "I don't know you are, but I know that you're definitely not my soulmate. I have a boyfriend and I'm very happy with him."