Just a woman (Ban x reader: Sequel)

19. Return

Your eyes widen as Alice places her hands over your stomach, gently caressing it over the silky material of the dress your body wore.

"Alice, what do you mean by that?" you question, not sure if she was being serious or not. She lets out a long sigh and turns to the girl who lay asleep on the bed. She leaned forward and cupped her cheek, smiling sadly.

"I want you to take your body back. You speak so fondly of those around you, your fiance, daughter and friends. You have so much awaiting you in your life, I don't want to be the one who takes it all away, not only from you but those who care deeply for you as well. When they all came in I could see how much they needed you, you were the reason they were hear after all," she says, ending with a sad chuckle.

"In my life, I constantly get in the way and there is nothing I have to win the hearts of those around me. I'm constantly looked down upon." You hated that she felt this way, it reminded you of how you felt in the period where you didn't have Ban and was constantly leaving Ava. You felt like a terrible mother and that you weren't good enough for anything, but unlike Alice, you had a lot of pride and that is what kept your head held high.

You wished that you could think of something to say to Alice, something which would make her feel a lot better about herself since you seemed to be the only one who thought she was anything but useless.

"Come on, Alice. Don't be like that. When you look at yourself you only see what other people do, there's so much more to you than what you've said," you say, hoping she'll feel better. With a sigh, her head droops while her eyes drift across the stone floor. After not receiving an answer, you decide to continue.

"You worked in a bakery, that must require specific skills and from what I heard, you are a very caring person. You love your sister even though you were jealous of her and I'm guessing that you still love your family even though they've abandoned you. You have such a big, fragile heart, Alice. I think that's why you fell in love with Edward. He was offering you interactions which no one else would give you, your heart was weak and so it latched onto the smallest bit of hope." She slowly nods her head, finally lifting it as she shuffles closer to the resting girl.

"Thank you, (Y/n). I really appreciate the encouragement but there's nothing left for me out there," she whispers, laying beside the girl. The bed was small so there wasn't very much room, it didn't seem to bother Alice at all. She let out a long breath and stared up at the ceiling, her hand gently taking that of the resting girl. Being trapped in your own head, you were unsure of what was happening.

"I'll do whatever I can to bring your happiness back." The windows to the world outside became blurry for a moment before they disappeared, leaving you in complete darkness.

Your eyes slowly fluttered open, taking time to adjust to the light even though it was so dim. There wasn't much but it was really making it difficult to wake up. Exhaling loudly, you sat yourself up and looked around. No longer were you in the empty room of your own mind, you were now sitting in the small, barely furnished room. A lit torch hung on the wall beside the door and the flame of a candlestick wavered gently as you moved. Hesitantly, you stood and made your way over to the edge of the room where a mirror hung. You smiled brightly at the sight of yourself, now you were finally back to the way you were before. You could go back to the kingdom and live with Ban, Ava and your soon to be born son, go on missions with the sins and get married. The happiness was overwhelming, it sent pleasant shivers all over your body.

Your hands then drifted down to your stomach where you gently rubbed over the material. It was hard to believe that you were carrying another baby, another child which you were having with Ban. Tears of joy filled your eyes and then began streaming down your cheeks as you thought about how everything from this moment would play out. Only after you heard a groan did you remember that you weren't alone in the room.

Turning your head, you watched as the resting girl awakened. Her long dark-brown hair was pulled back into a plait which ended halfway down her back. A few short, wispy piece of hair hung around the front, swaying as she moved to sit up. Her eyes were a deep green while her chubby cheeks were littered with freckles. She was a little chubby, the weight obvious in her face and body size but overall there was nothing wrong with her. You knew exactly who she was, she was Alice.

You approached the bed, offering your hand to the confused girl as she looked around. She saw your hand, her eyes drifted up your arm, stopping when she met your gaze.

"It's nice to finally meet you properly, Alice," you greet with a wide grin. Her eyes widened before she looked down at her body, letting a sigh of disappointment.

"So I'm me again, huh?" she whispers. You noticed how upset she looked about it and couldn't help but do something. Pulling her to her feet, you looked down loving at her. You rested your hands on her cheeks and places a kiss on her forehead, she seemed to be half a head shorter than you.

"You may call yourself ugly, horrid and useless but after everything you've told me, everything you've done for me and me seeing you now... I have no idea what you're talking about."

"But-."

"No buts, I think you're caring and kind. Also, I think that you are very beautiful, after all of those stories I don't know why anyone would push you away. It seems like Rosie was the only one who could see you, for you." Without a reply, Alice quickly hugs you. Her face hides in your shoulder as she sobs quietly, obviously feeling very moved by your words.

After a while of crying, Alice pulls away and wipes her tear-stained face with the sleeve of her dress. She remained quiet, still in your embrace. Her head resting on your chest with her arms wrapped around your waist.

"I think it's time for us to go now, Alice. We still have a lot to do, those girls need our help," you remind her. Alice gives a determined nod and releases you from her hold. But before the two of you leave the room, you place another kiss on her forehead. Her cheeks burn bright red as they had done the first time, only now did you notice. She hadn't ever really received affection from others so this was new to her. You couldn't help your behaviour either, you couldn't push the thoughts away but Alice reminded you a lot of your sister, Avery.

Sorry for not updating in a while. I had this chapter written but hadn't gotten a chance to edit it so here it is. Hope you're still enjoying the story. Vote and follow me for more. Thank ya XD