TDOTL Fanfiction

Alice

Six Years Later

A line sat firmly above the bridge of Alice's nose as she clung to her mum's hand. Both her parents were fidgeting nervously, their faces a confusing combination of excitement and apprehension as they stood in the brightly-lit Arrivals part of the airport. Alice herself was perplexed for one thing --her older sister Stephanie had been gone for almost all her life (six and three quarter years), no one knew where and had only now decided to come home. Why come back?

Alice felt almost offended: was there something wrong with them? A part of her felt intruded upon; she, Mum and Dad were perfectly happy without this Stephanie, and if she'd been gone so long why should they let her back into their family?
Stephanie had abandoned them. (Alice had decided this on the car journey here and she was sticking with it.)

...She supposed a tiny, teensy, weensy part of her was  a bit excited. (She'd always been intrigued by the stories of her older sister and had secretly always wanted a sibling.) But only a bit. And she wouldn't let her parents know that.

As if to prove this to herself, Alice deepened her scowl and crossed her arms in the most stubborn way she could manage. She glanced sideways at Dad, expecting him to give her a quizzical look and a sarcastic remark but his eyes remained glued to where the passengers were unloaded.

Groups of said passengers began to roll into Arrivals with their wheely suitcases and searching gazes. Many were immediately engulfed by family and friends, faces all alight with the delight of reunion. Alice's parents herded her along, closer to the passenger walkway. Reluctantly, Alice shuffled forward.

And then the girl, or woman she supposed, strode into Arrivals.

Alice gave a little gasp. She was so pretty! She was tall with long legs, quite pale skin, dark eyes and dark hair that shone slightly as it fanned out behind her. She was dressed in a black jacket with a leathery quality, tight, dark jeans and black trainers. Her luggage consisted of a large suitcase and a huge sportsbag but she didn't appear to be struggling with it.

Alice's parents started waving frantically and half-shouting,

"Stephanie! Steph! Over here!" The pretty dark haired woman turned at their noise and Alice felt a rush of embarrassment until the girl smiled, highlighting a dimple, before hurrying over to them. Utterly puzzled, Alice could only stare as the grown ups hugged. Alice's mum had tears in her eyes as she drank in the dark haired woman's face, and Dad was sniffling as he embraced the woman over and over.

"Steph, hon, it's so good to have you back!" Mum choked, smiling in a way that threatened a tearful break-down. Smiling, the woman said,

"It's great to be back." Then she turned to Alice, squatting down so their eyes were level. Close up, the woman was even prettier, with barely a blemish on her features, a subtle nose --like her own, she thought-- with a few tiny freckles only visible from this close, a slight rosiness in her cheeks and lips; dark eyebrows and tiny flecks of gold in her dark, warm eyes, and her soft, dark hair fell in ripples on her shoulders and around her oval-shaped, fairy-like face. Apprehensively, the woman smiled at her.

"Hi, Alice. I haven't seen you since you were a baby." Alice felt her eyes widen and her sharp intake of breath. Could this be...? "I'm Stephanie." Without realizing she'd said it, Alice blurted out,

"Why did you leave?" Stephanie's smile slipped slightly. Alice's parents stiffened. Stephanie considered a moment before she answered,

"I guess...I just needed some time to figure out my next move." Alice frowned.

"Your next move in what?" This time when Stephanie smiled it was sort of sad and more like a grimace.

"Life." She stated simply, then straightened up and turned to her parents.

"Should we go?" She asked. Mum and Dad nodded, seemingly unable to believe that their first daughter stood before them, and Alice followed the grown ups to the car park, utterly bemused by the lot of them.