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(OOC: Alice's friend April ended up in the Nexus after some major shit went down in Smallville. Alice ended up offering the services of her and her friends, and ended up in Smallville with Doc, Marty, and Victor, ready to help save the day.)
They arrive home to Dee in her car form, waiting for them in the parking lot. She promptly transmogrifies back into a girl and gives her Dad a hug, asking how everyone is and if Clark is okay. Doc assures her that things are all right and that Clark's back and in good health (so far as anyone knows). Knowing that permanent disaster has been averted calms the little girl down, and she proceeds to give out hugs while Doc decides everyone ought to have a bite to eat.
Alice watches her friends as they all settle down in Doc's 'living room' area in his apartment. They're all still a little on-edge -- seeing the destruction in Smallville and DC and watching the Fortress go dead was hardly a pleasant experience. To feel so helpless at times, wanting to help but unable to find a way to do so. . . . And she knows that some of what happened hit them harder than they let on while working to set things right. Marty and Doc have told her of their forced separation, and how they'd feared it was permanent. To hear of that nearly happening to Clark and April -- well, that had to have brought up some old terrors. Marty is certainly sticking a little closer to his best friend than usual. And the issue with Lex. . .it's obvious how much it bothered Victor. To know someone else is trapped in the same situation you were once in, and not being able to help. . . . And the part where it seemed that Lex would have to be killed. . .Alice can't stop herself from picturing Victor in that position, with herself in Clark's place, having to drive a knife into his heart. . . .
She shudders and forces the image out of her mind. It didn't come to that, in either case. Both Lex and her boyfriend are safe. She reaches over and takes his hand in hers, squeezing lightly. Victor looks over at her and squeezes back. No words need to be said. It's enough to know that he's here, with a beating heart and his mind his own. She hopes April and Clark are getting their share of quiet time together as well. God, if she were ever in April's position -- it was bad enough when she thought she had to give him up. To have him taken from her. . . . And that of course leads to thoughts of her house, her parents, all consumed in the flames. . . .
Victor pulls her a little closer. "Are you all right?" he whispers.
She looks up into those big brown eyes. She wants to say "Promise me you won't ever leave me," but it's a promise she knows he can't make. Even if he stays with her the rest of his life, he'll still die one day. That he can't help. Instead, she leans up against him. "I can't stop thinking about all the bad things," she murmurs. "All the ways in which what happened in Smallville. . . ." She trails off, unable to quite put it into words.
Victor understands, though. "I know," he says, brushing a bit of her hair away from her face. "But Clark's back, and Lex is all right. Just like with us, nothing was permanent." He smiles a little. "And we saved Clark's mother and his friend. That must count for something."
Alice smiles too at that. Yes, it does. She may not have been able to save her own parents, but helping Clark's mother and Lois like that balances the scales in her mind a little. And Victor's right -- Clark came home, and Lex was freed without having to be killed. Just like with their situations, the good and the right triumphed. It was a hard day -- but it was ultimately a good day.
But she thinks it'll take her a little while to stop being so embarrassed at being the one to greet Clark with her Vorpal Blade.
They arrive home to Dee in her car form, waiting for them in the parking lot. She promptly transmogrifies back into a girl and gives her Dad a hug, asking how everyone is and if Clark is okay. Doc assures her that things are all right and that Clark's back and in good health (so far as anyone knows). Knowing that permanent disaster has been averted calms the little girl down, and she proceeds to give out hugs while Doc decides everyone ought to have a bite to eat.
Alice watches her friends as they all settle down in Doc's 'living room' area in his apartment. They're all still a little on-edge -- seeing the destruction in Smallville and DC and watching the Fortress go dead was hardly a pleasant experience. To feel so helpless at times, wanting to help but unable to find a way to do so. . . . And she knows that some of what happened hit them harder than they let on while working to set things right. Marty and Doc have told her of their forced separation, and how they'd feared it was permanent. To hear of that nearly happening to Clark and April -- well, that had to have brought up some old terrors. Marty is certainly sticking a little closer to his best friend than usual. And the issue with Lex. . .it's obvious how much it bothered Victor. To know someone else is trapped in the same situation you were once in, and not being able to help. . . . And the part where it seemed that Lex would have to be killed. . .Alice can't stop herself from picturing Victor in that position, with herself in Clark's place, having to drive a knife into his heart. . . .
She shudders and forces the image out of her mind. It didn't come to that, in either case. Both Lex and her boyfriend are safe. She reaches over and takes his hand in hers, squeezing lightly. Victor looks over at her and squeezes back. No words need to be said. It's enough to know that he's here, with a beating heart and his mind his own. She hopes April and Clark are getting their share of quiet time together as well. God, if she were ever in April's position -- it was bad enough when she thought she had to give him up. To have him taken from her. . . . And that of course leads to thoughts of her house, her parents, all consumed in the flames. . . .
Victor pulls her a little closer. "Are you all right?" he whispers.
She looks up into those big brown eyes. She wants to say "Promise me you won't ever leave me," but it's a promise she knows he can't make. Even if he stays with her the rest of his life, he'll still die one day. That he can't help. Instead, she leans up against him. "I can't stop thinking about all the bad things," she murmurs. "All the ways in which what happened in Smallville. . . ." She trails off, unable to quite put it into words.
Victor understands, though. "I know," he says, brushing a bit of her hair away from her face. "But Clark's back, and Lex is all right. Just like with us, nothing was permanent." He smiles a little. "And we saved Clark's mother and his friend. That must count for something."
Alice smiles too at that. Yes, it does. She may not have been able to save her own parents, but helping Clark's mother and Lois like that balances the scales in her mind a little. And Victor's right -- Clark came home, and Lex was freed without having to be killed. Just like with their situations, the good and the right triumphed. It was a hard day -- but it was ultimately a good day.
But she thinks it'll take her a little while to stop being so embarrassed at being the one to greet Clark with her Vorpal Blade.
