Terrible Things
Unexpected Visitors
"What about this one?" Emily held out a bright blue top and put it up to her chest.
"No way!" Ley squealed as she delved into her sisters wardrobe. "You have to wear a dress to this party!" I laughed as I watched the two girls try to sort out Emily's outfit for her birthday. It had been two months since the trial and our lives had been perfect. All Time Low committed to only doing shows in the USA because Alex didn't want to be too far away from me and the girls while I was pregnant and Chloe's Smile had gone on hold, only playing a couple of shows here and there. I leaned back on Emily's bed and smiled. The girls settled on a dark blue dress which fit her perfectly.
"You're birthday is so perfect." I giggled. "We can have a birthday and a Christmas party all rolled into one!" The two girls laughed as a knock sounded from the door. Miri yapped at the sound and bounced down the stairs before me. I carefully navigated the steps and hurried to the continuous knocking at the door. "I'm coming!" I turned the dead bolt and flung the door open, exasperated with the visitors impatience. "What..." I stared into the eyes of my father.
"Caroline." My father sighed as he pulled me into a hug. I stood rigid, shocked by the visit.
"What are you doing here?" I mumbled as I pulled out of his embrace.
"I came to see my baby girl. Why else would I be here?" His smile seemed genuine. It was like he had forgotten everything that had happened. His eyes wandered over my shoulder to where the girls must have appeared in the stairs. "Whose this?" I looked shakily at the girls and pointed to them.
"Emily and Ley. They're practically my kids." I shook it off and took a firm stance before addressing him. "But that doesn't add up. You refused to talk to me after Jaime died. You blamed me for everything even though the police said it had nothing to with me because you hadn't fixed the loose floorboard. I don't exactly want you here." He looked shocked, like he had expected me to welcome him back into my life with open arms. I flicked a text quickly to Emily and told her to call Roland and tell him my father was at the door. I turned to watch the two girls disappear into the garage. If anything, at least Roland would come by and try help me be rid of my father.
"You're kids? Caroline, I wanted to spend Christmas with my family." I sighed and shook my head.
"You've been evicted, haven't you? I can practically smell the whiskey." My fathers eyes went wide as he realised I had figured him out. "I have a family now. I can't have a drunken fool ruining it!"
"But Caroline! I'm trying to sober up! I want to be around my family for support! I want to be apart of your life again." He wiped a tear from his cheek. I loved my fathers acting, it was so predictable. "The Peters' together again. A Family." I laughed coldly.
"I'm not a Peters anymore. I changed my name years ago. I'm a Fuentes. They treated me better than I could possibly imagine. I felt at home with them, they gave me a life, a job. I have a brilliant and successful career, an amazing fiance and two beautiful daughter and another one on the way. My life is fantastic and I'll be damned if I'm letting you back in to sap all the money and time out of this family. I'd appreciate it if you left now."
"You can't push me away! You need me!"
"I'm twenty-five! I don't need you anymore. I survived seven years without you and I can damn well survive the rest of my life as well!" My voice raised to a scream as Roland ran up the drive-way and dragged my father away into his car. "I don't need you." I slammed the door shut, flicked a quick text thank-you to Roland and broke down on the floor crying. Ley slid down next to me while Emily turned on the kettle.
"Tea?" I nodded and wiped the tears from my cheeks, only so they could be replaced with more.
"We called Alex as well. He said he would be home on the twenty-first so we only need to wait three more days. " Ley pulled me to her and stroked my hair. "Vic's on his way. I called him after Roland and Alex. He's going to stay until Lex gets back." I smiled a thank-you to the young girl before letting her help me get to my feet and make my way to the couch. A whimpering puppy jumped onto my lap and I laughed as Miri licked my face, trying to get herself into the right position for optimum coverage. Emily pushed the dog off me as she handed me my tea and picked the tablet up off the coffee table.
"The Little Mermaid?" We all nodded and settled down with popcorn as the TV rose out of the floor.
"I have never had such a slow flight in all my life!" Vic announced as he jumped through the front door the following morning. The two girls jumped up from where they had been sitting with their tutors and squealed.
"Uncle Vic!" The mexican laughed as he tucked them both under his arms and drove them back to the table.
"Do your math." He looked around the room before his eyes rested on me. "How are you?" I shrugged and mumbled.
"I'm okay. It was a shock."
"I jumped on a plane as soon as I heard. I thought I'd help out for a couple of days." He slumped down on the couch next to me. "Wedding, baby, party. I have a list." I laughed at my brother and leaned against his shoulder. Vic picked the wedding scrapbook up from the coffee table. "Decide on a date yet?" I laughed and shook my head.
"We haven't got a clue. Not since this one threw us off course." I stroked my bump and sighed.
"Why on earth won't you find out if it's a girl or a boy? How else are you going to decide on a name?" Vic looked exasperated. I swear, sometimes it seemed as if he and Jack were way more excited about this baby than Alex and I.
"We haven't even discussed names yet. I don't know if I want to know, that's all." The thought nudged at me, I could start shopping if I knew... Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to find out. I'd have to ask Alex.
I felt a warm body slide into bed beside me and stir me from my sleep. I groaned and rolled over to find Alex's beaming face next to mine. I flung my tired arms around him and pulled him into me.
"Hey there, baby doll." He giggled as he kissed me. "Miss me much?" I nodded stupidly as I cuddled as close to his body as I could. "We have a party tonight. Are you ready?" I pointed to the large box in the corner of the room full of things Vic had gone a bought for the party.
"All done." I smiled up at Alex, glad to have him home. He pushed me onto my back and pulled up my top to show my enlarging stomach.
"Hey there baby! Daddy's home!" He kissed my belly button and leaned his ear onto me, listening. "Or you could kick my face." I giggled as I felt the baby aim a blow at Alex's forehead. "That's cool too." I rolled away from my fiance to check the time on the alarm clock. Nine-thirty. I had things to do, decorations to put up. I had to turn the bottom storey of my house into a winter wonderland by eight. I slid out of bed and pulled my shirt back down, searching for my robe.
"Carrie." Alex's voice interrupted my search. "I want to know."
"Want to know what, baby?" I turned to face him, pulling the fluffy material over my shoulders.
"I want to know what the baby is."
"No way!" Ley squealed as she delved into her sisters wardrobe. "You have to wear a dress to this party!" I laughed as I watched the two girls try to sort out Emily's outfit for her birthday. It had been two months since the trial and our lives had been perfect. All Time Low committed to only doing shows in the USA because Alex didn't want to be too far away from me and the girls while I was pregnant and Chloe's Smile had gone on hold, only playing a couple of shows here and there. I leaned back on Emily's bed and smiled. The girls settled on a dark blue dress which fit her perfectly.
"You're birthday is so perfect." I giggled. "We can have a birthday and a Christmas party all rolled into one!" The two girls laughed as a knock sounded from the door. Miri yapped at the sound and bounced down the stairs before me. I carefully navigated the steps and hurried to the continuous knocking at the door. "I'm coming!" I turned the dead bolt and flung the door open, exasperated with the visitors impatience. "What..." I stared into the eyes of my father.
"Caroline." My father sighed as he pulled me into a hug. I stood rigid, shocked by the visit.
"What are you doing here?" I mumbled as I pulled out of his embrace.
"I came to see my baby girl. Why else would I be here?" His smile seemed genuine. It was like he had forgotten everything that had happened. His eyes wandered over my shoulder to where the girls must have appeared in the stairs. "Whose this?" I looked shakily at the girls and pointed to them.
"Emily and Ley. They're practically my kids." I shook it off and took a firm stance before addressing him. "But that doesn't add up. You refused to talk to me after Jaime died. You blamed me for everything even though the police said it had nothing to with me because you hadn't fixed the loose floorboard. I don't exactly want you here." He looked shocked, like he had expected me to welcome him back into my life with open arms. I flicked a text quickly to Emily and told her to call Roland and tell him my father was at the door. I turned to watch the two girls disappear into the garage. If anything, at least Roland would come by and try help me be rid of my father.
"You're kids? Caroline, I wanted to spend Christmas with my family." I sighed and shook my head.
"You've been evicted, haven't you? I can practically smell the whiskey." My fathers eyes went wide as he realised I had figured him out. "I have a family now. I can't have a drunken fool ruining it!"
"But Caroline! I'm trying to sober up! I want to be around my family for support! I want to be apart of your life again." He wiped a tear from his cheek. I loved my fathers acting, it was so predictable. "The Peters' together again. A Family." I laughed coldly.
"I'm not a Peters anymore. I changed my name years ago. I'm a Fuentes. They treated me better than I could possibly imagine. I felt at home with them, they gave me a life, a job. I have a brilliant and successful career, an amazing fiance and two beautiful daughter and another one on the way. My life is fantastic and I'll be damned if I'm letting you back in to sap all the money and time out of this family. I'd appreciate it if you left now."
"You can't push me away! You need me!"
"I'm twenty-five! I don't need you anymore. I survived seven years without you and I can damn well survive the rest of my life as well!" My voice raised to a scream as Roland ran up the drive-way and dragged my father away into his car. "I don't need you." I slammed the door shut, flicked a quick text thank-you to Roland and broke down on the floor crying. Ley slid down next to me while Emily turned on the kettle.
"Tea?" I nodded and wiped the tears from my cheeks, only so they could be replaced with more.
"We called Alex as well. He said he would be home on the twenty-first so we only need to wait three more days. " Ley pulled me to her and stroked my hair. "Vic's on his way. I called him after Roland and Alex. He's going to stay until Lex gets back." I smiled a thank-you to the young girl before letting her help me get to my feet and make my way to the couch. A whimpering puppy jumped onto my lap and I laughed as Miri licked my face, trying to get herself into the right position for optimum coverage. Emily pushed the dog off me as she handed me my tea and picked the tablet up off the coffee table.
"The Little Mermaid?" We all nodded and settled down with popcorn as the TV rose out of the floor.
"I have never had such a slow flight in all my life!" Vic announced as he jumped through the front door the following morning. The two girls jumped up from where they had been sitting with their tutors and squealed.
"Uncle Vic!" The mexican laughed as he tucked them both under his arms and drove them back to the table.
"Do your math." He looked around the room before his eyes rested on me. "How are you?" I shrugged and mumbled.
"I'm okay. It was a shock."
"I jumped on a plane as soon as I heard. I thought I'd help out for a couple of days." He slumped down on the couch next to me. "Wedding, baby, party. I have a list." I laughed at my brother and leaned against his shoulder. Vic picked the wedding scrapbook up from the coffee table. "Decide on a date yet?" I laughed and shook my head.
"We haven't got a clue. Not since this one threw us off course." I stroked my bump and sighed.
"Why on earth won't you find out if it's a girl or a boy? How else are you going to decide on a name?" Vic looked exasperated. I swear, sometimes it seemed as if he and Jack were way more excited about this baby than Alex and I.
"We haven't even discussed names yet. I don't know if I want to know, that's all." The thought nudged at me, I could start shopping if I knew... Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to find out. I'd have to ask Alex.
I felt a warm body slide into bed beside me and stir me from my sleep. I groaned and rolled over to find Alex's beaming face next to mine. I flung my tired arms around him and pulled him into me.
"Hey there, baby doll." He giggled as he kissed me. "Miss me much?" I nodded stupidly as I cuddled as close to his body as I could. "We have a party tonight. Are you ready?" I pointed to the large box in the corner of the room full of things Vic had gone a bought for the party.
"All done." I smiled up at Alex, glad to have him home. He pushed me onto my back and pulled up my top to show my enlarging stomach.
"Hey there baby! Daddy's home!" He kissed my belly button and leaned his ear onto me, listening. "Or you could kick my face." I giggled as I felt the baby aim a blow at Alex's forehead. "That's cool too." I rolled away from my fiance to check the time on the alarm clock. Nine-thirty. I had things to do, decorations to put up. I had to turn the bottom storey of my house into a winter wonderland by eight. I slid out of bed and pulled my shirt back down, searching for my robe.
"Carrie." Alex's voice interrupted my search. "I want to know."
"Want to know what, baby?" I turned to face him, pulling the fluffy material over my shoulders.
"I want to know what the baby is."
This story is so good! OMG. I just found it and started reading it yesterday, and haven't stopped. I just caught up with all of the updates you have of it and really love it.
It's a very dark fan fic. Specifically with the first half, honestly one of the darkest I've read actually... like with that curse of everything happening on Sundays? Man... and you just kind of kept it up too. It was just very dark, and sad, but... different. And I really like that about this.
The second half seems to be deviating from that a little bit, but I sensed that coming back with the babies thing. I mean, not that I want anything to happen, but I almost feel you had something bad happening planned with the pregnancy. Perhaps not, perhaps that was just to raise some of the tone as opposed to keeping it happy go lucky, who knows. But I found it interesting how you did that.
I'm glad that Alex and Carrie finally got together, with the first part of this I was just screaming GET TOGETHER until they finally did. lol. And I was happy. :)
I found it a bit odd how they just took in those fans though. On a realistic writing level, the oddity of this story was the curse thing. But adding the fans thing in too, it just... it didn't really fit. Especially considering legalities and all of that. I feel like it was a little too easy that they gained guardianship.
But overall, I have enjoyed Alex and Carrie's love story. I'm sad to see it was never finished, so I'm leaving this comment to let you know if you ever do choose to finish it, I will be here to read, for sure. I'd love to see how it all ends for these two. Even if it's just a final chapter wrap up or something; I understand what it's like losing inspiration.
But yeah, sorry if this comment sounded harsh at all, but just wanted to leave my honest thoughts. I think you're a truly great writer, though, and hope you have at least kept up with it in your free time. :)
7/12/16