Then only a few moments later, the loudest knock ever to knock on her door sounded and instantly she sprung into an upright sitting position. Tugging the worn cardigan jacket that was among the precious possessions she had of her late father closer around her body, Alice puttered to the door and looked through the peephole.
There stood Dana Fairbanks. The Dana Fairbanks she wanted. The Dana Fairbanks she loved. The Dana Fairbanks she was in love with. There she stood, not looking like any of those women that Alice had just listed. The person she was currently peeping at didn't have anything in common with her Dana Fairbanks because the face of that woman was determined but not cute with determination or sexy or even irritating it was cold. And the Dana Fairbanks that Alice knew was never cold. That wasn't who she was, not by any small portion of her personality.
Hesitantly, Alice opened the door and needing support, she then leaned on its frame as she locked eyes with the unknown version of Dana that was now in front of her. "Hey," she started off cautiously, unsure of what was about to come.
"Hey," Dana replied just as cautiously, her voice soft and shy.
With this, Alice felt a huge wave of relief wash over her. This didn't look like her Dana but it sounded like her Dana and that helped put her at ease. Smiling happily, she took Dana's hand in her own and pulled her inside the apartment. Fully ready to deal with the ramifications of last night and, if needed, announce her intention to win the battle for Dana's heart.
Meanwhile, Dana was trying her damndest to maintain the emotional wall she had been forming during the drive there that started to crumble the moment she heard Alice singing along to John Lennon's Instant Karma through the door. She knew what that song meant to Alice and how she only sang it on bad days... really bad days. How the song always made Alice feel better, gave her courage to fight for what she wanted, and made her press on. For Alice to be singing that song meant she truly did feel something for Dana and that's why she took action last night. That alone was enough for Dana to lose her conviction but then she saw Alice was wearing the cardigan that belonged to her father. She knew how much Alice cherished that sweater jacket, far more than any other piece of clothing despite the fact that she called it the Mr. Roger's ensemble from the 1970s, and complained about how it was missing two buttons with the lone button that it did have hanging on by one ugly orange thread. Dana also knew that Alice wore it when she needed to feel comforted in a way that only a father could provide for his daughter.
And then there was Alice herself, her hair disheveled, no doubt from the bouncing Dana was sure she'd been doing during her sing along with John Lennon, her arms wrapped around her body as if to protect herself from potential harm, her feet rocking front to back from nervous energy, and her eyes... those endless brown eyes deep enough that Dana thought she might drown in them, were darting nervously up at her every other second exactly like they had last night.
God, how Dana loved her.
"We need to talk," said Dana quietly, inwardly cursing herself for stating what was more than obvious. Squeezing her eyes shut from the sight of Alice who was endearing herself more and more to Dana with every passing moment, she bit out, "I need to know why you kissed me, Al."
Silence.
Nothing but long echoing horrible silence and just as Dana began to lose hope for a reply, the softest hands she ever felt were gently holding her face. Opening her eyes without any personal volition, Dana found herself lost in Alice's brown gaze just as she feared happening earlier. An affectionate smile curved on full lips and spread to the blonde's features, lighting her beautifully.
"I kissed you because I love you," murmured Alice, voice full of sincerity but laced with a passion that couldn't be denied. Tears formed and she laughed wryly, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand before reaching up to cup Dana's face again. "I'm in love with you, Dana. That's why I kissed you and that's why you can't marry Tonya."
Another pause as Dana absorbed this but she was distracted by Alice's joyful burst of relieved laughter. Upon seeing Dana's confused frown, Alice whistled and spun her finger around at her head then said, "I know! I know! I seem insane but I didn't think I'd be able to tell you!" Releasing a huge whoosh of air, Alice plopped down on her couch and smiled sweetly up at Dana. "But I have and I guess the hardest part is done. Unless you're going to fight me on this," she said this quietly now, her tone showing a certain trepidation. "You do believe me, don't you, Dane? I'd never lie to you... not about this. Hell," Alice laughed loudly and nervously. "I don't think I've ever lied to you. Well, maybe about you looking nice in a sundress once, twice, thrice, or umpteen times."
"You think I don't look nice in sundresses?" asked Dana, unable to keep the pout of her voice and expression. Alice always gave her the best compliments when she wore one it seemed impossible they were all lies.
"Dane, I think it's pretty obvious that I always think you look nice," Alice drawled and she waggled her eyebrows in a silly yet provocative motion that made Dana giggle before she could stop herself. "But no, I don't think sundresses are your gig. A sexy black evening gown, ohhh," she clucked her tongue and smiled mischievously, leaning back into the couch. "That's so Miss Dana."
"Thanks, Al," said Dana quietly, lost in how good it felt to hear Alice say something like that. Then again, she always felt good with Alice. That was why she loved her, after all.
"I love you, Alice."
Blinking and looking around in a confused motion as if searching for the person who had just voiced her emotions, Dana's eyes finally rested on Alice who smiled wryly at her. "That's all you have to say, Dane. If you feel the same about me as I do about you then please tell me," said Alice in a restrained plea. "And if you don't then, hell, please tell me that too! I need to know either way. Just like I need to know why you'd want to marry someone like Tonya."
"Someone like Tonya?" Dana echoed, the warning evident in her tones as she formed a severe frown. "What is that supposed to mean? I shouldn't want to marry someone who obviously has no problem admitting how much she admires me? Someone who will freely tell anyone that she loves me? Why shouldn't I want to marry someone who's proud to be with me?"
"Because it's not real!" replied Alice in an irritated shout, unable to take anymore of the Tonya compliments festival. "It's all an act, Dane! She's trying to get you to fall for her fast as she possibly can before you wake up and smell the day old instant coffee! She's wormed her way into your life and bed in a matter of hours and now she's hooked you into committing your future to her. That's just twisted and wrong and you know it."
"Someone wanting to marry me is twisted and wrong?" scoffed Dana, folding her arms over her chest. Shaking her head, she laughed and said mockingly, "Yeah you love me, Al. I can really feel all that emotion in your disbelief that Tonya would actually love me."
"Oh god, honey, that's not it," Alice said desperately, rising to her feet and reaching out to Dana only to be pushed away. Letting her arms hang limp at her sides, Alice tried to get Dana to meet her eyes and when she finally did, she then said softly, "I believe she loves you. I also believe she loves you for the wrong reasons. She loves what she's created to be Dana Fairbanks in her own mind and not who you really are. That's what kills me, Dane. I love YOU," Alice forcefully declared, moving to clasp Dana's arms and locking their eyes, her gaze was filled with an ardent resolve. "I love everything about you. The way you spoiled Mr. Piddles, bought him those weird outfits to wear for your annual Christmas cards, how you can't stop sneezing anytime you go inside a store that sells fresh linens, I even love your strange affection for anything that's animated in the realm of TV and movies." Setting her jaw and cupping Dana's face, Alice murmured, "But I don't believe that's who Tonya loves. She loves Dana Fairbanks, professional tennis player. The face of Subaru, recently outed lesbian, and newest addition to the sports celebrity circuit."
They remained frozen like that, Alice holding Dana kind and soft, just as she had done so many times before and Dana letting her.
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