Things had changed. He was coming home an officer but others hadn't. In Allison's last letter she had said she'd see him when he got home. He couldn't wait to see her. While the others went out, even Taylor, he stayed behind and wrote her letters. He'd never loved anyone like he did her. Steven had never thought it possible.
Those thoughts all rolled through his mind as he walked down the sidewalk to her house. It was only a block. The misty rain and cold couldn't even affect his mood. He would have run if it wouldn't have looked stupid. He'd waited this long a few minutes to walk the block wasn't going to kill him.
He did bound the steps two at a time to her front door. The knock was fast and loud before he crammed his hands into his pockets. The wind was picking up but then this was usual for the Dakotas. He waited and shook his rain wet hair, it was shorter but they didn't buzz him. That he was thankful for. Finally he heard the door lock sliding and the chain fall on the other side.
The door opened and he saw her there, shock in her eyes but he hadn't told her what day he was coming home. Plissken grinned at the surprise when she stepped out on the porch. His eyes were all over her. God he loved everything about her but something had changed. It took a second look for him to catch how her shirt was sitting. She looked pregnant.
His brow cocked as he thought about how dead he would be but then he did want to marry her. Was it so bad for her to have his child? Snake smiled and noticed the nervous way she looked in the house.
"Allison, sweetheart?"
She looked over at him but her expression seemed to get worse. His first instinct was to hug her. He wasn't even going to hide it from whatever had her so upset.
"I'm pregnant." She whispered it to him.
Plissken pulled back to look at her. The way her eyes darted around was off. He wanted to say something but wasn't sure what. What do you say to your girl when she's carrying your child? Someone needed to put this in one of those convenient military handbooks he'd been reading the past months.
She pulled back out of his arms before she spoke again. "It's not yours."
Her voice was cold and Plissken fumbled to make sense of what was happening.
"What do you mean?" Confusion was still the foremost emotion in Plissken's mind.
"What does it sound like?" There was something of disgust in those words as she spoke them.
Steven looked down at her stomach. She was showing already and the math was ticking away in his mind. He was back tracking wondering what was going on.
"What is he doing here?" The male voice was one Plissken recognized. He hated Alex, had since he was in Kindergarten. Everyone had one of those enemies as a child. Steven looked at Allison for an answer. His mind really wasn't keeping up or didn't want to.
"He's here to say good bye."
Allison's words hit like a cold dagger but that wasn't the worst. No, that came when Plissken put the scenario together. She'd lied. She'd cheated on him while he was getting ready to go off and fight.
Steven turned on the screen door and opened it so roughly the storm glass shuddered free and crashed out onto the porch. Alex was already backing away. Years of fighting had told the boy, now a man what that wild look in Plissken's eyes meant. Steven had never truly hated anyone until this moment. If he got a hold of him Alex would get the beating of his life. Fresh from military training Plissken was in the mood to beat the living hell out of him.
He got a hand on his collar as Alex turned to run. The force of his arms was enough to bash Alex's head off the wall. He shoved him aside and turned on Allison. She was horrified. He didn't care. Steven walked right past her and out the door.
How could she? Steven shook his head and walked for home. He wanted a drink. He wanted fifty drinks. He couldn't ever remember wanting a drink this badly. He just wanted to forget her, forget everything. That was his life Alex was living. Steven realized that was the price for serving his country. He remembered what his dad had given up for the same.
It didn't seem fair. As the anger subsided to pain Plissken admitted maybe it was for the best. He'd heard about the front, people, so many people dying. He could be one of them and that was no way to leave a girl. He hated her but he was glad. It tore him up. He didn't know if serving was worth the sacrifice he'd gave by leaving. In the end it didn't matter now. She'd betrayed him and now he wondered if it had been a sacrifice at all. She was showing. She was far along. He knew what that meant. This had all started when he was in college. He was five hours away and she turned on him. How could she be loyal when he was on the other side of the globe?
No, Steven was glad she was out of his life. She had no sense of honor or commitment. He didn't want anyone like that in his life ever. Steven walked into his own house. He shrugged off his wet coat and hung it in the hall. Without a second glance at anyone he walked straight to the liquor cabinet and poured a drink. He didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to think about it. He wanted to drink and go back to the Academy where he could pretend none of this existed. He could pretend she never existed.