"Putting Alex to the Test" (Part 1)
It's a fine sunny Sunday afternoon. Alex and Peggy are in a London park with their children.
Alex looks very dapper (isn't he always dapper?) in his dark-gray pinstriped suit (for work), and his regular early '70's 'mod' hairstyle (*as in the movie). Peggy wears a nice spring-green dress with black piping, with her pumps. She looks classy.
Little Alex Jr. is beside Peggy. He looks cute in his yellow shirt, black vest, pants and cardigan – with yellow socks to match!
Baby Auberine sleeps in her pram nearby her mother. Peggy occasionally checks on her, and gently pushes the pram back-and-forth when she stirs in her sleep.
Alex and Peggy drink milkshakes. Alex Jr. has a milkshake, as well. The parents take turns giving him his shake to drink.
Just then, two matronly ladies walking by stop over to the DeLarges. Alex and Peggy look up.
"Good Day!", Peggy greets the matrons, who nod at her.
"Hello hello hello!", Alex politely greets them.
The women aren't too happy to speak with him.
"Good Day, young man!", one of them tersely responds.
The women turn their attention to Peggy.
"My sweet child!", one of the women greets her. "Do you realize who you are married to? And having your children with?"
"Yes. Why does it trouble you, Missus, if I'm not worried about it?", Peggy politely asks her, in turn.
"That boy you're with, my pretty, is a sociopath!", the second lady tells her. "He may be handsome and charming for you, yes! But he's dangerous! And you're having children with him?"
"We're only trying to look out for you and the children!", the first lady adds.
"I would strongly suggest that you walk away from this young man – the sooner, the better! Sociopaths are bad news, and they do not make good parents!", the second lady warns Peggy. "In addition, you know who he is, and what a terror he is in all of London!"
Alex and Peggy are annoyed.
The women turn on Alex.
"You shouldn't even be with this girl! Let alone, give her babies! You're a sociopath! – a dangerous one at that!", the first woman tells Alex.
"Ladies, stop it! Alex is my husband! He's changed! We've been happily married for two years, and he loves his children! If you don't have anything kind to say, please leave us alone!"
"Very well, young lady. When he turns on you and the children, you're going to regret that!", the second lady tells her, straightening her hat. "That is, until when the State gets involved!"
Alex looks at the woman who made that statement. His ice blue eyes glint at her.
"What do you mean by that?", he bluntly asks her. "You'll have our children taken from us? Over my dead corpse, you will! These are my children, and I love them very much!"
The women bristle at Alex's words. They prepare to defend themselves.
"Over your dead corpse? – Sounds like a threat, Mr. DeLarge!", the second woman challenges Alex.
"I'm not going to just sit back and have you two, or the State, take our children for no reason, Madame!", Alex replies, looking at her directly in the eyes.
"Have you seen my husband abuse or ill-treat our children?", Peggy asks her. "Before you make such rash statements, please think, first, before speaking. And be certain you have the proof, first, to back up what you say!"
Little Alex Jr., seeing the angry exchange between his teen parents, and the adult women, gets scared. He begins to whimper as he clings to Alex – who lovingly holds his son.
"See that? – You're frightening our son!", Alex chides the women, who clearly see the teenaged father's tender interaction with his beloved first-born. The women glare at Alex.
"We'll be watching you, all right, Mr. DeLarge!", the first woman sneers at him. "The State's watching you!"
The women turn to Peggy for another exchange of unfriendly words.
"Just remember, sweetheart, you're married to a sociopath! Sociopaths are very very sick people who are lonely, shallow, and twisted, and are human chameleons!", the first woman tells her.
"They can be whatever you want them to be! Then, they turn on you!", the second woman explains.
"I know Alex is a sociopath! A changed one!", Peggy coolly fires back.
"My wife helped me!", Alex retorts. "It's two years we've been married!"
"Are you afraid of him, even, dear?", the second woman, horrified, asks Peggy.
"No! What for?"
"Don't worry, dear. Enjoy your 'Little Alex', now, for when he's ready to turn on you, it would certainly catch you off-guard!", the second woman warns her.
Alex and Peggy have heard this retort before from Prison Chief Officer Barnes. So far, Alex and Peggy have proven him wrong.
Alex turns to Peggy.
"Are you poogly of me, Peg? – Are you afraid of me?", he asks her.
"No", Peggy calmly answers. "I'm with you for the 'long ride'!"
Alex smirks at her. He takes up his milkshake, and playfully raises it towards her in agreement.
Peggy manages a smile. She leans up, and kisses him. Alex seals her kiss with his.
Alex Jr. looks on. He squeaks, watching his Mum and Dad in their brief, yet tender, lip lock session.
The matronly women bristle in disgust.
"Whatever! You're being watched, Alexander DeLarge!", the second woman angrily reminds Alex.
"Very well, Madame. I don't have anything to be spoogy over – right right?", Alex replies. "So, go on and viddy me! Viddy well, dear Sisters, and anybody else who wishes to viddy me."
"Perhaps you might learn something from Alex and me. I'll be at his side!", Peggy asserts.
"Of course, Mrs. DeLarge!", the first woman challenges. "Would Alex be at yours?"
Alex smirks at her.
"Viddy well, dear Sister! Viddy well! I might 'surprise' you!", he replies in his familiar smooth tone of voice.
"Oh, really? Nothing ever surprises us with sociopaths!", the first woman retorts at him.
"Will you kindly stop calling Alex that?", Peggy tells her.
"No, Mrs. He is what he is! Alex is a sociopath!", the first woman replies.
"You're labeling him! Giving 'labels' to people is not going to help anything!"
Alex snorts with a smirk. He draws Peggy closer to him.
"That's why I'm at her side, as well! – and will be, for the rest of my life!", he tells the women.
"We've yet to see that happen!", the second woman angrily tells him.
"Welly welly welly well! – You're all going to be viddying me, as you've both skazated! – righty right? Right, then. So, itty on, dear Sisters! May you both have a dobby after-lunch – yes?"
"Our conversation is over, ladies. Alex and I wish to return to our two children, if you don't mind!"
"Perhaps you'd both like to stay and viddy me 'fathering' them?"
"We've both got to be going, now!", the first woman tells him.
"Of course you can't stay!", Peggy replies. "You want to catch Alex doing something 'bad' with our children – or me!"
Alex laughs.
"You'll both have a rather long wait, dear Sisters, on that one!"
The second woman tells Peggy:
"We're not too concerned, Mrs., about you! You literally made your 'bed' with Alex DeLarge; then, you'll lie with him – no doubt, you've done that, too! It's the two 'results' we're concerned about, and their safety away from this young man!"
The two women regard Little Alex Jr., in his father's arms, looking at the two angry matrons; and Baby Auberine in her pram.
The women storm off. Alex and Peggy become a bit concerned over what just happened.
"What was that all about, Alex?", Peggy asks him. "Why were they verbally attacking you, for?"
"You're askin' me, Peg? – I don't even know where all of this came from, and why it just sloochated!", Alex replies. "What – Are they planning to take our children from us?"
"They'd better not! I don't care if that order is from the State!"
Alex becomes softened.
"I don't want to lose my family, Peg! I'm truly starting to feel a sense of purpose and genuine happiness in me life! I can't go back to being lonely, again, love! I can't!"
Peggy hugs Alex.
"I can't lose my family, either, Alex. I won't!", she tells him "We've both come a very long way… and too far for what we've been through together to just go up 'in smoke'! Remember when I threw things at Georgie and Dim when you all made up – after what they did to you?"
Alex sniggers.
"Of course, Peg. You were fighting for me!", he tells her.
"That's right. I'll do it, again – for you and our children!"
Alex hugs her.
"I'll fight for my family, too, Peg. You're all I have, my darling."
Alex and Peggy now gaze at one another - cold blue eyes versus soft sad brown eyes.
"Is it still you and me, Peg?"
"Of course, Alex. Always. "
Peggy regards her beloved Alex. She smiles. Alex returns the smile… then eases into his familiar leer.
Peggy giggles, and fully embraces her charming husband. They tenderly kiss.
While his parents kiss, Little Alex Jr. struggles to help himself to their milkshake. He manages to get Peggy's, attaching his lips to her straw. He drinks from it.
Meantime, at a very good distance from Alex and Peggy, a car is situated in the park. The occupants could see Alex and Peggy billing and cooing with one another:
The occupants are the two matronly women who argued with the couple – along with a priggishly well-dressed man in his early '30's who resembles Alex… and the Governor! The Governor was the one who spoke with Alex when he had volunteered for the Ludovico Treatment, and had him sign the contract to undergo the Treatment (*as in the movie).
The matrons return to the car with snobbish expressions. They're proud they just upset Alex and Peggy.
The well-dressed man in his '30's proudly smirks.
"Very well, my dear ladies!", the Governor compliments the women. "You've provoked them, enough! Particularly that sick bastard! Holland and I heard the dispute!"
"Oh, we're social workers! We know how to push their buttons – and get to the meat of things!", the first lady proudly replies, fixing her hair.
"Now, let's see if Mr. DeLarge can handle the pressure of being watched and harassed by the State without resorting to his familiar 'ultraviolent' lifestyle. If he handles the pressure well, fine and good! That means he's really doing his best to be good. It's very rare to learn of a sociopath who can change. They often never do!", the Governor theorizes.
"And that he's a hoodlum, too? Troublemaker, thief, murderer, rapist – I'm sure he'll break under the pressure! And perhaps then we can take the children from him!", the man in the suit adds.
"What about his wife, Holland? You know we can't just take the children like that! Their mother is still alive! She's a fighter, judging by her defense of that sick husband she's married to!", the second lady adds.
"Look: Let us continue to observe Alexander DeLarge, shall we? And make note of your findings! Carry on!", the Governor reiterates. "I'll radio for the next subject to provoke him further. I know Alex'll remember this chap from the past!"