Chapter 38 – Oh Canada!
Alice and Grace had decided to disappear for awhile. While it had not settled well for the rest of the cyborgs, Albert had supported their decision. Eventually, it was decided that they would disappear 'somewhere that uses English, and I don't bloody care what kind.' So, Grace had picked Canada, as she had no ties there, but always wanted to go.
Alice was the first to point out that they would both need green cards…and passports to get those green cards. And some fake IDs to get any of that because the minute they decided to use their names, whoever was after them would crash down on them.
Grace thought their pursuers were nowhere around, but Alice was adamant. Through a lot of work, they managed to get their IDs. Their green cards didn't expire until after Alice was able to walk around, and Alice had been getting back in her art groove. And they had been residing in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada for the past two months. Grace had found a job working in one of the hotels as a maid. Grace got more ideas from the outfit then Alice was willing to go with.
Being confined to a wheelchair had done wonders for her artistic manner. She had just painted and painted. She had painted so much that their little dingy apartment had been filled with paintings. So much so that Alice had been considering looking for buyers, but Grace beat her to the punch by getting a hold of an owner of a local art gallery.
Grace just wanted the paintings out of the apartment so they would have room to move around again.
It was around that time that Albert came to visit.
Albert knocked on the apartment door. There were a string of curses in German, followed by a shout of, "Coming!"
He wasn't surprised his great-niece was having trouble. She had shown a deep hatred for the wheelchair, and it seemed that hadn't improved in the last two months. There was the sound of the chain being slid back and then the door was open after a bit of jiggling with the lock. "Uncle Albert!" she greeted cheerfully and wheeled out of the way.
Both herself and the wheelchair had some paint on them. "Sorry about the crowding, I've been on an art kick for the last two months," she apologized, wheeling away.
It had taken them a little while to find an apartment that was wheelchair accessible, but the large amount of paintings lying around told Albert they either needed to sell more then half of them, or get a larger apartment. And considering that Grace had a paycheck that paid for it, probably supplemented by the selling of some of the paintings, Albert wondered what they were going to do.
He found a seat on the couch and Alice smiled brightly. "How has life been treating you?" Albert questioned.
"Pretty good. I see you didn't flinch when I called you 'Uncle Albert.' Someone is coming tomorrow to look at my…portfolio. It seems someone, most likely Grace, told her about it. I think she's a tad upset with all the paintings," she answered brightly.
Albert chuckled. "Yeah. I was thinking about Thomas and wondering if he ever got over his camera fetish," he responded.
"Nope."
Albert shook his head. "Well, at least some things never change," he murmured with a tiny laugh.
"Well, it seemed to always be a way to keep memories alive," she responded in that way of hers that made Albert worry about her. Especially, when she got that distant look.
She shook herself and cleared her throat. It was only then that she began to talk about all the calls and letters she had received. It made Albert feel a little better. However, he was always worried about his great-niece. "Naturally, no one comes to visit, other then you. Breaking the rules now, are we?" she said with a smile, drawing Albert back to the present.
"Of course. I had to visit my niece. Phone calls only do so much," Albert answered.
Alice smiled brightly. "Thank you. Well, I can understand Junior not coming to visit. Anyone still after Grace and I would rush right here. He calls the most often though, right after you. Your phone bill must be a scary thing. Jet is a very close third though. However, he's being very secretive about where he is. However, he sounds very...well, he sounds very Jet," she continued to ramble, however Albert doubted it was without a definite purpose.
Especially, when she brought up Jet. "Jet calls?" he asked.
Alice looked over. "Oh, yes. He is my friend you know," she answered.
"He's sulking in New York."
Alice blinked a bit and leaned back before letting out a sigh. "Well, I'm cold. Could you hand me that blanket next to you?" she questioned gently.
He carefully handed her the blanket, and she sighed, before she unfolded it over her casts. She tucked it around and then smiled. "Join us for dinner?" she inquired.
"What's for dinner?" he responded.
"Chicken drumstick with lemon."
Albert smiled. "All right," he responded, and Alice seemed much too satisfied with herself over his response then she should.
"And that's why we need to convince Uncle Albert to go visit Jet," Alice finished explaining to Grace.
She wasn't too surprised when Grace pulled her into a very forceful kiss. "I knew I loved you for more then your dry humor and pretty eyes," the Cockney girl muttered.
"Well, I certainly feel much more secure in myself now," Alice said dryly.
Dinner that night was pretty uneventful. Until they decided to gang together. Albert should have known. The minute Grace turned on him, he should have run as fast as he could. He was lost the minute Alice moved her wheelchair. "So, Albert, what is this I hear about you not going to go visit Jet, at all, while he's been in New York?" Grace questioned.
"Because if he wants to sulk, he might as well do that alone," Albert answered.
"Junior told me about their argument after we left. Apparently it almost ripped the ship apart. And then Jet stormed out, flying off. He threatened Uncle Albert and, for once, he's taking the threat seriously," Alice supplied.
Albert stared in shock while Grace looked at her. "Like that one time when you got mad at me for no reason before we were dating?" Grace asked Alice.
"It was not for no reason!" Alice snapped.
Grace groaned and flopped onto the table. "Grace, clear up the table please. I am going to talk to my overly-stubborn uncle," Alice requested.
Grace peeked up. "Um…if I do, does that mean that we get to do what I want tonight?" she questioned.
Alice let out a soft sigh. "Within reason," Alice relented.
Grace jumped up and immediately began to clean up the table. Alice situated herself, and Albert gave her a look. "I don't need a talking to," he retorted.
Alice sighed and leaned on the arm of her wheelchair. "Before Grace and I were dating, we worked in the same hotel with restaurant. We got into so many fights, we often had to be separated. People thought we'd tear each other's hair out. One day, she did something that upset me. She moved a tea pot and…I blew up at her. Completely and utterly blew up at her. However, Grace stormed out, and we didn't speak for about three months. And then Grace punched me one day when I took over her table. We started fighting again like old times. I got a black eye," she said before she paused to glanced at Albert.
Albert raised his eyebrow and waited. Alice sighed and continued, "I was so upset during those three months. I was sulky and, because I wasn't hot tempered, I just went around with a sharper tongue and scaring a bunch of people. Grace got into so many fights, I'm surprised that she didn't get dragged in by the police. Then again, she was provoked."
Albert rubbed his eyes as she paused again, as if she was waiting for something. "Alice, stop pausing. You don't tell a story from your past without a reason," he requested.
She gave him an annoyed look. "I was very happy the day she punched me. I had gone out of my way to provoke her, actually. But, when we began fighting again, I felt almost complete. The day I grabbed Grace, pushed her up against a wall and…."
"Don't tell me!" Albert cut off.
Alice smiled. "Well, I was very happy that day. Even though she slapped me and then returned the favor. Besides, all of our fighting was because we were acting like little boys pulling the pigtails. Well, Grace started it, I just responded in kind. So, are you going to go get your man, or are you going to continue to sulk and wonder about the 'what ifs'? Because, let me tell you, wondering the 'what ifs' just makes you very irritable, and the day you pull the pigtails will end with you having a broken nose," she continued, as if she hadn't been interrupted, besides Albert groaning about not wanting to know about anything of her love-life.
Albert leaned back slightly. "Why are you doing this?" he questioned.
Alice looked at him and then carefully leaned forward. She smiled and answered, "Because I would like to see you happy, Uncle Albert."
Albert had left for the hotel, and Alice was looking over the letters. She smiled a bit at a picture of Jet with Cathy and Jimmy. On the back was a date. It was with a letter about how he was enjoying New York. No mention of Albert, not even in passing. No mention of missing him, or asking if she knew his business.
Alice just hoped that Albert wasn't too late with Jet. When you wander in the what ifs, no one is able to move on.