It didn't take long for Alice to gather what she needed for Jean's test; all she needed was a blood and urine sample to be sent off - under Jean's initials to maintain some privacy - and then to wait for the results. The slightly terrified look in Jean's eyes haunted Alice for the rest of the morning as she cleaned the morgue and safely put Charlotte Worthington away in the freezer.
"It'll be alright, Jean," she soothed her friend, who looked near to tears. "You've been through this before."
"I know, I know, it's just… it's been so long and I don't… I wasn't planning on having another one, certainly not at this age."
Alice rubbed Jean's upper arm as a few tears slipped down Mrs. Blake's cheeks, "You're healthy, Jean, you have a relatively low stress life - barring Lucien's antics - and both of you are more than well equipped to tackle a late in life pregnancy and parenthood… and you might not be pregnant, Jean. The tests could come back negative."
"It's the only result that makes sense, Alice," Jean shook her head. "All the symptoms line up… this is just… I don't know, a reassurance in my instincts?"
"I'll see if I can get them to rush the test, but it will still take a few days… can you wait that long?"
Jean nodded, "Yes, I can, and… thank you, Alice… I didn't know who else to turn to and I… I didn't want to get Lucien's hopes up before necessary."
"How long can you keep it from him?"
"Oh, not much longer," Jean gave her a watery smile. "He's felt every single one of my pregnancies in the past, so I only have a few more weeks of his ignorance of this one."
"I'll get them to rush… that way you don't have to hide it from him for long."
"Thank you, Alice," her friend pulled her in for a tight hug. "Shall I see you back at home?"
"Maybe for lunch, and then I'm taking the afternoon."
"Good, you need your rest too," Jean patted Alice's cheek, wiped away her tears, and left before Lucien could get into more trouble while they talked.
Exhaustion crept in after the Blakes left; the excitement of this morning flowed away and left Alice with tired, grainy eyes and an ache between her shoulders that wouldn't go away no matter how much she stretched.
"I suppose it's time to call it a day," she mused to herself and stood from her stool with a sigh.
Hanging up her white coat, Alice did a once over of the morgue before she turned off the lights and locked the door behind her; she had to force her eyes to stay open on the way home - and went a little slower than she usually would - but thankfully arrived back at the house in one piece.
"Alice, is that you?" Jean's voice rang out from the kitchen as she walked in the front door.
"It's me, Jean."
"Good," her friend smiled as she popped her head out of the kitchen - all trace of her earlier fear gone, and though she still looked tired, Jean seemed more at ease than she had been in the past week. "I've got your lunch ready, and then you can go catch a nap before tea."
"Oh, that sounds heavenly," Alice smiled and joined Jean in the kitchen. "Anyone else coming home for lunch?"
"Matthew and Charlie are busy at the station, and I gave Lucien a hearty breakfast once we came back from the morgue, so he'll get his once you're done; he's resting in the studio right now."
"I'm surprised he's listening."
Jean laughed, "He's been behaving, but I know he's getting restless. Oh, that reminds me, we figured out the burn marks."
"Really? What caused them?"
"An… an iron," her friend's smile grew sad, "it seems Charlotte was burning herself with it."
The food in Alice's mouth grew tasteless, but she kept on chewing; she'd had an inkling that some of the abuse dealt to Charlotte was by her own hand, but she'd hoped to be wrong in this instance.
"Are you alright, Alice?"
She nodded and smiled when Jean squeezed her shoulder, "I think… that this case might be hitting a little close to home for me."
Jean squeezed her shoulder - silently understanding - but didn't push the matter, "Finish your lunch and go sleep, you'll feel better afterwards."
"Thank you, Jean."
Forcing down her lunch, Alice drained the glass of water next to her now empty plate and shuffled into her and Matthew's bedroom; kicking her shoes to the side, Alice stripped out of her clothes - leaving a trail of garments behind her - and slipped into the cool bed after she'd pulled on her pajamas. The ache between her shoulders still remained, but the headache that had developed on the way home was alleviated by the food and her cool, dark surroundings; with a sigh, she settled in for a well-deserved nap.
Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, Alice fell asleep - rare for her, but there had been moments in the past where her body forced her to rest instead of lying awake for hours as her brain chewed over puzzles or mysteries; at some point during her nap, she woke up briefly as she thought someone had come into the room, but drifted back off within a few seconds of waking.
When Jean shook her awake seemingly hours later, it felt no longer than a few minutes after she'd gone to bed.
"Is it tea time already?" she rasped and moved to stretch, only to be impeded by something lying on top of her; cracking open an eye, Alice smiled when she saw her daughter curled up on the bed with her - half on top of Alice, half on the actual bed.
"Not quite… you have a phone call… it's from your sister in Melbourne."
"Oh…" she bit her lower lip and slowly wriggled out from underneath her daughter - soothing Anna when she stirred. "I'll, um… I'll be right there."
"You can take it in the surgery, I'll bring you your tea in there."
"Thank you, Jean."
Jean patted her shoulder and left the bedroom; Alice sat up with a sigh and slipped her feet into slippers before she walked out of the bedroom - pulling on Matthew's robe for a little extra comfort and warmth as she shuffled blearily down the hallway to Lucien's surgery. The seat behind Lucien's desk was warm, as though someone had sat in it not that long ago, but Alice pushed this from her mind as she reached over and picked up the receiver.
"Alice Harvey."
"I was wondering if you were going to take my call, seeing how our last visit went," the faint voice of her sister - warmer than the last time Alice had heard it, but still distant - echoed down the line, and Alice had to smile.
"It would take a lot more than you throwing a water jug at me to get me to give up," Alice told her wryly and heard the tell tale click of Jean hanging up the other line. "I… I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you to make the call."
"I almost didn't."
"So… what made you decide to?"
"I… Peter convinced me to give you another chance… and I read your letter. Once I had, I… I remembered how protective you were when we were growing up, and I… I don't know, the anger seemed to fade overnight. I am still angry I was left behind, but… I think I understand it all a little better now."
"Good… I… I didn't want to leave you, Cora, I never wanted you to suffer any more at his hands, but… I also didn't know when I'd get another chance to leave."
"No, I know, I stayed away a lot more after you left… I had some very good friends with caring parents who let me kip on couches and floors until I was old enough to strike out on my own… and Peter… Peter saved me too."
"He seems like a good man."
"He is… he's a good man, a good husband, and a good father."
"You have kids?"
"Mm-hm, a boy and a girl, and another on the way."
"Congratulations, Cora."
"Thank you, Alice… Maybe you can meet them."
"I'd… I'd like that."
"Good… I have to ask you something."
Alice shifted in the seat, "Yes?"
"Did I wake you when I called? You sound like you'd been sleeping."
"I… yes, I had a long shift last night into this morning."
"I'm sorry… I didn't want to disturb you."
"It's alright, Cora, I'm used to odd hours and catching sleep when I can; it comes with being a pathologist."
Her sister laughed lightly on the other end and Alice couldn't help but smile.
"Alright, you've made me feel better about it, but I'll let you get back to sleep. I can… call again tomorrow, and maybe we can figure out a good time for a visit?"
"I'd like that very much. You get your rest too with your leg."
"Don't worry about me, your Dr. Macmillan is taking good care of me down here."
"Good. I'll talk to you tomorrow provided work doesn't interfere."
"Okay, sleep well, Alice."
"You too," Alice smiled as her sister let out a soft and slightly hesitant goodbye before the line clicked and went dead; putting the receiver back in its cradle, she leaned back in the seat with a sigh.
"How'd it go?" Jean asked as she brought in a tray with tea and Alice's favorite shortbread.
"Better than I'd hoped, but… it- we've still got work to do."
"Some things take time."
"I know… it's a vast improvement from the first reunion."
"Yes, I heard something about a water jug?" Jean raised her eyebrow as she handed Alice her cup of tea - making Alice laugh. "Did she really throw one at you?"
"She's got a good arm… luckily for me her aim was off and she only caught me in the shoulder."
Jean joined in on her laughter and they chatted over the rest of the pot before her friend sent Alice back in to sleep until dinner; slipping back into the bed, Alice smiled as Anna instantly wriggled her way into her arms without waking. It would take time for her and Cora to come back together and be as close as they had been decades ago, but the phone conversation gave Alice hope that Cora wanted to repair that bridge as much as she did.
Pressing a kiss to the top of Anna's head, Alice shifted around until she was comfortable and quickly drifted back to sleep - much more at ease than before.
The bed dipping under someone's weight jolted Alice awake and she scrambled to sit up in her half-asleep state, but a familiar hand on her shoulder stopped her, and she sighed as her heart rate dropped steadily back down after the shock.
"It's just me, sweetheart," Matthew leaned down and kissed her forehead - still in his uniform. "I'm sorry I startled you."
"It's alright," she whispered and smiled when he kissed her softly, "my dreams weren't idyllic anyways."
"Is it this case?"
Alice shrugged and smoothed a hand up and down Anna's back as the girl started to stir, "This case… a phone call from Cora… I'm not sure which is the cause."
"I'm here for you."
"I know," she reached up and cupped his cheek, "I know you are, dearest."
Matthew smiled and kissed her palm, "Jean says dinner is nearly done, and there's tea in the parlor. Lucien says you lot have something to tell me and Charlie?"
"Yes, we've figured out some more about the marks on her body," she nodded. "I suppose I have to get up and get dressed don't I?"
"I suppose you do, and so does Miss Anna… who's been awake for some time, haven't you?" he patted Anna's head as the girl giggled. "You should be a spy, Miss Anna!"
"Daddy, you're silly," she giggled more as Alice kissed the top of her head. "Mumma, may I have a biscuit before dinner?"
"You may."
"And do I hafta get out of my pajamas?"
"Well, if you don't, then I suppose I don't either," Alice laughed as Matthew shook his head fondly. "You don't have to change, Anna, but I'd like to feel a little more human today. Go with Daddy and have your biscuit, I'll be out soon."
"Okay, Mumma," Anna kissed her cheek and giggled some more when Matthew lifted her with an exaggerated groan. "Silly Daddy."
"That's me, a silly daddy, sweetheart," he kissed her cheek and carried her from the room - Anna telling him all about her day at school and how she loved napping with her mum, followed soon by questions about the ribbons on his jacket; it made Alice smile - their girl was always so curious.
Stretching as she sat up, Alice yawned and pulled herself out of bed; pulling on the first clothes she laid her hands on, Alice carefully applied her makeup and fixed her hair into a more presentable state before she padded out into the now bustling house.
"Ah, Alice, sleep well?" Lucien asked as he handed her a cup of tea.
She hid a yawn behind her hand and nodded, "I did, thank you."
As she sipped at the tea - feeling the warmth seep in - talk turned to the case.
(Matthew kept an eye on the kitchen, ready to change the subject at the sight or sound of their young charge)
"Someone was already torturing her," Charlie frowned when Lucien explained the marks on Charlotte's thighs. "Why would she burn herself?"
"Self-loathing," Alice sighed and set her teacup down - memories of her own troubled childhood and teenage years rising to the surface. "Finding an escape through pain, believing hurt and damage is all she deserves."
"She's a teenage girl from a well-to-do family."
"Doesn't mean her life was storybook perfect, Charlie," Alice replied softly, and the senior sergeant sighed and nodded.
"Uh, this abuse," Matthew interjected, and Alice was all too happy he had, "it was only physical?"
"No evidence of sexual assault," Lucien answered.
"Well, at least that's something, thank goodness. What about a murder weapon?"
"Well, nothing in evidence matches the description," Charlie shrugged.
"Right, well let's find out who did this to her, then."
Jean's voice alerted them to dinner being ready and their huddle broke up as Lucien and Matthew moved towards the kitchen; Alice lingered and tidied up the tea and biscuits.
"Doc?"
She looked up to see Charlie still at his spot by the fireplace, "Yes?"
"I'm… I didn't mean to offend if I did before."
"No offense taken."
"You… you seem familiar with Charlotte's pain, Doc."
He was a fine investigator, Alice mused as she picked up the tray, very observant and empathetic; clearing her throat, she bit her lower lip.
"I… didn't have an easy childhood, Charlie, as you know, and my teenage years were an improvement on most of it, but I knew… I know what a girl like Charlotte feels and thinks of… when you're not the prettiest girl, or very popular. Add to that, living near the Collingwood slums… there were… many times I thought of taking back control in the only way I could, like Charlotte did."
"What… what stopped you?"
"I didn't want to disappoint Aunt Temperance… the woman who took me in without a second glance… so I learned to channel those thoughts into my schoolwork, something that I continued to do at university until I… started getting the superintendent's scars, and then everything changed."
"How so?"
She smiled and ducked her head, "I… coming from a harmful childhood, I never wanted to harm someone else; even at my lowest, I stopped from… marking myself because I knew someone else would have to live with those scars on them - not just me."
"I see…" Charlie nodded and cleared his throat - still a little awkward around her even after months of staying in the same house and knowing she and his boss were bonded. "Thank you, Dr. Harvey… for letting me ask… and for answering… that couldn't have been easy to admit."
"It helps to talk of it. Let's go eat, Charlie, we've got quite the investigation ahead of us."
He smiled and offered to take the tray off her hands; Alice let him, and took a moment to collect herself before she joined the rest in the kitchen. When she turned around, Matthew was there waiting with a slight smile and a worried look in his eyes.
Leaning up to kiss his cheek, Alice laced her fingers with his, "I'm alright."
"You're sure?"
She nodded, "I am… though I'm sorry if I wake you later tonight."
"Don't think anything of it, sweetheart, I'll be there for you whatever happens," he kissed her forehead and led her towards the kitchen. "Let's get some food in you, and then back to bed."
Smiling at the way he hovered without tipping over into being a Mother Hen, Alice held tight to Matthew's hand - grateful for him and the family she'd found in Ballarat.
Tomorrow, they'd continue to follow the clues towards Charlotte Worthington's killer with renewed passion; tonight, however, Alice would soak in the comfort of their home here at 7 Mycroft Avenue… and hope the demons of her past would leave her be once night truly fell.