Allie wandered the halls of her once familiar home. Home was relative of course. She had never felt more at home then when she had left the damned place. The walls were littered with fancy paintings, pictures, statues, and doorways. To call it a mansion would be an understatement; this was a palace, and Allie herself was a princess of the South. She turned into her old bedroom, to find, surprisingly, it hadn't been touched. Her large cream-colored bedspread stretched over the canopied queen. The old oak armoire stood in the same corner, reflecting the sunlight from the large window.

Her first impulse was to draw her curtains closed, as she had always done throughout her childhood and teen years. She sighed and collapsed on her bed, wrinkling the sheets. God Forbid, she thought to herself, as Mark appeared in her doorway.

"Oh, there you are!" He called, coming in and joining her on the bed. "What'd your mom what?" Allie shrugged.

"She basically said I shouldn't be here. No big." Mark sat up.

"No big? That's an ultimate big! Why shouldn't you be at your father's funeral?" Allie winced at the end of his sentence. Her father was dead, and the last words she had said to him were harsh and unforgiving. Definitely a huge regret.

"My parents hate me, Mark. When I left, I'm sure the Hallelujah chorus sounded and the Royal Court rejoiced." Mark wrinkled his nose.

"The Royal Court?" Allie nodded.

"It's my nickname for the entire family. Based mostly upon the size of this house."

"And do you consider yourself a princess?" Allie brought her hand to her chin.

"Well, let's think. I grew up with everything I could ever want, I frequently had to wear a crown, debutante balls and such. My parents acted like they ruled the world…I'd have to say, unfortunately, I am…was a princess." He sighed.

"Well, you left all that, right?" Allie shrugged.

"But now I'm back." She replied, clutching her stomach. Mark noticed and placed his hand over hers.

"Can you believe we're going to be parents?" Allie face lit up as she thought of her future child.

"Actually, I can! I mean, with all this family shit going on, it's nice to see the silver lining on this storm cloud." Mark laughed.

"Poetic." Allie made a face.

"More like pathetic! I can't believe I actually said that!" Mark laughed again and pulled her close to him. Allie decided not to resist and let Mark hold her, as tears escaped from her eyes. "I'm a horrible person!" She announced, pulling away from Mark, and sobbing.

"Why the fuck would you say that?" He asked, looking at her strangely. Allie hastily wiped the tears from her face.

"Because it's true! My dad is dead, and I never got to say goodbye. Throughout my life, I hardly said anything nice to the man!" Mark rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

"I'm sure he always loved you, Al." Roger was wandering the halls as well, and looked in her doorway to see a crying Allie and Mark consoling her.

"Hey!" He entered the room and looked around. "Wow, is this your room?" He threw himself onto the bed, next to Allie.

"Was." Allie corrected him, blinking her tears away.

"What's wrong? Your dad?" Allie shot him a sarcastic glance. "Well, it could've been something else!"

"Roger honestly, you are such a dipshit." Allie replied, shaking her head. Roger mocked offend.

"Me? That hurts, Al." She shrugged.

"I only speak the truth." She stated, lying back on her pillow. A different butler stood in her doorway.

"Excuse me Miss Allison? Mr.s Roger and Mark? Dinner is served." Roger looked at his watch, which read 4:30.

"Isn't it a little early?" Allie sighed and stood up with a stretch.

"Dinner is early, always. There's brunch and dinner, which is it. Welcome to the rich south." She strode out towards the dining room with the confused boys in tow.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Allie took a seat between her two older brothers, who were eyeing Roger and Mark suspiciously as they sat.

"James, Fin, stop." She glared at each of them equally. Fin shrugged.

"What? We don't know these guys!" He exclaimed, as Roger and Mark sat awkwardly across from them. Allie sighed and leaned on the table.

"Then talk to them, Fin. Ask them questions, whatever." She said boredly. Mrs. Sutherland daintily strode into the dining room and took a seat at the head of the table.

"Elbows off the table, Allison." Allie drew her arms away from the table and rested them in her lap. "And, my god, what are you wearing? You and your friends! This is dinnertime, and you are not some garden worker! I assume you would know better than that. Now, go change." Allie looked up.

"No."

"Excuse me? I told you to do something, now go!" Allie's mind quickly flashed to her childhood, and was reminded of the harsh tones her mother used to use with her. The same harsh tone as she was using now.

"And I said no. I'm 22, Mother. You have no authority over me." Mrs. Sutherland rose.

"I beg to differ, Allison Leigh! You are under my roof, you will follow my rules! Now go change! You will not conduct yourself as a slob at dinnertime!" Allie stood up as well.

"Well, I apologize, but I believe you remember what it was like to be pregnant? Yeah, I don't really fit into any of my clothes, so I don't know what you expect me to wear. Oh, would it be less offensive if I came out naked?" Roger nodded enthusiastically, but Mark punched him. Roger stopped and rubbed his shoulder.

"Do not speak to me that way! I raised you-"

"Don't pull that mother card out, don't you dare." As her temper rose, Allie's southern accent became deeper and deeper, until she began to speak as thick as the rest of her family. "You may have given birth to me, but otherwise, you did nothing great for me throughout my childhood."

"Well, you were a complete brat! You always have been! Your father and I gave you everything, and you walked out on us to be a damned actor! You betrayed your entire family, Allison, and that…that is unforgivable." Allie began shaking with laughter.

You know, I think I know where I get my acting talent! That was quite a performance, Ma. Really, I'm impressed." She turned and stormed from the room, leaving her mother in awe.

But of course, she returned several minutes later, grabbed her full plate, and marched towards her bedroom. Roger laughed, trying to penetrate the silence.

"Ha, pregnant women, Eh?" He nudged Noah sitting on the right of him. Allie's siblings turned their gaze to Roger. "What? I just meant she likes to eat…"

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Ok, if you are an extreme Notebook fan like I am…you might catch all the references I have in this chapter and the last one. Allie, Noah, Fin, North Carolina…I just had to put it in there! Also, I would like to give credit to Iheartyou153…a part in her fic inspired this whole Southern Trip!