Christmas was fast approaching. With it came the sprinkle of snowflakes which drifted from large grey clouds and the cool breeze that they were promised until Spring. Emmeline, who'd been on a raid all night, found herself heading home along the empty streets of London in the early hours of the morning.
She lived in a nice flat in an old brownstone building that had been built sometime in the 1920s. She was on the third floor and had a rather nosy landlady who inquired often about Emmeline's "male company." The apartment was nothing special; one bedroom, a conjoined kitchen and dining room. A spacious living room that she had filled with colourful furniture to abide by the late 70s fashion.
She arrived home sometime after five. Her legs ached from hours of standing and her head hurt, most likely from prolonged exposure to the cold. As she slipped in the front door and began the journey up the three flights of stairs she heard Mrs Graham bustling about in her apartment. Emmeline sped up her steps to make sure she made it to her front door before the landlady could ask any questions about where she'd been all night.
Safely tucked away, Emmeline stripped quickly from her dirty clothing, wandering towards the bedroom in the back with only her knickers and an undershirt on. She pushed aside the sliding doors to find Gideon, half-dressed and snoring, asleep in her bed.
She figured he must've come over sometime while she'd been out – not announcing his arrival as usual. He knew how much trouble he caused for Emmeline when he came unannounced but he rarely cared. In fact, she was convinced he'd been trying extra hard recently to get her in trouble with Mrs Graham.
Emmeline sighed heavily, crawling onto her side of the bed and wrapping up in the blankets. It took a few minutes before Gideon noticed her, rolling over and wrapping his arms around her thin frame. In moments like these, Emmeline forgot about all the tension that had arisen in their relationship within the past few months. She forgot about the fights and the threats to leave. The jabs they'd made at each other for the pained reactions they'd receive.
"Where were you?" he whispered.
"Last minute raid, Moody needed another person to tag along."
"I was worried," he told her, nuzzling his head into her neck. She couldn't remember the last time he'd been worried. Usually, he was just angry. Angry that she didn't work as much as him or that she never washed her dishes. It seemed that within the past three months, there was nothing Emmeline could do that didn't drive Gideon mad.
"It wasn't anything too bad," Emmeline shrugged. "It was just me and Frank. We were squatted outside some meeting spot for hours waiting for some kind of action. Honestly, I got antsy at one point and just charged the place—"
"You did what?" Gideon was wide-awake now. He propped himself up on his elbow to get a good look at her, Emmeline rolling over guiltily.
"Well…I figured there was no point just waiting all night…"
"So with one man as a backup you charged a potentially Death Eater filled home?"
"It was fine," Emmeline shrugged. "It didn't look like they'd touched it in months."
"You didn't know that, though, did you? When you charged forward without anyone to have your back—"
"What is your problem?" Emmeline snapped. She'd had enough. She'd spent her whole night stuck outside in the freezing cold without a wink of sleep or an ounce of food to fill her belly. Earning a scolding from Gideon when she finally returned home was not what she'd been hoping for.
"I just don't understand how you can be so—" he cut himself short.
Emmeline's violet eyes were piercing as she stared up at him. She might've breathed fire she was so angry.
"So what?" she demanded. Sleep was out of the question now. Emmeline bolted up, hair all covering her face. "Stupid? Is that what you were going to say?"
"Just forget it," he grumbled. Gideon pulled the blankets up to his chin, rolling over so he could cut the conversation off just where it suited him.
"If I'm such a bloody idiot why even waste your time with me?" There was nothing but silence in return. Emmeline snatched the quilt that was folded up on the end of the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders. She wouldn't sleep much in her own bed anyway, not with Gideon brooding there beside her.
Peter had invited his friends over for drinks in his new home. Earlier that month he and Aldora had made the big leap and found a flat together. It had been hard for Peter to wave goodbye to his family for good – his little brother in particular – but their new place had a guest room they promised Jamie was just for him.
The four Marauders sat around the cosy living room. Three of them squished together on the loveseat while Remus sunk into the armchair in the corner.
"I suppose Pete is the last of us to shack up then?" James teased.
"Excuse me, I live quite happily in my bachelor pad."
"Not much of a bachelor pad when you have McKinnon staying over nightly," Remus retorted.
"You stalking me, Lupin?"
"Of course not, a man can't help but be observant, though."
"This place is great, Pete. Huge too, how much is it costing you?" James stared around the room in amazement, taking in the high ceilings and detailed panelling.
Peter was too embarrassed to admit that Aldora's money had covered most of the cost. She'd fallen in love with the place during their search and Peter had been guilt-ridden when he was forced to admit that he couldn't even come close to making up half the month's rent. Of course, Dora had insisted he only pay as much as he could and she'd cover the rest. A sort of repayment for all the stress she'd forced him under during the year…
"Oh, you know," Peter shrugged. "It's an older place…we cracked quite a deal…"
"Okay, Peter's rent aside, I have some juicy news," Sirius insisted. He rubbed his hands together as he stared around the room, commanding everyone's attention.
"Spill it, then."
"I need you all to swear to secrecy. McKinnon told me and she'll refuse to shag me for a month if she finds out I've spilled the beans."
"So then why are you even telling us—" Remus began to inquire, ever the voice of reason. Of course, James shushed him.
"Let's hear it," he encouraged his friend. "No one will say a word."
"Longbottom is pregnant," Sirius blurted out.
"Frank?" Peter asked, clueless.
"No you idiot, Alice, his wife!"
"Bollocks, I keep forgetting she's not Griffith anymore."
"No way," Remus shook his head. "Alice would never be that careless."
"Marlene overheard her asking Mary for a pregnancy test," Sirius explained. "When they were at the safe house."
"The test doesn't mean—"
"Of course, that's after McKinnon caught her being sick a few weeks ago."
"Merlin," James exclaimed, pressing a hand to his forehead. "That's it, then. She won't be able to work with The Order any longer if she's pregnant, too dangerous."
"I know. Not to mention she's one of the best fighters we've got."
"Well, it is a little exciting isn't it?" Peter suggested with a smile. "They'd make good parents. Besides, they've got that big house with all the empty room—"
"They're only nineteen," Sirius reminded him. "They're barely adults themselves."
"Frank and Alice have done a hell of a lot of growing up for two nineteen-year-olds," Remus spoke up in his friend's defence. "Besides, they're married, they have two stable incomes—"
"We're in the middle of a bloody war."
"Well, good thing you're not about to become a father."
"Damn right. I wouldn't want to drag a baby into this mess. We're losing people daily, no one knows if they'll make it till tomorrow. How on earth is a child expected to grow up in the middle of that all?" Sirius turned to James now, who sat on the end of the couch and remained unusually silent. "Come on Prongs, you're married. Would you have a baby right now?"
James took a long pause, staring between Remus and Sirius with uncertainty. "No," he finally answered. "No, I wouldn't."
"Wipe that smug look off your face," Remus warned Sirius. "You don't even know if she is pregnant. Anyway, it doesn't matter. It's her life—"
"No one is saying it isn't, Moony," James attempted to mediate.
"But you think it's okay to all look down on her? Besides, it's not as though they were trying to get pregnant."
"Merlin, I'll drop it okay? Didn't realise it'd be such a soft subject," Sirius grumbled.
Peter squirmed uncomfortably. He hated when they fought. There was a time when there'd never been anything wrong with them. A time filled with late night chats between a bottle of Firewhiskey and the thrill of sneaking from the castle to join Remus in the Shrieking Shack. Those innocent days were gone. Now it seemed every conversation shared between the group of them ended in bitterness, no one able to keep their top on.
Peter heard the sound of the front door and Aldora's feet making their way up the stairs.
"Hello!" she greeted everyone, entering the room. She wiggled out of her long fur coat, smiling around the room.
"Hey!" Peter rose to give her a quick kiss, filled with relief to have their heated conversation put to an end.
"I'll get out of your hair," she assured them, "let you boys continue catching up."
"It's fine," Remus replied, his tone chilly. "I was just leaving."
He stood up abruptly, the other three watching him in shock. It was rare for Remus to be short tempered but it seemed Sirius had lit his fuse today. He stomped towards the stairs where his coat hung on a hook.
"Nice to see you," he spoke kindly to Aldora. She barely had time to reply before he'd gone flying down the stairs.
"Well…" James began, sounding slightly disappointed. "Maybe I should get going too. I promised Lily I'd be home for dinner…"
"It's only three!" Peter protested, not wanting to see his friends leave so soon.
"Still, we should give you some time to settle into your new home with Aldora." James moved forward with Sirius to give his friend a hug.
"Dinner at my place on Sunday, you're in?" James stared from Peter to Aldora. Both nodded.
"Thanks so much for inviting us," she smiled.
"See ya, Pete," Sirius clapped his friend on the back. He turned to Aldora, as though to offer her some form of farewell, but instead paused, staring at her as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Everything okay?" Aldora asked.
"You don't have a brother, Lachlan, by any chance?"
Aldora kept a straight face, her eyes feigning innocence.
"No," she lied. " I'm an only child."
Sirius nodded, James, standing at the top of the stairs waiting patiently for him, both of their coats in his arms.
"Right. See you Sunday," he added before exiting with the rest.
Peter waited until he'd heard the door downstairs close and then began to pace frantically. "Shit," he cursed. "Shit, shit, shit."
"It's fine, Pete. No harm was done."
"He recognised you!"
"He thinks he's mixed me up with someone else. He'll never make the connection."
"He might!" Peter fretted.
"He won't." Aldora came forward, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's neck and pulling him in close. "Now, are you going to tell me why on earth your friends seemed so on edge?"
Peter bit his lip anxiously. It was a habit. Anytime Aldora asked for information he knew she'd use to her advantage he tried to hold it in as long as possible. Perhaps he could push it off, resist telling her the truth. It was no use of course. She saw right through him, as per usual.
"Alice is pregnant," he admitted. Aldora's mouth fell open.
"Well," she smirked. "Isn't that interesting?"
Alice hated doctor's offices. It was a well-known fact. One her parents had been abundantly aware of, which meant any visit was masked as a surprise trip to the zoo or an outing for ice cream.
This day, in particular, Alice sat in a small exam room in St. Mungo's, her feet dangling off the edge of a table, and waited in agony for a Healer to arrive. Frank was standing beside her. He didn't bother holding her hand, as he knew it'd only worry her more. Instead, he stood very still, tall and silent, the support Alice needed.
"Something terrible has probably happened," Alice determined. "I just know it. Something is going to be wrong."
"Nothing is going to be wrong," Frank assured her.
"That's what you said last time too and then Marlene nearly died!" Despite the fact that the initial shock of being pregnant had caught Alice off guard, she'd grown to like the idea over the past two weeks. Aside from nausea and endless exhaustion, the signs of the budding life growing inside of her – part Alice and part Frank – made her strangely excited.
"Our baby is going to be perfectly fine," Frank, said for the hundredth time. "We're going to walk out today with good news." Alice wasn't so optimistic. The few times she'd stepped through the doors of St. Mungo's she had left devastated.
The door swung open and a middle-aged female Healer stepped in. She had a round figure and large spectacles perched on the edge of her nose. Her dark skin was rosy at the cheeks from an over-application of blush, and her lips were a glossy red.
"Longbottom?" she clarified.
"Yes." Alice wiped her palms along the surface of her jeans nervously. She risked her life on a regular basis, throwing herself into harm's way, and yet, she was certain she'd never been more nervous in her life.
"I'm Doctor Saluja," the woman informed them. "Could I get you to lie down please?" Alice followed her instructions, her heart pounding in her ears. She slowly rolled up her shirt for the Healer, allowing her to run her hands along Alice's abdomen.
"When did you find out?" She asked.
"About two weeks ago." Alice took a deep breath. She could feel her brow growing moist under the heavy lights of the room.
Doctor Saluja pulled her wand from the pocket of her robes, hovering it over Alice's lower abdomen. She did that for a few seconds before firmly pressing it down just below the belly button. Alice's breath caught in her throat as the sound of a steady heartbeat filled the room.
"That's a healthy baby you've got there," Doctor Saluja smiled. Alice hadn't realised she was crying yet tears flowed endlessly down her cheeks. It was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard. A hand gripped hers and she looked over to see Frank practically glowing.
"Well then," the Healer said, pulling back her wand. "I'm just going to examine you to see how far along you are."
Alice's nerves had vanished completely as she spread her legs apart for a complete stranger. Her baby was healthy. Her baby had a heartbeat. A strong, beautiful heartbeat that had filled the whole room. Alice didn't care about the fact that she was just nineteen or that there was a war that refused to quiet down. Her baby was safe and strong. Nothing else in the world could matter.
"I'd say we're just past the two-month mark," Saluja announced once she resurfaced. "Everything looks good, Alice. Your goal right now is to stay healthy and well rested. The first trimester is usually the most tiring for women. Any morning sickness?"
"Too much," Alice moaned.
"Here." The Healer rummaged around on a shelf behind her for a few moments, returning with a vial of purple liquid. "A spoonful every morning. It works miracles."
They scheduled a second appointment with the Healer and then Frank and Alice were on their merry way. The second they were past the exam room door Frank pulled her into him and kissed her deeply. Joy seemed to radiate off of them.
"I love you," he whispered to her.
"We have a healthy baby," Alice giggled, gripping Frank's jacket. "With a heartbeat!"
"I know you were scared—"
"I'm so happy Frank," Alice confessed. "I know that's probably a little twisted…" he kissed her once more to show his understanding and Alice pulled away beaming.
"Hey, Griffith!" a familiar voice hollered from down the hall. Alice peeked over Frank's shoulder to see Mary approaching in her regular hospital robes.
"She's been a Longbottom for over a year, you know," Frank reminded their friend.
"Is it real then? Am I going to be an auntie?" Alice paused, staring up at Frank. She waited for his nod of approval before she shared the happy news, Mary squealing with joy. It was nice – to see someone truly happy for them. Alice knew the rest of their friends would look down on the news with disapproval. What were they thinking having a baby at a time like this? How could they possibly put themselves in such a position?
"That's brilliant!" Mary threw her arms around Alice. "Are you happy? You both look happy."
"We're very happy," Frank assured her, an arm wrapped around Alice's waist.
And they were.
Lily was feeling rather domesticated. She'd prepared a perfect dinner for her and James, having spent hours in the kitchen slaving over it. Chicken, mashed potatoes, beans, cranberry sauce. She'd even purchased a nice bottle of red wine to chase the food down with – she assumed it could come out a little over cooked.
She heard the sound of the lock clicking sometime after six. An apron tied around her waist, her hair perfectly coiffed, she rushed towards the door excitedly, ready to see James' amused reaction.
Her husband did walk through the door, of course, but with a friend in tow. Sirius came in after him, his eyes glassy from booze, and grinned at Lily.
"Well, isn't this a surprise?" he teased her.
"Shut up, Black," Lily grumbled, wrapping her arms around herself protectively. "You didn't tell me you'd be bringing guests," Lily said with a glance towards James.
"It wasn't exactly planned…"
"I made you dinner."
"I'm sorry."
Lily sighed, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Whatever," she shrugged. "The more the merrier I suppose."
"That's the spirit, Potter!" Sirius nudged, using Lily's new surname. She quite liked the ring of it, Lily Potter, but it was hard to remember that she was no longer an Evans.
The three of them gathered around the dining room table. It took Lily only ten minutes to get James and Sirius to spill the beans on their odd behaviour – the two boys explained the spat that had taken place in Peter's new apartment.
"Pregnant?" Lily gasped. Beyond being shocked by the revelation, she was hurt that Alice hadn't yet felt she could come forward and tell her closest friends her news. Was she afraid of the judgment she might receive? That the girls would think less of her for having a child at this age and during a time of war?
"Isn't it mad?" Sirius inquired, clearly looking for some support. Lily stirred around her mashed potatoes as she contemplated the whole thing. What did it matter? Frank and Alice had been married over a year – nearly two really – and they'd been together long before that. If there was any couple Lily thought fit to take on this kind of challenge at such an age it was the Longbottoms.
"No," she answered quite honestly. Both Sirius and James stared at her with gaping mouths.
"You must think it's a little bit crazy?" Sirius pressed. "I mean, they're nineteen—"
"So what? My mother was twenty-one when she had Petunia, no big difference."
"Yeah, but…!" Sirius paused, simply staring at Lily in shock. "James, I think she's gone mad."
James laughed at his friend's suggestion, staring across the table at his wife with a slight smile. "She's right I suppose," James shrugged. "We've no right to judge them. I think that's what Moony was trying to get at today."
"He didn't need to get so goddamn touchy about it," Sirius complained, arms crossed like a scolded child.
"Oh please, you're just mad that everyone doesn't agree with you," Lily scoffed. "Just because you wouldn't choose to have a baby right now doesn't mean no one else should. I mean, it wouldn't be my first choice at the moment but I think we should support them no matter what."
"Yeah, besides, you should probably get used to the idea of little kids running around. Marlene told me she thought she was a few days late…" James teased his friend, Sirius practically going green at the prospect.
"You wanker."
"Takes one to know one," James chuckled. Lily watched in amusement, sipping on her glass of wine, as the two exchanged insults like brothers.
Marlene, who'd been slaving away at work all day, decided she'd drop by Sirius' apartment instead of going home to her own. The two of them would most likely order in, listen to the radio for any news that slipped under the mainstream radar, and then head to bed together. The idea was nice – especially for the colder months of the year.
Except, upon arriving at the apartment, she found Sirius was not at home. Too lazy to head home, she instead made herself some beans on toast and settled beside the radio to enjoy the time alone. Fifteen minutes into this relaxing process, she leapt at the sound of the door, someone knocking lightly in the hallway.
Marlene answered, assuming that one of the Marauders would be standing behind it, or perhaps a friend who'd come looking for her. Of course, none of her assumptions proved right. Instead, she was greeted by a tall, and rather thin looking, Regulus Black. His dark hair was shorter than it had been the last time Marlene saw him, more clean cut. He stared at her with the same grey eyes as his brother, seemingly shocked by her presence.
"I was looking for Sirius," he explained hurriedly. Marlene tugged at the bottom of the t-shirt she wore. She was suddenly reminded of her lack of clothing when she noticed the wide-eyed expression on Regulus' face. She'd quickly changed out of her day clothes and into something more comfortable to lounge around the apartment in – of course more comfortable meant no pants.
"He's out," Marlene explained, cheeks gone red. "Not quite sure where he is…would you like to come in?"
"No, I—"
"Please come in," Marlene begged, her dignity withering away the longer she stood in the doorway half dressed.
"Just give me two minutes!" she instructed him the moment he'd shut the door behind himself, Marlene running into the bedroom. She grabbed the closest pair of track pants she saw before returning to her unexpected guest.
Regulus stood in the centre of the room looking uncomfortable as he tugged at the collar of his shirt. His face was sunken as though he hadn't eaten in weeks and he had dark circles beneath his eyes.
"Can I get you anything?" Marlene offered. She wanted to try and get some food down his throat – even some coffee – before Sirius arrived. She knew he would greet his brother with disdain and try and throw him out at the earliest convenience.
"I don't have long," Regulus explained. He couldn't seem to stand still, his antsy behaviour making Marlene nervous. His eyes travelled over her shoulder to the windows facing the street. "You should shut those," he instructed her, motioning towards the blinds.
"Why?" Marlene asked. Despite the question, she took his advice, shutting out any light that had been filling the room from outdoors.
"You guys can't be naïve enough to believe they aren't watching you."
"What?"
"That's not why I'm here," Regulus explained, shaking his head. It was as though the thought of people keeping tabs on them was as normal as the sun rising to him. Marlene, on the other hand, struggled to swallow the news, waiting quietly for the real reason Sirius' little brother had shown up.
"I…I'm…I've…" nothing seemed to work for him. The sentence couldn't make its way out of his mouth, Regulus' face overcome with pain.
"Let me make some tea," Marlene suggested.
"No," he stopped her before she could make a move towards the kitchen. "I've got to leave. It was stupid to have come."
"Regulus, come on. You can't just show up here like this and then go. You must've had a reason to knock on that door knowing well he might've answered it in a blind rage."
The younger Black froze, his back to Marlene. She could see the rise and fall of his shoulders each breath he took. The fear seemed to be seeping from his pores.
"I came to say goodbye," he admitted. He turned to face her once more as Marlene's face fell.
"Goodbye? What's that supposed to mean…" Of course, she knew exactly what it meant. The look on Regulus' face, the fear the reflected across his eyes, there was no mistaking the purpose of the statement.
"Can you tell him for me? Let him know I tried—"
"Stay," Marlene begged, stepping closer. "We'll protect you if what you need is protection The Order can help."
"He'll find me."
"He won't!" Marlene insisted. She couldn't accept that giving up was an option. Regulus had been pulled in so deep, touched by darkness, but here he was, still just a boy. She could see it in his eyes he needed a hand. She couldn't believe that this was the fate he deserved.
"It's dangerous just having me be here. They'll target him when…" he stopped, as though about to reveal something very important.
"When what?" Marlene demanded. "What're you doing Regulus?"
"I always thought you were the best of them," he told her. "I really admired you."
"Let me help you."
"It would've been easier if Sirius had answered the door," he told her.
Marlene swallowed back a lump in her throat. She meant to say something, anything, to slow Regulus' plan down but it suddenly felt very difficult to speak. Whether it was the soft words or the look in his eyes as she stared at him she didn't know.
"Be careful," he warned her. "You're one of the good ones, that never ends very well."
Suddenly, the door behind him swung open. Sirius stepped through. His dark hair was wet from the rain outside and he stared at the pair in his entranceway, taking a few moments to digest the scene.
"What're you doing here?" Sirius demanded of his brother.
"I wanted…" Regulus' voice shook the slightest.
"Get out," Sirius barked at him before he could finish. "Just get the hell out of my house!" Regulus didn't move for a moment but Sirius stepped towards him threateningly, Marlene watching in agony as he stepped out of the apartment. There was only a moment of pause before Sirius' rage turned on Marlene.
"What were you thinking letting him in here?"
"He needs help Sirius, he was scared—"
"Of course he's scared, he's a coward!"
"I think he needs your help, consider how much strength it took for him to even show up here."
"I don't care what it took, he's one of them."
"You've never given him a chance!" Marlene argued. It had always frustrated her how little Sirius paid attention to his brother. It had always been clear that Regulus had admired him. Perhaps he'd been brainwashed, left alone in the hands of his parents, but he'd always deeply desired his brother's approval.
"I don't need you to come in here and try and tell me about my family." Sirius stepped towards her in the same way he had his brother and for just a second Marlene was afraid of him. "What?" he snapped at her. "You think you get it? You think you know what that house was like? You don't know! You grew up with your white picket fence and your loving parents. You think I don't see it?"
Marlene couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Sirius this angry. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, a sure contributor, but the sight of his brother had set something off in him. It was rare she got to see a glimpse of the scars his family had left behind.
"I see the way they all judge me when I walk in a room." He was dangerously close to her now, allowing Marlene little personal space. "I know what your mother says about me behind my back, how she doesn't think I'm good enough. I gave up EVERYTHING when I left that house. Do you know what that feels like?"
"Regulus grew up in that house too," she reminded him, holding her ground. "What about how he felt when you left? When he was all alone with those people! He's made mistakes, lots of them, but you can't just write people off for wandering down the wrong path, not when they try to fix it—"
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"
Marlene had backed up into the wall, trying to create some space between her and Sirius. He didn't feel inclined to do the same, though, practically trapping her there, his arms outstretched on either side.
"YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE?" He banged on the wall beside her, making Marlene jump. "My perfect little brother watched them beat and berate me every day of my goddamn life. He made sure to let them know when I stepped a toe out of line and he watched in fucking joy as my father shoved me into his office for one of our loving chats." Marlene knew well what the rage was hiding - a young boy. One who was hurt, whose trust had been broken. "You show up here with your perfect family and you act as though you understand what it means to have the people who are supposed to love you screw you up." She wondered what Sirius might think were he to look at the scene from a distance. The fear Marlene was struggling to hide, the rage he was spurting in her direction.
"Poor Marlene," he taunted her, "all alone because her parents don't pay enough attention."
"Stop it," Marlene warned him.
"Must've been real hard growing up with your two siblings and your parents who actually loved you."
"Sirius…"
"You're just a spoiled rich girl—"
"STOP IT!" She shrieked this time. Sirius paused long enough for her to shove him aside, scrambling to gather up her things.
"Marls…." His tone had softened and he reached out to stop her as she hurried to put her work clothes into the bag she'd brought.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She warned him. Marlene saw Sirius flinch at the pain in her voice. "I am not your punching bag," she snapped at him. "I am not going to sit here while you insult me. If you think that I'm just going to let you treat me like this…." Marlene's voice broke as she choked back tears.
"I'm sorry, Marlene, I went too far—"
"You're damn right you did!" She was past the point of sympathy as she stared at him now. "Your pain doesn't give you the right to hurt others and you're a fool if you think I'm going to sit around this stupid flat waiting for you to change!"
"Don't leave," he begged her, Marlene hurrying towards the coat rack. "Just let me explain, I got caught off guard, I had too much to drink."
"Figure out which guy you want to be," she warned him, heart in her throat. "Otherwise I'm finished here."
