Chapter 11
Back inside Alice and Jack occupied the window seat. Alice was leaning heavily on Jack, her legs up on the seat curled up with her head rested on Jack's shoulder. Jack had his legs up on a stool and he had his arm around Alice, his hand resting on her stomach. They both held a tankard in their free hand.
Charlie who had been otherwise occupied at the time of Alice's arrival, suddenly on pouring himself a tankard of beer realised that they had company. He sauntered over and greeted them in a light hearted 'hey'.
"Hey Charlie," Alice replied sounding tired and in a general 'I'm not in the mood' attitude, which of course was unlike Alice.
"What's up with you, yer sounding rather glum…?" Charlie asked his intention to lighten the depressed mood although he realised after he had said it that perhaps Jack had taken this opportunity to enlighten Alice on Max's latest target and then maybe she would have had a reason to be so glum.
"Just leave us alone, alright!" Jack answered for her making Charlie dumbfounded. He retreated back to the other boys unsure what to make of his best friends temperaments.
Alice refrained from commenting on how harshly Jack had treated his best friend, she knew that he was still inwardly struggling to comprehend the vast problem that she had just set before him and so could be forgiven this once.
"Have yer finished?" Jack asked indicating towards the tankard. Alice downed the last mouthful and handed it to Jack who slid them haphazardly on the table.
"I'll walk yer home." He offered.
"I'm not incapable of walking myself home! I got here didn't I?" Alice laughed.
"I want to." Jack said his expression one of great seriousness forcing Alice to oblige to his offer.
She and Jack were soon walking down the street, Jack's arm around Alice keeping her warm and protected.
"How are you going to cope?" Jack asked after minutes of clearly being deep in thought.
"Like I always do." Alice replied indignantly.
Jack paused and looked at Alice; she could tell he was trying to be serious about this.
"This isn't just anything, there's two of you to think about now, it's not just you anymore you got to remember that,"
"I think I know!" Alice snapped. She was getting irritated with Jack's sudden urge to protect her, he had never needed to before and she didn't see why he should now.
"I just wish I could be there to look after you, I want to be there when you need me not for you to have to trek halfway across London for me." Jack admitted.
"Jack, I don't need looking after, there's other people that can do that job for you, and besides I always know where to find you when I need you." Alice gazed directly into Jack's eyes forcing him to listen; he acknowledged this with a smile.
"I wish I could be with you every day, like we used to." Jack muttered.
"Oh come on, you know that's not possible at the moment, my uncle takes good care of me, in fact too much care if you ask me, so you don't need to worry." Alice ran her fingers through Jack's soft brown hair, soothing him with her gentle touch.
"But I do." Jack said catching Alice's gaze.
"Don't." Alice ordered, reaching up and kissing him.
They walked arm in arm down the rest of the street until they reached the beginning of the 'posh street'. Jack tense and Alice forced them both to stop. She knew how awkward he felt going down this street, more so in broad daylight when the chances of being noticed were much greater.
Jack scrunched his eyes up and took a deep breath, the sight of the street had reminded him on what he had been supposed to tell Alice, despite the urgency of the matter Jack felt he could not reveal it all in the middle of a street, no, it would have to wait until they were alone. Meanwhile he had to make sure Alice got home safely without any spying from Max.
"You can go; you don't have to walk me down this street if you don't want to." Alice offered.
He was tempted, oh so tempted.
"No, I said I would walk you home and that's what I intend to do!" Jack stated convincing his-self more than anyone else.
Alice shook her head in awe, you had to admire his determination, even for simple things like getting over a rational fear. It had always been an admirable quality that the rest of the gang looked up to in envy including Charlie, who could be a right coward when it came to it.
Squeezing each other's hand's, together they took the long stroll to the Brownlow residence, passing houses grander then the Queen's palace. Stopping a couple of houses before they reached the correct house, they couldn't risk any of the household seeing them together, not yet.
They gave one another a kiss and bade each other farewell, promising that they would meet later that night.
Alice watched Jack go first and then giving a huge sigh, she entered the house quietly and immediately retired to her room. She needed time alone to dote on her newfound situation.
Jack returned to the den, flopping on the nearest chair. On seeing him Charlie got him a drink, he looked like he needed one. Charlie watched his friend awhile, concerned at unresponsive he was being, he assumed it was something to do with Alice and could only think it was to do with Max's next job line up. Well he would give a little space to think things over and then he'd ask what happened.
Jack sipped his drink and brewed over his news. He thought over what they should do about it but he couldn't come up with a decent solution, one that everyone would be comfortable with but it seemed that whatever he thought involved someone risking something and he just wasn't sure if he was prepared to let that someone be himself. Downing the last few dregs of his drink, Jack left the empty tankard on the table and retreated to the safety of his bed.
Picking up on this moment Charlie followed him, maybe now would be the right time to ask. He found Jack curled up in a ball, his arms covering his face in a protective manner.
"Dodge?" Charlie started gently, "Are you alright mate?"
Jack removed his arms from his head and looked up at Charlie, his eyes red with tears. Charlie didn't need a verbal response the sight of Jack's tearstained cheeks told him that Jack was far from being ok; the Artful Dodger never cried.
Perching himself on the edge of Jack's bed Charlie regarded his best friend with a serious expression.
"Come on, then, what's the matter?"
"It's my fault, Charlie, it's all my fault!" Jack wailed.
"Whoa, calm down, I can't help yer if yer ain't gonna say what the problem is!" Charlie told him, a little overwhelmed at Jack's response.
"It's Alice…she's pregnant." Jack said in a near whisper.
Charlie whistled, one long note, as he doted on the problem. The news shocked him, he had expected it to be on the lines of his conflicting views with Max, but the reality was a more severe concept. Charlie had never considered the possibility of Jack and Alice taking their relationship to such a high level and a little part of him felt utterly disappointed for now he knew he had no chance with Alice. The little tiny glimmer of hope he had kept within his heart was crushed. Alice undoubtedly loved Jack and Jack unquestionably loved Alice. That was plain enough. Nothing he could do would ever break that bond.
"Gee, you've got one hell of a dilemma there, mate!"
If Jack had been in a more stable state he would have noticed Charlie's usual jokey tone had dropped revealing a more emotional side to him that was rarely visited.
"What am I supposed to do, Charlie?"
The two friends held each other's gaze, Jack's eyes pleading for help while Charlie's seeped with pity for him.
"Have you told her about Max?" Charlie asked his mind thinking that it was all the more important now that Alice should know and be able to protect herself and her unborn child against the villain.
"How could I when she had just told me that!" Jack exclaimed.
"Dodge, yer gotta tell her! If he does something, it's not just her that'll get hurt!" Charlie implored.
"I'll do it tonight, I promised her I go and see her tonight, I'll tell her then." Jack agreed.
Charlie let out a sigh of relief and thanked him.
"But what am I supposed to do about the other problem?" Jack returned to the original question.
For a few seconds Charlie tried vainly to come up with something that would console his friend but found he was wading too deep in a topic he knew absolutely nothing about.
"I don't think I'm the right person to be asking advice from, I'm sorry, mate, I really am, I just don't know what to suggest." Charlie desperately wished he knew exactly what advice to give as he hated to see him in such distress. But this was Jack's problem and unfortunately he was the only who could deal with it.
Jack was already beginning to get the sense that he was in this alone and he begun to accept that he would have to be brave and face it, convincing himself that along with Charlie's support and his love for Alice and his future child, he would get through this somehow.
I sorry this seems to have taken ages to write what with appending coursework and whatnot for school, never mind 'tis up now for you to enjoy and review!