A DBH summer exchange fic for @jojolarow / @jordyn3130
On AO3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/20469347
Alice couldn’t remember her mom, the woman who Todd tried to replace with Kara. She supposed it made sense, in a way. Why should she? Alice was meant to replace the original Alice, the little girl who got to escape his abuse with her mom. She continued coloring her family picture as she thought over the past year. She got to be similar to the little girl, the original Alice (if that was even her name). They both ran off with their mom, they got to escape to a better life.
She smiled to herself, wondering if the other Alice had gained as much family as she had, family was the only way to describe them. “Alice, you have a few more minutes to finish your family picture.” She looked up and smiled at the teacher. She made sure in the last minutes to see the finishing touches, making sure Rose’s curls were visible, that the smile was noticeable on Luther’s face, that Adam’s beanie was the perfect shade of red.
The teacher called out that time was up and Alice turned in her family picture. Then she ran out and joined the class for lunch. One of the perks of being a child model android, they were designed to be as lifelike as possible, so she was able to eat and drink food. She was able to get scrapes, able to blush, to feel cold and heat. She found herself thankful for all these things as they lived in Canada. She worried that her mom would be found out, household models didn’t get as many advancements as the child models had.
She went through the school day, her ‘Uncle Luther’ picking her up at the end of the day. Alice looked at Adam sitting in the front seat and wondered if she and her moms ever went back to the U.S., would Luther and Adam stay here or go with them? “Mama Rose!” She shouted as they pulled up to an apartment to see Rose grilling with some of their neighbours. The moment Luther stopped the car she was jumping out.
A hand on her shoulder snapped her back to the car right away. Alice turned to see Adam frowning down at her. “Sis, don’t you remember you need to look both ways and have an adult with you before you cross?” He shook his head and they waited for Luther before crossing the lot. “Trying to get your damn self hit.” She laughed, it was nice having a family. Rose gave her a hug as they walked up.
“Kara will be home soon. She stayed late at work and missed the first bus.” Rose told them over Alice’s head.
“Mom you should have told us. I can go get her.”
“Go get who?” Kara asked as she came up to them, Alice through her arms around Kara’s waist. “I ran the last two blocks but I made it honey.”
Alice didn’t respond, just hugged Kara tighter. She felt so loved as Kara hugged her back and kissed the top of her head. “How was school today honey?”
“Alright.” Alice gave a small shrug. “We talked about families. Went over long division. I don’t understand why I have to pretend this is all new to me.” She frowned as she pressed her head further into Kara’s stomach. “I’m worried about us being found out. What will happen to us then?”
“Everything will be fine baby.” Rose knelt down next to Alice and pulled her into a hug. Adam had taken over the grill. “We don’t have to worry about that anymore. Markus was on the news today. Things are much better now you’ll see.” She brushed some of Alice’s hair back, wiping away a tear she hadn’t realized fell down her cheek. “Baby girl it’s going to be alright. Trust me. We can go back and live at my house in Michigan or we can stay here. That’s something you and your mom need to talk about.”
Alice turned and looked up at Luther. “You know I’ll go where you two decide. You’re my family.”
She turned her head back towards Rose. “Luther and I, we will support and follow you two wherever you want to go. Okay? We are here no matter what.”
“I- I think I want to go visit. Not yet, but maybe during the summer? We could go back and visit? I like not having to be afraid of us being found out, but I don’t think I can be there. I can’t see him again.”
Kara gave a frown as she nodded, understanding Alice still was afraid Todd would try to bring them back. The hug at the bus station had started to mend things but they would both still hold that fear of him. “It’ll be alright Alice. I promise we will never have to be near him again.”
Alice looked up at her family, a brother, an uncle, and two moms. She didn’t need a dad, she wasn’t meant to replace anyone. She was just allowed to exist. To be just Alice.
