Officer Bradley stood up. "Agent Chau, I find no evidence that Ms. Spade is a run away, and no corroboration to claims that she and her new guardian attacked the Walter family." the cop turned to nod at Salali and walked over to shake Alice's hand. Ace felt something press into her palm and she cupped it, hiding it from view as the officer walked out of hte apartment.
                              
Agent Chau suddenly looked very small, and a lot less certain of herself. "You haven't been lying?" she asked, as if it only just occured to her that Alice was a victim. Alice shook her head. "The system has failed you." she stated a little more firmly.
                              
"Agent, the Walter's requested a new SS rep every seven months just so no one would care. All of them fell for the same crap you did because it's what you've come to expect. But how many girls and boys have you dismissed that are just like me? I know most of the blame goes to the Walter's and the system, but don't think for a minute you're guilt free. Now please, have a nice day." Alice held the door open.
                              
Chau frowned but left without another word. Alice closed the door and turned to look at Salali. The large Natice woman had a sympathetic look on her face, but now that the others weren't around, she allowed the tiredness and grief to show again. Alice felt her hands start to tremble and swallowed the emotions down, using her mediation to push it away for now.
                              
"Sorry you have to deal with that right now Sal. Why don't you run yourself a buble bath and I'll get you some hot chocolate ready?" Alice suggested. Thankfully Salali nodded, understandably too consumed with her own grief still to realize Alice wasn't alright.
                              
The large woman left to the bathroom and Alice started to get the hot water ready. The shaking in her hands was getting worse and traveled up her body, spreading until eventually her entire body trembled. She could feel the blood drain out of her face and the tears well up, her throat nearly closing over the pressure in her chest. She set the mug down on the counter so she wouldn't drop it and leaned against the counter as her body started to shake harder with sobs. She managed to stay quiet so Salali wouldn't hear, and the hot tears burned tracks down her cold skin. She had a pain in her chest and her legs crumpled so she ended up crouched over her knees, hands still clinging to the countertop, body wracked with sobs. She was just so tired of everyone kicking her while she was down. Just as things started to go a little bit right in her life, something would come along and knock it over like a house of cards. That's right, you're the queen of spades in a deck of jokers, Alice thought cruelly to herself. She started to suck in breaths to try and calm down, and after a while felt the tremors stop. She felt weak and fuzzy, a headache pounding in her skull and her stomach was tight with stress. Alice hauled herself up, startled to find that hot water had cooled while she had her little breakdown and started to boil it again. As she reached for a second mug she realized that Malcolm was standing inside the doorway.
                              
He was staring at her, face blank, arms crossed over his chest. Her face was still tearstained, and she had no energy left to pretend she hadn't just been crying like a baby. "Why are you here?" she asked, voice rough.
                              
"I came to check on Salali." he replied, hesitating for a second. "Shawna called me and told me you two had met up and talked." he stepped closer into the room, slowly moving around the couch. "She kept going on about how great you were, how well you listened, how friendly and smart you seemed." Alice looked down at the mug she was cluching like a life line.
                              
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked, confusion not making her feel any better.
                              
Malcolm stood in the kitchen, far enough away that Alice didn't feel cornered. "Because I already knew it." he stated. "I already know that you're beautiful, and funny." he stepped a little closer. "That you're smart and painfully honest." another step closer. "And that any man would be lucky to have you in their life." he stopped right in front of her and lifted her chin up with his hand. "And I'm sorry that I ever acted like I doubted it. You deserve better than that. I know I haven't been a very good friend to you. I've dumped my anger and frustration out on you, and been moody as hell. You were right yesterday, I was angry because you were making me face the fact that I haven't been honest to myself in a long while. I wanted to thank you for demanding that I be the man I'm capable of, and not the one I think is easier. And I wanted to apologize for every tear I may have caused." he dropped his hand from her chin. "Can we be friends?" he asked.