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The door shuts behind Alana in a polite manner and not the “fuck you” of a bang it should have been. She can feel her cheeks flush a hot red and it’s not from the creep of the frigid air. She shakes her head and tries to shrug off the cold shoulder she has been given, it doesn’t matter, her exclusion from the party is merely for show, and she looks back at the stern wooden door.
In the turn of the clock, Hannibal will saunter out the front door and apologise to her in a hushed tone. He would say that her banishment from the party is all for appearance’s sake, that they should discuss Mischa’s placement at a later time when nerves would be soothed. When everyone has seen Will interact with Mischa and personally seen his faults, seen how Will is a bad influence on one so young, seen how he’s setting her up to be just like him by isolating her from other children her age.
Allan bites her lip and taps her foot. How many times had she been to Wolf Trap in the past few months. How many times had Mischa been there, shuttered away in a room by Will’s hand just because of his fears, how many relationships had he cleaved Mischa from or severed potential ties to because of those fears. He is setting her up for failure in life, she needs more than her father, she needs a proper support structure, one that Will doesn’t have.
Can’t the others see this?
Where was the mother in all of this, was she aware at all about the man raising her child? Once Hannibal comes out, they will make a plan together to locate the mother. She could imagine it now, long nights tracking Will’s footprint, Hannibal providing delicious home cooked meals, Hannibal by her side as they convince the mother of this child to come back into her life and if not, together they can convince child protective services to take Mischa, for her own good, for Will’s own good and for her own piece of mind.
There might be a moment where Will resents her for it, but with Hannibal by her side and explaining how this is for the best, he will eventually forgive her. First though she needed Hannibal.
Any minute now… Alana breathes hot air onto her hands.
Any minute now…The cold bites at her nose.
Any minute now…How long had she been standing here for?
Ice spreads up her spine at the realisation that Hannibal isn’t coming with an apology bubbling on his lips, he isn’t on her side. No one is on her side, is she the only person thinking clearly.
They’re too bestowed by Will’s complete enamoured behaviour to see how he cannot care for this child. How to show them though? She just needs the right angle, the right hook to exhibit them this fact because it is a fact. She has known Will for years, she knows what he is capable of, she knows every inch of him, and the simple fact is he can’t look after a child, but the question of how to show Hannibal this truth….
Alana shivers as she walks down the sidewalk and hurries into her car, she turns it on along with the heater and waits for the rest of the car to warm up. She rubs her hands together and breathes warm air on them, the tips of her fingers sting, how long had she been out there waiting for Hannibal to come back?
She needs a new plan, Hannibal couldn’t be counted on, she should have realised that when Hannibal came to Will’s house and defended Will. He was obviously too infatuated by his mind to see the danger Mischa is in, he’s become too involved with Will and crossed boundaries that should never have been crossed.
Alana taps her forehead, what can she do? Getting the board involved is far too dangerous, she didn’t want to hurt Hannibal and she didn’t want to risk her friendship with him even if he is acting highly unprofessional, no she couldn’t go that route and if she did Mischa would still be with Will.
She needs Hannibal on her side, but how…She needs more information about Mischa, about her mother, about her past…but how…Alana shakes her head at the intrusive thought, trying to shake it out of her head but it refuses to leave and instead takes root in her mind.
Alana takes out her phone, this is a bad idea, she presses on her contacts, this is a bad idea, her fingers ghost the devil horned name, this is a bad idea, the electronic ring burns her ears.
‘Hi Freddie, how have you been,’ Alana says cordially. A deep breath reverberates in her ears.
‘Alana Bloom.’ She hears the click of keys on a keyboard. ‘I’m surprised to see your name come onto my screen.’
‘Well, I was just—’
‘Why don’t you just cut to the chase Bloom,’ interrupts Freddy, ‘both of our time is far too valuable to spend it on these platitudes, so come out and say what you want.’
Alana bites her lip, is she really going to do this, is she really going to send this demon after Will, but what else can she do? They’ve given her no other option. She releases her lip and lets out a long sigh.
‘I need your help with Mischa.’ Alana frowns. ‘Don’t quote me on this but I’m worried about her being with Will.’
‘Hmm and I take it you didn’t just call me up and admit this because it’s weighing on you.’
‘I was wondering.’ Alana taps the steering wheel. ‘If you could find out about the mother or any other family. Mischa should be with her or rather just away from Will.’ God that sounded so terrible when she said that aloud.
‘You know.’ Alana hears a sigh on her end of the phone and the clicks of a tongue. ‘Whatever I find, I will use for an article, don’t you.’ Alana grips the phone tight in her hands.
‘Please be gentle,’ pleads Alana though she knows it will be useless, Freddie is like a dog with a bone.
‘I make no promises,’ Freddie says, the line rings dead and Alana presses the little red button. She leans forward on the steering wheel and sighs.
This is for the best; everyone will see it that way…eventually.