The Yearly 365 Challenge
Prompt #177 (Dialogue) - "Is this yours?"
Author's Note: I really truly don't know where this came from. Seriously I truly don't know where it came from.
Hiram is between the Hiram in the comics and the Hiram of 'Riverdale'.
Opening her door with a smile that moved into an frown. "What do you want?"
"Is this yours?" Alice spewed as she held out a bra.
Veronica met Alice's eyes. "What did you do to her?" She asked with fear.
"You are never going to get your vile hands on my daughter ever again." Alice stepped up close into the younger woman's personal space.
"Get away from my daughter!" Hiram barked as he rushed down the staircase.
Alice lifted her eyes up to meet Hiram Lodge's. "Your daughter is the reason why my baby had to die."
"No." Veronica whispered.
Alice's eyes met hers. "Oh yes Veronica. All because you couldn't keep your filthy hands off my daughter …. I had to end Elizabeth's life to keep you away from her." Her hands rose to the bra. "I found this underneath Elizabeth's pillow …. and I hand to strangle her with it."
Veronica backed away in horror her hands rose to cover her mouth.
Alice tilted her head back and laughed. "You will never get your vile hands on my baby girl ever again you slut! I win."
Hiram rushed past his only child and wrapped his hands around Alice's neck. He squeezed as hard as he could until blood pooled out of Alice's eyes.
Veronica let out a terrified scream as what Alice had told her finally hit her full force. "No! Not Betty! Oh God not Betty!"
"Veronica!" Betty jerked awake as the scream filled the darken room. She quickly looked down at her failing girlfriend next to her. "Ronnie!" She shouted trying to get Veronica to wake up.
"No! Betty! No!' Veronica screamed as tears and sweat rolled down her body.
Betty reached over her girlfriend and turned the light on. "Veronica wake up." She begged as she tried to gather Veronica into her arms.
Veronica was fighting the hold. "No! Get off me! Betty!"
The bedroom door crashed open and Hiram stared wide at his daughter's bed. He rushed across the room and tried to help the blonde get a hold of Veronica's failing arms. "Veronica this is your father. Wake up!" He demanded. He winced as one of her hands slapped Betty's cheek.
Betty blinked back the tears of the pain. Not the physical pain. No she was trying to not have her tears blurry her vision at the sheer pain that her girlfriend was going through in this horrific nightmare of hers. She simply moved so her front was against her girlfriend's back; and she wrapped her arms firmly around Veronica's arms. Trapping them into her body. "Ronnie." She pleaded.
"No." Veronica whimpered. "Please please I needed to get to Betty."
"Baby girl I need you to wake up." Hiram cupped his shaking daughter's chin in the palms of his hands. "Please Veronica wake up for daddy."
"Daddy?" Veronica whimpered.
"Yes baby. Just wake up please." Tears rolled down Hiram's face as he begged to God that his daughter would wake up from this nightmare that was scaring her so much.
Veronica's eyes finally opened. "Daddy where's Betty?" She whispered. "I have to go to her. Please daddy take me to where Betty is."
"Baby girl; Betty is right here. She has you in her arms." He husked out as he stroked her cheekbones.
Veronica cried. "No she's not. Don't lie to me daddy. You know what Alice did."
"I'm right here Veronica." Betty rested her head against her girlfriend's sweaty one. "I'm right here."
"I can still hear her voice daddy. I can still feel her. I can still smell her." Veronica whispered. "I can't live without her."
"Turn your head baby girl." Hiram spoke low. "Betty is safe."
Veronica's eyes lowered. "Don't lie to spare my feelings daddy. You still have …."
Betty gently moved her face so she could meet Veronica's eyes. "I'm right here Veronica. I'm right here." She husked as she leaned forward, and captured her girlfriend's lips with her own in a gentle loving kiss.
As soon as Hiram saw Betty's head moved he managed to let his daughter go, and sit back.
Veronica didn't respond to Betty's kiss until she truly felt the loving essence of her girlfriend. She whimpered as her hands rose to capture Betty's face in between the palms of her hands. She finally pulled away and moved Betty so she was sitting in her lap. Her arms wrapped around the slim body of her soulmate. Her forehead rested against Betty's as she just stared into the blue green eyes. "You're alive."
"Yeah I'm alive." Betty husked out. She put the pictures together on the nightmare. Her arms wrapped protective around her beloved.
(The next morning)
Hiram rubbed his eyes as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He hadn't managed to go back to sleep after Veronica's nightmare in the early morning. He had simply sat in a chair next to his daughter's bed as she and Betty fell back into a broken sleep. Veronica hadn't wanted him to touch her after she fully realized that Betty was in fact alive and well. That Betty was never in any danger … that it was all a horrific nightmare. But she hadn't asked him to leave the room. So he just moved off the bed and sat in the wing back chair that he pulled over from the window.
He sighed deeply as he pulled his cell from his pocket. He pressed Hermione's number.
"Hello Hiram," Hermione spoke.
"Just come home." Hiram husky spoke.
"Hiram?" Hermione spoke in slight fear.
"Veronica had a horrific nightmare concerning Betty early this morning. Betty was sleeping beside her. It took several minutes for us to awaken her. Ronnie was so broken. She honesty thought Betty was dead Hermione. She didn't believe me or Betty that Betty was alive, and wrapped up against her." Hiram stared at the wall across the dinning room table of the Pembroke.
"My poor baby." Hermione's tearful voice crossed over the line.
"I need you here Hermione. I can't reach her." Hiram chocked.
"I'll be home tonight." Hermione's voice spoke. "Hiram just don't leave the Pembroke. Just having you there is all she needs from you."
"Yes dear." Hiram wasn't planning on leaving.
"Also make sure Betty remains there also." Hermione spoke in a calm voice.
"Don't worry I all ready called Hal Cooper and told him what was going on. He agreed the best place for Betty to be is by Veronica's side." Hiram told his wife.
"You need to inform Alice." Hermione spoke in a stiff voice. "After all Betty still lives with her mother."
"Hal said that he would handle that part." Hiram spoke in a tight voice.
"Good." Hermione spoke. "Like I said I'll be home tonight."
"Thank you Hermione." Hiram spoke. He lowered the phone after he heard is estranged wife hang up. He up as Smithers entered the room. "Mrs. Lodge will be returning home this evening, Smithers. Make sure her room is ready for her."
"As you wish sir." Smithers nodded. His eyes softened. "How is Ms. Veronica and Ms. Betty this morning?"
Hiram's voice softened. "They are still asleep. I watched over them for hours. It didn't seem like anymore nightmares was going to return for either of them. So I decided that I needed to get some fresh air and let them sleep as much as possible."
"That is wise Sir." Smithers nodded. "I'll have both rooms cleaned for Mrs. Lodge."
"Also if Alice Cooper shows up Smithers; she's not allowed in." Hiram stony gazed meet Smithers steady ones.
"As you wish Sir." Smithers nodded. He had all ready personally wasn't going to allow that woman into the Pembroke that day or anytime soon. Regardless what his employers wanted.
"Her father and siblings are of course welcomed here." Hiram relaxed.
"Of course Sir." Smithers nodded.
"That is all Smithers." Hiram replied.
"Sir." Smithers turned and left the dining room.
(The Cooper Home)
Hal walked into the living room where his ex-wife and son were sitting. "Chic I want you to pack up enough of Betty's clothes and personal items. She's going to be staying at the Pembroke for a while."
"The hell she is." Alice slammed her hand hard on the table as she stared across the room at her ex-husband. "The fuck she is."
Chic's right eye brow rose as he silently witnessed his mother lose her cool.
"Now please son." Hal looked over at his seated son. He wanted Betty's things as soon as possible. He wanted out of this house. He wanted away from Alice.
Chic stood to his feet.
"Sit down Chic." Alice said in a low voice.
"Sorry mom." Chic sighed as he left the living room.
Hal held up his hand. "Don't fight this Alice. Betty is where she is most needed right now."
"You are allowing that vile family to brain wash Elizabeth!" Alice seethed through clenched teeth.
"No I'm allowing that family to protect Betty from your brain washing Alice." Hal's hissed with his fists tightly folding across his chest.
Alice's eyes widen. "I see." She softly spoke.
Chic walked back into the living room with Betty's back pack on his back; and her large suitcase. "Ready dad." He looked at his father. He turned his blue green eyes on his mother. "I'll be back later mom." He wanted her to know that he wasn't running away from her again.
Alice's eyes soften.
"Alice. Please take this time apart with Betty to realize that you still have a chance not to drive her away for good once she turns eighteen." Hal's voice softened. He turned to his son. "Come on Chic." He lead the way out of the living room.
Chic followed, and with one last look over his shoulder at his mother; he faced forward once more.
Alice's shook at her sides as the front door shut behind them. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she realized that she had lost control of this situation. That no matter if she went to the Pembroke and demanded for Elizabeth to return home to her …. Elizabeth wouldn't come.
Her soul harden against raw hatred against Hal whom stole her daughter from her. Against the Lodges whom stole her daughter from her. She vowed that by the end of this little episode that she'll make that vile Loge girl pay for turning Elizabeth from her.
End Chapter