One day Betty was in her kitchen making noodles for her little girl. It's been three years since she had Jamie Alice Jones. She made her daughter's middle name as her mother's name. In somewhat honor. She hears someone knock on her door. She sets down her spoon and walks down the hall and opens the door.
Once the doors open. She just sees a brunette man with curly hair standing on her welcome mat. She wasn't expecting to see this man. Something seemed so familiar about him. She just couldn't put her finger on it. "Is this the Jones residence?" The brunette asked as he scratched the back of his neck.
She could feel the nervousness reflect off the man. She took another look at the man and felt something. He looked like he was in his thirties. Maybe he was a client of her husband's. "Yes it is." The man smiled a bit more. To be true he was very nervous. He couldn't believe he was going to do this.
"Oh good. I thought I had the wrong house. You look a bit too young to my mother." Betty's eyes widen. What was he saying? She was only 21. She had Jamie when she was 18. How could she be his mother?
"Uh, I'm Betty Jones. But I have no clue what you're getting at." She said as she looked in the eyes. She was truly confused.
"Babe, Jamie wants her Mac and Cheese!" She heard Jughead call from inside the house. She looked back inside and saw her husband approaching. Jughead stopped at the door when he saw the man and his wife. "Uh excuse me. Who are you?" He asked the man who was standing in front of them.
He looked almost like he was going to faint. Jughead felt a little bad for scaring him. He knew that the Southside Serpents Jacket could be very intimidating. "Charles Jones." Jughead felt a cool rush in his blood. Nobody had mentioned the child of Alice and Fp in years. Not since she was murdered. And now the ghost of the past was back. His father's son was standing right in front of them.
It took several uncomfortable seconds to pass before Jughead said a word. He looked over at Betty. He could see the shock written on her face. They thought he was dead. "Charles I'm afraid you got the wrong Joneses." He could see Charles expression fade.
Charles felt stupid. He should've know he was too late. He started turning his foot and walked away. By a voice stopped him. "But you have met your sister and Brother." He turned to face them and his heart leaped. He found his family. He couldn't have been more happy then he was right now. He hadn't been happy for years. He ran away from Chic his crazy roommate. That tried to kill him. He faked his death to escape and brought a ticket. He came back to Riverdale after 16 years. And now he was thirty. He was seventeen when he escaped from The Sisters Of Quiet Mercy.
"Oh my it's great to finally meet you. Betty, the last I saw you. You were so little. I'm glad you were raised right." Betty could hear the sadness in his voice. It almost made her feel guilty.
"Charles, I'm sorry about your childhood. My sister, Polly was sent there by my father. My mom married this awful man. He ruined her life and... mine as well." She could feel the tears in her eyes. She didn't want to have to tell him that his mother was murdered six years ago. Charles looked at her with a sad smile.
"I'm so sorry. That must have been awful. I escaped from there when I was seventeen. I didn't bother staying until I was eighteen. I wished that I was adopted all the time. But now, I finally met my family." Jughead could see his wife slowly crumbling.
He decided that it was time to call his father. He knew his father would be happy His was alive. But also crushed of the reminder. He remember the look on his face when the Corredor told him that Alice was pregnant. The way his eyes froze and glossed up. That was when he figured about his father's affair. At first he was furious. But then that anger turned into sorrow. He knew his father was shattered which caused the drinking to pick up.
Fp showed up at his son's house. He was confused by the sudden call. His son didn't really call much. Which caused him to have suspicions. Over the past six years, his and Jughead's relationship turned downhill. Shortly after his wife left again. She just left. Just like he knew she would. And then he found out about his wife's affair. She was sleeping with their counselor. He was heartbroken when he found them in their bed. After that he picked up another bottle and those turned into more. He tried to explain to his son on what happened. But Jughead told him that he deserved. And that he thought about it. Maybe he did. He did have an affair before she did.
Until a few months ago, He found out that she was having two affairs in their marriage. Saying that his drinking caused to. He didn't believe that was right. He was stressed and she was fucking with his heart. She had admitted she had slept with Hal Cooper two months before she left him the first time. He couldn't believe she cheated on him. With the person he hated the most. The one who murdered the love of his life.
Their were days when he thought about ending it all. Just right before his son called. He had a gun to his temple. He was going to end his life. He had nothing to look forward to. His son didn't talked to him. Yes he had his wonderful and amazing granddaughter and his daughter Jellybean. But he didn't have Alice. She had been dead for six years. He missed her so fucking much and it wasn't fair. He wanted to be with her.
"Why did you call?" He asked in somewhat sober state. Jughead rolled his eyes. Of course his father wasn't sober. He hadn't been since he made his mother leave. He eyed Betty. Betty smiled like she usually did. She missed him being in her life. It had been hard without him. She was her only father she had left. She didn't have grandparents. She didn't want to be associated with any of the cooper's. Polly hadn't came back from the farm. And frankly she didn't trust that cult mess of a farm. It ruined her sister and so did the sisters. It was all Hal's doing.
"Fp, I'm glad you came." She greeted as she hugged him. Fp was confused but took the hug anyway. He looked over at the man that was standing in front of his son and Betty.
"Uh who's this?" He asked as he looked over at the man.
Betty caught on and felt the tension grow. She slowly took a deep breath and walked over to Charles. Charles was very externally nervous. He was going to meet his father. Who was a drunk. That was the down side. He took a shaky breath before opening his mouth. "I'm your son. Charles Jones." Fp felt like he was being blown away. The news was such a shock. His son was alive. Chic was lying. He should've known. He wished he didn't trust that imposter. He also wanted to thank the phone call.
He wrapped his arms around Charles and pulled into a tight hug. If he would've ended his life? He wouldn't have met his son. His long lost son Charles. His eyes burned with tears. Charles was taken back by the hug but didn't hesitant to hug him back. "Thank you." He heard his father muttered. He wasn't sure what he met by that.
Jughead was surprised by what his father had done. He was looking at him when he said thank you. What did that mean? He was confused. He also wanted to know what he meant by "thank you". He didn't take those words lightly. "Your welcome." He said back unsure how he felt. He knew his father and him had been talking.
But Betty felt a feeling in her stomach and it wasn't warmth. It was chilling. Then she gasped when she knew. Fp." Her voice was starting to crack. Fp broke out of the embrace and looked at her. "Don't tell me you were going..." She stopped at mid sentence when it finally clicked to her.
Jughead looked over at his father in confusion and horror. His father was going... Oh my he felt like a horrible son. "Dad." His voice broke as his father refused to meet his eyes. "You were going to end your life?" He watched his father slightly nod and his stomach churned. "Oh my god! D-ad. I- I didn't mean to cause you any suffering." Charles's eyes grew concerned and tears rolled silently. He could've lost his father.
"Dad, so you about to before He called you about me?" Fp had forgetten his oldest son was there. He didn't want to say it but he knew it was too late not to. Damn Betty.
"I was going to right before Jughead called." Everyone gasped. Jughead felt sick to his stomach. "I had a gun to m-y tem-ple." He never felt so sick in his life. Not even when he saw Alice the way he did. His father was going to kill himself. He could've lost his father forever.
Jughead ran into his father and hugged tightly as tears rolled. He wasn't going to wipe them away. Betty watched as tears fill the Joneses eyes. "Fp, I'm sorry about everything." She interrupted softly.
They all stayed quiet as everyone told their feelings. Fp finally told the painful secret he had holding for three months. Jughead was furious with his mother. She had affair with their marriage counselor. He didn't believe it at first but when he saw the look on his father's face. He knew it was true. Betty couldn't believe that either. Gladsy Jones always secretive. But the newest affair she heard shattered her. She and Hal had an affair two months before she left him the first time. Jughead didn't know about that one. His mother was the worst. She was already a whore. She was upset with his dad about his. But she had two affairs. One of them before she left them behind. He was only in his sophomore year. He had to deal with his father's drinking problems while she was fucking Hal Cooper.
And then the big bombshell was dropped on Charles. "My mother was murdered?" He received so many nods that his stomach rolled. "Hal Cooper murdered her. I heard about the Black Hood but I didn't know it was him. And she was the one he murdered." Charles broke down. He couldn't believe she had been dead for six years. Betty explained everything to him. And how she didn't want to give him up.
A few months later, Everything calmed down. Betty and Charles grew closer and Jughead and Fp rekindled their relationship. Fp stopped drinking and Betty couldn't have happier. She knew that Jughead was finally happy. Charles was still heartbroken from the recent new of his mother.
Betty was looking at old pictures and smiled at the funny and embarrassing ones. Charles came downstairs and saw the photo album. They both looked at the pictures and laughed. Fp had been staying with them for the past couple weeks. Just until his apartment was done being fumigated. He saw them and smiled. Charles was holding on picture that Alice kept. It was of Him and Alice and she was kissing his cheek. He looked closer and noticed one picture in particular. Charles and Betty both noticed what picture and picked it out of the pile.
"Oh my god. She kept one picture of you, Charles." Betty softly exclaimed as she pointed. Charles smiled at the picture. It was of him and His mom. The only picture he would ever have if himself as a baby.
The sisters didn't keep pictures besides take one to make sure you didn't get misplaced. And a way to identify you.
Fp looked at the picture and his eyes started to well up. Alice looked exhausted but so beautiful. He only had the one picture of his son that Alice showed him. And now she wasn't there to be by him. He needed her more than anything. He learned that his life was very delicate and needs to be safe.
They sat there staring at the pictures and smiles and laughs escaped their mouths. It was going to be hard without her. But now that they had pictures it was easier to move on. They wouldn't forget her. She will always be in their hearts. Fp was glad and thankful for the blessed phone call from his son. And the special visit from his long lost son Charles. Betty couldn't wait to show her daughter how wonderful her grandmother was. And the day her daughter had her first day of school. She felt the same way her mother did. But she knew Jamie would be fine. And that she was going to be fine without her. One day she will finally see her mother again. She will tell her how grateful and appreciated that she had the best mom in the world.
Later her and Charles spent their day visiting their mothers grave. It had been so many years. Over the years. Betty started going less and less. She got busy and with work. They sat down at the grave site and held hands. Charles felt weird about being there. He knew he was a stranger to her. Even though he was her son. He still felt weird about it.
"We love you so much, Mom. I forgive you for all those years ago. I wish I got to meet you before you died." Charles said softly as he placed so new flowers by her faded grave stone.
He wished so much that his life would be different. That he grew up with her and His Dad. But deep down he knew that could never happen. He wouldn't have Betty, Jellybean or even Jughead. He didn't really know Polly. She didn't come back. She doesn't even know he even exists. That does sadden him. But what can he do. There wasn't much he could do. He bonded with his seven year old niece Jamie. He loved that her middle name was his mothers name. It meant that she was always in their lives that way. Him and Jughead worked things out. And his bond with Betty got even stronger. They liked some of the same things. He could tell that her father did a number on her.
Also that she didn't like talking about her childhood. He could relate. He didn't like talking about his childhood. It was still haunting to him. But now he had his family. None of his nightmares could affect him.