Important notice! I have sworn off watching the show until finishing this story so if any storylines intertwine with the new season it will be purely coincidental, I will base none of this story of new events in the show. But feel free to alert me of anything. And continue writting your wonderful reviews and suggestions! ;) And lastley, I went back to edit something I'd forgotten about in the last chapter, sorry about that.
Either way, enjoy.
About half an hour after the incident a nurse came in and kindly kicked Betty out so Jellybean could get some rest. She walked out and heading into the waiting room without a fuss. She found both Fp and Jughead seated there as expected, only she was surprised to see they were both filling out paperwork and more of those infernal forms. She noted the pile of those filled out and not and noticed they were close to finishing, very close.
They were already working again towards keeping Jellybean here. Betty had already known that Jellybean was staying before she'd told her, but never going back to Toledo? That would be hard on her. Seeing Fp sitting there, one leg crossed over the other as he wrote, the paper on his knees without his jacket on still made Betty blink. She couldn't believe he'd done that for Jellybean, and that Jughead had come so close to doing the same. She could only hope the now ex Serpent wouldn't back out of it. She wondered how the other Serpents would take it, not well, she guessed.
"Where'd you get those from?"
Betty asked, but she wasn't only asking out of curiosity but as a conversation starter as she took the free seat behind Jughead. It was dark outside but Betty didn't know what time it was. The rest of the waiting room was empty aside from one woman falling asleep with a bouquet of flowers in her hand. Neither men looked up to answer.
"I was in the trailer when I got the phone call from Toni, I thought I might as well grab them on my way out."
How he had thought of that when his daughter had just been kidnapped Betty didn't know but she nodded in understanding anyway.
"And you knew then she would still want to stay?"
Betty asked and he shrugged,
"I could only hope."
He said and an awkward kind of silence settled between the three of them, probably because she'd just kicked them out of Jellybean's room. She couldn't help but feel guilty about it, maybe she had gone too far. She sat there in silence for a second but no conversation came or showed any sign of doing so. All she did was listen to the sound of Fp and Jughead's scribbling, the sound of nurses walking softly on the sparkling clean floor and the occasional cough from the women behind the reception desk.
That got boring really quickly and she went to pull out her phone when she remembered she didn't have it. She swore under her breath, but Jughead must have heard because he suddenly turned to her,
"Right, sorry I forgot, your mom called me a while back but I missed it, I think she wants to speak with you."
He said apologetically and Betty's eyes widened. She'd completely forgotten about her mom, she must be worried out of her mind by now. Noticing her reaction Jughead pulled out his phone and handed it to her. She thanked him before getting up and opening his phone. She'd learnt the code months ago.
Betty quickly hurried outside as she called her mother back. She pushed through the glass door of the hospital entrance just as her mother picked up,
"Jughead! Finally! Have you seen Betty?"
Her mother demanded in relief as Betty put the phone to her ear.
"It's me, mom, I'm sorry I…"
Alice didn't let her finish,
"Where on earth are you? Do you have any idea what time it is!"
She didn't in fact and after checking quickly noticed it was way past 7.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you mom but something bad happened to Jellybean and she and Jughead went straight to the hospital. We're all still here, including Fp."
"Oh, that's horrible!" Alice gasped, "Why didn't you tell me earlier!" She said angrily and for a while, Betty heard nothing but rustling.
"Mom?"
She could only hear the sound of a door opening and an engine starting,
'Mom!"
Betty called louder and this time her mom answered,
"I'm on my way."
Alice said and Betty's eyes widened, that had not been her intention.
"What? Mom, no!"
Betty tried to stop her but Alice was having none of it.
"I'm coming, end of discussion."
Alice said and Betty knew she was about to hang up, but she had to tell her the most important parts first. And before she arrived.
"Mom, listen to me! This is important! Jellybean was kidnapped by Penny, but no one can know that! And Fp, he gave up being a Serpent for her!"
"WHAT?!"
Alice asked in utter shock at Betty's rash explanation. Betty wasn't sure what surprised her mother the most of the two events. Either way, Betty was really worried Alice would crash her car if she told her any more of what had happened,
"You got to help him through it."
Betty told her. She'd noticed it, the odd familiarity and tiny sparks between Fp and Alice. Betty didn't need that drama in her life, but she knew Alice would help him, in her own Alice way. The Coopers would look after the Jones's.
"I'm going as fast as I can…"
Alice said, the panic out of her voice, nothing but a cool determination in her voice, before hanging up. This hadn't been Betty's intention at all, but maybe Mama Cooper was just the person for this kind of chaos. Betty stood outside for a moment, just letting the cool air clear her thoughts and the comfortable silence of the night wash over her, the silence in the hospital to weary and sad as if awaiting known death. She took a last deep breath before heading inside again. Her mother would be here soon enough. She took a seat next to Jughead again and sighed heavily. Jughead looked up at her and she answered his silent question.
"Upon telling her why I wasn't home she took it as a cue to come here and take care of everything herself,"
Betty said indifferently. She really didn't know whether that was a good thing or not. Jughead seemed to be of the same opinion as her and only nodded and said nothing further. Fp looked up in surprise for a second, his eye directed at the door as if Betty announcing she was coming would materialise her out of thin air, or summon her through those doors. It didn't. He returned his attention to the sheet on his lap almost immediately, as if he'd never looked up in the first place.
"Anyway," She said, "Is there anything I can help with?"
She asked, nodding to the stack of papers, changing the subject. She hated not doing anything at times like these, where there was so much she couldn't fix, she'd grab at anything she could do. But both men shook there head at the same time, both returning to their work. Betty sighed in exasperation.
"Well, it there anything else I can do?" She asked a little sharply but neither men reacted. She was about to apologise for kicking them out of Jellybean's room, sure that was the reason for their coldness when another idea came to her.
"Do you want me to call someone? Archie maybe?"
She offered to Jughead, wondering whether it would be better to have a close friend of Jughead's here.
Jughead shook his head but this time he spoke, and what he said made both Betty and Fp stare at him in shock, not believing the words that had just left his mouth. Neither thought Jughead believed the words he'd spoken.
"No, Archie can't help…Call my mom instead."
He said with a shudder.
"Jughead, are you sure?"
Betty asked in disbelief, bordering on worried. Where was this suddenly coming from? He didn't meet either of their staring gazes and nodded again.
"Yeah, she's her mother, she should know her daughter was hurt and Jellybean might need her, even if she won't ask for it, or even admit it to herself. Her mother has always been there for her."
He said, the unspoken words hanging in the air between the three of them. But never there for him.
"Well….What will you tell her?"
Betty asked, eyes still wide. She couldn't believe they were actually talking about this. The definition of a taboo subject.
"The same story we tell everyone else, or whatever Jellybean wants to tell her."
He said, biting his lip and finally looking up at Betty, worry filling his dark eyes. Betty wondered for the first time whether he had his mother's eyes. Jellybean's were the spitting image of her father's, but Jughead? She didn't know.
Betty looked from Jughead to Fp. Fp nodded and Betty understood. If Jughead was ready, Fp would make sure he was too.
Betty leant forward and gave Jughead a soft kiss on the cheek before rising to her feet.
"You want me to call?"
She asked and Jughead nodded,
"You or Jellybean."
He said and Betty opened Jughead's phone again.
"Alright, I'll go ask Jellybean if she wants her mom here,"
Betty said and walked away, leaving the Jones's to discuss what had just happened. Betty walked down the hall in a little bit of a haze, how quickly everything had been turned upside down once more. Betty picked up her speed a little, hoping to get to Jellybean's room without someone trying to stop her. But a nurse just turned the bend and seemed to guess at Betty's intentions. It was a different nurse of before but one who knew of Jellybean's condition. The nurse stopped before Betty and took her by the arm, but not firmly, simply warningly.
"I'm sorry, young lady but you can't go in at the moment, family or not, she needs her rest now."
She spoke in a soft, non-hostile voice and Betty didn't resist her. She only pleaded urgently.
"Please, it's very important. We're trying to reach her mother in Toledo,"
The nurse seemed to understand the situation at hand and let Betty go with a nod.
"Alright then, but be quick and don't panic her, we all want her to have a speedy recovery."
Yes, they did.
Betty nodded in thanks as the woman moved from out of her way. She reached Jellybean's door and wondered how she would tell Jellybean about all this. She opened the door and headed inside. She found Jellybean on her bed reading a book, frowning deeply.
"Hey, Jellybean,"
Betty said as she entered and Jellybean looked up, returning the greeting, no longer surprised at her unexpected entrances.
"Why aren't you resting?"
Betty asked softly but Jellybean didn't return her smile.
"I can't." She said exhausted, "I can't even close my eyes."
Betty swore at herself silently. Of course she couldn't. Betty came closer to the bed, carefully taking Jellybean's hand in her own, giving her time to pull away if she wanted to. But she didn't, she just looked out of the window as Betty gave Jellybean's hand a gentle squeeze.
"I asked Jughead whether I should call anyone else here. He said he'd think it was best to call your mom. Would you want that?"
Jellybean looked at Betty in the same surprise Betty had looked at Jughead.
"Did he really say that?"
Jellybean asked, shocked and hopeful. Betty nodded with a smile.
"Yes, yes please."
She told Betty nervously.
"What will you tell her?'
She asked worried and Jellybean let out a shuddering breath.
"Not the truth, not yet anyway."
She said sadly, looking down at her hand attached to the tube.
Betty wasn't sure how to talk to Jellybean, she wanted to be kind and gentle but not make Jellybean feel like she was being treated as a child.
"Anyone else you want to call?"
She offered and Jellybean's head shot up,
"Yes, a friend of mine in Toledo."
Jellybean said automatically and Betty smiled and was glad to help as she handed Jellybean brother's phone over.
She left Jellybean to call in private and headed out of the room again, wondering what disaster they were bringing upon themselves.
Jellybean couldn't wait to call Kath, she dialled her number the moment Betty left the room. Kath picked up on the third ring and greeted her as she always did over the phone,
"Hello, who is this?"
Only this time it was justified.
"Kath, it's me."
Jellybean said and Kath responded excitedly,
"Oh Jellybean, I'm so glad you called. I actually memorised your number and you didn't pick up…"
Jellybean couldn't believe the irony of that,
"Told you that would come in handy…Only now I don't have my phone anymore,"
"What? Why?"
Kath asked annoyed but with humour in her voice. But Jellybean only bit her lip before saying, her voice serious again,
"Yeah, um. Kath, about that…"
"Yeah?"
Kath asked worried, noticing the edge to her voice,
"Something happened. It's over now, no one got seriously injured or anything. But I need you. I need you and my mother here as soon as possible. Can you get her here?"
Jellybean asked, pushing away the images that threatened to surface.
"Well, are you all okay?!"
Kath asked worried, not believing no one was hurt. Jellybean blinked away her tears before responding, perfectly calm.
"Yes, of course!"
She said, her voice just a little too high as she fought the heavy breaths rising in her chest.
"Okay, I'm walking down to my parents right now to tell them I'm going. I'll get your mom after that and once I'm there you need to tell me everything…"
Kath said, urgently as she pulled her stuff together, a few extra clothes, first aid kit, all kinds of stuff. She spoke only again when she began thundering down the stairs. Jellybean had always had a small amount of jealousy towards Kath because of the size of her house, the nicer clothes she wore. But she shared all of that with Jellybean, who was impossibly grateful for all of it. Jellybean seemed to spend more time there than at the trailer, especially in the first year of her arrival where the trailer felt like an echo of her previous life.
"I came out to my parents yesterday, by the way, it's what I wanted to talk to you about."
Kath said, causing Jellybean to blink in surprise. She'd completely forgotten about that, she still needed to do that too she guessed. She hadn't thought about it before.
"Oh, how did they take it?"
Jellybean asked and Kath sighed,
"Honestly, I don't even know. It went alright, but I think they are both bombed their only adopted child won't give them any grandchildren. I'll tell you everything later."
"Oh, so you're definitely…"
Jellybean trailed off.
"Lesbian? Yes. Do you know yet?"
She said and Jellybean wondered when or even how Kath had become so sure about all this. She'd have to ask once she saw her. Jellybean on the other hand…
"I honestly haven't had any time to think about it. But I guess I am too, yes."
She said and it somehow…Helped. Oddly enough it removed some of the constant aches in her chest. An odd feeling it was, but a pleasant one, to come out to a person who was like you, the opposite to what everyone expects you to be. Without knowing it, both girls were smiling at what the other had said,
"We'll talk about it loads once I get there," Kath said, "I'm just outside the kitchen, I'll call you once I'm in the bus stop."
"Okay, great, thank you so much, Kath."
Jellybean said and Kath responded in that humble way of hers.
"No prob. But I'm still waiting on that reward by the way."
Jellybean snorted at that, but she truly was impossibly grateful.
"Bye Kath,"
"Bye Jellybean,"
They each said before hanging up. Jellybean put the phone down and just sat there for a moment, processing everything. Within two hours her girlfriend and mother could be here. That took a lot to sink in and Jellybean almost felt ashamed of her own condition when they'd arrive. She knew it wasn't her fault, she wasn't a fool to blame herself but still.
Jellybean could hardly believe the thought herself, she didn't know how she'd tell her parents… Kath was lesbian, and so was she. Or was she? She suddenly remembered her dream of a future her without ever coming to Riverdale, she'd been at least bi then as well.
She thought about it for a bit longer, not coming to any conclusions before picking up the phone again. She dialled her mother's number and waited in anxiety for the response. Her previous phone calls with her mother hadn't gone so well. Her phone rang on and on and with every moment of silence between the rings her breath hitched, thinking her mother had picked up, but she hadn't. She tried reaching her three times but she didn't pick up. Jellybean gave up and let the phone sliding through her lap, hoping her mother wasn't picking up because for some reason she had no access to her phone and not because she recognised the number as Jughead's.
Jellybean turned her head to the window as she thought. After a while, her thoughts faded away and all she saw was the window. It was dark outside and it had begun raining. There was no light coming in and the only thing she could see in the window was her own reflection against the glass. She looked so pale, her noise completely covered in a white bandage she could no longer feel, her hair clung lifelessly to her face. Everything about her was lifeless and the only thing reminding her that she was, in fact, alive was her breathing and her own heartbeat echoing in her ear. She couldn't stand not being able to move, to get up of this infuriating bed. She leant forward of her cushion a little, the small motion already exhausting her too much. She could give up and lie down again but she wanted to be able to move, to stop being so useless, to not have to just lie there when her mother and girlfriend arrived.
All her strength had gone to fighting of the images in her head but she had just a little left. If she only distracted herself, if she only moved, she'd be okay. With that thought, she pushed harder and made it to a straight sitting position. She slung her one leg over the side of the bed, moving the other in its heavy cast with her hands, groaning with effort. She stopped for a second to take in a few deep breaths but she'd done it. She carefully slid off the bed, her good foot coming down first to support the other.
The crutches the nurse had brought in were leaning against the wall just three steps away. She' make it to them, and then….She'd have to see. With one foot to the ground, she started carefully shifting her weight when a sudden wave of exhaustion hit her as the drug kicked in again. She fell faint for a second before pulling out the tube sticking into her hand. It hurt as she carefully removed it but she couldn't walk with it in, and the drugs wouldn't allow her.
She shifted the rest of her weight to her good foot and managed to stand, keeping the other of the ground with enormous effort. The crutches were further away then she'd anticipated. She took her first hop and almost fell on her face, something was seriously up with her balance. She managed to steady herself and take another hop forward. And another. She was so close she could almost reach for them but not quite. Her breathing came out haggard and she felt the effort pull at her but she gritted her teeth and kept going. She counted to three in her head before taking the final step. Only this time she really did lose her balance, her good leg wobbled and she tried to steady herself with her arms but couldn't. She fell sideways and was lucky to not have fallen unto her broken foot. She managed to break most of her fall with her hands, thrown to the ground behind her and landed with her bad leg crossed over her other leg as she lay sprawled out across the floor. The pain in her leg increased ten fold and she screamed out in pain, her behind and hands hurting as
well. She whimpered when suddenly the door burst open. She couldn't see who it was, her eyes clamped shut in pain but whoever it was, she didn't want them here. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. But there was nothing she could do as the person approached her and knelt on the floor beside her. They carefully lifted her from under the armpits and brought her to her feet. Her foot barely touched the as they slung her arm over their shoulder and took up all her weight. Her good foot hopping along as they led her back to the bed. She didn't want to go back to the bed, she wanted to walk again, she wanted to run, to be able to run into Jellybean's arms when she came, not lie like a dying animal in her bed. But she didn't resist as whoever it was brought her back to the bed. Whoever it was she knew it wasn't a nurse from the fabric of their shirt. And the strength the person had picked her up with, it could only be one person.
"It's okay Jellybean,"
Her father said, exactly who she'd predicted it to be. The pain in her foot had leaked away by the time her father laid her back down onto her bed. But she couldn't stop the panicked breaths coming out of her. She opened her eyes to find her vision swimming and saw that a nurse had entered too, lurking behind Fp but not intruding, just making sure she was okay. Fp ignored her.
"It's okay Jellybean, " He repeated, "You'll get it, you just have to be a little patient first. And let someone help you,"
He said, guessing correctly that she'd tried to walk by herself and fallen.
"I can't do it," Jellybean shuddered hopelessly, "I can't do anything!" She cried out in frustration and defeat. "I couldn't stop them for taking me either."
She said and saw Fp flinch. He couldn't stand seeing his youngest daughter in so much pain. What they had done to her…It had broken something in her. And now after what she'd said, and the nurse hearing every word, their story would no longer fit, they'd have to find a new solution.
"Hey, listen to me." He said sternly, forcing her to face him. Betty and Jughead turned soft and kind as a response to her pain but Fp didn't, he never had. When Gladys had been losing too much blood as Jellybean had been born he prayed to no God, he did not fall apart. He did the same as he did now. He'd taken Gladys by the face and said,
"You're going to make it through this, you are strong, in a few moments you are going to meet your daughter. Don't give up on that, don't give up on her, she needs you here. Understand?"
Gladys's eyes had filled with fresh tears but she'd nodded and with a final push Jellybean had been brought into the world and she had been there to hold her in her arms. And to protect her for all her years to come, never failing her, even when Fp had.
"You're going to make it through this, you are strong." He now said those same words to his daughter fourteen years later, "You can do it. Your foot will heal and so will you, but only if you let it. You need to give yourself some time. You can do anything."
He said and she nodded. And even though her features were so close to his, at that moment she was just like her mother. She was just as strong and as brilliant and resilient and he knew that his wife had raised her like that, his wife had given her daughter that amazing strength.
"Good," He said and let her go. Kissing her on the forehead as the nurse reattached the tube to her hand and Jellybean's breaths calmed. Fp stepped aside as the nurse helped Jellybean back under the covers and made her comfortable, smiling at her warmly. The nurse left soon after, having checked Jellybean for any further injuries. But Fp stayed a little longer.
"I came to tell you that all the paperwork is done." He said and she smiled in surprise.
"Really?"
"Yes, and tomorrow Jughead and I will drop it at Mr Whitman's desk and he'll sort things out. We still need to sign a couple of things with him as a witness and he'll come here and talk with you a little more. And then he'll draw a file together and present it to the judge."
Fp said, holding Jellybean's hand. She listened to every word and once he finished she nodded happily.
"Good," She said as her eyelids grew heavy.
"Mom and Kath, they're coming,"
She said sleepily and Fp's gut tightened but he only smiled. He didn't know who Kath was but he guessed she was a friend of Jellybean.
She felt really tired all of a sudden and found it hard to open her eyes again as she blinked. He noticed it too but didn't leave her side as she gently drifted off to sleep. Only when her breathing turned deeper and more regular and her hand in his went slack did he stand. He left her bed solemnly and left the room in the same manner, closing the door softly behind him. He headed back out into the waiting room and found there to be one more person there then there had been previously. Jughead sat on the floor, his head in Betty's lap, who sat in the seat above him, her legs folded beneath her as she twirled one of Jughead's curls. And then there was Alice, pacing backwards and forwards before the couple. She sensed his approach and stopped to turn to him. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, so it was true, he'd given up being a Serpent, just like she had those many years ago. He looked up to meet her eyes and a sort of understanding passed between them, they'd both given up the same thing for the same reason, for their daughter and their own happiness.
