Chapter 20: Exhale For A Minute

It was a deary Monday morning with fog that blanked the sky as the service went on. By 7:00 in the morning everyone in their little town knew about Hiram's death. Alice was completely blinded by the news. After Hiram and Edgar tried killing her, the case went to trial but Edgar had taken all the heat. Hiram only did four weeks in a maximum prison, while Edgar Evernever got a life sentence. She found out that Evernever had other cult camps that were forced to close about his case. She was horrified to learn on how many people had lost their lives to his evil business. Hiram turned himself around after his release, became a legit business man. Alice was quite pleased and surprised by Hiram's transition.

And now she was standing at his funeral service after his life had such a turn-around. Her eyes laid on the memorial picture that stood a few feet away from his casket. Veronica's teary eyes broke her heart. His daughter was aching from his recent death. She felt for the broken Lodge girl as she wiped at her fragile eyes. Betty was right next to her as she got up to give her speech.

"Thank you for coming here. I don't even know how to wrap my around all this. It all happened so fast. I know my father for some of you- you think he deserves this. Maybe you are right. He was an awful person, but he was still a person, a father and he was my father before he was a crooked criminal. He changed so much since he wronged people." She wipes her eyes with her fingers gently. "I-I miss him, after all he did. I miss him. He shouldn't have died but maybe this is karma. I always say Karma's a bitch. Now... I-I feel like I'm having so sorta bad dream that I can't wake from. I will always love him. No matter what he did... I still loved him. He wronged me... also tried hurting the people I care most about. But one thing I could always count on was the fact he did it for my love. I don't know why he did it. But he just did. Now I want him to live in memory." She turned towards the casket." I love you and will miss you, Daddy." She says in a lower whisper before going back to her seat.

FP hated Hiram for the longest time. He almost lost his son because of him. His death didn't change how FP felt about the man. He still hates him and some part of was glad he was gone. He knows how unsympathetic he would sound; especially to Veronica. She also said she wouldn't blame people for it. At least she could see her father wronged people.

As he was getting up, he caught a glimpse of Alice. His heart thudded loudly in his chest. This was the first time he saw her since he found about her hidden pregnancy. He knows he's been avoiding her. Avoidance was his vice and he knew one day he will have to face it head on, but not today. Today wasn't the day, so he turned away so she couldn't see that he saw her as she passed by.

As time went on it had been a officially one week since they haven't spoken to one another. Alice was consumed with cleaning the house, Polly warned her not to over-due herself, Betty eventually came home.

"Betty?" Polly says as she spots her little sister walking through the doorway.

"I'm so-" Polly cut Betty off with a strong hug. "Betty, it's okay. No, I'm the one who's sorry. I was hurt by what you said and I took it badly. You were just heated about mom and I just made matters worse." Betty lefts out a soft sniffle as she squeezed back.

They broke their hug and smiled at each other." But I was wrong, Polls. What I said about Jason was so not cool. Jason was a person, even though he was our cousin. You just didn't know until after the whole ordeal."

Polly's face scrunches up at the reminder." Oh, god... our family is kinda fucked up." Betty giggles at the look on her sister's face.

"Yeah... it is." Betty laughed as she and Polly went their separate directions.

Meanwhile Alice contemplated whether she should call FP. It had been a week since they've spoken and she knows the longer this went on, the longer it would stay that way. She sat on her bed, sighing as the anxiety took over and before she knew it she heard a voice.

"Hello?" She looked down at her hands and realized she had dialed him. "Hello? Is anyone there?" His voice called again. She felt frozen as her voice was taken away from her. She shakily raises the phone to her ears and began to speak. "Hi... FP."

-xxx-

He was in the middle of going through his bills in his room when his phone rang unexpectedly. He gets up from his seat and snatched up his cellphone. He doesn't hear anything so he says hello and then again he was met by silence on the other end. He's taken by when he hears her soft, almost shaken voice come over the phone. He missed her voice... it was like he was home. But then he awoke from his day dream and remembered what she had done.

"Alice..." He struggles against the shock.

"Uh... this was a mistake... I-I shouldn't have called." She rushes out but he could hear the truth.

"Wait. Wait, don't hang up." He forces himself to bark softly. He missed hearing her sweet voice. This whole week he had been thinking and taunting himself over the silence. He clears his throat and straightens his back as he takes a seat on the end of his bed.

"Why did you call?" He waits for her to answer his question.

"I-I missed... you." She pauses before saying the end of her thought. He hears the regret and misery in her tone. He knows she feels guilty for what she had done and he instantly wants to tell her it will be okay.

But the truth was he didn't know if it would be okay between them. "Alice..."

"I know... I fucked up." Her voice felt as cold water rushed down his heart, freezing him in time. "I should've told you about the baby. I was scared and I know that's no excuse for what I've done. I was going to tell you, I wanted to do it on my terms... but then Cheryl bumped into me at the store and... she told you."

"I didn't believe her or Toni... I was wrong not to..."

"Again, I'm so sorry for betraying you like this." She lets out a broken gasp. "Hell, I'm surprised you picked up the phone. Polly has been telling me that I should call you."

"Really?" He asked a little shocked.

She chuckled lightly," Yeah. She did."

The conversation was going a lot better than the two expected, even though neither would admit that... they were quite relieved.

"Anyways... I was calling to ask you if you would come to my doctor's appointment with me in a two days... I was thinking since I've wronged you... this was at least I could do..."

"I would love to!" He exclaimed with a little more excitement than he intended to. He cringes inwardly when he hears himself playing back in his ears. He clears his throat." I mean I would love to come. So its on Wednesday?" For a second he heard a snort that sounded like a pig come from Alice's throat.

"Uh... yes, yes it is. Should we meet or... uh?"

"No, no, I'll pick you up instead." He smiles to himself as the thought of seeing his baby pops in his head.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you at my place then." She takes a second to breathe." Listen, I gotta make dinner for the girls and I... I'll talk to you tomorrow... when you... Uh... pick me up, okay?"

"Yeah... yeah that's good. I'll meet you at 12."

"Bye." FP frowned." Bye." The dial tone cuts off and he finds himself staring at his ceiling as he falls on his back onto his bed.

He knew he was in trouble. He was still deeply hurt by Alice. She broke his heart... literally twice... when he saw her with Hal. He winces at the memory displaying in his mind and then the second time... that was worst than the first. This time it had been intentional, and FP didn't know how to handle it. He wanted to willow in his room, hide from his problems and never face them. But he knows he can't because he has another life to think about. His own unborn child's life.

A knock on his bedroom door makes his thoughts blank and he starts to suspect who might be at the other end. Could it be? No, FP don't go there, he scolds himself silently. As much as he wished it was her, it wasn't.

"We heard." He looked at them in shock." We've been listening outside your door for the last couple minutes." Hermione said as she walks right into his room, without his permission. No, she just didn't it.

Fred smirked." Yeah, especially the' I would love too!' Part." Hermione elbows

him in the chest, hoping to get him to knock it off. His best friend was clearly upset. It wasn't the time to joke around.

FP rolled his eyes at Fred." Shut up." He said, turning away from him to hide his blush.

"Fred, shut up." Hermione snaps before she ran a comforting hand down FP's back. She turns to look at FP." Oh, FP, don't mind that bastedo... he's just a jerk."

"Hey!" Fred barked in protest, clearly hurt by the word she called him. He knows it's bastard in Spanish. "I was just joking around.." he defended.

FP chuckles at his two friends. Lately, Hermione had his back when he needed her the most. Which was quite a surprise to him. And Fred has always been at his side, good or bad; he was there. Hermione's comfort and Fred's humor actually helped him feel better.

"It's okay." He said to Fred." I actually feel better."

Fred smiles brightly." Did you hear what he said?" Hermione rolled her eyes at the men." He said it helped him!"

"Oh, shush up, Fredrick." FP couldn't hold in his laughter anymore.

"Thank you... I-I- oh, this is just too good--" He tried saying in between each laugh but he lost it and fell off his bed, rolling on the floor.

This was the first in a week he laughed or even smiled. He could always count on his friends to cheer him up.

—xxx

Happy National Siblings Day. I hope you liked the update. I'll add more Jughead and Jellybean prank war in the next chapter. I felt that I've been ignoring the FP and Alice moments. It was something and you'll see more of them. They're not going anywhere.