A/N: Hey, guys. Sorry I disappeared again. I got writer's block plus I made three new video edits for Instagram, so I was busy doing that. But here we are again. I know things are so vague right now and you don't understand half the stuff that's going on in this fic, but soon you will learn answers and a few more new characters will be introduced who will all be important in some ways and they'll be significant for the year, 1924. ;) Enjoy this chapter!
Two days later, Alice pulled into Hiram and Hermione's driveway to see Tom's car was already there and a newer truck she'd never seen before. She had assumed FP had bought himself a new vehicle with the money the Lodges had been giving him. Ever since she learned about his choice to actually go through with the plan, she'd been stalling to call him. Afraid some fight would break out again about money or him going behind her back to take the offer. Though they were broken up and it wasn't technically behind her back, Alice still felt a sense of betrayal from him...especially because NOT doing the plan was HER idea. So FP taking the offer anyway...made her feel like FP never listened to her.
She made her way up the big staircase into Lodge Manor and up the stairs inside by herself since she'd started to become familiar with the place. Or at least...the front entrance. She went up to the second floor parlor, stepping into the room as she gave Tom a small smile seeing as he was the only one in the room.
"Good afternoon, Tom." Alice said to him, looking around the parlor to see if they had company. It was empty save for her and the sheriff.
"Afternoon, Alice." Tom smiled back at her and stood up as she approached the table. "I was intrigued when Hiram informed me that you had made the decision to go along with the plan." He said while they both sat down.
"Oh, you were intrigued?" She asked in an amused tone. "I was IN SHOCK when they told me that YOU had already been a part of all this since the day they told us the plan. You were so sure this was an awful idea and that your son was too important to do something this risky." Alice made herself comfortable in the chair across from his, folding her arms over her chest.
"Well, after some thought, I realized that if I do handle things at the station the way Hiram intends me to, then we should not be caught." Tom replied, folding his hands together in his lap.
"After some thought or after some mattress dancing with their maid?" Alice raised an eyebrow.
"I haven't a clue what you're talking about, Alice." Tom denied.
"Mhm. I'm sure you don't." She smirked a little.
"We haven't done anything like that. I don't even know her. We just met the one ti-"
"I saw you two days on the east side of the house, Keller." She admitted. "She didn't really look that ticklish when we first saw her, but I guess I was wrong." She chuckled a little.
Tom cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks threaten to blush and he looked at Alice cautiously. "Please don't put anything in your pape-"
"Tom, Tom...Wait." Alice grew serious again. "I wouldn't do that. Okay? That's a very dangerous line I will not cross. For the both of you. Your secret is safe with me and the Lodges. Well...I THINK it's safe with them. You can never tell with the two of them, can you?"
"No, not really." He chuckled and so did she.
"I thought I saw a truck outside. Do you know whose that is?" Alice wondered.
"I think you know whose it is." Tom pointed out.
"FP? Is he here?" She asked.
"He's in the bathroom at the end of the hall."
"Which one?" Alice snorted and Tom softly laughed.
Soon the door opened and Alice turned to look over her shoulder, freezing as she saw the man who entered the room. Her jaw dropped slightly as her eyes gazed at the man's shiny black dress shoes, sliding up his smooth gray dress pants to his shimmering belt and his neatly tucked in white shirt covered by a nice gray jacket that matched the pants. Her eyes roamed the man's physique before landing on his neatly shaven facial hair that outlined his lips that curled into a small smile as he saw her, soon revealing his bright white teeth before she dared to look up into his sparkling brown eyes and her heart jumped,causing the butterflies in her stomach to flutter.
"Hey, Alice." FP spoke with a smooth voice before sliding his hand through his gelled hair.
"H-How long has it been since I've seen you?" Alice managed to choke out, gulping right after as she immediately felt the urge to rip that suit off of him right there and then.
"A couple weeks, maybe." He chuckled a little, heading over toward the table.
Alice couldn't stop staring at him, her eyes undressing him as she bit her lip. "You look like you've been gone a year." She admitted.
"I haven't gone anywhere, Alice." He continued to speak in a smooth voice as he sat down beside Tom so he was diagonally across from Alice. "I've been right here the whole time." He smirked a little.
Alice looked him up and down once more, blowing cool air out of her pursed lips.
"Ah. Everyone's here." Hiram ruined the moment with his own pompous voice as he and Hermione stepped into the room, making their way over to the table with the other three.
Hiram pulled Hermione's chair out for her and pushed it in when she sat down in it before he took his own seat. "How is everyone?" Hermione asked with a gentle smile.
"Never been better." FP smiled at Hermione before his eyes briefly flicked to Alice across from him.
"Y-Yeah...Yeah. Good." Alice said, though now she wasn't so sure anymore if she was, realizing she was missing FP more than she thought she was.
"I'm great." Tom said with a love-sick smile.
"Good." Hiram said quickly. "We have important matters to discuss now that we are all together."
"I have one request." Alice spoke up with a hand in the air. "If we all go through with this...we make this the last time we meet here….We can't let anyone think we're getting along all of a sudden or if things do get shaky with this plan...someone will suspect us. Especially our kids." She looked around at all of them. "I'm sorry, Tom. But that means that you cannot keep coming here to see Sierra. Kevin will get suspicious as well. And FP, I hope you've come up with a good reason that you're suddenly coming up with all this money. We both know how Jughead is with his detective games and crime boards. You're probably the first person he will suspect if something goes wrong."
"I've got that handled Alice." FP responded.
"His cover is that he's our chauffeur." Hiram pointed out.
"Oh? That wasn't in the plan last ti-"
"I came up with it shortly after you'd left, Ali." Hermione interrupted, taking a sip of her wine which was already poured and waiting for her on the table before they'd entered the room.
"Okay...Okay. That's a good one." Alice nodded. "What about the Serpents?"
"It's all handled. They think I'm posing as their chauffeur to find out if they're here to take over the Southside." FP explained.
"Which we are not." Hiram made clear. "We're simply trying to make some more money without getting our hands dirty."
"Without getting them dirty so everyone can see." Hermione corrected. "Obviously selling drugs and alcohol is considered getting our hands dirty. But that's why we have you three to make sure no one ever knows."
"And we're doing this for the good of everyone. Alcohol is not this big evil that everyone says it is. We're just trying to get rid of the Prohibition. Everyone around the country knows that the mayor of Riverdale has been against Prohibition from the start, but he's not smart enough to think of a plan like this. So we need to get into that office in order to make things happen." Hiram said, lighting one of his cigars and placing it between his lips.
"So you become mayor and then, what? You get the president to agree with you about all this and he makes alcohol legal again?" Alice asked.
"If that works. If not...then we go even higher." Hiram said after blowing out a puff of smoke.
"Even higher? Like...What? Governor?" Alice wondered.
"The White House." Hermione smirked, sipping her wine.
"So you ARE aiming for a presidency here?" The journalist wondered. "Last time you said that you only cared about Riverdale because this place was small and the FBI wouldn't check us out."
"Right...But if it comes down to it and we have to go bigger...then that's what we'll do. Getting the whole country on board is what we all want at some point, isn't it?" Hiram asked.
"Frankly, I don't care about the entire country." Alice admitted. "I'm doing this for my girls. I make good money right now….but it's only enough to send Polly to college. Doing this plan could get Betty into a good school as well and though I hate the idea of them growing up and moving out on their own...times are changing and I believe that kids deserve a life away from home….yes, women too."
"Then we agree?" Hiram smiled a little. "Our daughter is going to start her own legacy."
"Veronica has big plans for herself that Hiram and I never even thought of when she was born. And with her ambition….she will make her plans happen." Hermione added.
"As her parents….As this older generation...we all have to make sure that our kids can and will have their plans right in front of them. That can't happen if we sit by and allow this country to belittle them based on their gender…" Hiram looked at Alice, thinking about how she had two daughters. "...based on their financial background…" he looked at FP, thinking about how his kids grew up financially stunted. "...based on their race…" he looked at his wife, thinking about Veronica being a young Latina woman. "...or based on their sexual orientation." he looked at Tom.
"W-What?" Tom said, looking around the table nervously. "What are you talking about? Sexual orientation?"
"We know about your son, Tom." Hiram pointed out.
"We overheard you speaking with Mary Andrews at the speakeasy the night we moved back here." Hermione admitted, drinking more of her wine.
"I-I-" Tom began, looking at FP and Alice cautiously.
"Don't worry, Tom. None of us here will judge you or your family. We are just trying to help. Get us to where we need to be and we can change all of these laws and prejudices." Hiram said.
"You really expect us to believe that this is all about your morals and helping America become prejudice-free and not about you getting more money, Hiram?" Alice asked, not entirely buying this speech. "This town had trouble electing the mayor we have now because he's Italian. There were riots when he won. What do you think will happen to you when you get into office?"
"We can handle it….Because we have Tom controlling the police force." Hermione pointed out.
"In all honesty, I wanted Hermione to be the one to run in the original plan...but a female, Latina mayor...may be even more of a long shot than if I were to run. This is a risky plan for us all, yes...but you three are putting your jobs on the line….Hermione and I are putting our lives on the line. But we're certain this will work. Just trust us." Hiram smiled at them all before taking another puff of his cigar.
Alice thought for a moment while looking around the table. "And the boy?"
"Perfectly safe. No harm will come to him." Hiram promised.
"He's only six years old." Alice responded.
"We will take good care of him. Hermione can be very nurturing." Hiram smiled at his wife who smiled back a little though there was a hint of annoyance in her smile.
"Okay….I will do this….IF you really are doing it for our children's futures. But if at any point, I feel this is just about money or some power play...I will pull out and write a full expose on this and believe me, I WILL find a way to keep my girls and I safe from any threats." Alice admitted.
"You have our word that this is for the good of our kids, Ali." Hermione said, sending her a soft smile and it was almost as if Alice had her old best friend back and she smiled back too with a small nod.
"Okay….Then I am in." The journalist spoke softly.
"As am I." Tom raised a hand briefly.
"You got me." FP nodded.
Hiram grinned. "Perfect."