Jones residence, present time
Alice got home from the Register at lunchtime. She looked forward to having some alone time at the house. She loved living in her busy household and wouldn't trade it for the world, but sometimes she missed being by herself, only accompanied by a glass of chilled Pinot Grigio. She set her bag onto the kitchen island and opened the fridge. She frowned slightly at the bottle of wine and made a note to remind FP that she was not one for cheap booze. Anyway, it would have to do for now. She poured herself a glass and took it up to their bedroom to change into something more comfortable.
As she passed Betty's room, she could have sworn that she heard a noise. Alice paused in her tracks. Why wasn't Betty in school? She leaned on the door and realized that her daughter was crying. Alice thought a moment on whether she should knock, given that she did make the promise not to invade Betty's privacy, but as she heard one more sob, she decided to gently knock on the door.
"Betty? It's me. Is everything ok? Can I come in?" Alice didn't hear anything for a minute, then the door opened, and she saw Betty's tear-stained face.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked tentatively.
Betty opened the door and sat on the bed. "I'm a terrible person."
Alice quickly sat down next to her and rubbed her back. "Don't be silly, Betty. Of course you're not! What happened?"
"Jughead got accepted into Yale. I should be feeling so happy for him. I told him I was happy for him. But I'm not. I'm jealous that he got in and I didn't. I don't want him to go."
Alice took a deep breath. "I had no idea, Betty. I understand that you're disappointed. You're not a terrible person. There are other colleges."
"But Mom, it was my first choice. Jughead didn't even want it. He only applied because I did. And now he's in and I'm not."
"Oh Betty, I'm so sorry." Alice sighed as she took a sip of wine.
Betty let out another sob. "You know what my fantasy was, Mom? To go to college and live with Jughead. Basically, to have what I now know you did."
Alice sighed and took another sip of her wine. "It wasn't all the fantasy you're making it out to be, Betty." So much for a quiet afternoon.
Riverdale hospital, 25 years ago
FP parked his father's truck at the hospital and took the elevator up to the third floor. He walked into Alice's room, where she was speaking to a nurse. He stood by the door as they went over her discharge instructions. The nurse handed Alice a plastic bag. "Here are your belongings, you are good to go. I wish you a speedy recovery."
Alice smiled at the nurse. "Thank you for helping me shower and wash my hair. I feel like a new person."
"You're very welcome, my dear. Just don't forget to keep the area of the scar clean. I'll be on my way now."
The nurse smiled at FP as he stood to the side to let her pass. He walked towards Alice, who was rummaging in the bag. She smiled at him briefly and he placed a kiss on her cheek. "Good morning, gorgeous. You ready to leave this place?" Alice nodded. "I'm so tired of being here. Let me just get changed." FP gently took the plastic bag out of her hands and handed her the one he was holding. "Here, I brought you some clean clothes. You shouldn't be wearing anything to remind you of that day." Alice opened the bag and flushed slightly when she saw her underwear and bra. FP shrugged. "I asked Penny to pack it. I didn't rummage through your stuff, don't worry." Alice let out a relieved sigh and kissed his cheek. "Thank you! For everything." She disappeared into the bathroom and came back a short while later wearing her torn jeans and a black sweater. She tossed her bra back into the bag and shrugged. "My ribs still hurt too much to put it on." FP just nodded and held out his arm for support. "I brought my father's truck. Though you wouldn't really enjoy a ride on my bike in your current state."
He helped her get settled in the truck and drove over the bridge and into the Southside. Fifteen minutes later they had arrived at Sunnyside and he parked in front of his trailer. "Home, sweet home. It isn't much, but it'll have to do." Alice smiled. "It's a double-wide. Cool!" FP laughed loudly as he helped her out of the truck. He kissed the side of her head. "So glad I got myself a gal who talks trailer-park." He opened the door for her, and she stood for a second looking around. FP set the keys on the table. "So, this is the lounge, there's the kitchen. The bedroom and bathroom are back there and there's a small room over here. You can have my father's bedroom. Your stuff is already there. I'll take my old room."
Alice suddenly felt slightly faint and FP looked at her worriedly and reached out to steady her. "Whoa, Ally, what's wrong? You look white as a sheet. Come, sit down! Do you want water or coffee?" Alice put her head in her hands to try and stop the spinning feeling. "Coffee would be nice, thank you. I'm just a bit overwhelmed." She looked at FP and frowned. "How's this going to work? I'm a minor, how can I stay here? They'll ask questions, they'll put me in foster care. Oh God!" FP paused what he was doing in the kitchen and quickly walked over to her. He knelt and grabbed her hands. "Hey, hey, it's ok. I've given some thought to this. We'll be keeping your father on a sort of a retainer. On paper you'll be living with him. Believe me, he'll do as told. Once you're 16 you can file for emancipation. What matters now is that you're safe and that you'll never have to go through anything like this again."
Alice looked a bit more relieved. "I'll try and get a job after school and on weekends. Maybe at the diner or something." FP just waved his hand. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, you just rest and recover. I'll go back to school tomorrow and bring you the assignments. You'll be safe here; the Serpents will be looking out for you." Alice squeezed his hand and shot him an icy glare. "If you tell anyone at school that you've seen me cry, I'll make sure you regret it." FP just laughed. "Judging by that look, I believe you! Don't worry Smith, I'll make sure your badass rep remains untarnished." Alice smiled again. "Can I have that coffee now?" FP nodded and walked back into the kitchen. "You want something to eat? I'm warning you now that I can't cook. I can give you some toast or cereal."
Alice got-up and walked to the kitchen. She stood next to FP and leaned against the counter. "Well, at least I can make myself useful in some way. I can cook." FP smirked as he stood in front of her. "I knew I'd kidnapped you for a reason." Alice looked at his lips and he slowly cradled her face. He lowered his head and kissed her tentatively. Alice closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He slowly ran his tongue over her lips, and she opened her mouth to let him explore. It was a long kiss and after a while they had to stop to catch their breath. Alice put a hand on his cheek. "I hear things as well, Forsythe. That you have a reputation of being quite the ladies man." FP leaned his head against hers. "There's only one lady I'm interested in." He stroked her cheek. "And I don't care if she tells everyone and ruins MY reputation." Alice nodded seemingly satisfied. "I don't have anyone to tell. Don't have many friends." FP moved a lock of hair from her face and fastened it behind her ear. He frowned slightly. "As long as you tell Charlie, that's all I care about." Alice shook her head and smiled. "You don't need to be worried about Charlie. We went on one date. I wasn't even that much into him." She suddenly felt tired and yawned. FP slowly steered her towards the bedroom. "You look like you could use some rest. Let's get you to bed." Alice laid down and closed her eyes. "FP, stay with me for a bit." She murmured and he stretched out next to her. Alice put her head on his arm and turned towards him. "This is nice." That was the last thing she said before falling asleep. He also nodded off for an hour and once he woke-up he carefully got out of bed, so as not to disturb her.
Alice stirred as she heard the faint sound of a guitar playing. She looked around the room and found a clock on the wall. It was 4 o'clock. She couldn't believe she'd been asleep for over four hours. She winced at the pain in her ribs as she got out of bed. After going to the bathroom, she walked into the living room. There was no sign of FP. She looked out the small window and saw him sitting outside, awkwardly trying to play a guitar with his broken arm. She opened the door and recognized Fred Andrews sitting next to him. FP smiled as he spotted her.
"Alice, you're awake! Do you know Fred?" He turned towards his friend.
Fred raised his hand and Alice nodded at him. "Alice Smith, the girl who clawed out Penelope Blossom." Fred smirked. Alice crossed her arms and shot Fred an icy glare.
"I don't claw. I punch. She deserved it."
FP thought she looked so hot when she turned into badass Alice. He got out of his chair. "Come, sit down with us. If you can bear listening to terrible music. I'll get you a blanket."
Alice sat down and FP wrapped a blanket around her. "Are you hungry?" Alice nodded. "I'll take you up on your offer of some toast." FP disappeared into the trailer and Fred shook his head in amusement.
"Who are you and what have you done with FP Jones? Normally, it's the girls who are fawning over him."
Alice just shrugged, not wanting to go into any details. "I didn't know you guys played." She tried to steer the conversation into another direction. Fred laughed. "We're not that good. We call ourselves the Fredheads." Alice scoffed. "That's a terrible name. Still, better than the Forsytheheads, I guess." Fred laughed. "Yes, doesn't exactly roll off the tongue."
FP came back with the toast and a soda and handed them to Alice. "Do you need anything else?" He asked her and Fred just shook his head. "So, Jones, when will you be able to play football again?"
"I'm not. I'm quitting the team. I've got other things to focus on right now."
"You're kidding, right? You can't leave us hanging like that. What can be so important?" Fred looked shocked.
"My father just got arrested. There's stuff I need to do." FP looked at Alice and shook his head discreetly. He didn't want Fred to know about the Wyrm and the Serpents.
"Jeez, FP, I'm sorry to hear. Do you need a place to stay?"
"Thanks, Fred. Best thing that could've happened. I'm ok. I've got the Four Season's here after all." He gestured towards the trailer.
"So, you're just going to live here by yourself?"
FP nodded. "That's the plan. Appreciate if you can be discreet about it. Don't need Featherhead to know about it and start sticking his nose in."
"What about money, FP? What will you live on?" Fred was still astonished.
"I'll figure it out." FP really didn't want to talk about the subject anymore. "Let's try out that new song."
For the next hour FP and Fred tried to play a variety of tunes and Alice sat back in the chair and listened. For the first time in a long while she felt at peace. Fred excused himself after a while. "I've got to get moving. I promised Hermione that I'd take her to dinner. Are you coming back to school soon?" FP nodded. "I'll be back tomorrow." Fred looked towards Alice, who stayed silent. He shrugged and waved at her before getting into his truck.
FP stood behind Alice's chair and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Aren't you just the social butterfly, Smith?" He gently massaged her back and Alice placed a hand on top of his. "I just don't like people much. They have mostly disappointed me. I prefer dogs." FP nodded. "Yeah, I get it. Fred's a good guy though." He reached into his pocket and took out a cigarette. He lit it and Alice reached her hand out. "Care to share?" She asked and he passed it to her. They sat and smoked in silence, before FP threw the cigarette on the floor and stepped on it. "Let's go inside. I don't want you to catch a cold." Alice walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. The selection was sparse. "I can fix us an omelet and some bacon?" FP smiled. "Sounds great. I'll go buy some food tomorrow. I haven't been in much these past few days." Alice busied herself at the stove and FP set the table.
"It's delicious." He bit into the omelet and winked at her. "I can get used to this, you know?"
Alice smiled at the compliment. "You're quitting the team?"
FP nodded. "I'm the Serpent King now. No one at school knows I'm in a gang. I need to keep an eye on things and the Wyrm. No time for football." Alice nodded. "Don't you have a tattoo or something?" FP rolled-up his sleeve and she saw the serpent at the very top of his arm. She traced it with her fingers. "High enough to keep it covered by a t-shirt. That's smart." He got up from his chair. "I need to swing by the bar. Will you be ok on your own for a couple of hours?" Alice nodded and FP's eyes lit-up. "Actually, hang-on a second. I'll be right back." FP left the trailer and came back 15 minutes later. "I brought you someone to keep you company." Alice just rolled her eyes at him and then squealed as a mutt sprinted towards her, wagging its tail. Alice leaned down to pat the dog. "Oh my God FP, he's adorable! Who does he belong to?" FP smiled. "That's Hot Dog. He belongs to the Serpents. He's kind of our mascot as we don't like to carry rattlesnakes around. You can have him for now." Alice's face lit-up and FP thought she looked stunning. She stretched out on the couch and turned on the TV. Hot Dog jumped-up and settled down next to her. FP laid a blanket on top of her and kissed her cheek. "See you later. Get some rest."
FP got back shortly after midnight and quietly made his way into the trailer. He reached down to pat Hot Dog's head, who had sprinted out of the bedroom to greet him. "Hey there, boy! Have you been keeping Alice safe?" He walked into the tiny room where he used to sleep and changed into some jogging bottoms. He debated on whether he should go and check on Alice, not wanting to invade her privacy. That's when he heard a noise and as he turned, he saw Alice standing at the door to his room. She was wearing his pants and one of his t-shirts.
"Hi." She said softly. He walked over to her and placed a kiss on her lips. "Hi there. I thought you were sleeping. You look good in my clothes." Alice played with the hem of his shirt and looked down. "I only have shorts to sleep in. My body is not exactly beach ready. I hope you don't mind." FP ran a hand across his face. "Don' be silly, of course I don't." He slowly walked around her until he was standing behind her. He placed his hands on her shirt. "May I?" He said softly and she nodded. He gently lifted her shirt and felt the anger boiling-up in him as he saw the bruises and welts crisscrossing her back. "Jesus, Ally! I should have killed him." That's when she finally allowed herself to break down and tears started spilling out of her eyes. "I thought I was going to die." She sobbed and FP gently placed his arms around her. "Shhhh, Ally, it's ok. Everything is going to be ok. I'll make sure you're safe."
He wanted to hold her tighter to him, but he knew that he would likely cause her additional pain. Alice cried into his shoulder. "FP, please stay with me." He just nodded and followed her into his father's bedroom. He laid down in the bed with her and pulled the covers over them. Alice curled-up into a ball and he spooned her to him. She put her arm on top of his. "Thank you. I'm sure this is not what you expect when you have girls in your bed." FP nuzzled her hair. "The only thing I expect is for you to recover. The rest…That can come later. If you want to." Alice stroked his hand and smiled. "I think I would want to. Very much so." She closed her eyes and was about to fall asleep when she heard a thud followed by a wet tongue licking her face. "Oh no, no, no! Hell, no!" FP exclaimed. "Hot Dog, GET OUT!" Alice looked at him pleadingly. "Please let him stay, FP! Just for tonight. Please!" FP relented slightly. "He reeks, Alice! And you want him in our bed?" Alice patted the dog's head. "Just for tonight." FP laid his head back on the pillow. "Whatever! You're so doing the laundry." Alice just smiled and nodded. All she could think about was that FP had said "our bed."
Thank you for your reviews. I hope you liked the new chapter. Will update again as soon as possible. Looking forward to your comments and suggestions.
