Chapter 12- Dark Within Forgiveness
As they held hands, weakness started gaining strength. Alice took a few steps to sit in the nearest bench, gravity was pushing its way through her veins, blood was chilled. She didn't think that was possible. Fp followed close behind sitting next to her on the bench, turning to face her. He tried his best to open his mouth. He didn't know what to exactly say. There wasn't much he could say that would be this any easier for her. All he could do was be there for her, moral support. Just like he promised Betty and himself.
"You wanna escape town for a little while." Her voice wasn't normal. He looked over at her eyes. They weren't full of color almost like the color from her eyes had been drained.
"Allie." She looked up from the ground. "We can't abandon the kids. Maybe when Betty gets better. We can take a trip to the beach." He suggested, kissing her cheek. She knew he was right. How could she even suggest just a stupid idea? Was it the pregnancy brain already getting to her? She palms her face with her hand, dropping her head into her hands, letting out a few little drops trickle down her cheeks.
"Oh god, I'm such an idiot." She yells softly to herself more then to anybody else. She could hear him scoot closer to her, his zipper clanging on the bench.
"No, your not. Your just very emotional and that's fine to be. You have been through so tremendous amount of trauma." His voice his so calm. She questions on why he can be so calm. Was he on some kind of pills? Her head shot, revealing her red puffy emotionally exhausted eyes. His eyes softened as he pulled closer with his arms.
"Then why do I feel so shitty. Is it something I'm doing? And how the hell are you so calm!" She snaps as she runs her hands over her face in frustration. She feel like everything since Fp went into prison has been coming undone. He didn't have an answer for her.
"No, it's not something your doing. And you think I'm calm?!" His voice raises a bit, drawing others to look their way. He shot them a glare and they stopped looking.
"Yes." That's all she could say. He looks over at her cupping her cheeks again with his hands.
"I'm not calm at all, Allie." There was that nickname that made her stomach swoon with happiness and electricity. " I'm scared all the time. When Jug isn't in my sight. I start to feel panicky inside, instantly having this pounded in my chest and ringing in my ears. And reading that note." He paused his throat becoming thick with his emotions. "Knowing she thinks of me as her father. It was a delight and a punch to the stomach. Part of me feels guilty for letting her down." He sighs as he rubbed his eyes. Her eyes shift over to him. She had no idea he was barely holding together.
"Fp, I had no idea." Her voice was still strained but a little more audible now. "It's not your fault." His head shoots up again, he clenches his fists.
"Yes it is!" He shouts, her eyes go wide. He softens his tone. "I knew about the comments and I didn't do anything about it." A stray tear rolls down his cheek.
"There was nothing you could of done, Fp." Her tone was calmer. His was rocky and shallow.
"Yes, there was." He lowers his voice to a whisper. "The night you invited me over for dinner a couple days ago..." She nods her head. He takes a breath." On the way back downstairs. I heard stuff being thrown in her room. I opened the door and I saw all the pictures were gone, glass shards were all over her carpet, Allie. She was having a panic attack. I dropped to her and calmed her down." She knew about the pictures but not the glass.
"Fp—" She was caught off by his voice.
"I could and I should of told you. If I had— she wouldn't be lying in that bed. It's all cause I was a coward." His cries broke her heart.
It was her turn to comfort him. She scooted closer to him, wrapping her small arms around his frame, kissing his cheek and wiping his eyes with her fingers. He looked at her with grace. How was he so lucky to have her? What did he do to deserve a woman like her? He had so many questions. And they would go unanswered. One he knew. He knew that it was a mistake letting her go. He should of gave her a reason to stay. If he had maybe Charles their son would still be alive. Visiting them on the weekends after a long week at his school. But then he wouldn't have Jughead and Jellybean. He didn't think his kids were mistakes either. They weren't. He thought of them all the time. They were his blessings. He still wondered on how he went wrong with his family. His daughter never visits. He had royally fucked up too many times then he could count.
She leaned her head against his chest as he laid on his back on the bench as they listened to the birds chirp in the nearby tree, hovering over their heads. In the distance he could hear the sound of traffic whipping by. Sirens blaring from the ambulances taking off to save other patients. "She doesn't blame you." Her voice interrupted the birds chirping.
Over the in the sky, he spots a rainbow on the other side of the freeway. "I guess there's some good luck." He breathes out as she turned to her head to see what he was saying. She spotted it too. It was beautiful it brought a smile to her sadden face.
"I guess there's a pot of gold at the other end." She chuckled as she kissed his cheek.
"Maybe you're right." He joins in as a chuckle escaped his lips.
It seemed like hours had gone by. Jughead was occasionally pacing down the hallway. He couldn't get the feeling of shame out of his mind and heart. She was fine. She was fine. Why didn't he notice there was something much more going on?
Veronica stared at her friend's pale face trying to keep the threatening tears at the bay. Betty looked so pale and fragile. She wished she would have noticed her friend was crumbling. She was too busy dealing with her father and the election to even realize what was going on. She still wondered why Betty's father wanted her all to himself. It was sick and twisted. He caused her to suffer to isolate herself from others and to keep secrets from other even herself. She pulled the chair closer to the bed, reaching to touch her cold hand. That made her stomach twist. Hands weren't supposed to be cold.
"B-etty" Her voice cracked as she squeezed her hand gently. "Please wake up. It's not the same without you. Everyone's truly lost without you. I've been losing my mind. Jughead hasn't stopped pacing since we arrived. Please wake, B. I need you. We all n-eed you. It's not BV without the B. It's just V without the B." She pleaded as she talked to her sleeping form.
She sat there, brushing through B's hair with a soft brush. She kept admiring her soft honey blonde curls. It look great down length down to her shoulders. It even made her smile. She always thought B looked better with her hair loose instead of her usual pulled back in a tight ponytail. Don't get her wrong. It was her signature look and it was iconic. If she didn't have it? It would be almost like Cheryl Blossom wouldn't her red and spider broach. It wouldn't be Betty without it.
"You know I always preferred you with your hair down." She let a soft chuckle as a tear slid down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. She could feel and hear Betty laughing at her. "I know the pony is your signature and it very well iconic." Another chuckle turned into a cry.
Hermonie stared into her daughter's best friend's Hospital room as her daughter sobbed into her lap. It broke her heart to see her so upset. She felt like she failed at being her mother. Mother's are suppose to protect their kids and she failed at that too. She let her down. "She will be okay." A voice stirred her attention from the window. She saw Fred walking toward her, talking the other side of her.
"I know... it's just I feel like I failed." She didn't even recognize herself anymore. She had been Hiram's puppet too long and now she was feeling the guilt.
"Moni, don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault." His tone just made the guilt stronger.
"Yes it is, Fred. If we would of know that Hal was who he was. I could of stopped it." She snapped internally and remained calm on the outside.
"Hey, Hey, that was his sick minds doing not yours. You're not responsible for his terror on this town. You wouldn't the one calling Betty and demanding information out of her." He was calm. She didn't know how he was so calm.
"I know... it's just makes me feel like I could of stopped it." She stated as she collapsed in his arms.
Archie still was sitting in the chairs waiting for his turn to see Betty. He was so tired. He hadn't slept in hours. While he walked down the halls in agony of what happened. He approached her bed. His heart ached watching her with her eyes closed. He pulled up a chair and started to grab her hand.
"Betty, please wake up, Betty. We are all scared and miss you already." His voice was started to weaken. It wasn't the same without her. He knew that it never would be if she didn't wake up. "If I would came home sooner. You wouldn't be in this h-os-pital bed." His voice cracked as he held her hand. It was cold. Just like Veronica described to him.
There was a knock on the window. He lifted his head to see who was there. He saw Alice staring softly into the room. Alice felt strange almost like she didn't deserve to see her daughter. Fp who was next to her. He saw how she stayed put holding onto the door frame with her fingers. Alice was fighting the urge not to break down but was failing miserably. As soon as she laid eyes on her daughter tears flooded her green eyes. She felt a hand on her shoulder, looking over she saw it was Fp. As she walked in the room, Archie's eyes lowered to the ground and then back up. He saw that she needed time with her daughter. He started standing up and heading back to the waiting room to wait with the others. Sadly school was tomorrow. None of the group was looking forward to going to school without their best friend. Alice sat at the end of the bed trying not to crash her toes. Fp was about to leave when she told him it was okay for him to stay. He nodded his head and took a seat in the chair closets to the door. She reaches for Betty's hand. She wasn't expecting it to feel so cold. She takes a stifled breath.
"Baby Girl, please wake up for me. I know you have been drowning in the criticism of the vultures online. I wish you would of came to me." Her voice starts cracking as she leans into bury her head in her daughter's chest.
Her heart wasn't beating. All she could hear was the sound of her own heart beating and Fp's calm voice trying to pry her away from her daughter's body. The alarms blared in her ears, tears wrecked her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him as he soothed her. Fp had no idea what was going on. Everything was just fine and then it wasn't. Soon nurses and doctors grabbed a cart thing. It was a crash cart. Alice had seen too much Grey's anatomy. She watched as they flipped her on her side and then placed the defibrillator on her small chest. She heard words like charge to 200. And then charge again. It was so heartbreaking to watch. Fp had seen a lot of this when he was in the army. They were asked to leave the room. Alice could barely stand. Fp saw she was struggling and picked her up and carried her out of the room.
The news spread through the thin walls like wildfire around the town and the hospital. When Veronica heard the news she was sitting next to Archie laying her head against his shoulder. She felt a cold draft enter the room, looking over she saw Alice in tears, shaky in Fp's arms. She knew something went wrong. She waited for Alice to answer. She could tell that Alice wasn't going to calm down anytime soon. Jughead looked into his father's eyes. It gave it away. Betty wasn't doing well. He just knew by the look in his father's eyes. Kevin was just talking to Archie about the school election when he looked up. Feelings turned his stomach and he felt lightheaded as Fp, the serpent leader opened his mouth. He tried to keep his voice calm as he spoke but it was nearly impossible when he saw his son looking directing in the eyes. It broke him. Hermonie moved closer to her daughter as her daughter shattered in her arms. She hadn't seen this many tears since her father held a gun to her head. Veronica didn't know how she was going to move. School was tomorrow morning. Fuck school, she mentally cursed. But she knew Betty wouldn't want her to skip. Alice cried harder as Fp sat them down on the couch.
The next morning was excruciating for the group. Waking up felt like they were already dead and was just watching from above. Jughead woke up feeling drained. His father was standing by his bedroom door eying him with concern. He rolled over on his back looking up at his ceiling in a daze. The only thing that brought him out of his daze was his father's voice.
"Jug, bud?" His father said as he shook his gently to wake him up. He rolled back on his side and sighed deeply almost in a groan.
Fp didn't know what to say to his son. His son's girlfriend still hasn't woken up. As he heard him groan and rolled back on his side. He sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed.
"Jug, you can stay home if you want to." He watched his son rolled over to face him.
"Really?" Jughead asked in a surprised tone with his eyes wide. Fp shrugged his shoulders as he stroked his son's head with his hand.
"Yeah, Jug, it's not going to be easy." He sighed as his son squinted his eyes. "Hey, Hey She will be okay, Jug." His voice was calm as he felt his son throw his arms around his neck.
Jughead thought about what his father had said. He didn't want to go to school. But he also knew that Archie, Veronica, Kevin and Cheryl needed him. He shook his head causing his dad to raise an eyebrow. "No, I think I will just go to school. Archie and the others need me." Fp sighed and nodded his head.
"Okay, well I don't work today. I took off today to look after Alice. She locked herself in the house again." He sighed as he felt his son let go.
"Mind bring me to school?" His brow raised up. He never thought in a million years his son would be asking for him to bring to school.
"Really? I thought you were too cool for that anymore." Jughead rolled his eyes as his dad roughed with his hair.
"Well my leg still hurts and I can't really drive." He looked up at his dad. "So..."
"So the little snake is asking the big papa snake for help?" He chuckled. "Never thought this day would come." He joked with his son.
"So it that a yes or no? Come on, I don't have all day." Jughead grumbled getting annoyed.
"Sure, Kid. Go get ready. I will be back in a few." Fp said leaving the room.
Veronica was standing in the middle of the hall when she heard laughing from the other side of the hall. She followed the sound of laughing. It lead her to the parking lot. She saw Jughead getting out of his dad's truck and there was a group of jocks laughing. She rolled her eyes as she stormed outside. She was annoyed that people were yet again teasing and taunting Jughead. She could see in his eyes he hadn't gotten much sleep. "Knock it off! Don't you have any manners?!" She screamed at the jocks as she helped Jughead out the car. She looked up to see Fp's thankful eyes and she mouthed back it was no problem. Jughead was shocked about her outburst and waved his dad goodbye as the truck sped off.
"Thank you, V. That was very nice." She rolled her eyes.
"Jughead, I wasn't just being nice cuz they were teasing you. I was doing it cause your my friend and I protect my friends." She said as she smiled at him.
"Hey, guys wait up!" Someone shouted from behind them. They turned their heads. Archie was running toward them. His eyes were sluggish and his hair was a mess.
"Archiekins." Veronica says as she looked at his face.
"I know. I look terrible. My dad suggested I stay home. I just couldn't lie in bed all day." Jughead knew exactly what Archie was feeling. He was feeling it too.
"Yeah so did mine." He budded in as he earned looks of shock from his red haired best friend.
"Really?" Archie asked with an raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, Arch I was shocked too. It's very out of his character." He chuckled. Then he turned serious again. "He's always been very tough not letting his emotions get to him. But lately he has been much softer. It's just I don't know-"
"Strange?" Archie interrupted as he received a nod from Jughead.
"Yeah." That's all he said as he fell silent again.
After Fp dropped off Jug at school. He took his truck to get a car wash. When he was finished his truck looked shiny and new. It was time to stop at Alice's to pick her up. He was planning on taking her on a date. A real one unlike the ones he wasn't able to take her on when they were in high school. He was going to take her out of town. But then Betty tried and he decided it wasn't the best time to go out of town. He pulled into her driveway. He made to her door. The door opened, Alice looked beautiful without makeup. He wished she would go bare faced more often.
"Morning, Baby. Ready to go?" He said softly as she nodded her head.
When they approached his truck. She noticed how clean it was and no longer had dirt and grime on the sides. He helped her get into the truck, smiling she winked at him. As they drove down the road she smirked the whole way. He kept catching look at him. "What?" She smiled at how clueless he was.
"I see you got your truck washed." She commented as his eyes shifted.
"Yeah I did. I thought it was time to wash off the salt and dirt. Have a problem with that, inspector Alice?" He smirked as he turned down the road. She rolled her eyes and laughed at his smirk.
"Nah, no problem. I was just wondering..." She stopped at eyed the trunk of his truck. He looked at her a little taken back.
"Wow, you still think we can get it on in my pick up?" She nodded her head. He was a little intrigued on the offer and damn she looked sexy with that lip bite.
"Come on, Fp. I'm a horny pregnant women and I'm letting you do whatever you want to me." His eyebrow furrowed interest.
"Whatever I want?" She rolled her eyes.
"Yes whatever you want." She finished while rolling her eyes. She moved closer to him, roaming her hand down his chest and kissing his neck. He was fighting the erection growing in his pants as he drove. "Now, Forsythe please make love to me. Right in the back of your truck." She begged in between each kiss on his neck.
"Fine only cause I need to make this throbbing erection go away." He growled as he pulled into an abandon area as his erection got harder.
She grinned knowing she got her way and continued to suck his neck. He broke the kiss throwing his shirt off his head into the back seat. He was now shirtless. She looked down scanning every portion of his rock hard abs. He caught her staring, picked her up and laid her on the bed of the truck. She squealed as he pinned her arms down, leaning in stroking her bare breasts as he prepared them for his tongue. He unbuttoned her jeans, unzipping the fly as he shimmed out of his jeans, dropping his boxers to the ground and climbed on top of her. He started thrusting gently into her clit. She moaned out loudly. They didn't bother being quiet. They were in the middle of nowhere. Nobody knew them. "Scream my name, Allie." He said in between thrusts. She whimpers as he teases her clit by trying to pull out.
"Stay in, Forsythe!" She hissed as she put her hands on her bare ass and pushed him further into her causing her to moan.
"Hmm..." he mocked as he started pulling out again.
"Seriously?!" She was getting tired of his games. He grinned as he saw her roll her eyes.
"Is that a problem?" She was now ticked.
"Yes, now stay in. Or I won't let you do the thing I hate." He nodded his head and penetrated into her again and this time she screamed his name. "Fpppp!" It was all so perfect.
Lunch was boring without Betty. Betty was the talkative one. Jughead wasn't really hungry. He remembered what he said to her. His hungry increases when crisis happens. Now he didn't feel like eating. Veronica, Cheryl just stayed silent as they slowly ate their food. Archie and Kevin tried to start a conversation but had many failed attempts. Then laughing out their ears. "Didn't you hear she killed herself attention." Veronica's ears were burning red along with Cheryl who was about to snap. "Jenny, that's not right. I heard it was because her boyfriend cheated on her." Jughead always hated rumors. But this one really boiled his blood. He wasn't cheating. "I heard she just failed a test and then she tried." Another said laughing along with her two friends.
Cheryl had it. She was done with all these bullshit lies. She stood up so quickly that she nearly tripped. Veronica tried to reach for her hand but she swatted her hand away. She wasn't going to let these bitches talk shit about her cousin. She started walking over to their table. Archie's eyes followed her. He was thinking oh shit. This can't be good and he was right. Jughead shifted his head to look what was happening. "You think it's funny to joke about someone's suicide attempt?" The girls giggles stopped and their faces straightened.
"No w-e w-e." The girl stammers as Cheryl gets dangerously close to the girl's face.
"Save it." She stopped eying the third girl. Her comment hurt her the most. "I could careless about you no-names. But shit talking my cousin won't be tolerated. Her attempt was sad and heartbreaking. And making fun of that is just sick. She was struggling and nobody helped her!" She could feel her eyes burning. "S-he was struggling and nobody helped h-er!" This time tears rolled down. The girls's faces softened.
"Uh do you want something—?" The girls were caught off by a group storming up to them.
"No we don't. Now shoo!" Veronica snapped signaling them to disappear. The girls stood up. " I said go!" She looked around and saw everybody staring. "All of you!" They all starting packing their bags and left the lunchroom.
"T-hank you, Ronnie." Cheryl uttered as she wiped her eyes. Veronica smiled as she saw Kevin from the corner of her eye.
"Like I told, Jug. I protect my friends." She said as she pulled Cheryl into her arms. "Wanna see if we can ditch?" Everyone's faces turned uneasy. "Come on, guys. We can take my car. The one I just brought with my own money. Maybe we can get a drink at the wyrm." Jughead's eyes were unsure what to say or do.
"Ronnie, is that really logical. Skipping school? We caused a huge screen someone will defiantly know we are gone." Archie pointed out.
"I'm all for it." Kevin stepped in. Everyone was shocked.
"Really you mr I don't skip is going to skip school?" Jughead joked but half serious.
"All in favor hands up." Veronica called out as she watched hands go up.
"Not in favor." Cheryl joined watching nobody's hands go up.
"Skipping here come." Some shouted jolting the group in surprise.
"Toni?" Jughead said watching her come closer.
"Well I heard that my girlfriend here." Gesturing to Cheryl as she pulled her close. "Went All Fire woman on those girls and I wanted to make sure she was okay." She explained as she kissed Cheryl.
"Well I guess we are leaving." Archie said nervously.