This story was originally meant as a continuation of my other Fanfiction "Playing with Fire." However, due to the theme of that story, it might not appeal to everyone. Therefore, I have decided to make it a stand-alone. The story is set in the current time with flashbacks and will tell the story of FP and Alice from the start as remembered by them. It will also venture into Bughead territory in a later chapter. If you have read the prequel, please note that there will be some repetition at the beginning. It was the only way I could do it.

The story mentions abuse and some other dark themes and will also contain some M rated sexual content. Please don't read if it offends you.

Jones residence, Present Day

FP, Alice, Betty, Jughead and Charles were gathered in front of the TV, staring mesmerized at the footage of the Jones house.

"What is this?" Alice asked.

"Fast forward." Jughead demanded.

"It's literally six hours of our house." Betty murmured as they watched on.

"Why would somebody do that? Film it and leave the evidence on the front doorstep?" Alice was puzzled.

"To unsettle you? Let you know you're being watched?" Charles ventured.

"Yeah! But why a videotape? Why something so anachronistic?" Jughead exclaimed.

FP looked at the four worried faces around him. "Maybe it's just a prank."

Alice got off the couch to hug FP. "Should we be worried?" She asked him. He held her close and kissed her tenderly. "I'll do everything I can to keep you guys safe."

Jughead groaned loudly and rolled his eyes. "Guys! Get a room! It's bad enough having to know about you two. There's no need to see it as well." He was about to turn away, when his father grabbed his arm forcefully and spun him around. "Boy! I've had it with your attitude!" He growled. Alice placed a hand on his arm. "FP…!" Jughead's eyes were flaring. "My attitude? That's rich, Dad! I can deal with Mom leaving; heck I even understand that you're angry after what she did. I get that Alice needs a temporary place to stay. You obviously also have your own needs, but maybe you could have satisfied them with someone other than my girlfriend's mother and your high-school fling. To make it worse, the result of which is now in this room as well. Do you realize how people are looking at this sorry excuse of a patchwork family?"

FP was now shaking in anger. He raised his hand and was about to bring it across his son's face, when Alice jumped in between them. "FP, don't!" She implored. "Let's all just sit down and talk." Betty had grabbed hold of Jughead's arm. "Juggie, calm down, please! There's something you should know." Jughead turned towards Betty. "What Betty? You're defending them now?" Betty looked at the floor. "It was more than a high-school fling, Jug. Mom, FP tell them! Both Jughead and Charles deserve to know."

FP ran a hand across his face and looked at Alice. She nodded at him. He turned towards his two sons with a pained expression. Alice squeezed his hand. "You want to know how Alice and I really met?" Jughead looked at his father in confusion. "I know how you met. The Midnight Club?" FP waved his hand. "That came after. We had come across each other in high-school before. But we didn't speak to one another until we were both sitting in the waiting room of the ER for over 3 hours."

Jughead opened his eyes wide "Go on?"

Alice linked her hand with FP's. "I was 15 and I had started going out with a boy on the football team. It was all very innocent and one day he took me home and kissed me. My father, may he burn in eternal hell, saw us. I walked through the door and he'd already taken off his belt. He beat me with it until I nearly passed out." Alice felt the tears in her eyes. "It wasn't the first time of course, but I was sure he was going to kill me that day."

Charles let out a gasp. "Mom!" He covered his mouth in horror.

Alice looked at him with pain-filled eyes. "I pretended to pass-out so that he would leave. He did at some point and I managed to drag myself over to a friendly neighbor, who took me to the hospital."

"Oh God!" Jughead muttered.

"It was very busy that day. I was a young girl from the wrong side of town. I had no insurance and I was breathing. I immediately went all the way to the back of the list. As I was sitting there, I saw your father. He had a bruise on his eye, a cut lip and was clutching his arm. At first, we pretended that we didn't know each other. As the time passed, I got thirsty and hungry. I was in so much pain that I couldn't move, and I had no money for the vending machine anyway.

FP squeezed her hand and looked at his sons. "I saw her look longingly at anyone buying a snack. I knew she must have been starving and I could tell she was in pain. Even in her bruised and battered state, she looked beautiful. I got-up and bought a sandwich and a coke with the little money I had. I offered Alice the food."

Alice looked at him gratefully. "We chatted a bit to pass the time. Mostly about school. We both could tell what had brought us in there, so we avoided the subject. Once we were finally seen by a doctor, I had some internal injuries and they kept me there for 3 days. I was terrified that my father would come looking for me."

FP shook his head in disdain. "My arm was broken and was put in a cast. I was discharged almost immediately. I was worried about Alice and I could tell that she was scared. So I went back to look for her."

Charles shook his head. "And your father?"

Alice sighed. "He never came. Later I learned that FP had rallied the Serpents to pay him a visit. He took me back to his trailer and that's where I lived until I got pregnant with you and met Hal."

Jughead shook his head and looked at his father. "It was so much more than the fling you guys made it out to be."

Alice smiled. "Much more. I don't know what I would have done without him."

"I'm so sorry I hurt your feelings, Dad. I need some time to think."

FP nodded. He was still somewhat angry at his son's earlier outburst. Jughead looked towards Betty and motioned for them to leave. Betty excused herself and followed Jughead out the door. Charles looked at his parents. They were drained.

"I also need to process, and you look like you need some time alone. I'll come back later."

FP and Alice both nodded gratefully. Once they were alone in the house they didn't speak. They both knew that a lot had been omitted from the story, but at the moment they couldn't bring themselves to say more. As they sat in silence holding hands, they were both taken back to that fateful day,

- " -

Riverdale Hospital, 25 years ago

"Thank you for the sandwich and the coke." Alice whispered.

FP just nodded. "It looked like you needed that. Please eat."

Alice looked around the room. It just kept getting fuller. At one point she thought she might pass out. "Do you think they'll ever call us?" FP shrugged. "They don't seem in any hurry to. You look to be in a rough way. Would you like me to go and talk to them? I can wait for a while. "Alice immediately shook her head. "No, please don't. We'll just have to wait our turn." FP tried to make small talk. "You're in my English class, aren't you? It's Alice, right?" Alice just nodded.

"I'm FP by the way. I don't think we've officially met." Alice managed a small smile. "Yeah, I know. You're on the football team with my boyfriend, Charlie."

FP nodded. "Have you called him? Is he coming?"

Alice shook her head and blushed. "Please don't tell him about this, I'm begging you."

FP nodded thoughtfully and frowned. "Alice, it wasn't…he didn't…."

Alice looked shocked and quickly shook her head. "No, no! He would never." She felt the tears welling up in her eyes and FP automatically took hold of her hand. "Hey, hey, it's ok. I just had to ask. You don't need to tell me anything."

"Ms. Alice Smith?" They were interrupted by the intercom.

Alice smiled shyly at FP. "That's me." She winced as she tried to get-up and FP quickly held out his arm. "Whoa, Ms. Alice Smith. Go slow. Here, let me help you." Alice looked doubtful. "Your arm? It looks painful." FP quickly dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "It's ok, grab my good one. I broke that one last year. It's healed now."

"Mr. Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Second." They heard the voice again.

Alice shook her head and managed a small laugh. "Who would name their child like that." FP flashed her a crooked smile. "Guess that would be my father. Forsythe Pendleton Jones the First." Alice blushed and bit her lip. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't make the connection." She was mortified. FP looked at her skinny frame and embarrassed smile, and he thought she looked beautiful. "Don't worry. I get that a lot. As long as you don't call me by that name, we can be friends." Alice smiled tiredly and nodded. "I think I would like that. We better get in there. Thanks for the food." FP gave her a quick wave as she limped into the examination room. He didn't miss the terrified look she shot towards the door whenever it opened, and he swore to himself to come right back to her once they had fixed his arm.

It took another three hours until his arm was in a cast, the cut on his face had been stitched-up and the obligatory conversation with the social worker had taken place. FP knew the drill by now and neither he nor the tired looking woman batted an eye as he related how he had stumbled on the stairs of his trailer and landed on his head and arm in the process.

Once he was discharged, he made his way to the examination room where he'd last seen Alice. She wasn't there and he quickly closed the curtain, just before a drunk homeless man nearly threw something at him. He looked around the ER trying to find someone who wouldn't ask too many questions. He saw a young nurse nervously tapping away at a computer and he tried to sound as panicked as possible. "Can you help me find my sister? I heard she was brought here." The exhausted girl hardly glanced at him. "Name?" She said tiredly. "Alice Smith." He watched as she typed the name into the computer. "She's been admitted. Room 307."

FP quickly made his way towards the elevators. He found her room and waited until the coast was clear, before quickly entering it. She was sleeping, but the moment she heard the door her eyes flung open and there was that look of terror again. "Hey, hey! It's only me!" FP walked past the other two beds without a glance, as she let out a breath of relief. She smiled at him. "How's your arm?" FP closed the curtains around her bed and sat down in a chair. "It will be fine. How long are they keeping you here? Oh, and if anyone comes by, I told them I'm your brother. You know. Family only and stuff." Alice giggled. "I've always wanted a brother." She slurred. FP smiled at her. "Wow, they must have you on the really good stuff. What did they say?"

Alice had turned serious again and there were tears in her eyes. "Something about having to fix my spleen. I'm supposed to have surgery. I'm scared." FP took a deep breath and held her hand again. He looked down at her bare legs sticking out from under the hospital gown and saw two angry looking red welts. "Is that the only thing you're scared of?" He asked her gently and Alice blushed furiously as she tried to cover her legs. "Let me guess." FP said dryly. "You stumbled and fell, just like I did?" Alice looked at him for a second. Then she shook her head as another tear ran down her cheek. "I told them I fell off my bike. But it was my father." FP nodded. "Isn't it always." Alice looked scared again. "I'm terrified he'll come here. I thought he was going to kill me." FP squeezed her hand. "I won't let that happen. No one will ever hurt you again while I'm around." Alice cried again. "Why are you being so nice to me? You hardly know me." FP could see that she was exhausted. "It looks like you have no one else in your corner, Ally."

The curtain opened and a nurse looked suspiciously at FP. Alice quickly swatted his arm. "Can you please call Mom and Dad and tell them not to worry?" FP gave her a small wink. "Sure, Sis'. I should have made sure you learned how to ride that bike properly when we were kids." The nurse looked at FP. "You're family?" FP nodded. "I'm her brother. Is it ok if I stay with her? Our parents are out of town and they'll worry tremendously if I couldn't assure them that I'll look after her." If the nurse noticed the acid dripping of FP's tongue, she didn't let it show. "You can stay here until 8 at night. Then you can come back tomorrow after 8 in the morning again." FP nodded gratefully and saw that Alice was almost asleep. He placed a small kiss on her forehead. "Get some rest. I'll be right here." As he saw her dozing off, he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Ally, what's your address?" Alice murmured the name of the street and house number and he momentarily felt bad of taking advantage of the girl in her less than coherent state. He left the room and rummaged in his pocket for a quarter. He placed a call to the White Wyrm from the payphone in the hallway. "Tell Mustang to meet me at the ER of Riverdale Hospital. I'll be down there in 15 minutes."

FP walked back towards Alice's room. Someone had hung a red sign over the door. SURGERY SCHEDULED 10 AM. NIL BY MOUTH. FP felt the anger raise in him. He reached behind the sign and pulled out the chart. He quickly scanned over it until he reached the part on the diagnosis. Head trauma caused by impact. Fractured ribs. Hematomas on back, legs and chest. Laceration of spleen. FP felt every hair stand-up on his body. He thought about the waif-like girl laying in that hospital, scared of a surgery and scared of her father. He didn't even want to leave her side now to go and meet Mustang but having his friend come up here in his Serpents jacket would likely blow his cover. He saw the nurse walking towards him. "You need to leave now, Mr. Smith. You can come back tomorrow." He just nodded and raced down the stairs. He found Mustang pacing up and down in the waiting room. When he saw FP he flashed him a smile.

"So you heard! Come on, the crew is outside. Whatcha doin' here anyway. Let's go celebrate!" FP looked at his friend in confusion. "What are you talking about, Mustang?" He followed him outside and around the corner, where about 15 fellow Serpents had gathered in the shadows. Someone put a can of beer in his hand. "Hail to the King!" He heard the voice of Tall Boy. Suddenly everyone had their beers up in the air. "Hail to the King!" FP was beyond confused. "What are you talking about?" Tall Boy looked at him in wonder. "You haven't heard? The police picked-up your old man this morning. They got him for that hit-and-run that killed that woman. He's going away for a long time. He must have scribbled this before they came in." Tall Boy handed him a note. "Going inside. While I am gone, I am passing the mantle to my son, Forsyth Pendleton Jones the Second." FP looked at the note. His hands were shaking. He was the new King! At 17 years old. He knew that no one would contest it. The rules clearly stated that the Serpent King was the one in charge of nominating his successor.

"Fuck!" FP said loudly. "He's really fucking gone?" He saw Tall Boy, Mustang and Hogeye nodding. The teenagers all moved around him and patted his back. "One minute he's beating you to a pulp and now he's in the slammer." Tall Boy said and FP pursed his lips. "How tight is the case?" He still couldn't believe it. "30 years? Out in 20 maybe for good behaviour. No less than that." Penny chimed in. "You always have a knack for these things, Penny. The girl is never wrong." Hogeye put his arm around his girlfriend.

Tall Boy slapped FP on the back. The teenager winced in pain. "Tall Boy! Fuck! You know my old man laid into me earlier, right? I have a broken arm!" Tallboy just laughed. "Why are you here? Nothing looks life-threatening Let's go wreck some havoc and celebrate." FP just shook his head. "I've gotta stay put tonight. Will explain another time. But if you're in the mood for havoc, I want you to go to this address. Check if the man is at home. Tie him down and watch over him until tomorrow morning. I'll be there around 10." He passed a paper to Tall Boy. "I'm making you my second in command." Tall Boy nodded and looked at the address. "That's in Moonshine, the trailer park a couple of miles south of us. Are we roughing him up?" FP nodded. "By the time we're done with him he'll have a concussion, a couple of broken ribs and hopefully a lacerated spleen. You can start on him, as there's not much I can do with one arm. I want him fully conscious when I get there, though." He looked at the group of people who he considered more of a family than his father. "Mustang, I need you to go there now and make sure he doesn't leave and come here. Can I trust you guys with this?" They all nodded. "We'll take turns. Don't worry." Tall Boy said. FP nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He made his way back inside the hospital and up to the third floor. The hallway was dimly lit, and he waited in the corner until he saw the nurse disappear into one of the rooms. He quickly went into Alice's and saw that the other two people were sleeping. He sat back on the chair, after closing the curtains. His arm and head were throbbing, but he didn't care. It was an almost welcome pain when he thought about the pain Alice must be in. He saw her stir in her sleep with a pained expression on her face. He quickly took her hand in his and leaned towards her ear. "Shhhhh, Ally, you're ok. Everything will be ok." He whispered. She settled almost immediately. "FP". She whispered in her sleep. He squeezed her hand. "I'm here, I won't leave your side. You're safe." He eventually fell asleep and missed the nurse coming by on her rounds. She almost woke him up to kick him out, but then decided against it and pretended she hadn't seen him. She didn't buy their stories for one second, but sometimes being in the dark was almost welcome.

Alice woke-up in a lot of pain. She moaned loudly, then almost jumped in terror when she felt her hand being grasped. She opened her eyes and saw FP Jones sitting in a chair next to her bed. "Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Second." She whispered and he smiled at her. "Glad the concussion isn't that bad. If you can remember that." Alice smiled and her stomach grumbled. "I'm so hungry." FP looked at her sadly. "I know, baby. Unfortunately, you won't get anything until after the surgery." Alice looked frightened again. "I'm scared." FP brought her hand to his lips. "I know. Everything will be fine. You'll be as good as new soon. I'll be here." The nurse came in the room. "Ms. Smith, we're taking you down to the OR." She looked at FP. "She'll be back in a couple of hours. Go get some rest in the meantime. I'll be right back to take her down." FP nodded and felt Alice grab his hand again. "My father…he'll find me and kill me." FP squeezed her hand tightly, before standing-up and putting on his jacket. "I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen. And then I'll come back." Alice's eyes opened wide. "You're a Serpent." She gasped and FP nodded. "Not only a Serpent, Ally baby. I'm the fucking Serpent King and your father…he just stepped on a rattlesnake." Alice put her hand in front of her mouth. "Please be careful, FP. I don't have anywhere else to go to." FP stroked her hair. "Yes, you do. You're going to be my Queen!"

I hope you liked this story. The next chapter will deal with more questions from their offspring, as they process the information. It will continue being set between the present and the past. If you have any suggestions or comments, please let me know.