If We Had 5 More Minutes

A Moment

Toni sat on the hospital bedside holding Cheryl's hand as she lay unconscious. She was still shaken up about everything that had just happened, but was thankful she showed up when she did. She had left Cheryl's yesterday morning after the snow had cleared, Anthony had run out of diapers and she had to go home eventually. Fangs wasn't there upon her arrival, however once he did come back and saw she was there all hell let loose. They got into another argument, and she knew that going back to Cheryl's would only worsen the situation so she settled for a call. However after a few missed calls, she had this unsettling feeling she couldn't shake off, so she decided to pay her visit to ease her mind. Once she pulled up she saw Thistlehouse being swallowed by the Earth and Cheryl's car in the driveway. So she raced in without another thought screaming her name. She saw Cheryl just standing in front of a body in the kitchen and quickly ran up to catch her as she was about to collapse. When Toni caught her she simply looked up at her and smiled, with no regards to the mess happening around them, then she lost consciousness. Toni did her best to drag Cheryl out and rushed her straight to the hospital, and spent the entire ride thinking about what would have happened if Toni didn't show up.

"Tt." Toni looked over to Cheryl who had fluttered her eyes open before letting out a cough, while trying to sit up.

"Take it easy, Cher." Toni said, shifting her attention to focus on Cheryl, and squeezing on her hand lightly.

"Why'd you come?" Cheryl muttered.

"You weren't picking up my calls, and I had a bad feeling so I went to check on you." Toni answered. "Besides I haven't gotten to take you to Pop's yet." Toni added, and Cheryl let out a chuckle.

"My, my you flatter me Topaz."

"Why were you just standing there Cheryl." Toni asked, not being able to shake it off, especially considering Cheryl's past with Sweetwater River. Cheryl looked at her knowingly.

"A moment of weakness I suppose." Cheryl uttered out, not looking Toni in the eyes, but Toni reached over and gently moved her chin to look at her.

"Well the next time you have one of those, tell me, and I'll be there."

"I know that now." Cheryl finished with a smile. Toni patted her hand in response and got up from the seat.

"The doctor already cleared you, so let's get you checked out and home."

Toni took a seat at a booth across from Jughead who had already almost finished his plate of food. She had seen that he already ordered for her, and took a sip of the chocolate milkshake.

"So Toni, what's this about?" Jughead asked while popping a fry in his mouth.

"It's over Jones." Toni said, tossing a folded card on the table, identical to the one Cheryl found in cousin Fester's jacket. Jughead picked it up, examining it before throwing it back on the table.

"You too huh." Jughead responded as he pulled an identical card out.

"It's not over, not until we figure out who it is."

"It was Cheryl's cousin Fester, last living heir to the Blossom legacy other than Cheryl." Toni responded, and Jones looked at her dumbfoundedly.

"You can't possibly know that, besides why would it be him?" Jughead asked, clearly not believing it.

"I'm not sure Cheryl killed him before any questions could be asked." Toni answered nonchalantly, and Jughead scoffed at her unbelievably.

"How do you know that?"

"He attacked her before Thistlehouse collapsed." Toni replied as she shifted in her seat and leaned in. "Look can discuss details another time, but there's no need to bring any more attention to this." She finished off, not wanting to get Betty or the FBI involved, she simply wanted to sweep this under the carpet and move on from it, for Cheryl's sake.

"But it doesn't make any sense, it's too clean cut-"

"Jones." Toni replied giving him a stern look, he simply pursued his lips in running his hand through his hair.

"Fine, I'll drop it. For now." Jughead sighed, then grabbed a fry off her plate. "So. Since that's been settled just in time." He started off, just as he popped the fry into his mouth with a devious grin.
"Who are you bringing to Sweet Pea's wedding?"

      Toni finally managed to open the door, while holding her phone between her ear and her shoulder. She had sat the keys down in the fruit basket in the middle of the kitchen table.

"That's great news, Janet, I'll make sure to let Cheryl know as soon as possible." Toni said, smiling ear to ear.

"Let Cheryl know what?" She looked up, and her smile faded, as she noticed Fangs sitting on the couch in the living room.

"Hey Janet, i'll call you back tomorrow after I have Cheryl's answer." She responded before hanging up the phone. She let out a sigh as she walked towards the threshold, leaning up against it.

"What's that?" Toni asked, crossing her arms as she gestured towards the envelope sitting on the coffee table. Fangs looked towards the table before reaching for the envelope and getting up to walk it towards her.

"It's the divorce papers you asked for Toni." He replied defeatedly and handed them over to her. She grabbed the envelope from him and shuffled through the papers in disbelief before looking back up at him.

"I won't force you to stay in a marriage you don't want. I don't want Anthony growing up the way we did." He said towering over her. Toni was looking up at him, but she didn't know what to say, honestly she thought this would be a much more difficult road.

"I'll stay at a hotel or something until we sort things out-"

"No wait, Fangs," She interjected as he started walking away, reaching for his hand, but also quickly dropping it.

"There's no reason we shouldn't be able to both stay here." Toni countered, trying to see reasonable.

"Can I ask you something Toni?" Fangs said, turning around to face her.

"Of course." Toni asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Was it always going to be Cheryl? Was there ever a moment you looked at me and saw me? Or did you only see that I wasn't her?" Fangs waited for her response, and Toni searched for the right words.

"There were moments when I thought I'd be happy settling for you, but I realized that's all they were. Moments. By the time I had realized it, me and you were in deep, and I didn't want to hurt you. So I tried my best to pretend." Toni said, knowing it wasn't what he wanted to hear, but she felt it was the best way to describe their relationship. A moment, and that moment has long passed. Fangs smiled at her sadly before continuing to the front door.

"Fangs-"

"I can't stay here Toni." He started. "To you our relationship may have just been a moment. But I was ready to build forever with you. Staying here and watching you smile at the mention of Cheryl's name, it hurts. I gave you the divorce because you asked me. Now I'm asking you for space, can you give that to me?" Fangs asked, and she could see the pain in his eyes, and it made Toni feel like shit.

"I can do that for you, Fangs."

"Do you mind if I take Anthony for a few days, since you've had him all week."

"Yeah that's fine." She said remembering she did keep him through the snowstorm. She handed him the diaper bag and watched him leave out the door. Fangs left but the tension in the air didn't and she knew that nothing would ever be the same between the two. Instead of beating herself up over it she laid down on the couch and dialed Cheryl's number to get her mind out of the gutter.

"Hey Cheryl, I just got off the phone with Janet. The adoption went through for Britta, all that's left is for you to sign the paper."