Through the Glass

USB and Shattered Glass

It was a few days after my fight with FP. Jughead and the kids had been active as ever with Jason's death, and I've been doing everything I could to keep them safe.
But... they were in deeper than I knew. I knew they were working to find Jason's killer. What I didn't expect, was the children calling me, screaming at ten at night.
"Maddy! Maddy come over now! We found it!" Veronica screamed into the phone, panicking.
"Found what?" I asked as I stood from my chair at the studio, grabbing my purse and walking to my door.
"Jason! He's on video! Hurry!"
Veronica was crying.
Something Veronica Lodge taught me, was that crying was only for when there was nothing else to do.
I ran from the studio, leaving it unlocked, as I drove quickly to the house. The only reason I knew that the kids were all at Dad's house was because of Vegas' barking in the background.
I reached the house and bolted from my car, the blood beating in my heart. It rattled in my ears like a million sort of sirens telling my body it wasn't pumping fast enough.
The kids needed you.
Go faster.
I found the kids in the back room, back where FP and I talked to Jughead at Betty's attempt at a birthday celebration.
Archie had a single tear stream down his face.
"Who was it?" I asked the kids as Betty was being comforted by Jughead.
"Didn't watch it. But we saw FP and Joaquin already. We couldn't handle it. We needed you here," Archie said. I nodded as I looked at the kids.
"Kids, don't look," I advised as I sat between them on the couch.
There was silence in the room. No one moved, no one breathed.
Before me, on Jughead's laptop, I saw the grainy footage of Jason Blossom, the grown up version of the kid who we all used to play with at the playground. Mustang, one of the Serpents I recognized from the Whyte Wyrm, was seen taunting Jason. He was yelling, spitting, hitting.
It was cruel.
But Mustang left. Who took his place? None other than Clifford Blossom himself.
"Oh my god," Veronica breathed next to me.
"Look away," I barked at the kids as the sound of a gunshot rang out from the video. "Holy shit."
"Maddy, oh my god," Veronica cried into my shoulder.
Betty simply shut the computer, and stood. She grabbed her phone and, as I held Veronica in a consoling hug as she sobbed into my chest, I looked at the teenage girl.
"Betty, who are you calling?" I asked her.
She didn't respond to me, only looked at me as she wiped a single tear that had collected on her chin.
Betty seemed relieved at the person on the other line finally answering her call. "Cheryl? You need to get out of that house. Right now. I need you to trust me."
I stood. Veronica, at this point, had curled into Archie.
Betty hung up the phone and I looked at them. "Archie, Jug? Go get clothes. Any clothes. Mom's clothes she left, dad's clothes, your own, girls you can share my stuff. We gotta get out of Riverdale for the night."
"What?" Betty asked. "We can't just leave."
"You just saw a kid get murdered, Betty, one people knew you wanted to know about. The last place you'll want to be, when all this shit comes out, is Riverdale. Just for tonight. We will get out. I'll talk to your parents."
The kids all froze. "Go, boys!" I shout and the three boys, Jughead, Archie and Kevin, took off.
I grabbed the thumb drive from Jug's computer. "Girls, I'm going to talk to Alice. I'll be right back. Do not leave this house until I pull up with the car. Do you understand?"
They nodded, and ran with the boys to get clothes.
I sprinted next door to Alice and Hal Cooper's home.
"Madison? Are you okay?" Alice asked me as tears streamed down my face.
"Alice do you trust me?" I asked her as I grabbed a pen from my bag. "Do you trust me to protect Betty?"
Maternal fear crossed Alice's eyes, but slowly, she nodded. My shaking hands raised the thumb drive. "Jughead Jones found this. In the lining of Jason Blossom's varsity jacket. It has proof that Clifford Blossom killed Jason. I'm taking the kids for tonight. To get away."
My breath was shaky as Alice's eyes slowly widened. She took the flash drive from my shaking hands, before she pulled me tightly into an embrace. Tears nearly consumed me.
"Take care of my daughter," Alice said and I nodded as she released me. "I'll get clothes. Give me just a moment."
Nodding again, I grabbed my phone. Calling Hermione Lodge, the familiar fear settled in me.
"Hello, Madison," Hermione's kind voice spoke into the receiver.
"Hermione, there's been a breakthrough in the Jason Blossom murder case. I have to take the kids out of town for the night."
"What? Why?" Hermione asked, worried. "Is everything alright?"
"The kids found a video of Clifford Blossom shooting Jason and killing him. They can't be here when the masses show. Especially Veronica. I'll call you once we're safe but I can't let them stay. Alice Cooper has the video now. She's going to Sheriff Keller as soon as she helps send me and the kids off."
"How do I know I can trust you with Veronica?" Hermione asked me.
Any worried mother would have asked this. This question was not one I could reject.
"Would I have called you, Hermione? Or would we have just ran?"
"Please keep her safe."
I ended the call as Alice ran down. She had two bags full of clothes, and she handed me an envelope, full of money.
"Alice, I don't need money-"
"You are saving these kids," Alice said to me. "It's gas money, food money, whatever money. Get them out of here. I'll tell your dad after I talk to Sheriff Keller."
Nodding, I ran from the room. I took my heels off, and pattered barefoot on the concrete. I honked the horn once I had thrown Betty's clothes in the back, and the five, terrified kids ran out.
"Come on, kids. Let's go. Girls, I talked to your moms. Archie, Dad has us, Kevin, Alice will talk to your dad, and Jug-"
I looked at him. "It's ok, Maddy. You are my mom."