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"Betty I'm home!" Alice announces as she walks into the house. She sees Betty and Jughead sitting on the couch and it shocks her for a moment. "Oh, hi Jughead I didn't know you were coming over."
"I needed to talk to Betty about something, I won't be here long."
"Oh don't be silly you can stay as long as you'd like, I just wasn't expecting you here." She walks into the kitchen to drop off the groceries she had bought and as she's putting them away she hears most of Betty and Jughead's conversation.
"Jug, I'm so sorry this happened again."
"I don't know what to do Betty."
"I don't know either."
Alice, being the curious journalist she is, walks into the living room to face the kids. "What's going on? I overheard you two talking."
"Were you spying mom?" Betty annoyedly asks.
"No Elizabeth I wasn't, you two were talking loud enough for me to hear. Now, is there anything I can do to help?"
"My dad's drinking again." Jughead blurts out, seeming like he's at his whits end.
"He is?" The revelation hurts her heart. He was doing so good and she can't help but feel like it's slightly her fault. The news does come just days after she told him about their, now dead, son, maybe it sent him over the edge.
"Yeah, I came home from school and he was passed out. There was beers everywhere."
"Is he still at the trailer?" She asks, already grabbing my keys.
"Yeah. He may not be that coherent when he's drunk but he'd never drink and drive."
Thank God for that.
"You two make whatever you want for dinner, I'll be back eventually."
"Mom where are you going?"
"To go check on FP."
"Why do you care?" Shit. She's onto her.
"I don't Elizabeth but since neither of you know to handle it I will. Now I'll see you later, don't wait up."
She drives to Sunnyside and hops out of her car. She storms up the steps of his trailer, not even bothering to knock, just bursting open the door.
She does a quick sweep of the area and sees FP laying on the sofa with beer bottle in his hand.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Alice asks. He turns to her with his eyes heavy.
"What are you doing here?" FP slurs as he looks at her.
"I'm here because your son is at my house trying to figure out how to help you since you've started drinking again."
"You didn't knock." He says casually as he takes another sip of beer.
"Is that all you got from that?" She exclaims as she storms over to him. "And give me that!" She rips the bottle out of his hand.
"Hey! Give that back!" He yells as he sits up hurriedly.
"This?" She taunts as she wiggles the bottle. He tries to reach for it and she throws it to the ground, letting it smash into a million pieces.
"What the fuck Alice?" He exclaims.
"Why are you drinking again FP?"
"None of your God damn business." He says as he walks past her to the kitchen, presumably to get another beer. She's quicker than him since he's drunk and stumbling and she ducks under his arm and into the kitchen, quickly blocking the fridge doors. "Move Alice." He growls.
"No."
"Alice, move." He says, softer this time and she searches his eyes worriedly. He's sobering up and she knows it.
"I'm not letting you drink your life away again FP."
"Why do you even care Alice, you never cared before."
"I didn't know that you were a drunk back then. In case you forgot we haven't spoke in over twenty years."
"Believe me, I haven't forgot." He walks back into the living room and sinks down into the couch cushions. She hesitates for a moment but joins him.
"FP... why are you drinking again?" Her voice is so soft and full of too many emotions for him to comprehend and it breaks his heart. She breaks his heart.
"I don't know how to cope Alice." He lets out and it breaks her heart.
"You don't know how to cope with what?"
"With everything. With Jughead, with the Serpents, with our son being dead," she knew that was a factor but hearing him say it hits her like a truck. "and with you... and I, it's just so much and I don't know how to cope with it all." That part she wasn't expecting.
He drops his face into his hands and she scoots closer to him. "FP." She says softly, trying to get him to look up at her. "FP... please look at me."
He looks up with a sigh. "I've done everything to ensure you're happy and safe and that the Serpents and Jughead are safe... but I can't even do the same for myself." A tear falls down his cheek and she moves even closer to wipe it away. She keeps his face cupped in her hands even after she wipes his tear away. "I don't know what to do Alice. I just don't know what to do."
She does the only thing she can think of. She does what he did when she told him about their baby, when she was so torn up inside and beating herself up. She hugs him. Pulls him to her and hugs him as tight as she can.
His arms wrap around her middle and he buries his face in her chest. She has to fight back her own tears as he holds her. She can't break down too or this will be just one big mess.
"I need you." He chokes out.
"I'm right here."
"I'll always need you."
"I'm always going to be here."
"Are you just saying that?" He asks, his head raising up to look at her. "Are you going to leave again or go back to him?"
"No. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here. It's where I belong... right here with you is where I belong." She kisses him softly and leans her forehead against his. "Forever."
_
A/N
This took a twist I wasn't expecting it too this wasn't supposed to get this sappy.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this and thank you for 40k! It means so much to me you have no idea.
