Toni's POV
It's been almost 9 months since Cheryl went missing. I've checked everywhere, the sisters of quiet mercy, all blossom properties, ghoulish territory. Hell Fangs even went to Canada for 5 months to go find her.
"How are you doing?" Pea asks as we sit in Pops
"It gets harder everyday, I need to find her," I sigh "I need her to come home,"
"I know you do," he sighs "but she would want you to celebrate your birthday. It was practically her favourite day of the year,"
Pop brings over a small brownie with a candle.
"It's not much, but happy birthday Toni," he nods
"Thanks Pop,"
I blow out my candle and make a wish, the only thing I've been wishing for 8 months and 17 days- for her.
"What'd you wish for?"
"You know Pea, but I can't say it out loud I need it to come true."
He nods. Him and Cher got really close right before she disappeared, he and I were the last two people to see her
"Cher don't get too close you'll fall in," I laugh as we walk around the rivers edge
"I'm not scared of falling," she laughs
The new red leather of her jacket was glistening in the sun and I grab her hand which is wearing the promise rings we got for our 1 year anniversary.
"I love you Cheryl Blossom," I smile kissing her cheek
"I love you Toni Topaz," She says
"Topaz, Blossom is that you?" I hear
"Hey Sweetpea,"
"Sorry to interrupt your date," he laughs approaching us
"It's no problem we're just wandering," Cheryl says
All 3 Of is walk and joke around for hours before Pea gets a call.
"What? Are you joking?" He gasps "we'll be right there,"
"What's wrong?" Cheryl asks
"FP was shot, he's not in good shape," he says
We all run to wear our vehicles are.
Betty texts Cheryl asking for a ride.
"Baby I'm picking Betts up and I'll be there right away," she says kissing me
"Ok I love you," I say
"I love you too Tones," she smiles
I open her door and she laughs
"You're a charmer Topaz,"
"Ya I am, drive safe, no extreme speeding,"
"Ok I promise," she says kissing me and sitting into her car "I love you,"
"I love you too,"
And that was it. She never made it to Betty's, FP never made it out of surgery and I never made it out of hell. They found her car a week later, covered up in a ditch only 2 miles from where Pea and I left her. Small amounts of blood and damage to the car show someone probably ran her off the road.
"What do you think happened?" Pea asks "you have to have an opinion,"
"She definitely didn't leave by her self, we know that. I think someone wanted to get at the serpents," I sigh
"Why not go after you?" He asks "You're a blood serpent,"
"Easy, kidnaping me there would be war, all our best fighters tracking down where they went. Kidnaping Cheryl, a newish Cheryl with little friends and allies in the gang, would only get at the leader. If it was gang related they wanted to get to me," I say
"Makes sense,"
"It very well could've been a family enemy too though, person capable of knowing her car, her route and her friends,"
We sit and drink a lot of milkshakes and then go home.
...
more than two months later my wish hadn't yet come true. 11 months 6 days. I'm not losing hope, just sad all the time at this point, even if she came home, would she even love me anymore?
"Pea wanna go to pops?" I ask
"It's 7:45 on a school night,"
"So?"
"True ok,"
We ride to Pops and park at the side of the building.
"Why'd you want to come here?" He asks
"It's getting harder to believe she's coming home, and I always remember our first date and when she came out to me and all our best memories here,"
"You also switched to strawberry milkshakes," he laughs
"We used to share them," I sigh "she tried chocolate once for me and threw up all over me on the bike,"
We laugh and talk for about an hour when someone walks In- in a faded red serpent jacket and long red hair.
"Cher?" I say standing up
"Toni?" The person asks facing me
It's her, a little tired, beaten down, a little broken- but it's her. I walk over and hug her and she hugs me back tighter than ever before. I laugh pick her up and spin her around.
"You're home," I say with tears in my eyes
We break the hug and I hold her face, caressing her cheeks with my thumbs.
"I made it home," she says with tears in her eyes
Carefully and cautiously I kiss her and bring back all the memories.
"I missed you so much," she says connecting our foreheads
"I missed you too," I say with more tears rolling down my cheeks
"Don't cry baby, I'm home, I'm safe now, you helped,"
"I didn't, I tried I swear,"
"You must've been getting closer because he said you were the reason they were letting me go,"
"Who?" I ask
"Jughead Jones," She says "working with my mother,"
Jughead fucking Jones? I banned him from the serpents 6 months before she went missing because he threatened her with a gun. We made out once before I knew Cheryl and he broke up with Betty to "be with me" knowing well that I didn't like him.
"I'm so sorry," I say
"Don't be," She smiles "I'm fine,"
"I missed your smile,"
She blushes and looks down.
"I love you," I say
"I love you too,"
We sit down with Pea after they hug.
"So Jones?" I ask
"Ya," she sighs "Don't worry I gave him hell everyday,"
"That's my girl," I smile holding her hand
"He kidnapped you how'd you make his life hell?" Pea asks
"Talking about Toni and I, making noise, usually just talking non stop though,"
We laugh and I pull her on my lap.
"I though you would've moved on by now, I was scared to come home," she confesses
"Never," I say kissing her cheek
"She looked for you everyday, and it wasn't lack of options either. She yelled at a girl who tried to pick her up at a bar,"
"Really?" She laughs
"Ya she said 'I don't my girlfriend would be too happy with you talking to me, I'd get lost,'"
"That's cute T," she says
"So you're ok right? Everything's ok?"
"I'm fine T, a little malnourished maybe but that's it, I promise,"
"Ok good,"
"How's FP?"
"He didn't make it,"
"I'm so sorry," she gasps
"It's ok, now that your home I'll be ok,"
With my girl on my side, i walk out of the restaurant and for the first time in 11 months and 7 days- I'm happy.
