Light A Match

2: Game Alight

Chapter 2: Game Alight

Time hasn't moved since Cheryl disappeared on the eighth of June. Toni sipped at her fifth cup of coffee, anxiously tapping her fingers against the police report.

It only had been six hours since the cops started searching. They asked if Cheryl had any enemies. Toni couldn't remember. Her father dead, Mother in-prisoned for the Griffins & Gargoyle game.

"Toni?" She heard a voice behind, she shifted in her chair, and put a face to the name.

"FP..." Her voice soft, drained from lack of sleep. She hadn't slept in hours.

FP slowly approached her, he walked over to the desk, gently took the cup from her hands and set it down. He then took her shaky hand into his and gives her a small smile.

It was faint, but it gave her some assurance. She needed it right now; more than he does.

He was sleeping when he heard his phone ring, he slowly reached over sleeping Alice and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

On the other line, He could hear sniffling, he checked the caller ID and instantly there was a pit forming in his stomach.

"Toni? Can you tell me why you are crying? Are you alright?"

"FP... Cheryl's been taken!" She cried out, FP abruptly jumped out of bed.

"What?!" His voice roared, causing Alice to awake. "What do you mean she's been taken?"

Alice looked over at her husband with worried eyes, she just sat back and listened to the sobbing on the other side of the phone.

"I don't know! I walked in after my shift and then I went to bed room, turned on the lights and- There was blood on the floor.." Alice's stomach rolls at that.

FP finally clears his throat," We will right there, Toni. Stay put!"

Toni gave a sad smile back," The police haven't found anything yet."

FP takes a seat next to her, pulling her into his arms," They will I promise, Toni. She will come back home."

Toni wanted to believe him. She should believe him; she always has. He lead her through the Serpents. He became her moral model. He left her become his family. He's her family.

"This doesn't make sense! Cheryl doesn't have any enemies! She would've told me!" She knew that Cheryl trusted her and she wouldn't lie to her.

FP stayed quite as she argued that the cops weren't doing anything and only focusing on themselves.

"These cops are worse than Riverdale." That was true. FP believed they were too. When he was Sherriff for Riverdale.

He tried to keep everything in check; his wife had been selling Fizzle Rocks behind his back, his son and his friends were part of a charade made by Penelope Blossom. It had been a rough two years.

Things settled down after that. Him and Alice finally got together and a year later got married. The kids seemed okay with it.

Shortly after that, Him and Alice adopted Cheryl; now that she was missing caused him such pain. He loved her like his own. He ignored the fact she was born a Blossom. It wasn't her fault she was born into that incest bred pool as Alice calls it.

"Agreed." He slightly chuckled, causing Toni to crack a small laugh before she went silent again.

X-x

Toni's phone blared as she exited the shower. Billie Eilish's Lovely played as she toweled herself off. Toni tried to sing along; she did but the music only made her cry.

She slid against the outside of the shower door, tears sliding down her cheeks, coating her towel that loosely fell from her steamed body.

She could hear Cheryl's sweet tone singing along and aiming for the highest note in her head as the song played.

She missed Cheryl so much. This wasn't the plan. She wanted Cheryl's arms around, her lips kissing hers softly and to hear her soft voice again.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the bathroom door," Antoinette, It's Veronica let me in."

With hesitation, Toni unlocked the door, scooting away, wiping at her tears with a lazy swipe of her hand. Veronica's face softened when she caught a glimpse of Toni's tear stricken cheeks.

"Oh, Toni..." She says with a soft empathic voice.

Toni starts sobbing again, curling her face into her knees. Veronica quickly scurries across the bathroom and engulfs her into a hug. "Shhh, Toni... we will find her." She whispers calmly into her ears.