"We're all on the edge of madness; deep down, darkness is within all of us and we're on guard constantly trying to avoid losing control."
In which Mickey Lodge has a few skeletons in her closet.
{COMPLETED WITH ALL SEASONS + epilogue}
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Mickey holds her phone to her ear as she props baby Anthony on her hip. "What did you say, Tabitha?"
"I said I feel like I'm all alone. Jug's down in the bunker and you're MIA." Tabitha pauses on the line. "Are you avoiding me?" She hasn't seen Mickey in a week or so.
"No!" Mickey lies. "I've just been..." she searches for a quick excuse. Then Anthony makes a loud sound in her ear and it's perfect. "I've just been babysitting Anthony a lot lately."
Toni comes back into the living room with a warm bottle and a burping cloth over her shoulder. She gives Mickey a look before taking Anthony for his feeding.
"Tabitha, I have to go!" Mickey hangs up quickly.
"Why did you lie?" Toni asks once she's seated and Anthony is sucking away on the bottle.
"Because I've been avoiding her," Mickey admits, plopping down in the chair adjacent to the couch. She revealed how'd powers to Tabitha and Jughead and then she went MIA, as Tabitha said.
Toni frowns. "I feel bad for her. With Jug gone, she must feel lonely. How is he?"
"How would I know?"
"Are you trying to tell me you don't talk to him?"
Mickey leans back in her chair. "He's still trying to quiet the voices he's been hearing."
"He's not drinking again, is he?"
"No," Mickey shakes her head. "No, definitely not."
"Well, that's good, then."
"He'll be okay. He's strong. He'll beat this." Mickey's not sure if she's trying to convince Toni or herself. "I'm sorry for bringing the mood down."
Toni waves a dismissive hand. "I need other things to think about other than the custody battle. I am so over it." Then she asks, "Did I tell you that because of your power or because I wanted to?"
Mickey's glad she was able to tell Toni about her superpower too. Isolation was so bad for her mental health. "I believe you wanted to tell me."
"How do you control it?"
"Well, as long as I let my guard down and stay honest, other people's inhibitions remain in tact. They don't say or do anything they would normally stop themselves from saying or doing."
Toni starts to grin at that point. "Well, there is something I do want to share with you—totally free will and stuff. Fangs and I are getting married! I wanted you to be the first to know!"
"Oh my God, Tone! That's amazing! Congratulations!"
"It's like I said—having anything positive these days is wonderful."
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Mickey enters the casino to see the leftover displays from SlaughterCon. When she heard about the convention, she knew she wanted to be nowhere near it because it would surely bring in creeps to Riverdale. When she spots Betty by the bar, she joins her. "Needed a drink after all of this?" she gestures to the room.
