Riverdale: What no one saw coming...

Chapter Forty-Three

"What?... " Betty couldn't even fathom the words. They halted at the tip of her tongue. Alice stood tall and proud affront her, her posture strong, powerful - her usual composure.

She was dressed in a skin tight grey maxi dress, partnered with a baby pink blazer. Her signature dragonfly broach pinned tight to her chest. A pair of black paint and leather heels, surprisingly muddy, brown streaks trailing from the tip of the heel to the top of the toe. Her hair was immaculate as always- not a hair out of place. Her bouncy , blonde curls falling into their designated spots without even trying. Her makeup was flawless, lipstick almost natural with a hint of perfect pink.

As Betty stood their gobsmacked holding a wailing Mason to her chest, in walked Jughead with Evelyn unaware of the situation at hand.

"Awww Mason..." Jughead said softly, entering the kitchen- soon to be stopped In his tracks.

"Jughead Jones... Nice to see you helping out." She said contemplating her options with her thumb and forefinger stroking her chin.

"Mrs Cooper.. what a.... surprise." Jughead said tilting his head slightly in question at Betty.

Alice was clearly becoming more and more emotional as the encounter grew, completely out of her character. She mover all her weight onto her right leg .

"I don't know where to start.." Alice waved her hands in the air, as a drop of water rolled down her cheek.

"-How about where you have been for the past three month?" Betty stammered, yet power and dominance was strong on her voice. She was angry, betrayed and broken and it was clear in the stance she took. Her fists clenched, nails digging deeper by the second.

"Its a long story... and an hard one too." Her face and avoidance of the topic made clear to Betty that she wasn't going to budge. Not wanting to reveal what she's been up to, what was more important than her daughter.

"Fine. What are you doing here?" Betty said coldly. Masons cries faltered as Betty rubbed his back.

"I'm here to see my grandchildren..." Alice said , extending her arms before Mason.

Betty took a step back, forcing Alice to stumble slightly.

Betty gawked. " You want to see your grandchildren... where were you when their mother was pregnant? Where were you when you drove her from home? Where were you when they were born? When they mother was sedated? Where were you when their sixteen year old aunt had to take them in because their Grandma was gone? Where were you when they needed you?" Betty voice seemed to scream as oud as her whispers could travel. She did not cry, she wasn't going to give her mother the power to have that control over her, not anymore.

Alice took a step toward Betty , trying to place her slender hand upon her shoulder. Betty turned her back to her, shaking her hand away. Jughead picked a now fussing Evelyn up from her car seat. He vowed not to get involved, instead he placed her on his chest watching her instinctly nuzzle into his chest.

"Betty..." Alice said lowly, her voice full of sorrow.

"Save it. Unless you can tell me here and now , why haven't you been there for Polly? The twins? Me?" Betty asked pain strong in her voice.

"I... I have been with your father." Alice's voice trembled.

"Doing what? Where is he?" Betty further interrogated.

"He knew that as the investigation progressed the time would come when he would be caught. Clifford told him to lay low for a while, so we took a spa week knowing you wouldn't know we were gone, I initially thought we were searching for Polly. But as the investigation got deeper, I realised that we weren't disappearing for a week. We were disappearing for good... He didn't want to leave you behind but he knew it would be safer , better for you." Alice cried.