love within the silence

ten

I started to get dinner ready at around 5 o'clock. Ally was cuddled up on the sofa with her blanket and Jughead's beanie, I had put on her favourite movie and left her to it.

While in the kitchen I heard my phone go off, it was an unknown number. I picked the phone up:

Betty: hello?
......
Betty: is someone there?
Unknown: it's been a while cooper

A tear ran down my face and my breathing hitched, I couldn't breath.

Betty: Rob...Robbie?
Robbie: well done, you remember me. Thought it might be a little bit difficult after 4 year and a half years
Betty: what do you want from me?
Robbie: she's adorable you know. She's got my eyes
Betty: no, no she doesn't. She looks nothing like you and I'm so thankful. You hurt me and you don't even care
Robbie: I did nothing, you enjoyed it and anyway, no one would have believed you.
Betty: leave me and my family alone, I will call the police if you call again
Robbie: I wouldn't count on it...

and just like that I hung up the phone. My breathing heavy and tears streaming down my face. I quickly called the number to the bar:

Fangs: whyte wyrm, hello?
Betty: fangs... can you get... Cheryl please?
Fangs: hey b, course I can.

Cheryl: hey b, what's up?
Betty: come... come home please. I can't... cant breathe
Cheryl: Betty, breath. You'll be okay, where's ally?
Betty: so...sofa
Cheryl: I'll be there really soon, remember what we do. 3 breaths and then hold. I'm leaving now, I'll put Toni on the phone.
Betty: can... can you get Jug, I really need to hear his voice?
Cheryl: of course I can B.

There was a brief moment of silence before I heard his voice.

Jughead: Hey betts
Betty: hi
Jughead: are you okay?
Betty: I will be, I... I just needed to hear your voice.
Jughead: that's perfectly fine with me.
Betty: are you still going to come round tonight?
Jughead: I don't need to if you don't want me to, I can see you both on Sunday?
Betty: no, no. I want you to come. I need you to come, please?
Jughead: okay, I finish work in about an hour? How does that sound?
Betty: perfect

Then I heard the lock in the door, when it opened I saw Cheryl's face. It relaxed me further and I smiled weakly at her.

Betty: Cheryl just got home, I'm sorry. Thank you for talking to me
Jughead: no need to apologise betts, it was my pleasure. I'll see you at 6.
Betty: see you later

I hung up the phone and ran to Cheryl, she wrapped her arms around me and held me as the tears ran down my face.

'What happened sweetie?' She said quietly, I shuddered and I took a deep breath. 'Robbie.... He knows... knows about Ally. I'm scared, he knows what she looks like' I said quietly. She wrapped her arms tighter round me and said 'listen to me B. No one, not him, not your family. No one will ever tell you what is right or wrong when it comes to your daughter. There are things we can do if he starts poking around, if he gets too close we can talk to the police. On Monday next week we can talk to the school and tell them who can pick her up and who can't, if anyone else tries they can't hand her over. You have me, Toni, everyone at the bar but more importantly you have Jughead now. Your not alone in this anymore, you have moved on with someone who I can see you are falling in love with. He has been the father Ally never had, even when he wasn't asked to and she loves him more than anything. It might have only been two months but you need to let yourself love someone and believe that what Robbie did will not happen again. I know the kind of man Jughead is and he sticks up for his family, you and Ally are apart of that family now. I know your scared about Robbie but he isn't on the birth certificate, he has no say. He may be her biological father but it all depends on who Ally wants as her father and she knows that he was not a good man. It took you so long to gain trust in the people who surrounded you but right now you need to trust that Jughead will help. I will help, every step of the way. Because he will not touch a hair on that little girl's head, he doesn't deserve to. Not after what he did. So Betty, do you trust me?' I wiped at my face and nodded my head slowly before saying 'I trust you more than anything C, do you promise you will help me. I'm sorry I never told you about Jughead but I was scared. Scared of the relationship, because once everyone knew it was real and there's a possibility that I would get hurt again. I needed to be able to trust him and myself before telling everyone. I wanted Ally to be comfortable before making it public knowledge. Please tell me you forgive me... I really don't know what I would do without you?' She smiled and kissed my forehead, 'of course I forgive you betty. Your my family, you and Ally. All I want is for the 2 of you to be happy and when your with him you are, I may have been upset but I'll get over it. But I promise you, on my life, I will do whatever I need to in order to keep that little girl and you safe from Robbie' I nodded my head and pulled her in for another hug.