FP was still sitting in the living room silently thinking. He knew he didn't meet with Alice like he said he would.
Gladys was asleep in the bedroom and Jellybean was asleep on the pull out couch with Jughead. He had been sitting on the recliner waiting for them to fall asleep. They were sleeping peacefully. FP on the other hand was wide awake with all the thoughts running through his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about Alice.
He stood up and covered the kids with the blanket. Jellybean began to move. "Go to sleep, sweetie." FP softly said. She closed her eyes again and fell right back to sleep. He quietly backed away and pulled his jacket off the chair. He opened the front door and shut it quietly. He climbed into the truck to go to Alice's house.
It was the middle of the night and he was standing right outside her house. He had a key to her house on his key ring but he was contemplating if to use it or not. He held it in his hands but he didn't insert it. He leaned his head on the door and thought about it. The door opened and he stumbled a little. "What are you doing here?"
"Alice-"
"Go home," Alice shook her head. She took a sip of the wine in her hands. "Leave me alone."
"Alice, I'm sorry." He apologized for not coming earlier. He took the glass out of her hand. "It's just that I couldn't just leave."
"Go home, FP." Alice tried to shut the door but FP stopped it. "The Joneses are one big happy family again. Things aren't going to work with us. We tried but it looks like we're supposed to put an end to it now." Alice held in her tears. She didn't want to break and fall into his arms. She knew he would accept her immediately and she couldn't keep falling for him. "Before things get harder than it already is."
"Al, don't do this." FP pleaded. He didn't want to get pushed away so easily. "Please Alice."
"It's time, Forsythe. What were we even thinking? We can't keep doing this. You're still married to her. You can actually make it work if you try."
"Correct me if I'm wrong but weren't you still married to Hal?"
"Stop," Alice said. She put a hand up to stop him. "Don't start that now. You know very well you were the one telling me to leave him. Just because your wife left you didn't mean I had to leave my husband." That hit FP hard. The two always had trouble admitting they wanted each other. "Just go. Your family must be waiting for you. Go to them." She shoved him back. "Who are we to kid? We never loved each other. I never loved you." She put in everything she had to lie to him.
FP grimaced. Words could hurt. "You don't mean that." He refused to believe it.
"But I do and you know it. Just leave, FP. Don't make it worse." She slammed the door in his face. He stood there for a few seconds before turning around to throw the glass into the street. He went to his truck and slammed his hands against the steering wheel. Alice heard him drive away and she slid down the door weeping. Betty woke up and went to go check on her. "Mom?" She started to come down the stairs. "Are you crying? What's wrong?" Alice hid behind her hands. Betty approached her and hugged her. "It's okay, mom. Don't cry."
FP walked into the trailer with tearful eyes. He tried to be as quiet as he could. He didn't want to wake the kids up. He closed the door behind him. Jughead was awake in the kitchen. "Dad, there you are. Where'd you go?"
"What are you doing up?"
"I heard the door slam. I thought you and mom went out."
"Your mother's not here?" FP asked.
"No," Jughead shook his head. "So you two didn't leave together?" FP came into the light and Jughead saw his strained eyes. "Were you crying?" FP ignored his question and went towards the bedroom to see for himself. He came back out and had an idea to where she could have gone. "Stay here with your sister. Do not go anywhere."
"But dad-" Jughead tried to catch up with him at the door but FP left quick. FP walked to the Whyte Wyrm expecting her to probably be looking for other Serpents. He caught up with her outside the bar. She was sitting on the steps in front of the door. "They're not here. This place belongs to Hiram now."
"I can see that," Gladys rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing here? Serpents aren't going to bow down for you anymore."
"I've been a Serpent longer than you have, FP. Don't tell me they don't have just as much respect for me as they do for you." Gladys scoffed. "You may be their leader but I had my own following in Toledo. Serpents respect me."
"I retired," FP clarified.
"Where did you go?"
"What?"
"Where did you go earlier? You weren't at the trailer."
"I had to go deal with something."
"More like someone," Gladys corrected him.
"Excuse me?"
"I know there's someone, FP. There's no denying it." Gladys pushed herself up and walked up to him. "You smelled like perfume when I kissed you." She put her hand on his chest. "And I can see that you are having a rough night." She stroked her finger against his cheek. "You fell hard for this one." Gladys backed away. "But you are still my husband." FP didn't say anything because she was right. He fell for Alice hard but he fell for her years ago. He had always loved Alice in a way he didn't love her. "It's Alice, isn't it?" She sighed. "She was crazy for you. I saw the look she had in her eyes when she would come into the bar. You still refused to become a member at the time yet one day she left and you joined. I'd be lying if I didn't think there was some sort of correlation."
"Alice is a different story." FP didn't want to talk about her right now. He was too weak, feeble.
"But you are my husband, Forsythe. Remember that," Gladys stated firmly. "You chose me, not her. Let her go already and fix what we have. You have a family with me not her." She began to walk away and left him standing there.
"That's where you're wrong," FP blurted out. Gladys stopped mid-step and spun around. She glared at him. She walked up to him and slapped him. "You got her pregnant, didn't you?" She assumed they were talking about the present time. FP rubbed his cheek. "That was years ago." He calmly said. "But I wouldn't be worried if I were you. Some cruel bastard killed him before I even got the chance to meet him." He was distraught. He hated thinking about it. It hurt him too much. She was stunned by the revelation. She saw the pain in his eyes before he chose to walk away.
