Thank You, For Everything

Comfort

"FP," Alice breathed and took a step towards him. She could feel the heat radiating from his trailer and noted how cold it was, and how stupid it was of her to not put on a jumper before heading out.

"Alice..." FP looked her up and down, noting her shivering hands, "come on in, you must be freezing," he stood to the side to let Alice in and locked the door. FP looked over at Alice, who sat herself down on the sofa and was looking at the floor, and walked over to her, "what's wrong? You look like you've been crying."

Alice sniffled and breathed a laugh, "everything. Everything's wrong, FP," she put her face in her hands and shook her head, "I'm such a fuck up," her voice was muffled, but FP understood what she said, what she meant by it. Alice had made mistakes, but her biggest was not being able to protect her children. Both her girls had made the same mistakes as her, she failed them and herself. But she had failed Chic the most. If she had told FP the truth all those years ago, maybe she could have raised her son, maybe he wouldn't hate her family.

"I'll make us some coffee," FP figured they were going to be here for a while. Once FP had finished making the coffee he sat next to Alice and looked at her, his eyes inviting her to talk. Alice wraps her hands around the hot cup, seeking warmth and comfort, even if it means burning herself. FP noticed this and took the coffee from Alice's hands, knowing she used to do this dig her nails in when they were in high school. He hasn't seen her do this for twenty years, then again, they haven't exactly talked much in the past twenty years.

"I can't go to anyone else," Alice shakes her head and looks at him. She saw the look in his eyes go dark and Alice knew that FP had silently guessed right.

"It's about the murder, isn't it?" His voice was filled with dread. Of course, he didn't want to talk about it, neither of them did, but it was eating Alice up from the inside and she needed to talk. She'd already started digging her nails in again. If Hal notices it... or Betty, or Chic.

"Yeah," she sighed, pick up her cup of coffee and looked down into it, "and other things. I'm worried about Betty being at some cabin, I don't know where Hal is or what he's doing. He's my husband, FP, my husband. And Chic just doesn't talk," Alice looked away again, but kept talking when FP stayed silent and nudged her to continue. Three cups of coffee later, Alice's breathing was ragged and she had tears streaming down her face. FP took Alice's face in his hands and wiped away her tears; he could see her digging her nails in so he took her hand in his and played with her wedding ring while they both sat in a comfortable silence. Neither of them wanted to talk out of fear of breaking this little moment of peace.

"Thank you, FP. Again," Alice's voice was still thick with tears. She was surprised he had listened to her, normally people would complain or get angry at her, but FP didn't. Instead, he sat in silence and held her hand while she cried. As Alice stood up to leave, FP stopped her and suggested she sleep here instead because of her current state; she can have the bed and he'll take the sofa. Of course, she couldn't drive home like this, she was a mess.
FP watched as Alice walked towards his bedroom.

"You can use one of my shirts if you want."

"Thanks," Alice just smiled and shut the bedroom door.

Alice woke the next morning only slightly remembering the night before. She walked out FP's bedroom, wondering if he had even woken up yet. It was 8am and FP had never been an early bird; but there he was, standing in his kitchen making coffee with a bowl of cereal on the table. Alice smiled at him when he turned around and offered her coffee. She sat down at the small table became lost in thought over the recent events. Alice frowned when she thought of Hal and how she couldn't trust him, she knew that if he found out about the body he would call the police. She, along with Chic, Betty, Jughead and FP, would be sent to jail, and the only thing Hal would care about would be his tarnished reputation and how he could fix it. She needed to keep him away. Hal could never find out about this. Alice took a sip from her coffee and looked towards FP who held up a box of cereal to her; she thought for a second about scolding him and telling him that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, that it should be healthy, but she smiled and nodded instead. One bowl of sugary cereal wouldn't hurt. As they both ate breakfast in a comfortable silence Alice realised the one person in this town she could trust was FP, she also knew, after that eventful night, that FP would do anything for her. Alice stood and took the cups and bowls to the sink and began washing the dishes to distract herself from her thoughts. She didn't want to spiral again, not like she did last night. She turned and raised an eyebrow when she heard FP laugh behind her, he was leaning against the table with a smug grin on his face, but Alice couldn't help but wonder what the look in his eyes was. It was different, somehow. Softer.

"What?" Alice crossed her arms when FP snickered again and mimicked her body language.

"I just think it's funny," FP grinned some more when Alice sighed loudly and rolled her eyes, but he carried on, "how Alice Cooper, the picture-perfect mom of Riverdale, is stood in my kitchen at half eight in the morning wearing a shirt three sizes too big and messy bed hair."

"Well, I think it's funny how- "

FP interrupted her, "come on, Alice, we both know you don't have a comeback," Alice fake glared at him as he took the cup from her hands and put it back in the cupboard, "you'd better get going, the kids will be back soon," Alice nearly protested, she wanted to stay a while longer, FP's trailer was peaceful, relaxed. Her home wasn't. The Cooper house was chaos and Alice dreaded going back home, but she knew he was right. Betty would be home at nine and if Alice wasn't home before her, dressed and with breakfast on the table, she would have to answer questions and 'I slept over your boyfriend's dad's trailer last night' isn't an answer she wanted to give. Chic would also want to know where she was, but at least he wasn't as inquisitive as Betty. Then there was the matter of Hal. What if he decided to come home or stop by for some "toiletries" before she got back? He would accuse her of cheating and threaten to spread that lie until he got the truth from her. The truth wouldn't matter, Hal would still call it cheating.

Once Alice arrived home she quietly entered the house and tip-toed up the stairs into her bedroom. Polly's – no, Chic's – bedroom door was shut. Alice let the back of her head fall against her bedroom door and sighed, Chic was still sleeping, thank god. She quickly threw on a pink shirt, black trousers and black ballerina pumps. She raced down the stairs and into the kitchen while tying her hair into a messy bun. Five minutes. Toast it is, screw the pancakes. Maybe bacon. Alice looked in the fridge. No bacon. No jam. No orange juice, either. Or milk. Butter and Nutella, it'll have to do. Apple juice, too. Chic walked down the stairs and Betty walked through the front door with her suitcase as Alice placed the toast and apple juice on the table. She sat down, grabbed herself some toast, buttered it, and poured a glass of apple juice before the kids entered the dining room. She looked up and smiled at them both as they sat at the table, the three of them engaged in casual conversation before Chic left for work and Betty left to meet her friends at Pop's. Alice knew she was supposed to be at the Register, but she didn't know if she was fired since Hal left for the BnB. She wasn't planning on showing up, anyway, she'd work from home and avoid him. She scurried round the kitchen making a shopping list. She could still smell bleach, even after a week, so three cans of air freshener were added to the list, and a box of FP's favourite chocolates as a thank you present.

The superstore was quiet, which Alice was thankful for, so she hummed quietly to herself as she ticked the items off her list. She was relaxed, at peace being outside the four walls of the Cooper house, until Susan Browne walked up behind her and mentioned that she saw her speeding down the street early this morning. Alice turned away from the fruit with an all too fake smile and silently thanked her quick wit for coming up with an adequate excuse about being at the Register and needing to rush home. Susan's smile then matched hers' as she reached over, grabbed a mango to put in her basket and looked Alice up and down. Alice raised an eyebrow at the woman as a challenge, she could tell she was about to be insulted, but the town knew Alice for her snarky comments and quick wit.

"Well, Alice, I can't say I'm surprised. You are pretty reckless, aren't you? Being a former gang member and having a child at seventeen," Susan looked at her manicured nails when she saw Alice purse her lips, knowing she got to her, "oh, the whole town knows by now, dear. Chic, isn't it? I mean, you were practically parading him around on Pickens' Day," it was Susan's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"At least I have a son, Susan," It was a low blow, Susan had miscarried her son ten years ago and she never truly recovered from it, but Alice didn't care, right now she needed to get away. She held her head high and ignored the shock on the woman's face as she swept by her, walking faster than normal. She needed to get out, she felt like she was suffocating again, so she paid for the food, said a quick thank you to the cashier and half ran out the store to her car. Alice didn't realise she'd been staring at the wheel of her car until Fred Andrews tapped on the car window asking if she was okay, she didn't want to or feel like talking to anyone and Fred frowned when Alice ignored him and started up the car to drive away.