Falice 2

Leaving

"It's been a crazy couple of years. From getting released from prison-" FP felt ashamed to be having to tell his daughter that, but he knew now that she didn't look down on him. He had been assured that she loved him unconditionally. "-to taking reign of the Serpents again and picking up shifts here." He looked around the diner. He has been a different version of himself in the mix of just three years. "Then I got the opportunity to become sheriff and make things right for our family."

"Since you're not sheriff anymore, what are you going to do now?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Me?" She furrowed her eyebrows. "Why?"

"There's been something on my mind for a while now. With your brothers not really going to be around anymore it would just be us at home with Alice and well..."

"Well what?" Jellybean tried to think of the endless things he could say. "Are you thinking about having another baby?" Was he trying to tell her that she should expect another surprise sibling?

"It's not that." FP was quick to clarify. "I wanted to know how you would feel about me going back to the army for a while."

"You're joining the army?"

"I was thinking about it. You see, I think it would give me a purpose in life now that you kids are all grown up. When I enrolled after high school it served me well. It was the only thing I had back then. I was thinking that maybe now that I'm struggling to figure out who I am that it would benefit me to have that bit of familiarity again."

"You'd be leaving?" Jellybean didn't like the idea of getting left behind, especially now that she didn't have her mom or brothers to stay with.

"I was hoping that you and Alice would come with me, but of course that is a lot to ask from the two of you. I need to know that you would both be okay with it."

"Would it make you happy?"

"I think I need to do this for myself, but again you girls come first."

"I don't want to move again," Jellybean confessed. She had just readjust to being in Riverdale again. "But I also don't want you to leave."

"I won't then. It was just a thought."

"Is it what you really want though? Because if it is I don't know what to say."

"Sweetheart, if you're not okay with it I'm not going."

"But if you think you need this then I think you should do it." Jellybean surprised him by saying this. "Daddy, I love you. You have worked hard to be a good dad for us. I think you deserve it if you want to do it. If you need to do this then I think we can make this work. I just don't think I want to leave Riverdale and start over again. Do you think I can stay with Alice if you do decide to leave?"

"You want to stay with Alice?" A part of him was touched by the fact that she wanted to stay with Alice. It proved to him that they have really bonded the last few months.

"Would that be okay?"

"I think it would be," He smiled. "My girls," He thought. "I still have to talk to her about this though. I have yet to bring it up. I wanted to talk to you first."