Hey guys!
Happy Choni week. Here's my oneshot for day one! I hope you like it!
Happy reading!
Nat xx
As the birds sang outside of her window, Cheryl blinked the sleep from her eyes. Yesterday had been a whirlwind of emotions. After both she and Toni decided to watch the video of their lives before the comet hit, she had a lot of questions that she wanted answers to, but a sudden sound of beeping pulled her from her thoughts as her head twisted towards her nightstand to see a cell phone. Her cell phone.
Quickly reaching for it, she looked around her room. This wasn't the room she'd fallen asleep in last night. Well, it was. However, it was different. This was the bedroom she remembered from 2023. Her head suddenly began to pound as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Memories from her time in the 50's mixed with the memories she had from this era.
The date on her phone proved she was back in 2023. The day after the comet hit, although everything seemed... normal. Toni sprung into her mind. They weren't together here. She was alone, and Toni was married to Fangs.
What if I'm the only one that remembers?
A notification flashed up on her phone, she didn't hesitate, opening it immediately to see a new message in their group chat.
Archie Andrews: We need to meet at Pops. Now.
Typical Archie, always trying to be the hero. It settled her to know that someone other than herself seemed alarmed though. At least she didn't feel so alone now. With seeing Toni again in mind, she got up and ready, noticing the small difference in her appearance since here, she's 8 years older.
:::
She wasn't the first to arrive at Pops, but she was sure she wasn't the last either. She didn't know if she was relieved or not that Toni or Fangs hadn't gotten here yet as she made her way over to Tabitha behind the counter.
"I thought you said you couldn't get us back here?" Cheryl asked as she leaned against the counter. "What happened?"
"I don't know. I really thought I had no choice but to leave you guys in the 50's. It must have something to do with you remembering-"
"Do we all remember?"
"Yes. Everyone I've spoken to remembers both timelines, but try not to think about it too much... it'll give you a headache."
Cheryl pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to quieten her thoughts. As backwards as everything was in the 50's at least she was with Toni and they were happy. Here she had no-one except herself. Without asking for it, Tabitha pushed a coffee towards her and nodded her head towards the others.
Kevin was sat in a booth alone, the normal liveliness of the diner was replaced by a solemn silence as her friends acknowledged her, but didn't speak. Without a word Cheryl slid into the seat across from him, reaching out to take his hand in her own. Although they were back where they technically belonged, there were people that they cared about that never lived in this timeline. Like her brother Julian and Clay.
"I don't want to be back here," Kevin said. "I didn't even get to say goodbye."
"I know..." And she did. Their lives had changed and they built bonds with people that simply weren't around anymore.
The bell above the door jingled, revealing Toni stepping into the diner with Fangs. Their eyes caught each other's straight away, and Cheryl felt like she couldn't breathe.
What was she supposed to do?
Ignore Toni? Kiss her?
This was too hard to navigate, but when Toni sent her a small smile she relaxed a little, only to freeze up when she walked towards her.
"Can I sit?" Toni asked.
"Of course..."
Even Fangs sent her a smile as he sat next to Kevin, albeit it was a sad one. The two men glanced at each other before Fangs put his hand on Kevin's. They'd both lost someone they cared about. Cheryl felt a hand wrap around hers forcing her heart to skip a beat, just like it did yesterday when they were seventeen.
"Now, you're all here," Tabitha, said approaching her friends. "I think we need to talk about what's happened. I know we all had different lives here, and I'm sure all of you are confused. I'll try to help with any questions you have, but unfortunately I don't have all of the answers."
"We were in 1955 yesterday. How did this happen?" Betty asked.
"I honestly don't know for sure... I can only speculate that it has something to do with you all remembering your lives before the comet."
"And the people we left behind..." Fangs said, the tears in his eyes threatening to fall. "Will they wonder where we've gone? Will they remember us?"
"I can't say for sure-"
Tabitha was interrupted by the bell above the door opening. Everyone gasped as Clay, Midge and even Julian as well as a few other faces they recognised walked into the diner. None of them looked like they did in the 50's, just like the rest of the group, they'd aged into their mid twenties overnight.
Midge and Clay ran over to Fangs and Kevin, who embraced them instantly. Cheryl's eyes daring to find Toni who only squeezed her hand as she watched her 'husband' embrace another woman.
As if she felt eyes on her Toni turned to look at her. "Can we talk after this?"
"What is going on?" Veronica whispered to Betty, but Cheryl heard it as she nodded her head to Toni's question.
She was overwhelmed. They all were. Still, she excused herself to greet her brother who also seemed like he'd seen a ghost.
"Why do you look so different?" He asked his sister. "Why do I?"
"Do you remember yesterday? When Jughead asked if we wanted to watch what our lives were like before?"
"Yeah..."
"Well, somehow we came back. This is where I... and many of us belong..."
"But not me." It was a statement rather than a question.
"No." Cheryl shook her head. "Not you."
"Then what am I supposed to do? How do I get home? How do I get back to our time?" He asked. "Look at me. I've lost years of my life."
"I don't have the answers, Julian. I'm just as confused as you are. My life here isn't like it was in the 50's, but the town is still similar to the one you remember. I still live in the same house-"
"With the serpent girl?" Julian glanced over her shoulder.
"No." She shook her head. "Toni is married here-"
"To another girl? Damnn, you've got some competition here." He laughed until he saw the look on her face. "Sorry-"
"She's married to Fangs. Things are complicated... and anyway how did you know?"
"You told the vixens and it went around the whole school. I kinda knew anyway." He shrugged. "You were always painting portraits of practically naked women... you didn't do a great job of hiding it. Are things different here? More accepting?"
"For the most part." Cheryl didn't know how to relate to her brother as an adult. She was a different to the person he knew her as.
"You should probably go to her. I'm sure the two of you have a lot to talk about."
"And what about you?" She asked, confused by his sudden maturity. "You know nothing about living in this time."
"How bad can it be?"
"You have no idea..." Memories of everything she'd been through in her life filled her mind. "Just please keep an open mind. Things aren't the same as you're used to here and neither are the people."
"I didn't know you cared so much," Julian said, causing the redhead to roll her eyes. "Stop distracting yourself with me and go to Toni. You can explain the ways of your strange world later."
"All right." She nodded, she expected him to be more freaked out, but maybe he was just in shock.
Toni made room for Cheryl next to her, but neither of them spoke as they listen to their friends give their opinion on what they thought happened.
"When we woke up this morning," Fangs said, getting the attention of everyone. "Toni and I spoke with Anthony. He has no idea that we were sent to another time. As far as he's aware, Cheryl melted the comet yesterday... the time we spent in the 50's didn't exist-"
"It did to those of you that experienced it. To those who didn't, yesterday was a terrifying day and today is a new, brighter one. All I can suggest is that we be there for each other as we settle back into our lives... and help those who were dragged back with us." Tabitha looked at Clay, Julian and Midge. "This isn't going to be easy, but we should celebrate. You guys did the unimaginable. You destroyed the comet, and lived to tell the tale."
Conversations sparked between people as they settled into booths, but Cheryl could barely look at Toni. She was petrified of what was to come. Of what would happen to their relationship.
"So, do you want to take a walk?" Toni asked. "Unless you need to stay with Julian-"
"No-" She closed her eyes frustrated with her choice of words. "What I mean to say is, I do want to take a walk with you. Julian said he'll be fine."
"C'mon then. I'm sure we'll find out about anything else of importance later."
Veronica sent Cheryl a wink as she followed the brunette out of the diner. A wink that told her not to look so scared and that everything would work out fine.
"So, how are you holding up?" Toni asked as they walked side by side.
"I'm not sure yet. What about you?"
"Same. There's a lot of things that we should probably talk about, but I think one trumps all... us."
"Yeah. I, um, understand if feelings have changed. I know that you're married here and you have a son." Cheryl started to ramble. "And I know that you and I weren't on best terms before the comet-"
"Cheryl..."
"And then there was everything with Abigail and Thomasina," the redhead continued, so lost in rambling she didn't hear Toni saying her name. "And the night we switched our souls with theirs-"
"Cheryl..."
"And I need to be honest with you about something Heather said-"
Toni finally managed to stop the redheads rambling by pulling her towards her and joining their lips in a kiss that soon deepened.
"I know what Heather said. I watched the tape, remember?" Toni said when they finally pulled away from each other, "and I believe her."
"You do?"
"Of course. Our souls find each other in every universe so it seems. We must be fated to be together-"
"Toni, you don't believe in fate..."
"But maybe I believe in us and anyways, after everything that's happened I question everything. Although, there is something I have never questioned. Wanna know what?"
"What?" Cheryl asked, looking down at their hands still linked together.
"My love for you. I know things here haven't always worked out in our favour, but look at everything we've been through together and after everything you're the person I want to be with." Toni smiled, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. "But..." Cheryl prepared herself for rejection, "I do have a son here as well as other responsibilities. We're not seventeen now and I don't want to just assume you want to carry on our relationship. I understand if you want to think about it."
"Toni... you know I love you with every ounce of my soul." And she did. She really really did. "I know everything has just gotten harder, but I want you by my side through it all. We've spent enough time dancing around the possibility of us being together as adults. I know it won't always be easy. I know there's a lot to sort through, but I want this. I want you."
Toni's smile could have lit up a thousand rooms as she pulled Cheryl towards her, embracing her harder than she ever had before.
Yes, their whole world had fallen apart. Again.
But they have their love, and along as they have that, they know they'll be okay.