Betty sat in the chair in shock as she waited for FP to come in. Jughead stood behind her with his arms securely wrapped around her.
"So your father showed up at the dance tonight?" FP came in flipping through the file in his hand. He took a seat in his chair.
He was certain his team identified Hal's hand from the accident. It was definitely his. He had even called Alice to give her the news. They weren't really talking these days, but he knew he had to tell her. Alice appreciated the call, but that was it for that.
Betty didn't want to claim him as his father, "The Black Hood is back and he's out there somewhere."
"It's not just somebody pulling a twisted prank on us, right, dad?" Jughead asked. He wanted to be one hundred percent sure about what they were dealing with.
"It was him, Jug. The whole thing was just to get me alone with him. He got what he wanted." Betty's face displayed the horror it was to know her father escaped prison. "He's out there somewhere. He's working with the Gargoyle King."
"Now there's two serial killers roaming the town that we need to keep an eye on."
"He's probably going to target the Farm next. I told him about my mother's engagement to Edgar when I last visited him in prison." FP was caught off guard. He drowned out her voice as he thought about Alice being engaged to another man. "Edgar even wants to adopt Dagwood and Juniper after they marry."
FP put down the folder calmly. "Your mom is engaged?" It was like a sting to the heart hearing those words.
"Yeah, as if things weren't already crazy enough."
He also couldn't stop thinking about the danger that was still out there. The sinister Hal Cooper was now connected to the game that drew him and Alice apart decades ago. Things were definitely not okay. He had to make sure she was okay. "Jug, take Betty home." FP pushed his chair back and stood up. He walked over to the coatrack to grab his jacket. "Make sure Jellybean is okay too. Lock the doors and don't open for anyone." FP opened the door for them. "Actually, never mind. He could easily show up there." He couldn't risk having the kids home alone. A part of him sensed that Hal would want to go to their house. "All of you go next door to the Andrews house. I know Fred's out of town on a business trip right now, but I'll give Mary a quick call. I'm going to be out late."
"Wait, what if he does something? He's dangerous, Mr. Jones."
"Don't worry about it, Betty. My top priority right now is to keep you all safe. Just stay together and give me a call if I'm needed, okay?"
"Okay," Jughead nodded and walked Betty out. FP stopped them momentarily. "Wait, Betty, do you know how to get to that farm?"
"They've moved into the Sisters."
***
FP parked outside of the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Just looking at it gave him the chills. This was where Alice was forced to come all those years ago without him knowing? Where their son lived a majority of his life? He could only imagine what went on in there. It did not look promising.
He tried going through the front door, but it was obviously locked. He pushed one of the many windows open and climbed in. He flashed the light down the dark hallway. He assumed that everyone was asleep so he lurked around trying to find wherever Alice was. He didn't think it was going to be easy doing it unnoticed since there were so many doors to open.
He quietly looked around. Alice was on the other side of the building looking for clues she needed for the investigation. To her fortune she had a general idea as to where many things were considering the time she spent there. A few things have changed since the Farm took over.
She eventually heard footsteps approaching and she stopped what she was doing. She took a seat by the closest window and pretended to gaze at the moon. She scrunched her face as a flashlight shined on her face. FP quickly moved it away when he recognized her. She adjusted her eyes onto him. "FP?" She wasn't sure if she was imagining his presence or if he was actually there.
"Alice," He let out a sigh of relief. "Glad I found you."
"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here." Alice had no idea why he was here. It's not like he knew what was going on under their noses.
"I wanted to check up on you. I don't think it's safe here for you."
"Why?" Did he know? She wondered. He couldn't.
"Well, uh, how do I say this? It turns out Hal survived the accident."
She furrowed her eyebrows. "What are you talking about? You called and told me he was dead."
"I know. I know. But technically we only found a hand, not his whole body." FP sighed. "Betty and Jughead came to me claiming that Hal had attacked Betty at their prom."
"What?" Alice exclaimed. "Is my daughter okay?"
"Relax, she's A-okay. Maybe just a tad bit traumatized." FP carefully looked into her ocean eyes. "She thought he would strike here next. And she might have mentioned that you were...engaged." He quietly said the last part. "Why, Al?" He couldn't help but to ask.
"Alice," She simply corrected him. She wasn't giving him the privilege of nicknames. She was still mad at him.
"You're really engaged?" The look on FP's face had softened. Alice took note of it. The frown. The hurt in his eyes. She turned her back to him to avoid that look.
"Yes," She had a very important role to keep up.
"How long?"
"He proposed not so long ago."
"No, how long has there been another guy?" FP couldn't help but to think that with the time they spent together there was another man here. Was she happy with this guy? Had she been happy with him?
"Doesn't matter, right? You made it very clear that you didn't love me." Alice didn't answer his question. "Besides it's none of your business who I marry."
"So that's it? You're going to go get married to another man? Just like that?" FP scoffed. "How long have you actually known this fiancé of yours?"
"Long enough to know that the man is capable of proving that he loves me." Alice shot back. "You don't have the right to come here and talk to me about marriage. Shouldn't you be going home to your wife?"
"She's gone. I kicked her out after I was shot at because of her."
"What?" Alice turned instantly to examine his body. She couldn't see where the injury was.
"All because of that stupid game." He began to explain. "I had to get my daughter back home safely and the only way to do that was by playing again. She put Jughead and Jellybean in danger. That was it. She crossed the line."
"That's the so called mother of your children," Alice said bitterly. "It's not like I gave birth to our son. In this very building, where I now have to sit and think about how I unwillingly gave him up. You didn't get to have him in your life, but he's still your son."
"Don't you think I know that? It hurts me too, Alice. I never got to meet him and although I don't blame you for that it still doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. It broke my heart when you told me he was dead. Not only did I find out I had another son, I found out he wasn't alive. It hurts me as his father to know that I unknowingly failed him. It made it much more harder for me to see Jughead fight for his life months ago. It made me willing to risk my life playing that damn game we're trying to keep the kids away from just because I couldn't lose a daughter too." Alice was on the verge of spilling tears. FP was no different. "Just like how I would hate myself if something happened to you. Come home, Alice." He begged her to come with him. He wanted to protect her from Hal and from every harm in the world. "I want you to."
As badly as she wanted to go home. She couldn't let herself to until she finished this investigation. She owed that to their son. It pained her to know that she couldn't tell him about him yet. He has to think he's still dead for a bit longer if she wants to keep up this whole act. She needed to in order to put this to an end and get her daughter and grandchildren home in one piece, literally.
"I'm not going to be a second choice-" Alice shook her head ferociously. "-when I am perfectly fine here." She refused to leave. She was making it clear that he couldn't make her leave. "I thank you for the warning, but I can fend for myself. You may go now. My fiancé wouldn't appreciate you being here."
FP stood there in disbelief. He had thought that she would consider coming home. Maybe not for him, but at least for herself.
He knew there was no convincing her. He knew he had hurt her too much. He nodded in defeat. He wasn't going to force her to come with him. "Okay," He quietly said. "I'll leave you alone then." He made his way out, but stopped at the door to look back at her. "If you love the guy, marry him. I want you to be happy, but if you're doing this because of what I did, don't marry him. Don't push yourself into another unwanted marriage just because I screwed up." With those words he walked out.
Alice stared as he left an emptiness behind in the room. "That's your father, Charles." She spoke, knowing that one of the bugs she planted would pick up on it for him to hear at some point. "You're going to love that man as much as I do when we finally get to introduce you to him."