The Better Andrews ||Veronica Lodge||

0.4

Time skip to the season finale, like after Cheryl burns her house, but before Fred gets shot.

"Are you okay?" I asked guiding Cheryl to a booth in the back. She shrugged and we ordered our food. Things were quiet as we enjoyed our nice meal of pancakes, a bit of bacon for Cheryl and sausage for me, and a milkshake for each of us.

"Why don't you ever get bacon?" Cheryl asked and I shrugged. "If I didn't know better I'd say it was linked to your mom."

"I mean, she used to make it for my brother every morning so maybe that's it." I said and Cheryl went pale. I turned around and saw a man with a gun pointed at what looked like my dad. I snuck Cheryl into the bathroom and heard a gunshot as I walked out of the bathroom. I fell to the ground at the sight of my father's body on the ground.

"Alex, what are you doing here?" Archie asked and I pointed at the food sitting on the table. He hugged me and I felt tears fall from my eyes and his tears soak my hoodie. "I'm glad that you're okay."

"So I am. I'm sorry that I didn't help, I was trying to get Cheryl to safety and I should have been there, maybe it would have saved dad's life." I said through sobs.

"It's  not your fault." Archie said and I went to get Cheryl before meeting the police outside to give statements. Cheryl had gotten my milkshake in a to go cup and presented me with it right before I went to talk to the sheriff.

"Can you tell me what you saw?" Sheriff Keller asked and I took a sip of my shake before glancing at the body bag holding my father. "Or at least what happened?"

"I was having breakfast with Cheryl, once I saw the gunman hid her in the bathroom and when I came out, my dad was on the ground, dead." I said taking a large drink to keep from crying. When I was younger, my dad told me that you can't be sad while drinking a milkshake from Pop's and in a way he was right, but now was one of the exceptions to that rule.

"Thank you and I am sorry for your loss Alex." Sheriff Keller said and Cheryl drove Archie and I home. I immediately crashed on my couch, turning on the TV and staying there, Cheryl running her hands through my hair until someone knocked on the door and she answered it.

"Alex!" Betty yelled running into the house. "I'm so happy you're okay. I heard you were at Pop's from Kevin and I am so sorry about your dad and I miss him too, but obviously not as much as you."

"Betty, it's okay." I said, my voice showing no emotion. "I'm just happy that my brother is alive and nobody else got hurt."

"I brought some food." Alice Cooper said carrying in a fairly large dish. She set it down and hugged me, despite the fact that Alice was absolutely insane and hated my brother, she was always just a bit nicer to me. Maybe it was because the guys didn't want me to play with them like they did Betty for what seemed like the longest time so I would sit inside and help Mrs. Cooper with her articles.

"Thank you." I said and she looked at me, sadness in her eyes. "I guess I should get a job, I mean, we barely scraped along with dad's money, it'll be harder now."

"If you ever need a place to stay, my doors are always open." Alice said before looking at Archie. "The same goes for you Archie."

"Thank you Mrs. Cooper." Archie said and we sat at the table and ate dinner, Cheryl staying with me, the two of us sleeping my bed for the night. Betty ended up going home around 11, around the same time that Archie had decided to go on a run. I laid there counting my blessing, but wishing that I'd done more, that I would have noticed things faster than I did. Maybe I would have been eating dinner with my dad, telling him my plans for next year, but I didn't and he's gone forever.