Enlightened

Chapter Ten: Freedom Day

A/N: This chapter's going to be pretty fluffy, don't expect anything too big to happen.  

I would also listen to the songs mentioned when reading this chapter.  The last song is added at the top, but the other ones you'll have to pull up on your own.  Trust me, it'll really add to the chapter.

After registering Heather into the prison, taking those keys and coaxing the addresses of where the keys belonged out of her, Cheryl and Toni decided to head back to Toni's, where the Freedom Day barbecue was being held. They picked up some groceries before heading back. When they got back to Toni's house, they were beginning to unload the groceries, when Cheryl stopped. She looked at the Sheriff, who was grabbing the beer out of the back seat and smiled.  

As a child, Toni's family always called the Independence Day "Freedom Day".  Her little brother, Rico, had a speech impediment as a kid making it so that the word "Independence" was practically impossible for him to say.  Even after he overcame his speaking disability, the Topaz family still called the fourth of July, Freedom Day.  

Her best Freedom Day memory had to have been when she was thirteen.  Her father had still been the leader of the Serpents at that time and that was the day she was initiated into the Serpents.  She'll always remember the smell of the fresh faux leather, the cheers from her fellow Serpents and the look of pride in her father's eyes.  To this day, Freedom Day had never topped that, especially after her family died when she was fifteen... Freedom Day had never been the same without them.  Toni was snapped out of her memories when Cheryl started speaking.

"Did you really mean what you said at Sweetwater? Because I don't expect you to be here all the time," The redhead said sheepishly and looking away. Toni stood up and smiled at Cheryl. The redhead looked back up and smiled back at the Sheriff. "What?"

"I want to do everything with you, Cheryl. I want to laugh with you, cry with you, sleep with you and have fun with you. Which reminds me, I've been meaning to ask you something." Toni walked over to the redhead and set her beers on the top of the car. Cheryl could feel her heart beating out of her chest, her mouth started to go dry and her palms started to sweat. She gripped the bags in her hands tighter. The Sheriff reached out and took the bags from the redhead's hands. She hung them off of the rearview mirror and took Cheryl's hands in her own once again. 

She smiled a genuinely happy smile and looked Cheryl in the eyes. "Since Heather's locked up and we can breathe easy for a little bit, I wanted to ask you this.  I've wanted to ask you since our first date, but I figured it was bad timing to do that."  Toni chuckled and looked down before making eye contact again.  A serious tone entered the Sheriff's aura and Cheryl knew she meant business.  "Cheryl Blossom, will you be my girlfriend?"  

Cheryl felt her heart spontaneously combust on the spot.  The happiness inside of her felt like a glass being filled to the brim with water, about to overflow.  She let out her happiness by smiling the widest smile she'd ever smiled.  The redhead wrapped her boss in a tight hug, squealing with excitement.  They stood there for a moment before Cheryl broke the hug just far enough to make eye contact with Toni.  "I thought you'd never ask."  The redhead pulled them into a kiss, which was broken quickly so they could get back to what they were doing.  Toni handed her the bags off of the mirror and grabbed the beers off the top of the car.  Both girls walked into the little house with smiles bigger than their faces plastered on, not planning on leaving anytime soon.  

~

At around 4:15, people started to show up.  First were Fangs, Kevin, and the "core four".  Kevin was on the back porch catching up with Cheryl while Varchie and Bughead played Can-Jam down on the yard.  The barbecue wasn't fired up yet, but the beers were out and the music was on.  3005 by Childish Gambino was playing through Toni's speakers.  Fangs was inside with Toni as she began to get food ready.