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•••
Alice sat on her couch letting the truth unfold before her. She just heard her husband admit that he was the heinous villain that has been targeting their town. Her daughter looked distraught. She had been tortured by her own father for far too long. Alice told Betty to run when Hal attacked her. Betty ran to her room and locked the door as instructed she pulled her phone out to call for help. She immediately called Jughead as a reflex. Her fingers were shaking but she was able to get to Jughead in her contacts. She could hear the ruckus downstairs and she was afraid. "Hello? Betty?" He could hear her harsh breathing. "Are you okay? Betty?"
"Jug, I'm scared. I need your help." She was panicking.
"What's wrong? Please talk to me." Jughead pleaded.
"The Black Hood. He's with my mom downstairs. Please send help." Betty whimpered. She was quiet when she heard a loud fall downstairs. She unlocked her door to go check on her mother.
"The Black Hood is there?" Jughead grew worried when she wasn't responding from her side of the line. "Betty?"
"What's going on?" FP walked out of his room when he heard the panic in his voice.
"The Black Hood is in the Cooper house."
"Betty? Can you hear me?" Jughead tried to hear her voice again.
"She knocked him out but he hurt her a little, Jug. My dad did that. Now I think she's having some kind of panic attack. What do I do?"
"Your dad is the Black Hood?" Jughead was taken back by the news.
"Hal is the bastard who's killing people?" FP was enraged by the news.
"Her mom is having a panic attack. What do we do?" Jughead asked frantically. He was very concerned for their well being.
"I know what to do. Come on get your bike. We've got to go." FP rushed out the trailer to go find his motorcycle. "Tell her to coach her breathing while we get there!"
"You're going to need to help with her breathing. We're on our way."
"Please hurry," Betty hung up.
•••
Motorcycle roars entered Elm Street. FP jumped off right in front of Alice's house. Jughead was right behind him catching up. FP got a head start and had sped all the way down here. FP ran to the house and kicked the door open. He saw Hal laying on the floor. A few feet away Betty was holding her hysterical mother.
"I've got it from here." FP took Betty's place. He walked Alice over to the couch. "Call Keller to come deal with Hal while I help your mom."
Betty nods and goes to her phone. Jughead comes in and joins Betty in the other room. FP held Alice in his arms. "Breathe for me, Al. Take deep breaths. In and out," FP encouraged her to control her breathing. "Yes like that. You're doing great. In and out just like you're doing it."
"F-FP, he was a serial killer," She said in between breaths. She was starting to relax with the rubs he gave her back.
"You're okay now. I'm here. I won't let him hurt you," FP assured her. He kept rubbing her back since it seemed to help. "He won't hurt you anymore." Alice began to regulate her breathing. She was crying into his chest. FP didn't mind. It was helping her feel better. "I won't leave until you want me too and I won't leave until you're better."
"I called Sheriff Keller," Betty walked back to the living room where the adults were. Jughead was right by her side being supportive. Betty saw how well he got her mother to stop panicking.
"Good. Can you wait outside with Jug? I'd feel a lot better if you two were away from him." Betty nods and goes outside with Jughead. They wait for Tom to arrive out there.
"Thank you," Alice softly tells him. "I do feel a lot safer with you here."
"I'd do anything to protect you Alice. I'm sorry I let you down before. I promise not to anymore." FP lifted her chin up so he can look at her face. He was also able to see the handprints on her neck. "Hal is going to burn in hell for what he did to you and all the others."
"Please stay here with me," Alice begs.
"I'm not going anywhere."
Tom came in his cruiser to pick up Hal. He handcuffed the unconscious murderer and woke him up before taking him outside. FP was still on the couch with Alice. "Do you want some fresh air?" He softly spoke to her. She was starting to fall asleep in his hold.
"A little." FP was starting to get up but she pulled him down. "Don't let go of me."
"I won't," FP kept his arms wrapped around her. He walked her out with his arms protecting her. She leaned her head on one of his biceps. They walked to the kids who were watching Hal being shoved into the back of the cruiser. Betty turned to look at the adults beside her and Jughead.
"How did you know how to help her?" Betty asked curious of how he knew exactly what to do to her. His arms were still around her.
"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," FP chose to be mysterious about it.
"Just keep doing what you're doing," Betty said. As long as it was helping Alice she wouldn't question it.
