diamond //sweet pea//

Season 3: /one/

"I know that it's hard to talk about Dallas. But we've been working almost all summer for this."

Dallas blinked slowly. The room was hot, unbearably so. The fan in the corner only pushed around hot air. Her blonde locks stuck to her forehead and the back of her neck.

Her Serpent jacket hung off the back of the chair, leaving her in only a pair of jean shorts and a black crop top. Her boots made blisters on her feet, her lipstick smearing

"I need more time," Dallas finally said.

"Dallas, we agreed that you'd talk about it the week before school started."

Dallas had been seeing a psychiatrist since the previous end of the school year. She was traumatized beyond belief and both Cindy and FP endorsed the idea.

That's when they found Dr. Caroline Bencheck. A young, but highly sought after psychiatrist from Crest Haven, who's practice was located in Riverdale. Who also just so happened to be a Night Walker. She gladly took on Dallas as a client and was committed to helping her, no charge.

"I'm here to help Dallas. That's all I want to do. Ive helped you come to terms with what happened this summer. I helped you overcome the abuse you dealt with, your mom and dad abandoning you, Fallon resurfacing in your life...."

Dallas didn't make eye contact with her. She knew she was right.

"Now I need to know what happened between you and Sweet Pea that led to the break up," Caroline finished.

There was the quiver. Dallas lip began to shake, just at the mention of his name. She had done what she could to keep his name out of the room but Caroline Bencheck didn't shy away.

"What about it?"

"Why don't we start with the why? Forget the feelings, I just wanna know why things ended," Caroline spoke calmly.

The sun had never shone so brightly. The young Serpens were all together to send Toni and Cheryl off on their romantic summer road trip to California. They had all been down at Sweetwater River, enjoying the heat.

Laughter bounced off the rock in the valley they were in. Everyone was in the water, splashing and finally getting to enjoy something. Almost everyone.

Dallas sat perched on a rock, just off the bank of the river. Her knees were tucked into her chest, her jacket still tightly wrapped around her.

"Babe? You okay?" Sweet Pea finally made his way over to his miserable girlfriend.

"No..." she muttered barely over a whisper.

"What's wrong?" He took the spot next her, resting his hand underneath the jacket, on the small of her back.

Dallas flinched at his touch, and she could see the hurt in his eyes.

"Dallas...." he said.

"I think I'm pregnant."

Dr. Bencheck scribbled something down on her  notepad and relaxed in her seat.

"Okay, I think I can understand. Can you go on?" she asked, softly, not wanting to make her any more upset than she already was. 

"I guess after that, I showed him the tests I had already taken. Two negative, two positive. We went to get more, like five more. And we waited, and it was the worst five minutes of my life." 

Dallas hadn't even realized she was crying until Dr. Bencheck was handing her a box of tissues. She took a few and sloppily wiped them away. 

"They all came out negative but the damage had been done. We couldn't even look at each other anymore, let alone touch each other," Dallas explained. "And then one day his stuff was gone. It was like he had never lived in the house."

The pain in Dallas' stomach made her feel like throwing up. It was like she was reliving it all over again. Her skin felt clamy and her skin looked gray. 

"You feeling okay? You look sick Dallas," Caroline asked. 

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." she lied

"So how does that affect things now?"

The house was silent. Teddy and Cindy were off on their honeymoon. Cassidy and Fangs were in hour 15 of their commitment to watch all the Star Wars movies. Fallon was still in California with Brooks, as was Toni and Cheryl. Dallas had spent the entire weekend curled up in the darkness of her bedroom. But things were looking up, it was the first time in weeks that she hd been hungry. 

Dallas picked herself of the floor and somehow managed to get to Pop's. He greeted her with a smile and told her she was too skinny. She laughed and ordered a milkshake, fries and a bacon-cheese burger. She hopped onto a barstool and waited patiently. 

She spun the stool around and stopped dead. In the back crooner of the booth was Sweet Pea and Josie. They were sitting much to close for comfort and the familiar sensation of nausea sunk deep in the pit of her stomach. 

"Dallas, here you go kid," Pop say handing her the bag.

She thanked him as quickly as she could and bolted from the diner. She couldn't catch her breath and the world around her spun and spun and spun. She swore she was going to hit the asphalt. But the hard black ground never came in  contact. Two arms had secured her upright. 

"Whoa, Dallas. You okay?" 

Dallas, in the middle of a hyperventalating mess met the dark eyes of her rescuer. Reggie Mantle had never looked so concerned. 

"Yeah, yeah, I am ," she lied. 

"Are you sure?' he asked. 

"No," Dallas muttered, tears spilling down her cheeks. 

"Why don't I take you home? Yeah?" he offered.

Dallas nodded, allowing him to take her to his car. He helped her in and drove to her house. It didn't take long for him to realize no one was there. 

"Will you stay?"  she asked once she was settled on her couch. 

He nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. "Yeah sure, of course."

The two sat in silence for most the night, watching  whatever was new on Netflix. When the two woke up the next morning, Dallas had someone ended up wrapped in his right arm, her head don his chest. His own head had been resting on hers. 

"Sorry," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. 

"Don't," he said slowly. 

His thumb and index finger took a gentle hold of her chin. He tilted her face up slowly, preparing for her to pull away. But she didn't. He pressed his lips to hers and her body melted into his. 

His warmth melted her freezing heart. She hadn't felt cared for in such a long time. She didn't know if she actually liked him, or if she just liked the idea of him. It was the same on the other side the kiss. Reggie had seen Josie and Sweet Pea through the window and needed someone almost as much as Dallas needed someone. 

"So you've met someone else?" Dr. Bencheck asked. 

"Kinda. Yeah, I guess," Dallas finished. 

"Okay, well as long as he is in your life for the right purposes then I think that it is really amazing," she said setting her clipboard down. "You're free to go Dallas, I'll see you Monday."

Dallas picked up her jacket and exited the little office space. Reggie was waiting outside for her, leaning on the door to his Chevelle. Dallas' face lit up when she saw him, running and jumping into his arms. 

"Hey baby," he said kissing her. "How'd it go?"

"Fine, good. I think I'm the best I've been all summer," she grinned. 

"Good, because you and I are going to Cheryl's end of summer pool party."

"They're gonna be there, right?" Dallas rolled her eyes. 

"Yeah, but who cares? I'll have the prettiest thing there," he laughed.  

"Damn right you will," she smirked.