CARMEN, riverdale.

' abstruse '

🐍

   "YOU MEAN to say that my daughter had been held at gunpoint?!" Hermione Lodge exploded. Apollo Barnes wasn't good at explaining these kind of things, it was obvious enough. After the incident with Volkov, Carmen made sure back at the van to delete all footage of the cameras and effectively erased their sole existence from history.

They had thought of something else to say when they brought Veronica back to Pembrooke, to explain to her mother why her appearance was that.

"It was my fault, mom. I was just looking for adventure outside of Riverdale, I didn't know the shady streets back out on the road. It was all thanks to Carmen and her dad, really. They saved me," Veronica interjected, playing her part perfectly as planned and requested.

"Nah, it was mostly Carmen. You have to give it to this girl though, just got out of the hospital and then running off in another direction to save her friend despite her injury," Robin waved off, looking down at his daughter with a real proud smile.

She was so close to dozing off on the couch, clad in a new pair of grey sweatpants, his navy blue sweater and his military jacket, her feet hugged by wool maroon socks. Veronica sat beside her, wrapped in a blanket as she leaned into Carmen's side.

Though Hermione was still angry that her daughter had been threatened, her resolve broke, tiredly smiling instead. "I'll let you know that my gratitude comes from the bottom of my heart, Robin. That extends to Carmen, too. She's welcome here anytime she likes, a friend of Ronnie is a friend of mine,"

Robin smiled, "As much as I would like Carmen to spend time here with Ms. Lodge, I'd like to admit without shame that I'm a paranoid father. Maybe a couple nights, she can stay, but I want to make sure myself that she'll heal and be completely comfortable. What has gone down these past few days have left me in a great state of worry."

"Alright, have a good evening. Thank you for saving my daughter, I won't be able to thank you and Carmen enough. You are a good man, Robin," Hermione told him sincerely.

"Thank you, Robin," Veronica smiled weakly.

The man smiled back, "Whatever protection you and your daughter may need, I am more than willing to extend my service to you. My daughter's friends are my friends, too, and I don't like my friends in danger and hurt."

He gently lifted Carmen from the couch, instead of complaining or waking up, she drowsily shifted in his arms and curled into his chest, her face pressing against his neck. The two adults chuckled, as Veronica watched on with worried eyes and a relieved smile.

🐍

   SCREAMS FROM the room across from him was what woke him up in the middle of the night. The screams alternated from sobs, to whimpers and yells of pain and desperation, Robin wasn't sure what to think as he grabbed his gun from the bedside table, bursting into his daughter's room with it drawn only to find her thrashing in the bed. Waterfalls of tears ran down her cheeks and beads of sweat lined her pallid forehead, hair sticking to it.

Her hands were moving wildly, as if trying to fight someone off, and this scene was what made his heart break. He felt helpless, not knowing how to help his daughter forget the awful memory. The Murdock father set the gun gently on her bedside table, moving to grab a hold of her arms and calm her down before she hurts herself.