Miles to Go

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

***WARNING this chapter contains material related to suicide and heavy-handed mental health problems. If this makes you uncomfortable, skip to the end of the chapter or feel free to not continue. If you or an acquaintance is dealing with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to someone or message me. Thank you, and happy reading.***

The days went on after the incident at Pembrooke. News of the Black Hood went all over the country. Riverdale finally made its mark on the world. Reporters and other social-media wannabes crammed in everywhere they could to get a word out of those involved. But Minetta only shooed them away when they came to the station for answers. But they didn't want the news from him. They wanted it from FP and Alice.

But the two had gone MIA from most of the public eye since Alice killed Hiram. They retreated to their homes, FP either in his trailer or staying with her and Chic, and Alice hadn't left the house. Minetta and the other officers had to come to the house to finish their questioning. "I don't think you'll have to go into court," Minetta reassured her, "if what you're claiming about self-defense was correct." She remained in her bed most of the time, not able to get herself out. She only came into the living room sometimes if Chic forced her to eat something, or if FP was there. But even with her friend in the house, Alice didn't have it in her to leave her room.

The two didn't get the chance to see each other the first couple of days after it happened. They had to be separated due to their time in the hospital, getting cleared to leave by the doctors, and Minetta heckling them with questions, separate of course. And FP still had to deal with the incident at Keller's. They didn't arrest him for Tom's death, but they didn't leave him alone about it. Once he was able to get himself out, he went straight to her house. He couldn't bare to go back to his trailer to keep hiding out on the Southside. He wasn't ready to face the Serpents. He only felt safe being around her and her son.

"She hasn't eaten much..." Chic explained as the boy let him in, "It's just a hassle trying to get her to eat even a piece of toast."

"And how about you?" he asked. Chic gave him a complex look, then swallowed.

"I'm not sure...." the boy responded. "Joaquin's been coming over to check up on us. We're gonna go get some groceries later."

"Don't worry about that, boy." he patted the boy on the shoulder. "I can take care of that." He took a moment to scan the house. It was clean for the most part, some laundry was left half folded on the couch, but there was no sign of her. It felt empty without her.

"Do you think it'd be okay if....if I saw her?" he asked. Chic blinked, then nodded his head, gesturing up the stairs. FP thanked him, then made his way up. He walked down to the end of hallway to her bedroom. He didn't want to be a dick and barge in, especially if she was sleeping. So he decided to knock as gently as he could. No response came from inside. Oh god....did she....

He twisted the knob and opened the door. He spotted Alice laying in her bed, staring out her window. She turned to him at the sound of her door opening and blinked. FP let go of the knob and kept his hands by his sides.

"Sorry," he started, "I just wanted to see if you were okay. It's been a couple of days."

"I know." she responded, monotone. Her voice was practically dead. Jesus....he couldn't even imagine what must have been going through her head right now. Hiram fucked her up, and now she had to live with the guilt of ending the bastard's life.

"I'll...." he coughed, starting to head back out the door, "I'll be downstairs with your boy if you need anything....." he paused, turning back to her. He couldn't tell if Alice was about to cry or fall back into a limbo state of numbness. Her face was blank, lacking any sort of emotion, but her eyes....something in her eyes was screaming out to him. She didn't want to be alone.