Saving Cleo Blossom ~ Toni Topaz

To Put It Simply

Minutes after the ordeal at Pop's chocolate shop went down, two young red-headed girls stood in front of Riverdale's Hospital where their mother if you could even call her that, had just been admitted for burns and acute smoke inhalation. Burns from the bonfire of their house that the two remaining fraternal triplets had set. "You okay, Cher?" Green eyes connected, the same haunted look reflecting in them. "I don't know, Cleo. I don't know." Cleo grabbed her younger-by-five-minutes sisters hand, walking into the hospital together and halting in their steps when they saw Archie Andrews covered in blood and surrounded by his friends.

Cleo, to put it simply, was a bitch. But she was a bitch who cared, and in the core fours book that meant something. Cheryl followed Cleo's gaze, nodding for her to go ahead as she released her hand. Red platforms clicking on the tile, Cleo hurriedly made her way across the waiting room. "What the hell happened?" Betty looked up at her cousin, standing up from the spot by Jughead and coming closer, talking quietly. "Fred Andrews was shot," Cleo couldn't help her mouth falling open, conflicting emotions settling inside her chest. "Wait, Cleo, why are you here?"

"Thornhill burned down last night," Cheryl spoke up from behind Cleo, coming to stand by her sister. "What? Are you guys okay?" Cleo waved her cousin off, squeezing past her and walking over to Archie Andrews. "Arch, what can I do?" Archie Andrews and Cleo Blossom's had been each other's first love and first everything. There was still an unspoken bond between the two, especially since he saved her from suicide by frozen water a few days ago. 

"Cleo, I-" Archie, who was on the verge of breaking down, didn't need to say any more to Cleo for her to understand. In a split second, Cleo grabbed Archie by the hand and pulled him into a nearby empty room, Veronica and everyone else watching her close the door. Everyone had accepted their relationship a long time ago, but it still made Veronica a little uncomfortable. The heels Cleo wore made her a few inches taller, to the point where she reached Archie's chest in the tight hug she pulled him into. "He's all I have, Cleo. I can't lose him,"

"And you won't, Arch. But you're not alone. You have me, and everyone else."  Archie rested his head atop Cleo's, breathing in her familiar scent of lilac, confused when smoke was mixed in. "Cleo, why do you smell like smoke- oh my god, what happened to your arm?" In one fluid motion, Archie Andrews picked up Cleo by her waist and placed her on the patient exam table, examining the burns on her wrist she'd never noticed. This was how Cleo fell in love with Archie, for his selflessness and the way he always took care of her. "Our house burned down, I guess I got too close to the flames." 

Archie grabbed some gauze and burn cream from the counter, applying it lightly to Cleo's wrist as she sucked in a sharp breath. "Don't worry about me, Arch. I should be taking care of you." With her free hand, Cleo wet a paper towel and tried wiping the dried blood of his father from Archie's face. "I'll always worry about you, Cleo. So you can forget about that. Are you okay, where are you and Cheryl gonna stay?" Cleo chuckled humorlessly at Archie, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Archie, don't worry about us. Worry about yourself for once," The two stared at their close proximity, Cleo clearing her throat and snapping them from their daze. 

"Come on," Cleo led him from the room, pushing out thoughts of what had just happened. Pulling him by his hand, Cleo brought Archie to stand in front of Veronica, whose eyes flickered down to the connected hands of the former couple. "Veronica, take Arch home and get him a change of clothes. I'll catch up with you guys later," Veronica didn't miss the way Archie's eyes followed Cleo as she released his hand and walked down the hallway with Cheryl.

Cleo's personality switched to the bitchy attitude she shared with Cheryl when they hit the front desk, her crimson stiletto shaped nails clicking on the table. "Penelope Blossom," The statement was clipped and short, more like a demand directed toward the tall and long-nosed nurse sitting in front of them. Cleo thought the stringy-blonde-haired lady closely resembled a witch, even complete with a mole under her nostril. Mabel, as her nametag read, led the girls into their mother's room, vacant stares on their faces.

"Good, you're awake." The white dresses both girls were wearing swished as they made their way to stand by Penelope Blossom's bedside. Cheryl had spoken first, Cleo, who was more of the leader, following up. "Now, here's the realz, Baby Jane. We're telling everyone you ran back into that towering inferno to save me and Cher, not that hideous family portrait you love so much. And that what happened at Thornhill was a terrible, tragic accident. If you tell anyone the truth about what happened with the fire, I'll tell everyone about what really happened in the barn with Daddy."

Cheryl's hand found her mother's oxygen line, squeezing the plastic so it was kinked as her sister continued talking. "You were cruel to us, Mother. It was abuse, plain and simple. So henceforth, if you breathe,  it's because we give you air. If you drink, it's because we poured that cup ourselves. And if you move, it is quietly, and with our blessing." Signaling for her sister to release the line, Cleo and Cheryl watched as their mother gasped for air. Cleo glared down at her mother, disgust written on her features as her sister talked. "Things are going to be different now, Mommy. Better. You'll see." Cleo and Cheryl left the room, peeking down the hallway until they found Fred Andrew's room.

 Pushing open the door, Cheryl sat in a chair while Cleo walked over to the unconscious human. Taking ahold of his hand, Cleo squeezed Fred's hand, pressing a red-stained kiss to his forehead. Cleo jumped when the door opened, looking up to see Archie enter the room. "Cleo, what're you doing?" Tucking a ginger strand of hair behind her ear that'd escaped her ponytail, Cleo released Fred's hand. "Paying you back for saving me at Sweetwater River." Archie furrowed his brows, stepping closer to Cleo until he was centimeters away. Cheryl awkwardly slipped from the room, a knowing look on her face. "You gave me the kiss of life, Arch. It's only right that I give it to your Father. He's going to be just fine," Walking past, Cleo cupped Archie's face in her hands, pressing a lingering kiss to his cheek. Her hand slid down to entangle in Archie's, closing her eyes and breathing in his familiar scent. When Cleo went to leave, Archie didn't release her hand, instead, he pulled her closer to look in his eyes.

"Stay,"