Heart & Sincerity

26/ FP is my father?

Charles sat at his desk with a profile right in front of him. It was FP's criminal record, in which he got courtesy of the sheriff. He took a couple of other files from him to make it look like it was part of his investigation. Attached to his file he found a small section that belonged to his son. Jughead had been sent to Riverdale's juvenile detention center for arson when he played with matches in elementary school and accidentally caused a fire.

Charles continued to read FP's file. FP was charged for multiple criminal activities, including larceny. He didn't know what to think of him. He felt like the man who he spoke to was genuinely a man of character.

He thought about what he saw when he first spoke to him at the diner. He called Alice. It was late so he hoped she would respond. When the line went through he immediately asked his question. "Have you been talking to this FP guy?"

"What?" Alice asked confused. She sounded a little groggy considering she was asleep.

"Have you been talking to FP over the phone?"

"How did you? How did you even know that?"

"I saw him trying to call you. You didn't pick up though." Charles said firmly. "Is that why you want me checking up on him for you?"

Alice was silent on her end. "Mom, I just want the truth." She heard him calling her mom for the first time and it made her eyes well.

"Yes, I was talking to him. He calls to check on how I'm doing."

"You can't be doing that," Charles hated to be like this but if it meant that their secret investigation would be compromised he had to stop it. "I'm sorry to ask but what is it about this guy that you're not telling me? I want to know."

"Charlie...he's your father." Alice croaked out. She felt obligated to tell him the truth about FP.

"He's what?" Charles leaned back on his chair. His jaw dropped. "What do you mean he's my father? What about Hal?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Charles. I really can't right now." She didn't want to get into details. "Soon, baby, I promise."

"Does he know?" Charles quietly asked.

"No. I was too scared to tell your father that I never did. I've thought about telling him now that he was in my life again but I know I can't. It makes me feel so guilty inside knowing that he doesn't know about you."

"Does Hal know?"

"He thinks you're his son."

"Wow...I don't know what to say."

"I'm sorry for not telling you. I know you deserved to know but it truly is too hard to talk about."

"FP is my father?" He wanted to be sure he heard correctly.

"Yes," Alice said. She said a couple things that were drowned out for him. He was busy thinking and processing what he had learned.

"I think your father would have loved you if he got to know you. He's a sucker for talented sons."

He was recalling everything. He could sense he was very proud of his other son, his brother. He knew he wanted to protect him from his misery.

"I'm in no rush to tell Hal about you, you can trust me on that."

His father was FP Jones, leader of the Southside Serpents.

"It's about who lives on what side. You see, northsiders aren't very fond of people like me. There a few kind souls on the northside but I can't speak for everyone."

He had so many questions but he knew he couldn't ask them just yet. He wondered how his parents met. As far as he knew she was living the life on the northside while he was stuck on the southside.

"So you never got to meet your parents? Huh, I don't know who's luckier, me or you."

Charles had so much to catch up on and he hopes he gets the chance to.

"Charles?" Alice noticed how quiet he was being. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah," He cleared his throat. "I was just taking it all in."

"We will talk this out when the time comes. Just-"

"Not right now," Charles knew. "I know. I understand."

"Thank you, Charlie."