Heart & Sincerity

49/ Home

Charles drove his parents back to his mother's place. He parked right outside and looked back through the rearview mirror to see Alice peacefully sleeping in FP's arms. FP flickered in and out of sleep throughout the ride but awoke when the car stopped.

"She's exhausted," Charles spoke up.

"I can carry her in."

"No, you shouldn't do that. Your body shouldn't be doing too much."

FP sighed. "She needs to rest. How do you suggest she go inside?"

"I'll do it. Easy as that."

"I have stitches. I'm not helpless." FP was just bitter with the fact that he couldn't do anything to help her.

"Dad, I just don't want to risk anything. Can you please understand that?" FP sat in a sulk. "Okay?" Charles went around the car. He hooked his arms under Alice and lifted her up. FP stepped out after she was carefully taken out. He went ahead of him to knock on the door.

Betty answered, looked at him then behind him at Charles with his mother. "Is she okay?"

"She will be. She just needs to rest." FP calmly stated. "May we come in?"

Betty stepped aside. FP let Charles get passed him. He carried her up the stairs to her room and laid her down on the bed. He quietly stepped away. He shut the door and bumped into Polly. "What happened?"

"She just needs to rest. Let's not disturb her. Who knows when she last slept," Charles ushered her away from the door.

The eyes of his many siblings went straight to him when he came down. "Okay, I think we all need to talk." Betty suggested. "Like what the hell has been happening." She looked between the men in the room. "Don't look at me. All I did was go through the wringer," FP put his hands up in defense. She eyed Charles in particular. "What happened to our mom?"

"Yeah, we need to talk about that." Jughead nodded along. "Now that Alice is back, a lot needs to be discussed."

"Don't press your brother, Jughead."

"Don't you want to know too, dad? Now's your chance."

"We need to talk about that too," Betty motioned at FP and Charles. "Our secret brother miraculously shows up and it turns out he's only half?"

"It's not my place to speak upon that. All I can say is that I found my way here through my investigation."

"Actually, I agree with him on that one. I still have to talk to your mother. Please give us time. I wouldn't want to bombard her with questions."

"Is there anything we can know?" Polly asked. "If we can't talk about that can we discuss what the hell has been happening at the Farm? We deserve to know. I was there for God's sake."

"It's being taken care of as we speak. The Evernevers are in custody and everyone there is being taken care of."

"What happened to our mom?" Betty repeated.

"I can't answer that." He shook his head. "I don't know yet."

"Daddy, did the lady get hurt playing with the animals?" Jellybean was clueless to what was going on.

"What, sweetheart?"

"At the farm. Did she fall off a pony or something?"

"It's complicated, Jellybean. It's a grown up conversation."

"But Jughead isn't a grown up and he gets to be in the conversation."

"It's complicated," Jughead spat.