Somebody pick up my pieces

5

FP and Alice walk through the front door hand in hand, not entirely ready for the storm that was about to take over their lives.

"Hello?" Alice calls out.

"Hi!" Jellybean replies, bounding down the stairs with a bright smiles.

"Hi honey." FP breaks his and Alice's handhold to give his daughter a hug.

"Where are Betty and Jughead?" Alice asks her.

"In their room, want me to go get them?"

"Yeah honey, we need to talk to all of you." Alice smiles sweetly at the girl who nods and heads back up the stairs.

FP breathes heavily, earning a caress on the cheek from Alice, telling him that everything was going to be okay.

"You ready?" She asks him.

"No, but let's do it." He sighs, walking them over to the living room.

The three kids come down the stairs and sit on the couch, wondering what was so important that it couldn't wait till tomorrow.

"We were just about to fall asleep, so this better be good." Jughead groans.

"Yeah, uh-kids, we have something to-to tell you guys. It-" FP stutters.

"Oh my god, you're not pregnant are you?" Betty whines.

"Elizabeth! No, I am not pregnant. Please let us finish." She scolds her daughter, squeezing FP's hand to apologize.

He lets out a laugh, enjoying the atmosphere for once. He then takes a deep breath, not able to look at them.

"I got liver cancer." He lets out barely above a whisper.

He looks up to meet three pairs of eyes that had widened in shock.

"Is this some kind of joke? Because if it is, it's not funny." Jughead growls.

"I wish it was son, I wish it was."

Alice's eyes fill with tears all over again, watching all three children not sure of what to say or feel.

"Are you going to die?" Jellybean's voice cracks, betraying the wall she had built up.

FP lets out a shaky breath and pokes his cheek with his tongue to refrain himself from crying.

"I don't know, honey." He meets his daughter's eyes who had finally let the tears fall.

"I'm so so sorry." FP chokes out, as the tears start streaming down his face.

Alice sniffles as she pulls him closer, wrapping an arm around his back to give him even more comfort. Jellybean had followed, embracing her father tightly as she sobbed into his chest. Jughead wiped a tear as he walked over next, wrapping his arms around his sister and father. Betty then finishes the group hug and she wraps her arms around her mother and FP, willing away the stinging in her eyes.

"We're all going to be okay." Alice manages to get out through her tears. "We'll get through this together."

"I love you dad." Jellybean whispers.

"I love you too JellyBelly, more than you will ever know." He kisses the top of her head. "You too son, so much."

-

All three kids had fallen asleep on the couch, after lots of tears were shed. Jughead and Betty had cuddled together, while Alice laid with Jellybean, stroking her hair to get her to fall asleep.

Alice hasn't slept yet. She let FP go rest while she calmed the kids down, yet she couldn't bring herself to calm down. She was petrified, and although she was putting on a strong front, she felt weak.

She slowly slid from Jellybeans embrace and made her way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. She stared out the window as the water heated up.

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't hear FP come down the stairs. She only noticed when his arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

She melted into his embrace, letting her eyes shut for the first time in 24 hours. He placed a trail of kisses down her neck sweetly, and she hummed in satisfaction.

"Why are you awake? It's so early." He mumbles.

"I didn't really sleep much, it was hard to get Jellybean down."

"Yeah, she took it pretty hard didn't she?" FP places his head in the crook of her neck.

"Yeah, but she's a strong girl, she'll be okay." Alice assures him.

"I'm just glad we told them." He places a kiss to her shoulder.

"Me too." She turns her head to meet his eyes and smiles.

"Come here." He whispers, pulling her in for a sweet kiss.

"Isn't too early for that?" Charles startles the couple as he walks into the kitchen.

"Hey, we didn't hear you come in." FP states.

"Hi my baby boy." Alice smiles, embracing him and kissing his cheek.

"Hey." He returns a smile. "So..?" He gives FP a knowing look.

"Everyone knows, I told them all last night." FP tells his son.

Charles nods with a sad smile.

"Charles, what are you doing here?" Jellybean rubs her eyes.

"Hey bean, just wanted to come over for some breakfast." He gives her a hug.

Betty and Jughead walk awkwardly into the kitchen, the tension thick in the air. No one knew what to say, it was awkward.

Alice clears her throat. "What does everyone want for breakfast?"

"Pancakes?" Jughead mentions.

"Oh and eggs!" Jellybean perks up, making the adults chuckle.

"Bacon please." Betty adds.

"Pancakes, eggs and Bacon coming right up! Is that alright with you Charles?" Alice asks her son.

"It's perfect." He gives her a warm smile.

"Alright, Ill call you down when it's ready." She shoos the kids away.

Charles and Jellybean head to the living room to watch cartoons while Jughead and Betty head back up to their room.

"How are you doing Jug? Really?" Betty asks.

"I'm scared. I don't want him to die, Betty." He shakes his head.

"I know, me neither. We know the only way is a liver transplant and he's on the list-"

"Yeah, but if his tumour grows then he'll be taken off, I heard everything he said last night." He sighs.

"Wait-" Jughead's face lights up. "I have an idea."

"What?"

He pulls out his cellphone and dials a number, Betty watching closely. The phone rings a few times before the line picks up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Aunt Amelia..." Jughead answers.