Saving Her

Chapter 50. Right

Fred had picked Alice and Lana up later in the afternoon just to take her to her post-op appointment that was scheduled. From there, FP would meet with them and take his girls home.

It had been an exact month since she had her cesarian section, so it was time to check her incision to see how it was healing.

"You look good, Alice," Fred mentioned. "How do you feel?" he wondered as he glanced in the rear-view mirror; she was just so bright and cheery for a woman with a month old baby.

She was seated in the backseat with her daughter since he was driving her in her station wagon as he owned a two seater truck.

"Um, energetic actually," she chuckled. "I expected to be a lot more sluggish, but I feel good. Heal time for running around is about six weeks, but I feel great."

"Well, that's good," he nodded as he turned the corner into the parking lot of the hospital. "Maybe you'll be let off the hook sooner."

"Yeah, and I'm pleased. I'm not supposed to carry anything heavier than Lana and she's about the only thing I tend to pick up, so we're on the right track," she smiled at the baby, providing her daughter with her pacifier. "Aren't we?" she beamed in a soft baby voice, smoothing over the girl's purple and plush onesie.

Once he parked the vehicle, he got out and opened the door for Alice and offered a hand.

"Thank you, sir," she gladly used his help in order to get out with ease. She then tightened her coat and she watched his every move.

"My pleasure," he then reached in to retrieve the carrier with the baby and he shut the door. "I know it's not you nor FP's first rodeo at parenting, but how's my pal doing?" he wondered.

"He's so soft a mushy," she chuckled as they began their journey into the hospital. "He's a marshmallow when it comes to this girl or if we need something. Gang leader, Serpent King; never heard of him," she waved it off.

"Wow, I guess you whipped him into shape, huh? He always wanted to be a Northsider and now he's living that out."

"He loves where we're at, but I think he misses home. Hell, I do sometimes," she admitted. "There were some really good times and some really bad ones, but it was home. At least until I met Hal and that was a big mistake."

"What about your girls?"

"They weren't mistakes, I adore my girls. But this late in the game with everything I went through with Hal, everything he put our girls through, I wish my girls were FP's. Despite the drinking, he's a good father and such a good man... I've never seen a man so in love with a baby before than when I see him look at our baby. He even looks at Charles with this expression of pride and gratitude and fulfillment. He has that look for Jughead and JB of course, and he even gives Betty the proud father look," she grinned. "I don't know. I always wonder what would have happened if I told him that I was pregnant with Charles in high school," she walked up to the desk and she signed herself in.

"Who could know?" he chuckled. "You guys have always been pretty intense. It's actually a breath of fresh air to see you two together. Seems right."

"It feels right," she agreed, but then went quiet only because she was thinking about Betty.

They then took seating in the lobby and he placed the baby in a chair between them.

"So, give me some gossip in the world of Fred Andrews," she asked, smiling at him. "I've been cocooned in my house for a month. Give me anything other than middle school drama and teenage rebellion."

He chuckled, "Well, there's nothing to tell. Mary went back to Chicago... Just Archie and me for the most part."

"Fred, you cannot be this boring," she added. "Don't you have women lining up to be with you?"