#poor alice trying to make pancakes and it going so so wrong

[goldeneyedgirl]

TwiFicmas23 Day 7: Hybrid Jasper

Good evening! Tonight, we have something experimental. I was trying to put together a one-shot that focused on Jasper as a hybrid because I'm equal-opportunity with my nonsense.

It's still in parts, and I'm not sure that I've captured the vibes that I'm aiming for, but we persevere. I kind of love the idea of Jasper being the vulnerable one and Alice being the protective one and wanted to riff on that concept. Some of the 'rules' and world-building are a little iffy at the moment, but first drafts always need a little work.

Thank you to everyone who has read, liked, tagged, and messaged me. Those tags and messages absolutely make my day and I love every single one of them.

I'm off to sleep off this cold, in the hopes that I can recover fast enough to finish off a couple of planned entires <3

on the edge of dawn.

His past is knotted up in secrets and lies. 

And blood, he can’t forget that. 

(It starts and ends in rivers of blood, in so many lives worth of blood, that it would be disingenuous not to acknowledge it.) 

When he meets the eyes of the recruitment officer and tells him that he’s of-age, he’s not lying. He’s been a grown-ass man for a decade now; just because he’s sixteen in human terms is meaningless. He is more than capable of fighting a war. 

(He fights to protect the people that raised him, the cousins who were really his little sisters. He goes to war to make sure that he can send money home, enough to keep them fed and warm and safe. He doesn’t need much, and it’s nothing compared to what they gave him.) 

When he runs afoul of Maria, he expects it to be his death. One that is surprisingly appropriate considering his own origins. Instead, it is a fever that cooks him from the inside out, one that he stays lucid throughout, begging for answers, to explain what is happening for water, to know what has become of his poor horse. He sees a lot of people, strange people, that feel like they are all wrong but he doesn’t know why. 

He thinks of his little sisters, and hopes that they’ll be okay. He saved a lot of his pay, sent it home, so maybe they will. Maybe they won’t go hungry or get sick.

Maria is exceptionally intrigued by him. This man who doesn’t die, who rambles at her, begs her. And even when the fever ebbs, his eyes are still a piercing hazel. He still bleeds and sleeps and breathes. But he feeds on blood, he can move at least as fast as the slowest newborn, and has a gift that he almost effortlessly weaponising. 

He is a marvel, a miracle, a prize. 

So she keeps him, and Jasper is mostly reminded of stories about hell from the Bible. 

(He can never go home again.) 

—

Her visions have shown him since she awoke, but he’s always been very strange in them - like he’s made of smoke and memory, faded and halfway gone. She doesn’t understand it, and it scares her - that very first vision, where he tucks a flower behind her ear and says her name - is her north star, and her touchstone. She doesn’t know who she is without him, and the idea that he could disappear terrifies her to the bone. No one else does that in her visions, and she can’t work it out. 

Then she realises his eyes are hazel. Somehow she missed that little detail as she watched him fight and feed and rule Mexico in Maria’s name. They are such a beautiful shade, impossible for a vampire. 

And then she sees him sleeping, and it terrifies her that he is so vulnerable and unguarded in such a terrible place. She feels sick at it. 

He’s still an enigma, she still has questions, but it’s a clue. It’s something. It helps her shape and frame their future in her mind, knowing that he is not entirely the same as her. 

It makes her feel useful, and that’s a nice feeling. 

—

He remembers his mother a little too well. She had sharp hazel eyes and hair so light it was almost white. She’s already dead by then, washed out and still, and it’s a single frame in his memory. Something he should never be able to remember. But he does. 

(Jasper remembers her best when faced with the bodies. The ones who were taken as a meal, and the ones that don’t survive the change. Bloodless and broken in every way that counts. Her face is always clearest in his mind as he gathers up those dead people, and maybe he remembers his upbringing and says a quick prayer for them. But it doesn’t take long for those prayers to be meaningless mutterings under his breath, part of the routine without any of the meaning.) 

Sometimes he wonders what would have become of him in another life, with his mother perfectly dead. His grandmother had no love for him, not in those earliest days; a pious woman, she would have cast him out young if it hadn’t been for his mother’s brother. 

For a long time, he’s raised by his Uncle Jed. Jed looks at him and seems to see past all the things that shouldn’t be and the things that make him strange, right down to the lost boy he is. 

Jed gives him the family name - Whitlock - and puts him to work on the ranch. It’s a good life, and he likes working with animals, likes that the things that make him different make him useful on the ranch. He likes that he never has to see the old bitch of a grandmother that never let Jasper forget that he was the reason his momma was dead. 

(His momma named him. She picked the name out herself and started embroidering it on a blanket because she became too ill. That’s something he tucks in the back of his mind, that possibility that maybe she didn’t hate him, maybe she even loved him.)

Then Jed meets Gracie Wainwright and Jasper is terrified that he’ll have to leave; that being reclusive and unseen is the only way he can stay there, outside San Antonio. Jed doesn’t even let him go to church except at Christmas; for Jasper to grown up, he must be invisible and it’s the one family law they all obey. 

Except… Aunt Grace is his greatest champion, the mother he never had before. She is quick to teach him, bringing him books and teaching him his sums, how to sew on a button and darn a sock, and cook a hot meal - “Everyone needs to know these things Jasper, no matter where you go in life.”

And then there are the girls, he beloved cousin-sisters who climb over him and cling to him and are nothing but laughter and soft, kind things. Jed and Grace produce five of them, one after the other, all golden-eyed and blue-eyed and his favourite people in the world. Girls he would die for. 

So he does. He goes and signs up for the army because he’s been grown for years, because he’s faster and stronger and doesn’t need food or water. Disease never seems to touch him, and there’s little-to-no chance that they won’t have to leave the ranch. They’ll need to eat and travel, and his stipend will help with that. It’s the least he can do. 

(In her letters, Aunt Grace worries about him incessantly, tells him that Little Emma wanders around calling for him, not understanding that he’s not coming home any time soon; that his stipend has been useful in keeping them fed and well. Jed writes him and scolds him for running off and for sending them his money, but always ends his letters speaking of his pride in Jasper, and wishes to come home safely. Jasper’s always felt guilty he never made it back.)

Maria is oddly fascinated by the concept of his family, by how dearly he holds them, and how he still remembers them, still adores them. Vampire memories are supposed to decay; it’s considered a rebirth for a reason. He doesn’t know why his memories stay so vivid, but he treasures them. In the end, it’s easier and safer to stop mentioning them, to pretend the memories are starting to decay, so that Maria stops interrogating him, so that she thinks he’s finally behaving how he should. 

//

The first time Alice sees Jasper bleed, she nearly screams. It trickles into his eyes and he swears, and she’s frozen in a vision that she cannot escape from. He swipes it off his forehead and sucks on his fingers a moment to swipe over the shallow wound. 

And it’s sealed. Does he have a healing gift?

She doesn’t know. 

But the visions start showing her the things that are to come. The Cullens are still a possibility, but Jasper will be more skittish about joining them, about letting others know about what he is. About having to live with more vampires after South. He’s terrified of Carlisle on so many levels, and the idea of school goes against everything his uncle taught him. 

But she’s gratified that he seems happy when they’re together. That he sees something in her, the lost girl, that maybe he recognises. 

I love you Jasper, and I know that we’re going to be so happy together.

And she does. She loves that he can walk in the sunlight without notice, but he still hates doing it. She loves that he has no special talent for languages, but has still managed to learn Spanish and French fluently. That he’s never learnt to dance, but he’ll dance with her. That at some point she’s going to try to cook for him, and it’ll be a messy disaster and he’ll just laugh until there are tears in his eyes and tell her that he loves her for trying. 

Sometimes she wishes that she could share visions, pass them from her head to another’s because she wants to be able to save all of this for him, to show him that everything is going to be okay. Better than okay; perfect. 

//

Peter is a blessing in disguise. At first, he’s only there to make trouble, only there to test the boundaries and question authority. He hears Jasper’s sluggish heart, sees the way Maria watches over him, and decides that Jasper is the weak link, and he just needs to exert the right amount of pressure to break him. 

It goes about as well as expected, and something about the fact that Jasper is the one that returns Peter’s arm instead of throwing it on the pyre cements something between them. Loyalty, understanding, and a sense of fairness. 

Friendship and brotherhood comes in time. But that evening, as Jasper realigns the joint and explains to Peter that Maria has tried to rip off Jasper’s arm before but the joints are weird because he was already venomous before being bitten, that it didn’t work. Did fuck up his shoulder for a while though. 

Peter is fascinated. That he can be cut and bruised and broken, but they can’t do something as simple as tear him into pieces. That Jasper takes days to heal, and on the long sunny days they stay inside for, Jasper sleeps.

//

She finds him in Philadelphia and, oh, her heart breaks. In her well-loved dress and too-big shoes with the creases deep across the toes, she looks like a real lady compared to him. 

He’s outside in the alley, trying to convince himself to go inside. She’s seen it happen both ways, and that’s why she was late. To make sure that either way, he’s going to find her. She refuses to risk it any other way.

In the flesh, he’s a lot further gone than she expected. Enough that she discards her coat and her shoes as she enters the alley, moving quietly towards him. He’s so thin, and his hair is a tangled mess around his face, and he bares more than one bruise. His clothes are woeful, filthy and too thin for the cool weather. He’s not going to survive another winter like this. 

“Hello,” she says, and when he looks at her, his eyes almost pass as hazel, with the ring of fading red around the pupil. But he also looks hunted and haunted, like an animal backed into a corner. “I’ve been looking for you.”

She smiles at him, and he stares back for a moment before he relaxes a little. “I didn’t realise I had an appointment,” he manages, his voice cracking with disuse. He lets her get a little closer, looking at her bare feet, her green dress that has seen better days, the less-than-clean gloves, and the ribbon in her hair. Oh, and her purse. 

“That’s okay, because I’m here now,” she decides to brazen it out, and goes closer to sit beside him except he stops her.

“You’ll spoil your clothing,” he says, getting to his feet and he’s so very tall. He has to look down at her, and she feels very delicate and precious as he does so. 

“I have a lot of clothing to spoil,” she says honestly, and he still looks uncomfortable. “I’m Alice.”

“Hello Miss Alice.” He sounds uncertain but for her, it’s the most beautiful sound because it’s the very first time that she’s ever heard him speak her name out loud. 

—

[george-mackay-macfine]

Lets Play A Game - CH.2

Chapter 2 of let's play a game. Imagine who you wish as Jude.

“Okay, well, if we’re going to do this, we need rules.”

“Rules?”

“Rules.” I pushed the heavy-bodied oaf off me and stood up, “You know, like the Geneva contract….”

“This isn’t a world war, Edwards.”

“Oh really?” I spun on my heel, “Because I’m treating it as war.” I motioned between the two of us, “If I’m going to be playing dirty with the enemy, then I need to make sure there are no casualties, apart from you, of course.” I dipped my head to the side, sending him a cheeky smirk.

“Fine,” He rolled his eyes. “We’ll make some rules then.”

“Okay, first rule.”

“No one but us get’s to know about the game,” He pointed at me. “No mothers, no friends, no one.”

“Like I’d want anyone to know I was doing anything with you.” I agreed. “PDA?”

“Obviously,” He rolled his eyes. “No one will believe we’re dating if we don’t show some PDA.”

“Right, sorry, I forgot I was dealing with a man whore.” I threw at him. “Handholding.”

“Scared you’ll get cooties.” I shot him a glare. “Kissing.”

“Ugh,” I shrivelled my nose in disgust. “If we must,”

“You liked it.”

“No, not really.” He sat forward, his elbows resting on his knees. The feeling of his eyes on me began to make my chest feel warm.

“Then why are you still here, in my shirt, this close to falling back into my bed.”

“I’m not close to ‘falling back into your bed’, Hastings.”

“Oh really?” His hand grabbed at the bottom of his shirt, pulling me greedily towards him.

“I don’t have time for this again. I have to go.” The skin of his knuckles brushed the skin of my thighs as he fiddled with the hem of his shirt.

“C’mon Edwards. Admit it, you like this.” His fingers pushed up the shirt again, causing a sharp intake of breath from me. “And that.” He looked up at me through his eyelashes. “Shows me just how much you want me.”

“For God’s sake, Hastings. You’re insane.” My hands gripped onto his wrists fruitlessly, trying to stop him. “I have to leave.” In an instant, his hands had reached around my thighs and pulled me down onto his lap. His right hand rested on the curve of my ass—his left hand wandering up underneath his shirt, running along the skin of my stomach.

And when he looked at me with his stupid lips twisting into that cunning smirk. Dear God. If only his personality matched how attractive he was.

“You really want to leave?” I looked up to the ceiling, averting my eyes, so I didn’t make any more mistakes. “Stop me touching you, in the same way I was touching you last night” His hands went to the button on my pants, fiddling with it. “Admit it, I already know exactly what you like, Darcy.” His hand returned to my shirt, pushing the material upwards. I felt his lips on my skin next. Kissing along the exposed flesh. “There’s still one rule we need to decide on.”

“Mhhm.” Oh god, his hands touching me felt like it left a trail of fire in its wake, and maybe if I just pretend it was someone else, maybe Chris Evans, I could let this happen again.

“Sex,”

“What.”

“Sex, Will we have it through this little game?”

“God no,”

“Oh, come on. Tell me you don’t want it,” He whispered against my skin. I shook my head, biting my lip, hands going to his shoulders, holding on for dear life. “I need you to tell me.”

“I have to go,” I pulled my head down from the clouds and pushed him away. He fell back onto the bed with an exasperated huff. “I have brunch with my parents, and thanks to some cocky asshole, I’m going to have to sit through it without underwear.”

“Well, I’m going to have to get through today without my favourite shirt, So we’ll call it even.”

“You poor baby,” I straightened the jacket. “I hope you don’t die without it.” I walked towards the door, stopping just shy of it turning back to look at him. “Or, ya know… you can… do whatever suits you best, really.” I stepped through the threshold out into the unfamiliar hallway. “Shit,”

“Lost?” His ever so irritating voice whispered in my ear after I stood a moment, deciding what way to go.

“Of course not,”

“Then lead the way to the door, Honey.” I turned to face him at the nickname. He was still shirtless, now a pair of tracksuit bottoms covering his lower half.

“Honey?” He grinned, both top and bottom teeth on display, leaning back casually on the doorframe as he watched me. “That’s the nickname your going with? Really?”

“What?” He laughed, and God, he’d always had the kind of laugh that made you want to laugh with him. “I’m trying it out.”

“Try another one.” I looked left then to the right, trying to recollect what way Hastings had pulled me from last night.

“Need help?”

“No.” I stepped forward, then spun to the left, taking a tentative step forward, stopping when he cleared his throat. I turned to face him. His head shook no. “Mother ducker.” I muttered, spinning on my heel and walking back past him.

“You could have just asked for directions,”

“Shut up.” I growled as I stormed down the hallway and out into the living room. Surprisingly it was cleaner than I’d ever expected from Jude Hastings. “Have you seen my purse?”

“Hanging on the doorknob.”

“Great,” I walked to the door, grabbing the black shoulder bag I’d spent my morning looking for all over his bedroom. “Well,” I turned to look at my own personal demon. “This has been a ride…” A dirty smile broke out on his face. “Stop it.” I rolled my eyes.

“I’ll call you,”

“You don’t have my number,”

“Are you sure about that?”

“If you do have it,” I took a deep breath, pulling the door open. “Lose it.”

“Backing out already?”

“Never!” I shut the door behind me, ending the conversation. “What is wrong with me.” I muttered to myself as I began the walk to the cafe.

I had just agreed to potentially - doubtfully - fall in love with Jude Hastings, my mortal enemy. It may be dramatic, but he was the absolute worst, at least whenever he opens his mouth. Maybe I can just put a bag over his personality and gag him… then I would happily reinstigate what happened last night. Can you bag someone’s personality?

Not important right now, Darcy.

I had to formulate a plan, a way to make Hastings fall in love with me so I could crush his heart in my hands. A quick google as I walked told me most of what I already knew.

THE EASY FAULT FREE SIX STEPS TO MAKE YOUR WORST

NIGHTMARE FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU!!

A dissertation by Darcy Alice Edwards

1. Maintain eye contact.

This was already a problem for me. Looking into Jude Hastings eyes for too long was known to induce nausea.

2. Be interested in who they are as a person and listen to everything they have to say.

Another problem for me, as I wasn’t interested in anything he had to say or anything he was interested in. Not only that, but the sound of his voice was often like the sound of nails on a chalkboard for me.

3. Make them feel appreciated and special.

Make Jude Hastings feel appreciated. How can I even manage to do this with a straight face?

4. Smile a lot.

This one maybe I could do. If I think of happy thoughts and pretend it was anyone but Hastings.

5. Embrace what the other person is most passionate about.

For Jude, this was beer pong and margaritas. I could embrace them.

6. Touch them more often.

What the fuck have I gotten myself into?

“Darcy, sweetheart, there you are.” The high pitched tone of my moms’ voice broke me from my research. She and my father sat at a table by the front door. The pair of them had a half-drunk coffee in front of them. Crap, they’ve been waiting, and by the frown lines on my mom’s face, it was longer than five minutes. “We’re been waiting for you.” There it was, three seconds into brunch, and she was already chastising me.

“Sorry,” I pushed my phone into my back pocket and took a seat across from her and my father. “Hi Dad,”

“Hi kitten,” Out of my two parents, my dad had always been my favourite. When my mom was harsh, my dad was kind. When mom drilled into me about my life, my dad made sure I felt loved. He was always the one to parent me, not just order me around.

“You couldn’t have dressed nicer for Sunday brunch?” Mom looked over Hastings crinkled shirt with an upturned nose. “What will people think?”

“Can I please order a mimosa.” I grabbed the nearby waitress with a pleading smile. “I’m sure they’ll think there’s Darcy Edwards.”

“Drinking already?”

“Extra champagne.” I called after the waitress.

“Darcy…”

“So what are we thinking of getting.” I ignored my mothers’ warning tone, picking up the menu. “Egg’s sound good.”

“I had the eggs last time. They were good.” Dad added. “I think I’ll have sausage and eggs, maybe some bacon.”

“Bacon sounds good.”

“You need to watch your cholesterol.” I was vaguely paying attention as my parents began to argue about my father can and can’t eat, but mostly I was dying for the mimosa to hurry up and arrive,

“There you are.”

“I don’t know if I want eggs anymore, maybe pancakes.” I muttered, poking the page with my finger. Syrup soaked pancakes did sound amazing right now, or maybe waffles.

“Baby,”

“Jude?” My head snapped up at the mention of his name. Standing beside me was Hastings dressed in his police uniform. “What are you doing here, sweetheart?” It was totally the man in uniform kink making my heart rate spike, not just Jude Hastings in a uniform.

“I just came to drop this off to Darcy.” He waved my wallet in the air. “She left it in my apartment when she rushed off this morning.”

“Oh, is that right?” Jude Hastings, you dirty dog. “Why don’t you join us for breakfast, Jude?” Mom smiled happily at him, she’d always loved him.

“He can’t-“

“I’d love to.” The seat was pulled out roughly, and his body flopped into the chair, his arm coming to rest on my shoulders. I turned to look at him. He was smirking. Of course, he was. “Hi.” He leaned in and kissed my lips.

“So.” I could hear the smile in my mom’s voice. “When did this all happen?”

“Two months ago.” I blurted, looking at Hastings’s eyes. “Right, Jude.”

“Yeah.” He nodded, turning to my parents. “We ran into each other one night at a bar, and we began talking, like civilised adults, finally, and it just started from there.” He shrugged as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

“And you didn’t tell me, Darcy?” I heard the edge on my mothers’ voice, oh boy. I was in big trouble.

“Well, we wanted to see exactly where things were going before we announced it to the whole town.”

I honestly believed that half the town would roll over and die when they find out Jude Hastings and Darcy Edwards were ‘dating’. Considering we’d nearly pulled the town apart with our pranks.

“Given our history,” Hastings added.

“Well, I think it’s wonderful.” My dad smiled at us. “You know I’ve always liked you, Jude.”

“Thank you, sir,”

“Kiss arse,” I let out under my breath.

“What was that sweetheart,” Hastings looked down at me with that fucking shit-eating grin.

“I said how sweet.”

“Mimosa,” The waitress reappeared.

“Please.” I held up my hand partly, mouth practically salivating at the idea of my alcohol in my bloodstream helping me get through this brunch. “Thank you.” I smiled as she placed the champagne flute in front of me.

“Mimosa, huh.” Hastings’s voice sounded teasing, but I knew him well enough to know this was no innocent observation. “You’d think she’d had enough to drink last night.”

“You went out last night?” My mother’s eyebrows shot up before a look of displeasure replaced the shock. “Is that why you’re dressed so…” We reached this part of breakfast quicker than I thought we would. Sit back, ladies and gents, the shows about the start. Act one; My mother judging my life choices as if I hadn’t been of legal age for the last six years.

“So what? Mother?” I picked up the flute and sat back in my chair, waiting for my mother to go off about my appearance.

“Messily.”

“No.” I deadpanned. “I’m dressed so messily because I was up early grading papers for my fourth-grade class.”

“Darcy, you surely don’t believe that I would believe-“

“It’s true. Darcy was up around dawn and began working.” As soon as my mother heard Hastings testimony for my ragged appearance, she sat back in her seat, a sweet smile replacing the devil horns.

Classic mom, always willing to believe the perfect Jude Hastings.

Speaking of the demon man himself. I don’t know if Hastings saved me because he felt terrible for the verbal ass-whooping my mother was about to give me or because he wanted to hold it over my head at a later date.

Probably the second one.

“See,” I took a long swig of the mimosa and looked at dad. “What are you getting, dad?”

“Waffles,” He smiled widely. God, he was a good man to put up with both my mother and I’s fighting. “With a side of fruit salad.”

“Sounds delicious.” I felt Hastings fingers fiddle and tap on the back of the chair, occasionally brushing my skin as they moved. “Mrs. Edwards, what are you going to get?”

I ignored the polite conversation trying to fight the feeling of nausea in my stomach as I watched my parents interact with Hastings and him with them. He was good at this, a borderline professional, but then again, what could you expect from a man who’d had more girlfriends than Keeping up with the Kardashians had seasons. I swear, in high school, it was like he had a new girl every week. I thought it was going to end up a category in our yearbook.

Most Girlfriends in a single year: Jude Hastings.

“Babe, your mother asked you a question.” His shoulder nudged mine, breaking me from my daze.

“I’m sorry, I was reading.” I looked between the demon and my mother. “What were you saying?”

“I was saying, sweetheart, that perhaps we should go out to dinner with the Hastings soon, all of us together to celebrate you and Jude finally getting over that childhood tiff of yours.”

“Yeah, sounds great.” I mumbled, picking up the champagne flute.

“Wonderful,” My mother clapped her hands excitedly. “I’ll call Francine.”

“She’ll be excited to hear from you.”

“How’s work, Jude?” My dad distracted Hastings, pulling him into a conversation, only this allowed Hastings to work his dark magic in seducing them into thinking he was a good person.

He wasn’t. No way.

As I listened to my parents both fawn over him, I had one goal in mind. Make him fall in love with me so hard I can watch him crash and burn in a flaming pit of fire, and I will go down in history as the one girl who broke Jude Hastings heart.

[soyforramen]

Old Times

Gladys hadn’t been back in town for a month before Alice showed up on her front porch at four in the morning, tears streaking down her cheeks (makeup looking just as good as when she’d applied it that morning; gotta love a woman who can afford Avon).  A wide-eyed teenager, the spiting image of a younger, more precocious Alice, tagged along behind her.  Without hesitation Gladys ground her cigarette out on the arm of the rocker (saved from Mr. O’Neil’s Tuesday trash pile) and pulled them both inside.

Without a word spoken, Gladys went to change the sheets in her bedroom.  Alice and the girl spoke softly in the kitchen, and try as she might, Gladys couldn’t make out a single word.  Whatever it was, it had been bad enough to bring Alice here and not one of her fancy, high-society friends’ houses (probably put out jello molds and finger sandwiches and food that tasted like creamed dirt).  Something big enough to ruin the entire Cooper household.

The pillowcase hung from the bottom of the pillow, wrapped around its middle in a suffocating grip, as she realized Hal hadn’t been with them.  In fact, she hadn’t seen Hal and Alice in the same place since she’d moved back to town (long-since overstayed, parents basement too crowded with two bickering teens and three shifts at the grocery store, g.e.d. just out of reach).  She’d exchanged enough nods with Hal in the frozen dinner aisle, both pretending the space between them wasn’t mired in ancient history and still raw rivalry.  Her path with Alice was limited to the high school drop-off lane, the one public gesture of maternal affection Jughead still allowed

Now, though.  She sighed.  It wasn’t uncommon for the women around here to lean on one another for comfort and safety.  Sad, really, how often that came on the heels of the men not living up to even the lowest standards.  

After a second thought, she fluffed up pillows and headed back towards the kitchen.  Coming towards her in the claustrophobic hallway came Alice and her child (Betty, she realized with a flash of deja vu, a reminder of when she and Jughead were the ones on the other end of this), and Gladys flattened herself against the wall.

“Thanks, Ms. Jones,” Betty murmured, her eyes downcast.

Gladys hadn’t the heart to tell her she hadn’t been a Jones for almost fifteen years.  

“Not a problem at all, darlin’.  What do you think about strawberry pancakes in the morning?”

Betty gave her a watery smile and Alice shooed her into the bedroom.  The door closed behind them, and Gladys let out a heavy breath.  There was always something going wrong around here.  You expected it, but it still hurt to see it happen.

Filled with a nervous energy (live wired and on fire, as her daddy used to say before the tar and the coal got to him; put a cork in that and you could power the whole nothern half of the states), Gladys flitted around the house, straightening and tucking and dusting, nothing seeming to be enough anymore.  She had another two hours before she had to be at her first shift at the factory down the road.  Then again, maybe she’d return that long ago favor and call in sick.  After all, she was entitled to a few days here and there (nothing like the dump in toledo where they squeezed every drop of your soul, pennies on the dollar, and still demanded more).

Just as she was running a cloth over the television set (only three channels, black and white; older than either of her children who preferred leeching ole’ henry’s wifi instead of -), the bedroom door shut quietly.  Gladys straightened and waited for Alice to appear.  When their eyes met, Alice’s stoic, no-nonsense rock solid mask crumbled into a mess of tears and grief.

“He’s -“

Poor gal couldn’t even speak properly anymore.  Whatever Hal’d done, it was enough to knock the sense out of Alice, and that was a scary enough prospect on its own.  She hadn’t been that thrown for a loop since they’d raided (stole) Mantle’s stash of E (curled up like kittens, high in the dusty sunlight on the trailer floor, alice laying out her future with hal and not her…).

Gladys quieted her and lead Alice to the love seat (third-hand from earl and katie, bless their hearts even though it did smell like that damn cat).  Alice tried to apologize for the interruption, but Gladys refused to let her.  Jughead she didn’t have to worry about - boy slept like a brick in a tornado - and J.B. was at a sleepover with some of her friends (best friends on the first day of school, always did get her daddy’s better traits, while jug soured down into his old records and writing, lost in his own world, too much like his mama to make anything of it).

Once Alice was settled, Gladys poured out a shot of rum and set it on the coffee table along with a box of tissues.  A few steps back, and Gladys was in the kitchen to give Alice a modicum of peace in the tiny trailer.  She poured a glass of water and set it next to the empty shot glass.

“Another one?  I have whiskey, too.”

Alice shook her head, a crumbled tissue in her hand halfway shredded to hell and back already.  On the table lay three more (three bucks a pop here, can you believe) and Gladys couldn’t help but want that to be the remnants of Hal’s body.  

“Hal, he -“ Alice’s words were cut off with a gut wrenching sob, and Gladys rushed to her.

Like she did when the kids woke up from their nightmares, she murmured platitudes and soft words, her arms wrapped around Alice in a cocoon of safety.  After a good long cry (glad she still wore waterproof, cheap, drugstore mascara would have ruined the fabric, though the concealer would do hell on the blouse), Alice steadied herself.

Despite her hair falling out of its unnatural wave, despite the botchy cheeks, red eyes, and snotty nose, Gladys was still struck by how well Alice carried herself.  Likely an armor built up having to suppress anger and frustration in this ticky-tacky town (hoa’s, pta’s, cya’s).  A rose of anger bloomed on her cheeks sent Gladys rocking back on her heels, a thrum of excitement rushing through her.

“I suppose you’ve heard about our town’s little problem,” Alice said, still speaking in polite euphemisms and innuendos.  She reached for the glass of water and primly cleared her throat (cats and spots, zebras and strips, snakes and scales; once, always).

“Depends on which one you mean,” Gladys said.  

She was being sarcastic, she knew, but it was the truth.  Riverdale hadn’t changed much from when they were growing up, damn whatever bullshit Hiram and his developers were trying to sell.  It still had the same pristine front, picture perfect suburban life style, full of well respected men trying to save the village green from its own preservation society, but now the fetid foundation it had been built upon was bubbling out from the seams.  The drugs, gangs, and murders were more visible now, no longer brushed under the railroad tracks into the Southside of town.

Hell, the only new thing about it seemed to be the mafia trying to gain a foothold.  And Gladys had her own plans on how to deal with that.

Mostly, though, she’d missed being able to push Alice’s buttons (eyes narrowed, tongue beneath her teeth, a flash of heat in a pan), to get a rise from her so she was the center of her focus.  If nothing else, it drew Alice’s attention away from her grief at hand.  

“But, if you’re talking about that black hood idiot,” Gladys drawled, wincing at the pins and needles attacking her as she stood, “then I’ve heard a bit.”

“Yes, well.”  Alice cleared her throat and looked away.  “It turns out you were right.  About Hal.”

“Oh?”

Gladys let it hang in the air.  It wasn’t often that Alice Cooper, nee Smith, admitted to being wrong about anything, especially when it came to her life choices.  And yet the juxtaposition of the two - the Black Hood and Hal - had caught her attention like a hook in a trout’s belly.

“About -?”

“About Hal,” Alice snapped.

She stood to pace the thin carpet of the trailer, her hands wrapped tight around her arms, the pastel green cardigan wrinkling under her fingers.  

“He’s been going around these past few months like a god damned fool, playing at being an avenging angel, murdering people who he thought deserved it.  I can’t believe I bought his lie about going bowling. The man can’t even lift a lawnmower, let alone a bowling ball.”

Gladys sat down on the love seat, one leg thrown onto the coffee table and watched Alice stew in front of her.  It was a mirror image of fifteen years ago, almost to the day.  She gently touched the corner of her eye, still bearing a white scar, and cursed the day she’d ever met that man.

“And then the bastard has the audacity to say that our children need to be purified.  That I need to be purified.  It was bad enough that he sent that letter to Polly, what he did to Betty -“

Alice stopped and tugged at her hair (bottle blonde to cover up the slow, steady march of time; at least a week’s worth of gladys’ pay for vanity every month).  Gladys stood and guided Alice back to the love seat.

“How about you start from the beginning?”

Another stream of tears, this time borne of frustration and anger, slipped down Alice’s cheeks as she dove head first into the long tale.  Hal always had thought himself above the rest of the town (secret son, hidden away from the world) even though his own sins bore bitter fruit of their own (alice angry and self-destructive in senior year; drunk on the floor; od’ed in the bathroom; blood running down wrists).   Somehow he’d managed to fuel that into something more productive - a picture perfect nuclear family and modest but plentiful business - until he finally didn’t.  

The first murder attempt, then the second, third, and fourth followed, no longer attempts.  Quit murders in the surrounding counties that went with only a few murmurs of disapproval.  Even his own family hadn’t been immune; daughters, tortured and deceived by the man meant to protect them from such things (kids of all things; for crissakes was nothing sacred?.

And Alice…

When she was done with her macabre tale, ending in Hal’s entrapment of his family and their violent escape, Gladys let out a low whistle.

“Well.  Shit.”

Alice let out a wet, wry laugh.  She curled her legs up under her and hugged a throw pillow tight (bought on a whim at a yard sale - two’fer deal she’d haggled; matched the lace curtains jb couldn’t help but make fun of).  Gladys stood and walked towards where her father’s urn sat on the mantle, a place of honor in a family who had little to do with ghosts of the past.

“What do you want to do about it?” Gladys asked.  

Standing on her tiptoes, she reached in an pulled out a rusted Altoids tin and a lighter.  When Alice caught sight of it she let out a real laugh this time, one that drew memories of simpler, happier times when it had just been the two of them against the world.  Wonder Woman and Sarah Conner, united together.  Until they grew up and out of middle school dreams and into the real world where bills piled up and mouths had to be fed.  

“You know we’re not in high school, right?”

Gladys grinned and fell onto the love seat next to her.  She popped open the tin and held it out to Alice.

“Do you want to do the honors?  You always were better at it than I ever was.”

Alice chewed her lip, the implications and scandal of what Gladys was proposing flashed across her eyes.  It was easy enough to guess the arguments against it, the same old ones she’d heard before (what if your mom/daughter/sister finds out you keep that in there? she’ll be more pissed that she didn’t find it sooner), but her hand was steady when she took the tin. Gladys watched her fingers work, long thin fingers still trapped by a band of gold.  The ring of a promise that fell flat and brought with it a hell of a right-hook in the end.

As she watched, Gladys let her mind wonder what would have happened if they hadn’t allowed themselves to be torn apart in high school.  If she’d only beaten the truth out of Hal in junior year when Alice vanished.  If only, if only, if only.

“What I want,” Alice said with a finality, the lid snapping shut a punctuation to her decision, “is to rip his guts out and feed them to him while that harpy mother of his watches.”

Gladys flicked the lighter, the flame dancing around the end of the joint.  Her eyes didn’t move from Alice’s lips as she took a hit.  Lines ebbed and faded, reminders of their time spent apart, waves of years and youth wasted.  In the poor ventilation of the trailer, the smoke wrapped them in a thin cocoon of safety, a gauzy curtain to shield them against the reality of their choices.

“Might have to lay a tarp down, but I know a few guys.”

The phrase sent Alice into a fit of giggles (ask freddie and fp, they know some guys) and Gladys shushed her with a crooked smile, reminding her that Betty lay sleeping not forty feet away.  Alice took another took and blew the smoke into Gladys’ face, a ribbon that caressed and teased her skin

“Or we could take care of it ourselves.”

“Just like old times?”

“Just like old times.”

(A few months later found Jughead and Betty at Pop’s working on a school project under Gladys’ critical eye.  Jughead, used to his mother’s hovering nature, enjoyed the free fries she dropped off between customers; Betty, it seemed, was far more perturbed by the woman’s sudden closeness with her mother.  It wasn’t until they were writing about Lady McBeth  (‘out damn spot’ seemed to Jughead less of a guilt ridden complex after this Black Hood business and more of an attempt at an evidentiary coverup) that he spoke on a subject that had been bothering him for a few weeks.

“Doesn’t it seem odd?”

Betty hummed and continued to write.  “What seems odd?”

“My father disappears three months before my mother leaves town, never to be seen again.  We come back, and three months later your dad disappears.  And each time, our mothers renewed their friendship just weeks before.”

Any goodwill Betty might have held towards Jughead froze quickly at the implications in his words.  Her fingers gripped the mechanical pencil hard enough her knuckles went white and the plastic cracked.  

“My father was a serial killer,” she snapped.  Blooms of anger rose on her checks and Jughead shifted under her glare.  “It’s not surprising that he’d run away after trying to kill his wife and his daughter in their own home.”

Cowed, Jughead picked at the lukewarm fries.  Her words didn’t change his mind, didn’t move his suspicions a single degree, but it did quiet his need to pry further into her opinion.

The matter was dropped as Macbeth and his realm descended further into madness.)

[wolfpackimagines14]

Sadie Black (Chapter 4)

The beginning of the next week was normal and calm, but as soon as Thursday came around, it seemed like the start of the week was the calm before the storm.

It was Thursday that Bella decided it was a good idea to jump off the cliff that the pack went diving off of all the time. She hadn’t accounted for the rough waves and the rocks that a human like her wouldn’t be able to handle.

Jacob had rescued her from drowning and when she had woken up after throwing up a load of water from her lungs, she had been panicked. She said that she had seen Victoria in the water with her. This sent a panic through the pack.

Kim and I were quickly ushered to Emily’s house, with Embry on patrol directly outside the house while the rest of the pack, besides Jacob, were running the perimeter of the reservation looking for any trace of Victoria.

It was a long day, especially when my father called the house to inform us that Harry Clearwater had died of a heart attack. What was even more shocking was that both of his children, Leah and Seth, had shifted for the first time.

A girl werewolf? No one had ever considered that to be a possibility. And with her and Sam’s history, this was going to be awkward.

And Seth, that poor kid was only 14 and he had to deal with all this.

Kim and I knew that we weren’t going to be leaving Emily’s anytime soon. With Victoria on the loose and two new wolves to take care of, the pack would be busy enough without their imprints being in more than one place.

Luckily, we kept some spare clothes here in case an emergency, just like this one, ever occurred. I pulled my hair into a large bun on the top of my head and changed into some leggings and one of Paul’s sweatshirts that he never wore anymore. Luckily it still smelt like him.

We stayed up late, trying to stay up for when the boys would be home, but it didn’t exactly work out that way. We had started off strong by ordering pizza and french fries and a bunch of other food that we knew we wouldn’t be able to finish. But I had fallen asleep sometime around 2:00 in the morning on the armchair in the corner of the living room in the middle of some random movie we had decided on.

It wasn’t until 4 that the boys came back. Paul had lifted me up and I cuddled into his chest as he carried me out to his truck. He set me down in the passenger seat and made his way over to the drivers side. As soon as he climbed in, I lowered myself so my head was laying on his thigh. He drove home with one hand on the wheel and the other running his hands through my hair.

“Arms up,” he told me softly once he had set me down on the bed.

I did as I was told and he pulled the sweatshirt off of my body, leaving me in just a sports bra and the leggings I had changed into earlier.

“Where’s my dad?” I wondered out loud as Paul changed into a new pair of shorts that he kept in my room. He ripped through so many of them that he kept them almost everywhere.

“He’s with Sue,” he answered my inquiry. He climbed into bed, pulling me down into his chest. “The funeral’s on Saturday.”

I didn’t have anymore tears to cry. I had loved Harry like an uncle. He was practically my second father.

“You’ll go with me, right?” I whispered.

“Of course I will,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “Now let’s get some sleep.”

The next day, or I suppose it was the same day since we had gone to bed so late, Paul and I woke up to Jacob’s grunts of frustration in his bedroom next to mine.

Glancing over at the clock, I was shocked to realize it was already lunch time. I pulled away from Paul, making him groan.

“5 more minutes,” he whined, pulling me back by my wrist.

“But I’m starving,” I moaned back. And as if to reiterate what I had said, my stomach let out a loud growl. “I’ll make you pancakes.”

“Fine,” he sighed before pulling my wrist once more, pulling me down so he could kiss me softly. He let me go and I pulled a shirt on before making my way out into the hallway.

I stopped at Jacob’s door, knocking lightly before opening it. I gasped softly at the sight. There was clothes strewn all over the floor and the sheets on his bed were on the ground. Sure his room wasn’t the cleanest, but it was never this messy.

“Jake?” I called out to him. He was sitting laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. “Do you want any pancakes?”

He didn’t respond.

“Are you okay?” I asked him.

“One of the Cullens came back,” he muttered angrily.

“What?” Paul questioned, coming up behind me. “Which one?”

“The small one… I think her name’s Alice.”

“While you two discuss this, I’ll go start those pancakes,” I sighed, stepping away from the tense atmosphere.

After our late breakfast, Jacob and Paul dropped me off at the Clearwater’s house on their way to inform Sam and the rest of the pack about the Cullens possibly returning. I spent the day helping Sue and my father with the plans for the funeral. Not only was Sue mourning her husband, but her two children were now werewolves.

The next day, the funeral went as well as a funeral could go. Paul didn’t leave my side the whole time. The last time I had been to a funeral it was my mother’s. At least this time the body wasn’t so badly hurt that the coffin had to be closed.

The whole reservation was there, even the pack. Well, actually, everyone but Jacob. That seemed to be a trend lately. I didn’t even care anymore that he was probably at Bella’s.

That night though, I was getting ready for bed when Jacob came home. I could tell he was angry by the way that he carried himself. His 6’7 frame was all hunched over itself as he sat on the couch and he was shaking. My first thought was that he was about to shift and that I should call Paul or Sam, but I realized that he wasn’t shaking because he was going to shift, he was shaking because he was crying.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, walking over and sat next to him, hugging him tightly.

“She chose him,” he groaned. “She chose someone who is literally dead over me, Sadie! I don’t understand.”

I sighed. I knew this would happen. I knew that Bella would eventually drop my brother.

“She doesn’t deserve you,” I reassured him. “Let her live her life the way that she wants to. You can focus more on the pack… and school too. Your grades have been slipping. You deserve better.”

“I just don’t understand…”

“I don’t either, but you need to forget about Bella Swan.”

“I’m sorry I let her punch you,” he told me softly after a moment of silence. “I was so blind.”

“It’s okay, Jake,” I reassured him.

“It’s not,” he muttered, pulling me into a hug. “But I’ll make it up to you… I promise.”

[jugxbets]

Archie's Little Sister: Chapter Six

A/N: i sorta had writer’s block in the middle of this, so if it’s not great, i’m sorrryyy!!! hopefully the next chapter will be. i hope you enjoy!

Warnings: cursing, Alex being extra bitchy in this, butt sex reference? (hint: don’t drop the soap!)

No Summary.

Tags: @myboyjarpad @zook7430

(let me know if you want to be tagged.)

——————————————————————————

“Faster, Pussycats! Kill! Kill!”

It was morning. Alex was relieved she no longer had to get up earlier than everybody else to avoid them, but today she had to.

Betty invited her to have breakfast at her house. She was a little nervous, especially because of the incident that happened on the night of the drive-in.

She knew her mom would comment on it and she had to brace herself for it.

Jughead was also invited.

The only reason Betty invited both of them was for more of a scheme.

Betty had to get her mom off her back to snoop around her things and find anything that could lead her to where Polly is.

And they were going to help her do just that.

Alex showered, got dressed, did her makeup and hair in less than two hours.

She forgot to tell her dad last night but she didn’t think he’d have a problem with it.

She walked downstairs and already saw him cooking.

“Hi, dad. Bye, dad.” She said as she made her way to the front door.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Fred stopped her as he approached her. “Where do you think you’re going?”

She rolled her eyes and turned around on her heel.

“To The Cooper’s for breakfast. Betty invited me.” She explained.

He scoffed.

“Why? I make perfectly good food here.” Fred said.

She chuckled. “I agree, but Betty is my friend. She thought it’d be nice to have me over there.”

Fred was hesitant. “Alright. Go on. Have fun.”

She smiled. “Thanks, dad. See you later.”

She walked out and saw that Jughead was already there.

“Good morning.” She awkwardly greeted.

“Morning.” He said, uninterested.

She rolled her eyes and knocked.

Betty opened the door.

“You’re just in time! We just finished making pancakes.” Betty said with a smile.

Jughead and Alex walked in.

Betty lead them to her kitchen where they saw their plates already made.

They sat down and Jughead starting digging in.

Alex wasn’t really hungry but she had to play the part.

It was awkward at first until Mrs. Cooper started talking.

“So,” She said, taking her cup of tea up to her mouth. “I suppose I have you two to thank for Betty’s ongoing obsession with this Jason Blossom ghoulishness?”

Alex took a deep breath while she and Jughead shared a look.

“Actually, mom, I was the one who asked Jughead and Alex to help me write it for the Blue and Gold.” Betty corrected her.

Alice laughed. “Relax, Betty. I’m just making conversation.”

Betty sighed.

Jughead was sipping on his orange juice when Betty shot him a look.

He looked back at her then glanced at Alex.

She raised a brow. That was his cue.

They had already gone over the plan on how to distract Betty’s mom.

“Do you guys have a bathroom I could use?” Jughead asked as he set the glass of orange juice down.

“Sure, i’ll show you.” Betty said as she got up.

“No, no. I’ll show him.” Alice insisted as she got up instead and led him down the hall.

“Follow me…. Jughead.”

Betty put on a smile the best that she could as did Alex.

As soon as they left, Alex opened the camera app on her phone while Betty looked through her mom’s purse.

“What exactly are we looking for?” Alex whispered.

“A check. Phonebook. Notes. Anything with numbers or names on it.” Betty whispered back.

She found a book that was covered in different names.

Betty held it open as Alex took a couple of photos of the book.

She went through a couple of other small books and did the same thing.

As soon as she heard them come back, Betty put the stuff back where they were and sat back to where she was.

Alex was already sitting by then.

“Uh, we better get going.” Betty nervously said as she stood up.

Alex joined her.

They said goodbye and walked to school.

“Did you find anything?” Jughead asked.

“A couple of things.” Betty responded.

“We just have to look through these pictures.” Alex said as she lifted her phone.

“At the office.” Betty insisted.

Alex and Jughead nodded.

“If we find anything, we find a way to get there, and go as soon as possible.” Betty said.

Alex felt a bit nervous but went along with it.

They got to school.

She saw Archie and decided to wish him some luck.

Today, auditions were being held for the Variety Show and Archie decided to audition.

“I’ll see you guys.” She waved Betty and Jughead off.

She approached him.

“Hey, break a leg.” She smiled.

He smiled back. She could tell he was nervous.

“Thanks.”

“You’re gonna do amazing. I know it.” Alex nodded.

He nervously chuckled.

“I’ll be in the audience cheering you on.” She assured him.

“I don’t know, i just.. Maybe i’d feel better if you were up there singing with me?”

Alex eyes widened. She pulled him to the side so no one could hear what they were talking about.

He wrote a song a couple weeks back that needed two voices. He asked for her help and surprisingly, she had a good voice. Archie started begging her to do duets with him but she didn’t want to. She liked to dance, not sing.

“Archie, that was a one time thing.” She whispered harshly.

He laughed. “Come on, you have an amazing voice. Of course, not like mine..”

She glared at him. “My passion is dancing. Not singing. If i sing, people will think that i wanna be just like you.”

“Who cares what people think?” Archie scoffed.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s not just that. I’m not singing with you again.”

He grinned.

“Besides, you’ve got to do this alone. You were born alone, you’ll die alone, and in between, you sing alone.” She raised a brow.

He sighed. “I’ll just find someone else.”

She scoffed. “I’ll see you at the auditions.”

She walked off into her class.

After class, she found Veronica and they made their way to the auditorium.

They sat in the very first row.

Archie had to go first. Kevin went by alphabetical order when he called out the student’s names.

“Archie Andrews.” Kevin called out.

He came out with his guitar around his torso.

Alex and Veronica cheered as loud as they could, getting some bad looks by the students around them.

Alex flipped them off.

“And what will you be auditioning with?” Kevin asked.

Archie gripped the mic. “Uh, an original song that I wrote called ‘I’ll Try.’”

“Try harder!” Reggie heckled from the back. “Maybe try not sucking so much.”

Alex stood up and looked back at him.

“Hey, Reggie. Maybe try not being such a fucking douche all the time.”

His teammates laughed at her comment as he went poker faced. Veronica snickered.

She sat back down and her attention went back to Archie.

She saw him shaking and sweating.

She had a feeling he would walk off but she had a little bit of faith in him.

“Take your time, Archie.” Kevin tried to speed it up. “Though we do have people waiting.”

Alex nudged him.

He glanced at her with an apologetic look.

“Oh, my god, what’s happening?” Veronica whispered.

“He’s choking.” Josie responded with an amused tone.

Alex glared at her and her Pussycats.

“Archie? Clock’s ticking.” Kevin pushed him.

“Excuse me. Sorry, I gotta go.” Archie blurted out and walked off.

Alex scoffed. Josie’s comment didn’t leave her head.

She turned around and gave her a piece of her mind.

“You know, you think you’re all hot shit just because you’re in a band? This is the only town that knows your name. Don’t let that get to your pretty little head.” Alex hissed.

Josie and her Pussycats glared at her. Melody was about to say something when Josie stopped her with her hand.

“She’s not worth it. Come on.” Josie got up and lead her Pussycats out of the auditorium.

Alex waved with a fake smile.

“You are just so protective of Archie, aren’t you?” Veronica chuckled.

“More than anyone could ever know.” Alex simply responded. “Am I wrong though?”

Veronica laughed in response.

Alex got up and went after Archie.

When she got to the hall, he was nowhere to be found. She sighed and decided to meet Betty and Jughead at the Blue and Gold office.

She walked in and only saw Betty in there.

“Hey, you ready to do this?” Alex asked, pulling out her phone.

Betty nodded. “I need answers.”

Alex gave her, her phone as Jughead walked in.

Betty went back and forth through the pictures.

“Anything?” Jughead asked.

She kept going back to one in particular. It was a check.

“'The Sisters of Quiet Mercy.’” Betty read the check.

Alex scoffed. “Uh, what the hell?”

“What is that? Like a church? Or a charity?” She asked Jughead.

He had already settled his laptop down and opened it to be ready to search for anything Betty and Alex found.

Alex nudged him so he can search for it.

Betty and Alex both hovered over him and his laptop as he obliged.

“No. It’s a..” Jughead trailed off. “Home for troubled youths.”

“Where disenfranchised teens will learn such virtues as discipline and respect, enjoying lives of quiet and reflection servitude.” Alex read on.

“Poor Polly.” Betty whispered.

“We should go there tomorrow after school. But right now, we gotta get to our next period.” Jughead said, checking the time on his computer.

Betty and Alex nodded.

Jughead closed his laptop and stood up.

They walked out of the office and went their separate ways.

——————————————————————————

It was lunch time.

Alex was a little late going to their usual table.

She walked over and saw that Valerie was sitting in her spot, next to Archie.

She glared at Archie who gave her an apologetic look.

She rolled her eyes and sat next to Betty.

Betty sighed and smiled at Alex.

“There’s gotta be a reason my mom and dad don’t want me to see Polly.” Betty continued. “But I don’t care anymore.”

Alex overheard her talking about it when she walked over.

“What are you guys talking about?” Archie asked, breaking their thinking.

They all turned to look at him.

“Anything i can help with?” He continued.

Alex furrowed her eyebrows. “Since when do you want to help?”

“What we’re attempting is a stealth operation, Archie.” Jughead explained. “If we go in there with the entire Scooby Gang, forget it, we’re compromised.”

“Well, don’t you have to practice for the Variety Show anyways?” Betty mentioned.

Archie looked at Alex. Then at Valerie.

“Uh, no. I don’t.” Archie muttered.

“Wait, why?” Alex asked.

He shrugged.

“Except that yes, you do.” Veronica showed up out of nowhere with Kevin. “Thanks to a certain Veronica-ex-machina.”

“What do you mean?” Valerie asked.

“Oh, nothing. Just that I had a few words with our director/host and reminded him that he’s heard you sing on numerous occasions.” Veronica continued as she sat between Archie and Val.

“Even though it compromises my artistic integrity.” Kevin said.

Alex chuckled.

“Cutting to the chase, you have the slot if you want it.” Veronica turned to Archie.

Alex looked at Archie.

“You have to take it.” Alex said.

He sighed. “Veronica, thank you, but you saw what happened.”

“We all did.” Kevin mentioned.

Alex rolled her eyes. “Suck it up, Arch.”

Veronica chuckled.

“Playing my songs in front of you guys is one thing, but getting back up in that stage by myself…” Archie trailed off at the thought of it.

Alex groaned. “Stop being such a pussy!”

Archie sighed. “I just don’t think i’m ready for that.”

“If it’s a partner you’re looking for, Veronica Lodge is more than willing and able.” Veronica volunteered.

“Veronica, i didn’t know you can sing.” Betty smiled.

Alex rolled her eyes. Archie caught it.

“You jealous, Alex?” He smirked.

She knew what he was trying to do.

“Why would she be jealous?” Veronica chuckled.

Alex glared at Archie. “Don’t.”

Everyone started looking at them confused.

“I mean.. I did ask you to sing with me to begin with.” Archie said, fighting back a smile.

Everyone’s eyes widened and gasped.

“You can sing, too?” Kevin asked.

“What? I’ve never even heard you.” Betty commented.

“Who would’ve thought.” Veronica joined.

“Thanks, Archie.” Alex snarled at Archie.

He chuckled.

“No, I can’t sing. Archie is just stupid.” Alex defended.

Archie raised his brows. “Oh really? Do you remember that demo we recorded?”

Alex scoffed.

“I’ll be more than happy to prove you wrong—” Archie was cut off by Alex kicking him under the table.

He groaned in pain.

Alex took a deep breath.

“Okay, fine. I can sing.” Alex agitatedly blurted out.

Everyone scoffed.

“Then its you who should be singing with Archie!” Veronica began.

Alex shook her head. “My passion isn’t singing. Not like Archie.”

“You can have more than one passion, you know.” Veronica shrugged.

Alex shook her head. “I just don’t want to. Archie has to do this by himself.”

Archie sighed in defeat.

“I mean i really wish it was you, but Veronica,” He turned to look at her. “Show me what you got.”

They smiled at each other.

Alex sensed jealousy from Val.

“Meanwhile, we have to find a way to get to where Polly is.” Betty turned to look at both Jughead and Alex.

“Wait, are you even gonna be there?” Archie asked Alex.

She hesitated to respond.

Archie scoffed. “What the hell, Alex!”

Alex sighed. “I’ll be there, alright?”

Archie glared at her.

“I will!” She tried convincing him.

“You better.” Archie playfully warned her.

She sighed.

Their lunch period ended. They went their separate ways to go on with their day.

——————————————————————————

Archie and Alex ended up back at their house.

They were both in Archie’s room. Alex was going through some of his comics while Archie laid on his bed with his guitar, occasionally strumming it.

“I’m offended.” Alex said, not looking up from the comic book.

She was sitting in the floor, leaning on Archie’s bed.

Archie’s eyebrows furrowed. “By what?”

“At the fact that you go more to Valerie now than to me. I was there for you since day one, remember?” Alex said, finally glancing over her shoulder to look at him.

He sat up.

“It’s not personal. She’s just got more…”

Alex paused and glared at him.

“Experience?” Alex finished for him.

He sighed. “You can come to our session tomorrow.”

She scoffed and her attention went back to the comic book.

“No, really. You can come observe and, you know, suggest.” Archie shrugged.

Alex rolled her eyes. “If you don’t need me anymore then what’s the point?”

“Oh, come on. It’s not like that.” Archie groaned.

“Whatever.” She sighed.

“Please come. I do actually miss writing songs with you.” Archie begged.

She looked at him again. “Fine. But aren’t you and Veronica suppose to be having this session?”

Archie shook his head. “Val’s in now. She quit the Pussycats.”

Alex scoffed. Then shrugged.

A knock interrupted. They both perked up when they was it was their dad.

“Are you guys actually spending time together?” Fred asked, not believing his eyes.

They both chuckled.

“Uh, so i just wanted to let you guys know, I bought tickets for all the guys at work to come see you in the Variety Show.” He looked at Archie.

Alex rolled her eyes while Archie nodded.

“Of course.” Alex said under her breath.

“Hey, i asked you to perform with me.” Archie reminded her once again.

Alex scoffed. “Geez, are you trying to tell the whole world?”

“Wait, you sing?” Fred asked.

“No!” Alex groaned.

Fred gave Archie a questioning look. Archie just nodded.

“Anyway,” Alex said, changing the subject. “You were saying?”

“Oh, uh, yeah, me and Hermoine. We’re gonna go together.” Fred mentioned. “With each other, I…” He trailed off.

Alex scoffed. “What?”

“I don’t really know how to say this, and I don’t want to make a too big a deal of it, but, uh…” He trailed off once again.

Alex was feeling her anger rise while Archie seemed to be cool with it.

“Dad, it’s okay.” Archie nodded. “You’re good.”

Alex got up infuriated.

“uh, no, he’s not.” She crossed her arms.

“What the hell are you thinking going out with Hermione Lodge? She’s MARRIED. So are you, if i recall.” Alex raised her voice.

“It’s complicated, Alex.” Fred stammered.

She scoffed. “It’s really not. And why her? She could be using you for your company, dad! Don’t be stupid!”

Archie interrupted her.

“Alex, if she makes dad happy then just let them be.” Archie reasoned.

She let out a frustrated groan and stormed off into her room.

She slammed the door and buried herself in her bed.

She heard her dad knock on the door and groaned.

He walked in at her response.

“I am not sitting next to you or that crone.” Alex muffled.

Fred sighed. “She’s not a bad person, Alex.”

“If she’s anything like Veronica, she’s unbearable.” Alex lifted her head to make herself sound more clear.

“Stop acting like a child. Just come meet her. I’m sure you’ll like her.” Fred tried to reason.

Alex turned to him and glared.

“I’m sitting front row, away from you two, by myself.” Alex said slowly and surely.

Fred sighed once again.

Alex buried her face into her pillows again.

“Alright, if that’s how you want to play it, fine.” Fred walked out as Alex waved him off.

She felt partially bad for not approving of his date but they were both married. Her husband was a bad person that could come back around and make sure Fred was gone forever.

If anything, she was only protecting him.

——————————————————————————

It was the next day.

Archie and Val were singing together.

Alex was there to “observe,” but she wasn’t paying all that much attention.

“So, what’d you think?” Archie asked, snapping Alex out of her thoughts.

She slightly shook her head and went back to reality.

“Uh, i thought it was good. I don’t think Veronica will agree though.” Alex said as she saw her walk into the Student’s Lounge.

Veronica looked upset.

“Not to be that girl, Archie, but i didn’t get the memo we were adding another voice to the mix.” Veronica hinted her slight anger as she approached them.

They all perked up.

“Ronnie, hey. Great news! Valerie quit the Pussycats!” Archie delightedly said.

Valerie smiled but it was gone as soon as she saw Veronica’s reaction.

“Oh, no.” Alex said under her breath, sensing the vibes she was getting from Veronica.

“So,” Veronica began. “That makes me what, then? Backup?”

Alex shook her head. “No, it just means he’s singing with Val instead of you.”

Archie glared at her. She shrugged.

Veronica scoffed.

“No, i mean, you were just doing it as a favor to me, right?” Archie tried to get the situation straight.

Alex cringed. He kept fucking up.

“You are unbelievable, Archie.” Veronica chuckled humorlessly. “You literally have zero loyalty, you ginger Judas!”

“It’s not that serious, V.” Alex rolled her eyes as she laid back on the couch. “Now say something that we don’t already know.”

Archie looked at her in disbelief. She smirked.

“Oh, just like that one time when he didn’t tell you about—” She paused when she realized Val was there.

Even though she stopped herself, Alex knew what she was going to say.

“That is completely different, you narcissistic bimbo.” Alex stood and got in her face.

“Whoa, hey!” Archie got in between them. “What is wrong with you, Veronica?”

“What’s wrong, Archie, besides the fact that you have no integrity whatsoever, is that your father kissed my mother.” Veronica finally blurted out what was really bothering her.

Alex’s brows furrowed.

“Um..” Val finally said. “Maybe i should leave.”

She got up.

“No, hold on. Hold on.” Archie stopped her.

“When my dad told me how he felt, it seemed like they were both really into each other.” Archie tried to reason with her.

Alex scoffed. “Oh, bullshit. Veronica’s mom is just using dad. We all know it.”

Veronica scoffed. “She would never do that. It’s an issue because they’re both married to other people!”

“Oh, please. You don’t really think your dad is getting some action in jail right now?” Alex said without thinking.

Veronica swung at her but Archie stopped her.

Alex laughed.

“What the hell, Veronica?” Archie held her back.

“Take it back, right now!” Veronica shouted.

Alex flipped her off and walked away.

She overheard them still arguing but ignored it.

She didn’t mean what she said but she figured she’d apologize later.

She had to meet Jughead and Betty at the Blue and Gold office to go talk to Polly.

They decided to take the bus there.

It was like a creepy asylum.

“Hey,” Jughead broke the silence. “Don’t judge a home for troubled youths by its facade, right?”

Alex glanced at both of them. Betty’s eyes were glossy.

“I’m sure she’s okay, Betty.” Alex assured her.

Betty sniffled and nodded.

She tightened her pony tail and led them inside.

They got to the front desk.

“Hi. My name is Elizabeth Cooper.” Betty introduced herself. “I’m here to see my sister, Polly.”

The old lady on the other side of the desk looked mean and was setting off an eerie vibe.

“May I see some identification?” She asked.

Betty pulled out her ID and gave it to the lady.

The lady passed Betty a clipboard.

“Sign in here please.”

She glanced at Alex and Jughead. “They’ll have to wait.”

They looked at each other and shrugged.

Men in white outfits escorted them to a separate room while the old lady took Betty to Polly.

They sat at a table in an empty room.

Alex felt nervous because she hadn’t been alone with Jughead since their make out session.

She planned on telling him that she didn’t know why she was thinking that day but she was scared that he had already moved on. He had been rather close to Betty.

She missed him. Not just the way his lips felt, but his presence. The way they would joke around. Have sarcastic conversations. She missed her best friend.

Jughead shuffled in his seat, nervously, trying to keep calm while he waited for Betty.

Alex broke the silence.

“Are we cool?” Alex asked, barely above a whisper.

Jughead was taken back. He didn’t expect her to talk to him.

He hesitated. “Yeah,”

She sighed. “I just miss you, Jug.”

He looked at her with soft eyes.

“I’ve missed you too. It’s just hard to be around you right now.” He admitted.

Alex furrowed her brows.

“It doesn’t have to be.” She shrugged.

He sighed. “You said it yourself, you need a break.”

“Yeah, don’t remind me.” Alex shook her head.

They both went silent once again.

“I wonder what information Polly has.” Alex said, trying to change the awkward vibe.

Jughead took a deep breath. “I don’t feel like it’s much, but Betty really wanted to see her, so..”

Alex nodded.

“Wait, won’t they notify her mom?” Alex paused.

Jughead snapped his head towards her, thinking that they might have.

“Shit.” He said under his breath.

“Oh.” Alex said as she realized that she could be right and it could be bad.

They tried calling Betty but they weren’t getting any signal.

“Shit!” Alex exclaimed, reaching her arm out as high as she could to get signal. “What are we gonna do?”

She turned around to look at Jughead and he just shrugged.

He looked like he went on full panic mode.

“Hey, i’m sure it’s gonna be alright.” Alex assured him.

Suddenly, the men were back. They escorted them outside of the room, meeting Betty and her mom.

Alice looked pissed. None of them said anything.

They walked down the hall, to be escorted all the way outside, where they saw Polly going to her room.

“Mom?” She said, her tone was filled with disgust.

“Polly..” Alice whispered.

“Alex?” Polly said with the same tone.

Alex gasped softly when she saw her baby bump. She froze.

Polly walked up to her mom.

“Jason’s dead? And you didn’t tell me? And you kept me in here?” She raised her voice.

The men across the hall noticed Polly getting loud and ran towards them.

“Baby, it’s for your own good.” Alice tried to calm her.

“Ugh! You always say that. And it’s not true!” She shouted as the men pulled her away.

“No! Betty!” Polly sobbed.

Jughead saw the men try to push Betty away from her and tried to go to her rescue.

He got held back by the other men escorting them.

They tried pushing Alex back, but she didn’t let herself.

“Get the fuck off me, i’m not even doing anything!” She said, shoving one of them.

She glanced over to Betty.

She hugged Polly and whispered something in her ear.

They eventually got pulled away and Polly got taken to her room. She threw a fit.

Betty and Alice sobbed.

Alex didn’t know what to feel in the moment. She wasn’t sad. She wasn’t mad.

Alice wiped her tears and turned to Betty.

“Don’t ever visit her again. Do you hear me, Betty?” Alice shouted.

She gripped Betty’s forearm and dragged her outside.

Jughead and Alex were continued to be escorted outside.

Alice shoved Betty in to her car and drove away.

“Are you okay?” Jughead asked Alex.

Alex shook her head.

“I’m just gonna walk it off.” She whimpered and walked away.

She sped walk all the twenty something blocks to her house.

She knew no one would be home since her dad had that dinner planned with Hermione and took Archie with him.

When she got home, that’s when everything hit her.

Polly was pregnant. The only explanation would be with Jason’s baby.

She felt herself having a panic attack and collapsed on the floor.

Jason never loved her. She wanted to believe that he did at some point. But he didn’t. He’s always wanted Polly.

Moments later, a knock at the door made her panic attack more intense.

When she didn’t answer the door, the person that knocked opened it.

It was Jughead.

He saw her on the floor, breathing for air and panicked.

He ran to her and held her.

“Alex, just breathe.” His voice broke.

“I-I’m t-trying.” She said between gasps.

“Everything’s going to be okay. Just breathe. Please.” He held her tighter.

She nodded and tried doing what he said.

It took a while but she finally calmed down. And Jughead held her until she did.

“Is there a reason you came?” She asked, barely above a whisper.

Jughead sighed. “I came to see if you were okay.”

“But why?” Alex asked, finally looking up at him.

His blue eyes were always breathtaking to her. She missed looking into them.

He sighed. “Because I still care about you, Alex.”

She scoffed. “You shouldn’t. I don’t deserve to be cared for.”

Jughead shook his head. “That’s where you’re wrong. You deserve more than to be taken care of.”

She chuckled humorlessly.

They finally stood up.

“I’m sorry if i caused you any pain, Jughead.” Alex’s voice broke.

The corner of his mouth twisted.

“It’s okay. You’ll always be my best friend, no matter what.” Jughead assured her.

She let out a small sob. They hugged it out.

Jughead left, leaving Alex alone to take a nap. She needed a break from the real world, even if it meant for at least an hour.

——————————————————————————

The talking in Archie’s room woke her up

She got up to see what they were talking about.

“Hey.” She croaked.

“Hey!” They both greeted her cheerfully.

She groaned at how loud they thought they needed to be.

“What are you guys talking about?” She rubbed her eyes was she walked over to sit on the arm rest of the chair Fred was sitting in.

“Not much. Just checking in with dad to see if he’d still support me if i tanked at the Variety Show.” Archie filled her in.

She scoffed. “Geez, Arch. You’ll be fine. Especially if you have Val with you. I don’t like her or the Pussycats very much but i won’t lie. They do have talent.”

Fred nodded. “My kids sure do have strong morals.”

Archie and Alex chuckled.

“Why are you awake? Go back to bed, sleepy head.” Fred patted Alex on her back.

She smiled. “Don’t have to tell me twice. Hey, how did that thing with the Mayor go?”

Fred sighed as he shared a look with Archie.

“The anonymous buyers have to approve. Which i doubt they will, but it’s all right. Uh, we’ll figure it out.”

They all nodded.

They talked a little bit more amongst each other, then went to bed.

——————————————————————————

It was the night of the Variety Show.

Archie had gone to practice with Valerie while Alex and Fred stayed behind.

They both got ready.

Alex wore a short, dark green velvet dress. It was a spaghetti strapped dress, so she knew she had to pair it with her coat.

She decided to actually wear heels with it as well.

She wore more makeup than usual but went natural with it.

She curled her hair in a way that didn’t look like her natural curls.

She was ready.

She walked downstairs.

She saw Fred at the dinner table, sipping on a beer and approached him. He seemed like he had zoned out.

“Ready?” She asked, trying to snap him back into reality.

He shook his head slightly and his attention went to her.

He smiled at her.

“Ready.”

He got up and got his coat.

Alex slipped on her pea coat, as did Fred.

He got his keys and they walked out to the car to drive to the school.

They arrived.

They entered the school. They went their separate ways. Alex was trying to avoid Hermione at all costs.

She went to the music room to check on Archie.

He was practicing alone.

She knocked on the door frame.

“Ready for showtime?” She asked as she leaned her head against the frame.

He smiled. “Yeah.”

She walked in, looking around the room.

“Where’s Val?” Her face twisted in confusion.

“Uh, i convinced her to join the Pussycats.” Archie responded.

She nodded.

“They need her more than i do.” He elaborated.

She smiled. “If you need someone to sing with you… I can do it.”

He brightened. “Really? A-are you serious?”

She laughed. “Yeah, i guess. I cant let you fail.”

He smiled at her.

“You know the song, right?” He asked, handing her the notes.

“I know 'I’ll Try,’ but not the one you wrote with Val.” She made it clear.

He chuckled. “That’s perfect.”

They got to practicing.

In the middle of practice, she kept getting messages from Betty and Jughead.

She ignored them.

It didn’t matter how important they were, she had to be there for Archie.

She figured they would meet up some other time.

Kevin interrupted moments later.

“It’s showtime, guys.”

They smiled at each other.

Alex was nervous but not as nervous as Archie.

They watched the Pussycats perform from the side of the stage. The side no one could see.

Alex thought they were good, they were just cocky.

Val occasionally glanced at Archie and smiled at him.

Eventually they finished, making the audience cheer.

They walked by Archie and Alex to go back stage.

“You guys killed it.” Archie complimented.

Val jumped and hugged Archie.

“Thanks! So will you guys.” She smiled. “I know you will, Archie.”

Alex didn’t say anything. She kept her attention on Kevin.

Archie nodded.

Veronica almost went back stage when she saw how nervous they both were.

The most noticeable of the two was Archie.

She approached them.

“Okay, so this is my mea culpa moment.” Veronica began. “I was angry at my mom and i took it out on both of you.”

Alex rolled her eyes.

“And i shouldn’t have tried to bench you when Valerie came back.” Archie admitted.

“Truer words could not have been spoken.” Veronica said.

They both chuckled.

Archie nudged Alex, as if he was telling her to apologize.

She sighed. “I guess i was a little harsh too. I didn’t mean what i said. I’m sorry.”

Veronica nodded. They hugged it out.

“Also…” Archie looked at Alex.

She tilted her head to the side in curiosity.

“Thank you, Alex. For everything. I just feel like i need to do this in my own.” Archie confessed.

Alex laughed and sighed in relief.

“Finally! And thank god. I was so not ready for this.” She chuckled.

“You’re gonna kill it, Archie. I know it. We all know it. I’ll be in the front row, cheering the loudest for you. You have all of our support whether you fail or not. Which you won’t.” She smiled.

Archie smiled back.

Kevin introduced him to the audience.

As soon as his name was called, Alex knew he was terrified. But she believed in him.

She walked with Veronica to their seats.

They saw him walk out.

There was long pause before he started.

He was beyond terrified. He looked at her for comfort, support, anything.

She smiled at him and he took that as all of the above.

He began playing.

Alex has never felt prouder of him.

She glanced over to their dad. Despite him being exceptionally close to Hermione, he looked proud too.

Alex was singing along to the lyrics, smiling as hard as she ever had. She swore she almost shed a tear.

He finished, making everyone stand and cheer for him. Alex cheering the loudest, as promised.

The 75th Annual Variety Show ended. Everyone congratulated their performers outside the auditorium.

Alex spotted Archie and gave him a big huge.

“I’m so proud of you!” She squealed as she threw herself at him.

He accepted her hug. He lifted her and spun her around, leaving both of them laughing.

“Thank you, Alex. You have no idea how much this means to me.” He smiled.

She smiled back.

Valerie approached them.

Archie looked at Alex, taking that as her cue to give them a moment.

She looked for her dad but was in no hurry, seeing as he was with Hermione.

She found them. Veronica was with them. She walked away, looking very upset.

“Hey, dad.” She awkwardly said.

“Hey, sweetheart.” He smiled. “Guess what?”

She looked at Hermione.

“What?”

“We got approved! The SoDale contract was awarded to Andrews construction.” Fred said, his tone filled with joy.

Alex threw her hands over her mouth as she gasped.

“Are you serious?! That’s amazing, dad!” She threw her arms around him.

He hugged her back, as tight as he could.

He pulled back.

“It’s all thanks to my lucky charm here.” Fred threw an arm around Hermione’s shoulder.

Alex smiled the best she could. Hermione did the same.

“I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced.” Hermione finally said. “I’m Hermione Lodge.”

She put her hand out to shake Alex’s.

Alex was hesitant to shake it. She looked at her dad, who gave her a look. She shook it.

“Alex.” She blandly said.

“Oh, is that short for Alexandra?” Hermione asked.

Alex sighed.

“Alexandria.” She corrected.

“Oh, that’s such a pretty name.” Hermione complimented.

“Thanks.” Alex shrugged.

Fred started getting frustrated with Alex’s once word responds.

Although, at the same time, he couldn’t complain. It could’ve been a lot worse.

Once they all said goodbye to everyone, they all went home.

[ask-the-phan-site]

Phan Cam: Don’t Winx or you’ll miss it (god, I’m running out of titles)

>Alfea Collage for Fairies. I came to do some janitorial work with Knut the Ogre with Professor Griselda inspecting us before going back to the cafe for my other work... Among other things.

I think that should do it for the day. You’ve been a big help.

Yes, I have to admit, you did good today. When Bloom mentioned you, I had my doubts, but I guess she wasn’t far off.

Thanks... I think.

Professor Griselda: Well, here’s your pay for the day.

Knut: Lookin’ forward to workin’ with you again.

>With that, Knut leaves for his break.

Professor Griselda: I really did have my doubts, though... With you and your friends being thieves and all.

?????????: True. But remember, they’re not ordinary thieves.

>In a wave of magic, Faragonda, the Headmistress of Alfea, appears. And how do you think they found out about me and my friends... It’s Faragonda, of course. The lady practically knows everything.

Ren: I still wonder why you didn’t have any doubts yourself.

I trust Bloom’s judgment. She wouldn’t trust you like this unless she know she must... And I agree that King Erendor is going too far. Creating that party against girls attending Red Fountain just to keep her and King Sky apart. What an abuse of power.

Ren: Don’t worry, Headmistress. We won’t stop until we take his Treasure and change his cognition.

Professor Griselda: You better... Or I have the authority to turn you and your friends in.

No need to go that far.

Headmistress Faragonda: Good luck to you and your friends, Phantom Thieves.

>I take my payment and head for the cafe.

>The Black Lagoon Cafe, rechristened the Heart Manor Maid and Butler Cafe.

I hear that one of the butlers here is very popular with the girls. He’s even an artist to boot.

I’ve seen him. He’s really got that whole Charm vibe to him.

Even though he pretty much rejected every girl who’s interested in him.

Actually, I’m more interested in that maid with the pigtails. She’s pretty cute for an Earth girl.

Clarice: (a bit offended) Hey, I have pigtails, too.

Speaking of pigtails, here they comes.

Welcome home, masters and princesses. What will you have today?

Ed: How about... Your number?

That’s not on the menu.

I’ll help you here, Ann chan.

Amaryl: (blushing) I guess that’s a good thing. What do you recommend?

How about... The Inferno?

Amaryl: (surprised) Oh my.

>Meanwhile at another table.

It looks like things are getting a little intense over there.

Well this cafe did open recently and those two are the most popular. It kinda makes me sick.

Mirta: True. I don’t see us going that much for a guy.

Thank you for waiting. Your pancake order is ready.

Mirta: (blushing) ...

Lucy: (also blushing) But we’ve been wrong before.

>At another table.

Looks like business is boomin... Then again, I think’s just cause you guys showed up.

I doubt it. These magic people must really like coffee.

By the way, what brings you guys here, anyway?

Musa. She says she has an idea for us. But it appears we came a little too early.

Ryuji: Yeah. She’s runnin’ the Alfea Music Cafe and she’s a teacher. She’s prolly busy right now.

Futaba: Give it a while. She’ll find some time.

She just needs a little magic.

Keigo: That’s true.

Futaba: So... You want anything?

Yuto: (looking at the menu) Got any recommendations?

???: How about Phantom Thief Curry? In honor of the possibility of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts being her on Magix.

Futaba: About time you showed up. Now I can finally take my break.

Well, you try doing things with Professor Griselda hovering over you.

Futaba: I guess that’s true.

>Futaba goes to take her break.

Ren: Where are Makoto and Haru?

Ryuji: They texted me. They, Bloom, Stella, and Aisha are still at Red Fountain to try and convince Saladin to ignore Erendor and let girls attend that school.

Keigo: Well, here’s to hoping they succeed.

Yuto: Same here.

Ren: The council still has to make a vote. If the majority agrees with the Winx’s proposal, Red Fountain will be able to permit female students next year. If not and give in to Erendor’s objection, Red Fountain will remain an all boys school.

Ryuji: He objects so he can keep his son and Bloom apart. He wants Sky and that Diaspro chick to be together.

Yuto: I’ve heard of her. She’s... Difficult to talk with.

Keigo: Speaking of which, look who just came in.

>No doubt about it, Princess Diaspro and one of her guards just came in through the door.

So this is the new Heart Manor Cafe. Doesn’t look all that special, doesn’t it?

Guard: It certain doesn’t, Your Highness.

(whisper) What does she know? This is her first visit.

Ren: I’ll handle her.

>I go over to the table she is seated at.

(making my best “moe” face) Welcome home, my princess. What will you be having today?

Princess Diaspro: I’m not so sure about the welcome home bit, but I like that you know that I’m a princess. Let’s see. Your Relaxing Coffee sounds like something I need. After helping King Erendor convince that fool, Saladin, not to let girls attend Red Fountain, I could use something like that. And the Sincere Omelette looks good too. And to finish it off, your Master Curry. And some Jam Bread for my guard.

As you wish, my princess.

Princess Diaspro: And you better make it quick. The sooner I get this over with, the sooner I can go back. I want to see the look on Bloom’s face once Erendor gives his speech. That will really drive a wedge between her and Sky.

... As you wish, my princess.

>I leave to get the order. A little later, I return.

Ren: Here you are, my princess.

Princess Diaspro: Finally. I thought you were never going to get here.

>Princess Diaspro takes the drink and takes a sip... And spits it back out.

Princess Diaspro: What in the Magic Dimension is this!? Is this suppose to be relaxing!?

Ren: Forgive me, princess, it appears I accidentally gave you an incredibly bitter vegetable juice. (acting innocent) But will you please take it? I made it out of consideration for the princess’s body.

Princess Diapsro: (furious) Absolutely not! Get me my order now! Here, you can gave this.

Guard: (looking ill at the site of the gross drink) Th- Thank you, Your Highness.

Ren: (thinking) Poor guy.

>A little later, I return with Diaspro’s coffee and the omelette.

Ren: Here you are, my princess. (taking the ketchup bottle) And now I shall redeem myself.

>I pour the ketchup on the omelette... A lot of it.

Princess Diaspro: That’s a lot of ketchup. Must be an Earth thing.

Ren: (acting innocent again) I meant no harm, my princess. I was trying to write “evil spirits of mountains, rivers, and forests”.

Guard: That sounds a bit long.

Princess Diaspro: How about this?

>Princess Diaspro waves her hand and the magic changes the huge blot of ketchup into writing... “The butler’s a loser.”

Ren: (thinking) Okay, now she’s just reaching. No matter, the grand finale is coming up.

>A little later, I come back with Disapro’s curry.

Ren: Here is your curry, my princess. I believe you will find it very special.

Princess Diaspro: It better by. Or I swear, you’ll regret it.

(thinking) No, but you will.

>Princess Diaspro take a scoop of the curry. She places it in her mouth... And start spewing smoke.

Princess Diaspro: I know... Curry is spicy... But this is... Too spicy.

Ren: Well, I said it was special... The Inferno.

Princess Diaspro: But I ordered Master Curry!

Well, it was made by a master.

Princess Diaspro: Wait. I recognize you. You’re one of the janitors at Alfea! The one referred by Bloom! You’re trying to sabotage me! ... You can forget about getting a tip from me. You’re lucky I’m still paying this place.

Ren: That is good to hear. As for your guard, I’m afraid we’re out of Jam Bread... But we do have this.

>Then, Ryuji comes in with a tray.

Bon appetit!

Guard: Is that...

Phantom Thief Curry with a side of Coffee Jelly.

Ryuji: Sorry there’s no Dry Ice. We ran out (from explorin’ Erendor’s Palace).

Guard: This is... This is good. Thank you. Sorry, Your Highness.

Princess Diaspro: Tch! You are so fired.

>With that, she grabs her cape and storms out.

Ryuji: Sorry ‘bout losin’ your job, man.

Guard: I doubt I lost anything.

>The guard smiled and snapped his fingers... And changed shape.

I’ve got her number. She should be more careful with who she hires.

True. But why?

Professor Wizgiz: Just making sure everyone plays by the rules. Can’t take any chances that Diaspro will use her powers to try anything funny.

Ren: That makes sense... I guess.

Professor Wizgiz: Anyway, thanks for the curry. Put it on Diaspro’s tab.

As you wish, master.

>Meanwhile, at another table...

Jared: Serves her right, I guess.

Alice: I know. Where does she get off treating people like that?

Jared: I know she’s a princess, but still, she could try acting like one.

Alice: True... By the way...

Alice: I really like this parfait. It delicious.

Jared: Same for this pie (not sure what it really is). I like how they prepared it with a ribbon. I wish I could meet the one who made it.

Alice: It’s the same person who made the parfait. But it was that maid, Ann, who served it to us.

Ann: (who overheard them) It’s probably best you don’t meet him. Besides...

I don’t want to disturb his catnap.

Jared: I have no idea what you mean by that, but okay.

Ann: Anyway, it’s karaoke time! Ryuji, our tough butler, should start us off.

Keigo: Yeah, we want to see how your idol training paid off!

Alright, I’ma blow your minds!

>Ryuji gets a microphone and starts singing Mass Destruction.