CHAPTER NINE;
slipping through my fingers.

LYDIA WAS RUSHING around in preparation for the wedding just a few hours away. she was currently setting out the plates and napkins ready for the wedding reception.

issac slowly walked up behind her, causing her to jump. "issac, what are you doing here?"

"look, i just wanted to give you this." he handed her a slip of paper, she took it confused.

"i don't mean here here, i mean why are you on this...island.... what is this...!!" her eyes finally drew to the check and the price that issac has written on it.

"now i realise you had to tighten your belt a bit over the years bringing up betty, on your own... and i just wanted to make a small contribution to the wedding..."

she gulped looking at him straight in the eyes, he looked back at her causing her to look away shaking her head repeatedly, "i c-can't accept this, i c-"

"no, no, no, no, no." issac repeated quickly walking away.

"issac!" she followed him.

"you'll have to catch me first." he shouted running away as fast as he could. she sighed and ran her finger through her messy hair.

meanwhile, down near the coast, elizabeth ran across the dock to jughead. "jug..." she panted. "you have to help me..."

"betty, what's the matter?" she ran off, jughead immediately following her. "baby!" she ran to the top off a cliff. "betts!"

she finally came to a stop, "i've done something really insane." she panted out of breath. "all of my dad's are here for the wedding and they all think there giving me away..."

"woah, what?!"

"i have three possible fathers." she chuckled making a slight joke out of it.

"how are they here now?" he asked still a bit confused and dazed.

"i invited them... i thought that i would know my dad right away, but i didn't, i just... i have no idea and now my mom is going to kill me and there gonna hate me and you...." she rambled and rambled.

"hold on, hold on, hold on, you invited these guys and you didn't tell me?" he asked hurt.

"no, i thought you'd try to stop me. i know i messed u-"

"betty!" he interrupted. "is that what this whole big white wedding is about, you finding your dad?!"

"no! no!" she shook her head.

"i wanted to take a boat to the mainland with a couple of witnesses and you insisted on this sodding circus just so you could play happy families?!"

"it's about knowing who i am, and i wanted to get married knowing who i am!" she told him.

"that doesn't come from finding your father, that comes from finding yourself... and the irony is i was travelling to find myself... i put everything on hold for you..." she looked at him with sad eyes.

"because i loved you and i wanted what you wanted but now i don't know..." he spoke softly with sad eyes slowly walking away.

"you don't know if you love me?" she asked causing him to turn around.

"of course i love you! i just wished you told me!" he walked off only to bump into stiles.

"is everything okay?" stiles asked as jughead shook his head and walked off. "betty what's wrong?"

"not now stiles." she tried to run after jughead but was stopped by him.

"yes now because i'm supposed to be giving you away and how can i when i know your not really gonna be happy."

"i've heard all this from my mother and i think she knows me better than you do!"

"i know, i know, but trust me i've done the whole white wedding and it doesn't always end in happiness." he spoke following her as she walked away.

"that is you! that's not me! okay, i love jughead more than anything!" she squeezed her fists in frustration. "did you feel that way before you got married?"

he stood still and quiet for awhile contemplating what to say next, "no..." she looked at him one last time before walking off.

she ran back to where her mother was. "hey! aren't you supposed to be getting dressed?" lydia asked her.

"will you help me?" betty asked her mother.

she stood speechless for a moment and small grin showing on her face as she nodded repeatedly. betty soon ran off lydia following her with a smile. "hey wait, it's okay, we have time..." lydia followed her into betty's room.

as betty started getting ready lydia started thinking about her. all of their times together, of when she was little on her first day of school. betty making lydia giggle constantly.

betty then comes out in a towel with a tooth brush in her mouth, she showed her mother the cut on her leg who just simple chuckled and sat her down on the bed. betty was freaking out, she wanted her day to be perfect.

lydia calmed her by pulling out a bandaid from her pocket, she giggled and carefully put it on. she kissed it softly and helped her back up so she could carry on getting ready.

lydia then helped her with her hair, brushing and drying it for her. remembering all the early mornings, sitting down for breakfast, both of them barely awake.

lydia regretted all the time she let fly by all the adventures they planned on exploring some of them did but some they didn't. she pulled her onto her knee and started painting her toe nails for her. betty gladly cuddled into her mother happily.

"are you happy?" lydia asked her holding her.

"i am." betty looked at her. "i really am..."

"good, all i want is for you to be happy elizabeth, your my babygirl... and i love you more than anything in this whole entire world." lydia nuzzled into her hair.

"i love you even more..." betty wrapped her arms around her neck, slowly rocking them back and forth in the chair. "thank you for everything..." she sniffled.

"anything for you betty." elizabeth nuzzled into her mother's neck sniffling. lydia kissed the top of her head holding her close to her. she would move mountains for elizabeth, she would give up everything and anything for her.

they shared a few giggles as lydia held her babygirl but not so much a baby anymore. she held her beautiful daughter in her arms closely, treasuring every second, kissing her head a million times whispering a million 'i love you.'

lydia finished with her hair and makeup as she started putting on her dress. betty stood quietly looking at the mirror until she broke the silence. "do you think i'm letting you down...?"

"why would you even think that?" she asked confused in awe of her daughter.

"because..." she turned to face her. "what you've done, building a hotel, raising a kid, and running a business all on your own..."

"well honey, i didn't have a choice... i couldn't go home. you know when i got pregnant, my mother told me not to bother coming back... and i wouldn't have had it any other way, my god... look at what we've had..." lydia smiled happily.

"will you give me away?" betty looked up and her smiling.

tears filled her eyes as she couldn't find the words without breaking down crying, she nodded repeatedly slowly turning her around so they faced the mirror.

betty now had tears in her eyes as they slowly started to fall in happiness. "sometimes i wished that i could freeze the picture." betty spoke.

"and save it from the funny tricks of time." lydia chuckled softly.

"slipping through my fingers..." they both spoke together. lydia nuzzled into her neck taking in this moment one last second before she let her go, forever.

lydia held her hand walking to her mode of transport to the church. she smiled happily as they all complimented her beautiful daughter. they all helped up climb onto the donkey as it was carefully decorated. she then set off on her journey for the next part of her life.

lydia stayed slowly behind. "school bag in hand she's leaves home in the early morning... waving goodbye... with an absent-minded smile." she waved betty off as she reflected on her grown up beautiful daughter the one who no longer needed her anymore...