Feelings Known To Exist For Each Other

[Bea]

Chapter 1- From My Heart

As soon as College was out for the weekend, Richie Cunningham and his friends Ralph Malph, Warren 'Potsie' Weber and Lori Beth Allen (Richie's girlfriend) were arriving at Arnold's despite the fact that Lori Beth still had blood on her thighs.

Ralph and Potsie stood guard of the booth while Richie kept Arthur Fonzarelli a.k.a 'the Fonz' or 'Fonzie' occupied as best he could. Ralph's girlfriend Charlotte 'Charli' Foster remained in the booth with Lori Beth, keeping watch over her friend. They all wanted to give Lori Beth as much time as she needed to come out of what happened to her earlier that morning and Fonzie’s constant checking on the booth threatened to potentially cause problems.

Suddenly, Charli noticed that Lori Beth was so quiet, the acrobat had no idea her friend was even awake. Then a small coughing sound came from the general direction of the booth.

"Hey," Charli put her hand out and smiled down at her friend, "Glad you could rejoin the land of the living."

"Charli!" Lori Beth’s eyes shone with unshed tears. "You came for me."

"Sure we did, silly!" she teased, the relief evident in her voice. "You didn’t really think we’d leave you with Holloway's womanising cohort, did you?"

When Lori Beth didn’t answer, Charli simply turned away and called for the others. Ralph and Potsie were the first two to the booth followed by Fonzie, Richie and Al. They all cried when they saw Lori Beth, awake at last. Even Al let out several 'yep, yep, yeps' of joy.

"Thanks," she gurgled, her throat dry. "I thought… I though you guys weren’t coming."

"No way, L.B! Da Fonz’d never let a jerk keep you! We just had a little trouble, that’s all!"

Fonzie reached down to hug Lori Beth and she pulled him into a tight embrace.

"The Fonz is right," Ralph chimed in. "Holloway might have more bobby traps than the old Halloween haunted house in Madison."

Lroi Beth reached up and grasped the redhaired comedian’s arm. "Thanks for warning me, Ralph."

"I wouldn't have had it any other way," he said gently. "Here, I have something for you."

He pulled the necklace Richie gave her for her birthday from his left sweater pocket.

"Thanks, Ralph!" She took the necklace with trembling fingers and pulled it tightly to her.

"Maybe we should let her rest, guys?" Richie gestured towards the door. "She was obviously raped last night due to the blood on her thighs."

As the others filed out, Richie hung back. Reading his mind, Lori Beth called out to him.

"Rich, please. Wait a minute. I need to talk to you."

Richie sat down and turned to Lori Beth. "Whatever it is, if you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to, you know."

"That’s just it, Rich." She looked at her hands and sighed. "I don’t know that I can tell you or anyone just yet. I know you guys will want to help, but…. Could you just tell the others not to pester me for awhile?

"It’s all so new and it… it hurts. There’s just no other way to explain it."

Richie shifted uncomfortably. "I guess so. But, L.B, can’t you even tell me of all people? I promise I won’t tell the others."

She shook her head. "Not yet. Soon, Rich, but not today."

He shrugged. "You do what you have to then. I wish you’d trust me enough to confide in me, but if you don’t, I can’t force you.

"I’ll be with the Fonz if you need anything."

He sat up, walked away from the booth and was gone. Lori Beth hung her head. That hadn’t gone how she had expected it to at all. She had thought he’d be angry or at the very least insistent. Instead, he had seemed as if he didn’t care. For the first time in days, Lori Beth started crying. She felt as if she’d gotten the brush off.

***********

The next morning outside the Cunningham's backyard, Richie gulped for air. That hadn’t gone as he had planned. In his mind, he had visions of sweeping her into his arms and kissing her. When it came right down to it, however, he had frozen. He saw the pain in her eyes, but he hadn't been able to reach out to her, to comfort her. The leader in him had taken over again, and he had pushed her away.

"Never choose one over the others," he mumbled to himself as he walked away from her tent.

"Never tell her you love and you'll never forgive yourself." Richie looked up to see Howard, Marion and Fonzie standing in his path although his father was talking.

"You don't know. You don't understand, Bucko" Richie snapped. "It not that easy."

"It should be." Marion told him. "Your father and I told you before, Richard, you're a fool. If you don't tell her, you're going to loose her. Lori Beth's been upset since yesterday afternoon.

"She thinks you don't care! And I'm beginning to think maybe she's right! You don't care about anything except keeping yourself safe! One of these days, it's going to cost you. There won't be another chance."

"Don't lecture me, Mom!" Richie snapped. "Howard's not doing any better with you. Might I remind you, yet again!"

"When your father and I were just good college friends and when I was dating Hector Con Carne and if I ever told your father I loved him, he has to be ready to hear it, and then, he was! He originally thought of me as a friend and I didn't want to ruin that! I tell her and he won me completely." Marion said

"But you and Lori Beth are different! You love each other and everyone knows it! You're just too damn stubborn to admit it!" Howard told Richie.

"Keep your nose out of my business, Dad!" Richie pushed past his father and walked to his treehouse to see Lori Beth.

Richie sighed and looked at the treehouse. Small sniffles and sobs were still coming from upstairs.

"Lori Beth's the best thing to ever happen to you, Red," Fonzie whispered. "Don't be a fool like Weber or Malph. You'll regret it; I speak from experience on that."

The redheaded journalist spun on his boot heel and went to comfort Lori Beth, still crying in the treehouse. It was the least he could do for his girlfriend.

[Bea]

Chapter 2- Hands Off My Wife & Daughter Or You'll Have Me To Deal With

At the Cunningham house, Hoawrd and Marion Cunningham, Richie's parents, were watching I Love Lucy on TV with their son Richie and Richie's friends Fonzie, Ralph and Potsie. All of them laughed at a very funny situation.

Three male shapes appeared in the kitchen doorframe and turned on the lights. Joanie Cunningham, who was making herself a sandwich in the kitchen, didn't answered them low greetings, but got up and approached them. Leo grabbed her wist, roughly yet gently squeezed it with rage and made her face him.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here then?" said the man holding Joanie.

Joanie trembled with fear after seeing his menacinly leer "Look, Butthead, you're dealing with a 17-year-old girl who's gonna kick your butt!"

"Kick his butt, eh?" Marion said listening in on what Joanie said. "DON'T WORRY, JOANIE!" she walked to the kitchen until the Claw grabbed her wrist with his right hand and shook it.

"Listen here, Sweetheart, you told that pathetic hubby of yours about your daughter's "boyfriends"... about Harvey, Jack, Benny and Murphy and... who else? That Bronco's Garge mechanic? My nephew? WHO ELSE?"

Marion was pale but answered back, musting up all her courage "Why are you so surprised? My husband would kill you if he found you at me." Her wist suffered more pression, while the Claw's left hand touched lightly her cheek. That was the last straw.

"Look at you, Claw, there's a bit too much of the man I hired. Too much. And you are the only responsible..." Holloway told Claw.

Howard walked over to Holloway and said "Holloway, you tell your boys to let my wife and daughter go or they'll have me to deal with!"

"That's enough..." Marion yelled. "Do you wanna talk, Holloway? Fine! Let's talk! Why don't you tell me about your daughter? About her baby's father?" She looked right towards Holloway's eyes "Come on, let's talk about Rebecca..."

"Don't involve her in this!!" Holloway said as Joanie slapped Leo across his face. He touched his left cheek with a mixture of enjoyment, pain and surprise. Joanie did hit another guy before.

The man grabbed her hair and pulled it, lifting her head. Seconds later, Joanie was hit across the face and passed out.

Marion bit her lip "Holloway, I didn't want to arrive after you... now, I gotta go to out of here and tolerate your insults." The woman felt Claw at her until she slapped him and he slapped her back causing her to pass out and Howard to stand against Holloway.