(After rereading my story and reviews a million times, I finally came to the conclusion that the one thing missing was something from Archie. It nagged at me for days before I finally decided to write it. I hope you enjoy my little dribble redeeming Archie after the events of "Unexpected Prom Date". He acts the part of an asshole sometimes, but I don't honestly believe that should be the final execution of his character. Teenagers do selfish things, and I think that Archie is as much a victim of that as anyone. I wanted to explore a more mature Archie and learn his true feelings. I hope any fans of "Unexpected Prom Date" enjoy this short aside. I did.)

Archie plopped down into the recliner with a sigh, a glass of scotch in his hand. He had finally got the kids down for bed, which was always a battle. After a long day at work, it was always exhausting to give them a bath and get them to sleep. He absently wondered if he should hire a nanny. He was certainly making enough money now to do so, but something about letting strangers take care of his kids irked him.

Maybe he should move back to Riverdale. Working in the big city has been an adventure in itself, but if he went back his mom could kick in and help with the kids. She always offered to do as much. And his boss had offered him a promotion if he transferred to the Riverdale office. He was just embarrassed to return. His mother always sang accolades about Betty, Jughead and the gang, and how well they were doing.

She didn't know what had happened. She didn't know the memories were painful every time she brought it up.

A song kicked on the radio, one chocked full of nostalgia. He remembered this Josie and the Pussycats song playing at the prom. The prom that changed his life. With a frown, he swished his scotch over the ice and then downed it in one fell swoop. The song continued twitching at his brain before he gave in and opened the drawer to the side table, taking out a photo album.

Inside were his favorite pictures of his childhood. The pictures that featured him and his friends. He flipped through the youngest years fondly, the years when innocence had made everyone close and complication free. When he got to his teen years he paused, taken in by a picture of the person who haunted him the most.

Betty Cooper. She smiled adorably at the camera, her large blue eyes twinkling in the sun. The sunshine filtered through her golden hair and almost made her glow, giving her an angelic aura. Her skin was decorated with a small spattering of freckles as her nose crinkled slightly with amusement. Her soft pink mouth was stretched into a laugh, showcasing her straight white teeth. Archie remembered taking this shot by surprise, so her laughing image was frozen just as she turned around and brushed the hair from her face.

Now he understood the saying, that you would never know what you lost until it was gone. Archie never understood just how much he loved her. He knew he enjoyed the stress free time he spent with her, but something about the elegant and untouchable upperclass feel of Veronica Lodge drew his attention from his true feelings. Archie longed to be a part of a world he didn't belong in, the country clubbing rich class of people he was never meant to be a part of. So he ignored the warmth he felt when he was with Betty and took every opportunity to be with Ronnie.

So, when Veronica called him and told him that her prom date couldn't make it, he was overjoyed. He canceled his date with Betty in a flash. Archie had always assumed that Betty would always be around later, so that he could pick up the pieces of their relationship and they'd be okay again. But then Jughead walked into the picture.

When he saw her with Jughead, looking radiant and happy, he knew he messed up big. That was the moment he realized that he was hopelessly in love with her. But instead of realizing he was too late and accepting his defeat graciously... he got mad. And ruined everything.

He gently ran a hand over the picture. If he were honest, he was still in love with her. Even though he hadn't seen her in a decade. Before he left Riverdale, he heard that Jughead had proposed to Betty. By now they'd be married. And despite his adoration for Betty, he was honestly relieved that she found someone who loved her so deeply. She deserved that much.

If he were to continue to be honest, Archie would even admit that he wasn't being a very good best friend. He was so absorbed in his affairs, in his love triangle, he didn't even notice that his best bud was in love with one of his girlfriends. If he had only paid more attention and talked to Juggie more, he might have known. What happened at prom might have never happened at all, because the whole situation wouldn't have been a shock. He could have lost her graciously. Or perhaps changed his behavior and won her affections.

But his life was filled with what ifs. And with what could never be. After leaving Riverdale, he met a woman who he rebounded with. A woman who made him forget about the heartache of losing Betty. He married her, had two kids, and the woman ran away with another man. Now he had two children and lived the life of a single dad.

"Papa?" A little girl with dark hair and freckles stood at the door, clutching her nightgown and rubbing her eyes.

"What is it, Lizzy?" He asked, closing the book.

"I had a nightmare."

"Come here, Princess." Elizabeth skittered over to him, her blue eyes falling to his lap. "You were looking at the picture again, weren't you?"

"Hm?" Archie blinked, shocked.

"The one of the girl who looks like an angel."

"Oh. I was."

"Her name is Elizabeth too, right?"

"Yes. You were named after her. Because you are also an angel." Archie gave her a gentle smile and ran a hand through her hair soothingly.

"Oh, Papa." The girl giggled, calm now.

"You need to go back to sleep, though."Archie gave her a rather stern look.

"I'm afraid!" She whined. He sighed.

"Go to your younger brother's room. Pendy won't mind the company. I'll go and check on you in a bit."

"Okay." She started to run off, but stopped and turned to her father. "Don't be sad, Papa. You'll see her again someday."

Sometimes her perceptiveness startled him, but his eyes softened with affection as she left. Elizabeth and Pendleton. He named his children after two of the most important people to him. Two of the people who grew up with him. Two people who he loved the most. And two of the people who caused his biggest regrets.

Archie popped the top to his decanter and refilled his glass of scotch thoughtfully, before picking up the phone.

"Hello?" A deep voice sounded on the other line, and Archie blinked in surprise.

"Boss. I wasn't expecting you to be at the office at this hour. I was going to leave a message."

"I forgot my house keys and came back. What's up?"

"About the transfer... I think I'll take you up on the offer."

"That's fantastic. I'll put the paperwork through on Monday. What changed your mind?"

"I think it's about time for me to go home, is all. I have a lot to make up for."

"Don't we all?" The boss laughed on the other end. "Have a good night, Andrews."

"You too, sir." He hung up the phone, and heaved a huge sigh of relief.

He wanted to meet them again. That was his last thought before checking on the kids, who were clasping hands and fast asleep, and then heading to bed. Archie slept better than he had in years.