Three months earlier, had I known it would all lead to this, I never would have taken that leather jacket from the Serpents. I thought with the discovery of Jason Blossom's true killer Riverdale would calm down, while not return to normal, whatever that may be, but just regain a manageable equilibrium.

I was wrong, so, so, wrong.

I had no idea that I would end up standing aside helplessly as my beautiful Betty wore that very jacket holding a gun on my oldest friend Archie. Screaming.

Three Months Earlier

"Juggy?"

Betty's voice rang clear in the darkness causing Jughead to jump a little. The Serpents chuckled and whistled at the very obvious feminine voice coming from inside the trailer.

"We'll let you get back to your business Junior, but you keep our offer in mind."

Jughead turned toward the door nervously, he didn't even bother correcting the bikers on his name. All that pride, all that power he had felt when putting on his father's jacket drained through his toes leaving him with the sort of trepidation only a certain blonde could instill in him. He was terrified.

One step into the trailer, then another. There she was. Looking. Oh God, he was terrified. Betty's wide eyes drilled into his. She seemed to be reading every line of his face.

"I would be an awful hypocrite if I were angry at you right now."

"Hypocrisy normally doesn't stop people from being angry at me" Jughead responded quietly.

She walked up to him and gently took his face in her hands "I guess it's a good thing that I'm weird."

Jughead swept her up in all her pink perfection and twirled her around the small trailer. "You are the furthest thing from weird Elizabeth Cooper, you are transpledent" and he kissed her giggling mouth.

"That's not a word!"

"If Shakespeare can make up words for love, then so can I!"

With all the pain and heartache of uncovered truths finally healing we shared a night that was truly transplendent… until morning broke.

"Dad!" Archie bellowed holding his one good hand over the spilling blood like they do in the movies.

The arriving paramedics pulled the panicking teen from his injured father. "Don't worry Archie, it'll be fine" Fred rasped out as the paramedics lifted him into the waiting ambulance.

When Betty and Jughead arrived at the hospital Archie was sitting alone in the waiting room, his hands clean, but his cart and clothing still showing the signs of what happened. They sat down, one on either side of him, unintentionally recreating the same positions they had created as children. Betty, with one arm over Archie's back and her face as close to his as she could get, and Jughead falling loosely over the chair he was in, for all appearances not even acknowledging the other boy, except for the slight brush of one shoulder to the next.

Veronica walked across the waiting room with two coffees in her hand to this scene.

"Hey" she said softly, setting down the two steaming beverages.

It wasn't long before Sheriff Keller pulled Archie off to the side for a statement. Betty could hear low rumblings of their voices, but couldn't make out any words between them. Veronica leaned in and whispered to the others "they think it was a Serpent who was robbing Pop's and shot Mr. Andrews."

Jughead dropped his head back, closing his eyes, while Betty grabbed his hand and indignantly saying "this is getting ridiculous and out of hand. Not every bad thing that happens in this town can be tossed at the feet of the Serpents. Didn't we JUST learn this with Jason's murder?!" Her voice was climbing in the silent waiting room.

From across the room Archie and the Sheriff stopped talking and looked in their direction.

"Betts, hold the righteous rant until we're in a less conspicuous space maybe? Not that I don't appreciate the fervor…"

Jughead didn't even lift his head from the wall behind him as he spoke, just squeezed Betty's hand a little tighter.

"This isn't justice, this is profiling, and I won't stand for it!"

"Miss Cooper, we are just investigating a crime right now" Sheriff Keller said walking closer to the teens, "and I'd appreciate it you kept clear of this one please. I can't have you putting yourself in danger and potentially derailing it."

"We solved Jason's murder!"

"And your little texts to Cheryl gave him warning that we were coming for him. Is that the justice you want? A guilty man hanging himself instead of prison where he belongs? What if Cliff Blossom had escaped, or held his family hostage? What if he had come after you in revenge instead. Stay out of police matters Miss Cooper. And that's final."

The Sheriff turned and walked out the hospital doors.

"He's not wrong Betty" Archie said.

"But-"

"Please Betty, just listen to him this time, and stay out of it. I can't have you getting hurt too."

Betty hung her head in admonishment at Archie's words.

"Mr. Andrews?" a doctor called into the waiting room, "you're father's awake and asking for you."

Archie rushed through the door the woman was holding, leaving the others alone.

"Is anybody else starving?" Jughead said, a slow grin forming on his face as the two girls laughed, releasing the tension they had been holding.

"Archie, give me that book!" Betty yelled, cocking back the small pistol she had stolen months beforehand from the would be Ms Grundy.

"No Betty. I can't do that, this book proves who shot my father!"

"I don't care!"