So, I kinda disappeared for a while there. I'm not gonna go into detail, but suffice it to say that my life has kinda been falling apart. The past year has been one hard thing after another, so it all just came to a head this past week. I'll still be writing, promise, but updates for everything that's updated regularly will be delayed.
I hope everyone enjoys this fic. It's my first Riverdale one. the main events of the storyline from the show are kept vague, mostly because we all know what happens, and also so the focus is on the new storyline in the fic.
I'd love to hear how you guys think I did, so don't forget to leave a review!
Jughead Jones is used to people leaving him. It's not sad or anything, just a fact of life, like the sky is blue and his dad is a Southside Serpent. His mom leaves him, and he's okay. Not good. Definitely not great. But okay.
He's kind of always expected it to happen. It doesn't take a genius to realize that his mom favors Jellybean. She does love him, but it's not the same as it is with Jellybean.
Jughead will forever be a reminder to his mom that she went and slept with an older guy and got pregnant before she was even eighteen. He knows this. It's no secret that that's why his grandparents, that is to say, his mom's parents, hate him. They think that he'll turn out just like his dad; a motorcycle riding hooligan who knocks up innocent girls and takes them away to get married right after they turn eighteen.
If he's being honest with himself, which he isn't very often, that's one of his biggest fears. Not getting someone pregnant, to be clear, but being like his dad. Jughead loves his dad, don't get him wrong, but his dad isn't someone to strive to be. His dad tries, and he knows that, but the way his dad tries has changed significantly from when Jughead was seven.
When he was seven, his dad trying meant putting extra hours in at work, maybe even taking on an extra foreman job. Now it means staying out late, avoiding people, and doing some probably not legal stuff. Jughead tries not to think about crimes his dad may or may not be committing.
But Jughead's mom can't take his dad drinking all the time and only leaving the house when he's joining in slightly questionable activities with the Southside Serpents. It's not fair for her to be the only one trying to keep them in the trailer. So he understands why she leaves. He does. He just doesn't understand why she takes Jellybean and not him. He's still her son, even if he ruined her life when he was born.
It stings to arrive at the trailer (because it's not home) after the first day of freshman year only to find everything of his mom's and Jellybean's gone. Even Jellybean's stupid half-broken bear Jughead made her when he was eight.
The truck is gone too. Jughead's not an idiot. He knows that she's gone. He knows she left him with his dad. He knows she'll be in Toledo with his grandparents, her parents. Whatever qualms they have with him they don't have them with Jellybean. After all, she's not the reason their daughter left them. That honor is and always will be reserved for Jughead.
His dad falls apart, well, more. Jughead pretty much lives at Archie's house during the day and on weekends. He avoids going back to the trailer as much as possible, mostly because it's a toss-up as to whether he'll arrive and his dad is blackout drunk on the sofa or his dad has all his Serpent buddies over and they're planning something not quite legal.
Jughead talks to Jellybean on the phone once a week, every Friday night. He refuses to talk to his mom. Every Friday, Jellybean tells him their mom wants to talk to him. Every Friday he says no. Then the Friday phone call arrives about a month after he came home and the truck was gone. Instead of Jellybean greeting him, it's his mom.
Her voice is soft. He can barely hear it through the phone, and that's not to mention his aids.
"Jughead, sweetie?"
Jughead is tempted to hang up, but something in her voice tells him he can't. That he shouldn't. Besides, whether she loves Jellybean more or not, he deserves to know why that means she can't bring him with her. Why she leaves him with his dad of all people, especially knowing what she knows about him.
"So, Toledo," he scoffs. "How's it been?"
"It's not what you think," his mom argues.
"Sure it isn't."
"It's only until your father cleans himself up," she says. "I promise."
Jughead would believe her, but promises are cheap. He's had her and pretty much everyone else in his life lies enough to know that they're easy to break and never really mean as much as people say they do.
"Whatever, mom," he says, not even bothering to hide the bitterness.
"I'm not lying, Jughead," his mom says, almost sounding hurt at the very idea. He has to admit, it's a good act. He wonders if she's actually fooling herself or not.
"Why didn't you bring me?" he asks coldly, though that's only to hide the hurt he's sure she can hear, phone or not. It's like he's standing right in front of her.
"I am sorry, sweetie," she says. "I wanted to bring you. I swear I did, Jughead. I would never have left you behind if I didn't need to. Your grandparents-"
"Hate me," Jughead says dully. "I know, mom. They hate me. Probably said if you wanted a place to stay that I couldn't come with. They definitely didn't mind you bringing Jellybean, but that's different, isn't it? She's not like dad. I am, in their heads, at least."
And it's the truth, he realizes. His mom, for all her faults, loves him deeply, even if it's not as much as Jellybean. She'd never leave him behind unless she had a good reason. Unfortunately for Jughead, getting away from his dad is a good reason.
"You are not like your father," his mom says fiercely. Again, he's amazed how well his aids are working. Normally, like the pieces of crap they are, they don't work this well with detecting tone or anything. It's just his luck they do when his mom is being so raw. "Not in the ways that they think you are. You're not like me either, really," she says rather wistfully. "You, Forsythe Pendleton Jones III, you are entirely your own person, with your own perfections and your own flaws."
As far as motivational speeches go, it's definitely not the worst he's heard. Coming from his mom, it's practically a sonnet. It's also the first time in a while he can remember her being so parent-like. He's never minded much that Jellybean's the one who gets all the attention anyway. Anyone with half a brain can see she deserves it (this coming from his completely unbiased opinion as her older brother).
"Wow, mom," he says. He sounds slightly breathless. It's a moment in his relationship with her he thinks is worthy of that.
"I'm just… I miss you, Jughead. I want you to know that. I love you."
"Yeah, I, I love you too, mom," he says. It's not even sarcastic. "But I have to ask then, why did you leave me here? Why couldn't you just tell your parents the truth? That dad isn't my dad?"
"You know that?" his mom asks. "How…"
"Do you remember when dad got blood drawn that one time after his cough wouldn't leave? How he asked for his blood type too, just because he knew that was what I was studying for that dumb science class in middle school? His was AB+. I had to figure mine out at school, and mine was O-."
"I didn't know he wasn't your father for sure," she finally says after a long silence. "Not until just now. I suspected, but you look enough like him I could have been wrong. It was after a fight with him. I worked at a restaurant as a waitress. I slept with a man I waited on. The next morning I went to your father and we made up. I never knew for sure whose you were. Your grandparents, it's not because of who your father is."
"Not until just now," Jughead echoes. He can't really find it in himself to be upset with her. He knows from personal experience that his dad is frustrating at the best of times, sober or not. "And I guess that makes sense. Kid who ruined your life and all."
"That's not true," his mom snarls. "But also, Jughead, if I asked you to come, would you have? You love it in Riverdale. Your friends are there."
She doesn't say his dad, but biology or not, it's true. His dad is his dad, flaws aside. He'll never stop being his dad. He's the one who helped Jughead read his first book. He's the one who, even now, listens when Jughead rambles about something he likes. So drunk, biology, or not, he's his dad. He wouldn't have just left his dad alone. It's strange to say, but he's also starting to believe his mom's telling the truth about coming back once his dad cleans up his act.
"I guess not," he admits. "Well, make good on the promise to come back, mom," he says. "I do miss you."
"We miss you too," his mom says. "I'd send Jellybean over, but she's at a friend's house."
"She likes school? She's kinda refused to talk to me about it."
"She loves it. I'll make sure Friday night sleepovers don't become a thing though. I know you like talking to her just as much as she likes talking to you."
"I like talking to you too, mom. Promise me you will again?" he asks, cursing himself for being so weak as to want a promise. To believe that any promise will come true.
"Oh, Jughead," she sighs. "I promise."
After his conversation with his mom, Jughead doesn't think about his biological father much, other than occasionally wonder what he looked like. To be honest, though, know the whole story doesn't change anything. Even after he figured it out in middle school he'd never really wondered. Except what kind of man had a one-night stand with a teenager and knocked her up. At least his dad, however much older he is, had actually been her boyfriend, not a stranger who should know better.
So yeah, Jughead doesn't wonder about his biological dad again. He's smart enough to figure out who the man is, he knows this. It wouldn't even be much work. He knows what restaurant his mom worked at as a teen. He also knows said restaurant is extremely expensive and requires a reservation. It can't be too hard to get access to the reservation list from that day.
He never does though. His biological isn't someone he really cares to meet or know about. Besides, he can just imagine what might happen if said biological dad somehow meets Jughead's dad, who doesn't know Jughead isn't his son.
Jughead's dad gets worse after a time. He doesn't really have time to wonder about his biological dad anyway. After winter is over, he moves out of the trailer. His dad isn't taking his mom and Jellybean leaving very well, to be honest. Jughead loves him, but he doesn't want to be around the black hole that his dad is.
He gets a job at the Twilight Drive-In. He moves into the projection booth. No one notices, except maybe his dad, but his dad lets him be. He's thankful for that. He doesn't tell Archie. Something about his best friend has been a little different. Not bad or like Archie's hiding anything from him, just different. It's not that strange, he supposes, friends, growing apart.
Archie seems to sense it too. At the end of the school year, he invites Jughead to join him for a road trip starting on July 4th. Jughead agrees. It's just the thing they need.
Summer starts. Jughead's busy with small writing projects and working the projection booth. Archie's busy helping his dad out. They don't really see each other. The July 4th arrives. Archie leaves Jughead on the side of the road with a backpack and Jason Blossom drowns.
Other than that, Jughead's summer is pretty boring. He stops talking to Archie, not that he runs into him. He starts writing about Jason Blossom. He ends up working the few days he'd taken off from running the Twilight Drive-In since he and Archie don't go on the road trip.
Then Kevin Keller and Moose Mason discover Jason Blossom's body. He's shot in the head, a sure sign he didn't drown. And that puts a lot of, in Jughead's opinion, suspicion on Cheryl.
He ends up joining the school newspaper because Betty asks. And though he and Archie are friends again, it's a new thing. Still fragile. Him and Betty's friendship is still strong, which is why she has no issue asking him something that he'd usually say no to. And he's always had a soft spot for Betty Cooper, the girl-next-door.
"You know, you and Veronica look pretty similar," Betty points out one day, not long after they start up the newspaper and start looking for her sister. She sounds vaguely bemused.
Jughead looks up from his laptop and raises an eyebrow in what he thinks must be an uncanny impression of Veronica. "Oh, yeah? What makes you say that?"
"Oh my God, Juggie," Betty says, giggling. And when did he start letting anyone call him 'Juggie'? Then again, Betty's always been able to get away with more than anyone else. "And people say you don't have a sense of humor."
"How dare they," he replies dryly. "What would ever make them think that? I'm hilarious."
"Sometimes," Betty agrees merrily. "But what I mean isn't just how you act. Like, you actually look like you could be her brother."
"Except I'm not," Jughead says mildly, closing his laptop and standing up. "It's kinda impossible."
"Well, yeah, I know," Betty says, also standing up. "I know your dad and your mom."
Jughead nods and follows her out the door and into the bustling school hallways. He doesn't tell her that his dad isn't his dad. The only person he'd even thought about sharing that with had been Archie, but he'd completely changed his mind after the failed road trip.
"Remember, after school we've got work to do," Betty commands. "Don't be late."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Jughead says.
Betty's words get him thinking. Of course, it might be a coincidence that he looks like Veronica so much. People can look like people without being related. This is Riverdale though. Even more, it's Jughead's life. When has it ever thrown him a bone?
It might be his worst fear to be Veronica's half-brother. His mom is his mom, so that would mean Hiram Lodge, big-time white-collar criminal, is his biological dad. That's so much worse than his Southside Serpent dad. And he doesn't like Hiram Lodge in general, so there's that. This means that it's pretty much guaranteed Hiram Lodge is his biological dad.
He tries to put it out of his head and succeeds for a while until it's announced that the Twilight Drive-In is shutting down, that is. It turns out losing his job and the place he sleeps gives him a lot of free time, especially after the final showing, Rebel Without a Cause.
More free time means that he's actually able to think about Betty's words further. It's a terrible thing to constantly have running through his head. Day and night. Busy or bored. Especially at night, when he's trying to fall asleep under the stairs at school.
He has the opportunity to actually do something, find something out, not too long after he starts living at school.
Veronica and Betty have quickly become besties, Betty's words, not his, and this means that more often than not, Veronica stops by the Blue and Gold office to invite Betty to hang out. One such time she stops by, Betty gets it in her head that Jughead could use some cheering up.
He'll be the first to admit he's been down since the Twilight Drive-In closed. That doesn't mean he particularly wants to go with Betty and Veronica to the mall in Greendale and watch them shop for who knows how many hours. But, Betty being Betty knows exactly what'll get him to agree.
"Come on, Juggie," she cajoles. "I'll buy you some food in the food court. And it has that used bookstore. I'll buy you a book too."
Jughead looks at her and Veronica warily. "I'm not carrying any shopping bags around for you guys. If you can buy it you can carry it."
"Sure," Betty says amiably.
"Of course, Jughead," Veronica agrees. "I wouldn't expect you to carry anything for me anyway."
The implied 'you wouldn't even if I asked you to' is obvious, but it's also not in a mean way, so he ignores it.
"Also, you can't let this get out," he says, smirking slightly. "It would completely ruin my reputation as an unapproachable loner."
"Sure," Betty agrees. "We wouldn't want that to happen."
"Not at all," Veronica agrees.
The trip to the mall isn't fun, exactly, but it's not boring either. Really, it just gives him a good excuse to stop thinking about his probably biological dad. He mostly waits outside stores or in the food court while Betty and Veronica get their shopping done.
Once they're finished looking through sales racks at various clothing shops, they allow Jughead to drag them to the bookstore. He's always known that Betty appreciates literature, but Veronica has never struck him as someone who enjoys a good book. It seems his initial assessment is off though because Veronica is nearly as excited to be in the bookstore as Jughead.
It's as they're checking out, Betty with a book by Toni Morrison, Veronica with a stack of classic, and Jughead with Pride and Prejudice, that something happens to again make him consider his biological dad and the chances of him being Hiram Lodge.
"Oh, isn't this so cute," the store clerk says, an old woman with a kind smile and twinkling blue eyes. "You two must be siblings. The same smile."
"Oh, no, we're just friends," Veronica says with a smile.
Strange, Jughead has never considered her his friend. Then again, what are friends? They're people you spend time with, don't hate, and who usually have a pretty good sense of humor. Veronica ticks all those boxes.
"No need to deny it," the woman says kindly. "I know how embarrassing siblings can be, but you two just look too much alike to not be."
Jughead smiles slightly and nods. There's no way he can't get them out of here too soon. He'd really rather not have Veronica, or even worse, Betty, start asking questions. Figure it out on their own.
"So, do we really look that similar, Betty?" Veronica asks. "I find it hard to believe."
"Me too," Jughead deadpans.
Betty giggles. "You guys really do. Who knows, maybe your parents are related somehow, like second cousins or something. Your dad and mom are from Riverdale and Jughead's dad is too. Maybe one of them is a second cousin or something."
"Nope," Veronica says. "We keep very good family records. I'm fairly sure I'd notice someone named 'Jughead' on the family tree while doing research."
"Well, his nickname wouldn't exactly be on the family tree," Betty reasons. Jughead glares at her.
"Really?" Veronica asks, looking at him and raising an eyebrow. "Tell me more."
"No," Jughead says.
"Jughead's very tight-lipped about his real name. I don't think even Archie knows it, and they've been friends their whole lives," Betty says. They're outside now, walking through the parking lot to where Veronica's chauffeur is waiting for them.
(And seriously, in a small town like Riverdale, where you can literally walk everywhere, she has a chauffeur?)
"You thought 'Jughead' was my real name?" he asks. It's strange, but if it'll distract her from wanting to know more, whatever works.
Veronica scoffs. "Of course not. Veronica Lodge does not make such a simple mistake. But don't think you're getting away from answering my questions that easily."
Jughead sighs. And hops into the car. Veronica and Betty throw their bags in the trunk before joining him. Veronica's eyes still have a shine to them. Betty just looks curious.
"So," Veronica continues. "What's your dad's name then? Maybe he is there and I just haven't seen it."
Jughead sighs, but acquiescences. "FP Jones. That's my dad's name."
"His name is FP?" Veronica asks. "Nevermind, Jones, you say?"
"Yup," Jughead says. "Jones. We've been here since the beginning, pretty much."
"Hmm. What about your mom? What's her name?"
"I doubt she's related to you," Jughead deadpans.
"Humor me, Jones," Veronica commands.
Jughead hesitates. If her dad does remember his mom, he might hear about this. He might find out about Jughead if what Jughead suspects is true. If he's the one his mom slept with.
"Come on, Jughead," Betty pleas. "It's all in good fun."
"Fine. My mom's maiden name is Gladys Barker. Her family's from Toledo," he says. "I doubt that she's related though. She's got blonde hair and blue eyes."
"Probably not then," Veronica agrees. "I suppose you were just lucky enough to be born looking like my brother."
"'Lucky,' she says," he mutters. "Sure, let's call it that."
The rest of the ride back to Riverdale is quiet. Not in a bad way, more in a companionable way. It's not the worst silence Jughead's heard, so he's not exactly complaining. And Veronica seems to have let his uncanny resemblance to her go, so there's that.
"Where's your house?" Veronica asks thirty minutes later. "I'll have Smithers drop you off before Betty and I head to the Pembroke."
Jughead hesitates. He has the feeling that telling her he's been staying at the school, and worse, letting Betty hear, won't go over well.
"You can just drop me off at school. It'll still be open and I want to get some more work done for the Blue and Gold," he finally says.
Betty looks at him strangely. "Really? You've already done plenty today."
Jughead shrugs. "Why not. I don't exactly have an after school job anymore, so I may as well use the free time somehow. My dad won't be home until later anyway."
"What about your mom?" Veronica asks.
Jughead almost flinches but manages to hide it with another shrug. "She's working too." It's not even a lie. She's just not working in Riverdale.
"Who's watching Jellybean?" Betty asks.
"Jellybean?" Veronica repeats dubiously.
"My sister. She's at a friend's birthday sleepover tonight." Again, not a lie. She's just not at said friend's birthday party sleepover in Riverdale.
Veronica shakes her head. "Why not then, Jughead. Have fun working on the paper then."
"I will," Jughead says.
A few minutes later they pull up in front of the school. Jughead jumps out and almost walks away. In fact, he makes it to the steps before hearing a shout.
"Bye, Jughead!" Betty yells through the open window, waving madly. "Veronica also waves for a moment.
Bemusedly, he raises his hand and waves back before they're gone. It's only been a few moments, but already he's slightly lonely. There's no better way to beat the loneliness away than reading a good book though, and Jughead just so happens to have a good book, freshly purchased. Pride and Prejudice.
It's a good book. One of his favorites, even if Jane Austen doesn't make into his top ten favorite authors. His mom had an old beat-up copy. It's one of the first books, one of the only books, he ever remembers reading with her. He sleeps soundly that night.
The issue is, Jughead seems to have underestimated Veronica's, not intelligence, but her curiosity, which is just as vast as Betty's. The only reason he knows this is because she starts to seek him out a lot. And he means a lot. She's always either with him, Archie, or Betty. Unusually all or a mixture of the three. He'd even go so far as to say she's looking for something.
He doesn't call her out on it though. In fact, he leaves it alone until after Jason's funeral, which is a can of worms itself. One's he's not going to touch until he's had at least four hours of sleep and two cups of coffee plus Betty's help. They'll work on it tomorrow at the Blue and Gold.
He's not quite ready to sleep yet, so he's in Pop's, drinking a cup of burnt black coffee and typing away. He doesn't look away from the screen when the bell rings, or when he hears Pop talking to someone in a low tone. He does look away from the screen when someone slumps into the seat opposite him.
"Veronica," he greets.
"Jughead," she returns. "How are you?"
He shrugs. "I've been better. I've also been worse though, so, eh."
"I wanted to ask you about your dad," Veronica says. She looking at him like she can see right through him. She's also strangely serious. No arched eyebrow or anything.
"Ask away," Jughead offers, closing his laptop. He knows where this is going. Veronica, for all someone might think with her being a rich kid, is not an idiot.
"Is FP your biological father?"
Jughead waits a beat. "No."
Veronica sighs and does something he's never seen her do or expected she might. She slumps and lays her arms on top of the table before putting her face on her arms.
"Is my dad?" she asks, voice muffled.
"I don't know," Jughead admits. "I think so. No way of being sure though."
"Do you know-"
"How?" Jughead interrupts. "Yeah, or at least, I think so. My mom used to waitress at a fancy restaurant in Toledo. Reservation only. She met a guy, was in middle of a fight with my dad, and slept with the guy. Never saw him again. Never knew for sure if I was or wasn't until I figured it out on my own."
"How'd you figure it out?" Veronica asks, looking up slightly.
"My dad's blood type is AB+ and mine is O-."
"So we don't know for sure if my dad is…"
"My, biological father," Jughead says sourly. "Unless we tested DNA ourselves."
"It's pretty likely though," Veronica says. Jughead nods in agreement. "I know he was in Toledo before I was born. He talks about it a lot because he was meeting someone and made a great deal at this restaurant for some real estate."
"With how similar we look, yeah, it's pretty likely."
"We could do that DNA test. I'm sure I could keep it a secret."
Jughead thought for a moment. "What's your dad's blood type?"
"What?" Veronica asked, sitting up properly.
"What's your dad's blood type," Jughead repeated. "If it isn't something that could make O-, that's a faster way to be able to rule it out, at least."
"A-," Veronica says. "Mine is O- too."
"So that means it's possible," Jughead says.
"Yeah, Veronica echoes. "Possible."
They don't talk about it again until after everything. Until after Jason's murderer is discovered (and dead, but that's not their fault). Veronica marches up to him and hands him a vial.
"Spit in it," she demands.
Jughead gives her a look but does so anyway.
"We'll know in two or three weeks," she says.
"Yeah. Thanks, Veronica," Jughead says honestly. "Just, can we not tell anyone? With me going to Southside soon, I'm just not ready."
"Of course not," Veronica says, sounding somewhat scandalized. "It's just between us."
"Not even your dad?" he asks.
"Yeah," she agrees softly. "Not even my dad. I promise, little brother."
Jughead scoffs and rolls his eyes. "I'm like three months younger than you, Veronica."
Her laugh rings merrily throughout Pop's.
"Doesn't matter. You're the little brother. I always wanted one," she says softly.
"For the record, I didn't want an older sister," he says.
"Jerk," she scolds, smacking his arm.
"Yeah, yeah," Jughead says. "I can live with that.
Just to be clear, the test comes back positive and Jughead is Veronica's sister. :)