Gimmie Shelter or I'm Going To Fade Away


It's an AU of Riverdale, my first for the fandom. This little idea just popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone, so I had to start it, one way or another. Hopefully you guys like it, I just like the parents of Riverdale and was always a tad curious about Jellybean Jones, so why not write a story! The title comes from the song is from The Rolling Stone's song Gimmie Shelter which I don't own. Nor do I own Riverdale obviously. Takes place after episode 2x01, diverges after that but will still have something from the second season.

Anyway, on with the story!


Chapter One: The Littlest Jones Comes Home

She was supposed to be in Toledo with Gladys.

She was supposed to be living a normal life after the divorce and she did. Gladys worked to get her GED while living with her parents in Toledo. But even good things, Jellybean saw never lasted like winter. Her grandparents died when she was nine. It was her and her mom living in the big old house, with its baby blue exterior walls for a while until the police showed up.

The officer told her that her mom was in a bad accident on her way home. Her mother didn't make it to the hospital, dying on the way. Dead on arrival.

She was not supposed to be in a police station with a nice lady called Alexandra Cabot. She was here to take her to the guardian her mother would place her with if anything bad happened to her. Jellybean had a feeling it wouldn't be with her dad. The fourteen-year-old held a small fickle of hope but knew it wasn't going to come true.

She was not supposed to be here at all but Jellybean Jones was used to defying the odds. She defied them when she was born couple months early, a reason how she got her nickname. He dad called her Jellybean because, "When you were born, you looked like a Jellybean."

She was going back to her home, she was going back to Riverdale.

With her bags packed and her grief filling into her heart, Forsythia "Jellybean" Jones left the big old house with the baby blue exterior walls in Toledo.


They left Ohio, got on a plane and landed in Riverdale. It was rainy with the water pouring down hard on the car as Alexandra drove her to the guardian that would take her in. Jellybean hoped that with luck her new guardian got to let her see her dad. She clung tightly to the box where her mother's ashes laid. Jellybean was stubborn, something she proved when she begged the police officers and Ms. Cabot to let her mom go with her. They were reluctant but Jellybean did not want to leave her mother behind so it took a week for paperwork filed and for the cremation for Jellybean to have a box wrapped filled with Gladys ashes.

The car pulled up to a pretty suburban street which reminded Jellybean of the opening of Sixteen Candles. Except Andy wasn't orphaned with her mother's ashes next to her. Jellybean hoped the guardian she was stuck with liked eighties and nineties movies-and Disney movies, Jellybean would survive off of this and was glad her mom loved the movies as well. Ms. Cabot stopped the car and Jellybean opened the door, careful to not drop the precious box.

The rain pounded on her jacket as they ran up the steps to the pretty house. The older woman knocked on the door loudly, Jellybean grabbed her free hand. The dark haired woman squeezed it trying to calm the young girl's anxiety.

The door opened and a man told them to come in which they did. The house was warm, making Jellybean's skin prickle and her feet feel even more squishy from the water that soaked her shoes.

A red-headed woman greeted them and they all sat on the couches. The couple, Mary and Fred Andrews as they were called smiled warmly at her. Jellybean remembered that her mom once told her that she had a couple of friends one of them being named Mary Shepard. Either way, all Jellybean knew was that she was now under the legal care of the Andrews. There was some legal talk that made Jellybean take a cue and put on her headphone. She blasted The Pretty Reckless while the adults talked about her living situation. The music was halfway through when Ms. Cabot stood up.

Ms. Cabot shook her hand. "Good luck Jellybean."

"Thanks." She mumbled. With that, Alexandra Cabot left, leaving Jellybean Jones in a town she barely remembered with her dead mom's old friend to care for her.

They showed her the room that was now hers. "We'll paint it and fix it up for you," Fred promised. They brought her small suitcase up and she carefully placed the box on the nightstand. She would have to place her mom somewhere better but Jellybean didn't want to think about that yet. Instead, she focused on getting in dry clothes and eating a meal.

She walked down the stairs, her wet clothes changed with a shower. She wore a dark blue sweater and a pair of black leggings. Her hair was still wet around the side and she was waiting for it to dry to pull it back.

Mary smiled at her. "Well miss Jellybean, how about we give you a tour of Riverdale? After we go out to get some burgers at the best restaurant in town." Fred gave her a big smile. He seemed nice and so did Mary. She nodded and went to put on her raincoat. She decided to put on her rain boots, even though they were still soggy but thought it was moot to ruin her other shoes.

They drove around telling her about Riverdale and the elementary school she'll be joining soon. They finally stopped at Pop's which looked bright under the dark clouds of rain. The restaurant smelled like burgers and fries as they sat down in a booth.

Jellybean looked around already trying to see where her mom might have been when she was young. Did she come here often? With who? Maybe she could ask Mary about her mom's life in Riverdale and her dad as well.

"Where are my dad and Jughead?" She asked as they were waiting. Mary was the first to answer. "They live in Sunnyside trailer park, in the Southside of Riverdale. He'll be coming over tomorrow with your brother to see you."

"Are they upset?" The question brought a confused look across the adults. "About me staying here with you guys, with my mom's will? Do they even know about Mom?" SHe noticed Mary's lips pursed in contemplation about what to say.

Mary nodded silently. "Your dad knows, he's been copying. We don't know about Jughead. They don't know that your here or that your mom left you under my care. All they now is that you are here and that we'll be meeting them possibly tomorrow." Mary stated. "We'll also be taking care of your mom's memorial service and funeral. You have nothing to worry about Jellybean, leave that to the old people."

Fred made a noise of indignation. "Old? I do believe I don't look a day over twenty?" He joked. Mary rolled her eyes and Jellybean cracked a smile. They ordered their food to go and during the wait, Fred asked her about what life was like in Ohio. She told them about her days on her grandparents' farm, caring for the old horses. She told them a bit about her mom's life but she couldn't talk for long without a lump forming in her throat, closing off the memories of her mom.


She met Archie Andrews, who gave her a big hug and made her laugh with a corny joke about Aliens. The Andrews clan all chatted, Jellybean too. She felt like apart of some small-knit family but it wasn't the same.

As Jellybean tossed and turned in the room that was now hers, she wondered about the house she once lived in. She missed Ohio, missed the house, missed the farm. Most importantly she missed her mom.