CHAPTER FIFTY – The Prodigal Daughter

Just days after she had finished school and turned eighteen, Jellybean Jones had exercised some of her newfound freedom from her mother by buying herself a bus ticket and leaving a note on the table for Gladys to discover when she'd arrive home from work that their small house had gone from two to one; reminiscent of the same way a household had gone from four to two several years earlier.

For years, Jellybean had asked about her father, her brother and the life that they had left behind in Riverdale when the final straw in FP and Gladys's marriage broke after FP had finally said 'sorry' one too many times.

Jellybean was too old to simply 'forget' about her now broken family that had once been whole. She was too old to just forget about her brother and her father who Gladys had driven her away from one Tuesday afternoon after collecting Jellybean from school early.

Consequently, the very first thing on the top of Jellybean's agenda after turning eighteen involves a ten hour bus ride and a trip to her hometown.

That was what led to Jellybean Jones turning up on the doorstep of her father's trailer one Friday afternoon after a half an hour walk from the bus terminal to the Sunnyside Trailer Park before quite literally inviting herself in.

However, the young girl did not have any idea of quite what she'd be facing on the other side of the door...

After all, upon seeing her father for the first time in almost seven years only for him to scurry off to the secondary bedroom down the hallway in response to a noise, only to return with a little girl in his arms, Jellybean Jones' jaw had dropped in surprise.

"No way, dad... Did you have another kid?"

At his daughter's exclamation and the question that is seeming to upset her, FP just chuckles, looking to his granddaughter who has curled up in his arms and then back to his own daughter.

"No... One daughter is quite enough work. You actually have your brother to thank for this one here" FP chuckles, looking to his granddaughter with adoration as he re-adjusts his hold on her from where she is nestled into his neck, still a little upset after waking up to a bad dream. "This is Bailey, your niece..."

The relief on Jellybean's face is instantaneous. Even though she'd bracing for things to have changed in seven years, the prospect of no longer being her father's only little girl was a change that she hadn't quite been preparing herself for, struggling to come to terms with the idea.

However, blinded by her rush of relief, Jellybean didn't really stop to think about a few other factors including the fact that only now is she being introduced to Jughead's daughter.

"Bailey, can you say 'hi' to your Aunty Jellybean?"

The usually bubbly little girl is unusually timid as she stays glued to FP's shoulder with dampened blue eyes and pink cheeks, clinging onto the comfort of her grandfather after waking up from a nightmare and to an unfamiliar face.

"Hi..." Bailey utters in little more than a whisper before she cowers back into the security of her grandfather.

Meanwhile, as soon as the fact that the little girl is no longer a threat or a competitor, Jellybean relaxes and takes a step closer to her father, crouching down a little to meet the three-year-old in the eye.

"Hi Bailey..." Jellybean begins, speaking to the little girl before her eyes return to her father and a smile floods her face as she continues speaking, this time directing her words of disbelief to FP.

"She's Jug's kid?! He's a dad?! She's beautiful... Hold up. Who's her mother?"

"Betty Cooper. Do you remember her? She lived next door to Archie and his family."

Instantly a wild grin spreads across the eighteen-year-olds face knowingly.

"Jughead Jones, what a dirty dog... Of course I remember Betty. I always was convinced that he had a massive crush on her."

Then, all of a sudden, the smile quickly fades from Jellybean's face as it is replaced with a sombre sadness and a stab of pain as she looks up to her father, searching for an answer.

"Dad... Why didn't I know about Bailey? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

FP stammers at his daughter's question while Jellybean looks away as she inhales a sharp breath of air before taking a step back, heading for the door that she had entered through minutes earlier.

"This is a lot. I think I need some air... I'm just going to take a quick walk to clear my head."

However, Jellybean has barely had a chance to step away from her father, to step through the front door and to walk out from her father's trailer before she catches sight of the young couple that are talking together distractedly, their eyes locked on each other as they walk hand-in-hand across the trailer park and over to the one trailer in particular.

"Jughead?!" Jellybean utters in a low voice that is enough to catch her brother's attention despite the distance between them.

Instantly Jughead drops his hold on his girlfriend's hand, rushing over to his younger sister for the first time in seven years, wrapping his arms around her warmly as she does the same.

"Jellybean... JB..." he stammers, looking his sister up and down over and over again as he takes in all that has changed about her, not just her name of choice. "What are you doing here?! It's so good to see you."

"I'm doing what has taken seven years too long. I'm back."

With another grin, Jughead wraps his arms around his younger sister yet again, expressing his delight at her presence in front of him, making the bus ticket she'd had to fork out for and the discomfort from the ten hour bus drive suddenly worth it.

"So, I just met your daughter..." Jellybean smirks as she pulls away from her older brother's hug, looking between him and his girlfriend standing behind him discreetly. "She's beautiful guys... Congratulations. To the both of you."

After the couple share a proud little smile with each other at Jellybean's doting remarks over their little girl they share, Betty takes a few steps forward, opening her arms to her daughter's aunt after standing back and waiting to allow the brother and sister a few moments together to begin with.

"Thanks Jellybean... Welcome back."

After Jughead watches his sister and his girlfriend hug briefly until the two pull away, the walk that Jellybean needed seems to be forgotten about as she follows the couple who rejoin one another's sides and stroll towards the trailer together.

However, after the distraction of seeing her brother, the question that had been tormenting Jellybean prior to her walk, prompting her to need the fresh air and to escape from the trailer resurfaces once again within her. It's the question weighing down the pit of her stomach as they walk back inside and as she sees the little girl sitting down beside her father, being reminded of the fact that she had never known that the same little girl existed.

As the two young parents walk through the front door of the trailer they head straight for their daughter who's spent the day with her grandfather while they told Betty's parents about their relationship after work.

Meanwhile, Jellybean lingers behind and stands by the door watching the three-year-old hug her mum and her dad, struggling to comprehend the fact that her brother is that girl's dad.

With his Bailey's attention being taken by her parents, FP too takes a step back and allows Betty and Jughead to greet their daughter and hear all about her day with him. However, noting his own daughter standing by the door and watching on a little sadly, he joins her at her side, looking to the teenager with concern.

"Big day, hey... Are you okay?"

As her big brown eyes that are so much like her father's look to him, Jellybean just shakes her head, taking a deep breath to maintain her composure as an overwhelming day and the unexpected meeting all take its toll in one hit.

"Why didn't I know about her? Why didn't anyone tell me? Tell me, dad..."

If she hadn't had such an overwhelming day after a long and uncomfortable trip, the young girl would have faced that question with anger and an indignant attitude, rather than the hurt and upset that she is instead.

Exhaling a deep sigh as he claps a hand on her shoulder, FP struggles to find the best and the right thing to say in answer to his daughter's question. After all, the reason is her mother. However, he doesn't want to berate his estranged wife who Jellybean has spent the last seven years living with, nor does he want to lie to his daughter.

So, FP takes a part of the truth and he conceals a part of the truth, trying to focus on the best way to deliver an answer to Jellybean's question in that moment.

"Jughead has only known about Bailey for a little less than six months, too."

As her eyes fly up to her father, Jellybean's face is riddled with surprise and even more questions that arise as a result of one half-answered one.

After all, she's jumping to assumptions over Betty and whether she'd kept their daughter from her brother and -if so- how have they been able to overcome that to become the couple that they quite clearly are now.

"Look, there's a lot to that story, Jellybean. Your brother and I both made mistakes while you were gone and those three have been the ones who have paid the highest price for those mistakes. You'll know the truth about it all, in time, but you're just going to have to trust that drip-feeding the whole story is what's best for now, okay?"

She is not happy. She does not like the sound of being drip-fed information nor does she like the idea of being kept partially in the dark when there's a 'whole story'. FP can read his daughter's dissatisfaction in what he's telling him through her furrowed brows and the small scowl on her face.

However, one thing that FP has certainly learnt over the years is that the best thing for your kid isn't always the easiest.

It would be too much for his daughter to hear about his prison sentence and his series of poor decisions that sparked the beginning of the path that led to Jughead fleeing town all those years ago. Additionally, FP isn't even sure that Jughead would want him to broadcast the reason why he left town without a trace all those years ago. Then, there's Jellybean's own mother's role in the matter and the fact that her turning Jughead down only acted as the straw that broke the camel's back, leading him to Oklahoma, along with the phone call Gladys had received from a pregnant Betty all those years ago that fourteen-year-old Jellybean had no idea of.

"Trust me, kid... I know you haven't had much reason to in the past, but I only want the best for you and I'm going to need you to trust me on that and that I know what that is."

#

After Betty and Jughead hugged their little girl and heard all about her day, the two young parents slowly seemed to grow aware of the tense discussion between the other father and daughter in that room and Jughead could have a pretty good guess over what the issue was about.

So, following her boyfriend's gaze and trying to determine what was going on through him, Betty jumped in and suggested the five of them go out for dinner at Pop's.

Dinner at the diner had been just the distraction they all needed as Jellybean focused on her new niece, FP relaxed over what he was and wasn't going to tell his daughter and Betty enjoyed the peace she could see in her boyfriend with the tensions in his family seeming to relax and die down throughout the meal.

Sleeping arrangements had been discussed at dinner with both FP and Jughead volunteering their beds for their visitor. However, Betty insistently offered Bailey's room up, knowing her three-year-old would only be too happy for the excuse to get to bunk in and sleep in her mother's bed with her in what would just seem like one, big sleepover.

Then, after dinner, FP and Jellybean returned to his trailer to continue talking, with Jellybean failing to gain the answers that she has been growing desperate for, while the other little, dysfunctional family of three returned to Betty's apartment.

After Bailey had her night-time bath and picked her own pyjamas to wear, the three-year-old jumped into the haven of her mother's bed after picking her bedtime stories for tonight, requesting Jughead to be the one to read to her tonight as he and Betty join her on either side of her.

With the three of them snuggled up together on Betty's bed and with the little girl cushioned safe and warm between her parents, Bailey fell asleep in no time at all, not quite finishing the ending of 'Madeline' before she conked out from she is snuggled up between the security of her parents.

Then, once Bailey fell asleep, Jughead and Betty tried staying there and they attempted whispering to each other in hushed, low voices with their daughter sleeping between them. However, after a few stirs and false alarms, they'd decided to relocate and move out to the lounge room, opting to cuddle up together on the lounge instead.

From where she's curled into him with her chin resting on his shoulder, tucked below her hand, Betty is watching him closely and studying him intently. She's memorizing every little freckle and detail on his skin, every point where his hair begins to curl a little and she's watching him intently to try to read every little expression on his face after what's been a big day for him.

"I think JB was pretty hurt not to know about Bailey..." Jughead remarks as he speaks up from out of nowhere, thinking out loud as he shares his thoughts with his girlfriend who just returns his sentiment with a nod.

"Well, your mother has a lot to answer for, Jug..."

Betty's remark silences Jughead as he exhales a heavy sigh at the mention of his mother and the reminder of all the pain that she'd dealt him, beginning with the day that she left town with one child and not the other.

After silence consumes them for another few moments, eventually Betty speaks up again in a soft, loving voice as she continues watching her boyfriend with complete concern after working up the courage to raise the question that's on her mind.

"How are you doing, babe? I know you're glad to see your sister again, but how are you really doing? It's understandable if this is bringing stuff up for you, Jug..."

Inhaling a deep and shaky breath, Jughead can feel the way the vivid memories are churning his stomach and causing the pounding in his heart.

After all, turning back time to what had started as one normal Tuesday seven years ago, Jughead had been the first to notice that something was amiss that day.

He'd spent an hour waiting by the car park at school, waiting for his mother to pick him up after collecting Jellybean first, before he finally started his walk home after realising that they mustn't be coming for him today.

Then, as soon as he walked in the front door to his family's small home, he was met with an instant solitude and coldness that swept over him and he just knew.

He knew before he noticed that his sister's things had been cleared from the house completely.

He knew before he saw the note addressed to his father on the kitchen bench.

He knew before he saw the meaningless 'I love you' note on his bedside table.

He knew it all too well before he saw the evidence that two less people would now be living in his family home.

However, he tells himself that he should have known after hearing his parents fighting like they never had before through the paper-thin walls the night before. And, he tells himself he should have known when he'd heard the sense of resignation in his mother's voice as they fought, rather than the usual anger in their routine slinging match...

"I'm so glad that she's here... It's so good to see her again. But, I have been reliving the last day that I saw her."

Betty exhales a pained sigh, hurting for him.

"God, I remember that day... You were fourteen. You called me to ask how to make a casserole."

Jughead just chuckles weakly over the situation that is so far from funny as he remembers his panic over food in the moments following when his crumbling family had finally reached breaking point.

"The library was closed and I didn't have enough money for Pops... You asked me what was going on, told me not to worry and an hour later you walked over with a casserole dish in your arms."

"You and your dad told me to stay for dinner..." Betty adds as they relive that day through a match of verbal ping-pong.

As he turns to his girlfriend and looks at her guiltily, Jughead exhales a deeply pained sigh as he shares his guilt-ridden thoughts with her.

"I didn't want you to ever leave that night...You were always there for me, Betts. I should have been there for you."

Betty is quick to speak up and attempt to silence her boyfriend's guilt as quickly as she can, clutching his hands from within her own with a tight squeeze of reassurance with one hand as she shifts it from where it had been resting on his shoulder to touching the side of his face, stroking his features lovingly.

"Don't. Don't go there, Jughead. What your mum did was not okay. She knowingly left you. You had no idea about Bailey. Don't go there. Don't let yourself go there. You are not the same."

Despite her reassurances, Jughead exhales another uptight and pained sigh. The guilt remains pulsing within him and he just allows the silence to linger between the two of them. After all, he appreciates her forgiveness and her attempts to dissolve his guilt but that guilt is something that he is always going to carry his guilt with him, he's sure of it.

Instead, after a few moments, Jughead tries to change the course of the conversation a little, shifting it away from his guilt but closer to the original topic of his sister.

"How was all of that seven years ago already? How's my little sister eighteen already?!"

Betty nods in agreement with Jughead, sharing his disbelief.

"I know... She was just a little kid back then and now she's a beautiful young woman."

Just as she had done moments ago, Jughead nods along with what she's telling him in agreement before he looks to her, studying her with shock as he makes the connection between his younger sister and his girlfriend who is sitting beside him, curled up into him.

"Hell... At Jellybean's age you were pregnant with Bailey..."

After seeing the way that his face is already paling, Betty presses a gentle kiss to his cheek as she nips her lip and shakes her head, knowing that the truth is only going to make it that little bit worse.

"No, actually... I fell pregnant while I was still sixteen... Bailey was already born by the time that I was her age. In fact, just a couple months after I turned eighteen I had a one-year-old."

After recovering from his momentary shock as his stomach turns from within him, Jughead gapes at his girlfriend and the fact he struggles to wrap his head around, despite the solid evidence in the form of the little three-year-old that he'd just read to sleep only a room away.

"Hell. Surely we weren't that young... I wouldn't have blamed your parents for ordering my execution. I'd want so much more than a guys head if someone got my daughter pregnant at sixteen."

"That was spoken like a true dad, Juggie."

However, despite her tease, Betty cannot help but nod at her boyfriend in agreement. After all, even though it was her reality at that age, she knows exactly what he means about the fact that the idea of having a one-year-old at that age that seems so wrong for someone so young.

"Isn't it funny how that works? It's like the rules never apply to you. You always feel so much older and wiser than your years until you're looking back at yourself. Hindsight, hey?"


I hope you all liked Jellybean's first proper chapter in this story. She's going to bring a bit of fun along with a secret or two of her own... Hopefully you'll all enjoy reading some of her upcoming moments with Jug, FP and Betty as much as I've enjoyed writing them. Also, while it won't be the focus of Jellybean's return from here, I hope you enjoyed the little moment between Jughead and Betty as they talked through and addressed the impact of his mother and sister leaving all those years ago.

Thank you so much to: Rhiye, Riverdaleforever2020, Bughead4Life, Irianna Marie, Marie King, bugheadforlife, JMM316 and two lovely Guests for leaving a review on the last chapter. I'm always so grateful for everyone's feedback and opinions so thank you so much for taking the time to give me those glimpses into your thoughts as readers.

Next chapter: Jellybean enlists herself as Jughead's wing-woman, steering him towards uncharted territory in his relationship with Betty.