Woo-hoo! We made it! :-D
Living Lucid Dream, thanks so much - I was immensely glad to hear that everyone's individual personality has been shining through! I have been so delighted by your feedback on that this week; it made me smile a great deal - almost as much as your feedback about Alice and Sweet Pea. :) I often feel like it's the riskiest thing to mix an OC romantically with a canon character, but I was also disappointed by the Sweet Pea/Josie arc being so dismissive of SP, and this has felt a lot more like the arc he should have. Yay for a seconding of that instinct! Alice and Sweet Pea's arc is definitely going to take some time, but that's always a lot of the fun. :) I hope you continue to enjoy their dynamic just as much! And yeah, we're definitely having our first major move from Brand shielding Jughead post-AWP to everyone being under more direct fire. I love that it has you shuddering/excited and I'm really looking forward to letting that arc have its head. I also love the idea of Jug et al. adopting Clark - your caps were well-received. :-D Clark would be SO excited to get the full Brand experience, just as a start... :-D
Skyrider45, welcome back! You were missed, but never forgotten - and what a reentry! Thank you for the wonderful reviews, and it was really nice that there was a brand-new chapter for you. :) I hope work lightens up soon for you! No pressure, but I'll love reading when you're back to posting. :) You highlighted some moments that I really enjoyed writing, too, which I always love. FP playing with matches has been one of my perpetual mental images for him with the Serpents, and yeah... the school's E-mail is inspired by messages I've received IRL that were wildly inadequate. :-D I also really enjoyed hearing your reaction to Brand navigating the explosion aftermath - it was a very different (brief) scene in tone and tenor, and I was glad to hear it was effective even to you (I always recall your connoisseur-level reads of action scenes - and try to keep my game strong! :). "Anxiety sass" was a new phrase for me, but I will recall it. :) I'm so glad you're attached to Clark, too. I adore him, but that's always dangerous with an OC and I am glad he's been winning readers over too. :-D And yes, here's the final chapter. Great timing!
Enjoy!
-Button
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Jughead was waiting anxiously by the time FP and Brand came jogging into the field office. When Jughead moved forward eagerly to be caught up in his dad's arms, Brand wrapped them both in a hug and ignored FP's longsuffering sigh in favor of returning his godson's affectionate grin.
"You reassure your father real good, kid, because I'm next." Brand let them both go and gave them space for a fuller reunion while he approached Clark.
"Thanks for everything you did today. That was way above and beyond, Clark. I owe you." Brand gave him a nod and clapped a hand on his right shoulder.
"Thank you, sir. It was what anyone would have done." Clark flushed with pleasure, but then eyed him uncomfortably. "Um, Jones told me that you're his godfather."
"Ah." Brand did not offer any further response.
"So, uh, I think there are some things you should know about. You might want to take Jones to get some counseling or see a psychiatrist or something. We had some... intense moments today."
Brand's eyebrows shot up. "You've got my attention."
Clark explained. Brand felt his hands twitching as he listened and processed what Clark was telling him; he looked over to where FP was talking quietly to Jones and not letting go of him.
During their drive to the field office, they'd called ahead to make sure everyone knew not to greet FP too obviously in front of Jones and Clark (apparently the old man had made some friends), and then they'd gotten word from two Serpents that Jones and Clark had fought like their lives depended on it and gotten away in dramatic fashion when the Serpents had attempted a rescue. And that something "that might have sounded kinda bad" had been said - and supposedly wildly misinterpreted - in the process.
FP was still angry about the photo and suspicious that there were more ulterior motives in play than were being shared, but Brand figured that the odds were good that Clark and Jones had indeed panicked and gotten the wrong impression.
It sounded like something they would do.
However, if he was entirely truthful, Brand was darn proud that Jones hadn't taken the gang at their word and gone along quietly. Given the limited information that the kid had at the time, that would have been foolish.
Instead, Jones taking his shot at commandeering a vehicle and getting himself and Clark to the field office was exactly what Brand would have done in the situation. It made him feel warm inside just thinking about it.
Even though FP was still a little hung up on Jones' decision to run from the Serpent retrieval team straight into Donn's territory, which was at least a slightly legitimate worry (and one that Brand had to admit he shared), there was something reassuring about seeing his own instincts and decision-making mimicked successfully by his godson.
Honestly, this felt a whole lot like one of those rewarding parenting moments when months of hard work had paid off, and Brand was savoring it.
Not that any of that erased the obvious damage: the kid was deathly pale as he clung to his father, and Clark's report that he'd been forced to overdose and then held down and traumatized for sport by the bombers (before the two had been left to fend for themselves in a deathtrap until they were either exhausted or rescued; Brand was intensely grateful that the carjackers had not told the two that they were being abandoned to their fate while the criminals skipped town) was entirely believable.
It was also troubling to see Clark's fingers return again and again to very faint ligature marks on his own throat. The intern didn't seem aware that he was doing it, but Brand felt it in his gut when he finally put two and two together with the story he was being told.
Brand was also pretty sure he'd have to get the kid's father alone and make a plan, because they were not living through another three months of nightly screaming. Not if Brand could help it.
And, gallingly, the order not to go after the men who had carjacked the kid was almost guaranteed to be coming.
Because Brand was virtually certain that Jones and Clark had been held by people who were at least indirectly on Donn's payroll. They'd taken advantage of the explosion and chaos, suggesting that Donn had known - and kept quiet - advance knowledge of the Serpent faction's attack on Southside High. They had even managed to use the situation to camouflage Donn's own mission: pulling Brand and FP away from the investigation and giving Donn an advantage with Rose.
Unless Brand could get his report in to the FBI first, making sure that there was no way the bureau could find any excuse to refrain from following up, Rose would bury this and nobody would even give chase to the men who'd been involved in the carjacking.
So, Brand resolved silently, he'd get his report in before he slept.
"Clark, I wonder if I could ask you for another huge favor. This isn't something I would normally work with an intern on, but you're someone I trust and I'm starting to think that you have good instincts - and you're definitely good with people who are having a rough time."
Brand had an inkling that this would actually kill two birds and not just the one he was telling Clark about. He was increasingly uncomfortable with sending the intern home alone after everything he'd dragged Clark into. "We've got an informant who could use a place to stay that's off the radar. I'll see that you get something for rent, and it will be good experience for you to get to know him."
"Absolutely. Yes, sir." Clark perked up with pride at being trusted with the responsibility. "It would be an honor."
"Let me know if he gives you any trouble at all, but he worships the ground Jones' father walks on and I hear he's scared out of his mind by the situation he's landed himself in. I'd be shocked if he so much as left a dish out of the dishwasher on you."
"I'll be in touch with you if we have any issues, but I'll do my best, sir." Clark nodded. "It's just a studio apartment, but it's got room for two if he's not picky."
"He's not," Brand assured him. "And see that you get some professional support; you've had quite the day too. Agent Quinn will probably be the one to handle your debriefing, and she can refer you to someone decent. You make sure it's just the one day of trauma you're dealing with, huh?"
"I will, sir. Thank you, sir." Clark smiled gratefully at the acknowledgement of his own harsh experiences.
Brand patted Clark on the shoulder a second time and then gingerly touched one of the larger bruises on the side of the intern's face with a sympathetic wince. "Thank you again for taking this on the chin - literally. Jones is tough, but he looks like a stiff wind could shatter him right now."
"He is tough. Believe it or not, he looked even worse when he was taking down two Serpents with very little help from me." Clark looked over at the kid and his father. "He's got more fight in him than he lets on, so I wouldn't worry too much. I was proud to work alongside him today."
That made Brand smile.
Brand waited patiently for FP to finish up whatever he was telling the kid, and then he walked over and drew his godson into another hug. "Hey, killer. We'll talk more later. I want to hear about Donn, but not right now. Not here." Jones nodded. "You three scared the crap out of me. Explosives?"
"I know. The one thing you never wanted to teach me about. Sorry. In case it helps, we were slightly worried too, Brand." Jughead leaned into his godfather and Brand began rubbing a hand over his head out of habit. "I'm okay, Brand. No new bumps. And Archie reminded us that you were on the case. That helped."
"Only three steps behind this time," Brand replied ruefully, still running a hand through Jughead's hair and wondering idly what exactly was making his godson so ghostly pale. He was probably hungry among other things, but he looked almost terminally ill. The meds must have really messed him up. "Thankfully you guys pulled out all the stops. Andrews even had possession of a handgun by the time we stopped his rampage through the Southside. Don't forget to ask your dad about that."
Jughead grinned up at Brand. "I will. And I'll help you with paperwork tomorrow."
"Nah, kid. Take the day off; you look like death warmed over. And we're sending your friend Joaquin home with Clark, since the punk turned state's evidence and needs a place to stay, so that situation should be tabled for a day or two - which means that your dad can spend some quality time with you. I bet he'll be getting a day or two off from Andrews Construction, and he seems shaken up."
That was probably true on all counts.
"Okay. That's good about Joaquin staying with Clark. You'll be coming back to the house, right? You're not just doing all the paperwork and then going back to Canada, are you?"
"Wow. Again with the abandonment issues, Jones." Brand squeezed his shoulders reassuringly. "First of all, I'll probably be banished to telecommute for a few days while the powers that be decide if I screwed things up too badly today. So I'll be underfoot, and you won't be able to get rid of me. Spoiler alert: they usually find something to yell at me about. Second of all, you and I have to do something fun together before I leave town. I'll make it happen; I promise."
Jughead lit up as soon as he heard the word 'promise,' and Brand tousled his hair again. "Yeah, I'm serious about it, kid. I didn't come all this way just to work and then blow you off for some fancy new case in Toronto. And I'm virtually certain that I'll be home all day tomorrow, even if I have to have my laptop open most of the time. Deal?"
"Deal." Jughead gave Brand one last squeeze and then turned toward his father. "Did you have to bring your bike? I can ride home with you, Dad."
"Yeah, right. You are barely upright, boy." FP chuckled. "I borrowed a car. Let's get you home. It's getting late and I'm hungry; you've got to be ravenous. Maybe it's time we tried ordering a pizza."
"Clark and I cleaned out the bowl of chocolates at the front desk," Jughead gave a sheepish wave to one of the people working behind the desk and she waved back across the lobby with a warm smile, "but yeah - I'm definitely still hungry." Jughead thought for a moment. "Can we get Pop's too?"
"Why not?" Brand nodded agreeably. "Let's get going, though, before your dog reenacts The Great Escape and digs a hole from the basement to the back yard."
00000
Jughead eyed his pill nervously.
And then a tennis ball flew past his head.
"Brand, cut it out!" Jughead called toward the hallway as Trigger launched past him, over his bed, and skidded into the wall with a yip of dismay before retrieving the ball and bounding back out of the room. "Just get him to run up and down the stairs. That will wear him out faster anyway."
"But this is so much more entertaining." Brand leaned into Jughead's bedroom. "You settled in for the night yet?"
Jughead shrugged and sat down on the side of his bed. Brand joined him, tossing a second tennis ball out of the room at an angle so that it would bounce down the stairs.
They looked at the pill together, and Brand pulled Jughead against his shoulder in a light hug. "You have to take it. You'll be in too much pain otherwise."
They'd gotten home and eaten dinner with all the speed dictated by their powerful hunger. Pop Tate had even thrown in some treats for Trig, who had not yet wound down from the excitement of their very late arrival home.
Brand sighed when Jughead made no move to swallow the pill. "You have some time; there's no rush. Let me get your dad's cot set up and then we can talk about what Clark told me at the field office."
"Oh man, you don't need to bring the cot-,"
"It's for your father, Jones. He's not okay." Brand gave Jughead a worried look. "I know you're one hundred percent fine, and not at all scared to go to sleep or take painkillers that might slow you down, but your father's going to need a nightlight and a roommate for a few nights. I'll try to talk him down - get him a blankie or something - if he's still in here through the weekend, but you should cut him some slack for a few days. Stick close until he feels a little more secure."
"Brandon?" Jughead heard his dad calling suspiciously from the hallway. He must have overheard part of what Brand had been saying.
"We're all set, FP. I'm getting the cot for you first, and then I'll set up some bedding on the floor for me."
"Brand-," Jughead began to protest again.
"I may look tough, but I need some time to recover too." Brand shrugged innocently. "You're lucky that Clark isn't pulling up a sleeping bag, but he's got his hands full with DeSantos. I'll work on my laptop; you'll barely notice I'm here. Think about whether you want Trigger on the bed with you, or on the floor."
"Definitely the floor."
Jughead had curled up with Trig while they all ate, patting him and giving him reassurances that Brand was fairly certain the dog did not need, but apparently the 'bed hog' verdict was still in effect.
"You got it. I'll get his dog bed."
Jughead wrapped his arms around himself as Brand left his room. He looked down at the pill in his hand again, and then set it on his bedside table, carefully out of Trigger's reach.
FP walked in, carrying a tray of snacks and three steaming mugs of hot chocolate. "Want to watch a movie?"
"Dad, you're exhausted. Brand is exhausted." Jughead slid his pill out of the way so the tray would fit on his bedside table. "I don't think anyone's up for a movie."
"Andrews Construction will be closed for a few days. Probably the rest of the week. Brand can work while we watch, and I think he started a pot of coffee so he could get his reports started tonight." FP spread his hands welcomingly. "Come on, Jug; anything you want. I'll even sit through Reservoir Dogs again."
"Rain check on that one... but how about White Fang?" Jughead waited for objections to follow.
"You just want to watch that dog of yours go nuts at all the animals. Or have PTSD flashbacks. Not that that isn't the best part of any movie-viewing experience," Brand joked as he reentered the room. "I've got the coffee brewing, FP. Not for you, kid. Hot chocolate sounds good right now, though."
"It has been a while since we watched that one. Got room on the bed for your old man? I'll take the cot after the movie's over, but your mattress is a lot better on my back as long as we're sitting."
"Sure. There's plenty of room." Jughead palmed his pain pill and selected a mug of cocoa. He caught Brand's eye as he kicked back the pill with a small sip that was more whipped cream than anything, and was rewarded when Brand winked at him.
"I'll try not to type too loudly, but no promises. I want this report in before anyone can 'request' that I tell things in a certain way." Brand left the room and returned a few moments later with FP's cot. He began assembling it while Jughead and his dad arranged pillows on the bed so that they could sit comfortably together.
"This is the life; we'll sack out and get some rest, but nobody has to get up in the morning. We can stay up all night if we want." FP dropped an arm around Jughead and then reached to lift his laptop onto the bed with his other hand. "There's a sequel to this one, right? I don't think I've ever seen it."
"The sequel's not too bad. We could watch it afterward if we're still not tired."
"The coffee's hot and strong." Brand quirked his eyebrows at Jughead from where he was finishing his quick assembly of the cot and getting out of the way for Trigger to jump up on it to watch the movie and eye the snack tray. "I'll be awake, even if the old man doesn't make it that far."
"We'll just see how far I make it." FP raised his chin in acknowledgement of the challenge.
Jughead relaxed into the pillows and took another sip of cocoa. "Whoa. This is really good, Dad."
"Dark chocolate cocoa." FP squeezed his shoulders. "We've got a lot of leftover brownies here, too, so eat up."
"Thanks, Dad. And Brand." Jughead looked from one to the other. "I'm really not scared to go to sleep. But this is nice."
"We also don't want to be on nightmare duty for a month," Brand confessed. "If we can short-circuit that by depriving you of sleep and plying you with chocolate and movies, that's a no-brainer."
"Re-eally. What else can I get this deal on?" Jughead grinned when his dad pushed his head forward playfully.
00000
Sure enough, FP had Thursday off to lie low; Jughead did not wake up until after eleven am, and so far their plan to prevent him from having nightmares was working.
Brand was asked to telecommute while his actions on Wednesday were 'reviewed,' so even though he had to work on his laptop for several more hours, he was able to stay at the house - and play chess with FP at the dining room table while he worked.
Jughead watched from where he was sprawled on the couch with Trigger, texting with his friends on his dad's phone.
"Neither of us is going anywhere," Brand finally said from where he was typing on his laptop while FP considered the chess board. "You don't have to maintain visual contact, kid."
"I know." Jughead looked over from the phone. "Is Dad beating you again?"
"Yeah." Brand smirked. "I have to let him win once in a while or he'll quit playing."
FP snorted.
"Will you teach me, Dad?"
"Oh, that's why you wanted to know? So you could be sure to have the better teacher?" Brand shook his head, amused. "Smart, Jones. Very smart. If you ever finish texting everyone you've ever met, come on over. You can learn a lot from a good match. And your father's making this a very good match."
"Just a minute." Jughead typed out another text and then set the phone down. "I think I'm missing something about it, because I know all the rules but I still lose every time."
"You've been playing your dad?" Brand asked.
"Yeah."
"It could be that you're not missing anything. He's just good at this." Brand studied FP as the older man made his move. "All right; I'm going to talk you through what he just did. You ready for this?"
"Hang on. I've got it, Brandon." FP spoke up. "Jug, you see where his queen is?"
Jughead watched his dad from where he was sitting on the couch and seemed to make a decision. "Wait a second. Let me come over there first."
FP slid his chair to the side to make room while Jughead moved a second dining room chair alongside his.
"Okay. Now show me." Jughead nudged FP's shoulder with his own as he scooted up close to the board. "I want to be able to shark Brand."
"That might take a game or two, but I think I can get you there." FP nodded sagely. He placed his right elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand. Jughead mimicked his posture, leaning in toward the board as he did so.
Brand raised his eyebrows at them and finished off the Email he was working on. "All right, then. I see how it is. Time to bring my A game against the Joneses."
"You better, Brand." Jughead smirked. "We're a good team. Maybe even unbeatable."
This time it was FP who nudged Jughead's shoulder when they exchanged smiles.
00000
Going back to school on Friday was a little scary, but everything was so different that it ended up feeling… okay.
Lunch was the most different.
Jughead had expected to see Alice and Sweet Pea together, but when they sat down next to Veronica and Archie he was surprised and pleased. He gave Alice a nod and a flick of his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes but then grinned and motioned that she'd call him later. That sounded good; maybe it was time for Jughead to live vicariously through her adventures, which promised to be interesting with someone like Sweet Pea.
Who somehow knew his dad.
Jughead and Archie had checked in over the phone the previous day, comparing notes about Wednesday's adventures and trading stories from their respective house arrests on Thursday, and Jughead was still a little concerned by how evasive his dad had been when he'd asked him about Archie's report that FP knew Sweet Pea. It seemed like there were still secrets circulating.
Maybe Alice would know more.
"Hey! Come sit with us!" Archie flagged Gunnar down. Brand was completely frustrated by Archie's refusal to say anything against the Helgasons, resulting in neither father nor son being questioned or arrested, and even Jughead had not gotten much of that story out of Archie beyond "It seems really complicated, Jug. No offense."
Jughead honestly didn't think Gunnar would respond, let alone come over, so he was surprised when Gunnar sized them up and his eyes came to rest on Alice. He cocked his head to one side as if deciding that he had nothing to lose, and slid into the spot between Alice and Veronica.
Jughead watched with amused fascination as Gunnar struck up a conversation with Alice and Sweet Pea looked confused - and then mildly worried. That phone call was really going to be fun.
Betty leaned in toward Jughead and spoke very quietly. "Are you jealous?"
"Oh, yeah. I would love to have several people fighting for my affections," Jughead said solemnly. "Especially if they baked me cookies. Thanks again for that, Kevin."
"I am not fighting Betty for your affections, Jughead Jones," Kevin said. "You only wish. I am glad you liked the cookies, though." Kevin hesitated and then continued. "Also, on a related note, I wanted to let you both know that Joaquin and I are… talking. He actually has a lot of stories about, uh, his roommate."
Everyone was keeping Joaquin's location a secret, but Jughead knew that Joaquin had insisted on telling Kevin where he was. It was a lot of pressure to put on Kevin, and probably a scary step for Joaquin to take, but in this moment it seemed to Jughead that Joaquin had been right: the gesture had gone a long way toward laying a foundation for them to reconnect.
Betty rubbed Kevin's arm encouragingly. "That's really great, Kev. You obviously need to make sure that things are right for you. But I'm rooting for you two."
"Thanks, Betty." Kevin gave her a small smile. "We still need to schedule that boyfriend-free outing, too."
"Definitely." Betty grinned.
"Wow. I get ever-so-slightly damaged, and suddenly I'm useless to you?" Jughead pretended to pout and Betty turned and kissed him.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa - that is quite enough of that. This is a family establishment. Besides which, that is not how it's done," Archie said. Then he turned to Veronica and put a hand behind her neck before he drew her in for a long kiss - that was enthusiastically reciprocated.
"Wow, Archie. Are you trying to get us in trouble now that things have finally quieted down?" Alice asked with a teasing tone.
"You only live once. And I don't like getting bored," Archie grinned. Veronica ran a hand through his hair affectionately.
"Getting bored is definitely overrated," Veronica agreed.
00000
Jughead did enjoy the phone conversation with Alice. She was in high spirits, and clearly could not believe her own good fortune. Or perhaps Alice simply could not believe that she was experiencing anything approaching good fortune after the terrible year that she'd just endured.
Alice also disagreed with Jughead's observation that Gunnar was showing interest in her. "He doesn't even know me."
"Everyone knows you, Alice, at least a little bit. You're not invisible." It was taking time for Alice to get used to that, actually. "And I'm not saying he wants to fight Sweet Pea. He probably just wants to get to know you and then decide about fighting Sweet Pea for you."
"You're an idiot. Or maybe he is. Sweet Pea definitely is." Alice was firm.
"This is going to be fun to watch." Jughead was grinning.
"Bite your tongue, Jonas."
Jughead laughed, but then he turned serious. "So, uh, I have been wondering one thing," Jughead finally raised the topic that had been bothering him. "How do Sweet Pea and my dad know each other? Do you know anything about that?"
There was a long silence. Jughead was suddenly a lot more worried.
"Um, has Agent Davies talked to you about what I told him at the resident agency?" Alice sounded reluctant.
"No."
"We-ell, your dad's been doing some stuff. Now, to be fair, I saw him come in guns blazing to find you - so to speak - when you were missing. So I want to give him the benefit of the doubt."
So far this made basically zero sense to Jughead. "But…?"
"But I saw him in the Southside. At the Whyte Wyrm."
"This past weekend?" Jughead guessed.
"Yeah. Really late Saturday night." Alice took a deep breath. "This is what happened…"
00000
"Dad?" Jughead burst out of his room. "Dad?"
"Hey, Jones, your father's downstairs-,"
Brand had been working on his laptop, but he got up to follow when Jughead skidded across the hardwood floor toward the stairs that led to the basement. Trigger was right on his heels, barking wildly in response to his owner's obvious agitation; the household was still in the process of calming down from the crazy week, and Trig remained deeply suspicious of any new development.
"Dad, what were you doing at the Whyte Wyrm on Saturday night?" Jughead was taking the stairs into the basement two at a time and his volume increased until he was almost shouting. "Did you bring drugs here? We could lose the house. You and Brand could go to prison. What are you thinking?"
FP set down the free weight he'd been curling and turned in shock to face Jughead's fury - and then his eyes went to Brand in a silent plea for help.
"Hey," Brand's voice boomed powerfully, dropping into a lower register as he grabbed Jughead's shoulder. "Apologize to your father right now. You know that he would never put you at risk like that, and you cannot keep demanding that he prove that to you over and over."
Jughead immediately ducked away from Brand's grip on him, and a flash of fear went through his eyes for just a moment before his glare snapped firmly back into place. "Yeah, like you're so trustworthy."
"Stop that. You also know full well that I'm not going to hurt you." Brand released Jughead but his expression was just as angry as his godson's. "Your father and I are not spending the rest of our lives on trial, Jones; you need to get your head on straight. You can't start slinging accusations out of nowhere and acting like we've been anything but model guardians to you for the last six months. It's exhausting, it's unfair, and it's not healthy for you either."
Brand narrowed his eyes when Jughead inhaled as if to argue again, and he continued: "Wait. You think before you speak, Jones, and I highly recommend that you take a beat and calm down. We can talk about things, or I can crash therapy with you two if you actually think that would be helpful, but dredging up ancient history in the heat of the moment because you're upset is unacceptable behavior. It ends now."
FP's eyebrows were raised in surprise as he absorbed Brand's impassioned speech, but he did not voice any disagreement.
Brand took a deep breath and his tone was more conciliatory when he continued. "We're the adults around here. Don't forget what I told you when we lived in the trailer: teenagers don't buy food and pay bills. You know what else? They don't police the adults. Even with our combined efforts we may not be Fred Andrews, but I promise you we're going to do our best to take care of you. Right up until things change and we start needing you to take care of us." Brand motioned to include FP, who frowned at the idea of needing help in old age even as he nodded in grudging assent.
Jughead looked between the two with an expression that was stricken, confused, and which seemed perilously near tears. For a moment it seemed like the whole issue might evaporate in the face of Brand's argument.
But then Jughead lowered his chin stubbornly and his expression hardened.
"Ohhh, no." Jughead turned on Brand vengefully. "Nothing about this is 'ancient history.' It was last weekend. The Serpents tried to hold me and Clark for ransom two days ago. Why are you lying to me? What's going on? Alice told me what you did, Dad. What you said. Why would you do that?"
FP hesitated a second time.
"You can't be read in, kid," Brand jumped in again, even as he gave FP a frustrated look over the lack of backup.
Jughead's jaw dropped. "Seriously?" He looked from Brand over to his dad.
FP picked the free weight back up, conspicuously avoiding eye contact. "You heard your godfather."
"Uh. Wow." Jughead thought over that shocking information for a few moments. His dad was undercover. Or something. "Are you planning on going back to the Wyrm? Is that a... thing now?"
"I don't know." FP looked to Brand, who shrugged. "Maybe not, Jughead. A lot's happened over the last day or two."
"Huh." Jughead's eyes narrowed. "Wait, are you just saying this - excuse me, implying this - to cover for something else?"
Brand put a hand over his eyes and his shoulders began to shake. It took a few moments for it to become obvious that he was stifling laughter.
"Oh, kid. I hope you realize that there's only so much we can say. If you think we're refusing to tell you one thing to keep from not telling you something else… then I think we've officially reached an impasse. At some point you're going to have to break down and trust us." Brand tried to tamp down on his amusement, but it was a struggle.
"I get it, Jones; I really do. You've had quite the week, and at this point you probably think that you shouldn't trust anyone - not the Serpents, the FBI, or anybody else. But the real lesson you need to learn here is that you can't be lazy. You need to trust individuals, and that means doing the work of assessing them. Sometimes that might include trusting someone who's lied to you and won't explain why. Or someone who kidnapped you and never quite let you go."
Brand dropped his hand back onto Jughead's shoulder, raising his eyebrows meaningfully. "You have to weigh things and make a decision about each person. There are no shortcuts."
Jughead scowled as he thought about that. "Maybe."
"And Jug… It's not like I've been read into everything that you're involved in," FP studiously avoided eye contact once again as he made the comment. Brandon would not like him poking at that so directly, but it seemed like the right time to acknowledge what none of them ever talked about. "We all trust each other. That's how the wolf pack works. Right?"
Jughead had frozen. He looked to Brand, who shrugged with a curt nod.
Jughead relaxed marginally, and then he frowned. "Except that Brand gets to know everything. That's not fair."
"Come here." FP set the weight down and waved his son over. He stood and pulled Jughead into a careful hug before he leaned in close to his ear to whisper. "I love you. I'd kill for you."
Jughead was startled.
"Now we have a secret from Brandon." FP smiled.
Jughead pulled the hug a little tighter and whispered back. "I love you too. I'd suck at the killing part, but I'd give it my best shot. I could hire Brand to do it, maybe."
FP laughed and laid a hand on the back of Jughead's neck while he rested his forehead against his son's, mindful of the bruises that were slowly healing over most of his body.
"I actually have a secret for you, too, Jones." Brand shrugged a little too casually. "You can even tell your dad if you like."
Jughead rolled his eyes, but obediently moved out of his father's embrace and leaned into Brand's offered hug so that his godfather could whisper as well.
Brand did not whisper.
"I've had my work reviewed, and apparently I'm not in trouble. In fact, I impressed a lot of people. There have been some lucrative offers, what with my citizenship and particular training, and I'm considering taking a longer-term position as international liaison with the field office - and whipping that disaster of a resident agency into shape."
Brand tousled Jughead's hair, seeing that he was still confused about the implications of his statement. "It hasn't been ideal being so far away from you. Some of that's going to be up to you two, though. I'd have to sell the townhome. Make some big changes. This is your turf, kid, and your father's territory. I take that seriously."
Jughead was stunned as he realized what Brand was saying. And then hopeful. "Dad? Can Brand move in? Permanently?"
"What? How did you get that from what I just said?" Brand was scandalized. "I would get my own place, kid. Move in here permanently? I'd never have a decent date again. Look, Jones, it is high time that we had a talk. Sometimes, even when two adults care about a kid very much, they need to live apart. But that doesn't mean they don't-,"
"Knock it off, Davies. You're not nearly as funny as you think you are. And no, Jughead, Brandon's not moving in for anything approaching the long term." FP shook his head, looking almost as horrified as Brand. "You are going to college in just under two years. Trigger's more than enough of a legacy."
Trigger had been sniffing around the door that led from the basement to the back yard, but at the sound of his name he trotted over, leaned against FP's leg, and looked up at him expectantly. FP dropped a hand on his head.
"Trig's coming with me." Jughead motioned to his dog, but Trigger just looked at him and then leaned more heavily against FP. "Emotional support animal, remember?"
"Nobody wants to see the monster living in a dorm," Brand said. "That is a terrifying thought."
"Well, once I'm living off campus, maybe."
"Maybe." FP looked at Brandon assessingly. "The FBI wants you here?"
"And a few other people," Brand said - and once again his tone was suspiciously casual.
Jughead looked back and forth between them, waiting to see where this was headed and how it would play out.
"It's a good real estate market." FP's tone was just as casual. "Fred can help you out with finding a place. He did right by us."
Jughead abandoned Brand to hug his dad again.
"This is going to be awesome."
"It will be something," FP corrected with a small smile. "Buy stock in ice cream."
"You bet." Brand walked over and wrapped both Jughead and FP in a bear hug. "We'll need to talk about how we want to work weekends and holidays."
"Cut that out." FP glared, pulling out of the hug.
"What? That sounds good to me," Jughead looked back and forth between the two adults again. "Brand knows a lot of people around here, Dad, but we're kind of his family."
"That is not what he meant." FP folded his arms.
Brand was smirking. "Custody, Trip. I'm talking about joint custody, once I get a bedroom all set up for you in Riverdale, just the way you like it."
"Oh. Uh, Brand." Jughead frowned uncomfortably. "Come back upstairs. We can look at houses online; Dad needs to finish his workout." Jughead motioned to his godfather and started to steer him away from FP. "Maybe we can... bake something to go with all the ice cream."
Brand laughed.
"Hold up just a minute. Brandon moving here does not mean you're his full-time manager," FP said, not liking how quickly Jughead had stepped in to buffer the teasing. "You'll need to let him screw things up and clean up his own messes, Jughead."
"Brand always helps me with mine." Jughead shrugged. "It seems fair."
"Very fair." Brand smirked at FP.
"But don't let me catch you getting in trouble intentionally, so that I'm forced to step in," Jughead warned seriously. Only his eyes betrayed that he was trying not to laugh. "I wouldn't want to have to put you in a time-out."
"Huh. It's too bad that now is probably not the ideal time to try tickling the kid. What do you think, FP?" Brand asked.
"You should wait until those ribs heal," FP confirmed.
"Wow. You'll still be here in six weeks." Jughead looked awed by the time depth.
"That's the general idea," Brand replied. "There will be a few changes at the agency, too. I'm going to look into keeping Agent Quinn on as part of the transition team, and hiring Clark once his internship's done."
"You should have coffee-making written into his job description," Jughead suggested. "He loves doing that. It would be a selling point."
"I can see that you'll need me around to teach you some professionalism." Brand sighed dramatically.
"Make sure you write in that he's not my boss, too."
"What did you think I was planning to hire him for, if not bossing you?" Brand smirked.
"Maybe I'll write a job description, too," FP said.
"For what?" Jughead was intrigued and hopeful that he'd learn more about whatever his father and Brand had been hiding from him.
"For Brandon. If he's moving to Riverdale and living here while he finds his own place, then maybe I should make some rules. Guidelines."
"No way, old man." Brand was dismissive. "I do my own thing on my own time."
"Not once you're officially attached to the FBI. Not once you're firmly located in the chain of command." FP's grin was full of satisfaction and he crossed his arms once again as he considered that idea. "I'll be thinking about what I foresee this looking like around here, too. 'Duties as assigned' is a given, of course."
"Of course," Jughead echoed, folding his arms in solidarity with his father. "He can clean the bathrooms."
Both adults turned to regard him with suspicion.
"You haven't done that yet, Jug?"
"Trip, you can't leave that until late. You need to rest up. Go clean those right now."
Jughead glowered in response to the abrupt turnaround in alliances.
"First duty, Brandon: oversee Jughead cleaning the bathrooms," FP ordered. "Then cook something edible for dinner. I'll help cook when I'm done here, and I'll take care of my bathroom; he can skip that one."
"Duly noted." Brand narrowed his eyes at FP. "You'll do the dishes?"
"You have never once loaded the dishwasher properly, so yes, I'll do the dishes," FP retorted. "Jughead can help."
Jughead watched this negotiation play out and sighed heavily. "Whoever wins… I lose."
"You know it." Brand grinned at his godson's discomfiture.
"Hey, you're winning too," FP corrected Jughead. "Maybe even the lottery."
"With two such fine parental figures as us around? Definitely the lottery."
"Some people would kill for it." FP winked.
Jughead cracked a small smile then. But he was still a little nervous about what changes might be coming.
00000
Epilogue
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Late that night the burner phone buzzed. Jughead had concealed it in his backpack, a place his dad and Brand never looked, and one which allowed him to keep it close to hand. He'd need to turn it off and only check it occasionally, but an undercurrent of anxiety had led him to leave it on for the time being.
Jughead silently slipped out of bed, scooped up the phone, and took it with him to the basement while Brand and his father slept on.
"Hello?" Jughead kept his voice low.
"Jones." A familiar voice filled his ear. "What a pleasant surprise; I thought I'd be leaving you a message. It's been quite some time since we spoke, but I feel as though I've really gotten to know you. All the same, this is so much better, don't you think?"
Jughead was not sure how to respond to Dominic Rose's words. "Uh, maybe."
"I'm just calling to make sure that we have contact, and that everything is set up in case we ever need it. We may not ever need it, you know."
"Donn said that too," Jughead replied cautiously.
"I also wanted to ask if you're familiar with the phrase 'fish or cut bait.'" Rose had a smile in his voice. "Because I've made my decision about Brandon, but you're a little trickier. I thought it might speed things along if we were all on the same page."
"I'm... not sure." Jughead knew the phrase, but had no idea what it might mean in this context.
"Cutting bait is giving up on a venture. Cutting your losses. It's sometimes the wisest move for all parties - and certainly it can work out well for the fish - but it can also leave some nasty litter." Rose made a disapproving noise. "Loose ends strewn absolutely everywhere at all of the nicest fishing spots."
That was beginning to make more sense. And it was not sounding like good news.
"I'm a fair man. I want to be sure you understand that the wrong decisions could mean I'd be forced to cut bait with one or more of my investments. But I'm not one to litter." Rose paused for emphasis. "I always take care of my loose ends. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Jughead felt the phone pressing painfully against his ear and realized that he was hurting himself by holding it so tightly; his whole body was tense.
"Good. Have a nice night, Jones. I'll be in touch again if I have cause to do so."
The phone went dead.
Jughead returned to his room, but he did not sleep that night.
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That didn't really read like the end to the series, did it? (Oops?)
The sequel, sixth in the series ('sexquel' sounds too risqué but isn't that kind of the word...?), may already be live if you're reading this! It's called Pay The Piper, and I think that says everything you need to know. Enjoy! I'll love hearing what you thought of this wrap-up chapter, and its insistent push (shove?) into the next story! :)
I hope to see you there!
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