A/N:
Ok, folks! Chapter 3 is here.
I don't have much to say about this, because I don't want to spoil anything. I hope you enjoy.
Betty's in the house! * smirks *
PS: Just a note on the rating of this fic. There hasn't been any smut so far, but there will be plenty of it in the final chapters so I had to chose 'M'.
PPS: I'm giving you a heads-up for the next chapter. It will be a little shorter than the other ones I published so far, but there's at least two massive chapters towards the end, so hold tight!
As always, comments and follows make my day, so...let me know what you think.
Dinner was very good. The Ivy Lounge was a fancy place but the atmosphere was chill and homey and Jughead honestly liked the company. As it turned out, he was the only single at the table.
Fangs was with Kevin - who actually looked in some sort of physical pain like he couldn't even sit still in his chair - Sweet Pea with Peaches and even though Toni and Cheryl were no longer together they had managed to remain friends so they occasionally went out for drinks or dinner, like tonight. They were completely at ease with one another so much so that for someone on the outside they could look like a couple.
The Blossom heir herself complimented him on his book, but she chastised him for watering down the redhead-inspired character.
"You know, I just think Cecily's character deserved way more screen time, and a way better wardrobe" she muttered sipping red wine from her glass. Her long red hair was braided beautifully to the side and she was wearing her iconic color in the form of a very form-fitting suit and white shirt.
"I'll try to remember that when I'll start working on the sequel, Cheryl. Thanks for the feedback, its always much appreciated." He was being honest, and he knew his book would not satisfy just about everyone.
"Of course you will, Jughead. I mean who, in their right mind, would not be charmed by her looks and demeanor?"
"Cheryl, honey" Toni interjected before Jughead could reply "are you aware about the fact that 'The Outcasts' is a book and not a movie, right?"
"So what? Class and attitude for elegance is for the big screen only?"
Toni shook her head, smiling at Cheryl.
"I don't know about elegance, but Cecily definitely has an attitude."
"You mean she's an actual bitch." Sweet Pea suddenly intruded himself in the conversation earning a glare from Cheryl.
"Yeah, well, don't forget who the real HBIC is."
"Oh I wouldn't dare!"
Cheryl burst out laughing and the whole table followed.
"Wait a second, did I hear the word sequel?" Peaches asked as the cheering subsided.
"Yeah, I was kinda thinking about a follow up to that story."
"Damn, Jones! If you're going to use my incredible good looks for another book, I want my cut this time!" Sweet Pea commented offering a fist-bump to Fangs while his girlfriend rolled her eyes.
When he was writing the novel, Jughead wasn't sure how his friends would react. The story took place in a small town, far away from the bustle and hustle of bigger and louder metropolitan areas. The names of the characters were different, but it was clear that they were based on his real friends, classmates and fellow Riverdale citizens.
Toni seemed interested and urged Jughead to tell her more. "Have you decided the main plot yet?"
"Well, I'd like to write a time-jump sort of sequel. Like with the same characters but a few years in the future. There are some...issues I need to address and a few characters finally need closure, anyway."
"Like the detective duo of lovebirds? It's plain to see you had to force yourself to write their happy ending. Quite painful to read, knowing how things went down between you and Betty..."
Toni hit Cheryl foot so hard that her knee jutted up and bumped into the table. "Ow!"
Jughead stiffened at the mention of her name, but he saw the deep regret on Cheryl's face and he knew she didn't do it on purpose, like maybe she would have done in the past.
"Sorry."
"Yeah well, at least they had a happy ending, right?"
As they were waiting for the second course to arrive, Kevin was acting even more weird, throwing glances at him from time to time. Did he grow another pair of ears or something?
By the end of the dinner, when everyone was full and sated, Jughead saw Kevin fidgeting in his seat.
"Is everything ok, Kev?" he asked after he caught him staring for the umpteenth time.
"Yes, it's just that...I want to be a good friend."
The group looked at him quizzically, apart from Fangs and Toni who seemed to have some intel the others didn't have and looked worried.
"You are a friend, what's going on? You've been walking on eggshells with me the whole evening." Jughead knew Kevin had something to say but for some reason he seemed very uncomfortable.
"If you have something to tell me, just do it. Is it about the book? Did I upset you too?"
"We're not upset, Jug, really. That's not it" Toni put a hand on his knee under the table to calm him. He had started to nervously tap his foot on the ground.
"Tell him, Kev. He needs to know" Fangs said.
Toni looked at his friend and something in Fangs' expression told her her suspicions were correct. She pressed her lips together and nodded in Kevin's direction.
"Know what? Enough with the stolen glances you guys, tell me what the hell is happening!" He couldn't stand to be kept in the dark.
"Betty texted me this afternoon" Kevin blurted out with a sigh. "She's in town. I wanted to tell you in case, you know..."
"In case we meet and I freak out?" Jughead let out a nervous laugh.
There was a moment of total silence, everyone was looking in his direction to gauge his reaction to the news.
"You know what? She's a free woman, she can go wherever she wants to. I appreciate you telling me, but you all don't need to protect me or act like I'm gonna have a breakdown and start throwing things around."
His words were calm and poised, meant to reassure his friends rather than himself, but inside he was screaming.
Damn Betty Cooper and the devastating impact she had on him!
"I'll have to deal with her at some point anyway. After all, Riverdale is not New York. We're bound to run into each other sooner or later."
Yet he had the feeling that if fate would ever want to play a mean prank on him, it would manage to make the two of them collide in the most populous city in the entire world.
After that, everyone skipped dessert and asked for the bill.
Outside the restaurant, Cheryl trapped Jughead in a warm hug. They had been friends for years, but she never really manifested her affection in such a blatant way, so he stood still for a moment before patting her back gently.
"Listen, Jughead," Cheryl said when they parted, resting her hand on his forearm, to keep his attention on her as the others were chatting and laughing.
"I know I haven't always been nice to you and that I can be annoying from time to time..."
"Understatement of the year" Jughead realized he said that out loud and offered an apologetic grin in her direction.
Cheryl didn't seem to mind, but she clapped her tongue before speaking again.
"As I was saying, even though we've had some arguments in the past, I know how it feels when you miss someone, the struggle is real. So...call, if you need anything."
Jughead simply nodded in understanding.
"Well, almost anything. I'm still 100% into girls" she stole a glance in Toni's direction. She was talking to Fangs and when she laughed, Jughead noticed the dreamy look appearing on Cheryl's face as she straightened her blazer and stroked her side braid.
Ok, so maybe the friends thing was working well for them. It was clear she was still into her ex and by the way Toni smiled and winked in their direction, he had a feeling their story wasn't completely over.
Jughead scratched the back of his head, just mildly uncomfortable in witnessing what felt like such an intimate moment between the two women.
"Anyway, I don't date reformed hobos, no matter how sexy they've become, therefore I'm not up for booty calls or things like that" she added and a tentative smile appeared on his face at her humor "but we're here for you. All of us."
"Thank you Cheryl, I appreciate it."
"That's what friends are for."
On the ride back to Riverdale he remembered to make a stop at a drugstore to get some Advil, in case he needed it. He had already tempted fate once with a morning headache and he didn't want to spend the rest of his weekend in pain.
He saw the neon sign of a Rite-Aid in the distance right next to a gas station and pulled over in the small parking lot.
As he browsed the aisles grabbing a few snacks on the way, he was suddenly aware of a very sweet scent lingering in the air, and it felt so familiar even though he couldn't tell what it was. He found the medications he needed and got to the counter.
"Can I also have a pack of Benson & Hedges, please?"
The night clerk put all his purchases into a paper bag, Jughead handed a 20$ bill and headed out, leaving him the change. He had his hands full trying to get a cigarette out of the new pack and pushed the door open with his shoulder but didn't notice the person that was coming through until he slammed right into her, letting the paper bag fall to the ground.
"Shit! Sorry!" he said bending down to retrieve his purchase. When he pulled himself up again he was face to face with Betty Cooper.
The woman who inhabited his wildest dreams and worst nightmares since he was 5, was standing in front of him, her eyes wide with shock.
"Jughead!?" she squealed, her voice many octaves higher than normal. Their eyes locked for a split second and Betty felt like the blue depth in his gaze pierced through her flesh like a fireball. She swallowed to regain a bit of composure.
He stood there overwhelmed by her unexpected presence for a few seconds.
"Betty...hey." Sure, Kevin had dropped the bomb at dinner earlier, but he'd be damned if he thought to meet her so soon! He wasn't fucking prepared.
"My bad, I was distracted" he managed to apologize, stealing a glance at her. She had her hair down and the slightest touch of makeup, and she was beautiful. And once more he felt surrounded by that familiar scent, sweet and sultry. Just like her. She must have been inside the shop a few minutes before him. She was wearing a pair of light blue jeans and a white hoodie and even though he'd seen her in far fancier clothing, he thought she was hot as hell. But, as per usual, she'd be attractive even wearing a potato sack.
"No problem."
They were standing on the doorway when another customer snorted in their direction.
"Are you two done making goo-goo eyes at each other? Some of us don't have all night!"
They were blocking the only way in or out.
"Alright, I...I should get going" he cut short, jumping at the opportunity to escape from that awkward situation.
His farewell came to her as a distant echo as he walked over to his bike.
He drove absentmindedly for at least an hour. He was so busy running away from that damn gas station and from the gigantic emotional outburst seeing Betty had triggered in him, that he came to realize he'd been going in circles around Centerville like an idiot, rather than heading north towards Riverdale.
He looked around, there were no buildings or houses in sight, he assumed he was on a side road in the country, but there was no public street lighting. Fucking perfect.
His headlights reflected on something further down the track: a car by the side of the road, its hazard lights blinking rhythmically in the dark. It was a very dangerous spot for any vehicle to stop, near a sharp bend. He recognized immediately where he was: Dead Man's curve, near Herk Harvey bridge. He slowed down and pulled over. He wanted to make sure that whoever was in the car, was safe.
The night was silent the only thing he saw was a shadow moving around the car and kicking one of the tires angrily. He couldn't see much else from where he was so he left his headlights on, dropped the helmet on the seat and walked over. The car didn't seem to be damaged on the outside and he wondered what could be the issue.
He reached the driver's door and peeked inside the open window. It was empty.
Something was off and then he heard a metal sound clicking behind him. If the shiver running through his spine was of any indication, there was a loaded gun quite surely pointed at the back of his head.
Shit! Was this really happening?
He held his hands up - because that's what people do when someone points a gun at their head - and turned around slowly.
"Betty?!" he left out a sigh in a mix of turmoil and relief. His brain wet immediately in overdrive.
He hadn't even started to get his shit together after seeing her at the gas station and there she was again.
Damn, the magnetic pull she had on him! Hell he'd probably even let her shoot him at this point.
"Jughead!" Betty shrieked. "Oh my God!"
"What the fuck! Put that gun down!" he growled.
Betty immediately put away the gun, tucking it in the holster at her waist. Their unexpected collision at the gas station had been so fast that by the time she registered what was happening, he was already gone. But he was just ten feet from her now and the lights from his bike were giving her a pretty good overall visual. And she couldn't help but stare.
He had changed quite a bit over the years. Long gone was the highschool beanie-wearing boy. In fact his iconic hat was resting in peace in the time capsule, his hair was a little shorter on the sides but his trademark unruly longer curls seemed to fall on his forehead as per usual.
He was tall and lean but she could tell he put up muscles in all the right places without being overly ripped. As he stood there in his patent all-black attire and his ever-present suspenders hanging loose from his pants, Betty caught herself captivated by how they sat a bit low on his waist letting his v-lines and underwear show up a bit as he lowered his hands.
When she returned her gaze up to his face, his intense blue eyes were watching her, his brow furrowed and then he tilted his head to the side. He seemed confused but also sort of amused too.
Oh my God, did he just caught her gawking? He most definitely did.
"I'm sorry! I'm alone at night on a deserted dark road when some random biker pulls over, what would you expect? I was trying to defend myself!"
"I pulled over because I thought someone might be needing help! That's what normal people do! But you..." he paused, his breath labored "Jeez...you decide to sneak up on me and point a gun at my head?!" he gestured running a hand through his hair in the attempt of taming the very same rebellious strand that kept on falling on his forehead.
This wasn't how he had pictured his first conversation with Betty Cooper to go down after seven years. But most importantly, this was not how he though he would feel. Over the past years he'd wanted so desperately to push her out of his mind and carve her out from his heart. He'd suffered enough. He wanted her to know how much pain he'd been through because of her and how much he hurt every time he thought about them together.
But he hadn't considered how much he'd missed her too and now that she was in front of him – and he was sure he caught her checking him out - his entire body was aching for her.
Against his own will.
"By the way, I wasn't aiming at your head" she clarified, her left eyebrow jutting up.
"That's beside the point! Why are you even carrying a gun?" he asked. Then he saw it, the FBI badge strapped to the belt of her jeans.
"Aww, right, I keep forgetting you're a fed now" he acknowledged with a slight sarcastic nod. "What are you doing here in the middle of God knows where, anyway?"
"I was on my way home and my damn rental car died down for no fucking reason! I checked and everything seems fine, I don't understand!"
She kicked the designated tire once again "stupid automatic car!"
He couldn't help but grin at her heated reaction. In that very moment the image of a teenage Betty Cooper fixing bolts and screws wearing her signature jean overalls at Riverdale's auto shop flashed in his mind. She could work magic on any car, especially vintage or classics, but brand new automatic cars apparently drove her nuts.
"Why didn't you call for help?"
"My phone died, too. Can you believe my bad luck tonight?"
Or mine, he thought.
Jughead let out a sigh. "Let me call triple-A for you."
He pulled out his phone and dialed a number taking a few steps around. When he was back moments, later the look on his face could mean only bad news.
"They said they will come and tow your car but there has been a pretty bad multiple car crash in Greendale, so they won't be able to get here until dawn at the very least. Police called out every tow truck available."
"Shit! This is just perfect!" she snorted.
"Is there someone you can call to come and get you? Polly maybe? Your mum?"
"I don't want to bother anyone" she sighed shaking her head. "Most certainly NOT my mother!" she added laughing nervously.
"That bad, huh?" He was looking at her face, while he unwrapped the brand new cigarette pack, taking one out and putting it between his lips.
"She's...intense, let's put it that way. I know she meas well but, I can only imagine what she would say to make my night ever more miserable that it already is."
Jughead knew Alice could be overpowering and asphyxiating on her worst mama bear days. Even if Betty was a grown-up and had her life.
They remained silent for a while. Jughead lit up the cig and took a deep slow drag, closing his eyes.
Betty was leaning against the hood of her car, watching him. She didn't know he started smoking at some point, but for some reason she was fascinated by the way his head was tilted back as the dense smoke whirled around and dissolved in the air above and she figured it was something he did to decompress or relax.
Normally, she couldn't get the attraction people had for smoking, she found it upsetting and stupid to voluntarily put polluting chemicals in one's body, and she had no right to judge his choices, anyway. But damn if he didn't make it look appealing and sexy.
He took a few more drags, his gaze on her.
"It's late."
Betty checked her watch, it was almost 1 a.m. "Shit, sorry. You can go if you want, thanks for calling the tow-truck for me."
A disgruntled expression appeared on Jughead's face.
"What I meant is, you can't stay here waiting for triple-A."
She was casually kicking small pebbles with her shoes, her arms wrapped around herself. The air was chilly and her light hoodie wasn't enough to keep her warm. She turned around and when he was able to see her face again, she seemed tired and vulnerable and Jughead felt the need to reach for her and keep her tight to his body. No matter the unsolved issues they had, he still felt protective of her.
She didn't even realize he'd come closer when she heard his voice, deep and low.
"I'm taking you home" he said softly. He took the cigarette between his thumb and his middle finger, bringing it to his lips for one last drag before flicking it to the ground and stomping on it with his boot.
Betty raised her head to look at him.
"I can sleep in the car and wait until the tow-truck gets here, it's no bid deal" she muttered.
"That's not gonna happen" Jughead snorted and she shot him a death glare
"You can't tell me what I can or cannot do."
"Jesus Christ, Betty!" he snapped "I'm not going to let you sleep in a damn car, alone, in the middle of nowhere."
His eyes were gentle and honest, despite the uncompromising tone in his voice.
"I have a gun..."
"I don't care" he cut her short.
What in the actual fuck!
That was what Betty had meant to say to him, loud and clear, but somehow she found it difficult to come back at him when he looked so so bossy.
He reached into the tank bag of his bike and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, then scribbled down a few instructions quickly. He walked toward the car leaving the note on the dashboard making sure it was visible from the outside. He closed the window and locked the car, hiding the keys in a little hollow on the front bumper. His father used that trick when he and Jughead shared the pick-up.
"I left a note for triple-A with your number. And you saw where I put the key, so you can tell the driver when they'll call you to come and tow the car away."
When she nodded, he repeated more firmly "I'm taking you home, now."
Even though his attitude was still relaxed, the blue of his eyes seemed to have deepened and there was an edge to his voice. The same edge she'd heard many times in the past, in his Serpent days, the one he used when he needed to remind someone who was in charge. Intimidating and dangerous some might say. He had made a decision and it was final.
He took off his jacket and handed it over to her.
"Ok" she felt a lump in her throat at his kind gesture. He was her personal knight in a shining leather armor.
Betty took the jacket from his hands, squeezing herself into it as soon as she put it on. She inhaled deeply and his seductive scent almost knocked her out, it smelled of tobacco, of something fresh and woody and...him.
"Shall we?" he asked and he sounded amused.
Damn, he'd caught her with her hands in the cookie jar again, or rather literally with her nose buried in his clothing like some crazy stalker.
She mentally kicked herself and followed him to his bike. Sure it was an upgrade from the old rusty beast he used to ride back in highschool and it suited this adult version of him, all power and control. He straddled the Ducati and pulled up the side stand keeping the bike balanced with his feet on the ground.
"Here" he gave her the helmet and she immediately put it on. Something he did each time he rode with her.
Jughead bent his knee a little to the left to make it easier for Betty to hop on behind him, but as soon as she was settled, he felt her tense up and looked over his shoulder. Deep down he knew she wasn't nervous about the ride, but for other reasons.
"Relax."
They used to do this a lot when they were younger, so it came naturally to him to just grab both of her wrists with his hands and tug lightly causing Betty to slide closer on the seat until her arms were securely wrapped around his waist "it's dangerous if you sit so stiff behind me. You know you have to stay close and follow my movements."
She felt his abs flex at the contact and there was no way of stopping the rush of electricity that run through their bodies. Jughead was well aware of her warmth pressed against him, he could feel the softness of her curves and tried to ignore the fact that they hadn't been this physically close in what seemed like forever.
Neither of them realized they were holding their breath until Jughead started the engine and the roaring sound ripped them from their trance.
"Ready?"
"Yes" she exhaled deeply. As I'll ever be, she went on in her head.
The ride was quiet, he wasn't driving too fast mostly because he rarely had passengers and wanted to be safe, but also because he didn't want it to end too soon. It felt like they were 17 again. There was no anger, no awkwardness, no angst. Just the two of them, the chilly air on their faces and a sense of connection he thought he would never feel again.
They were on the road for about twenty minutes when they reached the Northside and Jughead realized he didn't know where she was staying and where he should take her. He could only assume she'd stay with Alice, but he asked anyway.
"Are we heading to your mom's house?"
"No, I rented a small apartment at the corner of Sycamore and Main" she answered quietly, almost sleepy. He nodded without saying a word, he knew she could feel him move. After a few moments he felt Betty shift and lay her cheek against his back, adjusting on the seat and tightening her arms around his waist.
His body reacted to her on its own accord. His left hand moved idly reaching one of hers resting on his abdomen and intertwined their fingers together. He didn't even think about the intimacy of his gesture or her reaction when he brought their joined hands higher up his torso, right above his heart.
He'd wished for this to happen so many times, to be able to touch her again, that he wasn't sure it was real. It had to be a dream, or a very mean cosmic joke. He was afraid that she'd refuse his touch, but when Betty's hand squeezed his, Jughead's heart started pounding faster.
God, was it even possible that he'd missed her so much?
And just like that, time seemed to pass too quickly and they were going down Sycamore street way too soon. He slowed down and gave her hand a light squeeze before letting it go to move the bike into a parking spot by the curb when he noticed the only renting sign on a two story building right on the corner. It had to be the one Betty was talking about.
When Betty felt Jughead's hand give a little tug she was instantly snapped back to reality. She couldn't possibly be sleeping, otherwise she would have fallen from the bike, but sure enough she was so relaxed that lost track of time and space.
"We're here" Jughead whispered cutting the engine.
"Already?" He could swear she sounded disappointed.
She let her hands fall on her sides as if his body was on fire.
They'd been so close and comfortable with each other for the whole trip, but now neither of them knew what to do. Betty removed the helmet and shifted a little too quickly on the seat that she almost made him lose his balance.
"Wow, easy!" he quipped planting his feet swiftly on the ground, a small teasing smile playing on his lips.
Oh God, that smile...
"I'm sorry" she got off of the bike moving more carefully this time, and stood upright on the curb.
Jughead secured the bike on its stand and turned around. She was holding the helmet to her chest, her breath a little too heavy to be normal.
"Betty..." he jumped off the bike and joined her, watching her intently. "Are you alright?"
"I'm sorry," she repeated.
Sorry, sorry, sorry.
The word resonating in her mind over and over.
She couldn't stand to look at him without thinking at all the things that went wrong on their last summer before college. Truth was that she felt ashamed and guilty. She fucked up big time, basically wrecked their relationship and left town in the span of a few days and in spite of it all, seven years after, here he was. To her rescue like the nice, thoughtful and protective man that he was. And she didn't deserve any of it. She didn't deserve him.
"That's ok, Betty, you're not used to ride a bike."
Betty clenched her fingers around the strap of the helmet so hard that her knuckles turned white and felt the nails starting to dig into her palm.
Jughead immediately reached for her hand to loosen her grip, he knew all too well how she struggled with stress.
"Here, let me take it" he said gently grabbing the helmet and soothing her palm with his thumb. He didn't put that much thought into that gesture, he just tried to ease her mind.
"Jug, I..." she was shivering and she buried herself in his jacket, melting at the sensation of soaking in his addictive scent again and took a steady breath.
"We need to talk."
"No." The look in his eyes was firm and his eyebrows were set in a frown. They just had the most blissful moment in a very long time and he didn't want to ruin it with sadness and pain. The right time to get it all out would come soon, it had to, but not tonight.
"You need to get inside and get yourself warm."
He didn't want to fight with her or deal with their issues outside a random building, late at night when she was clearly exhausted.
When she didn't move, Jughead touched her shoulder lightly.
"Please, go inside, take a hot shower and go to bed. We'll talk, I promise. Just not tonight."
His forehead relaxed a bit, and he managed to give her a small smile.
It was pretty much useless to argue with him when his voice had that resolute tone.
She searched in her pockets and drew out her keys, walking to the door. She was halfway through when he spoke again.
"Let me know how it works out with the car."
"I will."
She was not the type to play the 'princess in distress' part, but she was glad Jughead insisted on taking her home. She could act like a proud special agent wannabe and made it believable, but sleeping in a car parked on the side of the road was not a good idea. She'd read a fair amount of FBI kidnapping or homicide case files to know that for sure.
"Thank you, for taking me home."
"Anytime. Goodnight Betts" it was a simple phrasing but the way he used her nickname made her all fuzzy and warm inside and she smiled.
It was the first time he'd seen her smile that night and it felt so right. Her smile always reached her eyes and her whole face lit up, glowing like a ray of light.
Betty got inside the building and went upstairs to her apartment. From the bedroom window she could see Jughead get on the bike and light up a cigarette, turning to look at the building, surely waiting for her to turn on the lights. He took slow and steady drags, so it really was something that he did to relax and he seemed to enjoy it. When she switched on the small lamp on the living room, he put out his cigarette and grabbed his helmet. Betty saw him search the back pocket of his pants and retrieve his phone, the display flickering in the dark. He looked puzzled for a moment, then apparently had a concise conversation with someone. She watched him nod and a few seconds later he hit the road. She wondered where he was going, if he had a nice place to stay and someone waiting for him. But then again, it was none of her business.
"Goodnight Juggie..." she whispered in the silence of the room, realizing she still wore his jacket.
The ride back to the Wyrm was a bit uncomfortable because he was wearing only a sweater and the temperature had dropped a few degrees during the night. Betty had seemed genuinely cozy and satisfied all snuggled up in his jacket and he felt like a part of him could stay close to her, that he honestly couldn't have dared to ask her to give it back.
He parked outside the Wyrm around 2 a.m. and walked in. Toni, Fangs and Sweet Pea were all together behind the bar talking to each other in low voices. The club was half empty so there weren't many customers to tend to. Toni had a worried expression on her face, but she seemed to loosen up a bit when she spotted him.
"Hey, Jughead."
"Guys, what's the emergency? We ere all together just a couple of hours ago. I have school tomorrow" he asked sitting on a stool. His hands were very cold and he brought them to his mouth, blowing on them.
Toni gave him a weird look. "It's cold outside. Where's your jacket?"
Jughead shrugged his shoulders "I must have left it at the restaurant."
Toni gave him a sideways glance.
"Yeah well, I'm sorry for you, but we have some more pressing matters to discuss" Sweet Pea interjected, and for once Jughead was glad that his friend had opened his mouth, unknowingly saving him from Toni's questioning attitude.
"Some old acquaintances are in town, Jones" Sweet Pea explained "Hog Eye saw some of them at the Centerville junction a few weeks ago and now it seems that the happy bunch is looking for a place to set up shop again here in Riverdale."
"Who?"
"You know, studded leather jackets, weird makeup choices, crazy reckless drivers..." Toni hinted.
"The Ghoulies?" Jughead was a little taken aback.
Fangs nodded. "The last time they were in town the Wyrm was trashed and they just about burned the garage to the ground!"
"Mmh and what about that time when Jug almost got beaten to death?" Toni added shivering.
"But...I thought the majority of them got arrested and transferred to some medium security prison upstate and the rest left town."
"That's what we thought too" Toni said grabbing two glasses and an expensive-looking bottle of scotch pouring some for Jughead and herself.
"Well, some lousy scumbag of a lawyer must have found some loophole and now they're free and clear" Sweet Pea pointed out.
Jughead was thoughtful for a minute, running his index finger around the rim of the glass, then snorted bitterly.
"What?" Pea looked baffled.
"Well, we do know a lawyer who actually fits the profile" Jughead observed sipping from his glass. "A ruthless, cold-hearted, vengeful bitch."
Sweet Pea and Toni exchanged a knowing look.
"I seriously hope you're not talking about Penny Peabody."
"Well it's got to be her, right? None of those low-life drug dealers would ever ask for some unknown public defender when they can have their former criminal associate pleading the case."
"Makes sense..." was Fangs' comment.
"That vicious cunt!" Toni was furious. She'd gladly kill that blonde backstabber and go to jail happy.
"So, what do we do?"
Jughead took another sip of scotch and noticed Sweet Pea and the other two watching him.
"What?"
"How do we handle this situation, Jones?"
Jughead raised an eyebrow. "Why on earth are you asking me?"
"Because you're a Serpent, like us." Toni said matter-of-factly.
"Toni, I've been out of town and out of the Serpents for years..."
"Yeah, you haven't been around lately, so what? Nobody ever even dared to claim your leadership. You're still the King."
"Come again?"
"Fangs, Sweet Pea and I have been keeping everyone on track on your behalf, hoping that one day you'd show up again. And here you are..."
"I had no idea! As far as I knew the majority of the remaining Serpents had left town years ago with my dad and move to Toledo."
"Well, the ones of us who chose to remain in Riverdale tried to keep up the Serpents legacy alive but also going legal for good, that's why we bought back the Wyrm, the garage and the shop as soon as we could. We did what we assumed you'd want."
"I'm glad you did, I really am, this place is like a home for me but, I'm not sure what do you expect..."
"I don't know. Maybe I'm hoping you'd be our leader again. You're still the reigning Serpent King, Jug. There's no one else we can ask for help." She was shaken up, even though the expression on her face remained soft.
"I wish I could do something, but I'm not here to stay, Toni. I'll be gone again in a few weeks."
"Just...think about it, ok?"
"Sure."
"But, if Penny and the Ghoulies are planning something..." Fangs trailed off "...just, think fast."
"Yeah, it's bad, Jones" Pea interjected "rumor has it they not only took over the drug dealing market but also got into gun trafficking now. We have to do something."
"Ok so, whatever my role will be, first things first we need to know more about Penny's plans. Pea, do you think you can involve some of the guys and engage in some sleuthing expeditions to find out what she's up to?"
"Consider it done."
Jughead wasn't sure about regaining the leadership of the Serpents, but if their old rival gang was back in business, it meant the Southside and its resident biker crew were in danger.