Betty fluffed the pillows on the sofa for the hundredth time. She'd been on a tear all week about getting the house clean, even though Archie thought it was perfectly fine the way it was. She'd vacuumed every surface in the house, then went back and dusted everything she'd vacuumed. It was entirely too early for her to start nesting, but Archie could have sworn that was what exactly what she was doing.
"Babe, they're fine," Archie pulled the pillow from her hand and returned it to the sofa. "The entire house looks great, better than it's looked in years. What is this incessant need to clean?"
"This is the first time we're having house guests," Betty told him, "I'm nervous."
"Betty, it's just Julie and Samy," Archie's hands came to her shoulders to make sure he had her full attention, "They specifically said they didn't want us to make a fuss."
"It's just such a big step," Betty replied, "We're hosting friends, like real grown ups."
"Betts, we're going to be parents too in a little over three months, just like real grown ups," he chuckled as he caressed her belly.
"Oh, god, Archie, I never told Julie or Samy. Did you?" Betty asked.
"You never told them you're pregnant?" Archie's eyes went wide.
"I didn't even tell them we're officially together," Betty's hand went to her forehead, "Oh my god, we're horrible friends. They're going to turn around and leave as soon as they arrive."
"Babe, we'll fess up as soon as they get here," he reassured her, "They'll understand."
"I feel like such an awful friend," she thumped her head against his chest as his arms came around her shoulders.
"Babe, deep breaths," he held her close, "Everything is going to be fine."
"I hope so," she sighed heavily as she soaked in his support. Moment by moment she relaxed further until the doorbell rang. She immediately reached for the pillow and fluffed it for the hundred and first time.
Archie chuckled as he went to the door to greet their friend.
"Red Hurricane!" Julie exclaimed happily as she launched herself into his arms in a tight hug.
"Hey, Jules," he chuckled, "Welcome to Riverdale."
"Oh my gosh, we are so moving here," Julie announced, "It's so much more welcoming than New York City."
Archie laughed as he greeted Samy.
"So this is where you grew up," Julie dominated the conversation as she took in the scenery, "It's very Americana."
"Give it time, it will wear on your nerves," Betty inserted herself in the discussion.
Julie went to hug her, backpedaling in surprise, "Oh my god, B, you're pregnant! When did that happen?"
"It's a really long story," Betty admitted.
"Is that why you left Northwestern? Someone knocked you up and then left you?" Julie asked.
"No, I didn't get pregnant until I got to Penn State," Betty bit her lip, worrying it with her teeth, "It's actually Archie's."
"You dog," Julie shoved at his shoulder playfully, "I knew there was something going on between the two of you. Why didn't you tell us?"
"I wish I could say that it slipped my mind, but I guess I'm just a horrible friend," Betty frowned, "It just never was a topic of discussion."
"Betty, don't sweat it," Julie reassured her, "I'm just so happy you guys figured things out…you are together, right?"
"Yes," Betty smiled as Archie stepped towards her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "We decided to give things a try just after Archie's graduation ceremony. I think things have been going pretty good."
"Wait, unless my math is off, you're looking a bit too pregnant for that to have happened after graduation," Sami motioned towards Betty's belly.
"Uh, yeah, we sort of had a night together right before the team campout," Betty bit her lip nervously, "It was just a night between friends with a malfunctioning condom."
"That's why things seemed a bit off between the two of you," Julie concluded.
"You noticed that?" Betty asked.
"Yeah, I have a sort of sixth sense when it comes to people's emotions," Julie explained, "I didn't ask because it was really none of my business. I'm just glad you two have figured things out because you are really great together."
Samy bobbed her head in agreement.
"Let's show you around," Archie suggested, "Betts has been cleaning for days."
"I hope you didn't go through too much trouble," Samy replied.
"I think it's part of the nesting phase," Betty admitted, "I went way overboard."
"I tried to stop her," Archie motioned them to follow her up the stairs where he showed off his handy work with Frederick's crib.
"Oh my god, Andrews, this is amazing," Julie gushed, "I had no idea you were so handy."
"I had a bit of help," he shrugged.
"He's being modest," Betty smiled as she ran her hand along the crib rail, "He spent hours in his shop working on this."
"Hours well spent," Samy chimed in.
After Samy and Julie had a chance to unpack, Betty and Archie took them around town to give them the full tour, ending at Pop's where Betty insisted they get burgers and shakes.
"Hey, guys," Tabitha greeted the quartet, "Haven't seen you around here much."
"Blame him," Betty thumbed towards Archie, "He thinks a pregnant woman should be eating healthy and not caving to my cravings."
"That's unbelievably untrue," Archie snorted, "I've feed your sweets craving for months already."
"Tabitha, these are friends of ours. They went to Penn State with Archie. They're here for the Halloween celebration," Betty introduced them, "Samy, Julie, this is Tabitha. Her grandfather, who we call Pop, is a legend in this town. Tabitha is learning the ropes."
"It's good to meet you," Tabitha stated as the three shook heads, "Shakes for the newbies are on me."
"Why didn't we ever get that deal?" Betty sputtered.
"Do you even remember the first shake you ate here, Babe?" Archie guided her toward their usual booth.
"Fair point," Betty giggled.
After perusing the menu and taking Betty and Archie's suggestions, the quartet all ordered the same burgers and shakes, with a basket of onion rings and fries for the table to share.
"I am loving this town more and more," Julie spoke as they waited for the food to arrive.
"Maybe we should give you some of the backstory," Archie suggested, "It's not as idyllic as it first appears."
"Julie has been researching Riverdale for weeks," Samy replied, "She knows all the dirty details."
"And you still want to live here?" Betty asked, "If it wasn't home, I'd have headed towards the hills a long time ago."
"No place is perfect," Julie replied, "My research says that they're much more tolerant of alternative lifestyles. That's a great big plus in my book."
"I can't wait for you to meet my cousin, Cheryl and her wife, Toni. You're going to love them," Betty gushed.
"Just not too much," Samy teased her girlfriend. Julie rolled her eyes in response.
"I'm getting together with them before the big Halloween party. You're welcome to join us as we plan out everyone's costume, or you can go with Archie to his gym where we're holding it to set up," Betty stated.
"You mean we finally get to see this legendary gym that made you a national champ?" Julie perked up with excitement.
"Oh, geez," Archie rolled his eyes.
"Arch put in a heck of a lot more time with the punching bag that used to hang in his bedroom than any of them at the gym," Betty replied.
"I still want to see it," Julie replied, "You should have heard the way he talked about that place in school. You would have thought it was the best place in the world with the way he talked it up."
"He is proud of the place," Betty rubbed his shoulder, "And he should be. That place has become something of a safe haven for a lot of people that would have found trouble instead if they didn't have the gym as an outlet, including Arch."
"Still is a safe haven for me," Archie leaned to kiss her cheek.
"These displays of affection are taking a bit of getting used to," Julie admitted, "You two were so hands off at Penn."
"I think it was a whole lot of struggling to keep our hands away from each other," Betty felt herself blushing, "It's complicated."
"Oh, I'm sure. The good relationships always are," Samy added.
"Darn right," Archie pressed a kiss to Betty's temple.
Archie led Julie and Samy into his gym. He was excited to get an outside, and somewhat unbiased, opinion on the place. Cheryl had surprised him towards the end of summer by painting a mural on the wall behind the bleachers. She'd taken inspiration from a picture she'd seen of him just after he'd been awarded the national championship. His hands were high in the air as he roared in excitement. The mural was quite realistic. Archie had been blown away.
"Andrews, this place is amazing," Julie gushed, "It's better than the gym on campus."
"I wouldn't go that far, but I'm pretty proud of it," Archie replied. "It's gotten me through a lot."
"Mister Modesty rears its ugly head," Sweet Pea walked in.
"Hey, Man," Archie reached out a hand to shake his gym manager's hand, "Meet some friends of mine from Penn State. This is Julie and Samy. Ladies, this is Sweet Pea."
"Nice to meet you," Julie smiled.
"Sweet Pea took over managing this place for me while I was away at school," Archie explained, "He did such an awesome job, I kept him on when I returned to Riverdale."
"Thanks, Boss," Sweet Pea patted his back.
"Jules and Samy are here to help set up for the party," Archie replied.
"Where's Betts?" Sweet Pea looked around for Archie's girlfriend who appeared to be attached to his hip most days.
"She's at costume central with Cheryl and Toni," Archie groaned, "They're getting everyone's costumes together. Jules and Samy were smart to come with me. Thornhill is going to be absolute chaos."
"What are you going as?" Sweet Pea chuckled.
"I don't even know," Archie admitted, "Betty told me it's a surprise."
"Always a mistake," he chuckled.
"What about you?" Archie asked.
"My date won't tell me."
"Making it a - wait," Archie looked at him in bewilderment, "Date? You have a date?"
"Yes," Sweet Pea admitted.
"Who is she?"
"Not telling," he played coy, "I've been sworn to secrecy."
"Interesting," Julie looked on with excitement, "Is Sweet Pea your real name or a boxing name you adopted?"
"It's a nickname given to me by the gang I'm part of called the Serpents," Sweet Pea admitted.
"Oh," Julie said, blushing a little, "I'm sorry."
"It's cool. It's a play on my initials. My real name is Sasha Pavlovsky."
"Oh, yeah, that is pretty cool," Julie replied, "So a gang, huh?"
"It's not what you think," Sweet Pea chimed in, "We're not the drug running thugs you see in movies and television. I mean, we used to be, but that sort of ended when our leader FP turned honest. Now we're more like patrollers of the community, backing up the police department, preventing bad stuff from happening."
"Just steer clear of the Ghoulies," Archie advised her, "They're the gang you should worry about."
"Noted," Julie nodded. "Wait, that S on your shoulder, Red. That's a serpent, right? So that means you're a serpent?"
"No," Archie laughed a bit self-consciously, "It's complicated, but I got the serpent brand for protection when I was sent to juvie for a crime I didn't commit."
"Is this part of that drama that Betty talked about in high school?" Julie asked.
"Yeah, it's a piece of it," Archie bobbed his head.
"First the party for the kids and then the adult party. Am I right?" Julie searched for a way to change the subject as there was an awkward pause.
"Yeah," Archie nodded, "Hey Pea, did Fangs tell you he and Kev are only coming to the adult party because of Kev's costume?"
"Oh yeah," Sweet Pea chuckled, "Fangs couldn't talk him out of the Rocky Horror Picture Show troupe this year. It's definitely not kid friendly."
"Betty's trying to talk him into something a bit more appropriate so the twins can spend some time with him. You know how much those kids love him and his exuberance," Archie chuckled.
Archie began doling out tasks to get the decorating started, giving himself and Sweet Pea the heavy lifting and Julie and Samy more the decorative tasks.
"How are you with the impending event?" Sweet Pea asked while he and Archie moved tables so a buffet of sorts could be set up. Cheryl had sprung for Pop's to cater the event with burgers and fries, not to mention all sorts of party fare.
"You mean the party?" Archie asked.
"No, I mean the baby," Sweet Pea said, "Congratulations, by the way. Don't think I've really had the chance to tell you."
"Oh, yeah, that," Archie chuckled, "I guess we never really made formal announcements. It just sort of became obvious. It's going to be great. We're waiting until my mom comes for Christmas to decorate the nursery, but I built Little Frederick a crib. Betty loves it."
"It's a good name," Sweet Pea smiled.
"Thanks," Archie grinned. "You're okay with helping at the party for the kids, right?"
"Oh yeah," Sweet Pea replied, "I love when those little rugrats come into the gym. They have so much energy and enthusiasm."
"Pretty sure they don't appreciate being called rugrats," Archie snorted.
"Yeah, my girl's kids have told me that a few times."
"Your girl has kids?" Archie raised a brow.
"Yeah, she's been bringing her kids to the gym for lessons," Sweet Pea feed his boss a bit more info. "We're looking forward to seeing people's reactions. We're not really an obvious pairing, but we've really connected."
"You're really not going to tell me who she is?"
"Nope," he grinned, "We agreed that we wanted to see everyone's faces when they put it together at the party."
"So it's someone I know," Archie concluded.
"Yes," Sweet Pea replied.
"Hmm," Archie mused, "You have me curious."
"Careful, Andrews. You know what curiosity did to the kitty cat."
"Oh, please do not do your Jack Nicholson impression, Pea," Fangs walked in.
"Hey, Bud," Archie greeted him with a fist bump, "I thought you would be at the airport picking up your fella."
"My fella?" Fangs snorted, "What the heck decade did you pull that from, Andrews?"
"He's been hanging with the blonde he lives with too much," Sweet Pea chimed in.
"Where is Betty? I haven't rubbed her belly for good luck in a few days," Fangs smirked.
"I hope you haven't forgotten what she did last time you tried that, have you?" Archie asked.
"The doctor said it would heal eventually, and it did."
"Oh, man, warning taken," Sweet Pea laughed.
"She's planning costumes with Cheryl and Toni," Archie replied, "I didn't want her lifting things, and if she was here for the set up, it would be hard to stop her."
"Well played," Fangs bobbed his head.
"Hey, I want to introduce you to some friends of mine from Penn State," Archie pulled Fangs over to where Julie and Samy were organizing the games for the children to play at the party. "Jules, Samy, this is my buddy, Fangs. Fangs, this is Julie and Samy. Julie is the twin sister of one of my boxing teammates, and she became our unofficial manager. Samy is her girlfriend. They came out from the city for the party."
"That's a great intro, Andrews, but Fangs and I already met," Julie snickered.
"Really?" Archie looked a bit flustered.
"Yeah, when Kev and I came to pick Betty up on the way to Cheryl's graduation," Fangs chimed in.
"Right, sorry," Archie shook his head, "I must have sympathy scatterbrain syndrome."
Julie laughed, "That's a new one."
"Or just good old fashioned boxing brain," Fangs nudged Archie playfully in the ribs, "How many times have you been knocked out, Andrews?"
"You're hysterical," Archie glared at him as he returned the playful ribbing.
"It's good to meet you, Samy," Fangs shook her hand.
"You, too," Samy shook his hand, "You're the one who dates Betty's friend, Kevin, right?"
"That's me," he nodded.
"I think I'm slowly getting this put together," Samy smiled, "You guys need to put together a flow chart or maybe a score card might come in handy."
"Yeah, we're a complicated bunch," Fangs laughed, "It was worse in high school when the couples seemed to change with the wind."
"Betty was really excited about Kevin flying in for the party," Julie chimed in, "Is he here yet? We can't wait to meet him."
"Yeah, he demanded to be dropped off at costume central," Fangs replied, "Not really my scene, so I came here to offer up some muscle to set up."
"We'll take all the help we can get," Archie replied, "I've got strict instructions to turn this place into a Halloween festival, whatever the heck that means."
"We'll help," Julie nodded. "I used to volunteer at our community center, so I know pretty much what needs to be done."
"Good," Archie nodded.
"And Betty sent bags and bags of decorations and told us to use everything," Samy added.
In no time at all, the gym had been completely transformed for the party.
"We'd better get back to the house to get dressed," Archie suggested to Julie and Samy as they surveyed the festive scene. They'd gotten a lot done in a short amount of time. Archie knew he'd never have been able to pull it off without their help and had thanked them repeatedly as they worked.
"We wouldn't want the owner to be late to his own party," Samy teased.
"See you guys later," Archie called out to Sweet Pea and Fangs.
Betty was taking a nap when Archie, Julie, and Samy returned home. Hanging from the closet door were the costumes she and Archie were wearing for the party.
"Betty's home, right?" Julie was taken aback by the quiet house. She thought Betty would be rushing around to get ready for the party.
"It's her SUV in the driveway," Archie frowned in concern. "Her bodyguard is outside, so she's supposed to be here."
"Guys, she was with her cousin, a woman described by many as a red tidal wave. She's pregnant, and we're all going out tonight," Samy pointed out. "It's a safe bet that she's resting."
"Yeah, I'll go check," Archie rushed up the stairs to their bedroom. He was greatly relieved to see her sleeping. She looked so peaceful.
"Hey," she smiled when he brushed a strand of hair away from her face effectively pulling her from her slumber.
"I didn't mean to wake you," he bent over to give her a quick kiss.
"What time is it?" she glanced towards her nightstand and then sat up as quickly as her bulging belly would allow, "Oh, wow, I've been sleeping for a couple of hours. I was only going to sleep for thirty minutes."
"I guess our little guy had other ideas," Archie laid a hand on her belly, smiling affectionately. "It's okay. We're not late."
"Thank god," Betty released a relieved sigh, "How was decorating?"
"It went really fast. Julie and Samy were like two women on a mission," he nodded, "If we ever need to decorate for more parties, we're hiring them."
"I'm glad," Betty smiled, "I'd forgotten how crazy things get when Cheryl, Toni, Kevin and I all get together. You should see the costume he's wearing to the adult party tonight."
"Yeah, Fangs said he was doing the full Rocky Horror Picture Show thing, so I can only imagine," he replied, "Bet it was good to see him. How's Cali treating him?"
"I don't know. We didn't get into it, but I just feel like he's not all together happy out there."
"That stinks."
"Maybe this will be the catalyst to bring him back to Riverdale permanently," Betty responded hopefully. She didn't say it, but she missed her bestie something fierce, especially now that she and Archie were together. Sometimes she needed a guy's perspective to navigate their relationship, and Kevin was who she turned to for that advice.
"Did you finally decide on what we're going to be for Halloween?" Archie eyed the garment bags hanging from the closet door.
"Yes," Betty's smile brightened as she got up from the bed and went to reveal their costumes, "You're going as Ricky Ricardo, and I'm going as Pregnant Lucy."
"Really?" he chuckled in amusement.
"Yes, and everyone agreed you should do the Spanish accent like Ricky," Betty replied.
"Betty..."
"No, it's Lucy," she corrected him, "I also want you to sing to me privately, 'We're Having a Baby, My Baby and Me'."
"You always loved that scene," he chuckled.
"Come on," she stuck out her lip to pout like Lucy used to, "Please, Ricky."
"What the heck," he chuckled as he began singing the song to her.
When he as done, she leaned forward and put her arms around his neck, "I love you."
"I love you, too," he pressed his forehead to hers to savor the moment before adding, "But you can't be in the show."
"Oh, Ricky," Betty moaned.
"Come on, we have to get a move on," he grinned.
Betty and Archie arrived at the gym to find the party was already in full swing.
Young kids were running about, collecting candy at each station, and participating in the plethora of activities.
"There you are," Cheryl pounced on her cousin, "We were starting to wonder if you were going to show up. Everything alright?"
"Yeah," Betty told her, "It took us a bit longer to get my hair spray painted the right color than we anticipated."
"You do make quite the redhead, Cousin," Cheryl smiled, "Must be the Blossom in you."
"I'm sure that's it. You haven't met our friends from Penn yet, have you?" Betty indicated Julie and Samy, "Guys, this is my cousin, Cheryl. Cher, this is Julie and Samy."
"I've heard so many great things about both of you," Cheryl shook each of the woman's hands, "Let me guess, Wilma and Betty from the Flintstones."
"Correct," Julie smiled, "It's great to meet you too. You're as pretty as your pictures. Congratulations on your wedding and baby on the way."
"Thank you," Cheryl practically beamed in response.
"Where do you need us?" Betty glanced around at all the tables. Kids were everywhere. They'd had a better turn out than expected.
"Just pick a table and refill the candy and party favors as needed," Cheryl replied, "It's a good thing I ordered the extra crate of candy. We're going through it like it's going out of style."
"Make sure you get a chair, Betts," Archie appeared at their side, "I don't want you on your feet all night."
"I promise," Betty smiled at the concern in his eyes. He was always protecting her. She loved him for it even if sometimes she found it a bit overwhelming.
"Holy crap," Cheryl gave Archie the once over, "Not bad, Andrews. I'm loving the ensemble."
"Thanks, Cher," Archie blushed a little, "You look like you could still be leading cheers."
"Yes, the vixen's uniform still fits like a glove," Cheryl smoothed her hands down her skirt, "Toni's is a bit stretched out, but she's enjoying playing the cliché pregnant cheerleader."
"Where is she?"
"She's helping Pea organize the liquor for later," Cheryl pointed.
"Well, before I pick a table, why don't we introduce Samy and Julie to your other half?" Betty asked.
"I'll do it, and then we'll get back to our duties," Cheryl promised. "Do you want a soda or something, Cousin?"
"Did you guys get that awesome cherry soda that I like?"
"Kevin made sure we got some," Cheryl nodded. "I'll grab you a bottle. Pick a table."
Betty glanced around and saw her sister, dressed as Morticia, working one of the activities booths.
"Hey, Sis," Betty bumped her with her hip as she approached.
"Looking good, Lucy," Polly gave her an appreciative up and down glance, "Where's your Ricky?"
"He and Cheryl went to introduce Samy and Julie to Toni," Betty pulled up a chair to take a seat and took note of her sister's Morticia costume, "Where are Wednesday and Pugsly?"
"Playing games at JB's table," Polly pointed, "They are loving this one stop sugar shop. It was such a good idea, and it's so much better than going door to door to neighbors we don't even know."
"I wish I could take credit, but it was all Archie," Betty smiled. "He wanted to be able to celebrate Halloween with the twins, but with the ex-boyfriend shenanigans we thought trick-or-treating with them could put them in harms way."
"You okay?"
"Just thinking of Halloween my senior year," Betty shook her head to clear her thoughts. "It wasn't a good moment. So, Morticia without a Gomez? That's a little suspect."
"Actually," Polly got suddenly fidgety as Sweet Pea returned from helping organize the alcohol. He was dressed as Gomez.
"What?!" Betty instantly put the pieces together, "When did that happen?"
"A couple of months ago," Polly bit her lip nervously, "He asked me out one day after helping Archie give the twins lessons, and it just kind of developed from there."
"A couple of months ago?" Betty sputtered, "You've been dating for a couple of months, and I'm only now finding out. Have I really been too wrapped up in my own stuff to notice?"
"No," Polly shook her head, "We've been keeping it quiet because we didn't know if it would work out."
"And?" Betty prodded.
"I like him a lot, Betty," Polly's face flushed as she admitted her feelings.
"Wow, talk about a change in direction," Betty replied, "I mean Jason was the clean cut, all-American, and Sweet Pea, is the rough and tumble sort. He's a great guy and all, but wow. I never saw this coming."
"Neither did I," Polly shook her head and then looked up to smile at him, "But he's sweet underneath the rough and tumble. He loves the kids. He treats me well."
"That's all I can ask," Betty hugged her, "What do the twins think of him?"
"Oh my gosh, they love him," Polly gushed, "When he comes over for dinner sometimes, he'll spend the rest of the night helping them with their homework or watch movies with them. It's really great, almost like he's part of the family already."
"Does FP know?"
"No," Polly shook her head, "He likes Sweet Pea, right?"
"Yeah, but there's liking a guy and liking a guy for your daughter, step or not."
"Well, he'll just have to get over it," Polly stated, "Sweet Pea is good for all of us."
Just then Juniper went whizzing by. "Hey, Junie, come back here," Betty called out to her.
Juniper skidding to a halt and returned to give her aunt a hug.
"You look adorable," Betty gushed, "The prettiest Wednesday Addams I've ever seen."
"Thank you, Aunt Betty," she smiled adoringly, "Who are you supposed to be?"
"I'm a lady from a really old television show you've probably never heard of," Betty poked at the little girl's stomach, "And you and I need to talk about something."
Juniper looked at her aunt expectantly.
"I thought we had a deal. Mommy goes on a date, and you tell your favorite aunt who she goes out with," Betty tickled her ribs.
"Mommy told me I couldn't," Juniper giggled slightly, "It was really hard. I've never kept a secret for that long. It was really tiring."
Betty laughed at her niece's expression and gave her another hug before she whispered in her ear and sent her on her way.
"What was that about?" Polly asked.
"I told her to ask Archie why he was talking funny," Betty smirked.
"Is he doing the accent?" Polly asked.
"He's supposed to," Betty replied, "He practiced on the drive over, but he's really bad at it."
"Oh, I have to hear this," Polly rushed after her daughter to listen into the conversation.
Toni took the opportunity to plop herself down next to Betty, "This is the preggo table, right?"
"I guess so," Betty snickered, "How are you feeling?"
"Today is one of those uncomfortable days," Toni replied, "The baby is kicking the crap out of my bladder."
"Something to look forward to," Betty rubbed her belly.
"I'm loving the Lucy Ricardo look," Toni grinned.
"Thanks," Betty smiled, "You make a great pregnant cheerleader."
"I wasn't sure I wanted to go as the world's biggest cliche, but it's kinda fun."
"Did you get a chance to meet Julie and Sammy?"
"Yes, they seem great," Toni nodded.
"Yeah," Betty agreed, "They've really enjoyed staying with us. I think if Samy didn't have a job to get back to in the city, I think Julie would be trying to convince her to move here."
"Maybe one day," Toni smiled.
"Have you figured out who Pea's date is?"
"Oh please, I've known about him and Polly for weeks already," Toni snorted, "Sweet Pea isn't exactly the greatest secret keeper."
"And you didn't tell me?" Betty moaned.
"Where's the fun in that?" Toni winked at her.
"Mean," Betty mock scolded, "I wonder if Archie's figured it out yet."
"Figured what out?" Archie sat next to her.
"What happened to the accent?" Betty pouted.
"Apparently I was talking funny and a certain niece of yours wasn't appreciative," he chuckled as he tossed an arm around her shoulders.
"Ah," Betty kissed his cheek to wipe away the frown. "I put that thought in her head."
"No sweat, Babe," he assured her. "So what's this thing I haven't yet figured out?"
"Polly came as Morticia," Betty motioned towards her sister, "And Juniper and Dagwood are Wednesday and Pugsley. I asked if she came without a Gomez and then I caught her looking Sweet Pea's direction."
"Oh wow," Archie instantly put it together, "Really?"
"Yep," Toni bobbed her head, "They've been a thing for a few months, and apparently you're to thank."
"How's that?" Archie scratched his head in confusion.
"They started flirting after Juniper and Dagwood began lessons at this gym," Toni began, "Who was teaching those classes and encouraging the pint sized twins to participate?"
"Are you okay with this, Betts?" Archie asked.
"As long as she's happy," Betty bobbed her head, "And she says he's really sweet with the kids. That's about all I can ask for."
"Then cool," Archie shrugged, "Who am I to stand in the way? Sweet Pea's been pretty loyal to me, and he's a great gym manager. It's not a stretch that he'd been a decent dude to the twins."
"Yeah, Pea was always decent to all of us," Betty tilted her head back on the arm Archie had around her.
"Are you doing okay, Babe?" Archie caressed her shoulder.
"Getting a bit tired," she confessed, "All the excitement must be getting to me."
"That or all the trips to the bathroom," Toni quipped, "Speaking of bathrooms, another kick to the bladder is making for an urgent dash. I'll be back."
Toni ran off as Betty leaned in to Archie's embrace.
"Did you want to head home?" Archie asked, "I can handle the adult party on my own."
"No," Betty shook her head quickly, "I want to see Kevin's getup."
"I can take a picture," he offered.
"I also don't want to be alone on the night where things go bump in the night on a regular basis."
"Yeah, you've got a point," he kissed her temple. "I'm sure we could talk Cheryl and Toni into staying with you."
"I'll be okay," she assured him, "Besides it's fun watching all the activities. The kids are so excited about everything."
"Yeah, this event was a big hit with the community," he smiled, "We'll have to make it an annual thing."
"We'll have one to add to the chaos next year," Betty smiled at the crowd of moms holding babies across the room, "So will Cheryl and Toni."
Archie smiled, "I'm looking forward to it."
"So am I," Betty smiled, reaching up to cup his face.
Toni returned to the table a short while later, and she and Betty compared pregnancy notes while Archie ran off to deal with a punch bowl emergency. One of the kids got a bit to aggressive and knocked over the entire bowl. Punch was flowing everywhere, and it was turning the floor into a sticky mess.
Julie joined them.
"This place is bananas," Julie replied, "I didn't expect there to be this many kids."
"Ready to run away in fear?" Betty asked with a grin.
"We talk about it sometimes," Julie admitted.
"Kids?" Betty surmised.
"Yeah," Julie nodded.
"And?" Toni said.
"Neither of us are ready now," Julie shook her head.
"If and when the time becomes right, Cheryl and I have a lot of information we've gathered throughout this process," Toni rubbed her belly, "We'd be happy to pass along our knowledge."
"How did you and Cheryl even decide who was going to be the carrier?" Julie asked.
"Flipped a coin," was Toni's immediate response, "No, actually, we did a lot of tests. It was determined I'd be the most likely to have a successful pregnancy. If we decide to have more, I think Cheryl wants to try it for herself."
"How do you keep her from feeling like she's not a part of the process? It's not biologically her kid, right?" Julie asked.
"Actually, we both had eggs harvested and fertilized. We don't know if I'm carrying her child or mine," Toni explained. "Either way, it's a piece of one of us, and we love each other enough that we'll love this baby no matter who the biological mother turns out to be."
"Have I ever told you how glad I am you and Cher found each other," Betty gave Toni a squeeze around her shoulders.
"Several times," Toni nodded.
Julie smiled at their interaction, "So it's like one big happy family in this town."
"Yeah, it kind of is," Betty bobbed her head.
"And god help anyone who screws with us," Toni said.
-d-d-d-d-d-
"Oh my God," Betty said when Kevin walked into the gym completely decked out in drag.
"Why are you even surprised, Betty?" Fangs chuckled, "This is Kevin's thing. Remember in high school when he went full Hedwig?"
"And nearly got himself expelled," Betty bobbed her head.
"It's Halloween, Betts," Kevin wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "I'm supposed to be outrageous. I have a reputation to uphold."
"If you take pictures, my son does not see them until he is forty," Betty shook her head.
"Same with our child," Cheryl said.
"Look at our Vixen redux," Kevin smiled.
"You should see her other half," Betty pointed out Toni.
"Ah, the pregnant vixen," Kevin chuckled, "That's even better. I bet Honey would have loved to see that."
"That guy was such a prick," Betty shook her head, "It was so satisfying to see him taken down by our parents. Mom and Mary were awesome."
"And what about Tom and FP?" Cheryl smiled, "'We're the muscle.' Classic."
"Yeah, but that Mom Squad moment was pretty tough to beat," Betty snickered, "We're totally doing that when our kids are that age."
"Hopefully we won't have such a stooge as a principal when our kids are in high school," Cheryl smiled.
"I wonder what happened to him after he ended up at Stonewall," Betty mused.
"I should try to find out," Toni said. "Being a social worker, I can call under some kind of guise."
"He probably fits in well with those elitist prepsters," Kevin rolled his eyes, "Good riddance."
"Agreed," Betty said before her eyes landed on Archie, "He seemed to have it in for us in particular. You ever notice?"
"How could I not?" Archie asked, "I nearly didn't graduate because of him."
"Banned all but two of our group from prom for various reasons," Cheryl smirked, "Though you and Jughead would've made a cute couple, Archie."
"He told me he wasn't going to put out. That was totally a deal breaker," Archie grinned.
"It all worked out, Cher. Nobody would've made a better royal couple than you and Toni," Fangs smiled.
Kevin cleared his throat as he pretended to tighten his nonexistent tie, "I think we would have acquitted ourselves quite nicely."
"You do look good in a tiara, Kev," Archie patted his shoulder.
The table laughed as the lights dimmed and the music turned a little more age appropriate as the last of the kids was ushered out. Polly and Sweet Pea came over.
"You're staying?" Betty asked.
"Mom and FP took the kids home with them and JB," Polly smiled.
"JB left?"
"Not without a fight," Sweet Pea shook his head, "But FP pointed out several factors, the least of which being she's underage."
"FP should have had Archie take her home," Betty smiled, "She never puts up a fight for him."
"He's just too charming to argue with," Toni replied.
"Oh, I don't know about that," Betty snorted, "I manage from time to time."
"This is true," Archie nodded, "Like when I suggest we go home because she's tired."
"I can last for another hour," Betty smiled.
"Yeah right," Kevin snorted, "You'll be out of here in thirty minutes. I'll put money on it."
"Not if I keep moving," Betty noticed the music slow down, "Anyone want to dance?"
"I'll dance with you, B," Fangs stepped up beside her.
"As long as Kevin doesn't mind, I'd love to," Betty braced and levered herself out of her chair.
"Have at it, but keep things respectable," Kevin winked, "I have a reputation to uphold."
"Says the man dressed as Dr. Frank-N-Furter from 'Rocky Horror Picture Show'," Betty waved a hand at him.
"Hey, I'm rocking this getup," Kevin stood proudly.
"I think I liked you better as Hedwig," Betty teased as she and Fangs made their way to the dance floor.
"I disagree," Jughead took a swig from his beer, "Dr. Frank-N-Furter is much more you, Keller."
"Thanks, Jug," Kevin tapped his bottle against Jughead's, "I always knew you were my favorite."
"Please tell me there are pictures of Kevin as Hedwig," Julie requested.
"Oh yeah," Archie chuckled, "Betty snuck a few into the yearbook, and I'm sure she's got some pictures boxed up at her mom's house. If we can't find any before you leave, I'll be sure to send you copies."
"You're the best, Arch," Julie gushed.
"Oh, I beg to differ," Kevin chimed in, "I'm the best as proven by my costume."
"I don't know about that," Samy snickered, "I think you're a bit much for the likes of me."
"I'm an acquired taste," Kevin wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "It just takes a bit of time."
"Only took me ten years," Archie chuckled.
"You're such a liar. You've loved me from day one," Kevin winked at him.
Archie shook his head as his attentions turned towards the dance floor where Betty and Fangs were doing their best to navigate her belly as they danced. "Looks like someone needs to give Fangs a lesson in dancing with a pregnant woman."
"And he has so much more experience," Toni snickered as Archie approached Betty and Fangs, "She wasn't even showing the last time they danced together at our wedding."
"I'm sure they'll sort it out pretty quick," Cheryl watched the pair together, "They're practically glued together as it is."
"As are we, my love," Toni leaned in for a kiss.
"So right," Cheryl slid her chair closer to Toni.
"It's about time they figured things out," Kevin nudged Cheryl, "Team Barchie all the way."
"Don't you know it," Cheryl beamed in reply.
TBC…