The next morning, Jughead wakes in a panic. He feels far too rested and immediately jolts into a seated position on the couch, his eyes scanning for Finley in the pack and play.

"Woah daddy, calm down," Betty giggles. "He's right here."

An incredible rush of relief washes over him at the sight of Finley happily suckling a bottle in Betty's arms at his feet and he collapses back against the couch.

"I didn't mean to worry you," she mutters apologetically, "I'm an early riser and little Fin her was babbling to himself so I came down to check on him."

"You could have woken me up," he offers, feeling bad that she had taken on his responsibility as a parent.

"I don't mind," she smiles, "I'm sure you don't get to sleep in much."

"Never," he chuckles lightly, shifting to rest a lazy arm around her, his head on her shoulder as he smiles down at Fin. "Thank you."

Betty turns her head to meet his gaze, a warm smile touching the corner of her lips. He doesn't miss the way her eyes flicker to his mouth and on a whim he gives her a gentle peck on the lips before settling back against her shoulder. They sit together in a comfortably lazy silence, engrossed in the gentle motion of Finley's tiny cheeks until he's finished.

Jughead can't help but find Betty absolutely breathtaking this way. She has such a compassionate nature about her and the way she looks with a baby in her arms, his baby, is just downright sinful. Never in a million years had he ever thought something as mundane as parenting would be a turn on for him, but here he is, craving to be with her for the simple act of nurturing his pride and joy.

FP arrives at the Cooper household not long after Finley has finished his breakfast. He somehow manages to trudge through the heavy blanket of almost waist deep snow carrying a box of doughnuts and a pair of shovels. Alice greets him at the door, chuckling as a mound of snow enters the house with him and quickly takes the box of doughnuts.

"How are the roads," Jughead asks as he's pulling on his boots.

"Well they're not good," FP laughs, "must have passed at least three plow trucks off the road on the way here."

"Yet you managed to make it to pop's for doughnuts," Alice snickers from the kitchen.

"Hey, I'm just doing the man a favor," he calls back, "Probably the only paying customer he'll have all day."

"Well aren't you sweet," Alice coos sarcastically upon her return to the foyer.

As she pulls on her jacket she gives Jughead a quizzical glance, bringing a lump to settle heavily in his chest.

"Are you coming out to help," she questions with a slight surprise to her tone.

"Uh, yea," he answers, though it comes out more like a question than a statement.

"Of course he is," FP chimes in, "we're gonna need as much muscle as we can get."

"Yes," she agrees, "but who will be watching Fin?"

"Uh," Jughead scratches at the back of his neck, "I asked Betty if she'd stay inside with him."

This seems to earn a look of shock from both adults and he's suddenly worried it's time for the scolding he should have received last night.

"I just figured, you let me stay here last night, and you're watching Fin for no pay," he shrugs. "Least I can do is help shovel."

Alice nods, offering an appreciative smile as she continues to dress for cold weather. FP on the other hand, squints his eyes with suspicion. Of course he's suspicious. He has no idea that Jughead is ok with Betty handling Finley as of yesterday afternoon, and Jughead is almost certain he thinks this is some ploy to get in her pants. All he can do now is brace himself for the explosion when Alice informs him that he already has.

It's well into the afternoon by the time the three of them get the driveway cleared and it's been agonizing to say the least. The shoveling part was pure hell. The snow was wet and heavy and clung to the shovel making it near impossible to toss aside. The only thing worse than breaking his back to dig out the stairs on the buried walkway were the searing glares he received from his father between every shovel full.

Back inside, Betty has laid Finley down for his nap and prepared chicken soup for lunch. The four of them sit down to the table, warming their insides with the hot meal. Their conversation is minimal as they watch the news across the room on the TV in the living room, and by the time everyone has finished their soup, they all look as though they could use a nap.

After clearing the table, Alice gives Jughead a warning glance before taking FP upstairs and leaving him and Betty to the dishes.

"How'd Fin go down," he asks casually as he places a bowl in the dishwasher.

"Fine," she nods, "he was a little fussy, but I think maybe he's teething."

"Teething," Jughead says in surprise, "isn't it kind of early for that, he's only three weeks old."

"Actually, babies can be born teething and even with teeth already," she shrugs.

"Really," he nods, mulling over the bit of information he hadn't previously known. "How do you know that?"

Betty doesn't answer right away, placing a dishwasher pack in its slot and starting the wash cycle.

"Uhm," she leans back against the counter, dropping her eyes to her feet as a slight blush touches her cheeks. "I may have done some reading about babies after the night we met."

Her eyes flick up, meeting Jughead's grin and she quickly looks away.

"I just wanted to be able to help mom if she needed it or anything," she explains unnecessarily.

"You're cute," he tells her fondly tugging her into the bend of his elbow to kiss the top of her head. "Hey Betts," he mutters into her hair.

Betty tilts her head up to meet his gaze in reply.

"I have to tell you something and you're probably not going to be happy about it," he sighs.

Almost in slow motion, she pulls out from under his arm and takes a step back, worry etched into her features as she bites down on her lip.

"Your mom knows," he near whispers, her eyes going wide, "and, she's telling my dad right now."

"Oh my god," she worries, her hands raking back into her hair. "She's going to kill me, or lock me up in a nunnery, or-"

"Woah, calm down Betty," he chuckles lightly. "She's not upset. She just said she doesn't want it happening here."

"Ok," she says quizzically, "so what's the issue then?"

"My dad," he groans.

Betty gives a nod in understanding and it's at that precise moment that Finley cries out from the next room, driving the point of his previous failure to think with his head and not with his dick.

FP returns to the kitchen with a lethal expression, Alice shaking her head behind him as a silent warning that this is not going to end well for Jughead. Betty gives him a quick wave goodbye, not wanting to add fuel to the fire before he and Finley follow FP out. Thankfully, FP had borrowed a truck from work, leaving Jughead time to prepare himself as he drives towards certain death in his father's pickup.

Upon their arrival home, FP is eerily quiet. He remains that way through most of the evening and it's not until Jughead has put Finley to bed for the night that he finally breaks.

"So what's your plan Jug," FP questions from his arm chair as Jughead takes a seat on the couch.

"What do you mean," he wonders, entirely uncertain where this is going.

"Well," he leans back in his seat, "you've got a newborn to raise, high school to finish, and you apparently lack the discipline to keep your dick in your pants. So I want to know what your plan is. Tell me how you're gonna keep yourself from making the same mistake twice."

"It's not gonna happen again, I swear," he promises.

"Just like you swore you weren't gonna pull this shit with Betty?"

"I didn't mean for it to happen," he explains urgently. "She just-"

"She just what Jug," he questions angrily, "Was kind to you? Betty's a nice girl and you took advantage of her."

"The fuck I did," he argues, straining to keep his voice low so as not to wake Finley. "It wasn't like that," he sighs.

"Explain," FP scowls.

With a heavy sigh, Jughead settles against the back of the couch and pinches the bridge of his nose, "I like her."

"I gathered that," FP huffs a laugh.

"No," he scoffs, "I really like her dad."

"And you didn't like Elise," FP argues.

"Not like this," he shakes his head. "Elise and I, we were just friends. We were there for each other through a lot of shit and it just happened. Betty's different."

"You barely know the girl," FP scoffs.

"What do you want me to say dad," he clips, "I fucked her and I'm gonna keep fucking her as long as she lets me."

"Like hell you are," FP scolds. "You'll be lucky if Alice lets you anywhere near her again."

"Alice doesn't care," he laughs, earning a glare from his father. "I already talked to her and she just told me not to be a dumbass.

"You're doing a real good job of that," FP bites back.

"She's on birth control-"

"And Elise wasn't," he questions, shocked that his son would be so stupid to have entirely unprotected sex.

"She didn't always remember to take it," he admits under his breath.

"So you knew and you what? You just didn't care," he questions in disbelief, "how do you know Betty takes hers."

Jughead falls silently, itching to say something in reply, but he comes up empty handed.

"Jug," FP sighs, "I get it. You're seventeen and girls are distracting, but you have a responsibility to give your son the best shot you can and chasing tail isn't going to help you any."

"You think I don't know that," he clips, "She wasn't just some quick fuck ok?"

"So what then," he questions with a shrug, "Say you start dating. You have a child Jughead, and he's young enough to grow up knowing whatever woman you're with as a mother figure. What happens if things don't work out and your little boy is heartbroken?"

"Christ dad," he grits, raking his fingers back into his hair. "I don't fucking know. I just like her. She makes me happy and she's good with Fin." He takes in a sharp breath, his brow tugging together in a deep scowl. "You weren't there when mom was strung out on pills. You weren't there when I got beaten near to death trying to keep myself alive running errands for mom's dealer, and you weren't fucking there when her piece of shit boyfriend kicked me out of my own fucking house. Elise was there, and yea, I fucked up, but I owned it. I stuck by her and I did everything I could to make this better for her. Can't I just have this one fucking thing?"

FP falls back into an eerie silence, his face stoic as his fingers drum on the arm of his chair. It's unsettling and Jughead is quickly growing impatient to hear his reply.

"If you knock her up, I will castrate you myself."