Happy mid-May! And wow, thank you so much for the enthusiasm over the last chapter. :)
Romacarthur03, that was so great to hear on all counts. I love that you anticipate the chapters (woo-hoo!), and as everything comes together through talking and planning it is so great to hear that it is still building in tension and anticipation. Thank you so much for the wonderful and encouraging compliments. :-D My week was made!
Shyrider45, first off yay for another chapter being in the works! I can be patient (I tell myself this regularly, hoping it will sink in), and I know it will be worth the wait. :) Also, yes - Matrix and Hatchet references (FTW!), and I liked your assessment that Gunnar was not far off. Poor Clark being in the middle, and I totally agree that FP deserved to gain some ground in that conversation. He and Brand have been a little off balance since Shifting Territories. I liked your phrase the "long, long game." Brand has stuff to answer for, and things definitely would have played out differently had FP's connection to Rose been known from the outset. I think there would have been some losses in that timeline (for Brand interpersonally, for FP with the FBI, and for Jug with some of what he's gained through Brand and the FBI and all), and they'd have had fewer resources to make a stand. But then, I'm invested in seeing it that way... I get frustrated with the Wizard of Oz effect (you could have clicked your heels AGES ago and this story would have been a lot shorter!), so I tend to see more where the plot had to play itself out ("it's working out for the best, in a twisted way!"). Readers might feel very differently... but we shall see! I'll look forward to hearing more of your thoughts. :)
Living Lucid Dream, all the flourishing bows this week! Thank you for a review that made me grin for DAYS. :-D Yeah, this has been brewing for ages, and I am SO relieved to hear that you see the clues being there and your reaction was not "Oh. Okay. That came out of nowhere." I've been enjoying having Gunnar and Sweet Pea take up very different spaces with Alice, but I do think that's unlikely to last. I definitely think that balance is possible, too, though Sweet Pea's been on one side (a bit overwhelmed) and Gunnar on the other (slightly out of the loop). Yay for FP getting to be papa bear again! Shifting Territories really messed with dynamics, and as much as Jug and FP needed to work through the Serpent-related issues, I think we've seen a sliiiightly more tentative FP since Jughead's attack at Riverdale High - and he might be done with that now. There's nothing like being needed in the driver's seat to inspire a return to forceful leadership! The armed nuke sounds about right, yep. I honestly thought this connection was going to break (at least to Brand) in Shifting Territories, and everyone juuuuuust barely avoided that at the end. I'll be interested in hearing what you think as things come together more and more!
Enjoy!
-Button
00000
"Your father and Brandon are having a strategy meeting with SAC Wilson?" Agent Sarah was sitting with Jughead and Clark in a comfortable room that held couches and a coffee maker.
FP had (mortifyingly) ordered her not to let Jughead out of her sight when he realized that this was one of her days working at the field office as she gradually transitioned from the RA. At first Jughead wondered if his dad understood that Agent Quinn definitely outranked him here - but then she obeyed immediately, and with no small amount of deference, so it seemed like maybe his dad was right after all.
It also made Jughead figure that he still had a long way to go before he fully understood workplace dynamics.
Brand had softened FP's command as much as he was able without offering explanations, but that had turned out to be unnecessary: Sarah had been quite willing to spend the time with Jughead and Clark.
"Yeah. I shouldn't talk about anything because so much is classified, but yeah."
"Special Agent Davies scared me to death." Clark leaned back heavily on the couch. He'd been incredibly relieved when Jughead had arrived at the field office with FP and Brand, and from what Jughead could see it looked like Clark had immediately assumed that indicated all was well and that he'd somehow misunderstood everything that he'd heard.
Jughead was fairly certain that he should not do anything to contradict that impression, though he was not clear on how Clark was squaring all of that in his mind.
Agent Sarah was a lot more relaxed, but that was probably because she knew none of the details at this point beyond the fact that Clark and FP had both been shocked by something confusing that had come up involving Brand and Jughead, and that SAC Wilson was now being consulted on how to proceed.
"I mean, I knew he had undercover skills, but that was… It was actually scary. He really seemed like he was going for it, you know?" Clark shook his head in amazement.
"You don't have to tell me." Jughead ducked his head and avoided Clark's gaze. "We worked together for quite a while, remember? And, uh, thanks for calling my dad. If something had been going down… I don't know. I guess thanks for having my back."
"I feel a little stupid, but I'd do it again. If there's one thing I'm learning, it's that it's sometimes preferable to be too cautious." Clark rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously before he became animated again: "And Davies was terrifying."
Agent Quinn slid over on the couch cushions to touch Jughead's shoulder. "Are you okay? Things were awfully intense between you two when you worked together in Toronto, and I can tell that whatever's going on has really shaken up your father. If you're having a lot of... memories come up now, or if you're just feeling overwhelmed, we can-,"
"I'm kind of tired is all." Jughead figured that excuse would cover for just about anything. "I didn't expect things to kick up so dramatically, and it's just... an exhausting thought."
"Want us to give you space?" Clark offered. "I honestly don't want to leave you alone, and your dad said you should be 'within arm's reach at all times,' but I don't think he meant that literally."
"Nah; Dad wants me supervised or whatever. Literally. Just, like, don't expect too much from me right now."
"Of course, Jughead." Agent Sarah rubbed his shoulder lightly. "Are you hungry? There are usually cookies around here somewhere."
"Sure." Jughead smiled faintly. "I could eat."
In a matter of moments they were opening a package of Oreos and a bag of soft-baked oatmeal cookies.
"If you and Special Agent Davies get sent on a mission, I hope I get to go too," Clark said as he pulled an oatmeal cookie apart and inspected a raisin. "Somehow the golden raisins always taste better in cookies."
"Really?" Jughead reached for one of the cookies. "I never noticed that. And I'd take you with me if I got sent somewhere. Except that would never happen, because nobody ever sends interns on missions."
"That is the truth." Agent Quinn looked from one to the other. "Neither one of you needs to worry about being 'sent' to do anything."
Jughead took a big bite of his cookie, in part to hide any tells that might betray his certainty that he was indeed about to be sent to Toronto - and that Clark would not be joining him, or even likely informed where he was headed.
"You're right." Jughead spoke around a mouthful of cookie. "The golden raisins are way better. I'll have to remember that."
"I'll pick some up this week and we can bake some cookies of our own. I bet Special Agent Davies knows a recipe." Clark smiled at Jughead.
"Sure. That sounds good." Jughead took another bite. He suddenly wished with all his heart that he would be around to bake with Clark.
This sucked.
But it could very easily have sucked a whole lot more, Jughead reminded himself with an involuntary shiver. His eyes went to the door that his dad had disappeared through with Brand.
At least, whatever came next, they'd face it together.
00000
"So. As it happens, I heard something," FP said as they took their seats around SAC Wilson's desk.
Aaditi Wilson's gaze flickered between FP and Brand; she was obviously disconcerted by the lead-in paired with the presence of both men. "Well, you'd better fill me in, then. Clark was less than coherent on the subject."
"Brandon and Jughead made a contact in Toronto. Dominic Rose. Jughead had no idea who he was, or his significance to the Southside case, and Brandon has been trying to develop the contact-,"
"Unwisely," Brandon interjected.
"Unwisely," FP agreed fervently, "and it's gotten out of hand. Davies needs to go undercover as a double agent and make the bust. Right now. Otherwise my son is going to be in the crosshairs, and the attempts on my life and Clark's are going to look like a Nerf war in comparison to whatever Rose is likely to try on Jug. We need to move on this right away, and I think that Davies and I need to go to Toronto tonight."
"While I think that we need you to make decisions and formulate a game plan," Brandon countered.
"Don't play games with me and act as if you two didn't come in here with a fully-formed plan. I wasn't born yesterday." Wilson raised an eyebrow at them. "First of all, I know full well that you have a history with Rose, FP."
SAC Wilson gave FP a long-suffering look when he studiously did not react. "I'm not bluffing, Mr. Jones. Agent Russell documented that much meticulously. He had nothing tying Davies and Forsythe to Rose, but he suspected it - and the Toronto connection made it seem likely enough to me. That's what I was hoping to confirm if you ever got me a lead. However tenuous, it would have been information."
FP and Brandon exchanged glances. This was not even close to the response that they'd expected and prepared for.
"So, good. This tells me three things. First, that you're not suicidally negligent, FP, seeing as you finally came to me about this." Wilson's tone was dry. "Second, you're not incompetent, Davies: you actually made contact with Rose while you were working the Toronto bust. Third, apparently you've finally got something we can move on, so developing the contact wasn't a complete waste of time and you two aren't trying to play both sides the way Russell did, getting himself killed in the process."
Wilson settled back in her chair and steepled her fingers. "Have you made arrangements for Forsythe to stay somewhere he'll be safe, or do you need some help setting that up? I can see that he's protected and do it in such a way that not even you know where he's located. From what I'm hearing, you two came in here hoping to leave the country tonight, and that might be the best plan. What exactly do you have in mind?"
"Well, here's the thing. We'd like to take Jonas with us." Brand felt like he'd been caught more than a little flat-footed, but he was catching up quickly: Russell's safe deposit box must have contained enough of his semi-accurate conspiracy theorist information to muddy the waters and create far-reaching problems for the FBI, but not enough to fully dislodge the disgrace under which he'd been killed.
Brand was also well aware that if they could make their pitch and get out relatively quickly, there was less chance of them saying something that might contradict Wilson's intel and get them into trouble with the FBI. And they needed to avoid trouble, since they would more than likely need the backup that the FBI could provide.
"Who on earth is Jonas?"
"That's Jones' - FP's son's - undercover identity. It's the name he was using when he met Rose." Brandon eyed Wilson levelly, wondering if she was messing with them again to see how they'd respond and what they'd reveal. "You should already know all about that. We think he might be vital to the success of our mission."
"My answer is no. What else have you considered?" Wilson didn't blink.
"Uh, just a second. He'll be traveling with me, with or without your blessing. I'm not leaving him behind," FP stated. "If that means you're talking to Brandon from here on out, then so be it."
"You are correct, FP. That does mean I'm talking to Brandon from here on out." Wilson did not hesitate, and she nodded toward the door. "You are still an asset, and I expect you to abide by everything you've signed and we've discussed, but as long as you're involving Forsythe, from this moment forward your travels are officially your own business."
FP's eyes widened. He had not expected to have his bluff called at all, let alone so swiftly and completely.
"Do I really have to spell it out? I'm telling you to go, FP." Wilson's tone suddenly softened, and she leaned forward on her elbows. "I'm saying that you'll still be paid and under an umbrella of FBI protection, but that I cannot endorse anything that you choose to do as an independent actor with your underage son in tow. Brandon cannot and will not do anything to break his clearance or confidentiality, so he has different restrictions - and privileges. But I trust that he'll see to it that you and 'Jonas' are taken care of."
FP's eyes were still wide when he met Brandon's equally shocked gaze.
"Uh, you heard the SAC." Brandon motioned toward the office door. "You're officially out. Make sure the kid gets something to eat. Don't leave the building without me - so make it delivery -, but he's going to crash hard if he goes much longer without substantial food. And I have a feeling this meeting may take a while."
"Oh, you have no idea," Wilson leaned back and her cool expression returned as she focused on Brandon. She looked up once again, as another thought occurred to her. "It is past lunchtime. Do me a favor and talk to Quinn about ordering pizza for all of us, FP. She'll know the place."
"Yes, Ma'am." FP gave her a tight smile and then left the office.
00000
When Brand finally emerged from SAC Wilson's office, he appeared to be both chastened and distracted. He joined FP and Jughead and grabbed a slice of pizza from the open box beside them.
"Agent Sarah wants to talk to you," Jughead reported. "She had to go do some work after Dad got done with the meeting, and she's having Clark shadow her for the day so that he won't have to go to the RA, but she knows that something's up."
"She's smart. And that's not exactly rocket science." Brand nodded and then took a big bite of pizza.
"Are you in trouble? Are you fired?" Jughead watched Brand's tense body language nervously.
"Any formal action at this time could delay or prevent the success of our mission." Brand's eyebrows lowered as he spoke around the mouthful of pizza. He swallowed and then shrugged. "So maybe. I won't know until it's more convenient for the FBI to make that determination. But that's approximately the forty-eighth most pressing concern in my life right now, kid."
"Would 'formal action' include prosecut-,"
"Remember The Dirty Dozen? Or the filthy thirteen?" Brand cut Jughead off. "You ranted about the lack of historicity for a week, as I recall."
"The World War Two movie?" Jughead's forehead knit with confusion. "Yeah. They made up a ton, and totally played up-,"
Brand waited as Jughead fell silent.
"Oh. Really?"
"Not entirely. I'm not being accused of anything, and I'm certainly not a convict. There's also no formal deal waiting for me if we pull this off."
FP sighed then. "Wasn't that the entire premise of the operation? I'm not sure I see where you're going with this, Brandon."
"He might keep his job, Dad, but nobody wants to stick their neck out in case things go badly and it's a moot point," Jughead translated. "It's probably a decision for someone other than SAC Wilson, so she can't make any guarantees, and Brand can't talk about the details."
Brand nodded. "Bingo. On all counts."
"I will never understand your codes." FP shook his head, both impressed and a little concerned that Jughead was still so able to interpret Brand's bizarre means of communicating information.
"Good." Brand smirked at him, perking up a little. "That is the point of having codes, after all."
"Yeah. To hide things from you, Dad," Jughead contributed with a smirk of his own. He laughed when FP responded by hooking an arm around his shoulders and pulling him closer on the couch they were sharing.
"Not anymore, it's not." FP looked back and forth between the two. "You'll have to teach me the codes now. We might even need to develop some new ones."
"This level of expertise can't be taught," Jughead said smugly. "But don't worry; you'll pick up the basics quickly enough through immersion. It will be a crash course."
"You bet." Brand nodded at FP. "You'll be fluent in no time."
"I can hardly wait," FP said dryly.
"I'll help you. We both will. You don't have to worry about us keeping secrets from you and putting you in danger ever again." Jughead's tone was suddenly serious and his expression fiercely protective as he looped his own arm over the one his father still had around his shoulders and looked up at FP. "Toronto can be a scary place, but Brand and I know our way around. It'll be okay. We've got each other's backs, and we've got yours too."
FP looked torn between wanting to accept Jughead's heartfelt offer and wanting to correct him on who exactly would be protecting whom.
"Well. The sun's shining, we've got clearance and resources lined up, and I want to pick up a few things before we hit the road." Brand's tone was brusque but light as he headed off FP's reply and responded himself to Jughead's abrupt shift in mood. "I'm going to go chat with Agent Quinn, and then we'll show your father how we did things when you were a Davies."
"You bet," Jughead echoed Brand, his expression brightening."You can be an honorary Davies too, Dad."
"Bite your tongue, boy." FP looked genuinely appalled for a moment, but then cracked a small smile when both Jughead and Brand laughed at his reaction. "But who knows. Maybe someday, if he works really hard, we'll let Brandon try his hand at being a Jones for a bit. We'll have to see."
"Wow. That's generous of you, old man." Brand's grin was suddenly less confident, but he seemed quietly pleased. "Those are some big, smelly shoes to fill."
"Oh no." Jughead looked up at Brand in dismay as his words jogged his memory. "I think I forgot to pack socks for Dad."
"Oy. Really, kid? I guess we'll have to stop back by the house, then. We could pick some up along the way, but I'm not willing to take any chances with a delay." Brand smirked at FP.
"I'll check over what else is in the suitcase, too." FP shook his head, likewise amused. "It's hard to pack for someone else. Stopping home is probably a good idea."
00000
"So where are they?" Archie was still confused, and he was pretty sure his dad was as well - and just didn't want to let on. "When are they coming back?"
"They're consulting with a specialist somewhere out of town. They don't know how long that's going to take, and if there's treatment involved it could be a while." Fred shrugged helplessly. "That's as much as I know, Arch. Brandon found Jughead passed out in his room this morning, Clark called FP to come home from work, and I saw FP leaving the job site. I've only seen him that upset before on a few occasions, and none of them were pleasant."
Fred gave Archie a sympathetic look. "I guess they had an emergency appointment somewhere nearby, and ultimately decided to hit the road to get Jughead access to better medical help than we have locally. The nutritionists around here were confused in the spring; you remember all of that."
"Well yeah, but I don't think it's so weird that he keeps losing weight. Jughead eats a ton, but he just, like, stays so wired all of the time that he burns it all off. He's always training, working out, or he's running with Trig now that his ribs are better. I mean, he's not exactly a medical mystery. Unless the mystery is why he's so obsessed with being 'ready for anything.'" Archie's voice was filled with judgment as he continued: "I bet that if Brand let him go to bed earlier, took Trig on some runs, and gave Jug more days off from training, he'd stop losing weight."
Archie caught his father's disapproving expression and softened his tone. "Or maybe he is really sick and it's not normal, but Jughead never said anything about it. And I get that FP's freaking out, but what I don't get is why nobody was acting that way until today if this has been an ongoing thing. It's not like Jughead's never passed out before; he might just have the flu again. Clark didn't go with them, right?"
"He's staying with Agent Quinn for now. He's got grad classes and work to do at the resident agency, and he's not family in the same way that Brandon is. I understand that Clark's also under some official protection after the attack this weekend." Fred considered Archie's words further and frowned. "Exactly how much staying up late and training has Jughead been describing?"
"I don't know. It always sounds like a lot to me, but he's not super specific. Shouldn't FP be staying where he's protected, too?" Archie was fairly sure that something here wasn't adding up.
"I guess as long as Brandon's traveling with him, they're willing to take the risk." Archie's dad was still frowning. "I'd be worried if it were you; I'd take some risks. Does Jughead normally train alone with Brandon, one on one, or does FP do that with them regularly these days?"
"I have no idea, Dad. Why hasn't Jughead answered? Presumably he's not passed out right now." Archie looked down at his phone and his series of sent texts.
"I wouldn't think so, but we also don't know how he's feeling. It seemed serious." Fred sighed. "You'll probably need to be patient, Archie. We'll hear more when they're up for sharing more."
"I can be patient; that's not the problem. I'd just be less worried if I'd heard any of this directly from Jughead."
"Yeah." Fred's eyebrows lowered, and Archie was surprised by how his dad's expression closed off as he considered Archie's words. "You know, I think I would be, too."
00000
Betty sat on the edge of Alice's bed. She was still debating whether it had been a good idea to come here and to share her fears with both Veronica and Alice. So far Betty was not feeling better at all.
"So of course you're welcome to stay with us for as long as you like," Veronica was saying to Alice. "Nothing has changed as far as that goes. You have your college fund back-,"
"I have a whole lot more than just my college fund," Alice corrected uncomfortably. "I just got the keys to my Dad's house in the mail today, and access to two more bank accounts. I'm turning eighteen in a year, so I don't think anyone expects me to act as a shelter for their assets - or else they have another think coming - but I am pretty sure this is meant to make me independent. No more excuses for... hanging around. Or putting you and your mother out."
"You're not putting us out." Veronica rubbed Alice's shoulder reassuringly. "We love having you here, and you heard my mom over dinner. You can stay until you go away to college, and you can totally keep your room for vacations and summers. There's no reason to change anything. Except maybe in your head, which is fine if it means that you want to move out, but seriously - don't feel like you have to do that because of us."
"Argh, you're too nice. That just makes it even more confusing." Alice gave Veronica a smile, but it was obvious that she was still tense.
"Then you're seeing the picture clearly," Veronica reassured Alice. "You have as many options as you want to consider, and you can take any one of them. No judgment; no pressure."
"It's too many options. But we got distracted, sorry Betty," Alice motioned toward her other friend. "Let's get back to talking about you. And Jughead. So he finally texted? He's okay?"
"Well, he texted, anyway," Betty confirmed. "I can't tell if he's okay. He just said that he might be sick and they have to travel to see a specialist, and he's not sure when they'll be back."
"Nothing about Davies or FP?" Alice cocked her head, skeptical in her assessment.
"Exactly!" Betty gestured in frustration, and suddenly it was clear that she had come to the right place and the right people. Alice and Veronica understood a lot more than anyone else about these dynamics. "If he wasn't worried, Juggie would have said that Brand was overreacting, or that his dad was panicking, since they pulled him out of school for this. So something must be really wrong; he might even be having worse symptoms than he described."
Veronica heard her phone buzz and picked it up. "Archie's worried too. His theory is that Brand is making Jughead sick."
"What? Like... Munchausen by proxy?" Alice interjected skeptically.
"No, nothing that weird. More like pushing him past his limits in their training and schedule," Veronica clarified. "It also sounds like Archie got basically the same text that Betty did."
Alice considered that. "Can he forward the text that he got?"
"I'll ask."
Moments later, Veronica's phone buzzed again. She silently read the text Archie had forwarded. "Oh. Huh. Isn't this... word-for-word identical to the text that you got, Betty?"
Betty took the phone. "Yeah, it is. That's strange."
"It might be a signal. Maybe he's being held against his will?" Alice made a face. "If FP and Davies are forcing him to travel and see a doctor, and they were monitoring his phone usage-,"
"I don't know. That doesn't sound like FP, especially because he can legally force Jughead to go. He is his dad, and I always got the sense that he doesn't really care that much whether Jughead complains to his friends about him. Maybe Brand would send texts on Jughead's phone, but I feel like he's too smart for them to be identical. He knows that we talk to each other." Betty bit her lip. "It's more like… this is what Jughead was authorized to say. It was the approved wording, maybe."
"You think this is an FBI thing?" Veronica asked.
"Honestly, it seems too elaborate for that." Betty made a face. "Jughead passed out, Brand found him, Clark called FP, and they were referred to a specialist out of town... Would the FBI make all of that up?"
"Probably not," Veronica agreed.
"Maybe he's really sick. He might not have noticed that the texts he sent were identical, or he was too tired to care." Alice looked more worried by this idea than any they'd raised so far.
"Yeah. Maybe." Betty felt chilled by that thought. She wasn't entirely sure why that felt like the worst-case scenario, but it really did. "If that's the case, then I hope the specialist has some answers for him."
00000
Brand was driving, and Jughead shifted his position between his godfather and FP in the tiny middle seat of the used car that they'd bought for this… trip. Trigger had fallen asleep on the back seat after he'd finally given up on trying to convince Jughead to let him join them in the crowded front.
FP's left arm tightened reflexively where it was wrapped around Jughead's ribs, and he used his free hand to gently tip his son's head toward his chest. "Relax. You should try to sleep, Jug. It's a long way to Toronto, and it's already late."
Brand looked over at the two of them. "Is your father keeping you awake by using you as a security blanket, Jones?"
"No." Jughead snuggled a little closer to his dad. For as much as FP didn't want to let go of him, at this point Jughead figured it was only saving him the trouble of having to hold onto his dad; the specter of losing each other had hit them both hard, and somehow getting on the road had made the near miss feel even more visceral. "It's fine. I just can't sleep this time. I'm all jittery."
"This time?" FP brushed Jughead's hair back from his forehead in an effort to soothe him when he felt his son's neck tense. "It's okay. I know you mean last fall, when we lost the trailer. I'm just... curious about how our reenactment is stacking up against that."
"Way better. I was awake all night that time, trying to figure out how to get away from Joe's guys. Brand finally broke me out of there, before… stuff happened." Jughead spoke tentatively, but then with more confidence when FP did not react. "I slept the whole way to Canada. It was a total surprise when I woke up."
"You barely seemed to notice," Brand contributed, looking more at FP than at Jughead. "You had a zombie look to you for quite a while."
"Yeah, I was really tired. For, like, weeks." Jughead sighed. "I probably had mono or caught some weird basement disease from Joe's. Are you trying to sleep, Dad? Or do you want to listen to music or something?"
"Actually, there's a bag on the floor behind your seat, next to the cooler," Brand offered. "Try not to stir the monster up, but I've got a book in there for you."
They'd packed some food, both for the road and with the assumption that shopping for the one-bedroom apartment Brand had been provided by the FBI (after staying in the townhouse was deemed 'too obvious') might not be their first priority.
"Thanks, Brand. I should have thought to pack a book somewhere I could reach." Jughead twisted around until his hand found a canvas bag. "Hey, is this my camera bag?"
"Yeah. I don't know how long we'll be in Toronto, or what we'll have time for, but I wanted you to have it. The book's in there," Brand said.
They'd stopped back at the house after picking up the used car, and all three had done a quick once-over of the place to grab items they might need or find useful. Jughead had been assigned to get food for at least a few days' meals, and now he wondered what Brand had gotten during that time. FP had primarily focused on double-checking Jughead's hasty packing job.
Jughead pulled out the book, recognizing its shape and heft immediately. "My SAT prep book? Why would you pack that?"
"Because you need to ace those." Brand looked over at him. "I might be asking Fred Andrews for a manual labor job if we come through this alive, but you'll still have a future ahead of you. No offense, FP; I'm sure you'll be the one bossing me around if that actually happens." FP grunted but did not say anything. "Your father can use his cell phone light and study with you while I drive. When he takes a turn driving, we can switch off quizzing you."
"You don't think this is literally the last thing on my mind, Brand?" Jughead was incredulous.
"That's the problem. If we survive, your score needs to be top notch. And surviving is, believe it or not, our top-line goal. So get studying." Brand motioned for FP to take the book from Jughead.
"It sounds like a smart plan to me," FP said as he rifled through the all-too-familiar book. "We can pick up right where we left off. All we need are study snacks."
"Also in the camera bag." Brand smiled over at the Joneses. "And you thought this wouldn't be fun."
"Do you think we're going to… be tourists?" Jughead was craning his neck now as he fished through the camera bag to find the promised snacks. "Or am I just supposed to take photos of us doing random things undercover?"
"I don't know what we'll be doing just yet, but our cover might include a few tourist activities, yes." Brand kept a close eye on FP's reaction as he reached over to tweak Jones' neck affectionately. "Look, it's not going to be like a mafia movie. Setting things up might be the most time-consuming part. Everything with Rose will probably be very smooth, very civil, and then we'll be out of there."
"Or it will be very smooth, very civil, and then we'll be dead," Jughead supplied. "Right?"
"In which case it's better not to see the bullet coming, and instead to be fully prepared for the SATs and to enjoy whatever tourist activities we get the chance to engage in." Brand had left his hand resting on Jughead's shoulder, but now FP knocked it away with a harsh rap of his knuckles.
"You gonna stop fighting over me at some point?" Jughead looked from one adult to the other.
"Never." FP said with a dark smile. "And that had better be your godfather's answer, too, since you're ground zero for our mission in Toronto. Now, which section should we work on?"
"Math." Jughead sighed in resignation as he held up the large bag of bulls-eye caramels toward Brand so that his godfather could scoop a handful of the wrapped candies onto his lap. "And if our cover is that we're on vacation, then you two have to make it part of your cover story that you get along. People will remember you if you fight; it's conspicuous."
"That's true." Brand's tone was mild, and he didn't look over at FP.
"We'll start when we get there." FP's smirk was audible in his voice. "All right; I found where we left off. I'll have one of those caramels, too."
Jughead held the bag up for his father. He could hear FP's heartbeat with his head so close to him, and he felt something in his neck relax. "I'm glad you're here, Dad."
"Me too, Jug." FP shot one more look at Brand, but did not comment further.
00000
On the road agaaaaaaain! This turned out surprisingly complicated as I plotted out the different threads and who has what information (the story of this whole series...?), but I think we've got liftoff... and I hope you enjoyed! I'll love any and all comments as the Toronto portion begins, and I hope you have a lovely weekend!
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