In the wake of the Bulldogs v Serpents Showdown, Amy has to do some major damage control. As if that weren't enough, suddenly Jughead wants to become a full fledged Serpent, and she's being invited to some Northside open house. Well, at least she got a good night's sleep
Chapter title is from Lord of the Flies by William Goulding
Also lmao I recently realized that apparently they're supposedly juniors but I thought that they were sophomores? So I'm just sticking with that because it just works better for me
As always, feel free to check this story out on AO3 (by randomestfandoms) for imbedded images!
WARNING: underage drinking, Nick St. Clair, canon typical violence, and (non graphic) consensual underage sex (which is at the very end of the chapter, so if you don't want to read it then just stop when they go to bed after the gauntlet
(Cast Not Your Stone at the) Wayward Daughter
In Love and Hate
Amy woke up Saturday morning, feeling surprisingly relaxed. Tucked into Fangs' small bed, surrounded on either side by her partners, with The Princess Bride's menu page in the background, she could almost forget about the outside world.
Unfortunately that peace didn't last long, as the events from the day before rushed back to her.
She climbed over Sweet Pea, padding over to Fangs' dresser, digging through his drawers until she found a suitable outfit. After a few minutes of contemplation, she settled on black skinny jeans with open laces up the sides, and a lacy black bralette. She dug black eyeliner and blood red lipstick out of her jacket pocket, heading to the bathroom. She applied makeup like war paint, carefully pulling her hair into her signature ponytail, knowing that whatever awaited her at the Wyrm would be messy, and that it was crucial that she looked every bit the Serpent princess that she was.
By the time she re-entered the bedroom, her partners were all awake and getting dressed.
"Are you ready?" Fangs asked softly.
"Well, Tall Boy is going to suggest that we kill Archie, and I'm going to have to stop him, he'll probably accuse me of sleeping with him and claim that that's why I'm protecting him, and I'm going to have to remind him that FP is still king, and therefore the Andrews' are still off limits. No big deal, right?"
The question may have been rhetorical, but the need for reassurance was still there.
"No big deal," Toni agreed, "and if Tall Boy tries to start any shit, I've been wanting to kick his misogynistic ass for years."
Amy laughed, and relaxed slightly. "I'd definitely put my money on you winning that fight," she teased. "But first, everyone ready?"
Seeing three nods, she made her way to the door, grabbing her usual holster and her jacket, settling behind Sweet Pea on his bike, making a mental note that she and Toni would need to pick up their bikes from the Jones' trailer.
They pulled into the Wyrm, and Amy took a moment to collect herself before they marched in. Amy stood front and center, as she always did, with Toni beside her and the boys half a step behind. It was a show of strength, mastered over their many years of friendship, a warning that they were a unit, but without undermining Amy or Toni.
The first thing she saw when she entered the building was Jughead, in a Serpent jacket.
"Jones. What do you want from us?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're an opportunistic Serpent," she explained, "you only wear the jacket when you want something from us."
"You told me to wear it," he reminded her.
"Yeah, at school. Whatever, what are you doing here?"
"I heard about the fight," he told her.
"Oh. Right, actually, that reminds me," she trailed off, looking at Sweet Pea. Understanding her unspoken request, he lifted her by the waist, setting her on top of the pool table—even with her boots, she needed the extra height to be sure that all eyes were on her. Once he set her down, Amy whistled sharply. "Listen up, Serpents. I'm sure that by now, you've all heard about the fight that took place last night. Before anyone gets any ideas, no one is instigating anything." Several loud protests erupted, but Amy cut them all off, "I don't fucking care. Look, I got a few texts this morning—some dumbass Northsider apparently stabbed himself, but the Bulldogs are trying to convince him to claim that he was jumped by Serpents. I know you're all pissed, I'm pissed too, but the last thing we need is for the cops to start paying attention to us, so you all need to lay low."
"Come on, Princess," Tall Boy sneered, "just because you're fucking the Andrews kid—"
"Jesus, Tall Boy," she heard Jughead start, "they're not—"
"Thanks, Jones," she said quickly, cutting him off. "Listen, Tall Boy, even if I were fucking him, it wouldn't make a difference. FP is still our king, and he's the one who declared that, and I quote, 'Freddy Andrews and his boy are off limits,' so unless you want me to have to explain to our king that you went against his direct orders—"
"Fine," Tall Boy spat out.
"Good. I'm glad we're on the same page." She looked back at Sweet Pea, who immediately lifted her off of the table.
"Jones," Amy called, grabbing the boy's arm. "Look, I appreciate you defending me, honestly. But let me handle myself, alright? If I need to be defended, especially by someone who isn't even a Serpent, it makes me look weak. Yeah, FP's been treating me like his heir for years, and that's gotten me pretty far up the food chain around here, but I'm not you. I don't actually share his blood, so people like Tall Boy will always want to undermine me."
Jughead nodded, "sorry."
"Don't be," she said quickly, "you meant well. And if you were a Serpent, having you on my side would actually be great, but you're not. A lot of these guys have never been happy with how I associate with outsiders, especially Archie and Fred, and I can't have them getting up in arms about it again just because of the classic Jones chivalry." As she spoke, Amy made her way to the bar, preparing for a day of bartending. "Drink?" she asked.
"Um, no thanks," Jughead said.
"Your loss," she shrugged. Seeing a few of the older Serpents waving her down from across the bar, she shrugged. "I'm being summoned. Hang around if you want, flag me if you want a drink."
With that, she fell into an easy rhythm. She's been bartending at the Wyrm since she first joined the Serpents when she was twelve, and she knew everyone's usual drinks by heart. She was just pouring a glass of whiskey when she heard commotion from where the younger Serpents had gathered around a pool table.
"A pipe bomb?" She heard Jughead exclaim.
"Be right back," she excused herself, handing the glass to Brooke and heading towards the noise. "What did I just hear about a pipe bomb?" she demanded.
"Fogarty's brother is in the army," Ricky reminded her, "I bet he can get us the schematics, and we can plant one for the fucking Red Circle."
"Not happening, Ricky," Jughead warned, and for a brief moment, Amy could see just how much he resembled his dad.
"You're not a Serpent," Ricky reminded him, "you can't tell me what to do."
"He can't, but I can," Amy said. "Jones is right, it's not fucking happening."
Ricky rolled his eyes. "Fine," he spat, before turning and leaving the Wyrm.
"So, why does everyone obey you?" Jughead asked, following her back to the bar.
"I officially joined when I was twelve, and was already spending most of my free time here. FP needed an heir, and you wanted nothing to do with us, so he's been prepping me to take over. A lot of the adults don't exactly like taking orders from a fifteen year old, but they don't have a choice. Admittedly, they'd be a lot easier to control if I were actually his kid, but I'm not, so I've had to prove myself. See this scar?" she asked, sliding her jacket down, revealing a jagged scar on her left shoulder. "I got this when I was thirteen, fighting the Ghoulies. There was a turf war; I wasn't supposed to be there, but I've never really cared about what I'm supposed to do. A Ghoulie had just come up behind Mustang, I shoved him out of the way. He managed to land a hit with his knife before I got mine in his throat. Misogyny dies hard around here, but I proved myself worthy of my title. There's a lot of push back, there probably always will be, but I can mostly keep them in line."
"What if I wanted to join? Like, actually join."
"Look, no one respects your desire to protect Archie more than I do, but if you're in, you have to be all in."
"I know. I don't just want to join to protect Archie. I'm sick of being half a Serpent, okay? This is my dad's family, which sort of makes it my family too."
"Toni!" Amy called, waving her over.
"What's up?" Toni asked.
"Jones is ready to join. I want him reciting the rules tonight, see if we can't get him through by the end of the weekend. I've got to work, though, so I'm hoping that you can get him ready?"
"Of course, babe. Alright, Jones, let's do this." Amy went back to bartending, keeping one eye on Toni and Jughead.
"So, is he actually doing it?" Sweet Pea asked, coming over to the bar.
"Well, he says he is. My plan is to get him to recite the rules tonight, then retrieve the knife. I was hoping that you and Fangs could deal with the 'beast' tonight, and then the gauntlet tomorrow?"
"Absolutely. I can rally the boys?"
"Please," she agreed. "Drink for your efforts?"
"I'd rather a kiss," he teased.
"Well, that can be arranged."
Amy hoisted herself onto the bar top, swinging her legs around so that she was facing Sweet Pea. The boy stepped forward, between her legs, and used a finger to tilt her chin up. Amy wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a bruising kiss.
"Get a room, you two!" Fangs called, from where he and Lottie were engaged in a round of darts.
"Stop being a prude, Fogarty!" Sweet Pea called back, before turning back to Amy. "I'll get everything set up, you just focus on keeping everyone all liquored up."
"Thanks Sweets. Ride or die."
"Ride or die," he repeated, heading towards Fangs, waving down the other Serpent boys.
"Hey babe," Toni said, dragging Jughead to the bar.
"Well it's only barely afternoon so let me guess… Pint of shock top?"
"Shot of vodka, actually," Toni smirked.
"How bout you, Jones?" Amy asked, grabbing an open bottle of vodka and a shot glass.
"Still nothing," he said.
"Ouch. First you turn down my closet invite yesterday, now you're turning down a drink? People are going to think you don't like me," she teased.
"What's your deal with me?" Jughead asked.
"What do you mean?"
"I can't tell if you're flirting with me or plotting to poison me. What's your problem?"
"They don't have to be mutually exclusive," Amy argued. "Okay, look. You're cute, and Serpent royalty, and a surprisingly nice guy. But you've also looked down on me and mine for years. I mean god… Look, my dad died when I was eight, and even before that he was absolute shit. I would have given anything to have FP as my dad, and you just tossed him aside like it was nothing. You had the one thing I always wanted, and you never cared, and I've hated you for that for… god, for years. But now I've actually met you, and I mean," she let her gaze drift down from his face for a moment, "damn. And hell, you tried to stand up for me to Tall Boy. It was misplaced, but the intention was there. So maybe I don't know exactly how I feel about you, okay? I mean, I definitely wouldn't kick you out of my bed, but beyond that… I'm trying to match the reality of who you are with the villain I constructed in my mind when I was eight years old, locked away at the Sisters of Quiet fucking Mercy, dreaming of FP adopting me."
"I… I had no idea, Amethyst."
"Of course you didn't. Look, ask me again after you've been through initiation, maybe I'll have an answer by then."
Jughead nodded easily, letting Toni guide him back to the edge of the stage, where she sat him down and continued to drill him on the Serpent Laws.
Amy's afternoon passed uneventfully. She kept the drinks flowing, texted Fred to let him know that she was pretty sure that the Archie situation had been resolved, and fucked around on her phone. Soon, the sun had gone down, and it was time for Jughead's first two trials.
Amy left her position behind the bar, moving to stand next to Toni, right in front of Tall Boy and Jughead. She was pleasantly surprised when he made it through with no problem, and smirked when Sweet Pea and Fangs grabbed the snake tank, setting it down on the pool table.
Jughead looked at she and Toni, equal parts surprised and nervous, but they both gave him reassuring smiles. Amy watched as he took a deep breath, before reaching in, and pulling out the knife.
"Fuck yes! Well done, Princeling," Amy called, once the knife was laid out beside the tank.
Jughead smiled at her, before suddenly noticing the drops of blood on his hand, where the snake had bitten him.
"I've got this," Toni promised, leading Jughead to a stool at the bar, and grabbing the first aid kit.
She patched him up, surprisingly gentle, before telling him to grab some food, head home, and get some rest before his next trial. He nodded, walking outside, presumably to do as he had been told.
"You both must be looking forward to his gauntlet," Fangs teased, when he and Sweet Pea joined them by the bar.
"He has a girlfriend," Toni reminded them.
"Princess Cooper," Amy scoffed, "the son of the Serpent King dating the daughter of Serpent Enemy Number One… I don't think that's ever happened before."
"I guess that'll throw a wrench in your power couple visions," Sweet Pea said, tugging playfully on her ponytail.
"Fuck off, Sweets. Everyone knows that Toni and I are the ultimate power couple."
"Damn right we are," Toni agreed, leaning over to kiss the shorter girl.
"Well if you're going to be like that… Fangs, Mrs. F is working again tonight, right?" Sweet Pea asked.
"She is," he confirmed, "pizza and movies at mine?"
"I'm in," Amy agreed immediately. "Hey Hog-Eye, I'm heading out!" She called.
The older Serpent nodded, waving her off. Amy swiped out quickly, meeting her partners outside.
"First stop is to get the Jeep," Toni reminded them, as they all climbed onto the boys' bikes.
"Got it," Sweet Pea assured her.
They pulled to a stop at the Jones' trailer, and Amy climbed off of Sweet Pea's bike. Jughead's bike wasn't back yet, which she assumed meant that he was either with Betty or getting food. They piled into the Jeep, and Sweet Pea set off towards the nearby Costco. Amy flashed Mary's old membership card, covering the picture with her thumb, and soon they were lining up to get their food. Pizza in hand, they got back into the car, parking outside of the Fogarty trailer.
"Marvel marathon tonight?" Amy suggested.
Everyone agreed, and they went about getting everything set up. Toni grabbed four paper plates, and lots of napkins; Sweet Pea collected drinks; Fangs and Amy gathered the movies; and soon they were squished together on Fangs' bed, watching the opening of Iron Man.
They were halfway through The Avengers when Sweet Pea's phone went off with the alarm that he had set earlier in the day.
"Time for Jones to meet the Beast," he told them, "Fangs and I have to rally the boys at the Wyrm."
Both girls nodded easily, knowing that the boys had it handled. They could have gone along, of course, but both were happy to stay in and get started on the homework that they'd been avoiding.
By the time the boys got back, the girls had finished all of their own homework, and a fair amount of the boys'.
"Everything good?" Amy asked, when Sweet Pea reclaimed his spot beside her.
"Everything good. Jones handled it well. Assuming he survives the Gauntlet, he'll probably make a good Serpent," Fangs said, from his spot beside Toni.
"Good. I mean, did you guys see him shut down Ricky's pipe bomb idea? For a second he looked identical to a younger FP."
"Is this a new level of daddy issues?" Toni asked, reaching over her for the remote.
"I mean…" Amy trailed off jokingly. "Okay, no, for real. But it was impressive. If he can get them to respect him as FP's son, he'll be… he'll be something."
"Hey, he's not going to steal the mantle," Sweet Pea was quick to promise, knowing exactly where her mind had gone.
"But isn't he? He's FP's actual child."
"He's FP's son, but you're his heir. You've been his heir for years. That's not about to change."
Amy sighed. "Can we just get back to the movie?"
"Of course," Fangs agreed.
As much as they all hated when Amy shut them out, they knew better than to push, and they were just starting the second Thor movie when they all fell asleep.
Unlike the previous morning, Amy was the last one to wake up. She opened her eyes slowly, seeing that the arms wrapped around her belonged to Fangs, and that Toni and Sweet Pea were nowhere to be seen.
"Fangs? Where're the others?"
"Toni's at the Wyrm, she's covering your shift so that you can get some actual rest, and to give Jones the 'last chance to back out' spiel. Sweet Pea is getting the boys ready for the gauntlet."
"You're not with him?"
"I've been in my fair share of them, I don't need to be there til tonight. Besides, it's more important that you don't wake up alone, wondering where we are."
Amy grimaced at that, never happy to be reminded of her history of nightmares, or of the panic attacks when she woke up unable to remember where she was.
"Probably for the best," she agreed.
"Now come on," he grinned, tugging the blanket off of her. "You know the other two hate cold pizza, so they left it all for us."
"Fuck yes," Amy grinned.
She allowed herself to be pulled out of bed, stumbling after Fangs into the main room of the trailer.
"Your grandma?" She asked, looking around wearily.
"She has a day shift today, no worries."
Fangs lived with his grandmother, a sweet woman in her 50s—she had only been twenty when Fangs' dad was born, and he and Fangs' mom were only nineteen when they had Fangs. She liked the other three teens, but, being that Fangs came from a family of teen moms, she was very strict about him not having the girls over at night.
Amy hopped onto the counter, swinging her feet back and forth as she waited for Fangs to pass her a plate. Once he did, she started eagerly on her first slice. They ate in a comfortable silence, throwing out the paper plates and returning to the bedroom to get changed. Amy dressed in the same outfit as the day before, makeup and hair done to perfection, and grabbed her phone.
Veronica Lodge: hey girllllllll- my parents have the SoDale open house tonight, want to come? Kevin and I can get you dressed up, and I promise no jingle jangle tonight!
Amy Adams: I'm in, but I might have to leave early. What do you mean no jingle jangle "tonight"? Was there jingle jangle other nights?
Veronica Lodge: Archie didn't tell you? We had a party last night for an old friend of mine, and things got pretty wild.
Amy Adams: did Red?
Veronica Lodge: everyone did
"Fucking hell," Amy sighed.
She grabbed her hearing aids and slid them in, turning on her remote before calling Archie.
"Ames? What's wrong?"
"What's wrong, Red? What's wrong is that your girl just told me that you were fucking around with jingle jangle last night."
"Yeah, so? It was just one night."
"And it's addictive as fuck. Listen to me; don't fuck with that shit, Red."
"You've never cared about that sort of thing. I mean, you drink all the time."
"God, you don't get it, do you? Jingle jangle is a hundred times more dangerous and more addictive than alcohol. And I have an addiction, okay? I hate calling it that, but it's true, and you know it. Look, I know that I'm fucked up, I get it, and I'm fucking trying. I don't want you going down that rabbit hole just to, what, prove something to some New York City millionaire boy?"
"I… yeah, I guess you're right," Archie admitted.
"I know I am. Just… that shit is everywhere at Southside; the Ghoulies treat it like water. I've seen the consequences, and I care about you, I don't want you to end up like that."
"Okay, Ames. I won't do it again," he promised.
"Good." Amy sighed loudly, "I love you, Red."
"I love you too, Ames."
"So what was that about?" Fangs asked, peering into the room.
"Red and his Northsiders were fucking around with jingle jangle last night."
"Idiots," Fangs scoffed. "Ready to head to the Wyrm?"
"Just one second," Amy said. She zipped up her boots, tightened her ponytail, fastened her holster, and slipped on her jacket. "Alright, ready."
They walked to the Jones' trailer, climbing on their bikes and taking off to the Wyrm.
Sweet Pea was on her as soon as they walked through the door, pulling her into a bruising kiss. He let her go after a moment, and repeated the action with Fangs.
"Hey, T," Amy said, joining Toni at the bar. "Thanks for covering for me."
"Everything that's gone on lately, you needed the rest. You can find a way to repay me later."
"Not right now?" Amy asked with a smirk. "The back room should be empty."
"You're incorrigible," Toni told her, "no deal."
"Damnit. Well, at least let me finish my shift?"
"It's fine, babe. It's over in half an hour anyways."
"You're the best," Amy told her, leaning over the counter to kiss the other girl.
"I know."
"No Jones today?" Amy asked, scanning the room.
"He was here earlier. I told him to head home and think long and hard about whether or not he was ready to be all in."
"Long and hard, do you know that for sure?"
"Nah, but have you seen those jeans? Boy's definitely got something to work with."
"So what are you two leering about?" Sweet Pea asked, the boys coming to sit on either side of Amy.
"Speculating about whether or not the little princeling is actually all that little."
"Really?" Fangs asked, "can't you at least pretend to be patient?"
"Not really. Back room?"
"I'm in," Fangs agreed immediately.
"No fair," Sweet Pea argued.
"Sorry Sweets, but I promised him days ago. You'll get a turn soon enough," Amy promised, grabbing Fangs by the hand and dragging him towards the back room of the Wyrm.
When they emerged, quite a while later, Amy's ponytail was gone, replaced by loose waves, and Fangs had smears or red lipstick disappearing under his shirt collar.
"Had fun?" Toni asked, eyeing them both.
"Always," Fangs agreed.
"Shit, one sec, gotta check this," Amy excused herself, feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket.
Veronica Lodge: Hey Kev! Amy is coming to the Open House tonight- want to help with dress up?
Kevin Keller: I never say no to a good makeover! What time?
Veronica Lodge: Let's say… 4? Amy, does that work for you?
Amy Adams: Sorry, Fangs distracted me. 4 works- should I ride over or am I getting picked up?
Veronica Lodge: I can have the limo pick you up at 3:45?
Amy Adams: sounds good, tell him to pick me up behind the dump?
Veronica Lodge: you got it
Amy stuffed her phone back into her pocket, looking at the others.
"So… I'm supposed to be going to Veronica's for some open house thing? I'd really rather not, but apparently Archie was fucking with jingle jangle last night so I want to check in with him in person. I'll try to be back before Jones runs the Gauntlet, but if I'm not then Sweets, you know what to do. Just shoot me a text or swing by to get me so that I can be there for the aftermath?"
"Of course," Sweet Pea promised.
"And T, do you mind if I leave my jacket and holster with you?"
"I don't know how I feel about you being around Hiram Lodge unarmed."
"Just… give me one sec." Amy pulled a couple of small knives out of her holster, tucking them carefully into the sides of her bra. She then dug a thin piece of fabric out of the holster, tucking it into her back pocket. "Garter belt which doubles as a knife holster," she explained. "I'll be safe."
She kissed each of her partners and removed her holster and jacket, sliding them across the bar to Toni, and slipped out of the Wyrm, ducking behind the dumpster.
She had only been waiting for a few minutes when the black limo pulled up, and Amy climbed into the back without a word. She stayed silent, scrolling through her phone, until they pulled into the Pembrooke.
"Thanks," Amy said, stepping out of the car and into the lobby.
Like the last time, Kevin and Veronica were waiting for her in the lobby, and soon enough they were away from the world, in Veronica's closet.
"Can I be honest?" Veronica asked.
"Of course," Amy said hesitantly.
"I had an ulterior motive when I invited you," Veronica explained. "Nick St. Clair… Kevin met him yesterday, he's an old family friend. His parents are potential investors and a pretty big deal, so they're in town for the open house. Last night, after everyone left, Nick tried to… get with me. I stopped him, but I'm nervous that he'll try again, and Amy, you're one of the deadliest people I know. I'd just feel better knowing that you had my back if he does?"
"Of course," Amy promised. "If he tries anything with you, or anyone else, I'll handle him."
"Thanks. Now, outfit time? Do you have any preferences?"
"Green, or black. Or both." Amy said immediately.
Veronica squealed. "I have the perfect thing," she declared.
She dug through the closet for a moment, emerging with an admittedly stunning dress. The body of the dress was dark green, with a tight, sweetheart bodice and flared skirt, but the sleeves and neckline were a black lace, which would cover her arms and dip into a v-neck to connect to the sweetheart neckline of the bodice.
"Oh my god," Amy whispered. "This is the most perfect dress I have ever seen."
"It's yours," Veronica told her, "for tonight and forever."
"Think it'll work without a bra?" Amy asked, considering the open lace.
"It'll look killer without a bra," Kevin assured her.
"Alright, let's give it a try."
Amy slid off her bralette, grateful that the other two had turned away and wouldn't see the knives. As soon as she had her jeans down, she pulled on her garter, tucking the knives away, before finally putting on the dress.
"Oh my god," she repeated, twirling around. The knee length skirt spun out around her, and Amy couldn't help but giggle.
Kevin's jaw dropped and Veronica clapped. "That is amazing," Kevin told her, "you look like…"
"Like a Serpent Princess?" Amy asked.
"Yeah, that's exactly it," Veronica agreed.
"Good. Now, is there any pregaming for this shindig?"
"There can be. I snuck one of the bottles of Cristal from the caterers into my room," Veronica admitted.
"Well what are we waiting for?" Kevin asked.
"Hold on- I want to do Amy's hair. How do you feel about curls?"
"I'm fine with it. Do you have the patience to deal with it?" Down to her hips and fairly thick, Amy herself never had the patience to do anything more than a ponytail.
Veronica just laughed, guiding the shorter girl to the vanity, pushing at her shoulder until she sat. Amy watched, detached, as Veronica plugged in the curling iron, and brushed her dark hair until the iron was hot enough. She stayed still as Veronica twirled the iron expertly, and soon her hair was framing her face in impressive curls. Before standing, she leaned in to the mirror to fix her lipstick.
"Well, I was promised a drink," she announced, pushing away from the vanity and standing up.
The trio laughed, leaving the closet, and sat in a circle on Veronica's bed. They took turns drinking from the bottle until Hermione knocked on the door, telling them that it was time to go.
"It's not here?" Amy asked.
"It's at the Five Seasons, actually. Andre is going to drive us all over in the limo."
"Oh. Cool. Hey, do you have a bag that I could borrow so I can bring my phone and stuff?"
"Of course!" Veronica rummaged through her closet again, pulling out a small black purse by some designer that Amy had never heard of.
Amy took the purse, sliding it across her body—Southsiders knew a thing or two about not being robbed—and shot a quick text to her partners, letting them know where she would be.
"Veronica, you look wonderful," Hiram told his daughter. "Amy, was it? Are you sure that dress is… appropriate? You might not know, but the new development is on the Southside, and those are Serpent colours."
Amy shrugged, faux carelessly. Apparently Veronica hadn't told her parents that she was a Serpent, and she wasn't going to tell them until she'd had a chance to talk to the other girl.
Taking her silence as a dismissal, Hiram led the group into the elevator, and out into the limo where Amy was, thankfully, seated between Veronica and Kevin. They arrived at the Five Season shortly after, and Amy immediately drifted towards the bar, keeping a careful eye on Veronica. She saw a boy, not one of the Northsiders in Veronica's circle, approach the Lodge girl and, when she saw the way Veronica stiffened, realized that it had to be the would-be-assaulter. She downed her cosmo quickly, drifting closer. She wasn't going to overstep, but she wanted to be ready in care anything went wrong. Thankfully, nothing did, and soon the two were parting ways.
"Amy?" she heard Fred ask; she would know his voice anywhere.
"Fred! Hi!"
"What are you doing here?"
"Veronica invited me! She also lent me this dress! And look, it twirls!" She twirled, giggling again when the dress spun out. She knew that she was surrounded by potential threats, and that she needed to keep her guard up, but being around Fred was one of the only times that she felt like she could actually be herself.
"You look beautiful, sweetheart," he told her, and oh, Amy wasn't going to cry.
Wiping away the tears threatening to spill, she grinned. "Don't I always?"
"Of course you do," Fred agreed, "and you know it. You're just fishing for compliments now."
"Of course I am," Amy teased. Fred ruffled her hair fondly before walking away to talk to someone that she didn't recognize.
All of a sudden, Amy heard several gasps. She turned around, seeing Alice Cooper decked out like she was still a Serpent, and saw red. She picked up her latest drink, a simple champagne flute, and marched across the venue.
"What the fuck are you trying to pull, Cooper?"
"Excuse me?" Alice demanded.
"You're not one of us anymore, Cooper, you dedicated your life to ruining ours. You don't get to suddenly wear it as a costume just to make a fucking statement."
"Excuse me?" Alice repeated.
"You're excused," Amy said, spinning on her heels. She saw Archie, and set towards him.
"Ames? What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Veronica invited me. Why are you late?"
"Yeah, about that…" he chuckled nervously, running a hand through his hair. "Betty just dumped Jughead through me?"
"Shit. Dammit I need to get back over there—" she was cut off by a hand grabbing her arm.
"Cheryl's gone, and Nick went with her," Veronica said, before sprinting off with three other girls that Amy recognized as Josie and the Pussycats.
"Fuck. We'll finish this later," Amy told Archie, running off after the other two girls. The elevator doors closed before Archie got there, but she figured that he'd catch up with them.
"Get off of her," she heard Veronica yell, and saw her shove Nick off of the redhaired girl.
Trusting that the other girls had it covered, at least for a moment, Amy rushed towards the girl. "Are you okay?" She asked.
Cheryl stared at her blankly. "Who are you?"
"Amy. I'm a friend of Archie's. Are you okay?"
Cheryl shook her head, "I'd be better with his head on a spike."
"That can be arranged," Amy offered.
She had a knife out of her garter in seconds, and was about to dig it into that pretty little face of him when someone pulled her off.
"Get off," she hissed.
"Sorry Ames, but no. You're not killing anyone tonight."
"I can dispose of a body," she pointed out.
"You can—you know what, I'm not going to ask."
Amy pulled out her phone, seeing a message from Sweet Pea that the gauntlet was over. She replied immediately, with a request to be picked up.
"Do you guys have this covered?" She asked, surveying the room.
"We've got this. Thanks, Amy."
"No problem. Anyways, I'm out. Let me know if you need to get rid of him. Love you Red."
"Love you too," Archie replied.
Amy turned and ran down the hall, stepping into the elevator and back out into the party. She ordered another cosmo, downing it quickly, before she saw Sweet Pea approaching.
She rushed over to Fred, hugging him. "I've got to go. I love you."
"I love you, sweetheart," Fred told her, watching fondly as she rushed to the bike, climbing on behind Sweet Pea.
They took off and, after ignoring several speeding laws, pulled up outside of the Jones' trailer.
When they walked in, Toni had a first aid kit open, and appeared to be just starting to patch Jughead up.
"You survived," Amy said simply, trying to catch her breath. "I'm glad."
"Amethyst? Are you alright?"
"Nearly killed an attempted rapist, sprinted through the Five Seasons, and I'm pretty sure Sweets broke every traffic law in Riverdale, but I'm pretty sure I'm still doing better than you. How are you feeling?"
"Sore," Jughead told her.
"Well, you're about to be more sore. Where do you want your tattoo?"
"Wait, you can do that?"
"I have a stick n poke kit, which should still be under the bathroom counter here. I can handle it."
"Oh. Um, in that case… upper arm?"
"You've got it," Amy agreed.
She went to the bathroom, splashed cold water on her face, and grabbed the kit, heading back to the main room.
Toni continued to patch up the cuts on his face, while Amy got to work on the tattoo. She'd spent years learning, and had given a lot of Serpent tattoos in the past couple of years, and soon enough it was done, looking pretty perfect if she did say so herself.
"You're going to have a hard time hiding that from Betty," Toni told him.
"We broke up," Jughead admitted.
Not wanting to let him wallow, Amy tugged at the bottom of his shirt. He lifted his arms, wincing, and Amy pulled it over his head.
As soon as the skin was exposed, Amy grabbed a disinfectant wipe, cleaning up the various cuts. Once they had all been disinfected, she grabbed a handful of bandages, covering up the worst of them. She looked up at Jughead before going back to her task, pressing a soft kiss on every cut and bruise.
"What are you doing, Amethyst? I thought you hated me."
"I didn't hate you, I resented you. And I told you to ask me again after your initiation. Honestly, I don't think I ever hated you. I was jealous, and I lashed out. But you're one of us, Juggy."
"Besides," Sweet Pea chimed in, from where he and Fangs were sitting on the couch, "this is basically a part of initiation."
Amy flipped him off without looking, and went back to what she was doing. Soon enough, the two girls had finished, and Amy was leading Jughead to his room. She pushed him down gently, until he was sitting on the edge of his bed, and pulled him into a gentle kiss.
She felt him still for a moment, before kissing back. A hesitant hand settled on the base of her spine, while Amy wrapped a much more confident one in his hair. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the other three enter the room. The boys hung back, as they often did, but Toni joined them at the bed. Amy pulled away, drawing a soft whine from Jughead, and let Toni have a turn at kissing him.
When the other girl stepped back, Amy pushed at his shoulders again, even more carefully, guiding him until he was laying down on the bed, legs hanging over the edge.
"Before we do anything, I need you to consent. You in, Juggy?"
"I thought Sweet Pea said that it's part of initiation?"
"Jesus," Amy sighed, kissing his shoulder softly. "It's not actually, and it's definitely not mandatory. Sweets likes to joke that it's part of initiation because between me and Toni we've basically slept with every teen Serpent, usually immediately after their dance of the gauntlet. You're in, no matter what, Juggy. This is just fun."
"Oh… I mean, what are you thinking?"
Amy could almost hear his nerves, and pressed a kiss to his jaw before she spoke. "I don't actually fuck anyone outside of these guys," she explained, "but I was thinking that I could suck you off while you eat Toni out?"
"What about those two?" he asked, eyes drifting to Sweet Pea and Fangs.
"They can join if you want them to. They always stick around, just in case someone crosses a line, but they'll only participate if you want them to."
"I… I'm in. But maybe just you two? For now, at least?"
"Of course, Jug," Toni assured him, "you don't have to justify anything, alright? You want something, you just have to ask for it, and if you don't like something, say stop and we'll stop."
Jughead nodded, pushing himself up on his elbows to kiss both girls. Toni pushed him back gently, leaning over him for a deeper kiss.
While they made out, Amy kissed her way down Jughead's chest, leaving a string of red lipstick. She pulled his jeans and boxers down carefully, tapping on his thigh when she needed him to lift his hips. A quick glance up showed her that Toni had her jeans off as well, and that Jughead was pulling nervously at her hips until she was settled into a comfortable position. Amy never thought that she'd find nerves so adorable, but the blushing virgin look worked well on their newest member.
She pressed kisses to his thighs, teasing him for a bit before reaching her destination.
It wasn't long before he came, and Amy once again took a moment to appreciate the way his enthusiasm more than made up for his lack of experience, a sentiment which grew when she watched Toni come undone only moments later.
She let Jughead tug her up until she was lying beside him, with Toni on his other side, feeling a rush of fondness when he reached out to the other two boys, who took the hint and joined them. They curled together on the narrow bed, definitely not meant for five people, and it took no time at all before they were all falling asleep.
I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
While we're here, I want to take just a second to address how Amy (and the others, to a lesser extend) talk about Betty. This isn't a jealousy thing, it has nothing to do with Jughead whatsoever, it's just because of her mom being Alice Cooper. It's addressed in canon (S02E17) when the Serpents don't support Jughead running for student president with Betty because her mom is "Serpent enemy number one". I don't hate Betty, like, at all, but I will be exploring the canon hatred that Serpents have for the Cooper family, and how they try to balance that with the Betty that they actually get to know