We are so sorry for the late upload! We were on Winter Break brain yesterday and completely forgot!

Chapter Eleven : The Princess Has Returned.

Cheers and hollers drown out Ellie's thoughts as she follows her mom into the Ghoulie's lair.

"Look who it is." Sharkbait growls.

"Finally, some lunch!" Tommy jokes, biting at Ellie.

Penny stands front and center. "Settle down." She orders. The mess of noises lessens and she continues to speak. "Meet Eleanor. Most of you may recognize her as a Serpent, but that's not who she is." Penny smiles slightly at the confused looks of the Ghoulies. "She's one of us. She infiltrated the Serpents, drove them apart, created a civil war. And now she's back. Back with us. Back where she belongs."

Ellie stays silent, knowing that if the Ghoulies knew that what Penny was saying was a lie, she'd be dead meat.

"How can we be sure she's with us? Isn't she new to town?" Sharkbait asks, looking at Ellie as if to evaluate her.

"Because, Sharkbait, she's my kid." Penny answers.

"Sorry I had to stab you." Ellie says to Sharkbait.

"Nah I get it, nice commitment to the act." He smiles with respect and puts his hand on her shoulder. "Let me know if you want in next round."

"You're not going to try to kill that pipsqueak again, are you?" Ellie raises an eyebrow.

"Well duh! It helps with the plan, doesn't it?"

"Not in the slightest. You're a bigger idiot than you look if you really think Toni Topaz is a big player in this game." Ellie says, Ghoulies shout 'Oo' and 'burn' at Sharkbait, causing him to back down.

"Then who should we kill?"

"What is this? Breaking bad? We don't need to kill any of them. The whole point of the plan is that they'll kill themselves." Penny knows that if this conversation continues Sharkbait will get suspicious of Ellie again so she butts in.

"If you two are done, Eleanor, would you come here?" Penny asks. Ellie tries to look badass and composed as she walks towards her mom but inside her heart is racing. "Ladies and Gentlemen, your princess had returned to Riverdale and returned to you. Let's give her back her crown." The Ghoulies cheer and one hands Penny a Ghoulie jacket. "You ready kid?" Penny says to Ellie, drowned out by the screaming crowd.

Ellie nods, thinking only of Toni and how she would react.

Penny helps Ellie into the jacket. The Ghoulies cheers turn into roars and the roars into a full on party.

Meanwhile, back at Amanda's trailer, Kacey and Amanda are getting ready to watch a movie when Betty rushes in without knocking.

"Amanda!" Betty pants, out of breath and obviously having some kind of a panic attack.

"Betty!" Amanda stands from the couch and rushes to her girl, holding her close. "Are you okay?"

"Amanda, I was, and," Betty can't find her words.

"What happened?" Amanda asks, pulling away from the hug but still keeping both hands on Betty.

"I was with Jughead. He said Ellie-"

"What about Ellie?"

"Amanda...he kicked her out."

"So? That's not that big a deal."

"Amanda, he kicked her out and she went with her mom."

"What?!"

"He said she's not a Serpent anymore, he made her give up her jacket. We have to do something!" Betty is a little calmer after telling Amanda.

"What can we do?" Kacey asks, stepping towards the two with a bowl of popcorn. "If shes with her mom then she's unprotected, just like we used to be. It's probably best for her."

Amanda turns to Kacey and hesitantly speaks. "Ellie's mom is Penny Peabody." Kacey almost drops her popcorn.

"Qu'est-ce que la merde!? (What the fuck?!)No wonder Jughead kicked her out!" Kacey says. Betty stared at Kacey utterly confused. Amanda bursts out laughing.

"Oh sorry I tend to swear in French instead of English, long story, not important" Kacey said going back to the conversation. "Jughead would never allow a Ghoulie into the Serpents".

"Kacey, this is Ellie we're talking about! You know she would never betray the Serpents." Amanda argues.

"Well apparently she did! She could have lived on her own, it worked for me."

"Is that why you live in a house with other people now? Because it worked so great?"

"You know zut (damn) well that's not why. And it's better than living with a Ghoulie!"

"Who are you to be talking about this?! You're not even a Serpent!"

"Neither. Are. You!"

"By blood I am."

Betty interrupts them. "Guys. Who cares if Jughead was right or wrong, we have to help her. Who knows what the Ghoulies are doing to her right now."

Back at the Ghoulies hangout, Eleanor is downing shots next to her mom.

"Aren't you a little young to be drinking?" Penny asks.

"Aren't you a little uninvolved in my life to be telling me what to do?" Ellie argues, slurring her words.

"Jesus, how many did you have?"

"I don't know. Like, seven? Seventeen? Who's counting?"

"Hey." Penny says to the bartender. "No more for her."

"You wouldn't care if it was drugs I was doing." Ellie rolls her eyes. "Cus then you'd be making money." She stands and almost falls over but Penny catches her.

"Let's get you home."

"Don't touch me!" Ellie pushes her away. "D-Dad was right to leave you. You're shit. Y-You cut up little kids and sell drugs! W-what do you-" she stumbles and almost falls over again. "What do have to say for yourself?" She giggles but then clears her throat and tries to look stern.

"God! I'm trying to do the right thing here, Eleanor!" Penny grows angry. "Fine. You're so adult and don't need me, then go find your own way home." She leaves Ellie there, drunk and barely staying conscious.

"Hey." Sharkbait walks up to Ellie. "What was that about?"

"Go away." Ellie glares at him.

"Woah, harsh!" Sharkbait sits down next to her. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"Sorry, I'm too gay for that. Besides, Penny cut me off." Ellie sits back down and lays her head on the bar.

"Then maybe I can interest you in another way to party."

"That sentence doesn't make sense." Ellie says, lifting her head from the table. That's when she sees he's holding two sticks of Jingle Jangle. "Oh." She laughs. "No, I don't do that."

"Come on, it's a celebration. Just once." He holds one out to her. "Are you chicken?"

"Fuck it." Ellie grabs the JJ. After all if she's a Ghoulie now, might as well act like one.

The two do it at the same time and in seconds they already feel the effects.

"I'm beginning to think mixing that with alcohol was a bad idea." Ellie stands and grabs her head.

"Nah, you'll be fine!" Sharkbait stands. "Let's party!" He grabs her hand and pulls her into the crowd of Ghoulies dancing. "Come on, Eleanor." Sharkbait tries to get her to dance.

"I really think I need to sleep this off." Ellie holds her head and sways, almost falling over.

"Woah there." He grabs her before she falls. "Okay. Let's get you out of here." He walks her down a hallway and into a small store room. The moment she can no longer hear the music she feels a bit better.

"Thanks." Ellie sits on a box clearly marked Jingle Jangle. Sharkbait subtly locks the door.

"So, what was it like, hanging with the Serpents?" He asks, taking off his studded jacket and setting it on a box.

"It wasn't bad. Some of them are pretty chill."

"Really?" He sits down next to her. "How chil?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just asking if you liked any of them. If you fucked any of them?" Ellie is taken aback by his question. "Don't worry, I won't judge. Some of them are pretty hot." Ellie debates telling him before answering.

"Yeah. The one you tried to kill is pretty hot." She laughs. "And pretty damn good in bed."

"I bet I'm better." Sharkbait responds, leaning closer.

"Um, excuse you. I already said I'm gay." Ellie puts a hand up to stop him from kissing her.

"Come on, it'll be an experiment. See who's better, the Serpent or the Ghoulie." He pushes her hand out of the way. Eleanor's head spins and her thoughts jumble. The combination of Jingle Jangle and alcohol had seriously altered her judgment. She holds her breath as he kisses her hard before giving in and kissing back.

"Fuck it. Let's experiment." She smirks and they sloppy make out, both still high and drunk. Sharkbait starts to take off his shirt.

"You won't regret this." He promises.

"Oh, I know I won't!" She laughs, starting to undress as well.

"I think I can get myself home." Eleanor says, staggering outside into the cold.

"Do you even know where you live now?" Sharkbait asks, helping her walk straight.

"I'll find it."

"No you won't." He opens the door to his car, it's old but looks like it's been fixed up to go fast. Ellie hesitates before climbing into the passenger seat.

"Fine." She says. Sharkbait gets into the driver's seat and starts the engine. "Seatbelt." Ellie orders.

"You've gotta be kidding." Sharkbait laughs. "I'm on drugs right now and you're only worried about the seatbelt." Ellie just keeps staring at him. "Fine." He buckles himself in. "Happy?"

"Very." Ellie looks out the window and he drives her to Penny's.

Surprisingly, they make it in one piece. Ellie walks up to the door and Penny is waiting for her with a smug look on her face.

"Did you have too much to drink like I said you would?" She asks.

"Shut up." Ellie mumbles.

Penny shuts the door behind the girl.

"Is He your boyfriend now?" She asks, smirking at Ellie's inside out shirt.

"I have a girlfriend."

"You're gay?"

Ellie just gives her a "no shit" look before collapsing on the couch and falling instantly asleep. Penny sighs and puts blanket over her.

"Night Kid." She says.