4

Fred heard someone knock on the front door at two in the morning, he knew it was going to be her. She had lost her keys or something like that. Truth be told, he had been waiting up for her. He hadn't said anything or asked but Fred knew there was something else going on.

Riverdale had never been her favourite place in the world and Gracie had seen the world. For a long time that had been her life, travelling, trying to find her place in it. She never looked down at her hometown or the people in it, but Riverdale just wasn't for her.

There was too much of their mother's blood in her, the wild gypsy blood. Fred didn't know exactly what was going on but it was more than a break up that was for sure.

Imagine Fred's surprise when she was standing next to FP when he opened the door. More like, FP was keeping her standing.

"Morning" he said to the both of them

"Sorry, she doesn't know where her keys are?"

"Hello brother" she said before laughing softly as they walked inside the house

"Is she drunk?"

"Nooooo but do you know what is good?" she said playfully "Morphine"

"Morphine? You were at the hospital?"

"He made me"

"Good, because I was going to make you today. The way you have been dragging that thing around"

"They had to reset it. They were actually debating about surgery and pins to keep it together but decided against it at the last minutes" FP told him

"Gracie!"

"What? It wasn't that bad" She moved towards the stairs, looking up at them "Yeeeaaahhh, I can't do that"

Before she knew it Grace was getting lifted off her feet and carried up the stairs

"Spare room?" FP asked

"Yep" Fred called back.

It wasn't the first time he had been there and FP knew exactly where he was going. Once there he saw it was hers, even smelt like the perfume he was always trying to get out of his head. He looked down at her and she was fast asleep, like she had been fighting and didn't have any fight left.

He switched the light on with his elbow before walking over and gently placing her on the bed. She sighed and burrowed her face in the pillow, he tried not to laugh.

The things he was feeling right now were dangerous and complicated but she intrigued him. The person she was today, strong and stubborn and determined, it was attractive. He forgot that she was Fred's sister and he had known her for a long time.

Their lives were so different now and he knew nothing could come of anything he was thinking of, but she was slowly working her spell on him. FP had to ignore it, the best he could.

As he turned to walk away, something tugged him back gently. He looked back amused before crouching down

"Hey"

"Thank you, for helping me"

"Any time" he told her, brushing the chestnut brown hair out of her face "You're not as tough as you make out, you know?"

"Don't tell anybody. It's our secret"

That was all the energy she had left. He watched her quickly drop back off to sleep and closed the door behind him, before making his way down the stairs again.

Fred was waiting for him. FP waited for endless line of questions about why Gracie and FP kept bumping into one another but that wasn't what was on Fred's mind

"This wasn't a car accident wasn't it?"

"Uh" FP debated whether to say anything but knew he had too "The doctors checked her ribs, they aren't broken but she has tissue damage but when he examined, there was a bruise on her side, that is pretty clearly a shoe mark. So no, I don't think it was a car accident. Any suspects?"

"This guy she was dating but he didn't seem like the type. He wasn't her type either"

"Normally the ones that don't seem like the type, that are the worst. She probably didn't even see it coming"

"Jesus, Gracie"

"Listen, she is here now. That's all that matters"

They both walked toward the front door

"Thanks for taking care of her. It's rare she lets anybody do that. She thinks she can take care of everything"

"Don't tell her I said anything"

"Scared of my little sister?" Fred chuckled

"Quite frankly" FP said walking out the door but turning back "I know what she can do with a butterfly knife, so yes"

Well that was news to Fred but something told him that he didn't want to know anymore.

#

When Gracie woke up in the morning, her arm felt like it was on fire. The morphine had well and truly left her system and she barely remembered much after they put the cast on her.

FP brought her home, she thought but then again. Gracie also thought she flew up the staircase, so maybe not.

Fred and Archie were in the kitchen when she walked in. Sitting at the kitchen island, in their own conversation

"There she is" Fred announced "Food or pain killers?"

"Pain killers, please"

"You should eat first" Archie told her "You'll get sick"

"I'm meant to worry about you, Kid. Not the other way around"

"It can go both ways"

She stole some food from Archie's plate and smiled playfully at him.Suddenly the front door opened and Jughead walked into the house and straight into the kitchen.

"Hey Jug"

"Are you down from your high, yet?" he asked Grace, trying not to laugh

"Unfortunately"

"Dad said you were pretty out of it" he said before hitting Archie on the arm "Ready to go?"

Archie stood up and handed the rest of his breakfast to his aunt before she took his spot in the chair.

The kitchen got quiet, too quiet. Grace looked up from her plate at Fred, who was studying her intently. Grace thought the jig was up. He had figure out her secret

"What?"

"Can you not flirt with the felon, please?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on, you and FP"

"Fred, I was off my face last night and FP has just came out of prison. Any woman would look good to him right now. Stop worrying"

"Listen, I know you might be on the rebound or whatever but…"

"Where the heck did you learn that term, Fred Andrews?"

"I'm not that old"

"Ummm, yes you are"

"He's the same age"

"I didn't say he wasn't"

"Gracie"

" I love you for worrying and I know why you are. I get it. Yes, okay we may flirt a little but it's not going to go anywhere. So can you stop thinking stuff up in your head that is never going to happen"

"Okay, okay"

"Shit, where's my stuff"

"You're not working today"

"I have too"

"New York will not burn down"

She huffed knowing she wasn't going to win this fight. She was going to have to be craftier

Hey Guys,

Thanks for reading. Leave a review let me know what you think.

xxL