Being seated at her brother's kitchen table at seven in the morning. Grace knew that a lecture was forthcoming. Fred still saw her as a twelve year old. As sweet as that was. She was a big girl but she was grateful the protectiveness. So she humoured him.

"The news about you and FP is spreading like wild fire"

"It was before it was official" she chuckled "I just hope it reaches Alice Cooper"

"Alice?"

"Who do you think gave him the newspaper article?"

"Classic Alice"

"Exactly"

She watched him take a sip of his coffee, the cogs turning in his head.

"Mom worked really hard to get out. To make sure we had a different life, that we knew nothing about that piece of her, Gracie"

"I know that"

"If you're in bed with FP. You're in bed with The Serpents"

"Fred…"

"You have a very successful life in New York"

"You want me to leave?"

"No I love that you're here, Gracie. Archie loves that you're here but The Serpents are organised crime"

"You make them sound like the mafia" she laughed

"Drug, murder, intimidation"

"Okay, I get your point"

"What happens to your business if people find out what you're getting wrapped up in? Your reputation, that's something you can't get back"

He was making sense and she knew that he wasn't trying to be a wet blanket. Her big brother was just looking out for her. Grace reached over and held his hand.

"I know you have seen many sides of him that I haven't. I know his screwed up and hurt you and just generally messed up. I know this. I'm not blind. I love you for worrying, but he's trying to turn it around and he's doing a really good job"

"I see that"

"He's clean. He's being an awesome father to Jug. He's keeping his head above water"

"He's still part of it"

"I know Fred, but I'm not"

Above anything else he was watching her turn into their mother. More and more by every passing day. She was sliding into the life and he didn't want to see her become a regular at the Whyte Wyrm

"Small town"

"He makes me happy, Fred"

"I can see that"

"I know it's weird. He was your closest friend"

"Just keep your head on straight"

"I will. I promise"

They heard footsteps coming down the stairs and sway into the kitchen.

"Aunt Gracie"

"Hey kid"

Archie wandered around the kitchen looking for whatever food he could find. Grace smiled at Fred amused. She wondered if Arch ate Fred out of house and home, being the age he was.

"Did you hear what happened between Cheryl and Aunt Grace, Dad?"

Fred rolled his eyes and shook his head

"What did you do? Trashing her car wasn't bad enough?"

"You trashed her car?" Archie asked excitedly

"Little bit but she's a bitch"

"No, she's the devil but she's a child and you're an adult. What did you do?"

"I may have gotten all her credit cards receipts and bad mouthed her to same designers I know. Then show Penelope. All that she's been spending. So Cheryl no longer has a credit card"

Fred looked at Grace and tried not to laugh

"Okay, that's pretty good"

"Thank you"

"Well, she did humiliate your man" Fred chuckled

"Ugh, don't call him that"

"Well, he has been shacking up at your place" Archie teased

"Okay, on that note. I'm going" she stood up from her seat "You two are having too much fun"

She kissed them both goodbye and walked out the front door. As both of them were still teasing her.

#

When she got back to her place, she noticed that FP had made it all the way downstairs to only fall back to sleep on the sofa, in front of the fire. She chuckled to herself before putting another log on the fire and walking over to him. Suddenly he offered her his hand and she laughed this time

"Faker" she said as he gently pulling her down on top of him. They got all entangled before she laid her head on his shoulder and FP pulled a blanket from of the back of the sofa, over the both of them

"How's your brother?"

"You know Fred"

"Tried to warn you off, did he?"

"Not that. Just told me to keep my head on my shoulder and feet on the ground"

"Sage advice"

"Same advice I'd get the kids but I fear its way too late for that"

"Just a little" he chuckled

She fall asleep quickly, even before he did

#

They both woke up to rustling by the bay window. Grace's head flew off his chest before they looked at one other. A twig broke and they heard a foot step.

"Stay here"

"What am I? A damsel?"

FP sat up and went straight for the front door. He opened it and stepped outside to see no one. Not satisfied he walked across the lawn and went to the window.

Someone had definitely been there.

FP got an unsettling feeling in his stomach, one he knew all too well. He walked back into the house and locked the front door

"Someone was here, gone now though"

"Who robs a house at nine in the morning?"

"Well, you are the richest person in town"

"The Lodges' might have something to say about that, or the blossoms. For that matter"

"The richest, legally"

"I don't have that much money"

"You brought a house and had it ready in a week, Gracie" he laughed

"That wasn't me"

"Yeah, you had people to do that for you"

"Okay, I see your point" she laughed "Maybe it was Alice trying to get the scoop for tomorrow's paper?"

"Two people, sleep on sofa"

"Hey, it is a small town"

He sat there at the bench and watched her wander around and do whatever she was doing.

"I like you like this"

"Like what?"

"Relaxed. Peaceful"

"Yours?"

"And then there is that"

She smirked at him but didn't say a word. She didn't want to think too far into the future. They were in a good place right now and that's what she cared about.

"What time do you have to be at the diner?"

"On the night shift"

"So, you're all mine for the day?"

"I guess so" FP said crossing the kitchen.

She was up and over his shoulder before she could say a word. She laughed as he carried her up the stairs and into her bedroom.

#

There was a knock on her door later that afternoon. Thankfully she had made herself presentable before answering because it was Jughead.

"Hey you"

"Hey Grace, can I come in?"

"Always"

She couldn't get over the fact that all the kids were bigger, taller than her now. It didn't seem fair.

"Umm, can I stay here the night? I had a fight with Betty and Archie's with Ronnie. The trailer has a hole in the roof and its freezing"

"You don't need an excuse to stay here, Okay?"

"Thanks Gracie"

"Take your pick of spare rooms"

FP and Jughead met each other, didn't say anything. Instead giving each other a manly nod, on the way past.

FP reached the kitchen and raised his eyebrow at Grace

"He had a fight with Betty"

"Oh, young love"

"Many lessons to be learnt"

"I certainly wouldn't go back" She reached out and straighten the bow tie on his uniform as he smiled down at her. "Okay, gotta go"

He kissed her goodbye quickly before walking out the door. Suddenly it hit her, just how domesticated they had gotten in such a short time.

#

She opened the door of the diner about nine o'clock and FP chuckled before she sat at the counter.

"Has the boy eaten you out of house and home already?"

"No, Betty come over to make up"

"And you left them alone?"

"Calm down Crazy. First off, if you think they are not doing that already, get you head out of the sand and second, Archie and Ronnie soon followed" she chucked "I brought them pizza and enough food to feed an army before I left"

"You're such aunt"

"I'm an aunt that will be back of an hour and they are totally aware of it. I don't need a Lodge or a Cooper on my front step about a teen mishap"

"Now there are two powers that must never join forces" he lent down on the counter "Do you want food?"

"Coffee"

"You got it"

As sad as it seemed. He was her only friend in town. Her family of course but no one else. Everybody that she had grown up with, had either moved out of town or she just didn't want to look them up anyhow.

The fact that she was tethered to one person so tightly worried her. It was a frightening discovery. What happened if things soured between them? Maybe the whole town was waiting for that to happen? Did she stay? Did she go back to New York? What would happen to her new house?

"Oi, space cadet" he chuckled before she shook her head and looking down at the fresh mug of coffee in front of her

"Sorry"

"You okay?"

"Always"

He kissed her quickly before walking away again, but he did watch her get lost in her own mind and stare into her coffee

FP hated when she did that.