I wondered how long they had waited for us. I was so sure we would at least have a day to figure this out.

"Forsythe, Elizabeth, I'm taking you two in for questioning."

"Why Betty?" Yet again I was dragging her through the mud with me and I felt like crap. I could tear my hair out.

"You were both at the scene of the fire and were in attendance of Southside High, a few block away from there, when the body was found. This is just routing questioning, I promise."

"Get me a lawyer" I mouthed to my dad, who followed behind us with Alice in his truck. I squeezed Betty's hand and she squeezed back. I readjusted my hat with my other hand so it was in better. That made me feel more secure.

They grilled Betty but she was cleared pretty quick before they brought me back into the familiar room. Sitting there waiting for me was Archie's mom. It made sense. She was a lawyer and we probably couldn't afford one that wasn't doing it for cheap or pro bono as a favour.

"Things have only gotten worse since we talked the other day, Forsythe Jones. Now you're wearing a Serpents jacket? Things don't look good for you."

"It's just a jacket, and even if I was a serpent, that doesn't prove a thing and you know it."

"Jughead's right. The jacket is as much evidence as a Hell's Angels jacket proves you're in Hell's Angels. I've seen those for sale around as novelty items." I felt so much better with Mrs Andrews sitting beside me, like I had somebody on my team. She knew my dad in high school so I knew she wasn't judgmental even though she probably was mildly disapproving based on our families fallouts.

This time there was a different person waiting by the receptionist for me once I got out. Having a lawyer made all the difference. I really felt like all my civil rights were left in tact. It was Pop. He paid my bail this time as it was much higher than the other day. He also offered me a job, saying I could keep half the money and the other could go back to him to recoup for this favour. He said I was his favourite customer but I probably more or less kept him in business during the slow season. He gave me a week before I had to start, to give me time to sort this mess out. My dad drove us home, but Betty asked to come over, kissing her mom in the cheek and we wheeled back to the trailer.

Dad sighed, expecting what was coming, and I slid my hat off. I was feeling vulnerable, and I needed him to know that.

"Alright before you ask, it wasn't me. Not everything the Serpents do is legal, but we would never go that far. We're small time to get by, not the mafia." I breathed a sigh of relief that I didn't even realize I was holding in. "You didn't actually think I was though, right?" He looked a bit hurt.

"No Dad, we're just trying to figure this out before I get strung up for a murder I had no part in. I just needed to hear it so we could cross it off our city wide list of names."

"We trust you, FP. You're family." My god did I ever love this girl. We sat down for a late dinner. It was a ready made lasagne my dad had got out of the freezer. It felt right, having just the three of us and for the first time since Jellybean left, I really felt like part of a family.

Now it was time to face Betty's family. Betty's Dad hated the Blossoms and Alice was not too impressed with the fact that Jason had impregnated her teenager. Honestly in this day and age, this wasn't that shocking as a lot of kids dropped out of school to be parents. She just wanted more for her daughters. Alice was always a pusher, pushing them to do more and be what she considered to be better.

I once again loaned her my coat for the walk. I stopped, suddenly.

"Do you want your own jacket?" I asked. She breathed in the leather.

"No, I like your coat. It smells like you. Just get another one for you and let me borrow it from time to time." This was a terrible thing to talk about on my way to meet the big bad Cooper Momma Bear as what she said really got my adrenaline running and my hormones pumping. I lightly pushed her against the park's chainlink fence, connecting our faces in passion. I felt like I would die without her. Eventually we ran out of breath and she giggled. We continued on like nothing happened but we kept sending each other knowing glances that seemed to say to be continued.

We heard her before we got close. It was more yelling. She thought she was safe here from Hal's influence but she was wrong. Here he was, screaming at her. I stopped Betty from walking. She didn't need to hear this.

"God Hal, you just can't let what my mother did go but we all know it was your great uncle that killed his own brother. Why else would your father change last names? Why else would your family make their fortune elsewhere? Your family, as excommunicated as they are, are far more guilty than mine. And now Betty's being put on trial for murder. This is ridiculous."

"Do you even hear yourself?! You were the one who took off with our daughter and her friend-"

"Boyfriend, they're dating now."

"Did you even discipline her for having him up in her room alone? You don't even deserve to be a mother!"

She sniffled. "You made that very clear already when you forced me to give up Chic just because you weren't ready to be a father. I was only fooling myself, sacrificing my own son to get out of the south side of town. I think it's time you leave. You've done enough damage already."

He got into their car, the one she had driven us here in, and took off with a huff. I gently pressed Betty on the shoulder. "Go to her, she needs you." She gave me a quick peck and took off towards the crumpled mess that had given birth to her so many years earlier and I wondered just what happened to this Chic Cooper.

A/N: I probably switch between Canadian and American spellings of certain words but I try to catch myself. I'm a Canadian so that's why. It's hard writing from an America's perspective, especially from decades before.