Chapter Two

-Love is a vicious motivator, even more so than hate. Love can make you do some truly awful things and yet feel no regret. I was never sure I would know what that kind of love would feel like. My parents never really seemed to care what I did. Sure, my father admitted to murder to protect me, but I'm pretty sure he knew he'd be going to jail anyway and he knew Blossom would kill him along with me if he refused. Nice gesture, but it's not quite Betty Cooper holding a gun.

It was love behind every decision that leads Betty, Archie, and me to this point. If you could follow the chain of events backward, most would point to the day Pop's reopened as the start of it all, but I knew the truth. There was no starting point, everything that happened was just a part of who Betty was, so it was almost inevitable that things would turn out like this.-

"Never has a chocolate milkshake tasted so sweet" Veronica declared and she came up for breath.

"Watch out, you keep on at that rate you'll end up with a headache," Archie said, leaning over to kiss the top of the brunette's head.

"Is it weird… being back here, Arch?" Kevin asked, then was promptly swatted by Veronica.

"A little," he said, giving a sidelong glance at the spot his father lay bleeding just days before, "but he's going to be fine, and he's even coming home soon… Hey, why are Betty and Jughead arguing in the parking lot?"

Three teenagers quickly pushed their faces to the glass watching the scene outside.

"Is that what Jughead looks like when he's arguing?"

"He's not really doing anything…"

"Yeah, that's pretty typical of Jughead arguing…"

"I didn't realize Betty's hands could move that fast…"

"oooooh…" all three burst out at once. Betty and stomped on Jughead's foot with considerable force. Other than a small wince from the boy, he didn't react, just slowly smirked and kissed the blonde on her cheek.

They walked into Pop's hand in hand.

The three teens already in the booth were making awkward chatter when the couple made it over to them. Jughead pulled a chair to the end of the table, flipping it to rest his elbows on the backrest, while Betty sat in the booth next to Kevin. Through valiant effort, the chatter continued for an entire minute before the sidewise glances ended conversation entirely.

"Betts, something tells me they were watching us…"

"So they were watching you be stubborn?"

"Stubborn? No, they're clearly worried about the damage you did to my foot."

"You're foot deserved it."

"So are one of you going to tell us what's going on?" Archie finally broke in with all the finesse of a sledgehammer.

"I was just thinking the next Blue & Gold piece should be undercover… with the Serpents."

The silence that followed Betty was deafening.

"Are you actually insane?" Kevin bellowed. Betty sent a glare at him that could freeze water.

"Everybody thinks the Serpents are killers and drug dealers but are they really? It's not fair. I want to give them a voice, tell their story. They've already offered a place to Jughead, he's separate enough right now with his transfer to South Side High that he can stay undetected" she explained.

"I don't know Betty, you're putting Jughead in a lot of danger. Not only that but what if he gets caught up in something illegal? He could get arrested and sent somewhere even further than South Side High" Veronica said calmly, looking into the other girl's eyes.

Betty's wide eyes instantly dropped. She hadn't even thought about any of the consequences that Jughead could face. When she looked back up again, she was contrite and grabbed her boyfriend's hand. "I'm sorry Juggy, I wasn't thinking. I would never want you to put yourself in harm's way like that."

Jughead didn't say a word, just put his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

-Little did I know, inside that very a head a new plan had already begun to form.-

Archie opened the door and led his wounded father in. While healed enough to go home, Fred didn't make it much further into the house, crashing on the nearest couch and laying back.

"Do you need more pills dad? A drink? what can I get you?"

Ding-dong!

The red headed teen barely had time to make it to the door before a whole cavalcade of Coopers carrying casseroles burst through the door. Betty's eyes showing embarrassment at her mother's forwardness.

"Fred, don't worry about a thing, we are here to take care of you and Archie until you're back up again. I know we've had our disagreements over the years, but you are my neighbor and I insist on being neighborly. Now, what can I do for either of you?"

Mr. Andrews was pale and sweating, holding his eyes closed tight as the domestic chaos erupted around him.

"My God Fred, you need medication!"

"No!" he rasped out vehemently.

All three of the Cooper women were now focused on Archie for an explanation.

"He is refusing to take anything stronger than over the counter. He says this town has enough of a drug problem without adding himself to the list. He even ripped up the prescription when the doctor handed it to him."

The patient lay on the couch and focused on his breathing. It was just a gunshot wound, and it was clean, with no serious internal damage. He would get through this.

He would get through this.

ouch.

"How about something to get your mind off the pain then? Television? Board Game?"

Sweat just continued to bead on Fred's forehead.

"Maybe next time Mrs. Cooper, I think I'm just going to help my dad to bed right now."

Polly then leaned over and set a neat pile on the low coffee table, "I've been collecting your mail, Mr. Andrews, I'll set it here for you to look through later. We hope you feel better."

Fred had just enough left in him to wave the women off before dropping his head back on the cushion.