-Family, by nature, is messy. Even if your family is practically perfect in every way, there's a surprising amount of mess under the surface. Just one look at the Blossoms and their twisted ties is all it takes to understand that. But when your dirty laundry is laid bare, is there even any shelter left to hide more mess? Or is it like a leaking boat, it doesn't stop until everything you held dear is sunk.-

Veronica Lodge stood perfectly straight, perfectly poised, and perfectly ready to bolt.

Her father was coming home today after months in prison. The last time she saw him he was being dragged away in handcuffs as the flashes of cameras blinded her. She had learned a lot in that time, about him, about her mother, and an awful lot about herself. As Smithers opened the backseat door Veronica sucked in a deep breath.

Her mother stepped out first.

It was the sight of her father's polished leather shoe that finally broke Veronica's barely held together sensibilities. She turned to bolt, but somehow her mother caught her arm and her talon-like fingers dug into the girl's arm turning her to face the man now fully out of the shiny black car.

"Veronica."

"Daddy."

"Aren't you going to give your old man a hug?"

Veronica took a slow step in towards her father and wrapped her arms around him. "Good girl," he whispered into her ear, "we wouldn't want your mother to think there was something wrong now would we?"

She slowly backed away from his chilling words and forced a smile onto her face. "Welcome home daddy, I'm so happy you're back. Mom, Dad, if it's ok, I'd like to go to Archie's now. We have some studying to do."

"Of course dear, but please be home at a reasonable hour tonight. Come along sweetie," she said, this time directing her attention to Hiram, "let's get you settled in."

Veronica jumped into the still waiting car and breathed deeply, doing her best to hold in the shaking and tears. Where had her father gone and who was this man that had replaced him. This man that was arrested in front of her and threatened her mother."

By the time she made it to the Andrews home she had entirely dissolved into tears, her makeup streaking down her face and her throat raw from emotion.

Archie ushered her inside, through the house, and back out to the garage. He held her until her crying had stopped.

It was quite some time later.

-What she didn't know that day is that as dark as everything felt right then, things were about to get a lot worse for her fledgling family. Something she passed and didn't give a second thought to on her way through the Andrews house was about to change her life, and the lives of her three closest friends.-

Jughead blinked slowly trying to understand just what he was looking at. There was no possible way that his blonde Betty was the same girl laughing with this Serpent lady.

Nope.

Not that he would mind if it were of course.

This woman clearly was not his Betty though.

Betty Cooper does not wear leather.

Betty Cooper does not wear… whatever those uncomfortable yet incredibly sexy metal stomach holding things were.

This was not Betty Cooper.

She just looked like her. And sounded like her… a lot.

"Juggy!"

"uh… hi… Betty."

"You got that poor boy twisted little kitten. I'm going to let you go now, try not to torture the boy too much… or do actually, it could be fun!" Birdie gave a smirk and walked back to the bar.

"Betty?" Jughead, while logically accepting this was his girlfriend standing before him, since all evidence pointed to it, he was still struggling a bit with the acceptance of facts.

"Do I really look that bad?"

"Bad isn't exactly the w-word I would use, Sally Bowles" his usual dry response was somewhat less effective when he stumbled halfway through the sentence. Betty's wide eyes went from looking down at her clothing then slowly looking back up at the boy now standing just a few steps in front of her. The confidence she had tossed to the side earlier came back in force.

"What word would you use then?" she said with a low drawl, taking a steady step toward him.

"Betty," his voice crack on her name, "ahem.. Betty, I'm rather angry at you right now, so if you could not be so sexy, I would truly appreciate it." She took a quick look up and really studied her boyfriend then. He was angling his neck upward and squeezing his eyes shut tight. Something was clearly wrong.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else and talk," she said softly, taking his hand and pulling him a bit further away from the infamous White Snake bar. She zipped the large leather jacket up too. While she didn't think her appearance should be decided by the men in her life, she knew Jughead was clearly uncomfortable and maybe needed a little less sensory input from her just then.

"What part of 'undercover is too dangerous' made you run straight over here? Am I blowing your cover? Are you already in danger? What's going on? and why did you do this behind my back?" Jughead, never one to over speak suddenly burst out. He was breathing heavy and he was very, very scared.

"Juggy," Betty said, placing her hand over his heart, "it's ok, I'm safe. You don't have to be scared."

"I know what happens here better than you. I know these people. They may not be the worst like the Mayor and Sheriff Keller are painting them to be, but they aren't safe either."

"I'm surprised that you can be so judgmental. Of all people."

"Betty… I can't stop you can I?"

"No."

"Then it's you and me in this together."