Playlist:
1). "Run Away" by Bon Jovi (Vivian arrives in Riverdale and greets her niece)
3.) "Pour Some Sugar on Me" by Def Leopard (Flashback - FP first meets Vivian)
4.) "Rust or Gold" by Jill Andrews (Vivian talks to an unsuspected ally)
5.) "Shadow Preachers" by Zella Day (FP and Vivian confront each other)
*I don't own any of the characters from "Riverdale"*
Chapter One
(Based on 2x08 of Riverdale)
"Vivian Lodge?" Sheriff Keller asks the thirty year old and she grins, handing over her license and registration after going 15 over the limit upon arrival in Riverdale.
"Hello, Sheriff Keller. Long time no see."
"About three years, yeah." He nods, giving her a soft smile. "Gotta admit after you skipped town I kinda missed getting called down at the station and hearing people complain about your hell-raising."
"I do enjoy pissing other's off. But never fear, Sir, I have plenty of schemes up my sleeve to keep you well entertained while I'm here. Now tell me, where can I find my adorable baby niece...Veronica?"
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Veronica Lodge walks in to her and her parent's penthouse at the Pembrook, and furrows her brows at the site of Sheriff Keller speaking to her parents.
The Sheriff turns and nods at her.
"Veronica," he regards her before stepping out.
"Sheriff Keller." She replies as he disappears out the door and she turns back to her parents. "What was he doing here?" She asks.
Hermione and Hiram exchange looks before Hermione explains.
"The shadow of the Black Hood has finally landed on our home." She tells Veronica. "We received a letter."
"What? What did it say?" Veronica demanded, confused and worried.
"The usual." Her father interrupts. "That we'll be targeted and punished for our sinful ways." He says it like it doesn't bother him, like he's almost mocking it and Veronica raises a brow.
"Well, don't let it ruin your day." She replies, showing her annoyance that he's taking this lightly.
"According to Sheriff Keller, apparently dozens of households are recieving that letter." Her mother defends her father.
"Well, I don't know about those other people but we're actually sinners!" Veronica's tone rises slightly to make a point and her parents exhale.
"The Pembrook is a fortress. And Andre is trained in the martial arts." Hiram assures her.
"What about when I go to school? Or shopping?"
"He'll Drive you. And if he's unavailable, we'll hire a car service." He shoots back.
"Also, me and your father have talked about it and we wouldn't mind seeing more of Archie. He's brawny and devoted to you." Hermione informs her daughter.
"Quite heavily," Vivian appears from the foyer doorway. "Or so I've heard." She shrugs a little and Veronica's face brightens, a wide smile coming to her lips. "Aunt Viv?" She asks, rushing to her father's sister.
Like usual, she's dressed opposite of what her brother particularly liked. Black, long sleeved crop top that was a little snug but not too snug, and skin tight black pants. Matching black suede Christian Louboutin thigh-high boots cling to her feet and legs and Veronica welcomes every tattoo peeking out from under her aunt's clothing like she's all one big Christmas present.
"Mi Amore, you are stunning as always." Vivian says and returns her smile as the two of them hug each other tightly.
"I've missed you." Veronica says, feeling on coming tears.
"Not as much as I've missed you, Ronnie. We've so much to catch up on." Vivian pulls away slightly to look at her before she hugs her again.
"You have no idea." Veronica mumbles over her aunt's shoulder and squeezes her tightly again feeling as if Vivian was her only life-line to sanity.
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On the south side, at the Whyte Wyrm, Jughead Jones grasps peoples attention for an announcement.
"I have an announcement to make!" He exclaims. "My dad's gettin' out." The bar whistles and claps, Toni Topaz and Sweet Pea exchange and grin before Jughead continues. "I'll bring him up to speed about our plans with Mayor McCoy."
Tall Boy scoffs and looks down, slamming his shot glass on the bar.
"That's brilliant." He grumbles sarcastically and the bar goes quiet.
"Do you have a problem with that, Tall Boy?" Jug asks.
"With your old man? No." Tall Boy stands and walks to Jughead. "I got no problem with him. But you want us to sit down with the mayor."
"I do." Jughead confirms. "He's right." He tells the bar. "I think that we can bring the Southside back. But it's gonna take work. And it's gonna take compromise."
Tall Boy laughs at the statement in disgust.
"Bring the Southside back. You've been here all of five minutes" he hisses at Jughead.
"Tall Boy, I am sick of you acting like a little bitch. Whispering behind my back that I'm not a serpent or that I don't belong here. Let's put it to a vote." Jug glances around. "If you guys think what I'm doing is wrong, I'll step aside."
Toni looks around, irritated with Tall Boy before she stands up.
"All those in favor of Jughead and think Tall Boy should shut the hell up?" She pitches, her hand raised. The others raise their hands as well. Tall Boy glances around in defeat before storming off.
"That didn't take much." Jughead says to her and she scoffs. "Thanks, Toni."
"No problem. None of us doubt your ability to get the Serpents where we used to be. On top. But there is something I heard that I think you should warn your dad about." She lowers her voice and he furrows his brows.
"Hog Eye said that this morning, he saw Vivian Lodge."
"What?" Jughead's expression falls.
"Sheriff Keller pulled her over for something. I mean, I don't know her personally but I hear everyone bring her up sometimes especially now that your dad isn't around to tell them not to speak about her."
"She and my dad were messing around when he was still with my mom about four years ago and was with my dad a while after my mom left but then she..." He trails off.
"What?" Toni asks him. "Jug?"
He pushes past Toni and out of the Wyrm, leaving her completely bewildered.
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"What the hell?" Vivian hears a familiar voice and turns her head over her shoulder from where she's seated at the counter of Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe.
Jughead marches to her, and she breathes out and licks her dark red lips.
"Jughead. What a pleasant surprise. I haven't seen you in a couple of years." She smirks, knowing he's pissed.
"Cut the crap, Vivian. I don't know what the hell you are doing back in town, but I highly recommend you get lost again."
"Why? Because your father's getting out of jail tomorrow? Yeah. That really scares me to my core." She scoffs in his face and turns back around. He grabs her arm, lightly but stern, and makes her face him again.
"I could tolerate you and my dad boffing around. It was incredibly screwed up and backwards in every sense but he was happy for the time being and that meant something to me despite how much I didn't like it. I kept my mouth shut and let it happen knowing it would crush my mom. One thing I won't tolerate is you coming back to Riverdale and trying to get in with the Serpents again just because half of your 'people' are locked up now. You lost your place in the family after you left us, and my dad for that matter, for a low-life drug dealing Ghoulie."
"Jug—"
"How's the Jingle-Jangle addiction, by the way? Last I heard you were so miserable Sheriff Keller had to peel you off the train tracks just before one hit you." He regretted it the second it left his mouth. It was true, her depression had worsened once it was mixed with hard drugs and an abusive "boyfriend" before she'd skipped town, but Vivian was unfazed.
"You really grew some balls, Jughead. I'll give you that and if you wanna play this game of low-blows and dirty laundry to keep me from your father and the Serpents? Fine. Game on. But something tells me that it's a waste of time, breath, and energy." She shrugs, hopping off the bar stool before walking to the door. "Oh, and, I'm 99.9 percent sure that my balls are bigger than yours. So I really hope you have some heavier stuff on me than what's already common knowledge about me in this town."
With that, Jughead takes a deep breath and lets it out, grinding his teeth and Vivian gives herself a mental pat on the back as she gets in to her 1969 Dodge Charger and takes off.
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Hiram sees his wife's anxious state as he works in his study, and leans back in his chair from behind his desk.
"What's bothering you?" He asks and she looks up at him, licking her lips.
"I haven't seen Vivian in years. Neither of us have, Hiram. Is it not odd she's randomly decided to show up?"
"She's always been like a weed. Showing up uninvited and spitefully." He reminds her and she shakes her head calmly.
"She's lived in Riverdale before, Hiram. For quite a while if I recall. The locals know her. She's always opposed of anything we do business wise and if she has even the slightest impression on the locals it could get in the way of our vision."
"She was on the Southside her entire time living here. The important people we do business with, despise the Southside. We'll be fine, Mi Amore. Let my sister cause whatever complications of her own that she will. But she's going to be doing whatever she does best on the Southside. I can assure you it won't touch a thing we have planned."
Doubtful but willing to put it at rest for the time being, Hermione nods in agreement.
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There's a hum of joy in the air as Jughead and his girlfriend Betty watch F.P. Jones make his way out of the Shank-Shaw prison. The father and son both smile widely once the gate is opened and Jughead hugs his father. They clap each other on the shoulder as F.P. Sighs with relief.
After pulling away, he notices his son's girlfriend's presence and she nods at him.
"Hey, Betty."
"Hey, Mr. Jones." She replies kindly.
F.P. Notices Betty's mother, Alice, and perks up even a little more.
"Alice." He greets her.
"Is it true what they say about men who've just been released from prison, F.P.?" She asks with her arms crossed.
"What do they say?"
"That they are incredibly sexually frustrated." She states.
"Mom!" Betty scolds, confused.
Jughead finds it humorous, letting a "wow" slip between his lips while his father just smiles, picking up what Alice Cooper might've been putting down but not saying much about it. They all get in the car and head to Pop's, just as Vivian slams the door of her car and makes her way in to the diner.
"Pop," She grabs the owner's attention and the older man raises his brows.
"Ms. Lodge, I heard you were back in town." He says softly.
"Yes, Pop, I am. I've undergone a lot of changes but one thing that ceases to change is my love for fried pickles and a chocolate milkshake." She flashes a smile and he nods.
"Coming right up, Ms. Lodge. And I am glad you're back in town. I hope you're happier than you were the last time you were here."
"Thank you, Pop. I genuinely appreciate it." She thanks him, meaning every word, and watches as he goes to the kitchen.
The door bell jingles a few minutes after she receives her food and she glances over her shoulder to see Jughead, Betty, Alice and F.P.
Jughead looks at her, his face changing slightly in distaste and she shoots him a wink before turning back to face her food.
"The Black Hood is targeting sinners. So i'd watch my back if I were you, F.P." Alice warns sarcastically. "Especially once you rejoin that gang of hoodlums."
"The Serpents aren't hoodlums—" Jughead says before he's interrupted.
"I'm not going back to the Serpents, Alice. Thought a lot about this when I was in Shankshaw and I'm done with Serpent life."
His words cause Vivian to stop chewing, and roll her eyes.
"It's gonna be one last ride for my boy and I. But it's gonna be too much of a slippery slope for me." He adds.
"The Serpents need you, Dad." Jughead argues.
"Jughead needs you, Mr. Jones." Betty says.
"And what, pray tell, will you be doing with all of your extra time, F.P.?" Alice asks next.
"Working, Warden Cooper." He shoots back. "Saw the help wanted sign at the window and thought I'd talk to Pop about picking up some shifts."
"Lets just hope your plans don't come crashing down when you start drinking again." Alice quickly gets back at him and Vivian almost chokes on her milkshake.
"Actually I'm in AA. Started in Jail and I don't plan on stopping." He wins this argument, taking a drink of coffee and sticking his pinky out to mock how Alice pretends to be high and mighty.
She gets quiet, looking down and he chuckles a little, before letting the situation go.
Vivian finishes her meal eventually, waiting for the four to finish and leave before she does.
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Later that day, Jughead and F.P. were on their motorcycles, headed to a private place over looking sweet water river to talk and think about what F.P. Had said at the Diner. Jughead had also built up the courage to tell his father about Vivian being in town, and was planning on telling him before he found out through anyone else.
"Things got ugly when you went away." Jughead tells his father. "I asked myself everyday what you would do if you were here."
"Has Penny bothered you? Figured she's the one who greased my wheels." F.P. Asks his son.
Penny was a serpent, one they called "the snake charmer". F.P. Had a debt to repay her and Jughead had picked up where his father left off with her, so she'd get him out of prison. F.P. Had told him not to do it, but Jughead was desperate.
"I did a job for her." Jug says.
"What kind of job?" F.P. practically demands, sternly.
"It's a one-time thing. Figured it best not to ask too many questions." He replies and his father looks at him not sure if he's telling the truth or not. "We're squared away. For good." He adds and F.P. Sighs.
"You know, when I was 16, my old man kicked me out and told me to go to hell. Instead, I joined the Serpents, and then the army and then back again. I don't want that life for you, Jug." F.P. Says truthfully and Jughead looks down. "I want you to go to college and get out of this godforsaken town."
"I ran the gauntlet. I fought with the Serpents and for them. I have to stay." Jug argues, with slightly furrowed brows. "I want to stay...but I need your blessing."
F.P. Exhales, thinking a moment.
"Just promise me you'll keep writing." He finally speaks and Jughead nods.
"I will. I do everyday."
F.P. Sits back on his bike and puts his sunglasses on, looking at Jughead, sensing there's something else he hasn't told him.
Jug can't bring himself to mention Vivian, so he just looks at his father in silence.
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The next night, at Pop's, Jughead sits with Betty Cooper at the counter as they hand their plates to F.P., who's started working at the diner.
Jughead takes a deep breath before looking around to see his father's no where in sight before indulging his girlfriend in his previous revelation.
"Oh my God, Jug." Betty states in shock after he's finished explaining. What-why haven't you told me about this sooner? Veronica's aunt?" Betty whispers back.
"I'm sorry, Alright. I'm processing it still and yeah...her aunt Vivian."
"...and your dad?"
"Yes." He says. "Sickening I know. She was like 18 years younger than him, not to mention she cheated on him with someone in a rivaling gang while doing drugs which she promised my dad she'd never do." He crosses his arms and Betty rubs her lips together. "My dad doesn't bring her up because he's still angry at her and hurt. I mean, he got hell thrown at him because she wasn't officially inducted in to the Serpents. He just gave her a jacket and a kiss on the cheek and let her in."
"What do women usually have to do to join?" Betty asks and Jughead scoffs.
"Something debasing." He mumbles and she furrows her brows.
"Well?" She asks.
"The serpent dance." He tells her.
"The what?"
"Literal stripping on a pole for everyone to see. Mainly something to help the men get their rocks off to later but it's justified in some sick and twisted concept. Women do the serpent dance and men get the hell beat out of them. Apparently that's the same thing in their eyes. But Vivian didn't do the dance. And I'm not complaining that she didn't, but a lot of the Serpents, Tall Boy more so, thought she wasn't completely a serpent because she never did the dance. When she left, he threw that in my dad's face for a while."
"That had nothing to do with why she left, Jug. I know your dad blames himself but there's nothing he could've done. She wanted to leave and was going to regardless of what your dad did differently."
"It shouldn't have been that way, Betty. Some of the things I've heard, I always thought they were this invincible couple but Vivian put him through hell."
"There's always two sides to one story, Jug. Maybe you should talk to her when you get the chance and ask your dad some questions about her too."
"If I start asking him questions he'll know something's up. He just got out of prison, he's about to retire and start a new chapter and he doesn't need Vivian to send right back to a sunken place which is exactly what's going to happen if she gets back in with the Serpents." Jughead sighs out, rubbing his forehead.
"Yeah, if they don't kill her. Isn't one of the laws to never abandon them or shed your 'skin'? There's no way they could welcome her back, Jug."
"If my dad does, they will. They might not like it but they won't necessarily oppose, either. Except for Tall Boy but no one really sees his opinion as relevant in any way." Jug shrugs as he speaks and Betty looks at F.P. Who's walking back from the kitchen.
The two stop talking about it when F.P. Gets back behind the counter.
Just as he's getting ready to take some more plates back to the kitchen, he makes eye contact with Cheryl Blossom, the towns mean-girl, and the girl who's brothers murder F.P. was wrongfully put in prison for.
The second her eyes meet his, she purposely knocks her strawberry milkshake off the table she's at.
It hits the floor in a shatter and she looks at him.
"Clean that up, Plebe. The way you did my brother's blood." She snaps.
Jughead and Betty hear this clear as day, and the 16 year old boy gets up to say something to Cheryl, but his father stops him.
"Jug, don't." He tells him before he crouches down to clean up the mess. "I'll get you another milk-shake right away, on the house." He says to Cheryl and she gives a smug smile.
Betty gently pulls Jughead back to where they were sitting and he lets out an annoyed sighed.
"My dad used to be a king. A leader of men. Now he's being demeaned by the likes of Cheryl Blossom." Jug motions to the red head in the booth that just caused a scene. "He deserves to be honored. Not humiliated."
"So why don't we do just that? Seriously, why don't we throw your dad a retirement party fit for a king?" Betty suggests and Jughead looks at her. "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything." His girlfriend assures him, cupping his jaw in her hand.
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"So, tell me about this Archie Andrews?" Vivian asks Veronica as her niece is brushing her hair in her bedroom, about to meet up with Archie.
"He's smart, and humorous and musically gifted." She turns to face her aunt. "Did I mention incredibly hunky and beautiful in every sense?"
"Are things serious?" Vivian asks, sitting on Veronica's bed.
Veronica bites her tongue and gets up to shut the door, sitting back at the stool of her vanity.
"We've been..." she tries to find a way to tell her aunt about her and Archie's often physically intimate relationship, but Vivian catches on to it.
"Okay." Vivian says with a nod. "Does your mother or father know?"
The two stare at each other, then burst in to laughter.
"That was stupid question to ask." Vivian tells herself and Veronica chuckles.
"He's been so good to me, aunt Viv. He's kind and patient and just treats me so, so good. But something happened, he said something to me, and I think it freaked me out a little."
"What?"
"He told me he loved me." Veronica says hesitantly.
Vivian furrows her brows and then scoffs.
"It's crazy how we often let people literally in us, let them have a part of us, and then get scared away when they say how they feel."
"And by 'we' you mean 'me'." Veronica blatantly calls her out and Vivian rubs her lips together.
"Ronnie, there is nothing wrong with not being ready to say 'I love you'. But when you're in a physical relationship you have to prepare yourself to hear it at some point. Sometimes the things we don't want to hear are what end up helping us discover things about ourselves. I think you're discovering you have some minor issues when it comes to romantic relationships that a lot of people have, especially when they're young. Just tell Archie how you feel because not talking about it at all will just create a bigger barrier between you two."
"You sound like you've had some minor relationship issues, too, aunt Viv." Veronica sits by her on the bed and Vivian smiles a little.
"I'm thirty years old, Ronnie, and I still have mine. They're major, though. Those are the ones that aren't easily cured. But you and Archie will be fine. Okay?"
"Okay." Veronica says as she nods, and Vivian kisses her forehead before stepping out of her room.
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"A party? No, no, no, no. The problem is, I'm trying to keep the Serpents in my rear view mirror, remember?" F.P. Tells Jughead as the two arrive home later that night with Chinese take out.
"It's one night." Jughead points out, taking the food out of the bag and setting it on the table. "Not even it's like 3 hours. You've done right by the Serpents, more tha right. Why can't they do right by you?"
F.P. Takes a seat after setting a plate in front of Jughead.
"C'mon, it's the end of an era." He adds.
F.P. Sighs, and nods finally.
"Alright." He says. "Fine, I'll go."
Jughead phone rings and he looks down to see a familiar number: Penny's.
"It's Archie." He says, standing. "I'll be right back. Don't bogart the egg rolls."
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"Jughead," Hermione Lodge says after she opens the door once there's a knock later that night. "Uh, Veronica isn't here right now. Is everything—"
"I'm not here for Veronica. Is Vivian here?"
"Jughead?" Vivian furrows her brows as she looks at her sister in law. "What happened?"
They end up in the spare bedroom Vivian's staying in, and he tells her about Penny.
"She called you?"
"Yes. Me and my dad got home and before I could even eat she called and told me to meet her at Pop's and I did. She said I still owe her and that I'm still indebted to her."
"You shouldn't owe her a damn thing. She freed your father and you delivered something for her. A thing for a thing."
"Thank you." Jughead scoffs. "I don't know what to do now. Serpents have no business dealing drugs and that's exactly what she's making happen."
"Did you tell F.P.?"
"No. I can't. I told him me and her were squared off and I won't have to do anything else for her. He's gonna be so upset if he knows the truth."
"Jughead, you need to be honest with your father. He's the only one who can sort this out with Penny. The debt was his to repay in the first place."
"Well now it's not. It's mine."
"Why are you telling me, this, Jughead?" She furrows her brows and paces before crossing her arms.
"I needed to tell somebody. Betty is a wouldn't understand and my dad..."
"Thought I was just the other woman you tolerated." She teases and Jughead frowns slightly.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. The Serpents need all the allies we can get and the fact that you came back here instead of going to the Ghoulies tells me you don't necessarily choose them over us." He says softly.
"I actually came back to Riverdale to settle a debt of my own." She sits by him on the bed and tucks her legs under her. "I won't tell your father about Penny, if you won't tell him what I'm about to tell you."
Jughead nods, and she sighs gently before continuing.
"I left your father and the Serpents because my friend, Ollie - who was also a serpent - went missing. I found out the Ghoulies had him and went to them. I promised their leader that I would join them as long as Ollie was released. They accepted and by the time I was initiated into the gang...Ollie had already been dead and I was trapped. I stayed for months, seeing your father during the day and returning to them at night and I finally tried to leave them. That night Sheriff Keller got me off the train tracks was the night I left your dad. It wasn't just breaking up...it was a goodbye but after I left his trailer, I got caught by a couple of Ghoulies when I was trying to cut and run and I payed for it severely. They did what they wanted and left me outside. When Sheriff Keller found me I was almost dead, Jug. Now that I'm back in town, and not dead, they'll be coming after me once they're out of Prison. I have to find a way to get out of it."
Jughead blinks at her, guilt overcoming him.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't know—"
"You were upset the last time we spoke, Jughead. Rightfully so, so there's no need to feel bad. Okay?"
Jughead nods slowly, still feeling slightly guilty, but glad he and Vivian put their earlier argument behind them. He had enough enemies. He didn't need anymore and neither did she.
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The next day, Alice Cooper storms in to Pop's after Betty tells her she's going to F.P.'s retirement party at the Whyte Wyrm.
"Betty won't listen to reason, so I'm telling you, F.P., if she even thinks about putting on a serpent jacket, I'll have your head." She says loudly to him, approaching the counter.
"I'm working." He tells her, glancing around at a couple people looking at them.
"I won't have our kids making the same mistakes we did." She hisses.
"They weren't all mistakes." He argues harshly. "If you're that worried, come to the party. Chaperone her."
"Are you high on fumes? I can't." She snaps.
"Yes, you can. Stop by. Say high to some old friends." He tries to convince her and she scoffs.
"Hal would never come." She adds, knowing her husband would rather die than go anywhere near a Serpent den.
"Well then leave him." F.P. says it before he can stop himself and she looks at him questioningly. "At home." F.P. saves his slip up and walks away before Alice can respond.
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"I'm confused." Hiram looks at his younger sister. "Why exactly are you going to the Southside with my daughter?"
Vivian fixes her red lipstick and rubs her lips together before turning to look at him.
"Because I have friends there, Hiram. And because Ronnie is best friends with Betty Cooper who's dating Jughead Jones who's father the retirement party is for. Put your egotistical politics aside for one night, mi hermano, and let your daughter go have some fun with her friends and her aunt she hasn't seen in years. Please." She grasps her brother's hand in hers and he sighs, irritated but not wanting to argue further.
"Okay." He nods. "I'm loosening the reins, Vivian, as I always do with you even though you have a tendency to get too spirited when I do so. Just don't drag Veronica in to something we're going to have to pull her out of. Understand?"
"Always, Hiram. Thank you." She kisses his cheek and walks out of her bedroom to see if Veronica's waiting.
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Veronica and Vivian arrive at the Whyte Wyrm, and Vivian grasps her nieces hand, stopping her from going in.
"What is it?" Veronica asks her.
"Before we go in there...I just want you to know that I have a history with these people. And they won't be thrilled to see me. So if something happens, I get called out, whatever it may be, I want you to stay out of it and remember I can defend myself. I told your father I'd keep you out of deep waters tonight and I am. So if I start sinking, stay afloat." She finishes, patting Veronica's shoulder and turning to walk in.
"How the hell do you manage to make an entire gang your enemy?!" Veronica shouts back, not angry, but confused. "Great." She purses her lips together before going in to find Archie.
Vivian steps inside, looking around like a panicked Pit-Bull locating her exits and scoping out potential prey and predators.
The second someone's hand grasps around her wrist, she snaps around, ready to fight, but quickly cowers in pathetic submission at the sight of F.P. Jones.
"The hell are you doing here?" He asks and she opens and closes her mouth, looking for something, anything, to say but failing miserably.
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12 Years Ago
Vivian Lodge strutted to the two cars, their engines revving. Whistles are heard from the crowd around and she smiles to herself.
She naturally rooted for the Serpents mainly because the Ghoulies were all douche bags, plus some of her friends had snake skins, so she typically hung around the gang. This was, though, her first drag race. When her friend Ollie suggested she be the flag girl, she turned down the offer but then decided it'd be something to mark off her bucket list.
F.P. Jones sits on the hood of a truck, beer in his hand as he watches the new face with narrowed eyes.
"Who's she?" She asks Tall Boy and he laughs some.
"That's Hermione Lodge's sister in-law." He tells him.
"She's a bit young, isn't she?" F.P. Thinks aloud.
"About 18 is what Ollie said." Tall Boy tells him.
F.P. Takes in her appearance. Long, black hair falls in waves down her back while tan, toned legs go on for days out of daisy-duke denim shorts. The summer heat is broiling and heavy, so only seems fit that she's wearing a red string bikini top and red strapped heels.
She caught F.P.'s gaze as she made her way between the two cars to begin the race and the group of onlookers clap and holler at the site of the race about to start.
F.P. Doesn't take his eyes off of her as she looks at the two cars. He wasn't lusting, he was just curious as to how the hell Hermione's rich husband managed to lose his sister in Riverdale. But he figured no one was looking for her.
F.P. noticed she didn't have a flag or a scarf or anything to really wave to start the race. No. It isn't until she reaches behind her neck and back at the same time that he realizes what she's about to do.
"Oh, shit." He mumbles and averts his gaze to keep from seeing her bare chest.
The ties that bind her bikini top around her are set free and her top comes off in her hand.
The Ghoulies in the car are astounded but their opponents were anticipating it.
So when Vivian holds her top up and asks if they're ready and steady, without thinking, the Ghoulies nod.
Vivian lowers the "flag", and the Serpents take off while the Ghoulies are a beat behind them due to being distracted.
F.P. Hopped off the back of the truck and headed to Vivian. He avoided looking at her until he took his leather serpent jacket off and put it over her shoulders, covering her bare chest.
She looks up at him and he grins a little.
"Don't want you to catch a cold." He states, sarcastically, before turning to walk away.
She licks her lips and glances down at the leather jacket, humming softly before watching F.P. walk back to where he'd been sitting previously.
.
.
.
"What the hell are you doing here?" F.P. Repeats and Vivian continues to blink at him.
"Why wouldn't I be here?" Is what she comes up with and he scoffs.
"You've made an appearance. Now get the hell outta my bar." He demands, pushing past her.
"No," She argues, following him.
"Vivian, now is not a good time." He turns and glares down at her.
"It was never a good time, F.P. that's one of the reasons I ended up leaving you, remember, or were you too drunk to read it?" She lied, but knew he'd take it personal and be upset by it which was her goal. She didn't expect open arms to be waiting for her, but if he wanted to play dirty, she was up for it.
His jaw twitches, and he cuts his eyes down at his ex girlfriend. Despite her unwelcome visit, she looked good. Last he'd seen her she was dangerously skinny from lack of proper eating mixed in with harsh and heavy doses of drugs.
"Stay if you want, Viv. But when everyone notices you're here, I'm not gonna step in and save you. You know better than to come back here especially after joining the Ghoulies."
"So that's it?" Vivian grabs his hand to keep him from walking away.
"Six years together and that's where it all ends? Not even going to let me explain myself?"
"You spent a good year of the 6 we were together, cheating on me with a Ghoulie, Vivian."
"And you spent the entire relationship going home to your wife. Well, until she left because she couldn't tolerate your drinking anymore."
"My wife didn't love..." He trails off, looking around to see everyone looking at Archie Andrews and Veronica about to start singing Karaoke on the stage.
"...She didn't care about me like I cared about you. We were over a long time before I even met you. We just stayed together for the sake of Jughead and Jellybean. I was with you, I put up with your bullshit, your drug abuse, your infidelity because I cared about you. Key word here, Vivian, is cared. As in past tense. Meaning I could give a fuck about you now. So like I said earlier, get the hell out like you did when you ran."
There's silence for a moment, and the two look to the stage to see Betty Cooper has taken the place of Archie and Veronica.
"God forbid we talk through everything that happened. Right? Because that means we'd have to communicate which we never did. No, we just had sex because that solved our problems."
"Vivian!" He yells at her, but no one notices. They're too busy watching Betty Cooper strip down in lingerie.
"Oh, my god." Vivian mumbles, seeing the teenager put on a show an F.P. Follows her gaze.
"Oh, my god." He repeats. "Where's Jughead?"
"Wherever he's at, he's probably not happy." Vivian adds.
Betty finishes, and everyone stays silent, obviously making the blonde a little self conscious.
F.P. is the first to clap, approaching the stage as the others clap along.
"Quite the show." He mumbles to Betty when he gets on stage. He takes his serpent jacket off and puts it over her shoulders to cover her. "Thanks, Betty." He adds. "Here you go."
She heads off the stage to her worried mother and upset boyfriend.
"Give her a round of applause!" F.P. Encourages. "And show her some of that Serpent Hospitality we're known for!" He continues and Vivian stays in the very back, keeping quiet, hoping no one sees her. "You know I been in and out of the Serpents, since I was younger than my son. And it's been a...a wild ride. Good times, bad times, but through it all the Serpents stuck by my side. While most other people turned their backs on me." He says, and people holler. "My own family included. Now, the letter of the law says that I can't be here in the serpent den. That I can't associate with my friends. My real family. My blood. But I've been thinking about that..." he glances at Vivian and she feels her breathing getting quicker. She knows where this is going and she already hates it for Jughead. "And it'll be a cold day in hell before a snake lets a pig tell him what to do. North side wants me out of this gang, well they better bring a coffin because F.P. Jones isn't retiring! I will not go silently in to the night, I'm here to stay! So bring the fire!" This sets the crowd off in a loud combustion of cheers and claps.
He gets off stage, receiving pats on the back and more cheers as he walks through the crowd to get to Jughead.
"What happened to retiring?" He asks and his father embraces him.
"I know about the snake charmer." F.P. says as he still holds his son. "And the delivery you did and the debt you owe her. It was the one thing, son. The one thing I asked you not to do."
"I can fix this. Just let me talk to her—"
"No." F.P. cuts his short. "I'm in, you're out. Penny's my problem now." With this, F.P. pulls away and looks at Jughead directly in his eyes before grasping either side of his head. "You broke my heart, Jughead." He says to him before kissing his forehead.
"Shots! Let's line 'em up!" Someone shouts and Vivian watches as people crowd around F.P.
"Hail to the king." Tall Boy says once F.P. is handed a shot of what looks like Jack Daniels to Vivian. They toast to it and F.P. Throws back the burning alcohol, glaring at Jughead before he lets Tall Boy guide him away from his son.
.
.
.
"Jughead, I didn't tell him, I swear." Vivian defends herself. "I promise I didn't."
"I don't even care anymore. I just want to leave, if you'll excuse me." He grabs his helmet for his motorcycle and walks to the door.
Everyone was starting to leave, the bar getting quieter and quieter. F.P. was seated at the bar, slightly tipsy and talking to Toni Topaz as she cleaned up behind the bar.
"What the hell happened to the straight and narrow and AA?" Vivian brings up what she overheard at the diner and F.P. bites down his jaw and shakes his head.
"I'm not very nice when I'm drunk, Vivian, you know it. So don't come over here and provoke me because I won't hesitate to put you back in your place and then some."
"I'm not the one out of line this time, F.P., Jughead was depending on you to call it quits and do right."
"You know, you should be thanking me, Viv. Because if I were to retire and leave the Serpents, who the hell would be able to protect you from god knows when you try to join again? Hmm?" He looks at her and she rests her chin on her hand.
"I thought you said you didn't give a fuck what happened to me?"
"We should be good at figuring out when we're lying to each other since we did it so damn much." He says and Vivian grins a little.
.
.
.
"And all I gave you is gone
Tumbled like it was stone
Thought we built a dynasty that heaven couldn't shake
Thought we built a dynasty like nothing ever made
Thought we built a dynasty forever couldn't break up"
— "Dynasty" by MIIA