A/N: Really quick, I would like to thank Lola Tudor, Acklesldjit, Raiden Kagutsuchi, jenniferlafage, AJSM, littlestfawn, German Beauty, Kylie Winchester, and the guest that reviewed this story as well!
Playlist:
1 - Feel it Still by Portugal. The Man (Opening scene)
2 - The Night We Met by Lord Huron (Flashback to Vivian and FP talking at the bar + the flashback of Vivian and FP getting back to the trailer after leaving the bar)
3 - Forever Young by Alphaville Moonbase (FP and Vivian reminisce at Pop's)
4 - Born Ready by Zayde Wolf (Closing scene)
Chapter Two
Vivian Lodge wakes up the next morning, the sun hitting her face from where's she's spread out on FP's bed.
She looks down to see she's in a long sleeved shirt with a few buttons at the top of the collar.
The events from last night rush back to her, and she groans out in a yawn before ripping the covers back. She winces, her thighs and pelvis slightly sore, and she walks in to the kitchen, jumping slightly when she sees Jughead.
He looks at her, eyebrow raised and mouth full of cereal as he sits at the table.
"Why aren't you at school?" She asks, realizing he picks up what happened between her and his father.
"It doesn't start until 8:30 and it's 7:40 right now. Why aren't you at your own place?" He asks her in the same tone and she has to think quickly.
"I, um," she starts but FP comes inside. "Why am I not at the Pembrook?"
"You know why." He tells her, looking for something in the kitchen cabinets.
They were drunk when they left the bar, stumbling down the street from the Wyrm to the trailer park under Toni Topaz's supervision. The hangover hadn't kicked in yet, but Vivian knew it was coming soon and she felt a guilty burn in her stomach.
She crosses her arms and avoids Jugheads critical stare between the two adults.
"Well, bummer I missed such an entertaining homecoming." Jughead pipes sarcastically.
"Bite me, Edger Allen Poe." She spits back in the same faux irritated voice he used.
"Knock it off before I knock your heads together." FP warns.
"Dad, we were just joking around." Jughead explains.
"No, Jug, don't let it get to you. He's just stressed and pissy about Penny running him around like a little bitch on a leash. Although he's the one who's letting her." Vivian snaps, sitting on the counter with one leg hanging off of it.
"Piss off, Viv. Stay outta this, it's Serpent business." FP barks at her.
She scoffs and crosses her arms as Jughead quietly eats. FP props his foot on one of the chairs to lace up his boots, and Jughead looks at him.
"Speaking of which, I was thinking about our Penny problem." He starts.
"My problem, not ours."
"Well, I am the one she has on camera delivering drugs." Jughead argues.
FP looks out of the window and sighs.
"How I deal with Peabody is my concern. I'm handling it." He tells his son and looks at Vivian before walking to the door.
"By pimping the Serpents out as drug runners?" Jughead questions boldly.
"Boy!" FP shouts, causing Vivian to flinch before pointing his finger at his son.
Jughead rolls his jaw as his dad opens the front door.
Tall Boy comes in, holding a large bag.
"Toss them in the corner." FP orders and Tall Boy listens.
"Hey, what's in the bags, Tall Boy?" Jug rebelliously asks and Vivian seals her lips shut to keep from laughing.
"Hey, what did I just say?" FP raises his voice. "Mind your damn business and get to school." He commands his son.
Jughead stands, angry and frustrated, before storming past his father.
"Bye, Jug." Vivian mumbles and he gives her a sorry excuse of a half smile before leaving.
"The hell's she doing here?" Tall Boy shoots daggers at Vivian. "Hoped you'd be dead by now." He adds and she doesn't say anything, letting FP handle it.
"None of your concern, Tall Boy. Thanks for the help but leave her be. I'm handling vendetta's against her, soon. Got it?"
Tall Boy doesn't say anything else, he just sneers at Vivian and slams the door behind him.
"Cut him some slack, FP." Vivian sighs.
"You want me to go tell him you're up for having the shit beat outta you or something? Since when the hell do you defend Tall Boy?" He asks.
"Not him." She waves her hand. "Jughead." She clarifies.
"I don't wanna talk about it." He walks back to his room and she hops off the counter and follows him.
"FP."
"I said 'no', Vivian." He states sternly, looking at her where she leans against the doorway.
"So you find none of this shit with Penny infuriating enough to put your foot down and tell her it's done with?"
He leaves the room again, and she follows, again.
"Leave. It. Be. Vivian. Do like Jug and mind your own business."
"Used to, shit like this was my business, FP. Neither of us made major decisions like doing business with Penny Peabody without consulting the other."
"I've been in it with Penny before you were even thought of, Vivian. My debt extends back years of my life.
Long before I ever met you and long before we were ever together. So no, this isn't something I would've consulted you about because it wasn't your decision to help me decide. And it still isn't. So you stay in your business and I'll gladly do the same."
"Are you forgetting that the drugs that I destroyed myself with, FP, are the very drugs that I got from Penny through the Ghoulies?"
"I'm not gonna tell you again, Vivian!" He screams, and she rolls her eyes. "I'm a grown ass man and I do not have to explain myself to you, or to Jughead, or anyone else. Got it?"
"Right." Vivian agrees smartly. "Just Penny?"
FP stops himself before he completely snaps.
"I'm gonna go down to the Wyrm and start helping with the charity works." She goes back to his bed room and puts her clothes from the previous night, on.
As she's stepping to the door, FP stops her, shoving her against the wall beside the door, peering down at her.
"I am doing what I have to do." He tells her quietly, glancing between her eyes and her red-stained lips from last nights lipstick. "I need you and Jug to try to comprehend that." He finishes and she rubs her lips together.
"He's a child, FP." She defends Jughead. "He can't understand that."
"And what's your excuse?" FP gets closer to her, and she feels her heart racing.
"Blatant defiance out of Boredom." She replies sarcastically. He scoffs, holding back a grin and pushes off of the wall and away from her, shutting the door behind him as he goes outside.
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12 years ago
Every serpent shouts with excitement as Ollie zooms past the finish line where the race started. The Ghoulies come in last and a majority of the Serpents rush towards the winning car.
Vivian, who's put her swimsuit top back on, kicks her heels off and runs as fast as she can to Ollie as he steps out of the car and catches her when she jumps on him, wrapping her legs around his waist, planting a kiss on his cheek.
FP walks to them as everyone else follows. Vivian's feet hit the warm pavement when she pulls herself away from her best friend. The heavy leather serpent jacket that was given to her to cover up with slides off of her shoulders and she reaches out and hands it to FP. He glances her over while she's distracted trying to rub her lipstick off of Ollie's cheek.
She licks her thumb, rubbing it in circles and her friend cringes.
"I'm not a fuckin' cat, Viv." He chuckles and she scoffs. "You don't have to groom me."
"I don't need Magnolia trying to kill me when she sees lipstick on you. She already thinks you're sleeping with me." She argues, finally getting the vibrant red off his skin.
"She's just mad that I can tolerate you more than I can her." He replies with a roll of his eyes and she raises a brow.
"You married her."
"Because I knocked her up." He explains.
"I told you to use a condom." She mumbles and he looks at her before nudging her wig his shoulder to push her a little. She does the same and he pretends he's going to hit her and she sticks her tongue out at him.
Ollie hadn't told Viv much, but apparently there was a lot riding on the race between the two gangs, so she understood why he was in a good mood.
FP makes his way to the victor, putting his arm around him after patting him on the back of couple of times.
The Ghoulies approach, furious, and Ollie tucks Vivian behind him.
"You cheated!" His opponent shouts. "Getting your Northside-Bulldog Bitch to turn tricks is pretty low, even for you ground hugging Serpents!"
"What the fuck did you just call her?" Ollie practically lunges at him but FP gets between them.
"We didn't know she would do that. There's no need for violence." FP tries to reason with them.
"We want a rematch." One of the Ghoulies hisses at FP, glaring at Vivian. "Winner gets the slut."
"Hell no." Ollie barks.
"Fine." Vivian says at the same time and he looks at her like she's crazy.
"No." He states sternly.
"Yes." She argues.
"Viv," He says lowly. "You don't have any idea the disgusting things they'll do to you. No."
"Good. You'll be motivated." She crosses her arms as she speaks. "Fine." She tells the Ghoulies. She extends her hand and the leader of the other gang shakes it roughly, crushing her bones in his grip.
"Glad to have been able to get a preview of what we're getting when we win." He says slimily, obviously looking back down at her chest.
"Hold on to that thought if it helps you sleep at night." She sneers back, and FP gently gets her to back away from him.
"Be here, this time next Friday." The Ghoulie orders. "And don't waste too much of your energy." He tells Vivian. "You're gonna need it to keep up with what all we're gonna be doing Friday night."
Ollie throws a punch before FP can stop him, and it turns in to a full fledged brawl between the Serpents and Ghoulies before Vivian can even blink.
She backs away from the group quickly, and rushes to Ollie's car, knowing he has a pistol under the seat.
She fires the gun in the opposite direction, and everyone stops fighting, giving FP time to get everyone separated.
.
.
.
"What the fuck, Viv?!" Ollie shouts when they get back to the Whyte Wyrm and she rubs her lips together and starts to chuckle. "Sorry, did I miss something? This shit isn't funny, Vivian. You have no idea what the fuck you just did."
"It's a street race, Ollie. Not the fucking olympics. They're full of shit and bluffing." She argues with a shrug and Ollie looks at FP, who's leaning against the bar.
"Ghoulies are a pretty serious bunch. They tend to go through with whatever it is they say." FP's voice takes Vivian slightly off guard, and she turns to look at him.
"And who's this coming from?" She asks smartly and FP raises his brows at her Brazen attitude.
"Jesus, Viv." Ollie sighs, rubbing his forehead. "He's my boss." He snaps and she looks between the two men. "Not that you were worried with who he was when you showed everyone your tits earlier." He adds and she looks at him.
"You won, didn't you?" She grumbles rhetorically And goes behind the bar to pick out a bottle of alcohol.
"That's not the point, Vivian. You're like a sister to me. I didn't ever want to see your..." He motions to her chest.
"I thought it was a pretty smart tactic." FP cuts in and Vivian grins and raises her brows at Ollie, glad that she wasn't the only one who thought she was in the right.
"You only think that because you enjoyed the view." Ollie says harshly and irritated and FP scoffs.
"Ollie, you're always telling me to make mistakes and learn from them." She starts, taking the bottle of Cuervo she picked out, and putting salt on her hand. "I can't make mistakes," she continues, licking the salt off but before she can take a swig of tequila, ollie takes the bottle away. "If you don't stop smothering me." She discards his actions and picks up a slice of lime from inside the fridge behind the bar and sucks on it.
"I wouldn't smother you if you would make rational decisions to begin with. A mistake you learn from would be having unprotected sex and having a pregnancy scare. Wagering yourself off to a group of complete barbarians who're more than likely just going to use you as some sort of sadistic play thing until they get bored of you and then kill you, is not a mistake you learn from because you probably won't live long enough to learn much from it." He replies and she rolls her eyes.
"Ollie, you'll win. I won't go to that group of rodents and all will be good. Have some faith in me because I don't place bets like that if I know there's the slightest chance of me having to put my money where my mouth is." She reassures him and he shakes his head slowly.
"It's not money you're gonna have to put where your mouth is if we lose, Viv, it's your freedom." With this, he sighs heavily and walks out of the bar, slamming the door and leaving Vivian and FP alone.
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.
.
Vivian sighs, brushing the memory away as she steps in to the penthouse of the Pembrook to get a shower and change clothes.
"You're home." Hiram says from the breakfast table, giving his sister a smug look. "Any visible snake bites?" He glances her over and she furrows her brows. "André had to pick Veronica up. You never returned. I was thinking I should call Sheriff Keller and report you missing but then I remembered skinny dipping in snake invested Waters is how you enjoy spending your time here in Riverdale."
"How I spend my time, and who I spend it with, is my business, Hiram. Don't play the over protective brother when we both know you only do so to make yourself look good for your agenda. So save it." She growls out, walking behind him to the guest bedroom.
"Of course, hermana." He says to himself as her door slams shut.
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.
Vivian makes it back to the Whyte Wyrm after showering and scrubbing tequila out of her pours. Getting ready for whatever was to come her way, she holds her chin up and shuts her car door, taking a deep breath.
Jughead Jones has just gotten inside the bar when he heard the door open. He and Toni look up, and Toni holds back a grin as she sees Vivian enter.
"This is about to get interesting." She mumbles to Jughead.
"What are you doing here?" Vivian asks Jughead when she gets to them and he looks at Toni.
"Half day." He tells Viv. "What're you doing here?"
"Skinny dipping in snake infested waters." She says smartly and Jughead furrows his brows. "At least that's what my brother calls associating with you guys."
Jughead laughs without humor and rolls his eyes.
"Doesn't surprise me." He mumbles.
Vivian notices Byrdie staring at her and she can't brush it off.
"Take a picture, Byrdie. It'll last a hell of a lot longer." She snaps and Byrdie chuckles emptily.
"Dug yourself from railroad-grave just to spite us?" She replies smartly and Vivian turns to face her.
"Wouldn't miss an opportunity to see the look on your faces when I walk through the door, unscathed." She shoots back sarcastically and Byrdie scoffs to herself, not saying anything else.
Vivian brushes it off and Looks at Toni.
"Hey, Thank you for making sure FP and I got home last night. I really appreciate it." She expresses genuinely and Toni looks at Jug before replying.
"No problem. FP's done more than enough for not only the Serpents but for me. I figured helping him get home in one piece was the least I could do." Toni shrugs after she's done talking.
"He shouldn't have been drinking to begin with." Jughead mumbles. "It was my fault. My mistake with Penny is the only reason he didn't retire. Now he's drinking again."
"He's not drinking again, Jug. It was a one time thing and it was probably my fault he was getting drunk. When your psychotic ex-mistress bitch from hell who left because of a drug induced relationship with a Ghoulie prick comes back in to town, it opens old wounds." She states Dramatically in half sarcasm. "I don't blame him for that."
"And what's the aftermath of the psychotic ex-mistress bitch from hell who left because of a drug induced relationship with a Ghoulie prick and my dad sleeping together?" Jughead asks blandly and her eyes widen slightly. "I'm not stupid, Viv. I know what happened when you and my dad got home last night."
"Although unintentional on both parts and possibly a major mistake, young ward, I intend to use the predicament from last night as persuasion to further your 'get rid of Penny' agenda."
"In other words, she hopes to have your dad pussy-whipped so when she presents the idea of stopping dealings with the snake charmer, he'll give in." Toni follows up on Vivian's drift and The Lodge serpent grins.
"I like you." Vivian says with a wide smile at Toni.
Jughead decides to change the subject, truly noticing the toys and canned foods laying around the bar.
"What is all this?" He asks and Toni clears her throat.
"It's Serpent tradition. Every year we give back to the Southside. Toys for tots, meals on wheels, kids and old folks living alone." She explains.
"The Hell's Angels do it." Fangs, who'd been across the bar until a few seconds ago, adds and Jughead looks at Vivian, who's going behind the liquor bar.
"Always down for charitable works." Jughead says, not completely paying attention due to his focus on Veronica's aunt. She pours salt on her hand, licks it off, and instead of taking a shot of tequila, she just sucks on a lime.
"What?" She asks, seeing Jughead staring at her.
"Nothing." He shakes his head. "Hey, have you seen my dad?" He asks Toni.
"Why aren't you in school?" FP's voice scatters through the room as he comes down the stairs in the corner with Tall Boy following and Jughead looks at him.
"It's a half-day before break." Jughead tells him slightly nervous.
Tall Boy glares at Vivian and she returns the intimidating gaze with her own.
"Well, in that case, you can hold down the fort here, Jug." FP orders his son and Vivian furrows her brows.
"For what?" She speaks before she can stop herself. FP looks at her and shakes his head slightly, silently telling her to not ask questions about it.
"Or I could come with you guys," Jug says eagerly, following his dad to the counter of the bar where there's a duffel bag waiting.
"Nice try, the answers no." FP replies monotone and Vivian walks from behind the bar and scowls at him.
"We do need another set of hands, Boss." Tall Boy suggests and FP rubs his lips together.
"There you go." Jughead adds. "Let me pull my weight."
FP checks to make sure the drugs are in the bag, before he zips it back up.
"Dad," Jughead catches his father's attention again before leaning in closer to say something quietly. "I don't know what the snake charmer has you doing but—-"
"Sweet Pea, you're with us." FP interrupts his son before he can finish. Jughead looks betrayed almost, his mouth slightly open as FP gently nudges his chest with his fist in a "its not personal" way although everyone knows it is. All the while this is happening, Vivian's trying to keep herself from causing a scene. She goes to follow the two guys and the teenager, and Jughead stops her.
"Where are you going?" He asks and she rolls her jaw and ignores him.
"Hey!" She shouts at FP after Tall Boy and Sweet Pea get in to the truck.
The sound of her heels on the gravel parking lot grows closer to him and he clenches his jaw.
"What, Vivian?" He asks as he keeps walking.
"You won't let your own son help you but you have no fucking problem dragging my god child in to this?!" She catches up to him, grabbing his jacket collar and making him look at her.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Ollie assigned me as Sweet Pea's legal guardian if something ever happened to him or Magnolia. He got murdered and Magnolia's locked up in a nut house for the rest of her life."
"And you haven't been here for him at all so what the hell makes you think you can strut up in here with your expensive clothes and pathetic excuses and tell a sixteen year old boy what he is and isn't gonna do, Viv? I sure as hell wouldn't listen to you if I were him. I'd just laugh in your damn face."
"I'm here now. And unlike you, I actually care for the morality of the Serpents and I sure as fuck won't have any of the youth doing queen-Pin-Peabody's dirty narcos business."
"Do you think I want that, Vivian? Huh? I told you earlier this morning I am doing what I have to do."
"No one has to do this, FP. No one has to do anything for that crazy bitch if we just get rid of her."
"Vivian, I'm going. Sweet Pea's coming with me. We'll talk about this when I get home."
"Why so we can argue about it, make up, have sex and then pretend it never happened like we did last night?"
FP looks at the ground, holding back what he wants to say.
"I was drunk, you were drunk, it happened."
"I wouldn't really call it drunk. Just buzzed. Don't act like we didn't know what we were doing."
"Like I said, we'll talk when I get home tonight."
"And what makes you think I'll be there?"
"I don't see you going to stay with Hiram so he can Serpent-shame you." He says before he turns around, places the drugs in the back of the truck and gets on his motorcycle to follow Tall Boy and Sweet Pea.
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The Night Before
FP and Vivian chuckle giddily while they catch up, drunkenly, on what happened ever since she left.
Toni's the only one left in the bar, tired and wanting to go home, but not able to bring herself to stop the two ex-lovers from talking to each other.
"Do you remember Christmas of 2011, I think it was?" Vivian slurs and FP nods his head with a laugh. "When I got the Skunk—"
"You brought the skunk home because he was in the road and wouldn't move out of the way of your car and it turned out to be Pascal's and he lived in the trailer park down a couple houses from me," He holds his face in his hand as he continues to laugh. "I got a black eye from him over that damn skunk because he accused you of taking it and the next morning the damn thing was run over."
"God, and your wife was so pissed." She giggles and he laughs harder.
"'Forsythe Pendelton! What the hell is this and why's it in my house?!'" He mocks his estranged wife and Vivian squeezes her eyes closed, loving the fact her stomach was hurting from laughing so much. "Then she called you!" He points at her and she nods, still laughing.
"'I don't know who the fuck you think you are sleeping with my husband and thinking I'll let the rodents you pick off the street stay in my home!'" Vivian takes a turn at copying the woman's voice and FP's face turns a slight red. "I'm gonna be honest, I miss that hopeless woman screaming at me on a regular basis."
The two calm down, taking some breaths to stop from laughing a lot.
"I do, too, Viv." He sighs. "We just stopped working." It was the closest thing to a sobering moment, before he downs another shot of Straight vodka. "We worked too, you know." He nudges her. "Until Ollie died and then shit hit the ceiling. And then you got on drugs and then started seeing that, uh..." he thinks, trying to remember the man's name. "What was his—"
"Jasper." Vivian says, taking the opportunity to swig the same Vodka FP took a shot out of.
"Jasper." FP says with a slow, dazey nod. "Fucking bastard."
"I didn't want to leave you." She admits, blinking. "I had to. To Protect you." She says it so unclearly Toni has to think about it for a second.
When she sees FP and Vivian get dangerously close, almost kissing, she coughs.
"Hey, guys, I'm about to head home." She says and FP looks at her.
"Oh," he looks at Viv. "Um," he thinks before pointing at Toni. "Can you help us, Kid?"
"Sure." Toni replies, grabbing her bag before she walks over to the two. FP struggles to stand up, but puts his arm around Toni and slightly leans on her to help himself get off the bar stool. Vivian gets on the other side, and Toni takes a deep breath before helping the two down the street to Sunny Side trailer park.
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.
.
Vivian returned to the Pembrook for lunch, to her brother's disliking.
She, Veronica, Hermione and Hiram all cut their steaks up in silence, until her sister in law speaks up.
"Hiram, was that a Spiffany's bag I saw coming through the lobby today? It looked about the right size for a Glamerge egg." She asks her husband sweetly and Vivian feels her nose crinkle at the thought of an egg wrapped in jewels. Her brother and sister in law's overly expensive taste made her nauseous. Vivian owned her own expensive clothes and shoes and jewelry, but she didn't take any of it for granted, nor did she splurge all year round.
"That depends, Mi Amore, have you been naughty or nice this year?" Hiram replies teasingly and Vivian and Veronica furrow their brows.
"Ugh." Vivian almost gags under her breath at the faux affection in the relationship.
Veronica puts her fork down and Hiram looks at her.
"Don't worry, Mija, Santa has your list, too. And please, don't go snooping for the gifts this year. He hates that." He assures her gently.
"Santa can rip up my list for all I care." She snaps and Vivian raises a brow.
That's my girl, Vivian thinks to herself.
"I mean look at us. Throwing money away on bejeweled eggs like we're a family of Russian oligarchs when there are people in this town who can't even pay their own medical bills." She points out.
"And since when are you a communist?" Hermione takes a playful jab but Veronica isn't taking it.
"Since Archie told me that he and his dad are drowning in Fred's Medical bills. To the tune of $86,000."
Hiram tales a sip of liquor as Hermione drinks her wine.
"Which is why I was thinking—"
"Absolutely not." Hiram interrupts his daughter.
"Sweetheart, that's a lot of money." Hermione says at the same time.
"The Lodge Charitable Trust has made its donations for the fiscal year." Hiram explains. "Fred Andrews will have to tighten his belt."
"Hiram," Vivian tries to reason, calmly.
"Said Ebenezer Scrooge." Veronica argues. "Fred's selling Christmas trees for extra cash, dad." She goes on and Hiram takes a deep breath, trying to stay patient. "I mean that's the kind of man, the kind of father, he is!"
Hiram slams his silverware down before standing.
"You know, believe I've some work to finish in my study." He says lowly, stepping out of the dining area.
Vivian grabs her water glass and takes a long swig of it, looking at Hermione before she speaks again.
"Oh, my god, he's a saint." She smiles sarcastically and Hermione downs the rest of her wine.
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.
.
Jughead's sitting on the couch in his and his dad's trailer when the door swings open. FP walks in, looking at his son.
"Did you open them?" He motions to the two duffel bags on the small coffee table in front of his son.
"No, Dad, out of respect for you. But your parole officer, Mr. Walsh, he sure was curious." Jughead replies.
"Walsh was here?" FP asks, walking to hang his keys up on the key ring.
"Yeah. Don't worry I got rid of him. But he's already heard about Serpents moving in to narcos territory."
FP walks to the bags and motions for Jughead to look inside of them as he unzips one.
"Ta-da." He says when Jughead sees the bag's filled with wrapped gift boxes.
"Gift boxes?" Jughead asks, confused. "With drugs in them?"
"No, with gifts in them. For you, your mom and Jellybean." FP replies. "Christmas day I figured we'd take a drive to Toledo and deliver them in person."
Jughead furrows his brows as his father steps to the corner to take his shoes off.
"Dad, this isn't going to work. Today it's gifts, tomorrow it's drugs, or weapons or god knows what."
FP stands up from where he was crouched untying his shoes, and throws his hands up, walking to the kitchen and Jughead follows.
"And how long does this go on for?" Jughead asks next.
"As long as Penny wants." FP shoots back.
"And if her favors keep getting bigger, which you know that they will, what happens when she asks for more Serpents in on this?" Jughead's questions sends a irritated rage through his father.
"Well then I'll bring more Serpents!" FP shouts at his son, throwing his arms down by his sides. "You know what?" He asks, walking to Jughead. "You were right. This isn't going to work. You and I living together so maybe you can go back to Fred's or to Betty's."
"Betty? I split with Betty—-"
"Well then what do you want me to say?!" FP asks frantically.
"I just want you to let me help you fix this mess that I made." Jughead replies weakly.
"Get this through your thick skull, Jughead. We are trapped. We've got no leverage. If that means I've gotta be Penny's dancing monkey for the time being then that's how it goes." He states sternly and Jughead hangs his head slightly. "Now, let me get some rest. I've got a long night ahead of me." FP sighs out, going back to his bedroom.
As if on cue, Vivian enters the trailer and looks at Jughead.
She heard the entire argument, and understood where the both of them were coming from, although she agreed with Jughead more.
When he sees her, he gives her one of the most pitiful looks she's seen in a long time, and she feels her own unique rage.
"We're fixing this." She assures him quietly. "I don't care if I die trying. Penny Peabody's done dragging him around on a leash."
Jughead nods, slight tears welling in his eyes. She hugs him, not able to help herself. She sees someone's sad, she comforts them. That's always how she'd been.
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"Penny Peabody's got my dad dealing drugs." Jughead tells Toni, Fangs, Sweet Pea and the rest of the serpent youth as Viv sits beside Toni on her motorcycle. They'd met up somewhere discreet, later that day, because the topic of the heavy conversation was something no one else could know about. "I know this 'cause she had me doing it before him. Now she's roped in Tall Boy...and Sweet Pea." He motions to the other teenager.
"Man, If you're pissed your old man tapped me instead if you—-"
"No, Sweet Pea, I'm pissed because I don't want the Serpents to end up like the Ghoulies. One of our own has seen and experienced the hell that goes on in the Ghoulies and it's mainly because they're all in on drugs. And I doubt that any of you became Serpents just to be at the beck and call of a drug queen-pin." He says to them. "I know where this ends. Death. Jail. Which is why, in the interest of self preservation we have to take out Penny."
There's a darkness that Vivian hadn't seen before in Jug's eyes and Vivian rubs her lips together.
"Snake Charmer's helped some of us." Sweet Pea argues and Jughead turns and looks at him.
"Oh yeah? And what did she ask for in return, Sweet Pea, huh? How many favors? Now, if we don't stop Penny tonight, she is going to get every single one of us in on this. I promise you." Jughead warns. "I promise you, Sweet Pea. What I'm asking is are you willing to risk your necks to save my dad's life?"
Jughead looks around at everyone and Toni tenses up slightly, standing.
"What is the first law?!" She says loudly, looking around at the rest of them.
"No serpent stands alone." Sweet Pea answers before he stands. "I'm in." He tells Jughead.
"Me too." Toni says next. Jughead looks at her and then Vivian.
"As long as long as you make the bitch pay, I'll go along with anything." Vivian agrees.
"Let's do this." Fangs says next, standing up, too.
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.
.
Vivian and Jughead get back to the trailer, and he stops her before they walk in.
"I'm about to go find out where Penny's meeting my dad and then me and the others will go meet her there in a few minutes. I need you to stay here and keep my dad distracted. If he shows up while we're there, it's over."
"What's your definition of 'distraction'?" She asks and he sighs.
"Play a board game, throw things at each other, have sex, I don't care. Getting rid of Penny is more important to me than what my grown father does with his grown...whatever you are to him." He admits.
"Awe," She grins a little. "If your mom knew you just said that to me she'd kick your ass."
"Yeah, yeah. Call you when it's done." He tells her before getting on his motorcycle and leaving.
Vivian nods, walking in to the trailer. She figures FP isn't up yet from laying down, and she kicks her combat boots off and walks to his bed room.
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The Night Before
Vivian and FP have no clue exactly what happened between saying a half goodbye to Toni and then shutting the door of the trailer, but it was definitely not something either of them would've necessarily gone for 100% sober since she'd just gotten back days before.
But drunk them, missed each other more than sober them would've led on and both of them knew it the second Vivian's back collided with the door after FP trapped her body against it while their tongues, lips, and teeth somehow melded together like they hadn't been broken up for two and a half years. Without separating, Vivian pushes FP's plaid shirt off of his shoulders, the dark T-shirt underneath being snatched over his head a few seconds later.
Her long sleeved crop top follows, the fabric peeling off of her skin. She reaches for his belt buckle as he goes to unclasp her bra and she pulls away to breath for a second.
His lips trail to her neck and she feels herself growing slightly lightheadexd, but grins at the realization of what she and FP are about to do.
"Should we do this?" She asks suddenly, her bra being slipped off her shoulders and falling to the floor. FP looks down at her, taking his own breaths. They both smell of alcohol, but neither of them care.
"We can blame it on the alcohol if we regret it." He suggests. It's clear they're both not as drunk as they were before Toni made them drink bottled water from her bag on the way to the trailer.
"Deal." She takes what she can get and he picks her up, her legs wrapping around his waist while her collarbone meets his lips, then his tongue and she moans, her sharp nails digging in to his shoulder. He carries her to his bedroom, and the second her back hits the plush mattress, her mind goes blank from any thoughts racing through it and she just enjoys FP's company.
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Jughead steps to the door of the basement Penny's in, waiting for his dad.
He knocks on the door, waiting for her to answer.
"FP?" He heats her ask. "You're early old hoss."
The door swings open and Jughead comes face to face with the snake charmer.
"Ho-merry-ho." Jughead says sarcastically and Penny sighs.
"Jughead Jones. Nice crowbar." She glances at the crowbar in his hand and he looks at it.
"This? Yeah I brought it Incase I needed to pry the door open." He drops it and it clatters against the concrete floor.
"Well, you wanna give me a hand with this stuff?" Penny asks as she walks back over to the drugs. "Your dad will be in here in like, what, 15, 20 minutes? He probably won't be too happy to see you, huh?" She asks next and he steps closer to her.
"I wouldn't worry about that, neither of us are gonna be here." Jug informs her.
Penny turns to face him, seeing what she assumed were the other juvenile Serpents, wearing masks over their heads that looked like a snakes head.
"Is this supposed to scare me?" She breathes out. They start walking to her and she feels slight panic. "I would not do this if I were you. You are making a big mistake." She points at the tallest one. "You are making a big—-"
She's cut off by a Black Hood being put over her head.
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FP rolls over in the bed, his eyes still closed peacefully. Vivian doesn't say anything, laying on her side as she faces him. He always looked so stressed. She realizes he doesn't look stressed at all in his sleep, he looks happy almost. Content. She hoped he didn't see the horrors of his reality in his dreams. She hoped being indebted to Penny Peabody didn't exist in his dreams along with any heart break she'd ever caused him. Even if it meant he dreamt about what his family was like before he ever met her. He and his wife being happy, raising their children together instead of trying to raise them in two different cities.
She sighs before she gets up to go soak in the bathtub for a few minutes.
She turns the tap on, getting the water as hot as she can stand it before she puts the drain in the tub and starts undressing. She glances at her phone to see it's 5:00, feeling anxious because Jughead hadn't called her yet.
Her skin burns slightly due to the hot water, but she welcomes it, remembering the nights she stayed at the "House of Death" with the Ghoulies when their water heater broke down and no one was in a rush to fix it so she had to take cold showers for months.
Her eyes close as she leans back, feeling an oncoming sleep approach her. Before she lets herself fall asleep, though, she allows her head to fall in to the water, and she sits back up, rubbing the water from her face.
A few minutes later, she checks the time again. 5:32. Still no sign of Jughead.
FP wakes up to the sound of his alarm going off at 5:30, grabbing his phone and silencing the ringing before he lays in bed for a couple more minutes.
He dreaded helping Penny. He hated it. But he had to do it.
He gets out of bed and heads to the bathroom to splash some water on his face and try to get the sleep from his eyes.
Vivian, now wrapped in a towel, reaches in to the tub and pulls the plug out, setting it on the edge of the tub. The door of the bathroom opens, and she turns her head to see FP.
"Sorry." He says, about to give her some privacy but she stops him by grabbing his arm.
"It's okay." She tells him. "This is your house, I'll go get dressed in the bedroom."
He looks down at her. Her long, dark, wavy hair is wet, her tan skin still has droplets of water on it. Her face looks tired, but she's still beautiful to him.
"No, you can stay in here." He argues calmly. "You were in here first."
"FP..." She trails off, he raises his brows slightly, signaling for her to say what she needs to, and she just makes some crap up. "I think I used all the hot water."
"If this is about last night," he starts, reading her like a book. "I don't regret it. I just wish we wouldn't tip-toe around each other about it. And I'm sorry I did earlier at the Wyrm."
Vivian's almost shocked at the confession, but she doesn't show.
"I was gonna say Penny called you earlier and told me to tell you that she said it'd be a little later than she expected before you could get the shipment out. So I was offer going to Pop's for a milkshake. I'll pay."
FP's mouth cracks in to a grin and he nods a little.
"Okay."
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A wolf howls in the distance as Toni snatches the Hood off of Penny. They were in an empty park in the middle of Greendale, and Jughead planned for Penny to stay there.
Penny looks around, at the Serpents in front of her, and raises her brows.
"Where am I?" She asks them, out of breath.
"You're in Greendale." Jughead says, stepping closer to her. "Your new home. But frankly, Penny, I don't care where you set up shop." He crouches to her level. "But it's not gonna be in Riverdale. And it's not gonna be with the Serpents. You wanna deal drugs? You wanna extort people? That's your business. But not on the Southside. That belongs to us."
Penny laughs, shaking her head.
"You stupid, cocky, kid." She breathes out, holding her left arm out, and lifting her jacket sleeve to reveal her serpent Tattoo. "Serpent law says you can't hurt one of your own."
"Oh, Penny." Jughead says, standing. "It's time you learn." He takes his jacket off, and looks at Toni and Sweet Pea. "Grab her." He tells them and they walk to her and grab either of her arms.
"What are you doing?" She asks the two teenagers. "Get off of me! Get off of me! Get off-Get off of me!" She shouts and Jughead pulls a switchblade out and walks to her.
"That tattoo doesn't make you a serpent." He tells her before he gets down in front of her and starts cutting her tattoo from her Skin.
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.
"Do you remember when I made that stupid bet with Ollie, that I could drink 3 large milkshakes in 10 minutes?" Vivian asks FP as they sit in a booth at Pop's, just receiving their milkshakes.
"I remember you spewing chunks up after chugging half of the second one." He replies and she wrinkles her nose.
"Yeah, That wasn't fun."
"I also remember you telling the Ghoulies if they won the rematch you'd join them and Ollie didn't talk to you until after we won the rematch." He says and she scoffs. "That day was...He recalls the first time meeting her in his mind, and stirs his milkshake with his straw.
"You saw my breasts before we were even friends." She points out and he takes a drink of his milkshake and chuckles.
"I thought Ollie was gonna have a come apart."
"He was overprotective."
"He cared about you enough to try to keep you safe, Viv. I never thought he was overprotective.
Vivian looks at FP and takes a breath in.
"I miss him." She confesses. "I've never said that out loud, but I do...I feel guilty, though, because he trusted me enough to take care of his son Incase anything were to happen to him, or Magnolia and I've been everywhere but Riverdale ever since I ran with my tail between my legs."
"You had a good reason for running."
"Yeah, the Ghoulies. Because they're definitely worth abandoning my family, my home and my boyfriend." She argues.
"They killed Ollie. If you would've stayed in town they would've killed you. You did the right thing by running. And Sweet Pea turned out fine. He's a good kid. He's just like his old man in every aspect but he's a good kid and I'm sure if you'd talk to him about it, he'd be more open to the idea of having his god mother around."
The words calm Vivian, and she exhales and finally nods.
"Thanks, FP."
They continue to reminisce over their milkshakes a little bit before FP refuses to let Vivian pay, and they finally leave.
"I'm probably about to head back to Prison Pembrook." She tells him, stepping to her car and he follows her. "I think my niece has dug her own grave by paying Fred Andrew's medical bills with her mother's credit card. I have to go make sure she's still alive." She reads the text message on her phone screen that Veronica sent her about paying the $86,000 bill for her boyfriend's father.
"I gotta go see Penny." FP replies and Vivian feels a little guilty that she's not telling him the truth about Penny.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow." She says, fiddling with his keys.
"Yeah, drive safe." He pats the top of her car, turning to walk to his motorcycle.
She gets in her car, cranking it but she can't bring herself to leave.
FP experiences this, too, and bites down, frustrated.
Vivian gets out of her car, and FP gets off his motorcycle, tossing his helmet aside.
Moments later, they're in the back of Vivian's car, FP's arms tightly wrapped around Vivian's waist as she straddles his lap.
Before she can reach down to unbutton his pants, her phone rings.
"Shit," She grumbles, seeing Jughead's number. "Hello?" She answers.
"Hey, I just got back home. Did my dad leave already?" He asks and she looks at FP.
"Uh...sorta." She doesn't elaborate and FP furrows his brows. "I'll be there in a few minutes, Jug."
"Alright."
They hang up on each other and Vivian brushes a hair behind her ear.
"Jughead just got back from Hanging out with Toni. He was asking if you'd met Penny yet." She tells him and he sighs.
"I gotta get going." He says and she nods.
"Yeah, me too." She's about to get off of him when he brushes her cheek with his thumb.
"Can we not mention anything about us to him? He's already got so much going on. I don't want to overwhelm him." He suggests and Vivian nods.
"I was thinking the same thing." She assures him.
He gives her a tiny smirk, and kisses her one last time before she gets off of him and lets him out of her car.
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Jughead's in the kitchen when the door opens and he looks up to see Vivian.
He walks to her and she furrows her brows.
"What happened? What did she say?" She asks him frantically.
"Me and the others got her out of Riverdale."
"Got her out? What do you mean?"
"We drove her to Greendale, dumped her at some old park and I got Tattoo off so she can't say she's a serpent anymore." He explains and she raises her brows.
"How the hell did you get it off?"
He stays quiet, seeing her realize what he meant and she shakes her head.
"Jughead. You cut her?"
He just looks at her and she sighs.
"You do realize that your father is going to kill the both of us when he finds out, right?"
"I don't care. As long as Penny's gone." He says honestly to her and she exhales and finally nods.
FP gets back home within an hour, confused as to why Penny wasn't where she told him to meet her.
He gets in the trailer and sees the Pop's bag on the kitchen counter.
"Hey, Dad." Jughead greets him.
"What's all this?" He asks Jughead, motioning to the bag.
"It's a celebratory dinner. She fell asleep right before you got here." Jug says as he walks to the counter and grabs the bag of burgers off of it. "Penny didn't show up for your pick up, did she?"
"No." FP says, unzipping his jacket. "No she didn't. Why, do you know something about that?"
"She's gone, Dad." Jughead turns to tell him. "I rallied the younger Serpents, we drove her out of Riverdale. And I got my pound of flesh in the process."
"Are you nuts?! She will be back, you better believe that!" FP points at him.
"No she won't!" Jughead snaps back. "I was very persuasive...even if she does we will take care of it. You and me and the other Serpents."
Jughead assures his father as FP takes deep breaths, realizing Vivian was more than likely distracting him for his son to do this, also thinking about what the hell He's going to do when Penny returns.
"In unity there's strength." Jughead adds.
"Oh, God." FP says weakly as he throws his hands up and takes a seat on the couch.
"That's the sixth law. While you were in jail, I recited that every day, I lived by that." Jughead continues and FP rubs his forehead. "You want to take my jacket, you want to relegate me to Toys for Tots, Fine. But I am still a serpent, dad, and this...this life that you wanted to protect me from, I'm proud of this. I'm proud of who I am. You can't take that away from me."
"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"
—MIIA, Dynasty