After that ordeal, I peeled my shoes off the second I stepped into the house. I kicked the door closed, and then padded over to the couch and fell face-first into the plush surface. I let out an exaggerated groan when my phone started to ring. I blindly reached into my purse and grabbed my phone, putting it to my ear. "Yes?" I muttered.

"Hey, Lia." Cheryl's voice echoed softly into my ear.

"Baby, it's like…midnight, is everything ok?"

"Um…I-never mind-"

"Cheryl, don't do that, tell me, what's wrong?"

"...can…can you come pick me up?"

"Sure." I groaned as I sat up, heading upstairs to my room. "Give me, like, ten minutes and I'll head out, where are you?"

"I'm uh…I'm out the front of my place?" I put my phone on speaker as I quickly got out of the dress I was wearing and pulled on a pair of dark blue jeans and a black, long-sleeved top.

"How long have you been standing out there?"

"I don't know, ten, fifteen minutes?"

"Why didn't you call me earlier?" I slipped my feet into some slippers and grabbed my phone again, taking it off speaker and tucking it in between my ear and my shoulder as I hurried downstairs, grabbing my car keys as I did so. "Look, Cher, I'm on my way now, I'll see you soon, ok?"

"Yeah, ok…thank you Lia." I tucked my phone into my back pocket as I hopped in the car, starting it quickly. I headed over to Cheryl's place, slowing down when I caught her standing outside Thistlehouse…with a suitcase. I sighed softly, pulling up next to her. Cheryl looked up at me underneath her lashes. I got out of the car and approached her, drawing Cheryl close. Cheryl rested her head on my shoulder and gripped the back of my shirt in a tight grip.

"What happened?" I asked softly.

"Mother has a more…permanent visitor." Cheryl muttered bitterly. "And I just… don't want to be in that house anymore." I kissed the side of Cheryl's head.

"Come on, let's get you back to my place." Cheryl nodded against me. I guided Cheryl into my car, and then put her suitcase in the back. I got in the driver's seat, taking Cheryl's hand and lacing our fingers together as I drove back to my place. When we got there, I grabbed Cheryl's suitcase again and lead her into my house. "Did you want to crash in the guest room-"

"Can I sleep with you?" Cheryl rushed out. "I…feel safe when I sleep next to you." I gave Cheryl a gentle smile.

"Yeah, no problem." I said softly. I let Cheryl wash up first, changing into my pj's myself, bed shorts and an old Led Zeppelin t-shirt. When Cheryl exited the bathroom, I headed in to clean my face and prep for bed. I left the bedroom pulling my hair into a bun. Cheryl was sitting on the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest. I sat next to her. Cheryl turned to me with a sad look in her eyes. "It'll be ok." I assured her. "I've got you."

"Thank you, Lia." Cheryl replied. I gave her a small smile.

"Come on." I guided Cheryl to lie down on the bed and drew the covers over us. Cheryl curled into my side, clutching my shirt. I wove my arm around Cheryl's shoulders and drew her closer.

TIMESKIP

Sitting in the student lounge the next day, I could feel a headache starting to pound at my temple as Veronica and Jughead argued. "Veronica, are you trying to manage me right now?" Jughead demanded.

"Define manage." Veronica wondered.

"V, this isn't some out-of-season bag you can just throw away." I spoke up. "A lot of people are losing their homes because of this."

"Jughead, Lia, why don't you come over with your dad and sit down with my dad, and hash this out like civilized humans, face-to-face?" Veronica asked. Jughead looked at me and I shrugged.

"Okay, one condition." Jughead said. "Your dad comes to Sunnyside Trailer Park. I want him to see the people that he's gonna be displacing."

"Fine. And trust me, no one is being displaced."

"Oh, my God, did you guys hear?" Kevin asked as he approached our group. "My dad's scanner's blowing up. The police found another dead body this morning, there's blood everywhere."

"Could the Black Hood have risen from the grave?" Jughead asked.

"Did they say whose body?" Archie wondered.

"Where did they find it?" Betty added.

"The investigation's ongoing." Kevin told us. "But apparently, it was a gruesome, gangland-style execution at the motel, with blood and brains splattered all over the duvet-"

"Okay, Kev, we get it." Archie interrupted.

"I gotta go." Betty said. She then stood and rushed out of the room. I watched her go with a small frown. Jughead then shifted towards me.

"I'm gonna talk to Mayor McCoy about the Trailer Park." Jughead told me. "You wanna come?"

"I can't." I told him. "I've got stuff at home I'm sorting out, but tell me how it goes, yeah? And I won't be able to make it to the meeting with Dad and Hiram, either."

"Everything ok at home?"

"Yeah, everything's fine, I'll let you know when it's all over." I grabbed my bag and shouldered it and headed out.

TIMESKIP

Turns out, Hiram wanted to pay off the Southside's rent debt, but in turn, Jughead's article would have to be scrapped, essentially. But, knowing our father and Jughead, the deal was off. On another note, Cheryl had moved back into Thistlehouse, for the time being, and called me to complain that it was Hal Cooper was her mother's more permanent visitor. I told her that my home was open to her whenever she wanted. Mayor McCoy stepped down as Mayor, and said that she would start up as a lawyer again. At school, Cheryl approached me at my locker. "I'm going to tell Betty." She said.

"Tell her?" I repeated as I closed my locker. "Tell her about…?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"I remember what you were like when you found out about your mum." Cheryl admitted to me. "I don't want Betty to feel the same way if she heard about it years down the line." I gave her a small smile.

"That's honourable of you." I told her. "Did you want me to be with you when you tell her?"

"Please." I nodded, and Cheryl gave me a small smile. The two of us found Betty quickly.

"Hi." Betty greeted softly.

"Betty." Cheryl started. "I wasn't going to tell you about something, but all night long I kept tossing and turning in my can-"

"Cheryl." I interrupted softly. "Not the point.

"In my bed." Cheryl corrected. Betty's phone went off and she glanced at it. "Thinking, 'I'd wanna know', but I take no pleasure in sharing this with you."

"Uh, actually, Cheryl, Lia I gotta go." Betty told us. "Chic texted me, he's at home with my dad."

"B, this is about your dad." I told her. "Just…listen…ok?" Betty looked between us.

"My mother has admitted to me that…" Cheryl took a breath. "That your father and her are having a…" Cheryl swallowed. "They're having an affair."

"What?" Betty demanded softly.

"It's true, I saw him leave Thistlehouse. I knew she was seeing…someone regularly, but I didn't know it was him, I promise."

"I…have to go." Betty said before turning and walking away.

"I'm proud of you." I told Cheryl. "The old you would have used that as blackmail." Cheryl looked up at me and gave me a small half-smile. "Come on, let's head out.