I woke up the next morning for the first time in a while without any baby screaming noises.
I went to wake up my Dad, thinking about Betty's suggestion last night that Dad and I go to Pop's for breakfast. My stomach rumbled at the mere thought of Pop's delicious maple bacon and choc-chip pancakes.
Dad and I were at Pop's 10 minutes later; he couldn't resist an offer for Pop's as much as I could. We had a nice meal, catching up on each other's lives.
Dad had come over to the Cooper's a couple times, to visit me and Caddy, and Alice. I smiled thinking about those two. Alice and Dad both wouldn't admit that there was something between them, at least to other people, but Betty, Jug and I all knew there was something there.
Dad paid for the meal and then drove me over to the Cooper's. When I got there it around 10 am. I hoped that wasn't too early for Betty, thinking about how she didn't want me to come back for a while. I waved goodbye to Dad as he drove off after dropping me off at Betty's.
Knocking on the door, I heard voices inside, and men's voice that didn't sound like Chic's, and a woman's that didn't sound like Betty's or Alice's. I wondered who could be over as I knocked again.
The door opened slowly to reveal Betty, fear evident in her eyes.
"Is everything alright?" I asked her, concerned and confused.
"Yeah," She replied, but obviously it wasn't. "Look Jb, you have to go-"
She was cut off by the unfamiliar woman's voice behind her. "No, let her in," the voice told her.
I watched as the blood drained out of Betty's face as she stepped aside and opened the door wider to able me to come in. What I saw before I was not what I was expecting.
Ryder was playing pool at the Whyte Wyrm when Jughead burst in the building. He demanded everyone to follow him. Ryder stood up, wondering what was going on. Outside Jug quickly explained to everyone that Betty had called him and that there were two people in her home and they were threatening them.
"Has everyone got their switchblade?" Jughead questioned. A murmur rose from the group, everyone answering yes as a Serpent was never without a weapon.
Ryder was thinking. Jb told him last night that she was staying at the Cooper's, so maybe she was there too. God, he hoped not. Maybe she was still with FP. There was no time to call him and see as Jughead ordered everyone on their motorbikes and to follow him once again to the Cooper's.
The group of Serpents arrived at Betty's house in under 10 minutes, and as they jumped off their motorbikes and headed to the door, Ryder caught up with Jughead and warned him that Jb might be inside too,and that Caddy was definitely in the house.
Jughead swore under his breath. "I didn't even think about that." He said, letting part of his anger out by kicking open the door, not even bothering with trying the nob.
"What's going on?" I questioned, wondering who these two-strange people were and why they were in the Cooper home.
"Let's just say that we know a dirty secret that the Cooper's have been hiding, and we have an agreement that includes the Coopers giving us this money that Betty is holding and us not telling the Sheriff anything. And now that you heard all that, you are now staying here along with your friends." The ugly looking lady told me. I looked at Betty and saw for the first time that she was holding a bag from the bank in town, which I assumed held the money that the criminal pair wanted. I wondered briefly what secret the Cooper's could be hiding, but a thought crossed through my mind.
"Where's Caddy?" I asked Betty frantically. "Is she alright? They haven't hurt her, or anything have they?"
"Caddy's fine, they haven't touched her, I've made sure of it," answered Alice who was sitting on the couch along with Chic, Betty's 'brother'.
"Thank God," I breathed, joining Betty as she went to stand beside the couch beside her mother as the man motioned for them to do so, he taking a spot beside the chair where the woman sat.
"Why did you come back Betty?" I heard Alice whisper to her daughter. Piecing it together in my head, I guessed that Betty had just gotten back from the bank where she got the money in the bank that Betty had just passed to the woman.
The man spoke up, directing his voice to Betty. "You know, it took me more than a week to get that pepper spray out of my eyes."
"Next time maybe don't attack my brother with a box cutter," Betty shot back, and the guy's face twitched angrily. I suspected that Betty had met the burly man before.
"It's all here," the weird looking lady spoke up after counting all the money. "Nice work."
"Okay, well you have your money, now go" Alice ordered.
"What are you talking about?" The man spoke again. "I just got here."
"Yeah, and Riverdale's so much nicer than Centerville" Drawled the woman. I glanced down to my phone, wondering if I should sneak a phone call to my Dad or the police at least, but Betty saw my moment and shook her head no. "And this house… I could get used to this house." The woman continued to drawl.
Chic suddenly stood up, causing Alice to stand up as well, she grabbing his arm to stop him. "You said if we gave you the money you would leave." Chic challenged them.
"Or what? You think the three of you can take us?" the woman shot back. "Try it."
"Sit you ass down Chic," the man warned, as he turned to Betty and I and slide open a box cutter knife, "or I'll cut out these girl's eyes."
Just then the door burst open, and in its wake was a group of Serpents, including Fangs, Joaquin, Sweet Pea, Ryder and many other young Serpents, all following Jughead. The group marched into the living room and they all flicked open their own switchblades. I looked at Betty who smiled as if she had already won.
"You think you two can take all of us?" Betty used the criminals words against them. 'Try it," she mocked.
"You brought back up," the woman observed. "That mean you want me to go to the Sheriff? Start making a stink?"
"Well ,that's your call." Betty told her. "But my backup and me, we're friends with the Sheriff's son, so whose side do you think he'll pick?"
"The Cooper's are one of the most respected families in Riverdale," Jughead spoke up, walking closer to the pair. "You two are just a couple of Centerville scumbags."
"Anything that was in your car the swamp washed away, or else we'd have heard about it by now," Betty told them. "So why don't you just take the money and run," Betty suggested.
Jughead raised his knife towards the pair, and the man and woman exchanged a look and then stood up and headed out the door as most of the Serpents followed them to make sure they didn't come back.
Alice let out a sigh of relief and she and Betty shared a hug. Just then a baby's cry came from upstairs.
"I'll get her," I told Alice and Betty who both started towards the stairs.
"I'll go with you," said Ryder, who I just realised stayed behind as the other Serpent's left.
"Are you alright?" he questioned as we walked up the stairs. "They didn't hurt you?"
"I'm fine," I assured him, placing my hand on his arm. Ryder looked sceptical, but he stayed silent as we continued climbing the stairs and walked to the makeshift nursery. I stepped towards the crib, and lifted up Caddy, rocking her while gently humming a soft lullaby.
Ryder suddenly spoke up. "You look so beautiful when you're holding your sister. Not that you're not beautiful when you're not holding her, of course."
"Of course," I said, blushing. I looked at Ryder. "Would you like to hold her?"
"Uh, sure," He agreed, holding out his arms as I gave him Caddy, her now quiet. I watched Ryder fumble with the baby for a moment, staying close in case he dropped her, but he seemed alright after a while. I laughed as I stepped back to look at the scene before, pulling out my phone and snapping a photo of it.
"Hey!" Ryder exclaimed as he noticed the phone.
"Sorry, it's just so funny to see a tough Serpent like you look so afraid of such a little baby," I laughed.
"I'm not afraid of her, just afraid of dropping her" he combatted.
"Same thing."
"And Serpents are known for having a soft spot for some things," Ryder said with a sly smile.
"And what things might that be?" I questioned flirtishly, walking slowly towards him.
"Well, for one, cute little babies named Cadence."
"And two?"
"That baby's beautiful, funny, kind-hearted, brave older sister."
I blushed thinking how sweet he was to say that.
I reached up a cupped Ryder's jaw with my hand, gently pulling his face down for a kiss. I sighed as our lips connected; even though it had been less than 24 hours since I kissed him, I still missed it. The kiss deepened, but we were interrupted again, this time by Caddy who started crying again, probably because we were squashing her between our bodies.
I chuckled, taking Caddy back in my arms to calm her once again.
Author's note: Disclaimer: I do not claim to have come up with the idea of the Coopers been held hostage by the 'Centerville scumbags' and I admit that some of the dialogue in that scene where the Serpents come to the rescue is directly from Riverdale season 2 episode 17. I hope you liked this chapter, I know I liked writing it! I just had to add in my favourite scene from the latest episode, my apologies for spoiling that for those who haven't watched that episode yet. Please review and let me know what you think!