I'll give her points for location. We were only a block away from Betty and Archie. I slammed the door shut on her '66 Nova, nice car actually. The house was much nicer than I had ever lived in, maybe this could work. I walked up the cobblestone driveway and followed her into the living room. I could tell the house had recently been remodeled. "You live here?" I really hadn't meant to sound so surprised.

"I got the insurance money when my ex-husband went missing. Your dad helped me fix it up." I shot her a look of disbelief. "He really is very talented." I raised my eyebrows even higher. "You know, when he's not drinking." At least she's realistic. "Let me show you your room." I followed Anna up the stairs. "Your bathroom is in here," she pointed to a door on the left of the landing, "it has everything you need. If the brands aren't right we can go to the store tomorrow."

"I'm sure it's fine."

"I wasn't really sure what a sixteen year old boy needs." She kept walking down the hall, " this is your room." She opened the door; I couldn't help but smile. I'd never had a real room of my own. "I know it's plain, but if you want to change anything just let me know," she grabbed my hand gently, I flinched, "Jughead, I know you don't know me, hell you probably don't even like me, but I really do want us to be family."

My phone rang.

"Hello?" I didn't recognize the number, but the voice on the other end was familiar.

"Jug. My dad." He was crying and I could barely understand.

"Arch you need to use your words."

"Hospital." My face fell.

"Anna," I dropped my bag on the floor and hung up the phone, "I need to go to the hospital."

"Are you okay?" Her voice was filled with concern.

"Archie's dad is hurt. I need to leave now."

"I'll drive you."

"I'll be fine."

"I'll drive you." This time her voice was firm; it reminded me of my dad when he put his foot down; it gave me chills.

"Fine." We rushed down the stairs and to the car. She drove to the hospital and we made it in record time; Anna could have been a race car driver in a previous life. She expertly drifted the car into a parallel parking spot in the front. "You don't have to come inside."

"Jughead," she grabbed my bicep and I turned to face her, "I'm not sure if you're reckless or stupid, but Riverdale isn't safe anymore. It's my job to keep you safe and I'm not going to fail."

"I've survived this long."

"I'm going to walk you inside. Then I'll leave I have some business to take care of anyway." She let go of my arm and started walking inside. I found my friends huddled up in the ER waiting room crying. Betty stood up.

"Juggie it's bad."

"What happened?" I asked wrapping her in a hug.

"Mr. Andrews got shot." She said between sobs.

"How bad is it?"

"They don't know yet," her eyes finally landed on Anna, "Juggie is this your foster mom?"

"No, Betty this is my step-mom, Anna."

"It's nice to meet you." Betty smiled, expertly hiding her shock.

"It's nice to meet you too." Anna turned to me, "Jughead, I have to go. You stay here with your friends and call me when you want me to pick you up." She held her hand out for my phone, which I handed to her, and she entered her number in my contacts.

ANNA'S POV*

I left the hospital and drove to the White Wyrm. I pulled into FP's spot.

"Hey, Hot Dog." I stopped, crouched down, and ruffled his scruff.

"Anna, where have you been?" Tiny Tony yelled rushing out the door.

"The hospital," Tony's eyes grew concerned, "not for me, Fred Andrews was shot."

"Fuck."

"This is bad for us. Make sure everything is clean the cops are going to be all over us." Tony nodded. I walked into the bar. The bartender had my usual ready, a cherry tonic, a very tame drink for this bar, but no alcohol for me. I grabbed it and nodded to him, "I'm going to the office I have work to do." I sat in FP's office and turned to the computer. I was pouring carefully over hours of video footage from the surveillance system. Then someone pounded on the door. "What do you want?" I screamed.

"Woah, it's just me."

"Jughead what are you doing here? And tell me why you brought your friend. This isn't a place for you."

"Archie needs a place to stay." I saw him turn to the computer screen, it was paused on an intimate moment between me and FP, PG, but intimate. "What are you doing?"

I motioned for them to sit down. "I know that somewhere there's video of Clifford Blossom threatening FP and forcing him to hide the kid's body."

"And if you find it he walks." The redhead replied.

"Exactly, but I've been over every video in the system and it's not there." I turned off the monitor, "this thing with your dad is bad, Archie. Bad for all of us. We have to figure it out before the police."

"They're going to try and pin it on The Serpents."

"No, Jughead they're going to try and pin it on me. I will not give birth to this baby in a cell next to your father."

"You're sure none of them," Jughead pointed out the door to the bar below, "had anything to do with it."

"You mean because they were fired," Jughead nodded, "they were fired by Hermiome not Fred. If they were going to shoot anyone it would be her. Jughead they liked Fred. He earned their respect. He gave them a chance, and he took you in."

Archie slammed his fist on the desk. "This isn't fair."

I put my hand on his fist, "life isn't fair, but we're not gonna take it."