"Don't touch the buttons, Tessie. Your dad is still healing." Abby grabs the little girl who likes making the hospital bed go up and down.
"It's fine, Abs. You don't have to baby me." Fangs pat the spot next to him. Tessie hopped on the bed and pushed the button to put the bed down.
"Says the guy who let her feed him cookies." Sweets scoffed.
"I'm just happy that he's alive." She sat by the foot of the bed to rub his feet.
"So, did anything happen while I was in here?" Sweet Pea and Abby looked at each other. They had decided not to tell him what happened. They didn't want him to be stressed while he was healing. "Come on, you guys have been hiding something from me. I leave the hospital in a few days so you might as well tell me."
"We no longer live in the trailer park, we're living with Grandpa," Tessie announced.
"What? What happened to Sunnyside?" Fangs hissed when he sat up too fast.
"The Ghoulies was released from prison and they called for a war for the Southside. We lost." Sweet Pea summed it up.
"What? Why would we do that if we don't have the numbers?" They have been avoiding the war for so long because of that reason.
"Because FP said you were d-e-a-d to motivate people into going to war. Then they beat up Jughead so he really wanted to go to war." Abby spelled it out not wanting Tessie to know.
"How many did we lose?" Fangs asked.
"A lot, traitors went to the Ghoulies, others were arrested, some went into hiding, and those who could afford to left town. Our numbers are so low, it's like the Serpents don't exist anymore." Sweet felt defeated.
Abby reaches out to squeeze his hand. "We'll make it through this and people will come back to the Serpents."
"I don't fucking want them back. If they're not going to stick it out when it's hard then why should they get to ride with us when we gloriest." Sweet scoffs.
"We will get back to glory." Fangs nod. "Did anything else happen?"
"The Black Hood was caught. It turned out to be Hal Cooper." She informed him.
"Shit, that's crazy." He took in the news. "To think your neighbor was the guy who shot your dad."
"Yeah, maybe one day I can get on that ID show Fear Thy Neighbor." She tried to make a joke because she didn't want to think about it. She hoped that they could put it behind them now that he was caught.
"The scum will never see the light of day again." Sweets was with her in wanting to put it behind them.
"So, with the trailers gone where will we be staying?" He asked.
"You'll be staying with me." She patted his leg.
"What about Toni and the other Serpents?" He wonders.
"We're scattered right now. Most of them are staying at the Wyrm. Toni was living with Cheryl for a while now. I'm surfing on the Andrew's couch. Tessie sharing Abby's room." He explained their whereabouts.
"We can't seem to catch a break." Fangs sighes.
"Yeah, we did. You're still here with us." Abby saw that as the silver lining.
"So this is how it ends, huh? Not with a whimper, but with a memo from Weatherbee." Jughead balled up the paper and threw it to the side. This Swords and Serpents Club meeting was the smallest they ever had with Sweet Pea, Toni, Abby, and Jughead.
"Riverdale High is now suddenly overcrowded. So, starting next week, all former Southside High students will be bussed to Seaside High, which is two hours away." Toni read the paper all Southsiders got this morning.
"Meaning, he blames us for trashing the school during riot night." Sweets cross his arms.
"Well, to be fair, Sweet Pea, you did." Jughead had to hold back the eye roll at him playing the victim when he should be taking responsibility.
He sighes. "What's our play, Jones? Do we have one?"
"I don't know anymore, guys. I can't keep fighting for a gang that doesn't exist." He looks out the window. He felt lost since he heard that the Serpents were no more.
"Well, what about them? Or yourself? That's four hours on the bus every day." Abby couldn't believe that stubborn Jughead was rolling over so easily.
"Or any of the other Serpents at the Wyrm?" Toni asks.
"What Serpents at the Wyrm?" He turns around to look at them.
Jughead couldn't believe how many people were at the Wyrm. They were covered in blankets, eat out of cans, and look worst for the wear. It looks more like a homeless shelter than a bar. "I don't understand." He was racking his brain as to why his dad would lie to him that there weren't any Serpents when there was a room full of them. Enough that he should feel a responsibility to help them. FP lead them in the war, he should be dealing with the consequences of that choice.
"You saw what the Ghoulies did to most of Sunnyside." Toni didn't know what he was confused about.
"A lot of Serpents couldn't afford to leave Riverdale. So they came here." Sweets thought he was questioning why they would come here.
"Does my dad know about this?" Jughead looks at them.
"Of course. He's the leader of the Serpents." Sweet narrowed his eyes.
"Not that he's being much of a leader." Abby was disappointed in how he abandoned his people.
"I can't believe him." He left on a mission to get some answer from his dad.
"Do you think we have a shot, Mrs. McCoy?" Archie asked. They were holding a call center to encourage people to vote for Fred tomorrow.
"Elections are won and lost in these two days. In my opinion, Fred, your key to victory is the Southside vote. Historically, Southsiders don't vote because they feel marginalized. But if you can get them to the booths, they'll be voting for you and not Hermione." She told them the only way she saw him winning. She figured with his daughter's tie he had a good shot.
"Sorry to interrupt, uh, Sheriff Minetta is on the phone, says it's urgent." Kevin held the phone out to Archie.
"Hello… we'll be there." He hung up the phone. "He said he got the guy that invaded our home and shot at you. We got to go to the station." Fred and Abby stood up to go.
"You guys go, I'll handle it here," McCoy told them. "Abby, you weren't there, so you can stay right?"
"I guess so, yeah." She sat back down. The men left saying they would be back soon.
"You are close with the Serpents. The Serpents are the heart of the Southside." She crosses her arms on top of the desk.
"Use to be at least." She leans back in her chair.
"It still is. Do you think you could get them to vote for your dad?" She asks.
"They got bigger problems right now than getting to the voting poles." She could see them laughing in her face if she asked.
"No, more than ever they should want to vote. Hiram already took so much from them. How much more will he take if she's elected. You can sell your dad as the shining light of hope for them." She argues for her to talk to the Serpents.
"Will he be?" She tilts her head.
"You don't believe in your father." She raises an eyebrow.
"It's not about believing in him. It's about how much power he'll have as mayor. You were in that position. How much could you do if you wanted to do something for the Southside?" She had come to love the Serpents. She couldn't give them false hope.
"If I'm being honest, I don't know. I never tried. All the people who support me wanted things done on the Northside. I focus on keeping those promises to stay in office. A lot of times it was in detriment to the South. Taking funding from them for new cheer uniforms, getting the football team a bus for away games. I'm not proud of it." She admits. When she was running for mayor she thought she would be the person in power, but she found herself to be a puppet. "Your dad didn't get in over his head with those kinds of people. I truly believe he wants to help."
"I'll see what I can do. I'll be at the Whyte Wyrm tonight." She didn't want to make any promise. Southside normally doesn't vote, so it's going to take a lot to convince them to do so when they're feeling more marginalized than ever.
Toni got on top of the bar to yell. "We have to get everyone out of here. Cheryl just called, she got word that the Sheriff is going to raid the Whyte Wyrm. They're looking for more Serpent to arrest and put down."
"What the hell?" Sweets shouted.
"Everyone started packing up, we have to get out of here. Jughead will be here soon with more information." Toni orders.
"Where is the trash bag?" Abby asks when she saw people trying to carry all their things.
"In the janitor's closet." Toni went with her to grab them. They were passing them out when Jughead and Archie came in.
"Take only what you need, and what you can carry with you. We need to move quickly and quietly. Sheriff Minetta's forces are all over the Southside and they're looking for our blood. If we want our skulls to remain uncracked, we have to go undetected." Jughead went right into boss mode.
"Go where? There's nowhere safe." Sweets ask.
"We can go to my house," Abby announced.
"What?" Everyone looked at her.
"Shouldn't you check with your dad first?" He asks.
"He said that the Southside is part of Riverdale, so what better way for him to prove that than helping everyone out." She thought about the conversation that she had with McCoy.
"He's going to be good with it." Archie agreed.
Everyone grabbed their things as the siren could be heard in the distance. They creeped out looking around every corner so as to not get stopped by the police.
"Good boy." Abby cooed to Vegas who sat patiently while she cooked. As a reward, she gave him a strip of bacon.
"Alright. Two dots and a dash. Two chicks on a raft. And a stack of Vermont hot." Fred put more orders in. At the teens' surprised faces, he laughed. "Oh, yeah, I worked at Pops for a summer. Come on." He grabbed the plates his daughter made.
"He's having a little too much fun with this." She snickers.
"What's going on here?" FP walks into the Andrew's house. "You do all this?" He nods to Jughead.
"With an assist from Archie and his family. Toledo's gonna have to wait." He meant what he said to FP, he wasn't going to abandon the Serpents.
"Maybe so. Bulldogs helping Serpents, Freddie Andrews opening his house to a bunch of snakes. There go the rest of your Northside votes, buddy." He pats his old friend's back when he comes into the kitchen to grab the pot of coffee.
"We're all neighbors here." He went out to refill people's mugs.
"Thank you, guys. You came through for me. Especially you, Archie. With your issues with the Serpents, this meant a lot." He put a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"I'm not done yet. How many of these Serpent jackets do you think we can borrow?" He pulled on Jughead's sleeve.
Principal Weatherbee stepped out into the hallways to see most of the student body standing there in Serpent jackets. "What's the meaning of this?"
"It's a show of support, sir. For the Southsiders who are being wrongly transferred out of our school. Everyone's ready to walk out, Principal Weatherbee." Archie told him what they were protesting.
"Any student who walks out better keep walking, because they'll be expelled." He looked around to see if they were bluffing.
"You're a good man, Principal Weatherbee. You're not the kind of person who discriminates. And if you are, then expel me. Because I don't want to be a part of that." Archie meant every word. Abby smiled. This is the guy she looked up to her whole life. The young man with a good heart, who always tried to do the right thing.
The principal took a hard look at everyone before saying. "Everyone, get to class." He walks into the office.
Abby cheered as she hugged Sweet Pea. "Thank god, do you know how hard a four-hour bus ride would be on Fangs. He's still recovering."
"Jesus, am I chopped liver to you?" He pushes her back with a pout on.
"I'm happy to have you too. Who else is going to hold my bag?" She let out a staged scream when he let it drop from his shoulder.
The gym was hosting the student body president and mayor election. It was an odd arrangement but it was a tradition at Riverdale. After voting for Archie to be student body president, she went over to stand by her dad. They were greeting and thanking people for coming. She smiled when the Serpents that were still in town came through to place their votes.
Abby was sitting in Sweet Pea's lap. They were in the student lounge while they waited for the votes to be counted, along with everyone else. The room went quiet when they heard the click of the PA. "Attention, Riverdale High students. The results of your student council election are in. Your new student body president is... Archie Andrews."
"Yeah, Archie." Abby throws her hands in the air.
"In unrelated news, for the foreseeable future, all former Southside High students will remain at Riverdale High. That is all." The cheers got louder.
"We got to take any win we can." Sweet Pea wrapped his arms around her waist to squeezed her. The bulldog started barking along with the crowd in celebration.
"Maybe you guys should hiss instead of cheering." Abby laughed.
"Then we look like bigger idiots than them." He snickers.
The Serpents had made a campsite along the riverbanks. They were celebrating finding a new place and the students staying at Riverdale High. There were kegs, a bonfire, and a barbeque going. "Listen up now! Hey, listen up!" FP yelled to get everyone's attention. "Some years ago, the very first Serpent meeting took place on these same riverbanks. And it makes sense that is where we gather now, where I... Where I say my goodbye. Jughead, would you step up here, son?"
Jughead was drinking with Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Abby. He looked at his father confused. With hesitation, he went up to him. "Dad, what are you doing?" He whispers.
"What I should've done a long time ago." He whispers to him before yelling to the crowd. "I'm retiring from the Serpents. For real this time." The crowd groaned. The old-timers were tired of FP 'retiring' and the young members were upset that he was leaving. "Whoa. But my boy... My boy has never stopped fighting for this crew. Hell, he almost died for it. That's why I'm giving you the mantle." He pats his back.
The crowd cheered loudly for him. In the celebration, Sweet Pea slaps Fang's back making him groan in pain. "Sweet Pea. How many times do I have to tell you to be gentle?" She yanks him down by the collar of his jacket to slap him in the back of the head. He kept forgetting that Fang couldn't rough house like they use to, because he couldn't see the bandage under the clothes.
"And now, as your first official duty as Serpent King…" He held out his hand. Toni went over to hand him a red leather Serpent jacket. "I think you know what to do with this. Take it." FP held it out of Jughead. He looks at it sadly, not wanting his dad to leave. He took a deep breath and smiled as he took the jacket.
"Yeah." Sweet Pea yelled. He had to give it to Jugs, he got them out of a lot of messes.
"Alright. Alright. All I can say is... I love you, Dad. And the Serpents will not die out. Not on my watch." He held out his hand to Cheryl. She gladly grabbed it. Jughead spins her around to slide the jacket on her.
"Yas, Cheryl." Abby wolf whistles for her friend. Cheryl needs a family more than anyone.
Abby was sitting in her living room, waiting for the call to hear the election results. She jumped when the phone rang. "Hello? Well, um... I appreciate it. Thanks." Fred hangs up the phone. He turns to his guest. "Hermione won." He felt bad for everyone who worked hard for him.
"I'm sorry, Dad." Archie hated seeing him like this.
"I'm sorry, Grandpa," Tessie said making a few people in the room tense up.
"I'm still getting used to that." Archie let out a shaky laugh.
"What's up with that? Did Archie get some girl pregnant?" Reggie whispers to Josie and Moose.
"It's a long story, but Abby is helping take care of her. She took to calling her mom, so she calls Fred, Grandpa." Josie explained, having been to the Andrew's house a couple of times with her mom to go over the campaign.
"Abby?" He watches Tessie raise her arms to Sweet Pea.
"Papa, pick me up." He did as requested.
"You alright?" Moose knew his friend thought of her as the one that got away.
"Yeah, I'm fine. She moved on with a guy who knows how to treat her right. I can't be mad about that." It would be one thing if Sweet Pea was horrible to her, then he'd be interfering as much as he could. But he couldn't find any objections other than he wish he had another chance.
A knock on the door made everyone tense. "Dad." His children raced after him when he went to answer the door.
He opened it to see Hermione Lodge. "Hello, Fred. May I come in?"
He let her in and closed the door. "Was it close, at least?" He wonders.
"Very. Less than 100 votes." She told him.
"So, what, you came to gloat?" Sierra narrows her eyes.
"No, Sierra. I came to tell Fred that he ran a great campaign." She shook his hand. Everyone clapped for the classy act.
"I'm sorry, babe." Sweet Pea knew she did a lot to help the campaign.
"It was a long shot, right." She shrugs. "I'm more scared of what is to come."
"We all are. But, I believe that we'll get through it." He felt like he was at rock bottom with no home or work but he was sure the Lodges would find something else to take.
Abby stood between Sweet Pea and Fangs in the gym. "Students, faculty, and staff, before we inaugurate Archie Andrews as our new student council president, please rise for our national anthem." Weatherbee got them to stand up as Josie sang it.
The gym's doors opened and in came Sheriff Minetta with a few of his men. They walk over to Archie to put him in handcuffs. Abby knocks over a few people as she charges down.
"Sheriff Minetta, what are you doing?" Archie asked.
"Yeah, you piece of shit. What bullshit charge are you trying to pin on him?" Abby glares.
"Shit." Sweet Pea ran down. Fangs move as fast as his stitches would let him.
"Archie Andrews, you're under arrest for the murder of Shadow Lake resident, Cassidy Bullick." He ignores the angry teenage girl to announce loudly.
"What?" Abby went to get between the authority figure and her brother, but Josie grabbed her.
"Thanks." Sweet nods to her before taking over holding her back.
"I didn't kill him…" Archie yelled.
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney... " He recited the Miranda warning.
Abby cried as they took her brother away for a crime she knew he didn't commit. Jughead went to her side when the doors of the gym closed. "Abby, come on. We have to tell your dad and get him a lawyer." He guides her out.
"We can't let him go to jail." She clings to his arm.
"I know he's too pretty for prison." Sweets tried to lighten the mood from the other side of her.
"Not now, Sweet Pea." Jughead sighes.
"Too soon, got it." He nods.
"It happened two seconds ago, of course, it's too soon. Idiot." Abby looked back to see Cheryl, Toni, Fangs, and Veronica behind her.
"Don't worry, Abby. We aren't going to let him win." Veronica nods. She couldn't believe her father would sink so low as to ruin an innocent man's life. Honestly, she didn't know why she was surprised, the man had no limits.