"Betty…where are you going?"
Polly's pregnant figure on the threshold of her door, with Betty one hand braced on her window to scale her roof, made her hold in a frustrated groan.
"Oh, Polly. Shouldn't you be asleep?" Betty asked, wincing. She'd tried to be quiet.
Polly huffed, coming and lightly throwing herself onto Betty's plush comforter, crossing her arms and staring up at the fairy decals on Betty's ceiling.
"I'm not sick. I'm just horrified." Polly said, "C'mon, I'm also bored out of my mind."
Betty sighed, "I'm going to help Sweet Pea perform a magic spell. And then…" She wavered, trying to decide, "And then we might have a new lead on Jason."
Polly shot up instantly.
"Please, let me come," Polly begged, "I need something to do!"
"It might be upsetting-,"
"What could be more upsetting than finding out your dead boyfriend was adopted to be a husband to his sister?" Polly asked point-blank.
Betty blinked.
"Uhm, okay. Very true. Fine. But…if I decide it's too much-,"
"I'll go straight home, I swear!" Polly was nearly bouncing, "I am so geeked about all this magic! I gotta know what my kids will be getting into, right?" She nudged Betty, "And Jason can't explain it. He would have been so excited, you know?" She sighed, "He used to talk about it, covertly. I just didn't realize what it was. But he loved magic and loved me...so much."
Betty considered taking Polly upstairs, just for a moment, before she bit back the urge. Instead, she was now convinced that the spell hadn't worked, and it was a dud.
Why get her hopes up, to crash them back down again?
She handed Polly a flashlight, "He would have been a great father. We both know it. Hopefully, finding out the truth will be good enough."
XXX
"Woah! You think you're taking that weapon out of the house, mister?" Fred said, grasping Archie's tee shirt as he attempted to leave, a crossbow hanging off his back like one would sling a pair of sneakers.
"It's a Grimm weapon. It's not like…a normal weapon."
"Damn your mother," Fred cussed under his breath, "Give me that."
"Where's mom anyway?"
"Off visiting some friends," Fred said, eyes narrowed suspiciously, "What's going on?"
"We got a hit on the Jason case."
Fred pressed his lips together, "I think you should leave that to the professionals, son."
"Seriously? Keller's made a mess of it! And he knows practically nothing." Archie huffed, "This one is real, Dad. We'll actually know!"
"And you think taking a crossbow is reasonable?"
"It's a recurved crossbow, Dad," Archie informed him with a roll of his eyes like it made a difference that it wasn't just a bargain-bin Walmart crossbow, "It's historic. And, I d unno what we'll encounter out there."
"Archie," Fred shook his head, "I've been so worried this entire time. You getting this is like being handed a curse, you know?"
"But…it's my heritage," Archie said, confused, "I feel like I belong."
"You belonged with me, just moral and normal, fine," Fred said, grasping his wrist, "If you keep on this path, you are going to end up dead. Just like Jason Blossom. You need to believe me when I say I'm trying to protect you," His voice shook, "I just need to. This is my job. My best and worst job, Archie, Understand me."
"Dad," Archie whispered, "I don't know if you can anymore."
"Bullshit. I'm your father. I will always try to protect you, Archie."
"You shouldn't," Archie said with a sad, almost mature smile, "Because you're not part of this world. And I'd hate to see something happen to you. Really. I don't know what I'd do without you, Dad."
There was a pause.
"Can I go if I leave the crossbow?"
"You'll just find a way out of the house anyway, huh?" Fred asked, exasperated.
"Likely, yeah."
His father pressed his lips into a thin line, "Take it. I'd rather you armed, I suppose. But only shoot if you're in immediate danger, you hear me?"
Archie grinned, holding the weapon to his chest, "Crystal!"
XXX
"Mommy, that last morning, before Jay-Jay and I went to the river…why were he and Daddy arguing?"
Penelope sighed, stirring her pots. Cheryl was creeping cautiously, trying to get close enough to figure out what it was, knowing that somewhere, her mother had erased her memory of it.
"We've been over this," Penelope tutted, "Your father dedicated himself to grooming Jason to take over the family coven business, but in the end…he couldn't stomach it."
"Stomach what?" Cheryl pressed.
"Jason never could stand it. The warlock genetics were there, but he was missing something. The Blossom genes," Her mother continued, "The ones that link us to death and life."
"I don't get it, though. What couldn't he handle?"
She reached for a pot, but her mother smacked her hand away, "So many questions, Cheryl." She said though it was spoken like she was describing warts on her daughter's face.
Cheryl pressed her lips together, gathering courage, a feeling she'd felt deep down for a while now.
"If Daddy wasn't upset about Polly, then it must have been business. He was running from something. Was it from Daddy…or was it from you?" She asked, jutting her chin, and staring down at her mother.
Her mother's rage came swiftly, "You think your father killed Jason? Or I did?" She demanded, "You think we murdered him and threw him in the river, is that it?"
Her mother yanked her hair, grasping her by the nape of her neck, and brutally, and mortally- without magic, dragged Cheryl outside. Cheryl knew she could fight, but something in her, some part reacting to her mother's anger, couldn't move, paralyzed.
"You want answers?" Her mother demanded, kicking open their barn, "There it is! The sticky, dark, dirty truth! Drown in it!" She spat, throwing Cheryl to the ground.
Cheryl opened a bin, "Maple syrup?" She asked, confused.
Her mother's eyes were dark, like flints of obsidian, as she curled her lips into an unnerving smile, "Is it, darling? Or are you that pathetic of a witch too?"
Cheryl took a finger and licked, immediately sputtering, "Potions." She hauled herself away from the vat, "What are you doing?" She demanded. She knew her heart wasn't always morally North, but the potion that had sat on her tongue…it was dark. Far darker than anything she'd ever even attempted. And dangerous.
Magic, untethered like this, always was.
"Now you're starting to understand," Penelope said, a gleam, a flicker of pride, as she helped Cheryl up, "We did not kill Jason, Cheryl. But we did pick the wrong twin to put us on the map again."
Even just a few weeks ago, that admission would have made Cheryl warm with pride. But now, it felt like a death knell.
Or a warning.
XXX
"It's…Jason's varsity jacket."
In Archie's garage, they all stared at the piece of clothing before them.
It was late; they'd done the ceremony to tether Quest as the second-in-command (High priority, as Tall Boy was technically still the only Beta around) and then found this exactly where Joaquin said it would be.
Quest had gone back to celebrate with the tribe. When he'd asked Sweet Pea if he wanted to come and rejoice down at the Wyrm, Sweet Pea had pressed his lips together.
"Can't. Alpha stuff. Gotta deal with this."
For the first time, Sweet Pea wished that they weren't hurdling toward a resolution, because it meant finding out whether his Alpha, who had always protected him, actually was as cruel as he told Keller he had been.
The varsity jacket was, unfortunately, currently rather damning.
And now they all stared at it like it would burst open with a thousand bats.
"It still smells like him," Polly whimpered, fingers clutched around the fabric for a moment before stepping back, as though getting to close and she'd fall victim to some curse forever, "My god…"
"I mean, Joaquin told us exactly what it would be. He wasn't lying," Sweet Pea pointed out, "But, uhm…"
He looked expectantly at Betty.
"No spells on it. It's literally just a jacket. Not a code or something else." She said.
"Maybe you need to wear it," Archie said, standing and putting it on, "Okay, maybe not. What's dangerous about this?"
"It incriminates him," Jughead said, angry, "If he didn't kill Jason, why would he have it?"
"A jacket does not prove a dead body," Veronica pointed out, "Just means that this came into his possession…sometime.." She knit her eyebrows together, trailing off.
"Well, Polly should have it," Midge finally sighed, "I mean, she'll have to hide it, but she deserves to have it."
"Right," Archie started shrugging it off.
"No! Just wait!" Betty said and started patting all over. She felt her heart race, "There's a hole in the pocket."
"Betty, really-," Jughead began.
"Wait!" Polly threw up her palms, "I know this look."
"I don't know about you guys, but whenever I have a hole in my jacket, I always lose my chapstick in the lining…" She said, and began fishing, "Got something!"
"Was that magic? That felt magic, Betty!" Archie said, now excited too.
"Just good ole' Nancy Drew sleuthing," Betty said proudly and opened her palm. The silence in the room was palpable.
"Oh."
"It's a flash drive," Sweet Pea mumbled.
"Yes, thank you, Captain Obvious," Jughead sneered.
"We should…watch it. Shouldn't we?" Josie prompted, "Or should we give it to your dad…"
"We're going to watch it!" Veronica announced, plucking it from Betty's palm, "Seriously. For all we know, it's something stupid. Not even related to his death; like him and the whole Football team taped themselves trying to play Chubby Bunny."
"You know we did one time-," Archie said, tapping his shoulder.
"See!" Veronica said, opening the flash drive. Betty moved between Polly and that item, because she knew, deep down, it wasn't going to just be something so simple on there.
"Wait…" Betty pleaded, "Polly, maybe you should-,"
"No, I need to see this. You know that Cooper women are not patient. I'd die of curiosity. It's my fiancee!" She said, "I swear to God if you send me away now…I'll never forgive you." She gave a watery smile Veronica's way, "And if it is something stupid, shouldn't I get a chance to see him full of life and laughter again?"
"Fine," Betty sighed, "Okay…who has a laptop?"
XXX
As the group, less than twenty feet away, were watching the truth about Jason's murder in all its gory, horrifying realness, Jason Blossom woke up from death.
He woke up, confused, tired, and hungry.
The first thing he registered was blood bags near him. He was far too hungry to even think twice before tearing them open and draining all four bags completely dry, suckling out every drop of blood, leaving the plastic carcasses littered around him.
As the violent thirst, that pang in the back of his throat, subsided, he started noticing things about where he was.
Somewhere magical, first off.
It was so clear, he could feel it everywhere. He'd never felt so much magic, such pure and unusual magic, and it made his skin tingle.
He was in a house. It was modest, and something about it felt new, or not normal. Not Riverdale, at least.
The third thing he noticed was a letter on a table with his name on it.
Jason, if you wake up, I guess it's bad news or worse news.
The worse news is that you were murdered.
We don't know yet by who, but trust me, we're on the case.
The bad news is that we tried to resurrect you as a vampire. My sister needs you, and so does this town.
I guess if you're finding this, it worked.
I'm a witch now, but this is all new to me. You'll find blood bags to drink next to you if you haven't already. If you need more, check the fridge.
Hopefully, someone will be here when you wake up.
Sincerely, Betty (Apparently, your future sister-in-law.)
P.S.; Congrats. On all of it. Polly's lucky to have you.
"A vampire, huh?" Jason asked, his voice dry, rattling like dead leaves scattered over a driveway, "Shit. I'm dead."
The news that he'd been murdered was obviously very upsetting, and he mulled on it as he drank three more blood bags.
His mind was foggy like he'd been in a dream.
He waited for what felt like forever. It probably wasn't, especially since his definition of forever was pretty different now.
Eventually, he decided it was time to try to find…someone.
The path out of this strange forest didn't take long, as it was like he was pulled out. The magic was spiking around him, and he realized he must be in a witch's portal, something he'd heard his family discuss. He knew they had one, but he'd never been allowed in.
He found himself in a pink frilly bedroom.
As he was stepping lightly onto the bed, unsure of his new strength, memories were coming back to him. Flashes, but they were stitching a story moment by moment.
The door opened.
There was a tense moment in which he stared into the face of Alice Cooper, both of their eyes wide and shoulders going stiff.
"Jason…" She croaked, "This is…a surprise."
"Ma'am," Jason said, his voice sounding like he hadn't spoken in eons, but warming like a TV dinner in a microwave, "This certainly isn't how I hoped we'd formally meet."
"I should call Betty. It seems whatever she did what that vampire has worked," Alice muttered, reaching for her phone.
"Before you do that…may I pick your brain?" He asked.
"Metaphorically, I hope."
"I am quite hungry," He admitted, the thirst raging in the back of his throat, "But It would be in very poor form to kill my fiancee's mother. Have they figured out who murdered me?" He asked, "And how long has it been?"
"A few months. And no." Alice said, "We're getting close. FP confessed, but-,"
"I always figured Keller was incompetent," Jason rolled his eyes, "It wasn't FP."
Alice tilted her head, "You know who it was?"
"Yes. The memory is, unfortunately, very, very vivid. Before you call Betty or Polly…would you perhaps give me some time?"
"What are you going to do with that time?"
Jason licked his lips, almost smiling, "I think my family will just be thrilled to see me. My father in particular."
Alice, as though understanding, and not particularly upset, grinned.
"I'm sure I can find a good reason to 'forget' to tell them." Alice snorted, "I always hated your father, you know."
"Many share such a sentiment." Jason stood on the door stoop, breathing in air, though he didn't quite breathe anymore. It still felt good. Though he'd heard about vampires, he had no idea what skills they possessed and realized after a beat he had no idea how to get from this house to his former, "I must ask one more thing of you...may I borrow your car?"
XXXX
In the garage, everyone stooped around the laptop.
Polly let out a wail, before stumbling to a window and retching, Midge jumping up to soothe her.
"Betty- who are you calling?"
Betty almost didn't hear a word of it.
Her fingers were shaky as she dialed, miss-dialing three times. She'd never felt such horror, such a terror spring up in her before, and she prayed with every ounce of magic that could sway anything that Cheryl would pick up.
She needed to leave.
Now.
XXX
The call came as Cheryl stood over the cauldrons, empty and scrubbed of any evidence.
She felt a certain numbness. Perhaps a relief; whatever was going to happen was happening now. She had tried to stop it, but her mother was better.
But now some of that guilt could be eased. She had no more autonomy to stop this than anyone else. In fact, less than some!
The phone buzzing in her pocket almost seemed far away, and it wasn't until the person rang her back three times that Cheryl mustered the will to answer.
"Yes, Betty?" She asked, her voice monotone, sure that Betty would be asking questions about this evil curse that Cheryl could not answer.
But it was not that.
Betty explained it, and Cheryl listened.
Her father had killed Jason.
The words rang around her head like it was empty except for a scream that slowly resounded until it was echoing off every memory, every horrible thing her father had ever done.
Just before Betty hung up, Cheryl stopped her.
"Whatever I warned you about, it's going to hit. So now that you know who killed Jay-Jay…focus on that."
"What is it? Please," Betty begged on the line, breathless.
"Oh, cousin," Cheryl murmured, "If I knew…I'd try to stop it. But whatever it is, it's been set into motion."
She hung up, feeling a stone in her stomach as she slowly walked downstairs.
When she saw her parents, laughter bubbled up in her. Inappropriate, and absurd, but she couldn't stop.
"You both have been naughty," She said, "But everyone will know what Daddy did soon enough."
XXX
Sweet Pea's leg bounced as the group waited in the jail. Well, a smaller group.
Polly, inconsolable, and everyone worried that she was going to faint or go into labor then and there, had gone home, Midge with her.
Keller had gone with Alice to talk to his father after Betty and Polly's mother had made an unexpected appearance at the door of the garage.
Josie had gone to tell her mother.
And so, just him, Jughead, Betty, Veronica, and Archie sat.
Waiting.
"You saw it?" Jughead jumped up as soon as Keller appeared in the hallway.
"I have, son."
Keller's face was grim.
"Why isn't FP let out yet, then?" Sweet Pea added, worry tinging his voice, "C'mon, man!"
"Boys…FP may be innocent of this crime. He said he confessed because Clifford threatened to make you trigger your curse in a traumatizing way," He pointed to Jugheahead, "If FP didn't take the fall for it. But I believe that; that Clifford could do that and FP would protect you."
"But…" Veronica picked up on his tone, eyes narrowed.
"But he's still charged with tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice, mishandling a body, perjury and those are just the big ones I can think of at 3 AM," Keller sighed, "He's not getting out anytime soon."
The cries of anger came swiftly from all, except Sweet Pea.
He felt his world shift, his axis tilt.
This wasn't going away.
He was really the Alpha now…possibly forever.
"I need air-," He mumbled, stumbling out into the night.
Betty was the one who came out after him, his head between his knees, trying not to faint.
Betty's hand on his back was warm and inviting, rubbing small circles.
"When's the last time you slept?" She asked.
"I-,"
"It's been probably more than 48 hours. I'm guessing Toni tried to get you to sleep. You didn't though. Too much going on. Took a few pick-me-up potions instead." She paused, "Sweets, you got this. You were born to be their leader. You'll do fine."
Sweet Pea raised his head, giving a rickety laugh, "God. How did you know exactly what it was? All of it?"
"Because I know you," Betty said, smiling, "And I'm here for you. I'm going to help you be the best Alpha ever." She promised. And, god, he knew she meant that.
"Thanks…" He paused, "Shouldn't you be with Jughead? He just found out his dad's probably not seeing daylight for years."
"He's still mad at me. I get it. Maybe it's for the best if we…" She shook her head, "Besides. I'm also worried about you."
Sweet Pea sighed, looking at her. He wanted to reach for her but held back.
"Go to Jughead. Even if you're broken up, you're still his friend."
Betty hovered, "What about you?"
"I'm fine. Just a moment of panic. You're right; I have a village behind me. I've got this," He said, trying to be as brightly positive as he could muster.
"Let me know if you need anything," Betty said, patting his knee as she stood, going back inside.
As she left, Sweet Pea watched her.
FP's whispered words in his ear, at the Cooper dinner the night he was arrested, popped back up in his mind, a truth he'd been struggling with for a long time now.
" I see how you look at that Cooper girl. I'd hide your affections better, Karan. I'll back my son if it comes to it; he deserves something good, you hear? And unless you want everyone to know, you'd better get a better poker face, and fast."
It was stupid. She was broken up now. Morally, there was no reason for Sweet Pea not to…
Except, well, she'd just broken up.
And stupidly, he kept sending her back to him.
Maybe a parting gift to FP, who was rooting for his son and Betty.
Or maybe…Sweet Pea had no idea how to be happy, even when it was right in front of his face.
XXX
"Veronica!"
"Mom, god, don't scare me like that. I know you're a vampire and your footsteps are super quiet, but announce yourself a bit." Veronica said, jumping as she opened the door to their apartment.
"Mijua, I have some good news. Some excellent news." She said, her smile a bit too forced, "Your father's coming home."
Veronica felt her blood run cold.
"Oh?" She asked, swallowing hard.
"Yes…but, dear, let's perhaps not mention that you know about our little…family secret." Her mother said, bopping her nose like she was a child.
"He'll be upset, won't he?" Veronica whispered.
"No, daring. Not upset! Just…disappointed. He's always been so excited to share this with you, you understand." She said, but somewhere deep, Veronica didn't believe her.
"It's been a long night. Can I skip school today?"
When something was meant to be a secret, such as when Clifford murdered his own son was confirmed by the police, naturally, everyone in a small town knew of it immediately.
"Of course. Go get some sleep."
In her room, Veronica fumbled for the tiny vial of Nick's blood.
Her father was coming home. And if she expected to beat a monster like him, she needed to be on his level.
And, just like that, any doubts or worries about whether she should change or stay human seemed so silly and so insignificant.
Veronica did not go to bed. Veronica began to plan.
XXX
Cheryl watched as the police rolled in, their sirens bouncing through the trees and echoing in the early morning.
When they came asking for her father, she and her mother both just raised one long finger, pointing to the barn.
She'd told her mother an hour ago everything Betty had told her. From Penelope's face, she hadn't known any of it.
Her father had said he had work to do in the barn. They hadn't seen him since.
Cheryl followed, wanting to see the look on her father's face when he was arrested for killing the person she loved most.
But when the barn doors opened, a very different sight greeted everyone than what was expected.
Clifford, dead, eyes staring blankly ahead. His body shriveled, and empty, as though all his blood had been drained away.
And, in the dirt, a confession scrawled.
"I killed my own son and I'm going to hell for it."
As the officers scratched their heads and announced it a suicide, a joy and a sudden realization burst inside Cheryl, so gleeful and so stark in contrast to this moment.
Jason was awake!
XXX
"Open up, you Stepford Sisters!"
Betty woke from a restless nap to intense banging on the door. She was startled from slumber, wiping a bit of saliva from the edge of her mouth, realizing that she was still wearing the same outfit from when she'd arrived home from the police station. She hadn't even managed to toe off her shoes or shuck her jacket on a chair. Her mother was gunna kill her for getting mud on the nice top comforter.
She was disoriented, and a quick check of her phone confirmed it was hardly two hours past when she'd dropped like a deadweight into bed.
She stumbled out into the hall, blinking groggily, to meet her sister and mother in an equal state of confusion. It was now well past an hour of a normal house call, but from the snip in the tone, Betty knew Cheryl didn't have good conventions of 'normal'.
"What, Cheryl?" Betty groaned, opening the door. It didn't sound like Cheryl was distressed. She sounded like she had a bone to pick. So Betty was less welcoming.
"How dare you! How dare you hide my brother from me! Where is he?" Cheryl demanded, shoving past Betty, fury causing electricity to flicker over her skin, and the bulbs to creak in the house.
"Calm down! I just changed all the lighting a month ago," Alice huffed, referring to the moment Betty grew into her powers, and shattered every lightbulb in their house.
"What do you even mean, Cheryl?" Betty asked, exasperated, "He's exactly where he was the last time! God!" She threw up her hands.
"Don't play dumb, Betty. You may be blonde, but it doesn't suit you," Cheryl said, "Jason?" She called into the house, "Jason!"
"Cheryl! What the hell are you going off about?" Betty asked, grasping her wrist, and pulling her back.
"I'm talking about Jason being awake. Duh. He took care of Daddy right away. And my late father always said he didn't have the stomach for it. Seemed he had the stomach for him."
Betty reeled, releasing Cheryl in her surprise.
"Your father's dead?" She chattered, "But…the video…"
"Ruled as a suicide. The guilt of it. But it was obvious what happened, really," Cheryl said. It was only now she paused, "My god. You really didn't know."
"No, I don't! Jason's up in the witch's hole, same as yesterday, and same as all the days before!"
"Jason's…where?"
Betty whipped her head around, forgetting that there were others in this house.
She saw Polly's crushed face, the absolute confusion, and nearly betrayal.
"I didn't want to tell you. Because it didn't work…" Betty said through gritted teeth, "Why hurt you more?"
"Except it did," Cheryl said breezily, "Someone here knew…" She narrowed her eyes, zeroing in on Alice, "Ah-ha."
"Mom?" Betty turned, stunned.
"It seemed like you needed a good rest before we talked about that," Alice said, wincing hard, "Yes…Jason is…upright and talking."
"Jason's…alive?" Polly stuttered.
"Well, that's an overstatement."
"Wait….wait…Jason woke up and you took him on a cute little side quest to kill his father? Mom!" Betty was now stressed beyond belief.
"He was hungry, and it's not like that monster didn't deserve it!" Alice huffed, "Really, Betty? You're still so black-and-white when it doesn't benefit you," She critiqued, something Betty resented hearing.
"Wait, wait. Please, someone! Jason's alive?" Polly demanded, looking hysterical.
"Move, mama. He's my twin. I'm seeing him first!" Cheryl said, "Where is he?"
Alice gave a long, defeated sigh and led the trio of girls downstairs. There, in the basement, as though he was just an average house guest, was Jason, scrolling on what looked like a new phone, almost a picture of health, if albeit a tad bit paler than normal. But an ethereal, inviting aura radiated from him that seemed to counteract any thoughts that he looked a teensy bit sickly.
It seemed he was looking up his Facebook obits, which, honestly, Betty would be super curious to see who wrote what if she died as well.
He glanced up as they came in, and his face brightened to see Cheryl.
"Jay-Jay!" She cried, running into his arms, "The gods be kind! I can't believe it!" She said. Then, she slapped his arm, "It took you long enough!" She complained.
"Resurrecting a vampire isn't easy, Cher-Cher, I'm sure you know that. I'm shocked you all pulled it off at all. Did you find my present?" He asked.
"It was beautiful. Daddy really had it coming." Cheryl agreed, "A suicide. Keller probably knows something, but that dunce wouldn't know a vampire if it were sucking him clean." She snorted.
"Still, we need to have a conversation. Jason can't very well just walk around like he used to," Alice said, arms crossed.
Jason turned to look at her, and his gaze caught Polly, who was staring at him like she couldn't quite believe it.
Now that he was standing, Betty could truly study him. He looked a bit different. He was more refined, almost more beautiful. It was hard to look away from him. He just oozed charisma. While Betty was certain he had it in spades before, it was even more obvious now. Betty wanted to befriend him, to be around him.
She shook away her own strange thoughts and focused on her sister.
Polly broke down in hysterics, stumbling and falling to her hands and knees before Jason. He dropped his embrace of Cheryl and immediately came to her side.
"Jay-Jay?" Cheryl asked, confused, and hurt, but Jason was in his own world, from the moment he saw Polly.
"Polly, oh, Polly," Jason said, bringing her into his arms and hugging her so tightly that Betty was sure he was going to break her in two, "My darling, my love…" He murmured, helping her to her feet.
"I can't…believe…you're okay…" Polly blubbered, "God, I must look terrible like this," She said, forcing a dry laugh.
"You're beautiful, always," Jason assured, "I fought so hard for you, Polly. I was in a fog. It was so easy just to stay there, but I heard about you and the twins…I came back for you. You're my North Star."
"Jason…" Polly whispered fervently, bringing him into a heated kiss. After just a moment, Alice made a sound in the back of her throat.
"Okay now, kids," She mumbled. Betty held back a snort; it was not like they could get pregnant again. At least, not right now.
Wait, could they have more kids after this if Jason was...
Betty shuddered; her brain had caught up that she was now thinking about this involving her sister and brother-in-law and she didn't want to know, upon second reflection.
She caught Cheryl's expression behind this outpouring romantic scene of love. She looked whiplashed. She was incredibly hurt, as though realizing that her once partner-in-crime was truly gone. It was such a rare moment of genuine vulnerability from her. Betty knew that she had hoped that her own voice was the one that would have guided him home, not the thought of Polly.
She didn't think Cheryl was going to do something stupid, but she did know that she would probably hold a grudge until the twins were ten.
"This is wonderful, but Mom's right…you can't just come back to school with us," Polly said, pragmatic as all Cooper women were, pulling back.
"I'll get an apartment out of town. Somewhere no one knows me. And when you graduate, you can come to live with me."
"My pregnant daughter with my grandchildren are doing no such thing. Your face was splashed all over the national news! You think someone won't recognize you?" Alice protested.
"A memory spell, maybe?" Polly suggested.
"Yes, let's make the entire town collectively forget the biggest thing to happen in…well, forever," Betty scoffed, "Im honored you think I'm such a talented magician. Even with Cheryl's help, it wouldn't be enough." Betty shook her head.
"We'll figure it out," Jason assured, "We did before, we can again."
"I'm just glad you're back," Polly sighed, burying her face in his chest, "And now things can get back to normal."
"I sincerely doubt that.. but what a thought," Cheryl snorted, saying out loud what Betty was thinking to herself.
No, nothing would ever be normal again. That much, Betty was sure of.
XXX
By the next morning, the truth was spread far and wide.
Or, at least, two versions of the truth.
The one for the mortals and non-magical ilk was that the maple syrup business was a drug front for heroin from Montreal on his trucks. And that Jason was killed when he found out about it and threatened to expose him.
And when the cops came to collect him for his crimes, Clifford killed himself.
Whether you wanted to think it was because the guilt for killing his own son was the driving force, or whether you thought that Clifford knew he couldn't stomach jail, either tied up the story exactly how it should.
Most people readily accepted this. Why question a perfectly good and solid reason such as this?
For those more magically inclined, some beats were the same, but some were different.
They were trading in potions. Disguised as maple syrup. Potions that Cheryl had no idea her mother had the ability to do, and was now left questioning if her mother was far more powerful than she'd assumed or if Cheryl had been an unwitting participant…or if there was a third, undiscovered answer, something that spelled trouble on the horizon for everyone.
These potions were dark and powerful and almost undetectable. Certainly, nothing an average person would ever take note of.
It could make a person go entirely against their will. Do things they'd never do voluntarily. And every dark, sordid thought of what they could be used for was surely in play.
This could make history by adding or removing players, bending people to the will of whoever was wielding this power, or make people act against their own self-interest. It was so intoxicatingly powerful that even a whiff could make someone power-drunk off it.
Jason still found out. Jason still threatened to expose them. Jason was still kidnapped and killed.
Of course, there were theories popping up about who exactly killed Clifford. It wasn't himself. Betty heard chatter three towns over about the Vampires of Riverdale, but no one had any idea it was Jason.
In both versions, Mayor McCoy was insistent on cleaning out crime from Riverdale, whether it was drugs or hard magic. In both versions, Josie told the group that she almost didn't want to admit certain truths.
This version was not as clean-cut. There was still so much they didn't know about the potions, and Cheryl still claimed that something was coming.
So all they could do was wait.
XXX
"We know about the hard magic, FP. And I don't think you're using, because why would wolves need to, but you're certainly tied up in it."
"Are you saying we're dealing it?" FP asked, eyes narrowed.
"If the shoe fits," Keller said, expression stony, "Look, you feed us names, tell us everything you know, and the May and the DA have a chat, and maybe you'll get a lesser sentence," Keller said.
"Can't tell you shit I don't know, Sheriff," FP said evenly, "As I said, we don't fuck with unregulated magic."
"Jordan?" Keller asked, turning to the two boys in the back, watching like a hawk, "Can you assist?"
"Don't know what you think I can do," Sweet Pea snorted, "He's not lying, sir."
"Can't you…Alpha Command him to tell me? Aren't you, from what I hear, the new sheriff of the Southside?"
"Naw, man, you have no idea how this works. It's about as effective as you demanding an answer. No pull," Sweet Pea guffawed about how out of touch someone meant to be the bridge between the two worlds was.
Keller turned back, disappointed, "FP, you don't help us, and you'll be looking at 20 years. That's a long time."
FP looked at Jughead and Sweet Pea, then slowly shook his head.
"You're gunna have to live with disappointment, Sheriff."
Sweet Pea's heart flopped and thumped to hear 20 years, but by that point, he'd be a natural. As old as FP himself.
And who knew where he'd be?
"The pack's in safe hands," Sweet Pea assured as they were led out. FP gave him a smile.
"Never doubted it wasn't."
XXX
"Dad? You okay?"
"I thought I knew this town…" Fred said, staring out the kitchen window, his expression blank, "I thought I knew what it was. FP was a wolf early in high school and told me. Mary told me about Grimms when we started dating. I suspected Hiram was a vampire my senior year. I thought I knew…I thought I was prepared…" He turned, "I think I've made an error in this assumption."
"It's better now, or it will be. We're all working together; Me, Jug, Sweet Pea, Veronica, Betty, Midge, and Josie. Heck, even Kevin and Dilton. If we're all on the same page, it won't be like your generation. We're open with each other." Archie assured, "But you're right, we're not over it. We've just begun."
This seemed to startle Fred a bit.
"When did you get so wise?" He asked with a gentle laugh.
Archie shrugged, "Guess that was a perk of the Grimm powers coming in too. Too bad it didn't tell me how to pass Calculus."