Big thank you to my reviewers: Boris Yeltsin, Guest, and Top Story.

Guest: I always love to hear theories or ideas that reviewers have for upcoming plot points! Sometimes, some things are set in stone, but the mostly aren't. I was actually trying to figure out who Jughead would have to kill to get his curse activated, and while I don't think I'm going to go EXACTLy the route you suggested, It did give me a very devious idea for Juggie's transition ;) So, if you ever have any more of those ideas, feel more than free to drop them in your review!

The days flipped by. Sweet Pea did his part. He went to classes and gave an honest to god effort, pulling out solid C's and B's on quizzes and papers. He figured out quickly, three years into his high school career, which sorts of classes he excelled at, which ones he liked and which he didn't. He was good at math- of all the fucking things- and enjoyed English, depending on what they were reading. He loathed his religious study class and he felt like Philosophy went right over his head. Gym was a breeze, science was a pain. He managed.

He went to Football practice after school, playing along with Chuck and Chuck's efforts to 'up his game'. He did what the Claytons expected of him on two very different things. On the field, Sweet Pea ran the plays to perfection. In the locker room, he tried not to grimace but let Chuck set him up with 'easy, low fruit' that were minor points, but would have let Sweet Pea rack 'em up, if he wanted to. He had a feeling that, before Midge, Moose had been politely sexual with them and then told Chuck that he'd done more than he had, and they never said anything.

He had a couple sloppy kisses, had a girl very forcefully shove his hand up her shirt, and then he went on to pretend like it had been so much more. The girls never contradicted him, in fact, openly agreed to what had happened. Maybe they just thought he was gay? Maybe they thought he was shy and figured, if the secret was kept, later they'd get more?

Whatever the reason, Sweet Pea was eternally grateful. He really didn't want to go through the effort of modifying memories, because that just felt super yuck to do to someone.

Chuck kept on Sweet Pea to 'hit the other Cooper' but Sweet Pea always said that Cooper was the 'long game' and that you couldn't rush that. He pointed out how long Jason had spent on Polly, which Chuck accepted. As far as Chuck knew, Sweet Pea was hanging out with Betty to eventually get in her pants, for uber points.

After football, or before, he practiced magic with Betty. They took her grimoire out and Sweet Pea organized it with appropriately colored sticky notes what order they should work on things. How hard spells were. What sort of practice and strength it would take. He managed to find about eighteen different colored sticky notes (who knew so many variations existed?) and he made a scale from there. And, frankly, this gave him a chance to hungrily pour over it, trying to commit it all to memory. Finding the grimoire of a witch bloodline as powerful as Betty's? It was like he'd found the Holy Grail of all magic books. The history in it alone...well, Sweet Pea figured he'd enjoy history a lot more if it was magical based. He often thought about that if Hogwarts was actually real and he went there, he'd be at the top of his classes.

He schooled Betty, encouraging her, sneaking into the portal portrait whenever her parents were gone. He watched her progress and he learned stuff too. She had the natural flair, of course, but more than that...Betty was meant to be a witch. Sometimes, a person just feel so perfectly into their roles, it felt like fate. Sweet Pea felt this and his connection to his werewolf side. Not everyone was meant to be a magical being, even if it was in their blood.

Even then, after that, Sweet Pea split his time between two categories in his free time. One, which wasn't really free time, was his responsibilities to the Pack. Doing runs, doing guard laps, checking in with the young wolves, coordinating between Toni and Joaquin about their three roles, attending Inner Wolf meeting when he was around. It was no more work than he was doing previous to his school change, but now, it was so much...more.

If that wasn't exhausting enough, he also followed the leads on the Jason situation. Whenever Betty's mother came home with a morsel here, a tidbit there, Betty passed it along to him. Although, currently, the entirety of it all was at a standstill. After taking Cheryl away a week and a half ago, coupled with her 'I'm guilty' confession, everyone thought things were going to get settled.

They were not, and, somehow, it seemed like everyone had less info on the deal than before. He could it was eating at Betty the same way it was eating at him.

"I think I have a plan," She'd just muttered to him when he brought it up.

Since Sheriff Keller had figured out, finally, that the kids might be the answer, the entirety of the school was being drilled with a fever that the Sheriff would use on hardened criminals, not children. Desperate times, desperate measures.

And, despite nothing official being released, due to the nature of gossip, all the students knew what Cheryl had said in the Principal's office. Mrs. Cooper was printing it, probably having bribed a freshman with a crisp twenty for the 4-1-1 going on, since Betty said she wasn't going to participate in her mother's sadistic way she was treating this, like it was a weekly TV show or a book plot...but in truth, this was their town, and everything hit a little too close to home.

XXxxXX

"So, are you a suspect now?"

Betty watched Archie with worried eyes. Jughead, from the corner, was nodding in approval at his friend. She was shocked that had never come up before, since it was very important info.

"My dad says we all are, including me." Kevin winced, "And yes, you especially, Sweet Pea." Kevin said, guessing what Sweet Pea was just about to ask.

"Bullshit. Is it because I'm a Serpent?"

To most of the people in the room, it would seem like the question itself was innocuous. From the way that Sweet Pea ran his tongue over his front teeth, where fangs sometimes were but were not currently, it was a coded question.

"What did you expect?" Kevin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, except all that we know about his death makes it clear it wasn't...the M.O. isn't us." Sweet Pea changed his argument at the last second. Read, once again, that he was pointing out that wolves didn't need guns to kill someone.

"We all are. I mean, it could be anyone," Kevin shrugged.

"Not me. I don't know these people," Veronica said, waving a hand.

"Doesn't matter. Likely it's not you, but that would make a hell of an alibi," Kevin said breezily, "You think we should maybe re-bing 'Making a Murderer' on Netflix tonight?" he asked, looking around and asking no on in particular.

Betty apologetically held up her notes she was taking. Archie and Sweet Pea both murmured 'football'. Jughead snorted. Veronica, however, was preening.

"Count me out too. I've got a date tonight."

"You do? Which Riverdale hottie made the cut?"

Betty frowned, "Why am I just hearing about this," She asked, a little hurt. She thought her and Veronica were sharing secrets, especially since she was trusting Veronica with her Sweet Pea secret. Even if it was a fake one, it was the thought of it that counted, right?

"I don't know," Veronica turned, "I didn't mean to leave you out of it, it just happened last period. And, it's a guy that was on my list of people I thought were cute, so I said yes."

"Hey, Vee-Lo. I'll swing by the Pembrooke to pick you at 8:00?"

The heads turned around to see Chuck winking at Veronica. Betty smiled at her friend and gave a hum of encouragement. Chuck, while he wasn't her type and sort of all over the board with girls, wasn't bad for a first date. Plus, if anyone could whip Chuck into shape, it would be a girl like Veronica.

Plus, from the way Veronica was smiling, Betty wasn't sure she was looking for long-term commitment. Maybe she was just looking for a way to spend her Wednesday night?

Sweet Pea, however, had stiffened when he heard. Betty shot him a weird look, but he either didn't see her or ignored it. As the bell rang for the passing period for their next class, Sweet Pea shot up before Betty could question him. Just as she was about to follow him, her email alert sounded. She looked down to see some good news come her way.

Deciding that whatever this was, she'd have time to grill Sweet Pea about it later, she turned to find Jughead but found him already having vacated. No matter, she shrugged, sending him a quick text. She needed to go pick up the keys anyway.

XXxxXX

"If print journalism is dead, what am I doing here?" Jughead stood in the doorway of the nearly empty classroom, drawing his fingers across the dust collecting on one of the desks.

"The 'Blue and Gold' isn't dead, Juggy," Betty said, hoping to appeal to him by using a nickname she hadn't used since childhood, "It's just dormant."

It had been dormant, of course, ever since last year the last co-runners of it had been kicked off when they printed a racy story about some senior's Christmas bash that had resulted in half the senior class either suspended or expelled. Betty had gone about a week and a half ago, after the milkshake at Pop's with Jughead, to inquire about starting it up. After her mother had printed that second article about Cheryl so carelessly, Betty felt even more encouraged. Plus, she wanted to ask the questions no one seemed keen on answering.

It had taken the week and the half for the school teachers to consider her request. They were busy as it was with Sheriff Keller constantly interrupting class to question another kid, and Betty was just a sophomore. She had to prove that she could run a journal, and never before had she been so grateful for her parent's job, since Betty had grown up proofreading and around the presses since she was very young.

And finally, thank god, they'd allowed her to re-open it.

Now she just needed the right writer.

"You're writing a novel, right? About Jason Blossom's murder?" Betty continued, having heard about it from Archie.

"I am." Jughead seemed cautious, examining Betty with an expression she couldn't place. She brushed it off, smiling brightly.

"Riverdale's very own 'In Cold Blood'. Which started out as a series of articles. I'm hoping you'll come and write for 'The Blue and Gold'." She said, biting her lip and shrugging softly, pleadingly.

"I just don't think the school paper's the right fit for my voice." Jughead said dryly, but took another step inside, "Plus, was your first choice in Southsider busy with football?"

Betty took a deep breath, trying not to let that offend her too much, "I can be friends with both of you at the same time. Novel idea, I know. Having more than one friend." Betty said back.

There was a pause, then Jughead grinned.

"If there's one good thing that's coming out of that friendship, Sweet Pea's making you more sarcastic," He admitted. Betty let out a long sigh of relief.

"This would just be ours. I mean, his writing is atrocious. I proofed a paper for him and...wow." Betty added, "I never thought of him. I thought of you. It was always you, for this."

Jughead swallowed, "Oh."

"Look, Jason's death changed Riverdale. It changed the people in it," Betty carried on briskly, as though she hadn't played her hands down heart a little too closely, "It's like it's not real, but it is. It happened. I want to know why."

Jughead, sporting a gentle blush, seemed to be trying to push past his own quiet realization and focus on the matter right now, right here.

"Would I get complete freedom?"

"I'll help...and edit. Suggest. I mean, though, at the end of the day it's your story," Betty said, wanting to give Jughead as much freedom as she could without having the paper shut down again.

Jughead considered it, "I'm in." He agreed after the consideration Betty had expected him to give it.

"Okay, great!" Despite hoping so much that Jughead would say yes, hearing his affirmation still caught her off guard, "Um, in that case. I have your first assignment."

Jughead leaned in, arms across a desk. Betty leaned in to meet him, aware of how close they were, inches away from each other. Like they were sharing a secret, despite being the only two people in the room.

"There's one person who was at the river on July 4th that no one's talking about." She said, voice an inch above a murmur.

Jughead's blue eyes flickered to meet hers. Understanding dawned.

"Dilton Doiley and his Scouts." Jughead replied back. Neither had drawn back.

"Exactly."

They stayed like this for a second, staring at each other across the table, until Betty's phone buzzed. Jughead coughed, drawing back.

"I'll be right on it, boss." He saluted, turning away.

"Yeah, good." Betty replied, but he was already out the door and she was left attempting to steady her racing heart.

XXxxXX

All day, after the mid-morning talk in the lounge, Sweet Pea was at odds with what to do.

Chuck had expressed minor interest in Veronica, but if Sweet Pea had any idea he'd actually ask her out...well, Sweet Pea would have tried to stop him. Chuck didn't have a sincere bone in his body. This was just about the stupid playbook.

And, even if Veronica didn't want a grand romance, he could see on her face she was fucking excited about tonight.

There was really only one girl at Riverdale he cared deeply about, and that was Betty. However, Veronica was Betty's best friend. As much as Sweet Pea wanted to think he looked out for her because of this connection, the pair had an unlikely friendship. He wasn't texting her between classes or asking to join in group chats, sure, but he knew her well enough to feel crappy about the situation that was going to be inevitable.

He'd done a damn good job at shoving down his yuck about the Playbook and the girls it involved, at the very least trying not to make faces when another name was added. He didn't know those girls, not well, though. With Veronica, as much as he'd tried, he'd been unable to quell his stomach.

After he decided that this did bother him, he very heavily considered telling Veronica.

But he couldn't. That would throw the entire mission, since Chuck would know who told her (it wasn't like any of the other guys activist participating hung out with Veronica all too much) and he had a feeling that Veronica might be the type of person to shoot the messenger, anyway.

His next plan was to find something else for her to be occupied with, maybe postpone her date with Chuck, at least by a week. Not that it would help, but maybe the Playbook could mysteriously catch on fire or something? Or, maybe Veronica would lose interest and find another guy?

Having feelings and morals really sucked ass.

In the end, Sweet Pea did nothing. He couldn't do anything. Jason, and the whole shit surrounding his death, was more important than a single girl's possibly awful night. He was fighting a war and this was a scrimirish, something he could afford to lose, something he could afford to lack effort in. The bigger picture, the battles and the espionage, came first. He didn't think that Chuck was a douche enough to take advantage of her, just jack-assish enough to pretend like they'd done more than they said, or to be looking at points. And, maybe with some small miracle, Veronica would either have wanted to do such things or she'd kick him in the balls.

He imagined that and smiled, this image getting him through the day, and ultimately thought the night.

God, he hoped the call he made was right.

XXxxXX

The next morning, Sweet Pea arrived before the start of school to see a group of the football team gathered around an empty locker. He took a hard breath in, knowing exactly what they were doing. He tried to bypass them, but one of Chuck's right hand men- Castly- waved him over.

"C'mon, we're just about to hear the details," Castly said, slugging an arm around Sweet Pea's shoulders. They were in the middle of the halls, in the morning, in front of a locker with no lock talking about conquests like girls were ancient European cities and they were Romans. It was sickening. They were so arrogant about their own safety, and, it seemed to be true.

Officially, to get an event written in the Playbook, you had to run it by another high-ranking member. It was to make sure that some virgin wanna-be didn't go in and write down a whole boast of accomplishments he didn't do, Chuck told Sweet Pea. As it was, it seemed more like a grand opportunity to kiss and tell, since there was a fair amount of lying going on regardless.

"You didn't miss much. I was just getting to the good part," Chuck said, nodding to Sweet Pea.

"Did you give her a Sticky Maple?" One of the younger football players, a sophomore, asked, "Lord, how I wish I was you."

"She was practically begging for it," Chuck enunciated with a smile that told Sweet Pea that no, she probably wasn't, "And, what did you think? I had to welcome her to Riverdale properly," He added innocently.

Castly was already nodding and smirking, jotting it down in the Playbook with a pen he took out of his back pocket.

Sweet Pea shuddered a little. The 'Sticky Maple' was something that was, as the boys said, a 'Riverdale Thing'. Sweet Pea thought that was absolute bullshit, since no Southsider had ever used that, and he hadn't known what it was. In reality, it was a rich and spoiled Northsider thing, because only scums like this would come up with something so ridiculous.

Not to say that Southside didn't have its far share of scum. It was practically swimming in it. But, at least when they were assholes, they didn't put pretty little nicknames on it, they owned up to all their devilish deeds.

Sweet Pea had been taught, in great detail, what a 'Sticky Maple' was after seeing the marketed 'SM' next to a whole bunch of girls names. He actually hadn't been that interested, but Chuck had told him anyway. It wasn't too hard to figure out the general- sex- but the specifics were what eluded him. Without having to think about, it was dirty, rough sex that actually did include maple syrup.

And this put Sweet Pea out a little. Obviously, because he doubted any girl on this list had actually participated in it but also a little because Sweet Pea had previously enjoyed maple syrup on his waffles and now he'd never be able to enjoy it properly again. Damn these fucking Northsiders.

"Any other plays to report?" Castly said, pushing the pen behind his ear.

"After Chuck, I dunno how I can follow that up," Another one of the boys laughed, "Good on you man. Think she'll be looking for a round two?" Not a single boy in this group doubted that Veronica and Chuck hadn't had sex, which Sweet Pea felt just ill about. And, even if they had, it really wasn't his place to be talking about it so...well, like he was.

But, at least it was over, Sweet Pea thought. Chuck wasn't looking for a 'round 2' and he didn't think Veronica was either. It would go away soon, Chuck moving on to his next target. That is, until Chuck pulled out his phone.

"What are you doing?" Sweet Pea asked.

"Oh, right," Chuck said, glancing up from his screen, "I forgot, another part to the Sticky Maple…"

He turned his phone around to show Sweet Pea the newly posted and very vile Instagram post.

Fuck.

XXxxXX

Betty, in her years at Riverdale, had done her best to stay clear of Chuck Clayton. She could tell from one of the first days she met him that he was looking for girls and she didn't want to be a part of that. But now, ever since she'd become a witch, her magical alarm system basically blew up every time she saw him. Not that he was magical, just that he was a bad dude.

Previous to this day, she had very religiously avoided him so his exploits had gone mostly unnoticed. She didn't follow him on Instagram or friend him on Facebook, she didn't really hang out with the girls he chased, and if any girl had come forward, Betty didn't hear about it. And, she'd believe any girl over a dude like Chuck, but she just hadn't heard their claims.

But she heard Veronica. While her New York friend might be a little more casual about sex than Betty was (a night at Pop's recently had Betty red in the face while Veronica went on about birth control and orgasams) it didn't mean she jumped the bones of every guy around. Betty knew for a fact that she didn't like casual sex. It had to mean something to her.

So, when Chuck posted that picture, Betty wasn't surprised at his actions or Veronica's eyes nearly filling with tears.

She was, however, furious.

And Betty did not take things lying down, especially not when her friends were involved.

"You wanna help me get revenge on Chuck, Betty, awesome. But you'd better be willing to go full dark, no stars." Veronica told her, by the lockers, her brown eyes as sharp as broken glass.

Betty inhaled, sucking through her nose hard. Since she'd become a witch, the darkness within her had been mostly absent. She'd felt light and full most days. It didn't disappear, it just...toned down.

In this moment, she could feel it clawing its way back up. She could feel, more presently, dark magic start to seep into her veins, having Betty already imagine a thousand terrible things to do to Chuck Clayton.

"What do you say, in or out?"

Using the call of dark magic was for a good cause, right?

XXxxXX

After school, in the locker rooms, there was a commotion near the door that caused Sweet Pea to look up from where he was drying out his hair with a towel.

"...and stay out of my way."

Was that...Veronica?

Sweet Pea threw his towel in his locker, making sure his other one was securely wrapped around his waist before meandering to the middle of the locker room, where he did see Veronica.

And Betty.

A flash of embarrassment settled over him as Betty's eyes caught his and he coughed slightly, standing back. Why was she in here, of all places? And, why did she not look more out of place? She looked a little awkward, but it was more because of the ways that all the boys were staring at the pair of them.

Holy hell, he thought, please don't get worked up now. Please don't let magic get the best of you and plaster these idiot's guts across the walls of the locker room. I mean, they'd deserve it, but explaining it would be really a huge hassle.

Chuck, who totally knew they were there, didn't look around to pause his conversation until Veronica grunted to get his attention. Dick.

"Huh, B and V. Ménage a right on. Ladies?" He winked.

Sweet Pea took a protective step forward before he realized what he was doing. Chuck glanced over his shoulder and smirked at him, as though to say 'hey-I'll try to keep my hands to myself for your sake, but if she asks…' which was problematic because Betty scowling at Chuck he could probably twist into 'she wanted it'.

Sweet Pea just really didn't want Betty to kill someone like this, because, well obviously that would be bad.

And, he liked Betty and she was so much more than a point total in a stupid book and he might rip someone's throat out if they disrespected her. He's sure that whatever god up there would forgive him.

Veronica was arguing with Chuck about the Instagram post. The pair were squaring off, and Veronica seemed to stand tall despite it all. She wasn't a girl to be trifled with, even by herself. Add into the equation her mommy was a vampire and things got really complicated, and hella dangerous. Something Chuck was oblivious to, because human, but Sweet Pea wished Veronica could pull that one out and Sweet Pea could record the look on his face.

"Okay, that high-toned bitch attitude may have worked on the betas you dated in New York, but you're in bulldog territory," Chuck said with a finality that said that even if Veronica wasn't done, he was. It was a dismissal. Around him, the boys howled and barked and whistled. Sweet Pea kept silent, as did Archie and a few others. Chuck was so high of his perceived win that he didn't notice Sweet pea's lack of involvement.

Veronica opened her mouth to snap something back, but Chuck beat her to it.

"But please, fight back. You'll only make it harder on yourself."

The absolute gall of Chuck was un-fucking-believable. Sweet Pea stepped forward, unsure of what he was going to do, but that right there was rapey as all get out and that crossed a goddamn line. Luckily, Archie also stepped forward and even Castly looked unsure of his alpha.

Before anyone could do anything though, Chuck frowned. A line of blood dripped from his nose. At first, he just wiped his hand across his face like it was mucus, but blinked in surprise when copper liquid came back smeared on his skin.

"Dude, your nose is really going," Castly murmured and Chuck dabbed it again, but it was gushing now.

Chuck winced, touching his forehead.

"My head," he murmured, before stumbling a little. Castly and Archie darted forward to catch him and he stood wobbly between their arms.

"We need to get you to the nurse, crap," Castly said, looking at the blood trail that followed behind Chuck, "It's just not stopping."

In the sudden commotion of Chuck's strange symptoms, Sweet Pear nearly missed it. However, right as Veronica blinked out of her surprise and tugged on Betty's sweater, he saw it. Betty Cooper unclenched her fists and gave a small, nearly placid, smile.

This, in no way, could be a good sign.

XXxxXX

It wasn't hard for Jughead to find the scouts and Doiley. He was religious about his schedule, to the point of mania almost. Doiley was strange, Jughead had to say, and not strange in the way that he was strange. Jughead considered himself a soul a little too mature and and little too beaten for the hecticness of an average Highschool lifestyle. Dilton was strange in an almost 'you should be institutionalized' sort of way.

Back in middle school, the kid's favorite subject was Area 51 and aliens. He'd even convinced his family to take a trip out to New Mexico, and had been disheartened when he learned he couldn't actually get into Roswell. As he grew up, it seemed to manifest in an obsession with old-age skills.

Fire making. Compass reading. Star charting. How to set a trap with natural materials. How to build a lean to.

All, in light theory, good things to know.

Dilton was crazed about know this on a whole other level.

So, going to interview Dilton was akin to asking the village crazy to dissect and explain a prophecy. Jughead figured there was a reason Sheriff Keller hadn't asked to speak to him, and it's because half of what Dilton said was pure nonsense.

It didn't mean there couldn't be a kernel of truth hidden, somewhere. With the lack of news anywhere else, Jughead was up to the challenge of figuring it out.

Still, this interrogation wasn't going well. Jughead wasn't sure if Dilton was being purposely obtuse or if Jughead really was going to have to wrench anything out of him that he could follow up on.

He suppressed a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Well, did you see anything weird?" He asked, almost ready to give up. Maybe Dilton was simply useless.

"Lots. A white-winged crossbill. A long-eared owl." He said conversationally, which Jughead failed to see how either was 'weird' but didn't want to ask at all. He sent Dilton a scathing look.

"Oh," Dilton said, as though it hadn't been obvious that this wasn't the sort of thing Jughead was fishing for. Jughead leaned in, curious.

"Well, I did see some...things. Unexplained things."

"Yes?" Jughead held his breath, hoping that this was going to be worth his time.

"A feeling, something dark and menacing. Like...like when you miss that last step when you're walking down the stairs and you have that moment you're falling, that terror. But, spread out over the whole area. Fear just hanging, circulating."

"Uh-huh. You saw this?" Jughead asked suspiciously.

"Yes. It vibrates. Like-,"

"Magic?" Jughead finished dryly.

"Yes." Dilton said. Jughead gave a 'hmm', "Wait! I also saw," Dilton dropped his voice down to a low whisper, "Wolves."

"Like...a timber wolf? I mean, they're not common this close to town but-," Jughead said, scratching his head.

"No! Wolves that were as big as a bear with feet the size of your head," Dilton said, "A big gray one, running, two following. They seemed to be talking to each other. Like they were sentient. Like they were human. Or, half human." Dilton trained a thousand-yard stare of Jughead, "Like-,"

"Yeah, whatever." Jughead said. Dilton was useless. He didn't need campfire stories, he needed real news.

"Look, when you don't have your silver bullets on you, and they come to town, you'll be sorry." Dilton said.

"Right, man," Jughead waved him away.

So Dilton was a bust, but his brain was already working on another try. Hopefully, this trip out here wouldn't be totally a waste of time.

XXxxXX

Betty was fixated on the dead frog in front of her, trying to do away with the whispers. The feeling she felt when she made Chuck's brain start to burst was like nothing she'd ever experienced, but now, that dark magic was begging to be let in.

She knew it was a bad idea to let it...but…

From over in the corner, her brain picked up on a conversation between Archie and Cheryl. She looked up to part-way focus on them, which allocated some of the attention to shove the darkness away.

"Which is why I want to repay your kindness," Cheryl was leaning over her desk. Archie, bless his soul, was just blinking at her.

She missed his reply, since he was farther away and not facing her, but she saw Cheryl laugh and heard her reply.

"I'm granting you one wish, Archie. Nothing is off the table," She leaned over the desk like it was a piano and she was singing a jazz song in a sparkly dress, "Except my body," She purred, but Betty almost thought if he asked, she'd still say yes.

There seemed to be hesitation on Archie's end, "Jason would want you to be rewarded." Cheryl added, "There must be something you need. I can grant you things you'd think impossible. Money is never an issue, but neither is the laws of reality...when you have the right toolset."

A clammy cold feeling chilled Betty's bones, the same that had made her shiver when she was punishing Chuck.

Cheryl's eye snapped around toward Betty and she looked at her for just a second, just until Archie spoke.

It was only later that Betty realized that coldness hadn't come from within herself, but had been rolling toward her in waves, right from around the area Cheryl had been sitting.

XXxxXX

Veronica pushed her food around absently, scrolling through the Instagram comments with a feeling of dread welling up in her stomach.

"How as your date last night?" Her mother's voice caused Veronica to jump. She closed her phone swiftly and shoved it onto her lap. Her mother, and father actually, had a bad habit of seemingly materializing out of thin air. It's like they didn't even walk, but gilded places.

"I like the look of that boy," He mother counted, hoping to get some information from her. Veronica usually shared a lot with her mom, but she was just feeling down about the whole thing. Plus, she wanted to figure this out herself. She wasn't a child.

More than that, she didn't want her mom to be...disappointed, or, to think she was naive.

"The more handsome on the outside, the more rotten on the inside," She said carefully, "You going to eat with me?" She asked, but already knew the answer.

"Oh, I had food at work, I'm sorry."

Her mother rarely ate with her. When she did, she pushed food around or only ate a bite or two. Her mother usually would sit while Veronica ate, and up until very recently, Veronica didn't know to think this behavior strange.

There were a lot of strange things about her parents, but she chalked it up to being insanely rich and a little ruthless. She could admit both of these things of her parents, of herself.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Her mother asked, frowning as she went to the cabinet and poured herself her nightly glass of wine.

She had a special blend, something that apparently reminded her of her childhood and always kept it on hand, in a glass kraft near the dining room. Veronica recalled once she'd tried a sip of it when her mother wasn't looking and had found it disgusting. A little too thick, a little bit too...off.

And now, as an older teen, Veronica didn't like reds anyway, so she wasn't keen to try it again. Red wine just gave her headaches.

"Nothing," Veronica gave a fake smile, "He's just not my type."

"You need me to go talk to him?"

"God, no mom," Veronica groaned, "It was a fine date. He's just really dull. Honestly. I just thought he was different and he wasn't." The last thing she needed was her mom to go and fix things like she was a child with a booboo.

Her phone buzzed.

"Can I take this? It's Betty."

Her mother smiled, "of course, dear."

Veronica hopped into the other room, watching her mother drink her wine through the threshold. She didn't want to worry her mom.

"Yeah?"

"Meet me in the 'Blue and Gold' tomorrow-,"

"Betty, I already told you-,"

"No. This will be worth it. I promise."

There was a darker tone in Betty's voice, one that made Veronica a little hesitant. This, however, was what she'd asked for.

"Okay."

XXxxXX

They met for their lesson before school. The previous night, Betty had something on her mind, something else to do and Sweet Pea had to go deal with a matter with the pack. Toni could deal with a lot, but she just wasn't as adept with particular matters. The twins; Vade and Jedi, were going at it again, and it was getting ugly and Toni had gotten a bad cut from trying to separate them. Fangs had texted Sweet Pea frantically, unsure of what to do, and as soon as Sweet Pea had changed, he'd been able to feel the anxiety and the worry rolling off the younger wolves in tsunamis. Despite the fact that Sweet Pea had wanted to talk to Betty ASAP, he turned toward back home to go put two young and stupid wolves in their place.

But they had their morning.

Sweet Pea watched for the signs of what he saw yesterday, but Betty was surprisingly light and smiling after her and Veronica's trip to the locker room the other day.

Sweet Pea nearly didn't even bring it up. Chuck had deserved at least that, plus, he was perfectly fine. He actually got sent home, which meant that Betty's stunt seemed to work more in his favor than anything else, a point that frustrated Sweet Pea to no end.

It was only at the end, when Sweet Pea figured that if he didn't say something and then she went and did something worse, he'd be hitting himself for his own ignorance.

"Betty, I wanna talk to you about something that happened yesterday."

"The Chuck thing," Betty said quickly, then looked down, sighing, "I know."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it was just...you're right, my magic got the best of me. I was just imagining him bleeding, or like kicking him in the balls, and...I didn't mean for it to go that far. I just wanted to freak him out a bit. I got out of control."

Sweet Pea rolled his tongue around the inside of his lips, over his teeth, in thought. She seemed honest about it, but then he remembered her smile after it all.

"But-,"

"Look, it felt good as I did it, but afterward it just…" She rubbed her arms, "You get it, right?"

Sweet Pea gave a soft nod, "Yeah. I do. Erm, glad we talked." He shook himself out, "Now...potion making…"

XXxxXX

Betty had lied to Sweet Pea...partially.

She hadn't meant to go so far with Chuck, but once it had been done...she'd enjoyed it. She hadn't felt bad afterward. Her magic had taken over, but she'd been pleased it had.

She didn't want a lecture. She didn't want a werewolf, who she knew had killed people, telling her how to live morally.

Plus, this was a woman's problem. Even Sweet Pea, who seemed like a decent person, couldn't possibly understand it. Couldn't understand the way that Chuck needed to go down.

They were going to find the playbook. She hoped, maybe, Sweet Pea would help them. He had to think Chuck was out of line and needed to account for his actions...right?

XXxxXX

"I saw the way you looked at me. During Grizzly training." Jughead licked the spoon of the shake, staring down the young boy. Dilton had been full of crazy ideas, but most of the recruits to the Grizzlies were averagely intelligent kids, hoping to brush up on their survival skills. Few ever made it to Dilton's level of badges, because you had to be half crazy yourself, but Jughead hoped that this interaction would be more fruitful.

"You're hiding something."

The scout looked at his hands, "It's Scoutmaster Doiley. He's lying. The gunshot...it was him." He said uneasily.

"Why the secrecy?" Jughead said, tilting his head, "He has his gun license, doesn't he? Was he having you shoot it?" Jughead guessed.

The scout gave a firm shake of his head, eyes trained on the table.

"He was...shooting at something."

"What was he shooting at, kid?" Jughead softened his voice, sliding over the milkshake in an effort to get the kid to open up. This boy looked actually flustered, truly unsure.

"You can't...I'm not crazy, right." The kid began by saying, which was never a good sign, "Like, I don't believe in aliens or the Loch Ness."

"Okay…?" Jughead continued carefully.

"He was out showing us basic survival techniques. About how to get back to town if you're lost. He always has his gun on him, and I was the one that saw it first."

"What?"

"The wolf."

Jughead blinked.

"Wolf." He repeated, "Christ, you don't mean-,"

"I don't know what I saw." The kid quickly clarified, "If I've built it up to be bigger than it was, but man, it wasn't a normal wolf."

Dilton's account had been easy to brush off as crazy talk. He was just too excited about it, too ready to explain it. This kid, however...Jughead breathed out. He seemed scared, he hadn't known what he was seeing and was trying to work through it even now, months later. He was arguing with his logical side that what he saw was impossible.

Which, to Jughead, made it entirely possible.

What beasts were hiding in the forests of Riverdale? Did they have anything to do with Jason?

You guys liking Jughead's POV added in, or really, all the new little snippits POVS?

Anyway, writing that part about Hogwarts made me wanna write a Hogwarts!AU, which I do not have time for I have too many stories and too many of them are Hogwarts!AU goddamn it (but it's so fun to write those! Sigh...)

Also, I made the mistake of looking on Urban Dictionary what a sticky maple actually is and...well...it's pretty much just as bad as you think it is, and if you don't want to need mind bleach, I suggest not looking it up XD

Finally, I have just about hit 200 pages pre-written of this story. I'm at about 20 pages per episode, which leads me to this question; would you guys rather have short 10 page chapters that I update about evern 5-7 days (but more on the shorter side) or longer 13-15 page chapgers that I update consistently once a week? And, do you prefer just a SUPER long story, or do you prefer authors cutting up those sorts of things into different 'books'? Trying to figure out some logistical stuff with this :)

As always, remember to review!