"Polly! Polly...pssst! It's me, Archie!"

Click! Click! Click!

"Okay folks, smile real bright now!"

Click!

"I know who you are," Polly hissed back sourly.

"Betty is worried about you. Why won't you talk to her?"

"It's complicated," Polly whispered back through the side of her mouth, trying to grin brightly for the camera. Why was Archie in this family photo? Damn, she had more to worry about. She didn't need to think about this kid and the frankly concerning insinuation. Wasn't he dating Valerie? Maybe she was confused; what did it matter?

"She fought for you! She fought for you and now it's like she's the enemy. I don't get it." Archie whispered back furiously.

Polly turned her head. She was about to respond when she was called away.

She just shook her head at Archie. Then, pretending she was bending her arm to sneeze, she grasped her pendant quickly.

"Betty, keep your nose out of this! And call off your ginger puppy dog. He could get hurt if you're not careful."

Then, before she could hear Betty's reply, she unhooked the chain and shoved it deep into her pockets.

XX

"Explain it to me!"

Hermione wasn't one to flinch, or so she thought. But as Fred Andrews paced in front of her, more furious than she'd ever seen him, she realized she has never seen him truly angry. At least, not until now.

"Explain to me why Hiram is so interested in this! Why Clifford is! Why am I being dragged into this way over...over…" Fred struggled, "Hell, I don't know what's so special about an old drive-in site, Hermione."

"It has more potential than I think you would guess," Hermione said, trying not to break down in front of him.

"Don't treat me like I'm a child! That's a bullshit answer. What am I missing here?" Fred asked.

Hermione swallowed, but couldn't answer.

"It's between me and you and Hiram-,"

"The fuck it isn't." Fred rarely swore, "I know a set-up when I see it. I know something more when it's in front of me."

"Are you going to drop the project?" Hermione asked, nervous.

Fred gave a hard laugh, "That's what you're worried about?" He demanded, "Naw, no. I gotta take a walk. Alone."

XX

"Who would have predicted this? Archie Andrews is our fox in the hen-house!"

Alice scooped a double heaping of pancakes on Archie's plate. Betty suppressed a sigh.

Usually, she'd bemoan her mother's dramatic fanatics, but she had to admit she was sort on her mom's side...who would have guessed Archie, a Grimm (a new concept to her, but still) would be...valuable. She rather thought she was leaving her friends behind for this new, magical world, but now...Archie was part of that.

Her mother looked like a child on Christmas morning.

"They invited me back for this weekend," Archie said, "I guess...I said yes?"

Alice clapped her hands together.

"Wait, wait, what's their interest in him?" Sweet Pea asked, narrowing his eyes, "I don't like this."

Sweet Pea, begrudgingly, had been granted a seat at the table. Apparently, his loyalty and protection toward Betty had softened her mother's heart just a tad, enough so that she didn't look at him like she'd smelled curdled milk. Plus, it was good to have someone so knowledgeable about magic, since arguably that was no one here.

Betty, however, was begging to feel quite bad. She was supposed to be eating breakfast with Jughead today. She'd canceled and made up a fake reason before he was on his way, so hopefully, he didn't see her eating with Archie and Sweets.

Damn it all, it seemed so unfair! If she wasn't 100% sure that FP and Sweet Pea wouldn't murder her and chop her into a thousand tiny pieces for telling Jughead the truth, she would have dropped like five werewolf stories in his locker with a 'My Name is Jughead' sticker on the inner cover of them all. But she was sure, and she knew that FP wouldn't even make it look like an accident. No, he'd string her up right in her front lawn.

But now that Archie knew and Jughead still didn't...well, it didn't sit right with her.

"Does it matter? You made sure he's protected, right?" Alice shrugged, "Sometimes for the good news, we have to do things that are difficult."

"This isn't about news, this is about Polly," Betty corrected, "She reached out through the necklace, but when I tried to respond...it's like it went dead."

"That was my fault," Archie groaned, "I might have pushed her buttons a bit too much. You know how I get sometimes."

"Well, clearly you hit the right ones," Sweet Pea said. When Betty gave him a curious glance, he shrugged, "If she really didn't care, she wouldn't have responded at all. He's getting under her skin."

"How did she seem, then?"

"I'm not sure Sweet Pea," Archie winced, "It didn't seem like she was unhappy. Or that she wanted to come back. Sorry." He mumbled.

"That's so unlike her," Betty groaned, "Especially with twins on the way. She wouldn't be so...stupid."

"Maybe it isn't! Maybe it's the Blossoms!" Sweet Pea raised a finger. There was a moment when it seemed like everyone was going to laugh it off until they thought about it.

Betty gulped, Archie shuddered a bit, and Alice sighed.

"Either way, we have our story. The Blossom empire crumbling. A hostile takeover. Archie, you have just cracked the biggest story." Alice smiled, collecting herself, "And don't listen to Betty. Polly chose her path. Focus on the Blossoms when you go back."

Archie shot a look at Betty, frantic, but Betty shook her head.

"Err...sure Mrs. Cooper."

XX

Betty stalked up to Cheryl during practice. She saw Cheryl size her up and down. If she were a witch worth her salt, which Betty knew her to be, she would recognize that Betty was no one to be messed with right now. She nearly kept the gaggle of Vixens around her, but they would have recognized a power-play, and they would have seen Cheryl keeping them there for safety.

So.

"Scatter, my Vixens," Cheryl snapped. When they were gone, she crossed her arms, "Yes Betty? What is it?" She asked with a doe-eyed blink.

"Look. I don't know what sort of…Stockholm syndrome spell you've cast on Polly, but I want to talk to her. I've searched through all my books and I can't find one, but that doesn't mean those spells aren't out there."

"There's a reason you cannot locate it. It simply isn't something that's done, at least, I wouldn't." Cheryl laughed, "Besides, we should be celebrating."

"Why?" Betty huffed.

"Dr. Patel confirmed it this morning. Officially, I mean. Twins. Bless our Blossom genes," Cheryl said with a too-cheery smile.

"And she didn't tell me." Betty frowned.

"Oh, boo. This is hardly about you. This is about Polly-,"

"Is it?" Betty said, "Or is it something more sinister. Funny how Polly arriving at your house was at the same time as all those witches."

"Sometimes a coincidence is just that," Cheryl said. She paused, "Polly is being kept safe. No one knows anything. Just us. They just think Polly is a friend of mine, down on her luck. We can afford to give her the best care, of course. You should be so lucky she came to her senses."

Betty didn't want to admit that to be true, but it was. On one hand, if the Blossoms wanted to throw around cash to make the rest of Polly's pregnancy easier…

"Can you give her a message, then?"

Cheryl considered it, "As long as it doesn't hurt her…condition."

"Tell her to call our mom. She's trying really hard to hide it, but she's really hurt and upset."

It seemed for a moment that Cheryl's face softened, just a bit, but then she raised her chin, "If I can remember, I'll tell her," She said.

Betty took a step forward, and the lights in the gymnasium flickered.

"It was a joke!" Cheryl snapped her voice hitching, "Of course, I'll tell her. But if she doesn't respond…that's not on me."

XX

"Mija, come here."

Veronica wandered into her mother's bedroom. The lights were all off, the curtains were drawn, and the room was icy cold.

"Are you okay, mom?"

"Just a headache."

Veronica eyed the wine glass by her bedside, red, as always, "And Merlot's going to help?" Veronica chuckled weakly, "Should I get an Advil or something-,"

"No, no. You're probably right. I shouldn't be drinking that," her mother said, but her smile was forced, "Dear, there's something you…need to know. About the Muggs girl."

"Yeah?" Veronica came to sit on the edge of her mother's bed.

"Her father, Manfred Muggs, invested with your dad. And it's probable that they lost a lot when your father was arrested. Maybe everything."

"Mom, they're getting kicked out of their house, their home," Veronica whispered, angered and confused and still feeling residual gut feelings to protect her father, which she didn't understand.

"The Muggs are going to testify against your father."

"They should," Veronica replied. Her mother was silent, but it was clear she disagreed, "They're not even the only ones. God." Veronica stood, blinking back tears, "How many more. How many more before I realize-,"

"Realize what?"

"That dad is…" Veronica felt the words start to slip out before she could stop it, "A monster. And I shouldn't…" She couldn't finish her thought. She shouldn't love him so, as her heart did. She should revoke any association with him.

Her mother gave a humorless laugh, reaching for her wine glass, "Oh, darling. That's the one thing about him that I always loved. And he made me one too."

XX

"Arch, repeat the question you had for me."

The three were in the Portal Room; Archie, Betty, and Sweet Pea. The house now had four walls, though was still pretty much just four walls in the middle of the forest. The tiny hut had a fire and was much better in comparison, so that's where they currently were.

"Witches and contracts and signing away your soul to Satan and-,"

"Woah, woah. Whoever said anything about Satan?" Sweet Pea paused him, bristling, "Do I need to have the 'magic is neither good nor evil talk with him again, Betty?" He turned, groaning.

"No, the question came out weird. Let me re-phrase for you, and tell you why I called you here. Archie wants to know about contracts with a certain red-headed witch and her family coven."

"Oh, the Blossoms," Sweet Pea groaned, "Well, actually, Satan isn't too far off…"

"Seriously?" Archie said, eyes wide.

"It's a joke," Betty said, hoping it was.

"Why are you interested?" Sweet Pea said, "I need more context."

"Well, you know, I felt bad for Cheryl-,"

"Mistake numero uno," Sweet Pea grouched.

"I felt bad," Archie repeated louder, "So I've been going with her to the Maple business stuff. And of course, Mrs. Cooper wants me there too. You heard all that. And they've repaid me so generously. I mean, my dad said something, and I'm just starting to worry…am I signing away my soul?"

Sweet Pea rubbed his chin, "What have they given you, and have you signed anything?"

"Nothing, like, official. And they gave me this really nice Les Paul guitar, they paid for my suit, they offered to get me into this really prestigious music program, and then they said they'd help out my dad's company. My dad didn't really seem all too pleased. I know we think he doesn't know about any of this magic stuff, but what if he does?"

Betty looked at Sweet Pea for answers.

"Well," Sweet Pea began slowly, "Yeah, don't sign anything. Uhm, there for sure are like…contractual spells for things, but most of those are pretty hard to pin down or to accept. The suit is just business, trust me. The music school and your dad…those would be difficult to make a good contract spell out of. But the guitar? I mean, it could."

"To what end, that's the question. What do they want from Archie?" Betty asked.

"Hey! You could say that with a little less confusion. I'm wantable for many things," Archie said, crossing his arms.

"That's not what I meant."

"I need to see that guitar. I can smell magic." Sweet Pea decided, "Where is it?"

"My room. Should I-," Archie started towards the door.

"Well, wait! I've been wanting to practice my transportation spells. I think with the kick from the portal, I should be able to get us there."

"Think? Should?" Archie looked green, "I'm fast. I can just grab it."

"Oh, hush! It will be fine. It says to visualize where you want to go. I know your house better than I think I know my own house," Betty said, throwing out her hands, "C'mon! Magic." She said with a grin, "Imagine, I get this…we could be at school in two seconds."

"I could sleep in," Archie said with a longing sigh, reaching for her hand. Sweet Pea shrugged, grasping her other one.

Betty screwed her eyes shut and the wind started to pick up around the trio. She imagined Archie's bedroom; she could really feel it. She remembered from the book that it told her to focus on one detail, really imagine being there with that detail in the space of the room.

She picked Archie's bedspread. They'd had so many nights of sleepovers, using it as a tent, that it felt like her own blankets.

There was a pop and all of a sudden, they were elsewhere.

But not his room. The basement.

"Cool digs?" Sweet Pea offered.

"I think we missed the mark," Betty said, spinning. She realized why. His old bread spread was rolled onto a shelf.

"Yeah, got new ones for my birthday," Archie said, spying what she was looking at.

"Oh. Well, at least it works." Betty said, "Sorta."

Mr. Andrews was not home. As they trudged upstairs, there was a sense of nervousness. If Archie had unwittingly signed himself into a contract with the Blossoms, heck, what then?

The guitar lay perfectly on his bed.

"Don't freak," Sweet Pea warned, and she got the sense that he was dipping into the magical mainframe and likely, Archie was now seeing a wolf in front of him. He jumped a bit, but otherwise, he seemed to have a better handle on seeing this in front of him.

"Well, good news. No spells. Just a regular super-expensive guitar."

"Oh, thank god." Archie collapsed next to it.

"But that doesn't mean you couldn't be bamboozled in the future. I'd stop accepting gifts if you can."

"Do we think they're just being altruistic?" Betty questioned.

"Hardly. We just don't know their endgame yet."

Archie groaned, "I guess just one more reason I gotta keep going."

XX

"Oh my god, did you hear?" Kevin said, meeting her stride in the halls.

"About which topic?" Veronica said, trying to temper her stomach which was bubbling and gross feeling, "Are we talking starlets? Hollywood? Couples here?" She purred, "I mean, there's so much gossip, of course."

"Ethel."

Fear pricked her heart, "What?" Veronica echoed, staring at Kevin, "What happened! Did she-,"

"No, no not her. Her father." Kevin said, voice somber, "He accidentally swallowed a whole bottle of sleeping pills. He's going to be okay."

"Accidentally?" Veronica echoed, out of breath.

"Well, he kept saying 'I didn't do it, I didn't do it', when they revived him. I guess they assumed he meant that he didn't mean to do it." Kevin said, "Poor Ethyl. How do you accidentally do that though?"

"You don't," Veronica whispered, feeling ill. She couldn't describe it, but somehow…she knew that her family's wicked ways had made this happen.

XX

"Archie."

Archie looked up at Val and groaned.

"You're avoiding me."

"Well, no. Yes. It's…this is…" He knew he had to talk with her eventually. Have the 'big boy' talk, as Sweet Pea had phrased it.

He'd asked Sweet Pea how to even begin.

"Well," Sweet Pea had worn a shit-eating grin, something that Archie should have known to be wary about, "When a Grimm and a Siren love each other very much, usually one ends up dead."

Yeah, that seemed like a horrible way to go about it.

But it was the elephant in the room. If Valerie didn't know now, she soon would.

Fuck.

"Cheryl is pouring some insane poison in my ear about how close you two are getting. She thinks she's seriously stealing you away from me or something."

If this were all his issues, Archie would have argued that Cheryl was hardly falling in love with him, but as it was, he just tucked it in the back of his mind.

"That's the least of our problems, Val," Archie said, turning to face her, "I'm a…I'm…"

"A what? Spit it out," Valerie said, clearly in no mood for beating around the bush.

This was not going to make her happier, Archie knew.

"A Grimm."

He watched the color drain from her face. The way she went from frowning to confusion to horror.

"Who put you up to this?" She asked viciously, "Who told you to say that?" She demanded.

"It's true. Sweet Pea, werewolf, and Betty, witch, they explained it all to me." Archie said, watching her.

Valerie came forward, and before he could stop or say something more, her face rippled until he was looking at something that he thought was equally the most beautiful and terrifying thing he'd ever seen; her face gleaming in the light and fangs on her lips, her skin moist as she'd just stepped from a shower.

Valerie stumbled back into a percussion set. Archie went to help her, but someone opened the door before he could.

"What's going on?" Tina Patel asked, "Valerie! Are you okay?"

Valerie didn't say anything. She just sent a terrified look at Archie and fled.

Tina glared at Archie.

Yikes.

"I know that it's a cliche, but Tina, really. It's not what it looks like."

XX

The hotel gave Betty a sense of foreboding. She'd never liked hospitals before, but now that she was a witch, she noticed how she was picking up on residual feelings more often. And, if there was one place that was filled with agony and ache, it was the hospital.

Plus, she didn't even really want to be there. Or she did, but she knew where she should be; at the school, trying to mop up the mess that Archie had made.

If he'd told her that he needed to talk to Val about the whole Grimm thing, Betty would have suggested her or Sweets there to help with the shocking realization. Now, of course, Valerie wasn't talking to anyone and there were rumors flying around the school that Archie abused women.

If it got back to Fred, that would kill him.

Sweet Pea was doing damage control the best he could, but honestly, it was hard to put a lid on a pot that was already boiling over.

But Veronica had said that she really needed Betty here with her to do…well, Betty wasn't sure why they were there.

She hadn't seen much of Veronica lately, and while this wasn't Betty's idea of a fun girl's night, she had a hard time saying 'no' when Veronica looked so dejected about whatever was going on.

They entered a hospital room. There was a man laying on the tiny bed, hooked up to machines. In the corner sat Ethel, and Betty got a sense of perhaps why they were here.

"Ethel…we heard what happened," Veronica offered, "And I just wanted to leave these flowers with you."

Ethel hardly looked up, wiping her nose.

"Is he okay?" Betty asked.

"He's sleeping right now. They think he'll be fine. Physically. But…" She reached for her father's hand, rubbing the skin of his knuckles, "Mentally they're worried. He doesn't have a job and my mom's insurance isn't good. If there's something wrong with his brain, I can't…"

Betty moved to rub Ethel's shoulders comfortingly. She watched as Veronica approached the bed, stony-faced. Why was Veronica acting like that? It was sad, of course, but it's not as though they had ever met Mr. Muggs, at least, not that Betty could recall.

What was going through her head?

XX

Veronica stared at Mr. Muggs.

Daddy ruined his life. Look at him now.

She felt like she was a second away from breaking into tears, and it was all she could do to keep them in, push those feelings down.

Mr. Muggs began to stir.

He awoke in a frantic, delusional frenzy.

"It wasn't me!" He cried, gasping, jolting up. Ethel seemed prepared for this, for she gently pushed her father back.

"I know, I know."

"I didn't take those pills. It was that evil woman. She forced me. She put thoughts in my head and made me do it." He continued.

"What?" Betty whispered.

"I don't know," Ethel whispered back, "He's insisting it wasn't suicide. But of course, he can't give any names or describe details to what happened," Ethel said, "Doctors think it might be all one bit of a psychological break, but until he's healed more, we can't be sure."

"It wasn't!" Manfred insisted, eyes wild, "The devil came through my window and whispered words in my ear. She told me that if I took those pills, all my worries would vanish. It would be easier. I didn't want to, but my hands did it anyway."

"Of course, dad," Ethel said, "Let me go get you some water, okay? Are you hungry?"

When her dad didn't respond, she motioned for Betty and Veronica to follow her. As Veronica turned to leave, a bony hand grasped her wrist.

"You're a Lodge," he hissed, spitting in her direction. Veronica whipped her head around, but Betty and Ethel had already exited. She turned back, nodding, shaking not from fear of what he'd do, but how much she knew her family had hurt him.

"Your father…I figured it out. He's a monster."

"I know, I know that," Veronica agreed, but there was a voice whispering in the back of her mind that of course, he wasn't. But it wasn't her own voice.

"No, you don't," He dropped his grip. Veronica stayed, unsure to leave or remain.

"I do. He's ruined countless lives. I get it."

"You don't, because he's in your head. Isn't he?" Manfred tapped his brain. It's like he knew the quiet, soothing voice that seemed to always follow her.

"Yeah," Veronica said quietly, shoulders dropping.

"Come here, child," He beckoned. Veronica inched closer, "I'm going to tell you what your parents are. You deserve to know."

Veronica frowned, confused, as she leaned in for Manfred to pull her inches from his lips. Then, in her ear, he murmured just one word… seven letters.

She was sure she misheard him at first. What he told her…it couldn't be. It was imaginary. He truly was mad.

"Don't believe me?" he guessed, watching her expression, "You think on it. And I think you'll come to the same conclusion I did."

XX

Archie was a wreck at dinner. He finally had to just turn his phone off entirely, after being bombarded with nasty messages of women screaming in his DMs about what a horrible person he was.

The news was all over school that he'd shoved Val into the drums or slapped her.

Betty had been irate when she'd heard; not that she thought that he'd done that, but because apparently hoping his girlfriend wouldn't fly off the handle had been stupid of him.

"If I'd been there, I could have erased Tina's memory! Valerie wouldn't have said anything. Now, trying to find anyone who knows? Jesus, Arch!" She'd been cooking up what she'd said was a memory-erasing potion, but as he was leaving, Veronica had called her, so she wasn't sure if she'd finished.

Either way, this was his mess to clean up.

He just wasn't sure how.

One thing he did know for sure though; "Mr. Blossom? Can I…have a word?" Archie asked at the dinner. He pulled on the fabric of his suit, remembering that he was wearing several thousands of dollars on his person, and this made him feel uneasy.

"Call me Clifford, son," Mr. Blossom insisted.

"Sure. Right. Clifford." It sounded foreign to say that, something that made Archie's skin crawl. He also didn't like him calling him son, "Erm, I just wanted to say, I don't mind doing this for Cheryl. She needs a friend. So you don't have to keep doing me favors."

Ways to not get caught in a witch's contract? Don't accept anything else.

Ha; he should write a book on this!

Sweet Pea had said that if it was a fae, he'd be in REAL trouble, since just accepting anything from them basically sold 'em your soul, but witches were more legal about it all. Small miracles, Archie guessed?

"We want to. To show our thanks and continue this…companionship."

"Sir?"

"Cheryl is a bright girl, we both know that. But the Blossom board, they're skeptical of her having an active role in the company. With you, though, by her side…with your lineage and stock, she might have a chance. You could temper her more erratic behavior and be the 'people's man' face to this company."

"I'm not sure I understand what you're suggesting," Archie admitted. He often knew he was not as smart as Betty or Jughead, but he was unsure even his best friends could glean what Clifford was implying. Maybe Veronica would have known. Maybe this was 'rich speak' so to say.

"It's about creating a picture. The right picture. Having you with us, with Cheryl, tells a very appealing story. We can recognize great power here, and we like to capitalize on it. We know you have it, son."

Archie bit his tongue from asking Clifford not to call him that. It was too familiar, too…loaded.

Before he could try to get more information, there was a tap on his shoulder. He was sure it was going to be Cheryl until he turned to see Polly.

"Excuse me, childhood friends." Polly motioned between them, "May I have this dance?"

"What a fine idea. We can iron out everything later, son. Enjoy this."

Archie let out a sigh of frustration as Clifford left, really disliking what 'details' he was sure Clifford was referring to.

"What the hell is going on?" Archie hissed quietly, "With you, with them, with me?" Archie shook his head.

"I'm not sure why they're so interested in you, but Archie," Polly said sharply, "Keep dancing, smile, look like we're enjoying ourselves." She said through a side smile, acting as though Archie had told her the most humorous joke in the world.

"What?"

"Betty needs to keep her nose out of this."

"Have we ever known Betty to be able to do that?" Archie asked, and they shared a true smile for a second, "But she's afraid. She can protect you. You can't protect yourself here."

"That's not true-,"

"She has spells. Magic. You don't have that." Archie murmured. At Polly's shocked expression, he sighed, "I know. I'm a…no time for that now. Just…I'm 'in the know'."

"Well, then," Polly got over her surprise quickly. Perhaps this was just par the course for her now, "You're wrong. Betty might have magic, but the magic here is intense. She can't compete with that. But my babies…they will protect me. They have. I'm safe here. The honest truth is Betty wouldn't be. And I won't let her get hurt trying to protect me. I'm her older sister. I'm supposed to protect here. That's what I'm doing."

"How?"

"Betty was right. The Blossoms have something to do with Jason's death. But she shouldn't have to sneak around. I can do it. They are interested in my kids, I know that. But she shouldn't have to. But the only way that there won't be suspicious is if I disown Betty." Polly looked up, eyes red-rimmed, "So please…tell her I've got this."

"She won't give up." Archie insisted.

"She has to."

The song ended and Polly bowed to Archie. She gave him one more look over, as though trying to figure out what exactly he was, but left to return to her seat with a quiet shake of her head.