"Why is she here?" Kevin scrunched his nose up, focusing on Cheryl for the first time. She was currently making a fuss out of the entire party, turning what was once a nice get-together into the equivalent of a college kegger.

"They're agents of chaos, Kevin. They don't need a reason," Veronica said.

Sweet Pea, who stood beside them, spit up his drink.

"Ew," Veronica huffed, "Can't hold your beer, big guy?" She said. Kevin could tell she was in a particularly bitey mood.

"Repeat. That."

"That they like to make chaos?" Veronica repeated slowly, "I think it's payback." She added with a shrug, "So that…" She frowned. Kevin turned to see Sweet Pea turning sharply and leaving fast, his expression one that Kevin did not like at all.

Kevin turned, scrutinizing.

Was Cheryl using magic? There wasn't any other reason Sweet Pea would look so spooked.

He sighed. For as much as he thought he knew about the magical community, sometimes, he felt like a fish out of water.

XXX

"Hey! Wait! Sweet Pea!" Jughead called, watching his roommate turn and leave suddenly. He needed him. Whatever he'd been talking about with Kevin and Veronica had done something to him.

Damn it.

Well at least he still had Kevin…nope, Kevin was gone now too. Joaquin? Yes, it seemed Joaquin was still here, though perhaps it was out of guilt more than anything else. Well, one was better than none.

"You. We're going to talk," He said, pointing. Joaquin's expression didn't change, but perhaps his eyes flashed with worry.

"Dude," Archie bumped into Jughead, "Val's here. You think she wants me back?"

It took Jughead a few seconds to register what Archie was saying, partially because Archie was on his way to getting drunk.

He felt a flash of anger. Even though Archie didn't know what was going on in Jughead's life currently, Jughead couldn't deal with such trivial things right now. He opened his mouth to snark something to Archie, but Joaquin beat him to it.

"Andrews; no. Leave it." He said evenly.

Archie looked like a puppy that had just been kicked.

"But-,"

"If she wanted you back, she would have called. You're not well-suited and you know it."

Jughead paused. How did Joaquin know so much about Archie's relationship? Jughead chalked it up, at least for the moment, to the fact that Kevin was a gossip-hound, and likely was spilling all the info to his boyfriend. But something about this exchange bothered him, tickling the back of his mind.

But another problem for another day.

"You know what you can do? Instead of following Val around?" Jughead asked, "Keep Betty occupied."

"What?"

"I need to…work some things out. Just make sure she…" Jughead floundered. Make sure she what?

Well, he needed to have everything laid out perfectly before he filled her in on how strange their town really was.

"Just keep her safe. I don't trust Clayton."

Archie's eyes grew dark and he sobered for a moment, "Neither do I."

He was about to grab Joaquin by his stupid leather jacket and drag him to the little outside garage hut until he saw a flash of peppered hair and his whole brain just shut down. Joaquin gulped audibly, taking two steps away.

"Is that…"

"Dad?" Jughead asked out loud, his voice cracking with some emotion. He couldn't place it right then. Anger? Surprise? Relief? Sadness? It was all overwhelmingly too much.

"Happy birthday, Jughead."

Jughead couldn't take this. Not right now. Not as he spied the Serpent Jacket and felt like he was seeing his father for the first time, truly.

He turned, but now Joaquin was gone. Slippery wolf. God damn it.

"Didn't realize you had some many friends."

"I don't," Jughead said shortly. Okay, all his leads were gone in this warm, humid, disgusting mess of teenage dancing or god knows where. But then…

"Hey, dad?" He asked. His dad paused, waiting, looking more curious or willing to talk than Jughead had ever seen him in his entire life, "Why did you never…" He started, but couldn't find the words.

Why did you never tell me you were a werewolf? Am I one? Is that why you prefer Sweet Pea?

"Why did you…decide to come?" He finally asked, kicking himself mentally, swearing in his head about how much of a coward he was.

His father chuckled, "Betty. That one knows what she wants."

"Oh?"

His dad gave him a warm, almost paternal smile, "She wants you happy, Jug. Remember that. Now, can you show me where the can is?"

"Sure. Down that hall." Jughead sighed.

He turned, scanning the crowd. He had to get answers from at least one wolf tonight, and frankly, he didn't care which it was.

XXX

"Betty! You here to roofie me again?" Chuck asked, lounging on Archie's downstairs couch as though he owned it, a self-satisfied smirk spread across his face.

"No, Chuck. I'm asking you to leave." She said, fists curled, trying not to short all the lights in the house, "Nicely." She added through gritted teeth.

"Nicely?" Chuck gave a bark of laughter, "Because you're back to being the nice girl now? The oh-so-innocent girl next door?" He said, standing up, shoulder-to-shoulder. He powered over her, but Betty didn't back down. Bullies were just bullies.

"Betty, you ruined any chance of me playing for Notre Dame, you know that right? You know you ruined my life?" He asked, his voice as sharp as a knife.

Betty saw the table lights in the living room flicker, and she clenched her fists harder, trying to draw in the power instead of pushing it out, "Sorry that you sexually harassed girls and had actual consequences. Poor baby." Betty growled, "We don't like each other. So I'm asking you to leave. It's my party. Now." She demanded.

"And if I don't?" It sounded halfway like a challenge, halfway like a threat, "Pretty sure this is Andrew's house, not yours."

One of the bulbs next to them burst. Immediately, from some unknown location, Sweet Pea was next to Betty.

"Cooper-,"

"This is between just us, Karan. I know you have a perpetual hard-on for her, but this is pathetic. Betty can fight her own battles, can't you?" He asked in the most patronizing voice Betty could imagine anyone could have.

"I can," Betty said, though it threw her off that Chuck was saying that.

But he didn't know. He couldn't. He was so...mortal. So human.

God, she wanted nothing more than to show him what actual power meant. To burn it into his eyeballs, melt his brain, string up his vocal cords, leaving him unable to say another stupid, shitty thing to anyone ever again-

Chuck leaned in, his lips brushing her ear, "That night, I saw the real you. The dark you. The Betty that I actually think about every night when I'm laying in bed," He said. His words sent a shiver up her spine and she wanted to vomit.

No, scratch that, she wanted to drain his insides out in front of everyone.

Which, shit, maybe was proving his point.

"Leave." Sweet Pea barked, shoving Chuck back two paces.

"Excuse me?"

"Leave. Now." Sweet Pea said, angrier than Betty could recall seeing him, "I know you fucking heard me."

"I don't want to. It's just getting fun." Chuck said.

Sweet Pea looked ready to punch him out, but Betty grasped his arm, pulling Sweet Pea away. Just as he kept her from exploding all the lights in here, she would keep him from going feral. She could tell from the way his eyes were flashing yellow that he was two seconds away from tearing Chuck's throat out, the real bloody way.

Luckily, Jughead appeared, pointing at Sweet Pea.

"There you are!"

"I didn't know you were looking for Sweet Pea," Betty said, turning away from Chuck. Plan B? Simply ignore him.

Better than becoming a murderer at her boyfriend's birthday party. As it was, Jughead did not look like he was having fun anymore. In fact, he looked downright furious.

"Yeah, well, we have some things to talk about."

XXX

"Pup, I can smell your fear from here," FP said evenly, stepping out into the backyard where Joaquin was nearly hyperventilating. Kevin was with him, whispering quietly to him, but whatever soothing he hoped for wasn't working. He could hear Joaquin's heart rate through the roof, absolutely skyrocketing.

"Boss," Joaquins tumbled to stand, to salute his alpha, but he faltered. Joaquin was usually so even-tempered, so simply non-emotional. It's why FP enjoyed his presence sometimes. Sweet Pea was dramatic to the point of annoyance, though he loved the kid. Joaquin was not. To see him so bothered was…unnerving.

He's just a kid, FP, he reminded himself. He shouldn't expect such iron-clad perfection of emotions. Even he, as an adult, didn't have that mastered.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice both commanding and kind. He was afraid the kid was going to pass out any second now.

Joaquin looked at Kevin frantically, then at FP, then back to Joaquin.

"I can't…he's gonna…I'll…" He muttered, sniffling, wiping his eyes.

"Joaquin-,"

"Veronica thinks her father might be connected to Jason's murder," Kevin stepped in, standing protectively in front of his boyfriend. FP snorted; mighty foolish to stand in between two wolves, but it said something.

"Is that so?" FP asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I heard it," Kevin said, exchanging looks, "Joaquin is just…" Kevin's ability to lie seemed to hit a pause, and he winced, knowing he'd just flubbed it. Not that FP believed that's what this was all about anyway.

"Look, we can do this easy or hard. Your choice." FP said quietly, "Wolf or no wolf?"

"Easy," Joaquin finally stuttered. He steeled himself, pursing his lips and standing to meet FP in the eye, "Jughead knows."

FP gave a laugh; an uncontrollable, knee-jerk reaction.

"What was that?" He asked, unsure if he heard right.

"Jughead, he…knows," Joaquin repeated, less sure now, "It's my fault."

When the words finally did absorb, FP had to turn around to keep himself from lashing out at Joaquin. He knew that the kid was already shaking and terrified of how FP would react, and with good reason. If there was one rule above all else, it was that non-wolves couldn't know. But more than that, his son specifically was an 'I-don't-care-if-you're-under-duress' don't tell him. And yet…

"Surely not what Jughead was expecting for a birthday present," Kevin said with a snort. FP's anger was switched.

"Excuse me?"

"Babe," Joaquin whispered, angrily, shaking his head.

"It wasn't his fault," Kevin said bravely, crossing his arms, "It was you. It was the night with the burned car. Joaquin was worried Jughead would recognize him and you just blew him off!"

"So you come to his birthday? Real smart, DeSantos," FP replied.

"I didn't know it was a birthday party! I've been trying to avoid him all night," Joaquin's heart rate was still a thousand miles per hour, but now it was out of fear for his boyfriend, who had just challenged a wolf.

"You think you're so protected. You think your father will save you, huh?" FP asked cruelly. Kevin gave a near haughty smile. Jesus, kids were annoying these days.

"I know it," He replied, "But I'm not going to let you sit here and accuse Joaquin of something that wasn't his fault! He's dating a witch! He lives with Sweet Pea! His best friend is a Grimm! He was going to find out sooner or later." Kevin asserted, "Joaquin was just unlucky enough to be caught in the cross-fire of his realization."

FP considered this. Though he was still fuming on the inside, even he had to admit to his deepest parts that he had similar thoughts before. Perhaps that's why he was so angry; he knew that it was fruitless. Jughead would have figured it out from someone. His son was far too smart not to.

"How is he taking it?" FP said after letting Joaquin live in terror a few moments more. He visibly saw Joaquin relax.

"Not well. Can't you imagine?"

FP closed his eyes, recalling the moment he'd burst into fur and fangs, and sighed. He dragged his hand down his face.

"Yeah, I can." He opened one eye, "You're not off the hook, Sonny. We'll talk about this later. It's a party. Enjoy it." He said with a dry laugh. Though the mouth on the Keller kid was out of control, he'd made a fair point. What a shitty Happy Birthday indeed.

He turned to find…well, he wasn't sure who. Logically, it should be his son. He should pop a beer for him and sit down and talk it all through. But he wasn't sure if he would.

"Why, when he says 'enjoy the party', does it sound like a threat?" He heard Kevin whisper as he opened the back door.

"Because it is."

XXX

"Valerie, hey!"

Valerie turned, face twisting in fury, "I'm busy." She said, holding her drink high as she turned.

"Can we talk?" Archie asked.

"No."

"Please?" Archie said, rubbing his forehead, "Look, a lot has happened since…" He didn't know how to kindly say 'since I screamed bloody murder looking at your face', so he trailed off, "And I was an ass."

"Glad you realize." Val said sharply, turning, "So-."

Archie grabbed her arm as she turned to go downstairs and the physical recoil from her was enough to make him stumble back.

"You've said what you are. That's it. Don't you get it?" She hissed, "We can't…we aren't…it wouldn't work!"

Archie frowned, "But you know me. I wouldn't hurt you. Or Josie or Melody." He assumed from what he'd seen they were all sirens together. From what Sweet Pea had explained, Josie was a powerful siren. Valerie wasn't as strong, so that's why it had taken longer for her to start seeing her like one. Her voice didn't enchant people the way Josie's did. To Archie, that sounded like she was more of a half-siren, meaning maybe this could work out between them.

"Until you do, though. I don't think you'd mean to, but..," Valerie took two firm steps back, "I may live my life mostly as a human, but you're the equivalent of mixing thirty hard drugs together and snorting it blindly. I'm not dumb enough to play with shit like that."

"It's over then?"

Valerie gave a smile, almost pitying, "Yes." Then, almost in a moment that he didn't think she could be so mean, or perhaps it was just harsh truth, she sighed, "Good luck finding someone to date you in this town. Far more of us are out there than I think you'd realize."

XXX

"Gather! Gather round, everyone!"

"Cheryl sounds like a town crier," Betty murmured to Veronica who had popped up.

"Goodie for us. Let's see what decree she'll have next." Veronica laughed behind her hand, "Hey birthday boy!"

Jughead, who had peeled away to drag Sweet Pea somewhere, looked up like a deer in headlights.

"Jughead, you didn't have a piece of cake. It's bad luck." Ethel interjected, offering him a plate.

"You should eat," Betty nudged, knowing he hadn't eaten much.

"I think I've already rolled my dice with bad luck, and I got snake-eyes," Jughead said, making a face, "Anywho-,"

"Where are you going, Guest of Honor?" Cheryl said, pointing a long, manicured finger at Jughead.

"Away from you," Jughead rolled his eyes at her. His seething hatred toward her was unmasked tonight, very unlike him. He usually took gave himself a bit more space to brush off her attitude, but something had shaken him from his faculties to deal with people he hated.

"Oh, you wound me. But we haven't even played our game yet." She pouted, looking around, "Doesn't everyone want Jughead to stick around for a game?" She asked in a sing-songy voice, and a few people echoed affirmations. Jughead looked like he wanted to stab her.

"My dad said never to break to peer pressure," Jughead replied sardonically, "So." Betty stifled a laugh with a cough.

"Jughead, you are so funny," Cheryl said, "Just listen, and if you, hmm, want to leave, we'll let you?"

"Who believes that one?" Veronica snorted.

"Listen up, party people! Everyone has their secrets-,"

"Yep, I'm out," Jughead tried to leave. But, as soon as he tried to leave, someone from behind pushed him forward. It was now that Betty realized she, Veronica, Jughead, and Sweet Pea were boxed in.

"Sweets?" She hissed.

"I know, this is sketch," Sweet Pea replied in a low tone.

"Everyone has secrets. And we've done our fair share of sinning. That's one thing my brother's death has revealed. So let's play a little game to get those secrets out in the open. Welcome to Sins and Secrets. And to start with, how about a shot for everyone?"

She reached into her duffle and pulled out an uncorked bottle of some liquor, "Never opened. This is the good stuff; Daddy got it for $2,000. That's my first sin and secret; I stole this." She waved a hand, "Ahem! Let's pass out the shots glasses." She said, motioning for her bad. Immediately, Tina and Ginger jumped into action.

"Should we?" Veronica hissed.

"It is unopened," Jughead said. When Betty swung her head around in shock, he gave a light chuckle, "If I gotta play, I need to be drunk. She couldn't have roofied that. Even she couldn't get away with that if someone told Keller."

"She makes a good point," Veronica said uneasily, "She's not that ballsy."

The drinks came around to them. Jughead clinked his glass with Veronica.

"See you on the other side of his bull-shit." Betty watched as he drank it, "Ooh, that is the good stuff. No burn on the way down."

"I concur," Veronica said, "She wasn't lying about the cost. My palette is able to taste expensive liquors."

"Betty, Degenerate," Cheryl said, noticing the pair hadn't taken their shots, eyes narrowing in on her and Sweet Pea.

"Rude," Sweet Pea huffed.

He sniffed. Betty did too. She couldn't smell anything other than the overwhelming smell of liquor burning her nostrils, but Sweet Pea stiffened.

She tried to push her question of 'what' into his mind, but the room was too noisy, too much background noise. She saw Sweet Pea waver in his thoughts and sniff again.

"Look, I know you're used to literal toilet water, but this is the good shit," Cheryl said.

"Is it?" Sweet Pea asked. He stared her down for a few seconds then his entire mood changed, "Well, I suppose. Bottoms up." He nudged Betty, nodding.

She did it last; the last person in the room. It tasted vile, but what straight shot of alcohol didn't?

"So, I guess you could call this truth or dare. Or I guess you could call it…a Lie Detector. I can't just let you admit your own sins. You wouldn't do it right," Cheryl waved a finger at everyone, "Let's start with…Veronica!

"Moi?" Veronica asked, utterly emotionless.

"Tell us, Lodge, is your dad a mob boss?"

"Really, we're playing in fantasies now? No, of course not." Veronica snorted, "He is a monster, but, well…" She trailed off, frowning.

"A monster? How so?"

Veronica closed her lips, scowling hard.

"Isn't it true your father, from prison, illegally purchased the drive-in land? Why?" Cheryl pressed.

"I don't know," Veronica said, the words tumbling out. She seemed rigid.

"Truth serum?" Sweet Pea whispered so quietly that only Betty could hear.

"Did you smell something?"

"No. That's what makes me wary. But…"

Betty focused on her feelings, "I don't feel the overwhelming pressure to be truthful. But I do feel…" She searched her mind, "Angry. Violate. Buzzing with…" She couldn't find the words, "Then again, I think Cheryl invokes that in most people."

"Maybe," Sweet Pea said, unconvinced.

"Well, I think you killed your own brother!" Veronica said, flinging her hand.

"Shit, what did I miss," Sweet Pea asked Jughead.

"Uhm…" Jughead frowned, unsure how to answer.

"Everyone knows how much I loved Jason," Cheryl looked seriously offended.

"Perhaps too much? Perhaps in unnatural ways?" Veronica asked, and then blinked, as though surprised at her own accusation.

Betty wasn't paying attention to that. Something was drawing her into this game, this drama. And she couldn't look away.

But she was fighting it. Every bone in her body was screaming at her to fight it.

I'm trying.

XXX

"Give me your glasses. Now." Sweet Pea demanded Betty and Jughead. They both frowned, handing over their shot glasses, "I mean, I'll wash them," He muttered, slipping away.

In the kitchen, he fumbled around in Archie's kitchen until he found ziplock bags.

Something was not right. And Betty, or someone else, would unravel what was in this.

Faintly, from the kitchen, he kept an ear open- Doiley offered up that he saw Ms. Grundy's car and that soon after telling the gang, Ms. Grundy quit. Then someone made the connection that Archie, who apparently who had also appeared, or maybe was strong-armed as they'd been, had been with Ms. Grundle. Betty mentioned that Doiley played with guns unsafely. Not the biggest secret, eh? But Betty had made a stupid mistake; she'd drawn attention to herself.

He threw the shot glasses in the drawers with the strainers, hoping to hide them, as he bulleted back into the living room.

"She dressed up like a hooker!" Chuck was yelling, pointing, "In a God-awful black wig, drugged me, handcuffed me in the Jacuzzi…I almost drowned until she got me to say what she wanted to hear. Then she lost it. She actually thought she was Polly…" Chuck gave a sly smile, "But, hey, you knew all this, right Jug-,"

That's when the night descended into what Sweet Pea could only call sheer, utter, unfettered chaos. Jughead moved, lunging, and it was like he opened the flood gates for a free for all. People shouting, punching, kicking…what the hell?

But it didn't matter. Only Jughead did because humans were so goddamn fragile.

Humans died for the stupidest reasons. Tripping over a rock and cracking their head. Getting hit the wrong way. Snapping a leg.

And sometimes, other humans didn't know their own strength.

Jughead could so easily break Chuck's neck. And then he'd really be having a bad birthday. The fangs, fur, and pain kind.

He grabbed Jughead by the waist, yanking him back with all his strength.

"Let me go! I want to punch his skull in! Let! Me! Go!" Jughead yelled, fighting back with far more strength than Sweet Pea thought he had. Unnatural strength.

Magical strength. Sweet Pea rolled his eyes, trying not to scream.

Oh, fuck this party. Fuck the game. Fuck...fuck Cheryl!

FP appeared from around the corner, and he seemed to make the same connections that Sweet Pea had. Anger, flesh human, a bad chain of events.

"Enough! That's enough!" FP grabbed Chuck's shirt.

"Get your hands off me, you snake!" Chuck spit, and there was something in his eyes too that Sweet Pea didn't like.

"Party's done, out, out!" FP said, all but throwing Chuck out the front door, "Go!" He said, and his voice seemed to break the fugue. Like his alpha command affected even non-wolves. Impossible, right? Everyone grumbled, streaming from the house.

Sweet Pea refused to let Jughead go until he'd stilled.

Once he did, Jughead took one look at Sweet Pea and launched himself away, into the dark, dark night.

XXX

Jughead was pushed out into the cool air of the night with everyone else. The slight chill pricked against his skin, but it was like being brought up from underwater. He gasped hard, steadying himself against the side of the house.

"Are you okay?"

He looked up, feeling like his head had been full of water. Sweet Pea was standing next to him, face far more serious than he usually wore.

"Yeah, I'm…" Jughead managed a weak 'a-ok' sign, but his stomach was revolting. Maybe it was the shot. Maybe it was the fact he almost killed Chuck. Even as he had the thought, it made him want to truly vomit.

Because he had wanted to. There was no dramatics. No overreactions. At that moment, Jughead had wanted to literally kill Chuck.

The fuck?

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Dad," Jughead rolled his eyes, but honestly, the concern made him feel like someone cared, "You can go."

Sweet Pea crossed his arms, "You're not going to punch someone again, are you?"

"What?" Jughead rubbed his forehead, "You made a promise with my dad or Archie that you'd keep me out of prison or something?" He said, totally joking, but Sweet Pea's expression was pinched.

"Something like that," He said very carefully.

Jughead stood, shoulders clicking into a firm stance, "Does this have to do with the 'Very Big Secret' Joaquin accidentally let out of the bag?"

"Your dad'll kill me if I say more," Sweet Pea muttered. Jughead felt like punching him now. He deserved at least that much. An explanation. But he saw how wary Sweet Pea looked, and remembered how panicked Joaquin had seemed when it all came together for Jughead.

"My dad's like, what, your…" Jughead searched for the word, feeling cringy to say it out loud, "Alpha?"

However, it apparently wasn't weird to say, because Sweet Pea didn't tease him and didn't guffaw at it, or act like Jughead was reciting from steamy bodice rippers about supernatural creatures. In fact, he finched a bit at the term.

"Ah." Jughead replied, "There's so much more to this, isn't there?"

Sweet Pea nodded once, perhaps as much as he could say.

FP stomped out of the house, shooing out the last few kids from the premises.

"I'll just go to the source, then," Jughead muttered out loud. Sweet Pea's eyes turned from cautious to worried, and he tried to reach for Jughead, but he was on a mission.

"Dad."

FP turned in the middle of the street, to where he'd wandered, tilting his head and watching Jughead approach. The way he was watching him was very curious. And, because Jughead was not dumb, he had the sense that his dad knew that he knew.

But he waited. Waited to see what Jughead would ask. Did not offer the secret of the century, the equal of liquid gold, without just cause.

His dad was so much more cunning and clever than he'd ever realized.

"Do you want some advice about your right hook?" He offered weakly, an opportunity to brush all these revelations aside, to return to the life that Jughead had once lived in, "Because you won't get it. I'll tell ya to go back inside to Betty; those were some hurtful words."

Jughead tried not to make a face. He'd been so caught up in punishing Chuck he'd forgotten to make sure that the person those words had been pointed at was fine. But she had to understand this was more important, right? To have this conversation?

"She needs you. And you need her," FP continued.

"No offense, but I don't think you should be giving me relationship advice," Jughead snapped, feeling his walls go up again.

FP frowned, but nodded and gave a heavy sigh, "Fair."

"Look, I just…" Jughead pinched the bridge of his nose, "Let's just get it out with it. About what happens to you under a full moon."

"Bullshit," FP laughed.

"Stop with the lies!" Jughead said, loudly enough to catch the attention of a few students woozily wandering by, "I know. Joaquin confirmed it. Sweet Pea confirmed it. Fucking…Kevin confirmed it! I'm not as dumb as you think I am, Dad. In fact, I'm actually pretty smart, if you ever-,"

"I was saying 'bullshit' to the full moon comment. We can change at any time," FP interjected quietly. The hurt on his face was evident.

Jughead faltered, wanting to kick himself. There he went, ruining something else.

God, he just couldn't stop himself, huh? Wonder who he got that from.

"I just want to know. I deserve to." Jughead whispered, "And I'd rather you tell me. So, maybe we could…" Jughead shrugged, trailing off, tugging his hat farther down his head. He didn't know how to do this. Offer an olive branch. Ask his father for help.

"Go inside, Jug."

"I won't stop looking, Dad. I'm going to figure it out, you know I will," Jughead said, feeling tears prickling, but refused to cry.

"I know you will, son," FP gave a genuine smile, "This conversation is not for the middle of the road in public. I'm not saying we won't talk," FP reached out, placing a tentative hand on Jughead's shoulder. Jughead allowed this, "Look at me. I promise…I will tell you everything."

"When," Jughead asked, throat raw. If anyone asked, he'd blame it on the unusually chilly wind bustling in.

"Soon," his father said, and then amended, "This week. I swear it. Just give me some time to figure out how to say it to you at all. And you have school." He reminded, "And a bright future. I know you're smart, Jug. Brilliant. And it's going to be hell to focus, to not think about it but, please. Just let it go, for now. Until we talk again."

Jughead clenched his fists and then let it go, "I'll find you if you ghost me."

"I can't say I know what that means, but yeah, I believe you," FP said, and then, "Happy Birthday, son. You know I…love you, right?"

Jughead wasn't sure what the last time FP had said that to him was. This did make his eyes water.

"Prove it," Jughead just said, not wanting this to devolve into a sappy reunion, not when he was still sure his father would find a way to skip out of this conversation, "Prove it and stick to your word."

He took a deliberate step back, and FP's hand fell away from his shoulder. He opened his mouth, maybe to give some small crumb of affection back, but thought better and went inside to find Betty.