The Serpent Queens(On Hold)

33: Thomas Topaz and Victor Valdez

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Pulling up to the trailer we walked to the door i just stared at it "so are you going to knock or not?" Mary asked and i looked over at her them back at the house "i don't know what if he comes out the shotgun?"

"It's grandpa that's nothing new"

"Then you go knock or the door"

"Hell no he's not going to come out waving a bat at me" i started laughing because i remember him opening the door like that before "will one of you knock on the door damn door" we heard grandpa yell from inside.

I looked at Mary and Mary looked at me, walking up towards the door i lift up my hand to knock on the door and it open "you didn't let me knock on the door" i said smiling up at my grandfather "you took to long" he said looking at me and for a moment we all just stared at each other "we've missed you grandpa" i said grabbing him into a hug and he stood there for a moment stiff before he relaxed his body and hugged me "you've grown into a beautiful woman and so have you, Mary"

"Grandpa" i heard Mary said before i felt her wrapped her arms around me and grandpa "my girls home, at last, it took you long enough," he said and we started laughing "now come in so we can catch up on a few things," he said as he let us go and i wiped my face off and looking over at she was doing the same thing, wrapping my arm around her shoulders we walked following grandfather inside his house.

"You want something to drink?" he asked sitting down "no sir" we said in sync sitting across from him, he nodded sitting down in his chair, that chair of his he had since when we where kids. "I assume you and Mary is here because of the paper," he said taking a sip of his beer "yes and we wanted to apologize about everything it was supposed to be for a research paper not for the newspaper"

"And did you take care of it"

"Yes Sir we took care of it"

"I would like to see the boy we wrote the paper"

"Grandpa i don't think-" i started be he put up his hand and i stopped talking looking at him then at Mary before i put my head down. "I want to see the one who wrote the paper, he is FP's boy, correct?"

"Yes Sir, I'll call him right now and tell him to head over"

"I assume he's close"

"Why do you say that?" Mary asked glancing over me while i dialed Jughead's number "Mel and he are dating and she's mad at him right now so i assume he is close so if Mel needs him he is there right there...How long will he be?" Grandpa asked me as i got off the phone with jughead "he said he's walking over now, he was at FP's place"

"I told you," grandpa said looking over at Mary and that's when i heard a knock "I'll get it," i said about to get up but my grandfather shook his head and i said back down "come in boy it's open" he yelled and the door open and there stood Jughead looking around before he's eyes landed on me "come here and sit," i said and he nodded before walking over to me sitting down "Do you know who i am?"

"Yes Sir i do"

"And yet you still decided to post what happened in the paper? Do you realize i could have you killed by just the snap of my finger?"

"Yes, Sir i do" Jughead said looking at me and i nodded. "Then why? Why bring up something like that?"

"I was angry, because the Southside is our home I'm sick of watching it get dismantled piece by piece in front of our eyes. They take our drive-in, then they take our school"

"I thought you were apologizing." I said rolling my eyes and looking at him then my grandfather, i felt Jughead's hand on my back and i stiffing before moving it down beside him "I am I shouldn't have used your story or what happened to the Uktena against the Northside. I had no right... I had no right. I'm sorry."

"Whatever your reasons were, you opened an old wound. Now, something has to be done to heal it." my grandfather said looking at all of us. "Do you have something in mind, Grandpa?" Mary said as we stood up ready to do his bidding, that's one thing about the Valdez family no matter if we hate each other or if we haven't talked in a long time we will protect our own.

"Is your Aunt and Uncle here?" and i nodded smiling at grandpa.

∆•∆

As we marched i grabbed the plug and pulled it stopping the music and we stood in front of the gazebo standing tall and proud.

"Mel? Jughead? Mary? What the hell is going on?" Vee said as she looked at all of us and Toni handed me the bullhorn and i handed it to Mary stepping down and standing next to grandpa Valdez and grandpa Topaz. "We're here representing the dead and the silenced. Pickens Day is a lie. General Pickens slaughtered the Uktena tribe, my grandfather's family and this land, the land that we're standing on, the land that will soon give way to a new Southside, was stolen from them and we can't bring them back, but we can and we must honor them."

"Hey, folks, hi. Uh... I think we can all be proud to live in a Riverdale where young people stand up for justice. Where a young woman can defend the honor and legacy of her grandfather and where we can celebrate the living legacy of the Uktena, who contribute to the rich tapestry that is Riverdale, that is the Southside and that will be SoDale so let's hear a round of applause for that, am I right? That's right. What do you say, people?" Hiram said into the mike he took from Vee.

"Your wife doesn't like being silent you can say she's kind of a screamer she likes people to hear her voice " i yelled out staring at Hiram about to walk up there but i felt a hand on my shoulder, looking back it was grandpa Valdez. "No." he said holding on to me turning my head i looked up at Hiram we were now smiling as i moved my foot Aunt Victoria stepped in front of me "Don't look at him and let's just go, right dad?" glancing back at grandpa he nodded "Yo Machete that's Hiram the one we use to go to school with," Aunt Victoria said turning towards Uncle Machete and Uncle Machete looked from us to Hiram

"it is, I'll see you guys in a little bit" he said as he turned around walking towards Hiram "Yo piss in the bed Hiram how the hell have you been? Let's talk" Uncle Machete yelled and glancing back i looked at Hiram he had fear in his eyes.

"Grandpa I'm sorry" i said as i helped him in the car "It's alright even though things didn't go as plan it did stir something up and i got to reunite with an old friend"

"Yeah why don't you guys catch up and grab a drink my treat" i said handing him my card and watching Aunt Victoria hop in the driver's seat "where are you going?"

"With me, i need to discuss something we Mel if that okay with you?" Cherry asked looked at my Aunt Victoria and Grandpa "It's alright but make sure you don't go into the cherry bush" Aunt Victoria said and I glared at her while she and grandpa Valdez laughed. "I'll see you later, wait where's Mary?"

"She went with the blonde hair one" grandpa said and I nodded closing the door and walking towards Cherry's car, getting in the car, she started the car and we drove to an old friend's house.

∆•∆

That night, plans would be made Alliances would be formed, and a horrifying act of desecration would be committed ensuring that the town's civil war would go from a possibility to an inevitability.