At Pop's with Betty and Jughead
"Sorry, there's no service in the bowels of City Hall."
"What'd you find? Any truth to what that creepy truck driver said about that murdered family? Yes, shockingly, Freddy Krueger didn't lie to me. A family of four was murdered by someone that the press called "the Riverdale Reaper." The victims were Jim and Mary Ellen Conway and their kids. Tommy was ten, and Sue was nine. Reaper was never caught or identified, so he could be our Black Hood, but I'm dubious. He would be in his 60's by now."
"Why did he do it... Kill them?"
"The reporter of the article talked to a sheriff at the time who thought... Killer chose them at random or because their house was isolated."
"Where was it?"
"Edge of Fox Forest, down some service road. There's a picture of it."
"Creepy." I said
"Oh, my God. Jughead, I've been to this house. The Black Hood sent me to it, as part of his game."
"Well, then there's definitely a link between the Hood and the Reaper. We should talk to Keller. Pull the files from the murders. At least get a list of all the players."
"No, Jughead, I can't go to Sheriff Keller. Not after I accused him of being the Black Hood."
"Right, yeah, that would be awkward." I nod in agreement
"You could go to the house."
"I can't go back there, Jug. He made me look in a mirror, you know, what I saw staring back at me... I don't want to do that again." I rub her arm for comfort poor bet.
"Then you don't have to, okay?" Then his phone vibrates
"Hello? Yeah, I'll accept the charges." In school
"So the reason we called you guys in here..."
"My dad's getting out of jail."
"Jug, that's... That's great."
"Yeah, what heralded this miracle?"
"Uh, overcrowding at the jail, I guess the judge reviewed my dad's case and after Cheryl's testimony it was... A perfect storm."
"What do you need from us, Jug?"
"Both of us. We have a new lead on the Black Hood case. And Jughead and I, we were wondering if you guys would follow up on it for us. We can give you all of the details, the articles."
"It's just that I have to be there for my dad to help with his re-entry, so."
"Uh, yeah and I'm just... I'm taking a break from the Black Hood."
"Who doesn't" I said nodding
"Wait, so, you want us to be you guys?"
"Essentially, yes."
"Why, is there a problem with that?"
The next day
I got up bright and early and got a welcome home present for FP. I went down to the serpents bars with two men behind me as I entered everyone looked my way but I didn't let it bother me I had two guards on my side
"Juggie" he saw me
"Hey Celeste" then he noticed the two bodyguards behind me
"Um and you two are"
"Oh it's not important juggie" I turn to my men
"(esperem por mim lá fora então eu irei e vocês podem me levar para casa então esperem no carro) wait for me outside then I'll come and you guys can take me home so wait in the car" I told them in Portuguese
"Yes Ms. Cruz" then leave I turned to Jughead
"So I heard your was getting out and being your bestie bestie serpentine I got your dad a little something" I gave him the bag
"Wow thanks Celeste"
"No fret my dear Jones I'll always have your back" Then he announced
"I have an announcement to make. My dad's getting out." We all cheered for him
"And when he does, I'll bring him up to speed about our plans with Mayor McCoy." Tall boy scoffed
"That's brilliant."
"Do you have a problem with that, Tall Boy?"
"Your old man? No. I got no problem with him. But you want us to sit down with the Mayor."
"I do. He's right. I think we can bring the Southside back. But it's going to take work and it's going to take compromise" tall boy laughs at him
"Bring the Southside back. You've been here all of five minutes."
"Tall Boy, I am sick of you acting like a little bitch. Whispering behind my back that I'm half a Serpent or that I don't belong here. Why don't we put it to a vote? If you guys think what I'm doing is wrong, I'll step aside."
"All those who stand with Jughead and think that Tall Boy should shut the hell up..." We all raised our hands. In the afternoon we went to the prison to pick up his father
"Ah! Hey, Betty."
"Hi, Mr. Jones."
"It's good to see you out Mr. Jones"
"Thank you Little Cruz, Alice!"
"Is it true what they say about men who have just been released from prison, FP?" I was confused
"What do they say?"
"That they're incredibly sexually frustrated." My eyes widen
"Mom!"
"What?"
"Wow."
"Huh!" I said stunned
"Seat belts, Betty." Once we drive over to pop's
"The Black Hood is targeting sinners, so, I'd watch my back if I were you, FP, especially once you re-join that gang of hoodlums."
"The Serpents aren't..."
"I'm not going back to the Serpents, Alice." I was shocked
"I thought a lot about this while I was in Shankshaw, and I'm done with Serpent life. It's gonna be one last ride for my boy and I. But it's too much of a slippery slope for me."
"The Serpents need you, Dad."
"Jughead needs you, Mr. Jones." Me and Betty said untied
"And what, pray tell, will you be doing with all of your extra time, FP?"
"Working, Warden Cooper. Saw a "Help Wanted" sign in the window. Thought I'd talk to Pop about picking up some shifts."
"Let's hope your plans don't come crashing down once you start drinking again."
"Actually, I'm in AA. Started in jail and I don't plan on stopping."
"Mmm." Hummed at pop's the next day
"Y'all finished?"
"Yeah, thanks, Dad."
"Thanks Mr. Jones" I smiled
"Thank you."
"Thank you." Then we heard a crash look over and saw it was Cheryl causing drama
"Clean that up, Plebe. The way you did my brother's blood." I grunt annoyed as me and jug almost step up to Cheryl
"Jug, Cruz don't. We'll get you another milkshake right away. On the house." Poor FP I glare at Cheryl as we sit back down
"Ugh Cheryl." I said annoyed drink my milkshake
"My dad used to be a king. A leader of men. Now he's being demeaned by the likes of Cheryl Blossom. He deserves to be honored, not humiliated."
"So, why don't we do just that?
Seriously, why not throw your dad a retirement party fit for a king?"
"Yeah Betty right he deserves it." I agree
"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."
"Along with me." I chirp. A day later
I was at the serpents bar helping Toni
"Girl you are good"
"Well seeing many bartenders that daddy had work for him making his drinks I learned visually and it engraved" we laughed then see Betty walk in
"Elizabetha Cooper what can i serve you doll?"
"You have a stage. Would you be open to me bringing in a karaoke machine?"
"For FP's retirement? Sure, why not."
"Also, Toni, one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you, beyond the party-planning, is... I've been walking the razor's edge since Jughead joined the Serpents and all I've been thinking is... You know, as soon as FP gets home, everything will get better because he'll be there to protect Jughead and make sure he doesn't get hurt."
"Yeah, I'm following you. I mean, with FP out of the picture..."
"But that's my whole point. I do worry. So, I wanna keep an eye on Jughead, myself. Make sure that as deep into these snake-infested waters as he goes, he doesn't do something that... you know, puts him in danger."
"So, what? You wanna be a Serpent?"
"Oh I do I mean I'm serpent by blood and I want to become full fledged Serpentess" I said
"Let's say Serpent-adjacent. But, yeah, part of his world, this world." A woman laughs behind her
"Shut it, Byrdie."
"Sorry, Sweet Valley High, Unlike Little Cruz if you wanna join the club, you gotta do the dance... Serpent dance."
"Excuse me, Serpent dance?" We asked
"It's an outdated, sexist Serpent tradition. Tried to get it outlawed, but misogyny dies hard. You don't wanna know."
"Oh yeah"
"Uh, yeah, I do. We wanna know everything." Then she told us everything later at Sweets place let's just say he was going on my ass about the dance
"No no and hell no Celeste"
"Oh come on it's just a dance"
"Oh a dance where men get to see you and in hell ways I am going to let my Little baby cousin dance on a pole in front of older guys."
"Oh my God pea it's not your choice I want to do this"
"Over my dead body"
"Well I guess you'll be dropping dead right now because I'm dancing"
"Oh will see about that little cous"
"Ohhhhh will see big cous" at Riverdale High gold and blue the next day
"So, the real story was in the Sheriff's notebook."
"There was a third child, Joseph Conway, who survived the massacre."
"They hid his identity, changed his name, so he could lead a normal life."
"Yeah. According to Sheriff Howard's notes, he was adopted by another family in Riverdale and presumably, enrolled at a local high school."
"We got a picture of the kid."
"If we match that boy to one of the students at Riverdale High during the years he would've attended..."
"Then he might be able to tell us how the Conway murders are connected to the Black Hood."
"Or he is the Black Hood. Just go with me here. Let's say that our mystery kid did end up surviving the slaughter, maybe even saw it. That would've messed him up for life."
"Yeah, and somehow, for some reason, he could be blaming the town for what happened."
"And now is punishing us for it." I said
"So, basically, we just have to go through all these yearbooks, page by page, and see if we find a match. So, not quite a needle in a haystack. What?"
"Uh, we just have to get ready for a party that we're hosting."
"It's my dad's retirement party, so..."
"Oh."
"Oh."
"No, you guys should come."
"Yeah, no, I'm renting a karaoke machine."
"It's not a big deal."
"You should come. You guys should come."
"If you want." at night I got ready
and I was gonna dance wether he liked it or not I'm a Serpentess by blood after all once ready I had my men wait for me outside and saw Toni she smirked
"DAMN you really do want those stripes"
"And I will get them and I don't care what Sweetpea says I'm doing it"
"That's my girl" we high five then I felt a pair of hands on me
"Damn you look to fucking irristable Little rose" I turned and saw Emilio I wrap my hands around him
"You like"
"What don't I like" I laughed
"Well I'll become a full serpent once I do" I nod my head over to the dance stage he smirked
"Oh really and aren't you afraid of what the tall big Sweets will do" I scoffed
"He can't control me. I'm owned by anyone"
"Not yet" he smirked when Archie and V finished singing it was hell so me and Betty went up as she sang I danced on the poles
♪ Children waiting for The day they feel good ♪
♪ Happy birthday ♪
♪ Happy birthday ♪
♪ And I feel the way That every child should ♪
♪ Sit and listen ♪
♪ Sit and listen ♪
Celeste
♪ And I find it kind of funny ♪
♪ I find it kind of sad ♪
♪ The dreams In which I'm dying ♪
♪ Are the best I've ever had ♪
♪ I find it hard to tell you ♪
♪ I find it hard to take ♪
♪ When people run in circles ♪
♪ It's a very, very ♪
Both
♪ Mad world ♪
♪ Mad world ♪
♪ Mad world ♪
After we finish Sweetpea and FP came up and they put their jackets over us
"Cover yourself up now" he whispers angrily at me but I do
"Let's give them a round of applause! And show them some of that Serpent hospitality we're known for. You know what? I've been in and out of the Serpents since I was younger than my son. And it's been a... A wild ride. Good times, bad times, but through it all, the Serpents stuck by my side, while most other people turned their backs on me. My own family included. Now, the letter of the law says that I can't be here in the Serpent den. That I can't associate with my friends. My real family."
"Yeah!"
"My blood."
"Wow!" I cheered
"You're the man!"
"But I've been thinking about that. And it'll be a cold day in hell before a snake lets a pig tell him what to do. Northside wants me outta this gang? Well, they better bring a coffin because FP Jones isn't retiring! I am not going gently into the night! I'm here to stay! So, bring the fire!" We all cheered i ran up to FP
"Congrats on not Retiring mr. Jones"
"Thanks little Cruz" I walked up to Sweets
"Are you still mad?" I asked he stayed silent
"Come on pea we're finally Serpents together why are you against this"
"Cause I want to protect you C. what if someone tries to hurt you"
"Then you'll have my back and I have dad's men pea come on" he sighed and hugs me
"Your a pain but now your stuck being my pain" I sighed
"Thanks pea" I smiled after celebration I took Emilio home with me and
we snuggled in my bed
"I'm happy I found you"
"Me too"