"What did the doctor say?"
✿
"As you all know, I've always wanted to make it on Broadway." Kevin looks at the three people he's closest to in Riverdale—other than his dad, of course. "Well, it's time I gave New York another shot."
"That's great," Toni beams enthusiastically. "Good for you, Kev!"
Fangs glances at Toni and then back to Kevin. The bundle of nerves in his stomach are just building up and he needs to spit his truth out to Kevin. "Since you're being honest, uh, we have something we need to tell you too. Toni and I...are dating."
Kevin's face remains neutral. "How did that happen?"
Mickey comes in from the kitchen, piping into the conversation finally. "Probably from becoming parents and living together and being extremely hot for each other." Her tone isn't malicious; it's more joking.
Toni makes a face at her best friend before saying, "Everything up until the last part." She doesn't want to rub things in Kevin's face. "Parenthood and all that has definitely changed our connection from platonic to romantic."
Fangs agrees, "Yeah, sometimes the best relationships start out as friendships."
"Um, I will admit that I'm a little bit surprised," Kevin reveals.
Toni says, "Yeah, but for the record, we're both still very much bisexual."
"And proud to be part of the queer community," Fangs adds.
Mickey gestures to the sky playfully, "Amen to that!" When Kevin's phone begins to ring, she gives Fangs and Toni a thumbs up and mouths, "Good job!"
"Hey, Dad. What's up?" Kevin is listening to his dad on the other line while Fangs, Mickey, and Toni talk quietly in the background. Then he sits up with concern written all over his face. "A bomb went off? Where?!"
This grabs the trio's attention.
When the phone call ends, Kevin says, "Archie's house was blown up..."
"Oh my God," Toni covers her mouth.
Fangs asks, "Is everyone okay?"
"Jughead?" Mickey questions.
"The house is decimated," Kevin tells them. "But everyone's okay."
✿
The next morning, Mickey and Veronica decided to check in on Betty together at the Cooper residence.
"I have to assume this was my father's doing," Veronica murmurs.
Mickey scoffs, "Who else, Ronnie?" She frowns deeply. "Of course his final farewell has to be all about Archie."
Betty shifts uncomfortably at the idea of her Archie still being targeted because of Hiram's never-ending obsession. "Yeah, if it wasn't Hiram who put the bomb under Archie's bed, then he probably paid someone to do it. But, on the plus side, the FBI's finally making Hiram's immediate capture a priority."
"That's amazing, Bee." Veronica says, "And we want to help. I'm reaching out to Hermosa to get information about my father's below-board operations, the locations of his safe houses, his known and suspected contacts, anything and everything that will help bring him in."
"Thank you, guys," Betty smiles at her friends. "I appreciate it."
✿
That very same evening, Mickey and Veronica are having dinner together at a mutually-favored restaurant.
"Do you really think Hermosa is gonna give up daddy's location?" Mickey wonders. "I mean, she's always been his loyal servant. More than she's been a sister."
"Maybe she will," Veronica states positively. "But I have some of my own privileged information about daddy's criminal empire. Everything someone would need to hunt him down and make him pay."
"For Betty's investigation?"
"No. It's not for the FBI." When her sister gives her a confused look, Veronica explains: "Daddy's had many chances. A more...permanent solution needs to happen. Which is why I am reaching out to the underworld...and putting a bounty on his head. A cool two million."
Mickey's utensils clatter on to her plate when they drop out of her hands. "Ronnie," she breathes. "No matter what Hiram has done, he's still our father."
"You're giving me the loving daughter act?" She rolls her eyes. "This is an act of self-preservation. Our father will never stop gunning for us."
"And we'll prevail. We always do. This isn't how we handle things."
"Maybe that's the problem," Veronica states. "I never want him to hurt us or our friends ever again."
Mickey leans back in her seat, her appetite lost. "You can word it however you like, but let's call it what it is, Veronica. You're so scared of fully being in that world, but you're in it and killing Hiram would solidify it. It's not right."
"You sound like Reggie."
"And you sound like the very man you're trying to hunt. I can't be a part of that."
✿
Ignoring the dreary weather that the next day has provided, Mickey stands outside of the diner. She needed privacy to make the phone calls she needed to and didn't need anyone inside listening in.
She has had to use every contact that she still has in the underworld to find the hitman that Veronica has reached out to. For years, she's separated herself from the darkness of that world—or at least she's tried.
Contacting the hitman has become important not only to save her father's life, but to save Archie and the town of Riverdale. According to Toni and Fangs, Hiram made a deal with the Ghoulies; he would continue to fund them while he's banished from town as long as they get two things done—1) killing Archie and 2) destroying Riverdale. He's the only person able to call them off.
"Anatol?" Mickey uses the code name she was given to use. "This is Mickey Lodge."
"I know," Anatol says. "I've heard you've been looking for me. What can I help you with, Miss Lodge?"
She plays with the pendant of her necklace as she paces in front of the diner. "The...thing my sister hired you to do—I'm willing to pay double for you to call it off."
A beat of silence passes. "As amazing as that sounds, it's not possible. It's done," he says coolly.
"W-what?" What...what do you mean? Already? How is that possible?"
"What can I say?" Anatol says smugly, "I'm a professional."
Tabitha exits the diner to find Mickey a few feet away taking a phone call. She calls for her to get her attention.
Mickey turns to face her swiftly, ending the call and shoving the phone in her back pocket. She seems dejected.
"Is everything okay?"
She nods, plastering on a small smile.
"Come back inside," Tabitha ushers her. She's not fully believing Mickey, but she's learned not to push her.
Mickey returns inside with Tabitha, taking her place back at the counter. Her food is hot and ready in front of her and she's sure if she eats any of it, she'd vomit due to how nauseous she's feeling.
"Could I get a refill on this coffee?" A customer two stools away asks. "Hey, buddy. I'm talking to you." His annoyed demeanor is toward Jughead.
Mickey and Tabitha both look up to see Jughead's just mopping away, completely ignoring the customer. The former looks over at Tabitha for an explanation.
Tabitha picks up the coffee pot and fills up the man's cup. "I've got your refill right here, sir. Sorry for the delay."
Mickey moves behind the counter where the three of them huddle away from the only customer at the counter. "Jug, what's up with you?" Mickey inquires. "Couldn't you hear him?"
Jughead decides to lie. "Yeah. I...I could. I was just in my head."
Tabitha crosses her arms over her chest. "No, no. No, I know when you're 'in your head.' This is something else and I've been noticing little things since you've moved in with me. Like when I was quoting your article and you didn't hear me. Then you didn't hear your phone ringing. Try to answer the question again."
Mickey adds, "The truth this time."
Jughead looks at his feet, wanting to avoid the girls' looks. Then he admits, "The explosion really messed up my hearing. Did a lot of damage. I'm just afraid it's getting worse."
Mickey pushes his shoulder. "Why haven't you gone to the hospital?!"
"I don't have any insurance."
She feels bad. "Then I'll pay for the visit."
✿
Tabitha keeps her eyes on the shiny hospital floors instead of on all the people who pass and all the announcements being made. Her mind is racing to a hundred different places, but she's really glad Jughead agreed to go to the hospital.
Mickey places her hand on Tabitha's knee to get her to stop bouncing her leg. "Relax. He'll be fine."
"Or he won't be," she sighs. "He's been...being Jughead—worrying about writing his article instead of worrying about His health."
"What article?"
"The Wall Beat Journal wants to run his article about...your father. The final nails pounded into his coffin."
Mickey looks down for a second when her eyes begin to burn. There's literal truth to Tabitha's words now.
"Okay, now you fess up. What's wrong? I know something's wrong, Mick."
"I just...I don't think I'll ever see my dad again. As crappy as he was, he was still the only dad I ever had." Mickey quickly wipes the tear that has fallen and takes a deep breath. "So...you and Jughead moved in together..." she changes the topic.
Tabitha's mouth twists. She doesn't want to brush over Mickey's feelings. "We don't have to keep talking about your dad, but just know you always can with me." Then she says, "And the living situation...it's a little sooner than expected, but I wasn't going to see him on the street." She wraps one arm around Mickey's shoulders, "But thanks for waiting with me. I couldn't imagine sitting in here alone."
"I understand. I hate hospitals."
"Then why'd you become a nurse?"
"I guess I'm a masochist to an extent," Mickey laughs softly.
Tabitha grins.
Jughead exits the exam room and enters the hallway to see the two of them still there.
The girls stand and move over to him. "What did the doctor say?"
Softly, Jughead says, "I can't hear you. He said I'm...ninety-eight percent deaf in my left ear and eighty-seven percent deaf in my right."
Tabitha bites on her bottom lip to stop it from trembling. Then she wraps her arms around Jughead.
Jughead's locks eyes with Mickey while he's hugging Tabitha and he sighs.
Mickey notices how glossy his eyes are and how hard he's trying not to full on cry.
Tabitha pulls away first and says, "We're gonna get through this...together."
Mickey squeezes Jughead's upper arm, waiting for him to look at her—or more specifically, her lips. "She's right."
✿
Veronica is sitting at the desk in her office at home. She been there for majority of the night, going through an old photo album of pictures of her dad when he was younger. She picks up her glass and takes a big gulp of her third—or fourth—glass of bourbon.
Mickey pushes open the office door. Irritation vibrates through her when she sees that her sister is crying. Coldly, she asks, "You wanted to talk?"
When Veronica looks up, a fresh set of tears stream down her face.
"Why are you crying?" Mickey's eyebrows pull toward the center of her forehead. "This is what you wanted."
"I didn't!" Veronica sobs. "I thought it was what needed to be done, but I changed my mind."
"When it was too late," Mickey hisses. "Why am I here?"
"Hermosa called," she informs her. "She said we better watch our backs because blood will have blood. Mickey, We're marked."