A couple of days before they were due to go back to school, it was time for Lauryn to have a second ultrasound. Lauryn and Sweet Pea decided to keep the gender of their baby a secret so they could have a surprise when it was born, after a long discussion ending in a lot of laughter.
They held hands in the hospital waiting room anxiously, neither of them wearing their Serpent jackets in case they got a sour look off of someone. Ultrasounds were super cool to them, but Lauryn was biting her nails nervously and she didn't know why.
A doctor came into the waiting room to call them, and her face went pale as she read Lauryn's name. It wasn't their usual doctor. Lauryn looked up, and her stomach tied up into a knot.
She looks like... no, it can't be.
They followed her through the hall into an office, and Lauryn sat down before lifting her shirt. The doctor remained quiet and concentrated, and Sweet Pea frowned at the lack of communication. Even Lauryn wasn't saying too much.
"The baby seems to be doing well," Doctor Miller finally said, and her voice made Lauryn shake. She was so familiar. "You've taken excellent care of yourself since the last incident. How has the hyperemesis been?"
"Better, uh," Lauryn stammered, basically forgetting the entire English language. "Not as bad as it was."
"Good," Doctor Miller replied. "If it persisted in the way it was, you may have been hospitalised."
"Well, thank God for that," Lauryn muttered.
Doctor Miller swivelled out from behind the computer she was sat at, and Lauryn finally saw her face, which basically sent her into shock. It was her. "Would you like to know the gender?"
Lauryn couldn't rasp a single syllable, but Sweet Pea swept in to her rescue, kissing her hand. "No, we want it to be a surprise."
"Ah, just like my daughter was."
A sharp flashback struck Lauryn's mind and she got the final piece of confirmation she needed. "Mom?"
Katherine nodded, relieved that her daughter recognised her. "Yes, Lauryn, it's me."
Sweet Pea's eyes widened as he sat right in the middle of the strange, unexpected reunion. "Wait... what?"
Lauryn studied the woman in front of her, and then remembered how cold she'd made her childish. "Why... why did you leave? And why were you so cruel to Fangs? What--"
"Let's talk when I finish my shift," Katherine insisted, lowering her voice. "I should be another hour or so."
"Or in another nine years." Lauryn scoffed, crossing her arms.
"Now, that's not fair. We both have a lot to catch up on," Katherine glanced at the ultrasound machinery. "Maybe you more than I."
"Fine," Lauryn sighed. "Pop's. Don't be late, because I'm not going to wait around."
"Okay."
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"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" Sweet Pea offered as Angel Face was getting off of his bike, using his shoulder for support. "I don't know about this."
"Baby, I'll be fine," she reassured. "She's my mom, I don't think she's going to bite. I won't take any shit this time."
"Okay, if you're sure, Angel Face," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "Call me if you need me, okay?"
She watched him drive off with a small smile, but once she looked at Pop's, the nervousness took over. She was about to confront her mother after 9 years. She'd finally get some answers, but now it had come down to truly getting them, she wasn't sure she actually wanted them.
When she walked into the diner, her mother was already sat at a booth looking just as nervous as she was. She hesitantly ambled over, sitting opposite her awkwardly. Eye contact was difficult, and there was a deafening silence.
"Hello, Lauryn," Katherine broke the ice, reaching across the table for Lauryn's cold hands which were shaking.
"Hi, mom," Lauryn said quietly. "This feels... weird."
Her mother chuckled. "I can imagine so. I've missed you."
"Why didn't you come back?"
"I--"
"Why haven't you reached out in years?"
Katherine took a deep breath, her eyes meeting Lauryn's identical ones. "I'm going to explain everything. You deserve these answers."
Lauryn could see how nervous her mother was, and even though they'd been sat together for a while they still couldn't settle their nerves. Their sundaes sat in front of them untouched and melting, and Lauryn had lost her appetite.
"I need the full story," Lauryn declared after some light small talk. "Why were you so... unkind?"
"Well, there was a safe haven for young mothers, and I'd go there every weekend. It was a sort of farm, I guess you could call it."
Lauryn frowned in disbelief. "A farm?"
Her mother gave a nod. "Yes. They taught us how to take care of our babies, how to treat them superior to any other child and put them first."
"But, Fangs could've been raised as yours," Lauryn argued. "Him and I have the same father, and he was a newborn when you and dad got together. It wouldn't have made a difference."
"I know that now. And I'd do anything to take back everything that I used to say about him. It wasn't fair."
"Well, you can't, so you can quit with the sob story," Lauryn shunned, standing up to leave. Her brother would always come first, and nothing could ever excuse how badly he was treated as a kid, all because of her.
Katherine seized her arm desperately. "Please, just hear me out. We were... brainwashed into a chant we had to recite every day, which affirmed our unacceptance. It was fed into us with every meal, played through the speakers. Most of us were lost and naive, and so it was all we knew to go by."
"That's such bullshit," Lauryn scoffed, rolling her eyes and wanting to leave even more. She wasn't buying it. "You just hated Fangs because dad wasn't with you from the beginning, and he was balancing you and Fangs' mom for months."
"It didn't seem like garbage at the time," Katherine defended, shaking her head. "When I'd go to the farm, they'd tell me stories about women who brought up babies that weren't theirs, and their real children were murdered by the bastard child."
"That's disgusting, and you believed it?"
"I did, I was only nineteen," Katherine admitted, followed by a sigh. "I spent five years in Greendale to escape, and moved back to Riverdale with no interest in going back to the Farm."
"Why didn't you come back for me and Fangs?" Lauryn asked. "If you knew it was all bullshit, and Fangs could've been your son. Why would you leave us like that?"
All the woman could do was sigh in regret, watching as Lauryn sat back down. The heartbreak on her daughter's face crushed her. "I'm sorry, darling. I really am."
"Sorry doesn't make everything right."
"I know it doesn't, nothing can," she understood. "But, I'd like to come back, to meet your friends, and maybe... sort things out with your father--"
"Dad's dead."
"W-what?" Katherine threw a hand over her mouth in shock. "He's..."
Lauryn nodded, trying to show no remorse. "Apparently, he went after you. No one knows what happened. I thought you knew."
"And what did you and Fangs do?"
"We were alone for days, but were taken in by a Serpent we called Bumblebee, but her real name is--"
"Raella Foster."
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"We were friends after High School. You probably don't remember, but when you were around nine, I tried to come and get you," Katherine explained. "But she wouldn't let me take just you, and I still half-believed that crap from the farm."
"I don't remember, no. Why didn't you come later on?"
"Well, when I tried to get you that time, it didn't exactly go pleasantly. I was banned from seeing you or even contacting you."
Gobsmacked, Lauryn's opinion on her mother was thrown in all directions. "No one told me..."
"Of course they didn't, they wanted you to forget about me. But I'm so proud of you, Lauryn Mae, you and Fangs."
Lauryn let out a wry laugh. "You won't be after I explain everything that's happened with me."
"Really, why not? What happened? If you mean the baby--"
Lauryn lifted her plaid sleeve to reveal her tattoo. "I'm a Serpent, mom. Fangs is, too."
"I had a suspicion that you were," she nodded. "You were born into it. I was as well."
"You were?" Lauryn recalled, almost choking on her milkshake. "I never would've suspected that you were part of the gang. FP never told me that."
"I had to distance myself--"
"Because of the Farm," Lauryn finished for her, and her mother pursed her lips together.
"Yes," she confirmed. "You've grown so much. You're so pretty."
"Thank you," Lauryn said awkwardly before gesturing downwards. "Look, I know what this looks like."
"No, no, no," Katherine insisted adamantly. "I can assure you, it doesn't look like anything. Lauryn, I will always be proud of you. You survived when I turned my back on our family, and your dad..."
"Would you want... to come and meet everyone, maybe?"
"Perhaps Fangs and... your boyfriend?" Katherine proposed. "I'm not sure Raella and FP would be too fond of my return."
"Yeah, uh, that could take a bit of negotiation, but, mom, if you've truly changed, we need to see it," Lauryn requested, and she realised how much she actually wanted her mother to be different, to try again.
Once Katherine had paid for everything, the two of them made their way over to Katherine's silver Mercedes which was parked in the parking lot.
"Nice wheels," Lauryn complimented. "Very... Northsider-ish."
Katherine laughed, unlocking the car. "Very sweet of you to say."
They got in, and Katherine started the engine, reversing out of the space. "So, tell me about this boyfriend of yours, since I take it, he's the father of my grandchild?"
Lauryn nodded. "Yeah, uh, he's known as Sweet Pea."
Hiding a grimace, Katherine frowned inquisitively. "Sweet Pea?"
"Uh-huh," Lauryn nodded proudly. "I love him a lot. The, uh, baby wasn't planned but... I'm glad it's with him. He's been my best friend for eight years."
"That's sweet, honey," Katherine smiled sweetly, her eyes focusing on the road. "I'm glad you've found love. Careful with those Southside boys, though, they're a handful."
"Mom..." Lauryn groaned, laughing a little. "He's great, though, seriously."
Katherine's face suddenly fell into a remorseful gaze, and Lauryn furrowed her brow. "You okay, mom?"
"Yes, yes," Katherine assured before her tone was altered into more uncertainty. "I'm just... struggling to have the courage to face your brother. I never imagined it being this hard."
"Just..." Lauryn trailed off for a moment. "Make sure you apologise. There's a lot of broken glass in our family. The first step to fixing it would be apologies."
"You've got your father's intelligence."
Lauryn chuckled. "You mean common sense? Sure."
"Being your father's daughter isn't a bad thing. He was a smart man, but he let the Serpent life drown him."
They pulled up outside Sweet Pea's trailer after Lauryn gave directions, not that Katherine needed them since she'd lived at Sunnyside before. It was only when Lauryn took out her spare key to unlock the door that she became nervous. There was no turning back now, and she opened it.
As they quietly made it inside, they found Fangs and Sweet Pea sat on the couch in astonishment, eyes on them. Lauryn acknowledged her brother's trembling first, swallowing the lump which had formed in her throat. "Fangs, I can--"
"Katherine," Fangs cut her off, his voice shaking with shock as he stood up, recognising the woman immediately.
"Hi, Fangs," Katherine greeted quietly, taking a step closer to him. "You're looking well."
Sweet Pea stood up as well, frowning at his girlfriend, but in somewhat admiration for her bold move. He approached her, draping his arm over her shoulders with a kiss on her temple.
"You..." Fangs' eyes welled up with tears as the bitter memories flooded his subconscious, stinging in his chest. "Why are you here?"
"Fangs, I..." Katherine blinked twice to gather her composure. "I came to apologise. I'd like to talk, to clear everything up."
Shaking his head, tears escaped Fangs' eyes. "Why now?"
"Oh, my god..." Angel Face whispered, wanting to give her brother a hug. He was facing the person who caused him to grow up with a soft underbelly, and his sister could read his distress effortlessly. She went to comfort him, but her boyfriend tugged at her arm.
"Maybe we should give them a minute to talk things through," Sweet Pea suggested, directing her to the bedroom door. He cleared his throat. "I mean, if you guys--"
"Yeah," Fangs swallowed hard. "Give us a minute. I've waited years for this."
Lauryn was surprised at her brother's willingness and placed a hand on his shoulder as she and Sweet Pea walked past him to the bedroom, shutting the door behind them. Minutes passed, but no calamity erupted.
Ears pressed up against the door, Lauryn and Sweet Pea could barely hear anything because of how quiet and civil the discussion was. Lauryn walked away, taking a deep breath to try and calm her nerves.
"I feel sick, what if it's not going well?" she stressed, and Sweet Pea took her hands, massaging them with his thumbs.
"Do you think they'd be so chill if it wasn't? Fangs needed a minute, and by the looks of things, you do as well."
Lauryn shook her head, exhaling which caused a shudder through her whole body. "I still can't believe that's my mom in there."
"You're takin' this like a boss."
Before Lauryn could speak, she felt a movement where the baby was, and clasped her hands there with a gasp. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before. "Woah..."
"What? What happened?" Sweet Pea asked worriedly, covering her hands with his.
"I... I felt it move!" she stammered, grinning.
The happiness which emitted from his following smile warmed her heart, and he enclosed his arms around her tightly. "That's awesome. What did it feel like?"
"It was... like nothing I've ever felt before," she pulled away, trying to replay the feeling in her head. "I can barely explain it."
"You are so cute," he said in awe, his hands trailing down to her hips.
Lauryn screwed her face up. "I am not."
"My mistake, you're adorable."
"And you're difficult."
They heard Katherine shout that they could come out of the bedroom, and Lauryn remembered her worries from earlier which altered her expression back into concern. She inhaled hard.
"It'll be fine," Sweet Pea reassured her after noticing her anxiousness. Taking each other's hands, they opened the door with a turn of the knob.
Katherine and Fangs were standing next to each other. Fangs looked a little more comfortable and like he'd just let out a big confession. Katherine had been crying, it could be told from the smudged mascara under her eyes. It wasn't excessive, but it was dribbled under her lower lashes.
"We've talked things through," Katherine stated. "Things will be rocky for a while, but we're willing to work through it, for me to have a second chance at being a mother to both of you."
"That's great mom," Lauryn said, trying to smile but still feeling overwhelmed by her nerves.
Katherine nodded, wiping under her eyes. "I'm going to give you all some space because you seem to be independent enough, and the last thing I want is to tamper with the lives you have now, but I'll text you the address to my home on the Northside."
"Oh, you don't have to--"
"I want to, okay? And you can come by whenever you need anything. It's got several bedrooms as well, if you'd like to stay overnight."
Blown away by the generous offer, Lauryn struggled to believe that it was actually her mother standing in front of her. "That's... really nice."
"Let me give you my number."
"Cool."
While Lauryn was giving Katherine the phone number, Fangs was looking at her with a settled yet unforgiving expression on his face. Sweet Pea squinted in his direction, sensing that it wasn't all smiles on that side of the water. He patted his best friend on the back.
When seeing Katherine off from the porch, Lauryn hugged her tightly, somewhat worried she'd never see her again. "Bye, mom."
"Goodbye, my darling," Katherine responded lovingly, pulling away to study her daughter. "If there's anything you need, I'm a call away."
Next, Katherine hugged Fangs, which caught him slightly off guard, but he complied anyway. "Thank you for being so understanding, Fangs. I promise to make it up to you, honey."
"All right. See you later," he nodded, conflicted as to how far he could go in terms of accepting her back into his comfort zone.
When she left, Lauryn threw her arms around her brother. "Holy shit, Fangs."
Hugging her back, he mostly held onto her for support, irrationally worried that she'd abandon him. He didn't trust Katherine one bit, and the last thing he wanted was for Lauryn to choose her over him. He said nothing to his sister, and she pulled away to analyze him.
"Hey, you did so well," she said, and Sweet Pea nodded.
"Yeah, man," he agreed. "That was some heavy shit."
He kept his unsure gaze down at the floor. "I still..."
"You don't trust her, I know," Lauryn assumed, her hands rested on his shoulders. "And it's okay. Neither do I. It's gonna take a lot of work and patience, but I swear to you, Fangs, I will not let you get hurt again."
"I asked about my real mom..." Fangs confessed, and Lauryn's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Yeah, they were best friends. Katherine was a doctor and my mom Mariah was a teacher at Southside High until... she took the easy way out just after I was born," his voice cracked as he fell back into his sister's arms. "Dad messed everything up, Lauryn."
"I know, Fangs," she comforted, holding onto him. "I know he did."
"Wow, man," Sweet Pea rubbed his back, unsure how else to show support towards his best friend. "That sucks."
"Yeah, no shit!" Fangs snapped as he snatched himself out of Lauryn's arms, making her flinch at his sudden outburst. He stormed out of the trailer, and Lauryn ran to tug on her boots.
"What the hell was that?" Sweet Pea questioned, disoriented.
"I'm gonna find out," Lauryn vowed, hurrying out the door after her brother.
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