It had been five years since Jughead had last laid eyes on the Welcome to Riverdale sign, except then he was going in the opposite direction, with high hopes of finding something better, or more so, of hoping to make something better out of himself.

He still remembers the days before he left his old life behind. Tears streaming down the beautiful blondes face as he walked away from Pop's Diner that night. He thought it was the right thing to do, hell he still thinks it was, maybe not for him but for her. She was too bright, too kind and far too good for this world and definitely far too good for him.

Since his mom left, taking his sister JB with her, his dad started drinking heavier and falling further and further in with the Serpent's. This in turn made the dangers ever more present.
After Fred Andrews was shot, he heard the whispers and the rumors of the coming of an uprising between the North and South sides of Riverdale. Even though Fred survived, there were some folks from the north that were convinced that it was a Serpent who fired the gun.

He started hearing the not so empty threats against northerners as well as against any southerner who didn't want to fall in line. It had become far too risky for him and Betty to be together, especially since he had no intention of joining the Serpent's in the impending battle against the north side.

Jughead knew that there is no way Betty would leave him behind after graduation and go off to college and better things if they were still together and if anyone deserved to get out of Riverdale it was Betty Cooper.

His heart broke open as she told him she loved him and begged him not to leave her. He tried to explain the dangers to her but she just wouldn't listen. In the end he ended up having to be far more harsh then he ever wanted to be. The shock and the hurt in her eyes when he yelled at her will forever be imprinted in his mind.

He could still picture it so clearly,

"Just leave it alone, Betts! Leave us alone! I can't be with you, it'll never work and you know it! We are on borrowed time Betty! Forget about me just like I'm going to forget about you, just walk away!" he threw the words harshly in her face.

Her eyes widened, mouth dropping in shock, as the color draining from her beautiful face. It was then that he knew it worked, not because the shock on her face but the silence and tight lipped looked that followed.

I could see the way her fists clenched, knuckles white as she squeezed them to find the release she used to cope whenever life got away from her. I wanted so badly to reach out and uncurl her hands but I couldn't risk touching her, not if I planned to follow through with this.

She let out the breath she was holding and spoke in a voice so devoid of emotion it almost broke his whole resolve right there.

"Fine" she whispered, "if you want to be left alone Jughead then so be it. But one day you may wake up and realize that you have pushed everyone that loves you away and that you are terribly alone. For your sake I hope I'm wrong".

She looked at him with what looked almost like almost, and with a curt nod and a "Goodbye Forsythe", she turned away and walked right out of his life.

The following week was the hardest days of his life, it took everything in him not to contact her, to see her, to throw himself on his knees and beg her to take him back. Betty was right, he was alone, his dad hadn't been home for three days now and he just pushed the best thing that ever happened to him away.

By the end of the first week he knew he needed Betty, almost as much as he needed air, but he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let his world corrupt her. He would not jeopardize her safety and potential. That's when he made the decision to leave Riverdale. If he was ever going to be who she needed him to be, who she deserved, then he needed to get out of here.

So, that's what he did, he spent long hours doing extra assignments which allowed him to graduate a few weeks before everyone else. He applied to every college that he thought would take him and for every scholarship he could find. He ended up getting accepted to a community college in a small city five hours away, he even pulled in a decent scholarship that helped fund his first semester.

He watched Betty and the rest of his classmates from afar as they accepted their diplomas, cheering as they threw their caps in the air before getting into the beat up truck his father let him take and leaving Riverdale behind.

After all he had accomplished, he was still terrified as he drove back towards his hometown. He wasn't the same boy who left but would that matter to people? Or would they still see the south side in him?
In the five years he'd been gone, he had done what he'd set out to do. He got an education, graduated college with a literature degree and was now, at 24, a published author with a steady income. But his stomach still tightened with nerves, especially when he thought about Betty.

He had lied to her face all those years ago, for he hadn't forgot about her, not in the slightest, if anything it was like his mind took a picture and kept it there permanently, the one thing keeping him going anytime he felt like quitting.

He still remembered the lines of her face, the bright sea green of her eyes, her laugh and the way her golden hair glowed in the sunlight like a halo. And god, the way she smelled like vanilla and strawberries, the way she tasted, they way her body curved, he groaned just thinking about it.

He had heard through the grapevine that she was living in Riverdale, whether she ever left or not he didn't know, he hopes she did but he couldn't get anything further on her.
Even though him and Archie kept in touch over the years, not like they used to, but they would talk and touch base over the phone once in a while, Archie was always vague and quick to change the subject when it came to Betty and he was definitely not forthcoming with any information.

Really, Jughead couldn't blame him, he was Archie's friend but Betty was his best friend and Jughead had hurt her terribly. It took Archie a long time to even agree to speak with him so he could try to explain himself, and even longer for Arch to forgive him. Jughead had broke her and then took off leaving Archie to pick up the pieces. He may have forgave him but he still maintained that Jughead is and was a total idiot. Again, he can't totally disagree.

But he was different now, worthy and ready to beg for her love and forgiveness, he just hoped he wasn't too late. He was totally swinging in the dark here, Betty could have a boyfriend, a husband, even children, he has no idea what he's walking into.

All he knows is if there is a chance that she could love him again then he was willing to fight for her, regardless of what her life may hold now. If Betty would entertain the idea of loving him, even just a little, then he needed to try, Betty was it for him, she always was and always will be his one and only.

It was already late when he drove into town, coming up on 12:30am, he definitely wouldn't be making any visits tonight. Deciding the best thing to do would be to track down his dad and talk his way into a bed to crash in, until morning.

It had been quite a while since he had spoken with his father and even when he had, FP was never a man of many words. But if history served him right, the most likely place that he would find Forsythe Pendelton Jones II at this time of night would be the Whyte Worm.

He pulled up in front of the bar and put the truck in park and when he swung out he started a bit at the way it had changed. Nothing drastic, esthetically, it still looked a lot the same but newer in a way, cleaned up, more established. The facade of danger and dirt that used to go hand in hand with the biker bar was gone….it appeared almost….welcoming.

Shaking his head, he bounded up the steps and through the door. He was surprised to find it fairly packed and not just with leather jackets but with everyday people. Older people, couples, college kids…all mingling and conversing together. This was something he'd never seen before, never thought he'd see, especially here.

He was halfway to the bar when he heard "Well, I'll be damn, look what the cat dragged in!"

Jughead turned towards the voice and spotted one of his dads oldest friends grinning at him from behind the counter. Sauntering over to the bar and plopping himself on the stool he turned towards the large man "hey Viper, how've you been?"

"Still on this side of the dirt" he joked.

"It's good to see you kid, what brings you back to town after all this time? FP never mentioned you were coming."

"Unfinished business" he replied "and I never told him actually, so I'm sure he'll be surprised to see me, is he hanging around here somewhere?"

"Just a sec" he said and turned to yell at the guy playing pool, "Hey Snake, FP still here?"

"Nah, he took his old lady and left, they had that look in their eyes" he smirked, "I'm sure you won't be seeing them again tonight" he laughed.

"You know she would make you eat your words if she heard you call her old lady" Viper replied

"I know" he chuckled "but she's currently busy and none the wiser" he grinned and wiggled his eyebrows while the boys behind him hooted and laughed.

"Boy, one of these days she's going to throttle you" a guy named Ferrett interjected with a laugh.

"And I'll love every minute of it!" Snake replied with a wink.

Viper shook his head and turned back to Jug, "Well I guess you missed him, kid"

"Old lady?" Jug asked with a raised eyebrow "When I left FP could barely hold a job, or anything besides a beer, how'd he land a woman?"

"He never told you?" Viper asked with raised brows and Jughead shook his head

"Your old man quit drinking, it's been about three years now. Cleaned himself up, even took some classes, saved up some cash and about a year ago bought the garage at the edge of town. Also fixed up the trailer, added an addition to the back. He's like a whole new man" he said as he clapped Jug on the shoulder "you should be proud, and he couldn't have done any of it without her you know. She stuck by him all the way through, supporting him and helping in any way she could, first as a friend and then, as something more." Viper grinned as he talked about her.

"She's got everyone here wrapped around her finger if you can believe that! Helluva woman, lucky bastard" he smiled.

Jughead was speechless, mind whirling, he's not sure how many seconds or even minutes passed before he finally came back to earth.

"What the hell happened in the last five years, Viper?!" he croaked out.

Viper looked at him confused, "I just told you" he replied.

"No, not just with dad, but with this whole town, this bar, everything!" he flustered out, "It's like I drove into the twilight zone. Everything seems calm, peaceful even, they're new shops and houses littered throughout the town, the air abundantly lacking the tension that clouded it when I left. Even here," he gestured with his arm across the bar, "the look, the clientele….it's all...new and improved."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you son, a lot can happen in five years" he shrugged.

"Once Sheriff Keller removed his head from his ass and started following actual leads, arresting the right people, the feud started to fall away, tempers and grudges forgotten, assumptions stopped. It took a while, a long while, before it got to where it is now, but besides the odd tiff between neighbours, we're pretty much back to your boring ordinary small town" he concluded.

Puffing out his chest, he added "even the Serpent's are on the up and up now, all business is completely legit, no more shady dealings" he finished with a large grin on his face.

Wow Jughead thought, he didn't know what he was expecting when he came back but this was not it.

"Any way" Viper chuckled, "how about a drink?"

Jughead didn't drink much, or often but he could use one or maybe two while he digested the new information. Plus, he didn't see any rush to head over to the trailer, especially with what the guys just said. He didn't need to be the instigator of any awkward interruptions like what the Serpent's did to him and Betty back in high school. He remembers being not too pleased about it then and he imagines FP would feel the same way.

"Sounds good, i'll take a beer" Jug answered.

Viper popped one open and slid it across the counter to him, "it's good to have you back Jug"

"Thanks man, so how's the Mrs?"

They carried on that way until lock up around 3:00am. Jug waved and said good night and hopped in his truck. It was still too early to wake his dad or anyone else and was wondering what to do next when he stomach answered for him with a loud growl.

"Good choice" he said looking down, "Pop's it is"

Soon he was pulling up outside his old haunt, now this felt like coming home. Old vinyl seats and a juke box still in the corner, all bathed in a neon glow. Man, he had spent a lot of hours here growing up.
The bell chimed as he walked in, signaling a customer to Pop's who stepped out of the kitchen.

"Well I'll be, my best customer has returned" said the older man with a kind smile.

"Hey Pop's, place hasn't changed a bit" he sighed with relief.

"Why fix it if it ain't broke, right? What'll be, still the usual?"

"That sounds great, thanks Pop" he answered and then turned to walk to the back of the restaurant to his favorite booth.

He sat down and a wave of nostalgia hit him, he had some good memories here he thought as he ran his hands over the table. This is where he started his first book, spending hours writing, sometimes sleeping or hanging out with the gang but his favorite moments in this booth were had with Betty.

Whether they were talking and laughing, or cuddling together their bodies so close you couldn't tell where he ended and she began or just quietly enjoying each others company. It became their booth, their corner of the world and now that he was here, boy, did he miss that. He could only hope that he would get the chance to experience that again.

He was broke out of his thoughts when Pop's set a double bacon cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate shake in front of him. Just the smell alone had him salivating. He grabbed the burger and took a large bite and groaned. Yeah, things here in his corner of the world had definitely not changed.

Jug glanced at his watch, it was now 6:05am. He had spent the last 3 hours eating and typing away at his next story on his laptop. He even snuck in about an hour nap with his head tucked in his arms on top of the table. But he was still tired, which was further confirmed by the giant yawn he let out. He got up, stretched, straightened his beanie on his head and figured that it was time to pay his father that visit.

He tossed some bills on the table and shouted a "See Ya later Pop" back into the kitchen and walked to his truck.

Sure it was still early, the sun just rising over the horizon and the sky still a light shade of pink, but he was hoping the door would be unlocked or that the key would still be sitting under the old welcome mat. Maybe he could slip in without waking anyone, and if not, oh well, his exhaustion and the call of a warm bed was enough to make him risk the wrath of FP Jones.

It didn't take long to reach the Sunnydale trailer park and he noticed right away that it was another thing that had changed in Riverdale. Gone was the run down park full of rusty trailers, oh they were still there, they just weren't rusty, old and dilapidated. Instead, most, if not all of the trailers had been refurbished and cleaned up, along with manicured lots, added additions and new siding. The sight went along nicely with the new 'Welcome to Sunnydale" sign that hung over the entrance in an arch.

When he reached his family trailer his jaw dropped. Viper wasn't kidding, there was an addition to the back and side of the trailer that made it double the size it once was. Like the others, it too had new siding but his trailer also had a privacy fence and a one car garage to the side, as well as new steps and a small deck to the door.

What further surprised Jughead was the flower bed around the front and the potted plants sitting or hanging in perfectly placed spots around the trailer and yard. There was even a walkway through arches of lattice to a large garden in the back yard.

There was no hiding it, FP's home had seen the touch of a woman. Jug shook his head and chuckled to himself, twilight zone, definitely twilight zone.

He parked along the side in the spot between the trailer and the garage that he could now distinguish as a driveway. Turned off the truck and walked slowly and quietly towards the trailer, up the steps and onto the deck.

He tried the door and of course, locked, but the chance it would be open was a long stretch anyway. There was still a welcome mat, of course it too was newer and not ratty like the old one. He bent over and held his breathe as he lifted the mat off the deck..."Shit" he mumbled as he exhaled the air he was holding and dropped the mat, no key. He stood there for a moment before shrugging to himself, guess I'm going with plan B he conceited.

Jughead raised his fist and wrapped on the door, not too hard with his first attempt. He shuffled from foot to foot and adjusted his beanie anxiously as he waited. Nothing happened so he knocked again a little louder this time, stepped back from the door and waited again. He was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to answer.

He brought his hand up and had banged two more times on the door when he heard shuffling inside the trailer and the muffled voice of his father say "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming, hold on" then he heard him add "this had better be important."

The trailer door swung open and Jughead took in the sight of his father for the first time in years. Even with FP squinting against the light and scowling in displeasure from being woken up, Jug could still see the change in him. The dark bags under his eyes were gone and even with his bedhead you could tell his hair was groomed and the normal scruffy beard he used to keep was missing and replaced with a face that had been shaved within the last couple days at least.

It took Jughead a moment to realize that his father had also answered the door in only his boxer shorts. He doesn't think he had seen his dad in that little of clothes ever, maybe when Jughead was little and his father was younger but even then, it would have been in the bedroom or the bathroom, certainly not answering the front door.

Obviously his confidence had improved with the rest of the changes he made. Albeit it could also be the fact that FP looked to be in the best shape he's ever been in. The small beer gut he developed years back was gone and he was sporting a muscled lean body with a six pack...he looked good, better than good, he looked great! My god this was weird!

Once FP's eyes adjusted, they widened a bit in recognition.

"Hi Dad" Jughead said.

FP swiped a hand down his face wiping off his initial surprise and then smirked at his son and rubbed the stubble on his jaw.

"Well, the prodigal son returns" he quipped and pulled him in for a hug.

Jughead froze at first, startled by the contact, his father was never affectionate. But then he relaxed and chuckled and returned the manly slaps on the back.

They stepped apart and FP motioned for him to come inside, Jug stepped into the trailer taking it in as FP shut the door. It was clean, and organized and homey and once again, you could see the evidence of a woman's presence within the home.

"So what do I owe the pleasure" FP said behind him.

Jug turned around with a smirk that mirrored his fathers, "What? A son can't visit his own father?" he asked innocently.

"Sure" FP replied "but when he hasn't done so in five years it becomes a bit unexpected"

Jug looked down at his feet trying to hide the shame he felt a little. Rubbing the back of his neck he looked up and met his dads eyes, "Yeah, I'm sorry about that, I had a lot of things to work out but now I'm back and if all goes well I'm hoping it will be for good."

"Well for whatever reasons you had, I don't blame you, I wasn't in a good place then, hell the whole town wasn't. But as I'm sure you noticed all that has changed" he chuckled.

"You think?" Jughead scoffed "I stopped at the Whyte Worm earlier looking for you and thought I had the wrong town. Then after talking to Viper I knew I must be in the wrong place" he laughed out.
"Yeah, a lot has changed since you took off, a lot has happened"

Jughead looked at his father and could swear he almost saw a flicker of nerves all the sudden, but it passed as quickly as it came.

"No doubt" Jug said, "the town looks good, the trailer looks great and you don't look half bad yourself" he teased "Viper even said you got yourself a lady".

FP grinned almost shyly but then he glanced at the hallway and it was his turn to rub nervously at the back of his neck. It was uncanny how similar they were.

"Yeah, yeah I did" his voice holding a bit of apprehension. "That's something we need to talk about Jug, let's have a seat".

He gave his dad an inquiring look and moved to pull out a kitchen chair when he heard a door shut down the hall.

FP glanced nervously between Jug and the hallway and then stepped closer to the opening almost to block his view of the person making their way down. He stared at his son with a look that was almost pleading or urging him to understand, as the footsteps made their way down the hall towards the kitchen.

Feminine hands and slim arms wrapped around FP's abdomen from behind and trailed up to his chest where they stayed in a hold. They almost looked familiar to Jug, except for the delicate tattoos, one on each arm just above the elbows, an arrow on one and a small rose on the other. His father reached up and held her hands.

She groaned into FP's back and Jug's heart stopped, no it couldn't be.

"Hun" she moaned, voice muffled "who is banging at our door and making such a ruckus at this ungodly hour?" she asked "It better not be you Possum, I told you last time that we don't take house calls before 8:00am"
Jughead made some sort of choking noise and looked from the hands to his father and back to her hands. He stood up abruptly not even sure if his legs would work properly. Kitchen chair scrapping back across the linoleum.

At the sudden movement, FP grabbed her hands and brought them down to his sides and moved his body defensively in front of her with a look a warning in his eyes. Not a violent warning or a territorial warning, more like a be careful and think about what you're going to say and do next warning.

"FP?" the woman asked softly, feeling the change in tension in his body and in the room "who is it, what's wrong?"

At her question, FP turned around and placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing and rubbing small circles with his thumbs trying to relax and reassure, before whispering "it seems we have a surprise visitor".
While he stared at his fathers back, there was no second guessing himself now, Jughead would recognize that voice anywhere, he still hears it almost nightly in his dreams.

Once Jug found his voice, her name fell from his lips

"B...Betty?"

At the sound of his sons voice, FP stepped out of the way slipping one arm around her waist and pulling her into him protectively as she wrapped an arm around his back.

Jughead couldn't believe his eyes, this had to be a trick, he had to have died and went to hell, that would explain all the weirdness that has taken place tonight, the nightmare that's happening right here in his family kitchen.

"N...No...No...No...No" he stuttered

He put his fists over his eyes and shook his head trying to wake up or change the sight in front of him but nothing happened.

Betty still stood there, cuddled into his father's side staring back at him with those huge green eyes. She still looked like Betty but she was grown. She had curves she never had before and with them sported a look a confidence she lacked as a girl and goddammit she was still sexy as hell standing there in a tight little tank top and a pair of boxer shorts that obviously belonged to FP.

He finally looked her in the eye and the corners of her mouth quirked up just little.

"Hi Juggie" she said softly "welcome home".

He slumped back into the kitchen chair, reached up and slid the beanie from his head and ran his other hand through his hair before dropping the hat on the table in front of him.

Closing his eyes he leaned his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. Welcome home my ass! He thought to himself.