Author's Note:

We made it through a long, long 7 months. Thanks for staying loyal. I am humbled. Welcome to the end.

Chapter Twenty-One

Rapids keep flowing,

and Summer keeps calling,

And I am still here

Five Years Ago

I promised that the last smile she gave me was going to be the last to kill me. Every smile she's ever given me has broken me down, made me movie-like weak at the knees. And shit, it happened all over again; Betty made me weak with her smile and I broke my own promise. Go figure, it's been happening for the last three years and I was shit at ignoring her. I keep blowing it.

At some point when we were younger, we had something that kept us together. We might have been from opposite ends of Riverdale but that Riverdale Pep kept us connected. But then we drifted physically, I went to the Southside. And then it went further that, we drifted a little more and Betty hated Southside and I know, deep down in me, this is why we're here today.

We stood outside the front of her house. It was raining, in more than the physical drops of water on us. It was raining in my mind. My heart feels heavier than the wind in a storm, thunder rocking through me as I take feeble steps, lightening pulsing in my veins. I feel tears on my skin. They're hers.

I shouldn't feel this way. I was eighteen and running free, I could do anything I wanted; be anything I wanted. I was out of the system, I was no longer a statistic. Dad was with me, we laughed over hot drinks, he told me jokes, we lived more. Betty was leaving, she was stolen tears in alley ways, she was desperate kisses and last touches. She was going. Pursuing an Education away from here. But I know, it's probably more to do with the disconnect.

Don't leave, don't leave; it keeps echoing through me.

"You'll come and say goodbye tomorrow, right?" she asks. "Skip work tomorrow and come and see me," she says lightly moving fingertips across my forearms.

"It's not goodbye," I tell her through gritted teeth, trying to concentrate, I smooth my hands down her hips. "But I do hate goodbyes."

She laughs against my lips and pulls my neck tighter. "Don't say goodbye then, just say see you soon..."

"See you soon," I repeat against her. "See you soon, see you soon..."

She sniffs loudly and wipes her tears. "I don't know why I'm crying," she laughs.

I kiss a tear on her cheek bone; I taste stinging salt, smell cold iron. "I know, we still have hours together..."

"That sounds morbid, like maybe you're not going to come and see me," she says weakly. "But you are! Don't count down hours, Juggie. Don't count down..."

"I won't count anymore," I promise. "And I'll come and see you, maybe you'll get sick of me?"

"Do you promise?" she asks, moving her mouth to the crook of my neck. "I could never get sick of you..."

"Like I said," I groan with her teeth on me. "I'll see you soon..."

"When College is all over and done with, we'll move home."

"You'll move home to me?"

She laughs, "Or maybe you can just come to me? I think you're the one who needs to get away from home, come with me?"

Fleeting comments on Southside make me feel guilty.

We wait for the next few hours on the floor of her bedroom. I pray the bus doesn't come, that she changes her mind, that she doesn't go. But this will be good for her... I convince myself; this needs to be good for her. It needs to be good for her... I'm not good enough for her... I was the worst type of project for her.

I am the worst and my leather jacket feels heavy on my shoulders.

I try not to think of how bad Southside is and how visiting her seems like an even worse choice when I'm trying to keep her good.

Right Now:

Sunlight streams in through the window just as Sunny-Side-Up starts crying. Sunlight groans next to me and I realise that Thea was apparently asleep on her chest and Betty hadn't been able to move since she last woke. "Your kid," Betty groans. "She's hungry." Betty, as much as she likes to think she doesn't give into Thea's every whimper, has become somewhat of a human mattress. Summerbaby is a constant on Betty's chest and most times I find them sleeping in each other's embrace, chest rising and falling making Summerbaby's entire body move in unison with her mom.

"You're the feeder," I laugh, rolling over to lift my feet out of the bed. "I'll go and get a bottle," I tell her.

"I'm not the feeder, Jug. I am simply the udders; I am a cow, I am nothing but a milk producer..."

"As is the life of a mom, Betts, embrace it. Summer's calling to us!"

I walk over to Betty's side of the bed and push Thea's underused bassinet out of the way, recently, it had been nothing more than washing basket. I grab soft cotton in the form of our Summerbaby from Betty's chest and Betty sighs in relief, rolling over to her side and stretching out. Thea stops crying instantly and I smirk to myself, giving Betty a wink and she rolls her eyes at me. "I get it," she groans. "You're the favourite..."

"I wouldn't say favourite," I reply, watching my daughter look at me, her small lips mouth moving, looking for food. Her pink swaddle being unwrapped as she tries to stretch her arms out. "Ok, I would, she loves me."

Betty sighs and relaxes more into the bed as I try and fix Thea's swaddle. "What were you dreaming about?" she asks me.

I keep quiet as my daughter slowly moves her head to the side, still searching. "Nothing," I tell her. "Why?" I ask, shoving thoughts of teenage Jug and Betts out of my mind.

"You were frowning," she says quietly.

"Nothing, Betts. Go to sleep, I got things handled over here," I tell her, briefly thinking of when we were kids.

"Do you?" she answers quietly. "No more calls to Archie?"

I blush and bite my lip, looking down at the bundle of pink in my arms. "I dunno, depends how I go I guess, you have to admit that Archie has skills and a level of patience that can't be matched," I say with a chuckle. "Summerbaby and I will go and bunk out in the lounge, you rest up, Betts," I tell her, leaning down to kiss Betty on the temple.

"Thanks, Juggie," Betty says dreamily. "I need a rest."

"Rest up; Thea and I are ok."

I walk out and shut the door behind me, Sunny-Side-Up settles in my arms and I can tell she's tired. She smells like baby powder and milky-sweet and the soft downy feel of her hair tickles my lips as I kiss her. I get to the fridge and now it's the juggling act – just like Ronnie had warned me. I try and pull out a bottle of milk that Betty had made last night, I flick the jug. I wait with my lips on soft skin and my nose in her hair. I run my thumb over her eyebrows as we wait for the jug.

She was soft, slow movements that I was amazed by. Her grip was so strong all the time, even though she's drifting in and out of slumber in my arms with her hand wrapped around my pinkie. Every now and then, her eyes flicker to mine and I wonder if she can see me. Really see me. See that I love her so much, I'm preparing to move mountains, start storms, just to please her. All because of this little wrapped up human who weighs nothing in my arms.

I hear the jug flick off and I look down at Thea. "That's our cue, Summerbaby," I tell her. "Hope you're still hungry. Who am I kidding? Of course, you are... you're my kid."

She doesn't answer but her eyes do and they're sleepy, dewy, loving. And this is enough for me.

I bob her bottle up and down in a jug of water before testing it on my wrist. It's like she's magnetically drawn to it because before I even make an attempt to put it in her mouth she's shaking her head and opening her mouth, closing her eyes. She starts sucking away and I settle on the sofa, watching the TV on mute. "You hungry, huh?" I laugh at her with her eyes closed. "Your mom holding out?"

I press my lips to her head again and again, rubbing my thumbs over soft, chubby cheeks and exhaling gently, not wanting to jolt her. Sometimes when I think a little deeper in my mind, I remember the life I used to live. But mostly, I don't remember much of when Summerbaby wasn't around and it had only been a few weeks. What kind of person was I before? I don't know anymore. As cheesy as it feels to think it, I can only pinpoint the man I want to be now that Thea is here.

I feel my own eyes falling heavy but Betty comes up behind me, kissing my head before running her fingers over Thea's. "Look, she's out cold!" Betty says. "She wasn't bad last night but she wasn't sleeping either..."

"She just needed the Midas touch," I say shrugging. "No big deal. What's the time?" I ask Betty, "Seems like we've just come in here."

"It's been almost two hours, you fell asleep!"

"Time flies when you're having fun and all that shit," I say pointing down at Thea. "She's barely been awake."

Betty laughs and jumps over the back of the sofa to come and sit by me, leaning her head on my shoulder. "We have so much to do!" she tells me. "We have to go Christmas shopping -"

"Which reminds me!" I say with my eyes growing. "I need to buy an Elf outfit!"

"Oh god, we're not those parents, are we?" Betty asks with a snigger.

"Yeah, we are," I reply. "I need to dress Thea up in a suit and take her to see JB; JB's going to hate it!" I laugh.

Betty shakes her head. "You two are so lame, you know that?"

"Yeah, that's the point, I have to be a lame dad..."

"Then your daughter will hate you," Betty smirks.

"Then I will know that my job is done, if she's embarrassed to be around me. I'll be a cool dad."

"You'll be a joke."

"At least jokes are funny," I say shrugging. "That's always a bonus."

Betty chuckles and reaches over to smooth her finger over Thea's skin. "I don't want you to go to work," she mutters, still looking at our baby. "I want you to stay with me..."

"A bit soon to be putting our infant to work, don't you think?"

"I see you've been practising your jokes," Betty says biting her lip. "You're so cute."

"I don't want to go to work either," I sigh. "I want to stay here with you and Summerbaby but JB will get lonely."

Betty raises an eyebrow. "JB? Lonely? Honestly, she's probably taken over the station."

"She's been sending me snarky messages about how cold, dark and damp the station is and listening to podcasts about murders, she's not in a good way," I say with a wink.

"You guys are so brooding," Betty laughs.

"She'll be like that too, you know," I say tracing the outline of Thea's lips. "Considering she's a Jones..."

Betty frowns but kisses my lips. "She's always been a Jones, Juggie. You know that."

"I know," I reply with a smile, running my free hand over Betty's lips, feeling her skin, feeling her inhale sharply. "And you will be too, soon."

Betty runs her tongue over her lip. "Oh yeah?" she laughs. "Is that you oh-so-romantic way of proposing?"

"No," I say shrugging. "You'll get the real deal. When you least expect it..."

"I will be expecting it at all times now."

"Get ready," I reply, kissing her again.

I carried my little green and red bundle into the station wrapped in my jacket and a blanket as well. Riverdale howled for her, wind stung our nose and ice was sounding from beneath our feet. Summerbaby didn't stir once in our cold walk from the car and I knew in an instant that she was born of Riverdale, it's cold, harsh domineering call. Sweet Water River didn't move her, winter-white winds didn't shake her. She laid in my arms as calm as waves from the ocean.

But of course, she was calm in the winter, because she's from the Sunlight.

Thea keeps sleeping in my arms because that's all she really does but I held her out, my grin so big my cheeks hurt and my jaw tenses. JB glares at my daughter in all her Elvan glory.

JB cuts the mics and her eyes grow huge, her mouth drops, she shakes her head. "No," she mumbles. "No, no, don't tell me you went out and bought one of those damn costumes – oh god, you did! Look, it has candy cane striped legs and a belt buckle... is that a hat with ears?"

I nod proudly and Thea still doesn't move. "Yeah, cost me quite a bit but I don't care," I tell her laughing. "Don't you love it!"

"I – uh, well, I don't know... Yeah, I guess so, I mean, I love it," JB says unconvincingly. "But it's fucking hideous -"

"Shush!" I hiss. "No swearing in my kids untainted, pure ears," I say, shielding Summerbaby from JB. I turn back her. "But it's cool, right?"

"You're my nieces father, Jughead Jones, if she still has untainted ears, you better get on to revising your vocabulary. And regards the outfit," she says pulling at the cuffs of Thea's outfit. "It's screaming Christmas which is just as well because it's Christmas Eve..."

"So, it's fitting, yeah?" I ask JB. "Betty hates it but I will stop at nothing to have my Summerbaby enjoy her first Christmas!"

"It looks like she might just enjoy a rest and a bottle," JB laughs, picking up Thea's limp hand. "Just like her dad," she adds with a wink.

I groan. "No drinking for me this Christmas!" I reply.

"I don't think this one's going to see much of Christmas, try again next year, Juggie," she says, trying to take Thea from my arms but I turn away.

"You just don't understand because you don't understand her," I say, kissing my baby's head. "She'll love it."

"Give me my Ladybug now," JB says seriously, getting mad at me. "You can't bring her all the way here without letting me get some love in!"

I hand Thea over to her Aunty and JB's face lights up. "My poor baby," she coos. "Your father dressing you up in this hideous outfit!"

"Hey, that's no fair, it's my first Christmas as a dad, let me have this."

"I don't see Archie doing shit like this."

I roll my eyes. "You think Veronica would let Abel be caught in something like this? Betty's a little easier going."

Jellybean snickers. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Archie's tomorrow morning, ten o'clock, ok? You know how Ronnie gets when you're late -"

"So, don't be late?" JB replies, handing my baby back to me.

"Not unless you want to be served as Christmas dinner," I tell her. "Bring dad too and make sure he's not late."

JB gives me some thumbs up. "Daddy suits you, Juggie. You're doing good!"

"There's my baby girl!" Ronnie squeals from inside the house even though I haven't even opened the door, I can hear her. "My baby girl! Come to your favourite aunty!"

I'm almost bowled over by Ronnie as she slams the door against the side of the house, my arms being pried open as she scratches my arms with sharp, manicured nails. A perfectly arched eyebrow rises as she looks at Thea's elf costume. "You're impressed, I can tell," I say sarcastically. "You're stunned."

"Stunned is right, but I'm not impressed... My poor baby girl is dressed in this! On Christmas of all days!"

"So, if it were Easter, it would be ok... makes sense, babe," Archie laughs from behind her.

Ronnie rolls her eyes and puts her nose to Thea's mouth. "What are you doing?" I ask.

She holds up her free hand and inhales. "I love the smell of newborn baby's breath..."

"Newborn?" I ask. "She's practically a woman grown, she's two months!"

She keeps up with her weird sniffing and Archie joins in, kissing Thea's hands and smiling at her. Betty links her arm in mine and watches them as if they were in a completely different world. "What's wrong?" she asks me.

"I'm scared they're going to kidnap her..." I whisper.

Betty just shrugs. "Let them," she laughs. "They'll be returning her in no time."

I hear a high-pitched scream and then heavy, little footsteps on the wooden floors. "UNCLE JUGGIE!" Abel yells out and his small but heavyset form crashes against my legs, clinging on to me.

I feel bad but I feel a little more complete when Abel looks like to me, dark haired like his mom and squinted eyes like his dad. I scoop him up into my arms and ruffle his hair, kissing his cheeks. "How you doing, buddy?" I ask him.

He gives Betty a small but shy smile and points to her too. She looks at Archie and then back to me, rubbing Abel's cheek. "You think I stole your Uncle Juggie, huh Abel?" she chuckles.

"She has a habit of doing that to me too, son," Archie laughs but he turns back to Summerbaby, kissing her little fingers again.

"You have a baby," Abel says, pointing at Thea. "A little baby!"

"You were a little baby too you know, kid," I tell him, giving him another ruffle on the head. He starts struggling to get out of my grip. "Hah, that was short lived," I say, letting him free. Abel was typical boy and his attention span was short but I felt good just having that moment with him.

The front door opens and Fred and Hermione walk in, shaking out jackets and grins larger than life on their lips. "Where's the baby?" Hermione sings as she clicks through, giving all of us a kiss on the cheek. "There she is!" she says walking up to her daughter to where mine laid in her arms.

Ronnie frowns and reluctantly gives Summerbaby up. I would never get used to the pitfall feeling in my stomach when she's being passed from person to person. For a split second, I think of every single bad thing that could happen when she's in between arms. "Make sure she's not cold," I call out.

"Scared of the flu?" Archie asks.

"Scared for your life?" I ask back.

Archie laughs and gives his dad a hug, Fred turns to me and hugs me too. "She's damn cute, Juggie," he tells me. "As cute as a button!"

"The cutest button out," I tell him.

Betty and I continue to stand in the hallway watching Hermione and Fred pine over our baby. My breath hitching with every one of her movements. "She doesn't even seem bothered at all by all these people!" Betty tells me. "She's the most placid kid out!"

"I know," I reply. "She's calm and rock steady like you."

Betty smiles and kisses my cheek. "I guess she has to get used to having all these ones around anyways, and my family are yet to turn up."

Ronnie and Archie go back into their kitchen to start on the Christmas dinner and Hermione spins around. "You two, come over here and grab this girl, I want to take a photo of you two."

I groan but I can already feel Betty pulling at my hand, dragging me to position. Betty holds Summerbaby in her arms and I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her closer and smiling to as both Fred and Hermione whip out their phones to take shots. "Wow!" Fred says, "Gotta admit, you guys make a fine-looking family."

"Frame worthy," Hermione says swiping her finger side to side, "I'm seriously gonna get some of these framed."

I hear Ronnie groaning from the kitchen. "Because it won't look weird of you to have a photo of Jughead and Betty in your home, mom!" she says sarcastically.

I give Hermione a wink. "Do it to spite her."

"Oh, don't worry Juggie," she winks back. "I will. A nice big one right next to the photo of her and Arch and Abel."

"Well it won't be so weird for me," Fred laughs. "I'm gonna blow it up and put it in my kitchen! I'm a proud Grandpa!"

Betty starts rocking Summerbaby as Fred and Hermione go in to the kitchen to help and we file into the lounge room. It had been a while since I had been here but it's like I never left at all, I feel ease walking in here and my favourite sofa position was calling out to me, begging to be filled. I slump down and kick my boots off as Betty hands me Thea. "You watch her while she sleeps," she orders. "I'm going to go into the kitchen to try and feel a little normal. Let's see how I cope with trying to fit in with the adult conversation..."

I wave her out and I sink further into my sofa, almost feeling like I could go to sleep too.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS PEOPLE! WHERE'S MY BUG AT?" I hear my sister shout through the house. "What? I can't wish people a Merry Christmas? Ok Ebenezer, I get it!" she groans.

I don't even open my eyes, wishing that the Christmas spirit would swallow me whole but that wasn't going to happen and especially if my sister was here. Fred comes storming through into the lounge room too, waiting to see where the shit storm was that is my sister.

"Did I hear Jellybean?" he asks me.

She comes running through, arms wrapping around Fred and a huge kiss landed on his cheek. "Hey, JB!" he says laughing. "You dragged your old man in for a bit of Christmas Spirit?"

"Hey Senior Archie," she almost yells, jolting Thea in my arms. I pat her back to calm her.

"You'll get used to your aunty," I whisper. She doesn't care, her eyes roll back again. She may already be used to the Great Jellybean Jones.

JB sees us laying on the sofa and pretends to creep up. "I don't think it was me that dragged dad here. This little Bug did," she whispers to Fred. "Gimme the baby, Jug, and no one gets hurt..."

I swat JB's hands away and I see my dad saunter in, boxes in his arms and looking sheepish. He's shaved, Christmas does that to him. "Hey Son," he says shaking the boxes in his arms. "It's Santa in the flesh... Ho, ho, ho and all of that."

Fred helps dad with the boxes and hands him a beer. "You're gonna need one, FP," Fred warns him. "It's hell in here."

"It's Christmas," JB groans. "Why do you two always have to be so..."

"Angsty?" I suggest.

"Moody?"

"Dark?" I add.

"Cynical?" JB laughs.

"All of the above?" I laugh back.

JB falls on the sofa next to me and rubs Summerbaby's head. "I missed ya kid," she says.

"I missed you too, Jellybean." I say giving my sister a grin.

She scoffs. "Wasn't talking to you, Jughead," she moans. "I was talking to my Ladybug."

Dad clicks his bottle of beer to Fred's and comes to sit on the arm of the sofa before placing his bottle on the side table. He reaches down to rub Thea's head too. "Shit she's amazing," he whispers. "I mean, I know you two kids were too, you two shook my world but this... magical," he says with a soft smile.

My dad was often blunt words and blunter actions but him right now, here at Archie's with the family around and Christmas buzzing higher, this wasn't something that dad usually a part of but he fit right in. He looks down at Thea with awe – something I hadn't seen in my dad before. His tenderness is an interesting thing to read but I liked it. Hell, I loved it.

"She eats and poops and sleeps, dad," JB says scowling. "Hardly magical."

"Hey Freddie," dad calls out, Fred pops his head back into the room with a questioning look. "You never did tell me what a heck of a feeling it is being a grandpa!"

"I never did say welcome to the club, huh?" Fred replies.

Dad chuckles. "One hell of a club..."

JB ruffles my hair and stands up. "Going to go and see what's going on in the kitchen and steal some supplies, you guys take good care of my Bug, ok?"

She flies out of the room and leaves dad and I sitting on the sofa. "Your sister's been on high alert, son," Dad laughs. "From the moment, we left the trailer."

"She wouldn't be JB if she wasn't on high alert," I answer. "I would be concerned that she was some sort of imposter."

Dad nods. "Yeah, you're right. All she could talk about when we drove here was how happy she was for you," dad says looking at Thea. "We all are, you know?"

Dad's words were softer and his expression was softer. His eyes were glued to Summerbaby and he kept playing with feather soft hair around her ears. Dad didn't often speak softly to me; he was all booming words and sharp laughs but right now? It was calming and comforting, something I hadn't felt since I was a kid. "Thanks, dad."

He pats me on the back before rubbing a little then putting his hands back together. "Shit," he says. "You're already a better father than I was at any stage to you kids. You got a good head on your shoulders... I was so stressed about trying to find money to look after you guys and your mom... we were never good together."

I swallow loudly and put my lips to Thea's head just to do something. I could hear the hurt creeping into my dad's words and the way he wrung his hands was telling me he was nervous to talk but I was nervous to listen too. "I just want to do my best, dad."

He nods. "Yeah, I know Jug. You're settled, you got a good job, Betty's still amazing. I see it," he sighs and rubs his face before looking to me. "Merry Christmas, Jug."

"Merry Christmas, dad," I say patting him on the back.

"Jace! Ellie!" I hear Polly call out.

"Don't yell, Polly, Jesus Christ!" Alice calls out to her daughter.

Polly snickers as she walks into the lounge room, rolling her eyes. She gives me a glare and puts her fingers to her temple like a gun. "I swear to god, who invited her?" she hisses at us.

The twins come zooming in with blonde hair trailing behind them both and they cling to their mother's legs. "Can we see the baby?" Ellie asks me, "Please?"

"Please what?" Polly corrects her.

"Please, Uncle Juggie," the twins say in unison.

My eyes dart from Polly to my dad and I feel a little embarrassed. I was used to having Abel call me Uncle Juggie but these two? I barely knew them but I was now part of their circle, their family. I pull Thea's blanket down from her face and Jace grimaces, Ellie's eyes grow and she grins. "She's beautiful!" Ellie says. "And she's bigger than she was before!"

"Babies grow, Ellie," Jace teases. "It would be funny if she was still small."

"Shut up, idiot," Ellie says rolling her eyes.

Jace scowls. "You're an idiot!"

Alice quickly walks through into the Lounge room and clicks her fingers at the twins before looking at Polly. "Mind your tongues, the two of you!" Alice scolds.

Polly sighs. "Mom," she moans. "Stop, it's Christmas."

"Why don't you two go and find Abel?" I ask the twins, seeing they were bored. "I think he's in his room with the toys."

Alice just looks down at me with a smirk and tapping heels. "Merry Christmas, Jughead," she says, holding out her arms. "Now I need to have hugs before everyone else does."

Dad sniggers and runs his tongue over his teeth. "A little late, Allie," he smirks back. "Already been holding my grandbaby for the past hour, fell right to sleep in my arms," he says, pretending to rock Thea in his arms.

I can almost see Alice's temple pulsing as she grits her teeth and reaches for Summerbaby from me carefully, cradling her head. "Well isn't that good for you, Forsythe?"

"You always did moan my name real good," dad retorts, sipping his beer.

Alice completely blanks dad out as Betty walks in, frowning and shooting looks between her mom and I. "Ah – hi mom?" Betty says.

Alice spins on her heels and gives Betty a smile. "Merry Christmas, Betty!" she says, giving Betty a kiss. "When was this girl last fed?"

I hear Polly laugh and say to JB; "Better her than me."

"Polly, your kids are feeding candy to Abel... they'll be on a sugar high..." JB replies.

"Christmas, Jellybean," Polly says sipping a wine. "Everyone's on a high."

Betty groans and checks Summerbaby in Alice's arms. "She'll wake up when she's hungry, mom."

"Babies don't know what they want, they're babies!" Alice argues.

"That means you're a baby, Jughead!" JB calls back.

Dad laughs. "That's a pretty bad burn, son."

Everyone crowds around in the lounge room and circle around Alice, watching the baby sleep. Ellie has a blue mouth and points at Thea with sticky fingers. "Is that all she does?" Ellie asks. "Sleep?"

Abel reaches over to Thea and touches her nose, leaving blue on it. "Baby is sleeping!" he shouts almost. "She likes to sleep all the time!"

Ronnie shushes her son and her eyes widen. "Who's been giving you candy, Abel?"

He immediately holds up two hands to both Ellie and Jace. "No, we didn't," Jace says quickly, shoving wrappers in his pockets.

Alice wipes Thea's nose and I can see her stirring, moving her arms and legs out to stretch. "Betty!" she calls. "She's hungry!"

Then she starts to scream.

I don't know at what point I had got used to the crying, but in a house, that was currently filled to the brim with parents, they all seemed to flinch at it. Betty rushes through shushing every now and then and takes Thea from her mom's arms.

"Ah," dad says, "She hates you, Allie, that's a real pity," he says with a shrug. "I guess she fits in with the rest of Riverdale then, huh?"

Alice doesn't like dad's comment and turns to her two other grandchildren. "You two behave yourself or Santa might come and take all your presents back, you hear?" she tells Ellie and Jace, they run away before she turns to look at dad. "I guess Santa took all of yours about back in High School though, huh FP? Might explain why you never got anything you wanted."

Everyone hurries out of the lounge room to go and sit at the kitchen table and it leaves Betty and I alone. She's already feeding Summerbaby once everyone is gone. "Christmas is so crazy, I don't know how we're going to do it every year..."

"Imagine how your sister feels," I say with a laugh. "Every year, two times over."

Betty sighs as she leans her head onto my shoulder, listening to the steady sucking of Summerbaby on her, her tiny hand resting on Betty's chest. "My mom's on full throttle mode, your dad is stirring her, Polly and JB are ripping everyone to shreds and Jace and Ellie are turning Abel into a little beast, I don't even know where Archie is..."

"Don't worry, Sunlight," I say with a whisper kiss on her temple. "We only have to worry about what's in front of us."

"That is so you to think that, Jughead Jones," she laughs. "What about Christmas dinner?"

Veronica's head pops around the corner and she chucks her thumb over her shoulder. "It looks like it might all be covered now that mom is here..."

Betty pats the sofa next to her. "Come and sit by us," she tells Ronnie. "Merry Christmas!"

"To you guys too," she says waving her hands in front of her before she sits down. She rubs Thea's hand and smiles down at her. "She's so cute, and very pink, and you know how much I love my girl pretty in pink even though she has these damn rags on."

"You'd be pretty in pink too if you were always warm and snuggly like she is," I tell Ronnie. "And not exposed to any natural light."

Veronica shudders. "That doesn't sound good..."

"She gets her daily dose of Vitamin D and that is it," I say crossing my arms.

Betty rolls her eyes. "He's obsessive over her wellbeing, excuse him."

"Better to be obsessive than not, Betts," I reply.

Veronica slings her arms over both of our shoulders, reaching up high on one side to get to mine and leaning her head on Betty's shoulder. "I just really want you t know I'm selfish and love having both of you here with me. I still ship it!"

I laugh and rest my head on top of hers. "Thanks for giving me a bed to sleep on."

Ronnie shakes her head and clicks her tongue. "Is she always so quiet? She's definitely your daughter, B, so sweet!" she asks, reaching over and rubbing Thea's hands.

I laugh and jerk my head in the direction of the kitchen. "If you're after some noise, go hit up the kitchen. There are kids in there high off candy. Your kid in particular."

Ronnie groans and rolls her eyes. "You ain't seen the last of me."

We lie in silence as we listen to the clashing of pots and pans and Thea stays awake a little longer, making little noises as we speak softly to her. "You know she's the Sunlight just like you, right?" I ask Betty.

She nods. "I know, the Sunlight of your life, Summerbaby," she smirks. "I know."

I couldn't remember a single Christmas where I was so content. I felt it pulsing through me, the content and warmth. Even with us three sat up on the sofa speaking softly was enough to make me happy. Knowing all these people around me were my family and were my home. "I would go through the last five years ten times over if it meant I would end up in this very position, in this very place with you and Thea," I tell Betty.

Betty frowns and reaches to rub my cheek. "I would change everything I have ever done if it meant I would have ended up in this very position sooner."

I shake my head. "Nah you wouldn't" I tell her. "Or at least nah you couldn't have..."

"Why?"

"Because we wouldn't have our Thea if you didn't do everything exactly how you were supposed to."

Betty sighs and kisses my cheek. "True," she says. "But that still really sucks."

"Nah it doesn't," I whisper. "Call it fate."

Dad and JB went home before us. Both at each other's throats from teasing each other and for once, I was not the victim of JB's sharp tongue. Having to pry Thea from Alice's claws on the other hand made me question just how far one would go to take my daughter. Polly was busy to control double-sugar-highs, I think she missed most of Christmas.

Archie and Ronnie wanted to escape their own home and they followed us to ours, eating the last of our cakes and kicking their shoes off in our hallway. Abel hid under our table for a solid hour before arguing with his mom with slow, quiet words and heavy eyes.

We all laid on the sofas, too full of food to even move. Hermione might have been a good cook but we reaped the benefits when she competed with Alice for the title of the best.

Ronnie patted Abel on the back like a baby as he rested his head on her chest and Archie lied back rubbing his stomach. "You guys look so cute," I tell them with a wink.

Archie laughs and Ronnie scowls at me. "Could say the same to you, Juggie."

Archie chuckles and puts his arms behind his head. "Can we move in with you guys?" he asks. "I like your sofas better than mine."

Ronnie is insulted and whacks him. "I spent a lot of cash on those sofas thank you, Juggie never complained, did you Juggie?"

I look between my friends and shrug. "I wouldn't count on my judgement," I tell them. "I did sleep on a mattress on Archie's floor for years so..."

Ronnie sighs and shakes her head. "Ungrateful, the two of you."

"Hey!" I argue. "I didn't say I wasn't grateful, that sofa kept me comfy for years too, you know."

Betty giggles next to me, making Thea shake on her chest. "You guys argue about the weirdest things."

"Don't get involved, Betts," Archie warns her. "It gets ugly around here."

"No arguing in my house, the lot of you!" Betty tells us sternly. "It's Christmas."

"Christmas doesn't deter Ronnie, Betts," I say, flicking my eyes to Ronnie. "She's a bat out of hell, that one."

"Pick on me all you guys like but I know for fact that my sofa is better than anything you will ever lay your ass on," Ronnie concludes.

Archie rubs his face and exhales loudly. "I swear you guys are hosting Christmas next year," he says. "I'm not going through that again. All that cooking and cleaning..."

Ronnie raises an eyebrow. "Oh, it was hard on you, was it?" she asks sarcastically.

I bite my tongue and grin at my best friend. He wasn't known for either cooking or cleaning skills but the tired expression on his face told a different story. "Walking back and forth through the kitchen with all those pots and pans really tired you out, bro?"

Betty sniggers. "Same excuse for you Juggie?"

"Hey!" I say putting my hands in the air, "I never said I was tired!"

"You must be on night duty then, dude?" Archie says, throwing me in the deep end.

I frown. "I'll be on night duty for four months straight for my Summerbaby."

"You said it!" Ronnie teases. "Betty, don't let him back out of this one!"

Betty laughs and rubs my leg. "Don't worry, Jug, I won't let you do four months in a row..."

"Thank God," I mumble.

Betty winks at me. "Do four nights, then we'll discuss arrangements."

The talk remains light, bright and short. We all fall victim to tiredness and in the end, we were all just saying things sporadically to try and keep the conversation rolling but Archie fell into slumbers arms first.

I watch Archie and Ronnie on the sofa, legs tangled and Abel sleeping on Archie's chest. Betty walks across to them and drapes a blanket on the sleeping family. "Should we wake them up?" I ask her.

She shakes her head and tucks a pillow under Ronnie's head. "Nah, they can stay," she whispers. "Pay back for the time you lived with them, it's the least we can do."

I laugh and sit back in my chair with Summerbaby lying on my chest, her eyes slowly opening and closing as she tries to fight sleep. Betty comes over and sits down next to me, resting her head on my shoulder before linking her hand in mine.

Riverdale calls to me. I feel it in the winter sun, I feel it on my skin. The wind moves and shifts but I am unshakeable with Betty's hand in mine. The wind calls to me, I feel it in the way Thea whispers her soft murmurs on me, the way her little fingers smooth on my shirt and her legs barely move. Slowly her eyes fall and she's asleep with mouth open and soft, tiny lips. Finally, I was one half of a home.

"Are you happy?" Betty asks me, her hand tightening in mine. She places a kiss on my cheek and I smile against her.

"Happy?" I question. "I'm more than happy, Betts."

She smiles again and places a gentle kiss on Thea's soft cheek. "More than happy?"

I nod before putting my own lips to Sunny-Side-Up's head. "Unmovable, unbreakable, forever kind of happy," I tell her.

"Did you ever think this would be us?"

"In every world, in every life, it's always been us."

"Roll on the next five years," she murmurs.

Summerbaby starts crying and Archie groans on the sofa, half way between waking up and slinking down further into comfort; "He's crying, V, it's your turn."

Abel was very much asleep but Thea's crying gets louder as I pat her back, rubbing it. "Do you think they've time travelled and they believe it's their baby crying?" I ask.

Betty holds back a laugh as Ronnie hits Archie with her eyes still closed. "I got up last time," Ronnie mumbles. "It's your turn."

Domesticity might have taken over, my life a series of love, Betty and Sunlight. Finally, everything is fitting seamlessly into my very consistently ordinary life. Maybe it wasn't Riverdale that had called to me all my life, maybe it was the dark after all. But now, I will let Riverdale call to me, let it steer me, let it swallow me whole. Because right now, I was surrounded by so much Sunlight and Summer, there was no way I would ever fall into the deep again.

Eleven Years Ago:

Betty's eyes sort of seem like storm clouds. "You promised you'd never leave me behind and now you and Archie are too cool for me," she says tapping her foot on the concrete.

"I'm not too cool," I mumble feeling ashamed. I kick the dirt on the ground and shuffle from foot to foot because Betty always makes me feel bad.

Betty looks mad at me. The same sort of mad when mom watches dad walk through the doors late kind of mad. "You are too cool, Jughead," she says, saying my name perfect like her mom does and it makes me want to laugh but I keep my lips tight or she might get worse. "You're too cool these days. You won't even hang out with me anymore, you don't come and sit with me at lunch any more – you didn't come to my birthday because you're too damn cool!"

She's huffing and she's got her hands on her hips again. I wasn't too cool, I was just busy. We have different friends now and she's always laughing with her friends that are all girls who think I smell weird and hate skateboards. "I'm sorry," I tell her though because I was. I don't want to lose my friend. "I'll come and have lunch more often, I'll come and sit with you. I'll even sit at the front of the class with you sometimes."

"All the time?" she asks.

"Sometimes," I tell her.

"All the time," she says slowly, moving her head to the side.

I sigh and smile at her. I give her a wink. "Whatever you say, Sunny Betty, even if I have to do it all the time."

She still looks mad. She doesn't look like she believes me but I wasn't going to back down on this, we have been best friends since the beginning of time. It's always her, me and Archie and maybe I should have just gone to her birthday. Then she wouldn't be fighting me. Her shoulders drop a little bit though and maybe she's forgiving me a little bit. "You promise?" she asks me.

"When have I ever broken a promise, Sunny Betty?"

She smiles a little. Or maybe it was a smirk. She flips her hair over her shoulder and I see it's grown longer in the summer time. "One day you have to stop calling me Sunny Betty, you've been calling me that since we were eight!"

"And now you're twelve and you're a whole lot older than eight," I say shrugging. "We'll be eighty before I stop calling you Sunny Betty!"

She laughs at me and I see her real smile coming through. "You think we'll still be friends when we're eighty?" she asks me.

I think about it. We would be friends forever. "We've been friends since we were six years old, what's another sixty-four years?"

"You mean seventy-four?"

I chuckle. "It's all the same when you're old, and you're really old now!"

"You're older than me!"

I kick my skateboard and flip it up to my hand. "Dad says time flies when you're having fun, have you ever heard that before?"

She nods. "Yeah, maybe it's true because it feels just like yesterday you started coming around here. You'll come by more, right? You'll be here with me?"

"I'm here, Betts, I'll be here."

"Maybe time will fly?" she asks me shrugging her shoulders.

"You think we're having fun?"

Betty links her arm in mine as we walk down the street. "It's always fun when you're around, Jughead Jones."

I look over to my best friend and give her a wink as my skate shoes scuff on the concrete and her ballet flats bounce along the street. "When we're adults we will remember all of this you know."

The End

Author's Note:

This is going to be lame and long. But it must be done.

Thank you all, so much, for coming on this journey with me. It's been a long time (I'm talking YEARS) since I've finished a multichapter and I guess that just goes to show how much Riverdale took me. Thank you to everyone for every single review. From telling me that Betty's pregnancy to another man is disgusting, to saying such nice things about me that I don't think you're talking about the right person. From anon hate to anon love. From too much angst to trying to find a level of fluff. Thank you to everyone, every review, every piece of constructive criticism and every single, tiny piece of love. I appreciate it and respect you all.

A special shout out to the likes of birdlovesafish, browneyedbetty, jandjsalmon, rainbowsquirreljump05, violet1429, mothermaple - my old faithfuls who have been here from the get go, there's probably more but this is off the tip of my head. I thank you with a level of love.

And then these bad boys: Kaiya, Meg, Mal and Kim my friends.

Bekah - Without Bekah, none of this would be possible with out my girl. It's been a long year (?) From Harry Potter to Riverdale, I will follow you just as you follow me. I love you!

Last but not least, a thank you to my big brother. For loving your son since he was only months in his mum's stomach. For loving a baby who everyone reminded was not yours. With out you, I would not have done all this!

Just a thank you in general. Thanks for hanging in there. Thanks for enjoying. My enjoyment comes from your enjoyment.

ps, if interested, head over to AO3, I'm weheartscorose on there too and I'm currently doing a Veronica x Archie fic on there so check it out.

And maybe, you haven't seen the end of Bughead yet. Thinking of a sequel, trying not to overcommit myself.