A/N: This will have Bughead.

Guys, this is it. The final episode of season 1.
But it's only part 1.

ENJOY!
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*Jughead*

It was the ultimate cliffhanger. Clifford Blossom had killed himself. But why? Life's not an Agatha Christie novel. It's a lot messier. Turns out, maple syrup was a front for his true business.
Transporting heroin from Montreal on his trucks.
A narrative quickly emerged.

~~~~

*Alice Cooper*

That Jason Blossom learned about dear old dad's drug running, and threatened to expose the truth.
Which led to Jason's abduction at the hands of a Southside Serpent named Mustang.

~~~~

*Jughead*

Then to Jason's murder at the hands of his father.

~~~~

*Alice Cooper*

Clifford killed Mustang to cover his tracks, making it look like he'd overdosed, and tried to implicate a rival businessman, Hiram Lodge, as having masterminded the whole thing.

~~~~

*Jughead*

And, oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Mr. Blossom threatened my life, so that my dad would confess to pulling the trigger.
even though all he did was clean up the mess.
And he would've gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for a group of pesky kids who uncovered the truth.

~~~~

*Alice Cooper*

Even as Clifford Blossom, consumed by guilt and shame, took the coward's way out...

~~~~

*Jughead*

Jason's murder had revealed some dark truths none of us were too eager to face.
Especially not Mayor McCoy, who wanted every last vestige of corruption crushed like a snake under a boot heel.

~~~~

"Blossom was kingpin, probably he funneled drugs through Riverdale then shipped them out.
What the Mayor and I care about is the local component of Blossom's business.
Someone is selling his drugs here in Riverdale.
Mostly in the Southside, but it's started to cross the tracks, recently, too." Sheriff Keller explains to dad,
who watched him slightly amused. I stood beside Carmen, the two of us leaning against the window.

"And you think it's the Serpents?" Our dad/uncle  asks.

"Who else? So here's the deal. You feed us names,
tell me who's pushing the dope, and the Mayor, the DA have a chat, and maybe he'd be inclined to offer you a lesser sentence." Sheriff Keller suggests.

"Serpents don't get into the hard stuff. It's dime bags of weed. And I'm no snitch." Dad explains, shaking his head. Sheriff Keller stood, approaching my dad's cell.

"FP, if you don't help us and your case goes to trial,
there will be no leniency.
You'll be looking at twenty years in a federal penitentiary for your part in the cover up of Jason Blossom's murder." Sheriff Keller admits and I look at my dad, but he remains silent.

~~~~

*Carmen*

"He's not budging even a little, ma. It's crazy." I sigh,
cutting into my breakfast as the two of us, sans Manuel, sit in a booth at Pop's.
She taps her fingers against the table counter.

"Fifth law." She mumbles and I look over.

"Qué?" I ask and she looks back at me.

"Fifth law, Carmita." She requests and I stare at her before sighing, shutting my eyes.

"A Cartel serpent never betrays his own." I recite.

"FP'd sooner go to prison than break a Cartel Serpent law, baby. The best you can do right now is be there for Jug and Manuel." She admits and I rub my hand over my jeans.

"Isn't there anything you can do?" I ask and she shrugs.

"I'll look into my old connections with the Serpents but I'm not gonna make promises I can't keep."
She answers. And I guess, that's the best I can ask for.

~~~~

"Archie. Betty. Carmen." I sat beside Betty and Archie in Weatherbee's office, Mayor McCoy and Weatherbee standing across from us.

"I'd like to feature you three at the Jubilee.
As you know, it's our 75th anniversary of our town's founding and also a kickoff for the next 75 years.
And who better represents the future of Riverdale
than the young people who, working with
Sheriff Keller and my office, helped bring peace and justice to our streets once more?" Mayor McCoy asks, smiling proudly.

"But that's not exactly what happened..." Betty admits, furrowing her brows.

"Let the mayor finish, Ms. Cooper." Weatherbee requests and she shuts her mouth.

"Archie, the Pussycats will be performing at the Jubilee, and I would love for you to join them.
Betty, Carmen, I think it's important we hear from
Riverdale's best and brightest.
What do you say, the three of you?" Mayor McCoy asks. I furrow my brows, rubbing my wrists awkwardly.

"What about Jughead?" Archie responds.

"I, uh... I like Jughead. And he's welcome to attend the Jubilee, of course. But his father is in jail, and I think it might be confusing to have him up on the Jubilee stage." Mayor McCoy admits, still keeping up her smile though now it looked forced, which didn't sit right with me.

"Uh-uh. That's really unfair, Mayor McCoy." I argue, not mentioning how FP was my uncle.

"Carmen, Betty, Archie, you're heroes. The kind of heroes that Riverdale desperately needs right about now." Mayor McCoy admits, the three of us sharing a look.

~~~~

I sit at the lunch table with everyone, and sat between Betty and Jughead.

"We told her we wouldn't do it." I admit, opening my water bottle which always made my skin stay acne-free and beautiful.

"Not unless you're up there with us, Jug." Betty adds.

"I appreciate the righteous indignation, girls, I do, but Jubilees aren't my thing." He reminds us.

"Jug, how's your dad?" Archie interrupts, biting into his food. "Did you get to see him?"

"Here's the latest, Mayor McCoy wants my dad to name names in exchange for a lesser sentence,"
Jughead admits and we all lean closer.

"What? Whose names?" Betty asks and he looks over.

"The Cartel and Serpents. Sheriff Keller thinks they're the ones dealing the drugs that Clifford Blossom brought into town." I admit.

"My dad says more and more drugs are hitting the streets." Kevin responds quietly.

"Kevin, relax, this isn't The Wire. Our dad/uncle says they're not the ones dealing." Jughead finishes.

"And meanwhile, Mayor McCoy hasn't even said the words, Clifford or Blossom, in public. It's all about how the Serpents are the problem, the villans." Betty explains and I point my spoon at her, since I was eating Caldo de Pollo that Mom and I made and put in a thermos for me. And that it was super cold outside and Veronica suddenly smelled something delicious.

"What is that delicioso smell, Carmencita?" Veronica wonders as she looks towards the source.

"Well, Veronica, it's Caldo de Pollo. It's a perfect winter lunch. Do y'all want to try some?" I ask, while Jughead and Archie are both practically salivating.
And luckily for them, I had four insulated thermos bowls that luckily kept their food warm.

I smiled as Archie and Jughead both shoveled their food and they downed the soup with their cartons of milk and were done by putting their spoons down.

And Veronica and Betty were more careful with their soup. And Jughead said:

"Carmen, you're my hero. Now I'm full and happy."

"Carmen, you're amazing." Archie says, while pulling me closer to him.

"While normally I'm not a Serpent's advocate, I do think this is outrageous. Blaming all of them for something they can't control." I agree and she waves a hand at me.

"I'm writing an article about this, and not just for The Blue and Gold, for the Register. This is a town story." Betty tells us all.

"Okay, as long as the article doesn't include my dad and her uncle." Jughead responds hesitantly.

"No, it is going to be about your dad, Jug. It doesn't matter how many Jubilees Mayor McCoy throws.
This town's changed. That needs to be acknowledged.
Why are people so afraid of the truth?" Betty asks, slurping her soup.

"Speaking of the truth." Carmen stood, looking directly at Betty and Veronica:

"Archie and I wanted to tell y'all..."

"We've kissed a couple of times." Archie admits.

"So did we." Manuel admitted, looking at Veronica.

"It's okay, Vee, Cee. I appreciate you two being honest with me. But I'm with Jughead now.
If you guys all want to be together, I'm happy for you." She assures us.

"Gracias, Lizzie." Carmen sighs.

"Thanks, Bee." Veronica sighs.

"Thanks, Betty." Archie adds. She smiles at us before looking back at her food, which was thankfully, still warm.

Manuel walks up and sits beside Veronica and kisses her cheek in greeting.

"Jones," He greets, looking between me and Jughead. "Hola, mi alma." He adds to Veronica.
Archie, Betty, Kevin and Jughead all look in confusion. "It means "My soul." Manuel explains.
"Serpents aren't talking."

"You got nothing?" Jughead asks and he shakes his head.

"Nope, all I got is that you guys' dad and tío is following their weird code of conduct. I even tried tía Gladys, loca slammed the door on me.
I am so glad I hardly talk to her or tío regularly, I feel like you can catch their crazy." He points out.

"Okay, they may not be at all related to me but they still helped raise me, Manolo." I remind him.

"Manolo?" Veronica asks. "It's another variation of my name, amor." Manuel reminds his new girlfriend.

"My point exactly," I flip him off. "But back on topic, just like your dad's not selling anyone out, no one's selling him."

"How do you even know the Serpents, Manny?" Betty asks.

"Eh, my ex was one of them. Well, before I met Veronica. Made a few friends." He shrugs as if it were the most common thing to do.
Before he looks at me.
"Hopefully our mom can pull something else up, but for now, all you can do is wait, Carmelita." I hate that people keep telling me that.

~~~~

"Hey, where are you going?" I ask Cheryl when she walks past. I was heading towards the gym but she was leaving the locker rooms, not wearing her uniform.

"Oh, you know. Abdicating my position as head Vixen." She admits and my eyes widen.

"Espere, what?" I demand but she smiles before embracing me.

"You're my best friend, you know that?" She whispers and I furrow my brows before hugging her back.

"Sí, cereza, I know." I respond but she pulls away, smiling as she examined my face.

"I recall Jughead once saying Riverdale would fall apart with you," She admits, pulling back.
"I agree, but more so, the people of Riverdale would fall apart without you. Don't lose your shine, Carmel."

"Cheryl, if something's going on," I begin but she cuts me off.

"Nothing you need to worry your pretty, little head about." She assures me, before pressing something into my hand. I look down and it's her spider brooch.

"Do treat it well. You are the only person worthy of it, in all honesty." She walks away before I can say anything and I'm left looking after her with a confused look on my face.

~~~~

"It was chilling, girls. I'm telling you, there are some dark goings on at Thornhill." Veronica admits, me, her and Betty sitting in Betty's bedroom.

"Well, not just at Thornhill. Town wide." Betty admits and I nod.

"I agree. I can feel it in the air. Something wicked this way comes." I agree.

"Which reminds me, Betty? I loved your article." Veronica admits and I nod.

"I really appreciate it, the way you're writing the situation, it's great," I admit.

"Good. Because I already posted it on the Blue and Gold website, with hard copies in circulation tomorrow morning," Betty admits.

"Betty, now that it's just us girls, and at the risk of us failing the Bechdel test, are you legitimately cool with Manuel and me? And Archie and Carmen?
Swear on the September issue?" Veronica asks and Betty smiles.

"And on my copy of Chola Salvation by Estella González." She answers. There's a knock at the door and we turn to see Polly.

"Aw, I miss this. Gossiping, doing homework, being a River Vixen. Basically just going to school." Polly admits.

"Then come back." Betty begs.

"Mom doesn't want me to." Polly sighs.

"Naturally, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her." Betty reminds her.

~~~~

I walk into the Andrews house with Jughead and Archie.

"Hey, guys," We stop talking when we see Fred in the kitchen with a random woman.
"Um, this is Miss. Weiss from social services.
She's uh, she's Jughead's case worker."

"Jughead, I know how terrible and emotional the last few days have been for you. Your father's facing serious jail time. Your mother's over-extended and out of state.
We just want to make sure that you're taken care of."
Miss. Weiss admits.

"Well, he can keep staying with us, right dad?" Archie suggests.

"I offered already, Arch." Fred assures him.

"Okay, so what's the problem?" He asks.

"It was a DUI." He sighs and Archie's brows raise.
"After your mom left. Look, we can talk about this later but between that and my cash flow problem, it knocks me out."

"There is a family in the Southside that's offered to foster you. They're good people, they've worked with us before." Miss. Weiss assures Jughead.

"That doesn't sound completely horrible." Jug sighs, shrugging.

"It does mean you'll be in a different school district, Jughead, and you'll have to transfer schools." Miss. Weiss explains.

"Wait, what? When is this supposed to happen?" I demand, crossing my arms.

"The paperwork's been processed. Unless there is a radical change in your father's case, you'll be in the Southside by the end of the week." She explains to him and he just sighs, dropping his head.

~~~~

*Carmen*

"Betty's babysitting Polly and Veronica's with the Pussycats, mind if I join you?" I ask Jughead when I approach the lunch table. He takes a bite of his burger before looking up.

"Are you sure you want to sit at the social pariah table?" He responds. I chuckle, taking my homemade Mexican food out, which consisted of:
Enchiladas, a Jumex Tropical Guava Nectar drink and a delicious whole half piece of Chocóflan.
Courtesy of my loving mother, who actually baked the Chocóflan.
And luckily for me, the enchiladas were still warm.

"Veronica and I've been sitting at it for months, why should today be any different? By the way, I've been thinking, all of us have a lot in common." I admit.

"Oh, because my dad's going to prison and you and Veronica's dads are getting out?" He responds.

"We're all dating one of each other's best friends, I was going to say, except Veronica is technically dating my brother. Pero sí, the prison thing, too."
I shrug and he smirks.
We look up when Cheryl approaches.

"Jughead. I'm sorry. I had no right to pummel you the way I did that day. As recompense,
I'd like to give you this." She tosses him something and he opens his hands to see one of Cheryl's many beloved brooches.
"One of my beloved brooches. Sorry, I couldn't give you the iconic spider one, I considered it.
But I gave it to Carmen. Because, you know, Riverdale would fall apart without her, so I saw it best."

As she spoke, I saw her hand go to the sugar skull brooch Carmen made and gave her months ago, one that has become as iconic as the spider brooch, and one everybody in the student body knew she'd never even considered giving away, for many reasons depending on who you ask.

"Anyway, that will still catch a pretty penny at the local pawn shop. Enough to keep you in burgers and S t-shirts for years. If not decades."

"Cheryl, what is going on?" I ask and her smile falls.

"I'm..." Kevin runs up, cutting Cheryl off.

"Guys, hurry. It's Betty and Carmen's lockers." He admits. "Come on, it's bad, come on. Cheryl, you actually may need to come too." Kevin admits, looking at her. We all run out of the cafeteria, Archie and Manuel approaching.

"Que esta pasando, mi amor?" He asks but I grab his hand while Archie asks: "What's going on?"

"Come with us!" I shout, dragging Manuel with us and Archie hurrying to catch up, so that he can get to Carmencita.

~~~~

*Carmen*

Go back to the Mexico hell hole you came from!
GO TO HELL SERPENT SLUTS!

"Hijole. This school is loco," Manuel mutters, standing between me and Veronica, who he had an arm around.
On my other side were Betty and Polly.
I look at the muñecas resembling me and Betty hanging from the lockers.
Josie, Valerie and Melody behind me, phones flashing as people took photos.

"Carmen. Betty." We turn to face Jughead and the others and Jughead stands in front of the lockers.
Betty approaches the lockers, storming up to them but Jughead holds her back. "Betty, hey, no."

"It's nothing, Jug, it's just a jerk with a can of spray paint." Betty argues but I can hear her voice cracking. I curl my fists, tears clouding my vision and getting ready to knock out the person who did this to us.
Manuel wraps an arm around me, trying to hide me from the cameras, Veronica looking pissed at whoever was making me cry while she also hooked an arm around me.

"I don't think that's spray paint, okay?" Jughead asks, leading her away as quickly as possible as well as Manuel and Veronica leading me away and glaring at Archie for not doing anything to help me.
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A/N: So, part 1 of Episode 13 is done. Hope you liked the Bughead and Maronica crumbs and hints. The only hint of Andrez that y'all got was her sharing her lunch with him.