Chapter Text
"What brought you back to Riverdale? After all the recognition in New York why did you feel you have to turn to a small town?" the pen sticking on the upside of his ear as he asked the last question in his list. He made sure that the tape was correctly placed on the table with the angle of the voice's momentum so it could be recorded without any faded or missing words.
"As I told you earlier. Riverdale is my hometown and I have a deep connection with it" he sighed fixing his mic on his hem and his mind on the particular question and smiling. "I wanted to set up my firm here. Doesn't matter how much recognition I had or have in some other place. If I do my work correctly I can regain it wherever I go" he concluded with a warm smile towards the man sitting on the other side.
"It was great talking to such a wise man like you Mr. Jones" the interviewer stood up and shook his hands with him firmly. "I look forward to see you grow even more. We don't have much honest people like you left in here"
"I wish I continue portraying the truth as it is otherwise its no use being the best lawyer" he left the man on the other side awestruck of his wisdom. He swiftly made his way out of the suffocated office of Riverdale Register and loosened his tie while getting into his car.
All the memories, everything was flooding back to him and it ached his mind. The childhood, the teen years he spent in this small stifled town were all just too painful for him now. He never wanted to return but yet here he was! Sitting in his car which faced Pops, still open as always and full of customers even on a weekday. The drizzling weather tingled his visions and then at once he saw two very familiar people laughing carelessly at the stairs of Pops. He slowly got out of his car. He lifted his hand in the air and took of his specs, trying to visualize the impossible properly. Rain started pouring on him, damping his vision as he witnessed the scene in confusion.
"Jug stop" she laughed hitting him with her umbrella. Her giggles were music to his ears. Her pretty blonde locks were falling in curls on her shoulders, half-wet half-dried from the rain.
"Not until you give it back to me" he laughed back trying to snatch the bag from her hand and kept on splashing water on her with his feet. Both of their clothes were damp but they couldn't care less as long as they were in each other's arms everything was perfect.
They were dancing and playing in the rain. He was getting big time feeling of deja vu. He remembered this scene correctly as if it was just yesterday that they graduated. As if they never left. As if everything was the same it was back then but then again he remembered that it was no them anymore. He doesn't even know where she lived or what she does. When he vowed to himself that he won't reach out, he meant it. A chime of his phone was enough to snap him back physically into reality but he somehow left himself in the past with that drizzling thought.
Should I order pizza or maybe cook your favorite pasta for you? What do you want? - V
Don't go anywhere near the stove. I'm bringing lunch home- J he replied and smiled looking at her text.
She is always worried about his food and knowing that she can't cook anymore is the part that tears her up every time. Jughead loved her cooking. The sweet scent of sauces and spices and the perfect presentation she did for him was the best part of her cooking. He misses it too but things don't always remain the same and especially the best things are often taken away when you need them the most.
He drove away to his home, clearing his mind of the pain he was feeling from walking into that diner. Everything, once again felt like crumbling down in just one frickin day.
"Pop died two years ago Jughead" Pop Tate's son sighed handling him his bag and smiling at him like an old friend usually do but he felt like he was shot in the chest. Pop Tate? No, he just shook his head and held the burgers then left the diner silently.
Was sadness in the air today? Or was he just feeling extra gloomy? he never found the answers. Its been a week he's back here. The whole week he was setting up his office and home, didn't have the time to socialize or talk to anyone but the first day he goes out and tries to relive, he's shot in the chest with desolated memories. This town hasn't changed a brink. Same gloominess, same suffocation.
He pulled in his driveway and made his way inside. Opening the door he smiled widely looking at her cute little figure sitting in the chair. She smiled back and excitedly tried to hurry over to him, dragging her wheelchair but he stopped her in her tracks and kissed her hair with a smile.
"Hi" she squealed looking up at his standing figure. Her eyebrows were sweetly matching with the smile that was plastered on her face after watching him come home.
"Hi. How was your day?" he said placing lunch on the counter. He moved carefully from in between the boxes and pulled out plates from the cabinets.
"I slept till 11 then woke up and cleaned our room and then I moved some light boxes, tried taking a shower but failed so just washed my hair and then texted you" she happily announced her all day achievements.
"Woah that's a lot. I told you don't try moving the boxes without me" he replied turning around to face her happy facade and then facing the counter again. "Also I said no showering alone Ronnie. It might get slippery, you have to be careful while I'm not around"
"It's okay Jug. I can't just sit back and watch you do all the work" she sighed dragging the wheelchair further. " I have to do some things too. Can't let you face all my burden"
"Hey! You're not a burden, okay?" he said frowning."I like doing your stuff and everything's gonna be okay in a matter of a few months" he lied, closing his eyes, knowing that it may not be possible. She may not be able to walk again. They may not be able to live the life both of them planned together. She may not survive the surgery. "You don't have to lift excessive weight till then, okay?" he said but there wasn't any answer from the other end. He stood still, thinking maybe he said too much, maybe he gave out a false hope to her.
She silently started shedding tears unconsciously, looking at the ground, her hands in her lap and her head bent down. He rushed towards her little sitting figure and sat down in front of her, lifting her face with his hands. Hot tears were springing out of her eyes and she was furiously wiping them away.
"Ronnie" he lifted her head in his hands. "Everything's gonna be okay" again, false hope.
"What if I-What if I never walk Jug.." she sobbed. "What if we-we never have kids or get married or live the life we wanted to live?"
"Don't think like that Ronnie" he wiped away the tears that left her eyes and embraced her in a tight hug. "We'll be okay"
"Do you promise?" the words left her mouth and deadly silence filled the room. He didn't knew how to answer that. What if he couldn't keep it? What if he fails her again?
He silently nodded a little and kissed both of her hands.
"We'll get through this" were the only words that left his mouth and his eyes wandered to her fingers where the emerald sat peacefully, making her hands look even more beautiful. It was a promise of unity and love. He failed her once and he wasn't going to do that again.
"Your trial is in two weeks and you still have neither a solid proof about your story nor any witnesses" the brunette scoffed and smashed the papers on the table in front of her. Her hands rested on her chin as she spoke again. "Mrs. Cooper even failed to find you an attorney since no one wants to fight for you"
She didn't speak for a moment. She was too used to of all this stuff now. It's been two months and four court hearings and she says the same things over and over but there isn't anybody who would stand up for her and fight.
"No one wants to fight against Archie Andrews" she softly spoke with a taunt in her voice. "Even though he's dead, his fear is still alive in this goddamn town" a little smirk on her restless and desolated face appeared out of nowhere which made her look dominant but in fact it was the exact opposite of it.
"I'm contacting your mother again" she announced getting up from the seat. "I'll let her know that if you don't find an attorney, I'll end you and that's not what I want"
"Don't you think it's already the end?" she blinked her eyes in the oblivion feeling hopeless, suffocated and helpless as ever. "You win, Topaz. Go claim your throne"
"It's not the end if there isn't any fight" she smiled cunningly and slammed the door on her way out leaving Betty and her thoughts alone in the dark.