the town with darkness | bughead

ch. 16 | crash and burn

"Dad we gotta go right now!" Archie shouted in the parking lot as they watched FP's pickup speed away with Jughead inside.

"Whoa, hang on Archie, what the hell is going on?" Fred replied, as bewildered as anyone could ever be.

"We don't really have time to explain Mr Andrews," Betty said hurriedly, tears brimming in her eyes.

Archie could tell his father was torn and Archie could tell pretty accurately why. On the one hand, Fred would have wanted to know what Archie had been keeping from him and he'd want to know that now. On the other hand, he'd just seen one of his friends violently manhandle his own son and throw him into a car - none of which implied that the drive Jughead was being taken on was anywhere near the realm of 'safe'.

"Alright, get in the car, you can tell me on the way what's been going on."

Within thirty seconds they'd piled into Fred's truck and were peeling out of the parking lot as well, deciding on the fly to head in the direction of the trailer park. "Twenty-five words or less, why the hell are we not calling the police and what is going on with FP and Jughead?"

"FP has been abusing Jughead," Betty said, biting the bullet.

"FP has what?"

"It's true Dad, I mean, you just saw him do it."

"I know, it's...it's just hard to believe, but I do believe you," Fred said, his eyes searching the road ahead for FP's pickup. "So when Jughead came round, covered in bruises...?"

"That was FP," Archie finished.

"How long has this been going on?" Fred asked.

"A while now," Betty replied sadly.

"And we're not calling the police because..."

"Because Juggie doesn't want to wind up in a foster home that's not even in Riverdale," Betty explained succinctly.

"Alright, that's a tough one," Fred said slowly, mulling it over. Finally he spoke up again. "Here's what we'll do. Jughead can stay with us indefinitely and I won't talk to Keller if FP promises to keep his hands off him. That way, he won't end up in foster care."

"Oh my god, thank you Dad," Archie gushed, unable to hold in his gratefulness.

"Now we just gotta get him back," Betty said, her voice shaking.

"We'll get him back," Fred answered calmly. "FP's just...I don't know. I'm not sure I know who FP is anymore to be honest. I always knew he had some issues, but I truly thought he loved Jughead enough to not...abuse him the way you're saying he is."

"I think he does - love Jughead that is," Betty replied, ignoring Archie's dubious glance. "He just drinks. And then he gets angry." Betty thought it wise not to mention the underground fight club FP had been forcing Jughead to fight in - that would definitely warrant going to the police about, but they could do it later, once Jughead was well and truly out of harm's way.

"And that right there is the crux of any issue with FP," Fred muttered with a disappointed sigh, "He drinks. Some people just shouldn't."

They drove through the centre of town in silence and were just heading out onto the pine tree-lined two lane that led out to the blacktop. That's when Archie caught sight of the column of smoke rising lazily in the near distance.

"Is that smoke?" Betty asked, leaning forward in between the two front seats.

"Yeah, it is," Fred replied, slowing the truck.

They kept on driving until they rounded a bend and Fred slammed on the brakes. There, in front of them was FP's pickup. It was off the road, on it's side and smashed into a tree. Smoke was billowing out from the ruined engine.