Swords and Sweaters

The Baby Man

I knew that this had to happen at some point. I didn't think it would be on the first day of school, but I mean I can't really predict these things now can I?

"Mike? Can you take the twins? I have some explaining to do to my friends and Chick is staying after school to try out for the soccer team." Right as soon as the bell rang I ran to go find Mike, leaving my friends waiting for me in the Freshmen lounge room.

"Explaining? What do you mean?" I sighed before continuing on

"Cheryl came up to me during lunch, none of them knew about dad, or Polly, or the twins"

"Oh god, Betty i'm sorry, I really am but I am trying out for the football team. I really can't miss it, if I make it to varsity then I could get some really great scholarships for college"

"Oh, okay. Well I am just going to have to take them to pops then" Although this is not at all the outcome that I wanted, now at least I have something to make them feel a little sorry for me. Not that I want that, but they will ask less questions, and the less they ask the less I have to talk.

"Hey guys i'm sorry but before we go to pops we have to go pick up the twins"

"The twins?" Jug asks looking up at me so confused that he has his hand on the side of his head.

"I will explain at pops I promise but the daycare place is expecting me to pick them up soon so we have to go now" finally we all left the school and began to walk over to downtown Riverdale the daycare centre is right behind pops it turns out so we had an easy time picking them up. When I walked into the daycare I could hear Juniper call out my name and say "come" well at least that's what is sounded like. They only started to talk with two word sentences recently so lots of, "betty here" or "mama food" and little things like that. I opened the little baby gate and walked to where they were sitting on the little play mats. Picking Juniper up onto my right hip, and Dagwood up onto my left hip I signed them out and walked back outside to meet my friends. With Archie carrying my bags I only had to carry the twins. But carrying two one year olds is harder than you would think. They squirm and they are getting bigger so Juggie walked to me and offered to take Dagwood.

"No offence Jug, but do you even know how to hold a baby?" I laughed at him as he smirked.

"I do have a little sister Betty, remember? I had to hold her all the time when my parents were-" he cut off and I handed him the baby.

"So what are their names?" Kevin looked at them with wide eyes, they look so much like their parents that it would really surprise me if he hadn't figured out who they are yet.

"Well their real names are Juniper and Dagwood"

"What-"

"Yeah I know. So we re named them Keegan and Abby" They smiled and we walked into the biggest pops booth he has. I set Abby onto my lap and Jug stayed with Keegan who was laughing and cooing at him.

"You know, for someone who looks like a tall scary biker dude with a leather jacket, you are really good with babies" they all laughed at me and he continued to play with Keegan.

After we ordered our food and pop and I had a long chat about how much we missed each other, I began to tell them my story. About how my abusive dad was the black hood, about how Polly and Jason ran away together and Polly had the twins. About how my dad and Jasons dad decided to kill Polly and Jason for their "sins" when the babies were just days old. About how my dad took me and my siblings and ran from the police to California. And throughout it all, I realized that not only was Keegan asleep on Jug, but it seemed that unconsciously our hands had drifted together. By the end Jug had now been named the "baby man" and I was all forgiven. It might be easier than I thought to get our group back together.

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This one is a little shorter but is just a sweet chapter so it is not super important.