Forever Crime

24

Jughead's POV
I hid behind a wall and I gulped as I began reliving one of the best moments of my life only for that to never happen again, I looked down and gulped as Archie ran over.

He said "hey dude...hey..."

I looked at him and gulped saying "that dog...that's Hot dog Archie..."

He sighed and he hugged me saying "dude just relax okay?"

I sighed and said "my mom she..."

He said "hey I know...I know Jug...."

I gulped saying "why did she do it Archie? What more could I have done to make her stay?"

He sighed and said "nothing okay...it wasn't your fault."

I frowned and looked down as he said "hey stop doing this to yourself, Betty is pregnant! She needs you! And you doing this shit is gonna make her feel like she's not enough! And I know what that feels like too..."

I looked at him as he said "why do you think I'm terrified of getting Ronnie pregnant at all!? Making sure she takes birth control and I wear condoms still! Her dad is ruthless and will do anything to make sure I'm not happy and especially her happiness with me. At least you and Betty can have each other, I'm not Latino or Hispanic, I'm not rich...I was just some military kid who fell in love with a beautiful girl while stationed in New York. So I get that you have issues with your mom and your dad but don't let that overshadow what you have right now. You have a beautiful wife, who's going to give birth any day now. I ignore all these things and just try to love Veronica as much as I can, I was there for you when I could be and I'm sorry it wasn't everything, but dude your like my brother and your amazing okay, your mom left because she just couldn't deal with it anymore and it wasn't your fault okay. Your dad is nuts, but stop putting that on yourself for right now okay?"

I sighed and nodded lightly saying "can you get Betty?"

He nodded and soon Betty was in front of me.

She held my hands asking me "what's wrong?"

I sighed and said "I...that dog isn't just some ordinary dog."

She was confused and I said "it was...a present I got for my fourth birthday...it was the only time I think...I ever saw my parents happy with one another for a few hours...they fought on my birthday and tried to...be nice again and...the next day my dad was drinking and yelling, my mom doing drugs..."

She sighed and held my hands saying "hey...if you want we can throw it out?"

I shook my head saying "I don't want to throw it out...I just...I just want you to know I'm gonna try my best to give our son the life he deserves..."

She said "of course you will, I know you will."

I sniffled and cried and she held my face as I said "I'm sorry if I'm not good enough."

She said "Juggie..."

I gulped and she wipe my tears and said "I married you...not because i love you. It wasn't only that. It was because you will do anything to make other people happy, however being married made me realize...you don't make yourself happy. And now I want you to stop doing that, Juggie we're about to have a child, what are you gonna do! Your not your father! I'm not my mother! We're not like our parents and even though everyday we think we are we need to fight it."

I sighed and she said "our baby needs us more than ever to be his parents, not our parents part 2 okay?"

I gulped and nodded and she smiled and kissed me, I kissed her back and held her.

I said "your amazing you know that?"

She smiled and kissed me again and I smiled holding her. When we got home after our long day Betty quickly fell asleep with her hand on her tummy. I was making myself a drink before I went to bed.

Suddenly I heard "drinking before heading to sleep?"

I looked over seeing my dad and said "at least I'm not drinking 24/7 and not remembering the next day."

He sighed and I went over to him and hugged him, he was kinda shocked I did and he hugged me back.

I said "I blame you still...still so fucking much...but thank you for...bringing Hot Dog."

He smiled saying "I just thought...like father like son, for your case."

I smiled and said "did you care that I was getting raped?"

He sighed and said "can we sit down and talk about it?"

I sighed and sat with him on the couch as he said "after your mother died I did care...how do you think we even had a funeral Jug? We had no money at all, funerals are not cheap."

I sighed and said "yeah but..."

He stopped me and said "Penny was not a serpent, she was, but she had betrayed us."

I was confused and he said "I knew you were raped... but I was threatened to, either it was you...or Jelly... and I already knew you were protective and you would've hated me more if it was Jellybean that...that was raped..."

I gulped and he said "she was in with the Ghoulies, Malachi's the leader of the Ghoulies...he said either Penny has you...or he had Jellybean, and I had my hands tied because if not they would've killed me and separated you both...I know it's no explanation either way. The reason I was beating you was because of my drinking and beating your mother... I'm so sorry Jughead...there is so much I don't want you to know for your own sake..."

I gulped and he said "your mother and I we truly loved one another, I loved her so much...but we met...in ways I won't speak of because your mother isn't here to tell you her side, but we met when we both were at our lowest...and it just made us happy to be with one another, we were happy and why did you think your mother tried to understand, the only reason she said she wasn't a good mother was because of me, I wasn't a good father she was the perfect mother. Why do you think we had Jellybean, we thought another child would be able to fix the problems but...god we...she told me she was pregnant and I was happy....because I thought it would help but it didn't...and now...the reason I left was because...I had told Penny I had enough...I didn't want her touching you anymore, then she said she would...she'd take Jellybean...I panicked and I went to...who's...Archie I think...his father. I asked if he could watch over you two and I'd pay for child support...and when she didn't find you she said she'd kill me, I've been on the run ever since Jughead..."

I gulped and he said "I know none of this makes sense and you will never forgive me but...I'm sorry...I thought...I thought bringing the dog would let you hold onto that hope of you being an amazing father, even though I wasn't you will be, you can be."

I sighed and a tear left my eye.

I gulped and he rubbed his eyes saying "I'm just gonna...I'm gonna get to bed for tomorrow."

He got up and I got up and hugged him and cried.

He held me and I said "all I wanted for us to be normal dad....why weren't we..."

He held my head saying "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry Jughead..."

I sniffled and he wiped my tears saying "hey, don't be afraid of anything now, you have an amazing house, an amazing wife...and your gonna be a amazing father..."

I smiled and said "Jellybean said she'd come she wants to see the baby."

My dad smiled and hugged my again saying "I promise I'll do everything to make sure your okay. I'll make sure to protect your family no matter what cost, even if you hate me...were family...and now that Ive realized how much I've ruined us...I won't let my mistakes ruin your future."

I nodded and he said "you gave her the serpent ring huh?"

I smiled and he smiled saying "get to bed, she must be waiting for you."

I nodded and said "thank you dad..."

He nodded and I went upstairs.