Blood of My Blood, Flesh of My Flesh (Bughead)

Theme from Carrie

"It was pig's blood, Dad. Where do you even get pig's blood? I want to slam whoever did that through a wall!"

"-Archie,"

"Betty's getting threats, Jughead's getting thrown to the wolves- literally, Sweet Pea has to take on a whole mantle because FP is gone, Cheryl's sure her mother has released something awful and I can't do anything to help them!"

"Archie! You're only sixteen. You can't be expected to do everything." Fred said, grabbing Archie's arm.

"I'm a Grimm! I'm supposed to fix problems! Yeah, sure, that used to be killing supernaturals, but now it has to mean something else. And I can't, Dad!"

"No one blames you-,"

"I blame me! Don't you get it? I have powers beyond description and I can't even make one thing better in any of my friend's lives! I'm such a failure!"

"Archie..." Fred pulled into a tight hug like he used to do when he was little, "Sometimes, you just need to show up. Show up and be ready."

"It's not enough," Archie choked out, "It's not...enough!"

Fred petted his hair, kissing his crown, sighing, "I know. But it has to be, son."

XXX

"Betty, anything interesting happen at school today?"

Betty winced at the steps, hoping to avoid her mother and a discussion where she'd be blamed for something totally out of her control.

She paused, one foot up the steps, "Nope, nothing! Just a normal, very normal, day!"

"Oh, so no one wrote 'Go to hell, Serpent slut' on your locker? Or hung a Betty doll from a noose?" Alice asked, her face pinched tightly.

"How do you already know about that?" Betty groaned. News traveled fast.

"Because the principal called, of course! And Archie stopped by; told me you were upset. And I looked through Polly's Instagram feed-,"

"Polly!"

"Hey, I tried to stop her," Polly protested, "You know when mom's on a mission."

"It's vile. I'll kill whoever did this," Jason said, "Serious. You're almost my sister-in-law."

"Sweet, but misguided, maybe, Jason," Betty sighed, giving a half-smile, "And mom, it's not a big deal. It's whatever."

"Funny, everyone has told me it seems, except my own daughter. That seems like it means it's a big deal."

"Well, I just got home from school, Mom," Betty forced through a faux smile of gritted teeth. Alice snorted.

"You weren't going to. We both know that."

Betty dropped her book bag, stomping back down the steps, "Fine. I wasn't. It's fine. I'm fine. It's handled." She snapped, throwing her hands up, "I'm a fucking witch, Mom, not some whimpering pathetic little six-year-old."

"Did you kill someone?" Polly gasped.

"What? No! Geeze, Polls," Betty stuttered, "Not the point. The point is-,"

"The point is that you shouldn't have published that article, Elizabeth! I don't get why you're so...relentless!" Alice pinched her nose, shaking her head at her daughter.

"I learned it from the best," Betty said, meant as a cruel jab, as she stalked to the kitchen, "And I'm sick of secrets and lies and this town and this family just pretending everything is normal while crucifying the Serpents for the actions of one person. One person that, let's be clear, didn't even kill Jason! Where's the hate for the Blossoms, huh?"