Collateral Damage ▻ Riverdale [1]

3.22

THE SECOND TIME AROUND
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

"I have an announcement to make!" Jughead spoke up loudly to the whole group of Serpents at the Whyte Wyrm as he stood in front of the pool table.

Queenie was sitting beside Sweet Pea about twenty feet away from Jughead. She already knew what the news was. It was about their father getting out of jail. She only knew that because she was the reason he was getting out. After all, it was her numerous deliveries for Penny Peabody that made it happen. And yet, she still had to keep doing those delivers even though her father was getting out.

"Our dad's getting out," Jughead announced, referring to both himself and Queenie.

Everyone began to cheer and clap once hearing this news, Sweet Pea even placed a kiss to Queenie's lips as a way of saying congrats.

Once the clapping died down a bit, Jughead began to speak again, "When he does, I'll bring him up to speed on our plans with Mayor McCoy." He informed them and Queenie instantly noticed Tall Boy still wasn't happy about Jughead's plan.

"That's brilliant," Tall Boy commented, placing down his glass on the table in front of him.

"Do you have a problem with that, Tall Boy?" Jughead asked him, unamused. He let out a sigh as Tall Boy turned to face him.

"Your old man? No, I got no problem with him," He replied as he got up from his seat and stood in front of the pool table, directly across from Jughead, "But you want us to sit down with the mayor."

"I do," Jughead told him in a calm tone as he looked around at everyone, "He's right. I think we can bring the Southside back, but it's going take work and it's going take compromise."

Tall Boy began to laugh at Jughead, "Bring the Southside back. You've been here all of five minutes."

"Tall Boy, I am sick of you acting like a little bitch, whispering behind my back that I'm half a Serpent or that I don't belong here," Jughead snapped at him angrily, "Why don't we put it to a vote? If you guys think what I'm doing is wrong, I'll step aside."

Queenie smiled brightly as she stood up from sitting down beside Sweet Pea, "All those in favor of standing with Jughead and think that Tall Boy should shut the hell up?" Queenie spoke up as she raised her hand.

She walked down a few steps so that she was closer to Jughead. Soon enough, everyone else raised their hands along with Queenie, including Toni and Sweet Pea.

Queenie smirked as she glared at Tall Boy. Tall Boy seemed angered as he stormed out of the bar, clearly feeling defeated.

______

After being invited for the ride to Shankshaw Prison with Alice, Betty, and Jughead, Queenie stood outside the prison, waiting for her father to come out.

Finally, he came out, a bag in his hands. Queenie couldn't help but smile brightly seeing that her father was now free from that hell hole.

FP laughed slightly when he saw Betty, Jughead, and Queenie waiting for him at the fence. The guard opened the gate, letting FP through. Queenie immediately hugged her father as if she hadn't seen him in years, even though she had just seen him the day before.

They hugged for a long moment before It's was Jughead's turn to hug his father. After doing so, FP turned to Betty, who was awkwardly standing there, "Hey, Betty." He greeted her with a smile.

"Hey, Mr. Jones." She greeted him back.

The group of four started to walk away, but FP stopped in his tracks when he saw Alice Cooper standing before him, Queenie quietly laughed at this, "Alice?" FP frowned in confusion.

Alice stared at FP as she stood in front of her car, crossing her arms over her chest, "Is it true about what they say about men who've just been released from prison, FP?" She asked him curiously.

FP was confused by the question and was quick to ask her, "What do they say?" He asked him, giving her a puzzled look.

"That they're incredibly sexually frustrated." She flirted and Queenie gave her a shocked look, so did Betty and Jughead.

"Mom!" Betty complained, furrowing her eyebrows as she headed to the car.

"Wow," Queenie chuckled when she saw Alice smile at FP and FP sent the Cooper female a smirk.

______

Later on the day, the group of five sat in a large booth at Pop's. Betty and Alice sat on one side of the booth while FP and Jughead sat on the other with Queenie sitting in the middle of them.

"The Black Hood is targeting sinners, so I'd watch my back if I were you, FP," Alice informed him as she took a sip of her coffee. FP looked over at his daughter as they shared an amused look, "Especially once you rejoin that gang of hoodlums."

"The Serpents aren't hoodlums—" Jughead began to defend his gang, but FP interrupted his son before he could finish his sentence.

"I'm not going back to the Serpents, Alice," FP told her, causing Queenie to frown in confusion, "Thought a lot about this while I was in Shankshaw as I'm done with Serpent life. It's going to be one last ride for the kids and I. It's too much of a slippery slope for me."

"The Serpents need you, Dad," Queenie complained, still frowning at her dad.

"Queenie and Jughead need you, Mr. Jones," Betty spoke up at the same time.

"And what pray tell will you be doing with all of your extra time, FP?" Alice asked him curiously.

"Working, Warden Cooper," FP replied mockingly, "I saw a help wanted sign in the window, thought I'd talk to Pop about picking up some shifts and take the same job that Queenie has."

Queenie quietly scoffed as she took a sip of her milkshake, "I don't think so, Pop's going to give your sorry ass a job as busboy." She muttered quietly under her breath, causing Jughead to give her an amused look.

"Let's hope your plans don't come crashing down once you start drinking again," Alice told him.

"Actually, I'm in AA. Started in jail and I don't plan on stopping," He informed the group as he took a sip of his coffee whole lifting up his pinky, "Besides, I've got Queenie back and she doesn't hate my guts, so I think I'll be good." He stated, knowing that it was a known fact to everyone now that he started drinking because of his daughter.

Alice noticed FP mocking her when lifting up her pinky so she quickly stopped doing so, causing FP to let out a laugh.