Steady Breaths

D e s e r v e

Veronica's POV
In all the chaos that is Riverdale I completely forgot about the fact that my dad is a literal psycho, he quickly walks up to me.
"What are you doing here?" I whisper/yell, trying to avoid drawing attention to us. The school bell rings, and everyone begins to leave for class, leaving us in an empty hallway.
"I'd rather speak without your friends." He gestures to Archie, Betty and Jughead standing behind me.
"No I'm sure they're happy to hear" I tilt my head slightly.

He gives me a grimace, he hesitates, showing a bit of weakness for once.
"We need to go." He bluntly states, leaving any detail necessary out. I feel my face fall...does he mean back to the Pembroke? Back home?
"Where?" I ask rather softly.
"No time for questions, we need to get out of this town right now, you're coming with me" he grabs my wrist suddenly and starts pulling me away from my friends.
"Hey get off her!" Jughead grabs my other hand and tries to pull me back. Dad stops pulling when suddenly a voice echoes down the hallway.

"Hiram! What's taking so long!"

We all look at each other in confusion. Who was that? Why did that voice sound so familiar? It was croaky and low...
Running around the corner came someone who I didn't think I'd ever see again, and by the shock horror displayed on Betty's face I wasn't the only one in disbelief.
"C...C-chick what are...what are you doing here?" Betty stammered.
"I...I work for Hiram-"
"How long have you been in town?" Archie cuts him off.
"A couple of weeks" he explains with as few words possible.

We all look at each other, I think we are all thinking the same thing.
"He...he was at Pops" Jughead realises with a whisper.
"Hiram! The cops, were gonna at exposed if we don't hurry!" Chick says to dad with gritted teeth.
"Okay Veronica we're going. Now." He begins to walk away.
"It was you wasn't it?" I yell, making the two of them stop and turn around.
"It was you who shot Betty at Pops the other week wasn't it?" I walk up to Chick, who is pulling a poker face.
"And it was under your orders wasn't it?" I turn to dad, who gulps nervously.
"Why would I want to kill Betty?" He asks.
"You wouldn't. You ordered a hit on Archie, since your little jail plan didn't work out, you decided that Chick over here was the right person to do it seeing as he managed to fake his identity for a couple of months. With his con artist skills you figured he wouldn't get caught. But then when we were at Pops, he tormented me for some cash, presumably because you can't do anything without money getting involved, he called me a slut, obviously pissing Archie off, on purpose, and your plan would've worked, Archie could've been the one go get shot if only Betty hadn't taken the bullet. And now since your whole plan has gone a mess you want to run away before you get caught. Well Chick thanks for giving it away that you're being caused because I've now distracted you for a solid few minutes, so they should be entering the door right about...now"

As though perfectly timed a bunch of cops entered the hallway, all pointing their guns to dad and Chick.
"Where's Minetta" Dad asks.
"You've been exposed Mr. Lodge" Sheriff Keller says, with Kevin walking in behind him.
"Kevin?" Archie, Betty, Jughead and I say in unison.
"I was pretty pissed about Dad, and the fact that he had been kicked out of his position so I decided to do a little bit of research on Sheriff Minetta. Turns out he's an old friend of yours, I mean the internet didn't tell me that, Hayley his daughter did-"
"Wait Hayley told you about this?!" I exclaim in shock.
"Yeah, she told me everything, I have no idea why, apparently there was all this pressure surrounding it. Anyways I told dad, who told Mayor Lodge, who actually didn't know anything about any of this-"
"Moms innocent" I sigh in relief.
"Yep, anyways she then told Minetta to run, and now we're here, to take you away" Kevin turns on his heals to face my dad.

Damn I have to admit. I'm impressed. And of all people I wouldn't expect Kevin to be the one to be the hero.
"You left out the part where I come in" Joaquin of all people waltz into the hallway. Okay now this is just a weird ass reunion.
"Oh yes, Chick over here is into webcaming, I knew that thanks to Betty, so I got Joaquin to webcam with him, turns out this little con artist will say literally anything once a shirt is removed-"
"A scarring experience really" Joaquin cuts in.

Okay this is way more complex than what I expected.
"And so I'm gonna have to get both of you with your hands behind your backs" the Sheriff ordered. With regret filled faces dad and Chick both complied, metal cuffs trapping their hands. They were being walked out of the hallway, and dad looks back. A somewhat hurt look in his eye. I would feel guilty. But I don't.

"Veronica are you okay? I mean that is your dad" Betty smiles warmly.
"He wasn't really a dad...I mean you guys are more family than he ever was. I mean we get what we deserve right?" I sigh.

Maybe it did hurt a little. Maybe I did have a small hope that he was good, that he would just give up the life of crime, and that he'd try to be a dad. Or maybe I hoped that this would happen, that he'd end up in jail for life with no chance of getting let out. Nonetheless I really don't have much of a family left. No doubt mom has already drunk herself senseless trying to numb the pain of the truth. I suppose I'm alone now...actually I'm not. Because I'm standing in an empty hallway, with some of the best people I will ever meet.

"I'm sorry Veronica" Kevin speaks up.
"Don't he Kev, I'm proud of you, I'm impressed. Your dad would be proud too. And Joaquin, I didn't expect you'd have any part in this" I say with a brighter tone in my voice.
"Well when Keller needs help I'm always happy to lend a hand. Besides I knew a bit about your dad before, he's done some stuff with the serpents." He shrugs with a smile.

"This is so fucked up" I hear Archie chuckle.
"Agreed" Jughead chimes in.
"Couldn't get any weirder" Betty states.
"You know what it probably can and it probably will-"
"Kids what are you doing? Class started 20 minutes ago!" Mr Weatherbee cuts me off. Wait how the hell did he not know what was going on...he always knows what's going on!

"Sorry we just got caught up on convocation, it won't happen again" Jughead improvises.
Though he looks skeptical, Me Weatherbee nods and walks back into his office. We all burst into laughter and head off to class.

So now what am I supposed to do...cause dad will be in jail, I expected a more dramatic downfall in all honesty. But he's just gone. It's like at the Dakota, back in New York. One minute he was with me and the next he was taken away. But he had it coming right...he deserved it right?

A/N hey all thank you guys so so so much for reading I hope you liked this chapter! As always I love reading your comments and hearing what you guys have to say so please do leave a comment down below! As always thanks for reading xx