Aftershock Effects

Chapter 4:Telling Fred

                   After the door shut firmly behind Kevin as he walked out, Fred turned his attention towards the stairs. He sighed to himself as he thought about what Kevin told him before he left. maybe there was something going on that Jughead wasn't telling him about. Maybe Archie would know, but we he tell him though? He decided that he might as well just get started on trying to get what it is out of him now. Maybe he could get him worn down enough that is wouldn't take Archie 5 minutes to get it out of him. One could only dream though. As he trudged up the stairs he started to wonder about what he could say to Jughead once he reached the boy's room. He'd still guess that Jughead was still awake though. Fred hoped that whatever it was that it wasn't too serious. He cares for that boy just as much as he does his own son. And that it would kill both him and Archie if he ever let anything happen to Jughead.  

              The next thing that he knew, Fred Andrews was standing in the doorway of his son's bedroom watching his son's boyfriend 'sleep.' Or, in other words, he was watching Jughead pretend to sleep so the he could avoid telling him whatever it is that he desperately needs to tell him according to Kevin. Taking in a deep breath, Fred decided then and there that it was now or never. He slowly and as quiet as he could be crept into the room and over to the twin bed against the wall. How to almost grown men could fit on that tiny little bed still amazes him. He carefully sat down on the edge of the bed and turned placing a hand on Jughead's shoulders. "Jug, hey, Jughead you have to get up son." Fred said softly. "Come on Son, I know that you're awake Jughead." Jughead's body stiffened at that. 'Bingo' Fred thought to himself, when will this kid ever learn. "Come on Jug, whatever is wrong you know that you can talk to me about everything and I won't tell Archie if you don't want me too; it might not be as bad as you're making it out to be." Fred pleaded with him. Jughead sighed and rolled over to where he was facing Fred this time. Fred noticed that he had HotDog clutched to his chest. 'This must not be good,' was just random thought that ran through his head. 

               "Ok, what's wrong Jug, you know that you can tell me anything; you know that you'll feel better if you tell someone your problems." Fred pressed. Jughead remained quiet for a moment. Fred decided to try another approach. " Jughead, Forsthye, you know that you can tell me anything that is troubling you right?  Come on Jug, I care for you son, I think of you as one of my own right along with Archie. Now matter what we'll work this out, but Jug I can't do anything if you won't talk to me." Fred told him, while he was rubbing his hand up and down Jughead's back.  Jughead mumbled something incoherently soft in response. "What was that Jug?" Fred asked him, hoping for clarification. "I said that if I told you then you'd be hate me." Jughead said a little louder this time. Fred didn't fail to notice the tremor in his voice. "Now, why would I ever hate you Jug?" Fred questioned him. Jughead just shook his head as an answer. "Now, come on Jug, you know that you can tell me anything, and you and Archie both know this, why are you not talking to me son?" Jughead looked like he was about ready to start crying or vomiting again. Either was better than him claiming up on him. "I-I.....I" Jughead said between trying not to completely loose it in front of Fred. "Oh,.....God....I need a bucket." Jughead gasped out between sobs. Fred moved quickly and grabbed the waste basket beside Archie's desk and handed it to Jughead. When the wastebasket was placed underneath his chin, the bile just began pouring out of him by the mouthfuls. Fred rubbed his back through the whole thing until Jughead stopped dry-heaving. "Are you ok now Jug?" Jughead shook his head. "I'm pregnant." 

           Fred sat there a moment in shock. 'Pregnant.' His son's boyfriend was pregnant with Archie's , well hopefully Archie's baby. He then threw that out of course it was Archie's. Fred knew that Jughead has been in love with Archie since they were small children, he only realized what his feelings meant when they became teenagers. And here Jughead was terrified to death of telling Fred about it for fear of kicking him out. Fred may have not been the smartest man in his high school class, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that the reason that Jughead was so scared to tell him about the bay was because he was scared that Fred would kick him out and take Archie away from him. Leaving him all alone with no one to turn to. Which is something that Fred would never ever dream about doing to him. That boy had been abandon enough in his life. Fred wasn't going to just add on to his trauma. Oh boy, what was he getting himself into.