Blind Love

You're Spilling the Cookies!

"I knew it!" Veronica threw the printed documents on the floor in outrage. "Of course it's Daddy Dearest's doings."

"Well, just because it says New York doesn't necessarily mean Hiram Lodge, although there's a big chance it's him," Cheryl reasoned, knowing how it felt to have a father as a merciless murderer.

"Oh I know it's him," Veronica snatched up the documents and reread it over and over again. "I just can't believe he'd go so far to have his own daughter kidnapped and tortured and ultimately killed."

"Sometimes the people we thought we were closest to hurt us the most. But you need to remember we are not our parents, Veronica," Cheryl placed a hand on her shoulder empathetically.

"Wait, wait," Jughead took the documents from Veronica. "This doesn't make sense. Why would Hiram kidnap you to gain control of the Northside, which he already owns? If this was Hiram's doing, then he could have just kidnapped me to blackmail my dad! Why would he kidnap you as well?"

"To make himself look less suspicious? To take revenge on me for the time I stomped on him in the Underground Fight Club? I don't know! It's Hiram Lodge, and everything he does has a shady motive to help his ultimate master plan," Veronica banged the table furiously.

"You're probably right," Cheryl agreed with her. "Powerful men like our fathers have a way with getting away with murder and framing it on others."

"Jeez, what kind of childhood did they have to grow up to be this twisted?" Jughead shook his head.

"I have to tell mom and Archie about this," Veronica stormed upstairs, clearly and understandably shaken about this revelation.

"Should we go after her?"Jughead was unsure to follow the distraught girl or not.

"No, give her some space for now, we can give her all the love she needs when she finishes venting to her mom and Archie," Cheryl stopped Jughead.

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"God, Archie, please don't turn out to be the kind of men Hiram, Hal and Clifford are," Veronica sighed into her phone.

She was lying on the bed and facetiming her boyfriend after a one hour call with her mother to break the tragic news.

"Are you implying you want me to father your kids?" Archie grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

Veronica was about to reply when Jughead knocked on the door, carrying cookies that he and Cheryl had baked while she was on the phone.

"Refreshments? Oh, hey Archie!" Jughead acknowledged Archie on the screen. He totally did not come in to interrupt this part of the conversation on purpose.

Veronica looked over at the newcomer.
"Oh! Chocolate chip cookies!" She took one from the plate and sank her teeth in. "Mm. Thanks, Torombolo."

"Where's mine?" Archie playfully complained, wanting a cookie as well.

"Betty makes killer cookies too, go over to her house and ask her for some," Jughead told him, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Oh yeah! I know, I've been baking with her at her house since we were in elementary," Archie agreed nostalgically.

"You bake?" Veronica asked surprised. "But the last time I wanted you to make gingerbread cookies with me in Christmas you said no!"

Jughead scoffed. "Of course he'd say no, he's scared of the gingerbread man!"

"Yo, Jughead, I thought you said you'd keep it a secret! Childhood traumas, okay?" Archie sulked. "And no, I don't bake, I just stand beside Betty and try not to make a mess."

Veronica raised an eyebrow. "Archie Andrews, the guy who fears nothing, fears the gingerbread man."

"Can't believe you guys started a party without me!" Cheryl rushed into the room and flopped on the bed in between Jughead and Veronica.

"How's Toni?" Cheryl grabbed a cookie.

"She's busy, I mean co-running the Serpents in Riverdale along with FP ain't an easy job, especially with what's happening now," Archie replied. "And I swear I just saw her facetiming you when I was at The Speakeasy just now!"

"Oh yeah, but that was already an hour ago!" Cheryl shot back.

Veronica laughed as Jughead rolled his eyes as Cheryl's dramatics. "You're so extra!" She flicked Cheryl lightly.

Since Cheryl couldn't violently attack Veronica back, she settled for a non-violent tickle attack. Veronica collapsed in giggles as she tried to fight Cheryl off.

"Stop stop stop! You're spilling the cookies!" Jughead's main concern, as always, was the food.

The plate of cookies had nearly toppled off the edge of the bed as the two girls wrestled each other off. Fortunately, Jughead had immediately leapt for the cookies and prevented the accident from happening.

"Never do that again near food," he huffed grumpily, hugging the plate of cookies to himself.

"Tell Cheryl that," Veronica tried to reach for a cookie but Jughead held the plate away from her.

"You don't deserve cookies, you cookie spiller!"

"We made those cookies for her, Hobo! Now give it back!" Cheryl attempted another grab at the plate.

"How old are you guys?" Archie complained on the phone. "Jughead, stop hogging the cookies and share, you Cookie Monster."

"No!"Jughead sulkily left the room with the whole plate of cookies.

"There's still some in the oven, I'll go get those," Cheryl whispered to Veronica, creeping down to the kitchen to avoid Jughead discovering the new batch of cookies.

"Feeling better now?" Archie asked now that they were finally alone again.

Veronica nodded. "Thanks Archiekins. I'll call you later, love you, bye."

"I love you too Ronnie, bye." Archie replied much to Jughead's guilty disappointment.

Jughead was standing in the doorway about to relent and give them the remaining two cookies when he overheard this conversation.

"You know what we need? We need a party to brighten our spirits!" Cheryl, also entering with the new batch of cookies, saw the crestfallen Jughead.

"But...," Veronica tried to protest that she was not in the mood for a party, but Cheryl's determined face showed that she was having her way.

"You need a party, I need cookies," Jughead snatched a handful of cookies from Cheryl's plate and left again.