Riverdale Imagines ( Requests Closed)

Archie 5 - Consequences

Archie stood across from Veronica awkwardly scratching his neck as Ellie closed the door behind her. They stood there in silence before Archie plucked up the courage to speak first.

"I would try and explain myself but from what my Dad and Ellie told me, you know what happened."

"That you fucked the girl next door, yeah." she snapped at him. He sighed and walked into the living room.

"I'm sorry."

"Are you really? Or are you sorry because you got caught?" she followed him.

"I'm sorry for doing it, we both are but it doesn't change the fact that I did it and I have a daughter because I did it. Believe it or not but I did not go to the swimming hole with the intention of sleeping with one of my best friends. I went there because your father framed me for a murder I didn't commit to punish for the fact that I stood up to him, that you stood up to him and in his eyes disrespected him."

"So it's my fault now."

"I didn't say that." he shook his head, then rubbed his face.

"Us teenagers are not supposed to go through this. I never imagined going through this. One thing I learnt in jail is that many of us in there Serpents, Ghoulies, Other teens, half of us were in there through pure bad luck, some were at the drag race I called into the cops, others came back to help on riot night, that's just naming a couple. Once your in there well your an animal, not by your own design but by the warden and the guards and your father. They make you into something you don't want to be and you if you've been in there a while you start to loose hope, because they take it away from you, the isolate you till your broken and you either fall in line or you leave through the morgue.

I went there, I took the deal to spare more pain to give in to what your father was doing, I had a plan of sorts but that didn't work out so I improvised and adapted because since sophomore year and the death of Jason that's what I've had to do, that's what we've all had to do. I'm not scared to admit that I was losing hope and I was losing it fast. I tried to fight back and tried to do a lot of things but it took it's tole on me.

Then my Mom comes in and she tells me that everyone on the outside knows I cheated on my girlfriend with my best friend. How? She told them. I mean could it get any worse. One drunken night that we both regret, that we both swore we never tell. And now not only do you know but everyone does, why would someone i thought I trusted do that?

The reason, she had my kid. Ellie she wrote me this letter explaining herself and how she got in front of things at the last minute when she could no longer hide that night. and then I saw the picture, that picture of this tiny little newborn with red hair like mine a calm sleeping expression like her mothers that I've seen so many times when she accidentally falls asleep in the most random place because she's been studying all night. Something in me clicked and i recognised her as my own and I had hope again.

I'm sorry I cheated on you, I really am but knowing what I know now, being through what I have. I wouldn't change a thing, you might not like it, I'm not expecting you to , but there is a baby girl next door that is mine and she saved my life. The way she was created and how she came into this world it hurt you and exposed a night  that wasn't my finest." There was absolute silence you could hear a pin drop. It was like that for at leas five minutes while Veronica soaked all that she said.

"Well at least your honest to me this time." she spoke then sat down

"When Ellie said that you were Charlotte's father I didn't believe it at first, I thought it was some sick joke. It's always been obvious that both Betty and Ellie had a thing for you, neither did anything because you were all best friends and they were sisters, they wouldn't dare want to hurt the other, but me on the other hand. Daddy framed you for murder and well I'm his daughter, sick revenge or what. Betty told me Ellie's version of events her drinking the pain away of what her father did and you drinking away the pain of what mine did. It was like something out of a movie, I kept asking myself questions that I didn't have the answer too, I kept thinking they must have known this was wrong, the whole time that you would have inched closer and closer to each other surely it must have gone through your heads that this was wrong. After speaking with betty when i charged into her house, I realised that you didn't care about me."

"But i do."

"Not in that moment, Archie. In that moment of drunkenness as the two of you called it, you just didn't care, you were lonely and across from yours someone who was lonely too, the outside world didn't matter I didn't matter, the consequences of what was about to happen didn't matter, you were selfish and from that a bright red haired baby was born. But it matters now Archie and you hurt me, you and Ellie did, I thought you kissing Betty was bad but then you had to top it and sleep with her sister." She stood up.

"I came her expecting a apology and you gave it, I even respect that in hindsight while you regret sleeping with her you don't regret Charlotte. But when it comes down to it, you cheated on me and you proved my father was right in some respect. I forgave Betty because we technically weren't together we were on a break, but this, I can't forgive, so in case it wasn't clear, we're over and we will never get back together." she left and slammed the door behind her.

-------

Archie sat on the bed holding Charlotte the next afternoon, he was leaning against the headboard and Ellie sat at the foot of his bed against the wall, legs crossed.

"So did yesterday go as horrible as I imagined."

"Depends how horrible did you think."

"Screaming, shouting, you grovelling, stating that it was just a mistake it didn't mean anything, you know how you see on tv shows or films."

"It was like five percent like that." he answered. he paused before he elaborated

"Long story short. I apologised, told her it wasn't intentional, I did regret it actually I still do, the fact that I hurt her but if I had a chance to change things I wouldn't." Ellie looked up from her nails.

"What?"

"It was hell, Ellie, moments of hope were quickly dashed and while I still love her, it's her Dad's fault, I know that he's manipulated my time in there. I read your letter and I saw that tiny picture of Charlotte and I had this secret spark courage of hope and I wouldn't of had that if we didn't have sex that night and you didn't have our daughter." Archie looked down at Charlotte.

"You saved my life." Charlotte's nose twitched as she slept peacefully in his arms. He smiled, Ellie stared at the two and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"It's funny how things turn out isn't it"