ѕerpenт qυeen - Jughead Jones

XXXIII.

It was was Christmas time in the small town of Riverdale. Jughead and Ava been making out but they didn't know if they would be in a relationship yet. "Hey Av..." Jughead started. "If you are going to talk about us... Maybe we can talk later." Ava said. Jughead sighed and looked at her. "I choose you first." He said softly. Archie and Fred walk in with a tree. "What do you say, Pop? Is it okay?" Fred asked Pop. "The best tree yet. Thanks, Archie. Thanks, Fred." Pop told them. Archie looked at them in the booth. "Thank you, for letting us set up shop in front of the diner." Fred told him. Archie went to them and sat down besides Ava. "You guys gonna stay in town for break?" Jughead asked Archie. "Yeah. We were gonna visit my mom, but she booked a single's cruise, so..." Archie said. "My mom or older brother won't answer my texts... So, I'm stuck with you guys." Ava said smiling a bit. "How are you and Veronica?" Jughead asked Archie trying to change the subject from Christmas break. "We've been better." Archie said. "If it's any consolation, Betty and I haven't been in the greatest place." Jughead said honestly. "Me, I was single so I don't have any problems." Ava said smirking. Jughead looked at her, amused. 

Fred pointed towards Jughead and Ava. "Jughead, Ava,  you want a Christmas tree? You and your dad, on the house?" Fred asked. "It would have to be a small one, Mr. A." Jughead said shaking his head. Fred left to look for a small tree for them. Ava looked at Archie then Jughead. "So, I'll see you two at Kevin's Secret Santa thing?" Archie asked. Ava nodded as she watched Jughead open his laptop. "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea." Jughead said. They all laugh as Archie left the table to work. Ava looked at Jughead. "So, you choose me first now?" She asked. Jughead looked at her, "Yes." He said. 

Jughead and Ava was sitting with FP, he looked at her. She shook her head, knowing what he was about to start. "I was thinking about our Penny problem." Jughead started with FP. FP looked at him, "My problem, not ours." He told Jughead. "I'm the one that she has on camera delivering drugs with Ava helping." Jughead said which made Ava look down. "How I deal with Peabody is not your concern. I'm handling it." FP told them. Ava looked at him and sighed. "By pimping the Serpents out as drug runners?" Ava asked crossing her arms. "Boy... Aveline." FP said turning to look at them, he pointed to them. They looked at him before answering the door. "Toss them in the corner." FP instructed Tallboy to do with the bags. "Hey, what's in the bags, Tall Boy?" Jughead and Ava asked in unison. "Hey, what did I just say? Mind your damn business. Get to school." FP said facing them. Ava shrugged and got up. "Let's go, Juggy." She said smiling a bit. They grabbed their bags and walked out hand in hand to school. FP watched them then faced Tallboy. 

Kevin walked to his seat, "Veronica, it's your turn." He told Veronica. Archie was sitting besides Betty, Reggie was sitting on Archie's arm rest, Josie was sitting alone, Veronica, Cheryl, and Kevin was sitting on the couch. Jughead and Ava stood besides each other behind Veronica and Kevin. Veronica opened her gift, "Oh, a gift certificate for a couple's massage. Thanks, Josie." Veronica said. "You can go with Betty. Or your mom." Josie said embarrassed. Ava held Jughead 's hand, watching everyone open gifts from each other. "I can go with your mom." Reggie said. Ava rolled her eyes. "Dear God, can we please get this torture over with? Betty, you're next, and mercifully last." Kevin said. "I think I know who picked my name based on these wrapping skills." Betty said chuckling. She opened the gift to see the present. "Archie.." She said smiling. "My dad and I were cleaning out the garage, and I found it." Archie told her. Jughead looked between them as Ava watched them. She knew they had the best relationship then the others. "Swiss Family Robinson?" Veronica asked. "Yeah, it's this old read-along record we used to listen to when we were, like, 5. Oh, my God. I love it, Arch. Thank you." Betty said. Moose walked in with Midge, everyone got up to hug them. Jughead left the room, Ava followed him to see what the problem was. 

"Hey Jug... What's wrong?" She asked. Jughead looked at her and sighed. "I'm stressed about my dad." He told her. "I know... I am too. If there was a way we can end Penny's rule on the Serpents... I would." Ava said. Jughead took a box out of his pocket, "I got you something too." He said giving her the box. Ava held it in her hands before opening it up. She looked at the gift to see a necklace. She smiled and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Jug." She said. "I think I have an idea to get rid of Penny so my dad is free along with the other Serpents." Jug said. Ava nodded and listened to his idea.

Jughead and Ava walked to the Whyte Wyrm and went inside. She was wearing the necklace Jughead gave her. "What is all this?" Jughead asked seeing all these toys and gifts. "It's Serpent tradition.Every year, we give back to the Southside. Toys for Tots, Meals on Wheels,kids and old folks living alone." Toni said. "The Hells Angels do it." Fangs told Jughead. Ava smiled and started helping. "I'm always down for charitable works.Hey, have you seen my dad?" Jughead said. FP walked down the stairs seeing the two of them there. "Why aren't you two in school?" FP asked them. "Uh, it's a half-day before break." Jughead told him. "Well, in that case, you can hold downthe fort here, Jug." FP told him. "Or we can come with you guys." Ava said. "Nice try. The answer's no." FP told them knowing Jughead was planning it too. "We do need another set of hands." Tallboy said to FP. "There you go. Let me pull my weight. Dad. I don't know whatthe Snake Charmer has you doing-" Jughead said before being interrupted by FP. "Sweet Pea, you're with us." FP told him. Ava watched them leave then she went to Toni to help. She would end Penny even if it has to end her too. 

Ava and Jughead was sitting down with each other when FP walked inside. "Did you open them?" FP asked. "No, Dad. Either of us did. Out of respect for you. But your parole officer, Mr. Walsh,he sure was curious." Jughead said. "Walsh was here?" FP asked taking off his jacket. "Yeah. Don't worry. We got rid of him. But he already has heard that the Serpents are moving into narcos territory." Ava said. FP opened them to reveal gift boxes. "Ta-Da." FP said. They looked inside the one he opened. "Gift boxes? With drugs in them?" Jughead asked. Ava rolled her eyes and held his hand. "No, with gifts in them, for you, Ava, your mom, and Jellybean. Christmas Day, I thought we'd take a rideto Toledo and deliver them in person." FP said. Jughead shook his head, "Dad, this isn't gonna work. Today, it's gifts, tomorrow, it's drugs,or weapons, or God knows what." Jughead said. "How long is this gonna go on-?" Ava asked. "As long as Penny wants" FP told her walking into the kitchen. "If her favors keep getting bigger,which you know that they will, what happens when she asksfor more Serpents on this?" Ava asked. "Then I'll bring more Serpents!" FP yelled to her. "You know what? You're right, this isn'tgonna work, you and I living together. So maybe you can go back to Fred'sor to Betty's." FP told them. 

"I'll find a way to take Serpents out of Penny's doing..." She said walking out of the door. Ava decided to walk out the door and take a ride away from the fighting. Jughead and FP watched her leave the trailer alone... Jughead knew it was risky for her to go alone but she needed space.