He was alive.

He made it out alive.

How? I don't know.

But he was...different.

Once he was released from the hospital we walked got back to Riverdale. It took us hours.

He sighs, looking back at Vegas who was sleeping in the backseat of my car. "It's going to be weird, huh?" He asks me.

I click my tongue. "Well, it's going to be odd." I giggle. I look back at him. "Veronica is going to be happy to see you." I feel my heart sink slowly. He wasn't going to want to be 'with' me after this. I knew he wasn't. He was in love with Veronica. Who's apparently my sister. Archie sighs, looking down at his hands. The rest of the car ride is silent.

We get to his house and we walk inside, "Vegas?" Fred questions as the dog runs a lot faster than us into the kitchen. He looks up at us, seeing me and Archie side by side. "Archie," He says under his breath.

He rushes over as Archie drops his bag. "Hey, Dad." The boy says, hugging Fred. Archie hisses in pain, and I grip his shoulder.

"What? What's wrong son?" Fred asks in concern.

"It's a long story." Archie says. I hear a loud squeal and we look back into the kitchen, seeing a little Victoria in a high chair, covered in applesauce. Archie chuckles, wiping her hands off with a near by towel. He scoops her up in his arms, kissing her pink cheeks.

"Hey," Archie looks back at me. "I have to go. Do you want to keep T or should I bring her along?" I ask calmly.

Fred steps in. "I can watch her. I know you're very busy, Em." He tells me. I smile and nod. I kiss Archie on the cheek, giving Tori a kiss goodbye before heading out.

I head to Hiram Lodges house. "Emmy." He breathes, shocked to see me already. "What are you-"

"I want to know why." I snap. Hermione Lodge pokes her head out from another area of the house. "I want to know why you got rid of me."

"Emilia, this is not-"

"Why did you abandon me but keep Veronica?" My eyes begin to water. "I don't care if I'm some secret love child I deserved to be with my real family, not some incest pool." I cry out.

Hiram shakes his head. "You know I couldn't-"

"Don't bullshit me Hiram!" I scream back. "Don't tell me I'm not Lodge worthy or that you did it to protect your image. You are supposed to be there for your daughter and take care of her not give her away to the worst family in Riverdale!"

He looks at me, unsure what to do. I choke on a sob and he slowly wraps me in his arms.

Like a father would.

And then I realize; he has a LOT to explain to Hermione.

I sit next to Jughead, who's next to Betty, at Pops. Veronica and Archie on the other side. "Two chocolates, one vanilla, one strawberry, and a root beer float for Archie." Pop says as he sets down our drinks. "Welcome home, son." Pop says.

"Thanks, Pop." Archie replies.

I look at Jughead, who shares an odd look with me. "Since when do you drink root beer floats?" Betty teases, handing Pop her card.

"I guess I'm just. it in the mood for a strawberry milkshake." He says. I notice the distance between him and Ronnie. She's studying him.

Jughead sighs. "New drink, new hair, new haunted, vacant look in your eyes-"

"Guys." Veronica teases. "Archie just lives through the revenant. Let him order what he wants." She tells them. I shrink back in my seat, sipping on my strawberry milkshake.

"So, what'd I miss while I was gone?" Archie asks. I snort, shaking my head with a smile.

Veronica starts first, "Well, thanks to the town quarantine orchestrated by my father, Pops was shut down and just reopened." Betty and Jug look at me at the word 'my father'. "And he's also been attacking shipments to the speakeasy. But, thankfully, I've hired the Serpents as my full time protection," Jughead and I smirk, nodding. "And that service extends to you, Archie." She says to him.

I lean forward. "You don't have to worry about Hiram's goons coming after you or your dad." I say.

"You won't be able to see 'em, but I have guys watching you, 24/7." Jughead adds. "And I have a possible lead that could diffuse this threat permanently." Everyone shares odd looks as I smile, already have heard of this idea, because it was mine of course.

"What, Jug?" Betty asks.

He looks around before leaning into the table. "You can't tel anyone. Fangs is deep undercover in the Gargoyle Gang. He hasn't met the King yet, but he's still working on it and when we get access to him, we're gonna take him down."

"Just don't let Emmy go, okay?" Archie cuts in. The group is silent for a moment as I suck in a breath. He realizes his mistake and clears his throat. "Cause, uh, she has Victoria and all."

Jughead looks between Archie and I, remembering Toledo. "Sure, man." Jughead says. He shuffles next to me. "My bet is that it's Hiram underneath the mask." Everyone looks back at him. "Sorry, Veronica."

"Don't be." She says. "I wouldn't put it past him."

"Well, there goes studying for the SATs." Betty hums.

Archie looks at her with wide eyes. "What? SATs?"

I nod. "Yeah, they're this Saturday." I mumble.

"And you didn't bring me a text book or two on your visits?" He teases me.

Everyone looks at us confused. "Visits?"

But Betty saves the day. "Don't worry, Arch. Emmy and I will help you study and get you caught up, okay?" She tells him. Pop comes back, telling Betty her card was declined, and Veronica pays the bill.

"Iconoclast." Jughead says out loud. I look up from feeding Tori.

Archie sighs, sitting on his desk. "Okay, iconoclast," He pauses in thought. "That is..." Betty and Jughead share a look as I look down at my notebook, skimming my colored notes.

"A person who attacks another with their cherished beliefs." Jughead finally says.

The bulldog furrows his brows. "I'm in high school, how am I supposed to know that?" He retorts.

I flip through my notes mindlessly, "So you know when I'm iconoclast-ing you with my cherished belief that you should not be making out with Veronica when you're apparently in love with me." I say under my breath. Betty bites her lip, holding back a smile as Jughead runs his hand over his face.

"Why don't we start thinking about the SATs in terms of strategy?" Jughead offers, changing the subject. "When in doubt, why don't you just... fill in all the bubbles marked D?" He says in a questionable tone.

Shaking my head, "Just use your sophomore logic and then whichever answer sounds the smartest, pick it." I say in a sarcastic tone.

Archie disregards us both. "Betty, how did I do on the practice test?" He asks the blond. "I tanked it didn't I?"

Betty looks up at him, "Um..." She looks back at the paper, holding back her statement. Archie takes the paper, his dark brown eyes looking it over.

"I got a 600 on this part." Archie says, hopeful.

"That's your combined score, Arch." Betty says softly. "It's in the bottom tenth percentile."

There is an awkward silence, when Jugheads phone buzzes. He glimpses down. "All right, gotta go, guys. It's Fangs."

"Do you want me and Em to come with you?" Archie asks.

Jughead looks down at his best friend. "No. I'd stay and get a couple extra hours cramming in. If anyone's gonna get you up to speed it's gonna be these two." He says. "My dad will swing by and pick up Tori later, Sweet Pea's weekend with her at the Quarry." He tells us both. He says bye to Betty, kissing her forehead and wishes us good luck, leaving the Andrews house.

Archie scoffs, looking down at the page before tossing it aside. "What's the point? It's hopeless, right?" He says to us.

"That's what you said when you were in second grade and couldn't read, remember?" Betty teases.

"And B got you caught up." I point out, putting Victoria in her bouncer. I giggled at the corner of Archie's room, covered in baby stuff from his attic and some from Betty's house. Fred must have had put Toria in here for a while.

Archie peers out his window. "Maybe Weatherbee's right, maybe I'm...I've just missed too much, or I've changed too much." He rambles.

I walk over, taking his face and making him face me. "Hey," I whisper. "Don't say that." I say.

"In one respect, maybe you have. Both of you." Betty hums. We look at her in confusion. "Do you trust me?"

The dark haired boy and I make eye contact and I look back. "Sadly, I do."

Two hours later and lots of hair dye, "Okay guys, lets see it." Betty says.

Archie and I look into the mirror both of us our red headed selves again. I let out a smile, turning and hugging Betty. Archie exhales, almost forgetting what he used to look like. Betty and I look back at him. "There he is." I giggle.

"Just in time, too." She says. I look back at her, and a flood of realization kicks in. Earlier that morning, Betty, Veronica, and I were on a group call and V set up this whole study session party. A welcome home party.

Veronica begins to sing as I sit next to Reggie, letting out a loud sigh. "You're part of the 'broken by Varchie' gang too?" I ask him.

He sighs, "Yeah."

The Lodge girl sings in spanish as I gulp down a faux shot. "God, they need to stop getting in each others pants all the time and move on." I grumble. Suddenly, Archie rushes out of the speakeasy, and everyone goes silent. Reggie and I make tired eye contact. "That works too." I say, taking another shot.

__________________________

bro this episode might become three parts? probably not but who knows.

BUT EMMY IS A RED HEAD AGAIN SO YAYYYY

ship war between varchie - archemmy (idk their ship name yey) - veggie - or remmy (which isnt really a thing but they WERE a thing in season one which i will write about)