Callie was in her room doing her biology homework, she was trying to block the noise from the video games down the hall in Archie's room. She was happy that Jughead agreed to stay with them. The door opened she looked up to see her dad, Vegas trotted into the room and jumped on to her bed.

"Your room smells a lot better than those two delinquents," her dad joked.

"I would hope so," Callie laughed. 

" They referred to me as their third roommate," her dad laughed. Callie smiled more. " You should get some sleep, it is late."

"I will after a couple of more problems," Callie said. " Good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks, sweetheart, " her dad said before leaving the room and closing the door. 

*********

The next day, Callie sat in the student lounge with the group, including Cheryl.

" Polly's convinced herself that no one wants her baby," Betty stated.

" Besides, of course, the child-snatching Blossom monsters," Kevin pointed out.

"No offense Cheryl, " Callie said.

" None taken," Cheryl replied. 

" So your mom and dad want Polly but not the baby," Jughead started off, referring to Betty. " And the Blossoms want the baby and not Polly. That's a true Gordian knot."

" It's an impossible situation," Betty admitted. 

" Betty, come on," Veronica started. " An impossible situation is being invited to both Vanity Fair Oscar party and Elton John's Oscar party on the same night." Kevin put a hand on Veronica's shoulder, she looked at him. " Which happened to me one year, I know." She then looked back at Betty. " This is merely an annoying situation. But luckily, I've been percolating on an idea, hellishly simple in its conception. What if my mom and I were to host a baby shower?"

"Count me in," Cheryl and Callie said at the same time before smiling at each other. " You want Polly to feel loved and supported, right?"

"Yeah, but ideally by her own parents," Betty responded.

"Baby steps," Callie said. " Get Polly and your parents in the same room in a public setting where they can't fight and, voila, let the healing begin."  Veronica turned and looked at Callie.

"You read my mind," Veronica pointed out.

" She does that a lot," Cheryl and Archie stated together.

"Am I supposed to come to this thing?" Jughead asked.

"Of course!" Veronica responded. " You're Betty's boyfriend..so..." Betty and Jughead both looked at each other.

"Oh, my God, you guys, relax," Callie laughed. " It's just a word that starts with the letter B." Betty blushed while looking at Jughead.

"Betty, what do you say?" Veronica asked. At that moment Mrs. Cooper marched into the room.

" Elizabeth Cooper," Mrs. Cooper stated.

"Mom?" Betty asked, looking confused. 

" I need you and you," Mrs. Coope demanded, pointing at her daughter and Veronica. " Right now."

*****

Callie was now at home, she sat on the last step of the stairs, listening to her dad as he talked on the phone.

"Don, I just need a few guys from your crew," her dad pleaded. " A couple to get started." At the moment Archie came in, he made eye contact with Callie. " I did check." Callie got up and followed her brother to the kitchen. Their dad looked at the two of them. "  I'll get back to you, Don." He hung up the phone and scribbled on his notepad. 

" What was that?" Callie asked.

"It's all good," Fred assured his children. " How was your date with Val?"

"It was good," Archie replied. " I got you some slices." Their dad went to the fridge and pulled out a beer.

"Did something happen at work?" Callie asked.

"Cliff Blossom made my crew an offer they couldn't refuse so they walked," their dad explained. " Everyone last one of 'em."

" Screw em, then, " Archie spoke. " Anyone who'd rather work for Clifford Blossom than you is crazy, Dad." He did not respond.

"Dad?" Callie asked. " What is it?"

"You always make us talk to you about our problems," Archie stated. 

"The business," their dad started. " It's in trouble, Archie, and Callie." The siblings both looked at each other. " Has been for a long time. Big jobs are just few and far between. That's why this SoDale thing is so important to me. I can't break ground without a crew, so every day I'm just hemorrhaging cash. We've got equipment, sitting there, supplies, bills that are past due."

"Why didn't you tell us? " Callie asked.

" We had no idea," Archie added. 

"It was never supposed to get this bad," their dad admitted. " You work your ass off to build something, and in one false step you could lose everything."

"No, dad, you're not losing anything," Archie assured him.

"We'll figure this out," Callie assured him. Soon their dad left leaving the kids alone.

"What are we going to do?" Archie asked.

"The Bulldogs," Callie breathed.

"This is no time for football," Archie said.

"But it is time for the players, Archie," Callie stated. " They can help with the construction."

" That's brilliant Callie!" Archie exclaimed, he kissed her forehead. " Thank God, I am related to the smartest kid in our grade." The two went and gathered as many people as possible, including Jughead and Kevin. They soon pulled up to their dad's work trailer, they see Hermione Lodge and their dad come outside.

"What is this?" their dad asked as they unloaded the supplies.

"Your new crew reporting for duty," Archie answered, Reggie even showed up to help.

" I appreciate it, I do, but isn't there something more important you need to be doing? Like going to school, playing football?" their dad asked.

"They can work after practice and on the weekends," Callie answered. " Until you find a new crew help keep things on schedule."

" Come on, Dad," Archie pleaded. " I worked for you the whole summer " And these guys..."

"We're bruiser studs, Mr. Andrews," Moose spoke up. " At least some of us."

"Come on," Mrs. Lodge whispered to Fred. " Desperate times,  Fred, huh?"

"All right. Here we go," their dad finally agreed. Later that night, Callie gets a call from Reggie.

"How's it going?" Callie asked as she flipped through her magazine.

"Everything is going well," Reggie answered, his voice sounded out.

"What happened?" Callie immediately asked.

" We hung up our stuff, and Moose forgot his phone, next thing we know, we heard these banging sounds. We came outside to see these two guys hitting Moose with crowbars," Reggie explained."

"Is he okay? " Callie asked getting up. " I will be right there."

"No!" she heard her dad shout on the other lone, she heard murmuring and then being passed. " Callie, I need you to stay home. There is a killer on the loose, I don't want you coming out here by yourself." With that, he hung up the phone. "  

****

The next day Callie sat in the Lodge's home once more, this time preparing for a baby shower.

"Have you heard from Mom?" Polly asked Betty. "Is she coming?"

"She's invited," Veronica answered. Polly looked down at her belly.

"Hey, it doesn't matter," Betty assured her. " If mom doesn't want to come, that's on her. It's her loss."

" Betty, I've decided...I want you to be the baby's godmother," Polly admitted.

"Really? Me?" Betty asked surprised.

" Oh, my God!" Callie and Veronica swooned. 

"If anything would ever happen to me, the only person I'd trust to take care of my baby is you," Polly explained.

" Oh, my God, Pol!" Betty exclaimed, giving her sister a hug. Later that night Callie was still at the Lodge's ready for the shower. The Pussycats just walked in and greeted everyone. Callie talked to Valerie when they watched Mrs. Cooper enter the room. Moments afterward the door swings open, revealing Cheryl with a stroller.

"We're here!" Cheryl sang happily. Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched the lady Blossom's come into the house. " No big deal, it's only the best stroller money can buy."

"So expensive," Polly stated. " All I ask in return is that you make me your baby's godmother." Betty cleared her throat. " Kidding." Both the girls lightly laugh. " So not kidding." Later on, the teenage girls and Mrs. Blossom were surrounding, Nana Rose and Polly.

"This necklace reads the baby's aura," Nana Rose informed Polly. " Protects the sex."

" Nana has dementia and gypsy blood," Cheryl informed the other girls.

"Oh!" Nana Rose exclaimed.

"What?" Polly asked. " Is my baby okay?" Nana Rose shook her head.

" Babies," Nana Rose corrected Polly. "It's twins!" Polly's eyes grew wide. " One of each!" They soon went through the presents and cooed at everything.

" And now mom," Betty said handing Polly the purple gift bag. Polly opened it and pulled outa little night light.

"It's my nightlight. When I was a little kid," Polly said. " How did you...Where did you even..."

" I saved it. I know how much you loved it and how it made you feel safe," Mrs. Cooper explained. " And I wanted you to be able to pass it down to your baby one day."

" Alice, it's lovely," Mrs. Lodge commented. Polly grabbed on to her mother's hand lovingly. 

"Open ours next, dear," Mrs. Blossom suggested, suddenly the door opened, revealing Archie. He immediately passed by everyone and went to Jughead, they started whispering to each other. Veronica and Betty joined in on the conversation. After a couple minutes, he left, and the girls returned to their seats. 

"This is a family heirloom," Penelope explained as she handed Polly the next gift. " great-grandfather Blossom used to play with it. Isn't it magnificent?" It was an old rocking horse.

" Oh, Polly, come stay with us at Thornhill," Cheryl pleaded.

"Cheryl's invitation is genuine," Mrs. Blossom added." Thornhill's gates will always be opened to you. The child would want for nothing. You would want for nothing"

" Do you think that you can just waltz in here, with a bedbug0infested Trojan Horse, wave a blank check around and steal my daughter? "Mrs. Cooper asked.

" I didn't think you wanted her," Penelope replied. " Else why would she have been exiled like some pariah?

"To keep her away from your family," Mrs. Cooper confirmed as she stood up. 

" Oh," Mrs Blossom began as she stood up as well. " And not because you're ashamed? Why is your own daughter not living with you?"

" She's not going to set foot in that twisted, poisonous house of yours," Mrs. Cooper argued.

" She should be so lucky, "Cheryl stated.

"Cheryl, that's not helping," Betty said getting up.

"She'd do a lot better there than with you," Mrs. Blossom argued.

"How dare you? "Mrs. Cooper growled getting in her face.

"Enough! Both of you!" Polly snapped.

" If you believe one lie..." Mrs. Cooper started. 

"This why Jason is dead!" Polly stated. " Because of this hate. This pointless stupid fighting."

"Honey..." Mrs. Cooper began, reaching out to her daughter.

No, don't touch me," Polly cried as she pulled away. " We were supposed to be together. And you didn't let us have that, neither of you. And you know it cost Jason his life."

"Polly," Mrs. Cooper said as Polly walked away.

******

When Callie got home, she sat on the steps and listened to the conversation, Archie and her dad had. After the conversation, Archie went up the stairs.

"Talk to him," Archie advised, she breathed before going over to her dad. 

"You heard everything, didn't you? " he asked when she sat down.

"Yes," Callie answered. " Dad you are not just a guy who lays bricks and pours cement. You built a wonderful family when mom left us...you were my rock." She took his hand. " You are one of the most reliable people I know, I do love you." Her dad smiled at her. " Maybe one day my kids with also want to build houses like you. And then mine and Archie's kids can run the business together, it will definitely put the name to a family business."

" That would be crazy," her dad admitted with a smile. He kissed her forehead. "Tell me how this baby shower for Polly Cooper went?"