❝ SEASON TWO, EPISODE ONE ❞
🔫 A Kiss Before Dying 🔫

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Isabella walked out of the hospital room, she had stayed with Fred while Archie dealt with something. Jughead stood leaning back against the wall, he perked his head up and immediately crossed the hall to reach his girlfriend. "How is he doing?" Jughead asked her with worry in his eyes. "He's, uh, settled now. They aren't certain when he'll wake up so now it's a waiting game, I guess," Isabella answered him as she chewed on her bottom lip. "Hey, he'll be okay. We'll find the one responsible," Jughead assured her before pulling her into his arms, the two were silent as they processed what had happened.

"Where's the others?" Isabella asked as they moved to stand near the wall rather than being in the middle of the corridor. "Betty and Noah went to Pops to look for Fred's wallet that was missing from his things and Veronica is with Archie," Jughead answered her, he didn't feel she needed to know that he was currently at a line-up. "Okay," Isabella replied before looking up at Jughead, "He'll be okay, right? He'll push through?" Jughead tightened his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "He will. For Archie, for you and all of us. He'll pull through," Jughead assured her with certainty in his eyes.

"Belle!" Christian's voice echoed in the hall, he lightly jogged up to them and Isabella turned to hug her father. "Is he?" Christian asked. "He got through surgery," Jughead told Christian who let out a breath of relief. They could not handle another loss so soon, especially such a beloved person like Fred Andrews. Christian pulled back and looked down at his daughter, "I just spoke with your uncle. Daniel and Mila are gonna stick around for a while, they'll be staying with us." Isabella sighed with a slight eye roll, "Okay. I'm gonna stay with Jug, if that's okay with both of you." Christian and Jughead looked at each other. "I'm fine with that," Jughead spoke up, Christian nodding in agreement, he trusted them.

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The Bulldogs had shown up to the hospital in support of Archie and Isabella. Christian was in with Fred while the cousins were in the hall with the Bulldogs. Moose walked up to Isabella and wrapped his arms around her, "How are you doing?" Isabella sighed, "I'm doing better than I was an hour ago. Thanks for being here Moose." He smiled as he pulled away from her, "Of course, you're one of my good friends. So if you need me, you call, okay?" Isabella smiled up at him, "Thank you, Moose. I really appreciate it." He nodded before moving aside for Reggie to approach her, "I know we haven't got the best friendship, but I'm here if you need me."

Isabella smiled gratefully at him before accepting his embrace, Reggie cherishing the action he may never experience again. Jughead watched the two with his arms crossed as Noah approached him, "You have nothing to worry about, man." Jughead turned his head to Noah, "Isa told me that you're a full serpent now." Noah nodded, he lowered his gaze slightly as he had told Betty about it and she didn't seem as supportive as he hoped but he understood why. "Yeah, Betts doesn't seem to happy to hear about it." Jughead looked at him, "Just give her a chance to process it. From what I know from Isa, Betty really does like you." Noah smiled at those words.

Isabella walked over to them with a small smile on her face, "Hey Noah. How are you?" Noah smirked at that, "Shouldn't I ask you that question?" Isabella shrugged as she moved to lean into Jughead's chest, she rested her head back against his shoulder and he was quick to wrap his arms around her; glancing at Reggie who watched them before looking away, his expression of jealousy was no more but he was clearly still affected. "I'm alright. My troubles can wait a day," Noah told her, she laughed quietly at that. Christian walked out of the hospital room, he looked at his daughter and smiled before approaching Archie to check up on his nephew.

Isabella spotted Betty and lightly tapped Jughead's arm, "I'll be back." She made her way over to Betty after sharing a kiss with Jughead leaving him and Noah to talk and develop more of a friendship. "Hey Betty, I heard that you and Noah went searching for Uncle Fred's wallet, no luck?" Isabella asked the blonde. "Nothing, sorry," Betty replied as the two shared a hug. "Are you alright?" Isabella asked Betty who sighed. "It can wait," Betty assured her. "No, now is a good time, Betty. It's okay, life doesn't have a pause button," Isabella told her, holding her hands in her own. "Are you sure?" Betty asked, she didn't want to be insensitive.

"I am more than sure," Isabella replied, she was okay. "As you may know, Noah's a serpent and we're... dating now. But I don't know how I feel about him being a serpent," Betty told her, she frowned because she was clearly conflicted between what she was raised and influenced to know about the Serpents and then the new clarity she had about them thanks to Isabella, Jughead and Noah. "I can understand your worries, B. However, him being a Serpent doesn't change anything other than the fact that he has a family who'll always have his back. Trust me when I say that everything you've been taught about Serpents is fabricated, exaggerated or truth about an individual but not the family as a whole," Isabella expressed.

"And if you have any troubles or questions, ask Noah or me or Jughead... We'll work with you to understand not against you," Isabella added before they hugged. "Thank you, Belle," Betty replied as the two closed their eyes and cherished their hug. "Alright, you're stealing my girl," Jughead spoke up as he and Noah approached them. "She stole me a long time ago," Isabella teased before kissing Betty's cheek resulting in Jughead pulling her into his arms, Noah laughing quietly as he looked at Betty. Isabella raised a brow at Betty who nodded slightly before wrapping her arms around Noah, he immediately wrapped his own arms around her with a bright smile on his face. 

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Isabella stood watching all of her friends together collecting food from Pop's after Noah and Jughead headed there to talk to Pop Tate, she smiled as she noticed the friendship that formed between Jughead and Noah; she was glad Jughead had a friend who was a Serpent that could help him understand that side while she was able to understand the ties between the North and South of their daunting town. "Doing okay?" Hal Cooper asked as he approached Isabella, his hands in his pockets as he looks down at the sixteen year old. "I'm doing as good as I can," Isabella replied to him with a slight smile on her face, "How are things for you, Mr Cooper?"

"As well as they can be, Flynn Rider," Hal replied to her, she smiled at the nickname he had for Isabella. When Betty and Isabella were younger, they were obsessed with Rapunzel and Isabella had practically claimed Betty as her princess and labelled herself Flynn Rider, Hal was the one who encouraged the nicknames and helped with Isabella's actions of climbing into Betty's windows by leaving a ladder nearby and maintaining the safety of the roof for the young girl. "Haven't heard that nickname is quite some time," Isabella replied as she looked around before focusing back on Betty's father, "Things have been too tough lately."

Hal nodded his head before placing his hand on Isabella's shoulder, his green eyes looking into her green eyes, "Life is meant to be tough, Flynn Rider. But like one of your favourite characters always says, 'It's not about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you get hit and keep moving forward', right?" Isabella smiled at that and nodded her head, "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Mr Cooper." He smiled politely, squeezing her shoulder gently before he turned and walked away to approach his daughter and Noah instead. "What was that about?" Jughead asked as he approached his girlfriend. "Just Mr Cooper checking in on me," Isabella replied with a soft look.

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Isabella sat with Jughead next to her, Archie and Veronica sitting across from them while Betty sat near Veronica with Noah sitting next to her. "Your dad would be so proud of you, Arch," Betty spoke up in the silence, Isabella leaned her head on Jughead's shoulder as she ate her fries. "Yeah, you've really been just a... Rockstar God through all of this," Jughead added in agreement with Betty. "Archie, what is it?" Veronica asked as they all noticed the dazed and uncertain expression on Archie's face, his eyes locked with Isabella who sat up straight. "What's wrong?" Isabella asked knowing he needed to tell them something.

"Guys, there's something I haven't told you, because I'm so..." Archie trailed off with a shaky breath, Isabella leaned forward and grabbed her cousins hand in her own giving him the strength to continue, "I'm so ashamed." Isabella shook her head, "Tell us Archie." He looked into her eyes and saw nothing but honest concern. "After the guy fired, I should've rushed to my dad straight away... Or I should have tackled the guy, but I was─I was paralyzed. I didn't move, not even when the guy walked up to me," Archie explained as Isabella tightened her grip on his hand, her eyes watching him closely while letting him talk.

"And he held his gun to my head, and I just closed my eyes. I don't know how long... long enough for the guy to have taken my dad's wallet, I guess," Archie finished off before looking up at his cousin with teary eyes. "Archie..." Isabella breathed out but his next words hit her hard, "I kept asking myself what you would have done. If you were there, maybe it would've been different. If I was brave like my cousin, maybe he would have been caught or dad would be─" Isabella cut him off, "Archie Andrews. It wouldn't matter because in that moment, you are a kid with a gun being held to your head. And in your place, I don't know what I would have done but you did the right thing in the moment, Archie."

He searched Isabella's eyes for any lies while the others let her handle it knowing she could get through to him in a way no one else could. "Archie Andrews, listen to my words... it doesn't matter if you are the strongest man in the room, a gun overpowers and everything could've gotten worse had you tackled him. He had that gun to your head, Archie, you did what you could in the moment," Isabella added, "And I promise you that we will find this bastard and he will suffer for what he did. But if you carry this guilt with you, it'll tear you apart in a way you may never come back from." Isabella got up and walked around to hug her cousin.

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Isabella ran to the door and stopped, looking inside with teary eyes, she watched as the nurse checked on him before leaving. Fred's eyes locked with Isabella's while Archie smiled her way, he nodded his head and she walked into the room. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, Uncle Freddy or I'll kill you myself," Isabella threatened him, the two males laughing at her words. "I'll do my best," Fred replied before welcoming her gentle embrace. "I'm so glad you're okay," Isabella whispered to him before pulling back with a sniffle, "I shall inform everyone. So you two catch up and talk, it's been a rough few days."

Isabella kissed her uncle's cheek before sending Archie a wink, she made her way out of the room and into the waiting room where everyone of their friends were still hanging around in support of them. Jughead looked towards her bringing everyone's attention on the brunette who smiled with tears, "He's awake. And he's gonna be okay." They all cheered hearing that while Jughead walked up to his girlfriend, the two shared a kiss before she turned to the others. "I just want to say on behalf of Archie, Fred and my family that we are so grateful for each and every one of you for being here for us. We couldn't have done it without your support," Isabella told them.

"Especially you," Isabella said as she turned to her boyfriend, holding his face in her hands, "Thank you, for being here... for trying to find answers. For not leaving my side." Jughead leaned down and kissed her softly before pulling away, "I'll always be here for you, Isa. So you don't have to thank me." She smiled sweetly at him before being swept away by Veronica and Betty, Jughead smiled as she turned to glance at him before focusing on the girls. "You two seem pretty happy," Christian spoke as he stepped up next to Jughead. "She's my world," Jughead told him before sighing, "And she's turned me into a sap."

Christian laughed at his words, "Isabella has a way of doing that." The two laughed about that before Christian looked at Jughead, "You being here for Belle and Archie, it really means more to us then you know." Jughead tried to brush it off but Christian placed his hand on Jughead's shoulder, "No, I mean it, Jughead. And I know you do it because that's who you are but I wanna promise you this, I'm going to do everything I can to get your dad out of prison. Leave that with me and just look out for Belle, can you do that?" Jughead was silent as Christian's expression of serious determination flood his vision before he replied, "I'll always look out for Isa but... I gotta help my dad."

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Once Mrs Andrews got to town and Mr Andrews was back at home,
recovering in his own bed... Archie's true vigil began.

He made a promise, a vow, to protect his father from harm.
And as long as the man in the black hood was out there, in the night...

Archie intended to keep that promise.

Never imagining that the Angel of Death was stalking different streets tonight,
in the small town of Greendale, just on the other side of Sweetwater River.

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Rosemary Speaks. . .

First episode of Season two is done...
Onto the next episode.

It's gonna be interesting, that's for sure!

Thoughts, Suggestions or Questions?

See you in the next chapter!