ALL THE WAY

There's that precious moment when we are a little bit drunk, just enough, when we are able to say whatever we want to because our defenses are down. Wouldn't it all be so much easier if we could live like that all the time? Be happy just because.

The sheets are wrinkled around their sweating bodies, still damp from the previous night where they tried to fix each other with love. Sunlight peeks through the curtains and glistens in Ellie's eyelashes, slowly waking her. She feels fingers on her hips, and she slowly turns around, finding Archie on her right. His eyes flutter open. A smile in his face, and she can't help but give one back.

"Morning, lover boy."

Archie groans slightly, his morning voice rough and deep. A smirk is on his face and he looks around the room, glancing at part of their clothes spread on the floor, seeing the rest is much probably still on the living room, then back at her.

"Morning, funny girl."

Ellie's hands on his jawbone as she leans in and kisses his neck. His breathing gets slightly lighter and faster, his eyes closed. Slowly, she presses her forehead to his.

"Are you ok? After last night..."

"I remember a lot more than I thought I would." Archie confesses.

"I know, me too." She sighs.

He reaches for a lock of blonde hair, and asks the hard question. "Do you want to tell me... about Jason?"

"It's true." Eleanor looks away from his eyes for a moment. "But I was never in love with Jason, it didn't feel like love. It felt like an escape."

"Is this an escape too?" Archie dares to wonder. "Us?"

"No." She gives him a soft smile, caressing his face. "Not anymore."

That summer, yes, Eleanor used to run to his bed when she needed shelter, when she needed to escape that horrible reality that was the world around her. But things changed, she fell in love with her childhood best friend that summer. And now it's like, even if Ellie could have anyone else, she'd still choose him. Archie is at the top of every single list, she would choose him every time. Well, or so it seems.

Eleanor places a hand on his chest for support, pushing his back down on the matress. She sits on top of him, his hands grabbing harder on her hips. "But this is still our way of escaping the world." Ellie smirks down at him.

The blonde moves her body against his and Archie groans slightly in response, allowing her to capture his lips in a soft kiss, which he smiles into, moving one hand up to cup the back of her head.

"What happened to me repaying you, El?"

"Maybe this is the repayment I want, Archie." She bits down on her lip. "I do miss our slow, sweet, early-morning sex, because it's like our own escape from it all."

"Why do you always know how to use the words?" Archie smiles.

Ellie chuckles, and it brings her some memories. Like when she used to write stories with Jughead back in the day. Still Jughead was always the better writer at her eyes. "You must be confusing me with Jughead."

"Please," He puts her blonde hair behind her ear, so he can get a better view at her face. "let's not talk about our best friend while we are doing this."

"As you wish, Archie Andrews."

Eleanor can feel her heart beating fast. His hands touch her everywhere his words cannot. But damn when his hands do touch her skin it feels just right, until she's falling apart in his arms whispering sins over, and over again.

Eleanor's the first one to come downstairs, already showered and dressed, even if just in some of Archie's old clothes.

She picks up the bottles on her way down, the same ones she almost drops down on the floor, when her eyes meet the figure sitting down on the couch. "Jesus Christ, Jughead Jones! You scared the hell out of me!"

"Imagine me," The dark-haired boy lifts her shirt in the air, and there is what could be confused with smug all over his features. "when I got here."

Ellie places the bottles on end of the staircase before walking up to her best friend, taking her shirt back.

A smile opens on Jughead's face under her gaze, so she rolls her eyes at him. "Don't."

"I didn't say anything." Jughead shrugs. "But I must say you don't look so angry at yourself as you did yesterday, and your nose looks a lot better."

"Ah ah, and you don't look so miserable either." Ellie replies, a bit of sarcasm finding its way into her tone. "So I guess you and Betty worked it out?"

"We did." Jughead nods, but makes sure to address the elephant in the room. "On our own way, not this."

"This is not what it looks like."

"Really?" The dark-haired boy arches his brow, and it's his turn to be sarcastic. "So your shirt happened to be here and you just so happened to be wearing Archie's clothes."

"What about it?" She shrugs. "I did that all summer."

"Exactly." Jughead points out his exact argument, and she realizes that she just ended him his win on a silver plate. "Come on, I'm your best friend. Are you guys like... together now?"

"I... I don't know." Ellie grabs the bottles again, with a long sigh. "We're working on it."

She walks over to the kitchen and put all the drinks into a black bag, and continues to do so around the entire house. Archie finally comes down to help her out, and thankfully Jughead doesn't say anything to makr things weird, so that's something good.

Eleanor's finishing the courtyard as Archie and Jughead are on the kitchen, and that's the moment the dark-haired boy chooses to speak to the redhead. "So, you and Ellie huh..."

A smile opens on Archie's face and he looks down. "Yeah..."

"That's good." Jughead finds him smile as well. "I'm happy you guys finally worked it out, because Ellie was going beyond crazy, to be honest."

"Just don't... you know, tell anyone... We don't want to screw this up, not again."

"My lips are sealed, Archie."

Ellie comes back to the living room, but Jughead's already gone, probably to go meet up with Betty, and she finds herself sitting defeated next to Archie, and Vegas.

"Do you feel like your head is about to explode too?"

"Yeah." Archie let's his head fall down against hers, that's on his shoulder softly.

Ellie has to say it, she'll regret it forever if she doesn't. "I warned you guys... This was the worst idea."

"It could have been worse." He replies, trying to sound optimistic.

"Worse than playing Secrets and Sins with Cheryl Blossom and Chuck Clayton?" She leans slightly back away to look at his eyes. "I can't think of anything."

"Well," Archie looks down at her lips. "we could have slept alone."

"Yeah." Ellie bits down on her lip. "We could have."

The red-haired boy leans in and kisses her, his hands wrap around her small body, and Eleanor takes the chance to let her legs straddle Archie's hips. Slowly, the kiss turns urgent and he pulls away, swapping their positions. Ellie's back falls down on the couch, and Vegas' obligated to get out of the couch, as Archie gets on top of her.

"Archie?" Before Archie can move away from Ellie's body, Fred Andrew's is already walking into the room. The man seems confused at what he witnesses, and the teenagers are both too embarrassed. "Ah we're home."

Eleanor's eyes widen when Mary Andrews shows up on the doorstep, smiling at her son. Archie quickly stands up, and Ellie wuickly follows his movements.

"Mom." Archie's surprised.

Ellie looks over to the red-haired boy without knowing what to do, without knowing what he's thinking about the whole thing. But she knows he's just as shocked as she is.

"Hi, hunny." Mary smiles widely. Then she faces the blonde, the smile just as wide and welcoming. "Ellie."

"Hey," Ellie swallow down her embarrassment, and smiles. "Mrs. Andrews."

. . .

"It was terrible. Actually, whatever you're imagining, it was worst."

"Why was it that terrible?" Veronica wonders, not fully comprehending.

"Because Archie's Mom is back, because he drank-called his Dad." Ellie tells her, with a long sigh at the end. "It's a mess."

"I'm sure I'm messier." Veronica takes that as a chance to confess her own sins. "I testified on my Dad's behalf. And he sent me pearls."

"You're right, you're messier." She agrees, feeling sorry for her friend. "But at least your Mom is save."

"E," Veronica leans slightly forward, her voice lowering. "what if my Dad hired Jughead's Dad to deal with Jason Blossom? I mean, he did hired him to trash the drive-in."

"V," Ellie reaches for her friend's hand. "I think you're making a big deal, thinking too much into it. FP is a lot of things, sure, but not a killer."

"You don't know that. I need to know the truth." She shakes her head slowly. "Which is why I'm investigating Jason's murder with you guys. If it was my Dad, I want to know."

"Do you think you can handle it?" Ellie feels the need to ask out of concern. "Because what if it is your Dad, hiring someone that is not Jughead's Dad, is that what you want to remember him by?"

"I just increased the chances of him being released, Ellie." Veronica remindes her. "I need to know if that was the right choice. Doesn't matter how cruel the truth is, I owe it to myself."

"I'm with you. I promise." Eleanor nods, and squeezes her hand. "All the way, V."

It doesn't matter how many promises we make, how much we promise to be there for the people we love. Sometimes we can't up hold those promises and that's how people get very badly hurt – so promise less, it's the lesson. Because, sometimes, the people we so desesperately want to help start following down a path we cannot follow without loosing ourselves and those we love, which is something Ellie Cooper is about to discover.

Veronica receives a text, and narrows her eyes down at the screen. "It's Betty, she wants to see us at the Blue and Gold."

"Drama is coming, I can smell it." Ellie rolls her eyes.

Both make their way to the room, turns out it wass Alice who summon them. And when the word suspects leaves her mouth, Ellie knows she had been right about the drama.

"Now, about your father." Alice turns to Veronica then.

"He has an epic grudge against the Blossoms, so yes. It's totally within the realm of possibility that he hired someone from jail to kill Jason." Veronica faces Betty then as her last accusation fills the room. "Maybe Jughead's Dad."

"You really believe that?" Betty wonders.

"My Dad paid him to trash the drive-in." Veronica arguments. "Maybe he paid him to –."

"Commit murder." Alice fills in the blank.

"Ok, are we really comparing trashing with murder?" Ellie crosses her arms over her chest with a scoff. "Yes, FP may not be the father of the year but he'd never do something like that."

"Oh come on," Alice steps forward, and continues. "that gay greaser serpent suddenly got closer to your group. He's probably FP's accomplice."

"And what are you basing that off of?" Betty snaps. "That you saw FP and Joaquin talking?"

"It didn't look like they were talking. It looked like they were conspiring."

"You want to know what I think? I think –."

Alice interrupts her daughter, dismissing what she was about to say. "I know what you think, Eleanor."

"I'll say it anyway." Ellie shrugs, feeling the need to get it off her chest. "I think you're the one who is conspiring."

"You'll see that I am right," The woman gestures towards at her daughters. "as soon as you find out what they were conspiring about. Either through Jughead or FP directly, without raising suspicions, of course." She walks behind the desk, and grabs a paper. "Which is why I have prepared a seemingly innocuous list of questions."

"This is insane, Mom." Ellie shakes her head in desbelief.

"I already asked Jughead, point-blank, if he thought his father had anything to do with Jason's death," Betty reminds them. "and he said no. I believed him, and I still do."

"FP is not killer. It doesn't matter how much you want him to be one," Ellie shrugs, standing by them man. "he just isn't."

"You two are too close to this."

"I'm not going to insult Jughead or betray him by entertaining this, and I'm sure Ellie won't either." Betty faces her sister, receiving a nod. "So if you'll excuse us, I have a Homecoming Dance to plan and I need my sister's help. You coming, V?"

"Yeah." 

. . .

They are all hanging out outside, talking happily until Cheryl Blossom approaches them to tell everyone the big announcement.

Ellie's still angry at the redhead because of the stupid payback she had planned, but what will she win from holding on to anger? Nothing.

"One that tangentially involves you, dear Cooper sisters. I'm bringing Polly to the dance as my date, and we're compaigning as co-queens of Homecoming Court."

"Because why?" Betty asks, confused.

"Because, Nightmare Smurfette, by all rights, it should have been Polly and Jason on that stage being crowned." She then turns to the other Cooper. "Never Jason and Ellie cutie."

Eleanor rolls her eyes at her words, and feels Archie's gaze on her but she doesn't dare to look back.

"So... Don't forget to vote, and I'll see everyone at my coronation!"

The redhead gives the group one more smile before turning around and walking away, making Ellie finally release the air she had been holding in without really noticing.

"Betty," Archie calls her attention. "about the Homecoming Dance, can I play a couple songs? I kind told my Mom that..." Seeing her face he frowns. "Whoa, you don't want me to?"

"No, no it's not that, Archie. It's just that, umm..." She hesitates, not really sure how to explain this to him without hurting his feelings. "This dance needs to be fun. And your songs, as amazing as they are –."

"They make you wanna slit your wrists." Jughead confesses.

"Guys!" Ellie protests at their lack of support. "They're not that... sad."

"In a good way, of course." The dark-haired boy corrects.

"In an amazing way." Veronica agrees.

"Well," Eleanor thinks of something. "why don't you sing with Veronica? I'm sure you can find some fun songs to sing."

"That's a good idea." The dark-haired girl smiles at the idea. "We could do some upbeat covers, what do you say, Archiekins?"

"Ah yeah. That would be good, thanks, Ronnie."

Eleanor thinks it will be good not just for Archie, but also for Veronica, to be distracted from what her father may have done or not is the best right now. The blonde fears it is eating her friend inside out, and she can't see it happen before her eyes.

"Hey, can we talk?" Archie stops her when everyone stands up. "Alone?"

"Sure." Ellie eyes her friends, and let's her sister know. "I'll meet you there, Betty."

"Ok. Is everything ok?" Her sister frowns her eyebrows. "I can wait."

"No." Ellie glances at Jughead that has a knowing look on his face. "Archie just wants me to give him his notebook back, that's in my locker. I'll be quick."

"Fine." Betty smiles.

Archie and Eleanor follow the path to the school building and their friends go the opposite away. They didn't talk after the scene at his house and that left them uneasy.

So when they enter an empty classroom, she's the first spoke up. "How was it with your Mom?"

"She came because I called my Dad." Archie explains. "She'll stay for while, she thinks I'm not ok. That Riverdale isn't as safe as before."

"She's right about that." Ellie looks down.

He steps forward. "Do you want me to leave that much, El?"

"No, not at all." She wraps her arms around his neck. "I want you to be ok with your parents. And I deeply believe that something good will come eventually, Archie."

While looking down at Ellie, he can't help but think that's what he always wanted to hear. Archie needed someone to look him in the eye and tell him that things are going to be alright and that he'll find his way – yet here it is, his way, right in her green eyes.

"I'm done talking about my parents." Archie tells her. "I just wish I could lay down with you all day so we can feel like we don't have a care in the world."

"Oh, Arch." She gives him a sad smile. "I wish that too but we can't just turn back on our problems and be with one another."

"But wouldn't it be good if we could?" He wonders.

"Yes." Ellie leans in. "But for now we have this, which is pretty good too."

They kiss and only even if for one minute, they arr actually able to feel like they don't have a care in the whole universe, not even a single problem. The only thing that matters to each other is right in front of them, and it has been worth the wait and the struggle.

"Hey," Archie pulls away, remembering something. "Veronica came to me. She thinks her Dad went after Jason as payback and that he hired Jughead's Dad to do it."

"I know. But why would she go to you?"

"She wants me to help her search FP's trailer, El."

"God, she is on this with my Mom." Ellie shakes her head, slowly, and steps back. "Well you didn't say yes, right? Jughead is our friend."

"I know but what if FP isn't that innocent?" Archie wonders. "What if Jug is getting himself into trouble without knowing, isn't it our duty as friends to protect him?"

"No, we are supposed to not go behind his back!" She sighs, noticing how out of hands things can get. Jughead's ways a touchy subject to her, specially when it comes to protect him. "Arch, we lost out best friend this summer. If we betray him again, if you betray him again, I'm not sure we'll get another chance at this friendship."

"I know, you're right."

. . .

"Ellie!!" Betty calls her as soon as she enters the gym. "Polly called."

"What? Is she ok?"

"She says they are hiding things in their bedroom."

"That's scary." Ellie shakes her body slightly at the though, and with that hopefully the bad feeling that surfaced, then she finally faces her best friend. "Hey, Jug."

"Ellie, hi. So who are you taking as your date to the Homecoming?" Jughead arches his brow, the curiosity masking his tricky question.

She gaives him a steamy look. "No one."

"What, why don't you go with Reggie?" Betty shrugs. "I don't want you going alone."

"We kind of fought but... Anyway, I won't be going alone." Eleanor opens up a smile, and explains. "I have Veronica and... Archie. They can be my date."

"And you have us." Her sister smiles, even though it quickly fades away. "Which reminds me Jughead and his Dad are coming over for dinner, before the Homecoming."

"They are?" She faces the dark-haired boy and then Betty, that looks down, telling her everything she needs to know; so she swallow it down. "I'm not sure I wanna be there."

"Are you serious?