UNBREAKABLE

The three Coopers are sitting down at Pops, waiting patiently for the Blossoms to arrive. They have finally find a way to make everyone happy, well not their parents but that's a matter for another night. Veronica and Archie are here as well, supportive of their friends.

"I'm nervous." Ellie confesses. "Why am I nervous?"

"Maybe because we're about to meet with the devil?" Veronica ironizes. "Just a guess."

"Probably."

"They should be here soon," Betty warns. "once we've talked things through with them, we'll call Mom and Dad." Her eyes now go over to Polly. "Are you nervous?"

"I'm thankful." Polly says with a smile. "At the home, the Sisters said each of us had a guardian angel. How lucky am I to have not one but two. You're mine, girls."

The bell from the door calls their attention, they all turn around. Cheryl walks in, and approaches the small group. Polly stands up right away, and the red-haired girl quickly goes for a touch on the blonde's belly, but hesitates at the last minute.

"I'm so sorry about Jason, I know how much you loved him." Polly reaches for her hand. "And he always talked about how much he loved you."

"Cheryl, where are your Mom and Dad?" Betty asks, confused.

"You have to leave. Now." Cheryl's features quicky change, and she warns them. "My parents, I don't think they want to help you."

Ellie stands up, worried. "What do you mean?" 

"They want you out of the picture, Polly. It's not safe for you with them. It's not safe for JJ's baby."

Polly turns around to face her friends. "Where am I supposed to go? I can't go back to the attic."

"No. You don't have to, Polly." Veronica intervenes, and she faces the two blondes. "And don't worry about my Mom, girls, she'll want to help."

Hermione does help the Coopers, taking Polly in when she needs the most. It feels nice to know that someone besides the small circle actually wants to help because is no fun to be fighting the world all alone, specially if you are losing.

Sheriff Keller loses no time, and next thing he's already questioning Polly in the Lodge's' living room. It's weird for Ellie to hear her sister saying the words drugs and Jason on the same sentence, she's well aware Jason wasn't the perfect boy next door, but it still feels strange. However, guess we do all kinds of things for the people we love.

"Okay, Sheriff, I think that's enough for tonight." Hermione stands up, and gestures towards the front door. "Polly needs to rest."

"I'll be in touch, ladies."

"I'll show you out." Mrs. Lodge guides Sheriff Keller to the front door, leaving the three sisters and Veronica back in the living room. 

Ellie's eyes go to her bracelet, the one Jason gave her an hour before crossing Sweet Water River, and she knows what's the right thing to do. "Here." Ellie unleashed the bracelet and faces Polly, heading it over to her. "Jason gave me this, now it's yours."

"No, I can't take it. He gave it to you and -."

"It's yours and your baby's. I don't want the things that burnt in that car to be his last things left behind." She sighs, and tells her. "Jason would want you to have it, Polly."

"I... Thank you, Ellie." Polly's crying when her sister finishes locking the bracelet on her wrist.

Ellie places her hand on the bump showing, and she promises. "You'll get through this." 

Betty places her hand on top of Ellie's. "Together."

. . .

School is the worst place to be, Ellie wants to be with Polly and get back all their stolen time by their parents. But, honestly, that isn't the only reason why she doesn't want to be there. Things aren't great to anyone, well of course except for Archie.

"Cutie."

Eleanor jumps slightly with the voice whispering in her ear, and she turns around only to face no other than Reggie. "God, you almost gave me a heart attack." She punches his arm lightly then, and scoffs. "You idiot!"

"What if I have a way to make it up to you?" He winks, and tries. "A date?"

"No." Ellie rolls her eyes, and closes her locker.

"I asked you out last year, you said no." Reggie leans foward, so he can take a look of her face as he continues. "I waited."

"Sorry. The answer is still no." 

Ellie turns her back, and gives her first step to walk away, but the words that leave his mouth make her stop immediately. "If you're rejecting everyone expecting Archie will come to you, one day you'll realize you are all alone." She turns around to face him, and he continues then. "Because you've spent the best years of your life waiting for a boy to notice you."

"You know nothing about me." Ellie replies, her voice sligthyl colder than she intended. "If you think that will get me to go out with you, you are wrong."

"I'm being your friend here, E." Reggie steps closer to her. "Come on, if Archie wanted something to do with you he wouldn't be dating Valerie from the Pussy Cats."

"They are not dating," She corrects, but finishes with a shrug. "not that I care."

"Uhn, they are. I overheard Valerie telling Josie." He explains. "It's true, it's official."

Ellie isn't really sure what hurts her the most, if it's the fact that Archie didn't tell her they were actually dating or the fact that they are, if it's the fact that he chose Valerie over fighting for her or the fact that he's lying. Ellie's always choosing Archie, and he's always choosing himself or someone else, sometime that's gotta stop. "Fine."

"What?" Reggie frowns. "I'm really confused, fine what?"

"I will go on a date with you." Ellie smiles, and gestures towards the phone that he's holding on his hands. "Text me so we can get the details."

"Wait," He grabs her arm, stopping her from walking away. "If you think I'm the kind of guy that will refuse to be a distraction for another guy, let me tell you, I'm not, cutie."

"Good, I never thought you were."

When Ellie leaves Reggie behind, she actually feels happy to be going on a date with him. Maybe if she said yes last year, things would be different, and how does she wish they were. 

Archie's hers but not really and that's probably how they would always be, she has him and he has her but there is really no us. Yes, she wants to give him one more chance, but his lack of effort forces Ellie to make a choice, and she either chooses him or her happiness, and Ellie's done choosing Archie, it's time she chooses herself.

. . .

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

"Besides, of course, the child-snatching Blossom monsters." Kevin remarks. "No offense, Cheryl."

"None taken."

"So your parents want Polly but not the baby," Jughead repeats the new information with a frown. "and the Blossoms want the baby but not Polly."

"This is turning into a nightmare." Ellie sighs tired, and her head drops back. "No, literally. Tonight I dreamt they were fighting and then each started pulling Polly for their sides and -."

"We got the picture, E." Veronica stops her, before they all have the same dream.

Betty breathes. "It's impossible." 

"Betty," Veronica calls her attention, and corrects her. "impossible situation is being invited to both the Vanity Flair Oscar party and Elton John's Oscar party on the same night." Kevin grabs her shoulder in excitment and surprise. "Which happened to me one year, I know. This is merely an annoying situation."

"Annoying is an understatment." Ellie sinks down further on the couch. "It's worst than that."

"Well luckily I've been percolating on an idea, hellishly simple in it's conception." Veronica proposes, with a smile. "What if my Mom and I were to host a baby shower?"

Cheryl's the first to speak up. "Count me in!"

"You want Polly to feel loved and supported, right?"

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

"Okay, so, baby steps, girl." The dar-haired girl explains. "Get Polly and your parents in the same room in a public setting where they can't fight and voila, let the healing begin."

"Am I expected to come to this thing?" Jughead asks, hoping he can just ditch.

"Of course!" Veronica exclaims. "You're Betty's boyfriend so..."

In a matter of seconds a lot of things happen in that room. Betty and Jughead, the lover ones, smile at each other, Kevin's excited but surprised at the word, Archie seems to be unable to keep his eyes off Ellie even though Valerie's the one standing by his side.

Ellie didn't say anything to Archie about the whole girlfriend thing, or to Jughead. Some things are best left under the carpet. What would she say anyway? She has no right to be jealous, or whatever she is, no right to protest. Ellie was the one who pushed Archie away, not letting him kiss her even thought that's what she wanted. 

"Oh my god, you guys, relax. It's just a word that starts with the letter B." Veronica then faces the blonde girls. "E and B of my heart, what do you say?"

Both look at each other, a smile on their faces. The only thing they want is for Polly to be happy, and deep down they know the baby shower can do that.

"Elizabeth and Eleanor Cooper." A voice sounds, and everyone turns to face Alie Cooper.

"Mom?" Betty frowns.

"I need you two." Alice points at her daughters, and then at Veronica. "And you. Now."

. . .

"Sheriff Keller told us everything. How you're hiding Polly at the Pembrooke."

"Better than in an insane asylum." Betty replies.

"Actually, Mrs. Cooper, that's on me." Veronica speaks up, and explains. "I was the one who suggested that Polly stay with us."

"She's helping us, helping Polly. Which is more than you or Dad were willing to do." Ellie reminds her. "All you seem to want is for her to give the baby away and that's not what she wants."

"It's what's best for Polly and the baby." 

Ellie scoffs. "The only option, wasn't that what you were calling it?"

"Mom, that's not your choice to make." Betty warns. "Your choice is weather or not you want to be a part of Polly's life. Veronica and her Mom have offered to host a baby shower."

"Well that's hardly appropriate!" Alice exlaims.

"Ellie and I think it's an amazing idea." Betty steps foward, and advises her. "You want to be a loving and supportive like a normal grandmother? Then great. Otherwise, stay away."

Ellie approaches her mother as well, pleading. "Don't mess up this time."

Alice's eyes go, like most times, to the blonde's wrist. Ellie sees her Mom's expression changing, and it looks a lot like happiness behind her eyes but her disgusted face tells her otherwise. "Finally got rid of that? Did you finally see Jason's true colors?"

"Being a good grandmother is more than smiling and playing your part, it's about not talking crap about your grandchild's father" Ellie mutters. "You owe Polly that much, Mom."

. . .

"Have you heard from Mom? Is she coming?"

"She's... invited." Veronica tells her.

Polly looks down, and it hurts Ellie to see her sister that way. Polly's the one who would take care of her and Betty when they were they were little, she would entertain them with the dolls and stories. She's the perfect big sister, and she still is but now it's time for Betty and Ellie to step up, take the lead and protect her.

"Hey, it doesn't matter." Betty stands up from the couch, and tells her. "If Mom doesn't want to come, that's on her. It's her loss."

Like most days lately, when everything seems to be going just about right, when the small light in the end of the tunnel finally comes into view, here comes that little thing that ends it all and we are forced to start over, to find hope somewhere else.

"Betty, I've decided... I want you to be the baby's godmother." Even though it isn't news to Ellie, it still hurts. She's used to not being anyone's first choice, neither their favorite. Because even though people tell her she's important to them - which she knows she is to Polly - Ellie also knows there's always someone they choose over her, and that breaks her heart. It hurts with Archie, and it's hurting with her sister. "Ellie, I'm sorry. I promise I -." 

"No. That's amazing. It's fine." Ellie smiles, and isn't she good at faking. "Betty deserves it."

I mean, she's not lying, Betty does deserve it, and she stands by that. 

Polly continues chatting with Betty about her being a godmother, because they believe Ellie. And why wouldn't they. But only if they could just give Ellie one more look, one more, like Veronica does, they would seen a girl that's sick and tired of hearing people apologizing, the dark-haired girl sees that Ellie just wants to, for once, be someone's first choice. 

. . .

"Poor Moose. Is he okay?"

"His name is Moose." Jughead tries to light up the mood. "He's fine." 

Everyone turns their attention to Archie who walks in, he takes the sit next to Ellie, and speaks up with an accusative tone. "Dude, what the hell? I've been texting you."

"Jughead was telling us about what happened." Ellie tells him.

"Moose and I are going to the Southside to find those Serpents. You in?" Archie asks the dark-haired boy. "Uhn?"

Ellie's eyes go to Jughead immediately, because she knows about his Dad being a Serpent, and she doesn't blame him for anything, why would she. She knows people do what they have to do to survive, but of course if the Serpents' were the ones beating Moose up that's messed up.

Betty's confused. "Whoa! Hey, you didn't say the Serpents beat Moose up."

"Cause we don't know that for a fact." Jughead shrugs.

"Well it's still worth a shot if it might help my Dad." Archie tells him, and explains the plan. "Kevin's boyfriend can get us in."

"Get in where?" Veronica frowns.

"To some bar where the Serpents hang out." He replies. "If Moose spots them, we call Sheriff Keller and get these goons arrested."

"Arch, sorry to break the news, but the Serpents are not people you should mess up with." Ellie warns, but not without lecturing him. "Besides if they are innocent, which actually is a real possibility, it will only cause your Dad more trouble."

Betty nods. "My sister is right, they're drug dealers." 

"What?" Jughead faces her, confused at why she would think that and how that's what she understood from what Ellie said. "Says who?"

"Polly." She reminds them. "Remember? Trev told us that Jason was dealing drugs? It was for the Serpents."

"You heard my Dad, Jughead." Archie recalls. "Clifford Blossom is trying to torpedo him. Sheriff Keller basically blew him off, right in front of us. Somebody needs to do something."

"Who says it has to be you?" Ellie faces him, because she knows this has everything to end up with someone else getting hurt. "I know it's your Dad we're talking about but think this through."

"I already did. All night." Archie stands up from the booth, and Jughead still tries to call him to reason, along with Ellie, but the red-haired cuts them off with an ultimatum. "Jughead, are you coming with me or not?" Ellie never imagined she would find herself in this position again, last time they fought was in the summer and she hated that.  "Are you then, El?" 

"I - I would but I have a date. I can't -."

"You're bailing on me for a date?!" Archie raises his voice, causing everyone to pay full attention to him. "Great best friends I have here, uhn. I'm always there for you guys but when it's the other way around -."

"That's not true and you know it." She stops him, refusing to stand there while he unleashed all of lies about her, about them. "I crossed oceans for you even though you didn't even cross a river for me so don't come with that one."

"At least I never bailed on you for a date, Ellie!"

"Worse, you bailed on us for Ms. Grundy or you think she leaves and suddenly it's like nothing ever happened?" Eleanor stands up, her voice rising as well. "If you forgot, I sure did not."

"Wait," Betty interruptes them, and it's not to stand up for her sister like she thought it was. "your date is tonight?"

"Betty -."

"No! It's Polly's baby shower." She exclaims, without even trying to hear the other side of the story. She just wants to pick up a fight. "What were you thinking?"

"I'll still make it on time, I promise. I made sure it -." Ellie tries.

"This is about me being the godmother, isn't it?" Betty accuses her, and she's not nice about it. "You are punishing Polly for choosing me."

"Guys, you are being ridiculous right now." Veronica tries to calm them down. "We can fix this."

"That's not true! I would never!" Ellie gasps, tears showing in her green eyes. "I just thought that I could do this one thing for me, go on a normal date with a normal guy. I'm still going to the baby shower, I'm not bailing."

"Just not having my back." Archie scoffs. "No, it's fine, Ellie. Don't let me stop you from moving on with a normal guy."

"Stop! Why are you so jealous?!" She shouts, and it's the first time she raises her voice, but everyone is jumped on her and she can only take until a certain point. "You were the one going for Valerie the first chance you got, I didn't say anything. Because this summer -."

"I wish it never happened." Archie's words hit her hard, and she has to bit the inside of her cheek not to let all the tears come rushing down her face. It hurts him to say those words too, but he's blinded with anger and jealously, and it comes out the wrong away. "Thanks for having my back, you guys." And he turns his back on them, walking away.

Eleanor looks away from the exit, after the red-haired walks out. Her green eyes, still filled with tears, go back to her sister. Betty's serious and mad, and she knows it's far from over. "If this proves anything, it's why Polly chose me over you. Because you are going for what makes you feel good. You could have at least some respect for our sister. Then you wonder why you are no ones first choice."

Ellie knows, deep down her soul, that Betty is just nervous with the all Polly thing, and their Mom not wanting to go to the baby shower as she knows that Archie's just angry with what happened to Moose and his Dad's company. But it hurts, hurts even more to hear Betty call her selfish, when she's still standing here, hearing two of the people she loves most in the world breaking her heart like this. 

"Stop, Betty." Jughead finally finds his voice, and he can't keep his mouth shut. Not when Ellie needs him, he'll never turn his back on her like that. "Why is everyone taking it on Ellie? She doesn't deserve that,"

Probably because she's strong. Everyone thinks so highly of Eleanor Cooper - the perfect golden girl - that they think she can handle it all, but the truth is everyone has a breaking point and Ellie's afraid she's reaching hers. 

"I have to go." Ellie still has the courage to announce, before walking away from the booth.

Betty's uncapble of going after her sister, she feels ashamed of her words now and knows it's too late for forgiveness or, maybe, just too early. Betty sits back down, thinking how she would feel if those words came out of Ellie's mouth, and she realizes nothing hurts more than being hurt by someone who is supposed to love you more than anything.

"What the