"Hey." Archie breathed as he spotted his sister in Valley Plaza in Riverdale. She nodded at him as they stood in front of a local Riverdale dress boutique.

"You wanna tell me what that was?" She watched as his eyebrows furrowed and looked around. She had noticed that he had been acting weird the past few days. Making cheap excuses to go to the garage late at night or leaving for school early by blaming practice while he left an hour before it was scheduled to begin, if it did at all. 

Following him out of school, he told Veronica that Emma needed his help with something and Jughead that he had to go to his dad's job. Both lies, causing Emma to spy on him.

"Tell you what?"

"The car. Behind the parking lot?" He remained quiet as she dipped her head to match his eyes in an aggressive manner. "Are you buying drugs, Arch?"

"What? No, no." He shook his head furiously as Emma nodded at him in the same manner. "So then what it is it? It's not the first time you've been caught."

He scoffed at her reference to the Jingle-Jangle incident. "That was low."

"So then tell me cause you've led me to believe nothing else." She countered. Looking around once more, he grabbed her walking towards their house. "Fine, I'll tell you but you cannot say anything."

"I'm not."

"No." He stopped causing her to look at him. He sighed, "I'm serious, Emma. People's lives are at stake."

She furrowed her brows as he began walking, seeming weird and paranoid. "It's an agent. An FBI agent," Her eyebrows shot up as her mouth dropped. "For what?!"

He shushed her, "He wants intel on Hiram Lodge, he's taking him down. He said if I help he would give dad immunity on all charges with his association."

"But he hasn't done anything."

"He's partnered with him. Anything Hiram does, he could go down for." She sighed as the two kept walking. "So what does he want?"

"To accept Mr. Lodge's offer to help out with a poker game between him and his friends. Get intel and then keep an ear out at Veronica's confirmation."

She shook her head, confused at how her brother got roped into all of it. "Are you doing it?"

"I have no choice, Em. I don't then dad goes down. I'm so close. I just have to do this." Emma stopped and grabbed her brother causing him to stop. The two were near their house, if the conversation was going to end, it would end here. "No, Archie, this guy asks you to what? Be an informant? This isn't okay, let alone safe."

"Emma, I have no choice. It's him or dad. I can't let him be hurt anymore than he already is... Come on Em, you would do the same thing."

She inhaled and continued walking. "Just... just keep me updated. Every time you meet, you don't have to give me context, I just wanna know that you're safe."

"I will."

She shook her head as they approached the door. "You are always in it knee deep. Constantly, giving dad and I heart attacks, I swear." With that she opened the door to see her dad smile from the kitchen.

"Hey guys."

"Hey dad." The chimed, closing the front door. They looked at one another and then at their dad. "I, uh, thought we would do Indian, since it's just you and I tonight, Peanut."

"Where are you going?" Emma asked Archie.

"Soup kitchen with Veronica for her confirmation. Glad to be doing it now too." Her dad chuckled knowing his son's disdain for Indian cuisine. He started heading upstairs as Emma walked towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, that's because you can't handle flavor!" She shouted making her dad laugh as she rolled her eyes and smiled. "So, grandpa, I'm think Tikka Marsala."

***

Emma sat next to Jughead and Archie at the church. The group smiled as they watched Veronica sing with Josie, who hadn't seemed all to into their cover. Emma chuckled as Veronica denounced Satan, just as her parents and family had in the past.

After learning of Hiram's crimes and what he was up to now, she found it ironic that he had once done the same. To her, he was the very man who personified Satan and still relinquished him.

The group stood around the lobby of the Pembrooke, that was notably bigger and filled with more grandeur than she anticipated. But this was a Lodge, nothing smaller would suffice. Following Jughead out, she found him upstairs, pacing nonetheless.

She smiled as she neared him as he did the same. "Still no dress?" He outwardly analyzed as Emma raised her hands, revealing her high waisted black pants and blouse.

Emma nodded, "Still no dress."

"Are you okay?" She said softly seeing that he was clearly bothered.

Jughead shrugged, "I'm still worried."

"And you have every right to be, but to let this eat you up... that isn't good either."

Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her in causing her to tense up. He smiled as she melted into the embrace and wrapped her arms around him.

Comfort, something in which he desperately wanted. That he needed. "Do you wanna leave?" She suggested as he shook his head and released her. "No, no. I think Veronica would have our heads."

"Not the first time a Lodge would ask for it." She muttered. He looked at her questioning as she brushed it off. No one had known about her brother's escapade with the FBI and Hiram, and to protect him, no one need to.

"Hey, it's not like Jughead Jones to neglects a free buffet." She stepped back as Betty climbed the stairwell, seeing them. "Oh, sorry. I'll, uh go."

She turned to leave as Emma inhaled and closed her eyes. "No, it's fine. I was just going."

'Make amends.' She could hear her father's voice ring in her head knowing shutting them both out helped no one. She walked towards the stairs where Betty was, "Talk to him. He listens to you." Betty reluctantly nodded at her.

Betty knew she was still in the dog house but talking was better than not. She watched as Emma walked down the stairs nearing the exit. While the blonde was riddled with guilt, she couldn't help but feel drawn towards Jughead. To her, he had been a great friend, but Emma was also a friend.

One she had hurt.

She didn't know what to make of it, other than she was a bad person, dealing and coping with her circumstances. She wanted to be there for Jughead, even if it wasn't in the way he wanted her to be. 

Jughead had told Betty about Penny's reintegration into the Serpents as a ploy to help the victims of the eviction. Her cost: His exile along with his tattoo. An eye for an eye.

Back at the party, Emma was talking to Mayor McCoy and Josie as they discussed mediocre things about Riverdale and the high school. "Well, Emma, the Sheriff told me you were doing a wonderful job. And I could see that from the way you handled the reporters the other day."

Emma smiled and looked down, "Thank you Mayor McCoy, I'm just happy to be there."

"Well, if you ever want to test the waters, you can always intern at my office. We could use bright minds, Keller was told me amazing things that you've been doing. Like starting an internship program there. Very promising, I might say."

"Thank you, it means a lot."

"If you'll excuse me..." The woman walked away as Emma's phone dinged. 

Looking at her phone, she smiled. 'Found the head. Meet me at the White Wrym?" Jughead and possible Betty had cracked the case. Grabbing her things and telling her brother she was headed out, she made her way towards Serpent territory.

***

Emma walked in to see Tall Boy in a chair surrounded by the Serpents. It didn't take a genius to see what was happening.

"Why'd you do it?" Jughead towered over Tall Boy as he sat. She moved behind Jughead, smiling that the head was found. "What's the Northsider and the pig doing here?" He gestured towards Betty and Emma.

She silently preferred being reduced to a "northsider" than a "pig". Eyes wandered towards her frame. Some were wondering who she was or trying to understand why the girl from the Sheriff's station was there.

"This is Serpent business, it's on Serpent land." He stated with anger in his voice.

"She's here because she one of us." Jughead said pointing to Betty. "And she has been a loyal ally to us. Sticking her neck out, trying to get everyone off our backs, but you haven't."

FP stepped forward, "You haven't answered my son's question: Why'd you do it?"

Emma spotted Sweet Pea's towering body and quickly walked towards him. He noticed the strawberry-blonde weaving through the crowd quickly. 

Pushing himself off the wall, he walked towards her and met her near the pool table.

"Ah, sight for sore eyes." She mocked his usual lines.

Sweet Pea found her attempt humorous. "To what do I owe the honor of the lady from TV speaking to me?" Sweet Pea smirked at her.

Rolling her eyes, the strawberry-blonde swatted his arm and stood beside him.

"What did I miss?" Emma leaned towards Sweet Pea.

He looked smugly at Tall Boy as he answered her, "He put the head in a junk yard. Identified him within minutes." She nodded as Tall Boy proclaimed how he was in bed with Hiram, hoping to dethrone Jughead and FP. 

Emma scoffed at his antics. A tactless coup, the ended in nothing but people loosing their homes and a bloodbath between Riverdale and the Serpents.

She watched as the Serpents voted to exile Tall Boy and Penny. She rose her hand causing Sweet Pea to smile. "Welcome to the Serpent's den, Little Red."

***

"Veronica are you trying to manage me right now?" Jughead questioned as the group sat in the student lounge.

"Define 'manage.'" She said. Emma and Archie looked at one another, knowing this feud wouldn't end well. Emma sat between Jughead and Archie as the two went back and forth as Betty sat silent on the opposite couch, clear out of it.

"People are gonna lose their homes."

"Jughead, why don't you come over with your dad and sit down with my dad, and hash this out like civilized humans, face-to-face?" She was clearing managing but Emma nodded. "You should." She whispered as he looked at her and sighed. He grabbed her hand and spoke vivaciously, "Fine. But Sunnyside Trailer Park, so he could see the people he is displacing."

"Fine."

She smiled as Kevin ran into the lounge. "Oh, my God. Have you guys heard? My dad's scanner is blowing up. They found another dead body." Emma looked at Jughead, "Could the Black Hood have risen from the dead?" He said with defeat.

"Did they say whose body it is?" Archie asked. Betty followed calmly, "Where did they find it?"

"The investigation's ongoing but apparently, it was gruesome gangland-style execution at the motel," Emma could see Betty as she clenched her fist, slowly releasing it. Betty didn't meet her eyes, having her focus trained solely on Kevin. "with blood and brains splattered all over the duvet-"

"Well I can't wait to go to work today." Emma stated as she crossed her arms. "I gotta go." Betty whispered as she sprinted. The group watched as the blonde raced out of the room.

"I'll check on her." Emma rose from her seat, seeing Betty ran towards the bathroom. She entered to hearing Betty puke. Cheryl walked past, seeing the blonde on the floor of the bathroom stall. "Oh, Betty, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Cheryl." She said loosely, clearly bothered.

Cheryl looked at her concerned, "Let me grab you a towel." She went to move towards the sink as Betty sternly spoke, "I said I'm fine!"

The two remained quiet as Cheryl locked eyes with Emma, who stood by the door. She looked back at Betty, "You have puke on your collar." She swiftly walked away, raising her eyebrows towards Emma as she left.

Emma bent down, seeing no one was in the bathroom except them. She stayed silent as she walked towards the sink and grabbed a towel. Running it under the sink, she squeezed it to release the extra water from the towel. Betty watched as Emma crouched down and began cleaning her collar. Betty sniffled as she looked at Emma.

Reaching in of her bag, the young girl grabbed a water bottle. "Drink this." Betty took the water and opened it. Emma sat down across from her as she rinsed her mouth and spat it into the toilet.

"I don't wanna talk about it." She said quietly as she closed the cap of the water.

"I'm not asking." Emma said softly, offering a small smile. "I'm just checking up on you."

Betty nodded as she inhaled sharply. The two knew that there was unresolved issues but in this moment the feeling was peaceful. "Why are you being so nice? After everything that happened..."

"Because you matter to him... and I've been friends with you for years."

"Not like Emma Andrews to not hold a grudge."

Emma laughed softly. "That was third grade. I'm sorry for putting glue in your hair." As she alluded to the Betty, Emma showdown in elementary school. Betty smiled softly, "Tell that to my mom. She was so mad."

"Trust me, my dad was too." They remained quiet. Betty knew that the incident with the dead guy on the floor and helping her mom protect Chic would haunt her. She had become paranoid, utterly bothered. She greeted the silence with open arms, knowing Emma was often quiet. She was grateful for that trait. The Andrews twins always knew how to act in certain situations.

"So... you and Jughead..." Betty said looking down.

"Yeah." The strawberry blonde breathed. She knew it was a matter of time before the subject would come up, sooner than she liked.

"He, uh, told me. Last night. That's good." Betty's eyes had simmered down. Her tears from the violent purge had dissipated, her face resuming its normal color. "Emma, I know what I did-"

"Not now, Betty." Emma said softly, shaking her head. "You aren't feeling well and quite frankly, I'm still hurt but I have chosen to take the higher road. Water under the bridge." She chose her words wisely, feeling more like Fred in her word choice. Betty nodded, understanding.

"We are taking it slow. There's kinks to smooth out but..." Emma shrugged. The two heard the warning bell ring, signaling class would start soon.

Grabbing the blonde's hands, she rose as did Betty. "Go clean up and take a breather. I'll tell the teacher you're in the bathroom and get your bag from the lounge."

She moved towards the exit as Betty left the behind her she nodded at the blonde. "Thank you, Emma."

"Any time."