Blind Love

To Toledo We Go

"Veronica, I need to tell you something, I like you even though you're dating Archie, and I know that's incredibly selfish for me to do this to you, but I really like you and argh screw this!" Jughead threw a pillow across his room.

"You were doing fine until you messed up," Toni crossed her arms, tossing the pillow back to him.

"Wow, thanks Toni, that was extremely informative," Jughead fought the urge to strangle her. She and her red-haired girlfriend was driving him crazy.

"Again? Do you need a script or something? Mr I-write-for-the-Blue-and-Gold-but-apparently-can't-utter-a-simple-sentence-to-express-my-feelings," Cheryl snarked, forcing Jughead to practice again.

"How did you confess to Toni?" Jughead shot back.

"We just kissed," Toni shrugged. "At the Sisters of Quiet Mercy."

"Well I can't just kiss Veronica!"

"Just let the moment come naturally, you can't force it," Toni replied. "If it's meant to be, it'll be."

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"Can someone tell me why there is blood on the hospital walls AGAIN?" Cheryl complained as she stepped into Jughead and Veronica's hospital room.

The doctors had been kind enough (or more like exasperated enough) to move the two in a room so that Jughead would not constantly escape from his room to her's.

FP sighed. "Another attempted assassination."

Cheryl observed the room. Veronica and Jughead looked quite calm despite the assassination that had just taken place. It was as if nothing had happened, or maybe they had just gotten used to these incidents that they don't shake them up anymore.

"Wow, the assassination has really screwed with Dad's mind enough to make him use alliteration," Jughead muttered.

"Eh, boy, I heard that! Did you just call me 'litter'?" FP scowled at his son in his stressed state.

Veronica giggled softly, as FP had had no idea what Jughead was talking about.

"Exactly my point," Jughead confirmed at FP's reply.

"Kids, this is no time to be joking. Veronica and possibly your life is constantly on the line. But you can't fight in your condition," FP paused. "I've spoken to your mom, Jughead, and it's been decided that you and Veronica will be moving to Toledo to heal while we sort this mess out in Riverdale."

"What?" Jughead's head snapped to his father, immediately serious. "Mom doesn't want us!"

There was an awkward silence before FP finally concluded. "Your mom and I have never been on the best terms, but this time I pulled a few strings and you better be on your best behavior, son."

"I'm not going," he sulked, obviously extremely displeased about the arrangement.

"This isn't a choice, Jughead," FP's face hardened.

"This isn't fair!"

"Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third! Stop whining now! You won't even be seeing them much! Gladys' job has her working late and Jellybean's at boarding school, so Cheryl has kindly agreed to go with you guys to take care of you," FP returned frustratingly. "Stop antagonising me, there's already enough going on without you being obstinate!"

He stormed out of the room before Jughead could say anything else.

"You're going with us?" Veronica asked in surprise.

"Free vacation, hello?! Of course I'm going, despite having to take care of your injured dumbasses. FP said we'd basically have the house to ourselves. Unfortunately, I'll have to leave my gem behind, but I'll cope," Cheryl sassily flipped her hair before setting herself on Veronica's bed.

"Gem?" Jughead questioned.

"Cheryl calls Toni 'Gem', and Toni calls Cheryl 'Rose'," Veronica informed the clueless dark haired boy. "When are we leaving for Toledo?"

"According to FP, tonight's train," Cheryl laid down beside Veronica comfortably. "Your mother's already packed a huge suitcase for you. Originally, your mom was the one who was going with you two to Toledo, but she has an emergency job thing going on in England."

"Oh yeah, I know," Veronica smiled. "She left yesterday, she said she would be coming back to take me there once I recover."

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The wind blew through Veronica's hair as they sat on the train, waiting for the train to leave Riverdale station. FP stood outside on the platform with an expression that she could not read. Perhaps it was a mix of fear and anxiety, as his beloved children left for the unknown?

"Last call!" The call shook Veronica from her thoughts.

Veronica looked out the window desperately trying to hold on to Riverdale one last time. She remembered how she wanted to leave the moment her car rolled into Riverdale from New York a few years ago, but now she did not want to leave. She didn't want to leave all the chaos in Riverdale for the Serpents to handle, she didn't want to come back and see anyone she loved hurt.

As FP became a waving blur, so did Riverdale. The blur outside her window blended with the loud noise of the moving train ringing in her ears.

"You okay?" Jughead placed a hand on her hand lightly. He knew her well enough to see when something was troubling her.

"To Toledo we go," she squeezed his hand, trying to assure him she was alright.

A new start. The three of them were leaving the storm brewing in Riverdale. It seemed like the end of a chapter, but in reality, the chapter was far from ending.

You see, the three of them were not only leaving FP behind at the station, but unknown to them, also two men with binoculars.

"This is a declaration of war," the mysterious man snarled. "Track the train and hunt them down!"