"You're every wrong that I need at night"

- The Heat by The Score

+ + + + 

When Nellie entered Andrews' office, she immediately tensed something was different. The friendly and welcoming man of the morning, was now hunched over his desk, a phone pressed to his ear.

"Listen Hermione, I can't cooperate to a cause I do not support no matter the benefits for my company or family." He muttered, frustration lacing every word.

A voice echoed through the phone in response. Fred Andrews didn't even look up as Nellie took a seat on the opposite side of the desk. She wondered if she had interrupted a heated conversation, but then again, it was too late to leave the room. 

Fred rubbed his hand across his face, scratching the skin underneath his hairline. 

"Listen, I do not support the prison. End of discussion." He repeated in the speaker, his voice stern and solid. Nellie shrank in her seat. So Jughead had been right. There were plans for a prison coming to Riverdale.

"I don't care about the benefits we're missing, Hermione. You know the type of man I am. I need a clean conscious. A prison will tear Riverdale apart, starting with the Southside. I don't want it to happen under my responsibility."

He was interrupted by murmurs on the other side of the line. 

"I am certain there are equally skilled constructors in Greendale," Fred managed to get in between the ramblings of the woman named Hermione.

"I am sorry too," he finally added, in a tone softer than a whisper.

Clearing his throat, Fred ended the conversation and focused on Nellie.

"Don't worry, we have big projects other than SoDale," he said with a friendly tone but his eyes did not support his statement. Nellie, feeling like an intruder, just shrugged and allowed herself to smile in sympathy to her new employer.

"Just tell me what to do, boss," she said, clasping her hands together in her lap. 

And so, Fred Andrews did.

+ + + + 

After an interesting afternoon with Fred Andrews, Nellie made her way back to the trailer park by bus. Her eyes were vacantly staring outside. She allowed herself to return to the conversation she had at lunch when Jughead shared new information to her. She wasn't entirely sure he would've if she hadn't showed up for Sweet Pea.

She clenched her fists in her lap. She had decided to trust the boy and now he proved not to trust her. It stung. As far as she knew, she hadn't done anything to deserve his distrust. 

When the trailer park came in sight, Nellie let out a relieved sigh and descended the bus to head straight for the trailer of Sweet Pea. As the sun began to set, it became clear that not a single light was burning from inside. He wasn't home yet. 

Locking the front door, the sound of an engine lured Nellie to glance upon the road. In a cloud of dust, a small motorcycle headed straight for Sweet Pea's trailer. The driver skidded to a halt, motioning for Nellie. 

From underneath the black helmet escaped bright pink strands of hair. Toni Topaz.

"Nellie!" the petite girl yelled, waving frantically. Locking the door again, Nellie dashed down the stairs, running towards the girl. 

"Get on, there's trouble." Toni said, already turning the motorcycle for Nellie to jump on. 

"I have no helmet," the other girl interjected but Toni shut her mouth by sending a flock of pebbles behind her as she let the engine roar. 

"There's no time for that. Hop on, I'll get you there safe." Toni said. Her face was hidden behind the tinted glass of her helmet. Uncertain, Nellie bit her lip.

"Come on!" Toni urged, patting the leather seating behind her frantically. In a flash of a moment, Nellie straddled the motorcycle. Her arms wound around Toni's small torso and cramped up as they speeded out of the trailer park and onto the main road, heading straight for Southside High. 

It wasn't hard to figure out something was amiss. A crowd of Southsiders have gathered around the front stairs of the building, blocking Nellie's view of anything happening in the inner circle. As soon as the motorcycle came to a halt, she swung her leg over the vehicle and started running towards the crowd.

Pushing people aside, she managed to get closer to the center, just in time to see a redheaded boy cut Jughead's chains lose. Without an introduction, Nellie knew who the redhead was. Archie Andrews. Jughead's best friend, her employer's son and her half-sister's boyfriend. 

Even worse, he now proved to be Hiram Lodge's help.

A pang of panic rushed through her when the crowd grew impatient and rough, embracing the freed Serpents with ushered words of encouragement and pride. Although they didn't win this battle, the eight boys had fought. 

A tall shadow passed by her and on instinct Nellie reached out to grab the fine leather on his arm. Sweet Pea angrily looked down on the person who had dared to take a hold of him. However, when he saw Nellie's worried eyes searching his face, he softened.

He took her hand and dragged her behind him, away from the crowd that was scolding the boys that had come to cut the Serpents' chains. People were roughly pushed aside, but Sweet Pea formed a shield for Nellie as he guided her away from the chaos. Her eyes were focused on his broad shoulders swaying as he took decided steps away from Southside High.

Once they broke out of the crowd, Nellie quickened her step and walked beside Sweet Pea. Her hand remained clasped in his. 

"What happened?" she asked, stopping in front of Sweet Pea's deserted motorcycle. The young Serpent leader, squinted towards the crowd. A pair of chains was crossed in front of his chest, making it look as if he wore it like an accessory. In the early evening, he looked like a threatening figure. If you'd encounter him like this, you'd cross the street and get the hell out of his way. 

Anger and frustration made him heave with suppressed emotions. He had lost. Something he clearly couldn't handle. He should go back to fight for his Southside, he thought.

When he made a step to the front, heading back to the crowd that was now loudly yelling at the leaving Northsiders, Nellie pressed her hand against his chest, blocking his way. Her fingers rested on the heavy metal crossed on his chest.

His dark eyes lingered on her face for a few seconds, registering her proximity. "What happened?" she repeated, her tone didn't leave room for doubt. She wanted her question to be answered.

"Boy Andrews is what happened. Just like Jughead predicted." Sweet Pea finally answered through gritted teeth. He clenched his fist. 

Another defeat since Jughead had appeared to take his place. Under Sweet Pea's watch, he would have fought those Bulldogs, showed them they had no place in the Southside and sure as hell were not the people to keep the Southside in line. His eyes were burning at the crowd, watching several varsity jackets manage to get out of the mass and heading to their cars. 

They didn't see him but his anger was radiating in waves, intense enough for Nellie to feel it. She let her hand rise up to his cheek, gently guiding his dark eyes away from what he considered the battle field. 

"You're only getting in trouble if you fight them, Sweets. The Southside needs you and you can't help 'em if you're injured or in jail."

Her words made sense, but it was her touch that brought Sweet Pea's head at ease. He swallowed hard, turning his head away from Southside High and straddling his Harley Davidson. Without waiting for a cue, he held out his motorcycle. Nellie gladly accepted it and shoved it over her short hair.

She sat behind him, her arms immediately winding around his torso. She could feel his skin burning underneath the simple white T-shirt he wore underneath his leather jacket. As he revved up the engine, she squeezed, holding onto him as he drove away. His speed was way over the speed limit but Nellie couldn't even think about the dangers. 

Whenever she rode with the tall Serpent, adrenaline rushed through her. She trusted him, relied on his skills to drop them off safely at the trailer. They would be safe. 

Once they reached the trailer, Nellie jumped off the motorcycle. She waited for Sweet Pea to descend as well. In silence they walked towards the trailer.

Sweet Pea was restless. Adrenaline was still rushing through him, making it hard to stay in one place. Once inside, he started pulling at the chains around his chest, getting more frustrated when he didn't seem to find how to get out of them.

Nellie smiled and approached him, her soft hands helping him out of the metal. Her hand lingered on his chest once he was freed. She noticed Sweet Pea's muscles tense. Her dark eyes looked up questioning, wondering if she was doing something wrong.

When she looked up and met his stare, she was surprised to see an intensity in his almost black eyes directed solely at her.

Sweet Pea's gaze burned into her, scorching something deep inside. He couldn't help himself. It was entirely dark in the trailer, apart from a streetlight that shone a cheap yellow light across Nellie's face. When he saw her hesitation, he panicked, instantly placing his hands around her hips, afraid she might slip out off his reach.

"Don't go," he whispered, his voice hoarse and urgent. The rollercoaster of emotions of today was taking its toll on him. He didn't know what to think. The only thing he was certain of was that the moment Nellie was near, everything felt better. When she was close to him, he couldn't think, all he could do was feel. 

That was exactly what he needed right now. He needed to forget the defeat, the failure, his frustrations.

When Nellie looked at him, she couldn't help but stare in awe. Sweet Pea's face was partly hidden in shadows. Her thoughts went silent, no words were formed inside her mind. As if to get a better view on him, her hand lifted to meet his skin. A finger delicately traced his jawline.

Sweet Pea swallowed hard, pulling Nellie closer to him. When she felt his hold on her hips, she moved as if it was a routine. She watched helplessly as her hand stroked his cheek and ran to the back of his neck. When she looked back up at him, his eyes were only focused on her. She didn't have the time to pull him closer.

Sweet Pea crossed the distance, his mouth meeting hers. The grip on his chest tightened as she moved her lips against his. Her fingertips burned on the skin of his neck, pulling him closer. His hands traveled up her back, pressing her closer against his chest. He pushed himself against her, letting his lips savor the taste of her mouth.

She parted her lips to gasp for air, an invitation Sweet Pea took to deepen the kiss. He pushed himself against her, needing the contact to be closer. Nellie bumped against the kitchen counter.

She pulled away, gasping for air. Sweet Pea, also struggling for breath, let his forehead rest against hers.

Both of them were speechless. Never before had Nellie been kissed so intensely. She wanted more, needed more but the truth of her situation dawned on her when she saw Sweet Pea bite his lip. He wanted more than she could give him. 

She would hurt him. Even though it had never been her intention, Sweet Pea would feel betrayed once he knew about her father. Hiram Lodge was about to destroy his home and everything the Serpent stood for. If he knew Nellie was his daughter, he would hate her.

It was a thought she couldn't bare, especially after their kiss. She swallowed, trying to find the right words to say but Sweet Pea rose his hand and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I've been wanting to kiss you for the longest time," he admitted. Even he was surprised by how easy the truth fell from his lips. Nellie nodded, knowing what he meant. She too had been imagining how it would feel to kiss the Serpent even though she couldn't bring herself to admit her attraction to him.

It made it even harder to pull away from him, like she knew she should. The problem was that it felt so good to be touched by him. He pulled his head back, but his arm snaked around her waist.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured, as his hand lifted her chin to meet his face. He placed another gentle kiss on her lips. Nellie was glad Sweet Pea held her for she was afraid she would drop on her knees from the sensations that ran through her.

"You're pretty irresistible yourself," She muttered, her voice hoarse and filled with lust. She hated her treacherous body. No matter how much she fought the idea, her body was comfortable and completely at ease being held by Sweet Pea.

His chest rumbled as he chuckled. Sweet Pea let go of her and went to the kitchen. She immediately missed his touch but at least, she now had the space to get her thoughts back in order.

He glanced at her, leaning against the kitchen counter. He wanted to tell her that even in a simple pair of jeans and sweater, she managed to drive him crazy. As she pushed her hair back, he noticed her flushed cheeks and slightly swollen lips. A feeling of pride made him grin.

She wasn't a bad idea, he told himself remembering how he had thought about Nellie before. 

She was everything he needed.