Jeronica

Jeronica is the het ship between Jughead and Veronica from the Riverdale fandom.

Canon
Having grown up in contrasting social strata, on the surface Jughead doesn't seem to find he has much in common with the rich upper-east side princess, but slowly realises he may be judging her too soon, as they have similar struggles with criminal fathers and she actually is nice to him on occasion. They are both smart and knowledgable, have strong dispositions and are fierce in their dedication when they care about something.

Frenemies
Jughead and Veronica meet at Pop's, Jughead introducing himself as Jughead Jones III to Veronica's nonplussed intrigue. They don't have many interactions without Archie and Betty, their respective closest friends, to begin with. When Archie and Betty fight over Grundy, Veronica shows interest in the fight as she harbours a crush on Archie and asks Jughead if he thinks it's about her. His response might be a fit of self-preservation, as he knew about Grundy, but never told Betty. Veronica attends the last showing at The Twilight, which Jughead oversees. They both attend the memorial for Jason Blossom at Cheryl Blossom's mansion Thornhill.

After Jughead helps Betty finally get in contact with her big sister, Polly, Veronica notices the closeness between them and asks Betty, who tells Veronica they kissed, prompting Veronica to refer to Jughead as "Riverdale's Holden Caulfield". At the same time, they go through horrors with their fathers; Veronica's threatens her mother's life from prison, while Archie discovers that Jughead is homeless. Jughead's father is an alcoholic who doesn't seem to intend to try and help himself, so Jughead moves into the Andrews home. To be a helpful boyfriend to Betty, Jughead helps with and attends the baby shower for Polly, thrown by Veronica at The Pembroke. When Jughead's birthday comes around, Betty decides to throw a surprise party at Archie's house and Veronica attends as well, wishing Jughead a happy birthday and giving him a kiss on the cheek. She stays over and as she's leaving the next morning comes upon Jughead in the living room. They share a smile and a sweet moment.

Veronica decides to ruthlessly search FP's trailer at Alice Cooper's behest, so as to find evidence of whether her father was involved in Jason's murder or not. When Jughead finds out he feels betrayed, as he otherwise has difficulty trusting people and lets few people into his life. Sheriff Keller arrives to announce that FP has been arrested for Jason's murder, and Jughead runs away, terrified at his situation. Veronica and Archie search for Jughead and run into Betty. After explaining their theory, they all try to find Jughead and end up at Pop's, where Jughead's reeling from the night's events. Veronica reaches him first and tells him immediately that they believe FP was framed and that they can prove it. Through Joaquin, the group eventually obtain a USB and watch in horror as Jason is murdered.

After evidence clears FP of the murder, Jughead has to live with the aftermath of his father's actions. At school, Veronica comes over and asks if she can eat lunch with him. In contrast to their relationship hitherto, Veronica tries to form a connection with Jughead, seeing as how they've seen similar paternal struggles. They share a nice moment in their exchange, but are interrupted by Cheryl, who apologises to Jughead. Cheryl's demeanour leaves both Veronica and Jughead concerned. As Jughead is put in the care of a foster family on the Southside, he has to start attending Southside High. Together with Archie and Betty, Veronica visits Jughead as they worry he may be in trouble, but are surprised to find him actually in his element. Veronica gets a text from Cheryl and deduces Cheryl's in danger. Veronica and Jughead, along with Archie and Betty, run to Sweetwater River and try to stop Cheryl from drowning. The ice cracks under Cheryl and she's pulled by the current, but they manage to save her life. Afterwards, they both attend the Town Jubilee.

Detente
Following Fred's shooting, they gather around Archie at the hospital. With the return of Veronica's criminal father, she at first rejects him and has trouble dealing with his presence in her life. Jughead tentatively offers an ear to help Veronica figure out her situation and she asks how Jughead was able to deal with his father. Veronica's inspired by Jughead to try and give her father a chance to prove that he is a good person. They both attend and work at the Retro Night at Pop's to support Pop Tate and keep the Riverdale staple from closing. After Midge and Moose have been shot by the Black Hood and are in the hospital, he tells Veronica and Jughead, along with Archie and Betty, about it in the student lounge. To shift focus to something more positive, Veronica invites everyone over to hers to hang out, but really so they can meet her father.

Veronica tells them that she wants to do so specifically as Hiram kept his illegal business a secret and she doesn't want that anymore. At her place she introduces her father to everyone individually and Jughead mentions that Hiram knows FP Jones. Hiram states that FP's a good person because he values family and his wishes that FP be released soon, a statement Jughead seems happy to hear coming from an adult, as his father hasn't thus far been treated respectfully by his peers. Jughead learns about the fight between the Bulldogs and the Serpents from Sweet Pea, who tells him that Veronica shot a gun in the air, which Jughead reacts to, startled. After Veronica and the others are busted with Fizzle Rocks, Veronica tracks the source and runs into Jughead who's there trying to keep the Ghoulies away from the Serpents. Veronica attends the drag race between Jughead and Malachi.

Jughead and Veronica don't really interact for a while, what with both of them broken up with Betty and Archie, respectively, and Jughead still going to school on the Southside. They do, however, both attend a Secret Santa exchange at Riverdale High. Veronica and Archie reunite quickly, and when Southside High is closed, Jughead and the Serpents are transferred (in Jughead's case, back) to Riverdale High. Now doing the illegal bidding of her parents, Veronica takes it upon herself to attempt as smooth a transition as possible for the new students. She sets up a welcoming table in the hallway and greets Jughead, Toni, Fangs and Sweet Pea as they walk in. She gives a thorough welcome spiel with her Veronicaness and Jughead smiles knowingly, but appreciatively. They're antagonised by Cheryl and Reggie, and Veronica tries to deflate their intolerant antics. Jughead's merely annoyed and the Principal has to break up the discord.

Later in the student lounge, Veronica introduces herself directly to Toni Topaz and Jughead teasingly indicates that Veronica's rich. Everyone seems to be chilling and get along well, until the Principal bursts in demanding they follow him into the hall. Veronica and Jughead head the group and are met with a smug Reggie standing over a Serpent symbol spray painted onto the school zeal. Although Veronica asserts that this is Reggie's own doing, Principal Weatherbee reacts by banning any gang symbols from school premises. Jughead wears his jacket anyway in protest and Reggie picks a fight with him over it, which Veronica sees and calls to Weatherbee's attention. They all get a week's detention for fighting, but Weatherbee threatens Jughead with suspension. Veronica urges Jughead to take the jacket off, but he defiantly takes the suspension and walks out. Veronica's devious mission failed.

Jones vs. Lodge
The law enforcement harasses the Southside the Pickens statue vandalisation and the Mayor eventually issues an eviction notice for Sunnyside Trailer Park, all orchestrated by Hiram, which Veronica knows, despite inviting Jughead to her Confirmation ceremony and including him in what she calls her 'chosen family'. Veronica actually prepares for a conflict with Jughead, who feels like she's trying to manage him and they agree to a meeting with their fathers at the Jones trailer. Hiram tries to pretend he's not orchestrated anything by offering to pay off anyone's owed back-rent to prevent the mass-evictions. FP agrees, but Hiram asks Jughead to exclude him from any articles. Jughead glances at Veronica, then calls it a bribe and calls off the deal, with FP concurring. When Veronica invites Betty, Archie and Jughead on a "couples weekend" at her father's cabin, Jughead agrees, aiming to get Veronica as a source in his article on Lodge's nefarious misdeeds. Upon arrival, Jughead gets a call from Cheryl telling him about Archie and Betty's kiss. He's upset, but they work it out, much to Veronica's surprise as she assumed that they'd break up. In the evening, Jughead proceeds to ask Veronica questions about Hiram's "business", despite promising Betty not to, and when Betty tries to make him stop, Veronica again assumes it's friction due to the kiss, calling them the 'toxic twins' to Archie.

To break the tension, Veronica suggests they get in the hot tub and once there, she admits that the kiss has bothered her although she's forgiven Betty and Archie. As a solution, Veronica suggests that she and Jughead kiss to even the score and Jughead's all for it. He makes fun of Archie, though maintaining he's not upset and challenges Archie on whether their kiss actually meant something. Veronica, meanwhile, is just sipping her margarita demonstratively. She gets up to kiss Jughead, who looks shocked as if he didn't expect it to actually happen. After the kiss, Veronica platonically pads Jughead on the cheek. The following day, FP calls Jughead to tell him that they can stay at Sunnyside Trailerpark, because Hiram bought it. Jughead's horrified and accuses Hiram of being strategic, while Veronica and Archie try to defend it, saying Jughead should be thankful that he wiped Sunnyside's back debt. With 3 against 1, Jughead cedes the argument and they get drunk in the evening, playing monopoly. When Alice calls Betty telling her that Hiram bought the register, they all start fighting, except for Archie and Betty. They get interrupted by guys in masks with axes robbing them, but Veronica manages to press a silent alarm and they run out. The group drive back to Riverdale and go to Pop's, where they all silently reconcile, never resolving their differences.

Jughead continues his investigation into Hiram and gets intel from Archie, which makes Veronica angry, but ultimately the Lodges manage to bar Jughead from publishing his exposé. Undeterred, Jughead continues his battle for the soul of Riverdale and acerbically congratulates Veronica on her mother's Berlusconi-esque representation in the Riverdale Register, calling Veronica 'Olivia Pope'. Jughead pointedly announces that he's going on a hunger strike to protest the closing of Southside High, his eyes fixed on Veronica who rolls hers resignedly. To compound Jughead's ire, Ethel suddenly shows up and douses Veronica in a milkshake as protest against the Lodges. Veronica starts cracking due to the malice of her rightfully angry classmates and announces that she's running for Student Council President against Reggie, to which Jughead is resigned. Unfazed, Veronica continues to state her position. Jughead then protests and Veronica finally relents some information, telling Jughead that her parents are against her doing anything of note, which has him alert. Veronica then asks Betty to be her running mate, and Jughead pointedly takes another sip of water. Hiram tries to bribe FP and Jughead into submission, unsuccessfully, while Veronica's lies are exposed. After losing Southside High, Jughead decides to run against Veronica in the election.

Jughead and Veronica don't really have much contact for a while, save for one Student Council election school hall event answering students' questions for the candidates. They participate in the school musical, Veronica in one of the lead roles and Jughead filming. Following the gruesome murder of Midge Klump, Jughead and Veronica both attend her funeral, along with most of the town. While Jughead scrambles to help save Fangs from the townspeople, Veronica plots to fight back against her Dad, unaware that he's paying Reggie to agitate the tension between the North and Southside of Riverdale. Veronica's the one to discover that Mrs. Klump shot Fangs, when she sees her wandering aimlessly with the gun in her hand. She tells Archie, who delivers the information to the Serpents and to Jughead. Later, after the Serpents vote to avenge Fangs's death, Jughead realises that Hiram paid Penny and the Ghoulies to kill off the Southside because Hiram couldn't buy them off. He offers up himself instead and gets beaten almost to death by the Ghoulies.

Jughead survives and learns that Fangs is alive and they were lied to, again arranged by Hiram Lodge. Veronica comes along for the visit to the hospital, where she and Jughead break down who the second Black Hood might be that's targeted Fred Andrews (again). Jughead infers that Hiram has hired someone to take out Fred for the campaign and Veronica picks up on his thoughts and says it aloud, agreeing with Jughead. Veronica steps up her plans to take down her father, starting with getting her money back to buy the Whyte Wyrm so Hiram doesn't control the entirety of the Southside. Archie tells Jughead that Tall Boy, who was killed in a shoot-out, was the second Black Hood, revealed by Minetta, which they agree is so Petite can't testify of Hiram's evil schemes. After Archie saves the Southside students from being kicked out of Riverdale High, Veronica runs after Jughead and asks to speak with him, taking his arm and leading him into the student lounge. She reveals that Hiram plans to buy the Whyte Wyrm and Jughead scoffs, telling her that Hiram also got FP fired from Pop's. Veronica's saddened by this and tells Jughead that she was going to buy the Wyrm out from under Hiram, but that she has another plan, if Jughead is willing to join in.



Veronica buys the Wyrm and offers her father to trade it for Pop's, telling him it's because he fired FP. Hiram counters that if they do this, Veronica will never get another cent from Hiram or have any rights to anything Lodge industries. Veronica accepts. They meet up at Pop's after the election and Veronica tells them that she plans to re-open the Speakeasy that was under Pop's in the '20s and wants it to be a uniting place for Northside and Southside alike. Veronica tells Jughead that she hopes FP will want to manage it to make the Serpents feel more welcome. Jughead seems moved by Veronica's olive branch and asks about her relationship with her father. Veronica resignedly responds that she's sure her father is plotting his revenge. They attend Archie's swearing-in ceremony as Student Body President and watch, astounded, as Sheriff Minetta interrupts and publicly arrests Archie for the late André's murder of Cassidy Bullock from Shadow Lake.

Versus Hiram
Having been stripped of all of her privileges, Veronica works at Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe all summer before their junior year, while Jughead writes. He spends some time it seems at Pop's, sometimes observing Veronica work. The weekend before Archie's Labor Day trial judgement, they go to Sweetwater swimming hole with Archie and Betty. When Archie takes the plea deal, Jughead and Veronica both yell 'no, Archie!' in shock. Veronica tries to convince herself that Archie's coming back soon and nothing will have changed, while Jughead's drawn into a mystery when Dilton, who came to Jughead for help, is murdered. Veronica decides to open her Speakeasy, La Bonne Nuit, and, as part of Hiram's villain consortium, Penny Peabody shows up to threaten Veronica with the Ghoulies. Veronica goes to the Serpent camp to get Jughead's help, but instead Toni assists her as Jughead isn't there. Jughead attends the opening of Veronica's speakeasy and they watch Josie's opening performance.

Veronica's mother comes to the high school to officially ban Gryphons & Gargoyles, which Veronica states will only increase the allure. Jughead continues playing the game despite his experience with Ethel. Jughead sinks deeper and deeper into G&G, while Veronica's sets up a sting to get Archie out of prison, successfully, while Jughead is consumed with the game. However, Jughead's rp'ing reveals a connection between Archie's imprisonment and the game. The connection seems to snap Jughead out of his daze as he starts researching the connection, interrogating Joaquin, while Veronica gets evidence of coercion to clear Archie of all charges. Jughead's findings leads him to visit Hiram Lodge and accuse Hiram of being the Gargoyle King, but Hiram denies it and dismisses Jughead. Unbeknownst to them both, Veronica and Jughead are simultaneously putting up a fight against Hiram and his attempted emerging empire. After Joaquin is killed by the Gargoyle King, Jughead joins Archie, who is leaving town fearing Hiram's threat to the lives of his loved ones after Minetta murders the Shadow Lake witnesses.

After a few weeks on the road, Jughead's parents convince him to return to Riverdale, where they get in fairly quickly despite the quarantine lockdown. Riverdale has a weird feel of military dictatorship with Hiram at the helm, except for at Veronica's speakeasy, where people seek refuge to relax and enjoy themselves. Jughead has trouble with the Serpents because Cheryl somehow convinced Toni to have the two of them steal from rich people in Riverdale for themselves, which brings him and Veronica together when the couple steals from Hermione Lodge. Veronica seeks out Jughead to fix the situation and Jughead's surprised that Veronica's paying her father for help. When she explains, he offers the Serpents as protection for La Bonne Nuit, providing them with jobs and Veronica an out. She agrees on the condition that Jughead retrieves what Cheryl stole from Hermione. To achieve this, Jughead has to excommunicate Fangs and Toni from the Serpents for breaking their laws. Jughead meets up with Veronica and Reggie at Pop's and Veronica gives the Serpents their first assignment, to thwart the Gargoyle Gang that's been halting their deliveries over the Canadian border. They ambush the Gargoyle Gang and hold back on of them. Jughead tells him to deliver a message to whomever they work for, naming Hiram, the message being that Veronica is now under the protection of the Serpents.

After Archie's return, he meets up with his friends at Pop's. Jughead tells them that he believes Hiram is the Gargoyle King. Veronica looks at him and Jughead seems to feel bad, apologising to Veronica, who says, with a resigned demeanour, that it's alright because she wouldn't be surprised if it is her father. Fangs infiltrates the Gargoyles and they capture the Gargoyle King: Tall Boy. To lure Hiram out as the secret orchestrator of everything, Archie agrees to pose as bait, but Claudius Blossom shows up instead. Meanwhile, Hiram Lodge is shot in his office and goes to hospital, in critical condition. Following the attempted assassination, Jughead writes about the recent crimes in town with noir stylings, at the Blue & Gold. Veronica seeks him out and pays Jughead money to find out who shot Hiram. Jughead takes the job, stating a lot of people wouldn't mind seeing Hiram die, emphasising he means no offence, which Veronica cedes. She tells Jughead to look into her mother, Hermione, as the first suspect, and Jughead, concerned, asks Veronica what happens if he finds out some grim things about her mother. Veronica says she can handle it. Jughead puts a tail on Hermione and then questions her himself, to no avail. Following Hermione pays off as Jughead learns she's plotting to frame FP for something. Jughead finds his father and tells him everything, only for FP to confess to Jughead that he shot Hiram and that Hermione asked FP to do it, in exchange for his new position as Sheriff. FP uses the press to thwart Hermione's attempt to frame him, while Veronica figures out herself that her mother hired someone to shoot her father. After realising Veronica knows the truth, Hermione confronts Jughead at the Blue & Gold and he tells her that he knows she tried to have Minetta finish Hiram off to frame FP. Hermione threatens FP should Jughead ever want to reveal the truth. Veronica drops by to pay Jughead and tells him she fibbed to her father. Jughead offers the truth, but Veronica, resigned, declines.

Gladys and Hiram
After Hiram has been shot, Veronica suddenly forgets all of the things he's done to her friends and not only moves back home, but actually talks to and is on good terms with her father. Veronica's attempt to keep her mother out of her Hiram's drug world leads to an encounter with none other than Gladys Jones, Jughead's mother. Veronica is shocked to learn who she is and that she is the drug buyer. Gladys makes a deal with Veronica for repayment in instalments, as long as Veronica promises not to tell Jughead that Gladys is a drug lord. Gladys also enlists Veronica to provide intel on Hiram's moves so that Gladys can become the new drug kingpin of Riverdale, instead of the Lodges. Unbeknownst to Veronica, Gladys uses her intel to manipulate Jughead into recruiting the Ghoulies into the Serpents. Veronica even uses telling Jughead the truth as leverage against Gladys, to no avail. When someone attacks a waiter at Pop's, FP arrives on the scene with Jughead in tow. Jughead's surprised that Fizzle Rocks might return and immediately thinks it's Hiram, but Veronica's hesitation and tone makes Jughead think twice. Veronica finally starts feeling guilty after having seen and lied to Jughead, and she tells Betty the truth, who in turn relays the info to Jughead. He's shocked and saddened, though not surprised, but still doesn't know the info came from Veronica. FP's birthday's celebrated at La Bonne Nuit as part of Veronica's deal with Gladys. While Veronica learns that her parents are finally divorcing, Jughead learns his childhood home has been stolen. They're both in the school musical and attend the rehearsal where the Farmies starts a confessional and Veronica tells everyone about her parents. Jughead and Veronica mostly deal with their separate parental problems; Jughead's mother eventually leaves town and Veronica finally gets Hiram put back behind bars. At the end of the year, Penelope Blossom manages to make Veronica and Jughead, along with Archie and Betty, attend a dinner at her cottage where she reveals herself to be the mastermind behind the deaths and peril in their junior year, including the Gargoyle King. To punish the quartet for their "interference", she forces them to go through an obstacle quest of death in Fox Forest where they're all attacked. They make it through and are saved by the Serpents and Poisons working together. Later, the four of them meet up at Pop's to celebrate their newfound freedom from the madness.

Seniors
The summer before their senior year, Fred Andrews is tragically killed in an accident. Veronica and Jughead are both there for Archie and go with him to bring Fred back to Riverdale where they attend the funeral. Jughead gets accepted to an elite prep school and Veronica warns him of the sinister nature of such places, from her own experience, which they talk about at Cheryl's back-to-school party at Thistlehouse. With Jughead away at Stonewall Prep, he and Veronica aren't around each other, but they do see each other at Thanksgiving, when Archie dedicates the gym to Fred, and when they attend the funeral pyre for Jason Blossom. During homecoming week for the last Riverdale High Homecoming game for the seniors, Betty enlists Veronica to find out if the Stonewall Stallions did attack and beat up Munroe Moore to prevent him from playing. Veronica dresses up as Monica Posh and wears a wire, enduring Brett's white boy misogyny until she suddenly hears Jughead say her name in confusion. Veronica quickly attempts to cover to no avail, as she talks to Jughead about why she's there, noticing he's inducted in the Stonewall secret society that's throwing the party. Later, Jughead attends the homecoming game where Veronica performs with the River Vixens.

Veronica attends the Ides of March party thrown by Stonewall, along with Jughead, Archie and Betty. After splitting up, she and Archie find Jughead without a pulse and bloodied up in the woods, with Betty standing over him with a rock and blood on her hands. Despite Jughead's head trauma, he's fine after a day or two, but Veronica goes along with Betty's plan, as does Archie, to protect them from the creepy prep school kids that attempted to murder Jughead. This includes attending a fake funeral for Jughead, getting "arrested" for his murder and misleading the preppies by having Archie and Betty fake dating. Afterwards, Veronica and Jughead, Archie and Betty, meet up in the bunker as Veronica has gotten some key information from her sister, Hermosa, the final piece to help Jughead figure out why the preppies targeted him and how his grandfather fit into the situation. As the police close the case, they all meet up at Pop's to hang out and when Jughead mentions that Archie and he might not graduate, Veronica lays down the law and says it will be the only thing they do until school's done.

For the school variety show, Jughead and Veronica, as well as Kevin and Betty, agree to join Archie's band, The Archies. They attend Kevin's drag performance in the music room, after he is banned from doing Hedwig, and in solidarity decide to also perform Hedwig songs. Veronica and Jughead both get into fights with Archie and Betty, respectively, but make amends and perform at the variety show, hosted at La Bonne Nuit, with Veronica singing and Jughead playing the drums. While the gang ponders ways to challenge Principal Honey's ban of senior prom, Jughead writes a short story for his college application, in which he portrays Veronica as clear-headed, capable and the morally upstanding voice of reason amidst a sinister murder conspiracy.

Songs

 * cross me (feat. chance the rapper and pnb rock) | ED SHEERAN
 * veronica talks to jughead about prep schools


 * sooner or later (cover) | ASHLEIGH MURRAY
 * veronica pays jughead and closes the case

Fanon
This is a popular het pairing on the series, mainly for three reasons: one is that they are part of the 4 characters the show tends to focus on; two is that they are passionate opposites, which could make for an interesting dynamic; lastly, despite their differences, they have similar cultural interests, which Veronica doesn't seem to share with anyone else (Jughead did with Toni) and they seem to have an affinity for giving each other creative aliases.

Fandom
FAN FICTION
 * Veronica/Jughead on FanFiction.Net
 * Veronica/Jughead on FanFiction.Net

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WIKIS
 * at

YT
 * AerisCruent

Photos

 * Jeronica/Gallery

Media

 * Riverdale should develop Jughead And Veronica’s relationship (CULTURESS • AUGUST 2021)