Betty decided not to tell anyone about her upcoming coffee with Jughead - not that there was a lot of time in which she could have told anyone even if she wanted to. She kept quiet as Midge wiggled her eyebrows at her at the bar. She didn’t text Kevin. She passed on her weekly phone call with her mom, promising to ring another night instead.
She’d been starting to feel like her life was under a bit of a microscope – more than usual at least. She didn’t want to spend the night musing over what might be about to happen, what he might say – any explanations, or not, that she might hear. She knew that, despite his best intentions and his unwavering support, Kevin would want to go into every detail about her interaction with Jughead and what he thought it meant. Right now, she couldn’t do that.
She was took exhausted to analyse anything anymore. She’d spent years of her life wondering and now she had a small chance to find out something– so she was keeping it to herself. There was also the weird sense of loyalty she felt to Jughead, despite everything. He’d been the one to approach her this time, which he’d clearly not found easy, so she didn’t want to broadcast it out to anyone.
They picked up coffee to go from Pop’s and set off towards the woodland on the outskirts of Riverdale. Betty could feel the atmosphere between them getting heavier with every step. The idea of a walk, which had seemed like such a good way to put off the talk for a couple more minutes and to give them both space, now seemed foolish and a way to prolong the pain.
They barely spoke to each other until they got to the edge of the woods. Betty had no idea how to segue from pleasantries to…whatever it was they needed to air today.
‘So, I guess we can’t put it off any longer,’ Jughead vocalised the thought that was going around Betty’s head, as they started down the main woodland path.
‘I guess not.’ She agreed. ‘I’m not sure where to start. I’d say at the beginning but –‘
There was a pointed lack of messages on her phone. Normally she’d have heard several times from both her mom and her sister checking what time she’d be arriving. The radio silence unnerved her, so she figured it was best to approach it like a band aid - get the awkward fake apologies over with and go back to pretending like they were civil to each other.
Betty stopped in the bathroom to check her appearance, smoothing down her hair in a futile attempt to meet her mother’s beauty standards.
‘Will I do?’ she asked, without thinking as she walked back into the room. As soon as she had spoken, mortification took over. A question like that implied a familiarity that she simply didn’t have with Jughead. A familiarity they hadn’t had for years.
Just as she was hoping the ground would swallow her up, he replied.
It had been inevitable, she knew. From the moment she accepted Jughead’s invitation to get out and forget the cares of the day, something had been burning. They’d been drawn to each other like moths to a flame. Forgetting seven years of hurt as they relaxed in each other’s company. Play acting like it was fine, that they didn’t have baggage weighing them down. Stumbling happily into mistakes that could be their undoing
Riverdale hasn’t felt like home for Betty for a long, long time. Ever since she left for college, it’s been somewhere she had to visit, rather than somewhere she wanted to. Her friends are long gone - not that she can really consider them friends anymore - and her family is… Well they’re the Coopers. Enough said.
Begrudgingly home for the Christmas holidays, with the first time off work she’s had all year, Betty decides to treat herself to a stay at a local Inn to give herself some respite from Cooper holiday dynamics.
It’s a great plan - unfortunately a mix up with the bookings, means she’s unexpectedly having to share a room with someone she never thought she’d see again.
Riverdale hasn’t felt like home for Betty for a long, long time. Ever since she left for college, it’s been somewhere she had to visit, rather than somewhere she wanted to. Her friends are long gone - not that she can really consider them friends anymore - and her family is… Well they’re the Coopers. Enough said.
Begrudgingly home for the Christmas holidays, with the first time off work she’s had all year, Betty decides to treat herself to a stay at a local Inn to give herself some respite from Cooper holiday dynamics.
It’s a great plan - unfortunately a mix up with the bookings, means she’s unexpectedly having to share a room with someone she never thought she’d see again.
Riverdale hasn’t felt like home for Betty for a long, long time. Ever since she left for college, it’s been somewhere she had to visit, rather than somewhere she wanted to. Her friends are long gone - not that she can really consider them friends anymore - and her family is… Well they’re the Coopers. Enough said.
Begrudgingly home for the Christmas holidays, with the first time off work she’s had all year, Betty decides to treat herself to a stay at a local Inn to give herself some respite from Cooper holiday dynamics.
It’s a great plan - unfortunately a mix up with the bookings, means she’s unexpectedly having to share a room with someone she never thought she’d see again.
Betty shook herself from her thoughts and turned her head to the left to see Jughead, bathed in the red and blue lights of the squad cars, approaching her with a furrowed brow. He pulled her into a hug when she didn’t answer, his arms surrounding her in warmth. She let his scent envelop her, calming her scattered thoughts and fully bringing reality back into focus.
“Yeah, just… I don’t… I’m sorry, Juggie…” she whispered, hugging him to her even tighter.
“Hey whoa, Betts,” Jughead lifted her chin so she would meet his eyes, “what could you possibly be sorry for?”
“I don’t know, Jug. I think I’m just frustrated. I don’t want this to be the rest of our lives, you know? Always one step behind them with no clues to go on, constantly looking over our shoulders and being paranoid that someone is watching us. I miss our little boy so much and we’re still no closer to having him back home and–” she choked, tears spilling from her eyes.
“Baby, stop- breathe. I promised you we’d catch them, and we will. We aren’t completely without leads; we just have to hold on a little longer, okay? Can you do that for me, Betts?” Jughead asked, searching her eyes as he caressed her cheek.
“Yeah…” Betty replied. She pressed her forehead to Jughead’s chest, the feel of his hands rubbing her back soothing her. “Yeah, I can do that, Jug. I’m just so exhausted… And between watching Ethel flay Mr. Svenson in living color and the suffocating feeling I’ve had over me these last few years, I just lose my head sometimes, ya know?”
“We all go a little mad sometimes, Betts,” he quoted softly, brushing his hand through her hair.
“Really, Juggie? Hitchcock references at a time like this?” Betty scoffed, pulling back to swat his arm lightly as he chuckled under his breath. He buried his face in her hair and took a deep breath, centering himself.
“You know me, Betts. Pop culture references are how I deal with traumatic events.”
Betty stood off to the side of the porch, shivering as she watched the crime scene techs and federal agents flooding the old farmhouse.
The images of Svenson’s murder were still playing behind her eyelids every time she closed them and she just wanted to get as far from this place as possible, never to see it again.
She honestly hoped someone would just do the world a favor and burn it to ash. Too much misery and horror happened at this place, monstrosities that would stick with her forever.
The whole scene reminded her too much of the day the feds had swarmed her house in Greendale - the one place that was supposed to be her safe haven - because those psychos defiled it.
She let out a staggering breath, closing her eyes tightly and silently praying that this would all be over when she opened them again.
Unfortunately, she knew that was wishful thinking on her part. There was only one way to finish this and she knew she had to be ready to see this through to the end, no matter what. She had lived in fear long enough, running wasn’t going to be an option anymore.
“You okay, Betts?”
——————————————-
Coming Soon To AO3
Y'all, it only took me a year and three months to get this chapter completed and in the finishing stages but it’s finally almost done and will be posted within the week! I hate that it took so long but I lost my mojo for a bit (getting cancer can do that to you) but I’m glad that the conclusion is finally happening. I hope you guys enjoy it!
A few hours later, they were sitting for dinner when Joaquin started making idol small talk.
“So, Betty. I didn’t know you were a Serpent. I definitely would remember seeing you around.”
“Oh, I’m not. What would make you say that I am?”
“With that giant snake on your thigh, I just figured that must be the case,“ Joaquin said, taking a bite of his pizza.
“Oh. Right. Nope. Not a Serpent. I woke up on my eighteenth birthday with this giant green monstrosity and I’ve been trying to figure it out ever since.”
“I promise you will be very interested in what Cheryl has to say.” Betty navigated up the winding driveway of Thorn Hill, throwing the car in park in the circular driveway.
“I still don’t see why this couldn’t wait until a normal hour. It isn’t even dawn yet. You just got home from work.” Betty gave him a pointed look. “Okay, fine,” he sighed. “But there better be breakfast.”
