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!
Jughead’s head was already pounding as he made his way through the packed club to Betty’s regular section.
After their discussion earlier in the week, Jughead realized just how much the distance between him and Betty was starting to take a toll on both of them. Her suspicions coupled with his guilt caused him to skip his most recent feeding session so he was a bit on edge, which did not help matters much.
He’d even spent the last few days dodging Sweet Pea’s calls, not wanting to deal with his bullshit on top of everything else.
As he sat in his usual spot, Jughead looked around the club that was packed to the gills with humans and vamps, all dressed up for the annual Halloween bash. He tried to get her attention a few times, hoping to find a moment to sneak Betty off to explain his strange behavior but every time he tried, she’d say she had to run drinks and tell him they could talk on her break.
So, he waited, watching her flutter around the room in the naughty nurse’s outfit that all the waitresses seemed to be wearing tonight. The moment he saw her in it, he almost ripped the article off her body and taken her right there in their living room.
He smiled as he watched her walking up to the bar in her bright red heels, chatting with another waitress while waiting for her drinks. He was just about to call her over again when he felt it, a groan escaping his lips.
It was a long walk to Thornhill from Pop’s, but she’d been stuck on a bus for days and wanted to stretch her legs and think about all of the things she would say to Hal if he was there. On her walk up the winding hill, the once blue skies turned gray and a rush of rain came pouring from the clouds above leaving Betty soaked within seconds.
Of course, she sighed as she tried her hardest to make her way the rest of the way up the steep hill. She finally made it to the gate and pushed it open with all her might. It didn’t open much, just enough for her to slip past. This place is huge, she thought as she followed the pavement around to the awning of the old, stone Gothic building.
She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves before finally working up the courage to use the old brass knocker. She wasn’t sure anyone could hear it over the rush of rain, so she waited before looking around for a doorbell. Just as she spotted it, the door opened and a fiery redhead stood in the entryway.
Jughead looked around at the stark white walls of the room, the fluorescent lighting harsh against his newly opened eyes. He had no idea where he was or how he even got there. The last thing he remembered was being on a date with–
BETTY?! Where’s Betty?
He looked around frantically but the only things he could see were an overhead speaker, a bar stool and a darkened window. There were no doors and no other windows, no means of escape. He was trapped.
Suddenly, the speaker crackled to life and the sounds of someone’s desperate cries filled the room.
“Juggie! Help me, please! Don’t let them take me again! Please, Juggie, I’m sorry! Please– Oh God, they’re coming back, Juggie! Please, help me, please! I need you– No, stop please don’t hurt me! Ahhh–” Betty’s terrified screams echoed off the walls, the deafening sound piercing his ears until the speaker cut out.
“So, don’t get mad…” he started slowly, “I know you said no but, I hate not being able to see you every day.”
He balanced the box on her leg and waited for her to open it. Betty slowly took the lid off the box to reveal a brand new smartphone. She looked at him with a mix of awe and frustration.
“I don’t want to owe you anything, Jug. You know I can’t afford this right now,” she sighed, putting the lid back on the box and holding it out for him to take back.
“And I already told you not to worry about it,“ he replied, pushing the box back towards her. "Call me selfish, but I want to be able to see my girlfriend every day, even when I can’t see her every day.”
“That’s the second time you’ve done that.”
“Done what?” he asked in confusion.
“Called me your girlfriend…”
“Well, I know we never talked specifically about titles, but you know how much you mean to me, and I hope you still feel the same way… enough that you’ll accept the title?” he asked hesitantly.
“You want me to be your girlfriend?” she asked, just to clarify.
She didn’t think anyone would ever want someone like her in that capacity. She was broken and scarred but ever since that first night they spent at his place, something felt different between them.
Betty stretched out on the bed in Kevin’s guest room, a smile plastered on her face as she remembered how the night before ended. Jughead had been a perfect gentleman - had even asked to kiss her before she lurched up to take matters into her own hands.
She’d felt like her entire body had exploded into hundreds of butterflies when their lips touched and it felt liberating to do the things she was always taught would send her straight into hellfire. Suddenly, Veronica came bursting into the room as Betty closed her antiquated flip phone from sending Jughead a good morning text.
“Excuse me, Miss Cooper! When were you going to tell us that you kissed that hunk of gorgeous man last night?”
“Listen, I–” he started, trying to think of the right words to say, “I don’t want you to look at me any differently than you did that first day in the park, before you knew I was famous.”
“I don’t, I promise,” she replied, taking a deep breath and reaching out to touch his arm lightly. “It’s just, I’ve never had anyone give me this type of attention before so I guess I’m just a little confused by it. It’s all very new for me, I’m not entirely sure how to take it.”
Betty chewed at the inside of her lip nervously, waiting for him to respond. He placed his hand over top of hers and stroked it with his thumb with a small smile on his face. His skin was warm against hers and she felt that familiar sensation that she’d experienced in her dreams again.
“Take it however you want to,” he replied. “But just know that it means that I really, really like you, Betty. I have for a while now.”
It had been two days since the incident and he was still trying to get over the discomfort he’d been feeling since she ran away from him. He had tried to go after her but between the hoard of fans and the speed at which she fled, Jughead had no way of keeping up with her. He cleared his throat and pushed the magazine back towards them.
“Oh. She’s– she’s just a girl I met at the park…” he trailed off when he saw the look on his sister’s face. She could always see through his bullshit attempts at lying (she called it their twin superpower) and she arched her brow at him expectantly.
“What, Jell? Really! I just–,” he paused and scratched the back of his neck nervously. “I literally ran into her at the park and we talked. I bought her lunch as an apology and things were just fine until the masses recognized me and swooped in on us.”
“You met some rando girl in the park and you just decided to take her to lunch?” she looked at him in confusion and continued, “And what do you mean you literally ran into her? Is that the line you’re going with? Since when does Forsythe Jones go around picking strange chicks up in parks?”
He lifted his beanie off of his head and ran his fingers through his hair before securing it back in place as he watched Betty roll up her yoga mat and secure it inside the giant tote bag he hadn’t noticed against the tree. Jughead waved his arm in a sweeping movement to have her lead the way. He tugged gently on Flapjack’s leash and he followed between them easily.
The entire scene felt so normal, which was strange in his line of work, but he liked it. It felt like it had been too long since he had the opportunity to simply be Jughead . He didn’t have to be ‘on’ right now - in entertainment mode, or on the defensive. He was just being himself.
It reminded him of college when his fame fizzled into the background and he was just like everyone else. He’d give anything to have that sense of normalcy again, but for now, he’d take these few minutes with a pretty girl.
Jughead grinned as he attached the photograph to his post - one much similar to the one he tweeted when he first got Flapjack. This time though it was one of him holding the much bigger, adorable pup, with the ring still tied to his collar.
Betty learned after the fact that Jughead had taken the picture before their date and she had somehow missed it in all the commotion to leave.
“I can’t believe I didn’t notice the ring around his neck,” Betty laughed as she gazed at the twisted, white gold metal on her left ring finger. She hadn’t stopped staring at it since the night before when Jughead slipped it on her finger and asked her to be his wife.
Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would have this life, that she deserved this life. But here she was being shown every damn day that, not only did she deserve it, but she earned it.
“Jug?” Betty called out, but there was no answer. She saw a shadow behind the curtain next to her bed. Her voice trembled as she asked, “Who’s there?”
She heard a slight eerie chuckle before a soft melody landed in her ears. “…and if that diamond ring turns brass, Mama’s gonna buy you a looking glass. And if that looking glass gets broke…”
Betty’s heart plummeted into the pit of her stomach as she heard that all too familiar voice. She clambered to get out of her bed, tearing the IV and heart monitor from her body before almost falling out of the bed to pull back the curtain. She knew that song. She’d know it anywhere. It haunted her and she promised herself she’d never sing it to her children.
“…And if that winter cloak’s too cold, Mama’s gonna buy you a pile of gold. And if that gold was stolen, too, Mama’s gonna go to jail for you…”
Betty’s eyes widened in panic, her heart was racing and pounding against her ribs, her breath constricting. No. No, there was no possible way. How did they find her? How did they get here so quickly?
“There’s one more thing, the whole reason she called in the first place,” Jughead said finally as he helped her with the dishes. The tone in his voice had Betty swallowing around nothing, bracing herself for bad news.
“I– uh, I actually left work and didn’t say anything to anyone. So, unfortunately, I have to go back to the city to finish filming. Production has done all they can without me there and I need to get back to the city or I’ll lose the deal.”
“Oh,” she said as she idly dried the dishes. “So you need to leave…”
“It’s only a few weeks,” he explained as he watched her walk over to the fridge, hoping she might agree to his next question. “And I was thinking… what if you came with me?”
Betty was having the strangest dream. She was in a beautiful field of poppies, her hair loose and blowing in the wind - as was the beautiful black gossamer dress she wore. She looked around the field of flowers, searching for Jughead. She could hear his voice in the wind but she couldn’t see him anywhere.
Just please, baby. Please wake up.
Betty opened her eyes slowly to reveal that she was still in her hospital room, hooked to the monitors that kept an eye on her daughters’ heartbeats to make sure they were strong.
Wow, I could have sworn I was discharged but I guess it was all a dream. I really wish Jughead was actually here though…Wait…
