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Chapter Text

Betty laughed at something Jughead said, laying her head on his shoulder. She was currently sitting with him, Joaquin, Toni, and Fangs. They were all having a couple of drinks at the Whyte Wyrm, and Betty needed this type of night with her boyfriend and brother and their friends. Archie Andrews had been relentless . He had been calling her and waiting for her by her locker. He wasn’t as bold as to wait at the Cooper household, because he knew Sweet Pea would annihilate him.  

Alice and Hal Cooper had ordered her to get a restraining order against Archie, but Betty hadn’t felt like that was the smartest move. He was still her childhood friend, wasn’t he? He still had some good intentions in him, didn’t he? She wasn’t one hundred percent sure about that. But what she did know was this: the last two years had been terrifying for her.  

He would send her roses, letters, decapitated baby doll heads, and once, a snake. The snake had to be removed by her father while she sat in Sweet Pea’s room and cried. To say that her older, severely protective brother was mad was the understatement of the century. He was livid. Sweet Pea had had words with Archie, letting his fists speak them.  

It still wasn’t enough to scare him off.  

So here they were, some odd months later, and Betty wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without her boyfriend or another serpent. FP and Hal’s decree. FP, Hal, and Alice were all best friends, and FP was Betty and Sweet Peas’ godfather. Just like Hal and Alice were JB and Jughead’s godparents. The three people were formidable in the Serpents – or Serpents extended, for Alice – and they had always had one another’s backs. It made their kids the same way when growing up.  

Jughead had seen Sweet Pea as a kindergartener, taking care of Betty who was still in pre-school, and he had wanted to be like him. So, he took her under his wing as well. Betty still remembered when Archie was a good guy and not obsessed with her. He had helped Jughead protect her but the older they got, the more dangerous the redhead had become. And now, Betty wasn’t allowed to be anywhere near him on her own. Or even with friends.  

Just then, Jughead pressed a kiss to her lips, firm and full of passion, and then held them to her forehead. “I’ve got to get you home. Sweets must stay and talk things through with your dad.”  

“Juggie, I can walk myself home,” Betty reminded him, and he looked at her incredulously.  

“Not from the southside and you’re sure as shit not walking by yourself,” Jughead said firm, tone unwavering. “Come on, my bike is right outside.”  

Betty laughed but acquiesced his wishes, interlacing their fingers together and making their way out of the bar. Sweet Pea saw them leaving and hurried towards them. “Betts, wait up.”  

She paused, watching her older brother as he walked towards them. He stopped in front of them, glancing at Betty before looking at Jughead seriously. “Get her home safe. And, uh, maybe hang out around the house till we get there.”  

“Sweets,” Betty sighed in exasperation. “I’ll lock the door, but we can’t let Archie dictate our lives.”  

“The guy has been obsessed with you for the better part of three years, Betty,” Sweet Pea sighed. “I don’t want this to be the night he tries to do anything.”  

Betty sighed, knowing in her heart that it was pointless to argue. And, she couldn’t say that she didn’t feel better with the idea of Jughead being there with her while she waited for her dad and brother to come home. She nodded her head. “All right. I can do that.”  

“You don’t really get a choice,” Jughead laughed, stealing one more kiss before looking back at Sweet Pea. “I promise, Sweets, she’ll be safe with me.”  

Betty knew that Sweet Pea knew Jughead’s words to be true. Jughead had always protected her where Sweet Pea couldn’t, but she had to admit, it got annoying after a while. But, deep in her heart, she knew that they just cared about her and didn’t want to see her hurt. Sweet Pea grinned at Jughead, and then the two of them were walking out of the Wyrm, Betty tucking into Jughead’s side. He led her to his bike, and she climbed on, wrapping her arms around his waist. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she laughed as he revved his bike. “Let’s go, Juggie.”  

They were off.  

XXX  

They pulled up to the Cooper household a little over fifteen minutes later, and Jughead parked the bike. It wasn’t even a second later that showed Archie walking out of his house. “Betty!”  

“Go inside, Betts,” Jughead said firmly, and she swallowed thickly.  

“I can handle it,” she muttered.  

“You shouldn’t have to,” Jughead replied.  

But Archie had already reached them, and Jughead was pressing Betty behind him. “Hey, Betts.”  

“Don’t talk to her,” Jughead snapped, tone livid.  

“What are you, her bodyguard or her boyfriend?” Archie sneered.  

“Both,” Jughead replied in a deadly quiet voice. Archie rolled his eyes heavenward and then looked at Betty.  

“See you at the game on Friday, right?” Archie asked, smiling at her.  

“Yeah, with the rest of the Serpents,” Betty snapped, tone betraying the nerves she felt. “Seriously Archie, just go away.”  

He smirked at her, eyes narrowed on her, before he looked at Jughead. “You won’t always be around.”  

“Yes, I will,” Jughead growled vehemently. Then he was shoving Archie away from them as the red headed dick laughed. Betty sighed. Archie was always looking to stir the pot. She shook her head as Jughead turned them on their heels and guided her into the house.  

She knew it had to get worse before it got better. It always had to get worse before it got better.  

Author’s note: Guess who’s back, back, back, back again. Bughead’s back, back, back, tell a friend.  

Chapter Text

Sweet Pea and Hal made it home a little over an hour later, with his mom riding on the back of his father’s bike. Taking a quick glance at Andrews’s house, he noticed that the lights were off. Good riddance, he thought to himself. Taking off his helmet, he hurried up the walk to their house, smirking slightly as he heard his father laugh. Hal Cooper knew that Sweet Pea would do anything for his sister, including being the first one to check on her.  

Hurrying inside, he called out for Jughead and Betty; heard their responding footsteps coming from the living room, as well. He looked towards them, spotting Betty walking towards him, and he hugged her quickly. She was the only one who could make him – all the Serpents, really – show affection. “Andrews leave you alone?” Sweet Pea asked, voice nothing more than a hiss.  

“Well, not really,” she murmured apologetically, and Sweet Pea was ready to commit murder. She continued a moment later. ”He came over here when Jughead pulled up, asking if I was going to be at the game on Friday.” 

“How the hell has Andrews not been kicked off the team, yet?” Alice demanded, and Hal wrapped his arm around her.  

“I would like to know that as well,” Hal said.  

“Because I haven’t told them anything,” Betty reminded them, and Sweet Pea heard the very visceral tiredness in his sister’s voice. He looked at Jughead, who nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead, before speaking.  

“How about we get you to bed and then I’ll be back here first thing in the morning?” Jughead asked.  

Betty sighed, glancing at her parents before acquiescing to his wishes. “All right.” She gave him a quick kiss and then climbed the stairs to their second floor. Sweet Pea turned to Jughead.  

“Did Andrews get in her face?” Sweet Pea asked quietly.  

Jughead scoffed at him. “Like I’d allow him to do that.” 

Sweet Pea nodded in appreciation. “Head out and we’ll see you tomorrow?”  

“Yeah, man,” Jughead agreed, hugging his mother goodbye and clapping Hal on the shoulder. “I’ll be here around seven-thirty.” 

“Okay, sounds good,” Sweet Pea replied. They all watched the younger Jones leave and head out to his motorcycle, and then Sweet Pea looked at his parents. “I promise, nothing will happen to her.” 

Alice softened her gaze on him, patting his cheek fondly. “We know, honey. You’re a good older brother.” 

“The best,” Hal added.  

Sweet Pea grinned and then headed upstairs to check in with Betty. Pausing outside his sister’s room, he knocked on the door and only entered when she told him to. Pushing the door open, he smiled softly once he saw his little sister in bed. “Hey.” 

“Hey, Sweets,” Betty murmured, and he walked into her room completely. Going to sit down on her bed, he looked at her.  

“Are you sure you’re all right from Andrews's harassment this evening?” Sweet Pea asked.  

Betty smiled slightly. “I don’t know if I’d call asking me if I was going to the game harassment or not.” 

Sweet Pea clenched his teeth together. “Any time the asshole talks to you – or even looks at you – it's considered harassment, Betts.” 

Betty laughed quietly, shaking her head at him fondly. “I’m all right.” 

“You would tell me if you weren’t, right?” Sweet Pea asked, always having to check.  

Betty smiled at him tenderly. “I would, Sweets. You know that.” 

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and stood up, smiling at her. “Yeah, I know, kid. I just need to check. All right, I’m going to take a shower and go to bed. You get some sleep, all right?” 

“All right,” Betty replied, scooching down into her bed, and Sweet Pea chuckled quietly.  

“Yell if you need me,” he added, before heading out of her room and shutting the door behind him softly.  

XXX 

It was a petrified scream that woke Sweet Pea up in the middle of the night. Blinking, he threw back his covers and ran towards Betty room, bursting through the door seconds later. “What? What’s wrong?” 

He glanced around, spotting Betty pointing a shaking finger towards her window as she stayed curled up in the center of her bed. His parents came rushing in, and Hal looked around the room hurriedly, before his eyes landed on his daughter, who was looking shaken up. “What happened, honey?” 

“Archie...,” she trailed off, shaking her head, and Sweet Pea felt a white-hot anger permeating his bones. She tried again. “Archie was outside of my window, on a ladder.” 

Sweet Pea hurried to her window, glancing out of it grimly. “The ladder is still there but Andrews is gone.” 

“I’m going to be having words with Fred Andrews tomorrow,” Alice said in a dark tone.  

Betty shook her head, expelling a defeated sigh the next minute. “Don’t bother. It’s my word against his. And the ladder is ours.” 

Sweet Pea ground his teeth together in frustration as he realized Betty was right. Still. Still . “That does not give him the right to climb the ladder at three in the morning and watch you sleep. I’ll be having words with him with mom as well.” 

Betty sighed and nodded her head, getting up from the bed the next moment. Sweet Pea looked at her. “I’ve got to pee. I'll be fine.” 

Sweet Pea watched her leave the room; shoulders hunched inwards and felt his heart pang. He wondered when it would get better. 

XXX 

“Andrews was staring at her while she slept?” Jughead demanded in a dark tone later that morning. They had all pretended like they were going to go back to sleep for a few hours, but Sweet Pea knew better. He met Betty downstairs for coffee and the two siblings stayed up the rest of the night.  

“I’m going to kill him,” Sweet Pea snapped.  

“No. No, you’re not,” Betty said quietly, but with conviction. “You don’t need to add murder to your resume, Sweets.” 

“Betty, I don’t give a fuck about that,” Sweet Pea replied in a dangerous voice, but she shrugged her shoulders wearily, and his heart ached.  

“I do,” she replied firmly. “No one is going to jail because of this creep.” 

Sweet Pea and Jughead shared a look as Jughead rubbed Betty’s back.  

They wouldn’t get caught. 

Chapter Text

Betty sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her outfit would have to do. She couldn’t afford to be late to the meeting at the Blue and Gold and Jughead would kill her if she missed it. She was co-editor. She needed to be there. Tightening her ponytail, she made her way out of her room and down the stairs. Her family wasn’t home right now. Hal and Alice were at the Register – how her dad worked for the newspaper and still managed to run the Serpents with FP was beyond her – and Sweet Pea was out with Joaquin on a ride. So that left her. She had to make it to the school because Jughead was already there. She had denied his invitation to ride with him to the school and now she was questioning why she had done that.  

Archie Andrews had been a thorn in her side for the last three years. And it was more than that if she was being honest with herself. He had developed an infatuation with her that went beyond anything that she had ever experienced before. He was obsessed with her. And it scared the hell out of her. She didn’t feel safe in her own life, and she hated that with passion. So, she had to deal with that all the time. Then she had to deal with the fact that both her brother and her boyfriend were stupidly protective of her. It left her with little room to breathe.  But she wouldn’t complain. She knew that Sweet Pea and Jughead had her best interests at heart.  

Stepping into the living room, she glanced around the room. Nothing was out of place. Archie wasn’t hiding in the shadows, waiting to pounce. She could breathe a bit easier. Grabbing her Serpents jacket – she got one by default – she made her way to her front door. Her car was in the shop, so she was going to walk to the school. It would only take her about twenty minutes.  

Opening the front door, she felt the crisp autumn air kissing her cheeks pleasantly, and she smiled. She loved Autumn. It was probably her favorite time of the year. Turning to lock the door, she heard the voice she dreaded to hear calling out to her. “Need a ride?” Turning around, she spotted Archie Andrews bounding up towards her, smile threatening to split his face in two.  

“No, thanks,” she replied firmly, fingers holding her keys tightly in case she had to use them as a weapon.  

Archie sighed. “Look, Betty. I just want things to go back to normal. Back to how we were when we were friends.” 

She stared at him incredulously. “Archie, we were never friends. You never gave me the chance to see you as a friend. I think you need to go.” 

A shadow passed over Archie’s face and suddenly, Betty was trying to unlock her door so she could run back inside. She got the door unlocked and ran inside. Archie shoved his way in after her and she felt her heart reverberating in her ears as she ran. “Betty, I just want to talk!” 

She raced towards the kitchen, trying to reach a weapon, but he grabbed her by the ankle and yanked her down. Smacking her head on the tile, stars burst in front of her eyes. She needed to fight him. She needed to get outside so she could call for help. She was foolish for going back inside and thinking he wouldn’t follow her.  

Archie spun her around, straddling her hips as he tried to hold her down. She wasn’t going down without a fight. She kneed him in the groin, relishing his groan of pain. Falling off her, she was quick to her feet. Running away from her tormentor, she ran outside, carefully avoiding their pool in their backyard. It was mainly for Sweet Pea’s pleasure; she never learned how to swim.  

Hearing footsteps coming from behind her, she ran towards the gate. If she could just get outside of her house and to her neighbors, she’d stand a fighting chance. Just then, she felt someone grab her from behind and throw her down. The second time hitting her head on something hard, and she was certain she had a concussion. Archie was looming over her when she blinked her eyes up at him. “Betty, I’m going to teach you a fucking lesson.” 

She struggled against him, screaming for a minute before he punched her in the mouth. She felt blood pooling to the surface and groaned in pain. “Archie...”  

“No, Betty,” he snapped, fists clenched. “I’ve spent the last three years doing everything for you and this is how you repay me? I fucking love you!” His fist connected with the side of her head, and she groaned. She had a concussion. Just then, the sound of motorcycles could be heard and he glared at her. “What did you do ?” 

She snickered. “It’s called an emergency contact, you asshole.” 

He was frothing at the mouth and punched her one more time, before tossing her carelessly into the pool. The water submerged her, soaking her, and her arms started flailing as she tried to get out. But she hadn’t ever been a good swimmer. She coughed, spluttering around as water got into her windpipe. What a sad way to die.  

Just as she felt the last of her air circulation cut off, she heard a splash in the distance, and then arms yanking her above water. “Betty! God, breathe, baby!” 

Her head lolled to the side as the last of her consciousness slipped away from her. She was floating. She was safe. And for once, she wasn’t scared. But there was a sharp pain starting in her chest, pulling her back to consciousness. No, no. What was happening? She just wanted to sleep. “...Breathe, dammit! Fight!” This was Jughead. She recognized his voice like the back of her hand. Why couldn’t she follow his instructions? Then she felt his lips on her as he pounded against her chest. Coughing up the dreaded water, her eyes flew open as he pushed her head to the side, telling her to cough it all up. “That’s it. Good girl. Just get it up, baby.”  

Betty trembled and shook in his hold, and then Sweet Pea was there, as was her parents, and they were pulling and pulling and pulling on her. “Betts?” This was Sweets, terrified beyond belief. “Just breathe, hon.” 

She coughed and expelled the water from her system, blinking it out of her eyes as she shook and shook. Finally, she pressed her head against Jughead’s chest, breathing him in. “Juggie?” 

“Archie Andrews will fucking pay for this,” he growled.  

Too right he would.  

Chapter Text

After Jughead and the Coopers got back from the hospital, just to check Betty over, Jughead and Sweet Pea got to work on what their plan of revenge would be. Archie Andrews had crossed a fucking line and Jughead would be thrilled to annihilate him. He didn’t want him anywhere near his girlfriend after the murder attempt – and that’s exactly what it was, a murder attempt. He had pushed Betty into the pool when he knew full well, she couldn’t swim.  

Jughead had never been so livid. And scared. He had acted on autopilot after he saw his girlfriend flailing around in the pool. He hadn’t wanted to ever feel that helpless and scared again. Then there was Sweet Pea. He had sat outside of Betty’s hospital room, guarding the doorway as if his life depended on it. And Jughead understood. Betty was his kid sister. The little girl he always swore to protect.  

Then there was Cheryl Blossom. An entity in and of herself. She was raging mad, ever the fiery redhead she knew how to be. And she was Betty’s best friend. The girls were as close as sisters and Jughead didn’t blame her when she threatened to demolish Archie Andrews.  

What Jughead didn’t understand, however, was what triggered Archie’s obsession with his girl. He knew the redhead had been better in his childhood, but three years ago, he changed. And not for the better. So, Jughead was curious as to what caused that astronomical shift in his foundation. Had he always had stalking tendencies, and it just showed through in his teenage years? Jughead didn’t know. But he would find out.  

Just then, Betty and Cheryl walked up to him, Sweet Pea, and Joaquin in the Whyte Wyrm. Joaquin was also a huge protector of Betty and was mad as hell that Archie had hurt her. Perhaps some people would wonder why the Serpents didn’t step back and let the police handle this, but that was never their M.O. They didn’t care to get the authorities involved. They took care of things in the house. It was the type of motorcycle club they were in. And Jughead, Sweet Pea, Joaquin, and the rest of the men who were in the club would grow to be men in this club. It’s what their father’s had prepared them for.  

Betty plopped down into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pressed a tender kiss to his lips. He rubbed her back, before soothing his hand through her hair. “How do you feel?”  

“I’m pretty good, Juggie,” she smiled at him. He knew that when he performed CPR, he had bruised her ribs. He felt bad about that but at the same time, he wouldn’t apologize for saving her life. If asked, he was always going to save her life. It’s just who he was as a person.  

“Good,” he murmured. “And the bruises don’t hurt much, do they?” He still had to check.  

She smiled at him softly, eyes softening on him as she looked at him. “No, baby, they don’t.”  

That was a relief in and of itself and then Sweets was talking. “I told mom and dad to drain the pool outside.”  

“But...why?” Betty asked in confusion, staring at her brother in bewilderment.  

Sweet Pea sighed. “I’m not letting what happened happen again.”  

“But you love that pool,” Betty protested.  

“I love you more,” Sweet Pea assured his little sister. Betty smiled at him tenderly and Sweet Pea was speaking up once more. “We’re going to get Archie where it hurts.”  

“Which means what, exactly?” Betty asked nervously, and Jughead pressed a kiss to the underside of her jaw.  

“He’s going to begging for us to kill him when we’re through with him,” he replied point-blank. He would never lie to his girlfriend; had always sworn not to do that, and he didn’t plan on starting now.  

Betty expelled a soft sigh. “Can’t we just go to Kevin’s dad?”  

It was Cheryl who answered in a gentle voice. “Betty, you know we can’t. Keller would do it by the book and that’s the one thing Archie doesn’t deserve. He tried to kill you. We can’t just ignore that.”  

“And we’re not going to, Cher,” Sweet Pea replied firmly before turning to his sister. “Cheryl’s right. We can’t get Keller involved. The law doesn’t side with us and most people still see Archie Andrews as Riverdale’s very own golden boy.”  

Betty sighed, nodding her head a little the next moment. “I know you guys are right. I just don’t want anyone hurt on my behalf.”  

Jughead snorted. “Andrews wishes he could hurt me.” And Jughead knew the truth behind that statement. Archie Andrews deplored Jughead simply for the fact that he was who Betty chose. He wanted nothing more than to see him fall and not get back up.  

Sweet Pea laughed darkly as Joaquin smirked. “Yeah, Andrews has another thing coming if he thinks he can get away with what he did, doll.”  

Joaquin was always their voice of reason in the group. He kept a cool and collected head whenever anyone in the club was thinking hotheadedly. And Jughead appreciated that so fucking much. Nodding his appreciation at his friend, Jughead turned to look at his girlfriend, soothing a hand down her face. “Babe. We’re going to make Andrews pay. But no, none of us will get hurt in the process.”  

Betty bit her lip, looking between the men and her boyfriend anxiously for a minute before expelling a soft sigh and nodding her head. “Do your worst.”  

Author’s note: Just a shorter chapter to start getting the ball rolling in the direction I need it to. Archie is going to be the villain of this story if you haven’t noticed yet because I don’t think Archie has character arc or redemption. He’s an idiotic character who makes bad choices and doesn’t do anything for the development of the show. So, there’s that. Thanks for reading and thoughts lovely per usual! Xx  

Chapter Text

School the following week was torment. Sweet Pea had to act like Archie Andrews hadn’t just tried to murder his little sister. He knew, deep down, that Archie panicked when he heard the motorcycles. However, that did not give him a get out of jail free card for throwing his sister into the pool. They hadn’t even heard the splash or scream – if she had screamed – and Sweet Pea was kicking his own ass for wasting time checking upstairs and in different parts of the house for his sister. It was Jughead who glanced out of the back window and saw her flailing limbs. It was game over for Archie at that point.  

Now they were back in school. Sweet Pea a senior and Betty a junior. It was too much to hope for them to share the same classes when Sweet Pea was a whole grade above her. But he went to the games she cheered at – mainly football – and she had been at Archie’s game on Friday night. How the prick still got to play football after an attempted murder made Sweet Pea’s blood boil, but he and the Serpents were working on it.  

Jughead and FP had been adamant about not bringing the obsession to any more publicity than it already had. Archie’s goons on the football team knew he liked Betty but didn’t know how deep that obsession ran. So, Hal and Sweet Pea had decided to follow their leader’s lead on this. Maybe FP had an answer that they hadn’t yet thought of.  

Whatever the case, Sweet Pea was going to annihilate Archie if he so much as breathed in her direction. The bell rang just then, dismissing them for morning break, and Sweet Pea made a beeline with Joaquin to the Blue and Gold. It was where they and all their friends met for the morning break. It used to be the quad but ever since Archie had taken to harassing Betty outside, they moved into the Blue and Gold which had a lock on the door from the inside.  

Making their way down the hallways, Sweet Pea used his height advantage to look over the sea of students. Betty wasn’t anywhere to be seen nor was a ginger judas. And that didn’t sit right with Sweet Pea. He hurried down the hallways, elbowing some people out of his way in his rush. A guy shouted at him, and he flipped the bird, not so much as stopping to apologize. The tool would get over it.  

Reaching the Blue and Gold, he threw the door open frantically, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw Betty and Jughead typing away at the computers. Betty looked up, laughing quietly the next minute. “I came in here last period, Sweets.” 

“I just didn’t see Archie outside,” he said, feeling his heartrate return to normal.  

Jughead flickered his eyes to him and then back to the computer screen. “He’s running suicides with the rest of the football team. Something about their grades being dismal.” 

Sweet Pea snickered quietly to himself. One of the best things about having Betty as his sister meant that his grades weren’t bad. Betty tutored him in whichever subject was posing as a challenge for him.  

Betty grinned smally and then looked at Joaquin. “How’s Kev?” 

“He’s good,” Joaquin replied, playing with the cigarette behind his ear. It wasn’t allowed on school grounds, but he nor Sweet Pea had ever been one to follow the rules. At least Joaquin didn’t smoke it. Well, at least while he was at school. There was a new cigarette there at the start of each morning. “He wants to go on date night this weekend, but he also wants to see you.” 

Betty smiled tenderly. “Take him on a date, Quin. I can see him around your schedule.” 

“You got it, doll,” Joaquin replied with a warm smile. It wasn’t often that the Serpents were soft for anyone, but if they were, it was always for Betty.  

“I think we’ve reached a good stopping place,” Jughead said, stretching his arms above his head. Betty hummed and together they shut down their computers. Betty turned to Sweet Pea.  

“I have cheer practice tonight, but I’ll catch a ride home with Ronnie,” she said.  

Sweet Pea frowned. “Can’t Cheryl reschedule that?” 

“No,” she sighed. “We’ve got the game on Friday and the pep rally. We’ve got to be performance ready.” 

“Okay,” Sweet Pea said. He knew better than to question Cheryl’s practices, but he hated the fact that he and the other guys would be at a Serpent’s meeting that night. He’d feel much more comfortable if they gave her a ride home.  

Jughead spoke up just then. “Don’t leave Cheryl or Ronnies’ sides. Ride with one of them and carry your mace on you when you’re walking to whichever one’s car.” 

“I will,” Betty assured him, nodding at Sweet Pea the next moment, and he felt some of his anxiety abating.  

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go to our lockers and grab our stuff for after break. I want to get some coffee from the lounge.” 

Their student lounge was one of the best rooms on campus and Sweet Pea loved spending time there. They walked to their lockers, which placed Jughead and Betty next to each other, and Sweet Pea across the hall, and they started working on their combinations. Betty gasped quietly the next minute, and Sweet Pea was at their sides in an instant. He looked down and spotted the decapitated baby doll with a locket around its stomach.  

Growling, he nodded at Jughead, who walked Betty away from her locker, and he looked at the doll. There was a note on the back, and he flipped it over.  

Riddle me this:  

What has two legs but only one heart that beats endlessly for one soul?  

One, two,  

I’m coming for you.  

He crushed the paper in his hand, seeing bloodshed. 

Archie Andrews was a dead man walking.  

Chapter Text

Jughead pounded on the Andrews’ front door, fist shaking. He had seen the decapitated doll; had read the letter from none other than Archie. He knew Fred Andrews was at the construction site so that gave him ample opportunity to get his message across. Sweet Pea was right behind him, and Joaquin behind him.  

The door opened, and Jughead didn’t even hesitate before throwing a punch in the redhead dick’s smarmy face. He bent down, grabbing him by the lapels of his letterman jacket. “Stay. The fuck. A way from her. I won’t tell you again.” 

Archie laughed, lip busted, and Jughead felt a vindictive pleasure at the fact that he left the same cut on Archie’s lip that Archie had left on Betty’s. “She didn’t like the doll?” 

Sweet Pea rushed to where Archie was sitting on the ground and shook him around like a rag doll. “I will not say it again, Andrews. Stay the hell away from my sister. This sick infatuation and obsession you have with her ends. Now.” 

Archie stared at him, his eyes holding a crazed look, before he turned to Jughead. “Does she taste as good as she smells?” 

Sweet Pea punched him, losing his composure, but Jughead didn’t try to stop his best friend. He knew the taller was feeling animalistically protective over his little sister. Jughead didn’t blame him. He too was experiencing the same type of feelings. “Keep your fantasizes of my sister out of your mouth, you sick fuck.” 

Archie laughed, shoving off Sweet Pea and standing to his feet. “Message received. I’ll be going inside now.” 

Archie turned on his heel and walked back into his house, shutting the door loudly behind himself, and leaving the three guys outside to look at one another. It was Joaquin who broke the silence first. “We need to make sure Betty has someone with her at all times.” 

“She’s going to hate that, but I agree,” Jughead sighed.  

“I don’t give a fuck if she hates it,” Sweet Pea snapped. “Archie is dangerous. And he should be in jail ten times over, but let’s see if the message has finally sunk in.” 

Jughead hummed his affirmative, spinning on his heel the next moment. “Come on, the girls should be finished with cheer practice.” 

XXX 

They pulled up to the gym twenty-five minutes later and Jughead spotted Betty and Veronica walking out of the gym, arms linked, and Betty carrying her can of a mace. He smiled softly and got off his bike. “Betts.” The beautiful blonde looked up at him, smiling softly the next moment when she saw Sweet Pea and Joaquin too.  

“Hey,” she greeted them, going to kiss Jughead, who pulled her back into a second kiss after the first one was over. “What are you guys doing here? I was going to catch a ride with Ronnie.” 

“We decided to just meet you guys here,” Sweet Pea said. “Pops?” 

Jughead knew Sweet Pea had a crush on Ronnie and had for a couple of years now. He just didn’t know if the petite raven returned the feelings. Ronnie looked at Betty, who grinned, and the dark-haired Latina turned back to Sweet Pea. “We’d love to.” 

Sweet Pea grinned at her and offered her his helmet, which Veronica took with an unusually shy smile, and Jughead placed his own helmet onto his girlfriend’s head. He looked at Sweet Pea. “We’ll meet you there.” 

Jughead climbed onto his bike, with Betty following suit. She interlocked her fingers around his stomach, lacing them together, and he revved his engine. They were off the next moment, with Betty laughing delightedly.  

XXX 

At Pops, they all piled into a booth, with Joaquin sitting on the end. Kevin had been called and was due to meet them at any moment, Just then, there was a tinkling of the bell, and Jughead saw Kevin walking in. Joaquin went to go greet him, and Jughead placed an order for burgers and fries at the table. Joaquin sat back down, with Kevin kissing Betty’s cheek, and hugging Ronnie. “How was cheer rehearsal?” 

“Good,” Betty said. “I think we’re in really good shape for the game on Friday night.” 

“And we look even better for Homecoming,” Veronica grinned. Betty laughed, the sound warming Jughead’s heart.  

Sweet Pea looked at Ronnie. “Anyone ask you to Homecoming yet?” 

“Is that your way of asking me?” Veronica looked at him, slight smirk pulling at her lips.  

Sweet Pea ducked his head, grinning in embarrassment. “Ah, shit. I was going to have flowers.” 

“Get me them for the dance and I’m yours for the night,” she smirked at him.  

“Sold,” Sweet Pea grinned, and the two put their hands on the table to hold. Jughead and Betty exchanged a secret smile. It was sweet the way Sweet Pea could be soft for people. Someone who was so hardened and only getting more hardened needed his moments of softness. Ronnie and Betty pulled it out of him, and Jughead thought that if they dated, Ronnie and Sweet Pea would make a good couple.  

Betty cleared her throat, and they looked at her. “You two ever going to tell me what happened to your knuckles?” 

Jughead glanced down at his knuckles, frowning when he saw that they were cut up. “Ah shit.” 

Betty pressed a napkin with ice to his knuckles, while Veronica did the same thing with Sweet Pea, and the two women looked at them patiently. Sweet Pea sighed. “We were speaking to Andrews.” 

“And you let your fists do the talking?” Betty quirked an eyebrow. Sweet Pea huffed out a laugh.  

“Yes, you little shit,” he grinned at her.  

Jughead laughed. “You had to know we had to get our point across after the locker incident.” 

“What locker incident?” Kevin demanded, staring at Betty in concern.  

She sighed. “Andrews stuck a decapitated baby doll in my locker. I don’t know what else.” 

Jughead would tell her about the note, of course he would, but when she had time to process everything. Kevin sighed. “He’s such a creep.” 

“Well, I think we delivered the message,” Sweet Pea said. “Just don’t go anywhere on your own.” 

“I promise,” Betty assured him gently.  

Too bad that wasn’t a promise she’d be able to keep.  

Chapter Text

Homecoming day. The day the student body looked forward to the most. It was a chance to show off school spirit – not that Sweet Pea had any – and a chance not to take the day so seriously. He knew that the cheerleaders were gearing up for the game that night, as were the football players. Sweet Pea didn’t care about the game and was only going because Betty, Cheryl, and Ronnie were cheering. He needed to make sure his sister was safe first and foremost. Then he wanted to see Ronnie in her cheerleading uniform, showing off her legs. What could he say? He was a creature of habit.  

The Serpents, plus Cheryl, Ronnie, and Kevin, were all sitting outside, eating lunch in the grass. Betty and Jughead were sitting close to each other, Jughead’s arms wrapped around his little sister. If it had been anybody else, they’d be a dead man, but Sweet Pea trusted Jughead the most out of the Serpents. It was why he didn’t begrudge him the desire to date his sister. And they had been dating since Freshman year and had been best friends since kindergarten. It was only natural that dating came into the picture at some point.  

Ronnie was sitting next to him, laughing at something Cheryl said, and Sweet Pea was content. For all of two minutes before a ginger judas showed up that was not invited. Archie smiled at Betty, sneering at Sweet Pea and the rest of them the next minute. “Hey, Betts.” 

Sweet Pea’s hand twitched. He hated that prick called her by their nickname for her. “It’s Betty, Andrews.” 

“And yet, she’s not correcting me, is she, Cooper?” Archie demanded; smirk intact. Sweet Pea looked at his sister, who shook her head slightly, and he sighed. It wasn’t worth the fight.  

“Unless you want another shiner to match your other eye, I suggest you leave, Andrews,” Jughead snapped, tone dark.  

Archie just laughed and looked at Betty. “You look great in your uniform.” 

Jughead handed Betty his leather jacket as Sweet Pea and Joaquin stood at their feet, shielding her from view. Sweet Pea glared at Archie. “Go away.” 

“Seemed to have touched a nerve,” Archie snickered. “She won’t always be protected.” With that, he winked at Betty and walked away. Sweet Pea clenched and unclenched his fist, glaring at the back of the redhead’s head.  

“Archie Andrews is a thorn in my side,” he growled.  

“Yeah, but best to know what the enemy is doing,” Ronnie muttered, unfurling her legs and standing up. She placed a hand on Sweet Pea’s chest, soothing him with her ministrations alone, and he had to admit, it was working. He stared down at her, offering her a smile.  

“Thanks,” he said quietly, and she nodded, pressing a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. His skin felt warm where her lips had touched, and he grinned down at her goofily. Yeah, he was so far gone. 

“Come on,” Betty said, standing to her feet and tightening Jughead’s jacket around her body. “We’ve got the afternoon periods and then the pep rally. Then there is the game.” 

“I’ll walk you,” Jughead said, interlacing their fingers together. Sweet Pea held Ronnie’s hand and walked with her to her classroom as the group split up.  

“I promise,” Ronnie said quietly, looking up at him. “She won’t be on her own.” 

He knew that Ronnie would do anything to make sure Betty was safe and that caused his shoulders to loosen their rigidity. “Thanks, Ron.” 

“Any time,” she murmured, pressing her lips to the corner of his mouth once more. He wished he could feel her lips on his, but he knew that neither one of them were into huge public displays of affection. “I’ll see you at the game tonight.” 

XXX 

The pep rally went smoothly, with only Chuck and his boys calling out harassing comments to the cheerleaders. Jughead and Sweet Pea responded kindly with their fists, and then they went home to get ready for the game. The dance was the next night, and Sweet Pea had to admit he was excited to dance with Ronnie to a couple of slow songs. Betty was waiting for him downstairs, and he made his way towards her. He grinned when he spotted her and headed in her direction. “Jughead will meet us at the game, Sweets.” 

“That sounds good,” the taller agreed, looking at his mom and dad. Alice patted his cheek fondly, and Hal clapped him on the back.  

“Look after your sister for us,” Hal intoned quietly, and Sweet Pea nodded.  

“Always, dad,” he replied lowly. “You know that.” 

“Good man,” Hal said, stepping away from Sweet Pea the next minute. He looked at Betty. “You stay with your brother and friends tonight, you hear me?” 

Hal Cooper’s voice was unusually stern, and Betty kissed him on the cheek. “I promise, daddy.” 

Then they were heading out.  

XXX  

The game was one of their better ones for the team. Archie – unfortunately – scored the game winning point, and the crowd was besides themselves. Sweet Pea and Jughead were standing off on the sides, watching the girls cheer.  

Betty was on top of the pyramid, flipping off and into the arms of one of the male cheerleaders, and Ronnie was racing Cheryl along the length of the field in a series of cartwheels or whatever the fuck they were called.  

Sweet Pea and Jughead clapped and whistled with the rest of the stands and serpents and then the game was over. Moving quickly, Sweet Pea led the way to the field, looking at Ronnie and Betty. Ronnie jumped into his arms, hugged him tightly, and he laughed. “You did great.” 

“Thanks, Sweet Pea,” she murmured. He spun her around for a minute as Jughead kissed Betty in a secluded corner. Then Sweet Pea was watching as Archie strode up to them, eyes lit up. 

“Did you see me make the game-winning point, Betts?” Archie demanded, and Jughead narrowed his eyes at him, tightening his arm around her waist. 

“Come on, Archie,” Betty sighed. “Don’t do this.” 

“Do what?” Archie asked innocently. “Celebrate my win with the prettiest girl in school?” 

Sweet Pea didn’t give Archie a chance to crowd around Betty; he pushed him out of the way, and Betty and was walking off the field. The dance was the next night. Hopefully the drama will stay at a minimum. But Sweet Pea thought to himself as he stared at Archie, that didn’t seem like such a big possibility.  

Author’s notes: Homecoming dance up next. Some drama unfolds. Stay tuned and as always, would love thoughts! X 

Chapter Text

Betty smoothed out the creases in her dress, running her hands over the smooth silk. She had picked out this dress with Jughead in mind. Particularly, how easy it would be to have him take it off her. She shared a sly smirk with her reflection in the mirror before turning on her heel. She would do.  

Walking down the stairs, she made her way into the living room. Sweet Pea was already in there, letting Alice fuss over his suit and tie with a knowing smile. Betty flashed him one of her own before going to stand next to him. “Don’t you look nice?” 

“You don’t clean up too bad yourself, baby sis,” Sweet Pea replied, nudging her in the shoulder. She laughed, turning as the sound of motorcycles could be heard. Just then, the bikes stopped, and Betty watched as Jughead made his way toward the front door. She went to go let him in before he could even ring the bell, stealing a kiss or two as she did so.  

“You look stunning, baby,” he murmured lowly into her ear, causing her to flush with pride. She had worked so hard on her dress and getting it just right; she wanted to feel proud of her efforts.  

“You look handsome, too, Juggy,” she smiled at him shyly, and he ducked his head, a pleased smile resting against his lips. Then Sweet Pea was there, trying to usher everyone out of the house. Betty laughed, linking her arm with Jughead’s just as Veronica’s town car pulled up.  

“Oh, Ronnie is here,” Sweet Pea said, something akin to glee permeating his tone of voice.  

Betty shared a secret smile with Jughead as the two of them walked out of the house and down the stairs leading to the front lawn. She knew that Sweet Pea wouldn’t want an audience to be watching as he greeted Veronica, so she made sure there wasn’t one.  

Walking to her boyfriend’s motorcycle, she paused just shy of it, looking at her parents and then Jughead. Jughead was shaking his head no, as Veronica and Sweet Pea walked up to her. “We’re going to all go in my car.” 

Betty breathed a sigh of relief at that. She wouldn’t have to worry about her dress hitching up in the wind or something else. She grinned at Ronnie, ducking into the car the next moment as Jughead held the door open for her. Then he climbed in, and Sweet Pea was next. Ronnie slid into the side of the car, then Sweet Pea came after her. Then, they were off.  

XXX 

The dance was in full swing by the time they got there. People were dancing with one another, laughing with friends, and having an all-around good time. Betty was relieved to see that Archie was nowhere to be seen. Good, she didn’t want him to ruin the night for her. Jughead interlocked their fingers, pulling her out onto the dance floor as he spun her around. Laughing out loud, she settled herself into his arms, feeling safe and content. Two feelings that had eluded her for the time being.  

As they danced, she watched the other couples coming out onto the dance floor as well. There was Sweet Pea and Veronica, standing so intwined with one another, it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. She shook her head, laughing quietly at her brother. God love him, he tried his hardest.  

Jughead spun her around, dipping her down, and she laughed. She hadn’t had this much fun in ages. She knew that not every night could be like this, of course, but if she could just have a couple. It would be worth all the other bad nights. As Jughead dipped her down again, she looked up, seeing something that made her heart plummet into her stomach. Walking towards her, with a sneer on his face, was none other than Archie Andrews.  

Betty didn’t know what he wanted or what he was doing, accosting her at the dance, but she could guarantee it wouldn’t be a good thing. She sighed, allowing Jughead to pull her out of the dip and behind him. “Andrews.” 

“You look beautiful, Betts,” he said, keeping his eyes solely on her. Betty nodded, not sure what to say to that, and Sweet Pea shimmied his way over.  

“Andrews,” he said, glaring at the other guy.  

Archie just smiled, tipping his head in Betty’s direction. “Save a dance for me, would you?” 

“When hell freezes over,” Jughead snapped. She was inclined to agree with him. Archie just laughed, bending down to kiss Betty’s hand, and she withdrew it hastily. She wasn’t in much of the mood to give her boyfriend a reason to kick ass tonight. Even if Archie was looking to get his kicked.  

“Come on, Juggy,” she mumbled, leading him away from the redheaded idiot. She knew not to be around Archie tonight or any other night. “Let’s go get some punch.” 

Jughead nodded, sending one last glare in Archie’s direction before following her. Betty made sure to keep a tight hand on him, least of all they got separated, and they walked to the punch table. Once there, they poured themselves a glass of punch and watched as the other couples danced. Sipping at her drink, Betty felt the night relaxing around her. She kissed Jughead on the lips. “I’m going to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” He nodded his head, and she walked off. Heading to the restroom, she stepped inside the girl’s bathroom and splashed some cool water on her face before reapplying her lipstick. Then, she peed and washed her hands. Finally, she was heading back outside.  

Only to be stopped in her tracks.  

Archie was waiting for her on the other side of the bathroom, grinning at her like a lunatic. “Archie...” 

“Shh, babe,” he murmured lowly, pulling her into him. She tried to scream but he covered her mouth with cloth and dragged her away. She didn’t have time to wonder where they were going. She didn’t have time to do anything. She was completely and utterly screwed.  

Chapter Text

Jughead looked at the door of the gymnasium, hoping to see Betty at last. She hadn’t returned from the bathroom, and he had a sinking pit in his stomach. Sweet Pea walked up to him just then, frown etched into his features. “Where’s Betts?” 

“She went to the bathroom about five minutes ago,” Jughead admitted, running a shaking hand across his face. 

“Shit, she hasn’t come back yet?” Sweet Pea asked worriedly. Jughead shook his head. “Let’s go.” 

The two guys, along with Joaquin and Fangs, rushed out of the gym. Jughead would be damned before something happened to his girl. Once outside, he caught a glimpse of red hair and Jughead saw red. He ran up to them, spotting Betty digging her heels into the ground as she tried to cry for help around the gag in her mouth. Jughead didn’t think; just reacted, and threw a punch at Archie, who stumbled. Grabbing Betty, he yanked her into his arms, pulling out the gag. “Go wait behind Joaquin, baby. You’re safe.” 

She was trembling in his hold, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead, before sending her to Joaquin. He accepted her with open arms and placed her behind him. Sweet Pea was next to him in a flash, kicking Archie in the ribs. Jughead was livid and Sweet Pea yelled at him. “You took my sister?” 

Fists flying, Jughead unleashed his fury on Archie as he punched him. “Never. Touch Her. AGAIN.” His tone was firm as he delivered an uppercut to Archie’s slimy face. He didn’t bother to see if the message was received, though he highly suspected it had been. He turned on his heel and hurried to Betty, stamping a kiss to her lips as he cradled her head in his hands. “Let’s go.” 

He placed his jacket over her shoulders, guiding her to Veronica’s car. Ronnie had gotten the driver to bring around the car and Jughead was easing Betty into her seat. He fussed over her, checking her as he trembled and shook. “I’m all right, Juggy.” 

She just sounded really exhausted and Jughead swore he saw every shade of hellfire in that moment. He cradled her face in his palm. “Fuck. I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s not your fault,” she mumbled, but he pressed a finger to her lips, shushing her gently.  

“I should have gone with you to the bathroom,” he murmured. “And for that, I’m sorry.” 

“Archie is the only one who did something wrong in this case,” she reminded him, pressing a kiss to his finger.  

The car door opened just then and Jughead shielded Betty. “Relax man, it’s just us.” This was Sweet Pea as Ronnie slid into the car and began fussing over Betty. Jughead ran a hand through his inky hair, looking at Sweet Pea.  

“You handle Andrews?” Jughead asked quietly.  

“He won’t be able to walk for a week,” Sweet Pea muttered.  

Jughead breathed a sigh of relief at that. There was some good in the world, still. He nodded his head, looking at Betty, who was resting her head on her best friend’s shoulder. “Let’s go. The dance is a bust.” 

“Oh, but no,” Betty said, looking at Ronnie in alarm. “You and Sweets were having fun!” 

“We don’t care about that, hon,” Sweet Pea reminded her patiently. “Your wellbeing is what’s most important to us. To me.” 

“I’m sorry I’m such a hindrance,” Betty sighed, and Jughead felt his heart splinter. He scooted over to where she was, pulling her into his arms, and he kissed the top of her head. 

“You’re no such thing,” he said fiercely, carding his fingers through her blonde tresses. “It was Archie who took you.” 

“I shouldn't have gone to the bathroom,” Betty said dully.  

It was Ronnie who spoke up. “You’re allowed to have rights, Betty. You’re not allowed to feel guilty for that.” 

She looked at her and Jughead watched as her eyes grew tired. He knew the night had taken a toll on her. He shared a look with Sweet Pea, who nodded. “Let’s go get something to eat and then we can call it a night.” 

“Do you guys want to come stay at the Pembrooke?” Ronnie asked.  

Jughead looked at Betty, who smiled. “That sounds nice.” 

“We’ll be there,” Jughead assured his friend. Sweet Pea knocked on the divider in the car and called up to the driver’s seat.  

“Pops, please,” he said.  

Ronnie settled into her seat, with Betty laying her head on Jughead’s shoulder. He watched as the scenery flew by, wondering how on earth he was going to be able to protect his girlfriend.  

XXX 

At Pops, Jughead guided Betty into the restaurant, with Sweet Pea and Ronnie following behind them. The sounds of motorcycles could be heard and soon enough, they saw Joaquin, Kevin, and Fangs all appear. Fangs went to the dance stag, whereas Kevin and Joaquin went together. Joaquin hurried over to Betty. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m all right,” she murmured, and Kevin pulled her into a gentle hug.  

“Toni and Cheryl are going to stop by and see you tomorrow,” he told his friend, and Betty sighed. 

“I hate that this affects us all,” she muttered.  

Jughead interlocked their fingers together and gently pulled her in the direction of the door. “When one of us is hurt, we’re all hurt.” 

“Yeah, Betts,” Sweet Pea intoned as he wrapped his arm around Ronnie. “It’s that simple for us.” 

She nodded and Jughead led her into the establishment, trying not to overcrowd her but wanting to be close to her just in case. He sat down in a booth, pulling her down next to him, and Sweet Pea and Ronnie sat across from him. Sharing a look with Sweet Pea, the shorter nodded at the taller. They had their work cut out for them. It was a whole different game now. Archie Andrews made damn fucking sure of that. And Jughead personally wouldn’t rest until he was six feet in the ground. He would see to that.  

Chapter Text

Sweet Pea kept a close eye on Betty after the dance. The group ate Pops, with Cheryl and Toni coming by after they were announced Homecoming Queens. At least Riverdale was up to date on equal rights. He knew that Betty was happy for them, but the night had definitely taken its toll. It was too much to hope for some peace. Not with Andrews doing the shit that he was doing. 

And that pissed off Sweet Pea the most. The mere fact that Archie had taken his sister and attempted to take her from the dance. The fact that he had put cloth in her mouth to prevent her from screaming out had settled like a weight in Sweet Pea’s stomach, and he was so over Archie Andrews and his obsession.  

Sighing softly, he threw money down on the table and stood on his feet. “We ready to go?” 

Jughead nodded, paying for his and Betty’s dinner, then stood up as well. He placed his jacket over her shoulders and tucked her into his side. “Let’s go.” 

Betty rested her head on his shoulder and Sweet Pea interlaced his fingers with Ronnie. Then the two of them were leading the way back to her town car. He had been so thrilled when Ronnie agreed to go to the dance with him, but even he had to admit the night had been awful. Well, not all of it. He had snuck a couple of kisses in with Ronnie and had felt great. But Archie attempting to take his sister had been the final nail in the coffin for him. 

They climbed into the car, with Toni and Cheryl agreeing to meet them at the Pembrooke, and then the driver was taking off. Betty was talking quietly to Jughead and Sweet Pea watched as his best friend nodded at his girlfriend. “What’s up?” 

“We’re wondering if we can make snacks and things,” Betty said, looking at Ronnie. Ronnie laughed.  

“Of course, girl,” she replied. “I’ve got the makings for hot chocolate and popcorn.” 

That sounded good to Sweet Pea and honestly, he just wanted a night to decompress. He wanted a night with his friends and family; making sure his baby sister was safe. That was what tonight was supposed to be about, but in Archie’s attempt at kidnapping Betty – and he had attempted to kidnap her – Sweet Pea didn’t feel much safety cocooning them. When they pulled up to Pembrooke, the driver dropped them off and the group walked into Ronnie’s home. Her parents were out of town – no surprise there - and the group had free reign for the night.  

Sweet Pea and Jughead went to go count bedrooms, to see where everyone would sleep, and Betty, Cheryl, Ronnie, and Toni went into the kitchen. He wanted to keep an eye on his sister, but he also knew that she wanted a moment to collect herself. She must have been so terrified when Archie dragged her away from the dance. Sitting down on a bed in one of the rooms, Sweet Pea stared at nothing in particular. He didn’t know what to do right then to keep his sister safe. He didn’t know if there was anything he could do. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try.  

Jughead walked in then, sitting down next to him on the bed, and Sweet Pea looked at his best friend. “I’m fucking scared.” 

“So, I am,” Jughead said hoarsely. “Archie tried to kidnap her tonight.” 

“I have no idea what would have happened if we didn’t go looking for her when we did,” Sweet Pea muttered.  

Jughead sighed. “I want around the clock protection on her.” 

“Is that your decree or your father’s?” Sweet Pea asked.  

“Mine,” Jughead replied quietly. “She’s going to hate it and be a pain in my ass about it, but I’d sleep much better knowing she’s safe.” 

“Me too,” Sweet Pea admitted. The two guys looked at each other for a moment before nodding and standing on their feet. They left the room, heading back down into the kitchen where the girls were. Jughead broke off and headed to Betty, kissing the nape of her neck, and Sweet Pea went to Ronnie. “Can I help?” 

“Carry the tray of food?” Ronnie asked quietly, pressing a tender kiss to his lips. Sweet Pea nodded, relishing the kiss, and grabbed the tray. They all piled out of the kitchen and into the living room, with Ronnie saying they could get a drink from her dad’s bar if they wanted, and Sweet Pea set the tray down. He was nervous. Couldn’t help but feel like something was about to go dreadfully wrong.  

Betty sat down in Jughead’s lap, changed into her pajamas, and Jughead cuddled her close. Sweet Pea was at least grateful for the fact that they were together. Jughead was a good guy with a good head on his shoulders. He wouldn’t let anything happen to Betty, even if stricter than necessary rules had to be implemented. “So.” Jughead looked at Betty. “New restrictions and protocols are in place.” 

“Like what?” Betty demanded, narrowing her eyes to him.  

“You are to never be on your own,” Jughead said firmly. “No matter what. That’s my decree.” 

“You can’t boss me around, Juggy,” Betty exhaled.  

Jughead shook his head. “It’s not about bossing you around, babe. That’s never been what this is about. But Archie tried to kidnap tonight. He would have succeeded too if we hadn’t come when we did. I can’t let him get that close to you again.” 

Cheryl spoke up. “I know we’re not going to the cops, and I respect that. But Betty is to never be on her own.” 

“Yeah, Betts,” Sweet Pea chimed in. “One of us is to be with you at all times.” 

Betty rolled her eyes but nodded. “Who needs freedom anyways?” 

Jughead pressed a kiss to her lips, then looked at Sweet Pea. “We start tonight.” 

No doubt about it.

Chapter Text

Jughead stuck true to his word about guarding Betty more. But he thought to himself, the least he could do was make it more enjoyable for her. What better way to do that than bring her out on a date? No Serpents, no older brothers, no nothing. Just the two of them together, enjoying a dinner at Pops and a movie at the Drive-In. He lived for nights like these. Looking at Betty, he smiled at her from where he was sat in the booth seat across from her. Pop had already brought them their food and they were both enjoying one of his signature burgers.  

He knew that every night couldn’t be this easy; that things would happen that would force him to act as the protector, but for now, he was content to enjoy the night with his girl. Laughing at something Betty said, he took a bite of his burger, washing it down with a sip of soda afterwards. “Well, Betts, it's been a full twenty-four hours since I’ve implemented the new safety protocols, and you haven’t killed me.” 

“Yet,” she commented dryly, offering him a gentle smile the next minute. “No, I understand what you did it, Juggy. I’m not happy about it but I do understand it. Archie is getting more and more dangerous. Something must give.” 

Jughead swallowed another bite of his burger. “And something tells me it’s not going to be him. He’s too delusional to realize that what he is doing is wrong.” 

Betty expelled a soft sigh, taking her own bite of her burger. Chewing thoughtfully, she spoke up only when she had swallowed her food. “I know. And he’s scaring me.” 

Jughead’s heart ached at the thought. There shouldn’t be anything that terrified her, but he knew that was a tall order where Archie Andrews was concerned. The redheaded dick had tried to drown her. Of course she was terrified. “Can you tell me a little bit about that fear?” 

She sighed softly, eyes growing unfocused as she thought about his question. “Well, I suppose it has a lot to do with the fact that I’m scared to leave the house. Archie is obsessed with getting me on my own and I’m afraid he’s going to succeed one day. He’s already tried to drown me.” 

So, her thoughts were in line with his. He sighed, placing his burger down on his plate and going to grab her hand. Tracing soothing circles into the back of her palm, he began speaking in quiet, soothing tones, a second later. “Betty. We’re not going to let him have the chance of getting to you again. Not in the way he has in the past. We’re going to implement stricter rules and protocols. We’re going to have someone with you at all times. You’re never going to be on your own long enough for him to get the chance to get to you. I will fucking see to that. I swear to you.” 

Betty traced his features with her eyes, taking in all of his expressions, and she grinned softly the next second. She leaned across the table, placing a gentle and thorough kiss to his lips, and he cupped her cheek. They didn’t usually show a lot of PDA but he didn’t care in this situation. He knew that his girl needed to be reassured, and he was happy to do that for her. To provide that comfort for her. He kissed her languidly, pulling back the next second after they had had their fill. He looked at her and she spoke softly. “I love you. I love you so much it hurts at times. I know that you’re putting in all these new safety procedures because you want to see that I will be safe. I promise you that I will be. I won’t go around, trying to dodge the new regulations because I know that you have my best interests at heart.” 

He soothed the pad of his thumb along the side of her jaw, looking at her softly. “I really do. I didn’t put these new restrictions into place just to be a dick. I know my decree carries a lot of weight and I don’t take that lightly. That said, I don’t take your wellbeing lightly, either. Archie is dangerous and has shown he has no problem trying to kill you if it meant protecting his own ass.” Jughead knew this much to be true. Archie never cared who he hurt, if his ass was protected. Even if it meant hurting the girl he claimed to love.  

Betty sighed softly. “I know. I don’t think he even knows what it means to love someone anymore.” 

“He doesn’t,” Jughead agreed quietly, voice nothing more than a vehement hiss. “He’s deluded himself into thinking that he loves you but he’s escalating on how dangerous he’s becoming. And that’s why I’ve put the decree in place. It isn’t to control you or make sure you’re doing what I want you to, and I think you know that.” 

She smiled slightly. “I do. I did. I was just frustrated at the situation in general when I said that at Ronnie’s.” 

“I get that,” he agreed quietly, and he did. While this whole situation was hard on him and the rest of the Serpents, he couldn’t imagine how hard it was for Betty. She was the one who had to live the harrowing life of being Archie’s obsession. He couldn’t imagine how hard that was, and it made him want to protect her more. He knew he wasn’t naturally a tyrant, but he would do whatever it took to make sure she was safe. Her safety trumped everything else, and it had already been jeopardized twice. Once, when Archie tried to drown her, and then when he tried to kidnap her.  

Perhaps Betty could see the tension in his taut muscles, because she was smiling softly a moment later and pressing another brutally gentle kiss to his lips. “I promise you, Juggy. I’ll be safe.” 

He would see to it that she was.  

Chapter Text

Betty sighed softly as she wrote down her essay questions. She knew she needed to be focusing on schoolwork; that Junior year was one of the most challenging, if not the most challenging, but she couldn’t get her mind to focus. She could feel eyes burning into the back of her head and knew that Archie was watching her. Obsessing over her. Waiting to get her on her own. Any of the above. And she knew that one day, he would succeed. 

He was too methodical and precise to not succeed. She just hoped none of her friends were around when he did get to her. She wanted to eliminate as many casualties as possible. That was her job as a defender. 

Sighing softly, she returned her attention back to her essay and read over what she had written. She was relatively pleased with it and stood up, going to place it on the teacher’s desk. Their teacher had said they were good to go after they had completed their essays, so she picked up her book bag and headed out of the room. She had only made it a few steps before she heard her name being called. “Betty! Betty, wait up!”

She looked around the empty hallways for any sign of help but found none. Sighing softly, she stopped on her heels, turning slowly to see none other than the ginger judas approaching her. There was a twisted smile on his features, and Betty wished she had a can of mace or something. “What do you want, Archie?”

“I never got to apologize for the dance,” he admitted, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

“Oh?” Betty asked, quirking an eyebrow. “You mean when you gagged me and tried to remove me from the dance forcibly, without anyone knowing?”

Archie’s eyes narrowed but then smoothed out. “Yeah. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“You shouldn’t have done a lot of things, and yet, here we are,” Betty stared at him, eyes hard as she kept her glare locked on him. She wasn’t going to show him anymore fear. Not ever again. 

Archie pressed her up against the lockers and her breath hitched. She may have no problem glaring at him, but he was still twice her size. And that's saying something. She glanced around the hallway, but again, there was no one there. Turning her attention back onto him, she swallowed thickly at the predator-like look in his eyes. “When are you going to realize I do this all for you?”

“And when are you going to realize that I don’t care about any of it?” Betty demanded, jabbing a finger into his chest. 

Archie tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and she swatted his hand away. He just laughed. “One day, my advances will be appreciated.”

“When hell freezes over,” she hissed. The bell rang just then and he backed away from her, joining the throng of students as they all poured out of the classrooms on either side of them. Betty was catching her breath as he sauntered off. Dick. 

XXX

The rest of the day passed in its usual fashion. She knew that she needed to at least tell Jughead what had happened but she wasn’t in much of the mood to piss her boyfriend off. She knew he wouldn’t be mad at her, of course, but his anger at Archie would be felt by all. And she just didn’t have the energy to deal with that. So, she’d keep her encounter with Archie Andrews to herself. It was the easiest thing to do. 

They were all currently sitting outside, enjoying lunch, and Betty was leaning against Jughead’s chest. His arms and legs were wrapped around her and he was laughing at something Sweet Pea was saying. Betty was feeling very warm and safe; cocooned inside the safety net that was her boyfriend. She knew it wouldn’t and couldn’t alway be like this but for now, she’d take the win. Sweet Pea was talking and she caught Ronnie’s eye. Her best friend was absolutely smitten with her brother and she couldn’t be happier for them. Ronnie was good for her brother in ways that Betty had yet to see with any of the other flings he had had. Sweet Pea hadn’t been a one girl type of person until Veronica moved to Riverdale. But the moment the latina heiress stepped into their diner, he was gone. And she loved that for him. 

Betty sighed softly, making sure to keep her sweater pulled up. Archie had put his hands around her neck at one point during their exchange, and she had found finger imprints there on her skin. She knew that if Sweet Pea and Jughead saw it, Archie would be murdered. There was no doubt about that in her mind. And she didn’t want her brother and boyfriend to both go to jail for her. So, she had applied concealer and then kept her sweater on. The least amount of damage as possible was her end goal. 

Betty snuggled deeper into Jughead’s chest and he pressed a kiss to her cheek. She was warm and safe. Two feelings that lacked in her life thanks to Archie. And she wasn’t surprised. Archie was a dick. He took and he took with no regard from who he was taking from. Sweet Pea spoke up just then. “We’re going to ride over to Greendale this weekend. Go shopping. Who’s all in?”

Jughead nodded at Betty, who grinned, and then he turned back to Sweet Pea. “Count us in.”

Toni and Cheryl added their own affirmative and Kevin and Joaquin said they were in as well. Betty was excited. A weekend in Greendale with her friends sounded exactly like the type of getaway she needed. She didn’t want to have to worry about anything and this seemed like the perfect time. Too bad, the weekend would prove to be more dangerous than she could have ever anticipated. And that would come back to haunt her in the end.

Chapter Text

Sweet Pea was the first to reach Greendale. He had Veronica wrapped around his waist, holding onto him as she laughed joyously. Jughead and Betty were the next to zip over the city line. Then came Cheryl and Toni followed by Joaquin and Kevin. Fangs was riding solo - the way that he preferred - and Sweet Pea nodded at his friends, family, and men alike. They were all accounted for. He looked at Betty. “Where do you want to go first?”

“Let’s go to the mall,” she said after a moment’s deliberation. “It has the biggest bookstore this side of New York.”

Jughead nodded, with Sweet Pea humming his approval as their friends all agreed. Then they were off once more, Sweet Pea not clocking the truck that was following them at a distance. 

XXX

Sweet Pea parked at the mall, getting off his bike after Ronnie got off. Then Jughead and Betty were following them. He looked over his shoulder, to make sure everyone was accounted for, and then they all headed into the mall. Sweet Pea watched as everyone banded into a group and began walking the mall. Sweet Pea was holding hands with Ronnie and Jughead was holding hands with Betty. He knew that his baby sister was in good care. 

As they walked, Betty talked. “So, I was thinking we could go to the bookstore and then to a clothing department. Ronnie and I were talking and we thought it would be fun to go up to her family’s cabin for Christmas.”

Sweet Pea looked at Ronnie. That was the first he was hearing of this. “Are your parents cool with that, babe?”

“Please,” Ronnie scoffed. “They actually have to give a damn about me in order to care.”

Sweet Pea’s heart twinged. He knew his girlfriend’s parents were really fucked up people but to not care about their daughter. That was low, even for them. Jughead spoke up. “We’ll be there, Ron.”

Betty nodded at her best friend and Sweet Pea squeezed her hand. Veronica smiled happily and then they were walking into the bookstore. 

XXX

Betty’s P.O.V.

Betty kept a tight hand on Jughead. She had seen what the others had not: Archie’s dads’ truck following them at a safe distance. To be honest, Betty wasn’t surprised about this. Archie couldn’t help but show up when he least needed to; when they least expected him. She hadn’t told Jughead for fear that her boyfriend would commit murder, but she did keep close to him. Given Archie’s darker obsession lately, it wouldn’t tip Jughead off into thinking there was anything amiss. And Betty didn’t want to worry anyone. Archie was following at a safe distance and if all he did was follow them, that’d be fine. It wasn’t a crime to go shopping.

She browsed the shelves of books in the store, adding more to her collection here and there. Her parents had given her an early birthday present to get up to ten books, and she was going to enjoy it. Her birthday was Christmas Eve, and Betty knew they’d celebrate it with a snack night, and then Christmas the next day. Then she’d be out of town with her friends at Ronnie’s cabin. It would be then that they celebrated her birthday. Not that she needed them to, of course.

Betty pulled down a copy of Beloved, looking over the book. No matter how many copies she had, she always wanted one more. She put it in her basket and kept walking with Jughead. Jughead was also looking at books and stealing kisses every so often. She couldn’t get enough of him and had decided to not tell him about the fact that Archie left his fingerprints on her. He didn’t need to get upset by that. 

As they walked to the cashier, they set their stuff up on the counter. Betty bought her early birthday gift with her parent’s money, and then Sweet Pea got his own, as did everyone else. Then they looked at each other. “Now what?” Betty asked.

“Let’s go to that clothing department and then the food court,” Cheryl suggested, and Toni hummed her agreement. Joaquin had his arm wrapped around Kevin’s shoulders and Kevin smiled. 

“Sounds good. We can get some new winter outfits for the cabin and then I can start browning for Christmas gifts,” he said. 

“Speaking of,” Ronnie replied. “We’re going to do a white santa this year. Draw a name out of a Santa hat and put a limit of one hundred dollars on the Christmas item we can be.”

Sweet Pea grinned. “But couples can get each other their own things for Christmas.”

“That sounds good,” Jughead agreed, interlacing his fingers with Betty as they paid for their purchases and walked out of the store. They made their way down to the clothing department they wanted to look in and each began looking for some outfits. Of course, it was Ronnie’s idea to treat them all and even though Jughead and Betty tried to talk her down, she was adamant. Betty’s heart hurt over the fact that her best friend felt like she had to buy their love because she had to buy her parent’s love. She looped her arm through hers and walked with her. 

“You don’t have to do this, V,” Betty said quietly, laying her head on Veronica’s shoulder. 

Veronica patted the side of her head. “I know. But I want to.” 

And Betty knew that was the most she was going to get out of her. She sighed but accepted her answer for what it was worth as they went to go check out at the front of this store. Once they were all checked out, Betty discreetly looked over her shoulder but couldn’t see Archie anywhere. Good. Maybe he left. They walked to the food court and split up to go to various restaurants inside of it. Betty separated from them and headed to the bathroom. Walking in, she took note of the fact that she was the only one in there. Good. She could pee in peace. Relieving herself, she stood up and pulled her jeans back up just as her stall door was kicked in. Betty froze, staring at Archie Andrews as his hand came up to cover her mouth so she couldn’t scream. 

“Hi, baby. Didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?”

She was fucked.

Chapter Text

Betty stood in the stall, trembling. She didn’t want to give Archie the satisfaction of knowing he terrified her, but that’s exactly what he did. She was terrified to the bone. She didn’t know what he wanted to happen or what he was going to do and all she could do was pray to God, he didn’t hurt her. His eyes held a malicious intent to them, and he was smirking down at her. Then he gripped her chin and forced a rough kiss onto her. She snapped into action and slapped him across the face, causing him to yelp and back up a pace. “Get the fuck off me, Archie.” Her voice was nothing more than a venomous hiss. “You ever kiss me again without my permission and I’ll make you wish you never been born.” 

He stared at her in surprise, almost as if he was shocked, she had that type of fight in her, and then he slinked away, tail between his legs. She was breathing a bit heavier than normal, and she took a minute to compose herself and consider her options. Was this something she wanted to tell her friends and family? Not particularly. Sweet Pea would go on a riot and Jughead would help him hide the body. She licked her lips, rubbing her hand across them to remove the feel of Archie’s skin on her. It was easy: she wasn’t going to tell them.  

Mind made up, she walked out of the stall and towards the sink, going to splash some cool water on her face. She didn’t want to keep things from Jughead, but she knew her boyfriend would react badly to Archie forcing himself on her. She didn’t want that. And she didn’t want to have to worry about if he would go to jail or not. Betty washed her hands, giving herself a thorough once over in the mirror. Then she pushed the event to the back of her mind, not to be forgotten but dealt with later and walked out of the bathroom. She could do this. 

XXX 

The rest of the day was filled with shopping and laughter. She thoroughly enjoyed herself and her time with her boyfriend and friends. When they had all gotten what they wanted, they headed back to the bikes. Betty hopped onto Jughead’s bike after he got on, and she nodded at Sweet Pea. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Make smart choices, kiddos,” Sweet Pea drawled, Ronnie laughing as she wrapped her own arms around his waist. Then Jughead was peeling off and Betty was laughing.  

They raced through the streets of Greendale, heading to the hotel room that Jughead had booked for the night. She knew they would most likely sleep together – their nights alone always resulted in that – and Betty didn’t think once about the kiss. She didn’t want Archie to ruin her day and knew Jughead would understand why she didn’t tell him. So, she held onto that faith and just enjoyed the wind caressing her cheeks.  

XXX 

Later, when they were lying next to each other, naked, in the hotel bed, Betty sighed happily. She had her cheek pressed against his chest and his arms were warm anchors around her back. She felt safe and content. “Did you have a good time today, baby?” 

Minus the thing with Archie..., “I did.” 

Jughead pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, lips warming the spot there. “Good. We all just wanted today to be a good day for you.” 

“It was,” she assured him softly, and he wrapped his arms tighter around her. She felt warm in his embrace and knew she was safe with him, a feeling she lacked in the bathroom stall earlier that day. She knew Archie’s goal was to make her feel unsafe. And she hated him for that.  

“Good,” he murmured, bending down and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. She felt warm and cocooned inside the kiss, encased in her boyfriend’s warm safety blanket. He looked at her. “You know I’d do anything for you, right?” 

She smiled softly, cupping his cheek tenderly. “I know, Juggy. I’ve always known that.” 

“And you know I didn’t set these new safety implements into place because I want to control you?” Jughead checked. 

She softened her gaze on him, taking her turn to press a brutally gentle kiss to his lips. “I know. I promise I know.” 

He sighed in relief, body sagging onto hers. “Thank God, baby.” 

She laughed. She knew her boyfriend worried about controlling her too much. It came with being a leader of the gang. He had rules he had to follow and implement, therefore meaning she had to follow them.  But she also knew that he never wanted her to feel like she couldn’t make her own choices. And, having a brother in the gang as a righthand man meant she knew a thing or two about rules in general. They were procedures locked in place. She respected that. “You don’t have to worry about me not understanding that Juggy. I promise you; I do.” 

He smiled at her tenderly and she felt her conscience give a squirm of guilt. She really should tell him about the kiss soon. She just...didn’t want to see his good mood get ruined. “So. Your birthday is coming up.” 

“Yes,” she smiled shyly. 

“Seventeen,” he grinned at her, and she laughed. She couldn’t believe she was so close to adulthood. Just a year more.  

“Yeah,” she laughed.  

“How do you feel about going out of town with me the first week of winter break? Just for a couple of days?” Jughead asked.  

She thought about it. They had three weeks of winter break. The first with him and her family and then the last two at the cabin. That worked. “That sounds good to me, Juggy.” 

He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “Prepared to be spoiled rotten, babe.” 

She couldn’t help it, she laughed. She was warm and safe, and, minus the kiss, it had been a good day. She was hoping for more like these. She kissed him back. “I love you.” 

“I love you too, my Betts.” 

She was warm.  

Chapter Text

Jughead watched Betty carefully from his position in the top of the stands. They were having a football game that night, their last of the season, and Betty was at the top of the pyramid. He would be lying if he said seeing her up that high didn’t scare him a little. He didn’t want her to fall and break her ankle. He watched as she flipped off the pyramid, being caught by their male cheerleaders, and jumped to his feet with the rest of the stands as Chuck scored the game-winning point. Another game, another night for Friday Night Lights as Jughead called it. Small-town vibes and people eager to see a good football game.  

Archie had been playing since they were children. He remembers chasing the redheaded boy around the playground, reaching out his arms for the football that Archie never wanted to share. Even at that young age, he was selfish. Sweet Pea was whistling as Toni, Cheryl, and Veronica were racing each other up and down the field in a series of complicated flips. Betty somersaulted over to them and the four of them completed the cheer.  

Thank God. The game was over. They could go to Pops and then Jughead could take Betty back to her place to grab her suitcase. They were going to have a few days away from everyone as they celebrated his girl’s birthday. She was turning seventeen, which was a good number, and then they’d both be eighteen the next year. He had a lot of things in mind for her eighteenth birthday. Just then, Sweet Pea ushered them off the stands and to where the cheerleaders were conversing with the football players. Jughead saw Archie making his way towards Betty the same time that Sweet Pea did and nodded his head. “I’ll handle it.” 

Sweet Pea nodded and made his way towards Betty and the girls as Jughead doubled-back and headed towards Archie. He caught him by the shoulder and held him in place. “Don’t.” His voice was nothing more than a visceral hiss. Archie smirked.  

“Won’t always be around to protect her, Jug,” he said, eyes alight with a feverish energy that churned Jughead’s stomach. He glared at him until Archie snickered and sauntered off. The inexcusable prick.  

Then hands covered his eyes, and he laughed as Betty pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Hi boyfriend.” 

“Oh, hi, girlfriend,” he laughed, turning around in her arms and pressing a kiss to her lips. Her lips were warm and inviting and he threaded his fingers through her blonde tresses, pulling her hair out of its ponytail. They kissed for a solid minute until someone cleared their throat. Pulling away from her, he grinned down at the knowing look on Ronnie’s face. 

“I know you want time with your girl, Jug, but we all do,” Veronica reminded him. “You’re about to be alone with her for three days. Let us at least have a meal with her.” 

Jughead laughed, nodding his head as he went to go wrap his arm around his girlfriend’s waist loosely. Sweet Pea was doing a headcount of everyone, making sure everyone was there, and then the taller was heading in their direction. “We’re ready?” Sweet Pea asked, going to entangle his hand with Ronnie’s. The shorter pressed her lips to his cheek and smiled.  

“We’re ready,” she replied. Then they were off.  

XXX  

Pops was crowded, not one booth empty. Jughead and Sweet Pea squeezed together a couple of chairs around their booth to make room for Kevin and Joaquin who, at the last minute, decided to come with him instead of going to Joaquin’s place. Betty was dipping one of her French fries into her vanilla shake, laughing at something Cheryl was telling her. Jughead could feel eyes on him and looked up. Toni was looking at him, and he ducked his head. He knew that she knew Betty was the one. There was no way that she wasn’t.  

Just then, raucous laughter could be heard as the door slammed open, and Jughead sighed. Chuck and his dimwit dicks were there. Great. Keeping one eye on them and one eye on his friends and family, Jughead made sure things stayed nice. Betty stood up a minute later. “I’ve got to go to the bathroom.” 

Jughead hopped over the booth bench to let her out and kept an eye on her as she walked into the ladies’ room. Jughead then turned back in time to hear what Sweet Pea was saying. “We all bought Betts’s her gifts so make sure you guys come home at a reasonable time in three days.” 

“Will do, man,” Jughead replied, glancing at his watch. A couple of minutes had passed. He’d give Betty a couple more before he went to go look for her. Just then, he heard her cry out.  

“Get the hell off me, Clayton!” Betty yelled, and Sweet Pea, Jughead, and Joaquin were all hauling ass to the dark hallway by the secluded bathrooms. Chuck had Betty pressed up against the wall, trying to kiss her neck as she turned away from him. Jughead didn’t think. Just reacted. He yanked him off, shoving his body up against the wall as he twisted his arm behind his back.  

“Touch her again,” he said in a deadly quiet voice, “and you can kiss your football career goodbye. Do you understand?”  

Chuck grunted and Jughead applied more pressure to his arm. “All right, man! I understand!” 

Jughead threw him away from him, bodily slamming him away from Betty, then he turned and checked on her. “You, okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she murmured, turning to look at the other two men. “Did you all seriously come?” 

“When Betty screams, we run,” Joaquin said, kicking Chuck once in the ribs for good measure. Jughead caught her hand in his, holding it gently.  

“You ready to go get your stuff and get out of town for a bit?” Jughead asked.  

“Born ready, Juggy,” Betty smiled.  

He kissed her once, then her forehead, and then they were on their way, away from the drama of Riverdale.  

Chapter Text

Betty and Jughead made it to the little cabin that Jughead had rented for the first three days of their Christmas break. She knew that there was going to be a few days of downtime, and she was thoroughly looking forward to that. Anything to get her away from Archie and his obsession.  

She knew that Jughead wanted this getaway to go perfectly, but she had no such outrageous standards. She expected it to be a fun getaway, certainly, but she didn’t place any high expectations onto Jughead’s shoulders. He did that all himself. She looked around the cabin, noting how cozy it looked. “This cabin is really quaint and beautiful, Juggy.” 

“I thought so too, when I first saw it,” he agreed, shedding his leather jacket, and kicking off his riding boots. Betty went to her duffel bag and pulled out a pair of black leggings and a cashmere sweater, grabbing a thick pair of woolen socks next. Looking around, she spotted the bathroom tucked away into a little nook and tilted her head towards it.  

“I’m going to go shower and get into something comfortable,” she said. “Care to join me?”  

Jughead smirked, taking off his beanie and jeans. “Let’s go.” 

Snickering slightly, she ran to the bathroom, laughing as Jughead slapped her ass. 

XXX 

After their round in the shower, Betty was sitting on the couch, feet tucked up underneath her as she rested her head on Jughead’s shoulder. The next day was her birthday, and she couldn’t believe she was a year away from adulthood. So much had changed in the years that she had grown up in. She knew that there were a lot of things she could be thankful for, but there were some things she wasn’t. Archie being one of them. The ginger-haired man had made her life a living hell. And she didn’t think she had deserved that. But what could be done about it? To be fair, she hadn’t even told Jughead and Sweet Pea about the fact that he had caught up to her at the Greendale mall. She had been grateful that the fingerprints around her neck had faded, too. 

Jughead pressed a kiss to her damp hair before standing to his feet. “You want some coffee or something?” 

“Is there tea?” Betty asked hopefully. Jughead cracked a grin.  

“Peppermint, okay?” Jughead replied, and Betty sighed happily.  

“Perfect,” she murmured, and Jughead pressed a gentle kiss to her lips before getting to his feet.  

“I’ll go make us some,” he said, walking towards the kitchen. Betty turned back to stare at the fire in the crate. She was warm and cozy, a feeling that she hadn’t had in a while. She knew that Archie had taken away a lot of her sense of security, and she hated him for that. She hated that Archie made her scared to live her life. And he did. She didn’t do anything on her own anymore – not since he threw her into the pool and tried to drown her. Had she not been on her own that day, she’d have avoided him attempting to kill her...  

Jughead walked back into the living room, handing her the cup of tea and then cradling his own. She cradled it in her palms, letting the heat seep through. Tendrils of steam billowed from the cup, kissing her cheeks tenderly, and she felt warm. She looked at Jughead, and he grinned at her. She smiled back. “Are we going to do Christmas while we’re here too?” 

Betty normally wasn’t one to ask to do Christmas and her birthday, since they were so close to each other, but Jughead always made sure to celebrate both days separately. So, she had brought his Christmas presents, just in case. He looked at her. “I thought we could just make this trip about your birthday and then celebrate Christmas when we get back to Riverdale.” 

It wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear, but it was the answer she expected. Jughead wouldn’t want her birthday to lose attention. Not when it was just the two of them. She nodded, pressing a soft and sweet kiss to his lips, He kissed her forehead and then pulled her back down onto his chest. She took a sip of her tea before going willingly, and she settled herself into his warm embrace. She knew that while they were tucked away in this quiet, cozy corner of the world, nothing could hurt them. Not Archie, not Chuck, not anything.  

And she lived for that.  

Sighing softly, she returned her attention back onto the fire, watching the flames lick the crate. It was warm and snug in their cabin, and she found herself not having a care in the world. Jughead carded his fingers through her golden tresses that were mostly air-dried now, and she closed her eyes. “I love you.” 

“I love you too, my Betts,” he whispered, tone awed, and she felt safe. It was a rare occurrence in her life, and she was ready to revel in it completely. She knew that Archie would most likely be making an appearance sometime soon. Sooner than later, at least. And she knew Jughead was reaching the end of his rope and patience. She shuddered to think what would happen to Archie the next time he did something unwanted towards her. “You ready for one of your presents?” 

She nodded excitedly, and he chuckled, kissing her quickly before going to their room. He walked back into the living room a couple of moments later, carrying a gift bag. He handed it to her, and she grinned shyly. Pulling out the tissue paper, she spotted the book first, then socks, then the bear. She smiled, pulling out the book first, and looking at the title. “Nancy Drew.”  

“Fitting for my Nancy Drew,” he grinned, and she laughed. Then pulled out the bear and noted the bracelet around its wrist.  

“Juggy,” she breathed. “This is beautiful.” 

“Anything for you,” he murmured, clasping the bracelet around her wrist.  

Then she pulled out the socks, laughing at how warm and fuzzy they looked with their polar bear face on them. “These are cute.” 

“And there’s more to come,” he reminded her. “I just wanted you to have a little something.” 

She kissed him, laying her head on his chest the next moment.  

They sat there, intwined, and Betty had never felt safer.  

Too bad it wouldn’t last.  

Chapter Text

Jughead kept a close eye on Betty over their little getaway at the cabin in the woods. He knew something had happened to her – he just didn’t know what. He was hoping she would open up to him about it during this trip. If Archie had done something to her, so help him...  

He sighed, taking a sip of his coffee as he stared out of the cabin window. Betty was still snuggled in bed, and he was drinking coffee, watching the snow falling outside. Christmas time was his favorite time of the year. That wasn’t anything he could credit his mom for, but his dad and the Coopers had always made sure he and JB had a good Christmas.  

When Gladys left, Jughead wasn’t surprised. He had been surprised that she had left behind JB. JB had cried, and Jughead had done his best to soothe his little sister. Then, she hardened up, and Jughead watched her turn into someone else entirely. He couldn’t say he blamed her, but he did hate that she shut off her emotions. He understood it, though. It was a coping mechanism.  

Just then, Betty walked out of the room, yawning, and Jughead took a moment to study her. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun and she was makeup free. His favorite way to see her. She always wore some makeup, but he lived for early mornings like this, when she didn’t have anything on and just showcased her natural beauty. “Good morning, babe.” 

“I need coffee,” she grumbled, on the hunt for some. Jughead laughed, knowing full well he wouldn’t get a greeting out of her until she had her coffee. She marched into the kitchen, and he listened to her as she got her coffee. She walked back out, taking a sip of it and then smiling at him. “Morning.” 

He laughed, going towards her and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “How did you sleep?” 

“Pretty good,” she murmured, taking another sip of her coffee. “You?” 

“Good,” he grinned.  

She sighed happily. “That’s good. This vacation is exactly what I needed.” 

Jughead noticed she didn’t divulge any other information further, and he laced their fingers together, leading her to the couch. Sitting down, he cupped her cheek, pushing strands of blonde hair off her face. “When are you going to tell me what happened?” Jughead made sure to keep his voice soft and soothing.  

She blinked up at him, looking minutely guilty. “How did you know?” 

“Baby, I know you,” he reminded her quietly. “I know when something is going on with you. I just don’t know what. Please tell me.” 

She expelled a soft sigh, setting her coffee down on the table and then immediately picking it up again. Jughead recognized that was a security blanket for her and he didn’t complain. She nodded her head a little. “Remember when we were in Greendale, shopping?” 

Jughead nodded his head. “Yeah, I do.” 

Her cheeks flushed red, and she dropped her chin to her chest in embarrassment. Whispering, she began to tell him about what happened. “I saw Archie there. He – he caught up to me in the bathroom.” 

“Did he harass you?” Jughead asked calmly, voice patient.  

“He - he went into the ladies' room and pushed his way into my stall,” she muttered.  

Jughead felt a clenching in his stomach as his muscles contracted and tightened. He didn’t know what he expected to hear but it wasn’t that. He swallowed, taking a minute to control his anger. This wasn’t Betty’s fault, and he didn’t need her to think he was blaming her. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll take care of it.” 

“What are you going to do?” Betty asked nervously.  

“I’m going to have words with his parents. They need to know what their son is doing. Fred and Mary are good people, but they have a horrible son. And they need to know he followed you into the female’s restroom,” he replied, voice tight. He was mad as hell at the ginger dick for doing that to his girlfriend. He was getting bolder. Jughead hadn’t even seen him at the mall, and he didn’t know what that said about him. He was going to murder Archie Andrews if it was the last thing he did.  

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Betty whispered, shame faced. Jughead tilted her chin up with a gentle touch of his fingertips.  

“Betty?” Jughead asked, and she looked at him. “This is not your fault, okay? You didn't do anything wrong and you sure as shit didn’t ask for him to become obsessed with you and start stalking you. I won’t let you think otherwise.” 

She exhaled a shuddering breath that wracked her whole frame, and Jughead winced at how painful it looked. He soothed his fingers down her face, trailing his thumb along her cheekbone while she collected her thoughts. Then she eventually spoke. “Thank you. I haven’t said it nearly enough but thank you for everything you do for me. For everything you have done for me.” 

Jughead pressed a tender kiss to her lips, cupping her cheek as he cradled her face in his palm. Pulling back, he looked at her with sincerity. “You have nothing to thank me for, Betts. I promise to protect you and love you for the rest of my life and then some.” 

She took her turn to kiss him, and he held her close. When they pulled back, she laid her head on his chest as he tucked her against him. They watched the snow fall together, both aware that this was their last day at the cabin before they had to go home. Jughead didn’t want to think about the reality that awaited them. Betty would still be harassed by Archie, and Jughead would still want to commit murder. Then there was Sweet Pea, Betty’s older brother. He would do whatever it took to protect Betty, too.  

Jughead vowed then and there to talk to the Andrews.  

They were solving this issue. Now.  

Chapter Text

Sweet Pea watched as Betty and Jughead pulled up into the Cooper’s driveway, Jughead parking his bike. Betty looked like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and he knew his baby sister had enjoyed her birthday trip with her boyfriend. He smiled at her as she got off the bike and made her way to him. Hugging her, he pressed a brotherly kiss to the top of her head. “Have fun, kid?” 

“It was exactly what I needed,” she smiled happily, looking at Jughead as he brought over a giftbag from his saddle bag. “Oh, thanks, Juggy. I’ll take that inside.” 

Jughead handed her the bag, kissing her, before looking at Sweet Pea significantly. “We need to talk.” 

Sweet Pea wondered at what all Betty had to tell Jughead, and he nodded his head. He watched as his little sister looked between the two of them for a moment, before sighing softly. “Don’t kill him.” 

There was no question about who the him was that she was referring to. His blood boiled and he spoke quietly. “I make no promises.” 

Betty sighed but nodded her head, turning on her heel and heading inside their house. Once his sister was out of earshot, he turned to look at Jughead. “How bad?” 

“Bad,” he said grimly. “The dick was at Greendale mall with us.” 

“ What ?” Sweet Pea demanded, incredulously. “I didn’t see him.” 

“Neither did I,” Jughead muttered, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “He, uh, followed Betty into the bathroom.” 

Sweet Pea stared at his best friend. “What do you mean.” 

“i mean,” Jughead sighed, “He forced his way into her bathroom stall and harassed her.” 

“Did he do anything else?” Sweet Pea demanded in a flat voice.  

“Not that she told me,” Jughead replied quietly. “And I’m inclined to believe her. I don’t think she would have kept that type of assault from me.” 

Sweet Pea regulated his breathing a bit better at that. Jughead had a point there. He clenched his fist. “I’m talking to Fred and Mary.” 

“That’s what I thought too,” Jughead agreed. 

Sweet Pea looked at his house for a minute, before striding across the street and banging on their door. It opened up a moment later, revealing a startled-looking Mrs. Andrews. “Sweet Pea? Jughead, how can I help you?” 

Sweet Pea worked to reign in his temper, and he forced himself to speak as calmly as he could. “Mrs. Andrews, what do you know about your son harassing my sister?” 

Mary frowned, looking at him in alarm. “What do you mean?” 

“So, nothing, I take it,” Jughead replied grimly. Mary shook her head, a questioning look on her face, and Jughead continued. “Mrs. Andrews, for the last three years, Archie has been obsessively stalking Betty. He followed her at school, sent her threatening messages, and followed her to other places she went to in her day-to-day life. At the Homecoming dance, he gagged her and tried to forcibly remove her from the grounds. Sweet Pea and the rest of us caught up to them. Haven’t - haven’t you noticed anything off about your son?” 

“I mean, he comes home and talks about Betty all the time, but I didn’t think there was any harm in that,” Mary answered, flustered at the news she was hearing.  

“Mrs. Andrews,” Sweet Pea intoned. “There was a night, about two months ago, that Archie peeked into Betty’s bedroom at three in the morning like some peeping Tom. He watched her sleep, and she woke up to him standing on a ladder outside of her room.” 

Mary clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes shining with unshed tears. “He’s...he wouldn’t hurt a fly.” 

“The son you think you may know, Mrs. Andrews,” Jughead began, “Is not the son you have. He’s obsessed with Betty and we’re here to tell him that if this shit doesn’t end, now, we won’t hesitate to go to the police.” 

It isn’t the truth, Sweet Pea thought to himself, but it would do nicely. Mary’s eyes went round as she turned over her shoulder and called for her husband. “Fred!” 

Mr. Andrews came outside, eyes landing on Sweet Pea and Jughead in all their anger. He widened them as he took the men in and then schooled his expression. “How can I help you?” 

“You can start by telling your son to stay the fuck away from my sister,” Sweet Pea growled, clenching his fist. He was so done with this redhaired prick getting away with harassing Betty. “ Before we go to the sheriff.” 

Again, it was a lie, but it got the point across. Fred held up a hand, sighing softly. “I’ll talk to him.” 

“You - you knew?” Mary asked in shock, and Fred placed a hand on her shoulder.  

“I had suspicions,” he admitted quietly.  

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Mary whispered.  

“I didn’t want to be right,” Fred sighed. “I didn’t want to think our son was capable of stalking someone.” He turned to Sweet Pea. “I give you my word that this will stop. I promise.” 

Sweet Pea was breathing rather heavily, but he nodded his head all the same. “We appreciate that, Mr. Andrews.” 

Fred nodded and Sweet Pea turned on his heel, walking away from their house as Jughead followed him. They made it back to Sweet Pea’s house and walked inside. Betty was sitting on the couch, in a pair of leggings and a cashmere sweater. She had a cup of coffee in her hands, and looked up at them when they came in. “Well?” 

“I think we got the message across, kid,” Sweet Pea replied, Jughead going to go sit next to her on the couch. Betty laid her head on his shoulder, and Jughead pressed a kiss to the top of her head.  

“Now what?” Jughead asked. 

Alice and Hal walked into the living room just then. “Hi, darlings.” This was Alice and Sweet Pea looked at his mom. “We’re going to go to the Pops tonight for dinner with the Lodges and Blossoms.” 

“Okay,” Betty grinned. “That’ll be fun.” 

Sweet Pea nodded his head, mind on the fact that he got to see his girlfriend. Even though her parents were dicks, he was still happy that they were going to dinner with Veronica tonight. It made him happy. He looked at Betty, watching his sister carefully. She seemed fine but he knew how well looks could be deceiving and vowed then and there to check in with her more often. Make sure she was doing well. It was his job as her brother, and he took that role very seriously. There wasn’t a thing he wouldn’t go for his sister, including ending Archie Andrews.  

Chapter Text

Betty, Sweet Pea, and their parents went to go meet Ronnie and her parents for dinner. It was about as painful as Betty expected. The Lodges – sans, Veronica – complained about everything and put their daughter through the wringer. Betty hated that. She hated that they thought it was okay to put their daughter down. Furthermore, Sweet Pea got madder with every sly insult thrown her way. Then he got pissed as hell when they turned to Betty and started in on her. All in all, she was relieved when dinner ended. She looked at Ronnie. “Want to stay the night?” 

Ronnie’s face morphed into a relieved grin, and she nodded her head. “That sounds great, Betty.” 

So, it was settled. Ronnie rode home with Betty and her family, and the Lodges went back to their castle where they could judge others in peace. Once at their house, Betty grinned at Veronica. “You can borrow some of my clothes.” 

“That’d be perfect, thanks,” she grinned. Sweet Pea was already pulling out his phone, looking towards their parents.  

“Mind if I call some friends?” Sweet Pea asked.  

Alice smiled at him, patting his shoulder. “That sounds fine, dear. We’ll just retire for the night.” 

Hal kissed his daughter on the head and then clapped Sweet Pea on the shoulder. “Keep an eye on things, son.” 

“I will,” Sweet Pea assured his father. Then their parents were going upstairs, and Sweet Pea was calling their friends.  

XXX 

Half an hour later, Jughead, Cheryl, Toni, Joaquin, and Kevin all showed up. Fangs was taking his little sister shopping, so couldn’t make it. Betty was sitting on Jughead’s lap, nestled against his chest, and Cheryl and Ronnie were in similar positions on their partners. Jughead was kissing the crown of Betty’s head every now and then, and Betty felt warm.  

Sweet Pea had opened their parents’ liquor cabinet, pouring them each a healthy dose of alcohol, and he invited them all to stay the night. They’d just sleep downstairs. Betty knew her parents wouldn’t mind as long as everyone stayed clothed. And she knew that they would. Nothing more awkward than having sex around other people. Especially your parents.  

Betty took a sip of her rum and diet coke, feeling the alcohol slide through her veins seamlessly. After the last few weeks – months – she had had, she knew she deserved this night to relax. And she knew that her boyfriend would do anything to ensure she had a good night.  

Jughead spoke up just then, lowly in her ear. “Having fun, baby?” 

She hummed, feeling the warmth of the alcohol settle in her bones. “Yes.”  

He pressed a gentle kiss to the shell of her inner ear, and she smiled. “Good girl.” 

She moaned lowly, too low for anyone but him to hear, and he chuckled lowly. She bit her lip, knowing what game he was playing, and she loved being a piece in it. Then Veronica spoke up and she redirected her attention onto her best friend. “So, we all thought we’d do something nice for Betty’s birthday. I know we’re going on our trip next week and celebrating Christmas then. So, tonight is Betty’s birthday.” 

Betty’s eyes widened. “What?” 

Cheryl laughed, clapping her hands together excitedly. “Happy Birthday, Betty!” 

Activity picked up just then as all her friends and her brother walked out of the living room and came back moments later, arms weighed down with presents. Betty’s eyes bugged out. “Guys...” 

“Shh,” Sweet Pea said. “Let us have this, Betts. I’ll go first.” He handed Betty a parcel that was wrapped and she smiled at him, before opening the box. Pulling out the tissue, she saw a sweet photo of them as kids, her riding on his back, and then her fingers touched leather, and her breath caught. Pulling out the jacket slowly, her eyes landed on the first leather jacket her brother had worn in the Serpents. She looked up at him, eyes wet, and was unsurprised to find a tender smile resting on his lips. “It’s yours, if you want it.” 

“Sweets...,” Betty breathed out, standing off the couch and sliding the jacket on over her sweater. “Are you sure?” 

“Mom and dad both agree,” he said quietly. “It’s your rightful time to join the gang.” 

Betty shook her head, feeling a lump in her throat, and she quickly went to hug her older brother. He pulled her against his frame, kissing the top of her head. “Thank you.” 

“You’re as much a Serpent as the rest of us are, kid,” he murmured lowly, and she nodded into his embrace. Then they were pulling apart and Betty was laughing as she scrubbed a hand down her face.  

“You ass. Made me cry,” she laughed quietly.  

Then Cheryl was speaking up. “My turn, my turn!” She walked over to Betty, handing her a giftbag, and Betty smiled at her.  

“Thanks, Cher,” she murmured, opening the bag. It was a bunch of skincare products and makeup that Betty had always seen but never bought. She found a coffee mug and her favorite bag of coffee beans. Then a picture of her, Cheryl, Toni, and Ronnie. She smiled down at it, looking at her closest friends. Then she hugged Cheryl.  

The presents continued to flood in, leaving Betty feeling incredibly grateful but shy. Joaquin had gotten her a new journal; Kevin a book of poetry and some new pens. Ronnie had gotten her a beautiful friendship bracelet that she had the match for, and then Jughead was handing her the final present. She looked at him curiously and he grinned. “Just one more for your birthday. I swear.” 

She chuckled quietly, opening the box. An Amethyst ring was unearthed, and she looked up at him.  “Juggy...” 

“It’s supposed to be calming,” he admitted. “I thought it could help with your anxiety.” 

Betty loved him so much in that moment that it hurt. She stood up, putting the ring on her finger, and then walked towards him. She cupped his cheeks and, not giving a fuck about who saw, pressed her lips to his in a tender fashion. Jughead cupped her neck, kissing her thoroughly, before pulling apart. “I love you.” 

“I love you too, my Betts.” 

Author’s note: More drama to ensue in the next chapter! Just a lighter one for now! X  

Chapter Text

The group went to Veronica’s cabin the next morning after they had a sleepover at Betty and Sweet Peas’ house. Jughead knew Betty had enjoyed the night with her friends, even though they spent it celebrating her, and he also knew that they were all looking forward to the Christmas celebrations they’d get to take part in. Jughead was looking forward to a quiet week with his girl. He knew that Sweet Pea and Toni were much the same way with their own partners.  

Jughead looked around the car they were all sitting in – Ronnie's – and he smiled softly at the sight that greeted him. Betty, Cheryl, Ronnie, and Kevin were all asleep. Huddled close to one another, the group of four completely passed out in the car from their early morning start. They had gotten up at four to be able to leave at five, and Jughead was surviving mainly on coffee at this point.  

He glanced down at his girlfriend, who was sprawled across his chest. Betty was sleeping so peacefully and looked so relaxed in her sleep, like nothing could bother her. He loved it when his girlfriend was this content. And he loved the fact that she trusted him enough to feel comfortable falling asleep in front of him. He knew that took an intimate level of trust for her and he didn’t take the responsibility lightly.  

Veronica’s driver kept driving and soon enough, they pulled up to the cabin. Jughead gently peppered kisses to Betty’s forehead, cheeks, and eyelids. She woke up slowly, blinking the sleep out of her eyes as she looked around. “Are we here?” 

“We’re here, baby,” he murmured into her ear, carding his fingers carefully through her golden, sleep-mused tresses.  

Sweet Pea was waking up Veronica, as Toni and Joaquin were waking up their own partners. The driver turned in his seat. “Shall I go inside Ms. Lodge and see to the accommodations?” 

“No, Smithers, it’s fine,” Veronica replied. “Just please help with the luggage and we’ll go look at the lodgings.” 

Betty got out of the car first, with Jughead following suit. He stayed close to her, eyes sweeping the parameters. He wouldn’t be the best boyfriend he could possibly be if he didn’t check their surroundings to ensure their safety. He didn’t really think Archie was going to show up, especially after Mary and Fred said they’d talk to him, but one couldn’t be sure. He’d be damned before Archie got the jump on them.  

Walking into the cabin, Veronica spoke up. “There’s three bedrooms, and a master. Just the right amount for us. The three other couples can choose between the rooms to see which ones they want while Sweets and I take the master.” 

Jughead interlaced his fingers with Betty’s and the two of them walked with the other two couples who were sharing the rooms. They decided to have the one at the end of the hall, and both he and Betty walked into the room. It was spacious, with a king-size bed, and Jughead grinned. “This is perfect.” 
 

“Look at that bed!” Betty exclaimed, letting go of his hand as she ran and jumped on the bed. He laughed at her child-like antics, momentarily amazed by her very being. He jumped onto the bed next to her, laughing as she bounced a bit.  

“This bed is really comfortable,” Jughead agreed, looping his leg around hers. “Imagine the type of fun we could get up to.” 

Betty giggled, swatting his chest. “Only at night, Juggy. We’ve got people to be around.” 

“Fair enough,” he conceded. He stood up off the bed, going to bring their luggage further into the room. He unzipped his suitcase and pulled out a T-shirt. Betty made grabby hands once she saw it, and he laughed, tossing it to her. “Want one of my flannels, babe?” 

“Yes, please,” she grinned, taking off her shirt and pulling on his over her head. He took a moment to admire her beauty and then grabbed a flannel from his luggage. Handing it to her, he watched as she smiled, pulling it on, and leaving it unbuttoned. Then she re-did her messy bun as he pulled on a new shirt. “Ready?” 

“Let’s go see what everyone else is up to,” he agreed, holding out his hand for her. She took it and they walked out of their room, going to make their way down the stairs and back into the living room. The other couples were already there, sitting around on the couches, and Jughead led Betty to one of the couches, pulling her down onto his lap as he sat down.  

Betty snuggled against his chest as she looked at Ronnie. “What are we doing first today?” 

“There’s a ski lodge not too far from here. We can have Smithers take us and go skiing?” Veronica asked, looking at the room. Jughead hummed his agreement after sharing a look with Betty.  

Sweet Pea spoke up. “That sounds good, babe. We’d all love for a chance to ski.” 

Betty nodded; eyes earnest as she clapped her hands together excitedly. “And then we can come back and have coffee around the fire.” 

“That sounds perfect, Betts,” Cheryl agreed, kissing Toni the next moment. A moment that went without them kissing was a moment wasted, Jughead knew. The thought made him snicker. He stretched his arms above his head, looking at Betty.  

“We can ski together?” Jughead asked.  

She kissed the underside of his jaw gently, eyes bright as she smiled at him. “That sounds perfect.” 

And it did. Jughead was looking forward to a day on the mountain with his friends. If he had known that it would end in disaster, he’d never have agreed in the first place. The thing was, he didn’t know. And that would come to haunt him for days to come.  

Author’s note: One of my NY’s intentions is to get back to proof-reading my work. So, this has been edited by me. Enjoy and thoughts lovely per usual! Xxx  

Chapter Text

Betty dressed in her warmest winter gear, pulling her sweatshirt over her T-shirt. She was dressed in layers and to be cute. What could she say? She wanted to be cute for her boyfriend. She turned away from the mirror, pulling a beanie over her head and looked at Jughead. “You ready?”

“Let’s go,” he agreed, catching her by the waist and planting a kiss on her lips. She smiled into the warmth, wrapping her arms around his neck. Then there was a banging on their door.

“Hurry up you two,” Joaquin called, and Betty laughed, pulling away from the kiss.

“Cockblock,” she called, the echoing sound of Joaquin’s laughter being heard as the other guy walked away. Jughead chuckled, going to interlace their fingers.

“Come on, Betts,” he said, leading her to the door. “Let’s get down there before Sweet Pea has a heart attack.”

Betty chuckled, knowing full well that her brother would rather it be Jughead over anyone else. She followed him out of the room, and the pair made their way downstairs. Cheryl and Toni were the only two missing from the group, and Betty let go of Jughead’s hand, going to talk to Veronica. “How far are we from the lodge?”

“About ten minutes,” Ronnie replied, eyes lighting up. “Oh, just wait until you see it. It has the cutest souvenirs for us to buy.”

Betty grinned. “That sounds good.” She needed to get her dad one more Christmas present and knew that he would like something from the lodge. Sweet Pea and Jughead were conversing in low tones, and Betty looked around the room. Every one of her friends was here with her, safe and present. Well, semi-present. Cheryl and Toni were still getting ready. She felt content to know that her friends were safe. Archie had made her feel so unsafe in her life, but she had to admit, she was grateful that he never went after her friends. It was as if he knew that he wouldn’t succeed. Especially going up against her brother and Jughead.

Just then, Toni and Cheryl made their way down the stairs, walking into the living room they were all congregating in. Betty smiled at them, and Cheryl came to kiss her cheek. “Hi, Betts.”

“Hi,” Betty laughed. Veronica laughed with her and then Sweet Pea spoke up.

“We’re ready to go?” Sweet Pea asked, looking around the room at everyone.

Betty nodded her head, humming a little. “I think so.”

“Let’s go then,” Veronica chirped, eyes shining brightly.

The group left the house.

XXX

At the lodge, Betty and Jughead got their skis. She knew that they were both skilled skiers and would have no problem getting down the mountain. Betty was looking forward to it. At the top of the mountain, they kicked off, smoothing down the mountain side as they skied. Laughter filled the air, the couple smiling as they sped down the mountain. Betty lived for moments like this. When she could outrun her fears; when she was wrapped up in a fun time with Jughead. Her boyfriend was so good to her, and she was so thankful for that. She knew she really needed to tell him about the kiss. The kiss Archie had forced on her in the Greendale mall. She knew he wouldn’t be mad at her – he'd be mad at him. But Betty didn’t really want to ruin their week away. She vowed to tell him when they got back to Riverdale.

Speeding down the mountain, she saw a flash of red hair as a body collided with her. Spinning out of control, she flipped, landing on her wrist with a sickening crack. The pain was immediate, causing her to scream as a white-hot iron of pain ripped through her. She knew her wrist was broken without even having to look at it. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to look at it. She thought it might be bent at an odd angle.

Then she felt a gloved hand coming down over her lips, breaking off her screams. “Shh. It’s okay. I’m sorry, okay?”

Betty bit down on the hand, causing Archie to scream in pain, and she flung herself away from him, ignoring the fire-like pain in her wrist. “Stay the hell away from me, Archie!” Tears were streaming down her face, and Archie looked pained.

“I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he muttered.

“You broke my fucking wrist!” Betty screamed. She was drawing attention to them, and she wondered if Jughead had been able to get to the bottom of the mountain yet and climb back up.

“I didn’t mean to!” Archie insisted, but Betty couldn’t bring herself to listen. She couldn’t bring herself to care. “Shit.” This was hissed underneath his breath, and she looked up, grinning in relief the next moment. Sweet Pea and Jughead were hurtling towards her, skis off as their feet sank in the snow. Archie scrambled to his feet, taking off at a run, and Betty couldn’t believe how much of a chicken shit he was.

“Coward!” Betty screamed, sob ripping through her throat at the force of the pain she felt. A couple of moments later, Jughead skidded to a stop next to her, dropping down to his knees as Sweet Pea did the same thing.

“Was that Archie?” Sweet Pea hissed, eyes flashing vehemently.

“Yes,” Betty sobbed. “Please, my wrist...”

Jughead cradled her wrist in his hand, careful not to move it or turn it. “Shh. This is broken. Veronica is already calling the medics.”

Betty breathed a sigh of relief. It was cold on the mountain, and her cheeks were stained with tears. She knew she’d be lucky if she didn’t catch a fever out here after sitting in the wet snow for so long. Jughead pressed her head against his collarbone, hushing her gently as they waited. All that was left to do was wait. She could do that. She had to do that. Archie left her no other choice.

Chapter Text

Sweet Pea watched as the medics tended to Betty’s wrist. They had driven to the hospital that was at the base of the mountain – honestly, a good place for it – and everyone congregated in the waiting room. Jughead was sitting next to Betty, keeping an eye on his girlfriend, and Sweet Pea was watching them both. He knew that Archie had shown up on the mountain – that much was clear. What he was doing there was even clearer; he was clearly there to harass Betty. And the dick had broken her fucking wrist. Sweet Pea wanted to set the world on fire.  

Just then, the medic finished wrapping the ace bandages around his sister’s wrist and placed her arm in a sling. He handed a piece of paper to Betty, and she nodded her head. Then she stood up and made her way over to Sweet Pea, Ronnie, Cheryl, and Toni. They were all huddled together. Kevin and Joaquin were talking to the ground's keeper of the ski lodge, trying to get some ammo on Archie in the hopes they could do something about it.  

Betty stopped just shy of Ronnie and Sweet Pea, looking at her older brother through puffy eyes. He knew she was still in a fair amount of pain, and he hated that for her. “I’m sorry I ruined the trip.” 

His heart. It hurt. For his sister to think that something caused by Archie meant she ruined the trip...he hated that for her. And he hated the fact that Archie fled the scene. Sweet Pea and Ronnie had been hard-pressed to follow him, but Jughead said he wasn’t leaving Betty on her own. And that had cleared some of the anger from Sweet Pea’s head long enough for him to think clearly. “You didn’t ruin anything, Betts.” He pressed a brotherly kiss to the top of her head, looking at Ronnie the next minute. “We good to just go back to the cabin for the day?” 

“Yes,” Ronnie assured him, going to interlock their fingers together. Thank God for Veronica Lodge. She was one of the only things keeping Sweet Pea sane right now.  

“We can go back out and ski,” Betty offered, eyes earnest. “I can just sit and watch you guys.” 

“No,” Jughead said quietly. “That’s not fair to you and I’m feeling an animalistic rage. I need to go calm down in the house.” 

Sweet Pea understood his best friend’s rage. He didn’t know if he’d be able to calm down in the house or not. He didn’t know if Jughead would be able to, either. But they had to try. Ronnie spoke up just then. “We can go back to the house and get into comfortable clothes. Start a fire. Have some hot cocoa.” 

Betty looked at them before nodding her head. “That sounds good, Ron.” 

Cheryl and Toni led the way out, with Cheryl calling over her shoulder as they did so. “I’m in touch with Kevin. He says he’s got the ground’s keeper looking at the video surveillance and trying to deduce when Archie got there.” 

“Are there any cameras around the house, Ron?” Sweet Pea asked, looking at his girlfriend. 

She shook her head apologetically. “No, I’m afraid not. I know mom and dad wanted cameras to be put in, especially during the off-season, but I talked them out of it. I didn’t want my friends filmed.” 

Sweet Pea understood that. He knew that Ronnie would want her friends and her to have a semblance of privacy from her parents. He didn’t blame her for that. “Okay. Let’s just go back to the cabin and get into something comfortable.” 

Jughead spoke up. “Are you going to tell your parents?” He was looking at both Betty and Sweet Pea.  

“I don’t know...,” Betty trailed off, sighing. “I think it’s something better to just tell them about when the vacation is over.” 

“Are you sure?” Sweet Pea asked, looking at her. He’d hate to worry his parents endlessly, but they had a right to know their only daughter had been hurt at the hands of her stalker.  

“Yeah,” Betty sighed. “I think it’s just better to tell them about it when I get home. I don’t want to make them worry needlessly.” 

He respected that. He nodded and the group was climbing into the car that Smithers was driving. Jughead tucked Betty into his chest, looking at the piece of paper she was originally holding. “This is the prescription for your pain meds.” 

“Smithers, can you go pick that up for her?” Ronnie asked.  

“Certainly, Miss Lodge,” the older man replied, tipping his hat in the rearview mirror at her. She smiled, and Sweet Pea felt a smidge of relief trickle down through him. At least Betty wouldn’t be in pain. He watched as the car sped closer and closer to the cabin, making their destination announce itself. Once there, they piled out of the car at the same time Kevin and Joaquin came walking around the house. Kevin went and hugged Betty, talking quietly to her as Joaquin made his way towards Sweet Pea and Jughead.  

“Archie fled the scene,” he said in undertone, something Sweet Pea already knew. “We looked at the cameras and it looks like he got to the lodge last night. He was away from the building for an indiscernible amount of time last night, and Kev thinks he was scoping out the house. I’m inclined to agree with him.” 

Sweet Pea was thinking furiously fast and then Jughead was speaking. “When we get back to Riverdale, we’ll take care of it. But I don’t think Archie is stupid enough to come back to the lodge. Not when he knows we all want him to pay.” 

And Sweet Pea did want him to pay, and dearly, for that. He had hurt his sister. It was one thing to stalk her but a wholly different thing to physically hurt her. Archie had crossed a line today. And Sweet Pea would be damned if he let him do it again.  

Chapter Text

The group made it back to the cabin and got a fire roaring in the fireplace. Jughead could honestly say he was so infuriated with Archie Andrews, that he wouldn’t mind murdering him. The dick didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as Betty. Jughead kept a close eye on his girlfriend, who was currently bundled up on the couch in yoga pants, a sweater, and underneath a blanket. Her arm was wrapped up in a sling, but the pain meds had finally kicked in and she was able to stop her crying. Jughead was so relieved about that. He hated it whenever his girlfriend was in pain.  

Ronnie was talking to them about the next night – when they were going to do their Christmas. Jughead couldn’t wait to see Betty’s face when she saw what he got her, and he was hoping she would love it as much as he did when he found it. But first, there was a pressing matter. “What are we going to do if Archie shows up here tonight?” 

“We’re going to annihilate him,” Sweet Pea hissed, but Betty shook her head.  

“I-I don’t w-want t-that, guys,” she said, and Jughead heard the chattering of her teeth. He and Sweet Pea exchanged a look of concern, and then Jughead was pressing his palm to her forehead. Her skin was fiery to the touch.  

“Shit,” Jughead sighed. “You have a fever, Betts.” 

“I’m o-okay,” she said around her clattering teeth, but Ronnie was already standing up.  

“I’ll go get you a cool washcloth and some Advil,” she said. It wasn’t like Jughead hadn’t thought this could happen; he did. He had just hoped it wouldn’t. But she had been sitting in the wet and cold snow for a solid fifteen minutes before the ambulance got there. The fever wasn’t totally unexpected.  

Jughead pulled Betty down to rest more comfortably against his chest. “Just rest, sweetheart. We’ll get some meds in you and monitor the fever.” 

Betty nodded, accepting the meds Ronnie walked back into the living room with, along with the washcloth and a glass of water. Jughead took the washcloth from her and laid it on his girlfriend’s forehead. He pulled her as close as possible against his chest and kept her tucked underneath the blanket securely. Then he wrapped his arms around her tightly, hoping to fight off a chill.  

Sweet Pea looked at his sister for a minute, expression soft, and then he turned to Ronnie. “Thanks for the meds. I think she just needs to take it easy today.” 

“Me too,” Ronnie murmured.  

“If she gets worse, we’ll get her back to the hospital,” piped up Toni. “But she was in the wet snow yesterday. That didn’t help anything.” 

Kevin, who was lying nestled against Joaquin’s side, spoke up quietly. “I’m really getting sick of all the shit Archie Andrews has put her through.” 

“Me too, Kev,” Cheryl said, eyes flashing dangerously. “His obsession with her is just bad at this point. You guys talked to Mary and Fred, right?” 

“We did,” Jughead agreed. “Fred said he had an idea about the stalking, but Mary was completely blindsided by the news.” 

“It’s not our fault she’s got blinders on when it comes to her fucking son,” Sweet Pea snorted. “Archie lies about everything. I don’t know why Mary is so surprised by this.” 

“I don’t know either,” Jughead sighed. He carded a hand through Betty’s hair, keeping a constant hand on her so she knew, even in her sleep, that he was there with her. That she wasn’t alone. “I think we really need Fred to step up and act like the dad Archie needs. The firm and unwavering one. It’s one thing to say that he’s going to do it, but a wholly different thing to not follow through with actions.” 

“I agree,” Sweet Pea said, trailing a thumb over Veronica’s knuckles.  

“And what do we do about school?” Veronica asked. “Because whether we like to admit it or not, Betty is on her own at points throughout the day.” 

Cheryl tsked. “Not anymore. “I’ve already talked to the secretary about getting transferred into all of Betty’s classes. We take the same AP ones.” 

“How did you get her to agree to that?” Jughead asked, thinking about how much of a hard ass their school secretary was. She didn’t like to do anything that would help the students. 

Cheryl smirked. “Pulled the mother card. Mommy dearest may be awful, but she’s got some backbone. And I just told my darling mother that my friend needed me. And, if she didn’t help, I’d tell everyone she sent me to Sisters of Quiet Mercy as a form of gay conversion therapy.” 

Jughead winced. Cheryl had gotten placed in that hellhole by her mother, and he had never understood how she could have done it. Out of all of them, the Joneses and the Coopers were the nicest parents in their group. “While I hate your mother for ever doing that to you in the first place, good for you for using it against her. I can name three newspapers that would love to know about what goes on there.” 

“The Register being one of them,” Sweet Pea added, nodding his head at Cheryl the next minute. “Thanks for helping, Cher. It means the world.” 

“You guys act like there isn’t anything I’d for Betts,” Cheryl reproved. She sniffed. “I love that girl more than I loved JJ. So, I get it.” 

“Love you too, Cher,” Betty mumbled tiredly, and the group shared a collective laugh, softening around the edges. Yes, the trip hadn’t started good but that didn’t mean it couldn’t end well. Jughead would just keep an eye on the situation, and he’d be damned if Archie tried to hurt her again. If he did, Jughead couldn’t be held responsible for his actions. It was as simple as that for him. So, Archie Andrews, bring it the fuck on. I’m ready for you. Game on.  

Chapter Text

Betty’s fever broke that evening. After alternating between freezing cold and scorching hot, she finally sweated out her fever. Jughead had been very attentive to her, and she knew that he loved her in that moment. That he always loved her. There was never any doubt about that. As she sat on the couch, arm giving her grief, she wondered how Archie loved. If he knew how to love. It didn’t seem like he did, and she just felt deeply sorry for him. To go through life with an addiction and to not see any other way around it. He was obsessed with his addiction to her, and she knew it.  

Just then, Sweet Pea and Ronnie walked into the living room, arms laden with boxes of gifts. Cheryl and Toni walked in after them, their own arms full as well, and then Kevin and Joaquin. Betty laughed. “What is all of this?” 

“Christmas, Bettykins,” Veronica grinned, going to set the gifts she was carrying down. Sweet Pea followed suit, as did everyone else. Betty looked at Jughead, who grinned.  

“I have ours in our room,” he said in an undertone. Then, louder so the group could hear, “I’ll be right back. Going to get Betts and mine for all of you.” 

Betty felt relief at that. The pain meds made her a bit fuzzy, and she couldn’t remember if they had brought their gifts or not. She didn’t want to be the only ones who didn’t have gifts for people. She watched as Jughead walked away, Sweet Pea coming to replace his place next to her on the couch. Her older brother sat down next to her, looking at her. “How’s the arm feeling?” 

“Hurts a bit but nothing unmanageable,” she assured him with a small smile.  

Sweet Pea exhaled, rubbing a hand down his face. “We really need to tell mom and dad.” 

“And we will,” Betty assured him.  

“Before we go home, kid,” Sweet Pea insisted.  

Betty sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I think it’d be easier if we just told them when we got home.” 

Sweet Pea sighed, setting a hand on her good arm gently. “Betts...they’d want to know.” 

“Sweets, what good is it telling them now, when we’re still here for five more days? They’d just worry endlessly about us,” she murmured, reminding him of the truth.  

Sweet Pea bit his lower lip, a sign of his own anxiety, no matter how minute, before nodding. “All right. I won’t bring it up again.” 

“Thanks,” she sighed in relief. Just then, Jughead came back into the room, carrying gifts, and he had adorned a Santa hat. Betty laughed. “Juggy, what the hell?” 

“I’m playing Santa this year, Betts,” he replied cheerfully, going to set their gifts down. Betty laughed fondly, looking at her boyfriend. God, she was so in love with him it hurt a little. She didn’t know what to do if anything ever happened to him. She didn’t know if she’d survive it. But nothing was going to happen to him, so she pushed the thought out of her mind and watched as he started handing out presents.  

The group had a lot of fun that evening, opening presents and drinking wine. Well, Betty drank hot chocolate. She couldn’t mix her meds with alcohol and Jughead chose hot cocoa with her in solidarity. She had opened some new pens, another new journal, a stuffed animal with a necklace, a comic book written by Sweet Pea, some more skincare, and a handful of other things. Her friends had opened gifts that were equally nice. Then Jughead opened his typewriter from her and shouted in jubilation. She laughed, kissing him as he hugged her tightly. She knew she had done good. Then add in the new pen she had gotten him, new flannel, (that she’d undoubtedly steal), and couple of books he had been wanting to read, she knew he loved her Christmas gift.  

As they settled back into their seats, the trash having been thrown away, Betty felt warm and sleepy. She was content to be laying there on the sofa, her friends, family, and boyfriend surrounding her. “What are we going to do tomorrow?” Betty asked.  

“I think, depending on how your wrist feels, we’re going to go shopping,” Ronnie replied, looking at everyone. They all nodded their heads in agreement, Cheryl’s eyes alight with excitement.  

“Lovely,” said her red-haired friend. “I need to get some new leggings and a new sweater.” 

“Ooh, I could do with some too,” Betty admitted. “And some new film for my camera.” 

“We’ll go tomorrow after coffee?” Jughead asked, looking at the room.  

They all nodded their heads, knowing that tomorrow was a good day to go. Betty knew that she had enough money to buy herself some things and anyway, Sweet Pea would probably buy hers and Ronnie’s. She’d tell him not to, of course, but he’d insist on paying. She knew that he would. She’d worry about that tomorrow. Ronnie stood up, walking to the window. “It’s snowing.” 

Sweet Pea headed over as well, staring over the top of her head. “It is. It’s beautiful.” 

“Let’s light a fire,” Jughead suggested, and he and Joaquin took care of that. Cheryl came to sit down next to her, with Kevin taking Betty’s other side, and they both laid their heads on her shoulders.  

“I’m really sorry that you’re hurt,” Kevin said quietly, Cheryl humming her agreement.  

“It’s okay,” Betty replied quietly.  

Cheryl shook her head. “No, it’s not. I’ll demolish Andrews for this.” 

Betty knew how true those words were. Just as she opened her mouth to reply, the power was cut, plunging the house into total darkness.  

Heart reverberating in her ears, Betty sat up in alarm. “What the hell?” 

Sweet Pea looked out the window. “I can’t see anything.” 

“Me neither,” Ronnie replied, voice shaking.  

It was quiet for a moment and then – bang, bang, bang.  

Someone was trying to get in.  

Chapter Text

“Ms. Lodge?” Smithers’ voice called out and Betty felt a modicum of relief. She breathed a bit easier as Veronica relaxed her tense posture and Jughead and the rest of the guys all stood down. Ronnie opened the door.  

“Smithers,” she said, tone cool and calm as if he hadn’t just given them a fright.  

“I hear there’s a blizzard on its way,” Smithers said, looking at everyone.  

“That must be why the power went out,” Betty commented, sharing a look with Jughead.  

He hummed his agreement as Veronica spoke up once more. “Come inside before you catch your death by this cold weather.” 

Smithers walked inside, brushing the snow off his hat and looked at Veronica. “Ms. Lodge, they’re predicting seven inches of snow. We may be snowed in for a few days.” 

“Guess we’ll go to the stores at the end of the trip,” Ronnie said, looking at Sweet Pea, who nodded.  

“Yeah,” Sweet Pea replied. “We need to stay inside and stay warm.” 

“All of us,” Jughead added, looking at Betty and she knew he was thinking about her fever.  

“Okay,” Kevin said, Cheryl and him exchanging a look. “Do we have enough supplies to last us through the days?” 

“We do,” Ronnie replied. “Smithers stocked up on groceries the day before we came here, and a lot of the food was nonperishable. We’re good to go.” 

“Okay, good,” Betty said, running her hands over her arms absentmindedly. The cold had sunk into her very bone marrow, and she felt it nestling her from the inside out. She pressed her toes into her polar bear socks, trying to get a modicum of warmth. “We should have tools to shovel the driveway.” 

“We do,” Sweet Pea said. “It was one of the things I made sure Ronnie had in stock. I thought the weather may do this.” 

“Let’s keep the fire going, since the power is out,” Ronnie added.  

Jughead stoked the fire, with Joaquin adding more wood. Joaquin spoke. “We’ve got enough wood for now. I think we can split some more tomorrow, should we need it.” 

“I can do that,” Jughead said.  

Sweet Pea nodded. “I’ll help.” 

“Now all we have to do is stay warm,” Betty said, teeth chattering.  

Jughead frowned at her as Smithers walked away for a moment and walked back into the living room a few moments later. “I’ve got some nice, thick wool blankets here. These should help.” 

He handed out one to everybody and the group piled onto the couch and the chairs. Betty curled up on the couch, with Jughead sitting next to her and she threw her blanket over them, with him laying his on top. Jughead wrapped his arms around her, bringing in some of his body heat, and everyone else paired up with their partners. Betty was relieved Fangs hadn’t come only because he didn’t have someone to pair up with. She wouldn’t want him feeling left out.  

Betty leaned back into Jughead’s embrace, with Ronnie and Cheryl doing that respectively with their own partners. Sweet Pea’s arms came up around Veronica and she nestled inside of them. Toni did the same and Betty smiled at her friends. They had such good partners. “How long is it predicted to last?” 

“Through the night and tomorrow at least,” Smithers said. He turned to Veronica. “Ms. Lodge, shall I just go sit in the car?” 

“Don’t be silly, Smithers,” Veronica smiled at him kindly. “Get yourself a blanket too. We’ll all hunker down for the night.” 

Smithers tipped his head in Ronnie’s direction and walked away, presumably to get a blanket. Then he was back sitting on an empty chair that had been left over from the group. He became quiet and Betty knew he was trying to fade into the background without causing too much of a scene because he didn’t want to intrude on the group’s time together. She looked at Cheryl. “We’ll go shopping later if we can.” 

“Yeah, if we can shovel our way out of inches of snow,” Cheryl replied, laughing slightly.  

Betty took off her sling, adjusting her ace bandages before curling up on Jughead’s chest once more, and laying her arm down. It was hurting but nothing too unmanageable and she thought she could get away with taking a painkiller before bed and not just then. “We’ll make it work.” 

“We will,” Sweet Pea assured them, and Betty felt better. She always felt better when her brother was reassuring. He always looked out for her and friends, so she knew he wasn’t just saying that to say it. He’d make sure they got out of there.  

“So,” Jughead said. “We all good to sleep in our own rooms tonight or do we want to sleep downstairs?” 

“We can bring the bedding from the rooms,” Toni mused, looking at Cheryl, who nodded.  

“That sounds good, babe,” Cheryl replied.  

Jughead and Betty hummed their agreement, with the other two couples chiming in with their own agreements. Betty knew it was going to be cold as hell but if they all laid together, they may invite some warmth in. Her mind briefly flickered to Archie. “Do we think Archie made it back home safely?”  

“I don’t give a fuck about that,” Jughead said flatly, cupping her cheek. “He broke your arm and ran to hide. If he made it back home, it’s not going to be so cushiony for a long time. I’ve got words to say to him.” 

“You and me, both, Jug,” Sweet Pea said firmly. Her older brother’s tone brooked no room for argument and Betty knew it would be unwise of her to try. She knew that Archie had hurt her and that Sweet Pea and Jughead were gunning for his blood. She settled back into Jughead’s chest, closing her eyes as they prepared to wait out the storm. Too bad, one of them wouldn’t survive till morning.  

Author’s note: Sorry it’s been a couple of days since this one. I've been taking the time to get my own reading done. Fourth Wing’s third book Onyx Storm came out and I was reading the kindle version of that. Holy shiiiiiit. What a book. I recommend you all read it. Xaden for life. Anyways, this is beta’d by me and please let me know your thoughts! Xxx  

Chapter Text

It was a scream that jolted Betty back to the land of the living. She startled, heart racing as she tried to get her bearings. Who had screamed? What had caused them to scream? Eyes roaming around the room, she took in the scene before her. There was Veronica, hugging someone – Sweet Pea – and her older brother was running a soothing hand through his girlfriend’s hair. She dropped her eyes, determined not to intrude on a private moment, and saw the corpse of Smithers. Oh god. There was a bullet hole in his head. She retched, Jughead turning her away from the scene. “Don’t look, baby.” Jughead implored and she was only all too happy to abide his wishes.  

She closed her eyes, cutting off her sight, and she breathed deeply. “What the hell happened?” 

“He was shot last night, sometime,” Jughead murmured, rubbing a soothing hand up against her back.  

“Oh, god,” Ronnie cried, and Betty lurched to her feet, desperate to get to her best friend. Hurrying towards her, she sat down next to her on the ground, looking at her older brother as he looked to be at a loss for words.  

“Ronnie...,” Betty trailed off sadly. “I’m so sorry.” 

“He was a good man,” Ronnie cried quietly, and Betty’s heart ached. She put her arm around her best friend, determined to offer consolation as much as possible.  

Sweet Pea was rocking Ronnie back and forth and Jughead and Kevin were calling the cops. Betty’s mind strayed to who could have possibly killed him and why. She knew it was none of them. Her mind landed on Archie, and she wondered if the redhead was still in the vicinity.  

The cops promised to be there, and Betty sat huddled on the floor, wondering when their trip had gone to shit.  

XXXX 

The cops showed up about fifteen minutes later, fighting through the snowstorm outside. Betty was quick to let them in, tear-tracks going down her face at the thought of Ronnie’s pain. “H-He’s in here.” 

The cops rushed in, taking in the scene of all the friends sitting in various places. Ronnie was still crying, and Toni was soothing Cheryl, whose nerves were fried. Betty didn’t blame her. Her own nerves were fried, too. “Okay. Who can tell me what happened?” A uniformed officer asked. He introduced himself as Travis Wilkins and Betty looked at Jughead.  

Jughead spoke. “Smithers - the older gentleman – came inside last night from the snowstorm. We all fell asleep around eleven, and then we woke up to Ronnie screaming. She found him first.” 

“And none of you heard a gunshot?” Travis questioned, looking at each of them in turn.  

“No, but that doesn’t mean anything,” Cheryl snapped. “Whoever did this could have had a silencer.” 

“You’re right,” agreed Travis, eyes landing on Betty. “What happened to your arm?” 

“It got broke when I was skiing,” she admitted, looking at Travis defiantly.  

“And you guys are here on vacation?” 

“Yes,” Sweet Pea replied in a hard voice. “My friends, sister, and I all came to my girlfriend’s cabin for Christmas break. Smithers drove us and he came in last night from the blizzard. Whoever killed him snuck in after we fell asleep.” 

“I’ll need to talk with you all individually, but for now, this checks out,” Travis said. 

Sweet Pea nodded, and Travis started talking to them one-on-one. When it was Betty’s turn, Jughead was hard-pressed to sit in on the interview with her, but she kissed him tenderly, shaking her head. “I’ll be okay.” 

She followed Travis into the kitchen, socks slipping on the cold ground. She played with her sling as she looked at him. Travis studied her, taking in her appearance. “Look, I’ll tell you what I told the others: I don’t actually think you kids are killers. I think something happened here. What can you tell me?” 

Mind on Archie, she started speaking. “I - I have a stalker.” Travis narrowed his eyes on her as he studied her. “And the only reason I am bringing this up is because he was here earlier this week.” 

“Have you reported him?” Travis asked quietly.  

She shook her head. “No, but he’s advancing in his attacks on me. He’s the actual reason I broke my arm. He showed up on the slopes and railed into me. My arm snapped on impact.” Once she started talking, it was like a cathartic release for her. “He’s been stalking me the better part of three years and I don’t know if he was still hanging around last night. But I swear to you, none of us in this house killed Smithers. We loved him.” 

Travis studied her, nodding. “I believe you. Do you mind if I have someone ride back with you guys to wherever you’re from? Just as a precaution.” 

“We’re from Riverdale,” she replied. Then - “No, that sounds good. I’m just ready to get home.” 

Travis dismissed her and she immediately went to go talk to Jughead, Sweet Pea, and Ronnie. “I told him about Archie. I don’t know if he was still here last night but my I’m not ruling it out.” 

“Me neither,” Sweet Pea added in an undertone, rubbing Ronnie’s back as she sat slumped against him.  

Ronnie spoke up. “If it was Archie, I want him to pay. Smithers is – was – a good guy. He didn’t deserve to be murdered.” 

“Why kill him at all?” Betty whispered.  

“To send a message to us is my best guess,” Jughead surmised. Betty exhaled. She looked at Sweet Pea. 

“Travis said he’s going to send someone home with us to make sure we get home safely. Can we go?” Betty asked.  

“Please,” Veronica added. “I’m just ready to get home and get the hell away from this trip and these memories.” 

Betty nodded. It hadn’t been a good trip in the slightest. And she wondered at what all was to come in the future. She hoped it wouldn’t be anything she couldn’t handle. Too late, did she realize that it probably was.  

Chapter Text

Sweet Pea sat with Veronica on the couch in the Cooper household. He knew his girlfriend was hurting; that Smithers’ had been like a grandfather to her, and he hated that someone – most likely Archie – had killed him. They had no proof against Archie and couldn’t even begin to dig into him, but Sweet Pea had his suspicions. The fact that he had shown up on the mountain, clearly there to stalk his baby sister some more, spoke volumes about his motives to Sweet Pea.  

Betty was sitting on the couch, tucked up underneath Jughead’s arm, as their parents spoke to Travis. The guy was a nice enough man, but Sweet Pea didn’t trust an outside to get them the justice they deserved. The justice Betty and Ronnie deserved. Betty had already told their parents what happened to her wrist – how, exactly, Archie had broken it – and Sweet Pea’s mom and dad were livid. That was putting it nicely, too.  

Jughead looked at him, eyes cutting to Ronnie, and Sweet Pea nodded. Pressing a kiss to his girlfriend’s lips, he stood up. “I’ll be right back.” Sweet Pea murmured, and Jughead did the same with Betty. Then the two guys were walking into the kitchen.  

“Do we trust Travis?” Jughead asked quietly, leaning against the kitchen counter and folding his arms.  

Sweet Pea sighed, taking a hand through his hair. “I honestly don’t know. I don’t trust anyone outside of my family and friends.”  

“Me neither,” Jughead admitted. “But Betty isn’t getting bad vibes off him.”  

“She isn’t?” Sweet Pea asked in surprise. This was news to him.  

Jughead shook his head. “Nah. Said Travis made her feel comfortable when she was telling him about Archie. I’m inclined to trust the guy a bit more because of that.”  

Sweet Pea sighed. That wasn’t the answer he was looking for, but he respected it. He nodded his head, a hand running down his face. “Ronnie is a mess.”  

“I know,” Jughead replied quietly, clapping a hand on Sweet Pea’s shoulder. “You just have to be there for her.”  

“I will be,” Sweet Pea assured him. Ronnie and Jughead had been pretty good friends once the Latina had moved to Riverdale. They didn’t originally trust each other, but when Veronica had talked her father out of buying the Southside, Jughead had warmed up to her considerably. The two friends became close and shared their mutual love of Betty. Sweet Pea also respected the fact that Ronnie had gotten Hiram to stand down. It would have been a fucking nightmare if Hiram Lodge had bought out the southside.  

His parents walked into the room just then. Alice spoke up. “Travis left. Betty is going to take a painkiller and get some sleep. Her arm is hurting her.”  

“That’s my cue,” Jughead said, kissing Alice on the cheek before walking back into the living room.  

Hal spoke up. “I want Archie arrested.”  

Sweet Pea looked at his father in surprise. “I thought we were handling it in house?”  

“That was before he brought physical harm to my little girl,” Hal said, tone flat.  

Sweet Pea couldn’t even blame his father for his anger. Sweet Pea wanted nothing more than to pummel Archie into dust and then kick the dust off a very tall cliff. “Okay.”  

“Betty said you and Jughead got her to the hospital pretty quickly,” his mother said, looking at him fondly. “Thank you. You’re a good older brother.”  

“I’m not going to let my baby sister hurt for anything,” Sweet Pea said, and Alice nodded.  

Then the three of them walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. Betty was settling back into the couch as Jughead handed her a pain pill. She took it, swallowing it down with some water, and Sweet Pea knew she’d be sleeping soon enough. Jughead tucked her back into his chest, and Betty settled herself there comfortably. “Now what?” Betty asked.  

Sweet Pea sat down next to Ronnie, pulling her back into his embrace, and she went willingly. It wasn’t that she was catatonic, but there was something in her expression that told Sweet Pea she wasn’t all the way there.  

The rest of their friends had left after Travis had driven them back to Riverdale. Since Smithers had died, they had no other way to get back without calling their parents, and Sweet Pea hadn’t wanted to do that to his parents. He knew Hal and Alice would have been stressing out the whole drive to the lodge. “Now, we get justice for Hiram.”  

Ronnie made a noise in the back of her throat, causing Sweet Pea to tighten his arms around her, and she laid against his chest. “I don’t know what my parents are going to do. Mom really liked Smithers. They had known each other for years.”  

Sweet Pea’s heart ached at the desolate tone his girlfriend adopted. He knew this was a pain she didn’t want to deal with. A pain she didn’t know how to deal with. And he didn’t blame her. It was too much to hope that the pain would go away. Smithers was murdered, for fuck’s sake. That type of pain didn’t heal or abate over night and Sweet Pea knew this. “They’re going to get through it with grace and strength.” He didn’t know if he was speaking out of his ass, having not spoken to her parents all that often, but he did believe that Hermione Lodge at least would be able to heal.  

Ronnie nodded and Betty spoke up. “Is Travis going to go talk to Archie?”  

“Even if he is, we have no proof that it was him,” Jughead sighed. “But hopefully he gives him a warning all the same to stay the hell away from you.”  

Sweet Pea could only hope that that would work.  

But he wasn’t stupid.  

He knew Archie was just getting started. And that terrified him more than anything else. How far was he willing to go to get to Betty? The answer to that question would present itself over the coming months, and Sweet Pea would have the wind knocked out of him because of it. He wasn’t prepared for what was coming. None of them were. And that made it all the worse.  

Chapter Text

Betty and Jughead sat in a booth in Pops, enjoying a date night for themselves. It had been too long since they had been able to do this. With Smithers being murdered, school, Archie, and everything else, they hadn’t been able to take a night for themselves. Jughead had surprised her by picking her up at her house that evening. He looked amazing, sitting long and lean on his motorcycle. Betty fell in love with him all over again, something that was a regular occurrence.  

Now they were at Pops, laughing and talking over a couple of hamburgers and milkshakes. Betty knew nights like these were few and far in between, but not for a lack of trying on her part. Jughead and Betty were both extremely busy, and Jughead wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize her safety.  

Then there was the fact that she finally had told him the complete truth about what happened in the bathroom at the Greendale mall. She had told him about the way Archie had forced himself and his unwanted kiss onto her. She had been too scared to tell him, thinking that she had let too much time pass by, but he had surprised her. He had pressed a brutally gentle kiss to her lips, holding her so tenderly close, and he had sworn he wasn’t mad at her. Not even for not telling him right away. Had he liked to have known sooner? Yes, but only so he could kick Archie’s ass.  

Then, she told Sweet Pea. She told him about the forced kiss. Her brother had already known that Archie had pushed his way into her stall at the bathroom in the mall. He just didn’t know that Archie forced himself on her. And to say Sweet Pea was livid was an understatement.  

But that was in the past where, hopefully, it would stay. Betty didn’t need to get caught up on the fact that Archie had managed to manhandle her in the bathroom. She didn’t need to get hung up on the fact that his kiss hadn’t been gentle but rough. Painful in the sharp bite of his teeth.  

No, it would do her no good to think about that right now, so she wouldn’t. She didn’t want to think about the way Archie’s lips bruised hers. Or how dry and rough they were. Jughead was the man she wanted to think about. With forcible effort, she pulled herself back into the present moment and watched as Jughead dunked a fry into his chocolate shake. He laughed at Betty’s reaction, (she always tried to steal the fry from his fingers at this point), and he spoke. “It’s been a good evening.”  

“It’s been a great evening, Juggy,” she smiled. “This is exactly what I needed after this week.”  

Jughead’s eyes traced hers, soft and adoring on her, and she felt warm from his look alone. She knew he loved her. That much was clear from the adoration in his eyes. And she loved him. How could she not? He had been everything she needed him to be. And he reminded her that she had been everything he needed her to be as well. Their relationship came in equal measure, and she couldn’t be more fucking thankful.  

“I’m glad,” he said softly, tone filled with adoration. “I wanted you to have a night off from everything.”  

“No stalkers, no brothers, no school,” she surmised, laughing as Jughead pulled an exaggerated face.  

“Archie can fuck off into a hole and die for all I care,” he said flatly.  

Betty clapped a hand to her mouth as she let out a peal of laughter. Honestly, her boyfriend had such a way with words. It left her laughing. She nodded her head. “Same here. And I don’t want to talk about Archie tonight. He doesn’t deserve anymore of our time.”  

Jughead smiled, seemingly agreeing, and then he took another sip of his shake. Betty dunked her own fry into her drink as well, smiling as the taste burst across her tongue. Gosh, Pops was good. She had always loved this staple of Riverdale. Just then, Jughead hooked an ankle around her own, and pulled her close. She leaned across the table, willingly going into the kiss he was seeking after. When they pulled apart, he spoke. “We’ve got that meeting coming up.”  

“The one with the Serpents?” Betty asked, and Jughead hummed.  

“Yeah,” he replied. “It’s in three days and we’re going to talk about extra security measures.”  

Extra security measures for her, he meant. It was not the answer she wanted to hear but she knew it was for her own good. Her family and boyfriend wouldn’t let Archie get that close to her again. He had been too close for comfort at the lodge, and he had already broken her arm. Her father had been inclined to press charges, so she filed a complaint against him. Fred Andrews had convinced her not to sue him, and she could agree to that. The Andrews weren’t any richer than the Coopers were. She wasn’t going to penalize Fred and Mary Andrews for their obsessive son. “I’m okay with extra security measures. I know they’re needing to be implemented right now.”  

“Just for your safety, baby,” he replied softly, tracing a thumb over her cheekbone as he leaned across the table. “And I know it sucks but I just can’t have anything else happening to you.” His eyes landed on her arm that was in the sling, and she nodded her head. She knew how hard it had been on him to see her hurt. If the roles had been reversed, she’d be in the exact same position. She absolutely could not stomach it when Jughead was hurt.  

“I know,” she assured him softly, smiling tenderly at him. “This just gives me a reason to see Joaquin and the others.”  

“Joaquin has already signed up to be your personal bodyguard for this week,” Jughead grinned, and Betty laughed fondly. Sounded about right.  

Then they kissed once more, and Betty was left feeling warm about her date. Yeah, things were looking up.  

Chapter Text

Archie Andrews was a lot of things. Friend. Football player. Academic student. In love. The final one was the one that cost him so much. He was in love with Betty Cooper – had been for years – and she was in love with the boy with stupid beanie. It didn’t make fucking sense. Why couldn’t Betty love Archie in the way that he loved her. Why couldn’t she see that he’d do anything for her.  

He knew everything about her. Her favorite color. Her favorite food. What her favorite season was. Who her best friends were. He knew that her nose crinkled when she laughed – though, she never laughed at anything he said – and he even knew what her lips felt like. What they tasted like. This last one was perhaps his most favorite thing about her. He had been fortunate enough to kiss her. Sure, she had bitten his lip, but he liked it rough. The only thing he felt slightly guilty about was the fact that he had accidentally broken her arm. He hadn’t meant to.  

Watching her every day was his favorite thing to do. He loved that he got to study her. She was like a puzzle he was trying to solve. Entertaining and slightly confusing. Why couldn’t she love him back? Why couldn’t she see that he wanted her to be his? Jughead Jones, the idiot, got in the way of everything. He stood between Archie and Betty – his goal, his prize – and Archie was willing to do whatever it took to redact him.  

Didn’t he know that?  

Couldn’t he feel that in his bone marrow?  

Archie felt his love for Betty in his bone marrow. He knew he loved her harder than anyone had ever loved her before. Then there was Sweet Pea, her older brother. The dick had taken to threatening Archie. Sure, Fred and Mary had told him to leave Betty alone, but at least they were nicer in their attempts. Well, Mary was. Fred had yelled at him. He had never heard his father yell before and Archie had to admit, it was hilarious. As if Fred could make an impact or impression on Archie. The idiot.  

Currently, Archie was sitting outside of Betty’s house, debating the best way to watch her. He knew he’d ultimately go peeking through her window. It was three in the morning, and she should be asleep. He just didn’t want her to wake up and find him staring through her window. Like she did the last time. He hated that she had caught him. He hated that he had been slopy enough to get caught. He was usually smarter than that. She had just been so beautiful, lying on the bed. Her golden tresses had fanned out behind her head; her lips parted so beautifully. Archie had gotten hard in his pants and, after she woke up and spotted him, he had to go home to relieve himself of the intensity. He had jerked off to thoughts of her and had come in his hand by whispering her name. The way Betty sounded against his lips; the way the word tore through his lips at his climax...he didn’t want to ever forget what that felt like.  

He moved through the night, bringing the ladder to her window quietly. He didn’t want her to wake up and see him. That would prove to be problematic. But he would just be as quiet as possible.  

Resting the ladder against the side of the house, he looked around the yard and surrounding street to make sure no one was outside, that shouldn’t be. Briefly, his mind flickered to Smithers. He had killed him, and he wasn’t even sorry about it. Taking his life had given Archie a rush that he hadn’t ever experienced before. And, with a certain clarity, Archie realized he’d do it again. Smithers had tried to kick him out of the cabin that night. Everyone was in the next room, asleep, and Archie had shot him with the silencer on the gun. Of course, an officer named Travis had come and talked to him. But the best thing about dismantling the cameras was the fact that Travis couldn’t actually place him in the cabin. So, he had covered his tracks. And that was all that mattered to Archie.  

After ascertaining that no one was outside, Archie began to climb the ladder. He reached Betty’s window and, with a thrum of excitement coursing through him, he peeked in. His breath caught in his throat and his heart started thudding excitedly. Betty was sleeping half clothed. She was in a t-shirt and underwear, blankets crisscrossing her body. Her arm was in a blue cast – he wondered when she had gotten the cast put on – and he realized, with a jolt, that he had broken her arm. It hadn’t sat well with him. He felt bad. He hadn’t meant to slam into her that hard, but he had just been so excited at catching up to her. He knew that he had hurt her, and he felt deeply remorseful over that. But she hadn’t been willing to forgive him.  

Which, if he was being honest with himself, he didn’t understand. Didn’t Betty know everything he did, he did for her? There was no way that he did anything to intentionally hurt her. He loved her. Couldn’t she see that? Why was she so blinded by fucking Jones? It wasn’t even like he was that great of a guy. Jughead was a fucking idiot. Running a fucking motorcycle gang. Betty had really lowered her standards. But that’s okay. Once she was with him, he would train her on how to be perfect and lovely.  

And he wanted her perfect. She couldn’t be anything less than perfect for him. Just the thought alone sent a stab of annoyance and anger through him. He didn’t want her to be the girl she was when she was with Jughead. He’d wash her clean of that. He’d wash her clean of her dirtiness. His pants grew tight, and he smiled to himself. God, watching her and thinking about all the ways he was going to make her perfect for him and cleanse her made him throb. Staring at her once more, he kissed his fingers and placed them against her window. “Soon, my love, soon.”  

Author’s notes: Well, that was disgusting to write, and I’ve got to go shower now, but here is Archie’s obsession tenfold. I hope you don’t hate me for making this chapter about him. We’ll be back with the gang on the next one. This was not proofread. I’m too tired.  

Chapter Text

Jughead Jones was fucking sick and tired of Archie Andrews. He was a pain in his ass and someone who went out of his way to harass Jughead’s girlfriend. No amount of sweet-talking could make Jughead think Archie was doing anything less than harassing Betty. He knew that he was someone who had an obsessive personality.  

It had been a few weeks since Betty’s cast had come off. The group was gearing up for their trip to New York. Jughead and Betty had already set their sights on NYU after they graduated high school, and this trip would be a chance for them to check out the city. They both loved the hustle and bustle of the city. “Everyone ready?”  

They were getting ready to drive to the city. They were close enough that they didn’t have to spend money on airfare and far enough away from Riverdale that they wouldn’t feel the residual effects of small-town living. Jughead couldn’t wait. “We’re ready, Juggy.” This was Betty, taking a look around at their group.  

Ronnie and Sweet Pea were on his bike, straddling it as they waited for Jughead to take off down the road, signaling the start of the trip. “We’re good to go, man.” Sweet Pea nodded at him, and Jughead took one more look around at the group. They were all ready.  

“Okay,” he said, revving his bike as Betty’s arms came up to wrap around his waist. Chery, Ronnie, and Kevin all wrapped their arms around their partners as well and Fangs was riding solo. So, they were ready.  

Taking off down the street, they drove away from the Cooper’s home, where they had all congregated, none of them seeing the truck following at a safe distance behind them.  

XXX  

Once in the hustle and the bustle of the city, everyone laughed and joked around with one another. Sweet Pea was planning on going to trade school the year that the rest of them went on to their own schools of choice. Cheryl was going to go to the New York Fashion Institute; Toni was going to NYADA. Then there was Keving and Fangs who wanted to go to Columbia.  

Joaquin was going to trade school with Sweet Pea, not having much of an inclination to go to college for another four years but both men wanted some form of schooling. Jughead wanted to get his degree in writing and Betty was trying her hand at film studies. So, they were just going to explore the campuses they were each set on going to, and they were going to see what all the schools had to offer for them.  

There was a distant rumbling in the air, a storm that promised to show its face, and Jughead was quick to park his bike at the hotel. Then Sweet Pea, Joaquin, Fangs, and Toni all parked their own bikes. “Quick, before it downpours on us.” Betty laughed.  

They ran for the hotel, the heavens opening a second after they got inside. Jughead laughed, feeling alive and energetic. He knew his girl was feeling much of the same way. Archie hadn’t reared his ugly head in a few weeks, and Jughead knew they were both hopeful that he was growing tired of his obsession. Jughead wouldn’t put it past the redhead dick to try and pull something someday soon. It’s why he always carried his gun on him. He wasn’t fucking around.  

“Okay,” Ronnie began after they checked in. “We should go up to our rooms for a half hour and get ready. Then we can call a cab?”  

Being the only person from the city, Ronnie knew her way around the streets. She didn’t want to ask another driver to take them since Smithers’s untimely death, so they were all in agreement that they’d cab everywhere. Ronnie wasn’t going to get on the subway and Jughead didn’t want to try and face that argument head-on. He knew he’d lose. “Okay.” Betty was quick to agree with her best friend, and they all walked towards the elevator.  

The only way their parents agreed to co-ed trip was if the girls roomed with each other and the guys stayed with the guys. It was a pipe dream on their parents’ part, but Jughead could respect them for wanting it all the same. The group all agreed to it with the idea that Ronnie would put more rooms on her Amex and then they’d pay her back. So, Betty and Jughead got their own room, with the rest of the group doing the same.  

A prickling on Jughead’s neck told him someone was watching them but when he turned around, he didn’t see anywhere there. It was unnerving and he stepped closer to Betty to make sure she was safe. “Okay.” Jughead said as he accepted the room card Ronnie handed him. “Let’s meet in half an hour and tried to grab a couple of cabs.”  

“Okay,” Fangs agreed, and they all walked into their rooms. Fangs was sharing with Joaquin and Kevin, but the three men had no complaints about that, so it worked out. Jughead unlocked their door and ushered Betty in first. Then he shut the door, the prickling sensation leaving as the door clicked behind him. They took a look around the room and Jughead whistled lowly. Veronica sprung for the good rooms. Thank God for Veronica Lodge.  

Jughead tilted Betty’s chin up, wrapping his hand around her neck, and he pressed a languid kiss to her lips. She melted against his body, and he helped hold her up. She was pliant with him, and he loved her for it. They kissed for a few moments, taking the time to really enjoy each other, and then they pulled apart. Jughead looked at her, before looking around their room. A smile unfurled against his lips, and he bent down, pressing them to her forehead. “What do you say, Betts? Shall we go see what trouble we can get into?”  

“Hell yes,” she grinned. Then they began to get ready, both excited for their stay in the city.  

Chapter Text

Betty and the group walked around the city, with Betty and Jughead in the front. Sweet Pea and Ronnie were right behind them, and then Cheryl and Toni behind them. Kevin and Joaquin brought up the rear of the group and Betty couldn’t remember having this much fun in a long time. Since Smither’s had been brutally killed, their group hadn’t seen a lot of laughing matters. And Betty was tired. She was so tired. Archie had been a lot this past year and she just wanted him to go away.  

If she were being honest with herself, Archie had been a lot the last three years. He was a menace. He didn’t know when enough was enough and everyone was tired of him. Betty just hoped the trip to New York could and would be fun. She needed it to go well.  

Walking the busy streets of the city, Betty watched the people of the city. She hoped to one day live here – to one day make this her home. Riverdale was too small for them. She didn’t want to grow old like her parents were doing; it didn’t captivate her interest.  

Jughead was tracing soothing circles against the back of her palm as he angled himself in front of her slightly. Even in a different city, and he was still protecting her. She couldn’t love him more if she tried. As they walked, Sweet Pea was cracking jokes that had all of them laughing, and Betty felt at peace for the first time since Smithers had been killed.  

She still couldn’t believe that Archie could kill someone. Of course, the police had never figured out if it was him or not, but Betty would bet all her money that it was. Stalkers always escalated. There was no other way around it. And Betty thought Archie had been escalating for some time. She knew that he was reaching the boiling point.  

“Betty?” Jughead asked, waving his hand in front of her face. She blinked, then looked at him guiltily.  

“What, Juggy? Sorry,” she said sheepishly, smiling guiltily.  

He laughed and pressed a kiss to the back of her palm. “We’re trying to decide where we want to go eat lunch. Any thoughts?”  

“We’ve got to have their pizza at least once before we leave,” she replied. “That’s all I care about eating at some point.”  

Sweet Pea looked at Ronnie, who looked at the rest of the group. “You guys okay with pizza? There’s a pizzeria on every block of this street.”  

“Stiff competition,” Betty said.  

Ronnie laughed. “Definitely.”  

After the group decided that pizza was what they wanted – and Betty was usually the deciding factor in their group because they all liked whatever she picked – they made their way down the street.  

Walking into the pizzeria, Betty looked around. It was small and cute. Something they didn’t have in Riverdale, and Betty liked the restaurant immediately. And immensely. Sweet Pea, Joaquin, and Fangs went to go place their orders after everyone gave them, while Jughead went to go sit with the girls. Per Jughead’s rules, Betty wasn’t allowed to be on her own – especially in a city as big as New York City – so they took it in turns to be around her. She had to admit, she felt safer when her boyfriend was nearby. Her older brother was too protective, and she thought he could be an ass when he wanted, but she loved him regardless.  

Sitting down at the table, Betty cozied up to Jughead’s side and he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her flush against his side. She felt warm and safe, cocooned inside of his arms, and went with him willingly. “So, we’re going to go look at campuses tomorrow and then we’re going to go to Central Park.” Jughead said.  

“Yes,” Betty replied, looking at their group.  

“We’ve got three hours to look at campuses in the morning,” Cheryl said, “then we’ll all meet up outside of NYU.”  

“That sounds good,” Ronnie agreed.  

Sweet Pea and the other two walked back to their table just then, sitting down their number holders, and Sweet Pea handed out drinks. “Got everyone something they’d like.”  

Betty took her water, taking a sip of it and flashing her older brother a smile of thanks. He was always looking out for her. Jughead took a sip of his coke as did the others with their drinks, and Betty looked up when a crowd of people walked inside from out on the sidewalk. She was relieved to know that they beat the card, and Jughead voiced her thoughts. “Look like we came in at the right time.”  

“Exactly what I was thinking, Juggy,” she murmured.  

Sweet Pea and Ronnie had their heads bent close, whispering in each other's ears, and Betty looked away from them to give them a modicum of privacy. She landed on Cheryl and Toni, who were also cuddled close together, with Joaquin and Kevin sitting impossibly close. Fangs was the odd man out but he seemed to prefer it that way. Betty had never even seen him so much as go on a date. She didn’t even know if he was straight, bisexual, gay, or asexual. She thought he might just be selective about who he dated. She didn’t blame him.  

Kevin spoke up. “Bettikins. What are we doing for the Spring Fling?”  

She and Kevin planned it every year, and she knew that they had to sit down and plan their theme this year. “Ooh, how about we do ‘around the world’ and we get dishes catered from different restaurants in the state?”  

“That sounds perfect,” Kevin agreed, eyes lighting up. Betty nodded.  

“We can plan more in detail when we get home, but I really want us to sit down and look at all our options before we choose something,” she said.  

“That sounds doable,” Kevin replied.  

The group’s pizza came about ten minutes later, with everyone laughing and talking and enjoying the start of their trip. She was so busy in the present moment, that Betty didn’t notice the redhead sitting in a booth in the back, watching her every move.  

Chapter Text

Jughead spotted Archie at the same time Sweet Pea did. The two guys exchanged brief looks with one another, saying more with those looks than any words ever could. Jughead knew that no matter what – they had to protect Betty. And in doing so, he was going to make sure she never knew that Archie was in New York City with them that weekend. He kept himself close to Betty, keeping her distracted with the city and the sights.  

When they went to NYU to explore the campus, he made sure she was with him at all times. Call him overprotective – which he definitely was – but he wasn’t going to let his girl get hurt. Not on his watch.  

Sweet Pea also kept an eye on the situation. They knew where Archie was at every moment of the day, keeping the redhead prick in their sights. Jughead didn’t want to have to resort to violence, but if it came to that, he’d do whatever it took to keep Betty and their friends safe. Especially Betty. He was over Archie Andrews fucking with his girlfriend and getting away with it.  

Now, it was just Jughead and Betty. They were having a picnic inside Central Park, watching the passersby as they came and went. Jughead lived for moments like these. When it was just him and his blonde beauty. She was ethereal to him. No question about it. And he would do whatever it took to make sure she was safe. No question about that either.  

Betty was sitting tucked underneath his arm, white tank top and red banana on display. It was reminiscent of their time during their sophomore year. Jughead had been head over heels in love with her even at that point – and they had broken up. It was no fault of their own. He knew that. He was getting in deep with the Serpents and he didn’t want her around that. Thought the best thing for her was to give her her freedom from gang life. Then she rightfully kicked his ass, and Sweet Pea gave him a stern talking to. They hadn’t been in that position again. “When are you going to tell me why you and Sweet Pea are being all, ‘grr, bodyguard must protect’?” Betty interrupted his train of thought with her soft, lilting voice.  

Jughead looked down at her, grinning guiltily. “You noticed that did you?”  

“Uh, yeah, Juggy,” Betty laughed. “It’s kind of hard to not notice when you and Sweet Pea are everywhere I turn. How long has Archie been in the city?”  

Jughead breathed through his nose, laughing. Trust his girlfriend to know the exact reason her boyfriend and her brother were taking such drastic measures to make sure she was safe. “We think he got here when we did.”  

“So, last night sometime?” Betty verified.  

“Yes,” Jughead admitted. He didn’t want to spook his girlfriend more than she needed to be, but if she had noticed him and Sweets acting weird, then it was only fair to give her a reason as to why they were acting that way. “And I’m sorry, baby, but I won’t run the risk of you getting hurt. Or any of the other girls.”  

Betty hummed, thinking his words over, and she sighed. “Well, I’m not happy but that’s more so at Archie because of how insistent he is. Like, when is enough, enough?”  

“I don’t,” Jughead murmured, dusting a kiss to her lips the next moment. Just then, they heard laughter and looked up. Ronnie and Sweet Pea were walking together towards them, with Cheryl and Toni following behind them. Cheryl sat down next to Betty, with Toni taking her other side, and Sweet Pea and Ronnie sitting across from them. “How were the schools?”  

“They were great, man,” Sweet Pea enthused. Jughead was happy for his friend. Sweet Pea deserved to be able to go to school in the city too. Trade school was exactly what he wanted to do and where he wanted to end up. Jughead was ecstatic that he got the chance to experience it.  

When Betty was distracted with her girlfriends, Jughead looked at Sweet Pea, speaking to him in an undertone. “She knows Archie is here.”  

Sweet Pea’s eyes slid to him, and he studied him. Jughead wasn’t going to lie to Betty’s brother, one of his oldest friends, and he was sure as hell wasn’t going to leave him in the dark. Sweet Pea nodded. “Okay. We’ll handle it.”  

Jughead knew how much truth there was in those words, and he knew that both men, plus Joaquin and Fangs, would do whatever it took to make sure Archie stayed the hell away from Bety. Whatever that looked like. Whatever had to be done. They’d do it. And Jughead would do it happily.  

Betty was currently laying her head in his lap, laughing at something Veronica was saying, and Jughead lived for these moments. When his girlfriend was happy and safe. When his friends were happy and safe, too. He knew it couldn’t, (and wouldn’t), always be like that but he’d take those days as they came. For now, he was content to live in the moment. Too bad that moment would be short-lived. They were all fucked. They had no idea what was waiting for them on the horizon, nor were they prepared. Archie would soon up the stakes and Jughead would be left reeling. But that wasn’t coming for a while yet. For now, he’d just enjoy his time with his friends and family. After all, Juggy, how long did one person stay happy?  

The answer?  

Not very long.  

Author’s note: Personal thanks to all the readers who have stuck with me and my bughead stories over the years. I know the verse is dying down, and that we don’t have a lot of new content coming out, but I’m still here to write content for the verse. Slowly but surely. Please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think! Other stories to be updated over the weekend.  

Chapter Text

Betty hated the fact that Archie had gotten to the city. She knew he was going to be problematic – she just didn’t know how problematic. And that terrified her. It was currently their second day in the Big Apple and Betty was quickly falling in love with the city. She knew that she still had a whole year before coming here, but she was excited to do early applications with Jughead. It would be thrilling to see if they both got in.  

Jughead was currently holding her hand as they strolled through the city. She knew her boyfriend was going to do whatever it took to keep her safe, and she was going to help him as much as she could. So, she stayed as close as possible to him. She knew it eased his anxiety.  

“What are we going to do for lunch, Betts?” Jughead asked. Her boyfriend was constantly thinking about food, and she laughed.  

“We just ate breakfast, Juggy,” she replied.  

“Still, can never be too prepared for the next meal,” he said.  

She shook her head fondly and was about to reply when a flash of red caught her eyes and she looked up. Then wished she hadn’t. “Archie.”  

Jughead was snarling, pushing her behind him as he squared off with the ginger judas. “What the hell, man?”  

“I’ve just been trying to catch up with Betty,” Archie said, smirking at the blonde as he leered at her. She stayed hidden behind Jughead, not giving the redheaded dick ample opportunity to take inventory of her body. And how she knew he wanted to.  

“Why are you even in the city, Archie?” Jughead demanded, keeping Betty pushed firmly behind him as he stood between them.  

“Well, I just thought that since we’re all moving to the city in a year or so, we should all meet up and see what it’s about,” Archie smirked.  

Betty felt the air whoosh out of her lungs. Archie was going to the city, too? “You’re coming here?”  

“Yeah,” Archie replied. “I thought I could get a job or something.”  

“The hell you are,” Jughead snapped. “Why the fuck can’t you just leave Betty alone?”  

“You don’t deserve her,” Archie said, looking directly at Jughead. “You’re not good enough for her.”  

“And you are?” Jughead asked quietly, going head-to-head with the redhead.  

“I’m the only one who can give her what she needs, what she wants,” Archie replied. “You’re walking on borrowed time, Jughead. She won’t always be within your sights.”  

“Stop threatening my girlfriend,” Jughead said lowly. “And show your face around her one more time, and I’m having her get a restraining order against you.”  

Archie blanched, paling, then he smoothed out his expression and responded coolly. “We’ll see about that. You will never be good enough for her.”  

“Neither will you,” Jughead whispered, and Betty finally found the courage to interrupt.  

“Just leave Archie,” she said firmly. “If you stop this harassment, I won’t be forced to take out a restraining order against you. Think how much that would break your mother’s heart.”  

Archie flickered his eyes to her briefly, before looking back at Jughead. “See you at school, Jones.” Then he walked away, leaving Betty and Jughead to stare after him.  

XXX  

“He cornered you two on the street?” Sweet Pea demanded an hour later, eyes flashing dangerously.  

Betty was honestly too tired to go into the details, and she just looked at her older brother. “I want a restraining order.”  

Sweet Pea made a pained noise in the back of his throat but nodded his head, nonetheless. “You got it, kid.”  

Betty smiled at her older brother appreciatively, and then Ronnie was speaking. “What do you want the girls to do?”  

Betty bit her lip, thinking about her friend’s question, before responding quietly. “Just...don’t leave me on my own at school or when we’re back in Riverdale in general.”  

“Of course, not,” Cheryl replied firmly, with Toni laying a hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder. Then Toni was speaking.  

“We won’t let you out of our sights for a second,” Toni assured her. “And Cheryl’s already in all of your classes now.”  

Betty sighed. She hated it that it had to come to this. She looked at her friends apologetically, opening her mouth to apologize, but Sweet Pea beat her to the punch. “Don’t you even fucking dare, kid. This isn’t your fault.”  

“I just feel so guilty,” Betty admitted.  

Without caring about who was watching, Jughead pressed a firm kiss to her lips, and she felt warm. When he pulled back, he waited until he had her undivided attention before speaking. “This isn’t your fault, baby. Archie is obsessed with you. Always has been. The fact that he’s coming to the city only reiterates how much he’s obsessed with you.”  

Betty looked down. Her weekend had turned into something altogether different than what she thought it was going to be. She sighed, before looking back up at her boyfriend. “Don’t let him get to me.”  

Jughead pulled her firmly against his chest, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Oh, baby, that’ll never happen, okay? I swear.”  

Betty had to admit she felt better with Jughead’s reassurance. She nodded against his chest, staying in his embrace for a moment before looking back at Sweet Pea. “Thanks for always having my back, big brother.”  

“I’ll never stop, kid,” he assured her gently, smiling softly at her. Betty knew that was as good as it was going to get. With all of her friends and family on board to make sure Archie didn’t get to her, she felt a modicum of safety trickling back into her being. Too bad, it wouldn’t last long.  

Author’s note : Hey there! If you made it this far, I just want to say buckle up. We’ve got a bumpy ride ahead of us. Thank you to all of you who have read this story and left comments and kudos. It makes my heart happy. I know most of you have seen the new story – continuation – of the new Alice in Wonderland series. I don’t know how many stories that’s going to be, but it’ll be a dark ride too. Thank you for your support!  

Chapter Text

Betty and the rest of her friends spent the next two weeks going to school, hanging out, and avoiding Archie. It wasn’t that Archie didn’t try to get her on his own, he did. It was just that Cheryl, Ronnie, and Toni had taken it upon themselves to make sure the blonde was never on her own. Even going to the bathroom. So, Betty hadn’t had much of an opportunity to see him. And she was thrilled about that.   

Jughead and Sweet Pea implemented stricter rules for the Serpents, as were Hal and FP. Betty hated it but knew nothing could be done about it. And she didn’t complain. She didn’t have a heart to. Jughead and her were walking down the street in Riverdale, holding hands. His bike was in the shop, and she loved being able to walk. It was good for her heart. So, they were hand-in-hand as they walked, laughing and talking.   

The hairs on the back of Betty’s neck stood to attention, alerting her to the fact that someone was watching her, and she looked around. She couldn’t see anybody – Archie – and she scolded herself for being so paranoid. She turned back to Jughead and listened to her boyfriend as he told her about his plans for spring break. She knew that he wanted to do something with the whole group, like Cabo or Cozumel, and she knew Ronnie was going to ask her father to pay for the trip.   

They crossed the street and headed back the way they came, stopping at the bookstore on the way back to her house. She let go of his hand and began browsing through the shelves, as Jughead went to go talk to the worker at the front desk. He knew him through school and Betty smiled at Jughead as she walked the shelves. She picked up another copy of Beloved, something she loved to collect, and then she added a couple of extras to her purchase.   

Walking back up to the register, she laid her books down and took out her wallet. Paying the guy, she smiled at him as he accepted her card. Jughead had his hand on the small over back, resting it lightly over the skin, and she knew that he was going to ask to pay for the next purchase she wanted. It was just who he was as a person.  

When they were finished with the bookstore, Betty and Jughead walked out of the building, the hairs on the back of her neck once more standing to attention. She glanced around but didn’t see any sign of Archie and she laughed, shaking her head a little. She was paranoid.   

XXX  

That night, after Jughead and his dad came over for dinner, they were all sitting in the living room, drinking coffee. Jughead and Betty were on the couch, with Sweet Pea and Ronnie on the one across from them and their parents in the chairs around the room. The Coopers weren’t super rich by any means, but they also weren’t dirt poor. Neither were the Joneses. Their parents did well and then they would do well when they were getting their own jobs.   

FP stood up. “Well, Hal, Ally. I think that’s a night for us. We’re going to head out.”  

Betty stood to her feet, going to hug FP. “Bye, FP.”  

“See you at the meeting tomorrow night, Betty girl,” he said, hugging her back. When they pulled apart, Jughead and Betty walked to the door, with Sweet Pea saying he was going to give Ronnie a ride home. Holding hands, they walked outside, standing on the Coopers’ driveway as their parents talked to one another.   

Jughead wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close as he pressed a kiss to her lips. Betty melted into the embrace, kissing him gently, and then they were pulling apart, pressing their foreheads together. “I love you, Betts.”  

“I love you too, Juggy,” she murmured, kissing him once more. When they pulled apart, Jughead pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth, holding them there, and then FP was walking outside, and he and Jughead were driving off on FP’s bike.   

XXX  

Betty, around ten-thirty that evening, heard her phone go off. She read the text from Jughead, asking her to meet him outside, and she grinned. Sneaking down the stairs, she opened the door and walked outside. She looked up and down the street, then felt something heavy strike the back of her head and she gasped, falling to her knees. Archie was on top of her in a heartbeat, pressing duct tape to her mouth before swinging a fist against her face. “If I can’t have you, I’m going to make you look so ugly that that stupid boyfriend of yours won’t want you, either.”  

He brought his fist down on her nose, breaking the bone upon intact, and she cried out against the tape. He elbowed her in the face next, and she felt her cheekbone shatter. Tears welled up into her eyes, gushing over her eyeline as she tried to knee him in the groin. He punched her repeatedly, and she felt blood pouring out of her face. She choked on her pleas that were silenced by the tape, and then the overhead light was coming on and Archie was standing to his feet, kissing her forehead. “I’ll be seeing you.” He took off as Betty lay there, dazed.  

She heard quickening footsteps, and then Sweet Pea was dropping to his knees as her mom and dad called an ambulance. “Kid?” Sweet Pea whispered, voice sounding petrified. With shaking fingers, he peeled the tape off her mouth and Betty swallowed, making a painful noise in the back of her throat. “Shh, hon. Mom is calling an ambulance. We’ll take you to the hospital. I saw Archie run off. His ass is going to jail.”  

It was the most Betty could hope for, and her eyes closed as she slipped off the edge of consciousness she was holding onto and stumbled into peaceful oblivion at last.  

Chapter Text

Jughead sat by the hospital bed that currently housed his girlfriend. She was resting after being hit on the head with a tire iron. He and Sweet Pea were currently sitting in her room while Cheryl was talking to Alice and Hal was talking to Sheriff Keller.  

Jughead couldn’t be too far from Betty right now. He had left her last night, left her to go to sleep, and something – someone – had convinced her to go outside. If Archie had texted her, acting as Jughead, so help him... 

Sweet Pea wasn’t taking his eyes off Betty and Jughead didn’t blame him. That was his little sister, lying in bed with a concussion. Sweet Pea had to be feeling a certain kind of way. Jughead knew he was.  

Just then, Betty’s eyes crinkled open slowly as she made a soft noise of pain. Jughead trailed his thumb soothingly along her brow, keeping his ministrations nice and soft. She opened her eyes and looked at him. “Hey, baby.” 

She stared at him for a moment, eyes roaming all over his face, and then she sighed. “You clearly weren’t the person who texted me last night.” 

Fuck it all.  

“No,” he whispered, staring heavenward for a moment. “Archie acted as me.” 

Betty’s brow furrowed and she whimpered in pain. Sweet Pea cleared his throat. “I’ll go get the doctor, shortcake. Mom and dad, too.” 

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and left the room. Jughead scooted his chair closer to the bed, going to hold Betty’s hand. “Hey.” 

“Hi, Juggy,” she murmured, eyes hazy.  

“Are you in a lot of pain?” Jughead asked, voice gruff.  

“Nothing too unmanageable,” Betty murmured. He knew that his girlfriend was going to downplay her pain in favor of making Jughead feel better, and he hated that. He didn’t want her to downplay anything. Sighing softly, he trailed his thumb along the back of her palm.  

“You don’t have to protect me, sweetheart,” he murmured, looking at her softly. “If you’re hurting, we can get you meds for your concussion.” 

She bit her lip, thinking about it, then exhaled a sigh. “I’m in a bit of pain.” 

The door to her hospital room opened just then and in walked Sweet Pea and their parents. Alice walked around to Betty’s other side of the bed and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Hi honey.” 

“Hi, mom,” she whispered, looking at her father who just looked heartbroken. “Daddy?” 

“I’ve pressed charges against Archie,” he said. “You’re seventeen so still technically a kid. I’m handling the charges against him.” 

Betty nodded, and Jughead knew that it was as good as it was going to get. “Thanks, daddy.” 

Sweet Pea spoke up just then. “Ronnie and Toni are going to come by tonight. You’re here till tomorrow for observation.” 

“I really just want to go home,” Betty admitted.  

Jughead squeezed her hand gently. “You’ve got a pretty good concussion, babe. You’ve got to be cleared by the doctor to go home,” 

She sighed but accepted his answer for what it was worth and changed the topic. “Sweets, I’m sorry.” 

Sweet Pea frowned. “What the hell are you apologizing for, kid?” 

“I shouldn’t have just believed Archie at his word when he said he was Jughead,” Betty said dully.  

“Listen to me, shortcake,” Sweet Pea said firmly. “I looked at the number he texted you from and he spoofed it to be a replica of Jughead’s number. There was no way you could have known. I’m just sorry I didn’t hear you go outside first.” 

“Enough of that,” Alice said firmly. “It’s not anybody’s fault but Archie’s and your father has already pressed charges against him. I went and talked to Mary and Fred Andrews this morning and they’re willing to accept the charges. They think it’s his own fault and therefore, he must pay the price for his actions.” 

That was a relief to Jughead, and he smiled at Alice. “Thanks, Mrs. Cooper.” 

She patted his shoulder and then looked at Hal. “Honey, we’ve got that appointment with Keller this morning.” 

Hal nodded his head. “We’ll be back this afternoon, Betty. Just rest, okay?” 

“Can I come with you guys?” Sweet Pea asked, standing on his feet when his father agreed that he could. Sweet Pea squeezed Betty’s shoulder. “Get some rest. I’ll be back tonight with Ronnie and Toni. Cheryl should come by sometime.” 

Betty smiled at her brother tiredly, and Jughead made a painful noise in the back of his throat. She was tired. That much was clear. He walked the family out of the room and then made his way back to the hospital bed Betty was lying in. He bent down and pressed his lips to hers gently. When he pulled back, she was reaching for her glasses that Sweet Pea had brought and put on her bedside table. Putting them on, she slumped back into her pillows. “I feel like this is all my fault.” 

“It’s not, Betty,” Jughead said softly but with conviction. “This is Archie’s fault. He first tried to kidnap you from the dance an then he broke your arm on the ski lodge. Now he’s given you a concussion. He has no problem proving to us that he is violent and it is about fucking time we’ve pressed charges against him. He’s gotten away with too much.” 

Betty sighed. “I had hoped he would stop all this. When I didn’t show interest.” 

“He’s sick,” Jughead said firmly. “This is not your fault, nor will it ever be your fault.” 

She traced his face, eyes searching his, and then she nodded. “Thank you.” 

“I love you,” he said quietly, and wasn’t that the truth? He was so in love with her it hurt a little. And he felt intimate pain whenever she was hurt. The fact that Archie had hurt her so much this year alone had left him aggrieved. He and the Coopers were going to do whatever it took to make sure he was done messing with Betty. Whatever it took.  

Chapter Text

Author’s note: I forgot to address Betty’s other injuries in the last chapter – whoops – so here they are in this chapter.  

Sweet Pea watched as his baby sister slept. She had a broken nose and shattered cheekbone, thanks to Archie’s attack on her. And he was livid. He wanted to pummel Archie into nothing more than dust. And he knew Jughead was much the same way. He knew that his best friend was mad as hell. And Sweet Pea couldn’t say he blamed him.  

Looking up from where he was watching his sister, he looked at Jughead. “Archie is in jail. Sheriff Keller arrested him this morning.”  

“Small blessings,” Jughead murmured darkly.  

Just then, Betty’s brow scrunched up as she started to wake up. Sweet Pea let Jughead lean over her, so her boyfriend was the first thing she saw when she came to. Jughead smiled down at her, keeping his voice soft for her. “Hey, welcome back, Betts.”  

“How long was I asleep for?” Betty asked as Sweet Pea shot off a text to Ronnie and Cheryl.  

“About a couple of hours,” Jughead replied calmly.  

She nodded her head, looking at Sweet Pea. “Archie?”  

“Arrested today,” he replied quietly. “I don’t know if Mary and Fred will be able to post bail or not.”  

She nodded her head, picking up her glasses and resting them on her face. Then she gulped. “My cheek hurts.”  

“How does your nose feel?” Jughead asked quietly as the hospital door opened. In walked Cheryl and Veronica, making their way to Betty’s hospital bed. Ronnie sat down next to Sweet Pea, automatically going to hold his hand. He trailed his thumb along the back of her palm.  

“It still hurts,” Betty admitted.  

Jughead and Sweet Pea shared a look and then Sweet Pea was speaking up. “Do we need to get you pain meds?”  

“No,” Betty murmured. “It’s nothing unmanageable.”  

Cheryl spoke up just then. “I’m so sorry he got to last night.”  

“It’s okay,” Betty replied.  

Cheryl’s eyes flashed dangerously. “No, it is not. It is not okay. Archie crossed a line.”  

“And it’s one we’ll never forgive him for,” Sweet Pea added firmly.  

Betty looked at him and she sighed. “Sweets...”  

It was Cheryl who spoke up. “Honey, Archie hurt you. Not for the first time, either. We cannot forgive him for this.”  

Betty looked at Cheryl and Sweet Pea watched his baby sister. Eventually, she nodded, seemingly accepting what they were saying. Sweet Pea squeezed her foot, and she offered him a smile. He smiled back. “It’s okay, Betts.” It had to be.  

XXXX  

Betty was released from the hospital the next day, and Sweet Pea was so grateful to have his sister back home with him. He knew that she was happy to be home as well. Jughead had come over, as had Ronnie, and all of them were sitting in the living room. Ronnie was tucked underneath his arm, and Jughead was sitting on the couch next to Betty. He had her tucked up underneath his arm as well and Sweet Pea was so fucking thankful for Jughead Jones and his love for Betty. Betty looked tired and Sweet Pea addressed it. “Is your concussion hurting?”  

“A little,” she admitted, frowning.  

Sweet Pea knew how much she hated to admit that her concussion was hurting, and he didn’t blame her. He didn’t like to admit when he was in pain either. He smiled at her gently. “You’re not wrong for admitting that you’re in pain.”  

She batted her eyes down, smiling at him guiltily the next moment. “I know.”  

Sweet Pea looked at her knowingly and then their father was walking into the living room. “Archie made bail, honey.”  

“How?” Jughead demanded in shock, and Hal sighed.  

“Mr. Lodge paid it,” he admitted.  

“What?” Ronnie demanded in incredulous tones. “Why?”  

Hal’s eyes flickered to Sweet Pea, and he understood. Sighing, Sweet Pea pressed a kiss to his girlfriend’s cheek. “Your father doesn’t think much of me, babe.”  

Veronica looked at him, eyes narrowed in thought, and then she huffed. “I’ll be having words with that man.”  

“Don’t worry about it, Ronnie,” Betty said quietly, offering the petite Latina a smile. “Your dad doesn’t like us.”  

“It doesn’t give him the right to pay Archie’s bail money,” Ronnie replied flatly, and Sweet Pea was inclined to believe her.  

“What does this mean for us?” Sweet Pea asked his dad.  

“It means that Archie is back home, across the street from us,” Hal sighed. “But I don’t think Fred is going to let him out of his sight and I honestly don’t think Archie is stupid enough to come back over here. Not when he knows Keller will throw his ass in jail a second time.”  

Betty looked back and forth between Sweet Pea and Jughead, the two people who were mad as hell at this turn of events. “It’s the most that we can ask for. I won’t be just trusting a number that looks like Jughead’s so willingly anymore. I’ll reach out to you, Juggy, if I get another text, okay? Make sure it is you.”  

Jughead pressed a kiss to the top of her head, looking at Sweet Pea the next moment. “I think it’s the best we can have right now.”  

It thoroughly pissed Sweet Pea the fuck off that Archie had been bailed out of prison by Hiram Lodge, but he wasn’t surprised. He didn’t think that he should have been either. Hiram had always played the game by his own rules, damn others who got in his way. To hell with the Coopers, Sweet Pea knew. Hiram didn’t think much of their family and sure as shit didn’t like the fact that Ronnie and Sweet Pea were dating. He looked at Jughead, who seemed to be thinking the same thing he was. They’d have to pay a visit to Hiram Lodge. And soon.  

Author’s note: Please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!  

Chapter Text

Betty didn’t know why Hiram had posted Archie’s bail. She knew the older man didn’t like Sweet Pea dating his daughter, which meant Betty didn’t like him . If Hiram Lodge was going to be such a pretentious dick that he was willing to pay a guy who had hurt her bond, then Betty didn’t want anything to do with him. The thing that embarrassed her most was the fact that he was Ronnie’s dad. She loved Ronnie like a sister and didn’t want any of their relationships or friendships to have any complications.  

Then there was Sweet Pea. Betty knew her brother was between a rock and a hard place. Sweet Pea was loyal to Betty by default, but he also loved Ronnie. She knew this without an iota of a doubt. And she knew that her brother hated the fact that he was going to have to be put in the middle.  

Not to mention what it would do to Ronnie. Ronnie was livid at the fact that her father had been the guy to bail Archie out of prison. Ronnie had always stood by Betty and the rest of the Coopers unwaveringly. Which was perhaps why Hiram had decided to do what he had done. Perhaps he had enough of Ronnie showing him where her loyalties lie. If that was it though, then game fucking on.  

Betty sighed softly as she got out of bed. Sweet Pea and Jughead were due back at their house any minute. They had gone to see Hiram and, while she wanted Ronnie to be at the house with her, Ronnie had said it was important to show where she stood on the matter. And she appreciated that.  

Her body was still healing. The trauma she had suffered at Archie’s fists had left their number on her. And she was tired. The concussion she had was still healing, and she found herself wanting to sleep often, which her parents said was fine as long as they could still wake her up every couple of hours. She doesn’t get much sleep these days. No one in her family did, either.  

Heading out of her room, Betty walked downstairs and into the kitchen, where her mom and dad were drinking coffee while a pie cooled on the counter. Betty smiled at them and went and poured herself her own cup of coffee, before sitting down at the table. “Any word from Sweets?”  

“They’re on their way back home, honey,” Hal said, smiling at her knowingly. Betty knew that her parents knew that she was nervous about Jughead, Sweet Pea, and Ronnie. All three of them – family, friends, and boyfriend – were going to go head-to-head with Hiram Lodge. That was not an easy task. Hiram was a bully. He never backed down from a challenge and by dating Ronnie, Sweet Pea had presented himself as the man to be viewed as the enemy.  

“Thanks, daddy,” Betty murmured, cupping her coffee cup for some warmth. She knew that they had to bid their time and wait for them to come back. She just hoped it wouldn’t take too long.  

XXX  

By the time Jughead walked through the door, Betty was sitting on pins and needles. She lurched from the table and checked him over, fretting over him. Jughead laughed, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. “I’m fine, baby.”  

“He didn’t hurt you? Any of you?” Betty demanded, checking over Sweet Pea and Ronnie as well.  

“No, Betts,” Sweet Pea said, hugging his taller frame around her smaller one. She hugged him tightly, feeling a breath of relief leave her body at the thought of them all safe. She turned to Ronnie.  

“I’m sorry, Ron,” she muttered. “It’s not fair that I insinuated your father could hurt you guys.”  

“But he can,” Ronnie replied firmly, going to hold the blonde’s hand. “And there’s no reason to apologize for being correct. My dad has proven time and again that he doesn’t care who he hurts as long as it means he gets what he wants.”  

“Did he say why he bailed out Archie?”’ Betty asked, biting her lip anxiously as she stared between the three of them.  

Ronnie sighed. “Something about Archie not being in the right state of mind and he wants to help him.”  

Betty blinked. “Oh.”  

“Which is honestly such bull shit,” Jughead groaned, taking off his knit beanie and running his fingers through his hair. “And, no offense meant, Ronnie.”  

“None taken,” the shorter girl assured him.  

Sweet Pea looked at Betty. “I’m sorry, hon. Hiram wasn’t budging on the fact that he thought he did anything wrong.”  

“Which also doesn’t surprise me,” Veronica muttered.  

Betty shrugged her shoulder, swallowing the lump in her throat. She wouldn’t cry over this; she wouldn’t. “ It doesn’t surprise me, either.”  

“And why should it?” Ronnie asked. “My father has lived by only one rule in life and that’s how to make himself the happiest. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself, me and my mother included.”  

Alice tutted. “You know we all love you, Ronnie. You’re more than welcome to spend as much time here with us as you need; as you want.”  

Ronnie nodded, smiling at Alice Cooper appreciatively. “Thank you, Mrs. C.”  

Hal spoke up. “I’m putting a new decree into effect.” Everyone stared at him, including Betty, who felt like this new decree was only going to bother her. “Betty is to always be with a Serpent. Jughead. Sweet Pea. FP. One of the guys. No matter what.”  

“Daddy,” Betty protested, but Sweet Pea spoke up.  

“Dad is right, shortcake,” he said quietly, tone soothing. “We need to know that you’re safe. Archie has already proved – a couple of times – that he doesn’t mind hurting you or even trying to kidnap you.” Betty, too, remembered the night of the dance. “We’re going to tag-team you at school, but when you’re home or in town, a Serpent must be with you.”  

“Can it be Cheryl or Toni?” Betty demanded, though she didn’t have much hope for that.  

It was Jughead who replied. “Not on their own but they’re more than welcome to come with you while one of us is with you.”  

Betty could see from all their stern expressions that she’d be outnumbered. “Who needs freedom, anyways?”  

Her life just got ten times more complicated. Fucking great.  

Author’s note: Hiiiiii! I am still here. The last few weeks at work – I work at a school – were INSANE. We had finals to facilitate and things like that. So, I haven’t been updating as regularly as I usually do. But I’m on summer break for the next eight weeks. Expect updates regularly! Also – I'm taking my College Algebra class this summer so some of my time must go towards studying. We’re just trying to survive, not thrive. Anyways, let me know what you think?  

Chapter Text

Jughead watched Betty sleep. Hal and Alice had allowed him to stay the night as long as they kept her bedroom door open. Jughead didn’t blame her parents for wanting that; he was just honestly so happy to be watching over her while she slept.  

There were still bruises lining her face. Archie had done a number on her with his fists, and then there was her concussion to think about. He had hit her on the head with a crowbar. Over her fucking head with a fucking crowbar. It was all such a mess and Jughead was mad as hell.  

It was currently a little after midnight, and the house was asleep. Jughead was content to stay up all night and watch his girlfriend sleep. Make sure she is safe. Betty’s eyebrows scrunched up just then, her complexion turning pale as she started mumbling in her sleep.  “No, no, no... Archie, please, stop.”  

Jughead’s heart panged at the thought of Betty having a nightmare, and he ran a soothing thumb down her jawline. “Baby, Betty, it’s okay. I’m here. You’re in bed with me, safe.”  

Betty shook in his hold and his heart wrenched. He hated it when his girlfriend – soulmate – was in pain. He sat up on his knees, carding his fingers through her hair gently as he continued to talk to her. “Betty, you’re just dreaming. It’s not real. Wake up and come back to me, baby.” He made sure to keep his voice as soft as possible; as gentle as a slow rainstorm, and she eventually fluttered her eyes open.  

“Juggy?” Betty asked.  

“Hi,” he murmured, still rubbing soothingly through her hair. “It was just a nightmare. It wasn’t real.”  

Betty swallowed thickly, and Jughead noted that it looked painful. She nodded her head. “Not real.”  

“Not real,” he cooed gently. Then - “Want to tell me about your nightmare?”  

Betty sighed, started to shake her head no, then slumped back into the pillows. “Yeah, I think that’ll help.”  

Jughead gathered her in his arms, and pulled her against his chest, keeping a gentle hold on her. “I’m here. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.” In times of great distress, Betty needed to be reminded of the fact that her friends were there with her.  

She nodded her head a little. “Thank you. So, uh, it started with Archie following me. I was walking down the street, and this car was trailing me. I looked over my shoulder and spotted Archie in the driver’s seat. There was no one walking with me and there were no buildings around that I could see. I was completely and utterly isolated with him on the street.” Jughead ran a hand through her hair, letting his girlfriend talk at her pace as he boiled on the inside. Even in her dreams, Archie was still hurting her.  
“I started to walk faster – a jog, really – and then he started driving faster. I flat-out started sprinting, just trying to put distance between me and Archie. He sped up, following me as he toyed dangerously with me. I knew what he was doing; knew what his end goal was.” 

“Which was what?” Jughead asked quietly. He had an inkling he knew where this was going but needed her to say it first before his suspicions were confirmed.  

“He wanted to kidnap me,” she whispered.  

Jughead’s heart stopped, then picked up double-time. It wasn’t so far out of the realm of possibility that Archie would try and kidnap her in her dreams. After all, he tried to do it in reality. The night of the dance. Jughead shook in revulsion and pulled Betty tighter to him, as if he could physically stop any harm from coming to her. “Betty, that’s not going to happen, okay? We’ve got stricter decrees in place. You’re never going to be on your own.”  

Betty grumbled. “I hate that you all will play babysitters.”  

Jughead sighed. “We’re not playing babysitters, baby. We want to make sure you’re safe. We don’t want anything bad to happen to you. More than it already has.”  

Betty looked at him. “I just feel like this is going to be really draining and difficult for all of us. We’re going to be tired and short-tempered.”  

“Us or you?” Jughead asked with a knowing smile, and she grinned guiltily. “Fair enough. But Betty, you can get as snappy with us as you want. Not one of us are going to take it personally because we know it’s not our freedom being fucked with. You don’t think we know how hard this will be for you? To give up your autonomy? Baby, we do know. Sweets is torn up over this. But he wants his little sister to be safe. I want my girlfriend to be safe. We all want you safe.”  

Betty studied him, before pressing a kiss to his lips. Jughead cupped her cheek, trailing his thumb over her cheekbone. He knew nothing further was going to happen – not in Betty’s house – but he willed himself to stay calm, regardless. He just enjoyed the kiss, pressing his lips to hers once, twice, three times in an endearing kiss, and then he pulled back. Betty looked up at him, smiling softly. “If it’s mainly you guys – the younger serpents – I think I will be all right with that. I just don’t want FP to have to alter his life to protect mine. I don’t want any of you to have to do that, really, but especially our older serpents. They’ve got so much they’re already working on or taking care of.”  

Jughead nodded. He understood that. “We’ll make sure it’s usually just our friends, okay? Your brother because you know Sweet Pea would die for you.”  

Betty nodded, eyes soft. “I know I’m annoyed at this new future, but I’m also really fucking grateful for all of you. For helping me.”  

“Betts, that’s what family does. And for better or worse, the serpents are your family. We’d die for one another,” Jughead said.  

“Damn straight,” Betty murmured with a smile.  

Jughead stole one more kiss. “Think you can go back to sleep?”  

“I’ll try,” Betty replied, scooting down into his arms as he straightened the covers out over them.  

“Sleep well, my Betts,” Jughead murmured.  

“I love you, Juggy,” Betty said, eyes slipping closed.  

Jughead was content watching her, not knowing the storm that was brewing on the horizon.

Chapter Text

Sweet Pea and the gang had gone back to school. They were in their last few months of the school year – senior year for Sweet Pea, junior for everyone else. Sweet Pea knew things would be different the following year when he was no longer in high school. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be in Riverdale. He was still going to be in their town, working with their parents at the Register and helping to run the Serpents.  

True, all the younger Serpents were going out to school after they graduated – but Sweet Pea wanted to go to the city with his friends and little sister. And his girlfriend. So, he was waiting one more year. He didn’t want to be in the city by himself. Not when everyone he loved was still here.  

But he still had a few months until graduation. So, he went to school with the rest of the Serpents, all of whom kept a close eye on Betty. Did his sister hate the fact that they were all taking turns to make sure she was safe? Undoubtedly, so. Did she understand that they just wanted to protect her? Also, yes. It was a slippery slope and one he did not take lightly.  

Just then, the bell rang, dismissing them for the morning break. Sweet Pea packed up his stuff, ignoring the other seniors. He never did like talking to them. And then made his way to the communal lounge to spend the next half hour hanging out.  His eyes scanned the hallways. No sign of flaming red hair, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted Jughead and Betty walking together down the hallway. At least they stayed together. Sweet Pea made his way toward them. “Hey.”  

“Hey, Sweets,” Betty grinned up at him, and Jughead nodded at him.  

“No trouble then?” Sweet Pea asked as they began to walk. Ronnie and Cheryl came out of a classroom on their left, and he automatically held Ronnie’s hand. She smiled at him.  

“None,” Jughead replied, and that was good enough for him. They made their way to the lounge, spotting Joaquin, Kevin, and Fangs already in there. Betty disengaged herself from Jughead’s side and went and hugged Fangs and Joaquin. Then she turned to Kevin. Watching his sister for a moment, Sweet Pea turned and looked at Jughead.  

“So, Archie hasn’t tried to get to her?” Sweet Pea asked in an undertone. Ronnie pressed a kiss to Sweet Pea’s lips and then went over to Betty and Kevin. Cheryl and Toni followed. Jughead shook his head.  

“I haven’t even seen Archie this morning,” he said.  

Sweet Pea cocked his head to the side. Neither had he. “That’s...unusual.”  

“That’s what I thought,” Jughead admitted quietly. “But of course, he could have also finally gotten the hint that we were going to mess him up if he so much as looked at Betty sideways.”  

“I know,” Sweet Pea sighed, running a hand down his jaw. He thought about it. If Archie was finally backing off, that would make graduation in the summer all the easier for him. He didn’t want to leave his sister and friends behind if Archie was still acting out. He hated the idea of leaving them all here for another year while he wasn’t in school with them. He couldn’t stomach the idea of something bad happening to them – any of them – but especially Ronnie and Betty. “We’ll just keep an eye on it.”  

“As if I’d be doing anything else,” Jughead assured him, and Sweet Pea nodded, clapping his best friend on the shoulder.  

“Good man,” he agreed.  

Just then, there was the sound of shattering glass and everyone looked around. Betty gasped. “Get down!”  

They threw themselves to the ground as a sound like an explosion went off. Rubble and debris flew, and Sweet Pea kept his head tucked down. His heart was jackhammering in his throat, and he wondered how the girls were doing. The sprinkler system went off, dousing all of them in water as the smell of acrid smoke filled the air. Did someone let off a bomb? It was the only thought in Sweet Pea’s head as he tried to assess the damage. “Everyone okay?”  

“Yes.”  

“Yeah, babe.”  

“We’re good.”  

“All clear over here.”  

“What the fuck was that?”  

Sweet Pea looked at Fangs, who was on the opposite side of the room to him, and he slowly stood up. Jughead, Fangs, and Joaquin all followed. “Girls, stay down.”  

“Fuck off,” Betty snapped, standing to her feet. Yeah, his sister was an independent woman and didn’t like being told what to do. He had momentarily forgotten that. She walked over to him, with Ronnie following close behind, and she looked out the window that had been shattered. “Someone threw a glass bottle through the window.”  

“It had a fire,” Ronnie muttered.  

“Come on,” Jughead said, eyes on the bottle. “We need to get out of here. “  

Sweet Pea, Fangs, Jughead, and Joaquin all ushered everyone out and then got out of the room themselves. Principal Weatherby was already making his way down the hallway, towards them, and Sweet Pea backed up so he could look into the room. “We’re okay.”  

“What in God’s name happened?” Principal Weatherby demanded.  

Ronnie shrugged her shoulders. “Someone threw a bottle with fire into the lounge.”  

“Were any of you hurt?” Weatherby asked sharply.  

They all told him no, and Waldo walked inside. Then he promptly walked out. “We need to tape off this room. The police have already been called.”  

Just then, they all heard the sirens. Sweet Pea ushered everyone out of the hallway and towards the stairs leading outside. Betty and Jughead walked close to him, with Betty speaking. “Who the hell threw that?”  

“I don’t know,” Jughead murmured. “But I will find out.”  

“We will find out,” Fangs corrected him, sharing a look with Joaquin. Joaquin nodded, and then Sweet Pea turned and faced the bedlam that was occurring. People were running out of the building, and he made sure to keep his friends and family in sight.  

They all turned to face the school, and Sweet Pea wondered what would happen now.  

Chapter Text

Betty didn’t know what Archie fucking Andrews was playing at with destroying school property, but she knew Weatherby was mad as hell. She couldn’t and wouldn’t say she blamed her principal for his anger as it wasn’t misplaced. Archie had destroyed school property. And Weatherby was out for retribution. 

Betty expelled a soft sigh as she sat in the communal room of the clubhouse she was in. Well, it was the Serpent’s bar, the Whyte Wyrm, but she wasn’t in the actual bar room of it. She was sitting in the back, laying against Ronnie, as Cheryl laid against Betty. Toni, Sweet Pea, and Jughead were all sitting in on a meeting with FP and her dad that the three girls weren’t privy to. It wasn’t by any fault of the Serpents; the rules were just very straightforward and concrete. 

Cheryl was cuddled against her as she played with Betty’s hair. “Betts?”

“Hmm?” Betty hummed. 

“Are you feeling safe?” Cheryl asked quietly. 

Ronnie paused with her ministrations of drawing patternless designs on the couch they were sitting on as she listened to the girls. Betty thought about her friend’s question for a moment. Did she feel safe? “Well, Archie hasn’t bothered me in a couple of days. So, I suppose I feel as safe as that fact allows me to feel.”

Cherryl tsked. “I could kill him.”

“He’s made his bed, Cher,” Betty murmured. “Now he has to sleep in it.”

“I don’t think he’ll ever apologize,” Ronnie mused quietly. 

Betty snorted. “Undoubtedly not. Archie doesn’t know how to apologize. Not unless he sees something in it for himself.”

Cheryl sighed, displeasure rolling off her in waves. “I still think we should just handle him in-house.”

“No,” Betty said simply “We’re not God. We do not decide when people live or die.”

“And yet,” Ronnie pondered. “Archie seems to think he’s playing God. He’s going to end up killing someone one day.”

“So, we should sink to his level?” Betty questioned. 

“No,” Cheryl huffed, tapping her fingernails on the couch’s faux leather arm, “but we shouldn’t just roll over for him and make his job easier.”

Betty laughed outright. “Cheryl, you’re a mess. If you had your way, you’d roll over for exactly no one.”

“Not true,” Cheryl smirked. “I roll over and under for Toni every night.”

Betty and Ronnie burst into quiet giggles, smothering their laughter with their hands. The door to the room just opened and Jughead and the other two serpents walked in. Toni went straight to Cheryl and pulled her girlfriend onto her lap. Ronnie went to go sit with Sweet Pea, and Jughead curled around Betty on the couch and she leaned her back against his chest. “Hey.”

“Hey, babe,” he murmured, kissing the shell of her ear. Then he greeted Cheryl and Ronnie. “What are the three of you laughing about in here?”

Betty made eye contact with Cheryl and burst into giggles again. Then she shook her head. “Just girl talk. How was the meeting?”

Her brother answered her. “It was good. We - uh - have some new rules in place.” Sweet Pea looked down and away from Betty when he said that, breaking eye contact. 

Betty narrowed her eyes at him. “What sort of rules?”

Jughead sighed, threading his fingers through her hair. “Don’t get mad, baby, all right? It’s for your own safety.”

Betty closed her eyes, feeling anger coursing through her. Why was it always her? She sighed through her teeth but knew there was no point in arguing. There never was. It was probably her father or FP’s decree. If it was, there would be absolutely no arguing it. “Dad or FP put them in place?”

“Both, shortcake,” Sweet Pea said quietly, frowning apologetically. “I know it’s not what you want to hear but we’ve listened to how you said none of us are to go after Andrews. If that’s the case, you’re in need of tighter security. I’m sorry but that’s the final word. Not one of us will risk your safety more than it has been.”

Betty sighed, feeling disgruntled but she knew it was ultimately for the best. Archie had proved dangerous time and time again. Closing her eyes again, she took a steadying breath and forced herself to think things through logically. Finally, she looked eyes with her brother, who was staring at her apprehensively. “It’s fine, Sweets. I understand.” And she did. Archie was a ticking pipe-bomb. One wrong wire cut, and he’d blow them all to smithereens. 

Jughead pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck, carding his fingers through her golden tresses soothingly. “I know it seems unfair right now but all we want to do is make sure you’re safe, baby.”

Ronnie spoke up. “We’ll make it fun, B. Cheryl and I can take you out and spend time with you when the boys aren’t around or you need a break from them. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”

Betty knew Ronnie would do anything to make her best friend feel like she wasn’t being punished because of Archie’s actions, that were both cruel and out of her control. She dipped her head appreciatively, smiling at the petite Latina. “Thanks, V. That sounds good.”

“How about we go get dinner tonight?” Cheryl asked, looking back and forth between Betty and Ronnie. “Just the three of us? A girl’s date?”

Betty nodded enthusiastically. “Girls night sounds exactly like what I need, Cher.”

Ronnie grinned. “It sounds perfect. We can go over into Greendale and hit up their sushi restaurant and then we can go play a game of pool.”

Betty saw Sweet Pea and Jughead exchange a look out of the corner of her eye and she sighed. “What’s wrong?”

Jughead pressed a soft and gentle kiss to her lips and shook his head. “Nothing is wrong. I think that sounds like a night that our three ladies deserve.”

“That said,” Sweet Pea began, looking at Ronnie and then the other two women, “can you ladies agree to a couple of guards as long as they don’t infringe on your night?”

Betty looked at Ronnie and Cheryl, both of whom nodded, and she turned back to her brother. “That sounds reasonable, Sweets.”

He flashed a grin and Betty felt excitement running through her. A girl's night with her two best friends. She couldn’t wait. 

Author’s note: Up next, girls' night! Xxx

Chapter Text

Author notes: This chapter is again going to be in Betty’s P.O.V. but we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled program soon! 

Betty applied a final layer of lipgloss and then pulled her loose, side braid forward over her shoulder. She gave herself the once over in the mirror and smiled. She’d do. Then she was turning on her heel and leaving her room, heading down the stairs to wait in the living room for Ronnie’s driver to show up. They were going to drive in style - and it was the first time since Smithers had been murdered that Betty would be riding in the limo once more. She wanted to throw her support for Ronnie and help her friend handle the fact. 

As she stood in the living room, Sweet Pea and her mother walked into the living room. Alice’s eyes were bright, and Betty looked at her. “Mom, you okay?” 

Alice cupped her daughter’s cheek, Betty leaning into the embrace. “Just promise me you’ll be careful tonight, honey.”

Oh. 

Oh .

Betty smiled at her mother, tone gentle and soothing when she replied. “I promise to not do anything that would warrant getting myself into a situation I couldn’t get out of.”

Sweet Pea growled underneath his breath. “That doesn’t make me feel better, shortcake.”

Betty threw a smirk in her brother’s general direction. “Not meant to help you, big brother. Just here to remind you I can look after myself.”

Sweet Pea huffed, saying something underneath his breath that sounded suspiciously like ‘little shit’, but she didn’t bother to deem him with a reply. Her mom spoke up just then, interfering before Sweet Pea could go off. “Just make sure to stay with Cheryl and Ronnie, all right?”

“Always,” Betty promised her mother softly. She could do that much. 

There was a knock on their front door and Betty knew that was Andre, Ronnie’s new driver. She kissed her mother on the cheek, smiled at Sweet Pea, and grabbed her bag. Then she was on her way. 

XXX

The girls rode to Greendale comfortably in the car. They talked and laughed, cracking jokes and just taking the night to really enjoy the girl’s night they had been gifted with. Betty was laughing at something Cheryl said while Ronnie was smiling at the two of them. Some shots of tequila may have been had in the back of the limo already and the girls were feeling the tension of the last few weeks - months, really - wearing off. 

Ronnie spoke up. “To one hell of a girl’s night!”

Betty clinked her empty shot glass with her best friend’s and Cheryl poured them another measure of alcohol. Betty knocked back the shot, feeling the warmth settle comfortably into her stomach. Andre’s eyes flashed back to them, checking in on them, and Ronnie nodded at him. Betty spoke up. “We’re okay, Andre. But I think that’s enough alcohol to start us off for the night. We don’t want to get kicked out of the sushi restaurant.”

Cheryl laughed, nodding her head in agreement. “That’s sloppy behavior and we’re not sloppy drinkers.”

“We’re classy ladies,” Ronnie agreed with a delicate dip of her chin. 

Once they got to the restaurant, the girls got out of the limo, with Andre promising to watch for any signs of trouble - which clued Betty into the fact that Veronica had already told him to be on the lookout for a redhead who was not wanted nor welcomed. In the distance, Betty heard motorcycles rumbling and knew that whoever her brother and Jughead picked as the guards for the night were getting close. She hooked her arm through Cheryl’s, her other one coming up to wrap around Ronnie’s waist. “Let’s go girls.”

They walked into the restaurant, taking in the scene. Other high school students their age seemed to be enjoying a night of dinner, too. Boisterous laughter filled the air and waitresses and waiters were bouncing from table to table, taking orders and delivering food and drinks. The girls walked to a booth in the back of the room and slid in. A couple of minutes later, the sound of motorcycles cutting off alerted her to the fact that the guards were there. She tried not to dwell on the fact that she was in such danger, she couldn’t even enjoy a night out with her girls without having guards. 

Betty pushed the thought to the back of her mind and looked at Cheryl and Ronnie, both of who were pursuing the menu. “Do you ladies want to share a plate?”

“I think the vegan california rolls sound really good,” Cheryl admitted. 

“I also would like to try those,” Ronnie added. 

Betty nodded her head, mentally adding a spicy tuna roll each for her and Ronnie. Their waitress came up to them just then and took their order, assuring it’d be out soon. Then Betty caught a flash of dark hair and a beanie and sighed. Of course. “Looks like our guards are my brother and boyfriend.”

Ronnie looked around in surprise, eyes landing on Sweet Pea. She sighed. “I told the fool to not worry. But he doesn’t seem to listen. Not when it comes to his sister.”

“His sister and his friends,” Cheryl amended, looking at Betty with a soft look. “We can’t blame him for being concerned about us.” 

Betty nodded, knowing in her heart that her two friends were right. She glanced at her brother and then her boyfriend, both of who were standing stoically outside of the restaurant, watching the perimeter. At least they knew to stay well enough away while the girls were enjoying a night for themselves. Betty pushed the nagging feeling out of her mind and just focused on the night before her. Afterall, it was going to be a good night. She could feel it in her bones. 

If she knew how wrong she’d turn out to be, she’d have ended up eating her own thoughts. 

Author’s note: Girl’s night is going to be distributed in sections. I'm going to try and update every couple of days! Thank you and enjoy! As usual, thoughts are lovely as always. Xx

Chapter Text

Jughead kept an eye on the girls at the restaurant. He was being an overprotective fool, he knew that. Damn him , he knew that. But it couldn’t be helped. Archie had already sunk his claws into Betty time and time again before. He was determined to do it as many times as possible, ripping at Betty’s tender flesh so much his talons left scars. And Jughead was definitely not willing to let that happen. So, yes, he may be an overprotective fool, but he was an overprotective fool that cared. And that counted for something, right?

Sweet Pea was much in the same boat. He was trying to protect his little sister, his girlfriend, and one of his closest friends all in one fell swoop. And they were doing a pretty good damn job of it, much to the aggravation of the girls. They - all three of them - wanted their independence for the night. 

To be fair to the men, Jughead thought to himself, they were trying. Jughead and Sweet Pea didn’t crowd them at the restaurant. Didn’t force them to sit with them or share their conversation with them. Jughead wanted to respect the girls’ independence, he did. So he tried to give what freedom that he could while still watching them. 

Some days, he really hated the job he had. 

Betty, Cheryl, and Ronnie stood up from the table just then, all three walking over to where Sweet Pea and Jughead stood. Jughead looked down at his girlfriend as she came to a standstill next to him. “We’re going to head to the club down the road.”

Jughead and Sweet Pea exchanged a worried look and Sweet Pea spoke up. “Shortcake, are you sure that’s safe?”

“I’m not asking you for your permission,” Betty replied. “I’m just telling you so you guys can follow us. We want to dance.”

Jughead looked at Cheryl, who was studying him in kind, and opened her mouth to chime in. “I promise, she’s safe with us. You guys can even come stand inside the club and watch us dance, because we do want to dance.”

Looking at Sweet Pea once, Jughead smiled down at his girlfriend. “I think that’s a completely valid reason to go dancing. We’ll just watch from the shadows, okay?”

Betty breathed a sigh of relief, shoulders loosening some as she smiled shyly at Jughead. “That sounds good, Juggy.”

He pressed a kiss to her lips and then Sweet Pea was pressing his own to Ronnie’s lips. The shorter woman let the taller embrace her for a moment, cradling the back of his neck in her open palms, and then they were pulling apart. Ronnie linked her arm with Cheryl’s, as Betty took the redhead’s opposite arm, and the three women smiled at one another. “Let’s go.”

XXX

At the club, Jughead stuck true to his word about keeping to the shadows with Sweet Pea. The two of them watched the ladies dance as Betty, Cheryl, and Toni got drunk steadily. They shouldn’t have been able to order drinks at the bar at all, what with not being twenty-one, but the bartender was lax about checking IDs. Especially when three very pretty girls flashed their doe eyes at him with mischievous smiles. Yeah, Jughead watched the bartender too. 

As Betty and Cheryl swayed, dancing in a steady rhythm around each other, Ronnie walked back to the bartender - Jerry - to get more shots. Jughead and Sweet Pea watched on with hawk-like eyes, with Sweet Pea talking loudly over the music so Jughead could hear him. “Shouldn’t we cut them off?”

“Nah,” Jughead replied, shaking his head. “Let them have their fun. God knows it’s been a hard year on all of us. The girls are as close to Betty as she is to them. None of them will let anything happen to the others. We have to believe that.”

Sweet Pea grumbled underneath his breath but didn’t say anything distinguishable, so Jughead left it alone. He went back to watching as Betty swayed her hips in time to the music. God, she was ethereal. A beauty he didn’t know what to do with; didn’t have a hope to know what to do with, either. There was a thin sheen of sweat coating her skin like a second layer of protection and her eyes were closed lazily as she spun around. He knew from the grin on her face she was feeling the intoxicating allure of the alcohol in her system, and smiled to himself slightly. She was stunning in every sense of the word, and he felt his erection in his jeans. He knew that they would most likely have sex tonight, if Cheryl and Ronnie could let her out of their sights for more than five minutes. He didn’t want to pressure her of course, but his girl always became more promiscuous; more flirty, when she had been consuming alcohol. He could tell by the heavenly lilt of her lips that Betty was more than buzzed, and he chuckled as she spun circles around them, white dress flapping in the wake of her movements. 

Betty looked up just then, catching his eye, and he noted how her eyes twinkled in the light. She beckoned him forward with a jerk of her index finger, and he smirked. Hell yeah, he loved when his girl was feeling frisky. He pushed off the wall, making his way toward her. When he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, linking his fingers at her lower back. “Is my baby feeling wild?”

“And free,” she whispered lowly into his ear, breath kissing his skin there as he shivered. “I want you to do things to me tonight, Juggy.”

He grinned, knowing exactly what she wanted. “Yeah? Are you going to be my good girl for me?”

“Always.” She smiled prettily, blinking her lashes at him. 

Jughead pressed a kiss to the base of her throat, then up the column of her neck where she showed him an expanse of exposed skin. He felt his nerve-endings tingling with life and fire and didn’t have to dip his hand into the folds of her underwear to feel how wet she was. But he did it anyway. Pulling out his fingers, he popped them into his mouth, licking them dry as her eyes grew hooded. “There’s my good girl.”

She whined low in her throat and exposed more skin for him to kiss but he was interrupted by a frantic tug on his arm and he came back to his reality. Cheryl was looking at him fearfully and Betty straightened up, looking at her friend. “Cher, what is it?”

“Archie is here.”

Chapter Text

Cheryl Blossom stood terrified for a moment, staring at the hulking form of Archie Andrews as she gaped soundlessly, unsure of what to do. Then she snapped to attention, barking out orders like she was a drill sergeant. “Ronnie, Betty, let’s move!” Betty stood frozen, staring at Archie with wide eyes. Cheryl hissed underneath her breath. “ Now !”

She grabbed Betty - the only true best friend she had in this world - and manhandled her away from the towering redhead as Sweet Pea and Jughead pulled out their knives. She knew the two guys were itching for a fight and thought it best to leave them to it. 

“No! Juggy! Sweets!” Betty screamed, trying to shove past Cheryl but she was unmovable. Unwilling to be swayed. She kept pushing against the blonde who, for all intents and purposes, was shoving back against her . And Cheryl had no idea why but she knew she’d rather die than let Archie anywhere near the blonde she had such a ferocious grip on. So, she dug her nails into Betty’s skin further, and pushed .

Ronnie snapped to attention and started helping Cheryl herd Betty out. “B, come on.”

“Jughead and Sweet Pea need me!” Betty cried, but Cheryl got an arm around her and turned her around with the help of Ronnie. 

“You’ll be of no help to them if you’re hurt,” Cheryl hissed. The words “or worse” crossed her mind but she didn’t dare utter them. Not then. Not when they still had so much stretch of dance floor to cross before them. 

Cheryl hauled Betty’s form across the dance floor ignoring both her, who was screaming and flailing, and the people who were staring at them, open-mouthed. 

“Toodles,” she snarled to the gaping idiots as she all but kicked the door open and hauled Betty outside. 

She let go of Betty, turning to face her as the blonde unleashed her fury at the redhead. “Cheryl, Jughead and Sweets are in there!”

“I know, Betty,” she murmured, running a hand through her red locks. “But they wouldn’t want you - any of us - to risk ourselves while they fought. We have to believe that they’re okay.”

Betty looked ready to argue when Ronnie piped up. “Trust me, Betty, your brother doesn’t want you in that club any more than I do. Even though…” 

Ronnie trailed off with a look toward the club and Cheryl didn’t need to see the fear and worry in her friend’s eyes to know she was worried about her boyfriend. Taking the reins, Cheryl took over when Ronnie was rendered speechless by her concern for Sweet Pea. “The bottom line, Betty, is that your brother and boyfriend both wouldn’t want you in there. Either of you.” She added for clarification. 

Ronnie nodded and Betty breathed deeply. “So, what do we do? Wait out here for them? I’m sorry, Cher, but I cannot - “

She was interrupted by the door opening; then running, feet pounding the pavement as Jughead and Sweet Pea reached them, looking over the three of them. “Are you three all right?” Jughead’s voice was as sharp as any knife she had ever seen, and Cheryl expelled a sigh as Betty hugged him tightly.

“We’re okay, Jug,” she said. Not a moment too soon because…

“Are you okay?” Betty demanded, as she turned Jughead this way and that. Then her eyes landed on his blackened eye, and she gasped. “Juggy!”

“It’s okay,” he said calmly, bracketing her face with his palms. “Betty? Betty, look at me. I’m okay.”

She trailed her thumb over his cheekbone, taking in every word he said. Then she breathed. And then slapped him on the arm. “You asshole! I’ll kill you, Juggy, I swear to God.”

Jughead laughed, pressing a tender kiss to his girlfriend’s lips, and Cheryl looked away for fear she was intruding on a private moment. Her eyes sought out Sweet Pea. “Archie?”

“Ran away after we decked him but not before he threw in his own punches,” Sweet Pea sighed. At that, Ronnie started fussing over him.

“Did he punch you?” Ronnie demanded, turning her boyfriend’s cheek in her hand, much the same way Betty had done, and it made Cheryl wish her own girlfriend was there.

“No,” Sweet Pea assured her gently, cutting his eyes back to Cheryl’s. “Toni is on her way.”

And that helped, deep down. 

XXX

Toni showed up not even half an hour later, motorcycle roaring down the street as she sped to them. She threw off her helmet, running toward Cheryl and skidding to a stop. As she panted, Toni yanked Cheryl into her arms. “You’re safe, you’re safe. I thought…” Cheryl pressed a kiss to her girlfriend’s lips, knowing what she was thinking, and not needing her to say it out loud. 

“I’m okay,” she assured her quietly, and Toni kissed her forehead, holding her lips there for an immeasurable moment. Then she pulled back and assessed the situation. Betty’s tenacious grip on her boyfriend; Jughead’s black eye. Then Sweet Pea who had his frame wrapped around Ronnie’s protectively. Finally, she looked back at Cheryl - who was trembling - and narrowed her eyes. 

“I’ll fucking kill him,” she hissed. 

But Cheryl, who had seen enough violence, shook her head as she looked at Ronnie and Betty, and then at each of their partners. “I think we’re just ready to go home.”

Toni softened her eyes on her, pressing a delicate kiss to her lips. “Of course, baby. Let’s go.”

Jughead, who didn’t seem quite ready to let Betty go, looked at Ronnie apologetically. “I’m sorry, Ron but…”

The petite latina shook her head, smiling knowingly at Jughead. “Betty is good to ride back home with you. Why don’t we all go to the penthouse? We can make a night of it there.”

“That sounds good,” Sweet Pea said after sharing a look with Toni and Jughead. Toni gripped her hand, pressing a lingering kiss to her lips. 

“See you there?” Toni murmured, eyes a steady constant on her girlfriend that Cheryl fell safely into. 

“Always,” she murmured. 

She’d see that promise through.

Chapter Text

Betty and Jughead made it back to Veronica’s right after Sweet Pea and Ronnie did, and before Cheryl and Toni. Betty was still shaking from the altercation at the club and she knew Sweet Pea had called Joaquin and Fangs when he had parked his bike. Both men promised to come over with the added bonus that Joaquin would bring Kevin. She needed her emotional support human with her. The thought made her laugh and she cackled for a moment. 

Jughead whipped around, eyeing her warily. “Betts…is that hysteria kicking in?”

She laughed harder, crouching down onto her knees as she covered her mouth with her hand, laughing so hard tears surfaced. Sweet Pea looked at her, easing down onto his own knees next to her and cautiously placed a hand on her shoulder. She tumbled into her older brother’s hold immediately and began crying. 

Sweet Pea cradled her head against his chest, soothing her but not hushing her. The best thing – one of the best things - about her brother was that Sweet Pea knew when to give her a moment and let her cry. And she has been suppressing a lot of her emotions lately. So, he knew better than to say anything and just held her. “I’m. Sorry.”

“Shh, Betts,” Sweet Pea murmured. “Tonight was a lot and would have been too much for anyone but you? You push everything down until you’re forced to feel it. Feel it, hon. It’s just us here.”

Jughead tugged her gently out of her brother’s arms and wrapped his frame around her protectively, rocking her back and forth as she cried silently. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay.”

“He wasn’t supposed to be there. It was supposed to be girl’s night. And now you and Sweets had to punch him.”

Jughead chuckled lowly, carding his fingers through her hair. “We don’t give a damn about that, sweetheart.”

“I know, but I do,” she grumbled, pulling out of his embrace and wiping her blotchy face. “God, I am a mess.”

“You’re beautiful,” Jughead countered, pressing a kiss to her lips and then kissing the underside of her jaw delicately. 

She whined. “Juggy.”

“Oh, yeah. You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” he grinned. 

“Stop,” she laughed, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Ronnie walked toward her just then and pulled her into a hug and Betty went willingly. “I love you.” Ronnie’s voice was nothing more than a coo and Betty felt the last of the residual tension leave her body. 

“Love you, too, Ronnie,” she murmured, hugging her best friend. Then the sound of a motorcycle could be heard and Betty looked up, spotting Cheryl and Toni coming down the street. Cheryl was off the bike before Toni fully had a chance to park it and she ran towards Betty. 

“Are you okay? Archie didn’t catch up to you guys did he?” Cheryl demanded, searching Betty and then pivoting to check Ronnie. 

Betty and Ronnie both assured their other friend that they were all right while Jughead and Sweet Pea conversed in quiet tones with Toni. Toni walked over to Betty just then. “Thank you for keeping my girls safe.”

Betty knew Toni meant the three of them, and Betty nodded her head, smiling at Toni. “Thank you for keeping my boys from committing homicide.”

“Always,” Toni grinned at her and the two women laughed quietly. 

Then Sweet Pea spoke up. “Joaquin and Kev should be here within the hour, with Fangs coming after his little sister’s play.”

Betty felt the relief permeate her bones and the six of them walked into the penthouse, her breakdown not forgotten but left to deal with at a later date. 

XXX

Joaquin and Kevin were good on their word and had shown up within the hour. Kevin pulled her to her feet from where they had been leaning against couches and hugged her fiercely. “I’ll kill him.” He whispered firmly into her ear. Betty smiled, knowing Kevin wouldn’t and couldn’t actually hurt anyone. It’d more so be Joaquin who would do anything violent while Kevin took Betty shopping or to dinner. She loved him. 

“Thank you,” she murmured. 

Then Joaquin was speaking. “So, Archie just showed up at the club? How the hell did he even know you three ladies were going out?”

“That’s what I want to know,” Sweet Pea muttered darkly. 

Jughead ran a hand down his face, facing Betty as his eyes unfocused, and she knew he was thinking about things. Eventually, he spoke. “I want the Serpents vetted.”

Everyone was staring at him and then Sweet Pea spoke in a dangerously calm voice. “You think one of our’s betrayed them?”

“I’m almost certain of it,” he replied grimly. “No one at the school knew they were going out. The girls aren’t stupid and wouldn’t talk about their plans with anyone outside of the Serpents, not when Archie is actively stalking Betty.”

“You don’t think he could have just been watching them?” Joaquin asked, as Betty, Cheryl, Veronica, and Kevin watched the rest of them. 

“No,” Jughead said seriously. “We have security watching every move Betty is making. They would have spotted him unless…”

“Unless one of them spotted him and told him,” Sweet Pea fumed. 

“Shit,” Toni breathed. 

“I will fucking annihilate them,” Cheryl hissed. 

Betty found her voice, after ingesting this piece of information. “Guys, we don’t know that anyone betrayed us.”

“You,” Sweet Pea said in a hard voice, eyes like steel. “They betrayed you. And we have pretty fucking solid proof that they did. At least, someone did.”

“And what are we going to do?”’ Betty asked. “Give the third degree to every member?”

“I’m getting dad and Hal,” Jughead said firmly, tone brooking no room for arguments. “They’r our president and vice president. They’ll know how to handle this discreetly.”

“Fuck discretion,” Sweet Pea snapped hotly. “I want every Serpent submitted to questioning.”

“You’re not the president, Sweets,” Betty reminded him tiredly. 

Jughead squeezed her hand, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. “Let my dad and your dad handle it. In the meantime, let’s go to bed. It’s been a long night.”

Activity picked up just then, with Betty feeling no better than she had before the start of the conversation.

Chapter Text

Betty walked the quiet streets of Riverdale. She had been under new security all the last few weeks and it was highly irritating. She understood it, of course. Sweet Pea, her brother, and Jughead, her boyfriend, wanted her to be as safe as possible. It didn’t help that those two men in her life were also best friends. They tag-teamed with one another and made it their personal mission to make sure she was safe.  

Again, highly irritating. But she knew they were coming from a place of love.  

And that made all the difference in the world.  

Right now, it is currently time for the seniors to start preparing for graduation. That meant Sweet Pea was busy with all the final activities he had to do as a senior. As Sweet Pea was the only senior in their group, she knew that her brother was starting to get anxious about the fact that he wouldn’t be there next year with them at the school.  

Of course, that’s not to say he wouldn’t be there in their town with them. Sweet Pea wasn’t moving to the city until they were. But she knew that her older brother didn’t want to leave them at their school without him.  

Especially Betty.  

Sweet Pea worried that Archie would get to her once he was off campus grounds. And that tore him apart. She couldn’t even begin to imagine the anxiety her brother was feeling. It was the one and only time he experienced what her anxiety disorder felt like to her.  

And she wouldn’t wish that on anyone, let alone her brother.  

Sighing softly, Betty couldn’t help but to feel anxious about his graduation looming closer. She knew what it meant for him but what did it mean for her ? Well, for starters, she wouldn’t see her brother every day in school. And that hurt. Betty knew that some things were going to change in the coming weeks. But for now, she’d be content to continue spending time with Sweet Pea.  

As she walked, she heard the footsteps of another Serpent behind her. She had John or was it James? Whatever his name was, Betty had another Serpent following behind her. And she didn’t want to engage in conversation with him. Yeah, she was still mad about that.  

Her thoughts strayed to Jughead. If any Serpent had to follow her, she wished it was him. Her boyfriend. They hadn’t gotten much time together lately, and she hated that. She knew it was because he was busy training the incoming recruits. The Serpents held the Gauntlet once a year for the incoming Freshmen to have a chance to run it. Her parents were there too, of course, but Betty didn’t feel like sitting through another training session. Not when she had sat through three already. So, here she was, walking.  

Jughead had been more than understanding with her. She had tried to voice her complaints about the added security, and he didn’t get mad at her. He just listened quietly and then patiently reminded her why it was a necessity to have added guards. She knew she wasn’t going to win against him, and she wasn’t mad. Not really. Was she annoyed? Certainly. But she wasn’t mad.  

Just then, she heard James or John or whatever the fuck it was, yelp, and she spun on her heel. He was down on the ground, a man with a gun pointed to his neck. Betty’s heartbeat started thrumming as she swallowed thickly. Then, she heard soft and calculated footsteps to the left of her and saw Archie emerge, spinning a knife between his fingers.  

His eyes were on her, alight with maniacal energy, and Betty swallowed the fear she felt. It would do no good to scream, not when a man in a mask held a gun to a Serpent’s neck. At least the Serpent wasn’t screaming. Betty watched as his eyes narrowed, glaring at Archie. “Touch her, and I’ll fucking kill you.” 

The man with the gun kicked him in the ribs and the Serpent grunted. Archie smiled at Betty pleasantly. “Hello, sweetheart.” 

Betty swallowed convulsively, narrowing her own eyes on Archie. “What do you want?” 

“Just to leave a little reminder that you’re mine,” he said quietly. Then he shoved a rag in her mouth and carved into her skin.  

Tears were rolling down her cheeks and she tried to knee him, but he had his body wrapped around her so she was pulled flush against his chest, and she couldn’t move. She heard him humming softly as she fought against him but again, she didn’t have much leverage. He towered over her.  

Her forearm was burning as he carved and sliced into her skin. The pain burned through her nerves, and it seemed never-ending. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and she tasted a combination of salt and iron, and realized, somehow, she had bitten her tongue underneath the rag. She had to be careful if she didn’t want to choke on her sobs and blood alike.  

Finally, Archie let her go, and she shoved away from him, yanking the rag out of her mouth. She glanced down at her arm, read the words, ‘red was here’, and glared at him. “I swear to God...” 

“Ah, Betty. Sweetheart, I was never here,” he reminded her.  

She shook her head. “You won’t get away with this. Everyone will know that it was you who carved into my skin.” 

“But everyone will think that it was Spencer who did it,” he said.  

Betty’s eyes flickered to the other man, still holding a gun against the Serpent. He took off his mask, and Betty realized she knew him somewhat from his familiarity. “You’re not a Serpent. Who are you?” 

“It wasn’t a Serpent who betrayed you,” he said. “And I’m Mary’s brother. Archie’s uncle. And I do whatever that kid wants.” 

“Whatever,” Archie smiled pleasantly. “Kill the boy.” 

A bullet went off before Betty had time to blink, and then the Serpent who had been underneath Archie’s uncles’ foot was breathing no longer. Betty didn’t even know his name. “What the fuck.” 

“James was collateral damage,” Archie sighed regretfully, but it didn’t dim the dark look in his eyes. He grabbed Betty’s jaw and squeezed it. “You are mine. You belong to me. Don’t you ever fucking forget that or the body count is going to start growing.” 

“Fuck you,” Betty hissed.  

“God, I know you want to,” he murmured, licking her ear lobe. She trembled but didn’t knee him. His uncle had just killed a Serpent. Had killed James.  

“You won’t get away with this,” she hissed.  

“Yes, I will,” he replied. “Know why? Because I now have men at my disposal. Men who are directed to kill Sweet Pea and your friends at a moment’s notice. Men who will listen to that order.” 

“Archie...,” Betty whispered in horror, tears falling down her face as her heart reverberated. 

“So, here is what we’re going to do,” he said conversationally. “You’re going to turn in my Uncle Spencer as the murderer of James and the man who sliced into your arm. You’re going to tell him that he was a lunatic in the street, and everyone will see he has red hair and not think twice. If you don’t...Veronica is the first one to go. Don’t. Fuck. With. Me.” 

“You won’t get away with this,” Betty croaked.  

Archie pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Oh, sweet girl, I already have. Game on.” 

Chapter Text

Betty was sprinting on autopilot. She was numb, unaware of where she was running to. She just knew she needed to get there. Somewhere. Anywhere. James had been murdered, and she hadn’t even known his name beforehand. She had been so annoyed at the fact that there was some Serpent bodyguard on her, and she hadn’t even learned his name. She hadn’t even learned his name.  

And James was so kind to her. Giving her the space she desperately needed and craved, standing just behind her and following at her pace. He had never shown any hostility toward her, never shown any annoyance at having to follow her. And now he was dead. How the fuck was that fair.  

She slammed into a body, pulling and pushing against the jacket they wore. Tears were obscuring her vision; she was mad as hell and didn’t know who to tell. “Betty! Betts, baby, breathe! Breathe for me, baby.”  

She recognized this voice. This calming voice that didn’t bely his panic. She blinked, looking up into the concerned eyes of Jughead and she breathed, listening to him as he instructed her through the breathing technique that eased her panic the best. And as she breathed, her mind cleared. She realized that if she wanted the rest of her family and friends to be safe, she had a part to play. Had a lie to tell.  

Forcing herself to breathe, body convulsing with the pain of it, she stood up straight, blinking in her surroundings. Sweet Pea, her dad, and FP were all standing around her, watching her with something like fire in their eyes. Not anger at her, but anger at whoever did this to her. She trembled but then stood tall. Took a moment to breathe. Squared her shoulders. “A man named Spencer killed James and carved into my arm. He has red hair and we’ve seen him around town before.”  

Jughead hissed, jerking her arm towards him in his justifiable anger. He read the words that had been carved into her skin and swore in a dark voice. “Shit. Sweet Pea!”  

Sweet Pea darted forward, easing his baby sister out of his best friend’s hold, and looked down at her arm. Growling, he looked at Betty. “Archie has red hair, shortcake.”  

His tone implied he knew Betty wasn’t being one hundred percent honest and knowing that Archie would fucking kill anyone she cared about – and she believed that he would follow through with his word – she swallowed and became brave. “His name is Spencer. He looked familiar but I couldn’t place him. He snuck up on James and I and knocked out James with a gun over his head. Then, he pointed the gun at me, told me if I screamed, he’d kill me, and then shoved a rag in my mouth for good measure. He took out a pocketknife and carved it into my skin. I don’t know why he wrote the words that he did, except that he is a red head and he seems like the type of lunatic that doesn’t care what he did. Then he killed James.” Betty paused here as fresh tears leaked out of her eyes, turning beseechingly to Jughead. “I’m so sorry.”  

Jughead made a pained noise in the back of his throat and all but yanked her into his arms, cradling her head in his open palm. “Shh, baby. It’s not your fault. You were so brave. I love you so fucking much. You hear me? So, fucking much.”  

She collapsed against his chest, spent as the adrenaline rushed out of her. He scooped her up into his arms and looked at their dads and Sweet Pea. “I want this fucker to rot in prison until I get the information I need out of him. Then we’ll kill him.” His tone was final; word law. And Betty knew that she wouldn’t be sleeping until all this was behind her. Jughead nodded his head at something Sweet Pea said but she was too drained to hear what. Then he was carrying her across the street and kicking open a door to his trailer. She zoned out after that.  

XXX  

When Betty came back to her body and mind, she was lying in his bed, changed into a loose-fitting shirt and a pair of boxers. Jughead was wrapped around her, playing with her hair, and she felt bandages wrapped around her arm. His voice was soft and soothing when he spoke quietly into the air. “You with me?”  

“Yes,” she murmured, voice scratchy. She tried clearing her throat as he handed her a cup of water.  

“Slowly, baby. Your system is recovering from shock,” he explained quietly, carding his fingers through her hair.  

She took a sip of the cool water, feeling it ease her parched throat. She looked around the room they were in – his room – and felt safe for the first time that day. When she had her fill, she handed him the cup back, and he placed it on his nightstand. Then she looked at him. “What happens now?”  

“We’ve got Spencer arrested,” he said quietly. “Turns out he’s Mary Andrews’ brother and this isn’t the first time he’s been arrested. He has a rap sheet a mile long and came back to Riverdale to add to his crimes.”  

Betty shuddered but was grateful that at least he hadn’t been innocent before killing James. If he had a crime sheet...it explained why Archie used him as his pawn. “What crimes has he committed?”  

“He’s been in for armed robberies, theft, and assault,” Jughead murmured.  

“No wonder Mary doesn’t talk about him,” Betty breathed.  

“And Archie was seen at the library all afternoon from the librarian,” Jughead muttered. “So, he didn’t even know his uncle was here. It really was an attack of a madman.”  

Thank God. That’s all Betty could think. Her friends and family were safe for now and she would do whatever the fuck Archie wanted her to do if it meant keeping them that way. She expelled a tired sigh, eyes burning and swollen from all the crying she had done, and Jughead pulled her into his chest, cradling her against his body as he held her protectively.  

“I love you, baby,” he cooed.  

“Love you,” she echoed, feeling in her bones that everything had changed now. And that terrified the fuck out of her.  

Chapter Text

Jughead Jones was mad as hell . Scratch that – he was infuriated. Archie’s washed up, sleazy uncle pulled up into town and had harmed Jughead’s girlfriend? He wanted to set the cosmos on fire; he was that mad. He was shaking with an undeniable and uncontrollable rage, and it took all his strength to not lash out at people. He knew that it would do no good, however, to lash out at the people who cared about him.  

He needed to pulverize Archie and his uncle until they were nothing more than dust; until they were nothing more than a bad memory. One he wanted to obliterate from everyone’s minds, especially Betty’s.  

And speaking of Betty, his girlfriend was doing admirably, all things considered. He knew that she would be, so it didn’t really take him by surprise. But he was still undeniably proud of her, and nothing would change that. Nothing could change that. Not when his girlfriend had been mauled by a madman and lived to tell the tale.  

Right now, she was sitting next to Sweet Pea, across from Jughead, and he watched her beneath his lashes. They – both – knew that Sweet Pea needed to be next to his sister right now, and Jughead didn’t begrudge the other man that. Not when he had spent the last three nights with her, lying in her bed, as their parents tried to absolve the crimes of an indecent man.  

Jughead had, painstakingly, untangled himself from her bed that morning when Sweet Pea came in and demanded to spend the day with her. He knew that her older brother needed to remind himself that everything was the same. That Betty was still simply there , with them. And he didn’t blame him for that.  

So, that allowed Jughead to do some recon that day. He followed Archie Andrews all over town, at a safe distance, and watched what the redheaded man did. Who he talked to. It wasn’t much: he spent the day with his mother, tailing her everywhere she went, and carrying bags for her.  

Jughead had wanted to snort at that. It was so painfully obvious, to him at least, that the redhead was trying to keep a low profile. No matter what Betty said, Jughead didn’t trust Archie to not know that his uncle was in town. He knew that there was some way the redheaded dick had to know. He had to have known. There was no other way. And Jughead wouldn’t rest until he found out why he let him mark his girlfriend like that.  

Jughead tasted retribution on his tongue, as bitter as blood, but he had to be wise about this. He couldn’t very well involve Betty with his plans. Not when she was the one who was hurt in the first place. And he knew Sweet Pea would never forgive him if he didn’t involve him. It was a balancing act.  

Just then, Betty kissed her brother on the cheek and stood up, stretching her limbs. A smidge of skin showed as her shirt pulled up, showcasing taught ribs, and Jughead made a mental note to get her something to eat. She always did lose her appetite – and weight – during times of great stress. She smiled at him, and he crooked his lips back in her direction. Then she walked towards him, and sat down on his lap, planting a soft kiss on his lips that warmed him from head-to-toe. She blinked at him. “Hi.”  

“Hi, baby,” he murmured, brushing his nose along the length of hers. Unwillingly, his eyes fell to the ace bandages still wrapped around her forearm. It was a constant reminder of what she had lost and what he had come to close to losing. Her. He cradled her arm in his hands, gently, and she pressed another kiss to the corner of his mouth. He closed his eyes and swallowed thickly. “Does it hurt?” His voice was a whisper; too scared to say the words loudly for fear of making them come true.  

“No,” she assured him softly. “I’m just wearing the bandages to hide it.”  

That didn’t sit right with him, and he sighed gently, shaking his head. “That’s not fair to you, baby. You didn’t do anything wrong, and you don’t deserve to have to hide what’s happened to you, all right?”  

She dropped her chin, dropping eye contact with him, and that wasn’t going to work for him. Dipping his head, he waited patiently for her to look at him. He pressed a kiss to her brow when she did, and she nodded. “I know you’re right. I do. I’m just...I don’t know...ashamed?”  

“Nothing about this is your fault,” he murmured, kissing her cheeks, then her eyelids. “Okay? Nothing. You didn’t do anything wrong, and you did not deserve this.”  

She traced his expression with her own – which, he left open for her – and then she was nodding. “Okay. Okay. We can take them off.”  

Pressing one more kiss to the tender flesh behind her ear, he nodded his assent and began to unroll the bandages. It was as if they were holding their breaths together. And only when the bandages came off, did they breathe.  

The words were still there, for all the world to see, but Jughead didn’t read them. He wouldn’t give them that type of power over himself. He traced her battered skin, kissing the still-healing flesh gently. When he looked up at her, she was smiling at him tenderly. “I love you.” She mouthed the words, and he grabbed her by the back of her head and pulled her towards him. Kissing her full on the mouth and without a care in the world as to who could see, he pulled her against his body. When she was pressed flush to his chest, safe in his cocoon, he rocked her a little bit, peppering kisses wherever he could.  

“I love you too, my Betts,” he murmured. “Always and forever.”  

He would do anything to make sure she was safe.  

Anything.  

Chapter Text

Sweet Pea Cooper was feeling a certain amount of hatred boiling inside of him. He knew that his sister was safe, technically. But mentally and emotionally? What about those? Sweet Pea knew that Archie’s uncle, Spencer, was going to feel his ire until the day he died. He wanted the miserable, fucked up man to feel the amount of pain he had caused his baby sister and then more. Sweet Pea wanted revenge. Eye for eye. And he knew exactly how to get it.  

He was standing outside of the Wyrm, smoking a cigarette as he waited for Jughead and Joaquin to emerge. Fangs promised him he’d watch over Betty and the girls, which was honestly such a fucking relief to him. He didn’t need Betty to try and stop him.  

Jughead walked outside just then, straightening his leather jacket, with Joaquin walking behind him. Joaquin’s eyes were roaming over the parking lot, making sure no one was watching. Then they reached Sweet Pea and the taller spoke to Jughead in a quiet voice. “Did you get it?” 

Jughead pulled out the bag of Jingle Jangle he had in his pocket. “Got it off some Ghoulie kid.” 

Sweet Pea winced. He didn’t want his best friend and leader, not to mention Betty’s boyfriend, to go to their enemy. But in the end, he knew it would help keep Spencer in prison longer and that’s exactly what they wanted. “Good man.” 

Jughead stuffed the Jingle Jangle baggie back in his pocket and clapped Sweet Pea on the shoulder. “You know there’s no coming back from this, right? If we plant evidence to incriminate Spencer even further, then we’ve completely crossed over to a different side.” 

Sweet Pea nodded, eyes narrowed. He had thought about this. Long and hard. The thing wasn’t that he wanted to frame an innocent man: he wanted to frame an already guilty one. What was a longer sentence if it meant that Spencer was off the streets? “Trust me, man. I’ve thought about this. I don’t want Spencer to ever get near my sister again.” 

Joaquin cleared his throat, keeping his eyes on the parking lot before them. Keeping his voice low, he spoke. “I think you have every right to make that decision, Sweet Pea. Spencer is an animal. And it’s no wonder that he is Archie’s uncle. The insanity doesn’t just stop at Spencer in that family. But we’ve got to make sure we leave Fred and Mary Andrews out of it. They’re good people.” 

Swet Pea took a drag of his cigarette as he finished it off. Then he dropped it to the ground and crushed it with his heel, turning it into nothing but torn pieces. “I know you’re right. We’ll make sure they’re safe from the exposure we’re going to bring to Spencer. I don’t even think Mary would care in all honesty if Spencer was locked up longer. Come on.” 

XXX 

After they planted the Jingle Jangle at Spencer’s rundown apartment – Fangs had scoped out where the other man had lived – they returned to the Wyrm. Automatically, Sweet Pea’s eyes found his sister, noticing that Betty was watching them anxiously. She stood up and bounded over to them, kissing Jughead on the lips before looking at Sweet Pea. “I don’t know or care to know what you guys did. Just tell me you were safe.” 

Sweet Pea pressed a brotherly kiss to the top of her head, and they all walked back to where Toni, Cheryl, and Ronnie were sitting with Fangs. “We were completely safe, shortcake.” 

They sat down at the table, with Jughead pulling Betty into his lap. Sweet Pea turned and pressed a gentle kiss to Ronnie’s lips, murmuring low in her ear. “Hey, baby.” 

She smiled softly at him, and Sweet Pea felt his heart beat a tattoo against his ribcage. “Hi.” 

He smiled at her gently and turned to Toni when she spoke. “We don’t know what you guys did – just that you did something. I’m assuming it had to do with Archie’s uncle?” 

Sweet Pea still felt fury rolling off him like waves at the thought of Spencer. Clenching his jaw, he nodded his head once – short and decisive. “It did.” 

“But that’s all we’re going to say,” Jughead added in a firm tone. “We don’t want word to get out or we’ll be exposed.” 

“Understood,” Betty replied, kissing Jughead’s jaw. Sweet Pea looked at Cheryl and Toni.  

“Agreed,” the redhead piped up. “We will play dumb if someone asks questions.” 

“Thanks,” Joaquin said absentmindedly, scrolling through his phone. Sweet Pea knew the shorter was checking in on Kevin. “Kev will be at dinner with us tonight.” 

The group was going to go to dinner over in Greendale, having earned a night out. And this time, everyone was going. There was a dance club that the girls wanted to go dance at, and Sweet Pea thought it would be best if everyone went. Last time the girls went on their own, Archie struck. Sweet Pea and the rest of the guys wanted to be there in case something like that happened again so they could let their fists do the talking. 

Sweet Pea had to admit that he was tired as fuck of Archie always being one step ahead of them. Of him. But the good news was, they had planted the evidence to incriminate Spencer further and that the man was most likely facing an additional ten years added to his sentence because of it. Did Sweet Pea feel guilty? Not in the slightest. The prick had attacked his baby sister just because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sweet Pea would make sure justice was given its due course. He always would.  

Author’s note: So, this story is rolling along nicely. I’m quite pleased with the shape it’s taken and the direction it’s gone in. We’ve got a lot more coming up and the second half of the story is going to be darker than the first half. (We’re also almost at the first halfway point!!) So, buckle up and get ready. Things are about to get bumpy. Thoughts lovely per usual and thanks to those who have made it this far! 50K words, baby! Ayeeee.  

Chapter Text

Betty, Cheryl, Toni, and Ronnie were all dancing in the middle of the dance floor at the club. Sweat kissed their skin, turning it slick, and Betty’s arms were thrown up in the air, head tossed back, and eyes closed. She felt alive in that moment, as if she had nothing or no one to worry about.  

She knew that wasn’t true, but she could pretend for one night that it was. She didn’t want to have to worry about the demons chasing after her for one night. And she felt better with the knowledge that Jughead and the rest of the Serpents watching guard from the shadows. She knew that her and the girls were safe.  

Just then, Cheryl pulled her close, sandwiching her between her and Ronnie as Toni danced off the floor, saying something about more drinks. Ronnie hugged her from behind and the three of them danced, laughing joyously as the night stretched before them. Cheryl put her lips close to Betty’s ear and began talking. “I’m so glad you’re my best friend, Betts. And I’m so glad you’re having fun tonight.” 

Betty swallowed the lump in her throat, knowing that the drinks in her system were exacerbating her emotions. She smiled at Cheryl, kissing her on the cheek. “I love you too, Cheryl. You’re always in my corner, and I hope I’m in yours just as much.” 

“You are,” Cheryl assured her. Then Ronnie was hugging them both and Toni was skipping back toward them.  

“I’d say the three of you are drunk enough if your emotions are coming out to play but fuck it. It’s a night for alcohol. Lessgo.” Toni handed them each a shot and the girls laughed, knowing the bartender didn’t care about serving underage girls who had fake IDs. They knocked back the shots, laughing as the alcohol coursed through them.  

Then everything was speeding up and the colors of the dance floor swirled around Betty. Suddenly Jughead was there, laughing at her as he looked at her knowingly. “Juggie!!” 

“Hey, baby,” he grinned, sliding in between her and Ronnie as Sweet Pea pulled Ronnie away with a laugh. “Let’s get you some water, hmm?” 

“Tequila?” Betty asked with a grin.  

Jughead laughed, shaking his head fondly. “Not right now, all right, babe? We need to hydrate you ladies.” 

Cheryl stumbled off the dance floor first, leaning into Joaquin’s arm he had wrapped around her to help steady her. Fangs had a good grip on Toni and then Sweet Pea was half-supporting, half-carrying Ronnie off the floor next. Jughead wrapped his arm around Betty’s waist, helping her maneuver her way off the floor. She stumbled and he helped steady her. Then they too were reaching the table that the guys had commandeered at the beginning of the night. Jughead eased Betty down into a chair and she fanned herself. “S’hot.” 

“I know, baby,” he murmured, handing her a glass of water. “Drink all of that and then we’ll head out.” His instructions were laced through a kind tone, so she had no trouble following them. She took a sip of the water, then drank more deeply as the water eased some of her dehydration. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was until she drank the whole glass. “Good girl.” Jughead smiled at her, and she flushed at the praise.  

Ronnie and Sweet Pea were sitting close by; Sweet Pea’s arm wrapped around his girlfriend as he supported her. Cheryl and Toni were being watched over by Joaquin and Fangs. Betty was feeling very warm. Until suddenly, she wasn’t.  

Shots rang out in the club, screams renting the air as people started running. Jughead shoved Betty to the floor as Sweet Pea did the same with Ronnie. Joaquin and Fangs covered Cheryl and Toni with their bodies and all men pulled out their guns. “What the fuck?” Sweet Pea shouted.  

“I don’t know, man!” Jughead yelled, voice getting lost amiss the screams. Betty was trembling but she could feel Jughead’s hands roaming around her body and knew he was checking her for any injuries. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the other guys doing that with her friends.  

“I’m fine, Jug,” she assured him, suddenly stone-cold sober. Her only thought in her head was a prayer that they would make it out of club alive. Cheryl and Toni were holding hands as Joaquin and Fangs sheltered them; Ronnie was staying down as Sweet Pea crouched over her. And Jughead...he was looking at something in the distance, eyes enraged.  

“I see two men, maybe three,” he said, relaying the information to the other men. “Running throughout the club. It looks like they’re - they’re looking for something.” 

“Maybe someone?” Sweet Pea asked in a dark voice. Jughead looked at him briefly and then both looked down at Betty, who felt pissed. “We’ve got to get her out of here.” 

“Oh, fuck that,” Betty snapped. “I’m not leaving any of you here by yourselves.” 

“We’ll all go,” Jughead decided, though his voice held a hint of disappointment and Betty knew that he wanted to stop the shooters from harming anyone. 

“Good,” she said, scooting out from underneath him. She knew that he was tired of this shit as she was as well, but that couldn’t be helped. If any of them were going to stay and fight, she was going to stay with them.  

Jughead exchanged one more look with Sweet Pea, who nodded, and then the guys were working simultaneously to get the girls to their feet. “Let’s go.” 

Jughead’s voice was hard, and Betty knew how pissed he was in that moment. It was nothing compared to her ire, however. If Archie had orchestrated this, she would kill him. She was so sick and fucking tired of this guy and all the shit he put them all through. She was going to - a scream interrupted her thought process just as a shot went off. She whipped around to find Cheryl falling, falling, falling...and Toni catching her as a patch of red as sin blood bloomed across her abdomen.  

Chapter Text

The night sped past them in a blur. One minute, they were all huddled around Cheryl, trying to get the blood to stop. The next, they were flying through the crowd, Betty becoming numb to her emotions. Toni was in a state of panic, watching as Betty ripped the hem of her shirt and pressed it against Cheryl’s wound. Ronnie and Sweet Pea were yelling instructions at the group, and Jughead was hovering over Betty, ghosting his hands wherever she pressed hers against Cheryl. It was too much to hope that they would all make it out of this unscathed. 

Cheryl, blessedly, had lost consciousness, but that didn’t ease Toni’s worry. When her girlfriend slipped away into oblivion, Toni screamed, demanding for her to open her eyes. Betty wanted to tell her it was no good, that Cheryl was still alive but somewhere they couldn’t reach her. But the ambulance showed up, Toni was bundled in after her girlfriend, and the rest of them were screeching away on motorcycles.  

It was perhaps lucky that the men hadn’t had any alcohol; Betty didn’t think they’d have gotten to the hospital in one piece if they had. But suddenly they were there, all stone-cold sober – even those who had been drunk not twenty minutes before – and they were rushing into the hospital.  

Sweet Pea banged his fist down onto the receptionist’s desk, demanding answer. “Cheryl Blossom?” 

“Uh...,” the receptionist trailed off. 

“Betty! Jughead! Over here,” came Toni’s voice, and Betty turned around and saw her friend sitting huddled in a chair, shock blanket dwarfing her tiny frame. Sweet Pea pressed forward, one of the closest people to Toni, and pressed his hand to her shoulder.  

“How bad, T?” Sweet Pea asked quietly.  

“I - I don’t know. They took her to surgery about five minutes ago,” Toni whispered, scrubbing a hand down her cheek. 

Betty sat down in the chair next to her friend and held her hand. “She’s fucking strong, Toni Topaz. If Cheryl Blossom can survive Clifford killing Jason, a psychotic mother, and all the rest of the hell this town has thrown at her, she can survive a shooter.” 

Toni didn’t say anything but squeezed Betty’s hand.  

So, they waited.  

And waited.  

And waited some more.  

At long last, a doctor in scrubs covered in blood walked out, and Betty felt like throwing up at the sight. She felt the bile crawl up the back of her throat but swallowed it down. She knew that she had to remain strong for her friend, remain strong for Cheryl. The doctor peered at them. “Cheryl Blossom?” 

“Yes,” Ronnie and Betty said simultaneously, staring intently at the doctor. 

“She’s lucky, very lucky. A millimeter to the left and she’d have not pulled through. But she did. We have her set up in a room and she’s just sleeping right now. Two of you at a time,” he said kindly.  

Betty turned to Sweet Pea and Toni. “You two should go first.” 

“Don’t you want to go?” Sweet Pea asked curiously.  

Betty pulled her older brother to the side, speaking to him in quiet tones. “Toni’s going to need your strength right now, Sweets. I’ll see Cheryl in a bit.” 

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and guided Toni forward. Betty turned to look at Jughead, who brought her into his arms, and stamped a firm and reassuring kiss to her lips. She knew that they were both more worried than they had wanted to let on.  

One-by-one they all went to go see Cheryl and then rode back home for the night. It was just Jughead and Betty left. She was resting her head on his shoulder, his jacket draped around her, and he eased her up gently. “Ready to go see her?” 

No, she wasn’t.  

She couldn’t very well tell her boyfriend that she was scared though. She looked at him and a knowing look passed through his eyes. “We can come back tomorrow if it’s easier. Cheryl would understand.” 

Biting her lip, Betty shook her head. “Can - can you just go in first? I need a few more minutes.” 

He looked like he was ready to argue with her, but she looked at him beseechingly. He nodded after a moment, pressing a kiss to the underside of her jaw. “I’ll go in, talk with her, and then come get you, all right?” 

Betty nodded her head, offering him a small smile. He tilted her chin up and pressed a kiss to her lips, before her forehead, and then headed down the hall. Betty watched him until he was out of sight.  

Then she stood to her feet, shedding his jacket.  

She had five, maybe ten minutes to do this right.  

Looking over her shoulder, she ran to the exit of the hospital and darted out of the doors. Rain was pelting down in a torrential downpour. She had mere minutes. Hurrying out of the hospital’s entrance zone, she ran.  

And ran.  

And ran.  

Until she was in the woods and hunting.  

Hunting her prey.  

Hunting Archie.  

She would make him pay for this.  

Make him pay for all the pain he had wrought on them as individuals and as a group. She didn’t want to think about the fact that he now he had men answering to him. They could and would hurt her if given the chance.  She couldn’t think about that. She couldn’t think about the repercussions she’d be facing once Jughead realized she had tricked him, no matter how good her intentions were.  

She couldn’t think about anything except putting one foot in front of the other and running.  

Hunting.  

She was the predator now.  

And she was hunting her prey.  

Game fucking on. 

Author’s note: We at the midway point and exactly where I want to be in this story, so it is coming along nicely. I hope for those few of you reading this, you’ve liked it so far. Thoughts lovely per usual and I’m going to be updating a couple of others. Thank you! Xo