Betty suddenly found herself running through the forest. She couldn't remember when she started running or where she was going, she just let her feet take her where they wanted to go. One minute she was sitting in the kitchen listening to her mother scream at her and then with no warning she was barreling through the back door and she hadn't stopped running since. Suddenly she realized where her feet had instinctively taken her as Jughead's old tree house came into view. She finally slowed down to walk and started to catch her breath. As she did the sting on the side of her face finally started to creep in from where her mother had hit her and she could tell it was starting to bruise, luckily no one would see her out here.

She stared up at the tree house from the bottom of the ladder. It had been so long since she had been here, but a long time ago this place has basically been her second home. Jughead, Archie and she had snuck out practically every night one summer to meet up here and she found herself instantly being soothed by the familiarity of it. She slowly started to climb the ladder and climb inside when she realized she was not alone. There lying on a mattress inside the tree house was Jughead.

"Jughead? What the hell are you doing here?" She asked as she sat down on the floor of the tree house.

"I could ask you the same thing, Betty. Besides this is MY tree house." Jughead said narrowing his eyes at her, "Betty, what the hell happened to your face?" he asked all sense of annoyance at Betty finding out about his situation gone and replaced with nothing but pure concern for his friend. He moved off the mattress to kneel in front of Betty and he cupped her face in his hands. She tried to avert eye contact but he pulled her gaze back to his intense eyes.

"Nothing, I just ran into a door."

"A door. You ran into a door? That's bullshit. Who hit you Betty?"

"My mom" She said in a whisper so soft Jughead barely heard her, "We got in a fight and she hit me and I just ran out the back door and I didn't stop running until I got here. I didn't even know where I was going. I just ran and my feet brought me here. To you."

"Oh Betty." Jughead said and he wrapped his arms around his friend. He and Betty had gotten really close since they started up the Blue and Gold again together. Truth be told he was falling for her. Hard. But he wasn't sure how she felt about him. I mean she was probably still in love with Archie, right?

Betty started to cry in Jughead's embrace and he tightened his hold on her as the sobs wracked her body. He sat on the floor and pulled her into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair and she continued to cry. Jughead couldn't help but feel disgusted with himself for enjoying her fingers in his hair so much. The girl is sobbing after being abused by her mother and you are fighting a boner from her fingers in your hair, real nice Jug.

"I'm so sorry for breaking down like this. I don't know what came over me." Betty said quietly. He could see her putting her walls back up, trying to be strong like everyone expects her to, but Jughead wasn't everyone.

"Hey," He said cupping her cheek again, "You don't have to do that with me. Try to be all brave. You can cry with me Betty. You can tell me anything. I'll never judge you."

"Thanks, Juggie." She said with a weak smile.

"Come lay down, okay?" Jughead said guiding her to the mattress. She laid down and he sat next to the mattress on the floor. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable by lying down next to her.

"Will you hold me?" She said looking up to his face and Jughead felt his mouth go dry.

"Umm, yeah. If you want me to."

"I want you to." She said scooting over so that Jughead could lay down next to her. They lay facing each other for a few minutes and neither of them said anything. Jughead had his arms wrapped around her and Betty's legs were entwined with his. He could smell her hair and it smelled like strawberries. When Jughead looked down Betty's eyes were closed and he hoped that she had fallen asleep because she needed it. God knows she probably didn't get any sleep in that house. He studied her face and couldn't help but stare at the bruise that was forming on the side of her eye. It looked pretty nasty and he knew it had to hurt. He outlined it lightly with his fingered as how pondered how anyone could hurt someone as sweet and caring as Betty when suddenly her eyes opened again and met his intense gaze.

"Why are you out here, Jug?" Betty asked quietly as if unsure if she was overstepping her bounds.

"I sleep out here sometimes." Jughead tried to say nonchalantly.

"Why aren't you sleeping at home?" Betty said even though she already knew the answer so Jughead didn't bother answering. It was no secret to Betty that his home life wasn't great either. Betty knew that he didn't want to talk about it so she simply buried herself deeper into his embrace and Jughead had no issue wrapping his arms tighter around her.

"I wish we could stay here forever. That we never had to leave this tree house and deal with shitty parents and murders and whatever the hell else is happening in this fucked up town."

"I do too, Betty. I'd never leave you if I didn't have to." Jughead said before he realized what he was saying. Betty simply looked up at him but he refused to look into her eyes, too embarrassed by his words. Betty grabbed his chin and pulled his gaze down to her then leaned in to capture his lips. It only took Jughead a second to realize what was happening before he cupped both hands around Betty's face, deepening their kiss. When they finally pulled their lips apart they rested their foreheads together and were both breathing heavy. Jughead pulled Betty's head down to rest on his chest and they both drifted off to sleep.