Chapter 1: Pretty Things
Jughead Jones didn't usually go out of his way to visit classy establishments like Porter's, but he'd heard they made a decent burger. So on a cloudy Sunday in November with nothing better to do, he trekked to Raleigh to see what the fuss was about. They were busy, predictably enough, so he sat at the granite bar and waited for the bartender to make their appearance. It was a nice place: wood and crown molding and high dollar liquor. The bar was a bit more relaxed, however still had that upscale vibe. Considering most of the luxury cars outside were right off the line and owned by old white men, he figured it was a reputable place.
"Hey! Sorry for that wait, what can I get you to drink?" An astonishingly familiar voice asked, Jughead choked on the air he was breathing.
The woman wasn't facing him, she was occupied restocking the liquor bottles on display. Her long chocolate brown hair fell in waves to her waist. She was fit, her figure strikingly similar to one he'd spent hours memorizing by the age of 16. Her black slacks and V-neck left little to the imagination.
"Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure a beer. Whatever's best on tap." He replied, watching as the girl turned around to open the glass chiller and met his eyes.
No. No. It can't be. It's just…just a trick of the light.
Behind a pair of black wide framed glasses were jade green eyes and a shocked expression. One he was positive mirrored his own.
It didn't matter she'd been presumed dead for six years, Jughead would know her anywhere.
That voice, that face, those eyes. There was no doubt in his mind it was her. A decent dye job couldn't fool him.
"B..B-Betty?" He breathed in disbelief. "Betty Cooper?"
The brunette gasped, the look on her face told him she knew who he was.
"This…Oh my god, this can't be…but y-you're-" Jughead sputtered, color draining from his face.
She caught the looks that a few guest beside him at the bar were sending the pair. "I-I'm sorry, I think you have me confused with someone else. I'm Beth."
Her response seemed to snap him back to reality, but he couldn't give a shit what the other people around them thought of their conversation.
"Betty, what the hell is going on?" Jughead hissed.
"Sir, I know that it can be a bit…jarring, to see someone who so resembles a friend, but I need to ask you refer to me by my name. Beth." She responded in her patient customer service voice. "If you'd just lower your voice, I'm sure we can come to an understanding."
Jughead simmered in his seat, watching as this brunette, bespectacled reincarnation of Betty Cooper that was pretending to not know who he was poured him a beer.
Setting the frosty beverage down on the napkin in front of him, he noticed her relax as the other bar patrons had returned to their conversations.
"I know this is unexpected, Jughead, but I need you to keep calm." She frowned, whispering. "And maybe pretend to be a little happy I'm alive. Or at least don't appear so damn shocked, you're drawing attention!"
"I'm sorry, am I not being happy enough? I'm ecstatic that you're alive but also a little confused because Betty Cooper's been dead for the better part of six years!" He hissed in a low voice so as not to draw unsolicited stares.
"Jug, please I promise I will explain everything but you need to call me Beth." She whispered, her eyes wide with desperation.
"Hey Jonesy, everything alright?" A tall blonde douche asked from the well.
"Jonesy?" Jughead said incredulously, giving Betty a quizzical stare.
"Yes." She said pleasantly, as if she were meeting Jug for the first time. She extended her hand to him. "I'm Elizabeth Marie Jones, but everyone calls me Beth."
He gaped for all of two seconds before snapping into focus. "Nice to meet you, Beth Jones."
"So…you good?" Her coworker asked.
"Yeah, Luke, I'm good." She smiled.
Once the blonde growth had left, Betty grabbed Jug's hand and dragged him to the patio, the crisp fall air sent a shiver through him.
"Listen, I get off at three. Meet me at Metro Diner and I will tell you everything but please, Juggie, please you cannot tell anyone who I am or-or call anyone who would want to know I'm alive." She begged.
"Jesus, Betts of course not." He implored, his anger evaporating at the sight of her tense and worried demeanor. "Of course not."
She gave him that smile that made his stomach flutter, the same he dreamed about for six years.
"I've missed hearing you call me that, Juggie."
"God, I can't believe this." He laughed weakly cupping her face in his hands, wiping a tear that had slid down her cheek with his thumb. Studying her face, praying if this was a dream he'd never wake. "I-I thought you were dead…I lost you."
"But we found each other now." She hiccupped, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry, I smell like restaurant."
He chuckled into her neck, holding her tight to him. "You do, but I'll take that over you being dead any day."
She smiled up at him. "Meet me at three, promise?"
"I promise." Jughead vowed.
Jughead bounced his knee under the green table of the upscale diner across from Porter's, waiting for Betty to walk over from work. He'd purposefully chosen the booth by the window so that he'd have a clear view of her exiting the building and crossing the parking lot to Metro Diner. He still couldn't believe it. After six years, the love of his life, his soulmate, who he'd thought was dead, was living and breathing. Not a day had passed that he didn't think of her, most night's he dreamed of her, ached to the core imaging the horrible death that had befallen her.
At 3:10, Betty exited Porter's and walked briskly over to the diner. He had to squint to make sure it was actually her, still unaccustomed to brunette Betts.
The door chimed as she walked in, her green eyes scanned the room till they locked with his blue one's, a grin spread across her face. He jumped up, not able to resist the urge to hold her again. She readily returned his embrace, her shoulders visibly relaxing in his arms.
"Thank you for meeting me here." She said once they'd separated and sat across from each other in the booth. "I don't come here very often so I don't think they'd recognize me from Porter's. Also they have decent milkshakes."
"Nothing beats Pop's." Jughead smirked.
The server came over then ready to take their orders.
"I'll have coffee, black and your burger with fries." Jughead said, his eyes not leaving Betty.
"I'll have a water and the club with chips please." She added, handing their menus to the waiter.
The two sat in silence for a minute.
"Not sure how I feel about the brunette." Jughead blurted out. "But I like the glasses, very Clark Kent."
Betty let out a genuine laugh. "Yeah, I hate the brown too. The glasses are actually necessary, not just a disguise."
"Betty-"
"Jughead." She interrupted. "Before we go all into my life the last six years, I want you to know that I never…I never meant to hurt you. Archie was…he wasn't supposed to do it like that. I was young and-and scared The Black Hood was going to hurt you and everyone I loved-"
"I know Betts, eventually everything came to the surface. It was pretty dramatic." Jughead sighed, recalling the day his world came crashing down.
"I want to know what you're doing." She smiled. "Please just humor me here."
"I'm at Chapel Hill, I got a full ride." He said with a bit of pride. "I graduated from Southside, top of my class. The serpents weren't happy about my leaving but…fuck that."
"What are you studying?"
"English Literature." He replied. "What about you? Are you in school? Is that…I mean, possible with your having a phony identity and all?"
She chuckled lightly. "I actually just graduated from nursing school and passed my boards. I put in my two weeks yesterday. I start at Duke Trauma Center after that."
Jughead grinned cheekily. "A nurse? Jeeze, Betts."
"Yep." She popped the 'p'. "I love it. Really, it's the most rewarding and exciting job. I couldn't be happier."
"Congratulations!" He said, unable to stop from smiling. "Are you moving to Durham?"
"Yeah, I just signed a lease on a townhome. I wanted a yard so my dog, Daisy, could have somewhere to run around."
She surprised him by reaching across the table to take his hands in hers, lacing their fingers together. "Oh Juggie…I'm so proud of you. I-I've missed you so much. You can't understand how much."
"I think I might understand a little." He said. "To me, you're back from the dead."
The waiter, naturally, chose that moment to deliver the food. "One burger for sir and one club for the pretty lady. Anything else?"
They replied in the negative and the server left with a lingering glance at Betty.
"So…I guess there's no delicate way to ask this but do you…have someone?"
"Like a boyfriend?" She asked with a wistful sort of smile. "No. No…I didn't think it would be very safe. I didn't want to risk anyone getting too close and potentially finding out that my cover as an orphan from Boise, Idaho was a complete sham. I have a good life here, I'm actually…happy. Very happy. I've got really good friends, something I never thought I would have again."
"Good. That's…That's great, Betts."
"…And you?" She asked between bites of chips. "Is there someone?"
"No." He replied honestly. "There's been no one…serious. Not since…not since you died."
She swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry, Jug. I never…I never intended for this to happen. I wanted to tell you, reach out but…I thought it would be too difficult. By the time I was in a place that I felt I could safely contact you I realized…you mourned me, grieved the loss of our relationship. It…It didn't seem fair to come back into your life, especially with Toni-"
"Wait." He interjected. "How did you know about Toni? Also, for the record, that was never really a thing. We didn't…like I said…no one serious since you."
Betty let out a deep breath, eyes welling with tears. "I-I haven't told anyone outside the select few people who helped me, any of this."
"You know you can trust me, Betts." He said earnestly, their food long forgotten. "I would never do or say anything to anyone that could potentially compromise your safety."
"I-I know you wouldn't, Juggie. I know." She sputtered. "I just…I can't live with the look on your face when you…when I tell you everything."
"Why?"
"Because…because if there was ever a glimmer of hope that a piece of you might still love me…you wouldn't love me anymore when I tell you everything I've done." Tears ran down her cheeks. "And I can't bear to see that."
"I'm not running Betty. I lost you once, I'm not losing you again." He swore, kissing the tops of her hands. "But I have to know everything. From the beginning."
It wasn't by any stretch of the imagination logical, or even rational, to still be in love with a ghost. Yet Jughead's feelings for Betty had not waivered. They purveyed beyond what any normal human would be able to hold within them.
I guess it's true what they say. He mused internally, drinking in the sight of her breathing. Memorizing the feel of her warm, delicate hands in his.
If a writer loves you, you can never die.
Betty gave him a watery smile, releasing a shaky breath as she nodded in understanding. "Alright. From the beginning."