Reunion Chapter 1: Hey there Juliet, a riverdale fanfic

Betty Cooper looked out the window of her childhood bedroom. It had been nearly 6 years since Jughead Jones climbed through it for the very last time. She remembered that night like it was yesterday. He had climbed through the window and made love to her. She had never known him to be as raw and passionate as he had been that night. In the morning, he told her that he had to go. She had gotten a scholarship to a journalism program at a school in Chicago. He couldn't hold her back and couldn't go with her. She had told him she would wait for him and begged him to stay, but he had left anyway. He had never believed that he was good enough for her. He thought that he was doing what was right for both. He said that she deserved better than a fuck up like him. She had never thought of him as a fuck up. He was her soulmate and even now she knew it.

"You ok in here?" A female voice shattered her reverie. Veronica 'Ronnie' Andrews stood in the doorway. Currently, her pregnant belly was sticking at least a foot further into the room than she did. She looked good for someone who was 8 months pregnant. Betty was so happy for her and her husband Archie. They had been married for almost two years and were excited to become parents. She'd never been closer to any friend than she was with Ronnie. It was nice to see that happy endings were possible.

"Oh my God Ronnie, you are twice as big as you were a few months ago." She hugged her friend tightly. "how's it going?"

"Well, I can't tie my shoes or really even see my feet, but the Doctor says everything looks great." She smiled. "He should be here in just a few more weeks. I can't wait to finally meet him."

"I can't believe all of this is happening. We are all growing up. You are about to be someone's mom and I'm getting married." She smiled.

"I know it's a little scary that we are the grown ups now." Ronnie said. There was a small hint of fear in her voice.

"Yeah." Betty managed to smile at her friend. She didn't want Ronnie knowing that somewhere deep inside she was still thinking about Jughead. She had decided to put the past behind her and move on. She found herself spinning her new engagement ring nervously around her finger. It still felt foreign to her. "I guess I should get downstairs."

"If you aren't down there soon, your mother will probably have an actual stroke." Ronnie joked. "It's your engagement party after all. Loosen up a little. It's supposed to be fun."

Veronica was right. It was her engagement party. After everything she had been through, she deserved happiness. She shouldn't let the memory of someone who chose to leave her years ago dampen her mood. She smiled as she locked eyes with her brand-new fiancée, Huxley Parker Blaine. Hux was handsome in a very traditional way. He had broad shoulders, wavy brown hair, and teeth that were perfect without braces. He was exactly the type of man she had pictured herself marrying when she was a little girl. He was the opposite of Jughead in pretty much every way imaginable. That was one of the reasons she had given him a chance. He'd helped her through a very rough time in her life and she was grateful to him for that as well.

She'd met Hux during her first Journalism internship after college. She had been working for a small digital newspaper, and he had been a junior columnist. He had asked her out off and on for more than 6 months. She always said no. Back then, she wanted to focus on her career. She had still been holding out hope that maybe she could get back together with Juggie.

While doing research for an investigative piece on a local kingpin, Betty had been kidnapped and brutally raped. She had thought that learning her father was a serial killer was the worst thing that would ever happen to her. Being violated was worse. 2 days after being kidnapped, she was rescued. The damage had been done. Hux had been there for her after. He had encouraged her to seek help and get better. She still saw a therapist, but it was getting easier to cope with life every day. She would never be the same, but she could live her life. That was what mattered. It wasn't until later that Betty learned that Hux was a victim of sexual abuse as well. He had been raped by his stepfather for several years before his mother found out and they put the bastard in jail. It was a common bond that brought them together. He was the only person she had been with since the rape.

She told him all about Jughead. He was surprisingly understanding. At first, it was hard. They never had the raw and undeniable connection that she had always felt with Jug. They were too souls with shared experiences that found comfort in each other. They were not truly soulmates. Even Archie had admitted that though he was extremely happy for her, she didn't fit with Hux like she had with Jughead. She had to admit that she didn't quite feel like they were two halves of a whole. She missed feeling that way. Hux was incredibly kind and he deserved her love. So, she tried her hardest to give it to him.

Sex with Hux was vanilla. He did it mostly to satisfy the urge. He struggled with intimacy because of his past. He rarely showed affection during or after. He treated Betty with kid gloves because he didn't want to hurt or trigger her. Sometimes she just wanted passion. He only made it about her on special occasions. With Jughead it had been about both of them. She had never had sex like that with anyone else. With Hux, it was not always the most satisfying, but she had convinced herself that this was the way grownups did it. She did love Hux. He was sweet and kind. He knew how to make her laugh. He was the only man other than Jughead whom she had ever pictured having a life with. Sex wasn't everything. Sometimes she still had to admit that when she saw the white picket fence future she dreamed of, she saw it with Jug.

The fact that her mother loved Huxley Blaine made the relationship easier. From the first day her mother had met him, Alice had been thrilled. She said that Betty had come to her senses and found the right kind of boyfriend. Betty hated when her mom talked that way. Alice clearly thought that Jughead had been the wrong type of boyfriend. The worst part was that she thought Alice had liked Jughead in the end. After everything he'd gone through with Betty, he deserved better than her mother's distain. Her mother could be very hard to please. Betty wasn't sure how she would react if she ever decided to end things with Hux. Luckily for Alice, that wasn't happening any time soon.

"Hey Arch." Ronnie said wrapping an arm around her husband as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Archie smiled as Hux came over to make conversation. He had never developed a strong friendship with Betty's Riverdale friends. They were foreign to him, he had grown up in Chicago. He was in his heart a city kid. They had a group of close friends in Chicago. Betty didn't feel the same bond with them that she did with Archie and Ronnie. Betty couldn't help but feel like they were really all Hux's friends and if they ever broke up, they would all choose Hux. She would be all alone. With Ronnie and Archie, she knew that their loyalty was to her. Hux couldn't wait for the week long stay to end. They had only arrived that morning. Betty smiled as her nephew Dagwood pulled playfully on the scarlet hair of his twin sister Juniper. He looked more like his father every day. She was grateful that Polly had brought the kids to see her.

"Elizabeth tells me that the baby is due in just a few more weeks. Are you excited?" Hux asked. He, like all her friends in Chicago, always called her Elizabeth. It was one more way she had tried to get away from the past.

"Yeah." Ronnie said trying to keep up the small talk. She was trying her hardest to become friends with Betty's new fiancée. "He's due next month."

"Have you picked out a name yet?" Hux asked. Betty, Veronica, and Archie all looked down. Archie and Veronica had known the moment that the doctor told them it was a boy what they would name him.

"His name is going to be Fred." Archie finally managed. He was clearly trying not to cry. "After my dad." Hux looked down. Betty had told him about Archie's father, she had assumed he would remember. Before anymore could be said, Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz came through the door. Cheryl gave her one of her dark mischievous smiles. Betty couldn't help but cringe. It had been years since she was on the receiving end of one of those looks, and they were still frightening.

"Hello, dearest cousin." She kissed Betty on the cheek softly, but managed to whisper. "I found something that I think I should at least tell you about. Find me when you have a chance. Oh, and leave the beefcake out of it. He won't like it."

Betty wondered what on earth Cheryl could have found out. Cheryl was famous for knowing everything. Still, it was tricky. She didn't know if Cheryl was back to her old manipulating ways, or if she really knew something that Betty didn't know. Polly smiled as Cheryl ran to her niece and nephew and began scooping them into a hug. It seemed to be a day for reunions.

"Elizabeth honey, we should probably make an introduction." Hux said, ever the gentlemen.

"I'm going to mingle for a few more minutes, than we can. I want to give the stragglers a chance to arrive." She kissed him softly on the jaw. Betty smiled as Ethel Muggs came through the door. She hadn't seen Ethel in years. She was happy she had decided to come. Ethel snuck inside and began chatting with Toni, Cheryl was still actively playing with the twin children.

"I know it's the best thing I've ever read." Toni said as Betty approached.

"I had to come say hi, thank you so much for coming." Betty hugged Ethel. "It's been over 2 years at least."

"I know." Ethel hugged her tightly

"What were you two chatting about?" Betty asked.

"The new JH Forsythe novel, Toni and I are in a book club together, and we are reading it. Its even better than his first two. Which I didn't think was possible." Ethel continued. Betty nearly choked. She had yet to read any of the JH Forsythe books. He was on his third one, they were all New York Times best sellers. She had major suspicions about the famous author, but she couldn't prove them. There were no pictures of him in his books and he hadn't done any tours. It would be just like Jughead to hide from the spotlight. Despite all of Betty's investigative connections, she had been unable to confirm if it truly was him. Betty had bought all three of the books. In the end she couldn't find the stomach to read them. She had heard about the characters and she was terrified of how much of herself she would find in them. She imagined that they were a picture of her past with Jug and she wanted more than anything to forget that.

She had asked Archie on two occasions if he knew where Juggie was. Archie had answered both times simply 'He is doing ok.' Betty had never pressed further. Ronnie had confirmed to Betty a few years earlier that Jughead and Archie had weekly conversations. Archie wouldn't, out of loyalty to his friend, tell Betty much of anything. Jughead didn't want to be found.

"Perhaps you should go find Cheryl." Toni said she seemed to sense the shift in Betty's mood. She smiled at her. Betty looked across the room at Hux. It was time to get the show on the road. Before she could get to her fiancée, Cheryl managed to pull her to the side. She was struggling not to show her emotions.

"I really think you need to know this." Cheryl said. "Toni wasn't sure I should tell you."

"What is it Cheryl, I need to meet up with Hux to give the speeches and crap." Betty explained desperate to escape.

"Toni and I stopped off at Pop's before we came." Cheryl managed. "We saw Jughead there."

"What?" Betty said. Her heart was pounding in her chest now. "What the hell is he doing here now?"

"I don't know." Cheryl admitted. "But he wanted me to tell you congratulations and that he will be at Pop's for the rest of the evening if you want to speak with him."

"Shit." Betty said. The use of language surprised even her. How would she ever explain this to Hux? She knew she needed to see him. It was the closure she needed to move forward. Without it she would probably always wonder what might have been.

"Are you going to be ok?" Cheryl asked with a surprise gesture of comfort.

"I'm ok." Betty managed. "Did you get his number or anything?"

"Yeah." Cheryl said.

"Tell him I will meet him after the engagement party." She managed. This was not a good idea, but she knew she needed to go. "I need to go and play hostess now." She walked away not sure what to do next.

-/-

Several hours earlier…

Jughead Jones had no idea what the hell he was doing. He had no right to do this. The words from Archie's last call rang over and over in his head. He should be working on his next book or meeting with some publishing executive about marketing. Right now, all he could think about was what Archie had said. "I won't be able to talk to you next week, I have to go to Betty's engagement party." Betty Cooper, his Betty Cooper, was getting married. He had read every article she had written for 6 years. He had been too ashamed to reach out to her. He had no right to do so now. But he needed to talk to her. He needed her to know that he had regretted leaving nearly everyday since he had left.

He wasn't the punk kid he had once been. He had made a good life for himself. He had a large house in Westchester New York and was an international best-selling Author. He wondered if Betty had read his books. She had to know that JH Forsythe was him. She had been the one who had invented it when they were jokingly coming up with pen names for him as teenagers. Not to mention her letter.

He had received a letter about a year earlier through his publishers fan mail address. The publisher had a team of people answering as many letters as possible. When the press had found this one specific letter, they had showed it to him personally. The letter had been from Betty. She had told him that she needed closure so that she could move on with her life. He had been so afraid of seeing her again, that he had never responded.

He had tried to move on. He had even lived with a woman for several years. But he could not forget Betty Cooper. He still loved her just as much as the last time he had climbed out her window. He had to know how she felt. Either way, if she loved the man she was about to marry, he could take it. He could be happy that she was happy. He was pretty sure he wouldn't try the whole dating thing again, but he could live with it. However, if she wasn't happy, he had to give it a try before it really was too late.

He saw the Riverdale sign ahead of him as he drove his truck across the town line. He had not been back in 6 years. He knew that Betty was in town celebrating her engagement. Archie had told him. He decided to pull into pop's for old times sake. Pop himself wasn't there, but the diner was still the same. A nice black girl a few years younger than him greeted him. He ordered his signature milkshake. He reached up and ran his hand through his hair. He wore it much shorter now. It had a style. He had to care since he had left his signature headwear in Betty's bedroom the night he had left.

He walked into the bathroom to wash his hands after the long drive. He couldn't check into his room at the 5 seasons for another few hours. He looked down at his plaid shirt and generic gap jeans and wondered when he had gotten so preppy. He rubbed his stubble filled cheeks. He still couldn't decide if he liked the half beard he was growing, but he knew it really wasn't like him. He wasn't quite Jughead Jones anymore. He had become JH Forsythe.

"Here's your milkshake." The girl smiled as she set it down. He heard the door open again and slumped down in his seat. He hoped that whoever came through it wouldn't recognize him. He finally looked up again, and knew he was in trouble. Of all the people to come in the door, Toni Topaz and Cheryl Blossom entered hand in hand.

"This party is going to be a total snooze fest." Cheryl said. "Betty was so much more interesting when she was the Serpent queen. She was more interesting with Jughead."

"Yeah well, he blew it when he ran off. She is doing what is best for her and…" Toni didn't finish the sentence. She had seen him. Her mouth gaped slightly as she looked him up and down.

"Oh my god." Toni said doing a double take. "Jughead?" Cheryl looked at him her mouth also agape.

"You look like a proper human." Cheryl said first. "I'm not sure it's really him. Do you have a secret twin brother we don't know about?"

"It's me Cheryl." He managed. He would have begged them to go away and forget he was there.

"Well isn't your timing just perfect." Toni said. "do you know where we are headed?"

"To Betty's engagement party. If I heard properly." He managed to sound as nonchalant as he could.

"So, you know?" Cheryl smiled.

"Well I hope this isn't some lame attempt to come back and sweep Betty off her feet. You lost that chance when you bailed 6 years ago." Toni was always the straight forward type. She seemed almost angry at him. They had been good friends once upon a time.

"I don't really know why I'm here." He managed. Cheryl looked positively devious.

"Babe I thought you were past that." Toni said. Cheryl didn't even need to speak for her to know she was up to her old tricks.

"It's Bughead. You know I ship it." She paused. "I can't help it babe."

"Bughead?" Jughead said incredulously

"It was the nickname we gave you guys back in the day. Apparently you never heard it?" Toni asked.

"No, and I would have put an end to it immediately, its awful." He gawked.

"Too late now, you two have been Bughead for years at this point. I don't see that changing anytime soon." Cheryl explained. Jug cringed.

"It doesn't matter." He said finally. "There is no Bughead anymore."

"She isn't married yet Juggikins." Cheryl said.

"Seriously Cheryl." Toni chimed in. "He's right."

"We'll see." She said coyly.

"I just came to wish her good luck and give her closure." He explained. "I'm not here to cause any trouble."

"I'm going to tell her you're here." Cheryl said boldly. Jughead laughed hard.

"It's not like it matters. There is no Bughead anymore." He said.

"So, you aren't here to try and win Betty back in some grand gesture of love?" Cheryl asked sounding almost hopeful. Jughead had to stifle a second laugh.

"No." It sounded like a lie to him, but he hoped they would believe him. "A few months ago, I got a letter from Betty asking for closure, I'm here to give her that."

"We were under the impression that Betty had no idea where you were." Toni stated.

"She figured out my secret. I'm not telling you how I got it, just that I did. I knew she would be here this week so I thought, I would come and tell her that I'm happy for her." He explained. It was true, JH Forsythe had gotten a letter from Betty Cooper. She hadn't been sure it was him, but she had asked that if it was indeed him that he finally give her the closure she needed to move on.

"It's not your place to interfere Cheryl." Toni said reading Cheryl's expression again.

"It's ok Toni." Jughead said looking from Cheryl to Toni. "I hope you do tell her you saw me. Here's my number. I will be hanging out here for a few more hours. If she wants to, she can meet me here and we can talk." His voice was nearly shaking at the idea.

"Fine." Toni said taking the number. Cheryl winked at him and they headed out, apparently forgetting what it was they had come in for.

-/-

Jug spent the next two hours sitting in Pop's, his laptop open as he typed a few paragraphs of his new book. It felt like old times writing at a booth in Pop's. He wondered if Cheryl and Toni would really tell Betty he was here. Would she react or would she even care? He didn't know her anymore. She may have changed. He was about to give up and go to the five seasons. He would call Archie and let him know he was in town. The door to Pop's opened and he saw a flash of blond hair.

She looked older, but not in a bad way. If anything, she was more beautiful than he remembered. She was wearing her hair down these days as opposed to up in a tight ponytail. He noticed that she had on a blue dress and pink ballet flat shoes. She still had the same amazing smile. Most importantly she was here, in front of him for the first time in 6 years.

"Jug?" She asked as she scanned the booths. She stopped dead in her tracks staring at him. He must truly not look like himself. He stood and walked toward her, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Hey there, Juliet." He managed as a small smile cracked across Betty's face.

"You ok in here?" A female voice shattered her reverie. Veronica 'Ronnie' Andrews stood in the doorway. Currently, her pregnant belly was sticking at least a foot further into the room than she did. She looked good for someone who was eight months pregnant. Betty was so happy for her and her husband, Archie. They had gotten married almost two years ago and were excited to become parents. She'd never been closer to any friend that she was with Ronnie. It was nice to see that happy endings were possible.

"Oh my God Ronnie, you are twice as big as you were a few months ago." She hugged her friend tightly. "how's it going?"

"Well, I can't tie my shoes or even see my feet, but the Doctor says everything looks great." She smiled. "He should be here in just a few more weeks. I can't wait to meet him finally."

"I can't believe all of this is happening. We are all growing up. You are about to be someone's mom, and I'm getting married." She smiled.

"I know it's a little scary that we are the grown-ups now," Ronnie said. There was a small hint of fear in her voice.

"Yeah." Betty managed to smile at her friend. She didn't want Ronnie knowing that somewhere deep inside she was still thinking about Jughead. Betty decided long ago that she needed to put the past behind her and move on. She found herself spinning her new engagement ring nervously around her finger. It still felt foreign to her. "I guess I should get downstairs."

"If you aren't down there soon, your mother will probably have an actual stroke." Ronnie joked. "It's your engagement party after all. Loosen up a little. It's supposed to be fun."

Veronica was right. It was her engagement party. After everything she had been through, she deserved happiness. She shouldn't let the memory of someone who chose to leave her years ago dampen her mood. She smiled as she locked eyes with her brand-new fiancée, Huxley Parker Blaine. Hux was handsome in a very traditional way. He had broad shoulders, wavy brown hair, and teeth that were perfect without braces. Hux was exactly the type of man she had pictured herself marrying when she was a little girl. He was the opposite of Jughead in pretty much every way imaginable. That was one of the reasons she had given him a chance. He'd helped her through a very rough time in her life, and she was grateful to him for that as well.

She'd met Hux during her first Journalism internship after college. She had been working for a small digital newspaper, and he had been a junior columnist. He had asked her out off and on for more than six months. She always said no. Back then, she wanted to focus on her career. She had still been holding out hope that maybe she could get back together with Juggie.

While researching an investigative piece on a local kingpin, Betty had been kidnapped and brutally raped. She had thought that learning her father was a serial killer was the worst thing that would ever happen to her. Being violated was worse. 2 days after being kidnapped, the police busted the operation and rescued Betty. The damage had been done. Hux had been there for her after. He had encouraged her to seek help and get better. She still saw a therapist, but it was getting easier to cope with life every day. She would never be the same, but she could live her life. That was what mattered. It wasn't until later that Betty learned that Hux was a victim of sexual abuse as well. His stepfather had raped him for several years before his mother found out. After a lengthy court case, His stepfather went to jail. It was a common bond that brought them together. He was the only person she had been with since the rape.

She told him all about Jughead. He was surprisingly understanding. At first, it was hard. They never had the raw and undeniable connection that she had always felt with Jug. They were too souls with shared experiences that found comfort in each other. They were not truly soulmates. Even Archie had admitted that though he was extremely happy for her, she didn't fit with Hux as she had with Jughead. She had to admit that she didn't quite feel like they were two halves of a whole. She missed feeling that way. Hux was incredibly kind. He deserved her love. So, she tried her hardest to give it to him.

The fact that her mother loved Huxley Blaine made the relationship easier. From the first day her mother had met him, Alice had been thrilled. She said that Betty had come to her senses and found the right kind of boyfriend. Betty hated when her mom talked that way. Alice thought that Jughead had been the wrong type of boyfriend. The worst part was that she thought Alice had liked Jughead in the end. After everything he'd gone through with Betty, he deserved better than her mother's disdain. Her mother could be difficult to please. Betty wasn't sure how she would react if she ever decided to end things with Hux. Luckily for Alice, that wasn't happening any time soon.

"Hey Arch," Ronnie said wrapping an arm around her husband as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Archie smiled as Hux came over to make conversation. He had never developed a strong friendship with Betty's Riverdale friends. They were foreign to him. He had grown up in Chicago. He was in his heart a city kid. They had a group of close friends in Chicago. Betty didn't feel the same bond with them that she did with Archie and Ronnie. Betty couldn't help but feel like they were all Hux's friends and if they ever broke up, they would all choose Hux. She would be all alone. With Ronnie and Archie, she knew that their loyalty was to her. Hux couldn't wait for the week-long stay to end. Betty didn't want to go back to Chicago. They had only arrived that morning. Betty smiled as her nephew Dagwood pulled playfully on the scarlet hair of his twin sister Juniper. He looked more like his father every day. He had his mother's pale blonde hair. She was grateful that Polly had brought the kids to see her.

"Yeah," Ronnie said trying to keep up the small talk. She was trying her hardest to become friends with Betty's new fiancée. "He's due next month."

"Have you picked out a name yet?" Hux asked. Betty, Veronica, and Archie all looked down. Archie and Veronica had known the moment that the doctor told them it was a boy what they would name him.

"His name is going to be Fred." Archie finally managed. He was trying not to cry. "After my dad." Hux looked down. Betty had told him about Archie's father. She had assumed he would remember. Before any more could be said, Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz came through the door. Cheryl gave her one of her dark, mischievous smiles. Betty couldn't help but cringe. It had been years since she was on the receiving end of one of those looks, and they were still frightening.

"Hello, dearest cousin." She kissed Betty on the cheek softly but managed to whisper. "I found something that I think I should at least tell you about, find me when you have a chance. Oh, and leave the beefcake out of it. He won't like it."

Betty wondered what on earth Cheryl could have found out. Cheryl was famous for knowing everything. Still, it was tricky. She didn't know if Cheryl was back to her old manipulating ways, or if she knew something that Betty didn't know. Polly smiled as Cheryl ran to her niece and nephew and began scooping them into a hug. It seemed to be a day for reunions.

"Elizabeth honey, we should probably make an introduction," Hux said, ever the gentlemen.

"I'm going to mingle for a few more minutes than we can. I want to give the stragglers a chance to arrive." She kissed him softly on the jaw. Betty smiled as Ethel Muggs came through the door. She hadn't seen Ethel in years. She was happy she had decided to come. Ethel snuck inside and began chatting with Toni, Cheryl was still actively playing with the twin children.

"I know it's the best thing I've ever read," Toni said as Betty approached.

"I had to come to say hi, thank you so much for coming." Betty hugged Ethel. "It's been over two years at least."

"I know." Ethel hugged her tightly

"What were you two chatting about?" Betty asked.

"The new JH Forsythe novel, Toni and I are in a book club together, and we are reading it. It is even better than his first two. Which I didn't think was possible." Ethel continued. Betty nearly choked. She had yet to read any of the JH Forsythe books. He was on his third one, and they were all New York Times bestsellers. She had major suspicions about the famous author, but she couldn't prove them. There were no pictures of him in his books, and he hadn't done any tours. It would be just like Jughead to hide from the spotlight. Despite all of Betty's investigative connections, she had been unable to confirm if it truly was him. Betty had bought all three of the books. In the end, she couldn't find the stomach to read them. She had heard about the characters. She was terrified of how much of herself she would find in them. She imagined that they were a picture of her past with Jug and she wanted more than anything to forget that.

"Perhaps you should go find Cheryl," Toni said she seemed to sense the shift in Betty's mood. She smiled at her. Betty looked across the room at Hux. It was time to get the show on the road. Before she could get to her fiancée, Cheryl managed to pull her to the side. She was struggling not to show her emotions.

"I think you need to know this," Cheryl said. "Toni wasn't sure I should tell you, but I think you need to know."

"What is it, Cheryl? I need to meet up with Hux to give the speeches and crap," Betty explained desperately to escape.

"Toni and I stopped off at Pop's before we came." Cheryl managed. "We saw Jughead there."

"What?" Betty said. Her heart was pounding in her chest now. "What the hell is he doing here now?"

"I don't know," Cheryl admitted. "But he wanted me to tell you congratulations and that he will be at Pop's for the rest of the evening if you want to speak with him."

"Shit," Betty said. The use of language surprised even her. How would she ever explain this to Hux? She knew she needed to see him. It was the closure she needed to move forward. Without it, she would probably always wonder what might have been.

"Are you going to be ok?" Cheryl asked with a surprise gesture of comfort.

"I'm ok." Betty managed. "Did you get his number or anything?"

"Yeah," Cheryl said.

"Tell him I will meet him after the engagement party." She managed. She knew it was not a good idea, but she knew she needed to go. "I have to go and play hostess now. The guests are waiting for me." She walked away not sure what to do next.

-/-

Several hours earlier…

Jughead Jones had no idea what the hell he was doing. He had no right to do this. The words from Archie's last call rang over and over in his head. He should be working on his next book or meeting with some publishing executive about marketing. Right now, all he could think about was what Archie had said. "I won't be able to talk to you next week; I have to go to Betty's engagement party." Betty Cooper, his Betty Cooper, was getting married. He had read every article she had written for six years. Jug had been too ashamed to reach out to her. He had no right to do so now. But he needed to talk to her. He needed her to know that he had regretted leaving nearly every day since he had left.

He had received a letter about a year earlier through his publisher's fan mail address. The publisher had a team of people answering as many letters as possible. When the press had found this one specific letter, they had shown it to him personally. The letter had been from Betty. She had told him that she needed closure so that she could move on with her life. He had been so afraid of seeing her again, that he had never responded.

He had tried to move on. He had even lived with a woman for several years. But he could not forget Betty Cooper. He still loved her just as much as the last time he had climbed out of her window. He had to know how she felt. Either way, if she loved the man she was about to marry, he could take it. He could be happy that she was happy. He was pretty sure he wouldn't try the whole dating thing again, but he could live with it. However, if she wasn't happy, he had to give it a try before it was too late.

He saw the Riverdale sign ahead of him as he drove his truck across the town line. He had not been back in 6 years. He knew that Betty was in town celebrating her engagement. Archie had told him. He decided to pull into Pop's for old times sake. Pop himself wasn't there, but the diner was still the same. A nice black girl a few years younger than him greeted him. He ordered his signature milkshake. He reached up and ran his hand through his hair. He wore it much shorter now. It had a style. He had to care since he had left his signature headwear in Betty's bedroom the night he had left.

He walked into the bathroom to wash his hands after the long drive. He couldn't check into his room at the five seasons for another few hours. He looked down at his plaid shirt and generic gap jeans and wondered when he had gotten so preppy. He rubbed his stubble filled cheeks. He still couldn't decide if he liked the half beard he was growing, but he knew it wasn't like him. He wasn't quite Jughead Jones anymore. He had become JH Forsythe.

"Here's your milkshake." The girl smiled as she set it down. He heard the door open again and slumped down in his seat. He hoped that whoever came through it wouldn't recognize him. He finally looked up again and knew he was in trouble. Of all the people to come in the door, Toni Topaz and Cheryl Blossom entered hand in hand.

"This party is going to be a total snoozefest," Cheryl said. "Betty was so much more interesting when she was the Serpent-queen. She was more interesting with Jughead."

"Yeah well, he blew it when he ran off. She is doing what is best for her and…" Toni didn't finish the sentence. She had seen him. Her mouth slightly gaped as she looked him up and down.

"Oh my god," Toni said doing a double take. "Jughead?" Cheryl looked at him her mouth also agape.

"You look like a proper human," Cheryl said first. "I'm not sure it's him. Do you have a secret twin brother we don't know about?"

"It's me, Cheryl." He managed. He would have begged them to go away and forget he was there.

"Well isn't your timing just perfect." Toni said. "do you know where we are going tonight?"

"To Betty's engagement party. If I heard properly." He managed to sound as relaxed as he could.

"So, you know?" Cheryl smiled.

"Well, I hope this isn't some lame attempt to come back and sweep Betty off her feet. You lost that chance when you bailed 6 years ago." Toni was always the straight forward type. She seemed almost angry at him. They had been good friends once upon a time.

"I don't really know why I'm here." He managed. Cheryl looked positively devious.

"Babe I thought you were past that," Toni said. Cheryl didn't even need to speak for her to know she was up to her old tricks.

"It's Bughead. You know I ship it." She paused. "I can't help it, babe."

"Bughead?" Jughead said incredulously

"It was the nickname we gave you guys back in the day. You remember it?" Toni asked.

"yes, but it's been years, and I honestly never thought I would hear it again." He gawked."Too late now, you two have been Bughead for years at this point. I don't see that changing anytime soon." Cheryl explained. Jug cringed.

"It doesn't matter." He said finally. "There is no Bughead anymore."

"She isn't married yet Juggikins," Cheryl said.

"Seriously Cheryl." Toni chimed in. "He's right."

"We'll see." She said coyly.

"I just came to wish her good luck and give her closure." He explained. "I'm not here to cause any trouble."

"I'm going to tell her you're here," Cheryl said boldly. Jughead laughed hard.

"It's not like it matters. There is no Bughead anymore." He said.

"So, you aren't here to try and win Betty back in some grand gesture of love?" Cheryl asked sounding almost hopeful. Jughead had to stifle a second laugh.

"No." It sounded like a lie to him, but he hoped they would believe him. "A few months ago, I got a letter from Betty asking for closure. I'm here to give her that."

"We were under the impression that Betty had no idea where you were," Toni stated.

"It's ok Toni," Jughead said looking from Cheryl to Toni. "I hope you do tell her you saw me. Here's my number. I will be hanging out here for a few more hours. If she wants to, she can meet me here, and we can talk." His voice was nearly shaking at the idea.

"Fine," Toni said taking the number. Cheryl winked at him, and they headed out, apparently forgetting what it was, they had come in for.

-/-

Jug spent the next two hours sitting in Pop's, his laptop open as he typed a few paragraphs of his new book. It felt like old times writing at a booth in Pops. He wondered if Cheryl and Toni would really tell Betty he was here. Would she react or would she even care? He didn't know her anymore. She may have changed. He was about to give up and go to the five seasons. He would call Archie and let him know he was in town. The door to Pop's opened, and he saw a flash of blond hair.

"Jug?" She asked as she scanned the booths. She stopped dead in her tracks staring at him. He must truly not look like himself. He stood and walked toward her, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Hey there, Juliet." He managed as a small smile cracked across Betty's face.