Spoilers from last night's episode and a new story because today I was diagnosed with social anxiety and had to tell my therapist some shit about my past. Happy day! (I also just thought I had generalized anxiety, but nope, social too. I'll forever be awkward.)

Betty's feet carried her further and further into the woods as she, Archie, and Veronica raced against the clock to find Jughead. He had texted her a cryptic message, one eerily similar to the call she had received when he was going to sacrifice himself to the Ghoulies. Heart in her throat, she prayed that this time wouldn't be like that time. Running faster than she ever had before, she strained her ears to hear any sound that might indicate where her boyfriend was.

Just then, she heard the sound of flesh meeting flesh, followed by a groan, and she knew they were close.

"Come on guys, we need to run faster!" Betty demanded, willing herself and her two best friends to run as fast as they could. Eventually, they made it to a clearing in the woods and the sight that landed before Betty had her nearly crying in anguish. Jughead, her love, being held to the ground by a hand wrapped around his throat. She could see the way he was turning blue, trying to pull the hand off his throat. Glancing around quickly, Betty spotted a rock on the ground and didn't hesitate for even a millisecond. She ran up to the attacker and hit him on the head with rock, letting her fury take over.

"Get the hell away from my boyfriend!" Betty spat. She was so consumed by rage that all she saw was red. She continuously hit the man over the head, even when he had fallen limp to the ground, unable to get up.

By this point, it seemed like Jughead had gotten his air passageways to work again because the next time Betty raised the rock, his hand shot out, wrapping around her wrist firmly.

"That's enough, Betts, you're killing him," Jughead whispered.

"He was trying to kill you," she hissed, still shaking from the anger dancing in her veins.

"I'm fine baby," he assured her. "But you won't be if you kill him and I'll never allow you to live with that. Not because of me."

Archie spoke up just then. "Uh, guys? I think it may be too late on that end."

Betty turned around, as did Jughead, and they both stared down at the guy on the ground. He wasn't moving.

"Shit, is he breathing?" Jughead asked lowly, dropping down to place his fingers against his pulse point. However, Betty had read enough Nancy Drew books to know about fingerprints.

"Don't!" Betty said suddenly, pushing him out of the way as she fell to her knees. "There's a bigger chance my fingerprints are already on him and I will not let you go down for this mess."

Before he could stop her, Betty placed her fingers on his pulse point, willing for a pulse to be found. When none was, she blinked back the tears.

"Fuck," she muttered angrily. She had to think quickly if she wanted to get them all out of this mess.

"What was his name, Jug?' Betty asked urgently.

"V-Viper," he replied shakily, and she nodded.

"Here's what we're going to do. You're going to run Jughead, disappear. I know I don't know everything that happened between you and the Ghoulies but right now is not the time to find out. They're undoubtedly waiting on word that you have died. We must protect you," she said firmly.

Jughead shook his head, aghast. "I'm not leaving you, Betty!"

She rubbed the tears away aggressively, angry with herself for breaking down when he needed her to be strong. "I'll be fine, Juggie. Please. Just go. Get on your motorcycle and don't look back."

He had tears in his eyes now, too, and Archie and Veronica had the sense to not pry anymore than they already were; they walked a few feet away from them to give them a modicum of privacy. Jughead placed his hands on Betty's cheeks, and Betty inhaled his fragrance.

"I love you, Betty Cooper. This is our Senior year and it was supposed to be perfect. This isn't fair," he muttered, pressing their foreheads together.

"I know, baby, I know," she murmured, catching the few tears that made trails down his face. "But your life is on the line and I will not sit back and watch you hand it over again. Please, if you love me, you'll run."

Kissing her on the forehead, he nodded.

"This is not goodbye, Betty Cooper," he said firmly.

"I'll love you forever, Jughead Jones," she whispered, tears obscuring her vision. Then a thought came to her. "Quick, give me your beanie. We need to rid any evidence that you were here."

He nodded, yanking the hat off his head and handing it to her quickly, before turning to Archie and Veronica.

"Look after her for me," he implored, and they both nodded, Veronica silently crying. Jughead pulled Betty into a bone-crushing hug.

"Remember me and remember that I'll find a way back to you," he whispered, and she nodded, swallowing down a sob.

"Now go, Juggie. And don't look back!" Betty said forcefully. It was a physical ache to her heart when he let her go and started running towards his motorcycle. Once reaching it, he turned to look at her one last time, mouthing "I love you", before he was gone and all that remained were the three friends and the body of a Ghoulie.

XXX

"Archie, we have to burn our clothes and then Jughead's hat," Betty said quickly twenty minutes later. They were standing in front of a fire, all three of them in their undergarments. Veronica and Archie had decided to not let Betty take the complete fall for the death of the Ghoulie and got some of his blood on their clothes and body as well. That way, if they were questioned, it would be three stories instead of one.

"Do it now, Archie," Betty demanded, and she watched as he threw her boyfriend's beanie into the fire. She was numb. She felt like she had just lost one of her appendages with the absence of Jughead.

"Now what?" Archie asked quickly.

"Now, we don't speak of this night to anyone. We carry on with Senior year. We don't talk, and we go our own ways after graduation," she instructed, and Veronica inhaled shakily. It was harsh but it was what needed to be done.

"Betty, are you sure?" Veronica asked quietly, and Betty nodded.

"I'm sure," she said resolutely.

Then, without another word to the two people next to her, she turned on her heel, striding away from the fire and her heart that Jughead had taken with him.

Author's note: Okay, so because I absolutely refuse to believe the core four turn on each other next season, this is my take on a possible option for what could happen. And I'll go down defending this idea. Per usual, feedback lovely! Xxx