a/n since it looks like we're never getting the how Bughead talked out their differences and got back together scene, I decided to write one.

With the race interrupted by the cops and Jug and Archie fighting, I'm suddenly confronted with telling Jughead the truth a few hours sooner than I thought. The four of us stand, tension thick enough to cut with a knife, around Jughead's borrowed car.

Archie looks at me expectantly, assuming I'll side with him.

I turn to Jughead, who is stony faced and silent as usual. That hurts since he always used to let me see the emotions he hid from others. "Can we talk?" I try to ask it confidently, but it comes out meek and sad. "Please, Jug, I want to explain."

He watches me for a long moment and I think he's going to turn me down. I feel my face fall, tears prickle behind my eyes. He nods, gesturing at the car. I say goodbye to Ronnie and Archie as I round the car, barely noticing their worried expressions. I'm feeling just the tiniest bit hopeful. Maybe I can still fix this. Maybe the black hood didn't ruin everything after all. I mean I did fix things with Veronica.

Once inside the car, the silence is painfully awkward, something I've never felt around Jughead before. It tears at my already broken heart. How could things have changed so much so quickly? I give a small sniffle after realizing it's because of me.

He glances at me quickly. "Betty?" He doesn't sound angry. That's good, that's a start.

"Can we get to your place first, then I'll explain, okay?" He nods, turning back to the road. "Thank you," I add in a small voice. I spend the rest of the short trip organizing my thoughts. I don't have quite the flair for words that Jughead does so I have to think carefully.

By the time I'm seated on his old couch, I think I've got a pretty good outline going for me. I take a deep breath and look up at him. He's leaning against the wall between the living room and kitchen with his arms folded, his expression devoid of any emotion. He'd ditched the jacket though, bringing him closer to my Juggie, not this new serpent Jug who races Ghoulies. It gives me the push I need to start.

"I'm sorry, Jug. I know it doesn't excuse my actions but I did what I did to protect you. The black hood ... he was calling me," I hear his sharp intake of breath, "he told me if I did exactly what he said, he'd stop killing people and hurting them. And he did. But then his requests got weird, personal. It was like he wanted me all to himself. He made me push away my mom, Veronica, Archie ...you. And he said if I didn't, he'd cut you out of my life, his way."

"Shit," he whispers, coming to sit beside me at last. He pulls his beanie off, running a hand through his hair, "Betty, that's hardcore. I'm sorry."

I shake my head, "what do you have to be sorry for, I'm the one who messed up everything. All because I thought I could Nancy Drew my way to subduing and catching another killer."

He sighs and gives me a humorless smile, "trust me, I've got plenty to apologize for but first I have some questions." I nod and he continues, "you sent Archie." And even though he doesn't say it as a question I know what he means. How could I?

"That was mean, I see that now. I told him not to make it cruel." He gives me a look that says Archie did the exact opposite. "But I," I sniff, holding back tears, "I knew I couldn't do it if we were face to face. I wouldn't have been able to lie to you. You would have seen right through me and I couldn't tell you the truth because the black hood has eyes and ears everywhere. I thought that sending Archie was the best option. I thought he'd say something that would keep you away for a little while, not break us up." A tear escapes, running down my cheek. "I'm so sorry."

A small silence falls between us. I hope he's thinking over my words and not thinking of a way to kick me out.

"Okay I can understand it when you put it that way" he touches my hand lightly. It's enormously comforting. "So why tell me now, aren't you still worried?"

"I'm terrified," I admit, "but I decided he can't have this level of control over me. I'll go to the police if I have to but I can't do it his way anymore. I'm- I've been miserable. It's all been really overwhelming."

He flips my hand over, exposing the red crescents I've dug into my palms over the last week. Pain and sadness cross his features.

"Betty..." his voice carries no hint of anger or even frustration anymore so I take a deep breath and take a chance.

"Look, Juggie, I messed up, I know that, but I still love you and I'm hoping you can forgive me. If you-"

"Wait, um," he cuts in, looking uncomfortable, "before you say anything else, I've got to tell you something." My stomach twists uneasily but I nod for him to continue. "The night Archie came over to deliver you message," I cringe, "that was the night I was initiated into the serpents. After the ...process um, Toni came over."

No, no, no, not her. I shut my eyes, anticipating his next words but trying to shut them out at the same time. My breaths come quicker, heart pounding furiously. I feel a little sick.

"And we, uh, we kissed." There it is. Pain punches me in the chest. "And she did stay the night but I swear nothing else happened, I slept on the couch," after the initial hesitant confession, the words spill out of his mouth almost too quickly to catch. "I was upset and she was there. Nothing else happened after that night though and nothing ever will because I still love you too, Betts. Please forgive me."

I open my eyes and choke down the jealousy and hurt. He did it after we were broken up. He did it because I hurt him. "There's nothing to forgive, Jug. We weren't together," my voice hitches with emotion, I sniff and swallow hard, holding it all back. "I don't love that it happened but I'm not mad." And I'm really not. Just sad but I was already sad so no big change there. And I do still love him even after finding out the thing I was worried about for weeks actually happened.

His eyes have a light in them at my words and a small smile plays around the corners of his mouth. It almost makes it worth it. "So we both made mistakes recently. Are mine something you can overlook?"

"Yeah, I get why you did it. And, like you said, we both made mistakes and yours were because of coercion so I think I can get over it." He gives me a smirk. "So we're okay?"

I breath a sigh of relief and squeeze his hand, about to nod until I remember that we weren't really okay even before all this trouble started. "Jug..."

"I know that voice, that's your 'I have some suggestions about your writing' voice," he smiles but he looks worried.

"Jug, we didn't have the healthiest of relationships before the black hood stuff. Not the past few weeks anyway. We kept things from each other. Maybe it was because we thought it was for the best but it wasn't. We need to be honest with each other. Always," I lean forward, trying to convey the importance of this with my eyes, "if we hide things, something like this is just going to happen again. No more secrets, no lies. Then yeah, we'll be okay."

He nods slowly, looking ashamed. "You're right. And we need to make more time for each other. This was totally my fault, I know it was, I pulled away from you cuz that's what I do when things get hard. I retreat."

I put a hand on his cheek, pulling his face up to look at me. "I wasn't exactly making an effort either. It'll be hard, especially now, but all relationships are hard. I think ours is worth it." I drop my hand into my lap.

"Me too."

We fall silent. My eyes drift to the leather jacket slung across the arm of the couch in front of me.

"Go ahead," he mutters. His face looks agitated and chagrined at the same time. He knows me so well.

"You did say you wouldn't join them, Jug."

"I know, but I had to-"

I hold up my hand to cut him off, "no, I get it, Jug, you did it to keep the peace like your dad. You did it to help me and Archie. To help your dad. And I know you did it partly because you aren't as much of a lone wolf as you pretend to be. You're lonely and I know, as much as I wish I were, I'm not enough to fill that void. Maybe the Serpents can."

He looks at me with wide, shocked eyes and despite the seriousness and melancholy, I smile. "I know how you think, Jughead Jones," I say and tap his forehead playfully.

"Yeah, but the bottom line is, I'm a serpent now." His unasked question hangs in the air. Can I deal with that? Can I date a gang member?

When I look at Jughead, I don't see a South Side Serpent. I see someone who is my friend, who has been there for me every step of the way, who has seen my dark side and kept loving me. He is a serpent now though. But that doesn't change the kind of person he is and I know who he is.

My Juggie.

I touch his cheek again, "I love you and I'll stand by you no matter what." His relief is palpable. "Just promise me you'll be careful, that you won't do anything dangerous or stupid. And if something does happen, you'll come talk to me about it. Okay?"

"Okay. I promise," and then he's reaching his arms around me, pulling me into a hug. It feels so good, I nearly cry.

Jughead and I have never been perfect and we never will be but then again there's no such thing as perfect. There's so much craziness and bad waiting for us, things we need to talk about, things we need to do but, for now, I wrap my arms around his shoulders and hold on. The crap will still be there in a few minutes, and we'll deal with it. Together.