It had been a week since Betty found out that she was pregnant and she was not dealing with it well. Apart from going to work she stayed in her room, this meant she hadn't seen or spoken to any of her friends including Jughead. He had tried to get her to come out of her room and talk to him but after the 3rd unsuccessful attempt he had given up. Much to her dismay she couldn't avoid Veronica. She didn't know it was possible to be able to ring someone so many times but after call 73 she had to answer.

"What do you want V?" She sighs into the phone

"Finally Elizabeth! Jeez I think it'd be easier to get hold of Queen Elizabeth if I'm honest" Veronica states "How have you been?"

"Glorious, so glorious. I am carrying my best friends child and I don't know how to tell him, so yep V, I am great"

"Sorry B, I guess that was a bit of a silly question" there was a pause between them, neither knowing how to address the situation that was consuming Betty. "What are you thinking?" She whispers.

"I'm thinking I can't keep burying my head in the sand, I need to get up and face facts. I need to make an appointment to see someone" she clears her throat "and I need to talk to Jug, I think he's annoyed at me"

"Good idea B, and why what did you say to him?"

"Nothing, I think that's why he's annoyed"

"I see, well, let me know how it goes. I'm gonna get going, meeting with the VMA organisers in a bit, so exciting"

"Sounds cool, I wish I had a fun job like you V"

"Being Archie's manager is not fun, it can be cool sometimes but it is definitely not fun, kisses Betty"

"Bye" She puts her phone down and grabs her Mac. She searches for local doctors and finds one to make an appointment.

"Thank you Ms Cooper, we will see you and your partner next Thursday 15th at 3.30pm" the kind lady says.

"Thanks, see you then" now all she needed to do was tell Jughead. How was she going to do that?

Instead of dwelling on her situation she decided to devise a plan.

Go have a shower,

Get dressed really nice,

Cook a nice dinner and make Juggies favourite dessert

Break news over said dessert.

She looks at the clock, 9.28pm and he's not home. Maybe he really is annoyed at her, maybe he won't come home. Its then when she hears his keys in the loft door.

"Hi" she squeaks "You're home late"

"Wow she's alive" he smiles as he dumps his keys in the bowl and sits across from her "Special occasion?"

"Nope, this is a 'sorry for neglecting you' dinner" smiling slightly "I'm sorry Jug"

"It's fine Betts, remember everyone has an off time, can we eat now?" He grins and she can't help but match his happiness.

They eat dinner and their conversation is easy but Betty can't help but dread dessert and Jughead senses it. He's always been able to tell when she felt uneasy. She remembers the way she reacted when her family split apart.

Her family had always been pretty private which was surprising considering they owned the local paper 'The Register'. Secrets and problems always stayed within the walls of their home, this sometimes meant being at home wasn't an option for Betty and Polly. Her parents were constantly at each other's throats and it only became worse when Polly came home once gushing about a new guy she was dating. Jason and his twin Cheryl were the only 2 children of Clifford and Penelope Blossom, her parents 'mortal enemies'. She didn't know why the families didn't like each other, it was just an ongoing rivalry between the 2 families that had lasted decades and it got incredibly worse when Betty's father had found out that Polly had been seeing Jason Blossom for months and no one, not even his wife had mentioned it. He tried his absolute hardest to try to split them up but it didn't work. It caused a bad atmosphere in the Cooper household. Matters only got worse when Polly had a pregnancy scare and all the secrets came pouring out.

The Coopers and the Blossoms were related and her father had kept it a secret from everyone including their mum. Betty's great grandfather had been murdered by his brother, the Blossom great grandfather and it caused a very big rift between the family that ultimately ended in the creation of the Coopers. This new information was the root of future problems. Polly and Jason decided to split up due to being related, which was heartbreaking to watch for Betty and her mum but it also led to her parents deciding to divorce and that hurt Betty.

At first she ignored all of her feelings but the more she bottled it all up the worse she felt and looked. No one had noticed how sad Betty had been, not Veronica, not Archie, not even her mum or Polly but Jughead did. She had been sulking by herself at home instead of going to school for a few days, she had claimed she wasn't feeling well and nobody questioned her. She jumped when she heard someone knock on her bedroom window. It was Jughead and he had come to 'rescue' her as he had put it. They spent the day at the beach and that was the first time she realised how much she valued him. That day was the first time he had told her "Everyone has an off time." Just simple words but they meant a lot to her, it meant that he understood her need to turn off every now and again.

"Pavlova? You must be feeling really bad for ignoring me all week"

"Or you're just the best person I know for putting up with me an

d my moods, Pavlova is nothing, you deserve the moon and the star-" Her eyes widen in recognition of the words she used. She looks down.

"Hey, lets eat this yeah?" He tries to ease the tension but it doesn't work. Betty knows what she needs to do, she knows why she made this special meal of Cordon Bleu and Pavlova.

They take the dessert to sofa where they press play on Game of Thrones. Jugheads choice of show disgusted Betty at first, especially with all the nudity and gore but now she understands all the hype.

"Do you wanna start season 3 now or wait for tomorrow or something?" Jughead gets no reply so he looks up to find Betty wiping her eyes. "ARE YOU CRYING?!" He guffaws.

"No" she sniffs.

"Why are you crying?"

"It's just so sad you know, like Daenerys was so strong. How could they show her Drogo and her unborn child like that?" She cries.

"Wow, women are so emotional, I'm going to get some more pavlova"

"Get me some too please"

"Piece number 3, little piggy, stop eating all my pavlova" he teases.

She freezes, once again remembering the reason for this planned evening. She takes a deep breath and rakes her brain for a way that she can break the news to him. She thinks about grabbing her phone and googling it. No, that's not an option. Its Jughead. Its Jughead. Its Jughead she repeats in her head.

She takes the bowl he offers her and presses play starting season 3. It's now or never.

"Jug?"

"mmm?"

Just say it, she thinks.

"Do you think Archie and Veronica are going to settle down soon?" Chicken.

"Umm I guess so, they've been together forever" he puts his bowl down before he continue

s "Why do you ask?"

"No reason. Just thinking about how nice it must be to have someone, someone who is your best friend and loves you unconditionally"

"I love you unconditionally" he offers

She looks out the window, watching nothing in particular "It's not the same Juggie" she glances over at him "I appreciate you saying that Jug but seriously it's not the same. They have a life to look forward to but they also have all the past to reminisce with one another" He's looking at his hands "They have a history and future they can share with their kids eventually" He looks up at this and smirks.

"Wow Betts, how philosophical" still smirking, he sarcastically adds "Is this you trying to tell me Ronnie is with child or something?"

She says nothing in reply, trying to figure out if she should just blurt it or abort mission and try another time.

"Earth to Betty" he waves a hand in front of her face to gain her attention again, his smirk has transformed into a massive smile as he bugs her for an answer. "Are our best friends having a kid?"

"No, we are." She sees the smile fall off of his face and all the energy he previously had in anticipation of her answer regarding their best friends just evaporates from his body.

"You're having a baby?" He whispers

"We are, Jughead" she breathes back, her eyes scanning his face for some sort of reaction.

"How?"

"C'mon Jug" she lightly chuckles, trying to lighten the mood.

"The night me and Sabrina-" he starts

"Yeah." She finishes.

You can cut the tension with a knife. She knows Jughead often struggles to accept news that's sprung on to him. Maybe she should have googled how to tell him. She looks over at him and his head is in his hands. He's tugging on his beanie, a coping mechanism he adopted as a boy.

"When did you find out?" He asks through his fingers

"Last week when we went to dinner with V and Arch."

"That's why you were feeling so poorly" he states more to himself "That's why you ignored me all week" he looks at her with that statement and he frowns "Did it upset you that much that you were carrying MY child that you couldn't even look at me for a week?" He jumps up in front of her.

"What? Jug no!" She jumps up and grabs his hands "It was a surprise that's all, I wasn't sure how to tell you"

He whips his hands out of hers and stalks to the kitchen for some water. A few minutes of silence pass and she looks up to see him walking towards his room.

"Jughead, where are you going?" She calls

"To change. Why? Got some more news to spring on me? Did we fly to Vegas that night and get married too?" He sneers as he slams his room door.

She sinks into the sofa. He's being unfair and she shouldn't get upset at his reaction but that doesn't stop the tears spilling and dripping onto the skirt of the pretty blue dress she put on for him. The blue sundress she had worn to her graduation a couple months prior. He told her she looked beautiful in it, which is why she chose to wear it. The whole evening feels wasted now but she knows she shouldn't feel bad. What other reaction was she expecting. They're not together and this won't make him love her back.

She wipes her tears and finishes off her bowl of pavlova when she hears him exit his room. She looks up as he enters the living room and sit on the other end of the sofa.

"Sorry for being rude Betty, it takes 2 to tango I guess" he laughs whilst rubbing the back of his neck.

He is trying to make the situation better with humour but it rubs Betty up the wrong way and she sees red.

"This is not funny Jughead" she says in a tone that can only be taken negatively and he turns to her.

"I am well aware of the seriousness Elizabeth"

"Then take it seriously"

"Oh I'm sorry Betty, do you not like the way I am reacting to our special news?" He half yells "Should I already be sending out pregnancy announcements?"

"Stop being so immature Forsythe and start taking life seriously." He looks at her as if she has sprouted another head.

"I LEARNT I WAS GOING TO BE A FATHER 30 SECONDS AGO AND YOU'RE TELLING ME TO TAKE LIFE FUCKING SERIOUSLY? ARE YOU FOR REAL?" And this stuns her to silence.

She looks at him all wide eyed before her eyes start to fill with tears but for once he doesn't look ready to rush and comfort her.

"Sorry" she whimpers as he exhales loudly.

"Look I shouldn't have yelled like that but come on Betty, you've had a whole week to come to terms with this and I have had 30 minutes, I'm not ready to be a parent Betty"

"Neither am I, Jug but we can do this"

"How? We are two 23 year olds who just graduated, working dead end jobs that have nothing to do with what we want to do in the future, we don't have a home to live in, we literally borrow our home from a friend"

"We can love the baby, Jughead that's all that should matter right?" She offers

"Love the baby?" He scoffs "Love doesn't make you a great parent, Love doesn't put a roof over our heads and food on the table. God Betty, what have you been doing all week? Dreaming up a perfect family when we don't even have perfect families at home in Riverdale." He's rambling and he doesn't care if he upsets her with his words.

"Jughe-"

"We aren't even in a relationship Betty. We aren't going to magically fall in love and become a poster family for Parents magazine" she recoils at this but he continues "I'm not dad material Betty and the sooner you realise this the better"

She looks up as he moves to the door and grabs his key from the bowl.

"Juggie please wait, we have so much to talk about"

"I don't want to talk anymore Betty, I'm going-"

"I have an appointment for next Thursday for a scan, you know the clinic on 61st street" she shouts over him.

"You already made an appointment?" Maybe it wasn't the best time to tell him, she thinks.

"Yeah 3.30pm Thursday 15th on 61st street" she repeats but the shock on his face doesn't change "Well V said it was a good idea when I mention-"

"Ronnie knew before me?" And now he looks horrified

"Only because she was there when I took the test" she starts crying again

"Does she know the baby is mine?" And all he has to do is look at her and he finds the confirmation "Look Betty I'm going to go before I say something I regret"

"When will you be home?"

"I might crash at Kevins for a while" he says grabbing his phone charger

"No Juggie please don't go, don't leave me" she sobs

"I think we need some space" he wipes the tears her with his hoodie sleeves "I'll call you in a few days" and he closes the door, leaving her standing there sobbing.

*Is he home yet?* - Veronica 6.30pm

*Nope and he hasn't replied 2 my texts or calls. Has arch heard anything?*- Betty 6.33pm

*no he hasn't replied to any of our msgs, im so sorry b what r u gonna do about ur appointment 2moro?*-Veronica 6.40pm

*im going 2 go without him*-Betty 6.44pm

*do u wanna postpone till nxt wk and I'll come with u?* - Veronica 6.45pm

*Don't worry v, ill b fine, I don't want any1 else with me, I just want him there, thnks tho* Betty 6.52pm

She decides to try Kevins phone to get hold of Jughead in one last attempt to convince him to attend the clinic with her the next day.

"Hello?" Kevin pants into the phone

"Are you jogging?" She laughs

"Yes and I don't like it. What's up Coop?"

"I was wondering if Jughead mentioned anything about meeting me tomorrow?" She forces out, she really hates that its come to this.

"Sorry Betty but he's not really been communicating well this week, I mean he literally just eats, sleeps and goes to work, what happened?"

Her eyes are welling up at this but then she remembers the stuff she read up online about not stressing herself out and she takes a deep breath. "Well if he hasn't mentioned anything then I don't know why I'm bothering with him, you tell him that he knows where he needs to be"

"He hasn't mentioned anything so maybe he forgot?" Kevin offers but it only infuriates Betty

"WELL I TEXTED HIM THE ADDRESS" she seethes and then remembers who she is conversing with "Sorry Kev, just let him know I sent him the text, I gotta go"

She turns her phone off and curls up on her bed wondering how she got into this situation. Pregnant by the man she loves but not happy like she imagined she always would be.

It's a warm September afternoon, a nice day to meet your baby for the first time Betty thinks. She looks down at her phone, 3.28pm. She sighs, enters the building and heads to the receptionist.

"Betty Cooper I have a 3.30 ultrasound with Dr McCoy"

"I'll let her know you're here, take a seat" the receptionist smiles.

She only waits a few minutes before her name is called and she enters the clean smelling room.

"Hi I am Dr Josie McCoy, take a seat Ms Cooper"

"Please call me Betty"

"Will daddy be joining us today?" The doctor kindly asks as she helps Betty lie down

"Umm no. He won't be attend-" the door swings open.

"I'm not too late am I?" Jughead pants.

Betty sits up, a little too fast for her liking but she is too happy to dwell on her self inflicted dizziness.

"No Daddy, you're just in time" Josie smiles

Jughead and Betty share a small smile before she grabs his hand

"I'm so happy you came Jug." He squeezes her hand in agreement.