Chapter 1

She's strong… but she's exhausted

Betty's eyes flew open, tears staining her cheeks. Her heart was beating frantically, and she gasped, taking in rapid deep breaths. When she realized she was awake she slowly began to calm down. It was that dream again. The Black Hood. He had finished them all off. They were all dead. All because of her. Because he wasn't the monster. She was. It wasn't his hands covered in blood… it was hers.

Betty walked into the bathroom, flipping on the light as she began to scrub at her hands. She wiped her tear stained cheeks with a piece of toilet paper and then sat down on the lid, rubbing her arms where chills bumps had risen. She could see her phone across the room, sitting on her nightstand. She was terrified of it. Terrified every time she heard it ring. Terrified who could be on the other end.

She made her way back to bed and shakily pulled her jacket and snow boots on as she walked down the stairs and out the front door. She needed some air, she needed to clear her mind. As she walked through the cold night, tasting the wintery crisp night air as she spotted Archie walking out of his house as well. He ran over to her.

"Archie?" Betty questioned. "What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same" Archie replied. "You weren't answering your phone all day, you had us all worried sick."

"I'm sorry Arch" Betty said.

"You were supposed to meet us at Pops for lunch, and now your out here walking in the middle of the night with the Black Hood stalking the streets?"

"I know, I'm sorry I didn't get back to anyone I just…" Betty said. Her voice broke off and for the first time Archie realized how tired she looked. There were bags under her eyes and they were red and watery. She looked as if she hadn't slept in weeks. Archie knew about the calls she'd gotten from the Black Hood, and she also knew how hesitant she was to talk about them, especially to tell Jughead. It was as if she was ashamed to tell him the truth.

"Betty, are you doing okay?" Archie asked worriedly. "You don't look too good."

"I just want to walk for a while" she replied, not wanting to explain her nightmares. The nightmare that had plagued her for weeks now, ever since the night she'd spend over with Jughead, the night she found out he was a serpent.

"Mind if I come with you?" Archie asked.

She knew how much he worried about the Black Hood, how much he worried about her involvement with her. She still hadn't told him about Nick St. Clair, how she had practically ordered his death.

"Sure" she replied. Archie smiled and walked alongside her as they walked down the sidewalk. The street lamps flickered as they went along. Both of them were silent as they walked, there was stuff on both of their minds.

"Archie, how's Jug been?" Betty asked.

"He's been worried sick about you" Archie replied. "But you won't see him."

"He has so much to deal with, the serpents, his dad being in jail, I don't need to put my burden on him too."

"Betty" Archie said harshly, making her stop dead in her tracks. "You're not a burden" he says. "You need to tell him the truth, the Black Hood is tearing you apart, tell me the truth, how longs it been since you slept? Really slept?"

Betty shook her head, tears burning in her eyes as she tried to hold them back. "I…" But she couldn't speak. Her tears were drowning her now. She started to cry and Archie pulled her to him. He held her tight and Betty cried into his chest. When would she ever feel safe again? When would he leave her alone? When would the nightmares go?

That night Betty broke down, her head resting against Archie Andrews, staining his letterman's jacket with her tears and mascara. And where was Jughead? She had pushed him away. It was her fault. She knew she needed to make things right.

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