A/N: Thank you so much for the support and reviews guys, blown away by all your kind comments and so glad that you guys are still with me after such a delay. Hopefully another update will make up for it.

And thanks Jandy for beta'ing this one as well.

Thanks Sara 99, Pentastic, lovesbooks12, Whenitsover, Isilme'sStar, violet1429, Alwaystoolate, Jen2000 and all guests as well. I know some of you are hesitant about the date with Archie but here we go...

Betty felt nervous and not for the reasons that she thought that she would be, given the situation. She had pictured this moment in her mind so many times since high school. Dressed in her favourite dress, looking over at her date in his best suit. Smiling coyly over her drink as his hand reached out for hers. His fingertips tracing over the back of her hand. However now whenever she thought of it, it wasn't a flash of red hair that she pictured in front of her now but instead dark locks and a woolen beanie was all that she could see.

She took a deep breath as she smoothed down her skirt again for the millionth time. A nervous habit that she couldn't seem to shake. He was sat opposite her. The 'ginger stallion' as she had heard the girls in the dressing room whisper to each other each summer while she tried to ignore them or chastising them for speaking about him in that way. Now she found herself wondering how much of his reputation was true that whether she had just been blind this whole time. She wondered whether he saw her as one of his conquests- maybe just another potential notch on his bed post.

She realized then, that he was asking her a question, She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she couldn't recall what they had been discussing and she racked her brain for some hint on what he might be asking her.

"I said have you ever been to New York?"

"Yeah, I studied there for a year after graduation," she answered, grateful for him repeating the question.

"I've had a few gigs there. Have a few more lined up once the summer is over." She nodded and offered him a smile which she hoped displayed her encouragement and nothing more. "Yeah. My agent says that things are about to take off you know. Can't stay in Riverdale forever." His eyes grew a little wider at that statement as he realized his mistake. "Not saying that you staying here is a bad thing but there isn't really a music scene here."

"It's fine really."

"I actually have been working on some new stuff, a couple of acoustic tracks. If your free maybe you would like to come over and listen." Betty nodded politely and found herself glancing at the time on her phone. She was beginning to notice how much Archie enjoyed to talk about himself and his blossoming music career. He had asked her a few questions but only those that seemed to allow him to talk further about himself. She began to imagine what a future with Archie Andrews might look like. The partner of a successful New York musician. The travel, the groupies. The long talks into the night not about literature or her own interests but about his. About his success.

She wondered if this was how her mother had felt. Her father had been a successful journalist when he had met Alice Smith. She had just been starting out at The Register, but had shown some promise. Betty had discovered some of her articles when she had been packing up her things in the house before it was put up for sale following her return from the Treatment Facility. Her mom had talent, it was clear in her writing but she'd had very little published. Not compared to her father who had been featured so many times in The Register that his name had become well known within their small town. He had progressed to editor while Alice had remained among the office staff. She had remained by her husband's side, supporting his work, raising his children, until he had left- for a better job, a better life. Leaving Alice in Riverdale alone with their old life.

Betty wasn't sure that that life was what her mom would have wanted for her daughters. Not really. Maybe on the surface, a perfect life - a perfect visage. But in reality she liked to think that her mom would have wanted her to be happy.

She played with her food, shifting it around the plate with her fork while she continued to listen to Archie describe his plans for after summer. Before the topic of conversation shifted suddenly.

"So, what's going on with you and the weirdo?" Her eyes snapped up at him at the pointedness of the question. Her fork dropping to her plate, she paused to answer as he continued to watch her closely. "He's trouble you know. That whole family is."

"Why do you care?"

"I just don't want a nice girl like you getting mixed up in their drama." She noticed now that he wasn't meeting her gaze taking a sudden interest in the plate of half eaten food in front of him.

"I like Jughead," Betty answered confidently, challenging Archie to meet her eyes.

"His dad is the reason our company went out of business. He was taking money from under my dad's nose. Bankrupted him before he found out that it was his best friend and business partner who had sent the company bust." She could see the barely contained anger behind Archie's eyes, the tightening of his jaw.

"That's not Jughead's fault," Betty answered her tone stronger and more forceful then she had intended.

"Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, isn't that the saying?" he sneered as he stabbed his fork into his steak and Betty could feel an anger rising up in her. She wondered if that was the reason Archie and Jughead had been the way they were at the company. The thought crossed her mind about whether Archie himself could have been behind the jock's constant bullying of Jughead back at school. Despite the constant bullying and the town's outright prejudice against his family because of the sins of his father, Jughead had been the one who had held her when she found out about her mother. He had been the one holding her hand, the one who had offered to stay with her, who had stopped her from attacking Cheryl. He had been there the whole damn time even when she had tried so damn hard to keep him at a distance. He had come back for her. He had wanted her and not some illusion that she presented to the rest of the world.

To someone like Archie she would only ever be an accessory on his arm. A support for his own grandeur. To Jughead she would be something else, she would be herself.

She found herself standing up from her seat. Archie shifted his attention back to her.

"Where are you going?" he asked as she picked up her handbag, shoving her phone into it before shrugging her jacket on.

"I can't do this," she replied to Archie as much as to herself.

"You're walking out on our date?" He had stood up as well reaching out for her arm which she moved away from his grasp.

Betty paused at his words. "Yeah, I guess I am." Relief welling up in her as she put more distance between them. The realization that she was walking out on something she had built up all these years - the guy she had built up to be something he wasn't. She felt relief for herself and for someone that she knew she would never let go.

"Do you know how many girls would love to be in this position Betty?"

"Let them have it." She threw over her shoulder as she exited the restaurant her heels clicking on the pavement as she made her way to her next destination.

The Whyte Wyrm was not as busy as she had expected it would have been as she glanced at her phone for the time and realized it was later than she thought. It had taken her a while to find an Uber once she realized half way up the street that Archie had driven them to the restaurant and she was not about to head back in there and get him to give her a lift.

Taking a deep breath, Betty went to the bar and her eyes eagerly searched for Jughead's telltale grey beanie. Instead, she was greeted by the intense green eyes and bright blue hair of Jellybean Jones.

"Betty!" JB exclaimed warmly as she leant over the bar to pull Betty into an awkward hug with the counter between them and Betty trying to lean over to close the distance. JB pushed her black rimmed glasses back up her nose as she set a wine glass on the bar in front of Betty.

"House White?" she asked and Betty nodded, setting herself on the bar stool. JB poured her a glass before placing the bottle back into the fridge under the bar. Betty reached into her purse for some cash before JB shook her head. "On the house. You look like you need it."

Betty placed her purse back inside her bag on the stool next to her and took a long sip. JB was leaning over on the bar watching her intently.

"I thought-"

"That Jughead might be here?" JB replied with a knowing smile and Betty began to wonder how much of a secret she and Jughead might actually be.

"Yeah," Betty replied taking another sip as a flush spread over her cheeks at the look JB was sending her.

"He usually is, but he had to travel over to Greenvale for a parole hearing. For our dad."

"Parole? Does that mean-?"

"Yeah looks like Dad's coming home. I mean up until a few days ago we thought that it would still be another few months but Jughead said he had caught a lucky break and it may only be a few weeks now."

"That's great JB." Betty was happy for the Jones family, they deserved a break. If not for FP's sake then for his children.

"Yeah it means Dad can come back to running the bar and Jughead can go back to finish his degree in New York."

Her words hit Betty full force. Back to New York. She realized that her thoughts must have been written all over her face when she returned her gaze to JB.

"Oh Shit, Betty! He hasn't told you. Fuck! He's going to kill me."

"It's okay JB. I mean-" It wasn't like they were together or anything. He didn't owe her anything. She didn't want to complicate things any further. She sure as hell didn't want him to even contemplate changing his plans for her. She didn't want him to get stuck in Riverdale like she had.

"He likes you Betty. Really likes you." JB pleaded, her hand reaching out to try and comfort her.

"Don't tell him I know okay?" Betty said quickly. She had come there to tell him how she felt. That as much as he wanted to be the one that she leant on she wanted that as well. But not at the cost of his future.

"But-"

"Please." Betty urged, holding JB's gaze.

"Okay."

Betty hadn't been able to sleep much that night. She had gone to the Whyte Wyrm to tell Jughead how she was feeling. She wanted there to be more. She wanted them to be more. She longed for the feelings she'd had before she had been overcome with grief. She wanted the boy who saw her for her and wasn't scared. She wanted Jughead Jones. But she wanted him to be happy more.

She had tried all her usual remedies. Chamomile Tea, a warm bath, meditation- but her mind wouldn't let her rest. She managed to finally get a few hours out of pure exhaustion before her alarm woke her up. They had dress rehearsals today. Before Betty had been looking forward to it, eager to wear a pretty dress and perform with the weight of her past with Jughead finally lifted, but now…

She picked up her phone from her bedside table before texting Kevin.

'Hey K, Can we meet up need to talk? B'

She sent the text before she hopped into the shower. She stepped out of the shower and checked her phone again to see that there was still no reply. She typed out another text and sent it. She brushed her teeth while never letting her phone out of her sight and when there was still no reply she called him. The call went straight to message bank and Betty humphed in frustration. If he was ignoring her texts and calls to have a morning romp with Moose – well, she guessed she was still happy for them but it was just really inconvenient.

She scrolled through her contacts to find Veronica's number. Veronica had been happy to help her with Archie maybe she would have some advice on the new predicament she found herself in.

'Hey Ronnie, Could we meet up before rehearsals need some advice, girl to girl, B' Her phone buzzed almost immediately after she sent the text.

'OMG yes, B. I am just organizing room service. I'll send someone to pick you up, V xoxo' Of course Veronica would have someone to pick her up. Betty was just grateful to have someone that she could talk to.

"Okay B. What's on your mind?" Betty had barely sat herself down at the table on the balcony of the penthouse apartment overlooking Riverdale when Veronica had started questioning her. "And please tell me you have finally come to your senses about Mr. Dark and Broody." Betty was really starting to think that she really had not been very good at hiding her true feelings at all. She had only known Veronica all of a few weeks and she had already cottoned onto her. "Although seeing the two of you together yesterday I think I already have my answer." Veronica clasped her hands together as she looked wistfully at Betty who tore off a piece of her croissant and began to chew giving her time to pause as she tried to collect her own thoughts.

"I like Jughead." The sound that left Veronica's mouth was almost inhuman.

"I knew it, I knew it!" she almost sang as she shifted excitedly in her chair. "So he likes you too? Of course he does!"

Betty told Veronica about the conversation about their past. That they had mistaken each other's feeling for the other.

"Oh B, I'm sorry. But you talked it over and it was a misunderstanding and-"

"He's leaving-" Betty choked out. "-for New York after the summer. His dad is getting out on parole and taking over the bar again. It means he can finish his degree. He had to stop to run the bar. They thought that it might be a bit longer but things have progressed and-"

"That was me B. I spoke to Jughead at the party. You don't work in criminal law without picking up a few favours and I know someone in Greenvale who offered to put a case together get things expedited."

"So, that's why you managed to hold his attention?"

"At the party, yeah. Seriously, I could barely hold his complete attention even with that. Every time I touched him he seemed uncomfortable. Then I told him what I did for work and he mentioned his dad's parole hearing and I said I could help."

"I can't tell him how I feel."

"Why not?"

"Because he has a chance to get out Ronnie! He has a chance to do what he was meant to do and I can't have him throwing it away."

"Shouldn't you let him make that choice?"

"I just… I don't want to complicate things. We just got back to being friends and I don't want to put that pressure on him." Betty said trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince Veronica.

"But you're not just friends. A blind person could see that." Veronica paused and Betty knew that she was trying to think of a way to convince her otherwise. "This is a terrible idea, but if there is one thing I have learnt since meeting you Betty Cooper is that you are not one to be easily disuaded from a bad idea." Betty hated to admit that Veronica was right. On both counts.