Merp, I've kinda lost track of my updating schedule? *Throws updates and internet cookies*

Betty felt as though she was never going to stop shaking.

It wasn't even from the cold, although the rain had successfully managed to soak right through her jacket and sink into her skin, making her feel it in her bones, it was just from the shock.

It definitely wasn't the Serpents who called the police and the ambulance, but it must have been someone in one of the houses, high up on the hills, who had heard the gunshots. They arrived pretty quickly, but not before Joaquin got Chuck out of there. Betty hadn't been too sure how exactly they managed to get Chuck out of there on the back of a bike, but she really wasn't in a state to be asking questions. Most of the bikers left behind Joaquin, undoubtedly to ensure that Chuck didn't get away, however FP, Fred, Tall Boy and Sweet Pea were still there, along with Jughead.

And Archie, who had been shot in the shoulder.

Betty watched all of this happen through glazed blue eyes. She wasn't even really hurting anymore. Distinctly, she knew that she was in pain. Her head, her lip and her leg. They ached and the cut on her lip stung, but it all felt faraway and she felt disconnected. Jughead was hugging her and he kept on talking to her, but she couldn't really make out what he was saying. When the paramedics were talking to her, she really wasn't paying any attention to what they were saying. It sounded as though they ended up talking to Jughead, and then she was being lead into the back of an ambulance. Jughead started arguing with one of the paramedics and Betty looked over at him curiously. It seemed as though they were telling him that he could follow the ambulance but he couldn't get in it.

It wasn't surprising that Jughead got his way.

It might have been the siren or it might have been the paramedic crouching in front of her and wiping her face or it might have been Archie sitting opposite her, his face set stubbornly as the other paramedic cut open his shirt—but it was about ten or fifteen minutes later that Betty felt as though she had properly come back into her body.

Jughead was gripping her hand tightly and Betty winced as she realized how hard he was holding her fingers, almost cracking them in his fist. The paramedic in front of her was cleaning up the cut on her forehead and Betty cringed as they pressed too hard.

"Shit, Arch, are you okay?" Betty asked, her eyes widening.

"I've been shot before," Archie shrugged his shoulders. The paramedic who was in front of him looked a bit stunned at that, but she didn't say anything. He took off his jacket and put it over his knee to let the paramedic press padding against the wound to try and stop the bleeding. Betty winced as she saw the blood soaking through the gauze and then her eyes widened.

"Wait!" She jerked forward. "Polly! She's at the hospital!"

"There's only one hospital in Riverdale, Betts," Jughead murmured. "It's okay, we'll get you guys all sorted out and then we'll get you over to Polly."

"I was meant to find Jason!" Betty continued. "Cheryl's probably calling me and worrying and I've lost my phone and—"

"Hey," the paramedic in front of her gave her a soft smile and put her hand on Betty's knees. "I need you to stop moving, okay?" Betty let out an annoyed huff but did as she was told, although her eyes slid over to look at Jughead.

"I'll call Cheryl now, okay? I'll tell her what's happened," Jughead assured her and he let go of Betty's hand, pulling his phone out of his jacket pocket. "Or, I'll give her a quick summary. I think the whole thing will be a bit too much to handle at the moment." Betty blinked at him and then her lips parted.

"Juggie? Where's her dad?"

Betty was able to get away from the nurses a lot quicker than Archie. Luckily, with the way that Archie had been shot, the bullet went right through and hadn't hit any major arteries. Betty was looking a little worse for wear—she caught a glimpse of herself in a window as she was making her way quickly to the maternity ward. The nurse had put butterfly stitches over the gash in her forehead and had smeared some antiseptic on the cut on her lip, and they had strapped up her ankle, which was sprained, and also tried to get her to use crutches. But Betty had refused to use them, because right now, all she wanted to do was get to her sister. They also told her that she was going to need to stay overnight in the hospital in case she had a concussion, but she would deal with that later.

"Betty!" Cheryl was anxiously standing in the hallway, next to a partially closed door. "Oh my god, Betty!" Cheryl's eyes widened as she saw her and she quickly rushed to her friends side, putting her hands on Betty's shoulders and looking her over carefully. "Jughead said that you had been in a car accident but I—"

"I'm okay, Cher," Betty assured her. Jughead had definitely given the girl the sort version over the phone, saying that it would be better to tell her the full story in person.

Betty agreed.

How did you tell your best friend that her father was a drug dealer, aware that his drugs were killing people, not caring that his drugs were killing people, and then held a gun to her her head?

"Is Polly okay?" Betty asked, shifting her attention back to the present.

"Oh, yeah, yeah," Cheryl nodded. "And Jason is here, he was almost home and his phone had died. When he got home he put it on the charger and saw all my missed calls, so he's here with her now. Cheryl's eyes moved over Betty's shoulder and Betty turned around to see Sheriff Keller and Officer Oscar standing there, both with grim expressions on their faces. "Why are they here? Did you hit someone?"

"Um," Betty swallowed hard and then her head jerked up when she heard a yell from inside the room.

"Don't worry, the doctors said that she's in for a long night, so you're not missing anything," Cheryl told her and Betty winced, sympathizing with her sister for what sounded like a long labour.

"I think you need to get Jason," Betty said slowly. She glanced back toward the two police officers, and Jughead and FP were both standing with them now.

"Betty? What's going on?" Cheryl's voice sounded a little shaky now, as though she had realized that something was wrong. The police as well as Jughead and FP approached them, grim expressions on their faces.

"I think you better get your brother, Cheryl," FP said in a low voice. Cheryl looked between them and Betty, and Betty couldn't help the way her expression fell. She knew that they were going to deliver some really bad news to Cheryl, but there was just something in FP's face that seemed even more grim than just that. "He didn't make it, Betty. He died in the ambulance on the way here." Betty swallowed hard, and her head felt light all of sudden. Jughead came over to her side, putting his hand on her elbow and giving her support.

"Just breathe, Betty," he murmured. "You need to hold it together. Polly needs you right now, and then Cheryl is going to need you. You're strong. You've got this." Betty closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the sting on her forehead as she squeezed her eyes shut, but the pain was good, it helped to centre her. When she opened them again, Cheryl and Jason were coming out of the room, both with concerned expressions on their faces.

"Can you stay with her, Betty?" Jason asked, giving her a weak smile, his eyes nervous as they moved over to where the police were.

"Yeah, of course," Betty nodded and she pulled away from Jughead, limping a little as she pushed open the door and then closing it purposefully behind her, so that her sister didn't hear anything that was happening out in the hallway. Polly was laying back in the hospital bed, and Betty didn't know much about hospitals, but she definitely knew that the room Polly was in was pretty special. There was only one bed in the room, and there were flowers and it was brightly coloured. Jason clearly wanted nothing but the best for his girl. "Hey, Polls," Betty smiled at her sister.

"Betty," Polly turned her head to face her little sister and then let out a horrified gasp. "Oh my god, Betty, what happened? Are you okay?" Obviously Cheryl hadn't talked to her about the phone call from Jughead.

"I'm fine," Betty assured her as she moved to take a seat next to the head of the bed. "I just had a bit of an accident."

"A bit of an accident?" Polly reached out awkwardly with one hand, since she couldn't turn over with the way she had all sorts of pads and wires connected to her swollen stomach. "Betty, you look as though you got in a fight! And lost!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Betty said with what she hoped was a playful smirk. Polly didn't look as though she was convinced though and her lips parted, as though to say something else, but Betty changed the subject. "We'll talk about it later, okay?" She said quickly. "Now—how are you feeling? You about ready to push two babies out from between your legs?" Polly made a face as Betty laughed.

"I feel...I feel like I've been ready for this ever since I found out I was pregnant," Polly began, and there was a scared look that settled over her face. "I've been reading all the books, I've been asking all the questions and I've been going to all the classes—but I'm not ready," Polly's eyes were somehow getting even wider. "I'm not ready, I don't think I can do this, Betty, I—"

"Polly!" Betty grasped her sisters hands, getting up from the seat so that she could lean in closer to her sister. "You're going to be okay. You're going to be amazing. And after this is all over, you're going to have two of the most beautiful little babies."

"They might not be beautiful," Polly cringed. "What if they're a weird colour and have funny shaped heads?" Betty couldn't help but laugh.

"Polly, they're gonna be gorgeous, and even if they're not—we're all going to be so biased that we won't even notice," Betty gave her a comforting smile and Polly let out a heavy breath.

"Okay," she murmured, and then smiled at her younger sister. "I'm so glad you're here with me."

It was an hour later that Polly started asking for Jason, and Betty's smile dropped off her face as she told her sister that she would go and look for him. She saw them out in the hallway, Cheryl and Jason sitting on the cold, plastic chairs against one of the walls. The police were no longer there and FP and Jughead were gone as well, but Veronica and Archie were opposite the siblings, Archie's arm in a sling. They saw her first, and Veronica winced as she looked back to Cheryl and Jason.

Betty took in a deep breath, and approached the grieving siblings.

So songs I recommend are I Think I'm OKAY by MGK, Yungblud and Travis Baker, which I absolutely adore, and the song and especially the music video give me intense early 2000's feels, and Lost by Dermont Kennedy, which is so damn beautiful, I've completely fallen in love with it. Also Lost Without You by Freya Ridlings, which was sent to me by Reppinda5o3 and is completely heart breaking. Umm...I can't really think of many movies and TV series I've been watching lately. Sorry :(

Okay, so, questions; what's your lockscreen/homescreen/blah blah blah? My lockscreen is Dominic Harrison and my homescreen is Demi Lovato, both total babes.

Umm...What are you go-to feel good movies? Mine are—not in any type of order—Princess Bride, The Swan Princess, Stardust, Spirit and Frozen. Lol. Not even sorry. I think Catch and Release might be working its way onto this list as well.

...'Please tell me I'm your one and only/Or lie and say at least tonight/I've got a brand new cure for lonely/And if you give me what I want/Then I'll give you what you like'...

xxxxxxx