Author's note: There's a talk about the trauma Betty went through (her assault) with her dad and the Serpents. Stay safe! Xxx

Betty accepted the mug of tea Quin brought her with a smile. Taking a sip to give herself a moment to collect her thoughts, she looked at her dad. The man was about to hear news that would undoubtedly break him. She didn't want to ever be the person that caused her father pain. She looked at Pea, who seemed to read her mind, and squeezed her shoulder.

"It's okay, shortcake," he said softly, voice low enough only she and Jughead could hear him. Jughead, who was sitting on the other side of her, threaded their fingers together.

"Pea's right, baby. It's okay," he murmured, voice gentle. Betty swallowed as she nodded, looking at her dad once more.

"Dad," she said, voice shaking slightly. "I need to tell you some things. About what happened with Alice."

Hal looked at her, then Sweet Pea, before nodding. "Okay, honey."

"So, Alice has a boyfriend, Drew," she began, looking into her mug. "He's not a nice man by any means of the imagination."

She could feel her father's eyes on her. "Explain, please."

While his tone was soft for her, Betty heard the tension behind his words and knew he was beginning to expect the worst.

"It started out decent enough, their relationship," Betty said. "Then, Drew would have a few drinks and get a bit…aggressive."

Hal inhaled sharply and Betty winced. "Did he put his hands on you?"

Betty couldn't make her voice work for the life of her so Pea filled in the blanks.

"He'd hit her, dad," he growled, and Hal cursed.

"Shit," her dad hissed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Fangs find him?"

Betty wasn't surprised her dad had known that Fangs was sent to check out Denver. Again, Sweet Pea answered.

"Yeah, but we made it clear that he wasn't to engage in anything with him if he did; that Drew wasn't someone to be messed with without the rest of us having Fang's back," Pea said, and Hal nodded.

"Honey, did…did anything else happen?" Hal asked, his voice sounding constricted.

Betty inhaled shakily, looking at Jughead, then Sweet Pea, before settling her gaze back on her dad.

"Uh, he, uhm, just didn't really like or accept the word 'no'," she whispered, casting her gaze to her lap as she admitted that. It was silent for one, excruciatingly painful moment, before she felt herself being lifted from the couch and pulled into a tight embrace. She allowed her dad to shelter and center her in his safety net.

"I'll kill him, I swear to God, sweetheart," Hal said, tone almost dark as his eyes. Betty shook her head.

"Please don't, daddy," she whispered. "Drew gets off on hurting people and his men get off on it just as much."

Hal pulled back from her slightly, looking at her. "What do you mean?"

Betty bit her lip, thinking of the first time it happened. "Are you sure you want to hear the story?"

Hal nodded, face twisting in pain. "Yeah, sweetheart, I am."

Betty looked at her brother and Jughead who were both nodding at her.

"It's okay, shortcake," Pea said.

Sighing, she made her way to the couch and sat down between the two of them, tucking her feet underneath her as she began to speak.

"The first night Drew came into my room was two weeks after Alice started dating him. He had already slapped me once before, so I-I thought that's what he was there for, you know?" Betty asked softly, mind on the past. She heard someone inhale sharply but didn't look up to see who; she needed to tell the story now before she lost the nerve to do so. "Turns out, a slap wasn't what he was after. He had my wrists tied to the bedframe before I could understand what was happening. When I did, I tried to scream but he, uh, taped my mouth shut, saying I wasn't allowed to wake Alice, that she had had a hard day." She could hear the bitterness in her voice. Shaking her head, she continued. "He wasn't gentle. At all. Then, when he was through, he freed me and said if I told anyone, he'd kill them. Not me, but them. No matter how much I may hate her, I couldn't do that to Alice. Although, I think she knew and didn't care."

It was silent for a moment and Betty's hands were shaking. She chose to look at them instead of the other people in the room. Just then, Quin spoke up.

"You did nothing wrong, sweetheart. Absolutely nothing," he said firmly, and her eyes met his. "You didn't ask for it and you didn't do anything by not fighting back. Drew overpowered you and did something so inhumane that I, along with many others, would love nothing more than to torture him before he's begging to be killed. I think I speak for all of us when I say it would be an honor."

Betty's eyes were wet as she looked at them, taking in each look they had. Sweet Pea, her dad, and Quin all had looks of both anger and sadness on their faces, but it was Jughead's that caused her heart to stutter. He looked between a cross of furious and heartachingly broken. She squeezed his fingers, trying to let him know that it was okay; that she was okay. He squeezed her fingers back, but the haunted look didn't leave his eyes. He spoke up.

"Hal," Jughead addressed her father. "Can Betty and I step outside for a moment?"

Her father looked at them before nodding. "Yeah, of course. Just make sure she's okay."

"Always," Jughead said firmly before pulling them to their feet. Betty grabbed her sweater from where it was hanging on their coatrack and pulled it on as she followed him outside. She watched as Jughead made his way to the swing on their porch, sitting down with a sigh. Following him, she sat down next to him, hesitantly placing a hand on his knee. She knew he needed comfort; she just didn't know if he'd be receptive to it. To her great surprise, he laughed.

"You cannot be real, Betty Cooper," he murmured. "You're the one who went through something so traumatic and yet you're sitting here, offering me comfort." His tone was one of awe and she blushed.

"Yeah, seemed like you could use some, Juggie," she murmured, threading their fingers together. He shook his head, looking at her.

"I need you to know something right now: we will go at whatever pace you want. We don't even need to have sex for me to want to be with you," he said firmly. She blinked.

"Really?" Betty asked skeptically and he cupped her face.

"Betty Cooper, us making love is not something that I will ever, ever pressure or force you to do," he said softly but firmly. "Ever. When or if we have it, is completely up to you. I'm just happy for this. The hand holding, the kissing, and everything in between."

Betty looked at him for a moment, drinking in everything about his sincere expression, before kissing him.

"Thanks, Juggie," she breathed against his lips in a shaky voice. He kissed her forehead, holding her gently.

"Of course, baby," he murmured. "Of course."

She knew she had a long road ahead of her, but it wasn't nearly as intimidating facing it with the help of the Serpents; with the help of Jughead. And that was good enough for her.

Author's note: Another note here: your response to the story, guys! I have no words. It's so heartwarming. Thank you for all the kind reviews and kudos and bookmarks, truly. Enjoy! Xxx