Author's note: This Bughead one-shot is based off an episode in season 8 (I think?) of One Tree Hill, called Darkness on the Edge of Town. Title of the fic is the same. Enjoy and thoughts lovely per usual! (They live in Tree Hill in this one. Whoops). Betty/Jughead = Brooke/Julian and Sweet Pea/Emma = Nathan/Haley. (Emma will be included here and there as she is my favorite OC for Sweet Pea). Xxx
Betty picked up clothes from her earlier laundry and threw them into the laundry basket angrily as she and Jughead continued to fight. Honestly, by this point, she had forgotten what they were even fucking fighting about.
"Betty," Jughead groaned, and she could tell his patience was long past worn thin. "I don't understand why you won't consider moving back to L.A. with me."
"Because, Jughead," Betty ground out through clenched teeth while she whirled around to face her fiancé. "I told you: my family is here, in Tree Hill."
"It's not like they'd really be lost without you," he said.
"That's mean," she snapped, knowing he didn't mean it in a mean way but too angry to address that regardless. Just then, there was another clap of thunder, followed by a bolt of lightening as the storm raged on outside. It matched the one raging in her home.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Jughead sighed, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I just don't get why it's so important for us to live in Tree Hill."
Betty scoffed as she shook her head and grabbed her scarf and jacket, throwing them on as her fingers snagged her car keys off her counter top the next moment. "It's important to me!"
Her tone was a snarl as she yanked her front door open.
"Betty, where are you going? There's a storm outside!" Jughead yelled but she ignored him and slammed the door shut behind her, determined to get away from her fiancé before more hurtful words were spewed in their moment of anger.
XXX
Betty's shaking had stopped tremendously – well, her shaking caused by the anger from the fight. She was shaking for a completely different reason as her windshield wipers moved furiously fast to wipe her windshield free of rain. It was a hopeless endeavor, however. The rain pounded and pummeled just as hard as it had moments before. She sighed, hating herself for letting things get so escalated between her and Jughead.
She had met him a couple of years prior when he moved to Tree Hill to scout out a location for Archie's book he had written. Jughead had hoped to turn it into a movie, and they had met through Archie during the casting process – Betty had been interested to see who he had casted to play her character.
Ups and downs had been the beginning stages of the tentative relationship they had been hoping to achieve. Between Betty's teenaged foster daughter going missing and then the famous actress, Josie McCoy, showing up and showing blatant interest in Jughead, despite the obvious attraction between Betty and him, things hadn't always been easy. Especially with Josie's suicide attempt and Jughead dropping everything to take care of her. Betty knew, deep down, it was because she was a friend, but it still stung to know, once more, she was always the other girl. Her mind drifted to Archie and Veronica, two of her absolute best friends. Hadn't always been that way, however. Archie and Betty had dated, and she had fallen for him. Hard. Ronnie, her friend since childhood, couldn't quite keep her own crush harbored though. Or, her hands off him. Twice. Needless to say, they were now married with a little girl. She was happy for them, of course, knowing that Archie and herself were never meant to be. But. Still. Jughead going to stay with Josie while she checked into treatment and leaving Betty behind had stung her and she was suddenly that high school girl again, betrayed by the two people who had meant the most to her.
Her phone ringing startled her out of her thoughts, and she turned on her car speaker, Jughead's voice filtering through immediately.
"Baby, come home," he said softly, tone apologetic. "Please. I'm sorry about the fight. I just want you home, safe. Where are you?"
"I don't know babe," Betty sighed, eyes on the road as she drove in the pitch-black night. "I'm just driving, trying to see five feet in front of me. I'm on the bridge I thin-," she cut herself off with a scream as she slammed on the brakes, staring straight ahead. She could hear Jughead shouting her name but couldn't answer as she parked the car and threw open her door, running to the little girl in the middle of the road. Madison, a sweet girl at Matthew's school. Matthew was Emma and Sweet Peas' son, and Betty was his godmother. She was alarmed that Madison was standing there, pale as a ghost. Dropping to her knees, she held onto Madison's small arms gently.
"Honey, are you alright?"
"There's been an accident. Ms. Turner won't wake up," she said, voice scared. Betty's eyes traveled to the car down the road and felt them widen at the sight. Ms. Turner was their teacher. Turning back to Madison, she led her to her car and got her inside. "Okay, honey, stay in here and keep the door locked until I get back, alright? I'm going to go check on her."
Madison nodded and sat down on the seat as Betty shut and locked the door, making sure to keep the car in her line of sight as she ran down the slippery road, stumbling once or twice before she made it to the other car. She peered inside of it, looking first at Ms. Turner, then in the car completely. Her heart stopped as she found Matthew sitting in the back with another boy. "Matty? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, Aunt Betty," he muttered. "Just stuck. My seatbelt won't come undone." He yanked on it once more before huffing and looking at his friend. "Drew won't wake up. I think he hit his head when we crashed."
Betty looked at him, then Abby, who was still unconscious. "Abby, can you hear me, hon?"
Abby shifted, moaning quietly before wrenching her eyes open with a gasp. "What happened?"
"Hey, shh, it's okay. You were in a wreck. We need to get Drew to the hospital – I think he has a concussion," Betty explained quietly, helping to ease the woman up. Abby nodded.
"I'll drive – do you have your car?" Abby asked. Betty hesitated, biting her lip before nodding.
"Yeah, Madison is in there already, just – drive safe, okay? I'm going to stay here and help Matty," she sent the young boy an encouraging smile and noted his look of relief.
After getting Drew and Abby out, Betty turned to Matthew.
"Hey buddy, I'm going to get you out of this car, alright? I just need to work on the seatbelt. Talk to me. Tell me about your day," she encouraged as she set to work trying to tear the seatbelt apart with her nail clippers. Matthew began talking, explaining about the spelling bee he had participated in and how he had misspelled the final word on purpose.
"Why, did you get scared?" Betty asked.
"No. I wanted Madison to win," Matthew explained, and Betty smirked.
"Why?" Betty asked, tone teasing.
"I don't know, she's smart," Matthew replied, and Betty smiled warmly.
"I think she's pretty cool," she agreed, and nodded at him when he looked surprised.
"So, why isn't Jughead with you?" Matthew asked, and Betty would never fail to be amazed by her godson's perception. She sighed as she worked on the seatbelt.
"We got into a fight over something stupid. I was being stupid," she muttered.
"So apologize and make it better," Matthew said simply. Betty laughed.
"Easy, Casanova," she warned. "Spell a word for me."
"Which one?"
She needed a word that would distract both of them as her eyes fell on the telephone pole that had crashed earlier and was sizzling with electricity as the wires sat in the water. "How about elusive?"
As he began spelling the word, Betty heard a car pull up over the wet ground and looked up, heart fluttering in relief as Jughead got out of his car, running towards them, and only slowing when he saw her, safe. His expression relaxed instantly. Then, his eyes widened in fear as Betty's head whipped around at the sound of a too fast car approaching and she locked eyes with bright headlights just before the other car slammed into the side of theirs', sending it over the bridge's edge. "Jughead!"
XXX
Jughead's and Betty's P.O.V.
Jughead watched in utter horror as his fiancé and her godson were sent over the bridge by a car driving fucking recklessly in this weather. He didn't hesitate to jump over the rail of the bridge, knowing that the water wasn't deep enough to drown the car. He also noted that the other car had sped off and, while livid, he'd have to face that at a different date. Body submerging in water, he ducked under and swam down into the car, thankful that it wasn't under completely. He fitted his body through the back window that had been smashed out and breathed in deeply at the fact that both Betty and Matthew seemed unharmed.
"You both okay?" Jughead checked, looking over Matthew first, then Betty. She nodded, leaning into his hand when he cupped her cheek.
"I'm sorry about the fight," she murmured.
"Shh, baby, it's okay," Jughead kissed her forehead. "Let's just get out of here, okay?"
She nodded. "Can you pull the seatbelt out? I lost the nail clippers, and it wasn't really budging in the first place."
Jughead nodded, kissing her once before he turned to look at Matthew. "You doing alright?"
"Yeah, just want to get out of here," he sighed. Jughead nodded.
"I know, buddy. We're going to get you out. You're my Best Man for our wedding, after all," Jughead reminded the young boy, and Betty felt her heart beat happily at how good he was with kids – Matthew in particular. He loved him from the start – even before Betty and Jughead got together. Helping him not be so shy and saved him from feeling embarrassed when he was too scared to go ziplining with the other boys and their fathers'. Jughead had told her he could tell how nervous Matthew seemed but didn't seem to want to disappoint Sweet Pea, so Jughead said he was scared and would he stay behind with him. Betty had fallen in love with him in that moment.
Jughead got to work on pulling the seatbelt, trying to yank it free from it's locked position in it's holder. He kept one eye on Betty, talking to her as well to make sure she was doing okay. It was a low and heavy rumbling that caused all of them to pause.
"What's that?" Matthew asked, voice quivering.
"It-it's the bridge. I think the levy is breaking," Jughead whispered, and soon enough, it crashed, water spilling in through every window and Betty felt herself scream in surprise.
"We're going to die!" Matthew cried, but Jughead shook his head.
"No, we're not. You're my best friend, Matty, remember? Not letting you or your godmother die," he insisted, but both he and Betty could hear the anxiety in his voice. He tried to mask it for the boy, though.
Betty watched as the water surrounded them, taking in breaths as she could. She knew, if it came down to it, Matty had to survive. He had to.
"Jughead," she called softly, watching as he shook his head.
"No, Betty. I'm not leaving you," he warned.
"Jughead, look at me," she murmured. He closed his eyes in pain, hands stilling against the seatbelt as he slowly turned to look at her, tears in his eyes. She smiled softly. "Get Matty out and come back for him. The water is coming in too fast for it to be safe."
"I'm not leaving you, baby," he whispered. "We're getting married in two months. This can't be happening." He pressed his forehead against hers'.
"Jug, he's just a boy. Save him and come back for me. He's just a boy," she said, voice firm.
He nodded and began tugging harder than ever on the seatbelt. Eventually it snapped free and Jughead lifted Matthew up and into his arms. "I'm coming back for you baby, I swear."
Betty nodded, smiling at him.
Jughead swam himself and Matthew out of the water and up to the bank. "Walk up there and stay there. Don't go anywhere until we're back, understand, Matty?"
Matthew nodded; eyes terrified at the severity of the situation. "Get Aunt Betty, Jughead."
"I promise," Jughead replied, then dove back towards the car, forcing his body to propel him as fast as he could. He reached the car and ducked in, looking at Betty, who was forcing herself to stay calm. "How you doing, baby?"
"Good, leg is still stuck," she said, knowing that he had seen the car shift enough that her leg caught in-between the seat. Jughead looked around, spotting a crowbar in the back where the window was kicked in.
"Thank you, Abby, for being a smart woman and wanting safety," he said, tone relieved as he began to force the seat back with the crowbar. He noticed it was quiet for a moment and looked up and spotted Betty under water completely as it had filled her side the quickest. His heart froze in fear and he inhaled air, before ducking under the water and forcing her mouth open, blowing into it as she accepted his air. He kept yanking on her leg with the crowbar and, eventually, he got it free. Surfacing back up to get one more breath of air, he ducked under and got ready to drag her out when he saw Betty's lifeless eyes staring in front of her.
XXX
Sweet Pea's P.O.V.
Sweet Pea drove down the road carefully, mindful of a very pregnant Emma next to him. They had let Matthew go hang out with a couple of his friends after the spelling bee and Sweet Pea was still lamenting over the fact that he misspelled the final word. Not because he was disappointed in his son. He wasn't in the slightest. But because Sweet Pea thought that was how the word was spelled too. Emma teased him greatly for his reaction. Just then, Emma spoke up in a gasp.
"Matthew? Stop the car. Stop, stop, stop," Emma ordered, Sweet Pea stopping the car as his eyes fell on his son standing in the middle of the road. Getting out of the car, he held onto Emma's hand tightly as they hurried towards him.
"Honey, what are you doing in the road?" Emma demanded, searching her son.
"Aunt Betty is dead," he mumbled.
"What?" Sweet Pea asked, aghast at the idea as he followed the direction his son was pointing in and spotted Jughead bent over Betty Cooper's, a woman who was his best friend, body, doing chest compressions as he cried.
"Come back, baby! Come back!" Jughead's voice was anguished, and Sweet Pea hurried forward, dropping to his knees next to Betty's fiancé. He hadn't really known the guy well until they started dating but he was good for her, in ways Archie never had been.
"Jug," Sweet Pea gasped. "Fuck, what happened?"
Jughead just shook his head, face pressed into her chest as he sobbed, the hand not holding hers' banging into the asphalt below him. "No! Come back! Please!"
It was silent and Sweet Pea felt tears slip down his face as Emma came next to him, staring in horror. He stood slowly, keeping in mind his wife was pregnant, and held her tightly incase her emotions got the best of her. Just then, Betty's hand twitched, something Jughead noticed, and he began doing compressions once more, chanting, "please, please, please," continuously while doing so.
Betty coughed and sputtered, and Sweet Pea watched as Jughead pulled her into his arms.
"Breathe baby, breathe," he encouraged gently. Betty was pulled against his chest as Emma hurried to call an ambulance.
"Is Matty okay?" Betty asked quietly, voice sounding tired. Sweet Pea crouched down next to her.
"Yeah, he's fine, hon," he addressed her softly.
He had no idea what had happened, but they would get the answers tomorrow.
XXX
Jughead's P.O.V.
After a trip to the ER, making sure everything checked out with Betty's health, Jughead took her home – to their home, because fuck, home is where Betty was. Tree Hill was that, so Tree Hill was home. Hand carding through her hair gently as she slept against his lap, blanket draped over her form, Jughead pressed a kiss to her head.
"Love you baby," he murmured, watching as she smiled in her sleep before eyes drifting to the sun that had broken through the storm during the morning. It would be alright.
Author's note: Essentially almost 3K words of nonsense based off one of my top three favorite episodes in the show. Hope you enjoyed! Thoughts lovely! Xxx