Author's note: Now this one. Enjoy.

Betty took Jughead to her favorite Thai restaurant her and Sweet Pea spent many a night decompressing at after a tiresome day of going over casefiles and having to hold up victims' family members. She remembered with fondness how Sweet Pea promised to take her there as soon as she was discharged from the hospital. She had a slight apprehension at being anywhere other than her apartment and her best friend had recognized that. In turn, he gently reminded her she didn't need to be afraid of the world because of what she had been through. Didn't stop him from sitting on the side of the booth facing the door so he could keep an eye on everyone who entered. She loved that about him.

Now, Betty found herself settling down into that very same booth, back facing away from the door once more as Jughead slid into the seat across from her. She ordered her usual Chai tea, and he ordered his own, fingers tapping absentmindedly at the tabletop as he stared at her. She smiled slightly and cleared her throat, eyes dropping to her menu. "All the soups are good here."

"Betty," he said, voice patient and she hesitantly looked up. "I do not care about what is good here. I'll probably just ordered whatever you have. You know why I wanted this dinner, and I don't think it's fair to either of us to pretend otherwise."

"You're not really one to be talking about equal fairness, are you?" Betty asked quietly, and she knew that was a blow he probably didn't need right now, not with everything going on with JB, but if he wanted this conversation to happen, then she needed him to own up to all the shit that had gone down. Jughead exhaled a soft sigh, nodding slowly.

"I deserve that," he said.

"Why'd you do it?" Betty asked softly once they placed their orders.

"You need to say it Betty, what I did. You need to say it to me in order for you to hopefully start being able to forgive me," he said calmly, eyes glued to her face. She took a moment to collect her thoughts, sipping her tea as she did so, and finally she nodded.

"Why did you look at me differently when Hal was charged? Why did you look at me with fear? When the rest of the town looked at me that way, I thought the one person who would never do that to me wouldn't. And, you did. Why?" Betty couldn't help the shakiness in both her hands and voice, and she watched as Jughead reached a hand out to clasp hers', but she slid them into her lap, ignoring the look of pain that flickered into his eyes.

"Betty, I am not going to be able to give you an answer that will justify my reaction because the truth of the matter is, there isn't one. I had let Fangs' anger at both being shot and losing Midge cloud my judgement about the one woman I have ever loved. And, by the time I tried to rectify my mistakes, you had pulled yourself so far away from me, rightfully so, I couldn't bring you back. I know Alice hurt you as well. I also know she is sorry, too."

Betty traced the top of her glass of tea. "Alice should have known that if she married a serial killer and was worried about hereditary genes, she also played a part in that. Her neurosis on perfection so far unachievable is laughable. And, she is the one who had passed that down to me, not Hal."

It was quiet for a few moments and Betty quietly hummed to the soft music playing in the room. Jughead spoke once more a few beats later.

"I'm sorry, for everything. God, I am sorry that I let my judgement get clouded by two people who were at fault for everything, but two people who were not you," he said, voice sounding splintered.

She studied him for a minute and allowed a small smile to grace her lips. "I accept your apology."

"For yourself or for JB?" Jughead asked carefully.

Pausing, she thought about her answer. "Ask me again when we find JB and she's back with you guys, safe and sound once more."

It was all she could offer at the moment – to the both of them – but Jughead took it for what it was worth with a grateful smile before redirecting the conversation.

"JB. Her chances of survival? Please don't sugar coat anything," Jughead asked beseechingly.

Twirling her noodles, she chewed them as she thought. "Her chances are good at this point. That being said, when we find her and get her out, it's her recovery that'll be hard."

"Speaking from experience?" Jughead asked, tone layered in a deep sadness.

Betty let a ghost of a smile cross her lips as she thought about her time in the trafficking ring – the resulting recovery period she was still in that followed afterwards. "Sweet Pea is my best friend. Has had my back for the past six years. I found him on the streets, running trades in a business he hadn't wanted to be involved with in the first place. I have mentioned Glen is about following the book and I'm about throwing the rule book right out the fucking window. I got Sweet Pea off the streets and offered a deal: prison or to train under my watch to join the FBI. He went with me. I taught him field expertise and combative skills; he taught me street smarts. More than the Serpents ever tried or could do. When they were friends, at least."

She paused and looked at him, not surprised to find him listening with rapt attention. She continued.

"It was Sweet Pea not only as my partner but as my best friend who kicked in the door of the cell I was in. Quickly unhooked the IV of drugs they had pumping into me and begged that I stay with him. Now, I'm not saying this to make this experience you're all going through any worse than it absolutely has to be – I am saying this because with Sweet Pea being my partner on this particular case and JB being someone I care about personally, he'll naturally care about her, as well. He'll be making damn sure that both the rescue and her recovery goes as smoothly as he made sure it did for me. And, I will as well. It'll be hard, yes. Nightmares. Long, tiring days that she will just want to give up on. But, Jughead, don't you fucking dare let her. When it comes to those days, remind her that she survived the horrors of the trafficking ring. And, mark my fucking words: she will survive. She's too fucking strong to not."

Jughead absorbed everything she said before speaking up in a quiet tone filled with years-old conviction. "I've missed you, Betty Cooper. I've missed you every fucking day since you left ten years ago. I know we had no right to ask you to stay. And, I know I still don't have any right to ask you of anything, but can you please not shut me out after this nightmare is over?"

Betty stared at him for a long moment, calculating her options. Eventually, she nodded. "Think I can do that, Jughead. We'll walk it back, yeah?"

His lips trembled for a moment and she wanted to clutch her heart for his pain but squashed the impulse down. Then, he smiled.

"Yeah, we'll walk it back."

Author's note: Thoughts lovely! Xxx