"I just had a disturbing thought." Jughead said as he stared up at the ceiling of his dorm room.

Betty rolled onto her side so she could give him a disapproving look. "I am feeling the relief of post-coital bliss right now Jughead. If you ruin that for me I'm going to have to punish you."

Jughead turned his face and grinned at her. "Now I just want to tell you even more."

Betty groaned and pulled the blanket up to her chin. "Don't get me all riled up now. I'm too tired." She smirked, a devious expression overcame her. "Although… if you feel like joining me in the shower later…"

"Betty Cooper, you're insatiable." Jughead laughed as he put an arm behind his head. He was suddenly keenly aware of the heat of her naked body beside him. "What makes you think I'm even going to let you out of this room tonight…"

"Don't threaten me with a good time, Jug." She bit her lip, then moved down to kiss him. Jughead snaked his arm beneath her and pulled her closer, all coherent thoughts - disturbing or otherwise - seeping out of his brain as desire filled his body.

Betty put a hand on his shoulder and pushed herself away. "Damnit, now I need to know."

Jughead sighed as he mourned the loss of her warmth. "Okay, don't get mad but…" He couldn't hold back a smirk. "What if we have a boy… and it looks like Charles."

Betty groaned and rolled onto her back. "You ruined it."

Jughead laughed, and then rolled over to face her properly. "Oh God, wait, what if we have a girl and it looks like Charles."

"Every part of my brain tries not to think about the fact that our parents produced a mutual sibling for us, and you decided to bring up our shared genetics right after sex."

Jughead laughed. "I'm sorry! But you have to admit… it's a real possibility."

"I'm not admitting anything." Betty screwed her eyes shut. "Nope, no way. I need that thought out of my mind right now."

"Well I can give you something else to think about…" He said, and a heated groan escaped his lips as he ducked his head beneath the covers and planted kisses down her body towards his desired destination…

Betty avidly appreciated the distraction.

But thoughts about what their baby could look like remained in his head the next day as they wandered around the Yale campus and made mental maps of their college classes…

Orientation week was… interesting.

There were plenty of things to keep students occupied during the semester, and Betty encouraged me to look into joining social groups and clubs.

"We need to make new friends while we're here, Juggie." Betty said confidently. "We can't be each other's only social interaction. Now is the time to branch out and meet new people."

I was happy to revert to my usual 'Loner in the Library' state anytime she was socialising with the other students, but I did take a pamphlet from the enthusiastic leader of Yale's Writer's Club.

Betty was invited to a frat party that claimed to be intended to welcome new students, but seemed to be an excuse for the horny masses to get drunk and take each other's clothes off.

"Body shots!" Yelled one of the steroid-built Juniors as he carried a tray of green tinted plastic shot glasses. "You're doing one! And you're doing one!" He said as he handed them out to wide-eyed Freshman girls. He paused in front of Betty and Jughead, a dopey grin etched across his face. "You, Blondie, you're definitely doing one."

Betty grimaced as she accepted the shot glass and held it out in front of her. "We can leave now, if you want." She said, giving Jughead an incredulous look.

But Jughead took the shot glass out of Betty's hand and shrugged. "Let's do it."

Betty's eyes widened. "You actually want to? Are you even allowed to be drinking right now…"

Jughead pulled her over to a free space in the large living room. "Wild and free college students for the next three months, right?" Betty still didn't look convinced, so Jughead put his hand on her shoulder. "Dr Patel didn't say that I can't drink. And it's been three weeks… I can drink water now, why not the mysterious liquid in these here tumblers?"

Betty stared at him for a moment before she squared her shoulders. "Okay, fine, I'll play. But try not to spill anything on my shirt. Veronica gave me this one, so it's probably worth more than my phone…"

Less than a minute later, Betty was laid out on the floor beside several other Freshman girls, three shots of Midori balanced along her body. She bit her lip as she stared at Jughead, who was crouched above her knees.

"Alright Freshers! On my mark!" Said the burly ringleader. "Get set." Jughead tensed in anticipation, a grin coming over his face as he looked at Betty's. "Drink!"

Jughead leaned down and grabbed the first shot from Betty's exposed belly-button with his teeth. He tossed it back, swallowed, and crawled up to take the next shot from between her breasts. He took care not to knock it over and risk staining her white shirt, then moved up again to shot the drink that she held between her lips. There were cheers as he spat the shot glass out and planted his mouth on Betty's.

He grinned as he stood up several long seconds later, and held a hand out to help Betty to her feet. She shook her head in amusement as she readjusted her shirt, and Jughead felt a clap on his back as the buff frat guy came up behind him.

"We have a winner!" He shouted to the crowd, who whooped and hollered in appreciation. He leaned closer to Jughead's ear and whispered: "You're so getting laid tonight, bro."

Jughead coughed out a laugh.

"That was… fun." Betty said happily almost three hours later as they made the long walk back to Jughead's dorm room.

Jughead stumbled over his own foot and grabbed Betty's hand for support. "High school parties definitely have nothing on that Frat House, I'll say that."

Betty giggled as she manoeuvred Jughead's arm around her shoulders. "We'll have to tell Cheryl she needs to up her game."

"Ahh, Cheryl." Jughead said in awe. "The woman to which we all hold our alcoholic standards. How disgusted she would be by the frat boys' lack of propriety."

Betty laughed again. "Let's get you back home before you fall over."

"Come home with me and I'll fall all over you."

Betty snickered. "Juggie, we haven't stopped doing it for almost two weeks."

"You saying you're getting tired of me, Cooper?" He clumsily slid his hand down her waist.

She shivered. "I didn't say that…"

"Well good." He said, lowering his voice. "Because I have great plans for you tonight."

Betty's breathing hitched. "Oh yeah?" She said slowly. "What do you want to do to me?"

They were almost at the door. Jughead stopped walking and swallowed. "I wanna pull that hair tie out and watch you riding me."

Betty's voice became husky with need. "And then what?"

Jughead already felt exhilerated. "And then I'm going to grab your ass and pull you up so you can ride my face."

"Jug…"

"We might need to hurry up or I'm gonna take you right here." Jughead said as he gently nudged Betty in the direction of the door. "Besides, that frat boy said I was getting laid tonight, and I wouldn't want to disappoint him."

…

Jughead's plan was already in place, with Betty straddling him, her short golden locks falling around her eyes as she leaned back and quietly gasped as he pulled her bra down below her breasts. She let go of his shoulders and reached behind her back to release the clasp, but Jughead grabbed her arms and stopped her.

"No. Leave it." He said breathlessly. "Leave it right where it is."

They barely got any sleep that night.

Jughead woke up feeling more hungover than he should have after the small amount of alcohol he drank. He groaned and reached his arm out to pull Betty in closer, but frowned as he realised she wasn't laying beside him.

"Morning." She said from somewhere else inside the dorm room.

He forced open his eyes and searched for her. She was perched in his desk chair, clad only in his dress shirt and her underwear, his laptop open on the desk in front of her as she searched the web. The light from his screen was too bright, so Jughead rubbed his eyes to try and wake himself up.

Betty looked over her shoulder at him. "You can start eating today." She said, a smile crawling onto her face.

Jughead sat up slowly. "I can eat puréed food." He clarified glumly. "I'm not exactly looking forward to it."

"Well, if you want we can liberate some potatoes from the buttery and blend them with my NutriBullet? At least then they might actually look like something edible."

"Since when do you have a NutriBullet?"

Betty grinned. "Polly bought it for me. She gave me a whole bunch of smoothie recipes to try out that are meant to be full of vitamins. I've actually tried a few of them, they're not bad."

Jughead raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Have you been keeping them down?"

"Mostly." Betty said as she turned her head back to the computer screen. "Maybe not as much as I think I am though, because one of the girls in my suite asked me if I'm bulimic yesterday." She snickered. "Just straight up asked me, no beating around the bush. I've never even spoken to the girl before."

"That's… forward."

Betty shrugged. "True. But, it was honest. She didn't ask me anything else though, so I get to live another week without being 'the pregnant girl'."

Jughead frowned. "Are you… not going to tell anyone you're pregnant?"

Betty kept her eyes on the computer as she answered. "I just… I'd rather keep that under wraps for a while. I'm not… embarrassed, or anything. I just don't really want to deal with anyone's looks or questions while I'm trying to find my footing in this college. I'm really nervous about how all my classmates and professors are going to react to the news. I really don't want anyone to judge me before they even know me." She started twisting her ring around her finger. "It's going to be really obvious I'm pregnant soon… I guess I just want to be a normal college girl for a little longer." She turned back to face Jughead. "Does that… upset you?"

He thought about it for a moment. "Not really. It's a little weird to be hiding it, but I won't tell anyone about the baby until you're ready for the world to know."

She gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Jug." She said in earnest. "It's kind of weird… everyone in Riverdale knows we're having a baby, but neither of us have had a choice in revealing that. But here, nobody knows who we are. We have the opportunity to be whoever we want."

Jughead nodded. "That's refreshing. Exciting even."

"I think so." She agreed then turned back to the computer.

Jughead sat up straighter. "What are you looking at?"

"The Yale Health website." She said, her voice lowering. "I'm trying to figure out if the student insurance we all have covers childbirth." She sighed. "The average cost to give birth in a hospital in Connecticut without insurance is over fifteen thousand dollars. Yale New Haven Hospital is one of the best, so naturally their average is even higher…"

Jughead almost jumped out of his skin. "Fifteen thousand?!" He swallowed. "Do they teach the baby to change its own diapers?"

Betty breathed a laugh, but kept her eyes on the screen. "I think I'm covered… but I'm going to go through it all with the guidance counsellor next week."

Jughead's body still hadn't recovered, but he tried to keep his voice even. "You're gonna go talk to the counsellor? That's good, Betty. Proactive."

"I have to be proactive, Juggie. I could give birth tomorrow for all we know."

"Well… let's just hope that doesn't happen…"

"It could." Betty said, a hint of nerves evident in her tone. "It's unlikely, but the baby can survive outside of the womb now, you know…"

He did know. She'd told him no less than four times. "If that happens, we'll adapt."

Betty nodded, her lips moulding into a line. "And my pregnancy is considered high risk, so I need to make sure I have a birth plan. I was thinking, maybe instead of going to Planned Parenthood for my twenty eight week scan, we should try and find a good doctor or midwife at YNH. Assuming I can even use that hospital… if it's too expensive we might have to think about going back to Riverdale when I go into labour. Which is risky, but first time mothers usually have longer labours. At least in Riverdale we won't have to use all our savings just to afford medical care. But then we'd need to figure out how to get there, because I don't really want to risk giving birth on the train. I don't want our baby to be surrounded by germs…" She trailed off, and Jughead could sense her anxiety.

Jughead forced himself to get up out of the bed, pulled on his boxers and walked over to Betty. "Hey, look at me." He said gently, and crouched down beside Betty to take her hands. She had a worried expression on her face as she looked down at him. "It's going to be okay, alright? We'll figure it out. Even if we have to take out student loans earlier than we expected, or have to sell our organs on the black market." Betty let out a small, breathy laugh. "If you want to go to YNH to have the baby then that's what we're going to do."

Betty let out a long gust of air and squeezed Jughead's hands. "It has really great birthing facilities. And a NICU. Not that we're planning to use that or anything, but if something goes wrong with the baby…"

"Nothing's going to go wrong."

"We can't know that." Betty's voice wavered.

"We can hope though." Jughead assured her. "Everything is going to be okay, Betts."

Betty nodded weakly and leaned down to wrap her arms around Jughead.

…

Halfway through the first week of classes, Jughead unintentionally made a few acquaintances.

"Are you dying?" Were the first words out of one girl's mouth in their Nine AM lecture.

The man sitting next to her choked on his water. "Jesus, Trula…" he said, shooting Jughead an apologetic look as he recapped the bottle. "You can't just ask people things like that. It's called sensitivity."

"I don't have time for sensitivity." Trula said defiantly. She adjusted her bright red glasses and crossed her arms over her chest. "So what's the tube for? You bulimic? Cancer patient? Acid damage from swallowing a battery?"

Jughead raised his eyebrows incredulously. "No, the tube is because I almost died a few weeks ago. I'm getting it taken out soon."

The girl nodded. "Good. I didn't want to bother talking to you if you have an expiration date." She tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips. "So what happened three weeks ago?"

Jughead tapped his pen against his chin. It was odd, but the girl reminded him, vaguely, of a hipster Cheryl Blossom, if Cheryl was an African American woman with bubblegum pink hair. "Gunshot wound." He said simply, hoping she'd drop the topic.

Trula seemed impressed. "Wicked." She nodded towards the man beside her. "That's Jay. He's in our Introduction to Creative Writing seminar. The three of us are in most of the same classes. After this lecture we all have our first Readings in English Poetry workshop at Two PM."

Jughead raised his eyebrows. "How do you even know all this? You keeping track of everyone's schedules?"

"You were both in the lectures for those classes on Monday, it's not a wild assumption to make." Trula shrugged, and leaned down to pull her bright red laptop out of her bag. "The lecturer is three minutes late. I hope she doesn't make a habit of it, punctuality is a mandatory standard that Yale staff should be keeping."

Her entire demeanour piqued Jughead's curiosity, and he couldn't help asking her: "So what's your story? You obsessed with other people's timetables or something?"

"Yes." She said nonchalantly. "It's not because I have a thing for either of you, though. I'm just Autistic."

Jay's knee bounced nervously as he gave Trula a mournful look. "I thought calling people Autistic wasn't politically correct."

"It's not PC for me to say I'll shove this guy's pen up your white ass either, but I'll do it if you mansplain Autism to me again."

Jughead snorted loud as Jay's eyes widened in horror. He gave Jughead a help me look, and Jughead took pity on him and changed the subject. "Have either of you done the readings for Poetry?"

Both of them shook their heads, and Trula added: "Not this week, but I did read Sonnet's one hundred and six and sixteen in high school. That was two years and three months ago. I'm reasonably confident I can still contribute to our workshop discussions." She turned to face Jay. "I still have my notes saved, I can send them to you if you want."

"Um… sure." Jay said weakly. He looked over at Jughead. "I don't think I caught your name yesterday."

Jughead smirked. "My friends call me Jughead."

Trula faced him with a blank expression. "Nice. Let us know when we've earned the friend title and I'll stop mentally referring to you as Pen Boy."

Jughead made a habit of hanging out with Trula and Jay in between classes, and sat with them in the lecture halls. Trula often rubbed their classmates the wrong way, and Jay was a quiet, studious type who always looked relieved not to be called upon to give his opinions on the deeper meanings of their required texts.

Jughead was happy to have both of their company.

Four weeks after he was shot, Jughead had to call Dr Patel to discuss his future treatment.

"If you're tolerating the purée, I'm happy for you to begin eating soft foods. Assuming that goes well, and there are no major setbacks in your recovery, I'm ready to schedule you in for the removal of your NJ tube for the end of next week." Dr Patel cheerily informed him.

Nausea rolled in Jughead's stomach. "That soon?"

Dr Patel paused. "Have you become attached to being tube fed, Mr Jones?" He lightly joked, though Jughead noted there was a twinge of confusion in his voice.

Jughead cleared his throat. "No, no… I'm ready to get this thing out of me."

"Great." Dr Patel said, relieved. "If you can be here by… Ten AM next Friday, we'll have it removed after I've given you a check up. It's a simple procedure; you won't need to be put under. Now, how's the wound healing? Has there been any swelling or redness? Any puss…?"

Dr Patel was pleased with Jughead's progress, and it seemed that everything was in order for his health and life to return to some semblance of normal. But Jughead was apprehensive about going back to Riverdale; not only would it be a long train trip back there, but he'd have to step foot in a town that was riddled with chaos - a town that, only weeks ago, had threatened to destroy the very fabric of his young life.

"We can go and get ice cream from Pop's while we're there?" Betty said optimistically. "And it'll be good to see Polly and Jellybean. Plus, I'm sure our parents will be excited to see us back home."

Jughead successfully held back his building nausea. "Yeah."

"And maybe we can… check in on Charles?" She suggested, a frown forming on her face.

Jughead studied her expression. "We don't have to, if you're not ready to talk to him."

Betty sighed. "We may as well get it over with." She mumbled. "Besides, burns to thirty percent of his body seems like punishment enough for what he did."

FP was happy to get Jughead's phone call, but there was a nervous edge to his voice as he told Jughead that he had news of his own to share.

"Your sister's court case has been moved up." He told Jughead. "I only just found out. Your grandparents… Well, after they heard she was abducted, they applied for emergency temporary custody. It was rejected, but the judge made the case a priority so we're going to have the trial in a couple of weeks."

"Dad, that's…" Jughead trailed off.

"Soon. I know." FP said solemnly. There was a long pause, and the words left unsaid spoke more volumes than the Baxter Brothers series. "You know, it's good timing that you'll be back on Friday, because that's the day our meeting with the family consultant is scheduled."

It was news almost as stressful as the mere thought of being in Riverdale again.

And yet, when the time came to return to our home town, I felt a sense of determined calm settle over me as Betty and I boarded the train home.

It was late on Thursday night when FP picked us up from the station. I felt disconnected from the town; it had been just over a month, and yet I felt as though I was returning to Riverdale as an entirely different person to when I left it.

Surreal though it was to be returning, the town itself hadn't changed on the surface. Pop's still glowed in the darkness across from the station, and the small businesses were all closed up early. It was like coming home again - when home was in the same condition it had been when one left it and still nothing felt familiar.

Like looking at your best friend and seeing a stranger.

When Betty and Jughead walked through the door, Jellybean was on them in an instant.

"I missed you guys!" She said earnestly, and threw her arms around Jughead.

Jughead smiled and messed up the hair on top of her head. "It hasn't been that long, JB."

Jellybean shrugged. "Everything is so different around here… it sure feels like it."

Jughead took a moment to assess the dark eyeshadow she was wearing - then noticed the deep purple lipstick she had painted onto her lips, which drew his eyes down to an intricate black choker… in fact, Jellybean was wearing all black, from her fitted black T-shirt to the black leather skirt… black stockings stood out from inside her combat boots. "Yeah… very different." He said, raising his eyebrows.

Jellybean ignored him and hugged Betty. "Oh my gosh. Look at my little niece or nephew! They're growing so fast!" She said excitedly.

Betty smiled warmly at her as she led Jellybean into the kitchen.

"Where's Mom?" Jughead asked Jellybean, and he watched as his sister shrugged her shoulders without turning to look at him.

"Probably hiding in a cave somewhere." She said casually, but Jughead noted the forced neutrality in her tone.

No one was more thrilled to see Betty than Alice. Betty's mother had held her close as they embraced, and asked her pregnancy-related questions that Jughead couldn't follow. Must not be up to that chapter in Fatherhood for Dummies… he mused.

Betty encouraged Jellybean to feel her stomach when the baby kicked, and Jellybean let out a shrill squeal of excitement. For all intents and purposes, being home in their house on Elm Street was far less dramatic than Jughead had been anticipating.

Though, perhaps, not nearly as uneventful…

"Not that I don't want to stay up talking all hours of the night." Jughead said gently. "But I'm about to fall asleep with my eyes open." He stood up from his seat at the dining table, and smiled. "It's… good to be home, guys."

Betty yawned, and covered her mouth. "I'm with you, Juggie. Time to put this baby to bed…" She stood up unsteadily, and took one step towards the staircase.

"Wait." Alice said quickly, and a faint blush came over her cheeks. "You can't go upstairs."

Jughead's eyebrows knitted together. "Um… why?"

Alice sighed. "Because… we sort of turned your room into an office."

Betty frowned, and Jughead couldn't hold in the snigger that left his lips. "Wow, guys. You sure didn't wait long to celebrate us moving out." He laughed, and shook his head slowly.

FP grinned as he stood up. "Actually, there's something else." He raised his eyebrows and looked at Alice.

Alice tucked her hair behind her ears and let out a quick huff of a sigh. "So… we might have gone a little overboard…"

"Definitely went overboard." Jellybean piped up, smirking as she looked between Alice and FP.

"Come on, it's down here." FP said, and started to walk down the stairs into the basement living room.

Betty tilted her head sideways. "Mom? What did you do…?" She asked curiously.

Alice waved her hand and made to follow FP down the short set of stairs.

Betty held Jughead's hand as they followed their parents down into the basement.

"Aww… Mom…" Betty's voice was thick with emotion as she took in the new look of the basement's living room.

Jughead couldn't hold in the grin. "Dad, Alice… this is…"

"Adorable? Sickeningly sweet?" Jellybean piped up from behind them. "Perfect for me because now I won't have to spend my last Summer before High School covering my ears while an infant screams in the room next door?"

Betty bit her lip, and Jughead snaked his arm around her waist as they took in the room. Their bed from upstairs had migrated and now lived on the left side of the basement. Their parents had seemingly moved some of their dresser drawers down there too, and removed some of the old books and resources from the Riverdale Register to make way for more of the clothes they'd left behind, and random trinkets and photos that once littered the shelves of their old bedroom.

But the item of furniture that caught Jughead's attention immediately was the crib that sat alongside the wall adjacent to their bed.

"This is your old crib, Betty." Alice said as she put her hand on the white wooden rails. "It's been sitting in the attic for years, but we pulled it down and fixed it up - it's still one of the safest cribs you can buy, if a little outdated in style…"

"We thought," FP said nervously, "that it might be better for you to have your own space when you're home from college." He explained.

"In the Summer." Alice added. "This isn't because we don't think you're going to cope with staying in school next year, we just wanted you both to feel comfortable coming back here, whenever you want or need to—"

"Mom." Betty cut her off and moved away from Jughead. "This… means a lot." She said in a voice barely above a whisper. She pulled Alice into a hug, and she was still holding her mother as she said: "Thank you. And thank you too, FP."

"It was no trouble." He said. "It's been… fun, having something to occupy our free time with."

Jughead walked closer to his father so he could place a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Dad."

…

By Eleven AM the next morning, Jughead was finally tube free.

He stayed awake during the quick but uncomfortable removal of the tube, and his left nostril felt like it may never be the same again. But even as he and Betty joined FP on the drive to their next destination - the court house - he felt his body starting to readjust to its regular state. Breathing felt better, clearer now, and he felt an overwhelming relief as he reached his hand up to his cheek and felt nothing but skin.

Jughead had no idea what it would be like seeing a family consultant, and he waited nervously with Betty and Alice in the waiting room as the consultant met with FP and Jellybean.

As they waited, the door opened and Polly, the twins… and Charles, walked in. Betty stood up and smiled.

"Sorry we're late." Polly said quickly as she made her way over to the group. "Juniper was refusing to get dressed… anyway, hi." She said, smiling as she reached her arms out to pull Betty into a hug. "How are you feeling? You look great, B!"

Betty smiled. "I'm feeling a lot better now. Still nauseous, but I think it's getting better."

Juniper and Dagwood walked towards Alice and both lifted their hands up, so she promptly had her own hands full as she tried to accommodate them both on her lap. Betty kept talking to Polly about the upcoming human that was about to exist, and Jughead decided to focus his attention on their older brother.

He wore a suit jacket reminiscent of the ones he'd wear to work for the FBI, and there were no outward indicators that anything was wrong. And yet, Jughead could see the slightest glimpse of the compression bandages peeking out from beneath his jacket sleeve, and knew that Charles' recovery was going to be a lot longer than his own.

"How are you doing, bro?" Jughead asked as he approached Charles.

Charles gave him a tiny smirk. "I've been worse."

"Damn." Jughead let out a laugh.

Charles' lips thinned into an unimpressed line. "Listen, Jug… while you guys are in town there's something I need to talk to you about… involving your tape." He lowered his voice. "I visited Brett, but… well, we can't discuss it here."

Jughead nodded. "Okay." He swallowed, unsure of how to feel. He hadn't even thought about the sex tapes in almost a month. And yet, within twenty four hours of returning to Riverdale, there was already new information to consider.

The consultant came outside of her office, followed closely by FP, who wore a worried look on his face, and Jellybean, who was clearly hiding her fear behind a mask of indifference. "Can I see… Jughead next?"

Jughead swallowed, and felt Betty reaching down to squeeze his hand. "Coming right up." He said softly, and walked past the consultant to enter the next room.

The next room resembled an interrogation room at the Sheriff's department, but had disconcertingly bright butterfly patterned wallpaper and a stack of colouring pencils and paper in the center of a table. Jughead took a seat opposite the consultant.

Her neutral expression betrayed nothing. "How was your trip down from New Haven?" She asked.

Jughead raised his eyebrows. "Uneventful." His heart was beating uncomfortably in his chest as he asked: "So, do you already know all of our life stories?"

The consultant smirked, but didn't change her tone. "I know the basics. For instance, I know you're studying at Yale University. Have you been doing well with your classes so far?"

"I guess so." He swallowed. "It's been a lot of learning to write essays, which I already know how to do. And re-reading books I read in High School."

She nodded, and wrote down something in her clipboard. "Are you recovering well from your gunshot wound?"

Jughead felt himself tense up. "Yes."

"That must have been pretty scary."

Jughead rolled his eyes. "Not nearly as scary as the thought that you might tell the Judge that my grandparents should take my sister away." He clenched his knuckles and forced himself not to say more.

"Your sister's custody is something that's a concern for you." She stated, but raised her eyebrows in question.

Jughead nodded. "Obviously. She's been through enough without being dragged through the legal system."

The consultant nodded. "Do you have a close relationship with your sister?" She asked.

It was difficult to gauge what the woman was thinking, and Jughead desperately wished that he could see what she was jotting down in her notes. "Yes. We've always been close, ever since we were kids."

"And when you were kids, what was your relationship like with your parents?"

Jughead could feel a cold feeling of nerves bubbling inside his chest. "Fine."

"Just 'fine'?"

"Good, then." Jughead said. He swallowed. "Neither of them were winning parent of the year, but they weren't… abusive, or anything. They kept us in school, always made sure we ate… you know, typical parent stuff." Jughead leaned closer to the table. "But, that's not really relevant anymore… what matters is how my dad is as a parent now, right?"

She wrote down more notes and then looked back up at Jughead. "Everything you tell me is relevant. Whatever you say goes into my Family Report and will be used in the trial."

Jughead felt the coldness getting worse. "Right."

"With that in mind," she started, "I understand that you and your parents are in a motorcycle gang."

Fuck, thought Jughead. "We were… I'm not exactly an active participant anymore, though. And my Dad has been focusing on finding a new job outside of all that so he can support my sister."

The consultant nodded. "These gang affiliations are what led to your recent injuries, are they not? And your sister's abduction… and your abduction." She asked the question casually, as though the weight of the world didn't hang on Jughead's answer.

"Look, I know how it looks." He started.

"If you didn't, I'd be worried." She said honestly. Her gaze was intense, and her brown eyes stared into Jughead's own with a forceful openness.

"I joined the Serpents because they gave me a family when I had none." Jughead started. "I'm not going to make any excuses for my Mom. She let me down, and she's letting my sister down right now too. But my Dad… it wasn't his fault he was put behind bars. And since he got out, he's been staying on the right side of the law - he was the Sheriff, for crying out loud. He's been trying so hard to be a good parent, and I can already see the good it's doing Jellybean."

"What good?" She said, tapping her pen against the clip board. "Tell me about it."

Jughead swallowed. "Well, he helps her with homework… he makes sure she's keeping up with school. She's comfortable with talking to him, and she looks up to him a lot. She feels safe with him - she is safe with him. He's… the person she can go to when she has problems, or questions about life. He doesn't hide the truth from her, but he makes sure she can understand it all in an age-appropriate way." He huffed. "And he puts her above everything else, even his relationship with Alice. Jellybean is his priority in everything."

"And Alice," the consultant prompted, "how does she fit into your family dynamics?"

"Well, she's… a homemaker." Jughead settled on that word, but… "But, that's not all; she works incredibly hard too, and keeps track of the schedules of everyone in the house, and even those of the ones that aren't living there, like Polly's and the twins'. She always cooks for us, which I appreciate because me and my Dad are hopeless in the kitchen. And she's kind to my sister, looks out for her… she's a good role model."

The consultant nodded. "Her daughter, Betty… is your girlfriend, yes?"

"Yes…"

"And you're expecting your first child together?"

Jughead sighed. "Yes… is the fact that we're about to become teen parents going to be a problem with the Judge?"

The consultant tapped her pen against her chin. "I can't say either way, but… it would be good to get a better understanding of your living situation. When you're at home, where do you and Betty sleep?"

Jughead perked up a little straighter. "We have our own space in the basement. My Dad, Alice and Jellybean set it up for us."

"So it's separate from the rest of the household?"

"Yes." Jughead nodded. "And we're only really going to be home during college vacation periods. None of that big, bad teen parent influence will be able to spread to my sister in those times, surely."

The consultant smirked again, then smoothed her face out as she looked down at her clipboard. "Good. You're basically in another house."

"Eh… I wouldn't say that…"

"I would." She said firmly, without looking up at Jughead. She wrote more notes down and said. "I would say you're living almost entirely independently from your parents."

"Oh, well, in that case yeah, we're both providing for ourselves, and we won't be relying on our parents for money or anything. We… have a place to live in New Haven, it'll be more like we're… visiting them, than actually living with them."

"And when the baby arrives, will the situation be much the same?"

"Yeah, we're working through it all…" Jughead said. "We're making sure we can provide for our baby. It's not like we're going to have the baby and then just give it to our parents to raise while we're out partying. We're students, and we're both serious about our education."

"Good." She nodded, and scribbled down more notes, and Jughead felt his mind easing a little more throughout the rest of the interview.

He'd had an NJ tube removed from his nose, but the worst part of his day, honestly, was when his grandparents walked through the waiting room doors.

It was Polly's turn to be interviewed, and Jughead was discussing his interview with FP while Jellybean crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the floor - when the doors opened, and then th stern face of Jughead's Grandma approached the receptionist.

Their interactions were… tense.

His grandparents were making no attempt to hide their distaste of FP and Alice. They tried engaging in conversation with Jellybean, but the young teen had become less forgiving, and less considerate of her grandparents' feelings.

Jughead tried being civil, and introduced them both to Betty… but it was clear that they were struggling to even look at Jughead, let alone accept the soon-to-be mother of their great grandchild.

Jughead noticed, though… that throughout the tense conversations in the waiting room, the consultant was lingering in the corners, watching. Even as Jellybean's court-appointed guardian-ad-liden arrived to meet with her, and while both FP and Jughead's grandmother spoke with the guardian, the consultant was still watching… observing… and taking notes.

The day was excruciatingly long, and at the conclusion of the family interviews (the last of which was an interview with Jellybean and her grandparents) everyone was well and truly ready to head home. If his grandparents were in Riverdale for literally any other reason, FP may have politely invited them for dinner.

Instead, Jughead's grandparents made a point of hugging Jellybean goodbye and telling her they missed her, and made their way outside into the parking lot. Jughead idly wondered if they were staying in the Five Seasons, or were planning to drive all the way back to Toledo that night.

Either way, he was glad to see them leaving.

…

Dinner that night was a solemn affair.

Neither Betty nor Jughead could eat the pasta that Alice had painstakingly prepared, so they shared a nutrient-rich smoothie that tasted strongly of bananas and depression.

Charles still hadn't revealed his sex tape update, and Jughead was nervous for the conversation they'd have to have with him. Things were still tense between Charles and Betty, but she was holding her feelings back and remaining polite throughout the family dinner.

The twins were particularly rowdy that night, and Jellybean seemed grateful for the distraction. She took them up to her room after dinner to play video games, though Jughead suspected there would be less playing and more of Jellybean showing them her minecraft village.

Polly sighed heavily when they were out of sight. "Ethel called me again this morning."

Betty's eyebrows rose. "She's still trying to talk to you?"

Polly nodded. "I've blocked her number, but she's figured out that if she turns off her caller ID the calls still go through."

Alice's expression soured. "I have half a mind to call her mother and set that family straight."

"No, don't." Polly said distractedly. "She's sick, Mom… just, leave her be."

Alice rubbed her back. "Well, if you change your mind…"

But Polly shook her head. "I can handle it. Besides, I don't want to do anything that'll encourage her obsession with Jason. It's too much."

A stone cold fear settled in Betty's stomach. "What obsession with Jason?"

Polly tilted her head to the side. "Didn't I tell you?"

Betty and Jughead shared a nervous glance. "No… Polly… you didn't…"

"Oh, I'm sorry… I meant to… I was just so… flustered after she locked me in her bedroom with the twins." Polly's face started to crumble and her hands shook as she folded them together on top of the table.

"It's fine, Pol." Betty said quickly. "But… what are you talking about?"

Polly let out a long breath. "She was talking about this sex tape that Jason showed her… but she was delusional. She thinks she's been visiting him, he apparently told her to stop taking her meds…"

Jughead sat up straighter. "Jason told her to stop taking her meds?"

"No, obviously. Jason's…" Polly swallowed. "I'm trying to remember what she said about the sex tape. She seemed to think you had this one tape where you were in your cheerleading uniform."

Betty sucked in a sharp breath of air. "Polly…" She gave Jughead a pointed look then turned her face back to her sister. "I need you to tell us everything Ethel said about Jason…"

Polly's expression became alarmed. "Why does it matter? It's not like she was telling the truth."

Jughead cut in. "Polly, it does matter. It matters a lot."

Polly's eyebrows furrowed as she explained. She told them how Ethel was obsessed with Jason, how she was jealous that Polly had kids with him, how she wanted to take Polly with her to see Jason, how he had shown Ethel a sex tape of Betty and Jughead from several years earlier, when they must have been young. Younger than they were in Brett's videos.

"She made it sound like there was some underground video sharing ring… I know I told you about that." Polly continued.

"You did." Betty said quickly. "And the tape you're talking about, it exists. Or, it used to, but…"

"But we destroyed it." Jughead said quietly. He looked up at Charles - and almost instantly, the color drained from Charles' face as he stiffened.

Betty swallowed. "Polly… I don't think Ethel realises… the person she's been talking to, the man who must have shown her that tape…"

"It wasn't Jason…" Jughead said, and as he spoke again his words came out in a groan. "It was Chic."

There was a deadly silence among the family.

"Chic?" Polly said shakily. "The guy who was pretending to be… Charles?" She spared a glance at her brother, but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking down at the table, a horrified expression on his face.

Jughead nodded. "When he was posing as the Gargoyle King, he told all of his supporters that he was Jason Blossom." Jughead put his head in his hands. "Penelope Blossom encouraged him. God, Ethel must still believe he is Jason. That's why she's claiming that she still talks to him. She must be visiting Chic in prison."

"And he still has control over her." Betty said solemnly. "He's still pulling the strings, he's still using Ethel."

"Could this mean… that before he got arrested, he was a part of the Underground Films group?" Jughead wondered allowed.

"He was." Charles said quietly. Everyone turned to look at him, and his facial expression looked completely defeated. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Jug. I interviewed Brett, and he told me that Chic was one of the group's leaders… he produced several films that have been circling. He… he was the producer of a lot of the underage teen pornography we've uncovered during raids… the FBI have been investigating the Underground Film ring in Centerville… Brett shared information about his associates in exchange for immunity when we move against the group." Charles looked up at Jughead. "That list you gave me, Jug… Jason Blossom was one of the names listed on the paper."

Betty stiffened. "Do you think…"

"That it was Chic who filmed the two of you having sex in the forest?" Charles asked. The news looked like it pained him greatly, but he nodded. "It fits the timeline… he was active as the Gargoyle King back then, and he would have been in Riverdale, avoiding detection…"

"Oh my God." Betty said, and covered her mouth. She stood abruptly, and made a retching noise. She hurried away from the table and made her way up the stairs in a rush.

"We destroyed the evidence." Jughead said gloomily. "We destroyed the only proof of that video's existence."

"It… doesn't matter." Charles said. "The FBI can look into the list of visitors Chic's been getting the last few months. Ethel's name should be enough to prove his involvement in the Underground Film ring, assuming we can get her to testify…"

"She's… unhinged." Alice said, sharing a worried look with FP. "Can she even be used as a witness?"

"There are other people involved." Charles said stonily. "Even more victims than the public are aware. We should… we do still have a case against him, and the other members of the Underground Film ring." He stood up shakily, and took a step away from the table. "I have to go… I'm sorry, this is just… this is a lot to process. I knew Chic had done some disgusting things, but I never thought…" He took in a shaky breath. "Chic filmed my brother and sister having sex."

He stumbled away from the table and turned towards the door. Jughead stood up. "Charles, wait."

Charles lifted a hand and continued to make his exit. "I can't right now, Jug. I'll… call you, when there's an update. I'll… let you know what the outcome is."

….

We were even closer to an answer, but before we returned to New Haven, Charles let me know that the FBI's investigations often took years to complete.

It was clear that Charles struggled with the news that his… boyfriend was responsible for turning his siblings into the victims of child pornography.

Finding out that Charles was still seeing Chic in prison was difficult news to digest, but with all the extenuating circumstances, I almost couldn't blame Charles for clinging on to the first person who'd ever said he loved him.

Charles came clean, and promised that he was finished with his relationship with Chic. Chic had crossed a line that was unforgivable to Charles, and no amount of loyalty would ever be enough to move past Chic's crimes.

It was Chic's fault that Brett first saw our sex tape.

Chic's fault that Brett knew Betty was adventurous in bed and was inspired to prove it in a voyeuristic film of his own.

It was Chic who'd circulated the original tape throughout Riverdale.

Chic who encouraged young teens to join his Underground Film ring.

He had partners in his perverted crimes, that was certain. Centerville was a hot zone filled with underground video producers and criminals who took pleasure in their voyeuristic web.

But in the coming weeks, Charles proved his loyalty to our family, and assured me and Betty that no matter what his feelings may be, he wasn't going to let Chic get away with his crimes.

…

It took three weeks, but the Family Consultant completed her report and emailed it to FP, and Jellybean's grandparents.

FP sent it to Jughead to read, and he and Betty spent a night in Jughead's dorm room going through the excruciatingly long report. There were several times throughout the read where both of them were left cringing, and Jughead felt his heart sink.

Forsythia feels that she has been forced into an 'impossible' situation. She strongly fears that she will hurt her grandparents by expressing her wishes to remain living in Riverdale, but is fearful that if she speaks positively of her grandparents she will be separated from her father.

Forsythia expressed a strong desire to remain in her father's care, but she would like the opportunity to continue visiting her grandparents frequently.

Jughead swallowed as he read further down the report.

Juniper appears to be a typical two year old child. She played with blocks throughout the interview and appeared calm and secure in her mother's presence. Juniper has a warm and friendly relationship with Forsythia.

Dagwood appears to be a typical two year old child. He played with lego throughout the interview and appeared calm and secure in his mother's presence. Dagwood has a warm and friendly relationship with Forsythia.

Polly is no longer receiving inpatient psychiatric care. She appears to have recovered well from her nervous breakdown and presented to the consultant as a polite and intelligent woman. Polly does not experience 'episodes of violent and erratic behaviour'. Polly still undertakes therapy from Shady Grove Treatment Center for an anxiety disorder, but is appropriately managing her mental health and is currently studying at Riverdale Community College to obtain her High School Diploma. Polly has a friendly relationship with Forsythia, however they are not close due to their separate living situations.

That was a relief that Jughead hadn't even realised he needed. Polly's mental health must have been a point of contention for his grandparents… There was a summary from every member of the family in attendance. The longest were Jellybean's and FP's, but his grandmother's was a close runner up.

Sheridan expressed a deep concern that Forsythia is exposed to gang activity in her father's care. She fears that Forsythia is unsafe in Riverdale, and described several incidents relating to the South Side Serpents motorcycle gang…

There were several listed incidents with the Serpents, mainly their tousles with the Ghoulies and reports that had made national news. His grandmother had given in-depth details about both FP and Gladys' criminal records, and his grandfather had expressed his concerns for Jellybean if she were to remain living with FP.

It made the anger rise in Jughead. But he tried to remain calm as he and Betty scrolled down the page and continued to read.

Forsythe III expressed strongly that Forsythia should remain in their father's care.

It was a little disconcerting to see the formal version of his tense interview with the consultant, but he read the remainder of the summarised account of his words.

Contrary to grandparents' claims, Forsythe III and Elizabeth do not sleep in the same room adjacent to Forsythia's bedroom. They currently live in seperate student dorm rooms at Yale University, and have no plans to continue living in the home.

That eased some of Jughead's fears, but it was the concluding statement that made him marginally relax:

It is the opinion of the consultant that Forsythia should remain in the care of the father.

Forsythe II is a stable presence in Forsythia's life. He completed a parenting course on the 18th of July, and is open to undergoing further children's studies in the future. Alice is an experienced parent who gives emotional and environmental support to Forsythia.

Forsythia's adult siblings and step-siblings do not reside with her. Elizabeth and Forsythe III share a close relationship with Forsythia that should be encouraged.

Forsythia has a positive relationship with the grandparents that should be encouraged.

Separating Forsythia from the father while she is still undergoing therapy for emotional and mental trauma would be detrimental to her psychiatric health. Removing Forsythia from the home is not recommended by the consultant.

Jughead sighed loudly and leaned against Betty's shoulder.

…

FP won the trial.

Jughead and Betty waited anxiously the entire day to hear the news, and when Jughead got the call, he was so relieved but wired up that he took a night off from studying. Betty had an important exam on the same day as the trial, but her application to defer the exam was rejected because the Dean didn't think her presence in the courtroom was 'necessary'.

Jughead desperately wanted to attend the trial in person… but by the time it was scheduled, Betty was eight months pregnant, so he made the decision to remain in New Haven.

"You can go, Juggie." Betty had whispered to him from the opposite side of their desk in the library. "I know you want to be there for your family."

Jughead had merely shaken his head. "And what if you go into labor while I'm gone?"

Betty cringed, but a determined look came over her face. "I probably won't."

"But you could."

"Still…"

Jughead sighed and pulled his laptop closer. "I appreciate it, Betts. But I'm not leaving you here alone."

The day of Betty's impending birth loomed closer.

It became a constant source of stressful anticipation in me. Any time she held her hand against her stomach uncomfortably as we walked together between classes, my heart raced. Several times I woke up in the middle of the night when she rolled over in bed, and my first thought was usually that we needed to go to the hospital…

… but still, our baby stayed right where it was meant to be…

Eventually people started to notice Betty was pregnant. When she reached the seventh month mark, her stomach began protruding in a way that definitely didn't resemble an over-abundance of the cinnamon toast in the Pearson's buttery.

Her professors were all informed by Yale's student counsellor, and most were politely supportive of her decision to continue studying while pregnant. But one professor, Dr Mann, had sternly informed her that he wasn't going to accept late submissions of assignments, and Betty would in no way receive 'special treatment' for her irresponsible life choices.

He also made it beyond clear that Betty couldn't take the baby to his class.

"What an asshole." Jughead said gruffly, after Betty gave him the news. "Seriously, where does he get off speaking to you like that? He has no idea what you've been through to get here."

Betty sighed, and made a great attempt at keeping her expression neutral… but Jughead could still see the glassiness in her eyes as she held the tears at bay. "He has the right to refuse special consideration if he doesn't think I'm entitled to it… besides, he's not the only one who isn't a big fan of my pregnancy."

Jughead frowned. "Are your other lecturers giving you a hard time?"

Betty shook her head and looked down at her textbook. "No… but Katie and Sue-Lyn have been avoiding me… they're not making it obvious, but I got to the lecture hall early yesterday and when they came in they sat on the other side of the room… and I know they saw me." She wiped her eyes. "It doesn't matter, I need to stay focused on the classes anyway… and we're here to learn, not make friends."

Jughead felt his throat constricting. "Betty…"

"It doesn't matter." She repeated, more determinedly this time. "If they're going to act like we're still in high school, then I don't want to be friends with them anyway."

Jughead still felt guilty, and sad for her that the friends she'd made this semester were starting to pull away. When she agreed to come to his afternoon study group more often throughout the coming weeks, he didn't make a big deal of it.

…

"Are you Betty Cooper's baby daddy?" Trula asked Jughead, unprompted, while they studied for their Creative Writing finals at a table in the quad.

Jughead raised his eyebrows. "Is it not obvious? You know she's my girlfriend. I thought you guys lived in the same dorm… and she's joined our study group a lot lately."

Trula merely tapped her pen against her cheek. "Yes, but I didn't want to assume." She shrugged. "Besides, you've never actually told me you were expecting, and Betty seems to spend a lot of time with Adam Chisholm. For all I know, he got her knocked up and you guys are just in an elaborate triad relationship full of flirting and threesomes. Which would be very progressive of you, I'll admit."

Jughead smirked. "When have you ever seen me flirting with Adam?"

"I haven't, but again, assumptions. Not a good basis of opinion."

Jughead chuckled. "Well, no need to worry. Adam's just a gentlemanly type that helps Betty carry her books between classes." Adam was also one of the few people who stayed friends with Betty after news of her pregnancy had spread throughout the Freshman student body, so Jughead wasn't going to start bad-mouthing the man.

"Swoon." Trula said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes. "The girls in our suite are obsessed with him. I don't get the appeal - he's just another basic blonde straight man with the personality of an almond joy."

"Oooo, who are we bitching about now?" Jay asked as he joined them at the table.

"Adam Chisholm, and I'm not bitching. Just pointing out his ability to attract the female population with his oh-so perfect teeth and broad shoulders. I'm still yet to see the fabled abs that Becky Sanders claims he has."

Jay's cheeks blushed as he pulled his laptop out of his backpack. "Well, they are a sight to behold." A tiny smirk came over his face. "And… hold, in general."

Jughead's eyebrows shot up, but Trula snorted. "Oh my God. He's gay? I did not see that coming." She gave Jughead an amused look. "Maybe I judged him prematurely. See? Assumptions. They're a slippery slope."

Jughead laughed. "Does this mean you're going to stop rolling your eyes when Betty brings him to our study group?"

"I wouldn't get your hopes up."

…

It was later that night that Jughead sat at the desk in his dorm room and attempted to write an essay on Shakespeare's poetry. It wasn't necessarily a difficult essay, but he was distracted as his mind kept wandering to Betty.

She'd been having what she believed were Braxton-Hicks contractions for most of the day. It wasn't the first time this had occurred. Her first experience with the false contractions had been during their Baby Shower.

It was, by all means, one of the cutest events Jughead had ever attended.

Alice convinced them to come home again for a weekend, and she and Jellybean had decorated the back yard with streamers and balloons. Betty and Jughead's friends were all in attendance, and Betty was particularly thrilled that Cheryl, Toni and Veronica had made the trip down from New York to be at the Baby Shower.

Betty looked beautiful that day in her long-sleeved, sky blue dress and thick black tights. It was Autumn in Riverdale, which meant the town was barreling ever closer towards snow-storms and cold, rainy days. Jughead himself had donned his best S shirt for the occasion, despite Alice's attempts to convince him to 'dress up a bit'.

Jughead didn't care for the 'tradition' that Baby Showers were a female-only event, and was happy that Sweet Pea, Fangs, Archie, and even Kevin were in attendance (Betty was particularly thrilled with Kevin's presence, since he'd travelled all the way from Boston). Charles was there too, but their brother was in a less-than stellar mood while Jellybean forced him to partner-up with her during the party games.

Jughead wasn't a big partier either, but he had to admit that having a break from college to enjoy the celebration of their child-to-be was just what the doctor ordered. Of course, he was also glad that Alice had ordered catering from Pop's because he could finally eat solid foods again, and he took a bite from a cheeseburger with a reverence that was almost sacred.

Being the center of attention was mildly embarrassing for Jughead, but Betty was in a great mood, and seeing her smiling as they opened their gifts kept Jughead in high spirits.

"Open ours next!" Veronica almost commanded. "I've been just bursting with anticipation." Her eyes, indeed, held a glimmer of excitement so obvious that Jughead couldn't hold in the smirk.

"Me too." Toni said with a joking tone. "But mostly because I've had to listen to these two gushing over it for a month."

Cheryl rolled her eyes. "Louis Vuitton discontinued their maternity line, TT. Of course I'm thrilled that Veronica could procure one of their products!"

"Sounds… expensive." Jughead swallowed nervously as Polly handed him the large box.

"Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry, Toni stopped us from going overboard." Veronica said dismissively.

Betty lifted the lid of the box and gasped. "Oh my Gosh… it's… so nice." She said, and smiled up at Jughead as she lifted up an oversized cream colored handbag.

"Don't worry, there's one in there for you too, Jug."

"Thank God. I don't know how I'd survive fatherhood without a handbag." Jughead grinned at Veronica. But when he lifted the black bag out of the box, he realised it was actually a faux-leather backpack. Unlike Betty's, his bag didn't have the Louis Vuitton pattern printed on the surface, but he doubted that meant it was any less expensive.

"They're diaper bags!" Cheryl said, clapping her hands together. "They have compartments for bottles and diapers and baby clothes, but they also have room for all your textbooks. That way you can carry all the things the baby needs and all the things you need - but in style."

Betty's eyes watered. "Aww, you guys… this is so sweet."

"Yeah… thanks, ladies. This is actually really great." Jughead agreed. He unzipped the backpack and inspected the insides. "You were right about all those compartments. Look, Betty, I can keep my laptop back here."

Betty smiled, but then a frown came over her face and her hand quickly pressed against her side. "Ouch…" she said, and then leaned forward. "Ow… that… I don't think that was a kick."

Jughead's eyes widened, and he almost dropped the backpack. "Was it a contraction?"

Betty paled, and she looked up at him in alarm.

"Don't panic." Polly said quickly. Jughead and Betty turned towards her. "No, seriously, I can see you're both about to freak out. False contractions are normal at this stage of the pregnancy. It's your body getting ready to give birth."

Betty rubbed the side of her belly. "What if it is a real contraction though… I could go into labor any day now… the baby can survive—"

"I know, I know. It can survive outside the womb." Polly said, and let out a small laugh. "Trust me, B. You don't need to start worrying until they're spaced apart consistently."

It was information that the young couple needed over the next month. Betty did get false contractions on and off for several weeks. Between those and her ever-present nausea, Betty was feeling awful.

More than once she'd weepily declared that she'd stop at nothing to: 'get this baby out of me'.

"But not until it's ready, of course. I want it to stay in there as long as possible." She assured Jughead.

Jughead decided not to point out the glaringly obvious contradiction in her statement.

It was the very thing he was pondering as he saw Betty's name flash across his phone screen.

"Hey, Betts." He said calmly as he closed his laptop. "You still coming over tonight?"

"No." She said, her voice wavering in concern. "Juggie… I need you to come to my dorm room. Right now."

Jughead sat up straighter and clutched the phone to his ear. "Are you okay?"

Betty took a deep breath before answering. "I think… I'm in labor."

…

It was unnatural how quickly he got to Betty's dorm room.

The front doors were unlocked, and he tried to slow down and walk as he pushed them open. Several girls looked up at him with scandalised looks on their faces, and one of them crossed her arms over her chest.

"No boys allowed in the dorm rooms." She said stonily.

Jughead ignored her. "Which level is Betty Cooper on?" He said in a rush. The girls all shared a glance, and Jughead groaned in frustration. "Seriously, guys, it's an emergency."

"Level three, room six." A familiar voice sounded from behind him. He turned towards the owner of the woman and came face-to-face with Trula. "Late night booty calls aren't an emergency, Jughead, no matter what the incels in your dorm want to believe."

"Thanks." He said quickly, and rushed towards the elevator. He pushed the button and bounced nervously on his feet. "Come on, come on…" he begged the metal doors.

"It's out of order." Trula said calmly, and Jughead turned towards her. "The stairs are this way." She nodded to a hallway adjacent to the elevator, and she followed him as he rushed to take the stairs two at a time.

"Betty's in labor." He explained breathlessly. "Can you help me find her dorm room?"

Trula struggled to keep up. "Yes, but holy shit, slow down. You're going to freak her out if you run in there looking like a hot mess."

"I'm not exactly in a slow kind of mood, Trula." He grumbled as he continued to climb the staircase.

Trula's footsteps halted. "Stop running, you've already gone past the door."

Jughead huffed and walked back down to the platform. "Sorry, I'm just…"

"Stressed? Had no idea." Trula rolled her eyes and pushed open the door to level three. "You need to relax. Betty's already going to be worked up enough without you losing your cool."

"Right." Jughead said weakly as he followed her down the hallway.

Trula stopped in front of one of the doors, then turned to Jughead with a hand up. "My sister told me that the best thing expectant fathers can do to be a supportive birth partner is stay calm."

Jughead took in a deep breath. "Much as I'm sure your sister is a child rearing expert—"

"Not yet." Trula shrugged. "But she is a student midwife at YNH. Her name's Twyla. Tell her I said 'hi' if you see her tonight." She knocked on Betty's door then turned back to Jughead. "Good luck." She said simply, and sauntered away back towards the staircase.

Jughead tried the door handle, and found that it was unlocked. "Betty?" He called out quietly as he slowly inched open the door.

"Jug." She said, and Jughead noted that she sounded breathless. "Down here."

Jughead entered the room and found her sitting on the carpet. She was clutching her knees with her hands, and was rocking back and forth. She looked up at his face, and the panic in her eyes made Jughead's heart lurch.

"This hurts so much." She gasped. Her breathing hitched and she shuddered. "Jug, how am I going to push this baby out? I'm not ready… the midwife didn't answer my phone call… it's too early. Juggie, how am I meant to have a baby? I'm eighteen! What were we thinking?!"

"Hey, hey…" Jughead kept his voice down as he crouched beside her. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "You're going to be fine. The baby will be okay - you're eight months along, Betty. It can well and truly survive outside the womb now."

Betty nodded and drew in a shaky breath. "You're right."

"Of course I am, you've only been telling me that for the last two months."

Betty let out a shaky laugh. "Okay… okay. This is happening." She gave him a tight smile. "We're having a baby tonight…"

…

Tonight turned out to be an overestimation, because by Six AM Betty was still in labor.

She squeezed Jughead's hand so tightly as a contraction took hold of her body, and tears trickled down her eyes as she tried to breathe through it.

Jughead grimaced, but stayed supportive as he tried to recall all the things they'd learned in YNH's birthing classes. They'd attended several sessions over the semester that were informative and interesting, and involved a lot of elaborate yoga-type positions that left the two of them giggling while the bemused instructor directed the prospective parents.

Betty had wanted to use a yoga ball to relieve the pain, but after an hour of slowly rocking her hips back and forth it she'd frustratedly taken to curling up on the bed. Several times throughout the night she'd swapped between laying on her back and hunching over on her hands and knees.

The midwife came to check on her a few times, and profusely apologised for missing her calls.

"One of our other midwives is out with pneumonia, so I've taken on her case load." She explained the first time she came in. "Let's get you checked out, and see how far along we are…"

Giving birth required a lot more casual nudity and annoying monitors than Jughead was mentally prepared for. Betty consented to letting some of the students observe the processes and tests the doctors and midwife performed. One of whom, amusingly, was Twyla Twyst, and the two of them briefly bonded over their shared association with Trula before she hurried after the midwife to watch another birth.

By Seven AM, Betty was exhausted, but Jughead was proud of her for hanging in there without medication. He would have taken every drug they offered by now.

"Have you heard from Mom?" Betty asked him weakly as she tried to settle on the yoga ball again.

Jughead swallowed. "There's still too much ice on the highways, so they haven't been able to leave yet."

Betty groaned and closed her eyes. "I really want her here…"

"I know, Betts." Jughead said as he sat cross-legged in front of her. "But you can get through this, okay? You're doing so great."

Betty smiled, but kept her eyes squeezed shut.

…

Alice wasn't there for the actual birth, which was a great point of stress for Betty, but Jughead was there, and that was enough support for her as she finally gave birth to their long-awaited baby.

"It's a girl!" The midwife proclaimed as she pulled the baby up to Betty's eye level.

Betty was still gasping and heaving as she forced herself up onto her elbows. She stared down at the crying, wiggling infant and reached her arms out for the newborn. She was warm, and still covered in all kinds of fluid, but Betty couldn't hold her tears back as she held the baby to her chest.

"Betty…" Jughead whispered as he leaned down and kissed her hair. "She's here." He said quietly, and he reached a hand out to stroke the baby's back.

"She's real." Betty smiled up at him. " She's really here…" Jughead rested his cheek on top of Betty's head and manoeuvred his arm around her shoulders.

"Hey there." Jughead said as he looked down at the baby's face. She was still crying, and her face was bright red as she squeezed her eyes shut.

But she was still so beautiful that Jughead couldn't look away.