A/N:

Ok, I can say without a doubt that this is one of the chapters I had the most fun writing.

The idea came to me while I was listening to a Nickelback song, hence the title of this chapter.

Also, I think I have all the other chapters laid out. I'm almost done with all the editing. This story will have 12 chapters in total and I'm putting it out there now, just in case someone doesn't lile smut: the last 3 will be filled with it.

Anyway, who's ready for some Bughead PDA, now? * wears sunglasses and winks *

When Betty arrived at the Whyte Wyrm, it was well after midnight and the party was in full swing. The music was loud, the bar was crowded just like the dance floor and she had to zig-zag her way to the counter where Toni and Sweet Pea were tending to the numerous costumers.

All the stools were taken as well as the sofas and the very few tables. Toni and the guys were running a very nice business. She was glad they managed to get their place back.

"Hey Toni!" She had to raise her voice almost to a scream to get heard, even though Toni immediately spotted her and gestured to walk around the counter and join them behind the bar.

"Hey yourself blondie!" she greeted Betty with a smile. "I thought you wouldn't come anymore!"

"Me neither, but here I am."

"Listen Betty, before I forget, I wanted to thank you. Jughead told us you offered your help with our little problem."

"Yeah, of course. Let's hope to get rid of her once and for all this time."

Sweet Pea appeared behind them and welcomed her too, winking "Betty Cooper...long time no see! Looking good tonight!" He shot her an admiring look, but Betty had known Sweet Pea long enough to know he had no interest in her, he was just being nice. To tell the truth she had noticed a couple of guys checking her out since she set foot on the club.

"You too Sweet Pea, it's nice to see you. What's happening tonight? It's free-drinks night or something? This place is packed!" Betty asked looking around. They both had to talk really loud to overcome the music. They surely had a freaking good sound system. Also, she suspected the place was bordering its very maximum capacity.

"I know! I'm glad everybody came!"

"I thought this was gonna be a small gathering."

"What can I say, I love parties!" The dark haired woman smiled broadly. "And it's kind of a special occasion, anyway."

"Special occasion?"

"Yeah. Some of the Serpents who left town years ago came to celebrate with us..." Sweet Pea saw a customer trying to get his attention and walked away to tend to him.

"Celebrate? Is it someone's birthday?" Betty asked glancing at Toni.

"Not really, you'll see soon enough" Toni stepped in raising an eyebrow. She had a unreadable expression on her face and Betty found it unsettling.

"Can I get you anything, Betty?" Sweet Pea was back again. "I'm kinda obsessing over rum based cocktails lately, if you're feeling wild enough..." he trailed off joking. Sweet Pea always made fun of her for drinking only white wine all the time.

"Oh! I'd like to try something different. What do you suggest?"

So she was feeling brave, after all.

"You should try a Serpent mojito. I make it following the original recipe, but add a bit of mint syrup just to amp up the green in the mix, you know. To keep up the Serpent pride!"

"Alright then. Bartender, a Serpent mojito, please!" Betty smiled cheerfully.

His grin widened and he turned his back to her as he fumbled with different bottles and tools for a few minutes and then placed a glass in front of her.

She didn't even know what to expect, she rarely drank cocktails, so when she took a sip and the freshness of the mint hit her taste buds she felt her whole mouth tingling.

"This is really good, Pea!"

The drink was delicious and the company very enjoyable, but she couldn't control the slight discomfort she felt at the thought that she hadn't been in there since she and Jughead were still together, before she left Riverdale. It felt like invading his world again, and maybe he wasn't ok with that.

She heard some mumbling in the distance but couldn't make out any words.

"I can hear the wheels churning in your head from here, Betty" Toni nudged her in the elbow, distracting her from the whirlwind of thoughts crowding her mind.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I was wondering if Kevin told you about the engagement yet" Toni asked again smiling.

"He did! He called me the second after it happened. I believe he said they both proposed at the same time. Can they get any cuter that that?" Betty smiled remembering said phone call very clearly.

"I'm going to take a break," the pink haired woman shouted to Sweet Pea who simply nodded, then she spoke to Betty "Fangs and Kevin will be down soon to help him out, but we are going to dance now" she giggled.

Betty wondered where exactly they were going to find enough space to move, let alone dance, considering it was hard even to walk without bumping into someone. People around them jumping and singing to the music and Betty had to try her best not to spill her drink.

Toni took Betty's hand and literally dragged her through the dance floor and up a couple of steps to a small private area, closed with a thin chain, furnished with a couple of low tables and sofas.

"This is our priveè of sorts," she explained "it's a life saver especially on weekend nights or when the club is crowded just like tonight, we keep it to ourselves to have a space to relax. Running a business is exhausting!"

From where they were sitting, on one of the most comfy dark green velvet sofas ever made, they had a clear view of the stage and also of the stairs leading to the apartments.

They chatted about random things and drank some more. Toni asked her about her work in the FBI and wanted to know her career goals, delighted in her interest in psychology.

"You know, I always asked myself why I felt the aptitude to listen to people, being able to read them and then on second year of college it hit me and I chose to major in clinical psychology. After I got my PhD one of my professors suggested me to focus on child's psych."

"I'm picturing you as the new Miss Burble" Betty smiled.
"I don't know, we'll see. I already have my hands full with my job and the collaboration with social services. Plus there's the club. I mean I know I can multitask pretty well but I don't want to overload myself."

The music started fading until it was a barely audible humming sound in the distance and someone tapped on the microphone to check if it was on. Betty and Toni, as well as everyone else in the club turned and saw Sweet Pea standing on the stage holding a beer in his hand.

"About damn time, Pea!" Toni chirped.

"Fellow Serpents, friends, dear regular customers and...unfamiliar faces I don't recognize..." the crowd cheered and someone whistled.

Betty was confused and turned to look at Toni who had a knowing smirk on her face.

"What's going on?" Betty whispered in Toni's ear.
The other woman put a hand on her knee. "Just you wait."

"We wanted you all here tonight," Pea proclaimed "because we're welcoming back one of our own. He's a dear friend, a good man and from what I've heard, also a decent writer..." everyone laughed and Betty started breathing a little faster. After what Jughead had told her about being back with the Serpents, she had the feeling she was missing a very important detail, because she probably forgot to ask him the right question.

Sweet Pea gestured to the top of the stairs when he spoke again "everyone, please raise your glass for one of Riverdale's finest, and dare I say the very best Serpent King we'll ever have, Jughead Jones!" He raised his bottle and everyone did the same, including Toni.

Everyone looked up to see Jughead coming down the stairs. He looked sheepish but he waved briefly to the crowd anyway. Everyone was clapping hands in appreciation. He never really liked celebrations that much, but he seemed also pleased to be there with his friends after a long time. Kevin and Fangs were behind him and gave him a pat on the back before heading to the bar. Jughead joined Sweet Pea on stage and they hugged.

Betty was transfixed, she couldn't take her eyes off him. He was wearing a dark blue fitted sweater, a pair of worn out jeans and biker boots. It wasn't just the fact that he was extremely good looking.

There was something in the way Sweet Pea had introduced him and how all the other Serpents had cheered and nodded their approval, that made her realize they all still looked up at him for guidance and leadership. He was the King.

"Fuck!" she cursed, suddenly at loss for air. She grabbed her drink from the table and swallowed two large gulps.

Jughead took the mic from Sweet Pea and scratched the back of his head before speaking. Shy, bashful Jug had always been her favorite version of him. Time had only added hotness and a sprinkle of danger to the mix.

"I'm not going to say much, you all know I'm better at writing stuff than actually giving speeches..." the crowd burst out laughing, Jughead smiled and Betty couldn't help but notice how cute the small dimples forming at the corner of his mouth were when he did.

"What I will say is...it feels good to be back. The Serpents never turned their back on me."

Betty felt a sting of guilt rush through her. In fact, she was the one who turned her back on him, not the Serpents.

Jughead was still talking.

"I missed these guys..." Toni cleared her throat very loudly and Jughead's gaze immediately turned to her waving theatrically as he smiled. "And ladies, of course."

That's when he noticed who was sitting next to Toni and froze. The smile on his face fading slightly. He wasn't expecting to see Betty at the Wyrm that night. Hell, he didn't expect to see her at the Wyrm, period. But for some reason he was pleased to see her there.

They locked eyes and Betty felt like she was glued to the ground, unable to move. Jughead shot her a wide grin and and she let out a nervous breath when he spoke again.

"Well...Everyone grab a drink and have fun tonight! The first round is on me!"

That was the shortest speech in history, but the crowd didn't seem to mind and cheered at him.

Toni took a remote from the table and pushed a couple of buttons until the music resumed.

Betty was still watching Jughead from across the room and found it difficult to swallow when he hold her gaze again and proceeded to check her out from head to toe.

What he saw made his pulse race. She chose a golden top and tight white pants that fit her like a glove. But what really knocked him out was the pair of dark stiletto pumps at her feet.

So she finally decided to wear them, after all. They made her look sexier than ever, and he couldn't have looked at anyone else even if he tried. As far as he was concerned, she was the only woman in the club. The only one that mattered. And he found himself secretly thanking Alice Cooper and her addiction to shoes.

"Everything ok, Betty?" Toni asked, trying to get her attention.

She was watching intently as people was shaking hands and congratulating Jughead as he made his way towards the bar, the entire scene developing before her eyes like some sort of slow motion movie.

"I don't know."

Toni looked at Jughead and then back at Betty and frowned.

The way he smiled, the way he looked honestly grateful and pleased to be welcomed back, was incredible. And deep down, Betty wished she could feel the same.

"I'm...I'm good I think." She took another large gulp of her drink.

Toni wished she was telling the truth. She had been a witness to their love story in the past: girl likes boy, boy likes girl. To the world they're no match, they're too different, but they don't care. They fall in love, they go against the whole town. Cue tragedy, despair, problematic families, cheating, distance and full-circle again.

But even after all this, the way they were looking at each other now was making Toni uncomfortable. There was no chance in hell the two of them could deny the attraction and the magnetic pull they had on one another. But there was also a lot of pain and unsolved drama threatening to burn whatever relationship they could tempt to build to the ground. They needed to figure out where they stood.

Toni stood up quickly, taking the glass from Betty's hands and placing it on the table next to hers. "Ok, you need to loosed up a bit. We're dancing now." She had to physically haul Betty down to the dance floor.

"Slow down! My shoes are too high, I wasn't planning on dancing!"

"You'll be fine, I'll be by your side."

Betty followed her reluctantly at first, resisting to the driving rhythm of the rock song booming around them. The room was so packed that if someone tripped, people around them would keep them standing straight. Toni started moving to the music, jumping up and down and trying to engage Betty to let go and have fun. Eventually, her energy was contagious and she started dancing with her friend without even knowing, smiling and laughing. Everyone was clearly having a good time.

They danced through a couple more songs before Toni excused herself. "I need to go back to the bar to help the guys, I'll get back asap."

Betty nodded, and Toni put a hand on her shoulder. "Do you want another drink?"

Betty shook her head, she had a very light dinner and it was late, so it was fair to say she reached her quota for the night. She scanned the room and saw Jughead was at the counter with Fangs, Kevin and a few other Serpents she didn't know.

"No, I'm good."

"OK, be right back!"

She really cared for both Jughead and Betty, after all those years she thought they needed some peace.

Betty started dancing again, with her eyes closed, letting the low vibrations guide her movements, her head swinging as she recognized some of the songs playing in the background. She was starting to relax again, as another upbeat song went up and everyone around her was jumping.

Someone bumped into her hard just as she was swaying and Betty stumbled backwards and lost her balance hitting someone in turn. Damn high heels!

"Hey!" she screamed. Her eyes snapped open and she thought she would crumble with her sorry ass on the ground when she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist to stop her from falling, then she was pressed against a hard, warm body.

"I'm sorry" she apologized to the person who had been kind enough to keep her on her feet but what she didn't expect was to hear Jughead's voice just a few inches from her ear.

"Are you alright?" His tone was soft and she felt his breath tickling a strand of hair down her neck. Maybe it was because the music was still very loud, or maybe it was because he chose to be at such an intimate distance, either way she felt very aware of his presence, lingering like a captivating shadow behind her. He helped her get steady on her feet and turned her around offering a small smile, the corner of his mouth curving upwards as he loosened the arm around her, giving her space.

She nodded, laughing at her own expense. That mojito was definitely kicking in.

"This is what happens when you dance alone with your eyes closed."

And killer heels, he thought.

"I'm gonna need to trust you on that..." he said with a smile and a small shrug.

"Right, the Serpent King doesn't like to dance" she slurred her words a little bit, but put enough emphasis on his renewed role.

"True, but...I'll dance with you if you want to keep your eyes closed" he was smiling more openly now, his words forcing the air out of her lungs. She definitely wasn't expecting that kind of thing from him.

Betty bit her lip, a part of her wished nothing more, but another part – the one in charge of more deep, heavy, emotional stuff – screamed to run away.

"If you feel like it, of course..." Jughead added seeing her wavering expression.

Betty didn't speak, but her eyes must have answered his implied question for her because, much to her surprise, he took both her arms and put them on his shoulders gently, giving her the opportunity to back away. When she didn't, Jughead let out a sigh and drew her closer, putting his arm around her waist again, just where it was moments before. He sensed she was still a bit on the fence.

It was weird that he seemed to be much more at ease than her, but after all the Whyte Wyrm was his safe place in the Southside, where most of his friends were.

"Betty...it's just a dance. You can relax."

When she let her hands slid around his neck, he took it as a sign that she was trying to do as he asked. They swayed for a while, a Pearl Jam ballad calling out for all the couples in the club. The dance floor was not that crammed anymore. Funny how slow dancing could scare people away. Especially proud, dangerous-looking Serpents.

Couples around them were kissing and whispering at each other. She missed that kind of intimacy. She sighed and started to unwind in his arms.

'Feeling good' by Muse was up next and the crowd went wild again. She liked that song too. She found it particularly captivating and sexy, the kind of song you could put on repeat while making love.

Like she needed any more reasons to enjoy this moment, she mentally kicked herself.

He gently spun her around so that her back was pressed to his chest and she moved slowly with him. She didn't know what got into her at some point, but she started sliding down his body, like a snake around a branch as his hands glided from her waist up along her sides and her arms, until he was holding her hands and pulling her up once more.

Jughead tried to clear his mind, that would have made it easier to prevent his body to respond to hers, but ever since that night when he offered to give her a ride home, something had changed in him. He was still upset, he was still determined to hear her apologize, but how on earth was he supposed to remain unfazed when the love of his life was dancing with him, writhing against him? He was doing his very best to keep his body reactions under control, although it was very hard to concentrate when Betty was seducing him on the dance floor.

If she was doing it on purpose or not, it didn't matter. His only option was to divert his own attention, so he played the humor card.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

Hearing his voice so close, made her aware of the accidental and inappropriate images that flashed in her mind while she was so close to him: their two bodies tangled together between the sheets, his hands gripping and touching everywhere, his mouth possessing hers and his oh-so-glorious tongue doing wonderful things to her breasts and even much, much lower down her body as she squirmed in pleasure screaming his name over and over in the haze of a mind-blowing orgasm.

Was it wrong to think about him that way? Yes, definitely. She was the one responsible for fucking up their relationship in the first place. She had no right to crave for his touch and wish for his love, but she was weak and did it anyway.

"Oh, I think it'd take you a lot more than a penny for those..." she thought letting out a chortle. If he only knew...

"Why? Are they x-rated?" his voice had a playful tone.

Wait, did she say that out loud?

She blushed furiously, like her 16-years-old ponytail self.

One would think that at 26, a woman could at least be able to control her basic physical responses.

Apparently not Elizabeth Cooper and definitely not in the presence of Jughead Jones.

Her sloppy brain-mouth malfunction did nothing but encourage his flirtatious comeback.

"Were those at least about me?"As he spoke, a glimpse of something darker and sexier glimmered on his deep blue eyes. He was comfortable enough to tease, and he surely knew how to.

"What? I didn't mean...It's not..." she blabbered.

"Chill out, Betts, it was a joke."

Or maybe not.

"But just so you know..." he trailed off and put his mouth directly against her ear before he went on "...I like the thought of being on your mind."

His husky voice was too much to handle, she bent her head back on his chest, turning her face so that her nose was nuzzling the side of his neck, breathing in his addictive scent.

Betty felt his warmth and wished nothing more than to get lost in it. She brushed her lips against his skin, feeling his pulse race as he swallowed. She spun around and lifted her gaze to his face. He was watching her, studying her like he wanted to predict her next move. When Betty wrapped her arms around his neck, he stiffened at first, but didn't push her away.

"This feels nice" she whispered with the smallest of smiles.

She felt him take a deep breath and nod.

Nice didn't even begin to cover it. It felt amazing.

The first notes of a rock ballad started to fill the big room, it was an old Nickelback song that she used to like, called 'Far away'.

The first time she'd heard this song was in some random playlist Polly had set in the MP3 player they shared. She wasn't even thinking about Jughead as boyfriend material at the time, and she just enjoyed the chords and lyrics.

The last time she listened to it was right after she got home from FP's sort-of-retirement party, and the catastrophic chain of events leading to Jughead breaking up with her in the parking lot of the Whyte Wyrm. She was sobbing in her bed and thought that some music would help her relax. Wrong. As soon as the melancholy riff hit her ears she started crying even harder.

This time, this place
Misused, mistakes
Too long, too late
Who was I to make you wait?

Just one chance, just one breath
Just in case there's just one left

'Cause you know, you know, you know

That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away, for far too long

And now, years later, she could still get the sad parallel with their story. Because she did miss him, she'd been running away from her guilt and shame for so long that at some point it seemed normal so she kept running. And yet, here he was, holding her in his arms, unaware of the tornado of emotions battling inside her.

I keep dreaming you'll be with me
And you'll never go
Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore

On my knees, I'll ask
Last chance for one last dance
'Cause with you, I'd withstand
All of hell to hold your hand

How fitting. She felt tears start to prick her eyes as they swayed together and she instinctively buried her face into his chest, tightening the grip of her hands around his neck. It felt so wrong to be this close to him, to search for his comfort after everything she had done, but at the same time it felt good to be enclosed in his protective arms.

Despite his initial hesitation, he felt compelled to find out why she was suddenly so anxious and upset.

"What's wrong? Do you want to take a break, drink some water?"

Jughead felt her head shake in refusal against his neck and he simply kept holding her.

I'd give it all, I'd give for us
Give anything, but I won't give up
'Cause you know, you know, you know

That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away, for far too long

Damn she loved him so much. She'll probably love him forever if he'd let her back into his life. Betty was shaking now, sobbing hot tears into his sweater and Jughead stopped moving altogether, sensing her evident uneasiness. He lowered his head to look into her eyes to see why she was suddenly jittery. She shied away from his gaze and attempted to wriggle out of his arms, but he tightened his grip with a hand on her back and kept her still, cupping her face with the other, running his thumbs in delicate circles on her cheeks, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"Betty, what is it? You can tell me." He was worried. She looked as she was suffering at a physical rather than emotional level.

"It's just that..." she sniffed "...I miss you."

It all started as a playful moment, they were comfortable again with one another, cracking jokes and even bordering on heavy flirting. It seemed a nice quiet moment like the one they shared on the ride back to her apartment. They were dancing and having fun but then that song started and there she was, sobbing, mascara smearing under her eyes. He knew they had issues to address, time was running out and they needed to talk before they could let anything else happen, but he couldn't help himself. He just cared too much about her.

"Betty..." he whispered softly. Anytime he saw Betty in pain, the first impulse was to shield her, to make sure she was safe. It was something he did out of pure instinct.

So when she tilted her head up and pressed her trembling lips against his in a delicate kiss, he let her, unable to deny her that tiny crumb of relief.

Betty did not even think about his possible reaction, she just melted into his body, craving its warmth and safety.

So keep breathing
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it
Hold on to me and never let me go

Keep breathing
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it
Hold on to me and never let me go

It was brief and innocent and neither of them made a move to deepen the kiss or engage in any other intimate approach. When it ended, Jughead felt wetness on his mouth and run his tongue on his lips feeling the saltiness of her tears. He hooked a finger under her chin to look at her face and when he stared into her eyes, they were red and puffy.

"Sorry, Jug. I shouldn't..."

He took a deep steady breath, thinking about the softness of her lips, craving to feel them, like an addict who'd been given a taste of his favorite poison after years of sobriety. And he was one step away from perdition again.

The next thing he knew, he was running his hands through her hair and cupping her face, leaning in to kiss her, more firmly this time. They were in the middle of a crowded dance floor, but in that moment it was like they were the only ones in the room. She whimpered at the feeling of his hot mouth on hers, her lashes fluttering close as the tip of his tongue flicked against her lips and silently demanded access. As soon as she granted it, his tongue slid inside and stroked hers languidly. They both moaned. As he was worshiping her mouth, he realized he'd been waiting seven years to do that again and it just felt right to take his time to do it properly. It was deep and full of longing but extremely sweet at the same time. The kind of kiss that can slowly consume you from the inside. It didn't last long, but it was everything.

They were panting heavily when they parted, coming up for air. Jughead opened his eyes and saw that Betty was keeping hers closed still, her lips quivering like she was about to cry again.

He hugged her because he knew it was what she needed. Everything else could wait. Betty swung her arms around his back and gripped his shoulders for dear life. If the only thing he and Betty Cooper would ever share from that day on was that embrace, he was determined to make it last as long as he could.

When the song ended, and a more upbeat tune was up, though, Betty seemed to realize what she had done and tensed up in his arms, once more.

She'd stepped into his personal space like she still had the right to do so and that thought made her queasy.

"I have to go."

She was out of his arms and of his grasp in a second and started to head towards the exit. Jughead was so astonished by her sudden escape that for a split-second he didn't even move, looking down at his now empty arms.

"Betty, wait!"

She was zig-zagging, shoving people out of her way as she tried to get through the room as fast as she could.

Toni was tending at a couple of customers when she saw her ran in front of the bar.

"Betty!?"

The blonde turned her head for a moment and Toni saw tears streaming down her face.

"What happened?"

When she turned to look at the dance floor, she saw Jughead clearly trying to follow her, a deep frown on his face as he made his way through the crowd, bumping into people dancing.

Shame and regret were inciting Betty's urgency to run away so hard that she completely forgot she was wearing high heels. She was already climbing the stairs to the main entrance when she heard Jughead's plea.

"Betty, please!"

He had almost caught up with her when Sweet Pea and the other guys – completely unaware of what had just went down - surrounded him for another round of congratulations, offering him an open beer.

"Fuck it" he cursed yanking the beer harshly from Pea's hand and taking a big gulp.

"The hell, man!"

His friend looked at him and then up towards the exit, where he caught a glimpse of Betty walking out of their sight. Giving Jughead's behavior and Betty's sudden disappearance, he realized something had happened between them.