Archie's eyes cracked open when he felt the shifting of the mattress next to him.
"Betts?" He saw her trying to crawl around his legs at the end of the bed.
"Sorry, I was trying not to wake you," she frowned, "I have to use the bathroom."
He reached out for the lamp next to his bed, immediately regretting it as the sudden burst of light nearly blinded them both.
"What time is it?" Betty hid her eyes to adjust to the light as she made her way towards the bathroom.
"Six am," he glanced at the clock on his nightstand, "We've got a few more hours of sleep left to get."
"I should get going," she disappeared into the bathroom to avoid further conversation.
Archie sat up with a frown; he didn't like the sound of that. She was back to the tune she was singing the previous evening about leaving.
He looked around when he heard a familiar chirp of a cell phone and discovered it was coming from her purse. He slid out of bed and went to his desk where it sat, peeking at the caller ID.
Louis's name danced across the screen, and Archie's jaw tightened while he forced himself to merely press 'reject' instead of answering it and threatening to beat the man within an inch of his life.
Emerging from the bathroom, Betty caught Archie with her phone in his hands, "What are you doing?"
"Your phone was ringing," he explained, "I just wanted to silence it, so you'd get some more sleep."
"Who is it?" she asked nervously.
"You said your ex-boyfriend's name was Louis, right?" When she nodded, he added, "It was him."
"Damn," she sighed heavily.
"We didn't get into a lot of details last night. Is he out of your life, or is he going to come looking for you?" Archie asked.
"Probably the latter," she responded regrettably, "It's why I came here instead of going home to Riverdale. I mentioned you sparingly during my relationship with him. He'd never think to look here."
"Then what's this about you leaving?" he asked.
"I just needed a night away from it all to clear my head," she did her best to sound convincing, "I'm good now."
"You're lying," he caught her eye twitching. It had always been her tell when they were younger. He was relieved he still knew her well enough to recognize it.
"I can't stay here, Arch. I've got classes and responsibilities at school."
"Call and ask for a leave of absence. Say your sister had a relapse, and Alice needs help with Juniper and Dagwood," Archie said.
"That's overkill," Betty crossed her arms in front of her as she huffed in response.
"Was yesterday the first time he hurt you?" Archie asked, making Betty freeze. "I'm going take that as a 'no'."
"Look, it's not what you think," Betty began.
"Don't even try to defend him. There is no defense for injuring a woman, ever," Archie stated through gritted teeth, "How long has he been hurting you?"
"Awhile," Betty felt her throat go dry.
"How long?" he repeated.
"Maybe eighteen months," she tried to swallow the sawdust in her mouth, "I haven't kept track. It's been a while."
"Damn it, Betty," he ran his hands angrily through her hair, "Why would you let someone hurt you like this for so long?"
"I don't know," her voice was quiet and unsure again, the tone once more shattering his heart.
"You're not going back, at least not alone," Archie shook his head.
"You're not dropping out to watch over me while I attend school," Betty said, "Not after all your hard work."
"My hard work?"
"Your mom and I try to connect online every couple of months," Betty admitted, "She fills me in."
"Look, we'll figure something out," he told her, "Right now, the most important thing we can do is make sure you're safe. You came here for a reason. I will protect you."
"Arch, I don't want you to get into trouble," she fidgeted nervously.
"I'm not going to get in trouble for having a girl in my room. It's not the sixties," he grinned.
Betty smiled back, "That's not exactly what I meant. Mary mentioned a girl a while back. Uh, Thea?"
"Thea's not a factor," Archie shook his head. "She's a drama major, and I dated a drama queen in high school. Not interested in repeating that."
"Veronica was drama? I never would've guessed that," Betty managed a smile despite the seriousness of their discussion.
"Don't worry about me," he told her, "I'm good, more than good. I'm a couple of months away from graduating with a double major in business and construction management. After graduation, I'm moving home to take over my dad's construction business."
Betty managed a smile. She always knew he'd do well if he set his mind to it. He'd struggled with high school classes, but mostly because he always seemed to have some crisis or another going on, usually involving his drama queen of an ex-girlfriend. "Riverdale is going to be lucky to get you back. Who's running your gym while you're gone?"
"Would you believe, Sweet Pea?" he chuckled, "He's surprisingly good at keeping the young club members out of trouble."
"Really? Sweet Pea?" Betty raised a brow.
"Yeah, he had no interest in the drug trafficking going on in the south side, so I offered him the gym," Archie explained, "I didn't want to see the place abandoned while I was gone. I'll keep it going when I get back if he's done with it."
Betty smiled as tears filled her eyes, and she looked down.
"Betty?" Archie approached her.
She looked up, "I am so proud of you, and I know your dad would be just as proud."
Archie's heart swelled at her words, "You think?"
She took his hand, "Yeah, I do. You could have left Riverdale and headed for L.A. or New York to try for a music career and never thought about Riverdale again. After everything that went down, no one would've blamed you. Instead, you took classes to prepare yourself for taking over the family business. You're going to go back and make Riverdale better for the next generation. If your dad could see you right now, he'd think, 'I raised that boy well'."
"I still do music on the side," he nodded towards the guitar in the corner, "It's a hobby now."
"Good," she smiled, "It would be a shame to waste your talent. If anything, I'm sure you'd clean up on karaoke night."
Archie grinned, "That's not a bad idea."
"You've never tried?"
"I've been busy," Archie shrugged coyly.
"Well, does me staying mean I'm allowed to leave the room?"
"You can go anywhere you wish," he assured her, "This is a co-ed dorm. No one will think twice about you coming and going. Heck, they'll probably just think you're my girlfriend. Did you come with any clothes?"
"No," she frowned.
"Then we'll have to get you some. There's a mall just a few miles off-campus," he stated, "We can go after we get some food in you."
"I'm not that hungry," she admitted.
"Don't care," he replied, "You're going to eat because you look like you haven't in weeks."
"Louis always made comments about me being on the chubby side," she pulled his shirt down to cover as much of her body as possible.
"Louis is a freaking idiot," Archie looked at her in dismay, "You've always been gorgeous."
Betty blushed and looked down, realizing she was still holding Archie's hand. She slowly retracted her hand, "Um, can I get another shirt to wear until I can get my own?"
"Sure," Archie nodded, "Just a sec."
Betty took the shirt he rummaged around for and grabbed the jeans she'd arrived with before she went into the bathroom again.
Betty flipped through a rack of shirts and sighed when her phone rang again. She pulled it out, preparing to reject the call but stopped when she saw it was her mom calling.
"Mom, hi," Betty said.
"Betty, are you alright?" Alice's voice bordered on frantic, "I got a call from your roommate. She said you never came home last night."
"I'm fine," Betty said, "Is she the only one who's called?"
"Yes, why?"
"I broke up with Louis, and he's not taking it well. If he calls, hang up on him, okay?"
"Sweetie, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Betty said. "I'll call you later, okay? I love you."
"I love you, too, Betty," Alice said.
Betty pocketed her phone with a heavy sigh and continued flipping through the racks. Her relationship with her mother was still as strained as it was in high school. While she recognized her mother was trying to reconcile, Betty had always put her off because of the embarrassment she felt being in the type of relationship with Louis that she was in. Not to mention, Louis did his best to separate her from all her family and friends. She was thankful she had some people who refused to go away.
"Finding anything?" Archie approached her.
"Couple of things," she held up the few options, "It's not exactly the most fashion-forward mall, is it?"
"Small town," he shrugged, "We can go to a proper mall tomorrow if you'd like."
"No, this is fine," she assured him, "I won't need much anyway."
"You'll need something you don't mind being seen in tonight," Archie grinned. "My buddies texted me a few minutes ago. They want to meet us for pizza, beer, and some entertainment."
"What kind of entertainment?"
"Karaoke," Archie said.
"Seriously?" she looked to him in amusement, "Did I plant the seed?"
"Something like that," Archie responded cryptically. "Are you in?"
"As long as I don't have to sing," Betty countered.
"Oh, no, Betty Cooper, you and me are going to treat the world to a reunion concert," he winked at her.
"You are a crazy man, Archie Andrews," she shook her head in amusement, "There is no way you're getting me up on that stage to make a fool of myself in front of strangers."
"That's the best place to make a fool of yourself," he tried to charm her into joining him, "You won't have to look them in the eyes ever again. Me? I'll have to look my teammates in the eyes in the boxing ring. I think they'll attempt a few hits to my masculinity, but I'm pretty sure I can end their mocking pretty quick."
"Oh," she raised a brow.
"Did my mom tell you on any of those video chats about me being the national champ this year in my weight class?" he asked.
"She might have mentioned it," Betty smiled. In truth, she'd made the trip to Nashville a month back to see his fight in person. She went incognito and didn't tell anyone where she was going, but she had to see her best friend in the most important fight of his career.
"Yeah, the boys in the gym won't mess with me," he assured her.
Betty shook her head in amusement as she went to the register to pay for her clothes, grabbing a pair of earrings she liked on the way.
Archie followed her and leaned on the counter next to her as she paid, in cash, he noted, frowning when her phone went off. She pulled it out and pressed reject before putting it away.
"Have a nice day," the woman behind the counter said.
"You, too," Betty took her bag before leaving with Archie a step behind her.
"Next time he calls, let me talk to him," Archie said.
"That will go over well," Betty shook her head.
"I don't give a damn," Archie wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving the signal to anyone who even thought of looking her way that she was off-limits.
"Archie, he's not a guy you want to mess with," Betty replied, "Yeah, in a fair fight, you'd probably knock him out in ten seconds flat, but Louis would never let the fight be fair. He's a lot like Hiram Lodge. Sadly, I didn't realize how much until I was in too deep."
"That's it," Archie shook his head, "You're not going back there again without someone to watch out for you."
"Archie, I'm not going to drop out of college this close to the finish line. I have two months left!"
"I gave you a good option," Archie said, "Tell them you need a leave of absence. Go back after he's graduated and is out of there. That way, if he comes back on campus, you can have him thrown off."
"I'm not delaying graduation one day because of that jerk. I'm going to finish on time. Maybe I can get my professors to let me finish online. We have others in my classes doing such things, so they're already set up for it," Betty replied, "If even one of them says no, I'm going back. I will not live in fear of that man."
Archie was torn. Part of him wanted to be proud that the strong, self-sufficient woman he'd always known was starting to return, but the other part of him worried her stubbornness was going to set her up for some significant pain if her ex didn't take the hint.
"Arch, I love you for caring-"
"Of course I care," he interrupted, "Betty, don't ever doubt that I care about you. I'm glad you trusted me enough to come to me, especially after four years of separation."
Betty smiled, "When I thought about feeling safe, you were the first person I thought of."
"I wish you'd come to me sooner," Archie said quietly.
"I thought it would get better," Betty said softly.
"No matter what, you're here now," he gave her a slight squeeze, "It's you and me against the world again."
"All is right with the world," she snickered.
"Damn right," he laughed with her, "What do you say? Say you'll stay through the end of the semester. I'll go back to Chicago with you when you have your graduation ceremony, so you won't have any surprises."
"What if it's the same day as yours?" she asked.
"It's not," he told her, "Mom already checked. She wanted to make it to both if she could. She's already told me when yours is. I can't remember the exact date, but it was a few days before mine."
"What about finals? Won't you miss anything?" she asked.
"Nope," he smirked, "You're not going to dissuade me, so don't even try."
"Maybe my memory is hazy, but have you always been this stubborn?"
"Yes," he nodded, "Comes with the red hair, remember."
"Alright, if I'm staying, I'm gonna need my stuff."
"I can go to Chicago with you next weekend to get it."
"I've got a better idea," Betty said.
"No, Cheryl, I do not want you taking up your bow and arrows," Betty rolled her eyes while Archie snickered from his spot on the bed where he was studying.
"I told you that miscreant was trouble the minute you met him, but you didn't believe me," Cheryl sighed heavily, "No matter, I'll make sure your things are packaged up properly and shipped to you by the middle of the week."
"Yeah, I should have listened to you," Betty sighed, "I will next time."
"Give me the address again," Cheryl requested.
Betty read off the address Archie had given her. She hadn't yet told her cousin that it was Archie she was staying with, but she figured by giving her a Pennsylvania address, Cheryl would figure it out. All she said was she was staying with a friend she trusted because Riverdale wasn't safe. It would be the first place Louis would look for her.
"Who do you know in Penn...oh," Cheryl put things together quicker than Betty thought, "How is your second favorite ginger doing these days?"
"He's fine," Betty smiled, "Staying here is his idea."
"And a damn good one," her tone changed from the previous ire, "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I am," Betty said, "One last favor? Don't mention this to Toni? I know she still talks to Jug-"
"To my everlasting annoyance," Cheryl responded with her trademark sarcasm.
"I can hear you rolling your eyes," Betty smirked. "I don't want Jug finding out about my Louis problem because he'll say something to FP, and then my mother will find out. I do not want to have to bail anyone out of jail."
"I won't," Cheryl assured her.
"Thanks, Cheryl; I appreciate you're willing to help," Betty replied.
"We're family. It's what we do," Cheryl replied, "Stay safe. If you need anything, even if it's to talk, I'm a phone call away."
"I know," Betty smiled.
"Let me say hi to Archie," Cheryl requested.
"Uh, okay," Betty handed her phone to Archie, "She wants to say hi."
Archie took the phone, "Cheryl?"
Cheryl dispensed with all pleasantries as she said, "Be careful with her. Even if she doesn't show it, she's fragile."
"Yeah, I know," Archie replied.
"Protect her with your life," Cheryl demanded.
"Of course," Archie stated.
"If she needs anything, make sure she calls me. Even if she attempts to resist, don't let her," Cheryl replied.
"I'll do my best," Archie replied.
"And if you hurt her, I will castrate you," Cheryl hissed.
"Wow, it's been a long time since you've used that particular threat," he fought the urge to laugh. He knew she was serious. He'd do everything he could to protect Betty, even from himself, if he had to.
"I don't agree with her not telling her mother, but I'll respect her wishes," Cheryl said.
"Yeah, me, too," Archie said.
"I'm sure I'll talk to you again soon, Archie," Cheryl said. "Take care of her and yourself."
"I will," Archie promised, "Same to you. Bye."
"Did she threaten you again?" Betty asked.
"Yeah," Archie ran his hand along the back of his neck as he handed her back the phone, "She's pretty good at that."
"She was visiting me the weekend I first met Louis. She didn't like the guy," Betty admitted, "She thought he was a creep, even though he was a perfect gentleman when we met. I just thought Cheryl was overprotective...man, I should have listened to her."
"You're free of him now. That's all that matters," he told her, "Enough of the self-pity party. Get yourself dressed. We have a karaoke performance to give."
"You need to let that go," Betty shook her head, "It's not going to happen."
"Get dressed," he told her, "We're leaving this room and having some fun because I'm pretty sure it's been a while since you've had anything in the way of an entertaining evening."
Betty sighed, "Fine, but I had better not see any photographic evidence of this anywhere, Archie Andrews."
"Would I do that?" Archie smiled.
"Yes," Betty nodded, "Or was that someone else taking a video of Reggie's epic failure at asking out Val?
"Okay, fine, I've been known to grab some incriminating footage in the past, but I'll be up on stage with you this time," he reminded her, "I can't do both at once."
"Point taken," Betty nodded. "Let me change, and we can go."
At the bar just off campus, a few of Archie's friends were in attendance. He was quickly greeted with a round of high fives before he introduced Betty to everyone. Betty noticed a brunette giving her a bit of a dirty look. Betty wondered if she and Archie had been a thing at one time. She knew it wasn't his ex-Thea, as he hadn't introduced her to anyone by that name.
It was clear as they sat with Archie's friends that he was the ringmaster of this group. He was the center of most of the conversation, but he always took time to explain things that had gone over Betty's head. For the most part, Betty liked his friends, except the brunette who continued to give her the stink eye.
"Ignore Jess," Archie wrapped an arm around Betty's shoulders and whispered into her ear. "She's had a thing for me since freshman year. She's sort of a boxing groupie if there is such a thing. She's made her way through most of the team. I've made it clear I have zero interest, but she hasn't taken the hint."
"She's pretty," Betty noted.
"Yeah, but she's too much drama for me," Archie replied, "I've had my fill of drama girls."
"Val and Josie weren't that dramatic, so technically, you only dated one drama girl," Betty pointed out.
"Well, there was Grundy," he pointed out, "And before Cheryl went for Toni, she did make a play for me."
"Because the Blossom tradition of evil redheads must live on. You're the only one in Riverdale who fit the requirement she wasn't related to," Betty smiled.
"True," he chuckled, "Either way, the drama girls I've had in my life have turned me off from having any more."
"And I'm not a drama girl?" she asked.
"Far from it," he smirked.
"Thank you for that," Betty smiled, "I wasn't sure if I should mention this, but I'm going to. I saw V about a year ago."
"Where?" Archie felt a bit of a hitch in his throat at the mention of his ex.
"Riverdale," Betty admitted, "I went for Nana Rose's funeral. She was there, too."
"How is she?" shadows appeared in his eyes as he spoke of Veronica.
"She's doing well. She ended up at Brown, doing the Ivy thing like her parents wanted even though it wasn't Harvard. She hooked up with some obscenely rich guy who Hiram and Hermione approve of. I'm pretty sure an engagement is on the horizon," Betty replied, "She hasn't changed much. She's still the drama sort."
"Hopefully, she's happy," he replied.
"She seemed to be, but you know V. She was pretty good at faking it," Betty shrugged.
"Hopefully, Mister Obscenely Wealthy keeps her far away from Riverdale," Archie replied, "I'd rather not have to deal with her popping up around town like Hermione did with my dad when she first moved back."
"No, it sounds like they're settling in New York City when they graduate. I doubt her soon-to-be fiancé even knows she ever associated with the lowly people of Riverdale," Betty replied.
Archie chuckled a little and rested his forehead against her temple.
"Your mom was there, too," Betty said, "She told Cheryl you sent your regards, but you were in the middle of heavy-duty training and had some big project."
"I sent Cheryl a card and some flowers that week," Archie said. "Did Jug go?"
"No," Betty shook her head, "The truth is I haven't seen Jug since a few weeks after we graduated high school."
"Your mom lives with his dad," Archie pointed out. "How do you manage to keep your distance?"
Though FP had taken Jellybean away from Riverdale after everyone graduated from high school due to her snuff film scandal, it became clear that Gladys wasn't the steady influence his little girl needed. It took some time, but FP and Jellybean returned to Riverdale for the teenager to start over about two years ago. With the second chance, the young girl began to thrive, and FP and Alice found their way back to each other and got married in a simple town hall wedding.
"He never comes home. I tried telling him that I'd steer clear if he wanted to see his dad, but he said the less he saw of Riverdale, the better."
"I can't say that I blame him," Archie sighed, "Riverdale wasn't exactly a welcoming place for him."
"I know you see him a bit. How's he doing?" Betty asked.
"He's great. He loves NYU. His whole dark and mysterious persona fits in well there," Archie replied, "Last I talked to him, he was doing an internship with some printing company. I forget the name. He says it was mostly grunt work, but he made some connections. He's already got an agent wanting to check out his work."
"He's going to be a famous author someday like Fitzgerald or Hemingway, and we'll be able to say we knew him when," Betty smiled, "I'm glad he's doing well."
"You guys ever talk about what happened?"
"Not really," Betty shook her head. "I think FP tried talking to him after a few months, but I'm not sure. Out of respect, I stay at Thornhill's hunting lodge when I go home for holidays. Cheryl redecorated. It's a lot less creepy than it used to be."
"I would hope so," he snorted.
"Jughead and I were going in separate directions," she sighed, "At the time, it felt like we would be together forever, but we were just kids. What did we know?"
"Yeah, same with Ronnie and me," Archie nodded, "Things ended up how they were supposed to."
"Do you ever think about what happened between the two of us at the end of senior year?" her pinkie linked with his.
Archie could lie and tell her that it was nothing, but the truth was, he did think about it, a lot actually; the stolen kisses, the stolen moments, probably more than he should. They meant something to him. "Yeah," he bobbed his head.
"Do you regret it?" she asked.
"Not that it happened," he shook his head, "I didn't want to hurt Ronnie or Jug, but that's what happened."
"We always seemed to hurt them with our connection," Betty frowned, "Even that one kiss we shared when we were searching for the truth about who tried to kill your dad."
"You and I have always shared a connection," Archie stated, "It's been there since we were kids."
"Yeah, I know," Betty smiled at him, "I think that's why I knew coming to you was the right thing to do."
Archie grinned at her, "Situation aside, I'm glad you're here."
"Because I'm keeping Jess away, right?" she teased.
"Absolutely," he smiled at her.
"Andrews, are you getting up there tonight?" one of Archie's teammate's motioned towards the stage, "This man kills it at karaoke."
"Really?" Betty raised a brow. He'd made her think this karaoke night was a one-time thing. Not so much.
"Oh yeah," another teammate, she thought his name was Luke, chimed in, "He loves his Journey covers."
"Oh my god, seriously?" Betty laughed, "You're still doing those."
"Hell yeah," Archie replied, "They're timeless."
"Where did the Journey love come from? I distinctly remember your dad threatening to throw all of your records out if you didn't stop playing them. It definitely couldn't have been him, and it certainly wasn't me," Betty said.
"Just pick one and let's go," Archie shook his head. He recognized she was trying to delay their performance.
Betty quickly flipped through the book to find something she thought would work. At the last moment, she threw out the Journey song she'd planned and found something else. A microphone was thrust into her hands as Archie pulled her on stage. When the opening words from "The Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing danced across the screen, Archie glared at her and then started singing.
After they'd finished to a thundering round of applause, Betty smiled at Archie as they made their way back to their seats, "How many times did we watch that movie?"
"I think you mean how many times did you make me watch that movie," Archie shook his head.
"What? Me?" she swayed sweetly before taking a seat. She'd play the movie over and over when they were kids until he'd buried the disc someplace she couldn't find it. It was one of the rare times she got mad at him and wouldn't speak to him for nearly a week.
"I never did get that disc back," Betty remembered.
"With good reason," Archie said. "If I'd seen that movie one more time, I'd have seriously injured myself."
"Oh please, you liked it too," she scoffed.
"You guys killed it," a petite, brunette, Julie, announced, "Arch, I've heard you sing before, but dang, you two together are like magic. You've sung together more than once."
"Oh yeah," Betty laughed, "We've been singing together since kindergarten."
"Really? That's sweet," Julie said, "You must have some good stories about the Red Hurricane then."
"Wait, Red Hurricane?" Betty laughed out, "Is that your nickname?"
"It's Julie's nickname for me," Archie scowled at her, "No one else calls me that."
"Bull," Julie challenged him before returning her attention to Betty, "So stories on this menace…"
"No, she has no stories. I had them surgically removed from her brain before we graduated high school to avoid this moment," Archie interjected before Betty could spill any of his secrets.
Betty giggled, "Sorry, Julie. I've been sworn to secrecy about anything embarrassing."
"Darn," Julie laughed, "How long have you two been dating?"
"What? No," Betty shook her head vigorously, "He's helping me out with some stuff. There is nothing romantic going on."
"Betts just got out of a long-term relationship," Archie replied, "I'm not interested in being a rebound guy."
Betty looked at him strangely and decided not to press things.
"You okay?" Archie asked after Betty had settled into bed. They'd both been a bit wired when they returned to his dorm room, but there was also a bit of awkwardness Archie couldn't translate.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, fine. Why?" She sat up to look at him.
"You were quiet on the drive home," he replied as set up the futon again. They'd already argued over who would sleep on the bed. Yet again, Archie won, but Betty insisted the next night he'd have his bed back.
"You said you weren't interested in being the rebound guy," Betty said softly.
"Huh?"
"At the bar, you said you weren't interested in being the rebound guy. Does that mean if things were different, you'd be interested?"
Archie approached the bed and sat at the end, "Betts, you and I have always had this on-again, off-again thing that felt inevitable to be more. There is so much about you that I'm drawn to, but right now, you're intensely vulnerable. Only a first-rate creep would even think of taking advantage."
Betty smiled a little, "And that's one thing you're not, no matter what Veronica may have said at prom."
"Thanks for that," Archie shook his head.
Betty's mouth twisted a little, and she moved over, "Lie down."
"What?"
"You got less sleep than I did last night. You need a bed."
"Betty, we already had this discussion," his eyes narrowed, "You're taking the bed; I'm on the futon."
"Archie, we're adults," she reminded him, "I think we can sleep in the same bed without it getting awkward. Besides, I sleep better the closer you are."
Archie thought for a moment and then nodded, shifting to lay down beside her, "Okay?"
She smiled and lay on her side facing him, "Okay."
Archie reached for her hand, their fingers laced together, "Sleep well, Betty Cooper."
"You too, Archie Andrews."
TBC...