Archie had felt unsettled all day. He couldn't explain it, but the unease started the moment Betty got into her vehicle to go into the office for her last day before her maternity leave started. Her due date was in a week, and she wanted a bit of time to rest before the baby arrived.
He'd texted her at lunch. Everything was normal, yet he still couldn't shake the feeling.
"You okay, Boss?" one of his crew members got his attention. Everyone on his crew had noticed his agitation, though he hadn't directed it at any of them. They all chalked it up to impending fatherhood.
"Yeah," Archie studied the blueprints as he tried to regain his focus, "Just pending fatherhood jitters, I guess."
Frank got the crew back to work and then pulled Archie aside, "Maybe you should take some time off."
"I can't do that," Archie snorted, "This is my company, my responsibility."
"You were already taking some time off when the baby comes, what's another week or two?" Frank stated, "We can handle things in your place. We did a pretty decent job while you were in college."
"I'm not saying you didn't," Archie assured him, "You did a great job while I was away, but this is my company now. It's my responsibility."
"Your first responsibility is to that pretty fiancée of yours and that baby she's carrying," Frank told him, "Isn't she about to get off work?"
Archie glanced at the time on his phone, "Yeah."
"Grab a bouquet of flowers and meet her at the office," Frank suggested, "You'll feel better when you can see she's fine."
Archie sighed heavily. He knew his uncle had a point. With each day closer to Betty's due date, his worry for her grew exponentially. "Yeah, okay."
"And don't come back until after your paternity leave is over," Frank patted his shoulder.
"Thanks, Frank," Archie bobbed his head as he put his tools away and headed for his truck.
Betty's hands were full as she made her way to her vehicle. Her co-workers had thrown her a surprise baby shower on her last day before maternity leave. She'd gotten some pretty awesome gifts out of the deal, but it kept her hands full and not able to hold her pepper spray as was her usual routine.
After managing to wrangle all her gifts into her truck, she was just about to hit the button to unlock her vehicle door when she felt an arm come around her upper chest and something cold press against her neck.
"Make a sound and I slit your throat," the cold, yet familiar voice spoke in her ear.
"Louis," Betty managed in a shaky and fearful voice, "What are you doing?"
"Claiming what's mine," he hissed as he forced her towards the white van with blacked out windows waiting a few steps away as Betty frantically looked around for her security team. They allowed her free range in the office building at her request, but they were usually within her sight as she walked the parking lot to her car. "And don't think your bodyguards will be any help. They're a bit tied up at the moment."
"What are you talking about?" Betty tried to fight against his attempt to push her forward. She knew the minute she got into the vehicle she was a dead woman.
"That child in your belly," he snarled, "You can fake as many DNA tests as you want, but I know it's mine."
"It's not, I swear," tears burst free from Betty's eyes, "Please don't do this, Louis."
"Get in the car," he continued to shove her along.
Betty felt the knife cutting into her neck, not enough for serious injury, but she was sure he'd drawn blood. "Please, Louis, don't do this."
"Shut up, you filthy bitch," he growled, "Get in the car before I cut this baby out of you right here and now."
Betty heard the screeching of tires and then footsteps getting closer. She prayed it was help and not an accomplice coming to aid her captor.
Just as Louis opened the door to the back of the van, Betty felt the release of his grasp and then a horrid thud of something banging against the side of the vehicle with sirens coming closer.
Betty turned to see Archie standing over a now unconscious Louis, "Arch!"
"Are you alright?" he went to her, his eyes immediately zeroing in on the wound at her neck, "You're bleeding."
Betty was shaking like a leaf as the reality of what just happened hit her. "Oh my god, Archie!"
"It's okay," he had one hand on her neck to stop the bleeding while the other wrapped her in his arms, "You're okay."
More screeching of tires was suddenly drowned out by the sirens.
"Are you alright?" FP came running towards them.
Betty was practically hyperventilating as the EMTs descended upon her. She couldn't even verbalize responses to the questions they asked her.
"How far along are you?" one asked.
"She's thirty-nine weeks," Archie chimed in.
After asking Betty a few more questions she couldn't answer, the technician started addressing them to Archie. "Has she been experiencing any symptoms of labor?"
"She's had some Braxton-Hicks contractions, but no actual contractions. She had an appointment with her doctor yesterday. Her doctor said she was starting to dilate but didn't think she'd go into labor until her due date or beyond," Archie explained.
The technician made notes and asked a plethora of questions as Betty was loaded onto a stretcher and put in the ambulance. Because she was still hyperventilating, they put her on oxygen.
"I'm coming with," Archie noted they were about to pull out.
"You're her husband?" the tech asked.
"Fiancé," Archie stated, "And that's my baby."
"Like hell it is," Louis had apparently regained consciousness as the police were walking him to the cruiser.
"We need your statement, Archie," FP spoke from just outside the ambulance as Archie climbed in.
"Then I guess you'll have to come with me," Archie told him as he grabbed Betty's hand, "I'm not leaving her side."
"Follow me to the hospital," FP told the driver of the ambulance, "I'll clear the way."
"Yes, sir," the technician agreed.
On the ride to the hospital, Archie tried to get Betty to calm down by focusing on her breathing. He felt a bit like he did when they practiced their Lamaze breathing, but this felt more urgent. By the time they got to the hospital, her breathing was freer.
FP sat with Archie in the waiting room as they waited for the doctors to examine Betty.
"Let's hear it, Red," FP patted his back.
"Are you my baby's grandpa right now or the guy with the badge?" Archie asked.
"A bit of both," FP replied, "Technically Greendale isn't my jurisdiction, but I was the first cop on scene."
"I've been uneasy all day," Archie admitted, "It's like I couldn't shake this feeling that something was wrong. It was affecting my work. My crew noticed. Frank suggested I take off until my paternity leave was over. I stopped at the flower shop to pick up some flowers and then made my way to Betty's office. When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw her struggling against that thug's grasp as he was trying to force her into the back. I just reacted. I barely remembered to throw my truck in park as I hopped out of the vehicle and bashed his face against the side of the truck. He crumbled to the ground as I went to Betty."
"So, it was just one action to disarm him," FP stated, "You didn't harm him any further."
"No, FP, I swear. I just put him down so he couldn't hurt Betty," Archie insisted, "Honestly, I was so worried about Betty that I didn't even think of taking any more shots at him. I'm probably going to kick myself later for not taking my shots while I had the opportunity, but right now, I'm focused on Betty and the baby."
"And when Louis's statement doesn't match yours?" FP asked.
"Then I guess you can add making a false statement to his list of charges," Archie replied, "It's the honest truth, FP."
"Well, we'll have to hope that any surveillance the paper has backs you up," FP patted his back.
"It will," Archie's foot began to bob as his anxiousness built with each minute he couldn't be with Betty.
"Mister Andrews," a doctor emerged from the examination area.
Archie rocketed to his feet and was in front of the doctor in an instant, "How is she? Is the baby okay?"
"There was a superficial cut on her neck," the doctor began the rundown of her injuries, "But no other apparent bumps or bruises. Her blood pressure was considerably elevated in the ambulance, but it has dropped significantly. We've got the baby on the monitor. There doesn't appear to be any signs of distress, but we'd like to keep Ms. Cooper overnight for observation, just as a precaution. I've contacted her obstetrician. She's reviewed the results I sent her, and she agrees we should continue to monitor them both, out of an abundance of caution."
"Can I see Betty?" Archie asked as FP patted his shoulder.
"Of course," the doctor bobbed his head, "She needs to be kept calm."
"I'll keep the fuzz away," FP assured him.
"You are the fuzz, FP," Archie reminded him.
"Which makes it that much easier," FP winked at him, "I'll take care of calling Alice and Polly."
"Could you call Cheryl and Toni too?" Archie asked, "Cheryl would throttle me if I didn't call her."
"I'll handle all of it, Red," FP assured him, "Go take care of your lady."
Archie bobbed his head and followed the doctor back to Betty's room. "We're going to be moving her soon into a private room," the doctor informed Archie before he went in, "I'll be back to check on her in a bit."
"Thank you, Doctor," Archie pushed his way into the room.
Betty was half asleep when Archie stepped into the room, but she managed a tiny smile. Her neck was wrapped in a bandage, but other than that she looked no worse for wear, just really tired.
"Hey," Archie pulled up a chair to sit next to her. He instantly grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, "How are you feeling?"
"Okay," Betty responded, "Tired."
"That's been your response nearly every day for the last twelve weeks," he tried to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, well, you create a human life in your body and see how much energy you have to spare," she smiled slightly.
"Just shows how much stronger women are than men," he kissed her hand again.
"Is he in jail?" Betty eyes sobered as she spoke.
"He'd better be," Archie stated, "I don't think he's going to get out of it this time, not even with his family's money and influence."
"I hope not," tears trailed down Betty's cheeks. "I was so scared."
"I know," he caressed her cheek, his fingers catching each tear and wiping it aside. The tears nearly brought him to his knees.
"He was going to take our baby," Betty stated.
"Shh," he tried to calm her, "You're both safe."
"How did you know I was in trouble?" Betty asked. "You just showed up, out of thin air."
"I can't explain it," he admitted, "I've been feeling unsettled all day. Frank got me to leave the job site early. I called FP on my way to Greendale. He didn't even think about it. He just said he'd meet me there. I stopped to buy you flowers and was pulling into the parking lot when I saw Louis forcing you into the vehicle…God, if I hadn't stopped, none of this would have happened."
"Yes, it would," Betty sniffled, "He was always going to find a way to get to me."
"I hate that he ever got a hand on you," Archie admitted as he felt the tears well in his eyes, "I'm supposed to protect you."
"You did," she reached out to caress his cheek.
Archie leaned further forward so his forehead was pressed against hers. Betty grasped his hand and brought it to her stomach where their little boy was kicking away. Archie inhaled deeply as he savored the feeling. He could have lost them both that day, but there was some sort of guardian angel watching out for all of them.
"I think it was my dad," Archie suddenly realized.
"What?" Betty gasped.
"The uneasy feeling I was having. I think it was my dad's way of warning me that something was wrong," Archie explained.
Betty smiled at the thought, "Well, he didn't want anything happening to his namesake."
"I love you, so much," Archie leaned in and kissed her softly and then shifted to kiss her belly, "You too, Kiddo."
"Rise and shine, Red," FP entered Betty's hospital room bright and early the next morning with a cup of coffee he waved in front of Archie's nose. After Betty had been moved to her private room and given dinner, the hospital staff managed to usher out all the visitors trying to see Betty and then made up a cot for Archie to sleep on. He's slept fitfully as he woke each time someone came in to take Betty's vitals or check the baby monitor readouts.
"Where am I?... Oh, right." Archie wiped at his eyes as he remembered where he was. It took a few moments to get his bearings. He accepted the cup of coffee as he sat up. Betty was still sound asleep in the bed for which he was grateful. "What time is it?"
"Early," FP yawned.
"Were you at the station all night?" Archie asked.
"Yeah, Greendale PD let me help with the investigation considering my close ties to the victim," FP plopped down on the cot next to Archie, "As expected, Louis claimed you assaulted him repeatedly. Lucky for you, the Gazette has excellent security cameras which back up your story. We're going to need a full statement from Betty on what happened, but we were able to charge him with assault and attempted kidnapping based on the video. His fancy lawyers showed up as soon as we got him into interrogation. Tried to push for his release. Sheriff Collins wasn't having any of that. Says he had to go before a judge first to determine if he's eligible for bail. No judge is going to let him out on bail when the victim was a pregnant woman."
"So, what now?" Archie asked.
"Well, assuming the judge isn't stupid, Louis is going to be locked up for a long time," Fred stated, "With what we've found digging into his familial dealings, it's likely we're taking down a pretty large criminal organization. Mayor Lodge's name came up last night. Apparently, there was some sort of financial arrangement he made with that abusive ex of your fiancée's that has him in all sorts of trouble. Sheriff Keller had the pleasure of arresting him this morning on conspiracy and racketeering charges. The town council has called an emergency meeting for eleven o'clock this morning. It's expected they will be demanding Lodge resign as mayor. They've already called Sierra to see if she's interested in resuming those duties until an emergency election can be held."
"All that has happened overnight?" Archie asked.
"It's been a long night," FP smirked. "How's Betty?"
"Good, I think," Archie rose from the cot to stretch. "Her vitals were good each time they were checked overnight. Her blood pressure is back within the normal range. The baby's monitoring is normal. With any luck, we'll be able to go home this morning. I think her obstetrician was going to stop by before she started her day at the clinic to see how Betty and the baby are doing."
"We got lucky," FP patted his shoulder.
Archie exhaled deeply, "That feeling I had yesterday…"
"Your pops," FP filled in the blank, "Only thing that makes sense."
"You don't think I'm crazy?" Archie asked.
"Not one bit," FP assured him just as Betty's obstetrician entered, "I'll be back a bit later with Greendale's sheriff. We need to get Betty's statement before Louis goes before the judge."
"Yeah, okay," Archie bobbed his head as he greeted the doctor. He hated having to wake Betty, but it was necessary.
"Hi, Doctor Coffey," Betty greeted her obstetrician with a sleepy smile.
"I hear you've had an interesting twenty-four hours," the doctor gave her a sympathetic look.
"Something like that," Betty's hand went to her stomach.
The doctor scanned the baby monitor print outs, "Things are looking good. No signs of distress. Fetal heart rate is within the normal rate. Any cramping or bleeding?"
"No," Betty shook her head. "Louis…the attacker never laid a hand close to my abdomen."
"We're going to do a quick ultrasound to be sure, but if everything looks on the up and up, we'll discharge you this morning," Doctor Coffey told her. "Since you're here, I'm going to do your exam now, so you don't need to come into my office this afternoon for your scheduled appointment. That should allow you to rest. That's my best advice right now. You went through something quite traumatic. That put a lot of stress on you and the baby. I'm going to want you on bed rest for the next week, just to be on the safe side."
"You mean Arch will have to wait on me hand and foot for the next week," Betty gave her doctor a Cheshire grin.
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm prescribing," the doctor laughed.
"Happy to do it," Archie kissed Betty's hand.
After a quick exam, the doctor waited for the technician to complete the ultrasound before she signed off on Betty's release. Betty would have to wait for her other doctor to also sign off, but she was one step closer to going home.
"Did you get any sleep?" Betty asked once she and Archie were alone.
"Some," he shrugged after taking a healthy gulp from the much-needed caffeine FP had brought him. "You slept like a log though. I don't think you stirred once when the nurses or doctors came in to check your vitals."
"I told you how exhausted I felt," she smiled slightly.
"Well, you can rest up now," Archie rubbed her arm, "Hand and foot, I'm at your service."
"The possibilities are endless," she giggled.
"Sheriff Collins is going to be back soon to take your statement," Archie told her, "It's a miracle FP has held him off this long."
"Yeah," Betty bobbed her head, "Thank goodness for our pull in law enforcement."
"Still can't believe it's FP," he chuckled.
Betty sighed heavily, the relief once again washing over her, "I think it might really be over."
"Yeah, it sounds like Louis's family isn't going to be able to be in any position to bail his ass out of jail," Archie told her, "Sounds like there is some criminal shenanigans going on within his family that Keller and FP must have dug up after his last arrest. FP says the entire family might be going down."
"Wow," Betty replied, "Couldn't happen to a worse family."
"Yeah," Archie bobbed his head, "There's also some connections to Hiram Lodge. I don't have all the details, but Keller arrested him overnight and the town council is holding an emergency meeting today. It's expected they are going to demand his resignation."
"Wow," Betty repeated.
"Yeah, sounds like it's been an interesting few hours," Archie replied.
"Too bad I'm on maternity leave," Betty frowned, "Sounds like a good story."
"I think we have more important things to focus on," Archie's hand drifted to her belly.
"Yeah, you have a point," she smiled.
FP and Sheriff Collins came in while Betty was eating breakfast. Over her scrambled eggs, she relayed all she'd been through with her ex. FP would chime in occasionally with his input about the few times he and Keller arrested Louis for violating the restraining order.
"Sounds like you were quite lucky your fiancé was there," Sheriff Collins stated once Betty had finished with her statement, "We're likely going to need you to testify at some point."
"Hopefully it's not within the next few weeks," Betty rubbed at her belly, "I'm going to be a bit busy soon."
"When is the baby due?" Sheriff Collins smiled.
"Next week," Betty stated.
"The city attorney is going to go for as many charges as she can get," Sheriff Collins replied, "She's very good. I'm quite confident that she'll get the judge to revoke bail this afternoon, and with your testimony and the video evidence we collected, a conviction seems like a slam dunk."
Betty and Archie bobbed their heads.
"I won't take up any more of your time, but we'll be in touch," the sheriff handed Betty his business card, "If you remember anything else you feel is important to the case, feel free to contact me."
"Thank you," Betty took the card from him.
"I'll show myself out," he bobbed his head and left.
"So I'm free from charges?" Archie asked FP once the sheriff was out of the room.
"Yeah," FP patted his back, "The city attorney agreed with us that your actions were justified considering the prior offenses Radford committed. He was acting aggressively, he was armed, and your fiancée and child were in danger. Had you gotten a few more licks in on him, we might be having a different conversation, but you won't be charged."
"Was that even a discussion?" Betty looked between the two in concern.
"There was some concern when Louis's story didn't match up with Archie's, but the Gazette security cameras caught the entire thing," FP explained, "Once we had that footage, Louis's story fell through."
Betty tugged on Archie's hand, "I want to go home, Arch."
"I'll track down the doctor," he kissed her hand, "See if I can move things along."
"Thank you," she smiled.
"FP, are you able to stay for a few minutes?" Archie asked, "I'm a bit overprotective at the moment. I don't want Betty to be alone."
"I've got nowhere to be at this exact moment," he assured the younger man as Archie left the room.
"Archie said you sat with him in the waiting room last night as he waited for the doctors to examine me," Betty replied, "Thank you for that."
"I'm just glad I was there for him," FP replied, "He was pretty freaked out as we waited."
"I know the feeling," Betty rubbed at her belly.
"Glad things worked out," FP smiled slightly.
Betty bobbed her head.
"He's going to be the best dad," FP stated, "He had a good role model."
"Yeah, I think so too," Betty smiled.
When Betty was finally sprung from the hospital, she demanded Archie stop at Pop's on the way home for some burgers and shakes. The compromise was that she'd wait in the truck since she was supposed to be taking it easy. Her bodyguards were back on their detail in the vehicle next to her. She was horrified that they'd been put in any danger the previous day, but fortunately they'd only been tied up, not had their throats slit. She'd have to remember to talk to her cousin about getting the security dismissed now that Louis was in jail and no longer a threat.
Once the food was acquired, Archie navigated them home. He steered her straight to the sofa and had her feet propped up in an instant. He then disappeared into the kitchen to transfer their food to plates. Einstein immediately made himself comfortable at Betty's side, his head resting near her belly.
"Hey, off the sofa, Einnie," Archie scolded the young dog as he returned with their food.
The retriever refused to budge. Betty laughed as she made room for Archie on her other side. She liked this new development with their dog. Up until now, Einstein had been most attached to Archie's hip. He'd allow Betty to love him up on occasion, but it was clear he was more attached to Archie. It appeared that maybe there was a shift.
"You weren't kidding with this waiting on me hand and foot," she smiled as she accepted the food, sneaking Einstein a bit. After two hospital meals, she was famished. She shoveled her food in quickly.
"For at least the next week, Babe," he kissed her forehead before taking a seat next to her on the sofa.
"God, that tasted good," Betty set her plate aside, having consumed her lunch at a record pace, "You'd think they'd make sure to give a pregnant woman something edible at the hospital."
"I'll remember that when you give birth," he grasped her hand and brought it to her lips, "We'll cater four-star gourmet meals."
"You think you're being funny, but we mention it to Cheryl, and we're golden," Betty smiled as his hand fell to her stomach as he ate. She covered his hand with hers, her eyes drifted towards the beautiful engagement ring on her finger. She was lucky she wasn't too puffy to be able to wear it.
"Scary stuff, Babe," he set his meal aside. He wasn't nearly as hungry as she was.
"Yeah," she bobbed her head as she caressed her belly. The movements against her hands were of great comfort. Their little boy was safe and sound. That was her greatest fear yesterday as her ex held a knife to her neck. Even now, she felt her heart rate accelerate at the thought of what almost happened. The doctors had warned her that she'd likely have some form of PTSD from not only yesterday's event, but also from the repeated abuse she'd suffered over the past few years. They'd given her names of some therapists in the region who specialized in cases like hers. She had yet to decide if she wanted to go that route.
"Talk to me," Archie could practically see the wheels churning in her head.
"I don't even know what to say," Betty admitted, "If you hadn't gotten to me, I don't know what would have happened. I knew as soon as I got into the back of that van that my life would have been over, and our little boy…God, I don't even want to think about what Louis would have done with Freddie."
Archie bobbed his head.
"I want to be married before Freddie is born, Arch," Betty swallowed hard, "I want to be married right now, today."
"I thought you wanted to wait until after you give birth," he brought her hands to his lips, "Maybe this isn't something that should be rushed into, especially after what you've just been through."
"I did want to wait, or at least I thought I did, but going through what we just did…I've changed my mind. Yeah, my emotions are all out of whack with the pregnancy and what happened, but that doesn't change that I want to be your wife. We've already wasted so much time. Almost dying yesterday and nearly missing out on holding our little boy in my arms put everything into perspective. We're a family, Arch, and I want that to start now, today."
"Then we'll get married today, or at least as soon as we can," he told her with a smile so wide it was a miracle it fit on his face.
"We'd better call the town hall to find out what we have to do to get a marriage license," she told him as she motioned to get up.
"I'll handle that," he gently held onto her shoulder to keep her seated, "Bed rest, remember."
Archie was about to dial when Einstein's ears perked up and he went on alert. Moments later there was a knock at the front door.
"That's probably Cheryl," Betty concluded, "I texted her as we were leaving the hospital. I'm hoping to talk her into getting the security detail removed."
Einstein was at Archie's side when he opened the door, ready to pounce if needed. Archie was surprised to see Betty's mother on the other side, "Oh, hey, Mrs. Coop…Alice." He quickly caught himself as he patted at Einstein's head to let him know everything was okay.
"FP said Betty was released," Alice wrung her hands nervously together.
"Yeah, Doctor Coffey gave Betty and the baby a clean bill of health this morning," Archie stepped aside to let her in, "As a precaution, she's on bed rest for the next week."
"Hey, Mom," Betty called her mother over to the sofa, "I thought you'd be knee deep in the hottest story ever to hit Riverdale."
"I've already turned in my copy," Alice sat in the chair nearest Betty as Einstein settled against Betty again, "How are you feeling?"
"Tired," Betty rubbed at her belly, "But that hasn't changed in probably nine months. Any word yet on the fate of our illustrious mayor?"
"The town council voted by unanimous decision to remove him from office and not even allow him to resign. Sierra will be handling all town business until an election can be called," Alice replied.
"And Hiram's still locked up?" Betty asked, "Any word on if he'll be getting bail?"
"Oh, no," Alice replied, "The feds have already swooped in to claim jurisdiction and transferred him to their custody. He's in some federal holding cell probably alongside Daniel Radford and perhaps even Elias Radford. I haven't checked the wires to see how far up the family tree this investigation has gone."
"I'm sure you'll have the scoop ready for the next deadline," Betty smiled as she rubbed Einstein's ears.
"Betty, I have something I need to tell you, and it's probably going to upset you," Alice began.
Archie and Betty swapped concerned looks as he settled on her other side.
"That investigation I was working on a few months ago, I didn't drop it because my editor refused to print it," Alice explained.
"What exactly was the story?" Betty asked.
"It started as a story about the corruption within town hall since Mayor Lodge took office, but the more I dug into the story, the worse things got. It became clear that Hiram was using his position for his own gain, funneling work to his own companies, using his connections within the state capitol for personal projects which in no way benefitted the town. Then I discovered his connections to certain mob families," Alice stated.
"That's not news, Mom," Betty replied, "I've always known that Hiram and Louis's dad were friendly."
"Turns out they were friendlier than anyone knew," Alice replied, "Daniel Radford and Hiram Lodge were roommates at Harvard, and Hiram struck up a fruitful mentorship with Elias Radford."
"A mentorship with a mobster?" Betty raised a brow.
"Elias Radford underwrote Hiram's first business endeavor, and Hiram has been indebted to him ever since," Alice explained, "In searching through the town's financial records, I discovered an unexplained payment made from the town of Riverdale to one Louis Radford about three weeks before you met him at that party at Northwestern."
"Are you saying Hiram Lodge paid Louis Radford to date me?" Betty frowned in confusion.
"It's a possibility," Alice bobbed her head, "Perhaps the authorities will suss out the exact circumstances of the payment. My research could only go so far without raising flags that would have had Hiram on my ass. As soon as I discovered the connection between Hiram and Louis, I turned everything I had over to FP and let him and Tom work the case. I put a pause on the story until you were out of danger."
"Where am I supposed to be mad at you?" Betty asked, "I'm plenty mad, but at Louis and now Hiram. I don't even understand what angle he would be playing with paying Louis to date me. I was out of Riverdale. Veronica and I had virtually zero interaction…oh, I get it." Betty glanced over at Archie. "This is payback for us breaking his daughter's heart in high school. He didn't want you anywhere near his daughter, but he also didn't want us together because that would hurt his daughter even more. Louis was supposed to be a distraction, but it went too far."
"We have no way of knowing if that's Hiram true motive," Alice pointed out.
"It does make sense though," Archie chimed in, "He wanted my head after it came out that Betty and I kissed in high school. He got my offer at the Naval Academy rescinded. I was lucky I had an offer at Penn State as a backup, and my coach was more than happy to give me a spot when he found out I was at odds with Hiram. They apparently have some history. They boxed in the same weight class in college. My coach beat him in the National Championships three years in a row."
Betty smiled as she reached for his hand.
"So you forgive me for withholding the information I had?" Alice asked.
"There's nothing to forgive, Mom," Betty assured her.
"Oh, I'm so glad," Alice breathed a sigh of relief, "The last thing I want to do right now is give you a reason to be mad at me or cut me out of your life. I messed up with Juniper and Dagwood. I didn't embrace their existence at first, and I missed so much of their first year, all their big milestones. I don't want to miss anything this time. You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to spoiling Frederick when he's born."
"Really, Mom, we're good," Betty assured her a second time, "And I'm going to let you spoil Frederick as much as possible. He's going to love his Nana Alice so much."
Tears welled in Alice's eyes.
"As long as you're here," Betty began, "Archie and I have some news. We're getting married."
"I think we've already had this conversation, Betty," Alice's face twisted a bit in confusion.
"She means as soon as possible," Archie amended, "I was just going to call the town hall to find out what I had to do to get a marriage license so Betty and I can get married today if possible."
"Let me take care of that," Alice pulled out her phone, "I've got connections in town hall who can get that issued in no time at all."
"Got any justices of the peace in that thing?" Betty waved her hand at her mother's phone. "We're going to need someone to marry us."
"You two just relax," Alice began, "I'll handle all the details and get everyone here in time for the ceremony."
"Uh, Mom, I think Archie and I were just going to do a simple ceremony at the courthouse, just the two of us," Betty replied, "We're still going to do the big, white wedding at a later date."
"Nonsense," Alice scoffed, "Any time you and Archie exchange vowed deserves a bit of fanfare. Just relax. I'll handle everything."
"I need to stay on the right side of my mother-in-law," Archie shrugged when Betty looked to him to gauge his feelings on her mother taking over, "Might as well do it right."
"I don't have a dress. We don't have a venue. Our home won't hold that many people," Betty began sputtering, "I haven't even taken a shower today. I still have the hospital stink all over me."
"Sweetheart, just go upstairs and relax," Alice suggested, "Take a bath, make sure your hair is dry and your skin is moisturized. We'll see to the rest of it."
"We?" Betty raised a brow.
"My elves," Alice responded cryptically, "Now go. Archie, get her upstairs."
Betty did her best to relax. After a luxurious bath with Archie, they laid together in bathrobes for a while, reading one of the children's books that Juniper and Dagwood had given them at the surprise New Year's Eve baby shower. They'd been reading the stories to Frederick for a few weeks already. He seemed to like them as he moved all around. Einstein laid on the bed at their feet, despite Archie's scolding that he wasn't allowed on the bed.
Betty and Archie had fallen into a slumber when Cheryl burst into their bedroom, "I hope you're both sufficiently dressed."
Archie jerked upright, and Einstein went on alert, growling at the intruder.
"It's okay, Einnie," Betty patted her thigh to get the dog to come to her. He immediately settled at her side.
"Andrews, your suit is waiting for you in the guest room. Betty, hair and makeup is on the way up. Say your goodbyes. You won't be seeing each other again until Betty walks down the aisle," Cheryl's take-charge attitude kicked in. There was no room for argument as Archie left the room after a quick kiss. He took a reluctant Einstein with him so he wouldn't get in the way.
Sure enough, Toni, Jellybean, Polly, and Juniper came trudging up the stairs moments later, loaded with everything they needed to get Betty prepared for a proper wedding, included a gorgeous white maternity gown.
"Mom," Archie was taken aback when he made his way downstairs after getting changed into a simple black suit with Einstein at his side, "What are you doing here?"
"I got on the first flight this morning after you called to tell me what happened to Betty," Mary hugged her son. "Imagine my surprise when Jughead picked me up at the airport only to tell me my son is getting married."
"Spur of the moment thing," Archie tugged at the bowtie, "I thought you had some casework to finish up before you joined us next week."
"To hell with my casework," Mary adjusted his tie, "My son and his fiancée needed me."
"I'm so glad you're here," he glanced around, expected the living area to be in disarray, but everything was as it should be. "Are we getting married at town hall?"
"Backyard," Mary smiled, "The archway your father built me years ago has been transformed into a beautiful wedding arch. The guys are currently setting up folding chairs to form an aisle for Betty to walk down. There are industrial heaters to keep most of the chill away. It's going to be beautiful."
"Wow," Archie replied, "Alice wasn't kidding when she said she'd take care of everything."
"Marriage license," Mary pulled Archie into the kitchen where the license laid on the counter, waiting for Archie and Betty's signature along with whoever their witnesses would be. "Sierra is performing the service. I took the liberty of getting your grandparents' wedding rings out of the safety deposit box. I hope you like platinum."
"Wow," Archie accepted the rings, trying on the platinum band his grandfather once wore. The moment finally felt real. "This is really happening."
"Are you nervous?" Mary asked.
"Not even a little bit," he smiled, "I've been wanting this day to happen for a long time."
Betty walked down the aisle on FP's arm to the smiles of all their family and closest friends to the arch Fred Andrews built. It had been transformed with white satin, evergreen clippings, and yellow tea roses. Yellow roses were prominently features throughout the ceremony, from the decorations to the boutonnieres and bouquets. The archway was the perfect way to honor the man that meant so much to everyone in attendance, and the yellow roses, the symbol of friendship, were appropriate for the history of the couple.
Archie looked fantastic in his black suit with the yellow rose tucked into his lapel. Jughead was at his side. Betty wasn't the least bit surprised by Archie's choice in best man. If anything, it would have felt wrong had it been anyone other than Jug, even with the complicated history they all shared. Between Archie and Jughead was Einstein, a bowtie added to his collar, so he matched his master. Jughead held him by the leash as he nearly took off towards Betty when she emerged from the house.
On the other side of the alter stood Cheryl and Polly. Betty had asked both women to be her matron and maid of honor, much to their delight. Juniper was the flower girl, and Dagwood was the ring bearer. Betty didn't know if she could imagine a more perfect setting.
Just as Sierra started the service, a light snow began to fall, giving the proceedings a magical feel.
Just as Sierra was beginning the vows, Betty interrupted, "Sierra, would you mind if Archie and I said our own."
"Of course," Sierra smiled.
"I promise we'll be quick," Betty assured their guests. Despite the puffy coats and industrial heaters, there was still a chill in the air. After a chorus of laughter, Betty handed Cheryl her flowers and then took Archie's hands.
With a deep breath to gather her thoughts, she began, "I don't know of any good moments in my life that don't have you involved in some way. You have been the boy next door and my best friend for as long as I can remember. It was the best day of my life when I saw the moving truck parked outside the vacant home that my bedroom window overlooked, and then when I saw you look out and give me a shy wave, my heart melted. I didn't know it then, but I sure know it now. I had found my soul mate. I have loved you in one form or another for my entire life and starting this new life together with you as my husband it's about as perfect a moment as I could have imagined. I love you so much, and I'm so glad I now get to be your wife."
"I was a pipsqueak little kid the first time I proposed, not truly understanding what it meant. I do remember being absolutely crushed when you said, 'Ah, Archie, we're too young. Ask me again when we're 18.' I was a few years late, but I think we both needed those extra years to truly be able to discover ourselves and know that we fit together in every way. When you came back into my life ten months ago, my heart was both full and shattered all in the same moment; full because you were there and shattered because of the reason you came back. You have been the greatest support in life, even being there when I didn't know it. I can't wait to start this life with you as parents to our little boy, and I'm honored and humbled that you are allowing me to be your husband. I love you more than I could ever say," Archie spoke his vows.
After exchanging wedding bands and being declared man and wife, Archie didn't need any prompting to kiss his bride as he dove right in to the cheers of everyone in attendance.
From just good old friends to man and wife, it was the perfect ending to the first chapter of their life.
The End
Epilogue to follow…