"Do you really think this is going to work, Adam?"
"Of course it'll work. That moron she's been fucking already believes our narrative, so why wouldn't he keep believing it now?"
"And he won't know I was involved at all?"
"Trust me, he won't. And once I'm through with her, he'll be so distraught that he'll jump right into your bed, just like we planned. If he hasn't figured it out by now, then he's too stupid to realize you were the one helping me this whole time."
"Hey! Watch it, asshole! That happens to be the love of my life you are talking about! So... what do we do with this cunt now?"
"Now we wake her up to say hello."
Even as they whispered while she was in her foggy half-awake state, Betty knew the voice immediately. Rage boiled under the surface of her skin, thoughts of how easily she'd let them manipulate her running through her head. How the fuck did you not see it, Elizabeth?! Dammit, you are smarter than this. Guess my Nancy Drew skills are a bit rusty after all these years.
"Wakey, wakey," a male voice said before suddenly throwing a cup of ice water at Betty's face. She gasped for air, her head jerking backward, the water blurring her vision for just a moment before her eyes finally came back into focus.
The first thing Betty noticed was the dank, damp smell that permeated throughout the room. It smelled of mold and wet earth, musky and putrid. The dim light danced along the walls, flickering every so often and casting an eerie glow throughout the room, making it hard to see. It took a moment, but as her eyes slowly adjusted, the two figures standing before her came into view.
Standing directly in front of her, grinning like a lunatic, was the man who haunted her nightmares. The man who had made it his mission to single-handedly destroy her life and caused her to live in fear every day for the last four years...
Adam...
He stood there, towering over her with that evil look in his eyes like he had done so many times before, and Betty felt her blood run cold. She wasn't surprised to see his face, but she was shocked to see the owner of the second voice, the one holding the now empty cup of water.
Ethel Muggs...
"What. In. The. Actual. Fuck?" Betty hissed at the pair, her voice rough from dryness. Whatever they had dosed her with had given her a serious case of dry mouth and a killer headache. Her eyes flickered angrily between her two captors before she spoke again, "How many fucking minions do you have, you limp-dicked cocksucker?"
*Smack*
Betty's cheek stung from the force of the slap that Ethel gave her, but she didn't even care. She'd had so much worse than some weak-ass slap from this traitorous bitch. Betty laughed lowly and shot her a glare, but Ethel leaned down and grabbed the back of Betty's hair roughly, pulling her face closer.
"You will respect him or I'll make you regret it. You got that, bitch?" she growled, releasing Betty after another rough tug. Betty continued to chuckle, looking them both in the eyes with an incredulous look on her face.
"Respect him? You are as fucking delusional as he is if you think I will ever respect an abuser and utter sociopath like him," Betty spat back, her eyes filled with hate for the both of them.
"Oh, Betty. I'm going to enjoy watching him cut you up into itty-bitty pieces," Ethel cooed as she smirked at her, tracing Betty's cheek with her fingernail. Betty pulled away, turning her head away from the girl before glowering at Adam. She clenched her teeth, anger pumping adrenaline through her veins and speeding up her heart rate.
Betty couldn't see the bindings that were behind her back, but she was fairly certain she could get out of the ropes if the perfect opportunity were to present itself. She took a brief moment to assess her situation and check her surroundings. Her eyes, now fully adjusted, flickered around the room to see if she could spot any means of escape or even something she could use as a weapon.
She could see there were hundreds of papers tacked to the metal walls surrounding her, some older and more faded than others. To her left were shelves stacked with canned goods and glass mason jars, candles lined the top shelf. To her right, she could make out an old Army cot, a ratty looking sleeping bag covering the top.
Where the hell am I? This place looks like a wacko doomsday prepper's wet dream. And why the hell was Ethel of all people doing this to her?
Yes, it's true that Ethel Muggs had it bad for Jughead Jones, always had, but was she seriously this deranged that she would kidnap Betty just to get what she wanted? Jughead would never be with her, no matter what. And was Sweets another accomplice as well or was he just a patsy in all of this?
"Why, Ethel? We were friends once, why are you helping him? Do you hate me that much that you would hand me over to someone who wants to torture and kill me?" Betty asked, her voice trembling slightly as she tried to hold her temper in check.
"Why?" Ethel barked out incredulously, laughing at Betty's startled jump, "Oh, you stupid girl. I did it because you stole from me, Betty. Jughead was mine and then you had to swoop in with your perfect little life and those big green eyes, spreading those whore legs of yours and- And. You. Stole. Him..." Betty stared at Ethel like she had grown two heads, trying to figure out what the hell she was talking about.
"What? You're insane! How could I steal something from you that was never yours to begin with? Jug never liked you like that and you know it, so how-"
"HE KISSED ME, YOU DUMB TART! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" Ethel screamed, losing her cool demeanor and slapping Betty once again. Adam grabbed her wrist roughly as she tried to hit Betty another time, growling as he narrowed his eyes at the fiery redhead. He shook his head at her and she dropped her hand, stepping back and scowling.
"When did he ever kiss you, Ethel?" Betty asked innocently, knowing exactly which time she was referring to. She and Jug had talked about this kiss on more than one occasion, even before they had started dating sophomore year.
"At the winter formal, freshman year. He kissed me and it was magical and you ruined it by being little miss perfect. Just like you always ruin everything else," she gritted with a hateful sneer.
Betty knew she'd probably be smacked again for this, but she couldn't stop herself when the laughter bubbled out of her. Her head fell forward and her shoulders trembled, the sounds of her haunting laugh echoing through the room. She threw her head back and cackled, tears streaming down her cheeks and her face hurting from laughing so hard.
"You think- you think he kissed you?" Betty wheezed for air, calming her breathing before she continued, "Jesus Christ, you really are delusional, Muggs. He didn't kiss you! You cornered him and kissed him in the fucking hallway when he went to use the restroom! He was supposed to be my date to that dance and you ambushed him! He was mortified and never wanted to kiss you, you loony bitch!"
She watched as Ethel flinched slightly and Betty laughed at the girl, knowing that she had struck a nerve. She continued giggling, watching the redhead's face turn the same color as her hair, then suddenly, she stopped laughing and narrowed her eyes at Ethel.
"Yeah, he told me all about it. How you pounced on him almost as soon as he arrived and how he was so embarrassed that he hid in the bathroom half the night to make sure he didn't run into you again. It wasn't until I threatened to drag him out by his ears that he admitted why he didn't meet me in the gym like we planned. You were the reason he refused to go to dances after that," Betty laughed mockingly.
"Liar!" Ethel shouted, her anger taking over, "He wanted to be with me, but you stopped him! You ruined everything for me! You don't know everything I have done for him, everything I sacrificed! You don't know what I am capable of Betty... But mark my words, you will. Very, very soon," Ethel growled through clenched teeth, her hands balling into two tight fists.
"Don't kid yourself, Muggs. He never wanted you and he never will. He's mine, now and forever. And even if he wasn't, he wouldn't touch you if you were the last available pussy on the planet. Face it Muggs, you are nothing to him," she said, poison dripping from her words. Ethel stepped forward to grab Betty's throat but Adam's hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"She's provoking you, stop letting her. You need to keep your head for this next part," he stated simply, staring her down. Betty watched as Ethel visibly calmed at his touch and took a few deep breaths before nodding.
"You're right, I apologize for my outburst. It won't happen again," Ethel said sweetly, turning to Adam with a smile stretching across her face. "Are we ready for phase two?"
"Yes, now let's get to it so that we can come back here for the real party to begin," Adam replied, reaching into a black bag that lay on the table and producing a syringe. Betty's eyes widened at the sight, her face falling ashen when she realized what they were about to do.
"No. Stop," Betty demanded in a whisper, fear starting to fill her soul again. She didn't want them to knock her out again. She needed to stay awake, she had to get free, had to get back to Jug. "I. Said. No!" Adam stalked closer, grinning maniacally as he pulled the cap off of the needle.
"Nighty night, Juliet," Adam whispered into her ear, dragging his lips across her cheek before sticking the needle into her neck. Betty winced at the pinch and as a warmth spread through her body, her head began to swim and her eyes drooped. Just before the darkness engulfed her again, she could swear she heard Adam say, "Come now, Red. We have a flower in my hotel room that needs wilting..."
"Do you think we will ever get out of this town, Juggie?" Betty asked, her head laying on his bare chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. She couldn't stop her mind from racing, thinking about how fucked up their lives had become in such a short amount of time.
"I know we will, Betty," Jughead whispered, placing a soft kiss to her crown. They had only just gotten back together and they were spending the entire weekend holed up in the trailer making love and reconnecting to one another. Veronica was covering for Betty and had convinced Alice that she and Betty were having a spa weekend so that she and Jug could work things out.
"How can you be so sure?" she asked in a hushed voice, thoughts of the Black Hood's threats and their breakup running through her mind. Suddenly, images of all the things this town had tainted their lives with began flashing by: Clifford Blossom murdering his son, the Serpents, his father's arrest, all the horrible shit that they had endured in just the last few months.
"Because I will make sure it happens. We are gonna get out of this Godforsaken town and we are gonna do it together," Jughead stated confidently, sensing her uneasiness. He rolled her onto her back, hovering over her as he stared into her worried eyes. "What's going on, Betts? I thought we were okay, where is this coming from?"
Tears pricked her eyes as her facade crumbled. She should have known she couldn't hide anything from him, he always knew. "We are, I swear, it's just- I'm scared, Jug. What's going to happen next? Death and decay are all around us, like it's what this town is made of and it feeds on the people who live here. What if we're next, Juggie? What if it swallows us up before we get a chance to get out? What if it destroys us again?"
"Listen to me, Betty Cooper. I will not let anything, especially this town, tear us apart again. Do you hear me? We will finish school and then we will get the hell out of Riverdale, together. I swear to you, Betts." Betty let out a strangled sob, pulling him down into a needy kiss. He pressed against her lips with the same force, their naked bodies tangling together as his hardening erection slid across her wet slit.
"Make love to me, Jug?"
Jughead pushed into her gently, swallowing her gasps as he rocked forward. Betty wrapped her legs around his hips, clawing at his shoulders as she felt him consuming every inch of her being. He placed tender kisses to her face, whispering words of love and affirmation against her skin, sliding in and out of her heat slowly. Tears dripped from her eyes, sliding down her temples, the tenderness of the moment overwhelming her.
"Don't cry, baby. I love you so fucking much. You are my forever, Betts. It's always been you, it will always be you. No one else, just you," he murmured, his thrusts speeding up and hitting her deeper as he kept telling her what she meant to him. Betty could already feel the coil tightening in her belly, her body hovering just on the precipice of her release.
"Juggie, I'm- I'm gonna-" she rasped, her breath coming out in pants as her walls began to tighten around his length. He reached between them and pressed his thumb against her bundle of nerves, rubbing tight circles as he surged forward.
"Come, baby. I want to feel you come for me." He growled lowly, speeding up his efforts and fucking her hard. Betty screamed his name as she came, her moans bouncing off the walls of his bedroom as he filled her with his release. She milked every last drop from him and she clung to him desperately as he collapsed on top of her.
"I love you, Juggie. I love you so much, it hurts to think that I could lose you. I can't-," Betty sobbed, burying her face into his neck. Jughead pulled back, looking down on her while wiping her tears.
"You will never lose me, Betts. No matter what happens, it will always be you and me. Nothing will ever take me away from you. I love you."
Jughead blinked away the memory, his eyes burning just as much as his lungs did at this moment. He was smoking yet another cigarette, the nicotine doing nothing to calm the storm inside his mind. All he could do was worry about what might be happening to her and where she might be right now. He couldn't help but feel like all he ever did was let her down.
He'd sworn to her that night that he would never let anything tear them apart again and not even a week later, he did just that. He let a stupid dance and his need to keep her safe drive her out of town without him. And now, he promised to keep her safe from Adam and what happened? He let her down again now by letting that monster kidnap her. God only knows what he is doing to her- what he had probably already done to her in the time he has had her.
Four hours.
That's how long she had been missing. Well, that's how long it had been since they noticed she was missing, for all they knew, it could have been longer. How could I be so stupid? How could I let this happen to her?! That basketcase has her and it's all my fault... Jughead's thoughts screamed at him, telling him that if anything happened to her, he would be to blame.
"Jug?" Charles' voice in the distance broke him from his spiral and he looked to see the worry in his brother's eyes and walked over to him. "Jug, I know what you're thinking and this isn't your fault. You couldn't have known that Sweet Pea and Adam would have spoofed my number to trick you. I swear to you, we will find Betty and bring her home safe. Kevin is already working on some leads and-" the sound of his cell ringing cut him off before he could finish. Charles held his finger up and answered quickly.
"Smith. What? But- how? Well, is she alright-? Yeah, yeah. We're on our way." Charles ended the call and ran to speak to his men before running back to Jughead. "We've got to go, it's Betty. They found her." Jughead's mind didn't have time to catch up to the rest of him, he just dropped his cigarette and took off running towards the car behind Charles.
"Where is she?" he shouted as he ran around the side to climb in. He flung the door open and hopped in the passenger seat, his hands shaking as he tried to buckle his seat belt. Please, please let her be okay. Please...
"Hospital. Dad's on his way there now. He said the nurses tried to call you but your phone is still dead," Charles explained as he sped down the road towards Riverdale General Hospital.
A million questions raced through his mind but all he cared about was getting to Betty as fast as possible. He covered his mouth with his hands, his stomach churning at the thought of what they might have done to her. I will kill them both if they hurt her. I don't give a fuck if Sweet Pea was like my brother, I'll fucking kill him.
Jughead barely waited for Charles to stop the car before he was jumping out and rushing inside. He ran straight to the nurse's station, shaking and out of breath. "Elizabeth Cooper? I'm her boyfriend..."
"She's in room 103 but she is still asleep. Her brother is in there with her now," the nurse stated, pointing towards the double doors behind her. Jughead stared at her in confusion for a minute, tilting his head and trying to process what she said. Brother?
He didn't waste any more time before he took off through the doors, frantically searching the room numbers. He finally found her at the end of the long hallway, her door closed and the curtain drawn shut. He pulled open the door before yanking the curtain back, freezing when he saw the man seated next Betty's bed, holding her hand.
"Sweet Pea..."
"Come on, Blondie. Wake up! We gotta get outta here..."
The stinging smell of ammonia filled Betty's lungs and jerked her out of her drug-induced slumber. Tears pricked her eyes from the scent permeating her nostrils. She shook her head, blinking rapidly to make out the figure kneeling in front of her. Her voice shook when she remembered where she was. "Juggie?"
"Not quite, Blondie. Come on, we gotta get you home before those fucking psychos come back."
"Sweet Pea? What-?" Betty's voice trembled, her mind reeling from the drugs. He was here now, but she wondered if she could trust him or if this was a sick trick that they were playing on her. Once her eyes adjusted fully to the candlelight, she could see that Sweet Pea had dried blood on his lips, a butterfly bandage on his forehead, and a purple bruise just under his left eye. "What the hell happened to you?"
"Come on Cooper, we don't have time for questions. Those assholes are trying to frame me and they want us both dead. If we don't get out of here right now, they might succeed. And I for one ain't ready to die and I am not about to leave you here, so let's boogie," Sweet Pea said, untying her restraints and lifting her chin to look into her eyes. He could see that her pupils were still dilated and cloudy from the drugs. "Can you walk, Coop?"
Betty nodded while allowing Sweet Pea to help her up. Her legs were still unstable, causing her to stumble, but Sweet Pea caught her before she could hit the ground. He wrapped his long arm around her waist and helped her down a circular passage to a metal ladder. She still didn't know where they were holding her and she needed to know how Sweet Pea found her. "Are we in a sewer?"
"Close. We are in a doomsday bunker," he grunted, helping her onto the ladder, "More specifically, we are in Dilton Doiley's doomsday bunker. Now, let's get you up this thing and out of here, okay? I swear, when we get you back to safety I will explain what I know."
Betty agreed and climbed slowly up the ladder, seeing the stars above her and hearing the rush of a river in the distance. How the hell does a whack job like Dilton Doiley have a doomsday bunker... Dumb question, Elizabeth. Does it surprise you that Dilton has a bunker hidden in the woods? She asked herself as she climbed out of the opening and onto the grass. Sweet Pea was up and out in a flash, closing the hatch behind them and looking around to make sure they were alone.
"You good, Blondie?" he asked, kneeling down and looking her over. Betty's mumbled 'yes' was barely audible and he could see that she was still struggling to stay awake. "Okay, Cooper, this is what's gonna happen. We gotta jet quick so I'm gonna carry you outta here. My bike is just on the other side of those trees, I'm gonna get you back to Jug. I swear."
"Thank you..." she murmured, "...I'm sorry, Sweets." Sweet Pea nodded curtly, scooping her up and throwing her over his shoulder before running through the darkness. Betty faded in and out of consciousness, every so often catching a glimpse of trees and rock passing them by. After what felt like an eternity, she felt her feet hit the ground again and her body slumped against something solid. She looked around to see Sweet Pea grabbing a helmet before he walked over and placed it on her head.
"Look, as weird as this shit is, I don't think you are in any shape to ride on the back of my bike, so you are gonna have to ride up front. I need you to stay awake and hang on to me, got it?" Sweet Pea's stern voice pierced the fog and she understood that she had to fight. She needed to get back to her family, to her love. She nodded as Sweet Pea picked her up again, placing her on the front of the bike and climbing on behind her. "You good, Buttercup?"
Sweet Pea didn't wait for her to respond before he kick-started his bike and took off towards town. Betty kept her arms wrapped tightly around his waist and her head on his chest. She had never ridden on a bike side-saddle before but she was glad that Sweet Pea was a giant so he could see over her tiny frame. She could tell he was being cautious, taking curves at a slower speed, and keeping his arms firmly around her.
When they finally stopped, Betty looked around and saw that they weren't at the police station but in front of the ER of Riverdale General. Sweet Pea lifted her easily, removing the helmet before rushing her inside. The last thing she remembered before she blacked out again was telling the nurse to call her boyfriend and the sheriff... and that Sweet Pea was her brother and she wanted him to stay with her.
Betty's eyes fluttered open slowly, the bright lights burning her eyes and making her wince. Her head felt like it was in a vice and she could hear raised voices echoing through the room she was in. When she was finally able to open her eyes, she gasped. Jughead and Sweet Pea were nose to nose and screaming at each other with Charles trying to get in the middle while yelling for them to both calm the hell down. Betty opened her mouth to speak, to get them to stop, but no words came out. She took a deep breath and tried again.
"Stop," she whimpered. The room fell silent as all three men's eyes snapped to her, relief flooding all of their expressions. Jughead ran to her and dropped to his knees beside her, tears pricking his eyes as he grabbed her face and planted soft kisses all over it.
"Oh, thank God you're okay, baby. I was so fucking scared, Betts. I'm sorry I wasn't there, I'm sorry I failed to protect you, I'm-" Jughead's voice broke, a sob escaping his throat as tears ran down his face. Betty raised a shaky hand to allow her fingers to trace his jaw before she palmed his cheek.
"Shh, it's going to be okay. I'm alright, Juggie. I'm just a little doped up but I'm fine. Sweets saved me, he brought me here. He didn't have anything to do with this, he's being framed. It was Ethel this whole time... She was Adam's accomplice from the beginning, not Sweets. We were wrong about him," she said, looking at Sweet Pea with sorrow in her eyes. She still hated that she didn't see it before, that she let them trick her the way that they did.
"What?" Jughead asked, shocked at the revelation. "It was... Ethel?"
"That's what I was trying to tell you, Jones. I didn't do this, I was never involved. I may not have liked that you chose Betty over me, but I don't wish her dead. I'm not that fucking heartless," Sweet Pea grumbled, shaking himself from Charles' grip. He looked past Jughead towards Betty and smiled, "You feeling better, Buttercup?"
"Yeah, thanks, Sweets. If you hadn't found me, I don't know what would have happened. You saved my life," Betty gasped when she caught sight of the gash on his forehead closed with a butterfly bandage. "Oh God, I forgot about your head! Are you alright?"
"Yeah, that was nothing. Although, when I get my hands on Doiley, I am going to beat the hell outta him for this," Sweet Pea gritted, scowling as he touched his head.
"Wait, what does Dilton have to do with this?" Charles asked, stepping around Sweet Pea to stand in front of him.
"Who do you think spoofed my number to frame me? He has been working for them this whole time. He's the one who lured me to that shady hotel in Greendale and knocked me over the head. He thought I was knocked out and the dumbass took a call from Ethel and kinda let the cat outta the bag on what they were planning to do. He really thought I'd be dead by now," Sweet Pea shrugged.
Charles motioned for Sweet Pea to take a seat and stood over him, using his cell to record the conversation and spoke, "Tell us everything that happened."
"It's me... We need to take this bitch down! Now!" Sweet Pea growled into the phone. He was ready to find the proof he needed to show Jughead once and for all that Betty Cooper was no good for him and that she was lying about the real father of her kid. Maybe then Jughead would see that she was trying to use him and he wouldn't fire Sweet Pea.
"Okay, I think I have some information that might interest you, my friend."
"Dammit, you said that shit weeks ago, man. You swore you had evidence that her kid wasn't Jug's, but still have yet to give me anything. I need that info now before she digs her claws into him more. Hell, she already convinced Jug I was harassing her and got my ass fired - fuck, more like exiled - so I need ammo to take her down, dude. It can't wait any longer."
"Yeah, man. I'm sorry about that. It was a lot trickier than I initially thought it would be, but I think I have just what you need now, I promise."
"You better, I'm tired of you dicking me around, Dolley," Sweet Pea snarled into the phone.
"Meet me at the Overview Motel in 30 minutes, room 217. Don't be late." Dilton rambled quickly before hanging up.
Sweet Pea wiped the blood from his mouth and grabbed the keys to his bike. He was tired of playing these games with Dilton. He'd been stalling on giving him the information that he needed and Sweet Pea was done. He wanted her out of Jughead's life forever, even if they couldn't be together. Honestly, he knew that Jug deserved much better than himself, but Jug needed to see what kind of person Betty truly was.
As he raced towards Greendale, Sweet Pea imagined the look on Betty's face when he slapped down the proof of her twisted web of lies. He would get so much satisfaction knowing he had helped Jughead dodge a bullet like that. Then they could go back to the way things were before, go back to being best friends.
In what felt like no time at all, Sweet Pea pulled up to the seedy motel and jumped from his bike. He really should have been concerned that he had no memory of even getting there but he didn't want to think about that. All that mattered was getting this over with and showing Jughead the truth. The parking lot of the motel was fairly empty, the room he'd chosen located in a far corner away from the office.
Dark and desolate, definitely Dolley's style... he thought with a chuckle. Dilton had always been one of those guys who was one conspiracy theory away from being Ted Kaczynski, so it was no surprise to him that Dilton would pull this whole cloak and dagger routine just to give him what he needed.
Sweet Pea approached room 217 and paused, looking around before he knocked rapidly. He waited a few minutes and when there was no answer, he knocked again - more forcefully this time. I know you're in there, Dolley. Answer the fucking door, he thought as he banged on the door yet again.
When Dilton finally opened the door, he looked around before stepping aside to let him in. He looked nervous, like whatever information he had learned had shaken him up. "Did anyone follow you?"
"I know the drill, Dolley. No one knows I'm here," Sweet Pea said, rolling his eyes at Dilton's paranoia.
"Good."
Suddenly, Sweet Pea felt something smash against the side of his head causing blood to pour down his face as he stumbled forward in confusion. "What-?" he murmured as he hit the ground, his vision blurring as he struggled to stay awake.
Why the hell would Dilton hit him over the head? Sweet Pea thought, holding his eyes closed and pretending to be knocked out as Dilton nudged him with his foot to see if he reacted. When Sweet Pea didn't move, he heard Dilton start shuffling around the room and mumbling to himself.
"Okay, what else do I need to get ready? Rope, knife, chloroform-" Dilton muttered as his phone began to ring. Sweet Pea cracked one eye open to see Dilton facing away from him and answering his cell phone.
"Yeah? Oh. You guys seriously got Cooper already? Damn, that was quick... So the plan worked and they fell for it? Told you spoofing the fed's phone would come in handy. What? Oh yeah, I got him here now. He's currently knocked out on the floor as we speak. Why? No way! You said- ugh, fine, but you owe me big time, woman. So, what should I say when I see Jones? Well, no shit Ethel, of course I'm going to put the blame on this asshole. But what do you want me to say if he asks more questions?" Dilton asked as he paced back and forth. Sweet Pea closed his eyes, listening as his former friend continued.
"Okay, yeah. That actually sounds perfect. Alright, I'll head to the sheriff's station now. Yes, I will text you when I get there. Don't forget to come here and take care of Sweet Pea, but save some for me before you finish him off." Dilton hung up, tossing his phone on the bed before he knelt down and grabbed Sweet Pea's hair, staring at the 'unconscious' man on the floor. Sweet Pea fought to not wince and to steady his breathing to make himself seem passed out.
"Poor, stupid Sweet Pea. You fell into our trap so easily, I honestly thought you'd be a bit smarter than that. I guess you are still just as stupid as you were in high school." Dilton taunted, tossing his head against the carpeted floor of the motel room. "If you hadn't been so obsessed with that fucknut Jones and his little tramp, you'd have seen this coming a mile away."
Dilton paused, running his hand along Sweet Pea's crotch as he spoke again, "You know, we had a good run as friends, Sweets. Maybe we could have been more if you weren't such an asshole. Oh, well. It's been nice knowing you. Adam and Ethel are going to have so much fun with you when they get here."
Sweet Pea heard the sound of the duct tape before he felt it cover his mouth before binding his wrists and ankles. After he was secured, he heard Dilton grabbing his things and leaving the room quickly. He waited for what felt like hours before he slowly opened his eyes, looking around to make sure he was really alone. He pushed himself into a sitting position, his head swimming as he reached up to pull the tape from his mouth with his bound hands.
"Fucking moron," he huffed, using his teeth to tear at the tape holding his wrists together until he was finally able to free himself. He made quick work of freeing his ankles as well, standing up and shaking his head to try to alleviate the dizziness that was threatening to take over.
He stumbled towards the bathroom counter, leaning over the sink to wash the blood from his face. He noticed a first aid kit on the wall and tore it open, grabbing some butterfly sutures and closing the wound up as best he could. He grabbed the rest of the contents of the first aid kit and shoved them into his pockets.
Sweet Pea went on to explain that he and Dilton had been friends since high school and once he realized what Dilton and Ethel were doing, he knew he needed to find Betty in order to clear his name. He knew if he didn't, he would get blamed for whatever sick, twisted thing they planned for her.
"But how did you know where she would be?" Charles questioned, still somewhat suspicious of his story. It seemed far fetched, but Betty knew that it was the truth so she would vouch for him if it came to that.
"I didn't, honestly. I went to the bunker to look for Dolley and when I got there I saw Betty passed out and tied to a chair. I still had the first aid stuff with me so I grabbed some smelling salts and woke her up and got her the hell outta there," Sweet Pea explained, looking to Betty for back up.
"He's telling the truth, Charles. Sweets wasn't there when I was attacked and he didn't show up at the bunker until after Adam and Ethel already left. He had nothing to do with this."
"And I just got proof that it was Ethel and Dilton who caused the damage to the Wyrm." Everyone's heads turned towards the door to Betty's room to see Fang's standing there, looking like he'd seen a ghost. Without thinking, Sweet Pea jumped up, running to him and pulling the shocked man in for a bear hug.
"He didn't hurt you, did he? Charlie said you went off with Dilton." Sweet Pea cupped Fangs' cheeks, looking over his face for any marks that may be there. He wasn't sure if Fangs still cared about him or even what Pea's own feelings towards the other man was, but he knew he didn't want anything bad to happen to him.
"No, he was being really sketchy, asking strange questions and even- um, hitting on me." A growl escaped Sweet Pea's throat before he could stop it, and Fangs continued, "Then he got a phone call and just said he had to go. Said it was a family emergency."
"So how do you know that it was them that wrecked the bar? The footage was wiped," Jughead asked.
"Not fully. It was only on our end and I have been working to get it back. Well, something he said seemed weird to me so I called the security company to see if they had recovered the data from that night and this is what they sent me." Fangs held out his phone for all to see the screen. It was dark, but you could clearly make out Ethel's fiery red curls and Dilton's lanky frame and thick round glasses.
"So, they have both been helping Adam this whole time, and what? They thought they could pin it all on Sweet Pea?" Jughead asked in disbelief.
"Well, to be fair Juggie, it worked just how they wanted it to. We both believed that Sweet Pea was the one who was behind the Black Hood calls and who was helping Adam this whole time. If Sweets hadn't made it to the bunker in time, we may not be having this conversation now... if ever," Betty said quietly, thoughts of the things Adam said he wanted to do to her flashing into her mind and causing her to shiver. Jughead walked over to her, sitting down on the bed and wrapping his arms around her.
"It's okay now, Betts. You're safe, he can't hurt you anymore. We have you under armed guard and I won't be leaving anytime soon," Jughead whispered to her, kissing her temple gently before hugging her to his chest tighter.
"Yeah, and given that those assholes are trying to blame this shit on me, I'll be here too, Buttercup," Sweet Pea stated, glancing between her and Jughead to make sure they were both okay with this news.
"Me too." Fangs said, stepping up to stand beside Sweet Pea.
"Okay, well I'll call Mom and Dad to let them know you are safe. Dad and I will head out to the bunker and I will send my team to the hotel in Greendale so we don't have any issues with jurisdiction. You guys gonna stay here all night or-?" Charles trailed off, waiting for a reply. All three men nodded in confirmation and got themselves comfortable in different parts of the room.
"Alright, we will call when we have news," Charles said, walking over to hug Jughead and Betty. "I'm really glad you're okay, baby sister."
"Thanks, Charles. I'm glad too," Betty said with a timid smile. She watched as her brother left the room, leaving the four of them alone, save for the officer stationed outside the door.
Betty looked around the room, noticing the tension between the three men and finally decided to speak, "Alright, guys. I think it's time for that talk now."
They all stared at her in silence, each with a different expression on their face. She huffed, rolling her eyes before she continued, "Okay, look. It's obvious that there is tension between every single one of us in this room, so we need to work this shit out now. We have other - more dangerous - things to worry about given that Adam and his band of psychos have already tried to kill two of us today. So, let's all grow some fucking balls and talk already."
They all just gaped at her, each exchanging looks with the others but not saying a word. She knew she was being harsh with them, but she was tired of the drama that came with this love triangle - or square - or whatever the hell it was. She just wanted to clear the air and move on, so if she had to start the conversation for them, she'd do it. She pushed herself higher on the bed, settling back on her pillows and crossing her arms.
"Alright, fine. No one else is man enough to do it then I'll lay it all out for everyone. Jughead, you and I are back together and have a son, but Sweets was jealous of that." Sweet Pea went to interrupt her but she held up her hand and stopped him, "No Sweets, you guys had a chance to speak and didn't take it, so now you will listen."
"Okay, where was I? Oh yeah! So you and Jughead had a sexual encounter years ago - which is totally fine with me. We were not together, Jughead could - and did - fuck whoever the hell he wanted to. But then you had to go and kiss him and say you were in love with him after I got back, which is not cool. You have been acting like a whiny little bitch ever since I got here because he chose me over you. And don't try to deny it, the asinine behavior you have exhibited since I have been home proves it."
"Christ, Buttercup, you don't pull punches, huh?" Sweet Pea replied, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "I thought we were cool now?"
"No, I don't and yes, we are. Now, moving on, we all know you are fucking Fangs so maybe you should think of his feelings before confessing your love for someone else's man?"
"Betty, it's okay-" Fangs started but she wasn't hearing it.
"No, Fangs, it's not okay. Sweet Pea, you have a great guy here - who obviously cares about you - so tell me, why are you so hung up on Jughead? Come on, out with it." Betty crossed her arms again and waited. Sweet Pea looked between her and Jughead and finally sighed.
"Because Jughead was the first guy I ever felt anything for. I thought that meant something," Sweet Pea replied, hanging his head. Betty understood what it was like to have your first love not return your feelings, so she knew what Sweet Pea must have been feeling.
"Sweets, look at me," she said softly. He glanced at her, shameful tears forming in his eyes. "I know what you are feeling. Believe me. I spent the majority of my young life pining after a boy who would never love me back. It hurt like hell when he told me we could never be together like that, but you know what?" she paused, smiling sweetly at Jughead as he took her hand. "If it hadn't been for Archie breaking my heart, I never would have seen what was right in front of me the entire time - my soulmate."
Jughead reached for her hand, placing a kiss to her knuckles before turning back towards the other men. "She's right, Sweets. Fangs cares about you and I'm sorry that I couldn't love you the way you wanted, but I do love you. You are my best friend and I don't want to lose you in my life. So, can we get all this out and move on?" Jughead asked, his eyes pleading with Sweet Peas. He nodded in return, grabbing Fangs' hand and pulling him into his lap.
"Okay guys, let's work this shit out."