Chapter Four : Twelve Days

Betty was laying on the floor of the basement, head, and limbs resting against the cold cement. Hunger gnawed in her stomach, making her hiss in pain. She had gone roughly three days without food or water. Her throat burned in need of water. Chic had untied her hands but her legs were still handcuffed.

Still, Betty didn't need anything to hold her down. Her energy was gone and she needed substance and water if she were to keep living.

When she heard his footsteps, Betty swallowed back a wail.

"You gave me to the Black Hood. To be killed." Chic muttered, rage tinting his voice.

Betty felt her stomach twist. Chic was in a bad mood, which could only mean one thing. She had a swollen purple bruise on her hip to prove it.

"I'm sorry," Betty whispered, her voice sounding raspy with lack of water.

"You are now. I doubt you were once you did it though. You're only sorry because you're in danger." His voice was rising, growing madder by the minute. Chic paused in front of Betty's cowering shape. "Drink. Can't have you dying yet," he growled, a water bottle falling on the floor beside Betty.

She pursed her lips and took the bottle in her hands. She was trembling now, nerved by Chic's presence. Taking off the lid, she brought the drink to her lips, drinking the water. It felt cool against her throat.

"I believe a thank you is in order," Chic growled, glaring down at Betty.

"Go to hell," Betty growled back after she had drunk the water. Now that she was feeling refreshed, her defiance was back.

Anger coursed in Chic's face and he bent down, practically shaking from rage as he faced Betty. "I thought you learned," he growled. "But I'm glad you haven't."

Betty closed her eyes tightly as Chic's fist flew into her face. Blood seeped from her nose down her face and she felt tears prick at her eyes. Before Chic could kick her, she rolled over slightly so his shoe hit her shoulder instead of her stomach or ribs.

When Chic flashed his fist towards her, she felt pain burn in her face and then her gaze went black. Her body went limp and she was left lying there, unconsciousness and bleeding.

Jughead was hunkered over on the couch in the trailer, head in his hands. Toni was leaning against a wall with Cheryl beside her, Fangs was sitting on the couch beside Jughead and Sweet Pea was on the other couch.

"Why are you guys here?" Jughead asked, looking up at the others with a tired expression. He needed to be alone so he could think of a way to save Betty.

It was quiet for a moment before Toni finally spoke up, "Jughead, listen. You haven't left this trailer in two days. We're worried-"

"-No! I'm worried! About Betty! She's been missing for three days, and the only clues we have is a note she wrote when she was delirious and a text message from the day she was taken! Why shouldn't I be worried?" Jughead was yelling now. Getting up he ran his hand through his hair, which was missing his usual beanie.

Everyone looked down awkwardly, and Sweet Pea blew out a breath.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Now all of you get the hell out!" When nobody moved anger welled in Jughead. "Now!" he shouted.

Toni made a move to leave but Cheryl grabbed her girlfriend's shirt and pulled her back to where Toni had been standing before. "Don't," Cheryl muttered under her breath to Toni. When Jughead spun around to face Cheryl she took a deep breath. "Okay, listen. First, don't yell at my girlfriend- or me. Secondly, you're in horrible shape." When Jughead opened his mouth to interfere she shook her head. "No, listen to me. I understand Betty is in danger. We are all worried about her! For goodness sakes, she's my cousin!" Cheryl put a hand on Jughead's shoulder, who looked away. "You got to let us help you."

Jughead was silent for a moment. As was everyone else. Toni had a small smile on her face and Jughead assumed it was because of her love of Cheryl. Jughead felt grief burn in his heart, all he wanted to do was be able to smile at how amazing Betty was.

"Alright. Fine. You can help." Jughead said belatedly, sitting back down on the couch. The tenseness of the scenario calmed down and Cheryl smiled in contentment.

"Can we see the letter from Betty?" Sweet Pea asked and Jughead nodded numbly, giving the paper to the young man. He felt like a failure. For all his talk about being a genius at crime solving, the moment something dreadful happened to someone he actually cared about, he went blank.

"This first paragraph is weird." Commented Fangs, who had moved over along with Toni and Cheryl to Sweet Pea.

"Yeah, I know. She was delirious from pain." Jughead replied numbly, anger flickering across his mind. They weren't helping. They were pointing out the obvious.

"No, because her other paragraph is normal. I think… I think there's some sort of meaning to this." Toni murmured and Jughead looked up, towards them. Arching an eyebrow in confusion Jughead sucked in a breath. What if Toni was right?

Cheryl looked over to Toni and kissed her quickly. "You're a genius, TT. Let's see...haste… maybe she's trying to say to hurry…"

"Yeah, clearly. But what does 'Everything' mean?" Sweet Pea asked his face scrunching up in thought.

"I don't know..." Jughead whispered, putting his head in his hands. "It could mean anything."

Cheryl sighed in defeat and Jughead felt relieved that someone understood how he felt.

"What about elegiac, what does that mean?" Toni asked, biting her lip.

"It's a lament for the dead." the young man replied dully. "And abhorrent means a place that's disgusting. Meaning it could be anywhere." Jughead whispered and felt tears prick at his eyes.

"Everything…" Cheryl whispered to herself. "Read everything…" The trailer was silent as they all tried to figure out what the note meant. Or if it meant anything at all. "Her room… her house… where could she have left a clue that you have to read right before she got kidnapped?" Cheryl asked, and Jughead could see the rising excitement in her eyes and posture.

"My book!" Jughead gasped, and everyone looked at him in confusion. "I gave Betty my book to edit. She was editing it right before she stopped messaging me!" Hope was now fresh on his mind and Sweet Pea put the note on the counter.

"Then let's go to her house and read those edits." Jughead grinned feeling a wave of hope crash against him.

"Tomorrow, for now, you need to rest Jughead," Toni added and Jughead nodded reluctantly.

Hope: want something to happen or be the case. His friends might have just solved his problems. He was finally waking up from his nightmare.

Then why did he feel hesitant?

Veronica was wearing her glasses as she looked at the pictures of her and Betty on her phone. When Archie went missing, she at least knew how to get him back, and who had him. When Archie was kidnapped, at least she could do something.

Now she just felt useless.

When her phone buzzed with a message, she read it with a somber look in her eyes. To her surprise, it was both a picture and a message, from Archie.

Archie: this is the letter betty wrote jughead (Sent at 8:09 PM)

Archie: *IMAGE* (Sent at 8:09 PM)

Pressing onto the image, interest flickered across her face. Once she read it she dropped the phone on her bed. The note had about as much importance as Veronica did right now. None.

Tears bubbled in her vision and the young woman took off her glasses to brush her tears away. Looking out the window, Veronica stared at the dark night sky. "Betty, if you're out there. Please… please know that we'll find you…" She whispered before wincing at the sound of a knock at her door.

"One moment!" She called out and quickly wiped her eyes so the tears were gone. She had to at least act strong. If she was useless when it came to solving the mystery, she could at least act strong so others would follow her lead and be strong too. "Alright, come in!" she added and sat down on her bed.

When the door opened, Archie stepped in and smiled sheepishly at Veronica. Veronica huffed in relief that it wasn't her parents. She didn't want them to suddenly act like they were the best parents ever and comfort her. It just made her feel even more incompetent.

"Hey Ronnie," Archie murmured and Veronica stood up, rushing into his arms. His muscular arms hugged her back as she shook with sadness. So much for being strong. "I came to see how you were but it seems you are just as lost as I am." Archie chuckled but there was no humor in his tone.

"I'm glad you came," Veronica whispered resting her head on his strong shoulders. For once she didn't comment on how muscular or handsome he was. It just seemed wrong at a time like this.

They hugged for a few moments longer before Archie pulled away and held Veronica's chin in his hand. "You know I'm here for you right?" he asked and she smiled softly.

"Yes." Then she kissed him, wanting her feeling of uselessness and despair to be forgotten, even if just for an hour. The kiss started soft then grew passionate. Veronica cupped Archie's cheeks as she deepened the kiss, her hands roamed to his shirt before he suddenly pulled away.

"We can't," Archie started as he looked away. Veronica sighed and nodded, soothing her shirt down. "I'm sorry it's just-"

"-No, I understand. I just wanted to forget." Veronica interrupted hastily and sat down on her bed.

"I have a different idea. Come to Pop's with me. We'll talk, about Betty. I know forgetting sounds easier but we need to… cover all the bases you know?" He started and Veronica looked up, a smile playing on her face.

"Cover all the bases?" She asked with amusement, and Archie laughed softly.

"Deal with a situation thoroughly," Archie explained and Veronica stood up, kissing him softly.

"Always with the sports metaphors, isn't that right Archie Andrews?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as she put on a jacket. When Archie laughed again she looked at herself in the mirror. "Good god I look like a mess. I need to do my powder. Then we'll go. Wait outside for me?" she asked and Archie nodded.

"Sure."

Stepping outside of Veronica's bedroom, Archie ran his hand through his hair. His anger had suppressed after his trip to the gym. Reverting to boxing to calm himself, Archie visited the gym daily now. His knuckles were bruised and red from how hard he had hit the punching bag two hours before but they didn't hurt.

Nothing could hurt more than losing Betty and seeing Veronica grieving.

Pulling out his phone as he thought of Jughead, Archie typed in a message. The least he could do was so how Jughead was doing. Archie had stayed away from the young man ever since they had found out, Archie just felt too… guilty to face him.

Archie: you okay man? (Sent at 8:32 PM)

Jug: Yeah, we might have figured something out. I'll explain later. (Sent at 8:33 PM)

Archie felt hope flicker through him as he read Jughead's message. Jughead had solved something. Things were going to work out. Right?

"Ready lover boy?" Veronica asked and Archie quickly put his phone away as he turned to Veronica. He didn't want to tell her in case whatever Jughead found out wasn't helpful. Archie didn't want her to get her hopes up just to have them crushed.

"Absolutely. Let's go and run interference," said Archie, breaking out another sports reference. They seemed to make Veronica laugh and that's all he wanted. To make her feel better in a time where everything was going wrong.

When Veronica smiled and hit him on the shoulder as she laughed he knew he had succeeded in his plan to make her feel better. Things were getting better.

And while three of them felt hopeful, Betty was left bleeding on the cement floor, clinging to life.

A/N: Done. Wow, it's like 4 AM and I'm exhausted... xD Do you think Jughead is onto something? And do you think Betty is going to pull through?