Chapter Six : Nine Days

Betty's eyes fluttered open when she heard Chic walk down the stairs. Her hand drifted to her forehead and surprise rippled through her when she felt a wrap around her head. Her fingers tugged on it slightly, feeling the gauze.

"I couldn't have you dying yet. When you do die I want to drown you, I want to watch the light fade from your eyes. Just as I saw your brother's life fade from his." Chic spoke cunningly as he paused in front of her.

Anger coursed through her at her brother's mention but she just nodded. "Thank you for the wrap…" she whispered weakly. All defiance had been drained out of her, leaving her only with a deflated will to live.

Chic grinned at her acceptance and Betty felt her stomach crawl. It had been days since she sent out the letter to Jughead. It was only a matter of time before he found the secret meaning and found the warehouse basement she was in.

"Come on, get up."

Betty looked up at the young man with confusion. "Why?" she asked, biting her lower lip as her heartbeat increased.

"We've been here too long, we have to move," Chic explained and raised an eyebrow in expectancy. "Get up."

Bringing herself to her feet, she looked down at the handcuff attached to her foot. The small amount of will she had to live was diminishing by the second. If they moved how would Jughead know where she was?

Chic bent down and entered the key in the lock, unlocking the latch as it unclicked from Betty's foot. It a split second, Betty shook her foot. When she was positive she could handle running she brought her gaze to Chic. Kneeing him in the groin she watched as he doubled over in gasping pain. The moment he was struck she raced up the stairs.

As she ran up the stairs, she slid the bracelet Jughead got her off her wrist and watched it fall on a step. If Jughead found this place, he had to know she had been there.

Once she was upstairs, Betty looked around for a way out. Instead of an unlocked door, her gaze caught a cellphone on a table. Her phone. Running over to the table, she quickly switched the phone to silent and held it her hands. When she heard footsteps racing up the stairs, she quickly put the phone in her bra and backed away from the table.

"You'll pay for this, Betty!" Chic yelled, spitting her name out like it was poison.

Betty raced away from him but her legs were still weak from lack of use and she stumbled slightly as she ran. When his calloused hands gripped the young woman's arm she gasped in surprise when she was yanked backward. She struggled against his grip, and for a moment she was sure she'd be free. Then a needle pricked into her neck and she felt her eyes flicker before they shut.

Then her body went limp and Chic grabbed her with his lean arms. While Betty fought for consciousness, she felt herself be picked up and carried. That's when she gave up and drifted into the darkness.

Jughead's fingers raced over the keyboard as he typed away. So far he had searched for every warehouse within a fifty-mile radius of Riverdale. He had found eleven and only four were in business.

Currently, he had a map to everyone the warehouses out of business downloading to his phone. The download was at eighty percent. As he waited, he clicked open a new tab, an empty document. His fingers hovered over the keyboard as he bit his lip. For days he had been trying to get himself to write about the incident but every time he opened the document, he was overcome with emotions.

Betty Cooper, once portrayed as the perfect daughter from the perfect family now Riverdale's very own detective. Some may say she has a perfect life still, but looking closer it is clear she has overcome many struggles and difficult times. Now she, and her loved ones, are faced with the ultimatum of a lifetime.

Him or her.

Jughead typed before sucking in his breath. His heartbeat increased as he quickly exited from the tab. Unshed tears bubbled in his vision before he checked the downloading progress. Two percent away. Watching as the bar finished it's loading he quickly unplugged the cord and shut his computer.

It had been five days since the letter had arrived and two days since he had decoded it. Six days since he'd seen her since he'd held her in his arms since he'd kissed her.

Reading through the warehouse names once more, he searched through each one's background. Out of seven closed warehouses, two had basements. Out of those two warehouses, one had recently closed that year and the other was closed years ago. Deciding that the one that had been closed longer was the best bet, he chose that place to search first.

Tom's Tire Factory

He had wasted two days when water spilled over his computer making him unable to use his computer to search for anything. Jughead had only gotten the computer fixed an hour ago.

"I'm coming, Betty," he whispered as he threw his jacket on.

He was going to find her. He was so close.

Parking the motorcycle outside the old building, Jughead let his gaze travel to the building. Betty could be in there. Getting off the motorcycle, he took his helmet off and hung it on the handlebars.

Walking over to the building, he let his hand go to the knife in his pocket as he pushed open the doors. His heartbeat increased as his gaze searched the warehouse.

Empty.

Entering the building he looked around for any evidence that Betty had been there. When he spotted stairs leading to a basement he hurried over. That's where she would be kept if she was in the warehouse basement. Grip tightening against the knife handle he looked around.

As he walked down the stairs, his gaze caught onto a shimmering object on the stair step. Bending over he looked at the object closer. It was a silver bracelet with a small heart on it. Jughead's heart flipped as he looked at the heart closer. Engraved on the heart was BJ. Jughead pursed his lips, it was Betty's.

Gripping the bracelet in his hands he walked downstairs, heart racing. On the ground, blood speckled the floor and a dirty white, which looked more gray now, laid carelessly on the floor.

No Betty. His heart sank and his stomach flipped. She was here, recently, but he had missed her. Jughead was so close to saving her and he barely missed her.

Holding the bracelet in his hand, he traced his finger over the engravement. It was the birthday gift he had gotten for Betty last year. He was going to find her, he had to.

Jughead just had to.

Archie cursed under his breath as he hit the punching bag. He ignored the sting in his knuckles as he kept hitting the bag over and over again.

He and Veronica were done. He slammed his fist into the bag again.

Betty was still missing. He jabbed the lower part of the bag with extra force.

Jughead was breaking down and wouldn't stop trying to find Betty. He punched the bag again, looking at the speckles of blood that hit the bag with every hit.

The police weren't any closer to finding Betty. He hit the punching again, tears of anger trickling down his face.

"Arch." Archie froze at the voice.

"Betty?" he asked, looking over his shoulder. Archie pursed his lips when instead of Betty talking to him, it was Veronica. His stomach flipped. Was she taking him back?

"Not Betty, Veronica." The young woman muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. A bag had been dropped at her feet. "This is your stuff that you left at my house. I don't want you to come by. Ever again." Veronica explained coldly before she turned and walked off.

Archie watched her leave with longing eyes. He knew he should call after her. He'd apologize and she'd turn around, he'd tell her everything he loved about her and she would leap into his arms, kissing him. Replaying the scene in his head he nodded.

"Veronica wait," he called after her and she stopped but didn't turn around. "I'm sorry…" Archie added and she turned around, facing him. Her expression was emotionless and cold. "I love you so much-"

"-Stop," Veronica hissed, her lip quivered as she spoke. "Do not make this harder. No matter what you say, no matter what you do, it's no. It's always going to be a no. Now stay away from me, never come by again. Understand?" Her voice was hard and tears filled her eyes.

Archie nodded, watching her turn around and push open the gym doors. Then it was official, Veronica had left him.

Veronica closed the doors behind her, swallowing to try and remove the lump in her throat. Her eyes stung with tears that drifted down her cheeks. She knew it was dumb to cry, Betty was suffering much worse… and she had already broken up with Archie. So why did it hurt so much?

She had devoted herself to him, she had always supported him and then he turned around and yelled at her before trying to get her back two days later. When he confessed his love for her, Veronica felt herself tearing at the seams.

Her best friend was gone.

Her boyfriend was gone.

Half of her friends hated her.

Her parents were monsters.

She was truly alone. Utterly alone. Walking forward, she kept her gaze on the ground. Taking a shaky breath she wiped the tears from her eyes. Pausing at a building, she sank to the floor and put her head on her knees as she cried.

"Ronnie?"

Veronica looked up to see Reggie standing in front of her with a concerned look. "Oh," the Latina took a deep breath and offered him a pathetic smile. "Hey, Reggie."

The young man sat down beside her, looking out into the city. "You shouldn't be out here alone…" Staying quiet, she looked at the ground. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Everything happened. Betty's gone, Archie and I are done, I just…" her body shook in sadness. Reggie put an arm around her and she leaned into his shoulder.

Crying into Reggie's shoulder, she let everything out.

And for everyone, things were sliding downwards on an icy slope and they were all hitting rock bottom.

A/N: Review please! I don't want to write if I don't think anyone is reading, and what do you guys think of Reggie and Veronica?