Shout-outs: LabRatsWhore, Isilme'sStar, and NanouBlue

Rated: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Chapter 9

"Do you think he'll show up?" Veronica asked, checking her phone again for the umpteenth time that morning. "I don't think he's going to show up."

"You did just leave," Jughead reminded her, coming to the kitchen and pulling his sweatshirt over his head. "Give him some time to catch up with you, for crying out loud!"

Betty blushed when she saw him. "Good morning, Jughead."

"Hey Betts," Jughead replied, smiling at her.

Veronica frowned and took a sip of her orange juice, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow. "Did I interrupt something here?"

Betty shook her head. "What? No! You didn't interrupt anything!"

"Don't look at your phone again!" Jughead told Veronica.

"How about we go shopping today?" Betty suggested. "Do you think that'll get your mind off it?"

Veronica sighed. "Maybe just a little bit. But what if Archie shows up while we're gone?"

"I'll stick around and move around a few periods before I send my final edit to my agent," Jughead volunteered. "And if I get finished with that sooner than I expected, I'll go and organize the DVD collection alphabetically like you've wanted to do."

"Okay," Betty agreed. "Thank you Juggie!"

"I have to do something with my hair and face before I go anywhere," Veronica said. "I must look like a nightmare."

"Aren't you forgetting something else?" Betty asked.

"Excuse me?"

"The pregnancy test," Jughead clarified. "Don't you want to know if you're pregnant or not?"

Veronica paled even more. "Not really, no. I don't have the strength to face a positive result right now."

"That's not very characteristic of you," Betty said, leaning against the counter and looking at her best friend seriously.

"If it's positive and I'm pregnant, it'll make it real!" Veronica explained. "If I'm not pregnant, it'll make me a fool for running away! Besides, I kind of want Archie to be here when I take the test. I can't do it without him."

Jughead and Betty exchanged looks.

"Well, I'm almost one hundred percent certain that Archie is on his way," Jughead told her.

Veronica shot him an icy look. "How do you know that? Did you text him and tell him to come? Because if you did, I swear I'm going to cause you serious physical pain Forsythe Pendleton Jones!"

"Ugh, Betty why did you ever tell her what my Christian name is?" Jughead asked groaning. I haven't been in touch with him since last week, Veronica. He definitely didn't hear it from me."

"I didn't tell him either!" Betty assured her. "I couldn't sleep, so I was working on the library last night."

"You left him a note, he doesn't need any help from us."

"What I meant is that I hope neither of you told him I might be having his child," Veronica replied, glaring at them. "I want him to come and get me because he wants to. Not because he feels obligated."

"So we've been told," Jughead answered. "Listen, it's all going to work out in the end. You'll see."

"Now go and fix your face and we'll do some shopping!" Betty said.

Veronica brightened slightly. "I do love Italian boutiques! I'll be right back."

"You should make sure she eats something," Jughead told Betty. "For her sake and the sake of her possible unborn child."

"I will," Betty promised. "Listen, about last night. . . maybe we could have that conversation when I get home?"

"We should," Jughead agreed.

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"So, what's going on with you and Jughead?" Veronica asked as they browsed leather miniskirts.

"Nothing," Betty answered. "Nothing and everything all at the same time. We kissed yesterday and if you hadn't showed up when you did, we might have done something more."

"Something more?" Veronica repeated.

"Everything more," Betty clarified.

"Oh, I see! Well, I always did have impeccable timing." Veronica smirked.

"Or un-impeccable timing, depending on the way you look at it," Betty replied.

"Maybe," Veronica agreed. "If I'm pregnant, It's going to be a while before I can wear a miniskirt, isn't it?"

"If anyone can wear a miniskirt during pregnancy, it's you Veronica."

"I'm going to try it on!" Veronica announced, taking one in her size and disappearing into a heavily curtained dressing room. "You should too!"

"You seem like you're in better spirits," Betty commented as she flipped through plaid skirts.

"Shopping will do that to a girl!" Veronica answered, pushing the curtain back and stepping out and twirling around. "Well, what do you think?"

"You look amazing as always," Betty replied.

Veronica beamed. "Thank you. I'm going to buy it and a fabulous pair of heels too. It'll give me courage to face Archie when he arrives."

Betty smiled. "Everything's going to be okay, Ronnie."

"Even if I am pregnant?" Veronica asked. "I'm afraid everything will change."

"For better or worse, everything does change eventually," Betty told her. "Even if you don't want it to, you wake up one morning and your whole entire life is different. Sometimes it changes a couple of times in the course of a few years."

"Don't get me wrong, I do want kids! I even want them with Archie but we haven't talked about it. We haven't even talked about getting married," Veronica explained. "I just. . . I don't want to push him into anything he doesn't want. You know?"

Betty sighed and abandoned her search for a miniskirt. "Yes I do. Even more than you think, V."

"Jughead?" Veronica guessed. "Don't pretend it isn't the case! I might be wrapped up in what I'm going through right now but I've still been able to tell that there's something going on with you. Kev mentioned that you're still in love with Jughead."

"I am," Betty admitted. "I am and I don't know how to tell him. I want him to stay here with me or to come back when he's done doing everything he needs to do for his second book. But like you with Archie, I don't want to push him into anything he isn't ready for. . . into something he doesn't want."

"How do you know if you don't ask?"

Betty rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Hello kettle."

"We've always made a fine pair," Veronica replied. "Come on, let's go and purchase something completely fantastic and expensive. Even if we can't have the guys we want right now, there's always retail therapy."

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They got back to the villa just in time for dinner. Jughead was cooking pasta in the kitchen and wearing one of Betty's many apron. He smiled when he saw them come in, laden with shopping bags from most of Italy's best designers.

"I see you've been supporting local commerce," he commented.

"The only other places to do this kind of shopping are in Paris and New York City," Veronica answered.

"There's a surprise for you in the living room," Jughead told her.

"You mean. . ." Veronica's eyes lit up and she dropped her bags on the floor. "How did he get here so fast? I didn't think he would get here until the end of the week, at least—"

"Well, he booked a ticket and followed you as soon as he got your note," Jughead said. "But when he tells you, pretend you heard it for the first time and not from me."

Veronica nodded and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "How do I look? Do I have time to reapply my lipstick before I go and see him? Do I have time to change?"

"You'd better just go now and not keep him waiting!" Betty replied, giving her a gentle push. "Go on, he came all this way to see you just like you wanted."

Veronica took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. Here goes nothing."

"I made spaghetti and sauce," Jughead said when they were alone, he stirred the pasta. "Should we eat now or wait until Veronica and Archie are done talking?"

"We can eat now," Betty answered. "They might be a while. I was actually hoping we could have a conversation of our own."

Jughead poured a glass of wine for her. "Oh, we do need to talk, don't we?"

"Last night did happen," Betty reminded him.

"I know. I was there."

There was a long pause, Betty took a sip of wine and studied him over the rim of her glass before shrugging. "Maybe we should chalk it up to being in foreign countries. People do stupid things when they're in foreign countries, don't they?"

"Sure," Jughead agreed. "They buy things they can't afford or eat the funky seafood or go to parties they shouldn't. Maybe if they're in Vegas, they'll get married to somebody they don't know. But I'm not sure everybody almost hooks up with their exes."

"I hate that term," Betty said. "Hooking up. It's so. . . it makes the whole thing sound cheap."

"Nothing with you has ever been cheap," Jughead promised.

"You're leaving," Betty whispered, looking down at the counter.

"I know."

"I'm staying here," Betty continued. "I'm going to stay here and make a life for myself. I think I can make a go of it."

"I do too," Jughead told her. "I only have faith in you."

"My point is, you're going to be an ocean away and I don't want to tie you down. So, let's keep last night in last night."

"You said that the last time you ended things with me. You didn't want to tie me down," Jughead said, turning the stove off. He removed the pot of water, drained the water and turned to look at her. "But here's the thing, I always wanted to be tied down by you from the first moment I laid my eyes on you. Even after I saw the wreck that was my dad and mom's marriage, I wanted that kind of life with you."

A tear slid down Betty's eyes and landed in her wine, she pushed the glass away. "Juggie—"

"If you don't want me, I'm going to return the favor you did me all those years ago and let you go." Jughead put the pot down and took a step towards her. "But I want you to ask me to stay. I'm only going to stay if you ask me to—"

"Juggie—" Betty tried again as he framed her face with his hands and looked at her earnestly.

"We're getting married!" Veronica announced as she and Archie burst into the kitchen, smiling and laughing.

"It isn't because she might be pregnant either!" Archie assured them. "I've wanted to marry her for a while now. I never suspected we wanted the same things. It's time to grow up though and plan for a future."

Jughead's hands dropped to his sides and he cleared his throat. "That is great news you guys!"

"I'm so happy for you," Betty added hastily. "This calls for a celebration. There's a bottle of champagne that I've been saving for when we're finally finished with the renovations here but I think we should open it right now! Jughead, why don't you go and put some music on?"

"Did we interrupt something?" Archie asked, frowning. "You guys looked like you were having a serious conversation when we came in."

Jughead shook his head. "No. You didn't interrupt anything. We were just finishing things up. Right Betts?"

Betty hesitated, it felt like a speak now or forever hold your peace situation. On the other hand, she didn't want anything to overshadow Veronica's happiness.

"Yes. We're done. . . for now," she answered tactfully, hoping Jughead would get her subtle message. "Come on, let's talk about you guys now. Were you thinking a June wedding at the Plaza?"

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The Diary - October 23rd

Archie followed Veronica here almost immediately. So, now it is the four of us just like it used to be. Whether there's going to be a Lodge-Andrews baby is still to be determined though. She'll take the test first thing tomorrow morning. No matter what the results are, they will get married and become a real family.

Time to become a grown up, Archie says.

Jughead and I talked tonight. He said something to the effect that it's always been me since we first met and that despite his mom and dad's marriage, he's always wanted it with me. He said he'd let me go if that is what I really wanted but he really wants me to ask him to stay. I didn't get a chance to answer him because Archie and Ronnie interrupted us.

I still am unsure of how to form the words even though I know how he feels now. Maybe I just need one.

Stay.

TBC. . .

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Author's Note:

Still with me? Will you leave if I admit that I cried a little bit while I wrote this? But then I am an emotional wreck between this story, starting Grey's Anatomy, Chicago Fire, This Is Us, and Blue Bloods. I hope you will tell me what you think. I am almost done, I promise the payoff will be rewarding. I am excited to get to the end, not because it will be the end of the journey but because. . . well, I'll just wait until we get there. I will probably do an everyday update of "Jughead & Betty's Epic Detour" because I have almost all of that written. Then I guess we'll have some one-shots and a sneak peek of my next multi-chapter before December.

Until Next Time!

Love,

Holly, 9/30/2017