AN: Oh how I love, itsBeckChadwick. Let me count the ways!
Thank you so much for the reviews! I love that you guys are loving it. Hope you enjoy this one as well!
The Darkness was back. That gnawing Darkness that tried to claw it's way out of her throat and hands and feet was back. It wanted violence. It wanted control. It wanted Alice to never speak about Jughead ever again. Because Jughead belonged to Betty, and the Darkness was apparently quite possessive.
Betty first named this thing in her when talking to Jughead about it, but she didn't start thinking of it as separate until she overheard her mother in the attic. It was one of the more intense waves of the Darkness that she's had so far. But everything that involved Jughead was intense.
This wasn't the first time her mother talked about Betty never seeing Jughead again. And the last time it happened, Betty reacted the same way: the Darkness bubbling in her throat and spewing out at her mother as they fought. It used to be that the Darkness laid dormant until jerks like Chuck messed with her friends. Now, it feels like it's always right under the surface of her skin, waiting to get what it wanted. Betty didn't know if she wanted to stop it anymore. It was scary…. but exhilarating.
Upon seeing Betty at the bottom of the attic stairs, Alice quickly rushed her into her daughter's bedroom, following Betty in and closing the door. Alice looked as if she was caught doing something she shouldn't have been, her hands up in defense and her body slouched slightly. Maybe she was just reacting to the hard look on Betty's face. The Darkness was itching to take over and do something Betty would regret. She kept it at bay.
"Betty-"
"Mom, why were you talking about me and Jughead?" Betty asked quickly, her body buzzing with barely contained fury.
"Sweetie, I don't know how much you heard-"
"Enough to know that you're talking about breaking us up. Again."
"You don't know the full story."
"I don't need to know anything. When are you going to stop trying to control me?"
"Betty, that's the last thing I want."
"That's bullshit," Betty snarled, and Alice looked shocked.
"Watch your mouth, Elizabeth." Alice's narrowed eyes were back, her posture straightening and her hands on her hips. Alice's power was coming back to her and the Darkness was growling to be released. "You may not like it, but I am your mother and I do know what's best for you."
"Is that what you think? That's it's best for me and Jughead to break up?"
"Maybe it is," Alice said. "You don't know everything, Betty. And what you don't know can hurt you. I'm trying to protect you."
"From what?!" Betty demanded and Alice opened her mouth to answer before closing it quickly. She shook her head.
"I can't tell you that right now." Betty almost screamed in frustration, the Darkness rushing to her hands as she clenched her fingernails into her palms. The pain temporarily eased the frustration flowing through her, enough to calm down.
"What were you guys even going through up there?" Betty asked. Alice sighed, rubbing her temples slightly.
"I don't know what you want me to say."
"The truth would be nice," Betty practically growled, easing her fists a bit. Alice huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.
"The truth is, your father and I were having a private discussion over a private matter, and this is not something I need to discuss with my daughter." With Betty's shock, the Darkness was starting to rise to the surface, unappeased by the blood on her palms.
"You can't do that! You can't just decide things for me!"
"Of course we can! We're your parents. You might not think so, but part of our job is to keep you safe."
"Keep me safe? Or keep yourself safe?"
Alice didn't answer that immediately, choosing to stare icily at her daughter as Betty stared back, eyes hard. They stood like this for a few moments, both refusing to back down. Betty might have been stubborn, but she got it from her mother. Finally, Alice took a big breath in, and then breathed out, letting go of some of the tension in her body. Betty would have done the same, except the Darkness was whirling in her ears, blocking out the want for peace. And she was very close to just unleashing everything.
"Betty, I want you to know that Hal and I love you very much," Alice said, eyes softer than before. And just like that, the Darkness stopped growing, stopped pulsating. Betty could feel it beginning to recede. She took a calculated breath, and let it out.
"I love you guys too," she said softly.
"I have something I need to tell you, but I don't know if I can," Alice said, growing more vulnerable by the second. "It's deeply personal and yes, it has to do with Jughead."
"You can tell me, Mom. Whatever it is, I can handle it." Alice sighed, shaking her head.
"I don't think I can do it tonight, Betty, " Alice said hesitantly. "But I promise not to try and make any of your life decisions until I'm able to talk to you about...everything."
This was the best that could be asked for. Alice had a deeply personal secret that she didn't feel like she could share with her daughter. Betty understood the feeling. It wasn't like she was rushing to tell her mother that something inside of her was compelling her to hurt herself and other people. Betty could give her mother a bit of slack. She nodded at her mother in understanding and Alice breathed deeply again. They stood staring at each other for a few moments.
"It's getting late," Alice said softly. "Time for bed." She reached out tentatively and hugged her daughter as if she was afraid Betty would reject the contact. Instead, Betty gently wrapped her arms around her mother.
"Good night, Betty." Alice said, kissing the top of her head. Betty nodded.
"Night, Mom."
Alice exited, giving one last parting look to her daughter before leaving. Betty sighed, emotionally exhausted from the day. This was one of the best and worst days of Betty's life and her mother was the last nail in the coffin. She could feel herself growing tired, lying down on her well-made bed to stretch out. Thinking back on the day, her mind lingered on the morning with Jughead, before all this drama. The argument with her mother only made Betty crave his presence now more than ever. She closed her eyes and replayed the short time they had just spent in her bedroom: hands everywhere, passionate kisses, and wanting so much to be closer. She could practically feel his soft lips on hers again, and her hand reached up to rub her bottom lip. Sighing, Betty took her phone from her back pocket, typing out a message.
I miss you.
Betty didn't have to wait long until he replied. She grinned as her phone vibrated.
I just left! Aren't you sick of me? ;)
Betty bit her bottom lip. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
I'll never be sick of you.
I wish I was holding you right now.
Betty sighed, remembering the feel of him against her this morning. Some more half naked sleeping was definitely in order.
I wish my hands could feel your skin.
I wish I could kiss that spot behind your ear.
Why that spot?
When I do it, you moan and it drives me crazy.
Betty felt the skin he mentioned, closing her eyes and imagining Jughead was there. She hummed in satisfaction, wishing it wasn't a fantasy. Betty felt a little bold, wondering if she should send the next message she was thinking of, before deciding to type it out.
Does it drive you crazy when I trace the line of your boxers?
Betty could feel her face growing red. For a moment, waiting on his response, she almost wondered if this was too much. She was practically sexting! And that is not something that Betty ever thought she'd be capable of. Her eyes lit up at his response.
Fuck, Betty. I wish you were doing it right now.
Betty smirked, feeling almost powerful as she kept typing.
How about when I trace the lines on your chest with my fingers?
God, yes.
Betty could feel her chest rise and fall, her skin tingling. Jughead wasn't the only one enjoying this.
Or when I nibble on your neck?
Shit. Betts, you're killing me.
Betty chuckled, fanning herself lightly with her hand. She needed to get herself under control. Jughead wasn't here and she's pretty sure she pushed her boundaries enough with this whole sort-of-sexting thing. Betty took a breath, hoping to cool herself off.
Sorry, Juggie. I'll stop.
Betty was surprised when the three dots on the screen stayed for a few minutes before he responded.
I mean, I didn't say that. ;)
Betty grinned, clutching her phone to her chest and closing her eyes for a brief moment before being surprised by another text.
Was your mom mad?
Not as mad as I was.
She tell you what she was talking about?
No, but she promised not to do anything crazy like try and break us up.
You gonna investigate?
Betty thought about it for a second, wondering if it was a good idea.
What would you do?
I'd already be up there, snooping in your mom's stuff.
Betty thought about what her mom said, and all the secrets her family was holding from her. Maybe it was time to stop waiting around for someone to spill the secrets and discover them for herself. She grinned, typing back.
You're a bad influence on me…
Says the girl dirty texting.
Betty chuckled.
Are you at your foster family's house?
Yep. The Shields are nice and creepy, just like before. Somehow Fran knew about my Serpent jacket.
Betty's heart jumped.
You think she's a Serpent?
It's possible. This family is way too perfect.
So of course, they're hiding something.
I love it when you can read my mind. :)
I love it when I can feel your hands on my bare back.
Jesus, Betty. If you want me to break into your house and get us both into serious trouble, I'm a couple of seconds away from that.
Betty laughed loudly at that, shaking her head.
Goodnight, Jughead Jones.
I'm going to dream of you, Betty Cooper.
Betty smiled and turned on the flashlight function on her phone, already walking towards her bedroom door and out into the hall. Betty could hear her mother and father talking in hushed tones from inside their bedroom. Hopefully they'd be too busy with their discussion to notice any strange noises. She did her best to walk to the attic and pull open the door without making too much noise. They hadn't locked it, lucky for her!
Betty creeped into the attic, the light from her cell phone guiding her path. Once she got to the top, she noticed quite a few boxes strewn about. Looks like they chose not to clean up after looking through all of them. Betty peeked into one of the many, noticing an old Riverdale High School yearbook from the year before her parents graduated. She pulled it out, blowing off the dust and began flipping through it.
Betty's eyes furrowed as she looked at old photos of all the major adults in her life, Fred Andrews and Hal Cooper included. They all seemed to be having a great time, but her mother looked… different. She was wearing more makeup than she usually did, more than most of the other girls in her class. Black leather seemed to be the only thing she wore back then, if these pictures were any indication. In one picture, Alice had her arms wrapped around a man that looked only vaguely familiar. Who was he? Betty turned the page and gasped.
Alice stood there in a leather jacket, her back to the camera as she peaked over at her shoulder at it. On either side of her was F.P and the unknown man pointing at her back, big smiles on both of their faces. Betty gently touched the image they were pointing to in the picture: a large, twisting snake encased with the words 'Southside Serpent.'
"You found them, too?" Polly said. Betty jumped, just noticing her very pregnant sister at the top of the attic stairs.
"You scared me!" Polly smiled slyly.
"Sorry, Betty. But you shouldn't be up here," she said.
"Probably not, but I need to know what's going on with Mom."
"Why? Knowing does not make things any easier, trust me on this," Polly said, rubbing her swollen stomach.
"Whatever is going on could break Jughead and me up. What else am I supposed to do?" Betty asked, almost pleading. Polly nodded, leaning heavily on the wall. Her feet must be killing her.
"Believe me, I've been there. But the more you sneak around, the worse it's going to be."
"Did you know she used to be a Serpent?" Betty asked, and Polly's mouth formed a hard line.
"Yes. She told me after everything with Jason, before she sent me off to live with those nuns."
"Do you know who's in this picture?" Betty asked, lifting up the photo of her mom wrapped around a man who was not their father. Polly glanced at it, sighing. She nodded. "Who is it?"
"I can't tell you that, Betty."
"Why not?"
"Because it's Mom's secret to tell. Just, go to sleep. She'll tell you in her own time," Polly said, reaching out her hand for her sister. Betty chewed her bottom lip for a second before putting the yearbook back where she found it. She took Polly's hand and her sister smiled as they walked down the stairs together.
"Everything will be better in the morning. Trust me." Betty nodded as Polly went into her bedroom, closing the door. She took one last look at the attic door before finally going to her own room and shutting the door. Maybe Polly was right. Maybe everything would be clearer in the morning.
Even as Betty thought this, she knew it wasn't true. Everything was only going to get worse and Betty was paralyzed to stop it.
AN: What? You say you want to review? Well, I suppose I won't stop you! :D