Two months later the cat was growing and so was Betty's stomach. The kitten was getting bigger everyday but she was still Betty's baby. Dakota and Lane were quickly becoming friends, mainly because the kitten never left Dakota side. Betty was getting bigger everyday as well. She now was walking around like a wobbly penguin. Jughead couldn't help but snicker at the way she had to saunter around the house.
One day in particular Betty was fed up with being a penguin and with being pregnant in general. She was sitting on the bed with Lane curled up next to her. She was reading articles of about how you can induce labor. "Juggieeeeeeee!"
Jughead hurried into the room afraid she was in labor. "What's wrong?" He asked sitting on the bed.
"This article says sex induces labor. Can we try it please!?" She begged pulling at his sleeve.
"Baby come on, you know the rule." Jughead soothed rubbing her back.
"But Juggieeee! I've been waiting for like four months and I'm aching and I want this damn baby out!" She whined pounding her first on the bed.
"Baby, I would love to, but we gotta let her come out on her own. Believe me, I'm aching too, but we have to wait." He said pulling her close and placing a hand on her stomach. "She will be here soon enough don't worry."
Outside it was snowing, it had just started but Jughead had warned Betty when it snowed in Lanesboro, it didn't stop for a few days. But she wouldn't have to worry because everyone owned trucks for these occasions. It was January, so winter was in full swing and the town was already prepared. Betty curled up on the bed trying to keep warm as she watched countless classic movies.
Jughead was on his way upstairs to bring her hot chocolate when he heard Betty gasp. He ran upstairs quickly to find Lane on Betty's lap, a pile of throw up at the of the bed. "Damn it! Come on Lane get out!" He yelled as he grabbed cleaners from bathroom.
"Jug no! You're not gonna kick her out, she's sick!" Betty warned at she soothed Lane by stroking her back.
"Betty, she threw up all over the bed! She needs to punished!" He wailed.
"What are you gonna do if the baby sick!? Punish her!?" Betty screamed. "Lane is our fur baby just like Dakota! If Dakota was sick you would take care of her! Don't be a dick!" Betty huffed.
Something about Betty's words about the baby and Dakota hit him. He threw the cleaning products on the bed. "Fine! You clean it up!" He said walking out the door, slamming it behind him. He made his way downstairs and sat in his lazyboy.
Betty started cleaning up the bed, tears threatening to escape her eyes but she held it in. With a few sprays and a few wipes the bed was cleaned up. She didn't know why Jughead had gotten so upset. She sighed and laid back down Lane beside her.
Betty let her gaze dropped to the floor. In the corner of the room she noticed something pink. When she realized just what it was she bursts into tears. The deflated pink balloon that her young niece gave her, a piece of home. Everything came rushing back to her, her exile, her mother's harsh words, and her sister's judgement. The tears kept flowing and she wasn't trying to stop them. Maybe she needed to cry, or maybe she was just that she realized that her eyes weren't the place she was wet.
Jughead sat in the lazyboy, his head resting on his fist. He was so angry at that cat, he had wished he never adopted it. But what concerned him the most was if him and Betty were like this over a cat how in the world could they raise a child together? He sighed and sunk lower into the seat.
"Jughead!" He heard from upstairs. He wanted to assume that she was just mad at him and wanted to say something else. But he couldn't, he knew it was something else. He ran up the steps and into the closed bedroom. He still at the sight of Betty upset and the sheets wet.
"My water broke."
"Shit." He mumbled pulling up his cell phone. "Hey. Yeah. Um Betty's in labor." He explained quickly and hung up the phone.
Within a half an hour, Jellybean had arrived to help. Jughead had made Betty comfortable and hadn't left her side. He had carefully changed Betty out of her clothes and into an old shirt of his. It was an old mets t-shirt that Jughead had had since he was sixteen. He was never a Minnesota Twins fan so he quickly adopted the mets. Betty was swimming in it of course but it made her comfortable and that's all that mattered.
Jellybean rushed into the room with a bag of tricks. She had become the town's midwife since the doctor was so far away. The town kind of adopted her as such so she took some classes and now actually knew what she was doing. "Let's get this baby out of here," she exclaimed after letting herself in and rushing up the stairs. She noted the pain in Betty's face and how quickly she was moving along. "How long have you been having contractions?"
Betty was already breathing heavy, "My water broke right before Jughead called and then the contractions started."
Jellybean took a deep breath, "Oh boy, this is gonna go fast." She said walking towards Betty with warm towels.
Within just a few minutes the baby's head was crowning. "Alright Betty, I need you to push. I can see the baby's head."
Betty took a deep breath and held onto Jughead's hand. Jughead wiped off the sweat from her brow. Betty pushed through her body with a scream, her grip crushing his hand. "Shit," he mumbled under his breath.
Jellybean chuckled, "Good job, Betty. One more push." Betty took another deep breath and pushed with all of her might. A squirming baby girl slipped into Jellybean's hands and a sharp cry erupted through the room.
Betty was exhausted and in pain but a smile grew on her face. Her baby was finally here she couldn't believe it. She looked to Jughead whose face poured with overwhelming emotion. He was shocked at the human process of birth and the baby girl that sat in front of him in his sister's arms.
"Jughead come cut the cord." Jellybean instructed. Jughead froze looking at the baby and then back to Betty. She smiled at him and nodded. He nodded and walked towards Jellybean. "The scissors are over there." Jellybean suggested nodding her head to where the bag sat. Jughead grabbed the scissors and cut the cord carefully, his hand shaking. With a snip it was over and Jellybean had the baby wrapped up in a warm towel. Jellybean handed her gently to Jughead who took her willingly.
Jughead looked down at the baby in his arms. She yawned and stretched her tiny back, her eyes barely open. Jughead felt tears pressing against his eyes. This little girl in his arms was his baby blood or not, he would raise her. She was so small and fragile in his arms. He placed a small kiss on the baby's forehead. "Hi sweetheart. I'm your daddy." He told the baby softly.
Betty watched Jughead from the bed. She took in the sight of the tiny baby in his arms. She really couldn't believe how lucky she had gotten in this deal with her mother. Hearing Jughead calling himself the baby's daddy was making her emotional. A few tears slipped out of her eyes and she quickly wiped them away.
Jughead carried the baby to the bed and laid next to Betty. He handed her carefully to Betty. She held her close to her chest. "Hi there baby." She cooed gently rubbing the baby's arm. "What shall we call you baby?" Betty asked the baby below her who looked somewhat like her biological father. Thankfully it wasn't so much that she couldn't pass as Jughead's. Her hair was jet black like Jughead's and her lips were pouty like Jughead's. Yet she had Betty's striking blue eyes.
"What about Evelyn?" Jughead asked Betty his arm wrapped around her shoulder.
"I love it." Betty smiled at him as he planted a small kiss on her lips. "Why Evelyn?"
"I think it's classic and beautiful." He said nonchalantly. "What about a middle name?"
"Storm." Betty said simply earning a confused look from Jughead. She continued, "A storm brought us together. I think it's only appropriate that we name our daughter after it."
Jughead smiled brightly at her and kissed her again. "It's perfect. I love you."
"I love you too Jughead."
"Hey Betts," Jughead said quietly.
Betty had Evelyn snuggled up to his chest in a warm embrace. "Huh?"
"I'm sorry I got so mad about Lane." He said stroking her hand with the hand that draped over her shoulder. "I don't know what got into me."
"Jughead. No. Don't. It's okay. Honest." Betty said simply kissing him softly. Jughead kissed back with a nod.
Jellybean had left after she cleaned up the mess she made leaving them some alone time. She promised to bring the kids to visit when the snow stopped and Jughead made her promise to contact them when she made it home.
A few minutes after she left, Evelyn started to cry. Betty had her close to her body, "Hey shhhhh." She soothed bouncing her in her arms.
"Oh no what's wrong?" Jughead asked worried looking between Betty and Evelyn.
"I think she's just hungry Jug." Betty said with a smile. "Isn't that right Evy? Are you hungry?" Evelyn continued to cry. Betty smiled down at her letting out another shhh. Betty slipped her left breast out of her shirt and guiding Evy's head to latch onto her. Within seconds she had stopped crying and was sucking away. "See Juggie, she's fine."
Jughead took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. You're right. Do you need anything?"
Betty shook her head, "No. Just come sit with me."
Jughead smiled and happily joined her on the bed. He pulled her close and kissed her head. "Have I ever told you that I love your new mommy boobs?"
Betty chuckled, "Oh do you now? Well maybe you'll get a turn later." She teased with a wink.
Jughead groaned at the thought. "Don't tempt me woman." He said pulling her into a deep kiss.
Betty kissed back with a small moan. "Thank you for loving me when you didn't have to, Jughead."
"I wouldn't change our situation for the world and I don't think anything could have stopped me from falling for you."
Betty beamed and kissed him softly.
Within a few minutes Evy had fallen asleep. Betty fixed her shirt back up and quickly fell into a light sleep.
Jughead watch the pair sleep and smiled. He really couldn't believe this day was here. Their baby girl had arrived and he and Betty were in love. He was so happy things worked out well for them. He wished things could stay like this forever.