He found her passed out at her desk in the Blue and Gold office, uncapped pen still in hand, making unreadable scribbles across the blank page in her notebook.

Jughead leaned against the door frame, watching her for a few moments. He knew she hadn't been sleeping, though she hadn't been taking her Adderall, still giving the pills to him to dispose of when her mother refilled the prescription.

She would never know just how grateful he was for her trust in him.

Betty didn't look at peace, her eyes squeezing tighter together, her lips forming a thin line.

She was having a nightmare.

"Betty." He muttered, crossing the room to grasp her by the shoulders. "C'mon, Betts, wake up."

She slumped forward slightly instead, her head nearly knocking against the hard wood top. Jughead caught her easily, dragging her from the spiral chair.

"Betts." He said again. She squirmed against his grasp. "Betty, Betty, wake up. It's just me."

"Juggie?" She whispered, barely cracking an eye lid.

"Yeah." He replied, supporting her weight. "It's me. Wake up."

Betty finally seemed to regain some of her composure, her hands encircling his arms as she attempted to steady herself.

"What time is it?" She demanded, stifling a yawn.

"A little after five."

"Oh."

"How long were you asleep for?" Jughead questioned.

"I don't know." Betty admitted, stepping away from him. She tightened her ponytail. "Not long, I guess."

A concerned frown etched across his forehead.

"Betts." Disapproval dripped from his tone. "You need sleep."

"I know."

"Betty-"

"Jug, I know." She hissed.

He held his hands up in surrender. "Why haven't you been sleeping?"

Her shoulders dropped in a shrug.

"Betty..."

"Jug, if I knew, I would tell you."

His brow furrowed as her own hands curled up into fists, a movement he knew all too well. She had always thought she was being subtle with her frustration, but she was transparent, at least when it came to him.

"Betts." Jughead pried her nails away from the soft flesh of her palm. "Stop it. Talk to me."

Betty stared at him. "How did you-"

"I know you, Betty Cooper."

"Oh. Right."

He unclenched her hands, his thumb brushing across the crescent shaped marks indented into her skin. "I hate that you do this."

"Jughead-"

"Why, Betty?"

"I don't..."

"Talk to me." He ordered, almost begging. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Juggie." She whined, trying to break free from his grasp.

He wasn't going to let her go, not until she told him the truth, ironic, since he had yet to finish his story about the party their sophomore year, something he was still attempting.

"I'm..."

"Betts?" He asked.

"I'm... Scared." Betty whispered.

"Scared?" Jughead repeated warily, pulling her closer. "Of what?"

Her arms immediately locked around her torso, burying her face into his chest. With a sigh, he sat down, bringing the golden haired girl with him. She shivered, and he shrugged out of his leather jacket, draping it across her shaking form, mimicking his actions from the other night.

"Every time I close my eyes..." Betty began. "I just... I... I see..."

"What, Betts?" He probed. He needed to know. "What do you see?"

A moment of silence fell between them.

"Betty."

"Him."

Jughead's grip against her shoulders tightened instinctively. "What?"

Betty didn't answer. He glanced down at her, his expression softening when he saw that her eyes were closed, her breathing evening out, a content smile on her face. She felt safe. With him.

He was grateful that Toni had had other business to attend to. If she saw him, Betty sleeping soundly in his arms, she would have never let him live it down.

He would never give her the satisfaction that once again, she was right.

Elizabeth Cooper was his, whether he was ready, or willing to admit that.

She had always been his, his friend, his partner in crime, the girl he would always protect, the one person he would have done anything for.

She was the girl he had loved for as long as he could remember.

Two Years Ago

"I can do a cartwheel!" She slurred, darting forward on the sidewalk. "D-Do you wanna see?"

He caught hold of her arm before she could step off the pavement, yanking her towards him. Her back made contact with a muscular chest; she was still amazed at just how much he had changed in only a year.

"No, Betts." He replied, the nickname surprising her. "I want you to keep talking to me. What happened?"

She thought for a moment.

The only thing she could recall was him dragging her from the house, gripping her hand so tightly, his knuckles had turned white.

"Betty."

"Archie said you weren't coming." She finally responded.

He stared at her, his expression unreadable. "What are you talking about?"

"I wanted you to come." She continued, ignoring him. "I missed you, Jug, I... I..."

"Betts?" He questioned.

She slipped her arms underneath his intimidating leather jacket, winding them around his torso.

He stiffened at the contact. "Betty..."

"I miss you, Juggie."

Her words seemed to soften him slightly, and suddenly, he was hugging her back, almost crushing her to his chest, though she had never felt safer.

"I need you to tell me what happened, Betts." He muttered, resting his chin on top of her head. "Tell me what that bastard did to you."

"I..."

"Betty?"

"I-I don't know." She admitted, tears clouding her vision. Her legs began to wobble. "I can't... I didn't... I need you, Juggie."

And then, she was leaning towards him.

She woke with a start.

"Hey." Jughead muttered, his grip tightening instinctively. "It's okay. You're okay."

She made no moves to lift her head from his shoulder, blinking as she tried to take in her surroundings. She was on the floor of the Blue and Gold, Jughead's jacket wrapped around her shoulders for what seemed like the thousandth time.

Had she fallen asleep?

"What happened?" She asked.

"You finally got some sleep." He replied. "Are you all right?"

Betty nodded. "Yeah, thanks to you."

She had never felt better.

This was the Jughead she knew and loved, the boy who always managed to make her feel safe.

"Any time, Betts." He promised, seriousness lacing through his tone.

His phone began to ring, and with an apologetic glance in her direction, he untangled himself from her grasp, pulling the deice from his pocket to answer it. Feeling cold without him beside her, Betty wrapped the familiar leather a little tighter around herself, the smell of cigarettes and aftershave an instant comfort.

Something hard banged against her hip.

With Jughead too preoccupied with his call, she thought she could hear Toni's voice on the other end, she felt safe enough to slip her hand into the pocket of his Serpent's jacket. Her thumb brushed across a cool, glossy surface, and she immediately knew what it was.

Before she could stop herself, she freed the phone from the interior, shoving it into her knapsack, her curiosity too great for her to remember her promise to Jughead.

"I have to go." He said with a reluctant sigh.

He moved towards her, holding out a hand to help her to her feet.

She took it without hesitation.

"Where?" Betty questioned.

"Never mind." Jughead replied, and by his tone, she didn't ask again. "Come on, I'll take you home."

She opened her mouth to protest. "Jug-"

"Please, Betts."

"Juggie, it's not that far of a-"

"Betty."

She wasn't ready to leave him yet, so, with a sigh, she accepted.

"That would be great, Juggie, thank you."

She started to take off his jacket, but his gaze, slightly authoritative, made her halt her actions. With an eye roll, she allowed him to lead her from the Blue and Gold office, her grip tightening on the strap of her knapsack.