"Come on Elizabeth, pull it together," She whispered to herself, staring at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. She at least didn't look horrible, her make-up still somehow staying in place after their rendezvous. She felt another strange pain, gripping the sink and closing her eyes tightly. She let it sink that she had just slept with the leader of the Serpent's, but it didn't feel like that, it felt like he was just Jughead to her. She opened her eyes scrunching her nose at herself suddenly feeling terrible that she has rushed away from him so quickly. She squared her shoulders making the choice to just believe him, to try her best to ignore the warnings about him, and look past… well his past. All she had known of him so far was that he was caring and protective, and he was trying to do things with her that took him out of his comfort zone, and she had to let that be enough, she couldn't even say what more she really wanted. She walked back to the room slowly, hearing Jughead's voice through the closed door, she leaned closer listening carefully, the thin walls of his trailer not making it too difficult.

"... Gears said you hadn't been in today," She could hear a voice on speaker phone.

"Yeah I'm at the trailer," Jughead answered his voice obviously tired.

"The trailer? What the hell are you doing there?"

"I needed a break…" Jug seemed to hesitate, "And I didn't want to take Betty back there," He explained shortly.

"Shit you took her to the trailer?"

"Did you just call me to ask how my day was?" Jug snapped "Get to the point Pea." There was silence on the other end for beat. "Spit it the fuck out," jughead growled.

"It's bad Jug," Sweet pea finally sighed. "I called in Fangs for a brief… He has her place cased, and her school, and her work," Sweet Pea answered timidly. Betty froze realizing they were talking about her.

"Fuck," Jug cursed "That slimy mother fucker, I'm going to fucking kill him," The edge in Jughead's voice made her shiver.

"I'm sure it's nothing but a show… Castle isn't that dumb, she is a fucking kid," Sweet Pea tried to reassure him.

"Can we maybe not call her that right now…" Jug trailed off in an awkward tone.

"You fucking didn't Jones," Sweet Pea laughed in shock.

"I don't have to explain myself to you, Pearce," Jug huffed frustratedly. "We can have a club meeting tomorrow and figure out our options, I gotta go."

"Jug… " Sweet Pea cut him off "What are we gonna do about the drugs?" He asked quietly. Betty's eyes went wide in the darkness, her heart pounding at the words.

"Nothing, it's not fucking happening. Just let me handle Castle, I'll figure it out," Betty heard the call disconnect, as Jughead let out a loud exhale. Betty felt frozen, knowing she couldn't just walk into his room pretending like she hadn't heard all of that, but she couldn't just stay out in the hallway all night. She wasn't exactly afraid, she had complete faith that Jughead would do whatever he could to keep her safe, but at what cost. Her mind flashed back to his bruised appearance. She had to do something if she could and her best option was to help him, but she had to know what was going on if she was going to be able to do that. She took a deep breath, opening the door and quietly stepping into the room. Jughead was sitting at the edge of the bed, his back slumped over and his face in his hands. As soon as he heard her take a step further in his head snapped up, she caught a quick glimpse of the agony and stress in his eyes before he quickly shielded it, his face going blank, before pulling to a caring smile. The way he put that mask on so quickly made her suddenly very sad for him.

"Are you okay?" He asked focusing on her, his back straightening as he sat up, she walked slowly over to the bed sitting next to him.

"Who is Castle?" She asked strongly, ignoring his question. He looked over at her, slightly surprised but it faded quickly.

"You heard that," He said as more of a statement than a question, she just nodded. "God dammit I'm losing my edge," He sighed, looking to the floor before slowly back over at her.

"Why is he following me?" She asked knowing she couldn't give up. He just stared at her, his dark green eyes searching hers. "I can't help you if you don't let me in, Jug," She held his gaze confidently.

"I don't need help," He said stubbornly. She reached out her hand grabbing his softly, he looked down at her hand, his eyebrows pulling together.

"Yes you do, and it's okay, I'm here…. I want to be here," She said softly, willing him to let his walls down. She gazed into him deeply trying to give him whatever strength she had. He clenched his jaw looking away from her, but she wasn't going to let him crawl back into his hole. with her other hand she reached out pulling his face back to hers.

"Betts," He looked at her sadly "I don't want you to be in this."

"Too late," She lifted her chin "I'm in it." He let out a humorless chuckle, shaking his head.

"Yeah… I guess you are… " He trailed off, trying to look away again, but she held his jaw firmly.

"What can I do about this guy?" She asked, just wanting to do anything to make this easier for him, to somehow take some of the burden. He narrowed his eyes, tilting his head to the side and studying her.

"You can't do anything Betts. He is an insanely powerful drug lord, and he has me in his sights," Jughead started to at least give her some answers. She tried not to react to much to his words not wanting to let on to her fear, and give him any reason to pull back away.

"So what do we do?" She asked, nodding at him in support, he laughed again.

"We don't do anything, this is my mess," He closed his eyes tiredly.

"Okay, you either start explaining or you take me home and forget I ever existed," She huffed starting to get angry and tired of his need to take everything on by himself.

"Is that an ultimatum? Because I wouldn't fucking tempt me if I were you," He snapped coldly, and she flinched, but sucked in a deep breath not backing down.

"I get it Jughead, you are this strong, independent person... you let no one in, you stay cold and heartless, it's easier that way right?" She raised her voice slightly and he froze, watching her carefully but stayed silent "But that's fucking lonely, and I don't care who you are, no one wants to be that alone all the time," She said harshly, the curse word feeling odd on her tongue. "And I'm not going to sit on the sidelines, whether you like it or not you are not alone… You either let me all in or I'm out," She somehow kept her voice strong but inside she was trembling, completely terrified that he would take her up on letting her go, but she had to believe that she meant more, and if she were honest with herself if he was willing to let her go she didn't want to go further anyways, he would just break her completely in half and she knew that. He seemed to wait silently letting her words sink in.

"Being alone means no one else has to get hurt," He said sternly "If that means I have to avoid letting people in, then that's what I'll do." His response was hitting her earlier confidence hard as anxiety erupted in her stomach. Her gut twisted in knots and she regretted pushing him so hard, almost wanting to take it all back but knowing she had to do this, or it was always going to be the same conversation every time, her mind going back to the night in the safe house where he had fought her on being let in then too, at least this time he didn't have a knife in his hand.

"Even the Tin Man finds his heart," She whispered, looking to the floor sadly. He rubbed his hand down his face, staying quiet for too long. She pulled her hand from his. "Fine, take me home," She looked up at him, her eyes staring at him strongly. He stayed silent still, and Betty finally decided she would make her own move then, she stood up her heart pounding in her ears, as tear started pricking her eyes, she sighed realizing he still wasn't going to speak up, so she took a step towards the door, hoping with every fiber of her being that he would stop her. She felt his hand reach out and grab hers.

"No," was all he said and she let out a quiet sob from the relief that flooded through her, the emotions hitting her like a freight train. He pulled her back to face him, her eyes still filled with tears that she couldn't stop. "No," He repeated, shaking his head, and pulling her between his legs looking up at her, she sucked in a sharp breath realizing that water was filling the water lines of his eyes, he gulped loudly burying his face into her chest and hugging her to him tightly. She reached her hand up running it through his hair soothingly, feeling frozen and in complete shock from his emotions.

"Juggie, I'm here," She whispered leaning her cheek down onto the top of his head, He let out a struggling laugh that sounded like he was actively trying not to show his tears. She tried to pull away to make him look at her, not sure if she was just imagining things. He squeezed her tighter, not letting her get a good look, so she stopped and let him have a minute, trying to respect what he needed. He finally pulled away, sniffling discreetly, but he looked up at her his composure back in place, his eyes clear.

"I don't know what to do about Castle yet," He started honestly, Betty sucked her lip into her mouth biting down. She pulled out his grasp and sat back on the bed next to him, turning to face him and curling her knees up to her chest. Jug took a deep breath exhaling loudly before shifting and laying on his side across the bed, holding himself up on his elbow, and facing her. "We sell to him, we have for years. He is a dangerous person, he even scares me, and that takes a lot," Jughead explained, giving her a pointed look, she just nodded having already caught on to that somewhat. "We crossed him, in a pretty fucked up way. And now he may be out for blood, but I just can't fucking stay one step ahead of him, I think I do, but I don't know what he is capable of, he has me in a fucking checkmate," Jug sighed in frustration, "I have no fucking answers, I don't know what he knows, or if he knows, I can't read him. I'm trying, but he knows who you are, and he is dangling it in front of me, taunting me with it, and he is smart, and fucking powerful. It could just be a flex of power, or it could be a genuine threat, but he is so fucking manipulative I can't even begin to tell which it is, so I'm just trying to keep my shit together, keep my crew running, and keep you out of his grasp, which I'm failing at terribly," He gave her an apologetic look.

"You aren't failing, I'm here and safe with you, right?" She tried. He just nodded, but his look told her it wasn't enough. "What was all the drug stuff? Joaquin said you guys don't touch drugs." Jughead's eyes narrowed.

"Please remind me to have a fucking conversation with the guys, about how they all fucking talk too much!" He yelled angrily, rolling onto his back and staring up at the ceiling, but calming down quickly.

"Isn't it good that you guys don't deal drugs too?" She asked ignoring his outburst and laying on her stomach next to him.

"It would be, if Castle's current goal wasn't to force our hand at replacing his connection in Riverdale," Jug stayed staring at the ceiling. Betty watched him, hearing his words carefully, her mind immediately picking up on the way he phrased it.

"Who was his old connection?" She asked resting her chin in her hand, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Have I ever told you that you're trouble Cooper?" He watched her from the corner of his eye shaking his head at her.

"You might have mentioned it," She shrugged somewhat playfully. "So why does he need a replacement?" She asked again.

"You're gonna be the death of me," He laughed, finally sounding a little lighter as he grabbed her swiftly and rolled her onto his chest, coughing out a breath when she connected with his ribs. She tried to pull away but he held her tightly to him. "I'm giving you all the information I can, can that please be enough?" He begged, his eyes tired and obviously heavy.

"For now," She nodded just feeling grateful that he had opened up at least that much "But you can't sell drugs, Juggie," She looked at him concerned that he would be jumping into another dangerous world and she was barely able to stomach the one he was already in.

"I know, I'm working on it," He ran his hand through his hair staring up at the ceiling, "So the Tin Man huh?" He looked back down at her smirking. He was trying to change the subject and she was going to let him, needing time to process everything he said anyways.

"It's just the first character that pops into my head when I think of you," She shrugged.

"I'm just going to take it as a compliment that I'm not the lion or the scarecrow, I can live without a heart, but courage and brains I need," He laughed, yawning after.

"You can't live without your heart," Betty rolled her eyes.

"I live without it almost everyday… sometimes she has school, or work… oh and cheerleading practice," He closed his eyes as he spoke, his voice full of exhaustion, but his lips curled up into a smile. Betty realized what he had meant and her face immediately broke out in a blush. She smiled warmly watching him, as his face got still, the smile melting away as his features grew softer.

"Come on, let's get you into bed," She laughed quietly, crawling over him and pulling back the covers. He groaned, but obeyed her, following her to the top of the bed and shoving his legs beneath the blanket, his head hitting the pillow hard. Betty found her spot between him and the wall curling her back into his chest. She lifted her phone, that was next to her and typed out a message to her mom saying she was staying at Veronica's to get ready for Cheryl's party, she really was going to have to start coming up with better excuses but her brain was too emotionally exhausted for that. Jughead reached blindly behind him until his hand found the lamp and he flicked it off, rolling back and draping his long arm over her lazily.

"Good night Babe," He mumbled kissing the back of her head softly.

"Good night… Tin Man," She smiled to herself, he pulled her closer to him, snuggling his face into her hair, she let her eyes close, feeling safe and oddly at peace. She knew the situation was far from handled but as long as he was at least being open and honest with her, she might just have a chance at being an ally to him. The thought of him having someone to lean on made her happy, and it was indescribable the way it felt that that person could be her.