Well, hello there, everyone. It's been a bit. Sorry about that.
I did not expect to be gone so long, but hey, you can't rush healing. I'm not shy about the fact I have depression and sometimes it hits harder than usual. I found a new therapist (therapy is the best thing in the world next to movies & amusement parks and I will stand by that. Ice cream is up there, too.) And work wasn't letting up. And I'm feeling a lot better now.
And now it seems we're all finding ourselves in a time of some unexpected rest, so to all of you who haven't felt able to breathe easy in a while like me, may this unexpected time of slowing down and adjusting be good to you. Don't ignore what you're feeling.
And perhaps there are those of you that still have to work because of the specific industry/service you work in and can't rest. Or who find yourself in a whirlwind of panic about pivotal moments or paychecks being canceled, and I want to say you as well; take a deep breath. It's all going to be okay. We're all in this together.
So whatever form of social distancing you are practicing, or however this new chapter finds you, I hope it reminds you that there's still air in your lungs and ground your feet. And sometimes that's all that matters :)
Anyway, thank you so much to everyone for all the incredible reviews and passion for this story! I've gotten so many messages asking if I'd be posting soon. And now I'm finally able to say yes! I'm not the fastest of writers and I'm okay with that, but I know too that sometimes it's hard to be patient. So, thank you for the patience and continuing to tag along with me :)
Boris Yeltsin, thanks so much for being a consistent reader and reviewer! I hope you continue to enjoy. And yes, your favorite characters will be getting some help they so desperately need.
Aut, my heart was racing writing those last two chapters, too! And I'm glad Betty's finally back.
Ellie, thank you so much for the kind words! Your reviews constantly make me smile as to how invested you are in this story. I'm glad I've been able to satisfy some yearnings for you and other readers. (I'm personally having a hard time watching the show right now. I'm emotionally invested in practically nothing sadly.) And Betty having those flashbacks was fun to write. I loved that scene too, and it's been in my head since the beginning of this. Thank you once again and hopefully you stick with me as I try to crank out the rest of the chapters.
AvidMovieFan16, thank you for continuing to read and engage with this story! It means a lot to me. Penelope did get a taste of her own medicine, and how nice it feels considering everything she's gotten away with. Both Betty and Polly have some healing to do, but I'm sure there's some room to heal together in here somewhere...
Guest, thank you for reading! And to answer your question, I started writing this story before S4 even aired and I'm planning on keeping it separate from anything onscreen right now. So TJ is kind of my Eddie in this particular canon.
Guest, thanks so much for the enthusiasm! I'm glad the chapters were worth the wait! Sorry I had to keep you waiting so long for more!
ButtonMashr, thank you so much for your continued great reviews! I love when you notice a lot of the small nuances and to just see what sticks out to everyone, because I know different things will for different readers. The tape recorder scene had me tense at my keyboard. I have a habit of saying "I'm sorry" out loud to all my characters when I'm writing something painful and I uttered it quite a bit during those last two chapters. I have loved writing for FP more than I thought I would. I have fallen in love with him and the arc he's on so much in this. And I love reading how much you liked all the little 'mic drop' lines last chapter - I may have overindulged a little. My particular favorite was Cheryl calling the Farmie a 'dime-store Death Eater' :) And I figured you might have liked Alice's part in all this.
Guest, thank you so much for saying that! Hope you're still out there and waiting for more!
VickyP, thanks so much for joining in and finding my story! I hope you continue to read along!
Seriously, thanks so much, everyone!
And now, without further ado, the continuation of my inability to write short chapters.
Chapter 15 – Out of the Woods
There's a distinct stillness that happens after a storm.
After the tempest roars its final fury, and the rain is nothing more than glittering remnants under a bright sun, the birds emerge from their hiding places and the trees shake the storm from their heavy branches.
There comes a quiet.
While the FBI rushed around the scene, it was nothing but a blur for the rest of us. I remember water bottles and blankets being handed out, questions being asked, and then exhaustion taking over.
We had been ushered to a nearby hotel while Betty had been rushed to the nearest hospital. And when we had awoken, what had seemed like an endless night had been replaced by a shining sun.
After a quick clean-up and debrief, we were soon back in the cars after learning a nice surprise: the FBI had arranged an airlift back to Riverdale General for Betty after checking that she was stable enough to be moved. Charles thought it might be nice if she could wake up in her own town.
We thought so, too.
The monster had been caged and the lost traveler finally returning home, but underneath all the relief, I could still feel a lingering unease.
Betty had yet to open her eyes, and our night in the woods had offered a haunting yet hazy picture of her lost time. And we were all antsy to hear the whole story. But I had a feeling the road there was going to be long and full of bumps.
But for now, birds were singing. And the current road was open and free.
I sat beside my father at the head of a line of cars quietly following the black dot of a helicopter. To anyone on the outside, we looked like no more than a normal stream of traffic on the highway, but to us, it was something more: a parade of family and friends traveling through mountains and valleys, clearing a path home for one of their own.
The air in the lobby of Riverdale General Hospital was buzzing with the energy of rushing nurses, lit-up telephones, and a mass of people anxiously crowded amongst the chairs. Alice, FP, Charles, and Agent Kane were talking quietly near the front desk. Kevin had his legs outstretched, testing out the knee brace he had received earlier, while Cheryl sat next to him, flipping absently through a magazine. In the back corner of the lobby, Jughead, Archie, and Veronica sat hunched together, their voices mixing together in a hushed tone.
"Do you think she'll talk about what happened?" Archie scrunched his brow together as he darted his eyes between Veronica and Jughead.
"She'll know we'll be curious, but don't rush her on anything," Jughead answered, swirling a small cup of water in his hand. "Let's not try to push her, even after everything we just saw." He let out an aggrieved huff, leaning against the creaky waiting room chair.
His mind had resorted back to its fretful swirling after the fairly peaceful ride home and was now alternating between tremendous relief and disconcerting imagery from the previous night.
He was mostly trying to focus on the relief part, especially since Betty was a bit worse for wear at the moment – and he knew that didn't just go for her physical state.
But it also seemed his rampant imagination wasn't going to be ignored tonight.
It wasn't being helped by the fact that the scenic drive had given way to a more stifling and sterile surrounding, making it that much harder to feel calm.
Hospitals – or perhaps, more accurately, waiting rooms– with their low, opaque lighting and atmospheric mixture of unease, drowsiness, and the unknown always felt off to Jughead. Like an empty airport or a cracked and weed-grown parking lot.
Maybe it was because they were only meant as a place to pass through, not stay. Maybe it was because hospitals were one of the only places where death existed so commonly and unblinkingly. Or maybe it was because the events of the past two days had been so sudden that his brain was the thing that was off.
Whatever it may be, for a place that was built for healing, Jughead always wondered why hospitals had to look and feel so depressing.
Which suddenly sparked another small panic in the back of his head.
Betty hadn't been in a hospital as a patient for a while. Should he be worried that she might be freaked about being in surgery because of her original ordeal with Edgar?
It struck him that, amongst everything she just went through, nah, along with everything she just went through, Betty might have a reason other than the present obvious to be upset and uncomfortable about being stuck in a hospital bed. Uncomfortable about being in a place that's supposed to feel safe. A place that's supposed to be healing.
The plastic cup in Jughead's hand cracked.
"Jughead?"
He looked up. Archie was flicking his eyes between a small puddle that had appeared on the floor and the water that was still dripping down Jughead's hand. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, sorry," Jughead leaned over and chucked the wreckage of the cup into the closest garbage can. "My head went somewhere else for a second."
"It's okay, man. I think all of our heads are still in the woods." Archie sank back into his chair and threw a comforting arm over Veronica.
While they had been able to shower and clean up earlier in the day, none of them had brought a change of clothes, and it looked like more than just their heads were still in the woods. Veronica's pants had grass and mud stains across them, as did Jughead's jacket. The once-white soles of Archie's high tops now sported a few spots of dried blood.
"Speaking of-," Veronica straightened up, a twinge of discomfort forming in her eyes, "about Fox Forest, about-"
"-the tape." Archie's eyes widened as he accidentally blurted over her question. He must've thought he had spoken too loud as he whipped his head around the room before leaning closer to Jughead. "Do we tell her that we-," he stopped and swallowed, "-what we heard?"
"No."
Jughead barely let Archie finish the question. His face darkened as he stared Veronica and Archie dead in the eye. "No. She does not need to know."
He may not have been able to keep her safe before, but he could at least try to keep her safe from something now.
Archie and Veronica exchanged a quick glance, Veronica looking as though she wanted to say something, but before she could, a door opened and the sound of footsteps filled the room.
Jughead turned in time to see Alice break away from the huddle of adults and practically corner Dr. Patel as he emerged from the back.
Jughead, Archie, and Veronica sprang up and shuffled over, forming an eager crowd around the doctor. Cheryl and Kevin hovered as well.
"I assume you're all here for Ms. Cooper?" Dr. Patel tucked his hands into his white coat as he scanned the small horde in front of him.
"Yes, and we've been waiting for over an hour! What have you people been doing? How's my daughter?" Alice snapped, her bloodshot eyes burying into him. She looked the worst out of everyone there. She had stayed with Betty at the hospital in Cornwall and appeared as though she hadn't tried to clean herself up, let alone sleep yet.
"She's doing just fine right now. She has a separated shoulder, and then a gash on her leg and right side. Your daughter's very lucky she was only mildly grazed by the bullet, we're not sure if her body could have handled going into a full surgery."
"What do you mean?" Alice asked anxiously.
"Well, we have her on a fluid drip right now for severe dehydration and some malnutrition, so we decided to do some further bloodwork to check for any signs of hypothermia or anemia, and I'm glad we did because we found something a bit more concerning instead."
The energy in the air suddenly seemed a lot less excited. Jughead took a step forward, coming directly behind Alice and FP.
Dr. Patel eyed the line of eager teenagers, taking a few steps back and motioning for Alice to follow. She did, along with Charles and Kane, and their conversation became a whisper. Jughead strained his ears, but FP placed a hand on his shoulder, steering him and the rest of the teens further into the waiting room against their protests.
"I know you're all anxious, but if the doctor wants to keep something private, let's respect that." He glanced over his shoulder. "Besides, it's getting late, maybe you should all head home."
"Dad, no. We need to stay," Jughead pleaded, looking impatiently toward where Alice was now fussing at Dr. Patel, "especially if something's wrong."
"Dr. Patel also said that she's doing fine. He probably just wants to keep some of the more sensitive information between the family."
"But we are the family," Jughead reasoned. "And Agent Kane isn't."
"He probably needs to know for their reports."
"And you don't?"
"They'll read me in."
"Dad."
"Jughead." FP groaned and rubbed his face. "We're all stressed. Just be patient, okay? Seriously, you guys should head home."
"Mr. Jones, you should know by now that, sheriff or not, you can't get us to leave," Archie professed.
"Archie David Andrews!"
Everyone jumped. Mary Andrews was stamping her way through the waiting room, her face an indistinct read.
FP lifted an eyebrow and blew a short whistle. "Well, maybe I can't, but I sure bet she can."
"Mom-," Archie's voice muffled as Mary engulfed him in a hug. She reached out and pulled Veronica in too, only withdrawing when Archie began to squirm and melodramatically gasp for air.
"Are you okay?" Mary held onto his shoulders, giving him a once-over.
"I'm fine. We're all fine."
Mary's eyes drifted over the group of teenagers before settling back on Archie. "Good," she said, nodding slowly, a deep frown materializing. "Because you're about to not be."
Archie's face dropped and he and Veronica shared a look.
"What were you thinking? Disobeying and following a federal agency? And over international borders no less!" Arms were being waved now. "You could've been hurt! And how do I find out? A note on the fridge!"
Jughead cringed and glanced at his friend. "Archie."
Archie huffed defensively at him. "We were rushed."
"And you-," Mary turned in FP's direction. "His note said that you approved this."
FP put his hands up in concession. "Mary, I'm sorry. Yes, I told them they could come, but I never intended for them to be in harm's way. I didn't know they'd run off on their own."
"They what?" She sent another angry eyeful toward her son as FP ran a hand through his hair. "Have you met our children, FP? Come on, Archie, we're leaving." Mary began to pull him toward the front doors.
Archie startled forward but looked back worriedly at Veronica and the others. "Wait no, Betty-,"
"-is not awake yet." Charles finished Archie's sentence, walking up to the group. "The doctors said she probably won't wake up until sometime tomorrow. So it might be good for everyone to go home for the night."
Archie let out a discouraged huff, giving Veronica a quick hug before walking out of the hospital behind his mom. FP mouthed a quick "thank you" to Charles.
"Well, if that sorry summary is all the information we're getting tonight, then we might as well go. TT's probably worried sick anyway." Cheryl grabbed her jacket and promptly spun toward the door. "Kevin. Come along."
Kevin stifled an eye roll. "Glad one of us seems to be doing alright," he mumbled. "Come on, Veronica, I can give you a ride, too."
Veronica nodded, then turned to Jughead. "If you learn anything else, let us know. Please?" Her eyes looked pleadingly up at him. Jughead nodded and she gave him a quick hug before following after Kevin.
The waiting room was suddenly a lot emptier and a lot quieter. It was just Jughead and Charles now, as FP had ambled back over to Alice. Jughead laced his fingers together as they both sat down.
"So," he began warily, raising his head, "is it anything serious? Does she have a complication with the gunshot wound or something?"
Charles raised an eyebrow. "Jughead, the doctor wants to keep it confidential."
"I'm pretty sure you've been giving me bits and pieces of confidential information this whole time. No need to stop now."
Charles pursed his lips and eyed Jughead, eventually letting out a long sigh. "From the sounds of it, and from the intel we already have about his practices, it seems Edgar was using a homemade anesthetic on Betty, and there are still traces of it in her system. That's why it took them so long to get her situated here – they had to figure out what they could safely give her."
Jughead rocked in his seat. He rested his chin in his hands, his eyes burning holes into the floor. His fear from before didn't feel much like paranoia anymore. "Homemade?" he sneered, his temple beginning to throb. "God, he never cared if he hurt her. And it's still in her system?"
Charles nodded. "Which means he must have used it recently."
Now both were staring down at the floor.
"Now? You want me to go with you now?"
Alice's voice carried into the room as she tramped behind Agent Kane. She somehow looked even more disheveled than before.
"We have to get started on closing the investigation with The Farm. You're the asset and have the information we need. The abduction is just one part – a big part-," Kane emphasized as Alice threw him a merciless glare, "-but we have other people that need help, that need to get home – like your other daughter - and you can help us expedite the process."
Alice narrowed her eyes, seeming to consider that.
"I can stay here with Betty if you need to go," Jughead quickly offered, "I'll make sure she isn't alone."
Alice stared at Jughead. And then she blinked. She just kept blinking, and then slowly started to shake. The shake turned to a sob and she reached for the back of a chair. Charles and FP rushed beside her, the latter wrapping his hands around her shoulders.
"I left all of you alone," Alice choked, looking at Charles. "I left Betty behind, I abandoned you, I abandoned Polly… and I just watched one of my kids nearly be executed by a man I was supposed to stop." She sucked in an unsteady breath. "She won't want to see me."
"That's not true." Jughead was suddenly on his feet, his anger slipping underneath rising empathy. "She's really missed you."
"When was the last time you slept?" FP asked quietly.
"What? Oh, I don't know," Alice replied a bit breathlessly. "That doesn't matter-,"
"It does to me," FP interrupted, staring her in the eye. "Maybe you should go. I can take you home for the night."
"No," Alice answered, straightening herself. "No, Kane's right, I need to go with the FBI. There were other people left behind, maybe I can at least help them." She turned and joined Agent Kane at the lobby entrance.
Charles gave FP one last sympathetic look before making his own way toward Kane and Alice, "I'll make sure she gets some sleep."
FP nodded appreciatively, watching as the three disappeared out the door and then turned to Jughead with a heavy sigh. "I have to stop by the station, but then I'm heading home. JB's been left alone for over a day."
"She's probably been enjoying that." Jughead gave a faint smirk and FP returned with an indignant, yet slightly amused stare.
But then his smile dropped, and his eyes grew tired. His whole face suddenly looked older, heavier. He waited for his dad to say more, but he never did; instead, he just patted Jughead on the shoulder and turned to leave.
Jughead stared after him, his own fatigue now growing heavy. After a moment he turned and joined Dr. Patel, and the two began down the long and quiet halls of the hospital.
Archie swung his door open as soon as he felt the car come to a stop. The ride home had been silent and awkward and all that was running through his head was that his truck was still at the hospital.
"Archie."
He bounded up the front steps and onto the porch.
"Archie!" A hand wrapped around his arm, and he stopped and turned. Mary's eyes were glowing and, mixed with the sharp yellow of the porch light, he couldn't decipher if it was because of worry or anger. "Talk to me."
"Mom, I'm not apologizing for going," he maintained, crossing his arms.
Mary looked at him dejectedly. "I couldn't reach you, I couldn't reach FP… I just had to sit and wait. I had to wait to hear if my son was okay. It was reckless! You could've been killed out there!"
Archie snorted agitatedly, "But I wasn't, okay? I wasn't worried about me. Betty was the one almost killed! If we hadn't found her when we did, she-," the thought caught abruptly in his throat. He turned his face toward the ground, his lip beginning to quiver. He tried to push it down, but then he caught a glimpse of his shoes.
"Mom." He fell against Mary's shoulder, tears beginning to stain her sweater.
Her stance relaxed and she wrapped her arms around him, stroking the back of his head. "Coach Clayton said you've been missing practices," she said gently, "you've spent so much time at the center. And I've heard you up in the middle of the night." Mary paused and Archie could feel his tears streaming uncomfortably down his face. "Did they catch everyone?"
He nodded against her shoulder.
"Then no one's out there anymore. Everyone that hurt her and you is behind bars. Please, Archie, no vigils this time. No staying up unless I can do it with you. Don't hurt yourself and say it's helping. Can you promise me that?"
They pulled away from each other and Archie wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I can try," he said achingly.
He reached for the handle of the front door. He could hear Vegas scratching at the baseboard and suddenly wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed.
Mary placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're safe, but you really need to stop rushing into danger like this. I know you had good intentions, but you're not bulletproof, Archie."
"I know, Mom," he whispered, staring ahead at the door, his face still red. "It just… it hurts."
She squeezed his arm. "You can skip school and go to the hospital tomorrow. But after that - we'll talk."
He nodded wearily, cracking the door open. Vegas rushed around his feet, yipping happily as Archie stooped down, wrapping the pup in a grateful hug.
Kevin threw his keys into the basket in the foyer, slowly shutting the door behind him. He rubbed his knee as he walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, absently scanning its contents. The running, wrestling and long day of driving was catching up to him, yet at the same time, he didn't feel very close to sleep.
"Hey, champ. Nice brace."
Kevin jumped, whipping his head toward the dining room. Tom was sitting at the table, swirling a glass that now held mostly ice.
"Hey Dad, nice… bruises." Kevin lowered himself into a chair, gaping at the array of black and blue covering his dad's face. "What happened?"
"Prison riot." Kevin's eyes widened. "Don't worry, you should see the other guys." Tom gave him a side smirk before moving his eyes down to Kevin's knee. "I should be asking you the same thing, though. You didn't tell me you got hurt on your little adventure."
Kevin grimaced. "It's not so bad, really. You should see the other guys." He gave a hesitant smile back.
Tom let out a quiet chuckle as he took another sip of his drink. He placed the glass down, staring at the table. "How's Betty doing?"
"Good." Kevin bobbed his head, wrapping his fingers around the water bottle he had pulled from the fridge. "The doctors said she's going to be okay."
Tom nodded, turning his head. "And you?" he asked in a firm but warm voice, "are you going to be okay?"
Now Kevin looked down at the table. He scratched nervously at the wood with a fingernail, his other hand wrapping tighter around the water bottle. He looked into his father's concerned eyes, suddenly realizing that his exhaustion wasn't physical.
He let out a deep sigh, "Dad, I haven't told you everything about last spring. About The Farm," he began in a whisper, his hand instinctively drifting to his side, "and tonight may have reopened some old wounds." He looked up. "You have time to talk?"
Blurry. The whole world was blurry.
Betty slowly blinked, her eyes finding themselves staring up at a blurry ceiling. She inhaled gradually, the cold air filling her stinging lungs, a shiver running down her body.
She had been in the woods. Edgar had had a gun. Jughead, Archie, Veronica… her mom, the FBI… everyone had been there. Edgar had been taken away. And then… had she passed out? Where was…?
Betty shifted, realizing she was lying in a bed. She lifted her head, trying to get a better look around the dark room, but she could only make out a few shadows. All of her muscles were heavy, and she was rather groggy, which felt a lot like…
No.
A wave of panic seized Betty. She knew this feeling. She was coming out of sedation.
She groaned. Everything in the woods had just been another dream. She was back in the cabin. In the tiny bedroom. Where she had woken up each time after one of her 'trips.'
Betty wrinkled her face as she pushed her head back into the pillow and felt something tickle her neck as she did. She winced and let out a soft whimper as she reached a hand up to it. But something tugged at the back of her hand and she winced again, unable to tell what it was in the dark. Her heart pounded harder as she tried to move her other hand but found her whole left arm to be stuck. Betty started squirming, a chill involuntarily running down her body, and let out a small cry.
"Hey, hey! You're okay, you're safe. Everything's okay."
A small lamp clicked on to her right and Betty squinted against the sudden light.
She looked around again. She wasn't in the cabin. This was a hospital room. Her arm wasn't stuck, it was just in a sling, and there was a small breathing tube running from her nose that was lightly brushing up against her neck.
"No trying to rip out your IV line like they do in the movies, okay?"
The gentle voice spoke again and Betty turned.
Jughead.
Jughead was smiling at her through bleary eyes.
"Hey there," he said softly, leaning up against the rail on the bed.
This was not a dream.
"Jug…?" Betty's throat felt like sandpaper, and her voice sounded just as scratchy. "Agh, water."
Jughead nodded quickly and reached for a pitcher that was sitting on the same table holding the lamp. He poured a glass and held it to her mouth as she tried to reposition herself as best she could. A few places on her body throbbed fitfully as she did.
"Are you cold? Do you need a blanket?" Jughead asked as he pulled the glass away, trading it instead for a tousled blanket that was strewn across his chair.
Though he didn't even wait for a response, he was already up and spreading it over her. His shirt brushed up against her cheek and she took a deep breath. He smelled of coffee and pine, like a memory of late-night Christmas decorating, and she began to relax.
"The doctors said you wouldn't wake up until tomorrow," Jughead stated as he slumped back into his chair.
Betty gave him a faint smile. "Well, you know me. Always the overachiever." He sniggered and Betty gave the room another inspection now that she was a bit more cognizant. "Are we still in Ontario?"
He smiled gently. "No, we're actually in Riverdale." Betty looked at him in surprise, but also in relief. "It's actually pretty cool how you got back," Jughead continued, "the FBI arranged an airlift for you."
"Aw, I got to ride in a helicopter and I missed it?" She tried to laugh but coughed instead. "Ow."
There was a jab of pain on her right side and her hand instinctively went down to it. She was surprised when she found a wad of gauze stretching around her torso. She remembered a bullet ripping through her jacket, but she hadn't remembered it connecting. Betty pulled her hand away from the ticklish material and looked up at the ceiling.
The two lapsed into a comfortable silence. Jughead was resting his head against the railing, rubbing a hand on Betty's good arm as she continued to blink up at the dark ceiling.
"Jug?"
"Yeah?"
"What day is it?"
"I think it's Monday."
"No, what's the date?"
"Oh, uh, it's past midnight, so… November 11th."
"Huh."
They fell silent again.
There was a faint, steady beeping in the room and the orange lamplight was casting a warm, hazy glow. Betty was struggling to keep her eyes open.
"Hey, Betts?"
Jughead's tone was still gentle, but Betty could hear the worry in his voice. She turned and found him with his chin resting on top of the arm he had draped over the side of the bed.
"Can I ask you just one question about everything? I know you're tired, but can I know just one thing for now?"
Betty's chest tightened again, but she swallowed and nodded, trying to get her expression to match the sincerity she saw in Jughead's eyes.
"Do we need to prepare for new nightmares?"
Betty bunched up the sheet in her hand and tugged it up to her chin. She glanced down, her eyes tracing all the wrinkles and creases in the sheets. "Old ones, too," she whispered.
Jughead frowned, squeezing her arm. Betty could tell he wanted to ask more, but for now, he simply leaned across the bed and kissed her on the forehead.
"Jug?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you one thing?"
"Anything."
"Could you put some music on?"
"Of course."
He reached for his phone, tapping it a few times until a soft song drifted into the room. He pushed his chair as close to the bed as he could and laced his fingers between hers. Betty felt cold metal brush up against her palm and opened her hand. A silver chain and key pendant glinted back at her.
A lump formed in her throat, and she saw Jughead give her a teary-eyed smile as he settled himself more comfortably into his chair. She let the necklace drop onto the bed and curled her fingers between his, relaxing back into the pillows, and the two sat together under the glow of the lamplight until the gentle melody lulled both of them back to sleep.
Archie and Veronica walked down the halls of the hospital, the soft morning light trickling over them from the high windows.
"How long are you grounded for?"
"Two weeks starting tomorrow," Archie moaned, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie as the two turned the corner to the waiting room. "I can only spend one night a week at the community center, and I have to make up the missed practices. Other than that, I'm stuck at home."
"Well, I guess there's one perk to having both parents in jail; no groundings." Veronica grinned, taking a sip of her coffee.
Archie huffed. "Did you ever even get grounded before? All I remember is you and your mom dancing around each other until you both actually agreed to talk."
Veronica shrugged. "Same thing."
Archie smirked and rolled his eyes. He was feeling better after last night, and it seemed Veronica was too.
"Hey, Archie! Veronica!"
Kevin was calling to them from across the room. He was with his dad, who also stood and walked over.
"Looks like we all had the same idea. Not exactly how I pictured a senior skip day, but I'll take it." Kevin smiled. He was much cheerier this morning as well, almost looking fully like his old self. At least the initial shock seemed to be wearing off of everyone.
"Mr. Keller!" Veronica exclaimed, causing Archie to snap his head. "What happened?"
Tom sighed and tilted his head. "Your father happened."
Veronica's face rose into a triumphant smirk. "I knew he was up to something!"
"And don't worry, it backfired." Tom winked at Veronica before turning to Kevin. "I'm going to grab a coffee, want one?"
"Yes, please." Kevin nodded.
Archie and Veronica looked after Mr. Keller briefly, then Archie turned back. "You seem better, Kevin."
He nodded. "Yeah, I am. I cleared the air with my dad last night. Which-," he knit his brow, looking between Archie and Veronica, "I'd also like to apologize to you two. For saying all those things back at the beginning of this. I was horrible to you guys. Can you forgive me?"
Archie shot Veronica a quick glance, then nodded at Kevin. "Of course, Kev. But I think the real person you need to be apologizing to is down the hall."
Kevin looked away then back at Archie with a sheepish expression. He nodded. "And I will."
He sat back down. "But, I'll let you guys visit first before I have my time."
Archie and Veronica nodded, turning down the hall. Archie was the first to reach the door, and as he did, he peeked through the small window into the room. He saw Jughead pressed up against the side of the hospital bed next to Betty, their hands hanging close together. Archie shifted his gaze up to Betty. She was hooked up to a few different machines he couldn't name. She looked so small curled up next to them.
He pulled himself away from the window, scrunching up his forehead before turning back to Veronica. "Jughead's with her. They're both asleep." Veronica stood on her tiptoes, trying to see around him.
She sighed. "Guess it's back to waiting, then."
Archie started bouncing on his feet and looked around. They had been sitting on their hands for so long, and now he felt like he could finally do something for Betty instead of just waiting around. He didn't want to do more waiting.
He wracked his brain, the soft din of the bell at the front desk meeting his ears as it floated down the hall. Archie stopped, looking from the door to the hall, then back again, a smile curling onto his face.
"We might not have to wait, I have an idea," he said, pulling a confused Veronica back down the hall toward the entrance. "Come on!"
Bringg.
The first-period bell clanged through the halls and students ambled away from lockers and into classrooms. Cheryl and Toni made their way to the back of homeroom, brushing past Mrs. Culver's hurried salutations, and grabbed two desks next to each other. The final warning bell sounded as Cheryl laid out her English textbooks, poking meticulously at them until they were all in line.
Toni watched, tapping her own desk with the tip of her pencil. A small crackle spouted from the school's PA system and the principal began to drone on with the morning announcements.
"Cheryl, why'd you want to come to school today?" she whispered, eyeing her girlfriend as she continued to shuffle her books.
"Keeping up academic prowess has always been important to me. It's even more so now that colleges are keeping an eye on us."
"Babe," Toni sighed, "we've already been accepted to Highsmith. Missing a handful of days isn't going to do anything to that. What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," she uttered, pushing a pencil up and down her desk.
"Cheryl," Toni said more sternly, placing a hand on Cheryl's. "You came home last night after literally going on a rescue mission – which, invite me next time – and acted like everything was fine."
"And now students, before we begin the day, if you would, please give your attention to Sheriff Jones."
The principal's voice briefly boomed over the intercom before being replaced by FP's. Cheryl and Toni both looked toward the front of the room.
"As most of you know, there's been an open and ongoing case involving your classmate Betty Cooper. I'm relieved to inform you all that Betty was found early Sunday morning and is currently in recovery. All parties compliant in her abduction have been apprehended. I'd like to give a special thank you to those who have contributed information throughout this investigation. If you have any further questions, or if you would like to inquire about visitation for Ms. Cooper, please see Mrs. Phillips in the front office. Thank you."
The intercom clicked off and the room filled with excited chatter. Mrs. Culver tried to shush everyone, but gave that up quickly and began to write on the chalkboard.
Toni leaned back toward Cheryl. "Let's skip out at lunch and head over to the hospital. It looks like everyone might already be there anyway." She bobbed her head toward a handful of empty seats around the room.
"Sure. If that's what you want."
Toni raised an eyebrow at her girlfriend. "Cher, what's up? You were just there last night and now you're acting as if nothing happened. I know you. You're avoiding something."
Cheryl glanced around the room and Toni noticed her eyes darken. She fiddled nervously with the pencil on her desk again. "I-,"
"Okay class, please open your textbooks to page 394," Mrs. Culver called, spinning around to face the students as the gossip died down. "We'll be continuing in our British literature section with 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' today. Would anyone like to begin by reading the first few stanzas?"
"I will!" Cheryl's hand shot up as she whipped her head around to the front of the room. She threw Toni one last side glance before swinging open her textbook. Toni sighed, staring after with concerned eyes before flipping open her own book.
Jughead paced in slow circles around the small room, stretching his arms and legs as he went. As far as beds went, hospital chairs weren't the best. He yawned and pulled out his phone, scanning the long list of text messages that had overtaken his screen.
A small knock on the door shifted his attention and he looked up to see FP enter the room.
"Hey," he said quietly, "how's she doing?"
They both glanced at Betty, who was still asleep, her chest rising and falling to the steady beeping of the monitor next to her bed. "Good. She woke up for a bit last night."
FP nodded and lowered himself into one of the chairs in the corner of the room. Jughead followed. "That's great. I stopped by the school this morning to break the news."
"Ah, that would explain all the texts." Jughead shoved his phone back into his pocket. "Have you seen Archie or Veronica? I texted both of them last night and thought they'd be here by now."
FP shook his head. "No, the Kellers are the only ones that I've seen. Maybe they're still asleep too, it's been a long few days. Which, I'm heading home in a bit, you should come with me. You need to change and maybe you could grab Betty a few things, too."
Jughead rubbed his face. "Not until her mom comes back. Not until someone else can sit with her."
FP sighed and sank back against his chair. Jughead stared at the floor, watching one of his feet tap rapidly against the tile. "Dad," he began hesitantly, "what happens next?"
He raised his head, finding a sympathetic look on his dad's face. "I'm not entirely sure, Jug. That's probably a better question for Charles. On our end, there's a lot of cleanup and paperwork to do. Especially since this extends beyond Riverdale. As for Betty, well, she's not out of the woods yet.
Jughead bounced his arm on the edge of his chair. He knew.
He shook his head, switching the subject. "Did you get in trouble for letting us come along?"
The same tired, worn appearance from the night before returned to FP's face. "I'm not sure yet, Jug. I'll be under review this week. There's a chance I'll be suspended for a while, possibly even terminated."
Jughead snorted, "That's not fair! You may have let us come, but we're the ones that ran into danger. You were trying to keep us out of it."
"I know, Jughead, but the responsibility is mine." FP leaned forward, clasping his hands together. "I was already hired under odd circumstances with Hermione, and that doesn't even include my list of priors. Hell, the fact I got hired at all was a miracle. Now my fate is in the hands of the powers that be again. And you know that Mayor McCoy's opinion of me is still spotty at best."
Jughead looked FP straight in the face. "Well, I believe in you, Dad. No matter what I may have said out of anger before, I believe in you."
FP's mouth curled into a gratified smile. "I know you do, Jug. But I might need a bit more than my son's championed opinion of me for this."
"Well, if my opinion counts for anything, I think it was a good idea."
Jughead and FP twisted their heads; Betty was trying to pull herself up into a sitting position on the bed, wincing as she attempted the move with only one good arm. Jughead immediately moved next to her, putting a hand behind her back to help.
"Hey, Betty," FP's tone softened as he rose from the chair, sliding his hands into his pockets as he shuffled toward her. "How you feeling?"
"Sore," Betty responded, rubbing her neck and shoulder. Jughead handed her another glass of water and she took it gratefully. There were still sunken bags under her eyes and she was pale, but he could also see a familiar twinkle beginning to reappear in her eyes. And that made him smile.
"Is my mom here?" she asked, her eyes nervously darting to the door and back.
"She went with Charles to answer a few questions. I'm sure she'll be back any minute," FP reassured.
"And Archie and Veronica will be here soon, too," Jughead added, not wanting her to worry about the absence of her other friends.
Just then, Dr. Patel entered the room. "Good to see you awake this morning, Ms. Cooper. How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good," Betty answered.
"Any dizziness or disorientation?"
Betty shook her head.
"That's good to hear. The fluids are doing their job, then. And here, let me get rid of this for you now that you're awake." Dr. Patel stepped forward and carefully removed her breathing tube. Betty gave a sharp intake of breath as the tube slid away from her nose, but she soon relaxed again. Jughead continued to gently rub her shoulder.
The sound of muffled squabbling and piercing footsteps suddenly echoed down the hall and soon, Alice was pushing her way into the room, mumbling something about incompetent nurses. Her hair was neatly brushed and she was wearing one of her signature pant suits, her heels clicking against the hard tile floor.
Looks like she had gotten that sleep.
FP quickly straightened up, throwing his shoulders back. Jughead raised a prying eyebrow.
But Alice only momentarily passed her gaze over FP and Jughead before resting it on her daughter. "Oh, honey… look at you." Her face screwed up as she lowered herself into the chair next to the bed, grabbing Betty's hand. "Are you okay? Is she okay?" Alice looked to Dr. Patel with shaking eyes.
"I'm okay, Mom." Betty's eyes slightly glistened as she answered. Jughead slipped behind Alice and walked back over to his dad, not wanting to get in between her and Betty.
"She's doing just fine," Dr. Patel assured, stepping forward. Alice squeezed her daughter's hand as Dr. Patel turned back toward Betty. "Now, Betty, I need to ask you a few questions, so we can do our best to treat you. Is that alright?"
Betty threw Jughead an anxious glance, but turned back to Dr. Patel and nodded. "Let's start with your shoulder. Can you tell me when you injured it? The X-ray showed the ligaments may have torn prior to what happened two nights ago."
Jughead's own shoulders tensed and he returned the anxious glance. "Yeah, it was hurt before everything in the woods, it just got re-agitated after I landed on it," Betty answered. "The original injury was on Halloween."
Jughead's stomach began to churn and Dr. Patel's voice faded away as he turned his eyes to the ground. There was so much he didn't know. A whole timeline to knit together from bits and pieces like this.
Jughead noticed his father squirm too, an uncomfortable look crossing his face as his eyes darted between Betty and Dr. Patel. Jughead knit his brow and leaned closer to FP. "Are you okay?" he asked in a small whisper. FP threw an arm over Jughead's shoulder in response, steering him toward the door.
"Come on," he whispered back, "we don't need to be here for this. I think it's time to head home."
Jughead silently agreed and both he and FP glanced uneasily back at Betty, who was nodding at Dr. Patel's continued questions. He swallowed and turned forward, letting his dad guide him out of the room.
Perhaps none of them were out of the woods yet.
Veronica stared out the window of Archie's truck as they drove across town. The sun was shining higher in the sky and she let out a deep sigh.
"Are you going to tell me what we're doing or are you just going to wear that mischievous little grin and keep me in the dark the whole time?"
Archie flashed said grin. "You'll know when we get there."
She smiled. "While I appreciate you getting us out of sitting at the hospital all day, Jughead is asking where we are. I hope he doesn't think we're intentionally not there."
"No, Jughead knows better. Just tell him that we'll be back soon, we just went to go get something."
Veronica typed up a reply then turned the phone over in her lap. She looked up at Archie and noticed that his grin had disappeared and he was glancing back and forth between her and the road.
"What?"
"Are you handling everything okay, Ronnie?" Concern had crept into his voice. "I mean, when my dad was in the hospital - even when your dad was - you had a hard time… being there. And you looked a bit relieved when I told you Betty was still asleep."
Veronica sucked her lip and began to absently twirl her phone in her hands. "Grief and I have a complicated relationship. I don't like acknowledging it."
"I've noticed," Archie offhandedly remarked.
Veronica threw him a begrudging eyebrow raise but relaxed after seeing he was still being sincere. He was right after all – she had been relieved that Betty wasn't awake. Which was aggravating, to say the least. It felt so wrong, especially since she hadn't seen her best friend in a month. She didn't think she was a bad friend, and she didn't want to be one, the situation was just so… complicated.
"Hey," Archie whispered, coaxing her out her thoughts. She realized a few tears were sliding down her cheeks.
"Sorry, Archie." She wiped at her face. "It's different than when our fathers were in the hospital. The doctor said Betty's going to be fine, and she's finally safe now. But, when we were walking towards her room, even when we were still in the waiting room, everything we saw in the woods just kept replaying in my head."
Archie's knuckles tightened around the steering wheel.
"And that's not what I want to see when I'm trying to comfort my best friend. I don't want that image of her in my head, Archie."
"I understand that." He pushed himself up in his seat. The sun slipped behind a cloud and Veronica turned to look back out the window.
"Do you think we're making the right choice? By not telling Betty about the tape?" Archie's question cut through the silence.
She let out another sigh. "I don't know. On one hand, we've all seen how well keeping the truth from each other works out, but on the other hand, it might just hurt her more. It's not her fault, but knowing B, it might mortify her if she knew we heard that."
Archie's brow scrunched up in distress. "I never thought about it that way. She definitely doesn't need that right now."
"No." Veronica shook her head in agreement. "So, let's just focus on whatever the secret task is at hand for now and let her know how happy we are she's home, okay?"
Archie nodded and he and Veronica both resumed looking out the front window. The sun crept its way back out from behind the clouds, leaving Veronica to wonder - despite how much they were justifying it - if they were making the right choice.
Jughead slammed the door to the cruiser and bounded up the small steps to the house. Riding in an enclosed car had made him realize just how much he really did need a shower and change of clothes. And now he could grab Betty some things her mom hadn't.
Which reminded him.
"So…" he eyed his dad as they reached the door. "Uh, are you and Betty's mom…?"
"Jug."
"It's a legit question." He lowered his eyes. "And besides… I know it's one of the reasons Mom left."
FP ran a hand through his hair and leaned against the door. "Even if Alice wasn't in the picture, your mom and I still would've gone our separate ways. I know that's hard, but it's true."
Jughead crossed his arms. From his conversations with his mother, she seemed to have known this as inevitable too. Maybe closure was what he had been looking for, too. Anyway, it's not like his mother had just left this time.
"But what you're saying is, she is in the picture?"
FP huffed. "We haven't had time to talk about… what we are. We had a moment up in Cornwall, but-,"
"Oh, a moment," Jughead teased, raising another curious eyebrow at his dad.
"Probably not the best timing on my part. She went right back into mission mode."
"Those Cooper women. They do that."
"And it's not like it's entirely out of nowhere. We have history together."
"I know, I've had cheeseburgers with him."
"Alright, I shouldn't have said anything." FP shook his head, his face growing red. "I don't know why I'm trying to justify this to you." FP pushed open the door. Jughead smirked, walking into the house behind him.
"Wo-ah, JB. What did you do, throw a rager while we were gone?" Jughead smirked at his sister as he laid eyes on the mess in the living room. Bags of chips and empty candy wrappers were strewn across the furniture and floor. "There still better be food left in the house, I'm starving."
"There is, don't worry," Jellybean answered from her spot on the couch. "And Dad already chewed me out for the mess. I'll eventually clean it up."
"Uh-huh." Jughead walked over to her and pulled the slingshot out from his back pocket. She looked up at him with eager eyes and he held up four fingers to her as he sauntered past into the kitchen. "Oh come on, did you eat the rest of the Halloween candy?" he whined as he picked up an empty bowl off the dining room table.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jughead saw FP cringe and run a thumb along his eyebrow. "Dad, you okay?" he called as FP began to climb the stairs.
"Yeah. Just still a bit tired and on edge from everything. Come on, you should take a shower." With that, FP disappeared up the stairs. Jughead wasn't fully convinced he was telling the truth, but he left it alone. Instead, he shook it off and opened the fridge, turning his attention to his growling stomach.
Betty jerked her head, startling herself awake, and blinked around the hazy room. Twisting around, she found her mother staring quietly at her from the end of the bed.
"Uhf," Betty stammered as she yawned, "did I fall asleep again?"
"Only for about twenty minutes," Alice stated as she rose to pull the blinds open. "Dr. Patel changed out your IV bag and said you might feel a bit drowsy throughout the day. They're trying to flush out your system so they can actually get you some painkillers."
Betty lowered her eyes. Dr. Patel's questions had turned from asking her about her injuries to trying to get specifics about Edgar's anesthesia. Apparently, there was still a high trace of a sloppy mixture of sedatives and opioids in her system. Betty cringed, still thinking about how Alice had flinched when she had said that the last time Edgar used it was three nights ago.
She could see in her mother's eyes that she was blaming herself. She had seen it in Jughead's eyes too, even if he hadn't said it out loud. And that was hurting her.
Alice sat back down, leaning forward and rubbing her hands on her thighs.
The two continued to stare past each other, waiting for the other to speak. This is not how their reunion should have happened, they both knew it, but neither seemed to know where to start.
"Mom, it wasn't your fault," Betty finally said in a gentle voice.
"I didn't know," Alice tearfully spoke, her eyes meeting Betty's. "I was so close… I'm supposed to have motherly instincts about these kinds of things, but I was so close and didn't know."
"Mom-,"
"I just let him torture you," Alice continued, growing more distraught. "I watched him walk off with padlocks and food… and all those drugs. And I did nothing! I waited too long and-,"
"Mom!" Betty reached forward, grabbing her mom's hand. "You didn't do nothing. You got the FBI there. You made sure-," she swallowed, feeling a pit in her stomach, "you made sure he didn't hurt me in the clearing."
Both faces grew red as both attempted to hold back tears. Alice stood and stared at Betty with quivering eyes before enveloping her in a tight hug. Betty wrapped her arm around Alice, not even caring that her shoulder was getting crushed, and leaned her head against her mother.
"Oh Elizabeth, I'm so sorry, I was just trying to keep all of you safe, but you were trying to keep me safe. I should've just told you what was going on. He should have never come after you."
Betty closed her eyes, a few tears running down her cheeks, embracing her mother for, what not only felt like but what actually was, the first time in months.
Toni leaned against one of the benches outside the cafeteria, scrolling leisurely through her phone. She could hear footsteps clicking down the mostly-deserted hall and looked up to see Cheryl.
"Hey, there you are," she said, getting up. "Are you ready to go? Jughead texted and said Betty's awake and taking visitors."
Cheryl stopped in front of her but kept looking at the ground. She had her sleeves pulled down over her hands and was rubbing them together.
Toni furrowed her brow and frowned. "You okay?"
"I can't go to the hospital."
Toni tilted her head. Cheryl finally looked up, a withdrawn expression on her face. Toni adjusted her backpack, curling the straps in her hands. "Why not?"
Cheryl's mouth trembled for a second before she answered in a reserved voice. "As much as I'm glad that Betty is okay, I can't see her. When I was at the hospital last night, all I could think about was Edgar and my mother. I know it may sound silly, but seeing Betty feels like facing them. And I'm not sure if I'm ready for that."
Toni softened her stance, giving Cheryl a sympathetic look. "It's not silly." She squeezed Cheryl's arm encouragingly. "It just sounds like you're still afraid. And that's normal." Toni frowned. "Did you see them?" she asked hesitantly, "Edgar and your mother?"
"Not my mother." Cheryl shook her head. "She had already been dragged away. But Edgar, yes." Her eyes became distant. "And TT, it was awful. He finally looked like the madman we know he is." Cheryl's dejection quickly turned to anger. "I can't believe we ever thought of him as a confidant."
Toni sighed. "We're not the only ones who fell for him, remember that. Don't get mad at yourself about it."
"I'm not," Cheryl's eyes flashed at Toni. "I'm mad at him."
"Hey," Toni whispered, taking Cheryl's hand, squeezing it until she could feel her relax. "We don't have to think about him. And we don't have to visit Betty today if you're not up for it." They began walking toward the cafeteria.
"I would like to see my cousin at some point," Cheryl remarked, "I don't want her to think I'm avoiding her. And I know you wanted to see her."
"I don't think she will. And I do." Toni smiled, turning toward Cheryl as they rounded into the lunchroom. "But it's okay, there's always tomorrow."
"You look cute in a hospital gown."
"No one looks cute in a hospital gown."
Betty gave Jughead a side smirk as he sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his thumb in circles on her palm. He had come back with a stack of books and clothes and a few other things from her room, including her journal.
She had really missed him.
"Well, I think you do, and I haven't been able to call you cute in a while, so let me," Jughead playfully quipped back.
"Fine, I'll take it. At least it beats having to wear the same clothes for a month," she said without thinking. Jughead's eyes darkened and she bit her lip. "I'm sorry, it just slipped out."
"No, you don't have to apologize for that," he said, a soft but concerned look spreading across his face. "I just hate that this happened. I hate that he hurt you." He wrapped his hand tighter around hers.
The edge of Betty's lip curled as she watched Jughead trace the long, white scar snaking up her arm. When he looked up though, his anger had disappeared and there was nothing but admiration in his eyes.
"But no matter what, scars and all, Betty Cooper, I think you're beautiful," he whispered, kissing her. Betty leaned into it, a warm chill running down her back. She had really missed him.
"Eww, get a room."
Betty and Jughead smirked as they pulled away from each other, turning toward the door. Kevin grinned lightheartedly as he entered the room.
"Well, we had one," Jughead quietly teased as Kevin placed a bag of candy on the table.
"Kev!" Betty smiled as he took a seat. "Are those Reese's cups?"
"Hi, Betty," Kevin said, "It's good to have you back. And of course, they're your favorite."
"It's good to have you back," she responded, noting how much happier he looked.
"Yeah," Kevin bobbed his head, seeming to understand. "I finally took your advice and talked to my dad."
"That's great, Kevin. I'm happy for you."
He nodded but continued staring at her dolefully, twisting his hands together in his lap.
"Something else you want to say, Kevin?" Jughead echoed the question that was in Betty's mind.
Kevin hung his head and swallowed. "I'm so sorry, Betty. I was trying to take my pain out on everyone, including you. And you were just trying to help me."
"It's okay, Kev, I-,"
"No, Betty, it's not okay!" Kevin exclaimed, throwing her a frantic look. She knew he didn't mean to do it, but his inflection made her flinch slightly. Jughead nudged himself closer to her and Kevin frowned, sinking back. "See? I've been taking my anger out on other people, and it got worse when you disappeared. And Jughead-," he turned his head, "I'm sorry about all that stuff I said at school. For dragging you through all that."
"You're forgiven, Kevin," Jughead said, breaking open the bag of peanut butter cups. Betty kicked him, and he mischievously smirked back, popping one into his mouth. "Especially for that awful right hook."
"Jughead!"
"What?" Kevin and Betty said simultaneously, looking at him disconcertedly. Jughead slowed his chewing, shrugging and nodding his head at Kevin. Betty flashed her eyes toward him.
"Uh, yeah," Kevin disclosed, twisting his hands together again. "Jughead and I may have gotten into a fight at one point."
Betty's chest tightened slightly. Not only did her friends not know what she had gone through, but she realized she had no idea what they might have experienced because of this.
"Everything is fine, I promise. I was just making a joke," Jughead defended, noticing her tense up.
"Yeah, he's right," Kevin added. "I guess with all that, what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I couldn't help you when you needed it."
"Kevin," Betty said firmly, pushing away the nerves that were attempting to creep up, "you did help me. I saw you out there with everyone else. Whatever happened between you two while I was gone-," she swung her head between Kevin and Jughead, "-doesn't matter. What matters is that you're showing up now."
Kevin gave her a grateful smile, then looked at Jughead. "Hey, I got those for Betty!"
"Whaf? I'm humfgry," Jughead said through a mouthful of chocolate.
"And I hope everyone else is too because look what we brought!"
Everyone swung their heads as the door opened, two people carrying bags of food and drink holders appearing.
"V! Archie!" Betty's anxiety melted as her friends entered the room, beaming smiles across their faces. Archie handed her a large to-go cup he had been balancing in one hand.
"I had Pop make the biggest vanilla milkshake he could," he chimed, also placing a burger and fries on the tray over her bed before pulling chairs up for himself and Veronica. Betty smiled back at him, wishing she could get up and give everyone proper hugs.
"Sorry we weren't here earlier, Betty. You were still asleep and all Archie said was that he had an idea," Veronica said as she relaxed back into a chair.
"And what a great idea it was. Thanks, bud." Jughead slapped Archie on the back, dropping the bag of peanut butter cups and shoving his hand into one of the Pop's bags instead.
"How are you feeling, Betty?" Archie asked, grabbing his own drink and fries.
"Pretty good. My side stings, but it's not too bad."
"I still can't believe you got shot." Veronica shuddered.
"Not shot, just grazed," Jughead corrected through a mouthful of fries.
"Did it hurt?" Kevin continued, looking aghast.
"Honestly, I didn't even feel it. I thought it had missed. There was so much… else going on." Betty looked nervously away from Jughead's gaze and saw Kevin's knee brace. "Did that hurt?"
"Oh, this? It's nothing." He gave her a casual wave of his hand. "Cheryl and I ran into two Farm goons at some ranger outpost in the woods."
Betty's eyes widened. She hadn't known that. "Did the station happen to have a bunch of maps and a radio?"
"Yeah, it did." Kevin nodded. "That's how we called FP. Uh…," Kevin grew a bit awkward again, "and one of the guys we ran into mentioned that you had been there."
Curious eyes were on her again as she nodded and she felt her cheeks growing hot. "Yeah, I was. I managed to get out at one point. I made it to that outpost but got caught."
"How'd you get out? We saw the cabin." Archie's eyes widened and Betty tensed up again, wrapping her hand tighter around her cup. Jughead noticed, and she watched him throw Archie a quick glare out of the corner of her eye.
"I made a lockpick," Betty answered quickly, trying to break the tension she could feel growing amongst them. "From the bedspring."
"Okay, MacGyver," Veronica said, sounding impressed. Jughead and Kevin looked floored as well.
"Geez, that's insane." Archie ran a hand through his hair. "You didn't run into any bears out there, did you?" he teased, Veronica lightly smacking him on the arm.
"No, no bears, Arch," Betty answered as she bit into her burger, thankful for the joke. "Wow, this is good," she breathed, alternating to her shake, realizing how hungry she was.
"Hey now, careful. You still have to pace yourself," Jughead reminded her, placing a hand on hers.
"Says Jughead Jones," Veronica mocked.
"You have to let your system flush, not give it a sugar crash," he continued, ignoring Veronica's comment.
"You're right, sorry," Betty swallowed, setting her cup down. "I just haven't eaten anything in a while."
Archie and Veronica turned their eyes to the floor and Betty quickly bit her lip. "Uh, I mean, I haven't eaten anything this good in a while."
"No, B," Veronica stressed, a fiery look in her eyes, "don't apologize. You don't have to justify anything to us. What happened to you was awful."
"Yeah, you don't need to be embarrassed by it," Archie offered. "It wasn't your fault." Jughead seconded that by squeezing her knee.
She started nibbling at her fries in response and slowly passed her gaze over everyone. They were all giving her warm, supportive smiles, and she knew that was supposed to be making her feel better, but for some reason, she was beginning to feel worse.
They lulled into silence as everyone turned to their food.
"So, Arch, how's the community center going?" Betty asked, turning the subject, trying to shake the anxiety that was now rising.
"It's actually going really well! A few bumps in the beginning. But really good."
"One of the kids is practically glued to him," Veronica beamed, "You'll have to meet him at some point."
"Yeah, that sounds fun." Betty nodded, taking another small sip of her shake. She noticed her hand shaking slightly and quickly put down the cup.
"My dad got a job at the prison," Kevin noted, looking down at Veronica.
"And he stopped my dad from overthrowing said prison," Veronica added, returning the look toward Kevin.
"Wow, okay, you're definitely going to have to catch me up on that." She winced through the words, feeling her side begin to throb. Was she getting sick? Was she having a reaction? She glanced at her monitor but it looked normal.
"Archie finally got an A on an English paper."
"Hey!"
"What? I'm not making fun of you."
Betty managed a small laugh, but she wasn't entirely listening.
"Jellybean got a hold of the siren controls in the cruiser on the way to school one day. I've never seen so many middle schoolers jump all at once."
"There are a few football games left for the season. You should come when they let you out of here. There's one next week."
"And B! I could use an extra hand prepping for the winter formal. You have decorating committee experience, want to help?"
Betty nodded absently. All their voices were crashing over each other. She glanced down, trying to stop her head from spinning and, woah. She was suddenly aware of how vibrant the red marks on her wrists were, and how many bruises were peppered along her arms, and surely her face, too. And they were just there, lit up like a bunch of tiny neon signs for all her friends to see.
Surely they were just being nice and not saying anything about it, right? There's no way they hadn't seen them.
"My mom came back. I'll have to tell you all about that."
"So did mine."
"Yeah, but yours leaves and comes back all the time, Archie."
"Oh crap, Ronnie. We said we'd help you with your mom's situation."
"Betts, you okay?"
"Hey, are there any fries left?"
"Betty, you don't look so good. Do you need me to get a nurse?"
The question bounced hollowly in her head. All their voices sounded distant. She looked around; they were all talking and laughing, passing around food and slurping their drinks. Just as they probably had while she was gone. Just like they had a million times before. Just like a normal day.
There was a pang in her chest, and Betty turned her head down. Except this wasn't a normal day. But they were all trying to act like it was. She stared at her milkshake, at the small line of melting whipped cream as it dribbled down the cup. And started to cry.
"We never got to have this," she spluttered, tears streaming down her face.
The room grew hushed.
"We never got to have lunch," she despondently repeated, squeezing her eyes shut. "I didn't show up. I never made it."
A deep sob broke free from where it had been hiding all day and Betty hung her head. There was a scraping sound in the room and suddenly four sets of arms were around her. She opened her eyes to see all her friends' eyes glistening as well.
"Hey," she heard Jughead whisper in her ear, "that doesn't matter. What matters is that you're here now."
She closed her eyes again, leaning into her friends and sobbing harder as they hugged her tighter.
Because sometimes silence and tears could speak more eloquently than any word ever could.
Alice weaved her way through the maze of equipment and desks, barging past bewildered agents as she marched toward the middle of the room.
Kane, Charles, and a few other agents were huddled around a table sifting through stacks of files and photographs. Alice came right up behind them.
"Charles!"
He lifted his head, throwing Alice a questioning stare. "Alice, hey. Why aren't you at-,"
He was cut off as Alice grabbed him by the arm, pulling him away from the rest of the group.
"Wait, Alice, I can't just leave-,"
She dragged him into a corner and whipped around, staring doggedly at him. "Is there going to be a trial?"
Charles stared at her a bit stunned, his mouth hanging open.
"Charles, answer me."
He turned his face down, rocking on the balls of his feet. "Yes."
Alice began to fervently shake her head. "No, no. That can't happen."
"Alice, don't you want justice for all of this?" he hastily whispered.
"Of course!" Her eyes burned into him. "But not if it means Betty has to be in the same room as that monster again. I will not let him be near her again; near any of my children again."
Charles stared up her, mixed emotions on his face.
"That monster has already taken too much from this family. There has to be another way."
Charles glanced around the room before lowering his voice, "I'll have to talk about the options with Kane, he knows more than I do. I know we have a lot of direct evidence, but we'll still need victim testimony-,"
"Then let me testify for her!" Alice's voice rose, echoing around the cavernous room. A few people looked up from their computers and phones. Agent Kane glanced toward them and Charles put his hands on Alice's shoulder, pushing her a bit further down the hall.
"I'll see what I can do," Charles whispered ardently as Kane approached them, "but Alice, this is out of my hands; this may be out of the FBI's hands."
"Ms. Smith, we're in the middle of private reports right now." Kane abruptly appeared, eyeing both of them warily. "Do you need something?"
She shot Charles a stern look. "No, I got what I needed."
"Then I'm going to have to ask you to leave while we finish these up. If we need you back for anything, we'll let you know." Alice nodded and followed him out, glancing back at Charles one last time as he nervously watched her walk away.
Betty watched quietly as a nurse unwrapped a BP cuff from her arm, giving an absent 'thank you' and smile as he checked her monitor before leaving.
She had grown fairly quiet after calming down, as did everyone else. Kevin had left pretty soon after with his dad, and then Archie and Veronica showed her some pictures from the community center. Jughead had remained silent beside her, stroking her hand in small circles for a while.
But now, visiting hours had ended, and she was alone again. The day had turned to evening, and the room had grown empty. Her journal lay open on her lap, the blank pages waiting for her, but she was instead staring at the dying red light coming through the window.
The door creaked open and Betty flinched.
"Oh, sorry, did I startle you?" FP asked, hanging in the doorway.
"Oh no, you're okay, Mr. Jones," she said, seeing the discomfort cross his face.
"Just wanted to let you know your mom will be back in about 15 minutes. She's staying here tonight."
She gave him a small, tired nod. FP had volunteered to stay and stand watch over her room after visiting hours so she wouldn't be completely alone. There was no need for an officer to stand guard with everyone in custody, but FP had adamantly insisted.
"Mr. Jones?" Betty called quietly as he began to close the door. He turned his head. "Can you turn the lamp on before you leave?"
"Yeah, sure," he nodded, walking across the room. He flicked the lamp on, its light reaching into dark corners, fighting back the shadows she felt had begun to creep their way into the room.
"Need anything else?" FP asked.
"I'm good, Mr. Jones. I'm ready to be alone for a bit," Betty replied, running a hand along her necklace. "Thank you though."
He tipped his hat and turned. "If you do need anything, I'll be right out here." He shuffled away, but placed a hand on the doorpost, pausing for a second. "I'm glad you're safe, Betty." He faltered, turning back with guilty eyes. "Sorry I couldn't help you sooner." FP let out a heavy sigh, shutting the door behind him.
Betty stared after him, familiar knots beginning to curl in her chest. She turned toward the window, staring now into the black night that had overtaken the sunset. She moved her eyes to her still open journal, lifting the pen. But what ended up falling on the page wasn't ink and she slammed it shut, her eyes continuing to blur. Swinging a pillow around, Betty clutched it to her chest, burying her chin into the soft fabric. She gazed distantly into the shadows that stretched into the room despite the light, gripping tighter as tears dripped down the pillowcase.
There's a distinct stillness that happens after a storm.
After the tempest roars its final fury, and the rain is nothing more than glittering remnants under a bright sun, the birds emerge from their hiding places and the trees shake the storm from their heavy branches.
There comes a quiet.
Author Notes:
Well, as Jughead said, they're not out of the woods yet. They've got some new problems to handle.
It was so hard to narrow down this chapter; there were so many different things that needed to happen and people to group together and directions that initially spiraled out of this. It took a while to reign it in. I had to kill a couple of scenes that I can hopefully recycle later on.
But boy, did it feel good to finally be able to write Betty interacting with someone other than Edgar again. So many dynamics left to explore and I'm really excited to see where everyone goes!
As for when the next update will happen - I've still got a very much alive job seeing as I work in digital content and know how to live stream things. So, I'm slowly working in the background and will continue when I can. There's a lot of scenes that have started themselves for coming chapters and I'm really excited about some of them. So hopefully I can keep giving you some content in these uncertain times.
And with that, the world is in a weird time and if social distancing is stressing you out and you need a buddy for a bit, my inbox is open.
As always, let me know that you're reading! Leave a review and tell me what you thought if you are so inclined. I love reading them!