Soft, dull lighting was the first thing Betty Cooper sensed when she came to. Then she felt a hand holding - pressing - hers down, and she whimpered. The Black Hood still had her. He was still going to hurt her. She gasped, pushing open her eyes to see past the thick fog, and she felt someone rubbing soothing - wait, soothing? - circles into the back of her palm.

"Shh," a voice murmured. A voice she hadn't heard in months. Her eyes grew wet and throat became too tight to speak through but she forced herself to look into Jughead Jone's oceanic orbs anyway.

"You found me," she whispered, voice raw and torn from the amount of times she had screamed. She knew that her voice would come back of its own volition, but she didn't know how long that would take.

"Shh, baby," he murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I found you but try not to talk too much right now. The doctor says your vocal cords are abused."

That wasn't news to Betty. She had screamed herself raw every night for the past five months, hoping and praying that Jughead would somehow hear her and find her.

She licked her dry lips, wincing as she realized how parched she was, and Jughead's hand was suddenly guiding over her cup of water. He tilted the straw against her lips, and she took a few, measured sips. The Black Hood had not always given her water. When she had her fill, she fell back into the pillows, staring up at the ceiling in her hospital room.

"Juggie?" Betty rasped.

"Yeah, hon?" Jughead asked quietly, laying on his arms as he stared at her.

"What time is it?"

"Two in the morning."

"And the date?"

"May 31st," he murmured, and she winced. She had been missing for five whole months. Five long, arduous months where she wasn't certain if she'd see her friends and family again, let alone her boyfriend. A tear crested down the side of her face, and Jughead swiped it away with his knuckle.

"Oh," she said in a small voice.

"Yeah," he whispered.

They locked their digits together, bringing two halves of one whole back together finally. She knew she'd never let go of his hand. His bloody and bruised hand. "What the hell happened to your hand, Jug?"

"I had to get you out of the ice somehow," he flashed her a crooked grin, eyes belying the pain he felt.

She sighed softly, trailing the pads of her fingertips over his knuckles. "I'm sorry."

He shut her up with a gentle kiss to her lips. "None of that matters right now, Betts."

"What matters then?" Betty asked quietly.

"You. And getting better," he said softly but with conviction. "I don't care about anything else right now. It's just white noise."

"I know," she said lowly.

Jughead pressed another gentle kiss to her lips, careful of the bottom one with its split, and then the door to her room was pressing open. Her mother, father, sister, and Sweet Pea all walked in. Hal Cooper was standing next to Sweet Pea, hand on his shoulder, as Alice and Polly held hands. Polly had tears streaming down her cheeks, and Alice just looked desolate.

"Betty, sweetheart?" Alice murmured, and Betty looked at her, tears kissing her lashes. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you."

"Shh, mommy," Betty murmured, feeling very much like the child she once was.

Alice broke then, and bent over her daughter, kissing the crown of her head. Sweet Pea made eye contact with Betty and squeezed her shin. "Glad you're okay, Coop."

Betty heard the rough stress in his voice and knew he was more nervous about her abduction than he was trying to let on. Serpents and their second skins. She smiled at him, watching as he clapped a hand to Jughead's shoulder.

Hal stood next to her, looking impossibly sad. "Honey…"

"I'm okay, daddy," she whispered.

"Someone did this to my baby girl," he muttered, tears falling down his face. "I want them dead."

"Don't worry, Mr. H. We'll catch them," Jughead said firmly.

Betty didn't know what all her boyfriend had in store for the Black Hood but she shuddered to think about what it would be. "And we still haven't figured out who the Black Hood is?"

"No," Hal sighed. "He ran when Jughead found you. At least, that's what FP told me."

Jughead nodded his head, confirming his father's words. "He told me Betty was in the ice, and then took off. I didn't even get to see him without the mask on."

Betty sighed softly. She hadn't ever seen him without his mask on, either. But he didn't have a gentle touch. Not like her father, who loved his daughters and wife more than he loved himself. Not like Jughead who loved her more than life. Not like her friends who were gentle with her and would do anything to keep her safe. As she would with them.

Polly spoke up then. "It'll be nice to have you back home with us, Betty-Boop. I've missed you so much."

Betty smiled at her older sister tiredly. "I've missed you too, Pol."

Sweet Pea was the first to leave. "I promise to have the rest of the Serpents with me tomorrow, Coop." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and squeezed her forearm gently. "Look after yourself."

"Thank you, Sweets," she murmured drowsily.

Hal was hugging her to him the next moment, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. "I'm so glad you're safe, sweetheart."

Alice and Polly said their goodbyes too, and then Jughead was tucking her back into bed.

"Juggie?" Betty asked in a small voice.

"What, baby?" Jughead murmured.

"Get ready for some new nightmares," she said desolately, but he just kissed the back of her palm and then brushed his lips against hers.

"I don't give a damn about that. We'll take it one day at a time, okay?" Jughead asked.

One day at a time sounded good to her.