Betty woke up screaming. Again. It was the third night in a row that Jughead had been woken up by her screams and pleas for him to get her away from her abductor. Jughead didn't mind being woken up, of course. He wanted Betty to know that she could always count on him. He soothed his hand down the curve of her face, speaking to her in soothing tones. "Baby. You're just dreaming. It's not real. You're with me, safe in bed. Please wake up."

Betty woke up with a shuddering gasp, flying out of the bed, and Jughead wrestled her back down onto the mattress. Arms acting as shields of love, he poured himself into the kiss he gave her, holding her gently in grasp. When they pulled apart, she stared at him with terrified eyes that he deplored. "Juggy?"

"Shh," he murmured, soothing his hand through her golden tresses. "You're safe. It wasn't real."

"It felt real," she sighed, pressing herself against him impossibly tightly. Jughead gathered her in his arms and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.

"Well, it's not," he whispered. "You're with me. You're safe."

These were the words his girlfriend needed to hear the most, this he knew. He pressed her to his chest tightly, holding her in his grip, and he kept her safe and secure from the rest of the world. "Thanks."

Humming, he soothed his hand up and down her back, keeping her impossibly close. Nothing short of a hurricane could tear them apart. "Want to talk about it?"

"It was the same thing I've dreamed about the past three nights. The Black Hood kidnapping me again. Forcing me to watch as he murdered my friends and family," Betty whispered. Jughead knew how terrified his girl was, and he held her close.

"I promise you, that won't happen," he murmured.

"You can't promise that," Betty muttered, but he shook his head.

"Yes, I can," he promised her softly. "Look at me, Betts." He waited until she did so, ascertaining that she heard his words. "I promise you that I am not letting this guy near you again. Do you believe that?"

"I believe you," she murmured, kissing him softly, and that would have to do for now.

XXX

"Shit, she's having nightmares?" Sweet Pea asked, tone tinged in sadness.

Jughead nodded. "She's not sleeping well. Not at all well. And I need to know how to fix it."

"I don't think you can fix it," Fangs commented thoughtfully. "I think you just have to be there for her."

"I know you're right," Jughead sighed. "But it sucks all the same. I hate the fact that this asshole ever had her in his clutches."

"Me too," Sweet Pea agreed. "We need to figure out who he is and end him."

Betty walked over to them just then, plopping down in his lap, and she waved at the other two guys. "How are you?"

Fangs smiled at her kindly. "We're good. We, uh, heard you had some nightmares last night."

"For three nights now," Betty said quietly.

"Do you think you can talk about them?" Sweet Pea intoned, and Betty sighed.

"I don't know," she admitted. "It's hard to talk about what I went through."

"I get that," Jughead agreed. "But you've got to. It's the only way you'll heal from this."

She sighed, pinching her eyebrows together in worry. "I don't know if you'll like what you hear."

"Probably not," Jughead admitted honestly, "but that doesn't make me want to hear it any less."

"It was cold," she murmured, and the three men inched closer to her. "In the Black Hood's hidey-hole. He kept it cold. Unnaturally so. I remember thinking about that one of the many nights he had me."

"He hurt you," Sweet Pea said in a hoarse voice, and she hummed her agreement.

"He did," she replied. "More than anything. But it didn't break me."

Jughead knew just how true those words were. He pressed a delicate kiss to the inner shell of her ear, holding her tightly all the while. "I'm so fucking proud of you."

She smiled slightly, brushing her nose along the length of his. "Thank you." It was a quiet whisper.

He pressed a kiss to her lips and then looked at Sweet Pea and Fangs. "We need to find this fucker and finish him. Before he has the chance to do this again."

"What do you want from us, boss?" Sweet Pea asked, ever the dutiful righthand man Jughead needed him to be.

"We're going to hunt the hunter," he explained with a wolfish grin.

Betty looked between the three of them, nervously. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Jughead, on some level, knew this would be her answer and was ready for it. "I promise you; we'll be careful. Not one of us are going to hunt him with our eyes closed."

Betty chuckled lightly, nodding her head the next moment. "Okay. I just don't want to see any of you hurt."

Sweet Pea laughed. "Darlin', like we'd give him the opportunity to hurt us. But he also won't get the opportunity to hurt you again, either. The guy is a dick and deserves to be ten feet under when this is all said and done."

Jughead knew how true that statement was. He didn't think they could live in a world where the Black Hood existed, either. He knew that whoever he was, he would pay. Jughead would make sure he paid for his sins against Betty and humanity alike. He pressed a tender kiss to the underside of her jaw before capturing her lips in his. Kissing her languidly for a moment, he looked at his men, eyes bright. "Let's go hunting, boys."

Go hunting, they would.

And Jughead wouldn't stop until he claimed his victory: the Black Hood's head on a stick.

Author's note: So, I'm updating stories that haven't been updated in a hot minute. So here is this one. Hope you like it and leave thoughts! Xx