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Chapter Text

Betty Jones was twenty-six years old when her world changed with a letter and a few short sentences.  

Mrs. Jones,  

Due to their good behavior, Archibald Andrews and Veronica Lodge qualified for early release. We have granted it to them. Hope this letter finds you well,  

New York State Penitentiary.  

Betty reread the letter several times, her legs shaking and vision blurring as she did so. She wasn’t sure if she was having a panic attack. Wasn’t sure if she wasn’t. “J-Jugh...!”  

She couldn’t get his name completely out, but her husband heard her. Or, more appropriately, he heard her dying seal noises. And came running. She was on the ground, having lost her balance when the panic attack took over. Jughead slid to the ground, gathering her up in his arms and wrapping his body around hers tightly. “Okay, breathe with me, baby. In for four, out for four, hold. Good. Repeat.” When her breathing got regulated, he had her go through the five senses with her and only when she could breathe normally, did he pick up the letter that had caused the panic attack in the first place.  

Reading it, he crumpled it up in his fist, a look of fury etching over his features. “ Good behavior ? Those assholes don’t have a good bone in their body.”  

Betty felt like she was going to throw up. She didn’t think she could handle seeing Archie and Veronica walking around, free, when they had done such bad damage to her psyche. It had made her have to sit in therapy and try to understand why they were evil. “I can’t even challenge it.”  

Jughead swore as he looked down at the crumpled letter. “This means nothing, Betts. We’ll still go on living our lives and if they try to show up, begging you for forgiveness, I’ll slap them with a restraining order.”  

“Do...,” she trailed off, biting her lip.  

“What?” Jughead asked tenderly, pushing back a lock of her hair.  

“Do you think we can go ahead and get one?” Betty whispered, feeling fear root her in place.  

“Yeah,” he said quietly. After studying her expression. “I’ll talk to Sheriff Keller in the morning.”  

She exhaled a sigh of relief. That was one less thing she had to worry about. “Thank you.”  

He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her comfortingly, before holding them to her forehead for a moment. When he pulled back, Betty looked up at him. “We’ll get through this.”  

“Together,” Betty added, small smile lilting her lips upwards.  

“Always,” he said, matter-of-factly.  

She felt like she could breathe a bit easier.  

XXX  

At the group dinner that night – it was the Joneses turn to host – everyone sat down at the dinner table, sharing bread baskets and wine, and Betty looked at Jughead. They had agreed to tell their friends about Ronnie and Archie. After all, they had seen Betty through some of the worst tormenting – including two kidnappings. They deserved to know. Jughead nodded, and she cleared her throat. “We got some news today.”  

“Good or bad?” Sweet Pea asked, narrowing his eyes.  

“Good for them, bad for me,” she laughed dryly.  

“So, bad for us,” Sweet Pea commented thoughtfully. “What is it, Betty?”  

“Archie and Ronnie are getting out a year earlier than they were supposed to due to good behavior,” Betty said.  

There was an instant uproar at her words.  

“The hell they are!” Cheryl exclaimed.  

“Over my literal dead body,” Toni snapped.  

Joaquin and Kevin just stared at her, uncomprehending, and Sweet Pea was growling underneath his breath. Jughead helped a hand, and the group fell silent. “Obviously, we’re not thrilled about this, but Kev, tomorrow, Betty and I are going to go speak to your dad about putting in a restraining order.”  

“I’ll go with you,” Kevin replied, nodding at Betty.  

She felt a minute sense of relief. She smiled at him, and Sweet Pea patted her hand. “Someone will be with you, okay? You’re not going to have to face them on your own should they try and reach out to you.”  

“Hopefully, that’s what a restraining order will prevent,” Betty sighed. “I can’t do anything about them being let out on good behavior, but I can hopefully limit how much they interact with me.”  

“I’d literally love to see them try,” Kevin said in a flat tone.  

Joaquin threw an arm around his husband’s shoulders and looked to Jughead. “What do you need from Sweets, Fangs, and me?”  

“Since Fangs couldn’t make it to the dinner tonight, I need one of you to tell him. Then Betty is always with one of us, just at first, so we can get a feel of what it is Lodge and Andrews are going to do.”  

“Maybe they learned their lesson,” Betty said, hoping against hope that that was the case.  

Cheryl snorted. “Not hardly. They’re thicker than a concussed troll.”  

“Did you just quote Harry Potter?” Betty asked with a laugh.  

“Read it last night,” Cheryl smirked, and Betty shook her head at her cousin.  

Toni spoke up. “We’ll all make sure they receive our message about staying away from Betty loud and clear, Jughead. Don’t worry about that.”  

“In the meantime,” Sweet Pea said, “you two best get the ball rolling on the restraining order. We need to see if Keller can even enact one.”  

“I think he should be able to,” Kevin commented. “I don’t think he’d see that there wasn’t a reason to, especially since they kidnapped Betty in high school. Twice.”  

Betty had to admit she was feeling better at the prospect of her family helping. Then she’d tell her mom and dad and sister, and they’d all help too.  

Jughead pressed a kiss to her lips, and she his jaw, and they were getting back to the meal. Her worries weren’t far from mind, however, and she knew that she had to get to Sheriff Keller if she had a hope of fighting the pair.  

And fight she would.  

Till her last breath.  

Chapter Text

Betty’s dreams were filled with malicious smirks and her begging for her tormentors to leave her alone. Archie and Veronica didn’t leave her alone, however. They kept antagonizing her and attacking her. She woke up with a headache and feeling vaguely like she had gotten no sleep. She knew that she needed to go speak with Sheriff Keller before things could escalate.  

Jughead was already in their kitchen when she went downstairs. Their home was a nice two-story, grey brick house that had two willow trees in their spacious backyard. Betty had been able to get a good job writing for the Times and Jughead taught English at a private school in the city. The students loved him. So, they did well for themselves.  

Betty knew that Jughead would take one look at her and see the bags underneath her eyes. She wasn’t capable of hiding them this early in the morning; he would think it was weird for her to have a concealer on.  

She walked into the kitchen, pausing in the doorway when she did so. Her husband was bare-chested and in his plaid pajama pants, scrambling eggs. She appreciated the fact that he liked to cook her breakfast. “Morning.”  

He turned on his heel, smiling softly at her the next moment before taking a good look at her. He tsked. “Did you sleep at all last night?”  

“Well,” she began, pushing off the doorway, “if I wasn’t having a nightmare about Ronnie or Archie, I was awake, thinking about them.”  

Jughead sighed softly, turning the stove on low and going to make his way towards her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against his chest, and he pressed a brutally gentle kiss to her forehead. “Betts, hon, you can’t let them win.”  

“I know,” she sighed, closing her eyes. “I know. I just think finding out that they’re getting out of jail a year early sent me on a spin.”  

“I don’t blame you,” he murmured, keeping his arms wrapped around her midsection loosely. “But you got to sleep. They don’t deserve anymore of your time.”  

“I know,” she said again. “I haven’t thought about them in seven years. I hate that it’s all coming flooding back to me now.”  

“Your memories of them?” Jughead clarified. At her nod, he kissed her lips warmly, and then he spoke. “I don’t think there is much that can be done about that, unfortunately. We just need to destabilize the anxiety you’re most likely going to feel. You don’t need to let your anxiety back in.”  

His fingers were tracing her palms, and she sighed. She too remembered the self-harming she did in high school. He didn’t have to say it. “I’ll keep an eye on it.”  

“And I’ll help you,” Jughead replied, kissing her once more. “As will the rest of our friends. You’re not alone.”  

Betty felt the relief permeating through her bone marrow, nestling itself inside of her. It was doing wonders for her psyche to know that Jughead was going to support her, no matter what. “What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?”  

“Let me just look at my arsenal,” he smirked, and she laughed, going to walk to the kitchen table while he returned to the eggs. “Toast, okay?”  

“Sounds good,” she said. It had been years since her eating disorder reared its ugly head and she was fucking thankful for that. As she knew Jughead was as well.  

He sent her a smile, one she reciprocated, and then she set the table. Jughead cooked so she’d clean. It’s what he did when she cooked. He carried over their breakfast and set the plates down on the table, while she grabbed their coffee. Then she joined him. Jughead, by default, drank his coffee black. Betty had drunk hers black in high school because of her eating habits, and she had never switched to a light creamer or anything. They sat down at the table and began eating. Jughead spoke. “You’re still wanting to go see Sheriff Keller this morning?”  

She swallowed the bite of scrambled eggs on toast she was chewing. “Yes, please. If you’re good to go with me.”  

“Of course, I am,” he assured her. “What time do you want to go?”  

“After my yoga this morning?” Betty asked. She always took time to do a thirty-minute yoga session in the mornings before she started her day. Her boss at the Times was affable and agreeable, so let her schedule her own hours. She often went in around 10 or 1030 and worked till five or six.  

“That works for me,” he said, swallowing a sip of coffee. “I think Sweets, Fangs, and Joaquin all want to come.”  

“Why?” Betty asked, startled.  

“Because they want to give their own voices to your rights. And, you have rights, Betty,” Jughead replied, tone unwaveringly firm. He was resolute in his response and for that, she couldn’t love him more.  

“Thank you,” she murmured, and he patted her hand. They finished breakfast, enjoying the stillness of the morning, and then Betty was cleaning the kitchen, despite Jughead’s protests. Then she went to go do her yoga and truly began her day.  

XXX  

Jughead and Betty were able to get the restraining order in place. Joaquin had brought Kevin as well and as her best friend and constant companion during high school, the other had been able to convince his dad to implement the restraining order. The good thing about Tom Keller was he loved Betty like she was a daughter to him and had no problem writing one.  

The group walked out of the police station, feeling pretty good about where they were standing, and Betty smiled.  

“Betty!”  

She looked up and the smile was wiped off her face as she stared at Veronica Lodge in the flesh.  

It was her nightmares come true, and she didn’t know what to do.  

Luckily, Jughead did. He thrust the restraining order into her hands, snarling. “You get a ‘get out of jail free’ card because you didn’t know. But this is your one and only chance. Stay the hell away from my wife.”  

Then he was guiding Betty down the street, neither two of them seeing Veronica watching their every move.  

Chapter Text

Betty was still shaken up from seeing Veronica Lodge out of prison and on the street. It was her every nightmare come to life, and Jughead made her a cup of very strong tea when they got home. He guided her to their couch, sitting her down gently, before pressing the cup into her shaking hands. “Drink this, baby. It’ll help.” He murmured.  

She took a sip, then another, letting the warmth of the tea seep into her bone marrow. She looked at him after a couple of sips and sighed. “I’m sorry.” 

“Hush,” he shushed her. “You have nothing to be sorry for. Anyone would have reacted that way to seeing one of their tormentors.” 

“I just cannot believe they let her and Archie out of jail,” Betty said. “Doesn’t the fact that they kidnapped me – twice – count for anything?” 

“It should,” Jughead agreed with a nod, “but if they were on their best behavior, I have no doubt they were able to manipulate the system. It seems like something they’d excel at.” 

Betty laughed quietly, nodding her head tiredly the next moment. “Yeah. Hopefully they abide by the restraining order.” 

“If they don’t, they’ll go back to prison and rot there,” Jughead said flatly.  

Just then, there was a knock on their front door and Jughead kissed her forehead, standing to his feet a moment later. “I’ll get it.” She listened as he walked to the front door, opened it, and greeted someone. The sound of her best friend’s voice filtered through the room and then Sweet Pea was walking into the living room.  

“Hey,” he greeted her quietly, and she smiled at him. “I saw Ronnie out in town today.” 

“Funnily enough, so did I,” Betty muttered, rubbing a weary hand down her face.  

“Did you present her with the restraining order?” Sweet Pea demanded sharply, and Betty nodded.  

“Yeah,” she murmured. “Well - I kind of froze, but Jughead slapped her with the restraining order. We’re hoping she abides by it.” 

“Fuck,” Sweet Pea sighed, going to sit down in the chair across from the couch. “I’m not sure if I do. If they fuck up, they’re back in prison, right?” 

“Right,” Jughead answered, sharing a look with the taller that Betty couldn’t decipher.  

“Then I hope they fuck up royally,” Sweet Pea replied firmly.  

“They deserve their freedom if they did their time, Sweets,” Betty reminded her best friend wearily.  

Sweet Pea shook his head, hissing underneath his breath. “No, they don’t Betty. Are you forgetting the fact that they kidnapped you? Twice?” 

“I won’t ever forget that Sweet Pea,” Betty replied, tone sharp. “I was there. Both times.” 

Sweet Pea nodded apologetically, holding up a hand comfortingly. “I’m sorry. I know. I just worry about you, you know?” 

Betty loosened her rigidity and nodded. “I know. I am very grateful for Jughead and all of you. You guys are what kept me going on my darkest nights.” 

“Don’t undermine yourself, Betts,” Jughead said quietly but with conviction. “You’ve been strong a lot of times and you’ve gotten yourself out of the dark on your own. We’re just background noise.” 

Betty laughed, shaking her head fondly. “No, you’re not. You’re so much more than that, Juggy.” 

He smiled at her softly, dipping his head in appreciation at her comment. Then he looked at Sweet Pea. “Sweets. Mind spending some time with Betty?” 

“Hell yeah,” he agreed.  

Betty held up her hand warningly. “I don’t need a babysitter guys.” 

“Good thing I’m not babysitting you, then, blondie,” Sweet Pea teased her with a grin. “I’ll just make sure you’re safe when I need to.” 

She thought about her friend's words, knowing in her heart that they had the best of intentions behind them. She nodded her head a moment later, reluctantly agreeing. “Okay. We do this your guys’ way.” 

XXX 

Sweet Pea and Betty went out into town later that afternoon, while Jughead called Joaquin. She knew that Jughead was going to implement some rules and guidelines about how they moved forward. It was just who he was as a leader, especially to the Serpents. Betty could respect that. “Betts?” 

She blinked, looking at her best friend as she realized he had been trying to get her attention. “Sorry, what, Sweets?” 

“I think we need to make sure you have someone with you at all times,” he said, tone serious.  

Betty sighed. She feared this would happen. She could, if she had to, understand Jughead being with her, but she wasn’t going to let anyone babysit her. “Sweets...” 

“Betty!” A voice called her name. She looked up and immediately wished she hadn’t. Veronica Lodge and Archie Andrews were walking towards her. 

“What the hell are you guys doing here?” Sweet Pea snarled. “I know for a fact Jughead slammed with the restraining order, so this is a direct violation of it.” 

“We just want to talk to her, man,” Archie said.  

Betty looked at him. “What the hell is there to talk about, Archie?” 

The redhead sighed. “We’re sorry for what happened in high school.” 

“You’re sorry ?” Betty demanded incredulously. “You guys do understand the fact that you kidnapped me, right? Twice?” 

“We’ve atoned for our sins,” Veronica said firmly. “We’d just like to put this behind us and be friends. Like we used to be.” 

“Back in middle school?” Betty asked. At Veronica’s nod, she was speaking again. “You can go to hell, Veronica Lodge. You too, Archie. You guys made my life a living hell in high school. You violated my privacy and kidnapped me. We will never be friends. Ever.” 

Sweet Pea was pushing Archie away from her, growling vehemently under his breath. “Stay the hell away from my best friend if you know what’s good for you. The both of you.” 

Archie and Ronnie sighed and walked away, leaving Betty to have a panic attack. “S-Sweets...” 

“Okay, in for four, out for four, hold,” Sweet Pea said firmly, taking her hands in his. “Good. Yeah, just like that. Again.” 

When she had her breathing under control, she looked at Sweet Pea. “What now?” 

“Now, we fight the fuck back,” Sweet Pea grinned wolfishly.  

It was enough to calm her racing heart. Too bad, it wouldn’t be the last time she’d see either of them again.  

Chapter Text

Author’s note: So, for any confusion, this takes place in Riverdale. For their jobs in the city, they just commute. I’m making New York closer to Riverdale than it is in the show, but they live in Riverdale. Thank you.  

Betty reached the weekend. She was tired, having not slept well throughout the week. She knew that with Archie and Ronnie being out of prison, it meant she’d have to be on guard. She hated that and she hated them. They had destroyed her life and didn’t give two fucks about it. And now they wanted to be friends and pretend like it never happened? Fuck that. Fuck. That.  

Betty was breathing deeply, realizing that her emotions were getting the best of her, and she focused on her meditation breathing. She had started meditating in college, when she was fighting to overcome her eating disorder. She had decided to take up running and yoga, two combative options to challenge her eating disorder. As she tied her tennis shoes, she realized it had worked. She still loved running to this day.  

Heading out of her and Jughead’s room, she walked to the kitchen, smiling at her husband, who was seated at the table, drinking coffee. “Morning, babe.”  

“Morning, Betts,” he grinned at her softly, standing to his feet, and going to kiss her. “Are you going for your run?”  

“Yes,” she replied, leaning in to kiss him once more on the lips. “I’ll be back in about an hour.”  

“Okay,” he agreed, trailing his thumb along her cheekbone. “Be safe.”  

“Will do,” she murmured, knowing they were both thinking about Ronnie and Archie. Hopefully it was early enough in the morning that they weren’t out in town yet. She didn’t want to cross paths with them.  

She kissed Jughead on the cheek and then she was leaving the house.  

XXX  

As she ran through town, Betty thought about everything that had happened over the course of the last week. Archie and Ronnie had been released from prison on good behavior. She couldn’t help but snort at that. As Jughead had said, they didn’t have a good bone in their bodies. Either one of them.  

Feet pounding against the pavement, she kept her headphones in, running through town as if she could outrun the demons chasing her. Her muscles were aching as she completed her four-mile run. She ended up in front of Pops and knew she’d walk back to their house, which was right down the street. It was Jughead’s stipulation about moving back to Riverdale. He wanted to be close to the establishment.  

Walking into the diner, she quickly went up to the counter, smiling at Pop himself as he turned and faced her. “Morning, Betty. What’ll it be, honey?”  

“Two coffees, please, and a stack of your pancakes,” she replied, smiling sweetly at him. Pop nodded and put the order in. She smiled at him once more before going to sit down in a booth to wait for her order. The bell above the door dinged, signaling someone’s arrival, and she pulled out her phone, deciding to play with it while she waited.  

She was so engrossed in the news article she was reading, that it took her a moment to register the fact that someone was standing on the other side of her booth. She looked up and felt her heart jump into her throat. “Archie.”  

“Hey, Betty,” the redhead grinned at her, sliding into the booth.  

“Funny,” she said flatly, “I don’t remember inviting you to join me.”  

He waved his hand, dismissing her words, and pulled the saltshaker toward himself. “You know, I had a lot of time to think in prison. Six years to be exact.”  

She watched him, feeling her nerves tangle up in one another but she kept her composure. “Is that so?”  

“Yes,” he grinned. It was more like a sneer. “I’ve thought about things I would do when I got out of prison. Things I would say to...you.”  

She felt her pulse pick up but kept her wits about her. “And what is it that would like to say?” Betty whispered, staring at him intently.  

“Just...,” he paused, looking around the diner. When he realized no one was paying attention to them, he looked back at her with a smirk that sent chills down her spine. “Watch your fucking back, Cooper.”  

She sat there for a moment, before sending her own deadly smirk back to him. “Two things, Andrews. It’s Betty Jones now, for one. And two: I’m not the same girl I was in high school. I’m not scared of you.”  

“You really should be,” he said lowly, before a throat clearing interrupted them.  

“Everything okay over here?” Pop asked, bag of food in hand.  

Betty smiled at him, smoothing down her t-shirt as she stood up. “We’re good. Archie was just leaving.”  

Archie stood up, clapped Pop on the shoulder. “Man, it’s good to back here.”  

Pop raised an eyebrow at him. “I won’t kick you out of my establishment, son, because you did your time. But you’d be wise to stay away from Betty.”  

“Just two friends catching up,” Archie smiled dismissively, looking at Betty. “See you around, Betty Jones.”  

She watched him go, feeling fear creep up her throat. Then she looked at Pop. “Thanks for the food, Pop.”  

“Should I call Jughead to come pick you up?”  Pop asked in concern, but Betty shook her head. Like hell she was letting Archie dictate her life again. Him and Ronnie.  

“No, thanks,” she replied sweetly. “It’s not that long of a walk back home. I’ll be okay.”  

Pops looked at her uncertainly for a moment, before nodding his head, and smiling. “Tell that husband of yours to come see me soon.”  

“You know he will,” she assured him with a laugh. Then she was on her way, Archie’s warning – threat – ringing in her ears.  

Author’s note: Please enjoy and let me know your thoughts! May work on some other stories today. I’ve got quite a few that I have to finish. So, we’ll be getting to them! Xxx  

Chapter Text

Betty made it back to their house a little under fifteen minutes later. She had taken a moment to stand out behind Pops diner and collect herself a bit before she went home. She didn’t want to appear frazzled or frightened in front of Jughead. If her husband knew that Archie had cornered her in the diner, he’d be exchanging words with the man. And maybe using his fist to deliver the talking.  

Betty sighed, unlocking her front door and walking into the house. “I’m home and I got breakfast from Pops.”  

Jughead walked out of the living room, grinning at her. “Did you get extra, by chance?”  

“Enough for five of us,” she replied.  

“Great,” Jughead said. “Cheryl, Toni, and Sweets are already on their way over.”  

She kissed her husband gently, thoroughly, before pulling back and setting the paper bag with the food on the kitchen counter. “That sounds good. I know Cheryl and Toni will have an opinion on Archie and Ronnie.”  

“Did you see them in town?” Jughead asked sharply.  

“No,” Betty lied, crossing her fingers superstitiously behind her back. She hated lying to her husband, but she didn’t want him to put himself in the line of fire if it meant he was defending her. She knew he would always defend her, but this was one battle she had to face on her own.  

“Good,” he replied, getting down plates and coffee mugs as Betty got out utensils. Their front door opened.  

“It’s us,” Sweet Pea called as him, Cheryl, and Toni rounded the corner into the kitchen. Sweet Pea went to go hug Betty, pressing a kiss to her cheek, before he clapped Jughead on the shoulder. “All good so far?”  

“Not bad,” Betty replied, trying to redirect the conversation from anything that had to do with Ronnie and Archie.  

Cheryl hugged her cousin next, then Toni, and then then they were all sitting down to pancakes and coffee. Betty cut into her pancakes, smelling the heavenly aroma of melted butter and syrup. She took a bite of her pancake, chewing the food thoroughly before Jughead spoke up. “I talked to Joaquin and Kevin. They’re of the same mind as me.  When in town, Betty should have someone with her.”  

Betty sighed. “I won’t upend my life for these assholes, Juggy,” she murmured, and he looked at her softly.  

“Betts, I know it’s not ideal, but I couldn’t stomach anything happening to you because of them. Not again,” Jughead said.  

Betty knew her husband had a point and then Cheryl was speaking up. “We can just make up for lost time in high school, Betts. You and I can go shopping together and things like that. The stuff we would have done if i had been kinder to you all throughout high school.”  

Betty frowned. “You never took part in the bullying.”  

“I didn’t originally stand up for you, either,” Cheryl muttered.  

“Babe...,” Toni exhaled. “We talked about this. You did what you could, given the cheer squad and Veronica being the co-captain.”  

“Yeah, Cher,” Betty murmured. “I’m not mad at you. I know how hard of a position you were in.”  

Cheryl smiled at her appreciatively and then took a bite of her pancakes. Jughead spoke up. “I think you and Betts spending some quality time together will be good for you both, Cheryl.”  

“Can I crash one of these parties?” Sweet Pea asked hopefully, and Betty cocked a gentle smile his way.  

“How about you and I have some time together, too?” Betty asked.  

Sweet Pea fist bumped the air. “Fuck yeah, what a time to be alive.”  

Betty shook her head fondly at her best friend, laughing quietly. Her gentle giant. She loved him. Jughead laughed, then grew serious once more. “I’m going to need you, Quin, and Fangs with me when I go deliver a warning to Archie and Veronica.”  

“What warning?” Betty asked warily.  

“Just a friendly reminder to stay the hell away from you now that we have the restraining order in place,” Jughead said calmly.  

Betty thought about Archie showing up at Pops. He had blatantly ignored the restraining order and got close to Betty. She should really tell at least Cheryl and Toni about him cornering her at Pops. But she didn’t want Jughead to get arrested for murder, so she kept her thoughts to herself. “I think that’s fair.”  

“It’s more than fair,” Sweet Pea said, taking a gulp of coffee. “They were already warned about the restraining order – twice – so anytime they come around Betty is on them now. Not her.”  

Betty knew that Sweet Pea, next to Jughead, would willingly go to jail for her if it meant she was safe, but she was not willing to let them go. She’d just have to keep the interaction at Pops to herself. She knew Archie had threatened her – and of course, he just had to make sure his point was made – but that didn’t mean he was going to follow through on anything. Though, she knew in her heart that he would. It was Archie. He had had six years to sit and think about all the ways he could pay her back for putting him in jail.  

But she had six years to make her body stronger. Running four miles a day, every day gave her the powerful legs she had yearned for in high school. And she was stronger than she was back in high school as well, thanks to eating a balanced diet and not just starving herself.  

So, Archie and Ronnie had another thing coming if they thought she was going to willingly lay down and take what they wanted to do to her without complaint. She was going to fight them as hard as she could and she wasn’t going to give up on that. She was going to accomplish everything she had been too scared of accomplishing in high school and that meant standing up to them.  So, come what may. She was fucking ready.  

Author’s note: Hii thanks for reading! X  

Chapter Text

Jughead Jones was a man on a mission. He had left Betty entrusted into the care of Cheryl and Toni, the three women getting some shopping done, and he was currently hunting down Archie and Veronica. Sweet Pea, Joaquin, and Fangs were all with him, with Kevin talking to his dad about what would happen if Archie and Veronica violated the restraining order.  

Jughead didn’t want to think about them violating the restraining order because then that meant Betty was in danger. And he could absolutely not stomach it if any more harm befell her. She had already been put through so much when they were in high school. It had gotten better during their college years because Veronica and Archie were in prison, far away from her. And he was so utterly fucking thankful.  

But now he knew that with the two of them out in the world once more, there was a very real chance that they were going to want to exact their revenge. And Jughead was here to tell them to get the fuck over themselves. 

Fangs had followed Archie and Ronnie back to their house – they were living together – and had done recon. Hiram Lodge bought the house for his daughter, a welcome home gift of sorts. Jughead had a sneaking suspicion that Hiram Lodge was infuriated as hell that he and Betty landed his daughter in prison. He didn’t think the older man cared about Archie, but it was Veronica, he would do anything for.  

So Jughead took that for what it was worth and put it in his back pocket. He wasn’t going to let Hiram Lodge anywhere near Betty and her psyche. He wasn’t fucking going to. He pounded on the door, his men flanking him, and when it opened, he found himself face-to-face with one Archie Andrews. He narrowed his eyes into slits, glaring at the other man. “I’m only going to say it as a warning once: stay the hell away from my wife. You guys may have played the system and gotten out of prison earlier than you were supposed to, but don’t think, for one fucking second, that I’ll hesitate to throw your asses back into it. Stay the hell away from me and Betty. Or I’ll eviscerate you.” 

Archie smirked, eyes staring at him with such open hostility it was a minor miracle Jughead didn’t catch fire. “If you’re through threatening me, feel free to leave. As you can see, I haven’t bothered your precious wife.” 

Sweet Pea forced himself into the redheaded dick’s space, grabbing him by his shirt. “Make sure you see to it that you don’t. Or no one will be able to find you.” 

Archie plucked his hands off him calmly. “Careful, Sweet Pea. Threatening people like that can you land you in a world of trouble.” 

“You would know,” Fangs snapped.  

Joaquin was just staring at the scene coolly, ready to intervene if he had to. He was always the calm and collected one and for that, Jughead was so fucking thankful. He shared a look with Sweet Pea before swiveling his stare back at Archie. “We’ve said what we wanted to. You’d be wise to pass the message along to Veronica.” 

Then the four men turned on their heels and walked back to their bikes, not seeing the curtain in the window flicker as Veronica came to watch them leave.  

XXX 

At the Joneses’ house, Jughead found Betty, Cheryl, and Toni coming back at the same time he and his men were. He kissed his wife without abandon, rubbing his thumb soothingly along her cheekbone. When they pulled apart, Betty smiled at him. “Hey, Juggy.” 

“How was shopping?” Jughead asked, looking between the three women.  

“It was good,” Betty smiled warmly. “No sign of our favorite bullies.” 

He knew that. He nodded his head, pressing a gentle kiss to the corner of her lips while Sweet Pea walked into the kitchen, calling over his shoulder how he was going to start the coffee pot. That sounded good to Jughead, he needed some coffee. He walked into the kitchen hand-in-hand with Betty, their friends and chosen family alike following them. Betty hopped up onto the counter and Jughead went to go stand in between her legs, Cherly and Toni taking seats at the kitchen table, and Joaquin and Fangs huddling in the corner. “So, I think we’re going to be okay.” 

Betty looked at him knowingly and then shared a smirk with Cheryl. “You talked to them, didn’t you.” 

“Damn straight I did,” Jughead commented quietly. “They’re not going to threaten you with fear. I won’t allow it.” 

Betty pressed her lips against his cheek, whispering in his ear as she did so. “Thank you for always defending me.” 

“I always will,” he assured her softly.  

Sweet Pea poured the coffee when the pot finished percolating and he handed out the cups. Holding his, Jughead took a sip as he looked around the room. These people would die for him and him them. It’s why they were so close. They wouldn’t ever not have each other’s backs. And he couldn’t be more fucking thankful. Betty seemed to be thinking along the same lines because she was speaking up in quiet tones a moment later. “I just want to say thanks for having my back, guys. It means the world.” 

“You’re my best friend, kid,” Sweet Pea said firmly. “I’m the righthand man to your husband and we’re all family. Of course, we will have your back.” 

“Yeah, Betty,” Fangs said quietly. “There was never any question about that. There never will be, either.” 

Betty blinked rapidly and Jughead kissed her forehead. Then he looked at his men. They didn’t know what was approaching them; what was on the horizon, but they knew they’d face it together. Too bad, it’d drive them to the brink first.  

Author’s note: Okay, plot time now. Just had to set up the first couple of chapters. Archie and Ronnie are not good guys. Sorry not sorry. Enjoy and thoughts lovely per usual.  

Chapter Text

Betty Jones was a lot of things. Ambitious. Intelligent. Kind. But right now, she was late. Very fucking late. As she hopped around the room, trying to shimmy jeans on and put her shirt on, she caught sight of her husband laughing quietly and bemoaned. “Don’t laugh, Juggy! I have to go to the city for work. My boss is going to kill me.”  

Jughead stood up from where he was sitting on their bed and removed her hands from the button on her jeans. Snapping the button in place, he pressed a kiss to her lips and then straightened out her shirt. “Your boss loves you. You’re always on time – even when he tells you that you’re allowed to be a little late – and I don’t think he’s going to even remotely contemplate killing you.”  

She sighed in relief, knowing that her anxiety was getting the best of her. It always did whenever her work was involved. She nodded her head. “You’re right, I know you’re right.”  

He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead and Betty relished it. “Then try and relax and know that I’m going to go get your coffee and protein bar that you love. And you can take five minutes to meditate.”  

Betty had picked it up in college on top of her yoga. It was something her therapist recommended for her, and she hadn’t looked back. Especially when the meditation seemed to help stave off panic attacks. She couldn’t be more fucking grateful. Or more grateful for her husband. She kissed him once more, with Jughead dusting his hands down her shoulders, and then he was heading out of the room, and she was taking five minutes to breathe.  

XXX  

Jughead had sent her off with a kiss and an, “I love you”, along with her favorite protein bar and a mug of black coffee. Betty was so fucking grateful to her husband, and as she drove the familiar streets to the city, she got lost in the eighties rock that was playing quietly as background noise in her car.  

When she pulled up to the parking garage for the Times building, Betty parked in her normal spot and got out of the car. The garage was dark and poorly lit. She knew that walking to her car tonight meant she had to be on guard. Then, she shrugged her shoulders and locked her car door. Walking through the parking garage, Betty kept an eye and ear on her surroundings.  

It was the sound of footsteps she registered first. Someone walking quietly behind her, movements sure and precise. She knew, based on the knot tightening in her stomach, that she did not need to turn around. She just held her keys tighter in her fingers, thumb scraping over the lid of her mace can that was attached to her keychain. Honest to God, if Archie or Veronica was behind her, they were getting maced in the face.  

As she quickened her footsteps, she heard the footsteps behind her pick-up their pace as well. She could tell they were trying to approach her, and she all but flat-out sprinted. “Wait!”  

Betty felt lightheaded with dizziness at the fact that she recognized that voice. She stopped, turning to look over her shoulder as Ethel Muggs caught up to her. Ethel worked at the book publishing company in the same building as the Times, so she used the same parking garage. “Ethel!”  

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, Betty,” the taller woman murmured. “You just dropped this.”  

Betty blinked as Ethel handed over her wallet to her. “Oh. I didn’t even it hear it drop.”  

“I figured as much,” Ethel agreed, smiling kindly at Betty, who was working on returning her heart rate to normal. Ethel looked at her closely, speaking in a quiet murmur the next minute. “Are you okay, Betty?”  

Betty sighed, running a hand through her hair. Was she? The honest answer to that was no; she was not. And she thought for certain that Ethel could see that written across her face. “Have you heard the news?”  

Ethel cocked her head to the side. “No.”  

“Archie and Veronica are out of prison,” Betty muttered.  

Ethel gasped quietly. She had gone to trial and sat up on the stand, helping Betty to incriminate Archie and Veronica of all their misdeeds. She knew it was her testimony that helped seal their time in prison. “I thought they had at least another year?”  

As the two women walked, Betty sighed, figuring it was probably for the best to tell Ethel everything she knew. “They got out on good behavior.”  

“Archie Andrews and Veronica Lodge?” Ethel demanded incredulously. “They don’t have a good bone in their bodies.”  

“That’s what Jughead said,” Betty admitted.  

Ethel’s brow crinkled in concern. “How are you doing? What can I do to help?”  

Betty paused outside of the building both the women worked in, looking up at her friend with a smile. Ethel had always been so kind and good to her. “Thanks, Ethel. That means a lot. But right now, we slapped them with a restraining order that Kev’s father enacted. If they break it at all, they go back to jail.”  

Ethel thought about her answer, nodding her head a moment later. “That wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen.”  

Betty hummed her agreement. “I feel the same way.”  

Then suddenly, someone sped past them on a bike, running into Betty. She gasped in surprise as she lost her balance, coffee mug tumbling out of her hand and spilling onto the pavement they were standing on. Betty glanced around, feeling off-balance. She could see a flash of red hair and knew it. She just fucking knew. Then Ethel gasped. “Betty, you’re bleeding!”  

She glanced down, spotting a small patch of blood staining her shirt. Then she felt the impact hit her ribs. It looked like Archie had gotten to her again. Cupping her ribs, she waved Ethel off with a smile. “I’m fine.”  

Except that she wasn’t.  

And she wasn’t sure she was going to be.  

Author’s note: Enjoy and thoughts lovely as usual! Ignore any mistakes in this one – it is 3 in the morning and I’m about to go back to bed. Xx  

Chapter Text

Jughead kept an eye on Betty for as long as possible. He knew that he couldn’t always protect her but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t damn well try. And Jughead knew with Archie and Veronica back out in public; he’d be tightening the security he put on her. Sweet Pea, God love him, was already spending a lot of his free time with her. And Jughead appreciated that more than he could put into words.  

Right now, Jughead, Betty, Sweet Pea, and Joaquin are all in the city. They didn’t have work, but they didn’t want to be in Riverdale all day, in case Archie and Veronica came to harass his wife. Betty and Joaquin were laughing at something, walking close to each other, and Sweet Pea and Jughead were patrolling behind them, watching to make sure no one came up to them and bothered them.  

Betty turned over her shoulder just then and smiled at him, eyes soft, and his heart fluttered. God, he loved his wife. She was beautiful in every sense of the word. And Jughead considered himself a lucky man to be able to call her his. He smiled at her, his own eyes soft on her, and she looked down shyly. The fact that he could still make her blush sent a jolt through him. He loved making his wife blush. Sweet Pea nudged him in the shoulder, smirking at him when Jughead looked up at the taller one. “You’re still in love with her all these years later.”  

“Without a doubt,” Jughead replied, tone soft. There was no doubt in his mind that Betty was the one for him. He knew it the day he met her, and she had defended Dilton Doily in front of him. It was in the way she stood up for Ethel Muggs and all the other outcasts. He loved her from the moment he saw her, and he knew he always would.  

Betty spoke up just then. “Can we get pizza?”  

It wasn’t often that she initiated eating something super unhealthy. Yes, her eating habits and disorder in general had gotten a lot better over the years, but Jughead rarely heard her willingly asking for something unhealthy. So, it was with a grin and a burst of pride that had him answering. “Of course, baby.”  

Betty grinned, eyes full of light and life and fuck, yeah, Jughead was so gone for her. He knew that he couldn’t love her more if he tried – and how he tried to love her more every day. She was beautiful, his golden goddess, and he would do everything in his power to make sure he was safe.  

They held hands as they crossed the busy streets in the city, making their way to their favorite hole-in-the-wall pizzeria. Jughead and Betty loved it because it was often overlooked for something more popular, but it had the best pizza this side of the Hampton River. They loved coming here for a bite after their respective workdays. Jughead opened the door, and she ducked inside. The rest of the group followed in after her and Jughead headed to their favorite table by the wall.  

The whole staff knew them here, so Jughead and Betty didn’t even have to wait on menus. Jacob, their favorite waiter and manager, showed up, with a smile splitting his face in two. “Hey, guys, welcome back!"  

Betty grinned at him, speaking in her soft, lilting voice. “My usual please, Jacob.”  

“Of course, Mrs. Jones,” he replied. Jacob was from the south and raised on southern manners. He was trying to make it in the Broadway world and had done several off-Broadway shows. He was still trying to get cast in that one play that skyrocketed his career. Although, his other compilation of work was already quite impressive.  

“Jacob, if I told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times. You can call me Betty,” Betty gently chided him.  

“Sorry, Mrs. Jones, but no can do,” Jacob said, a southern accent peeking through. He looked at Jughead next, who listed off his order, which was the same as Betty’s. Then Sweet Pea and Joaquin ordered. Jacob promised to be back with their drinks and mozzarella sticks shortly.  

“He’s a good kid,” Joaquin commented.  

“The best,” Jughead agreed. Jacob was only eighteen years old, fresh out of high school and the south. He was already making a name for himself, which was impressive. And Jughead had no doubt that he’d be on Broadway one day.  

Betty looked around the restaurant. “We should have had the restaurant cater our wedding.”  

“Oh, that would have been good,” Jughead hummed. “Perhaps we can cater at our anniversary party this year.”  

“Oh, yes, please,” Betty agreed.  

“What are you guys doing for your anniversary?” Sweet Pea asked. “Not the party, but for you two alone?”  

“I’m taking Betty up to the cabin for the weekend,” Jughead replied, grinning at Jacob as he brought their drinks and cheese sticks. They all grabbed one and chewed on them.  

Sweet Pea hummed thoughtfully. “That sounds like fun, man. I hope you two have a good time.”  

“Thanks, Sweets,” Betty replied, smiling at her best friend. Jughead dipped his head appreciatively at his right hand and then took another bite of the stringy, gooey, hot cheese. It was heaven in his mouth.  

“The party is this Saturday, though?” Joaquin asked, looking at Jughead and Betty.  

“Yes,” Jughead replied. “And I’ll talk to Jacob about catering for it. I’m sure they’d love to.”  

“I agree,” Betty said. It was settled then. As the group laughed and talked and ate their way through the food, Jughead was content. Too bad come Saturday, that contentment would be shattered like glass.  

Author’s note: Just a soft one before I get the ball rolling in the direction, I need it too. We’ve got some angsty and pain and things coming up. Please buckle up and get ready for a bumpy ride! Much love and thoughts lovely as usual! Xxx