Chapter Text
Two Weeks Later
“Mom, what am I going to do with all this crystal?”
“You’re going to own it and use it eventually,” Alice answered. “And write every single person who gave it to you a thank you note as well.”
“Mom, mine and Jughead’s lifestyle doesn’t really have room for a crystal punch bowl. It’s not the 1950s,” Betty said. “Did you register me for all this stuff? What happened to the things I actually put on my list?”
“Did you really need a flamingo pitcher?” Alice asked. “It was ugly. And besides, what were you going to do with it?”
“I don’t know. Host a brunch!” Betty retorted. “Seriously, you can’t just go behind my back and re-register me.”
“I didn’t really re-register you though,” Alice said. “I just added a few things to your registry without your permission. I just want you to have pretty things, Betty. And I don’t think flamingo pitchers and whale measuring cups are really nice.”
“But I like them!” Betty insisted. “Does that not matter to you?”
“What are you going to do when Jughead has his boss and his boss’s wife over for dinner?”
“Serve them drinks in the Kashmir highball glasses I registered for,” Betty replied. “All of the people we usually associate with are low-maintenance. And Veronica deals with it because even though she’s champagne and pearls, she likes our company enough to overlook the shocking lack of china. And we’ve had Jughead’s boss over before, neither him or his wife cared about how we served dinner. They’re both 27, mom.”
But Alice wasn’t listening to her, she was cleaning up the leftovers from the shower.
“I’ll get you all the flamingo pitchers you could want,” Veronica promised when Alice had left the living room. She had been silently standing by, waiting to interject again if she had to.
“And I’ll get you the whale measuring cups,” JB added, lowering her phone long enough to smile at her future sister-in-law.
Betty sighed. “It’s okay, the two of you really don’t have to get me anything else,” she assured them.
Veronica waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. Think about it as an early housewarming present!”
JB surveyed the gifts piled up around the living room. “She could fill two houses with all the stuff she got today!”
Veronica shook her head. “Most of its going back, we’re going to replace everything with what you wanted, Betty. I’ll clear out next Saturday and we can do it then! I don’t want to hear arguments about it either. I know you’re going to feel bad for doing it but don’t. Most of these gifts aren’t thoughtful.”
“I’m going to insist you keep the ice cream maker,” JB added. “So, when I come stay with you and Jughead in Cambridge, you can make homemade ice cream.”
“I actually asked for the ice cream maker,” Betty told her.
“I can’t believe Cheryl actually got you something that you actually wanted for once!” Veronica said.
Betty grinned, grateful for the subject change. “Well, it’s not like she got the one I actually picked out. This one is much nicer and actually rated the number one ice cream maker with America’s Test Kitchen.”
“Well, Cheryl always did like to show off. Even more so now that she’s married to one of the richest men on Forbes 30 and under list,” Veronica replied. “And she’s a successful business woman on her own too. She has to do something with all that money and power. What better way to do it then spoil her family members.”
“Are you girls going to just stand around and chat while I do all the work?” Alice interrupted as she returned to the living room.
“No!” Veronica answered. “I was just going to call Archie and tell him that it’s safe for him and Jughead to come back so we can start loading the presents in the car. JB, why don’t you put your phone away and help finish bringing the food to the kitchen?”
“I’m just strapped for time. The engagement party is in two hours,” Alice explained.
“You didn’t need to plan the engagement party and shower for the same day,” Betty said.
“What did you want me to do? You’re the one who decided to get married in three months! It hardly gave us time to do anything! Not that you ever do anything traditionally anyways.”
Betty frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t think we want to know!” Veronica answered.
“Let’s start with Jughead,” Alice said, ignoring the Latina girl.
JB lowered the cupcake she had started to eat and furrowed her eyebrows. “Hey, watch it lady! That’s my brother you’re talking about!”
“That’s my fiancé you’re talking about!” Betty added.
“I’m just saying, he’s 26 and he’s still going by Jughead. You’d think he’d start going by his Christian name now.”
“He does use his given name professionally!” Betty argued. “He let you use it on the invitations and he’ll even use it when we say our vows. His nickname is such a stupid thing to have a problem with. He’s good to me, mother! He’s good for me! And that’s all you should care about.”
Alice released a dramatic breath. “Let’s not talk about it right now. We have a lot to do and you girls still need to get ready for the other party. You’re not planning on going in jeans, are you?”
“I’m going to change right now,” Betty answered, walking away.
“Betty!” Veronica called, dropping the tablecloth she had been holding and following her upstairs.
.
“She still treats me like a child,” Betty said, not turning around when Veronica came into her bedroom. “I don’t know if I can take it anymore.”
“One short month and it’ll all be over,” Veronica answered, going over to her and wrapping her arms around her in a hug.
“I’m going to hate it,” Betty replied, feeling the same suffocating feeling she’d had on the Charles River. “I’m going to hate it and I’m going to grow resentful that I didn’t have the wedding I wanted one day and take it out on Jughead or throw my own daughter a wedding that she doesn’t want.”
“No you won’t. Because you are not your mother!” Veronica assured her, squeezing her tighter. “You’re going to make sure your future daughter has the wedding of her dreams. I know you will. I’ve only just started to plan my own wedding and you’ve already helped me make sure I’m getting what I want. I just wish I could return the favor.”
“One short month and it’ll all be over, right?” Betty repeated. “Just keep reminding me that there’s only thirty-one days left until this whole ordeal is over with.”
“I will,” Veronica promised.
.
Betty sat in the corner, trying to avoid having another engagement picture taken when Jughead found her.
“What do you say we blow off our own engagement party and go get some ice cream?” Jughead suggested.
Betty looked over at her mother who was having a conversation with Josie McCoy’s mother. “She’ll know if we leave.”
“We’ll be long way before she notices we’ve left,” Jughead said. “Come on, Veronica told Archie and I all about the afternoon you had. I think you’ve earned your ice cream and then some.”
“I’m not going to fit into my dress if you keep plying me with desserts,” Betty answered.
“Spend an extra few minutes in the gym,” Jughead argued. “Desserts are a great stress reliever,” he held her away from him and observed her with the critical eye of a writer, “besides, you’ve never looked better.”
“I’ve been running a lot. To burn stress.”
Jughead pulled her in again and squeezed her fiercely. “Come on. I’ll have Archie cover for us.”
.
The rest of the time leading up to the wedding went by in a blur. There was dress fittings to have and thank you notes to write. Betty pushed all her negative feelings away while she reminded herself that it was only one day out of the rest of her life with Jughead.
But on a cloudy night, hours after the rehearsal dinner. Hours after they had eaten lobster and steak and chocolate lava cake, she knew she couldn’t go through with it.
“Betty, is everything okay?” Veronica asked when she noticed her best friend was missing from the queen sized bed.
“I-I don’t think I want to get married tomorrow.”
Veronica’s mouth dropped open. “Betty, what are you talking about? Of course you want to get married tomorrow! We’ve been planning this for months now!”
“No. No my mother has been planning this for months,” Betty corrected. “I never said I wanted a big wedding. . . all those people looking at me. I can’t do it Veronica. And I hate my dress. I never said it aloud but I hate it.”
“B, you’re going to have an anxiety attack if you don’t calm down. Take a deep breath. You’re not going to go all Runaway Bride on Jughead are you?”
Betty’s already white complexion turned paler. “Of course not! I want to marry Jughead more than anything. I-I just don’t want to make a big deal out of it. If I do, I might run away.”
“Okay. You sit tight honey. I’m going to be right back!” Veronica said as she pulled on her satiny bathrobe and retrieved her cell phone from the charger.
She went into the bathroom and turned on the shower and then scrolled through her contacts. She clicked on Jughead’s name and waited while the phone rang.
“Jughead, you better get over here or your lovely bride-to-be is going to go AWOL.”
.
“I have to go over to the Cooper’s and talk to Betty,” Jughead said after hanging up with Veronica.
“Dude, its bad luck to see the bride before the wedding!” Archie protested.
“I’m afraid she’s going to get cold feet.”
“Who!? Betty? She’d never get cold feet! She’s loved you ever since we were in high school,” Archie tried to assure him.
“I’m going to see her,” Jughead repeated as he pulled on a pair of jeans and a worn out sweater.
“If Mrs. Cooper catches you, you’re going to be in so much trouble!”
“I don’t care! It’s a risk I’m willing to take. Veronica thinks that Betty’s going to try and run away if I don’t go and talk to her. You’d do the same thing too, if you thought Veronica needed you.”
Archie sighed, relenting. “Go on then and talk to her. But don’t get caught! Just don’t get caught.”
Jughead nodded. “I’ll be back soon,” he promised before slipping out of Archie’s old bedroom and down the stairs. He crept past the living room where Fred and Mary were chatting with Mary’s new boyfriend and made the familiar trek across the lawn and over to the Cooper house.
He shimmied up the ladder just like old times and rapped on her window.
Veronica let him in and said something about going to make Betty a cup of tea.
“What’s going on Betts?” Jughead asked when they were alone. He sat down next to her and took her hand.
She took a deep breath. “So. . . here’s the thing. . ."I don’t want to get married. At least not in front of everyone, with the way my mother planned. I think if we do, I won’t go through with it,” Betty told Jughead.
“But you still want to get married, right?” Jughead double-checked. “I don’t think I’d survive if you said you didn’t want to get married.”
“Don’t be so dramatic!” Veronica said, sitting down on Betty’s bed. “It won’t be the end of the world if she decided she didn’t want to marry you after all. BUT she has good taste. She still wants to go through with it.”
“But just on a smaller scale,” Betty added. “Jughead Jones, would you do me the great honor of eloping with me?”
“Eloping?” Jughead repeated. “You want to elope with me?”
“Yeah,” Betty answered. “Will you?”
“Of course!” Jughead said. “When? Where?”
“Right now. I want to be way out of town before tomorrow morning. Before my mother is onto us and tries to stop us.”
“Archie and I are going to go as your witnesses,” Veronica chimed in. “We’ve discussed the whole thing. JB is going to stay here and cover for us.”
“You better get renew your vows or name your first child after me!” JB ordered from the sleeping bag she was sprawled out on.
“What do we need to bring?” Jughead asked, ignoring his younger sister.
“Not much. I hate my dress, so I’m leaving that here. Veronica and I can stop into a consignment shop in Greendale and see if they have anything there that I can wear. You guys can wear suits or bring the tuxedo you rented.
“I adore my maid of honor dress, so I’m still going to wear it!’ Veronica added. “We don’t need very much. Trust me, I should know. I ran away multiple times when I wanted to get my father and mother’s attention.”
“We want to leave in an hour,” Betty supplied. “Do you think you could be ready by then?”
Jughead kissed her. “Yes.”
.
They wrote notes to their respective families and hastily threw some pajamas and necessities into bags.
Veronica texted Smithers to wait for them at the end of the street because it was late and they didn’t want to alert the neighborhood when it was usually settled. They escaped through the window and met the boys in front of Fred’s house.
“You sure about this?” Jughead asked as he slipped his hand into Betty’s.
Betty nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, we better get going then.”
They spent the night in a little bed & breakfast right in the heart of Greendale.
In the best way possible, Betty and Jughead both had trouble sleeping that night.
.
Betty and Veronica were up early the next morning. They walked around town until they found a thrift store that was open while Archie and Jughead went to find somebody who could perform the ceremony on short notice.
And even though Veronica said finding an amazing dress in a short amount of time would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, Betty found one almost on her first try. A knee-length, strapless, cream-colored dress with layers of pink tulle under the skirt.
As luck would have it, she found a pair of Tiffany blue high heels that went with it perfectly and a cage veil that completed the whole ensemble.
“You’re so beautiful,” Veronica said. “Just like a bride should be.”
All the pieces were falling into place.
Betty felt a tingle of excitement she had been lacking the whole time she’d been watching her mother plan her other wedding.
.
They met at the church late-afternoon because the minister Archie and Jughead had found was doing another wedding earlier in the day. But he’d agreed to help them out as soon as he could.
“It’s almost time,” Veronica told Betty. “Are you ready?”
“I’ve never been more ready,” Betty answered, smiling at Veronica as the first strains of her processional song started. “Well, I guess it’s time!”
Veronica kissed her on the cheek before taking her place to go down the aisle. “To you my friend, I wish you all the happiness in the world,” she said.
While Betty walked towards the pulpit, she caught Jughead staring at her coming towards him. His smile grew wider with every step she took.
Her heart was fluttering in excitement. She was going to be somebody’s wife. She was going to be Jughead’s wife. She knew the idea of belonging to somebody didn’t fit the ideals of the circles she ran in, but her relationship with him was a partnership of equality. If she belonged to him, he belonged to her just as much.
She stopped in front of the altar and Jughead took her hand, together they walked towards the pastor and turned to face each other.
“Who gives this woman to be this man’s wife?”
“I do,” Archie answered, completely serious. And it was kind of fitting even though he wasn’t Hal. He was the third most important person in her life, next to her nephew and she’d known him almost for forever.
When it came time for the vows, Jughead stopped the minister. “If you don’t mind, I wrote my own.”
“That’s perfectly fine! Go ahead.”
“Betty when I first saw you, we were six-years-old and you were eating chocolate chip cookies that you’d made yourself. I was sitting across from you, I guess I looked just pathetic enough because you shared them with me even though I didn’t ask you to. You were wearing pigtails and a denim jacket with a little pink tutu skirt. I think I knew then that I would love you for the rest of my life even if you wound up loving somebody else. But by some miracle, you wound up loving me. So, this is what I vow to you.
“I vow to love you just as much and even more as that little boy did. To spend the rest of my life chasing away your demons, to honor you and cherish you and to make you my family. For as long as we both shall live.”
Betty smiled at him, the butterflies she’d had in her stomach for years swirled with intensity.
She cleared her throat. “I wrote my own vows too. Um. Jughead, we’ve known each other a very long time you and I. Up until I was sixteen, I didn’t know I could love you as much as I did. As much as I do, you snuck into my heart and captured it without me even realizing it was even happening. I was in the middle before I knew I’d begun and then I couldn’t imagine my life without you. Not ever. Thank you for choosing me, for asking me to spend the rest of my life with you.
“I promise I’ll do everything I can to honor and cherish and love you too. Your troubles are my troubles from this day forward. I choose you, I choose us until death do us part.”
They exchanged rings and then the pastor pronounced them man and wife.
.
Afterwards, they found a little coffee shop slash wine bar. They bought cupcakes and cheap pink champagne. Archie and Veronica toasted them and when an old song came over the speakers, Jughead tugged Betty to her feet and danced with her.
“We’re swaying together,” Betty whispered. “Just like you wanted.”
“All I’ve ever wanted is you, Mrs. Jones,” Jughead answered.
The End
.