Chapter Text
20. September 2017
♕ Tell me I'm safe, you've got me now
Would you take the wheel
If I lose control?
If I'm lying here
Will you take me home?
Could you take care
Of a broken soul?
Will you hold me now?
Oh, will you take me home? ♕
Take Me Home by Jess Glynne
Her hands clenched around a mug filled with tea, Betty sat on her sofa, staring at a little box. It had been over a year since she had looked at this box. It was filled with letters from Jughead. Because even though they had talked during all their video chats, Jughead always wrote her letters. Because Jughead wouldn’t be Jughead if he’d done it any other way.
Betty had gotten one last letter only two days before Jellybean called her in tears. The military had contacted JB, because she was his next relative. They had told her that Jughead and his entity went missing, but they also told her that they would do anything to find her brother. So where was he now? They didn’t try everything. No. Betty sniffed. This wasn’t fair. He should be here with her and with Jellybean. But he wasn’t. And all that was left of him where some letters and one of his shirts, which the blonde was wearing right now.
She wanted to feel close to him. For a few seconds she closed her eyes, picturing Jughead, his soft, dark hair, his lean body, his eyes. She thought about how he had touched her. She could feel the tears streaming down her face. Hotdog sensed her sadness and came over, nudging her with his nose. “I know pal. I should forget it all, huh?” she said ruffling through the dogs fur. “But I can’t Hotdog. I just can’t. He was the one. And he was taken from me. Why?” Hotdog whined, nudging her hand again.
“Yeah, good boy. I’m here. I’ll take care of you, no worries.” she told him. Betty brushed her tears away with her arm. After that, she reached over to open the box. She took took the last letter from the box and opened it. It was strange to look at Jugheads handwriting after all this time. With her finger she trailed the lines of the inked words. “I love you and I will never stop loving you. I’ll always be there, right next to you. I promise.”
Reading his words made her cry once again and Betty shook her head. She was angry now. “You promised! You promised you’d be there! Damn it, Jughead!” The blonde buried her face between her knees. Her blonde hair wasn’t in her iconic ponytail. Instead the waves cascaded over her shoulders and her back. “You promised…” she whispered again, her voice broke because she was sobbing now. She felt lost. Not sure what life would be like for her in the future.
Suddenly Hotdog whimpered again. Getting louder and louder. He even started barking and he ran towards the door. “Hotdog! What is it?” she called after him. “Come back here you crazy dog!” But all her commands were ignored. Hotdog didn’t listen. He just got more excited, jumping up to the handle of the door. “Oh no, you don’t!” Betty got up, wiping away the tears, which were still lingering on her face. She tried to calm down Hotdog with her voice, but it didn’t help at all. Nothing helped. She sighed defeated. “Alright, we’re gonna look outside.”
Betty opened the door and Hotdog immediately ran outside. He barked and nearly fell over his own feet, because he was so excited. “Hotdog! Calm down!” she called after him once again. “
“I take it you’ve really spoiled him like I’ve predicted, huh?” she heard a voice speaking. Betty shivered. Her body knew it immediately. Her body knew, to whom that voice belonged. She could feel it in every bone. But her brain still had to catch up with her body. And so Betty looked up and stared right into those deep blue eyes she had missed for over two years.
“Juggie…” she breathed.
For a few seconds, she froze. Betty felt like she couldn't move. She was in shock, her brain was trying to process what was happening. But finally her legs took over and just like Hotdog before she ran towards him, tears streaming down her face once again. Relief rushed through her body. All the pain from two years suddenly went away. She ran towards him and he caught her in his arms when she finally reached him. Lips crashing with need and passion and so many more feelings, which couldn’t be put into proper words.
It was like time slowed down for a few moments. Giving Betty time to wrap her arms around Jughead, pulling him even closer. Her lips not leaving his. She was still crying. But it was okay now. Everything was okay now. It felt like she could finally breathe again. Like all this time there had been a weight in her lungs and now, that her man was back, it was taken away. Eventually Jughead pulled back, breaking the slow motion they were in. He leaned his forehead against Bettys and took a shaky breath. “I’ve missed you so much…” he told her, his voice thick with emotions. she cupped his face with her hands and nodded.
“I’ve missed you too. So much, Juggie. But you’re home now. You’re home. Everything will be alright.”
Christmas - Three years later
♕ There's magic in our bones,
A north star in our soul
That remembers our way home.
There's magic in our bones.
No, I don't have a script for this.
But I know the right words exist
Somewhere,
And I just need more time.
I know, I know, I'm asking for the moon,
But I must listen to intuition
Believe me, I only want what's right. ♕
Body by Sleeping At Last
“How is it even possible that your mother always makes me feel like I’m boy in High-School again?” Jughead asked, slightly amused. They had just returned from the annual Christmas dinner, hosted by Betty's parents. She laughed softly, sitting down on the sofa next to Jughead. “Because she’s still overbearing and very concerned about her beloved daughter?”
“By now she should know that there’s absolutely nothing to worry!” he said gruffly, but a smile was playing on his lips. He understood why Alice Cooper was concerned about her daughter. After all he was the broken soldier who had returned home, after he had been captured for months. It had been a lucky coincidence, that the hideout of his kidnappers got busted. He and some of his comrades who had been held captive with him were finally freed.
He was able to return home, but he was suffering. A lot actually. Every day had been a struggle. He had to overcome a massive trauma and it hadn’t been easy with him. At some point he even hurt Betty physically. But neither of them were willing to just give up. And time and determination helped them to work through all the difficulties which they had to face with his return. Betty had been nothing but patient and loving, even though she still had to fight her own demons. Sometimes, when he couldn’t sleep, he would just lay there and listen to her breathing, feeling the warmth of her body wrapped around him. He had no idea how he deserved her. But there was one thing he was sure of now: They were meant to be.
He could hear Betty chuckling softly at his words, her hands wandering through his hair. “Yeah, but she’s Alice Cooper. She’ll never change, that’s for sure.” Jughead smiled and nodded. That was probably more than true.
For a while they just sat there in silence, both looking at the Christmas tree and Hotdog who was sleeping in front of said tree. But Jughead eventually got up, ignoring Bettys objection. He just smiled at her and went to get one last present from under tree. They had already exchanged their gifts, but he had one last surprise for her.
He walked back to the sofa and sat down. He handed her Betty the gift. “I have one last gift for you. Open it.” he instructed, now somehow nervous. Betty looked at him confused and shook her head slightly.
“Juggie, you shouldn't have. You already gave me my gifts.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I know. But still. Just open the present, Betts.” Jughead smiled, watching how Betty unwrapped a small box. She looked at him, not sure what this meant. He nodded, encouraging her with a smile. Betty opened the box and revealed a key.
“What is this?” she asked surprised.
“This is the key to the house I bought for us.” Betty gasped.
“Our what? How? Why?” Jughead laughed nudging her nose with his finger.
“You just can’t tune down your inner journalist, can you? One question at a time, Mrs. Cooper. Our house. I’ve bought a house. How? With money of course. And Archie and Veronica helped me with choosing the perfect house. Why? Because this apartment is nice, but I know you’ve been looking for a bigger one lately. And I figured why not.” he explained, holding her hands in his. “I love you Betty. And was lucky enough to come home again. Now it’s about time that we have something we can really call our home.”
It had been not a problem for him to afford the house. Because to process his trauma, he had started writing again. He poured his heart in every sentence and banned all the horrible memories on the pages of his newest book. And luckily his book got published. He was now a writer and he got payed pretty good.
Betty smiled, wrapping her hands around his neck. She hid her face in the crook of his neck and breathed in his scent. “I love it. I love you. Thank you, Juggie. This means so much.” she shook her head, still in disbelief. They’d move into their own house. She then pulled back a little to look at him. “But you know...home is where you are.”
Jughead nodded. “I know. But you deserve this. Merry Christmas, Betty.” he stated, kissing the top of her head.
“Oh, come here” she said, pulling him towards her with his dog tags. The only thing that reminded them of his past as a soldier now.
The End ~