Chapter Text
Your heart was glass, I dropped it........
Betty could feel the distance eating away at them. From the moment that she opened her mouth and shattered them into pieces, they weren’t the same. It wasn’t surprising, but she wanted-no needed them to work. It helped her believe that her mistake didn’t have to cut so deep because it didn’t mean anything. It was a moment-one she wished she could take back. She wanted him to scream or yell. But, the silent sorrow of his broken heart hurt more than any harsh words that he could speak to her. So, she sat there on the couch wanting to bridge the gap that had begun to engulf them. She just couldn’t do it anymore. So, she arranged to leave her early. If she had to stay in this purgatory for another second she knew it would only deepen the sorrow that she felt herself curling into.
“I’m going to go to New Haven early,”she whispered before crawling into bed.”
He simply nodded.
The silence was killing her. She wanted to demand that he just say what was on her mind. She wanted them to talk it out—to hash it out. But, what was the point? She was headed to Connecticut and he was headed to Iowa. If this secret hadn’t destroyed them, the distance sure would have.
***
She stood on the landing and clung to him. It really was one final goodbye for them. She reached for his face and kissed him, attempting to memorize the taste and feel of his lips one final time. He may not have realized it, but this might be one of the last times they would be together like this.
“Promise me, this isn’t the end.”she said even though she knew it was.
“I love you, Betty.”
“I will always love you, Juggie.”Betty whispers as she holds him tightly. Tears are pooling in her eyes and she knows if she doesn’t let him go soon, his shirt will be soaked in her tears. Her mother is waiting for her near the car, so she looks back at him. His hands are in his pockets and the sadness is still there in his eyes. She knows that he wants to be able to save them just as much as she does, but he can’t seem to find the words. Once inside the car, she places her hand on the window still and watches as he waves goodbye. The tears finally come pouring down her cheek.
*****
A year later
Betty is standing outside of Pops. Her hand reaches out for the handle but she starts shaking. Memories of the night she was stuck down in that well keep coming pouring back. Sweat starts dripping down her back and she runs away. She keeps running until she reaches her old house. She sits on her porch and takes in all the memories. They all came flooding back. The countless murders and close calls. Her palms are still sweaty. She is in the middle of one of her panic attacks. Her nails start to dig into her palms. She watches as the skin breaks and the blood appears. She misses having a sense of control But, all of that has gone out the window. A little while later, she drives by Pops and sees him walk out. She is frozen with her hands on the steering wheel. She immediately notices the sad drop of his head as he stuff his hands in his pockets and gets into a beat up old Honda Civic before driving off.
*******
Six Years Later
Jughead Jones received a cryptic call from his agent as he attempted to work on his second novel. It was supposed to be a follow up to his cryptic best-seller about a town terrorized by a serial killer. He had used the combination of all the murders and Hiram as a sort of framework to build his story. Apparently, the FBI wanted to see him. He wondered if his mother had finally crossed the wrong person or was Jelly Bean taking after their older brother Charles. His mind was going wild.
He walked into the New York Bureau office and was ushered into a small office. Everyone seemed to wear the same blue suit and it wasn’t quite Men-in-Black but enough for his liking. He was looking around and turned his head when he heard the sound of the door creaking open. His eyes widened and his throat went dry. She didn’t have her hair in a tight-ponytail any longer. It fell past her back in soft curls. His eyes softened when he saw her.
Betty wanted to turn around and run. He was the last person she expected to see in her bosses office.
“Betty,”he said softly.
She closed her eyes. The sound of his voice echoed through her heart.
“Jughead,”she said and paused to collect her voice. “ How are you?”
He stuffed his hands in his pockets. A gesture she was all too familiar with. “I’m good. So, you’re an agent.”
“Yeah, I’ve been an agent for a little over a year.
The conversation was stilted. They hadn’t spoken to each other in seven years. She was as beautiful as he remembered her. He moved closer to her. It was as if a power beyond his control was pulling him towards her. He picked up a strand of her hair and said, “You look good, Betty.”
She sucked in a breath and took a step backward. She was not accustomed to having him in her personal space and the smell of him was unnerving her.
“What are you doing here?
He shrugged and said, “My agent said the FBI wanted to ask me something?”
An older woman interrupted their conversation and said, “Good you are both here. Agent Cooper. Mr. Jones, please have a seat.”
She was an older woman and like everyone else she wore a pant-suit in an interesting shade of blue. Her dark hair was pulled back in a bun and she placed her hands on her desk. “So, Mr. Jones you are probably wondering why I’ve called you in.”
“Yes, officer.”
“Call me Agent Brown. Anyways, the reason the two of you are here. There has been a series of murders that are quite similar to what you wrote in your book Mr. Jones.”
Jughead was startled and he immediately got on the defensive. “Murder intrigues me, but I’m not really the violent type so if you’re accusing me of something...”
“I don’t think you did anything, but the two of you may help us get in the mind of this copycat. We think someone is trying to replicate your father’s and grandfathers murders Agent Cooper”
Betty reached for the napkin she kept in her pocket. She patted away the sweat beads that were beginning to form on her forehead. That’s when he noticed the small scar on the underside of her wrist. Jughead reached out and turned her hand over. Betty pulled her hand away and back on to her lap. Agent Brown looked from one to another. “I’m familiar with your history. I hope this won’t cause any problems.”
“Why would it cause problems?” Jughead asked.
“Because we need you to consult on this case. To use that mystery writer brain of yours to help uncover clues or hints that may bypass the other Agent on the Case.”
Jughead shook his head. This whole sounded like a recipe for disaster. He had shifted from actual investigations to writing years ago and he liked it better in the realm of fiction.
“I don’t know,”he said.
Agent Brown began to get up and said, “I’ll give you 24 hours to make your decision. But, there are actual lives at stake. Think about it.”
He walked out after shaking the agent's hand and Betty followed right behind her. “Listen, Jug. Don’t worry about me. I think we can handle working on a single case together. It won’t break us.”
He reached for her hand and said, “How long have you been doing this to yourself,”Jughead said sternly.
She pulled her hand away like he had burnt her. “I’m not your concern anymore.”
“You’ll always be my concern Betty Cooper,”he said before walking away.