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Looking down at the positive pregnancy test in her hand, Betty didn’t think it could possibly get any worse than this. Seventeen and pregnant, just like her mother, just like her sister.
She decided to keep quiet until graduation, she couldn,t have been too far along so Jughead didn’t notice any change. Though, the crippling anxiety every time she felt nauseous, every time she woke up in the middle of the night because of random cramps she didn’t quite understand, definitely didn’t go unnoticed by Jughead.
She managed to keep quiet until prom though, which was good, she had 2 more days and she could finally explain why she has been acting so weird.
But hey, its Riverdale, who are we to think everything will go smoothly?
It was okay though, the first part, they danced a little, had some laughs and no one noticed Betty didn’t drink anything. “I don’t drink in general, guys”- that’s what shes been saying all night long.
Their party started going down when the lights went out and the generators (those creepy red lights) were the only source of light they had.
“Good evening, Riverdale Graduates”
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me-“- Betty said rolling her eyes and gripping her stomach
“B, you good?’- Veronica grabbed her in order to support her from falling
“Great.”
“We are going to be playing a fun game tonight some of you are experts at- Spin the bottle.”
“Oh, go fuck yourself!”
“Reginald, grab that Tennessee Whiskey bottle and place it on the floor, the rest of you sit in a circle in front of it. You have 35 seconds or I will start shooting.”
“Do what he say, Reggie.”- Betty gasped, still holding on to Veronica with one hand and with the other she clutched her stomach.
“Betty, hey, whats going on?”- Jughead immediately was by her side
She didn’t say anything but looked into his eyes and he understood in a matter of seconds.
The cramps, the lack of food appetite, avoiding family dinners like they were the plague, her gasping for air as if she were about to be sick, holding onto her stomach for dear life.
“I got her, Ronnie.”- he said and took V’s place holding Betty by her middle and helping her sit on the floor.
They non-verbal moment went unnoticed as the rest were freaked out by the intruder.
“Just breathe, baby. Squeeze my hand and breathe, it’ll be okay”- he said and kissed her forehead.
“I’m sorry, Jug.”- she whispered.
“It’s okay,don’t worry about that right now”
“You will start spinning the bottle in alphabetical order. The person it lands on will get a dare from me, if they don’t complete it, I will share their deepest secret. Something no one knows about them. Be very careful, cause if you try to fight me, someone gets shot.”
“Archie, you go first.”
Archie spinned the bottle and swore he could hear his friends ‘ hearts racing.
It landed on Jughead and
Betty was positive she would throw up.
“Jeez, Arch” – he whispered.
“Mr. Jones. Your dare is to grab one of the knives on the table right next to the punch and stab the person to your right in the thigh.”
Jughead felt his heart stop beating while Betty gripped her hold on his right arm tighter and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Oh fuck”- Reggie whispered
“Jug, it’s fine-“- she started but he interrupted immediately
“Absolutely not, especially, not now.”
“I’m not doing it.”
“It’s so funny how trying to protect Ms. Cooper, you will just hurt her more than a tiny cut would”
The projector started all of a sudden and it showe Jughead and Archie in his hospital room right after the Ghoulies tried to kill him.
‘Whats going on?”- Betty asked
“Betty, I swear it is not what it looks like.”
-
“So how do think she will handle this?”- Archie asked
“I don’t know, man. But she’s strong, she’ll pull through.”
Her father being a serial killer – she thought.
“I am a bit worried though. That she will get triggered at some point. I don’t know”
“You think she’ll hurt you?”
‘Not right now but.. I don’t think its good for her to be involved in these mysteries now that she has the violence gene in her blood. Literally.”
“Did you try telling her that?’’
“Not yet, I don’t think she s ready to accept it yet”
-
The screen went black and the power went back on.
All eyes were on Betty who let go of Jughead’s grip and stepped back from him with wide teary eyes.
“You’re joking, right?”
“Betts-“
“Don’t, don’t”
She wiped her tears and held her knees to her chest. Maybe to have something to hold, maybe to try and relieve the pain and nausea she was feeling.
“Miss Blossom, you’re next to spin the bottle”
“Great.”- she whispered taking a deep breath
She spinned the bottle and it landed on Betty.
“Perfect.”- she said and slapped herself.
“This isn’t your day, B”- Kevin said quietly.
“Miss Cooper, your dare is the following: under the table on your right there is a small box where you will find 5mg of cocaine. Take it.”
“That should be fine, right?”- Archie asked
“It’s not that much, you’ll be fine.”
“I can’t take it.” – she said.
“As you wish, Miss Cooper.”
‘’ You’re such a dumbass, Cooper, god”- Reggie yelled.
Jughead gave her a sympathetic look but she was too tired to care.
The screen showed her in the doctors office and she immediately recognized the moment from a few days ago when she went to see if the baby was alright and she got to hear the heartbeat.
Betty, what’s going on?”- Alice asked.
She held her head in her hands knowing what was about to happen. The video showed the doctor moving the ultrasound machine and them a steady heartbeat was echoing the ball room.
“You’re pregnant?”- this time it was Cheryl basically screaming
“Yeah, I am.”- she said quietly knowing all eyes were on her.
Jughead went to hold her hand but she dropped his hand and turned away.
“Unbelievable.” Alice made herself heard but was interrupted by the man behind it all again.
“Miss Cooper, the bottle, if you will”
She rolled her eyes and spinned the bottle and then laid back rapidly because she felt herself getting lightheaded.
She took a deep breath and steadied herself as much as she could. This time she couldn’t turn down Jughead’s help because she knew she needed it. He had her lean on him for support and she squeezed her eyes shut and took deep breaths.
“I think we should get you to a hospital, Betts”- he whispered.
“How?”
“I’ll figure something out. Will you be okay for a few more minutes?”
She nodded.
The bottle landed on Archie and he gasped
“Payback, huh?”
She didn’t even bother to look at him because she was to busy holding onto Jugheads arm for dear life.
“Mr. Andrews, your job is to complete Mr. Jones’ s dare and stab the person on your left. You can pick the place.”
As if faith wanted to laugh in her face, Betty realized she was the one of Archie’s left.
“In order to make things a little spicier, every time someone doesn’t do a dare, someone gets shot. Mr Andrews, unless you want your beautiful girlfriend to have abullet in her forehead, I suggest you pick up the knife.”
“I have to do it, guys, I’m sorry.”
‘Oh, no, no, no”- Betty whispered into Jughead’s ear and he immediately got up after Archie.
“Do it to me, leave her alone, please.”
“You heard him, Jug”
“She’s pregnant Arch. She’s already in pain.”
“It was to be the person on his left. No exceptions.”
Archie was holding the knife towards Betty when she got up.
“Do you happen to know whats the least painful place to get stabbed?”
She shook her head.
“Any place hurts like a bitch, Arch. Just don’t hit an artery.”
He couldn’t even take another step cause Betty fell to the ground, Jughead falling with her in order to prevent her from hitting her head.
“I have to take her to the hospital now.”- Jughead said picking her up
A gunshot was fired and the lights went out, people screaming and panicking and Jughead didn’t know what to do.
When the lights went back on again he say blood on aArchie’s hands. He’d been shot. The next thing he saw was a man with a dark hoodie in the doorway with a gun in his hand.
“Well, well,well… Shall we finish the game?”
“We have to take them to a hospital, let us go.”
“You can take them to the moon for all I care. After we finish the game.”
“You’re fucking crazy.”- Reggie yelled and the man shot him in a heartbeat.
Veronica started screaming but then the man fell to the ground, behind him was Charles who had just knocked him out.
The next thing Jughead remembered was running in the hospital parking lot with Betty in his arms and then his world went black.
Three days later, he woke up, with a sharp pain in his right side and Betty in a bed next to his.
“Juggie, you’re awake.”- she smiled at him.
“Betty. What happened¬?”
“You got shot back at the school, but you were too worried about me and you didn't even feel it up until you brought me to the hospital and you just fell to the ground. You had surgery right after and you've been waking up for a few seconds but falling back asleep.. it's normal though, at least that's what the doctor said.”
“What about you, are you alright?”
“Yeah, it was dehydration and probably the stress, it was just too much.”
“Archie and Reggie? Are thay okay?”
“Yeah they're both okay. Archie's wound was rougher than Reggie’s though, but the doctors managed to save the both of them in time.”
“And the guy? Who was he?”
“You wouldn't believe me but it was the guy who sells videotapes at the Red Velvet. He wanted a live-action.”
“What the fuck-“
They both went silent after that until Jughead broke it with an inevitable question.
“Why didn't you tell me? About…”
“I didn't want you to worry yet. At least until we finished high school. You had your own problems with taking your exams again and I just wanted you to have the full highschool experience without being worried of becoming a dad soon.”
“Wow.-he gasped- I'm gonna become a dad soon”
“Yeah, I'm gonna be a mom soon “
‘’You're gonna be the best mom in the world”
She smiled at him and then remembered:
“The doctor said that after you wake up, she can come give me an ultrasound so you can hear the baby's heartbeat if you want.”
“Of course I want that!”- he was so excited it almost made her cry.
“Before we do that, about your converstion with-“
“I don’t think that anymore, Betts, I swear. I don’t think I did back then either, I wasn’t thinking straight. You are the kindest person I know and I would never think you would hurt me or someone else. Im sorry I said that and that I never told you. I really am.”
“I was worried about that too, you know, becoming like him. For a really long time. Even lately, after I found out about the baby, I was terrified of not hurting him or her or you. Like he hurt me and my mom and Polly.”
Jug got up from his bed and layed down next to her.
“You won’t hurt us, baby. I promise.” He held her to his chest so she could her his heartbeat.
“This only beats for you, Betts, For you and now for this little one.”- he said as he touched her stomach.
“You’re my world and I love you more than anything.”
“I love you too, Jug. We both do.”
-
When he heard his baby's heartbeat for the first time, he cried as he was gripping Betty's hand. She was looking up at him, interested in his reaction. She couldn't help the tears which fell on her cheeks watching his face lit up every time he heard the steady heartbeat.
“ I can't believe we're gonna be parents soon”
“I don't know how we're gonna do this”
“We're gonna figure it out, Cooper, we always do”