Betty's POV

"Huh? What happened?" I said as I woke up in one of the many bedrooms in Thistle House Manor. Cheryl and Toni looked distraught as they sat at the edge of the bed.

"Veronica's father wants you dead Betty. Jughead's on the warpath, the Serpents are going after Hiram tonight." Cheryl said as she got up. I sat up to a sudden horrible headache. I put my hand against the back of my head. 

"Oh my god...did I hit my head?" I asked.

"Yeah when Andre broke into your house, Jughead went after him. You were about to clean up the blood when you had a panic attack, passed out and hit your head." Toni said.

"Where's Jug now?" I asked.

"Meeting up with the Serpents before they start a war with Hiriam. It's gone too far now Betty, Jughead's the new king. If he wants bloodshed for his queen...for his South Side kindgom..even better." Cheryl said.

"Where's my jacket?" I said as I got up from the bed.

"Here, I told him we wouldn't be able to stop you. Come on South Side queen. Let's see you in action." Toni smiled at me as she handed me my Serpents jacket.

"Let's go," I said as I slipped on some of Cheryl's clothes. Something a little more Serpent like than the sweats I'd been wearing for the last two weeks. I rounded up the rest of the Serpents, staring down at Jug's initial necklace. I reapplied my dark red lipstick. Maybe Jug was right...there was more blood in the water than ever before. Something had to be done about it. I got on one of the motorcycles and lead the pack of them towards one of the Serpent hangouts across town. I called Veronica as we pulled up to the woods.

"Betty! What the hell is going on? What happened to you? I saw Jughead carrying you out of the house!" She yelled.

"Veronica, you need to listen to me and listen carefully. You have to go to Archie's...leave the Penbrook. I'm not going to say it again V. Also...I'm still your best friend so you have every right to know that Archie and I kissed again. It happened that night in the town hall. It brought back all these unsettled feelings. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I needed to figure out what was going on with me before I could address that. Now I know, it's Jughead. It's him and no one else Ronnie. I'd risk it all for that boy, I'm about to risk it all. Now please go to Archie's V." I said.

"I'm already there Betty. Thank you for telling me. Call me when this is all over okay. You need friends Betts. You need your best friend, which I haven't been to you for a long time. I'm so sorry this happened. Now since you told me that I feel I should tell you something. This happened months ago and it's been haunting me. Jughead wanted to keep it from you, he'd knew it would hurt you. That day you left school to meet with who you thought was the black hood, it ended up being Malachai and he hurt you. Archie followed you, he was there the whole time. He didn't do anything to stop it, Betty. Nothing. Picking Jughead was the right choice." Veronica said as she hung up. I was speechless, tears fell down my face as my hands balled up into fists. I dug my nails into my palms as hard I could till I felt blood dripping down them.

"Betty, ready?" Toni said as she got off her bike. I took a deep breath and got off my bike.

"Let's do this. " I said as I grabbed my nail covered bat. I was filled with so much rage, I knew exactly who to take it out on. When we walked toward the wooded area as it started to downpour. Jughead was nowhere to be found. "Where the hell could he be?" I screamed over the thunder and lightning. 

"Penbrook. Let's go!" Cheryl yelled as Sweet Pea and Fangz pulled up. 

"The guy we were supposed to take care of is gone." Sweet Pea said referencing the man who broke into my house. 

"Andre...oh my god he's definitely going back to the Penbrook. " I said as I motioned of everyone to take off towards the North Side of town. When we pulled up to the Penbrook cops were everywhere. But where was my boyfriend? Hiram knew the Serpents were coming. My phone started ringing as we all parked our bikes around the block.

"Jug?" I said as I answered the phone.

"Betty, I'm so happy to hear your voice." He said back.

"Me too Jug, where are you?" I asked him.

"I love you, Betty, I'll never stop loving you...see you soon." He said about to hang up.

"Jug! Where are you! Jug!" I yelled into the phone. But the line had gone dead. I had this horrible feeling he was about to give himself up to Hiram Lodge. I decided to go visit the only person who would know if this feeling was right, Penny Peabody the snake charmer herself.

"Well if it isn't the new South Side Queen herself....where's your Serpent King?" She smirked at me as I walked into her wooded lair.

"You know exactly where he is...now why don't you tell me?" I said as I pulled my spiked bat out from behind my back.

"Oh wow, I'm so scared. " Penny said back to me sarcastically. 

"Haha...oh you should be. You thought Jughead was the one to fear after he shredded up your serpent tattoo on your arm. I bet it used to look like this one..huh." I smirked as I pulled down my leather skirt to reveal my tattoo on my lower hip. Penny looked at me with disgust and shook her head. I pulled my pocket knife out of the garter on my thigh. " What Juggie did to you was nothing compared to what I'm capable of..so dear Penny tread lightly. " I smirked at her while Cheryl and Toni cheered from behind me.

"Princess...I wouldn't if I were you." Penny threatened me.

"Watch your tone Penny, you're in the presence of South Side Royalty. " I said to her I ran the blade of the pocket knife over my palm. I walked up to her and rested the blade of the knife on her arm and pressed down on her jacket till it frayed, revealing her bare skin. "Hmm, traders don't get jackets...but you already know that. " I said as I released my grip before I drew blood.

"Wow, princess you've got spunk. Reminds me so much of your mom at this age. I'd get to your king fast. No telling what the Ghoulies are gonna do to him and that North Side carrot top friend of his." She laughed.

"Let's go!" I yelled as I spun the pocket knife around in my hand, sticking it right back into my leg garter. We headed for the Red Dawn, the bar I burned to the ground. The Ghoulies had set up camp on top of it's remains. We all jumped off our bikes the second screaming was audible. I ran into the fight, swinging, managing to knock right into my boyfriend. 

"Betts?" Jughead said as blood dripped down his face. 

"Juggie. " I said as I wrapped my arms around him. I ran my hand down his cheek, wiping the blood from his face as I kissed him. The rain had only gotten worse, at this point it was getting hard to see.

"I told you not to come.." He smirked into our kiss.

"I told you, I don't like being told what to do. " I said back as I fought off another Ghoulie. As all of the Serpents jumped in, the fight became pretty much a free for all. When the sirens blared we all ran for cover, so there was never any resolution. The South Side wanted blood and they weren't going to stop till they had Hiram's.

"How did you find me? " Jug asked as he collapsed on top of the pool table in the White Worm. His face and body were covered in cuts and bruises. If I hadn't made it there in time, the damage would've been much worse. I wiped the smeared lipstick off my chin and stared at my blood covered knuckles.

"Penny Peabody, I paid her a visit she will never forget." I said as I raised my skirt to reveal the pocket knife.

"That's my girl." Jug said as he grabbed my hand.

"She called me the new South Side Serpent queen and I can't lie Jug I loved it. " I said as I squeezed his hand.

"Welcome home baby. What's mine is yours, babe. Your mom will come around don't worry. She grew up on the South Side. Remember what my dad said, snakes don't shed their skin so easily." Jug said as he kissed my hand. I half smiled at him as what Veronica said about Archie popped back into my head.

 He could tell something was off though. "What else happened?" He asked.

"I called Veronica to warn her the Serpents were coming for Hiram, too bad Hiram already knew and had the Ghoulies come to fight his battle for him...coward." I sighed. "While I was talking to her I confessed about that kiss between Archie and I in the town hall that night. I told V it's always been you Jug, and I needed to look within myself to realize that." I said as he squeezed my hand.

"Betty I never wanted to pressure you into anything. I was going to wait for you as long as it took." Jug said back to me.

"You didn't have to pressure me Jug, I knew it my heart it was you. But I was scared because what you and I both had done to each other in the past. If we're going to be in this, we're in it for life." I said as Jug leaned in to kiss me.

"That's a promise." He said.

"This means we have to be honest with each other Jug, about everything. No more secrets. Secrets create cracks in relationships...even friendships. Take Archie and me for example...I can't trust him anymore because of what he did. You don't have to pretend you don't know Jug, V told me about Archie in the cemetery. That day when Malachai came after me and carved his initial into my hand." I said as Jughead grabbed my hand and ran his finger over my scar. "He was there and he did nothing. " I said.

"Betty I'm so sorry, I wanted to tell you. But I didn't want you to think I was doing it because I was jealous, or that I was lying to make Archie look bad. You just were so broken you needed as much support as possible and at that point...that was Archie." Jug said as he looked at my bruise covered face.

"It's okay Jug, I get it. Thank you for not telling me. Honestly, that just proves the type of guy you are. I love you, Jughead Jones." I said as I kissed him.

"I love you Betty Cooper and I always will." He said back. Things were starting to calm down if only we would've realized this was the calm before the very storm that would separate Riverdale for good.