Chapter Text
BETTY HOPED IF she stared at them long enough they would miraculously disappear, two faint red lines. After thirty minutes she’d finally accepted that it wasn't going to happen. The test was positive. She was pregnant.
"Shit shit shit." Betty paced around the bathroom, practically a bundle of nerves. Her initial shock had finally wore off and she'd gone into full panic mode. She was pregnant.
She sunk to the bathroom floor, the tiles cold against her now flushed and hot skin. How could she have been so reckless, so careless.
She thought about her sister, she had to find her. She thought about her mother and the twins, she had to look out for them. She didn't have time for a baby. All she could think about was how inconvenient this was. Then she inevitably thought about Archie, she had to tell him she was pregnant.
The thought alone made her feel sick. No, she couldn't tell Archie. This baby would blow up both of their worlds. He was happy with Veronica and she was, well, pregnant.
She thought about this as she drove to the clinic. Betty would be doing both the baby and Archie a favor by getting rid of it. Right? She couldn't raise a child, especially not in a twisted town like Riverdale. Not to mention the baby was at risk of inheriting all her fucked up qualities.
"You're about six weeks along." That eliminated any thoughts about the baby being Glen's. She almost wished it had been his. It would have made things so much easier.
"I'm gonna be sick." The doctor handed her a trash can and she emptied the contents of her stomach into the bin.
______
Betty must of imagined telling Archie a million different ways. Every time she saw him, whether it was in the hallways or through her window, the words would sit on the tip on her tongue: 'I'm pregnant'. Was her keeping it hidden cowardly? Betty had come to the decision that she wouldn't keep the baby but didn't he still deserve to know?
The day of her appointment she decided she would come clean. She knew Archie, always the hero, would try to be there for her, maybe he'd even want the baby but she in no way wanted him to feel obligated to her nor did she want his pity.
She raised her knuckle and rapped on the door. When Veronica answered she tried to mask her surprise. "Betty! What are you doing here?" She was perfectly polite but Betty could see the wariness in her eyes, the rigidness in her shoulders. She couldn't blame her. She'd feel the same way if her boyfriend's former hookup had shown up at his door.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw something glint in the sunlight and her eyes drifted to the doorknob where Veronica's perfectly manicured hand rested. She wore a dainty but extravagent ring. It was different from the ring she'd worn while married to Chad.
Betty felt her heart in her throat as she struggled to form a sentence, an excuse. "Um I-" Her eyes stung with unshed tears and she chided herself for them. What did she think would happen? "I just came to see Jughead. I wanted to talk to him about a case we're working on."
"Oh!" Veronica immediately relaxed. "He took an extra shift at Pops."
"Oh, got it. Thanks." They said their goodbyes before Betty numbly turned around and headed back towards her house.
______
Betty thought about Veronica as she sat in the waiting room of the clinic. There was no way she could keep this baby now. What would they do? Coparent? Share custody?
She shivered at the thought of Veronica being her baby's stepmother. Would she buy the baby tiny pantsuits? Would her and Archie happily raise the baby together? She snorted at the ridiculousness of it all.
"Betty Cooper." A voice interjected, interrupting her thoughts. Her head snapped up, a doctor waited for her with an easy and comforting smile on his face.
This was it. Now or never. She walked towards the doctor, her heart racing and mind preoccupied. She'd been so distracted that she'd walked right into someone.
"I'm so sorry!" Betty profusely apologized before bending down to pick up the things that had fell. Her hand halted when she saw the picture that'd fell out the man's wallet. A beaming little girl with the brightest red hair.
She didn't know why this had affected her so much but seeing it left her frozen. She didn't believe in fate or destiny but seeing this picture made her think of Archie and thinking of him made her question everything.
She stood up and her eyes locked with the doctor's. She urged herself to move but she felt rooted to the spot. She couldn't go through with it.
______
Later that week, she'd found herself at Veronica and Archie's engagement party. She hadn't been planning on attending but Veronica had insisted that she wanted her there and Betty thought not showing up would've been more awkward.
She was working up the courage to knock, secretly debating on whether she should make a run for it, when the door flung open. Her breath caught. Archie stood in the doorway, his eyes widening a fraction when he saw her standing there.
"Betty, you're here." He'd said, almost as if he couldn't believe it himself.
"Here I am." She greeted, offering a small but strained smile.
An awkward silence followed and it made her sad. So much had changed between them. They used to be best friends, inseparable, and now it felt like they were strangers, walking on egg shells around each other.
"I didn't think you'd show." Archie sheepishly admitted. She couldn't blame him. She almost didn't.
She crossed her arms. "And why's that? I wouldn't miss my friends' engagement party."
"Well you've been pretty distant lately. I've barely seen you around and you've been dodging my calls, avoiding me."
She couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Archie, my sister's missing. I've been busy and let's not act like you've been actively trying to keep in touch." Bitterness seeped into her tone.
He flinched and then sighed in resignation. "I'm sorry Betty. That was selfish of me. Of course you've been busy. I've just missed you that's all."
At this Betty could feel herself soften. "It's okay Arch. I imagine you've been busy too with football, ROTC, the fire station-" She braced herself before speaking the next words "-and your engagement. Congrats by the way."
He smiled at her, almost sadly. "Thanks Betty."
"Is that Betty?" Veronica appeared behind Archie, beaming. She pushed past Archie and gave her a tight hug. "I'm so glad you could make it!"
"I wouldn't miss it! I'm so happy for you two." Betty hoped she sounded convincing but there was no mistaking the raw emotion in her voice. When her eyes met Archie's she knew he’d heard it too.
______
Betty couldn't sleep. She'd laid in bed, tossing and turning for almost an hour before she finally decided to get up and go running.
In Quantico, she'd run to clear her mind. When she got stuck on a case with the FBI she'd run until she found a solution to her problems, that or until her legs gave out.
She hoped that this run would give her an epiphany on what to do about the baby or at least tire her out so she could get some sleep tonight.
She'd stood on the sidewalk, gathering her hair in a ponytail when someone coughed behind her, startling her. She jumped, making a sound between a squeal and scream.
"Betty, it's okay. It's just me."
She turned around and saw Archie looking at her with both concern and amusement. "Jesus Arch! You can't just sneak up on someone like that! Especially not in a murder town like Riverdale."
"I think you could handle yourself Ms. FBI agent." He teased and Betty, despite herself, smiled.
"What are you doing up? It's like two o'clock in the morning?" She questioned. She suddenly felt nervous and she didn't know why. Was it because she was hiding something from him?
"I couldn't sleep. What about you?" He raised an eyebrow, motioning towards her running shoes and sports attire.
"Same here. I was sorta hoping running would help." She explained. "Anyways, I should get back to it. Goodnight Archie"
She turned to go when she felt his hand clasp her wrist. "You're doing it again." She turned to face him and was surprised to see a sad look on his face.
She tilted her head, confused. "Doing what?" She questioned.
"Avoiding me."
She stilled. She didn't know what to say. Her first instinct was to deny deny deny. "I'm not Arch, really. I just need to get this run over with so I can get back to sleep."
"You forget that I've known you since we were four. I know when you're avoiding and I know when you're lying." Shit. She had to get out of here before she said something she'd regret.
"I'm not lying and I'm not avoiding. Did you ever think just maybe that you don't know me anymore Archie? We haven't seen each other since high school. People change."
He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing. "Not you Betty. You have the same tics you did in elementary, the same tells. No matter how much time has passed I'll always know you."
Her frustration was building. Every emotion she felt since she saw that damn pregnancy test was bubbling to the surface and threatening to erupt. "You don't know me."
He scoffed. "Bullshit. Why don't you tell me what's going on. You don't think we've all noticed how weird you've been acting? Is it about your sister? You can talk to me."
She let out an incredulous laugh. "Can I? I don't think your fiancé would be happy to hear about me confiding to you."
His face morphed with confusion. "What does Veronica have to do with this?"
Shit. She had to backtrack. "Nothing! Just leave it alone Arch. Trust me, you don't want to know." She scrubbed a hand over her face.
"No. Is she the reason why you've been so distant?" He paused for a moment. "Are you jealous because Betty you were the one who told me that we were just friends."
"Screw you Archie. I'm not jealous of you and Veronica. In fact, I hope you two have a lovely life together with a white picket fence and all that bullshit."
"Then what is it!?" He snapped, exasperated. His patience was clearly wearing thin.
"Arch, please stop pushing. I don't want to talk about it okay?" She pleaded, practically begged him to let it go.
He firmly shook his head. "No Betty! I'm so sick of you pushing away the people who care about you-"
"Stop." Her head was pounding. She was loosing her grip and if he kept pushing she was going to explode.
"No! Tell me why are you so hell bent on being alone?" He looked at her intently, waiting for her answer.
"I'm pregnant okay!" She shouted, shocking the both of them. Oh god. She'd said it. She hadn't meant to blurt it out but he'd just kept pushing and pushing.
She spared a glance at Archie who'd gone completely still, his face turning pale white from shock. "You're pregnant?" He repeated as if he'd heard her wrong.
She didn't say anything. They stood in silence for what felt like forever before he spoke again. "Jesus Christ Betty! Were you ever planning on telling me?"
"You don't think I tried!?" Her voice cracked and his eyes softened for a moment. "I wanted to tell you so badly. It felt like shit keeping it from you but it never felt like the right time."
He tightly shut his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I deserved to know Betty."
"I know but god, Archie you're engaged! You're marrying Veronica! Trust me, I was sparring you by not telling you. This baby would mess up everything."
He met her eyes and the intensity in them made her heart pound. "Would it?"
"Yes. Your future with Veronica would implode and I don't want that."
"What do you want Betty?" He looked at her imploringly. She wondered for a moment what he was hoping she'd say.
"I-" She wanted to be with him but she couldn't say that. "I just want you to be happy, more than anything."
He hesitated for a moment, considering his next words. “And what if I said I’d be happy with you? With this baby?”
Betty smiled sadly. “I wouldn’t believe you. You chose Veronica that night. You proposed to her.”
If he left Veronica she would always wonder if he did it for her sake, for the baby’s sake, and she wouldn’t want it that way. She’d want him to do it out of love.
He sighed, burying his face in his hands. "So what happens now then?"
That was the big question wasn't it? "You're going to marry Veronica. I won't stand in your way and neither will this baby."
He gave her a long look. "Is that what you really want?"
No. "Yes. I'm not ready to be a mother and you have a life with Veronica to start. This was never part of the plan."
"I don't know if I can do this Betty." He hesitated for a moment. "But it's your choice."
She gave a quick nod, her eyes pooling with tears. "Ok then it's settled. Goodbye Archie."
"Why are you saying goodbye? I'll see you tomorrow at school."
She scolded herself for slipping up. "Right, of course. I meant see you later." She said, forcing a laugh.
He pulled her into a tight hug and she held onto him as if she was drowning and he was her lifeline. They'd stayed like that for a while before he hesitantly let her go.
"See you later Betty." She turned to go and this time he didn't stop her.
______
When she got home she still couldn't sleep. She didn't go running and her nerves were at an all time high. What was she going to do? Get an abortion? She couldn't even go through with that the first time.
Her eyes wandered to the Quantico poster hanging on her wall. In a spur of the moment she fished for her computer and pulled up airline tickets. She may not have gone running but she'd gotten her epiphany. She was gonna do what was best for all three of them, leave.