#protective!jughead

[fictionsofriverdale-blog]

Wasted - Bughead

Betty gets drunk and Jughead comes to the rescue (with some help from the gang)!

Warnings: Drinking, swearing

He had been at the trailer working on his novel when he received a worried phone call from Veronica. She was at a party at Thornhill with Betty, Archie, Kevin and probably the rest of the student body. Jughead had not-so-politely declined the invitation when Betty had asked him.

Jughead didn't like parties and after the disaster that was his Birthday party, Betty wasn't about to force the issue. Seeing the sparkle in Betty's eye fade slightly when he had declined, however, Jughead had convinced her to go to the party with Ronnie, later telling Archie to keep an eye on her.

"Don't worry Jug, it's just a party!" Archie had replied. But Jughead shot his best friend a warning look and Archie had practically pinky promised to protect Betty at all costs.

Betty had promised that she would meet him at the trailer later and would tell him all about it. Jughead rolled his eyes and had kissed her, once on the lips and once on the forehead, hearing Betty squeak happily, making him chuckle.  

When Jughead's phone had sounded, he was surprised, to say the least. No one ever phoned him, apart from Betty and Archie. On seeing Veronica's name pop up he had panicked "what's happened?" he had snapped as he answered.

Veronica was practically screaming down the phone, and Jughead could hear the thump of the music behind her shrieks. Eventually, he had understood that Betty was drunk, and Archie had gotten into a fight.

"Ok.. ok... yup... yeh, I'll be there soon." He placated his new friend. Standing up and pulling on his boots, jacket, and beanie.

He trudged up the long drive to Thornhill, not knowing what to expect. Why was Betty drunk? And who had Archie been fighting? It took a lot to get his best friend to lash out. Were the two connected? Walking a little faster, he pushed through the big wooden door and into the entrance.

He followed the sound of the music and saw the writhing, sweaty bodies of his classmates dancing to some god-awful pop song. Standing in the door he scanned the room and saw Kevin leaning against the far wall eyeing up Midge and Moose on the dance floor.

Fighting his way through the crowd, Jughead eventually made it to Kevin. "Where's Betty?" He asked.

Kevin rolled his eyes "why am I always designated Find my Friends?" he whined.

Jughead raised his eyebrow, jaw set in a firm line.

"First door on the left at the top of the stairs" Kevin helpfully informed not taking his eyes off of the dancing couple.

Jughead nodded and spun on his heel, heading back the way he came.

"Your welcome!" Kev shouted sarcastically.

Taking the steps two at a time, and using the banister to haul himself up, he flung himself around the corner and through the first door he came to.

Veronica shrieked in surprise at the door opening so violently. But relaxed as soon as she saw it was him.

"Thank God you're here." she sighed "There I was having a great time when Chuck started coming on to B and he wouldn't back down."

"Sorry man, I got there as quick as I could, but I was getting us drinks when Chuck must have started" Looking behind the bathroom door, Jughead saw Archie sitting on the floor leaning against the wall with a wet and slightly blood-stained towel pressed to his left eye.

He spun around again and saw His girl leaning against the toilet bowl with a sheen of sweat across her forehead, her eyes closed. "Fuck" he whispered and rushed to kneels down next to her. He lifted her head, leaning it back against his chest and supported her weight.

Betty groaned, her eyes fluttering open and smiling slightly as she saw her boyfriend. Then she groaned again and cradled the toilet bowl. Jughead gathered her loose curls into a make-shift ponytail using his hand instead of a hair tie.

"After Chuck left, I was helping Archie patch himself up when Cheryl walked in complaining about B stumbling around and screaming about her potentially throwing up on some piece of expensive furniture. She must have been drinking alone the whole time, God only knows where Kev was!" Veronica exclaimed, throwing her hand in the air.

Letting her hair fall loose, Jughead reached up behind him to the sink and grabbed a glass that was sitting on the side. Then he realized that Betty was still leaning on him, so he motioned for Veronica to take over. She took the glass and filled it with cold water before passing it back to him.

He positioned the glass carefully at Betty's lips and tilted it slightly, encouraging her to drink. Betty groaned, complaining that she had had enough to drink that night, making Jug roll his eyes.

Giving up on that idea, Jughead passed the glass back to Veronica, who placed it back on the counter. He shifted under Betty so that she was no longer leaning on him and moved into a crouching position. From that angle, he was able to hoist Betty up bridal style, and she nestled her head into his chest.  

Archie stood quickly doubting his friend's strength. Jug chuckled, thinking of all the experience he has had recently of sweeping Betty off her feet, literally.

Instead of helping Jug to hold up his blonde friend, he settled for holding the door open. The four of them walked down the wide staircase together. Archie wrapping an arm around Ronnie's shoulder as she yawned and leaned into him. The night had not gone to plan.

Luckily the front door was already open and Jughead began the long walk down the drive. Archie shouted at him that he had driven Fred's truck here and Jughead thanked the Lord or whoever else was up there that he didn't have to walk all the way back. As much as he had been smug about exceeding Archie's expectations of his strength, he didn't fancy walking for half an hour in the dark with a sleeping beauty in his arms.

Jughead lay Betty in the back of the truck, resting her head on Veronica's lap. And rounded the front of the vehicle. When he saw Archie in the driver's seat he paused and eyed up his best friend.

"Yeh, probably not the best idea" Arch admitted, throwing Jughead the keys and sliding over to the passenger side, relieved that he hadn't had to argue about that. 

Jughead started the truck and slowly drove to Archie's, dropping off the red-head and his girlfriend.

"You sure you're alright man?" Archie questioned.

"Yeh, I'm good, I've had enough practice" Jughead replied.

Archie's eyes dropped to the pavement in front of him, and then flicked up to meet Jughead's stormy ones. He cocked his head to the side, a concerned look plastered over his bruised features.

"Dude, we'll be fine, honestly... I'll bring the truck back in the morning" Jughead reassured, ushering the young couple into the house. Once the front door had closed behind them, Jughead started the engine and slowly drove back to Sunnyside. The Coopers were out of town but he didn't fancy breaking into Betty's house at this hour.

He carried her over the threshold and sat her on the kitchen counter. Her head lightly thudded against the cupboard behind her. "Well, this isn't as fun as the last time we were in this position" he mused out loud with a smirk.

Betty giggled, her eyes once again fluttering open. She smiled at him, still leaning her head back against the wood behind her. He had one hand on each side of her waist, holding her in place and he was standing between her legs, ensuring she wouldn't fall forward.

"Are you okay? What happened?" He asked gently.

Betty exhaled and closed her eyes. "He wassorrible" she slurred, screwing up her eyes at a memory. "Said I wassa slut like pol-ly" she sniffled. "He kept going on... and o-on"

She was crying. Jughead knew that alcohol drew out the emotional side in some people, but it was rare to see Betty Cooper so uninhibited. He wiped a tear away with his thumb and she leaned her head forward so her forehead was resting on his.

"And then Archie hit'im" she giggled. Jughead couldn't keep up with the sudden deluge of emotions coming from his girlfriend.

He closed the distance between their lips and kissed her sweetly. "I was so worried about you. When I got Veronica's phone call I panicked. I should have been there for you, with you"

"S'ok Juggie. I'm fine" she murmured, eyes closing as her forehead now rested on his shoulder.

Jughead chuckled. He recognized this stage from experience with FP; the pass-out drunk stage. Bending his knees he scooped Betty up, one arm under her knees and the other around her back.

He placed her down on his bed and began to unstrap her heels. How do girls walk in these things? He wondered. Looking up he considered removing the floaty dress that she was wearing, but decided to leave it on. It didn't look uncomfortable and he didn't want to wake her again. He brushed the hair out of her eyes and placed a kiss on her nose.  

He kicked his own shoes and socks off and removed his jacket and jeans, leaving him in boxers and a t-shirt. Finding the laptop he had discarded in his earlier rush to rescue his girl, he climbed over her sleeping body and propped himself up against the wall next to her.

Leaning the laptop on his bent knees he continued to type. He should go to sleep, but he wanted to watch over Betty, she hadn't thrown up since they left Cheryl's and he didn't want her to throw up in her sleep.

She shifted beside him, and Jughead felt her head rest on the side of his thigh. He smiled and ran his fingers through her golden curls, reminding himself to thank Archie for protecting his Betty tonight, and Veronica for looking after her. He vowed that next time he would be there for her. Pushing his laptop away he slid down the bed and wrapped his arm around her middle, listening to her heavy, even breathing.

[fictionsofriverdale-blog]

Silence (part one)

This is based on and inspired by the book Silence by Natasha Preston. It is from the point of view of the reader and involves The Core Four plus Kevin and Chuck.

Warnings: swearing, there will be mentioned of sexual violence in later chapters.

I sat up in bed and stretched my arms over my head, unlocking my muscles and opening my eyes. I turned off my blaring alarm and began to get myself ready for school. I threw on a black t shirt and a pair of blue jeans, pulling my hair into a ponytail and grabbing my shoes on my way downstairs.

Mum was in the kitchen and I gave her a small smile. “Morning honey” she called. I smiled again in response as I crouched to put my shoes on. I walked over and gave her a small hug and she kissed the top of my head. “Have a good day at school”

I grabbed my school bag from the bottom of the stairs and opened the front door. Archie was waiting at the end of the driveway playing a game on his phone. He looked up as I approached, “Morning!” he exclaimed squeezing my shoulder, I smiled and nodded as we began walking to school. All the way there Archie told me all about an argument he had had with Veronica last night and how she was being impossible. I looked up at him and rolled my eyes. He let out a deep breath, “fine, I guess it is partly my fault too..” I nodded still holding his gaze. “Fine, I’ll apologise to her” he finished, defeated. I smiled at my victory, but my smile dropped when I realised we had reached the school building.

Noticing this, Archie slung his arm across my shoulder and leaned closer, “remember, if you need anything today, come and find me, and we have lunch together too, right?” I nodded and we continued into the building, parting ways at the end of the hallway.

I made my way to my locker and began to fill my bag with everything I needed for the morning. I would much rather carry a heavy bag around than have to wander the hallways alone between lessons. A slamming locker beside me made me jump slightly and I turned to see the jocks gathered on the other side of he hallway, laughing and joking. I hurried off to my first class and settled into my seat next to Betty.

“Hey, how are you?” She asked sweetly. I smiled and nodded letting her know I was okay. “Good, me too” she responded and we fell into a comfortable silence as the teacher walked in. Silences with my friends were always comfortable, it was others that made me uncomfortable. Others insisted on making jokes about me not talking, and I had no way of retaliating.

The bell rang signalling the end of class and the morning continued in a similar fashion. I had biology where I sat next to Kevin and then maths where I sat next to Veronica. After that, we headed to lunch together and found the rest of the gang at a table outside.

I set my tray down next to Jughead’s and began to pick at my food while listening to the conversations around me. Jughead, Betty, and Kevin were discussing Jason’s murder, of course, and Veronica and Archie were talking in hushed tones at the end of the table. I looked over to them and saw Veronica smiling as they whispered, signalling that they had resolved their argument. They began kissing and I looked away, fixing my eyes on my lunch.

The bell rang letting us know that lunch was over. I groaned knowing that I had a free period while the others all had classes. I would much rather sit through double maths than have a free period alone. Jughead looked at me, “You Ok?” He asked softly. I forced a smile, trying to reassure him that I would be fine. It must have worked because he nodded and we all began to walk back inside.

I made my way to the student lounge, hoping to get a head start on tonight’s homework. Forty-five minutes later and I had nearly finished the Biology homework. The door creaked open and I looked up and then froze, feeling my blood turn to ice in my veins. Chuck Clayton. He had never done anything to me physically, but I had heard the rumours, and I was terrified. I did not want to be a victim again.

“Well well well” he jeered, “look who we have here, and all alone too.” I shrank back in my chair, hoping the lumpy cushions would swallow me whole. He stalked across the room until he was standing over me, and bent to rest one hand on each arm of the armchair, caging me in. I set my mouth in a hard line, trying to hide the fear that was coursing through me, but my hands were shaking. I tried to push him away but he didn’t move an inch. He smirked down at me, leaning closer and brushing his nose against my hair. I stopped breathing altogether, paralysed.

Suddenly he was pulled away and slammed into the nearby wall, Jughead’s arm pushing against Chuck’s throat, holding him there. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Jughead yelled. My eyes filled with tears as I sat frozen in the seat. Betty knelt down beside me, clutching my hand and rubbing small circles in my palm, trying to bring me back to the present. Of course, no one knew why I was so scared, she must assume it was because of Chuck’s history with the girls at the school, which I guess is partly true. No one knows the whole truth, and I could never speak a word of it.

Archie came into the room then and caught my eye. He rushed toward me but heard Jughead struggling with Chuck in the corner and changed direction to help the beanie-clad boy. Together, with lots of grunting and cursing, they threw Chuck out of the room and closed the door. Both boys came back over toward me in time to see me wipe the tears away from my cheeks and plaster a smile across my face.

“Don’t do that” Archie scolded, knowing that the smile was fake. “What happened? Did he touch you?” He was angry, but his voice was laced with concern. Jughead was holding my other hand, mirroring Betty’s actions.

I shook my head and Archie exchanged a look with Jughead. I stood up, causing Jughead and Betty to let go of my hands. I gathered up my things and headed to the door. When I realised no one was following, I turned around and gave them my best reassuring smile. The three of them exchanged glances once more but followed me to our final classes of the day.

The afternoon passed without incident and we finished the day at Pop’s with milkshakes and fries. Somehow we managed to squeeze into one booth; Jughead, Betty, and I on one side, and Archie, Veronica, and Kevin on the other. The conversation flowed easily between the friends, but Archie kept glancing at me. We had been friends since diapers and had always lived on the same block with Betty.

Sometimes it felt like he could read my mind, he knew what every expression meant. He knew something had happened to make me stop talking, and I wished he could guess what it was so that I wouldn’t have to speak it out loud, but then again I didn’t want him to know what had happened. I didn’t want anyone to know.

I felt his foot nudge mine under the table and I looked up, realising that the others had left. My eyes went wide, wondering how long I had been absent for. “You ready to go home?” he asked. I sighed and slid out of the booth. Archie grabbed my bag and slung it over his shoulder as I followed him outside and down the street.

He bumped my shoulder gently with his, “are you sure you’re alright?” he questioned. I nodded and bumped his shoulder back playfully. We rounded the corner and soon arrived at the foot of my drive. There were two cars in the driveway and my heart sank a little knowing that my dad was back from his business trip.

“See you in the morning?” Archie smiled handing me my bag. I nodded and wrapped my arms around his middle giving him a quick hug. I never knew why he phrased that as a question as he would always be at the end of my driveway, ready to walk me to school, regardless.

I pulled open the front door and heard my parents voices in the kitchen. There was also a noise coming from the TV in the lounge. I followed the noise and saw Jasper, my brother, sprawled on the couch playing video games. I sank down beside him and rested my head on his shoulder. He had come back from college last week for summer break filling the house with noise and laughter and stories. He carried on playing and recounted his drunken night out last night while I drifted in and out of sleep, exhausted from the day.

[fictionsofriverdale-blog]

Helpless (Part Seven)

Summary: Jughead is shocked when his sister turns up on his doorstep. But not everything is as it used to be.

A/N: I’m not 100% happy with this (I’m never really 100% happy with any of me fics, but this one more than most). This is probably going to be the last chapter. 

WARNINGS: Swearing, alluding to sexual abuse, alluding to under-eating. 

Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Part Five || Part Six

“What is it, Betts?” he asked, his eyes searching hers. 

“It’s Gladys, it’s your mum, Jug… She’s been reported missing… it was on the news, she didn’t turn up to work for a few days… mum just told me… no one knows where she is.” 

“What?” Jellybean breathed. Jughead’s arm tightened around his sister. Over the past year, his feelings for his mother had waned, and with the revelation that she had blamed Jellybean for what Greg had done to her, he couldn’t have cared whether he ever saw her again. But knowing that she might very well be in danger, that changed things.

Jellybean was wringing her hands in her lap, “she can’t be missing, she just can’t be” she was murmuring. Archie went to put his arm around her, to comfort her, but stopped just before making contact, dropping his arm to his side as she stood suddenly.

Once again, all eyes were on her. She began slowly pacing the small living room, muttering to herself, chewing on her fingernails, her free hand wrapped around her stomach.

“Juggie, I think we need to go to the Sheriff. I mean, it could have been Greg” Betty whispered.

Jughead’s eyes went wide as he ripped his gaze away from his sister and focused on his girlfriend. Within a split second, his eyes narrowed and he was on his feet, Archie scrambling up behind him.

“That fucker” Jughead growled, grabbing his jacket from the couch and marching toward the door. Archie exchanged a worried look with Betty before they both began to follow Jughead out the door.

Jellybean pushed past Betty and Archie in a panic and grabbed Jughead’s tense arm. “Do you really think it was him, Jug?” her eyes were glazed with tears and her fingers were shaking as her nails dug into the thick leather of his sleeve.

Jughead’s demeanour softened instantly and he gently pried her fingers from his jacket and rested his hands on her upper arms, holding her gaze. “I don’t know, Jelly, but if there is any chance that this might be linked with what happened to you, with him showing up here… fuck” Jughead cut himself off, looking over Jellybean’s head and locking eyes with Betty, “is that why he showed up here? Shit, what if he did something to her and then came here looking for…” his voice trailed off and his eyes refocussed on Jellybean’s panic-stricken ones.

Keeping his hands on her arms, he leant down so that they were at eye-level and slowly moved his hands up to her cheeks, thumbs rubbing small circles along her cheekbones.

“Jelly, we need to tell the Sheriff, they need as much information as they can. They have him in custody, he can’t hurt you anymore, okay?”

Jellybean nodded so minutely that if his hands hadn’t been cupping her face he would have missed it. He leant forward and kissed her forehead and then stood straight. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, they walked together towards Alice’s car. Betty grabbed Jellybean’s jacket from the kitchen table and followed the siblings out the front door, with Archie bringing up the rear.

Betty jumped into the driver’s seat, with Archie by her side, while Jughead and Jellybean sat huddled in the back seat. Betty pulled over to the police car that was stationed at the entrance to the trailer park, explaining that they were going in to talk to Sheriff Keller. The officer drove ahead of them, lights flashing, all the way to the station.

As they entered the building, they were greeted by an officer with short blonde hair and kind eyes.

“Hello there, what can I help you with today?” she asked sweetly.

“We need to speak to Sheriff Keller” Jughead stated.

“It’s urgent” Betty added.

“Sheriff Keller is in with someone right now. Can you tell me what this is regarding?” the officer responded politely, her smile not slipping an inch.

Jughead’s arm tightened around his sister’s shoulders, “Please, it’s really important, and we think it has to do with the man he’s just arrested.” Jughead nearly shouted at the officer. She blinked back at him, and Jughead felt Betty’s arm curl around his bicep, trying to restrain him. He relaxed instantly, his softer eyes focussing on the officer in front of him. “Please, it’s really important that we speak to him.”

At that moment, Sheriff Keller walked around the corner, escorting a handcuffed Greg along the corridor. Keller’s hand was wrapped tightly around Greg’s upper arm, the other was placed firmly on the back of Greg’s neck.

Jughead’s whole body went tense, his eyes narrowed until all he could see was the fucker that raped his baby sister. His arm dropped from Jellybean’s shoulder and he stepped away from her, his legs carrying him forward at an alarming pace, and before he knew it his fist was connecting with Greg’s jaw. Hands grabbed at Jughead’s jacket and arms, trying to pull him back, but his rage was consuming him, filling him up.

Suddenly a shriek cut through the commotion around him and his body went still. The hands that had been attempting to pull him off of Greg retreated, and he spun his body to find the source of the noise.

Betty was crouching on the floor, Archie crouching next to her with Jellybean’s unconscious body lying awkwardly against his. Archie quickly scooped her into his arms and stood. Betty was stroking the hair away from Jellybean’s face, stroking her slender fingers over Jellybean’s ashen cheeks.

Jughead scrambled to his feet and rushed over to his sister. “Jellybean? Jelly! Please wake up!” he pleaded with her, “What happened?” he asked.

“I don’t know man, one minute she was fine and then next her legs just sort of, gave out.” Archie’s eyes were filled with concern, and were trained on Jellybean’s face.

Suddenly, they were being ushered into an interview room, followed by the female officer who grabbed the first aid kit from the small cupboard by the door.

“Lay her on the table” the officer instructed, and Archie immediately followed her instructions, delicately placing her on the table and gently removing his arms from beneath her small body. He stepped back immediately, Betty’s hand wrapping around his wrist, her nails digging into the skin there.

Jughead rushed forward, stroking his sister’s hair and looking up at the police officer. “What’s happened to her? Help her, please?” he demanded.

The officer, who had been taking Jellybean’s pulse, moved towards her face, “Hello, I’m Officer Julie. Can you open your eyes for me?” she asked, while pulling Jellybean’s eyelids open one at a time and shining a little torch into her eyes.

Officer Julie refocused her attention on Jughead. “When did she last eat?”

Jughead looked down at his sister, and once again was astonished at how small she had become. Despite her fourteen years, she looked like a 10-year-old child, and she had a deep purple underneath each eye.

“I can’t remember” he whispered, not taking his eyes off her. He sank to his knees, hand grasping at his sister’s as he rested his forehead on his forearms.

“She’s gone through a lot recently…” Betty offered to the officer, wanting to offer an explanation, but knowing that it wasn’t her place to tell.

“Right, well, either way, she needs urgent medical attention. I’ll send for an ambulance. Wait in here please.” And with that, Officer Julie made a swift exit, the door slamming shut behind her. The only sounds that were left were Jughead sobbing quietly into his sleeves.

Jellybean’s eyes fluttered open, and suddenly her whole body jerked into action, her eyes flying wildly around the room. Jughead’s head whipped up to look at her and he jumped to his feet, sitting on the table and pulling her into his arms. She was shaking and her body was covered in a thin veil of cold sweat.

“What-what happened?” she asked quietly.

Jughead pulled away from her so that he could look into her eyes. “You collapsed Jel. I’m so sorry, I haven’t been looking after you, I haven’t been… I should have… ” his voice trailed off as a tear escaped down his cheek. Jellybean reached out a shaking finger and scooped it up, wiping away the tear’s trace.

“It’s not your fault… I haven’t been looking after myself… I’m so sorry that I scared you. I knew I should have been eating but… I just couldn’t- I couldn’t face it…”

The room was suddenly filled with noise and commotion as two paramedics wheeled in a gurney, and began asking Jellybean questions and tried inserting an IV. Jellybean withdrew into herself instantly, and Jughead was left to answer as many questions as he could. He held her hand as she was wheeled out of the room, and stayed with her in the ambulance.

“It’s going to be okay, you’re going to be okay” he repeated as the ambulance wove through the streets of Riverdale.

[fictionsofriverdale-blog]

Helpless (Part Four)

Summary: Jughead is shocked when his sister turns up on his doorstep. But not everything is as it used to be.

A/N: Please let me know if you want a part five!

WARNINGS: alluding to abuse, alluding to sexual abuse, swearing

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

By this point in Jughead’s young life, Pop’s Diner had become more like home than anywhere else in Riverdale. Pop’s had been there for him when his mum had left, it had been there for him when his dad had fallen off the wagon and down into the snake pit, it had been there for him when Jughead had moved into the Drive-in, and it was here for him now, during the hardest time in his life.

For all of his hardships, he never thought he would feel so helpless. His sister was hurting, and he didn’t know how to help. She was still clinging to his side, even three weeks after arriving in Riverdale. She was still barely eating, and honestly, he was worried that she would pass out at any minute. She had given up even attempting to sleep on her own, waiting up until Jughead got into bed; too scared to sleep on her own.

“Juggie...”

His head snapped back to centre, away from the window, back to his girlfriend. She had been so patient over the last few weeks. She had been coming to the trailer every evening to make sure the siblings ate a proper meal, she would offer words of comfort and encouragement to Jughead, but mainly she would leave them alone to heal, together.

“huh... what? sorry...” he replied sighing deeply, his reveries broken by the beautiful blonde.

“it’s okay” she whispered, reaching across the table and laying her hand in his. His other arm was wrapped around his sister who had shrunk into his side the moment Pop’s had started to fill up. “We were just thinking of having a movie night at Archie’s if you guys are up for it?”

Jughead glanced down at his sister and she looked up. She placed a weak smile on her lips, “It’s okay... it might be nice to do something different... and besides, you have barely seen your friends since I arrived... “ she began to ramble. Jughead cut her off with a gentle squeeze to her upper arm.

“Hey... hey, it’s okay... I don’t mind about that... I just want you to feel safe, okay?” She nodded and smiled, the first genuine smile he had seen since she arrived.

“I want to go,” she said, with a sense of finality that Jughead knew he could not argue with. Then she turned to Betty, “who else will be there?” her smile faltered slightly, and Jughead noticed.

“Archie, Veronica, Kevin, and us... I don’t know what movie they’ve picked, but we can always veto something if it- if it triggers....” Betty’s voice trailed off, unsure how she was even going to finish that sentence. Jughead gave her hand a squeeze and smiled at her lovingly. No one else knew what had happened to Jellybean; only the three of them, and this will be the first time that Jellybean has been in a social situation since she returned to Riverdale. Jughead was nervous; that was an understatement, he was terrified that something would hurt his little sister. At least this time he was here to protect her.

After Betty and Jughead finished their milkshakes, and Jughead had polished Jellybean’s off too, they paid up and headed for the door. Leaving the air-conditioned Diner, they were hit with a wall of heat, causing Jughead to remove his beloved beanie and stuff it into his back pocket. Peering down at his sister, he couldn’t help but notice she was still sporting her long-sleeved tops, pulling the sleeves down over her hands, one hand tucked inside his, the other arm wrapped around her middle.

It had been weeks, he was sure the bruises had faded by now. The bruises that he had given her when he r-, fuck when he raped her. His heart clenched and he involuntarily squeezed her hand. She looked up at him with her eyebrow raised. Without answering, his lifted their clasped hands above her head and rested his arm across her shoulders, tucking her against his side, keeping her safe. Betty was walking on Jellybean’s other side and watched the interaction with a smile playing on her lips and a warmth in her heart.

They arrived at Archie’s house and could hear voices inside. Jughead and Betty exchanged a look above Jellybean’s head before they continued up the porch steps and pushed the front door open. They followed the voices into the living room where Kevin and Veronica were arguing with Archie over his movie choices. Archie was holding up the Avenger’s Assemble movie in one hand and Mission Impossible in the other with an exasperated look on his face. Veronica was shouting about watching “13 reasons why” on Netflix and Kevin was standing in the middle like a referee.

Betty cleared her throat and they all turned toward the new arrivals. Archie dropped both DVD’s and rushed over to them, arms outstretched, “JB! I’ve missed you”. Archie had always seen Jellybean as a little sister, and he used to tease her mercilessly when they were growing up. He scooped her up in a hug, with Jellybean reluctantly letting go of her brother’s hand. Feeling her weightlessness, the redhead's eyes widened and landed on Jughead, who nodded grimly. Archie plastered a smile on his face before putting Jellybean down and slightly ruffling her hair, “I’m glad you’re back! How long are you staying?”

Jughead stepped forward, once again wrapping his arm around her shoulders and, seeing Jellybean freeze, answered for her “We haven’t discussed that yet, but maybe indefinitely...” he finished, glancing down at his sister who had regained her composure.

“Awesome” Archie answered excitedly, before whispering to Jughead, “everything okay?”

Jughead replied with a short nod and mouthed back “It will be, I hope...” He steered Jellybean toward the nearest couch and they sank into it. Jellybean kicked her shoes off and pulled her knees into her chest. Veronica and Archie went back to arguing about what to watch when suddenly Betty chimed in.

“Sorry V, but I don’t think 13 Reasons Why is a good idea right now... I think a Marvel movie might be a better choice... What do you think Juggie?” She asked, causing all eyes to fall to the boy on the couch who was distractedly murmuring something against Jellybean’s hair. He looked up, completely nonplussed as to what Betty had asked him. She repeated her statement, eyes flickering pointedly at Jellybean as she denounced the Netflix show. She knew what that show was about and that it had the power to trigger a reaction from the tiny girl.

Jughead quickly agreed with Betty and the gang settled in to watch the Avenger’s battle Loki. Jughead couldn’t keep his mind on the movie. He knew that somewhere out there, in Toledo, a child molester was running free, living with his fucking mother. Where the hell was his mother, where did she think Jellybean was? She hadn’t tried to contact them at all. Maybe she thought Jellybean wouldn’t have come back to Riverdale. Maybe she didn’t care.

Later that night, back at the trailer, Jughead resolved to ask Jellybean. They were sprawled on the couch, blankets and cushions scattered all over the place. Jellybean was shivering slightly, despite the balmy evening climate. He passed her a scratchy woollen blanket, with an apologetic look. She took it and wrapped it around herself, sitting back against the arm of the couch, facing her brother.

“Jelly... where does mom think you are? Why hasn’t she- she hasn’t tried to find you... why?” he asked softly.

Her eyes flickered to her lap and stayed there, her knees once again pulling up protectively in front of her.

“Hey...” he started, leaning closer to her, trying and failing to meet her eyes, “what is it?” She was silent again for a long moment, her shivering stopped, and her breathing slowed completely.

“She knew”

[fictionsofriverdale-blog]

Crushed - Jughead, Jellybean, and Archie

Prompt: Jellybean has always had a crush on Archie and Jughead teases her for it.

She could hear his voice, his laugh, reverberating around the trailer. The television was blaring in the background and normally, if it had just been her brother, Jellybean would have been mad. But Archie was here, and she was excited. What a heavenly sound to wake up to on a Sunday morning.

Jellybean jumped out of bed and practically ran to her mirror, making sure there was no leftover mascara hiding beneath her lower lashes. Grabbing the bristly hairbrush, Jellybean dragged it through her long brown hair, smoothing the birds nest that had formed overnight, and swiping some lip balm across her pink lips.

Jellybean knew it was stupid, she was only fifteen, and Archie had known her since she was a little kid. But she couldn’t help but feel giddy whenever the redhead was around.

Before she left the room, Jellybean assessed her outfit – a pair of Wonder Woman shorts and a black tank top – and decided that it would do. After all, it was Sunday morning cartoons, not the Opera!

Jellybean pulled open her door and ran across to the bathroom, slamming that door behind her. She quickly brushed her teeth and checked her appearance in the bathroom mirror – for good measure. She could hear the kettle boiling in the kitchen, and slowly emerged.

“Coffee?” Jughead called to his sister, without turning to face her.

Jellybean screwed up her face just as he looked over his shoulder. He chuckled, “Oh right, hot chocolate, your Highness?” Jughead grinned.

Jellybean rolled her eyes but gratefully accepted the hot mug before shuffling into the living room.

“Morning sleepyhead” Archie hummed, keeping his eyes focused on the cartoon Roadrunner on the screen.

“Morning Arch,” Jellybean murmured, “You’re here early”

“Dad and FP went fishing” he offered as an explanation, looking over to her and smiling innocently.

Jughead came up behind his sister with two hot mugs of coffee in one hand and a spare pair of grey tracksuit bottoms in the other. He passed one of the mugs to his best friend and threw the trousers at his sister with a glare. He then proceeded to take the one remaining space on the couch.

“Too slow, little one” he smirked.

Jellybean stuck her tongue out at her brother, pulling the trousers over her legs with a grimace and sank to the floor, leaning against her brother’s shins. Archie leant forward and ruffled her hair, passing her a cushion which she shoved underneath her behind.

The three of them spent the morning watching re-runs of their childhood cartoons and trading faux-insults.

“Right, breakfast! Unlike this one,” Archie said, placing a large hand on Jughead’s beanie-clad head, “I cannot live on coffee alone! So, what are we having?”

“Pancakes!” Jellybean squealed.

“Pancakes it is! I’m making. Juggie always burns them!” Archie jumped up from the couch and strode across the living room towards the kitchen, stepping over Jellybean’s outstretched legs and placing a hand on her head for extra balance. Jellybean’s face flushed, and she fell silent.

“I’m not going to argue with you making pancakes, Arch!” Jughead held his hands up in mock-defeat, “Hey, Jelly, are you warm? Your face is all pink” he teased.

“No-what-no… I’m fine. And stop calling me Jelly, would you?” she grimaced.

“What? Why?” Jughead placed his hand on his chest and let his mouth fall open, pretending to be oh so hurt by his sister’s rejection of her nickname. “What would you prefer us to call you? Jellybean? Jel? JB? Lady of the trailer? Or… why don’t we let Ar-”

Jellybean shot her brother the dirtiest glare, causing his words to stop in their tracks. Suddenly his head flew back and his eyes screwed shut as howls of laughter filled the room. Jellybean’s face flushed beet red and she buried it in her hands.

“I’m just kidding, Jel- JB.” Jughead consoled, sliding off the couch and cuddling his sister. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell him. Your secrets safe with me. But just know,” his voice lowered and his expression became serious, “that if he ever touches you… I’ll snap him in half.” He winked at her and she buried her face in her hands once more, reaching a hand out to shove her brother’s shoulder.

Archie was busily flipping pancaked in the kitchen, oblivious, as always, to the siblings’ whisperings.

[fictionsofriverdale-blog]

Helpless (Part Five)

Summary: Jughead is shocked when his sister turns up on his doorstep. But not everything is as it used to be.

A/N: Please let me know if you want a part five!

WARNINGS: Description of sexual abuse, alluding to abuse, alluding to sexual abuse, swearing

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Mum was at work, and I was scrambling in the fridge for something to eat. I had gotten pretty good at cooking recently, I mean, Mum was always at work, and Greg was useless in the kitchen. He always ate out, and sometimes took me with him, but not anymore. I had been avoiding him recently, I was pretty sure he had been watching me in the shower, so I had started showering at school, wearing baggier clothes, covering my body.

 I heard his truck pull up outside and I closed the fridge, my breathing hitched, and the hairs on my arms stood up. Mum wasn’t going to be home for a few hours. We were all alone. As the front door opened and closed behind him, I turned and began walking toward my bedroom. I heard footsteps behind me and I hurried forwards. I could hear his heavy breathing closing in on me, and suddenly I was hit square in the middle of my back; pushed forward. I stumbled and fell through my bedroom door. A pain shot through my arm as it struck the door handle, and I screamed.

 Big hands grabbed my hips and rolled me over so that I was lying on my back. I tried to scream again but one of Greg’s hands covered my mouth and nose, the other pulling my hands above my head and holding them tight.

 “Don’t you dare fucking scream” he growled, bringing his mouth so close to my face that I could feel his breath on my skin. “I know you want this. The way you talk to me, the way you look at me.”

 I squirmed beneath him, and his hand tightened over my wrists. He pulled his hand away from my mouth and I began to scream. He slapped me across the cheek, and I was stunned. My ears were ringing and my vision swam. Using his now free hand, he yanked my leggings down along with my underwear and pushed his fingers into me. Tears streamed down my cheeks. It felt like I was on fire, it burned where his fingers ripped me apart, tore me into a million pieces.

 Suddenly his fingers were gone, and he had lined up against my opening, a murderous look in his eyes.

 “No, please, please-no, no” I begged, squirming my hips away from him. He picked up my wrists in his hand and slammed them into the ground, sending shooting pains up both arms. His other hand grabbed my hip and pushed me into the carpet and then moved to my stomach where he put all of his weight into me. The breath was pushed from my body, and my eyes burned, lungs gasping for air.

 He pushed into me and, oh my god, it hurt so much, I felt like I was bleeding, being sliced into tiny pieces, his body breaking mine. My eyes screwed shut as I continued to gasp for air, black spots appeared on the edges of my vision, I tried to scream, but nothing came to me.

 “Jelly, Jellybean, please wake up, please..” I was being shaken awake, and a scream filled the room. “Hey, shh, shh, it’s okay, I’m here, I’ve got you..” Jughead was soothing, hands gently cupping my face, wiping tears from my cheeks. The scream had been coming from my own lips, and my throat felt hoarse.

 The floodgates had opened, and tears rolled freely down my cheeks. He pulled me into his chest, and I buried my face in his shoulder, clinging to his vest as he stroked my hair and back.

 “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry Jug” I mumbled into his clothes and he held me tight. Upon hearing these words, he pulled me back and looked into my eyes.

 “It’s not your fault, you know that right?” He looked at me, eyes flickering across my features, studying my reaction. When I didn’t respond he raised his eyebrow and waited.

 “Yeah” I mumbled and tried to pull closer to him again, needing to be held together in this moment, but he didn’t let me.

 “You do know that, right? You didn’t deserve- fuck, no one deserves what he did to you. This wasn’t your fault, JB.” He repeated, eyes piercing mine.

 I looked down at my lap and avoided his gaze. After a beat, he brought his thumb and forefinger to my chin and gently lifted my face to meet his once again.

 “What is it?” he whispered.

 “they said- they said that I asked for it, that I teased Greg with what I was weari-“ Before I could finish, Jughead’s eyes went dark, and I cut myself off, tears welling in my eyes again.

 “Motherfuckers” he growled, letting the word float around the room before he spoke to me again. “They said you asked for it? What the fuck?”

 “Greg said I had been teasing him with the clothes that I wore and- and, at first, mum didn’t know… he would only come to my room when mum was at work. He told me that I couldn’t tell her, that if I did, I would be put into foster care…I had nightmares about it, about going into foster care, he said it would be worse there…”

 Jughead wrapped his arms around me and I rested my head on his shoulder once more but continued talking. Now that I had started, I had to get it out. I had told Jughead that mum knew, but he hadn’t asked for more details. I think he had been in shock or trying not to push me too far, or both.

 “One night, it got really bad. He had slapped me a couple of times before, it was his way of keeping me quiet – he didn’t have the brains to use anything other than brute force – but tonight was different. I could smell the whisky on his breath as he mumbled against my ear. When he left my room after- after it was over” Jughead bristled beside me “I decided I had to tell mum. I couldn’t take it anymore…It was too much…”

 “JB, it was always too much, you shouldn’t have had to take any of it, I’m so sorry this happened to you” he whispered, hand stilling on the back of my head, making me feel held together.

 “Anyway, when mum came home, I snuck into their bedroom while she was getting changed. Greg was watching TV in the other room. I closed the door and told her everything. She was angry, Jug, really angry. I thought she was angry at him…” tears fell again, pooling on Jughead’s shoulder as my body trembled.

 “She was angry at you?” Jughead gasped, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into his lap, raising his knees so that I was surrounded by all of his limbs. He held me tight, keeping me safe as his head fell back against the headboard with a soft thud. “How could she be angry with you Jel? You are the victim, he- he raped you…” he breathed out, gruffly.

 “She thought I had done it on purpose, thought I had seduced him.” I spat out the word. “That’s when I left. I packed a bag with as much as I could carry, grabbed some money out of mom's purse, and got on the first bus to Riverdale. I couldn’t stay there anymore, I didn’t feel safe…”

 “You’re safe now,, ” he said, rubbing my back, “I won’t let anyone hurt you, I promise.”

 “I know, Jug” I mumbled, curling myself into a ball and tucking my head against my knees and his chest. I don’t know how long we stayed like this, but when I woke up, Jughead’s arms were draped around me, his head leaning at an awkward angle, and his mouth open, snoring lightly.

 Stiffly, I stretched myself o and crawled out of the bed. He needed to sleep. I had woken him up every night, multiple times since I arrived, and despite his history of insomnia, he had never looked more tired. I showered quickly, a habit that had developed over the last few years. Showering still made me nervous, made me feel exposed. I quickly dried myself and pulled on a hoodie and leggings.

 Just as I was making my way to the kitchen, there was a quiet knock at the door that had my heart jumping into my chest. I braced myself against the kitchen counter and tried to steady my breathing. Eventually, I made my way toward the front door, pulling aside the curtain to look through the little window next to the door.

 My heart jumped into my throat and I nearly fell backwards. Panic gripped my whole body, causing me to shake and tremble. My knees buckled and I slid down the wall, landing softly on the floor. Jughead emerged from his bedroom at just this moment, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning widely.

 His eyes scanned the room and landed on me shaking in the corner of the room. My knees were pulled up in front of me protectively, my elbows resting on my knees and my face buried in my forearms. My hands were buried in my messy hair. He rushed over and crouched next to me, resting one hand on my shin and the other on my shoulder.

 “Hey, shhh, it’s okay, what is it?” he murmured, trying to soothe me.

 I raised my head and looked at him, my eyes wide and red-rimmed, and his breath caught in my throat at the sight of me.

“It’s him. He’s here. It’s Greg” I whispered, tears filling my eyes and my body began trembling again.

[fictionsofriverdale-blog]

Helpless (Part Six)

Summary: Jughead is shocked when his sister turns up on his doorstep. But not everything is as it used to be.

A/N: Please let me know if you want a part five!

WARNINGS: Description of sexual abuse, alluding to abuse, alluding to sexual abuse, swearing

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

“Shit” he hissed and crouched down beside Jellybean, for a moment he pulled her into a protective hug, but after a beat he stood, Jellybean in his arms, and walked quickly to the bedroom.

“Stay here, okay?” he whispered, depositing his sister on the bed.

“No, no, Juggie please, don’t go out there, don’t let him in” Jellybean pleaded, her whole body was trembling uncontrollably, and Jughead’s eyes softened. He crawled across the bed and pulled her into his arms once again.

“Jelly, he can’t get away with what he’s done, and anyway, what the fuck does he think he’s doing here anyway?” Jughead spat out through gritted teeth. Jellybean shivered and then stilled, hearing the anger in his voice.

“Please Jug, he-he’s strong, violent… I don’t want…” Jellybean’s voice became panicked and tears began to roll down her cheeks, dropping onto the mattress below.

“Jellybean, listen to me, he might be strong, okay, but he can’t be allowed to get away with what he did to you… he has to pay… just-just lock the bedroom door and, um… call Archie… tell him to call the Sheriff, okay?” Jughead reasoned, pulling his phone from his back pocket.

Before she had a chance to argue, Jughead kissed the top of her head and was gone, pulling the door shut behind him.

With trembling hands, Jellybean found Archie’s phone number on speed dial and brought the phone to her ear, hearing it ring. Thankfully, Archie picked up quickly.

“Jug?” Archie sounded sleepy.

“Hey, um..” tears began to spill again, and Jellybean’s voice cracked, “please can you-can you come over… Jugh- um, we-we need you.. and, um.. call the Sheriff?” Jellybean rambled off, following Jughead’s instructions.

“Jellybean, is that you? What’s happened, and why do you need the Sheriff?” Archie questioned, panic evident in his voice. She could hear thumping and thudding through the phone and she knew he was trying to pull on his sneakers.

“Just… please, Archie, we need you.. hurry.”

With that, Jellybean dropped the phone to the bed. Suddenly she remembered the door and leapt from the bed, crossing the room in two long strides, and twisted the lock. She slid down the door until she was sitting on the floor once again, head buried in her hands.

Meanwhile, Jughead’s whole body was vibrating with anger as he strode across the living room and yanked the front door open. His eyes scanned the man in front of him, taking in his greasy blond hair, piercing eyes and too-tight T-shirt.

“What the fuck do you want?” Jughead shouted.

The man looked taken aback, probably thinking Jughead wouldn’t know what evil he had committed. Greg placed a giant hand on the door and the other on the doorframe opposite, effectively caging Jughead in the doorway. Jughead stood tall, his anger making up for the slight size difference.

“What the fuck are you doing here? If you think for one second that you are coming anywhere near my sister…” Suddenly Jughead felt a crack across his cheek as the full force of Greg’s fist hit him across his face.

Stumbling back slightly, Jughead’s hand shot out and he used the kitchen archway to steady himself. Jughead saw red, and barrelled forward, sending a fist flying through the air and connecting with Greg’s jaw, hearing a deafening crack of his own. Jughead didn’t stop there, his foot came up and connected with the man’s knee, pushing it backwards.

Greg retaliated, tackling Jughead and sending them both hurtling into the living room, crashing through the coffee table. The wind flew out of Jughead’s lungs as Greg landed on top of him, the legs of the coffee table giving way instantly under their combined weight.

Recovering his whereabouts, Greg pushed himself up, and straddled Jughead, bringing his hands down to Jughead’s throat. Panicking, Jughead swung his arms wildly, and after a moment one connected with Greg’s temple, knocking him off balance and sending him sprawling on the floor.

Jughead gasped for breath, filling his lungs, and lunging toward the scumbag that had deigned to enter his house.

“I asked you a question!” Jughead spat out “Why are you here? After everything you put her through!” He couldn’t hold back, and landed a kick to Greg’s stomach. Jughead knew it was cowardly to kick a man while he was down, but there was a rage filling him. Just being in Greg’s presence fuelled his rage. “Answer the fucking question” Jughead shouted.

Suddenly, Jughead swung around, the click of the bedroom door alerting him to Jellybean’s presence. She was cowering in the hallway, watching the scene unfold. Greg looked up and spotted her, a horrible grin spreading across his features. Jellybean’s eyes froze, and her whole body stiffened, her breathing becoming quick and shallow.

Jughead rushed over to her and grasped her shoulders. “Jel, you need to stay in the bedroom, okay? Did you call Archie?”

Jellybean didn’t answer. She was in a daze, and she slowly reached her arm up to brush her fingers over a bruise that was now forming on his cheekbone. He flinched away, and regretted it instantly, seeing the hurt in her eyes.

“Jelly, it’s okay, I’m okay.. did you phone Archie?” he asked urgently. Jellybean nodded, not taking her eyes off of his. “Okay, please go back in the bedroom, I’ll come and get you soon, just, please… I can’t let him hurt you again.. I can’t…” he pleaded.

Again, Jellybean nodded, eyes empty, and backed into the bedroom. Jughead pulled the door closed, and turned just in time to see Archie running through the doorway. Greg was crouching in the living room, attempting to stand and fight again.

“She’s mine!” Greg shouted, ready to pounce once again.

Jughead growled loudly, and launched himself at Greg, fists connecting with his jaw, cheek, eye sockets, anywhere he could reach. Archie wrapped his arms around Jughead’s biceps and pulled him back.

“Woah, Jug, what’s going on? Who is this guy?” Archie was breathless, trying to contain Jughead.

“He hurt Jellybean, Arch” Jughead shouted, trying to escape from Archie’s grasp.

“What?” Archie breathed, shock making him release Jughead.

Greg was frozen where he was, waiting to see what the new red-head would make of the situation.

“He hurt her, Arch, badly… he’s a fucking paedophile, Arch” Jughead insisted.

“What the fuck?” Archie spat out, his eyes finding Greg’s crouching body, his hands fisting in Greg’s collar and pulling him to a standing position. Archie landed one punch, square on the nose, causing blood to gush from his nostrils, before the Sheriff burst through the open front door.

Jughead, Jellybean, Archie, and the Sheriff were sitting at the kitchen table. After a cursory explanation, Greg had been hauled off by an officer for questioning. Betty was making coffees and hot chocolates for everyone, busying herself in the kitchen, but her eyes kept flicking to Jughead’s bruises, and Jellybean’s haunted eyes. Archie had called Betty on his way over to the trailer, trying to get answers, and she had followed in her mother’s car.

“You know, you can come in tomorrow to give a statement, you don’t have to give one right now, you all seem pretty shaken up. He’s not getting out of custody today, but I can station an officer outside if you want.” Sheriff Keller offered.

Jughead glanced at his sister, her body seemed empty, her eyes wide and unblinking, her arms wrapped around her legs.

“That would be good, thanks Sheriff” Jughead nodded toward the Sheriff.

“I’ll have my guy parked at the entrance to the trailer park, he can see the property from there and stop anyone coming and going that shouldn’t be…”

“Thanks Sheriff” Betty chimed in. Jughead stood and walked the Sheriff to the door, shaking his hand as they reached the threshold. The older man stopped and took a good look at the bruises forming on Jughead’s face and throat.

“You should really get them looked at. It was reckless, taking that guy on by yourself, but speaking as a father… I would have done the same.” The sheriff shook Jughead’s hand once more and ducked through the doorway.

Jughead made his way back to the table and sat down, rubbing his hand over his eyes and stretching his legs out. A choked out sob filled the room and Jughead’s eyes shot open and landed on his sister immediately.

“I’m so sorry” she choked out, eyes fixated on the table in front of her. Jughead pulled her chair closer to his and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her small body onto his lap.

“No, Jellybean, don’t you say you’re sorry. You didn’t ask for this, you didn’t deserve any of this, okay?” he tried to reassure her, but she sobbed against his shoulder, body-wracking sobs, that tore at Jughead’s heart.

Archie rounded the table and wrapped the siblings in his long arms. Jellybean flinched, and Archie started to pull away.

“No, Archie, I’m sorry, it’s okay… sorry… it’s a knee-jerk reaction… please..” Jellybean tried to justify her body’s betrayal.

Archie sighed, “please don’t say sorry again” as he gently wrapped his arms around them.

Betty carried three mugs of coffee and one hot chocolate over to the table and placed them down gently. The trio pulled away from the hug, but Jellybean made no move to reclaim her own chair. Jughead untangled one arm from her limbs and wrapped his hand around his hot mug, keeping his other arm around his sister, steadying her still trembling body.

After their drinks had been consumed, Betty and Archie made to leave the siblings alone, but Jellybean quietly spoke up. All eyes were on her.

“Please could you guys stay for a while… I feel safe with you here… and Jughead could do with a nap… I keep waking him up with my nightmares…please?” she implored.

“Of course we’ll stay, of course” Betty responded automatically and Archie nodded in agreement.

Once again, Betty busied herself getting blankets and pillows from the bedrooms and building a nest of bedding on the living room floor. Archie, Jughead, and Jellybean quickly made themselves comfortable on the living room floor.

“I just need to call my mum” Betty murmured, “I’ll tell her I’m at V’s house” and she retreated onto the front porch.

Jellybean settled down in between her brother and his best friend, grabbing the remote control and flicking through the channels on the TV, with Archie glancing at her every few seconds. 

As quickly as she had left, Betty was back. Jughead glanced up at her and stiffened when he saw the expression on her face. Betty quickly made her way over to the nest on the floor and knelt down beside it, her phone clutched in her hands. Jughead recognised the emotion that crossed her face and he knew that if her phone wasn’t in her palm, her nails could very well be piercing skin right now. He took her hands in his.

“What is it, Betts?” he asked, his eyes searching hers.

“It’s Gladys, it’s your mum, Jug… She’s been reported missing… it was on the news, she didn’t turn up to work for a few days… mum just told me… no one knows where she is.”

[fictionsofriverdale-blog]

Helpless (Part Three)

Summary: Jughead is shocked when his sister turns up on his doorstep. But not everything is as it used to be.

A/N: Please let me know if you want a part four!

WARNINGS: alluding to abuse, alluding to sexual abuse, swearing

Part One

Part Two

It had been two weeks since Jellybean had confirmed any big brother’s worst nightmare. He hadn’t protected her like he should have. He hadn’t been there for her. He hadn’t stopped him. Jellybean had barely left his side since that night. When Jughead was in the trailer, Jellybean was just about able to be in a different room to him, but when they went out, Jellybean stuck to her brother’s side like a conjoined twin. 

Jughead didn't mind. He liked to have her close, to know that she was safe at that moment; at least physically. It was her mind that he worried about. Jellybean was still eating like she was a bird and barely sleeping. The night that she had opened up to Jughead, the little that she had opened up, she had woken up four times screaming and trembling, covered in a sheen of cold sweat. Jughead bundled her in the duvet and held her shaking body in his arms, letting her fall asleep as he sat against the headboard with scenarios rushing through his mind. 

Jellybean hadn’t been forthcoming with information, and he hadn’t asked questions, but sometimes not knowing exactly what had happened was harder, it allowed his imagination to run wild. It also stopped him from being able to do anything. He wanted to jump on a bus to Toledo and hunt this guy down, but he realised that he didn’t even know his mom's address. 

After two weeks of sleepless nights, Jughead decided that he had to know. He looked down at her sleeping body, her facial expression was peaceful, serene, and she looked so innocent. All of a sudden, her eyes screwed shut tighter and her lips pursed, cheeks reddening. Jughead steadied himself and wrapped his hands around his sister’s tiny arms, ready to wake her. Her mouth opened, ready to scream, and her legs began to kick out in panic. He shook her body steadily, continuing until her eyes shot open. They flew wildly around the room until they landed on his face. Tears began to pool in her eyes and her arms flung up and around his neck, burying her face in his chest as he bent down to cuddle her, muffling her sobs. 

“Jelly... I know you haven’t wanted to talk about it, and if you still don’t want to talk about it, that's okay... for now... but you know you need to talk about this... to someone...” he fell silent, waiting for Jellybean’s sobs to calm down.

“When he first started coming around, I thought he was great...” she whispered, “he used to take me to the cinema when mom was at work.” Jughead absentmindedly stroked his hand up and down her spine, feeling each bone strain against her pale skin. “Once, I thought I saw a shadow under the bathroom door when I was showering... I didn’t even notice it until it moved away, and then I realised it had been a person... I guess he was looking through the crack in the door... but that’s a big thing to assume about someone...” Jughead’s hand stopped moving, resting on her upper arm, and pulling her into him tighter. He didn’t want to interrupt, this was the most she had spoken about it since she got here and he didn’t want to spook her. 

“The next night, the same thing happened, and I just knew it was him.... I stopped showering at home after that. I showered at school during the week... and on the weekends I went to the local swimming pool to shower... or I just didn’t...” Jughead let his head fall back against the wall. The sick fucker had watched his little sister through a crack in the bathroom door. She was only a kid! He felt sick, but he didn’t move, he needed to hear her and she needed to be heard. 

“One time, mom was at work, she had started a new job at the supermarket... she was working late... I got home from school and he was there... I started to go up to my room but he - he followed me... when I was nearly at my door he pushed me forward and I fell through the door and hit my arm on the door handle. That was the first time he ra- attacked me...” Jellybean shuddered, she had never used that word before, and the way that her brother’s arms had tensed around her made her panic. The word was too much, it meant too much.. it meant it was real. But it was real, and she knew it. she just couldn’t speak it, not yet. 

“How many times?”  Jughead’s voice was low and raspy against the side of her head. 

“I- well- I don’t really know...” she whispered, tears beginning to spill silently down her cheeks again. 

“What do you mean you don’t know?” he gently asked, stroking her hair out of her face. Jellybean went silent, her body so still that he would be forgiven for thinking she had fallen asleep. 

After what felt like an eternity, she whispered, so quietly that he might have missed it if he wasn’t so close to her; “I lost count”