Us [bughead]

Chapter 6

"He is a person, Jug. He has a life, a family and friends who all probably love him. You can't solve everything by just killing people." Betty knew that Jughead understood that. But she also understood why he acted the way he did. She wanted Leonard dead too. But the second Jughead walked inside the house it all became too real.

How would she ever live with herself knowing that she had, in some ways, been a part of someone else's death? She already had her sister's blood on her hands. She couldn't have another person's as well. 

"Maybe...maybe he can change? I mean, go to therapy and..."

"She wasn't the first person he tried to rape. Not the first child." Jughead said and Betty's eyes grew wide. She waited for him to tell her more. "Veronica..." Jughead mumbled. "He did the same to her. When he figured out that Veronica was about to tell Hiram...he threatened to rape both her and her mother." Jughead waited for Betty to say something, but she was stunned. "He's one sick motherfucker...and he needs to be stopped." 

"Oh my..." Betty finally said and Jughead nodded. 

"Do you understand now? Why I really want him dead?" Betty nodded. Because she did. Leonard had not only hurt Jughead's sister, who was one of the few people Jughead genuinely loved and cared for, but he had done this to other children and something told them both that Jellybean wouldn't be his last victim. 

"I do," Betty whispered. 

***

A loud knock on the door woke them both up. For a second Betty felt disoriented but the second she heard Jughead's loud sigh reminded her. They had fallen asleep on the couch while watching a documentary about a serial killer. She quickly put on Jughead's t-shirt and pulled at the ends to try to cover as much of her legs as possible. 

As she opened the door Jughead walked up behind her and kissed her on the cheek. Gladys stumbled inside with a young girl resting on her right hip. Betty assumed the girl was Glimmer and when Betty looked closer she realized that she was sleeping. 

"Take her." Gladys growled and gave Glimmer to a surprised Betty. Betty took the sleeping child in her arms and stared at Gladys, who was now making her way towards Jughead. She pushed him against the wall and placed her right arm against his chest. His eyes were big and wild and Betty knew that this couldn't end well. "Where the hell is he?" Gladys spat and Jughead held up both his hands, pretending as if he didn't know anything. 

"Where is who?" Gladys leaned closer to him and their faces were so close to each other that Betty had a hard time seeing their expressions. 

"Don't play stupid. Where is Leonard?" Gladys slowly said. 

"I honestly don't know." Jughead said. There was something in the way he said it that almost convinced Betty as well. If she hadn't known what Hiram and he had been planning she could easily have believed that Jughead didn't know where Leonard was. 

"I fucking hope you aren't lying now." Gladys let go of him and pushed him back and walked towards Betty. Betty flinched as she came way too close. "Where is JB?" She asked and Betty just pointed upstairs. Still holding the girl in her arms she watched as Gladys walked upstairs. 

"She is really mad Jughead."

"You don't say." Jughead scoffed. 

"Do you know where he is?" Jughead shook his head. 

"Hiram said he'd 'take care' of him. I didn't bother asking how." He silently said and shrugged.

***