Flashback -5 years old
The boy next door invited his neighbor, the girl next door, and his best bud, from the "wrong side of the tracks" over for a sleepover. As they enjoyed their day, it was sadly coming to an end.. Fred Andrews walks into his son's room and says "alright, kids. It's time for bed! " "Okay dad" Archie says back. "Thank you for having me over, Mr. Andrews. " Betty says remembering her mothers words, "always use your manners, Elizabeth. ".. Little Juggie runs up to Mr. Andrews embracing him in a hug as his thanks. He laughs and leaves the children to settle into their respective beds (or sleeping bags for Betty and Jughead.) As they are preparing for sleep, Betty notices Archie no longer has a night light. She doesn't want to sound like a baby so she keeps quiet.
The night wears on and Betty hasn't fallen asleep, she is to afraid to. She starts to cry slightly, waking up Jughead who was asleep in his own sleeping bag just moments before. Archie snores and it overpowered Betty's crying, so he didn't wake. Seeing as Jughead was next to her he knew that is what the sound was.
"Hey bets. What's wrong? " He asked her. "Oh, nothing. It's okay, go back to sleep. " She responds in hopes it worked. "No. It's not okay if you're crying, you can tell me. " He persists everyone knows that he has a crush on the girl next door.. "Okay." She gives in as little five year old Betty sighs to tell him what's wrong.. "I'm afraid of the dark. " She admits. "Oh, well it's okay, we are here and I have an idea! " He says. "What? " She asks the beanie wearing boy. "It's something my mom does with me every night, it helps me, so it should help you. Just repeat after me. Okay? " "Okay" She agrees reluctantly. "Sweet dreams. " He starts, "sweet dreams. ".. " Stay safe".. "Stay safe. ".. " I love you. ".. " I love you. " "Good night Betty. ".. " Good night. " They finished the nighttime mantra and to her surprise, her mind was at ease and her thoughts were filled of her beanie wearing best friend and what he said helped her drift to sleep.
Flashback still- now 10 years old
Jughead's mom and sister left tonight, he believes for good. He lays in the bedroom, staring at the ceiling wondering who he would do the little nighttime mantra with seeing as his mother is gone. He cries himself to sleep that night, while clutching the gray crown beanie, almost as if it was a stress ball, deciding that the mantra is stupid and he will never say it again..anger fueled the young boy. All he wanted was his family to be okay, he doesn't seem to understand what happened..
Current time
As he lays there, lifeless in the hospital bed. Betty Cooper can't help but stare at the exposed black hair and freckled face of the sixteen year old boy she loved. The ghoulies got him. He sacrificed himself for the sake of the serpents, for the sake of Riverdale, and for the sake of her. She had never seen him this defenseless. Cuts and bruises plastered his face, his lips, and she can't imagine the pain from what lies underneath that bandage around his bicep. She rubs the top of his limp hand with her thumbs, from her green eyes she feels the tears start to fall, she can't help but wish he would wake, so she could talk to him even if it was for only one last time, look into his sea blue eyes if only for one last time, hear his laugh if only for one last time. She starts to reminence about their childhood, their relationship thus far. Out of all the trails they went through, they came out even stronger. Visiting hours are coming to a close though, as the nurse who just walked in, instructed. She takes a deep breath and repeats the one thing that she hopes he will hear. "Sweet dreams. Stay safe. I love you, Jughead Jones. Good night. " with the nighttime mantra spoken and a light kiss to his scraped forehead, she starts to get up from the side of the bed she was on. When all of a sudden the monitors started going crazy.. "Betty.. " A hoarse voice spoke, she immediately looks down and over the boys bed to find he is awake and alert gripping her hand again. She is speechless. The same nurse rushes to find his doctor and after a quick check up, they leave the room, ignoring the fact that Betty hasn't left yet. "Juggie.. " She spoke relieved, like all her prayers had been answered, and they were. They laid together that night in one another's embrace. After some silence he said, "I never thought I would hear those words again. You remembered? "... " Of course I did, Jug. How could I forget? Everytime I get scared I think of those words, they are the only things that bring me any comfort. " All he did was smile as they slowly drifted off to sleep.
Future:
Jughead and Betty are laying in their bed, when all of a sudden their three year old baby girl comes running into their room, and jumps onto the bed, she is crying. "Juliet, baby, what's wrong? " Her father asks her, reaching out to wrap his daughter who resembles him the most in his arms. She is wrapped around his neck, their jet black hair blending in together as she cries out that she had a nightmare and her night light was out. "Ssh baby, it's okay? Remember what I taught you?" He asks. "Ya dadda. " She mumbles.. He is silent as an indicator for her to start, " Sweet deams dadda. " "Sweet dreams honey. " "Say saf".. " Stay safe. ".. " I luv you. ".. " And I love you. ".. " Nuhight dadda. " "Night, Jules. " As Betty is watching this sweet scene unfold the baby monitor goes off with their son crying in the next room. "I'll get it, tuck Jules back in, babe. " She whispers and he nods. "Hey my little Jax, what's wrong? " She says to the unsettled baby boy who is now in her arms, she bounces him up and down, checking his diaper, and making sure he isn't hungry. She embraces her baby boy. Rubbing circles into the back of his little head that has a set a dirty blonde hairs, in an whisper, which is barely audiable she repeats the little nightime mantra and after its done little Jax starts to coo, and make some baby noises, she realized he just wanted some love. She gently places her baby down as he is drifting back off to sleep, and creeps back into her bedroom. The scene she walks into is one of her favorites; her husband has their toddler daughter in his arms.. His arms slightly out reached for her to hold his hand when she returns, and that is what she does with one hand in his and another over his side also holding her daughter in some slumber filled group hug. They were a family, a family of love, and try to show it as much as possible everyday with the words that they speak.
