Dynasty || Betty Cooper [1] [COMPLETED]

||FOURTEEN - SEARCH||

Tatum's POV

On Monday morning, there has still been no sign of Polly. I was with Mom in the living room, when Smithers comes in carrying many, many boxes.

"What's all this?" Mom asks.

"Some retail therapy to salve my emotional wounds. A few treasures from Glamazon.com." Veronica answers. "Smithers, be a love an put those in my room." Veronica begins to walk away, but is stopped.

"Veronica, the nest egg that your father left us barely covers the rent of the apartment." Mom tells her. "We can't live beyond our means."

"Are you sure, Mother?" Veronica asks. "Not even your cushy new job working for your high-school boyfriend?" She spins on her heel, and walks away.

-----

I'm now sitting next to Betty, as she tells our friends about the Polly situation. 

"My mom and dad don't wanna get the police involved. They don't want anyone to know she ran away, or about her shameful condition." Betty explains.

"Please. What decade is this?" Veronica questions.

"Well, since she knew where Jason's getaway car was, they're afraid people might think that she burned it and that if she did--" Betty starts.

"She could be the murderer covering her tracks." Jughead chimes in from his seat next to Kevin.

"Well, who did burn the car, then?" Archie asks. 

"Sheriff Keller says it's possible someone was following us." Betty tells them.

"Oh, my God. Honestly, guys, we should just move." Veronica states.

"Guys, what if Polly's really hurt?" Betty asks. "What if whoever killed Jason is coming after her next?" I put a comforting arm around her shoulder, and she holds onto my hand.

We were oblivious to it then, but Veronica, Archie and Jughead were giving us weird looks.

"Betty, even though your parents don't want to, maybe you should go to the police." Archie says.

"Seconded." Kevin pipes in. "We can talk to my dad together about how he has to be discreet."

"No offense, Kev, but your dad answers to a higher authority than God." I point out. "The Blossoms. They're the first people that he would tell."

"And, if there's anyone to keep this a secret from, it's the Blossoms." Betty adds. "They'd twist it around, and go after Polly out of spite."

"How can we help?" Veronica asks. "Tell us, B. We'll do it."

-----

We gathered a group of people, a search party of some sorts, in the woods, to help us find Polly.

"Okay, the Sisters Of Quiet Mercy are due north. The getaway car was west on the old Route 40." Betty announces.

"Closest bus station is east, headed toward Sweetwater." I continue for her. "If Polly wanted to leave Riverdale without anyone seeing her, she probably would've left through right--"

"Right here. Eversgreen Forest." Betty tells the group.

We walk down the cleared away paths, calling out Polly's name. We continue around the forest for a while, and then we see them.

The Blossoms, with their own search party, and even police with sniffer dogs. Like, what? They come over to our group.

"Alice Cooper, where is she? Where's Polly?" Penelope asks.

"You think if I knew that I would be out here with the mosquitoes?" Alice shoots back.

"Face facts, Mommy Dearest, Polly killed Jason." Cheryl speaks up.

"She escaped from the asylum once. Who's to say she didn't before?" Clifford backs her up. "Say, the day Jason got murdered?" 

"The noose is tightening around your murdering daughter's neck." Penelope starts. "I know it, Sheriff Keller knows it--"

"Hold on, now." Sheriff Keller defends.

"And I promise you, when we find her, and we will find her, the entire town of Riverdale will know too." Penelope tells her.

They go off to continue their search, and we continue ours. I walk in lock step with Betty, and I put my arm around her.

"Don't worry, we'll find her before they do." I comfort. She nods, and we walk down the dirt path.

-----

The Coopers announced that Polly was pregnant, to the entire town. And, all through their announcement, I was looking at how sad Betty looked, because they hadn't found her yet.

"Hey, you didn't have to walk me home." Betty tells me. 

"Uh, there's a killer on the loose, remember?" I argue. "Besides, isn't this what, you know, what people like us, who've gone through what we've gone through, do?"

Betty tightens her grip on my hand, and stays silent.

"What is it?" I ask. "I mean, besides everything."

"She wouldn't have run away if it wasn't for me, Tay." Betty states.

"Betty, you know that's not true. And, it was your parents lying to her and keeping her in the dark about everything." I argue. "You did the right thing, telling her. She had the right to know."

"It's funny. This isn't the first time Polly's run away from home." Betty tells me. "When she was nine, she and my mom got in this huge fight and she disappeared for hours. The whole neighborhood was out looking for her."

"How far did she get?" I ask. She stops. "What?" Betty turns to face me, and kisses me.

"Thank you, for walking me home." She thanks. "I'll call you later. Good night." 

Then, after that, I walk back home. The smile wide on my face.

-----

She does call me. That night, I'm lying in my bed at my mom's and she calls me.

"Hey Betty." I greet.

"I found her. I found Polly." When she says that, I shoot up into a seating position.

"You did? Where was she?" I ask.

"In the attic." Betty answers.

"Is she okay? Was she hurt?"

"She was, her leg. But, I helped her, and she's good now." Betty explains. I smile.

"That's great." I tell her. "You feeling okay?" 

"Yeah. They want to put the baby up for adoption. But, Polly doesn't. And, Polly doesn't want to come out of hiding until she finds somewhere to stay." Betty replies.

"She can always stay with us. My mom will probably be fine with it, and if she's not. I'll make her be fine with it." I reassure. I hear Betty laugh on the other end of the line.

"You're amazing." She says.

"No, you're amazing." I argue. We both stay silent for a second. "So, I've been wondering about our relationship..."

"Me too." Betty agrees. "So, what are we?"

"Well, are we officially dating? Do you want to be my official girlfriend?" I ask, and chew on the corner of my lip, which is something I do when I'm nervous.

"Yes, I will." She answers.

A/N I just wanted to let you know. In the show, Betty and Jughead are the investigative duo/couple. But, in my book, it's going to be Betty and Tatum.

Most of the Bughead scenes will be swapped with Batum scenes (I know, cringy ship name. But, I think it's better than Tetty).