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Alice and Hal Cooper always worked Halloween, running the towns newspaper meant it was imperative they were working Halloween in order to make sure they were first on the scene for any story. Usually this was never an issue until their girls were old enough to understand and want to go trick or treating. Polly was 5 and Betty only 4 who still not fully understanding what Halloween is but does understand Polly telling her about dressing up and getting sweets. However next door the Coopers soon learn that the Andrews who moved in just a few weeks ago, go all out for Halloween, Alice and Hal knew Fred and Mary from school and they had a son the same age as Betty, the pair had a few play dates and Archie seemed to be all their youngest daughter spoke about, and after a conversation Alice had with Mary earlier that day it seems Betty and when can Betty come round again was all Archie talked about as well. It was after that conversation the idea came to Alice and Polly and Betty found out they’d be going trick or treating with Archie and his parents. Betty was over the moon with this news, Polly however wasn’t.
“But boys ruin everything!” Polly exclaimed, stomping her foot.
“Archie doesn’t ruin things!” Betty shouted at her sister.
“It’s not fair they’ll leave me out!!” Polly screamed in response.
“Enough or you’ll both be coming to work with me and your father and you can forget about trick or treating.” Alice scolded the pair. Both girls pouted but stayed silent and just nodded their heads. Halloween night came and Archie and Betty dressed up as Becky Thatcher and Tom Sawyer, characters from one of their read along records they listen too in Archie’s garage and Polly chose to dress up as a witch and wasn’t happy her parents wouldn’t let her take Caramel with her. Halloween at the Andrews was fun for Polly and Betty where they got to carve their own pumpkins, something their parents never have time to do with them. Walking down the street and next street Archie and Betty held hands all the way as Polly was the one to knock on all their neighbours doors and the three filled up their buckets with sweets.
From that year on Halloween was their holiday, every year Betty and Archie would dream up matching costumes as Polly would huff and puff behind them thinking she’s too grown up to spend time with the pair, eventually this would evolve to Polly taking Archie and Betty trick or treating after the three carved pumpkins with Archie’s dad, until eventually Archie and Betty were old enough to go trick or treating on their own. Once the pair were too old for trick or treating they would stay in and watch old horror movies together.
Freshman year was slightly different when Cheryl Blossom hosted a halloween party. Archie and Betty went together and it was the first time they’d both tried alcohol. Walking home Archie moved to hold Betty’s hand, which was perfectly normal for the pair but Betty found herself feeling butterflies in her stomach at this action. She was aware of her growing attraction for her best friend despite the fact Kevin would tell her he doesn’t get it, Archie was too lanky and dorky for his taste despite the fact Archie was the star footballer in their year and on track to make the varsity team next year, suddenly Betty finds herself stumbling dragging Archie with her as the pair nearly fall before Archie manages to steady them both.
“Careful.” Archie laughed as Betty giggled too. “You look really pretty.” Archie said suddenly soft as his fingers brushed over her cheek.
“I’m dressed like a cat “Betty pointed out.
“A very pretty cat.” Archie corrected her, and adjusted her ears on top of her head. They stood there in silence for a moment, both looking in each others eyes as Betty hopes he’ll kiss her, she could feel her heart rate in crease at the thought. She’d never kissed anyone before, unless you class the kiss her and Archie shared when they were 10 but she doesn’t class that because it wasn’t a proper kiss and she knows Archie hasn’t kissed anyone either. She felt Archie lean down but then her nerves kicked in.
“We should get back.” Betty said quickly as Archie suddenly straightened back up.
“Yeah sure.” He nodded awkwardly, feeling slightly embarrassed that maybe Betty didn’t want to kiss him like he did her. He swung his arm round Betty’s shoulder and the pair walked home. Once they got to their houses Archie decided to invite Betty inside.
“I should probably just go home.” Betty said nervous.
“But you always sleep over Halloween.” Archie commented confused.
“I don’t think my mom would like it this year.” Betty told him cringing. She wanted to go to Archie’s but for some reason it felt different.
“Is this because of earlier?” Archie asked, embarrassed that he read the situation wrong and was now praying he hadn’t messed their friendship up. “One movie and I promise it’ll just be like normal.” He tried to assure her. Looking back at her house and then to Archie, Betty smiled, she wanted to tell him she didn’t mind about earlier, and in fact she wanted him to kiss her and her reaction was because she was nervous, but she was too scared to, scared Archie would tell her it was a weird in the moment thing so the pair went back to Archie’s and watched a horror film and ate the left over trick or treat sweets, both falling asleep on Archie’s sofa.
Betty would tell you Halloween has always been her favourite time of the year until Softmore year.
Softmore year was the year Halloween stopped being their holiday. Betty started dating Jughead after Archie’s rejection at the start of the school year and instead started to date new girl Veronica. Now instead of the two of them carving pumpkins, watching horror films and eating sweets, it was the four of them dressed in couples costumes attending a party hosted by Veronica. Junior year was even worse because Archie wasn’t here at all thanks to Veronica’s father, Archie was in juvie for a crime he didn’t commit and Betty didn’t have time to even acknowledge the holiday since her mother and sister had joined an organ harvesting cult.
Senior year started badly too, Archie was hosting a Halloween party at his community centre and Betty wanted to go but Jughead was planning on coming back for the weekend from Stonewell and wanted to spend it watching horror films and giving out trick or treat sweets. Betty wasn’t completely against the idea and welcomed getting to spend time with her boyfriend, something she wasn’t able to do anymore given the distance now he was at boarding school and even when he was home he was obsessed with his latest conspiracy theory. Veronica had already taken over Archie’s party, as she did all his projects, Betty thought, it annoyed her how Veronica didn’t seem to think Archie could achieve anything on his own. So the way it went, it looked like Archie and Betty would miss each other for another Halloween. Jughead never came back so Betty ended up alone babysitting Jughead’s little sister, and on edge after some kids trick or treaters dressed as the Black Hood. Then the phone started ringing, and continued to ring through the night. It turned out it was Polly pretending to be their dad in order to scare her younger sister. Meanwhile Archie’s party was ruined by Dodger and his gang. Feeling angry and defeated Archie just wanted to go straight to bed and cancelled on going to the Pembroke to meet Veronica, fully aware he’s going to get an earful from his girlfriend in the morning. As he was turning into his street he saw Betty and Charles, her and Jughead’s brother, outside the Cooper house.
“Charles please, I don’t want to be here on my own.” Betty pleaded with her brother.
“Betty it’s work I’m sorry and it was just Polly calling.” Charles told her getting in his car.
“It doesn’t make staying here tonight any easier!” Betty said fighting tears. She didn’t like to admit she was scared but she was, between Black Hood and Gargoyle King trick or treaters and prank calls she felt like she was at her breaking point.
“Betty?” Archie called, walking over and looking concerned. “You okay?” He asked and going to stroke her arm affectionately. Finding herself unable to word her feelings, Betty just shook her head and starts to cry as she felt Archie pull her into a tight hug. Once Betty had stopped crying Charles left and Archie took Betty over to his house. They both unloaded on each other whilst promising to be there for each other more regardless of how Veronica or Jughead felt about it, it’s not fair that their friendships had to take a hit because of Jughead and Veronica’s insecurities. The pair fell asleep watching a film on the sofa, Betty’s head rested on Archie’s shoulder whilst Archie’s head rested on top of Betty’s, and that was how Mary found the pair. She knew she should have been more concerned about how intimate this scene looked considering her sons girlfriend isn’t the girl currently fast asleep and snuggled against him but instead she just smiled to herself, happy at the fact the pair both look happy and calm and are actually sleeping. When Mary called Alice to tell her not to worry and that Betty’s asleep at hers, Alice’s reaction was the same, whilst she would lecture Betty in the morning she wasn’t going to deny her daughter a rare night of peaceful sleep even if Archie Andrews was the boy to give that to her. The next morning both Archie and Betty agreed to keep what happened between them, even though nothing actually happened, Jughead and Veronica wouldn’t understand, and Betty and Archie both knew old feelings were resurfacing but all both could think about at that moment was how Halloween finally started to feel like their holiday again.
7 years passed and Betty and Archie barely saw each other anymore. They’d made up after the awkward terms they left high school on but with Archie being stationed all over the world and Betty working for the FBI they’ve never had much chance to meet up and mostly kept in touch via text and depending on Archie’s whereabouts letters. After 7 years they would both be spending Halloween in Riverdale but still not together, Betty was still searching for Polly who’d gone missing and Archie had ended his FWB with Betty to get back together with Veronica. Betty spent Halloween how she spent most nights these days, dressed up as a prostitute and working the lonely highway in hope to find the trucker who was responsible for all the girls disappearing. Archie also found himself on the lonely highway after hearing rumours of another dog fighting ring, he knows how he handled the last one wasn’t okay but he found himself not caring, nothing was okay anymore and he didn’t know how to make it okay, he just knows he wants things to get right again, in the world, in Riverdale, in his head, he wanted to go back to a time he could just close his eyes and go to sleep, he can’t remember the last time he’d had a good sleep, although that’s a lie, he could, it was one of the last times he hooked up with Betty, the pair fell asleep in each others arms after and slept right through the night. Archie was pulled from his thoughts when he noticed a truck coming into riverdale, it had the registration number he’d been told about but found himself distracted by a blonde woman walking towards it, for a minute Archie could have sworn it was Polly. Suddenly forgetting what he was here for Archie ran after the blonde, his protective instinct kicking in when it looked like she was about to get in the truck.
“Polly!” Archie yelled which must have scared the trucker as he suddenly speeded off, knocking the girl over slightly.
Stumbling slightly Betty got up annoyed at whatever distracted the trucker, as its another potential lead to Polly gone.
“Polly!” She heard a man’s voice yell again as Betty looked around, sudden hope reignited in her heart as she looked round for her sister before she realised whose voice it was and that he thinks she’s Polly. “Crap.” She sighed to herself in sudden panic not wanting her best friend to see her like this, as she heard his voice getting closer and started to run into forest.
“Poll…. Betty?” Archie asked confused as he managed to catch who he thought was Polly’s arm realising it’s Betty. “What are you…” he started to ask before he figured out exactly what his best friend was doing and the look she gave him, a mix between desperate, determined and embarrassment confirmed he was right without an actual answer needed. “Have you got any idea how dangerous this is?!” He said suddenly annoyed his best friend’s doing something so incredibly stupid and risking her life.
“I’m not an idiot Archie. I’m undercover, I know what I’m doing, I am FBI.” Betty huffed on the defence.
“Where’s your back up?” Archie asked.
“What?” Betty asked confused.
“Back up.” Archie said again. “If it’s an FBI investigation you’d have back up.” He stated. Instead of answering Betty just looked down. “Jesus Betty.” Archie muttered concerned but also cursing himself for not helping her more, he had no idea it’d got so bad Betty was resorting to this.
“What are you doing anyway? I don’t see your back up.” Betty countered.
“I heard there was another dog fighting ring, seriously Betty what your doing is so dangerous.” Archie answered.
“And what your doing isn’t?” Betty countered.
“Those guys aren’t going to try and hurt me like they would you. Even if you don’t find the highway killer, most these guys aren’t big on consent. I’m not saying don’t do it but just get someone to help.” Archie said to her, desperate for his friend to see sense.
“Who? Everyone’s caught up in their own problems.” Betty told him.
“Me!” Archie exclaimed. “Betty if you asked, if I knew how bad things had got, I’d be out here every night with you!” He told her, but Betty just sniggered and rolled her eyes. “What does that mean?” Archie asked.
“You acting like you care.” Betty said bitterly. “Everyone claiming to not know how bad it is but you all know Polly’s been missing for weeks, that I’m most likely looking for a body, that my mom just passes out drunk every night because she’s not coping and what are you doing that’s so important Archie? Football games? Screwing Veronica?”
“That’s not fair.” Archie shook his head. “You wouldn’t open up to me Betty, made it clear you only wanted me for sex, you can’t blame me for going back to someone who wants to be with me!” He yelled at her frustrated, she’s the one who keeps pushing him away.
Shocked at her friends admission and not knowing how to react, Betty just moves to kiss him, Archie kisses back, caught up in each others touch Betty finds herself backed up against a tree.
“Betty, I’m with Veronica.” She hears Archie say against her face, like he’s suddenly pulled back into reality. Betty feeling the pain of rejection again.
“Veronica’s married.” Betty said back and went to kiss him again, he admitted he wants to be with her, she’s making it clear she wants him, why can’t he just ditch Veronica she thinks as Archie kisses her back and Betty really does feel hope that Archie’s finally going to choose her.
“I’ve made promises to her.” Archie said pulling back and softly stroking Betty’s cheek, making Betty feel like she could cry and she couldn’t care less if Archie sees it. “She’s going through a lot. I can’t just leave her, it’d crush her. Maybe when things with Hiram and Chad calm down I’ll end it and then we can find the right time to tell people about us.” He tries to suggest.
“Meanwhile I stay your dirty secret.” Betty said fighting more tears from falling down her face, he’s only ever willing to be with her in secret, she knows she needs to grow up and take the hint that he’ll always choose someone else over her.
“That’s not what I meant.” Archie said feeling terrible.
“I get the message Arch. Anyway it’s not like I haven’t got a lot going on too. I need to get back to finding my most likely dead sister, whilst looking after her two kids and my mom whilst trying to stop other young girls from disappearing the way Polly has and you need to go back to Veronica’s self involved rich girl drama.” She told him not caring how cold she sounded and it’s not like her and Veronica are truly friends anymore.
“Thats not fair.” Archie said taking hold of her arm to stop her from leaving. “I’m still here for you, let me help you.”
“If you want to help me right now Archie then stay away from me.” Betty told him freeing her arm. “Maybe it’s not fair but being around you right now just hurts.” She said before leaving Archie alone stood in the woods. This Halloween was truly the worst of both their lives.
The following year was their first Halloween together but they never got to acknowledge it or celebrate due to having to deal with Percival and a comet hurling towards riverdale.
The Halloween after they didn’t do much either with Betty not long before finding out she’s pregnant. They spent it indoors eating sweets and watching horror movies like when they were kids. Both feeling content and like they’d reclaimed their holiday.
6 years later and now their Halloween was busy decorating the house for their two kids; one boy who was 6 named Freddie after Archie’s father, Freddie had blonde hair and blue/green eyes like Betty but had Archie’s boisterous personality and Carla their 4 year old girl, had vibrant red hair and brown eyes like Archie but had Betty’s curious and stubborn personality, both kids a perfect mix of both their parents. Once the house was decorated Archie would carve pumpkins with them both and Betty would get their costumes sorted, Freddie this year wanting to be a zombie and Carla a witch. Taking them trick or treating was definitely Betty and Archie’s favourite part of Halloween now and neither could bring themselves to think about the fact they’ll come a time where Freddie will want to take Carla on his own, once back home they let their kids pick a few sweets to eat with their movie before bed and packing the rest away, there’s no way either of their kids are eating that many sweets before bed, especially with school in the morning. After sending the kids to bed, Archie and Betty keep up with tradition of eating left over trick or treat sweets whilst watching a horror film, only this time when Betty starts to fall asleep on Archie’s shoulder, Archie picks her up and carries her to their bed and helps his tired wife undress, before pulling her close to his chest. The pair fall asleep cuddled against each other in their bed, happy and content that Halloween is their holiday again but not only that, happy in the knowledge that they belong to each other forever.