Long endless highway, you're silent beside me Driving a nightmare I can't escape from Helplessly praying, the light isn't fading Hiding the shock and the chill in my bones

They took you away on a table I pace back and forth as you lay still They pull you in to feel your heartbeat Can you hear me screaming? Please don't leave me

The car was deafeningly quiet. It had been like that for the last twenty minutes, and Betty was under the impression that it would continue to be like way until they returned to the city.

Having Jughead's fingers gently glide over the inside of her thigh at that moment was pretty much the only thing stopping her from losing herself in thought and wandering too deep into the night as she had been known to do on occasion. Around her waist, where her arms had been wrapped about herself, her hands were clenched into fists, making her seem more minor against the seat. Instead of digging into her hand, her fingernails sank into the soft cotton of her sweater. They hadn't been opened in months, and she was determined to keep them that way for the foreseeable future. Even though it was difficult under such circumstances.

The recollection of the hardwood flooring pressing uncomfortably against her knees as she bent down caused the blonde to shiver involuntarily; her hand gripping Jughead's hand so tightly that it shook; the memory of the blonde's involuntary shudder. Her mind could conjure up images of the breaking glass at Veronica's cabin, and the sound of the breaking glass could be heard again. Or the cacophony of voices that erupted in the living room, pleading with the four buddies to get to their knees.

Perhaps it wasn't the threats that had made her feel so threatened. Betty was reminded of the Black Hood, the serial murderer who had contacted her and frightened her for weeks as she looked at their faces, mostly obscured by black hockey masks to conceal most of their features. Even though the psychopath was no longer alive, she was still terrified. When her phone rang abruptly, she flinched, and her heart pounded against her chest as she answered; even though she knew it couldn't possibly be the Black Hood, she felt a pang of fear. The strangely cheerful music had become a source of constant fear for her, and she had to change her ringtone after a week. Alternatively, if the thought of what those men could have done to them didn't scare her, the idea of what they could have done to her brought her back to the night she'd helped her mother dispose of the body in her home, a night that still made her feel sick to her stomach when she thought about it.

It wasn't until the vehicle slammed into a pothole that Betty realized she'd been jolted out of her reverie. She screamed and clutched Jughead's wrist in terror, her hand grasping Jughead's wrist with instant fright. As she moved behind her boyfriend, her vision was blocked by unshed tears, and she couldn't see anything. However, she felt his hand as it left her calf, and his arm wrapped around her shoulders instead.

"Betty," Veronica and Archie were definitely listening in on the talk, so he kept his voice low against her temple so as not to disturb them. "Take a deep breath,"

As her palm grabbed his sweater, she realized how much she had been trembling, and her lips parted to take a deep breath as she handheld his shirt instead, creating a fist out of the cloth. It was difficult for her to totally snuggle herself into him since her seatbelt was making it difficult, so she lifted the top of it to slacken the belt, which enabled her to scoot closer to him as the tears finally began to pour.

"We'll be back in a little while," He was speaking into her hair as he kissed her on the top of her head, and his free hand went to replace the other on her thigh, softly running his fingers over the flesh once again, as he crushed his lips against hers. "We may come and stay at my place or at your place, whatever you like. I'm not going to leave you alone."