My apologies on taking so long with this. When the urge to write This Side of Paradise hit, I had to start writing it and then I wanted to catch ouit up to where this story is. I also received a couple of reviews (on AO3) that wondered why I was rewriting the last chapter when they liked it. So I think I'll just leave it alone.

...

*Ten years ago*

"Mommy, can I go play on the swing?"

Joyce Price looked down at her nine-year-old daughter, who tugged on her shirt. Chloe was giving her the puppy dog eyes, which made her laugh. Joyce looked up at her husband, William. He smiled back at her and shrugged, looking at Chloe.

"Alright, but don't go anywhere else." Joyce said after a second.

Chloe grinned and let go of her mother's shirt, running off towards the swings. There was one left. Chloe loved the swings. She loved going as high as she could go and imagining that she was flying. She could reach out and pretend she was touching the sky. With her eyes closed, Chloe pretended she could see the whole world in her mind's eye from her own little swing. Her feet pounded against the chips of wood on the playground, and they were kicked up into the air at her determined speed.

Made it! she thought as her hand closed around the chain. Though out of breath, Chloe grinned victoriously.

She hopped up into the seat, smiling at the low creak of the metal taking her weight. Her toes just barely skimmed the ground and she swung her legs forward. The swing pulled with her and she kicked her legs back. She laughed at the way the wind made her hair brush against her face and in front of her eyes. Her toe scraped the ground with each swing forward and back. Her laughter grew.

Just as Chloe was about to let one of the chains go to reach for the sky, a third hand grabbed the chain and jerked it back. Chloe yelped as the swing came to an abrupt halt and her back slammed into something behind her. Her expression turned to anger and she turned her head to see who had the nerve to interrupt her fun. It was a boy. He had scraggly blonde hair and brown eyes that read he thought of himself as powerful. His face was a sneer and his other hand was in a fist at his side.

"Get up." he said.

"Who do you think you are?" Chloe said. Despite her heart starting to pound in her chest, she wasn't about to back down to some brat.

"Are you stupid?" the boy said. His sneer deepened. "I said get up."

"I was here first." Chloe said. "Wait your turn."

The boy growled under his breath and shook the chain slightly. "You have no idea who I am, or what you're messing around with!"

Chloe started to say something back, but she saw a flash of brown hair from behind the boy. Chloe leaned over in time to see a girl, the owner of thebrown hair, step in sight behind the boy.

"Leave her alone!"

The boy flinched and turned around to look at her. Even from where she was, Chloe could clearly see the fright but determination in the girl's blue eyes. The girl stepped forward and the boy let the swing go.

"What are you gonna do?" the boy taunted. "You're just a girl."

The girl frowned angrily. "She was there first, I saw her. You have to wait your turn."

Chloe's eyebrows raised in surprise. This girl watched her run to the swing? The boy walked up to the girl. He practically towered over her and Chloe saw her foot slip backwards. She was scared. The boy's hands were moving back and forth like he was debating whether or not to do something. Chloe took a deep breath and stood up from the swing. Her feet moved on their own accord, carrying her over to where they were. She stepped around so she was beside the girl and shoved the boy back.

"Back off." she said.

He stumbled back and his eyes went ablaze with anger. He looked between Chloe and the other girl, breathing heavily. "You're gonna regret this one day." he said. "Never mess with a Prescott."

The kid ran off and Chloe let her arms relax. She gave her attention to the girl, who's expression became one of relief. She looked up at Chloe, though there was only about and inch or so difference in height. "Thank you." she said.

"No problem. That was an epic win." Chloe grinned and held her hand out to the girl. "I'm Chloe. Chloe Price."

The girl looked at her hand for a second before taking it. She returned the smile. "Max Caulfield."

...

Okay, I'm sorry to cut this chapter soooo short, but I pretty much screwed myself over with this story when I tampered with the timelines. So I might have a bit of rewriting to do after all. So I'll give you this brief flashback scene until I get this all straightened out :) The struggles of being a writer, right? Sorry guys.

CaptainVampireQueen awaaay!