Author's Note: How much do yall hate me for leaving the fandom cold for a year? I'm back to my senses and I hope I'm not the only Lacey/Danny shipper around! I got my writers itch back and I'm ready to scratch it if there are still some believers out there! More action coming soon, I promise.

[LACEY POV]

"Look don't think too much into this, but I need your help." Lacey was having more than second thoughts meeting Danny at the tree house, but needed to ask him something. She flipped a loose strand behind her dark curls before staring sternly at Desai. She wished he wasn't so easy on the eyes. He'd always had that dark, mysterious look about him that always kept Lacey lusting though she'd never admit it. At least not anymore. "Well hello to you too." He replied back smirking stuffing his hands in his pocket inching closure to her. "What is this about, Lace?"

She shifted from either foot biting down on her lip. She wanted to be a jealous girlfriend and ask him about his sex tape with Jo, but that would mean she was 1. His girlfriend and 2. Jealous. Neither qualified (or so she'd tell herself) so she'd just skip that whole saga and move on to the next. "Do you think Mrs. Crane killed Regina?" Lace blurted out. Danny stared at her with confusion and if she was not mistaken, a bit of anger. "You blew me off at a party you invited me to, sent me an apologetic text to meet alone all so you can ask me if Regina's mother killed her daughter?" He had almost asked it completely nonchalantly. "Why Lace? Do you think it was me?" Lacey practically ran over to Danny as she put two comforting hands on his shoulder. "No of course not! Look I'm sorry Sarita was just telling me crazy things about how Phoebe could have done it and-"

"-and you wanted to know if I thought Phoebe murdered Regina because killers can just sense other killers out, right?" That wasn't exactly how Lacey was going to end that sentence, but she could tell just by the look on his face (and how he shoved off her hands) he was not pleased with anyway she could have ended it. She felt awful. She'd only been back three days and already she'd come to dead ends and jump to endless conclusions. Not to mention question Danny like a physic psycho because unlike the town, she couldn't move on from the past. She couldn't help but sigh. Its like all the steps forward she'd taken in the past year vanished as soon as she stepped back into Green Grove.

"Look I'm sorry. The past is in the past. I guess I just don't know where I stand in Green Grove, okay? When I left this place… well you know…" She whispered looking down as she tucked the same strand behind her ear. "The only thing that hasn't changed is Sarita getting me caught up in situations looking embarrassed and quite frankly, like an ass." Danny smirked before tilting Lacey's head back up towards him. She blushed which caused him to smile. "You are an ass. But I'll let it slide if you let me buy you a burger."

[JO POV]

"Where's Danny? He should be here right now!" Jo was more than annoyed and wasn't caring to hide it. Jo, Rico, and Danny had made it tradition that summer to meet at two at the diner in their favorite booth. "Chillax Jo." Rico joked trying to get Jo to talk about anything else but Desai. He loved his friend too however Jo's crush or obsession or whatever it was with him always made Rico feel left out and he'd never admit it, but jealous too. "Danny will be here and you know it." Jo sighed. She knew Rico was right and the fact that he was late wasn't really bothering her. It was what was making him late or rather who. "Fine. I'm just going to order the pie without him."

"Don't you even dare." A familiar voice echoed from behind Jo. She had to suppress herself from smiling looking behind her. It was easier to do when she looked right beside the voice and an arms folded, standoffish and yet sophisticated and gorgeous Lacey stood nervous and yet still intimidating. "Danny. Lacey." She'd acknowledged them both. Rico went for the more for the ramble route. "Hey how are you guys? Lacey, how was Staten Island? I heard it's full of beautiful people so I'm sure you fit right in. Not that you're beautiful people… um except you are beautiful and you're a person and I obviously ramble when I'm nervous sorry. Here." He'd ended moving over to the other side of the booth with Jo so Danny and Lacey could sit together. Jo couldn't hide her eye roll. She hadn't even been there for a week and Lacey could still bring a teenage boy to his anxious knees. What the hell was so great about her anyway? Jo wanted to think, but she couldn't because if she were being honest, she thought Lacey was pretty amazing too when she wasn't being such a bitch to her.

"So what brought you back here anyway?" Jo had casual asked scooting over to the booth's wall making room for Rico who was practically breathing down her neck. She looked over at a stale face Lace who tucked her fallen strands behind either ear. "I came back here..." Lacey waved around the diner before smirking at Danny. "… for the free burger." She then slid into the booth right across from Jo which made Jo feel rather uncomfortable, but she didn't want to stand down. "But if you mean why I came back to Green Grove… it's because it's home."

[LACEY POV]

Green Grove didn't feel like home three days ago when Lacey returned and sure as hell in this uncomfortable cramped booth didn't feel like home now, but she wouldn't give Jo the satisfaction of knowing it. Some time in between Jo's and Lacey's stare down, the guys got up to order food. Lacey sighed and pushing herself back putting her hands in her lap. What was Jo's problem anyway? She watched Jo twiddle her thumbs and rearrange the condiment station on the table. "Did you come back for Danny?"

"You just don't give up do you?" Lacey was more than amused now. She'd known Jo harbored a crush for Danny (hell even before Jo had admitted to Lacey though she played dumbfound). Now she wondered if Jo and Danny truly slept together after she had left. It would explain why Jo was marking her territory now with the questions. "But no Jo. You can dial the claws back. Like I said, I came back because it is my home.' Maybe if Lacey said it enough, she could actually start believing it herself.