Author's Note: Hey guys! I know, I know, I know - It's be a while! A loongg while. But I'm back! I'm so sorry that I kept everyone waiting for four years, but I randomly recovered my muse for this story and decided I wanted to write it again, so here I am! Shockingly, I remember each and everything I wanted to do with the story, which means it'll go in the same direction it was suppose to go in back in 2013. But, since it's been a while I have to get back into the swing of things! I just hope I've done this chapter some justice. If not, tell me! I also hope there are still Jaxxett fans out there because I think if my muse stays intact that this could be a pretty decent fic. So as always - read, review, and share!

A little disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters! No copyright infringement is intended.

It had been five days since Bonnie arrived in Charming, and even though there were moments that she continued to question why she had chosen to return home, rather than a remote location that her psychotic ex would never think to look for her, she was somewhat happy with her decision.

Since she arrived, she spent every waking moment at Caroline and Opie's house in an attempt for her and Caroline to make up for lost times.

As they shared laughs, tears, and stories of the last decade of their lives, Bonnie began to wonder why it was that she deprived herself of this bond. Of course, while living in Virginia and Chicago she had the opportunity to make a decent number of friends - people that she'd never forget and would always be grateful for meeting - but with Caroline, it was different.

It had been over ten years since the girls last saw and spoke to one another, though in spite of that, it felt as if it were just yesterday. It made Bonnie feel at peace. At home. And since her departure from Chicago, that's all she wanted. But being that this was Charming, she knew that that wouldn't last.

However, that wouldn't stop her from enjoying it.

As she sat on Caroline's couch, her youngest; Elizabeth, giggled as she attempted to climb onto Bonnie's lap.

"Ohhh, you're getting big. I've only been here for a few days, and already you're more of a big girl that you were when I got here." Bonnie said, pretending to struggle as she helped the five-year-old successfully climb on her lap. "You know why though?" Elizabeth, the cutest little girl Bonnie was convinced she had ever seen, smiled before shaking her head and putting her index finger and middle finger into her mouth.

To which, Bonnie replied, "Magic."

Without a word, and the tiniest of smiles, Elizabeth laid her head onto Bonnie's shoulder. As her dirty blonde hair tickled Bonnie's neck, she glanced down at the little one and smiled at how much she looked like both Opie and Caroline combined. It were as if they both spit her out as their features displayed themselves perfectly on the little one's face.

She had Caroline's eyes and nose. Opie's lips, ears, smile, and hair.

That showed Bonnie that even good things could come out of living in Charming; their marriage, children, and home being a very good example of that.

Gently rocking Elizabeth back and forth now, Bonnie sat back slightly to make sure they were both comfortable before Caroline walked into the living room.

"There you are," she said before walking toward the two of them and reaching out toward her youngest. "Come on, let Aunt Bonnie relax."

Shaking her head, Bonnie silently mouthing the words "It's okay". Though, even if it weren't, Elizabeth didn't move an inch. Their mini me appeared to be far too comfortable, which left a smile on both Bonnie and Caroline's face before Caroline shook her head, lowered her arms, and walked toward the kitchen.

"You better enjoy it while you can! Because you'll have to listen to mommy again when Auntie leaves."

As she spoke loudly from the kitchen, her voice traveling well enough to enter into the other room, Bonnie frowned.

Of course, she was aware that Caroline meant leaving to return to her parents' home, but once the words left her lips, she couldn't help but feel as if it meant something else. When Caroline realized it and understood that it could leave a sore spot if taken the wrong way - which it easily could have been - she walked back into the living room.

"Dammit, Bon. I didn't mean it like that."

"I know." her frown loosened into a smile. "It's okay. Even if you did mean it like that." Bonnie paused and looked down to Elizabeth. "Either way, neither of you have to worry about that. I promise I'm not leaving again." It was quite bold of her to say so early in her return, but in that moment, Bonnie was convinced she wouldn't leave. Especially if that meant leaving Caroline behind again.

"Sure..." Caroline rolled her eyes playfully before retracing her steps back into the kitchen.

"I'm serious!" Bonnie said as her smile grew wider.

When Caroline replied with a simple "Whatever you say!" Bonnie settled back into her seat and glanced to the cartoons dancing across the television screen. As she and Elizabeth enjoyed the sound of SpongeBob and Sandy, she had forgotten all about her reason for coming back to Charming.

Which made her wonder; was this what peace felt like?

Standing in the kitchen making lunch for her children, Caroline nearly jumped from her skin as Opie grabbed her from behind with a bit gentle roughness. "Jesus!" she shouted - loud enough to be heard in her general area, though low enough that no one outside the kitchen could hear - as her bearded 6'4 husband wrapped his arms around her. Connecting his fingers at her stomach, Caroline glanced up at him, a glimpse of annoyance in her eyes. "You scared me!"

"I meant to," he said before grinning, unaware of the stiffened muscles that rested beneath his touch until the breath she held released itself from her lungs.

When she looked away with a calmer stance and more relaxed shoulders, Caroline continued cutting strawberries on the cutting board before Opie lowered himself slightly and pressed his cheek against hers. "Is Bonnie still here?"

"Yeah, she's in-." Before she could continue, her attention was immediately drawn to the reason he was asking. "Jax... hey."

"Hey, Caroline," he said with a slight upward nod.

No. No. They did not need this right now!

Turning around and pulling herself from Opie's grasp, she looked at her husband with a signature "What the fuck" look before glancing over to Jax.

Now she understood why he came through the back door, rather than the front.

"What are you doing?" She quietly questioned her husband with a half smile.

"I'm not doing nothin'... Jax and me just need to talk about some things and I wanted to make sure we could do that here." He spoke loud enough for Jax to hear.

"Why couldn't you talk at the clubhouse?" She knew why. But leaving it up to him, the boys would just make up an excuse to give Jax what he obviously wanted; a chance to finally talk to and see Bonnie.

Since she arrived, Caroline's friend had been avoiding him. And she understood why.

Jax was married to Katherine now and as much as she knew Bonnie wanted to see him, she understood that it was hard to. So, when Bonnie confirmed it by telling Caroline, Caroline made it clear to Opie to not get involved.

And yet...

"Listen, Jax..." She lowered her tone in hopes of Bonnie not hearing her. "I love you, but you cannot be here right now." As her features softened, she attempted to silently plea with him to leave.

Her children were here. And as much as she understood that they needed to talk, the last thing Caroline wanted was for it to happen when her children were present. Especially when she was sure they'd ask questions. Hoping he'd understand, she looked at him with hopeful yet unsure eyes.

He stood there for so long.

Unmoving.

Tense.

It felt as if he decided to listen.

Though as his shoulders lowered - appearing to have released the built-up tension they harbored - Jax inhaled deeply, removed his hands from his pockets, and ignored her plea as he walked toward the living room.

"Ja-!" Shit. She was too late. Irritated, Caroline looked at Opie.

"It's not our business." He said, before grabbing one of the strawberries from the container and walking back toward the backyard.

"Oh, now it isn't our business!? The nerve of him!" Caroline thought while standing there dumbfounded.

The control freak within her scrabbled about as she remained unaware of what to do.

When Caroline walked into the kitchen and stayed, the duo became a trio as Harrison Jr, Caroline's eight-year-old dark-haired doppelgänger, sat beside Bonnie's legs with his back against the couch. As they enjoyed SpongeBob, Bonnie began to wonder if she should help Caroline out in the kitchen.

Since she arrived, aside from home and the hospital; making sure her residency at St. Thomas was a go for Monday, this was the only place Bonnie had been. Leaving at night, returning during the day - it had become a routine. And despite Caroline not minding - she didn't know or care too much about how Opie felt - Bonnie couldn't help but feel as if she were overstaying her welcome.

So, lending a hand was the least she could do.

However, before she could even muster up enough strength to place Elizabeth beside her, her stomach sank, and her eyes widened as the manlier version of the boy she once knew stood right in front of her.

"What the fuck. What the fuck. What. The. Fuck!" She thought to herself, as she frantically scrambled within her thoughts on what to do.

Drop the baby and run?

Gently put the baby down and run?

Or run with the baby?

As she decided to go with the modified number two option; sit Elizabeth down beside her before standing up to leave, Harrison stood up quickly and ran over to Jax.

"Uncle Jax!" He shouted before hugging him

"Hey, little man."

Fuck. Even his voice had gotten sexier.

Wrapping one arm around his godson as he hugged him from the side, Jax appeared distracted and withdrawn as the hug continued. When he realized it, however, he forced his eyes to tear away from Bonnie; breaking their somewhat hypnotizing stare down that housed so many unspoken and unforgotten words, feelings, and desires.

"What's going on? What are you guys watching?" As Jr went on to tell him, all while making fun of his little sister for liking baby cartoon's like SpongeBob, Caroline walked into the living room.

As the girls locked eyes to the sound of her talkative son distracting Jax, Caroline eyed the word sorry to Bonnie before watching her stand to leave.

Bonnie didn't want to seem rude or cause the children to wonder why she left the way that she did, so before she could, she grabbed her cellphone from the coffee table.

"I'm so sorry, Caroline. Mary just texted me, so I've to go... I'll call you later?"

Before Caroline could respond, Bonnie swiftly headed toward the door.

"Bonnie!" Ripped from the conversation with Harrison by her departure, Jax pulled himself from Jr and followed after her, allowing the door to unintentionally slam behind him.

Rushing to her car and attempting to get inside before he could come after her, Bonnie inhaled deeply. She wanted to talk to him. Eventually. But now? She wasn't ready.

Yet, that meant nothing as he grabbed her gently by the arm before she could open her car door.

"Let go of me!" What an overreaction, she thought.

Holding his hands up instantly and stepping backward, the look of submission appeared on his face.

"I just want to talk. That's all."

"Well, I don't." She lied, her back toward him with her head turned slightly in his direction.

"Yeah?" He paused, his hands lowered before casually resting in the pocket of his jeans. There was pride in his stance. "Is that why you've been staying over my best friend's house? Because you don't want to talk?"

She knew what he was implying. Jax knew what he was implying. However, being right - to him - was a long shot.

But when Opie told him about how much time she was spending here, it was hard for him to not think otherwise.

And even though the both of them knew that he could have been very right. Bonnie realized that could also be very very wrong.

But which was it?

As she stood there unsure, and unresponsive, Jackson's eyes fell from her hair, to the bareness of her neck, to the curve of her ass, and back again, before the tickle at his fingers egged him to reach out to her.

She was back. And even though her arrival implied chaos between him and Katherine - him and Gemma, Jax wanted to give in. But he wouldn't despite feeling that he were playing with a fire that he'd gladly allow to burn him alive.

Though, would she allow it?

"I'm not ready, Jackson," she said finally.

Since Bonnie's departure, Gemma was the only one that he allowed to call him that. Not even Katherine was allowed. Though now that she was back, it felt good hearing it come from someone else's lips; her lips.

So much so that it softened him up.

I'm not ready, she said. Which wasn't a never, but rather, a not right now. Feeling relieved, Jackson was left to say, "Well, you know where to find me when you are."

Bonnie exhaled.

Without saying a word, she got into her car and drove away. However not before dings from her phone alerted her of a few incoming text messages.

TEXT MESSAGE.

CAROLINE: I'm so fucking sorry, Bonnie!

CAROLINE: I didn't know Opie would do that! He didn't tell me he was coming over!

CAROLINE: Ugh! I'm so mad that he did that.

CAROLINE: Please don't be mad at me. I love you. Text me back to let me know you're okay.

Stepping into her parents' home, Bonnie glanced over the texts Caroline sent before rolling her eyes.

She wasn't angry at Caroline. She was angry at the situation.

Bonnie had been in Charming for almost six days, and from day one, she spent most of her time at her friend's home with the hope of catching up... or that's what she told herself.

Yet, why did she feel that Jax was right?

She loved Caroline. Loved seeing her, talking to her, and making up for each lost moment.

However, as soon as she saw that she and Opie were together now, something inside her clicked. Though, she wasn't sure what that something was until now. Because as much as she loved being there and spending time with her newly adopted niece and nephew, it became evident that her true reason for her going there so much was to run into Jackson.

But now that she had, with nothing to show for it, made her angry.

Why did she have to leave? Why couldn't she simply give him what he... she... wanted?

Bonnie didn't know. But before she could find out, Mary walked toward her through the foyer.

"See, I told you she'd be here soon.," Mary said.

Unaware of who Mary was speaking to, Bonnie glanced up from her phone before seeing April.

Didn't she just leave her back in Chicago?

"April...what..." She looked at them both with a confused tint to her eyes. "What the heck are you doing here?" And where the hell are the movers? Bonnie thought to herself before looking between them both.

"You didn't get my texts?"

Text? What te- as she looked down to her phone, Bonnie went into her messages only to find a muted message box belonging to April.

Twenty missed texts, all detailing her plan of driving Bonnie's stuff to Charming after firing the creepy movers she had suggested Bonnie to hire.

"I'm just seeing these now..."

Back in Chicago, Bonnie and April had a falling out a week or so before her departure, which prompted Bonnie to silence her texts. Thinking she had removed the command, Bonnie assumed April simply had things so under control that she didn't need to give Bonnie the rundown of what was happening with her things. And, with being so consumed with Charming, Bonnie didn't think to check in.

But now, she thought that maybe she should have. If only to have avoided this moment.

"What happened to the movers?" Bonnie questioned as Mary silently excused herself from this situation. "I hired them because you said you couldn't do it..."

"Yeah... I couldn't... but then some things happened at the hospital and I realized I needed a vacation, so, here I am.

"What happened?" Still confused, the tension in Bonnie's eyebrows would remain before she realized she no longer felt the urge to discuss it. She had so much on her mind- that this- right now, was not something she felt up to dealing with.

Appearing defeated, she'd wave the minor white flag before saying,"Nevermind. You don't have to tell me... just... thank you for bringing my stuff down. I'm glad you're here."

And she was glad. Because now, there was a distraction.

"So where is everything?" As she looked around, expecting to see her things scattered around in boxes, Bonnie raised an eyebrow.

"Out in the truck."

Being so consumed with her thoughts when she arrived, Bonnie hadn't noticed the truck parked outside of her parents' home until looking out the window and seeing it directly in front of her car.

That alone proved that this was all so much. In such a short amount of time. And it was only 12:30pm!

As the girls moved in box after box, filling up the little space in the foyer beside the stairs, Bonnie exhaled.

"I didn't realize I had so much stuff."

"Yeah, that's how me and Jeremy felt when we were moving it. It felt never-ending."

And for that, Bonnie was grateful that they did it.

"Hey, I'm sorry about earlier. I was a little out of it." Bonnie put down one of the last boxes directly beside the stairs before looking at April. "There was just a lot going on. But I really am glad that you're here... and I appreciate you bringing my things down for me."

"It's okay. Don't worry about it." As April's shoulders lifted then fell, she went on. "I did this for you as much as for me. I told you. I needed a vacation." She smiled, though Bonnie wasn't sure this was the type of place one would want to be when they needed a vacation. Especially with how dangerous it could be.

But, if this was her idea of a vacation, then that would mean...

"So, let's put these boxes up so you can show me where you're from! I'm ready to have a good time!"

Fuck. Bonnie knew that was coming.

"I'm really tired, Ape."

"Then take a nap! There's always later tonight."

She was so sure that that would have worked, but when it hadn't, Bonnie sighed.

"There's literally no place for us to have a good time here. There are no dance clubs. Not like the one's in Chicago. There's only bars with rednecks and bikers, and I really don't want to deal with that right now."

April sighed. "Excuse me if I'm wrong, but the last time you were here, you were like eighteen... So, don't you think it's probably changed a little bit since then?"

She was right. It probably had changed. But did Bonnie really care to find out how much?

"Come on, Bonnie. I mean, this place is called Charming for Pete's sake... so show me the charm!"

Irritated though defeated, Bonnie felt her attempts to sway April to stay inside would be useless, which made her give in. As her body language screamed that April would get her way, Bonnie pulled her phone from the back of her pocket.

"I'll be back." she said, before leaving a smiling April in her wake.

TEXT MESSAGE.

BONNIE: Hey, it's okay. I'm fine.

BONNIE: It's kind of fucked up that they did that, but I promise I'm okay.

BONNIE: And I'm not mad are you, Care. I could never be mad at you over this.

CAROLINE: Are you sure? Because I'm about to say something that might make you change your mind...

BONNIE: ?

CAROLINE: You should really talk to him. To Jax.

CAROLINE: It's not fair that you're here in Charming and completely ignoring him!

BONNIE: I'm not ready, Care...

CAROLINE: I know.. he told me you said that..

BONNIE: You talked to him about it?

CAROLINE: Of course I did! He's my friend too, Bonnie!

BONNIE: I know that.. I just...

CAROLINE: He really wants to talk to you. And I think you guys should. Yeah, I know he's with Katherine now, but it's just talking! You both deserve that. If only for closure.

BONNIE: I guess...

CAROLINE: Look, there's a BBQ tonight at the clubhouse. You should come.

BONNIE: I don't know if that's a good idea.

CAROLINE: Bonnie...

CAROLINE: Please?

BONNIE: I'm not ready to be around all of that right now, Caroline...

CAROLINE: Don't make me go alone.

CAROLINE: I never go to these things. But Opie really wants me there, and I really want YOU there. It'll make us easier for us both. We'll be like... each other's support. Lol! So, please?

BONNIE: Fine. Ok. I'll come.

BONNIE: But I'm bringing a friend.

Bonnie texted Caroline in hopes of talking her into getting drinks her and April, and yet, she was somehow convinced into re-entering the lions den.

As she stood there, looking at her phone with the hopes of getting the courage to tell Caroline she's changed her mind, Bonnie felt as if she was the same selfless pushover that she once was.

Back in high school, despite her fire and will to stand up for herself and her friends, she was often forced into doing things she didn't want to do with the hope of not disappointing those closes to her. When she moved however, she told herself that all of that had changed... and it had. Yet, why did it feel as if it were coming back?

Not understanding why she simply couldn't text Caroline back and tell her she's changed her mind, Bonnie bit her bottom lip nervously. As she held the top of her phone with her right hand and gently though subconsciously hit it against her fingers on her left hand, she shook her head.

This was a bad idea. Because not only was she sure Katherine would be there, but so would Gemma.

Gemma.

Fuck.

Fuck. Gemma.

That was the last person she wanted to see.

With Katherine, she could handle her if need be.. But Gemma? There was no way in hell. Not now. Or ever, for that matter.

"Hey!"

Startled, April mistakenly ripped Bonnie from her thoughts before apologizing.

"Shoot, I'm sorry! I just wanted to know if you wanted to keep the boxes where they were, or if I should put them in your bedroom or something...?"

"Oh..." Bonnie turned to her. "No. it's fine. They can stay there. I won't be here for much longer. I'm going to go look for a place next week."

"Okie doke!" April paused before leading the two of them in a more expected direction. "Sooo, where are we going tonight!?"

Hell.

Author's Note: And that's the chapter! I tried my hardest to give you guys an amazing chapter, so let me know what you think! xo