Disclaimer: I don't own Harper's Island. If I did I'd own half the cast...haha.

So I'm really unsure about Jimmy now. I really hope he's not in league with Wakefield, that would so suck. Anyways, this takes place about a year before the murders.

The smell of coffee and bacon woke Abby Mills from her nine hour sleep. The sunlight was filling her room. She let her eyes adjust just by lying in bed while she listened to plates clink against each other. Abby finally got out of bed, and changed into a shirt and shorts.

"Abby, are you awake?" called her mom.

"Yeah, I'm coming." Abby walked to the kitchen where her mom was making scrambled eggs. "Good morning! Is dad here?"

Sarah Mills shook her head. "He's at the office."

Abby grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down. The bacon and eggs were finally ready and her mom scooped them on to the two plates. She handed Abby her plate.

"I don't know why dad's always at the office."

"He's the sheriff and a very busy man, Abby. Please try to understand."

"Nothing happens on the island."

"Because of your father, too. He's very good at what he does." Abby rolled her eyes.

"Dad's hardly ever around though. Can't his deputy take over? It's not like he's got a family." Abby said.

"I'm not going to have this discussion. Finish your breakfast." Sarah sternly told her. Abby only picked at her food.

"I'm going to hang out with Nikki later, maybe even Henry and Trish."

Sarah looked up from her food. She was surprised. "The Wellingtons are here? When did they get back?"

"The other day."

"Oh, well have fun."

Abby watched as her mother grabbed her plate, headed to the sink and cleaned the plate before walking into another room. She sighed. It was hard to talk to her mother about things. Sarah hardly ever agreed with her, she always wanted to argue with Abby.

The teenager finished eating and followed in her mother's footsteps when she went to clean her dish. She shouted, "Guess I'm going out now!"

"Okay!"

Abby closed the door and smiled. It was a sunny day, and the weather was warm. The air felt so good to her.

She met Nikki at her house, about seven minutes away from her own.

"Hey, girl!" Nikki greeted her friend. "Are we going down to the Harbor?"

Abby shrugged. "Sure. Henry's working now so I'm sure Princess will be around."

"What about J.D?" They started walking on the path. Most of the houses were out in the woods, and since neither of them had their driver's licenses they were forced to walk everywhere when they went out.

Abby wrinkled her nose. J.D was a nice guy, and she talked to him. Just he wasn't Henry. "What about him?"

"Is he gonna' be there?"

"I don't know. I don't keep tabs on him."

"Yet you keep tabs on Henry." Nikki prodded.

Abby stopped walking, but Nikki continued to. "Henry's my best friend."

"Uh huh. Have you ever wanted to be with him?"

"No. I mean even if I did he has that whole thing with Princess. It'd never work out." Abby finally started walking again.

Nikki laughed. "Does he know you call her that?"

"No, and he's not going to find out. Got it?" Abby asked.

"Got it." The brunette smiled when her friend agreed. "If not Henry then who has caught your eye?"

Nikki smirked as she waited for the answer.

"Jimmy."

"Jimmy Mance? Oh my gosh!"

"Yeah. Why is that shocking?"

"I just…never mind. I never thought you would like him."

"Nikki, we're not going to have this conversation." Abby grimaced. She sounded like her mother. "Forget I just said that."

"I only thought I'd be the one to get with him, if either one of us was too."

Abby frowned, "Do you like him?"

"I won't go after him." Nikki then amended, "Only if you do."

"I like him don't I?'

"I know you Abby. You're a bit submissive."

"I am not!" She denied it. She wasn't, was she?

"Well no you aren't all the time. When it comes to things like this and things with your dad you are. I swear one day you're going to get into a fight with him, and nothing good will come from it." Nikki's eyes twinkled with delight as she watched Abby react.

Nikki's words hit her hard. Did everyone think that she was meek?

"Nikki, I need to go. I'll catch up with you later." She ran away from her friend. Nikki amusingly shook her head. Her plan had worked.

Abby tried to remember where Jimmy would be. She could try his home, but wouldn't he be out? It was summer after all. She decided to go anyways, and even if he wasn't she could ask his parents.

The Mance's lived in town so Abby didn't have to walk all that far. She knocked on the screen door. The door opened revealing a gruff looking man.

"Hi, is Jimmy here?"

The man turned and yelled, "Jimmy! A girl's here!"

Abby heard a woman's voice say, "I'll go get him."

The man turned back to her. He looked past her. "It's warm out. Not normal. Maybe those hippies are right about global warming." Mr. Mance then turned his attention to Abby. "You friends with my boy?"

Abby nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good. He could use some friends."

"Hey Abby." Jimmy came and pushed past his dad. "I guess I'm going out."

Mr. Mance grunted, "Alright."

After he had shut the door Jimmy said to Abby, "Sorry, about him."

"It's okay. So, I was hanging out with Nikki, and thought I'd come to see you."

"Well, I'm glad you came. I had to get out of the house."

Abby nodded. She understood. "Why weren't you already?"

Jimmy shrugged. "I don't know. I am now, though. Did you want to talk about me about anything?"

They were walking to nowhere particular. The road's gravel crunched underneath their feet.

Abby took a deep breath. This is it, she told herself. Now or never.

"It's sunny out. You know I like the sun. One day I'd like to live somewhere where it's sunny all the time. Somewhere like California." She rambled.

"You came to tell me that?" Jimmy asked confused. He studied her. She seemed nervous and was examining her short fingernails.

"Well no." Abby started again. "Do you think I'm submissive?"

"No. Should I?"

"Nikki said that I can be."

"Why'd she say that?"

Abby bit her lip, and looked at him. He was cute, she wouldn't admit it but she liked to count the colors in his eyes. There were four, as far as she knew. She loved how when he laughed, really laughed at something it made her feel so good inside.

"Abby?" Jimmy asked. "Did you forget your medication today?"

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny."

"No really. Why'd she say that?"

"Because she thought I wouldn't do this." She leaned closer to him and kissed him. Abby was going to pull away when Jimmy began to kiss back. He cupped her face, and she put a hand in his hair slightly tugging at it. He pulled away a moment later. "Sorry, probably shouldn't have done that."

"No, I liked it. I wouldn't mind doing it again." Jimmy grinned.

"So, what do you say? Want to be my boyfriend?" Abby asked.

"Somewhere between our long talks and stupid jokes that aren't even funny, I fell for you, Abby Mills."

Abby stared at him. Nikki would never believe any of this. She noticed that Jimmy was grinning at her, and in that moment she decided she didn't care that Nikki thought she was submissive.

"Do you want to go hang out with Henry?" Jimmy asked her.

"I told Nikki I'd meet back up with her."

"Well then let's find her."

Abby told him that Nikki was probably going to be with J.D or Henry. They went to the local ice cream parlor, where their friends liked to hang out.

Nikki, J.D, Henry, and Trish were sitting at a booth. Nikki waved at Abby. The two newcomers to the group pulled up chairs.

"Hey!" Trish greeted.

"You two have fun?" Nikki asked. She winked at Abby.

Abby looked at Jimmy who was laughing at something Henry said. She couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, yeah we did."