So this is a revised version of the original first chapter where I added in some of the back story which will be patched in here and there appropriately. I'm sorry for the huge delay in updating but school was crazy and my computer broke :(. But I'm going to try really hard to go back and fix the chapters so that they will make sense with the new ones that I wrote.

Happy reading :3

The girl was pretty. Her dirty blonde hair curled elegantly to frame her beautiful face with its eloquent features and her blue eyes shone with intelligence and curiosity. She had a pretty enough figure, but it was never visible underneath her baggy shirts and sweatpants that she had worn ever since the birth of her son, Hayden, four years ago.

Her name was Jeanie May Kempton. She had two kids, the oldest was Hayden and the second was named Bonnie Jean, both of which she loved dearly. After Hayden's birth when she was only thirteen, she quit school to become a fulltime mom and was planning to get married to the father of her baby. After a year had gone by she was more insistent than ever that they get married so their baby would have a permanent father. The guy freaked out and left her in the middle of the night, leaving her with a one year old and another pregnant belly.

The only person that stuck by her was her mother, Reilly Kempton. Her mother helped her learn how to care for the babies and once they were older helped to make some key decisions in the children's lives. She also provided her house to the small family of three so that the children would have somewhere to stay while their mommy and grandma worked so they might have a future eventually.

The oldest child, Hayden was blonde like his mother and had bright blue eyes to match his mother. He was intelligent, even at four, and seemed to understand that he needed to help take care of his little sister. He would play with her when she was lonely and make her laugh when she was sad. He had even learned how to heat up the bottles of formula that Bonnie still had to drink.

Bonnie Jean was nearly two years younger and was quiet and reserved. Her dark black hair fell in tiny little ringlets around her face, surprisingly long for such a young child, and her eyes were large and a pale grey color that didn't come from either of her parents, both of which gave her an air of innocence and translucency. Both of which were very accurate descriptions. If she felt sad, she cried. If she was happy, she smiled. If she was angry, she frowned and kept to herself and then eventually cried. Her emotions were as easy to read as a book.

Both of the children would sometimes stay at a neighbor's house during the day while their mom and grandma were working at a restaurant during the summer time to play with a nine year old boy name Nick Gautier. His mother was friends with their grandma from her night job. She forced him to watch them after school so their mother could go back to school and catch up on her classes.

On an afternoon when Hayden normally would have walked with his sister down several blocks to get to the Gautier's house, there was a shot that the neighbors either didn't hear or didn't want to hear that came from within the Kempton home. Little Bonnie ran out of the house and towards the Gautier's as fast as her little seven year old legs would take her.

Halfway there she saw Nick and ran up to him, tears in her eyes, and told him that something had happened in her house and that her mommy was hurt. He picked her up and sprinted the rest of the way home, arriving sweaty and panting.

"Mom!" he shouted, sounding almost as frightened as the little girl he had on his back. "Mom, Bonnie Kempton said something happened to her mom! We need to get over there!"

From a door came his mother in her nightgown and slippers, looking sleepy and alarmed. "What happened?" she asked in concerned confusion.

"I don't know but Bonnie said something happened to her mom at their house and she was running when she found me and crying like she is now and I don't know what to do," he said, pulling Bonnie down to face his mother. "Something's really wrong, Mom."

The little girl clutched tightly onto his shirt and kept crying, softly. It wasn't until Ms. Gautier pulled Bonnie to her that the poor little girl let out her real tears of fear, sobbing violently and shaking almost uncontrollably. "It's going to be okay Bonnie," she soothed. "Tell me what happened." Bonnie shook her head no and buried her face against Ms. Gautier's shoulder. "Please baby, you can tell me."

Her little head shook again and she sobbed harder. "No I can't."

"Try baby, try," Ms. Gautier encouraged.

After a long moment of hesitation, Bonnie took two steps back and looked Ms. Gautier in the eyes. "A man came in and killed Grandma and Mommy. I don't know where Hayden went. He wasn't anywhere after I came out of the cabinet."

Her skinny legs gave out from underneath her and Nick barely managed to catch her before her head hit the floor. "We have to get over there," he said, sadly.

"Nick, stop it," Bonnie giggled, trying to push him off of her. His hands slid over her and under her skirt to grab her thigh and pull her closer to him. He squeezed her knee and grinned at her as she giggled more and tried to squirm away from him. "Seriously, Nick. Just stay here with me."

He sighed and settled down behind her on the couch and cuddled her tightly. She relaxed into him and sighed in contentment. Her eyes were glued to the television as some monkey's climbed around in tall trees on the animal channel.

"Bonnie?"

"Hmm?"

"Could we do something different tonight?" he asked kissing her neck.

"Hmm."

"Are you listening to me?"

"What?" she asked, turning to look at him.

He sighed in exasperation. "I really want to try something else. Don't you?"

"I don't want to have sex with you Nick," she said flatly, turning back to the television.

"I didn't say anything about sex," he said, pressing his lips against her neck again. "You were the one thinking about it."

She shivered and scooted away from him a little. "I'm not going to."

"Why?" he asked, sitting up and crossing his arms in a pout.

She sat up next to him. "It just wouldn't be right if we did it now. Not to me anyway."

He looked up at the ceiling.

"I'm not going to change my mind."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"Still no."

"Pretty, pretty please?"

"N. O."

"Come on," he said, frustration starting to seep into his voice. "I've dated you and stayed faithful to you for five years as of tonight and you still don't trust me?"

"It's not about trust Nick. It's about me being ready. And I'm not yet."

He met her eyes and saw an uncharacteristic resolve present. "You've had five years to get ready. Two since it's become legal for us to be together. Come on, baby."

"That's not fair Nick. I was fifteen when we met. If you wanted a girl that was just going to let you in her pants when you wanted then I wasn't the right one," her face was set in a tense frown as she looked at him. He noticed her jaw was locked. He had not even once seen her angry before, even during similar conversations. "Besides, it's not like after it's been a couple years that you're entitled to sex. The opportunity has nothing to do with time limits."

"So what do I have to do?" he asked, bewildered.

She looked at him and opened her mouth just as Aurora materialized in front of them. "Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt anything?"

"No," Nick said, getting up abruptly and walking out the door.

It didn't escape Aurora that Bonnie's expression had softened and she seemed upset that he had left. "What's wrong with him?" she asked.

"Can't you just look through my past?" she asked, her eyes drooping giving her an exhausted and wilted look. "I don't want to have to explain it all."

Aurora frowned and walked over and took her friends hand. After a minute or so she released her hand and gave her a pitying look. "What happened?"

"I don't know," she mumbled, trying not to cry at the thought that he was so angry with her. "I'm scared of it. Of doing that with him. It's scary."

"Why? He wouldn't ever hurt you Bonnie. He would be careful with you."

"It's not that. It's . . . I don't know," she said wilting completely and shuddering back a sob. "He's so angry with me . . ."

"It'll be okay. He'll come back tomorrow and everything will be okay," Aurora told her comfortingly.

Bonnie wiped her eyes and sniffed back her emotions. "Yeah. I'm sure you're right," she replied, her voice sounding stronger and hopeful.

She had never felt more defeated and weak.

"I said no," Bonnie whined, crossing her arms and shaking her head for more emphasis.

"Please? You need to get out and get over this. You gotta leave him behind and move on. There's nothing you can do about it."

Bonnie shook her head and frowned. "It's not that. I swear. I just don't like shopping."

The blonde headed girl slumped on the couch next to her friend. "Bonnie, I know when you're lying," she said, flatly. "Just come with me. You'll feel better if you get this off your mind even just once."

Bonnie sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. "Alright. I guess I'll go."

And she regretted it every step of the way.

She was dragged to the mall first and was shoved and trampled by the crowd. Then they went to visit Sunshine at her stand and bought a plate that neither of them needed. And was then forced into Tabitha's shop and was purposefully frightened the entire time.

As they neared Brides shop, she was fully prepared for the worst and completely exhausted.

"It'll be fun, I promise," Aurora said encouragingly. "Besides, you've made it this far anyway so why not finish it out?"

Bonnie snorted. She disagreed. There was a nice little thing that she called, quitting while you were ahead.

The door dinged announcing their entrance and Bride looked up as a broad smile curved her lips. "Aurora, Bonnie! How have you both been?" she asked cheerily.

"We're on a cheer up mission," Aurora said, patting Bonnie's shoulder to indicate that she was the one in need of cheering. "Shopping has never failed to heal the heart of a woman."

Bride smiled sympathetically. Most people knew what cause she had to be dreary and depressed. Bonnie smiled as cheerily as she could after a full day of shopping and managed to shrug nonchalantly. "I keep trying to tell her that I'm fine, but she insists on taking me out to 'cheer' me up," she said, putting air quotes around 'cheer.' "I think she just wants any excuse to force me into shopping with her so I can carry all her bags." Bonnie held up the two enormous handfuls of bags and shifted to show that she was carrying several smaller bags in a shoulder bag. Bride laughed shook her head as the bags disappeared suddenly from Bonnie's hands.

"What bags?" Aurora asked, doing a surprisingly convincing acting job considering they had all just seen the product of their all day shopping trip. "And if there were bags, at least half of them would have been Bonnie's."

"Oh, yeah right!" Bonnie said playfully. "I bought one necklace and a pair of shoes. You bought enough to open your own shop."

Aurora shrugged. "You also bought a pair of jeans and a purse with a matching wallet."

"Ooooooo, so much," Bonnie said sarcastically as they turned down an aisle.

A blonde head shot up in the air and backed away. "Sorry," the guy that wore the hair mumbled.

Bonnie glanced over at him. Immediately she turned back to him and began a thorough inspection. He was tall and tan and blonde and was sheepishly smiling under her scrutinizing gaze. His piercing blue eyes meet hers and were alight with fascinated curiosity. He looked her over quickly and then returned to her eyes and held her transfixed with their innocence and cool, clear blue color. His smile widened when she mumbled her own apology to him as she passed.

She could hear him sniff the air as she walked by and thought she might have heard a faint growl. As they were turning the corner to look at the items on the end of the aisle Bonnie couldn't help but steal another glance at the blonde, only to find he hadn't stopped watching her. Her face burned bright red and she bashfully looked away. She picked up a necklace and examined it, trying hard to keep herself from peeking around at the gorgeous man that was probably still straightening things in that aisle.

She was setting the necklace down so she could try to sneak a look at him, when two large hands appeared under hers and lifted the shining jewelry from her hands. "It compliments your lovely skin tone," someone murmured huskily from behind her. She could feel the warmth from their body seeping through her thin tank top as they pressed closer to her, almost touching her.

"Keegan," Aurora sighed, the boredom very clear in her voice. "You're going to scare her."

Bonnie finally broke her shock and tried to move away, only to trip over his shoe and fall backwards into him. His arms closed around her and she was pressed completely flat against his warm firm body. She gasped and gripped his arms tightly in surprise.

Suddenly, she was flipped around and again pressed tightly against him. "Did I frighten you?" he asked softly, his eyes twinkling with curiosity and a seemingly perpetual happiness.

Bonnie stood, or rather continued to let Keegan hold her up, and stared purposefully away from his face and at his mouth. "You just startled me, that's all," she answered breathlessly. She shifted her hands slightly so they weren't cupped over his muscular pectorals. When he leaned down to smell her hair again, she shivered and turned away. Her face was red with embarrassment.

When he saw he released her and stepped back, looking sheepishly over at Aurora and Bride who had been silently observing the whole spectacle. He grinned at Bonnie and held his hand out. "I'm Keegan."

With a soft, adorably giggly laugh, Bonnie took it and shook his hand. "I know."

Keegan looked confused. "When humans shake hands aren't they supposed to tell each other their names?"

Bride tried to step forward to remove him but Aurora held her back, interested in how it all would play out. Bonnie giggled. "Yes, I guess you are," she answered, holding her hand out for him to take. "I'm Bonnie Jean."

"Nice to meet you," Keegan said giving her hand a gentle squeeze and then pulling her against him again. "You smell beautiful."

"Down boy," said a voice from behind them. "The poor girl doesn't realize you're trying to seduce her." He walked up and drug Keegan away by the collar of his shirt. "I don't even think you really know what you're trying to do."

"Be gentle with him, Vane. He's just baby," Bride told him.

Aurora laughed and walked with the rest of them up to the front counter. They got started talking about why some mother's eat their young and Bonnie wandered away to the back of the store. She wandered into the dressing room and looked at an elegant blouse and a necklace with beautiful jade green stones like the ones in the necklace back in the lobby. She heard the door creak ever so slightly and she whirled around only to land in Keegan's arms again.

"Hi," he whispered, a broad smile over his face. She blushed and was instantly aware of their bodies being pressed completely together.

She let out a nervous laugh and looked away with embarrassment. "Hello," she whispered back. He shifted slightly and something hard and much warmer than the rest of him pressed again her hip. "Oh my god," she murmured, feeling her face get even hotter.

He actually pulled back slightly and thrust back against her, sighing softly and holding her closer. "Could I have you? Please?" he added, remembering his manners.

She stiffened. "What?" she breathed.

"Please?" he asked softly, letting his lips brush over her forehead. His hands cupped her face and tilted it so she was looking up at him. "Wow. . . You are so beautiful." He leaned down and kissed her, not like the goofy pup he was, but the man that everyone hoped was in there somewhere. He moved his hand down to press their hips together more firmly and let the thumb on the other caress her cheek.

"Wha. . ." she murmured once they had parted, leaning against him and closing her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Can I have you?" he asked, rubbing his obvious erection against hip for emphasis.

"Um. . ." she whispered, her face burning. She had never felt so confused in her entire life with what her body was screaming for and what her mind was screaming against.

"Keegan, leave her alone," Vane growled from the doorway. He grabbed Keegan by the back of his shirt and hauled him away. "Damn hormonal pup."

Aurora laughed, appearing suddenly in the threshold. "Poor baby. Come on, let's go buy stuff."