Dance with the Devil

Summary: Set after series finale. As the girls head to New York City for a 2-year reunion trip, Jo Polniaczek-Bonner finds herself wrapped up in the gang she abruptly left upon being accept into Eastland and moving to Peekskill. While trying to keep her friends safe and out of harm's way, Jo is stretched to the limit -her marriage following suit- as she finds herself dancing with her inner demons.

.: I :.

Jo Polniaczek-Bonner grumbled in annoyance as a bundle of silverware she had recently finished washing and drying fell back into the sink, stewing the soapy water. Exhaling sharply through her nose, she continued to wash the dish in her hands, ignoring the water that was seeping into the orange gloves she was wearing. She glanced out the window into her spacious backyard. She smiled gently at the greenery, the colorful blend of flowers lining the patio, and then small koi pond off to the right of the patio.

A couple with a young child entered her field of vision as they walked along the path a bit beyond her backyard. The little boy was skipping happily along the dirt road, waving a long stick around in the air. He paused when he spotted Jo at the window, smiling brightly and waving. Before Jo could move, the mother spotted her and frowned. The father rushed forward and picked his son up before scurrying down the path and out of sight, his wife behind him.

Jo clicked her tongue, reaching up and roughly pulling the curtains closed. She finished washing the dishes, placing them in the drying rack in the sink on the left, before pulling the plug and letting the water drain out as she peeled off the orange gloves and placed them along the edge of the sink, allowing them to drip dry.

Grabbing a pair of work gloves, she slipped them into her pocket before taking a water can and filling it up in the sink. Jo made herself a sandwich as she waited for the container to fill up. Upon finishing her food, she turned the water off and headed towards the front of the house. Opening the front door, and pushing on the screen, she stepped outside and made her way towards the mailbox.

A neighbor was out in their yard, watering the plants with a hose. The minute he spotted Jo, he smiled gently, waving. Jo nodded her head in his direction as she reached her mailbox. Finding it empty, she stuffed her hands into her pockets, making her way back to the house.

"How are you doing today?" the neighbor called out. Jo paused and turned to face him. "You know, I've been your husband's neighbor for years, and I've never seen him this happy."

"I'm well," she answered quietly. "Thank you." Jo walked back into her house, quickly shutting the door behind her. She let out a huge breath before shedding her shoes and socks. Bundling up the socks, she tossed them onto the couch as she quickly entered and exited the living room and moved back into the kitchen. Grabbing the full watering can, she opened the back door and stepped out onto the patio.

Jo hummed an old Polish tune to herself as she began to water her garden. A bee buzzed around a few flowers, collecting pollen. She made sure to water those few flowers as soon as it left, making herself busy by cleaning up stray leaves and twigs from the flower beds. After noticing that the bee still hadn't vacated the area, she briefly stepped inside the house before exiting with a yoga mat.

Walking over to the side of her house, Jo gently laid the mat down on the cool ground. She sat down and began to take a few deep breaths, lightly clasping her hands together. Breathing deeply, she began to move through various yoga poses. The light chatter from birds, the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind, and the voices of her neighbors provided background noise, calming her, as she continued with her exercise.

Jo tensed up when she heard loud shouting come from behind her. The father, from the small family that had walked behind her house, was alone but rapidly storming toward her. His face was red and set in a snarl, his eyes pulled into a harsh stare. Jo cleared her throat and lifted her head, gazing at him as he immediately stopped a few feet away from her, as if he were shocked by an invisible fence collar.

"I knew it was you," the guy calmly said, a complete opposite to his body's demeanor. "Jo Polniaczek. The girl who ran away, but left a huge mess of my life behind."

"I'm sorry, but, I don't know you," she answered firmly.

"If only you did. Then you'd know how much pain and problems you caused." The man then nodded towards her house. "Does he know? Does your husband know about the real Jo Polniaczek?"

Before she could answer, her watch beeped loudly, breaking the silence. Glancing down at the digital display, she took note of the time, tapping the glass face twice before looking back up at the man, who was eyeing her very closely. "He knows enough," she muttered.

Jo slowly climbed to her feet, her jaw set, her lips pulled into a thin line as she watched the man walk away. She pulled the mat off of the ground and stormed back into the house, after watering the flowers she had missed from the bee hovering around. Jo turned on the shower and jumped inside, neglecting to shed her clothes. She gasped in shock as the ice cold water splashed over her body. Pulling her hair down from a ponytail, Jo ran her fingers through her dark locks, her muscles tensing, silently focusing on the cold water, letting her anger flow down the drain along with the excess water and sweat.

After taking a shower and changing clothes, Jo re-entered her bedroom and walked over to the closet. Pulling a suitcase from a corner, she threw it onto the bed before moving around the room, haphazardly throwing some clothing and shoes inside.

The sound of a door opening and closing instantly caused her Jo to tense up. She felt her pulse match the sound of footsteps heading up the stairs, getting closer and closer. A spicy, yet clean scent filled her nose, announcing her husband's arrival.

"Hey Jo," Rick said quietly. He placed a hand on her shoulder, lightly kissing the back of her head. Jo ignored him, zipping her suitcase close and pulling it off of the bed. Rick muttered quietly underneath his breath, running a hand through his hair. "We should talk about this," he insisted.

"Talk about what?" she snapped. "You already made your decision. May I add, you also didn't talk to me about it first?" Jo pulled the handle of her suitcase up before storming out of the room. She led it clomp loudly down the stairs behind her as she headed toward the front door. Rick hurried after her, placing his hand onto the door and pushing it close. Jo looked up at him with a harsh glare. "Move," she demanded.

"Jo, I love you. You know that," Rick said gently, "but you always seems to run away from your problems, and-"

"I'm not running away!" Jo shouted. Her husband reached up and ran a hand over her face. She slowly curled and uncurled her fingers, focusing on evening out her breathing. "I'm going to meet up with my friends," she said calmly.

Rick slowly shook his head. "The Jo I married-"

"Well, then maybe you don't know the real me," she snapped. Slapping his hand away from the door, she wrenched it open, ignoring the door almost striking Rick in the face. She pulled her suitcase behind her, the wheels bouncing over the cobblestones of the walkway as she headed towards the waiting taxi, the GPS set for the airport.