Author's Note: Okay, I finally have completed this chapter and got it right. Enjoy the wonderful story!

Jon and Jasmine were sitting out on the porch on the swing set together. Jasmine was drinking her third Caprisun. Jon watched as she sucked it down with no problem. After she finished, she let out a loud burp.

"Excuse me," Jasmine said.

"Okay, no more Caprisuns for the day," Jon said.

"Okay," Jasmine said. "When will Mommy be home from work?"

"She'll be home at four," Jon said.

"I don't like it when you and Mommy are gone too long," Jasmine said.

"Well, me and Mommy don't like being gone for too long but we have to work," Jon said.

"Why?" Jasmine asked.

"Because if Mommy and Daddy don't work, we wouldn't be able to buy food for you and your siblings. Or buy you that nice toy that you wanted," Jon said. "Me and Mommy work very hard to make sure you have what you want. We make sure that you never go to bed hungry. Me and Mommy have sacrificed a lot to make sure that you, Aiden, J.J., Maddy, and now Michael, are taken care of."

"You and Mommy should go do something for fun. Let me and the others have the house," Jasmine said.

"So you can burn the house down!?" Jon asked.

"Nope," Jasmine said. "I hide the matches. All of the matches. No fire. No fire."

"Where did you hide the matches!?" Jon said.

"In your drawer. Next to your bed," Jasmine said.

"Damn," Jon said.

"Damn?" Jasmine repeated.

"Don't say that," Jon said.

"Don't say what?" Jasmine said.

"Don't say damn," Jon said.

"Damn?" Jasmine asked.

"You know what?" Jon said. He tickled Jasmine's stomach. "Daddy is definitely going to have to be more careful around you!"

"Daddy!" Jasmine said, giggling.

"You're such a smart and pretty girl. I love you very much," Jon said.

"I love you more!" Jasmine said.

"And I want you to remember that Daddy is always thinking about you. I love you very much and that's why I work hard everyday for you and your siblings. Speaking of you drinking almost all of the Caprisuns, we should go to grocery shopping," Jon said.

"I'm driving!" Jasmine said.

Jasmine was sitting in the shopping cart waiting anxiously as her and Jon went down the cookie aisle.

"I know this is your favorite place in the entire world," Jon said.

"Yes it is! Can I get Oreos? Please Daddy!?" Jasmine asked.

"Yes you can," Jon said.

"Yay!"

Jasmine reached for the Oreos and threw them right into the cart on top of the eggs.

"Let's go home!" Jasmine said.

"Buttercup, we need to buy more food," Jon said.

"Oh. Okay, ice cream, doughnuts, and pizza," Jasmine said.

"Whatever you say," Jon said. He ruffled Jasmine's hair and continued pushing the shopping cart.

Jon had turned the corner and almost ran into someone. That someone happened to be Jackie.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," Jon said.

Jasmine didn't say anything to Jackie. Instead she got up in the cart and got closer to her father.

"It's okay," Jon said. "You're okay. Just calm yourself and sit back down, alright?"

Jasmine slowly sat back down but kept an eye on Jackie. She still remembered how mean Jackie was toward her father, whom she loved dearly. You could ban her from eating cookies or even take Cookie the Cat away. But if you messed with her father, she would remember it. Jackie knew that Jasmine still didn't like her. And Jackie didn't blame her either. But she did want to reconcile with Jasmine. Jackie gave Jasmine a quick wave.

To Jackie's surprise, Jasmine gave a quick but half-hearted wave back.

More like a "The fuck do you want?" type of wave.

"She's getting so big. How was your honeymoon?" Jackie asked.

"It was good. How have you been?" Jon asked.

"Good. Just picking up a few things," Jackie said. "Mind if I talk to you?"

"Sure. I don't mind. What's up?"

Jon continued shopping for groceries while listening to Jackie. He forgave Jackie for everything that she did but he kept his distance. But he did sense that Jackie had indeed changed.

"Nothing much. I was just picking up a few things for my boyfriend," Jackie said.

"Boyfriend, eh? What's his name?"

"Fisher."

"You're going to cook him a good dinner I suppose?"

"Yeah."

Jon noticed that Jackie's right shoulder had a purplish look to it even though the sleeves of her pink shirt was covering her arm. Jon knew she had a bruise but he didn't ask her where it was from.

"Do you like Fisher?"

"Yeah. He's okay for the most part."

"Does he treat you right?"

"I guess. Sometimes he gets angry with me and loses his mind. But sometimes he's sweet and caring."

"I see. Are you happy with him?"

"Yeah. Are you busy today?"

Jon was surprised by the question.

Jackie didn't want to go back to Fisher's apartment because he was high as a kite and drunk like a skunk. And he would simply hurt Jackie if she said anything to him. Hence why Jon saw her arm bruised.

"Not really. I just came to buy some groceries is all," Jon said. "You can come by if you want."

"Thanks," Jackie said.

Jasmine fumed at the fact that Jackie was going to come by later.

Adriana was even surprised to find Jackie sitting in the living room when she got home from work. Surprisingly, J.J., Aiden, Michael, and Maddy were all sitting around Jackie and were watching t.v. with her. Jasmine was helping Jon in the kitchen.

"Jon, since when did the kids get comfortable around Jackie?" Adriana asked.

"Since tonight. I had picked them up from Gus' house because he came by earlier today and picked up the kids to take them to get ice cream. Jazzy wanted to stay behind with me. I was at the store and I ran into Jackie. I had to reassure Jazzy that everything would be alright and I also told the kids that there's nothing to worry about," Jon said.

"Okay then," Adriana said.

"Daddy bought me more Oreo cookies," Jasmine said. "I tried feeding some to the cat but he didn't want it."

"Jasmine," Jon said.

"Yes?"

"Don't feed the cat anything but cat food from now on, okay?" Jon said.

"Okay," Jasmine said.

"I still remember the time when Mom spanked you when you kept going into the cookie jar," Adriana said to Jon.

"Ha ha," Jon said.

"Daddy, how many times did you get spanked?" Jasmine asked.

"Enough times," Adriana said.

"I wasa good kid. For the most part," Jon said. "Alright, dinner is ready!"

"Everybody get in here!" Adriana said. "Dinner is ready!"

"I'm gonna go get in my favorite seat," Jasmine said. Her favorite seat was right next to her father's.

Everyone filed into the kitchen and sat down. Jon and Adriana brought the food to the table and sat down as well. Jasmine was the first one to dig in, of course. Tonight they were eating lasagna Hamburger Helper.

Michael really enjoyed every meal that was ever cooked in this house. Plenty of times he fell asleep after eating a great meal.

"I'm still in shock at how big the kids are getting," Jackie said.

"Yeah. They're all big," Adriana said.

"I'm bigger than Aiden," Maddy said.

"Oh yeah?" Aiden said. "You better watch your back."

"Or else what?" Maddy said.

"I'll take your candy stashed under your bed!" Aiden said.

"You wouldn't dare!" Maddy said.

"Yes I would dare!" Aiden said.

Maddy tried to kick Aiden under the table.

"Worm King and Worm Queen, please settle down and eat," Jon said.

"This isn't over!" Maddy said before she shoved her face with food.

'Why in the world did I treat Jon and Adriana so bad? I shouldn't have done that,' Jackie thought to herself.

The reason why she was so cruel to Jon and Adriana was because she was indeed jealous of their relationship. She became coldhearted when her last relationship went south. Jackie was beaten at times by her husand so many times. She even ran away to a homeless shelter to get away from the abuse. Everyone thought Jackie was the Wicked Witch of the East. She took her anger out on the people who loved her dearly. Instead of fighting back, she just took the abuse. She would get angry each time she heard about Jon hitting Adriana because it reminded her of her own problems. But deep down she knew Jon wouldn't randomly hurt Adriana. Jon and Adriana have been through a lot together. Jackie was truly happy for them. She wasn't happy that her relationship wasn't like her previous one.

Fisher wasn't all that great either. He was like Jackie's last husband. Too rude, impatient, impuslive, vile, vulgar, quick to hit Jackie if she messed up. She wished that Fisher would apologize for his actions and ask for forgiveness and change in the end. But that wasn't in Fisher's mind. As long as Jackie was doing everything that he said, that's all that mattered. Jackie longed for a relationship like Jon and Adriana's but luck wasn't on her side. Soon she would have to go back home and confront Fisher. Jackie was thinking about telling Jon about the issues but she decided against it. He probably didn't want to help her. Then again, he probably wanted her out of the house.

"You alright, Jackie?" Jon asked.

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine. The food is good. If it's okay with you guys, I would to take home some food," Jackie said.

"Sure thing," Adriana said. "It's a good thing that you stopped by."

"I'm glad I stopped by as well," Jackie said.

Jasmine did indeed sense change in her cousin.

'Maybe she's nice', Jasmine thought to herself.

When Jackie got ready to leave, Jasmine handed her a ziploc bag full of Oreo cookies.

"Thanks but these are your cookies," Jackie said.

"You can have some. Sharing is caring," Jasmine said.

"Thanks," Jackie said.

She gave her little cousin a big hug and a kiss on her cheek.

"See you later beautiful," Jackie told Jasmine.

Jasmine smiled right back at her. She had her mother's blue eyes and her father's dimples. She looked more like Jon each and every day.

Jackie gave the other children and hugs and kisses goodbye. Each child looking identical to each other and their parents. J.J. was growing tall like his father, Aiden also had dimples like his father, and Maddy looked like a spitting image of her mother. Maddy's hair was growing long like Adriana's. Jackie wish she had children of her own.

She hugged Adriana and Jon before departing to her car and getting in.

Jackie wanted to desparately tell someone what was going on with her but she was scared.

What would Fisher do?

He already tried to burn her with the iron when she didn't iron his shirt for him this morning. Jackie silently prayed to herself that Fisher would be fast asleep or gone somewhere when she got home. It didn't matter.

She didn't feel like dealing with him tonight.

Jon layed in bed thinking about Jackie.

He couldn't shake the image of Jackie's arm from his mind.

'It definitely looked bruised,' Jon thought to himself.

Jon had rememebered that he saw Jackie with a busted eye and lip two weeks ago when he ran into her at the gas station but she told him that she had to go somewhere and quickly got into her car.

Jon knew something was up. But he wasn't going to pry into Jackie's business. Him and Adriana were on their way to patching up things with their cousin who they love dearly. He didn't want to mess it up with being nosy.

But he was definitely going to keep a eye on Jackie from here on out.