Oh, hi! It's been...a few years since I've posted fic here. I actually only took it back up about a year ago, and I moved over to AO3 because FF didn't have a Waitress section. But now it does! So, I figured since I've had so much response for this fic there and on Tumblr, I'd bring it here as well. It's mostly complete at this point, so hopefully the remaining updates won't take long. My goal is to have this finished by the end of the year. That said, I'll be working on posting what I have in its entirety today.

A few notes: this is an AU, so obviously things will be different. I wanted to write Jenna and Pomatter in a different light, give them a story not quite so problematic as the original. Hopefully this is original and interesting. Also, flashbacks are in italics.

Thank you for reading, and remember any constructive responses are absolutely welcome.

Prologue

Jenna Barker wasn't one for reunions.

There had been her tenth high school reunion, in which she had spent the night sat in the corner with her friend Becky, drinking and pretending to be cordial with people who hadn't given her the time of day when they were classmates. Becky had been the only friend from her high school social circle to agree to go, and she should have known when the rest had backed out that the best option was to do the same. She hadn't.

There had been her first and only family reunion when she was fifteen. It had been the summer before her mother had been taken from her. She and her parents had traveled all the way from Stanton Grove to Kensington-an entire state over. Her father grumbled and fought with her mother the entire way, and Jenna had met a hundred people who claimed to be related to her and gave her the third degree. "So, what grade are you in now?" "Do you have a boyfriend? A pretty girl like you has to have someone." "Do you remember me? You were just a baby last time I saw you!"

There had been the time she had run into an ex-boyfriend shortly after starting college. She'd found him at a campus party and ended up going home with him after one too many drinks. The night had ended with her stumbling out of his bed, scrambling to find her clothes, and calling one of her best friends-a friend she would later lose touch with-to pick her up and deliver her safely back to her dorm.

So, no, Jenna did not like reunions and had no desire to partake in anymore.

Yet, somehow, she had given in and accepted the invitation to homecoming week and a party commemorating the tenth anniversary of her university graduating class. Which is why she found herself here, at Harper East University, on a Friday afternoon in October.

Harper East was not a particularly large college, with only a few thousand enrolled and on campus or taking in-seat classes. It boasted a grand total of ten dormitories, another ten academic buildings, a grand dining hall, a sizeable gym with athletic facilities, and a three-story campus center. Its campus was walking distance from one end to the other, colonial red brick and white trimming across the board.

It reminded Jenna of the time she'd actually enjoyed here, taking in the beauty of the trees in the fall; picking snowball fights on rare snow days during the winter; sitting out on the soccer field on warm, sunny weekends in the spring. She had rarely left the place except for breaks and holidays. If it hadn't been for...well, pretty much the entirety of her senior year from hell, she probably would have been more inclined to come back. She had even been offered a job in admissions that she had turned down because...truthfully, she couldn't even remember why anymore.

It didn't matter anyway, she decided. Too much baggage and too many memories.

When Jenna entered the main level of the campus center, the sight she found made her almost dizzy. Alumni were packed into the room, waiting in line for registration and name tags or exploring various tables with university employees soliciting donations.

Jenna pulled her jacket off and hugged it a little closer, instinctively reaching into her purse for her phone to check for texts or updates from Dawn as a distraction. The text preview showed three new messages.

Dropped Lulu off at school this morning, no problem.

Also made sure to send along a couple of those homemade mini pies she loves with her lunch. I know you prefer her not to have too many sweets, but I figured I'd spoil her a bit.

I promise there were also carrot sticks and homemade veggie beef soup!

Jenna smiled and typed back a reply:

That's fine. Glad everything's going smoothly. Tell her I love her and I'll call tonight.

Satisfied that her daughter was in the best hands, she placed her phone back into her purse, took a moment to breath, and resumed her scan of the room. She quickly located the registration table and made a beeline. The line, however, was backed up by at least fifteen alumni and not moving quickly.

She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, bearing her weight on both legs alternately. Soon, she found herself folding her arms across her chest and tapping her fingers impatiently on her forearm. In her distraction, her gaze began to wander the room.

She had yet to find anyone familiar, anyone she had cared about during her time here. The room was full of strangers. She was beginning to wonder if she would be spending the entire weekend alone, regretting the decision to even show up.

Until she spotted shaggy dark hair, hazel eyes, and a wide smile she could never forget.

Her pulse began to pound, and she fixed her eyes to the floor, hoping he wouldn't notice her. He was deep in conversation, after all.

However, it wasn't long before she felt a tap on her shoulder, and a soft, smooth voice asking, "Jenna?"

With a deep breath, she turned around to face him, her heart leaping as she made eye contact with him for the first time in ten years.

"Hi, Jim."