After what felt like hours of walking, the Horsemen finally reached the edge of the park. Daniel stopped and checked his watch.

"Just about five," he said, turning to the others. "We should try and get to the motel before six – avoid the morning rush."

They nodded, too tired to argue. Jack spoke up. "That means we have time for donuts, right?" he asked eagerly.

Merritt turned to grin at Daniel. "I'm with the kid on this one. We haven't eaten since before the show, I'm starving."

Daniel threw his hands up in the air. "Sure, fine. Let's go." But when Merritt's back was turned, he looked at Jack and winked.

Henley frowned slightly. "You know, there's a pretty good fro-yo place not too far from here either…" She looked at the other horsemen hopefully. They stared at her blankly.

"Wait," Jack said thoughtfully. "That's the yogurt stuff, right?" The others nodded their recognition as Henley shook her head. "Hopeless," she muttered.

Daniel tapped his foot impatiently. "Are we going to get donuts now? I mean, if you'd rather sit around and chat, we could do that instead."

Jack grabbed Henley and Merritt's arms, dragging them forward. "Come on, guys!" Henley and Merritt exchanged glances before following the enthusiastic boy.

The light from the restaurant beckoned the Horsemen inside. The sign on the front read simply, "24 HOUR DONUT." As soon as they walked through the door, the aroma of baked confections surrounded them.

"Alright," Jack said, almost bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I'll order – you guys take a seat in a booth." He turned and walked up to the counter.

"Merritt, why don't you go help him?" Henley added, fixing the older man with a stare. Merritt got the message quickly and walked to join Jack.

Henley and Daniel sat down in a booth. The seats were made of smooth wood – not exactly the height of comfort, but after a day of excitement they felt like heaven. Daniel wondered if he'd manage to stay awake for whatever it was Henley wanted to say.

"So?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Henley put her palms on the table, leaning in and lowering her voice to a whisper. "I think we both know what's going on here, Danny." She nodded toward Jack, who was still puzzling over the massive assortment of treats. "And I'm warning you: do not mess this up. What happened between the two of us was bad enough. I won't watch you do that to anyone else."

Daniel was taken aback. "Henley, I – look, I'm sorry for what I did. Do. Have been doing. Whatever." He stammered, trying to find the right words. "But I've learned from it, and Jack's different – I mean, no offense. I don't have anyone to compare him to, you know? He's the only Jack I have – the only Jack I want." He ran a hand through his hair. "Am I making any sense?"

Henley sat back and nodded, the edges of her mouth hinting at a smile. She turned her head to see Merritt and Jack approaching the booth. Jack carried an enormous box of donuts, and the both of them grinned proudly. Setting the box on the table, Jack removed the lid with a flourish. "Ta-da!"

Daniel had to stop himself from gasping. Inside were a dozen donuts of every color and flavor imaginable. He noticed Henley's gaze fall on a chocolate donut with pink frosting and sprinkles. He also noted the several powdered sugar-drenched confections. Jack slid into the booth next to him as Merritt took a seat next to Henley.

Henley eyed the box apprehensively. "You realize there are only four of us, right?"

Jack nodded, looking thoughtful. "Yeah. We might have to get some more, actually. I thought this might just be good to start." She shook her head as Jack picked up one of the powdered sugar donuts. "A toast!" he announced. The others quickly reached to pick up their own donuts – chocolate for Henley, lemon for Merritt, and another powdered sugar for Daniel. "To us; we survived the year!"

"I'll toast to that," Daniel agreed with a laugh as they all took a bite. However, each of them knew how truly literal the toast was.

Daniel looked over at Jack. The sugar had somehow managed to spread all over his face; his cheeks, his nose; even his eyebrows were dusted with the powder. At that moment, Henley looked up from her donut and noticed Jack's predicament. She began to laugh, and Daniel and Merritt soon joined her. Jack looked between them, utterly perplexed at the situation at hand.

"What?" he asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

Merritt got up to fetch some more napkins and Daniel sighed contentedly. When he had first met the Horsemen a year ago, he would never have been able to picture his life now. He rested his head on Jack's shoulder, finally giving in and closing his eyes. Jack looked over to Henley, excitement dawning on his face. Henley grinned back and gave him a thumbs-up.

In the commotion, the Horsemen failed to notice the man in dark sunglasses slip into the booth behind them.

Hey Horsemen! I apologize for my late update today. This chapter was a bit tricky to write, but I hope it came out okay! As promised, things are finally starting to pick up a bit. Where will they go next? Who is the man with the sunglasses? And most importantly – how will Jack get all that sugar off his face?

See you tomorrow!

- Julia