The air was cool and crisp but it caressed her body like an old, familiar lover. Her feet were sore and achy, so she let them float to the top of the water as she lay her head back to look up at the most beautiful morning sky she'd ever seen. striking blue offset by purples and reds and oranges..It gave her heart a ping to look at it. so majestic, so beautiful, so regal. Bonnie closed her eyes and floated away on a cloud of silent serenity. After the day she had had, this was just what she needed. Peace, Quiet, grace and..

"what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Bonnie's face crumbled and she smacked the surface of the water until her palms hurt , "I'm this close, this damn close to just sinking my head into this water and never coming out."

"Are you admitting to suicidal tendencies to me right now?"

Bonnie shook her head and let her feet fall to the bottom of the lake, regarding Jeremy standing on the rock ledge. "I'll live with the Mermaids."

Jeremy chuckled and sat on the rock facing her. Coming out to this pier had become somewhat of a habit over the last year, somewhere to escape to, to be alone. Oddly enough, he found that he wasn't angry at having Bonnie interrupt that solitude.

"You'll fit right in. Though that attitude of yours would have to go, may poison the water."

Bonnie swam away into the middle of the lake and floated in circles without looking back at him.

"This supposed 'attitude' is something only you have noticed, everyone else thinks I'm a doll."

"Caroline doesn't."

"Yeah, well Caroline is a bitch, no offense."

Jeremy laughed and shook his head at her in wonderment, "how the hell can anyone insult a man's best friend and then claim 'no offense'?"

Bonnie came up sputtering and threw Jeremy her blackest scowl.

"Your 'friend' all but called me a gold digging hussy!"

"well are you?" Jeremy asked calmly.

"Jerk off, asswipe."

Bonnie ducked under the water again.

"Much too early for that."

Jeremy arched his brow and watched the water's surface for Bonnie. when she didn't re-emerge, he stood up to get a closer look. "Oh fuck all, city slicker."

Jeremy took off his jacket and kicked off his shoes all the while calling her every name in the book. He'd have to get his good shirt wet. He went to the edge of the water and almost dove in head first before Bonnie was springing up and had him by the ankles. Jeremy barely had time for a full curse before he was tumbling into the water after Bonnie.

Bonnie watched Jeremy sputtering and jerking to get back above water. she almost drowned herself laughing before she managed to swim away from his angry cascade of waterfalls.

"You cannot say you didn't deserve that." Bonnie uttered between hiccups of laughter.

"Oh yeah? Really?" Jeremy shook his head out and gave her one warning glance, before he dove underneath the water.

Bonnie's smile slowly faded as he disappeared under the water. oh fuck she was screwed. Bonnie pumped her arms as hard as she could back to the edge. Jeremy was somewhere under the water and she had no idea where the hell he as, but he would not be getting ahold of-

"Eeekk!"

Jeremy snaked up and grabbed Bonnie by the waist, "Are you sorry yet?"

"Are you an adult yet?" she knew it was a mistake while she was saying it, but Bonnie never could control her smart mouth. wasn't that just the reason she and her father never got along?

Jeremy ducked her under the water and brought her back up sputtering.

"Come on, just say it. I'm-sorry."

Bonnie grabbed onto his forearms laughing and coughing until she could barely breathe, "How about never."

"The hard way? I do like your style, Bonnie Bennett."

Bonnie's eyes popped wide as she found herself lifted high above his head. she frantically latched onto his shoulders to keep from being tossed.

"Ok ok! Oh my God! I'm sorry!"

Jeremy set her back on her feet and gave her his most infuriating male smile. "Thank you, Bonnie. was that really so hard?"

"Oh fuck off." But the barb had no weight as Bonnie could barely stop giggling. Jeremy didn't think he'd ever seen her so carefree in the 3 days he'd known her. sarcastic? yes, taunting? yes, witty? hell yes, but never...happy. He'd never seen her happy.

"Uh oh. what's with the look?"

Bonnie's smile faded at the seriousness on Jeremy's face. They'd barely made it past working together, she should have known it was a stretch that they could be friends of any kind.

"Hey look, Hard Body, I'm real sorry ab-"

"why are you living in your car?"

Bonnie stared at him for a second mouth wide open.

"oh come on, Bonnie. You've been sleeping in that damn car parked in the back of my bar for the last 3 nights give me some credit."

Bonnie wrapped her arms around her body until she gripped her forearms to ward off against the sudden chill in the air.

"Does it really matter? I do my job."

"Hell yes it matters, Bonnie! You're homeless!"

Jeremy thre out his arms in frustration and froze when she flinched. He looked at her face, compelled her to look back at him, but she kept her face averted. Oh dear God. Jeremy sunk his head into his palms to ward off the sudden pain. He couldn't talk about it, and she wouldn't, but the silence hit his ears like a fist.

"There's a room above The Grill. An Apartment. It's empty you can have it."

Bonnie finally looked back at him, and Jeremy shivered at the fire in her eyes and something else, a strength, will, that he would perhaps never fully understand.

"If you think I'm going to turn my nose up at that offer, or act too proud to accept hand-outs, then you'll be sadly mistaken." Bonnie spoke quietly, but her words echoed like a thousand shouts.

"It wouldn't be a hand-out or charity. You'll work for the room and the cost for board will be detracted from your paycheck."

Bonnie nodded her head.

"Good."

"Good."

Jeremy turned to leave, but Bonnie called him back. He turned slowly to face her again.

"what happened to Anna?"

It was like a slap to the face. Jeremy stared at her for a full second before turning away to stare out at the water. Bonnie moved to go to him but stopped herself. He'd opened up a can of worms in her life, he could face up to his own. But his back was so stiff, trying to ward off any possibe hurt, and because she understood that all too well, Bonnie made her way over to him to lay a quiet hand of support on his shoulder.

"You're the first person in a year and a half to speak her name out loud to me."

"Maybe that's the problem."

Jeremy laughed a little to himself.

"I'd almost began to convince myself that she wasn't real, you know? Everything of her, every memory has been erased, people avoid talking about her like the damn plauge, no one wants to hurt me so they pretend to not remember and little bit by little bit I lose more and more of her."

Jeremy turned around and framed Bonnie's face in his hands. He smiled a little, sadly.

"It was as if those memories were poison and would somehow kill me."

Bonnie lightly gripped his forearms and shook her head at him, "There is nothing wrong in remembering her, Jeremy. As long as you don't let those memories hang you."

Jeremy looked at her for a long time, so long Bonnie began to wonder what he thought about. But he smiled suddenly and dropped his hands.

"You want to get Ice-Cream? I'm in the mood."

Bonnie chuckled to herself and grabbed onto the hand he held out to her.

"why the hell not?"