Ok, so I know it's been away and I'm really sorry, so I'm trying something new. Hopefully you guys like it. It's in a different POV and that is Matt Donavan. I hope you guys like this chapter and I'm sorry if I don't get his character right or something. Hello Everyone! Sorry I took so long to update, writer's block is real. Lol! So please R&R and I don't own anything but my ideas.

Wentworth Miller is Xavier Jones. Thank you!

Please R&R!

I own nothing! Just my ideas!

Song: Warriors by Imagine Dragons

You know back in freshman year I always felt the hardest things I had to deal with were football, girlfriends and passing. You know like passing a test, tryouts for football or finding my group. Well nowadays I don't care about labels or who's dating who or whatever but back then when everything made sense, I did care…

I asked out a girl and we were together for two years, then she broke up with me. The spark was gone and now we're trying to be friends... But back to freshman year, mom was in and out, I didn't know my dad and my older sister was getting into a lot of trouble, mainly drugs and alcohol, she was a lot like our mom. At the moment she's alway, I hope she comes back soon.

I couldn't play the game my best friend loved to play, the whole "dating around, rude popular kid". I wouldn't because that's not me. I'm the Nice Guy… Always has been, always will be.

In the middle of freshman year something changed. There was a new girl, totally pretty, badass, and young. Like really young, by two years and she was flying through everything like it was nothing. As cheesy as it sounds she really wasn't like other girls and got along with the youngest and smartest girl of the whole school and they were not ones to pick on.

During that first year it was just perfect or at least in school it was perfect, but at home not so much... Like I said mom was in and out and she's an alcoholic.

That brings us back to the girls, Mia and Sin. If it wasn't for them my grades would have been a lot worse. Plus, it doesn't help that I have a reading disorder… Yeah the star quarterback has trouble with reading but is great at math. Laugh it up… Anyways, I got better with time and I owe those girls everything.

During sophomore year Sin found out about my home and money issues. So her mom and her made sure I got by but I could tell they wanted to do more... I couldn't accept that. But they don't listen and they are stubborn as mules. Every Sunday I show up for a family lunch, and take the leftovers. Sin loves working on vehicles so she would help out with my truck, and my school work. They are family to me and I love them with everything I have.

This junior year has been rough. Mom is on the road with some guy, Vicky is somewhere out in the world, and I had to get a job to keep the house afloat at least for a little bit because I did something… hopefully it will help things move along and I can start my life. For the moment I'm going to enjoy the time I have left with my true family.

"Matty, can you hand me the driver?" Sin is under her dad's old car working on the under part of the engine, with her hand out waiting for the tool, so she can get back to work but a certain someone isn't listening. "… Matty… Matt. Hello… Ciao, c'e qualcuno a casa?... Mr. Donavan can you hear me?…" Sin waited another second before rolling out from under the car and found Matt just staring off into space with the drive in his hand. Sin sighed but smirked when a devious thought went into her head, creeping up close to the unsuspecting blonde, she was only a breath away from his ear and with a deep breather she shouted, "MATT!"

Mat jumped at the unexpected shout in his ear, "What?! What? Where's the fire?!"

"You were gone in la-la-land Your Majesty." Sin smirked. "Driver per favore."

Matt rolled his eyes at the girl, "Very funny you brat." He hands her the drive.

Sin and Matt are at her house or to be exact, her garage. They are working on her dad's 1970 Dodge Charger RT engine, just tuning it up and fixing any cracks here and there. The garage itself is pretty big and it has been turned into Sin's workshop that fits two cars; her dad's and the one under the cover. A desk filled with plans, tools and a video camera hooked up to a laptop that shows clips of Sin, her family and friends and a rolling chair. On the other side are shelves filled with more tools and a fridge, couch and a tv. The couch that she put in about a year ago because when she is not with the girls then she spends a lot of time in the garage like the grease monkey she is.

Once they finished working on the engine they took a break by watching TV. Matt's arm is slung over the couch by Sin's shoulder. Sin makes a huffing noise. Matt mutes the TV and looks over at her.

"Ok, really. What were you thinking about?" Sin didn't ask, she demanded answers from him.

Matt chuckled awkwardly and scratched his neck, a nervous tick that he's unsure where he picked it up. "...Ah, just the past two years and how much time I have left with you. And everyone else."

Sin just gave him a look. Matt knew he can't keep secrets from her because he tried once and didn't succeed at all. Let's just say he caused ever more pain to himself.

"What?" Matt started sweating nervously because Sin is unpredictable and with the look she is giving to him now, cool and all knowing with all the answers.

"Well if that's the case tell me again why you can't take up my offer to live at my house?"

"Wow." He chuckled.

Sin gave him an innocent smile with a hint of sarcasm, "What? Matty, you have an entire house to yourselves, which doesn't feel like home because you are always here. You have a crappy job to pay all the bills, oh and by the way... Parents take care of their kids till they're eighteen, which you are not."

Matt sighed, they've been having this conversion for a while now, well more like he doesn't want to talk about it but she's right. The only thing keeping him from fully living with them is a small spark of hope that his mom and Vicki will be back. "Sin please. You know how much I don't like you or Sofia giving me stuff. Oh wait, you guys give me food every day. Have me over every Sunday for lunch. You help me with my truck. I just…"

"Matt, we do those things with you and for you because we see you as family. You are my brother in everything but blood and mom sees you as her son. And if you let her, she will adopt you. And you can come to Cali with us." Sin playfully bumped his shoulder with hers.

"I love you too, Sis, but there's stuff I need to do myself." Matt smiles at the blonde with love in his eyes but it's different from what he felt for Elena last year or what he's starting to feel for Rebakah, it's the kind that shows friendship can happen in another life.

"Welp! Offer is still on the table."

Sofia is at the doorway watching the two teens who are most definitely her kids. She actually wants to bring him to California with them but he already said no at last night's dinner when he told them he joined the army and wanted to train with them. Plus someone had to keep Mia out of trouble while Sin was gone.

Sofia smiled, "Don't forget our invitation. You are allowed in our home anytime because it's your home too." Sin and Matt invite Sofia to join their cuddle on the couch a little longer when they hear the alarm for food.

"Time to eat."

Sofia made a delicious spread of food, as usual but nothing as amazing as her last husband's cooking, who was like a god in the kitchen. Both Sofia and Sin had one hell of a teacher. Matt took some of it home with him pre-usual and Sin walked with him back to his place because she's meeting up with Mia, Tiki and Caroline at the Grill for the audition happening later that night. Sin and Matt mostly talked about cars, games, sports and traveling. Sometimes Matt thinks Sin is better to talk to than Tyler. She wants to talk about everything and the future, Matt loves that it helps him get his thoughts straight.

As they got closer to the small house Matt noticed a very familiar car that he hasn't seen in months, and a woman on the porch with a drink.

"Oh, god."

Matt looks up suddenly. Kelly is standing in the doorway, looking at them. "Please tell me you two aren't dating."

"Mom! Hey."

"Wow, speak of the devil." Sin draws out and looks at the woman, who abandons Matt, with loathe.

"Be nice."

"Sono sempre gentile, anche con le stronze stupide come tua madre." Sin said with a smile. She taught Matt a few words and he definitely knew what she thought about his mother.

Well after that Sin went home I really didn't want a fight to break out. Knowing Sin she has a few words to say to my mom… Well in english as well. Hell, even Sofia will give her a tongue lashing of the century. Ha! I would pay to see that.

Matt is heating up the breakfast Sofia made and talks to his mother. "So, it's been a few months. Where've you been?"

"Ah, you know, here and there. Never one place too long. You know Pete."

"No, actually, I don't. Because you never brought him around."

Kelly doesn't respond to the question and walks back over towards Matt, changing the topic. "So blonde's the new flavor of the month, huh? So sorry I scared her off."

He rolls his eyes, "She's not a flavor, Mom. It's not like that. We're friends."

"So she's not the one?"

"No. Like I said friends. I mean, yes, I am dating someone but it's not Sin and besides she's… both of them are special to me."

Kelly grabs a clean glass from the sink and opens the fridge, grabbing a bottle of vodka, before sitting down at the table. "Matty, seriously, the loner girl? Last I saw her she was getting into a fight with Tyler Lockwood. Eck."

"Mom, seriously, knock it off." Matt glared at her, almost daring her to insult his friend who's practically his sister and has been taking care of him for months. It's not a secret Kelly hates blonde girls but Caroline, Sin and Rebekah are important and special to him and he's not going to let anyone, especially his mother, talk bad about them.

"Ice, please?" Kelly holds her glass out and Matt takes it, opening the fridge and placing ice in it.

"So, uh, you heard from Vic?" Matt hands Kelly the glass and she pours some vodka in it.

"No, but don't worry. She'll come home eventually when she needs something. I played that game."

"Are you playing it now?"

"No."

"Then what are you doin' home?"

"Are you trying to say I need a reason to come back? Sit down. Eat with me." Matt grabs his breakfast off the stove and sits across the table from Kelly. "Tell me everything I've missed, hmm."

I tried to catch up with mom as much as I could but there wasn't much to say because the only thing she was interested in was if Elena and I were getting back together. Which isn't possible because one, the spark isn't there anymore, hasn't been there actually, and two we both met some amazing people. Stefan is a good guy and Rebekah… I'm just glad she gave me a chance. She just completes me... I don't know how to put it in words. Well time for work, hopefully more tips this time because now that mom is back I'm worried she'll spend money on alcohol... like usual.

I went to work early but as soon as I got to the Grill, the girls dragged me into helping them set up for the fundraiser. I saw Stefan's brother at the counter drinking... a bit early for that, oh well not my problem. Caroline is ordering Sin and Tiki where to place a basket or a chair. It's funny to watch Sin get ordered around because I know how much she hates it but for Caroline she will, at least to keep Caroline in check or out of trouble. Mia is at the sound system stopping and adding in her own twist of music. God, I love doing this.

Matt has a tiny secret, he loves observing people. As the day moves on and more people flood in the more he observes, who knows who, who is more popular, what they eat or drink, what they don't eat or drink. It's very relaxing but what he doesn't like is getting hit on by older women and he happens to know their kids. Anyways back to his habit, Caroline on her phone texting her admirer with a shy smile. Mia is chatting excitedly with a man in a nice suit and he looks at her like she is a heaven sent, which might be true. Sin rubbing her head like she was on the edge of a migraine and about to scream, Elena is lost in thought but sure about something like someone gave her an answer that she never thought about. Jenna and Sheriff Forbes are in a deep conversation away from everyone in a corner. Stefan's brother is at the bar drinking and about to fall off his stool. And more and more people he reads, observes, and he just relaxes.

Caroline, Elena, and Matt are all milling around at the front of the Grill as Caroline and Sin give the women their tickets to buy a man for the night.

"He's already been hit on, like, 35 times. He's total cougar bait." Caroline giggled.

"Impressive." Elena nodded to Matt.

"God! This is embarrassing." He blushed, but his face went firetruck red when he heard a beautiful voice coming up to him.

"You blushing is quite charming."

"Hello Rebakah, you look beautiful."

"Evening Handsome and thank you." Rebakah kisses his pink cheek.

Caroline laughs and sees Kelly enter the Grill. "Hi, Mrs. Donovan."

Kelly glances at Caroline and Sin with distaste and looks at Elena. "Elena, honey!"

"Hi, Kelly." Kelly and Elena exchange hugs.

Sin rolled her eyes and flipped her hair out of her eyes. She couldn't keep her inner bitch from coming out, "No, no. Va bene. It's fine. Just ignore the three beautiful blondes surrounding your son. I have work. Later strani."

"Sin!" Everyone, but Kelly, yelped at her but Sin sashay away while laughing.

Kelly just rolls her eyes and goes back to Elena smiling happily, "Long time, no see."

"How are you doing?"

"Oh, same old. Oh. Matty tells me you broke his heart."

"Mom." Matt groaned.

"Just kidding. Calm down. He found his rebound girl." She glances over at Caroline.

Rebekah raised an eyebrow at Matt's mom and with the flick of her hair she said, "No, sorry. That would be me, but I plan to be with Matt as long as he will have me. I don't need your support or approval as long as he's happy, so should you." Matt blushed slightly but moved in the kiss Rebekah's cheek by her lip and made her blush. Caroline and Elena giggled at their bashful faces.

Kelly rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Oh. Here you go, sweetheart. However many that'll buy." Kelly extracts some money and hands it to Caroline, who takes it with a small smile. "I just hope I don't get Bachelor 3. I dated him in high school. Not impressive." Kelly whispers, "In any way."

Matt shakes his head, embarrassed. Rebekah is barely holding on to her urge to rid out Kelly's heart but Matt anchors her by holding her hand, and Caroline hands Kelly her tickets and she takes them. "Very exciting." Kelly walks off into the Grill.

"So that's your mum, nice woman. Too bad we don't like one another, and she reminds of this one woman I extremely dislike, who is a real piece of work."

"Yeah… Sorry about that."

Well the event was a hit until the end, some guy got hit by a truck but the audition made a lot of money. Mrs. Lockwood had Sin and a few people from the Circus Club do a small performance which was amazing. We started with five bachelors but it had a final addition: a Mr. Smith, the twins, Rebekah and Kol, were smirking at him the entire time. I wonder what that's all about, anyways the audition itself was pretty weird other than the additional bachelor. Stefan's brother Denis or something, but he was making Mr. Saltzman uncomfortable with his answers. Something about his wife I think. It was a weird night with too much drama in a short time…must be a new record, at least for Mystic Falls I guess. Moving on, Sofia also had a fight with my mom but back off because mom was… drum roll please, drunk. Now I have to get her home. Wish me luck… I'm going to need it.

Matt guides Kelly into the house. Kelly is obviously intoxicated.

"Here we go. Home, sweet home."

"Wait. Why—why are we back here? I wasn't ready to leave."

"Yeah, you were, mom."

Kelly sits down on the sofa with Matt's help and he sits down beside her. "You're the best, Matty."

"I know."

"I'm-I'm sorry… I was gone, so long."

"Why are you really home, mom?"

"It's Pete. He's gone, and it's all my fault. I did it. I always do it."

"No, you didn't, mom. It's not your fault."

"You're all I have left." Kelly thickly said, "Please don't leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Kelly touches Matt's face and smiles. She then lays her head on a throw pillow and Matt covers her with a blanket.

"But I don't know about you."

Matt left the house and just started walking, he didn't have a destination in mind. He just wanted to get out of the house. For a long time he wanted his mom to come home to Vicki and him and be a family but now…

Somehow he managed to walk all the way to the field at school. The field was used for all the sports; football, soccer, track, lacrosse and more. Matt goes to the shed where they keep all the sports equipment well, mostly the balls, poles and nets but Matt wanted a lacrosse stick and ball. Matt just started to practice hitting a wall they use to practice, again and again and again. Till he heard a voice from behind him.

"Either someone pissed you pretty bad or you really wanted to practice for our next game. That's in two weeks."

"It's nothing." Matt was breathing heavily from the workout he did.

Xavier Jones walks out from the shadows with his own stick, twisting and throwing the ball without looking like the expert he is. "Please, I've seen that look more times than I care to admit. Hell, I had that look on my own face, so I know." He paused as if he didn't know what to say and Matt wasn't in the mood so Xavier tried again, "Look I understand not Lockwood or Sin but I do know how to listen, so... What's eating you?"

Matt opens and closes his mouth a few times trying to get the words out but he just shouts in frustration and throws the ball again and catches it when it comes back. Finally the words just flow out, "... All I ever wanted was to have my family back together again like how it was during freshman year. My mom wasn't looking for crappy boyfriends who leave her in the dust. Or my sister getting addicted to drugs and alcohol and leaving me to deal with everything! I'm not even eighteen yet and I have all these responsibilities and now that my mom is back it's... It's hard being an adult or a parent to my own. I just… I don't know… I hoped everything would get better but it's not." During his rant he kept hitting the wall with the ball before punching it. His knuckles turned raw, red, and bloody but he doesn't notice the physical pain because the mental and emotional pain are clouding his thoughts. "Seven months she's been gone and in those months I feel that Sin and her mom are more like my family than my own. It's funny they ask when I'm finally moving in but hey I'm just the stupid kid waiting for his drunk mom and drug addicted sister at home when I have one who wants me and wants to give me a real home!" Matt lets out a scream that has been waiting to be released and falls to the ground.

Xavier, true to his word, listened and kept a close eye on Matt's hands making sure he didn't push it too far and accidentally broke his hands against the wall. He was a year older than Matt but understands what he's going through. Although it's a little unsettling to the icy lacrosse captain, watch the Quarterback, The Golden Boy, The Duke of Mystic Falls act like his age for once and scream. But he knows what to do.

"Why? Why did this happen to me? What did I do wrong?" Matt said in a soft and vulnerable tone that makes Xavier's heart crack and think of his little brother when something bad happens and doesn't know what to do.

Xavier sighed, "Nothing… They fail you. You didn't fail them. You gave them everything and asked nothing in return but their love. You're a good son and brother. I know Sin thinks of you like a brother and whatever but if she told you have an option to be with her and her family you can take it. If living with your mom leaves you in this state it's not healthy. I should know, my old man is a terrible person and I would do everything for my younger siblings just like you."

Matt looks at Xavier in a new light because everyone knows Xavier's dad is in prison. For what, no one really knows. He doesn't talk about him and neither does his siblings. They got lucky that their grandparents took them in and have more than enough money to provide for their three grandchildren. Xavier, being the oldest at eighteen and working odd jobs but he's mostly a bit of a thief, thanks to dear old dad. Old habits die hard. He's in his senior year, but back in sophomore year he used to causing trouble but mellowed out once introduced to lacrosse and became captain. But he always keeps an icy front at school, games, the grill, or at home the shell doesn't break unless he's with his siblings.

Violet is the middle child at ten. She's a sweet kid and loves to cause trouble and it's no surprise she looks up to Mia Summer and very interested in ice skating. And the baby of the family is Wyshawn, a blessing in disguise. They were told he wouldn't make it to his fifth birthday but he's eight and healthy as ever and loves to be with his older siblings and copy what they do. Sometimes their grandparents don't understand how their son produced three sweet kids and why their mom left them and never came back. And the dead beat dad… well, nough said.

"Ok, I don't know how long I can keep doing this, emotional heart-to-heart crap. I'm out of my comfort zone here." Xavier said awkwardly.

Matt chuckled and felt better after ranting and hearing what Xavier had to say, "Yeah same…"

"Well we both have our sticks and a ball, so wanna go a few rounds?"

"Yeah… and thanks. You're a cool guy." Matt said.

Xavier smirked, "I like to think I'm pretty icy myself."

"I didn't mean to make that into a pun."

The two high schoolers practice lacrosse for awhile in the dark with one spot light. The Icy Captain notices the Quarterback is better at lacrosse after having a few months of actual practice rather than playing for the hell of it. Then again Sin is one hell of a slave driver and whip the new guys into shape in one month, which is pretty impressive because one of the guys hated every second of it.

Luckily they still won.

For once after a really long time Matt felt calm, like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders, but he knows it won't last because the fun has just started. The ball is now in his mom's court, what she does will decide on everything in Matt's life. For now he's enjoying being a teenager once more before going back to turn into an adult for his mom. Good thing he has someone like Sin and Xavier to remind him to be a teen once in a while.