Dance with the Devil

Summary: Set after series finale. As the girls head to New York City for a 2-year reunion trip, Jo Polniaczek-Bonner finds herself wrapped up in the gang she abruptly left upon being accept into Eastland and moving to Peekskill. While trying to keep her friends safe and out of harm's way, Jo is stretched to the limit -her marriage following suit- as she finds herself dancing with her inner demons.

.: III :.

"Ma, I'm home!" Jo called out as she opened the apartment door. After waiting a few seconds, she listened intently, nodding in understanding when she heard the sound of running water. She ushered in her friends inside before closing the door. "I made it."

"That's great, Jo, I'll be out in a second," her mother, Rose Polniaczek answered from the bathroom.

"Take your time." Jo tossed her bags by the front door before crossing the room and making her way to the kitchen. She draped her jacket on the back of a chair and dropped the mail onto the table. She turned towards her friends and raised a shoulder. "It's not much, but its home," she said quietly.

Blair wrinkled her nose as she looked around. "Its-"

Natalie quickly elbowed her in the side. "A place for us to stay as we wait to check into our hotel rooms," she said through clenched teeth. Blair looked at her in confusion, but quickly gained a look of understanding as Natalie jerked her head in Jo's general direction.

"Quaint," Blair finished over-enthusiastically. "It suits you."

"Ha, ha," Jo muttered as she leafed through the mail she placed on the table. After finding nothing of importance, she moved towards the sink and turned on the water before beginning to wash the dishes.

"Where can I put my jacket?" Blair asked as she slipped her arms out of the sleeves. Jo looked over her shoulder, before glancing around the room.

"The arm or the back of any chair," she gruffly answered.

"Ah," Blair said. She quickly placed her jacket back on. She then walked around the back of the couch and took a seat next to Tootie. She grunted as the cushion almost collapsed underneath her weight. As she tried to straighten herself, her knees knocked into the coffee table in front of her. "Well, it's a good thing we didn't bring our bags with us and just left them in my daddy's office at his company. There wouldn't be any place for us to stand, let alone sit in here."

"Blair," Tootie snapped.

"Give it a rest, will ya?" Jo called out.

Blair looked to her right and flinched when she noticed Natalie giving her a harsh glare. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean it."

"Yes, you did," Jo sighed. She finished cleaning up the last of the dishes before wiping her hands on the dishtowel. "Unfortunately, I got used to it." She tossed the damp towel across the room. "You are who you are." Tootie, Natalie, and Jo burst out into laughter as it struck Blair on the side of her face.

Rose exited the bathroom, running her hands down the skirt of her waitressing uniform, smoothing out the wrinkles. "Jo, how are you?" she greeted her daughter, quickly pulling her into a hug.

"Ma!" Jo cried. She enveloped her mom in a tight hug, burying her face in her mother's neck, inhaling deeply. "I missed you," she said quietly.

"I missed you too, sweetie." When they broke away, Rose held her daughter's face in her hands, and pressed a light kiss to her forehead before addressing everyone else in the room. "Hello girls, how are you?" She then moved into the kitchen and reached into a cupboard for a few glasses.

"It's nice to see you again, Rose," Blair greeted her with a wave and bright smile. Jo rolled her eyes at the exchange before joining her mother in the kitchen. While staying in Peekskill, Blair got really close to Jo's parents, so much so that she noticed sometimes her mother and father would treat her slightly better than herself. Whenever Jo called them out on it, Rose would always remind her that she "can't spoil her own child". Jo went to the refrigerator and pulled out a pitcher of water.

"How are you enjoying your trip so far?" Rose asked. She held each glass as Jo poured the ice cold water into them.

"We're not," Tootie mumbled.

"Tootie!" Blair and Natalie snapped in unison.

"Sorry!" Tootie turned in her seat to address Rose. Jo sneered before handing her and Blair a glass of water. Rose crossed the room and gave one to Natalie. She then began to gather a jacket and purse. "But we meet up at an ice cream place that Jo picks, she was late-"

"A few minutes," Jo cried.

"Then she talks to some girl named Brittany and doesn't introduce us; her best friends she's known for eight years, and then-"

"Brittany?!" Rose repeated.

"Tootie!" Jo groaned.

Blair let out a loud sneeze. She waved her hand in the air. "I think I'm allergic to something in here." She leaned forward and ran her finger across the coffee table, wincing at the dirt left on her finger. "Don't you dust?"

"Blair!" Tootie snapped.

"Natalie!" Natalie called out raising her hand in the air. Everyone else in the room turned towards her, looking at her in annoyance or confusion. "I didn't want to be left out," she muttered, raising a shoulder.

Jo rolled her eyes and joined her mother's side, placing both hands on her shoulders.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'm not hanging out with Brittany anymore," she said reassuringly. "I'm actually surprised that she remembered me."

"You're just doing so well," Rose said as she put on her jacket. She tossed her purse over her shoulder and plucked an apartment key from the table near the door. "I don't want you to go backwards and mess things up again."

"Gee, and I thought you were proud of me," Jo said sarcastically.

"I am, you know that," Rose said gently. She patted her daughter lightly on the cheek before offering up a smile. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I have to go to work."

"I understand."

"What I don't understand is that we still don't have cream," Tootie mumbled.

"I didn't know the other place had closed down." Jo playfully tugged on Tootie's ponytail as she re-entered the kitchen. "There's a grocery store around the corner. I'll go get you some." She slipped on her jacket and tapped the pockets to make sure she had her keys, before joining her mother by the door. "Make yourselves at home. I'll walk you out, ma."

"See you later, girls."

"Bye, Rose." Blair sniffed.

Jo held the door open for her mother, and guided her out the door, placing her hand on her mother's small back. She then turned and locked the door, before turning around and rolling her eyes upon seeing her mother regarding her with narrow eyes and her arms folded over her chest.

"Jo, I want you to stay away from Brittany," Rose instructed.

"Mom, it's not like I'm going to go and find her," Jo sighed. The two walked side by side as they made their way down the narrow stairs and into the apartment building lobby. They waved to the landlord before stepping out the door. It closed with a loud click behind them. Jo instinctively reached out and tugged on the handle, checking to make sure the door was locked.

"You know what happened last time," Rose pointed out. "She's part of the reason I suggested you go to Eastland."

"Suggested?" Jo snorted. "You practically forced me to go."

"You scored a 98 on the entrance exam. If you really didn't want to go, you could have failed it."

Jo opened her mouth to respond, but quickly found that she didn't have one. "…Touché," she admitted.

"She's just…bad news for you," Rose said quietly.

"You thought the same thing about Eddie and now look where he is."

"You two almost ran off and got married, and then he got married while in the Navy and lied to you about it," her mother listed off.

"Again…touché." Jo clenched her jaw. It was one thing to have to admit that she's wrong, but it's another thing when her mother is able to come up with responses faster than she could form her own. "We're still friends though."

"Jo, promise me." Rose reached out and gripped her daughter's chin, forcing her to look into her face. "You'll have nothing to do with the Young Diablos anymore. I don't want that stuff in my house. Not again."

Jo reached up and placed her hand on top of her mother's, gently rubbing her thumb against the back of her hand. "I won't, ma. I promise," she said quietly. "I still feel bad about what happened the last time. You're going to be safe."

Rose half-smiled before looking up and down the street. "I'd be safer if I were able to move."

"What about the money I've been sending you?" Jo questioned.

"It's helped…but we've been in debt for so long…" Rose trailed off when she spotted the look of concern on her daughter's face. It quickly changed to a look of determination, one Rose quickly recognized. As much as she loved her daughter, once she got her mind on trying to fix things, and her pride getting in the way, the situation for her would tend to get worse before it got better, even with the good intentions behind it. "That's nothing for you to worry about," she instructed. "Enjoy your trip."

"I will, ma," Jo answered with a nod. "Have a good day at work." She placed a light kiss on her mother's cheek before rushing down the stairs and heading off down the street, in the opposite direction of her mother. After a few moments, she glanced over her shoulder and watched as her mother disappeared around the corner.

Jo then quickened her steps, ducking into an alleyway.