"Ah…" That was all Diana Bolton could say once her daughter finished retelling her story. She still sat on the trunk while Tati and Jasmine were on the bed and Charlotte leaned against her dresser, refusing to look at any of them. She was clearly uncomfortable with having to share so much about what was both such an intimate and passionate part of her life as well as such a painful time as well. She always intended on eventually telling her mother that she and Henry dated, but she wanted to do so on her own terms and without sharing all the nitty-gritty details of their breakup. But now she was essentially forced to because she didn't know if she could physically handle being in the same room with him.

"Okay, I can see why you didn't want to talk about it," Jasmine said a bit somberly. Charlotte nodded and rubbed the back of her neck gently before finally looking at her mother.

"So…can we cancel our plans with the Harts?" she asked, knowing she would agree. The woman gave her a small gentle smile and stood up, walking over to her and rubbing her arms gently. She gave them a small comforting squeeze and the young woman's body relaxed as she already knew the answer.

"No." The relaxation didn't last long. When the single word left her mother's lips, Charlotte instantly grew tense and nervous again and her eyes shot up to meet hers as she searched them for her reasoning.

"Wait, what?"

"Honey," Diana began with a sigh, "I'm sorry about how things ended between you two and I understand why you were hurt. But it's been four years."

"Mom!" Charlotte cried out and quickly pushed her hands off of her arms in betrayal. Of all people, she expected her to be the most understanding and accommodating of such a simple request. She didn't even like Mrs. Hart's cooking! She didn't understand why on Earth she'd insist on them still going.

"Charlotte, you had a bad breakup. It's been four years since then and you two were only together for two weeks, your friendship was much longer and much stronger than that," her mother explained with a stern yet still gentle voice. "Thanksgiving is a holiday where people come together and give thanks. What better day to make up and reignite your friendship than on Thanksgiving? I really think you should give this a chance and just talk to Henry. I'm sure he regrets what happened." Charlotte scoffed loudly and flailed her arms in disbelief as she walked around her mother and looked at her friends.

"Can you believe this?!" She expected to also have their support but she could see the apprehension on their faces. They also agreed with her mother and now her head was spinning once again. She felt like she had suddenly landed on another planet where somehow she was wrong and everyone else knew something more than her.

"Girl, the way you've been acting, I expected something way worse. Yeah he was a dick, but it's not something to hold a four year grudge over," Tatiana said.

"I have to agree. Your mom is right, he probably completely regrets how things happened and wants to see you," Jasmine added. She let out an exasperated sigh and ran her hands over her face. She was growing frustrated because she hated when people called her out on her mess but they also didn't get it. They were right that she shouldn't have held her grudge for so long and she shouldn't have been so scared to see him, but it went so much deeper than any of them could understand. But she couldn't properly articulate it and she didn't want to, she wanted something from that time to remain in her memories. She wanted to fight and argue but all she could do was stand there with her hands covering her face before she brushed them over her hair. She felt her mother's hand on her shoulder.

"Just give this a chance, it'll only be dinner," she said softly and Charlotte wanted so badly to explain that it wouldn't just be dinner. It would be an onslaught of memories and heart-wrenching unspoken desires and words that'll be too much for her. She wouldn't be able to handle it. But she had no other choice. She simply nodded a little and closed her eyes to keep anxious tears at bay and steady her breathing.

"Okay. Fine."

Mango Butter. That was what Henry read on the small jar that sat on Charlotte's dresser. He turned the lid and opened it then smelled the contents, a smile growing on his face at the scent. This was it. This was what she put in her hair that made it smell so good. Her hair had a combination of different smells but this was always the main one and he always loved it. Her dresser was filled with many items. Some were different perfumes, hair oils, gels, powders, makeup, and small miscellaneous items. He had no idea how she managed to keep track of everything she had. He closed the jar and placed it back down between the bottle of leave in conditioner and oil. He was about to grab one of her perfumes and smell it as well when her door opened and she entered. He turned to look at her and smiled. Her hair was smoothed down neatly and tied back, a puff of curls sitting atop her head like a crown. She held a washcloth in one hand and a first aid kit in another.

"What are you doing? Sit down," she told him and gestured towards the bed. He put his hands up in defense and backed up until his legs hit the bed and he sat down on the corner of it. His legs lazily spread open and Charlotte stood between them, her soft fingers pressing underneath his chin and gently tilting his head upwards. His chestnut brown eyes met her chocolate ones and he felt his heart skip several beats. She was so beautiful. He kicked himself for never realizing how beautiful she was for so long. Her face was perfect - big round eyes, high cheekbones, a cute button nose, and full pouty and kissable lips with a darker top lip and a pinker bottom lip. He wondered what they tasted like. She looked like a living doll and Bianca, Chloe, and every girl he flirted with completely paled in comparison to her. Her hand gently pressed the warm and wet washcloth to his forehead and he hissed softly at the pain.

"Sorry," she apologized softly as she gently wiped the blood away from the wound. It was a casualty of crime fighting. He wasn't paying attention and was met with the butt of a Glock to his forehead, cutting his skin and leaving a nasty gash. He insisted he was fine (never mind his splitting headache and his vision doubling), but Charlotte insisted she help clean him up. And how could he ever say no to her? So, there he was, staring up at the most beautiful woman in the world as she cleaned up his bloody wound with one of her fluffy washcloths. Once she wiped up all the blood, she set it down and opened up the first aid kit. She warned him of the impending stings before cleaning his wound up with rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. It definitely stung but he played tough and did his hardest not to make any noise or complaints. She applied some antibiotic topical cream and some gauze before wrapping a bandage around his head, making sure his curls were out of the way. He still had his shaved sides and undercut with the top of his blond hair in his naturally curly state. He wanted to fully cut off all his hair and sport a buzzcut, but after Charlotte casually mentioned how she liked his curls, he decided to stick with it.

"Thank you," he said softly and gave her a gentle smile. His heart did a million cartwheels when she smiled in return.

"No problem, you know I'll always take care of you," she said and his smile grew bigger. He hoped that was true, he wanted her by his side forever.

Those were the kinds of memories that plagued Henry daily. Not the ones where they made love (though he did think about that a lot), not the times they kissed, not the times they shared intimate touches and invaded each other's senses, it was the small moments they shared before and during the times they dated. They plagued him for years and he felt almost nauseous and pathetic for being stuck on one girl for so long. Jasper once called him pathetic over it and he couldn't deny it, he was pathetic. He was so stuck on Charlotte that he'd rather sleep with prostitutes than try to form actual relationships with other women. All he wanted was her back but she knew she wouldn't want him anymore, especially the man that he became.

The minute they got off of the plane and grabbed their luggage, Jasper and Henry quickly exited the airport and fished for their cigarettes. The worst part about flying halfway around the world was that they couldn't have their much needed smoke breaks. Henry quickly found his pack and popped one out, placing it between his lips and flicking on his lighter. He held the flame to his cigarette and took a few puffs as he lit it, happily letting the poisonous smoke invade his lungs. Closing his lighter and putting it away, he held the cigarette between his index and middle finger and blew out the smoke with a satisfied sigh. With the nicotine easing his nerves, he looked around the familiar setting and finally registered just where he was. They were here a day earlier than planned, Henry was a little eager to get home to quell his mother's disappointment and managed to trade his tickets in for an earlier flight. It was so much brighter and friendlier looking than Dystopia, and it already overwhelmed him with memories. Now that they were actually back, he wondered if this was a good idea and whether he'd be able to handle being back in this town.

"Welcome home, Kid Danger," Jasper said with his own cigarette hanging from the corner of his lips. The taller blond chuckled a little and took another drag of his cigarette before looking at his best friend.

"Kid Danger is dead," he responded as he blew out the smoke, "but it is kind of nice to be back home." He took a final few puffs of his cigarette before dropping it and stomping it out. As Jasper stomped his out as well, the two of them went to pick up their rental car. They had already prepaid for it, deciding to make some good use out of that briefcase full of money they recently acquired. They went all out, renting a silver BMW X3 so they could effectively show off as Jasper so eloquently put it. Usually, Henry wouldn't go for something like that - he was more simple and preferred not to make too much of a fuss, but he didn't see any harm in showing off one of the benefits of his time in Dystopia. Crime fighting itself didn't bring much money in but their latest tasks allowed them to get a bigger payout (never mind whether it was fully legal or ethical or not).

Once they got their keys and the car, they placed their luggage in the back and Henry got into the driver's seat while Jasper climbed into the passenger seat. The blond licked his lips anxiously as he relaxed in the comfortable leather seat, thinking over everything that was happening and everything that was going to happen. He blamed Ray for this. Since he was 13, the overgrown man child essentially became his father figure (even though he very much still had a father) and he picked up his irresponsible behavior. He became cockier, impatient, dismissive of Charlotte - though he realized on his own how stupid that was - and worst of all, he got impulsive. He did things without thinking them out properly and that was how he got there. In a luxury SUV in Swellview a day earlier than he was meant to be and closer to possibly reuniting with the one woman he loved more than anything in the world.

And now he was freaking out.

"This was a mistake," he finally said as he stared at the steering wheel. Jasper turned his attention to him and raised an eyebrow.

"What was?"

"Coming earlier, this was stupid. I'm not ready, this was such a bad fucking idea," he rambled quickly as he wrapped his hands around the steering wheel and gripped it tightly.

"Dude," Jasper started with an amused chuckle, "whether we came now or tomorrow, you were gonna have to deal with this. I already told you, Char probably isn't even in Swellview. You've gotta calm down." He grabbed his phone and unlocked it, opening up TwitFlash and going to his DMs. "Let's head to Sidney Birnbaum's place first." At that, Henry raised a skeptical eyebrow and finally looked at the other.

"What? Why?" he quizzed while Jasper took it upon himself to start typing an address into the GPS. He watched him, curious to see what he had planned. Truth be told, they didn't actually plan out what they would do once they returned to Swellview. The main goal was to go back home, apologize to his family for ghosting them for so long, maybe go see Ray, Schwoz, and the kids, then go back to Dystopia when the week was over. Sidney was nowhere near his brain when it came to this trip.

"I did some TwitFlash research before we came. Sidney deals now and you need to calm down. After a joint or two, you'll be ready to see your family." The tall blond scoffed and laughed a little in disbelief.

"Sidney Birnbaum deals? Seriously?"

"Yeah!" Jasper countered. "His TwitFlash is crazy dude, so many different strains that he grows himself. He even sells edibles and drinkables. A lot has changed in five years." He chuckled and Henry shrugged his shoulders, sticking the keys into the ignition and turning on the car. Maybe his friend was right, all he needed was something to calm him down and he would be able to handle the week. The drive quickly had the men reminiscing about old times. They drive past Nacho Ball (the nice one) and talk about how they had Henry's 14th birthday there and Piper got them banned for a month because she kicked a waiter in the crotch because he gave her mild sauce instead of hot. They spot the Museum of Jewels and Stools and Jasper teases him about Heather and how she almost stole that diamond, and Henry shoots back how Charlotte told him that he was weirdly jealous of her. That shuts him up, as it does any time someone reminds Jasper of his childhood crush on Henry (aka his bisexual awakening).

But it was driving past Yotally Togurt that did it for the brown eyed man. It reminded him of when he got grounded and Charlotte snuck into his room to give him a triple fudge blast frozen yogurt, because she was always so considerate and kind towards him. That kindness never faded either, no matter how much of a jerk he was towards her. Whether he dismissed her, ignored her, made fun of her, or ghosted her when she was trying to help him, she'd always be kind and would use that big brain of hers to get him out of trouble. So many times, it felt like Charlotte was the real hero of Swellview. For years, he kicked himself for not having her back when she needed him too.

He parked the car when the GPS announced that they had reached their destination, the two of them climbing out of the car. Jasper opened the trunk of the car and grabbed a briefcase from his luggage before the two of them went up to the door. It was a small one story brick house, reminiscent of most of the houses in West Swellview. It wasn't big and fancy like Henry's childhood home, just enough for a single man to live in and enjoy. The door opened and Sidney appeared, a smile blossoming on his face when he saw his two school friends. He oddly looked the same with his black hair in the same short haircut, just a little taller and now sporting a goatee.

"Henry Hart! Jasper Dunlop! Holy crap!" He slapped his palm against Henry's and pulled him in for a bro hug before doing the same with Jasper. He opened the door wider and let them into his home. It was just as small as it appeared outside and filled with clutter. The carpet looked old and dingy, likely once a nice clean white but was now an old muddy gray looking color. The floor plan was open and they made their way to the slightly messy living room. Magazines were stacked on the coffee table next to multiple ashtrays and old wrapping papers, a bong sat shamelessly on the side table while the other table had a bunch of old beer bottles on top of it. A large flat screen TV sat atop a TV stand cabinet filled with more magazines and old newspapers. But what captured Henry's attention the most was the smell. The smell. Just being in there, breathing, would get anyone high. He was skeptical about what Jasper told him before but being inside the small house more than confirmed what he said. If Sidney wasn't dealing, he had a huge weed problem.

"So, how have you been, Sidney?" Henry asked as he sat down on the couch. Jasper sat down next to him while Sidney sat in the matching lounge chair.

"Good! Had a small breakdown when Oliver was never found after being snatched by some monster on Halloween and after a ton of therapy, I went on a backpacking trip across Europe! It was there that I discovered the joys of marijuana," he said with a funny accent. The two men chuckled a little and Jasper spoke up.

"Glad you brought it up. Henry's a little stressed and he needs to calm down before we go to see his family," he explained.

"No problemo, dude-o! You looking to smoke? I have some awesome Captain Man strains! Or are edibles more your style?"

"My mom will kill me if she smells weed on me, so let's go with edibles. I'll still buy some to smoke later though," Henry replied and Sidney happily went to get his inventory. Making sure he was gone and not looking, Jasper opened up the briefcase and took out some money. They were playing a dangerous game keeping all that cash on them like that, but they weren't in the mood for any questions from a bank and wanted to keep it all close to them. Handing the money to Henry, he quickly closed the briefcase again and put it down just as Sidney returned.

"These brownies and cookies will have you smooth sailing in an hour, promise," he grinned widely and Henry flashed him a slightly nervous smile. He hoped he was right, he was going to need them if he was going to survive this week. And.

Well.

He was right.

He was incredibly right.

An hour had passed and Henry was slumped back against the couch, his head swimming and on cloud nine as the three of them watched reruns of Dog Judge. He had a lazy smile on his face and all of the anxieties he had were gone. He didn't even remember what exactly he was anxious about. Sidney had sampled some of his products as well and was feeling lazy and at ease as well, while Jasper was still sober so he could drive. He and Sidney were talking about…something and it only caught Henry's attention when he heard a familiar name.

"I can invite some of the old folks from school! Melvin, Tawni, Chad, Bianca-"

"What? What about Bianca?" Henry asked as he lazily looked at Sidney.

"He wants to throw a party for us tomorrow," Jasper informed him and the blond nodded his head slowly before it finally registered.

"Wait, what? Why? Thanksgiving's in a few days."

"Exactly!" Sidney pointed at him and Henry couldn't help but laugh a little. "Everyone's back home with family and already going crazy. What's more fun than reuniting with old friends and having a party? I bet everyone will be super excited to see you guys too, especially Bianca." He wiggled his eyebrows and gave Henry a knowing smirk, though he was sort of too high to understand what he was implying. He shrugged his shoulders casually and took another bite of his cookie.

"Whatever."

"That's a 'yeah, I'm down' in his language," Jasper said with a chuckle. Sidney whooped excitedly and began to rattle off his party plans. Henry just melted into the couch more and let his brain wander back into the heavens. His body felt like he was floating, flying over the streets of Swellview and greeting all the people he left behind. He saw old neighbors, the cops, old villains he once fought, the vice mayor's crazy niece, and the dog they had for a short while. He drifted from Nacho Ball to Montego's to Fred Lobster. He found his way back to Swellview High and lazily floated through the hallways until he spotted a head of familiar curls. He slowly sunk until he stood on his feet again and made his way over to her, her back towards him and her head down buried in probably a book about science. When he reached her, he tapped her shoulder and she turned around slowly to look at him. A big smile bloomed on her beautifully sculpted face and her slim arms encircled his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her in a tight loving embrace as he spoke softly and slowly.

"I've missed you, Charlotte."

A/N: Surprise mid-week update! I kinda felt like giving an extra update this week since the story overall moves pretty slowly and I've written far enough ahead to give a little extra. Henry is finally back in Swellview and we're getting closer to the original team interacting again and finding out what really happened between Charlotte and Henry! Thank you for reading and I hope you're enjoying it!