Dinner with the Harts was always a nice experience for Jasper. It was a nice change from what he got at home, which was usually just a dry sandwich and a dirty glass of tap water until he was old enough to cook. It was nice whenever he managed to have dinner with the Harts, though Piper and sometimes Mr. Hart made that occur less than he would've wanted (now Mr. Hart was more than delighted to have him there which was an odd experience for Jasper). He enjoyed the food Mrs. Hart made (it was some kind of sushi lasagna mashup) but there was something else he needed that he couldn't get from them. He licked his lips as he finished his drink then wiped his mouth clean with his napkin.

"I'm gonna have a cigarette and take a walk, I'll see you guys later," he said as he stood up from the table. As he made his way towards the door, Jake quickly stood.

"I'll join you!" he offered but his wife sent him a confused glare.

"You don't smoke," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but I can start! Come on, I wanna hang out with cool Jasper!" he whined but she just rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, yanking him back down into his chair. Henry laughed a little then looked over at his friend as he pulled on his jacket.

"See you later, dude!"

"See ya!" Jasper opened the door and slipped out of the Hart residence, closing the door behind him. He rubbed his palms together and inhaled deeply, taking in the cool crisp air and allowing it to wake him up more. He considered actually having another cigarette but decided against it, knowing she wouldn't enjoy the smell.

Jasper Dunlop's family life was…interesting, to say the least. He was the result of two teenagers raised in an extremely religious environment running away and getting married when they were 18 just so they could have sex without shame. His mother quickly became pregnant before she realized that she didn't really like the man she was married to and he didn't like her much either. She also realized that she hated being pregnant and she hated being a mother even more. The two of them agreed to give him a middle name on their one year anniversary but his lack of commitment and her unstable behavior didn't let them reach that milestone and when Jasper was only six months old, his parents divorced.

That left him with a young Irene Dunlop who hated being a mother, hated the man that Jasper so closely resembled, and hated that she was missing out on enjoying her youth. As a result, he was often left home alone while she went out partying with various boyfriends and irresponsible friends. The nights he wasn't left alone, he was still largely ignored by his mother who would rather spend time with Uncle Whoever and would just throw the young toddler scraps to keep him out of her hair. This lasted until he was four and fell down the stairs when Uncle Somebody was there and he actually reported her for neglect. That fall left him with a metal plate in his head and a mother who detested him even more. But no matter how much she hated him, no matter how much she ignored him or yelled at him, from a young age Jasper never resented his mother.

He knew she couldn't help it. He knew something wasn't right about her after he met Henry's mom when he was five and she was so much different from his own mom. Mrs. Hart didn't cry randomly and stay in bed all day, she didn't get super angry suddenly and throw her shoes at Henry then cry and hug him an hour later to say she was sorry. She didn't have extreme highs for a few days then lows on other days. Jasper's mom was different and she needed help that she just couldn't get, so he never resented her. She did her best with what she was left with in life.

But he was still a child, he still needed love and nourishment. Mrs. Hart was nice, but she only tolerated him and she often had her limits with his odd behavior. But…in Diana Bolton, he found a mother that he had always wanted. When he met Charlotte and went to her house for the first time when he was six years old, he had been crying the whole day because his mother yelled at him that day and said how much she hated him, and that would bring any six year old down. He refused to let anyone know why he was so sad that day but when a curly haired girl came up to him and offered him her mom's home baked snickerdoodles, how on Earth could he say no? And how could he say no when she asked him to join her at her house, especially once he found out Henry was going to be there too?

So, he went to her house with Henry and was almost instantly met with warmth. The house was just cozy and comfortable, a feeling he never had in his own home. As the kids sat down and had a snack, Miss Bolton pulled Jasper aside and gave him some food to take home, and gave him his own crayons. He was so happy that he burst into tears again and for the first time in his young life, he wasn't yelled at for crying. He was hugged. Miss Bolton pulled him close and hugged him tightly, cradling him in her comfortable arms and rocking him in her embrace as he cried and relished in her comfort. He found a second mother in her and in him, she found a son. She didn't tolerate him, she didn't deal with him, she truly loved him and treated him as if he was her own child. And that was all he ever wanted in life.

Henry's and Charlotte's breakup didn't just change their lives, it changed his life too because it took him away from the kindest mother he'd ever known. But now…now he could see her again and he was incredibly nervous. He wondered if she'd like how he looked now or whether she'd be disappointed like Mrs. Hart was. He wondered if she would even want to talk to him again since he'd unwillingly ghosted her for four years. His stomach was tied up in anxious knots as he approached the familiar white house that he knew so well. It was past 7 pm and the lights were still on so he hoped she was up and would let him in. He took a deep breath as he approached the house and walked up to the door, looking it over for a moment before finally knocking.

Inside, a pouty Charlotte stood at the sink with Jasmine as they washed the plates. She was still upset over having to join the Harts for Thanksgiving and be reunited with Henry before she was actually ready to (which would be never). She knew she was going to have to face him eventually but she planned on that being after she was married to Eddy and wouldn't be tempted at all to go back to him. But that plan was completely foiled by her stupid horny dickhead fiancé. Or, ex-fiancé. When she heard the knock on the door, she turned to look towards the living room. Her mom and Tati sat on the couch watching The Walking Orange - well, Tati was watching and her mom was actually sleeping. Tati looked at Charlotte and mouthed whether she could get the door, which she nodded to and turned her attention back to washing the plates.

Tati stood up and walked over to the door, peeking out through the peephole and seeing a tall broad man standing there. She raised an eyebrow and turned to look towards the kitchen, "Uh, it's some guy!" she called out. Diana stirred from her sleep with a snort and blinked as she looked around. Charlotte looked over curiously and tilted her head.

"Let them in," she told her and the brunette nodded. She opened the door and was met by the stranger who seemed to be just as confused by her appearance. He glanced at the house number before looking at her again.

"Um, hi," he started with a small grin, "is Miss Bolton here?" The woman on the couch almost instantly recognized the voice and she perked up quickly. In the kitchen, Charlotte also recognized the voice and almost dropped the plate as her body grew tense.

"Fuck!" she swore and dropped the plate in the sink then quickly crouched down. Jasmine stared at her in confusion.

"Uh, what's going on?" she asked her friend as she hid behind one of the table legs.

"It's-"

"Jasper?!" Diana gasped as she stood from the couch and went to the door. Tati stood aside as the older woman stepped closer to make sure that she was seeing things correctly. The young man broke out into a face splitting grin when he saw her and he couldn't help but bounce in place until he could finally wrap his arms around her and hug her tightly. As her arms enveloped him in a tight hug, the warmth and nurture that he'd always loved washed over him and he felt like a little boy again. He couldn't help the heaviness in his chest and the lump forming in his throat as tears welled up in his eyes. He missed her so much.

"Hi Miss Bolton," he said with a wavering voice as he squeezed her a little. He finally took a step back after a few moments and felt sheepish and nervous as she looked him over.

"It's been so long!" she exclaimed as she took in his new appearance and looked at his face again. "You look amazing! Look at what a big man you've become!" As she gushed over him, Jasper couldn't help the big smile that grew on his face. He looked down at his shoes and idly brushed his feet over the welcome matt, his hands stuffed inside his pants pockets as he fought to hide his smile.

"Ah, stop," he said shyly and Diana laughed. He changed so much physically but was still the sweet and kind boy that she'd known since he was a child. She took his hand and pulled him inside, closing the door behind him.

"How have you been? God, it's been so long. I hope Dystopia is treating you well." She pulled him over to the couch and had him sit down next to her. He settled comfortably on the familiar old couch and shrugged off his jacket.

"I've been well! Dystopia's a hard place to live but I don't really hate it. I just hate that I lost contact with you," he told her with a small smile. "I've missed you, Miss Bolton." She gave him a warm smile as she felt tears well up in her eyes, rubbing his arm gently.

"I've missed you too, Jasper. Have you eaten? You're probably starving!" He laughed a little at her sudden concern. She was still such a motherly figure. Before he could tell her that he was fine, she stood up and turned towards the kitchen.

"Charlotte! Fix another plate of those pork chops!" she requested and simultaneously, there were two similar yet different reactions. On the couch, Jasper's eyes doubled in size and his muscles tensed up slightly. Was Henry's freak out for a good reason? He tossed his jacket aside on the couch and quickly sprang to his feet.

"Wait, Charlotte's here?" he asked and cleared his throat in order to try and hide his shock. The older woman looked at him and gave him a warm smile.

"Yes! She actually came home on Friday!" she explained.

In the kitchen and underneath the table, the curly haired woman was quietly cursing up a storm. This wasn't supposed to happen. Wasn't he supposed to be coming back tomorrow?! Why was he there now and why was he in her damn house?! And why, oh why, did her mom tell him she was there?! She missed him, he was her best friend, but he was also Henry's best friend and was a reminder of him. As much as she wasn't ready to see Henry again, she also wasn't ready to see Jasper. She just couldn't handle it. Unfortunately, she didn't have much of a choice as she could hear his footsteps as he entered the kitchen. Maybe Jasmine-

"Is…is she hiding under the table?" Jasper asked the other woman in the kitchen and she nodded.

"Yep."

Bitch. Charlotte sighed as she realized she was stuck and was going to have to do this. She pursed her lips together in a tense thin line and sighed heavily before finally crawling out from underneath the table. She stood up with her back to her former best friend and sent a glare towards Jasmine who just gave her a friendly smile in return. This was it. She could do this. She took a deep breath and turned around.

And, so suddenly, they were both six years old again. Charlotte was a little girl with two pigtail puffs and wearing a galaxy pattern top with a fluffy pink tulle skirt and galaxy tights to match, and Jasper was a chubby little boy with red cheeks and teary eyes wiping his nose on his Dog Judge tee shirt and stains on his old cargo shorts. The two of them quickly became friends and relied on each other through so much. They felt themselves return to the present and while Charlotte wasn't donning a childish skirt and Jasper's cheeks were no longer chubby, they both had tears in their eyes and a connection that couldn't be broken by four years of distance and unspoken sorrows.

"Hey," he finally said as his chest was tight and a lump grew in his throat again, his arms itching to hug her again. She managed to smile a little as a few tears ran down her cheeks.

"Hi," she answered more softly than she wanted to. She didn't realize how much she missed Jasper. She was so preoccupied with getting over and moving on from Henry that she had forgotten how much the other boy meant to her. She needed him in her life as much as she used to need Henry. He couldn't take it anymore and finally stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in for a tight bear hug that knocked the wind out of her but made her laugh nonetheless. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back as tightly as she could, resting her chin against his shoulder and letting out a contented sigh. More laughter bubbled out of her as he picked her up a little then placed her back down on the floor. They separated themselves slightly and she wiped her tears away before looking him over. He had changed so much.

"God," she breathed out and shook her head a little, "you look amazing!"

"Me? Girl, look at you!" he exclaimed and stepped back before lifting her hand above her head and twirling her around slowly to get a better look at her. She couldn't help but laugh more as she twirled then posed once she was facing him again. "You look incredible!"

"Thank you," she chuckled a little. Jasmine finally cleared her throat and Charlotte remembered that there were other people there. And they were all watching them. "Oh! Yeah, Jasper, this is my friend Jasmine Caldwell and over there is Tatiana Stevens, they're my friends from school."

Jasper nodded at Jasmine and shook her hand before waving over at Tatiana. "Lovely to meet you both," he said with a smile.

"Lovely to meet you too. We'll give you and Char some alone time so you two can catch up," she said sweetly then gave Charlotte a sly grin. She raised an eyebrow as she watched her leave the kitchen and grab Tati's arm, yanking her upstairs as she craned her neck to watch what was happening in the kitchen. Diana simply laughed a little.

"I'll go upstairs as well, but Char, make sure you fix that plate for Jasper okay?"

"Yes, mom," the young woman answered and watched as Jasper waved when Diana went upstairs. He turned his attention back to his old friend and smiled.

"I don't mean to impose but those pork chops do smell good…" he said with a sheepish grin and she laughed.

"Okay, sit," she instructed before turning to fix him a plate of her mother's smothered pork chops. No one could resist her mother's cooking, especially Jasper, so she didn't blame him. She fixed his plate with the still warm from the pan pork chops and served it to him then gave him a glass of water. She sat down at the table across from him and as he began to dig into his meal, he looked at her and smiled a little.

"We have a lot to catch up on," he premised and she nodded in agreement, biting down on the corner of her bottom lip.

"We do."

A/N: This was another favorite chapter to write. I hope you enjoyed it! Please share your thoughts, I'd love to know what everyone thinks about the story so far. Thank you!