"Welcome to Swellview's 13th annual Thanksgiving parade! Let the festivities begin!" Piper announced happily as Captain Man excitedly cut the red ribbon with his large scissors. They all stepped aside and clapped as the local marching band began to loudly play their music and marched along the street, beginning the parade. She looked to her left and smiled a little at the sight of Jasper next to her. He was focused on the parade but it was still nice to have his presence next to her. She wrapped her arm around his own and hugged it against her frame, resting her cheek against his shoulder as she watched the parade. He glanced at her before smiling at the sight, stepping closer to her so she could rest against him comfortably as they enjoyed the festivities.

On the right of her, Captain Man stared at the display in confusion. This was a side of Piper he had never seen before and he didn't know how to process it. Was she okay? Was she possessed? Did she eat a love muffin and fall in love with Jasper? He would have to remember to punch Jasper a few times later to try and snap her out of this wicked spell. Man, he was such an awesome superhero.

After about half an hour of standing in the cold watching the parade, Piper started craving a pumpkin spice latte (yeah, maybe it was a little basic). When she told Jasper, he led her over to one of the food stalls that offered hot coffee and other drinks. She kept her hold on his arm as the two of them walked over before reluctantly pulling away as he placed their orders - pumpkin spice for her and black coffee for himself. As he waited for their drinks, Piper felt a hand on her lower back. She flinched initially then jumped away from him when she turned and was met with an unfamiliar face. He was handsome, with blue eyes, curly black hair, freckles, and pouty lips, but she didn't like the idea of some guy putting his hands on her and invading her space.

"Whoa! Uh, hello?" she greeted in confusion as she stared at him. He put up both of his hands and chuckled a little.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to say hi. I'm Oliver." He offered his hand to shake and she hesitantly took it, shaking it and giving him a small smile.

"Hey Oliver, I'm Piper," she introduced herself and he smiled.

"I know, I saw you open up the parade and I just thought you were really beautiful." She raised her eyebrows slightly but maintained her smile. She glanced over her shoulder to look at Jasper, who was still waiting on their drinks. She looked at the stranger again and nodded with a small smile.

"Thanks, that's really sweet."

"Do…you have a boyfriend? I saw you hanging out with that other guy," he said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.

"No…no boyfriend…" she admitted with a hint of sadness. But Oliver clearly didn't pick that up as a bright smile bloomed on his face and he nodded almost a little too excitedly.

"Awesome! I mean, not that you not having a boyfriend is awesome. That sucks for you. I mean! No, it's just-" He stammered over his words and she couldn't help but giggle a little. Okay, maybe now she could see that he was sort of cute and a little endearing. He finally gave her an apologetic smile before licking his lips nervously.

"I'm sorry," he relented, "I just think you're really pretty. Um, can I have your number? Maybe we can hang out sometime and get some coffee?" She bit down on her bottom lip as she thought it over. She bit down on her lip and thought it over before nodding and giving him her number. There couldn't be much harm in talking to him and getting to know him more. As the two of them exchanged numbers, Jasper approached them.

"Hey, here's your latte," he said as he gave her the cup carefully. She thanked him as he took it and waved to Oliver as he left. "Who was that?" Jasper asked and Piper let out a soft sigh.

"A potential new friend. Let's go back and watch the parade!" She grabbed his arm and dragged him back along to the parade, smiling when he easily followed her and stayed by her side. It was a really good day for her.

Later on in the day at the Bolton-Page household, Charlotte hummed happily as she applied her makeup. It wasn't anything too special as she kept it light and neutral, applying a little concealer to cover up her dark circles. She giggled a little to herself as she thought about why she suddenly had them under her eyes. Watching her were her curious friends, confused by her happy and excited behavior. This was the giddiest she had been since arriving home. As Tati returned her attention to her own makeup - a little more sultry than Charlotte's with dark red eyeshadows and oranges and a deep red lip - Jasmine couldn't take it anymore and finally spoke up.

"Okay, what has you in such a good mood?" she asked and Charlotte could only smile to herself. Tatiana glanced at them before rolling her eyes and deciding to answer herself.

"She got some dick last night," she said and the youngest gasped. Charlotte looked over at her and raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know that?" she asked and Jasmine gasped louder because she didn't deny it.

"I walked in on you and Henry all cuddled up in bed together this morning," the brunette answered casually and Jasmine almost collapsed to the ground. She grabbed hold of the sink to keep herself steady and looked at Charlotte.

"You and Henry?! Last night?!" Charlotte turned her attention to her and couldn't help the big smile that grew on her face.

"Girl, he blew my back out last night," she said before the two of them squealed happily. She sat on the edge of the tub as the events of the night played through her mind like a (very explicit) movie. "God, it was amazing. He was amazing. Literally the best sex I've ever had."

"Fuck, how did this happen? You seemed so down when we left the bonfire last night," Jasmine said as she turned back towards the mirror and started to smooth down her edges.

"He climbed through my window last night-"

"Oh my God, it's like a cheesy teen drama," the youngest interrupted and Charlotte laughed a little.

"He came to get his jacket," she continued, "and we ended up talking more. Then…he told me I was the love of his life and that he still loved me. And no one has ever made me feel the things he made me feel, it was like our souls were connected, you know? The next thing I knew he kissed me and everything was just right. It's like we were back in Dystopia again and nothing had changed, it was just…kismet." Jasmine swooned as she listened to her while Tati silently finished her makeup. She tried her hardest to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach. You're supposed to be happy for her, bitch. She kept telling herself that. This is good for Charlotte, and she as a friend is supposed to be happy. But she just had to say something.

"But what happened to you saying you two were better off platonic?" she asked as she looked at her through the mirror.

"Yeah, I was being a fucking idiot," she deadpanned. "I've been pining over this guy for years, there's no use in me playing stupid and trying to deny my feelings. This is our chance to maybe do things right and I'm gonna take it."

"Good! Get your man!" Jasmine said encouragingly and high fived Charlotte as she stood up. The curly haired woman checked her makeup one final time in the mirror before letting out a contented sigh.

"Jas, can I borrow your yellow sweater with the heart cut out?"

"Of course! It's still in my suitcase, you can take it," she agreed and Charlotte thanked her before leaving the bathroom. The youngest sighed happily and looked at the mirror again, glancing at Tati as she styled her brown loose curls. Jasmine couldn't help the slightly smug grin that grew on her face.

"Sorry, this must suck for you," she said as she started to pack up her makeup. Tati didn't bother to look at her, keeping her eyes on her reflection.

"What are you talking about?"

"Henry and Charlotte getting back together. It must suck seeing them in bed together earlier and then hearing her gush about him. Maybe that'll teach you not to try and go after your 'friends' exes," she replied with a slight sneer. Tati chuckled a little and shook her head.

"Listen, for your information, I had no intentions of going after Henry, okay? I just thought he was cute. I'm actually super happy for Charlotte, she deserves this after dealing with Eddy. I have no interest in messing that up. Get off my back." She rolled her eyes and returned to perfecting her hair. Jasmine eyed her, not believing her for a second but she decided to drop it. She'd warn Charlotte before she left.

"Whatever you say," she said, though her tone made it clear she didn't buy it. She grabbed her makeup bag and left the bathroom, leaving the brunette alone.

She sighed heavily and leaned against the sink. If there was one thing she hated, she hated a busybody know-it-all like Jasmine. It also annoyed her that she was right. She was bothered by Henry and Charlotte getting back together. She had two choices: she could be a good friend and deal with her feelings on her own and let Charlotte be happy. Or, she could be the messy bitch she enjoyed being and could have Henry to herself. Would she be messing up a four year long friendship and breaking the girl code? Absolutely, but it would also cause a lot of chaos and drama, and that was something she loved. She was tempted to go that route, it was just oh so tempting. But she did love Charlotte, she was always a good friend to her.

"Fuck," she sighed. She gathered her things and left the bathroom. She'd have to make her decision later.

After getting dressed, Charlotte made her way downstairs in the mustard yellow sweater she borrowed from Jasmine and a pair of velvet burgundy pants. She entered the kitchen and put on a pair of oven mitts to take one of the many pans of food her mother prepared. She had been cooking all night and all day and it was incredibly evident in the way the kitchen was packed with amazing smelling food. Diana watched curiously as her daughter hummed happily and picked up the pan of candied sweet potatoes then practically skipped into the living room to place them down. She did a quick twirl as she went to grab her jacket and Diana was about to question her change in demeanor when there was a knock at the door.

"I got it!" Charlotte called out and opened the door, beaming instantly when she was met with the sight of Henry and Jasper. Coincidentally, she and Henry matched as he was dressed in a mustard yellow button down and brown pants. She couldn't help but lean against the door and gaze at him dreamily as she spoke. "Hey."

"Hey," he replied as he returned the same dreamy gaze and goofy smile. Jasper rolled his eyes and brushed past them as he made a series of retching sounds.

"Hello to you too!" he loudly announced and Charlotte chuckled softly. "We came to help you ladies bring the food over."

"Oh, awesome! The candied sweet potatoes are over there and there's more food in the kitchen," she told him and gestured towards the kitchen. Jasper nodded and took the oven mitts from her before going to grab some pans. She returned her attention to Henry and bit down on her lip. "Are you stalking me, Hart? How'd you know what color I'd be wearing?"

"I guess we're just that much in sync," he answered with a wink before walking further inside. She grinned and closed the door before following him.

"Did my Uncle Roscoe make it?"

"Yeah, great idea having us bring him in through the garage," he answered. He greeted Diana who watched them curiously. This was a complete 180 from how they were just a few days ago. Charlotte went from trembling at the idea of talking to Henry to practically floating on air around him. She was rather shocked at the sudden change but she was happy about it. Her daughter seemed so much happier now.

Soon enough, Jasmine came downstairs dressed and assisted them in taking food down to the Hart household. It took two trips before Henry and Charlotte returned to get the last pan. As he did, Tatiana finally walked down the steps. She wore a rust orange two piece dress that showed off some of her slim midriff. Her presence caught Henry's attention and as he watched her descend down the steps, he nearly dropped the food he was holding and quickly grabbed it firmly, balancing it quickly and holding it away from his body to keep anything from spilling onto him. Tati chuckled softly as she watched him.

"Nice one, butterfingers," she teased as she walked past him. He chuckled lightly and turned his head to watch her as she walked away.

"You look good, Tati," he said and she turned to look at him, a playful smirk on her lips.

"I know I do," she replied and turned again to saunter into the kitchen. Henry watched her closely, enjoying the way her hips swayed and how her behind looked in that skirt before he noticed Charlotte in the kitchen as well. Shit, what am I doing? He and Charlotte just got back on good terms again and he was already checking out other girls. He shook his head and cleared his throat as he walked to the door.

"Let's go, ladies, it's Thanksgiving time!" he announced and they all happily followed him out of the house, Diana closing and locking the door behind them. Charlotte jogged ahead a little until she was next to Henry, the two of them sharing a smile as they walked together.

As they entered the Hart household, Henry happily announced that all the food was there and everyone cheered as they gathered around the expanded table that was set up in the living room. The place was packed and lively, with Henry's family, Jasper, Charlotte's family and friends, Ray, and even Schwoz there. As Charlotte took her seat at the table, Henry made sure to sit next to her and sent her a small grin that she returned. They said grace together before digging into the large amount of food, most of which Jasper and Uncle Roscoe dug into at an incredible pace. It was a comfortable and warm atmosphere, one that Charlotte and Henry missed dearly. For the first time in years, everything felt so complete. Nothing and no one was missing. It was all perfect.

Until.

Until Mr. Hart asked a question.

"Charlotte," he started as he stuffed his mouth with a bite of pecan pie, "I'm surprised that you didn't bring your fiancé! Where is he?" Charlotte froze in place and dropped her fork when she heard him, her heart freezing for a moment before beginning to beat rapidly. Jasmine and Diana froze as well and both turned to look at Charlotte, their eyes widening slightly and mouths agape. Tati's mouth fell open as well before she slowly ate a bite of her pumpkin pie. Everyone turned their attention to Charlotte, except for Henry who just chuckled a little and looked at his father.

"Dad, what are you talking about?" he asked but it was Uncle Roscoe who spoke up.

"I was wondering the same thing, Char! I was looking forward to meeting the young man marrying my favorite niece!" Henry's face started to fall slowly as he looked at the man then glanced at Charlotte. She hadn't moved an inch. He was about to say something when his mother spoke.

"That's right! Diana told me you got engaged, I completely forgot! Congratulations, Charlotte!"

"You're engaged?" Ray asked incredulously as he stared at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, you're engaged?!" Piper jumped in, "And you didn't tell me?!"

"What did you say his name was, Diana?" Kris asked and Diana sat there completely flustered.

"Um…"

"I'm really surprised we haven't met him," Uncle Roscoe commented.

"I can't believe our little Charlotte is engaged!" Schwoz said as he started to wipe away some happy tears.

All the while, Charlotte stared blankly at the table cloth, unable to move or speak. Her heart pounding in her ears drowned out the buzzing and chattering around the table. She could feel a massive headache coming on. She could also feel Henry's eyes on her and she was petrified to even look at him. She just kept her eyes forward and on that one spot of the table cloth until she finally heard him speak softly.

"Charlotte, are you engaged?" he asked. Her sinuses started to sting as the urge to cry built up inside her. This really wasn't supposed to happen like this. He kept his eyes on her, waiting for her to look at him and tell him it was some weird misunderstanding. That it was all wrong. That she was still his. But she didn't.

He frowned a little and nodded tensely as his jaw tensed up. He finally looked away from her and glared at his plate before yanking his napkin off of his lap and standing up sharply, tossing the napkin aside and slamming the chair against the table as he walked away, silencing everyone. They watched quietly as he stalked away and stormed up the stairs before sharing confused looks.

"Henry!" Charlotte called out as she got up as well and quickly followed him upstairs, leaving the dinner guests confused and worried. She quickly dashed up the stairs and went into his bedroom, her heart pounding against her chest as she closed the door and looked at him. "Let me explain."

"What the fuck!" he shouted, causing her to jump back a little. He was understandably incredibly angry, angrier than she had ever seen before. As he looked at her, his usually tender brown eyes were filled with so much anger and hurt. "How the fuck could you not tell me you were engaged?! I literally fucking asked you if there was anyone else!"

"I know, and I-"

"So you lied to me?!" he interrupted and she shook her head, scrambling to find the right words to say.

"No-"

"So what the hell?! Are you engaged or not?!"

"If you just let me explain-"

"It's not a hard question to answer!" he yelled with a mirthless chuckle. "Just yes or fucking no, Charlotte. Did a guy give you an engagement ring and ask you to marry him?" She let out a heavy sigh and folded her arms as she looked at him. A few tears slipped from her eyes as she opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. He frowned and walked closer to her, grabbing her shoulders and holding her steady.

"Yes or no?" he asked her sternly and she let out a shaky breath.

"Yes," she mumbled. He stared at her for a moment before pulling his hands away and turning away from her, rubbing the back of his head. "But listen to me Henry, I'm not going to marry him! Okay? He's just-"

"Get out." Her heart started to break when she heard him. Maybe she heard him wrong. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her.

"W-what? Hen-"

"Get the fuck out!" he yelled as he turned to face her again. He had tears welling up in his own eyes and his arm shook as he pointed to the door. "I'm done," he said with his voice breaking. "You made me feel like shit this whole time for what happened four years ago and I put in all the effort to fix us and talk to you, and you're fucking engaged the whole time! I'm done with you, Charlotte, I can't do this shit anymore."

"Henry, I'm not marrying him! I literally caught him che-"

"I don't want to hear it!" he interrupted again and went to sit on his bed. "I just want you to fucking go. Leave me alone."

Charlotte stared at him in disbelief but ultimately relented. She closed her mouth tightly and nodded silently as she slowly made her way to the door. She waited for him to tell her to stop and for her to explain, but he kept his back to her. It all felt far too familiar. She covered her mouth to keep her sobs muffled as she walked down the hall and quickly ran down the steps. She didn't even look at the dinner table as she went to the coat rack and grabbed her jacket.

"Char? Honey?" Diana called to her worriedly but Charlotte just quickly put on her jacket.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said between her sobs before running out of the door and dashing home. Diana looked at everyone who now laid their eyes on her, all curious, confused, and mostly worried. She just sighed heavily and gave them all an apologetic look.

"I'll go check on her. I'm sorry. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone," she muttered softly before going to get her jacket as well. As Jasmine and Tati did the same, everyone else muttered a goodbye and returned to their desserts.

For some reason though, they weren't as sweet and comforting anymore.

A/N: Thank you for reading!