The next morning, Charlotte was awakened by the sound of birds chirping and the sun shining against her face. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter for a moment before slowly blinking them open and rubbing them gently with her fingers. She yawned a little and settled her head against Jack's bare chest again as she relaxed, smiling softly at his warmth and the vibrations caused by his soft snoring.

Last night was a lot and intense, but being with Jack made it a little better. The idea of just not worrying about anything and letting him take care of her was incredibly tempting and comforting but she was still a little worried. That wouldn't be a good basis for a relationship and it would only end with both of them being hurt and leaving each other for good, and she would hate to lose his friendship. She sighed softly and traced gentle circles against his skin, stirring him from his sleep. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, blinking them open before settling them on the curly-haired woman and smiling warmly.

"Hey, good morning," he greeted, his voice rough with sleep. She reached up and kissed him softly before letting out a soft sigh.

"Morning."

"So, last night wasn't a dream, huh? Awesome," he said, causing both of them to chuckle. She laid her head against the crook of his neck and rested her leg atop his as she rubbed his chest gently.

"I should really head back home. I texted my mom last night that I was with you but she'll still worry if I don't get home soon," she mumbled. He whined playfully, bringing a smile to her face as he tightened his hold around her.

"I don't want this to end," he said with a small pout. She looked up at him and ran her fingers through his soft curls.

"Sorry, we can definitely hang out later. How long will you be in LA or Swellview?"

"Until the new year…" he answered before looking off into space. She looked at him curiously as he lost himself in his thoughts.

"What? What are you thinking about?" she asked. He looked down at her and hesitated for a moment before breathing out softly and nervously licking his lips.

"My label is sending me on a six month trip through Europe and Oceania for a songwriting thing. I just travel and use the inspirations of the locations I'm in to help me write music for my upcoming album. Holed up in a cabin in Switzerland, walking along the beaches of Greece, exploring ruins of Italy. All of it will be perfect songwriting fodder," he explained. Her eyes lit up as she listened to him. It sounded absolutely amazing but a part of her also worried that it meant their time together would be cut short again. She'd be back in California and he'd be traveling the world. She knew this was meant to just be temporary fun but it was still sad to think of it ending in just a month.

"That sounds amazing!" she said with a smile. "You'll definitely have an amazing album after doing that."

"Yeah, my first stop is actually Paris."

"Oh wow," she said with a wistful sigh. "I've always wanted to go to Paris."

"I know…" He hesitated again before swallowing thickly and decing to just take the plunge. "Come with me." The young woman tensed up for a moment before sitting up and looking down at him. She let out a chuckle of disbelief and expected for him to laugh as well as he was clearly joking, but his eyes were sincere as they stared deep into hers. Her smile quickly fell and she slowly blinked.

"Wh-what?"

"Come with me," he repeated. "I can bring whoever I want and I want to bring you. You'll be my muse and you'll get to travel around Europe, all expenses paid, and all you have to do is have fun and be your incredible self." She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How did it go from temporary rebound fun to traveling with him for six months? And how could she agree to something like that so last minute?

"Jack…I…" Her hands gesticulated as she tried to find the words to say. He just caught her so off guard and he could tell that her mind was reeling and she was about to start overthinking. He sat up as well and took her hand in his own.

"Char, this is for you as much as it's for me. We're just having fun and helping you move on, right?" She breathed out a dejected sigh and let her eyes roam around the bedroom nervously.

"I have a job, Jack-"

"What do you do?" he questioned. Her eyes finally landed on him again and she pursed her lips together.

"I'm an assistant to my quantum physics professor and assist with his research papers."

"Boring. Quit," he stated simply. Her eyes widened slightly before she laughed a little.

"I can't quit my job!" she exclaimed.

"I'll literally pay you just to be with me."

"That's prostitution."

"Charlotte."

"Jack!" She laughed in disbelief and pulled her hands away from his as she shook her head. It was a wonderful idea, an amazing fairytale idea, one she would absolutely love to jump on. But it wasn't realistic. She was an adult with responsibilities now and she couldn't get up and leave her job to go on a rendezvous with Jack, even if he did live a fairytale-like life. It was even more daunting because she worried about how she'd handle being with him when she still very much cared about Henry.

"Okay, okay," he relented. "I get it, it's a lot to consider. But I'm not ready to let you go anytime soon and I think you deserve to be spoiled, to have fun, to feel joy, and to be loved wholly and without any shame or worry. I can do that for you, so just think about it, okay?" She chewed on her bottom lip and nodded a little, giving him a small smile.

"Okay…I'll think it over," she said. He smiled brightly and gently cupped her face, kissing her lips repeatedly before causing her to laugh as he laid her down against the bed and shifting his body atop hers.

"I have to go home," she said between her giggles but didn't attempt to move away from him as he began to litter kisses along her neck.

"I'll take you home right after this," he said with a playful grin before resuming his kisses. She let out a blissful sigh and threaded her fingers through his soft curls, allowing the pleasurable feeling to take her away.

A few hours later, Charlotte took in a deep breath as the car pulled up to her house. She was now dressed in his clothes, borrowing a pair of pants and a shirt so she wouldn't have to go home in the same dress from last night. Funnily enough, the shirt was a plaid button down that reminded her of Henry, but she didn't want to think about that or the implications too much. As they slowly rolled to a stop, Jack looked at the beautiful woman next to him and smiled a little as he took her hand to gain her attention.

"Call me, alright? Maybe I'll try and stop by for Christmas too," he said. She nodded with a small smile and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you for everything, Jack." With a small squeeze of his hand, she opened the car door and climbed out, quickly slamming it shut so no one would see him. The windows were completely tinted so he had his privacy and wouldn't instantly be swarmed by fans. She quickly walked up to her house and jogged up the steps to her porch as the car drove off.

Diana quickly rushed away from the window as she heard the door opening, quickly plopping down onto the couch and grabbing the half completed garland to continue it as if she hadn't been watching her daughter pull up in an expensive black car. Ever since she had gotten the text from her last night informing her that she was with Jack Swagger, she found herself anxiously waiting for her return. Not because she was worried about her safety, she knew Jack Swaggowitz and his family and they were good people, but because she wanted to know how it was going and whether this was Charlotte's chance to recover from…well, Henry. She kept her eyes on the garland as the door opened and closed and she heard her daughter let out a soft sigh. Diana couldn't keep her eagerness at bay anymore and she glanced over at her.

"So, Jack Swagger huh?" she asked with a pointed look. The young woman smiled a little before sighing and starting to make her way upstairs.

"Let me get changed and I'll tell you everything, mom," she replied before quickly going up the steps. She was actually eager to talk to her mom about Jack's offer and get advice about what she should do. She had a lot of respect for her mother and always considered and followed her advice. It helped that it (usually) came without judgment and persecution. As she made her way to her bedroom, she paused when she heard Jasper's door open and was surprised to see a familiar blonde slipping out.

"Piper?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow. The blonde jumped in surprise before relaxing a little when she saw the curly haired woman, though she refused to make eye contact with her.

"Oh…hey…" she trailed off. Charlotte couldn't help the smirk that grew on her face as she folded her arms and watched her.

"So…you and Jasper made up, I see…"

"We did," she replied. She cleared her throat and pulled her shoulders back as she stood up straight and finally met Charlotte's eyes. "Since our friend abandoned us at the party last night, we came back here and…made up." The older of the two fought back her smile and nodded a little.

"I'm sorry about that. Henry…well, Henry happened."

"Fuck, what did he do? I'll fucking kill him," Piper said quickly. The other sighed and opened the door to her room.

"Come on in, I'll tell you everything that happened. Including how I also 'made up' with Jack last night," she teased. The blonde's eyes lit up and she grinned as she made her way into the bedroom.

"Noice. Jasper and I 'made up' five times," she said with a playful tone. Charlotte's mouth dropped in surprise as she watched her stroll into the room, following her inside and slowly closing the door behind her.

"Damn girl, how are you still walking?"

Meanwhile, atop Mount Swellview, Henry sighed to himself as he left Ray's bedroom, freshly clean from a shower and his head a little clearer than it was the night before. He entered the Man's Nest and was greeted by Ray and the Danger Force kids excitedly chattering over a mission they had just returned from. It brought back memories of his time as Kid Danger and how much he enjoyed fighting crime all night and reminiscing about the adventures in the morning. Well, he enjoyed doing that until he became disillusioned with the job and he was faced with the reality of possibly doing that his entire life. He greeted them and sat down on the couch where Schwoz had served him some breakfast.

Ray looked at the young blond for a moment before returning his attention to the kids and telling them to run on home and get some sleep. They agreed, knowing Ray had to talk to his former sidekick before they said their goodbyes and scurried off to the tube. As they disappeared down the tube, the older brunet turned to the young man on the couch and he watched as he picked at his food a little before slowly eating it. He wanted to believe that it was because Schwoz's cooking was horrible — his ManCakes and ManEggs were far more superior — but he knew he was dealing with something. Something bad enough to make him actually call him first and rush over in the middle of the night.

"So, uh…" he started with a clearing of his throat. "Everything alright, kid?" The blond didn't look away from his food as he slowly ate it and nodded.

"Everything's fine. I was just having a hard time last night," he answered. The man frowned a little. He was hoping that he was going to open up to him and be honest, but it was clear that he was going to have to push him.

"I talked to your mom, Henry. She told me about the drugs," he said. Henry froze for a moment before he looked up at him with knitted eyebrows.

"Why are you talking to my mom?"

"I call her every now and then…just to hear her voice…" he trailed off as he looked down at his feet shyly. The blond's face contorted in disgust. He had almost forgotten about Ray's…obsession with his mom.

"Gross, dude! Stop calling my mom!"

"Don't change the subject!" Ray argued. "What are you doing snorting cocaine, Henry?!" The younger man sighed and leaned back against the couch.

"I just…I've been having a hard time in Dystopia and sometimes I use a little to help myself feel better. But it's nothing crazy! A couple of bumps here and there, a couple molly tablets when I'm clubbing, maybe some acid when I really want a trip. It's nothing!"

Ray almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't want to believe Kris when she told him that her son was using cocaine and possibly other drugs. Piper was the one who told her and Piper was an insufferable and truculent brat, she most likely lied on him to get him in trouble. But here Henry was, telling him like it was no big deal, but it absolutely was a big deal. A colossal deal.

"It's not 'nothing', Henry! Those are hard and deadly drugs! You pop one E pill that's laced with fentanyl and boom, you're dead! What the hell are you doing?!"

"God Ray, I threw it all away last night, okay?" Henry argued with an eye roll. "I only used them when I needed to…feel better." Ray sighed heavily and sat against the table, folding his arms across his broad chest.

"What's going on? Why did you feel the need to turn to drugs to feel better and what happened last night for you to throw them away?" he questioned. He sighed as he refused to meet his eye contact. He didn't know whether talking to Ray about this would be a good idea considering he was…well, Ray. He was an overgrown man child who didn't seem to understand anything complex about relationships or feelings. But, unfortunately, Henry didn't really have anyone else to talk to thanks to his own mistakes. He sighed again and glanced at the older man before turning to face him fully.

"When…I….So…" he trailed on as he gesticulated and struggled to find the right way to start off. He let out a heavy breath and clenched his hands into fists as he looked up at a confused Ray. "You know how Charlotte and I have…had a…thing going, right?"

"Yeah. Gross," he replied. The blond rolled his eyes at his petulance.

"It's not gross!"

"I mean it kinda is!" Ray argued. "I'm not saying Charlotte's gross, she's a great and beautiful girl. But I see you two as my kids- no, I'm not old enough to be your dad, way too young for that. I see you two as my little siblings so it's like you're dating your sister!"

"Well, she's not my sister! We dated and I fell in love with her and she left to go to college and…my life fell apart," he said as he slumped against the couch again. "When she left she took a big part of me with her and I was so hurt that she was gone, that she chose school over me, that I told myself to just move on and find a new girl to be with. I mean…I'm Henry, I can find any girl in a heartbeat."

"Damn right you can!" Ray interjected with a proud cocky grin. He couldn't help but think that he had something to do with his skills with pulling girls. After all, he was the protégé of Ray Manchester, he was bound to pick up some of his talents and abilities. The blond sighed and drummed on the table idly as he continued.

"I dated around, at least I tried, but I couldn't stop comparing all of them to Charlotte. None of them made me feel the way she did and I hated thinking about her and feeling so many things about her when she was gone. I met this one girl at a club and she offered me ecstasy and I took it…and it helped, it made me feel better and forget about my problems. So I started taking whatever I could when I needed to numb those feelings…" Ray let his arms fall to his sides and he let out a deep sigh. He hated seeing Henry like this but truthfully, he wasn't surprised. He spent his adolescence in a shielded environment and a safe area like Swellview. He wasn't exposed to drugs or violent crime like he would see in Dystopia. It made sense for him to easily fall into a new and dangerous lifestyle that he wasn't used to. But he was home now, and Ray would be damned if he didn't help out the boy he regarded as a son- little brother.

"I get it kid, but the drugs need to stop," he said sternly.

"I know man," the blond sighed. "I threw out all the hard shit. I'm done with it. It's ruined my life."

"Come on, your life isn't ruined."

"Isn't it?" he questioned with a mirthless chuckle. "I mean…Charlotte thinks I'm a filthy junkie and she wants nothing to do with me because I keep saying horrible shit to her when I'm high. I let some girl I don't even know ruin all of my chances to fix things with Char. I used up almost all of the money Jasper and I both earned and then I insulted him when he asked for it, so now he hates me too. Piper never liked me and I've just justified her dislike of me. My mom is disappointed, my dad is…I don't know. My life is ruined. I don't know what's wrong with me, you know? I get upset and I just…blow up…"

"Sounds like me…" the older man muttered. Henry tensed up a bit before looking up at his mentor as he realized something. Ray looked at him curiously and blinked a few times. "What?"

"You!" Henry pointed at him. The brunet looked behind him then looked at the blond again as he pointed to himself.

"Me? I am gorgeous aren't I?" said Ray with a cocky smile.

"No, you're the reason I'm like this!" Henry explained as he stood up. "I mean…I grew up watching you be a huge jerk towards Schwoz. Didn't you tell the Danger kids that you're mean to him because if you're nice he'll know his worth and leave you?" The older man frowned and turned away from him a little.

"Maybe…"

"God! I'm literally you and Charlotte is Schwoz! She's smart and too good for me and when something threatens what we have, I lash out and ruin things before she realizes she can do better! I mean…fuck, I've never had a healthy example of a relationship. You're a tool-"

"Hey!"

"And my dad is a neglectful idiot and my mom is literally sleeping with her tennis instructor!" he continued. At the mention of his mother, Ray stood up and shifted a little as he watched the pacing young man.

"Your mom is what? So it's tennis she likes huh?" Henry stopped pacing and turned to look at him with knitted eyebrows.

"Dude!"

"I can learn tennis, and I'll look hot as hell doing it. I can be her tennis instructor," Ray continued.

"Shut up!" the younger exclaimed. "Fuck, I've never had any good examples to follow and my own relationship experiences have ended prematurely or because of my own issues. Charlotte…Charlotte and I never stood a chance…" He walked away, completely defeated by his revelation. Though he was a little burned by Henry's digs, Ray couldn't deny what he was saying. Miles made it clear to him that his relationship with Schwoz was incredibly toxic, and along with his slew of unsuccessful relationships and random flings, it was bound to have an impact on Henry. And he was hurt to see that it had and that it had made him so miserable.

"Listen, kid," the brunet started with a sigh. "You and Charlotte definitely have a chance."

"How?" he questioned as he turned to look at him. "I've ruined everything and I don't know how to…be in a relationship."

"You humble yourself, you apologize, and you start over and fix everything that you messed up. And since I'm sort of responsible for some of this, I'll help on a couple of conditions," Ray explained. Henry looked at him curiously and he took it as a sign to continue. "Stay here in Swellview. I know, I know, you want to explore the world and live your own life, but Dystopia isn't good for you. So, stay here and work with me again. You can help train some new kids to be my sidekicks since Danger Force is getting older and moving on. Miles and Mika are going to college, Bapa is planning on backpacking through Europe for a year, and Bose…well, Bose is Bose, he's still gonna be here. But…I could use your help and you could use mine."

Henry sighed heavily and sat down, scratching the back of his head as he thought it over. He wasn't sure about it. His whole purpose of leaving Swellview was because he didn't want to be a hero anymore and be stuck in Swellview while his friends were moving on and living their lives. But Piper was back in Swellview, Jasper was probably going to be reluctant about going back now that he and Piper had their thing going, and Charlotte…was done with him. What would he be going back to in Dystopia? But did he really want to start back at step one again?

"I don't know, Ray…" he said apprehensively.

"I get it," Ray replied. "But what's your other option? Binging on drugs in Dystopia until you die? Moping around and pining for Charlotte? I'm giving you an opportunity and an out here, kid. Take it or leave it." The blond hesitated as he thought it over some more before relenting with a heavy sigh. He was right. What did he have to lose?

"Alright, man…let's do it," he said. The older man smiled and nodded, happy that he had his best friend back and that he could actually help him.

"Good. You don't have to start until the new year so you can enjoy your holiday. And hey, I can help you out with an advance so you can pay Jasper back. How much is it? Hundred bucks, hundred fifty?" he questioned as he made his way to the sliding wall so he could go to his room. The blond winced and scratched the back of his neck as he avoided looking at him.

"Uh…twenty five thousand?" he slowly answered. Ray whipped around quickly and stared at him with wide shocked eyes.

"What?! Henry, what the hell?!"

"Hey, you wasted ninety nine thousand dollars on that painting!" he shot back.

"Yeah, but that painting is awesome! How do you lose twenty-five thousand dollars and where did you even get that money from?!" Henry put his hands up in defense and stumbled over his words as he tried to explain. The elder sighed in defeat and shook his head. "Okay, okay, forget it. I'll give you the money but you're so working overtime for me." He nodded in agreement and gave him a small smile.

"Thanks, Ray." The brunet waved him off and muttered to himself as he disappeared behind the wall, leaving Henry to let out a heavy breath and run his hand over his short hair. Maybe this was really his chance to start over.

Elsewhere, a freshly showered and changed Charlotte made her way downstairs with Piper. The two young women spent their time recollectiing on their events from the night before, boyh of them finding that they ended rather similarly. The only difference was Jasper didn't ask Piper to join him for six months traveling the world, and Charlotte made sure not to tell her about that tidbit. As they reached the door, Piper said her goodbyes before leaving and Charlotte sighed softly to herself. Now she had to ask her mom what she thought and make a tough decision soon.

"Mom? Can I talk to you?" she asked as she made her way over to the kitchen where Diana was fixing herself some coffee. She looked at her daughter and nodded with a smile.

"Of course…I've been waiting for this," she commented, causing the younger woman to chuckle a little.

"Have you?"

"My daughter texts me late at night that she's staying with Jack Swagger and comes home dressed in his clothes? Oh, we definitely have a lot to talk about," she said with a pointed look. Charlotte sighed and lifted herself up to sit on the counter as she retold the events of the previous night. The party, reconnecting with Jack, her run in with Henry, and leaving with Jack. Naturally, she didn't bring up them having sex, but her mother could put two and two together easily.

"And now I have a dilemma because he asked me to join him on this songwriting thing he's doing. He'll be traveling all over Europe for six months," she said. Diana blinked in surprise as she held her coffee.

"Whoa…"

"I know," she sighed. "And I'm tempted, it sounds amazing. I mean, he'll be going to Paris."

"Oh, you've always wanted to go to Paris," Diana remembered. Charlotte nodded in agreement and played with her fingers.

"But I have a job, I have friends…well, a friend, and he and I just got together again. Isn't this too soon? Too fast?" she questioned. Diana leaned against the counter and hummed a little as she thought it over. It was fast and a big deal, and it also meant not seeing her daughter again for six months. But what was six months compared to three years?

"I think you should go," she finally said. Her daughter looked at her with slightly wide eyes and she gave her a small smile. "You deserve to have some fun and to enjoy yourself. How many opportunities will you have to go to Paris with a superstar? This is what fairytales are made of. You can find any job with your qualifications when you get back. Go, Charlotte, have some fun and live life. Enjoy being young and free and being with someone who treats you like you deserve."

She allowed the words to marinate for a moment as she nodded slowly. She was right. This was an incredible opportunity to have fun and see the world, and even better, leave Henry behind. Jack wanted to spoil her and she was going to let him. With a smile, she nodded firmly and let out a heavy breath.

"Alright. Then I'll go."