"I'm sorry I'm late". Jo said walking into the fort her voice drowsy "I fell asleep". She stood there at the entrance her eyes darting around as she folded her arms.

Danny caught sight of her red rimmed eyes and could tell that she had been crying but he decided to be cautious broaching the subject with her.

"You can sit down Jo". "I'm not gonna hurt you... at least not on purpose" he said trying to get her to smile.

"I'm not here to joke Danny" she said

"Well then why are you here"? He said questioningly wondering himself after not speaking to Jo in months what the purpose of this meeting was.

"Its about Tyler" she said stammering a little as she did. Danny could see tears gathering under her swollen lids."and the necklace".

Tyler and I were... you know.. together yesterday". Jo said uncomfortably
"And I was looking in his phone and I saw a message from someone named V". "It said there would be a full payment for footage this coming Friday which wouldn't be that weird except there was a picture of your Aunt Tara's necklace as the sender".

" Danny I think it might be your dad or someone pretending to be him". "I texted you as soon as I found out but I didn't come because Tyler seemed upset about me wanting to leave".

Danny sat silent in his own personal hell and his Aunt Tara's necklace was the instrument used to torture him. Why didn't I break that damned thing into a million pieces when I had the chance, he thought even though he knew the answer.

"There's more Danny" Jo said looking around paranoid.

Danny braced himself closing his eyes as the fort became silent enough to hear him swallowing down a lump in his throat. The sounds of the surrounding forest seemed to be louder and more ominous than before

"I think Tyler is responsible for that video of you and Lacey".

Danny's head snapped up

"Today I was in Tyler's car waiting for him and I went into his camera". Jo said "I saw a list of his recordings, and one of them was of you and Lacey".

"Well maybe he had a copy". Danny said trying to reason "Doug already confessed to filming it and Eloise was charged with distributing pornography".

"Yeah I initially thought that too but then I remembered that Tyler told me once that he used to be a member of AV club maybe he told Doug to film it". "It makes more sense than Doug all of a sudden deciding to do it on his own". "Besides at the time Tyler was at your party trying to get you to trust him for the interview so using Doug would be the perfect alibi".

"I also think he's somehow involved in Regina's murder". "When I looked in his camera he also had another recording labeled Soccer Stud". Jo said omitting the mention of the footage he had of her. "You know the same title as that disc I took from Lacey' s house the night I slept over".

Because Danny didn't say anything Jo kept talking. "I'm thinking since Tyler has a stash of footage he doesn't let me look at in his house that it must be something incriminating he recorded". "That way the text message would make sense".

Jo paused again "Look Danny the reason I'm telling you all this is because .. I guess.. Now that I've found out about Tyler,... I owe you And Lacey an apology".

"I'm sorry". "I never should have abandoned you two when I saw the tape especially after everything you went through". Then as an afterthought she quietly added "I would never want you to abandon me when I needed it".

" It's just that I was so hurt at the time and the pain was so raw I couldn't feel anything else for anyone. I ... I..

"SAY SOMETHING"! Jo cried out suddenly unable to stand the silence but Danny was unable to form any words. Jo anxiously began to pace her breath heaving in and out as tears slipped down her face despite her effort to control them.

Danny snapped out of his cocoon to comfort Jo now completely frantic. He stood up and put his arms tightly around her like a protective blanket. "Hey" he said "Calm Down".

Jo stayed in his arms until her tears turned into light sniffles then pulling herself away she asked Danny " How did you know that you were in love with Lacey?

"What do you mean"? Danny asked truly perplexed by Jo's timing.

"That day I asked you If you had feelings for Lacey and you said yes". "You said with her it was different". Jo said trying to make sure her words were right. "I always wondered How it was different from the way you felt about me". " What I mean is after finding out about Tyler I'm not sure about anything anymore"..."I guess I'm trying to say how do you know when you're in love with someone"?

"Jo" Danny said fearing he would upset her further "Let's not talk about this".

"Please" she said. Her need to know the answer becoming almost tangible.

Danny breathed Deeply focusing on images of Lacey to clarify his feelings
"I don't know if I can explain it but I'll try. "
"Sometimes people describe love as a unexplainable pull or connection and that's the case with me and Lacey.

"I knew I loved Lacey when I first saw her honestly. I know we were kids but I felt this need to be noticed by her to know her and everything about her."Her likes, her dislikes, her feelings and it didn't go away even when I went to Juvie". "It grew into a need once I came back to not only be a part of her life but to be in it".

"Now its gotten to the point that not being with her is no longer an option for me".
"If I had been with you Jo it would've complimented me but when i was with Lacey it completed me". "For me that's how its different, that's how I know that even though I love you both I'm in love with her". he said

Danny somewhat selfishly hoping that Jo's quest to find love would lead her to Rico
asked as he looked at her
"Have you ever felt like that about Tyler?

"Never" she said without hesitating. "I never even felt that way about you to be honest".

Danny laughed staring over Jo's shoulder as if he could see the jumbled path they all had taken that had led them here. "I'm glad to hear that Jo, because when Lacey and I were together we never wanted you to feel like an outsider that was always her biggest concern".

Hearing Danny say Lacey cared about her feelings Jo felt even worse. She brought her hands up to her eyes rubbing them tiredly.
"I don't know where to start with Lacey. I feel like the damage between between us cant be repaired".

"I think it can Jo". Danny said beginning to be optimistic for the first time since the meeting started. "You and Lacey have a connection too. She was the Planner you were the Doer together you guys pulled off some of coolest ideas".

"Like when you invented the personal pool" because we couldn't go swimming that day and the bag kept falling down..

"Until Lacey said to tie them around our waists so the water wouldn't keep escaping" Jo admitted nostalgia making her feel regret again." "That was fun.
I don't know why its so hard to admit how much I've missed her Jo thought. Then an idea occurred to her and she said "We need Lacey". "She would've figured this whole thing out with you're Dad and Tyler. "She would know exactly what to do next".

"Yeah we do but its getting to talk to her that's the problem"Danny said as his phone vibrated in his pocket He ignored it until the phone vibrated again.

Taking it out he looked at the text remembering why he had contacted Jo in the first place.
"You do know Lacey's back in town right".

"Yeah I saw her this morning having breakfast with Rico wearing his clothes".Jo stated miserably.

"This..This Morning" Danny said stumbling over his words trying to keep cool.

"I've got to go". Danny said suddenly "Somehow I've got to get through to her. I can't risk her disappearing again or me disappearing again or YOU disappearing again" Danny joked making Jo laugh.

"I've got to get going too" Jo said. "Don't call me I'll call you". "I don't want to make Tyler suspicious".

They waves goodbye to eachothers and
Danny watched Jo head in the direction of her house before heading home himself knowing he needed to take care of a few things.

Danny climbed into Lace's window about a half an hour later with his surprise for her in hand. He began stealthily setting up near her bed making sure not to wake her. He was almost finished setting up when the clouds covering the sky parted illuminating the room.

Lacey was lying facing the window
Her hair was wavy falling around her face in beautiful messy strands.

Danny reached out to smooth them away so he could see her better. Her lips began to pucker and she crinkled her nose deepening her dimple into the beginnings of a smile.
The moonlight created a gentle glow that allowed Danny to see the silhouette of her almost naked body through the thin blanket

He was about to reach out and touch her when she began stirring...