(This is sort of a series of flashbacks explaining how my original person (Phoenix Carter) met Dean Ambrose/Jonathon Good for the first time and their odd 'friendship' as kids, how it changes through the years and stuff. I've seen a few of these kinds of stories around, I got inspired earlier, thought I'd give my own version a try. I'd been trying not to submit anything for the guy, because there's already so many way better ones here on the site, but the idea wouldn't leave me alone.

Reviews are loved people. If this little series gets enough reviews, I might be talked into submitting a fic I've been sort of working on lately, which they're both older, and they meet again.:) Just saying.)

October 1992

(Dean – 7, Phoenix – 5)

So they'd been in school for a while now and so far, his luck was holding with the little blonde in the apartment next door. They fought a lot, argued and stuff, but as yet, she hadn't turned her back on him. But Jon was still very wary, and he kept asking her why she was so nice to him, but every time he did, she'd shrug and refuse to answer.

Tonight was Halloween, and considering his mother hadn't gotten him a costume, he was the only kid out that night not wearing a costume.. Until Olivia came down dressed in plain clothes too.

"It's Halloween? Why aren't ya wearin a costume?"

"Because mommy wanted me to be a stupit princess, is why.. Do I look wike a princess to ya?" Olivia asked, her hand on her hip, the usual bossy smirk on her face as she looked at him and then asked, "Why aren't ya wearing one?"

"Because it's for babies."

Olivia frowned a moment. Was he calling her a baby? She tried not to let it bother her, because she knew his mom had probably forgotten or just not gotten him one, and he was hurt, being a jerk to cover it up. They'd been friends a while now, so she ignored his 'stupid moments' as she called them.

Like the week before when she had to sit around watching him flirt with a girl named Sophie, who of course poured chocolate milk over his head. She bit her lip.. He'd never notice her, because all of the girls in his own grade were so much prettier, they were girly and they didn't like skateboarding or wrestling or any of the stuff she liked.

She'd pretty much accepted the fact that if she wanted to be a part of Jon's life? She'd have to play "second". And it was fine with her for now, because she was still at that age where girls wanted to marry their fathers, or they thought boys were nasty.

The two of them rounded the corner, and the taller boy stepped out, smirking at them, his arms crossed. "Hmm.. Let's see what kind of candy you two got."

"Touch my candies and I kick your ass." the little blonde girl said as Jon stepped forward, glaring. "Ya not gettin my candy. Scram, Lavont. I ain't scared of ya."

"Bet your little girlfriend is, Good.. That's ya name, right? Your mama's that really sexy lady down on the right corner?"

He clenched his fist, popping his knuckles, the anger surging. It wasn't because of what the older boy said about his mom entirely, but that was a big part of it.. Even if she treated him like shit, she was still his mother, it was ingrained in the psyche that he at least had to try and stand up for her.

Even when he really didn't want to.

Before either of them could say anything, Olivia's older brother Joey spoke up as he said "Hey Lavont? Piss off." and then looked down at the two kids as he said casually, "Forgot your flashlight, Ollie."

"He took Jon's candy!"

"Yeah, I know.. It's better you two leave that jackass alone.. Sooner or later, someone's gonna beat the hell out of that guy." Joey said as he looked around. The cops had been chasing him just now, he'd been caught vandalizing the high school and he was in a gang of sorts that'd been involved in a really big fight at the park about an hour or two ago. But he wasn't the kind of big brother who'd just leave his baby sister unattended on a night like this, outside the worst street in Ohio.

"Come on you two. Let's go." Joey said in a rush as he grabbed hold of the two kids, lead them to the apartment that he and his sister, their mother lived in. "Ouch, Joey."

"We gotta move, Ollie, now. The pigs were on my ass because they caught me doin somethin." Joey said calmly, as they stepped into the window of his little sister's room and answered his cell phone, whispering quietly before looking at the little boy with his baby sister..

"Hey Jon?"

"Yeah?"

" Keep an eye on my sister a minute, okay, buddy?" Joey asked as he looked at the 7 year old boy and then took off down the hallway.

"He's actin funny." Jon remarked as Olivia bit her lip and said quietly, "I scared.. He was fightin earlier.. And the boy he was fightin said he gonna get back at him."

Jon studied the little girl a moment, then said quietly, "Just sit here. Joey told me to watch ya. Meant he didn't want ya to leave the room, okay?"

Ollie nodded with wide eyes. The sounds of a fight from the alley below had her gasping, and the next thing she knew, she was hearing gunshots.

Jon winced and covered the smaller girls ears then said "I'm gonna look out the window. Ya stay there." before creeping over to the window, looking down. He could see Joey standing there, holding his arm, shocked.

Biting his lip, he turned to Olivia and then said "The cops.. I think they're takin Joey to jail."

"What? can't. It not his fault!" Olivia insisted as Jon grabbed her, kept her from going to her bedroom window. He stiffened as he felt her arms going around him, heard her sniffling. He had no idea what on earth to do or say right now.

He'd never known anyone who'd gotten thrown in jail before tonight..

"Hey.. It's gonna be okay.. I'm sure ya mom will get him out or something.." he tried as Olivia shook her head and then said quietly, "She's not gonna.. He been in trouble before. She say this was his last chance to straighten up and whatever happens to him is on him to fix."

They sat there in her room, and he tried to figure out how to deal with a crying female.. But she'd been there for him, now it was his turn to be there for her.. Since she was still his friend, and she hadn't even turned on him when he'd gotten sent to the office earlier for getting in a fight with a boy, and losing it violently like he had, right in front of her on the playground.

The door to the apartment opening had them looking at one another with wide eyes, still shocked from what'd happened a few moments before.

"Ollie? Are you in here, baby girl?" her mother called from the hallway, worried her son had had Olivia out in what he'd done just now, her heart racing..

The voice from behind her, drunk and angry had her rolling her eyes in disgust and the mother of Jon, the boy next door and the closest thing to a friend her daughter really had for some reason said "Is that little shit I call a son over here?"

Ms. Carter turned on her heel and said with a grim smirk, "If he is, then he's better off. I have more than enough on my plate right now, Ms. Good so if I were you? I'd get my drunk ass back down the hallway. Go entertain your visitor or something. Women like you really really piss me off."

Jon's mother glared at her and then yelled, "Jon if ya in there, son, ya in a world of hurt when you come ya little ass back home."

"Oh no.. No he's not.. Because if he's here, he probably just saved my daughters life.. Because if he hadn't been here, escaping your abuse and neglect, Ms. Good.. She'd have been out with her brother tonight, probably watched what just happened, first hand. Now if you'll fucking excuse me.. I have to get Ollie ready to go to the hospital. My son needs me.. And despite the fact that he's screwed up his life.. I am his mother, and I intend to be there. Your son will be coming with us.. I have a right mind to stop by the police precinct, Ms Good, and tell those boys in blue just how you treat that poor little boy.. And if you mess with me tonight? I just might do it. This is a warning.. Next time, you won't have a son to beat on anymore, because I'll make sure he goes somewhere that he's taken care of."

Olivia looked at Jon and muttered, "Sorry I got ya in trouble."

"Ya didn't.. My ma.. She's always doin that." Jon muttered as Olivia hugged against him and said quietly, "Thank ya for not lettin me go to the window."

"Ya didn't need to see it." he muttered as he added, "Thank ya for stickin up for me at school earlier, even if nobody believed ya, and I still got blamed for startin the fight."

"Ya didn't. People so stupit." she muttered as she stood and then held out her hand, managing a smile. She was terrified right now, but she felt a lot better having him there with her.

Her mother poked her head into the room and then said calmly, "Okay you two.. Coats now.. Jon, I have one of Joey's old ones you can wear. I noticed yours is pretty damn thin, kid. You're about the same size as my son was when he was that age.."

She motioned for the boy to follow her, and she lead him into her oldest child's room, then dug around, found a pile of clothes. "Go put those on. Give me the ones you're wearing. They should have been thrown out by now."

"My ma.. She can't.."

"No, Jon, it's not that she can't sweetie, it's that she won't. But I'll tell you personally like I've told Ollie and Joey.. If you ever need somewhere to go, come here."

He nodded. Olivia's mother was a pretty bossy lady. Must be where Ollie got it from.

The drive to the ER was a quiet one, but he and Ollie sat in the backseat, playing Ollie's gameboy, so they didn't need to talk.

Jon could tell that Ollie's mother was afraid and nervous, so he tried his best not to get in the way, and to keep Ollie out of the way while they waited on the doctors.

As they left, after Joey had gotten stitched up, Olivia's mother sighed and hugged her oldest son then said quietly, "Please, Joey.. Change now?" as the police lead him off in handcuffs. He had to go to jail until they figured out what'd happened in the alley earlier tonight.

On the way back out to the car, Olivia's mother asked quietly, "Did either of you see anything?" in concern as she looked at the two children. Both of them shook their heads and told her they hadn't. She breathed a deep breath of relief and helped them into the car.

Tonight, maybe he'd finally gotten even with Ollie for helping him so many times.. He'd tried to be there for her.. He didn't realize that all he had to do was just be there.. That's all the little girl wanted from him, really.