September first, 1998

5

Jason Dean looked at the girl frozen in panic for so long that she began to feel scared herself. This was Veronica's daughter. In a 7/11. Drinking a slushie. This was not what he expected happen when he came in for his usual order at the end of his shift as he had done every night for the past 6 months of being back in sherwood Ohio.

"Am I in trouble?" Jenna asked, tears beginning to form again in her eyes. This made JD snap out of it quickly in an attempt to regain his casual, nonchalant composure, but he was finding it difficult.

"Okay, Jenna, okay, so when were you born, I mean, what's your birthday, I mean, how old are you?"

In other words, are you my kid or is this just all a big misunderstanding? If she was born in 1990, then yeh, she was his daughter, but maybe she was younger than that, he thought, maybe...

"I'm eight"

...shit.

"My birthday is June 21st 1990"

Double shit.

"Okay" JD said calmly "okay. Well, we need to get you back home to your mother. How would you like a ride in a police car?"

"Yeh, that would be awesome!"

Jenna was clearly oblivious to what was happening. She had no idea she had just met her dad. How was he going to explain to her that after all this time, he wasn't actually dead. More to the point, how was he going to tell Veronica? The only reason he had agreed to take up the post in Sherwood Ohio was because he had heard Veronica had moved out of town, and now here he was about to drive her daughter, their daughter, right up to her house.

Would she even recognise him? Would she even forgive him? If he had known she was pregnant, he would never have done what he did. He would never have tried to blow up the school, and he would never have faked his own death in order to give Veronica an opportunity to move on from him for good. He thought he had removed himself from her life completely, not knowing that he had left her to raise their child all by herself. Honestly, he wouldn't blame her is she didn't forgive him.

"Okay kid, let's get you home, do you know your address?" He asked.

"No, but I could point out the way" she smiled. She hoped that her mom would still be asleep so that she could sneak in unnoticed. Honestly, JD hoped the same thing. He tipped the girl behind the counter and showed Jenna to his car, terrified about what was about to happen.

"Okay kid, let's go" he said reluctantly, before starting up the engine and heading out the parking lot.

Jenna showed him the way to her home, but as they turned into her street, she felt her stomach churn in fear. In the distance, they could see Veronica running up and down the street calling out for her daughter crying, knocking on all the neighbours doors to see if she'd be there for some reason. Jenna felt so guilty for what she had done, and wished she had never run away in the first place.

"I'm scared" she admitted to JD, quickly loosing all her confidence as she watched her mother in hysterics.

"Don't worry kid," JD muttered, terrified himself but trying not to show it, "she may be mad at you for a bit, but it won't last for long."

"How do you know that" Jenna stuttered.

"Because believe me, she'll be even madder at me" he sighed.

"Why, you haven't don't me anything wrong, you saved me, and you don't even know her" Jenna sobbed, beginning to breakdown again.

JD didn't even respond, he was too busy parking up on the side of the road and was focused on Veronica, who had finally noticed the police car and was running over to them. Tentatively, Jenna got out the car, and ran towards her mother crying. Veronica pulled her into a massive hug, thankful her daughter had returned, before scolding her for running away.

JD watched them embrace, and knew he couldn't wait any longer. He unfastened his seatbelt and opened his car door, stepping onto the pavement. Veronica looked up at him through blurred eyes, struggling to see his face between the tears and the darkness, but as he stepped forward into the street lamps glare, she suddenly fell silent.

Jenna was confused as Veronica let go of her and froze to the spot, as if the officer and her mom were in the middle of a staring contest. Neither of them said a word for what felt like eternity. Jenna tugged on her moms jumper to try and get her attention, but it was no use. Eventually, the silence was broken by JD, sarcastic as ever.

"Greetings and salutations" he smirked.

It was as thought he had grown bored of being scared, he just wanted to hear her speak.

Suddenly, Veronica began to walk over to him, as if in a trance. Neither Jenna or JD knew what she was about to do, and they all subconsciously held their breath. It was as though Veronica didn't know what she was about to do either, she just kept walking slowly. She stopped when there was just a foot separating the pair, both of them locking eyes with each other, as though they were having a conversation with no words.

Then, she punched him clean in the nose.