Being Ready

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I own the kids, but all the other characters belong to CBS.

Summary: Kate has a heart to heart with her eldest daughter. Read to find out who her husband is!

Author's Notes: This idea just came to me when I was at work one day, so I decided to put pen to paper (or fingers to computer keys!) and write it! It's only a oneshot at the moment, but I'd be quite happy to continue it if you want!

"Mom?" Amelia called out when she noticed her mother walking past her bedroom door. Kate backtracked and poked her head through.

"Yes, honey," Kate replied as she made herself fully visible to her sixteen year old daughter.

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Of course, sweetie," Kate said. She put the basket of laundry down and made her way over to her eldest daughter's bed and sat down. Amelia was sitting on top of her bed with her school books scattered around her. It was a school night and Kate would have preferred that she did her study at her desk, but as long as she did it, Kate didn't really mind.

Amelia looked at her mother, wondering if she should ask her this or not. She and her mother had always been close. As Amelia grew up, their relationship developed into a best-friend type relationship. This pleased Kate a lot, and she wasglad that she had a much more open relationship with her daughter than her mother had had with her.

"I was just wondering…" Amelia started before looking away, embarrassed. Kate put her hand lightly under her daughters chin and lifted her face to meet hers.

"You can talk to me about anything, Millie," Kate said softly.

"I know," Amelia replied, "but I've never talked to you about this before." Kate smiled softly at her daughter. After a moments silence, Amelia spoke again. "I was just wondering if there is a way to know when you're ready."

A slightly confused expression came across Kate's face. "Ready?"

Amelia's cheeks turned a light crimson colour. "Yeah, you know, ready."

Suddenly it dawned on Kate. Her daughter was asking her about having sex for the first time. Amelia had been seeing a boy from her class called Michael for nearly eight months. They're each other's first love.

"Have you and Michael talked about it?"

"Not really."

"Well, sweetie, you never really know when you are ready. There is no defining moment, as such. It will just happen." Amelia nodded her head slowly.

"How old were you when you, you know, did it for the first time?"

Kate gave a small laugh. "A little bit older than you, but not much." They shared a small conspiratorial smile. "But don't you dare tell your grandmother that. She'd have a heart attack!" Amelia laughed at her mother. Kate wasn't as Catholic as she led people, her parents especially, to believe. Kate's mother still thought that her daughter was a virgin up until the day she married her husband.

"Your secret is safe with me," Amelia replied. There was another short silence. "Does it hurt?" Amelia whispered.

"It depends. It might. It might not. It's different for everyone," Kate said softly, reassuring her daughter. "Ask him to take it slow. It won't hurt as much." Amelia nodded.

"Thanks, mom." She leant forward and hugged her mother. Kate kissed her daughter on the forehead when they broke apart before she stood up and made her way back to the doorway. She picked up the basket of laundry that she had set down earlier and turned back to face her daughter.

"Millie," she said, regaining her daughter's attention. "Just promise me that when you and Michael do sleep together that you'll be careful."

"I will. I promise." Amelia smiled at Kate. For a mom, she was pretty cool. She knew all the other girls at school were jealous of the relationship she had with her mom.

Kate smiled lightly at her daughter. "Good night, sweetie."

"Good night, Mom." Kate reached in a closed the door behind her.

She checked on her other two children, Joshua and Lucy, and smiled when she saw them sleeping peacefully in their beds. She went in and kissed their foreheads lightly and pulled the covers up around them. Quietly, Kate made her way back down the passage way to the lounge room were her husband was sitting there watching the late night news. She put the basket of laundry on the floor and went and sat next to him.

"Our little girl is growing up," Kate said to her husband. He put his arm around her and drew her into him.

"I can't believe she is nearly seventeen."

"Neither can I," Kate replied. She didn't want to tell her husband about what she and Amelia had talked about. Maybe a little bit later. He would only pull out his sig sauer and march over to Michael's house and shoot the poor kid. Kate held back a laugh at the image that formed in her mind.

"What's so funny?" he asked when he noticed his wife biting her lip to stop herself from laughing.

"Nothing," Kate replied innocently.

"Are they all in bed?"

"Yes, but Millie is still awake."

"As long as we're quiet, it shouldn't be a problem!"

"Tony!" Kate exclaimed.

"What?" He asked, a charming smile plastered on his face. "Don't deny it. You like it when I do this." He leant in and kissed her jaw. "And this." He moved up to nibble on her ear. "And this." His captured Kate's lips with his own and kissed her passionately. Slowly he pulled away.

"I love you, Kate." She smiled brightly at him. They'd been together almost twenty years, but it still melted her heart to hear him say that to her.

"I love you more!" She said. And even after twenty years of marriage, they still bickered over who loved the other more.

"I don't think so!" Tony leant in and kissed her again, this time it was deeper and more passionate. "What do you think about having an early night?" He asked seductively between kisses.

"Oh, I think that sounds like a good idea!"

Kate and Tony were laying in bed in each others arms several hours later when Kate decided to tell Tony what she had discussed with Amelia. "Guess what Amelia asked me earlier tonight."

"Do you want me to guess or are you going to tell me?" Kate playfully punched him in the arm.

"She asked me about being ready for your first time."

"She what!" Tony shrieked. Kate laughed. She knew that would be his reaction.

"She wanted to know if you can ever be 'ready'."

"I hope you told her that I'd shoot her boyfriend!"

"Tony, calm down."

"Amelia sixteen years old, Kate! She's my little girl!"

"She's growing up, Tony." Kate placed her hand lightly on his upper arm. "Besides, I was that age when I lost my virginity." Tony raised his eyebrows at his wife.

"I thought you were a good little Catholic girl when you were her age?" Kate laughed heartily at his response.

"My mother likes to think I was, but let's just say, I wasn't exactly an angel!" Kate replied, wriggling her eyebrows suggestively at him. Tony leant in and kissed her.

"I love you so much," he said. It was the second time that evening that he had said those words to her, but she never grew tired of hearing it.

"I love you too, Tony." Kate kissed him again before rolling over and settling herself into his arms. "Good night."

"Good night, Katie."

Weird, I know, but it just popped into my head the other day when I was at work! It's only a oneshot, but if you want it to be longer, then review and let me know! Hell, review anyway!