Author's Note: I promised you immediate updates did I not? Enjoy

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything!

Chapter 2: First Meeting

"Yeah," Kitty said, "Ok, this was a bad idea, I'm sorry, I'll see you around." You are such an idiot. She thought to herself as she turned to walk away.

"Wait, no!" Julian said, "I'm sorry, I was just surprised, I didn't," he took a breath, "No one told be you were going to be here."

"I don't think she told him," Kitty said, she couldn't bring herself to say, "my mom" and "your dad" the situation was just so weird. "Anyway, it looked like you were looking for somewhere to sit, and we're all girls, but we have an extra seat if you want."

"Yeah, thanks," he said, awkwardly following after her. She was really beautiful, with her olive skin and long curly black hair. Not to mention her fierce grey eyes, which seemed to be the only remnant of her mother's Irish-ness in her, except for her attitude. From the stories he'd heard about Julie, his namesake, she was just as confident as this girl, and just as commanding. He didn't know if he was allowed to feel attracted to Kitty Portman, if he should even be talking to her. Was this some kind of betrayal to his father? He tried to remember what he knew about Kitty. They had been born on the same day, she grew up in a small town outside of Chicago. Her dad, Dean Portman owned a couple of bars. Her mother, Julie, was a writer. There was something else, but he couldn't remember it. When he sat down next to her, he realized that she was talking to him.

"So, what position do you play?" Kitty said, she was so curious about this person, she didn't really know why.

"What?" He said, trying to remember that he was in a conversation.

"In hockey?" She said looking at him like he was crazy. "You do play right? I thought my mom told me that."

"Yeah, I do," he said, "Um, center forward, like, my, like him. Do you play?" She nodded.

"Right Wing," she smiled, "Daddy's little girl."

"Not goalie?" He asked, slightly surprised. He knew that Julie had been a great goalie.

"No," Kitty shook her head. "I wasn't any good at it. Apparently the only cat like thing I got from my mom was my name, not the reflexes." The hockey talk relaxed her a little bit, this was something that they had in common, besides their parents' confusing and convoluted past. The bell rang. "Bye, I'll see you at practice later?" She smiled at him. He smiled back.

"Yeah, see you." He got up and walked out. This was going to be an interesting couple of years.

Practice went well. Julian and Kitty noticed that they were the only alumni children on the ice, and Kitty was the only girl, something she was pretty used to. Kitty also caught her first glimpse of Charlie Conway in real life. Luis had been right, he was a great coach. Already, after just one practice she felt like she'd been pushed harder than she ever had in her life, in a good way. The training would be good for her, she had always felt like her coaches in Chicago didn't push her because she was the girl. It was frustrating. As practice broke up, Charlie blew the whistle.

"Great practice everyone," he said, a smile on his face, "You'll all be ducks soon, those of you that aren't already." A couple of the guys laughed including Julian, Kitty assumed that these were the players who played on the current incarnation of the Pee-Wee Ducks. "Alright, hit the showers and get home or to your dorm, or wherever." Kitty got up and started to skate away with the rest of the team, when he called out to her and stopped her. "Portman! Banks, you too!" He said, she turned around, so did Julian.

"Yeah coach?" She said skating back to him.

"What's up Char-I mean Coach," Julian said awkwardly, this was going to be weird, calling Charlie Coach.

"Do you two know each other?" He said, sounding genuinely concerned.

"We met earlier." Kitty said.

"OK," he said, "Julian, you can go. Say hi to your dad for me."

"I will, thanks Coach." Julian said skating away.

"So, Kitty," Charlie smiled, "how are you liking it here?"

"Look Coach," she said, trying to come up with the best way to say it without sounding rude. "I know my dad probably called you and told you to look out for me, but I'm a big girl, I don't need looking after."

"It wasn't your dad, but OK," he said, "look, I hated it here when I first started too, so if you need anything."

"Yeah, thanks," she smiled, "But I think it's going to be OK. Oh, but can I ask you one thing Coach?"

"Anything, that's what I'm here for." Charlie nodded.

"Don't go easy on me." She said.

"What do you mean?" He asked, this could mean any number of things.

"The coaches back home had this tendency to go easy on me, because I'm a girl." She explained. "I didn't like it. Don't go easy on me."

"Kitty," Charlie smiled, "I grew up playing hockey with your mother and Connie Moreau. If you think for a second that I think being a girl makes you less strong or capable, you have another thing coming."

"Thanks Coach." She smiled and skated away. Maybe this was the right place for her. As she walked back to her dorm she took out her cell phone and called home. Her mother had instructed her to do so right after practice so that was how it was going happen. The call connected and rang.

"Hello?" She heard a young male voice on the other end.

"Hey Danny!" She said, overjoyed to hear her little brother. "It's Kitty."

"Hey Kitty," Danny said excited on the other end. He was twelve, and supremely jealous that his big sister got to go to Eden Hall. "How's Minnesota?"

"It's good." She said, god she wished she was home. "Is Mom there?"

"Yeah, hold on," he said. "Mom!" He shouted. Kitty pulled her phone away from her ear.

"Kitty?" She heard her mother on the other end. "Oh sweetheart hi! How are you? How was the first day? And practice, was it great? Are you making friends?"

"Mom," Kitty said, "slow down. School's good, I like it a lot. I've made some friends, I'm rooming with some girl who's dad knows you and dad. Do you remember Scot Vanderbilt?"

"Scooter?" Julie said, "you're rooming with Scooter's daughter?"

"I guess so." Kitty said casually, "did you know him?"

"He was my boyfriend until I started dating Uncle Luis." Julie explained, "then Adam and I went to BC with him. Do I have to tell you the story again?"

"Oh, um, ok, no I don't need to hear the story again." Kitty said, "Great, more awkwardness."

"More?" Julie said, "what do you mean more?"

"I met Julian today," Kitty explained. "It wasn't exactly comfortable."

"Julian? Julian Banks?" Julie said, "He's at Eden?"

"Yes, and playing hockey too." Kitty said.

"What's he like?" Julie said, trying to sound casual about this, but she knew that Kitty knew it was a big deal.

"Quiet," Kitty said, "kind of awkward, I noticed, not just with me, with the other guys on the team. Cute though, light blonde hair, sorta dark eyes, a lot like Adam actually."

"Sounds like him," Julie said quietly. "Well, I've got to go, Theresa not feeling well. I think she's trying to get out of going to school already." Kitty laughed. Her ten year old sister often tried to play hooky.

"Bye Mom, I love you." Kitty said.

"I love you too, kiddo." Julie said hanging up the phone.

"Alright, I'm going to open, I will be home in exactly an hour." Dean said, he looked at Julie and noticed a look of worry in her face. "What's wrong?"

"Kitty met Julian today." Julie explained.

"Is she alright?" Dean said, he knew that it must have been weird for his daughter.

"I think so," Julie said. "She was very strange about it. And she's rooming with Scooter's daughter."

"Poor kid," Dean said, "that's an uncomfortable situation. She'll be fine Julie." He kissed his wife goodbye. "I've got to get to work."

"Bye," Julie said, "See you in a little while."

Julian walked into the house, his mom was standing in the kitchen getting dinner ready.

"Hey, you," Heather Banks smiled and walked over to her son. "How was school?"

"It was good." He said sitting down. "Did you know that Kitty Portman was going to Eden?"

"I had a hunch," Heather said, "but no confirmation. You ran into her?"

"She introduced herself to me." He said. "It was really awkward. She's on the team too, she's really good."

"I can imagine." Heather laughed. "She comes from great stock, not to mention if I know Dean she was skating as soon as she could walk." She looked at her son. "Do you have any question about all of the Julian?"

"It's all pretty self explanatory isn't it?" He shrugged. Heather sighed, Julian was so his father's son.

"Not really, it can get a little complicated." She laughed. "But as long as you're OK, then everything's fine."

"Great," Julian said, "I'm going upstairs to get started on some homework." He walked upstairs.

"I'm home." Adam said walking through the door. He walked into the kitchen and kissed Heather. "That smells good. Where's Julian? I want to ask him about school."

"Hi," she said, "It's just marinara sauce, and Julian is upstairs doing his homework."

"He say anything to you about school?" Adam said, "about practice?"

"You talked to Charlie," Heather said, understanding what he was saying.

"Yeah he called me." Adam said. "I didn't expect them to send her. Julie didn't say anything about it at their birthday."

"She probably just didn't think about it," Heather said. "Look, it's not as though any of us ever lied to them about the situation. They know everything, well almost everything, I mean, I don't think Julian knows exactly how much sex Dean and I had, but I think that's about it."

"Could you please not talk about you and Dean Portman?" Adam said. "Look, I just need to make sure he's OK with it. And that Kitty's OK with it."

"What are you going to do if one of them isn't Adam?" Heather laughed. "Pull Julian out of Eden Hall? Call Julie and ask her to pull Kitty? They're fourteen, Adam, chances are even without the very strange situation they're in they would be awkward around each other."

"What makes you say that?" Adam said.

"Because he is a fourteen year old boy, and your son," Heather explained, still adding spices to the sauce. "And she is a fourteen year old girl and Julie's daughter. Before you say anything, we met Kitty four years ago remember? She looks like Dean but she's got Julie's spirit, she's determined, independent and very forward. And Julian, much like you in high school, has trouble speaking up around other boys let alone around pretty girls so, therefore I would have to conclude that no matter what the convoluted family past was, Julian and Kitty would be awkward around each other."

"I guess you're right." Adam said, sticking his finger in the sauce. "It's good, leave it alone. I'm going upstairs."

"Take your own advice, Adam." Heather shook her head. "Leave it alone."

A/N: Reviews please!