AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So here is the next chapter and I really do thoroughly enjoy it!

I hope you guys do too!

ENJOY!

xxxx

"So I take it you two are supposed to be distracting me?" Mr. Fields asked Taylor and Lucas as he bought them coffee at the café. "You know your mother and I can play nice, and I haven't even gotten to interrogate your boyfriend, Tay-Bay."

Taylor laughed and rolled her eyes. "I don't want you to 'interrogate' him, but it wouldn't hurt to get to know him. Besides, you're mature enough to see past the fraternity difference."

"Oh, right…he's in Kappa Tau—the slacker house." Mr. Fields responded and he looked at his eldest daughter as she sighed and closed her eyes, shaking her head and heading for a table.

It wasn't that Mr. Fields was judging Cappie solely on his house, but from what he'd heard from Lucas, Cappie was a slacker. He didn't have a set major, he liked to party, and his girlfriends all left him for one reason or another. So as far as Mr. Fields was concerned, Cappie was already an unfit choice for his eldest daughter and yet he knew he owed it to Taylor to get to know Cappie at least.

"What kinds of interests other than girls and parties does this Cappie of yours have?" Mr. Fields offered slowly as he took a seat across from his daughter, Lucas sitting next to Taylor. "Surely he has some redeeming qualities if you're seeing him."

Taylor gave him a look. "You know what? I'm starting to think that Lucas' lack of tact and his arrogance comes from you. Mom invited him into our home, took a chance to get to know him, and she thinks he's a nice young man."

"Yes, but is he driven? Does he have goals? Ambition?" Mr. Fields asked her. "I hear he's sleeping in your room, which is completely unacceptable."

"At least Mom trusts me." Taylor shot at him, looking at Lucas. "Do you honestly tell him everything?"

"He deserves to know—he's our father." Lucas reminded her with a shrug.

Taylor turned to her father after rolling her eyes at her older brother. "You know what? I shouldn't have to defend my boyfriend to you, but I will. Cappie is kind and considerate and smart and loyal and wonderful, and you're judging him without knowing him. You didn't even look directly at him this morning when I introduced you two. You jut looked at his hand, shook it quickly and then started to almost pick a fight with Mom. Actually, on second thought…I'm walking home. Have fun with Lucas."

Mr. Fields started to protest as Lucas told Taylor to stop being a brat, Taylor grabbing her coffee as it had just finished, and then heading out the door into the crisp, morning air. She pulled her jacket tighter around her and tucked her hair behind her ears, looking at the streets going by her as she padded down the sidewalk, determined to get home before her brother and her father. Mrs. Fields surely needed some more help in the kitchen, and Taylor wanted to just wrap her arms around Cappie and tell him how wonderful he was even though he wouldn't know why she wanted to reassure him of that.

When Taylor and Cappie had first met, Taylor knew she was sexually attracted just because she was drawn in by how physically attractive he was. Then she got to know him because she had conflicting reports from the ZBZ House and from Rusty, and she realized how smart and funny he was. Yeah he slacked off quite a bit and he loved parties, but Cappie was his own person and he went after what he wanted. In fact he'd decided pretty early on that Taylor was different and she was worth showing off and when he'd asked her out, she hadn't hesitated in accepting.

The whole ZBZ House had to then get used to the fact that one of the members was dating the ex of not one but two of its members, and Ashleigh and Sierra were the first to be okay with it. Ashleigh was Taylor's Big Sister in the house and she stood by Taylor no matter what, and Sierra had been Taylor's best friend since their first day at Cyprus Rhodes. They roomed together, pledged together, still roomed together, and she couldn't wait to get back to the house and see her—she'd left for Thanksgiving Break early and Taylor just wanted to talk to her.

"I'm back!" Taylor announced as she walked into the house.

Jenna poked her head out of the kitchen. "Oh, no…what happened?"

"Dad's a douche." Taylor responded as she took off her jacket, turning back to her sister only to find Cappie in the doorway to the living room instead. "Hi."

"I think my girl needs a hug." Cappie said playfully, Harry and Jenna smiling and shaking their heads as they looked at their hands—they'd been playing cards with Cappie while Mrs. Fields checked on the turkey every once in a while and heated up the food.

"I think your girl needs something you can't help her with in the house." Taylor responded with a wink.

Cappie chuckled and handed Taylor his hand, pulling her onto his lap as Harry went to see if he could help his mother anymore and Jenna glanced at the coffee table. They were playing 'Rummy' and Cappie was winning, enjoying the game more with Taylor there even though he liked being able to hang out with her siblings so casually. The whole house seemed so much more relaxed without Mr. Fields and though Cappie wanted to know exactly what was up with that, he knew it wasn't his place—Taylor would tell him when Taylor told him.

"I have homework to do on the car ride home—remind me." Taylor said as she drew a card from the deck and looked at her hand, frowning. "I don't want to discard anything."

Jenna laughed and shrugged. "Well that's too bad because you have to. Hurry up."

"Don't rush me." Taylor responded, sticking her tongue out at her sister and then frowning when she heard the front door open. "Luke and Dad are back."

"Awesome." Jenna said unenthusiastically, looking at her sister and sighing softly as Taylor did, plastering a grin on her face when he entered the living room. "Hey, Daddy."

xx

Cappie held Taylor close as they snuggled together that night, trying to sleep since they had to leave in the morning and drive back to Cyprus Rhodes. Dinner had been enjoyable and everyone tried to keep the conversation light, the kids all going to bed early when Mr. and Mrs. Fields began to fight. They were fighting about their children, about work, about the house, about the arrangement, about their children's education—Cappie was still confused, but he stroked Taylor's hair as she thought about the day's events and couldn't sleep.

"We're all pretty sure he cheated on Mom." Taylor said finally, her head on Cappie's chest, listening to his heartbeat as she lay in the crook of his arm. "Since he neither confirmed nor denied, he just ran off to a 'business meeting', Mom kicked him out of the house and we all chose to stay with Mom. No matter how close Lucas is to Dad, we don't condone cheating here."

Cappie nodded slowly and kissed the top of Taylor's head. "I'm sorry about that, Tay. I hope that things work out for the best."

"So do we," Taylor admitted with a small nod, looking up at Cappie and smiling fondly. "Where did you learn to be so wonderful?"

"I don't think your dad thinks I'm all that wonderful." Cappie told her dejectedly.

"I know you really wanted to be accepted by my family, Cap…and you were." Taylor replied, kissing him softly. "I don't care what my dad says. He thinks that he's better than everyone else because he came from a rich family, he had a good education, and he's done well for himself. He's arrogant, and selfish, and if he cheated on my mother, that's just one more reason to be upset with him."

Cappie nodded slowly and cupped Taylor's face, stroking her jaw with his thumb. "You love your dad, Tay…you've had good times with him. He isn't just some workaholic scumbag and that's why you're so upset. Someday, maybe he'll accept me."

"Well you'll be around long enough to make him love you if I have any say in the matter." Taylor responded resolutely with a smile. "I'm so glad you're here, Cap."

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else for the holiday." Cappie told her sincerely, kissing her tenderly, making the moment last a minute or two. "I'm going to miss you when you're back to sleeping with Sierra."

Taylor smiled a little at the thought and then kissed her boyfriend softly, pressing her body against his and pulling him close. Cappie didn't mind the movement and let her pull him closer, moaning a little into her mouth as she ran her nails down his shirted torso, and he shook his head. He wanted to, desperately, but his and Taylor's relationship wasn't all about sex and she had made her mother a promise—no sex in the house.

"I can't feel you up or have you feel me up when Brian is watching us." Cappie said as Taylor gave him a look.

Taylor raised her eyebrows. "Lance?"

"Isn't that the gay Backstreet Boy?" Cappie asked her.

"No!" Taylor responded, bursting into laughter. "Lance was part of N'Sync. Even though one or more members of the Backstreet Boys is most likely gay…none of them are named Lance."

"Well I'm not supposed to know my guy bands, all right?" Cappie asked her, pushing on her shoulder playfully as she kept laughing. "I don't find this amusing."

Taylor beamed and kissed him swiftly. "Just promise me when we get back to school that there will be some sort of Kappa Tau party, okay? I'm in need of beer pong and drunken Rock Band, and groping my incredibly hot boyfriend in a closet while music blares."

"I think that can be arranged—I am the hot boyfriend, right?" Cappie teased and he chuckled when she kissed him and rolled her eyes.

After a few more kisses, Taylor stroked his hair and then resituated, lying on her side with her back to Cappie. Cappie turned on his side too, bringing her backside close against his front, spooning her lovingly. Neither of them had said 'I love you', but for a moment they both felt like they were on the same page with each other even without the words. They depended on each other and they liked being around each other, even though they knew that eventually their relationship wouldn't be this easy…and they didn't want it to always be easy.

They were aware that every healthy relationship had some conflict and they were looking forward to some—as long as it wasn't too big of a conflict. Taylor wouldn't mind fighting with Cappie because they'd fought in the past and she liked how they were able to get past things, and Cappie was rather looking forward to the make-up sex. In fact the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Taylor was different from the others…she made him feel like he was worth something.

She hadn't left him for his best friend like Casey, nor had she ever used him to her own advantages. While Rebecca also used him, she also didn't treat him well and every time something bad happened at home, she took it out on Cappie. Here Taylor was with family issues and somehow she was able to let Cappie do his thing, do her own thing, and still value him as a human being. She liked to show him off, she stood up for him, and she was happy with the kind of person that he was…it was suddenly then that Cappie realized how lucky he was and he placed a soft kiss behind her ear.

xx

There were some tears shed when Cappie, Lucas and Taylor packed their things up into the car to go back to Cyprus Rhodes. Jenna and Harry were going to have to go back to just the two of them until they graduated, and then the next year they'd be in for quite a bit of fun. It was still the beginning of the year though, and they weren't so happy being without their older siblings no matter how much they had grown to depend on each other.

"Call me when you guys get there, all right?" Mrs. Fields told her two eldest children as she hugged them tightly.

Taylor laughed a little and smiled. "Of course, Mom—we love you."

"You too, Dad." Lucas responded as he hugged his father, aware that Mr. Fields had slept in one of the guest rooms the night before.

"It was really nice meeting you, Cappie." Mrs. Fields told him, hugging him.

Though confused, Cappie embraced her back briefly and decided to add to the list that Taylor had been excited to show him off to her parents. She hadn't tried to embarrass him in any way and had gone out of her way to get them to like him no matter what. It showed him how much she truly cared about him, and it made him feel like he was good enough to get to meet the parents…it was also incredibly new to him.

"You too, Mrs. Fields. Thank you so much for having me." Cappie replied as she pulled back.

Mrs. Fields smiled at him. "Feel free to come back anytime and if you want to steal Taylor away for a holiday or two, feel free."

"I'll remember that." Cappie replied and then nodded as he shook Mr. Fields' hand. "Sir. Thank you."

"Perhaps we'll see more of you, Cappie." Mr. Fields told him with a nod, shaking his hand briefly and then letting go. "Have a safe drive home, all of you."

"We will, Dad." Taylor promised and hugged her father.

No matter how angry at her father that she was, Cappie was right—she loved him and she liked to be close to him when he let her get close. He hugged her and then he pulled back, Cappie, Taylor and Lucas piling into the car. Taylor opted to be in the back again with Cappie, but Lucas wanted Cappie in the passenger seat and Cappie wasn't going to say 'no'. If there was one person in Taylor's family that Cappie felt like he needed to please other than her father, it was Lucas.

Taylor was aware of the maneuver and just let it happen, keeping her ears open to jump in and protect Cappie when she needed to. Eventually the conversation would end up at parties and the fraternities and even though Taylor knew she'd have to talk about these things again, she didn't want to just then. It was the drive back to campus and Taylor just wanted to enjoy the company of her brother and her boyfriend.

"So that was our house." Lucas told Cappie as they hit the highway. "What did you think?"

Cappie glanced at him. "I think you guys live in a very nice house and your family is really nice. You guys are lucky."

"Yes we are." Taylor replied, looking up from her book and reaching up to stroke Cappie's hair from behind his seat. "I'm glad you got along with Harry and Jenna—Mom took quite a liking to you."

"Have you thought about declaring your major?" Lucas asked suddenly.

"Lucas," Taylor warned, shooting him a look.

Lucas glanced at Taylor via his rearview mirror. "I think it's a very relevant question, Tay."

"But it's none of your business, Luke." Taylor responded, Cappie feeling like he should jump in. "Not everyone knows exactly what it is that they want to do. Have you thought that maybe it's undeclared so that he can explore all of his options? So that he can have skills for all sorts of different things? Maybe he wants to be well-versed instead of specialized."

"I change my mind a lot so I left my major open-ended." Cappie told Lucas, knowing it wasn't really a lie.

Cappie had never really wanted to leave Kappa Tau—it was like his home and he felt safe and in control and so he'd never thought to declare anything. He liked that Taylor was standing up for him and coming up with excuses for him to use, but he knew deep down that he wasn't good enough for Taylor. Lucas didn't think so, Mr. Fields didn't think so, and Cappie was starting to think it himself, no matter how much Taylor wanted to be with him.

"How about we talk about something more fun…like Sierra?" Taylor offered as Lucas made that face like he'd made his point.

Lucas laughed a little and shook his head. "Oh, Sierra—Evan will be happy to see her again."

"Of course he will—he loves his girlfriend." Taylor said with a shrug. "You know, I kind of feel like I'm part of like this…love dodecahedron or something."

"You do have a weird place in all these relationships." Cappie admitted as he thought about it.

Cappie had been best friends with Evan Chambers when he came to Cyprus Rhodes, had dated Casey Cartwright, Rusty's older sister, and then lost Casey to Evan. Evan cheated with Rebecca the year that Taylor and Rusty pledged and then later on down the line Rebecca and Cappie dated and then Cappie realized all he could think about was Taylor. Rusty brought her over to the Kappa Tau house all the time and Cappie was smitten.

So Cappie and Rebecca broke things off and little while later Cappie and Taylor started dating, Casey and Evan breaking up and Casey dating Max after a string of bad decisions during hers and Evan's break-up. Around the time Casey started dating Max, Evan and Sierra started dating and since Sierra was Taylor's best girl friend at school, it was like somehow they were involved with all of the relationships.

"I just want to get back to campus to see Rusty and Sierra." Taylor said as she settled back into the car seat. "That and I need a good back to school party."

Note: And there is that chapter! Lots of school stuff next chapter and some fun drama! Feedback is always appreciated!