AN: Here it is! Sorry it took so long, my family took an impromtu trip to Vegas and the Luxor lacks open wifi. But that's beside the point. Anyway, READ AND ENJOY! (btw if you are waiting on my Geek in the Pink story, I promise I have a chapter. It's just that my flash drive has been stuck at my Aunt's house and the new chapter is stuck on it. so...yeah. I'll be getting it this week, so bear with me.)

Amy pressed her lips to the mouthpiece of her French horn as one hand muffled the bell end. Her fingers pressed lightly on each of the valve levers as different toned buzzes came from the instrument. Her eyes scanned the grass for Ricky, but didn't see him around, wondering what could be taking him. He had dropped her off at the park for her concert, but had wanted to run back to the apartment for a few things. He didn't say what for, which made her a little curious, if not suspicious, in light of their lunch conversation. But she had shaken off any qualms. She had just told him that he wasn't allowed to question her actions she had to do the same for him. Ricky seemed to sense her reluctance and kissed her lightly, promising to be back in time to see her play and then went off, disappearing out of the park.

There had been a small amount of tension between then, mostly from the deep thought that Ricky seemed to sink into as the lunch progressed, but they seemed to come to an understanding. He hadn't pulled away from her at all, in fact, he had almost seemed to pull her closer as the day progressed, which is why Amy found it easy to dismiss her suspicions. If he was going to pull away he would have done it by now and since he hadn't she was just going to enjoy him. If this was going to be their last weekend together, if Ricky decided he wanted things to go back to the way they were once he left, then she wanted to relish in this moment. She wanted to make the weekend count since it might very well be their last.

Pulling her gaze from the crowed, she turned to see Meena watching her, flute in hand, and Megan fast approaching, her clarinet at her side. "So," Meena started, gripping her flute in both hands, "how's the visit going?" Megan reached the two of them and sat beside them, off to the side of the gazebo, her face lighting up at the mention of Ricky.

"Ooh! Yeah, how's it going?"

Amy smiled and shrugged, "Good. It's been going good." She glanced at him once more, finding his eyes at her and waved before turning back to her friends. "I took him to one of the practice rooms at school, where we were just playing around with some of the instruments in there, and then lunch at Cleo's. Overall, a good day."

"Did Ricky meet Daryl?"

Amy eyed Megan warily, but ignored the look of piqued interest with a shrug. "Yeah, but it wasn't anything special. He did get a little protective, but we talked it through and I told him, he really has no right to be that way."

Megan's eyes grew wide, "You told him that?"

Amy nodded as Meena smiled back at her, "Well good for you."

Megan whipped her head in Meena's direction and then proceeded to look between her two friends in confusion. "What? How can you say that? Of course he has a right to be protective."

Meena furrowed her brow and set her flute down in her lap. "They aren't dating. They aren't even together Megan, so Ricky has no right to be jealous of any other guy. Amy can see whoever she wants."

"But he's the father of her baby."

"So?"

Megan rolled her eyes and then turned to Amy. "I thought you wanted to be with him?"

Amy sighed and glanced at him once more before turning back to Megan and Meena. "I'm not sure what I want to happen between us."

Again, Megan looked at her warily and reached out a hand to rest on Amy's knee. "Are you "not sure" or you just don't want to make a decision about it?"

She shifted uncomfortably under Megan's gaze, but sighed and shook her head, dropping her gaze to the gleam of her horn. "I mean, the weekend has been great, and he seems to be very determined to make something of our relationship…"

"But that's here, in New York where you're not surrounded by all your problems from back home," Meena interjected. "Who's to say he won't run once the two of you are home and it becomes harder?"

Megan glared at Meena, "Who's to say he will?"

Amy sighed and set her French horn down, holding her hands up to both of her friends and shaking her head. "Look I don't know what's going to happen okay? He could run, I could run, or it could work out. But, as it stands, we're just trying to figure it out. We've talked a lot about our relationship so, trust me when I say we'll figure it out."

Both Megan and Meena looked at each other, Megan throwing a pointed look at Meena then at Amy. Meena sighed, "Alright," she started. "Look Amy, I know you're scared, but Ricky isn't the only one that has to make a decision here. If you want to be with him, if you want this to work out between the two of you, then you have to tell him that. I mean, that's what we're learning in Group, right? To be honest about what we want and not treat ourselves like we deserve everything less because we made mistakes in the past? If you want to be with Ricky, tell him that. Tell him what you're thinking."

Amy sighed and mindlessly fingered the valve levers of her instrument. "I know but, if I say that to him, he might run away for sure. He'll see it as too much pressure. I don't know if I could handle—"

"There is no pressure in it Amy. You want to see if the two of you could have a future together and there's nothing wrong with that. It's what we all question when we fall into a situation like this. But you know the risks and so, as long as your honest with yourself about them and honest with him, then you have nothing to worry about."

"But—"

Megan shook her head and held up a hand, "No buts Amy. You've got to stop over-thinking all of this. You want to see if there's any possibility the two of you could be in a relationship? Great. Then tell him that's what you want. Decide together that you're going to see if there is. But that doesn't mean you have to immediately be in a serious relationship, most people usually don't jump into one."

At this Amy looked up confused and Megan smiled encouragingly, "There's nothing wrong with just dating, Amy. Seeing each other non-exclusively in order to decide if you want to be exclusive. The fact that you both have son shouldn't disrupt you from having a normal dating experience."

Meena nodded in Megan's direction and then turned to Amy with pursed lips. "She's right you know. And, it is kinda what you're doing already, so what's the harm?"

Amy let their words sink in and settle in her mind, the idea of "dating" leaving her dazed, but slowly warming to the thought. It was true, her conditions to being with Ricky had been that they were to be exclusive to each other, but that was factoring in sex and marriage in the distant future. Taking both of those options out, if they were just talking about getting to know each other and seeing if they could fall in love with each other, then they didn't have to be exclusive, they just had to spend time together. And if she was honest, that was really where she wanted to go in their next step. 'Heck,' she thought, 'That's where I wanted us to be today.'

She looked at them with wide eyes, her thoughts racing as the idea seemed to warm to her. Then she turned toward the grass, hearing her name being called out from the crowd. Ricky was weaving his way through the scads of people to where the three girls were sitting, a few bags at his sides and a smile. Her gaze traced his body before meeting his own, a smile threatening to spread at the mere sight of him. He nodded in her direction, which prompted her to wave at him as she bit her lip and sigh. They were right, she did want to be with him, and if that's what she really wanted then she had to let him know and just let it happen.

After ending a thirty-minute set with Greensleeves, Amy bid goodbye to her friends and made her way across the grass to where Ricky sat, beneath a large oak tree. He nodded to her as she approached and she waved back, dropping to her knees beside him as he took her French horn. "Hey," he greeted, "great set."

She laughed at him and shook her head, laying back to rest her head against his thigh and sighing deeply, "Shut up."

He chuckled and brushed her bangs back as she looked up him, letting his thumb fall to her cheek then to her lips. "No, come on. It was good. And a lot of people seemed to enjoy it." Amy glanced over her shoulder at the crowds of others gathered on picnic blankets and lawn chairs, watching the quartet perform or throwing Frisbees or baseballs back and forth. A little farther away there were people walking about, making their way to and from the amphitheater where Shakespeare's Twelfth Night was playing. She smiled as she noticed an older couple stand and begin to waltz to the string quartet.

"I suppose."

Ricky laughed once again and leaned back against the tree. "And you enjoyed it too. I mean, you even got to play Peter and the Wolf, doesn't it feel good to come full circle?"

At this Amy tossed him a curious look. "What do you mean by that?"

He met her gaze with a furrowed brow, though the smile hadn't left his lips, and cocked his head to the side, "Peter and the Wolf, that was the second song in your set right?"

She nodded slowly, "Yeah…"

"And that was the reason why you decided to play the French horn in the first place, because your mom used to play it for you?" He chuckled, "I actually was telling your mom this the night after you left."

She looked at him and nodded, though the confusion never left her face. "But…how did you—"

"You told me," He said in a light tone, "don't you remember?"

She mind roladexed through the countless conversations they had had in the past year, not remembering any moment when she had ever mentioned Peter and the Wolf. She didn't even remember mentioning it to Ben, but Ricky knew, so she had to have told him.

Ricky, in watching her gaze fall, could tell that her brain was whirring. He felt his smile grow just a little wider as he let out a silent chuckle. "You mentioned how you had started off with piano, but that it didn't really interest you. Then you stopped talking and asked me if you were talking too much. And I said-"

"No. I could listen to you talk all night." The memory came back to her in full force as the words fell from her mouth and she felt her eyes widen and her mouth drop in disbelief. "I…" she stuttered as she sat up from her place, "I can't believe you remember that."

Again Ricky chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, "Contrary to popular belief Amy, I do listen to you."

She shook her head, "But that was ages ago! And, well, especially when it comes to that night, I didn't think…" Her voice trailed off as the implication became clear of what her thoughts were, suddenly feeling guilty for it.

"You think that night I wasn't really listening because all I wanted to do was have sex with you?"

She bowed her head and sighed, afraid that he would become offended and the moment of awe that had completely changed her perspective on him would be lost. But then she felt his hand come to her chin, pulling her gaze up to meet his. He didn't look angry, but he did hold her steady, his hand moved from her chin to her cheek. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. I do listen to you Amy and, more than that, I do remember, everything."

The air shifted to something heavier, but more comforting, settling in the space between them like a lazy heat that seemed to be growing hotter. She bit her lip as a smile began to push its way across her face. And with a laugh, she dropped her gaze once more, then glanced back up as she tilted into his palm. His thumb grazed her cheek once again and he laughed as well, pulling away to motion to the bags he had brought. "So," he said with a sigh, "are you hungry? I've got wings."

AN: Alright, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! And, btdubbs: can I just say that the Ricky/Amy/Adrian/Ben thing has been bugging the heck out of me? ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE! -_-x *sigh* but, we know they are ENDGAME so, just got to ride out the wave...like a fever.

RAMY FEVER! haha