A/N: Thanks for reading and following this. I still wasn´t up to clicking through 200 beta Degrassi profiles and kind of hope that there aren´t that many mistakes. To answer the question of the last review: Owen will be around for a few more scenes but he´s staying on the sidelines.

Zoe stopped in the hallway smiling. Tristan was sitting next to Grace having a script and a pen in his hands. Obviously he wanted to change some lines in the musical and was discussing it with Grace.

She came closer and greeted Grace with a hand on the shoulder and Tristan with a smile. Then she sat next to Grace to listen to them.

"And then I think that Tiny should call for Zig to join him here", Tristan pointed in the script, "it just doesn´t make any sense without him having at least one connection to the other characters."

"We promised Tiny he wouldn´t have to say anything", Grace said, "if you want to change that, discuss it with him. Good luck."

"Fine", Tristan said, "we´ll see." He stood and looked to Zoe. "See you at practice. And don´t do anything I wouldn´t do." He winked at her and disappeared down the hallway.

Zoe smiled after him then turned her head to kiss Grace on the lips. It was a chaste kiss. Zoe wouldn´t have bothered but she knew that Grace wasn´t into full PDA. But Zoe was already learning all the small gestures that told her how much Grace liked her. "Do you have any plans for Friday night?"

Grace shrugged. Zoe became serious. "My mother wants to meet you. You don´t have to, if you don´t want to. It won´t be a pleasant ride."

Grace smiled at her. "I guess I won´t be able to run from it forever anyway."

Zoe sighed. "I just wish it was as easy as with your parents. It´s so nice to be at your place."

Grace grinned. "I won´t be easy on your mother as well", she said, "so maybe you should warn her."

Zoe grinned. Grace just knew how to make her feel good.

###

Frustrated Hunter closed his notebook and threw it on his bed. He felt as if he read everything he could find in the internet about eating disorders. None of them went without counselling and/or rehab. And he just hoped that Frankie would never try to search the net about it. There were some disgusting forums where people cheered each other on in their illness.

He ripped his clothes off himself and got his kendo clothes on. Then he got his kendo stick and went downstairs. He passed the living room where some of the others were practicing and entered the pool area to find a spot to train.

When he stopped an hour later exhausted he thought he felt a little better. But still no answer how to help his sister. He went inside and when he passed the living room there only were Miles and Tristan left. They were sitting on the couch talking and smiling at each other.

It was annoying to look at them that´s why Hunter wanted to pass them as quick as possible. But Tristan looked up. "Hunter, about the tree..."

"Not now", Hunter yelled and disappeared through the door. Miles and Tristan looked at each other and Miles rose to follow his brother. He stopped in the door to Hunter´s room. "What´s your problem?"

Hunter turned to him - he was angry. "Can´t you bother someone else? Why don´t you look after someone who really needs it? Frankie for sure would-"

They stared at each other in surprise. Hunter hadn´t intended to tell Miles. And Miles never expected this turn. "What´s this about?"

Hunter looked away, didn´t know what to do and then sighed. "She has some kind of eating disorder."

Miles couldn´t believe it. "I saw her eating today at lunch."

"And here at home?"

Miles frowned when it dawned on him that it had been a while. "Not sure."

Hunter sat down on his bed. He didn´t know what to feel. Relieved that he didn´t have to carry this alone anymore. Upset that he couldn´t do it alone.

Miles wanted to step inside when he saw that Tristan seemed to be standing near by for a while. He waved him inside as well before he closed the door.

Hunter looked up. "What is he doing here?"

"I heard it from the hallway", Tristan said, "sorry." He didn´t sound as if he were. "But maybe I can help", he offered, "I stopped eating a while ago to loose weight. I... had a heart attack."

"You what?", Miles asked.

Tristan looked at him. "Before we met."

Hunter shook his head. "Frankie doesn´t want to loose weight. It´s... complicated."

"We talk to her", Miles decided, "now."

Hunter hesitated, but nodded.

###

Frankie was sewing. A girl from her class did the sewing with the machine. Frankie did everything she could do by hand. Right now, she was sewing patches on some trousers.

She looked up, when Hunter and Miles entered. "What are you doing here?"

Miles closed the door. "What´s this about you not eating at home?"

Frankie put her work besides her looking angrily at Hunter. "You told him?"

Hunter shrugged. "I... didn´t know what else to do."

"You need help, Franks", Miles pointed out.

"I won´t go to rehab", she argued.

"What else can we do?", Miles asked.

Now Frankie was fighting tears. "I don´t know."

They sat on the bed with Frankie in between them. Hunter put an arm around her and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

Miles watched them. "Why don´t you want to eat at home?"

Frankie snorted. "Want? I can´t. When I sit here at the table I just want to throw up."

Miles shrugged. "Then we get rid of the table."

Hunter couldn´t believe it. "Are you dumb or something? This is not about the stupid table."

Before Miles could answer, Frankie did. "It´s about dad. Eating together was a family thing. And it was all lies."

That was something Miles really could sympathize with. He took her hand. "You eat at school?" She nodded. "You ate at the musical building weekend", he remembered.

"With everyone around it wasn´t a family meal", she said.

Miles thought. "Do you think you can eat normally if we evade family meals?", he finally asked.

Frankie shrugged. "Maybe."

"How do you want to do that?", Hunter asked, "we can´t eat out every breakfast and dinner."

Miles stroked his sister´s hand with his thumb while thinking. "And if we get the others involved? You said, you can eat when they are there."

Frankie made a face. "I don´t want to tell everyone."

"Just a few of them", Miles said, "like Lola and Shay."

Frankie thought and finally nodded. "Okay." There were new tears in her eyes and now Miles put an arm around her as well. Waiting for her to calm down. "Do you think you can call them and ask them to come now?", Miles asked then.

Frankie dried her tears. "Yes."

Miles stood. "Good. I´ll call Maya and um... Tristan is waiting downstairs and he heard us talking, so he already knows anyway..."

Frankie wasn´t enthusiastic about it but what´s done is done. "Bring him up then. But why Maya?"

"She knows about the counselling stuff", Miles answered.

Frankie gave in. "But no one else."

"Promised", Miles said and left the room.

###

Zoe opened the door to let Grace in. She was a little overdressed for dinner at home, but even if she wasn´t on good terms with her mother she wanted tonight to be as good as possible.

As soon as she had Grace inside her door they kissed and only stopped when they heard her mother clearing her throat. Zoe turned to her. "Mom this is Grace. Grace this is my mom."

"Nice to meet you", her mom said with a smile that was a little bit to bright. Grace copied it and shook her hand.

They had ordered sushi and the food was definitely better than the conversation. "So, how long do you know each other?"

"Since Zoe asked me to do the tech for the oomphchat", Grace answered as if it was nothing.

Zoe coughed. But Grace just had an enfacing smile on her face while watching Mrs Rivas who tried to hide her shock and stay friendly. "Why didn´t you stop her?"

Grace looked at her girlfriend who had stopped coughing by now. "Why should I? Zoe knows what she wants." That got her a smile from Zoe.

Mrs Rivas didn´t know what to say to them and they returned to eating in silence till Mrs Rivas brought up the next question. "And how did you get my heterosexual daughter to date you?"

Before Grace could answer, Zoe did. "No one gets me to date them. I get them to date me."

Her mother just frowned. Then the doorbell rang and she rose. "Do you expect more visitors?", she asked Zoe.

Zoe shook her head but something in her mother´s voice caught her attention. She followed her to the kitchen door and listened to her mother opening the front door. Grace was just a few seconds behind her. "You are right on time", they heard her mother say, "but as agreed not more than three photos."

Zoe heard enough. She looked to Grace. "That´s reporters. Go upstairs, hurry."

"What about you?", Grace asked.

Zoe was determined. "I´ll come up with something. Just go."

Grace wasn´t sure, but they heard the front door closing and voices in the hallway. Zoe pointed to the stair again and Grace went this time.

Zoe hurried back to the table, emptied Grace plate on hers and sat down as if nothing had happened. Her mother came in with a guy. "Honey, this is Fred. You know him. I invited him to come by and get a few home pictures of us. I just didn´t know, he´d come today."

"Yeah, sure", Zoe said under her breath but she used her work smile on the guy. "Hey."

"Has Grace gone to the bathroom?", her mother wanted to know.

Zoe played dumb. "Grace?"

Her mother looked at Fred. "We are having dinner with Zoe´s girlfriend", she explained, "she should be back any minute."

Zoe frowned. "What´s this about?", she asked, "there is no Grace. I thought you wanted me to meet your new guy. Isn´t the plate for him?" She pointed at the empty plate.

"Honey", her mother sighed, "no games, please."

Zoe shot up furiously, totally ignoring Fred. "No games? Who´s playing games? You´re a completely crazy stage mom! Why don´t you look for another daughter to play this games with!" Zoe turned and went upstairs. She could keep the tears from falling till she reached the top of the stairs. Grace was right there and pulled her to her room.

###

Shay, Lola and Tristan were sitting with Frankie and Hunter on her bed already, when Miles entered with Maya and Zig. "Sorry, she brought Zig with her."

"Wrong, moneybag", Zig said, "I brought Maya. You wanted her here as fast as possible and she needed a drive."

Miles looked inquiring at Frankie. Zig followed his gaze and understood that something important was going on. "I can wait downstairs", he offered.

"No", Frankie said and waved around her, "it´s okay."

Miles went to the bed to sit down, while Zig closed the door. Maya and him squeezed on an armchair. Maya had to put her leg over Zig´s but they didn´t care.

"So what is this about?", Lola asked, looking at Frankie, who took a breath. Then she told them. At the end she sat there, with her head down. Lola took her hand. "You could have told us."

Shay put an arm around her. "You SHOULD have told us."

Frankie nodded. Tears falling again. "I know."

Lola looked up to Miles and Hunter. "And what do we do now?"

Maya leaned towards the bed watching Frankie seriously. "You have to get counselling. It´s difficult to admit but there is no other way. And it helps."

Frankie tried to wipe away her tears. "I just don´t want them to send me to rehab."

"That´s why we have to come up with a plan that she eats enough", Miles explained, "she needs friends to eat with her and somewhere out of the house or at least not at the table downstairs."

"You can eat breakfast with us", Lola offered, "we eat at Lola´s because my parents start to work early. They will be okay with it."

"I can come as well", Shay said, "most of the time I eat breakfast alone anyway."

"I can drive you", Miles offered.

"Then you´re invited as well", Lola said.

He flashed her a smile. "Thanks."

"Then dinner is at our place." Zig grinned. "When I cook there is no way you can´t eat."

"Does the offer stand for friends as well?", Lola asked.

Zig grinned. "Of course. The more the merrier."

"Then count me in - at least from time to time if that´s alright", Tristan said.

"Of course, you must", Maya said, "it´s a pity you didn´t try Zig´s cooking yet."

Zig elbowed her. "Stop praising my cooking to everyone, Matlin."

"But you´re so cute when you´re blushing", Maya pouted playfully. That got them a laugh of the others. Even Frankie couldn´t help but laugh at them.

"That just leaves lunch in the weekend, doesn´t it?", Lola asked after they calmed down.

"I´ll take you out", Hunter said to Frankie.

She smiled at him. "Just the two of us?"

He nodded. They held each others gaze for a moment, then Frankie looked at her friends around her. "Thank you."

"You know, that this won´t work all of your life?", Maya asked earnestly, "you still have to go to counselling."

Frankie nodded and saw to her brothers. "Will you help me talk to mom?"

"Sure", Miles said. Hunter nodded.

Frankie couldn´t help but cry again. "You are really great - all of you."

Lola and Shay hugged her. Lola shed some tears of her own. Miles put his hand on Frankie´s shoulder, Maya and Zig joined them on the bed and Frankie held her hand out to Hunter. He pulled closer and took it. Frankie closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the moment.

###

Zoe was crying in Grace´s arms. She felt helpless and angry at the same time. Grace just let her cry until she calmed down.

Then Zoe separated from her and sat on the bed. Grace followed. "What do you want to do now?"

Zoe shrugged. "I don´t know." She thought. "Can I... can I sleep at your place for a few nights? I have to get out of here."

Grace nodded. "My parents will be okay with it."

"And you?" Zoe looked up at her.

Grace grinned. "You should know the answer to that, dummy."

Zoe smiled relieved. "They are still down there. We have to get out without them seeing us."

Grace stood and took a look out of the window. She turned to Zoe. "Up for some climbing?" They grinned at each other.

###

Breakfast at Grace´s place was warm and relaxing. Grace´s parents had made Zoe feel welcome from day one. They never asked questions. They just respected Grace choice of girlfriend. But today was a bit different - Grace´s sister Hope was already at school training basketball and Grace had told her parents the night before why she brought Zoe with her, so now they had to talk about that.

"If you want to stay a few days you can do that", Mrs Cardinal, a woman of native canadian origin, offered, "distance helps to clear the mind."

"But we decided to talk to your mother", Mr Cardinal explained, "we don´t want our daughter in some cheap magazine and will make that clear to your mother."

"Good luck", Zoe said.

"If I have to I will ask a friend of mine for help - he is lawyer", Mr Cardinal said.

"Isn´t that a little exaggerated?", Grace asked.

"Grace", her mother said, "we want you to be proud to be two-spirited. But we don´t want anyone to use it as publicity. We want you to be safe."

"Two-spirited?" Zoe had never heard the word before.

Grace looked at her. "Later."

"We´re going to get the two of you after school", Mr Cardinal decided, "and then we talk to your mother and get some of your things for the next few nights."

Zoe nodded. "Okay."