A/N: It's Meowser, once again!

"You're too sexy beautiful, and everyone wants a taste," Katie sang along to the radio as she shut the car off, back at her apartment.

She'd had a great time in Grandview, going down for a quick family dinner and to see how her mother was doing (if she was being completely honest, that had been the driving force in going back) and now she was ready to tackle college again.

She remembered the evening as she carried her hobo bag up to her apartment, smiling a little. Aaron had been so goofy, talking about this new girl he'd met. She'd never seen him quite so interested or engaged about a girl before now. Previously he'd tended to hide his girlfriends, not because of embarrassment or uncomfortableness but simply because he didn't think that they were important enough to be introduced or mentioned to his family.

She wondered if it would last, as she dug her key out of her purse and inserted it into the doorknob, only to have the surprise of her life when strong arms slipped around her.

She knew immediately who it was, forcing herself to not jump in surprise, instead turning around in Toby's embrace. "God, it's good to see you again," she whispered, leaning into him.

"Wow, this is some welcome," Toby said, as her lips grazed the skin above his v neck t shirt.

"Well, I don't know, I love being home but coming back here just feels so right," Katie said, nuzzling into him. "Like I'm not supposed to be there right now."

"Good, because that's right," Toby said, his hands spanning her waist and bringing her up the wall. She found herself locking her legs around his hips, and their lips met, hungrily and quickly.

He was moving against her, his hands seeming to be everywhere at once, pressing her against the wall so she didn't fall.

"Ahem," Hannah said, and they broke apart. Katie slid down the wall, her feet hitting the ground, panting.

"I mean, keep on with what you were doing," Brandon said. "I just thought you'd appreciate knowing you had an audience."

He crooked a brow at them.

Toby sighed, his hands loosening on Katie's waist. "Right," he said, finally pulling away from her.

"I see you got back safely," Hannah said. "That's good."

"I need to unpack. It's only a bit of stuff, but I should do that before I forget," Katie gasped, as Toby's hand didn't seem to want to part from her body.

"You should," he finally said. "See you later."

"Dinner?" Katie offered.

The light in his eyes said he agreed.

She pushed her apartment door open, followed in by Hannah and Brandon. "We can make it a double date!" Hannah exclaimed just in time for Toby to hear before he left.

"Oh, well," Katie said. "I was thinking—"

"Sure," Toby said, catching her gaze and she nodded, flushing a little from how intently he was looking at her. "Text me later, Katie."

"Yeah," she said, and he shut the door behind him.

"Hannah! What was that about?" Katie asked, propping hands on her hips.

"I missed you too," Hannah said, leaning into Brandon.

"As if, you and Brandon probably had sex in my bed while I was gone, and liked it," Katie grumbled, reaching to pick up her bag.

"We did not," Brandon said immediately.

"But maybe in some other places," Hannah said mischievously. "That I graciously won't tell you about."

Katie rolled her eyes. "The end," she said. "Why are you barging in my dinner date with Toby?"

Hannah shrugged. "I missed you too," she repeated. "And it's not good to give guys such big tastes of you near the beginning of your relationship."

Brandon pinched her waist. "I don't remember that problem back when we first started dating," he whispered.

"You have an audience," Katie griped, but felt the sting go out of her words. "Hans, Ned was there."

"What?" Hannah said, breaking away from Brandon's embrace. "Oh my god, why? I thought you just went for a family dinner." She raised an eyebrow. "You haven't seen him since before halloween, right?"

"Right," Katie sighed. "When he got, um, an eyeful."

"I don't think I heard this part of the story," Brandon said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Okay, see you later, Brandon, love you and meet you for dinner," Hannah said. "This is girl time."

"What, I know Ned too! I could help you two decipher him," Brandon protested.

"Later," Hannah said sternly, pushing him from the apartment.

"No, no, if Katie saw Ned I want to hear about too," Brandon complained loudly.

"It's just Ned," Hannah insisted.

"There is no such thing as just Ned when it comes to Katie," Brandon said, leaning to steal a kiss from Hannah. "Which everyone knows."

Katie moved, and caught a glimpse through the open door. Toby was standing there, frozen in place, obviously having heard every word of Hannah and Brandon's very loud conversation.

"Oh, god, you two, shut up," Katie said, and went into her bedroom, slamming the door.

A moment later, Hannah came in, not knocking. "Sorry, I didn't realize that Toby was there," she said.

"Just help me decide what to wear tonight," Katie sighed. "Something that says...I'm over him and it's all about you now."

"I have just the thing," Hannah said. "It was too big for me in the chest but I had to get it anyway. You'll look amazing."

She dashed from the room, and returned carrying an orange dress. "Do you like?" She asked, brandishing the pick.

"It looks like it'll be too short on me," Katie said instantly.

"Try it on, and as you do, tell me about Ned," Hannah said, jumping onto Katie's bed.

"He was...he was nice," Katie said, biting her lip. "Quiet. He didn't really look at me, but...I could tell that he was paying attention to everything I said. I mean, Delia brought Tim so it got to be a bit of a big gathering… Aaron's girlfriend was there and no one expected that. A lot of people were talking and I was telling Mom and Tim about how college was going and Ned was just there, not really talking to anyone but not on his phone either and he just was listening."

"And?" Hannah said.

"And then he walked away and started talking with Mack about how she's reading Anne of Green Gables this year," Katie sighed. "I didn't know what to think of that so I stopped thinking about it period."

She pulled the dress on, and immediately pulled it off again once she'd gotten a glimpse. "Just no," she said flatly.

"You looked hot," Hannah said, giggling.

"If by hot, you mean that it didn't cover my crotch, then yes," Katie said. "I'll just wear that black mini skirt I got last weekend."

"Ooh, try it with your purple sweater," Hannah said, grabbing said sweater from Katie's closet. "So...that was it?"

"Yeah, Ned left early," Katie said. "My dad is mad at him and it was just weird."

"Because of what Ned said at the track," Hannah stated, confirming but not really asking.

"Yeah," Katie said, pulling black tights on over her pink panties; which were matched to her bra, one of the few really nice sets of underwear she owned; Victoria's Secret instead of Hanes like she usually wore.

"Well, that sucks," Hannah said.

"Not really!" Katie said. "I'm dating someone else now. I don't need Ned hanging around."

"But maybe…" Hannah closed her mouth. "Never mind. Listen, you and Toby can go alone, I was just being annoying."

"Great," Katie said, wondering what Hannah had been about to say, but not wanting to ask.

Toby raised an eyebrow when she stepped out of her apartment alone.

"I don't suppose you've been just leaning on your apartment door for the past five minutes, have you?" Katie wondered, smiling at him and yanking her skirt down a little when his gaze didn't leave her face and she wanted it too.

"Maybe," Toby said. "What about Hannah and Brandon?"

"Hannah cut me loose after all," Katie said wryly. "I'm in luck."

"So am I," Toby said softly, pulling her close and planting a gentle kiss on her lips. "I adore you, Katie. You're...different."

"Thanks," she said a bit dryly. "That's what every girl dreams of hearing."

"Did you come back from Grandview more sarcastic or is that just me?" Toby wondered.

"Sorry," Katie apologized. "I just feel a bit tired. Too much driving and then Hannah was trying her best to make me go crazy."

"I heard some of that," Toby said, linking his arm through hers. "Your car or mine?"

"Yours," she said, snuggling into him a bit more as they walked. "I'm not up for more driving. Better, let's walk."

"Too cold," he said. "Or it will be when we come home."

"Fair enough," Katie sighed, looking at the gray sky above her.

"So…" Toby began. She tensed. "We both know what I'm going to say. Who's Ned?"

"He's...no one," Katie said immediately. "Not important anymore, at least."

"No one?" Toby said. "I think I heard Brandon rebut that, so cough it up, Katie."

She sighed. "I don't care about your exes," she complained.

"So he's an ex," Toby said.

"Not really," Katie said and Toby stared at her.

"Then what is he?" He asked in disbelief.

"More a...never been," Katie said. "A not quite. A not ever, more like. I had a huge crush on him for forever and for a minute I thought he liked me back this fall and then I realized he didn't. End of story."

"Did it disappoint you?" Toby asked, his gaze intent on her face.

"Well, yes," Katie said. "There was a time that I thought he was the love of my life. And then...now...he just isn't."

Toby nodded thoughtfully. "Okay," he said.

"Okay what?" She asked, as he opened the passenger door on his car for her.

"I'll stop asking questions," Toby said. "He's in the past, for you...and for me. As far as I'm concerned I don't even remember asking."

"Good," Katie grinned. "Then let's go get some food."

She began to feel that Toby hadn't been completely honest about forgetting about it, because the way he was moving over her, his hands seeming to want to rove over every inch of her skin and then follow it up with his mouth, made her feel like he was trying to claim her.

And she realized that she didn't mind.

She was topless, but still wore her tights and skirt; boots were still firmly on her feet. Toby was in no hurry to go farther tonight; he was still lingering over her breasts, pulling the nippes into rosy tips, making her ache.

"I want to do you tonight," Katie whispered.

They were taking it slowly, and they'd bounced back and forth each time about who really got it each time since Toby kept insisting that her first time had to be special and that each night they started just making out on the couch wasn't good enough.

"Mm?" He wondered, sucking on the skin right above her breast.

"I want to get you off," she said, parroting his words from halloween.

He pulled back, a lazy smile on his face. "As if I could ever say no to you…"

Ned contracted his abs, doing his five millionth sit up of the morning, not quite able to believe that he was actually finishing.

He'd contacted Derek, sucking up his pride, and asked if he could have the morning time slot after Jim's.

Since then, they'd been meeting every morning since Georgie had left, and Ned was already beginning to notice the difference.

It sounded weird, but he could breathe easier. Everything just seemed to be more effortless now, from breathing to walking, to lifting things down from high places.

Derek did indeed factor in a large amount of cross fit, emphasizing functionality.

"And I might try a detox," he said, as Ned finished his sit ups. "I hope you aren't offended by what I say but you look a little hungover."

"A little?" Ned grunted, rolling over into a pushup position. "I had too many drinks last night, in memory of a girl I used to know."

"Ah," Derek said. "I know the feeling, unfortunately. Alcohol can have such bad effects on performance, though. You should try to get out negative feelings some other way."

"Don't I know it," Ned sighed, moving into squats.

"Ah, knees point out, don't let them cave in again," Derek said, pacing in front of Ned. "So...did you and Jim quarrel?"

This was the first time he'd asked.

"You could call it that," Ned said. "Just...I don't know. Don't tell him you're coaching me."

"He's not a petty man, he wouldn't care," Derek chuckled. "But sure. If you'd rather I didn't, I won't."

"It's just complicated," Ned said. "He was...like a dad to me once. But then I hurt his daughter…"

"The girl you were toasting last night?" Derek asked wryly.

"Yeah," Ned sighed.

"And now you lost both of them," Derek finished. "Well, that sucks."

"It does," Ned said, a lump in his throat.

He moved back into sit ups, feeling his abs cry out.

"And...time," Derek said, letting Ned sag against the mat. "Are you going to make it tomorrow and go for three days in a row?"

"Yeah," Ned said, wiping sweat off of his forehead. "Hey, do you work Sundays?"

Katie woke up the same morning Ned was training with Derek, covered in love bites.

She frowned a little, remembering last night with Toby. It had been great, for sure. He'd taught her how to do a perfect blowjob and that was a lesson she would not soon forget. And he'd definitely returned the favor.

She frowned again, wondering why he was holding back so much on them actually having sex. She didn't want to be the Monica Lewinsky to his Bill Clinton.

Not that that was what they were in the least, but it still struck her as odd. She hadn't thought that boys as considerate as he seemed to be existed and Toby just still seemed just a bit too good to be true.

She got up, wondering when exactly he'd left. She remembered him kissing her goodbye, mumbling something about an early class, and wondered when that had been. It was only 8:15 now; she had a 10:00 a.m. class. Well, she had an 8:00 class but she'd decided she could afford to miss it, just this once.

The teacher was a nice guy and she was far beyond the lesson material at this point, flying through the class. It was too easy for her.

She grabbed her computer, pulling a t shirt on as she did so.

"Okay, time to talk to mom," she mumbled, pulling her hair into a ponytail, and double checked that her t shirt was high enough necked that her mom wouldn't see the love bites until Katie wanted her to.

They had a Skype date. Her mom had asked when she'd been home if she'd have time one morning to talk again and Katie had gladly said yes.

She flipped open her laptop and dialed her mother.

And waited.

Finally, after a too long time, her mother's face appeared on the screen.

"Sorry," she apologized, looking very pregnant, and a bit flustered. "I had Aaron go through all the steps with me last night but I think I forgot one and it was dialing but I couldn't see the button and ugh. My stomach also got in the way."

"Aw," Katie said. "No problem. I'm just glad I got to talk to you again."

"Well, I'm getting closer to d-day, and I just wanted to see you more," Melinda said. "We didn't talk as much as we should have when you were home. I just meant to invite Delia but then she invited Tim...and Ned." She sighed. "I wish your dad wasn't mad with Ned. I mean, I get it. He told me what happened, but—"

"I wish he wasn't too," Katie said immediately. "I have no idea why Ned would let himself mess up his relationship with Dad. No matter what happens between us, I never intended or wanted him to stop being Dad's surrogate oldest son."

"They do have a special bond," Melinda sighed unhappily. "I just don't know how to get them back together."

"Dad will come around. Ned will do something stupid and Dad will rescue him," Katie said.

"That sounds right," Melinda chuckled. "It'd better happen soon. So...what are you wearing?"

"A t shirt," Katie grinned.

"And nothing else?" Melinda leaned in closer. "Katherine, that is a love bite!"

Katie crowed, pulling the hem down. "Mom, he's the best!"

"Katie!" Melinda exclaimed, bringing her hands to her mouth. "Ooh, I'm so happy for you. You're using protection, right?"

"We haven't even gotten that far," Katie admitted, sagging a little. "It's just been oral. Which I like. He's taking it slow. But…" She shrugged. "I feel like he's taking it too slow."

"When did you first get together?" Melinda asked, leaning back in her chair.

"Halloween," Katie said. "And he...got me off but he said that my first time should be special. Well, it's been almost two weeks and we always just end up making out on the couch with Toby saying it isn't special enough."

"Your dad would not have lasted that long," Melinda said, very seriously. "Then again…" Her cheeks colored. "You probably don't want to hear that."

"I probably don't," Katie said. "I don't know. And the love bite thing. It's fun, but mom, look, it's like seven. Like, what the fuck?"

Melinda raised an eyebrow. "I've probably had more," she hedged.

"I know, but you did it more than once," Katie almost growled. "He spent half the night on my breasts and only moved down under duress."

"Maybe he's got a breast fetish," Melinda shrugged. "I don't know. Give the boy some space. If it's been a month...then you can start worrying. But some guys...I don't know. Maybe his sister or mother got knocked up and shouldn't have and he's touchy about actually doing it. Condoms fail. The pill fails. Maybe he just likes to err on the side of caution."

"Maybe you're right," Katie said. "But...I don't know. He's kind of possessive."

"Aren't all men?" Melinda sighed. "In what way?"

"At first it was sexy, like he was taking me under his wing, and he told me about the professors and classes and what to expect, and now...he gets weird about sharing me, and then, like, overshares to make up for it."

"I feel like you're analyzing him too much," Melinda finally said. "After years of just examining every move that Ned Banks ever made, you look at boys like they're a mystery, or a problem. You dig in and you just try to see the why behind everything. But…" She smiled. "Sometimes guys don't have a why. Sometimes it's just that their penis made them do it. Unless it's rape. You know what I mean. Little quirks...forgive them."

"I guess you're right," Katie said. "I do look too deeply most of the time. Thanks, mom. I needed this."

"Anytime," Melinda said.

"Hey, where are you?" Katie asked curiously, suddenly not recognizing the wall behind her mother.

"Trust me on this one, you don't want to know," Melinda grinned. "I'm about to get some."

"But you're so pregnant!" Katie said, horrified.

"Believe me, sexual desire does not go away for all women during the late stages of pregnancy," Melinda huffed. "Which you will soon learn. And it definitely doesn't go away for their husbands...well, my husband. I'm not leaving Jim in the rough."

"Where are you?" Katie repeated.

"In the basement of the hospital waiting for your father's morning break; he's only got five minutes," Melinda said, a blush clear on her cheeks.

"That's it, I wash my hands of you," Katie said.

"Don't knock til you've tried it," Melinda shot back.

"Hey, a laptop?"

The clear sound of her father's voice sounded over the microphone and then Jim's head appeared onscreen. "Oh, it's Katie. Hey."

"Don't worry about me," Katie said. "I have a class. Just enjoy your little love nest."

"Oh, we will," Jim promised, blowing her a kiss.

She saw her mother reach to turn the camera off, and the last frame she saw was her father leaning to kiss Melinda.

God. She envied what they had.