A/N: Just when Ned made progress with Katie in the future, it becomes time for me to show their bumpy past. Ready? I don't think you are hahaha enjoy! xx Mariah


Melinda was examining a tea pot, when the chimes rang on the front door. She glanced up, just in time to see her daughter slump into the desk beside hers and pull out her algebra textbook. Melinda had almost forgotten that it was Wednesday, the day she dropped Katie off at dance at four.

Jim must've dropped her off on his way home, like he always did.

"Hey sweetie," Melinda turned the pot slowly, making sure there were no cracks or chips before settling on a price. "How was school?"

Katie shrugged, leaning back into the chair. She fussed with her dance bag, pushing it under her chair as she grabbed for her backpack again. She grabbed her notebook next, pulling the pen from the spiral and writing her name at the top of the blank page.

"It was normal," Katie replied, leaning forward to begin her assignment. Her brow furrowed as she wrote down an equation, and she turned to look at her mom. "I'm little stressed because I was assigned a book project. I need to pick a book, but there are too many I want to read. I might need your help narrowing my decision down."

Melinda knew that wasn't the real reason. Katie loved to read. She'd probably finish and turn the assignment in before the end of the week, like she always did.

Math was different. She could see her being upset over an unusually long math assignment.

"Lots of math?" She asked, saving her inventory spreadsheet and closing her laptop.

Katie was going to have her full attention. Why was her baby upset?

"Not really," Katie sighed and fiddled with the locket, twisting it in her fingers.

"Then what's wrong?" Melinda turned her chair, leveling her glance with her.

"I just had a bad day. Am I allowed to have a bad day?" She swooped her hair to the side and sighed, throwing her pen down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap."

"Only Ned gets you in a fit like this," Melinda slid her chair over, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "What happened?"

"Ned's a jerk," she huffed, pushing her hair from her face again.

"So nothing new?" Melinda pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead, pulling her hair back and beginning to braid it. It wasn't long before she finished, using the ponytail she'd had on her wrist. "Baby," she turned Katie and saw the tears that had collected in her daughter's eyes. "Oh... what did he do?"

"He made fun of me," she sighed, letting two roll down her cheeks. "Well, his friends did... They called me a nutcase when they caught me talking to a ghost in the square, and Ned just stood there and laughed. I thought he was better than that..."

At thirteen, Katie was still in her awkward stage, after a particularly bad growth spurt that left her skinnier than before with long legs. And it most definitely didn't help that she was in love with Ned, who was a junior in high school. But Melinda had no doubt that she would grow into a beautiful young woman. That kind of terrified her, because Katie was the type that wasn't afraid to flaunt any skills or assets.

But it was today, when she saw the child in her daughter again.

The tears burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down her face. Her chin trembled as Melinda pulled her in, pressing a silent kiss to her forehead. Melinda held the teenager in her arms as though she were a toddler, as she shook in her arms. Heartbreak was never easy, even if it came as often as it did to Katie.

Loving Ned had never been easy for her.

"No dance today," she said softly, knowing that Katie just needed a day to relax. To be a kid and forget about Ned for a few hours, if that was possible. "How about we go have a chat with Ned and then go see a movie?"

"Okay," Katie whispered, tucking her head into her mother. "I really want to go see that new Disney movie, but we have to take Mackenzie. I promised her that if I went, she'd come with."

"That's awfully nice of you," she smiled at her daughter's words, rubbing her back as she slowly regained her composure. "But I think today is just for you and I. Any other films in mind?"

"Not really," Katie murmured and squeezed her tightly.

"How about we just go home and watch movies in my bed? We can stop and get all of best goodies from the store." Melinda felt Katie's head perk up from her chest, a grin stretched from ear to ear.

"That sounds even better!" Katie exclaimed, hugging her mother even tighter.

Hugs could never be long enough for her. In his mother's arms she was safe and her worries disappeared. She felt her soft skin and the gentle squeeze on her arms. She bathed in her warmth and the smell of perfume. No matter when the end came it was too soon and she would always get one last squeeze in.

"Where is he?" She asked.

"Why would I know?" Katie moved to sit in her lap, turning her back to her.

"Because you always do," she whispered, kissing her shoulder. "Where is he?"

"He's at Charlie's." Katie stood, straightening out her dress. It was like Melinda was looking in a mirror sometimes when she glanced at her daughter, which made her happy. She'd always wanted a mini version of herself. "They always go there after school for pizza."

"You coming with?" She asked, grabbing her purse.

"Oh you bet! You're very scary when you're mad." Katie laughed, grabbing her bags and following her mother out into the store.

Katie continued walking wen her mother stopped to talk to Delia, putting her bags in her mother's jeep. She leaned up against the car, crossing her arms over her chest as she waited. It wasn't very long, but when her mother came out, there was purpose in her step.

Ned Banks was gonna get it.

Katie grabbed her mother's hand as they crossed the street, walking right into Charlie's pizzeria. Katie stayed behind, hiding in the shadows as her mother marched up to where Ned was seated. He had a particularly good looking girl sitting on his lap, blonde and blue eyes. Just his type.

"Ned," she said, standing in front of the booth. "Can I have a word with you?"

He turned his neck, shocked to see her here, but moved the girls from his lap to stand. She grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him to the side.

"What is your problem?" Ned said, fixing his shirt. "What the hell did I do?"

"What don't you do," she huffed. "You need to be more careful with what you say to Katie."

"That was Dev-"

"I don't care who the hell said it," she shoved her finger into his shoulder, before she shoved him. Her anger taking over her a little more than she wanted to, but she stepped back, containing herself. "You didn't even try and stand for her, did you? You just let them belittle and beat her down. And that's not okay with me. That's my daughter and I can't see her come home with heartbroken every day because of you. And it is every day that she comes home with a new story of how you were the biggest jerk to her." She paused, biting her tongue at a more gruesome phrase. "Why can't you just be nice and look out for her?"

"It's not my fault," Ned muttered, running his hand through his hair. "She's just a kid. What am I supposed to do Mel?" He paused, glancing over at the girl who'd been on his lap before, winking at her. "She'll get over me one day. There's nothing I can do."

"My daughter isn't just some kid Ned and you know that." She muttered, rolling her eyes at him. She stepped closer, her finger pressing into him again. "Have you had a crush on someone at that age? You'll do just about anything to get their attention, right? And that's exactly what Katie does. She waits on you hand and foot whenever you're over and likes to hang around you. You are her first crush. Give her a break."

"I still don't get why I am getting bitched at?" Ned responded.

"You know exactly what I am talking about, so stop trying to be cool because you're friends are here." She said, hinting at the ghost topic without saying anything. "Ned, you're a good kid. Your mom raised to better, so be better because you of all people know what I'm capable of, and if I hear that you or your friends say one more thing about my kids... you're not only going to have to deal with me."

"Yeah, whatever Mel. Send big scary Jim after me." He muttered, turning on his heel. He sat back at the booth, and the blonde kissed him, earning hoots and hollers from his buddy's. "Like that will work."

"Keep talking Ned," Melinda said, finding Katie near the door. She was smiling and that was the biggest step Melinda had got since she'd come through the door. A smile. "You're only digging yourself a bigger hole."

Katie glanced over as Ned kissed the girl again, regretting her decision to even come over here in the first place. Seeing her mother had been worth it, but the kiss? That definitely bummed her out.

"C'mon," Melinda steered the girl from the pizzeria and back outside. "Let's go shopping for goodies. What are you thinking?"

"Gummy worms!" Katie cheered, her mind currently running through a list of all her favorite candies. "And Reese's! And we have to get gummy bears too. I love gummy bears."

Melinda couldn't help but grin at her daughter's enthusiasm. It reminded her too much of Jim and his love for candy.

"Then if we're getting two types of gummies then we have to get your dad his sharks," she laughed, grabbing a hold of her hand as they went to cross the street.

"Well duh," Katie said, twirling around in spins with her mother's arm. "He would never forgive us if we didn't."

Melinda chuckled. Katie knew her father to a tee, just like her mother did.