A/N: I've run out of ideas on what to show from Katie's life with Evelyn and Steve. for now, so I'm going to show some of her life when she's on her own at first. This is when Katie is sixteen. Enjoy... xx Mariah

One morning Katie woke up and she knew what she had to do. She couldn't take being the unwanted child anymore. Nothing she did mattered to anyone anymore. Steve stopped asking questions and Evelyn didn't look her way unless she got a call from the school or letter in the mail. And with summer in full stretch, it was like she was a ghost.

She didn't have a say when they moved the first time, let alone when they moved again, even father this time, all the way to Maine.

Katie climbed out of bed and walked across the hall to the bathroom and took a shower, scrubbing the grime away from the hot summer night with soap before hopping out and wrapping a towel around herself. She crossed the hallway again and got dressed in her work uniform and tied her hair up. She looked in the mirror and tightened her pony before looking closely. She hadn't slept much lately. Did she need to throw some makeup on? The more she looked at herself, the easier it was for her cross the hallway and dab the bags under her eyes away. Mascara was next and she grabbed the tube of lip gloss and applied some as there was a knock on the door when she opened it.

"Where you off to?" Evelyn asked. "I don't think I've ever seen you up this early."

"Maybe if you checked in with me once and a while you'd know I started to work longer shifts." She walked past her and toward the kitchen where Steve was cooking breakfast.

"Eggs?" Steve asked.

"No, thank you," she said smiling at him, grabbing a banana and a purple mug to fill coffee.

"Do you want milk or sugar?" Steve laughed. "Since when did you start drinking coffee?"

"Since I started making it for other people," she nudged his side. "Sugar?"

"There you are," Steve handed it to her and kissed her forehead. "Have a good day at work."

"Haha, you have to work." Liam laughed as Steve put a plate in front of him. "How long does she work daddy?" The four-year-old always irritated her in the worst ways.

"She has to work until five just like mommy does," Steve replied.

"Haha!" Liam laughed. "You work like mommy does."

"You won't be laughing when I buy a car," she lied and took a drink of her coffee.

She had to keep up that she wasn't going to run away. That today wasn't her last day and she wasn't getting one check the size of two because she put her two weeks in.

Lying to them would help get her farther in the long run, right?

"Are you sure you want to leave?" Her boss said, handing her an envelope with her name on it. "You're one of the favorites around here."

"I need a little break before senior year starts. I have so many college apps to put in," she replied with a smile. "Thank you for doing two checks in one so I don't have to wait."

"Of course. Anything for your two years of great employment," her boss smiled. "If you ever need a job, you are always more than welcome to come back."

"Thank you," she said and took the envelope. "I'll see you around."

She walked into the back and clocked out for the last time, before going out the back entrance and walking toward the bank. She knew exactly what she needed to do, what she needed to buy and how everything would be going down tonight.

She walked into the bank directly across the street from the coffee shop and grabbed a pen from the teller, signing the back of both checks.

"What would you like to do with these checks?" The teller smiled at her.

"I'd like to cash them and I'd also like to make a withdrawal." She replied and took a withdrawal slip.

She quickly signed that she wanted to completely drain her account and close it. It took a moment, but she eventually she got what she needed. She had five thousand three hundred dollars cash in her wallet as she walked toward the door.

Everything would go great. She had enough money to get herself started and find her mother.

Her next stop was home to grab her bags and head to the bus station. Then she'd be off and she'd see Ned again. It had been almost a year since she'd last seen him and she couldn't wait to see that beautiful face of his. They would be together forever and then they'd find her mother together. Everything was going to be great.

"Katie?" A voice came out clearly.

She turned on her heel and came face to face with Miss Tammer. Her seventh-grade English teacher.

"Katie, oh look how grown up you are!" Miss Tammer grinned and opened her arms.

"Hey, Ms. Tammer... it's been a while." She smiled and hugged her. "I feel like it was just yesterday when you were teaching me a love for English."

"Yes, it has!" Miss Tammer grinned and rubbed her side. "How have you been?"

"Okay," she sighed. "I'm doing great! Just cashing my check and am on my way home."

"Oh how great of you to have a job," Miss Tammer smiled. "Don't forget to stop by for lunch sometime."

"Like old times," she smiled. "Definitely!"

Even with the plans she'd had ahead, she did think about returning her life to normal. To try and deal with the pain she feels every day under Evelyn's grasp. But that wasn't that plan. She had to leave. She turned directly on her heel and left the bank. This is exactly what she needed. She needed to be free of judgment. To be with the man that she loved and find her mother who she'd sought for too many years to count.

S he walked confidently into the bus station, her two duffel bags over her shoulder. Katie still had her hair tightly pulled back, but had fixed her outfit into a warm snugly outfit. She pulled out a thick wad of bills and cautiously flipped through them while looking at the teller. "One way ticket to New York, please." She smiled.

"That's a long journey you've got ahead of you. Almost eight hours." The elderly woman smiled warmly at her. "That'll be twenty five dollars."

"Yes," she smiled uneasily at the woman. "Thank you. I'm going to see my boyfriend."

She flipped the hood of her sweatshirt up over her face and readjusted the leather bag on her shoulder. A voice rang out over the loudspeaker and announced that Bus 2698 would be departing to New York in a few short minutes. She sprinted through the throngs of travelers back outside, running toward the one with the number corresponding to her ticket.

"Hold the door!" she shouted as she saw the last passenger step on. "Please!" The driver looked at her strangely as she catapulted herself up into the vehicle.

"Ticket, please?" He asked.

She flashed him the damn paper and he waved her past. She hurried down the aisle and shoved herself into a window seat in the second to last row. The hiss and rumble of the engine shot a wave of relief through her body. Only a few short hours until she'd meet Ned at the bus station in the greatest city in the world. The bus moved a few feet forward, barely picking up speed before it hissed to a stop.

"Excuse me!" A deep, manly voice called. "Do you mind if I look aboard?"

"Not at all, Officer," the driver replied.

Heavy footsteps resounded in the girl's mind as they slowly came closer. Her feet were shaking and a thin sheen of sweat broke out across her forehead. This couldn't be happening, not after everything she'd just been through. She had to get out. She wouldn't survive if she went back. The footsteps got closer, and she turned her head towards the window with closed eyes and prayed. The footsteps stopped. She could hear heavy, familiar breathing and her heart came to a stop all together.

"Well!" The footsteps retreated. "Everything seems to be in order. Safe travels, everyone."

"Thank you, Officer. Have a good night." The footsteps were gone altogether and the bus began moving again.

The young woman let out a long, shaking breath. "Thank you, God," she breathed, her tears not falling down her cheeks today. "Thank you... thank you."

She settled in her seat and looked out the window. She couldn't wait to get some shut eye and then see Ned.

She woke with a start, not even realizing she had drifted off. The bus screeched to a stop, and she banged her head against the cool Plexiglas of the window. She surveyed the rest of the bus and tenderly rubbed her forehead and noticed that half of the passengers were gone. Maybe she could use a bit more rest.

"Excuse me, miss," the driver said, reaching out to touch her and she moved away suddenly, smacking her forehead again. "I didn't mean to startle you, but perhaps you might want to get up and stretch your legs a little? Get a bite to eat?"

She nodded and slowly stood on sleepy legs, stretching. She threw her bag over her shoulder and collected the other duffel bag before walking down the aisle.

"Where exactly are we?" she asked the driver timidly.

He offered her a kind smile. "New York City, Miss," he told her. "You're one of the last ones off. Have a nice time."

"Thank you," she said, and moved to step off the bus, carefully stepping onto the blacktop. The lights of the city shone in the distance, they were just outside downtown and she could see Times Square from here. "I made it."

She made her way across the street. Lined in a cookie-cutter fashion was a post office, a general store, and a dress shop, she smiled and took it all in, smelling the nearby ocean. The ocean was just steps away. She hadn't felt the cool touch of the ocean licking her toes in years. Her nose twitched at the smell of fresh bread, and her eyes twitched to the right, where a small but sturdy looking building sat, just a few feet away from the others but far enough to be a separate entity.

She drifted over towards the front of the bakery. A few of the bus passengers had wandered in and where cooing over what was behind the glass in the display cases. In the front window were three intricately decorated cakes, each one with a different yet equally astounding design. The sight of them triggered a grumble in her belly, reminding her that her last meal was hours ago. She went inside. Almost immediately she was assaulted by an array of delightful aromas. She could place most of them; blueberry muffins, chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon raisin bagels.

"Can I help you?" The woman's head snapped up to the counter, where a young man with a mop of black hair leaned cockily against the wood. He wore an apron stained with flour and icing over a thin white tee, and even from her spot across the room the woman could still make out the shining blue of his eyes.

"Um, yes," she said softly, making her way towards him. "Just a cinnamon raisin bagel and uh... can I get a pipping hot blueberry tea, please." It was one of the least expensive items on the menu hanging above the counter. The woman placed her leather bag on the counter and unzipped it. She fingered the inside pocket, pulling out a few bills, not wanting to grab too much

"That's all?" the man asked with a smile. "Skinny little thing like yourself needs something with a bit more sustenance, don't you think?"

"Just the bagel and tea," she repeated sternly. "Please."

"Whatever you say," he said with a shrug. "That'll be two seventy-five." She gave him three singles, and he returned to them a shiny quarter without missing a beat. He readied a small brown bag and gave her an empty medium coffee cup. "There you are... come back soon."

"Maybe," she smirked and walked back to the door, holding it open for someone before sneaking out, going to the nearest bench.

The cream cheese melted against her mouth as she took the first bite. So much better than the bagels they had back home. She looked around, covering her mouth as she chewed. Where was Ned? He said he'd be here when she got off the bus, and well, that was a few minutes ago.

She took a drink of her tea and it glided so well over her taste buds. She loved tea and the way it had a way of calming her. Now wasn't the time to worry because everything was going to go great. Ned would be here any minute.

"Katie!" A voice yelled and she looked up to see Ned with a big sign that said Welcome to New York City in his sloppy scribble, but it made her smile and she grabbed her duffel bag and purse before throwing the last bite of the bagel in her mouth and running to him. She was standing inches from him when they embrace and he put the sign down, properly hugging her. "You're here."

"I'm here," she smiled at him, touching his face. "I love you."

There was something so heavenly about a kiss for the first time in a year, a tender moment that just won't wait. It is that burst of love that was expressed, not caring if the mere touch of his skin on hers lit a fire all the way down her legs. It was a connection that showed the strength of the feeling, the mutual need.

He dropped his sign and she dropped her tea in the trash beside them as he kissed her. He kissed the tears from her lips, and she felt his lips smile against hers. He swept her hair aside and kissed her just over the collarbone. He nibbled at her ear, and then she sank herself into his arms. She hung her fingers on his belt, dragging him closer. He buried his face in her shoulder curve, his hands flexing around her back.

He gave a reduced groan. "I love you," into her hair. "This is the happiest moment that I will ever have. I'm sorry about your tea."

"It's okay," she smiled.

"Let's get you home," he grinned and kissed her again, taking her bags from her. "It's only a few blocks away."

"Just so you know, I have like zero expectations for tonight," he told him earnestly. They'd just ate dinner with his mother and were finally in his large bedroom. They're at the door, standing in front of each other. Far from touching. "It's probably going to be terrible. And that's okay," he added.

"Nonfictional first times are always awful. It can't be avoided." She joked.

He stepped forward, the toes of his sneakers bumping hers. "So you don't have any expectations?" He looked hurt.

"Oh no," she smiled at him, stepping past him and placing her purse down on his desk chair. "I think it'll be wonderful, but for different reasons."

She was about to ask how they should proceed. Do they take off their clothes immediately or ease into it? Do they undress themselves or each other? Who's on top? Well, Ned should probably be on top, she reasoned. That's the most logical position for the very first time. But she'd be able to control the depth better if she were on top, she also realized.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, grabbing her hand and kissing her breathless before whispering, "stop thinking so much Katie."

"It's hard to just turn off thoughts," she admitted.

He grinned at her as he pushed her back onto his bed. "Challenge accepted." They kissed again as he settled on top of her, his forearms bearing the brunt of his weight so she's not uncomfortable. She liked the way his arms framed her face as they kissed, the way he was surrounding her with himself. "I've thought about this so many times," he admitted. "I've got so many plans for us."

"Like what?" she asked, panting already. "What kind of plans?"

"A lifetime's worth," he said softly, cupping her cheek. "I love you. I wanna marry you Katie."

Their lips connected again, but this time with more passion than ever before. She could taste the need for each other in the kiss, the pleasant sensation of the friction against her core caused her to sigh against his lips and his grip on her to tighten.

When she began to roll her hips against his, eliciting a groan from deep within his throat, he grabbed her hips to stop her.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" He whispered, just wanting to make sure.

"Of course. I love you," she kissed him again.

He was right. They didn't have to do this, but she wanted to. They were ready for that commitment and she couldn't wait to finally see what fun sex could be.

He moved onto his side and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against his chest tightly. She could clearly feel his arousal against her lower back now, and she pressed herself against him enjoying his sharp intake of air. All of this was so foreign for her and it was causing excitement to course through her veins.

His arm that was around her began to raise her shirt a bit, slowly running his hand over her stomach. She normally was never embarrassed about her thin frame, but beneath his hands, she felt so small. They were callused from the years of having to slave in his step dad's kitchen, but warm and soft against her skin. His lips found the exposed skin of her neck and placed small, open-mouthed kisses along it, reveling in the sighs she emitted in response. She gasped when she felt his hand undo the button on her pants. No one had ever touched her there, besides herself.

"Do you trust me?" He voice was low and hoarse against her ear.

"Yes." It was the truth. She always had, evening the beginning when they ran into each other in the hall in seventh grade. They were instant best friends, even when he moved away when they were thirteen to New York City. She'd convinced Evelyn to drive her there every summer for a week to see him and his mom would come to see her every spring break, except the last. When she found out they were dating. That they'd fallen madly in love with one an other. "I always have."

She felt him smile against her neck as he unzipped her pants and slowly slipped his hand inside the clothing.

"Tell me if you want me to stop, and I will." He promised in a low whisper.

She merely shook her head in response, his fingers were already rubbing small circles over her center and she wouldn't dare tell him to stop now. Thankfully with this position, they looked as if they were just cuddling, his movements camouflaged by the sleeping back and the night in case his mother were to come in.

He moved her underwear aside and made contact with her moist lips, and they both released a sigh. He wanted to see her, touch her, taste her more than anything, but he could settle with this for right now. It was all they could do without blatantly displaying their affection for the entire world to see.

"You're wet." He whispered proudly, his lips now kissing behind her ear.

"Sorry?" She questioned, unsure whether or not that was a good thing.

"Don't be. It's great. So great." He increased the pressure of his fingers, and her hand grasped his wrist, surprised by the sudden sensation within her. She quickly decided that she needed more of whatever that was. She felt as if her body was on fire, in the best possible way. She was burning with a need she had never experienced before.

His fingers moved just a little more and he found her opening, slipping a single finger inside of her. She welcomed the foreign intrusion, moving her legs a little to give him more room. She had heard of guys doing this before, a lot of the girls at school used to talk about their boyfriends and the things they did. Katie had never had time to sit around for those conversations; she usually left school right after the final bell to escape to to the cafe for work, or even just to read a book and sip some tea.

Most assumed that she was sneaking off for other activity because she was the adopted girl, but little did they know she read the entire high school library out by sophomore year. Romance and relationships were never something that Katie gave a lot of thought about, until Ned. When he outgrew her and started to bulk up from all the heavy box carrying and even then started playing sports, she knew what an attraction was. She'd read about it. A lot. And then some. She started thinking about growing up, having kids. Though she swore she never would, not in a world where she could easily die and her kids be placed in the terrible system or be forced to live with Evelyn and her second-best mentality.

Ned gave her a future to look forward and he loved her too.

She rocked against his hand, needing more pressure. He added another finger and set a slow pace with his hand, and the sounds she was making would haunt his dreams for the rest of his life, he was sure of it.

"Ned," she sighed, quickly biting down on her bottom lip as he increased the pace of his hand.

He was thankful for his older step-brothers now, and all of the conversations he had to endure listening to while they cook beside him in the restaurant with Tim. It was their advice that made him curl his fingers inside her in a 'come hither' way, having been told that drives a girl wild. They weren't wrong. He'd tell them all about it.

Katie let out a low moan, arching her back against him. If it wasn't obvious before what the couple was up to in his room, her sounds were making it quite obvious. He was beyond caring at this point, though. His focus was on her, and making her feel as good as he possibly could. He could feel her clenching against his fingers, and he began to rub her with his thumb and before she even knew what was happening she came around his fingers. His name left her lips in a strained sigh, her hand gripping his wrist almost painfully as she rode out her climax. She wasn't quite sure what that feeling was, but it was the best thing she had ever felt.

She turned her head to face him, capturing his lips with hers in a heated kiss and moved on top of him.

"That's enough for tonight," he gasped, kissing her too. "You go change into pajamas and I will to and we'll get some rest." She was still out of breath as he moved from underneath her and to his closet. she moved over to her bag and changed quickly as he did, neither really glancing at the other out of respect, before climbing back into bed. "I'm so glad you're here. We have all summer to find your mom and be tourists together, besides when I work. Which is a lot, but I have nights and weekends off."

"That's perfect," she yawned, settling on his chest and closing her eye, drifting off to sleep with Ned.