Hi guys, thanks for reviews last chapter. They really do mean a lot! I certainly have no plans to do 1B but nothing is impossible. It certainly won't be for a while though as I need to get my priorities back on track (apparently fanfiction shouldn't be one of them...who knew?). I will try and post tomorrow but I am heading up north to Scotland to visit the family.

Look for a familiar face turning up next chapter to bring in the last chapter of Clean. Almost finished Vigil but will probably wait a little while before posting. Anyhow, hope you enjoy this - the penultimate chapter of this episode! Let me know any thoughts/predictions!


"Tried to go where? Scurro's?" Stef's volume ramped up. "When exactly did you fit that into your busy schedule of being grounded?"

Kasey clicked her tongue along the roof of her mouth with a silent curse. Too much had been said now and she knew she was in too deep to get any sympathy.

"OK, so Callie and I went for like five minutes when you were at the dinner but -" Stef jumping off the bed was a clear sign that off-hand explanations weren't going to work.

"But nothing, Kasey! You were there for five minutes because you found out you were barred. You were in a lot of trouble this week. A lot! You think you can completely disregard what we tell you and slink off after school because no-one's home to catch you? I warned you under no uncertain terms not to push me this week! By the sounds of things your dad was onto a winner!"

"You can't be serious?" Kasey now stood up. Her defences springing up, she shot straight back into aggression, the stored up anger of Mike's reality pouring out. "He can't get drunk and abuse his power to control my life!"

"No, he can't! And you can't take advantage of our trust to directly disobey us either!" Stef immediately cut her off, she may have been waiting for Kasey to admit her real frustrations for days but against the backdrop of such an arrogant act of defiance pushed her own anger to the surface.

"I can't believe you're not backing me up with this. After everything you said yesterday!"

"Kasey, love! When will you understand that I'm not going to back up every stupid decision you make?" Stef's voice cracked with frustration. "I don't understand where this latest wave of infallibility has come from. It's not like you've never been grounded before! I think you know the system!"

"Look I know. And I'm sorry, I guess I just figured you were going through the motions and that it wouldn't matter. We were gonna be studying and it's not like you go out all that much..."

"That is so not an excuse!" Stef laughed in disbelief as Kasey's arms flew out in front of her.

"Look I get it. Slap on the wrist, but that is not the issue here!"

"Really?!" Stef barked back, crossing her arms once again. "You're trying to dictate to me what the issue is here? There is nothing about this that's a slap on the wrist, Kasey! You shoved a 7th grader into a locker, mouthed off to the principal and all but dared her to suspend you! You think this punishment was like a token so it looked like we were taking it seriously?"

"Oh please! You're mainly using it to try and blackmail me into making up with my Dad!"

"You think that's it? You still don't understand what you did wrong the other day?"

"Yeah, I got caught!" The words came firing out of Kasey's mouth before she could even think about her experience with Jude. Her increasing fury was blotting out all of her growth and the adrenaline forming blinkers from all rational thought about any consequences of taking this stance.

Stef paced away grasping at her forehead and muttering under her breath. "Give me strength not to strangle you right now." She stopped in her tracks and breathed deeply, trying to re-focus as Kasey backed down from her retorts. Stef was furious, but she could still see how desperate Kasey looked in her eyes and with a calmer head she reminded herself how hard the last few nights had been. She just wished she could make her understand that she needed to figure out how to handle the issues she needed to face without trying so hard to do it alone.

"Kasey." She finally said, turning back. "I know that your Dad drinking upsets you..." Every effort of Stef's to try and return to a calmer tone was immediately obliterated as Kasey threw her arms back down. She was so fed up of having to talk about that as if it was her weakness. It was Mike's problem - not hers! It was him who was out of control.

"It doesn't upset me Mom, it pisses me off! I'm angry with him, I'm not rebelling. I'm not acting out. I just want you to recognise that I don't have the problem here!" Stef had heard her denial so many times now that she was instantly seeing through it. Tensions rising again, Stef stepped forward with glaring eye contact. She was dropping the sugar coating and going in for the kill.

"Maybe not, but you do have a problem here! You can tell yourself that you're above this all you want, but if you don't face how you feel then you're going to keep doing things you regret. You can't keep mouthing off when you get into trouble and pretend that there's not a deeper issue that you have to face!"

"Mom! Why don't you get this!" She yelled back, a tear flinging off her face. "Dad drinks - yes. It sucks knowing that he'd rather spend time with a bottle of whiskey than spend time trying to get on better with me, but that does not change my behaviour. I get into trouble all the time, why are you trying to psycho-analyse me now? It has nothing to do with Dad!"

"So all of this backchat, all of this sniping - it's all coincidence that it comes out whenever someone mentions him? Sweetheart, it took days for you to admit you knew he was drinking, despite ample opportunity, and you only did it then because I made you. I know that not all your decisions are because of your Dad, but the fact you keep trying to use it as an excuse to deny all culpability? That is. You have never had this issue with authority before!"

"Well maybe I'm just sick of authority! It can't even stay consistent!"

"And you say this isn't about your Dad..." Stef scoffed.

The words cut through Kasey like a knife, she knew she was on a losing battle but it was one she would rather retreat from than face. Not like this. She had already worn her heart on her sleeve once this week and she wasn't going to do it again. Not here.

"Look I'm not talking about this anymore. Don't you have Lena's ex to suck up to or something?" Kasey swung herself round, collapsing back onto her bed.

Stef paused a moment, studying every move that Kasey made. She was tired of banging her head against the same brick wall. Kasey had finally opened up the night before, but every time Mike was back in the picture she seemed to go back to square one.

"You're right." She replied coolly. "We do have guests sharing dinner with us, and as a member of this family that should probably include you. I gotta tell you though, Kase, you've got no chance of seeing anyone from the outside world with this attitude. If you're gonna be part of anything tonight you're gonna need to seriously amend it right now because I am not having you show yourself up."

"Right. Like I want to make small talk with some woman who cheated on my mom like ten years ago." Kasey mumbled.

"Well good, then we're both agreed. You can stay down here - but you're staying until I say otherwise." Stef marched towards the stairs. "And let me be clear Kasey, you better take this time to seriously think if this is how you wanna play this. We have an open door and want nothing more than to help you. We love you. You can try and take the world on yourself but don't be surprised when it ends up kicking your ass. You're lucky to have a support network – and trying to remove yourself from it only makes it hurt even more."

Kasey shook her head and threw it back on the bed. As much as she hated to admit it, her Mom was right. She hated fighting and she hated resilience. But likewise admitting to Mike's drinking having an affect on her life was losing the one bit of control she could still pretend that she had. She couldn't bear to face that she was losing her grip to it. She couldn't just surrender it. She couldn't go back to being six and helpless. If Stef wanted her to confront this then she would do - but she didn't need anyone else to tell her how to do it. She would wait for the coast to be clear and face this issue once and for all.


Stef headed back up the civilisation, got changed quickly and made it down in time for Gretchen's arrival. Lena had the cooking well under control and she saw Callie grabbing her things to head to the door.

"You are going to this movie right, not trying to sneak off to the cafe?" She asked with a deliberate flair as Callie turned guiltily. Suddenly the yelling she'd just heard made more sense.

"I'm sorry, Stef. I told her it was a bad idea."

"I have no doubt. Still no reason you couldn't have stopped her though." She added. Her voice wasn't angry but it didn't sound elated.

"You want me to control Kasey? How's that been working out for you this week?" Callie tried to joke before her smiled rapidly dropped at Stef's unbending glare.

"Are we in a lot of trouble?" She asked hesitantly, Stef breathing sharply through her nose.

"Callie, Kasey's going through a lot right now that she for some reason won't admit, even to herself, and her stubbornness is causing her decisions to get stupider by the day. I would very much appreciate it if you didn't facilitate her to make them. Got it?"

"Yeah." She replied immediately.

"You're one of the most responsible people in this house right now. I need you guys to look out for each other, not help her avoid facing what she's dealing with."

"I understand." She nodded firmly.

"Good." Stef squinted before her softer look clearly indicated the disciplining was over.

"Did she find out why she was banned?" Callie asked once it seemed safe to do so.

"Mike." Stef breathed out frustrated.

"Ouch." Callie grimaced, knowing the impact that would have had. "Is she mad?"

Stef raised and eyebrow, a clear signal that it may well have been a rhetorical question. Callie gave a half-hearted smile in sympathy for the row which must have just transpired.

"Look, she'll come around...she'll just need a bit of time. Whatever she said right now, I'm sure she didn't mean it. The Scurro's thing was driving her insane, it won't have helped things."

Stef nodded, placing her arms gently on Callie's shoulders and kissing her head. "I know."

The doorbell rang out and Stef tried to breathe away the frustrations of dealing with Kasey. Callie was right, and she promised herself she would keep it at the back of her mind until she'd had time to calm down. She wasn't going anywhere.

Mariana came zipping past them.

"Mama said I could answer the door!" She bleeted, getting to the handle before either of them had the chance to respond.

"You must be Gretchen!" She beamed. "I'm Mariana!"

"Well it's nice to meet you, that's some greeting." The well-dressed lady delicately shook her hand.

"Stef, nice to see you again!" Gretchen produced a bottle of red.

"Hi Gretchen, so glad you could make it." She smiled, shaking the last of her reservations away. "This really wasn't necessary..."

"Oh please, it's my pleasure. And this is...?"

"Callie." She nodded a nervous hello as Gretchen gave her a smile back.

"Such a beautiful family. Will you both be joining us?"

"Not Callie," Mariana smirked at her foster sister who sighed with an eye roll. "She's got date." She added with an obvious whisper as Callie glared at her.

"Oh, shame! Well, for us - not for you." Gretchen winked.

"What can I say, these teenagers - always ditching us for young love." Stef commented playfully, sealing the fact that any Scurro's related scolding was definitely under the bridge.

"I'm not going on a date." she insisted, her heart jolting a little at the hopes she was wrong.

"Right, whatever. You know Moms know you kissed, you don't have to pretend." Mariana teased.

"Mariana..." Callie winced as Stef squeezed her shoulders tightly.

"She is kinda right, Callie."

Callie twitched a hand over her nose and looked down awkwardly.

"Well, he's not actually talking to me right now so you're both wrong. He's about as silent as the movie as we're going to see, so..."

"Well if you're kissing you don't need to talk." Gretchen weighed in. "Especially for make ups. I bet your Moms know a bit about that if Lena's still the girl she used to be." Gretchen winked at a smirking Stef leaving Callie and Mariana sharing a look of unease.

"Uhm...can I leave before we get many more details?" Callie crumpled her eyebrows at Stef who gave her back a laugh.

"OK, how about you scar them on this side of the threshold, Gretchen? Callie, have fun, sweets, but back by ten." Stef gave her one more tight squeeze and another kiss on the back of the head as she pushed her towards the door.

"Mariana, how about you take Grerchen's things, yes?" Stef instructed as the young girl immediately hopped to it.

"There's the pot roast master herself!" Gretchen commented, spotting Lena's arrival.

"Already? What is that - 2 minutes in?" she asked with a twitch of an eyebrow and leaning in to greet her.

"Already! So who else is in to meet?"

"Uhm, the boys are all out - at least for now. Kasey's in though, right?" Lena asked as Stef gritted her teeth.

"Yeah, Kasey won't be joining us. She's not the best company at the moment. Dad trouble."

"I see. The joys of co-parenting teenagers." Gretchen responded, Lena looking down nervously.

"Well whatever the case, she's gonna be out of our way this evening."

"Her decision or yours?" the visitor probed further, eager for the gossip.

"Mutual." Stef replied firmly, placing her hands into her pockets.

"That's a shame." Lena added. "Maybe we'll work something out before you go. But anyway, I guess I better get back in that kitchen!" She returned to her post, leaving her guest in Stef and Mariana's capable hands.


The dinner rolled on and all had gone well with it from Mariana's point of view, that was until Jesus didn't come home. She had found out he had lied about being with Lexi and the scenarios playing in her head had slowly pushed her further and further to the edge. She paced the kitchen to and fro before leaving yet another message for Jesus. It had felt like an eternity since she had seen him and she was facing the inevitable. No amount of trouble would be worth anything happening to Jesus. She had to come clean and she had to do it now.

She could hear her Moms arguing but was relieved that Gretchen seemed to have gone, however both observances seemed negligible in comparison to the feeling of dread that was consuming her.

"Can I talk to you?" She blurted out as both of her Moms turned.

She heard Stef snap back if it could wait but she immediately fired back a "No." She had to get this out and it had to come out now. A million permutations flowed through her head, almost blurring her vision more than the tears.

"Uhm, so I got in contact with our birth Mom." She looked between them for as long as she could bear, the mixture of concern, anger and disappointment creeping across their faces.

"And, uhm..." she knew if she was going to do this she had to have the nerve to look them in the eye. "She's living in town. In...a crackhouse or something." Why did that sound so much worse out loud? She panted loudly, both of her Moms speechless before her. Clearly whatever they had been arguing about prior had become a distant memory. "And.." she blinked, unsure if she could even bring herself to say the words. She took a deep breath as a tear rolled down her face.

"I'm pretty sure Jesus is there with her now." She saw the anger switch to horror on both of the faces before her. "I'm so sorry!" She gasped out as both jaws dropped further. The silence that followed was as loud as the pounding in her heart.

Finally Stef strode forward, unable to find the words.

"He's...you contacted...but, how did -?" She turned back around and stormed back towards where she had been.

"How could you do something like this without telling us?" She yelled before Lena jumped in front, Mariana's tears flowing.

"I didn't know it would end up like this..."

"You didn't know it would - ? I can't even..." She rubbed her hands down her face.

"How long have you been in contact?" Lena asked, finally exercising her own confusion.

"A while, I - I just wanted to help her. She needed money and - "

"You were giving her money?" Stef shot back, the anger and confusion coming out hard but no worse than the guilt Mariana was already feeling.

"Where did you even get that from?" Lena asked, also unable to hide the despair.

Marian's tears flowed fluidly now along with her need to confess it all. "It was me selling the pills at school and Jesus he took the blame and I'm so sorry, I just - if anything happens to him - "She collapsed down against the wall, Stef looking to Lena who immediately ran over to her. Their anger could be put on hold to a less stressful moment.

"Kasey!" Stef yelled down, immediately in planning mode, before heading to the stairs.

"We'll find him, Mariana. We'll find him." Lena cradled her in her arms before shouting for Kasey again, furthering Stef's attempt. Right now they'd need all the help they could get and she was usually the other person who would know most about Jesus.

"Sweetheart, go get Kasey. Maybe Jesus will answer her if she calls."

Mariana wiped her tears and went to the basement as Lena ran up the stairs after Stef.

She didn't want to have to explain it to anyone else but her mind was so dazed that she immediately found herself already almost there. All she could think about was her brother and anyone they could use would help.

"Kasey, we need your help to find -" She ran down only to find her room empty too. There was a small note on the table. "Gone to Dad's. Had to talk to him. I'm sorry, I'll be back soon. x"

She took the note and went back up, hearing her Mom call vaguely from above. She barely even registered what the note said. "Kasey's not here either, she's at Mike's."

"She -? Oh for cryin' out loud - I can't even..." Stef pinched her nose. "Why can't you all just stay in check for once!" She yelled, losing her temper and Mariana twitching back her head. "The address. Please." She asked, hastily, choosing to tackle the imminent danger.

Mariana pulled out her phone and sent it across to Stef's. She checked it had arrived.

"Stef, I think this is a bad decision..." Lena tried to catch her as she moved off to the door. "Well they're not the only ones doing stupid things then!" She spat back angrily. "I'm going, Lena. Mariana." She turned briskly to her daughter. "Everything gets told to your Mom. Now. And when I get back we're gonna sit down and you better have a damn good explanation. Lena, try and find our oldest delinquent please. I'll call you when I've got the other one." She swung the door open and had disappeared before Lena could utter another protest.

"Mariana, try Jesus for me in the kitchen, please." Her voice was too urgent for authority but the terror in it was even more effective in commanding Mariana. She whipped out her phone, looking at the door Stef had recently disappeared through. Stef may be stubborn and impulsive but that was all the more of a reason to try and counteract it. She immediately took up her own plan of action and ripped her phone up.

"Mike? Thank God. Stef needs your help, now."


Next Chapter Preview: Between losing it at Mike's and some unwanted news, Kasey finds relief in a soon to be familiar face:

"So not interested." she replied, turning her face away.

"You sure? 'Cause pretty sure you owe me a drink." the voice replied with a soft giggle.

She creased her forehead and snapped her head around about to lay into him before realising she did recognise the face. Trying to figure it out stopped her words from appearing.

His pinpoint dimples and wavy blonde hair also were a mild distraction.