"There they are," Richie announced as Tessa led Rylan into the den. Rylan stiffly took a seat next to Richie on the couch and stared straight ahead. Tessa sat next to Duncan on the love seat across from Julie who was in the easy chair.

"I'm sorry about that," Tessa said sweetly. "We had to discuss something, but we have it worked out now. Don't we, Rylan?"

"Yes we do," she answered curtly. Richie sighed the tension from the previous week was back.

"I'm sorry, too," Julie said. "I should have known this was a bad idea. I just wanted to talk to Rylan."

"Then we should go and let you talk to her," Tessa said standing up. Richie moved to follow, but Rylan stopped him.

"Whatever she has to say, she can say in front of everyone," she insisted.

"Ry," Richie whispered. "Just talk to her."

"Richie, come on," Duncan said from the doorway.

"I'll be in the kitchen," he promised.

Rylan watched him leave. Then stood up crossed her arms and faced her mother. "You wanna talk? So talk."

"Watch your attitude, young lady," Julie snapped jumping to her feet going toe to toe with her daughter.

"You can't tell me to do that, sorry," Rylan returned with a smirk.

"I'm still your mother."

"Not my mom, there's a difference."

"Excuse me?" Julie asked.

"You're . not . my . mom," Rylan repeated slowly disavowing all knowledge of Tessa's earlier warnings. Although a split second later, when she realized what was coming, she wished she hadn't. Julie's hand flew up and she slapped Rylan across the face. Rylan's head snapped to the left and her right hand impulsively rose to her cheek. Slowly she turned her head to face her mother again anger filling her eyes. It was on now.

"Rylan . Elizabeth . Fisher," Julie annunciated slowly her finger poised in the air. "Don't you ever say that again, do you understand me?"

"I can't believe you remembered my middle name," Rylan shot back fighting the urge to slug her mother. "And you can't call me that."

"Excuse me?" Julie repeated through clenched teeth.

Rylan threw back her shoulders and glared as hard as she could. "You gave up the right to discipline me when you gave me up period."

"You know better than to speak like that to an adult," the woman sneered.

"If I do, you didn't teach me," the girl returned coldly. Julie slapped her again.

"What did I tell you about your attitude?"

"What did I tell you about disciplining me?"

Julie's hand went up again. Rylan didn't move an inch. "You have been nothing but rude all night," Julie said raising her voice sparking Richie's interest from the kitchen. "All I came to do was talk to you. Explain what happened because you're old enough now and I can't stand that you're so mad at me."

"Mad?" Rylan scoffed. Richie pulled a chair under the air vent to hear better. "I'm way past mad. I'm past furious, I'm passed pissed. I hate you. I have for years."

"Don't you use that tone of voice with me," Julie warned her hand still ready to strike.

"Just so you know, all I have to do is scream and Duncan's in here in half a second," Rylan said with a smug grin. "You'd be surprised what would happen then."

"Richie! What are you doing?" Duncan demanded nearly startling Richie off his perch.

"Mac, I think Julie's threatening Ry."

"What?" Tessa said from the sink.

"Ry said all she had to do was scream."

Tessa threw down the dishcloth she was holding and stalked to the door.

"Tess," Duncan stopped her. "Rylan can take care of herself."

Julie put her hand down. "I did it for you," she told her. "I couldn't take care of you. I wanted to give you a better life. You have what I could never give you."

"Uh-oh, here it comes," Richie mumbled.

"What's happening?" Tessa asked pulling a chair next to Richie's.

"A better life?" Rylan sputtered. "You wanted to give me a better life? I've haven't been living here since I was eight, you know. I went through a lot of homes before this one."

"But you have this now."

"You know what I went through before I got here?" Rylan asked slowly. "I was beaten. I was raped. That was my better life. But you wouldn't know that would you? You work at a hospital and didn't care enough to look through my file until you wanted something."

"Rylan, I-I didn't know."

"How could you? You don't even know my birthday."

"February eighteenth."

"Twenty fourth," Rylan corrected her voice shaking with anger. "You never cared."

"Rylan ."

"Did you even realize that you gave us all up the day after Dad died?" Julie's face paled. "I was with Skylar when he died. You wanna know what he said? At least I know Dad cares, if I can't live with Mom, I can live with him."

Tessa looked at Richie, who nodded slightly. Duncan went to the den door.

"But you wouldn't know that either, would you?" Rylan continued. "You weren't there. His little sister was, but his mother wasn't. I feel sorry for the kids you have now . I'll pray for them."

"You leave them out of this, Rylan."

"I hope you won't. 'Cause I know how that feels."

"Duncan, stop her," Tessa insisted appearing behind Duncan and giving him a slight push. He opened the door and they all stepped in. Rylan's back was to them and Julie seemed to be ignoring them.

"Rylan I'm sorry for everything that happened to you. I didn't know that would happen, I thought you would be better off. I'm sorry," Julie insisted.

"Don't be," Rylan told her. "I put it behind me. It's in my past. You and everything bad that happened to me is in my past. Those people," Rylan turned to point at the door and saw 'those people' watching her intently. She didn't care, she kept going. "Those people, the people that take care of me, that love me, they are my family, not you. They are my present and future, not you. Tessa is my mom, not . you. I don't ever want to see you again."

"Okay," Julie said curtly. "You've made you decision, if that's the way you want it, fine." She brushed past Rylan and everyone else and into the hall.

"Julie, wait," Tessa called after her.

As soon as Julie left Richie was at Rylan's side. "Are you okay?" She nodded and a few tears rolled down her face.

Duncan moved to Richie's shoulder and caught site of Rylan's right cheek that was still pink and turning slightly purple. "Did she hit you?" he asked urgently. Rylan's face crumpled into a sob and she sank to her knees. Duncan followed her and pulled her to him.

"I'll kill her," Richie growled stalking out after Julie.

"She usually doesn't act like this," Tessa was apologizing on the front walk. "I don't know what got into her. I really am very sorry."

"Yeah, well don't be," Richie spat coming up behind her.

"Richie, not you, too!"

"She hit Ry!" Richie insisted. "She's in there about to puke she crying so hard because this bit-" He was cut off as Tessa's hand flew up and caught Julie in the face.

"If you ever, ever, come near my daughter again," Tessa warned fiercely. "I will show you what a real mother can do. Get off my property." She turned and stalked back into the house. Richie glared pointedly at Julie before trotting after her.