A/N: Hello everybunny!! (OMG! I am so corny!) Happy Easter, belated Passover, Spring, whatever you are celebrating at the moment. :)

Nat my dear heart, thank you for catching up. Melody and PCGirl – Thank you for your pleas to find out what's next. As I said, secretly, it makes me smile knowing you can't wait. Bethany dearie, thanks to you too even if you're un-greedy. ;)

HERE'S Cabby. Didya miss them?? Until 11 as always enjoy! xox - G

Chapter Ten

"Chloe?"

It was like she didn't hear him. She sat slumped at the counter, her mind racing. What was she going to do? Last night made her completely and totally certain that Doug had to go. He was so conceited. She never realized how much he talked about himself. Not like Grant. Grant always listened.

Grant doesn't want you. She said to herself. Get over it already.

Jack tried without much success to grab his daughter's attention. She was usually a bundle of energy but today was nothing short of lethargic. "Chloe? Honey. If you're going to work here you need to focus. This order's for table two." Jack said as he stared at her with concern.

Chloe insisted on working with him today, even though she was supposed to teach Melissa's class this afternoon. He didn't know exactly what was up with her, but he could tell she was not herself.

She finally turned to face him. "What?"

"Sweetheart. Seriously, snap out of it. I love you but you're really not helping me at the moment. Table two. And seven needs a refill on their drinks."

"Sorry Dad." She said as she picked up the plates and carried them to the table, plastering on a smile.

Heading over to table seven, her mind spun. How much longer could she do this? How much longer could she avoid Grant? It was tough but she'd managed to go three days without really bumping into him. She'd catch a glimpse of him every so often but they hadn't talked. Sooner or later she'd run into him and then what would she say? Chloe's heart was breaking, the cracks in it growing wider by the second. She heard the door open and her head shot up, half hoping it was him. She sighed in disappointment as she took another drink order. If she couldn't have him, even as just a friend she honestly didn't know what she would do.

*********************************

"Grant!" Rafe yelled as he walked in the door. "Get down here – NOW!"

"Rafe. Stop yelling – he went out for a run." Alison shushed him as she walked downstairs.

"What the hell is wrong with him? He was supposed to be at the gym this afternoon. I asked him to take care of something and he never showed up."

Alison knew exactly the reason. "Rafe. He…"

Just then, Grant walked in wearing a baseball cap and headphones, music blaring loud enough so that Rafe and Alison could both hear it.

He looked up to see his parents staring at him and clicked it off. "Hey." He said softly.

"Don't 'hey' me. Grant. Did we or did we not discuss you doing inventory at the gym today?" Rafe's voice was full of annoyance and disappointment. "Surely you remember, it was a mere nine hours ago at breakfast."

"Yeah Dad – I…" Grant tried to explain. He couldn't bring himself to go to the gym – not on a day he knew Chloe would be there.

Rafe wasn't done reprimanding him yet. "I just came from there. Melissa said she never saw you today. When I ask you to do something I expect it to be done. If you want me to pay you for working at the gym you have a responsibility to do what I ask."

"Dad. I called Billy. He went in and did the stuff up front. I'll finish it tomorrow." Grant promised.

"If I wanted you to do it tomorrow I'd have said so. You can't just blow things off because you don't feel like doing them. What the hell was so important?" Rafe's voice was stern as he continued to glare at his son.

Grant didn't want to have to get into an explanation. He stared at his feet and tried to figure out a way out of this.

Thankfully, Alison saved him. "Grant, honey. You'll go tomorrow and finish right?"

She stood next to Rafe and could feel him getting ready with another lesson on responsibility. She grabbed his arm and applied pressure, silently telling him to back off.

"Yeah – Dad. I promise. I'll get it all done." He said, his voice sad. "Can I go now? I have a paper to get started on."

"Sure sweetie go ahead." Alison said as she stepped aside.

As they heard the door to his bedroom close Rafe turned to face Alison, his eyes angry. "Do you mind explaining that to me?"

"Rafe…" She knew where this was going.

"You always make me the bad guy. I wasn't being the least bit unreasonable. Alison – he can't just do what he pleases whenever he wants. He needs to learn how to be responsible."

"You're right." She agreed. "You weren't but you need to admit – Grant is one of the most responsible kids on earth. He had Billy cover for him – he knew he'd promised you."

"And I appreciate that but I didn't ask Billy to do it – I asked Grant. What's gotten into him?"

Alison knew exactly what was wrong. She and Melissa had discussed it for an hour earlier in the afternoon. Grant apparently asked Chloe to go out and something happened to botch the plans. As much as she didn't want to interfere in her son's life, Alison couldn't stand to see him like this.

"Give him a break. Please Rafe." Alison said with a sigh. "He didn't want to be at the gym today."

"Why? He loves it there."

"Something happened between him and Chloe. He didn't want to run into her. She has practice tomorrow so she won't be there." Alison knew for a fact Chloe used the same tactic today, working at the Recovery Room to avoid seeing Grant at the gym. Those poor kids were making themselves miserable, something had to happen soon. "He'll do what you asked then."

"Chloe?" Rafe was so confused. "What could have happened? I know they're friends but…"

Alison stared at him with her mouth hanging open. "Rafe Kovich are you kidding me? Are you that blind?"

"What?" He still didn't have a clue.

She looked up the stairs and pulled Rafe into the kitchen. "What?" Rafe asked again.

She spoke in a hushed whisper. "Oh my God. Please. You can't tell me you haven't noticed. Rafe. He's beside himself. He's so in love with her he can't see straight and apparently something came between them the other night. They were supposed to go out and for some reason they didn't. Melissa and I had a long talk about it earlier. Apparently Chloe's in similar shape. According to Melissa she's in a daze and has been on the verge of tears every second since Sunday night."

"Grant and Chloe?" Rafe was shocked. "He's in love with her? How did I not see this?"

Because he's so like you, Alison thought with a sigh as she stepped closer to him. She knew Rafe needed a different explanation so she said with a grin, "Because, you – like most men - have a severe case of chronic obliviousness."

"Chronic obliviousness?" She never ceased to crack him up. She was the cutest thing on earth. "Did you just make that up?" He said with a laugh.

"Yes." She replied as she laughed back, leaning up to kiss him. "But it doesn't make it any less true."

*******************************

Later that night, Cameron stood at the top of the stairs, not moving an inch. "You have got to be kidding me. Julia, march right back in that room and change, Now."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm Lynnie, Dad and why do I have to? This skirt isn't that short."

Cam was about to lose his mind. "Things you wore as an infant had more fabric" He noticed her eyes and swore. "Damnit - Gwendolyn. Put your glasses back on. I swear to God. You two are driving me nuts."

"Julia - I'm serious." Lynnie walked out in jeans and a halter top, her glasses plainly seen on her face. Her voice rose in anger. "Get rid of those blue contacts before I scratch them out of your eyes myself."

"Ooo!! Catfight!! Cool. Hey Dad - can I sell tickets?" Quinn asked as he stood by, chomping noisily on potato chips. He was fifteen and such things amazed him, though it'd be creepy because they were his sisters. He knew he could get five bucks from each of his friends if his dad would let him. And he didn't have to watch. He'd make a killing.

Cam was too overwhelmed to pay any attention to his son. "Lynnie, not so fast. You too. Get back in there and change. Where the hell is the rest of that top?"

"Daddy." She pleaded. "C'mon. Katie's waiting."

"Let her wait. Once again, Rafe's got it easy. Katrina always looks lovely, she knows how to dress appropriately."

Abby stood at the doorway of their bedroom and grinned. "Do you give up yet?" She said with a laugh.

"Oh God, yes. Abby please." Cameron begged.

Abby walked into the hallway and stood in front of both girls. "Julia Alison Donovan - I've had enough. You have three minutes to put in your regular contacts and give those blue ones to me. You've had your fun. Trust me - you can wear those things every day of your life and I'll see right through you. Oh and by the way - I pressed your tan skirt, it's on your bed. Now. Go change." She turned to face Lynnie. "Gwendolyn - go back in there and put on your light blue sweater with the sequins. You look so pretty in that."

Both girls opened their mouths to protest.

"And if I hear one word out of either of you you'll stay inside for a week. Understood?"

"Yes." They both said in unison.

"Good. Now go." She said as she glared at them. Not nearly finished, Abby turned to face her son.

"Listen, Buster. I don't know exactly what kind of scheme you're thinking of but your sisters are not entertainment for your degenerate friends. I don't ever want to hear you talk about them like that again. Do you hear me?"

Quinn stared at his shoes and felt awful. "Yes, Mom. I'm sorry."

"You'd better be. Now go downstairs and ask Katie if she wants something to drink while she's waiting. Tell her your sisters will be down shortly."

"OK" He muttered as he bounded down the stairs.

Abby turned and smiled widely at Cam, who stood by amazed as always.

"How the hell do you do that?" He wondered out loud.

"What?" She asked, confused.

He shook his head at her. "Get them to behave like that - in like - a split second?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It just happens."

"You know. When you're in control like this? It makes you look incredibly sexy." He walked towards her and pulled her close, kissing the side of her neck. He caught her earlobe in his teeth and whispered. "Let's send Quinn to Joey's tonight."

"Cameron…" She sighed as she pulled his face to hers to kiss him.

"Oh yuck. C'mon. Can you two give it a break for like a half a minute?" Julia made a face as she came back out of her room, with dark brown eyes and her tan skirt on. She was still trying to push it though, since she had also changed into Lynnie's halter top.

Abby turned in Cam's arms and glanced at her. She ignored her comment and started to count, "One…two…"

She was disappointed, but she knew she gave it her best shot. "Alright. I'm changing." Julia sighed heavily and turned back around.

"Not so fast. Contacts." Abby said as she held out her hand.

Sighing louder, Julia pulled the case out of her pocket and placed it in her mother's palm.

Checking to make sure they were really inside, Abby smiled as she fisted her hand around them and said. "See? Wasn't that easy? Thank you, Lia. Now - go put that t-shirt back on."

"Yeah and then I'll look like a complete dork. Thanks Mom." She said as she rolled her eyes and did what she was told.