Sorry it's take n so long for an update will try get the next chapter up quicker. thanks to amiinii and stormdog11 for reviewing. Please review this chapter and i hope you all enjoy it.

Chapter 24

Sarah, Jake, Mark and Mike were walking up the path to their house no their way home from school.

"Oh that was so funny," Sarah smirked.

"I know, now let's hope they learnt their lesson and don't lay a finger on Mark or Kenneth again," Jake said as the four of them entered their house.

"Thanks you guys it means a lot that you helped me through it and that in know you will all always be there for me," Mark smiled.

"What are family for," Mike said, "we all know you'd do the same if it were one of us".

"It's Sarah who deserves the biggest thanks, she did come up with the whole idea," Jake said, not wanting to take the credit when it was Sarah who did most the work.

"I know thank you Sarah. I still can't believe how amazing you are at coming up with these plans," Mark said.

"I think I was just born with it," Sarah smiled.

"Hello kids," Tom said as he walked past them standing in front of the front door talking.

"Hey dad aren't you suppose to be at work?" Sarah asked.

"No I got home early, I wanted to spend some time with Lorraine before she went home to New York, because she leaves tomorrow morning," Tom said.

"Oh yeah so she does," Sarah said looking saddened. Sarah really wished Lorraine still lived at home with them or at least lived in the same town and not New York. She missed not having her around.

"Remember though kids we have the Murtaugh's party tonight," Tom said.

Sarah still hadn't told her dad she couldn't go since she had already made plans with Ethan. She was about to tell him but he had already left the room.

Sarah went upstairs and dumped her school stuff in the corner of her room before going through to the spare room that Lorraine was staying in since that now her old room had been given to Jessica as her and Kim decided to get their own rooms when the older children moved out as there was more room.

"Hey Lorraine," Sarah said as she walked into the room.

"Hiya Sarah, how you doing?" Lorraine asked happy to see Sarah.

"I'm fine, just gutted that you are leaving tomorrow," Sarah said.

"I know I'm gutted to be leaving you all too, I miss you all so much," Lorraine replied.

"Then why don't you just stay here?" Sarah asked.

"Because, New York is somewhere where I dreamed of living when I grew up and I have my dream job working for this fashion magazine. As much as I miss home and I miss my family I don't want to give up my dream, at least not right now. Maybe one day I'll move back," Lorraine said.

"I like it so much better when you are here. It's someone to talk to, who listens and gives really good advice," Sarah said.

"Oh thanks," Lorraine said, "I love spending time with you too, but you still have Jake and Mike, you are closer to them than you are to me".

"I know I love them to bits, but sometimes I like to have another girl to speak to, who I can speak about girly things to," Sarah said.

"You have Jessica and Kim".

"Yeah but they are really close with each other, and they are younger so they can't always give me advice because they haven't always experienced it. Whereas you have experience. Plus half the time these days it Jessica who is part of the problem," Sarah replied.

"Well you know I'm always here to offer advice or just listen if you need someone to speak to. You can call me whenever unless I'm working then I can't answer," Lorraine offered.

"Thanks Lorraine," Sarah smiled.

"Speaking about Jessica did you ever find anything out?" Sarah asked as Lorraine said she would speak to Jessica about her and Elliot.

"No she didn't say anything about being with Elliot," Lorraine said.

"I really don't know if they are just friends or what. I just wish that if they were more than friends they would tell me," Sarah said.

Lorraine really wanted to know as well because she knew that if they were together that it would upset Sarah. Not because she likes Elliot because she was over him now, but because Jessica would have betrayed Sarah and Elliot promised at the lake that he would never hurt Sarah again and that would be him breaking his promise. Lorraine always believed that one thing you should never do is date your sisters ex boyfriend.

"I haven't seen Jessica and Elliot hang around since I got here you know," Lorraine said.

"Now that you mention it I haven't seen the two of them hang about together in a while either," Sarah said as she tried to remember the last time she seen them together, "she seems to spend all her time with that Ryan boy doing her biology project."

"She did mention him to me the other day actually; she was just saying how she was working with him on her project. I asked what he was like and she said he was really sweet and nice," Lorraine said, "Maybe it's him she likes and not Elliot," Lorraine suggested.

"Ryan Scott and Jessica! I couldn't imagine that to be honest. I think she is just spending time with him because she has to," Sarah said.

Lorraine walked over to the cupboard in her room and open it up looking though her clothes as she decided what she was going to wear.

"What are you wearing to this party tonight?" Lorraine asked Sarah.

"I'm not going to go. I have a date with Ethan tonight and it was suppose to be last night but I cancelled since it was Mike's birthday and I don't want to cancel on Ethan again," Sarah said, "But I feel bad because I forgot that it was your last night here".

"No you defiantly should go. Don't feel bad just because it's my last night, it's not like you'll never see me again," Loraine smiled.

"Thanks," Sarah smiled.

"And if you get home before we're all back from the Murtaugh then you can still come over because it will probably run on quite late," Lorraine said.

"Yeah I'll come over to the Murtaugh's if I home before you are since it's just across the street," Sarah replied.

It wasn't long until it was time for tea and everyone sat gathered round the table as Kate laid the plate of food at each person's place.

"It's really good again to have to whole family here," Tom said as Lorraine, Charlie and Nora were all there, "Because Lorraine is leaving tomorrow morning and Charlie is leaving on Sunday so this is the last time that we will probably all sit down as a family for a while, but I hope that it is not to long until the next time".

Everyone began to eat after Tom's little speech.

"Dad," Sarah said as she began to tell him she wouldn't be going to the Murtaugh's tonight, " I've got plans for tonight which were made before we were invited to this party so I'm not going to be able to come".

"What plans have you got?" Tom asked.

Sarah felt a little embarrassed to tell her dad, "I said I'd meet up with someone,"

"She has a date dad," Kyle said. Sarah looked at Kyle curious as to how he knew she had a date.

"With who?" Tom said interested to know.

"Just some boy from school you don't know him dad," Sarah replied.

"That's good," Kate smiled, happy to see her daughter move on from Elliot.

After finishing her food Sarah went up to her room to get ready for her date with Ethan. Lorraine had come in to see if she needed help choosing what to wear.

"So what will you two be doing?" Lorraine asked.

"I don't know he hasn't said anything yet. We went to the cinema last time but I think it would be better if we did something else because it would be good to get to talk to him and get to know him better. I've already eaten as well so I'm really not sure what we will do," Sarah replied.

"Well you know if you're stuck on finding something to do I'm sure the Murtaugh's won't mind if you take him to their party, "Lorraine suggested.

"I would rather not, especially with Elliot being there. I don't think I know Ethan well enough yet and the last thing I want is everyone to be watching us," Sarah said.

"Yeah maybe you're right," Lorraine agreed. Sarah began to get Lorraine's opinion on what to wear, she didn't want to get to fancy dressed up because she didn't know what her and Ethan were going to be doing, so she decided to wear something that was casual yet still nicer than her day to day clothes.

"Well I'm away to go now and meet Ethan," Sarah said after she looked at herself in the mirror to see if she was happy with her appearance.

"Well good luck," Lorraine smiled.

"Thanks," Sarah replied, "And enjoy yourself at this party".

"You should ask Charlie to give you a lift, because dad us busy right now and it would save you from walking," Lorraine suggested.

Sarah had asked Charlie for a lift and he agreed, she was standing outside the house waiting for him when Jake appeared outside.

"Hope your date goes well," he said.

"Thanks," Sarah smiled, "I hope you have a good time at the Murtaugh's".

"Hopefully it will be good," Jake said, "I don't know who else Jimmy has invited, dad says he's invited some of his other rich friends so we're probably going to be out of place there if it's all these rich family's there. They will probably all be looking their noses down at us".

"I'm actually surprised Jimmy invited our family if it is all her rich family's that is going to be there because you would think that he would be a bit embarrassed since we aren't rich," Sarah laughed.

"Yeah I know," Jake agreed.

Charlie was zipping up his jacket as he walked out the house, "You ready?" he asked Sarah.

"Yeah," She replied, "I'll see you later Jake".

Sarah got in the car and fastened her seatbelt. It had been ages since she had spent time with just Charlie. When she thought about it she didn't think she had spent time with just him since he moved out.

"So who's this Ethan boy your meeting?" Charlie asked making conversation.

"Just some boy from school. He's new".

"So things between you and Elliot properly over now?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah things finished between us months ago," Sarah replied, "We're sort of friends now, which is good because at least we are speaking".

"Yeah that's good," Charlie said. Sarah felt a little awkward because she had never really spoke about boys to Charlie before and because it had been ages since she had had a heart to heart conversation with Charlie it felt weird.

"How about you and Ann? Things going well?" Sarah asked turning the conversation to Charlie.

"Yeah real good. She is really special to me," Charlie replied.

"Mom is total hoping to see a wedding soon in the future you know,"

"I know she keeps dropping hints to me constantly," Charlie said, "But I'll know when the time is right and I don't feel that it is quite just now".

"Yeah, I think you and Ann are really good together," Sarah smiled.

"Anyway I thinks that us here now," Charlie said as he pulled the car up.

"Do you mind if we wait here until her gets here I don't want to stand waiting by myself," Sarah said.

"Yeah sure," Charlie agreed. Sarah texted Ethan to say she was there and he replied saying he was running a little late but wouldn't be long.

"Do you want me to pick you up or anything?" Charlie asked.

"I'll text you if I need a lift home if that's ok?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah that's fine," Charlie agreed.

Sarah spotted Ethan walking round the corner towards the car, "That's him here now," Sarah said as she got out the car, "thanks for the lift".

Please Review!