Author's Note: Hey guys, I'm in love with this chapter so I hope you guys like it just as much! It's a little wordy and discussy, I watch Creek this morning, so that's what's in my head. Thanks soo much for all the reviews, it means so much to me that people like this story. It's really one of the best things I've written, which I rarely feel about my fanfiction. So yeah, that's cool. I'm going to stop babeling now and let you read it.

Disclaimer: Things I don't own: Julie, Adam, Portman, Charlie and the Ducks, Things I do Own: Kitty, Julian, Lexi and Andy

Chapter 7: The Past Catches up, the Future Calls

The next night the Portmans arrived in full at the Banks's. Julie had a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. Just this feeling that the evening was going to be not so good. Dean The adults sat in complete silence in the living room. Dinner had passed with little event. Marie was asleep on a couch in the living room, the boys were in the basement playing video games, Theresa and Deena were off doing god knows what and Julian and Kitty had gone out to meet up with some of the team. It was strange, in Julie's mind, she knew that if she had called Adam that day they would have talked for at least an hour, but here they were, face to face and they didn't have two words to say each other. Maybe it was the addition of Heather and Dean that did it. Maybe having the two current spouses in on the conversation inhibited it. It was a sad thought but it was there.

"So," Heather said, taking a huge swig of the martini she was drinking, "Julie, I read the new book it was beautiful. The part where Diana and Tucker finally get together, oh, it just got me. It was so intensely felt."

"Yeah," Julie nodded she could picture the passage, she was really uncomfortable talking about it. "It was a really great experience. Really, uh, therapeutic."

"I'm going to read it!" Heather giggled. Julie knew she had to be drunk.

"No, Heather please don't," Julie said, "I'd really rather you," by the time she got the words out Heather had already started,

"I've been thinking a lot for the past week." Diana sighed. "About that night. I've been keeping something from you."

"Yeah," Tucker said quietly, "I sensed that."

"He called me that night." She said. "He was crying. We talked all night. About everything. About me and him, and me and you, and the whole thing. There were a lot of tears."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Tucker asked, he was a little angry but hardly enraged.

"Because I was confused." She said. "I'm not now. I want to be with you, Tucker, heart and soul, just you. He doesn't matter any more, at all, I don't care what he thinks."

"You don't have to…" He started.

"I'm not just saying it this time," Diana smiled. "I'm over him. It was a great thing in my life, what Luis and I had, but it wasn't the defining thing, that's what we're going to be."

"You feel that way?" Tucker said, smiling.

"I do." She whispered.

"You put that in a book?" Adam said. "Are you insane?"

"I didn't think your wife was going to read it at our children's birthday dinner," Julie defended herself, "I actually didn't think a situation like this one would ever come up!"

"Wait?" Dean said, "Adam is Tucker? I missed that one."

"No," Julie said, "Tucker is a fictional character."

"Do Tucker and Diana get married, Julie?" Adam asked. "Do they live happily for three years and then lose a baby?"

"No," Julie said, "actually, they get engaged but they choose their own dreams over the collective one."

"So they get the ending we should have had?" Adam said, "Is that what you're saying?"

"No!" Julie said exasperated, "Adam, they aren't us. It's one scene, I swear, nothing else is from us."

"Hello?" they heard a voice from the foyer, "I'm here for the birthday boy?"

"Charlie." Adam and Heather said dejectedly.

"Hey, where's Julian? I got him this really great," he walked into the room. "Julie, Portman?"

"Hi Charlie." Julie said going over and giving him a hug. "We were just having a discussion about the difference between fantasy and reality."

"Is this about that book you wrote that's very obviously about you and Adam?" Charlie asked.

"It's not about us!" Julie said defensively, "it's not OK? It's about Tucker and Diana, who are entirely fictional characters. They have one conversation that is from me and Adam, one OK?"

"Why were you even talking about it?" Charlie asked, "I mean, it's kinda a weird topic."

"Heather thought it would be a good idea to read it." Dean said quietly. "This was all kind of a really bad idea."

"What are you two even doing here?" Charlie said, sitting down, getting ready to play Captain again.

"Kitty's boyfriend called us and asked us to come to her party last night," Dean said, "and then this morning Heather asked us to come to dinner."

"Good plan Heather," Charlie said, rolling his eyes.

"Thanks for your support," Heather said, holding her head in her hands.

"So do you think they exploded yet?" Kitty said as she and Julian walked around the mall. Even though the plan to meet Andy and Lexi was cancelled they needed to get out of the house where the quiet and polite tension was festering.

"I hope they don't," Julian laughed. "Even if they do, and like your dad kills mine, let's stay friends alright?"

"Deal," Kitty laughed. "Thanks for that by the way."

"For what?" He said, looking at her.

"The friends thing," Kitty explained, "I'm really glad we did it."

"Me too," he said. "What about you and Andy? Are you going to call him?"

"No," she shook her head. "There's more to it than just the you and me thing."

"The sex thing?" Julian said seriously.

"How did you…" she started.

"He mentioned it," Julian said, "just casually, that he wanted to."

"I'm not ready," Kitty explained, "that's all. I mean, there's so much attached to it you know? And I've only known him like a month. And I'm only fifteen, see how the problems mount? He didn't feel that way last night though."

"Last night? After the party?" Julian said. "What did he do? Are you OK?"

"I'm fine, nothing happened." She said. She was touched by his concern. "He just wanted to go faster than I did, then we fought."

"He is a good guy," Julian explained, "he just, well, actually no, he's a jerk. I don't know why I'm friends with him."

"Because you always have been," Kitty laughed. "I have friends like that back home. There are some people who you can't separate yourself from, they're part of you, but you don't have the slightest idea of why they're still in your life." She looked down. "Wanna hear something weird?"

"Sure," he said.

"I sort of feel that way about you," she whispered, as if saying it quietly would negate the intensity, rather than amplify it. "Like we were meant to find each other you know? You probably think I'm crazy."

"Yeah," he said, just as quietly, "I mean, no, I don't. I feel the same way."

"Really?" She said.

"Look, Kitty," he said, sitting down. "I don't think Andy was entirely wrong."

"In trying to feel me up without invitation?" Kitty asked, sitting down next to him.

"No, about you and me," he said.

"Julian," she said. "I don't think that,"

"You never thought about it?" He said, "honestly? I mean, we're really good together, Kitty. Yes it would be complicated, because you're my best friend's ex, and your best friend is stalking me,"

"And your dad is my mom's ex husband," Kitty reminded him, "don't leave that part out."

"Right," Julian said, "but come on? Think about it."

"Alright!" She said giving in. "So I've thought about it, and yeah, it could be great, if we could get through the weirdness and the complication, but we're fifteen, I don't know if I want my relationship to be complicated yet. That's why I was happy with Andy, it was easy, you, you're not as easy."

"Yeah," Julian said quietly. "Do you mind if I try something?"

"No," she said. He leaned in and kissed her softly. "Julian?"

"Yeah," he said.

"I think I could do complicated." She said.

"I fucking knew it!" Andy's voice burst through their bliss.

"Andy!" She said, "I thought, but, you, I,"

"I thought you might have changed your mind and decided to come anyway," he said.

"Andy look, man," Julian said standing up. "It's not what you think, we were just talking."

"Yes, that's what it looked like," Andy said sarcastically, "you're supposed to be my best friend! And you, don't even get me started."

"What's going on?" Lexi said, as she walked up. She saw the looks on Julian and Kitty's faces, "No! Kitty, how could you?" She ran away.

"Lexi! Wait!" She got up and ran after her. This was why she had resisted the idea, when she finally caught her, "Lexi, come on!"

"You said you didn't like him!" Lexi said, "you said that."

"Lexi, it just happened, ok?" Kitty said.

"No, no, you've always liked him," Lexi said, "but all you had to do was say so."

"I know," Kitty said, "but I didn't, I didn't want to admit that I liked him. It's so complicated, with me and Julian, our whole history you know?"

"I can't believe I called you my best friend!" Lexi said. "I'll see you in the room." She turned around and stormed off. Kitty walked back to the bench where Julian was sitting.

"He left." Julian said.

"So did she." Kitty sighed. "This is what I meant by complicated."

"Yeah," Julian said, "I got that."

A/N: See? Isn't it good? Oh, and that little segment from Julie's "book" is for my long time fans (haha, like I have any!) it's actually exact quote from "Lost Love," when Julie decides to stay with Adam instead of getting back together with Luis.