Everyone always assumes that your family is blood. That makes sense in theory. But what about when you're a sixteen year old runaway, crashing on your friend's couch? Or when everyone else has abandoned you except for your friends? What then? When does the line between family and friendship start to blur?

He opened his eyes and saw that he was on his couch.

He leaned up, but that merely caused his head to spin and he clutched it, falling back against the cushions. That small sign of movement attracted the attention of the woman sitting in the chair adjacent to the couch.

She stood and walked the short distance to her husband, placing a hand on his wrist, "Just rest."

"Clare?" Eli groaned, blinking up at her, "What are you doing here? What about your trip?"

"Adam called me," Clare explained, "He said he came in to check on you and found you passed out on the floor."

"Adam…?"

"Hey man," Adam poked his head into the room, grinning, "I hope you don't mind, but I got hungry waiting for Clare to get here so I ordered Chinese. Thought we could all have dinner and pretend that we're back in high school."

"Where's Sirius?"

Adam and Clare exchanged a glance before Clare answered, "He asked to spend the night with Seth again and I let him. Becky took the boys to Drew and Bianca's for dinner."

"Why aren't you there?" Eli glanced at Adam.

Adam walked over to Eli and bent down, grinning, "Told you. I wanted to spend my time with my best friends. When was the last time we were together – just the three of us. I love Becky with all my heart, but sometimes I just need my friends."

Eli smiled weakly before leaning back, closing his eyes, "Did you remember to get extra orange chicken?"

Is it when your friends know more about you than your family? When they know who you are? Or is it when your family is so far away and more like strangers than the people who raised you for so many years?

"Sirius, how's your father?"

Sirius looked up at Drew Torres who was sitting across from him in between Bianca and Aidan. He himself was seated in between Becky and Seth while Nadia took the end seat. This wasn't his first dinner at the other Torres house, but it did seem more awkward than normal. For one thing, Adam wasn't there to joke around with Drew and Bianca so the flow of the conversation between the adults seemed a little force. For another, Nadia was quieter than normal, poking at the food on her plate, not looking at anyone. Seth and Aidan were making the most conversation, trying to fill the silences.

"I don't know," Sirius shrugged, "Adam said he was going to call when he woke up."

"He'll be okay," Bianca smiled and Sirius shrugged again.

"Sure."

The adults are exchanged a glance before Becky asked, "Do you want to take me to take you home after dinner?"

"Actually, Seth said I could stay the night again."

Becky glanced at her son and Seth looked up, mumbling around a bite of food, "I didn't think you would mind, Mom."

The strawberry blonde gave a small smile before nodding at Sirius, "I'll set up the guest room." However, she did catch the stare of both Drew and Bianca. They all thought that sooner or later Sirius should start living at him home, but since none of them knew the extent of what was happening there, all they could do was sit there silently.

Becky then turned her attention to her niece, trying to help Sirius by shifting the attention off of him, "So, Nadia, how is Austin?"

"He's fine," Nadia muttered, but when she saw her mother giving her a disapproving glance, she straightened up and added, "He's looking forward to starting his senior year. He's going to start visiting colleges in a week."

Drew smiled, leaning backwards in his chair, "Who would have thought that Mike Dallas's son would be a sixteen year old senior and one of the smartest students in the region?"

"I think Austin takes after Alli more than Mike," Becky countered.

Seth, Sirius, and Aidan rolled their eyes as the adults started reminiscing about high school.

Nadia stayed silent.

But do your friends ever replace your family? The bonds between families are strong and sometimes, even when you don't agree with them, you are willing to stand beside them even if the face of the impossible.

Austin knocked on his brother's apartment door and waited a couple of seconds before knocking again.

He wasn't in a patient mood.

A couple more seconds later and the door opened, revealing Rock Dallas, his half-brother. The twenty-four year old man, leaned against the doorframe, staring his younger brother down. His head was shaved yet he had a small pointed beard. He was wearing an old Degrassi sweatshirt despite never attending the high school (he had been living with his mom at that point) and a pair of torn jeans. The two brothers stared at each other.

"Well, Austin, never thought I would be seeing you at my doorstep."

Austin looked away. The two were close when Austin was younger – when he thought his older brother was someone to be idolized, but in recent years, he saw his brother for what he was: arrogant and lazy. He had dropped out of school his senior year and began working at a pizza shop where he had been for the last six years. He shared his one bedroom apartment with three other men. When Austin saw his brother as a loser, he turned his back on him, despite the disappointment it caused his father. He didn't want this man in his life.

Yet he needed him now more than over.

"I brought Tai food," Austin held up the bag, "I thought you could use a break from pizza."

Rock stared at him skeptically before opening the door a bit further, allowing his brother to walk in.

Inside it was even worse.

The dark orange wallpaper was peeling and there was trash on the green carpet. A couch was barely visible underneath clothes and beer bottles. Thankfully, it was empty. Austin didn't want to socialize with his brother's roommates.

"Where is everyone?"

"Someone was throwing a party."

"Why didn't you go?"

No answer.

There was an awkward silence before Rock crossed his arms, "Why are you here, Austin? You haven't come to see me in years. I think the last time we talked was two Christmases ago."

"I wanted to ask you something," Austin walked around the apartment, placing the food on a somewhat clean coffee table. He then picked up a picture.

It was a picture taken at that Christmas Rock mentioned. Rock was sitting on the couch, a boy on his lap, his brown eyes glowing as he opened up another present. The boy was five years old in the picture and Austin smiled softly.

"How is Michael?"

Rock was silent before answering, "I haven't seen him in a couple of months. His mom is trying to get sole custody of him."

"Can you blame her?"

The question was out before Austin could stop it.

"Listen, Austin, I know I fucked up my life," Rock's voice was low and dangerous and Austin knew he touched a nerve. Whatever he thought about his brother's life, he knew that he did love his son, "I got a girl pregnant when I was seventeen and dropped out of school and now I am working a shit job. Did you come over here just to tell me how much better you are?"

Austin looked at him, "No. I came here to apologize." There was silence so Austin continued, remembering his earlier conversation with Nadia, "We're not that different."

I suppose all families are different. Some are rock solid while some are about to fall apart. It just depends on what life throws at you. Some have it all, a perfect life, while others break under pressure. Everyone is different.

Maggie sat on her roof, listening to her parents fight once more. Maya had gotten late from work again and Miles had decided to pick a fight. Then the fight had escalated when her godfather had called, revealing that he had spent the day at a bar with Miles. So she had climbed out of her bedroom window and stared up at the stars.

"Knock, knock."

Maggie looked over at the boy in the tree that connected her house to her neighbor's. Tyler grinned at her, hanging on the branch like a cat before asking, "Want some company?"

"Sure."

Tyler landed on the roof with a soft thud before taking a seat next to Maggie. The two sat in comfortable silence.

They had been neighbors since they were born and their friendship was strong. Maggie had been the first to know that Tyler was in fact Tyler and not the feminine identity he had been masquerading as. Tyler was the only one who knew about Maggie's family life. Secrets and life kept them bonded as best friends.

"Where were you today?" Maggie asked, looking over at Tyler, "I thought we were going to sit together at lunch?"

"I was helping a new student find her way around," Tyler explained, "I'm sorry, I meant to text you. It was just nice having someone who doesn't know – about me."

"You're at a new school, technically," Maggie smiled weakly before glancing down at her hands, "A lot of people aren't going to know. Just promise me you won't forget me."

"Never," Tyler grinned, taking her hand in his as they sat together on the roof. They stared up at the stars, content in one another's company. There was silence for a while before Tyler spoke again, "How are your parents?"

Maggie glanced at him in disbelief, "You can't hear them?"

Tyler sighed, squeezing her hand, "This won't last forever. Things will get better."

"You don't know that."

Your family is there to help you stand. They keep you rooted and they keep you strong.

Cam sat in the white waiting room, his hands on his lap. It was a little past eight and he was waiting for his father. Zig had been complaining about chest pains and finally decided to see a doctor. Cam had driven him to his appointment and was now waiting for him, wondering what was taking so long.

Having read all the magazines, he thought about his first day of school. He had spent most of it with Seth, Sirius, and Aidan – his three best friends. Cam, Seth, and Aidan had been in school together since they were five and Sirius, despite being a year above them, spent most of his time with them then people his own age. He was supposed to be more comfortable with them than anyone, but they rarely talked about anything serious. Seth and Sirius joked about everything and always teased him – good naturedly, of course, but he was still the one who usually was on the end of their teasing cycles.

Like today.

Just because he hadn't dated anyone yet, they had taken it to mean that they should set him up with someone.

Cam worried about the girl they would pick out. Seth's tastes leaned more towards the more promiscuous of women while Sirius had a darker taste. He couldn't imagine himself with any of their ex-girlfriends.

He hoped Aidan would have a say.

Aidan was different than them.

He was special.

"Cam," Cam stood up as Zig began to walk towards him, "Sorry it took so long."

"It's alright," Cam smiled weakly, "Are you alright?"

Zig paused before speaking, "I have to come back in in a couple of days – for additional screening."

"But you'll be okay, right?"

What happens when your family are the people who make you fall?

Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter. This was supposed to help show how each teen is related to a Degrassi alumni or to another OC character. Hopefully it cleared some things up. And as to both Eli and Zig having medical conditions? That will be explained later on. Not everything I do is completely random.