"Are you fricken kidding me, Leif?" Ben yells, as soon as the door closes behind Stevie.

"Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say." Leif admits.

"Maybe? MAYBE? That defiantly wasn't a good thing to say. We all know she hates it when people call her Stephanie. So why would you even… She's never going to talk to any of us again." Ben held his head in his hands.

"Well tell me your brilliant plan as to how we should have made her stay." Leif demanded

"Anything but that." Leif shot back. "Or you could have just not asked her to talk about last night."

"Well she has to talk about it some time, and we can't just pretend it never happened."

"We don't have to pretend it never happened, we just can't be nosey." Ben looks frustrated.

"Aren't you curious?" James asks.

"Of course." Ben sighs. "Sometimes I forget you didn't all spend as much time with her as I did. I had hoped that I'd set it up so she would talk to me. She won't just tell us everything"

"How?" Finn Questions.

"I'm staying this week. I won't go back to collage till I fix things with Stevie."

"How much do you have to fix?" James asks, but really, he already knows how much of a wedge there is between all five siblings.

"Everything." Ben states dryly. "The past three years… let's face it, none of us has been around."

They all know it's true. Stevie's tried so hard to talk to them when they've been at home, she's tried so hard to keep up the contact. But none of them have bothered to really keep up with their sister. They may not have needed the contact with each other, but she did.

"I admit," Finn sighed, "It's sad how little we know about her. The girl who hugged me on Friday wasn't anyone I knew."

"The makeup, tight clothes, and addiction to coffee- she didn't even try to beat us up. What happened there?" James commented.

"Not to mention the band." Finn pointed out, "I've seen the Facebook pictures. They are ALWAYS together."

"Kasey mentioned that they have a gig next week, I gather that's why she was pushing for Stevie and Zander to makeup." Leif put in.

It's a given that they'll go. The realization that Stevie's going to stop trying soon is hitting hard, they've got to start making an effort to.

Zander had opened the door of his truck for her, just like always. Stevie had felt her stomach drop about a mile, she couldn't believe she'd lived an entire week without him.

When he got in, he hadn't lost a second, pulling her towards him and into a kiss.

Like every other time, she could see stars. They were making up for lost time, she could feel the romantic tension through her daze, Kasey would say that you could cut it with a knife, it was so thick.

It wasn't long though, before the common sense started to ooze back into Stevie's brain. She gently pushed Zander away, he looked disappointed.

"Stevie…" he wined, "first time in a week."

She shook her head, "Zander, we can't just jump back in where we left off, we have to talk about this."

"Fine." He sulked. "Where should we go?"

"Normal spot." She replied.

Their 'normal spot' was the parking lot outside an abandoned warehouse. It was the only place they could go and not get caught.

They were silent for the whole drive, but when one wasn't looking the other would steal a glance towards them.

Stevie loved Zanders truck. She loved how old it was, she loved that the front seat was just one long bench, so the countless make out sessions they had didn't have to be moved to the back, she loved the way it smelled, and the memories it held for her. But today, she was almost too nervous to think about these things.

Neither could bring themselves to look at the other once they'd stopped.

Finally, after feeling like the rain drops on the windows shouldn't be reflecting her emotions, Stevie plucked up the courage to talk. "Zander, whatever happens now, I want you to know that I love you."

He nodded, "Steves…" And suddenly he had her pinned against the window, and Stevie realizes that she can't move her arms.

Stevie has to admit, that while having him kiss her neck is sending shivers down her spine, she's also very confused.

"Zander, what are you doing?"

"Romance, babe." He says between kisses.

Stevie laughs, he looks at her, with mock hurt, "you're laughing at me?"

"I didn't think you'd remember I said that."

"Of course I remember! That was like half the argument."

"Right." She smiles.

He leans up to kiss her lips, momentarily forgetting to hold her hands, she pushes him backwards, ending up on top of him. Stevie props herself up on her elbows, Zander looks disappointed now that the make out session is over.

"Now I'm in control." She announces. "And Zander Babe? No more making out until we finish talking."

He nods, though he can't concentrate, having her on top of him is almost too much for his teenage hormones to handle.

"We have to work out why we keep fighting."

"Yer…" he's unconvinced they need to know why.

Stevie knows they can't have a repeat of last time. They hadn't actually talked after the last fight, he had climbed through her bedroom window at 12'oclock at night, and they had spent the entire rest of the night making out. It had become so intense that somehow, Stevie didn't notice Zander take her shirt off. It hadn't been till he had attempted to take off her bra that she had stopped him.

"Are you ok?" He had asked.

She had calmly told him that she wasn't ready for that yet, expecting pleading or him completely ignoring her words. But he had kissed her forehead helped her put her top back on, and hugged her tightly.

She hadn't expected that.

They couldn't not talk this time.

"Zander, this is it." Stevie played with the color of his shirt.

"What?" Zander Questions, confused.

"If we don't figure out what is causing these fights, then were over. For good. I can't keep doing this Zander, and neither can you."

Her words aren't cold, but Zander is hit with the reality of the situation. Gently, he pulls then both into a sitting position, keeping his arm wrapped around her waist. Not touching her isn't an option for him right now.

"Stevie, do you promise not to get mad?"

She nods.

"You're always bottling up your feelings. I don't want you to hide them from me. I want to know everything, when you're sad, or upset, or just in a bad mood. You don't have to pretend." Zander brushed her hair off her face.

"I know." She whispers. "I guess I just got so used to doing it I forget that you'll be okay with everything."

"Why did you start?" he pulls her closer, it's not cold in the truck, but the rain splattering on the windows is making Zander feel as if it could be.

She shrugs, "There wasn't anyone to share them with. Kevin and Nelson aren't exactly good listeners."

Zander wants to ask if she could talk to her brothers, but after the yelling he heard earlier, he's not sure it's a good idea.

"Well don't hide from me."

They don't move for a moment, it's a comfortable silence, and Stevie's sure there's never been anyone who is totally comfortable with just sitting with her before. It's nice, she realizes, after all the time of doing this, that he doesn't care if they talk or not. And that he has no problem with her silences.

"And Stevie?" she looks up at him, she looks so innocent he thinks. "Don't worry about the fan girls. I couldn't care less about them. I know you're worried, and I know you'd never tell me you're jealous, but they have nothing on you." It all comes out in a jumble, but Stevie just snuggles further in to him.

"Promise?" is all the reply he gets

"I promise." he mummers, kissing the top of her head.

There's so much left unsaid. But then again, there's so much that goes without saying. But somehow, Stevie knows that they'll be ok, and, when she's ready to talk about all the other reasons behind their fights, he'll be there to listen

This really isn't my favourite chapter, for some reason I found this nearly impossible to write. But I'm posting it anyway because I have fantastic ideas about the next chapter and I don't want to be stuck on this one.

I don't think I'll have another chapter up tomorrow because I'm working and then I have a family thing. But you never know, I like the next chapter soooo...

My wonderful reviewers:

ZevieFTW: next chapter will reveal everything about why Stevie is so angry at her brothers, trust me, she has a reason to be harsh :)

HTRobsessed: I'm so glad someone else cries over fan fiction, I was starting to worry I was the only one. Unfortunately, I am not on holidays, I live in the far off land of Australia, so while school kids are on Easter holidays, weirdos like me who have no idea what to do with there lives are not (I finished school last year and am taking a gap year). Although I have way to much time on my hands, so I guess you could count that as holidays, so I will update this as soon as I manage to get the chapters out.

Zevielover17: of course I noticed you! If you review, I promise I will notice you. And REALLY appreciate you :)

Till Next time!

Encantria 3