A/N: Addison managed to get Betsy grounded only for two weeks, but she really can't stay in that house any longer...

Betsy silently tiptoed towards the front door. She was grounded, strictly grounded for another three days, but she couldn't take it anymore. Kevin was making her go mad when he wanted to look through her text messages (Addison had luckily stopped him) or when he forced her to do her summer homework with him or Addison. She was stuck at home, with nothing to do. She hadn't seen Cameron in more than a week! So when she heard her adoptive parents going to bed – and she was sure they already were fast asleep – she decided to sneak out and meet her not-yet-but-future boyfriend at the pub his parents owned.

With and hand on the handle, she glanced at the wooden stairs. The house was silent, and the only light was the moon's reflection on the windows.

Slowly, she walked outside. She had to walk, because even though she'd gotten her driving license a few months earlier she'd get in more trouble taking one of the cars without asking.

As she went in direction of the pub, she bit her lip nervously. She didn't have her fake ID anymore, but she was sure she could convince the bartender to give her some good drink. Maybe she'd have more chances if she unbuttoned the first two buttons of her blouse...

Betsy ran her hand through her dark hair, that she had previously curled with Addison's help. She liked it; it was long and it made her look older. Probably she could pretend to be in college. Studying psychology. Not that she wanted to go to college, but if she had to choose she'd do psychology.

The teen pushed the door open, and immediately smiled. She liked how it felt to be surrounded by people and endless talking and the adrenaline of knowing she could get caught.

She sat on a stool and glanced around to see if Cameron was there. Sometimes he hung out there with his friends, although his parents always kept their eyes on him and didn't serve them alcoholic drinks.

"Hey. How old are you?"

But before she could answer the man – probably Cameron's dad – she spotted in the crowd someone who – if they saw her – would run to Addison straightaway.

"Crap. I need to get away." she mumbled grabbing her purse.

She sighed as she closed the door behind her, with a last glance in direction of Pete and Cooper.

As she walked, a pout appeared on the girl's face. She didn't want to go home, it was early and she was annoyed. What's summer for if not to have fun and do crazy things? Besides, she didn't need it to be something crazy or illegal, but it had to be something. She couldn't stand to stay home any longer. That's when she had an idea. She realized she had already been in that road, it was where Pete and Violet lived with Lucas. She recalled staying in the house for a few days when she was younger and her aunt had dropped her at Addison's practice. Her father's practice...

She hadn't talked to Violet many times since she lived with Addison and Kevin, because she resented her a little and she was busy making everybody go crazy. But now she wanted to. Plus, Addison and Kevin maybe wouldn't get too mad if they knew she had been with Violet and not getting drunk.

She hesitantly knocked on the door, but she felt a bit of excitement as well. Lucas now should be already nine... he was only one back then.

Violet opened the door, and Betsy could see her astonishment.

"Betsy?"

"Hi." she smiled. "Can I come in for a while?" she stepped in the house before the woman answered.

"How are you?" Violet followed her. "Why are you here alone this late?"

"It's not that late..." the girl glanced at the kitchen's clock. "It's eleven. Where you sleeping."

"No, I was actually trying to get Lucas to bed. He's not tired, apparently."

"I was having a walk and recognized your house, and so I thought I could stop by."

Violet probably was a little suspicious – Addison told her everything Betsy did, after all. Still, she didn't comment and changed the subject instead. "Do you want to say hi to Lucas? Over there." she leaded her to her son's bedroom. "Lucas, look who's here. Do you remember Betsy? Aunt Addison and I told you something about her, right?"

They boy nodded absentmindedly. "Do you want to see my new video game?" he asked Betsy, and she walked closer.

"Actually mister, you're going to bed."

Betsy looked at her briefly and turned to the blond kid again. "Yeah Lucas, you can show it to me tomorrow. We can go to the practice and play if you want." she didn't know if she was really going to do that.

"Okay..." he said weakly.

Betsy waved at him and went back to the kitchen, looking around at the photographs and stuff.

"Do I have to go?" she asked Violet when she came in.

"No, I'll make some hot cocoa, sit down. And we could also talk about what you were doing tonight. Don't worry, I'm so tired that tomorrow I won't even remember it, so I won't tell, I promise."

x

Kevin wrapped his arms around Addison, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. "What is she doing?"

"Playing with Lucas. When she asked me if she could come to the practice with me this morning I thought she was just bored... but I don't know, they've been sitting together in what was Dell's office for hours, and she hasn't stopped smiling once."

"Really?" Kevin's mouth opened in a big smile as he looked at his wife in surprise.

"And earlier, right before I called them for lunch, she was tickling him. Seriously Kevin, I don't know if I've ever seen her this happy before."

He looked at Betsy again, staring proudly at the girl. "She seems... peaceful."

"Yeah, maybe because we didn't ask her anything about last night." she joked.

"She can't think we haven't noticed." Kevin chuckled, watching as Betsy rolled her eyes at Lucas and tried to explain him for the third time how the game worked.

"Maybe she'll tell us, if we let her understand that we know she went out."

Kevin nodded in agreement and then looked from Betsy to Addison, thinking.

"What?" she asked.

"Addie..." he stopped, glancing at Lucas again. "Maybe it's too soon, maybe we're not ready, maybe we don't need this..."

"What?" she repeated with a frown.

"... but maybe, we could adopt a baby."

Addison opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Then, a small smiled appeared on her lips.

"Really?"

"You'd like that?"

"Kevin I... I'd love it, yeah." she cupped his face with her hands, looking into her eyes.

"Me too." he breathed, capturing her lips in a kiss.

x

"Hey guys." Addison sat on th couch next to Lucas, while Kevin stayed on the doorway.

"Hi Aunt Addie!"

"Is it time to go home?" Betsy asked, a little disappointed that what basically was her first day of fun was coming to an end.

"We may go out to dinner." Kevin told her as he made a step forward. "But only if you're okay with it and... we kinda have to talk to you about something first."

"Kevin had this idea about an hour ago, and we wanted to know what you thought about it."

Betsy nodded slightly, and Lucas looked up at Addison.

Kevin met Addison's eyes and nodded encouragingly, knowing she wanted to be the one to tell it.

"We were thinking that one day, if you're okay with it, we could try to adopt another kid. Not now, not even soon maybe, but when everybody in the family is ready."

The girl felt a smile grow on her lips when Addison said 'family'. To her the concept was still strange and surreal, but not as far as it was some months earlier. She had learned to trust Addison and Kevin and although she was reluctant about telling them even the smallest things, she knew she was slowly starting to be a part of their daily life. She was a little too proud to admit it, but she liked her life right now. She liked having friends who actually understood her, and even if she still liked to act rebel she also felt... more in place.

She blinked. "Yeah, maybe... soon."

A/N: Sorry if I ended the chapter like this, I feel like it's a lame end. Do you think that Betsy changed too soon? I mean, she won't stop to do what she wants, but she'll listen to them a little more. Anyway in the next chapters we're skipping forward, because in chapter 19 there will be Betsy's birthday again! Tell me what you think of this chapter!