AN: First off, I apologize for failing at my weekly updates. At the time that I stopped I got sucked into my finals which were INCREDIBLY more difficult due to them being my last finals ever. (I am a newly graduated from college with a Bachelor Degree in English to prove it) And then I also got word from one of my applications that I was offered a teaching sponsorship abroad and so I've had a lot of work to prepare for that. Things just got hectic. But with school over and the crazy winding down. I promise to finish this story before I leave next month. Anyway, enjoy the much awaited chapter. =]


Amy's thoughts began to wander as she spooned her cupcake batter into the baking sheet; the smell of warm sugar and chocolate already filling every crevice of the kitchen. Her mind went over every detail of her encounter with Ricky from the way he stood as close as he could get to the sound of his voice as he said he missed her. It put her in a fog and she found her resolve crumbling, already feeling tired from trying to sidestep him. A part of her wanted to just enjoy his company for the rest of the summer. Have a "Sandy-Danny" like summer love and the just let the cards fall where they may at the end of it. But something inside always stopped her, this fear of it getting messy.

What if Ricky wasn't who he seemed? What if he broke her heart and she spent the remainder of the summer even more cynical and jaded than she already was? Or what if he was perfect and she found she couldn't let him go? There were too many risks in Ricky Underwood and she wasn't sure she could take any of them.

Exhaling through her teeth Amy picked up the tray and turned to the oven. A rush of heat charged toward her as she opened it and she slid the sheet in, grabbing an oven mitt to pull out the cookie sheet below it. She was hit with the smell of cinnamon and vanilla and she breathed it in, immediately relaxing into a sugary embrace. She placed the tray on top of the stove and then turned back to the oven to check over her other batch of cookies and her two loaves of banana bread. They looked like they needed a few more minutes so she shut the oven door and pulled off her mitt just as someone entered the kitchen.

"Wow," Amy turned to see her mother taking in the sight of the kitchen, "Are you planning on feeding the entire city tomorrow?"

Amy blushed and crossed over to the other side of the counter where she had been icing cupcakes. "Sorry for the mess," she sighed, picking up her rubber spatula, "I just…wanted to do something nice for the kids…and staff…"

"Uh huh," Anne said, walking toward her, watching as she used the spatula to scoop icing into an icing bag. "So, everything is alright then?"

"Yeah," Amy said, just a little too quickly, "Why wouldn't it be?"

Anne took a moment to respond, letting Amy fill the bag and twist the end, testing the flow of icing in the bowl it had come from. "Well," she started, "You only ever bake this much when you have a lot on your mind…"

"I do not—"

"And your sister said that you've been acting weird."

Amy laughed, "Mom, come on! Coming from Ashley, I'm the one acting weird?" Anne regarded Amy with a pointed look and Amy sighed turning back to her cupcakes.

"Look, it's nothing mom. I promise. I'm fine."

Anne sighed and gently placed a hand on Amy's arm, "Honey, you know that you can talk to me about anything. What's really going on?"

Amy held the bag, poised above a cupcake, but froze, the warmth of her mother's hand melting her nonchalance and she sighed. She laid the bag down on the counter and gripped the edge instead to try and steady her thoughts. She didn't know where to start or what to say until finally she looked up at her mom and bit her lip. "Mom, when you first met dad why did you think he was worth it?"

Anne furrowed her brow, "Worth what? Dating?"

Amy nodded and Anne leaned against the counter, crossing her arms as she thought it over. "Well," she said, "he was funny and charming and really interesting and I wanted to get to know him better. I wanted to know everything about him."

"Okay, then," Amy took a deep breath, "knowing now how it all panned out, all the drama and heartache that you got out of it. Even knowing that dad may have always loved Kathleen in a way, would you still say he was worth it?"

Anne tilted her head to the side slightly, concern washing over her, "Where is this coming from Amy?"

"Mom," Amy sighed, "please?"

Anne sighed and let the question turn in her head. "Yes," she finally responded, pulling a stool out from under the island and taking a seat, "I would still tell my past self to go for it with your father and I think he was worth the risk."

It was Amy's turn to become confused. "Why?"

Anne pursed her lips and smiled, picking up the rubber spatula and a cupcake. She slowly began to spread the icing by hand onto the cupcake before saying, "Because, as sad as I am that it didn't work out with your father, I still love him and we had, at least, fourteen really good years." She smoothed the icing over the top and then reached for the sprinkles Amy had set out. "And he gave me you two girls. I could never say you weren't worth it. You two are worth more to me and your father than any drama between the two of us."

"But," Amy tried again, her mind having trouble wrapping around her mother's words, "He cheated on you mom. He broke your heart!"

Anne nodded, "Yes he did. But," she sighed, "that is always a risk when you bring someone into your life. They could potentially break your heart or they could potentially complete it. And it's those risks that make you who you are and teach you what you need to know." She set down the completed cupcake on the cooling rack and smiled over at Amy, reaching for her hand to grip it in hers. "Your father taught me how to love and laugh when we were young and then he forced me to have to put the pieces back together when we weren't so young. He'll tell you the same thing about me. He'll say that we both grew stronger from what happened and we would never wish it didn't. Not now at least."

Anne squeezed Amy's hand just a little tighter to pull her gaze up, "Do you understand Ames?" She nodded, but Amy didn't look convinced. "Does it at least help you?" Anne asked and Amy's gaze flicked back up to meet her mother's.

"Yes," she muttered, almost to herself, "I think so."

"Okay," Anne sighed, "Well, do you need any help? Any more cupcakes to frost?"

It took Amy a moment to find her place again, but she quickly coughed and shook her cluttered thoughts away. "Um, if you could get the other cookie sheet out of the oven and the two banana breads that would be great."

Anne smiled and nodded, heading toward the oven. Her words snaked through all Amy's thoughts as she fingered the piping bag, but it only seemed to lead her in circles. She wasn't sure how to make heads or tails of what she was feeling, but she knew she would have to figure it out quick. Snatching her phone she texted Ricky before she had time to really stop herself with her doubts. 'Tomorrow. At the Foundation. Come by around noon for my lunch break and we'll talk then.'

His response came back almost immediately and she struggled to bite back a smile, 'I'll be there.'


Ricky slipped into the playground and scanned the area for Amy, his eyes finding her silhouette on the kick ball field just passed the jungle gyms. He made his way to the bleachers, finding a few kids scattered across the stands talking and laughing, a few glancing toward him and beginning to mutter to each other. He smiled politely at a few younger girls who sat across the way, the two blushing and giggling to one another before turning away. He fought back a laugh and turned his attention back to the field.

He placed his jacket at his side and rested his elbows on his knees, scanning the kickball field as the game Amy's kids were playing progressed. He knew he was, at least, twenty minutes early, but he wanted to utilize the time to take Amy in. He hadn't been lying when he said that he had missed her and watching her in her element, with her day camp kids, enjoying the summer breeze, was intoxicating to him.

A kid kicked the ball over to right field where another little boy made a run for it. He got to the ball quickly and then immediately ran to try and overrun the kicker, he nearly grazed him, just passing second base until the outfielder tripped over his own feet and barreled into the player he was chasing. Amy quickly rushed forward, checking to see if the two boys were alright, but their laughter erupted from the pile.

Amy exhaled into a stop and Ricky watched as a smile slid up into her face, instantly feeling his own face mirror hers. It was hard not to follow her movements with his eyes as she lit up, laughing along with the rest of the kids.

"You know, some parents might think you're a pervert for smiling at their kids like that."

Ricky's attention whipped back into the bleachers, making him dazed as he glanced back. A girl sat at the top of the bleachers, pale and pretty with big blue eyes, dressed in dark jeans and a tight black long sleeved shirt. Under normal circumstances Ricky would have turned on the charm at the sight of her, but, now, she looked young, too young and too much drama to entertain.

"Well, then it's a good thing I'm lookin' at the counselor and not the kids," he said, pursing his lips and turning back to Amy. She was calling out to the kids, probably calling out one last play, and ushering them into position.

"Amy? You're looking at Amy?"

He sighed and nodded his head, his gaze following Amy as she backed up into right field and rested her hands on her knees. He couldn't help but trace the arch of her back and how her position highlighted the perfectness of her butt and her legs. If she knew where his thoughts were leading him she probably would have knocked him upside the head, but he would never tell her.

"So, you must be the boy she's been baking over."

He turned back at the comment, seeing that the girl still watching him; blank faced with her arms and legs crossed. She leaned against the back railing and fixed him with an icy stare, her paleness adding to the emptiness of her expression. "What?" He asked, resting on elbow on the seat behind him to face his upper body towards her.

The girl raised her brow at him and tilted her head to the side, "Baking," she said again, "Amy's been baking nonstop for the last two days." He looked confused and she sighed, rolling her eyes at him. "Let me share something with you okay? Amy bakes when she's trying to make major decisions. Cupcakes, cookies, scones, breads. She can't help herself. And I'm guessing, with you here, you're probably what she's trying to work out in her mind. So, because of you, our apartment smells like a freaking bakery right now."

That's when her personality clicked with a name in his head. "Oh," he cried out, "You're Ashley, Amy's sister?"

The girl again rolled her eyes, "Wow, you are a lot slower than I thought you would be. No wonder Amy likes you so much."

He wanted to smile at her sarcasm, Amy was right when she said that Ashley was a little snobby, but instead he held out his hand to her and offered a friendly smile. "I'm Ricky," he offered, "The one who may be the cause of your diabetes."

Ashley glanced at his hand first, then back up at him before slipping her hand into his. She shook it with a strong grip, holding his gaze, muttering, "More like diabetes for the whole East side,"

Ricky laughed and nodded, "I'll be sure to issue an apology in the paper or something."

He saw her nearly smile as he pulled his hand away and rested his weight to look at her more comfortably. "So, Amy's been baking over me?"

"Don't get a big head now," Ashley said, the smile the threatened the corners of her mouth dropping instantly back into her blank expression. "Like I said, she bakes when she has a lot on her mind. "

"Well, at least it's not something dangerous like shooting at the range or getting into bar fights," he offered, laughing as Ashley rolled her eyes once again.

"Tell that to all the kids who are becoming obese and are at risk of high blood sugar because of her Snickerdoodles. I'm sure they feel the same way."

Ricky shook his head, "I'm sure they do too. Kids would hardly pass up Snickerdoodles, heck, I would never pass one up either."

Ashley raised her brow, "Not even for Amy's actual 'Snickerdoodle'?"

"Ricky?" The shout came before Ricky could respond and he whipped around to see Amy fast approaching him with Johnny at her side.

"Ricky!" Johnny yelled out, running toward him and smiling from ear to ear. Ricky mirrored the smile and pushed himself onto his feet, just in time to scoop the boy into his arms.

"Hey little man," Ricky said, ruffling his hair, "Long time, no see."

Johnny nodded and hugged Ricky tight, just as Amy and the rest of the kids reached them. "You're here," Amy said, breathless, almost surprised and Ricky nodded, setting Johnny down to the ground.

"You said around noon right?"

Amy nodded and then glanced over Ricky's shoulder to Ashley who was still sitting in her same position. "And I see you've met my sister?"

Ricky glanced back at Ashley and nodded, "Yes. You never told me how much of a public servant she was." When Amy raised her brow in confusion Ricky chuckled as he ruffled Johnny's hair. "She's been keeping a watch out for perverts and raising awareness about the perils of diabetes. I gotta say Amy, your sister's a bit of a saint."

He cast another glance over at Ashley, who did not seem amused by his teasing as she stood, not even looking at him. "Look, I'm here like you asked to take over. 'Art with Miss Ashley' time is all set up in the craft room so that you can have your DTR, so go already."

Amy pursed her lips as Ricky raised a brow, "DTR?"

"Defining the relationship,' a little girl from the group piped up, throwing up a toothy smile at both Amy and Ricky. "My sister says that the DTR is the most important part of a relationship, but if you don't have it then you can see as many boys as you like. That's why she never has a DTR."

Amy and Ricky both looked at each other, caught between shock and confusion, while Ashley raised her brow at the little girl, "Well, then, clearly, your sister is a-"

"Okay!" Amy cried out, clapping her hands and commanding the attention of all of the kids. "Let's get you all inside," she laughed, ushering the group forward and throwing Ashley her best reprimanding glare. "Miss Ashley has brought all of her paint and clay supplies for craft time so why don't we all head in to wash our hands while promising to be good, obedient, listeners to Miss Ashley." There was a general cry of elation from the kids as they rushed to the door the promise of colors and clay enough to distract them. Johnny was the last to follow, smiling up at Ricky and Amy before running after his friends.

"We're still going to the Yankee's game right Ricky?"

Ricky smiled, "We sure are buddy and maybe if my lunch with Amy goes well she'll agree to come with us." He cast a glance over at Amy and saw her bite her lip, clearly not amused by the pressure, but not blatantly denying the invitation either.

"Oh yeah!" Johnny cried out, "That would be great! You really should Amy! Ricky got us really really really good seats!"

Amy smiled and rested a hand on his shoulder, "We'll see buddy. Now, go on and catch up with the rest of the group." He hugged Amy quickly before skipping off after his friends and Amy sighed, "Well played Underwood, well played."

Ricky laughed and caught Ashley just as she rolled her eyes, "Catch you love birds on the flipside."

"Be good Ashley!" Amy said, fixing a steady gaze on her sister as she took off toward the kids. "And I mean it!"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it Ames, jeez. I'm not a baby." And with that she disappeared within the building.

Amy sighed and shook her head, "So," she turned to Ricky, "that was Ashley."

Ricky chuckled and nodded, sticking his hand in his pocket as the two began to walk the opposite way toward the outside gate. "Yeah, but at least she's funny."

Amy rolled her eyes, "Yeah, when she's not making jokes at your expense."

Ricky shook his head, opening the gate for Amy and, like a gentleman, motioning her out. He smiled as she saw her suppress her own, "Well, remember, she's fourteen. I doubt she would know any other way to talk."

Amy laughed, "True."

He didn't feel the tension that was present in their last conversation and wanted to take it as a sign that they were in for a more pleasant talk than before. It was easy to fall back into step with her, easy to laugh and talk with her, in spite of the two weeks apart. But he would be lying if he said he didn't want more.

"So, where to?" He asked, his hand swinging closely to hers as they walked, he wanted nothing more than to lace his fingers through hers, but she took a subtle step away, creating a greater gap.

"Just around the corner," she coughed, crossing her arms in front of her. "There's a really great little diner the girls and I go to." Ricky nodded, not misinterpreting her actions, but finding the expression on her face to be one that was torn. Maybe it wouldn't be the passionate reconciliation he was looking for, but there was a chance. Before they rounded the corner he made a quick decision and took hold of her elbow so she would face him, his hands working quickly to snake around her waist and pull her close.

"Ricky-"

He stopped her with his grip as her hands automatically wove around his neck, and smiled, descending on her gently. He pressed his lips against hers, only meaning to leave a chaste kiss, but her reaction was surprisingly immediate. Her hands slipped up into his hair and she pulled him closer, raking her fingernails against his scalp. He smiled, musing that he wasn't the only one that had been missing their time together, but pulled away before anything became more heated. He pressed his forehead against hers and sighed, relishing in the feeling of her against him. "Sorry, I know I said I would control myself better, but I figure if this lunch is going to consist of you telling me that you only want to be friends then I might as well get in my last kiss while I can."

He didn't know what he expected her reaction to be, but had braced himself for the worst, only to be caught by surprise by the way she rolled her eyes, good naturedly. Wiping the edge of her lips with her thumb she motioned toward the direction of the diner and pulled him by the hand, "Come on, it's just up this way," and laced her fingers through his.

He felt his smile return as he followed her lead, hoping that this wasn't some ruse to let him down easy. When they entered the quaint diner, slipping into opposite sides of a booth, Amy greeted the waitress with a smile. "Hey Wanda," she said, "This is Ricky," she motioned toward him and he waved accordingly as Wanda smiled back, "He's Mari's foster brother, the one she was telling you about."

Wanda nodded, "Ah, yes, the boy from LA, good to meet you. I'm Wanda."

Ricky nodded back and held out his hand, which she took and shook heartily, "Nice to meet you." He didn't miss the way Wanda looked over at Amy with an appraising glance, or the blush that rose in Amy's face, making it clear that there had been a few conversations with him as the topic, but chose to ignore it. Wanda, in turn, fell back into her role as waitress.

"Well, what can I get you two? We're you ready to order?"

"Um, I'll have my usual please." Amy said, the blush not completely gone from her cheeks as she fingered her menu.

The dark skinned waitress smiled back pleasantly and whipped out her notepad. "I should have guessed, so that's one chocolate milkshake and a cheeseburger special with avocado, no onions or pickles." She turned her attention toward Ricky and cocked her head to the side, "And for you honey?"

Ricky smiled and shrugged, leaning back into the comfortable cushion of the booth seat, "Sounds good, I'll have the same thing," and Wanda smiled back at him, "Alright, so that's two cheeseburger specials and two chocolate milkshakes. I'll get that out to you in a jiffy."

"Thanks Wanda," Amy said as she took off toward the kitchen, slipping her pencil into her hair. Once she had made her way away from the two Amy turned back to Ricky and bit her lip, seemingly unsure of where to begin.

Ricky smiled at her encouragingly and allowed his hand to slip into hers once again. "So, Ashley said you were baking last night," he supplied, trying to make Amy as comfortable as could be. "I didn't know you knew how to bake."

Amy nodded, not pulling away from him, but instead, letting her hand trace his back as they fell into a fluid conversation. "Yeah, I actually bake a lot better than I cook. It's easier to follow dessert recipes than it is to follow dinner ones."

"So what did you make?" He asked, lacing his fingers through hers so that he could focus on her words and not on how good it felt to have her hand in his.

Amy cast her eyes to the ceiling as she thought and leaned back in her seat, "Some banana bread for Margaret and a bunch of cupcakes: chocolate, vanilla, and pistachio. Then I made some cookies, snickerdoodle mostly, but I made chocolate chip for the staff too since they're Shakur's favorites."

"Wow," Ricky breathed out, "Seems like a lot."

"Well," Amy responded bashfully, "It helped me clear my thoughts. Baking always does that."

Ricky nodded, "Yeah, Ashley mentioned something like that."

Amy rolled her eyes and slipped her hand out of his, bringing it up to loosen her hair tie and reset her ponytail. He watched her as she pulled her hair back, smoothing the ridges as she went and then shaking a few hairs loose so that they framed her face perfectly. When she met his gaze again she furrowed her brow and smiled curiously, "What?"

He sighed, "You have no idea the affect you have do you?"

She blushed red again just as Wanda came back placing both milkshake glasses down on the table, "Here you are. I'll be back with your meals in a bit."

"Thanks Wanda," Ricky said while Amy simply nodded her gratitude. Once she had left once again Amy took a sip of her milkshake as Ricky pushed his aside to fix his gaze on her. "So," he sighed, "best not beat around the bush. Did you make a decision?"

Amy gulped and sighed herself, pushing her milkshake away and she nodded, crossing her arms across her chest. "Yes, and I'm not sure how you're going to feel about it."

Ricky felt his chest constrict, but forced himself to stay calm, "Well, let's have it."

Amy took a moment to regard him, her eyes searching his face for something, though he couldn't begin to guess what. "Alright," she sighed, casting her gaze down at the table as she spoke, "well, first, I want to apologize for how I've acted. To be honest, that night at Johnny's apartment brought on a lot of emotions that I don't think I was ready for, but I shouldn't have ignored you or avoided you, at least…not for two weeks."

Ricky shook his head, "I understand Amy, you don't have to apologize-"

"No, but I do," she insisted leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table. "It was unfair to throw so many mixed signals at you and I should have been more upfront."

He leaned in and took her hand in his again, "You were upfront," he said, squeezing her hand in his. "You told me from the beginning you didn't want to date and I should have respected that. I shouldn't have kissed you that night, not like that."

She furrowed her brow and smiled curiously at him, "Then how should you have kissed me?"

Ricky chuckled and shook his head, "I don't know, with permission I guess?"

Amy rolled her eyes, "Like you did on the sidewalk before we got here?"

Ricky laughed out loud this time and shrugged, "What can I say, last wish of a desperate man."

Amy shook her head and rested her other hand on top of theirs, bringing the conversation back down to business. "Look, I like you and I'll admit that that scares me, a lot," she pursed her lips together before continuing. "I was telling the truth when I said that I didn't want to be in a relationship or start one because I just don't have a very good impression of people our age dating or people dating at all. I mean, my parents were together for years and they still fell apart, so I'm not a big believer in those kind of whirlwind romances."

Ricky could tell that she was having a difficult time trying to explain and as much as it pained him to connect the dots, he seemed to understand. "It's okay Ames, if this isn't what you want, then I can't force it. I can't force you to do anything and I don't want to force you to be with me or you to force you to be with me."

Amy smiled and shook her head, "I somehow knew you were going to say that." She scooted herself out of the booth and Ricky followed her with his eyes, unsure of what she was doing until she slipped into his side of the booth. "Which is why I decided that I do want to keep seeing you and spending time with you and getting to know you. Because, as much as my gut is screaming that you are a huge risk, I somehow trust that you're someone worth risking for."

It took a while for Ricky to comprehend what she was saying, her knee pressing against his thigh did well to distract him as it worked in tandem with her signature scent of vanilla and lilies. But when it finally did he felt the magnetic pull of her lips to his. He breathed her in and smiled against her, feeling her own smile meet his and laughed as the pulled apart. He brushed back her bangs and tucked them behind her ear as he leaned back against the wall and found her hand with his. "Seriously? What changed your mind?"

Amy sighed and faced forward, crossing one leg over the other as his arm snaked around her waist. "I guess, a lot of things. I talked to Mari and Megan and my mom about everything and every excuse I came up with, seemed to fix itself and I thought, yesterday, while I was frosting cupcakes and talking to my mom about my dad and how she doesn't regret what happened with them, even though he broke her heart, that I can't keep thinking the bottom is going to fall out. That's no way to live."

Ricky nodded, "I agree. But, you've got to know that I would never hurt you."

Amy smiled and turned up to him, squeezing his hand in his as she leaned forward her pressed her lips to his once more, "See," she sighed as she pulled away, "under normal circumstances I wouldn't believe any boy, but you…I don't know. Maybe you're just a really good liar."

Ricky snorted and shook his head, "No, I don't think so."

"Or maybe," Amy sighed, "Maybe you're just telling the truth."

Ricky smiled and leaned toward her again, enjoying the feel of her lips under his as his other hand came up to brush her cheek. A small cough brought them both back to reality and they pulled apart to see Wanda standing over them with their food in her hands. "Two cheeseburger specials for the happy couple."

Amy blushed and leaned into Ricky, embarrassed at being caught, but let out a muffled, "Thank you Wanda."

Ricky chuckled, "Thank you Wanda," as the waitress nodded and set the food down. Once she had left Ricky placed a kiss on Amy's temple and hugged her close, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "What about the end of summer. I know that you were worried about that, I thought for sure that would be a deal breaker for you."

Amy sighed deeply and Ricky wondered if he had just shot himself in the foot for even mentioning that, but Amy shook her head and stared up at him, the concern still there, but her hand gripping his in response. "We'll deal with that when it comes, but for right now, I'm starving."

She sat up and Ricky nodded, letting go of her hand to face his own meal and nodded, "Me too, let's eat."


AN: Please review! Love you all, I hope this was satisfying.