Hi folks - hope you had a lovely weekend. I am back from Belfast so here is the next chapter! I'm afraid it's a bit of a filler one and Michelle's back to being a bit remorseless as she tries to undo some of the damage to her place in the family but it's conversations that needed to happen to set up the next couple of chapters. I considered scrapping it but I'm worried about running out soon so I decided I'd just leave it in. Oh and the tiny bit of humour at the end isn't quite an exact suggestion from Mea23 but it was inspired by one! Tomorrow's chapter will be a bit more exciting. Hope you enjoy it anyway...

"I wondered when I'd hear from you." Michelle greeted Brandon.

"Sorry - I was trying to figure stuff out." He responded taking a seat across from her.

Michelle looked down at the floor. This conversation could be make or break. Since Brandon had been avoiding her she had been panicking. She knew that her move with Evan was risky and if he didn't take her back she would have to do some serious contingency planning. She had devised a method to try and stop that from happening however - play to one of Brandon's greatest weaknesses. His guilt.

"What stuff exactly?" She asked with a tone that she clearly knew the answer already.

Brandon looked down at the floor and took a deep breath before looking up to her.

"Did you kiss him?" He asked bluntly.

"So predictable." She scoffed quietly to herself as Brandon furrowed his brow.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He looked at her offended.

Michelle took a deep breath. "So let me get this right..." her voice raised slightly. "Evan has me pinned up against the wall and I'm the bad guy in this? I tricked him? What did I do exactly? Throw myself up against it dragging him by the collar and hold him there?"

"I don't mean..."

"He was wasted. He was horny. He jumped me."

"I thought you said he thought you were Kasey...?" Michelle stuttered slightly.

"He did - probably, how do I know? He was barely making any sense."

Brandon hesitated before responding. Michelle took the silence as further opportunity.

"You know what Brandon, think what you want. I don't know exactly what I would have to gain from taking advantage of your sister's stupid boyfriend but if you're not man enough to think for yourself then go ahead. Just go with what everybody tells you. I can't believe I'd expect you to know me any better than the reputation anyway - who could?" She buried her head in her hands as Brandon sighed. Guilt pricked at his stomach as she went for his weak spots.

"Michelle I...look you can hardly blame me for being angry - I mean it did look..."

"It looked like your trashy girlfriend was looking for cheap thrills? And why wouldn't she - it's what everybody thinks of her anyway." She turned away further and wiped her eye.

Brandon sighed and went over to her. "You know I don't think that..."

She let him linger for a moment before continuing.

"Look Brandon. I don't want to be in your life if you don't want me there. I know your family hate me and I know what they think happened. I just need to know what you think. I'm not going to waste my time living under suspicion. Make your mind up and just tell me."

She stood up and stormed out. Her play had been perfect. The guilt had completely eclipsed Brandon's doubts. In the apparently likely case that Michelle was telling the truth he would be dumping her for being considerate towards someone who she had no duty to look after. He couldn't punish her for trying to look after his family. He would have to stand up for her though. Kasey would never see it that way and his Moms would not want the fights. Screw it. He had been pushed around enough. He had spent the whole weekend being forced to think of Michelle as a villain - it wasn't fair on her and he wouldn't be part in prolonging it. He got up and ran after her catching her further down the hallway. He grabbed her arms and swung her round pulling her into a kiss. He would sort it with Kasey. She had left Evan and soon enough things would come around. There was a clatter next to him as he broke the kiss to look.

Kasey stood there with Callie having dropped her books on the floor. She stared at him and she stared even harder at a sheepish looking Michelle.

"You've got to be kidding me." She whispered scathingly.

"Kasey - look I'm sorry about what happened but you can't take it out on Brandon and me." Michelle responded. The fact she had said anything enraged her even more.

She lunged forward and Callie pulled her back but not before Timothy saw the altercation.

"Hey, hey, hey - Kasey. Let's calm things down shall we? What's going on?" He asked her taking her aside as Michelle whispered to Brandon that she should leave.

"Timothy just stay out of it! It's none of your damn business." Kasey sniped at him. He stared at her a few moments before she dropped her shoulders and apologised.

"OK - I think you and I should have a talk after school..." he replied calmly, eyebrow raised. Kasey rubbed her face and nodded.

Callie had retrieved Kasey's books and Brandon walked over to her as Timothy left.

"Kasey, Michelle is right - you can't take this out on her. Whatever history you two have, it wasn't her fault." He said as calmly as he could. Callie bit her lip, surprised as Brandon's lack of tact.

Kasey shook her head.

"For God's sake Brandon. Talk to me when you've grown a spine."

She stormed past him as Callie handed back her books.

He flopped back against the lockers.

"What am I supposed to do?" He moaned to Callie. Why is she so difficult?"

Callie looked between the two and sighed.

"It's a constant reminder Brandon - have some sympathy." She scolded.

"So what, I need to break up just because Kasey did? That doesn't make any sense. Michelle did nothing wrong.

"So you've decided that now?" Callie snapped, slightly disappointed.

He shook his head violently. "You know I don't even know why I doubted her - you all just have it in for her." he turned and walked off leaving Callie heavily weighted with the silence. This wasn't going to end well.

Brandon had gone straight to his room on his return to the house and Callie had hung back at school to wait for Kasey to come out of her informal detention.

Timothy had spoken to her about her out of character outburst and tried to probe some answers out of her but she fed him a story about the SATs making her stressed out to avoid having to divulge her real feelings. She had been doing well to suppress her heartache almost to the point where she had convinced herself but seeing Brandon back with Michelle had set off a tremor. She really thought he would leave her...maybe it had been more hope than anything else. Hope that one good thing may come out of this. More than anything though seeing Michelle's face had just angered her. The last time she had seen it she had it spread across her palm. She was doing well to bottle up the feelings but it was a carefully controlled operation - easy to provoke until she could force them back down into the bottle again.

Callie didn't talk to her about what happened. She tried to distract her with a video she had been sent by one of Mariana's friends. It worked until they got back home and Lena was waiting for them.

Lena turned to look at her as she came in, clearly concerned rather than angry.

Kasey sighed. "It was a momentary lapse. It won't happen again. I'm fine." She assured them as Callie left them to it.

"You're not fine Kasey - you told a teacher to mind their own business and tried to start a fight in the hallway. It's a good thing Callie was there to stop you."

"I was stressed - Timothy talked it over with me and I'm fine. Punish me if you want but just don't give me that pity look." She walked past her and slouched down onto the sofa.

"I'm not going to punish you. I want you to talk to me. We're worried you're trying to bottle this up and you need to process it..." Kasey took a deep breath and forced her face into a smile.

"I'm not bottling it up. I always want to smack Michelle - that's not new."

"This isn't a joke..."

"I'm well aware of that." Kasey quipped back frustrated as Brandon appeared down the stairs.

"If anyone's the joke here, he is." She snarked just loud enough for Brandon to hear. Stef arrived back just as he shook his head and Lena sat up straighter to mediate the imminent argument.

"OK - hey, what's going on in here?" Stef asked trying to keep the mood light but sensing it would be futile.

"Nothing new Mom. Brandon's about to take the moral high ground because he's going to try and justify taking Michelle back, Mom's trying to get me to process why I hate Michelle and you're about to have a go at me for being disrespectful. Just another day." She stood folding her arms and striding off the sofa irritated.

Stef gawped looking at Lena who threw her hands up with a sigh.

"Don't bother about her Mom - she's pissed because I'm not dumping Michelle for Evan's screw up and because she got detention for trying to hit her for it..."

"Well what do you expect, flaunting it like that in the hallway - I thought you at least had some level of decency, or has Michelle sucked it out of you along with your..."

"OK - Kasey - zip it. Now." Stef finally intervened as she stopped trying to keep up. Both twins snapped their mouths shut and glared at each other.

"Can we rewind here a sec - Brandon, you are back with Michelle?" She asked, unable to hide her disappointment. Brandon let out a laugh.

"I don't understand why this is so hard for everyone to process - she didn't do anything wrong!" He stated clearly as Lena threw Stef a warning look about reacting.

Stef closed her eyes and shook it off. "OK, fine. So detention? Fighting? What about that?" She threw her eyes to Kasey who was clearly not planning on explaining.

"Kasey saw Michelle and I kissing, she tried to swing at Michelle -"

"She was taunting me..."

"All she said was that she was sorry!"

"Guys! Can you answer one question without this tiresome bickering?" Lena threw in, beating Stef to it." Stef looked to Lena as the twins fell silent.

"Kasey got upset seeing Michelle back with Brandon and Callie held her back from attacking Michelle. She got caught, backchatted and Timothy gave her detention. Let's not make this more dramatic than it needs to be." Lena finished filling in Stef.

She responded by looking to Kasey.

"Honey." She sighed.

"Oh God - enough with the pity. Why won't anyone just punish me any more. why is everything a frickin' psychology session? I don't like Michelle - Brandon won't leave her. She kisses my boyfriend. He still won't leave her. Am I happy about it - no. I had a lapse in composure. It's very clear she's not going anywhere - I'll learn to cope." Kasey rattled it all off without pause to a slightly stunned audience before walking off. She stopped short of the stairs. "Wait - no. I'm not walking off because I'm acting out, I'm simply ending this conversation. I'll consider myself grounded for the night or whatever - just please. No more forcing me to process this. Evan is gone. I'll get over it." She strode up the stairs as Stef sighed.

"You could have been more tactful, B." She said looking at her eldest son.

He shook his head. "Right - of course. Take her side, as always. You know I'm glad I took Michelle back and I don't care how long it takes Kasey to deal with it." He followed Kasey's path out of the room.

Stef growled in frustration.

"Remember when we used to have a nice house? The biggest thing we had to worry about was Kasey and Jesus rearranging Mariana's drawers or drawing on Brandon while he was sleeping. Not plotting to murder his girlfriend." Lena said through a sigh.

Stef wasn't in a lightenable mood.

"I can't believe he took her back. I don't trust her and I don't want her here." she responded irritated.

Lena looked at her and put a hand on her knee.

"Stef, we can't pick and choose which partners we allow in out house, let alone for our 18 year old."

"How can he be so blind to this?" She shot back, ignoring her comment.

"He's loyal - and we don't actually have any proof that she did do anything wrong."

Stef shook her head.

"Well all I know is if my daughter is fighting at school I can't imagine what shell be like with her in the house. I can't sit back and watch this destroy Brandon and Kasey's relationship anymore. I don't want her in the house."

"Stef we can't do that - what is that saying about our respect for Brandon's decisions?"

Stef slapped her hands down on her thighs.

"Fine - we won't have any of them. The kids can see who they like but no partners in the house. Not until they can behave like adults around each other." she looked hard at Lena who took a deep breath. "I'm not putting up with this any more Lena. I refuse to."

Lena gave a small nod. "Well I'll support you but expect backlash - especially as Brandon is obviously the only one with a partner right now."

"Like there isn't backlash about everything else we say at the moment..."

Lena exhaled deeply.

"Ok well let's tell the kids separately. I don't want to make a big deal about it - they'll all go for each other again."

Stef nodded as Lena continued.

"You take the girls, I'll take the boys. Brandon will no doubt accuse you of playing favourites and anything I say to Kasey these days she thinks I'm psychoanalysing her."

Stef nodded again, clearing her throat.

"I need to talk to her about this trouble at school anyway. Ugh! The next time I see Evan I'm gonna string him up for causing all this."

The two women reluctantly headed upstairs deciding to start with the most difficult.

Lena talked it through with Brandon. He immediately clocked the obvious reality that essentially Michelle was being banned from the house. He rebelled but Lena managed to persuade him that if anything it would be easier for his relationship if everyone had some time to cool off before she was back. He reluctantly agreed but knew telling Michelle would not go well. As Lena finished she looked to Kasey's room hoping Stef's talk was going as well.

"So...that is what we have decided." Stef said calmly sat once again at the bottom of Kasey's bed.

"So what, that's your roundabout way of telling Brandon you don't want his girlfriend here? Stopping anyone else from having their partners round?" Kasey wasn't pulling any punches either and the aggression wasn't going down well with Stef.

"OK Missy, I think you of all people should be treading carefully today. Can we tone down the cynicism a little bit? I'll remind you that this isn't easy for anyone and you're the person we're primarily protecting here."

"I don't need protecting from Michelle or Brandon..."

"No, but you'll need protection from me if your attitude doesn't change." Stef threatened.

Kasey nodded apologetically realising it had been quite snappy.

"I am not going to be forced to pick sides between you and Brandon. If he's back with Michelle you're going to have to respect it, just like he will have to if you decide to try and patch things up with Evan." Stef decided it best to not let Kasey know about her own doubts about Michelle.

Stef noticed Kasey flinch her head slightly at Evan's name. She coughed and looked back at Stef.

"OK - so you gonna punish me for school then now then or what?"

Stef sighed at Kasey's determination to change the subject. This was becoming very familiar.

"Honey why don't you just talk to us?"

Kasey let out a desperate laugh. "Why does everyone want me to talk? I'm fine. I just had a bad day, is all."

Stef stared at her trying to break her down but she just stared back unyielding.

"You've been through a very hard few days. None of us are expecting you to be over this Kasey, if you're struggling you need to..."

"Mom - I'm fine. Really. I'm working through it. I'm sorry about losing my temper and about getting the detention - I just. Please. I'm OK."

Stef pushed back her daughter's hair and sighed again knowing she wasn't bending.

She shook her head in resignation.

"OK, fine. But if you think you can keep acting out and expect us to keep letting it slide then you'll be in for a shock. You can talk to us at any time, but hiding in detention is not an alternative."

"I know. I'm sorry about today. It won't happen again." She looked around nervously as Stef nodded.

"OK." She said kissing her head before turning attentions to Callie.

"You understand the new rule?"

Callie nodded. "Don't' worry - I'll tell Luke he can't come round any more" She quipped innocently hoping to cheer the room up a bit.

Stef looked at her in complete confusion. "Luke?"

Callie's expression dropped. "My boyfriend - I've been seeing him for like 6 months..."

A look of horror crept over Stef's face as Kasey smirked in the background. She could always rely on Callie for some welcome relief in her time of need. It lasted about 5 seconds before Callie's smile gave her away and Stef squashed a cushion in her face, pushing her down onto the bed by it.

"Just because Kasey's out of action, don't feel you have to be the supply smartass." Stef grumbled exhaustedly as the two girls giggled and she left the room.

Chapter 42 Preview: Lena tries to get through to Kasey and a new fear for Michelle causes her to lose her grip in a confrontation with Jesus

Jesus stuttered a bit before clearing his throat.

"Did you plant that pot for Mom to find?"

Michelle's eyes flashed wide briefly as her stomach lurched. It wasn't as bad as it could be but she would have to be careful. Had he worked out she got it to him?