Hello all - thanks for the lovely feedback as always. I'm gonna miss you guys so much after this is finished. Been a huge part of my day!

OK - countdown begins...1 more chapter after this and then the Epilogue! I am currently writing tomorrow's and so far it has Stef/Lena, Jude/Evan, Kasey/Stef, Callie/Stef, Brandon/Kasey interactions and the others will all make a small appearance. Any more requests this is your last chance!

Enjoy...

Stef and Evan returned to the house to find Lena sitting on the sofa with Kasey, busy scribbling out her lines. She immediately recoiled as she saw them arrive.

"How did it go?" Lena asked looking over her kindle.

Stef looked over to Evan who shrugged and looked back at Lena.

"OK. Nice to know Mrs F is as flawed as I am." he replied bluntly as Stef slapped his chest.

"I am not - I just have more life experience." she raised her eyebrow.

"Yeah - well she has been..." Kasey began before Stef cut her off.

"You wanna make an age joke while you're writing out lines for me? I can pull any number you like right out the air." she warned.

"OK, fine." she sighed. "But I've finished anyway - here." she jumped off the sofa and handed her the sheets of paper.

"Good. Thank you. Hang on though a minute missy, these aren't numbered. You think I'm gonna count them?"

Kasey threw her a worried look. "they're all there...you can work it out by the number of lines per page."

"Well look at that - she can do math. I however am not gonna waste my time..."

"You're not serious...you want me to number them too?"

"Do it without complaining or I'll get you to do them all again with numbers in front."

"Fine" Kasey rolled her eyes. "But I thought we bonded today..." she puffed out her lips with her best puppy dog eyes as Stef pulled her into a hug.

"Oh we did baby." She said. "But you also went on a drug dealer scavenger hunt for 2 hours so you've had your sympathy ration from me." She slapped her on the behind as Kasey rolled her eyes. Stef looked over to Evan.

"However - it can wait until later." Stef looked between them as Evan began to dart his face around the room looking for a distraction.

"You know...I don't mind doing them now...I mean we can talk later..." Kasey suggested still unsure of how they could possibly start that conversation.

"Yeah - I mean, I need to get my stuff unpacked and..."

Stef grabbed Kasey and thrust her towards Evan who caught her.

"If you two don't sort this out yourselves I'm going to chaperone it and you don't want that - trust me. I'm too tired to put up with either of you now so it won't be pretty either way."

"OK - we will go talk now..." Kasey resigned, facing her nerves with a reluctant smile towards Evan as he glanced one back.

"How about we go outside..." he suggested before looking back at Stef. "She can go outside right...?" He asked with slight fear.

"I think we can allow that." Lena replied.

"But leave the yard and I'll handcuff you both to the kitchen drawers." Stef warned as Evan smiled back at her and they made their way out.

Evan walked out with his hands in his pockets as Kasey had hers firmly crossed. Neither knew where to begin. So much had happened and neither had spoken more than a few words to each other. They almost wished there was a chaperone.

"So...where did Mom take you?" Kasey asked making small talk.

Evan breathed out a laugh through his nose. "Everywhere. She took me round a bunch of places where people got hurt and then took me to the hospital."

Kasey looked at him confused. "Well that sounds...innovative."

He shrugged. "It worked. I think...I have no desire to end up in prison or hospital if you're Mom is gonna be waiting for me in the other side..."

He joked before looking between her and the floor a few times.

"You know...it was really hard...thinking about you in that hospital room...when your Mom, I mean...I know you've told me about it but...well...God I hate hospitals." His voice cracked down and he looked to the floor before forcing a laugh and smiling at Kasey unsure of how to proceed.

She licked her lips.

"I guess it must be pretty tough...I mean you haven't talked too much about what it must have been like being in there all the time. Seems so long since we've talked about her. Properly I mean."

"Been a while since we talked about the shooting too." Evan looked across to her dreamily. It had been so long. They had so easily slipped into their life together he had come to forget the early days when they would have those conversations. The ones where everything was new - the good and bad. The days when the thirst for knowledge of every detail of each other's life was like needing water. The addiction to glimpsing into the world that had formed the person they were rapidly falling in love with and being unable to get enough. Maybe their communication had slipped and losing that stripped down honesty was how they had ended up with these recent voids that had ultimately torn them apart.

"Been a crazy couple months, huh?" Kasey added nervously as Evan nodded. She looked down at her feet for a few moments as the silence suffocated them.

She thought about everything that had happened. It had been one of the most stressful experiences she had suffered in a long time - the morning being a bigger climax than any she had been directly involved it. It had beaten her down, dragged her up and literally held her hostage and she was so tired of thinking about it. The last couple of hours she had returned to normality pushing it back aside but this was a glaring reminder of the hardest thing about it - the fact she had gone through it all without the one person she wanted to comfort her the most.

"I've missed you so much." Kasey squeaked out unable to suppress a fountain of tears that came as if from nowhere.

Immediately Evan swooped over her body and pulled her into his arms as she collapsed willingly onto him.

"I just...every night I just wanted you to be there - for you to turn up...for you to say it was OK and that it hadn't happened and I wanted to call you and so many times I just was going to and I just couldn't..."

"Shhh..." Evan cut her off as she began to slur through her babbling, the stress pouring out. "I'm here now. It doesn't matter anymore." He squeezed her tightly and closed his eyes to focus all of his senses on feeling her warmth. "I missed you too - so much. I thought about you every minute. I had forgotten what it was like to not have you there."

"I should have known - I knew you could never do that...I knew it and I ignored it and convinced myself otherwise and I was so confused...I just don't know how I could doubt you..." her words became more coherent but were still being scattered by the tears.

"Hey - don't even...look it's my fault just as much as yours. I put myself in that position...if I had just told you what was going on instead of trying to hide it then I never would have made myself a target. It's just me and my big mouth and big fists. This isn't your fault Kasey."

He kissed her head as she sniffed back her tears and wiped her eyes. He relaxed his grip as she turned round to him.

"I never want to lose you again." She said earnestly looking straight at him.

"Well good." He replied through a laugh. "'Cause I don't wanna let you go." He added through another, his voice breaking slightly. He pulled her into a kiss, his hands cupped around her cheeks. They were once again transported back to the first, just like the other times when they had tasted an alternative and were desperate to remind themselves of why they had found each other in the first place.

They pulled away from each other and smiled. Kasey's tears had passed but the marks were still there. He rubbed them off with his thumbs.

"Look I'm sorry about Jesus and the pot and everything. I never wanted to lie to you - I just had to help him."

She laughed through her nose and shook her head. "I'm not gonna be mad at you for trying to protect my brother. I know you're close...besides...I think Moms will make sure you pay for that one." She added running her tongue over her bottom lip.

"Well at least we're all in trouble together now." He shrugged. "And bright side...I think we're both in less trouble than your brothers..."

"And I have no intention of letting Brandon forget it." Kasey beamed, hugging him once again as he fitted her neatly under his arm and against his chest. They could both sit there forever, wanting to make up for each second they had had apart.

After a little while Evan checked his watch. "I suppose we should probably go back inside..."

Kasey groaned. "Ugh...you do realise as soon as we go back in Moms are gonna keep us apart in some bizarre way. There's no way I'm gonna get away with being able to enjoy any part of your company till my punishment is over." She sighed.

He breathed out a small laugh. "It's only for a few weeks."

"For now..." She whimpered. "Dad's not weighed in yet. I am not gonna be able to forget this for a long time."

Have gave her a smile and brushed her hair behind her ear. "Hey -we could tell them you're pregnant...or that we got engaged."

She gave him a confused look. "How would that help me in any way at all?"

"Your Mom would be so busy exploding we could sneak off together for a little while" He joked as Kasey laughed thumping his chest. "Plus it wouldn't seem half as bad when we told her it wasn't true." He laughed back.

"You can tell when she's out of earshot. You wouldn't' dare make jokes like that if she could hear you. Don't pretend you're not terrified of her."

"Hey I threatened her today...and I punched her car. I'm learning."

Kasey looked at him shocked. "So that's why you went to the hospital..." She teased back as they both laughed squeezing each other tightly again.

"Hey - you two." A voice yelled from the house. "If you are done we need to talk."

"Told you." Kasey whispered to him.

"We're still fighting Mrs F - we're actually wrestling...we'll need at least another hour to sort this out..." Evan shouted back causing Kasey to squeal as he smothered her tightly and began to tickle her, her arms flapping at him to try and fend him off.

"Get inside before I tell her how I did beat you in a wrestle earlier on. "

Kasey looked up at him intrigued.

"I could have taken her if I wasn't scared of hurting her." He whispered back.

"In your dreams Evan. I mean it - In. Now, or I'll set the hose on you both." Stef shouted over, clearly guessing what it was he was saying.

Kasey snatched a kiss before getting up again. He got up after and pulled her back towards him one last time. "We'll continue this in 3 to 4 weeks." She smiled as he licked his bottom lip. He was going to add a preview of what exactly they would continue but he clocked Stef's still watchful eye and decided it best to follow Kasey inside.

"Well it's good to see you two happy again. Happy together I mean - I don't want to see you 'happy' happy until we've finished making your life miserable." Stef added carefully.

Kasey poked her bottom lip out. "So happy that you don't want to separate us after the horrific woes that tore us so tragically apart?" Both Evan and Kasey worked their best puppy dog eyes as Lena and Stef exchanged a sympathetic laugh.

"Oh my sweet baby - you know nothing makes me happier than seeing you happy." Stef kissed her forehead drawing her towards her before pushing her away from Evan.

"Except of course seeing you suffer when you have completely wasted our Saturday."

Kasey sighed with a smile knowing it had been a long shot.

"So we are gonna lay down a few ground rules." Lena explained folding her arms.

"But we follow all your ground rules already - " Evan protested. "We've never broken them..."

"Well grounded ground rules then." Stef clarified.

"We've never been in the situation where you're living together while you're being punished so we want to make sure that you don't get an unfair advantage."

"So - 6-inch rule. As in 6-inches apart at all times."

"Is that from any part of my body 'cause otherwise I know a way we could work around that..." Evan commented cheekily under his breath prompting a smack across the head from Stef. Kasey broke into a smirk as she flinched slightly to avoid anything coming her way.

"Want me to make it 12?" Stef responded, agitated.

"What makes you think that's too big?" He whispered through a smirk rubbing his head.

"In your dreams." Kasey added through a tear of laughter but suppressed it rapidly as Stef drooped her head with a piercing glare.

"Do they have a death wish? Seriously?." Stef turned to Lena who nodded.

"OK, OK - we're sorry. It's been a very long day and we've just made up." Kasey protested.

"Absolutely no un-supervised time together either. We catch you in either bedroom at any time without anyone else - even if you're just talking - the doors are coming off. If you push it, Evan won't be allowed upstairs - push it further you won't be allowed to be in any room together unless one of us is with you." Stef continued, ignoring the comment.

"But I share a room with Callie - you can't take our door away..." Kasey complained.

"Then I'm sure Callie will oblige in helping us enforce the rule to prevent it happening..." Lena shot back as Kasey raised an eyebrow to Evan.

"It's OK -" he whispered. "You can't see down to my door anyway..."

"OK - you keep this up I'll put one of you out in a tent. We're trying to help you here - we have to have a decent justification to your father who will no doubt want Evan out of the house for the duration."

"Hey - good cop, bad cop. Literally." Evan chimed in. He was still too high from his make up with Kasey to care about the repercussions of pushing Stef any further.

"OK - I can't cope with these two any longer. Can you please just make them go away?" Stef asked Lena.

"Right guys - I think you better give us some peace or there's a chance you may have a 6 mile rule." Lena advised being much less provokable after the refreshing break she had had.

"Here - you can finish these off." Stef ordered forcing the lines back into her hands."

"But I finished them...it's just the numbers right..." she inquired slightly nervously.

"Yep. That and the extra 74 I just added because you're still in my sight." Stef replied without emotion, finally completely exhausted of dealing with them.

"Noted." Kasey replied with a sigh as Evan smirked. He quickly suppressed it as Stef glared at him and walked past her with a wide berth.

"Ahem - give us some peace in your own respective bedrooms..." Lena commented noting the direction in which Evan was walking.

"What? I'm not going up to go to Kasey's - I'm going up to talk to the others."

"Good - I'll walk you up then." Stef insisted as Kasey shook her head and jogged up the stairs.

"You know I was only trying to make Kasey laugh..." he offered as a form of defence.

"You're a noble martyr. Now stop talking to me, I've had enough of you for today." Stef replied bluntly.

"Now - who are you going to see?" she asked. Evan stuttered slightly wary to reply after her last instruction.

"You can talk to answer that, Evan..."

"Right - course. Uhm, I wanted to have a word with Jude actually. Apologise...you know."

Stef looked at him for a moment then nodded.

"Want to talk to him alone?" she asked bluntly.

"It doesn't matter that much I guess but..."

Stef didn't wait for him to stutter to the end of the sentence. She poked her head into the boys' room and whistled grabbing both attentions.

"Hey Puff, get out here. Evan wants to speak to Jude." she ordered a confused looking Jesus, her voice was dripping with exhaustion making it only lazily authoritative.

"Puff? I didn't even smoke it..." he protested slowly getting off the bed.

"Well if I had an idiocy related nickname all 4 of you would come running when I used it. Move it." he shuffled out as Evan stepped in, Jude looking up intrigued as to why Evan would be wanting to talk to him.

"No detours when your done - you and Kasey have had your time together today." she pointed firmly at Evan who nodded.

"What am I supposed to do during then...?" Jesus complained

"We'll find something, don't worry..." Stef threatened as their voices drifted off down the stairs.

Evan gave Jude a nervous smile, Jude still confused.

"Can we have a talk?" he asked walking over to his bed.

"Sure...what about?" Jude asked anxiously. Callie had filled him in on the details but he wasn't sure where he fitted into it.

"I thought you'd know that...?" Evan said gently sitting on the edge of the bed.

Jude's mouth flapped slightly as he ran possible scenarios through his mind.

"Do you want me to apologise?" he asked quietly as Evan laughed.

"Of course not - I am here to. Why the heck would you have to apologise?" Jude shrugged in response.

"I dunno...it all happened at my play."

Evan squinted slightly troubled as to why Jude could ever see this as his fault. He always had been a sweet boy though and he knew he could easily be self-deprecating.

"Well first of all, that's insane. Come on bud, this was about improving your confidence. I don't wanna hear you putting yourself down after all that hard work." He punched his arm as Jude smiled.

"I know it wasn't my fault but it wasn't yours either..."

"Well it may not have been entirely." Evan reasoned scratching the back of his head. "But it was in so much as I made myself a target and you suffered for it. If I had been more honest with what I was worried about and not tried to go wading into situations then things would have been sorted out a lot earlier or avoided completely and I would have been able to see you kick ass in that Oscar winning performance!" he smiled. "That's one if the worst things in a way - I really am so sorry that I wasn't there like I promised I would be. For you and for me."

"Who told you about it?" Jude asked.

"I asked Stef on the way home today. She said you blew them all away. Not that I'm surprised...you were amazing in the dress rehearsal."

"It really was amazing Evan. I mean, I don't mean me but the experience. I just...I've never felt so alive." He beamed, staring across the room as if revisiting the experience. "It just all went so well - the crowd loved it."

"They loved you, bud. It just goes to show what can happen when you believe in yourself." Evan smiled as Jude looked back at him.

"I wish I'd have seen it." Evan added again with regret. He had worked so hard with him but so much had happened since he had almost forgotten how important it was - how nervous he had been before the play and how desperately he had wanted to see it. This was meant to be an apology to Jude but he realised how sorry he was to himself as well. He wanted to make up for it and a small thought gathered in the back of his mind.

"You know what." Evan said sitting up sharply. "Hold that thought..." he pointed back to a once again confused Jude.

"What thought?" he asked intrigued as Evan got off the bed deep in planning mode. He gave him a large smile.

"I'm not sure yet...but I will be soon...proud of you bud - and I'm sorry again." he finished before zipping out if the room leaving Jude bemused.

Chapter 63 Preview: Normality returns slowly as Stef still strives to find alternative measures to reduce her stress levels.

"Sorry about that Mom, Kasey's grounded and she doesn't think it's for long enough so is making her best case to extend it..." She filled in. "Why's she grounded? Of course! I've not told you yet." Stef responded staring menacingly at Kasey who's face began to drop.

"Oh you're going to love this - but where's the fun in me telling you? I'm sure you'd like to give her your opinion...I'll pass you on."

"No, no, no...please..." Kasey gasped silently, pleading with her.

"I'll be right here making sure she doesn't skimp on any details." Stef smiled mischievously at Kasey before forcing the phone into her hand.