Well folks - here it is. It's been a hell of a journey but here is the final chapter for Black Widow!

Thanks to TheTBone for helping me with US admissions knowledge and SATs and stuff - I not only applied to uni 8 years ago but also in a completely different country. Grant me some artistic license as always! Also thanks to her for just supporting me throughout this entire project. Beta-ing, ide a-bouncing and endless, unfounded praise and reassurance. I owe you T!

Thanks so much for following this through with me and please do take a moment to read the Author's Note at the end. I have a favour to ask feedback wise!

Love you all!

"Guess what, Mom!" Kasey came bounding down the stairs.

"What?" Stef asked knowing the answer.

"She's no longer grounded!" Evan beamed as Stef raised an eyebrow with a smile.

He stepped towards Kasey before Stef pulled him back and put her hand on his chest.

"Oh really - and you're deciding that are you?"

"No, you did...today is my first day of freedom." she moved forward as Stef pushed her back still keeping them apart.

"You're grounded until I say you're not." Stef continued walking through the kitchen with Kasey and Evan dragging behind. They knew she was messing with them but knew they'd have to humour it to keep Stef happy.

"So have you learnt your lesson?" She asked, still going about her errands.

"Yes." Kasey complied. "No armed gangs, don't try and help Brandon if he's being an idiot and don't remove safety apps to try and hide from you."

"And?"

Kasey rolled her eyes.

"Don't hang up on you." Evan added eagerly wanting to speed up the process. Stef looked at him before slowly looking back to her daughter.

"Kasey?"

"Don't hang up on you." she mimicked, agitated.

Stef turned to her with a smug smile.

"OK."

"So...?" Kasey looked at her hopefully.

Stef studied her watch following the small hand with her eyes. She held her finger up in a poised position towards them as Kasey began to tap her foot with frustration.

She left them hanging a few more moments until Kasey's foot was at a furious pace and eventually dropped her finger.

"Now you're no longer grounded." she finished as Kasey leaped up to Evan in a hug pulling him into a kiss. She let go, both sporting delirious smiles, as Stef hauled her back to give her one final warning.

"Kasey - I mean it though. You ever do anything like this again..."

"Dead. I got it." she smiled as Stef shook her head and Evan smiled.

"Right - I gotta go get dressed. These drug hoards don't find themselves..." Kasey chirped sticking her tongue out at Stef who rolled her eyes. She bound off up the stairs as Brandon and Lena were coming down.

"Morning Brandon!" Kasey chirped as he skulked down the stairs. "Guess what?"

"You're no longer grounded." he sighed.

"Nope!" she beamed bounding past him slapping him on the arm.

He made his way to the table and placed his head down onto it.

"She's gonna be unbearable now isn't she?" he groaned.

"Yep." Stef assured him in pure delight, sipping at her coffee before giving Lena a kiss.

He folded his arms and pushed his chin onto them on the table.

"Isn't she gonna drive you crazy too?"

"Probably." Stef agreed. "But you're still getting no sympathy, Thelma."

He rolled his eyes with a grumble.

"Come on - it's been a month. I thought you'd have learned to cope by now." Lena commented.

"I've never been grounded this long. How do they do it?" He replied with a sigh.

"Practice!" Jesus beamed bobbing into the room.

"Hmm. Maybe we should start thinking up alternatives." Stef suggested noting Jesus' proud attitude before turning back to Brandon. "Suck it up, B. Just another 3 weeks. Thanks to your Father, I might add so don't be taking it out on me. Hey, if you play your cards right I may not make you spend as much time with Kasey as possible with her new found excitement." Stef goaded slapping his arm as he buried his head again.

"Cheer up dude, at least you got laid a few times out of it." Evan whispered in his ear as Brandon threw him a look and Lena, who clearly heard him threw him a more damning one. Stef stared down a not-so-subtle laugh from Jesus.

"You know you're looking very dapper today. You're not going to court or something are you?" Lena asked suspiciously as he gawped, offended.

"I'm just taking things at this mentor thing seriously...trying to give a good impression." he explained with a suspicious quiver that didn't go unnoticed but Stef and Lena who exchanged a look. Nor did his quick changing of the subject.

"Speaking of which. We need to head, Je. Catch you guys later..."

He went to pull his coat off a chair as a piece of paper flew out."

"Hey Evan you dropped your..."

He flew at Stef snatching the piece of paper off her and shoving it back on his pocket.

"Evan...?"

"What?" he asked guiltily.

She raised an eyebrow again as he began to walk backwards, inadvertently looking even more suspicious.

"What was that?" she folded her arms, staring him down as he stumbled slightly.

"Nothin'...just a flyer." he smiled nervously as she quickened her pace.

"Doesn't look like nothing?" Lena commented drinking her coffee to let Stef do the heavy lifting.

"If it's nothing you may as well give it to me." Stef ordered as he threw her another smile.

"Really - it's just a piece of junk...I'll be throwing it out...really."

Stef squinted at him, her suspicion increasing purely based on the resilience.

"Don't make me chase you Evan..." she threatened as he backed towards the wall. He paused a moment before springing away and she grabbed him twisting his ear.

"OK! OK!" he exclaimed. "Take it!"

She reached into his pocket and produced the paper again. It turned out to be an envelope.

"It was meant to be a surprise..." he added as she let him go to look inside.

"You got us all tickets for the college production of Midsummer Night's Dream?" she asked surprised, studying the reel inside.

"Well...after everything that happened I thought it would mean a lot to Jude. He loved it so much and I wanted to be able for us to really experience it with him - and done by a more experienced production." he elaborated through a few residual breaths fro the takedown.

Stef stuttered slightly and looked at Lena.

"And you bought tickets for all of us?" Lena asked.

"Well...bought...acquired...the director owes me..." he added through a guilty smile.

"I was gonna just trick you all into going tomorrow but I guess now I'm busted."

"How were you planning on getting the boys out there? They're grounded." Stef scrutinised.

"They've been grounded for a super long time...it's just one show...and I doubt they'll enjoy it..." he smiled. "And it'll mean a lot to Jude...imagine his little face...can you say no to that little face?" Evan puffed his bottom lip out as Stef and Lena looked at each other again.

"You made it! Awesome." Evan beamed jumping out of his seat to kiss Kasey as Stef folded her arms and they filed into their seats.

"Yes we did - shame nobody else decided to come..." Stef commented, noting the low attendance. "This better be worth it if you're making me sit through the same play again - especially one that doesn't even have my kids in it." she grumbled.

"Oh come on, Stef. It was very thoughtful thing to do for Jude - he loved working on it and discussing it with us. I'm sure he'll be thrilled seeing a more professional production." Lena reasoned.

"Not sure why we all have to come though..." Jesus added.

"Well you're lucky you're here at all. I'd have thought you two were desperate for another excuse to get out the house." Stef responded, losing her own resentment for a moment for an opportunity to scold her son's.

"I'll take it." Brandon smiled. "If I have to be in my own company for much longer I may implode."

"Now you know what it was like for me the first 8 years." Kasey jibed as Stef pinched her.

"What? I thought I could pick on him when he's being punished...?" she protested.

"We can - you can't." Stef clarified.

"Oh my God guys - this is awesome!" Mariana beamed, her and Callie filtering into the seats on the other side of Evan. "We just met one of the guys from the production and he says he'll totally give Callie and me a backstage tour after the show. If you know what I mean..." she added with a whisper to Callie as both Stef and Lena threw her a chastising look.

"I think we'll maybe meet them first." Lena responded as the girls laughed between themselves.

"What? You don't want us mixing with hard working, educated artists?" Callie replied with a smile.

"Hey, was one called Luke?" Kasey teased as she wriggled out of another pinch from Stef as Callie laughed, only the three of them getting the joke.

"So is Jude in the bathroom?" Evan asked looking at Stef and Lena. "The show's about to start."

They looked at each other before looking back.

"How would we know? He came with you." Lena answered nervously as Evan's face dropped.

"No...you were coming from the house..."

"But you were going to pick up Jude after lunch from Connor's..."

Evan's eyes flared guiltily.

"Wait...so you've organised these tickets for us so we can see this with Jude and you don't even know where he is?" Stef barked as he stuttered.

"Hey, don't get mad at me - you're the ones who don't know where your son is..." he whimpered as Stef motioned to strangle him.

"Because you told him you'd pick him up...!"

Evan opened his mouth to dispute before settling with an "Oh yeah..." Lena held Stef back as Evan jumped over the row of seats in front.

"I'll fix this..." he smiled sheepishly running off out behind them.

"But the show's about to..." the lights dimmed.

"Ladies and gentleman if you would turn off your cellphones, the performance is about to begin. In a one off-change from schedule, today the part of "Puck" will be played by Jude Foster."

"Surprise..." Evan whispered through a smile between Stef an Lena, crouching behind them hidden mostly behind the back of their chairs.

They both shook their heads and smiled at each other before Stef gripped an arm around his neck and rubbed his hair furiously.

They laughed quietly before he hopped back over to take his seat next to Kasey and she gave him a kiss before cuddling up onto his shoulder.

The final curtain closed and the noise from the Foster family filled the hall. The other actors from the stage congregated around Jude and lifted him onto their shoulders as he laughed. Callie in particular beamed with pride, screaming out her excitement with Stef and Jesus whooping and whistling. The lights of the auditorium switched back on as they filtered out and gathered around Evan, Kasey nustled under his arm

"How did you manage to pull this off?" Lena asked with a proud smile.

"Pretty easy. I knew a friend in the drama group - he owed me and it just happened to work out. We went along to a few rehearsals, offered to have out man understudy for a matinee and they agree after they saw what he could do." He smiled as Kasey kissed his cheek.

"Did you guys know about this?" Stef asked arms folded looking at their other children.

"Only me." Kasey admitted. " Evan couldn't keep it to himself." she pinched his chin as he stared down at her fondly before kissing her head.

"We just wanted to make up for what happened." He said through an apologetic smile. "For ruining the last time."

Stef looked across at Lena before cupping his cheek with her hand and stroking it with her thumb before shaking his chin affectionately.

"Good job!" she said, patting him harshly a couple of times.

"What did you think?" Jude asked, running through from backstage.

"I think we are gonna have to get Hollywood on the phone!" Callie replied beaming with pride.

"You just starred in a college production, dude!" Jesus added giving him a high five.

"We're so proud of you." Lena added pulling him between her and Stef and hugging him under her arm.

"And you were amazing! As always!" Mariana chirped in before Evan ruffled his hair, still heavily made up.

Evan looked around at the smiling family before looking across to Kasey.

"And...now we're all here..." Evan added.

"There's something I need to ask you." she twitched him a smile.

"You are kidding right?" she said to him as he winked.

He got down on a knee an produced a box.

"Oh God, please tell me he's joking..." Stef gasped out nervously as Kasey rolled her eyes.

"Kasey..." he began.

"Evan..." she warned.

"Will you..." he paused and took a deep sigh as the breaths were held around them.

"...move in with me?" he asked flipping the box open to produce an empty keyring as she burst into laughter.

"You're an idiot." she exclaimed, having dared him earlier that week, unconvinced he had the guts to risk the prank. "But yes." she said as he bound up and pulled her into a spinning hug.

The family exchanged confused looks before a gasping Stef finally spoke.

"What the hell just happened?" she exclaimed, exasperated.

"What did you think was gonna happen?" he joked before she swung at him slapping his arm.

"For a start - let's just pretend you didn't just try to give me a heart-attack. You don't even have a house!" Stef added through a squint.

"That...I will admit. But I will...sooner than you think. And when I do she can put her key on this keyring." He gave a cheeky smile as Stef rolled her eyes.

"What makes you think we'll let you move in together when you do?" She responded, still irritated from the scare.

"Well we figured you wouldn't want us raising the baby at yours...?" Kasey added as Evan looked at her with a face wrought with fear. A pause followed before Stef launched at them with the programme from the play.

"We're kidding! We're kidding!" he pleaded as she battered Evan's back.

"Mom - we are. Let him go." she defended him as the other kids failed to suppress their own laughter.

"That's why I'm beating you!" Stef exclaimed. "You wanna scare us like that?" she fired back taking a swing at Kasey too who jumped away.

"I'm sorry - it was just too easy." Evan panted. "And Kasey said I wouldn't dare so..." Stef threw him another scolding look as he stepped back anxiously through another laugh.

"You're just jealous his proposal was more romantic than yours." Kasey teased.

"I...his...that wasn't a proposal!" she protested as Lena chuckled to herself.

"I proposed a question and she answered..."

"Well I'd been shot - I'm sorry a down-on-one-knee wasn't the easiest position to acquire." She defended herself folding her arms, offended.

"Its OK Mrs F, we know you did your best." he offered patronisingly as Stef squinted her eyes at him.

"OK - Evan, you may not have knees for an actual proposal if you keep talking." Lena observed holding Stef back slightly as Kasey laughed and he took a step back. Stef clipped a smirking Jesus with the programme instead to take out her frustration.

"Wait a minute..." Callie began thinking back to what Evan had said. "Everything else aside, why moving in "sooner than we think"?"

Evan and Kasey exchanged a smile before looking back at the others.

"I got a job." he revealed as Jesus bound forward to high-five him with some congratulations.

"You already have a job..." Stef asked suspiciously.

"Not a full time one...a youth worker position opened up with the mentor scheme and they're gonna appoint me properly as a pastoral worker. Running stuff. Within a few months I'll be able to afford a flat and when Kasey's ready..."

"But what about college?" Lena queried.

"They're happy for me to work around my classes...and I can take some time off around finals." he smiled. "I had the interview yesterday." he further explained as Lena shook her head thinking back to her comment about his smart attire.

See...not so mad now are you?" he teased as Stef rolled her eyes before slapping him on the chest and pulling him into a hug.

"I want to strangle you but I'm still very proud." she said patting his cheek harshly as he gave her back a smile.

"But here's a general tip - If you have good news I would prefer not wanting kill you before you deliver it."

"But having good news to distract you with straight after is the only way I can risk winding you up..." he poked his tongue out slightly as she punched his arm and Lena hugged him in turn.

"OK but hang on - we don't even know if Kasey's gonna be in California next year. We don't know what her SAT results will be or if she'll get them in before the admissions close." Lena added looking across at her.

"Well..." Kasey responded nervously. "Actually...I already re-did them...and I got a few responses back..."

Lena and Stef exchanged a look.

"What? When? We've not had any more tests at the school?" Lena exclaimed folding her arms.

"Well..." Evan added guiltily. "When Jude and I were doing the rehearsals and stuff we noticed they were holding one here. We registered her and well...she did them here."

"When?" Stef replied angrily, slightly to Kasey's shock.

"About a week after the failed one..." she replied nervously.

"When you were grounded?" Lena interrogated.

"Well...a little but..."

"Woah, woah, woah!" Stef raised her palms and squared up to Kasey. "You snuck out of the house not even a week after we told you not to?"

"Mom - I only did it to sit the exam I missed the week before..." Kasey began to get defensive, surprised at the hostile response to something they'd been bugging her about for weeks.

"Why in the world would you not tell us?" Lena asked.

"Well...I didn't want the pressure...and I wanted to surprise you...and I did better - I wanted to wait till the right time to let you know..."

"So you think just because you get a 730 on your SATs you think you can get away with lying to us again?" Stef began to lecture folding her arms angrily. Kasey crinkled her brow, irritated.

"You're not seriously mad at me for...wait...what?" Kasey's face dropped as Lena raised an eyebrow.

"You...?"

"Know you re-sat and did amazingly? Yes."

"But..."

"You have noticed your Mom is the Vice-Principal at the school that handles your applications?" Stef added. "We were just waiting to see how long it would take for you to tell us so we could do this for as many days as you lied to us..." she flicked her on the forehead with programme repeatedly. "for lying to us and sneaking out instead of telling us. " she took a short pause as Kasey rubbed her head. "and this..." she pulled her into a hug. "for doing so well!" she squeezed her tight as Lena hopped on too.

Kasey smiled as she eventually emerged, Stef pushing her to arms length to look at her.

"I just wanted to surprise you when it was the right time." Kasey added softly.

"And today is the right time because?"

"Good to know they don't know everything." Evan winked at her as both Moms looked between them expectantly.

"Should we tell them?" she asked Callie who smiled.

"We both got into SDSU." she beamed. "We can both do the courses we wanted to do the most and we get to stay home!"

"Well...in the city. No offence but there's no way I'm living with a cop during freshman year of college." Kasey added as Stef sprung on them both pulling them together.

"Guys that's awesome!" Stef exclaimed as she rubbed both their heads furiously rocking them as Lena once again hopped onto the embrace.

"Hey does that mean we can go to your parties?" Jesus asked.

"In your dreams, young man." Stef to answer through her muffled voice.

"You can introduce us to all your hot college classmates." Mariana weighed in.

"And that's in yours." Lena responded.

"Hey that means you'll be able to still help out with the school plays!" Jude beamed.

"You bet!" Callie said breaking free and pulling him into their own hug.

"Really happy for you guys!" Brandon chimed in squeezing Kasey's arm as she shot him an affectionate smile.

"If you're not still grounded by then you can come to the college parties too..." she teased poking her tongue out as he pulled her into a mini-headlock.

"What can we say - they really pitied us with our admissions essay..." Callie joked as Stef this time flicked her head with the program.

"Can you blame them? With what we're coming from?" Kasey added with a smirk and another pinch from Stef.

"OK, come on Annie. Let's get home so we can celebrate properly!"

"By ending everyone's punishments?"

"Nope." Stef and Lena quashed Jesus' hopes in unison as the family began to make their way out. Stef waiting to slightly lag behind to catch Evan.

"All this - you did a very special and thoughtful thing. I'm really proud of you. The job; the way you've stood up and handled all this; way you've been there for all of us. Your Mom would be extremely proud of you, you know."

She smiled at him as he put his arm around her.

"Thank you." he replied. "Couldn't have done any of it without you and Lena though - having someone believe in me for once." she folded her arms and butted him gently with her head into he chest affectionately.

"I do have one question though..." she said as he looked to her curiously.

"You're living with us till you get this new apartment, yes? And that'll be a few months?"

"Probably..." he replied.

"So bearing in mind you're going to be in our house for next few months - at what point did yanking our chain about something as serious and with as many lectures attached to it as unplanned pregnancy seem like a good idea?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as he stopped walking.

"No, you're not gonna...?" He asked nervously.

She paused and took a deep breath before a menacing smile spread across her face.

"Get in the car, Superdaddy."

The End.

Extended author's note: Please read!

I would just like to thank you all for your wonderful engagement with this story! The reviews, the feedback, the messages, the suggestions - the way you have embraced the characters and the storyline (and put up with the crazy bits) has just been truly heart-warming and everything a hobbyist like me could dream of. I will miss you all so much now this is done!

I have a few small questions I would love you to answer if you would be so kind - in as much detail as you are willing to spare (but don't feel obliged if you don't have time to answer these questions - anything would be appreciated!). I'd also love to hear from you if you haven't reviewed before/for a while. Just anything people can offer.

Basically:

1) First off I would ask the same favour as with Nerd - I'd love to know what people liked/didn't like/could be improved upon in case I ever do another sequel (i.e. did you prefer the long, long story or would you prefer a shorter/less complex one? More flashbacks? More dialogue? Less dialogue? Anything!)

2) Would you want/will you read another sequel? (No promises...but curious to know interest levels)

3) What was your favourite episode? Chapter even, if you can remember in that level of detail! (Episodes were basically the leading up to dinner one, Evan moving in, the pot episode, Porter exposed, the play + fallout, the chase + showdown and then finally the aftermath chapters). Just really curious to know what parts people most embraced (helps me know to focus on fluff/action/angst or if the balance was right anyway!)

4) Any suggestions/requests for future sequels? This one was actually formed from a lot of suggestions at the end of Nerd (i.e. exploring Lena/Kasey more, wanting it focussed on another kid, Evan moving in... all were from suggestions so this really is the fruition of them. I can't promise to use them all but I will try and use them for inspiration! I usually just take a bunch of random ideas/interactions and try and force them together so it really does help me a lot.

OK - that is all! Thank you so much. I mean it when I say I couldn't have written this mammoth of a story without you guys - your suggestions and requests changed its direction several times. Most notably with character evolution. Callie's part in particular was almost entirely changed based on you guys and Michelle's character changed too. I just love that I feel you all co-wrote with me.

Please do give Fosters, Nerd and Dummies a follow if you have enjoyed this (and Fostering Fun) as that is where my writing will be for the next few months as I focus more on the one-shots (will prob be posting next chapter tomorrow for that). If I do decide on a sequel I will probably post an announcement here but I will definitely be posting it there. Also if you ask I can be sure to drop you a message when I do write a new one. Obviously you can follow me too for any new activity.

Once more THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I love that you are all still here and will hopefully see you all somewhere soon!

Grace/obsessedatopia