Lena poured the coffee into Ivy's mug, the mug that was kept at the back of the cupboard because no one had the heart to throw it away. Handle was a little loose, perhaps she needed to move on from the mug shaped like Winnie The Pooh's face and buy a more stable one. Perhaps she could move on to something more mature. Like a mug shaped like Stitch's face from Lilo and Stitch .

Ivy let out a deep breath as she took the warm cup in her hands and sat on the seat, facing Callie, Jude and Brandon. With Mariana by her side of the left and Stef on the right, with Lena at the top of the table with Jesus. All eyes were on her. Just waiting her her to talk. Ivy rubbed her lips together and cleared her throat, taking her words to aim more at Stef "You're probably wondering why I couldn't contact you?"

She soon regretted saying that, realizing that she was now going to have to lie. Something she didn't want to do but then again felt like she had no choice. Stef nodded with a warm expression on her face "Yeah that'd be a start"

Ivy sighed and looked down at the coffee. She was a good actress Ivy was. Hence her winning streak of bagging the lead roles in the show productions at her school both at Anchor Beach and Tenderloin Community in San Francisco. Also a writer it allowed her to come up with something quick "Mom…" she then scoffed and shook her head, realising no one was forcing her to call her that, unlike when she was with Kath. She was forced by her to call her mom even though there was no emotional attachment to the name

" Kath found out 'bout the messages, not only did she threaten to call the police and use it against you as a violation to your restraining order because the phone was under her name or something, she also threatened to get Dylan, her boyfriend, to send his buddies down and do some damage. Look whether she was bluffing or whatever I refused to risk it. Dylan has buddies over here I would not risk it"

There was a sense of truth to what she was saying. Ivy couldn't risk it, and the messages did get exposed. Just not to Katherine. By someone far worse that she just wants to forget about. Her lie went down just fine. Stef nodded and rubbed Ivy's back "Alright, love, don't worry about that. You were just looking out for us"

"I just didn't want you guys to get mad or hurt, I felt like I needed to explain"

Lena smiled sweetly as she leaned down on the table "We appreciate that honey"

Ivy let out a tight smile. Mariana looked to her and asked with caution not to cause any upset towards Ivy or get another glare from Stef "So...what happened?"

Ivy cracked her back as she sat up straight and shook her head as she took a sip of her black coffee and shrugged, lowering it back down on the table "She and Dylan were no angels. I mean, he was drugged up unemployed and was in and out of trouble, and Katherine was, well also drugged up and earning barely enough to keep the rent up in the rat hole of an apartment...they had enemies and she" Ivy let out a laugh "Was probably going to end up in jail, which is why they left"

"What did she do?" Jesus asked.

Ivy looked at him "Enough damage to be in there for a while"

Stef saw the look on Ivy's face and worry spread all over her body, she leaned forward and whispered "Please don't tell me she hurt you"

Ivy looked to Stef, she didn't want to cause any upset or any anger. She just wanted to be at home with them and finally relax without the worry of a loan shark bursting through the door. She plastered on a tight convincing smile and muttered "Other than ripping me away from the family I love? Nothing could have ever hurt me more"

It wasnt exactly a comforting answer, but it was Ivy's way of asking them not to ask her to go in further detail about this. Which Stef picked up on quickly and let it slide. Ivy looked back down to the table as she rubbed her hand against it. She strummed her fingernails on the table and let out a brief raspberry before saying "Listen, fact of the matter is. Being with Kath was hell, it sucked and a lot of stuff went on that I don't need to bring up, it's in the past. All that really matters is that I'm home"

Everyone nodded and agreed. It was the main thing that Ivy was home. But Lena wanted answers just as much as Stef, she had to hold Stef in bed every night for countless nights whilst she cried over losing Ivy. They couldn't just forget about that, but much like Stef, Ivy is extremely stubborn and once her heels were digged into something, there is no chance in getting them out quickly.

"Where are you gonna stay? I mean Callie is in our-my room now" Mariana quickly corrected herself.

Mariana's room used to be Ivy's and then when Mariana came along Ivy agreed to share her room with her, which was a pretty big thing for a pre-teen to do but she was cool with it. Then when Ivy was gone with no sign of coming back. They got rid of the single bed in the corner that was Mariana's and she claimed Ivy's twin bed in the centre of the room. Callie showed up and the rest was history.

"True" Ivy nodded, then turning in her chair to Stef and Lena "I should've thought about this"

Stef shook her head "Don't be silly, babe, we'll make room. For now we'll just get the blow up bed up and you can sleep on the floor in our room"

"Good. So in case I have nightmares I won't have to run far for comfort" Ivy mocked. Stef laughed and took hold of Ivy's hand, giving her a quick kiss "Just one step"

Stef dropped Ivy's hand and went on to say "We'll find a more permanent space as we go along with it"

"If you're sure, cause until we get things sorted I could always...I dunno crash in my car"

Lena stared at her and blurted a laugh "You're joking"

Ivy rolled her eyes and nodded "Thought you'd say that"

As Ivy was pulled into conversation with the kids. Stef looked to Lena and whispered "I'm just...I need to-"

"I know" Lena whispered in a nod. Stef turned to Ivy and nodded to outside.

Understanding what she was being asked, Ivy gave the kids all a smile as she followed Stef to outside. Ivy looked around at garden, with it all little up with little twinkly lights "I see you took my idea on" she said as she put her hands on her hips "Looks good"

Ivy turned around to see Stef stood by the bench. Ivy folded her arms and walked back over to her, shaking her head "Please don't ask me what went on"

"If she hurt you I want to know"

"And what good would that do? Huh?" Ivy walked over to her and placed her hands on Stef's arms "Aunt Stef let it be. If not for your own mental sake then for mine. All I want to do is forget"

"You had your whole life mapped out here" Stef sighed, Ivy took her hand and sat them both down on the bench, then nodded and letting out a sigh of her own "I know I did, off to college to pursue my career in writing and everything. But life doesn't always work out the way you want it to"

Ivy looked to inside the kitchen and asked Stef as she turned back to her "Did Grams not call you?"

Stef raised an eyebrow "Yeah, I didn't get the chance to actually hear her out or call her back but...why?"

Ivy shrugged "She knew. I called her this morning-by the way you changed your phone number?"

Stef sat back on the bench and nodded "Yeah we had to change landlines, I did text you"

Ivy laughed and shook her head "Kath probably saw it and deleted it" Ivy felt Stef take hold of her hand, she looked to her Aunt and saw her eyes closed and taking in a deep breath as she held onto her hand, just taking in the moment. Ivy leaned back and rested against Stef, her head resting underneath Stef's chin, with their hands still entwined. Ivy let out a deep breath as she felt Stef stroke her hair with her free hand.

Stef kissed the top of Ivy's head as they remained in silence.

"I'm never gonna leave again" Ivy whispered, squeezing Stef's hand she added on "You're stuck with me now"

Stef let out a soft laugh with her lips still against the top of Ivy's head and muttered "Thank god" Stef opened her eyes as she rested her head against Ivy's "You've grown"

"Yeah, bout 5'6 now" Ivy said with a faint smile, looking down to her hands "Your hair is longer. I like it"

Stef smiled as she ran her fingers through Ivy's blonde locks, memorizing every single part of Ivy. Noticing the tattoos she had, on her wrist and at the top left hand side of her back. Her wrist tattoo was a bear paw print, which matched with what Mike, Frank, Sharon, Lena and herself all called her growing up. Bear . She had a big obsession with them as a child.

The one on her back, Stef couldn't get that much of a look at, she put her hands on Ivy's back and lightly pushed her forward, pulling down her shirt ever so slightly to look at it. Ivy smiled and bowed her head down as she did so.

The first one she looked at was a quote in typewriter font, in link to her being a writer she was guessing that said 'Families, like branches on a tree. We all grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one'

The words brought a smile and tears to her eyes. Then underneath the quote was a tree, all black with lighter tones to bring out the detail and five leaves falling down from the tree one by one. Stef tilted her head as she pressed her finger on the tattoo of the tree "Those leaves…"

"Represent you, Lena and the kids? Yeah" Ivy turned and faced Stef "Reminded me of my roots " She took hold of Stef's hands and added "And if I ever got to the point of going off the rails or whatever, I'd look over my shoulder into the mirror and be reminded of who I am, where I came from"

"You drove all the way here?"

"Whole eight hours, just scraped enough money for gas but I made it. I didn't care how long it took or how much it cost, I would have given anything just to get back here"

Stef placed her hand on Ivy's cheek, Ivy rested her head against Stef's hand and smiled with warmth, then looking to Stef and say with her eyebrows raised, her eyes welling up as she said in a dry whisper "You know, I haven't been hugged in five years"

Her words caused Stef's heart to ache, to think about that. Thinking about how her little girl had to live without any showing of love whatsoever for the past five years. Stef let out a watery smile as she brought her hand off of Ivy's cheek "Well, we'll have to make up for that won't we?"

Ivy smiled as her bottom lip began to wobble. Stef knew this would happen, it doesn't take long until Ivy's wall comes crashing down, she had this wall built up ever since she was five, ever since she picked up on the fact that even though she had Stef...she was abandoned by her mother . Ivy bowed her head down and bit her lip, shaking her head again she took a deep breath as she let out a quiet sob, rubbing her forehead she looked back up to Stef, no longer feeling the need to hide her face "I've needed you so much"

"Baby" Stef whispered, pulling Ivy in and wrapping her arms around her "You know I would have fought my way to you if I could, but my hands were tied"

"I know, I know I don't blame you" Ivy muttered with her head resting on Stef, her eyes keeping shut "It's just been so hard"

Stef cradled Ivy's head "I promise you, babe, I will never let you slip through my fingers again"

Ivy let out a breathless grin as she sniffled her nose and holding onto Stef tighter. They both kept their eyes shut and rocked softly side to side.

After a little while, Ivy and Stef regrouped with the family in the kitchen. Jesus pointed to outside, indicating the topic of a car "Is that yours outside?"

He couldn't help himself but go and sneak a peek from the living room window. Ivy laughed and nodded as she walked over to the table "It was practically a scrap heap before I fixed it up"

Ivy had a 1965 Mustang Convertible it was baby blue and was all hers. It was about to be crushed like a can in the junk yard and she convinced the owner to let her have it through him being the Uncle of a close friend. Her step dad , Dylan, told her that she would never be able to get it working. But she proved him wrong.

"It's awesome" Jesus nodded with an excited grin on his face. Ivy smiled and shrugged "Well I suppose I could always do school runs for you some mornings"

Jesus stared at her and said "I missed you"

Ivy laughed and walked over to him, squeezing his shoulders and giving him a hug "Yeah figured you would"

The person who remained the most silent throughout this whole night since Ivy came back was Brandon. Stef and Lena picked up on it in no time. Brandon got up and went over to the sink, Stef and Lena looked to each other and agreed on the same thing. Lena walked over to Brandon whilst Stef stayed back, Lena was always more softer about warning one of the kids about something and Brandon had a tendency to say he was being ganged up on if they both went and spoke to him. Lena put her hand on his back "Hey"

Brandon gave her a tight smile and nodded "Hey"

"Brandon-"

"I already know what you're going to say"

Lena sighed and glanced to Ivy "She's been through a lot"

"Haven't we all?"

"Hey" Lena said in a soft yet firm tone, raising her eyebrows to him and shaking her head "Don't be like this, Brandon the last time you saw her you were eleven, we thought you would have done some growing up by now. She's here to stay"

Brandon let out a brief sigh and shrugged "I'm sorry, look it's a shock seeing her. I'll do better I swear"

Lena rubbed his back and gave it a brief pat "Okay"

Ivy put her bag and case in Stef and Lena's room as Stef came marching in with the deflated mattress in her hand and dropped it on the floor on her side of the bed, hooking it up to the electric pumper and turning it on. Ivy looked to Stef as she sat on the bed. With her hands on her hips, Ivy lightly kicked Stef's foot and whispered "So what made you take in Callie and Jude?"

Ivy tucked her hair behind her ear as she looked down in her case and took out her pajamas out of it.

"I told you when we got them "

"All you said was that you found two new kids and fell in love with them"

Stef shrugged and nodded "Yeah, that was basically it. They were only supposed to be here temporarily...but Jude, he's the sweetest little boy we had ever come across"

"And Callie?"

Stef stared at Ivy and sat back on the bed tucking one leg under the other "Callie...was tough at first...but I soon saw someone in her"

"Oh yeah?" Ivy muttered as she walked to the bathroom "Who?"

Then hearing Stef call "You"

Ivy stopped unfolding her pajamas and looked up, she let out a small and surprised smile, walking back over and leaning against the door frame "Me?"

Stef nodded as she turned and looked to her "I saw so much of you in her that it made me instantly protective, I suppose because I didn't want to lose her like I lost you" she shrugged.

Ivy looked to Stef with a faint and warm smile before looking down at the clothing in her hand and saying as she went to turn back inside the bathroom to get changed "Well, they seem like great kids"

"They are" Stef said, then turning the pump off and pressed her hand down on the mattress, it was blown up enough. She took the pump out and covered the mattress with a duvet. Stef sleeps with two pillow usually but she would sacrifice one of them for her. Ivy walked back out in her red and black checkered pants and a plain grey t-shirt. Looking down at the mattress she raised her eyebrows "Usually sleep with two"

"Yeah well so do I, I'm giving up one for you, my love" Stef muttered with a smile, then standing up from the bed "Well I'm going to go down to the kitchen, catch up on some work"

"Sorry I've been a distraction" Ivy mocked with a little smirk, then looked down to her bed "But I think I'm just gonna get some sleep, it's been a long day" she stated as she stretched. It was now 10pm so it was a reasonable time to sleep.

Stef smiled, rubbing Ivy's back "Okay love" she leaned forward and kissed her cheek, then pulling away and whispered "Sweet dreams, I love you"

"I love you too"

Stef walked over to the door frame and then turned, watching Ivy tie her hair up and let out a smile to herself, letting out a yawn and lying down on her temporary bed on the floor. Stef couldn't help but just watch her settle. Like she felt the need to document every move she now made from this being her second chance at having her back. As cruel as it may sound she thought Kath would have to die before Ivy would ever be truly free. When Ivy was settled and seemed to have drifted to sleep. Stef took a step back and walked down the stairs with her joyful tears running down her face.

She grabbed her laptop, let the kettle boil and poured herself a cup of tea before settling in front of her screen. She wasn't doing what she said she was doing, she was doing some digging. Ivy was being so vague about what happened, but Stef managed to get out of her which high school she attended.

Stef got on google and typed in the neighborhood the school was in, clue was in the name.

Tenderloin Community School. So, Tenderloin. The information that came up made things pretty clear on how rough Ivy would have had it back there.

"Tenderloin is a high-crime neighborhood, particularly violent street crime such as robbery and aggravated assault" Stef let out a shaky breath as she scrolled down more and saw how the neighborhood was known for extortion, drug sales and murder . No place for a child. Which is all she was when she was put there. A child. Stef pressed her elbows on the table as she covered her mouth with her cupped hands as she stared at the screen. Shaking her head. Stef felt Lena rub her back as she came up behind her and looked over her wife's shoulder to see what she was looking at.

"Oh honey, don't torture yourself like this" Lena pleaded as she pressed her lips to Stef's cheek "You'll only drive yourself crazy"

"Have you seen this, Lena? Aggravated assault. Murder ...there are people who have no choice but to live in these conditions but why on earth would you chose to live…" Stef sighed and dropped her head in her hands. Lena frowned and rested her head on Stef's shoulder.

"It makes me think. Did she experience any assault? How close were we to losing her without knowing" Stef lifted her head back up and looked back to the screen "I hate my sister sometimes"

" Sometimes . That's kind" Lena muttered as she too lifted her head. Looking at the screen and reading a little bit of the information herself "One of the highest rates of violence and drug activity in San Francisco" Lena shook her head and shut the laptop "Don't do this to yourself. I know it was hard-"

"Lena please" Stef sighed as she stood up from her seat and walked over to the counter by the chalkboard, shaking her head "It wasn't hard ...it destroyed me and you know that" She turned around to face her wife and leaned against the counter.

"I know, baby, I know" Lena said as she walked over "It was hard for us but it hit you harder, I know that"

Stef stretched her fingers out due to her stress and ran that palms of her hands over her head "I feel like something happened to her, she's different"

"She's different because she's no longer sixteen" Lena rubbed Stef's arms "Honey you're overthinking it, she's only just got back, let her settle, she's probably nervous...coming back after all these years, to children who are now grown and to two more children that she doesn't know"

Stef took a deep breath. Lena had a valid point, she was just overwhelmed and was trying to just make sense of everything that was going on. Stef looked into Lena's loving eyes and nodded as she took a breath "I'm sorry"

"You don't have to be sorry, honey, you're just feeling a lot of emotions right now"

"That's true"

"And what do you feel the most?"

Stef then let out a small smile as she got briefly lost in her thoughts and said in a whisper as she looked back to Lena "Happy"

Lena smiled and leaned forward, pressing her lips softly against Stef's and hugging her. Stef and Lena pressed their forehead together, Lena cupped Stef's face and whispered "It's all gonna be back to normal now"

"I hope so, baby" Stef whispered back and gave Lena another kiss.

They both sat down in the dining room with their coffees and began to discuss through what they were going to do about Ivy's living arrangements.

When finally, Lena came up with an idea, one that she personally found rather genius "The garage!"

Stef raised her eyebrow as she swallowed her coffee, almost choking on it "The garage?"

"Yes! Well of course we'd clear all of this out and then we could just get stuff in, it'd be like her own space, she's hitting twenty one, if her life remained here like we planned she would have gone off to college but it just didn't happen"

"So you want to give her, her own dorm?" Stef lightly laughed as she placed the mug down on the table.

"No but, she can't exactly bunk in with Brandon now can she"

"And Brandon is why I couldn't help but laugh you are aware that he is going to go mad at the fact that we'd be giving her the garage considering that's where his band practices"

"Yeah but y'know Mat has said many times that they can use his place and it's either give her that or they share a room" Lena laugh at the sheer thought of it whilst Stef shook her head with a look of horror on her face. That would be beyond a nightmare. Stef put her hands on the back of her head and leaned back in her hair "Alright so, what do we do?"

Lena shrugged "We clear it all out entirely, then for now we just get her a bed and stuff"

Stef smirked. It was a good idea, one that would work and one that she knew Ivy would love and appreciate. Stef leaned forward again, closer to Lena's face and muttered "You're a genius Mrs Adams Foster" she smirked, giving her a quick kiss.

When it reached half ten, they both decided to call it a night and get up to bed. Suddenly feeling aware of the fact that they had a young woman sleeping on their bedroom floor. They got changed in silence in the bathroom. Then quietly sneaking their way over to the bed and sliding under the duvet. Stef and Lena couldn't help but look over and look at Ivy sound asleep on the mattress, with a faint smile on her face as she hugged onto the pillow. Hey both let out their own smiles, Lena kissed Stef's shoulder and rubbed her back as she lay back on the bed "Goodnight, honey"

"Goodnight, love" Stef whispered, with her eyes still on Ivy. She gently ran her fingers through Ivy's blonde hair, sweeping it away from her face and then running her hand softly down her cheek.

Stef lowered her head down and sunk into her own pillow. With her eyes still on Ivy, she lowered her hand to beside Ivy's that was raised to her shoulder. Stef closed her eyes to then feel Ivy take hold of her hand, their fingers entwining together, Stef opened her eyes to see that Ivy's smile grew. As did hers, they didn't say anything, they just remained sound asleep.

Thank you to those who have followed/favourited and commented on the remake of the story. For those who are both re-reading and reading for the first time, I hope you are enjoying.