It took an hour and a half before the practice matches were done. When the team got dressed in their team tracksuits and packed up their stuff. The family made their way down the stand and waited for Jesus to join them.

Ivy crossed her arms and tried to not look at those who were staring at her.

"So what are we doing for dinner tonight?" Lena asked the family "What are we feeling?"

Ivy scratched above her top lip and muttered quietly to Stef "I won't be here for dinner"

Stef looked to Ivy and raised an eyebrow "Why?"

Ivy looked to Nate "We're...going for a bite to catch up"

Before Stef had the chance to say anything, Ivy quickly added on "As friends" she looked to Stef with a smirk as she watched her quickly back down in saying anything. She nudged Stef and said with a light laugh "Believe it or not I do know what I'm doing"

"I know that you know what you're doing"

"Meaning?" Ivy laughed. Stef shook her head, she ran her hand down the back of Ivy's head and kissed her forehead "Just have a good time" Stef rubbed Ivy's back as she watched her then walk away and over to Nate who was stood with the team.

Ivy walked over to Jesus first and gave him a hug "You're good at this"

"Why do you sound surprised?" Jesus chuckled as he rested his head on Ivy's shoulder for a moment before looking back at her. Ivy shrugged and patted his shoulders and teased "I thought you'd suck?"

"Thanks a lot" he laughed. Ivy patted his arms and pointed over to the family "They are waiting for you"

"Where are you going?"

"Grabbing a bite...with Nate at the burger shack"

"Oh" Jesus muttered in a higher pitched voice, raising his eyebrows to her. Ivy rolled her eyes and slapped him on the back "Just go"

Nate turned and walked over to her, with a soft smile on his face. Just looking at his face felt so surreal to her, it was as if she was still dreaming of meeting him. And he was shaking inside. She almost turned into some kind of fictional goddess that he had held so highly for all these years. He always knew she'd come back someday, when she was finally able to get out of the clutches Katherine. He just thought she'd have been a little older, probably with a boyfriend that she loved me than she ever loved him. Maybe she did, he didn't know.

"You alright to go?"

Ivy muttered a laugh before saying "We're not kids anymore, Nate"

"Right" Nate said with a nervous laugh, shaking his head with embarrassment "Right, habit I guess" Ivy smiled at him and slid her hands in her pockets, nodding towards the door "Shall we then?"

Nate put his gym bag on his shoulder and nodded, saying in a nervous hitch of breath "Yeah"

He clutched onto his gym strap to try and hide his shaking hands.

They walked to the burger strap since it wasn't too far from the school. They remembered how that's where they used to sneak off to when they had a free period.

The table they always sat at was also free. If fate was something to be believed in, it was certainly taking it's role seriously now.

They sat down facing each other, it was silent for a moment as neither of them really knew where to start. After a thought, Ivy smirked and said to lighten the mood of the conversation before getting into any deep stuff "Well, first off it's good to see you held up your end of the bargain" Ivy said tapping his bear paw print tattoo.

Nate looked down and laughed, he almost forgot about that thing, Nate shrugged and said as he took his eyes to her "I promised you I would. Did you?"

Ivy rolled up her cardigan sleeve and revealed the tattoo. Nate leaned forward and placed the tip of his finger over it, which sent shivers straight down Ivy's spine. He smiled and complimented "Looks good on you"

Nate leaned back and stared at her, shaking his head "I can't actually believe I'm looking at your face to face. Thought it'd be a helluva long time before that happened"

"Yeah well you were always a cynic" Ivy muttered, looking down at her palms that rubbed against the table due to sheer nerves, she then heard him say "So how is it that I am sitting across the way from you right now?"

"She looked up at him and stared. Nate folded his arms and leaned down on the table, shrugging his shoulders to then go on and add "What happened?"

Ivy took a deep breath and cleared her throat "It was just...Katherine did something..caused something bad that I found out about. I threatened to call the cops and before I knew it, she was gone"

"What did she cause?"

There was silence as she latched onto his big brown eyes again and then heard the little voice in her head say 'You've already bent the truth to the woman you would die for. Bending the truth to the boy you'd die for won't be much different'

"She caused a girl I know a lot of pain, the girl-well she almost died"

Nate raised his eyebrows and muttered "Jesus. That's crazy"

"Yeah...but she's gone now so…"

"And the girl?"

"Getting better last time I checked"

Nate cracked a small smile "Well at least that's something...how was it? Over there I mean...was-"

"It was hell" Ivy nodded as she finished his sentence, rubbing her lips together, she saw the sympathetic look on his face "It was hell but I got through. It wasn't total doom and gloom. I had a good friend there who supported me through things"

"Boyfriend?"

Ivy smirked "You're questioning if I'm single?"

Nate shrugged with a mischievous smile on his face "Are you?"

Ivy soon blutered out in a laugh "I am but you're not!"

Nate's face soon dropped to a surprised one, he was glad to see that Ivy didn't seem pissed or upset. But Ivy coming back may have been slight wrong timing given that situation. Nate dated Hayley's sister, Lauren for around two months now and things were going great. Much like Hayley, she became clingy and rather possessive, Nate was planning on ending things with her soon. But now it'll look like he's dumping her for Ivy, and he didn't want Ivy to look like some kind of home wrecker, so it was safe to say that his mind was a little jumbled in that area on what to do.

Nate bowed his head down with a sighing smile and said "I was going to tell you"

"Uh huh" Ivy teased.

"I swear I was! You know what type of guy I am"

Ivy raised her eyebrows and teased even more "It's been a few years"

"Well believe me you still know me better than anyone" Nate stated as he looked to the beach to the side of him, giving Ivy the time to smile at him with a loving smile before going back to playing it cool as he looked back to her "It's not been that long. Me and Lauren"

"Nate it's fine. It's not as if I'd still be pining after you after all these years" Ivy lied with a convincing small laugh, she shrugged "We grew up. Met new people. It's only natural. If anything it was my fault for drifting away...things were just getting too hard-"

"You don't have to apologise to me, Ives"

A smile caught onto her face "No-one's called me that in a while"

"Of course they haven't. It's my name" Nate said with a light laugh "All that matters is that you're back now. With your family and you're happy again right?"

"Right"

Nate shrugged "Then the past is irrelevant"

This was one of the main things Ivy always loved about Nate. He never pushed on things, he didn't force her to tell him anything she wasn't comfortable with. He just let it be and hoped that in time she will tell him more. Maybe she will. He is her best friend.

"I have missed you" Ivy soon confessed. Bringing another warm touched smile to Nate's face.

"I've missed you too" he put his hand out over the table and laid it out flat, Ivy smiled and placed hers in it, their hands locking together, Nate softly rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

Ivy looked down at him do so, and although she was getting butterflies, she couldn't help but think she was playing with fire.

After their catching up an hour after, Nate and Ivy walked back to the school parking lot, got in their own cars and went to their own homes. Nate's home wasn't far from Ivy's. In fact from his balcony he could see The Foster's household.

He got up to his apartment door, diving his hand in his pocket and learning quickly that he had forgotten his keys "Shit" he whispered to himself. Nate knocked on the door "Milo!"

There was no answer.

"For god sake...Milo!" Nate stepped back and put his hands along the top of the door frame. With luck, Milo remembered to put the spare key back in the hole they made for it. Nate took it in his grip and unlocked the door. Walking into the apartment, he found his best friend fast asleep on the couch. Nate rolled his eyes, he grabbed the basketball that was on the floor by their table and launched it at his head. Being the former athlete he was paid off since it hit him right on the head. Causing Milo to wake up and groan, leaning up and holding his head "Christ, Nate"

"It's partly my fault for forgetting my keys but you need to quit sleeping during the day"

"I got sent home early from work hardly my bloody fault you're so careless" Milo said as he stretched, then standing up and taking him and his shirtless torso into the kitchen. Milo had been best friends with both Nate and Ivy ever since he moved over to the States from Essex in England. He was the typical pretty boy. Dirty blonde hair that was always effortlessly perfect, on top of the amazing blue eyes, he had a killer smile that could get any girl he wanted to jump into his bed.

As he poured himself a glass for orange juice, he looked at Nate's distracted face and couldn't help but grow curious "What's with you?"

Nate walked along the back of the couch, which his hand skimming along it. When he reached the end, he looked over to Milo and then let out a grin "You'll never guess who I saw today"

"Alright. I'll bite" Milo took a swig of the drink and shrugged "Who?"

Nate dropped himself down on the couch, he waited until Milo took another swig of his drink and then said "Ivy"

Milo choked on his juice, hearing Nate let out a small chuckle. He knew he did that on purpose but he was too shocked to even try and get him back for it. Milo quickly made his way out of the kitchen and over to the couch, jumping over the arm and sitting down. With his knees up to his chest "Ivy? Are you serious?"

"Would I joke about her?"

"Well no"

Nate muttered a small laugh, taking the glass out of Milo's hand and taking a sip for himself. Milo ran his fingers through his hair and let out a deep, surprised breath "Wow-well how, what...why's she back? Last time she said she couldn't even leave her house-"

"Yeah well her mom took off" Nate shrugged "That's basically all she would say, she was a little vague but...we had a lunch and just talked"

Milo raised his eyebrows with a smirk but said nothing about it, though Nate knew what he was suggesting. Milo arched his back as he stretched and said "So how is our lovely Ivy? Still hot?"

"Still beautiful…" Nate said, soon getting lost back in thought. Milo sat back up straight and stared at his best friend, nudging his leg with his foot "Don't go getting ideas whilst you're still with Lauren"

Nate snapped back down to earth and looked to Milo "Hm? I'm not-"

"Cause Ivy isn't the type of girl to be a bit on the side"

"I know that, believe me...and I'm not the type of guy to cheat, you know I was going to end it with Lauren...I told you that but now that she's back it'll look bad on Ivy"

Milo shrugged and shook his head "You don't know that. Ending it with Lauren had nothing to do with Ivy. Her coming back was just a bonus" he lightly laughed.

"You're right about that"

"Does Lottie know?"

"Yeah, yeah Ivy mentioned that they spoke a few days ago"

Milo grinned and stood back up from the coach "Whole gang is getting back together, huh?"

"She's also got a job at the school"

Milo spun back around "Seriously?"

Nate nodded "A teaching job over the semester for a creative writing course, apparently even though she doesn't have a degree she has the experience and Timothy has chosen to take her on"

Milo couldn't help but howl a laugh and put his hand on his stomach "Wow, well if you wanted to keep your distance to contain yourself you couldn't do it anyway"

Nate put the glass back on the table, then lightly laughing at Milo's point. Nate put his hands together and bowed his head down, looking at the ground and thinking about her. Her smile and hearing her laugh again. It was enough to make him go to sleep tonight with a smile.

Back at the Foster's household. Mariana walked into her bedroom, followed by Jesus. She sat on her bed with her hand on her heart and said "Did you see the look on their faces when they saw each other?"

"I was kinda busy" Jesus laughed "Plus don't go jumping to-"

"They're still in love I can see it"

"...-conclusions they only talked"

"Still"

Jesus shrugged and lent back against her draws, a devilish smile growing on his face "Yeah well. I'll grill her about it tomorrow and try and get out some answers"

Mariana then looked at him, slightly confused "What do you mean?"

Jesus cleared his throat and said "I was going to see if she wanted to go and chill out on the beach on my free. Play some catch with the football or something like we used to?"

Mariana let out a scoffed laugh and shook her head "Erm no you're not, I was going to see if she and I wanted to hang out"

"No way Mariana. Ivy and I have always had more in common, she's not into all the girly princess crap that you like-"

"What has that got to do with me and her catching up?" Mariana snapped back. Jesus then stood back up and got more defensive "Quit being spiteful"

"Quit siendo un idiota, Jesús, no puede acaparar nuestra propia prima (being an asshole, Jesus, you can't hog our own cousin)"

Jesus laughed and argued back in the choice of language "Me abraza? No sea una reina del drama (Me hog her? Don't be such a drama queen)"

As they continued to argue in spanish. Ivy came up the stairs and heard the noise. Before she got to the door, Callie came out of the bathroom "Hey Cal, any idea what's going on in there"

"I don't know. They started arguing in spanish and I don't know a word of that. But I think it's about you I heard your name so" Ivy rolled her eyes and let out a brief laugh, rubbing Callie's arm as she passed her to go downstairs, Ivy walked into Mariana's room to hear the twins argue.

As soon as she entered the room she said "Whoa mis hermosas latinas lo que se trata todo esto? (Whoa my beautiful latinas what's all this about?)"

Jesus looked at her oddly "Since when do you speak spanish?"

Ivy smirked and raised an eyebrow "I'm a woman of many talents. Now what's going on?"

Mariana motioned her hand to Jesus "He's being an ass"

Ivy folded her arms and shrugged her shoulders, saying in a whisper "He's always an ass?"

Jesus nudged her with a laugh as Mariana rolled her eyes "Whatever. Look Jesus wanted to go out and spend some time with you but i want us to hang out and talk tomorrow"

Ivy couldn't help but let out a small laugh but then seeing the serious looks on their faces she soon tried to contain herself, Ivy rubbed her lips together and momentarily bowed her head down to the floor "Okay...um have you two not thought of the idea of us all hanging out, you know as in the three of us?"

Jesus and Mariana both went to go say something but then realised that they had been well and truly stupid, they both looked to each other. Each feeling slightly embarrassed, Ivy stared at them with a smile on her face "You guys are sweet"

Jesus and Mariana looked back to her, Ivy then raised her eyebrows and added "But really temperamental. Work on that" she smirked to them and backed out of the room, into the hall.

Ivy saw Stef and Lena's bedroom door opened, she walked over and knocked on when she saw them talking in bed "Can I come in?"

"Of course honey" Lena motioned her hand to Ivy as Stef patted her hand on the mattress. Ivy walked over and pointed to Mariana's door behind her "Do they always argue in spanish?"

"Not always. Must love you then" Stef laughed.

Ivy let out a cocky smirk and briefly raised her eyebrows "Wow. I guess I should be thanking them" she then laughed as she looked to them "I just wanted to tell you guys that I'm taking the twins out tomorrow after school and Callie told me she's hanging out with her boyfriend AJ, Jude's hanging with his boyfriend and Brandon is at that bar he's been helping out at...do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Stef and Lena stared at her, a little clueless. Ivy laughed and stood back up, she walked back towards the door and turned around "You two will have the chance to be in the house alone" Ivy said as she wriggled her eyebrows for a moment along with a smirk. Stef and Lena looked to each other and then back to Ivy before throwing a pillow at her as their only logical way of response.

After dinner, Ivy noticed how quiet Jude was being. Uncharacteristically quiet. He was usually smiley and talkative. Then, when it fell dark. Ivy found him on the porch swing by himself. No-one else had really noticed, but she did. Ivy walked out to the porch and stopped at the door as she looked to him.

"Okay if I join you?" Ivy asked him. Jude let out a tight and forced smile "Sure"

Ivy walked over to him and sat beside him on the swing. Jude kept his eyes on his phone. Ivy glanced to his phone and then took her eyes back to him "What's wrong?"

Jude looked to Ivy in the corner of his eyes, then muttering "Connor and I had a fight"

"A fight? Well they're never fun" Ivy put her knee to her chest and shifted herself to face him more, Jude didn't say anything, Ivy kept her eyes to him "You want to talk about it?"

Jude sighed and sat back "He got mad at me because when someone asked us if we were gay I said I wasn't"

"Wasn't gay?"

Jude nodded.

Ivy raised her eyebrows and let out a slow shrug "Are you confused? Do you think you may be bisexual?"

Jude shrugged and then shook his head "No I don't think so" he saw how Ivy wasn't exactly following, he sighed "I just hate labels, I hate how I always have to be branded as something...and I…"

Jude sighed again and looked back to Ivy, who then said in a soft voice "You what, babe?"

Jude rubbed his lips together and just blurted out "Ivy do you believe in God?"

Ivy raised her eyebrows, a little taken back by the way he just blurted that out, she looked down at her hands that rubbed her knee, then she began to nod and look back to him "Yeah I do"

"And moms don't?"

"Not necessarily...moms are very spiritual people, with the whole god thing I think it's more like they neither say deny or confirm-I guess in a God, they just more say 'if' there is...but given the way some Catholics can be they chose not to get mixed up with the Church"

Jude nodded and looked down to the floor, Ivy tilted her head to him "Why do you ask?"

"Because I believe in God. And until I realised i liked Connor I didn't really think about it...but I can't help but think-"

"Don't buy into any homophobic crap you hear, anyone who involves god into a homophobic argument is just using God as an excuse, the majority of people who use that aren't even really religious. Or if they are, they aren't a good Christians when they are taught be all loving"

Jude looked to her "You really think that?"

"Yeah I do. But Jude, forget what people say, aside from being gay being a highly accepted thing nowadays...i erm" Ivy let out a sigh and then said with a light laugh "Sorry I've never done this before...listen, I along with many people believe you are accepted no matter who you are. Be proud. You know I think you're going through what your mom went through, internalised homophobia which is you finding it hard to accept who you are because of your beliefs and the people around you. Like my gramps for example"

Jude let Ivy's words sink in for a moment "I guess…"

"Look love finds you, you know? You don't get to choose" Ivy smiled softly, she leaned forward and then whispered "I may believe in a God but I don't believe everything is written out for you, life is like a damn ocean, one wave comes along and changes the current. Who knows maybe I'll fall in love with a girl someday"

Jude laugh as she then did herself. Jude nodded and raised her eyebrows "Well they'd be lucky to have you" Jude's laugh faded and his smile became more sincere when he said "Thanks, Ivy"

Ivy pulled him close and kissed the top of his head "Anytime, bud" she ruffled his hair and stood back up, before walking into the house, she turned and pointed to his phone "Call him, tell him what you've been feeling. If he's the good guy you've told me he is then he'll understand"

Jude nodded and began to dial the number.

"Also don't be too long out here it's getting late" Ivy quickly ordered with a little smirk to him.

Ivy crossed into the kitchen in order to go to her room and do a last minute shift of some boxes she had packed away. It was getting there slowly. The walls needed painting before she could put any of her art up that she bought. But still, she was getting there.

Brandon was pouring himself a glass of orange, when he saw her, he couldn't help but stop her as he said "You saw Nate today?"

Ivy stopped and turned to him, placing her hands on the kitchen table "I did...you saw me so-"

"You went to lunch?"

Ivy stared at him, rubbing her lips together she then popped her gum "You know I've never had a father, if this is what it's like then i'm kind of glad I didn't"

Brandon rolled his eyes at her and shook his head. He just cut straight to the point and dropped the orange carton "Listen whatever you're planning to do with Nate. Don't"

"Excuse me?" Ivy said in a laugh full of disbelief.

"Lauren comes into the bar I work a lot, she's a good person"

"I don't doubt that-"

"And I don't want her to get hurt"

Ivy looked at her hand and slowly slapped it down on the table "Okay Brandon. The only thing that can hurt Lauren right now is Nate...or a bus"

Brandon scowled a fake amused smile "Think about it, if Nate cheats on Lauren with you what does that make him?"

Ivy shrugged and said bluntly "Probably not as much of an ass as the boy who cheated on his girlfriend by kissing his foster sister and almost screwing up hers and Jude's life" Ivy didn't exactly know what had come over her to say something as harsh as that. Maybe it was the fact he was trying to suggest something about both herself and Nate.

Brandon scoffed "What did you just say?"

"Don't think that I don't know what goes on in my own family, Brandon. Not only is cheating not in Nate's blood it sure as hell isn't in mine. Don't act like you've got me pegged as someone that I'm not when you have done things just as bad if not worse. Fake IDs. Stealing. Cheating" Ivy shook her head "My relationship with Nate is both platonic and none of your business. Don't stand there, making him sound like some shitty guy when you did the exact same thing you are accusing him of doing"

Ivy felt her blood boiling up more and more, she had to walk away now before she really lost it. Ivy stood back up from leaning against the table, but before she walked out the door, she halted and said one more thing, her voice slightly raised "And you know what? At least my relationship won't tear the family apart and it wasn't even worth it"

Brandon remained silent, he bowed his head down and all he heard was Ivy mutter "Goodnight" and then a loud slam of Ivy shutting the door behind her.

One that alerted Stef.