Thanks for great response guys - I always love to hear your thoughts and I love to chat with you all so will always try PM back if you're accessible :) As per mcgirl6541's request I have added a scene (so sorry this chapter got a little long). Anyhow - please let me know what you think...especially about the ending.

Thanks to TheTBone and Mea23 for test-driving this one for me.

"This has been absolutely lovely, Lena. I really am glad we were able to do this."

"The pleasure has been ours, really."

"I hope we didn't hijack the conversation too much with the church." Ernie weighed in.

"Oh don't worry, I think Frank can take the responsibility for that one." she replied. "Speaking of which, I'll go check he and Stef haven't killed each other outside. Jesus, maybe you can go grab the coffee pot?" He smiled and made his way through to the kitchen.

This had gone OK. It could have been a lot worse. He had been unsettled that his Moms had been worrying so much about the retreat. He loved his family more than anything and all he wanted was to include Lexi within that world. He smiled thinking about her again as he waited for the water to finish gargling away.

He put the pot in a tray that Lena had prepared earlier and guided it through into the dining room where his Moms had returned.

"Well look at that, you guys should come here every week if he's this well trained." Stef grinned, taking her seat and a mouthful of wine.

"He's a good boy, we're looking forward to you being this helpful next weekend!" Sonya smiled as Jesus' expression dropped looking at Stef who flickered an eyebrow at him. His look of disbelief turned to a smile.

"Thanks Moms!" he exclaimed as Stef rubbed a hand up and down his back.

"But you need to be on your best behaviour, got it?" she warned him, gripping his arm as he took his seat.

"I will. Hey we get free bottles of communion wine, right?" he joked as Stef rolled her eyes.

"You have my permission to set a nun or two on him if he gets out of line." she looked pointedly at the Riveras who shared a laugh as the desserts were passed around.

They heard a clatter come from the stairs as each of them turned. "That the girls back?" Stef asked checking the time. "I'm impressed!"

"Callie? Mariana? Is that you?" Lena shouted through. There was a short pause before a cracked response.

Jesus closed his eyes. The evening had gone so well...please don't let Mariana ruin it now. He cringed as they appeared. Lexi looked at him nervously. They didn't know exactly where they had been but they had a hunch, and if so it may not end well. He kept his fingers crossed that Mariana would only end up getting herself into trouble.

He looked nervously as Callie was introduced to the Riveras. As soon as he set eyes on Mariana, he could tell she was drunk. He knew his sister inside out and he knew a glazed look when he saw one.

"We were just going to bed." Callie informed them much to Jesus relief, momentary as it was before Sonya encouraged her to join them.

He inadvertently threw a glare at Sonya, though luckily she was too distracted to spot it. He closed his eyes as he heard Mariana stumble behind him. Stef was onto her now, he could tell by her reaction and her rapid suggestion that the night should be over. He made a mental note to use this weekend to thank God personally. If they left now all Mariana would achieve was busting herself.

Lexi backed the motion to leave and chairs began to scrape. Jesus watched as his Moms exchanged a silent glare to the backdrop of Sonya's pleasantries.

"Mari, Jesus is gonna join us at the church retreat next weekend. Why don't you come too?"

"What?" Mariana's face dropped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing and before she could regulate, the resentment she had tried to hide with the shots and the beer pong came hurtling out.

"You're gonna let them spend the night together when you know they're having sex?"

The room froze as Jesus' head blurred. His heart stopped in his chest. The words thumping in his head, replacing his heartbeat. She did not...

"What did you just say?" Sonya asked, dumbfounded.

"Sonya...just take a beat here..." Lena stood up.

"Did she just say they're having sex? Lexi? What does she mean?" Sonya shook off Ernie's hand as she leaned forward, over the table, jumping out of her chair.

"What is the matter with you?" Stef snapped pulling Mariana aside as Callie gawped in panic. She knew she should have done more to stop this.

"What's the matter with me? You're the ones who gave them a green light and contraception." Mariana slurred, yanking her arm away.

"You gave our daughter contraception? What kind of contraception?" Sonya's anger changed direction towards Stef before firing back as Lexi jumped in.

"Mami, it was one time."

"I don't believe this! How could you?" She yelled back at the two women, spitting with anger. Ernie joined in the glare, more panicked and heartbroken than anything else, before staring at his daughter. "Lexi, get in the car! We're leaving." He tried to take control but the instruction fell on deaf ears as Sonya stormed her way around the table. She hauled Lexi up by her wrist, dragging her away out of her chair. "What kind of contraception?" She repeated gripping her daughter's wrist furiously, tears filling her eyes and her voice cracking with the words. Lexi too began to cry.

"Sonya, we gave them the pill. They were careless and we wanted to make sure they were safe." Stef offered moving Mariana behind her and stepping forward. The interruption succeeded in taking the heat off Lexi for a second as Sonya stormed up to Stef.

"You gave our daughter plan B? Plan B? Do you have no respect for her faith at all? For the life that could have been inside her? How dare you sit here and pretend that you have any control over these children knowing that you violated her soul!"

"My Moms were just trying to help us Mrs Rivera. They - "Jesus stood up before Sonya turned to him with a pointed finger in his face. He collapsed back down into his chair, open mouthed.

"Don't you dare speak to me! You are never seeing my daughter again!" She bellowed ripping Lexi away with Ernie swiftly behind. He was lost for words as he turned and shook his head, gawping for anything to express his sorrow.

As the door slammed, drowning out Lexi's protests, a silence descended over the family.

"What the hell is your problem?" Jesus finally found his words turning furiously to Mariana before Stef stepped in between.

"My problem? As if it's not bad enough that you stole my best friend you go and try and knock her up too?" She shot back before a yell from Stef silenced them both.

"Enough, enough! Jesus, take a walk. You need to calm down."

Both Moms moved towards him, rounding him off from getting anywhere near to his sister.

"I need to calm - "

"Honey I know this is bad but it'll be OK - we all just need to -"

"NO! This is not all gonna be OK!" He yelled lifting the back of his chair and slamming it back down.

"This is never going to be OK - you've ruined everything! You're just spiteful and selfish and it's no wonder you're alone!"

"You have no right to -" Mariana began as Stef grabbed her shoulders having put up with enough already.

"No, no - this isn't happening. Not here, not now. Mariana, room. Go! Callie, can you take her please?" Callie immediately obliged grabbing her foster sister's arm and pulling her towards the stairs as Jesus once again collapsed down onto his chair.

"What's going on? Is everything OK?" Jude emerged as Callie quickly indicated he head back up.

"Uhm..." Callie stuttered. "Nothing to worry about." She placed a hand on his chest and guided him back up the stairs.

"I can't believe this." Stef spat bitterly, placing a hand on her forehead.

"How can you let her do that? How can you let her get away with it?" Jesus demanded standing up again. He didn't know what to do with himself. His heart raced and his head pounded. He felt everything was collapsing. His worst fear had come true.

"Sweetheart she's not going to get away with anything but she was just telling the truth..."

"You're defending her? Seriously? God!" He turned and kicked his chair under the table, taking his turn to storm out of the room.

Stef gawped at Lena, both of them frozen in shock.

"What the hell just happened?" Stef asked, her mouth gaping. She leaned forward and took a deep breath.

"I have no idea. How did Mariana even find out? No way Kasey or Callie would have told her." Lena weighed in.

"This is gonna be trouble." Stef grumbled pinching her nose furiously.

"Ya think?" Lena snapped back before quickly apologising as Stef whipped her head towards her.

"I didn't mean that to sound..."

Stef let out a frustrated breath and waved her hand at her.

"It's OK. We're all on edge. So much for it all going so well..." She leaned her weight over the back of a chair and buried her head low.

"This really is gonna be world war three."

"So your Moms have fostered four kids? That's pretty noble." Craig asked as Kasey and he strolled down the sidewalk, their path illuminated by the streetlights.

"Yep. Two of them are my adoptive brother and sister and the other two have only just joined us." She moseyed with her hands in her pockets, Talya and Kelly a few paces ahead.

"Do you think they'll adopt them too?" He asked, sporting a similar pose and stride.

"I dunno - guess we'll have to wait and see. It'd be pretty crowded but I'd be up for it. We get along pretty well."

Craig nodded. "Sounds nice. So, is Cady your foster sister or adopted?"

"Foster. And it's Callie." Kasey crinkled her brow and looked up at him. "You have a lot of interest in this?"

"Right. Sorry, it's just so far our only conversation point. I know you'll talk about that. Don't wanna make a fool out of myself asking about baseball when I find you're a football fan." He smiled with a twinkle in his eye. It was softening Kasey's exterior but she was determined not to give him too much before properly sizing him up.

"You know most people can just ask things like that instead of trying to guess. That's why it's called conversation." She raised an eyebrow as an even wider smile grew across, cheek to cheek. "Mind you, most people don't immediately think sports when they're trying to flirt with women."

"I'll bear that in mind." He licked his bottom lip before their gaze lingered for a moment. It was soon interrupted by Kelly's voice.

"Kase - we're heading off. I'll get Talya home." Kelly nodded with a knowing smile and looking to Kasey's house. Kasey winked and signalled her goodbye before spinning on her heels to take in the arrival at their destination.

"So you're home then?" Craig asked with a smirk.

"What makes you say that?" Kasey replied with a scrutinising glare.

"Text to your Mom, side talks. You're way too careful to not be within running distance of your house."

"Observant." She turned to him, folding her arms tightly across her chest.

"Right there." She motioned with her head. "You can see my backyard, so be warned Callie and Mariana will be looking for me out of their window. It'll be enough for a line up."

Craig looked over at the expansive yard over the fence along with the tree and light glowing from the house.

"Well I'd be excited for you to come home too." he smirked as Kasey shook her head.

"You are way too transparent, blondie. Thanks for walking me home." She patted him on his chest and strode by before he called her back.

"So I'm pretty sure a careful girl like you doesn't give her number out to strangers like me, but I'm guessing that doesn't necessarily mean you don't take them." he scribbled down on a bus ticket and handed it to her.

"Bus huh? Sexy." Kasey smirked taking the piece of paper.

"Oh I have a ride. I just don't use it when I have a party to go to."

"Nice to meet you, Craig." Kasey ended their conversation before heading back to the house. As she got to the door she paused and looked back to him before checking the number. It had been a while. She folded the number and slipped it into her pocket.

Craig took a deep breath, walking away from her house and back in the direction they had come. As he passed a blue sports car the driver poked his head round to try and get a better look. This kid was what? 20? 25? Mike was not impressed. He had wished he'd been a few minutes later with Brandon, maybe he could have asked him if he knew him had he not already gone into the house before Kasey had appeared in the vicinity. He shook his head and started the car. Next week he would get the details from Stef and find out who this boy was their daughter was seeing.

Kasey opened the front door and saw Stef and Lena hunched over the dining table.

"Where exactly have you been?" Stef snapped at her as she appeared.

"You kidding? One, I texted and two, it's before curfew." She checked her phone realising she was slightly over. "OK, well...five minutes past curfew."

"A lot has been going on." Lena sighed, hoping to counteract Stef's agitation.

"Oh God. Mariana?" Kasey whimpered realising what must have happened.

"So you knew about this party too?" Stef cross-examined, stepping towards her.

"Callie called, I went to help her,"

"And what? You couldn't find them so you dived into a keg instead?" Stef continued, smelling the beer on her clothing.

"Some dick -" she clocked Lena's glare. "I mean...idiot...spilled a cup on me. Come on Mom, smell my breath, I've not drunk anything. I wasn't even gonna go to the party until I heard that Mariana was in trouble. They'd already gone - I texted you. I've not done anything wrong so don't take it out on me." She explained, firm but tired.

Stef paused for a moment before grabbing her phone and checking the unread message.

"So, what? You had some random guy walk you home?"

Kasey paused and looked at Stef. "Really? I text you to be safe, one you didn't even check by the way, and you're holding it against me?"

Stef looked at her and bit her lip. "Okay. Point taken. It's been a long day and you should get to sleep."

"Looks like I'm not the only one. What happened?"

Lena looked across at Stef and took another breath to prepare.

"Mariana told the Riveras about the pill."

"Are you kidding?" Kasey flared as soon as the words were out. "I am gonna kill her - she told them? Why? To screw up his relationship?"

"OK, you need to calm down. We'll handle it." Stef mediated, grabbing her shoulders.

Kasey shook her head, buzzing with anger.

"This is too far." She replied before pulling away from Stef's hold. "Like hell she can do that! I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind." She dived forward as Stef grabbed her arm and swung her back.

"No, you're not. You're going to go to bed. We'll give her a piece of ours. Now get down there before you get a piece of it too." Kasey stuttered a few words before exploding into a sigh and retreating to the basement.

Stef took a deep breath and looked across at Lena.

"Time we faced the kids." She finally said after collapsing onto Lena's chest, hands rubbed across her face. Lena pulled her in close and kissed her head before the two of them headed up the stairs.

Kasey bobbed back up once she could see the coast was clear. She poured herself a glass of water and rubbed her forehead, taking a drink. Poor Jesus. Mariana had been so petulant recently and Kasey was fed up of it. All this over a stupid relationship? She was interrupted as Callie appeared cautiously round the wall.

"Your Moms gone?" She whispered as Kasey nodded and beckoned her in.

"Sorry I wasn't there earlier, you'd gone by the time I arrived."

Callie filled up two glasses of her own and took the seat next to Kasey.

"If you're avoiding Moms I'm assuming you've not spoken to them yet?"

"They must be so pissed. I can't believe I let Mariana persuade me into this!" She groaned placing her head on the table as Kasey patted her back.

"Moms won't blame you, at least - they shouldn't blame you. You're not responsible for Mariana just because you were trying to keep an eye on her."

"Does that mean you're not taking responsibility for Jude being hopped up on sugar and saying "You gotta be shittin' me?" to everything?" She grumbled through her arms winking an eye open to look up at a guilty Kasey.

"That's a lot more my fault...are you mad at me?" she asked, nervously. Callie stretched her arms out and raised her head back up to level.

"He seems to have had the best day he's had in a long time, so no. Course I'm not. All I ever want for him is to have a normal childhood."

"Wow did you guys come to the wrong house, then." Kasey quipped sipping her glass.

"So, any advice before I face your Moms?" Callie grumbled propping her cheek upon her hand and chasing a drop of water around the rim of the glass.

"What part of my record makes you think I'm good at talking myself out of trouble?" Kasey smiled before continuing.

"Apologise and don't talk back. They won't blame you for this, really. Mariana may have them wrapped around her little finger but they're not stupid. You're sober and she's safe."

Callie nodded slowly taking it in.

"So, idiot sister aside, how was the party?"

Callie scoffed out a laugh. "You know one of those post-apocalypse movies?"

Kasey laughed in turn. "Yeah, it looked a bit like that. But that must surely mean that you and the other lone survivor at least had a bit of a last-two-standing, dystopian fling, right?" Callie shook her head gently without answering. "Is Wyatt being the last man on earth enough for you to finally admit that you like him?" Kasey prodded. The lack of denial was still enough to make Kasey grin.

"Well, I met a cute guy there too." She added. "He walked me home. Guy called Craig."

"Nice." Callie nodded. "You gonna see him again?"

"Meh." Kasey shrugged. "I haven't decided yet. Clearly a player. Clearly after one thing - but hey, maybe it'll be fun to go on a date. One that doesn't end up with broken leg."

"Just don't let your guard down." Callie warned, her brain flashing to a past time in her life and a man she'd just been reunited with. An event she had almost forgotten about in the flurry of activity that had happened since. Though had she forgotten or had she deliberately tried to drive it out of her mind?

Kasey sensed the slight change in tone.

"You OK?" She asked, concerned as Callie dropped out of her dream-world and shook her head into a forced smile. "Of course. I'm just tired...and thinking about my imminent take down." She pushed herself off the stool, disposed of her own glass and picked up the one she'd poured for Mariana.

"Hey, getting a "talk" from Moms is a rite of passage. It just means you're even more so one of us. It's nice not being the one in trouble for once." Kasey joined her in vacating the table.

"Right. Lena heard Jude's new catchphrase yet?" Callie squinted as Kasey shook her head and descended.

"What a night." Stef groaned flopping face first onto the bed.

"I can't believe Mariana." Lena shook her head.

"She's at that age." Stef sighed, rubbing her face. "I'm just glad that Callie was there. It's good to have one kid with their head screwed on."

"And hey, at least we didn't have to go pick anyone up over state lines." Lena side-eyed Stef with a much needed smirk. Stef wasn't quite as amused as she flipped herself over with a grunt.

"That is not fair, I can't believe him! He came here to grovel, why would he bring that up?"

"Well you can't have been in that much trouble if he's joking about it." Lena patted Stef's leg, causing her to join in sitting up against the head-rest.

"He didn't need to be - you should have seen my Mom's face."

Lena giggled. "I can't imagine Sharon angry."

"Pfft!" Stef scoffed with a look of horror. "I was already pushing it back then. I could have killed that recovery guy, why did he have to call to confirm the details? If he'd have just showed up like he was supposed to then it all would have been fine."

"How long did you have to wait for your Mom to come get you?" Lena laughed, enjoying Stef's regression to a clearly still bitter teenage mindset.

"One of the longest three hours of my life...second only to the three hour car journey home. I guess that's what you get for ever wanting to go to Arizona."

"How were you even planning to get away with it?" Lena squinted.

"Oh come on Lena, did you really never know how to work your parents? My friend and I were both sleeping over at each other's houses. We were gonna be back the next day. Had my Mom ever checked her oil we would have got away with it."

"As a vice-principal and a Mom who has to parent your genes I should really give you another three hour lecture." Lena reprimanded softly with a raised eyebrow."

"Well, how about you channel it into the talk we need to have with Mariana tomorrow?" Stef suggested, raising her own eyebrows. It was Lena's turn to slide down into the bed now, hands over her face.

"Don't. I don't want to even think about her right now."

"Fine by me." Stef whispered, stroking Lena's cheek and shimmying down to join her. "The only difficult kid you need to handle now is me." She smiled flirtatiously as Lena leaned in to give her a kiss.

Kasey sprawled out on top of her bed. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and with it fell the ticket that Craig had given her. She still felt angry with Mariana but her water party with Callie had calmed her and she couldn't deny that her evening had turned out better than she intended. If they hadn't have gone to that stupid party she never would have had her chance encounter. She studied the number. Kelly had been right, what harm could it do?

She tapped the number into her phone.

"For future reference, I'm more baseball. Padres." She typed, hitting send.

Craig's phone buzzed through and he flipped the message open with a smile. He saved the number and licked his lip.

"Called it. Maybe one day I'll take you and these famous sisters to a game. Have a good night." He replied.

He was amazed it had worked. Now even if Kasey talked about her evening he should be covered and more importantly, he had a link. He closed the message and opened up his instagram, typing in a name he'd had on his lips for a while. He scrolled through the pictures once again and stopped on one in particular.

"Craig, huh?" He whispered to himself, his eyes narrowing as he typed.

Using a foster sister to get to him? Two could play at that game.

"Nice tree. That's the one outside your bedroom window right?"

Yep. I went there. I'm expecting mixed reaction! Remember though, I won't be changing anything that affects the flow of the series so don't get too mad at me.

Next Chapter Preview: Mike drags Stef into his disagreement with Kasey and Liam continues his mind games with Callie.

Callie read the message and slipped her phone nervously back into her pocket. Where was he getting this from? She looked around the room and squeezed the table, fidgeting her fingers either side of it.

"You OK Callie?" Kasey asked, looking up from her work. Callie flicked her head to her, zoning back in to her two companions.

"Right – uhm, yeah!" She forced a smile. "You know, I think I'm just gonna head back. Feeling a little light headed."