A/N: After all the time and I've never written a chapter about when Delia found out about Katie and Ned lol. Well, enjoy xx Mariah

Ages:

Delia — 47
Jim — 47
Melinda — 43
Ned — 21
Katie — 18
Aaron — 14
Mack — 8
Lana — 1 month

Ned wrapped his arms around Katie's small frame and held her tight. With a sigh, she hid her face in the crook of his neck, allowing her body to go limp as she leaned into his solid frame.

It was getting late. Christmas dinner was nearly over, and Ned had to go home soon, but he wasn't ready to let go. Not yet. So, he stayed, holding Katie in his arms for a little bit longer.

Katie's father's loud laugh floated up the stairs, bringing them back to the moment.

Reluctantly, Ned loosened his hold and Katie pulled away from him. Her warm, brown eyes locked with his. The sorrow he found reflected in them made him question every decision he'd made over the last few moments. They'd just had their conversation about keeping their relationship a secret from everyone in Grandview besides her parents for now.

He was about to let go of her when, suddenly, she leaned into him once again and her warm, soft lips, found his.

Every muscle in his body tensed while his mind raced. Grabbing her shoulders, he pulled away. "Katie?"

She looked away, her body heavy as she tried to move away from him. He tightened his hold on her instinctively.

With a defeated huff, she explained, "I'm sorry, I… I just had to do that, at least once more before we head down."

"What about one more?" He asked, rubbing his hands up her sides.

Slowly, she closed the gap once more, briefly, and then stood flat on her feet. "I wish you could spend the night," her voice dropped down to a whisper, and then she added, "I don't want you to go yet…"

A flash of warm joy rushed through Ned's body at her words and he hugged her. "I won't go if you don't want me to. I don't have to work tomorrow." He whispered in her ear, making her forget about the possibility of anyone coming upstairs and seeing them right now. Slowly, his hands traveled from her shoulders, softly caressing her exposed neck, until they reached her cheeks. His voice was as sweet as honey when he asked, "Can I kiss you again?"

She nodded as he closed his eyes and kissed her, getting lost in the feel of her sweet lips on his own. She reached for him, her small hands held on to the soft button-up shirt he wore to pull him closer to her as she nibbled on his lower lip. His lungs fought for air and, reluctantly, he broke the kiss. Pressing his forehead against hers, he asked, "I wish that my mother wasn't so overbearing," he sighed. "I'd make out with you on the couch, so hard."

Her flushed cheeks turned even redder as she shyly admitted, "I know you would."

Ned chuckled, her soft words made his stomach flutter. He was falling in love with her so fast, but he didn't care. He could tell that she was too. "We should see what's going on down there." He reminded her.

"I guess," she whispered, sighing. "Hear anything from here?"

They both leaned in toward the stairs to listen downstairs as people came toward the door laughing.

"Well, you two drive safe now," Melinda and Jim both said at the same time. "Thank you both for coming."

"Of course. We always love a good meal. See you in the morning, Melinda. Give Katie my love. Though I'm not quite sure where she snuck off to this time." And with that, the front door closed.

Ned chuckled and leaned in to kiss her neck while she had her neck turned, earning a moan as her hands ran up his chest and around his neck to his hair. "I guess I don't have to go anymore now that they are gone," he whispered, pulling up from her neck to look at her.

Katie smiled, her eyes were two happy, twinkling stars. "Really? You'll stay a little longer?"

Nodding vigorously, he whispered, "Of course."

Katie leaned into him once more as they kissed, enjoying the gift of each other's love on this holiday night.

After heading downstairs and more than a few hours of lounging and snacking on good food, Katie turned her head toward the man who was sitting beside her on the couch.

Somehow, Ned and Katie had been able to keep things PG since her siblings were around and she doubted any of them suspected that they were together, despite their hands which had firmly been intertwined since they'd come downstairs.

"I'm gonna go get ready for bed," she whispered in his ear. "If you want, you can come down in a few minutes."

He nodded, looking over at her. He wanted so badly to kiss her then, she could tell, and he moved his arm from around her shoulder as she got up. "Goodnight, Katie." He said, looking back at the tv.

"You're going to bed already?" Mackenzie asked, looking up from her Candy Crush game.

"I am just wiped, Kenz." She nodded her head, stretching. "I have been up since six am helping mom with all the stuff."

"It's only eleven, Katie," Mackenzie came around the couch to block the doorway. "Please?"

"Maybe another night this week we can stay up, but tonight I am way too tired," she yawned, hugging the eight-year-old. "I promise, okay?"

"Okay. Goodnight then," Mackenzie hugged her quickly before dashing back to her spot on the floor.

She turned back to everyone in the living room. "Goodnight everyone," she yawned. "Love you." She walked through the foyer, rubbing her eyes as she walked into the kitchen. Her parents were cleaning up from tonight's dinner, but really at this point, her father was probably whispering in her mother's ear about how the dishes could wait until tomorrow as he pressed another kiss to her neck. "Night mom, night dad." She opened the basement door as her father came to hug her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Goodnight bug, it's a little early for you isn't it?" Her father asked, pulling back from the hug.

"She's been up since six because of me," Melinda hugged her. "Thank you for all your help today, Katie. I don't know what I would've done without you."

"Of course, mom. I'll always help you no matter what the task is, you know that." She said, rubbing her side before they pulled back.

"I know," Melinda smiled, winking at Katie. "Is Ned staying over?"

"Umm, I don't think so, but who knows. He might end up staying." She turned toward the basement and took a step down. "Will you send him down here in a little bit? Just in case he forgets. We didn't want it to be too obvious for Aaron and Mack yet."

"Sure will, but I think both of your siblings aren't dumb and realize more than you think they do," Melinda said and nodded. "I also think you two should figure out what you're going to say to Delia. She's starting to suspect something, though I know Tim is trying his best."

"Suspect what?" She asked, stepping back into the kitchen. She closed the basement door and looked at her mom. Was this something she had to be worried about? She hadn't heard anything when they'd listened in upstairs. Katie and Ned had discussed going to Delia after they were together a month, but maybe sooner was better. "Does she think we're together?"

"I don't think she's jumped that far yet," Melinda laughed, reassuring her with her usual cheek squeeze. "She just noticed you two were pretty close lately, and that you snuck off quite a bit tonight. I played devil's advocate and said that it was just because he was there for you after your breakup with Toby, but I don't think that will keep her at bay for long. She was asking all sorts of questions and tried my best not to say anything else, but I think you two should think about telling her sooner rather than later."

"I know, I know. Gosh, we were just trying to enjoy as much time together as we could without Delia medeling," she nodded, sighing. She rubbed her forehead "I'll talk to Ned about it then, I guess. We'll have to figure it out over the next few days."

"Okay. I'll let you know if she asks me anything else, bug," Melinda smiled, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "You'll figure this out. I think she'll be okay with it, don't you Jim?" She looked up at her dad, who looked at Katie and then Melinda, who earned a bigger grin on his face.

"You know what I'm sure about?" Jim asked. "Mistletoe," he said, kissing Melinda before she even had a chance to look up and see that there wasn't anything above their heads.

This was just how her father was during the holidays, so peaceful and blissful with his wife and family. That was what she loved most about home. What she missed the most when she was in the city.

"Ugh, you guys are gross," she muttered, laughing a little as she jogged down the basement stairs.

Once she was in the space of her own "room", she pulled her jeans off and plopped down on the bed in her underwear. She was wearing a fairly warm and cozy Christmas sweater and didn't want to take it off, but proceeded to undo her bra from underneath and tossed it across the room.

She grabbed her book off the side table and opened it as she relaxed into the bed. Nearly an hour passed before she looked up from her book again, glancing at the clock on the wall.

She wondered if Ned had gone home and forgotten to come to say goodbye to her. She'd check after she finished getting ready for bed, she thought, and finally walked into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.

She had a mouthful of Crest when the sight of him in the doorway behind her almost had her choking on the minty foam. She never heard the basement door open and she obviously never heard him come downstairs.

Ned's stare was so intense that her skin prickled with goosebumps. He took a step towards her, scratching idly at the trail of fine blond hair beneath his chin. She quickly glanced down at the sink and kept brushing to avoid the temptation to look at him.

She placed her toothbrush back in its holder once she was finished, ran her tongue over her teeth, and stretched. Then she gasped. He's so close to her that she could feel the body heat radiating off his bare chest through her sweater.

His palms land on the counter on either side of her, bracketing her body. She didn't miss the way his eyes wandered over her entire body the rose, half-lidded, to lock on hers in the mirror again.

"What took you so long?" She asked.

"Your brother picked a good movie, that's all," he shrugged, "All finished up in here?"

His breath hit her neck and sent shivers down her spine. She swallowed discreetly and blinked as she nodded. His head tilted and his mouth danced along the slope where her shoulder met her neck. Instinctively, she closed her eyes and struggled to keep her lower body from dissolving to mush.

Holy shit.

Her entire body felt as if someone had zapped it with a current when his mouth traveled higher up her neck, leaving wet kisses in its wake. Her legs wobbled and she lurched forward to grip the counter. She felt his arm looped around her waist, and he spun her around to face him.

"What are you d-doing?" She didn't recognize the sound of her own voice. It was all breathy and tight. She'd never heard herself sound like this, not even in her most intimate moments with Toby.

Ned gave her that same cheesy grin that he always wore and his tongue flicked out to moisten his lips before he leaned in. His mouth hovered so close to her own that she didn't think a tissue would fit between them.

"Kissing you," he said, matter-of-factly.

"Well, then, kiss me." She whispered.

She felt his hand on the small of her back, nudging her forward to bring their mouths together. From the second his lips touch hers, she was a goner. Every part of her body came alive. Like a match being struck, the flame caught and whooshed to life, threatening to consume anything in its path. She just wanted to let him ravage her.

Ned tipped my head to the side and captured her mouth from a new angle as he picked her up and sat her up on the bathroom sink. His hands skated down her sides to clutch her hips, crushing her tighter to him. His mouth absorbed her whimper when she felt the hardness of his erection against her thigh.

He drew back to suck in a deep breath and he rested his forehead on hers and brushed his thumb over her cheek. Something about the gesture was so caring, so intimate. One that she'd seen her father do to her mother. One that it sent a new sensation crawling over her skin—love.

Real love.

"Are you staying the night?" She asked him.

"If you want me to," he nodded and smiled.

"Of course, I do." She whispered, hopping off the counter. She grasped his hand and pulled him along, capturing his lips in a brief kiss as she walked backward with him. "C'mon, let's go lie down. I want to talk about something with you."

It was on New Year's Eve when Katie reached her breaking point. She was going to kill Ned Banks.

After a peculiar phone call from her mother, while she was at home with siblings, Katie found out from her mother that Ned hadn't told his mother they were dating. Well, he'd told her he was dating someone, but not Katie Clancy. And that was not what Ned had told her last night.

She nudged her sister. "I'll be right back. I have to make a quick call." Mackenzie nodded as she stood up and dialed her boyfriend's number, pressing her phone to her ear.

"Katie! I'm so glad you called," Ned's voice came through the phone before she had the chance to speak.

"Why did you lie to me?" She asked him. "You told me you told your mother about us. I can't believe you lied to me."

"Katie," he sighed. "I know. I chickened out. You know how she gets."

Katie bust out laughing. "Ned Banks, you chicken! Hold on, one sec, okay?" She grabbed her jacket, hat, and scarf, pulling them on quickly as she set her phone on the banister. Once bundled up, she put it back to her ear. "Alright, I'm back. You're such a jerk, you know?"

"I'm sorry. I was able to tell my mom I was dating someone. I just didn't say who." He explained. "Yet."

"Okay, you wanna introduce me to my parents and your mother at the party tonight?" She asked jokingly as she stepped out onto the porch. "Like hi, mom, dad, and Aunt Delia... I'm Ned's girlfriend by the way. It's not like my parents don't know we're dating!"

Ned took it all in, his line of the call was quiet. He was either controlling his anger or laughter. Either way, he knew he was in the wrong and that she had every right to be upset with him.

She guessed that it was good enough for her to forgive him.

"I promise I'll tell her before the party, Katie. I'm sorry." He said, softly. "I didn't want to upset you."

"I'm not that mad anymore," she sighed, sitting down on the steps. "I'm just annoyed. I didn't think you'd lie to me like this. You could've just told me you chickened out."

"I know. I should have just told you the truth, but I thought I could tell her before you'd find out." He muttered.

"Yeah, your mom is a gossip, Ned. She told my mom this morning that you'd said you were bringing your new secret girlfriend to the New Year's party at the Country Club tonight." She rolled her eyes. "My mom called me. Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

"I guess I didn't think it through, I know." The phone crinkled. "I'll call her right after if you want. Connect her in with us and everything."

Katie couldn't stop her laughter, shaking her head at her boyfriend's words. "Stop." She laughed. "No. Go talk to and sit her down, Ned. Tell her you two need to talk to her about something important and then you tell her everything you told me on the night before Lana was born. And she'll know that this is real and you aren't joking. That you're dating me. Okay?"

"Okay. I'll tell her. I love you." He said softly.

"I love you too," she whispered, rolling her eyes.

"Before I hang up, should we match tonight?" He asked.

"I'm so happy you just asked me that," she laughed, her cheeks blushing. "I'm wearing green. Since you say it looks the best on me."

"It does," she could feel his grin through the phone as he chuckled. "I'll pick you up at seven and since my mother will know, you can spend the night with me."

"Sounds like a perfect night," she smiled, standing up on the steps. "I'll see you in a few hours. I think I'm gonna tell Mackenzie when she helps me get ready."

"She already knows, so does Aaron. They've both already warned me to take care of you." Ned said as he hung up.

Katie smiled as she slid her phone into her pocket. Of course, her siblings knew.