SOUNDTRACK: "Daydreamer" -Adele

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Jared asked, giving his mother a kiss on the cheek as she walked into the house. "Did I miss a call or text?" He pulled his phone out to look at it.

She shook her head and put her purse on the bench near the side door. "I came by to see how you and Kate were getting along," she answered.

He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "It could be better."

The night beforehand had been a breakthrough in Jared's mind, but very little had changed. Kate remained locked in her room, opening the door only long enough to let Vedder in. Jared was grateful to have his bed back, but still slightly annoyed with Kate's silent treatment. He had heard teenage girls could hold grudges, but this seemed a little extreme to him.

"It will get better," his mother assured him.

"I still think I should tell her the truth," he reasoned. "Maybe it'll make her hate me less."

Connie sighed. "If you think it's best," she answered, though it was obvious she wanted to say something else.

"What, Mom?" Jared asked with a sigh.

"I don't want to give my opinion if you aren't asking for it, sweetheart," she replied carefully. "You're the parent now."

"I'm asking for your opinion," he groaned.

"Don't do it," she said.

"I'm just tired of her acting like she hates me, you know?" he said. "She barely speaks to me, but every time she does it's like the Ice Queen is coming."

Connie chuckled. "That's what teen girls do."

The idea hit Jared suddenly. "Maybe if she spent more time with a woman she might feel better?" he suggested.

"Maybe," she replied slowly.

"Do you think - I mean, only if you want to - do you think you could take her out? To go do something?" he asked hopefully. "Maybe getting her out of the house will help her feel better."

Connie withdrew slightly. "I don't know, Jared. Last time Kate was with me, she all but ran off."

"I would take her myself but I don't want too many people to see us together, you know?" he told her. "Plus you haven't stopped talking about her since you heard about her."

Connie was aware of how...inquisitive her sons' fanbases could be. "If you're sure she'd be okay with it."

"Let's find out," he said, walking to Kate's room. He knocked on her door. "Kate it's me. Open up, please."

A second later, Kate opened the door and stood in front of the two adults. She looked at Jared expectantly.

"Get yourself together. My mom wants to take you out," he told her. OK, so maybe forcing Kate to go wasn't the best idea, but his conversation skills with her were minimal at best. "If you're not busy," he added.

"I'm too tired," she answered.

"Come on. It'll be fun," Connie cajoled. "I'd really like to get to know you."

Kate's manners wouldn't let her refuse. After a second, she nodded. "Let me get changed."

Connie followed Jared back into the living room while they waited for Kate. He turned to her with a relieved look. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Don't thank me yet," she replied. "We haven't even left the house."

"She behaves in public," he said. "It's private that's the issue."

Kate emerged several seconds later in jeans and a t-shirt. "Alright. Let's get this over with," she sighed. "I'll be outside," she called over her shoulder as she walked out to Connie's car.

"Here," Jared said, pulling his wallet from a jacket draped across the sofa. He handed her a credit card. "Put whatever you need to on this."

Connie declined. "She's my granddaughter. I can pay for her," she insisted. "But thank you, love." She ran her hand across his cheek before kissing it and walking to the side door. "I'll have her back in a few hours, even if she kills me."

"I'll bury you in the back," he joked. He gave her a quick hug before she left.

Kate got into Connie's hybrid and watched as the older woman pulled out of Jared's driveway and onto the street. She hadn't really gone anywhere in the area since moving into the house. School had kept her pretty busy and by the time she was done with practice, she was too exhausted to do much exploring. Jared certainly wasn't inviting her on any walks.

"I thought we could maybe do lunch," Connie started, both hands on the steering wheel. "Are you hungry?"

Kate shrugged.

"Okay, I need a yes or no, Kate," Connie said, changing her tone slightly.

Kate was slightly surprised that the older woman had an ounce of disciplinarian in her body, for all the hippie vibes she gave off. "Yes. I could eat," she said slowly.

"Good. I know a nice little cafe. They do a marvelous butternut squash soup," Connie replied, her tone back to cheerful faster than it had changed to begin with. "How's school going?" she asked, as if they knew each other well.

"It's alright," Kate replied, making it obvious she wasn't interested in talking more.

"After lunch, I thought we could do a little window shopping at a few of the small shops nearby. Do you need anything for school or your room?" the older woman asked, ignoring Kate's cues.

The teen sighed and looked outside. It was obvious Connie was going to force her to speak this entire trip, so there was no point in trying to get out of it.

"No, I'm good. Thank you," she answered.

Connie left the conversation at that and about fifteen minutes later she was pulling into a parking space behind a row of shops. Kate followed her grandmother around to the front of the buildings and into a cafe on the end. Connie held the door open for her and she followed the teen inside.

The cafe was small, with only a few tables and chairs scattered around the little dining area. A counter stood at the back of the dining area in front of a huge wall that had been painted like a chalkboard. The menu was written in neat script in multicolored chalk. Connie surveyed its contents as she stood in front of the counter.

"I think I'll have a cup of your butternut squash soup and half of an Avocado Bravo sandwich," she told the tattooed sales clerk. "Kate?"

"I guess I'll have the same," Kate replied.

The clerk typed it into her touch screen computer and gave them a polite smile. "Here's your number. We'll bring it out to you."

Connie took the offered metal stand and walked over to a table in the corner underneath a large mural of sunflowers. She set the number on the table and sat down, pulling her jacket off and draping it over the back of the chair. Kate followed her and sat in the free chair.

"So," Kate said, realizing something. "What - uh - what should I call you?"

"Connie is fine for right now," the older woman replied. They sat in silence for several seconds. "So what's your take on all of this?"

"This?" Kate asked.

"The case, the move, all of it," Connie elaborated.

Kate sighed. "I mean, does my opinion even really matter? I'm stuck here whether I like it or not."

Connie tilted her head. "Your opinion always matters."

"Nobody's asking me for it."

Connie smiled. It was the first hint of Jared's personality she had see in the girl. "Fair enough. Here's me asking for your opinion."

"I think it's stupid. Jared is too busy to spend time with me. He has people in and out of his house all the time. He doesn't acknowledge me half the time. I may as well be raising myself," Kate rushed out at once. "His house is in a constant nomadic state. Nothing is conpletely finished - its all done enough to function. I feel like I may as well have just stayed in San Diego. At least then I'd be in my own house and have my friends."

Connie crossed her arms at Kate's flood of information. "Sounds about right," Connie told her. "Hes always been like that. Focusing on something and tuning everything else out 'til he's done. Even as a kid."

Kate relaxed a little at the description of Jared as a child. "Really?"

Connie nodded. "Yeah. That's the first time I knew he'd be successful in whatever he wanted to do. He's determined." She shifted in her seat. "He always accomplished whatever he set his mind to, regardless of how long it took him to do it."

"Well he seems to be all over the place. Like, he is always busy," Kate said.

Connie nodded again. "That's Jared's biggest downfall; he wants to do everything at the same time. Time management and setting priorities haven't always been talents of his."

"Clearly," Kate muttered.

"Tell me more about yourself, Kate," Connie asked.

Kate blinked. It seemed weird to talk about herself with someone who was technically her grandmother. "I-what do you want to know?" she asked.

"Besides soccer, what do you like to do?" Connie asked.

"I like reading," Kate answered. "I like listening to music."

"Your mom was a painter, wasn't she?" the older woman asked. Their conversation was paused as a server brought their food by. "Do you paint or draw?"

The teen shook her head. "No. Not really. I tried a little when I was younger, but Ryan always told me I was distracting my mom from her work. So I sort of stopped."

Connie stiffened. Stifling a child's creativity was not something she approved of. "I see. Well, you know, I paint sometimes. Nothing like what your mom did. But you're welcome to join me anytime."

Kate bobbed her head in agreement and started eating. They ate in silence for a minute before Connie spoke again.

"Have you heard from Ryan? You know, since the move?" she asked tentatively.

Kate shook her head. "Nope. He hasn't texted or called. Do you think Jared might have told him not to?"

Connie shook her head, knowing the truth. "Not at all. He wouldn't try to stand in your way. Maybe Ryan's just busy, you know? He moved, so he's probably getting settled still."

She knew giving the girl false hope was a bad idea. But at that point she didn't have any other choice.

"Yeah. Maybe," Kate said.

They ate in silence for several more seconds.

"What was Jared like as a kid?" Kate asked suddenly.

Connie blinked. "He was very smart, but he didn't enjoy school that much. He was always a dreamer. He'd come to me all the time with these drawings of things he wanted to do," she chuckled. "I'll never forget the time he came to me with a picture of planets after learning about the solar system. He said, 'Mama, I'm gonna go to Mars one day! I'm gonna go to space!' There was never anything he didn't think he could do," she smiled at the memory.

Kate smiled in spite of herself. The image of Child-Jared was not one she had ever thought about. She had seen pictures of him and Shannon around Jared's house, but had never really connected them with their adult counterparts.

"He's really the reason we're all out here in LA," Connie continued. "He had the dream and made it happen. He wanted to be part of something important - life changing, even. And he did it."

Kate got a slight feeling that Connie favored Jared over Shannon, but she didn't say anything. They finished eating and walked outside.

"There are a few shops we could go into if you're interested," Connie stated, adjusting her purse on her shoulder.

"I actually have a few assignments to work on for next week," Kate said. As much as she didn't want to be rude, she had reached her saturation of Happy Family Time. "I should probably get back."

"Oh, of course. Your school is important," Connie remarked.

She led the teen back to her car and they headed back to Jared's house.

"Have you been to the Compound yet?" Connie asked as she pulled onto Jared's  street.

"Not yet," Kate answered. "Jared's been  too busy to take me."

"Well, maybe I can take you by sometime," Connie suggested. She stopped in Jared's driveway and got out. "Thank you for coming out with me. I know all of this is weird and everything, but I hope you and I can grow closer. It would be nice to have a good relationship with you."

Kate nodded and stood awkwardly near the side door. "Oh - I'm sorry," she said suddenly. "For how I spoke to you before. I was angry and took it out on you."

Connie paused in surprise. "Its okay." She opened her car door. "Anytime you want to talk or go out let me know."

Kate nodded and walked into the house. Vedder met her at the door and she scratched him behind the ear. Strains of music met her ears, telling her that Jared was downstairs with Stevie. She went down to the studio and popped her head into the mixing booth, finding the guitarist sitting at a computer. He looked up when he heard the door open.

"Hey - just tell Jared I'm back," she said, disappearing as quickly as she had appeared.

For some reason it didn't seem worth hating Jared as much anymore. Connie's words had changed the way Kate saw the man. She didn't envision them cuddling up and gossiping together, but things didn't have to be so tense any longer. She was in Los Angeles, going to an exclusive school, with a celebrity father worth millions. Life could be a lot worse.