Seven year old Jesus tries to protect Lena when she and Stef argue.
(When Stef and Lena are arguing about something Jesus makes it his mission to protect Lena.)
The twins had been living with Stef and Lena over a month now and were beginning to fit in and feel comfortable. They knew they were safe and loved and began opening up a whole lot more.
Mariana loved spending time with Lena. With both of them being more quiet and calm Mariana felt safe and secure. The two would spend hours cuddled together on the couch, reading or watching a movie or Mariana would help Lena in the kitchen. Jesus just waited for when Stef got home from work. He loved it when she would turn him upside down or chase him all around the back yard and play ball with him. To all of them it felt like the twins just belonged here. Even Brandon had found companionship in both kids. He was sort of in-between them - not as quiet and timid as Mariana but not as boisterous and energetic as Jesus and as a result spent his time with both - feeling like he had someone to hang out with no matter what mood he was in.
All three kids loved to tell each other stories. Jesus would tell Brandon about what life was like for them before they came to live here. Mariana would make up fairytales of what she imagines life to be for all of them in the future and Brandon would tell them what life was really going to be like now that they were here. He told him all about his two moms and his dad and how he loved them all the same. But with Jesus' coaxing the most stories told were those of Stef and Mike at work. Brandon filled the time with tales of how they fought the bad guys and protected the 'whole world'. And naturally, being a nine year old boy, most of the stories were greatly exaggerated and often unrealistic. But Mariana and Jesus loved them and were constantly asking Brandon to tell them more.
That was, until the day the strong, powerful cop and the gentle vice-principal got into an argument at home.
"You worked a double yesterday." Lena frowned as she poured two cups of coffee.
"I know love." Stef said sympathetically as she took one cup from Lena. "But we are understaffed right now."
"Isn't there anyone else?" Lena asked.
"Yes and most of us are working doubles for now." Stef explained. "Seven people are out for a month at least."
"Because of the shooting." Lena stated, cringing just at the thought.
"Yeah." Stef said sadly, thinking of the three co-workers they'd lost and the other seven who were injured at the shooting in the pharmacy a week before.
"I hate your job." Lena mumbled under her breath as she turned to face the sink.
"I wasn't even there love." Stef said, hearing Lena and knowing how she always felt.
"But you could have been." Lena said in frustration. "Or you could be there the next time and it could be you that dies or has to recover from a bullet in your body."
"Sweetheart it's the job." Stef said sympathetically. "And we are careful. These things don't happen often."
"But it could." Lena said fiercely, turning around again.
"Honey." Stef went to her, trying to reassure her wife. She knew that Lena hated her job and worried about her but the truth was that most of the time they were dealing with speeding tickets and fraud. Incidents like this were few and far between.
But Lena was too upset now and instantly shrugged out of Stef's reach. "No, you have kids Stef." Lena said angrily. "Little kids who need their mother. What if something happens to you?"
"I can't just say no to the hard stuff Lena." Stef tried to rationalize. "We all have families and people who depend on us. I can't just expect someone else to always cover for me, come on."
"You don't have to take doubles." Lena raised her voice. "Why do you have to increase the chances?"
"We're all pitching in love." Stef said.
"Well you need to pitch in here too." Lena argued back.
"You're acting like I'm never here." Stef said, beginning to get upset herself. "It's just been a week, otherwise I hardly ever work these many hours."
"You missed the fair last weekend and the movie on Wednesday." Lena pointed out.
"Wednesday was my regular shift." Stef yelled. "We don't get summer vacation Lena, I still have to work even when I don't do doubles."
"Whatever." Lena said in frustration as she began to walk out the back door, knowing that her argument was irrational. Just because school was closed for the summer didn't mean that Stef could stay home all day. She was just trying to find any excuse to keep Stef close and was upset that she couldn't.
"Hey." Stef reached out and caught Lena by the arm, trying to stop her from leaving in anger.
"Let go Stef." Lena said angrily and pulled away.
But Stef didn't let go. She didn't want to go to work in the middle of a fight with Lena.
"I SAID LET GO." Lena said again, more firmly, angry with Stef and with herself and just needing her space.
"Don't do this Lena." Stef said, trying to control her own temper and hoping to change Lena's mind. "I don't wan..."
But before she could continue a little ball of fire came charging at her and head butted into her stomach, causing her to let go of Lena and take a few steps back.
The twins had been upstairs playing quietly when the argument broke out. They immediately creeped to the top of the stairs and watched through the bars. Neither of them said a word but when Stef caught hold of Lena and didn't let go even after Lena asked her to Jesus felt it was his job to make sure Lena was safe.
Before anyone could stop him Jesus bounded down the stairs and charged straight into Stef, wedging himself between the two women. It took Stef a moment to get over her shock but as she watched the little boy half Lena's size standing protectively in front of her, her heart dropped - Jesus thought she was going to hurt Lena. It never ever occurred to her that the twins would be afraid of her like that. Stef desperately looked back up to Lena for some help. She had no idea what to say to Jesus and was honestly afraid to even take a step towards the two.
Lena could see the struggle that Stef was going through. She was just as shocked as her wife with their foster son's sudden protectiveness but she knew that Stef was keeping her distance.
"Honey, Stef isn't going to hurt me." Lena said gently as she placed a hand on Jesus' shoulder and tried to turn him around.
Jesus looked between both women but didn't move from between them nor did his ridged posture relax. People had hurt them before when they were told they were safe and Lena was just like Mariana - soft and gentle and it was his job to protect her just like he protected his sister.
When Lena saw that Jesus was still worried she gently lifted him off the ground and sat him on the kitchen table and sat down on the stool in front of him. Stef remained rooted in her position, still unsure about approaching the young boy or the woman he was protecting.
"Jesus, we don't hurt anyone in this house remember?" Lena said, placing her hands on the boys knees and squeezing gently.
"But she caught you." Jesus said, reminding her of the fact. "And she didn't let go."
"She just didn't want me to leave." Lena said. "She wasn't hurting me."
"But you asked her to let go and she didn't." Jesus said, not fully understanding why Lena was defending Stef.
"I was angry and I wanted some space." Lena said. "I wasn't afraid that she was going to hit me."
Stef cringed when Lena said the word 'hit'. Yes, she was tough and strong and often hot-headed and strong willed but she would never hurt anyone especially her wife or kids but obviously Jesus hadn't fully trusted that.
Lena was watching Stef through the corner of her eye. She knew this had affected her wife more than she was showing but she also knew that eventually Stef would break down - later, when there were no kids around to see and if Lena didn't keep an eye on her then probably when Lena wasn't around to see either. But Lena didn't want that. She didn't want Stef to hide her hurt and deal with it on her own. She wanted to be there and she wanted Jesus to see that Stef had feelings too and just because she was a cop didn't mean that she didn't hurt as well. So she reached out for Stef's hand and pulled her down onto the stool beside her, smiling gently when Jesus didn't show any signs of being afraid.
"Jesus, Stef loves me and I love her." Lena said, holding on to Stef's hand. "Sometimes we fight and get angry but neither of us will ever hurt the other."
Had these been any other children then Lena would have pointed out that it's just like when they fight. But they weren't other children - they were foster kids that had no one but themselves to really depend on and as a result they didn't fight. They didn't even fight with Brandon really. Lena assumed it was because they didn't want to upset anyone and get in any trouble.
"But she caught you." Jesus repeated softly, trying to justify his actions. He knew that his foster moms believed he had done the wrong thing but he still felt what he'd done was right.
Lena smiled gently. "Do you remember a few weeks ago when Brandon got mad because you wanted to watch the Lion King but he wanted to watch Toy Story but it was your turn to pick?" Lena asked and waited for Jesus to nod. "Remember what happened?" She asked.
"Brandon threw the remote at the T.V." Jesus answered.
"And then what happened?" Lena asked him.
"He didn't get to watch any movie." Jesus recalled. "And he missed his next turn to choose."
"Exactly." Lena said. "But he didn't get hit and he didn't get hurt and even though he was angry he didn't hurt anyone else. We don't hurt each other in this house. Sometimes we get upset and angry and we fight and even though there may be consequences; physical violence is never one of them, not even between Stef and me."
Stef had been watching the entire conversation and slowly her shock began to wear off and curiosity slipped in. Jesus was absolutely comfortable around her. She knew that. He begged her to chase him around the back yard and toss him about like a ball so why had he suddenly become afraid that she'd hurt Lena.
"Honey, did anyone ever hit you?" Lena asked, obviously thinking along the same lines as Stef. After all, there had to have been something that caused the young boy to jump to such conclusions.
"Mama's boyfriend would hit her sometimes." Jesus explained. "He hit me twice too but never Mariana."
"Well that won't happen here." Lena said. "Neither of us would hit anyone including each other."
"Brandon said she locks people up in the jail." Jesus said, thinking back to all the stories his foster brother had told him."
"Only the bad people." Lena pointed out, knowing that her son had a tendency to use his vivid imagination. "People who hurt or kill others or steal. Not good people and not just because she's angry with someone or someone is angry with her.
"Mama would lock us in the bathroom because her friends didn't like us to be around." Jesus explained. "I didn't like it."
"I'm sure you didn't." Lena said gently.
Stef began to realize that Jesus wasn't actually afraid of her. He was just associating everything with his own experiences. Brandon had always been proud that his parents were cops and often told people about how they saved the world from the 'bad guys'. Jesus only associated those stories with things that had happened to him and ultimately came to the wrong conclusion. But listening to Jesus' explanations and thinking back to how he tried to protect Lena made her smile - this little boy and his sister belonged with them, they were meant to be a part of this family and Stef was determined to make that happen.
"Are you okay?" Lena asked Stef after she'd sent Jesus out back to expel some pent up energy.
"Yes." Stef answered her wife.
"Honey..." Lena tried to get her to open up but Stef just shook her head.
"I'm fine." Stef insisted. "I get that it wasn't me."
"But it still must have hurt." Lena pointed out knowingly.
Stef looked at her wife for a moment, knowing that there wasn't much she could hide from her. "It did." She finally admitted. "I know I can get angry sometimes but I never imagined them to be that afraid of me."
"They're learning." Lena said. "They've never lived like this before."
"I know." Stef said. "I just wish they never lived like that at all."
"We can't change the past honey." Lena said, knowing that Stef always wanted to make a difference.
"But we can change their future." Stef said, surprising her wife. "We can make sure they never have to live like that ever again."
Lena raised an eyebrow at her wife, sure she knew where she was going with this but wanting her to say it.
"We adopt them." Stef said, voicing both their thoughts. "They're meant to be here Lena. I was hurt when he thought I'd hurt you but he also looked so sweet trying to protect you. I don't want him to ever feel like he has to protect someone else ever again. I want to be the one to protect him, and his sister."
Lena was still silent. It's not that she didn't agree wholeheartedly with her wife, she was just letting Stef get out whatever she was feeling.
"Please." Stef said, after a pause when Lena didn't respond.
A huge smile grew on Lena's face. "I couldn't agree with you more." Lena said. "I wouldn't be able to send them away anyways."
A smile, just as big, crept it's way up to Stef's face as well and she took two quick steps towards Lena and hugged her tight.
"Can we tell them now?" She asked, sounding like a child begging to open presents early on Christmas morning.
"After we talk to B." Lena said, thinking that the boy deserved to be a part of this.
"I'm going to call Mike and ask him to bring him back right now." Stef said, reaching for the phone and not even waiting for Lena to respond.
Lena smiled as she watched Stef, just as excited and impatient as her wife was to make these two little kids a permanent part of their family.