Disclaimer: I don't own The Fosters.

So, hi. It's official, after watching The Fosters, I'm hooked. And Brallie? Ballie? Branllie? ASDFGHJKL. I mean, the way Brandon looks at her? How.. I can't even. THEM EYES, MAN, THEM EYES. David Lambert, I'd pay you to look at me in that way. And to also fall in love with me but I'm not going to get ahead of myself, haha.

The lack of Brandon/Callie in the latest episode kinda tore my heart a little bit so here I am. Trying to relieve the lack of Brallie because I HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO CAN WITH THEM OK. Seriously. I'm obsessed.

Anyways, here you go!

"I'm sorry."

Callie watched as Brandon's eyebrows knot together in a frown. Shrugging her shoulders, she faked nonchalance as she turned away and focused her attention on the guitar she's currently holding. "It happens." She replied, distantly.

"I know but..."

Looking up, she locked eyes with him for a brief moment as he struggled to find the right words to say. Sensing his hesitation, Callie only shrugged again.
"It was a long time ago..." She turned her attention back to the guitar, plucking on the individual strings. Brandon placed a warm hand on her leg and a chill ran down her spine as he started to rub soothing circles on her knee. She bit her lip and stared at his hand. "I don't really mind talking about her."

"What.. What was she like?" Brandon asked. His hand slowly lifted from Callie's leg and Callie almost missed the comforting touch. Her gaze stayed at where his hand was moments ago and her brows furrowed. She didn't know whether he was just making small talk or he was genuinely interested.

"She was..." Callie trailed off as she began to think about her deceased mother. The only family that mattered to her, aside from Jude. Growing up with a dad who left before Jude was born, her mom and brother were the most important people in her life. She had no uncles and aunts. No cousins. Not like they mattered anyway. They never cared about her, about them. It's always been her, Jude and her mom.

She hasn't thought about her mom, like really think about her, since she was sent to juvie and away from Jude. She tries not to as it always gets her down but at the same time, she wants to. She cherished the days she could remember when her mom was around. The memories are the only source of happiness she has before it all went wrong. Callie looked at Brandon, unsure as to whether or not she could trust him with a piece of her she's never shown anyone before. But as he gazed at her, his blue eyes shining with the most genuine glint, she couldn't help but give in.

"Callie?"

"Hmm?" She realised she'd zone out and he was now looking at her with worry filled eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Her name was Kathryn." She cut in. She took a pause before strumming once on her guitar and sending him a half smile. "From what I can remember.. She was pretty amazing."

Brandon shifted in his seat to face her, giving her his full attention.

"She was everything to Jude and me... She taught me how to play the guitar and she taught Jude how to swim." She paused and smiled as a memory began to form in her mind. "I remember one summer, she took us to a camp site. Near the lake. Just her, Jude and me. We stayed there for a week. We went on walks during the day and sang songs around a camp fire at night."

She felt a light fluttering in her stomach as she tells the story and her eyes focused on the ceiling as the memories came flooding back. "We'd roast marshmallows, eat s'mores, tell ghost stories.. and we'd star gaze. It was just me, Jude and her. And we were just... good. Happy. We didn't have much at the time but that didn't matter. We had each other. Travelling the whole summer. Just us. A family." Her voice trailed off in a quiet whisper as she said the last part, dreariness bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

"That sounds... really nice." Brandon's mouth tugged up into a sad smile that didn't really reach his twinkling heartfelt eyes.

Her high died down as reality crept back in and slowly whisked away her memories. Her lips copied his heavyhearted smile. She missed those days. When she had a proper family. Minus her dad. But he didn't really matter. Jude and her mom was all that mattered to her. And with her mom gone... She could never admit it but it hurt to stay strong.

Feeling her eyes water, she wrinkled her nose and shook her head. The heavy feeling in her stomach heightened and she tried to brush it off. She wasn't going to cry. Not now. She needed to be strong, for Jude, even though it hurt for her to do so. Her watery eyes met Brandon's as he spoke.

"She must've been beautiful." Callie blinked as Brandon's fixed stare sent tiny tingles all over her body. "I mean, look at you." She could feel a slight blush course its way up her neck and settle on her cheeks and the tingles intensified. She feigned indifference as Brandon himself blushed, realising what he just said. He turned his attention to the guitar she was holding.

She shook her head. "I wish." Callie looked down, suddenly finding interest in her shoes. She blinked furiously as tears began to brim her eyes and her vision blurred. "I'm nothing compared to her."

"Callie..." Brandon muttered softly. "Callie, look at me."

"Mhm?"

"You're beautiful." The sincerity in his eyes was too much as their eyes met in a concentrated gaze and Callie let out a small cry.

"Hey.." Brandon got up and stood in front of her. "Callie, I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. I'm just being pathetic." She joked as she sniffled, wiping at her eyes. She usually did this. Whenever things were too much, she'd cry and let it out. But she always did it alone when no one could see her. Especially Jude.

"Hey, no. Don't ever say that. You're not pathetic. Or worthless. Or anything like that."

"I'm crying aren't I? And in school, of all places. Pathetic at its finest." She passed it off as a joke but her statement rang true to her. She felt nothing but pathetic. She's never cried at school before. Then again, she's never cried in front of anyone before because, well, she had never trusted anyone enough to feel comfortable crying in front of them. The day was a day of firsts.

"No, Callie. You're not. You matter. Come here." Taking the guitar away from her and placing it on the ground, Brandon pulled her into his arms and Callie melted.

She hasn't sensed this feeling of comfort in years. She latched on to him tightly and could only sniffle as he held her even tighter, a warm comfortable silence settled around them.

"Do you want me to walk home with you after school?" Brandon asked, breaking the silence, as he pulled away slightly to look at her teary-eyed face.

"Yeah, that'd be-" Callie stopped and sniffled, remembering the inconvenient plans her teacher made for her after school. She sighed. "I can't. Timothy's class. I have to stay behind."

"Detention already? That was quick." He teased, as he pulled away completely. Callie almost reached for him out of instinct. "I expected you to last at least a week before you got into any sort of trouble at school."

Clearing her throat, Callie rolled her eyes, picking the guitar back up and resting it in her lap. "Ha ha. Funny. No, I'm staying behind... willingly. There's a difference."

He chuckled, glancing at his watch as he sat back down in front of her. "Why are you staying behind in the first place?" He sent her a playful look as he picked up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "What'd you do?"

"I didn't do anything." Callie crossed her arms, somewhat childishly.

"Really?"

"Yes. I didn't do this stupid work in class and now I have-"

"Detention." He cut in.

"It's not detention!" She laughed.

"Pretty sure it is."

"I'm making up for the work I missed!"

"You mean for the work you didn't do."

Callie glowered jokingly. She wondered how he managed to make her feel at ease. Usually, she felt extremely uncomfortable around people who see her in even the slightest state of vulnerability. Why was this time any different?

"You got detention on your first day of school."

She broke out into a grin and gasped, shoving his arm lightly. "It's my third day!"

"Same thing."

"What, how is it?! She exclaimed with a laugh.

The bell rang, cutting through their light-hearted exchange and Callie smiled widely. She hasn't had this kind of playful banter in a while. Putting the guitar back on the floor and hopping down the chair, she grabbed her bag and swung it over her shoulder. "Thanks. For everything. For today. For last night. Just... thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Don't, um.." She looked at him warily. She wasn't sure how to phrase it. Don't tell your moms I cried in front of you? Don't tell Jude I bawled my eyes out at school? Again, she didn't want to sound pathetic.

But Brandon understood. "I won't."

"I'll see you at the house then?" She sent him a smile and he nodded, returning it.

They walked over to the door and Brandon opened it, as other students began to fill in and out of the school corridors. "Have fun in detention." He gave her a lopsided grin and nudged her with his elbow as he began to walk away.

Callie shook her head as she called out with a smile, "Not detention!"

This is my first fic so please excuse the complete crappity-crappiness of it all, I had to soothe my Brallie burns.

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