The night after Mariana's Quinceañera, Jude had a nightmare.
It was a twisted vision; burning white-hot fear through his body as he sees Liam and hears his sister crying.
He woke suddenly, heart pounding in his chest as his entire body trembled, eyes wet and his breaths coming out in harsh pants.
It wasn't the first nightmare he had ever had, no he had had a lot of nightmares in his life, but it was the first nightmare he'd had since he and Callie had moved into the Foster's home.
So, he did the most logical thing he could do at 2 in the morning while scared out of his mind.
He got out of bed and ran to find his sister, whom he found in the kitchen getting a late night snack, a glass of water halfway raised to her lips.
"Hey bud," Surprise laced her voice as she set her glass down and turned to face him more fully, worry in her eyes.
Seeing her sent brought his trembling back and he fled straight into the safety of her open arms.
"Hey," Callie's fingers ran through his hair as she hugged him. "What's the matter?"
"Bad dream," came his muffled reply from where his face was buried in her shirt.
She sighed and hugged him tighter, somehow managing to maneuver them to get to the couch.
There, they sat down and began a long practiced routine, one left behind from the days when they still had their beloved mother.
"Hey Jude, don't make it bad, take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better."
Callie pulled a blanket off of a nearby chair and used it to cover them as she continued to sing softly.
"Hey Jude, don't be afraid, you were made to go out and get her. The minute you let her under your skin, then you begin to make it better. And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain, don't carry the world upon your shoulders."
She pressed a kiss to the top of her little brother's head and sunk down into the cushions, pulling him with her.
"For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool, by making his world a little colder. Na na na, na na, na na na na. Hey Jude, don't let me down, you have found her, now go and get her. Remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better. So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin."
Jude's breathing had evened out, signalling his decent back into sleep, leaving Callie alone to keep the nightmares at bay.
"You're waiting for someone to perform with and don't you know that it's just you? Hey Jude, you'll do, the movement you need is on your shoulder. Na na na, na na, na na na na, yeah."
Shifting to make sure Jude was in a comfortable position, his face in the crook of her shoulder and his arm around her waist, Callie sighed and softly finished, "Hey Jude, don't make it bad, take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her under your skin, then you begin to make it better."
She fell asleep soon after, the phantom sensation of her mother's lips pressed to her forehead following her into her dreams.
("The best way to fight a nightmare, Callie, is to make sure you're not alone. That's why I always sing when you have one. It reminds you that I'm here, and I love you."
"I love you too, mom.")
The first thing I think of whenever I hear the name Jude is this song ('Hey Jude' by The Beatles). I really like the idea of Callie singing this song to Jude at some point to comfort him, a habit that she could have picked up from their mom.
And I don't know who Liam is (but boy, do I want to) and I'm just assuming that he could give Jude nightmares, cause it seems like both he and Callie are scared/uneasy of him and whatever happened involving him.
Anyways, let me know what you thought!