AN: Hello, lovely readers! This is a sequel to my story "Fight for Jude"!
If you have read it - Great! I am so glad you decided to continue this journey with me :) Thank you for the wonderful reviews you left! They made my day...hell, whole week :)
If you haven't read it - I encourage you to read it, otherwise you may be out of the loop. This story is AU after all. And things aren't exactly as they are on the show.
Just like with "Fight for Jude" story, I will try to update once a week. I hope I can stick with that schedule, I will do my best.
Some may know, English is my second language. So please, if I keep making some mistake over and over or if I use a phrase incorrectly, tell me. It is the only way I can improve my English skill.
As for this story - I have no idea how it will progress. I will write it as I go. Right this moment, I don't have an ending scene in my mind. I also don't know how long this story will be. Feel free to leave ideas or suggestion (I will see if I can work them in). All sort of feedback (good or bad) is welcomed.
Here is the prologue. I hope you enjoy :)
Lena POV
"All you have to do, is say – Yes" Stef tells Callie, with the most serious tone of voice and look in her eyes
I squeeze Stef's hand as we stand in front of Callie and wait for her answer. Callie doesn't blink, she doesn't move. She just stands inside her apartment, with her hand still on the door nub and stares back at us. Her face was blank, it held no emotions. There wasn't a single feature on her face, that would tell me what she was thinking, what was going through her mind.
"Leave," Callie says in a very detached and cold manner after what seems like a minute of silence
"Callie-" I manage to only say her name, when she cut me off
"I said leave!" Callie repeated in more angry and frustrated tone
"Please, think about it-" Stef says quickly, but Callie cuts her off in half sentece
"There is nothing to think about! There is nothing to talk about! I am done!"
"What about Jude?" I ask her straight forward "Think about him!"
"I am thinking about him! Everything I do – is for him!" Callie replied in a raised and much louder voice. Sounded like she was offended about what I had just said to her. There was this fire in her eyes. You could tell she was doing this out of love for Jude "Don't you dare tell me – to think about him! He is the only person who I ever think about! I am doing this, because you couldn't do what you should have done!" Callie pointed to us at the end
"What would that be?" I asked back quieter, with tears in my eyes. Her her hand falls back down to her side. The anger in her eyes remains.
"Make a decisions!" Callie snapped back "You know damn well as I do, he was never going to choose. Jude would never want to hurt anyone, that's why he would never be able to make a decisions. You knew that! You knew that, but you ignored that! So I am doing, what you should have done!"
"Things don't have to be this way. We can still-" Stef tried to get through to the girl, but her effort failed
"No" She shook her head "It's done!"
"Callie, please-" I pleaded when a tear rolled down my cheek
"I said - it's done" She repeated in a very detached tone of voice, her eyes now looked empty
"Leave!" Callie took a small step back and slammed the doors shut in our face
My eyes fly open and the only thing I see is the darkness, that surrounds me. Jude was still sleeping next to me. I heard him breathing evenly, I felt how his chest moved with every breath. His hand was still griping my shirt tightly.
Stef was right, sleeping was no use. All I can think about is the events that took place today. Or more precisely - yesterday. Starting with the dinner, with what my mom said. I started to wonder, if what she said caused Callie to make this decisions. If I had stopped my mom's little speech to her sooner, if I hadn't allowed her to say what she said to Callie, would that had changed anything? And how did we not see her walk out. We were all in the room with her. But no one saw her leaving. My mind traveled once again back to her apartment. Back to when she slammed the doors in our face.
I snap out of my thoughts, when I hear the front doors open and close. That got me curious. Why would Stef be walking in and out of the house, at this time of day?
As carefully as I can, I try to move away from Jude. One by one, I have to lift his fingers up, so he would let go of my shirt. When I manage to slip out of his hold, Jude stirs bit doesn't wake up. I pull the blanket over him and kiss the top of his head before I leave the room. Before I head downstairs, I check in on the other kids. They were all sound asleep in their rooms.
When I make my way downstairs, chills run over my spine, when I feel the cold set of air. I pull my hands in my long PJ shirt sleeves and cross my hands on my chest. The air smelled like coffee. The light in kitchen was on and I saw Stef by the counter. She was pouring the hot water in the cup.
"I heard the front doors opening. What were you doing outside?" I was talking to Stef even before I reached the kitchen
Stef turned around the moment she heard my voice. She was still holding the kettle in her hand. Behind her, on the counter, I saw three cups, instead of two. And when I took two more steps inside the kitchen, I saw Callie sitting at the kitchen table.
Her coat was put on the stool next to her. This Callie, who was sitting at our kitchen table, didn't look anything like the Callie, who slammed the doors shut in our face 5 hours ago. She was looking at me with sad eyes. The girl finally showed some sort of emotions. She looked completely heartbroken, devastated, utterly confused, partly scared, guilty and wretched. Overall, she looked miserable and remorseful.
When we first met Callie at the cafeteria, she was sitting at the other side of the table with a stone cold look and facial expression. Back then, she was ready to fight us, she was ready to fight for Jude with everything she got. She didn't show any sort of emotion even when the twins and Brandon were putting her down at the first dinner. Just like when she had her minor panic attack and talked about her getting arrested. The same goes for when Dana was speaking to her.
There was a time, when I had wondered if she even was capable of showing emotions. I wasn't sure if we would ever see a more vulnerable side of her.
But here she is. Sitting at our kitchen table. Looking at me with these big, brown sad eyes of hers. My heart broke as I looked at her. Jude's hurt look compared to his sister, was nothing. I think I could see all the pain she has suffered through the 8 years of foster care. It was all there, looking back at me.
"I made coffee," Stef said pulling me out of my thoughts while I was gazing at Callie
The moment Stef placed the coffee cup in front of her, Callie's gripped the cup with both of her hands. Stef turned back to the counter and took the other two cups. She walked to the table and set them both down, opposite side from Callie.
I walk around the table, to the other side and sit down next to Stef. I reached for my cup and lifted it up to my lips. Softly I blew my breath to the hot beverage, while I kept my eyes on the girl on the other side of the table. Stef was stirring the spoon in the cup while looking at the girl as well.
Callie though, wasn't looking back at us right now. She was gazing to the drink in front of her. Time by time she blew her breath on the hot beverage to cool it.
How long are we suppose to sit like this and not say a word to one another? Was she going to speak up or will we have to start the conversation? Why was she even here? When did she get here?
I sipped the hot beverage and then put the cup back down on the table. Stef and I share a quick look.
Callie lifted the cup up to her lips some minute later. She took few small sips. I found it very cute, how she was holding the cup with both of her hands, while she drank it. When Callie put the cup back down, her right hand went up to her mouth. She run her fingers softly over her lips few times, before she lowered her hand back to the cup.
Callie lifted her head up and stated "I'm keeping my apartment!"
