Disclaimer: I do not own the Fosters.

AN: I know in the show that Connor is an only child, but I asked myself, "What if he wasn't? What if he had an older sibling who could help him escape Adam's clutches?". This will only be a one shot. I do not plan to add to this story. I already have "War Paint" to focus on, and I've started a re-write of "Shared" that will be finished by the end of the year, and my stupid Terminator crossover is collapsing in on itself. I can't afford a fourth project to worry about at the moment. I just had this idea and had to write it down. If somebody else wants to adopt this and add on to it, feel free to message me.

Jude's POV:

"...Are you gonna keep all the boys outside the door?" Lena argued, "You can try, but trust me if you do, you'll be the one who ends up getting shut out."

I sat beside the hospital door, feeling absolutely miserable. I couldn't even bring myself to glare hatefully at Adam Stevens like I so desperately wanted to. Actually no, strike that, what I really wanted to do was stomp on him, repeatedly about the head with a pair of Connor's baseball cleats, and then with one of his bats for good measure.

I had been here for an hour, and all I wanted to do was see Connor. He was my best friend. The only friend I had that counted. But the revelation that was Connor's officially coming out as gay seems to have only steeled Adam's resolve and strengthened his loathing of me to unseen levels.

And now this two hundred twenty pound troglodyte was trying to destroy one of the only good things I had in my life.

Why could I never catch a freaking break?

"I don't give a damn, he isn't going in!" Adam shouted.

As I could feel my own resolve start to shatter, a new voice joined the argument.

"Good god, you really won't be happy until he's as miserable as you are, will you?"

Adam's eyes went wide, and his body stiffened. Lena and I noticed this reaction, and slowly the three of us turned to seek out the source of the voice. When we found it, all the color drained from Adam's face, and Lena and I both did a simultaneous double take, because standing ten feet down the hospital corridor was a man who looked like a much older version of Connor. He was taller, more muscular, and had longer hair that covered his ears and curled at the ends. He was even dressed like Connor would normally dress, a flannel shirt and jeans, although the ones the stranger was wearing were black.

"Didn't expect to see me here, did you, old man?" The doppelganger hissed menacingly.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Adam hissed, quickly recovering his bravado.

Connor's doppelganger sauntered forward with a predatory look on his face that spoke of imminent trouble. Adam took a step back.

"Well, imagine my surprise," He said, "When I was awoken yesterday morning by a call from an unknown number, answering it to hear Connor on the other end, calling from a borrowed phone, begging for help, asking to be, and I quote, rescued. Honestly dad, did you learn nothing from the way I turned out?"

Wait, what?

Dad?

I leapt to my feet and slowly approached the newcomer.

"Who are you?"

He seemed startled that I asked him a direct question, perhaps not realizing I was there, but quickly recovered and reached out to shake my hand.

"Depends on who's asking?" He asked.

"Jude Adams Foster." I answered.

His eyes widened as he looked me over.

"Holy shit. So you're the legendary Jude?" He asked.

"You know me?" I asked, shocked.

"Let's just say that Connor has told me a lot about you." He answered, "He never shuts up you when we talk on the phone or on Skype. I thought you'd be shorter to be honest."

He released my hand.

"The name is Eric." He revealed, "Former Lieutenant Eric Daniel Stevens, United States Air Force. Connor's thirty year old brother, the man who is about ten seconds away from shoving a steel toed boot up our asinine father's ass."

"Connor never mentioned he had an older brother." I mentioned.

"That's because I'm a bit of a taboo subject." He said, "I left with our mom at the age of 18, and joined the Air Force. Escaped this abusive bastards iron grip in the process."

"Abusive my ass." Adam scoffed.

"THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE!" Eric thundered, cutting his father off, "You are a bigoted, over controlling, alcoholic mess of a man who can't help but try to ruin his children's lives. You may never have hit me when I lived at home, but the fucking constant tirades and emotional abuse was enough! But I hear you've moved up from that, have you? I saw a picture of Connor on Facebook. He had a cut and bruise above his eye. Care to explain that one, daddy dearest?"

"I tried to spank him..."

"And he fell and hit his head." Eric finished condescendingly, "All because he shared a tent with his best friend who you assumed was gay. Honestly, you are a lot stupider than I thought you were, which is definitely saying something. You're lucky I'm here alone, and that Mom didn't come with me. She would claw your fucking eyes out after all you've done to Connor. You've alienated your wife, your sons, your parents, hell you've alienated the whole family with your behavior. Now stand aside and let the fucking kid in to see his boyfriend before I throw you out of a fucking window."

It took me a second to catch what he'd just said.

"Wait, boyfriend?" I squeaked.

"What you two aren't together?" Eric asked, confused, "The way he talked about you, I assumed you were. I mean, he talks about you like you hung the freakin moon."

"Um. I don't really know what we are, to be honest." I admitted, but was cut off again.

"I don't want him anywhere near my son." Adam growled, "He's corrupted him! Turned him into a fucking queer."

"Connor was gay long before he came along, you ridiculous idiot." Eric deadpanned, "He had a crush on one of his soccer teammates when he was eleven. He tells me damned near everything."

Adam lunged forward and swung at Eric.

Eric ducked the punch and then he snapped.

He punched Adam right in the face, three times in quick succession. Adam lurched back into the wall and slid down to the floor, clutching his broken nose.

"You really think you could land a hit on me you piece of trash?"

Adam groaned in pain.

"I'll have you arrested for that..."

"Why? You threw a punch first, and he was just defending himself." I threw in with a smirk, "You'd go to jail, and you know what they do to child abusers in jail."

Eric noticed this and smirked as well.

"You, my dear boy, have a vindictive streak to be admired." He said, "I knew I'd like you."

We all heard a ding. Eric pulled out his phone, and smirked at what he read in the text message. Eric crouched down in front of Adam.

"You're through, old man." Eric growled, "You've been played. Everything you just said has been recorded and heard by a family court judge."

Adam paled as Eric pulled a small stack of papers from his pocket and unfolded them.

"What's this?"

"It states that you are terminating all parental rights to one Connor Jason Stevens." Eric said, "If you sign them, you stay out of prison and don spend the next few years of your life being used as the local prison bitch by hundreds upon hundreds of extremely violent men."

"I could fight this..."

"Who do you think they'd believe?" Eric retorted condescendingly, "The washed up, alcoholic commercial real estate agent? Or the decorated veteran with an honorable discharge, his mother the nurse, and these two, a foster mother and her adopted son? Besides, now we have evidence, and with Connor's testimony, you're well and truly up shit's creek without a paddle."

After glaring at him for a moment, Adam snatched the papers from Eric's hands.

"I hope you burn in hell for this."

"I guarantee, that you will be there with me." Eric said, sadly, as he took the papers Adam just signed, "Now get out of here. And stay the hell away from Connor and Jude. If you go anywhere near them, I will know, and you will bleed."

Adam stormed off down the hallway, muttering under his breath the whole way.

Eric stared after his father with steely eyes, but as soon as Adam turned the corner and was out of sight, his demeanor changed completely.

His shoulders slumped, and his eyes immediately started turning red. It was obvious he was holding back tears as he rolled his jaw.

"Are you okay?" Lena asked.

"Yeah." He mumbled sadly, "Just hurts ya know? Hearing your father tell you you'll burn in hell. Ha. So much for unconditional love, huh? He's always liked me less than Connor. Guess having a kid at eighteen does that to a person."

He turned to me, wiping his eyes at the same time.

"Let's go in shall we?" He said, "I haven't actually seen him in a while either. Skype calls just aren't the same as seeing him in person."

I nodded as he moved to open the door and we stepped inside.

Connor was laying in the bed, watching television. He looked tremendously unhappy. He didn't even look over at us.

"Go away, dad." He snarked, "You've done enough damage for one day."

"Wrong people." I said.

His head whipped toward us so fast I'm surprised he didn't get whiplash.

"Jude! ERIC?" He exclaimed, "How... how did you get past dad?"

Eric looked at the floor.

"You won't have to worry about him anymore, little bro." Eric explained sadly, "Once you get out of here you're coming to live with me and mom. He's finished. He can never hurt you again. I promise."

Connor's face dropped slightly, but nonetheless, he released a small sigh of relief.

"Good." He mumbled, "Not that I'm not glad to see you bro, because I am, but can I speak to Jude alone please?"

"Yeah, sure." Eric said, "I'll be right outside talking to Lena."

He offered the both of us a small smile and exited the room, shutting the door behind him.

I turned back to him, and he offered me a grin which I returned.

"Hey." He said.

I laughed.

"Hey." I said.

I approached the bed, and he took my hand into his, caressing my knuckle with his thumb. He noticed my nail polish, and looked up into my eyes.

"What's this?" He asked.

"War paint." I said.

He grinned at that, which I returned with a small smile of my own.

He scooted over in the bed and I crawled in next to him.

We laid there for a few moments, just enjoying each other's company, and that fact that we were finally reunited. Connor finally broke the silence.

"When did our lives become a soap opera?" He asked.

I snorted.

"It sure seems like it doesn't it?" I asked.

"I'm really glad you're here." He said, "You know that right?"

"Yeah, the grinning kind of clued me in." I teased.

He blushed.

"You had any other visitors since Taylor?" I asked.

"Yeah, Daria came up to visit."

I tensed.

Daria. The eternal thorn in my side.

"She did?" I asked coldly, "What did you guys talk about?"

"I broke up with her, Jude." Connor said simply.

I looked at him surprised.

"You... you did?"

"I admitted to myself, my dad, and you that I was gay, Jude." He deadpanned, "Of course I broke up with her."

"How did that go?" I asked.

"I didn't tell her why." Connor said, "Just told her we were over and I was sorry. She started crying and stormed out."

"What a shame." I said, not sounding the least bit sympathetic.

"Do I detect jealousy?" Connor jokingly asked.

"Yes, I would say you do." I retorted.

Connor sobered immediately.

"Yeah." He said, "I've really screwed things up, haven't I?"

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Connor." I said.

"Kind of hard not to, to be honest." He said, his voice cracking, "I've been a really shitty friend, and I'm so, so sorry Jude. All the crap I've done in the last two months, I'm surprised you can stand the sight of me."

"You can't punish yourself for it..."

"The hell I can't." He cut me off, "I should have done this after I kissed you in the tent. So much bullshit could have been avoided if I'd just gone to my mom or Eric, told the truth and asked for help. I wouldn't have nearly destroyed our friendship if I hadn't been such a coward. It took me getting shot in the fuckin' foot to finally come out to my dad."

"Getting shot is punishment enough." I interjected, "Besides, I'm still here. You haven't lost my friendship. You'll never lose that... but we do need to talk about this whole situation."

"What do you mean?" Connor asked.

"Well, for starters, do you have feelings for me?" I asked, being blunt.

He blushed, and nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I do." He mumbled.

"For how long?"

"I don't know exactly." He answered, "I knew for sure after kissing you on the camping trip, but I had thought about it before. I don't know exactly when the feelings became something other than platonic."

"Fair enough." I said, "The feeling is mutual, if that wasn't clear enough already."

Connor snickered.

"Yeah, it kind of was." He said, "The constant bitch face directed at Daria was a bit of a clue."

I guffawed at that.

"I do not have a bitch face."

"Yes you do. It's an epic one too." Connor teased, "You could freeze somebody into a block of ice with it."

I slapped his shoulder jokingly.

"Hush you."

We fell into a companionable silence, until once again, Connor broke it.

"So... what are we?" He asked, turning his head to look at me.

I turned my head to meet his gaze.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well... we both admitted that we have feelings for each other." Connor said, "My dad isn't a problem anymore. So... what are we? Are we still best friends, or are we... more than that?"

"Like what?" I asked.

Connor's cheeks had a little pink tinge to them he spoke his next few words.

"Um... like maybe... uh. Dammit why is this so hard?" He cursed to himself.

"Why is what so hard?" I asked, amusement clear in my voice.

"I guess, what I'm trying to ask is..." Connor said, hope in his voice, "Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

It took everything I had in me not to burst into tears at that question.

I rolled over onto my side and pulled Connor into a hug.

"Of course I'll be your boyfriend."

A giant grin lit Connor's face and he returned the hug.

I pulled back from the hug and smiled at him. My eyes drifted lower to his lips.

I decided that I was tired of Connor always making the first move. Now it was my turn.

"Connor?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I kiss you?" I asked.

"Um. Yeah. Of course." He said, blushing slightly.

I leaned in slowly and pressed my lips against his slightly chapped ones.

The kiss was short, only about ten seconds long, and it was chaste, but it was the start of something new.

This was the End of the Beginning, and I looked forward to what my future held with Connor standing at my side.

AN#2: Please leave lots of reviews. Again, if anybody wants to adopt this and add on to it, message me.