A/N: Hey guys! So I finished this early because I'll be busy this weekend and won't be able to post. This story starts in May, not October (Sorry I messed up on the 1st chapter but it's changed now).
Characters to check out:
The Fosters family
Spencer Carlin (South of Nowhere)
TW : Language, guns, violence and child abuse
Hope you enjoy !
She's coming back to William's house from swimming in Lake Piru, like every evening. As she walks up the pathway to the main entrance she checks the time. It's about 7 pm. Shit Sara must already be home, and alone with him.
As she approaches, she hears screaming. A little girl's scream to be exact. She lets her backpack fall off her shoulder and runs through the wooden door. The sight that greets her is her worst nightmare. William, a bald 47 year-old bulky man, is holding her sister by the scruff of her neck, several feet off the ground. He's shouting at her about his dead wife, tears in his eyes.
Emily's mind froze for a second, but the shock passes and she rushes to him, punching and kicking him. He doesn't seem to register, lost in pure rage. So she runs up the stairs to her room, grabs her softball bat and runs back down. She screams at him to stop, terrified of the paleness of her sister, still caught in his massive hands. He doesn't stop his rant about some picture frame of his wife Sara broke. Emily feels rage filling her too and she runs back to them before hitting him hard on his back with the bat. He lets go of Sara for a moment, just to push Emily forcefully with one hand. She stumbles backwards and slams in the wall behind, hitting it head first. She feels dizzy but pushes herself back up, now witnessing him strangling her little sister. She looks frantically around the room for a better weapon and remembers his beloved muscle car in front of the house. She doesn't think twice about it and runs out. As she reaches the car she lifts the bat and smashes the headlights. The alarm goes off, but she continues, now moving to the windshield. As the glass brakes, she sees people gathering around. She doesn't care and jumps on top of the car to hammer the roof.
She made quite a dent when she feels herself pulled by the legs. She falls on the concrete ground, hitting her chin on the side mirror. She looks up and sees William, face red, about to kick her in the face when police sirens are heard. She sighs, thinking they're safe now. He lifts her up and drags her to the police car as it arrived. Officer Chester, a seasoned cop with a horrible moustache comes out. Emily's blood runs cold. At that point she knows things won't go well for her. She starts telling him what happened, but he stops her immediately, turning her around by the shoulders and slamming her against the muscle car's hood. He cuffs her and pushes her in the squad car. She keeps yelling for them to check on Sara but they won't listen.
When Emily wakes up, she's panting and staring right at Stef. She looks around the room, wide-eyed, gradually remembering where she is. That's when she notices Stef's hands on her shoulders. She jumps up, scared. Stef smiles kindly, seemingly understanding.
"Hey it's ok, you were having a nightmare. It's 7:15, and Lena leaves at 7:45 to go to school. You looked exhausted last night so we let you sleep as much as possible but you really have to get up. Breakfast is on the table and if you want to take a shower, let me or Lena know. We'll set you up."
Emily is still a bit shaken. "Uh thanks, I think I should get breakfast first. But I'll definitely need one after".
"Ok, follow me" Stef replies neutrally.
As they arrive in the kitchen, Emily is greeted by what can only be described as chaos. Lena is at the stove, cooking bacon, while yelling at Jesus about his ADHD medication, which Stef joins in on immediately. Mariana is talking loudly on the phone while finishing homework and eating pancakes. Jesus is elbowing Brandon each time he tries to drink, causing him to spill orange juice on Mariana's homework, resulting in a shouting match between the teenagers. Stef sighs and kisses Lena good morning.
Emily smiles, amused and goes to the coffee pot, grabbing a mug on the way. She pours it before taking her first sip. She smiles at the more than welcomed bitterness, before turning around and taking the same seat as yesterday at the island.
"Hum, do you want sugar or cream with that?" Stef asks, clearly amused.
Emily looks up from her mug to find all eyes on her. She blushes before answering. "No thanks, I like it like that"
Once the shock is passed a big debate irrupts about why Emily was allowed coffee and not the other kids. Lena goes around the island and sets a plate with bacon, eggs and pancakes in front of Emily. She smiles gratefully and starts tearing into it.
After a few minutes, she's done and finishes her now lukewarm coffee in one gulp.
Stef notices and goes to the utility room, coming back a few moments later with a towel. She goes to Emily, and says with a warm tone: "There you go, you'll find shampoo and soap in the shower. Mariana can lend you clothes if you want to change."
"No thanks. I'll put back my clothes from yesterday, they're not that dirty." She answers unconvinced. They probably were, but filthy clothes beat whatever Mariana has in her closet. She's way too girly for Emily, and she needs to be comfortable for facing William, although she hoped it wouldn't come to that.
"Ok. Lena will bring you to the mall after school to get what you need. Wait for her near the car after 6th period. I should be gone." Stef answers, checking her watch in the process. "Bye guys, have a good day!"
She's answered by "thanks you too" from the kids and "be careful" from Lena. Stef smiles at her family and leaves the kitchen.
Emily gets up, puts her dishes in the dishwasher and leaves the room too. She checks her small black false leather watch, it's 7: 25. She stares at it as she climbs the stairs with yesterday's clothes in a bundle under her arm. It was a gift from Sara for her last birthday. She truly loves it, and it reminds her of her sister. As she enters the bathroom, dark thoughts creep up on her. What happened after she was arrested? Did William calm down? She doubted it.
She quickly undresses, only keeping the military U.S Marine Corps dog tags around her neck. She never took them off, for as long as she can remember. On it you can read:
FINNEGAN
D. F. O NEG
443 12 7512
USMC M
CHRISTIAN
She read it again, trying to figure out who D. F. Finnegan is. They must be related but she doesn't know how. She asked her father once, when she was younger. He completely lost it and she received one of the worst beatings of her life. She never mentioned it again after that.
She frowns at the memory and steps into the shower. Like everything, she doesn't take her time and 5 minutes later, she steps out, her hair dripping wet with a strong apple scent. She took the first shower gel she found and now her skin smelled like strawberries. Not bad.
As she dries herself with the towel, she checks her right ribs. They're purple now and still hurt when she lifts her arm, but they're not broken. Good.
She brushes her hair and teeth before putting on her clothes. She's down the stairs at 7:44 precisely. If there's a thing she learned is never be late. Bad things happen when you're late.
The teenagers run passed her to the bathroom to brush their teeth, while an irritated Lena opens the front door: "You have two minutes guys! Then I'm leaving with or without you." She yells towards the stairs.
"Come on, we'll wait in the car." She adds forcefully towards Emily.
Emily frowns at the tone but convinces herself it's nothing. She passes the threshold and walks towards the station-wagon. She hesitates between the front and the back. Lena notices.
"You can sit in front, it'll teach Brandon to be on time." She says with a smile.
Emily relaxes, it really was nothing. She gets in and buckles up.
"I wish they would've been on time. You need to get your schedule and the school's map at my office before you can get to your 1st period class. So you're going to be late. I'll walk you to class so you won't get in trouble but it's not ideal." Lena says apologetically.
"Great." She answered irritated. She hates new schools. She's the weird kid, with cheap clothes and no friends. By the time people forget about her, she moves to a new school and it starts over again. This time though she'll make a grand entrance with the vice principal on top of that.
Lena is about to say something when the back doors open. The three siblings enter the car, Brandon starting to argue about his place, but he's immediately shut down by Lena's angry glare.
The car ride is silent and lasts only 5 minutes. They arrive at 7:55 at the school's parking lot. Everyone scatters out, not bothering to say goodbye since they'll probably see each other in the halls or in class anyway. Emily slowly follows Lena through the main entrance. She's secretly dreading entering class. She hates the attention, being the gossip of the school body, being judged immediately without even saying a word. She tries desperately to convince herself that she doesn't care what people think but that's not true, like all teenagers she does.
They arrive in front of Lena's office, and she tells Emily to take a seat beside a blonde girl. She looks to be around the same age as her, with a kind face. She's dressed simply, in a plaid blue skirt, stopping above the knee and a white long sleeved shirt. The girl looks up to Emily and smiles.
"Hi. I'm Spencer. I'm new here".
"Emily. I'm new too." Emily eyes the blonde with curious eyes.
"I moved here from Fairmead, county Madera. It's a small town, you wouldn't know it. What about you?" She says excitedly.
"Well, hum I wasn't that far. I was in Bakersfield High School. It's north of the mountains." She says distractedly, glaring at the clock. At 8:05 o'clock sharp, the bell rings. She sighs, disappointed. She really hoped she didn't have to be late.
Spencer continues the discussion, clearly trying to make a friend.
"Hey what kind of club do you want to join? I was a cheerleader in Fairmead, so I'm going to try out here too. The season is almost over but maybe they'll have a spot for next year. You look athletic, maybe you could try out with me?" The blonde adds hopefully.
Emily starts laughing: "Sorry, but I won't be staying long I think. And even if I were, cheerleading would be the last thing I'd want to do. Dancing and cheering teenage boys seems like a waste of time to me. "
She finishes with a smile. "But good luck."
Spencer frowns and is about to reply something but Lena interrupts, handing out their schedules and maps.
"There you go. You have the same 1st period on Mondays, English. So that's where we'll be headed. For the electives and AP or honors class, you'll have to see with Miss Danvers here. You have until the end of the week to sort it out. If something is missing, we'll see about summer school so that you won't be penalized for College. Ok you won't be too late if we go now. Questions will have to wait." She seems a bit stressed out.
As the three of them make their way through the hallway, Lena tells them about their teacher Mr. Fitz. He's young and very well liked by the student body.
They reach Mr. Fitz's class, and Emily notices Spencer tensing. She sighs, kicking herself mentally for being nice.
"Hey, don't worry, they'll barely notice you. I have ripped jeans, no schoolbag and a black eye. You'll be fine. I'm the cool, mysterious new girl." Emily says with a smile, hoping she didn't come across as a pompous ass.
Spencer chuckles lightly. It worked it seems. Lena nods towards Emily, before opening the door.
The class falls silent as the girls enter behind Lena. As expected, all eyes are on Emily. Lena whispers something into Mr. Fitz's ear while Emily takes a seat in front of the desk, the last place she wanted to be but also the last place in the classroom. Spencer doesn't have a choice either and sits on her right.
Lena leaves the room with a last smile towards Emily, and the whispering starts. Emily blocks it out, not wanting to hear her peers' opinions on her. After a few moments, Mr. Fitz starts the lesson again, it's about George Orwell's novel "Down and Out in Paris and London". She hates the novel, it's very well written, and probably a masterpiece, but it hits a bit close to home sometimes.
She's dragged out of her thoughts by the teacher's calm voice.
"Emily, why aren't you taking notes, are you lost?"
She frowns, of course she completely forgot to ask for a pen and paper from Lena. Truth is, she probably would have written everything down, just in case there was something new there. She's a very good student, surprisingly. At first it was about college, getting a scholarship and escaping her life. But now, she can't abandon Sara, so it's just about curiosity and pride. When she gets an A, she feels normal, and proud of herself. It makes her actually happy for a while.
"I'm sorry, I don't have anything to write on or with. It's a bit complicated, but I don't have my school stuff with me. I did read this novel at my last school though, so I'm not lost." She assures.
"Ok can you tell me what is the part that impressed you the most?" He asks nicely, bringing her a pen and a few sheets of papers from his desk.
"Hum, sure…" She answers confused. This was a weird question. She expected a brief summary, or the meaning behind one of the chapters or even an analysis of the writing style.
She takes the items and continues.
"The most impressive part of the novel, for me, was the ending. Basically he states that even though he hasn't seen all the horrors of poverty, he acknowledges there's more. He learned things from people who are supposed to be worthless and replaceable. Also, this experience made him change his attitude towards different aspects of his everyday life, helping him understand the world he lives in a bit better. I think it's a good lesson about compassion and seeking understanding of things you don't know because you'll be surprised. That's what literature is about for me, showing people things that are under their noses but they don't necessarily see or understand and make them think about it. So that's what impressed me, because I didn't expect it." She finished her passionate rant, a bit embarrassed, and was surprised when Mr. Fitz pressed her on with a smile.
"Why didn't you expect that?"
"Because the author's from a middle class family. He never knew true poverty, even when he voluntarily became a tramp, he had help. So I thought he treated it as an adventure more than an actual social piece until that ending. Honestly, I think it's a bit of both." She finished, way more relaxed than what she would've thought.
"Thank you. That was very interesting. I'll leave you be, but take notes, no more excuses" He says with a smile before continuing his lesson.
Emily just nods and starts writing down what he says. At 9:07, the bell rings and everybody leaves like a shot. She's about to do the same, when her teacher calls out to her and Spencer.
"Hey Emily, Spencer, can I talk to you?" He asks kindly.
"Sure". She replied a bit worried, and doesn't move from beside her desk. Spencer doesn't answer and just stands near the door.
He addresses Emily first.
"You can keep the pen and paper, you'll need those for the rest of the day." Then he turns to both of them.
"School finishes the 9th of June, so there's about a month left. There's going to be a creative paper due for the 13th of May on adventure. Basically describe a fictional adventure in 750 words. There's also a written exam on Orwell's book on the 27th of May. Read the book and pay attention for the rest of class and you should be fine. Any questions?" He asks. The girl's don't answer so after a few moments, he dismisses them with a smile.
"Ok you can leave, see you next week."
They both leave without a word and as soon as they reach the hallway, Spencer immediately rushes left, probably to her next lesson. Emily has a free period, since she doesn't have any electives, so she figures she could use a nap. On her way to the park right outside school, she hears piano. It's beautiful, and she can't help herself. She approaches the music room, guided by the sound. As she enters, the melody stops and she sees Brandon righting something on a notepad. That's when she remembers his phone in her pocket. She sighs, time to give it back.
"So I'm guessing it was a music competition you won yesterday? Do you play anything other than classical music? " She asks with a smile, genuinely curious.
"Hum, yeah it was and no, I stick to the classics. Aren't you supposed to be in class?" he asks defensively.
Well, someone's in a good mood. She decides to just get on with it.
"No, I have free period. Look I borrowed your phone last night. I needed to call someone. I'm sorry I didn't ask but it was important, I swear." She puts on her best "innocent" face. It seems to work because he visibly softens up.
"Ok. Just ask next time. I would've given it to you." He says with a small smile.
An awkward silence settles between the teenagers until Emily spots an acoustic guitar in the corner.
"Can I borrow the guitar? I haven't played in two weeks." She asks with a smile, already grabbing it.
"Sure, just don't break it." He half-jokes.
"I'm not 4. It'll be fine". She answers distractedly.
She sets herself on a stool and starts jamming. Brandon joins in and by the time the bell rings, they have a pretty solid duet. They smile at each other knowingly.
"Not bad for a classical guy." She teases him.
"Not bad for a delinquent" He answers playfully.
"Well I've got History in 3rd period, gotta go." She puts the guitar back and heads out.
"See you around." He yells at her back.
The rest of the morning was uneventful. Emily was on time, used to finding her way through new schools and got seats in the back in both her classes. After History, she had Biology, her favorite subject. She already knew all about cell reproduction so it was a bit boring.
She skips lunch to go the bus station in the center of the town. It wasn't far, a 15 minute walk, but once there, she has a hard time finding a bus to Mettler. They all went through to Bakersfield but didn't stop. Mettler was a really small town between the Mountains on the south and Bakersfield, the major city north.
She finally finds one who stops there but it doesn't leave until 2:30 pm. She sighs and goes back to school. She'll come back after 5th period.
5th period was the subject she liked the least: Physical Education. She didn't hate sports. On the contrary, physical activity usually helped her calm down. But at school, it was always horrible. She was never chosen on teams because she had no friends. She wasn't included in the games so she always had to make up her grades with individual sports and people made fun of her men's basketball shorts, the only sportswear she owns. Because she stole it from a foster father.
Fortunately for her, since she didn't have the proper attire, she was left on the bleachers. At the end of the period she left school, cutting her last class of the day: Social studies.
She arrived at the bus station at 2:15, unaware that she was followed. She was about to get on the bus when Brandon showed up behind her.
"Where are you going?" He asked with a frown. Emily thought he looked a bit hurt.
"It's none of your business." She answers harshly.
"Well, you're under my mom's responsibility, so if I were you, I'd give a good reason as to why I shouldn't call them right away." He challenges her.
She knew she shouldn't have given him his phone back. She sighs.
"Fine, don't call. I have a little sister, Sara. She's still with my last foster father. He's unstable and gets violent sometimes. I smashed his car with a bat because he lost it on my sister and I had to make him stop. The cops didn't believe me and arrested me for destruction of property. I'm going to get her."
She glares at him. "Happy? Can I go now?"
He ponders his answer a few seconds then answers. "Yeah, but I'm coming…" Emily is about to interrupt him but he holds up a hand. "What if you need back up? You never know what could happen and your sister's safety should be your priority, not your pride."
Emily is about to argue back, but he's right, she can't refuse a hand, not after what happened last time. She sighs, defeated.
"And I have to make sure you come back tonight. You're not running away that easily." He adds with a smile before going to the counter to buy a ticket, leaving a shocked Emily to enter the bus.
Fuck, how did he know? Emily had planned to take Sara and her stuff from William's house and then take the bus to San Francisco. They had friends there who could make them new I.D's, and then she would find a job and take care of Sara out of the system.
She finds a place at the back and settles against the window. Brandon arrives a few minutes later and sits down beside her. Shortly after, the bus starts and they begin to move.
"How did you know I would cut class?" She says, curiously.
"I didn't. But I saw you leaving school after 5th period, which was odd since you were supposed to wait for Mama. So I followed you, making sure you weren't doing anything that could put my moms in trouble." He answers matter-of-factly.
She nods. "Ok, but this really isn't your business, you don't have to come." She feels a bit concerned, this could go horribly wrong.
"Well, no you're right but I want to." He says simply.
She chuckles, unbelieving. "Why?"
"I don't know." He replies honestly.
Emily searches his face. He doesn't appear to be lying but she isn't sure. She sighs and leans her head against the window. After a while, she dozes off.
It's an hour drive to Mettler, and by 3:35 they're approaching their stop.
Brandon shakes Emily lightly, to wake her up. She jolts upright with a flash, eyes wide looking around her.
"Hey, we're practically there we should go to the exit" He doesn't notice the panic in her eyes and gets up.
She takes a moment to remember where she is before following him. She shakes those thoughts away as the bus comes to a stop and they get off. She starts walking towards the elementary school.
"Ok, so what's the plan?" Brandon asks with a serious tone.
"We pick up my sister at school. With a bit of luck she'll still be there. Then we go to William's house, get our stuff and come back here to get the bus. He shouldn't be home, but if he is, things will get messy." She warns him.
"I'm sure it'll be fine." He says with a smile. He had no idea.
She doesn't answer as they arrive at the school. Sara had a habit of doing her homework on the grass in front of the entrance, so she wasn't home until later.
Emily searches frantically for her, but there's not a trace of her sister. She frowns, starting to worry and starts running towards William's house.
"Hey what's going on?" Brandon asks with a frown as he catches up with her.
"Sara should've been there, something's wrong" She answers worriedly.
He just nods, and soon enough, they're staring at 260 Valpreno Avenue, a muscle car in front of the garage. Brandon opens his mouth to talk but she shuts him up by dragging him behind a van on the street.
"Shut up. He's there. I need to think". She says forcefully. Her forehead wrinkles up as her brows furrow, she's thinking hard. Maybe if she just walks up to the door, he won't put up a fight. Yeah right, after the car episode, he'll never be civil to her again. No she needs to get inside, her best chance is the back door. But what if he's in the kitchen? She sighs, this is not going to be easy.
After a few moments, her face lightens up and she grins widely at Brandon.
"Listen up, here's the plan: you're going to distract him by ringing the doorbell while I sneak in through the back door. Knowing my sister, she put her stuff downstairs. So I get a hold of her, grab her things and we sneak out. Got it?" She asks, starting to move out from behind the van.
"Hum, yeah but how do I distract him?" He asks, following her.
"Oh boy." She sighs before turning around. "I don't know Brandon, figure it out, you're old enough." She says in a harsh tone.
She crouches on her way around the house and towards the backdoor. Once she's there, she sees a skinny little brunette washing dishes through the window. She doesn't look hurt but exhausted. Emily's heart swells at seeing her sister, but she feels guilty too. She shakes it off when she hears the doorbell and footsteps.
That's her cue and she pushes slowly the door, snakes in and shuts it lightly behind her. Sara looks up and smiles excitedly. Emily can't help but smile back while putting a finger to her lips, motioning for Sara to be quiet. The younger girl nods and takes her sister in her arms. Emily hugs her sister back, still half-crouched, unable to let her go. She hears Brandon's voice rambling about a car accident and phone batteries. Not bad.
It's Sara who pulls away first, after a few seconds, and walks without a sound towards two backpacks and a guitar case under the stairs. Emily feels herself tear up, Sara packed her stuff too. She's on her way to help her sister when she stops dead in her tracks. William turned around and was looking straight at her. His face transformed from shock to anger in an instant.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" He yells towards Emily.
Sara runs back towards her and Emily turns her against her side, holding her with both arms around her shoulders. She looks up to William and tries to soften her face, knowing a confrontation won't go well.
"Look, I'm just here to get my sister and my stuff, just let us go." She pleads sincerely.
"Just shut up and leave. Now!" He emphasized the last word by pointing at the door.
"Not without my sister" She says defiantly, letting go of Sara to face him.
"You little piece of shit! Get out!" He starts aggressively towards the girls.
"Hey! Don't touch them!" Brandon yells at William, taking a few steps in.
William turns around again and his face turns bright red.
"Oh I see, you brought a little friend" he says, sounding a little bit crazy.
In an instant he grabbed a gun from the dresser behind him and pointed it towards Brandon.
"Brandon, get out!" Emily shouts before turning her focus back to William.
"Hey, look we're leaving, no need to start shooting." Emily says softly while moving to stand in front of Sara.
William doesn't answer, he just points the gun towards Emily, sweat dripping from his forehead. He looks straight at her, but still doesn't shoot, like he's fighting for a decision.
Emily puts her hands up, scared, but she tries not to show it. Instead she takes the opportunity to whisper discreetly at Sara, without looking away from William's gaze.
"Sweetie, you need to step back slowly and get out the back door. Find Brandon, tell him to call his mom and hide until they get there." She knows Sara's about to argue, so she adds. "I'll be fine. It'll be easier for me to get out if I'm alone. Now go, I love you."
After what seems like ages, but was only a few seconds, Emily hears Sara's strangled answer: "I love you too." Before hearing her light footsteps and the backdoor shutting behind her.
Emily lets out the breath she was holding. William is still struggling, his eyes going from the gun to her and back. She's contemplating just running to the back door, refusing to die without even trying.
But her plans are interrupted when Stef enters, her own gun pointing to William's back.
"Police! Put the gun down, now!" She yells angrily.
William lets the gun fall before letting himself be cuffed by another police officer and Stef drags him out. Emily, now alone, lets out another breath she's been holding and puts her hands down. She feels the weight of what just happened crash in and with the adrenaline wearing off, she starts shaking. She looks around for something to hold on as tears blur her vision and she feels her legs weaken.
Her knees hit the ground hard and she takes her head in her hands, silently crying.
That's when she feels arms around her. She looks up to see Stef kneeling beside her, her arms around Emily's shoulders, pulling her closer with a reassuring smile on her face.
"It's ok, honey. You're ok. Just let it out." She says softly.
Emily doesn't know why but she lets herself be held, and cries on Stef's shoulder for a few more minutes. It feels warm and safe and she can't bring herself to reject it. She doesn't cry much, and rarely in front of someone else, but she needs to let it out.
She manages to stop and sniffs one last time while getting up.
"I'm sorry". She croaks out.
"No need to. You nearly died, it's a normal reaction." Stef assures her.
"I was terrified, but it's not just that." She pauses, her throat dry and looks up. Stef's watching her intensely, waiting for the rest. Emily sighs, she owes her an explanation for the waterworks. So she tries to make her understand.
"I'm exhausted. It's just my life keeps getting worse and worse and after the past few weeks, I don't think I can handle much more. I try to protect Sara the best I can, but I don't have the energy to fight anymore, and I'm scared she'll get hurt because of it." She finishes with a thick voice, surprising herself with her confession.
Stef nods, seemingly understanding. "Ok, let's get outside. I need to speak with the three of you."
Emily frowns. What is this about? She follows Stef outside the front door. The blonde cop gestures towards Brandon and her sister while she goes to talk to Lena. As she arrives in front of them, Sara crashes into her, tears running down her face. Emily wraps her arms around her younger sister and holds her as close as she can, a teary smile on her face. She kisses the top of her head before stepping back, holding her at arm's length by the shoulders.
She takes in her appearance: she was wearing one of Emily's flannel shirts, which was way too big, on top of a simple white t-shirt and blue jean shorts. She wore low black chucks, Emily's old pair. She looked clean but her bushy brown hair was a mess. She's way too skinny, and has bags under her beautiful blue eyes, just a shade darker than Emily's. Overall, she looked drained, but her amazing smile was still present.
Emily frowns, and mutters "I'm sorry I wasn't there", while pulling her sister for another hug. Sara pulls back and says softly, 'Not your fault." Emily just nods with a smile, feeling the tears creeping up again. She pushes them down as Stef and Lena approach them.
"First of all, I want an explanation. What happened and why were you here?" Stef asks with a low, authoritative voice.
Brandon was about to answer but Emily decides it should be her, so she cuts him off.
"I was in juvie because I smashed William's car with a softball bat. He was hurting Sara and it was the only thing I could think of to make him stop. He used to lose it on me sometimes, when he was drunk, but this was the first time on Sara. So I knew I needed to get her away from him, at all costs.
That's why I cut last period, and went to the bus station. Brandon followed me because he thought I was going to do something to get you guys in trouble. I told him my intentions and he decided to help me. He was supposed to distract William at the front door while I got Sara out with our stuff, but he saw me and all hell broke loose. I didn't know he had a gun." She finished lamely.
Stef turned to Brandon, a severe look on her face. "Is that true?"
"Yeah, all of it". He assured her weakly.
"Well, you're lucky we were able to track Brandon's phone when Lena noticed both of you were missing. We came here as fast as possible, and Brandon, you did well by telling me what was going on, so we were prepared for it." She paused, taking a breath. "That said, next time this type of idea comes up, ask us first. We're adults, we can help." She finished pointedly.
Then she smiled towards Sara.
"Hi, I'm Stef and this is my partner Lena. You must be Sara. How old are you?" She asks while extending her hand to shake Sara's.
The younger girl looked up to Emily, seemingly asking permission. The older teen smiled and nodded. So Sara shook Stef's hand excitedly, with a big smile on her face.
"Nice to meet you. I'm 12."
"Well I'm 42, nice to meet you too." She answers with a warm smile, before looking up to Brandon. "B, can you go wait in the car please? Mama and I need to speak to the girls."
He looks worriedly to Emily but nods and gets in the car.
Lena puts her arm on Stef's lower back, announcing she was speaking for both of them.
"Stef and I just talked and we agree that we can't let you go back to the system. So we decided to foster both of you until Arthur can find you a proper home, one that we would approve of. But only if you want to." She adds reassuringly.
Sara looks up to Emily, waiting for guidance. The blonde is speechless. She just looks to Stef and Lena, not sure she heard correctly. She disobeyed them and put their son in danger, and still they offer her a place in their home. She comes back to reality and nods, on the verge of tears again.
"Thank you". She manages to breathe out while her new foster moms hug her from both sides.
Sara hugs them too, barely keeping her excitement in check at the prospect of a new home, which, judging by her sister's reaction, must be great.
They all get into Lena's station-wagon, Stef driving while Sara's in the back. She chats with Brandon for half the drive, asking him questions about the family, the house, Fillmore and even his relationship status, which made him blush and everyone else laugh. She finally drifts to sleep on Emily's shoulder and is quickly followed by her exhausted sister.