A/N: Just a little more background on Skylar, as you can see he's a little nerdy, focused on his studies. But, he will get more involved in school. Stef and Lena will find out about the bullying, but it'll be a few chapters down the line. He and Lena also haven't properly grieved the loss of their parents, but that'll be a story arc through the next few chapters, but it won't be the main arc of the story. However this chapter will deal with their grieving.

I apologize for the wait, who knew grad school would actually kick your ass and then traveling for Christmas?

Here we go... sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!


Chapter Two

"Skylar honey get up," Lena said. "Sky, get up."

"Do I have to?" He mumbled.

"I need you to take the subway to school this morning," she said. "I have class and Stef has to go the academy. Get up," she started bouncing on his back.

"Go away," he mumbled not really wanting to get up.

"Nope," she said, "not happening. Get up or I'll have Stef come in here and wake you up."

"At least she'll bribe me to get out of bed," he muttered as he turned facing the wall away from Lena.

Lena left the room and went into the kitchen where he partner was eating cereal, "Baby, can you get Skylar out of bed?" She asked. "I really have to meet with this professor about something."

"Sure," she said, walking to the bedroom that the teenager was in. "Sky, get up." She said pushing on his back. "Skylar," Stef said with a firm voice. "I need you to get up."

"Go the hell away," Skylar mumbled. "I'll get up, I promise, but don't make me get up against my own free will."

"What's going on with you?" Stef softened her stance. "You're just as nerdy as your sister and you don't want to go to school? This isn't you."

"I'm just tired," he said. "And for the record, this new school isn't what it's cracked up to be."

"No school is," Stef said. "George Washington was the same way," she said remembering how awful her Ala Mater was. Skylar mumbled something which caused Stef to ask, "What's that kiddo?"

"Nothing," he mumbled getting up, realizing that neither his sister or his girlfriend will leave him alone until he did. He grabbed his towel and slammed the door behind him.

Stef walked out of the room into where Lena was packing lunches for the three of them, Stef wrapped her arms around the woman, and said, "I don't know what's going on with him, but we'll figure it out." Lena nodded her head and leaned back into Stef's embrace.

"Thank you for agreeing to do this with me," Lena said remembering the night she did.

Flashback.

Lena all, but ran into the ICU when the cab dropped them off. She saw her brother with his face in his hands; she went over to him and pulled him into her.

"Talk to me honey," she said often.

"The last thing I said to Mom was to back up and get off my ass." He said with a shaky breath. "The last thing I said to Dad was to basically go screw himself. I was so mad."

"You'll be able to apologize," Lena said.

"No Lena," he said. "I can't. They're gone."

"What?" Lena said as Stef slipped next to her.

"They're gone," he said again. "They couldn't save them."

"No," Lena breathed. "Why-why didn't you call me?"

"I knew you were on your way," he said. "I figured bad news to your face is better than over the phone."

Lena looked over at Stef, who was just as shocked as both the Adams siblings, a few minutes of silence passed, Lena holding her little brother close to her, the blonde then said, "So, this is what's going to happen," she said slowly and carefully, "you're going to come live with us. Lena can petition for legal guardianship over you and we'll enroll you into the best school in Los Angeles and we'll take care of you."

Lena gave her girlfriend a soft, shaky smile, and then looked at her brother and nodded her head, "It's that or foster care honey."

"A new start?" He asked.

Stef nodded, "A new start," she repeated.

"Okay," he said. "I'll do it."

[Later that night at the Adams residence]

Stef was lying flat on her back with Lena in her childhood bedroom, the blonde was holding the curly haired woman when Lena said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Stef knew what her girlfriend was talking about. "He deserves better than foster care."

"You're ready to do this?" Lena asked.

"For what, my love?" Stef asked.

"To basically be parents?" Lena asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Stef said kissing Lena's forehead three times.

Flashback Ended.

"Wouldn't imagine it any other way," Stef said kissing Lena's cheek. "I'll stay and make sure he goes to school, you go talk to your professor."

"Are you sure?" Lena asked.

Stef nodded, "You're not in this alone my love," she said.

Lena finished making the lunches and then grabbed hers, kissed Stef goodbye, and on her way out the door heard a few explicative words leave her brother's mouth in his room.

"Skylar," Lena called out softly hoping that it would calm her brother down.

"Yeah?" He said, evidently irritated.

"I'm leaving honey," Lena said softer.

He came out half dressed in his school uniform to give his sister a proper goodbye, "I love you," he mumbled.

"I love you too honey," Lena said straightening his tie for him.

"Thanks," he mumbled walking in the other direction. "Have a good day."

"You too honey," she said as she walked out the door.

Stef noticed the tension in his words and shoulders and wanted to go after him, but knew if she did, he would close down. So she went back to drinking her coffee, putting coffee into a to-go cup for her and Skylar and waited for him to come out.


Lena showed up to her professor's office hours and was a little out of breath, "Lena," her professor said, "it's nice to see you."

"It's nice to see you too," Lena said, "you said you wanted to see me?"

"I just wanted to check in," the professor said. "You've seem distracted in lectures as of late."

Lena smiled at her professor; if she was honest her favorite professor in the education graduate program. She always checked in with her students when she noticed they weren't necessarily on their A game, and genuinely wanted them to succeed.

"Just some personal stuff," Lena said. "But, I'm getting through it."

What else was she supposed to say to the professional educator? She wasn't about to say that my parents died before the start of this semester and she hadn't properly grieved their death because she was too busy with school, her part-time job as a waitress so that she could provide a roof over her head for her, the love of her life, and baby brother, being a parental-like figure to her baby brother, all the while she was attempting to still be a girlfriend to the love of her life. Her professor didn't care, she knew she just needed to step up her game.

"Are you sure?" The professor asked.

"With all due respect, Doctor Kenney, it's a personal matter that I'd rather not talk about."

"Okay," the professor said, nodding in understanding. "You'll be able to make it through, yes?"

"I was planning on it," Lena said.

"Alright," the professor said, "did you have any questions regarding the paper? You said you wanted to see me about it?"

"Right," Lena said pulling out the version that was printed out for the professor to see and then spent the rest of the time talking about the paper.


Skylar was sitting eating lunch by himself when he felt a hand on his shoulder, he sighed and put the sandwich down and looked up. It was one of the girl's from his class.

"What's up?" Skylar asked.

"Is it cool if I sit here?" She asked gesturing to the table that had lunch and Calculus notes all over it.

"Oh yeah sure, sorry." He said making room for the girl to sit down. "And I'm horrible with names, what's yours again?"

"Danielle," she said. "You're the new kid, Skylar, right? From Ohio?"

He nodded, "Yeah," he said. "Just transferred here in the beginning of the school year."

The girl nodded, "Have you always been this focused on your schoolwork?" She asked.

"My parents were educators," he said taking a sip of the soda he got out of the school's vending machine. "They never let me get behind."

"I'm - I'm sorry, were?" The girl asked.

Skylar cleared his throat when he said, "I live with my sister and her girlfriend now. My - my parents died in a car accident. That's why I'm here."

"Oh," the girl said, "I'm sorry. That must be a sweet deal though. Living with your sister and her girlfriend."

Skylar shrugged, "It has its perks, but I'm sure that I'm just a hinderance and an intrusion." He said.

"I'm sure you're not," she said. "I'm sure that they wouldn't have agreed to take you in if you were."

"Sometimes I feel like it," he said. "Anyway, umm is there a particular reason why you're here?" He asked then quickly added, "Not that it's a problem or anything, it's just I'm not used to students being nice to me here."

Danielle shrugged, "Everybody could use a friend - or a study buddy." She said gesturing to the notes still somewhat scattered on the table in front of them.

Skylar stared skeptically at the girl, but then said, "Right."

The two continued through lunch, eating, talking, and studying. And just when Skylar would feel that the California life kind of sucked, he started to rethink that.


"Hello?" Lena called through the apartment that night. "Anybody home?"

"I am my love," Stef said walking from the bedroom, looking freshly showered. "How was class or rather classes?"

"Uh they were good." Lena said sitting on the couch. "How about you? How was the academy today?"

"Eh, same 'ol, same 'ol." Stef answered.

"Where's Sky?" Lena asked grabbing her phone to see if the boy sent her a text or called her.

"Not sure," she said wrapping an arm around Lena pulling her close. "Probably studying somewhere."

"I'm kind of worried about him," Lena said. "He hasn't been himself lately."

"I think he's still adjusting love." Stef said kissing her forehead. "We've been here since your undergrad; he's been here since early August. I think we should give him time."

"Thank you for keeping me sane," Lena said snuggling into her girlfriend.

"I'd do anything for you my love and you know it." Stef said as the door open and shut. "There's Sky," she said softly. "Hey buddy," the blonde said putting her head over the couch, "how was school?"

"Why do you guys always ask me that?" Skylar said sitting on the other couch. "It's actually really annoying."

"It's an usual question bud," Stef said noticing that he looked a little off. 'Maybe it's more that just adjusting,' she thought. "So?" She pried.

"It was fine," he said annoyed at the question. His parents never asked him, so why is his sister's girlfriend. "Same 'ol, same 'ol."

Lena smiled and then asked, "Do you have homework?"

"No Mom," he said sarcastically, "I got it done in study hall."

"Hey," Stef gently chastised him, "it was a legitimate question. Cut your sister some slack."

"Why?" He suddenly asked, surprising all three of them. "Because what? I have a hard enough time grieving our shared parents' death that I have to be reminded every day that they aren't here."

"Skylar," Lena said realizing that he was treading on thin ice with Stef as she felt the blonde's arm tighten around her.

"No Lena," Skylar yelled. "You two left and the only reason why I'm even here is because Mom and Dad are- are gone."

"We left because we needed a new start." Lena reasoned. "And yes, Mom and Dad are- are not here any longer, but that doesn't matter. What matters now is that you are here with us."

"So what? You can mark off another deed from your good deed list?" He asked sarcastically.

"Hey," Stef said lowly trying to get the boy's attention. "You know that's not true. We gave you a choice Sky, a choice that you immediately agreed to. So this isn't on us."

Skylar stood up and walked towards the front door, "Skylar," Lena called getting out of Stef's warm embrace, "Skylar," she called again as she heard the front door open and slam shut.

Lena took a deep breath and went towards the door, "Let him cool off, love." She heard Stef say. "I think that's the best we could do."

Lena took another deep breath, "You're right," she said sitting down next to her girlfriend. "You're right," she said again. "How are you okay with this?" Lena then asked. "He snapped at you."

"Well neither one of you has really grieved your shared parents death properly," the future cop said, "So I take that into consideration."

With saying that Lena starts to break a little, "I've been trying to be strong for him," she got out.

Stef pulled her love into her lap and rocked her back and forth, avoiding the words of shh and it's okay because it was her time to let out her crying; it was Lena Adams' time to grieve.


Skylar managed to grab his longboard near the front door before leaving and was riding through the streets of Los Angeles with his earphones in and the music all the way up.

He was lost in thought; why would they even consider offering to take him in? It was evident that he was ruining their love life. Why would they want someone like him?

He got a text message, which made him stop, and he looked who it was from to see if he even wanted to reply to it because if it was Stef or Lena he would ignore it, but it wasn't. It was his best friend Lincoln in Ohio.

Lincoln: Hey man, when you get a chance, we should talk. Catch up. Haven't seen your since you and Lena packed up everything and you moved.

Skylar then shut his music app and called his friend:

After a few rings, "Hey man." The boy on the other line answered.

"Hi," Skylar said.

"How are you man?" He asked.

"I'm alright, I guess." Skylar said pulling into a diner going to the back corner to hide.

"Yeah right," he said, "and I was born yesterday."

"California sucks big time man," Skylar said breaking down a little. "My sister isn't the same Lena we both grew up with and you had a crush on."

"Maybe you aren't the same Skylar she remembers as her baby brother," Lincoln said back.

"What do you-" He then realized something, "Did she call you?"

"No," he said. "But, you're my best friend and I know how you do with change. You don't."

"I really miss Ohio," he said as the waitress put his usual Coke in front of him. This is where he goes when Stef gives him money to get lost for awhile.

"And we miss you here, but your sister needs you," he said.

"She has Stef," Skylar bit back.

"She needs you," Lincoln said. "Sure she has Stef, but Stef isn't you. Have you ever thought that maybe she needs her baby brother to snuggle up to? That she needs her baby brother to listen to her? Sure, Stef is there, they're in love; I'm freaking jealous, but Stef ISN'T you! She needs her brother dude - she need YOU!"

Skylar sat there for a moment thinking about what his best friend just said and realized that he was right.


It was 2:00am by the time that Skylar got in and he saw that Lena was writing a paper while sitting on the couch. Skylar got a bottle of water and then sat next to his sister.

Lena looked over at her brother who was staring at the television that was playing in the background and then took him in her arms. He only winced when she hugged him too tight that the bruises were having pressure on them.

"You scared me," she said.

"I'm sorry," he murmured into her chest, "I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I did text you."

And it was true, he text her around 9:30 that night saying that he was okay, but he needed to clear his head. He needed to figure things out before he faced her and Stef.

Lena took his face into her hands and saw the tears in the boy's eyes, "What's wrong?" She asked.

"I know I haven't been myself lately," he said. "And I'm not ready to talk about why, but I'm really sorry for worrying you." Lena caressed his cheeks. "I- I love you."

"I love you too honey," she said. "And whenever you're ready, I'm here for you. C'mere Sky," she said leaning back with her arm up for him to cuddle into.

The siblings fell into a peaceful silence, Skylar buried his face into Lena's shoulder, Skylar then found words to say about what he was ready to talk about that was on his mind, "Sometimes I wake up now thinking this is too good to be true," he began, "y'know, living with you and Stef? Then the rest of the time, I feel like I'm an intrusion on your love life because I know you can't be intimate with Stef knowing I'm in the next room over." Lena went to interrupt, but Skylar stopped her, "Let me get this out please." Lena responded with a kiss on his head, "I know I'm not. I know you guys love having me here, but that reassurance won't make this feeling go away."

He took a deep breath, "I just miss you and spending time with you. And not the time where we both are writing papers and Stef is rubbing your shoulders," he said. "I miss being brother and sister. And I know we can't do stuff together all the time, but sometimes is better than not at all."

"You're right honey," Lena said.

"And it's not just you, both you and Stef. Sometimes I don't know how to word my requests to her." He said and as he did they heard Stef come from down the hallway.

"Oh the runaway is back," she said getting a bottle of water and sitting on the other side of him.

"You guys act like I didn't text you." He said frustratedly attempting to get up, but instead Stef pulled him into her lap.

"Relax," the future cop whispered into his ear, "it was just a joke."

"I miss Mom and Dad," he randomly choked out after several minutes of silence.

"I know honey," Lena said putting her laptop on the coffee table. "I know, I do too."

Stef shifts the boy between them and the sandwich the boy between them, "Let it go," Stef murmured, "let it go."

The boy cried for twenty minutes before it settled down, he then leaned more into Stef as he pulled Lena closer to him, after a few moments, Skylar found the courage to ask Stef, "Did you feel this bad when your parents disowned you?"

Stef thought about it for a moment, she didn't think much about that day, all she remembers was ending up in Lena's arms.

Flashback.

Stef had never been more shaky in her life and at 17 years old she never thought she would find herself on the Adams family doorstep, shaking, and almost in tears.

Dana answered the door and saw a young, vulnerable girl standing in front of her, "Lena," she then called, "Stef is here." She then made room for Stef to come in, "Come on in dear," the woman said.

Stef stood nervously at the door as Lena came in from the kitchen, "Hey Stef," the girl said. "Are you okay?"

Dana slipped out of the room as Stef all about fell into Lena's arms, "I - I told them, my parents, about us."

Lena then got them into the sitting position and said, "Yeah? How'd it go?"

"They - they gave me a half an hour to get all my clothes and my laptop and then threw my car keys at me and told me to get the hell out."

Lena rocked her girlfriend back and forth trying to sooth her as best as she could, "I got you, I got you." Lena repeated.

Both Stuart and Dana came back in about ten minutes later, the man holding a seven year old Skylar in his arms, "Is everything okay?" Dana asked noticing the two girls sitting in the middle of the entryway with Stef in Lena's lap as the curly haired girl was whispering soothing word's into the blonde's ear.

The parents knew about the relationship between the two of them and didn't bat an eye at it as long as their princess was happy, but they both know that the Foster's were not as accepting to that idea.

"Her - her parents kicked her out for being in a relationship with me." Lena said as she continued to rock Stef in her arms.

"What?" The parents asked surprised.

"I - I couldn't hide it any-anymore." Stef got out. "S-so I told them," she stuttered.

"Okay, okay," Dana said approaching the girls sitting next to them. "Where are you staying now?"

"My - my car." Stef stuttered. "I was going to find an empty parking lot somewhere - take a shower in the school's locker room."

What Stef didn't know is that Dana looked with wide eyes from her to a very wide eyed Stuart; the couple had a silent conversation with their eyes.

Dana then cleared her throat, "Nonsense, you'll stay here with us," she said.

"I - I don't want to intrude," Stef said looking between the couple.

"You're not intruding," Stuart said. "We insist, you make our princess the happiest we've ever seen her. We're really sorry that you're parents can't see that."

Stef got out of Lena's arms and hugged Dana and Stuart repeating thank you - she was really thankful.

[Later that night, Stef and Lena cuddling]

"Your parents are really generous," Stef said softly as she cuddled further into Lena.

"They really do see you as their own," Lena said softly playing with Stef's blonde locks.

"That boy," Stef said realizing that she didn't know whether or not Lena had siblings, "is he your brother?"

Lena nodded, "Skylar." She answered.

"Is he your only sibling?" Stef asked.

"I uh have an older brother, Nathan, but I don't talk about him much or see him for that matter." Lena said.

"I don't know why I thought you were an only child like I am - or was." She winced when she thought about her parents kicking her out for falling in love with Lena.

"I'm really proud of you," Lena said. "Just so you know."

Stef smiled and looked up at her, "Really?"

Lena nodded and kissed her forehead, "That was really hard and you pushed through and did it anyway." She said.

"I feel pretty awful," Stef admitted. "And liberated."

"Crying does that to you," Lena said as Dana came into the living room where the girls were cuddling.

"So I have the guest room set up for you," the older woman said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Adams." Stef said from her spot in Lena's arms.

"Please you can call me Dana," she said, "or when you feel up to it, Mom. Really anything, but Mrs. Adams." She tried to get the blonde to smile. "You're family now, Stef."

Stef smiled and cuddled further into her girlfriend, burying her face into her chest, actually feeling like family in the Adams home.

Flashback Ended.

"I felt pretty awful," Stef answered running her hand through his curly hair. "Really awful, but you know who made me feel safe?"

Both of them looked to Lena with fond smiles on their faces, "Lena," he answered knowingly.

"Yeah," Stef answered. "You remember, in the beginning, where I spent half the time with my face buried in her chest?" Skylar nodded, "It is because that's my safe spot," she said. "When I think about that day on a bad day or even when I just have a bad day, that's my safe haven. Does that make sense?"

Skylar nodded and then tried to joke, "No wonder you're pretty whipped."

Stef tossed his hair back and forth and said, "Yeah, your sister has me wrapped around her fingers."

He smiled, "That makes two of us," he said.

"We're going to do our best to help you feel safe here," Stef said, "but we need you to bring up your end, if you need anything and I mean anything you come to us, okay? Even if you think we'll get over-protective."

Skylar nodded and then yawned, "It's a school night," Lena then said. "How about we get you into bed."

Stef and Lena then shared a knowing look; they both needed him close and they know he needed them close, "In our bed," Lena added.

Skylar looked up, "Are you sure?" He asked.

"We're insisting," Stef said before he could argue, "C'mon get out of that uniform and meet us in our room in five."

Skylar smiled; he had a long way before he could feel completely comfortable in Los Angeles, but Lincoln had a point, Lena needed him and in a way Stef needed him too.

And that's what kept him from groaning at both of his sisters request that early morning.


End of the Chapter: It's going to be a roller coaster ride. Stef and Lena find out about Skylar being bullied in two or three chapters. Who do you think is going to find out first? And how are they going to react to it? Also, what do you wanna see from AdamsFoster?