A/N: Hey oh! Thanks for the support!


Chapter Two: The Road To Sibling Bonding

Stef was still a little nervous when she got home. She sent a text in the family ongoing text message to her wife and kids.

Stef: Hey beautiful family! Tonight's a go! Kids, please be on time for dinner to meet Ben. And Lena honey, I've got dinner handled.

Stef paced the kitchen trying to figure out the perfect dinner for her family and her brother. She had originally said Lena was going to cook, but then she realized that Lena had an all campus staff meeting before dinner that night. Ben had said upon her leaving the office that he's still in that mindset of a college student.

"If it's free and delicious, I don't care what it is." He said as he walked her to her car.

That didn't help Stef any, but she was still on board for making her brother the best dinner ever. She was brought out of her thoughts by her phone ringing, she answered it with a smile, "Hi love," she said to Lena.

"Hi baby," Lena said. "How bad are you stressing out right now?"

"What makes you think I'm stressed out?" Stef asked incredulously.

"Baby," Lena said through a chuckle, "I know you. You want things perfect for tonight."

"He's been wanting to meet me since he was five." Stef said. "Of course I want things perfect."

"And you were worried that he wouldn't accept you because you were gay." Lena said with a knowing smile on her face.

"His mom is gay," Stef said. "My dad, I guess, had a huge problem with it. So the poor kid was back and forth between here and LA for 13 years."

"Oh?" Lena said, "His mom is gay? Really?"

"Mhm," she acknowledged, "they adopted two kids out of the foster care system. He really seems down to Earth and like he's got a good head on his shoulders. I feel like he'll be a good influence on our kids."

"Yeah?" Lena said softly. "That's good."

"What should I make for dinner?" Stef asked.

"Barbecue up those steaks in the freezer?" Lena suggested, "You know Callie's going to want to some protein after practice and we've been saving them for a special occasion."

"Yeah, introducing my baby brother to our kids is a special occasion." Stef said.

"Everything's going to be fine," Lena assured. "I can't wait to meet him."

"Yeah, I can't wait for our family to meet him." Stef said about to prepare a huge feast for her family.


7 o'clock rolled around and the sound of the doorbell made the entire Adams Foster household go silent. Stef went to the door with Lena as all the kids were in the living room. Stef opened the door to a nervous looking man on the other side of the door holding a bottle of Chardonnay.

"Hey," Stef said, "come on in."

Ben walked into the house and said, "I know you said not to bring anything, but uh, I figured a bottle of Chardonnay would be okay."

"Thank you, Ben," Stef said taking the bottle and then saying, "This is my wife, Lena. My love this is Ben."

Ben nervously stuck his hand out, "It's nice to meet you," he said.

"It's really nice to meet you as well," Lena said shaking his hand. "If you come in we'll introduce our kids to you."

"Uh yeah," Ben said, following the couple into the living room where all of the kids stood in age order to meet their uncle.

"So from oldest to youngest, we have Brandon," she said gesturing to the young man, who stuck his hand out for Ben to shake. "Callie," who gave him a small nod and shook his hand. "Jesus," who shook his hand, "Mariana," who shook his hand. "And our youngest Jude," Stef concluded as the youngest child and the man shook hands.

"It's uh nice to meet you guys." Ben said.

"You too," he got simultaneously from the five children.

"So uh, we can come into the dining room, dinner is ready." Stef said leading the way.

"Uh yeah," Ben said, "sounds good."

As everybody sat down, it was obvious that both Stef and Ben was getting more and more nervous. The kids stared skeptically at the man. And Lena was trying to break the ice as dinner started.

From one end of the table Lena asked, "So Ben, how long have you lived in San Diego?" She asked.

The man was cutting a piece of his steak off, "Uh, I lived here part-time since I was about four and a half, but I came out here full time for school and I love it here so my buddy Raider and I started a business downtown."

"Four and a half?" Stef asked incredulously from the other end of the table right next to the man. "That was nineteen years ago."

"Uhh yeah," Ben said, "Dad was good at hiding things. Especially in situations that he's not exactly proud of." He added with a shrug.

Stef looked over at Lena realizing that the police officer probably made the man feel uncomfortable in some way.

"Well, I'm sure your parents appreciate that you didn't follow in your Dad and sister's footsteps in becoming a police officer. Makes her sleep a little better at night."

"Uh yeah," he said. "Both my moms do."

"What do they do?" Stef asked.

"My mom is a doctor, a medical oncologist and my mama is a lawyer, a civil rights attorney." He answered with somewhat of a proud smile on his face thinking about the two women that he has the honor of calling mom.

"Wow," the kids manage to look up from their dinner long enough to look at the man.

"Do you have any siblings?" Mariana asked curiously from next to him.

"Uh yeah, I have a 17 year old brother and a 10 year old sister. Both adopted out of the foster care system." He answered. "Uh what about you Lena?" He asked trying to get the light off of him, "I know what Stef does, but what about you?"

"I'm just an educator," Lena answered receiving weird looks from her wife and kids. "What?" She asked incredulously.

"You're not just an educator, Mama," Callie answered for her mom and siblings.

"Yeah," Jesus piped in, "try the best educator that Anchor Beach has."

"Anchor Beach?" Ben asked. "As in Anchor Beach Community Charter School?"

"Yeah," Stef said, "Lena's the principal over there," she added looking fondly over at her wife. "You heard of it?"

"Uh yeah," Ben said. "Our Editor-in-Chief at The Opinionated Buzz has her children going there."

"Really?" Lena asked, "Who is she?"

"Taylor Bradshaw," he said, "She has two high schoolers and a middler schooler there. I think their names are Aiden, Emily, and Hannah?" He said looking off into space trying to remember.

"Oh yes," Lena said. "Aiden is actually Brandon's best friend and Callie's boyfriend." She added gesturing to the older twins.

"Small world," Ben said with a smile as he took a sip of the water in front of him.

After a few minutes of people eating, "What made you want to start The Opinionated Buzz?" Mariana asked putting the light back on the man.

Ben chuckled nervously, "Just a guys night that turned into a brainstorming night right before we finished our master's program."

"You finished your master's program at 21?" Callie asked knowing that the site had been up and running for two years.

He nodded, "I graduated from high school at 15," he said. "Had my bachelor's degree by the age of 19 and master's degree at 21."

Stef looked over at her brother, almost in disbelief, "You graduated high school at 15?" She asked incredulously.

Ben chuckled, "Yeah, Dad couldn't believe it when I graduated that early too." He said.

"Did you always want to do what you do now?" Jude asked from next to Lena.

"Yeah, I mean, I do all the programming work for the website and make all the executive decisions with my business partners, but I wouldn't trade my job or how I got here for the world."

"You enjoy it?" Brandon asked from the other side of Lena.

"It makes the long hours worth it," Ben answered.

"Long hours?" Stef asked, slightly raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he said. "Some days, I don't even go home. I'm good at working through the night and sometimes I lose track of time."

"I'm sure your roommates must worry," Lena said, thinking he lived in an apartment downtown.

"Uh, I actually don't have roommates." He said. "All my business partners and editorial board is married, some even with kids."

"Oh," Lena said, "so where do you live? If you don't mind me asking."

"My moms own a beach house in Ocean Beach, so I live there." He said. "The sound of the ocean calms me down after a rough day."

"One of the reasons why I originally took the job at Anchor Beach was because of the ocean," Lena said.

"Yeah, it's why I love living along it. That and I don't have to drive for my surf sessions." He said through a chuckle.

As silence filled the room again, the family finished their dinner, and then Jesus broke the silence, "Alright, I speak for the kids in this room right now when I ask, what are we supposed to call you?"

The moms and other kids chuckled and when Ben looked up from his plate and said, "I don't expect you to call me Uncle Ben, but if you want, that's cool too."

Stef and Lena shared a loving look across the table with a soft smile and a conversation with their eyes. Yeah, Ben would be the greatest influence on their teenagers.


Stef and Ben were sitting out of the front porch swing drinking a glass of the wine he brought. The kids and Lena had retired to bed about an hour before. They had talked about the insignificant things and were getting into the deeper conversation.

"How'd you know I was Dad's daughter when I came into your office today?" Stef asked him.

Ben looked down at his half full glass of wine and said, "Because I was at the funeral and some of the wake."

"You were?" She asked.

He nodded, "But, I had to leave earlier because a problem arose at work and I felt a little awkward being in your home when you didn't know that I was your brother."

"Would you have told me?" Stef asked.

Ben shook his head, "I was content knowing that you were happy with a beautiful family," he said. "I didn't want to cause any drama by telling you."

"How are you doing?" Stef asked, "With Dad's death?"

"I have my good days and bad days." He answered. "Getting that call wasn't easy."

"Which one of the kids called you?" Stef asked knowing that she had her kids call everybody in his address book.

"Uhh, I'm horrible with names," he said, "but it was one of your girls."

"Callie is the older one," Stef reminded gently.

"Okay, so it was the younger one," he said.

"Mariana," Stef answered. Ben nodded feeling bad that he couldn't remember his nieces or nephews names. "It's okay," Stef added, "you have to remember seven names and we just have to remember one. It's got to be a little challenging."

He nodded, "Yeah," he said. "How'd you find out about me?" He asked looking into his older sister's eyes.

"Dad wrote me a letter," she said. "I found it while I was cleaning out his house."

"Oh," Ben said. "Is the house completely cleaned out?" He asked.

"No, it's been a slow process because I'm sure he wouldn't be too happy if Lena helped with it and the kids always seem to be busy when I go over. Why?"

"He was my dad too," he said. "Maybe it's something we could do together. We both have a good share of memories in that house."

"Really?" Stef asked. "You'd really help me?"

Ben nodded, "Maybe you and I can start bonding through it." He suggested.

Stef's face lit up, "Of course, yeah. I mean whenever you're available." She said. "This weekend?" She suggested.

"Uhh my moms and siblings will be in town, but I can work something out." He said.

"If you want to spend time with them," she said, "that's understandable."

"My birthday is Saturday," he said. "They're making a huge ass deal out of nothing."

"Celebrating your birth isn't a huge ass deal," Stef said.

"23 is just a number." He challenged. "Damn, your worse than Dad when it comes to this."

"What can I say?" Stef said, "It's in the Elkin family genes."

Ben chuckled, "They want to meet you." He said. "My moms and siblings. They were so happy when you reached out. My moms called after you left."

"Wouldn't that be awkward?" Stef asked.

"They told me to invite you, Lena, and the kids to my place for dinner on Saturday." He said. "They don't believe in awkward situations. Sometimes that in itself is really awkward." He chuckled.

"Okay, I'll make sure it's okay with Lena and clear the kids' schedules and I'll get back to you." She said.

"Sounds good." He said.


It was well after three in the morning by the time Stef made it upstairs and into bed, spooning Lena from behind.

"About time you joined me," Lena sleepily mumbled.

"Sorry," Stef said, "we just got to talking."

"That's good," Lena said turning in her wife's arms. "He seems really nice."

"He is," Stef said. "I really like him."

Lena buried her face in the crook of Stef's neck, "I think it'll be good for you, y'know?"

"What's that?" Stef asked, gently kissing the top of Lena's head.

"Having him around," Lena said.

"Why do you think that?" Stef asked, gently rubbing Lena's back.

"He understands what you're feeling with your dad because he's feeling it too." Lena said.

Stef nodded understandingly, "He invited us and the kids to his birthday celebration with his moms and siblings on Saturday."

"Oh?" Lena said. "This Saturday?"

"Yeah, is that a problem?" Stef asked worriedly.

"You just are going to have to steal Brandon and Callie away from Mike for an evening." Lena said. "It's his weekend with them."

"Oh right," she said, running her fingers through Lena's curls, "I'll talk to him about it tomorrow. What about the other kids?"

"We can make them available," Lena said, tangling her legs with Stef.

"Sounds good," Stef said through a yawn, quickly fading.


A/N 2: I got on a roll and didn't stop. Hope you enjoyed that.