But You Stood By My Side

WritingIsLoveAndLife


AN: I'm really on a roll with this story right now, so that means more chapters for you all. Yay! I want to thank everyone for all their positive feedback on this means a lot that so many people like this story, so far. We have also nearly reached 100 views on this story (we're at 93 and counting), and it's only been 11 hours since I published the prologue. I'm so thankful to everyone who is reading this story. The Fosters fandom is seriously one of the best, and I'm so lucky that it is one of the many great fandoms I am a part of. I honestly love you all!

I've received one review on chapter 2 since I posted it, so I'll go ahead and answer that here:

SpaceDog47: I must thank you for expressing that opinion. I'm glad you have enjoyed my story so far and that you're excited to see what happens next. I hope you continue to enjoy and review my story. I'll be updating whenever I can, but I do also work on my original stories, write both for my own personal blog and as a contributor for another one as well. In addition, life will unquestionably get in the way at some point, as it always seems to. So, I hope that answers your question on how often I'll update this story and any other ones I post to this site.

I also must thank you sincerely for following and favoriting both this story, and myself as an author. I really appreciate it. Hopefully, I can continue to reward the faith that you (and everyone else) have placed in me so far.


Disclaimer: Peter Paige and Bradley Bredeweg created The Fosters. I claim no ownership of the series, or its characters. I merely respect the series and want to pay tribute to it, while continuing to sharpen my writing skills.


Chapter 2

After Jude spilled every little detail of my proposal to Mariana, she hastened from our apartment after extracting a verbal promise from the two of us to attend the weekly family dinner come hell or high water. We told her she could stay but she declined, saying she would go to allow us to, and I quote, "celebrate our engagement," which caused both Jude and I to blush furiously.

As the door closes behind her, we both exhale in relief. We just got caught in the eye of Hurricane Mariana, and survived. Few others could claim they've been as fortunate.

I sigh and fall back into the comfortable leather of our couch, allowing it to swallow me in its depths. Jude takes a seat next to me.

"So," he sighs. "That went much better than I expected it to."

"I still think she went a little overboard," I tell him. "But hey, at least we don't have to pay for a wedding planner…"

"True enough," he concedes. "How much you want to bet she's going to go running off and telling everyone in the entire city that her baby brother is engaged? Callie will probably have my head, I don't even want to think about the ribbing from Zeus and Brandon, and don't even get me started on Moms…" he trails off with a groan.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about your moms, babe," I tell him. "Or your dad, for that matter."

"Why?" he asks, suddenly extremely alert and suspicious. "What did you do?"

"I may have gathered your Moms and Donald and asked for their permission to propose to you," I admit.

I'm taken aback when he starts laughing. "Very proper, babe," he tells me in between chuckles. "And here I thought you'd just ask and drive me to the airport to board a red-eye to Las Vegas."

"I do have a decent sense of self-preservation," I retort. "And as much as I can't wait to call you my husband, I knew that if I ever even consider eloping in Vegas, your family would have my head for it."

"Right you are!" he agrees, as he wraps his arms around my midsection. I lie back on the couch, taking his body with me.

We stay like this, all cuddled up, until Jude gets another series of texts. I whine when he takes his arms out from around my waist, and he laughs.

Once he returns to the couch, I perch my head on his shoulder as he reads the messages:

Callie: Congratulations on your engagement, Jude (and Connor, of course!). You probably wanted to keep it a surprise, but the entire family knows Mariana can't keep a secret that juicy for the life of her. Ha, ha! Anyways, I have a meeting that I have to get to. I'll see you both tonight. xx Callie

Brandon: Hi Jude and Connor. Sorry to be so far away from San Diego, especially tonight. Congratulations on your engagement. Unlike Mariana, I won't ask for every little detail, but a picture of the ring would be nice. I can't believe my younger brother is getting married before I am. And, by the way, if you think I decided to go easy on the teasing, you're wrong. I'm just about to head in to rehearsal for the day, so it will just have to wait. If it's any consolation, Jesus will probably be worse than I am, but that probably doesn't make you feel any better. Anyways, I send my love from New York!

Jesus: I knew it was only a matter of time! You two are the most lovesick couple I've ever seen! You literally blind me on a weekly basis with your affection for each other! Anyways, congrats to you both, I'll see you tonight at dinner!

"Well," he says with a sigh, throwing his phone on the coffee table. "That was definitely not as bad as I expected it to be.

We barely have time to get back into a comfortable position when Jude's phone blares, signaling an incoming call. He snaps up instantly, and looks at the caller ID.

"Damn it," he says, turning to me. "Sorry, babe. I have to take this."

I nod my consent, and he picks up the call and begins walking down the hall to our bedroom. "Jude Adams-Foster," I hear him say into the receiver before he shuts the door gently, blocking me from hearing anything else. Not that I would eavesdrop, especially on a work call.

Almost as quick as the door closed, it opens again, and I hear Jude's footsteps clamor down the hall. "Babe!" he calls hurriedly. "I have to go. One of my kids needs emergency placement.

"Can I come?" I ask.

He looks at me for a second, before nodding. "Sure, if you want," he tells me. "But you'll have to be quick. They need me there in about 10 minutes."

I rush down to our bedroom, catching a peek of Jude's flustered attempts to shrug into one of his many work suits. For my part, I exchange my pajama bottoms for some fresh boxers and some dark-wash denim, and run my hands through my hair, before deeming my appearance to be acceptable and running back to the entranceway to shove my feet into my running shoes.

"Let's go!" Jude says, grabbing his car keys from the hook next to the door and his badge from the small table under the hook.


We drive in silence to the house where Jude was called. The entire time, I sneak glances at him, to find his face pulled into an extremely serious expression.

I reach over to where his free hand rests on top of the center console and twine our fingers, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

He tears his focus from the road, giving me a grateful smile. I can feel his body relax slightly.

All too soon, we pull up to the house and Jude parks the car. "Wait here," he says, giving me a brief peck on the lips before grabbing his badge and exiting the vehicle.

I see him through the windshield as he flashes his badge to a police officer standing guard at the front door. He enters the house, and I turn the radio on to pass the time.


It takes about half-an-hour before I see him come rushing out of the house towards the car. He taps on the driver's side window, and I stretch out to roll it down. "Everything okay, babe?" I ask worriedly, taking in his expression.

"I need you to come with me okay?" he asks. "It's important."

In an instant, I'm unbuckled and opening the door. Jude runs back up to the front door, and I follow closely behind.

Once I'm in the house, I'm immediately assaulted by a vile stench, which my fiancé barely reacts to. It takes everything I have not to run back outside into the fresh air.

Sitting on the couch, I see a boy of about 12 years of age. He is wrapped up in a blanket and a female officer is rubbing his back in what I'm assuming is meant to be a comforting manner.

The kid looks up into my eyes, and I'm nearly overwhelmed at how lifeless and glassy they are.

My gaze is torn by Jude's voice.

"Babe, this is Captain Roberts, my Mom's boss, and this is my colleague Social Worker Dean Williams," he introduces. "Dean, Captain Roberts, this is my fiancé Connor Stevens."

"Nice to meet you both," I say, offering them my hand, which they both shake.

I turn my attention back to my fiancé. "So, why did you bring me in here, babe?" I ask.

He fixes me with his serious look. "I know we've been talking about starting a family, Con—" he begins before I cut him off, already guessing where this conversation is headed.

"Jude…" I say warningly.

"Connor!" he retorts, silencing me. "I know this is unexpected, but both Dean and I have no true families we can place him with right now. If we don't take him, he'll have to go to a group home."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the kid flinch violently. He looks up at me again, studying me intensely with those haunted, glassy eyes of his, waiting to see if I'll give up on him and shuffle him back into the system.

I sigh, and run my hand over my face. "What about our foster licenses?" I ask. "They haven't been approved yet."

"Actually, they were just approved yesterday," he tells me. "I was going to tell you last night when we got home for dinner but… well, you know what happened," he finishes sheepishly, a blush coloring his cheeks.

I look at Jude's colleague. "How long would we be fostering him?" I ask.

He looks surprised that I've addressed him directly. Beside me, I can practically feel Jude beaming, knowing that I've caved. "Uh, we expect his current foster parents to be convicted of their crimes, so we're really looking for a permanent placement, if at all possible," Williams tells me.

I eye Jude, who is now pouting. I huff, before laughing at his childishness and turning my attention to the kid. For the first time, I see some life in his eyes. He looks hopeful, but guarded, as though he's been strung along far too many times in his short life.

"Fine," I say, with as much resolve as I can muster. "We'll do it, on one condition."

Williams looks perplexed. "What's that?

I make my way over to the kid and kneel down, so the two of us are truly on eye-level with each other. "What's your name?" I ask him.

"Braden," he says hesitantly.

I shift, so that I am still kneeling, but now facing away from Braden and looking at Jude, Williams and Captain Roberts. "My one condition is that Braden be okay with us fostering, and eventually adopting, him."

I swivel back, so that I am once again facing Braden, who is looking at me as if I've grown a second head.

"What's the catch?" he asks warily.

"There's absolutely no catch," I tell him. "My fiancé was in 7 different foster homes before he found his forever family. Most of those were horrible, but he, and his older half-sister Callie, they didn't have a choice. I want to give you the power to control your life for once."

"Seriously?" he asks.

"Seriously," I confirm with a nod. "You can either come stay with us, and we can take it a day at a time, build some trust, and go from there, or I will get my fiancé to place you in the safest possible group home that he can. It's all up to you."

In less than a second, I feel two rail thin arms pull me into a hug, which I don't hesitate to return. Lips brush my ear, a voice speaking softly into it. "Please don't let me down," it says.

I tighten my hold on this boy, who is now shaking with soft sobs. My reply is one word, spoken with every bit of sincerity my body can muster: "Never."


AN #2: So, it looks like Jude and Connor have got themselves a foster son! Thoughts? Next chapter will deal with Braden coming home with Jude and Connor. As well, the boys sit down to dinner at the Adams-Foster house and celebrate their engagement, but how will everyone react when they reveal their fostering of Braden to the family. Plus, you get to find out what has happened to a new character that was recently introduced on the show, and whom I'm not really liking at the moment.

Also, please keep giving me your opinions and suggestions. The more opinions I have, the more I can improve the quality of this story. And the more suggestions I get, the longer I'll be able to make this fic. I'm also still looking for a cover image, if anyone would like to make me one. PM me and we can talk about that, or you can PM me if you just want to talk in general. I love to meet new people.

The next chapter will be up as soon as possible. I'm starting it right after I post this one. I wasn't lying when I said I was really on a roll with this story.

Until next time,

WritingIsLoveAndLife