There is the way a home breathes, like it has a heart that beats. No house she has ever stayed in has done this before. The creaking floor boards bring a smile to her face as she tip toes sometime after midnight. She used to cringe at the sound, always afraid of waking a sleeping monster. She is getting the cookies from the top shelf when she hears a noise behind her. She turns quickly, relaxing at the sight of Jude standing there. He is sleepy eyes and a carefree smile.

"Cookies?" She offers the box after taking one. He accepts it but makes no move to eat any.

"Why'd you leave?" His innocence and curiosity make the words sharper than any knife. Maybe he is done blaming her, but it makes her blame herself more. She turns to make some hot chocolate.

"I'm sorry. I know I messed up and I just made it worse by leaving." She can almost see him trying to process. Why is it her family that is growing up to quick? She wants to hate all those happy families in their cookie cutter houses.

"Okay… Then why?" She can see she is going to have to spell out every detail to make him understand. After all the pain she caused, even if it was trying to protect him, she still feels like she owes him something.

"I needed to figure some stuff out. It's always been just you and me against the world, and I was tired." She can't find the words to explain without making him feel guilty about things he had no hand in. She was just so tired of having the weight of both their worlds on her shoulders. "I think part of me is afraid of being happy." The other part wonders if there is even such a thing.

"I want you to be happy." He says it like it is a new idea for him too. Her happiness is not something either had thought much about before. "Does Brandon make you happy?" He says it like one person could hold all your happiness.

"He makes me so happy, and so confused. And it hurts because I never want my happiness to hurt anyone else." She wants to tell him not to look at others for your happiness, but she is no expert.

"Connor makes me happy." He has such an innocence in the words yet she still winces at the words. She was raised where people's intolerance meant so much then just hurtful words. She has scars to prove it. She is too tired to fight this fight, against an opponent who doesn't show its face. She hands a mug to Jude before sipping on her own. Jude takes his with him and Callie watches as his tired feet hit the stairs on his way up. It isn't till he is up the stairs that she realizes he took the cookies with him.

Callie has long since finished her hot cocoa yet she isn't tired. She thinks about checking on Declan, however she is surprised when she steps into the living room and Brandon is kneeling by the couch, one hand running through the sleeping boy's hair. He looks up as she enters and his gaze makes her halt. He slowly stands then leads her back to the kitchen.

"I heard noises so I came down to check and he was tossing and turning." He explains, nodding towards the young boy.

"Thank you." She is leaning against the counter while he leans against the table opposite of her. "So… how much did you hear?" She glances up from her feet to look at him between her lashes.

"Enough." He says like it should explain some hidden question. Then he is standing and leaning into her and his hand is on her cheek then in her hair and she could be lost or found in this moment. "I want to make you happy." It is a whisper against her lips and she wants to resist but she is kissing back and now her hands are sliding on his back and tangled in his hair. He is pulling away as she starts to breathe again.

"It's not fair." She doesn't clarify, doesn't give him time to respond before she is kissing him again. Maybe she means it's not fair that she finally finds a home and now it's complicated. Or maybe it isn't fair to leave making her happy up to him.

"Tell me you won't run again." She nods against his lips, before he is pulling away again.

"I promise." He gives in again, and she is sitting on the counter and now she is tilting her head down to kiss him. Her legs are wrapping around his waist, then suddenly there is light and he is pulling away.

"Oh my god!" Its Stef and her hands are over her eyes. Then she is peeking through her fingers to look at the two teens who are now as far apart as possible in the one room. Callie slowly lets herself fall back to the ground. "Brandon! And Callie?" She is shaking her head and trying to process.

"I made hot cocoa." Callie adds hopefully with an apologetic smile.

Authors Note: I both really like and really don't like this chapter, I can't really decide. Anyway review, let me know what you think!

Next chapter will be Stef's reaction and something else, I'm not sure just yet.